Hey, everyone! Lots of good reviews to the last chapter, and I'll let you in on a little secret. It's not any spoilers, but more like a peek behind the curtain that is my process. If you come to a section in the story that has more typos than you've come to expect from me (like the fights with the Admirals), that's because it was added on at the last minute or close to it. This is because I reread every chapter before I post it and add something if I feel like it is missing. I mention this because this war is changing from what it had been in response to my review-borne realization that I left Garp out of the whole thing after that talk with Ace, which just isn't logical with all the destruction. I'm glad so many of you enjoyed Garp's talk with the goat, though. Who knows where that will go? (Not me, yet.)
In other news, I received an anonymous review (a good one) asking about what happens to Luffy's wedding ring when he uses his Third Gear. I have a headcanon (that is explored in an omake I'm working on) that Paramecia Fruits like Luffy's have a small area of effect outside of his body, specifically to their clothes. As a result, his clothes and his jewelry expand and stretch with him.
Finally, I want you all to know that lack of much else to do has led me to try setting up a P atreon! I'm new to the whole thing and I'm afraid that you won't get too much out of it for a bit since we're so close to the end of this part of the story, but there's still a lot to come with the coming edit and sequel, so I hope I can fulfill your expectations! I've finished the first chapter of the Redux and it is now up on my P atreon page for donors! You can find me by looking up[ SwordOfTheGods ].
Since I haven't had one recently, I'll add a disclaimer. I do not, have not, and will never own One Piece, much to my dismay. The only reoccurring creation of my own is the joke Captain Wallace Wood and the butterfly effects that lead to this exact scenario below. All other characters belong to the man, the myth, the legend Eiichiro Oda himself and all appropriate affiliates. Please support the official release.
Chapter 139:
The Tides Turn
The sounds of battle were fuzzy as they returned to Luffy, a fatigue burrowed into his every muscle. Blue filled his vision as the giant face and hair of Ivankov swam into view, ready to give him mouth-to-mouth. Jinbei stood to the side, watching the battlefield and deflecting any rogue projectiles that made it past the line. Off in the distance, Whitebeard and his top brass duked it out with the Admirals while Crocodile and Helmeppo fought a battle of Logia attrition nearby.
In the distance, pirate reinforcements from the allied crews clashed against a wall of Pacifistas and Sentomaru.
"I-Iva," Luffy panted, his body threatening to fall unconscious again as he tried to move to push the okama away. "How long? ...What's happened?"
"You've only been down for a minute, Straw-boy," Ivankov answered, his face retreating. "Croco-boy took over your fight and Whitebeard's handling the Admirals. If we can make it past the Vice-Admirals, we could make it to the stand."
"My... My body doesn't want to move," Luffy swallowed. "Iva, Jinbei, pick me up."
"Are you sure?"
"Once I'm on my feet, I can get better. I don't have a choice."
Unsure, the okama lifted Luffy first into a sitting position before helping him to his feet. It's not like Luffy had taken a direct attack from any of the Admirals, but he'd taken more than enough punishment for the day. Still, the hormone-user dared not suggest any of his powers lest Luffy want them, for fear they'd shorten Luffy's lifespan more than he already had while fighting in Impel Down. The younger pirate wobbled, using his arms for balance as the world stopped spinning. Blinking, Luffy refocused on the platform with a narrowed gaze. Coby was trying to free himself, but was having about as much luck as one would expect. Tears ran down Ace's face as he watched the battle.
"What do you think, Jinbei?" Luffy asked.
"No path is clear," the fishman rumbled. "The shortest path will take us through Onigumo and Doberman. They might look funny, but they're no joke. The weakest path is a lot of grunts, but there are other captains in range that could waylay us."
"Fine. With us three-"
"Four," Moby Dick corrected, cracking the concrete as he landed. He was missing an arm and an eye but, as the trio watched, his spirit-body wavered, spectral pieces replacing and refilling the lost parts. The other pirates stared. "What?"
"How did you...?" Ivankov gestured, prompting Moby Dick to roll his eyes.
"None of this," he indicated his body, "is the real me. This is just a manifestation of my soul, like a ghost. I can touch stuff, but I'm not totally physical. I can grow tired, but unless my Soul Carrier is destroyed, I can keep remanifesting to heal. Any klabautermann can do it after a few years."
"That's so awesome!" Luffy muttered, stars in his eyes.
"Yeah, well, that's not our biggest concern at the moment."
"Oh, right." Luffy nodded, focusing on the path Jinbei had indicated. "Let's go."
