Coby's Choice: Paradise

by SwordOfTheGods

'Ax-Hand' Morgan single-handedlly shattered Coby's faith in the Marines, breaking his dreams. If a pirate is the first one to ever show you kindness in a world run by a corrupt justice, who do you follow? Well, the future King of the Pirates, of course! Pirate!Coby, Eventual DevilFruit!Coby, SlightlySerious!Luffy, expanded crew, Parings. Paradise COMPLETE! Revision through Chap. 10

7. Little Garden Arc

As always, a big ol' Thank You to my Patrons: Alex P, Avery Arp, Bradley D'Haene, David, David Bowling, Fenrir ragnarok, John Mekjian, JOHNATHAN VICARS, jordanitos, Joseph Baty, Josh Watson, Kevin Calderon, Korakas, Lamont Hale, Muhd Izrul, Notadeadguy, and Will Mann. Stay awesome!

Chapter 7:

Little Garden

Theme Opening (if you so desire): Ready, Steady, Go (from Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood, cover by Amalee)

"I don't know what Igaram told you, but I can't thank you enough," Vivi Nefertari panted as the Cactus Rocks of Whiskey Peak fully vanished into the fog of the night, and even that was soon to be only a speck in the distance. The princess knelt by the Merry's railing, her grip making her knuckles white as tears ran down her face. Igaram was still there, on the island, injured and surrounded by so many agents of Baroque Works. Was he still alive? And what of Mr. 9 and Ms. Monday? Despite her feelings, every piece of diplomacy she had learned since she was little screamed at her to get on the good side of these pirates fast, lest she lose her only chance now. She turned to the crew. "If there is any way I can repay you for what you're doing, please name it."

"Well, money is always nice," Nami suggested without a hint of shame. "You're the princess of a big country, so… one billion Beris sounds about right."

"One billion?!" Usopp balked, having never considered an amount of that size. Such a price could buy his entire home island, after all.

"I don't know if I can give you that," Vivi muttered as she turned to face her saviors, one hand grabbing her opposite arm. "See, my country is currently locked in a civil war caused by Baroque Works. They used a special chemical called Dance Powder to cause an endless drought and manipulated events to frame my father King Cobra. Many people believe he is the one behind it and the resistance grows with each passing day, even though my father has drained our coffers trying to keep the people alive. Igaram and I infiltrated Baroque Works to get ahold of this information and I need to get it back to Alabasta. All I ask is that you take me there, and I'll give you everything I have."

"This seems risky," Gin commented, leaning nonchalantly against one wall. "There were a lot of agent guys back there, and it sounded like it was only one base out of many. Who's behind all of this?"

"No, I certainly can't tell you," the blunette replied, turning away to stare off over the sea. "He's one of the most fearsome men in this ocean, a man of cunning to the point of brilliance. His intellect is only rivaled by his evil, and he's been plotting how to take over the desert country of Alabasta for the past five years. If I told you his name, you'd also be put on his hit list. Everyone knows him as Mr. 0, and he claims his ultimate goal is to recreate Alabasta into a perfect paradise, with him as the unquestioned dictator on top. It's nothing but a lie, though."

"Come on," Zoro yawned, completely unperturbed by the princess' rambling. "He can't be that tough."

"Not that tough?" Vivi demanded, spinning to look the swordsman dead in the eye. "You wouldn't be acting so tough if you knew Mr. 0 was Crocodile of the Seven Warlords, Mr. Bushido!"

"WHAT?!" Nami, Usopp, Gin, and Coby panicked. The princess gasped and covered her mouth, as if the action would take back the information she'd just given away.

"Crocodile?" Coby demanded, his face rapidly switching between fury and panic.

"A Warlord?" Gin asked, falling against the wall. His eyes grew unfocused, his mind no longer in the present.

"Y-Y-You can't be serious?" Usopp stuttered.

"Oh, I'm afraid she's quite serious," a seductive voice affirmed as the Merry fully exited the fog. The woman, who was sitting on the second-level railing, was about 5' 8" and dressed in a purple skirt and vest that exposed her stomach. Her feet were covered in white boots and a white cowboy hat rested on her head, shading her blue eyes and the top of her neck-length black hair from the sun. A long, white, fur coat hung from her shoulders to her feet. All the pirates instantly readied whatever they fought with, Gin finding it in himself to push away from the wall.

"M-M-Ms. Allsunday," Vivi squeaked. "Wh-What are you doing here? H-How did you get here?"

"Who are you and what are you doing on my ship?" Luffy questioned.

"She's gorgeous!" Sanji swooned, doing his noodle dance.

"If you make any sudden movements, I'll knock your head off!" Gin threatened, spinning his tonfa into an aggressive stance. Coby and Zoro, as well, drew their swords and prepared for battle.

"I saw your friend Mr. 8 just a little bit ago," Ms. Allsunday said, disregarding their statements. "He wasn't looking too good, you know?"

"What did you do to Igaram?" the princess demanded.

"Nothing at all," Ms. Allsunday waved off with a sly smile. "I really didn't need to; he had enough injuries to kill a normal person."

"Vivi, who is this woman?" Nami asked.

"That's Ms. Allsunday," the princess explained, her worry for Igaram currently overpowering her fear of the top female agent. "She's the partner of Mr. 0. We followed her to learn his identity."

"Actually, I let you follow me," the woman corrected, still as nonchalant as ever. "I just want to see what will happen from this. Will the princess be able to save her kingdom from the big, scary predator, or will it crumble to dust and ruin despite her best efforts?"

Ms. Allsunday gave a smile, something moving just behind Luffy. Before he or the crew could see it, much less react, whatever it was lifted his hat and flung it through the air like a frisbee. The agent caught it easily, plopping it over her own hat.

"You're stepping on a mine," Nami warned, one arm on Luffy's shoulder as he frowned, his eyes drilling holes through their uninvited guest. Though she wasn't restraining him in any way, the navigator's touch was enough to keep him from outright attacking. "You better give that hat back before we make you."

"Touchy," Ms. Allsunday chuckled. "I've had our spies dig up information on you, Monkey D. Luffy. You and your little Straw Hat Pirates are what makes this game more interesting. I know any other pirate crew would run or fail, but you lot already have an impressive track record. You beat Arlong the Fishman, after all." She leaned forward, Luffy's hat tilting on her own as if taunting them. "But if you're going to make this interesting for me, you need to reach Alabasta, and you're not going to get there if you follow your log pose to the next island. Here," – she held out what looked like a hourglass, but rather than sand, there was a needle pointing in one singular direction – "take this eternal pose to Namiwasho and skip Little Garden. If you go there, we wouldn't need to lift a finger to end your resistance."

"Keep your pose," Luffy growled, stretching his arm forward to take his hat back. Ms. Allsunday didn't so much as flinch. "I'm the captain and I don't trust you. We're going to Mini Garden."

"Little Garden," Coby corrected.

"Yeah, that."

"That's fine," Ms. Allsunday responded with a shrug. "I think you'll find a way to Alabasta anyway. I wish you the best of luck, seeing as you'll need it. Farewell." She hopped off the side of the ship and onto the back of a large turtle with a saddle and a cowboy hat. The turtle swam off, leaving the pirates to their devices.

"Well that was rude," Gin commented, his weapons lowering. "So, where are we going to next?"

"She just called it Little Garden," Nami answered. "Do you know anything about it, Princess?"

"Nothing," Vivi replied. "I hope she was just trying to scare us."

---

Five days passed on the Going Merry, each of them just as crazy to the crew and company. The weather was never consistent for more than a half-hour, and more than once were the pirates forced out of bed in the middle of the night because of a storm, but the chaos and Vivi's willingness to help quickly made her as much of a crewmember as anyone else aboard. The blue-haired princess was now accustomed to the happy-go-lucky tune of the Straw Hat Pirates, a tune that quickly turned serious as Usopp shouted about an island in the distance.

The crew, princess, and duck assembled on the deck as the ship pulled into a river that led deeper into the island, thick greenery rising from the shore on either side. Above the treetops in the distance stood two mountains, both as white as sun-bleached bone and with multiple holes that must have led to impressive cave systems. Bestial roars echoed through the jungle, each one making Usopp and Nami jump.

Their fear only worsened when I tiger five times as large as any tiger should be limped out of the treeline. It growled at the ship, only to wince as the blood dripping from its stomach began to form a puddle under its body. With a final wheeze, the tiger kneeled over, exposing the deep scratches that had caused its demise, its eyes losing their light.

"Oh, hey," Luffy blinked as the rest of the crew stared in shock. "Free meat."

"Luffy, you can't-" Nami began, only for a massive, winged reptile with a pointed beak to swoop down from the sky, grab the tiger in its claws, and return to the air. Only the puddle of blood was left behind to show that the feline had even existed.

"That bird thing took my meat!" Luffy fumed. "It was a bird that didn't have any feathers! That's weird and cool!"

"I can feel my Don'tGoOnThatIsland Disease acting up," Usopp shivered, grabbing the mast. "If I go on that island, I'll die!"

"You're silly, Usopp," Luffy laughed. "Come on! Let's all go explore the island."

"We should not!" Nami argued. "We don't know what could be waiting out there to kill and eat us! I say we wait here on the ship until the log pose resets!"

"As much as I wish we could, Nami-swan, we don't have that option," Sanji replied, lighting a cigarette. "Our food stores are running low and won't get us to the next island, no matter how much we try to ration."

"That means we're going hunting," Zoro grinned.

"Sanji, I'm going exploring," Luffy grinned. "Make me a big pirate lunch with plenty of meat! Anyone else want to come?"

