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.
Strong World Opening: Blue Bird by Ikimono-Gakari (Naruto Shippuden Opening 3. Yes, that one)
Color Spread: The Straw Hat Crew and their respective League of Legends Champion. Luffy grinning as he leapt around with Ekko parkouring beside him. Zoro and Yasuo sharing a drink beside each other. Sanji makes a dish while Lee Sin meditates beside him, Nami is showing a map to also Nami, while Usopp is inching away nervously from Jhin. Chopper is dancing with Gnar while the silhouettes of Monster Point and Mega Gnar looms behind them, Franky is showing a new invention to a curious Blitzcrank. Robin is playing chess with LeBlanc while Brook is playing a concert with Karthus. Finally a building explodes behind them as a Fully Transformed Gian emerges with Cho'Gath.
"Don't eat that!"
Gian groaned, but had no choice but to put down the bright pink berry under his new companion pouting gaze. Ever since last night, he and Erika have gotten along rather well. The little girl had informed him of an actual village on this island, and if they were lucky, the other Straw Hats could be there too. They'd spent much of the morning traversing towards the location of the settlement, all the while on the lookout in case any other Straw Hats find their way to them.
"Is every fruit on this landmass out to kill me?" he grumbled.
"Those ones especially. They contain enough poisons in it to knock out a Sea King." the girl hurriedly rummaged in her dress pocket and picked out a bulbous blue fruit instead. "This one's safe, you can have this if you're hungry."
"Noted…" Gian blinked before thanking her. Erika merely nodded before they continued on their way.
Gian smiled; in the process of their travels, he'd learned a bit more about the young lady. Erika's love of all things botany is one of the most noteworthy; the entire time he'd asked her multiple questions about the plant life of the island, and she'd answer them all with enthusiasm.
He'd learned a few things about her; her mother passed away when she was young and she has lived with her father ever since. According to her, her father is a rather prestigious geneticist and biologist in his own right, at one point even Vegapunk had worked with him. Yet by the time she was born, he had already cut ties with the World Government.
She herself loved plants ever since she could walk, an interest that also overlapped into knowledge regarding medicinal properties of certain plants. This knowledge had come in handy earlier, and once Gian took the herbs she gathered it was as if all exhaustion from the past few weeks had never happened. Gian dared to say she'd give Chopper a run for his money on some medical knowledge topics.
Even now, as they trekked towards their destination, the little lady was still sprouting off information about various plants, it seems it was one of the few things she's openly willing to talk about.
She herself was enthralled by the tales of the Straw Hat Pirates and Gian relaying a few of their adventures together. She had a great laugh when he told her of the time he helped Luffy and Usopp pull a prank on Zoro, and she smiled when he relayed back the memories of him and Robin. Great detail went into talking about the rest of the crew, and Erika could tell from the fondness in his voice that the group was a close-knit unit.
"Fascinating… you have a tanuki for a doctor?"
"Reindeer actually, a very talented one as well." Gian corrected; he merely mentioned that Chopper was small and fuzzy. Guess that misconception was the first thought that came to mind. Far away on another part of the island, a certain member of the Straw Hats suddenly felt the urge to punch someone.
"That's incredible, how are they able to practice medicine as an animal?" Erika whispered.
"Well, that's a long story. It wasn't easy for him but after years of learning and education, I'd say he's better than even some regular doctors out there." Gian beamed with pride "The Devil Fruit probably helped as well."
"I wanted to be a doctor myself. They help so many people, if there were more of them then there would be less suffering." Erika smiled.
"Well I'd say you're in a good place for that."
"Y-you think so?" Erika asked hopefully.
"Well yeah, I mean you said that your old man already knows a fair bit about science to say the least. You also know so much about plants, a little bit too much at times but that's what's important. Put yourself in a good medical school and I'm sure you'll do great."
The girl smiled at that, the two of them may have only known each other for a couple of hours, but she could tell the older man was a kind person just from speaking to him.
Still, Erika was not an open book. The teenager is rather shy and reserved about other aspects of her life. Particularly, how she's rather reluctant to talk about how she and her father ended up on this floating rock. Gian guessed that it has something to do with Shiki considering he and the rest of the Straw Hats are also in a similar boat, but when he asked her about it earlier, the girl gave a downcast look and rather quickly changed the subject.
There was also one other thing that seemed off about her.
"So, last night, are you sure you didn't see anything else?"
"...whatever could you mean?"
Gian rubbed his neck, the memory, the feeling of the monstrosity that attacked him the night before still tingling around his neck "Last night, I was attacked by one of the beings on this island. That wouldn't normally be something noteworthy, but this creature was different."
"How so?" Erika whispered.
"Well, for starters how it dwarfs near everything else on this island. There's also those tentacles, when I tried to free myself I felt them, it was like whatever wrapped around me felt like some sort of plant material." He turned to Erika, who was listening with bated breath.
"You really didn't see whatever attacked me before you found me?"
He almost didn't catch it, but it seemed as if Erika's facial features blanched the moment he said that "Nope… I didn't see anything." she said, the rather abrupt tone was there too.
"You sure?" Gian raised an eye "There was a pretty big commotion… which makes it even stranger how something that big could just disappear without a trace."
