Zane: "The finale is upon us, people, as the Orange Town Arc's conclusion has come! Unexpected evolutions of story and characters will soon unfold, as we enter the final act of the Clown Pirates' show!"


Chapter 12: "Zoro and Luffy's Grand Finale! He Who Laughs Last Laughs Longest"


"Art of the Acrobat," Cabaji yelled, his sword blade breaking away from one of Zoro's, "Murder at the Steam Bath!"

The acrobatic pirate then spun his sword close to the ground, kicking up a veil of dust and hiding himself from his opponent. Zoro slashed through his enemy's cover, but was surprised to find Cabaji had vanished.

"Fireworks in the Cool Summer's Breeze!" he heard said clown pirate call out, turning to see him wheeling up the side of a wall and into the air. He pointed his blade downward in midair, taking aim at Zoro before gravity brought him toward his target at a blinding speed.

"Sting of the Unicycle!"

Zoro parried the attack with all three of his own blades, wincing in pair from the wound in his abdomen reopening, before knocking his opponent away and taking a new stance.

"It is an honor to battle you, Roronoa Zoro," Cabaji said as the two entered a stalemate, each aiming their swords at the other, "but the show must come to a close."

Zoro just nodded, trying his best to ignore the pain of his wounds. Cabaji noticed that the bandages on Zoro were turning red.

'It's the wound he got from fighting Captain Buggy…So he's been taking the pain to stand up!' Cabaji thought, 'What a baka…'

He took in a deep breath.

"Art of the Acrobat: Fire Trick!" Cabaji said as he spewed out flames.

Zoro jumped back from the flames and Cabaji unicycle-ed up and whacked his bleeding side, causing Zoro to grunt out in pain.

"DAMMIT!" Zoro screamed as he fell over, clutching his side.

"What's this? I thought I only gave you a light kick," Cabaji sneered, "yet here you are, crying out in pain like a baby. Oh well, time to put you out of your misery."

Suddenly, a bolt of white lightning came out of Zoro's left pocket and Giri appeared, swords crossed with a scowl on his face.

"Tyrogue… Ty-Tyro-Tyrogue!" (Sensei, stay back…You bastard, I'll fight you now!)

He assumed a Santōryū stance, his aura growing as it was fed by his anger.

"Giri…What are you doing?!" Zoro demanded as he struggled to get up.

Another bolt came out of his pocket and Oni appeared. He looked Zoro directly in his eyes.

"Shinite." (Lay down.)

Cabaji laughed, cycling towards the pokemon. The two clashed their blades together, the broke apart and returned to their original positions. A few seconds passed, and Giri fell to one knee, a stab wound in his side to mirror his trainer's.

"It was only natural you'd lose," Cabaji gloated, not noticing or perhaps not caring that the ends of his scarf were cut and frayed by the clash. "A Tyrogue that uses swords? How trite! I've travelled quite a ways and seen many a sight, but I've never heard of a Tyrouge evolution that used anything other than martial arts! Baka!"

"Ty…rouge…Ty!" (Don't…mock…my dream!) the tiny Fighting type roared in anger. As he did, though, Giri began to glow until his whole body was concealed by a bright, blue veil.

"He's evolving?" Zoro pondered.

"Shi. Nite?" (Yes. But into what?)

Oi, you baka Pokemon, none of your forms can use…huh?"

Giri grew in height as his body changed slightly. The glow receded to reveal his new form. He wore long black pants held up by a crimson sash and bound to the bottoms of his legs by tight ropes. His feet had two toes with a sandal on each one, and he had his three sword on his left hip, attached to his sash. His torso was pure white and muscular, and his head had hardened features on it, the stubs on his head now sharpened into spikes. In addition, his wound had healed from the transformation.

"Hitmongiri," the new Pokemon said. (Translation: I feel stronger.)

"He evolved?!" Cabaji jumped back a little, "But this isn't a Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan, or a Hitmontop! Just what are you?!"

Giri shrugged and took his Santōryū stance once more.

"Hitmongiri…" (I'll give you a handicap…)

He then sliced his left hip, recreating the blow his enemy inflicted and letting the blood flow.

"WHAT?! HE CUT HIMSELF?!" Cabaji gasped.

Zoro chuckled as he got up and did the same thing.

"Is my condition now satisfying enough for you? As well as the odds?" Zoro asked as he took his bandana off and tying it on his head, shading his eyes, "Lemme teach you the difference in power between you and my students and I."

"What the hell…?" Cabaji pondered.

"My goal is to become the World's Greatest Swordsman, while my two students both wish to become the two greatest Pokemon swordsmen," Zoro said as Shinite raised his lone shinai.

"Roronoa Zoro…You impudent fool…!"

"To anyone that calls himself a swordsmen…" Zoro panted, "I won't lose to them! Not even once!"

"Then die pursuing your mad goal!" Cabaji roared as he charged at Zoro, Oni, and Giri.

"Oni…" Zoro began as he crossed his arms with his swords aiming upwards while he lowered his head.

Giri assumed the stance.

"Hit…" (Oni…)

"Shi-Shinite…" (Ittō-Ryū Iai…)

Cabaji shivered when he though he saw their eyes become a demonic red and skidded to a halt, paralyzed in fear.

"…GIRI!"

"…MONGIRI!" (…GIRI!)

"…SHINITE!" (…Shishi Sonson!)