"May I?" Vivi asked, Carue the duck quacking objections beside her. "Getting out there and seeing what there is may help distract me from worrying about my country."

"No way!" Nami denied. "For one thing, Luffy is my gullible idiot. I'm not going to let his charismatic ass walk around alone with another woman. For another thing, we have been charged with your protection until we reach Alabasta. If you die, we don't get paid."

"If you wanna come, sure," Luffy shrugged, completely ignoring Nami's reasons.

"Luffy!"

"You don't have to worry about me," Vivi insisted. "I'll take Carue with us. He's the fastest thing in all of Alabasta, way faster than anything in that jungle, and highly trained. He's the leader of the Super Sonic Duck Squadron, after all."

"Wah!" the duck affirmed, puffing out his chest, the praise making him forget the dangerous forest he'd just been volunteered to enter.

"I… well alright," Nami conceded, turning an eye on the intelligent duck. He'd be an appropriate third wheel, she supposed, and Luffy wouldn't try anything anyway. She nodded in acceptance as Sanji emerged from the kitchen, offering the trio backpacks of bagged lunches.

"Come on!" Luffy cheered, jumping down to the shore and running toward the trees. "Let's go!"

"Ah, Luffy!" Vivi called after him, hopping onto Carue's back and urging the duck forward in chase. "Wait for us!"

"Why was I even concerned about Luffy?" Nami wondered as they disappeared into the foliage. "I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't even know about any desires except adventure."

"Well I'm going for a walk, too," Zoro announced, jumping off the Merry. "We need food and I'm gonna go catch something way bigger than anything the Shit Chef could catch."

"That sounds like a challenge, Stupid Moss," the chef growled. Lightning seemed to tie their gazes together, Coby and Gin glancing each other's way.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Gin muttered.

"Maybe it is a challenge," Zoro continued. "Hell, the shrimp could catch something bigger than you could after the training I gave him."

"Please leave me out of this," Coby moaned.

"So that's how it's gonna be, huh?" Sanji snarled. "Then let's go! You and Coby will be on a team and I'll take Gin with me so neither of us can cheat. The group that brings back the most meat wins."

"Deal," the swordsman agreed. "Shrimp, get down here!"

"Yes, Zoro-sensei!" The boy scrambled down the Merry's ladder, Gin and Sanji following. Within moments, the two pairs disappeared, leaving Usopp and Nami alone on the ship. The challenge and subsequent departure happened so fast, it was only after they were gone that the navigator and sniper realized that all the muscle had left them. They froze, making eye contact.

"We're gonna die, aren't we?" Usopp questioned.

"Not me!" Nami answered, running into her maproom and locking the door, much to Usopp's panic.

"Nami?!" he yelled, pounding on the door. "Nami!"

There was no answer, the silence around him broken by the calls of mega-fauna in the distance. The ground rumbled, the sound repeating again and again while growing in force until Usopp could feel it on the ship. Something massive was approaching.

"Well, what do we have here? GABABABABA!"

---

"Zoro-sensei!" Coby yelled, panic beginning to set in as he ran through the trees of Little Garden, a giant lizard with a sail-like spine and a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth chasing after him. It had two cuts across its flank and was missing an eye where the roset had tried to scare it off previously, but that only served to make it mad. Even with its injuries, it was faster than Coby was, but the pirate was much more nimble than the dinosaur, an advantage he had to make full use of to avoid becoming the creature's next meal. Inwardly, Coby cursed his teacher's competitive nature, the man having gotten lost in his want to go kill some 'big ass lizards.' "Zoro-sensei! Help! I don't like this island!"

The tree Coby had just pushed off of in his race to escape shattered under the force of the lizard chasing him, forcing the roset to focus more on running for his life. Casting his eyes around for anything that could help, Coby spotted a vine connected somewhere in the canopy. Deciding he didn't have much to lose in this situation, he grabbed it as he passed, his momentum curving upward. The lizard ran under him, snapping at Coby's feet but with too much speed to just stop.

Planting its feet, the dimetrodon tried to turn, only to trip on a large root and topple onto its side. That mistake proved to be fatal, a spinosaurus appearing from the underbrush and diving into the dimetrodon's exposed belly.

Coby breathed a sigh of relief as he reached the apex of his impromptu escape, but his calm was short-lived as gravity returned. He clenched his lips together to keep from screaming, silently cursing the island of Little Garden to every believed-in punishment in the world. His iron-tight grip on the vine held as, like a pendulum, it swung the other direction.

"Shit!" Coby hissed as his ride smacked him into a tree, dropping the pirate into a thick branch. Acting quickly, Coby shimmied deeper into the leaves and turned, confirming that the Spinosaurus was too busy with its larger meal to care about him. "Zoro-sensei, where the Hell are you? I'm gonna give you a piece of my mind later."

Still simmering with fear and anger, Coby felt the adrenaline start to fade, his breath coming out in ragged gasps. His rest was interrupted, however, by the rumbling of his stomach, reminding the boy that he hadn't eaten before their sudden competition and the subsequent run for his life. Much to his luck, the tree he'd landed in seemed to be a fruit tree, an ancient ancestor to apples or pomegranates by the looks of it. With nothing else to sate his pallet, except maybe some leftover raw meat from his former pursuer, Coby reached for a fruit, wiped it off on his shirt, and bit into it.

Coby's eyes widened as the sweet, citrus-y taste of the fruit registered, several more of the small, purple-red plants quickly disappearing down his throat. They were so good, unfortunately, that Coby stopped studying them as he continued, the last one he grabbed having a different color scheme. Its color was more of a greenish-grey, swirly patterns dancing over the peel. Three white stem-like protrusions poked out of one side in a triangular formation, two on the top and one underneath. Coby bit into it and promptly turned green at the taste.

It was the worst thing Coby had ever eaten in his short life, the urge to vomit filling his being. Nevertheless, he swallowed out of instinct. A strange, tingly sensation started at his stomach and extended to the rest of his body as the remainder of the fruit fell from his hand. Green-gray scales, the same color the fruit had been, sprouted from Coby's skin, quickly covering all his skin save for his stomach and the palms of his hands.

He gained weight as well, quickly becoming too much for the branch he was on which snapped, dropping him to the ground where he continued to writhe as the transformation continued. The boy's mouth elongated, his lips hardening into a sort of beak while his forehead extended upward and flattened out, his hair shrinking into his altered head and his glasses widening to reach his now-slitted eyes. Coby's hands and feet changed as well, his middle and ring fingers fusing together and his thumbs twisting around to become the only projection on the opposite side. A tail tore through the backside of his pants, becoming half the length of his body. Finally, three horns grew from his face, two out of his hardened forehead over his eyes and one from his nose.

'What the Hell what the Hell what the Hell?!' Coby tried to scream, only for his words to come out as a series of grunts and roars. His arms flailed in an attempt to get to his feet, but all he saw in his now-blurred vision were trunk-like legs where his arms and hands should be.

Freezing, Coby tried to understand what had just happened to him. He was on his side, his appendages all in front of him. The position should have been far more uncomfortable, but based on his arms, he wasn't human anymore, most likely through the effects of a Zoan Fruit. Trusting instincts he had not had before, Coby hulled himself to his feet – all four of them – and his vision cleared. He followed the sounds of a bubbling stream off to his left. The water was clean and clear, offering him a clear refection of his new form.

'A triceratops?' Coby muttered to himself in those animal grunts through his new beak, looking at every angle he could. Thankfully, the good majority of his clothes were still intact, through his shoes were gone. His swords were still in their sheaths on his back, but they wouldn't help him much compared to the three horns that now stuck out from his face, which lacked his glasses. 'What did the book call Ancient Fruits? Dragon? Yeah, Dragon Fruits. I guess I ate the Dragon-Dragon Fruit: Ancient Zoan Model Triceratops. Now the big question is how do I turn back?'

In hindsight, it's not that far-fetched for an Ancient Zoan to be on Little Garden as it was an island of dinosaurs untouched by human civilization, but this thought was not relevant to Coby's problem. The young swordsman tried to sift through his memories of the transformation to see if there was anything he could use to try to change back into his human form. There had been a sensation; a tingly one in his stomach right before it started. He latched onto that, willing it to come again and alter his form, though he wasn't very specific about what he wanted.

The young swordsman shrunk until he was just over his average height and his hands and feet changed back to normal with the exception of being slightly larger and having scaly skin. His tail was still there, but smaller, now only about a foot-and-a-half long and slowly wagging back and forth as he shifted his balance. His lips had not returned and were a small beak, a miniature curve still present. The fringe of a forehead shrunk and sprouted his hair, said hair in the back and hidden from the front view, and the triad of horns were half the length they were before but just as sharp, about half the length of his swords. Now in this new hybrid form, Coby was able to stand and inspect himself better.

'Well,' Coby told himself before the panic could return. 'I didn't like swimming anyway. Wait! My glasses! I... don't need them?'

---

"Get your head out of your ass and your hair out of your eyes and you'll see that my kill is clearly bigger!" Zoro yelled, butting heads with the blond chef. His finger pointed at the T-rex-like lizard said chef had killed with Gin as witness. "My dino has more meat than that pathetic excuse of a lizard!"

"You better go get your eyes checked, Mosshead," Sanji growled back, pushing his forehead harder against Zoro's as their scowls deepened. The cook pointed at the triceratops Zoro had hunted. "Yours has nothing but fat! If I tried to cook that, it'd shrivel up to nothing! And mine is longer!"

"Sanji, Zoro," Gin tried to placate. "Please, calm down. And where is Coby?"

