Queen of the Silver Jubilee
Disclaimer: I own nothing (unfortunately). All rights and characters in One Piece belong to Eiichiro Oda and other respective owners and creators. I gain no profit from this; it's purely for fun. I do own my OC's.
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Chapter 2: Rumble in the Jungle! Hunt for the Beast of Kaishi Town!
Cofresi didn't know whether to laugh at loud or offer sympathy for Laura's delusional mind. In the end, he went with both, cackling loudly as he slowly got back onto his feet, using whatever was around him for steady support. ''You're either the funniest pirate I've ever met or just plain stupid. You throw a couple of lucky punches, and you think you have what it takes to challenge the Pirate King?''
Laura folded her arms and stared down the wounded pirate. A threatening sneer plastered on her face. ''Those lucky punches sure did a number on you…for someone who thinks they're so big and bad they can bully a defenceless town.''
''I'd be cocky too if I were a Devil-Fruit eater!'' A wild smirk remained on Cofresi's face as he spat out blood in Laura's direction. ''And yes, this town is defenceless. But I protect it!''
''From what?''
Another dark chuckle escaped his bloody, swollen lips. ''If you stick around, you can find out for yourself. As for me, I'm done. You get your wish. My crew and I will leave. But, I want you to watch the look on the townspeople's faces as we sail over the horizon because it'll be a look of pure terror!''
There was a hint of curiosity within Laura at the meaning of Cofresi's warning. However, her anger over the bully's actions overwhelmed her, and all she cared for was seeing the backs of him and his crew. The larger pirates stumbled over broken debris and limped past Laura, neither one looking each other in the eye. He stepped through the hole created by his crash through the building, surprising the people waiting anxiously outside. Kara felt her heart stop, fearing the worst and that something happened to Laura inside and Cofresi was about to take out his rage on the townspeople.
''Mates!'' Cofresi called out. ''We're leaving! As of this point, we will no longer protect Kaishi Town!''
Whispers started between the people as Cofresi's injured crew members got up and started making their way out of town. Whimpers and grunts of pain filled their air as they limped and hobbled away. The only thing more broken than their bones was their pride.
One of the pirates reached down to grab the sack of money from the town's 'donation' before Laura's voice bellowed. ''You're going to leave that here!''
The lowly pirate's hand froze. Cofresi forced a smile that masked a hundred burning infernos inside, as Laura followed him out of the building. He turned to face her, and Laura could practically see the daggers in his eyes. ''You'll pay for this. No one, I repeat, no one keeps me from my money!''
''One more word out of you, and I'll drag you back to your ship!'' She threatened.
Seeing that she wasn't going to back down, Cofresi did the sensible thing and walked the other way. Waving his hand at his shipmate begrudgingly, signalling for him to leave the money behind. Laura eyed the fleeing pirates, making sure they didn't try anything else before clearing out. Once she was certain this was the end of it, she turned to face Kara in the crowd looking back at her, before giving the artist a warm smile and a confident thumbs-up.
Kara felt a smile tug on her lips until Cofresi called out. ''You all knows what this means! Everything that happens to this town from now on, will be on her head!'' He pointed to Laura. ''Keep that in mind next time the Beast comes into town.''
Laura's eyebrows arched upwards at his comment. Despite not wanting to do what that barbarian suggested, she did, in fact, look towards the townspeople as they watched the pirates leave. As predicted by the brutish captain, a panic-stricken look swept over them like the plague. They truly did fear for their well-being now that they knew Cofresi was no longer going to protect them. Even having their hard-earned money back was of little consolation.
''What did he mean by the Beast?'' Laura asked.
''Eat up, you must be starving,'' Elizabeth said whilst placing down a plate filled to the brim with fruits and vegetables of all kinds. Laura eyed the food hungrily, practically shaking the dining room table with anticipation before tucking into her gourmet of greens.
Elizabeth took a seat next to her husband, whilst Kara stood by the table nervously watching her new…friend? Acquaintance?
Their guest ate and ate like there was no tomorrow. The shy artist chose not to sit next to the pirate out of respect and personal space, rather than any fear. The same could not be said for the townspeople, whom all seemed to have gathered outside and peered at the scene through the kitchen window. It was quite the sight to see dozens of squashed faces against the glass, waiting to see what would happen next.
