Chapter 15
Terror in the haunted woods
AN: Sorry about how long this took me to get out. First I was finishing up the second chapter of my other fic, then I got caught up in writing chapter 3. Next I got distracted with another writing project that took its own sweet time. Then when I got back to this chapter I realized that it was already running a bit long before I even got to the fight on Sunny, so that was pushed back to the next chapter. (Which means chapter 16 is already halfway written). Finally when I was about to start the editing for this chapter I caught Covid which pushed everything even further back until today, so enjoy.
"Come now Chopper surely you can see that I have advanced medical science beyond anyone's wildest dreams!" Hogback shouted as, showing astounding strength, he lifted a nearby zombie and chucked it, limbs flailing, at Chopper. Popping into his Brain Point form Chopper was able to easily avoid the zombie as it soared above his head. Only to finally crash into the ground head first, arms scrambling at the ground to get itself free.
As Chopper popped back into his human form, Shadow shot out plunging through the planted zombie and dragging its shadow free. Instead of tearing it apart it let go of the other shadow that quickly zoomed off into the distance. "Well that's annoying." Hogback frowned making a mental note that the creature was able to release Morai's stolen shadows.
"I'm ashamed to call you a doctor any longer Hogback, what you've done can no longer even be considered medicine! Your just killing people!" Chopper's fists clenched, knuckles white from how hard they were clenched.
"Bah such terms and restrictions only served to stifle my genius and prevent me from reaching my true potential!" Behold!" With that Hogback threw aside the massive cloak that had been covering his back to reveal six zombified arms extending outwards from a large fleshy growth covered by a hard shell. The arms bent inwards, hands pushing into pockets before each one pulled out a handful of scalpels.
"My latest creation! A zombie backpack with extra arms linked to my nervous system so that I can control them. It has magnified my ability to create new zombies enormously! Not only that but I have found that my own strength has been increasing as well."
"And how many people had to die to create it?! How many people's lives could an actual doctor have saved?!"
"Silence!" Hogback howled, as he whipped a scalpel through the air straight towards Chopper's head. Dodging the scalpel easily Chopper shook his head, compared to Doctorina Hogback's throws looked like they were traveling in slow motion. It was easy to see that despite his claims Hogback wasn't actually a fighter and a small part of Chopper wondered if his knowledge of medicine was equally overinflated.
He was barely paying attention to the sudden storm of thrown scalpels coming his way as he ducked, dodged, wove, and danced through them. Each step bringing him closer towards Hogback who was becoming increasingly frantic. Slipping a Rumble Ball into his mouth Chopper waited until he was close enough to throw a punch.
The Rumble Ball cracked between his teeth as the familiar surge of energy rushed through his body. Each of the newly accessible forms shining in his minds eye, the knowledge of what they could do thrumming through him As he shifted, Shadow crept down to cover his hooves, his arms swelling in size.
"Arm Point! Carving Shadow Hoof Sakura!" He shouted as he slammed his hooves into Hogback's chest, leaving behind the imprint of his hooves in the shape of a sakura blossom. He wasn't done yet though, shifting into Jump Point he leaped as high as he could into the air, and just as he was starting to fall back down he kicked off of it to rise higher.
He hadn't realized it at the time but when they had been discussing the Six Techniques used by CP9 back at Water 7 Chopper had had an epiphany. While he couldn't use the moves in his normal forms without years of training in the forms he unlocked with the Rumble Ball he could easily replicate most of them. So kicking off of the air again he Moon walked just a bit higher before taking a deep breath. Now came the dangerous part, the one bit of this maneuver that he hadn't actually tested before now.
The deep breath mentally steadying him he transformed into his Monster Point. Not all the way however as he forced the change only into his right leg. The feral impulses tug and pulled at his conscious mind, to complete the transformation. Before he could lose control completely he brought his transformed foot down onto Hogback with earth-splitting force.
"Monster Half Point! Great Sakura Blooming!"
The ground heaved and then buckled as Chopper drove Hogback deep into the earth. A massive explosion of pink sakura petals in the form of a tree shooting high into the sky. Chopper smiled to himself, he'd done it! He'd done it!
A wave of lethargy rolled over him and his vision began to grow dark. Suddenly he was feeling really tired, a nap sounded good right now. He closed his eyes as he fell out of the sky, already fast asleep by the time something caught him in their arms.
