Ch. 5- Coliseum

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Hibiscus, Daffodil, and Buttercup © Me

When we last left Luffy and Blizzard, they were being chased by the warrior women of Amazon Lily. Once they had escaped, they fell into Boa Hancock's bathtub. Blizzard is about to suggest that they leave, but Luffy makes the mistake of pointing a mark on Hancock's back.

Hancock reacts with anger.

Just then, Marigold and Sandersonia came bursting in, just as Luffy, Blizzard, and Hancock were getting out of the tub.

"Hancock!" Marigold cried.

"What's wrong?" Sandersonia asked.

The two sisters gasped at the sight of Luffy.

"Is that…a man?" Sandersonia questioned. "Where'd he come from?"

"And how did he get here?" Marigold added as she slipped some clothes unto her older sister. "Hancock, please! Put your robe on! What happened in here?"

"N-no, wait!" Luffy said, waving his arms. "I…uh…"

"He saw…my back," Hancock said.

Her sisters' eyes went wide with shock and horror.

"The wolf saw it, too," Hancock added, pointing at Blizzard.

Huh? Blizzard thought.

"Then they both must die," Marigold said.

"WHAT?" Luffy yelled. "B-but why? All we did was see your back! Still, I think I might've seen that mark on her back before."

SHUT UP, STUPID! Blizzard thought. ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE THEM EVEN MORE PISSED OFF?

"Man," Hancock said. "You and your wolf had seen something that we would die to prevent anyone from seeing."

"Huh?" Luffy muttered. "But why? Who are you? What's this all about?"

Don't go asking questions! Blizzard thought. Right now, we need to get outta here!

"All who see what you have seen must DIE!" Hancock exclaimed before she pointed her hands at Luffy and Blizzard, forming the shape of a heart. "Love-Love MELLOW!"

Luffy gasped.

"Oh, no…!" he thought aloud. "Not this again! It's the same like when Foxy shot that beam at me! I'm gonna slow down!"

SHOOM! Hancock fired her beam at Luffy and Blizzard, the former flinching and closing his eyes.

A pause came…but nothing happened.

Luffy looked behind himself, then back at Hancock, sucking his lips and putting his hat back upon his head.

Hancock stared at the two in slight surprise, but she decided to try it again.

"Love-Love MELLOW!"

SHOOM! Hancock fired another beam at Luffy and Blizzard.

Once again, there was no reaction.

"Why don't they turn to stone?" an outraged Hancock questioned. "They both saw me naked in the bath, and yet my powers have no effect on them!"

"That's impossible, sister!" Marigold exclaimed. "Your body is so beautiful that people and creatures of all ages and genders fall in love with you!"

"Perhaps his fear of death must've erased any impure thoughts from his mind," Sandersonia. "He is a pitiful man, but fortunate. What I don't understand is how the wolf-"

Upon taking a closer, the Gorgon Sisters saw why Blizzard also remained unaffected by Hancock's powers: he had his ears folded over his eyes, like a blindfold.

That was close, Blizzard thought. If I hadn't covered my eyes at the last second, I would've been one stone-cold wolf-dog, literally!

"I have no idea what's going on here," said Luffy, "but I think it's time Blizzard and I got to leaving! Besides, we were just trying to talk to whoever's in charge of this place!"

With that, Luffy and Blizzard ran to the nearest window and KRASH! They jumped right through!

"They jumped!" Marigold shouted. "From this height?"

"Hmph," Hancock scoffed. Smooch! She kissed the tip of her index finger and then pointed it at the huge hole in the wall that Luffy and Blizzard had made, or rather aiming at the two Straw Hats, like it was a gun. "Pistol KISS!"

BAM! Hancock fired a heart-shaped bullet at Luffy and Blizzard…and it actually managed to hit the former!

"AGH!" Luffy grunted as he held his side. "What the hell was that? A bullet?"

Bullets aren't supposed to work on Luffy! Blizzard thought. He's supposed to be made of rubber!

BAM! Luffy and Blizzard fell to the castle grounds.

"Kuja Pirates! Capture that man and his wolf!" Hancock ordered. "They're intruders!"

The Kuja quickly rushed to the castle to apprehend the intruders, all the while wondering how a man had gotten to their island.

XXX

Moments later, Luffy and Blizzard were now in the island's coliseum. They were bound by snakes which acted like ropes that they somehow couldn't break through, as if they were made of steel. All around them, they could hear the women cheering the Gorgon Sisters' names.

"We were too late," said Kikyo, sitting amongst the audience, along with Marguerite, Sweet Pea, and Aphelandra. "I just hope they don't ask him how and the wolf entered the country."

Marguerite just sat there in silence. She had been quiet for an awfully long time, too.

