Restructer Revolution
XVII: Next To Be Lost
Previously:
As it were, with the help of the Flying Fish Riders, the entire crew escaped safely to Grove 13 of the Sabaody Archipelago.
Watching from the branches of the Yarukiman Mangroves, Ryou chuckled slightly. "How endearing. Quite a specimen, isn't he?" the white-haired man commented to the figure behind him.
"Very fun," the one behind growled. "As a thief, I approve wholeheartedly. Even I gotta agree, the Pharaoh's got taste here."
"Well, you'll get your chance to meet him soon," Ryou commented light-heartedly to the man that was a dark twisted version of him. "Bakura."
"Then, if you ever need anything, just call me! We'll be your arms and legs until you're ready to go to Fishman Island!"
"Sure!" Luffy chirped, ignoring the horrendous winks. "Thanks a lot you guys!"
"Don't mention it," Another horrible attempt...
"Stop winking already," Sanji drawled.
After returning the backpack retrieved by Duval after beating up the kidnappers, Duval prepared to drive off. "Now, let's go, Rosy Life Riders!"
"Yes, Handrosy!"
"They've got quite a few different names for him, huh?" Luffy commented as the entire mob drove off.
"They're probably still trying to find a good one," Sanji answered.
"Well, let's hurry up and get inside," Rayleigh pointed to a building bearing the sign: Shakky's Rip-off Bar.
"We've got to stabilise Hachi!" Chopper reported as he dashed up the steps with the rest.
"Oi, Shakky!" Rayleigh called. "We're back!"
The door opened to reveal the owner herself, a relatively slim and tall woman with short black hair, with two tufts pointing upwards. A pink revealing singlet with a spider printed upon in over which she wore a black jacket with matching black pants. "Oh, Ray San! Welcome back! That was fast. I'm really impressed that you guys found him, Monkey Chan."
"Hachi is badly injured, so we've got to get him to the bed fast," Rayleigh commented.
"What happened?" Shakky looked perturbed for a moment. "Never mind, I'll get a bed ready for him."
Luffy then snapped up. "Oh, yeah, Ossan, just now you said that you had something to say to me...?"
Rayleigh just smiled in reply.
"EEEEHHH!" Luffy yelled later once the entire crew was in the bar. "ON THE PIRATE KING'S SHIP?"
"Yeah," Rayleigh poured himself a shot of rum. "I was the Vice-captain. I'm Silvers Rayleigh. Nice to meet you."
"Vice-Captain?" most of the crew echoed as Usopp did a spit-take.
"You didn't tell them, Hacchan?" Shakky asked Hachi.
"We only needed him to coat the ship..." Hachi wheezed.
"Oh, you didn't notice?" Robin commented.
"I totally know that name!" Usopp cried.
"It's written down in so many books..." Nami half-cried.
"That's definitely a name everyone's heard of at least once..." Sanji mumbled.
"Gold Roger?" Brook mumbled. "There might be a rookie by that name, or maybe there wasn't..."
"How does that octopus know a big shot like you?" Zoro asked.
"Well, Hachi helped me once when I was stranded at sea over twenty years ago," Rayleigh answered.
"He saved his life," Shakky commented. "He was just a kid at that time."
"Hachi and I used to get along pretty well before he joined the Sun Pirates," Rayleigh explained.
"Arlong's crew, right?" Luffy commented as he raided the fridge of the Rip-Off Bar.
Sanji lit a cigarette. "But... if Gold Roger was executed twenty-two years ago, how come you, the vice-captain, is still alive? Your crew was captured by the Navy, right?"
"Erm, sorry to interrupt..." Yusei started. "But Gold Roger... who's that?"
The resulting silence was one of disbelief for a few moments.
"Ah, yes, Yusei dropped from the sky," Nami commented, finally understanding. "Wealth, fame, power... the man who had everything, the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, or Gold Roger. At his execution twenty-two years ago, his last words sent the world out to the seas, thus creating the Grand Age of Pirates we're in today."
"Ah," Yusei nodded. "In that case, Sanji San's question does have relevance."
"We weren't captured," Rayleigh finally answered after a long while. "Roger surrendered to them."
"EEEHHH?"
"I suppose the Government claimed that they'd 'captured' him, to show their power," Rayleigh continued.
"The Pirate King surrendered?" Nami asked. "Why?"
The glass was set down with a thunk. "He could se the end of our journey.
"It was probably about four years before he was executed... Roger caught an incurable disease."
"Eh?"
"It was a disease nobody could cure or destabilise," Rayleigh continued. "Even Roger suffered from it, but... But one man, the most well-known doctor of his time... A man called Crocus of the Twin Capes, had the skill to ease his suffering."
Brook nearly dropped his chopsticks at that announcement.
"We asked him for help, and he joined us as the ship's doctor for our last journey," Rayleigh sighed. "And then, three years later, while holding off Roger's disease... we did what was said was impossible, and conquered the Grand Line."
"C- C- Crocus San?" Brook stuttered. "From the Twin Capes... oh, how nostalgic!"
"Eh?" Usopp yelled. "I thought that old man had been at those capes for fifty years! So he was part of the Pirate King's crew?"
"Come to think of it, he said that he'd been a ship's doctor for a while," Nami commented. "So he was a pirate for those three years?"
"If you met him, then that means that he's still well," Rayleigh answered. "Crocus only had one condition... that we let him look for a certain pirate crew whom he wanted to find."
"Hey Brook!" Usopp exclaimed. "That must mean he went off to sea to look for you guys!"
"So Crocus San even did something like that for us?" the skeleton was crying.
"He was only a crew member for three years... but he was, without a doubt, our nakama." Rayleigh commented. "At my age, I would really like to meet him again."
"So, what happened after you conquered the sea?" Sanji stubbed out the cigarette butt.
"After that..." Rayleigh sighed. "Roger became known all over the world as the Pirate King. It's not like he'd been called the Pirate King all along." he poured himself another measure. "Titles like that didn't mean much for a man on the verge of death... but, Roger was happy about it. He was a man who loved doing everything in grand style... be it celebrations or battles... even though he knew he wouldn't live much longer, he seemed to enjoy himself... Eventually, at the captain's orders, the Roger Pirates disbanded. We all went our separate ways, and one after another, everyone disappeared. I have no idea what our comrades whom we risked our lives with are now, nor what they are doing."
He was looking into the measure of rum, recalling days long gone as he told his tale.
"Then, one year after the crew dissolved... Roger turned himself in and was arrested. It was decided that he would be executed in the town he was born in... Loguetown in East Blue. I hear that on that day... countless pirates who are famous today... were gathered in the square. The Pirate King's execution was the centre of attention for the world."
