Ch. 9- Trust

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, Kumi, and Anubis © Me

Back with Mad Treasure's crew, the Shark Emeralda are riding the current of dark red gastric acid, down towards the third stomach.

"Finally," Olga said. "We made it!"

Up ahead, the group could see an island...where a bright light shined.

"Is that...?" Aika asked.

"Yeah," Olga answered. "That's the island I was born on and where the Pure Gold is hidden...Alchemia."

Soon, the group made landfall and began to disembark, climbing up the stairs of some ruins, and to make sure the Straw Hats didn't get away, Treasure had his crew hold them at knife-point.

"The Pure Gold is located inside a laboratory deep within this abandoned mine," said Olga.

Anubis groaned as he loped alongside Treasure, eyeing Kumi hungrily. However, the Akita pup growled before she snapped her jaws at him, causing the hyena to yelp in fright and Treasure to smirk.

"Jarararara!" laughed Treasure. "The pup's got more guts than you, Anubis!"

Anubis groaned at this.

'Rub it in, why don't you?' he thought.

Naomi staggered up the stairs before she stopped to lean on a wall, taking a swig of whiskey. However, she stopped when she saw some strange inscriptions on the side of the entrance.

"Hey," she slurred. "There'sss...somethin' written over here~."

"Nico Robin," said Treasure, "you're an archaeologist, right?" He then grabbed Robin by the throat, causing her to gasp. "Read it for us."

"Aunt Robin!" Aika cried, preparing to try and hit Treasure again.

"No, Aika!" Robin called. "It's okay...I'll read it!"

"That's what I thought," said Treasure as he pushed Robin to the entrance, causing her to glare at him. "Go on! Read it!"

"...It says 'Those who invade this island, seeking glimmering gold'," Robin began, "'must pay the price with death.'"

"With death?!" Chopper repeated.

"Oh, that's not good...!" Nami whispered with dread.

"'Signed, Myskina Acier,'" said Robin.

"A-Acier?!" Olga repeated.

"You know who that is?" asked Treasure.

"Of course I know that scumbag!" barked Olga. "He's my crappy old man who created the Pure Gold in the first place! And I hate him with every fiber of my being!"

"...Olga," Aika said, sadly.

Just then, a bloodcurdling scream pierced the air from within the ruins, causing everyone look up...only to see one of Treasure's men staggers...with arrows coming out of his back!

"B...Boss...!" he croaked. "Everyone...is...dead...!"

With a final gasp, he keeled over...dead as a doornail.

"AAAAAAAAAAAH~!" Usopp, Chopper, and Kumi shrieked.

"H-h-he's dead!" Brook cried.

Robin covered Aika's eyes using her powers, not wanting to her see, while Olga gaped in absolute horror.

"It looks like those who went first were caught in some kind of trap," said Naomi.

"I smell it now," said Treasure. "The sweet scent of danger!"

"Oh, man," Kumi whimpered. "This guy's like Luffy, only really, REALLY insane!"

"I guess that's why he gets the name, Mad Treasure," Aika whispered.

"Get moving!" Treasure ordered as he booted Aika along, causing her to yelp before she kept walking. Anubis growled at Kumi, who only growled back, frightening him even more as he backed away.

XXX

Inside the mine, Brook walked cautiously ahead while the others followed behind him.

"I-I'm already dead," said the skeleton, "so if it's just some simple booby traps, I won't die, since I'm already dead!"

As they walked, they gasped upon seeing many more dead corpses litter the floor, which caused Aika to gasp in horror...as she flashed back to a certain memory of when her original homeland was destroyed.

"Don't look, Aika," Nami said as she put her hands on Aika's shoulders. "It's gonna be okay."

Soon, they stopped in front of a flight of stairs, and at the bottom was a pipe organ, which sat on a platform in the middle of room with a pool of lava around it.

"I take it that this is the booby trap," Nami pointed out.

"This is a Peacock Organ," said Robin, who saw another inscription like the one outside. "'Only those who play the right notes and have a pure mind can approach the bright gold.'"

"What does that mean?" Brook asked.

"I think what it means," Robin started, "is that you have to play the organ exactly as it's written in the score there in order to get out alive. Should you fail, though, you'll get hit with arrows and be killed."

"WHAT?!" Usopp and Chopper questioned.

"I'll do it," Brook said. "I'm the musician of this crew, after all!"

A pause...but then Treasure grinned.

"Jarararara!" he laughed. "How convenient! Fine...I'll leave it to you then, Bones...but you better not screw this up...it'll mean the death of you...and your friends."

To emphasize this, he clenched his fists, causing the collars on Nami, Usopp, Chopper, Robin, Brook, and Kumi to contract and squeeze their throats.

