Ch. 36- A Matter of Honor
One Piece © Oda
Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, Kumi, Kovar, and Monkey D. Star © Me
Shade © Gakuto1991
The memory had shifted, revealing Luffy, Vivi, and Carue sitting in front of Dorry, the former sitting on top of a giant piece of meat, obviously from that dinosaur that tried to eat the straw hat-wearing boy, while the latter leaned against a giant fossilized skeleton that was even bigger than him. Both Luffy and Dorry were laughing and chatting together like they had known each other since forever. The Straw Hats found it a little funny that their captain was already so chummy with the giant, but then again, he always had that effect on people.
"Well, this is a nice change from all that tense stuff," Nami commented.
"Tell me about it," said Usopp. "It's good to see Luffy relax once in a while."
"Yeah, but we all know that disaster's coming," Zoro pointed out.
"...Seriously?" Sanji asked, incredulously. "You gotta kill the mood?"
"Just saying it like it is," Zoro replied.
"Man, this dinosaur meat sure is good, Pops!" Luffy said as he munched on the dinosaur meat.
"Gegyagyagyagya!" laughed Dorry, holding Luffy's tiny lunchbox in his huge fingers. "That Pirate Lunchbox you had wasn't too bad, either! Too bad it's not very filling."
"Well, of course, it's good!" Luffy replied. "I'd kick your ass if you didn't like it!"
"Eh?" Dorry asked as he glared down at Luffy, to Vivi and Carue's fright. "What was that?!"
"Uh-oh!" Chopper cried. "Luffy's gonna get beaten up!"
A pause...but then Dorry burst out laughing as he slapped his knee.
"You're a funny little guy!" he exclaimed. "Gegyagyagygya!"
"Ahahahaha!" Luffy laughed, as well, while Vivi and Carue both sighed in relief.
"By the way, Pops," Luffy said as he took another bite of dinosaur meat, "how come you live all the way out here by yourself? Don't you have a village or something?"
"Yeah, how come he does live there all by himself?" Aika asked. "Is he homeless?"
"Far from it, Aika," Usopp answered.
"Well, yes, I do hail from a village," said Dorry. "It's called Elbaph, a village of warriors. It lies somewhere on the Grand Line...and in Elbaph, we live by one cardinal rule."
"A cardinal rule?" Chopper repeated as he sat on Blizzard's head.
"What's he talking about?" Blizzard asked.
"Shh~!" Usopp shushed. "Less talking and more listening!"
"You see when there's a dispute and neither side will yield," Dorry explained, "the god of Elbaph decides the matter. Our god protects the one who is right and lets him live. You see...I started some trouble a while back and now, here I am on this little island, fighting with another warrior. Whoever is right will win the battle...and live to see another day." He then threw his head back and laughed, again.
"Gegyagyagyagyagya!" he cackled. "But we've been at it for 100 years, already, and nothing's been settled!"
"You've been fighting this guy for a hundred years?!" Luffy asked in disbelief.
"Eh?!" Aika questioned. "That long?!"
"Yep, that long," nodded Usopp in affirmation.
"Ah, don't you worry about it," said Dorry. "Us giants have longer life spans than humans do! We can live to be over 300 years! Gegyagyagyagya!"
"But even if you do live that long," Vivi started, "wouldn't you have lost your passion for battle by now?! What's the point of the duel anymore?! Are you still bent on killing each other?!"
"Why is Vivi so worked up?" Franky asked. "It's not really any of her business, is it?"
"...I think she was really thinking about what was going on at her home," said Nami in concern.
"But still...fighting someone for 100 years?" asked Chopper.
"If you ask me, these Elbaph people have pretty stupid rules," Kumi said.
"Kumi!" Usopp scolded. "Watch your tongue!"
"Huh?!" Kumi questioned. "But...but why?! I'm just stating an opinion!"
But then, KABOOM! The volcano suddenly erupted, startling Luffy, Vivi, and Carue.
"Whoa! The volcano just blew up!" Luffy exclaimed.
"Well...time to get going, then," said Dorry as he stood up and grabbed a sword and shield. "It was decided some time ago that the eruption of Dead Center Mountain would be the signal for combat."
"A hatred that makes you hack at each other for 100 years?!" Vivi questioned. "That's crazy! What are you fighting about in the first place-MMPH!" Luffy suddenly covered her mouth.
"Quiet, Vivi," he told her. "...What it's about doesn't matter."
"...The boy speaks the truth," said Dorry as he glared towards the jungle...from which another giant emerged. This one had a horned helmet and a shorter beard than him. "This...is a matter of honor!"
"It's Brogy!" Usopp exclaimed in excitement.
"Gebababababa!" Brogy laughed before he and Dorry charged at each other, their swords making a large clang as they clashed.
"The reason we fight," Dorry began, "has long been forgotten!"
Luffy, Vivi, Carue, and the present-day Straw Hats all gaped while the giants dueled.
"...Whoa...!" Franky whispered in awe.
"Truly remarkable...!" Brook added.
"I know, right?!" Usopp asked. "That's exactly what I wanna be, one day!"
"You wanna be a giant?" Chopper asked.
"NO!" Usopp yelled. "I-I'm sorry, what I mean is...I wanna be a great warrior, like these guys! Ever since I met them, it's been my dream to go to Elbaph and be a strong, powerful warrior like them!"
"Oh~!" Chopper realized.
"But wait," Aika said. "If they don't remember why they're fighting, then why do they fight, anyway? Can't they just let it go?"
"They sure like they're having fun," said Chopper. "So...they don't hate each other, it looks like."
"But still," Aika began, "why keep fighting anyway?"
"It's like Dorry said, Aika," Usopp began, "it's a matter of honor!"
"You don't understand because you don't live a warrior's life," said Zoro. "Once you get into a few fights or so for yourself, then you might understand."
"...I guess," Aika muttered. "Vivi sure looked worried, though."
"She doesn't understand, either," Sanji said. "She thought that fighting usually means someone hates somebody else for some reason."
"It's because of that mindset that she thought she could stop the incoming civil war in Alabasta without anyone dying," said Nami, "but...sadly, she's very naive."
"Sadly, Nami's right," Robin said. "She's a sweet child, but ultimately, she's only seeing the glass half-full."
"I have to agree with you there, Robin," Sanji said.
"W-what do you mean?" Aika asked.
"You'll see later on, sweetie," Nami replied.
As the Straw Hats watched the two giants battle, Luffy suddenly fell on his back from watching.
"Huh?!" Vivi questioned. "Luffy, what's wrong?! Are you okay?!"
"...Too big...!" Luffy answered. "It's too big!"
"Huh?" Aika asked, confused.
"It's overwhelming is what he means," Blizzard said. "He's in awe just looking at those two fight...kinda like you when you watch Luffy fighting."
"Oh," Aika said before she gasped. "Oh! I get it now!"
"You see?" asked Usopp. "That's what makes these guys so amazing! He's amazed by their fighting spirit!"
"I see, now," Aika nodded. "Yeah, I get it! It's really cool!"
"Yeah, it is pretty cool!" Kumi agreed. "Look at 'em go!"
"Come on, Brogy!" Usopp shouted. "Go, Dorry!"
"Yeah, go get 'em!" Chopper cheered.
"Seriously, I don't what it is with boys and liking to watch men fight," said Nami. "Then again, I'm not a man."