There was a beat of pause. "I didn't go. These were the last words he said to me... I'm not gonna die, partner. "
Rayleigh smiled. "I'm sure both the World Government and the Navy were surprised... they had intended for the execution to be a warning to all the pirates who saw it... But Roger's last words raised the curtains on the Great Pirate Era!"
My treasure? If you want them, they're yours! Look for them! I left it all at that place.
"Just a few seconds before the flame of his life went out, it flickered... and he turned it into a blazing flare that covered the entire world!" Rayleigh nostalgically recalled. "I've never laughed as hard as I did that night. I've never cried as much as I did that night... Nor have I ever drunk as much as I did that night. He led a marvelous life as my captain!"
Shivers were literally crawling on Luffy's skin as Rayleigh's story ended.
"Seems like we just heard quite the story..." Nami gasped. "It sounds like a completely different story coming from someone who was involved..."
"Then, it's almost as though Roger intended to start this pirate era!" Usopp voiced out.
"I can't say anything for sure about that," Rayleigh answered. "Roger died. The ones creating the current era are the ones who live right now. I'm sure there were a lot of people who received something from Roger in the square that day. Shanks, whom you know well, was one of them."
"Pops, you know Shanks?" Luffy spoke around a mouthful of food.
"If you're from East Blue, then maybe you know a pirate named Buggy as well?" Rayleigh asked.
Nami and Zoro frowned simultaneously. "Buggy!"
"Those two were cabin boys aboard our ship."
"EH?" Luffy spat out a bit of food. "SHANKS WAS ON THE PIRATE KING'S SHIP?"
"Hmm?" Rayleigh looked at him. "What, he didn't tell you? It was about ten years ago... I encountered him by chance on this island... he'd lost his trademark straw hat and his left arm."
Luffy closed his mouth with both hands at that.
"When I asked him why, he excitedly started telling me about you," Rayleigh continued.
Luffy quickly swallowed all his food.
"Ever since then, Monkey D. Luffy..." Rayleigh continued. "I've wanted to meet you someday."
Luffy pulled the straw hat low over his eyes. "Shanks...!"
"If Shanks hadn't told me all those things about you, I wouldn't have told you any of this either," Rayleigh stated. "Anyway, you did well to make it this far. He must be awaiting your arrival in the New World."
"Really?" Luffy grinned. "Yeah, he must be! I wanna see him again, too!"
Rayleigh smiled as he began to stand. "Well, the situation is like this, so... I was supposed to coat your ship, right? I suppose I'd better get to work, then."
"Nyuu," Hachi began "Come to think of it, ship-coating costs a lot of money..."
"No, it's fine, Hachi. I won't take any money from your friends."
"That's good. Thank you, Rayleigh."
Usopp and Nami exclaimed in glee. "I don't really get it, but it's great that he'll do it for free!"
"Thanks for that!" Sanji grinned. "You're really generous!"
"Seems like we're going to save quite a bit!" Nami exclaimed.
Robin stood up. "Rayleigh San..."
"Hmm?"
"I have a question." Robin met the Dark King eye for eye. "Exactly what is the 'Will of D.'? On the Poneglyph I saw on Sky Island... Roger's name was engraved with the ancient language. How did he know those letters? Do you people know what happened during the Void Century nine hundred years ago?"
The very air itself seemed to change as he answered. "Yeah. We know. We learned the entire history. However, miss... don't be hasty. Please push forward with your ship, one step at a time. Perhaps we, as well as Ohara, were too impatient. If I were to tell you the entire history here and now, it's not like you could do anything the way you are now. After you've taken your time to see the world... the conclusion you'll reach might be different from what we found. If you still want to hear it, then I'll tell you everything about the world now."
There was a brief internal debate flashing in her eyes before she decided. "No, don't tell me. I'll continue on the journey."
"You'll see it all eventually," Rayleigh promised. "It's too bad about what happened to your homeland, Ohara. But Roger couldn't actually read those letters. We were pirates. We couldn't possibly compare to the genius Clover, or the other Oharans' intelligence. He... could hear the 'voice of all things'. That's all there is."
"Oi, are you sure, Robin?" Usopp exclaimed. "Didn't you just let a great chance slip away? Oi, Ossan! I wanna ask something too! The legendary treasure, One Piece... is it really-"
"USOPP!" Luffy's yell was so sudden that the sniper actually collapsed.
"I don't wanna hear where the treasure is!" Luffy retorted. "I don't even wanna hear if there IS a treasure or not! I dunno anything about it, but everyone sets off to sea to find it for themselves! If Pops were to tell us anything here, then I'll quit on becoming Pirate King! If we're going to have a boring adventure like that, then I would rather die!"
"Uh, I got it!" Usopp panicked. "I got it! Sorry, I just got carried away! I don;t wanna hear anything either! Oh yeah! I've got the 'I'll die if I hear anything about One Piece' disease! So don't you dare say anything, Ossan!"
Shakky chuckled lightly.
"Can you do it?" Rayleigh pronounced. "The Grand Line far exceeds anything that you can imagine. The enemies will be strong too. Can you conquer such a terrifying sea?"
There was a moment when Luffy and Rayleigh looked at each other, as if testing their resolve.
"I don't wanna conquer anything!" Luffy grinned. "It;s just that the person with the most freedom on the sea is the Pirate King!"
Whatever that answer meant, Rayleigh seemed pleased. "I see."
Shakky smiled. "I'm really a big fan of yours, Monkey Chan."
"The ship is in Grove 41, right?" Rayleigh asked. "I'll be going there. What about you? The admiral is still coming to this island, you know."
"Oh, right," Yusei realised. "The commodore was talking about an Admiral Kizaru coming."
"We'll just cause trouble if we stay here..." Nami considered. "So, let's go somewhere... and shop!"
"Are you out of your mind?" Usopp squawked. "We're being chased, so we have to stay hidden!"
"She's right," Franky argued. "If we stay together, people will probably come after us. In order to get off more smoothly, it'd be better for us to split up in town."
"Then, we'll just randomly split up into groups and gather up there when he's done, right?" Zoro pointed out.
"Talking about gathering up like it's a plan..." Sanji growled. "Whose mouth did that come from?"
"Shakky, you have that, right?" Rayleigh asked the owner.
"Yeah, I've got one."
"Before that," Yusei finally broke the temporary silence that had hovered between the Duellists. "Shakky San, do you have any information on the Admiral Kizaru?"
This caused most of the Straw Hats to give him odd looks.
"Oi, Yusei! We're not intending to fight the admiral!" Usopp squawked.