The trio instantly appeared behind Cabaji and sheathed their blades. Cabaji screamed in pain as his unicycle was destroyed and his clothes shredded and blood-splattered by his wounds, before finally collapsing in a pool of his own blood.

"I'm going to sleep now," Zoro said, removing his bandana. "Wake me up when this is over."

As he sat down and leaned against a building, he pulled out a Super Potion.

"Giri, heal that wound of yours," Zoro ordered, "I don't know where the bandages are, so this is all that I have."

With that, his head went back and he fell asleep, snoring. Giri picked it up after sheathing his blades. His sprayed his wound and screamed. Oni laughed.

"HITMONGIRI!" (SHUT UP!)

He continued the cycle of spraying, screaming in pain, and then screaming at Oni to shut up until the wound was gone.


"Red hair? You talkin' bout Shanks?" Luffy asked.

"You know him?" Buggy replied in surprise.

"He gave me my hat and Monferno, while he gave Ash Pikachu," Luffy answered, "So how do you know him?"

"I know him… But why do you want to know?" Buggy asked.

"Where is he now?" Luffy asked.

"Hmm…Maybe I know and maybe I don't know," Buggy replied, stroking his chin and smirking. "The mind's not all it's cracked up to be."

"What, are you stupid?" Luffy asked.

"RESPECT YOUR BETTERS!" Buggy barked, his eyes turning white and his teeth shark-like. He then calmed down and took his knives out.

"You won't get anything out of me unless you can defeat me," Buggy stated, throwing his knives.

"Yikes!" Luffy yelped, "Monferno, Ember!"

Monferno released his attack and knocked the knives away.

"Bara-Bara Cannon!" Buggy shouted, firing his left fist with three knives clenched between the fingers at Luffy. Luffy caught it by the wrist, but Buggy's sneer didn't fade.

"Separate!"

The part that Luffy didn't catch shot at him as he narrowly dodged it.


"I found it," Nami giggled. She had found her way into the storehouse Buggy stashed his loot and was now packing up all of the treasure into three bags, "Now I just need to get out of here and…"

"Hey! What are you…" A pirate entered the room and was about to attack her when an emerald mallet whacked him into the ground, knocking him out. The mallet changed back into Ash's arm.

"Ash? What happened to you?" Nami asked, noticing his wounds and shortage of breath. Then she saw the unconscious Circ swung over his shoulder and paled. "And why are you carrying him?"

"Long story, too tired to tell it," Ash replied, his eye catching one of the bags of treasure slung over her shoulder. "On a related note, there any jewels in the treasure bag?"

"Huh? Why? You got a thing for jewels?" Nami asked, tightening her grip on the bag.

"Somewhat," Ash replied, "Can I see them?"

"You trying to take my treasure?" Nami glared.

"No," Ash replied walking over to one of the bags, "Technically, it's still Booger's since the treasure is still here and not on the ship."

Before Nami could react, he snatched one of the bags and opened it to reveal it was filled with jewels of various shapes and sizes.

"Hey, wait a…" Nami began before her eyes widened. Ash scooped up a handful and proceeded to take a few bites out of them, chewing them into a fine powder before swallowing.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO MY JEWELS?!" Nami screeched, whacking Ash's head off.

Ash picked his head up and Nami gasped. The inside of his split neck was made out of diamond shards. Ash placed his head back on and the diamonds turned into skin. He turned around.

"I ate a fused Akuma no Mi," Ash explained, "It was made from the fused seeds of the Jemu-Jemu no Mi and the Ryu-Ryu no Mi: Model Akame, creating the Jemu-Ryu no Mi: Model Hougyoku Akame Yami."

"Gem-Dragon Fruit: Model Jewel Red-Eyes Darkness?" Nami repeated, her eyes Belli signs.

"That's what I said…you're not getting any jewels, by the way," Ash said, eyes narrowed at the thief's expression. "Not unless you have a good reason."

"You little…" a voice began.

The two turned to see another clown pirate had rushed into the store house who, upon seeing the pair pilfering loot and a knocked out crewmember, put two and two together and was about to hit them with a giant axe.

"PUMMEL WHACK!"

The clown pirate was sent flying off into the distance. The two turned to see Misty, holding a large bag and her mallet.

"Nami, what are you doing here?" Misty asked.

"Misty?" Nami pondered.

Ash looked back and forth at the two before the gears began to turn.

"SHE'S THAT NAMI?!" Ash gasped, looking at Misty.

"HE'S THAT ASH?!" Nami demanded, looking at Misty.

"SHE TOLD YOU ABOUT ME?!" both asked each other.

"Enough, you two," Misty sighed, "Need some help with the treasure, Nami?"

Nami nodded. Misty put her hammer into Hammerspace and easily picked up the remaining bags.

"I should have expected that you were Nami's cousin," Ash said, "You both like to hit people and are loud."

Nami whacked him between the legs, but he turned into sapphire before she did.

"ITE!" Nami yelped, holding her foot.

Ash's skin turned back to normal.

"Don't do that," Ash said, "I've spent ten years practicing my powers. It now becomes instinct. You can thank Misty for all the…'help' with it."


"Oh, what's the matter? Baby get a boo-boo?" Buggy taunted.

"DAMN YOU!" Luffy snarled, holding his hat, now nicked, "YOU NICKED MY HAT!"

Monferno growled at Buggy, the flames on his tail growing.

