Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.
Sunken Kingdom Arc opening: Netsujou no Spectrum (Nanatsu no Taizai Op 1)
To say that this is a tight spot to be in would be an understatement.
"Gian? What did you just say to him?!" Nami screamed as the command was given.
"Well, it looks like there's no other way out of this." Zoro sighed as he drew both Sandai Kitetsu and Yubashiri from their sheathes "Guess we can't keep secrets."
"Sorry, didn't mean to get everyone involved." Gian grunted as he hoisted Atom Splitter off of his shoulders.
"This is going to be hard." Sanji braced himself.
"THE THREE OF YOU ARE TOO CALM FOR THIS!" Usopp screamed as the soldiers took one more step towards them, their spears were pointed directly at them, knowing they have nowhere else to run to.
"For all it's worth, I am rather regretful it must come to this." Axor continued his gaze "If you wish to be reunited with your dear archeologist, it shall be between the jaws of our Protector."
"Shut up, you scumbag!" Luffy growled "We're not dying here!"
"Seize them!" the Empress ordered coldly.
"I don't think so!" And when the wall of soldiers reached them, the side facing Gian were suddenly blasted apart by a blue ray of heat as they toppled to the floor. This gave enough of an opening for the group to make a run for the main throne while the soldiers lay on the ground, their armor glowing red with heat.
"Oh? So you're deciding to resist." Axor sneered, and Gian's eyes widened as the soldiers he just knocked down stood up as if they've never been struck.
"A heat based weapon it seems that beam was, a good attempt." Axor said "Shame that it will not work."
"Oh no!" Chopper remembered "The Fangs of Manda's armor, it's composed up of Zenith Metal!"
"What in the world is Zenith Metal?!" Gian shouted back.
"It's this weird alloy that they've invented!" Usopp answered in fear "It's very tough, but its main feature is that it disperses heat! Your Atom Ray isn't hot enough to burn through it!"
"Well that's just fan-fucking-tastic isn't it?" Gian snarled in exasperation. They were up against heavily armed guards with armor that can withstand his radiation? That just puts him in a tight spot.
"We'll have to fight through this to get to Robin, what's the plan?" Zoro shouted.
"Well, I got a plan:" Gian snarled, swinging Atom Splitter around him in a wide arc as the heavy blade smashed into the armor of the soldiers advancing on him "Attack!"
"Give us back Robin!" Luffy shouted as his fists pounded into the helmets of multiple soldiers as well, the impact strong enough to knock them down. Zoro and Sanji joined in as well, the four of them mowing a path up the high stairs of the main throne.
"You defy the full might of our Empire?" The Empress seethed as she waved another hand, two shadows leaping over her instantly, heading directly for Zoro and Sanji. The two had to leap back as both a massive sword and a hard fist crashed into the stairs before them.
"Shit, it's Tal'shir and Wuhelm!" Sanji cursed, before immediately having to fend off a roundhouse kick from the vice-captain.
"I knew we should've dealt with you troublesome pirates back on the surface!" Wuhelm was quick to attack one again.
Meanwhile, Zoro and the Captain of the Fangs of Manda were locked in a clash of steel as the large Zweihander of Tal'shir pushed against his own two blades, they seemed to be evenly matched. The heavily armored Mu warrior then swung the blade widely forcing, Zoro on the defensive.
"You will never reach the Empress, not when I stand in your way!" the captain growled. Zoro bit down a curse as he was forced back.
"Sanji! Zoro! Hold on we'll-CRAP!" and more soldiers piled against them, and Luffy was once again cut off in a ring of sharp spears.
"DAMN IT! HOW MANY OF YOU ARE THERE?!" Gian roared as members of the Fangs of Manda literally forced themselves against them, even his strength beginning to be pushed back.
A grunt of pain to his right made him realize to his horror that Wuhelm has forced the cook of the Strawhats to the ground, his arms caught and twisted in an arm lock.
"SANJI!"
"You may think that, since we live in isolation from the world that we have forgotten to bare our teeth." Wuhelm stated rather monotone "You cannot be more wrong."
"Show him!" the Empress sneered in triumph, and Gian's shock only increased as Sanji let out a scream of agony as the grip around his arms appeared to steam.
"Living down here, the Warriors of Mu are no different than yours at first glance," Axor raved "But beneath the skin, there's a talent that, when situations arise, will burn our enemies from the world!"
"D-damn you… LET HIM GO!" Gian had to break away from his dash upwards to lunge at the warrior, forcing Wuhelm to disengage and release the cook. Sanji gasped in pain as he slowly was brought back to his feet, a part of his arms now red and peeling.
"So hot… it was like there's a furnace within him!" Sanji stammered painfully "He was emitting a body temperature that would kill a normal person!"
"What?!"