"And that information can be used to evade the admiral too," the mechanic pointed out. "Who to avoid, who to contact, where to hit, what powers they have, all these are standard questions. I am a huge believer in that knowledge is power. I may not object to the grand adventure our captain proposes, but..." his piercing eyes caused even Luffy to stare. "I will not let my crew down because of a lack of information that could be easily remedied by asking the correct questions earlier!"
"If we must come to blows..." Aki's eyes turned dangerously murderous. "He will become fertiliser."
"Wow," the Dark King, Silvers Rayleigh, twitched slightly. "How terrifying... and how admirable..."
"A woman in love is a scary thing," Shakky smiled. "Ask away."
"This is a Vivre card!" Nami exclaimed as Rayleigh held up the paper.
"Oh, if you know about it, that makes things easier," Rayleigh said as he shouldered what looked like a huge bucket and brush. "I'm a wanted man too... so I think I'll move the ship from Grove 41 and work on it somewhere else. The coating should take about three days."
Luffy started. "It takes three whole days?"
"Your lives are depending on my work, so that's the fastest I can do," Rayleigh answered.
"So, we have to survive for three days..." Brook murmured. "Yohohoho! Scary!"
"Shall we say sunset in three days?" Rayleigh suggested. "I'm not sure which grove I'll be in... but just follow the Vivre card, and I'll be waiting for you with the ship coated." he shouldered the huge bag. "You'd better go buy whatever supplies you'll need for your underwater trip to Fishman Island."
"Thanks a lot, Luffy-chin and everyone!" Keimi smiled.
"Really, thanks!" Pappagg was crying.
"This all happened because of me, so sorry!" Hachi called from his bed. "To show our gratitude, we'll show you the way to Fishman Island, so don't worry! Watch out for the Navy in the next three days!"
"Hachi, watch your health," Chopper warned.
"Let's meet again in three days," Shakky saluted them. "I'll be there to send you off, okay?"
"See ya later, granny!" Luffy grinned. "We're up against an admiral! We'll have to make sure that none of us die, eh?"
"Don't say scary stuff like that!" Usopp yelled at him.
"Three days, huh?" Franky grumbled.
"Then let's go!" Luffy grinned. "To the amusement park!"
"Oi!"
"But, who'd have thought that we'd meet one of the Pirate King's crew-mates in a place like this?' Franky remarked. "It surprised me."
"Oh?" Usopp asked.
"How should I put it... he really left an impression, especially for a geezer," Franky muttered.
"Well, he's the most famous of Roger's crew-mates after all," Usopp sighed. "Oi, Yusei, what do you think of him?"
"He must've been a tyrant on his own ship," Yusei answered. "Why else call him 'Dark King'?"
"So he was a crew mate of the Oro Jackson, huh?" Franky mumbled, before a small smile broke out. "I'm glad I met him."
"So, you're the type to respect his elders?" Usopp asked.
Franky blushed. "It happens from time to time!"
Luffy finally started. "Ah, na, why don't we go to the amusement park?"
"Will you shut up?" Franky and Usopp yelled at him.
"Don't you understand the situation we're in?" Franky continued.
"You still don't get it?" Usopp yelled.
"I want to go..." Chopper and Brook muttered together.
"You too?" Franky and Usopp raged.
"I'm telling you, we'll hide in the amusement park!" Luffy pouted.
"Stop lying," Usopp answered. "You'd just play around, flashily at that."
"I don't think that, even if we hide in the amusement park, that the Marines will be deterred much," Yusei considered. "You did hit their Tenryuubito after all, Luffy San. It'll be more likely for them to open fire on you straight, if I am not wrong."
"What's more, if we begin fighting in the amusement park the casualties increase," Aki considered.
A large stomp caused all the Straw Hats to face their latest threat. There were varied reactions, the most a scream from Usopp.
"You're kidding me!" Nami cried out.
Luffy blinked. "Who're you?"
"Stand back, Luffy!" Usopp yelled.
"He's one of the Shichibukai!" Nami added.
"Shichibukai?" Luffy echoed. "How do you know?"
"This is the first time...?" Yusei frowned. "How would they know...? Thriller Bark!" he drew a card quickly. "Sonic Chick, summon!"
"Yusei Dono, quack!" the pink duckling appeared. "What can I- ah, that stupid bear?"
"No matter what, don't let that attack hit you!" Sanji yelled. "It's a shock-wave!"
Luffy narrowly dodged the beam in time as it impacted and exploded, sending shock-waves out.
"What the-?"
"He could even do this?" Usopp yelled.
"That's not the stupid bear, quack!" Hane squawked. "It's a machine! It has no aura!"
"Hey, that's not a shock-wave!" Luffy yelled.
Chopper added. "That's a-"
"BEAM!" both of them had stars around their eyes.
"This is no time to be happy!" Usopp yelled at them.
"Bartholomew Kuma... why is he here again?" Robin murmured.
"That bastard...!" Zoro growled.
"That's not the stupid bear, quack!" Hane scolded both of them. "Just because it looks like it, doesn't mean it is, quack!"
"How do you know?" Zoro asked.
"It has no aura," Sonic Chick growled.
"Is he that guy who showed up afterwards on Thriller Bark?" Luffy asked.
"Yeah, that's him!" Usopp pointed. "Although why he was gone last time we don't know, but last time he made some shock-wave with the pads on his hands and caused us a lot of trouble!"
Chopper grew to his large form. "He was planning to eliminate us there, but... I guess he realised we survived and came back!"
"Drill Peck!" Chopper cowered as Hane's beak made contact with his skull repeatedly. "It's a machine, idiot reindeer!"
"Back then, you sure got us good!" Franky aimed. "Coup de Vent!"
The force impacted it in the stomach and drove it back, but did nothing else.
"Luffy San!"
"Gear Second!" Luffy announced. "I already know you're strong, so I'll go all out right away!"
"We've got no choice!" Sanji spoke the opinion of the Straw Hat Pirates at that moment as they prepared for battle.
"Aki-ojou, this guy once tried to kill Yusei Dono!" Hane screamed in a last-ditch attempt to wake them.
"Yosh, everyone-" Luffy was interrupted by the fluttering petals before him. "Robin, is that you?"
"No, captain," the archaeologist replied. "This is... rose..."
"Aki!" Yusei swiftly turned towards the source of the petals, a tornado of them twisting around Izayoi Aki as her bangs fluttered like a sea of the petals.
"Draw!" her voice sighed, anger cracking in every syllable. "You. Die. Now. I summon Twilight Rose Knight! By its effect, I summon Botanical Girl! Splendid hunter and dweller of the sacred forest, with your whip of punishment in hand, come forth now! Synchro Summon! Appear now, Splendid Rose!"
"What's that?" Usopp blinked as a blond youth in a black and green costume stepped forth.
