The Dragon of the Seas
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Dragonball Z or One Piece. All rights belong to their respective owners.
Chapter 2: Gladiatorial Battle
"Huh?" Goku blinked, his mind only now registering the odd mark imprinted on the woman's backside. It was the single blemish that marred her otherwise flawless body, making it stand out that much more. The skin looked as though it had been burned and branded by a hot metal of some kind. Most of the afflicted area had long since healed, leaving only an inflamed red scar that vaguely resembled a sharply defined footprint. Whatever had happened to the woman it had happened long ago.
"That mark…" Luffy spoke, cutting the silent tension in the room. "I've seen that before."
The branded woman's eyes widened in a pained shock, before she furiously scrambled to cover her body within the steamy water. "You looked….!" The woman rasped out with a whisper filled with such venom that Goku nearly flinched from the coldness in her voice.
"Sister!" voices from nearby intoned loudly, followed by a hurried rush of footsteps. Two of the oddest looking women barged through the room's metal doors, sweat precipitating down their worried faces. "What in the world is going on here!?"
Both women were abnormally large with odd snake like tendencies. One of the women had a voluminously bloated stomach with large swollen lips and long wavy and untamed orange hair that curved into a strange Valkyrie shape. Her counterpart had a disproportionately wide head with a snake-like split tongue that dangled loosely out of her mouth. Cascading down her shoulders and back was her long, wavy teal-green hair, which was complimented by her almost unnatural sea-foam colored eyes.
Their eyes quickly locked on the naked form of their supposed sister before guiding themselves in the direction of Luffy and Goku, freezing with petrification. "Men! What are men doing in this country!?" The viper like woman hissed loudly in her uniquely hushed accent, likely caused by her split tongue.
"Sister! Your robe!" The obese woman bellowed, horrified to find her sister in such a vulnerable state. With her back exposed in such an openly manner, the men may have seen the dreaded mark that had plagued the sisters since their time in captivity as a slave. In an instant she was by her sister's side, draping her white haori over her the stilled woman's shoulders so she could cover her modesty.
"Are you alright sister?" Marigold began to fear the worst when she noticed that her sister's almost petrified expression.
"They saw…" Hancock finally said, her eyes never wavering from the sight of the males. She needn't say more for her sisters knew immediately what had happened.
"Then the only solution is their death." Marigold stated grimly, tightening the hold on her spear in preparation for combat.
Luffy's reaction was immediate. "Wha-?! What's so bad about seeing your back?!"
"That which lies upon our backs is something that must never be seen, even if we were to die." Hancock explained ominously, which only further confused the two males.
"Woah, woah!" Goku raised his hands defensively, trying to avoid a fight from possibly breaking out. He usually wasn't one to turn down a good fight, but he at least wanted to know the circumstances beforehand. These females had murder in their eyes, he could see it; he just didn't understand why they suddenly wanted to kill him and Luffy.
"Now take everything you have seen here with you to your grave." Hancock raised both hands together in front of her, hands cusped upside down and thrust forward. "Mero Mero Merrow!"
Goku's eyes widened as he saw the positioning of the woman's hands, presuming that she was preparing to shoot out an energy beam. The room was too small and enclosed to properly evade a wide spread energy attack which left him little choice but to cross his arms defensively. But to the Saiyan's shock, instead of an intensive beam of energy, the woman shot out a stream of vibrantly flashing pink hearts that sped towards the stunned men and looped around them like a vortex.
Luffy had shut his eyes and raised his arms in front of him as a reflexive move. "Noro Noro?!" The boy cried upon seeing the unusual attack that enveloped them both. The attack closely resembled that of Foxy's Noro Noro beam which slowed time down to a crawl.
Moments ticked by with both males stuck in their shielded positions; each anticipating wholly different outcomes. As the seconds turned to minutes, Goku and Luffy slowly dropped their stiffened stances to look at their opponents, eyes blinking rapidly with confusion. The Amazonian woman were shocked themselves, having presumed that the men before them would undoubtedly turn into stone as every other mammal, be they male, female, or beast gazed upon their stunning sister with lust in their hearts.
Momentarily stunned by her devil fruit gifted power's inability to fossilize her target was soon replaced with abject denial. Positioning her hands in the same cupped manner, Hancock sent another beam with a cry of "Merro Merro Merrow!" chucking the previous mishap as a mere fluke. Luffy once again assumed his position of shielding his face with his hands, but Goku on the other hand left himself vulnerable to the attack. Before, the Saiyan hadn't gotten the chance to observe the attack seeing as he had shielded his face from what he had first believed to be an energy attack. Now though, he was able to observe the strange ambient stream of hearts as they danced past his and Luffy's form. There was clearly energy in the beams but they lacked any of the explosive features that he was normally accustomed with, which begged the question of what the attack's purpose was meant for seeing as it had no outwardly effect on the men.
"Impossible!" Hancock stammered in disbelief. "Why haven't they turned to stone? Are they're hearts not moved from seeing me in the bath?!"
"Don't be ridiculous sister!" Marigold immediately rejected the mere notion that these men were somehow immune to her sister's charms. "None, old, young, male or female, could fail to be captured by your beauty."