"You are quite observant, Sanji-san, and you're not far off." The Empress cackled "12 000 years under the sea, bathed in the continuous light of our underwater sun, we have gained a gift! Our bodies are capable of immolating our internal temperatures to levels that would be all too lethal to those of you from the surface, yet we can use that to incinerate you where you stand!"
With that Gian and Sanji had to dodge a drop kick from Wuhelm, whose leg glowed red hot. When his foot was lifted, the two could see that the stone underneath was bubbling and beginning to melt.
"That… that is crazy…" Sanji breathed.
"You can't let him touch you again." Gian said.
"Yeah, no need to remind me."
The Empress raised another hand, and Gian was alerted to a scream. With wide eyes he realized that in his zealous rage he almost forgot about Nami, Usopp and Chopper, who were still at the bottom of the steps with a wall of soldiers advancing on them, their spears glowing with heat.
"They can heat up their spears too?!" Usopp wept "It's gonna burn a hole through us!"
"Of course! Zenith Metal conducts and distributes heat!" Chopper realized "With how hot their body temperatures can reach, the weapons can withstand it while being heated!"
"Hold on… we can get out of this…" Nami panted, concentrated on her task. Crouched behind the other two, the navigator was busy combining heat and cold balls that her usual weather related tactics rely on. This time though she's aware that simply any plane weather tempo techniques will not work, the soldiers are too well armored and there's too many of them, she needed something bigger.
"Nami what are you doing?!" Usopp urged again.
"I'm trying! I have to think of something that'll work well enough!"
"It would be wiser if you all just give up now!" The Empress rasped "If you cease your struggling, I can promise that Lord Manda will devour you swiftly."
"Why are you doing this?" Gian demanded "Is you bringing us down here only to exploit Robin for her gifts?"
"I thought that had been obvious? We said we'd be using her talents." Mulines rebuked "If you hadn't realized it by now, you've been a fool."
"It just so happens, you lot are standing in our way. Once we dispose of you first, we'll use that woman to fully unlock the secrets of the Surface. Don't worry, she'll be joining you in the afterlife soon enough!" Axor thundered as the door to the throne room slammed open, more soldiers flooding in.
"Don't you dare…! DON'T YOU DARE HURT HER!"
And Gian once again attempted to smash through the soldiers that stood in his way. Swinging Atom Splitter left and right it was his strength that carved a path through the armed guards, knocking them aside. The Kaiju-Zoan user dashed up the steps leading up to the throne making a beeline for only one target.
"Wait… what is he doing?!" Zoro shouted. It was hardly noticeable, but Gian's posture seemed... different somehow. His glaive reared back, mouth set in a savage sneer, it seems like he's only aiming for one target.
"Gian, stop"! Sanji cried, but his plea when unheard.
"Guards!" Axor commanded "Do not let him reach the top!"
"What is this?" Mulines stood up and cowered back "Are you attempting to strike at the Symbol of the Mu Empire?"
And that's when Gian leapt up over the Fangs of Manda members trying to intercept him. In midair he spun the blade of Atom Splitter round as his howl disturbed even Mu's ruler.
"I'm sending you to hell, you bitch!"
"NO! PROTECT THE EMPRESS!" Axor lifted his staff as a blinding flash of light zapped towards Gian, but it seemingly failed to do anything, and Gian landed directly in front of the Empress and brought the blade down.
Hard.
Stunned silence was the only thing that filled the space. The guards were momentarily distracted, shocked by the events. The rest of the Straw Hats could not believe what has just happened; their first mate had just cut the Empress of Mu down.
And the ruler herself didn't have anything to say, for in a spray of blood she was sent flying backwards. Skidding roughly into the platform behind her, she let out a hushed gasp before falling still.
There was one detail however during all this, and that was the Empress' eyes. Cold, blank and unfeeling before, had anyone paid attention during that time they would've seen that her eyes changed back to her usual dark brown, shock as her head became clear.
But it just so happened that no one did pay attention.
Because all the attention was on the one who struck her down.
Gian was unmoving, completely still like a statue even as the rising cry of anguish from the Mu that were present from within the room rose into crescendo.
"H-Her Majesty…" Axor whispered in horror, before his eyes warped into those consumed by fury.
"Seize them… SEIZE THEM THIS INSTANT!"
The Fangs of Manda sprang into action immediately, and this time there was no room to fight back.
Luffy was pinned down to the floor, struggling and kicking as the armored bastions forced his arms and legs still with chains, shackling them in the process. Zoro let out a cry as his battle with Tal'Shir was interrupted when the captain roared in anger and commanded the soldiers to chain him too, the swordsman unable to fight through all of them at once. Sanji shortly followed, with the Fangs of Manda swinging and wrapping his legs around with iron shackles. The cooks struggle were cut short when Wuhelm landed in front of him and delivered multiple punches and kicks.