"So?" Buggy asked.

"So…? SO?! IS THAT ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY?!" Luffy demanded, his eyes suddenly changing slightly.

"MONFERNO! MON-MONFERNO!" (YOU BASTARD! THAT WAS SHANK'S HAT!)

"THIS IS MY TREASURE!" Luffy shouted, "HOW DARE YOU HURT IT?! I WILL NEVER FORGIVE ANYONE WHO HARMS IT!"

"Treasure?!" Buggy laughed, "Is the hat that precious to you?"

"Yeah, you bastard!" Luffy growled as Buggy's hand stood up.

It threw one at Luffy. Luffy dodged it as the hand shot at him.

"IF IT'S THAT PRECIOUS, THEN WHY DON'T YOU PROTECT IT PROPERLY!"

The three knives impaled the hat. Luffy and Monferno's eyes widened as they felt their hearts stop. Time seemed to slow as Luffy's hold on the hat was forced off and Buggy's hand reattached to his body.


"This hat…Is my gift to you," Shanks said as he gave Luffy the hat.


"KUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! What sort of treasure is this rag-like-hat!?" Buggy laughed as he waved the impaled hat.

Luffy and Monferno began to shake as Ash, Misty, and Nami came into view. Ash and Pikachu gasped and began to shake as well. Nearby, some conscious clown pirates watched in both fear and amazement.

"Oh no…" Misty gasped.


"This is my favorite hat, you know," Shanks said, "When you become a great pirate in the future, you'll return that hat to me."


"THAT'S THE HAT I SWORE MYSELF TO WITH SHANKS!" Luffy roared as he charged.

"This is Shanks' hat, is it?" Buggy asked as he tossed it to the floor, "I thought it looked familiar…!"

He spat on the hat. Luffy and Ash's eyes widened at the sight of this, and Ash dropped Circ onto the ground behind him, but Buggy continued to taunt them.

"Don't look so surprised, brats. If that old red-haired barnacle were here, I'd do the same in his face, and rightfully so, I might add. He and I used to be apprentices on the same pirate ship, you see, but I'll never forgive him for the grave sin he committed against me!"

Ash snapped and went into his Half-form. He and his brother then lunged at the clown captain, with murderous anger in their eyes.

"SHANKS IS A GREAT MAN!" Luffy shouted, "YOU SAY THAT HE WAS YOUR COMRADE?!"

"Bara-Bara Emergency Escape!" Buggy countered as his head went up.

"DON'T COMPARE YOURSELF TO HIM!" Luffy roared as he struck Buggy's body while Ash blew his flames on Buggy's head with Monferno and Pikachu zapping the body.

Buggy's parts came back together and fell over, stunned from the simultaneous attacks. Luffy grabbed him by the collar and raised him to eye level.

"How dare you ruin our hat," Luffy said as he picked it up, "You even spat on it!"

He rubbed the spit on Buggy's face, making him gag.

"THAT'S DIRTY! STOP IT!" Buggy demanded.

"It's your own spit," Luffy countered as he tossed him to his brother.

Ash slammed Buggy into the ground with his tail and pressed him down.

"Don't ever say that you were Shanks' crewmate ever again!" Luffy growled, stretching Buggy's face.

"I don't care! I can say whatever I want about him!" Buggy retorted, "Bara-Bara…"

"DON'T COME APART, YOU DAMN BASTARD!" Ash lifted his arm and slammed Buggy even deeper into the ground, cracking the ground around them.

"Why are they so mad?" Nami asked.

"That guy did a few things no one should ever do," Misty replied, shaking, "They hurt Shanks' hat and even insulted him."

"Has that ever happened before?"

"Yes. Team Rocket once accidentally caused the top of the hat to get set on fire," Misty gulped, "Ash managed to put it out with Squirtle's Water Gun and when Team Rocket heard it was from Shanks, well…"


The scene flashes back to a younger looking version of the two brothers and their trio of adversaries, who stood atop a large robot shaped like a Magmar. Ash and Luffy were sighing in relief after checking said straw hat for any permanent damage, of which there was none, before facing the trio.

"Shanks?" James questioned his partners quizzically.

"Who's that?" Jessie responded with the same confused expression.

"Some wimpy pirate that died at sea?" Meowth laughed, the two human Rocket members joining in and making Ash and Luffy's scowls deepen.


'That added more fuel to the fire' Misty narrated from the present, 'since they already destroyed this sandbox Franky had made when they were kids called 'Merry Go' and when they said that, well…Ash and Luffy just snapped. Ash went into his Half Dragon Form and completely obliterated the robot Team Rocket was in. Not even a single piece was left of it.'


The flashback scene then cuts to Ash morphing into his half transformation and launching a stream of fire at the robotic Pokemon, who launched its own from its metal bill in response. The two fire streams clashed and struggled to surpass the other, until finally Ash's pressed through and struck the robot.


"And Team Rocket?" Nami shivered, the scene returning to present day.

"Luffy, Ash, Monferno when he was still a Chimchar, and Pikachu did what they're doing to Buggy to them. Ash and Monferno even set their hair on fire before Ash turned into jewels and coated Luffy's fists to make giant fists. Luffy then clobbered them and sent them flying," Misty replied, "Ash refused to change back from his Half Form for the entire day after that and even refused to be near anyone while Luffy seemed to have gotten over it quickly. Ash even went so far as perching atop a flag pole to avoid anyone."

