The Adventures of Monkey D Lily
Summary: Luffy is the Pirate King, and has been for fifteen years. He and Boa Hancock had a daughter they named Lily, she was born on Raftel. When she was five her father was struck down with a poison that no one could cure. Chopper was killed in that battle. Over the next ten years Luffy's nakama was slowly killed until it was only him and Lily left. On Raftel he used the One Piece to send both him and his daughter to an alternate reality where she would be safe. They landed at the base of the Red Line, at the entrance to the Grand Line.
Crocus did his best to cure Luffy, but he refused all treatments. He just wanted his daughter to be safe so that he could join his nakama and family in the next world. Lily had been taught almost everything from the Straw-hat pirates and knew how to look after herself. She was fifteen. She became the youngest member of the up-and-coming Straw-hat Pirates when they sailed down Reverse Mountain.
Chapter 3: Little Garden
Lily was once again in the Crow's Nest, but this time she was with Zoro instead of being alone. She had just finished telling him everything she had confirmed for Luffy, but also a bit extra about how she missed her family. She admitted to feeling lost, and at night or when she was alone she would think of her father and how he had left her, unintentionally, but he had still left her alone. The only thing she had from him was his straw hat but she wanted him, not an old hat.
Zoro listened to her patiently as he had also experienced a loss when he was younger. It was slightly different but all he had of Kuina was one sword and a vow. He understood how Lily felt and promised her that he would always be there if she needed someone to rant to who wasn't her captain and who understood. Lily appreciated it and asked if he would stay with her in the Crow's Nest for a while, just until Sanji called them down for lunch.
"It won't be me he's calling," Zoro told her. "It'll be you. He has a soft spot for women."
"I know," Lily told him. "Uncle Sanji has always protected women. But he seems a bit extreme now. He was a lot calmer in the future."
"Imagine that," was all Zoro would mutter before they fell into a companionable silence. The swordsman studied the fifteen year old before him curiously. Even knowing she was Luffy's future daughter, he couldn't pick out many similarities. She obviously took after her mother, whoever she was, but there was a bit of Luffy in her. The few times she had smiled, that was definitely Luffy. But her appetite, her posture and her understanding of the world…that was not his happy-go-lucky captain. Then again, if Luffy had been able to figure out who she was simply from watching her over the past three days, then maybe her perception of the world was more like her father than first assumptions.
She hadn't told him what had happened to them, but he knew that it had created a gaping hole in her heart and she was struggling to hide it and present a strong façade. Zoro was determined not to let that mask dictate how she acted, she needed time to heal, not time to hide.
"Lily-flower, lunch is ready my dear!" Sanji's voice echoed up to the Crow's Nest and Zoro snorted at being proven correct. Lily called down that she'd be there soon before turning back to Zoro. He shooed her away with his hand before leaping over the side so that he landed on the main deck. Lily laughed at him and the two of them entered the galley together. Lily then walked over to where Luffy was, where most people avoided as the closest plates were usually the first ones to be stolen from, and sat down comfortably. Luffy smiled at her as he shoveled food into his mouth, something that Lily was able to ignore fairly well. The plate Sanji gave her was ignored by Luffy as he had noticed how small her appetite was and was determined not to take her food as she needed it.
Once lunch was over the crew retreated outside to lounge on the deck. Luffy announced that he wanted it to snow, which in turn led to a conversation about the unpredictability of the Grand Line, particularly the first part of the journey. Vivi was full of helpful knowledge and Lily sat next to her on the railing, soaking all the knowledge the princess was giving them. She glanced down at the boys on the main deck below and smiled as she saw Luffy's face go black as if the explanation had gone straight over his head. Lily knew better, the young captain had understood everything but wanted to present the impression that he was a simple guy with simple pleasures. That had changed after Uncle Ace had died, but now the pirate captain needed his nakama to see him as a relaxed guy, not one who was serious all the time. He made the atmosphere on the ship lighter without even trying when he was relaxed.
"Who wants to go fishing?" Luffy asked as soon as Vivi finished talking. Around of agreement from the boys answered his question, but that was put aside when Sanji brought out drinks for them all to the sample. Nami brought over a glass each for Lily and Vivi, and the three of them watched as the boys encouraged Karoo the duck to drink as much as possible before giving himself brain freeze. Next to Lily, Vivi started to get angry at the easy going attitude below them. Nami explained the boys' behavior to her, but Lily wanted to go down there and play as well. A splash off to the right caught her attention and she smiled at the dolphin that had decided to grace them with its presence.