Gian was surprisingly still during this whole time. He didn't move, and was forced to his knees by a ring of spears locking around his neck. He never spoke a word, even when Axor gave his next command.
"This is the pay back we've been dealt… we welcome them to our kingdom, showed them our life, and they repay us by slaying our beloved Empress!"
The soldiers roared in rage and anguish, mentally begging to be able to skewer the offenders at the end of their spears. Axor fanned the flames further, lifting his staff to the only ones yet to be fully restrained.
"They spilled the blood of our hearts, and in turn we shall bathe the ocean with their blood!" the High Priest screeched "They will know death by the judgement of Lord Manda, starting with those 3!"
And Usopp, Chopper and Nami only screamed in further fear as the armored warriors charged towards them, grabbing and threatening to pull them away.
"NO! HELP! GIAN WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Usopp screamed in fear as he's about to be torn away. Looking up, he saw one figure that made his heart sink.
"K-Kubo-kun?"
The boy's eyes were stained with tears, full of betrayal and anguish. His bow was withdrawn and he had an arrow leavied, even as his whole body shook.
"I can't believe you Usopp-san… I thought you were brave people…"
"No… We're-"
"YOU'RE JUST A BUNCH OF KILLERS!" the boy wept "WE'LL AVENGE THE EMPRESS WITH YOUR LIFE!" but rather than shooting, the boy only cried further, instead turning his back on the sniper.
"You're nothing but a liar…"
Usopp closed his eyes, knowing the boy didn't want to listen to him anymore.
"AHHH HELP ME!" Chopper cried as the troops came for him as well.
"No! There must be a misunderstanding!" Nami screamed as she was being pulled roughly to her feet. The High Priest's eyes were cold.
"Nothing you say will be of any value anymore! Take them to the cliff overseeing Lord Manda's domain!"
Nami gulped; they were completely outnumbered. With the Monster Trio bound and locked, still trying to struggle, there was no way of them getting out of here.
Except one.
During this time, Nami had been preparing a bigger attack, one that she would've used as a distraction once it's finished. Gian's unforeseen actions had cost her, she can no longer save everyone.
But she can still save a few.
Ever since the Empress' verdict, something wasn't sitting right with her, and she has to get to the bottom of things.
But to do that she'll need to escape, and have some help.
And as of this moment, it was now or never.
"Sorry Usopp, Chopper. This is going to hurt a bit."
Faster than the eye can track, Nami slipped her Clima-tact from her sleeve and stacked the weapon into her staff form. All this time, the Fangs of Manda along with High Priest Axor, distracted by their rage, did not see a gradually building storm cloud above them.
It also helped that she decided to wear a long sleeved shirt today.
"THE WOMAN HAS A WEAPON!"
"STOP HER!"
"Sorry boys, but it's too late." one happy thought, before she unleashed her creation.
"THUNDERSTORM TEMPO!"
The massive bolt of lightning that struck down blinded everyone, knocking those closest to the three captives off their feet. When the light faded, the next thing people felt was the light drizzle of rain within the throne room. As for Nami, Usopp and Chopper, not a trace of them remained; they had disappeared once the lightning struck.
"Rain? Impossible…" Axor narrowed his eyes.
"That woman must be a witch! This is witchcraft we're seeing here!" a soldier shouted.
"She must've used that moment to escape!" another added.
"High Priest, what are our next orders?" Tal'shir growled "I will not rest until we capture all of those vile murderers!"
Axor nodded "Indeed Captain, take your men and search the city, they can't have gone far."
"I want to go too!" Kubo shouted from the foot of the steps.
"Kubo-kun… this is a very serious issue, maybe-"
"NO! Captain Tal'shir! Our Empress, who means more to us than anything, was just slain in cold blood by a criminal! You can't seriously expect me to simply observe and stand around while a group of them are still out there?!"
The Captain of the Fangs of Manda stared for a second, before nodding affirmatively.
"Very well, you will join us in this search mission. When you find them, incapacitate, kill only if needed. Lord Manda prefers His sacrifices alive."
Kubo saluted, determination in his eyes.
Axor then turned to the massive amount of troops now in the room.
"Sons and Daughters of the Mu Empire, our history is a deep one. You've all heard stories of a time when our Empire stretched from the horizons and Mu was the shining jewel of the sea. Then, tragedy struck 12 000 years ago, a cataclysmic event caused us to be forever lost beneath the waves."
"Down here, we've advanced our society, etched out our existence. While the surface laid down stone houses, we've erected expanses of cities. When the surface set out in ships, we've already explored the depths of the ocean!" the High Priest continued.
"For millennia we've survived down here, believed we are hidden from the rest of the world. When we finally decided to once again reach out to that which lies above, we attempted to show kindness, generosity. What we got in return, was bloodshed and anguish!"