"I'll carry you, Straw-boy!" Ivankov declared, sweeping Luffy onto his shoulder. "You better save your energy. We can handle these guys."
"I feel like luggage," Luffy whined. Nevertheless, he felt his body relax. "I wonder if this is what Nami feels like when I carry her around?"
He didn't receive an answer as the quartet took off, jumping the battleline and rushing toward the platform. As expected, Vice-Admirals Onigumo and Doberman, a tall, gaunt man wielding eight swords with the use of his black, spider-leg-like hair and a broader man with a spotted, dog-like headpiece, moved to block their path.
"Halt, pirates!" Onigumo ordered. "Descending Spider!"
"No you don't!" Moby Dick denied, his hammer catching all eight blades before he began to spin, throwing Onigumo's balance to the right and catching him in the chest. "Blubber Batter!"
"Fishman Karate: One Thousand Brick Fist!" Jinbei yelled, countering Doberman before he could get anything out. The simultaneous attacks launched the marines to either side, opening the path. They recovered with Moonwalk, forcing Moby Dick and Jinbei to stay to fend them off.
"The way is clear!" Ivankov called, taking the stairs three at a time. "Hee-haw!"
"Not so fast."
The okama's eyes widened as the breath was knocked out of him, a tall figure in yellow appearing to kick the Queen and Luffy back the way they had come. The two pirates glared up at Kizaru who watched them with a bored expression.
"Can we take him, Iva?" Luffy asked, forcing himself to stand.
"With back-up," the hormone user answered, points growing from his fingertips. "I wish I'd taken the time to learn Haki from Dragon right now."
The ground shook as something like a meteor hit the concrete nearby, kicking up a cloud of dust. The wind of another explosion blew the cloud away, revealing the kneeling and scowling form of Marco the Phoenix, burning blue wings spread.
"Damn Sengoku," he bit out from a crater, spitting up some blood. "Bastard treats me like a damn fly, yoi." He blinked, finding himself between an Admiral, a revolutionary, and a rookie. "Oh, Borsalino. We meet again."
"Oh, Pineapple Guy," Luffy said. "A little help?"
Marco sighed. "Punch him until he stops, yoi?"
"What kind of plan is that?" Ivankov questioned.
"My kind of plan," Luffy answered.
"Aw shit," Kizaru groaned in a rare show of emotion. "Here we are again."
"Yup," Marco grinned. Lava and ice exploded off in the distance, the ground shaking. "Ready to go, yoi?"
"You know it!" Luffy answered, shaking the pins-and-needles feeling out of his limbs.
"Yasakani Sacred Jewel!"
The pirates separated, Luffy dodging to the right while Ivankov jumped left. Marco didn't bother moving, the motes of light passing through his body harmlessly. In tandem, the three pirates charged. Kizaru's eyes hardened as they approached, securing his stance. Luffy's punch and Ivankov's kick were each caught by the Admiral, a Haki-coated leg rising to kick the third fighter. Marco reacted instantly, twisting around the light-speed kick while aiming for Kizaru's torso.
"Now this is more entertaining," Kizaru commented, the Whitebeard pirate's fist passing through a hole the marine opened in himself. Eyes widening, Marco shot blue fire up his arm even as he tried to retract. He was slower than the man of light, however, the hole filling like a guillotine.
"Death Wink!" Ivankov yelled, the shockwave hitting the Admiral at point blank range. His head exploded, only to reform just as quickly.
Unconcerned, Kizaru smashed Luffy and Ivankov together, sending them sprawling. Marco landed nearby, clutching his arm severed halfway between the elbow and wrist. His blue fire licked away at the wound, already regenerating what had been lost.
"Come on," Kizaru taunted, spreading his arms. "Weren't you going to, how did you say it, punch me until I stop?"
"You're a real asshole, you know," Luffy growled, extending a fist toward Marco. "Pineapple Guy, that black Haki stuff can hit Logias, right?"
"Yeah. What of it?"
"You can do it. Can you transfer yours onto me? I've done it before, but I think I can figure it out if I know what it feels like."
Marco blinked, eyeing the marine who watched them with rapt attention, as if he were simply seeing a play in a theater. The few seconds was all the Phoenix needed to regrow his lost arm, which he was thankful for.
"Sure, Straw Hat, yoi," Marco nodded, wrapping his hand around Luffy's fist without looking away from Kizaru. The black sheen of Haki grew out from his elbow, passing down his forearm before jumping from his fingers to Luffy's. The younger pirate's eyes widened as the feeling solidified, like pure water contained in a film over his skin, molding itself to him with each motion.