''Thank you so much for the food,'' Laura said excitedly, taking the time to bow politely in between munches.
Elizabeth smiled awkwardly. ''It's the least we could do after you stood up for our daughter.''
Gareth nodded. ''If it weren't for you, Kara would have been…'' He was unable to physically speak the horrible visions of what could have been. His trailing hand pressed against his leg. Laura quickly stared down, catching a glimpse of him swiftly pulling his arm away. With that, the fact he was in a wheelchair, and the tears that looked ready to flow from his eyes, she didn't need any more words from him.
She gulped down a large portion of a watermelon she bit into, outer skin and all. ''You're welcome.''
''How exactly do you know our daughter?'' He asked her.
''Oh, we just met. Bout an hour ago, just before those bullies showed up.''
Elizabeth leaned forward across the table. ''Kara mentioned that you were the one who paid for her painting.''
Suddenly, the pirate's eyes lit up, and a wide smile formed. ''Oh yeah, it was so worth it! Your daughter is an amazing artist!''
After the outburst of praise, Kara looked away bashfully, trying to keep her blushing cheeks in the shadows. ''They aren't that great.'' She muttered under her breath. For the first time since they'd brought Laura to their home, Gareth and Elizabeth smiled genuinely. Kara felt like she was being crushed under the weight of looming eyes, including the ones from the people outside, all nodding in agreement with Laura's statement. Reminded of the painting, Kara turned to Laura. ''What did you do with my painting anyway?''
''Hmm? Oh, I had to leave it on someone's roof while I took care of Cofresi and his goons.''
''You left it on someone's roof?'' Kara gasped.
''Don't worry. I know which one. The house with the blue roof…'' Laura hesitated before staring off into the distance to ponder. ''Or was it a pink roof?''
''Laura,'' Gareth abruptly spoke, earning the pirate's attention. ''Please understand that we really are appreciative of what you did for us. But…now that there is no one to protect this town, I'm afraid…'' Once again, the fear of what might happen crippled his speech. And everyone else seemed to be as hesitant to continue as well, knowing what the father was suggesting.
''Cofresi mentioned something about a Beast?'' Laura inquired.
''Yes, he did,'' Elizabeth answered shakily. ''It started about three years ago. Out of nowhere, some kind of creature…a monster, resembling a large gorilla, appeared from the forest just a few miles out of town. It tore through everything in its path. Destroying buildings, injuring so many people. Every few days, he would just come down and wreak havoc and chaos. The attacks became so bad at one point, most people who were injured…never recovered.''
Gareth took over the spare his wife having to relive the story. ''We tried to go to the Marines for help. But every time they arrived, there was no attack, and even after searching the forests they couldn't find any trace of it. At one point, a Commodore of the Marines lived with us for six months to wait for it to come down, but it never did. Then, the day after the Commodore was called back to the Marines, the Beast struck again. It was like it was taunting us. We became so desperate for protection…''
''You turned to pirates!'' All the excitement from Laura had faded away after hearing their story. She didn't even feel like eating anymore. Kara walked over to place comforting hands on her father's shoulders, easing the pain of his memories. The artist and pirate then shared eye contact for a brief second. ''I'll do it. I'll take care of the Beast for you!''
''What?'' Everyone, including the townspeople outside, yelled in shock.
''Yeah, I can make sure this Beast doesn't bother you anymore. And all it'll cost you is a map that can point me in the direction of someone who can sell me a ship.''
''Absolutely not!'' Elizabeth said firmly.
''Okay, fine, you don't have to waste a map,'' Laura grumbled. ''You can just point me in the direction of someone who will sell me a…''
Finally finding her voice, Kara cut in. ''There is no way we're going to let you go off to fight the Beast alone.''
''Why not?''
''You'll be torn apart within sixty seconds of the Beast finding you!''
''I doubt that. If Cofresi and his crew could hold off the Beast for months, then I should be fine.''
''But…'' Kara wanted to argue further and would have if her father didn't hold up a hand in front of her face to silence her.
He turned to face the pirate. ''I think we need a moment to talk. If you'd like to see more of Kara's paintings, you can look in the other room!''