"They're fear of death must've outweighed the wicked desires that they no doubt possess." Sandersonia suggested with a hiss, trying to justify what they had witnessed. "Pathetic, but lucky for them."
"I don't know what's going on, but I have a feeling I should get out of here." Luffy voiced his thoughts aloud. The rubber man did a swift turn and began a quick run towards the nearby closed windows. "C'mon Goku, let's go!"
Goku's mind slowly processed the straw hat boy's intentions before he managed a reply. The martial artist's reached his hand out as if to stop Luffy. "Wait Luffy-!"
The Saiyan's words fell on deaf ears as the lanky teen crashed through the windows, sending a shower of broken glass and wood tumbling over the edge. Hancock was quick to react to the teen's attempting escape. The stunning beauty brought a slender index finger to her lips which she puckered and kissed. A pink heart formed around the finger, which she then pointed and aimed right in Luffy's falling direction. Like a bullet being shot from a pistol, the heart soared through the air, crossing the distance with blinding speed. The heart bullet struck Luffy harshly in his backside, elapsing a shock-filled gasp of pain from the rubber boy, who was caught off guard by the unexpected attack.
"Luffy!" Goku shouted the boy's name in concern, rushing towards the window after the falling teen. Just as he made it to the newly formed hole in the wall, a pair of snakes slithered around his body, coiling and slithering around his limbs and bounding them together. The sudden immobilization of his body threw Goku off balance, making him fall face first onto the ground, much to the Saiyan's dismay. Shrugging off the fall, Goku struggled against his unusual binds which hissed and only tightened their hold on his body. To Goku's surprise, he found that that snakes were more difficult to remove than he expected. They were obviously not normal reptiles, but nonetheless, the Saiyan persisted in his struggle to unshackle himself from his binds. Through sheer strength and will, Goku managed to move his legs far enough to begin pushing himself off the ground, much to the women's shock.
Just as the Goku had nearly regained his bearings, the bloated form of Marigold forcibly pushed him right back on the floor, using her strength and weight to pin him down. Goku felt the cold feeling of steel press against his neck and knew that he had been subdued. One wrong move and the woman would no doubt slice his vulnerable neck open. Not the most favorable way to die, if there even was one.
Hancock nodded to her sister in approval before stalking off towards the new hole in her private bath house. Her Kuja warriors were already mobilizing around the scene, no doubt alarmed by the disturbance from the palace. "Kuja pirates! Capture that man!" She ordered to which they dutifully executed without hesitance.
"What would you have us do with these men sister?" Sandersonia whispered, sounding anxious.
Hancock cast a distasteful look towards the bound Saiyan and immediately formulated a plan. She would make certain that these filth would die for their crimes. There was no way that they could be allowed to live, having seen her accursed brand.
XxX
Goku casted a long dazed gaze around him, trying to put sense to his situation. He'd been in a constant state of confusion since the moment he had awoken and his current predicament concerning the local tribeswomen's hostility certainly didn't help matters. Marguerite hadn't exaggerated in the least when she told him and Luffy that her village was ruled by all women. Shortly after being captured, both he and Luffy and been taken to an enormous amphitheater stadium surrounded by a rows of seats overlooking a square shaped ring in the center, which was where both males found themselves sitting on. Goku was nostalgically reminded of his times in the ring at the World's Martial Art Tournament.
All around him, women of the village, both old and young sat, staring and jeering at the men, while others fawned over their precious queen Hebi-hime. Coincidently, the leader of the Kuja pirates was the very same woman whom he and Luffy had barged in on in the bath. Boa Hancock sat perched at the apex of a long set of stairs, sitting comfortably on a chair formed by her own personal snake. Both her sisters Sandersonia and Marigold stood guard by her side, staring menacingly at Goku and Luffy.
Hancock crossed her long leg over the other before beginning her interrogation of the men. "Now let me ask you men. How and for what purpose did you come to our island!?"
Luffy writhed from his position, struggling against the snakes that bound him. "Look, I don't even know how I really got here! I just ended up flying through the air and somehow ended up here!"
Goku crossed his legs into a more comfortable position. "I don't know either really. I just sorta woke up inside your prison."
Hanock was obviously displeased by their responses. "Filthy liars, the both of you! You cannot fool us with such a laughable tale. You must have some purpose to your being here." She wouldn't be fooled by these men's trickery. They could very well have tried to make an attempt on her life at the bath house. It could explain why the men had avoided her warriors and infiltrated her private chambers.
"Well if you're talking about purpose, I need a boat or ship off this island. I really need to get somewhere and fast, so if you could please provide me with some transportation that'd be great." The women of the village responded hostilely to the rubber man's request to their precious queen. They shouted vulgar and obscene comments at Luffy for his apparent lack of respect towards "Hebihime-sama".
"You will not leave this place alive, the same goes for you companion." The Hebihime said with an air of finality, as if already sealing their fates.
"Please wait! Hebihime-sama!" A voice pleaded from the crowd. It belonged to Marguerite, who had a clear look of apprehension of her face.