"The shrimp went and got lost," Zoro replied. "After Whiskey Peak, I know he can take care of himself, but that means I caught this without help, while Gin helped you, Dartbrow!"

"He did not!" Sanji denied. "And the deal was whichever group brought more meat, but Gin didn't help because I didn't need it!"

"Then he should be a safe third party. So, Gin, whose catch is bigger?"

"I'd really like to stay out of this," Gin tried, both Zoro and Sanji rounding on him.

"Which one, Gin?" the arguing pair demanded in sync.

Luckily for Gin, he wasn't forced into answering when a shockwave raced over the trio, birdcalls around them going silent as all attention was redirected to two hulking forms in the distance. They were humanoid, one with a sword and a long beard and the other on the wider side with an ax. Both of them were also easily 300 feet tall at least. Though they were fighting, there was no air of hatred and no feelings of malice in the air. Even so, their attacks were still tremendously powerful, not something they wanted to get the crew involved in.

"200 Beris says Luffy's involved and Vivi's in danger," Zoro bet.

"We aren't getting out of this," Sanji sighed. "Vivi-chwan! I'm coming to save you!"

"Gin!" the pair yelled, getting into running stances for the inevitable competition finding Luffy and Vivi would turn into. "Take the meat back to the ship!"

"Gin, come hunting with us," the former Krieg mocked as they vanished into the forest. "Gin, which one is bigger? Gin, be the pack mule. Ugh, I need to up my training." Resigning himself to his immediate fate, the Man-Demon grabbed one horn and one tooth and, with a grunt of exertion, started dragging the dinosaur corpses back to the ship.

---

Coby froze as a shockwave rumbled through the ground, every one of his new instincts screaming at him to run away in terror before whatever made that shockwave found him. Though the instincts were such a strong impulse, they were also so new that he could tell that they wouldn't help him in this instance. In fact, if sailing with the Straw Hats had taught him anything, it was that doing the opposite and going toward the apparent danger was the fasted way to find his crew again.

'Can I be human again?' he asked his Fruit, as if expecting an answer as he tried to change once more. He did not get his wish, instead turning back into a full triceratops. He sighed, trying to figure out how running on all fours would work before deciding that time could be of the essence. With a relative shrug in what he chose to call his Dino Mode, the new Zoan trusted his instincts and began tromping off toward where the giants were battling while making sure his glasses were safely tucked on the neck of his shirt.

The jungle was dense, and more than once did he have to outmaneuver predators and rival males, but the Giants' battles over however long they'd been here had made plenty of clearings for the roset to keep track of his distance and location in relation to them. The ground shook once more as, with a pair of mirrored sucker punches, the giants called their 73,466th duel a draw. At the same time, Coby felt his body shrink, faceplanting from his momentum. He groaned, spitting out dirt as he pulled himself up. He blinked, the world only the indistinct watercolors he saw when he didn't have his glasses.

"Aw dammit," he hissed, his hands patting the ground around him. His fingers touched the smooth plastic of his frames, the boy placing them back where they usually go. The world snapped into focus, including his normal hands. It seemed that his body had finished adjusting to his new powers. "Oh, I'm human again."

Looking around, Coby saw the giants once more in less clarity than he'd had while running, both of them going in opposite directions. Intuition – or was it instinct? – guided Coby as he took his glasses off again and slowly grew back into his Dino Mode, trailing right to follow the giant with the long beard. Knowing Luffy, he'd want to climb it, probably.

---

"Geyakyakyak! So Broggy's guests are friends of yours, eh? I guess that makes sense. We don't get many visitors. He described them as a man with a long nose and a woman with orange hair."

'Blue Ogre' Dorry the Giant was a mountain of a man standing at nearly 500 feet with tanned skin. His black beard covered much of his Viking-like armor, nearly touching the ground, and a blue cape flowed down his back. A helmet, sword, and shield – each supersized to fit a Giant – sat next to him, even bigger than the casket of ale he was drinking from. The ale itself was from the Merry, but it had passed through the hands of the other Giant, Broggy, before reaching Dorry. Laughing with the Giant in his campsite of nearly 100 years were Luffy, Vivi, and Carue.

"That's Usopp and Nami," Luffy explained. "They're members of my crew!"

"Eh, Luffy?" Vivi asked, the captain taking a bite out of the absolutely massive haunch of dinosaur meat Dorry offered him. "I've been meaning to ask, but I wanted to confirm something. Are you and Nami… together?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like together together."

"I still don't get it."

"She's asking if you like kissing your little lady friend," Dorry explained with a wry grin.

"Oh," Luffy blinked. "Yeah, we are."

"May I ask how you got together?" Vivi questioned.

"Sure."

There was silence.

Luffy blinked.

Vivi blinked.

Dorry blinked.

Luffy blinked again.

"…Well?"

"Well what?"

"How did you get together?" Vivi's lips thinned, a clear sign to anyone except Luffy that she was annoyed by his answers or lack thereof so far.

"Oh," Luffy blinked, oblivious. "This fishman bastard named Arlong was holding her village hostage and forcing her to be his navigator, but that was stupid of him since she's my navigator. Nami finally asked for help, so I jumped in and kicked his fishy, blue ass. She kissed me after the battle."

"That's so romantic," Vivi gushed, stars in her eyes. "That's like so many fairytales I read as a kid, where the hero sweeps in with his knights and saves the princess."

"Don't call me a hero!" Luffy denied quickly. "Heroes have to share their meat and are selfless and stuff, but I wanna keep all the meat for me and my friends. I only helped Nami because she asked for it, because friends rely on each other. I'd do the same for any of them. Well, I wouldn't let them kiss me like Nami did, but you know what I mean."

"Geyakyayak!" Dorry laughed. "I like you, Straw-"

Dorry didn't finish the sentence, the barrel of ale in his hand exploding violently.

"Dorry!" Luffy and Vivi yelled. The Giant hissed, the heat burning his left hand and the left side of his face. Concerned, the pirate, princess, and duck ran to the giant's side. The smoke cleared quickly, revealing the Giant doubled over with his left eye closed completely and burns covering his hand. His lips were pulled into a grimace of pain.

"Are you ok?" Vivi asked, though the answer was clear to see. "Hold still! Carue and I will find a river for you to wash those."

"Who did that!" Luffy raged. "When I find them, I'll kick their ass so hard, they'll taste my sandal for a week!"

Before Luffy could say more, however, the volcano of the island erupted for the second time that day, signaling the start of another duel.

"How unlucky," Dorry muttered, straightening and turning his good eye to the flowing lava. "We rarely get two duels so close together, and after such an accident. I guess Elbaf has finally made his choice."

"No way!" Vivi denied. "You can't go fight in your state! Someone booby trapped that alcohol!"

"I must fight," Dorry responded with a shake of his head. "Even if I am to lose, even if I am to die, I cannot forsake my honor after so many years."

"Why are you even fighting in the first place?" the princess asked, hoping beyond hope that delaying the Giant could stop him from walking into what had just turned into a hopeless fight.

"You know," Dorry began with a sad and still-pained smile, "I don't even remember. Neither does Broggy, but it must have been something important. That's why I can't stop now. 73,466 duels we have fought, and I suppose the 73,467th is to be my last one."

"But-!"

"Do not interfere," Dorry ordered, seeing the anger in Luffy's movements. Taking it a step further to confirm the sanctity of his fight, Dorry tipped over his shield, pinning Luffy under its weight. With his hand the way it was, Dorry wouldn't be able to use it anyway. Seeing that the rubber-man was sufficiently contained and that the princess did not have the means to interfere even if she could follow on her duck, the Blue Ogre stood, ready for his own death.

---

"Man, this sucks," Gin complained, dragging the dinosaurs Zoro and Sanji had dumped on him. He supposed it was good exercise, but he had cuts and bruises from all the predators who had come to try to take the meat from him. He hissed with every other step, blood from a bite from a velociraptor or something like it flowing down his right leg. To top it off, some bug would not get away from his neck. He growled, ripping a part of his shirt off to replace the cloth bandage he'd had on his leg. His moment of pause allowed him to see the shady figure out of the corner of his eye near a tree.

"Zoro?" he questioned, tying off the makeshift bandage and limping toward the figure. "I thought you ran off with Sanji, though knowing your sense of direction..." He drew closer and immediately noticed something was wrong. "Oh shi-!"

The figure exploded.

---

"Get away!" Nami and Usopp cried in unison, running as quickly as adrenaline could make them. On their trail was a cat nearly the size of the tiger they'd seen when entering the island, though this one was of the saber-toothed variety, which was not good news for the pirates. Nami's bo was useless against such an opponent and Usopp's pellets were only a little more effective.

"Dammit!" Nami yelled. "If Broggy had left any meat, we wouldn't be in this situation!"

"But we are, so what does it matter?!" Usopp shouted as the pair jumped over a log. He turned, losing sight of the navigator as he took aim at the beast while in midair. "Triple Lead Star!"

True to his skill, all three of the pellets met their marks, but they did scant more than ensuring the sniper had the cat's full attention. It growled as Usopp took off again, unaware that he had been abandoned as bait.

"I will never forget your sacrifice," Nami prayed from where she was laying beside the fallen log. Usopp was fast and crafty, so he would be fine… probably. Now relatively safe, though nowhere out of the woods, Nami surveyed the area, finding a tall tree that would give her a decent view of the island. It needed to be mapped, after all.

Satisfied with her studies several minutes later, the pirate began making her way down the tree. The branch she claimed for a foothold, however, was not quite as study as she thought it was, the wood giving way beneath her. She screamed.