Laura squealed with delight before rushing into the next room with breakneck speed. Kara would have found the act amusing if their situation wasn't so dire. She looked at her parents, glum expressions on both their faces. Kara looked at them as if they were complete strangers. ''Father…you're not really going to let her go off to fight the Beast alone, are you?''
Gareth sighed a tremble evident. ''I wish it didn't have to come to this. But right now, Laura is our only hope.''
Kara folded her arms over her chest, holding herself as if it would help stop the shaking. A sick feeling erupted in the pit of her stomach as the events of today played back in her head. How did it come to this? How did today lead to someone she just met getting roped in to fight the Beast? Just then, a shocking realisation hit her like lightning. ''This is all my fault.''
''What?''
The guilt riled up within her to a breaking point. ''If I hadn't had opened my big mouth to Cofresi, then Laura wouldn't have needed to protect me, and things would just go on the way they normally do. But now, because of me, our town is defenceless and Laura might…''
''Don't blame yourself!'' Elizabeth barked, shocking Kara out of her panicked state. Getting her daughter's attention, Elizabeth's tone grew softer. ''Do you want to know what really would have happened if you didn't speak up. Mr Liano would have been very seriously hurt…or worse.''
Kara, in her daze, tried to recall the moment just before she called out to Cofresi. She remembered the look of fear on poor Mr Liano's face, as the greedy pirate closed in on him.
At that moment, some commotion was made by the townspeople at the window of the Kyd house. Pushing and shoving his way to the front of the crowd, Mr Liano himself appeared. ''She's right. I would have been a goner if it weren't for you. Thank you!''
Without noticing, a smile emerged on her face. It looked like there was some good to her actions after all. And the more she thought about it, the more she believed that maybe this was all a blessing in disguise. After all, Laura was right, the Cofresi Pirates have been handling the Beast for a while now, and she took them down single-handedly without breaking a sweat. Kara loved the idea of destiny and thought that maybe destiny was shining on her and her little town. ''I'd like to go with her!'' She suddenly admitted, before realising her mistake and cupping a hand over her mouth.
''What?'' Everyone, especially her parents, yelled in shock once again.
She cursed herself over and over again in her mind. What came over to even want to comprehend that idea? She felt terrible about putting Laura in this situation. Maybe this was her way of owning up to it? Or perhaps there was something more?
''Kara, we are not letting you go out there!'' Gareth snapped.
Feeling a new surge of confidence, or stupidity, it could've been both, Kara moved her hand away from her mouth and timidly responded. ''Those forests spread for miles. If she goes alone, she'll get lost. I can guide her.''
''I refuse! I won't let you anywhere near that Beast!''
''But you'll let Laura go?''
''You're my daughter!''
Elizabeth clutched Gareth's arm, trying to calm him down. ''Kara, why do you want to go?''
Kara stalled with her answer. A part of her wanted to find an excuse to get out of this situation, but at the same time, she felt that her going with Laura was the right course of action. ''Because I want to help her! I don't know how, or if I can. But I want to try.''
''This is pure insanity.'' Gareth hushed. ''I know you want to help your new…friend but to go up against the Beast…''
''I won't be fighting the Beast. Laura will be the muscle and I'll be the…'' She paused. ''Guidebook helping her along the way.''
Gareth lowered his face into his hands, suppressing his growing exasperation threatening to spill over. Only with Elizabeth's hand resting on his arm, he was kept in check. The townspeople outside watched on keenly, never looking away from the family who remained motionless. Gareth and Elizabeth held each other whilst staring down at the wooden table, and Kara stood warily, twitching her fingers as she waited for a response from either of her parents.
''I'd like her to come.''
Everyone turned to Laura. The pirate stood by the door frame with arms folded and a gritted look.
''You don't get to make that decision,'' Gareth said.
''You're right. I don't. But neither do you, this is all Kara's decision. And it sounds like she's already reached it.''
''You can't just come into our house and decide what's best for…''
''She's right.'' Kara interrupted. Her parents turned to her with a mixture of shock and panic. ''It's my decision. I choose to go with Laura and help her.''
