"Well, since you came all the way here to see me," begins Run, grasping the hilt of his cutlass. "The least I can do is come to you now. Allow me to make the first move, Cracker." The red head flickers from view, reappearing before the larger man with cutlass at the ready. "And now...Sundering Tide." Cracker whips his massive blade up, and the crashing of steel against steel echos through the forest. The large man strains against the impact, the ground cracking under his feet as he sinks several inches into the earth. "Dahahaha~! Good! Now...!" Run raises his free hand, flexing his fingers as the skin turns an inky black. "Sea King's- whoa-ho!" He deflects the edge of a sword with his free hand in a brilliant shower of sparks.
Run twists in the air, and plants both feet into Cracker's chest as he kicks off from the man. Run lands several meters away as Cracker rights himself quickly, revealing himself to have an extra arm on his right side and even clutching a copy of his sword.
"I'm the 'Biscuit Knight'," Cracker tells him. "One of three Sweet Commanders! Also known as Thousand Arm Cracker!" He raises an arm towards his left shoulder. "If I tap once..." He taps his the hilt of his sword against his shoulder and a second arm sprouts wielding a biscuit shield. "...it becomes two. If I tap it again, it becomes three. They'll keep multiplying. Don't even dream of beating me." Run rushes forward, and Cracker raises his shield in front of him. "I won't let you screw up Mama's tea party!"
"Don't you think that's for the winner to decide, Cracker?" Run appears before the man, and rather than the powerful impact he was expecting, Cracker is surprised when the red head instead slaps his palm against the surface of his shield with a grin. "Devour." A massive set of jaws appear in the air, and Cracker lunges backwards as they snap shut on his arm, consuming it in a whirl-wind of gnashing fangs. "Dahaha~! What's wrong? Why so- whoa!" Run leaps backwards, avoiding the point of Cracker's massive blade. His feet have barely touched the ground before he leaps back again, and again as Cracker chases him through the forest. "Aah, would ya give it a rest! Churning Tide!"
The red head swings his cutlass, and a trio of deep gashes appear in the ground seconds before they crawl in Cracker's direction. The man is quick to react, creating multiple arms of blades and whirling them in front of him. A brilliant shower of sparks illuminates the clearing they find themselves in as Run's attack bypasses the large man and explodes in a shower of dust and shattered Homies behind him. Cracker finally slows the spinning of his swords, several of the blades covered in deep nicks and cuts and barely holding themselves together.
"Hoh. Insolent brat. You really believe you can defeat me?" Cracker points his only unharmed sword squarely at the red head with a smirk. "Look at this sword! Isn't it something? It's called 'Pretzel'...it's one of a kind. There isn't another like it in the whole world!" Run grins from ear to ear and points his cutlass at Cracker in kind.
"What a coincidence! See, this cutlass of mine falls into the same category, too! It's named 'Ace'...and was once the favorite sword of Gol D. Roger himself." The cutlass' blade turns an inky black and crackles with a crimson energy. "It's only got a handful of equals...none of which are named 'Pretzel'."
"You little bastard...I'll teach you just how rough the New World can be!" Cracker rushes forward, the blades clutched in his created arms repairing themselves almost instantly. Run pushes forward with a grin as well, and the ringing of steel against steel echos loudly through the forest. The anger on Cracker's face rapidly fades after the first exchange when the red head doesn't budge an inch...and in fact begins to push him backwards. Cracker snarls and raises one of his swords, rapidly spinning the blade as it darkens with Haki. "Roll Pretzel!" He thrusts the sword forward, and Run whips his cutlass up instantly.
The tip of his sword collides with the flat of Run's saber, a resounding 'boom!' following immediately after. Cracker recoils violently, sliding backwards several meters before eventually bringing himself to a stop. Run stands across from him, holding his cutlass out in front of him with a grin on his face as if inspecting it.
"Well, I tried ta tell ya." Cracker looks down at his sword quickly, finding several inches of it missing completely.
"Hmph...if you truly think of Vinsmoke Sanji as your friend, then why don't you leave him alone? He's the Prince of a mighty kingdom. He's in a totally different class than you. By taking a noble wife he can live here in great comfort. You can't even wish your friend happiness, and by fighting to take him back you're being selfish. Don't you think the virtuous prince would be disgusted by such a crew...he'd tell such low-class pirates to-" Cracker's world is spinning the next second...no, that's not accurate. The world isn't spinning just his body! Surprise registers across his face as he finally turns his attention to the red head standing firmly in front of him with cutlass poised.