The soldiers all roared in fury at that.
"My fellow Children of Mu, these killers come from the land above, a land that once heralded respect for our very own Kingdom. But they have strayed very far from the path of advancement we walk. The surface has taken from us our beloved ruler, but we will not remain unheard! We have seen the surface people's impurity first hand, and will we wait to see another example?"
"NO!"
"KILL THEM ALL!"
"DRAG THEM TO THE DEEP!"
Axor sneered behind his mask "The people of the surface will soon learn who truly gave rise to the dawn of the World, for no longer will Mu hide within the deep, we will return to what belongs to us, and STAND ABOVE ALL! "Mu will cleanse the surface of their residue, and from the ashes of their ruins, the Mu Empire, WILL RISE WITH THE SUN ONCE MORE!"
Clangs were heard as each of the Fangs of Manda slammed their spears and shields together in a crescendo rally, giving a shout after each bang. The sound infectious to the point where all the people within the room were rooting and howling as their morale was raised.
"UNLEASH THE FLEET!"
And the horde of soldiers began to pour out into the throne room, all out for blood. They hurried to the harbors, gathered at the armory, ready to unleash a hidden empire to the rest of the world.
Axor looked on grimly; it was official, war has been declared. He then shot a glare at the Monster Trio, still bound by chains, each panting and filled with intense burns as the high body heat of some of the soldiers were seeped through.
"Prepare them for sacrifice, they will be executed once the sun reaches Zenith atop the palace." Axor dismissed.
"You… what are you planning…?" Zoro grunted in pain as he was hoisted to his feet.
"I think you're smart enough to see where I'm going with this? Or are you really that stupid?" the High Priest snorted.
"You may have fooled every solider in this room, but you can't fool me!" the swordsman shouted "Behind every make is a snake waiting to bite, and you've already shown your fangs! Don't think I-"
He was cut off when a guard slammed the butt of his spear into his stomach. Zoro gritted in pain as he, Sanji and Luffy were escorted away, the latter still struggling.
"High Priest, what about the killer?" a guardsman then pointed to the motionless Gian, still locked by a ring of spears. Axor's eyes narrowed and he waved them off.
"Bring him to me, I will deal with this one personally!"
The soliders complied, all moving him towards the back of the throne. Surprisingly, there was not a single ounce of resistance. Axor then dismissed the rest of the guards still watching, and as they left the room, it was only him remaining.
"You have served Mu well, Holy Empress Mulines" the High Priest strode over to the Empress' motionless body. Movement behind him made him look back, as he saw Sara walk out of the room behind the throne. Axor said nothing as he bent down and gather a vial of the Empress' spilled blood.
"…Is it done…?" Sara didn't even look at the scene.
"Yes, child…" Axor nodded "You know how to dispose of her."
Sara grimaced, she never expected the events to be this gruesome.
"…High Priest, if you don't mind me asking, how… does the murder of Her Highness contribute to our plan?"
"For years, I needed access to the secrets of our Kingdom, and I never got enough authority to obtain all of it. Now, with the Oharan in my possession and Empress Mulines' blood, the back room's secrets will be unleashed at last!" Axor raised his head as he walked towards the chamber.
"But to slay the figure beloved by all of Mu, wouldn't it-"
"Child," Sara gasped slightly when Axor lifted her head with the tip of his fingers "Do you still want to explore the surface?"
"I… I… This isn't-"
"For dreams to be recognize, an equal amount of sacrifice must be made, perhaps even more. It's what makes the dream all the more worthwhile." The High Priest gently chided "You're not having second thoughts about your dream, are you?"
"O-Of course not…!" Sara stammered "It's just that-"
"The loss of Empress Mulines is a tragedy indeed, all of Mu will mourn her, but first we need to focus on more pressing matters. Just as your dream to venture to the world above will be recognized once the secrets of the chamber has been unlocked, so shall mine of restoring the Empire to what it once was." Axor sighed "For this to happen, we need to steel our hearts no matter the consequence of our actions. Now, go dispose of her; I must proceed with the ritual."
Sara merely nodded, and questioned no more as she took the body of the Empress out. She's shaken to her core, and only her dream is keeping her forward.
"Yes… you once were the symbol of Mu." Axor remarked "But it will be me who will lead Mu into our future."
Meanwhile:
Outside of the massive ziggurat that is the palace, by the banks of the river, the air began shimmering as Nami finally dropped her disguise. It was a pretty complicated trick, having to use Mirage Tempo to grant 3 illusions of 3 different people was something she never knew was possible; she didn't even have the practice! It would seem like the trick paid off though, and will then be able to buy them some time.