"I then play Wonder Clover," Aki added as the youth bowed to her before cracking his green whip of thorned vines. "I discard Gigantic Cephalotus, and so Splendid Rose can attack twice. I activate the first effect of Splendid Rose, banishing Gigantic Cephalotus to halve that... that thing's power!"
Thorned vines sprung forth, trapping the large machine shaped like Bartholomew Kuma in its tight hold.
"Battle!" Aki commanded coldly, as the youth jumped forth and drop-kicked the large monster, breaking through in a single kick to turn the machine into so much scrap.
Franky was the first to break the silence. "What the hell-?"
"Is the monster that strong!" Usopp screamed.
"No!" Hane shivered. "It's that the stupid-bear clone got weakened..."
"And, the second attack!" Aki commanded. "Splendid Rose, this guy's controller... find him!"
"Ah!" Yusei realised as the monster flew up.
"What, Yusei?" Luffy looked at him.
"That... robot could not have come alone," Yusei slowly stated. "That's why, it must have received orders to come and hunt us all. If it has, then its controller must be around!"
"Cool!" Luffy's eyes gleamed. "So cool! I'm so glad you're my nakama! Cool! Aki, next time, I've got to fight that!"
"Idiot! Think of the damage!" the rest of the crew yelled at him.
After that, they could say nothing as the second one turned up.
"Just what the hell is that?' Franky panted as he, Usopp and Brook took shelter in a derelict building.
"Like they said, it's a beam!" Usopp yelled.
"A beam is just a ray of light!" Franky argued. "Having something like that work as a weapon is just a fantasy!"
"No!" Yusei landed, a slightly battered lump beside him of black and white beside him. "It seems like they used the principle of convergent light to create the laser... quite a miracle, all things considered..."
"Oi, Yusei, why the hell did you drag that Kuma body with you?" Usopp screamed as the mechanic rolled over the body to reveal the downed Shichibukai, the hole in its chest clear evidence of what brought it down. "How...?"
"Turret Warrior, defend us while I cut this open," Yusei ordered the monster, which knelt by the entrance. "Franky San, come over."
Franky whistled. "Damn. So they basically packed an assault tank into a human body... why the bastard Kuma though? This work... can only be the famous Doctor Vegapunk. No other scientist can compare to the genius Vegapunk-"
Another explosion sounded outside, and the shift of Turret Warrior's cannons could be heard.
"How do these things home in... ah." Even Yusei looked slightly queasy, as the rest of the Straw Hats looked on.
"That looks sick..." Usopp commented.
"I'd throw up the contents of my stomach... but I have no stomach...!" Brook chuckled faintly.
"Yusei... what the hell are you doing...?" Usopp mumbled as Yusei pulled out a roll of tools.
"Franky San, this is completely automated, it's not a cyborg like you are," the brunet young man quickly fished for a spanner. "By any means, it's a ship, so someone must be controlling in remotely. There must be a central part of this thing that commands it to fights us. Luffy San, Aki and everyone else are fighting to buy us time! If we can find a weakness in the other one's design flaw..."
"How is it?" Robin gasped as she collapsed inside, Chopper in his reindeer form following soon after. "Aki Chan is fighting toe-to-toe with the machine Kuma for the moment, and the rest of the crew is fighting. Her monster is trying to find the controller, but cannot due to the presence of the machine Kuma."
"From his hands! And his mouth!" Chopper yelped, exhausted.
"This structure will probably be its next target," Yusei dispassionately observed as he folded up his tools. "Let's run!"
Franky looked up from where he was poking around inside. "But, the machine-"
"I can recall it! Let's get out of here!" Yusei grimaced as another explosion sounded and Turret Warrior's cannons began firing. "Knowledge is useless if we're buried!"
They made it out in time for the derelict temporary shelter to blow up from a stray blast.
Meanwhile, the Monster Trio of the Straw Hat Pirates were going all out against the second Kuma.
"Santouryuu..."
"Gomu Gomu no..."
"Diable..."
"Mouton..."
"Jet..."
"Roppoyaku Pound..."
"Cannon!"
"Dandylion, summon!" A small sunflower prowled beside her as Izayoi Aki got to work. "Copy Plant, summon, choose Dandylion!" A small piece of undergrowth took on the shape of the lion-like sunflower. "Tuning! Regal monarch of the forests, come forth to protect our garden with your deadly aegis! Synchro summon! Appear now, Queen of Thorns!"
"Hyakuhachi Pound Hou!" Zoro executed the attack as a regal-looking queen of the undergrowth, splendid in her red dress with a serenely cruel smile appeared, curtsying to Aki before turning towards the battle.
"Fluff Tokens!" Aki growled towards the two yellow dandelion fluffs that appeared. "Fragrance Storm."
One vanished in a swirl of petals as she drew again.
"Naturia Pineapple, summon," the Black Rose Witch commanded as a tiny pineapple appeared in the palm of her hand. "Let's get to work."
"Concasse!" Sanji tried to trip the huge being.
"Hyakuhachi-" Zoro never got to finish as the enemy aimed a palm at him, yellow light gathering in its palm.
"Wall of Thorns!" Creepers armed with thorns rose up around the swordsman to lash out at the Kuma machine, smashing it, but not before its mouth opened to gather light, aiming at a hunched over Zoro.
"Idiot! What are you doing!" Sanji hollered.
Zoro leapt into the sky, avoiding the blast, but groaned as he hit the ground sprawling out.
"Old injuries," Aki gave a quick glance. "I suppose those are internal injuries. And judging from your last check-up, you haven't yet recovered..."
"Hey, Zoro! Were you really so badly injured you can't move?" Luffy asked in concern.
"Leave him alone, Luffy!" Sanji panted. "We've gotta defeat this thing first!"
"Kokutei: Roseo Michieri!" Chopper unleashed a barrage of hoof-punches at it until the golem reached out a hand to stop it and aim a blast.
"Strong Hammer!" Franky diverted the light away with a pinch, allowing Chopper to escape. "Franky Boxing!"
"Aim for the neck!" Yusei hollered as he sidled past to Aki. "Are you alright? Sorry, I had to cut open the last one to find a weakness."
"That explains the blood," Aki weakly chuckled. "So, what's the plan?"
"The controller turns up, we set a trap," Yusei grimaced. "The Black Rose persuasion."
"My type," Aki nodded, also grimacing. "Black Garden."
"We can't take his physical strength lightly either!" Usopp exclaimed as Franky was knocked back to be saved by timely intervention from Robin.
"Yohohoho!" Brook ran up a nearby tree trunk. "Take care! Here I go!" He dived at the Kuma clone. "Swallow Bond En Avant!"