Kara felt her words echo throughout the room. Not only could she believe that she had come to this decision, but also that Laura was supporting her with it. The next few seconds were agony for her as she could see a million thoughts visible across Gareth and Elizabeth's faces. Eventually, Elizabeth looked up at her daughter. ''Are you sure you want to do this?''
Kara slowly nodded. ''Yes.''
The inner-battle within the parents seemed to have died down, as they knew for sure that Kara was going through with this. While Gareth stared downwards, unable to look her in the eye, Elizabeth forced a smile. ''Very well. Please be careful!''
Kara didn't know whether to smile with happiness or cry with dread. She really was going to be doing this. Although it ate away inside her to see the look of disappointment on her father's face. It was already a nerve-racking enough day for him with the Cofresi Pirates coming to town. Kara wondered if she'd made the right decision. She turned to Laura; the pirate gave her an eager smile and thumbs-up. If Laura really was as strong as she seemed, then this will have been the right call.
''I can't believe I'm doing this,'' Kara mumbled to herself whilst nervously fidgeting with the straps of her backpack.
''I know, this is going to be exciting!'' Laura smirked as she rushed forward towards the entrance to the forest.
Kara stood rooted to the spot at the end of the road. She watched the eager pirate rush to the sea of trees and prayed that some of her energy and bravery would rub off on her. Even though she was going with Laura at her own free will, she repeatedly stopped and questioned herself. Was she making the right choice in going? Her eyes wandered to the ground, eyeing the stone pavement. Taking things slowly, she took one step forward, and then another and another. She refused to look back at the townspeople and her parents, afraid that she would break down and run back to them. Her focus remained on the pavement, as the stones and slabs disappeared underneath overgrowing grass, weeds and flowers.
She continued onwards and never looked up, that is until she bumped into Laura, who had stopped to wait for the artist. Kara backed away self-consciously. When she finally looked up, she was met with surprisingly caring and sympathetic eyes. ''You okay?''
Knowing that she had a genuine companion by her side, Kara felt assured. ''Yeah! Let's do this.''
Laura beamed brightly, grabbed Kara's hand and swiftly pulled her through the first few rows of tall trees. The buzzing sounds of insects in the greenery and chirping birds above beat against Kara's eardrums. Although the pirate couldn't wait to get started on their journey, Kara was doing her best to analyse every part of the passing forest, fearing that something would strike at any moment.
''So how do you know the way through this forest?'' Laura asked.
''Before the Beast came, the children of Kaishi Town took many trips through her. We know the trees of this place as well as the buildings back home.''
''Cool.'' Laura finally stopped once they came to a section that diverted into numerous paths. ''So which way?''
No longing being hauled, Kara breathed heavily to get the air back in her lungs. She stepped forward and pointed down a path towards their right. ''It's in the middle of summer, and there's a lake down this path. That would be a good place to start looking.''
Laura grinned and cracked her knuckles. ''Sounds like a plan.''
''What are you planning to do to the Beast once we find it?''
''Kick its ass, and show it that it can't torment your home town anymore.'' She replied confidently before marching ahead.
''And…you really think you can beat it?'' Kara inquired. A slight twinge of anxiety surged through her upon thinking over her question. ''I don't mean that you can't defend yourself, cause you can, I didn't mean to offend you. I just mean the Beast is strong, but you're strong, and…I just got myself muddled up.''
Laura didn't appear offended or concerned with Kara's rant. In fact, she seemed rather amused. ''I'm hoping I can beat it. Like I said, if that jerk of a pirate brute and his crew can manage the Beast, then we should be just fine.''
Kara nodded in agreement. Her worries eased slightly as she remembered the way Laura fought off Cofresi and his crew with ease, making swiftly and with enough power to send a man twice their size flying through a building. She'd heard stories about pirates who could shatter buildings with a single punch and even pirate crews that could fight countries on their own, but seeing Laura's demonstration of strength alone filled her with awe and admiration. That's when she remembered something that had been pestering her mind for hours now. So much so, that she burst out before thinking. ''You're a Devil-Fruit user, aren't you?''
Laura's grin grew wider. ''Yep.''
