Chapter 29: Interlude (Consolidation)
(Queen Anne's Revenge)
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
"That shield won't hold out for long!" Compress realized.
"How far are we?!" Emerald shouted.
"We just need to hold a bit longer!" Captain Barbossa tried to reassure his crew.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
"Get ready!" Silver prepped his flintlock. Listening, the crew readied the cannons.
The famed ship endured the assault as clouds seemed to gather around them.
Tiamat's child and his forces had found the ship.
Hundreds of Stymphalian Birds were emulating their inner Kamikaze, smashing themselves against the Barrier Jutsu. They were massive winged beasts. Each flap seemed to bring down a gust of wind. Gray steel feathers had all been filed down to a metallic point. Razor sharp bronze beaks cawed cacophonous shrieks.
Their leader had a sinister sneer. Pure red eyes gazed down at his target. He had an emaciated appearance; with black skin pulled tight to the point ribs could be seen. Oversized hands and feet ended in a cross of nails and talons, perfect for swooping in and carrying anything away. His bat-like wings steadily flapped.
Hsi Wu, the Demon Sorcerer of the Sky, who'd long ago had faced China's Eight Immortals, raised an arm. A blast of Dark Chi shot forward.
"VOOM!" "CRISH!"
And just like that, the shield shattered.
"READY!" Pintel and Ragetti called from below.
Hsi Wu readied for a dive.
"TEMPEST KICK!"
The Demon took evasive action, and snarled when his leg was still hit.
"Guess it was too much to ask to not deal with that crocodile's lackeys…" Hsi Wu snarked in a raspy voice.
Rob Lucci, already in his Hybrid Form, Moonwalked as he gazed at his Demonic opponent. Beneath him, hundreds of Tzitzimimeh swooped into the swarm of Stymphalian. It became a free-for-all. The Aztec 'Chasers of the Sun' shrieked and clawed at the Greek pestilence that once opposed Hercules himself.
One bird crumbled from a poisonous snake bite.
One woman fell into thirds, having been sliced with a bird's metal feathers.
Another bird was decapitated with a slash of a particularly quick Tzitzimimeh.
As this was going on, Lucci lunged at Hsi Wu. "SHAVE!"
The Demon shot straight up, avoiding the Leopard-Man's claws.
"RAH!" Hsi Wu sent another blast of Dark Chi.
"Che…"Lucci contemptuously shielded his back with Haki, dissipating the attack.
"FIRE!"
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!" The Queen Anne's Revenge unleashed a cannonade barrage, nailing either a bird or Tzitzimimeh with each shot.
At the same time, Barbossa thrust the Sword of Triton forward. With this command, the Queen Anne's Revenge went full speed ahead.
"I don't have time for a dumb animal!" Hsi Wu flapped his wings hard enough to unleash a blast of wind in all directions.
Lucci crossed his Haki-covered arms. While pushed back, the agent managed to avoid all damage.
Unfortunately, that meant Hsi Wu had a head start.
Meanwhile, a handful of Stymphalian Birds and Tzitzimimeh were already on the ship.
"GRRK!" One bird nailed its beak into Compress's chest.
"Damn it all!" the Quirk-User shouted. "So glad I got those coins." Powering through the pain, Mr. Compress grabbed the bird's head. With a quick flash, the head was gone, nothing more than a blue marble. The body fell with a thump, before the irritated Compress kicked it overboard.
Emerald and Silver were back to back, unloading a hail of bullets. Unfortunately, the effect was negligible. While the Tzitzimimeh simply ignored the bullets going through them, the Birds were deflecting them with their metal feathers.
"Looks like we'll have to get up close and personal," Silver switched his arm to a sword.
"I hate fighting like that," Emerald's 'Thief's Respite' unlocked its sickles.
"RAH!" a Tzitzimimeh struck Emerald with her nails, the girl's Aura shield managed to deflect, but it still hurt like hell when she was slammed to the floor.
"And this is why!" Emerald sprung back up and drove one sickle into the Tzitzimimeh's brain.
"UGH!" Another Tzitzimimeh drove its nails into Silver's gut. Powering through what would normally be a fatal injury, the Pirate quickly chopped off the monster's arm. He then ripped the severed arm out of his gut, and shoved it back in her throat.
With just one bird left on deck, Barbossa commanded the rigging to dispatch of it. Once the ropes had done their work, the rest of the crew on-deck swarmed the avian menace, driving all manner of blades in between the metal feathers.
By the time those creatures had been handled, Barbossa grimaced at the new problem. Namely, an agitated Demon flying straight at the ship. And that persistent Leopard was right behind him, booking it with Moonwalk.
