Here something I just thought about when it came to heartless. In Kingdom Hearts the mechanics are always Sora, Donald and Goofy traveled to each world and heartless appear only when they arrive. But if this was made as TV Show with actually people being shown outside the main characters, how many heartless would they have to deal with? Main point you would have at least two separate group to deal with monsters like them, one would deal with Heartless like hunters, while the other should try and save the world dealing with the main problem. So when the Straw Hats and Committee gain more members I will have one half deal with heartless like crowd control while the other is the main focus.
Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece, Kingdom Hearts, Ape Escape or anything except OC's.
Chapter 12: City of Apes - United as One
Cid and Franky - Earlier
It took sometime for Franky and Cid to finally place the Sunny go somewhere the monkeys and heartless wouldn't come destroying their ship. Once they settled at their location, Franky remained with the Sunny as Cid would go out searching the areas close by them. Making sure not to wonder too far, Cid eventually found what appeared as some teleporter right around couple corners.
"Well might as well check it out." But before he entered, the teleporter started to glow making Cid wait a bit before making his move. Then he saw three people with the fourth calling itself Casi. Realizing what is happening, Cid sneak in trying to reach the controls only for one metal arm to block his path as Cid guard himself.
Sorry but you need to wait your turn.
Realizing a fight was about to happen. Cid did small adjustments to his weapon now filled with electricity, Casi threw some arms at his direction only for them to short circuit by Cid's weapon combine with small use of his magical aura. The battle didn't last long allowing Cid to reach the control only to feel small electricity at the controls.
That won't work, I made sure no organic can rewrite my controls.
Casi smiled in what she felt is victory, only to see Cid small back, "Sorry to say miss, but I have few tricks as well." Quickly putting his weapon away, Cid brought out some device and place it on the controls resulting in Casi's program being rewritten. What that device was is small hacking tool able to reboot some controls or A.I. programs that were rewritten by hackers or viruses. Now able to access the controls, Cid work fast making sure to stop the progress. Making sure Natalie, Aki and The Professor is safe, Cid release them from their pods with Casi now fully back to normal.
"You guys alright?" Cid asked seeing them shaken from the experience.
"No... we're not." Natalie slowly said feeling terrified, "What that was doing... it almost felt dark... cold... almost ready to choke us to death." Natalie couldn't help herself, getting on her knees with her arms across her body.
"So this... is darkness. That's what those heartless creatures are made of." The Professor had mix feelings of curiosity and fear for this experience. Almost like they were urge to follow primal instincts like beast. An experience that shouldn't be tempered with.
"I felt the same way bro, that stuff makes your skin crawl like when your parents read you scary bed time stories." Franky compared to this to childhood.
"Anyway, did you guys happen to be kidnap or something?" Cid asked feeling concern for them.
"Actually yes, we were just about to be brainwash by Casi's if you guys hadn't shown up. That reminds me, Casi are you yourself again." The Professor shouted.
Yes Professor, I am fully operational and back to normal.
"Did... Specter do this to you?" Natalie question.
Not by his own power, the darkness he is using has corrupted his mind. If we don't stop Crimson Ninja, this world and others will suffer by their darkness.
"Then you must have known about their plans." Aki said.
Yes, I can explain what is happening at the moment. When I was capture and reprogramed, I remember from my old file as virus Casi. After quick searching while rebooting my systems, I remember what had happen and have ideas to their plans. But also to Specter's condition, Those heartless don't have plans to conquer or liberate the heartless anytime soon. In fact they plan to cause chaos to other worlds, but have no means to escape this planet.
"Wait this wasn't some scheme to take over the world?" Natalie said shock by this reveal.
That's right, the only reason they went along is because of Specter and the growing darkness in him. No doubt you two know what those creatures are and how they are created. Which is why Specter is about to control the darkness, they plan on turning him into an powerful heartless boss as they call it.
"That's right, Heartless boss is a term used for bigger and stronger heartless that command smaller heartless. Which is why if you defeat them the heartless become more scattered and divided. The regular heartless always obey the strong, so it stands to reason stronger heartless can command weaker types even if they are following their instincts." Cid explained.