The sword stuck in Kuma and stayed there.
"Yohohoho... Eh? AH! I have stopped!"
The Kuma opened its mouth, a yellow beam gathering.
"W- Wait, that's dangerous!" Brook yelped. "Are you planning to kill me? ...though I'm already dead... wait, this is no time to be saying that...!"
"Hissatsu: Atlas Suisei!" the shots hit true, the skeleton taking the chance to escape.
"Now's our chance! Run!" Usopp ran.
"That was scary! Thank you so much!" Despite the head-start, Brook easily caught up.
All the Straw Hats finally stopped to stare as the Kuma went on its knees, seemingly dazed.
"What?" Usopp grumbled. "Bombs work on it NOW?"
"One shot went into his mouth..." Franky panted. "Something inside its body must have short-circuited... his body might be tough, but he's still got blood inside. He's had his entire body modified to become a weapon, just like me... but he's really a normal human!"
"Nami San, danger! He's found you!" Sanji yelled to Nami who was running over. Indeed, the machine was aiming its mouth-cannon at Nami.
"Oh crap!"
"Ochenta Fleur! Quatro Manos!" Robin formed four arms around the head. "Shock!" the hands grouped together and crashed over the head, sealing the mouth as the blast went off.
"You did it! The beam went off inside his mouth!" Usopp grinned. "He self-destructed!"
"Big bro, sorry to interrupt your break..." Nami had the Clima-Tact activated. "But you should watch out for lightning here! From dark clouds to the Clima-Tact... Thunder Lance Tempo!"
"Static discharge using positive and negative charges..." Yusei admired. "Usopp San, that's a very cool invention."
"Created by the Great Usopp Sama personally!" Usopp bragged.
"That one definitely worked..." Brook murmured. "Fantastic-!"
The Straw Hats finally scattered for shelter as it went wild, firing everywhere on a rampage.
"It didn't work at all, did it?" Usopp screamed behind a rock. "He's still perfectly fine, isn't he?"
"But where is he aiming anyway?" Chopper wondered.
"Is he desperate?" Franky commented.
"He's completely lost his mind!" Usopp screamed.
"More like the aiming system was struck." Yusei dead-panned.
"Poker face!" they yelled at him.
"Once you get desperate, the fight is over," Sanji already had the Devil Leg out.
"Oi, blast him over here!" Zoro had his bandanna on.
"You're too damn stubborn..." Sanji muttered as he ran and gave the Kuma a kick straight to the chest. "Diable Jambe: Flamberge Shot!"
Helpless and on fire, shrapnel flew off the giant behemoth as it flew.
"Yosh! He's starting to fall apart!" Franky yelled.
"Kiki," Multiple heads were forming around Zoro. "Kyuutouryuu: Asura!"
"W... What is that?" Brook exclaimed.
"Zoro multiplied?" Chopper added.
"Makyuusen!" the blades connected at the same time a blast was aimed at Zoro.
There was a moment of pause, as if nothing dared to breathe, before the Kuma fell back, blood flying from its mouth.
"Gear Third!" Luffy jumped from a nearby mangrove. "Let's go!"
"Go, Luffy!" Nami cheered.
"We just need one more hit!" Franky yelled.
"Gomu Gomu no..."
"Crush him, Luffy!" Usopp screamed.
"Giganto... Rifle!"
The giant Kuma was crushed under a huge, twisting rubber arm inflated with air, broken like a marionette with its strings cut as it lay there for a long silence, before the light went out of its eyes.
Finally, the Straw Hat fighters collapsed into various stages of exhaustion, Aki leaning against a mangrove for support in her stunned moment where she could not believe that they had just taken down a giant nigh-powerful thing. Yusei himself was beside her, warily scanning the surroundings.
"We stopped that bastard, right?" Franky panted.
"We must have..." Usopp wearily answered.
"It's almost seems like he's gonna move again..." Nami panted. "Creepy..."
"If he does, we're doomed," Usopp groaned, lying on his back. "I'm totally beat, I can't move anymore. Aki could probably take one alone, but after that stunt we'll probably exhaust our ability to fight. Yusei... well..."
"Maybe we should have escaped, instead of trying to fight him?" an exhausted blue-nosed reindeer panted.
"No," Robin stood. "If we can beat him, then that's what we should do. He'd chase us wherever we went."
"A cyborg, specifically to hunt us," Yusei groaned. "Some people must really want us dead."
"He's definitely a modified human..." Franky observed. "That means that he was once a human who looked looked just like Bartholomew Kuma. I'd guess they were twins, or perhaps they found someone who looked super similar..."
"No," Yusei shook his head. "There's a serial number on the collar. That indicates that this... weapon was... mass-produced. That there are more of them. That... they're creating modified humans." His face twisted.
"There are MORE?" Usopp yelped despite himself. "No... no more..."
"PX-4?" Sanji squinted as he got up to check.
Luffy sighed. "Let's rest for a bit... I never thought we'd be forced to go on an all-out battle once more..."
"I want to rest, but we should find a hiding-place soon," Sanji answered. "If they find us now, we're in big trouble, you know."
"I guess that's true," Luffy sat up, tongue stuck out as he panted. "But... wait just a minute, okay?"
"Man, you guys have really done it now!" a masculine voice growled.
The pirates reacted immediately. "Another enemy?" Usopp yelped. "Where'd that voice come from?"
"Up there! They're up there!" Chopper pointed to two dark figures standing on a branch of the mangrove. Both leapt down to land, the impact sending dust up from the ground.
"Who's there?" Luffy yelled.
"Oi, oi! What a pitiful state you're in, PX-4!" the man scolded. "Just building one of you Pacifista costs us as much as an entire warship! Man, how am I supposed to explain to that damn Punk?"the smoke cleared to reveal a large man with a stocky build similar to that of a sumo wrestler. The shirt worn over such a prodigious front resembled a giant brown bib, with a large red and white rope tying in behind. There was a large scar running from his left eye to the left corner of his mouth, and he carried a large battleaxe which had a head which must have spanned at least half his own height. Behind this man was...
"Another Shichibukai?" Chopper screeched at the sight of another Bartholomew Kuma.
"D- Don't tell me that's the real guy?" Usopp panicked with him.
"Doesn't matter whether he's real or fake," Sanji growled. "We don;t have the strength to stand up to that thing again!"
"He just said 'Pacifista'..." Robin murmured.
"Pacifista... That's like someone who creates peace, right?" Nami asked. "Is that the one we just defeated?"
"Who the hell are you, broad-axe?" Franky yelled.
"You don't call a man by his weapon's name!" the man answered. "There's no point in asking me questions. I have nothing to tell any of you! I'm the man with the toughest guard in the whole world! Of course, my mouth is well-guarded too!"
