Chapter 4: The Mysterious Tribe
"Luffy!," shouted Usopp as he went behind a rock as Augur now a tarsier Zoan climbed and latched onto a column of pillars as he set himself up.
With his vision and Observation Haki, he located Usopp.
"Zoans really do compliment Paramecias. We look down on beasts yet they have their own unique traits that can be exploited in the right ways. Sorry but you were destined to die.," said the man as he fired through the rock and hit Usopp.
His eyes then widened to see that it was a decoy made of stringy plants.
Usopp then appeared from the ground to fire at Augur who dodged by a hairsbreadth just in time.
"As expected of Yassop's son.," said the sniper.
"You keep on saying that. You knew him?," asked Usopp.
"You could say that.," said Augur.
He must've used those Pop Greens in a manner that would make a clone and a tunnel. That would be difficult in a split-second decision., thought Augur.
"Regardless. It's destined for you to die just as your Captain's been defeated.," said Augur.
Usopp shook his head.
"I once turned tail on him but now I truly believe in him. Even though that weird form of his is giving off nasty vibes...my Captain won't die like this.," replied Usopp.
"Is this your defiant Free Will?" asked Augur.
"No, it's Trust.," Usopp answered.
Brook and Chopper ran from their enemies, the former had shrunk down to be able to fit between the pillars and the latter has become a literal Rat Zoan on top of an Andean Condor Zoan that Stronger had morphed into.
"Your Captain's dead, little toys. You go bye-bye soon.," said Wolf.
"No, I have faith he's alive. Since I can sense it now...the matter of souls.," said Brook.
"Souls...no, when a person dies. That's it. They're gone. That's why doctors play a futile game to prevent the inevitable. There's talk of the Afterlife and Inherited Will but those are delusions.," said Doctor Q.
"That's a sad way of viewing life. You should try being more optimistic.," he said as he turned to face Doctor Q instead and Chopper changed his opponent to Wolf as he grabbed him in a hold.
"Impossible. It's not according to Fate.," Doctor Q noted.
"We make our own fates.," said Brook as he slashed Doctor Q, freezing him in place.
He then turned to Luffy as Blackbeard lowered his head against the ground.
"Is he breathing...I can't be too cautious around this guy. He's capable of miracles when you least expect it.," he said as his fist turned white as it vibrated against the ground.
Both Straw Hats then freaked out as they thought-
He's gonna destroy the island!
"N-no little toys...Admiral-y can control it better than Whitebeard-y since he doesn't view it as a last resort.," said the Giant.
"You detected someone, didn't you? That they're attempting to get ahead of us to find something.," said Doc Q as he split into a swarm of rats to escape being caught as they gnawed through the ice to free Stronger.
Chopper gritted his teeth.
"Can't be Marines or Sword or Cipher Pol or any of your enemies. They'd be gunning for you already. They gotta be other Pirates who caught onto something. This won't do...it's not their Fate to do so!" said the swarm as they honed in on the crews.
"STAY RIGHT THERE!," Brook shouted as the rodents froze in place and reformed back into the large Rat Zoan.
"D-did my Training allows for that?" Brook asked.
Chopper then threw Wolf over his shoulder and onto the ground.
"We can't let them be taken in by Blackbeard. We gotta stop these two in their tracks.," said Chopper.
"That was annoying...you toys need to be broken now...," said Wolf as he morphed into a Paraceratherium Ancient Zoan that was towering in size.
"So it is true...but I thought only Blackbeard could do it.," said Brook said.
After a few moments, Blackbeard then got up.
"I hear nothing...but to make sure he stays dead...," said Blackbeard as he generated a black portal around his right hand and another next to Luffy to grab his neck.
"I'll vibrate his molecules so he'll burn alive...he'll go out like his brother. A dying flame.," Blackbeard said.
Suddenly, Luffy sprang to life and bit into Blackbeard's hand who yelled in response.
"AAAAARRGHH!," he screamed with his eyes bulging out and his tongue which was covered purple in this form extended and zigzagged.