Drum Kingdom Castle
Doctorina scowled fiercely down at the paper that she was going over before grabbing a scalpel off of the desk and whipped it through the air. The scalpel sinking into the wooden door frame up to the hilt just as the door was pushed open.
"Something seems to have put you in a bad mood." Hank said as he pulled the scalpel free, using it to deflect the next two blades that flew at him, hand a blur as he caught the scalpels before they fell to the ground. Movements that would make one wonder if he was actually a former doctor.
"I have a feeling that my protege has just done something very foolish." She turned towards Hank, running a critical eye over him before scoffing. "What do you want Hank?"
Nami was not having a good time against her current opponent, the plate flinging zombie that looked vaguely familiar. If she tried to move in the zombie would move back and throw plates. If she tried to stay at range and set up her weather affects the zombie would throw plates. The most annoying thing about it all was that the woman just never seemed to run out of plates! Like she was packing an entire plate shop around with her.
As another plate soared towards her Nami smacked it out of the air with the haft of her climatact, the plate exploding into shards of porcelain, one nicking her cheek as she twisted to avoid it. By themselves the shallow cuts weren't dangerous but they were starting to add up.
"Look can we just talk about this or something?!"
"All plates must be destroyed!"
Letting out an annoyed huff Nami began to spin her climatact to release the heat balls and cool balls. Before she had managed to create more then a couple however a barrage of plates flew towards her and she was forced to dodge aside. Running just ahead of the continuing barrage she took cover behind a convenient tree.
"Will you cut that out?!"
"Plates!"
Just as Cindry pulled out a large and expensive looking platter the ground shook as the whole battleground was bathed in soft pink light. Raising her head Nami could see a towering sakura tree that was already starting to disperse into individual petals. Seeing that the Zombie she had been fighting was distracted Nami began to spin her climatact faster then she ever had before, dozens of heat and cool balls floating up into the air around her. "The weather forecast for today is extreme winds mixed in with heavy rain. In the afternoon you better stay in doors due to intense lightning storms!"
Turning back to face Nami, Cindry chucked the plate hard in her direction only to need to dodge to the side as a powerful gust of wind caught the plate and sent it spinning back at twice the speed. The gusts of wind forced Cindry to hunker down close to the ground to avoid getting blown away. Fingers digging into the earth as big fat droplets of rain started pouring down from the sky. The droplets traveling almost sideways due to the strength of the wind.
Just when one would think it couldn't get any worse, thunder rumbled in the sky followed by a flash of lightning. Shielding her head against the rain with an arm Cindry looked skywards, eyes going comically large as dozens of lightning bolts lit up the sky all at once before crashing down to the earth.
Cindry twitched and jerked as the millions of volts poured through her body before with an explosive contraction of her muscles she went soaring through the air. As she flew an unconscious twitch of her arms caught the sleeping Chopper as his fall intersected her flight path. Nami watched Cindry fly before dusting her hands off.
"Now that that's taken care of I can finally get back to the Sunny." She had just taken the first step in the direction of the Mini Merry when something tapped her on the shoulder. A chill ran down her spine and she turned around to look behind her ever so slowly. The horde of zombies that had been staying back while she had fought Cindry now standing there, each one looking annoyed at being forgotten.
"Uh, 15 second head start?" Nami said before screaming and taking off at a dead run. The zombies letting out a singular howl as they started to chase after her. Soon the battlefield was covered once more in lightning, gusts of wind, and driving rain.
Tucking himself into a ball Usopp rolled out of the way of another powerful kiss from the warthog headed zombie. The earthquake from whatever it was that Chopper had done was both a blessing and a curse. It had saved him from being bisected by a katana blade but it also knocked him off of his feet. Which lead to his current problem, the fact that he couldn't get back to his feet due to the constant attacks.
As he came out of his roll he came face to blade with the downward descending katana. He closed his eyes, blocking the sight of his impending death. Ah so this is how my legend ends, cut down by a zombie. Hopefully the rest of the crew properly embellishes my legend saying that I valiantly faced down Gecko Moria and his legion of the undead to buy the time for the crew to escape.
You know getting sliced in half was much less painful then he thought it would be. In fact the only bit of pain that he was feeling at the moment was a particularly sharp rock that was poking into his back. Carefully opening one eye he peeked upwards.