"Can't you at least tell us your name?" Usopp screeched.
"I have no obligations to answer that! Didn't I just tell you?" the man glared at them. "I'm the world's most tight-lipped man, Sentomaru!"
I just feel like I got scammed... Yusei thought.
"Really? Sentomaru, is it?" Usopp nodded calmly.
He started. "I just felt like telling you that! I wasn't answering your questions! Let's go, PX-1!"
"Before you begin..." Rose petals scattered around as Aki strode up to take the field. "You fell into the trap."
Giant thorns rose from the ground around the large man and the Kuma in a circular formation, every wickedly sharp point aimed inwards. As the thorns rose, vines of black roses shot out and restrained both the Kuma and the new enemy.
"Black Rose persuasion, success," Two blood-red roses bloomed beside the Black Rose Duellist as she spoke. "Queen of Thorns' effect activates; when a non-Plant monster is summoned to the field, the controller must pay one thousand life points. Added to that, we have Black Garden, which halves the attack of all monsters summoned to the field. Thorn Aegis!"
As one, the thorns sunk into the prodigious middle, causing the man to wince over in pain and groan.
Almost all the Straw Hats winced in sympathy.
"PX-1!" Sentomaru commanded.
A blast formed in the second Kuma's hands, before it exploded out and the Straw Hats scattered.
"Like I'll let you!" Aki snarled, both Duellist standing their ground. "Queen of Thorns, Painful Command! Splendid Rose, battle! I'll remove Botanical Girl for Splendid Rose's ability!"
The regal queen backhanded Sentomaru at the same time that Splendid Rose drop-kicked onto the other Kuma again.
"Run!" Yusei was pulling cards like his life depended on it, which it sort-of did. "Everyone, run!"
"They'll be fine, now run!" Usopp screeched, already high-tailing it out.
"That makes him the fourth!" Sanji growled. "What's going on?"
Mass-produced...
"Looks like you were right, Yusei..." Sanji growled. "These weapons are mass-produced."
"Everyone! We'll meet up at the Sunny in three days!" Luffy's faint shout echoed over to the vine-covered field where the handyman and the second doctor heard it loud and clear.
"Three days..." Yusei muttered.
"They're splitting up again!" Sentomaru realised. "Chase them, PX-1! Don't let them out of Grove 12, or we'll be in trouble!"
Sentomaru glared at the both of them as the giant behemoth complied, vines still trailing with it as it left at full speed. "I don't know what the hell are these vines, or how the hell you caught me, the man with the world's toughest guard, unawares, but when old man Kizaru comes, they're all dead! You hear me? If they can't beat a mere Pacifista, what makes you think they'll escape an admiral?"
"Yusei, go take care of the others," Aki curtly reminded. "You want to, don't you?"
The brunet looked torn. "Aki..."
"Go! I can handle myself." Aki snapped at him. "These are the friends Yusei chose, who supported him despite having no need to. They are my friends too! Yusei, go save them!"
Yusei nodded, before leaving the vine-covered field at full running speed.
"Only one person to stand against me, and a Pacifista?" Sentomaru's eyes narrowed at the resolute doctor. "Don't overestimate yourself, you naïve girl!"
"I put away this persona years ago when Yusei taught me to love myself, to enjoy life and all its joys and sorrows for myself again," Aki's eyes were shadowed as her bangs fell like a curtain of rose petals again. "I have never needed it again, to embrace this darkness and destructive desire of my heart... but... for the sake of that man... for his sake... I will gladly embrace it again... oi!"
"I'm not going to stay around to listen, you brat!" Sentomaru was already running.
Izayoi Aki had that face on. It was a terrifying face, that many, Jack Atlas included, would swear that it contained a demon hiding behind that smile. Yusei himself had never been unlucky enough to merit it aimed in his direction; lucky bastard. It was a smile that indicated her complete and utter desire to crush and tear apart the unlucky chappie as the Black Rose Witch, and Sentomaru had just earned himself a prospect as fertiliser.
The prospect was rapidly becoming a painful one.
"Hissatsu: Chou Kemuri Boshi!"
A loud explosion sounded.
"Now's our chance!" Usopp dashed forward at full speed.
"You are quite reliable!" Brook complimented as they ran.
A blast sped over them, destroying the bridge to the next grove.
"Damn, the bridge!" Sanji cursed.
In a second, the giant Kuma was looming over them.
"Here he is!" the cook growled.
The mouth opened, a yellow blast forming.
"EYYYAAAHH! Why did he come here?" Nami screamed, using Franky as a shield.
"Oi, oi! You-! Oi! Don't push me!"
Meanwhile, the soon-to-be unlucky Sentomaru was confronting Luffy, Chopper and Robin.
"You don't have time to be worrying about others!" the large man promised. "I don;t have anything against pirates though."
Luffy attacked. "Gomu Gomu no... Gatling!"
Sentomaru moved him back with a two-hand palm push.
"What?" Luffy yelled as he flew back.
"You've got a pretty good offensive, but... my guard is the strongest in the world!" Sentomaru declared, already ready at where Luffy was about to fall. Ashigara Dokkoi!" Luffy was sent back again.
"Luffy!" Even Robin looked worried.
"He's this strong too?" Chopper exclaimed.
"I just thought I'd tell you, I'm not a Devil Fruit user!" Sentomaru declared, shaking off more vines. "Damn things, they just keep coming... the restricted movement will halve my own offensive power..."
"There's something strange about his techniques!" Luffy muttered, getting up.
In the distance, Usopp screamed as a beam hit. "Zoro!"
"Man, he's late!" Sentomaru grumbled. "So you finally arrived, old man Kizaru?"
"Kizaru?" Robin gasped. "Be careful! That man is a Navy admiral!"
"ADMIRAL?" Brook freaked.
"Oh, you're a bit late..." the Yellow Admiral slowly pronounced. "120 million bounty head, 'Pirate Hunter' Zoro... I've heard that you were a reasonably accomplished swordsman... but seeing how you were beaten with one shot, I suppose you're pretty exhausted, huh?"
"Clustering hopes will evoke a new horizon... become the path its light shines upon...!"
"Damn..." Zoro coughed blood. "He's an admiral...?"
"Synchro Summon!"
"Take yourself a long rest..." Kizaru slowly lifted one leg, the whole appendage beginning to glow with the same yellow light as the beams of the Pacifistas.
"Zoro!" Luffy screamed.
"Hmm?" Kizaru turned his head around, still on one leg.
Hence, when Rayleigh managed to intercept the shot, it was done at the same time as when the golden monster did something unheard of in memory, and socked the Logia user right into the nearest large mangrove.