It wasn't to say the idea was flawless, however. The lightning strike was fast, and she wasn't able to escape unscathed. Her body was singed in many areas from the phenomenon; she had to pull off the Mirage Tempo a mere second before the lightning struck, lest her ruse be discovered. Overall, the speed was quicker than she could've done, and it managed to injure the three of them as well.
"Owwwww…." Usopp whined as he panted once he toppled to the ground "Nami you almost killed us!"
"Sorry, Usopp, it was the only way I could think of."
"The whole city must be looking for us now…" Chopper shook his singed fur "we've gotten out, but for how long?"
"Great, we're not going to escape after all…" Usopp sighed "WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS GIAN THINKING?!"
"Usopp shush!" Nami scolded "We don't want them to find us!"
"That's not the point!" The sniper snapped "nothing would've escalated to this level if he just kept a level head! But he had to go ahead and slice the Empress from stem to stern!"
The sniper began weeping "I can't believe it was the same guy we know! When have you seen Gian kill anyone?! We've been travelling with a murderer this whole time!"
"Usopp…" Nami begged "You have to calm down!"
"I can't calm down right now! We're never going to see Luffy, Zoro or Sanji again! Robin probably doesn't even know what's going on while she's imprisoned who knows where!"
"I never seen Gian do anything like that before…" Chopper admitted "Even when he's transformed before he's always shown some restraint! But, what I saw back there, it was like he got possessed!"
Nami frowned "That's the thing… when HAS Gian ever straight up murdered someone in cold blood, even when faced with something like that?"
The navigator looked back at the palace, the massive pyramid shape now looming over as the dying light of the geothermal sun began to simmer. In the expanding darkness, a once beautiful piece of architecture now looked ominous and imposing.
"Something is going on in this kingdom… and I can't help but feel that everything that happened today was like a massive chess game, and we're the chess pieces."
As the Fangs of Manda fanned out below the protective field, outside it is where the real activity took place. Fleets of submarines began to spread across the ocean, carrying soldiers by the multitude.
For tens of thousands of years, the surface had been unaware of what was going on beneath the waves, and they were about to get the worst kind of wake up call.
The submarines of the Mu Empire moved like a phantom through the water, silent and invisible beneath the waves.
Their first targets were those directly sailing the seas.
From underneath the ships sailing above, the submarines unleashed their payload. The stockpiled mines, once released, zeroed in onto any vessel above it. The result was a rupture that almost disintegrated the entire ship.
It was soon that the first marine ships were called to the scenes of destruction. The heavily armed vessels were nothing to scoff at, each carrying ocean going sailors capable of fighting on their own right.
To the Mu they were nothing but flies to be exterminated.
And in a simple showdown, it's the superior weapons that come out on top. Simple cannons were no match for the much powerful dragon shaped laser weaponry that the submarines sported. The worst part is the Marines can't even get a visual on their target, for the Empire remained just below the surface, unloading their weaponry upwards in a shower of heat.
And all this destruction? It is just the beginning.
"Just what in the world is going on out there?!" Back at Marineford, Fleet Admiral Sengoku could not be in a worse position at the moment. Multiple reports came back of ships losing contact with headquarters, entire crews vanishing, it was an unsettling news, one that even someone who has seen impossible things come true upon the Grand Line was floundering with little options.
The ringing of a Den Den Mushi once again furthered his agitation. The Fleet Admiral ripped the shell up and immediately roared into it.
"If this isn't a solution, do not speak to me!"
"It seems we've called at a rather difficult time, Gensui." A deep voice remarked on the other end as the snail took on a stern expression with a moustache face. Sengoku's composures eased for a little bit.
"Captain Gordon, why have you called?"
"I've read the reports, same as you." the captain spoke "It seems we're dealing with a threat we have problems handling."
"You think I don't see that?" Sengoku growled "I've been up to my eyes with paperwork on what's going on! Men and women are dying out there! Unless you got a plan, you don't need to remind me of it!"
"Well, what plan do you have?" Douglas Gordon questioned. Sengoku could only sigh.
"If nothing else can be done, we might need to send one of the Admirals. Surely one of them can-"
"Perhaps they could, or perhaps they'll end up like the rest. Not that I doubt those 3, but even with their power this is something no one has ever seen before, or better put, it's something we don't have the means to reach."
"Stop speaking riddles, captain!" Sengoku shouted "What are you suggesting here?"
"The reports all state that the attacks seemingly happen in the open ocean, yet we never captured any evidence of any perpetrators." The captain stated "I'm suggesting that, maybe these attackers are not striking from above the water, but instead down under it."
"So how does that help us?" Sengoku asked.
"Rather than send ships to their doom, why not send something that could even the odds?"
The Fleet Admiral's eyes widened "Out of the question! We are not sending the Gotengo out for something we perhaps could handle normally!"