The killing blow had been blocked by the jet-black blade of another katana that was poking into his line of sight. Then with a mighty heave the black bladed katana sent the other one flying back and he got a look at his savior. A round kind of egg shaped woman was standing there protecting him with a pair of katana's, one black the other the normal silver of steel. Even as he watched though the black katana transformed back into silver. Armament Haki a part of his brain whispered as he recalled Tii'chia's earlier conversation on it.
"Get up long-nose a man should not die on his back." She said, slipping the second katana into its sheath as she offered a hand to Usopp. Taking it he felt himself jerked onto his feet, arm sore from the force behind the pull. Holy smokes this lady was strong. "Now that's better! I'm Lola, captain of the Rolling Pirates and I have a question for you! Will you marry me?!"
"No."
"Shoot down once again! That's 4444 rejections in a row! Will our valiant captain ever find a man that will marry her?!" Looking over to the side Usopp could see 4 or so pirates half hidden among the trees, each one lacking a shadow. As he turned back to look at Lola he noted the absence of shadow as well.
"Well look who comes to try and steal my groom away. If it isn't the pathetic woman that my shadow came from." Zola snorted as she regained her balance, staring daggers at Lola.
"I'm not stealing anything if he hasn't agreed to marry you either."
"We'll see about that when I show him my secret technique!" Zola shouted, slowly sheathing both swords. Lola took a fearful step back, her eyes wide. "No! Anything but that technique you fiend!"
Usopp raised one finger preparing to ask what the hell either of them was talking about before Zola vanished in a blur of speed. Instinctively he tried to dodge aside but his reflexes weren't fast enough as she appeared before him, arms wrapping around his body, pinning his own arms to his sides. He let out a single half strangled scream as he was pulled tightly against her just as she leaped into the air.
"Reluctant Husband marriage technique! Full Body Cast!"
Usopp felt his stomach sink down into his feet as he was suddenly hefted above Zola's head at the very top of her jump. He had just enough time to realize how bad things were about to be when she spiked him back down to the ground. He slammed into the earth with a thump that forced all the air from his lungs before bouncing and rolling for almost fifty feet before finally coming to a stop.
"Long-nose are you okay?!" Lola shouted as she ran up to where Usopp was picking himself up. He was covered in cuts and scrapes all over from the attack and his nose was bent painfully at an awkward angle. He held up a trembling hand to wave off Lola before lifting both hands up to his nose. There was a sharp crack and a rush of blood from between his fingers as he forcefully straightened it out.
"I..I am the great captain Usopp, leader of a thousand men and I won't be taken down so easily!"
"You know." Zola snorted, stalking towards him as she drew her blades once more. A single glance taking in his trembling knees and the way Usopp swayed as he tried to stand. "If you just agreed to marry me you wouldn't keep getting hurt."
Usopp took a step forward doing his best to hide his wince of pain as his hand reached into his bag of supplies. When he had hit the ground the haft of his Kabuto had snapped, leaving him clutching the top half. The actual slingshot of his weapon was still intact however which was all that he needed at the moment.
"H...heh, you know your right. I accept your marriage proposal!" He shouted a stunning both Lola and Zola, their jaws hitting the floor.
"But before any good marriage a man should present the woman with an engagement ring!" Yanking a long chain out of his bag he threw it with all his might at the stunned zombie. It whirled through the air before wrapping around completely around her three times, pinning her arms to her side. Now that the chain was no longer in motion one could see that attached about every foot there was a small pouch.
"And what is an engagement ring without a center stone gem!" Usopp yanked back on the slingshot of the kabuto launching a pair of shots at the still bound Zola. The first shot bursting into a flaming bird and the second a blue sphere that glinted ominously in the light from the flames.
"I call this Usopp's Sure Kill Extinction Star!" The flaming bird slammed into Zola the flames engulfing her completely in a split second and when they hit the pouches the thermite contained within each one went off. In that split second the blue sphere impacted trapping all the fire, heat, and explosive force within an unbreakable bubble of energy. The battlefield lit up by flickering blue light as the fires fury raged inside of the sphere. He then pitched forward, his energy gone, barely even feeling Lola catching him. It's funny from this angle it looks like she has a shadow, he thought before unconsciousness embraced him.