"No need for that," a gentle, female voice chuckled, slim but strong arms arresting her momentum.

"Thanks," Nami breathed, only to then register the situation. "Wait, you're-!"

"Kyahahaha!"

---

"Of course, the Crap Cook had to go and get himself lost," Zoro grumbled, every tree around him looking the same. The swordsman had no idea where he was, but that wasn't his fault! The Giants kept moving their duel every time he looked away. Why couldn't they just fight in one place and make things easier? "Geeze, I'm sure the Merry is around here somewhere."

A stick snapped somewhere off to the man's… left? Yeah, left, off the starboard side, where the sun was dipping toward the south. The swordsman turned, Wado Ichimonji already in his hand, but the weapon proved to be unnecessary. Standing by a tree was Gin, one hand held up in a wave. Zoro relaxed, resheathing his sword. He stepped closer.

"What the Hell, Gin? Don't tell me you got lost like the blond boytoy. Where's the dinos we killed?" He paused, noticing the braided red hair of a girl hiding behind his crewmate, who had yet to move. "Who's the squirt?"

"Sorry," the girl apologized, the paintbrush in her hand already moving. "Nothing personal."

---

The clashing of sword and ax echoed over the forests of Little Garden, Luffy and Vivi unable to do anything about the injustice that had decided its winner. Luffy growled from his place under the giant shield, trying to wiggle his way free without any luck. Vivi and Carue tried to help, but the object was simply too big for them to move.

"Come on!" Vivi muttered, her shoes digging into the soil and sweat dripping down her face as she tried with all her might to free the pirate.

"Waaaaah!" Carue agreed. A shape shifted on the edge of the clearing, a long-nosed human running into the open. Only a second followed before the saber-toothed tiger chasing him appeared, gaining.

"Usopp!" Luffy called, excited to see his friend.

"Heeeelp!" the sniper cried, shifting his path to bring himself and the predator past his trapped captain. Luffy's arm stretched as he passed, grabbing the cat by the fang and slamming it face-first into the shield. It landed on its feet, as cats do, wobbling in a dizzy circle before tipping over and passing out. Finally free of the monster, Usopp flopped to the ground, panting. "Thanks."

"Good to see you, Usopp," Luffy grinned. "Wait, didn't the old Giant guy say you and Nami were hanging out with the other old Giant guy?"

"Nami? Yeah, she's riiiiiii-oh shit." The sniper paled.

"Where is she?" Luffy demanded, his own predicament forgotten.

"Calm down, Luffy," Vivi tried. "I'm sure she's-"

"She might have been eaten by a dinosaur!" Usopp blurted. "We were running for our lives through the jungle and she was there one minute and gone the next!"

"Nami!" Luffy yelled into the wind, his struggles to free himself redoubling.

"I'm sure she wasn't eaten!" Vivi offered, though she wasn't as sure of the words as she appeared to be. "Let's think about this logically. She went missing in an instant and we aren't alone on this island. I'm afraid Baroque Works has her hostage."

"They're here?" Usopp gaped.

"The alcohol Broggy gave Dorry exploded while he was drinking it," the blunette explained. "We didn't trap it and the Giants have too much honor for Broggy to have, so that only leaves a third party With Baroque Works coming after us, they are the most logical answer."

"Very good, Ms. Wednesday," the smooth voice of Mr. 5 affirmed, slow clapping making his and his partner's appearance from the forest more dramatic. "A+ detective work. What do you think, Ms. Valentine?"

"I think I'm impressed none of them are dead yet, kyahahaha!" the blonde at his side laughed.

"Bastards!" Luffy raged. "Where's Nami?!"

"Your little girlfriend's still alive, if that's what you're asking," Ms. Valentine responded, intentionally unhelpful. "Well, for now, anyway."

"How dare you!" Vivi yelled, pulling her Peacock Slashers out into the open. Usopp loaded his slingshot, completely unaware of the powers the opposing duo possessed. "So you did take Nami!"

"Not just her," Mr. 5 taunted, one finger making its way into his nose. "We have the Pirate Hunter and the Man-Demon as well."

"Shit!" Usopp hissed, his legs shaking. "Th-That's fine. We can take you! Exploding Star!"

"That won't work on me," Mr. 5 commented right before the projectile hit him, exploding with much more force than it should have. Ms. Valentine opened her parasol, riding the shockwave high into the sky. Usopp followed her with his eyes, shocked.

"Here I come, Long-Nose! 10,000 Kilogram press!" the blonde yelled, closing her parasol once she was above him. Usopp screamed, diving away from the area that became a crater a split second later. "Oh, I missed. Maybe you'll be a little more fun than I thought."

"You let them go!" Vivi demanded, pointing at Mr. 5 while Usopp and his foe played a game of cat and mouse.

"You can't honestly think that would work, Princess," the man chuckled. "No one just lets their captives go because someone says so."

"Then I'll make you!" The blue-haired royal charged, her weapons spinning. Mr. 5 yawned as she approached, his arm exploding as the princess' weapon made contact. Though the blast nullified the force, it did not manage to break the crystal weapon. Carue charged in from the other side, but barely a touch caused Mr. 5's back to detonate, taking the duck out of the fight in a storm of heat. Vivi was not deterred, using her natural flexibility to dance around the bomb-man.

"It's always a laugh to see you fight, Ms. Wednesday," he smirked, the woman twisting around an explosion he sent out from his palm. His chest exploded as the princess tried to kick him, but the action was a feint to cover her slash toward his face. Vivi's Peacock Slashers cut a gash across his left cheek, but the damage was only superfluous. He raised one hand, his finger dabbing the wound to come away bloody. "Ow."

Vivi panted, having expended all that energy just for a small cut. Mr. 5's eyes hardened as he pulled a revolver out of his pocket, breathing into it.

"Playtime's over," he said, aiming the gun at his female opponent. "Come with us or else."

"Then come and take me," the princess growled. Mr. 5 didn't take kindly to that, firing the pistol. Somehow, the air he had breathed into it fired like a bullet, exploding against the ground to Vivi's right. Another shot exploded to her left, the shockwaves throwing her to the ground.

"Vivi!" Luffy yelled, throwing a punch at the man. Mr. 5 leisurely brushed it off with another explosion, sauntering up to the fallen blunette.

"This is the end of the line," the agent warned, his weapon aimed at the princess' legs. "Any last words to your friends?"

"Yeah," the princess breathed, smiling. "Dinosaur."

Mr. 5's eyes widened as he tried to rocket himself backward with an explosion from his free hand and feet. He was too slow, however, unable to completely avoid the attack that came from his right. The action saved his life, but did not stop the horn that ripped through his ear.

"Goda fuck!" he screamed, dropping his gun to cradle his now-missing ear. "What the Hell?!"

"That's what cocky guys like you get," the clothes-wearing triceratops commented, pawing the ground in front of the princess. "Dammit, if only I was a little faster."

"Coby?" Luffy questioned, recognizing the voice. Coby closed his eyes, shrinking into his Hybrid Mode and unsheathing his Sabaku no Kiba. "Since when could you do that?"

"Since about 30 minutes ago," the Zoan answered. The ground shook, the Giants' fight in the distance coming to an unfortunate end. Dorry going down in a spray of blood was too much of a distraction for Usopp, Ms. Valentine finally catching the slippery sniper under her falling body. Seeing that the Gecko Island native wasn't a threat anymore, Valentine picked him up by the hair and put her parasol against his throat.

"Usopp!" the pirates and Vivi gasped, the blonde walking over to her partner.

"Kyahaha!" the blonde laughed. "I think you can see where this is going, Princess. If you come with us, we'll give back your friend. Deal?"

"Vivi, don't," Coby warned, but the plea fell of deaf ears. The princess stood, pushing the Zoan out of the way. She glanced back for only a moment before turning forward, relinquishing herself to the mercy of the agents. True to their word, they released Usopp, throwing him to the ground while Mr. 5 threw Vivi over his shoulder in a fireman's carry.

"Tata!" Ms. Valentine taunted.

"No!" Coby denied, shifting back into his Dino Mode and charging the pair. "You won't take her!"

"Coby, don't!" Vivi tried, but she was too late to stop him. Mr. 5 turned, spitting into his hand before aiming his palm at the coming triceratops.

"This is for my ear, you bastard! Explosive Denial!"

Mr. 5 unleashed his largest explosion yet, the blast strong enough to blow Coby skyward. He flipped once, landing with a crunch. He didn't move, save for shrinking back into his human form.

"And that's that," Ms. Valentine nodded, the pair taking their leave, their captive crying silently.

"Shit!" Luffy hissed, still struggling under the weight of the Giant's shield. "Dammit! DAMMIT! Coby! Usopp! Carue!"

"I'm still… alive," Coby wheezed, pushing himself to his feet. His glasses lay crushed where he'd landed, beyond all repair. "We lost, Captain Luffy. What now?"

"Help me get out," Luffy ordered. "We're gonna go kick their asses and get everyone back!"

Wincing, Coby stumbled to his feet, the world around him only a blurry mess. It seemed he didn't need his glasses while under the effect of his transformation, but still needed them for his default. That was unfortunate, since they were destroyed. Guessing he needed to see, and also have the extra muscle mass, the boy shifted into his Dino Mode once more and made his way to his captain. Taking in the situation, he jammed his upper horns on either side of Luffy's body and lifted with all his might.

The shield only moved two inches for a moment, but that was all the space and time Luffy needed to pull himself free with Coby's crown. He snapped back into shape, immediately checking on Usopp and Carue. The former had some bad bruising and blood running down from his hairline while the latter was covered in burns, but they were both alive and coming to.