Misty sighed, concluding her recount of the events as she turned around.

"So you're with us, right?" She asked, changing the subject. Nami nodded as the two stopped shivering.

"Come on, I'll take you to our ship," Misty said, running off.

"ENOUGH!" Buggy roared, breaking his body apart into the tiniest pieces he could to escape the brothers' onslaught and reforming a few feet away. "I couldn't care less about how you two view that dog of a pirate, I'll still curse his name after what he did to me regardless!"

Ash and Luffy tensed as they listened to their enemy's rant.

"Throughout all my life, there was no one that made me more mad than 'Red-Hair' Shanks," Buggy growled, "We were apprentices on the very same ship and argued on almost everything. We even argued about which was colder, the North Pole or the South Pole. Of course, that one ended when the Second Mate's Mamoswine froze us both. He always did have an appreciation for irony, that one." Buggy let out a small chuckle at that thought.

"But I digress," Buggy shook his head as his more serious scowl returned. "Shortly after that, when we were on a ship to steal their treasure, I found a map to a fantastic treasure at the bottom of the sea! What luck! A fortune to last me a lifetime and I could have it all to myself, so I hid the map from the others. Later, I learned that the crew got an Akuma no Mi from that same ship and that it was worth billions.

"I came up with a plan and pretended to eat the real one when really I swapped it for a fake. I had it all! A map to a fabulous treasure and an Akuma no Mi that I could sell for Billions! I attempted to escape that night in a rowboat when that blasted red-hair caught me, so, to keep my Devil Fruit secret, I hid it in my mouth until he went on his way. But do you know what he did then?"

"What did he do?" Luffy asked.

"HE CAME BACK AND SCARED ME, AND I ATE THE FRUIT IN ONE GULP!" Buggy roared, "I LOST IT ALL! THE MAP FELL OUT OF MY GRASP IN MY SHOCK AND WAS BLOWN OFF THE SHIP! I foolishly jumped after it and fell into the water, but didn't realize I'd lost my ability to swim until it was too late and I was sinking fast. That bastard dove in after and got me out, BUT I WILL NEVER FORGIVE HIM FOR WHAT HE DID!"

"So Shanks saved your life…" Luffy said.

Ash nodded.

"I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THAT PART!" Buggy shouted as he top half shot into the air, "BECAUSE OF THAT IDIOT, I COULD NEVER SWIM AGAIN NOR PURSUE THAT TREASURE BENEATH THE SEA, AND MY FUTURE PLANS WERE POSTPONED FOR TEN DAMN YEARS! SO THAT'S WHY I PROMISED MYSELF, THAT IF I COULDN'T TAKE THE TREASURES OF THE SEA, I WOULD TAKE MY TREASURE FROM THE LAND!"

Suddenly, his top half shot at Nami and Misty, knives drawn and clenched between his fingers once more.

"THAT'S WHY YOU WON'T TAKE MY TREASURE AWAY FROM ME!" Buggy roared, swiping at the two as they screamed and ran in the opposite direction. Buggy's severed upper body continued to fly after them.

Suddenly, a familiar tan-furred blur rammed into Buggy, knocking him into a building. It was Chou-Chou, growling at the crater his target was embedded in and snapping his jaws in anticipation for a counter attack.

"Chou-Chou!" Nami gasped before she felt a tug on her skirt.

She looked down to see Rico.

"Rico-chan too?" Nami pondered, "But…"

"They followed us," Franky replied as he and Brook walked up to the scene, Weapons Left arm loaded and sword drawn respectively. "We saw one of Dragon-bro's finishing moves from a mile off and figured you'd need some help finishing off Bug-breath. We tried to get the two back to the shelter, but they wouldn't budge until they knew you were safe."

Rico peered out from behind Nami and froze when he saw Circ's prone form. He clutched Nami's leg tighter, shaking in fear but refusing to run away.

"It's okay, sweetie," Nami cooed as she crouched down to hug Rico. "Ash has already beaten up the bad man, and now he and Luffy will do the same to his boss."

"WHY YOU…" Buggy began before he fell over with a pain filled look on his face.

Pikachu had slammed an Iron Tail between Buggy's legs, which buckled from the strike and collapsed.

"D-Damn rat…" Buggy grunted, tears streaming down his face, "How dare you kick my bottom half…"

"Your opponent is still me," Luffy said, grinning.

"Damn Gomu-Gomu Kid…" Buggy growled, "Bara-Bara…FESTIVAL!"

His body exploded into numerous pieces and flew all around.

"I WANT THAT TREASURE BACK!" Buggy roared as he flew his pieces at Nami, Misty, and Rico. Chou-Chou tried to bite the hand holding knives, but it backhanded him into the tavern wall before continuing on its attack. Nami and Misty dodged the attack in time, but Rico froze up and was knocked into the same building Buggy had crashed into.

"Rico!" Nami called out in shock. Rico whimpered as he tried to stand up, but fell back to the ground. The wall he had slammed into had taken all it could, as well, as a large chunk broke off from the top and plummeted toward the small fox kid. Rico's eye caught this and he let out what would be his last scream.

Suddenly, Chou-Chou leapt out of the rubble and charged toward the kid, his body being cloaked in the same blue light Oni's had as it grew to twice its size. When the glow faded, it was no longer the same Herdier it was before.