''Unbelievable. I've read about them and heard stories, but I've never seen someone use their Devil-Fruit power with my own eyes!'' So many questions rattled in her brain, so much so that she no longer worried about the forest's descending darkness around them as they continued further. ''When did you eat your Devil-Fruit? How does it work? What does it actually do? What was the name of the fruit you ate?''
Laura scrunched her nose and looked upwards. ''Uh, the Buzz-Buzz Fruit…or was it the Blast-Blast Fruit? I forget.''
Kara's jaw dropped in disbelief. ''How can you forget the name of a Devil-Fruit that you ate?''
The pirate shrugged her shoulders. ''I didn't know it was a Devil-Fruit at the time. I stumbled into a market, was hunger, and saw a fruity-looking thing on a stand. Next thing I know, I got this rotten taste in my mouth, and my body felt like it was surging with energy. After getting used to it, I learned I could concentrate that energy into my punches and kicks.''
''So I'm guessing you're not registered in the Devil-Fruit act by the Government?''
''As far as I know, no. I'm as pirate-y as you can get.''
Soon enough, they reached a block in their path. Laid out in front of them was a large tree trunk, torn from the roots and left on the ground like a discarded toy. Laura inspected the trunk. The bark was cleanly ripped off, clawed away leaving only the pale wood underneath. She placed her hand on the tree. The stripped ribbons of wood were still warm, meaning that they were getting close. She leapt over the tree like it was nothing and walked on.
Kara struggled to climb over it but was not discouraged as she interrogated her new friend more. ''How long have you been a pirate for?''
''Kind of all my life.''
Kara slipped off the other end of the tree, landing in a heap on the ground. She got up, dusted herself and raced after Laura. ''I mean how long have you been travelling as a pirate, looking for a crew?''
''A few months now. I've lost track of the days. When I started, I thought I had enough to buy a ship fit for a crew. But I underestimated the prices a tad.''
''How much do you have?'' Kara asked. Beads of sweat started to form on her forehead due to the jungle heat. She retrieved a cloth from the pockets of her backpack to wipe the sweat away.
''Million and a half.''
''That's not enough to get you a ship?''
''Not in this day and age! I even had to waste a week tracking a pirate with a bounty of half a million. Every little bit helps,''
At first, Kara was impressed to hear Laura captured a pirate with such a high bounty on their head. Then she recalled the bounty Cofresi claimed to own, three million beri, and her admiration for Laura somehow grew. ''What's your bounty?''
''I don't have one.''
''Really?''
''I haven't done anything that warrants a bounty…yet.'' She winked to her travel companion and then looked up to stare at the clear blue sky. The clouds that shrouded the burning sunlight before were long gone. ''But that'll change when I find him. Then I'm really going to shake the world and turn it upside down.''
Kara turned to her curiously. ''Him?''
''Monkey D. Luffy! I'm going to find him, and then defeat him!''
The artist nearly choked on her own spit after hearing Laura's confession. Her mind was a buzz, trying to comprehend the insane notion of someone challenging the second Pirate King in history. She was so caught up in the moment, she failed to see where she was going and ended up walking right into a tree, face first. She whined in pain as Laura checked the tree to find more torn ribbons of wood off the bark.
''We're getting close. The lake has to be right ahead now, right?'' Laura asked.
Slowly, Kara pushed herself away from the tree. Her face was completely red. ''Have you completely lost your mind?''
''What do you mean?'' Laura asked innocently.
Kara let out a very stressed chuckle. ''What do I mean? You're telling me that you want to travel across the seas to find the most powerful pirate in the world? A pirate who has not been seen since the War against the Corrupt World Government more than thirty years ago, and challenge him to duel with the hope of actually winning?''
''Hey, I know Luffy is going to be incredibly strong. But I'm going to get stronger, and when I find him, I'll be ready.''
''If you find him! How do you know if he's even still alive? There's been no trace of him, the Straw Hat Pirates, or his ship. Even his surviving allies from the war and remnants of the Straw Hat Alliance don't have a clue on his whereabouts. He's become a legend that everyone talks about. A legend that changed the world more so than anyone in recent history, including Gol D. Roger!'' Kara halted. She needed a moment to get her erratic breathing under control and suppress the urge to throw herself into another rant. ''Why? Why do you want to beat him?''