Luffy got up as Blackbeard rolled on the ground in pain.
"That was weird. I was in a weird dull gray place.,' said Luffy as birds circled around his head.
Blackbeard got up as he got a glimpse of the parties dashing between the structures-
A large Birka man abundant in both height and width. His face somewhat resembles a smiling totem mask as he is nearly always seen grinning, even when he is unhappy. Apart from his smile, he also has what appears to be a stitched-up scar vertically descending over, and falling short just above his left eye. On his chin, he has a prominent, jet-black, and scruffy beard that extends upwards to the sides of his jaw and then converges with his equally dark sideburns. He seems to sport the short and clean-cut sort of hairstyle generally sported by monks. He also has black tattoos going down his shoulders that somewhat resemble fire.
He dresses in khaki robes which include the white full-bodied garment with severed sleeves, that exposes tattoos patterned like flames on both biceps. He wears a pair of gold earrings, black gloves, and a rather large red bead necklace. He also has a pair of large wings growing out from the middle of his back.
"Mad Monk"- Urouge- Captain of the Fallen Monk Pirates/One of the Supernovas.
And a slim, curvaceous young woman with long light pink hair and purple iris eyes. She wears a white low-cut, frilled tank top that exposes both her midriff and cleavage, along with a pair of orange-and-black striped buckled shorts with long, thin suspenders. She also wears high-heeled black boots reaching up to her calves, with large laces coming from the openings, and a pair of hot pink and dark red stockings with a yellow sun-like motif on them. The hat she wears is a green Furażerka with a light-green lining and earmuffs. She has an anti-eyebrow below her right eye, bright red lipstick on her lips, and is sometimes seen wearing a brown-furred jacket.
"Big Eater"- Jewelry Bonney- Captain of the Bonney Pirates/One of the Supernovas.
That's the wench I was going to make my woman...and that Monk guy...So the rats are playing to use this scuffle to get ahead of me? Like I'd let that happen..., thought Blackbeard before seeing Luffy grab him and slam him left-right-left-right overhead into the ground.
"Hey, Bonehead! You did something weird! I'm gonna have you pay for that!," Luffy shouted.
Blackbeard then giggled as his pupils went off in different directions every few seconds.
"Zehahahahahahahhahahaha.,"
Burgess was fighting Jinbe with a clothesline in a titanium-covered orangutan form before both stared at Blackbeard, the latter being horrified.
"Oh, crap...when he gets mad like this...he goes overboard.," Burgess said.
Sanji was busy dodging playing cards from Shot and had transformed into a round-nose clown on a juggling ball.
"How is that a Devil Fruit? You just got a costume change?" asked the blonde.
Shot's smile then immediately turned into a surprised non-smile as he turned bug-eyed at the sight of Blackbeard's insanity.
Franky was in his giant robot suit as he fought off Pizarro who had become a Lion Zoan.
Nami was busy dodging an unseen yet colossal silhouette with a totem-esque raven head.
Robin was warding off Devon who had turned into a fox hybrid generating a large ball of foxfire over her nine tails.
Zoro was blocking sword strikes while also dodging Shiryu's bite strikes.
And suddenly, the totems were coming to life with mad faces as they cornered Luffy. Kuzan was approaching Luffy from behind
Purple light started to glow from a far corner of the island. It then expanded as it released a shockwave that proceeded to force out the Blackbeard Pirates and their allies to the confusion of the Straw Hats, Bonney Pirates, and the Fallen Monk Pirates. The forces then crashed back onto Pirate's Island.
"What the hell did that?," Zoro asked.
Chopper then spotted a couple of cloaked figures in the distance, one of them, which then beckoned them to come over.
"What do we do?," asked Nami.
Luffy returned to his base form as he pondered what to do next.
Next Chapter: VOID CENTURY
Author Notes: This was more showcasing some of the powers of the Blackbeard Pirates before we set up the first real part of the Lodestar arc. I tailored some of their powers to suit their skill sets.
The following part will reveal my interpretation of the Void Century.