Its lower whiskers had grown to match the full length of its body, trailing behind it as it ran. Its dark blue cape had grown long shaggy, covering its entire torso before changing to a lighter dark blue near the ends. Its whole body was much bulkier than before, but did little to hinder its speed, as with one last leap it landed beside its young master.

Picking up the screaming child by the collar with its teeth, the newly evolved Chou-Chou leapt away from the falling debris at the last minute, setting Rico gently on the ground once they were away from the danger.

"Chou…Chou?" Rico looked up at the larger dog pokemon in wonder, giggling as it started to lick his face affectionately.

"Chou-Chou evolved into a Stoutland!" Misty exclaimed, her comrades letting out a sigh of relief now that their little friend was out of harm's way.

"What a sickeningly sweet moment," Buggy growled, the sarcasm dripping from every syllable. His pieces flew in the direction of the duo once more, both hands armed with throwing knives, "but it doesn't matter how or when it happens, you all will die by my hand!"

Chou-Chou growled as his teeth were cloaked in flames, chomping down on Buggy's hands and causing a tiny explosion.

"That's Fire Fang!" Misty gasped.

"EEEEYYYYYYOOOOOOOW!" Buggy screamed as he blew on his hands, "Damn mutt!"

His pieces began to strike Chou-Chou until…

"FRESH FIRE!" Franky shouted as he blew flames.

Chou-Chou dodged the flames while Buggy's parts were set on fire.

"EEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYYYOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWW!" Buggy screamed as he put the flames out, "I'm sick and tired of this!"

Suddenly, he felt something. Luffy took off Buggy's left shoe and began to tickle the foot. Buggy began to laugh uncontrollably. Luffy pinched the foot. Buggy screamed. Monferno used Ember on the foot. Buggy screamed louder. Luffy then slammed the toes into the ground… hard. Buggy growled in pain as smoke came out of his nose.

"STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!" Buggy roared as he turned around to glare at the two when Luffy's fist hit his face.

"Nami, can you do me a favor?" Brook asked.

"Does it involve my underwear?" Nami asked, her eye twitching.

"No," Brook replied as he held up Buggy's pieces.

"Now I'm mad…" Buggy growled, "Bara-Bara…COME TOGETHER!"

His hands and feet returned to his head while the rest of his body…

"Now this is SUPER!" Franky exclaimed as he and BF-61 posed after their dance.

Nami had tied up several of Buggy's parts, including his forearms, shins, and torso, leaving Buggy looking more like a cartoonish parody of his former self. Luffy laughed at the sight as he stretched his arms far away.

"Gomu-Gomu no…"

"AAH! NO WAIT! I'M SORRY! FORGIVE ME, I BEG OF YOU!" Buggy screamed.

"…BAZOOKA!"

Buggy screamed as he was sent flying into the distance, becoming a star. Ash walked over to Misty as he shrank down back into his normal form and picked the bags up. Rico struggled to climb onto Chou-Chou until Franky helped him up on it since Brook was currently passed out due to seeing BF-61 again. Rico seemed to be hidden in the fur Chou-Chou had. Luffy picked up his hat as Nami walked over.

"Is it alright?" Nami asked.

"Yeah," Luffy replied as he put it on, his hair sticking out of the holes, "I can still wear it."

"Hit! Mongiri!" (Hey! Wake up!)

He kicked Zoro's wound, making him wake up with a scream.

"WHAT THE HELL, GIRI!?" Zoro demanded.

"Shinite." (Captain won.)

"…Aah. I don't think I can walk yet," Zoro said.

Ash snorted at Zoro as he walked off to the ship.

"Obviously! If you guys can walk, then you can't be human," Nami stated.

"How come you're including me with him?" Luffy and Brook asked, the latter choosing then to wake back up.

"YOU'RE TWO OF THE WEIRDEST OF THEM ALL!" Nami barked, her eyes white and her teeth shark-like.

"I'll wake the chief up," Luffy said, walking over to the unconscious mayor and lifting him up by the collar.

"Hey!"

Everyone turned to see a large group of people with a variety of weapons.

"What happened here?" one asked, having two katanas strapped to his back and a flintlock in hand.

"Ah! The mayor!" another cried out, running to the mayor and accidentally knocking Luffy out of the way.

Suddenly, all of the people ran over to Boodle's side, trying to wake him up.

"What happened to him?!" one asked.

"Pikachu knocked him out," Luffy replied.

"What?!" another gasped.

"Are you guys pirates," The first man asked.

"No…We're not…" Nami began to sweat heavily.

"We're pirates," Luffy stated.

Zoro laughed as Nami whacked Luffy on the head. Franky picked Zoro up and the group ran off with the villagers chasing after them.

"WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!" Nami demanded.

"This is a good village!" Luffy replied.

"Huh?" Misty pondered.

"For their chief, for just once person…" Luffy said, smiling, "They're all getting that mad!"

"No matter what excuse we give them, they'll just be mad at us," Misty added, catching on.

Chou-Chou turned around and barked at them. The people stopped.

"Chou-Chou?" One asked.

Chou-Chou nodded, still growling, before snapping at them with its fire-coated jaws.

"Chou-Chou, why are you helping those pirates?!" a woman demanded.

Chou-Chou barked at them before a note flew over the dog pokemon's head and landed in the mob leader's hand. The Stoutland then turned and ran off.