"I didn't really pay attention, when I found you it had gotten rather dark as well." Erika looked down "I do hope you are more careful from now on." With that, the girl began to walk off at a brisker pace. Gian shrugged at the reaction; perhaps his new companion had some unspeakable connection to the entity that assaulted him last night, something she wasn't ready to talk about yet. In time, when she's comfortable he'll ask again.
Aside from that, he and Erika got along great. Perhaps due to the girl's younger age, Gian felt something not amiss to his days with Rokuro.
"We should reach the village in about half an hour." The girl revealed "The people there are kind, their village was already on the island when Shiki lifted it from the seas. They're trapped here as well."
"How have they managed to evade the island's animals so far?" Gian wondered aloud "From what we've seen, those things aren't exactly cute and cuddly."
"Around this island, there is a kind of plant developed that contains a chemical that the animals dislike. Normal people can't smell it, but the animals can." Erika explained "Both Shiki and the villagers use it to defend themselves; those beasts may have been created by him, but they have loyalty to no one."
Gian grinned at that "And now we also know a weakness of those things. I have to tell the others once we find them."
"You always speak so highly of your friends." Erika smiled, "You must've been through lots together."
"I wouldn't know where I'd be right now if it weren't for them." Gian sighed warmly, "I'm too lucky to have met them."
"I've never had many friends growing up, papa and I were always moving around often." Erika mumbled wistfully, "I hope to meet them soon." the girl gave a sad smile before suddenly giving Gian's hand a sharp smack as the Kaiju-Zoan user picked up another round berry with orange dots on it.
"Don't eat that either!"
"Oh come on!" Gian groaned "Don't tell me, this one poisons me as well?"
"Worse, upon eating it your face would swell up like a balloon and you'll go blind. Then your head explodes." Erika said matter-of-factly. That made Gian drop the berry and scoot away hastily.
"...That is way too graphic. My girlfriend would love you." he sighed before looking back at her accusingly "Wait, why was that so specific? Are you speaking from experience?"
Before Erika could respond, the two were jolted to attention by a loud roar from somewhere ahead of them in the woods. The two glanced at each other; during this whole time, even as the hours dragged on, the denizens of the island never seemed to target them, they even seemed to avoid the two of them as best they could. So when Gian and Erika heard the loud yowling of whatever mutated animal that made it, their first response was to pay it little heed. It wasn't until they heard more yelling did Gian spring to attention; when they've been traveling together for as long as they have he'd recognize that voice anywhere.
"M-Mr. Gian, where are you-!"
"We have to hurry. When we reach them you stay back." Gian ordered "You wanted to meet some of my friends, well we're about to."
Racing to the source of the sound, Gian broke through the clearing just as he saw Luffy wind up a punch and decking a large scorpion like creature square in the face with it and causing the arachnid to stagger back. The captain wasn't alone, however, and Gian soon noticed Nami and what appears to be a bird-like animal with bright yellow feathers cower behind her backing away from another scorpion, the navigator raising her clima-tact before her defensively.
That was all he needed to see.
The scorpion beast, fixated on its prey, never saw the searing ball of blue fire slam into the side of its carapace. It definitely felt the impact however, and before the yowling beast could do anything Gian had already charged forwards, Atom Splitter flourishing as he slammed the polearm down hard on the large arthropod. When the scorpion tried once more to crush him with its claws, Gian simply raised an Atom Fist and punched down right at the center of its head, putting the beast down for good.
The intrusion was not missed. Luffy immediately looked up and beamed upon seeing his First Mate's arrival, and would've ran over had he not had to contend with his own arachnid foe. Nami, on the other hand, soon saw who came to their rescue.
"Gian! Thank god, we finally found someone else!"
"And it looks like not a moment too soon either." he nodded, delivering one final punch to the scorpion, knocking it out at the exact same time Luffy disposed of his foe "This is a good start, after two days of-!" he was promptly interrupted when his captain finally found the time to reach over and wrap his rubbery limbs around him.
"YAY! YOU MADE IT!"
"And now you're strangling me!" Gian choked out, trying to free himself from his captain's ironclad hug. Pulling a grinning Luffy off of him, he gave a soft smile before bringing the two of them into a hug of his own.
"It's good to see you guys too."
Luffy chuckled "That's 2 nakama found now! Now we just have to find the rest."
"Well, with all the noise we made, maybe they'll just find their way to us." Gian nodded, then turned grimly as the bushes began to rustle once more "But before we do that…"
The three of them braced themselves as out of the undergrowth scuttled out a third scorpion-like beast. Clearly enraged over its fallen companions, the arachnid charged at the pirates, it's stinger raised. Luffy Gian and Nami prepared to launch their own attacks, only for a fourth creature to reveal itself.
"Hey! Billy!" Nami called out as the yellow bird placed itself between the 3. Before anyone could do anything, Billy let out a shrill crow before volts of electricity coursed through the air. The pirates all scattered, avoiding the discharge as best they could. The scorpion was not so lucky, as the voltage coursed through its carapace the creepy crawly soon slumped over, its internal organs fried.
"Whoa! Nami, your bird can do that?!" Luffy's eyes were glowing.
"What the hell is that?" Gian gaped.
"Oh yeah," Nami smiled. "This is Billy, he's an experiment that Shiki rejected. If it hadn't been for him I probably wouldn't have made it out of his base."