"I think I can track them by scent," Coby announced, sniffing the ground. "Mr. 5 smells like fire and gunpowder. And there should be a trail of blood from his ear."

"Wait?" Usopp questioned. "Coby? What happened to you?"

"Ate a Devil Fruit by accident," he shrugged

"Oh... Congrats?"

"Alright!" Luffy cheered. "Now we're ready to go kick their asses!"

---

"How very kind of you all for coming." Mr. 3 stood before his captive audience, a massive smile on his face and his hands behind his back. The agent was a tall, thin man of about 30 years old with black hair stylized into a "3" shape. He was dressed in a blue and white striped button-up shirt with a red bow tie and khakis. A pair of glasses rested on his nose and the top of his hair burned like a candlewick. "A monologue is never quite the same without a captive audience."

"It's not like we had much of a choice," Gin muttered with a roll of his eyes. He, Vivi, Nami, and Zoro were all trapped in Mr. 3's Giant Candle Set, a wax creation that stood like a lighthouse on a small island, the top stylized to look like a pumpkin with candles. Each of the four were unable to move from their positions, their feet and ankles trapped in the wax under them. Beside the giant death trap was Broggy, his arms and legs chained to the ground by wax, though his mind seemed elsewhere as he cried. "Sorry, Zoro. I lost those dinos you and Sanji hunted."

"They got the drop on us," the swordsman shrugged, nonchalant.

"Would you two take this seriously?!" Nami demanded, trying to smack the two of them on either side of her, but the distance between them was too great.

"Shut up and listen to me!" Mr. 3 ordered, launching into an explanation of how the Giant Candle Set worked and the genius behind his plan. The other agents on the island – the Mr. 5 pair and Mr. 3's partner – stood arrayed behind him. Mr. 5's right ear was covered in a bloody bandage.

Mr. 3's partner, Ms. Goldenweek, was a short redhead with her hair in twin braids and big black eyes. She appeared to be around 13 in age and was dressed in a light, cloud-print jacket over a navy-blue shirt. She also wore a red skirt hidden from the front by a painter's smock with the top half folded down, said smock covered in paint stains of all colors and sizes. A pink cowboy hat sat on her head and two blush-like ovals donned her cheeks. A painter's palette hung from her belt with a sort of toolman's belt, hers filled with paintbrushes of various sizes. Completing her outfit were blue-and-white striped socks and pink tennis shoes.

"Big Sis," Ms. Goldenweek muttered, grabbing Ms. Valentine's arm. "He's doing it again."

"I know," the blonde responded gently, resting her hand on top of the redhead's shoulder. "We have to bear with it. We're so close to our goal."

"I know," Ms. Goldenweek frowned. "Just… he makes me paint the statues of people so they're lifelike and they creep me out. And killing people to make a perfect country seems… wrong."

"Boss' orders, Lil' Sis. I know you don't like it, but we don't have a choice. Baroque Works freed us and took us in, and once we're done, we'll never have to kill again."

"It's a lie!" Vivi yelled over Mr. 3's monologue. "Mr. 0 doesn't care about making a perfect country! He just wants to rule!"

"Silence!" Mr. 3 ordered, the fire at the tip of his hair flaring with his anger. "It makes sense that you would try to deceive us since you're trying to save your own country and rule, but we will not be dissuaded, Princess."

"You all don't even know who you're working for," Gin blinked. "And if you learn who it is, he sends someone to kill you. That seems pretty damn shady to me."

"I don't expect a small band of misfit pirates to understand the subtle gearwork within the complicated system of government creation."

"You'll all die if you learn your boss' name, right?" Zoro asked, quirking an eyebrow. "It's Crocodile the Warlord."

"Why the Hell would you say that?!" all four agents screamed, casting their eyes out to see if the Unlucky 13 pair were nearby.

"You moron," Mr. 3 snarled, his heartbeat returning to normal speed. "Even if you are telling the truth, only we know what has happened here and you are soon to be dead! None of us are going to tell about this, so you have not harmed any of us. Let's be rid of you!"

Mr. 3 waved his hand, the column in the center of the Giant Candle Set beginning to rotate. The candles on top of the pumpkin figurehead lit, little flecks of wax beginning to fall like snow.

"Well this sure is dangerous," Zoro commented, pulling out Wado Ichimonji and holding it in the air. He froze, refusing to move a muscle.

"What the Hell are you doing?" Nami questioned, trying to pull her feet free with no success.

"He said this thing is going to turn us into statues and it's too hard for my swords to cut," Zoro responded, still not moving. "If I'm going to die and become a statue, I plan of being in a badass pose. You guys better find your own, too."

"You can't be serious, Mr. Bushido!" Vivi gaped.

"He's right," Gin shrugged, pulling out his tonfa and striking a pose of his own, one tonfa held before his chest and the other above and in front of his face. "This'll be my pose."

"Not you too!"

"They've earned my respect," Mr. 5 nodded. "Ain't no one ever had such badass poses for this. Mostly it's screaming and crying and begging."

"Shut up, Five!" Nami and Vivi roared. "You idiots are so stupid!"

"Where's the stupid part of this?" Gin asked. "Either Don Luffy saves us or we die in a cool pose preserved after our death. Where's the downside?"

"The part where we die!"

"No one's dying on my watch!" the voice of their captain shouted, dragging all attention to the edge of the clearing where Luffy appeared riding a triceratops in clothing. Behind him was Usopp on Carue's back, each one of the attackers serious as a heart attack. "I'm here to save you!"

"They completely ignored their chance at stealth," Mr. 3 gaped, almost missing Luffy using Coby's horns like a slingshot. The agent wanted none of that, wax oozing out of his hand before he threw it to form a wall in the pirate captain's path. Luffy didn't miss a beat, his arms snapping out to help him flip over the wall.

"Gum-Gum Double Stamp!" Luffy yelled, both of his feet coming down on Mr. 3. He absolutely did not squeak, slinging a wave of wax to take his place as Luffy's target. The wax hardened as the rubber-man's legs passed through, locking them together in a candle. Countless battles while growing up and a natural battle ingenuity kicked in, Luffy balancing as he landed before launching himself at the horns on Broggy's helmet and twisting himself around one.

"What do you think you're doing?" Mr. 3 asked, the Mr. 5 pair charging into the woods after the sniper and duck. "Don't think your weird stretching powers will save you or your friends, Straw-!"

"Gum-Gum Mallet!" Luffy yelled over the agent, spinning outward. His speed increased too quickly for Mr. 3 to react, Luffy's improvised weapon slamming into his chest. The force shattered the candle trap while also blowing him off into the forest. "Get back here, Three! I'm not done with you yet!"

With Usopp and Carue being chased by the Mr. 5 pair and Luffy kicking Mr. 3 across the forest, that left Coby to deal with the wax-man's partner, said partner defying every expectation by simply spreading out a blanket and picnic basket. She turned to Coby expectantly, offering a cup of tea.

"What are you doing?" Coby asked, his swords raised in his Hybrid Mode. From where the redhead was sitting, the green-skinned Zoan towered over the agent, not that she seemed worried in the slightest.

"Making tea," the girl answered, plugging the spout of a teapot and giving it a small shake. "I'm Ms. Goldenweek. Care to join me? I'd rather not fight."

"…Coby," the roset muttered, lowering his swords. "You really don't plan on fighting, do you?"

"Not really," she shrugged, taking a bite out of a rice cracker. "Mr. 3 and I are more of an information and ambush pair. He likes it, but I don't really have a choice. Here."

The redhead poured two cups of tea, offering one to Coby. He eyed the drink, slowly releasing his transformation and resheathing his swords. Carefully, still suspicious, Coby sat on the blanket and accepted the tea.

"You're really not going to try to stop me?"

"As long as you don't go for the Giant Candle Set, I don't have to work."

Being in his human form forced Coby to squint to see, making him need to pat around to find the crackers the girl offered. Luckily, her red hair was a distinct color against the green of the background.

"Your eyes suck, don't they?" Ms. Goldenweek asked, scooting the crackers under his fingers. "Wouldn't that be a problem for a pirate out at sea?"

"I had some glasses, but Mr. 5 broke them," Coby explained, calmed by the goodwill she'd shown so far.

"Oi, Shrimp!" Zoro yelled, Coby turning to see the big white blob that was the Giant Candle Set. "Quit flirting with the enemy!"

"I'm not-!"

"Colors Trap: Befriending Yellow-Green," Ms. Goldenweek said. Coby froze, a wave of calm coming over him, even with his sensei and Nami shouting at him in the distance. He blinked, turning back around and sitting again, unaware of the paint now covering his neck. "Sorry about that. I can't let you run off quite yet."

"Oh, that's fine," Coby grinned, accepting a refill of tea. "Luffy and Usopp can handle it. And Sanji's around here somewhere."

"This look of yours is a lot less scary than that first one," Ms. Goldenweek commented, studying him closely. "I've never seen anyone with hair as pink as yours before. It'd be really nice if you let it grow out some."

"You think so?" Coby blinked. "I've never thought about it. Most people make fun of me for it. Your hair is really nice, too, I think. I can't see all that well."

"Have you tried only changing your eyes with your Zoan transformation?" the redhead suggested. "I heard some Zoans can change parts of their bodies at will, so maybe that will help."

"Coby!" all four of the captives yelled, both short picnickers ignoring them.

"I've only just gotten my Fruit," the pirate explained, giving the girl a bright smile. "That's a good idea, though. You're really nice, even though we're supposed to be enemies."