Those two were nearly on top of the ship.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
Four perfectly-aimed cannonballs hit Hsi Wu and Lucci in the chest. Neither even flinched or slowed down at all.
Barbossa braced himself. 'If either of those two get on the ship,' the Captain thought, 'it's over.'
Hsi Wu grinned, his arm stretched as his wings flapped furiously.
"Fwish, fwish."
Suddenly, a piece of paper blew in front of the Demon. Expect this piece of paper had a sharp point going for the Demon's face.
"SHIKIGAMI DANCE!"
"RAH!" Hsi Wu had swerved just in time to avoid his eye being gouged out, but his cheek wasn't so lucky as it was sliced through.
Lucci looked up, and his eyes widened. He didn't recognize the newcomer, but that black cloak with red clouds was more than enough of a warning sign. He prepped his Haki, knowing something big was coming.
"WHOOSH!"
Konan, the Angel of the Hidden Rain, flapped high above all the others. She gave a disdainful look at the two raiding parties.
"Hector, move!"
Knowing not to argue, Barbossa repeated his earlier gesture, prompting the Queen Anne's Revenge to sail forward once again.
"Now then…"
"FWIP! FWIP! FWIP! FWIP!"
Hundreds of Paper Spears rained down in an instant.
Granted, the Demon and Leopard-Man were able to leap back in time, but a good portion of their underlings weren't. A full quarter of the Tzitzimimeh and Stymphalian Birds were run through, falling and sinking beneath the waves. Their blood turned the nearby water black.
With that, there was now a fair distance between the Revenge and its pursuers.
"This is your last warning," the Rain Ninja sent a chilling stare. She made a single Hand Sign, and a burst of Chakra was unleashed.
Hsi Wu and Lucci both heard the water beneath them roar.
"You both were so fixated on your pursuit, did you stop and ask yourselves why your target was heading this way?" Konan's gaze did not waver.
"VHOOM!"
The water beneath had parted, revealing paper. Rows upon columns of paper.
At the same time, a dozen spinning Paper Chakrams appeared around the elegant Kunoichi.
"This is my battlefield now."
Now, Lucci and Hsi Wu were both confident that they themselves could handle the coming bombardment. It was losing their underlings they were worried about. They had been given one chance from Cipactli and Tiamat to retrieve the chest. The consequences of them even requesting reinforcements could be severe. The only way to escape punishment was getting the chest with the forces they already had.
Considering that, they both made their decision.
Konan raised her hand, and rain began to fall.
A pause. Then, her hand came back down.
"BOOOOOOOM!"
The chasm of paper erupted!
At the same time, Konan threw her Chakrams, constantly forcing Lucci and Hsi Wu to take evasive action, even as they backed away from the massive chain of explosions.
After three solid minutes, the smoke cleared.
Konan and the Queen Anne's Revenge were gone.
With no point in duking it out, Hsi Wu and Lucci separated, their forces flying off in different possible paths the ship could've taken.
OoOoOoO
(Far to the East, at a hidden Entrance Island)
"Are we there yet?"
"Yes."
"About time."
Manannán mac Lir brought his ferry to a stop, having finally reached his home, Féth Fíada.
The mist didn't let up in the least. As such, without the God as a guide, Gray would've been wandering around lost for a good while. Zabuza and Haku on the other hand, were used to such conditions.
"My Lord, you've returned," an aid in a green tunic bowed before Mac Lir.
"Aye. Aidan, could you make sure we've got a good feast ready for tonight? We've three more 'guests' to feed," the God instructed.
"Make sure there's actual MEAT in it!" Zabuza shouted after Aidan the Aid went off.
"Hehehe," Mac Lir chuckled. "I'm sure dinner will be delicious for you, but there's a few things before we can settle in."
"Like what?" Gray raised an eyebrow.
"Well, I'll introduce you to the 'otherworlder' here," Mac Lir promised.
By this point, the four had made it out of the mist, revealing the island for what it was. The visible part was composed of a lush green field, with an impressive stone castle.
Zabuza looked back. "Oh, so that's the trick," he smirked under his mask.
"Huh?" the Wizard wasn't catching on.
"It's a bog," Haku explained, pointing to the fog-covered marsh. "Anyone who doesn't know the exact path, will either sink or be trapped in the mud."
"Well, it's not fullproof," Mac Lir admitted. "Go high enough, and even my mist won't reach."
"Meaning this really isn't a hindrance for anyone from my world," a Soul Reaper mused as he walked out of the castle. He was short, even shorter than Haku. His hair was a spiky white. Turquoise eyes gave an analytical look at the two Ninjas and one Wizard. A green sash stood out above the standard Soul Society Captain's haori, the Zanpakutō on his back completing the image.