"Marguerite!" Her friends chided, but the young Kuja dutifully ignored them, her mind resolute.
The rowdy crowd of women seemed to temper down to hear their younger tribeswomen speak. "I do not believe that these men are lying to us. They speak of the truth. I cannot bring myself to believe that they mean harm to our country." Hushed whispers of disbelief swept through the audience, taken aback by their sister's apparent trust in these men.
A pensive frown marred Hebihime's face. She recognized the women who'd spoken as one of her country's guards by her uniform. "Tell me your name child."
Marguerite seemed to straighten her posture and being addressed to personally by her queen. "M-my name is Marguerite."
"The simple act of entering this country mean certain death for any man. You, as a Kuja should know this well. So why do you defend them so?"
Marguerite swallowed hard, expecting a question such as this. "…I feel have I debt to them! For it was I who brought them in our country!"
"Hebihime-sama! There is an explanation for all this!" Another voice shouted from the crowd. Sweetpea; Marguerite's masculine friend.
"That's right!" Ariadne, the apologetic giant of a woman agreed. "We were the ones who found them in the forest and river. We at first assumed them to be villagers, that's the only reason we-!"
"Sweetpea! Adriadne!" Their commander Kikyou shouted in alarm as all three of the Kuja women took off from their seats and jumped onto the concrete platform, bowing before Hebihime-sama.
"We are as much to blame as she is for bringing these men into our village."
"Stop!" Marguerite cried in panic. "What are you two doing?! I'm the one who suggested we take them back to our village." She was fully prepared to take the blame for her mistake, punishment and all.
"I don't understand. First you try kill us, then you try to protect us? What's going on?" Goku's question was ignored by everyone.
"So you're really nice guys after all huh? Shishishi." Luffy chuckled to himself, grinning widely.
The audience grew grimly quiet as they watched their precious Hebihime-same stroll casually down the long and steep steps the lead down her throne. They feared for their sisters, innately knowing what would happen next.
Marguerite and her friends stopped their bickering over who was to take the blame when they finally noticed that Hancock was upon them, waiting almost patiently. Hancock stepped forward, regarding Marguerite first. "Raise your head, 'Honest' Marguerite." Marguerite felt a warm tingle spread throughout her body as she felt the snake queen uplift her chin with her delicate hand, forcing her to gaze directly in her majesty's mesmerizing eyes.
Hancock smiled, knowing full well that the young Kuja and her fellow friends were entranced by her beauty, as everyone was. "Merro Merro Merrow!" Before any of the three blushing Kuja could blink, they were promptly turned to stone, frozen in whatever stance they held.
"What?!" Goku exclaimed in surprise. "What happened?! That's the same move that she used on us before, so why have they turned to stone?"
"Oi! What the hell's going on?!" Luffy demanded in outrage. The rubber boy circled around Marguerite's petrified form. "What the hell did you do to them?! They helped me out earlier!"
"And that is preciously why they are being punished." Hancock answered indifferently, back turned and already making her way back up the steps. "Bring out Bacura to the ring!"
"This is a warrior nation." Hancock explained. "In Amazon Lily, strength equates to beauty. Both of you will die in battle as we watch you go to your doom."
A giant and menacing looking black panther emerged from an opened gate. It stalked slowly forth, circling around its new prey, hunger in its yellow eyes. "This is the black panther called Bacura. He has served this land's Empress as a carnivorous executioner for many generations. He shall devour you until there is not even your bones left remaining."
The snakes bounding their limbs unfurled themselves, slithering away. Goku took on a lost and hungry gaze as he watched Bacura skulk around him and Luffy. "You look a little tasty." A small amount of drool began to leak out of the corner of Goku's mouth.
"What's going to happen to these guys huh?!" Luffy pointed at the stilled forms of Marguerite, Sweetpea, and Adriadne. "Will they go back to normal?" His question was once again answered by threats from the audience, calling for the men's blood.
Without warning, the oversized cat leaped from its position, lunging in with its mouth agape, revealing a row of impressively sharp teeth; its mouth easily large enough to devour the two whole. Reacting to the threat, both Goku and Luffy struck out at the jungle beast simultaneously. Luffy stretched out his arm and hurled it squarely in the panther's angular jaw while Goku whipped a powerful upper kick in the chin. Their respective punch and kick hit in conjunction with a resounding "Vwap!" A mix of blood and spittle flew out from the beast's mouth as it was sent hurtling through the air and into a section of the audience, whom wisely scattered away from the imminent crash. Silence permeated the stadium, the Kuja residence were shocked into silence. The momentary stupor was broken as the crowd erupted into a frenzy at the men's display of skill and strength.
"They're strong!"
"Bacura was defeated by a single blow!"
"They weren't even using Haki! It was done with pure force!"
"What's wrong with you people?!" Goku's voice was directed at the audience and their empress. "These girls helped us out and in return you punished them!" Goku was rightfully angry. Marguerite may have tried to kill them but he had felt the goodness in the women. She was obviously at odds with her people's orders of killing any man on Amazon Lily and he held no ill feelings towards the Kuja for doing only what she had thought was right at the time. She had even admitted to her empress personally of what she had done and in return she and her friends were turned into stone! What kind of ruler, however beautiful would be as heartless as to exact such a punishment on a person, let alone one of her very own?
