Ch. 48- Luffy vs. Crocodile
One Piece © Oda
Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, Kumi, Kovar, and Monkey D. Star © Me
Shade © Gakuto1991
"Tense" could barely describe what the Straw Hats were feeling as they watched the battle between Luffy and Crocodile. Aika whimpered worriedly as she clung to Nami's hand, even covered her eyes with Luffy's hat, but despite her fear, curiosity continued to force her to peek from under the rim. Out of everyone, though, Zoro was the most nervous of all, despite how stoic he looked while he was watching.
After all...he knew what happened when went up against one of the Seven Warlords without being fully prepared.
As Luffy's fist flew at Crocodile, the Warlord ducked his head down before his body turned into sand, which flew at Luffy before he even had time to blink. Thankfully, he managed to dodge Crocodile's golden hook, just as it was mere inches away from his face. He then tried to hit sand-man with a Gum-Gum Stamp, but due to the lack of Armaments' Haki, his foot only ended up going right through him and Luffy ended up rolling along the sand.
"Ugggh...this makes me so nervous...!" Aika said. "I don't wanna watch because back then, this was before Big Brother had that Haki thing!"
"Then why are you even watching?!" Kumi asked.
"I have to!" Aika cried. "It's Big Brother! You know I can't resist when he's fighting! Even when he's not doing so good, he looks so cool!"
"Kuhahahaha!" Crocodile laughed. "Throw everything you've got at me, Straw Hat, but you still won't-"
"GUM-GUM GATLING~!" Luffy roared as he threw a flurry of punches at the Warlord, but again, his fists only went right through him.
"Oh, man!" Usopp exclaimed as he put his hands on his head. "Why doesn't Luffy just run away?! He sees that his attacks won't work on him!"
"Because if he did, Crocodile would just go after us before we got Vivi to Alubarna," said Nami. "You know that!"
"I-I'm not saying he had to lead him towards us!" Usopp argued. "Maybe he could've lured Crocodile away and then run to try and catch up to us later!"
"What good would that do?!" Sanji asked. "It still wouldn't stop Crocodile!"
"He's right," Franky said. "That crazy psycho would still kill everyone in the country, wouldn't he?"
"...I guess you have a point," Usopp said, defeated.
Crocodile continued to try and mock Luffy, who continuously struck him with his attacks, despite knowing that they didn't work. He struck him with his Bazooka attacked and even stomped him out with his Battle Axe move. Hell, he even stomped his foot against the sand for good measure. Still, Crocodile appeared right behind him and attempted to mock Luffy, again, only for him to get punched in the face, even though it ended up turning into sand.
"What was that?!" Luffy asked. "You tryin' to say somethin', Croc?!"
At that moment...Crocodile finally started to look annoyed.
"Heh," Zoro smirked. "Leave it to Luffy to hit 'em where it hurts."
"Very brave of him," Robin added.
"Yeah...but he really ought to watch it," said Sanji. "He wasn't prepared to face a Warlord, let alone a Warlord with the powers of a Logia-type Devil Fruit."
"That's true," Nami said, nervously. "From here on out, we don't know what will happen."
"...I'm through messing around with you, boy," Crocodile said venomously while the tiny hourglass continued to fill with sand as the seconds ticked by. "Playtime is over."
"Who the hell said I'm playing?!" Luffy questioned. "Still...he's just like Smokey. I can't hit this guy without him turning into sand!"
"You and I are in a completely different class, Straw Hat!" Crocodile exclaimed as his hand turned into sand. "Desert SPADA!" He then threw the sand at Luffy, who didn't move at first...until he saw a tiny pebble get sliced in half, causing him to gasp before he jumped out of the way.
"HOLY CRAP!" he cursed.
"WAAAH!" Aika shrieked. "Big Brother would've been next if that sand hit him!"
"The sand didn't just hit the rock," said Nami as she pointed to the huge open ravine in the desert.
"I don't believe it!" Blizzard exclaimed. "He managed to do THAT?! He must be an Awakened Devil Fruit user!"
"Oh, come on, that's just as bad!" Usopp complained.
"Nice job on dodging," Crocodile quipped, mockingly. "If you had been a second too late, you wouldn't even have time to say 'holy crap' before you got sliced in half."
"Whoa...!" Luffy gaped as he looked at the huge ravine.
"I've trained hard to develop my Devil Fruit powers," Crocodile said as he held up his hand, sand falling from his very fingers. "I can use them to make any weapon of my choosing...unlike some fools who are satisfied with their powers the way they are. I continually conditioned myself and improved my skills! I'll make you regret you ever tangled with me, Straw Hat! DESERT GIRASOLE!"
He slammed his right hand down into the sand. At first, nothing happened...but then, Luffy screamed as he fell down, right into a giant sandpit.
"WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA!" he cried as he tried to run out of the hole, only to slide toward the middle. "Ah, crap, the sand's sucking me in!"
"Never heard of quicksand, boy?" Crocodile asked. "It makes a convenient grave in the desert. The sand gets sucked down into an underground river. It's easy for me to detect its location...in a battle in the desert sands, no one has ever stood a chance against me!"
"Dammit!" Franky cursed. "This couldn't get any worse, could it?!"
"Luffy's basically fighting Crocodile at his strongest," Robin said. "I hate to say it...but he didn't stand a chance."
"This can't be happening!" Aika cried as she put her hands on her head. "Big Brother's getting beaten?!"
"Say it isn't so!" Kumi exclaimed.
"Oh, now I don't wanna watch!" Chopper added as he covered his eyes.
"Haa...haa...!" Luffy panted as he kept running. "I'm not...gonna let you bury me here, you bastard!" He stretched his arms way back. "GUM-GUUUUUM...BAZOOKA!"
Instead of hitting Crocodile, Luffy slammed the ground with both arms, using the momentum to send himself flying out of the pit!
"Wow!" Aika exclaimed. "He got out!"
"Very clever!" Brook added.
"Yes," Robin began, "but it won't be enough."
"...She's right," said Zoro. "This fight was decided a long time ago."
"What do you mean?" asked Aika.
"If punching won't work," Luffy began as he tangled his fingers up, "then...GUM-GUM NET!" He threw his fingers at Crocodile, attempting to catch him, just like he did with Arlong, but the Warlord ended up catching Luffy's fingers with his powers.
"Don't you ever learn, kid?" Crocodile asked. "I told you, it's useless."
"GUM-GUM WHIP!" Luffy yelled as he used his leg to split the sand-man in half...but still, Crocodile managed to regenerate.
"That same old routine, huh?" he asked in a bored voice before he pulled Luffy closer. "CRESCENT CUTLASS!"
He swiped his right arm against Luffy's own right arm...and as Luffy fell to the ground, he screamed in both horror and agony.
His right arm had shriveled up into a husk.
"AAAH!" Luffy screamed. "MY ARM'S BEEN MUMMIFIED!"
"AAAAAAAH!" Aika shrieked. "BIG BROTHER'S ARM!"
"W-w-what happened?!" Franky questioned.
"Crocodile sucked out all the moisture inside," Robin answered, grimly.
"...Luffy...!" Nami whispered, her hands covering her mouth in horror and worry.
"Oh, man...I think I'm gonna be sick...!" Usopp added, his arms around his stomach.
"As am I," Brook began, "and I don't even have a stomach anymore!"
"This is one of the properties of sand," Crocodile explained with an arrogant grin. "It absorbed the moisture inside your arm...and once it's absorbed all of your body's moisture, you'll be nothing more than another example of what my powers can do. That's the way of the desert."
"Rrrrgh...damn you!" Luffy cursed as he stood up...then he gasped, as if remembering something. "Wait! That's it!" He then turned and ran to his discarded desert robes, causing Crocodile to blink in bewilderment.
"What's Big Brother doing?" asked Aika.
"I don't know," Usopp answered.
"Come on, where is it?" Luffy asked as he searched his robes. "Where...aha!" He then picked up the small barrel of water that Toto gave him.
"Oh!" Nami exclaimed. "The water!"
"Of course!" Usopp added.
Luffy sucked up the water through the straw, and just like that, his arm returned to normal!
"Yay! It's not mummified anymore!" Aika exclaimed.
"Yeah," Chopper began, "but how much longer is Luffy gonna last?! He can't even touch Crocodile!"
"Chopper's right," said Blizzard. "I didn't even join up with you guys, yet, and I already feel like Luffy won't last much longer, here!"
"...Ridiculous," Crocodile muttered.
"NO, IT ISN'T!" Luffy yelled. "I got this water from the Dried-Up Pops in Yuba! He worked all night to get it...and he told me...THAT YUBA WON'T LOSE TO THE SAND!" He then charged at Crocodile. "GUM-GUUUUM..."
"You still wanna fight, do you?" Crocodile asked.
"MUNCH-MUNCH!"
CHOMP! Luffy suddenly enlarged his head...and bit Crocodile in half.
"...What the hell?" Franky asked, completely bewildered.
"So THAT'S where he got that from..." Blizzard muttered in a deadpan tone.
"...I fell for such a moron," Nami said.
"Wait...did...did Big Brother just eat him?!" asked Aika.
"...Luffy's a cannibal?" Kumi inquired, greatly confused.
"No!" Usopp shouted. "I mean...I don't think so!"
"I think Luffy was influenced by Wapol just a little too much," Chopper spoke.
"...I wish he'd take this crap seriously," Sanji added.