"And he's also a living generator." Gian whistled "Can't be helped I guess, at least he seems nicer than some of the others and that's saying something." Billy quacked with pride at the comment.
The bushes behind them rustled, drawing their attention once more. Seeing that it's probably safe to come out now, Erika meekly peered her head over the undergrowth.
"Hey, who's that?" Luffy waved.
"Ah, I almost forgot." Gian smiled "You two, meet Erika Shiragami. I might've been animal food if it hadn't been for her. Erika, these are some of the friends I told you about. Why don't you tell them what you told me earlier?"
Meanwhile:
A lone trail of dust dragged along the desert. Speeding forwards, the source was what appears to be a large shrimp-like crustacean mixed with that of a Motorcycle. The three individuals atop of the strange mechanism, however, seemed to be in a rush. And they had every reason to be.
"We're getting close." Franky grunted towards a towering structure in the distance. Hanging on behind him, Robin and Brook both looked on with uncertainty. The circumstances of their situation had been unfortunate to say the least. At least the 3 of them had managed to crash land together, and in a hostile environment such as this it pays to have people watch your back. Regardless, the myriad of strange and dangerous creatures roaming the floating island had given them no shortage of trouble. From large carnivorous fish to vicious insect swarms, they had a lot of work ahead of them.
One thing led to another, but they happened upon a more unusual sight. At the edge of the forest and across an expanse of flat land, which tapered off into mountainous regions. The looming structures stood out too much for the 3 of them to ignore it. Despite most of the island inhabited by vicious creatures, Shiki seemed to at least reserve some space for his own forces. There could be a chance that the rest of the crew were imprisoned there, and even if not learning a bit more about their situation could be good for them.
"This is getting ominous." Brook shivered "Something like that can't be good."
"We can already guess Shiki is planning something big." Robin stated "He's gone through the effort to create this place to begin with. The strange animals on this island could all be a part of that."
"Well then what are we waiting for?" Franky stated "We gotta find a way inside."
The trio hid themselves near the rocks, and what they saw astounded them. Crowds of people, pirates of all kinds, gathered in unison and entered the building in an organized line.
It seemed Shiki had more than just beasts at his disposal.
Fortunately, because of the number of people, blending in came quite naturally. The masses seem eager. Some could barely contain their excitement, a fact that Franky, Robin and Brook took note quickly. Once everyone filled into the base, the activity soon spread out. Palpable excitement soon gave way to raucous celebration as the various pirates feasted and drank.
"Well, some people seem happy." Brook noted.
It was when the topic of discussion came up around the mess hall that the group soon realized Shiki's plan was bigger than they originally thought:
"Man, I didn't think the Golden Lion had it in him!" the trio heard a pirate boast to his companions "20 years off the radar I'd originally thought had dulled his edge, but look at him coming up with something like this!"
"You shouldn't be that surprised, Shiki is known for his plans and formulations!"
"And may I ask what exactly is Shiki planning to do now that he's asked us to gather here?" Robin, putting on an absent-minded act, jutted into the conversation.
"Eh? You mean you haven't heard?" The first pirate was surprised "A few days ago the Golden Lion already attacked a Marine base! He sent dozens of their ships flying! Even a dozen Vice-Admirals couldn't stop his rampage!"
"He wasn't done there either!" another pirate chimed in, a piece of newsprint in her hands "He's clearly been busy for the past couple of weeks, just look at what happened in East Blue!"
Robin silently gasped the moment she was handed the newspaper. Behind her, watching subtly, Franky and Brook could just make out enough detail to have one major question answered.
"That's a Pirate of Roger's Era for ya, they're always something else." a third pirate chortled "And to think we'll have a share of the glory as well!"
"Indeed," Robin charaded a smile "It is our good fortune for us all to be involved in this." turning away from the group, her face became more business-like as Franky and Brook came up to her.
"Well, we at least know why East Blue was missing all those islands…" Brook muttered in horror.
"If he has a whole bestiary at his disposal, why would he need all these people then?" Franky ranted "Seems a bit overkill dontcha think?"
"At this point it's completely possible that this goes further than just East Blue." Robin deduced "Shiki has a goal here, and anyone with a plan requires capital. From the looks of it, these pirates aren't your standard bandits and rogues either. I've recognized a few of them, some of them have racked up quite a bit on the bounty board."
"People like that won't normally show up to meet just anyone." Brook replied "Just what kind of a person is Shiki?"
"In any case we need to find the others," Robin stated "This place is becoming dangerous, we'll have a better chance if we're all together,"
The others agreed hastily and set to sneak back out. By this point, much of the attention has been turned to the commotion within the gathering area. With the focus on the accumulated group of pirates, the 3 Straw Hats went mostly undetected.
Or so they thought.
Right as Robin was about to climb through the window, footsteps could be heard as someone exited from the shadows. The three of them sprang around, Franky and Brook pointing their weapons at the newcomer, while Robin materialized arms quickly entrapped the intruder.
"You can relax, I'm just a mere researcher" The man stated with some discomfort "That being said, it is rather foolhardy for some of you to come directly to Shiki's base of operations."
"Who are you?" the cyborg growled "Are you here to stop us?"
