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.
Color Spread: The current Straw Hats going to Dim Sum, with Luffy stretching out his arms and picking food off carts while Sanji and Nami yell at him. Usopp is putting googly eyes on sesame balls while Chopper laughs at it. Zoro is looking at his tea and wishing it was alcohol. Gian is feeding Robin sticky rice.
"Shout out to Iceburg for being the best mayor I have ever seen!" Gian slurred while standing atop the island located in the middle of the pool as the crowd cheered. "You can't ask for a better leader and he'd better get all the approval ratings for his next term~! The mayor in question simply shook his head and grinned lightly.
It's the final 2 days of their stay at Water 7, and they've all but recovered for the most part. Franky had contacted them earlier that day saying he would be done with their new ship in another day or two, so for now seemed to be a good time as any to throw one of their parties. Located near the edge of the city in a massive courtyard with a large swimming pool, it was the perfect place to celebrate.
And it was big event too, as not just they, but all the workers of Galley-La and the Franky Family showed up. Even some of Water 7's townsfolk decided to join in on the festivities. Thus, a big barbecue was held with lots of food, drink and music. Everyone enjoyed themselves immensely.
"I also want to say to my nakama, I love you guys to hell and back~! People hate us because they ain't us, well their opinions ain't shit!" said crew mates all whooped at the declaration.
"Ever since you introduced him to drinking he's shown a new side of himself!" Nami joked to Zoro.
"I'm all for it!" The swordsman laughed "This is too funny to pass up!"
The Straw Hats were in the thick of things, it could basically be said that they spearheaded the party on their own. The people of Water 7 soon saw just how much they could party, it was almost always them starting something off, and be it an aquatic volleyball tournament or a conga line. Even Usopp had shown up with his two giant buddies and frolicked amongst the group once more; for that moment it was almost as if all past grievances between them never happened.
This energy is most of the reason why Gian was currently on stage shouting into a microphone. Ever since his first taste of alcohol 5 days ago, he's been getting used to the idea more. Partly because of the influence of Zoro, Gian had a few more sips of sake tonight, even as his tolerance is still rather low. The slight tipsiness did not deter him, however, as soon Zambai, Kokoro and Tilestone had formed a makeshift band with Franky, Mozu and Kiwi as backup dancers, and he was all too willing to demonstrate his own singing in front of the crowd.
"And finally, one last ode goes out to my darling~! I love ya girl! Keep on being you!" Gian pointed to the back of the crowd to even more cheers. At the back of the party grounds, standing by the wall, Robin giggled and waved back.
"NOW HIT IT!"
As the music picked up, dancing naturally followed. The crowd soon lost themselves in their merriment and well-earned fun.
Robin, on the other hand, hung back a little bit watching her crew dance around and taking in the music. Gian was on stage singing a rather long song, she thinks it's about a son telling his mother that he's just committed murder. It was a surprising talent; she never knew his voice could get that high.
Despite this, just simply being here doesn't change the fact that she's still rather unfamiliar with large group gatherings like this. Perhaps later she'll go for some refreshments and more food, but simply watching the activities taking place was enough to bring a smile on her face.
That is until she felt the temperature around her dip rapidly. A gasp escaped her throat; there was only one person who could do such a thing.
"Had I not gotten the report, I wouldn't have believed that those people actually raided a World Government facility 2 days prior."
"What are you doing here, Aokiji?"
Behind the wall, hidden from sight, the Marine Admiral couldn't see her but felt her presence just fine. The truth is, he'd been observing the entirety of the Straw Hats ever since Enies Lobby, and despite his profession he had to admit there was a fair deal of respect for the rag tag crew of pirates regarding their actions.
However, loose ends are still loose ends, and the effect he has on Robin was palpable. He could feel her breathing getting faster; he can't blame her considering the reason, but it was something of note.
"I am merely curious, is all." The admiral replied "Normally in a situation like this you'd have long slipped away, even CP9 could find it challenging to truly detain you. Yet you subjected yourself to your fate, you even dared to throw your own life away just to save them. What changed?"
Robin looked over the partying crowd and over the crew, her eyes landing on the man she admitted her feelings for. By now the music had changed, with Gian throwing himself into a duet with 'Sogeking', they managed to get everyone jumping.
She sighed.
"It's as I've told you before, this time it's different. I couldn't bring myself to bring them into my fate, much less have them die for it."
She could hear Aokiji take a short breath as the chill remained.
"I've always wondered why Saul had gone to the lengths he did to defend the people of Ohara, how he'd have enough reason to defect from the same organization that reared him, and how he'd willingly paid the price for that betrayal."
"Jaguar D. Saul was my friend as well, when he sacrificed himself for your sake at first I could only honor that reason, yet I could not fathom why? And for a while, it seems everything the World feared was true. You continued to wander from one organization to the next, and each and every one of them met their end. You, an unknown element capable of bringing this world to its heel, I had originally planned to finally end the legacy of Ohara, yet the ones who lie in defeat were not the Straw Hat Pirates, but CP9…?"
"Have you really found your place in the world, Nico Robin?"
Robin didn't say anything as she began to think back to the events that had started it all. Even though it has been 20 years, she could still remember every detail, everything.
Flashback:
"Mommy!"
"Take her and get out of here!"
"Hurry Robin! We don't have much time!"
Panic was the only thing anyone was feeling at the time. The entire island of Ohara was on fire, and the deafening booms of cannons drowned out Robin's footsteps as she and her protector ran for their life.
The attack struck completely by surprise, though for the islander's sake they've always knew they were walking a fine line. Archaeology is a controversial subject for the World Government, and when they caught wind of a few scholars from Ohara trying to study the Void Century, then that just crossed the line into forbidden territory.
Knowledge that cannot be publically known must be purged, and this Buster Call was proof of that. An army against peasants, the unarmed scholars of Ohara were defenseless as the cannons strafed the island.
However, the act of humanity sometimes shines through in these situations. One Marine Vice-Admiral, the giant Jaguar D. Saul, could not comprehend the orders given to exterminate an entire population. It didn't help that one of the archaeologists had shown him a different world view. He realized he simply could not abide by the doctrine of Absolute Justice, even less the complete genocide of scholars.
That woman was Nico Olvia, the mother of an 8 year old Nico Robin. Her last act as a mother was pushing her daughter away, away from the darkness that threatened to swallow their life whole.
Robin could only keep going forward, even as the giant Vice-Admiral barreled through the resistance he encountered. To his credit, he did destroy a number of warships, but thousands of Marines against merely one man was still an unwinnable tide.
"Why is this happening" Robin thought "Professor Clover said that the act of archaeology was a dangerous profession, but how could they just-?"
A massive explosion detonated near them, causing them to look up in horror. Their only course of escape was to the shore, where a raft the former Vice-Admiral constructed lay hidden. It was him that had informed the island of the imminent attack, but it seemed that effort had been for naught. Even those who attempted to escape the island, all were sunk to the depths of the sea with one payload.
"To think, they'd even go that far…" Saul growled "Keep your head down, Robin!"
Fire crackled around them, the two didn't stop running; they didn't dare. Finally, rounding the peak of a hill, they could see the raft floating precariously in the waves.
"Just a bit further now! Don't' falter!"
But Saul hadn't even taken a single step before he yelled out in agony. Robin gasped in horror as a serrated disc ruptured out of Saul's chest, whirring through the air before it turned back towards them. Gathering his strength and hunkering through the pain, the giant gathered Robin in his arms before leaping, rolling down the hill as the saw blade passed inches to his hair.