Unfortunately, Luffy ended up spitting Crocodile back out...and the Warlord looked absolute irate.
"ENOUGH OF THIS NONSENSE!" Crocodile shouted. "I've had it up to here with you, Straw Hat!"
Luffy only coughed as he wiped his mouth.
"You...you can die along with Yuba...!" Crocodile hissed. "Your three minutes are finally up!"
The Straw Hats momentarily glanced at the hourglass...which had completely run out.
"Huh?" Luffy muttered, sticking his tongue out of his mouth.
"This is what I warned you about," Crocodile said. "I've wasted enough time on you as it is!" He then raised his hands. "Sables!"
Soon, a giant whirlwind of sand swirled around Luffy and Crocodile, the former holding up his arms to shield himself from the flying sand. Even the Straw Hats shielded themselves, despite there being no reason to.
"Ahh..." Crocodile sighed, pleasantly. "The sand's just right." He then looked at Luffy, who glared at him through the blinding sand. "Okay, Straw Hat...here's a little question for you. The prevailing winds in this area always blow from North to South...so if this sandstorm were to, say, head South and grew stronger as it went...what would lie in its devastating path?"
"...The South?" Luffy asked.
"...Yuba," Crocodile grinned...causing Luffy to grit his teeth in anger.
"WHY?!" Luffy questioned as he practically threw himself at Crocodile and grabbed him by the collar of his coat. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!"
"Look at that," Crocodile smirked as he watched the sandstorm. "It's already headed South."
"THE DRIED-UP POPS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS!" Luffy yelled. "STOP IT, DAMN YOU!"
"How cruel!" Aika exclaimed.
"Why would he ever do such a thing?!" Brook questioned.
"...Because it's Crocodile," Robin said while she closed her eyes.
"Kuhahahaha!" laughed Crocodile as Luffy was tossed back by the sand and wind. "Give it up, boy. You can't possibly hope to win. That sandstorm will just get bigger and bigger until it has reached cataclysmic power. Yuba is finished.
"DAMN YOU~!" Luffy roared as he grabbed at Crocodile's coat, again. "STOP IT, RIGHT NOW- UGH!"
Suddenly, Luffy paused in mid-sentence, a blank look of shock on his face. At first, the Straw Hats couldn't figure out why...until Aika shrieked.
"LOOK!" she cried as she pointed at something, jutting out of Luffy's back...and that's when the Straw Hats made the horrifying realization: it was Crocodile's hook, piercing through his stomach and out his back.
Luffy...had been stabbed.
"...Oh...my...god...!" Nami whispered in horror, her hands covering her mouth.
Usopp gaped in utter shock, horror, and disbelief at what he was seeing, as was Chopper, Franky, Blizzard, Brook, and Sanji. Aika and Kumi were in tears at this point, seeing Luffy getting impaled. Zoro just stared, too horrified and appalled to even utter a single word...and Robin? Well...she looked away. She knew how this ended...but it didn't make the pain any less.
"That's...that's way too close to his heart!" Chopper whispered, remember the huge scar that was left behind when he examined after the battle was over. Now he almost wished he didn't see how it got there as did the rest of the Straw Hats.
For the first time in their lives...they had witnessed Luffy's first defeat.
"...It's...it's like a nightmare...!" Sanji whispered.
"And...Vivi was just getting through telling us that Luffy wouldn't lose while we were on our way to Alubarna," Nami whispered.
"So...so that's why they thought they'd killed him...!" Usopp added.
"...Holy shit...!" Franky cursed.
"...Big...Brother...!" Aika whispered, tearfully, unable to handle seeing her older half-brother getting impaled. Robin knew she should have covered her eyes, but in this case, she just didn't act quick enough.
"...Just who the hell do you think you're talking to, boy?" Crocodile asked while Luffy on the end of his hook. "You're just some two-bit rookie...upstarts like you, Straw Hat, are a dime a dozen on the Grand Line...and they always meet the same fate."
As Crocodile, the sandstorm he unleashed was getting farther and farther away, headed toward Yuba.
"Yuba will die," the Warlord continued while Luffy hung limp on his hook. "That sandstorm will destroy it...and the rebels will grow even more enraged. Their misguided love for this country will tear it apart...and the same will go for you, Straw Hat. A shame, really...you just might have lived a little longer, if you didn't have such foolish compassion."
That's when he noticed something: the barrel that Luffy had around his neck had also been pierced, and the water was spilling onto his arm.
"Hmph," Crocodile scoffed. "Water, eh? Well...you won't feel any more gratitude for this water-"
Suddenly, Luffy reached up and grabbed Crocodile's wrist...and he squeezed so hard, he actually caused him to cry out in pain.
"You're...you're still alive?!" Crocodile questioned.
Luffy groaned and coughed up blood. His eyes had rolled into the back of his head, but he was still conscious...if only a little.
