"I don't know why, but I have a feeling that we ended up in some kind of labyrinth." said Zoro.
They had entered the villa hoping to soon find the madman, but unfortunately that hadn't been the case. They had spent a good deal of time wandering through the empty corridors, and were now starting to get impatient.
"I hate to admit it, but I agree with the marimo. There's something wrong with this place." Sanji muttered, eyes darting left and right looking for not even he knew what.
"Argh! I'm starting to lose my temper!" Nami shouted in exasperation.
"Me too. And I'm hungry too. Sanji, did you bring any snacks?" Luffy asked.
"No. Besides, where could I put them?"
"If you want I can suggest you a place..." said Zoro with a grin.
"Don't even start, you two!" Nami was about to explode with rage. "Robin, any ideas?"
"Not many, Miss Navigator. It's quite likely that the interior of this villa was actually built as a labyrinth. Or that under the floor there is some hidden mechanism that makes the rooms rotate. The only certain thing is that we have to go on."
Nami lowered her head, dejected. "I can't almost feel my feet..."
"If you want I can carry you, Nami-chan!" Sanji came trotting along. "I'd be more than happy to..."
The redhead slapped him on the head. "Go back to the front, you! And make sure you don't get distracted!" The cook walked away.
Robin chuckled as the scene unfolded. "You're really harsh with him, Miss Navigator."
"If I didn't do that, the whole crew would be screwed..."
Suddenly, there was a click and a hatch opened. Unfortunately for the pirates, it was right under theirs feet. They stood for a moment suspended in the void (and based on the strange laws of physics that seem to govern anime and manga, this is quite possible), and then fell down, screaming at the top of their lungs.
"AAAAAHHHHH! WE ARE GOING TO DIE!" Nami yelled.
"I'll save you, Nami!" Sanji said, trying to move towards the navigator. Of course, he couldn't do anything.
Fortunately, Robin managed to not panic. "Don't worry, I'll take care of it." She crossed her arms and called on her powers. "Cien Flur... Spider Net!"
From the walls of the large room into which the trap door had brought them, a short distance from the floor, sprouted a hundred arms that began to intertwine to form an enormous network. A few seconds later, the pirates fell on it.
As soon as Luffy had finished bouncing, they got off the net, and immediately afterwards the arms dissolved in an infinity of cherry petals.
"Thanks Robin, you saved us..." Nami panted, her heart still beating madly.
"Don't mention it, Miss Navigator."
"It was wonderful! Can we do it again?" said Luffy cheerfully, only to be silenced by his nakama's deathly glare.
"My compliments, raven-haired lady. A real stroke of genius."
The pirates looked around. "What else, now?" roared Zoro.
"Looking around for me is pointless, I am not there with you. I am speaking to you from my sancta sanctorum, thanks to some lumacophones hidden here and there in the room where you are and in the rest of the villa, with which I have also observed your movements. By the way, what do you think of my house? Beautiful, isn't it?"
"Son of… show yourself!" Nami shouted.
"I'm afraid it's still not possible, flame-haired lady. You still have to overcome a couple of obstacles. If you succeed, you will have the honor of meeting me. Good luck!"
There was an evil laughter and the communication was cut off. The pirates looked around, bewildered.
"I wonder what the next tests consist of." Robin murmured to herself.
Almost in response, the wall in front of them split open, revealing four huge, menacing-looking robots.
"You know what, Robin? Sometimes I think you're a jinx." Nami said in a hurry, hiding behind Chopper, who had in turn hidden behind the archaeologist. The latter merely raised an eyebrow.
The robots began to move towards them.
"These surely look though." muttered Zoro, drawing his swords.
"It's just a bunch of overgrown cans," Sanji said smugly.
"Awesome, I want one!" said Luffy, his eyes sparkling.
"Do you mind if I lend you a hand?" asked the archaeologist.
"Go ahead," said Zoro.