Landing in a rough pile at the foot of the hill, Robin hastily got up. Her fear doubled as she saw her savior struggling, the massive gash in his chest bleeding profusely. Saul's breathing was becoming labored, he glanced back towards the top of the hill. It was too dark by that point, but even as Saul's massive frame tried to shield her, Robin could've sworn she saw a silhouette striding towards them from the top of the hill, pitch black against the orange flames save for the glowing red shade around its head.
"They really sent him… if he's here, then that would mean…" Saul's voice was conflicted, as if there was a hint of regret and acceptance to it. Before anything else, Robin felt herself being pushed way, towards the grass that lay behind them.
"You have to go… or else there won't be another chance after this!"
"But you're hurt..!"
"It was never about me, you have to leave this place before it's too late!" Saul begged "Listen to me, the world is a dark place, and it could be terrifying too. The ocean may be vast, and you may feel as if you're alone. But somewhere out there are true nakama willing to accept you…! Go live with them, Robin!"
Before the little girl could protest, Saul already pushed her deeper into the underbrush. Robin turned head and ran, daring not to look back as tears threatened to burst.
When she got to the raft, the heat was immense. The entire island was on fire at this point, even the sea itself seemed engulfed by flames.
Until two walls of ice cut across the water, leaving only a small path where the escape vessel is. Robin gasped as she saw a towering man walk towards her.
"Saul… to think he'd go this far…" the man mumbled.
"W-Who are you…?" Robin trembled "What are you going to do to me?"
The man looked over, his expression unreadable "My name is Vice-Admiral Kuzan, and it's a rather tragic day." He sighed "In the process of destroying monsters, it seems that we've become the monsters ourselves."
Robin was at a loss of words as the man continued "Perhaps Saul knew this, I wonder if this is what led him to take the actions he did…? Regardless, I suppose I managed to avoid doing the messy work."
"Now hurry and leave, try to keep a low profile from this point on."
"Y-You're letting me go?"
"Whatever reason Saul had, for him to bet his life on your survival would mean that he thought it was the right thing to do, even if I don't see things from his point of view." Kuzan nodded "Consider this the act of mercy to honor someone."
Robin nodded as she pushed the raft out to sea, before looking back at the Vice-Admiral "T-Thank you sir-!"
"Do not thank me, the reason you're alive right now is nothing more than a courtesy. If they know you've survived, you will surely be wanted by the World." Kuzan rebuked her "It's in your best interest to lay low and not do anything. If you attempt to act out of line, I will be the first one to come after you."
And that was the end of that conversation as Robin watched the tall man walk deeper into the island. As she sailed away, she could only see all of Ohara burning. Her grief was penetrated one last time by the shrill screech of a monstrous apparition; a titanic abomination shrouded by the darkness. Robin could not make out features, but the beast's glowing Red Crescent eye highlighted its avian-shaped head as it swung its hook like arms around. A flash of red and the monster unleashed a devastating sweeping beam upon the remains of the island, lighting the Tree of Knowledge up in one last inferno.
It, along with the entirety of the Buster Call, would burn itself into her memory henceforth.
And Robin could only laugh through the tears, as a final honor to the fallen Jaguar D. Saul.
"Dereshishishishi…."
Flashback End:
20 years had passed since then, and Robin's life had gotten no easier. Betrayal came at every corner, death followed further. Despite being only 8 at the time, she was listed as one of the most dangerous people in the whole World. Through this experiment she grew more calculative, more cunning, doing whatever it took to survive. She hardened her heart when she needed to kill, and always double crossed whatever organization she sought refuge in when things were not in her favor.
It was like that for 20 years, from the start to her employment under Crocodile.
That is, until a particular Straw Hat Pirates crew took her in, and gave her new meaning.
"Yes, I have." Robin responded without hesitation "I hadn't believed it at first, but I want to belong here, I won't let anything else from my past harm this crew ever again. I've found a family, and someone important to me. For him, for everyone, I will keep on living."
"…You speak of 'Beast Warrior'?" Aokiji questioned "You may not be fully aware, but that one has now been confirmed to possess a power that can truly decimate this World, even more than you. If his powers continue to mature and he finds out the secrets it contain, then he could be a threat far greater than any we've seen."
Robin glanced over at the man she's given her heart to, now seemingly more sober but still in the mood to party as he dragged in the Mayor of Water 7 of all people into his antics. She stifled a laugh at the sight of him and Iceburg raving together to the cheers of others, smiling tenderly at the sight.
"I cannot speak for what he does from this point on, nor can I be certain he won't be what you say he is. But I trust him, and I will support his determination to find out the truth about his power and those similar to him." Robin responded "I am certain for one thing, however, 'Beast Warrior' Gian is the most terrifying enemy to those who threaten the ones closest to him. If the World Government chooses to shackle him, then they will face a force that may truly topple them down to their foundation."
A pause, before she could hear Aokiji sigh "It seems there's just too many new problems going on, it's getting too troublesome just to keep up. Whatever, I guess it's not up to me to decide here, nor am I willing to get involved right now."
"I still have my doubts about whether or not Saul's decision will prove correct in the end, but it seems at this point it will be redundant to think upon it any further. If you've truly found a place to belong, then I have no further thoughts on the matter."
"I suppose I really should thank you this time."
"Just remember, live your life the way you want it to be. After all, Ohara still lives within you, Nico Robin."
She gasped at that statement; it echoed something similar Saul once said before his demise. She turned the corner, but Aokiji had already disappeared. Only a rapidly melting patch of ice remained in his place.
"Kuzan, you really are a peculiar individual…"
Footsteps then brought her out of her musing as she felt hands sneak around her waist. She turned slightly as she felt herself being pushed against something warm.
"Why hello, did you have fun tonight?" she smiled into his chest.
"So much fun, and I'm even happier that you're here to enjoy it with me." Gian murmured "Also Luffy is telling everyone to eat as much meat as possible. I'm surprised he wanted to share for once but I figured I'd need some assistance."
"I'd be glad to." Robin smiled as they walked back towards the party. She knows it now: she wouldn't want to be anywhere else but here at the moment.
The next morning:
"Somebody tell Zoro, I regret ever letting him convince me to drink…"
"Oh stuff it, you enjoyed every second of last night!"
Having to deal with a hangover is never fun, and Gian had to finally come to terms with the fact that the amount of booze he can partake in just isn't very high. In fact, he's starting to miss the days back at Solgell Island where the most alcoholic drink he had was a 1% peach cider that originated from North Blue. Now, his head is pounding, and even burying his head in a pillow while a pair of Robin's Hana Hana hands massaged his temples only barely alleviated the pain.
"I am never letting you talk me into anything ever again."
"Good, more booze for me then." Zoro scoffed, per usual he was completely unaffected and even went to look for seconds this morning.
"I think from now on you should just go back to non-alcoholic drinks." Sanji said.
"I have no complaints about that." Gian groaned out.
"Hey did everyone read the paper right now?" Nami called out "Everything that happened at Enies Lobby was listed!"
Gian grew serious at that "Yeah, and I guess there's really no hiding it now. If it made front page, then I bet people everywhere will know what we've done." He spoke as he eyed the page again. The big bold letters drew his attention easily, a proclamation of their deeds being known to the entire world.
THE WORLD SHAKEN, STRAW HAT PIRATES DEFIES THE WORLD AT ENIES LOBBY."
"Everything's targeted at us, they didn't mention Galley-La or the Franky Family at all." Sanji noted.
"That's probably for the best, they helped us but it wouldn't be good if they're swept into our mess." Nami responded.
"Probably your grandfather told the papers to take their names out?" Chopper asked.
"Nah, he doesn't really pay attention to detail that well." Luffy disagreed.
"This also means our bounties are going to increase, it's probably gonna be something big too." Zoro grinned.