"Hey a dolphin," Sanji remarked calmly. "A pirate's best friend."
That sentiment changed fairly abruptly though when the dolphin once again leapt out of the water and its size became apparent as it leapt clean over the Going Merry without any effort at all. Luffy commented on its size with a broad grin on his face, one that Lily echoed, before he ordered all of them to get moving in preparation for the wave created by the dolphin. Vivi watched in amazement as the pirates who had been mucking around were suddenly active and working together to keep the ship safe. Lily remained perched on the railing, cold drink in hand, and laughed as the ship started to surf with the large waves. Her happy laughter had Zoro and Luffy looking at her with knowing smirks, Luffy knowing that this is what she was used to, and Zoro seeing her smile after everything she had gone through.
Once the commotion had died down and Nami corrected the path they were on, the Straw-hat Pirates once again settled down to wait for their arrival. Lily retreated to the Crow's Nest again and after a relaxing hour of nothing she was able to call down to her nakama that the island Little Garden was in sight. Nami confirmed her sighting so Lily shimmied down the main mast to stand with everyone else. A dense mist hung over the island, and once they got closer Lily found that she had to crane her neck back all the way just so she could see the top of the trees. Usopp started to get nervous and requested skipping the island and going straight onto the next one.
Nami and Sanji rebutted that argument firmly, Zoro found a small inlet that would let them go further into the island, and Luffy wondered about BBQ restaurants being on the island. Lily laughed and swung her legs over the outside railing so that she could stare in wonder at what was before her. She had never been to Little Garden before, and her Aunt Nami had informed her that it took a whole year for the Log Pose to set for the next island. She hadn't explained how they got off the island, but Lily wasn't worried. Something would ensure that they got away and to Alabasta safely.
A bird suddenly screeched far above them, causing quite a few of the pirates to cover their ears in reflex. Sanji tried to reassure Nami that there was nothing to worry about, but with his back turned he was unable to see the giant bird swooping down with the intention of grabbing him. Nami and Usopp did however, and it was only their facial expressions that gave Sanji the warning he needed to duck before becoming bird food. The only thought that passed through Luffy's mind was if the bird was tasty or not.
"Possibly, but I doubt that bird would agree to let you have a taste," Lily informed him. "I don't think it likes us much."
"You don't say?" Usopp stated fearfully. "I would never have guessed."
Lily smiled at him innocently before the sound of an explosion rippled past them. Usopp screamed that they were all going to die, after stating that the sound was a volcano erupting, and Nami's eyes had gone wide with fear. Lily stood up on the railing in excitement and pointed out a tiger on the shore. Its length stretched for half the ship, but before it could attack the tiger keeled over dead, blood dripping from its jaws. Nami asked Luffy what had happened, probably out of habit as the straw hat wearing pirate was the captain.
Without even waiting for an answer she continued on by stating that they would not be leaving the ship and would wait until the Log Pose reset so that they could leave as soon as possible. Usopp of course agreed immediately, as did Sanji as Nami was the one who suggested it, but Luffy and Zoro made no comment. Zoro dropped the anchor further up river, but while everyone was getting prepared to wait on the ship, Luffy was quietly giggling to himself. He ordered Sanji to make lunch: lots of meat and no veggies, because he was going to need all of his energy.
"Energy for what? You are not going out there!" Nami told him firmly.
"Oh you know," Luffy started swinging his arms merrily. "Fun stuff. You wanna come along?"
Nami started to cry fake tears as she realised the uselessness of what she was doing. Lily raised her hand instantly however, and waved it around excitedly.
"Oh, me! Pick me! I want to come!" she told him. "Can I come please?"
"I would like to come too," Vivi admitted. "Will that be alright?"
"Sure, sounds great! The more the merrier right?"
"Right!" Lily agreed as she jumped off the railing to stand between Luffy and Vivi. Sanji promised that he'd make some lunch for all of them before disappearing into the kitchen. Nami and Usopp were both protesting at the number of people leaving the ship but there was nothing that they could do about it. Vivi wanted to do something to keep her mind busy and now worry about her troubles, Lily wanted to stretch her legs and Luffy, well, Luffy wanted to explore.