"You're sweet," Ms. Goldenweek smiled in return, or Coby assumed she smiled, since she was just a blob in his vision. "What Fruits do you and your crew have?"

"Mine is the Dragon-Dragon Zoan: Ancient Model Triceratops, I think." Coby answered, no sign of hesitation in his words. "Captain Luffy has the Gum-Gum Fruit, so he's made of rubber. Those are the only ones, though I expect we'll pick up more at some point."

In the distance behind them, Luffy and Mr. 3 flew out of the woods, Luffy with both feet planning in Mr. 3's stomach. The agent's eyes were boggled in pain, a piece of spittle flying. The force sent the man into the side of the Giant Candle Set, stars in his vision.

"Yeah, take that!" Luffy cheered, only for an explosive booger to slam into his chest from the other side of the clearing.

"Your fight is with us!" Usopp yelled from somewhere beyond the trees, firing half-a-dozen rotten eggs and a Tabasco Star, that latter of which found its way down Mr. 5's throat. He screamed, fire burning in his throat from the heat.

"Long-Nose!" Ms. Valentine raged, punching a hole in a tree. Usopp squeaked, fleeing on Carue as the tree toppled.

"We aren't done yet, boy!" Mr. 3 called, forming a wax ax and charging into the woods after Luffy.

"Why didn't Mr. 3 as for your help?" Coby wondered. "We aren't exactly contributing anything right now."

"He thinks I can only manipulate one person at a time," the redhead answered, taking another rice cracker.

"How do you do that?"

"Painting has been in my dad's side of the family since it was first invented, or so he said. Supposedly, one of our ancestors was the famous Post-Void artist Michotello." Coby blinked, the name meaning nothing to him. Ms. Goldenweek sighed. "Yeah, I expected that. He's a painter who lived in the time between the end of the Void Century and the founding of the World Government, but his stuff is still on display."

"Wow. That doesn't answer my question, though."

"Oh, yeah. There are chemicals in my paint," the girl explained, showing her palette only to remember that Coby couldn't see it. "Each color is connected to an emotion, and the chemicals react in your body to cause that emotion. Anger, sadness, exhaustion, joy, I can control them all. Well, most of them. Unfortunately, my parents died before dad could teach me everything, so I still have a way to go."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up sad memories."

"It was a while ago, but that's why Big Sister and I joined Baroque Works."

"You have a sister?" Coby asked, taking another cracker. There was screaming and cracking. "What's going on behind me?"

"Your captain just broke through one of Mr. 3's Wax Walls. I think your friends will be saved soon. Mr. 3 seems pretty dizzy."

Even as she spoke, Luffy was wasting no more time, considering his crewmates were losing all mobility to the wax. Laying out Mr. 3 with a haymaker, Luffy jumped toward the Giant Candle Set and planted himself next to the pumpkin ornament. He grabbed it, bringing its rotation to a halt. Digging his fingers in, he screamed and pulled.

"You can't be serious!" Mr. 3 gaped, nursing a bruise on his face. "That thing weighs a couple hundred pounds! There's no way you can-!"

CRACK!

Luffy's yelling increased in volume, Nami and Vivi cheering him on as the pumpkin started to shift, the wax at its base cracking. With a final shove, the whole thing gave way, tumbling backwards on the side opposite the captives. It hit the ground with a heavy thump, Coby and Ms. Goldenweek's teacups shaking with the ground. The younger agent stared, shocked.

"Your captain… just…"

"Yeah, he does that."

"You know," Ms. Goldenweek commented, swallowing. "I've been thinking about leaving Baroque Works for a while now. I mean, yeah, they took us in when Big Sister and I needed a place to go, but... I'm not sure I like what they're fighting for. Is what Ms. Wednesday said about the boss's promise being a lie true?"

"I'm afraid so," Coby answered honestly. "Princess Vivi explained it to us on the way here. Your boss-"

"Crocodile."

"Oh, you know," Coby blinked, the yellow-green paint making him shrug off the shock. "Yeah, Crocodile wants to take over Alabasta so he can rule it himself. He actually started the civil war going on there right now."

"That's just rude," Ms. Goldenweek responded. "Will, uh… If I jumped ship, do think Big Sis and I would be able to get away?

"Captain Luffy tends to get all the attention on us," Coby responded. "I'd say there's a good chance."

"Guess I'm going rogue. Want to save your friends?"

"Please."

"Go ahead."

Ms. Goldenweek nodded, gesturing to the nearly-immobile pirates, doing nothing about the paint she'd put on the boy's neck. Coby stood, transforming into his Dino Mode as he did. His path was clear of all obstructions, allowing the Zoan to build up speed.

"This is gonna hurt," he muttered, ramming into the wax at the captive's feet only a moment later. The Giant Candle Set shook with the impact, the Zoan's horns digging into the softer wax on the side. He growled, shaking his head every which way to widen the holes.

"That's it, Shrimp!" Zoro praised, feeling the wax around his feet begin to loosen.

"It's about time!" Nami yelled

"You can do it!" Vivi offered. The wax finally gave way with a last push, freeing the human captives. Their tumble shattered the wax coating their bodies, fully unhampering them

"Ground, how I've missed you," Nami cried, all but hugging the soil.

"That's nice and all," Gin breathed, rolling the stiffness out of his arms, "but can we at least admit Zoro and I had better poses?"

"Let's finish this fight first," Coby suggested, growing into his Hybrid Mode. "I'm so done with his island."

---

"Godadammit," Sanji groaned, leaning against a tree. "I'm lost."

He and Zoro had gotten separated at some point in their mad dash to where they thought the fight was, but because there were no trails, the chef had gotten all turned around. He came upon a small clearing, a low, white structure sitting in the middle. Sanji blinked, scanning the clearing for any signs of life. None appeared. Cautiously, the blond approached and knocked. No one answered.

Shrugging, Sanji opened the door and waltzed in. The building had a homey air about it, a table in the middle supporting a pot of tea and several teacups. Never one to let food or drink go to waste, the blond reheated the drink and poured his own cup.

"Mmmm," he hummed. "West Blue Teatime. Whoever owns this place has good taste." He sat there for several minutes, sipping his tea, before a faint "BADA-BADA-BADUP ... BADA-BADA-BADUP" reached his ears.

Shifting in his chair, Sanji scanned the room until his gaze landed on a purple box resting on a counter top. The chef stood, tea in hand, and walked over, opening the box to find a matching purple den-den mushi with a black mustache. Sanji picked up the receiver, causing the snail to go "ca-lick".

"Uh... You've called the Crap Café. May I take your order?"

"This is no time for fooling around," a gruff voice growled on the other end of the line, the snail manifesting a cigar. "Your report is late, Mr. 3. You're usually very prompt. Is there a problem?"

"No sir," Sanji responded, playing along. "Uh, may I ask who this is?"

"Do you think this is funny? This is Mr. 0, you numbskull. Now what is your situation? Are Princess Vivi and all of the Straw Hat Pirates dead?"

"Yes sir," the pirate lied. "Very dead. Very, very dead. They put up one Hell of a fight, though. Especially their cook. I'm still feeling the hits."

"Whatever. I've sent the Unluckies to your location with an eternal pose to Alabasta. Be sure to get here on time. We'll be beginning the next phase of the plan."

"Yes sir," Sanji replied before a small flutter drew the chef's attention to the window. Thereupon the windowsill sat two animals, a vulture with aviator goggles and an otter in a pink onesie.

Sanji blinked.

The otter blinked.

The vulture blinked.

The snail blinked.

Sanji blinked.

The otter pulled oyster shells out of its back pockets, three razors opening from each like switchblades.

The vulture knelt to reveal the minigun strapped to its back.

The snail blinked.

"Oh shi-!" Sanji dropped his tea and ducked behind the table as the bird open fired, burying bullets in the floor, walls, and furniture. The pirate didn't know what the house was made of, but it was some strong stuff to survive the initial onslaught. There was a vrrr as the minigun clicked, allowing Sanji to poke his head up over the counter.

That was a bad choice as he was forced to roll away, three blades slashing through the air where his eyes had been. The otter growled, jumping after the human.

"I don't think so," Sanji hissed, pushing himself into a handstand to avoid another swipe. He twisted, catching the otter with a kick that launched him into the table. There was a sickening crunch as the otter's head met the edge, the semi-aquatic mammal falling with a wet thump a moment later.

"Raa!" the vulture screeched, charging the chef with talons bared. Sanji was too slow to avoid the bird fully, the claws ripping into his side. The adrenaline allowed him to ignore the pain as he flipped, catching the vulture's long neck between his legs. With a sharp twist, the bird's neck snapped, the avian falling limp.

"Shit," Sanji hissed, pressing a palm into his bleeding side.

"What the Hell was that?" Mr. 0 demanded over the snail phone, reminding Sanji of the call. He reached over, grabbing the receiver from where it was dangling off the counter.

"Nothing, Sir! A couple of the pirate bastards were simply playing dead. I took care of them. No need to worry or send any help!"

"Right... Just don't screw it up."

Sanji breathed a sigh of relief, ready to hang up.

"Oh, and Mr. 3? Do something about that cold of yours. It's making you sound like a brat trying to hide a North Blue accent." The snail went to sleep with a soft "ca-cha". Sanji stayed frozen for a moment before pulling out a cigarette. He lit it and took a long drag, easing his frayed nerves.

"Glad that's over. Bet I could cook these two up and the idiots would love it. Hmm? What's this?" He knelt down, picking up a small, hourglass-like item beside the still otter. "With this, I'll get a kiss from Vivi-chwan for sure!"