"Like I said, that's not exactly possible for me. I assure you I'm not here to turn you in, I just wanted to meet you." The three Straw Hats saw that the man, dressed in a white jacket, seemed to be indeed a scientist. Giving each other a look, the three deliberated silently before Robin reluctantly released him from his bonds, the man dusted himself off upon her doing so.
"Much obliged."
"Were you observing us?" the archeologist questioned.
"I noticed you during the party. Some of the other attendants might be too drunk off their minds to recognize members of the Straw Hat Pirates, but there are those that pay attention to the newspapers."
"You work for Shiki I assume?" Robin pressed "What are you after?
"I prefer the term 'necessary cooperation'." the man sighed, "It's unfortunate you were caught up in this, but since you are the Straw Hat Pirates there is something you must do."
"And what's that?" Brook asked.
"Keep one of your members, 'Beast Warrior' Gian, away from Shiki at all costs."
Meanwhile:
"What's the matter Erika? You aren't eating!" Luffy mumbled with his mouthful, his other hand reaching out and offering a piece of roasted scorpion to the girl. Erika meekly smiled and shook her head. The victory over the giant scorpions had worked up the captain's appetite, and Gian and Nami knew better than to argue with their captain over food. Though, to be fair, Gian found that once they cook it enough scorpion tastes rather good, with a flavor and texture not unlike lobster.
"I'm actually a vegetarian, Luffy-san. This isn't really something I go for."
"Eh? What does veterinarian mean?"
"That isn't what she said at all!" Nami scolde "Vegetarian means she chooses not to eat meat and only eats fruits, vegetables, or food made from plants."
"HAH?!" Luffy was slack jawed at the thought of his favorite food being neglected by some people "But meat is the best food in the world!"
"Yeah, well some people have their reasons, like not wanting to see animals die for their food." Gian reminded him before turning to Erika "That's not really the reason, right? Because you might wanna stay away from our captain if you do, he eats barrels of that stuff."
"I just really don't like the taste of meat…" Erika admitted bashfully "Luffy-san can have the rest of mine."
"Yay! Erika is so nice!" the rubber boy cheered before wolfing down the girl's share of scorpion. Meanwhile, Nami and Gian began laying out the rest of the plan.
"We should make way for the village soon, from what Erika told us there's only about another half hour of travel left. Hopefully, everyone else got wind of it too and are making their way there."
"After so many days it's good that we are all back together again." Gian nodded "What are we going to do about Shiki?"
"In most cases the ideal choice would be to try to avoid any more conflict and get out of here as soon as we can." Nami balled her hands into fists "But I've overheard too many things, I know too much of what he's going to do! We can't just sit by knowing that he's the reason for those disappeared islands in East Blue!"
"He's the reason for all of that?" Gian growled "That'll explain how all this got here. I'm willing to bet that those animals were made by him as well. With all the ones we've seen so far, he basically has a base of operations alongside a bestial army."
"Maybe that's his plan, using these beasts and sending them to East Blue!" Luffy joined in.
"I think that's exactly it." Nami replied "Back when I was captive, he had 2 scientists with him, they were the ones that created all these horrible creatures. 3 of them in particular are extremely vicious, according to one of the researchers the amount of drugs they've given them resulted in them growing to massive size, even larger than the ones we've seen before."
"Let me guess, they're a giant squid, crab and turtle?" Gian grunted as Nami nodded "Yeah, had a run in with those 3. Fortunately, they seemed to be keen on attacking each other as much as everything else around them." his eyes suddenly lit up:
"Back at the lab, did you hear Shiki say anything about some sort of giant plant monster?"
Nami pursed her lips at that "I don't believe so, I might've not paid attention or he never mentioned it near me."
Gian sighed "Then what the hell did I see that night?"
"There's actually some giant plant monster out here?" Luffy exclaimed "Why is everything on the island so weird?"
"That's what it felt like to me." Gian explained, following up with the whole story of his strange encounter with the unknown attacker that night.
"In short, I have no idea how something as big as I am Fully Transformed could just disappear without a trace in a single second. Even Erika apparently missed it." Gian finished.
"...I really didn't see anything…" The young girl mumbled. Nami saw that the girl's eyes were downcast, a rather conflicted look on her face.
"A monster that could disappear…" Nami mused, before letting out an audible gasp "Wait a minute… back when I was held at Shiki's base, I heard him mention to one of the scientists that he's looking to use your Kaiju-Zoan powers!" Gian hissed when he heard that.
"Of course the megalomaniac sets his eyes on it, go figure."
"There's more to it. Based on their conversation, Shiki implies that there's someone else on this island that's a Kaiju-Zoan user. The way he phrased everything seemed to indicate that he has a hold of another individual. I don't know much more about it, but whoever they are, if they're out there-."
"-Then whatever attacked me that night was actually a Kaiju-Zoan user?!" Gian gawked "No way… I thought I felt some conflicting emotions that night, but to think that we're dealing with another one…!"
"They might be trailing us." Luffy turned serious "Do you think Shiki sent them after us?"
"I wouldn't rule it out." Gian growled.
"K-Kaiju-Zoan…?" the group turned to see a rather concerning sight: their fourth companion had turned pale, looking at them with worry "What's a Kaiju-Zoan?"