Half an hour later Sanji had three bags of food for Luffy and the two girls and a special drink for Karoo who would be traveling with Vivi. As soon as they were set Luffy and Lily jumped off the side of the ship to start running. Vivi and Karoo came behind them and the large duck found that he had to work to keep up with the two running pirates. Luffy and Lily decided to have a race, leaping over fallen logs, swinging from the low branches, all the while trying to stay in front of the other. Vivi and Karoo ran behind them, marveling at the speed of the two.
Luffy stopped by a lake without informing anyone; letting Karoo run passed him and Lily to continue on. Once she realised that Luffy was no longer running she slowed down and ran up a tree to flip backwards and stop. She turned a jogged back to where Luffy and Vivi were in time to hear Luffy name an animal "Shell-Squid-Fish". She laughed at him, missing Vivi's comment but falling silent when the ground started to shake underneath them. She looked up in curiosity and gasped aloud in shock.
"A dinosaur!" Vivi screamed in horror.
"Awesome!" Luffy replied. Vivi went on to explain how it was possible for dinosaurs to exist, but she was talking to herself as Luffy seemed to be contemplating something that would get him in trouble. With a grin and a laugh he stretched his arms out so that he would go flying and land on the neck of the long-necked dinosaur. Lily grinned excitedly. She wanted to try that too.
"Captain! Let me come too! Don't hog all the fun for yourself!" she cried out to him. She ignored Vivi's protests but cheered when Luffy reached back and grabbed her outstretched hand. She could have used her own powers, but she wanted to keep that secret for a little longer. Lily let out a cheer as she went flying through the air to land on the nose of the dinosaur.
"Wow," she breathed. "Hey captain! This view is amazing!"
"I know!" Luffy replied. "Hey! There's another one! It's bigger!"
Luffy tried to direct the way the dinosaur was facing and only ended up in making it angry. A dozen more dinosaurs appeared with the intent to eat them. With a grin Luffy and Lily started what could only be considered as an aerial ballet, leaping from dinosaur to dinosaur to avoid being eaten. Their laughed echoed down to Vivi who could only watch in horror as one dinosaur finally managed to swallow Luffy whole. Lily noticed but as she was too busy avoiding hungry mouths she couldn't do much. Vivi's scream distracted her and she turned to see a giant cut off the neck of the dinosaur that had eaten her captain. He fell out into the giant's hand and before her ride could disappear she leapt so that she was standing beside Luffy on the giant's hand.
"Whoa! You're huge! Are you human?" Luffy asked as he stared up at the long-bearded giant whose hand he was standing on.
"Human, what a joke!" the giant exclaimed with a laugh. "The greatest giant in all of Elbaf. I am Dorry."
Lily started to laugh as well; the giant's laugh was funny. Luffy, with his usual carefree demeanor, introduced himself as a pirate, Lily as his nakama and then pointed down to Vivi who was trying to get Karoo to wake up from where he had passed out so they could run. Vivi mumbled something about how Luffy never shut up, but Lily decided that it didn't matter and greeted the giant happily enough. Her Uncle Usopp had spoken in high regard of the giants Dorry and Broggy who were locked in an eternal duel to decide who has their god's favor.
Dorry invited all of them to his home for lunch, something Luffy agreed to with much enthusiasm. Lily cheered as well and called down to Vivi in an attempt to reassure her. She didn't think it worked but Vivi followed them willingly enough.
Dorry cooked up the dinosaur he had slayed when rescuing Luffy and Luffy shared his portion of Sanji's lunch with the giant. They got into a lively conversation about food, becoming really fast friends, while Lily sat with Vivi and ate her own lunch contently. It was interesting to meet one of her uncle's heroes in the flesh, and she wished she could have had the chance to meet them back in her time. She wondered how the others were doing on the ship, and if they should go back to invite them onto the island. Despite the dangers she had seen, it really was a fun and safe place.
Luffy ended up turning the conversation from food to home, and Lily was told once again about Elbaf, its rules and how Dorry had been locked in a great battle with another giant for the past century. Luffy didn't think it was fair but Lily stared in wonder. After Vivi commented on the point of fighting Dorry admitted to not knowing what had started the duel in the first place.
The center volcano then erupted and Dorry stood with the intention to go off and fight. Lily noticed the glint in his eyes and thought it looked remarkably like her dad when he was about to do something important. She stepped back and didn't interfere like Vivi wanted to. She knew the importance of an honor duel. As the two giants clashed a shockwave rippled outwards and brushed passed them. Luffy collapsed to the ground and Vivi asked him what was wrong.