"Neither am I," Robin smiled in amusement.
Eventually, the two giants had reached a stalemate before collapsing on the ground, which had been torn up from all their fighting...and then they both laughed.
"Gebabababa! Ah, Dorry, old friend!" Brogy exclaimed. "How about we have some grog?! I got some from my guests!"
"Gegyagyagyagya!" laughed Dorry. "Sounds great! I haven't had any in ages!"
"Hey, how many times have these two fought, anyway?" asked Franky.
"Uh...well, when we got there, they fought about 73,467 times," said Usopp. "The one we're watching now is the 73,466th time." That's when a feeling of dread suddenly overcame the sniper. "Uh-oh..."
"What?" Brook asked.
"I just remembered what's gonna happen after this...!" Usopp whispered.
A while later, Dorry was sitting in front of Luffy, Vivi, and Carue again, holding a few barrels of grog in his hands.
"Gegyagyagyagya!" laughed Dorry. "I see! So Brogy's guests are your friends, are they? I saw a young man with a long and a young girl with orange hair!"
"That was Usopp and Nami!" Luffy answered. "Those dummies! I thought they said they weren't leaving the ship! I guess they wanted to go exploring, after all! Shishishi!"
"We only left because Brogy invited us!" Usopp complained.
"This ale must be yours, then," Dorry said as he picked up a barrel.
"Um...Mr. Dorry, sir?" Vivi asked. "You said it would take a whole year for the Log Pose to reset...that's not true, is it?"
"Didn't you see those little skulls of puny humans, like yourselves?" Dorry asked. "Humans like you who come to Little Garden usually don't survive long enough for the Log Pose to reset! They either become dinosaur food or die from the humidity or starvation. Some even die because they tried to attack Brogy and me! Even so, no tiny human could ever live long enough to see the Log Pose reset!"
"He's saying it so casually," said Kumi, nervously.
"I guess it's because he's a giant," Aika replied. "They don't have to worry about that kind of stuff since they live so long."
Vivi groaned as she held her head in despair. "What am I going to do? Even if we do manage to survive a whole year, what will happen to Alabasta?!"
"...Oh, Vivi..." Sanji whispered, sadly, and Nami also felt her heart go out to the princess since the two had grown so close. Robin felt especially guilty, considering the fact that she helped Crocodile take over the kingdom in the first place.
"Plus, we'd get pretty bored of this place," said Luffy. "Hey, Pops! Isn't there a faster way off this island?"
"Well, you could use the Eternal Pose we have," Dorry said, "but it's set to our homeland, Elbaph. Brogy and I are actually fighting over that. Perhaps you could try and take it from us by force?"
"Thanks, but no thanks," Luffy said. "We're not trying to go to Elbaph, just the next island, right, Vivi?"
"That's right," Vivi answered. "If we stray from the course to Alabasta, who knows where we might end up?"
"So, you see our problem, right Pops?" asked Luffy.
"Hmm..." Dorry hummed before he threw his head back and laughed. "Gegyagyagyagya! Well, you could just go on your way! Perhaps with luck, you'll be able to make it! Gegyagyagygya!"
"Yeah, maybe we should!" Luffy agreed. "Ahahahahaha!"
"You're certainly a funny little guy!" Dorry exclaimed. "Gegyagyagyagya!"
"They seriously don't understand the gravity of the situation, do they?" asked Nami in disbelief.
"Talk about devil-may-care," said Blizzard before he noticed Dorry taking a drink from a barrel of ale...but then, out of nowhere, it exploded inside his stomach, and smoke was billowing out of his mouth! "WHAT THE HELL?!"
"OH, CRAP!" Usopp cried. "DORRY!"
"What just happened?!" Vivi questioned.
"The booze blew up!" Luffy cried.
QUAAAAAAAAACK! Carue squawked in horrror.
"Wait, what just happened to him?!" Franky asked.
"...It was a booby trap," said Robin. "One of my colleagues from Baroque Works, Mr. 5, put an explosive in the grog."
Dorry groaned as he fell down on his back, to Luffy, Vivi, and Carue's shock.
"POPS!" Luffy screamed.
"MR. DORRY!" cried Vivi.
"What just happened?!" Luffy asked as he stood up on Dorry's chest while the giant coughed up blood. "Why did the grog explode?! Didn't it come from our ship?!"
"What a cruel, underhanded thing to do!" Vivi shouted. "You don't think...that Brogy did this, do you?!"
"No way!" Luffy yelled. "We'ren't you paying attention at all, Vivi?! Nobody who fights a hundred years for honor would pull a dirty trick like that, no matter what!"
"...The who did...?!"
The Straw Hats gasped as Dorry sat back up...his eyes glowing an unearthly red as he glared down at the two, his hand gripping his sword.
"...Scary...!" Chopper, Aika, and Kumi squeaked.
"Damn those Baroque Work bastards...!" Usopp growled.
"Brogy is just like me," Dorry said. "A proud warrior of Elbaph! He would never do such a despicable thing! The only ones who could have done it...was you!"
"What?!" Brook questioned. "He blames Luffy?! But why?!"
"...Because the booze came from our ship," said Zoro. "It's the only thing that makes sense to him."
"Yeah, but still!" Blizzard added.
"Luffy, let's get out of here!" Vivi urged. "It's useless to argue with him!"
"Maybe it is," Luffy answered, his face having taken on the expression he uses when he's about to get serious, "but I bet it's useless to run, too."
"What?!" Vivi asked before Luffy tossed her his hat.
"Hold this for me," he told her as he stretched his legs. "You might wanna stand back, too."
"You're not going to fight him, are you?!" Vivi questioned. "Luffy, you're no match for him! He's ten times bigger than you, and he even has a sword!"
Luffy didn't listen but instead opted to go into his usual fighting stance.
"Sorry, Pops," Luffy said, "but it looks like I gotta shut you up!"
"Is he crazy?!" Chopper questioned. "Fighting with his insides all torn up like that?!"
"He doesn't care," said Zoro. "He's a warrior...to him, injuries like this don't matter if there was some kind of transgression towards him. Luffy's pretty much the same way."
"And you, too, Moss-head," Sanji quipped, which caused the swordsman to growl at him in irritation.
"Still," said Blizzard, "you think Dorry will be all right? I'm more worried about him than Luffy since he's taken on giants before."
"Mr. Dorry, wait!" Vivi cried. "Please listen! We're innocent in all this! We don't know anything about that exploding ale! Please don't attack us, especially in your condition! Your insides are practically in shreds! You've got to keep still!"
Unfortunately for Vivi, her words fell on deaf ears as Dorry glowered down at Luffy, who returned his glare completely unflinching.
"You dare to trick...THE MIGHTY DORRY?!" Dorry roared as he swung his sword at Luffy, who easily jumped out of the range of the gigantic blade. As Dorry swung, he began to cough up a large amount of blood, to Chopper's worry. That was a lot, even for a giant to cough up. He had to be losing several gallons at least, just from that one cough. Even so, he continued to fight, with Luffy easily jumping onto the sword and running along its edge before he leaped into the air.
"GUM-GUUUUUUUUM..." he roared as he prepared an attack, but before he could call it out, Dorry knocked him out of the air with his shield.
"Oh, no! Big Brother!" cried Aika.
