Chapter 43: Bon Bon The Birthday Clown
Nearly 100 years ago, a there was a clown that was a birthday clown named Bon Bon. Durring the mayor's birthday he brought trick candles. Demonstrating for everyone in town he was set on fire.
He promised that after 100 years would return just like his candles.
And it was 100 years after he died.
On the same day Echo Creek was having a school dance.
They also made Luffy help out with setting it up, not big stuff. Just holding things up so someone else could nail it in.
Which was Marco was doing.
"Thanks coming with me to the dance tonight." Said Marco.
"You seem oddly anxious about the dance for some reason." Said Star.
"Well I had a nightmare about the school dance." Said Marco, "I dreamed I went all alone and then everyone threw tomatoes at me. Then all my teeth fell out and Jackie called me pasty."
"It was just a dream Marco! Dreams are weird." Said Luffy.
However that was when Marco fell off the ladder he was on, thankfully Luffy acted like a chosen for him.
"You okay?" asked Luffy.
"I saw a huge rat in the air duct" Said Marco.
"Of course this school is filthy." Said Star.
That was when Stat noticed Janna holding a box.
"I'll be right back!" said Star with Luffy joining her.
They ran over to Janna, as it was clear they had plans.
"Janna Banana!" cheered Star, "Did you get it? Did you get it?"
Janna opened the box revealing a cake that said "Welcome back Bon Bon!"
"Made it myself." Said Janna.
"Cake on a plate!" said Star.
"It's time to see if that legend is true." Said Luffy excited for their plans.
"Will Bon Bon come back?" asked Janna.
"Just like his candles?" asked Janna and Star.
"This séance is going to epic." Said Star.
"See you guys tonight at 7." Said Janna.
"Wait its tonight." Said Star.
"Yeah." Said Janna.
"Skullnick was planning on keeping me away from the dance so it's good it's tonight." Said Luffy.
That was when they heard Miss Skullnick sharpening a battle-axe.
"So looks like the school finally reached its limit." Said Janna.
Luffy just laughed.
"But I promised that I'd go to the dance with Marco tonight as his dance buddy or he'll lose all his teeth." Said Star.
"Oh come on! What will you remember more some high school dance? Or a dead clown séance?" asked Jackie.
"Dead clown séance." Answered Star.
She went to talk to Marco who was actually talking to Jackie.
Turned out she had asked him to the dance.
Which meant that both of them were happy, not only did Star not have to worry about Marco going alone but Marco didn't have to worry about hurting Star's feelings.
It was perfect!
At least it seemed that way.
That evening Marco was getting ready for the dance in the bathroom unaware that the girls and Luffy were raiding the bathroom for supplies for the dead clown séance.
It happened when he saw putting on coloring when he tripped on Janna causing Cologne to cove his butt.
"Janna!" yelled Marco, "What are you doing here?"
"We're getting things for the dead clown séance as Luffy and Star made themselves known.
"Now my backside smells like cologne!" yelled Marco.
Janna slapped his ass, "Nothing wrong with that." She said, "Smells nice!"
"Yeah! You did a good job!" laughed Luffy.
"Yeah it's nice!" said Star.
"Stop smelling me!" yelled Marco.
That was when the doorbell rang, Marco of course freaked out and they watched it.
After he finally left to get dressed.
"You guys want to say hi to Jackie." Said Star.
"Sure." Said Janna with a shrug.
Luffy nodded.
Star went down stairs quickly while Luffy and Janna followed.
Janna and Luffy sat down at the table with Janna shining a flashlight in her eyes while Luffy just sat there waiting.
"Hey Janna, Luffy." Said Jackie.
"Hey!" said Luffy.
That was when Marco came down the stairs, he noted star looking at Marco strangely as she also acted strangely.
Like she was sad and nervous for some reason. Hesitating when Mr. Diaz asked Star to take a picture of Marco and Jackie.
"Star are you okay?" asked Luffy.
"I'm… I'm fine." Said Star.
Sometime afterward, Janna's mom picked them up to take them to the cemetery.
When they arrived the Spell book crashed through the roof of the car. It landed at the group and Glossaryck came out of it.
"So where's the ghost?" he asked.
"Glossaryck what are you doing here?" asked Star.