It was shocking for Kara to see the pirate standing still with a blank expression. During her explosive outburst, the grin on Laura's face faded, although she didn't appear mad with Kara. The artist's heart tugged, briefly thinking that she had offended or upset Laura in some way until the pirate spoke with candour. ''You said it yourself…he's a legend. I want to become a legend too. What Straw-Hat Luffy did was nothing short of inspiring. He defeated the Gosei and the Yonko of his time and revealed the truth about the One Piece. Just being half the pirate he is would be amazing. But I want don't want to be just any pirate…I want to be the greatest! And the only way to do that is to beat the best!''
Kara saw the intensity in the pirate's eyes. It completely gripped her and convinced her that Laura was adamant with fulfilling her quest. It wasn't a complicated reason or even the best reason to track Luffy, but it was what Laura believed with all her heart.
A slight smile returned to the timid artist. ''It's like something out of a storybook,'' She mumbled. Eventually, she rubbed her arm awkwardly and turned away. ''I'm sorry for snapping at you like that. I'm not normally like this, today has been pretty stressful, to say the least.''
Laura shrugged casually. ''It's fine. You going off like that shows that you care.''
''Really?''
''Yeah. You're the first one who hasn't laughed in my face or made fun of me.''
Another rush of guilt swept over Kara. ''It felt like I did. I'm sorry.''
''No, you didn't. You don't have to keep apologising…''
''I'm sorry, I just…''
''You did it again.''
''Sorry…''
''You're still doing it.''
''Sorry, I…''
''Kara!''
''I'm sorry. I can't help it. I always feel like I say something wrong or I mess something up in some way, and apologising just makes me feel like…something, just…to give the reassurance that I'm not trying to offend someone!''
The nervous rambler was met with an amused grin from Laura. ''You're not offending or annoying me! I think you're pretty cool.''
Kara gasped and her eyes shot wide open at that statement from her new friend. A faint blush skimmed over her cheeks as she looked away. ''You're the first person to think that about me.'' She said with a slight smile.
Laura began to form an encouraging grin, until she turned sharply to look away, staring down the dark forest. A look of seriousness took hold, surprising Kara and throwing her completely off guard. She was about to ask the pirate what was wrong, and then it suddenly dawned on her that complete silence had fallen upon them. She let a few anxious seconds pass, waiting for the sounds of the birds and the incest to return, but they never did.
The silence was broken by a heavy exhale of breath from Kara…before an ear-bursting roar thundered behind them. By the time Laura and Kara turned, they saw a monstrous-sized palm come swinging towards them.
The huge hand would have crushed Kara if Laura had not pushed her down and avoiding the strike. The pirate looked up to see 'the Beast' in its entire glory leap from the shadows of ripped tree trunks. Just as Elizabeth had described earlier, it seemed to be some sort of abnormally large gorilla, covered in dark blue hair and riddled with scars. However, its arms were ridiculously large in comparison to the rest of its body. Saliva and foam lathered its mouth as it roared, displaying its jagged teeth.
Laura reacted quickly to get back on her feet, just as the Beast swung its other hand at her. She outstretched her arms and pushed back against the monster's strike. But she underestimated the strength and was sent flying back into a tree, knocking the wind out of her. Thinking that it had claimed another victim, the Beast stood tall and pounded its chest furiously whilst letting out another roar that shook the leaves from every tree.
With a grunt of annoyance, Laura picked herself up. ''This thing packs a mean punch,'' She stepped forward and using the momentum, vaulted towards the Beast. Reeling her fist back, it ignited into a familiar glowing blue light and vibrated energetically.
BAAM! She connected full force right in the kisser, knocking the gorilla off its feet and sending it flying. ''But so do I!''
As she lay on the ground with her arms above her head, Kara glanced up in time to see Laura deliver a strong right hook at the Beast. She couldn't believe what she was witnessing. For a moment, all the terror had left her system as she watched this woman land a blow against this fearsome animal.