"That's the thing though," the captain sighed "Are we handling it?"
"You-!"
"I understand the repercussions of using the Gotengo in a matter like this. It was meant always as a last resort weapon, and considering the last time that golden brat managed to convince me to take it out for a joy ride I nearly got demoted I'd usually agree with you."
The captain's voice was stern "But we're talking about something that could threaten the world here. Right now they attack ships, attacking Marines, but what happens when these unknown attackers go further than that?"
"If you didn't think I've thought about that possibility-?"
"Of course you have, it's what we expect. But the same thing goes and that is, as of right now, the fact that we are powerless to fight back against a threat that we know nothing about. When lives are lost, then people will be wondering where the Marines, the upholders of Justice, were to defend those in need. I don't think you need that on your conscience now, do you Gensui?
Sengoku seethed "The world cannot know about the Gotengo! A weapon like that ship of yours is something that rivals even the Ancient Weapons, what will the pulic-"
"Gensui, if we're done talking here, let me remind you that if this continues, there may be no public left."The snail growled "If you're willing to let lives be lost to protect a secret of the Marines, then that's up to you, but I think you know better than that?"
Sengoku became silent. Throughout his career Douglas Gordon was never the one who minced words. His trait was telling it like it is and made no secret to hiding what he was thinking. It is this gruff sea captain that eventually was granted the task of safekeeping the Gotengo.
Sengoku sighed, knowing what he must do. As time slips away, the amount of options became even lower, and they didn't have the time to spare.
"…Where's Gideon? I know he's listening in."
The snail's features changed from a veteran captain into a confident smile with golden eyes.
"How is it going, Gensui?" Gideon grinned "I knew you wanted to see me!"
Sengoku sighed; he was going to regret this, he just knew it.
"Gideon, I am authorizing the Gotengo to launch." The Fleet Admiral stated "Because of the nature of the ship it may be the only thing that can help us now. Find out the source of these attacks, and once you located them, wipe them off the face of the world.
"Ooooh, it's been a while since I've gone out! And actually something exciting for that matter!"
"Take this seriously!" Sengoku growled "I wouldn't have made this call normally but in a situation like this, it's the only option we have left! You are to carry this mission out covertly and rouse as less attention as possible, do you understand?"
The response he got was the roaring of jets, and in a hurry he rushed to the window as a dark shadow cast over the headquarters bulding.
"Don't you worry Gensui," Gideon smiled from the other end as the massive warship cut through the air, the bow drill spinning to life "I'm already way ahead of you!"
Meanwhile:
"…Is this what you wanted to happen?"
Sara froze as the voice from beside her sounded. Her grisly task completed, she returned to help the High Priest. Nico Robin sat across from her, arms chained in a Y shape to the wall. The woman quickly realized the darkness of the task she was to be done the moment she read the first line of the Poneglyph, and had tried to escape with her ability, but was apprehended.
"You going against your morals for a pipe's dream, it's ironic." Robin mused. This was a situation she's been in multiple times and, to her end, it has always been so she could obtain what she wishes to seek, allying herself with pirates and criminal organizations to further her dream was something she needed to do to survive. And while she's clearly come to terms with it, the girl in front of her clearly has not.
"You don't know anything about what I'm feeling right now." Sara glared at her. Robin simply sighed.
"You'd be very surprised."
The sealed doors to the hidden chamber slid open heavily as Axor stepped in, a new darker look in his eyes. Robin's widened when she saw that, behind him, a group of escorts have restrained Gian and held him in a lock of spears around his neck.
"Hello, Nico Robin. Any progress?" the priest asked sarcastically.
"You don't know what you're getting into." Robin seethed "The forces, the darkness behind this seal, it isn't something you can control!"
"That's not for you to worry about, dear." Axor shrugged "For ages we have forgotten our true origins, we worship that false serpent Manda when the true deity of Mu once led us to conquer the land above! It's time to return to that place."
"I understand everything now… getting us down here, it wasn't to decipher any scripture or language… you already know every well what's locked behind these walls. But you alone can't unlock them, can't release what's trapped beyond. But why go through all the trouble of getting my entire crew down here? Why not just kidnap me?"
"I knew you were a resourceful woman, Nico Robin." Axor sneered "I had no doubt that you'd figure things out eventually. You're right, originally we'd just planned to obtain you; you're the only real necessity to this plan after all."
"However, it was later that I realized, to unleash our power onto the surface, we need to gauge the strength of some of the people who lived there. So instead the order was given to bring your entire group down. Though, now that I've seen them, I frankly must say if this is what the surface had produced, then this conquest would be rather easy."
"You're underestimating them." Robin stated "You think they're just simple pirates, but they're more than that! The Straw Hat Pirates have accomplished things one can only imagine."