"Dead Clown Séance!" he yelled.
"He got a point." Laughed Luffy.
"Lead the way!" said Glossaryck.
They headed deeper into the cemetery not noticing some very large rats.
Janna put on a headlight while Glossaryck turned on his gem's light function.
"Digging the natural head lamp." Said Janna.
"It's not natural." Said Glossaryck, "But thank you."
"I wonder if Bon Bon's skull still has its nose on." Said Janna.
"Oh no way! Maggots would have eaten it off by now." Said Glossaryck.
"Maggots don't eat plastic." Said Janna.
"Plastic?" asked Glossaryck.
"Yeah… clowns have plastic noses." Said Janna.
" Real clowns have meat noses." Said Glossaryck.
"Hey Luffy you beat up a clown recently…" said Janna.
"No… I didn't… he was beaten up by his friends." Said Luffy.
"Whoa… really? That evil circus is messed up." Said Janna.
"But his nose did squeak when hit so maybe Janna is right." Said Luffy.
"See." Said Janna.
"Oh come on! They have meat noses." Said Glossaryck.
"I doubt there's a clown any where in the multi-verse that has a meat nose!" said Janna, "And if he did he's probably evil or something because of it."
Meanwhile in the blue dimension an infamous pirate-clown was irrigated but he didn't know why. He grumbled to himself blaming Shanks for it… and yeah he knew Shanks… he blamed some of his problems on Shanks…
Anyways back in the centenary…
"Hey Star? You okay?" asked Luffy noticing his sister looked sad for some reason.
"Yeah… totally… just need to ask you guys something." Said Star.
"What?" asked Luffy.
"Don't you think it's weird that Marco asked me to the dance and then totally changed his mind at the last minute?" asked Star, "That's not cool, right?"
"Wait… didn't you tell him you didn't want to go because you wanted to see Bon Bon." Said Janna, "You do want to see Bon Bon… don't' you?"
"Oh yeah! Of course! Bon Bon!" said Star.
She ended up tripping on a tombstone.
She looked at and got a feeling, she pulled away the moss covering it.
However Janna and Glossaryck were still having their argument about clown noses when Star called out "Guys! Look!"
It was Bon Bon's tombstone.
"I will come back!" read Star.
"Bon Bon!" cheered Janna.
"All right!" cheered Luffy.
And so they got things ready. Janna created a summing circle, Star built the shrine, Glossaryck sang a song and Luffy ate some meat they brought.
"How's that shrine coming?" asked Janna.
She really wasn't doing a good job.
"Sorry, sorry my heads all loopy tonight." Said Star.
"Take your time Star, it's going to be a long night." Assured Janna.
"So as long as we're chilling here, can I get your option on something?" asked Star.
"Is this about Marco again?" asked Janna.
She walked over to talk to Star.
"So…" said Glossaryck deicing to make conversation with Luffy, "Why did you come?"
"Because it's awesome." Laughed Luffy.
"Yeah, a dead clown essence is awesome." Said Glossaryck.
However Glossaryck seemed to be staring at Luffy.
"Is something wrong?" asked Luffy.
"No it's nothing." Said Glossaryck, "Are you going to share it?"
Luffy glared at Glossaryck, "I'm not a hero." He said.
"What?" asked Glossaryck confused.
"A hero shares his meat, while I pirate would kept all the meat." Said Luffy.
"That's an interesting philosophy." Said Glossaryck who seemed to get it somewhat.
Luffy shrugged.
At the same time Star tried to ask about Jackie's freckles thinking they were moles. However Janna evidently deleted the picture so that Star wouldn't be all weird about it.
Sometime later, Star finished the shrine. She noticed at Janna was asleep in an open grave.
But Janna didn't wake up.
"Great I'm in a cemetery all by myself." Said Star.
"Hey!" said Luffy who was awake.
"Oh… I would have through you would be asleep." Said Star.
"Too excited to see a dead clown to sleep." Laughed Luffy.
Star sighed.
"Is something wrong?" asked Luffy.
Star knew that this wasn't something that she could really talk to Luffy about.
She knew he had no interest in romance and she wasn't sure if it was because he was Luffy or was a late bloomer.
Either would fit honestly.
"Look I don't know if you would understand." Sighed Star walking off.