The brunette crossed her arms again. "Cien Fleur... Flip!" A hundred arms suddenly appeared in front of the robots' legs, making them lose their balance. The arms disappeared and the robots fell to the ground with a great metallic clang.
"A little too easy that way, but never look a gift horse in the mouth. Thanks." Zoro jumped on one of the robots and destroyed it with his swords, while Sanji and Luffy took care of the others. In less than a minute, the four robots were reduced to a pile of junk.
"Too bad, I was hoping to see a little more action. Anyway, congratulations again, raven-haired lady. Now enter the room the robots came from. You will find a door that will lead you to the last part of the challenge. Good luck!" The madman's voice sounded slightly worried, but the pirates paid no attention to it. They entered the other room and immediately found the door.
"I'll open it." Zoro said, swords ready for action. He opened the door cautiously and gave a look on the inside. "Looks all right." The swordsman entered, soon followed by the rest of the crew.
They crossed a short corridor at the end of which they found yet another door. They opened that too and found themselves in a room with walls full of mirrors, similar to those found in some amusement parks.
Luffy looked at the mirrors with curiosity. "So many mirrors... what they are for?" He approached one of them and saw his own deformed image. "Hihihihi! I look funny."
Nami shook her head and turned to one of the mirrors. She stood for a moment to gaze at her own reflection. "Hmm..." She put her hand on her hip and smiled, giving the mirror a playfully seductive wink. "I'm really pretty, huh?"
"You're beautiful, Nami!" Sanji said from behind her.
"Don't get distracted, you two! As far as we know the place could be full of traps!" barked Zoro.
And as soon as Zoro spoke those words, the trap went off. There was a sound of gears grinding, and the walls began to move threateningly towards them.
"Hey, what's going on?"
"I think we're about to be crushed, Captain," Robin said.
"Oh, no!" Nami ran to the door and tried to open it. "Damn, it's locked!"
Chopper panicked and clung to Robin's leg. "It's the end!"
Zoro gritted his teeth. No, it wasn't the end. There had to be a way to... of course! He turned to his companions. "Luffy, could you inflate yourself to shield the others?"
"I think so, why?"
"Then do it. I got an idea that could save us!"
"All right. Guys, behind me!" Luffy puffed up until he was ten times bigger. His companions took shelter behind him.
Meanwhile, Zoro was ready to attack. "Where could I strike?" The mirrors were getting closer and closer.
Eventually, he found a suitable spot. "That should do it. Santoryou... Three Thousand Worlds!" He leapt and hurled the blades of his swords against the glass, shattering it. He ignored the splinters that tore his skin and repeated the operation several times. After a while he spotted a strange mechanism and drove Wado Ichimonji's blade into it. Immediately the walls stopped moving. He landed with a thud and sighed.
Luffy returned to normal and ran towards the swordsman along with the others.
"Show me the cuts, Zoro!" Chopper checked the swordsman's wounds. "Thank goodness, they're not serious. As soon as we get back to the ship I will fix them, don't worry."
"If you return to your ship, little furry gentleman." Erik's voice was back. "You have overcome all my obstacles, but you have yet to meet me! There is another door across the room you are in. Open it and finally we will meet in person." The walls returned to their original position.
"Finally! I couldn't take it anymore." Nami walked towards the door on the other side of the room. She looked at her nakama for a moment. "Ready?" The others nodded. The redhead opened the door and they all entered the last room.
They found an enormous amount of clothes, of every shape and color. In the pile they recognized their clothes. And in the midst of all this, the man responsible for their predicament.
"Hihihihi... welcome, gentlemen and ladies. I'm Erik." He made a short bow. He was a tall, thin man, bald and with round glasses that gave him an intellectual air. He wore a blue tunic with gold stripes that came down to his ankles and was barefoot. His hands were hidden behind his back and was staring at the pirates with an amused air.
"Finally! Give us our clothes back, you bastard!" Nami yelled, brandishing the Clima Takt menacingly.