"Perhaps I did, but it matters little now. You will unlock this seal for me and release Mu's Dark power back to the world!"
"Then it seems we're at an impasse then. We both know what's locked behind these seals, but only I can decipher them! And I won't do it; without me there's no possibility you can unshackle the forces behind here, there are no other living members of Ohara for you to find!"
Axor was silent, until he began to chuckle. Robin grew increasingly unsettled as the laughter grew into a crazed cackle.
"I fail to see the humor in this?"
"My dear child, I can tell from the way you speak that you've experienced more events than the others of your crew. But despite this, you're still horribly naïve."
"What?"
"It's funny, that at this point you still think you have a choice in the matter! You don't seem to see that if you're not going to do this willingly, I will simply force you to."
At this, the soldiers that restrained Gian unlocked their spears from his neck, and the Kaiju-Zoan user stood up immediately.
"As I said before, your crew doesn't impress me. The sole exception however, is this one!" Axor smiled at the warrior.
Robin's eyes widened in shock.
"He possess a power, a power even more ancient than Mu! A power that's thought to have died after we've sank to the depths, but now reborn through a different means!"
"No…!" she whispered.
"And now, I have him too under my possession! I will say, he was quite instrumental in my plan!"
Gian's eyes, once full of color and emotion, were now a pale white with no pupil. He spoke nothing, only glaring in the direction Robin stood, his guandao at his side. She also noted, to less distress, that the soldiers who escorted him in had the same dead features. Because of this, she was not prepared for what Axor was about to do as he leveled his staff with her eyes.
"Now…" the staff began to glow white "How about we carry on with the next steps of this ritual?"
As this was happening:
"Nami… I'm tired, we've been walking along the river for hours!" Chopper whimpered.
"Yeah, I think we've gone far enough for now! Let's rest a bit!" The navigator nodded.
The three of them stayed by river; it was the best way they could hide themselves. By now they had been some ways away from the city, taking shelter within a carved out river valley that diverged from the main river. The light has dimmed considerably now; it would be around dusk and the geothermal sun has decreased its energy output. With the dying light, along with the steady whir of weather generators around the river valley, this was a perfect place to hide for the time being.
"Ok, I don't hear any soldiers, we should just lay low for now."
"Oh good, we can lay low!" Usopp cried "But how do we get out of here? We can't get to the Merry with it still being in the city, and even if we could, leaving the place we'll never make it to the surface! We're doomed!"
"There has to be a way, once we go back and rescue the others we'll find a way to leave!" Nami said.
Usopp's jaw dropped "Rescue? What are the three of us even going to do?! They have an entire army!"
"But we need them!" Nami protested.
"We'll have to find a way back into the city!" Chopper nodded "And a way to keep hidden enough."
"Ohhhh, this is going to bad…" Usopp whimpered "I can still see it, Gian looked like he wanted to kill every person in that room just to get to Robin!"
"That's what I'm concerned about." Nami frowned "We've never seen Gian so unhinged before! This is completely unlike him!"
"But… we saw it with our own eyes!" Usopp protested "Are you saying there's a reason behind him going straight for the Empress?"
"I don't know, but I do know Gian isn't one to just resort to murder when there's no need!" Nami responded.
"What if it's the monster?!" Usopp realized "The monster must have taken over him!"
"That's not true! How can a Devil Fruit Power have influence over a person! Gian is Gian, he's not a monster!" Chopper argued "He may be rough and blunt at times, but he's not a cold blooded monster, I know it!"
"Chopper…"
"Usopp, don't you trust Gian? He's our First Mate!" Nami said "He wouldn't let anyone harm us, would the same monster do that?"
"Ohhh… Of course not! I want to save him too! I want to save all of them!" Usopp sobbed "But I don't know what to do right now! And after what we saw, I'm honestly terrified!"
"I know, so am I." Nami shuddered "I'm trying to think of something but how can I?"
During all this, Chopper suddenly realized that something else was in their vicinity.
"Guys! Look, by the river!"
"Huh? Something is caught on the banks!" Nami noted.
It was when they decided to take a closer look did fear gather inside them.
"I don't believe it! I don't believe it!" Usopp whispered furiously!
"Wahhh this is Karma!" Chopper sobbed.
None other than the Empress of Mu herself was lying face up by the river. Her eyes were closed, already pale skin even paler. The large gash on her chest inflicted by their crewmate still bled slightly. She was not moving.
"Is… Is she…?" Nami shook.
"She has to be! There's no way anyone could survive anything like that!" Usopp snapped.
"We need to leave, or they'll find us!" Nami whimpered.
"But… why is she here?" Chopper wondered "She's the ruler of the Kingdom, surely they'd honor her in a much more regal fashion! But to dump her in the river and float downstream?"
"Maybe they don't have that custom!" Usopp ushered "Let's get out of here!"