She decided to call Marco and see if he was okay.
She left a massage so she tried again. But she nice again got the voice mail message. So she tried again and again.
Luffy decided to take out his own mirror and call Sabo
Sabo was sleep when the mirror woke him up.
He picked it up.
"Luffy… is everything all right?" he aced going on alter.
"Tonight's that dead clown séance." Said Luffy assuring him that was the reason why it was so late.
"Oh…" said Sabo.
"But there's something wrong with Star." Said Luffy.
"What?" asked Sabo.
"She suddenly so focused on Marco." Said Luffy, "Because he's going to the dance with Jackie."
Sabo sighed and realized what was going on.
He had heard that if the two weren't a couple, it would take time to those affected by the Blood Moon to fall in love and he wasn't surprised it hit Star first.
He knew her crush on Oskar was pretty shallow and that the feelings caused by the Blood Moon would supersede that sooner than Marco's crush on Jackie.
And from what he heard Marco's crush on Jackie was really deep so it would take a lot longer for the curse to affect him.
"It's that curse Tom placed on them." Said Sabo, "IT's starting to affect Star."
Luffy knew that the two would be cursed to fall in love with each other, and that the three brothers deicide not to tell them.
Even if Luffy didn't really get romance, he knew that what was going on with the curse was bad.
"Right now you need to be there for Star, thanks to the curse not affecting Marco yet she's going to be going through a bad time." Said Sabo.
"Okay." Said Luffy.
"She's going to need all of the next several months and since you're the one most available you have to be there." Said Sabo.
Luffy nodded in agreement.
"So anything about the dead clown" asked Sabo.
"Nothing yet." Said Luffy.
"If he does come back to life, tell me." Said Sabo.
"I will." Laughed Luffy.
He hung up and saw that Star had gotten a spell from Eclipsa's chapter.
They had decided to leave it unlocked for a while in hoping to get rid of the whole thing with the possession or gaining magic problem it has when people not part of the royal family reads it.
"Luffy stay back… we still don't know what will happen if you read it…" said Star.
Luffy nodded and let Star cast whatever Spell she wanted.
It was a spying spell and it showed Marco and Jackie romantically skateboarding together.
The two had ditched the dance due to various reasons and went on a real date, which they were enjoying.
Star looked at the two in sadness as she used the spell to spy on them.
However a green light shot from the wand and it caused one of the wheels on the skateboard to stop.
Star was in shock.
"Did… did I do that." Said Star.
Luffy walked over and hugged Star.
"It's okay." Luffy reassured her.
"Luffy…" she whimpered to her brother.
"I didn't mean to." Cried Star.
"I know, it was a accident." Assured Luffy.
Janna woke up from her dirt nap.
No apologies for the bad pun!
"Did I miss anything?" asked Janna.
They noticed some giant rats, which Star shooed away.
That was when the candles went out around the shine.
"It's happening!" cheered Janna getting out of the grave.
The candles lit back up as a figure appeared being the tombstone.
"You came back." Said Janna.
However the figure's face was clearly not human.
"Whoa! That fire did a real number on your face." Said Janna.
The figure took off his nose revealing it was Ludo not Bon Bon.
"Surprise!" said Ludo revealing he was with his eagle and spider.
"Ludo!" muttered Star.
"Miss me princess." Said Ludo.
Ludo pointed her wand at them.
And soon a fight began .
Star fought off Ludo in wand fight, which thankfully from Star's end at least wasn't as pathetic as last item.
Luffy fought off against Ludo's spider and eagle.
"Gum Gum Bazooka!" shouted Luffy as he sent the spider flying into the arms of angel… as in an angel tombstone, not a killing it.
Meanwhile Janna was fighting off against a rat army that Ludo had.
They were fighting against historical creatures were snakes but they had spider legs.
Then created something she knew would be a good thing to plow through the rats and hopefully freak them out.
"Hi! I'm baby Marco! And got wheels for hands!" said the baby version of Marco that had wheels for hands.
The rats stared in horror at the spell.
One of them squawked something in horror.
Then the baby Marco with wheels for hands plowed through them running them over as he cheerfully shouted "Whee!"
With the wand fight, Star decided to use "Mystic Room Suck Transform!"
It created a black hole, which began to suck in Ludo.