"Who's the brat?" Zabuza didn't seem too impressed.
Now before, that wouldn't have bothered the Soul Reaper. But this particular Soul Reaper had had CENTURIES of being called that sort of thing from his fellow captains. He would not endure that pet peeve again!
Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya drew his katana.
"Easy, Captain Hitsugaya," Mac Lir intoned.
The 'young' Soul Reaper took a deep breath in, and a breath out.
"Alright," Toshiro sheathed Hyōrinmaru.
"This is Toshiro Hitsugaya. I think you'll find he's the perfect man to train Haku. You as well, Gray," Mac Lir confidently said.
"I'll believe it when I see it," Zabuza scoffed. "Che…Soul Reapers…now I've seen it all."
"Master Zabuza," Haku called out in an admonishing tone.
While the Ninjas had their back-and-forth, Gray had already walked up to Toshiro.
"Gray Fullbuster," the Wizard offered an open hand.
Toshiro accepted. "Pleased to meet you."
"So…sounds like you can use Ice," Gray tried to get conversation going.
"Indeed, you three can too?"
"Not him," Gray pointed his thumb at Zabuza.
"Thank God."
"HEY!"
"Alright, alright!" Mac Lir raised his voice. "Toshiro, why don't you see just what they're capable of, then we can move on from there?"
"Very well, but you said you were Ninjas, correct?" Toshiro approached the duo.
"Yes, Mist Ninjas," Haku nodded.
"Then I have a question," Toshiro brought out a clipping from his pocket. "Do you know him?"
Zabuza's eyes widened at the picture, and a sharp intake of breath could be heard.
"Master Zabuza?" Haku asked, visibly concerned.
"That backstabbing bastard," Zabuza growled.
"That's a ringing endorsement," Toshiro snarked, pocketing the news he'd seen about his old opponent. "Now, Haku, Gray, let's get started. Oh and Zabuza, I hope you can actually use that excuse for a sword."
That earned a 'SLAM!' from Kubikiribocho.
"Toshiro…" a hint of rebuke could be heard in Mac Lir's voice.
"Don't worry, I won't take long," the Soul Reaper promised. He was right.
OoOoOoO
(An island east of Asphodel)
"DAMNIT! DAMNIT! DAMNIT!"
Envy the Jealous was fuming, although the seriousness of it was slightly offset by his meager current form.
"Would you calm down?!" Lust the Lascivious had just about had enough. She was already in a foul temper.
"But I can't find the others like this!" Envy protested. "At this rate, there's no way we'll even free Sloth from Cipactli, let alone find Wrath, Pride, or Father."
"I never said that," Lust brought a hand to her temple. "We'll find a way to restore you first."
"How?!" Envy ranted. "I don't see any alchemists around to just make a Philosopher's Stone!"
"Lust, I smell someone coming!" Gluttony perked up.
"We'll deal with them first," Lust scooped up Envy.
The three Homunculi walked to shore, seeing a decently-sized galleon, with a Hippo theme.
"MAHAHAHAHAHA!"
A particularly unusual man strutted off his ship. He was incredibly overweight with dark violet hair. Small beady eyes gave the man a mean look. His chin was very distinctive, shaped almost like a cylinder covered in tin plates. His fashion choice was just as tacky as that atrocious chin, though he thought it made him look like genuine royalty.
"Lord Wapol," a man in a jester suit proclaimed in a nasally voice. "It seems this island is inhabited after all."
"Good! Could always use more subjects," Wapol muttered as he picked his nose.
"SUBJECTS?!" Envy's voice shrilly shouted. "As if we'd be subjects of a filthy HUMAN!"
"Filthy?!" another attendant with an afro and boxing gloves shouted. "You dare speak that way of the King!"
"Silence, Kuromarimo. Don't waste your breath on lecturing some stupid commoners. Just deal with them," Wapol brushed it off.
"Yes, my Lo…GAH!"
Before Chess or Kuromarimo could obey, Lust had impaled their shoulders. She'd sent her nails with such force that the two were pinned to the ground.
"Gluttony, help yourself," the temptress contemptuously gave the go-ahead.
"Ooh, I'm so hungry," Gluttony's tongue rolled out, revealing his tattoo.
"You're hungry?!" Wapol shouted, enraged at his subordinates' 'failure'. "I'm FAMISHED!"
Before the Homunculus could dig in, Wapol's mouth widened to gargantuan lengths and bit off Gluttony's arm.