"You did good Long-Nose." Lola said as she carried him over to the rest of her crew. She had just handed him over when an ear-splitting shriek broke the air causing Lola to jerk her head up in time to see Nami running in their direction at a dead sprint being followed by a horde of pissed off undead.
"I'm kind of impressed that someone like you even knows of me. It's not like I'm all that prominent." Ghost-like Hollows swirled around Perona as she took in the sight of the young blue haired girl, idly taking note of the cerberus which was doing its best to hide behind a copse of trees.
"As a bounty hunter I thought it wise to keep track of the bounties in the area where I lived. You never knew when a pirate would go rogue, even a Warlord." While Lil spoke she studied Perona, head titled slightly to the side as if she wasn't quite sure what to do about her.
Perona narrowed her eyes as she gave Lil an appraising look. The only Bounty hunters in the area that were consistent was Accino and his family. Actually know that she was looking closer the girl did somewhat resemble Accino. "I recognize you now, your part of the Accino bounty hunters, Lil right?" Lil tipped her head forward in small nod. "What made you join up with pirates then?"
"I didn't have anywhere else to go so they took me in." Her words sound so dead Perona thought. There was just something in the way that Lil held herself and how she moved that was making Perona nervous. Still she had her orders from Moria, so she did what she always did when nervous. Faked it.
"Bah whatever, not that it matters since your going up against me! Moria said I could do whatever I wanted to those that tried to escape, so show me your face contorted in despair!" At that Perona threw her hands up above her head, the swarm of giggling Hollows that had been surrounding her rising up before crashing down in a wave of white towards Lil. As the Hollows drew closer Lil tensed just before the first of the ghosts reached her and passed through her body. She felt a vague sensation similar to tickling but otherwise nothing.
Lil took a moment to look herself over but found nothing was wrong."Was that supposed to have done something?" She asked as Perona's eyes popping out of her head as her jaw dropped.
"That...that was just a fluke! A fluke I say!" Perona shouted angrily even as a sliver of fear wrapped itself around her heart, swiping her hand through the air she sent another wave of giggling white Hollows towards Lil. They had no more effect then the first time, Perona stumbling backwards towards the safety of the trees as Lil advanced towards her.
Lil's left hand twitched making Perona jumped backwards to avoid the incoming attack. At least that's what she tried to do instead something caught the back of her foot and she tripped, landing painfully on her rear. Looking down she could see the roots of the nearby tree's pushing free of the earth to wrap around her feet. She looked up towards Lil who was still slowly advancing and let out a panicked scream as she started to claw at the roots. She gasped in surprise as the stuffed form of Bearsy interposed itself between her and Lil. "Bearsy get her!"
"Yes Mistress Perona!"
She was so concerned with the roots that were still creeping up her legs that she didn't even tell Bearsy off for speaking. Mostly she was just glad that she had brought some kind of backup. Simple and easy job she thought, scoffing at how badly this job was going. The fluffy juggernaut that was Bearsy extending its plush arms as it slid into an almost sumo wrestler pose. Lil stopped just out of reach of Bearsy as she looked up at it before raising her right hand. Perona couldn't tell what the other girl was doing. No wait there, there was a visible distortion over Lil's hand almost like from heat rising.
"No, no-way! How can you have two Devil Fruit powers least of all having your father's?!"
Lil's lips pulled upwards into a smile the first sign of emotion on her face in the whole fight, even if the smile looked heavily forced. Lifting her right hand higher it started to glow, first a dark shade of reddish-orange that soon brightened to Cherry-red before finally settling to a cheerful almost sunny yellow.
"My power over plants doesn't come from a Devil Fruit its just something that I've always had. I've always been able to hear simple thoughts and ideas of plants even before I was able to walk. Father said that whenever I cried the flowers would dance to try and cheer me up. As to how I gained my father's Devil fruit how do you think?! I watched as everyone I knew and loved died before me leaving me all alone, I wasn't even awake to hear my father's last words to me!"
Lil screamed, waves of heat pouring off of her so intense that the grass she was standing on began to wither and darken. Bearsy took a step back and even from the distance she was at Perona felt like she was on the beach of one of the hotter Summer islands.
"My name is Lillian Accino, holder of the heat heat fruit making me a 10,000 degree human, and a proud member of the Strawhat Pirates!" She took a step forward the grass underneath her feet crackling as it burned away leaving behind ashen black foot prints.