"He's right!" Luffy added, anger swelling within him. "When she turned your nakama into stone, you just sat around laughing." Luffy to, was irate with these people. He just couldn't accept that these people would willingly abandon their nakama. To him, nakama was the most important thing in the world, even above meat; which from a glutton like him was saying something immense.
The Kuja women grew defensive from their accusations, defending their sacred Hebihime-sama and approving of her decision.
"No matter what I may do, I will always be forgiven. Why you ask?" Boa Hancock smiled contently, brushing a hand through her midnight black hair rather pompously. "It's because I am beautiful!" The women swooned over their empress's words.
"And you to. You both will forgive me right?" Hancock asked expectantly, though she already knew the answer. Like everyone else, these men would be incapable of resisting her beauty and succumb to the natural desire of forgiving her, no matter what ill deed she committed.
"How can you ask for my forgiveness after what you did?" Goku asked in disbelief.
"Yeah…you really piss me off." Luffy glared at the empress, brushing off the women's words.
Hancock flinched at their words and fell back into her chair, clutching her heart as though she had been struck by a physical wound.
"S-sister! Get ahold of yourself!" Marigold hovered over Hancock worriedly.
"I-impossible! There cannot possibly exist two men who are immune to my charms!" Hancock said in denial, rejecting the mere thought. "These men's existence. I cannot bear it!" Seeing their dejected empress, the audience grew rowdier; demanding retribution.
"Sandersonia! Marigold! Take care of these nuisances."
Sandersonia's split tongue twitched as she spoke. "Leave them to us sister. We shall be rid of them."
Goku stood boldly in front of the sisters, arms clenched and at his sides. "Hey, if we beat you, promise that you'll restore Marguerite and the others." Luffy nodded his head in agreeance as he carefully moved the stone statues off to the side and away from the battle about to take place.
Marigold scoffed at the Saiyan's words. "You are in no position to be making demands man. After all, you'll be dead soon enough." Just as she finished her monologue, she and her sister's bodies morphed. They both grew even larger, attaining more pronounced snake like accessories, such as elongated necks and scales around their skin.
Hefting her spear, Marigold swung diagonally at Goku, who jumped back to avoid being bisected from the shoulder to his hip. Not letting up, Marigold began a relentless assault on the martial artist. Without a blade or sort to parry with, Goku was forced to evade the spear, content to study the reptile-like woman's fighting style. Just as Goku ducked at a strike meant to behead him, Marigold spat a glob of purple ooze at the surprised Saiyan. Goku rolled into a ball and sprang to his feet just in time to evade the surprise attack which sizzled perilously close to his personal space. Goku looked back at the spot which had been struck by the goop. The tile instantly began to melt under the corrosive adhesive.
"Definitely don't want to be hit with one of those." Goku noted, making a mental note to be extra careful when approaching Marigold. He took a quick glance at Luffy, who was having even more trouble with his opponent.
"Gomu Gomu no Stamp!" Luffy whipped a stretched leg at the face of Sandersonia, who merely blockd the attack with her palm. Despite the power behind it, Luffy's kick simply bounced off.
"GEGH!" Luffy coughed harshly as Sandersonia's tail was thrust into the boy's abdomen, sending Luffy sprawling through the air and onto his back.
Luffy shakily got up, surprise evident on his face. "Why does it hurt?! I'm rubber…" Luffy's reverie was broken when he felt a Sandersonia's snake-like limbs coil around his body, securing his arms together.
Luffy squirmed and wiggled but to no avail. Waving him around like a toy, Sandersonia propped her arms under her chin into a relaxed position. "You can't use Haki." Sandersonia observed lazily. "Those who aren't from this island wouldn't understand. And that's why you're weak."
A growl elapsed from Luffy through gritted teeth. "A kick with your right foot." Sandersonia stated with her eyes closed.
"Eh?!" As predicted, Luffy sent a flying kick, which Sandersonia expertly weaved away from. In retaliation, Sandersonia raised her ensnared prey high above the air and bashed his head into the ground, sending a shower of dust and broken concrete everywhere.
With impressive endurance, Luffy emerged from the ground nearly unscathed save for a roughed up state of attire. "Gomu Gomu no…GATLING GUN!" Luffy prepped both arms back before unleashing a barrage of punches so fast that it gave the appearance that there was hundreds of fists hitting simultaneously.
"Snake Dance." Sandersonia hissed as she weaved through the Luffy's relentless assault without batting an eyelash. Despite her large stature, Sandersonia was incredibly nimble. Her slender viper-like body allowed her to easily maneuver around any punch that the rubber boy threw.
"What's going on?! How is she reading all of my moves?!" Luffy shouted aloud to himself. It was like the woman knew exactly what he was going to do before even he knew it. Maybe she could predict the future?
In the corner of his eye, Luffy grew alarmed as he witnessed Marigold's spear come down right on Goku's head. "Porcupine Head!" Luffy shouted in warning, fearful for the fate of his newfound friend.