"Guys!" Aika cried.

"I...I am aware of this...!" Brook grunted. "I'm ready and willing to stake my life for my friends...even though I'm already dead!"

Olga only blinked at them in surprise.

"I just don't understand," she said. "Why? Why risk your lives for each other like this?! It doesn't make any sense to me at all!"

"Just watch and you'll see," said Aika.

Soon, Brook sat down in front of the organ and put his bony fingers on the keys.

"We're counting on you, Brook," Usopp said.

Brook opened up the score and gasped silently.

"My word," he whispered. "Such a wonderful lullaby!"

Soon, he began to play a tune on the organ, and as it reached her ears, Olga gasped, for she recognized the song.

"This song...it's the one my Mom sang to me...!" she whispered in surprise as she thought back to when she walked along a sandy beach while holding a blonde woman's hand, both of them smiling lovingly at each other.

"Huh?" Aika muttered as she looked at Olga. "Olga? What's wrong? Why are you crying?!"

Olga gasped silently as she wiped her eyes, realizing that she had indeed started crying.

"I...I..." she stammered, but then, the music stopped while Brook gasped in horror.

"Oh, no!" he cried as he looked at the score...where a corner of the page had faded out! "The score...it's faded! I don't know how it ends!"

"Oh, man, not good!" Usopp exclaimed.

"What are you gonna do, Brook?!" asked Chopper.

"...It may not look it," Brook said, determinedly, "but I am a musician! Even if the score's incomplete, I shall do my best to finish the song and see what the writer wanted! Now...let's see..."

With that, he continued playing the song...but as he reached the part that was faded out, he stopped, and soon after, a glint of something flashed. Following this, a rain of arrows fired down on Brook, who gasped as he braced himself. Nami, Usopp, and Chopper all shrieked as they heard one arrow pierce something...and when Brook looked up, he found that an arrow had pierced through his hat and Afro!

"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH~!" Brook shrieked.

Soon, more arrows rained down on Brook, but this time, Robin was ready!

"Cien Fleur!" she shouted as she crossed her arms, and soon, many arm sprouted out of the ground and grabbed at the arrows before they could hit Brook, who sighed in relief.

"Thank you, Miss Robin," he said.

"Don't stop playing, Brook," Robin smiled back. "Understand?"

"Right!" Brook answered. "On with the show, then!"

With that, he repeated playing the tune where he left off, but when he got to the part that was faded out again, his fingers slipped out of nervousness, and more arrows fired at him!

"Brook!" Chopper cried.

"Oh, no!" Olga shouted.

Just as the arrows were about to hit, Chopper ran out toward the platform, shifting into Kung Fu Point as he did.

"Aika! Kumi!" he called out, and the girls nodded before they ran after him.

"I'll take that!" Kumi said as she grabbed a shield from one of Treasure's goons while Aika armed herself with her pipe.

"WACHAA~!" Chopper cried out as he spun around, kicking the arrows away with a whirlwind of kicks, while Aika swung her pipe like a bat, destroying the arrows as she did. Kumi, meanwhile, threw the shield at Brook, stopping the arrows from piercing his skull as it flew over his head.

"Phew!" Brook sighed.

"Are you okay, Brook?" Aika asked.

"My fingers slipped," Brook replied.

"You just leave the arrows to us," Chopper said.

"That's right, Brook!" Usopp added. "Just keep playing!"

Brook nodded before he continued to play, but every time he tried to figure out the next part, he stalled, and the arrows kept firing!

"Robin!" Chopper called out.

"Right!" Robin answered. "Mils Fleur...GIGANTESCO MANO!"

She summoned a gigantic hand, which raised Chopper high up into the air.

"Robin and Chopper Great Vortex!" the reindeer exclaimed before he whirled around, creating a giant whirlwind of kicks that blew the arrows away!

"I...I don't believe it!" Olga gaped. "He trusts his friends so much that he won't run away, no matter how bad the situation is!"

Nami smiled at this.

"Now you're finally getting it, huh?" she asked.

Just then, Brook stopped playing.

"I can't do it," he said, defeated. "It seems I'm still not as skilled as I thought...no matter how hard I try, I can't figure out the next part of this song and the expressions of the writer! If it keeps going on like this...Miss Robin, Chopper, Aika, and Kumi will pay with their lives! There must be some sort of clue!"

"Brook!" Olga called, causing the skeleton to gasp and look at her. "Follow my singing, okay?!"

"Olga...!" Brook whispered.

"Olga, what are you doing?!" Nami asked. "Come back, it's too dangerous!"