That feeling secured in his mind, Luffy turned to look at his other hand. Thoughts of saving his brother and Coby came to the forefront of his mind. Next came thoughts of his dream to be the Pirate King, the one thing that had been with him as long as his hat and his Fruit. Finally came a picture of the rest of his crew, Nami and her smile at the front, beckoning him to join them on the Sunny.
Black wisps began to materialize over his palm, Marco and Ivankov joining Kizaru in watching the spectacle. Sure, the Admiral knew he should stop it and not allow such a dangerous rookie to learn Armament Haki, but he was certain in his victory in the end, so he let it be for the entertainment of a better fight.
Grabbing hold of those wisps, Luffy felt his own film of Haki grow, so like the one Marco gave but unique at the same time. This one felt lighter. More sure. More distinctly his. The sheen edged out from under his fingers, twisting up over his knuckles and down his arm. It wasn't as solid as Marco's, patches failing and refilling in places, but it was there.
"Ooh~" Kizaru said, raising a shining finger. "Impressive. To grasp Armament Haki so quickly is no small feat. Too bad I have to kill you now. I'll warn you, though. I'm firing my laser."
He fired his laser.
Luffy's eyes snapped upward, his Haki-coated fist backhanding the laser upward while his legs moved, his body leaving an afterimage of steam.
"Second Gear: Black Hawk!"
Kizaru moved, intercepting Luffy's punch with uncovered arms, a testament to the difference of strength between them. Luffy moved into a Jet Gatling, the Haki making the confident Admiral stay physical. Marco joined the assault as well, a smirk forming on the yellow-dressed man as he fended off the two pirates.
So great was his humor, however, that the man seemed to forget that Ivankov was there.
"Take this!" Luffy and Marco roared, dual punches blocked by their lone adversary.
"Is that the best you got?"
"Lottery Jackpot Injection!" the queen yelled, his pointed fingers jabbing into Kizaru's side. The Admiral and his enemies backed away from each other, the man falling to one knee as the injection Ivankov had given him ran through his system. One hand clutched his heart, and he realized he might have gotten more than he bargained for.
"What was that?" Marco asked as they watched.
"I injected him with one of my many dangerous hormones," Ivankov answered. "I'm not even sure which one other than it should affect him forever."
"I... Ah!" Borsalino's voice hitched, his height shrinking by a foot. The stubble on his chin began to recede, his black hair growing exponentially until it reached the middle of his back. The skin of his face seemed to twist, becoming smoother and rounder. The clothing around his chest began to strain while the rest became almost too baggy to wear. By the end of the transformation, Admiral Kizaru was a different person.
"What the Hell?" a surprisingly-attractive Kizaru muttered in a silky falsetto. "Will Sentomaru still call me Uncle after this?"
"That was your big plan, yoi?!" Marco demanded, rounding on Ivankov as Luffy dropped, unable to contain his laughter. "We put Kizaru into that position expecting you to poison him or something, and your turn the Admiral into a girl?!"
"I did say it was random!" Ivankov noted, he and Marco jumping away from an exploding beam of light. "And to be fair, very few guys who I've turned into girls took such a change in stride, much less kept fighting! It was a calculated risk!" Acting quickly, the ruler backflipped away from a line of explosions. "But Marco-boy, I've always been bad at math."
"What have you done?!" Kizaru demanded, angrily brushing hair out of her face that hadn't existed to be an annoyance before. The now-female Admiral couldn't move considering her clothes no longer fit, so she began firing beam after beam at the pirates in the hopes of killing one. "Change me back!"
"Luffy!" Jinbei called, he and Moby Dick rushing toward the group. "We've taken care of Onigumo and Doberman. Why are you...?"
The whaleshark fishman and the whale-themed klabautermann slowed to a stop, staring open-mouthed at the battle. Kizaru seemed to take offence, another beam disintegrating Moby Dick's lecherous smile. The klabautermann's form collapsed, leaving the shining piece of wood that served as the home of his soul. He reformed.
"Let's get moving, yoi!" Marco ordered, the group running past the Admiral. Kizaru tried to follow, but her powers were resettling in her new body and her pants and coat were now too long with her lesser height.
"You bastards!" Kizaru called behind them. "I'll get you for this, Ivankov! Don't think I won't!"
"Whale that was unexpected," Moby Dick grinned.
"Did you just make a pun, yoi?!" Marco yelled. "At this time?!"