"They're going to kill them, aren't they?" she asked.

Luffy took a look around.

"What kind of an island is this?" he asked to no one in particular. "There seriously aren't any men here?"

Uh, duh! Blizzard thought. It's called the Island of Maidens! Man, you're dense! What have I done to deserve you?

"So tell me, man," Hancock said. "How did you and your mongrel wolf enter this island? What is it that you want here?"

"I dunno!" Luffy answered, still struggling to get out of his bonds. "Blizzard and I were just flying through the sky for three days and three nights, and the next thing I knew, we end up here!"

"Lies!" Hancock barked. "I am no fool to believe such a ridiculous tale!"

WOOF! RUFF! AROOOOOOO~! Blizzard started to bark and howl.

But you have to! he thought. He's telling the truth, really! He's a horrible liar! I know!

"I know that you and your beast are up to no hood," said Hancock. "You're after something."

"Well, yeah," Luffy said. "Blizzard and I need a ship! We need to get off this island and get to somewhere as soon as possible so we can get back together with our friends! Hey, lady! If you're the big boss of this island, then please, help us! My dog and I have to go out to sea!"

The women began to boo and hiss at the Straw Hat captain.

"How dare he say 'Hey, lady' to the Snake Princess!"

"He's so vulgar and rude! I can't stand him!"

"You and your wolf will never leave this place alive," Hancock said, narrowing her eyes. "Your fate has been decided the moment you set foot here."

"Snake Princess! Please, wait!"

Hancock turned to the west of her and saw Marguerite, standing up from her seat and leaping into the arena.

"Marguerite, come back!" Kikyo cried.

"I don't think this man would tell a lie, Snake Princess!" Marguerite said. "Everything that he's saying is true! I don't believe that he or his wolf would do anything to bring harm to our country!"

"Hey, Marguerite!" Luffy said. "Yeah! Listen to her! She'll vouch for us!"

"You are one of the city defenders," said Hancock.

"Yes," Marguerite said. "My name is Marguerite."

"Then you know that it is absolutely forbidden for men to set foot on this island," Hancock told her. "The moment he and his wolf arrived here, they were both sentenced to death from the start. So why do you defend them?"

"Because I feel guilty, Snake Princess," Marguerite replied. "You see…the one who brought him into the city…was me!"

The women gasped, but the one that was most shocked was Kikyo.

"Marguerite, no!" Kikyo shouted.

"S-Snake Princess!" Sweet Pea called. "The saga of: she had a good reason!"

"That's right!" added Aphelandra. "You see, the wolf led us to the man because he was in trouble! His body was covered in mushrooms! We mistook for one of our own, so we brought him to the city!"

"Sweet Pea! Aphelandra!" Kikyo said. "Not you, too!"

Aphelandra and Sweet Pea jumped into the arena and dropped to their hands and knees.

"It was our fault, too!" Aphelandra said.

"Stop it! Both of you!" Marguerite said. "I'm the one who said we should take him back to the city!"

"Wow," Luffy said. "And you guys were trying to kill me and Blizzard, earlier. We really owe you one!" He grinned and chuckled.

Why do I have this feeling that something bad is about to happen? Blizzard thought.

"Unfortunately," Ran started, "in saying that…"

"Marguerite's being too honest," Daisy said. "ZAHAHAHAHA~!"

Hancock began to descend from her throne, slowly approaching Marguerite, who was down on her hands and knees in a bow.

"I, alone, am responsible for the man's presence," Marguerite said. "Please forgive me, Snake Princess. I have three nieces that I'm trying to raise on my own!"

Hancock put a finger underneath Marguerite's chin, forcing her to stand.

"Raise your head, honest little Marguerite," the Warlord said.

Marguerite looked up at Hancock, her heart beginning to thump against her ribcage.

"Love-Love MELLOW!"

Marguerite gasped, a blush appearing on her face before…KREKK! She was frozen…in stone!

Sweet Pea and Aphelandra had been turned into stone, as well!

Luffy and Blizzard stared at their saviors in shock.

Oh, no…! Blizzard thought.

"H-hey!" Luffy called as he stood up. "A-are you three okay? What's wrong with you guys? Say something! Speak to me!"

Kikyo put her hand to her forehead.

"Why didn't you just stay quiet?" Kikyo asked.

"What happened to them?" Luffy questioned. "Th-they've been turned to stone, but why?" He turned to Hancock. "Hey, you! What did you to them? They saved me and my dog!"

Grr~! BARK! BARK-BARK-BARK-BARK! Blizzard began to growl, snarl, and bark at Hancock. He no longer held any fear towards this woman because of her title. Now, he was just angry. Angry because she had just turned his and Luffy's saviors into stone effigies.