"Dash onward, Road Warrior!" Yusei panted, leaning against a nearby mangrove.
"This is the first time I have ever seen that," Rayleigh commented to the large warrior calmly. "How did you manage to hit a Logia user, when I can detect no Haki from you, brave warrior?"
The large golden behemoth paid no mid to the Dark King, instead slowly walking over to descend on bended knee towards its summoner.
"Eh? Road Warrior?" he pushed himself up to stand, the Road Warrior once more on its feet and stationed protectively before Yusei. "Road Warrior..."
"Ow, ittete..." one Yellow Admiral flashed back to the scene, a brilliant shiner where a mechanical fist had hit. "Now you decide to appear... 'Dark King' Rayleigh?"
"I won't let you take out these youngsters," Rayleigh grimaced. "Their era is only beginning!"
"Pops! Yusei!" Luffy cried out.
"He saved him-!" Franky whispered. Beside him, Nami sank to her knees in relief.
"Thank goodness!" Chopper began to cry, and even Robin had a look of relief on her features.
"He just said 'Dark King'..." Sentomaru grumbled, still flinging growing vines off himself. "So that's him..."
"I'd heard some rumours that you were on this island..." Kizaru remarked, rubbing the bruise on his face. "So, that was true? Seeing how you helped out these brats, that must mean you're still a pirate, at your age... Rayleigh San?"
"If you people would withdraw my bounty, I'd be able to retire in peace, too," Rayleigh coolly answered. "Nice bruise, by the way. Good job, brave warrior!"
"The pirates' sins won't disappear, right?" Kizaru continued. "Especially not those of the Roger Pirates. But if we were to try and catch you, it would require a bit more dedication than we have now."
"You can't let them leave, can you, Kizaru Kun?" Rayleigh lightly asked.
"Give me a break here!" Kizaru lightly replied. "If we can't catch these kids, then we at Navy HQ won't be able to face the Tenryuubito as Mariejois. Would you please get out of my way?"
"Usopp! Brook! Yusei!" Luffy hollered.
Every head turned to the captain.
"Take Zoro and run!"
"Right!" Usopp ran forward to take the panting swordsman. "Let's go, Brook!" Both of them ran
"Everyone, think only on how to escape!" Luffy continued desperately. "Right now... we can't... beat these guys!"
"Oh great," Kizaru sighed. "That's really annoying."
"Coup de Vent!" Franky blew away the Pacifista in their way as the trio ran.
Meanwhile, Sentomaru was caught in more vines, this time stemming from a large rose monster right behind a very angry Aki. Behind that rose monster, awaited even more plant monsters, armed with painful-looking implements and only awaiting the command of their mistress.
When their eyes met again, it was the large man who shrank away. "Those eyes... those eyes are focused entirely... to destroy me?"
"Spore, summon," the Black Rose Witch stated as the smiling round plant spore appeared on the field. "Tuning, Queen of Thorns and Spore."
"Tuning?" the large bodyguard echoed.
"Chilling flames engulf the entire world," Izayoi Aki chanted coldly. "Pitch-dark flower, set in bloom! Synchro Summon! Appear now, Black Rose Dragon!"
The large bodyguard had seen many a sight with his stint with the Doctor Vegapunk, but even he felt awed as a shower of rose petals and their dark draconic spectre descended upon him.
"Pops, thank you!" Luffy hollered as he ran.
"No problem! I'll pray for your safety!" Rayleigh waged back before giving an amused, tolerant stare at Yusei. "Not going to run?"
"Not yet," Yusei shook his head. "I'm waiting to see what the admiral would do."
Kizaru himself had his hands arranged, one on top of the other. "Yata no Kagami."
The light reflected off a nearby mangrove, and Rayleigh was about to dive in until he saw the short brunet that the Straw Hats called their handyman smirk.
"Mirror Force."
The light bounced off and hit another invisible barrier that shot straight through Kizaru himself, sending the admiral back a few feet to crash into a crater in the ground.
"It's been a long time since used my sword," Rayleigh sheathed the sword away. "You are full of surprises. A handyman, was it? How appropriate. That was why you did not run; to set up the trap?"
"This trap is powerful," Yusei grinned. "But the reason is far more simple. I just don't have the energy to move."
"PX-1! Roronoa is already half-dead!" a cut and bruised Sentomaru, limping with his broad-axe as a staff hollered. "Go take him out!"
"You're not worried?" Rayleigh lightly commented as the Pacifista left. "Sentomaru Kun doesn't look like he's going to let you off."
In answer, the Road Warrior cracked its knuckles, before turning its head to glare at Sentomaru.
"I see." Rayleigh decided to drop the subject. "Then, what about the red-haired girl?"
"That's her work," Yusei pointed to Sentomaru, who was already hobbling away faster at the sight of black thorny vines creeping out.
"...what a surprise." Rayleigh dead-panned. "You seem relatively calm about the fact that you just took down an admiral, a feat that not even your captain managed."
"My monsters' efforts, not mine," Yusei indicated the large imposing Road Warrior. "Road Warrior, get me to them, please."
A few guttural noises from the warrior's throat, and a few hand-motions registered to the dictionary of charades, also implied that not only was the Road Warrior a faithful servant to the core, but also one frequently worried for its master's safety. We can only imagine how ridiculous it must look.
A long, guttural roar sounded throughout the archipelago.
"Get me there!" Yusei finally ordered. Seemingly very unwillingly, the Road Warrior picked up its summoner with one hand to lift Yusei to its shoulder.
"Looks like I'm coming with you as well," Rayleigh observed. "I don't think I've quite caught your name."
"Fudo Yusei," Yusei mumbled, too tired to care much as the Road Warrior also lifted the old man to its other shoulder before flying towards the source of the roar. "Nice to meet you, Rayleigh San."
Rayleigh laughed. "What a polite young man. You must have bee liked wherever you went, eh? No wonder that red-haired girl likes you so much."
"Aki's a precious friend," Yusei tiredly sighed, as beside them sped a large standing rose with tentacles growing all around it. "Rose Tentacles? Aki!"
"Yusei!" Aki flew beside them, seated on Black Rose Dragon.
Rayleigh blinked. "Is that a-"
"Yes," Yusei promptly answered. "I'm guessing that you defeated Sentomaru using Black Rose Dragon, right, Aki?"
"He was still conscious at the end of it," Aki answered primly.
"I'm not going to argue about that," Yusei decided. "We'll call that self-defence, shall we? Right now, our nakama takes priority." He winced. "Aki... how are you?"
"Better," Aki nodded. "I have more prior experience, so it's easier for me to recover. You're already doing wonderfully, Yusei. I'll fly ahead!"