"Shut up and run!" Luffy ordered, tossing aside thoughts of how little he contributed to that fight. Keeping a peripheral view of his surroundings, Luffy focused on his hands, trying to recall the Haki he'd had there before. Wisps appeared only to vanish into thin air before he could grasp them. It was right there, but there was so much going on and no time to focus.
"Pops!" The cry echoed over the battlefield, quickly followed by calls for Jozu and Izou as they went down from the momentary distraction. The response was almost immediate, the ground below ripping in half as an earthquake shook the island. The crack that opened grew unimpeded, stretching from Whitebeard's feet toward the other end of the plaza, reaching under one corner of the scaffold before another, the whole thing listing to the right.
"Surge forward, my children!" Whitebeard yelled, coughing. "Whether I live or die matters not! Protect Straw Hat!"
"Godadammit!" Sengoku cursed as the platform tilted, forcing the Fleet Admiral to dig his fingers into the wood lest he fall off. Such a fall wouldn't kill or even hurt him, but he needed to stay near the prisoners. Tri-Horn and Firefist were laid out, their shackles keeping them in place with the platform now at a 45 degree angle. The stairs behind the scaffold had been twisted by the tremor, an entire section ruined. "To think he's still this strong even so far past his prime."
"Just like you, you old bastard," Ace snarked. The comment drew Sengoku's attention to the prisoners. Firefist didn't seem to be having trouble, his feet keeping him upright. Tri-Horn, however, was whimpering, his arms twisted behind him.
The fissure in the plaza had redrawn the battle lines in a very short time, pirates now mostly controlling the side to the right of the platform while the Marines were stranded on the left. The main fighting was around Whitebeard, since there was unbroken ground between him and Oars' body, and where the pirates were still pressing toward the platform on the right.
Having missed Whitebeard's shout in his scramble to stay on, Sengoku was surprised to see many of the commanders and captains of the pirates catching up to Straw Hat, intercepting the strongest marines in the way. The Bohemean Knight jumped in front to counter Vice-Admiral Strawberry and the Declavan Brothers attacked Vice-Admiral Momonga as he watched, those fights moving to the side as a straight path formed for the rookie.
Pulling his snail out, Sengoku growled, "Sentomaru, get the Pacifistas in the way now. They cannot be allowed to reach the scaffold."
"Roger!"
With that confirmation, Sengoku tucked the snail away.
"Sir!" a voice called from behind the platform. "The replacement executioners have arrived!"
"Good! Get them up here!"
"How, sir? the stairs are ruined!"
"I don't care!" Sengoku turned, eyeing the three marines at the podium's base. "As soon as you two get up here, we're executing both of the prisoners."
"Sir!" the two executioners saluted, one large and the other quite thin. With their orders, they started making their way up the twisted and broken stairs.
"Jinbei, Iva, go help protect the old man," Luffy panted as the path before them started to clear. "I don't want him going down."
"Understood," Jinbei rumbled as he slowed down.
"Very well, Straw-boy. I'll leave a replacement."
Luffy looked back in confusion as Ivankov reached into his blue afro and pulled out a whole other person. He was familiar to Luffy, of average height and build with the left side of his outfit being orange and the other half white. His hair looked like a clover and it too was half orange and half white. In his hand was a glass of red wine, which had somehow not spilled with all of Ivankov's jumping and spinning, and blue sunglasses covered his eyes. This was Inazuma, another revolutionary that had been in Impel Down.
"What?!" Marco sputtered. "How even-?"
"I know you're still recovering, Inazuma, but we need your help," Ivankov explained to the newest player.
"Not to worry," Inazuma's smooth voice responded as the man downed the wine and threw the glass away where it shattered at the feet of some marine. With a nod, Ivankov and Jinbei booked it back toward Whitebeard.
Now with Moby Dick, Inazuma, the Division Commanders, and the allied pirate captains, Luffy had something of a straight shot toward the podium. But the shot could be made a little straighter, on account of Inazuma's snip-snip powers that turned his hands into scissors and allowed him to make the ground act like fabric. Cutting as he ran, the revolutionary tossed his expanse of wibbly concrete upward, creating a bridge directly to the platform. Before Luffy could reach it, however, four new, familiar foes jumped in the way.
"We meet again, Straw Hat," Sentomaru greeted, three Pacifistas including PX-0 behind him. The large man leveled his giant ax at the pirate. "Your reign of terror ends here."