Marigold smirked when she caught the spiky haired man off guard when he finally slipped up. He'd certainly been a slippery one, keeping even her on her toes as the man was able to match her move for move. But she had the advantage of Haki on her side whilst this male did not. Eventually the man known as Goku fumbled in his movement, giving her all the opening she needed to bring her spear down on his cranium.
Noticing the danger, Goku took a quick stance and raised his arms above him, palms open in preparation. The slightest margin of error would mean that he would lose both his arms and his head, of which he had no intention of willingly parting with. A collective gasp resounded around the stadium as they witnessed the martial artist's clasp his hands together around the steel blade of Marigold's spear, which hovered just a mere inch from his face; so close that Goku was clearly able to make out his reflection from the steel.
Marigold was immensely startled by the man's astonishing reflexes. Catching a moving blade with one's bare hands alone was a feat not many could accomplish. What came next was a battle of wills, each combatant trying to overpower the other. Marigold kept putting more pressure downward while Goku used his immense reserves of strength to hold the woman's blade at bay. Giving a mighty grunt of exertion, Goku managed to curve the direction of the spear so that it passed by him harmlessly, the blade sinking deeply into the ground from the immense power put into the weapon.
Seeing his chance, Goku sprung on top of the spear and ran up its body until he was right up in a shocked Marigold's face. Not wasting his moment of opportunity, Goku struck out with his right fist. Somehow, Marigold was able to respond to the Saiyan's unexpected maneuver and bring her arms out to block Goku's punch that was meant to plow into her cheek. Even guarded though, Marigold grunted almost painfully as she was pushed back from the blow.
"Sugoi! Porcupine Guy is awesome." Luffy shouted excitedly, not paying attention to his surroundings, which cost him. Sandersonia took advantage of her adversary's distraction, enhancing her tail with Haki and launching it into Luffy's stomach. An eruption of spit and blood shot out from Luffy's mouth as his body flew off of the stadium and into the abyss below, where lethal spikes awaited his fall.
Gathering his wits, Luffy stretched his hands out until he hand a firm grasp on the stadium, slowing his descent. His efforts saved his life as he stopped his fall just before he was impaled by the spikes. "Phew…that was too close." Luffy sighed, panting harshly.
Lounging on her chair, Hancock huffed in annoyance. "Bah, you men are so troublesome."
"Urrgh, shut up already!" Luffy bit out as he climbed back up on the platform.
Hancock fell faint at the boy's words. "Hebihime-sama!" Her fans screamed in concern, cursing Luffy for his insightful comment and blantant disrespect for their empress.
Boa Hancock arched her back backwards, lifting her chin and pointing down at Goku and Luffy; using her unique way of expressing how much she felt the men were beneath her presence. Instead it made her look only more idiotic, though nobody was brave or stupid enough to comment this aloud. "Sonia! Mary! Make haste and end these men's lives already. I grow weary of their presence and disrespectful talk."
"Then the fun will end here." Marigold said with some measure of disappointment, giving a subtle nod to her sister.
Sandersonia smiled broadly, which put both Luffy and Goku on edge. It was the kind of sinister smile that boded ominously. "Let's grant the convicts 'despair' and 'death'." Goku tensed, preparing for another attack. Instead of an attack however, Sandersonia dipped her long tail off of the ring and grabbed ahold of the stone statue of Marguerite.
Real worry began to set into Goku, who grew alarmed as Sandersonia casually waved the delicate statue around the air as though it were a toy. "Hey! Stop that!"
"Don't touch them! What will you do if they break?! I owe them a debt after all." Luffy chimed, equally disturbed by how nonchalant the Kuja were with handling their own so callously.
"I'm going to break them." Sandersonia explained as though it were a simple thing. "While tragic, they violated our culture's law which is a crime punishable by death. Besides, seeing as how you have grown some attachment to this one, it will serve as a suiting punishment for both of you."
"Don't do this. This is between you and us!" Goku pleaded, trying to make them see reason. Covertly, Goku was gathering energy to make a swift move to grab Marguerite if he should have to. Though, giving how delicate Marguerite was in her petrified form, Goku worried that he may damage her body in the process. Unnoticed by everyone, Goku's normal coal black eyes flickered a teal green and his hair slowly started to stand up on end, as if gravity was pulling him upwards.
Luffy didn't have the same patience that Goku did and rushed forward, arms already in motion to stretch out and snatch Marguerite out from Sandersonia's grasp. Just as his arms were inches away from Marguerite, Marigold stepped in and wrapped her tail around the surprised form of Luffy, who'd been caught off guard.
"Fool, this is a public execution. Only your deaths can heal the wound you inflicted upon our sister's heart." Goku growled. With his speed, he was confident that he could recapture Marguerite but with Luffy now ensnared, he wasn't nearly as confident in that course of action. If he moved to assist either of the two, then Marguerite would be crushed.
"How could you do this?! They admired you!"