However, the Beast didn't stay down for long. It hoisted itself back up and charged towards Laura. Its arms began swinging all over the place trying to hit the plucky pirate. She dodged every attack but found it extremely difficult to find an opening to counter. The Beast lifted both hands in the air and brought them crashing down on top of Laura. Luckily, she covered herself and blocked the attack. Despite the gorilla's biceps being five times the size of hers, Laura kept him at bay using all her strength. The force was so great, that her feet began sinking into the ground. Her body would crumble if she didn't do something quickly.
Kara was mesmerized by the display of strength from Laura, but it was clear that the Beast outmuscled her and would breach her defence soon. Kara turned her attention towards the Beast, hoping to find some sort of weakness. Easier said than done. Not only was the Beast pure muscle, but it was also coated with a thick layer of hair that would act like padding…all except for one place. ''La-Laura, aim for its belly!''
''Huh?'' Laura called back through gritted teeth, feeling her arms begin to cave under the Beast's weight.
''The belly doesn't look as protected. You can attack there!''
Laura fixed her sights towards the Beast's stomach, and she saw what Kara meant. Though it had a level of hair, it wasn't as prominent as the rest of its body. The pirate figured it was worth a shot. It wasn't like she had many options at the moment.
Within the simpler mind of the Beast, the animal believed it had won this battle against its challenger until it felt Laura begin to push back. Her arms lifted up slightly despite the Beast pushing down on her with all its strength. Then, Laura was able to slowly raise a foot from the cracked ground, bending her knee to lift her foot higher and higher. As she did this, her foot started to shake, akin to how her fist would before using her Devil-Fruit power.
Kara's eyes widened. She couldn't believe what she was seeing; Laura was outmuscling the Beast, even on one leg. The Beast breathed heavily, trying to squash Laura, but it couldn't. A smirk formed on the pirate's face as her vibrating foot glowed brightly. ''Hacksaw!'' She yelled.
BAAM! With a powerful kick into the Beast's stomach, the gorilla gasped loudly and lurched backwards. Laura felt the pressure above her arms diminish. Now able to move freely, she clenched her right fist as it glowed and shook. ''Buzzsaw!'' BAAM! With another powerful punch, juiced up by her power, she knocked the Beast off its feet and caused it to crash and skid across the ground.
For a split-second, Kara thought they had done it. Laura executed that move so perfectly and struck the Beast so hard, she could feel the wind of the impact. That wasn't the case though, as the Beast sluggishly lifted itself up. Its knuckles were embedded in the ground and it shook its head.
''Boy, no matter how many times I knock him down, he won't seem to stay down.'' Laura huffed before turning to Kara. ''Do you have any more ideas?''
Trying her best not to let herself be gripped in fear, Kara shuffled her body to allow her backpack to roll down her arm as she frantically opened it and began to search inside for something. ''I thought I should bring this, just in case we needed to trap the Beast.'' She pulled out a thick line of rope coiled twice over and showed it to Laura. ''We use it to tow ships into the harbour, or help to carry trees for logging.''
''Will it be strong enough to hold it?''
''I…I don't know…'' Kara responded hesitantly. ''But it might be worth a shot.''
Laura gave her companion a reassuring grin and nod of the head. ''Okay. You set the trap, I'll lure the Beast in!'' She then charged forward before Kara even had time to respond.
At that moment, the Beast lunged forward to attack as well. It flung its enormous arms around, trying to hit the pirate, as she ducked, dived and rolled out of the way over and over again, occasionally landing a good punch against the gorilla. However, at this rate, it would take forever for Laura's punches to wear it down.
Meanwhile, Kara remained rooted to the spot with the rope still in hand. Unsure of herself and fearing that she might make things worse. She knew it there and then as she watched Laura go toe-to-toe with this monster that has terrorised her and the townspeople for years, she was out of her league. Time sped up around her, as everything seemed to sink into the darkness until she heard a faint cry of pain. She looked back up to see that Laura had gotten too close at some point, allowing the Beast to slap her with his gigantic hand. Fortunately, she absorbed most of the impact by covering herself with her muscular arm, but the Beast was still able to knock her back significantly. But that didn't stop her, as she jumped forward to continue the fight. BAM! BAM! She landed a double punch against the Beast's face, knocking it back.
They went blow for blow, neither backing down.
Kara's grip on the rope tightened. Laura was counting on her. This pirate whom she had only met that day was doing everything in her power to help her and the town. The least Kara could do for her was try.