"I'm sorry, dear flame-haired lady, but it's not possible. These clothes belong to me now. Hihihihi."
"What are you babbling about, you bald freak?"
"Don't insult me, green-haired gentleman."
"Sorry... Erik, right?" Robin interjected. "Could you explain why you stole our clothes? And maybe even how you managed to steal them without us noticing?"
"Now, this is what I call good manners. As to the how, I can't tell you, it's a secret. But I can tell you why! So, I will try to explain it so that you can understand. Where do I start... ah, yes! Many years ago I tried to break through as a stylist in the world of fashion, but unfortunately some envious people sabotaged me. So I decided to retire to this island and study the various existing garments, in order to be able to create the perfect dress. And to do that, I started stealing clothes from passing ships. And to make things a little more interesting, I have invented the path you have just crossed. By the way, you are the first to arrive this far. Well done!"
The pirates gasped in disbelief.
"It's… it's the craziest thing I've ever heard!" Sanji said.
"Ha, I knew it! You don't understand me. But no wonder, geniouses are never understood by ordinary people." He sniffed. "But it doesn't matter, because now I'll kill you all." He jerked his arms, revealing a pair of very large knives. "So, who wants to go first?"
"Ocho Fleur!" Robin tried to use her powers. Strangely, nothing happened.
"I'm sorry, raven-haired lady, but you won't be able to use your powers on me. See, this dress was made with a special sea-stone based alloy. One of my best creations, I'll admit it."
"Then you'll have to deal with me! Santoryou, Tiger Hunt!" Zoro set off to attack.
"And with me too! Gigot!" Sanji started running towards his opponent.
"Hey, wait for me! Gomu Gomu no Bazooka!"
Chopper followed the example of his friends and threw himself into the fray. "Heavy Gong!"
Erik chuckled. "Hihihihi... how nice, all these opponents! Hmm... maybe later I'll make a dress out of your skin!" He parried Zoro's attack with one knife and Sanji's blow with the other. He jumped back and avoided Luffy and Chopper. He threw a knife in the direction of the blonde, managing to wound him, then pushed the swordsman away and dropped him on the reindeer and the rubber boy. "You know, I think I'm going to enjoy this."
Meanwhile, Nami and Robin stood on the sidelines watching the fight.
"Damn, he's giving them a hard time!" Indeed, Erik was proving to be a very good opponent. For a moment, she was afraid for her companions.
"This isn't good."
"What could we do, Robin?"
"I don't know, maybe..." Robin took a moment to think. "Miss Navigator, I think I just had an idea that could work."
"What is it?"
The archaeologist explained her idea to the other woman. Nami's eyes widened in disbelief. "But... wait, are you kidding me?"
"No, I'm serious. I understand this may sound crazy, but if it works it will allow us to put an end to this matter."
Nami gritted her teeth. As bizarre as the idea was, Robin was right. She turned to her companions. "Guys, close your eyes and don't open them until I tell you to!"
"What..."
"DO AS I TOLD YOU, DAMNIT!"
The pirates closed their eyes. Seeing this, Erik became suspicious. "What the hell..."
"HEY, ERIK! TAKE A LOOK!"
Two towels fell to the floor. Erik turned and saw the two most beautiful female bodies he had ever seen. His knives dropped down as his mouth dropped open, drool soon coming from it. "What... WHAT A HEAVENLY VISION!" The excitement was such that he passed out with joy. He fell to the ground with a thud, and Nami and Robin took advantage of this to cover themselves.
"Now you can open your eyes again."
The men of the crew opened their eyes. "Hey, how did you do it?" Luffy asked, watching Erik's unconscious form.
"It's a secret." Nami said, winking at Robin. "Anyway, let's just get our clothes back and leave. I've had enough of this place!"
"Wait a minute, what do we do with him?" Chopper pointed to Erik.
Robin stroked her chin. "I have an idea. And it would be poetic justice..."