Scanning his body I found the darkness he is using has taken control of his mind, corrupting him from inside out. Yet seems unaware of this process, when I work with Marine Virtual he told me they were planning to use Specter to destroy this planet and venture to other worlds. I also discover they had no real plans for world domination or working together, the Freakish Shadow 10 was only created as a means to an end. Wanting to fulfill their desires as individuals, them working together just seems convenient since they are likeminded.
"So does that mean Specter is being used for their own purpose?" Franky assumed.
"Seems to be the case, we should meet up with everyone if we're going to somehow stop these guys." Cid said.
"Hang on, I'm not leaving our ship in this crazy place." Franky said to Cid.
That won't be a problem, I have the coordinates to transport the ship to anywhere around the world. But I would suggest you try placing the ship where it would be hidden from sight. I rather not have to sneak into Specter's base again if something were to happen.
"No worries, We'll take it from here once we drop down on Earth." Franky said to Casi.
The Professor cough to gain the duo's attention, "Since you have saved us and help Casi, maybe we should work together to stop Specter and his army of Monkeys plus Heartless as you guys call it. We may then stand some chance on taking out Specter and destroying those monsters off our world. But we need everyone on board, and I do believe we have met your friends in my laboratory." The Professor said to Franky and Cid.
"Alright, we'll tag along." Cid said with Franky agreeing as well. Casi then place an destination for the Sunny Go, where it won't be found or spotted anytime soon once this is said and done. After that Casi now able to teleport them and know where to find Specter's base, the five of them went back to The professor's laboratory and soon meet up with the rest of them.
The Professor's Lab - Present
Everyone that has gathered consist of from Monkey hunters The Professor, Natalie, Casi, Aki, Spike, Jimmy, Yumi, Kei, Pipo Snake, Helga, and Pipotchi are now recovered and greeted themselves to the people who saved them. For the Committee are Leon, Cloud, Tiffa, Auron, Aerith, Yuffie, Cid, Archimedes, Merlin, and Gullwing(Yuna, Rikku and Paine) that have joined with Straw Hats Pirates are Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper, Robin and Franky. With everyone together they needed to figure out their next move.
Once they introduce themselves, they shared some notes with each other and explained what they had discovered and what they should do next. From the Committee and Straw Hats, they heard Zoro had sealed the keyhole of this world, this gave the others some chance to prevent the world falling to darkness. The others from Franky and Cid side had explained what they discovered and Casi informing everyone what is going on. Spike and his friends have caught up with what is happening as Aki, Casi, Natelie and The Professor are glad that everyone is safe, but they also heard Jake is still under the influence of Specter thanks to his powers of darkness. With everyone caught up, they now have plan what they will do next and who will be going with them.
"So now that everyone up to speed, Spike and the others are going to try and capture all the monkeys around the world, once they capture them we'll head towards his base to fight off Specter in case something were to happen." The Professor explain their part of the plan.
"While they handle that we will split our teams to two parts, one to handle the Freakish Shadow 10 while the other distract Specter or defeats him at his base of operations, if anything goes wrong the rest of us will jump up towards Specter's base and try to stop him on his tracks." Leon explain their part of this plan.
"We should also try and see if we can find any clues to your world while some of us are up there. Specter may not know much about other worlds, but the Freakish Shadow 10 no doubt have some idea where they will strike next. We could gather as much information as we could and then use those coordinates to our next stop." Franky mentioned.
"That's smart thinking, cause if we run out of supplies we be stranded without food. Having another world in sight would be best instead of taking the longest way back." Merlin added.
"We should also have somebody keep an eye out for Sunny in case something went wrong." Chopper pointed out.
"We'll go over, we had enough adventures for one day. We'll make sure no one takes our ship again." Auron assured the Straw Hats.
"I don't about this heartless and stuff, but if they'll be siding with the monkeys we should at least have some of you guys help us." Jimmy said to everyone.