"Chomp! Chomp! Chomp! Could've used some garlic," the ex-King mused, as the limb faded into dust.
"AHH!" Gluttony screamed, even as his regeneration kicked in. "NONONONONO! You're not supposed to eat me! No one's ever going to eat me again!"
Even Lust and Envy were surprised at such the violent reaction.
"Gluttony?" his older sister asked in concern.
"GRRK!" Gluttony's middle split open, revealing the rows of triangular teeth and the failed 'Eye of Truth'.
"What…What the hell is that?!" Wapol backed off in fear.
Gluttony jumped up. There was a 'WHOOSH!'
"Lord Wapol!" the two aids cried.
In the blink of an eye, Wapol's head and upper chest were just gone. His arms fell with a 'flump'. The stomach and crotch tumbled backwards, the legs no longer able to support them.
"Huh…huh…huh…huh…" Gluttony's middle began to seal up again.
"Gluttony, are you alright?" Lust asked, completely ignoring the wails of the two men she had still nailed to the ground.
"I think so…but I'm still hungry," Gluttony sat down, criss-cross applesauce. He then scooped up Wapol's right arm, scarfing it down along with the grass and dirt it fell in. He quickly did the same with the rest of the former King.
Once done, he palmed his stomach. "Lust, my tummy feels weird."
"HURK!"
Gluttony's meal reemerged, completely transformed. The human meat had been covered by a layer of soil, with grass appearing like a uniform. All in all, it took the shape of something akin to a doll.
"That's…impossible," one of Wapol's aids whimpered.
"It's the Chomp-Chomp Fruit…but I don't know how I know that," Gluttony scratched his bald head.
"Hold on," Envy squeaked. "That dumbass had a Devil Fruit?"
"Apparently," Lust was equally shocked. "And now you have it."
"Am I in trouble?" Gluttony looked at his siblings.
"Not at all," Lust patted Gluttony's head. "In fact, would you be able to do that again?"
Gluttony screwed up his face in thought. "I think so."
"Then I have an idea," Lust started to smile. "Gluttony, I believe you can give Envy a body again."
"Really?"
"Yes, now I'm going to feed these two humans to you, and Envy at the same time. When I do, I want you to imagine 'I want Envy back the way he was'. Can you do that?" Lust asked.
"Wait…what?!" Envy squeaked.
"Uh-huh."
"Alright. Open WIDE!" Lust hurled Envy, Chess, and Kuromarimo at Gluttony. The Homunculus opened his mouth far wider than used to be possible.
"Chomp-Chomp Factory," Gluttony uttered.
"CRUNCH! CRUNCH! CRUNCH! URRP!"
"THOOM!" A green limb reached out of Gluttony's mouth, and slammed on the ground. Before long, the whole creature had emerged. It looked like a human-sized version of Envy's battle-form. On the side, the only signs of Chess and Kuromarimo were two eyeless faces perpetually howling in agony, arms grasping aimlessly.
"Envy?" Lust approached.
"Yeah, it's me," the green Homunculus responded in what sounded like its normal voice. "but I can't shape-shift like before. I'm stuck like this until we find a Philosopher's Stone."
"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," Lust reassured them.
"Umm…are you mad at me, Envy? Did I do it wrong?" Gluttony began to suck his thumb in distress.
"No, you did the best you could," Envy sighed.
"Come on," Lust called out. "We've got a ship now, as atrocious as it looks, let's get moving."
OoOoOoO
(Back at a doomed Entrance Island)
"SHURORORORORORO! SHURORORORORORO!"
"GAH!" "CRRK!"
"Excellent! My Shinokuni is still just as effective as ever!" a shrill voice cheered as a crowd of civilians were petrified. He was tall, thin, and pale. His long, spiky black hair seemed to billow around his two curly horns. Yellow eyes were wide in exuberance. A gaseous coat, one that actually had the words 'Gas' emblazoned on, covered his striped yellow overalls.
"With this improved version, I shall never have to answer to anyone else in this new life!" Caesar Clown, the Gas-Gas Fruit-wielding mad scientist, proclaimed.
Then, as if the universe was mocking him…
"Fascinating! Such an intriguing design!"
Caesar's head seemed to turn on a dime.
Three figures had comfortably distanced themselves from the gas.
Medusa Gorgon was sitting on her broom, with Orochimaru as a passenger. To the side, Mayuri Kurotsuchi was standing in the air.
"And just who are you three?" Caesar asked in an impatient tone.
"That depends, are you Caesar Clown?" Medusa asked.
"How do you know my name?" the gaseous man seemed on edge.