"Oh, horrors!" Brook shouted.
Still, Luffy wasn't down and out just yet, for he quickly jumped to his feet, stretched his arms out as far as he could, and grabbed onto a nearby tree before he flew toward it, just narrowly avoiding another swing from Dorry's sword (which caused the giant to cough up more blood). Then Luffy began to stretch backward on the tree as far as he possibly could.
"GUUUUUM...GUUUUUUUUM...ROCKEEEEEEEEEET!" Luffy roared before WHABAM! He sent himself flying right into Dorry's gut, causing him to cough up more blood than before.
"WHY WOULD YOU HIT HIM THERE?!" Chopper yelled, angrily. "THAT'S HIS WEAK SPOT!"
Dorry groaned as he stumbled for a moment...that is until he raised his foot and stomped Luffy right into the ground. Of course, the Straw Hats weren't too worried since he was made of rubber, but the memory momentarily turned black due to Luffy being pinned. They could hear Vivi and Dorry muttering something, but then, the darkness fled and the air was filled with a colossal BOOM! That's when the Straw Hats realized that Dorry finally collapsed.
Soon after, Luffy popped out of the ground, gasping for breath. His face seemed smudged, but it was most likely because of the dirt on the sole of Dorry's boot. Other than that, though, he was fine due to his rubbery body.
"Luffy!" Vivi called as she ran to his side. "Are you all right?!"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Luffy said. "What about Pops? Is he okay?"
"I think so," Vivi answered. "As rough as you were, this was probably the only way to get him to lie down."
"For once, I'd have to agree," said Chopper. "Still, Luffy shouldn't have hit him in the stomach. He could have exacerbated his injuries!"
"Rrrgh...!" Luffy growled as he put his hat on his head. "Now I'm mad!"
"So am I, Luffy," Vivi agreed.
"Pops was right," Luffy replied. "Someone spiked that ale, and it sure as hell wasn't the other giant! And my crew would never pull a dirty trick like that!"
"That can only mean only one thing," said Vivi. "There's someone else here on the island besides us!"
"I can't believe someone would be so cruel," said Usopp. "Damn those Baroque Works bastards for what they did!"
"...I'm ashamed to have ever been aligned with people like them," Robin said. "Please forgive me."
"Now wait a minute," Zoro said. "You weren't the actual one behind this."
"Yes," Robin replied, "but...I can't help feeling just a little responsible."
"Hey, don't sweat it so much!" Franky added. "Seriously, those days are behind you, right?"
"Yes...it's just not easy watching this," Robin said. "I hate being reminded of who I was and the people I used to be with."
KABOOM! The volcano erupted again, causing everyone to look up.
"It's the battle-signal, again," said Sanji.
"That means Mr. Brogy is coming, right?" Aika asked, worriedly.
"But wait!" Kumi cried. "Mr. Dorry can't fight in his condition!"
All of a sudden...Dorry stood up, to the Straw Hats' surprise.
"He's still getting up?!" Brook questioned.
"Oh, no! Not now!" Chopper cried.
"Wait!" Luffy shouted. "Pops, no! You're still hurt!"
Dorry groaned as he staggered over to the giant fossil that he used for his house before he began to lift it up, although he was obviously straining due to the blood dripping from his lips.
"H-hey!" Luffy said. "What do you think you're doing?!"
"...You...need to stay out of the way...!" Dorry replied...before he dropped the fossil right on top of Luffy, who cried out in shock.
"Oh my god, Luffy!" Vivi cried.
"What is he doing?!" Chopper questioned.
"Is he out of his mind?!" Nami asked in disbelief. "He shouldn't be moving around with injuries like that!"
"Hey!" Luffy yelled as he squirmed and struggled to get from underneath the fossil, but his body wouldn't budge. "What's the big idea, you jerk?! Get your house off of me!"
"I must go to battle," said Dorry between labored breaths. "100 years ago, I started this fight...and if I didn't show my face now, it would tarnish my name as a warrior! And to lose my good name...would be to lose my very self." He then turned to walk away. "Forgive me...for suspecting you humans."
"Wait, Mr. Dorry!" Vivi called.
"This is the judgment of Elbaph, the God of War," said Dorry. "Divine protection was not with me...that's all there is to it!"
"What divine protection?!" Luffy questioned. "What gods?! That has nothing to do with any of this! Would you really give up your life, just because the gods say so?! YOUR FIGHT WAS INTERFERED WITH! THIS FIGHT'S NOT FAIR, ANYMORE!"
"SILENCE!" Dorry boomed. "You puny humans have only lived for 10 or 20 years...you cannot possibly understand Elbaph's sacred code!" With that, he marched off towards what could perhaps be his last duel.
"Who cares about that?!" Luffy questioned as he tried to push the fossil off of himself. "GET THIS DAMN MOUNTAIN OFF ME! AAARRGH!"
"Mr. Dorry, stop!" cried Aika. "Don't do this!"
"Aika, you know he can't hear you!" Usopp said. "This is a memory!"
"I know, but still!" Aika replied.
"I hate it, too, believe me!" Usopp said as he kneeled to her height level and put his hands on her shoulders. "But trust me...the ones who did this to Dorry are gonna get their just desserts! Just try and hold out, understand me?!"
"...Yes," Aika nodded with tears welling up in her eyes.
"It's gonna be okay," Usopp said as he wiped the girl's tears away with a confident smile on his face. "I promise you that."
"...Okay," Aika said.
"AAAAAAAAAARRRGH!" Luffy roared as he began pounding his fists on the ground. "DAMMIT, DAMMIT, DAMMIT! HE WAS SUCH A GREAT WARRIOR!"
"Luffy?" Vivi asked in surprise.
"WHO WAS IT?!" Luffy yelled. "WHO THE HELL DID THIS?! I'LL FIND WHOEVER IT WAS WHO INTERFERED WITH THEIR DUEL AND RIP THEIR HEADS OFF! I'LL KILL THEM ALL!"
"Luffy sure is getting worked up," said Kumi. "I don't understand why he cares so much, though...he did just meet the guy!"
"It's because Luffy is a man of honor, himself," said Zoro. "Sure, he's a pirate just like the rest of us...but even he has standards."
"It's true," Blizzard agreed. "Look back to what happened when Zoro fought that Cabaji guy back in Orange Town. When Buggy tried to hold Zoro back, Luffy immediately took action. He knows when things like honor and pride are at stake when it comes to fights like the one that Dorry and Brogy are having...and that's why he's so mad."
"Whenever I see Luffy get so angry like that," Chopper began, "it reminds me how lucky we are that he's on our side." He then gulped nervously.
"Hey...where did Carue go?" asked Vivi as she looked around, and yet could not find nor feather of the duck in question.
"Come to think of it, where did that duck go?" asked Sanji.
"Yeah, wasn't he just there?" asked Nami.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH~!" a familiar scream suddenly echoed throughout the jungle, and not long after, Past Usopp suddenly came blitzing out of the foliage until he crashed into a rock.
"Huh?" Luffy muttered in surprise. "Usopp? That you?!"
"LUFFY!" Past Usopp cried. "THIS IS TERRIBLE! NAMI...SHE WAS EATEN BY A DINOSAUR!"
"WHAAAAAAAAAAAT?!" Luffy and Vivi questioned.