Later, back at the docks, it caught up with the group as they all got on the ship and began to sail off.

"Ash, where's the money?" Nami asked the half-dragon.

Ash didn't reply, simply turning away as he sprouted his wings and flew towards the front of the ship. He plopped down there and leaned back against the back of the figurehead, pulling his hat down over his eyes and putting his arms behind his head.

"Told you he stays away from people when this happens," Misty sighed, "Most likely…"

"HEY! STOP RIGHT THERE, YOU MORONS!"

Everyone turned and looked back at the dock to see Boodle, waving his arms frantically to get their attention.

"Hey, it's the mayor," Franky said, using his Weapons Left scope as a faux telescope.

"I'M SORRY! I OWE YOU!" Boodle screamed, tear of joy rolling down his face.

"DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT!" Luffy replied, "JUST LIVE HAPPY LIVES!"

Ash pushed the brim of his hat up with his index finger to get a better look, before subtly smiling as he pulled it back down again.

"Mr. Mayor!" One of the citizens called out as the whole mob reached the dock. "The pirates dropped a large bag of their loot in the center of town while they were running away!" Indeed, several of the citizens were pulling said bag behind them for the mayor to see.

"THANK YOU, STRAW HAT PIRATES!" Boodle screamed.

Nami, unfortunately, saw the bags that Ash had left, too.

"YOU IDIOT!" Nami screeched, "YOU LEFT ALL THE TREASURE!"

Ash yawned at Nami before falling asleep.

"WAKE UP, YOU BASTARD!" Nami barked as she ran up to him and shook him by the collar, "I WANT MY MONEY AND I WANT IT NOW!"

Then they all heard a giggle, turning to see Rico and Chou-Chou were on the ship, Rico peeking out from above Chou-Chou's head.

"AAH! TURN THE SHIP AROUND!" Nami ordered in a panic.

"Hold on," Luffy said as he walked over to Rico, "The sea's a dangerous place, little guy. I'm sorry, but you'll have to go back."

Rico's eyes widened and shook his head.

"Straw Hat, what are you talking about!?" Franky asked, "Kiddo's all alone. If we take him back, he'll be sent to an orphanage and might even lose Fangs. That s not SUPER, Straw Hat!"

"Then one of us will stay behind," Luffy replied.

"No," Franky said, glaring at the captain, "I refuse to let you take Kiddo and Fangs off the ship. If it comes to it, I'll fight you for that right."

"Don't act stupid, Franky," Zoro argued. "Luffy's right about pirate life being dangerous, especially if we're going to the Grand Line. We can't just bring a kid and his mutt along for the ride, even if they…"

"Well then, let's let Rico decide," Luffy chuckled.

"What!?" Zoro exclaimed, falling backwards in shock. "The first smart thing I ever hear out of you, and then you go and say that?!"

"…Ash and I were around his age when we chose this life for ourselves," Luffy continued, a somber tone in his voice. "We learned the hard way just how difficult this kind of life is, but we didn't give up. It's only fair we give Rico that same choice, after everything he's been through."

Everyone turned to Rico, whose eyes began to water.

"I…" Rico sniffled, "I… I wanna…I wanna come…"

"He spoke…" Nami gasped.

"I wanna…I wanna find…Oni-san and Onee-chan…" Rico cried, "I want to give them…"

He pulled out a letter.

"I wanna give them Mamma and Papa's lettew," Rico said, crying.

"A letter?" Misty repeated.

"Luffy, I'm still not sure this is a good idea," Zoro said.

"Why? I traveled with Max," a voice said.

Everyone turned to see Ash, awake again, as he walked over to Rico and hugged him.

"Max was this kid's age," Ash said, stroking Rico's back, "and he has Chou-Chou with him. Plus, we could use a motivator on the ship."

"Wha…?" Rico tilted his head.

"Ash…" Misty began.

"It's Rico's choice, Mist," Ash interrupted. "You heard the captain's orders. And besides, he wants to come along."

He looked down at Rico.

"Now then, I think we're still close enough for you to see Boodle," Ash said, "Go on and tell him that you're off on to follow a dream of yours."

Rico nodded and Ash put him on Chou-Chou. He walked over to the back of the boat as Ash returned to his spot.

"BYE-BYE, MAYOW POODLE!" Rico shouted as he waved, "SHUSHU AND I ARE OFF! WE COME BACK WIT ONI-SAN AND ONEE-CHAN!"

"GOOD-BYE, RICO!" Boodle shouted as he waved, crying hysterically, "COME BACK WITH MORE SONGS TO SING ABOUT AND COME BACK SMILING!"

"OKEY-DOKEY, MAYOW POODLE!"

"DON'T CALL ME…NEVERMIND! I'LL MISS YOU, RICO!" Boodle cried.

"Mayor! You can't seriously be letting those pirates take Rico!" the first man said, holding the paper. "We can still sail out to their boat and get them. Rico's…"

"I knew," Boodle said, "He just said he would come back with his siblings."

"He…He spoke?!" the man gasped.

"Indeed, Tom," Boodle replied, "Those pirates you chased out are the ones who brought back his spirit."

He walked over to the bags.

"Now then…LET'S MAKE A NAME OF OUR TOWN SO THAT OUR LITTLE RICO CAN COME BACK TO HIS RESTORED HOME!" Boodle shouted.

The townspeople cheered.