"Now...Churning Tide." Cracker raises his blades to shield himself as the cutlass descends, and with a single stroke cleaves through blade and body alike. In a whirl-wind of steel, and churning earth Cracker bounces across the ground, crashing through several Homies before finally coming to a stop. "Aah, sorry about that. Normally, I'd let you finish but I haven't got time right now." The red head turns away from the fallen man for only a moment before suddenly whirling back around with cutlass raised. Once more the ringing of steel on steel echos through the forest as blades clash and two men stand firm. "Well, well! You got me good, Cracker!"
"You did a good job breaking my armor...and it was my favorite armor, too." Run shoves against the man and he leaps backwards, landing several meters away. "I'm a Devil Fruit eater, too, you know. I ate the Bis-Bis Fruit and became a biscuit human. Like a Logia, I can create an infinite amount of biscuits and control them!" He shoves his sword into the ground and claps his hands, creating several biscuits around himself. "I can shape them into anything! Crushed Biscuit!" The large biscuits slowly break into powder, beginning to take another shape behind him. "And if I craft it carefully..." The powder slowly shapes several warriors that resemble his armor. "...there you go! Tough warriors! Through-out time, biscuits changed their shapes according to the bakers whims. Not many people have ever found out what I really look like. In fact, even my wanted poster is a picture of my armor! You see, I absolutely hate pain! Whether it be a cut or the stick of a needle! That's why I always have a suit of armor or a created biscuit knight do the fighting for me! I have an army of-"
"Aaah, I really wanted to save my strength! But I guess I don't have much of a choice." Run tilts his head back and surprises the man by howling so loud that Cracker actually winces slightly in pain. A chorus of howls echos through the forest seconds later, and Cracker watches as several dozen massive black wolves slowly pace out from between the surrounding Homies, occasionally snapping at one that might happen to impede it's progress. The breath of both men slowly becomes visible as the wolves prowl closer, slowly falling in behind the red head.
"What is-"
"Hah. An 'army'?" echos Run, his iris' taking on a decidedly crimson glow fit to match the wolves at his side. "Unfortunately, I've only got a 'pack', Cracker." He flashes him a grin, exposing some rather sharp looking canine teeth. "I hope it won't disappoint ya too much."
"You wish to have a war of attrition, then, red hair? So be it!"
"Go." A trio of the massive wolves charge forward, and Cracker steps back quickly as his own biscuit warriors charge forward. They raise their blades, singling out one of the wolves and skewering it in it's tracks. While they possess an intangibility when faced with normal attacks, they are still vulnerable to attacks by Devil Fruit and Busoshoku. A ragged howl tears from it's throat as it presses against the blade and tears through the arm of the first Biscuit Knight it can get it's fangs around. The two remains wolves leap over the skewered body of their comrade, fangs going for the throats of the knights and knocking them off their feet with their momentum.
Harsh crackling, crunching and snarling fills the air and they snap through the biscuit, dispatching them with ease even as the third knight turns to face them. The knight yanks it's blade free, and raises it's weapon to strike only to be blind-sided by the same skewered wolf. It's fangs snap down onto it's arm, dragging it to the ground and allowing it to be finished as well. The wounds of the wolf close as it shakes it's body from head to toe, flinging a layer of frost and ice in all directions. Cracker raises his hands and claps multiple times, creating several dozen of his biscuit knights.
"No matter how many of them you beat, it doesn't make any difference. All you're doing is wasting your time. Once the Vinsmoke Family enters the castle tomorrow, you'll never be able to meet your friend again."
"Then, I'll have'ta delay their visit, won't I?" Once more Cracker's biscuit warriors surge forward and once more they're met by Run's wolves. For hours they repeat this, create and destroy, create and destroy...it seems to be cycle without end for the two who seem to have at their command an inexhaustible army.
"It's fun to have someone who breaks them like you! It makes it worth making them! But no matter how much you fight, you have no chance of winning!" Both men are covered in a light sheen of sweat regardless of the fact that the night's fighting as left the area covered in frost and ice.