"BIG SIS NAMI WAS EATEN?!" Aika cried.
"Aika, I'm right here!" Nami shouted in anger.
"Oh, right," said Aika.
"Now I remember this!" Nami said as she glared at Usopp. "Usopp, you left me behind to get captured by Baroque Works!"
"I-I swear, I thought you were behind me!" Usopp cried. "Honest!"
"Oh, please," Nami scoffed as she rolled her eyes. "I heard that before!"
"Now hold on!" Vivi called. "Calm down a second! Usopp, you said that Nami suddenly disappeared, but didn't you go back and check on her?!"
"Thank you, Vivi!" Nami exclaimed. "At least someone thought of that."
"I...I couldn't!" Past Usopp admitted. "I was scared outta my mind! If it wasn't a dinosaur, then maybe it was some kind of wild beast! What else could it have been?!"
"I don't know," Vivi answered, "but...what if there were some Baroque Works agents that followed us here to the island? Of the two of you, Nami's the one that they'd more likely take. After all, you're probably not on their hit list yet!"
"That's true," Usopp surmised. "I wasn't on their list until we got to Alabasta. No wonder they took Nami instead of me!"
"The ale that Mr. Dorry drank might have been Baroque Works' doing, as well," Vivi pointed out.
"Huh?" Past Usopp asked. "What are you talking about?"
"You know that grog that the other giant gave him?!" Luffy asked. "Well, Pops drank it, and then it blew up in his belly!"
"WHAT?!" Past Usopp questioned in shock and disbelief. "THE BOOZE EXPLODED?!"
"That's right," Vivi nodded.
"And he's going to fight, even though his insides are all torn up?!" Past Usopp asked. "But...but he and Dorry have been fighting with all they've got for 100 years! It's probably the most honorable battle in the history of battles! IT CAN'T END THIS WAY!"
"Wow, Usopp," said Chopper. "You're getting pretty worked up, too!"
"Well of course I was!" Usopp answered. "These guys were my inspiration to go to Elbaph in the first place!"
But then, a huge geyser of blood suddenly sprang up from beyond the trees, causing the Straw Hats to gape in horror.
"...Oh, no...!" Brook whispered. "You don't think...?!"
"...Yeah," Sanji replied. "Dorry lost."
"No way!" Franky exclaimed in disbelief.
"He didn't have a chance," Chopper said as he looked away. "His injuries were too much to bear. There was no way he would last much longer!"
A pause...but then Luffy growled as he started banging his head against the ground.
"DAMMIT, DAMMIT, DAMMIIIIIIT!" he roared. "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU, YOU BASTARD?! SHOW YOURSEEEEEEEELF!"
The Straw Hats could understand their captain's anger, and it was because of that mutual understanding that they remained quiet. It didn't mean that they weren't angry, though. In fact, they were beyond angry at this point. Even Robin, even though she used to be part of Baroque Works.
"...Hey, Luffy," said Past Usopp as he looked to the Straw Hat Captain. "I'm gonna find the bastards who did this...and I'm gonna kill 'em all!"
"I'll go with you!" said Vivi.
"That's a good idea!" Past Usopp agreed...with his legs shaking. "Good! Come with me, Vivi! You can act as my moral support!"
"Really?" asked Sanji, incredulously.
"Oh, come on, could you blame me?!" Usopp asked.
"There's no need for that!"
The group looked up to see none other than Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine...as well as a beaten and bloodied Carue!
"IT WAS YOU!" Luffy yelled. "YOU'RE THE ONES WHO DID THIS!"
"OH MY GOD, CARUE!" Vivi cried.
"You can have the bird back," said Mr. 5 as he threw the beaten duck to the ground.
Qua...quack...! Carue groaned as he lied on the ground, prompting Vivi to run to his side.
"Carue, are you all right?!" she asked before she glared at Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine. "How dare you! Carue had nothing to do with this!"
"Who are those two?!" Past Usopp asked.
"They were at Whiskey Peak!" Luffy answered.
"That's right," Mr. 5 said. "The bird didn't have anything to do with it...the only danger to us was Straw Hat, there. We had to lure the princess away from him, so we needed the duck to call out to her...but he was too damn stubborn."
"I see," said Chopper. "Carue didn't wanna rat Vivi out, so he kept his mouth shut...and he just Mr. 5 beat on him."
"Wow...so loyal...!" Kumi whispered.
"But since Straw Hat looks like he's been immobilized," said Mr. 5, "we won't be needing this stupid bird, anymore."
"Kyahahahahaha!" laughed Miss Valentine. "What a stupid bird he is!"
"...Oh, Carue...!" whispered as she hugged her precious friend and steed before glaring at the two Baroque Works agents. "You...! You'll pay for this!"
"It was you guys, wasn't it?!" Past Usopp asked as he pointed at Mr. 5, accusingly. "You're the one who rigged the grog to explode!"
"Huh?" Mr. 5 asked. "Oh, yeah. That was us. Who're you? Is that guy on the list?"
"No," Miss Valentine answered, "but he must be one of them...let's rub him out."
"You bastards...!" Past Usopp cursed. "You messed with the giants' duel!"
"So it was you!" Luffy yelled as he struggled to get out from under the manga. "I'M GONNA RIP YOU BOTH APART!"
"You're the ones who are getting rubbed out!" Vivi shouted as she pulled out some beads from her jacket, then swung them around on a swing on her fingers: her Peacock Slashers.
"Oh, so you wanna play now, eh, Miss Wednesday?" asked Mr. 5, mockingly.
"Kyahahaha!" laughed Miss Valentine. "Think you can beat two officer agents?"
"Peacock Slasher!" Vivi shouted as she charged at the two.
"Eat this!" Past Usopp shouted as he aimed his slingshot. "Certain Death...EXPLODING STAR!" He fired a shot at the two agents and it seemed to hit its mark...until it was soon revealed that Miss Valentine jumped out of the way using her Devil Fruit powers, and Mr. 5 was completely unharmed!
"Oh, crap, I remember this part!" Usopp cursed. "One of my most humiliating defeats!"
Robin covered Aika's and Kumi's eyes and ears, just in case.
"USOPP! VIVI! LOOK OUT!" Luffy cried.
"Nezpalm..." Mr. 5 began as he held up his fingers to Past Usopp, who gasped in shock. "CANNON!"
KABOOM! With that single flick of his fingers, he blasted Past Usopp right in the face, and as if that wasn't enough, Miss Valentine came crashing down on him with her 10,000 Kilo Press, making a crater as she landed.
"USOPP, NO!" Luffy cried in horror.
"How were you able to even stand after that, Usopp?!" asked Chopper. "She landed right on your spine!"
"To this day, I still have no idea!" Usopp answered.
"DAMN YOU~!" Vivi cursed as she prepared to hit Mr. 5, who tripped her up with a little mini explosion.
"Now calm down," said Mr. 5 as he grabbed Vivi by the neck. "Don't get too excited. We're not gonna kill you guys, right here and now. We only came to capture you, that's all, per Mr. 3's orders."
"HEY!" Sanji yelled. "PUT MY GIRLFRIEND DOWN, DAMN YOU!"
"Mr. 3?!" Vivi asked, straining to get Mr. 5's hand off her throat. "The Wax-Wax Fruit user...he's here, too?!"
"That's right," said Mr. 5. "He uses the wax his body produces as a weapon. He's a candle-man."