"That's actually good idea, the Heartless would be working with the Monkey's so we should try to fight them together." Tifa added knowing the heartless and Monkey may still be working together.
"So with this, we should start by inputting the coordinates to where monkeys are most active. So that we can help the people and stop Specter and the heartless from destroying the world." Natelie said.
"Is that what you think?" Specter said using the screen to talk. But when everyone look at him, they saw something that scared them. Specter own fur started to show purple and black colors, his eyes are turning yellow and his helmet is turning red. He even has some tuxedo with shoes, she stared at them with an grin as if he knew what they were doing.
"You know I would have thought by now you guys would have learn not to mess with me. But then again, since you defeated my enforcers you must have grown confident enough to actually believe you will win this time." Specter's aura started to glow in purple and black mist as his grin started to appear sinister.
"S-Specter! What happen to you?!" Spike asked worried for him despite what he did.
"You mean this? Just something I pick up thanks to my new friends Freakish Shadow 10, this power... I never felt so much power in my life. I even understand how I'm defeated by you guys so much." Specter said to Spike.
"Really?" Spike asked not liking where this was going.
"Yep, when we fought last time. You only fought me because of your friends, something I had no concept of understanding. But that wasn't it, I also lack the resolve to go through what I was planning. I even controlled Jake with my own powers, making him less intelligence and skillful then he was now without my influence. Which is why you and others have always win, having someone to care for, willingness to throw your lives away to achieve victory. I lack in many of this and teamwork, always acting like I should always stand by myself. But this darkness... it showed me the truth. With it's power I can not only be more powerful, but I could have power just like me. The Enforcers you guys were showed equality, while I want to enslave humanity, I also wanted the people who defeated me and my monkeys to join my side. It was thanks to this darkness that you were free from yourselves. I now have people I could protect along with the monkeys, a team that work together against those who would stop me and my plans, and the power to defeat anyone that oppose my rule." As Specter explained himself, they saw the darkness is started to change him some more, Specter started to actually grow taller as human adult and the aura surrounding him started to grow stronger and terrifying. Everyone that knew Specter may not like him in Pipo Helmet, but are growing more concern with this development. But even more so, those who felt the darkness remembered bits and pieces of what they did and what the darkness felt like consuming them. Like a part of them wanted to escape from their minds and unleashed to the world. Spike couldn't help but tighten his fist both in anger and sadness at Specter's current state.
"I was sadden you know, when you guys got release from the darkness and turn back to your weird self. But don't worry, you will be free just like I am, and soon the heartless and us will not only rule this world in darkness, but everyone that will join us will become just like us. Free from our personal life and back transform to who we truly are inside of ourselves." Specter smile appearing more creepy then before.
"Stop that!" Spike shouted with intense stare at Specter, "Are you even listening to yourself, look what has happen to you. This darkness... it's taking control of your mind and changing you. This darkness that you have, it's changing you." Spike didn't know what words to use knowing something like this is happening.
"Don't you mean for the better?" Specter Asked.
"No it's not, that power you are using. That darkness that your so proud of is destroying you from the inside. I know this because we had that taste of power, and it may seem good at first but in the end, your being destroyed by the power." Kei said.
"It was in all of us, we felt what it can do and believe us that isn't something you shouldn't play around. It may be great at first, but then you won't be yourself. Please Specter... don't use this darkness, it's killing you." Jimmy said feeling worried for the albino monkey.
"Your worry is of no concern." Everyone from this world froze when hearing Jake on the other end.
"This power is good for us, we can finally be free from our previous life and be what we should be with the power of darkness. I know this because when Specter controlled me, I was not myself. But thanks to this darkness, I can finally express myself. Join us and together we will rule this world and others showing the greatest of this power. If anyone doesn't agree they will be turned into heartless. Me, Specter and our brethren heartless will soon travel towards the stars, and will be find more to join our family, to become part of something greater then what we were ourselves." Jake said to his now former friends, without the influence of darkness Jake would considered them dead where they stood. Everyone else couldn't believe what they are hearing with different expressions to the situation. Those who knew Jake are worried for his well being when this darkness consuming him. Some who have experience this are all too familiar with this power and how it corrupts individuals like him. Others who are seeing the power of darkness are starting to understand it's dangerous effect on people and the influence it has over their minds.