Sandersonia chuckled darkly. "Everyone on this island does, which is why they'll be satisfied with this." And with that, Sandersonia slackened her grip on the statue, letting it slip from her grasp. Luffy's eyes dilated just as he bellowed a loud scream, which echoed across the stadium. Unknowingly to the boy, he emitted an enormous pulse or wave that that immediately affected every living creature within a certain distance. Those who couldn't' resist the oppressive force that the boy exuded instantly lost consciousness, their minds shutting down as a defense mechanism to cope from the strain. Those few who had will strong enough to resist Luffy's sudden outburst of power were shocked into silence, mouths agape in disbelief.
Even Sandersonia and Marigold were not immune to its effect. Both were so shocked by the sudden explosion of haki that they didn't even realize Goku rushing to grab the falling statue with unnatural speed. Taking advantage of the distraction that the phenomena that Luffy caused in his outburst, Goku successfully caught Marguerite; preventing her frozen form from shattering on the ring floor.
"I-impossible! He has Haoushoku Haki?!" A person from the crowd rasped loudly, bringing an abrupt end to the silence.
Goku's considerably keen ears caught those tidbits of words. "Haoushoku haki? What's that? Some type of energy boost?" The Saiyan wracked his mind to figure out just what had happened. He felt Luffy's energy spike for a minute there, but just as quickly as it had appeared the energy had disappeared, as though it hadn't even existed in the first place. "No, that was something else entirely. Whatever it was that Luffy did, it changed his aura. It was like his mere presence demanded my undivided attention, and tried to overcome my will."
Goku jumped over the ledge onto the lower level of the stadium where Marguerite's companions were; gently placing the petrified amazon down before returning to the ring. Now with the immediate threat against his new friend out of harm's way, Goku could now fight with a clear conscious and not be weighed down by the fear of accidently killing Marguerite. The Saiyan gave a hard look at Marigold and Sandersonia, before his eyes drifted up the long cascading staircase; meeting Hancock's gaze. The empress tried to mask her apprehension but couldn't resist the temptation of gritting her teeth; a substitution she used to keep her from falling onto her old habit of chewing on her nails whenever she faced a nerve racking situation.
"Whatever issue you have with me, leave my friends out of it. This is between you and me only!" Hancock bristled. She loathed being ordered to do anything, much less by an inferior man of all people.
"How dare this hairless ape command me to do something, and in front of the entirety of the village no less! The audacity!" Hancock fumed, her beautiful face contorting in rage. But for some odd reason, Hancock felt lightheaded and a certain warmth rush in her cheeks when the man spoke to her; voice filled with such strength, leaving no room for argument. She dismissed these feelings as an odd side effect of the distress that had afflicted her ever sense these men had taken in the sight of her naked back.
"Sandersonia! Marigold! Finish these filthy men off already! I want them gone."
The empress's demands were enough to rattle the Gorgon sisters back into action. "As you wish sister." They both intoned in rhyme.
Luffy pressed his hand together, cracking his knuckles suggestively, having recovered from whatever outburst of energy that he had unleashed; though interestingly enough he didn't seem to have any recollection of what he had accomplished, if he was even aware of it in the first place.
"Dibs on the bobble-headed one." Luffy said, referring to Sandesonia, who threw a nasty look at the boy made of rubber.
Goku made no outward reaction to Luffy's joke, whether it was made to be intentionally funny or not. "Then I've got the large one."
Bending over to pound his right fist into the ground, Luffy took an intake of air and sighed; his shoulder's sagging slightly. The skin around his wrist folded upwards, echoing throughout his body like a vibration. Luffy did this several times, each concession turning his skin an unusual shade of pink as steam began to roll off his body like an engine spewing exhaust.
Goku took on his own transformation, though his was more subtle. Rather than a physical change, it was Saiyan's demeanor that had taken a significant turn. His once chirpy attitude was replaced by a more mature and dangerous disposition. Placing his arms at his sides, Goku clenched his fists and bent his knees ever so slightly, spreading them evenly apart. A faint wind from seemingly nowhere picked up around the orange-clad warrior, raising his undeniably spiky hair into a more haphazard shape.
Marigold and Sandersonia felt as much as saw the changes that the two men undertook, and it unnerved them both. The Gorgon sisters braced themselves for what they now believed would turn into a hard-fought battle.
"Even though you possess the famed and feared haki, you lack the control to properly use it." Sandersonia's face took on a dark expression as her body undertook a metamorphosis. Her body elongated into that of a giant serpent with scales and all, and her long green hair sprouted tendrils of snake appendage heads which hissed loudly as they bared their fangs. Only Sandersonia's head had remained relatively the same.
"Yamata no Orochi!" She said in a strange combination between a whisper and shout.
Luffy didn't appear fazed in the least by the woman's transformation. Instead, the boy watched his opponent intently, waiting for the upcoming attack. His preparedness proved right as he speedily dodged a snake-head that had speared its fangs into the stone wall just behind where Luffy was standing only moment's prior. The wall caved in and crumbled its remains to the depths of the stadium where only spikes lay; some of which skewered flying chunks of debris. Luffy didn't get any reprieve for he was forced to move as a barrage of the snake-head appendages were sent in his direction.