"But it's not raining," Luffy responded before being forced to backtrack as beams from the cyborgs exploded where he'd been standing. Glancing around, Luffy saw that most of his allies were busy holding the line. Inazuma was in no condition to fight a Pacifista after his fight with Domingo back in the prison and he didn't know how many Moby Dick could take on. If only they could get one more fighter.
"You dare interfere with my plans?!" a feminine voice yelled, Boa Hancock appearing on her white-and-red snake. She glared down Sentomaru as the cyborgs stopped charging their lasers, recognizing her as a Warlord. "I have plans to seduce this pirate and I can't do that if he's dead!"
"...What?" Sentomaru deadpanned.
"What?" Marco questioned.
"What?!" Luffy cried.
"Bwooohahaha!" Moby Dick laughed. "You lucky son of a bitch!"
"I'm married!" Luffy denied, turning to point at Hancock's back. "I'm not going to sleep with you, Hancock!"
The Warlord's body went rigid as she was, once again, reminded that there was a man who didn't lust for her.
"Yes, well, I..." she floundered. "I HAVE MY REASONS!" And with that, the Warlord created a giant heart, using Slave Arrow to turn one of the Pacifistas and some pirates and marines into statues.
"Holy Hell!" Sentomaru cursed, dodging out of the way as the Warlord started a rampage. From behind, Inazuma used his powers to trap PX-0 under a length of concrete, hampering what had once been Kuma momentarily, even if it wouldn't last for long. With the enemy now down to a manageable number, Moby Dick pressed forward, his hammer caving the ground where Sentomaru had been.
"Right, time to move fast," Luffy told himself, throwing one arm back as he charged the final Pacifista. The Kuma lookalike locked on him, bringing up a hand to ready another laser. Luffy decided he would have none of it, a burst of speed landing him of the robot's arm. "Gum-Gum Bullet!"
The punch caved the marine machine's nose and shattered its lenses, the body locking in place as Luffy forced it onto its back. Its attack shot into the sky harmlessly as Luffy took off up the bridge, throwing Inazuma a quick thank you. Gunfire and cannonballs flew by, but Luffy paid them no mind in his single-minded determination to reach his crewmate and brother.
"Sugary Spike!" A sharpened pillar of candy pierced the bridge before Luffy, Vice-Admiral Helmeppo growing from it. "You'll never reach them, Straw Hat! I won't let you!"
"Get out of my way!" Luffy yelled, flipping as his leg extended. "Gum-Gum Battle Ax!"
As seemed to be the trend, Helmeppo splattered, some of his purple candy body coating Luffy's foot and ankle as the pirate jumped over the spike and kept running.
"You fool," the marine hissed with a snap. "This should slow you down."
Luffy screamed, the candy around his ankle turning into a band with spikes driving into his leg and foot. The pirate stumbled, now limping toward the scaffold.
"Luffy!" Ace screamed.
"Captain!" Coby echoed. At the same time, the executioners finished scaling the other side.
"Kill them!" Sengoku ordered. Luffy reached, a vain attempt to stop what was to come. "Kill them now!"
But once more, it didn't come. This time there was no action from the prisoners, nor anything affecting the men. Rather, the thin marine moved separately, stabbing the larger man in the chest.
"What is the meaning of this?" Sengoku demanded, taking his eyes off Luffy who continued to limp his way up as fast as he could.
"I-I..." the man stuttered, now weaponless. He'd acted impulsively, but for his own reasons. The trembling was so bad, it made his helmet fall off, revealing a distinctive 3 haircut.
"Mr. 3?!" Coby gaped, eyes widening at Grace's former partner. "Why would you save me? Save us?"
"Call it a favor!" Mr. 3 yelped. "For Ms. Goldenweek and Mr. 2. And a favor from Straw Hat isn't something small. If we survive..." The last line turned their focus to Sengoku who was starting to glow gold, growing larger.
"That's it!" Sengoku thundered. "I don't care who I piss off now, Garp or otherwise! I'm going to kill you all!"
"3!" Luffy called, so close at this point. "Use a wall and free them!"
"Shit, I hope this works!" Mr. 3 muttered, throwing a wax wall over himself and the prisoners as Luffy reached them, expanding himself into a Gum-Gum Balloon as Sengoku attacked. The whole process ruined the scaffold's failing integrity, the whole thing falling apart.
Then everything exploded.
End of Chapter 139
Don' forget! Ah've set up a P atreon jus' ta see what it'll do. It'd be a great help iffin ya kind folks could help support an out-o'-work student such as mahself. Have a good day and, as always;
Read and Review!
-SwordOfTheGods