"Well I hope they'll take a new photo at least. My poster is getting kind of stale." Gian chuckled.
"I wonder if I'll also get a bounty this time." Chopper glowed.
"And I bet mine will say that that I'm like a dashing prince." Sanji smiled.
"YOU GUYS ARE WAY TOO HAPPY ABOUT THIS?!"
"This also means you'll be back in the limelight then." Gian turned to Robin.
"Indeed, now that I'm with you guys they'll be judging us all." The archaeologist nodded.
"In the meantime, we still have one more day on the island! We can still get some shopping done!" Nami grinned before skipping to the safe located in their room where the remaining 100 million beri were stored.
There was, unfortunately, one problem. And even as her frantic grunts turned to disbelief, then horror, it was a problem that's out of her control.
"Hey guys… where did all of our money go?"
"Oh! I took it out and we spent it all on the party! It was so much fun last night! Ahahaha!" Luffy laughed as she remembered everything, even as the others began to scoot away from the imminent eruption.
"Luffy…" Nami's grin was sickly sweet, one that belies a hidden blade "YOU LEFT US WITH SO LITTLE!"
Nobody dared to interfere in the storm that followed. For the safety of their own health, everyone else decided it was far better to let the maelstrom pass.
"Sho… In the end we shtill got a free shiph, I shink we should shpend the lasht day relashing!" the captain's face was almost unrecognizable at this point; his entire head swollen and misshapen. Despite the gruesome display, he seem barely effected.
"I was going to spend that money on furniture to decorate the ship and then he spent it allll…!" Nami wept into Robin's arms, who only patted her sheepishly.
"Gian was going to take me on a walk around the city, but I suppose we can go shopping together..." the archaeologist suggested.
"Now that I think of it, I was going to get some souvenirs." Gian thought "I guess we can all go together."
"Oh! Ifph you guysh are heading out, do you mind giphing me shome money? I'm gonna go and haph shome phun too!" Luffy chirped out.
"YOU GET NOTHING!" Nami exploded again.
"WHAAAA I'M SHORRY!"
One day later:
"Well, isn't this a surprise? The Log Pose is pointing at none other than Fishman Island!" around noon the next day Kokoro, Chimney and Gonbe visited them again to see them off. It had been a nice day of shopping with lots of books, clothes and food being bought, the crew is now packing up their belongings, preparing for the moment Franky comes to tell them about the completion of the ship "It's been forever since I've set foot there, I wonder if it's as beautiful as I remembered?"
"I've heard a lot about that place." Gian noted, his t-shirt now a white one with red letters spelling out I 3 WATER 7 on it.
"WOOHOO! THIS IS THE MOMENT I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR!" Sanji cheered "FISHMAN ISLAND, AN UNDERWATER PARADISE HOME TO MERMAIDS! THE JEWELS OF THE SEA!"
"Beneath the sea, huh? That's quite interesting." Robin noted.
"Fishman Island…? I'm not sure how I feel about that…" Nami mumbled.
"Oh yeah, about what happened in your village…" Luffy remembered.
"Those fishmen were pirate though," Zoro reminded her "There's many others that would probably not agree with what took place there."
"…You're right." Nami nodded.
"Getting to that wonderful place will not be easy, however. Not only is it straight down from the surface, but the path you take to get there is also quite treacherous." Kokoro warned.
"Really?" Chopper gasped "How dangerous is it?"
"From here to the Red Line, at the bottom where Fishman Island is located, you must first cross a sea of impenetrable fog. A place where ships enter yet never return, the Florian Triangle!"
"That place? I thought it was just a myth?" Gian noticed. Kokoro chuckled at that.
"Ah, that is the same thing many other sailors have said, and they are never seen again! Every year hundreds of ships go missing in that area, doomed to forever wander the mist forever!"
"C-Come on, Kokoro-baasan, you're just pulling our leg!" Gian stammered.
"I don't know about that, Gian…" Nami whimpered before holding up a newspaper entry. Gian gasped when he read the headlines:
"14 ships have gone missing last month… and it's in the same place Kokoro-baasan said it would be…!"
"Ok, this is getting too scary! Is there another path we could take?" Nami shook.
"But that's not all! The stories of that sea is shrouded in mystery… those who sail through without getting lost claim that they were being watched the entire time, or the sightings of shadows, taller than any ship! Some have claimed that the area is haunted by a ghost ship, its skeleton crew preying on lost travelers that cross its path!"
"I don't wanna get eaten by skeletons!" Chopper cried.
"Wait, really? You're saying we can actually see living skeletons there?!" Luffy gasped "Then we gotta go!"
"That's your takeaway from all this?" Zoro laughed.
"Guys, come on! Those are just stories!" Gian protested "Haunted ships? Massive shadowy creatures? That's just stuff made up to stop people from getting lost! And looking at that newspaper article it clearly doesn't work"
"Remember Gian, sometimes myths and legends are based on the truth," Robin reminded him "And the tales of the Florian Triangle have persisted for centuries. Many stories of ships and galleons, loaded with supplies and treasure, have claimed to have disappeared in that area." It was this comment that managed to change the atmosphere.
"Wait, treasure?! Then those ships might still have them!" Nami grinned, all fear leaving her at the prospect of more wealth "And all we have to do is wrestle them away from ghosts!"
"Yeah! Let's find a treasure ship!" Luffy and Chopper cheered.
"I suppose if we do find some lost wreckage there's bound to be something to salvage considering nobody else has found them yet." Gian thought.
"We've stocked up on provisions too, won't be running out anytime soon!" Sanji noted.
"I hope they have some swords, still gotta replace one of mine." Zoro noted.
"Oh…" Kokoro sweatdropped "You guys really are fearless…"
More footsteps sounded as the group turned to see Mozu and Kiwi race through the door, panting as if they've been running for some time now.
"Hey, Straw Hats! Franky-Aniki told us to tell you that the new ships is now officially completed! You guys can go down to the scrapyard and pick it up now!"
"Wow! We can finally see the new ship!" Luffy cried out.
"I don't want to be biased, but that ship really is one of a kind." Iceburg confirmed as he followed the two girls into the building in a more orderly fashion "It seems Tom-san's teachings still stuck with him." He, along with a few other Galley-La members have pitched in to help. Water 7, being a city of shipwrights, naturally excelled in that craft.
"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's go then!" Gian laughed.
"WAIIIIITTTT!"
The crew turned to see the rest of the Franky Family race up to them, before falling in a heap. Zambai lifted his head as he did a headcount.
"Oh good, you're all here. You guys really have to see this!" pulling out a pile of papers the carpenter laid them out. The Straw Hats instantly knew what they were.
"They updated our wanted posters, didn't they?" Zoro asked.
"Yeah, you three are now worth ridiculous amounts of beri!" Zambai panted as he pointed to Luffy and Gian as well "In fact, all of you now have a bounty!"
"All of us?!" Nami cried out in horror.
"Finally! I got one now too huh?" Sanji grinned.
"I wanna see!" Chopper shouted.
"Feast your eyes, in my years of bounty hunting I've never seen anything like this!"
And indeed, as the posters met their eyes, even some of the crew had a hard time believing what they've become:
Wanted, Dead or Alive: 'Straw Hat' Monkey D. Luffy- 365 million beri
"WAAAAHOOOOOO! IT'S GONE UP SO MUCH!" Luffy cheered, naturally very happy.
Wanted, Dead or Alive: 'Beast Warrior' Gian- 354 million beri
"Well what do you know? Looks like they really did change my picture." Gian mused; his new poster was now that of him glaring forwards, his blue aura billowing around him "Must've been taken the moment I stepped into Enies Lobby."