"Aaah! Yer right...this is gettin' us nowhere fast." The red head looks in the direction of the rising sun. "I guess it's 'bout time ta put an end ta this, huh?"
"Huh? Have you finally-"
"Sea King's Bite." Run's fist lands squarely on Cracker's jaw, and his heads snaps back instantly. A spray of blood, and a handful of teeth erupt past his lips as he follows the motion, flying backwards with the powerful punch. A hand closes around an ankle like an iron vice, and he finds himself yanked back and summarily smashed back into the ground. Having his ankle released almost immediately after, he begins to push himself up from the frozen earth.
"You-" A hand grasps the back of his head tightly and his vision is briefly blotted out as Run's knee smashes into his face.
"Sea King's Rush." The world fades away as Cracker is thrown backwards once again, smashing through several of his own biscuit warriors and coming back to his senses as he tumbles across the ground. His remaining biscuit warriors race towards the red head, weapons at the ready. They're swarmed immediately, pounced on by numerous wolves and reduced to little more than scraps of biscuit scattered across the frozen earth. Cracker pushes himself to his feet and rushes head long at him instantly.
"Honey Pretzel!" Cracker thrusts his sword at the red head who raises his own, meeting it head on with the flat of the blade. Both men stand stock still for several seconds before Run shoves against him, pushing Crackers sword to his right. Before he can react, Cracker finds an elbow driven into his nose, a soft 'crunch!' and searing pain accompanying it. "Argh! You bastard!" Cracker drives the hilt of his sword into the red-head's stomach, dragging a grunt and then a feral snarl from him. Cracker spins his sword around, and Run raises an arm to deflect it in a shower of sparks before he drives his foot into the pit of Cracker's stomach. The man leaps back quickly, driving his sword deep into the earth. "Fuckin' brat...don't push your luck!" Cracker rapidly claps his hands, creating numerous biscuit knights between the two of them. Unfortunately, they're swarmed before they can make any headway, and Run closes the distance immediately.
"We're done here, Cracker." He watches as the red head flexes his fingers, and immediately reaches for the hilt of his sword. Run's fist slams into his stomach, his whole body arching violently as his feet leave the ground and a spray of blood erupting past his lips. "Internal Destruction." He's propelled skyward, rapidly disappearing from view and leaving the red head to slowly fall to a knee taking in lungfuls of air. "Hah...what the fu..." He leans forward, bracing himself against the frozen earth with a single hand as the wolves in the clearing slowly disappear one after another. "Note...a full night summoned...may be...excessive..."
"Run! Oooooiiii!" calls a familiar voice, attracting the attention of the red head to a gaggle of figures sprinting through the forest. Luffy, Nami, the strange man who was once buried and a number of Homies sprint rapidly in his direction.
"Oi! Run!" shouts Luffy, grinning from ear to ear as he comes to a stop in front of the kneeling red head. "We finally found you! You were fighting, right?! Who was it?!" Nami on the other hand is less excited to see him, and instantly smacks him in the head. She yells at him for getting separated from her and leaving her by herself in the forest.
"Aah, I was fighting someone named Cracker," Run tells him. "One of-"
"One of the three Sweet Commanders!" gasps the strange man. "You're gonna be in a lot of trouble! The last time one of the Commanders was beaten, Linlin flew into a rage and caused a storm! I heard that it sank the enemy ship in the blink of an eye!"
"A storm?" echos Nami.
"Linlin is always accompanied by weather elements. On her left hand, Zeus, a thundercloud! On her right hand, Prometheus, a sun! Nothing can stop her when she gets mad! Before she hears about this, you had better run away!"
"I don't care if she gets mad," Luffy tells him. "I'm the one who wants to get mad! First of all, Sanji, that fool! How could he disappear leaving that note behind without telling us why! Thanks to Pudding's map we made it this far but Pekoms went missing. And although Pudding said that she'd bring Sanji no one was at the rendezvous point. We spent the whole night searching but all we did was waste time! When they get married, Sanji will become Big Mom's subordinate, right?! We gotta get going! Run, are you ready?" Run cracks his neck loudly with a grin.
"You kiddin'? I just needed to catch my second wind," Run tells him, standing with a bit of a grunt. "Now, Cracker said they'd be entering some castle today. That's probably where the wedding is going to take place."