"That's precisely the reason that they had to be punished," said Hancock as she began to ascend to her throne.

"Wait!" Luffy called. "Come back here, you!"

"I was going to have you and your beast fight each other to the death," Hancock said, "but then again…that would be rather boring."

So what are we? Blizzard thought. Toys?

Hancock turned to Luffy and said, "Amazon Lily is a nation of warrior women. Here, strength is beauty. Fight to the best of your ability and die an honorable death while we watch."

SWIP-SWIP! The snakes unwrapped themselves around Luffy and Blizzard and made a hasty getaway, just as a humungous shadow loomed over the two. Looking back, they saw that it was a gigantic black panther with huge protruding fangs and a drooling mouth.

To put it simply…the big cat looked hungry.

"This panther is Bacura the Executioner," said Hancock. "He and his ancestors have served the empresses of Amazon Lily for generations. Once he's finished with you and your filthy mutt…you will just be an unpleasant. Not even your bones will remain!"

"What's going to happen to them?" Luffy questioned. "They'll change back, won't they?"

"Don't you dare talk back to the Snake Princess that way!"

"Kill them, Bacura!"

"You men are nothing but weak little insects!"

"Nothing but bark!"

GRR~! Bacura growled viciously as he circled behind Luffy and Blizzard, but Blizzard snorted and grunted, showing no sign of fear at the huge cat, like Luffy.

You call that growling? Blizzard thought. I've heard Luffy's stomach growl louder than that!

GRRAAAAARR~! Bacura roared as he lunged forward at his prey. Unfortunately, he was about to learn that this was unlike any other prey he ever attempted to attack.

CRACKER!

BAM! Blizzard jumped at Bacura, ramming his head right into the panther's skull. THUD! Bacura fell to the ground, just as Blizzard landed as well. As the giant panther staggered to his paws, he saw something that sent a shiver down his spine.

Blizzard was giving the cat a deathly glare.

Get lost…pussycat, he thought.

Bacura whimpered as he got down low as Blizzard kept glaring at him before he turned tail and leapt out of the coliseum, nearly crushing anyone in his path with his huge paws.

The women were left shocked. Even Hancock was surprised. They'd never seen Bacura so frightened like that, and all because of a dog who was only about the size of his paw!

"That wolf…" said one woman. "He scared Bacura away!"

"But how?" Ran said. "It couldn't have been Haki, couldn't it? I thought animals couldn't possess it!"

"There's something wrong with all of you," Luffy said as he turned to the audience. "That woman…she turned your friends to stone! SO WHY ARE YOU ALL JUST SITTING THERE AND NOT HELPING THEM?"

Seriously, Blizzard thought. That's low.

"How dare that savage yell at us!"

"Don't listen to him! He's a brutal animal, just like that wolf!"

"We do feel bad for them, but the Snake Princess is always right!"

"Those three had violated the sacred law of Amazon Lily! For that, they deserve punishment!"

And they're saying that we're the savages! Blizzard thought.

"No matter what I do," Hancock said, "everyone in the world will forgive me. Why? Because…I am beautiful."

This was enough to send the audience cheering and screaming the Pirate Empress's name.

"Well?" Hancock asked Luffy. "What about you and your beast?"

Luffy stared at Hancock with the utmost anger and hatred and simply said, "You make me wanna puke, you bitch!"

GRR~! Blizzard growled and snarled at the woman, equally as angry as his master. He was no longer infatuated with this monster.

Hancock gasped before she began to fall back.

"Hancock?" Marigold asked. "What's the matter?"

"This…this can't be happening!" Hancock said. "No man nor beast can resist my charms! Their existence…is intolerable!"

The audience began to roar with anger and distain for Luffy and Blizzard.

"How dare you insult our great Snake Princess like that?"

"Put that man and his wolf to death!"

"Death! Death! Death!" the women started to chant.

"Marigold! Sandersonia!" Hancock ordered. "Bring me that man's head and skin that wolf alive!"

"As you wish, sister," the two sisters said as they stepped into the arena.

At that moment, their bodies began to undergo a change. Their necks grew long. Their legs started to disappear. Their bodies grew pale and scaly. Their tongues became forked, and their mouths grew long, retractable fangs.

Marigold and Sandersonia had turned into giant snakes.

"So they have Devil Fruit powers, too," Luffy whispered.

Zoan type Devil Fruits, to be more precise, Blizzard thought.

"There it is! The Gorgon Sisters' curse!"

"They're about to begin the Snake Burrow Dances!"

"DEATH! DEATH! DEATH!"

Sandersonia and Marigold surrounded both Luffy and Blizzard, prepared to give them one hell of a fight.

Luffy just slammed a fist into his palm and said, "Let's do this, buddy."

Grr…! Blizzard growled in agreement.

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