"Well, we ran into a Beast Pirate using one of your 'SMILES'," Orochimaru explained. "We're scientists, so we 'gathered information'. The poor brute was all too eager to spill everything he knew afterwards."
The snake smirked at the obvious dread in Caesar's expression.
"Regardless, us scientists wanted to extend an offer to you," Orochimaru extended a hand.
"Oh?" Caesar seemed to regain composure.
"Come with us to Alexandria, and we'll offer whatever is needed for your own experiments," Mayuri proposed.
"In exchange, we'd desire any data you can provide from your own world," Medusa gave a charming smile.
Caesar kept a level gaze at the three. "How do I know you three are worth my time?" He obviously wasn't too eager to get mixed up with 'shady' individuals again after the debacle that came with associating with 'Joker'.
"Ah…it seems a little demonstration is needed," Orochimaru's long tongue began slithering out, instantly putting Caesar on the alert.
"I'll take the lead this time," Mayuri interjected. "You two take too long. And besides, the sooner this is over with, the sooner we can conduct meaningful Devil Fruit tests."
The two snakes simply chuckled in amusement at their fellow scientist's impatience.
Caesar sent a plume of the Shinokuni Gas at the three.
Medusa simply rode her broom farther out, Orochimaru dispersing the gas nearby with a 'Wind Style: Great Breach!'
Mayuri stood in place, sword at the ready.
"Bankai!"
The burst of Reiatsu pushed the gas back. Once the dust settled, Caesar was utterly shocked at the sight.
"Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō: Matai Fukuin Shōtai!"
"WWWAAAAAHHHH!"
An absolutely enormous purple thing with the appearance of a baby began to wail, blank white eyes darting back and forth. Its head was misshapen, with two antennae supporting boxes. A golden loincloth covered its unmentionables, but did nothing to hide the ugly gash in the middle of the belly.
"WWWWAAAAHHHHH!"
"And my analysis is complete," Mayuri gave a wide, yellow-tooth grin at Caesar.
"RRRRIIIPPPP! "AAAAUUUUUGGGGGHHHHHH!"
"Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō! Go!" Mayuri commanded.
The abomination's belly was torn asunder from the inside. Pudgy yellow hands pushed the flesh aside. A bulbous baby's head the same color shrieked and howled.
Then, it began to clamber at Caesar like a deranged caterpillar.
"Shurororo! Impressive creation, but it won't stand a chance!" With a gesture, Caesar sent the Shinokuni at the Bankai.
"OOOOOHHHHH!" Then, the Bankai began to inhale the gas, but it didn't seem adversely affected in the least.
In fact, the thing was growing bigger, stronger, and faster.
"YAAHHHH!" Caesar's eyes shot wide open in sheer horror.
"OOOHHH!" the Bankai began to inhale once again. This time, Caesar himself was getting dragged in. No matter what the scientist tried, he was unable to escape the vacuum. He watched helpless as bits of his gaseous coat were sucked in, and he was unable to reform himself with that monster doing its thing.
"Alright! Alright! I accept!"
The Bankai stopped. Caesar was able to reform himself in his entirety.
"Wonderful!" Mayuri's yellow smile grew even wider. "Now, let's return so we can get your own laboratory set up. Medusa, take us home!"
"Excellent," Orochimaru hissed. "I'll be eager to see the full scale of your own Devil Fruit, Caesar Clown. Then we can get started on analysis."
"Alright," Medusa began readying her Spatial Magic. "And Teleport."
And just like that, Caesar Clown had been brought into the Alexandria's ranks.
OoOoOoO
(Near a future battlefield)
"Ooh, what about that island?" a incredibly peppy voice asked.
The speaker appeared to be feminine, with long black hair. Two strands were sticking up like antennae. They wore the garb of a Sternritter, white uniform and trench coat complete with a white cap. The only personalization seemed to be a blue heart acting as a belt buckle. Matching blue eyes gazed at their companion.
This was Giselle Gewelle, Sternritter Z, the 'Zombie'.
The other occupant of their humble ship was currently gazing at a map. He was a skeleton dressed in a form-fitting checkered robe, covering a collared suit and tie. As one hand traced their map, the other held a Khakkhara. He wore an ornate gold headpiece with the symbol of the Dark Guild, Tartaros.
This Etherious Demon is named Keyes, known as the Black Archbishop and the Necromancer.
"It'll do," Keyes mused. "According to this, we're at the edge of Tiamat's territory. We should be able to quickly reach wherever Cipactli's forces make contact. Then, we shall sweep in and reap our dark harvest!"