"AAH! I FORGOT!" Nami gasped before glaring at Ash, "ASH, YOU GET OVER HERE RIGHT NOW AND PAY ME THIRTY-MILLION!"

Ash stuck his tongue out at Nami as he pushed his hat back up.

"Don't make such a big deal over nothing," he yawned. "I needed the energy boost from those gems to battle Buggy, so consider the fact we won that fight payment."

She was about to counter when Ash pulled his brim down once more and started snoring.

(Now I know how Ash felt when I refused to listen to him…) Charizard roared as he played Poker with Kame, Pikachu, Monferno, Oni, Giri, and two new Pokemon.

One was a Meowth, the longer eyelashes and orange ribbon around its neck indicating it was a girl, and the other looked like a small white gray ghost with a white, chibi face.

"Squirt-Squirt," (When he gives me a good reason to, I'll listen to him.) Kame lazily said, tossing a few small bags of Pokemon food into the growing pile between the seven.

"So those are your Pokemon?" Misty asked her cousin, the two leaning by the rails as they watched the game.

"Yep. The Meowth is Star and the Castform is Tenki," Nami replied.

"Me-owth." (Full House.)

"Squirt. Squirtle." (Damn. Two queens.)

"Cast. Castform." (Ditto. Two kings and a queen.)

"Shinite." (Three Jacks)

"Hitmongiri." (Three aces)

"Pika/Mon." (Pair of fours and pair of fives.)

(Royal Flush) Charizard showed his hand, an arrogant grin plastered on his face.

(WHAT?!) The others all collectively yelled, throwing their cards on the deck.

"Franky just had to show them how to play that game…" Misty muttered as Charizard pulled his winnings towards him.

Brook, meanwhile, hid in the Crow's Nest Gym, shaking in fear in fetal position, frightened of BF-61 and Tenki.

Ash still rested at the foot of the figurehead, his brother excitedly looking out at the sea from atop it, when Chou-Chou walked up to his side and sat down beside him. Rico peeked his head out from within his pokemon's shaggy fur, crawling out to rest his head on Ash's lap. Ash chuckled softly before he glanced over at the Stoutland, who was staring at the Spliced Devil Fruit user expectantly.

Ash reached into his pocket and took out his Pokedex, raising it to catch the Pokemon in the scanner's range as the voice of Dexter spoke.

-Stoutland, the Big-Hearted Pokemon; Region: Unova; this extremely wise pokemon excels in rescuing people stranded at sea or in the mountains. Its shaggy fur shields it and others from even the harshest blizzards-

Ash scrolled through an additional notes section of the Pokemon's page before pressing a button and making Dexter continue.

-Current Attacks include: Thunder Fang, Ice Fang, Fire Fang, and Take Down-

"Figures you'd know a lot of biting attacks," Ash laughed, petting Chou-Chou behind the ears, to which the dog Pokemon responded by licking Ash's hand. "You know, Luffy wasn't kidding when he said a pirate's life is full of danger. Can I count on you to keep Rico safe, no matter what?"

Chou-Chou answered by standing up straight and letting out a strong bark. Rico squirmed a bit at the sudden sound, but went right back to sleep. Ash picked up the young pirate and set him gently onto Chou-Chou's back, who then immediately strolled off into the ship's interior with the small, sleeping child. Ash looked up at his brother who had been witness to the whole touching scene, and the pair exchanged a warm smile.


Meanwhile, back in Orange Town…

"Damnitall!" Mohji yelled, punching the brick wall next to him before Circ, now once again conscious, clamped his hand over the animal tamer's mouth. The teen then peered out from the alley they currently hid within, ducking back as a group of the armed villagers rushed past in their patrol for the remaining Clown Pirates.

When they passed, he let out a sigh of relief and removed his hand from over his comrade's mouth, turning to face his remaining allies. In addition to Mohji, Richie had regained consciousness and carried several unconscious clown pirates on its back, though limping and whimpering as it did so. Among its passengers was Cabaji, who still remained knocked out with his wounds hastily patched and bandaged. Circ and Mohji had similar rushed bandaging on their wounded areas, and suffice to say did not enjoy having them while they had to escape their pursuers.

"It's frightful how quickly these villagers who fled like mice at the sight of Captain Buggy now descend on us like vultures," Mohji whispered, walking behind Richie to move some planks of a fence in the alley aside, revealing a secret escape passage.

"Even a mouse cornered by a pack of cats will instinctively lash out with a lion's fury," Circ responded as he kept watch while Richie tried to fit through the fence opening, "especially if the fattest one is no where in sight and the rest are licking their wounds."

"That reminds me," Mohji said, pushing his pet to the other side of their escape passage, "about the Captain, do you think those thieves could have-"

"No," Circ responded curtly, ducking back into the alley as he joined Mohji behind Richie. "They don't have the stones to take someone's life, it seems. At least that's what the one I fought said when he spared my life."

"I hope we never cross paths with them again," Mohji moaned. With one last push from the pair, Richie squeezed through the opening, though dropping a few of his passengers in the process.

"Fate may have other plans," Circ stated as he and Mohji crouched down to pick up their fallen allies. They tossed them back unto the lion's back before all three continued down the corridor, their ship, the Big Top, in sight and still in the harbor. "From what I've heard, they took the Reburst user and the mutt to join their ranks, and we each have scores to settle with them both, along with the rest of their crew. Whether they become but an unpleasant footnote in our journey, or we one in theirs, only time will tell. For now, Captain Buggy awaits, wherever he may be."