"Ah! It's actually something I've only learned about recently." Luffy smiled as he explained "Basically Gian ate a devil fruit that is able to turn into this really cool fire breathing dinosaur! A few other people have something similar, but they turn into other kinds of monsters."
"It's not as peachy as my great captain portrays it as, but yeah I am able to do something like that." Gian admitted "Looking back on it, if that really was a Kaiju-Zoan user that attacked me, you were fortunate to have missed that ordeal. Had it gone sideways there would be some substantial devastation to the landscape." Erika looked at him with a seemingly saddened look.
"In any case, we better get to the village fast! You said it was not far from here right?" the navigator turned to the big yellow bird traveling with them "Billy, I need you to help me one last time. Do you think you can carry all 4 of us?" The duck-hybrid looked quizzically at the scene. Despite being an animal, Billy could tell that whatever they needed required utmost attention. The bird nodded, trusting his companion.
"Then let's go there now, towards the village." Luffy commanded, and the bird lifted off with them in tow.
Meanwhile:
"My name is Dr. Shiragami. Although I may have collaborated with Shiki in much of his project, I do not wish to associate myself with him. My warning to you is only a look into what he wants, and what he hopes to achieve through the power of your crewmate."
"Yeah, I'm not buying it!" Franky snapped "It's as you said, you work for the guy! Why would you let such an opportunity get away from you?"
"If you even think about hurting Gian…" Robin's threat may have been spoken calmly, but everyone could tell from her cross-armed pose that she wasn't messing around.
"I don't have much means to convince you, but the threat Shiki poses I'm sure you already have an idea. It is not I who your anger should be directed at." Shiragami pressed "Still, if you really need a reason to trust me, then you should know this. Your other crewmate had escaped Shiki's captivity."
"Nami-san was brought here?" Brook asked.
"Yes, Shiki's plan was to use her skills as a navigator for him to remain untouchable by the weather of the Grand Line. He thinks he can contain her easily, clearly he's mistaken in that part. That girl seems to have a rather defiant nature."
"That definitely sounds like her." Franky nodded "Nami-sis isn't someone who would just keel over and be taken prisoner."
"Still, what could you possibly gain from this?" Brook demanded "It just doesn't make sense? If you work for Shiki wouldn't such an opportunity be hard to pass up?"
"Opportunity? Shiki's ambitions are his and his alone." Shiragami snapped "I've already told you that my association with him is not by choice, and had he not obtained leverage on me, I would be as far away from a man as I can be. I only warn you to not take him lightly, he's from a generation that very much shaped the world we live in today."
The three observed the scientist warily, processing the words they just received.
"You make the call Nico Robin, you're the smartest one of us here." Franky relented.
Robin narrowed her eyes, gazing at the scientist with clear suspicion. Decades sticking out on her own her intuition on the trustworthiness of others were precise if she were to say so herself. This Dr. Shiragami works for the enemy, so it only goes that the reasons he has for providing such aid would be to fuel ulterior motives.
"You claim Shiki has leverage against you, is that why you're so willing to help the other side?" The archeologist spoke.
"Yes, that is correct." Shiragami affirmed "It's the whole reason why I assisted him in his 20 year plan to begin with. It is used against me in exchange for my services, and if I'm being completely honest I have no question that he may not even uphold his end of the bargain."
"And if we were to receive this information, what do you hope for us to do about it?"
"Right now Shiki's plan is almost in motion, he has just about all he needs to completely crush East Blue and much of the world beyond that. But Shiki is a man whose lust for power overshadows even that; it may have led to his downfall once but he will seek it regardless. If you can relay this information to 'Beast Warrior' and the rest of your crew, the chance of delaying his plan by even a little will be enough."
Robin thought for a moment longer, before giving a soft sigh "There is still much that we can't be too sure yet, but 'Beast Warrior' Gian is someone special to me. Everyone in this crew falls in that category. I will do everything in my power to keep them safe."
"As will I" Brook followed.
"Looks like we'll bite." Franky grunted "Now why exactly has Shiki set his eyes on our monster-shifting friend?"
"It's what you think it is. He already has an army of terrifying beasts at his disposal, the chance of having an asset like a Kaiju-Zoan would bolster his forces even more. It may have been a chance that your crew just so happens to have one, but now that he knows of 'Beast Warrior's existence, do you think he'll let an opportunity like this come to pass?"
"Gian isn't someone that's going to just willingly give himself up." Robin stated "If Shiki wants the Kaiju-Zoan, he'll have to fight tooth and claw to do so."
"And he will, this you can count on. Shiki doesn't need the vessel, he just needs the fruit. The Kaiju-Zoan can be implanted into anyone." Shiragami shook his head.
"Gian is strong, he won't make it easy for Shiki to just take that fruit." Brook assured him.
"I wouldn't underestimate the Golden Lion if I were you. Shiki was once a peer to both Gold Roger and Edward Newgate. He hasn't survived for this long by just luck." The doctor sighed "In any case, by now he would already be aware of the fruit, considering your friend had the decency to use it against him. Shiki has eyes on this whole island, you best find a way off of it before he seeks your crew out."
"I still don't understand, why are you telling us all of this? Robin asked, "Surely it can't be as simple as an attempt to betray the man you're employed under."