"Why you...!" Crocodile growled before he threw Luffy down into the sandpit. He cried out in pain, coughing up more blood, but then he growled as he tried to pull himself...but he was too weak.
"You're in a lot of pain, now, aren't you?" Crocodile asked with a smirk. "Don't worry...soon, you won't feel anything. Kuhahahaha!" He then turned and walked away. "Farewell..."
Luffy reached his hand up, just as his vision finally started to blur. Then, the Straw Hats could hear the ominous sound of his heartbeat...which started to slow down. Then...there was darkness...and silence.
"...No way...!" Usopp whispered in shock.
"This...can't be...!" Brook added.
"My god," Zoro spoke. "Luffy...he's...he's...!"
"Dead."
The Straw Hats gasped as they turned around...only to see three pairs of glowing red eyes approaching them.
"Shade!" Nami shouted as she pulled Aika and Kumi close to her, causing the hellhound to chuckle as he appeared from the darkness.
"Surprise, surprise~!" he sang, mockingly.
"What are you doing here?!" Robin questioned.
"I just thought I'd check up on you," Shade replied as he circled around the Straw Hats, leaving a trail of smoke behind him. "You've come quite a long way...just to see your captain be squashed like the miserable little rubber bug that he is." He then stopped. "After all...you knew this was coming, didn't you...Roronoa?"
Zoro tensed up for a moment.
"You knew what would happen if Straw Hat faced one of the Seven Warlords," said Shade, "but did you warn him? Oh, no...you had to do the 'honorable' thing and let your captain fight his own battles...and what happened? He died like a fool."
"Shut up," Zoro hissed.
"Why didn't you warn him, Roronoa?" asked Shade. "Hmm? Your captain wouldn't have had to suffer his defeat if you had just warned him. Or maybe...you wanted him to die."
"I said SHUT UP!" Zoro yelled as he charged at the hellhound, who opened his mouth and let out a stream of fire, which the swordsman blocked with his swords as he kept charging ahead. Then, Zoro made a downward slash as he burst through the flames, but Shade disappeared.
"Where'd he go?!" Zoro questioned as he looked around, just as Shade's eyes appeared behind him and opened his jaws.
"Head's up, Moss-head!" Sanji yelled as he jumped into the air and kicked Shade in the face, just when the hellhound was about to bite down on Zoro's head.
"URGH!" Shade cried as he fell to the ground, then growled as he retreated into the darkness. However, the Straw Hats knew he wasn't done yet. He was skulking around, somewhere. They knew he'd have to appear, eventually.
As Robin turned around, she gasped as she Shade lunge for her, but she quickly used her powers to subdue him, even forcing his mouth shut so he wouldn't breathe fire again. When Shade dropped to the ground, however, he soon vanished in a puff of smoke, flying past the group and leaving a trail behind him, causing them to cough. As he came flying back, however, his mouth gaped open, preparing to bite Aika in the face, which caused her to shriek in fright...until Usopp held up his Black Kabuto.
"CERTAIN DEATH: GREEN STAR! IMPACT WOLF!" he yelled as he fired his Impact Wolf at Shade, who gasped as a huge wolf made of plants appeared. Before he could even react quick enough, the bulb that made up the wolf's nose struck him, causing him to get sent flying back.
"UGH!" the hellhound cried as he fell to the ground, then groaned as he stood up.
"Want some more?!" Usopp questioned.
"Because we have plenty where that came from!" Blizzard added with a deep growl.
"...You win, for now," Shade said as he backed away, "but I'm warning you...leave or you'll be seeing something even worse."
With that...he disappeared into the darkness again.
At that moment, Zoro sighed as he collapsed on his knees, causing the others to go to his side in concern.
"I'm all right!" Zoro said. "Just...thinking."
"...Zoro," Robin spoke as she put her hand on his shoulder. "Don't let Shade said get to you...it wasn't your fault."
"Miss Robin speaks the truth," Brook added. "There was no way you could've known how this would end!"
"And besides," Blizzard began, "Luffy was dead for just a few minutes. He's still okay!"
"No...it is my fault," Zoro replied. "Shade was right. I should've warned Luffy, but instead, I had to put my faith in him...and Luffy died, even if it was just for a few minutes...because of me."
"Zoro, that's not true," Nami said. "Even if you did warn Luffy, it wouldn't have stopped him!"
"Nami's right," Sanji added. "Besides, we had no choice but to leave Luffy behind. It's not like he's mad at us! He knew the risks and took them, anyway!"
"So stop feeling sorry for yourself!" Franky spoke up. "Seriously, that doesn't suit you at all!"
"Besides," Aika began, "how are we gonna save Big Brother if we're all sad?"
"I think this is what Shade and Kovar were really warning us about," Robin said. "We had no idea what kind of memories Luffy really has...and just like now, we saw something we weren't prepared to see."