"Yeah, yeah," Giselle giggled, clearly amused at their compatriot's eloquence. "Alright boys and girls and all you germs in-between, get ready to dock!"
"Ugh!"
Then, several animate corpses emerged from beneath the deck, shambling along as they did the grunt work.
As the corpse-wielding duo got closer however, they saw something.
Giselle narrowed their eyes.
"Umm…looks like someone had the same idea we did," the Sternritter observed.
Sure enough, there was a stitched up Zombie wandering the shoreline. It even looked like it was far more desiccated than Giselle or Keyes' 'servants'.
"Ahh…another being who holds power over the very cycle of life and death itself. Such an exquisite twist in this little story of ours'," Keyes seemed incredibly amused.
"Guess we should say hello then!" Giselle decided, her tone unnaturally chipper for someone who'd just seen a walking corpse.
The ship dropped anchor a good distance from the island. Then, Giselle began walking in the air. Keyes followed suit by reforming the bottom of his body into a stream of dark smoke.
When they reached the island however, they were immediately on guard. This was on account of long dark tendrils shooting at them. Unusually, those tendrils had terrifying red eyes, and maws full of sharp triangular teeth.
"Who are you?!" a distorted voice seemed to ask.
"Whoa there!" Giselle held onto their cap as they casually dodged. "We just wanna see what you're all about!" they cheerfully declared.
Keyes just let the tendrils phase right through him, much like a Logia.
On the island, a figure stepped out from the cover.
He appeared to be a small boy, with neatly trimmed black hair and an Amestrian school uniform. However, all those tendrils were emanating from the boy, clearly showing there was more behind the façade. Purple eyes narrowed in contemplation.
Pride the Arrogant, oldest and strongest of the Homunculi children, pointed his living shadow. "You two aren't human, what are you?"
Before the duo could answer, another figure emerged.
"Now, now…is that any way to treat a guest?" a deeper, smoother voice asked with a slight Cajun accent.
He revealed himself to be a tall, thin dark-skinned man with a mustache. He wore a dark maroon undertaker's coat, with black pants and a purple vest under a necklace of two crocodile teeth. Completing the ensemble with a black top hat, with a purple feather on the side and a skull-and-crossbones painted on front. In one hand, he wielded a cane with a globe on top.
"I won't have a human charlatan tell me how to handle things," Pride's voice had gotten dangerously low.
Dr. Facilier, known as the Shadow-Man, laughed. "Forgive me, I did not mean to imply as such."
Keyes and Giselle eyed this newcomer, both noting that he was casting no shadow.
"I simply wanted to suggest we let our 'mutual friend' in on this decision," the Bokor put on his most charming tone. "And besides…"
Keyes and Giselle both felt a pressure on their shoulders. They looked and saw no one up in the air with them. Then, they came to a slow realization. Facilier's shadow was the one doing the grabbing.
"I'm sure these two won't cause trouble, won't they?" Facilier leered at the two.
Confident that they could break out whenever they wanted, Keyes and Giselle nodded at each other, deciding to play along. They slowly descended.
"Very well…" Pride withdrew his tendrils, but he clearly wasn't happy about it.
The two newcomers landed back on solid ground, and allowed their 'host' to lead them to the master of the island.
Along the way, hundreds of Zombies ambled along. Patchworks of flesh and weaponry glinted in the dim evening light.
Eventually, they reached the center of the island.
An absolutely massive man loomed from the entrance of a gothic manor. Although, he looked more like a devil than a man, all 23 feet of him! Spiky red hair contrasted with an unnatural pale skin. His ears, chin, and teeth were just as pointy as his hair.
Gekko Moria grinned down at the two new necromancers.
But this wasn't the fat, past-his-prime Gekko Moria that the Straw Hats had struggled against. This was the man at the peak of his physical strength, before Kaido had done his work. Back when he'd been worthy of his bounty. The man the World Government had sought out and offered the position of Warlord.
The Pirate looked at the Sternritter and the Tartaros Demon.
"KISHISHISHISHI! Now, what brings you two here?"
OoOoOoO
(Beneath the Surface)
It was a nightmare. He was in a nightmare.
A tall, beige-colored Japanese-Bullhead Shark Fishman was in utter terror. His yellow fedora and cape had fallen off in the ruckus. His black hair, goatee, and mustache were completely frazzled. His four legs were still in sheer panic.
Vander Decken IX had thought today would be a good day, sailing his Flying Dutchman further west in this sea. Maybe finding SHIRAHOSHI again.
Then, he'd been attacked. Absolutely gargantuan moss-green and gray tentacles slammed into his ship, halting it in place.