Both of them dodged the mid-air projectile of black and white flying towards them quickly, though it took both monsters a while to recover.
"Is that another...?" Yusei squinted towards the rapidly disappearing spot. "Ah, well. Road Warrior?"
The warrior continued nevertheless, though grumbled kept sounding from its throat.
"GO!" Luffy was yelling once all three arrived at the scene.
"It's over," Rayleigh turned towards the already despairing Yusei. "Once the captain gives in..."
"Ah," Rayleigh answered solemnly. "Prior experience?"
"You could say that," Yusei sighed. "Road Warrior, please-"
"BROOK!" Usopp yelled as the skeleton disappeared under one hand.
"Damn it!" Sanji stood, panting.
"Sanji!" Usopp whispered.
"Sanji San!" Yusei slid down from the Road Warrior to begin, but found his legs frozen. "What-?"
"Quack!" Hane faded into existence, watery eyes wide with concern. "Yusei Dono, you've expended all your energy to summoning us! You can't move! If you expend any more, even your heart won't have enough energy!"
"I can't just-" Yusei toppled over, sprawled in an undignified heap. "Rayleigh San!"
"STOP IT, SANJI!" Luffy's scream pierced the air as Sanji disappeared after Usopp.
"Sanji San!" Yusei struggled. "This..."
"Yusei!" Aki stopped right beside Yusei. "I'll take over! Black Rose Dragon!"
Bartholomew Kuma dodged out of the way of the red vines quickly, just as Yusei rolled out of the way of an angry Admiral.
"You are the 'Dark King' Rayleigh, are you not?" Kizaru had a sword of light in hand, locked deep with Rayleigh. "Huh?" a large figure appeared beside Rayleigh. "Kuma?"
The Bear Shichibukai murmured a few words to the Dark King, before turning a contemplative eye on Yusei. A quick look behind to see the golden Road Warrior, and apparently Kuma decided that going toe-to-toe with a being capable of hitting Logia users was not worth the effort as he turned away.
"You really expect me to believe what you've just said?" Rayleigh spoke low.
"Decide that for yourself," Kuma replied. "I am already endangering my own position as it is."
"Just what are you planning, Kuma?" Kizaru spoke.
"As long as it doesn't directly affect the World Government, we have no obligation to get along with the Navy." Kuma answered. "I will not answer that question. Dark King, tell them later."
"You bastard!" Luffy was steaming. "Gear Second!"
"Luffy San!" Yusei growled.
"You can't, Luffy!" Robin shouted as Luffy sped ahead to protect Nami and Franky.
"Gomu Gomu no... Jet Pistol!"
"Luffy San!" Road Warrior ad to support its master as Yusei stood up. "Franky San!" followed soon enough as Franky was blasted away.
"NOOO!" Nami screamed. "Luffy, help-!"
"NAMI!" Luffy screamed as she too, disappeared.
"Luffy!" Robin called. Then, the other Straw Hats all turned as a giant monster arrived on the scene.
"Chopper...?" Yusei recognised the hat, shorts and blue nose. "What happened...?"
"CHOPPER!" Luffy yelled right before the giant monster disappeared.
"Chopper San!" Yusei's fumbling attempts for more cards were stopped by Hane.
"You'll die!" Hane was crying. "Yusei Dono, please stop!"
"PLEASE, STOP THIS!" Luffy screamed right before he charged towards Kuma, who was advancing on Robin.
"Luffy!"
"ROBIN!"
"Luffy!" she disappeared right before Luffy ever reached.
"Robin San!" Yusei threw the beak off. "Hane, I need to do this! If I-!"
"Rose Restriction!" Kuma dodged the red vines again, to kneel beside Aki again. Black vines threateningly waved around the unfazed Shichibukai as he spoke, but whatever words were spoken was enough to paralyse Aki for a few moments before Kuma landed to beside Luffy.
"Luffy San!" Yusei shouted as Luffy dropped to all fours, beating the ground.
"What... what's... wrong with me?" the captain howled, crying. "I couldn't even... save one of my friends! Even Yusei... even Aki... they can do so much more...!"
"Aki!" Yusei growled as vines wrapped around him.
"I'll tell you later," Aki tonelessly replied. "It concerns the whole crew... and their safety."
"So, you're just going to send him off and be done with it?" Kizaru lazily stated. "i hope you have a good explanation for this. This is a huge problem, you know?"
"Aki, let go!" Yusei turned desperate eyes onto his friend. "Please!"
"This is for Luffy San!" Aki snapped back. "Be patient! Please!"
"We will never... meet again." Kuma spoke. "Farewell."
Even to the end, Luffy had a defiant stare at Kuma as he himself faded.
"LUFFY SAN!" Yusei hollered to the darkening skies as even Aki began to cry.
"And those two?" Kizaru absently rubbed the shiner on his face.
"That dragon, and that warrior..." Sentomaru considered. "Nice bruise, old man. I'll take-"
"I'll take the warrior," Kizaru considered. "Actually, I should be going for the master, right?"
"Trap card, Synchro Out," Yusei began monotonously as Road Warrior dissolved into Tuningware, Road Synchron and Shield Wing. He stood tall, despite the pain, and even Rayleigh was giving him a speculative look. "Trap card, Urgent Tuning."
"Yusei?" Aki shakily began. "Yusei... Luffy San is..."
"On this day... the pirate crew, led by captain, Monkey D. Luffy... the Straw Hat Pirates... was completely and utterly defeated." Yusei wearily began. "That's the inescapable truth. Now... is the battle to keep the last remaining two Straw Hats together. Now... is the battle for our own survival."
"Oi, young man," Kizaru raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think that you can hit me?"
"Effect Veiler," Yusei hissed as a teal-haired girl with wings appeared, circling Kizaru once.
"What are you doing?" Kizaru looked at him as the admiral raised a leg. "That wouldn't..."
His visage suddenly changed completely. "My powers..."
"Now you know," Yusei answered. "Clustering hopes will become a new shining star, become the path its light shines upon! Synchro Summon!"
"Dammit!" Sentomaru yelled, only to find himself entangled in thorny vines.
"Take flight!" Yusei commanded as wings like sails, a body shining with the dusk sun glimmering off its body, glittering like all the stardust that its name held, appeared behind him. "Stardust Dragon!"
"A monster that can hit a Logia, a mindset that is ready to fight against all odds, even against an admiral, a dragon, and now the ability to negate abilities," Rayleigh chuckled as the pair unleashed both dragons upon the Marines. "A bottomless bag of tricks... I look forward to following the Straw Hats for the next few years... if only you were here, partner... you'd have been amazed by these dragons, wouldn't you? Roger?"
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