Soon, he handed the captive princess to Miss Valentine, who roughly held her hands behind her back.
"Agh! Let go!" Vivi cried.
"Kyahahaha!" laughed Miss Valentine. "You better behave yourself, now, princess." She then looked over at the defeated Past Usopp and Carue. "Did you idiots really think you could win against two Baroque Works officers like us?"
Luffy was the only one who was even conscious...but he was panting with exhaustion.
"Kyahahahaha!" laughed Miss Valentine. "Even Straw Hat, whose bounty is 30 million Berries, turned out to be nothing but a joke!"
"Heheheh..." Mr. 5 chuckled. "This is what he gets for defeating us back at Whiskey Peak."
"The fossil on his back is choking him," said Chopper, worriedly. "Luffy's body may be made of rubber, but eventually his lungs can't take too much compression!"
"You stupid pirates should have stayed out of our way," said Mr. 5. "We've also captured that swordsman and your little girlfriend."
"...You caught Zoro, huh?" Luffy asked with a smirk. "In that case...you're all screwed."
"Zoro got caught?" Brook asked. "But...what did Luffy mean by that?"
"He was talking about them being screwed...by me," Zoro answered. "Those Baroque Works scumbags were gonna have a real fight on their hands."
"Sounds like he still trusts you after all," Robin smiled.
"So you can still talk, huh?" asked Mr. 5 as he reeled his leg back. "Let's see how big you talk after I give you a face full of my kicking bombs."
Luffy grunted as he lifted his head up.
"Go ahead and try if you want," he started, "but in the end...I'm still gonna kick your ass!" On that, he spat on Mr. 5's boot...but it didn't seem to faze him at all.
"How pathetic," said Miss Valentine.
"...Yeah," agreed Mr. 5. "So long...Straw Hat."
KABOOM! He kicked Luffy in the face, the impact causing the humongous explosion...before the memory faded to black.
"Oh, no!" Aika cried in horror. "Big Brother lost?!"
"For now, it seems," Nami answered.
"Those Baroque Works have no concept about honor, do they?!" Franky questioned as he punched a fist into his palm.
"How despicable," Brook hissed. "Meddlers, intefering with a duel like that. Why, if I were there, I'd show them a thing or two!"
"You'd also be blown to bits," Usopp said. "Seriously, that bomb guy was no joke!"
"Still, at least you guys managed to come back for us," said Nami. "Thanks, Usopp."
"Yeah, well...y'know," Usopp said. "I was angrier than I was scared! Plus, those ass-clowns deserved it after what they did to Dorry and Brogy!"
Suddenly, the memory returned and Luffy gasped for breath as he woke up. Then he looked around and saw Past Usopp, who was trying to pull himself out of the crater that Miss Valentine put him in, and Carue, who was also staggering to his feet.
"...Hey...Usopp," Luffy said, getting the sniper's attention. "We're not...really gonna let 'em get away this, are we?"
"Hell no!" Past Usopp answered.
QUACK-QUAAAAACK! Carue squawked furiously before he began to use his bill to try and dig Luffy out from under the fossil.
"...Heh," Luffy smirked. "You're pissed off too, aren't you, duck?"
QUAAAAAAACK! Carue squawked again.
"He said 'I'm not letting them getting away with taking Vivi'," Chopper translated.
"Okay then," Luffy said before he finally pulled himself out from underneath the fossil. "Let's get moving!"
"YEAH!" Past Usopp shouted with Carue quacking in agreement, and with that, all three of them charged off into the jungle. It wasn't very long before they managed to break through with Luffy kicking a palm tree out of the way. However, at the speed they were going, they accidentally ended up crashing along the ground, passing by Mr. 5, Miss Valentine, a slim man with his hair styled into the number 3, a young girl holding a backpack full of art supplies, Brogy, who was lying on the ground along with Dorry, and for some reason, Past Nami, Past Zoro, and Vivi stuck on some kind of cake-like structure.
"HEY, YOU GUYS!" Luffy shouted as he pointed at the Baroque Works agents. "YOU'RE GONNA DIE, RIGHT HERE AND NOW!"
CRASH! They ended up hitting the trees.
"...Well...that was quite the entrance," said Sanji.
"Oh, bite me," Usopp glared.
"...Hey," Aika said. "I just realized...Sanji, where were you?"
"Off lollygagging," Zoro answered.
"I was not!" Sanji snapped. "I was...having tea...in a wax house."
"That kinda means you were lollygagging," Blizzard muttered.
"Oh, what do you know?!" Sanji questioned.
"All right!" Luffy exclaimed as he, Past Usopp, and Carue stood up. "Usopp! Duck! Let's kick their asses!"
"YOU GOT IT!" Past Usopp yelled in agreement, wearing his goggles.
QUACK-QUAAAAAAACK! Carue squawked out.
"He said 'I'm here to save you, Vivi'!" Chopper translated.
"LUFFY! USOPP!" Past Nami cried out, her body getting covered up in wax.
"CARUE!" Vivi called, while Past Zoro remained stoic.
"Brogy!" Past Usopp called out. "Don't worry! We're here to avenge you!"
"Urrgh...Usopp...!" Brogy grunted.
"Luffy!" Past Nami called out. "Kick these guys' asses! Beat them to a pulp and then send them flying, far, far away!"
"You got it!" Luffy replied as he punched a fist into his palm. "These jerks ruined the giants' battle!"
"Go get 'em, Big Brother!" Aika cheered.
"Ha! Now they're really in trouble!" Kumi said. "Luffy's gonna send them flying, just you watch!"
"So," said Mr. 3, "you're the man whose head holds the highest bounty in the East Blue, are you? Hmph! The Marines certainly have lowered their standards."
"Wow, look at your weird hair!" Luffy exclaimed. "It looks like a 3...and it's on fire!"
"SHUT UP!" Mr. 3 yelled.
"Luffy, never mind that!" Past Nami yelled. "We're being turned into wax figures, here!"
"Oh," Luffy said as he finally noticed the trouble the others were in. "You're in danger?"
"...Nope," Past Zoro answered. "No danger here."
That's when the present-day Straw Hats noticed something disturbing: there was a pool of blood forming around his ankles...and his swords were suspiciously pointed towards them.
"W-what the-?!" Past Nami questioned. "Zoro, your legs are bleeding!"
"Oh, yeah," Past Zoro answered. "I kinda hacked about halfway through 'em."
"DON'T SAY IT SO CASUALLY!" yelled Past Nami.
"...Oh, right," Nami said. "I forgot that part."
"...Do I even want to know?" Robin asked as she glared at Zoro, who gulped.
"Uh...okay," he stammered, "we were trapped and...since Luffy wasn't there and we were running out of time, I felt like I had no choice but to...um...cut off my legs...?"
"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!" Chopper shrieked. "YOU TRIED TO CUT OFF YOUR OWN LEGS?!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAHH!" Aika and Kumi screamed.
"Wait...is that where the scars on your ankles are from?!" Brook asked.
"Jeez, Zoro, I knew you were crazy, but not that crazy!" Blizzard yelled.
"...Zoro?" Robin asked.
"Yeah, I know," Zoro said as he braced himself.
SMACK! Robin promptly slapped the swordsman across the face, leaving a stinging red palm mark on his left cheek.