"RRUUHH!" a near-deafening roar shook Vander Decken to the core. And the smell…putrid flesh from the remains of a thousand rotting corpses emanated from the creature's mouth.
Vander Decken instantly realized…he was facing The Kraken. But this was nothing like the one from his home of Fishman Island. Oh no…this had a far more malicious intent. In a near-instant, the Kraken had popped the coating around Decken's Flying Dutchman, leaving only the Fishman out the water with his own personal bubble.
At first, the pirate put up a valiant effort using his Mark-Mark Fruit. He'd managed to touch the Kraken's tentacle, and began hurling every sharp and pointy thing nearby. With enough blades, the Kraken loosened its grip, but it didn't let go.
But that was when any reasonable chance of escape vanished.
For a much larger ship approached, not bothered at all by currents or thrashing Kraken.
Vander Decken's eyes nearly popped out when he got a closer look, because there was a placard on the side of the coming ship. It read 'The Flying Dutchman'.
"Impossible…"
"AHAHAHAHA!"
Vander Decken was cut off from his thoughts by someone jumping onto his ship. Acting fast, the Fishman ducked, just narrowly avoiding having his bubble popped by a three-bladed scythe.
"You're going to be my sacrifice today!" the stranger shouted.
Decken took a step back, noticing the small bits of coral growing from old wounds all over his body.
The enemy charged, but Vander Decken managed to sidestep the scythe's swipe. Acting fast, he slapped the stranger in the mid-back, before scampering back.
"Get back here!" he raised his scythe.
"HMPH!" Vander Decken grunted as he tossed a handful of knives.
The stranger easily avoided it. "Your aim's shit!"
"Is it?" Decken smirked.
"SRKT! SRKT! SRKT!"
"Oww! What bullshit is this?!" the man sounded more annoyed than pained.
Decken's eyes widened. He could SEE the knife sticking through where the heart was. In his shock, he missed the man coming at him.
"YAH! POP!"
And Decken flopped down instantly as the water surrounded him, paralyzed by his Devil Fruit. Unable to stop the bleeding from his chest.
"Seriously?! That's it?!"
"Hidan…that's enough," a far deeper voice sounded off.
Then, Decken's eyes widened as dozens of others walked out of his own ship's masts, riggings, and cabin.
"Clunk! Clunk! Clunk! Clunk!"
Vander Decken nearly screamed at what he saw. After all, to a Fishman's eyes, Davy Jones was an utter abomination of parts that should NOT go together.
"CLUNK! CLUNK! CLUNK! CLUNK!"
"Do you fear death?"
…
"Why is this Fishman unable to move or speak? You didn't cut him that deep?" the cursed captain asked.
"Of course not!" Hidan whined.
"That's not a surprise," Kakuzu mumbled.
"I know him," the largest crewmate spoke up. "He ate a Devil Fruit."
Vander Decken was shocked, finally recognizing Arlong under the growths.
"Ahh…Torafuzar get back to the helm, we're going to surface."
Before Decken knew it, he was on the other deck. He watched from the corner of his eye as the Kraken utterly crushed his own ship into splinters.
Jones let out a satisfied snort, his pride as Captain of the Flying Dutchman soothed at the pretender being destroyed.
In a couple of moments, they'd breached the surface. As soon as Decken felt he could move again, Arlong had his Kiribachi to the throat.
"Now, I have no desire for Devil Fruit Users," Jones leaned down. "Why should I make an excuse for you?"
Vander Decken wracked his brain for something, anything. In his panic, he said the first thing to come to mind.
"Poseidon! I know about Poseidon!"
That certainly got Jones' attention, as he paused in the middle of lighting his pipe.
"What?"
"The Ancient Weapon?!" Arlong asked incredulously. "What do you mean?!"
"I know who it is!" Vander Decken pleaded.
"Who?" Davy Jones brought his pointer tentacle to the Fishman's throat. "You mean to tell me…one of the Ancient Weapons of Arlong's world. The ones powerful enough to send everyone from the World Government to the Yonko sniveling in terror…is a living being?"
"YES!" Decken choked out an answer.
"Very well," Jones released the Fishman's throat. "You've bought yourself some time. Now, join my crew, and we can proceed."
"Yes…alright," Decken nodded, not really seeing any other option.
"But…it's such a shame you've got a Devil Fruit. There's only one use on this crew for someone who can't move," Jones backed off.
"Part of the Crew! Part of the Ship!"
"Part of the Crew! Part of the Ship!"
"Part of the Crew! Part of the Ship!"
And just like that, Decken's mind uttered the phrase over and over again.