"As I mentioned, my partnership with him is out of my control. I do not have much choice in the matter. I work for his benefit, and in return he'll stay away from someone and won't include her in his plans." the Doctor sighed "Although to be fair, with two Kaiju-Zoans now on the same island, I do not expect him to keep his end of the agreement."
Robin's eyes widened "2 of them? There's another-?"
"-You should get out of here while you can. There's a village located near the center of this island. With any luck your friends will be all need to leave that place before nightfall today; Shiki is planning to use the mutants to destroy the town as a way to grab interest for his cause. Remember that because of 'Cat Burglar's' escape, Shiki is now likely looking for her. If you encounter each other, please don't push yourselves too hard."
"Come with us." Franky stated "All of them need to hear this."
Shiragami shook his head "I am tied to this place right now. As much as it loathes me to play a part in Shiki's plans, he has me on a leash. Do not worry about me, I have a contingency plan to enact when the time is right. If I act on my own right now, he'll go after her."
"Her?" Brook and Robin gasped "Who are you talking about."
"The other Kaiju-Zoan user on this island." the scientist muttered with sorrow, "Erika Shiragami, my daughter."
Meanwhile:
Billy landed at the outskirts of the village, the large yellow bird's previously cordial deposition turned into a sour one as he shook his head irritably.
"He's unwilling to go any further; there's a type of plant growing around here known as Daft Green that emits a smell that the animals on this island find unbearable." Erika explained as Nami looked at her companion with concern.
"Will he be ok?"
"If he stays away from it, yes." Erika answered "There's a reason for his behavior. Daft Green is an extremely toxic plant. If one remains in its vicinity for prolonged periods of time, they will be susceptible to its spores. Death comes within minutes."
"Again… is every damn plant on this island dangerous?" Gian sighed.
"Well, at least we've made it to the village." Luffy shrugged "Let's see if anyone actually showed up."
Avoiding the deadly plants, the 4 entered the settlement. No sooner did they set foot into the town they were greeted by a gathering group of people. Gian swallowed at the sight; the people here have clearly seen better days. Their disheveled appearance did not mask their awe at meeting the newcomers that have graced them just then.
Another thing he noticed was the peculiar features of those villagers; each person displayed what appears to be feathers on their elbows. Gian couldn't tell what function they served from his vantage point, and perhaps it'll be too impolite to ask.
"I'm Luffy, have any of my nakama shown up here?" the rubber boy walked up and introduced himself. The group of villagers reacted in surprise.
"You guys, are you companions of the other travelers that have shown up here?"
"So the others are here." Gian breathed a sigh of relief "We finally found them."
"Please, do you all know where they are?" Erika spoke up "These 3 have been looking for them for a long time now." Upon seeing the girl, the villager's faces lit up.
"Erika-chan's back!"
"It's her, everyone!"
Gian gave her a puzzled look "You know these people, Erika?" The girl gave a small bashful smile.
"I come to the village every so often. The people here are quite sick due to the impact of Daft Green. It keeps them safe from the animals, but what it's done to them is not worth the price. I sometimes come with medicine and herbs I collect in the forest. It helps a little, but it's not enough. There's only one other plant that can cure the poison, but I can never find any."
Sure enough, a pair of redheaded girls ran up to them, greeting Erika with hope in their eyes.
"Big Sis Erika… did you find any IQ flowers?" the younger one asked "Grandma… she's gotten worse… and I tried to go find some but I wasn't able-"
"Don't fret, Xiao." Erika smiled softly before rummaging around her dress and pulling out a few dried leaves and stalks. "I didn't manage to get my hands on some flowers, but these should slow down the toxin for a while, at least until I have another chance. These ones have dried enough over the past 3 days. Remember what I said before: boil them in hot water for exactly 43 minutes. No more, no less-"
"-And scoop the wet leaves out the moment it's done!" Xiao beamed "Thank you Erika, you're the best!"
The older of the two girls shook her head affectionately, but her gaze held no less gratitude.
"I'm really sorry to trouble you with all this, Erika-chan. I know it's hard to smuggle medicine out from there."
"It is no trouble, Ever." Erika replied, rubbing her arm "She risks her life so much, It's the least I can do for everything that has happened." The redhead nodded before turning to the 3 pirates.
"Your other friends all arrived at the village in the past few hours. They're currently resting in the house near the heart of town. Follow me."
Ever took them through the small settlement, and though she didn't say it the 3 could see the pained look on her eyes. All around them, the houses were aging and falling apart, and people there didn't look much better. They managed to get a glimpse through the cracks of a door, the sight of a bedridden man gazing weakly at them with glazed eyes, the pirates couldn't help but gulp when they saw the moss green splotches marking his skin.
"What happened here?" Nami whispered. Ever's eyes were downcast before she answered.
"It's what happens due to all the Daft Green around here. They keep the mutant animals away from us, but keep breathing in the spores and they eventually make you sick. Some of our people have already passed away because of this."
"This is all Shiki's doing isn't it?" Luffy growled "Just what is he trying to pull?"
"Is that why your sister was trying to look for that so-called IQ plant?"
"She has no choice…" It was Erika that bitterly spat those words out "IQ is the only antidote for those toxins, but nearly all of them have been taken by Shiki for his own gains." the girl was shaking, causing Gian to lean down with concern. That soon turned to worry as the girl suddenly collapsed on her knees.
"So many people are suffering because of him… When…? Where is it going to stop…?"