---

"Ok, let's take stock," Nami said quickly, eyeing the area around them. "Carue and Usopp have the Mr. 5 pair distracted, Luffy's fighting Three, and Three's partner-"

"Isn't a threat," Coby cut in, glancing at the redhead with his dinosauric eyes so he could actually see what she looked like. She waved good-naturedly, munching on another rice cracker. "She's a friend."

"Sure she is," Gin teased. "A gir-"

He didn't finish, Usopp and Carue running over him since they weren't watching where they were going. The three fell into an unorganized heap.

"They're free!" Mr. 5 panted as he and Ms. Valentine rounded the edge of the now-defunct Giant Candle Set.

"I'll handle this," Zoro grinned, unsheathing his swords and attacking. Mr. 5 promptly exploded, Ms. Valentine floating away from the fight.

"You can't beat me with my Bomb-Bomb Fruit powers," Mr. 5 said, trying to find an opening to get some ammo. He spit, the saliva exploding upon contact with the ground.

"We'll see about that, One-Ear," Zoro taunted through the resulting smoke.

"Valen-!"

"Your fight is with us," Gin interrupted, coming in from the side.

"Get 'em!" Usopp cheered, happy to pass his fight onto someone else.

"Quick, while they're distracted," Vivi urged. "Let's free Broggy!"

"Big Sis," Ms. Goldenweek muttered, one hand keeping Valentine from returning to the fight. "We need to go."

"Grace, we owe too much to the company," Valentine responded, not daring to use her full strength lest she injure her sister. Not only that, but her words came out half-hollow as she watched the men of their pairs get chased around the fallen remains of their plan.

"Amy," Ms. Goldenweek – Grace – pleaded. "I know you feel indebted to the company. I did, too, but we both know that after you and Mr. 5 failed to stop the pirates at Whiskey Peak that you were on Mr. 0's list. This catastrophe is only making that more likely and we never really agreed with everything. Let's just leave."

"But where would we go?" Ms. Valentine – Amy – questioned. This was a lot more energy than her sister usually showed. "We don't have a ship or any real skill at navigating. We didn't even come to the Grand Line by choice and we certainly can't stay on this island."

"I was kind of hoping…" Grace muttered, tapping her forefingers together, "that we could go with these pirates."

"What?!" the older of the pair gaped. "Why?!"

"I don't know… They seem nice enough."

"…You've already decided, haven't you, Lil' Sis?"

"Yeah."

"Ugh. Fine," the Devil Fruit user relented. "If you're leaving, I'm going with you. I've got to keep my little sister safe, don't I?"

The redhead didn't respond, just smiling faintly. The blonde sighed, activating her powers to float over to where the swordsman, former Krieg pirate, and bomb-man were still fighting. The former two were littered with small burns, but were otherwise fine, while the latter was littered with small cuts and bruises.

"10,000 Kilogram Press!"

The floating woman dropped, Gin and Zoro hearing the yell and diving out of the way. Mr. 5 smirked, believing his backup had finally arrived. As a result, he didn't even react as the woman landed on him like a pile of bricks, instantly knocking him unconscious.

"Well that's something," Zoro blinked, refusing to lower his weapons. "I thought your aim was better than that."

"I take great pride in my aim, thank you," the woman rebuffed, floating to her feet to stand on her downed former partner.

"What brought this on?" Gin wondered.

"My little sister has chosen to leave Baroque Works, and my allegiance is to her, not to the company. Wherever she goes, I go."

"So that's what it's like to have siblings," Gin muttered, a burst of flame igniting away from them. The fire, laid by Nami, Vivi, Usopp, Carue, and Coby, melted the wax holding Broggy down. Even so, the Giant seems despondent, barely reacting to his freedom.

"Stay down, Wax Guy!" Luffy yelled, directing their attention to where the captain had resorted to throwing random punches at the agent.

"My codename is Mr. 3!" said agent insisted, throwing up a sphere of wax that cracked but held under Luffy's onslaught. A second punch shattered it, revealing three different white statues of Mr. 3 in various poses.

"He can clone himself?!" Luffy gasped, admitting that that was cool despite his annoyance.

"It's no use," the voice of the agent taunted. "Your brute force is no match for my intellect!"

"I don't think you realize how many of us there are," Coby commented, himself, Luffy, Zoro, Gin, Usopp, Nami, and Vivi fanning out around the trio of statues. One of them began to sweat. "Found you."

"So you bow to overwhelming power?" Mr. 3 questioned, dropping his disguise and backing away toward Goldenweek's picnic. "In that case, I'll show you my strongest attack. Champion Armor!"

Wax dripped from his arms and shoulders, shifting and building until his whole torso was contained in a suit of white armor with boxing gloves for hands. The ensemble made him tower over all the pirates.

"Ms. Goldenweek, if you would please paint it for me?"

"Do I have to?"

"Goldenweek…"

"Fine…" The girl pouted, her smaller body making her need to climb up the side of the armor. She reached the top with a little assistance from Mr. 3, only for her to turn on him. "Color Trap: Sadness Blue."

"Life sucks," Mr. 3 whined, his face painted with a blue swirl as he, still in his Champion Armor, curled up like a scolded child. "No one respects candlemaking anymore. Everyone thinks it's stupid."

Goldenweek slid off him, meandering over toward the assembled pirates.

"Hello," she greeted, a rice cracker in hand. "My name is Grace. Grace Marigold."

"Hi. I'm Monkey D. Luffy."

"And I'm Coby."

"Captain Luffy," Grace continued. "I've chosen to leave Baroque Works because I believe what Ms. Wedn- err, Princess Vivi said about the boss' promises being lies. Can I join your crew?"

Most of the crew balked. Usually it was Luffy inviting people, not people asking to join. She had no idea what she was getting into.

"That depends," Luffy answered. "Do you have a dream to chase?"

"I wanna be a painter, one so famous that even the Marines acknowledge my ability."

"I like you," Luffy smiled. "You're welcome aboard."

"That's great!" Coby grinned, still under the effects of her Befriending Yellow-Green. "It's great to meet you, Grace."

"Hold on," the redhead responded. "I won't go unless you let my sister on, too."

"Who's your sister?" Luffy asked.

"That would be me," Ms. Valentine answered, stepping into the conversation with Zoro and Gin, her parasol acting as a sunbrella. She stepped over to Grace's side, wrapping one arm around the younger girl's shoulders. "I'm Amy Palant, Grace's adopted older sister."

"She knocked Mr. 5 unconscious, Don Luffy," Gin informed him. "I think we can trust her."

"So what's your dream?" Luffy asked the blonde.

"My what?"

"Your dream. What do you want to do with your life?"

"I haven't really through about it," Amy admitted. "I wanted to follow in my parents' footsteps and become a chocolatier when I was younger, but right now, I just want to keep my little sister safe. I'll work on the chocolate in the meantime."

"What's a chocolatier?" Coby blinked.

"It's someone who makes chocolate for a living."

"You make chocolate?" Luffy all but shouted. "Join my crew!"

"Ow," a giant voice groaned, the disoriented form of Dorry sitting up beyond the trees.

"He's alive?!" everyone in the clearing gasped. Dorry shaking his head to clear away the dizziness. His movement seemed to rouse Broggy from his depression, the other Giant moving to stare at his best friend and mortal enemy.

"Old Giant Guy!" Luffy cheered. "You're not dead!"

"The weapons," Dorry explained. "They saved me. They've grown dull from our hundred years of fighting. Our duel is over."

"You're alive!" Broggy cried, smiling through his tears as his words descended into mindless babble. The humans couldn't blame him, though.

"Well," Amy clapped, "I don't know about you all, but I'm starved."

---

"Sanji!" Luffy cheered, bringing the pirate's afterparty to a halt as the chef ran into the clearing, a saber-tooth cat chasing him. Gin jumped in the way, his tonfa coming down on the cat's skull driving it into the dirt. Sanji panted, still holding his side. The right side of his suit was stained red, but it was hard to see under all the dust and dirt coating him. "You're alive! That's nice."

"Where the Hell have you been?" Nami and Usopp demanded.

"What went wrong, swirly-eyed bastard?" Zoro taunted. "Get lost?"

"Thanks for nothing!" Vivi yelled. Gin, Coby, Grace, and Amy stayed silent.

"What did... I miss?" the blonde chef panted.

"There was a big fight," Coby answered. "We won and gained two new crewmembers. This is Grace and her sister Amy."

Sanji tried to noodle dance, but he didn't get far before coughing some blood and falling on his ass. Gin dove, catching the chef and throwing one arm around his own neck to help him stand.

"What happened to you, Sanji?" the tonfa-user asked. Sanji ignored him, sending a weak thumbs-up to the new members.

"Our crew becomes more bearable with every beautiful woman we add." Against his body's protests, Sanji pushed away from Gin and fell to one knee before the sisters, kissing their knuckles like a gentleman. "Pleased to make your acquaintance. I am the ship's chef, Sanji. Any wish of yours is mine to fulfill."

"Be careful," Coby warned. "He's a pervert."

The effect was immediate, Sanji freezing as if someone had shot him in the heart with an arrow. He bent over, seemingly ready to die from the blunt but true statement. Or maybe it was because of the wound in his side that was still bleeding.

"Sanji, right?" Amy asked with a sickly-sweet smile, drawing his attention to her. Her voice mirrored her faux-sweetness. "If you peek at, flirt with, or even look at my sister in that way, I will pin you down, sit on your balls, and use my Devil Fruit powers to slowly increase my mass to 10,000 kilograms. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Sanji yelped, paling at the threat to his manhood and family jewels.