"This fight it's just, wow," Luffy breathed. Lily agreed and sat down so that she could watch as well. After a moment Vivi copied them and in silence they watched as the two giants ran at each other again and again until they declared that battle a draw.
"That was so cool," Lily declared. As Dorry started to walk back towards them. "Do you think that's what every battle looks like?"
"Definitely," Luffy answered. "Can you imagine? 73,456 battles." Dorry was juggling something in one of his large hands and despite the distance between them it looked like the alcohol barrels that they had on the Going Merry. Either that meant that the others were with Broggy, or that Broggy had stolen it from the ship. Lily thought it more likely to be the former as there was no way that the others would simply let the giant take Sanji's cooking alcohol. Once Dorry sat down again Luffy started to talk with him about how the duel was the coolest thing he had ever witnessed.
Dorry informed them that Usopp and Nami were over with Broggy, but that left Lily wondering where Sanji and Zoro were. It didn't really matter, but she would have liked to know whereabouts her nakama were on the island. The giant thanked them for the alcohol; since it came from their ship it was obvious for the giant to thank them as well. Vivi asked Dorry about the Log Pose, wanting to confirm that it took a whole year for it to set. Once it was confirmed Dorry pointed out all the human skulls that were lying around, pirates and travelers who hadn't been able to wait the whole year. Vivi started to stress about her country and while Luffy remarked at how bored he would be. Dorry gave them a few ideas but Luffy dismissed them all. They ended up laughing together hysterically. Vivi was furious at them so Lily pulled Karoo away slightly so they could laugh without the blue haired princess scowling at them.
Still laughing, Dorry lifted the three barrels of alcohol and swallowed them, only for them to explode. Lily screamed in horror, but Luffy and Vivi were silent in their own. Dorry collapsed backwards, his eyes rolling to the back of his head as smoke rose from his mouth. The barrels had exploded in his stomach, and Lily knew there would be some internal bleeding, how bad she didn't know, but bad enough that she knew the giant shouldn't move for a while. Luffy called out to him in confusion and concern before jumping on Dorry's beard to see him better. Vivi tried to come up with a solution as to why their barrels of alcohol had exploded by stating that the other giant must have booby-trapped them. Luffy didn't like that and tried to argue it, but it seemed that his argument, while clearing the other giant, had turned Dorry's suspicions on them.
Lily pulled Vivi away so that Luffy could fight the giant without them distracting them. Luffy passed his hat to Vivi to hold before Lily could drag the princess away. Vivi tried to be diplomatic, but it had no effect and only caused Dorry to become angrier. Lily closed her eyes as Luffy fought, knowing that even as young as he was he was still strong. And he was made of rubber.
Only when Dorry collapsed from pain and exhaustion did Lily open her eyes. Vivi ran off to see if Luffy was alright but Lily walked over to where Dorry's face had landed. His eyes were half open but Lily knew he was conscious.
"Are you alright Dorry?" she asked placing her hand on his face.
"I've been better," Dorry rumbled.
"What happens if the volcano blows again?" she asked.
"Then I will go and fight."
"But you'll die."
"I am Dorry, I will fight for Elbaf's Pride, and I will die as a warrior. This I have accepted."
Lily closed her eyes in emotional pain. At the sound of the volcano she opened her eyes and stared into Dorry's. She saw acceptance, regret and determination. When she saw that she stepped back to let him know that she wouldn't stand in his way. Luffy, however, wouldn't accept that. He kept claiming that since someone had interfered it wouldn't be fair. To prevent him from interfering like he knew that he would, Dorry lifted the white holey mountain and dropped it onto Luffy's rubber body to prevent him from moving anywhere. With that done he turned and left to fight. Lily started to cry even as Vivi tried to be diplomatic about the whole situation.
"Diplomacy doesn't always work Vivi," Lily told the princess. "Sometimes fighting really is the only solution."
"I will not accept that!" Vivi declared. "There has to be another way!"
"Let me out of here!" Luffy cried. "Discuss this later and help me out!"
"Alright, let's try digging," Lily suggested as she moved closer to Luffy. "This may take some time."