"Erika…?" Gian whispered. The girl had begun clutching her head with both of her hands, her shaking growing worse. Gian instinctively reached out, and the moment his hand touched her shoulder the girl recoiled back, eyes frantic and gasping.
"I…I…"
"It's ok… just tell us what's going on?" Erika looked around, to see everyone gazing at her with worry.
"I'm sorry Gian, everyone… I need to go…" before anyone could stop her, the girl had already stood up and bolted off. Gian wondered whether he should go after her or not, and judging by the looks on Luffy and Nami's faces, they were considering something similar.
"Don't mind her." Ever assured him "After what she's been through, I wouldn't put it past her. She's already dealing with so much and yet she still tries to help us."
"So, Erika comes by and she brings herbal medicine for you all huh?" Gian asked "What's her story exactly? I tried asking her about it earlier, but she doesn't seem all that eager to tell me."
"I'm not sure if it's something I should be talking about, but the girl hasn't had an easy time here. Long story short, her father was taken to work on Shiki's experiments; half of the island's specimens could be attributed to Dr. Shiragami alone. Supposedly in exchange for that, the good doctor managed to work a deal out for Shiki to leave his doctor alone. I suppose all that she's done to help us, smuggling medicine and supplies is a way of making up for what her father is forced to do, but the truth is most of us can't blame her; many of our own were captured and forced to work for him as well."
"So it's as I suspected, Shiki really did kidnap her father." Gian nodded. It did explain a bit of why Erika seemed so sad at times, but why did he have the feeling that there was something else?
"It's talent that he's after." Nami added "Dr. Shiragami, that was the name of one of the people I saw with him. From the few glimpses I got, he doesn't seem particularly enthusiastic about what he's made."
"Then maybe the doctor isn't a bad person at all." Luffy agreed, "Sounds like Erika's dad just wants to protect her."
Ever smiled at that "In any case, we're here. Your friends are all safe."
"OI! EVERYONE! WE MADE IT!" Luffy called out. Moments later, the door opened and out emerged Usopp, Sanji and Zoro. Relieved smiles immediately broke out as they were reunited.
"WAAAHHHH IT REALLY IS YOU!" Usopp cried and hugged his captain.
"And Nami-swan made it as well! What a relief!" Sanji swooned.
"Good to see you haven't died." Zoro grinned at Gian.
"Looks like we all had a rough couple of days." Gian chuckled "Where's Chopper?"
"I'm In here…" a choked voice came out from within the room. The crew entered to see Chopper with a bandanna tied around his face, his expression quite irritable "It smells so bad here, those plants make me wanna puke!"
"Yeah, I kinda figured out why on the way here." Gian's smile dropped when his eyes noticed the absence of 3 other individuals, in particular the fact that one archeologist was not currently at the village.
"She'll be ok." Zoro's voice broke him out of his musing "She's survived worse than this after all, and this time she's got those other two idiots accompanying her."
"You're right, I don't know why I thought otherwise" Gian smiled softly "I'm sure they'll be here soon. Meanwhile, here's what's happening now."
Later, the group were sitting around discussing what to do next, with Sanji cooking up a nice soup with what little ingredients he could find. The sun had begun to set, and as the day drew to a close, and now that most of them are here, Shiki remains their biggest obstacle.
"Shiki currently has an army of beasts that's more than capable of decimating a country. During my time in captivity, he's further made plans that involve many factions of pirates." Nami explained "All of this combined might be too much for us, yet I can't stomach letting him have his way!"
"We definitely can't just leave things like this." Chopper stated "These villagers, many of their young men and women, have been captured by Shiki to work in his labs. Worse, many of them are sick because of all the Daft Green in the area. The plant releases its spores frequently, and if they don't get the antidote soon, people like Xiao's grandmother are going to die!"
"Erika mentioned that the antidote is in something called an IQ plant." Gian remarked "Apparently Shiki is cultivating them as well, they're the reason why these animals have changed the way they have."
"Yeah, the reason we even made it here was because Xiao was out looking for those flowers." Usopp added "Sanji and I found her almost eaten by a lion."
"Wait, who's Erika?" Zoro frowned. Gian sighed before explaining the whole story of his encounter with the strange girl.
"I was kind of hoping to introduce her to all of you. It seems that she and Shiki have some sort of history."
"Can you trust her?" the swordsman added "She just happened to find you while you were passed out, doesn't that seem a bit too much of a coincidence?"
"She's a 15 year old girl, Marimo. What is she going to do to him? Kick him in the nuts too hard?" Sanji snapped.
"Trusting a stranger was what got us into this mess in the first place, dumbass!" Zoro scoffed back "Think about it, why would a teenage girl be in the forest where there are vicious animals in the first place? And you mentioned that while the two of you were together you practically never attracted any attention? Too much of this doesn't seem right."
"Though she does seem very knowledgeable on medicine." Chopper added "The tonic she instructed Xiao to make earlier really did seem to relieve some of the pain her grandmother was going through."
"To be fair, I think that there is something about her that's more than skin deep." Gian admitted "The whole time I was with her, I don't know how to quite explain it but there was a sense of familiarity about her."
"You think you've met her before?" Luffy tilted his head.
"No, not like that." Gian shook his head "It's something that I felt in my soul, like there was a connection that spanned across time."