Moving as quickly as humanly possible, Kara took the rope out of her backpack and dashed towards the closest tree. She silently prayed that the rope wouldn't slip out of her slippery hands as she tied it around the trunk of a tree. Time was key in this situation. Once she was sure the rope was secure, she sprinted around every close by tree she could reach. Hurrying while watching the brawl go on away from her.
As she fought the Beast, Laura noticed what Kara was doing. Her lips curled into a smirk.
Eventually, Kara reached the end of the rope and fastened it tightly around a thick branch. ''The trap is ready!'' She cried out as loud as she could.
''Stand back!'' Laura called out in return.
The artist didn't need to be told twice, rushing away from the battle scene whilst retrieving her backpack from the ground nearby.
Laura unleashed a flurry of punches into the belly of the Beast, causing him to stumble backwards until the animal was right in front of the valley of ropes. ''Time to end this!'' Laura said. The Beast bared its fangs and jumped over Laura's hand, plummeting towards her. Kara watched on helplessly, fearing the worst until she saw that now both of Laura's hands were ignited and ready to strike. ''Bucksaw!''
BAAAM!
Her body leaned forward, and both her fists launched forward to clobber the Beast in the stomach once again, with even more power than before. Her arms recoiled backwards, and she tried not to fall backwards from the force of the attack. As for the Beast, it remained wounded in the air for a split-second before being sent flying into the ropes. Trees were uprooted and some of the ropes snapped as the creature slewed for a good hundred yards, becoming entangled in ropes and broken trees.
The pirate stood her ground, breathing heavily and sweat pouring from her forehead. Her knuckles now coated in bruises. Once her legs began to shake, she stumbled about for a bit, trying to stop herself from collapsing. Kara returned and helped Laura stay on her feet. The exhausted firecracker looked up at her friend, smiling happily before resting a hand on her shoulder. ''Nice work.''
Kara looked at Laura and then glanced towards the Beast. The gorilla was yet again trying to get back up to continue the fight, however, the ropes entwined around his whole body tightened with every movement. It roared loudly in defiance. Seeing the creature tied up and defeated, Kara couldn't help but smile. ''We…we did it?''
''Told you we would!''
''We did it!'' Kara screamed joyfully.
The two women laughed and cheered at their victory. The artist couldn't hold back the tears, perhaps a late reaction to all the fear and panic she felt during the fight, or maybe tears of happiness with their victory, right now she didn't care. Realising she was crying, Kara wiped away the droplets rolling down her cheeks while Laura walked over to inspect their Beast.
''So what are we going to do with him?'' She asked Kara, ignoring the Beast's grunts and its attempts to break free. It was clear that the gorilla wasn't going to be going anywhere anytime soon.
''Maybe we can find it a permanent home away from the town.''
''How are we going to do that? Didn't your parents say it just kept coming back to the town, even after the Marines showed up?''
''Yes. But maybe we can find a place for it.''
Laura rubbed the back of her head and turned to look at the struggling animal. ''I supposed we can use the ropes to drag him along without worrying about him breaking…huh?'' She stopped mid-sentence as something caught her eye.
Noting the halt in Laura's sentence, Kara called out. ''What's wrong?''
''Come and look at this!''
Wasting no time, and curious as to what Laura had spotted, Kara rushed forward. As she got closer to the Beast, she became hesitant, even though it was tied up really good. With a few more cautious steps forward, she stood next to Laura and spotted what the pirate had seen. Confusion engulfed, as she looked closer to a certain spot behind the gorilla's knee as it turned and thrashed. ''That's not a scar. It…looks like a brand mark.''
Laura nodded. ''And not only that…''
Just when the two thought they had this mission all wrapped up, a new mystery had been uncovered as they stared at the peculiar mark. The animal's hair had been burnt away, revealing a small bit of skin in the shape of a skill with two large rings hanging from where the ears would be. The creature had been branded like cattle, under the ownership of someone.
''It's a pirate Jolly Roger!'' Laura confirmed.
To Be Continued…
If you'd like, you can follow my original stories on Wattpad. My penname is Thomas-LF. Thank you for your time, if you do read them, I hope you enjoy them.