"And Shade is trying to make us feel guilty about certain things to make us abandon our mission," Sanji surmised.
"Like with what happened just now," said Nami. "He thought that us seeing Luffy die, even for a few minutes, would make us feel bad about leaving him behind to face Crocodile alone."
"Well, it didn't work," Zoro replied as he stood up. "It's true...I could have warned Luffy about facing Crocodile, but I didn't...but I'm not gonna be a big crybaby about it. We just have to keep going."
"...When we find Luffy," Chopper began, "remind me to give him a checkup. Who knows what else kind of scars and wounds he might be hiding."
"That sounds like a good idea, Chopper," said Blizzard.
All of a sudden...the Straw Hats could hear the sound of a heartbeat. It was slow, but it was gradually becoming stronger and steadier.
"Is that...?" Kumi asked.
"Yeah...I think it's Luffy's heart!" Usopp answered.
All of a sudden, everything returned in nearly a flash. Luffy was coughing and gasping for breath, blood still spilling out of his mouth and out the open wound in his stomach. That's when the Straw Hats noticed...that he was being held by several arms that had sprouted out of the sand. The Straw Hats didn't ask...they knew who it was who saved their captain.
As Luffy lied on the sand, panting heavily...Past Robin approached him, holding his straw hat in her hand. He looked up at her, coughing weakly as he put his hand over his injury.
"...Th...thank...you...!" he wheezed.
"...Why do you fight?" asked Past Robin.
"Wha...?" Luffy asked, weakly.
"...Why do you people fight, at all?" asked Past Robin. "Those with the name of 'D'?"
"D...D?" Luffy repeated.
"D?" Aika parroted, as well.
"...Never mind," Past Robin said with a sigh. "It seems it's pointless to ask you."
"FOUND YOU!" a voice shouted from behind her, causing everyone to look up and see a young man, wearing white robes and a bandana around his forehead.
"It's Pell!" Sanji exclaimed.
"Who?" Aika asked.
"Vivi's bodyguard," Nami replied.
"Oh, so you're here, are you?" asked Past Robin as she placed Luffy's hat on the captain's chest.
"Now that I know what kind of powers you have," Pell began as he held up a sword, "things will end differently, this time!"
"How come he's limping?" Usopp asked.
"I broke his back," Robin replied, casually.
"Ouch," Sanji winced. "I'm amazed he's even standing!"
"I'd be careful if I were you," said Past Robin. "You're hurt a lot worse than you think." She then turned and walked away. "But you're just in time, however. Why don't you help that boy, there, instead? After all...if it wasn't for him and his crew, your precious princess wouldn't even have made it back home, safely."
"W...what?" Pell asked.
"That's right," Past Robin said as she approached a smaller variant of the Banana-Gator, only this one had the banana growing out of its snout and it had some sort of windshield. "Your princess is still alive and she's on her way to the capital as we speak. I don't know what'll happen to her now, though, considering the situation." She soon got into the gator's saddle and the beast ran off at high speed.
"Aunt Robin?" asked Aika. "Why did you save Big Brother, anyway?"
"Yeah, Robin," Usopp said. "Luffy was your enemy back then. Why'd you help him?"
"...Even I don't know the reason why I helped him, anymore," Robin said with a sigh. "But I don't regret it. Even I couldn't allow Luffy to die a dog's death...no offense, Blizzard."
"None took," Blizzard replied.
As Pell fell to his knees in frustration...Luffy grabbed him by his arm and dragged himself toward him.
"Huh?" Pell muttered. "W...what are you...?!"
"...Give...me...MEAAAAAAAAAAT!" Luffy roared...as the memory faded to black.
"Typical," Sanji shrugged. "Luffy's nearly at the end of his rope, and he still yells for meat like a dog."
"...Big Brother sure looked mad," Aika said, nervously.
"Yeah, I'll say," Kumi agreed.
"...It's because he lost," said Zoro, causing the others to look at him.
"What do you mean?" Franky replied.
"This is the first time Luffy's lost in a fight against a pirate," Zoro answered. "He's tasted defeat for the very first time and he's frustrated with his loss. To put it simply...he was humbled."
"Jeez," Usopp muttered. "Is that how you felt when Mihawk defeated you?"
"...Yeah," Zoro replied. "Wasn't the first time, either..."
"Pardon?" Nami asked.
"...Nothing," Zoro answered. "Don't worry about it."
"It is true, though," Robin said. "Luffy was reckless and arrogant. This is the second time he had to fight a Logia-user, and now he realizes that not every fight is going to end with him, winning."
"...I guess losing really is that bad, huh?" asked Aika.
"Losing a fight isn't the best," said Blizzard, "but it's just as important as winning."
"It is?" Aika repeated.