Wanted, Dead or Alive: 'Pirate Hunter' Roronoa Zoro- 150 million beri
"Heh, ain't that a number?" Zoro grinned, pleased with himself.
Wanted, Dead or Alive: 'Cat Burglar' Nami- 25 million beri
"It can't be…" Nami groaned.
Wanted, Dead or Alive: 'Black Leg' Sanji (picture unavailable): 86 million beri:
"W-Who is hell is this…?!" whatever joy and excitement Sanji originally felt evaporated the moment he saw the poster. Rather than his face, the poster displayed a crudely drawn figure that just managed to have his features, and even they were unpleasant to look at. In his despair he didn't even register the high amount.
Wanted, Dead or Alive: 'King of Snipers' Sogeking: 41 million beri:
"Haha, they even gave Sogeking a poster!" Luffy laughed.
Gian frowned; they've waited for Usopp for 3 days already, yet perhaps due to pride or shame the sniper still has yet to come forward. They only have a couple of hours left at best before they leave.
"Come on, Usopp… are you really just willing to let this end like this?"
Wanted, Dead or Alive: 'Devil Child' Nico Robin: 89 million beri:
Robin only smiled at the poster; a life on the run has had her seen multiple bounties already. This time though, she's not afraid anymore.
Wanted, Dead or Alive: 'Cotton Candy Lover' Tony Tony Chopper (pet): 75 beri:
"…W-Why only 75…?" a visibly upset reindeer just managed to whimper out.
"I guess it was unavoidable, we knew what we were getting into after all." Gian noted.
"Yes, I'm sure the high amount will be great news for some of you, but take a look at this!" Zambai held out one more sheet of paper, for one more wanted person.
Wanted, Dead or Alive: 'Cyborg' Franky: 55 million beri.
"They got Franky too!" Luffy realized.
"I thought the Franky Family were all left out of the report?" Nami asked.
"We were, everyone else was but they still listed Franky-Aniki." Zambai sighed "We've always skirted with the law before, but now that he's officially listed as a criminal, Franky-Aniki's life will be much harder if he stays at Water 7. Knowing him, he'll probably leave the island to try and protect us…"
The crew got a surprise when every member of the scrappers suddenly dropped to their knees.
"So please Straw Hat, as one more selfish request from us, please take him out to sea with you!" Zambai pleaded "I know you've haven't had the best first impressions, but Franky-Aniki is a very skilled person and I have no doubt he'll be useful to you!"
Luffy smiled at that "Don't worry guys, I've already decided that I want him to join my crew."
"You guys don't have a problem with that right?" the captain said as he looked back.
"None here." Zoro nodded.
"I could use more adults in this group." Gian agreed.
"I'm still a bit upset for what he did to Usopp but we all know he's a great person at heart." Nami smiled.
Zambai teared up at that "Thank you… truly!"
"It would make sense too, you guys are still looking for a shipwright, are you not?" Iceburg noted "Then Franky really is second to none in that regard. We've studied under the same master after all, I know everything he's capable of."
"Then when we see him, I'll tell him everything." Luffy agreed. They were just about to walk off when they realize there are 3 dejected figures still left.
"Are you guys still moping around?" Luffy laughed.
"SHUT UP!" Sanji wept "Why did I get a drawn poster?!"
"Dude, you have higher starting bounty than Me, Luffy and Zoro when we got ours, I guess that's the trade off." Gian shrugged.
"WHAT PART OF THIS LOOKS LIKE ME?!" the cook raged.
"I don't see any problems, it looks just like you to me." Zoro scoffed.
"△ ✕~◑※◇ ✹~✖✹! "
"…I can't understand what you're saying!" Zoro sweatdropped.
"I can't face people like this!" the cook cried again "I'll be the laughingstock of all the world's ladies…"
"There, there… I'm sure there's someone out there attracted to that…" Gian tried to coax.
"The guy who took the photo said it was going to be for a magazine cover…" Nami groaned sheepishly "I can't believe he tricked me so easily."
"Vanity is a curse it seems." Robin giggled.
"I ALSO FOUGHT LIKE A TRUE PIRATE THERE! I DEFEATED MY OPPONENT AS WELL! WHY IS MY BOUNTY ONLY DOUBLE DIGITS?!" Chopper bawled.
"Ah, guess you'll just have to try harder then." Luffy chuckled.
Iceburg gave a half smile at the sight "Normally, when people realize they've become wanted criminals, the first thing they do is generally find a place to hide. Then again, I suppose the infamy and pirates go hand in hand."
"That being said, I feel I should warn you about potentially recruiting Franky. Getting him to join you guys isn't as easy as you'd think."
"Hmm? Does he not want to come?" Luffy tilted his head.
"Quite the opposite, I've talked with him yesterday. He's taken quite a liking to your crew, however there's a deeper obligation here than you'd believe. I've mentioned my late mentor a few times to you before, he's was like a father to both of us and Franky was close to him in particular." Iceburg had a distant look in his eyes as he recalled the memories "Franky always blamed himself for letting the ships he's build fall into the wrong hands and even though Tom-san admonished him for disowning his creations, a part of him still thinks he's responsible for what happened. It's because of that, to this day he still sees it as his duty to watch over Water 7 in place of Tom-san."
"That poor boy, it's about time he moves on." Kokoro sighed sadly. Tom was one of her closest friends, and his death still affects her to some degree.
"In any regard, I truly believe Franky's talents as a shipwright is wasted here. Even so, he's not simply going to just get up and leave if you say so. If you really want him to come with you, then you're going to need to use force."
"Great, we might have to beat him up? That doesn't sound too good." Gian grumbled.
"Or, we can try something else for once!" Luffy grinned "I have just the plan!"
Later:
"S-She's amazing…!"
"She's huge!"
"She's easily twice the size of Merry!"
Those were just some of the amazed exclamations the crew uttered when they finally saw their new vessel and home. Luffy, Gian, Nami, Chopper and Robin had come to check out the ship first, while Zoro and Sanji went to get some last minute supplies, as well as checking to see if Usopp was going to show up after all. As Paulie peeled off the tarp and revealed the magnificent ship for the first time since completion, to say the Straw Hats were blown away was giving them too much credit.
"Look at the deck! It's got grass on it!"
The rails are so smooth!"
"The fridge has a lock on it!"
"That's not all, if what I've seen on the blueprints ultimately all got added in, then this ship can not only sail any sea, it'll be more than able to conquer the Grand Line!" Iceburg boasted.
And what a ship it was. Vibrant in color and energy, the constructed craft boasted massive sails that stretched skyward, and its lion figurehead gave it an air of both authority and charm. Truly, Franky had outdone himself here.
The spectacle wasn't just noted by the Straw Hats. As Kokoro and her family came to see them off, other people of Water 7 also came to bid the pirates a farewell. Despite their short stay, the amount that they've interacted together was enough to make some memories, for better or worse. Needless to say, the sight of the brand new ship amazed them all.
"Gotta hand it to that jerk, when he actually gets together and makes a ship he's actually really talented" Paulie whistled "Everyone else helping hardly had to do anything, it's like the ideas just flowed out of his head!"
"Speaking of Franky, is he going to show up or not?" Gian grumbled "Luffy, is your plan really going to work?"
"He'll come, we still have to thank him after all!"
"How did you even pull it off to begin with? Like he has it on him at all times, how is it not off-putting for you to even reach for it?"
"I had to use a few tricks!" Luffy snickered "I almost got caught but I managed to get it done!"
"…Forget it, I don't want to know."
Indeed, a few minutes later, a rushing dust cloud came towards them. Franky rode on Funkfreed towards the scrapyard, the cyborg seeing his completed project with a hint of pride in his eyes.
"You guys haven't left yet, huh?" he commented.
