Ch. 11- The Departure for Hell

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard © Me

The crowd was roaring with cheers as they gathered at the pier of Amazon Lily. The Kuja pirate ship was getting ready to sail…at least, for a short distance. The reason being was being was because Luffy and Blizzard were preparing to depart with Hancock.

"Master Luffy!"

"Luffy~!"

"I thought you and Blizzard weren't going to leave till tomorrow morning!"

"I didn't even get to touch you, yet!"

"I heard that Luffy and Blizzard's destination has changed. They're going with the Snake Princess on the Government ship!"

"Really? Wow!"

Marguerite, Sweet Pea, and Aphelandra were giving their personal farewells to Luffy and Blizzard, who sat atop the head of one of the Yuda.

Marguerite had a last minute gift for Blizzard: a pair of golden anklets to wear on his paws. She claimed that they brought good luck to the wearer.

"Promise me you'll never take them off," Marguerite said.

Blizzard nodded his head in agreement, as if to say, "I promise."

"Thanks for everything, you guys," said Luffy. "When we come back to visit, I'll being my friends with me! Uh…if that's okay."

Marguerite chuckled warmly and said, "I think for you and your friends, we can make an exception." At that, she and her friends suddenly turned. "Oh, look!"

"The saga of: she has arrived!" Sweet Pea added.

A little puppy and a baby seal were seen on the ground, playing.

"Who put this puppy and this baby seal in my way?"

THWAK! WHAK! Hancock kicked the little animals out of her way. They were soon picked up by one of the Kuja.

"Forgive me, Snake Princess! It was my fault!"

"Be more careful in the future."

The crowd began to swoon and cheer at the sight of their empress.

"She's even more beautiful, now~!"

"Her elegance and charm knows no bounds! AAAAAHHHH!"

"Hey, Snake Lady!"

Hancock looked up to see Luffy waving at her.

"Thanks for doing this on such short notice!" he cried. "I hope we can get to the prison as fast as possible!"

Hancock turned away with a blush on her cheeks.

I can't bear to look him in the eye, she thought.

"Luffy, don't call her 'Snake Lady'!" Marguerite called. "It's rude! Call her 'Snake Princess'!"

As Hancock and her snake, Salome, prepared to board the ship, she put a hand to her blushing face and simply said, "Please…just call me 'Hancock'."

The crowd burst into cheers, once again.

"Okay, Hammock," said Luffy.

"That's Hancock," Hancock corrected.

Don't bother trying to correct him, Blizzard thought.

The Kuja swooned and sighed at the sight of Hancock's small smile.

"How many carats is that shine of hers? HOW MANY CARATS?"

One of the Kuja fainted. She couldn't handle the Pirate Empress' beauty for another second.

"Oh, to see a woman in love~!" Nyon whispered in adoration. "There was once a time when I was like that!"

"Uh, Granny Nyon? Your face suddenly got creepy."

"OH, QUIET YOU!"

The Kuja pirate ship soon left its docks, taking Luffy, Blizzard, and Hancock with it.

"Goodbye, Snake Princess!"

"Farewell, Luffy!"

"We'll miss you, Blizzard!"

"Come back again, soon!"

Four of the Kuja were waving goodbye with chopsticks up their noses, like Luffy had them during the banquet.

"Goodbye, Luffy!"

"OH, KNOCK IT OFF!" Kikyo snapped.

Luffy just chuckled as he and Blizzard waved goodbye to their new friends.

XXX

A moment later, Hancock was now boarding the Marine battleship, where Momonga was waiting for her. Around her neck was Blizzard, who lung limp as a rag doll with his eyes closed. It was all part of a ruse to fool Momonga: hiding in plain sight as a wolf-skin scarf.

He was forced to take off his beloved chain in order to avoid suspicion. For the moment, at least.

Hancock did have a bit off difficulty keeping herself balanced, but she managed to keep the wolf-dog on her shoulders.

"The conditions are exactly as I described over the Transponder Snail," Hancock said.

"Then only you and the snake are coming, eh?" inquired Momonga, biting on piece of Sea King meat. "As for stopping by the Great Prison, Impel Down…it's been approved. Under normal circumstances, no pirate is ever allowed near it, not even the Seven Warlords. However, this time will be an exception, but I'm afraid that we won't be able to stay there for very long. Now, come aboard."

One of the Yudas let Hancock descend from its head and onto the Marine battleship.

"It was definitely worth the wait," said Momonga. "Now I can fulfill my mission."

Hancock scoffed as she and Salome walked/slithered passed him.

"Still," Momonga started, "considering how opposed you were to coming earlier, you still made the right decision-"

GRRRUUUUMMMMBLE!

Hancock froze at the sound of that rumbling.

Momonga simple smirked.

"Even the feared Pirate Empress is still human," he said. "Even your stomach growls in hunger."

"Don't be ridiculous!" Hancock barked. "An empress, such as myself, would never make such disgusting sounds!"

"Then was that rumbling I heard?" Momonga questioned.

"I…it was me," Hancock answered with some hesitation as she kept walking.

GRRRRROOOOOWWL! The rumbling noise was heard again.

"Shh…! Quiet, tummy…!"

"Luffy?" Hancock asked, her voice soft.

Inside Hancock's cloak, it was revealed that Luffy was hiding inside in order for him to stow away. Unfortunately, his bottomless stomach chose that moment to start growling.

"I'm sorry," Luffy whispered. "All of those girls were chasing me, so I couldn't get enough to eat!"

Why am I not surprised? Blizzard questioned in thought, irritably.

"Luffy," Hancock whispered. "If Momonga discovers you and Blizzard here, there will be no recourse. I promise, I'll give you something to eat later. For now, you must endure it."