"Sometimes, when you lose a fight," Zoro began, "it gives you the opportunity to look back and learn from it. That way, you can plan your strategy for the next battle...and if you play your cards right, you just might turn the tide."
"...Huh," Aika muttered. "I didn't think of it, that way."
"The life of a pirate is always full of battles, Aika," said Blizzard. "It's okay to have a few wins under your belt...just don't let it get to your head. It's okay to suffer humiliation, now and then."
"Just be sure that when you lose the fight," Usopp began, "you don't lose your life. Just my advice."
Aika and Kumi both gulped and nodded their heads.
At that moment, the memories started again, this time showing Luffy riding on the back of Pell, who had transformed into a giant falcon, and for some reason, Luffy was holding a giant barrel on his back. He also had bandages wrapped around his wound, but at least he looked a lot better than he did, earlier.
"Whoa! That's so cool!" Aika exclaimed.
"Yeah!" Kumi agreed, her tail wagging excitedly.
"How come he's carrying that big barrel of water?" Brook asked.
"Search me," Franky shrugged.
"I'm not sure if Luffy's really ready to keep fighting, though," Chopper spoke up, worriedly.
"Are you certain about this?" asked Pell. "It might not be wise to fight in your condition! You were almost near-death, earlier!"
"It's fine!" Luffy reassured. "I ate lots of meat, so I'm raring to go!"
"That's really not how meat works," Nami deadpanned.
"Maybe for Luffy, it does," Chopper replied, just as exasperated.
"Even if you have Devil Fruit powers," said Pell, "you shouldn't treat such a mortal wound so lightly."
Luffy put his hand over his bandages, wincing slightly. It was obvious he was still in pain, but as always, he chose to ignore it.
"It's fine," he said. "I've been through a lot worse before."
"...Oh, Luffy..." Nami whispered.
"I really wish he wouldn't do that," Chopper said. "I hate it when he acts like wounds so severe don't bother him."
"It's Luffy," Zoro replied. "What are you gonna do?"
"Like you have any room to talk," Sanji countered. "You're just as bad as Luffy with that crap, Moss-head!"
"Excuse me?!" Zoro questioned as he got in his face. "Why don't you say that to my face?!"
BONK! Nami quickly bopped the two of them in the head before they could go into it any further.
"Morons," she snarled.
"If you're really all right," Pell began, "I guess that's okay. I can't really speak for myself since that woman attacked me. It's a good thing I had my powers. Otherwise, she would've broken both my spine and my neck."
"So you can heal fast, too?" Luffy asked.
"Of course," Pell answered. "We Devil Fruit users are known for having higher endurance than those without powers...although, some Devil Fruits are better used for healing and recovery than others. They say that Logia users heal the fastest while Paramecia users heal the slowest while Zoan users are somewhere in between. Never the less, we can take a beating and be able to recover faster than most people can."
"Is that true?" asked Aika, looking at her own hands.
"I heard rumors that Devil Fruit users heal faster than most people," Chopper said. "I guess it does explain how Luffy can recover from grave wounds."
"Not to mention he did spend most of his childhood living on a mountain," Sanji pointed out. "He had to get stronger in order to survive."
"I suppose that's also why Robin, Chopper, and Brook can take a beating...to a certain extent, anyway," Usopp added. "Oh, and Aika, too."
"Come to think of it, when I'm training with Big Brother," Aika began, "the bandages I'm wearing for any small cuts or bruises go away by the next day!"
"That still doesn't why Zoro, Sanji, and Blizzard have such crazy resilience, though," said Usopp as he looked to the other three members of the Monster Quartet.
"That's because Zoro and Sanji are beyond human," Nami deadpanned, "and Blizzard is half-wolf, so he's stronger than most dogs. It's because he has the blood of a wild animal in him."
"You almost make that sound like it's a bad thing," Blizzard quipped.
Just then, something came into view: a city, shrouded in sand and gunpowder. Luffy coughed and covered his mouth, trying to shield his eyes. Down below, the Straw Hats could hear the sounds of a battle.
"What's going on?!" he asked. "Where are we?!"
"This is Alubarna," said Pell.
"What's all that noise?" Aika asked.
"It's the civil war," Robin said. "It already started."
"What?!" Aika asked in shock.
"Where were you all?" Brook inquired.
"We were fighting with the other Baroque Works single-digit agents," Sanji answered. "I was fighting with Bon Clay."
"Chopper and I were fighting Mr. 4 and his penguin partner, Miss Merry Christmas," Usopp added.
"And their bazooka!" Chopper spoke up. "It ate a Devil Fruit that made it turn into a dog!"
"...Wait...a gun ate a Devil Fruit?" asked Aika.
"How does that work?" asked Kumi.
"I think the scientist, Vegapunk, has something to do with that," Franky said. "We're not really sure how he made it work."