She picked up a fist sized rock and started to smash it into the ground to make the earth loose to dig aside. Luffy tried to help by smashing his fists onto the white rock pinning him to the ground. Not that it helped much. Vivi stared at the two of them in contemplation before noticing something that the other two hadn't.
"Hey guys? Karoo's missing!"
Lily didn't want to stop digging, but if there was someone else on the island it wasn't safe for any of them to be on their own. She turned with the intention to help Vivi search, but before she could a human shaped blur came hurtling out of the forest, smashed into a rock, before running over to Luffy and explaining hysterically:
"A dinosaur ate Nami!"
"What? No way!" Luffy replied. Lily stared at Usopp with a cocked eyebrow. She didn't believe that, but it did reinforce her idea that no one should be on their own on this island. Usopp started to explain what happened and the more he spoke the less likely Lily imagined that a dinosaur had eaten the Straw-hat Navigator. Luffy started to smash his hands onto the ground and then Vivi was the voice of reason, explaining that it was more probable to be Baroque Works who had taken her. Lily thought that Baroque Works was also responsible for the explosive alcohol. Looking down at Luffy she noticed that he had figured it out too. She asked what they were going to do.
No one answered her. All their eyes were focused on the sudden scream from Dorry and the spray of blood that reached high above the trees. Lily choked on her tears, her hand covering her mouth. Luffy started to smash his head to the ground, scaring his companions even more, but he stopped when Lily held onto his head as he didn't want to hurt her.
"Please don't do that," she whispered. "It won't help in the long run."
"When I find who did this I'll kill them," Luffy declared quietly. Lily nodded and released his head. Usopp declared that since Luffy was out of commission he would go out and fight in his stead. Vivi offered to go with him, something he jumped at, but before either of them could move two figures came out of the trees and between them was Karoo looking beat up. Lily recognised the two from Whiskey Peak, the man who had exploding snot.
"You're not going anywhere," the man announced.
"You guys again?" Luffy cried angrily. Vivi gasped in horror at the sight of Karoo. The man thrust the duck forward and let him collapse to the ground.
"You can have him back," he said. "We don't need him."
Usopp asked the obvious question, being the only one present that was unconscious during the last tangle with Baroque Works, of who the two before them were.
"The bullies from that last island!" Luffy told him. "Didn't catch their names."
"Why did you do this to Karoo?" Vivi asked in distress.
"We have nothing against your dumb ugly bird," the man stated. "But, we needed to get our hands on that little straw hat friend of yours you see? We were planning to lure you both out by having this bird squawk pitifully, but the idiot refused to cooperate. But then we realised that little straw hat was already neatly trapped here just waiting for us. In which case, we didn't need that thing anymore."
Vivi held Karoo's head gently. Usopp stood bravely in front of Luffy and Lily, but Lily was crouched down still, her hand on Luffy's shoulder. She had no idea what to do. Vivi threatened them for hurting Karoo, the first sign of honest violence that Lily had seen from her. Usopp asked them about the bomb in the alcohol, which they admitted to having done before asked who he was. Luffy struggled more against the rock behind him, threatening death and dismemberment as he did so. Vivi pulled out her weapons from her chest, her Peacock Slashers, and charged at the two Baroque Works agents. Usopp joined her with no hesitation on his part, pulling out his slingshot as he did so.
They were defeated quickly.
Usopp was the target of both the man's snot and the woman who could apparently alter her weight at will. While Usopp's eyes were clouded by the smoke, the woman descended from above him and crushed him into the ground. Vivi was tripped by the Snot Guy, whose foot exploded when Vivi tripped on it, and he caught her around the neck, ordering her to calm down. They weren't going to kill her they just wanted to abduct her.
Lily stood up slowly, ignoring Luffy telling her to run. The Snot Guy turned to her with surprise, and remarked that he thought he'd killed her before. The woman stood up off of Usopp and walked over so that the two of them were side-by-side. The Snot Guy handed Vivi over to the woman while he casually walked closer to where Luffy and Lily were.
"I think I'll take you with us my dear," the Snot Guy declared. "Once I've taken care of Straw-hat here, I'm sure our boss would love to meet you."
"Stay away from her!" Luffy ordered.
"Let's see what you're capable of handling."
"Try whatever tricks you want, I'm still going to kick your arse!" Luffy spat on the Snot Guy's shoe, and Lily mentally groaned at the juvenile act. The Snot Guy looked down at his shoe in disgust before turning to look at Lily. He ran his hidden eyes up and down her body, a cruel smile on his face.