"Pound, do you know where that is?" Nami asks the man. "We need to get there right away!"
"A-Are you serious?" Pound asks her. "You guys need to run away! If Linlin-"
"I'm not gonna run away!" Luffy tells him. He looks at the giant tree several feet away from them. "Oi, tree! You know where the castle is, right?! Take us there...!"
Riding on top of a moving tree...not exactly something any of them thought they'd ever do. But then again, they've experienced a lot of things they would never experience. Apparently, they've been through a lot since he lost Nami in the woods. She eventually met up with Luffy, and pulled Pound free from the ground, they had to beat back Brulee who had captured Chopper, and after that started using the Vivre Card Lola gave them to manipulate the Homies into helping them search the woods for Sanji and Pudding.
They spent most of their night doing that, and while Nami wanted to head for Run once they were sure he was fighting, Luffy assured her that he would be fine on his own and that they could keep searching. At Luffy's insistence, he tells him about his battle with Cracker through the night. For all the man's talk he didn't put up much of a real fight, preferring to stay away from the actual battle and let his biscuit warriors do the fighting for him. He's just finished his story when they finally break free of the Seducing Woods, moving at top speed across an open field with a large town in the distance.
"Oi, you guys," the tree suddenly says. "You're all in luck. Look ahead. That's Germa 66." Their attention is drawn to a number of carriages in the distance, all of them painted black and emblazoned with the number '66' on the side. They certainly aren't afraid of anyone finding out who they are.
"Let's go!" bellows Luffy while leaping from the tree, and sprinting in the direction of the carriages. "Oi! Sanji!" Run jumps down and sprints after him quickly. It isn't exactly what Pudding promised but they're willing to take what they can get right now.
"Over here, casanova!" Run adds, grinning from ear to ear.
"Sanji!" shouts Nami, waving in his direction. "I'm glad that we made it in time!" Luffy wastes no time in leaping once more in their direction, tightly grasping onto the side of one of the carriages and nearly knocking it over if the violent rocking is an indication.
"We're here to pick you up, Sanji!" Luffy calls. "You said you'd be back in the note but I didn't want to wait. I was gonna come by myself but-" Nami and Run's eyes widen when Sanji suddenly kicks Luffy in his face, sending him flying back in their direction. Luffy lands flat on his back, slowly sliding to a stop and then pushing himself up to stare at Sanji in disbelief. A number of soldiers rapidly form up between them, all of them pointing their weapons at the two of them.
"Jeez, cook!" Run says, coming to a stop beside Luffy. "Dahahaha~! If you wanted him down you could've lead with that! There's no need to go flying off the handle! Now, c'mon! It's time to head on back to the Sunny, stop all this foolishness! Luffy has been-"
"Get lost, you low-class pirates," Sanji tells them. "You're annoying me. My name is Vinsmoke Sanji. I'm a Prince of the Germa Kingdom! The difference between our standings couldn't be more clear. If I stay here, I can spend money, use servants and soldiers as I like. Going back to that crappy ship with you and your friends...or staying here and marrying Big Mom's beautiful daughter. It's pretty obvious which one is the better choice! I can't believe you've come all this way, thanks for the trouble! Now, get lost...whatever your names are."
"Screw that!" Luffy barks at him, slowly standing up. "You're not convincing at all!"
"I'll do you a favor!" calls Yonji from the carriage. "I'll help you drive them off!"
"Stay out of this," Sanji tells him. "I'll send them away myself."
"Dahahaha~! 'Send them away'?" Run laughs, scratching the stubble on his jaw. "Aaah! I get it now! You're rebelling, or throwin' a tantrum or...whatever it is you're doing, and it's adorable, casanova. Now, seriously, quit screwin' around and let's get outta here! We've got places to be!"
"What do you mean by sending us away?!" demands Luffy.
"Get lost," Sanji tells him. "There's no other meaning. I don't know why you're here...but I appreciate your effort. That said, did you even think about me? Rather than being with you dirt-poor and weakling pirates, it'd be better to be a part of the rich and powerful Big Mom pirates. I'll be happier, and let's be honest...you're never going to be King of the Pirates. It's human nature to ally yourself with the strong."