"Their being consumed by the darkness... it's changing them not only their minds, but appearance as well." Aki said scared not for herself but for Jake and Specter.
"Is this what darkness does to people after long exposer? Like a virus that destroys your mind and your body in a slow painless process." The Professor muttered what he is witness at the moment. Terrified not for himself, but what Specter is becoming.
"This is what happens when you play with darkness, they can overtaken by it's power and then your heart is taken. Next thing you know your entire life is taken and you become a heartless like everyone else." Tifa said in seriousness to this dilemma.
"I see someone is familiar with this power?" Specter said to them.
"We're familiar with it, but we wouldn't have anything to do with this power. Everyone who has tempered with the darkness usually bites off more then they can chew." Cid said to Specter.
"If you stop this, nobody has to get hurt or worse. Better yet we can help you with this problem, we just need your cooperation." Leon said to Specter.
"You lot seemed to think your in any position to demand of me? I will show you how wrong you are in vision and hearing, if you join us then your sentence will be spared." Specter gave them a chance, believing he can win this battle.
"SPECTER!" He then look at Chopper who is in his true appearance.
"Who are you?" Specter demanded.
"I'm that little monkey you saw, but I want you to understand that not all humans are as bad as you made them out. I know this because I was rejected by humans most of my life, when they saw me they called me a monster because of my appearance, even my own herd didn't care because of my blue nose. But then I met some friendly humans, and then they came in my life. I have been traveling to many places and know that some humans don't understand and sometimes just need to know you. I know you feel the same, just let me help you. Whatever it is your going through, we can work it out together." Chopper said to Specter.
"You think because your backstory is similar that you can tell me what to do? I have no need of your pity or your help, the darkness is all the help I need. With this we can be free from ourselves and become what we are meant to show all the worlds of it's power." Specter said in marvel of his own power.
"Oi Underwear helmet!" Luffy shouted at Specter who look insulted by that nickname, "Knock it off, your just being a bully!" Luffy demanded pointing at Specter, everyone is looking at Luffy like he's grown a second head.
"Did he really just demand Specter to quit fighting?" Cloud question Luffy.
"Hah, that's just how Luffy is times." Robin said to everyone.
"Oh, your that monkey you beat up our brethren? What do you have to say for yourself?" Specter asked Luffy.
"I only fought them because you wanted to hurt my friends. Why are you even trying to rule the planet, that's just too much work." Luffy said to specter.
"Oh that's easy, to shroud this world into darkness." Specter said to everyone.
"Wait, weren't you trying to help Monkey kind to be free from humans?" Natelie asked to Specter.
"...Why would I do that? My brethren has always been those who are under the powers of darkness." Specter stated as fact, making everyone widen their eyes, "I always thought that if we would rule the world, we could change the system and monkeys would do whatever they wanted without human control. But then this... this darkness showed me the errors of my way. As I watch my newest plan of attack bring to fruition is when I realize what is wrong with my thinking and plans, the monkeys as you see are nothing more then shallow beings with simple minds. The Darkness... it showed me where I truly belong, and with it I will not only consume this world, but all the world's light. And then me and anyone that joins us will finally have a place to belong, no more divisions, no more different, BUT TRUE FREEDOM!" Specter shouted with joy laughing more insanely then before. Everyone that knew Specter could only gasp at what he's become, and how his view of reality is being warp by the power influencing his thoughts and actions.
"Specter... what have you become?" Spike muttered
"So Straw Hat, now you understand. Why don't you join me and my fellow darkness to this great conquest." Specter asked Luffy offering his hand. Every saw that Luffy's expression is hidden by the shadows of his straw hat, but his friends from the Straw Hats knew what Luffy is probably feeling at the moment.