"...Ouch," Zoro muttered.
"Anyways," Past Zoro grinned as he looked over at Luffy. "Luffy, could you break this pillar? We'll let you finish up here."
"Heh!" Luffy replied. "No problem!"
However, Mr. 3 chuckled suspiciously.
"Sorry," he said, "but I'm afraid I can't let you do that."
"What is that thing, anyway?" asked Aika, worriedly, as she looked at the pillar.
"It's Mr. 3's special trap," said Robin. "He thinks that seeing people dying in his wax is a work of art, so he's using to slowly suffocate Nami, Vivi, and Zoro from the inside out and turn them all into wax figures."
"What?!" Aika questioned in shock.
"Relax, Aika!" Nami said. "We're okay, see?!"
"I don't know what that thing is," Luffy said as he cracked his knuckles, "but I'm gonna smash it to bits!"
"Gotcha!" Past Usopp agreed as he sat on Carue's back. "I feel as good as new!"
QUACK! Carue quacked, also in agreement.
"Luffy, hurry!" Past Nami cried. "We're getting stiff here!" She then looked over at Past Zoro, who, for some reason was pointing his sword up to the sky. "Uh...what are you doing, Zoro?"
"Well, I figured if I'm gonna be a wax statue," Past Zoro began, "I might as well be in the pose I want."
"Are you crazy?!" Past Vivi questioned. "This isn't the time for that!"
"Yeah, can't you at least stop your legs from bleeding?!" asked Past Nami. "It hurts me just watching them!"
"Then just don't look at 'em," Past Zoro rebuked.
"That doesn't help!" Past Nami said. "Besides, what idiot cuts off his own legs so he can run away?!"
"You got it wrong," said Past Zoro. "I was trying to cut my legs off so I could fight."
"That's even worse!" Past Nami yelled.
"Seriously?" Sanji asked. "How can you expect someone if you can't even stand?"
"Thank you, Sanji!" Nami replied. "See, Zoro? He gets it!"
"Oh, shut up..." Zoro grumbled.
Soon, the fight had begun with Luffy charging at Mr. 3 right off the bat (while Past Usopp and Carue hid behind the trees). Mr. 3 tried to use his Candle Lock on Luffy's legs, but that only gave him an advantage in using Brogy's helmet to send himself flying and then used the wax hammer to smash the pillar...which would have crush Past Zoro, Past Nami, and Vivi, but instead it landed on another layer of the wax cake...and that only seemed to speed up the hardening process.
"Hey, guys, what are you doing?!" Luffy questioned. "Get outta there!"
"We can't!" Past Nami yelled. "We can't even move!"
"Wait, you can't?" Luffy asked. "But I broke the pillar like you told me to!"
"Are we really entrusting our lives to a moron like him, Mr. Bushido?!" asked Vivi.
"We don't really have much choice since we're pretty much frozen like this, now do we?" asked Past Zoro.
"Hold on," said Past Nami. "I-I can't move, either...and it's getting really hard to breathe!"
"Hahahahaha!" laughed Mr. 3. "Now that the candle is closer, your bodies are hardening faster! You fools will all be part of my wax figure collection!"
"Wait, it sped up?!" Chopper questioned.
"Seriously, Luffy doesn't these things through enough," said Nami.
"To be fair," Franky began, "you didn't exactly what part of the pillar to smash."
"True," Nami nodded. "Still, though, Luffy tends to do more harm than good."
"Wait a minute!" Luffy cried. "You guys are turning into wax figures?! Why didn't you say so sooner?!"
"WE'RE SAYING SO, NOW!" Past Nami and Vivi yelled.
"Luffy, just hurry up and smash the stupid thing!" Past Zoro shouted.
"Got it!" Luffy replied. "Leave it to me!"
"Oh, no you don't!" Mr. 3 shouted. "Wax-Wax Art HARPOON!" He then threw a sharp harpoon of wax at Luffy, who yelped in fright as he didn't have time to dodge.
"Oh, no!" Aika cried as she covered her eyes. "I can't watch!"
"Hang on, Luffy!" Past Usopp called out. "Certain Death...GUNPOWDER STAR!"
He fired a shot at Mr. 3, but then Mr. 5 jumped in the way...and ate it! Thankfully, had managed to dodge during that time, while Past Usopp's Gunpowder Star exploded in his stomach, which caused him to burp.
"Gotta say," said the bomb-man, "that wasn't very tasty. You don't use very good gunpowder, do you?"
"...I REALLY need to think those things through, next time," Usopp muttered as he watched his past self's failure.
"To be fair," Blizzard said, "you didn't really know he would do that, so it's not entirely your fault."
"Thanks," said Usopp.
"This isn't good!" Past Nami cried. "The wax is coming down faster!"
"Good thing I chose this pose, then," said Past Zoro.
"YOU IDIOT!" Past Nami yelled. "DON'T YOU REALIZE WE'RE ABOUT TO DIE HERE?!"
"LUFFY!" Vivi cried. "PLEASE HURRY!"
"Hang on, guys!" Luffy called. "I'll get you outta there!" He then glared up at the wax pumpkin candle that was spinning around. "Aha! So that pumpkin thing is what's causing the problem, huh?"
"Well, that didn't take too long for him to figure out," said Brook.
"GUM-GUUUUM..." Luffy yelled as he stretched his arms back. "BAZOOKA!"
"CANDLE WALL!"
WHAM! Luffy ended up hitting his arms against a wall made of solid wax.
"Crap!" Luffy cursed as he glared at Mr. 3. "Hey, you jerk! Stop getting in my way!"
"I should say the same about you!" Mr. 3 retorted. "Stop interfering with my masterpiece!" He then threw another gob of wax at Luffy's arm. "CANDLE LOCK!"
"Oh, man, not again!" Luffy complained before he gasped. "Ooh, wait! Actually, this works out better!"
Soon, he held out his arm, allowing it get caught in the Candle Lock.
"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed. "Thanks for the hammer, bozo!"
"...Oh, dear," Mr. 3 muttered in dread before he erected a Candle Wall in the hope of blocking the incoming attack.
"Now Gum-Gum...HAMMER!" Luffy yelled as he punched the wall...and this time, using Mr. 3's wax against him, managed to smash through the wall and sent Mr. 3 flying away!
"Yes!" Aika cheered. "He did it!"
"All right, Luffy!" Chopper exclaimed. "Way to go!"
"As if there was ever a doubt!" Kumi said. "Once again, Luffy comes through, just like always!"
"I wouldn't be cheering just yet," said Zoro.
"What do you mean?" asked Sanji.
"Way to go, Luffy!" Past Nami praised. "Now hurry up and get us outta here!"
"...Nope," Luffy said, bluntly, to the shock of everyone except those who were present.
"W-wait, what?!" Franky questioned.
"What did he just say?!" asked Blizzard.
"Luffy, stop screwing around!" Past Zoro barked. "Hurry and get us outta this mess!"
"...I don't wanna," Luffy said.
"Luffy, please, you have to help us!" cried Vivi.
"...What's going on?" Luffy asked...his face visibly showing that he seemed to be struggling. "I just don't wanna save you guys."
'That's not true! I do wanna save you guys! What's happening?! Why can't I move?!'
"...Hey..." Aika said as she looked down at the ground. "What's that Big Brother's standing on?"