Chopper was about to oblige when his nose twitched. Frowning, he hurried to the body of the Empress, sniffing around.
"Chopper! What are you doing?!" Usopp whispered frightfully.
"Impossible… I can't believe it…" Chopper then turned to the other two with wide eyes "She has a pulse… SHE'S STILL ALIVE!"
"WHAT?! THEN WE REALLY NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE!" The sniper wept "When she wakes up she'll call for help and we'll all be captured and executed!"
"But she's hurt… we can't just leave her here…" Chopper mumbled.
"Chopper, she's the ruler of a group of people who think we've killed her! If she gets back to them we're doomed! I'm sorry, but we have to leave!" Nami urged.
"But I- No! We can't leave her here, then she'll die for real!" Chopper argued.
"As far as the rest of Mu is concerned, she's already dead!" Usopp cried "Maybe it's better that it stays that way!"
"No! I am a doctor! I help people no matter who they are!" and the two could see that Chopper was adamant in his decision.
"Wait… now that I realize it, this could be good for us!" Nami perked up, when Usopp gave her a confused look, she explained further.
"We now have the ruler of Mu in our possession! We can use this to our advantage! Once the people realize she's still alive! We can use her as leverage to rescue Luffy and the others!"
"So we're like ransoming her?" Usopp questioned "That's so dark…"
"I know, I don't like the idea either, but we have no other choice left! If we want to survive, we'll need this opportunity!"
"Huh… well I do want to rescue Luffy and the others…" Usopp thought it over "Alright! I'm in!"
"Ok, then the first thing we need to do is save her! I think I spotted a cave just a few ways back where we came, Chopper take her there!"
"Right! I don't have any supplies so I got to use natural remedies, so Usopp come help me look for them!" Chopper nodded.
"Oh, let's hope this works…"
The three of them began to proceed with their plan. Though at this moment they have no idea, they unwittingly just did a turning point for the history of the Kingdom.
A/N: And with this chapter, we've roughly reached the climax for this arc! Since the last couple of chapters were mostly set up and world building, I can safely tell you that from this point on, it'll be more action packed for a bit! By now you should know that the arc isn't going to be quite side by side with Atragon the movie; it has elements of it but it's more of a story on its own. For once, I don't really have much to say, other than the usual thank you for keeping up with this story! We now have over 200 000 views on it! I never would've expected that 2 years ago!
Aside from that, this is also the 60th chapter of the story. By this point we have a lot of characters, so now I present a question. Would anyone like me to have a separate guide for the story? It will contain information such as character backgrounds, information of Kaiju-Zoans (that we've seen) and other things related to the more original aspects of the story. In a sense, it's like how the One Piece Wiki is organized. Say in the reviews, or give me a PM on whether or not you'd like that!
Responses to reviews (we only got 5 this time! At least it makes my job a bit easier!):
To SolanaLeonhart:
When I mean by skipping Long Ring Long Island, I mean that most of the arc will be skimmed in a flashback that takes place during the end of the arc. It'll be short and simple while keeping some comic relief, but the moment I'm keeping is quite an important part, you can probably guess what it is. So yeah, we won't see much of Foxy.
G: But apparently it's gonna be cold!
Dude, spoiler much?
To Kristopher B:
I will say this much, I actually do have plans for Bagan to eventually appear in the story, and it's going to tie in all of the Kaiju History, or at least I hope it will! This however won't happen for a very long time, so for now don't think on it too much!
G: Isn't Bagan a pokemon?
That's BaGON not BaGAN… there's a difference.
G: Seriously? There's only one letter of difference? That's really creative…
THEY AREN'T EVEN RELATED TO EACH OTHER!
To Vergil Leonidas:
G: Welcome back for another shit show, we have crepes.
Yeah, you see that a lot of the world building here is mostly for this arc, but with how the Manga is going so far, you can expect Mu to make more movements much later on. I'm glad you like the characters, you'll be seeing more of them later!
G: Hurray for characters we only see in one arc!
Now, you don't know that for sure!
And To be honestly, I am planning a sort of a guide that some people can ready just so they can know what's going on. Just like an overall encyclopedia on some of the OCs and abilities. Meanwhile feel free to do whatever you'd like!
To Matt:
The plot begins to thicken! Oh what mysteries lie ahead?
G: *X-files theme
That has been used a lot.
To Son of Whitebeard:
G: We love you too!
0.5: your support led to our creation!
R: We are eternally grateful!
Gid: I know I haven't made much of an appearance yet but I'm grateful as well!
And all the other human OCs thank you as well!
And that's it for now, we'll see you all next chapter!
Leave a review so Gian can stop crying about the end of Infinity War!
G: SOME OF THEM HAVE SEQUELS HOW COULD THEY JUST DIEEEEE?