"You survived once, maybe you'll survive again?"
He punched her in the face. The second his skin connected with her own a huge explosion sent her backwards into the rock pinning Luffy to the ground. She didn't pass out this time, but she certainly was dazed. Pushing herself to her feet she swung her arm forward as fast as she could and broke the Snot Guy's nose. It was unexpected, and his cry of pain caused the woman holding Vivi to gasp.
"Get out of here Lily!" Luffy ordered. "Don't let him catch you!"
The Snot Guy stood up from where he had sunk to the ground and swung his foot as hard as he could. It connected with Luffy's face and the resounding explosion sent Lily flying to the side. As she tried to stand the Snot Guy let loose a few dozen more kicks on Luffy's face. When the smoke cleared Luffy was lying still and covered in dust from the explosions. She gasped in horror at seeing him so defeated looking. Her expression became determined though when the Snot Guy turned his attention back to her. Blood dripped down his face from his broken nose and made his appearance that much more deadly.
"I'm going to make you pay for that," he warned her. Lily gulped but when it came time for her to fight she froze. She had never had a proper fight without her father standing by her side to offer her assistance if she needed it. Others would deny it, but Lily had been very spoiled when she was growing up, never on her own and always able to rely on someone. But now she was alone, with no one to help her, and she was scared. She wanted to run, but her legs wouldn't move. All she could do was raise her arms as the Snot Guy started to punch her, explosive blasts raining down all parts of her body. She fought back as much as she could, but she couldn't do it.
She dropped to the ground defeated.
The Snot Guy grabbed one of her legs and started to drag her across the ground. Her ordered the woman, who he called Miss Valentine, to follow him. She called him Mr 5, and while she walked away Vivi screamed out for Luffy, Usopp and Karoo. Lily merely closed her eyes and passed out.
Lily opened her eyes after being struck in the face by an exploding hand. Her ears were ringing from the blast but still she could make out familiar voices calling her name. There was one voice she couldn't hear and she felt tears form in her eyes as she whispered one word sadly.
"Daddy."
Laughter echoed in her ears, drowning out the cries of her name. She cast her green eyes around and once her eyesight focused she recognised Mr 5's face mere centimeters from her own. With a groan she forced herself to pay attention and noticed that she was hanging in the air, Mr 5's hand holding her by her shoulder, and attached to what looked like a birthday cake were Zoro, Nami and Vivi.
"Not even your dear old daddy can save you now little girl," Mr 5 told her. "There's no point calling for him."
Zoro, Nami and Vivi knew who she was calling out to, and were saddened as that man had died back at the Red Line. She was calling for a ghost.
"Leave her alone Snot Guy!" Zoro demanded. "She's just a helpless child!"
"She broke my nose!" Mr 5 screamed at him. "I'm going to make her pay!"
"Hey! Giant! Can you still move?" Zoro asked, turning his attention to the giant on the ground Lily had just noticed. When the giant responded positively, Zoro beamed. "Great, so can I. What do you say we beat the crap out of these guys?"
"You're on Swordsman," Broggy replied. "Let's do this."
"They can't be serious," Miss Valentine declared.
"These guys are insane," a weird guy with a burning 3 hairstyle added. Lily deduced that his name was Mr 3 and an operative of Baroque Works. Lily watched as Zoro pulled out his swords with the intention of cutting off his legs. She watched with horror, but also a bit of awe. This man had saved her life on countless occasions in her time, and once he set his mind to do something, rarely did he fail.
Zoro stared down at the four Baroque Work agents and Luffy's future daughter. Never before had he felt such fear for a single person than when Mr 5 had brought them together and she was lying unconscious on the ground. The wake-up call she had gotten had set his teeth on edge, as well as her whispered plea for her protector to return and save her. He would do his best to protect her with his life where her father couldn't. He raised his swords above his head and brought them down without any hint of fear.
Before he could complete the deed though, his captain, Usopp and the duck flew through the air, passed the enemies, and back away from the battle field. All that could be heard from Monkey D Luffy was:
"When I get back I'm going to kick your arse!"
They had just been saved.