That's when the Straw Hats looked down...and saw Luffy standing on a black mark on the grass.
"...Colors Trap," said Mr. 3's partner, the girl from earlier as she ate a rice cracker.
"Oh, no," Robin said, dreadfully. "That's Miss Goldenweek's power!"
"What do you mean?!" asked Franky. "You mean she ate a Devil Fruit or something?!"
"No...it's the power of her hypnosis," said Robin. "When she paints a certain color, her victim's mood changes according to that color...and that color is...!"
"Betrayal Black," said Miss Goldenweek, as if to finish Robin's sentence for her. Needless to say, the Straw Hats were quite unnerved. They could see Luffy was definitely struggling, and yet, he could not will his body to move to save his crew, and since Luffy was so easy to manipulate, it was no wonder he easily fell for Miss Goldenweek's trap. Her power was certainly a dangerous one.
"Luffy, hurry up!" Past Nami urged. "Please! We're running out of time here!"
"I know," Luffy answered, "but...I still don't wanna help you guys!"
'Dammit, yes I do! Come on, me! Move!'
"...This is just cruel to watch, now," said Brook.
"Yeah...now that I hear his inner thoughts," Nami began, "I can't help feeling bad for Luffy, especially now! He's forced to just stand there and watch us die!"
"Luffy, what are you saying?!" Nami's past self questioned. "We're about to become wax figures over here! Don't you get it?! We're about to DIE!"
"I know," Luffy replied, "but...I just don't feel like it."
"YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE IT?!" Past Zoro, Past Nami, and Vivi shouted.
'No, no, no, no! I do wanna help! I have to help! I don't want you guys to die on me!'
Past Usopp and Carue were about go and help Luffy, but unfortunately, they were being held up by Mr. 5 and thus had no choice but to retreat, thus leaving the others behind.
"You just had to leave us stranded, didn't you?" Zoro asked.
"Cut me some slack!" Usopp yelled. "I came back, right?!"
"Miss Goldenweek," Vivi glared at the one responsible, "this is your doing, isn't it?!"
"That's right," said Miss Goldenweek as she munched on some rice crackers. "It's my Colors Trap: Betrayal Black. The black paint I painted on the ground makes people want to betray their friends."
"What is she saying?!" Past Nami questioned. "What's going on?!"
"That girl is an artist who can accurately recreate the colors of emotions," said Vivi. "She uses ordinary paint to make refined color images that hypnotize people."
"What?!" Past Zoro questioned. "Ah, crap! If it's hypnosis, then that means Luffy doesn't stand a chance! He's a simple-minded buffoon!"
"Sadly, Moss-head's right," said Sanji. "Luffy's so dopey, it's so easy for him to get hypnotized like that."
"Poor Big Brother," Aika said, worriedly.
"Yeah, what's he gonna do?!" asked Kumi.
"Well, he can just step off that symbol, right?!" Past Nami asked. "Luffy! Get away from that mark on the ground!"
"I don't wanna," Luffy said, bluntly.
'DAMMIT, YES I DO! AAAAAAAAARRGH!'
"Wait, Luffy!" Vivi called. "Don't get off that symbol, whatever you do! Please don't!"
"What?!" Past Nami questioned. "What are you doing?!"
"Relax," Vivi whispered. "Trust me." She then looked back at Luffy. "Luffy, do you understand?! We don't want you to save us!"
"Oh...well, in that case," Luffy said as he backed off the symbol.
"Oh, I see," Past Zoro said. "Reverse psychology."
"Whoa!" Luffy exclaimed as he stumbled for a second. "Sorry about that, guys! Something was wrong for a minute, there! But don't worry! I'm coming to save you, now!"
But then, out of nowhere, he suddenly started rolling on the ground with laughter!
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" he guffawed, wildly. "SUDDENLY EVERYTHING'S SO FUNNY! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"Now what's wrong?!" Chopper questioned.
"Look at his back!" Robin exclaimed as she pointed at the symbol on Luffy's back.
"Colors Trap: Laughter Yellow," said Miss Goldenweek. "Now stop trying to destroy the candle. I don't want Mr. 3 getting mad when he gets back."
"...This girl is seriously scary," Franky said, nervously.
"Even to this day, I still can't explain it," Robin said. "All I know is that she can use her paintings to manipulate people."
"Then how is Luffy supposed to fight back against someone like her?!" Blizzard asked.
"It's on his vest!" Past Nami cried. "Luffy, quick! Take your vest off!"
"No! I just wanna- AHAHAHAHA! I JUST WANNA LAUGH! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Luffy kept howling with laughter.
'QUIT LAUGHING! IT'S NOT FUNNY!'
But then, out of nowhere, Carue came running back with Past Usopp on his back, accidentally trampling over Luffy as they ran from Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine, and in doing so, they rubbed out the paint on Luffy's back, causing him to regain his senses, again.
"Ugh...that stupid girl did something to me, again, didn't she?!" Luffy asked before he glared at Miss Goldenweek. "Cut it out, will you?!"
"Did you enjoy my Laughter Yellow?" Miss Goldenweek asked, nonchalantly.
"Stop getting in my way, already!" Luffy yelled. "I gotta smash that pumpkin thing and save my friends! NOW GUM-GUUUUUUM...BAZOOKA!"
"Colors Trap: Bullfight Red," said Miss Goldenweek as she painted a red symbol on the ground...which caused Luffy's arm to hit it instead of the giant candle.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, YOU DUMB ASS?!" shouted Past Zoro, Past Nami, and Vivi.
"I'm not gonna let you break it," said Miss Goldenweek. "Mr. 3's gonna get mad. Now you'll stick to that pattern like a bull goes after a red cape."
"Rrrrrgh...dammit!" Luffy growled. "GUM-GUM BAZOOKA!"
Unfortunately, it still yielded the same results.
"OH COME ON!" Luffy complained.
"Having fun?" asked Miss Goldenweek.
"This isn't good," said Past Nami. "She's taking Luffy out without even lifting a finger! His powers are useless against her!"
"And now for the finishing touch," said Miss Goldenweek as she began to mix two of her paints together. "I'll mix Laughter Yellow and Sorrowful Blue to make..." She then painted a green symbol on Luffy's back. "Colors Trap: Calming Green."
Soon, Luffy was sitting in front of Miss Goldenweek, drinking a hot cup of tea and eating rice crackers with her.
"Ahh...that's some good tea," he said, serenely.
"LUFFY, YOU IDIOT!" Past Zoro, Past Nami, and Vivi yelled.
'It's not my fault...no matter what I do, she keeps getting in my way!'
By now, it seemed that it was getting to be too late for the trapped trio, for soon, even their faces had gotten frozen, and all Luffy could do was sit there, having his picnic with Miss Goldenweek.
"Ugh...uuuggh...!" Luffy grunted as he tried to put down the tea, visibly struggling to fight off the hypnosis, but was ultimately powerless against it. "This tea...is too good...!"
'What do I do...? My friends are gonna die, and I can't do anything! Somebody, please help me!'
The Straw Hats felt their hearts go out to Luffy because that thought sounded like he was about to break down crying. He had already lost his mother and Sabo. Now he was about to lose his friends, as well, and he was absolutely powerless against it.
"HANG ON, LUFFY!" Past Usopp called out, causing Luffy to turn around. "CERTAIN DEATH...FIRE STAR!"