"Crrk-crrk-crrk!" The boarding on the port side was actually opening up.
Decken's body slumped to the floor when Arlong let him go, his back to the wall. The coral-plated boards began to close back up, around Decken.
"Down then!" Jones commanded.
The Flying Dutchman submerged once again. And Decken was trapped. He could feel the weight of the water crushing down on him. Unable to move. Unable to die.
But his mind wasn't going to decay nearly as fast as the others. After all, Jones would have questions for him later. It wasn't every day you'd get a lead on something that could wipe out an island with one command.
At the helm, Davy Jones smirked.
OoOoOoO
Halloween Omake: You'll Float Too!
Ochako Uraraka was strolling through a peaceful town. Issho and Kagura had split off on their own as well. It was raining to the point of there being streams along the curves in the road.
"Huh…I wonder if anymore of 1-A have appeared. It was nice to hear from Todoroki again."
"Whoo! Whoo!" A boy in a yellow jacket cheered as he followed a paper boat flowing down the river. So intent was he on his journey, that he slipped and was about to fall.
Uraraka swooped in, catching the boy. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, thanks Miss! But my boat!"
"It's okay, I'll get it for you," Uraraka assured the boy. She trotted down, but she saw the boat go down a sewage drain.
"Aww! Darn!" She was just about to leave.
"Hiya Ochako!" A voice echoed from the drain.
Then, a clown appeared. His face was painted white, with a bulbous red nose and ruby lips. His balding head had was separated into two tufts of orange hair. His bright uniform stood out, even in the dark of the sewer.
"Aren't you gonna say 'Hello'?"
Umm…hi," Uraraka tried to be polite. "Who are you?"
"Ah…how rude of me…I am Pennywise the Dancing Clown. And you are Ochako Uraraka! There! Now we know each other!"
"O…kay…"
"Oh…you were looking for this?" Pennywise held up the boat. "Come on down here and I'll give it to ya! After all, we all float down here."
"Ah. Thank you!" Uraraka reached into the drain.
"We all float, and you will too!" Pennywise grabbed Uraraka's arm and opened his mouth, revealing needle-sharp teeth.
"HI-YA!"
In the blink of an eye, Uraraka grabbed Pennywise with her free arm, and activated her Quirk. Then, she pulled with all her might, pivoting as she yanked the evil clown out of the sewer.
Shocked at this turn, Pennywise let go. Then, Uraraka let go.
Thing is, her Quirk was still active on Pennywise, meaning he was floating up into the sky, with absolutely nothing stopping him.
"Huh! Wait! Wait! NOOO!" He was already at cloud-height, and not slowing down.
"Heh! Guess we all float after all!" Uraraka laughed. And for good measure, she'd even gotten the little boy's toy boat back.
A.N. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Turns out, this time of year was inspirational for me! And I guess the themes rubbed off this chapter. Mad Scientists, Cannibalism, Living Shadows, Zombies, and Undead Pirates…definitely sounds like my kind of Halloween! MWAHAHAHA!
But yes…quite a bit to go over. First up, we've got Konan proving that she is in fact the most badass lady in all the Ninja World…with nothing but PAPER! But yes…props to her for keeping the Queen Anne's Revenge in the game!
Next, I know people have been wanting Toshiro…so here he is! Gonna make an S-Rank out of Haku yet! But yes…it's gonna be fun when this band runs into our main characters!
Then, we've got a peek into what the Homunculi are up to after their disaster with the C.S. Oh no, I've killed Wapol…whatever will the fans do…he was such a loved character…this is my 'caring' voice…LOL! But yes, Wapol is dead…and Gluttony has his Chomp-Chomp Fruit…that's gonna be FUN!
Next up, Caesar Clown. Yeah, I don't think ANYONE should be surprised by me putting him in THAT crew! And Mayuri's Bankai is still disturbing as hell! Even I had to stop myself from puking at my imagination!
Then, we've got a brand new crew! Over here, we've got Gekko Moria, Pride the Arrogant, and Dr. Facilier! And joining them…there's Keyes and Giselle the Zombie! Yep…considering this is Halloween…I felt it was the PERFECT time to get the ball rolling in this particular 'subplot'! Shadowy Zombie Apocalypse coming right up! And they're just WAITING for the Cipactli/Tiamat War to start giving them bodies. LOTS and LOTS of bodies!
Finally, we've got poor Vander Decken falling prey to COPYRIGHT LAW! GASP! But yes…Davy Jones knows about 'Poseidon' now…Sweet Dreams!
And that Omake! I couldn't resist!
Til Next Time…Have Fun! Stay Safe!