"We wanted to thank you personally. This is a wonderful gift!" Gian called out.
"It was my pleasure, try to make it last longer ok?" the cyborg said.
"Don't you wanna experience what you've built? At least for a little?" Chopper said.
"Nah, I'm good. You guys take care, I hope you come visit in the future." Franky grumbled, still not getting off the elephant.
"You're really parting ways with that easily huh?" Luffy cheekily grinned "Well how are you going to do that…WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE PANTS?!"
And indeed, in the captain's hands were a pair of speedos, the same pair that Franky wore constantly. The cyborg growled upon seeing that.
"I knew it was you! I got blindsided and my pants got stolen from me but I could hear laughter that sounded like yours! Give me my pants back!"
"That was his plan…?" Nami groaned "I guess it got him to come, but why that?"
"I have no comment." Gian shrugged.
"You really want it back?" Luffy shouted again.
"Stop messing around already!"
"Well, I'll give it back on one condition: you sail with us on this ship! Come as one of our nakama!"
Franky grimaced as the declaration was made.
"Really now? You're holding my pants as ransom just so you'd make me join your crew? What makes you think I want to do that?"
"Look, it's a simple enough choice!" Gian responded "You be our nakama, you get your pants back. I'm not the best judge of character, but I can tell you're the kind of person to only wear one pair of pants his entire life. Wanna know how I know that? Because I've never seen you with another pair!"
Franky glowered at them, before dropping his head and shaking. The shaking grew as he began to laugh.
"What's so funny?" Gian questioned.
"It's kind of cute, you guys are so innocent and hopeful." Franky grinned "Well here's a lesson for ya: Don't think a pair of pants are enough to make me your nakama!"
With the swiftness of a lion, Franky leapt from Funkfreed's back and a blinding light bathed the entire area. Those who were too weak had to shield away, while those brave enough to stand the sight were treated to another awe-inspiring spectacle.
"KYAAAHHHH!"
"WHAT IS WRONG WITH HIM?!"
"Shit… MISSION FAILED!" Gian howled "ABORT LUFFY! ABORT!"
"Too late for that!" Franky leered before swinging his arms up in his signature pose. But this time it had an extra benefit: the simple sight of his holy area was exposed to all, and not everyone could comprehend it.
"Standing like a lion braving the waves, you would never clothe an animal, so why a man?"
"I-I underestimated him!" Luffy sputtered "He's too powerful… HE'S A MAN AMONG MEN!"
"HE'S JUST A PERVERT!" Nami snapped.
"Geez, he hasn't changed a bit…" Iceburg grimaced.
As the shock and light died down, Franky grinned confidently, daring them to try anything else.
"We got overwhelmed, what are we going to do now?" Gian grumbled.
"That was all I had… I was sure it was going to work…" Luffy sighed.
Robin, impassive during the whole display, simply smiled before she looked at them.
"I do have ways to get people to comply with things, maybe I can help."
"Ah, Ice-ossan did say we might have to use force…" Luffy thought.
Gian grinned "Alright girl, what's on the course today? Twisting his arm? His leg? Busting a kneecap?"
Robin only smiled before she crossed her arms. A blossom of petals, then two arms formed in a panic inducing place.
"His… wait, babe, what are you doing?" Gian stammered.
"Is she…?" Nami whispered.
"Dos Fleur-"
"T-That's going a bit far isn't it?!" Gian choked out.
"W-Wait… hold on…!" Franky paled as he realized the implications.
"-Grab."
And the hands clenched down. Hard.
"AAAIIIIIIIIYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
The screams couldn't have been any more fitting.
Because what other expression could one have when your own family jewels have potentially been pulverized.
"ROBIN! HOLD ON A SEC!" Nami shouted.
"SHE GRABBED THEM!" Luffy screamed.
"SHE'S GONNA RIP THEM OFF!" Chopper cried.
"MY LADY! PLEASE HAVE MERCY ON THAT UNFORTUNATE SOUL! I CAN'T WATCH THIS!" Gian wept.
But Franky's rolls of agony continue to sound out. Everyone else at the scene had a mix of disgust and pity for the cyborg. Nobody liked getting flashed, but considering the situation he's in being one that not a single person would wish on their worst enemies, they can't help but sympathize.
"THEY'VE BEEN GRABBED!"
"THEY'LL GET PLUCKED OFF LIKE ORANGES!" Mozu and Kiwi's cried of horror were fitting too.
"…LIKE AN ORANGE?!" Franky wept.
"Oi Robin! I want him to still be a man when he becomes our nakama!" Luffy protested
"This probably isn't the best time for this but is anyone else strangely turned on at all?" Gian quipped, before Nami slapped him up the head.
"What is WRONG with you?!"
"AAAH! It's not that I don't want to join you guys, believe me I really do! But you have to understand that I owe this city too much! I have an obligation to stay behind" Franky squeezed out as he continued to writhe in pain "That ship is supposed to be my final work, after that I'm done building ships forever! I still have to look over this town!"
"That's a lie and you know it!" Iceburg barked "You're still blaming yourself for what happened to Tom, even though he never blamed you once!"
"I should've planned for it!" Franky shot back "I should've known that the World Government was going to hijack my inventions!"
"Even so, Tom was proud of you to the end! Everything you've built, he's always encouraged you to pursue them! You eventually gave up shipbuilding to become a bounty hunter, you rallied the thugs and gangs of Water 7 and turned them into something positive to protect the city he loved. But all you're doing is trying to make up for your mistakes, when there isn't any to begin with! Tom never blamed you, I've forgiven you long ago, why can't you forgive yourself?" the mayor questioned.
"I want to-!"
"Listen, you know that this ship hasn't become the dream ship you wanted just yet. It needs a shipwright, and you know you want to be that shipwright, to watch it sail to the end of the Grand Line?"
Franky was silent, conflicted over what he needs to do. It's true, he wanted to leave with the Straw Hats, to go on adventures with them along with the ship he's built. Yet too many ties are in this city, how was he able to leave all this behind?
"If you want something done, then do it with a Don!"
Tom's old words often tells of setting your mind to something once you've committed to it, but he's never felt more torn than he does right now. Even though he knew, if his late mentor was here to see him, he'd also vouch for Iceburg's statement, but-!
"Aniki, please go with them!" Franky whipped around to see Zambai and the rest of the Franky Family run towards him, carrying large sacks that they threw towards him.
"You guys…"
"Ever since we've joined you, you've always been taking care of us! You've cleaned up our act, made us into better people, and gave us all a future to look forwards to! Let us take care of you for once!" Zambai cried "You're a wanted man now, if you stay here you'll be hunted until they've captured you! We can't put ourselves in your way, we have think about what's good for you too!"
"Please, Aniki!" the rest of the punks all begged. Even Funkfreed nudged the cyborg with his trunk towards the ship.
"Y-You guys would really-AAARRRRGGGHHHH! IT HURTS TOO MUCH TO EVEN MOVE! NICO ROBIN YOU BITCH I'M GOING MAKE YOU PAY FOR THIS!" the cyborg doubled over yet again crying while covering his tenders.
"Robin you're going to turn him into a girl!" Chopper wept.
"Ok, I think this joke has officially ran its course." Gian sighed "Your arms aren't even crossed anymore…"
"I've stopped a long time ago, he's just doing it to cover his tears." Robin shrugged.
"…Remind me to never make you mad, ever…" Gian shuddered.
"You guys…are you even able to survive without me?"
"We'll have to try, won't we?" Zambai grinned through his tears "We look after the city in your place the best we can, we still bear your name after all!"
Franky could only smile as he continued to weep.
"You guys are hopeless…" He shook his head before getting up "Alright, 'Straw Hat'! What-?"