KABLOW! The sniper shot a flaming shot at Luffy, who cried out in surprise, just when he and Carue had been hit by Mr. 5's Breeze Breath Bomb from his gun.
"Usopp, what did you shoot Big Brother for?!" Aika questioned.
"I'm sorry, Aika!" Usopp answered. "I had no choice! And besides, look what happened!"
"Ugh..." Past Usopp groaned as he tried to stand up. "Luffy! You awake now, dummy?!"
"...Yeah," Luffy answered. "I'm awake. Thanks for the help, Usopp! Now that stupid paint won't work on me anymore!"
As the smoke cleared, the Straw Hats saw their captain...now completely shirtless (and Nami couldn't help but blush upon seeing her captain's six-pack). His skin had gotten burned, but not too severely. The only thing that they could see on his face now...was nothing but pure rage.
"That's it!" he shouted. "You're not gonna kill my friends while I'm here! Now you've really pissed me off!"
"That was clever what you did, Usopp," Robin said. "Risky, but clever."
"You always did have the brains," Franky grinned.
"Yohohoho!" Brook laughed. "Well done!"
"Ah, shucks," Usopp said. "I just did what made any sense."
"While somebody was off doing who-knows-what," Zoro said while side-eyeing Sanji.
"Watch it, Moss-head," Sanji sneered. "I'll have you know that if it wasn't for me, we'd still be on the island!"
Soon, the battle began, once again, and this time, Mr. 3 returned, wearing a giant suit of armor made of wax. That's when Past Usopp realized the candle-man's weakness: the mist in the air was simply melted wax, meaning it was weak to heat. Also, since Past Zoro, Past Nami, Vivi, and Brogy hadn't been frozen for too long, that meant that there was still a chance to save them. While Luffy kept Mr. 3 busy, Past Usopp had Carue run around the candle, avoiding getting shot by Mr. 5 as he did, while the sniper was being slowly crushed to death by Miss Valentine sitting on top of his back and adding the kilograms by the hundreds as she did.
However, Luffy managed to grab Mr. 3 by his hair, the tip of which was on fire, before he ran to the candle in order to burn it.
"Luffy!" Past Usopp called out. "That tiny flame won't be enough! Burn the rope that Carue is pulling!"
"The rope?!" Luffy asked. "Why?!"
"Just trust me!" Past Usopp answered as he poured oil all over the rope. "I covered the whole thing in oil!"
"Got it!" Luffy exclaimed. "Okay, you guys! TIME TO WAKE UP!"
"No! Stop!" Mr. 3 cried. "DON'T DO IT!"
"Sorry, you guys!" Past Usopp said. "It's gonna get hot, so...just grit your teeth and bear it!"
The Straw Hats forced themselves to shield their eyes once Luffy hit the rope with Mr. 3's flame, causing it to explode into a gigantic fireball, as well as melt Mr. 3's armor.
"Oh, man!" Luffy exclaimed, worriedly. "I hope I didn't burn them alive!"
After a moment, Past Nami and Vivi emerged...the former wearing just her skirt and bra as she easily whacked Miss Valentine away with her bo staff.
"Jeez, Usopp!" Past Nami complained. "Don't you think you could've done something else?!"
"Hey, you're alive, aren't you?!" asked Past Usopp.
"That's true," Past Nami smiled. "Thanks, Usopp."
"Yeah," Vivi agreed. "I can't believe we got out of there alive!"
"Plus, I wouldn't have discovered how lethal flaming swords can be," Zoro pointed out. "They sure came in handy when I finished off that bomb guy."
"Yeah, thanks a lot for getting us outta there, Usopp," said Nami.
"I know it was a risk," said Usopp, "but hey! We're pirates! What're a few risks here and there?"
"That's true," Blizzard nodded.
Meanwhile, Luffy quietly gaped at Nami...his heart pounding, his face blushing, and the memory turning pink, once more. When Past Nami glanced over at him, she seemed to momentarily blush at the sight of him being shirtless as well...but then she gasped when she spotted Mr. 3 running off into the jungle.
"Oh my god!" Past Nami exclaimed. "Luffy! The wax guy's getting away!"
"What?!" Luffy questioned before he saw Mr. 3 trying to escape. "Hey, you! Get back here!" With that, he soon chased after him, and Carue soon joined in the pursuit.
"Come on, duck!" Luffy called. "We can't let 'em get away! Any man who spoils a battle of honor...is not a man at all!"
QUACK-QUAAACK! Carue quacked in agreement.
"He's still worked up about that, it seems," said Robin.
"You know Luffy," said Zoro. "He won't stop until the job's done."
Soon, the duo managed to find Mr. 3...only they found multiple copies of him, as well, all of them seeming to laugh smugly.
"I'm glad you came, Straw Hat," said Mr. 3. "Welcome to my Wax-Wax Mansion."
"Ah!" Chopper cried. "He multiplied!"
"Which one of them is the real one?!" asked Aika.
"Can you tell which one is the real me?" Mr. 3 inquired, mockingly. "I bet you can't! Hahahaha! You've really picked a bad enemy, Straw Hat! We're the best brains of Baroque Works, and what are you? Some super-powered buffoon who only acts on instinct. You'll never find which one is the real me! I am the great Mr. 3 and I never fail my mission!"
"Ahhh...!" Chopper moaned, his eyes swirling around in a daze. "I'm getting dizzy just looking at these guys!"
"Me, too!" Kumi added.
"Come and step inside," said Mr. 3, "but the moment you have your back turned on me...you'll find it stabbed straight through with a dagger to the heart! Hahahahaha!"
A pause...but then Luffy reeled his leg back.
"Gum-Gum...STAMP!" he yelled out as he stretched his foot forward...and kicked the real Mr. 3 right in the face, to the horror of Miss Goldenweek, who was watching nearby.
"He got him!" Aika cheered.
"All right, Luffy! Way to go!" Usopp exclaimed.
"UGH!" Mr. 3 cried as he was hit against a tree, dropping a dagger on the ground as he fell. "But...but how...? How did you know...it was me...!"
"...Instinct," Luffy answered, bluntly.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Next time on One Piece: The Fire Within.
Luffy: All right, we did it! Rice cracker party!
Past Nami: That's nice and all, Luffy, but how do we get off this island?!
Past Sanji: Hey, you guys!
Past Nami: Sanji! There you are!
Vivi: Is...is that an Eternal Pose to Alabasta?!
Sanji: See? I told you I wasn't lollygagging.
Zoro: *grumbles under his breath*
*A giant goldfish appears*
Past Usopp: AAAAAAAAHH! A GIANT GOLDFISH!
Vivi: We're gonna get swallowed up!
Luffy: Just keep sailing straight ahead!
Dorry and Brogy: HAKOKU SOVEREIGNTY! *They cut through the goldfish*
Luffy: Thanks, giant guys!
Aika: They made it!
Chopper: Hey...what's wrong with Nami?!
Past Nami: *has collapsed on the deck with a fever*
Vivi: EVERYONE, COME QUICK! NAMI'S SICK!
Luffy: What?!
Next time: Nami Falls Ill
Phew! That's done, and just in time for the story's anniversary tomorrow!
I don't know why lately, stories I updated are saying I updated them the day before I do, but oh well.
Review, please!