"Okay," Luffy whispered back.

"Also," Hancock started, "it's getting harder to walk with you hanging on to me like this, and carrying Blizzard on my shoulders isn't really helping that much. Do you think that you could climb up by back a bit higher?"

"You mean like this?" Luffy asked as he tried to climb up.

Hancock let out a small gasp as she felt a slight brushing motion around her chest, but she regained her composure.

Momonga, on the other hand, noticed this and went up to her.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "Do you have a fever? Are you sick? Why is your face red?"

"It's nothing," Hancock said.

Momonga hummed questioningly, but simply shrugged it off and then turned to his frozen men.

"Now," he said, "about the matter of my troops. They're not dead, are they? Can you reverse the effect?"

Just then, Blizzard's nose twitched. Hancock's hair was tickling his nose. He started to scrunch up his muzzle in an attempt to get rid of the itch in his nostrils, but it didn't seem to help.

ACHOO! Blizzard let out a big sneeze, causing Hancock to grit her teeth in nervousness. Luckily, the wolf-dog managed to return to his limp state once Momonga turned his attention back to Hancock.

"What was that?" asked the Vice-Admiral.

"It was me!" Hancock exclaimed.

Momonga narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously. Hancock looked at Blizzard, then back at the Marine.

ACHOO! She let out a fake sneeze.

"This cold night air is bad for me," said Hancock. "I fear I might be catching a cold!"

Momonga turned away from Hancock and back at his troops.

"That was close," Luffy whispered. "I was afraid he'd catch us, for sure, this time."

"It appears that I've managed to deceive him, somehow," Hancock said.

"There's something strange going on, here."

Hancock turned to Momonga, who approached her with eyes narrowed, suspiciously.

"First, you refuse the summons of the Warlords," Momonga said. "Then, you change your mind and decide to come. What's going on here, Hancock?"

Uh-oh… Blizzard thought. Sounds like he's on to us.

Luffy just decided not to say anything, out of fear that they would get caught.

"Are you implying that I have something to hide?" Hancock said. "I am simply coming for the good of my country." She then made a sly grin. "But if you doubt me, then go ahead. Search me and prove that I am wrong."

Momonga and Hancock soon came into a stare down.

Is she outta her mind? Blizzard thought.

"Don't do that…!" Luffy whispered. "That's too risky…!"

A pause came.

"Fine," Momonga said. "I believe you." He turned back to his men. "Now…return my men to flesh and blood."

"As you wish," Hancock said as she approached the Marines. She raised her hand up to her lips. "Awaken," she said.

FWOO~! She blew a kiss from her hand.

The Marines returned to flesh and blood, still swooning over Hancock's beauty.

"HANCO-"

THUD! The sea men soon fell on the deck.

"Huh?"

"What just happened?"

"Why am I drooling?"

"Get underway, you fools!" Momonga barked.

"Aye-aye, sir!"

With that, the Marines prepared to set sail.

"Sister!" Sandersonia called from the Kuja pirate ship. "Please, be careful out there!"

"And come back alive!" added Marigold.

"Good luck, Snake Princess!"

"And you, too, Luffy and Blizzard…!" some Kuja whispered.

"I must be going, now," said Hancock. "I entrust the kingdom to you while I am away."

"You can count on us!" declared the Gorgon Sisters.

With that, the Kuja pirate ship sailed back to Amazon Lily.

Hancock was being escort to her own private quarters on the ship by Momonga.

"I'll have someone bring you something to eat, later," he said. "For now, please stay in these quarters until we arrive at our destination."

At that, Momonga left Hancock to be alone.

Hancock took a look at her surroundings. The room was decorated rather nicely with pink walls and drapes. There was a lounge by the porthole window, a coffee table in the middle of the room surrounded by two armchairs and a sofa, a stove and teapot, and a bed.

Apparently, the Marines thought that Hancock should be treated more like a guest than a prisoner.

"Luffy," Hancock said. "You can come out now."

Luffy appeared from Hancock's cloak, heaving a sigh and stretching his legs. Blizzard also jumped off from Hancock's shoulders and stretched his muscles, as well.

"That was a close one," said Luffy. "I really thought that guy was gonna notice us! Sure was scary! Huh, Blizzard?"

Blizzard nodded.

"Until we arrive at Impel Down," Hancock began, "we cannot leave this room, Luffy. The Marines must not know of yours or Blizzard's presence if we are to arrive safely."

"Okay," said Luffy. "Gonna be pretty boring though. What about my food?"

"You'll be fed, soon," Hancock said. "Until we reach Impel Down, you and Blizzard must get some rest."

Luffy nodded, now realizing how tired he was. He went over to the lounge, laid down, and before long, he drifted off into slumber.

Blizzard followed his master's lead and lied next to him, curling up into a ball of white fur and closing his eyes. Luffy draped around Blizzard's neck and lightly snored.

"Sleep well, Luffy," Hancock whispered before she, too, decided to retire for the night. She turned off the lights and headed for bed.

Blizzard, however, was the only one who was not really asleep.

Impel Down, the wolf-dog thought. If the rumors about that place are true…then that means Luffy and I…are headed straight for Hell.

And so, Monkey D. Luffy and "White Wolf" Blizzard, with the help of "Pirate Empress" Boa Hancock, were soon en route to the Great Underwater Gaol: Impel Down. There, their strength would be put to the limit…and they would have to be stronger than ever before in the hope that they would rescue Portgas D. Ace from execution.

From this point on…there was no turning back.

Well, that's done!

I'll be starting on the Impel Down Trials on Saturday!

Until then, review please!