"Stop joking, Sanji!" Nami screams. "Why are you talking like this?!" Sanji glares at her and she shrinks back in response.
"Then, all this time," Luffy begins. "You've just been fooling me."
"Yeah, that's right," Sanji tells him. "I've just been looking down on you this whole time." Sanji lifts a foot, which promptly ignites in flame. "I bet you never saw it coming so it's hard to accept. I'll prove it, so get ready. Diable Jambe..." He leaps at the two of them, and kicks Luffy in the face. "...Joue Shot!"
"Whoa! What the hell, cook?" Run questions, attracting Sanji's attention immediately. "You really...hoh? Dahahaha~! Now, that's a look you shoot your enemy!" The red head's iris' briefly flash a deep crimson as a grin splits his face. "Am I...yer enemy, Sanji?"
"Runelle, stop!" demands Luffy. "No matter what, don't fight! We came here to talk. None of us are gonna fight you, Sanji."
"Craaaap! Right, right!" He reaches up to rub the back of his neck almost nervously. "Whew~! Sorry about that, casanova. I guess that fight with Cracker has still got me all worked up. Almost lost my cool for a second."
"Get ready to fight," Sanji warns him. "Use your Haki or you'll die, red hair."
"Haki? Why? We're just here to stop your foolishness and bring you on home!"
"You damn nuisance! You've always been selfish!" He launches a kick at the red head which lands right on his temple. Run simply turns his head with the impact and Sanji growls before kicking him a second time in the stomach, sending him sliding backwards across the grass. "You left Robin behind just to come all the way out here! I bet you didn't even think twice before doing it!"
"Please, stop, Sanji!" Nami shouts. "We just came here to pick you up! Run even fought against one of the commanders through the whole night! He-"
"Aaah...what can I say?" Run questions him, raising a hand and pressing it against his neck before cracking it loudly. "I have a certain responsibility as the First Mate. Part of that includes retrieving foolish cooks before they do something dumb! Still...if this is what'll make you feel better then just let it out, casanova. Don't be afraid to take your best-" Sanji immediately snaps a kick out again, aiming at his jaw and succeeding in making him take a single step in the opposite direction before he catches himself. "Aaaah! I 'it ma 'onge!" He turns his head and spits a bit of blood out onto the ground. "Well? Feel better now?"
"Damn red hair!" Sanji instantly delivers a flurry of kicks to the red head but regardless he stands tall, only turning his head to spit out another mouthful of blood when he stops. "What's it going to take to get through that thick skull of yours?!"
"Dahahaha~! Look, you figure that out and Robin would probably sing your praises to our dyin' day, pal. Now, if you're finished, can we go? I should probably put something cold on my tongue and...well, I'm willin' to give you this you make a pretty good cocktail. So, c'mon! If your tantrum is over we need to leave."
"Run, stop!" screams Nami.
"You...!" Sanji begins, and then takes a deep breath. "Fine. If you're not gonna leave, then I'm not gonna go easy on you. Luffy! He brought this on himself...so don't regret it after he dies." Sanji rapidly spins around, igniting his leg once more. He leaps high into the sky above the red head quickly.
"That's enough, Sanji! Please, we'll leave!" He rapidly drops down from the sky, and delivers a kick right to the top of Run's head.
"Concasser!" Run's knees buckle under the kick, and he plants a hand firmly on the ground as blood splashes down. Sanji takes a step back from the red head who remains completely still. Nami and Luffy both quickly sprint in his direction, and come to a sudden stop when he holds a hand out in their direction. "Hm?"
"P...Pfft! Daha~! Dahahaha~!" laughs Run, slowly drawing himself up to his full height with a grin on his face...one Sanji notes doesn't reach his eyes at all. "That was a pretty good kick, Sanji! It felt like my teeth rattled for a moment!" Sanji's brow furrows slightly as Run stares at him...just like a wild beast. A brief feeling of dread settles in his stomach, and disappears just as quickly when Run glances over his shoulder at the sound of approaching footsteps. Nami passes and actually slaps their cook across the face.
"Goodbye, 'Prince'," Nami says to him. "We should have never done this!" Sanji remains stock still for several long moments before turning his back and walking back to the carriages. He climbs in, and they slowly continue on their way.