Mr 5 stiffened in shock and disbelief as he stared at the trio he thought he had already killed. His grip on Lily's shoulder tightened and after a brief glance at her semi-conscious state dropped her on the ground and stepped over her. Lily groaned at the rough treatment but managed to turn her head to see what Zoro and the others were doing on the birthday cake. Zoro had a really cool pose where his sword was held up high with his right hand and his left was placed on his hip. Vivi and Nami were arguing with him, Vivi wanting him to take their situation a bit more seriously and Nami wanting him to do something about the blood that had pooled around his imprisoned legs where he had tried to cut them off. Lily smiled at the sight, her Uncle Zoro and Aunt Nami had often bickered together as well, and it was calming to see that they still had the same routine in the past.
Mr 5 and Miss Valentine offered to get rid of Luffy, Usopp and Karoo, to which Mr 3 replied that they couldn't be trusted to do the job after failing it the first time. The two offended agents bristled at the dismissive tone as Mr 3 declared that he would be taking care of Luffy and they would be able to go after to other two if they wanted to. Usopp and Karoo darted away as expected, distracting Luffy just enough so that Mr 3 could use his devil fruit powers of wax and imprison Luffy's feet in a heavy wax cylinder.
Luffy swung himself up around Broggy's helmet with the intention of breaking the pillar behind Zoro, Nami and Vivi, something they had ordered him to do earlier. But, in breaking the pillar he caused the candles on the birthday cake to fall closer to the imprisoned pirates and increased the speed at which they would be turned into wax statues. Mr 3 prepared to attack Luffy again, but this time Usopp used his slingshot to take out the agent.
Mr 5 ate the exploding lead star that was Usopp's weapon.
Lily gasped and forced herself to sit up. The attack had no effect on Mr 5 and only caused him to comment on the flavor of the weapon. Luffy returned his attention to the birthday cake and ended up knocking out Mr 3. With that done he had the chance to save his nakama, but Lily noticed the black paint on the ground that kept him in place. Luffy refused to so much as lift a finger to save his friends.
"My Colours Trap."
Lily looked at the last figure who she needed to name, a young girl who couldn't be any older than she was, was standing around serenely, a paint brush and pallet in her hands. She looked back at the black paint and realised what was happening. The other girl had devil fruit abilities and could alter a person's emotional state based on what paint she used. So the way to help Luffy would be to get him away from the paint.
The future Pirate King's daughter forced herself to her feet and started to run towards the young captain. The others noticed her but her movement had been so sudden that no one could stop her. Mr 5 and Miss Valentine had already disappeared chasing Karoo and Usopp, so there really was no one to prevent what was about to happen. Lily crashed into Luffy and knocked the two of them clear of the paint and it was like the light had returned to his eyes. She turned her attention to the other girl and decided to keep her distracted so that Luffy could save the others.
The girl actually looked a little scared as she was unable to stop two of them at the same time. Lily ducked and dodged under the colours and punched the girl in the face, knocking her out cold. She turned and saw the top of the birthday cake, the part that looked like a pumpkin, fly away into the distance. She stumbled over to where Luffy was standing and then followed him up to where their nakama was still imprisoned. Their feet were well and truly covered by the wax and Lily had no idea how to get them free. At least they had time now and they weren't going to die from wax inhalation.
"Good thinking Lily," Nami praised. "At least someone was able to keep their mind clear in battle."
Lily ducked her head with a smile. It felt good to fight with someone she trusted standing behind her ready to lend a helping hand. It was different from fighting on her own. She thanked Nami before turning her attention to Zoro's legs. There really was a lot of blood, but this had happened in her own time as well as she recognised where his legs scars were. They looked worse when they were bleeding though.
"Zoro, what did you do to your legs?" Luffy asked curiously. "Why are they bleeding?"
"It sounded like a good idea at the time," Zoro muttered. "Now can you get us out of here?"
"How do we do that?" Luffy asked again.
Before anyone could answer Usopp and Karoo returned to the clearing. Behind them were Mr 5 and Miss Valentine, but all four of them froze at seeing what had become of the clearing. Mr 5 raised a gun and aimed it at Usopp, firing without hesitation. There weren't any bullets, but Mr 5 had blown into the bullet holders and as he was able to make any part of his body explode, the bullets exploded violently on impact. Usopp dropped to the ground in agony and every one of the Straw-hat Pirates called out his name. Luffy and Lily jumped from the stand so that they could check on Usopp closely.
"What have you done to my artwork?"