"I was fighting Mr. 1," Zoro spoke up. "That was how I first learned how to cut through steel."
"And what about you, Big Sis Nami?" asked Aika.
"I was fighting Mr. 1's partner, Miss Doublefinger," Nami answered, quietly glaring at Usopp, who gulped nervously.
"Do you see Vivi, anywhere?!" Luffy asked, still shielding his face. "I can't see through all this damn sand!"
"This is not your average sandstorm," Pell said. "This is definitely Crocodile's handiwork!"
"Grrr...Crocodile...!" Luffy cursed. "Don't worry! I'll kick his ass and save Vivi for sure!"
"I don't know where Crocodile might be," Pell began, "but I believe Princess Vivi is at the palace, that is if the rebels haven't taken over, yet!"
"Then let's go, and be quick about it!" Luffy yelled, and soon, Pell took off at top speed...and soon after, a frightening image came into view: there was Crocodile, standing on top of the palace...holding Vivi by the throat and preparing to drop her into the streets below!
"VIVI!" Sanji cried in horror.
"OH, MY GOD!" Nami shouted with her hands over her mouth.
"PRINCESS!" Pell yelled.
"FLY FASTER!" Luffy shouted. "WE GOTTA SAVE VIVI BEFORE HE DROPS HER!"
"I can't look!" Aika cried as she covered her eyes.
"Me, neither!" Kumi agreed as she also covered her eyes.
"Please tell me he makes it!" Brook added.
Robin, however, could only look away. She remembered how Crocodile tore into Vivi, verbally...mocking her for being unable to stop her country from destroyed. How she lacked the power to actually prevent the war from even happening in the first place...that the two years she spent acting as a spy in Baroque Works ended up being all for nothing. She could still remember the tears of pain, anger, and bitterness in the poor princess' eyes.
All Robin could feel at that point was guilt for helping Crocodile.
"Farewell...Princess," Crocodile smirked...just as he dropped Vivi, who screamed as she plummeted toward the ground...but then...
"CROCODIIIIIIIIIILLLLE~!" Luffy roared at the very top of his lungs, causing the Warlord to grit his teeth in anger.
"Straw Hat?!" he asked. "Impossible!"
"LUFFY!" Vivi cried, joyfully as Pell swooped in, allowing Luffy to catch her in his arms, just in the nick of time!
"Phew!" he sighed in relief. "Made it..."
"What happened?!" Aika asked as she peeked through her fingers. "Did he get her?!"
"Yep!" Usopp answered. "Vivi's safe!"
Both Aika and Kumi sighed in relief.
"Back then, I would have been pissed," Sanji began, "but I'm sure as hell glad that Luffy caught her in time."
"Me, too," Nami smiled, a hand over her chest to calm her pounding heart.
"...Luffy...!" Vivi whispered, tearfully. "Pell...I..." She choked back a sob. "I...I can't stop them! There's going to be a huge explosion in the square! Everyone will die, and I can't do anything! My voice can't reach anyone!"
"...It's okay, Vivi," Luffy said, assuringly as he held her tightly, his usual confident grin on his face. "I could hear you, loud and clear."
Vivi gasped in Luffy's ear...then broke down crying.
"...Thank you...!" she whispered.
"...Leave it to Luffy to know just what to say," Nami smiled, proudly.
"Wait...what did she mean, 'explosion'?" Franky asked.
"Crocodile set up a bomb to explode in the square," Robin answered. "It was going to kill everyone in the vicinity...even his own men."
"If it wasn't for Pell," Nami began, "everyone would've been dead."
"W...what do you mean?" Aika asked.
"...Pell took the bomb high over the city," Chopper answered, "and it exploded there."
"...He...he blew himself up?!" Blizzard questioned.
"You mean he's dead, now?!" Kumi asked in disbelief.
"Well, we thought that, at first," Sanji began, "but it turned out not to be the case. You see, we've been keeping in touch with Vivi and it turns out he survived!"
"He did?!" Franky inquired.
"How he survived such a huge explosion is beyond us," Nami began, "but now that I think about it, it probably has something to do with what Pell said about Devil Fruit users having more endurance than most people."
"We did think he was dead for a while, though," Usopp added.
"But he's okay, now," Aika acknowledged before she sighed in relief. "Good."
At that moment, Pell landed in front of the palace, allowing Luffy to jump off his back.
"Be careful, Luffy," the falcon-man warned.
"Heh!" Luffy smirked as he swung his arm around. "Don't worry about me. Like I said, I had a lot of meat, so I'm itching for a fight...there's no way I can lose, now."
He then prepared to stretch his arms back, preparing to pull himself up toward Crocodile, who glowered down at him from atop the palace roof.
"AAAAAAAAAAAHH! LUFFY! YOU'RE ALIVE!"