Also sucked in Bon Bon's ghost who chose now to show up…
"Not again!" he muttered.
That was when Marco and Jackie arrived.
He had gotten an ill omen in the form of the blood moon, and had discovered that Star had called him multiple times through the night (unwary that they were separate things).
"I'd have mercy on you!" yelled Ludo.
However Star seeing Marco and Jackie in person caused something to happen to the portal. It caused and explosion of energy that knocked away both Star and Ludo.
That was when it began to suck in Star instead.
Luffy was still fight the eagle and spider.
"Marco!" yelled Luffy.
Marco knew what it meant, take over for him fighting the eagle and spider, and he'll rescue Star as it would be easiest for him.
"Need a hand." Mocked Ludo.
He then tried to zap her.
"What do you want with me?" asked Star.
"Oh you're so selfish. I'm not here for you! I want your book!" said Ludo.
"What!" yelled Star.
However Ludo didn't noticed Luffy approach him from behind.
"Gum Gum Axe!" he yelled as he delivered the sharp high kick.
He then wrapped his arm around Star's waste and pulled away from the black hole like portal.
"thanks Luffy." Said Star.
However Ludo got up aimed his wand at Luffy.
"You can't protect her all the time." He said, "And you're about to learn that the hard way!"
Star glared harshly at Ludo and zap him with her wand in a strange blast that a mix of pink and green.
The blast sent him flying so far away that it looked like he ended up miles away.
The Eagle saw what happened, flew and grabbed the spider and followed the direction where Ludo was sent flying.
The rat army also retracting not wanting to fight the Snake-Spider or Baby Marco with wheels for hands any more.
Jackie watched off to the side as she knew Janna was handling the rat army.
"Hi!" chirped Baby Marco with wheels for hand at Jackie.
"Hi…" said Jackie.
"I'm Baby Marco and I have wheels for hands…" said Baby Marco with Wheels for Hands.
She looked and indeed Marco saw his newest clone type.
"Uh…" said Marco unsure how to respond to a baby version of himself that has wheels for hands.
"Hey it's okay… if you can handle the rapping Ocram, you can handle that." Said Jackie putting her arm on his shoulder.
"Yeah… I guess you're right." Sighed Marco.
Star looked at the two and wasn't sure how to feel.
Luffy placed his hand on her shoulder and then she remembered.
"The book!" she said.
She turned to the book and knew she had one thing to do.
Talk to Glossaryck.
"Hey! Glossaryck!" she yelled.
"What?" asked Glossaryck as if he was waking up form a nap.
"Hey! Ludo is after the book and I think we should reseal Eclipsa's chapter." Said Star, "Parabola for the best, it's been sealed for over 300 years, I think a little bit long will be fine."
"Plus it will make sure Luffy doesn't accidently read it." Said Marco.
"Wait… Ludo didn't get the book?" asked Glossaryck somewhat confused.
"No! Of course not!" said Star, "Don't be stupid. If he had the book we wouldn't be talking like this"
Glossaryck looked at Luffy.
"What did you do?" he asked Luffy.
"Well I saved Star from a portal…" said Luffy.
"You know what never mind…" said Glossaryck.
"So! Funnest dance! I've ever been to." Joked Jackie.
"Well yeah we're in a grave yard." Said Marco.
Star looked at the two, unsure how to feel about them. and Luffy lightly comforted her.
It was clear to both of them that Marco and Jackie were officially dating.
However Glossaryck looked directly at Luffy. He had come to a relation about Luffy.
"Who are you Monkey D. Luffy?" he asked.
"He's Luffy." Said Janna hearing him.
"That's not what I meant… you know what I have a chapter to reseal." Sighed Glossaryck.
Glossaryck resealed the chapter, with none of them sure what was going to happen next.
And that included Glossaryck…
Next Time: Thanks to them saving the book, Glossaryck is worried about Luffy and what he could do in the future. He decides to talk to Hekapoo since she knows Luffy well. How will the conversation go? Find out next time!
A/N: They saved the book which I figured everyone already figured would happen... but yeah this will be a pretty big nail for the story...
Also I had to do that Buggy joke... I mean come on! When someone gets into argument about clown noses whether or not their meat or plastic and it's a One Piece crossover you have to mention Buggy in someway...