While Luffy dealt with Sandersonia, Goku never tore his gaze away from Marigold. The two were locked into an intense stare off; each seemingly appraising the other and waiting for whoever would make the first move. Goku's eyes narrowed further in concentration; a subtle sign that it would be him that enacted the first move this time. He'd seen enough of his opponent's fighting style and prowess to make a counterassault.
"Now."
The single word spoken from the Saiyan was enough to put Marigold even more on edge. It was obvious that the man would be attacking now, but as to how he planned to pursue his attack she couldn't tell.
Goku bent his knees further for but a moment; the motion one takes to prep themselves for a high jump. Marigold knew this and prepared accordingly for what she believed to be a direct assault by the Saiyan. And then it happened. One second, the man in orange was there, still motioning for a jump, and then the next second he just vanished from her sight. Marigold barely had enough time to do a double take before her haki senses screamed in warning of a premonition.
"Wha-hurgh!" The Kuja sister wasn't able to finish her statement as a hard object crashed itself into her abdomen with the force of freight train. Marigold fell hard onto the cement of the ring, creating a huge gash in the ground in her wake.
Marigold was disoriented but not unconscious, luckily. She recovered just enough to witness her sister Sandersonia being slammed into the ground via a long steaming arm, which coiled itself around her neck like one of their snakes and brought her down harshly on her backside, knocking the wind out of the bobble-headed Kuja sister.
In that instant, Marigold realized that these men obviously were more powerful than she had at first gave them credit for and were not to be taken lightly.
"Marigold! Sandersonia! Do not let these barbarians defeat you! You are Kuja!" The sound of Boa Hancock wailed over the crescendo of battle.
Their sister's odd mixture of a command and words of encouragement were all that the Gorgon sisters needed to get back on their feet with even more resoluteness that before. They would not fail their empress and they would defend their Amazonian laws until their last breathe, even against foes who were clearly strong. After all, their very identities in the Kuja village were at stake, and none of them were willing to lose all of the hard work they had accomplished into garnering the respect and adoration from their fellow Kuja sisters.
An inferno engulfed the entirety of Marigold's body, startling the men whom were understandably shocked at the Kuja's sudden combustion. It only took them a moment to gather the fact that the flames were indeed not harming Marigold. The flames swirled around like a vortex until they took on the form of salamander-like serpents. Sandersonia did much the same, unveiling more steel encased serpents.
Both Goku and Luffy spared a look at each other; Goku nodding at some unspoken agreement between the two. Like a snake coiled in preparation to lash out at the opportune moment, the Kuja sister's struck at their prey.
Luffy reared both his arms back, his elbows bent behind him. Goku never removed himself from his fighting stance, but clenched his fist tighter; a steely gleam in his eyes and a faint reddish hue outlining his posture.
The Kuja sisters were barely within ten feet of the men before their precognitive Haki senses went off like alarm bells. They neither had the chance to register the exact danger nor prepare themselves for what was to happen. Sandersonia felt a quick but intense jab cave into her abdomen, which was quickly followed by another, and eventually a raging storm of punches that moved so fast that the rubber boy's arms blurred, giving the impression that there were a hundred fists striking all at once. Unable to raise a counter offense, much less defend herself, Sandersonia was forced to wait it out until the punches ceased. The last few sent her careening over to the other end of the ring; again falling on her backside, which crashed into the tile with a loud thud.
Unlike the unstoppable storm of fists, Marigold only felt the sudden deep impressions that collided with her stomach. Last time she had been able to react to the Saiyan's attack, but this time she couldn't even predict that, he moved so fast. The last thing she had seen was a short but intense flash of red light before it was snuffed out like a switch turning the lights out. The blows were enough to force the Kuja onto her knees, writing in pain as she held her stomach in vain hope of relieving some of the pain. Looking up from her bent over position, her pain-filled eyes found the spiky haired man standing a mere few feet in front of her, his posture calm and his arms hung loosely at his sides. Clearly he didn't deem her a threat, and that enraged Marigold, who forced herself to her feet in order to attack the arrogant man.
Goku held up a hand, palm outward in a halting gesture. "Stop, that's enough."
Marigold couldn't understand what compelled her to appease to the man's order, but she did just that. "This fight is over. There's no reason to continue. Just turn Marguerite and her friends back to normal and everything will be fine."
"Insolent man, it is not your place to dictate the ending of this fight. It will be over when you are both dead, as decreed by Hebihime-sama." Marigold hissed through her split tongue, while bathing herself in an inferno of flames.
"Your funeral." Goku said, bending low and gathering his energy. A burst of energy that manifested itself around Goku in a red haze; vaguely resembling Marigold's form. Marigold was taken aback from the intensity of the sudden burst of unknown power.
"What Devil Fruit does this man have?" Marigold thought to herself; her previous spark of worry steadily growing more prominent. Stowing her uncertainty in the back of her mind, Marigold sent a wave of flaming salamander tendrils at the fiery martial artist.
Goku took off in a straight dash, weaving through the conflagrant salamander tendrils with incredible skill and grace. One of the tendrils opened its gaping maw with the intent to swallow the fighter whole, but Goku whipped a kick up the salamander's chin, knocking it off course. Rapidly spinning downward, Goku used the back of a salamander's hide as a springboard to launch himself straight at Marigold.