"I don't understand what your trying to do, but we won't let you hurt our friends. You may have taken control of this power, but you just use it because your lonely. Yet you control their lives like it meant nothing. This Darkness... it's not freedom, it's enslavement! Your obsessed with this power, you have forgotten why your fighting or trying to fight for. What about your kind, the monkeys you fought for so many years, have you forgotten what why you fight against the Human in the first place!" Luffy shouted at Specter accusing him for forgetting why he started in the first place, some that are just meeting the Straw Hats are surprise by luffy outright yelling at Specter fighting for darkness instead of his ape kind. In some way this inspired Spike by his actions, The Committee had some mix feelings yet couldn't help but be inspired by what Luffy is saying.
"That's right, you used to fight for monkeys. But now you fight for this thing that's just using you for it's own gain. I don't approve of your methods before you became like this, but I can at least respect what you fought for. If you turn back to normal I want to help you and the monkeys to find better ways to co-exist with the humans." Chopper shouted at Specter with as much resolve as Luffy, now feeling more inspired by Chopper Spike then stood next to them and shouted, "Jake... I know your still there, and we have had our differences. But once I take you down, let's fight like we would have without this dark powers." Spike said smiling. everyone couldn't help but smile at them.
Specter and Jake said nothing for a moment, but their aura of Darkness grow even more dangerous as they then stare at them with intense heat, "So if that's how it's going to be, Crimson!" Suddenly Specter is joined by one of the Freakish Shadow 10.
"Yes my lord." He bow to Specter.
"Is everything set?" Specter asked.
"Everything is as planned." he answered.
"Good... Casi, would you kindly teleport some of these people to where we discussed." Specter asked kindly to Casi, this made everyone look in confusion as they knwo Casi is still on their side.
"What makes you think I will listen to some deranged monkey?" Casi spat.
"Really?" Specter eyes sparkled for a moment, then everyone saw the computer controls are being consume by dark flames. But before they could react Casi screamed in pain as something started to appear in her body, what look like a red cube with black patterns.
"SPECTER'S INFECTING HER SYSTEMS!" Both the Professor and Natelie shouted in shock. Cid then used his weapon and slammed the end trying to prevent Casi from being corrupted. But the deed was done as some of the people are being transported to different locations. The only one's who weren't transported were everyone from Monkey hunting team to Cid, Franky, Leon, Cloud, Auron and Zoro who look on helpless to save their friends. When they vanish everyone shook out of their shock while Casi recovered from that intense pain.
"W-What have I done? I'm sorry everyone." Casi said feeling bad for what happen.
"Don't feel bad about it yet, we need to take care of some business." Franky said to Casi.
"He's right, we have other problems at the moment." Zoro and the other swordsman sense trouble is heading their way. From outside more and more heartless started to appear, as they march their way towards the Professor's lab.
The real battle now begins, where are the Straw Hats and Committee are transported and what will happen with everyone else, tune in next time on One Piece Galaxy Pirates.
Forces in Conflict:
Straw Hats, Committee, & Monkey Hunters: 31
Straw hats - Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper, Robin and Franky
Committee - Leon, Cloud, Auron, Tifa, Yuffie, Aerith, Cid, Merlin, Archimedes, and Gullwing(Yuna, Rikka, and Paine)
Monkey Hunters - Spike, The Professor, Natelie, Casi, Jake, Jimmy, Pipotchi, Aki, Yumi, Kei, Helga, and Pipo-Snake
Freakish Shadow 10, Jake and Specter: 9
Leader: Specter
Freakish Shadow 10: Crimson Ninja, Marine Virtual, Pumpkin Bomb, Lemon Shot, Ruby Shine, Jade Sparkles, Midnight Crow, White Tiger, Violet Knight and Smoke Screen
Mind Controlled: Jake
Events in Conflict:
Zoro, Cloud, Leon, Auron - Heartless Defeated and Sealed Keyhole
Franky and Cid - Escape
The Professor, Natelie and Aki - Saved + Casi restored