"LUFFY! WE HAVE TO LEAVE NOW!"
"WE'VE GOT TROUBLE!"
"Eh? Zoro! Sanji! What's going on?" Luffy gasped as he saw the two young men running full speed towards them.
"The Marines… they're coming for us!" Zoro reported.
"It's your grandpa, he's coming back here!" Sanji panted, before looking up.
"Whoa! This is our new ship?"
"WHAT?! WHY?!" Luffy wailed "I thought he said he was gonna let us go?"
"Well the situation has changed, we need to beat it!" Zoro leapt onboard instantly.
"No time like the present then, Franky! Put your pants back on and get onboard!" Gian commanded as he tossed the speedos back at the cyborg.
"Tch, everything is so short noticed…" The cyborg grinned "Maybe it's a good thing I come with you then, you poor saps probably can't tell a nail from a screw! Alright then, from this day forth, I am officially your shipwright, 'Straw Hat!'"
"Alright! We have a new nakama now!" Luffy whooped in joy.
"Elephant, look after my family in my place! Ice-for-brains, you better not run this city into the ground when I'm gone!"
Funkfreed trumpeted a promise.
"Just focus on getting out of here." The mayor sighed "Good luck out there, Franky."
"WE'LL LEAVE HIM IN YOUR HANDS, STRAW HATS!" the Franky Family all cried.
"Kokoro-baasan, my sisters, my family, I know I've caused a lot of trouble for you all, you guys just hang tight until I get back. For now, I'll be going away for a while!"
And the moment the cyborg leapt onboard, the new ships' magnificent sails dropped and gathered up the wind. Massive billowing white, the Straw Hat Pirates insignia was displayed proudly.
"We're off!" Luffy called out, and they sailed away to much tears and fanfare.
"Speaking of which," Franky noticed as he dusted himself off "Aren't you short a guy? Where's the Long-nose?"
The crew looked at each other, unable to help feel just a little dejection. Even as the day dragged on, Usopp still hasn't shown himself. They've made a pact this time though, and they can't go back on it now. Even so, that didn't stop Nami and Chopper from looking over the railing, still hoping to see the sniper appear onshore.
"…I've waited for him to appear for a couple of days already. I guess this is his answer." Luffy managed to smile "Don't worry about him, he's passionate about being a pirate so I'm sure we'll meet again!"
"I see, I suppose it can't be helped. It-WHA!"
It was a good thing they decided to set off now, for by that time, the massive ship of Monkey D. Garp had already begun to gain on them. Cannonballs began to fly, and Garp himself stood right atop the dog-like figurehead.
"This is your grandfather speaking, Luffy!" he called out "You better stop right now!"
"What is wrong with you?! You said you'd leave us alone!" the captain shot back.
"I was, but then headquarters called so I have to sink you now. Try to last at least a couple of minutes!"
"We should be far enough, he doesn't seem like he could hit us at that distance!" Gian reported "We have to sail fast, or- HOLY SHIT!"
Gian narrowly pulled his head back just as a cannonball screeched passed him, one fired faster than the rest. A reasonable observation, considering that the elderly Vice-Admiral-
"DID HE JUST CHUCK A CANNONBALL AT US WITH HIS BARE HANDS?!" Sanji shouted.
"Luffy…" Gian shivered "Your grandpa is fucking nuts…"
"We can't damage the new ship! Let's get out of here!" Nami called out. The ship immediately picked up wind and sailed further.
"Trying to escape? It won't happen! Bring me 1000 cannonballs!" Grap grinned savagely.
"Yes sir!"
"Meteor Fist!"
The rain of explosives soon started up again, each one thrown with the force of a meteor.
"We have to protect the ship!" Zoro shouted. Everyone sprang into action after that, trying to avoid the rapidfire rain of destruction. Though they managed to slice, kick, shoot down, or bounce back the cannonballs, more than a handful came dangerously close to punching a hole through the ship.
"WAIT FOR ME!"
And it was now that someone else decided to join in.
"Look! At the shoreline!" Nami pointed "I see someone! I think it's-"
"IT'S USOPP!" Chopper beamed "He came!"
"Hey guys!" the sniper called out "It's me again! It's been some time hasn't it?"
"He's here! He's here!" Chopper cheered.
"I bet you're all really surprised to see me huh?" Usopp grinned "Well I'm here to give you guys a surprise! After much consideration, I've decided not to leave the crew! When I'm back, I'll just be a Vice-Captain instead!"
But he got no response. Fitting, providing that they were in the middle of a life for death situation, but Usopp faltered nonetheless.
"Hey, what's with the chilly response?" he gave a shaky laugh "You guys didn't actually think I was going to leave for good, right? I know we had some heated words, but I didn't take it to heart, serious!"
"Luffy! He's calling out to us!" Chopper called.
"I don't hear anything!" Luffy barked back.
"..Huh?"
"Oi… why aren't you all saying anything?" Usopp stammered. He spilled out a few more empty words, but it was beginning to dawn on him.
He's made a very big mistake.
"Zoro! Sanji!" Chopper begged but the two simply brushed him off much to his shock.
"Guys… stop joking around already! We've known each other for this long already…!" Usopp cried out, his voice beginning to shake.
"Gian! It's Usopp! He's-!"
"We're kind of busy, Chopper! Can you pitch in?" Gian had Partially Transformed, and he's fully using his authority as First Mate now. Whatever else Chopper tried to say went ignored as the crew blocked out the rambling of their former sniper.
"This is getting out of hand! Luffy, permission to fire an Atom Ray at your grandpa? Gian punched out a few more cannonballs before turning back to Luffy.
"Go ahead, he's just going to plow through it anyway!"
"I'd like to see him try!" the Kaiju-Zoan user growled before leaping into the air as his morphed dorsal fins flashed blue "Atom Ray!"
The heat beam lanced towards the marine ship as the soldiers ducked. Garp simply stood impassively before rearing back a fist and throwing a heavy punch.
The resulting shockwave instantly dissipated the attack, the gust causing Gian to yell out and tumble back onto the deck. Garp grinned before he continued to toss more cannonballs.
"Luffy… your grandpa is not human…"Gian groaned as he receded his transformation.
"Guess he was right about us not being a match for the old man, we can only keep on defending!" Zoro told him.
"Guys… Usopp-"
"Not the time, Chopper!" and Zoro's bark left no more room to say anything.
"Come on, Usopp…" Gian thought "You know what we need to hear…"
And back ashore, Usopp realized more and more that the crew simply wasn't accepting his weak "apologies". He was in the wrong, he had disrespected his captain, and it hurts him.
"You guys… are really going to leave me here…?" tears began to drip down his face "Fine… have it your way then… but I just have one more thing to say."
And he reared back before screaming his grief to the heavens:
"I'M SORRRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"
And that was what finally made everyone's head snap back.
"There we go, was that so hard?" Gian sighed in relief.
"Usopp…" Zoro grinned.
"I'M SORRY! I WAS WRONG ABOUT EVERTHING! I'M SORRY FOR BEING SO STUBBORN! I WANTED TO TAKE BACK EVERYTHING I'VE SAID!" despite being further and further away, no one could deny that the feelings behind his words were genuine.
"I KNOW I DON'T DESERVE THIS, BUT IF I COULD JUST HAVE ONE WISH, I WOULD ASK YOU ALL JUST ONE LAST THING! I KNOW I'VE MESSED UP BUT JUST ONE LAST TIME:"
"PLEASE LET ME BE YOUR NAKAMA AGAIN!"
Usopp's tears soaked into the ground as he saw the ship sail further. Just as he's about to give up hope, a rubber arm snaked towards him, it's palm open and inviting.
"Luffy…?"