Screaming, Bearsy turned and fled to cower behind Perona, whose face was rapidly becoming chalk-white. The heat coming off of Lil along with the glowing hands and heat distorting the image of Lil as she moved closer. Shadows covered much of Lil's face, hiding everything but the glowing eyes. Twin pools of fiery orange light. She looked nothing like a young girl anymore but a demon from the deepest pits of Hell that had come to claim your soul. In that single moment she was more terrifying then anything that Perona had ever seen on Thriller Bark.
A tiny squeak escaped from Perona's lips as her eyes rolled into the back of her head. Taking one look between his insensitive mistress and the approaching Lil. Bearsy decided to do the only sensible thing. Snatch Perona off of the ground and fleeing as if the very forces of Hell were nipping at his heels.
Lil watched them go before letting out a long sigh and releasing her control over the heat. She was reluctant to do so, the heat reminding her of nights with her family after a successful mission. Tilting her head back to gaze into the fog shrouded night sky, a single tear ran down her cheek as she mourned the loss of her family.
"Papa, Big Brothers, Big Sister, Hockera, I swear that what happened to you, I won't let happen to these pirates that you entrusted my care to. I won't let my new family suffer even if I can tell they aren't ready for the New World. I think on some level they know that even if they all won't except that yet.
I'm pretty sure Tii'chia knows what's coming, and despite his best efforts to prepare them it won't be enough in time."
Dropping her head Lil took a look around, easily spotting the cowering zombie cerberus hiding behind a small copse of trees. It had two of its paws covering one head each, the middle head pretending to play dead with its tongue sticking out. Occasionally opening its eye to see if the coast was clear. Rolling her eyes at its antics she whistled as she started to walk over to it. Humming the opening strains of Bink's Sake as she did. Things to do and people to see she couldn't afford to be idle right now.
"Your the one that took Brook's shadow! Give it back so he can join my crew!" Luffy shouted, arm stretching back as he prepared to throw a punch.
"Your right I did steal that walking skeletons shadow, like I have stole countless others!" Moria shouted not even bothering to stop talking as a doppelman appeared in front of him to catch Luffy's punch before using the extended arm like a whip to lift Luffy up before slamming him into the ground. He actually barely seemed to be paying all that much attention to what Luffy or Brook was doing seeming more interested in the coffin he had dug up.
"Your shadow would have provided the prime ingredient for my strongest zombie ever! However I discovered a far more powerful shadow to use instead. Still I'm sure I shall find some use for a powerful shadow like yours." Springing back to his feet, complete with a boing sound effect, Luffy charged back in unleashing a gatling of punches that dispersed the doppelman into shadowy bats. Another doppelman forming before Luffy could take advantage of the first ones absence.
"I won't let you take anymore shadows, least of all my own!" As Luffy shouted out those words one leg cracked through the air like a whip sweeping through the doppleman and knocking Moria against the coffin.
"I'm one of the seven warlords boy! You don't have a chance of stopping me if I try!"
"I defeated Crocodile I can beat you as well!"
Moria facepalmed, dragging his hand down across his face as if he couldn't quite believe what Luffy was saying real. But underneath that there was something more, Luffy couldn't quite figure out what Moria was up to but since he had thrown the first punch Moria had been almost hiding his eyes.
"One you rubber brained idiot, Crocodile underestimated you and wasn't taking the fight seriously. Number two not all of the warlords have equal levels of strength. I'm probably the weakest of the warlords right now but in my prime I figured I could even beat Kaidou. Years of inactivity may have weakened me since then but I'm still as strong as your typical New World level pirate and with my completed zombie army I will shake the very foundations of this world and finally get revenge."
Luffy paused as his leg snapped back to him the pair of doppleman that were flanking Moria not moving to attack. He flashed back to the deck of the Thousand Sunny as they sailed away from Don Accino and his battle with that creature. Accino's words about how the crew wasn't ready for the second half of the Grand Line ringing in his ears.
"You lost your whole crew to Kaidou and became so afraid of losing anyone else that you spent years creating an army that you wouldn't care if it became hurt. But is this what your crew would have wanted you to become?!" In the corner of his eye Luffy could see that Brook had paused as well, clearly listening.