He gave a sigh "I hope she's ok, she ran off in a rather big hurry."
Before anyone else could say anything, the sound of feet scuffling around the ground was heard and the crew looked up to see Xiao running at them with excitement. The little redhead was clutching a newspaper in her hands, her smile beaming.
"Look at this! Shiki is leaving this place! My daddy was taken to work in his labs, but now Shiki's planning to move towards East Blue, and he's taking all of his animals with him!"
"That means dad can come home at last!" Ever wept in relief.
"It also means those horrible creatures are finally going to leave us alone." Xiao's mother said with hope "We'll no longer have any need to have those toxic plants near us." the remaining
The Straw Hats, however, were less enthusiastic.
"Shiki's… going to East Blue?" Chopper stammered.
"All those animals are going to run rampant in that place." Zoro growled "They won't stand a chance!"
"The old man…" Sanji hissed.
"Cocoyasi…" Nami whimpered.
"Kaya…" Usopp gasped.
"Goro…" Gian breathed.
"...We have to stop him." Luffy declared. His eyes were hard as he finally made his choice, the thought of a sleepy village where a green haired bartender and a family of bandits would be set upon by vicious animals is something he simply can't allow "All of our families, friends. Shiki is going to hurt all of them!"
"Then we go to where he is." Gian nodded "Take him out right on the spot. This time, we'll take the fight to him."
"Oh?" all heads shot up at the sound of the commanding voice "And just how are you planning to do that?"
Standing above them atop of a stone structure, the setting sun casting a long shadow over them, Shiki sneered down at the pirates that set to oppose him.
"Oh no! Shiki found us!" Xiao shouted.
"You guys need to leave! Get away from here!" Sanji yelled.
The villagers didn't need to be told twice, soon they ran to their homes and locked the doors behind them, though not before wishing the Straw Hats well. Bystanders out of the way, the Straw Hats watched their kidnapper with uncertainty.
"That was quite rude of you, Baby doll. I thought we were beginning to reach an understanding!" Shiki called out. Nami gritted her teeth upon hearing that.
"You hurt my nakama!" Luffy shouted "I won't let you get away with that!"
"No Straw Hat, I would've let her achieve her true purpose. A skilled navigator like her could make a fleet invincible by how well she could predict weather patterns. She really would be wasted on you!"
"We already know your plan, asshole!" Sanji shouted "We're not going to let you do that to East Blue!"
"It seems like such a place has a rather deep sentiment for you all." Shiki observed the looks of rage from below him "It's a shame, such a place only breeds complacency. A weak sea like that has no place in a future of power."
The elder pirate turned around "I have instructed my troops to remove all the Daft Green from the area. Soon this village will be overrun by my beasts. Return my navigator to me, and I will give you the opportunity to escape. This is your only chance."
"HOW DARE YOU!" Chopper balked "You've made these people suffer so much already, now you're planning to destroy them?!"
"I won't let you lay another finger on Nami!" Luffy roared "For everything you've done, I'll kick your ass right here!"
"And now that we already know what you can do, we're pulling no stops!" Shiki grinned as a pillar of blue flames erupted from the ground in a vicious tornado. The dark form of Gian's Full Transformation emerged soon after, teeth bared as smoke leaked from his jaws.
"Ahhh, the monster in the flesh!" The Golden Lion smirked, "Even all these years later, it's power is still so potent!"
"Last Time, back on the Sunny, I didn't have the opportunity to show off everything. Word has it that you're seeking this power yourself. If you want it so bad, then why don't I show you what it does?" At this point, it's clear that Shiki is not a threat like they've seen before. Just the very air around him seemed to exude power, and someone like that could not be underestimated. They needed to throw everything they have at him, and what better way to do so than going Full Transformation right at the start?
"You overstep, I had hoped to procure you after collecting the Cat Burglar, it just so happens that you two are in the same place!" Shiki began ascending into the sky, his sword-limbs lifting off from the rocks below him "However, I will do that later. Considering how occupied your attention will be, I would see to it that you do not falter!"
And that was when the ground around them shook violently and began to crack.
A/N: Well, hello again. I have been gone for quite some time, enjoying a new Pokemon game, working at a new job, and getting clapped on Master Duel by Drytrons. It seems there are some things I've left behind.
G: Why do you hurt yourself this way? Those negates have got to be unbearable at some point,
If I CAN JUST DRAW DOGORAN I CAN KAIJU THE HERALD THEN I CAN GET TYRANNO BACK ON BOARD AND GET MY EVOLZARS UP FOR MY OWN NEGATES I CAN-
G: he's lost it.
Anyway, sorry for the delay on this chapter. My attention has just shifted elsewhere due to having more responsibilities now. As you can see, this will lead to the first major fight of the arc, and we'll get our first look at the other Kaiju-Zoan user next! Of course, you already know who it is, but the next few chapters will be going into how everything happens. This arc is more than just an adaptation of Strong World, but also where Gian affects the life of someone like him.
Aside from that, a few people have asked whether I would be bringing back answering questions. For now, I'll hold off on it, but if there is continued interest in it I can see bringing it back for future chapters.
Now, more Master Duel.
G: YOU STILL HAVEN'T CRAFTED ALL 3 ASHES YET!