"YOU IDIOT!" said captain was equally bawling his eyes out "SHUT UP AND GRAB ON ALREADY!"
"WROOOOOAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!"
As the sniper was pulled back to the ship, the two finally collapsed in a heap of weeping. They've missed each other the most during their separation and they made no secret of it.
"…You're the idiot!" Gian, Zoro and Sanji scoffed affectionately.
"You guys are hopeless…!" Nami wept happily.
"Finally! We're all back together at last! Let's get out of here and set sail for new adventures!" Luffy commanded and he, Usopp and Chopper danced around happily, just glad they're reunited again.
"AYE!"
"Don't worry, this ship's got something to get us out of here easy!" Franky boasted "But before we leave, we have to get one more thing out of the way."
"Can it wait until after the cannonballs stop trying to take my head off?" Gian snarked.
"Nah, this is really important. You've got a ship now, but it doesn't feel like it's truly become a ship until we've given it a name, dontcha think?"
"He's right, we do need to name it…?" Robin agreed.
"Fine then, everyone throw out your best answers, preferably before we get a hole put into us." Gian grumbled.
"Oh! I've got a great name! The Bear!Polar Bear!Lion!" Luffy grinned.
"You just slapped together a bunch of animal names without thinking!" Usopp smacked him.
"Then Tiger!Wolf!Lion!"
"You just did it again!"
"Squid!Octopus!Chimpanzee!"
"Why did you ditch lion for that one?!"
"You're onto to something with lion there! That's actually what I've had in mind too!" Franky grinned "Heh, when I pitched the name to Ice-for-brains he had the nerve to say the figurehead looked like a sunflower? The man has no taste I tell ya!"
"Sun…" Gian mused.
"The ship that shall sail a thousand seas as cheerful as the sun, the pirate ship "Thousand Sunny!" Franky rambled on "That's what he called it, but he missed the mark completely I tell ya! I'm glad you could see it's a lion though! In fact, the name I've come up with is 'New Battle Franky' Lion Gang Champion!"
At that point nobody had paid attention to the last part, not when there's already something better.
"A ship that can sail a thousand seas with the cheerfulness of the sun, that sounds really positive!" Robin smiled.
"I like that one!" Chopper agreed "The name sounds good too!"
"Yeah, Thousand Sunny!" Gian grinned "It's a glowing name!"
"Totally! It sounds way better than 'Dumpling Gorilla Lion!'" Luffy vouched.
"WHY DID YOU ADD FOOD TO IT?!" Usopp snapped.
"Yeah, totally better than the name I chose," Sanji nodded "Monster Sunflower."
"It's better sounding than 'Lionel The Boss' too!" Zoro agreed.
"And it fits more than my 'Being of Darkness!'" Robin pointed out.
"What even are those names?!" Usopp moaned.
"That name is just like you, girl." Gian chuckled "But I think Iceburg-san hit it out of the park with that one. I was just going with 'Charles'."
"Yours is the worst!" Usopp complained "Do you even know what a ship's name needs?!"
"None whatsoever." Gian shrugged.
"Yeah! Let's totally go with Ice-ossan's suggestion!" Luffy agreed.
"Well, good to know his opinion still counts here…" Franky grumbled.
"Let's get out of here! Franky, you said the ship had a secret weapon that could help us?" Gian pointed out.
"Thought you never ask! Hurry and fold the sails!" Franky ordered "Take one last look at Water 7, it'll be gone in an instant!"
The cyborg quickly ran below deck as the Thousand Sunny continued to take fire. Luffy waved back to the marine ship.
"Alright! It was good to see you again Grandpa! You too Coby! And… other guy!"
"Luffy-san is so confident…!" Coby noticed.
"I HAVE A NAME TOO!" Helmeppo facefaulted.
"We're gonna escape now! You all take care!"
"Cheeky brat, underestimating me aintcha?" Garp growled "Well get a load of this!"
"Ice-ossan! We used the name you gave us! Everyone please take care! We-OH MY GOD WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!"
The shadow that cast over the ship nearly made everyone scream. They didn't have much leeway here, not when Monkey D. Garp just hoisted a gargantuan ball and chain out and began swinging it like a flail.
A massive ball and chain, bigger than his own ship.
Pulled seemingly out of nowhere.
"Luffy… I've said it so many times now…" Gian whimpered "But I'll say it again…"
*breath*
"…YOU'RE GRANDFATHER IS ABSOLUTELY BATSHIT TERRIFYING!"
"AAAHHH! FRANKY GET US OUT OF HERE!" Luffy wailed.
"It's ready! You all hang on tight!"
The crew just noticed the tail end of the Thousand Sunny beginning to glow, energy charging up. For a second, it seemed it was too late as Garp released the massive flail as the iron ball soared through the air, threatening to pulverize them.
"COUP DE BURST!"
Then it was the wind, flying through their hair and into their faces as the Sunny flew into the sky. As they looked back and seeing the city grow smaller and smaller, they could only laugh in triumph.
And back on the sea, the dumbfounded Marines could only watch, speechless in how their quarry got away.
"Well, it seems I've made the right choice travelling with you." the tall figure of Aokiji stood up from the lawn-chair he set up "Things got quite interesting."
"GWAHAHAHA!" Garp only laughed uproariously "THAT'S MY GRANDSON!"
Later:
"Everyone's setting up for the party, we should make an appearance too." Robin mumbled as she rested her head on Gian's shoulder. The new ship carried a large amount of space, far more than what Merry ever had to offer. Gian was allotted his own study in one of the spare rooms, one with a pull out bed and some books. Life on the Sunny was about to be very good.
"Let them have their fun, this is relaxing." Gian smiled as the two sat back on one of the benches, enjoying each other's company. Now that they've escaped, what better way for the Straw Hats to celebrate their new ship and nakama than yet another party? With that in mind, Gian and Robin chose to at least have some downtime before they'll inevitably be swept into the celebrations once again.
"Mhm, I don't disagree." Robin smiled. They basked in each other's presence, before the archaeologist turned to him again.
"Thank you for being with me…" she murmured.
Gian smiled down, his hand resting against hers "It's everything I wanted, there's nothing else I'd rather have…"
The door suddenly sprung open, causing the two to break apart. A grinning Luffy waved at them with Usopp and Chopper in tow.
"Come on guys! The party's about to start!"
"We still have to duet that 'Reunited' song you wanted to do, Gian!" Usopp said.
"Party! Party!" Chopper cheered.
Robin giggled "It seems like they're all set up, I guess I'll head up."
"Eager for once, aren't we?" Gian teased "You guys go on ahead, I'll be there in a minute."
"What can I say?" Robin winked "I've grown accustomed to watching you guys." Her hand trailed against his for one more second "Don't keep me waiting too long, handsome." Then she left with the others, Gian smiling as he watched them go.
He then puffed out some air before sitting down at the table as he pulled out his journal. Flipping it open, he dabbed some ink before beginning to write.
Entry 9
Weather: Sunny and full of joy.
We're together again, as we should be.
Robin is beside me, Usopp came back at last. We have a new nakama, everything is wonderful right now.
We're about to have a party, I will join them soon. Now though, I have to be more aware than ever.
Enies Lobby was a wakeup call, it was a reminder to me of the power I possess, and how there are secrets out there that I do not know of.
Secrets that people are hiding, secrets that people want for themselves.
Secrets that people don't want spilled to the public.
I got swept into all of that, nearly taken away from the people I care about and the one I love. Looking back, I didn't know what I had gotten into, now I know it's no coincidence.
Back at Loguetown, when the others declared their dreams, I was unsure. I told everyone I wanted to find a purpose and mastering this power and ran with it, never believing what I said.