Behind Luffy, the Past Straw Hats appeared...and for some reason, Past Usopp was in a full-body cast.
"I knew it!" Past Usopp shouted. "I knew he was alive! Didn't I tell you guys?!"
"Sure you did, Usopp," Past Sanji replied.
"Usopp! Sanji! Tony!" Vivi exclaimed.
"Vivi!" Past Sanji cried as he ran up to her and gently held her hands. "Are you okay?! What happened?! You're hurt!"
"I'm fine, now, Sanji," Vivi replied as she leaned against him, causing him to gasp silently before he smiled and held her close. "Thanks to Luffy."
"Good," Past Sanji whispered in relief.
Just then, Past Nami came up and whacked Past Usopp on the back of his head.
"Usopp, you jackass!" she shouted while Past Zoro walked up behind her, his chest all bloodied.
"Ouch!" Past Usopp yowled.
"Nami!" Vivi acknowledged. "Mr. Bushido! You're all okay!"
"What the hell did you hit me for, Nami?!" Past Usopp questioned.
"I asked you to make me a weapon, you idiot!" Past Nami barked. "Not a party favor! I almost got killed because of you!"
"I thought you said you couldn't stand up!" Past Zoro yelled. "I had to carry you for nothing?!"
"Nami! You're all right!" Past Sanji cheered.
"A-at least you figured out in the end, right?" asked Past Usopp.
"When this is over, you're dead!" Past Nami threatened. "Got it?!" She then turned to Vivi while Past Chopper examined Past Usopp. "Vivi, what's the situation? Why's there sand everywhere?"
While Vivi explained what happened, the Straw Hat members who hadn't joined at the time all looked over the past versions of their crewmates. Needless to say, they were quite shocked by their current condition. They all looked bruised up, scratched, and bloodied, but Past Zoro and Past Usopp had to be the worst out of them all.
"Sheesh," Franky muttered. "You guys were sure put through the wringer!"
"Tell me about it," Usopp said. "I knew I looked back, but I didn't think it was that bad!"
"Nami, you weren't even hurt that badly!" Zoro argued. "You made me carry you all the way to the palace for nothing!"
"Oh, get off my case, will you?!" Nami questioned. "For your information, I got stabbed in the foot! I'm not some superhuman like you!"
"Luffy wasn't the only who passed out after the fight," Chopper piped up. "We were all exhausted. We slept through the whole night!"
"Guys," Luffy spoke up, causing the Straw Hats' past selves to turn to their captain as he stretched his arms, grabbing onto the rooftop wall. "I'm sorry...that bastard beat me, back in the desert..." He turned and grinned at them "but I'm not gonna lose again! I swear!"
'I'm sorry I lost...I hope you guys don't hate me for this...'
"...Oh, god, Luffy..." Nami whispered, sadly.
"Jeez...he took that defeat harder than I thought," Sanji realized.
"He sounded so sad," Aika spoke.
"...Maybe he feels like he let you guys down," Blizzard concurred.
"Never!" Usopp shouted. "Luffy could never let us down, no matter what!"
"Yes, but does Luffy actually know that?" Blizzard asked.
"...I...I guess not," Usopp answered.
"I'm sure we'll tell him, once we find him by the end of all this," Nami chimed in. "Hopefully..."
"Go get him, Luffy," said Past Zoro.
"If you can't beat him, then who can?!" Past Usopp asked.
"...Then let's finish this," Luffy started, "once and for all!"
On that, he sprang up using his Gum-Gum Rocket, flying straight towards Crocodile.
"HEY, CROC!" Luffy yelled. "DID YA MISS ME?!"
"Hmph," Crocodile scoffed. "Did you forget that you can't even touch me, you fool?" He then began to turn his body into sand. "I'm guessing you'd like to be impaled again- UGH!"
To his shock...Luffy actually decked him!
"...You were saying?" Luffy asked. "Who can't touch you, again?!"
TO BE CONTINUED...
Next time on One Piece: The Fire Within!
Aika: WHOO-HOO! He got him!
Franky: Is that...water on his hands?
Robin: Crocodile's weakness is water, after all.
*Soon, Luffy has guzzled down all the water, causing him to have a bloated belly*
Luffy: *burps* Water Luffy! *water squirts out* OH, NO! A LEAK!
Aika: *laughs* That's silly!
Zoro: *sighs* Why can't Luffy ever take things seriously?
*Later on, Luffy is facing Crocodile in the tomb*
Crocodile: You're just some two-bit nobody! Do you have any idea who I am?!
Luffy: I don't give a damn who you are because it doesn't matter! WHOEVER YOU ARE, I WILL BEAT YOU~!
Next time: Surpassing A Warlord
Man, I'm glad I got this one, done. Took a while, but I managed it!
Review, please!