Momentarily caught by surprise, Marigold raised her staff to bisect the Saiyan as soon as he was within range. Seeing the Kuja swing her staff in preparation to slash him, Goku put his index and middle finger to his forehead. The Saiyan completely fazed out of existence, allowing the bladed weapon to slash at nothing but the empty air. Marigold looked aimlessly around in befuddlement, frantically searching for the dreaded man's whereabouts and questioning to herself on how he had simply vanished out of thin air.
The answer came in a shout. "HEY!"
On instinct, Marigold turned toward the direction of the familiar voice and immediately regretted it. Marigold's vision was instantly blindsided by the sole of Goku's boot, which struck her face with such force that the entirety of Marigold's frame was sent sailing backward, right into the unsuspecting path of her sister.
"Gah!" The Gorgon sisters toppled over each other in a crumpled heap.
"ARGHH! It burns! It burns!" Sandersonia screamed in anguish as her backside was burned by the flames that still enshrouded her sister's salamander form.
"OH NO! Sonia-neesama!" Marigold cried out in horror from seeing her own flames harm her sister. "Quick! Get back!"
Marigold pushed her sister in attempt to remove her from her burning body, but to her utter dismay couldn't. "Wha-! Wait a minute, I can't get back! Why!"
The answer soon revealed itself that their snake tails had mysteriously been knotted together. "When did they-?!" Meanwhile, a smirking Luffy held up a victory sign; proud of his accomplishment.
Unable to bear the pain any longer, Sandersonia began to flail wildly out of pain and desperation. Marigold tried in vain to calm her panicked sister but to no avail. Sandersonia's sporadic moving sent her careening off of the edge of the ring and into the certain death of the spikes below.
"Sonia-neesama! You're heading for the spike pit! Catch onto the stands!" Sandersonia had just enough lucidity in her to heed her sister's warnings as she tried to latch onto the stands. Unfortunately, in her blind state, Sandersonia lost her grip on the railings and began the terrifying plummet into the spike pit, much to the horror of those watching.
Before Sonia could drag both herself and her sister into certain death, a mysterious force held Sandersonia in place. Groaning in pain, Sandersonia's vision slowly focused on the figure that prevented both her and Marigold from falling. To her utter astonishment, it was the orange clad male that Marigold had been fighting earlier. Goku was somehow managing to sustain them in midair through means that could only be possible through a devil fruit.
"Wha-? It's you!" Sandersonia managed to rasp out.
"Hey there, you looked like you could use a hand." The man replied back amiably, as if she and her sister hadn't trying to kill them only moments prior. Sandersonia would've further questioned the Saiyan had another problem not arisen from her now burned clothing.
"Sister! Your back!" Marigold shouted in warning. Sandersonia only now realized that the cape that had covered her back had been burned off due to the flames, leaving only the remnants of smoke to cover the shameful mark that imposed on her skin.
Luffy was quick to move in on the scene and plot himself over Sandersonia's backside, flat on his stomach and arms and legs woven around the amazon's body.
Screams erupted from the still conscious audience. "AH! The Gorgon Eye. If it's exposed then we'll all be turned to stone!" Someone from the crowd shouted.
Boa Hancock watched the disastrous spectacle erupt before her, wondering just how things could have escalated to so badly for her. "If Sonia's back is exposed then the truth shall be revealed. I can't allow that to happen."
"The ceremony is over! Everyone evacuate the area before the Goron Eye can be exposed!" The Amazonian Princess's words were immediately followed without delay; no one wanting to be subject to instant fossilization.
Goku pushed upward from below Sandersonia, gently setting her down back on the ring, where Marigold immediately draped a piece of clothing around her sister's shoulders to cover her back. Sandersonia merely looked down dejectedly, as if trying to sort out an impossible question in her mind.
"Why?" Sandersonia whispered out only loud enough so that Luffy and Goku could hear. "We are your enemies. We were fighting only moments ago, so why did you help and protect us?"
Goku was the first to respond. "Whatever this thing is that you don't want your people to see…it has no bearing on our fight. Besides, I don't think either of us really want to continue this battle."
Hancock put a hand over her face in attempt to mask the tears that threatened to spill down her beautiful face. "Never would I have thought that it would be a man of all things, two at that, that would save me and my sisters. Just what do I make of these men? Are they the threat that my people have villainized, or are they an unlikely ally?"
End…
XxX
Author's Note:
And there's the long awaited Chapter 2. My apologies for the long wait. Lots of unforeseen changes, including a switch of writers. For those who don't know what I'm referring to you can find out on the last update of Hokage of the League and/or on my profile page I think. As for the direction of this story, I'm thinking of following the One Piece storyline since it's an easier template to pick up on. I may throw in a different outcome or situation of course considering that Goku's presence will influence the course of events in One Piece.
Please leave a review and tell me your thoughts on the story's progression, as well as any ideas you feel that would be an excellent addition to the story. Updates will be infrequent I'm afraid as I don't have a very flexible schedule. You'll find any important author's notes at the bottom of each chapter.