"I like this girl," Gin murmured to Zoro.

"Of course you would, you sadistic bastard," Zoro muttered back.

"Are we going to ignore that Sanji is heavily injured?" Coby asked.

"Hey, Giants?" Nami questioned, ignoring the fact that Sanji was heavily injured. "How long does it take the log pose to set on this island?"

"One year," Dorry answered nonchalantly, as if that amount of time was just a few days. For a Giant's lifespan, it kind of was.

"We can't wait here for a year!" Vivi shouted. "By then my country could be gone!"

"Then is it a g-good thing I found this?" Sanji stuttered, holding up an eternal pose to Alabasta in his shaking hand.

"Where did you get that?!"

"I beat up some animals in this wax house, but one of them got me. Can you nurse me back to health, Vivi-chwan?"

"Animals in a wax house?" Amy parroted. "You mean the Unluckies?! You beat them?!"

"Don't talk anymore!" Gin insisted, ripping his shirt off to triage Sanji's wound.

"While I was there," Sanji continued, ignoring Gin's order, "a den-den started ringing, so I answered it. It was this Mr. 0 guy."

"You talked to Mr. 0?" all the former members of Baroque Works gaped.

"Yeah. He thought I was this Mr. 3 guy, so I told him that we were dead. He seemed to believe me. The Unluckies you mentioned showed up and tried to kill me. I won, of course, but the otter dropped this."

"That means we can leave, right?" Coby asked.

"Yes," Nami answered. "Personally, I want to get off of this Goda-forsaken island as soon as possible."

"I agree," Vivi said. "We need to get to Alabasta."

"Then let's get ready!" Luffy yelled. "But first, a banquet of dinosaur meat!"

"Wow," Gin blinked. "I didn't know Don Luffy knew the word banquet."

"It means a lot of food," Nami deadpanned. "Of course he knows it."

---

"Godadammit! Not again!" Coby swore violently, once again trying to pull one of his new horns out of a tree. Much of the crew sat to the side, laughing at him while waiting for Sanji to finish cooking the banquet that Luffy had requested. Even Vivi, who had insisted that the crew not laugh at the boy for the first few times he'd gotten stuck, was hard pressed not to burst into a fit of giggles herself.

"This isn't funny!" Coby whined, his hands pressed against the tree he was stuck in. The roset was trying to change only his eyes using his new Devil Fruit powers, just as Grace had suggested, but he wasn't having as much luck as he had been hoping for. For the third time in a row, Coby had gotten one of his upper horns lodged into the wood. Growling, the boy picked his feet up and shoved them against the tree, only for his powers to fail and the horns to shrink back into his head. Coby tumbled to the ground, causing another round of laughter.

"Sorry, Shrimp," Zoro chuckled. "You know we'd help, but none of us are Zoan types."

"Really, though," Nami commented. "You should've stopped practicing next to that tree after the first time."

"Yeah, yeah," Coby waved off with an irritated grunt. Screwing his eyes shut, the boy, once more, tried to concentrate his powers on his eyes alone. His face tingled for a second before more laughter echoed through the clearing. "How bad is it?" Coby asked without opening his eyes.

"It's not that bad," Vivi promised. Coby opened his eyes and took the mirror that Nami offered with a smirk. His eyes had changed... along with the rest of his face. With a groan, Coby's head dropped into his palms and he sat against the tree. Slowly, his face shifted back to its normal look. Their entertainment over for the time being, the rest of the group split off to do their own things.

"I feel like I'll never get this right," Coby whined to himself.

"Cheer up, Coby," Gin insisted, sitting beside him. "You've only been trying for half an hour."

"But I'm not getting anywhere!"

"Sure you are," the former Krieg pirate rebuffed. "You've stopped doing full transformations. Only parts of you are changing. That's a start."

"But it's not fast enough," Coby muttered. "I won't be able to help sail the Merry if I can't see."

"Learning is a process, Little Man," Gin responded. "Do you think I just picked up my tonfa and started fighting? I hurt myself so much that I'd come back home covered in bruises and my old man would ask if I'd been playing in the coal mines."

Coby turned his gaze to the blob of color that Gin's voice was coming from. "Really?"

"Yeah," Gin nodded. At least, Coby thought he nodded. "I was 16 back then. Took me almost a month before I stopped hitting myself. So many people laughed at me for that."

"I..." Coby paused. "Thanks, Gin. I needed to hear that."

"No problem, Little Man," Gin smirked. "You've got more company coming this way, so I'll go keep everyone else occupied." Gin stood with a grunt and Coby heard him call out "Hey, Amy! Got any info on Baroque Works that we could use?" He walked away, only for his spot to be filled again moments later.

"Hey," Grace greeted, falling into Gin's vacated seat. "You doing ok?"

"Yeah," Coby sighed. "This is just harder than I thought it would be, you know?"

"Not really," the painter admitted. "I do remember Amy complaining after she got her powers about a year ago, though. She and Mr. 5, who was Mr. Afro at the time, had attacked a group of pirates that stopped at one of the early islands called Wesley Isle. She told me that the pirates had been celebrating after raiding a Marine base that morning and that they'd found two Devil Fruits in the vaults. The pirates were planning on eating them that night, but Big Sis snuck- Ow!"

"You ok?" Coby twisted around, but his terrible eyesight didn't allow him to see what had happened.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Grace waved off. "Just a bug bite. Now, where was I?"

"Amy raiding pirates?"

"Right. Anyway, Big Sis snuck in and stole the Devil Fruits, she and Mr. 5 eating them instead." The girl cracked a smile. "Her powers fluctuated for a week and we had to replace her bed twice because her mass would increase in the middle of the night."

Coby couldn't help it; he snorted out a laugh. Grace giggled, allowing the new Devil Fruit user to let his amusement show, the two laughing with each other. With a sigh, Coby turned to the multicolored blob that was Grace, smiling.

"Thanks, I needed that," Coby said, standing to step away from the tree. He turned, offering the redhead a hand. She accepted, letting him help her stand. "I guess I should get back to work."

"Here," Grace offered, pulling out her palette. Carefully, she smeared paint around Coby's eye in about the shape of his old lenses. "Now you have an area to focus on."

"I don't think you needed to do that," Coby deadpanned. "I think I know where my eyes are."

"I know." Grace walked away, the blob Coby saw her as growing smaller before his vision was filled with a bouncing blob that Coby suspected was his captain.

"You look funny, Coby!" Luffy laughed. "Any more progress?"

"Let me check," the roset responded, catching some of Luffy's infectious energy. A few seconds later, the boy's face twisted, his forehead elongating, his eyes changing, and his third horn growing from his nose. Luffy swam into view.

"Your mouth didn't change that time!" the rubber-man pointed out with a smile. "You're almost there!"

"My beautiful mademoiselles!" Sanji's voice carried over to the Devil Fruit users. "You're Dinosaur a la Carne is has been cooked with the flames of my love! Hey, Shitheads! Come get your meat!"

"Food!" Luffy yelled, becoming a blur headed in the direction of the table.

"Well," Coby mused, not noticing his forehead receding back into place. "I guess I can continue after dinner. Hey, Captain Luffy! Save some for the rest of us!" He bolted after the rubber-man, completely forgetting the paint on his face.

---

The Going Merry had been stocked with all the dinosaur meat and ivory that could be shoved into the hold, the ship floating several feet deeper than normal. It had taken longer to load than expected, Zoro and Sanji having restarted their previous argument about whose catch was bigger, but in the end, Nami had scared/charmed them into submission. Coby had also suggested that they bring along the horns from Zoro's triceratops and the teeth from Sanji's dinosaur to sell if they ever needed some extra money. According to both him and Vivi, ivory could fetch a high price if sold to the right bidder.

Grace and Amy had moved into the woman's quarters with Nami and Vivi, both of whom did not fully trust them yet. Nami ended up writing out a sleep schedule for the two of them to keep an eye on the sisters at night. Especially Amy.

Coby had completed Grace's suggestion of only altering his eyes with his powers. There had been quite a few mishaps with the wrong things changing and his eyes still shifted every now and then, but for all intents and purposes he no longer needed glasses, even if he now had slitted pupils. He'd also taken to wearing a pair of sandals he'd gotten from Luffy after the loss of his tennis shoes during his initial transformation.

Finally, they were ready to depart, though it would have been two hours earlier had Luffy not insisted they eat all the meat they couldn't store on the ship. Either way, they were ready. The Merry slowly made its way down the river until she came to the mouth and gave way to the ocean. The giants were standing there, one on each side.

"Remember," Dorry began from the left. "There is an obstacle standing in your way of getting to the next island."

"We will take care of it," Broggy insisted on the right. "Just keep going straight, no matter what."

"You guys heard him," Luffy said. "Set sail!"

Following the Giants' orders, the Merry sailed straight ahead, never faltering even when the water ahead of them began to rise.

"What is that?" Amy asked.

"We need to turn!" Usopp yelled.

"Straight ahead!" Luffy repeated, the surface tension breaking to reveal a giant red goldfish. The Island Eater, as they heard the Giants call it from behind them, promptly swallowed them.

"Not again!" Nami cried, grabbing hold of Luffy. "I don't wanna be digested!"

"We won't be," Luffy grinned. The fish froze, its insides twisting before a perfect hole was blown through it, the air pressure filling the sails and propelling the Merry through. "See? We're safe. Full speed ahead!"

End of Chapter 7

---

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-SwordOfTheGods