SailorStar9: With Chapter 169 uploaded, I present Chapter 170 this fic. For everyone who put this fic on your favorited and followed lists and/or story alerts, thank you, but remember everyone, a lot of authors (myself included) sustain on readers' reviews.
Pairings: Ace/Sasha, sibling Luffy/Sasha and Sabo/Sasha, Background Protector!Law/Sasha
Guest: As for Noah, it will depend on what Oda-sensei has in mind for the ark, before I can develop any new ideas for it.
Disclaimers: One Piece belongs to Oda EiichirÅ-sensei. Me, on the other hand, own absolutely nothing, except my OC, the pairing and the fic idea.
Chapter 170: Arc 12: A Great Clash! The Straw Hat Crew vs. 120,000 Enemies
"Did I do okay, Jinbe?" Luffy cast a look at the Fish-Man.
"It wasn't so disastrous considering it was Luffy." Nami pointed out.
"Although it did not go exactly as we had planned." Jinbe nodded. "So, you saved the others at the Ryugu Palace successfully."
"Straw!" Pappagu leapt out of the ship and into Luffy's arms. "I've had quite a few brushes with death because of them." he complained.
"We're all together now." Luffy put Pappagu on the floor.
"Nami-san, I rescued the captured mermaids with those idiots!" Sanji sang.
"You fool." Zoro retorted. "We got to the exit on our own."
"And you couldn't have done it without my help." Pappagu bragged.
"Pappagu helped you?" Nami echoed.
"No, before that, Brook became a ghost and..." Usopp corrected.
"That's right." Brook confirmed. "My new ability helped us." he added, recounting how he had chased Pappagu in his soul form before crashing accidentally with Sasha who had taken out her guards. After retrieving Zoro's swords, Sasha made a small detour to free the captured mermaids and unseal the Sea General Poseidon Scales. When Pappagu returned Zoro's swords back to the swordsman, the green-haired man sliced their prison apart. As the surrounding water gushed in, Ishilly had her mermaid friends carry the humans to the surface. It was at that time when Hoe swam in with the Thousand Sunny right behind him with Ace. Sanji, Franky and Chopper on board.
"Brook's new ability sounds awesome." Chopper noted. "Anyway, those guys got their captain beaten b Luffy. How come they don't seem worried?"
"You're right." Robin agreed. "This is weird."
"Here you go." Sasha handed the Celestial Dragon's letter to Shirahoshi. "The letter from the Celestial Dragons."
"Thank you all." Shirahoshi claimed the letter. "This is the hope of the Fish-Man Island that Mother-sama left behind."
"But I think it's not safe for Yowahoshi." Luffy pointed out.
"Her capture was not part of the plan." Jinbe agreed. "Neither was asking her to escape on her own."
"Luffy-sama, what did you just call me?" Shirahoshi blinked. "You were calling me 'Yowahoshi' before."
"It's not like I know everything but you're not as timid as I thought." Luffy admitted. "So I'll call you Yowahoshi from now on."
"It's understandable why someone would hate those who think wronged them." Robin explained. "That man who insulted you: that's exactly what he's doing."
"But a coward couldn't have been so strong and borne so much hardship on her own for so long." Nami added.
"She's right." Jinbe agreed. "Princess Shirahoshi, it must have been hard for you through the years. No passing on hatred to the next generation. That is what these brave heroes are trying to teach us. There is a small 'sprout' that bloomed in your heart. If all people on the island share it and think the same way you do one day, there will be no more fighting and the conflict between Fish-Men and humans will be over. I don't think the years you suffered through were meaningless. You must have been trying so hard to protect that small 'sprout' single-handedly, day after day. But let us protect you this time."
"Yes..." Shirahoshi sniffled. "Thank you very much."
"She may not be a coward, but she sure is a crybaby." Luffy teased.
"Do you even have room to talk about being a crybaby, Luffy?"Ace joked.
"Ace!" Luffy protested. "I was only a kid at that time!"
"Vander Decken was so useless." Hody freed himself from the debris he was buried under. "I needed him to get rid of Shirahoshi. She's the legendary Mermaid Princess with that troublesome power. So I needed to take out Shirahoshi as soon as possible, but you people duped me completely. Jinbe, I should have noticed when you gave in without resistance. You're quite taken with these humans, aren't you? I despise your kind the most. Fisher Tiger who you grew up with together in the Fish-Man District and Arlong who was like a brother to you were both beaten or killed by humans. But instead of seeking revenge for them, you joined hands with humans. You are as gutless as Neptune. When I become King of the island, I will change everything this year's World Summit is the perfect opportunity. I'm gonna kill all the human kings from all over the world at Mariejois and the legend of a terrifying underwater kingdom will begin. We'll drag all the humans in the water into the water and enslave them. Eventually, no one will be able to stand against Fish-Men, even in the world of pirates. All pirates will fall down on their knees before us: the New Fish-Men Pirates. I'll be the one who becomes King of the Pirates."
"The King of Pirates?" Luffy echoed.
"Uh oh..." Sasha muttered.
"Hody really shouldn't have said that." Ace agreed, the reunited lovers were already preparing for the trashing ahead.
"You're just a band of 12 half-assed pirates." Hody mocked. "You can't do anything. We have 120,000 on our side. Kill them all, New Fish-Men Pirates!"
"120,000 enemies?" Brook echoed. "I'm so stunned my eyes will pop out."
"Brook-san, you don't even have eyes." Ace deathpanned.
"Ace-san, don't do that; don't steal my lines." Brook pleaded.
"120,000 is nothing." Nami grinned. "Let's do this!"
"Don't hide behind us while you say that." Usopp scolded, Nami having hid behind him, Zoro and Sanji,
"Here I go." Franky jumped from the ship's deck. "My time has come. Super Armored Me!" he posed. "Bring it on." he taunted.
"There are 12 of us." Sanji noted. "So we each have to beat 10,000 of them."
"I love the odds." Ace remarked warily.
"They outnumber us, but it doesn't mean they're stronger." Zoro added. "It's not that they are elite Navy soldiers. So don't shit yourself."
"What did you say, you stupid Moss-Head?" Sanji glared.
"Bring it on, you Bloody-nosed, Two-bit Chef!" Zoro fired back.
"I see their insults for each other have improved." Ace joked. "Luffy?" he blinked when the younger 'D' shoved both arguing parties aside and walked straight into the horde of attacking Fish-Men pirates.
"Kill him!" Hody ordered as the swarm of Fish-Men closed in on Luffy.
With a burst of Conqueror's Haki, Luffy rendered half of the attacking force unconscious.
"That was Haki." Robin recognized the power.
"He's gotten much stronger in just 2 years." Ace noted. "What has Rayleigh been teaching him?"
"That was Conqueror's Haki?" Sanji echoed. "So he is capable of that, as I thought."
"That's what I need from my captain." Zoro smirked. "Otherwise, he'll need to step down."
"You're Hody, right?" Luffy cast a steel look at the enemy captain. "I guess I have to kick your ass. You can become King of whatever you want in any country. But there can only be one King of the Pirates."
SailorStar9: Any OOC-nes is regretted. *Sighs* Don't you just hate plot bunnies sometimes? Reviews are much appreciated.