Lily raised her eyes and stared at Mr 3. He looked furious. In anger he forced his hands to create a wax-armor so that he could fight as hard as he could. Luffy ran at him with the intention of fighting him, but he had seemingly forgotten about Mr 5 and Miss Valentine. They had focused their attention of Usopp and Lily. Usopp figured out the wax, while hard, was susceptible to heat and as such Zoro, Nami and Vivi could be freed if they set the wax platform on fire. He organized it with Karoo, and the duck was prepared to run the circumference of the platform carrying a rope that had been soaked in oil. Miss Valentine decided to help by sitting on Usopp and making herself heavier to see how much he could endure in his weakened state.
Mr 5 on the other hand had gone straight for Lily. He mentioned that she wouldn't be missed by the boss, as she was only a curiosity and not of any major importance in his plans. Therefore, he could kill her in whatever manner he found most pleasing.
"Did you ever wonder what the giant felt when he swallowed those explosive barrels?" he asked. The two of them had somehow moved a little away from Usopp and the other pirates, but still within sight. Lily glared at him and tried to punch and kick him. He merely grabbed onto her shoulders and leaned in close to whisper in her ear.
"I'm going to let you know just before you die."
With that he forced her mouth open and kissed her. It wasn't a normal kiss however as he was blowing explosive air down her throat, so instead of inhaling the air, Lily swallowed it. The air descended into her stomach and exploded. The only thing that saved her life was the fact that her body was made of rubber. She dropped to the ground, clutching her stomach, just as another explosion from behind her occurred. The heat washed over her body as she coughed up blood. All her energy left her and she went limp on the ground, eyes still open and staring at what used to be a grand wax pillar.
Mr 3 was running away, his little assistant in his arms, Nami and Vivi were beating Miss Valentine up, and Usopp sent a Tabasco Star at Mr 5, who swallowed it thinking it was an explosive. Mr 5 ran over to him and attempted to get rid of him with a full body explosion, only to meet an angry swordsman with blades of fire. The exploding man didn't last long, but at least his death was quick.
Luffy ran off after Mr 3 with Karoo, but every other pirate rushed towards Lily. Gently Zoro rolled her over so that she was on her back and rested her head on his knees. She stared up at him with tears in her eyes. Blood dripped from her mouth as she coughed up more blood. The explosion had torn her stomach lining and even her rubber state could not protect her from serious injury. Nami used part of her torn clothes to wipe away the blood, her expression concerned.
"Oh Lily," she breathed.
"Hurts," Lily moaned.
"Oh I know sweetie," Nami continued. "We'll get you to a doctor as soon as we can, alright? Vivi, do you have good doctors in Alabasta?"
"A few, but we don't even have a way off this island," Vivi replied. "We could try sailing in any direction and hope for the best but I don't think–"
"Don't finish that sentence!" Zoro ordered. "We'll think of something. As soon as Luffy gets back we'll return to the ship."
Luffy chose that moment to appear and he took Zoro's place immediately. The swordsman moved aside willingly enough. The pirates soon turned their attention to where Broggy had burst into tears. Lily cough some more and clung to Luffy's arms as he lifted her so that she was sitting instead of semi-reclined.
"Hang in there Lily," Luffy ordered. "We'll think of something."
"Do you think I'll see my mum and dad again?" Lily asked pitifully. Luffy held her tighter.
"You're not going to die!" he whispered ferociously. "I won't let you!"
"I'm not immortal, dad," Lily told him before coughing painfully. "And the Log Pose takes a year to set."
While they were occupied Dorry had woken up, the theory of faulty weapons was explained, and Sanji had returned. He was filled in on everything, fussed over Lily with worry, and revealed an Eternal Pose to Alabasta he had acquired from some Baroque Works agents.
"Come on Lily, we'll find you a doctor soon," Luffy whispered as he stood with her in his arms. "Stay with me."
Lily didn't say anything; she found that it took too much effort to talk. She passed out in his arms. Luffy stared down at her with unmasked worry on his face. The others caught his expression and hurried to the Going Merry. They all knew that Lily's chances weren't good and that she needed a doctor as soon as possible. Zoro watched in concern as well. His hunting competition with Sanji paled in importance to getting to the youngest crew member somewhere where she could heal. Sanji seemed to agree with him as there was no argument in getting the edible meat on board and setting sail quickly.
There was no telling what was to happen, just that they needed a doctor.
Next time in the Adventures of Monkey D Lily:
Chapter 4 – Drum Island