Zane: "With the Clown Pirate Arc concluded, we'll now follow our heroes into the next length of their journey, to a little village that goes by the name of Syrup and houses a notorious liar whose heart is filled with as much pride as it is cowardice. Will the flags of our heroes' ship cast a dark shadow over this little village, or are they merely the calm before a far fiercer storm? For now, the answers lie just beyond the horizon."

Translations and Attacks:

Tenki: Weather.

Ittō-Ryū Iai: Shishi Sonson (一刀流 「居合」 獅子歌歌, One Sword Style Draw and Re-sheath Technique: Lion's Song) Placing the sheathed sword upright and listening to the "breath" of his opponent, the attack rapidly unsheathes, attacks, and sheaths the sword.

Oni Giri (鬼斬り, Demon Slash): A three-way simultaneous slashing attack. Zoro crosses his two swords across his chest and places the blade in his mouth horizontally behind them. Zoro then approaches the target (usually at high speed) and cuts through by swinging the swords across his chest, resulting in a descending diagonal-crossing slash from both swords while the mouth blade performs a horizontal cut from either the left or right, depending from which side of his mouth did he positioned the sword's main blade at. The pun in the name is that Onigiri (お握り) is also the name of a Japanese rice snack.

Tō Rō Nagashi (刀狼流し, Bleeding the Wolf): At close-range, Zoro leans toward the opponent, using two of his swords to block the opponent's attacks while twisting his body around as he continues to approach and dodge other attacks (if there are any) and eventually cutting through the opponent's stomach with the third sword.

Gomu Gomu no Pistol (ゴムゴムの銃(ピストル), Rubber Rubber Pistol): Luffy's standard straight punch, augmented with stretching. This attack can be used from short to long range. In the Viz Manga and FUNimation dub, it is called Gum-Gum Pistol. In the 4Kids dub, it is called Gum-Gum Blast. Its name comes from Luffy's claim to Shanks that his punching arm is "As powerful as a pistol!"

Gomu Gomu no Bazooka (ゴムゴムのバズーカ, Rubber Rubber Bazooka): Luffy stretches both his arms far back, and then hurls them forward, striking his opponent with both simultaneously. This is usually used as a finishing move. In the Viz Manga and FUNimation dub, this is called Gum-Gum Bazooka. In the 4Kids dub, this is called Gum-Gum Double Barrel.

Gomu Gomu no Rocket (ゴムゴムのロケット, Rubber Rubber Rocket): Luffy's main method of traveling long distances fast. He stretches out one of his arms or both and grabs a handhold, then retracts them, projecting himself high into the air, over great distances, or even into an opponent. This technique is oftentimes reckless especially if not done properly as Luffy could accidentally propel himself into a body of water or worse. This is called Gum-Gum Rocket in the Viz Manga and 4Kids and FUNimation dubs.

Gomu Gomu no Muchi (ゴムゴムの鞭, Rubber Rubber Whip): Luffy stretches his leg and kicks in a wide circle, striking multiple foes. It is called Gum-Gum Whip in the Viz Manga and 4Kids and FUNimation dubs.

Hanauta Sanchou: Yahazu Giri (鼻唄三丁:矢筈斬り; Three-Verse Humming: Arrow-Notch Slash): A technique in which the user seemingly instantly slashes an opponent at such a fast pace that it appears that they didn't attack at all (in fact, to the casual observer it would look like the user simply walked past the victim). Only when a certain amount of time has passed, which is approximate to the time the user walks ten feet away or 3 steps or "verses" as the name suggests, does their opponent only realize the attack. It seems to employ elements of Iai (instant sword-draw-and-re-sheath) since it is generally initiated (though not always) with the user moving towards the intended target(s) with a naked blade and walks past them before sheathing it back. It is usually at this point that the victims start manifesting the effects of this high-speed attack. The actual attack is however not seen clearly due to the speed it implemented. The technique is highly versatile, since with it, the user can slash multiple targets at once and if they so wish, the damage they inflict can be as fatal or as incapacitating as they like. According to Brook this was originally named "Requiem Banderole" (鎮魂曲(レクイエム)・ラバンドゥロ, Rekuiemu Rabanduroru) and was a fast cutting technique that learned from his kingdom's "Assault Squad". It was nicknamed it's current name by his nakama and was praised by them. It's original name comes from "Requiem", a type of song sung during funerals, and "Banderole", a type of small flag or streamer used by knights in heraldry. Banderole is also a reference to the fencing move Coup de Banderole, when the attacks performs a lateral slash against the opponent's chest, leaving a "stream" mark, hence the name banderole.

Additional Pokemon information:

Hitmongiri, the Samurai Pokemon, is a Steel/Fightning Type native to the Grand Line. Tyrogue evolves into Hitmongiri at level 20 when its Special Attack and Speed are higher than the other Stats. Its three swords are said to have been made from the fangs of Rayquaza.

Zane: "And, since it wasn't mentioned in its introductory chapter, here is some additional information about Shinite. It is a Grass/Fighting type Pokemon, and it is a First Stage evolution of a Pokemon named Kendord, who will premier further on in the Grand Line, and has a Second Stage evolved form whose name and information will be revealed in its premier as well. For now, though, Shinite and both its evolved and pre-evolved forms belong to me."