Back then I didn't think too much into it, I thought of it as any old devil fruit power, when that couldn't have been further from the truth.
There's something else about these Kaiju-Zoan powers, enough to make other people want to erase them, enough to make people want to acquire them. Even Triton-senpai never told me any of this, and I wonder if he knows what his powers truly hold for him? That only gives me all the more reason to do this.
My powers are growing, and the World Government can see that. They've officially tried to silence me, tried to cast me to their side. I could've very much been silenced forever, bound to them and shackled to their will. Instead, they've only made me more determined.
They are hiding something, hiding the truth. For what reason I do not know, but I do know one thing:
I must find out what it is.
Looking back now, if I stood at that same barrel, I will proudly declare to all of my true dream: I will uncover the mystery of what became of the Kaiju, the beings that ruled this land before humanity's rise.
The World Government think they can contain the truth; that they could contain me, but I was given courage by someone who has risked them for decades, and I will stand with her.
I am going to uncover every secret, every hidden truth of the monster that dwells within me.
And I will not be stopped, not when I have the right people standing beside me.
A/N: If you count both Water 7 and Enies Lobby together, then this could easily be the longest arc we've done so far. We've completed 3 major sagas in the span of almost 5 years, looking back to the day I began this story for the first time, I'm honestly a bit blown away at what we've accomplished. All the storylines I put in, all the additional lore I've added, and all the support I've gotten, both good and bad. It really is incredible.
G: We've really come a long way from that little boy.
We sure have, and it's just beginning. There's still so much more to tell, so much more I want to add!
So yes, this is the official end of the Enies Lobby Arc. Overall, pretty close to canon with how things done, considering there's not much to alter here. The main difference is that, as you can see, the official bounties of everyone in the crew got increased. Considering all the Marines at Enies Lobby just saw Luffy and Gian duke it out full force, that's naturally given. As such, the bounty numbers from now on will be a bit higher than they were in the series.
G: Remember, bounty does not equal power level!
Aside from that, not much else to say. The next chapter is more of an intermission chapter between everything, but it will introduce a few characters that will be appearing later on, both canon and new Kaiju-Zoan users. I figured, since we've all stuck through this for this long, I might as well show them doing something now. Also, I'm hoping to release the next entry of Monster's Log soon, it'll be an entry on Mr. 0.5 if anyone is interested.
Other than that, I hope everyone is doing well.
Responses to Reviews:
To Darkmaster1000000:
G: Didn't my namesake win a death battle?
They've done two Godzilla themed Death Battles so far, and both Godzilla representatives won!
G: That's what I like to see.
To Mr. Dove:
Bigger Kaiju sized animals will continue to appear throughout the series. I'll have you know that they'll show up a few more times before the timeskip!
To 64thVanSull:
Yeah, that was what I figured. I tried to make him fit the group, but it just never seemed to work with the storylines I've planned.
G: I'll miss him though.
To KaijuEmperor:
G: Dang, that's a bit excessive isn't it?
I mean, Zoro never wants to be captain to begin with, he'll gladly follow Luffy in whatever he does. That's basically one of his key character traits.
G: yup, he and I are tight.
Basically, Zoro's probably the person closest to Gian in the group outside of Luffy and Robin. Gian sometimes looks to him as a voice of reason as well; the two have helped each other out more than once.
To Chance Green G. King:
Well that ultimately didn't get added to the story due to time constraints and general flow of things, I might introduce that in a Monsters Log Chapter later!
G: You're basically dumping every filler moment in that, aren't you?
More or less.
G: If only you updated that.
To The Storm Master 567:
Eventually everyone will have more buffs than they did in the series. Haki is on the table for everyone as well.
To Turbokid96:
G: I definitely enjoyed it
So did I.
To Johnny Spectre:
Funkfreed will be a friend to all of Water 7.
G: I definitely see it.
To supermechaforce8:
G: There he goes again
Dragons are nice, though I did make it clear last chapter that the crew won't be getting a pet of any sort.
To Romancer:
Some of the other pairings that most people ship, like Usopp and Kaya, are teased a little. However, I won't get too deep into them since there's not much I could add to begin with. Meanwhile, Tashigi is dating Gideon at the moment, so she and Zoro won't happen unfortunately.
Gi: I feel like people keep forgetting I got together with my girl long before 'Beast Warrior' got together with his.
G: That's because no one likes you.
Gi: Eat shit.
To RulersofEarth4vr:
Yes, that's generally how things will flow. Thriller Bark will officially start after the next chapter!
To ideamaster117:
I can tell you now you're close with one of your answers. Meanwhile, Biollante will be unrelated to the Supernovas, but she'll be appearing soon.
Also, Bartolomeo won't be having a Kaiju-Zoan user, but he'll know a bit more about them when we see him again.
To Raidentensho:
When Wano happens, there will be lots of Kaiju-Zoans present. In fact, the Beast Pirates will be referenced later!
To Matt:
Thank you, I'm glad they're noticeable.
To Story Artist:
Well the bounties are out now! And they did get increased! But Gian's title won't be changing for a bit, as well as the status.
To PIZZASAURUS REX:
Gian will definitely look different, I'll say that much.
G: That doesn't answer anything.
Hey, I'm trying to reduce spoilers here.
To Hamad AlSuwaidi:
Unfortunately, since I'm literally writing a whole new power with people that bear them, OCs are inevitable. While canon characters do get involved quite frequently, the focus is still mostly on Gian and other Kaiju-Zoan users.
Also Gideon and Tashigi were kind of conceptualized very early on. Their relationship will be explored as well, not to the degree of Gian and Robin but they will have quite a bit of focus too.
Gi: Boom! Word of God declares your approval invalid!
G: You could just ignore it you know…
Meanwhile, glad you liked it so far!
To nicorobinlove35:
Roger indeed has had Kaiju-Zoans, they've been referenced a few times within the story, and they'll make a formal appearance towards the end of the pre-timeskip.
G: I feel like people just don't pay attention sometimes.
To Kaiju Avenger:
Marineford is still a ways off, but it'll be planned out soon!
To The Question:
Gian will obviously have haki eventually. He does need to get stronger after all!
And you'll be introduced to some of the Yonko Kaiju-Zoan users soon. You're actually not far off with some of them!
To classicUSmonster:
G: It seems like we're finally getting everyone present for this!
Very soon, Very soon.
To Gian smash robin:
G: Coming from the legend himself.
To Shiny bumhole:
For more information on this, check out One Piece: Monster's Log! It's a guide book for all the original content I've added for this story. Gian's sbs information is already up!
To SMASH UP cards:
Funkfreed is a friend of all of Water 7.
G: You said this already…
Well he and the Franky Family will get along fine.
To Guest:
G: Please don't bring author down that hole, he's already obsessed with Vines…
G: You see Gian and Zoro is definitely 2 bros, sitting in a-
G: STOP! VINE HAS BEEN DEAD FOR YEARS
To Art Master 7:
G: Someone please draw this!
I wonder if I should commission some art pieces…
To Catchphrase YOHO:
G: Now those are quotes I can get behind.
Ain't that the truth?
To supermechaforce8:
I have no idea what that is.
G: People come up with interesting things it seems!
To A. Doctor:
G: See? You're not mysterious at all.
I do give away a lot, don't I?
To Smash Up:
G: My man… where have you been since chapter 25….?
Like, I've mentioned that Atom Splitter has Kairoseki in its blade many, many times now… Like, it eventually doesn't even matter much anyways. Skilled opponents just avoid it fine, and Gian's eventually gonna have Haki anyway so it's kind of redundant to keep bringing it up…
And that's it for now! We'll see you next time!
G: Leave a review and come play Legends of Runeterra with us!