"Wait, Sanji!" Luffy screams at the carriages. "I know you're just saying things you don't mean! No matter how many times you kicked us, I know...that you were the one getting hurt! Our journey isn't over yet! I'm gonna wait right here! If you don't come back then I'm gonna starve to death right here! You're the cook of my ship! I won't eat anything other than what you cook! Even if I get hungry or spears rain down on me, I'm gonna stay right here and wait for you! Be sure to come back, Sanji! Without you...I can't become King of the Pirates!" The carriages disappear into the distance, and Luffy slowly takes a seat in the grass.
"Are you alright, Run?"
"Huh?" Run grunts, reaching up to gently probe his scalp. "Aah...I've got one hell of a head-ache and goose egg you could leap to your death off of, Nami! But I think I'll survive." He slowly takes a seat in the grass as well and heaves a heavy sigh. "Luffy...I'm sorry. For a moment I almost-"
"I understand," Luffy tells him.
"What do you want to do?"
"I'm gonna wait right here."
"But we're right in the middle of enemy territory," Nami says. "Pound said that the last people who took down a Sweet Commander were annihilated in the blink of an eye by Big Mom's vengeful army that came along with a storm. The enemy is going to come...but Sanji..."
"Sanji will come! So, I'm gonna wait here!" Dark clouds rapidly begin to form over head, and a cool wind begins to blow. The first few drops of rain begin minutes after that, and it soon turns into a down pour. Thunder and lightning rage over their heads.
"It's raining. No...this is...syrup?" Luffy snorts and lowers his head.
"I'm not even gonna let this syrup into my mouth! I won't eat anything other than what Sanji cooks!" The rain falls in sheets around the three of them, and eventually Luffy looks up. Both Luffy and Run stare off into the distance calmly.
"What's wrong?"
"Nami...go hide somewhere. They're coming." Both men slowly rise to their feet with a grunt.
"Aaah, looks like they brought a whole damn army!" Run adds. "It just never goes easy any more, I guess." In the distance, what seems to be an army slowly advances in their direction. Nami scales to the top of the massive tree Homie, and turns to stare at the advancing army wide-eyed...just how many of them are there?
"Luffy, Run!" Nami calls. "At least hide! It's alright to get away from here, at least for a little while!"
"No!" growls Luffy. "Sanji might come while I'm gone! Nami, go hide!"
"It's impossible! We're in Big Mom's territory! The three of us can't fight all of those soldiers!"
"You guys should run away now. Go!" The tree doesn't need to be told twice, and quickly turns around and takes off at a sprint. As they disappear into the distance, the advancing army of Big Mom's subordinates comes to a stop several hundred feet away from them.
"You two!" screams one of them. "You're Straw Hat Luffy and Red Run, aren't you?!"
"I'm amazed that you two didn't flee!" shouts another.
"I bet your legs were shaking so bad you couldn't even manage it!"
"I know that you have allies hiding around here!"
"It doesn't matter," Luffy tells them.
"It does! There's no way weaklings from the Worst Generation could have beaten a Sweet Commander! Those who laid their hands on Big Bro Cracker are all our targets for revenge!"
"We know that you guys came to this island with your allies! So spit it out!"
"Allies?" echos Run, a grin appearing on his face. "Ohhh! Why didn't you say so sooner?" He tilts his head back and howls so loud that several of those present immediately cover their ears. Several dozen large wolves appear from the gloom behind the two men, briefly illuminated by a streak of lightning. The breath of all present slowly becomes visible, and the syrup at the feet of the wolves freezes with every step. "These fellas are the one who helped me beat down that Cracker guy."
"You bastard!" shouts a large man suddenly breaking the ranks of the army and charging in their direction. "There's no way a few mutts beat Big Bro Cracker!" He leaps into the air, coating his arm in Haki as he drops towards Run. The red head appears before the man instantly, flexing his fingers before thrusting his fist towards the man's stomach.
"Yer right. I beat 'im like this. Internal Destruction." His fist contacts the man's stomach, and he immediately vomits a spray of blood before flying back towards the army. He strikes the ground hard, tumbling ass over tea-kettle multiple times before eventually sliding to a stop in front of the others. "Yer gonna want ta take 'im to a doctor immediately."
"Damn you! Everyone, go! Crush them...!"