"Damn what my crew would have wanted! Their dead and I'm not, I'll choose how I go about doing things and not be bound to the wishes of the dead!" As he shouted his hand slammed down onto the top of the coffin, wood cracking beneath the force of the blow. The shadows swirled around Moria's feet as Luffy's hands clenched, knuckles white against the skin. Despite knowing that Moria had lost his crew Luffy couldn't feel a shred of sympathy for him at that moment.
Slowly Luffy sank into a crouch, knuckles of one hand pressed against the ground as he glared across the distance between himself and Moria. Something in the back of his mind whispering a warning. Whoever this was in front of him was not truly Moria but just the darkest aspects of him amplified in some way. The lock and chains fell away from the casket with a metallic slithering noise as Moria unlocked the coffin and fully looked at Luffy.
Wisps of black smoke curled upwards from a pair of pitch-black holes that had become Moria's eyes. In them Luffy could feel only the desire to destroy, to snuff out all life and light in the world, to return everything to darkness. A tremor ran through his body as he rapidly pumped the blood through his veins, steam beginning to waft off of him as he shifted into Gear Two. The faintest feeling of a second tremor as if something inside of him had stirred.
Luffy leaped to the side as Moria blurred, dodging the long handled and equally long bladed weapon that Moria had slammed into the spot where he had been standing. He kicked out with one leg, feeling the momentary impact of the hit before the doppleman burst into a cloud of shadowy bats that bit and scratched at his leg.
Retracting his leg with a snap Luffy used the momentum to swivel around 180 degrees to face where Moria had just appeared. "Gum-Gum Jet Gatling!" He shouted hammering Moria with numerous punches before the warlord switched out with another doppleman. The shadowy bats that were left behind trying to take bites out of his arm but ended up just getting dispersed by the barrage of punches.
"Luffy!" He snapped his head in Brook's direction as the skeleton cried out. Light reflecting off the blade of the cane sword as he cut a doppleman in half. Only to watch in horror as the parted shadows each formed into its own doppleman. As fast as Brook was Luffy could see that the number of duplicates was rapidly approaching an overwhelming level. Luffy twisted the top of his body completely around, once, twice, as many times as he could until the pain became too much to bare. "Brook, duck!" He shouted just before unleashing all of the energy he head built up.
"Gum-Gum Jet Top!" Brook dove to the ground at Luffy's shout, the rubber man's arms mowing through the duplicates faster then they could reform. As his spin ended Luffy spotted a smirking Moria standing in the same spot that he had started from, equal distance between himself and Brook, arms flung out wide.
"C'mon Strawhat, Singing Swordsman! Give me your best shot!" The pair didn't need further prompting as they both charged towards the Warlord.
"Gum Gum"
"Raiko (Thunder Bone)"
Luffy's arms stretched backwards behind him, as lightning crackled along the length of Brook's sword. If either of them had been thinking clearly they would have noticed the trap that Moria was baiting them into. Neither thought of it however, fully under the effects of the Suggestion spell that Moria had cast on both of them
"Jet Bazooka!"
"Tsuken! (Blade)"
Brook struck barely a second before Luffy's palms slammed into Moria's stomach with all the force he could muster. Cackling the doppelman burst into a cloud of bats that fluttered around the pair's faces as Moria stepped forward from the shadows behind Luffy. Like a striking snake Moria's hand struck downwards, claws digging into the immaterial substance of Luffy's shadow before yanking it upwards into the air. Down came the silver shears and with a snick Moria cut Luffy's shadow free.
"Kishishishi, thanks for the shadow Strawhat!" Moria laughed as Luffy fell forwards feeling drained of all his energy. The shadows grew dark around Moria as the warlord stepped back into them, vanishing like a ghost.
He reappeared inside of his dark bedroom, one hand still wrapped around Luffy's struggling shadow. He savored his victory for a moment before turning to face the intruder in his room.
"Kuma, how unexpected. I suppose your here for Strawhat's head." As Moria spoke he lifted Luffy's shadow up and opened his mouth wide before releasing his hold on the shadow. Teeth snapping shut as he swallowed it. Behind him Kuma slide the bible he was carrying into one of his pockets before bringing his hands close together, the pads on his palms visible as energy began to gather between them.
"Pity that I no longer need the World Government's help, or yours!" As he spoke Moria whirled around a mass of jagged shadows shooting towards Kuma from every direction.