"...Aika," Olga said. "I need your help, too. Nami says you can sing really well...try to follow along and sing with me, okay?"

"Mm!" Aika nodded. "You got it, Olga!"

Soon, Olga and Aika both cleared their throats and started to sing.

"A gentle smile and a dignified smile
Your adorable smile~!"

Brook gasped in realization before he began to play the organ along with their singing.

"Silver hearts and gold hearts
I'll give them all to you~!"

A pause came as Brook played the bridge on the organ before the girls continued to sing.

"Alchemi, Alchema
Hold the gold star

Alchemi, Alchema
Go into a dream~!

Go into a dream~!"

Brook held the last note for a good three seconds before he stopped, while everyone gaped in complete awe at their performance.

"...Did that do it?" Usopp asked, worriedly, but he soon got his answered when the lava stopped flowing into the room and drained away...revealing a staircase that led into a dark corridor.

"Well, well, well," Treasure smirked. "Would you look at that: the next room has been revealed! Well done...but it's not over yet. I wouldn't want my handy tools to go dying on me, now would I?"

"Olga," Brook said, "thank you."

"Huh?" Olga muttered.

"Because of you," Brook began, "I felt what the writer was feeling in that song and it shook me to the bone! This song is filled with a parent's love for his or her child."

"How'd you know how to sing it?" Chopper asked.

"...My Mom used to sing that song for me, all the time," said Olga.

"She must've really loved you, then," Usopp smiled.

"...Maybe she did," Olga began, "but my crappy Dad is a different story!"

Despite her anger, though, she couldn't help but have a look of uncertainty.

"...Why would he use that song?" she asked.

"My boss! We have a problem!"

Treasure turned to see Psycho P run up and kneel before him.

"What's wrong?" asked Treasure. "Did you kill Straw Hat and those other ones?"

"Straw Hat...he's alive!" Psycho P answered, causing Nami and the others to gasp happily. "He's on his way here, right now!"

"Hmph!" Treasure scoffed. "How tenacious. Naomi! Psycho P! Anubis! You three stand guard here! We're going on ahead!"

"Big Brother!" Aika cheered.

"You see?" Nami asked. "I told you he'd come and save us!"

"Yeah!" Usopp answered. "Now we just have to hold out until he gets here!"

XXX

Concurrently, at the second stomach...

"Hey, Acier Pops!" Luffy called. "Are we leaving, yet?!"

"Just a moment!" Acier answered as he bandaged Chavez's leg. "And...there. If my calculations are correct, Chavez should be all right for a little bit longer!"

"Thanks a lot," said Chavez.

"You ready to go, Blizzard?" Luffy asked.

"Let's get moving," Blizzard answered.

"Hey! You guys need help?"

Luffy turned to see Zoro and Sanji, the REAL Zoro and Sanji, carrying what looked like a pile of metal.

"Cut the crap, Moss-head," Sanji said. "You just don't wanna admit you can't carry it much longer, can you?!"

"Shut up, you Dartboard-Brow Water Imp!" Zoro barked.

"It's about time those two got back," Blizzard said, irritably.

"Look out!" Luffy shouted as he charged at them. "It's the fakes again!"

"No, Luffy, wait!" Blizzard called. "That's the real Zoro and Sanji!"

But his shouts fell on deaf ears, for Luffy ran up to the swordsman and cook with his arm outstretched.

"Gum-Gum...PISTOL!" he shouted as he threw a punch at Zoro and Sanji, who both dodged.

"What the-?!" Zoro questioned.

"Is that Luffy?!" Sanji asked.

As the dust cleared, Luffy lunged at them with both fists at the ready.

"Gum-Gum GATLING~!" he shouted as he threw a flurry of punches, which Sanji blocked with his kicks.

"Luffy, knock it off!" Sanji barked. "It's us, Zoro and Sanji!"

"Are you sure?!" Luffy asked. "No way...you two have gotta be some kind of fakes!"

"ARE YOU SERIOUSLY THAT DENSE?!" Blizzard shouted.

"You want your proof?!" Zoro asked as he crossed his arms. "Fine! Here's your proof! Zero-Sword Style...DRAGON TWISTER!"

With a powerful swing of his arms, he sent a whirlwind at Luffy, pushing him back.

"And here's MY proof, dumb-ass!" Sanji shouted as he kicked Luffy in the jaw, causing his neck to stretch back before it snapped back into place.

"Oh!" he exclaimed. "It is the real Zoro and Sanji!"

"Of course we are!" Zoro shouted.

"Quit giving us more trouble than we already got!" Sanji added.

"Idiot..." Blizzard grumbled, his paw on his face in frustration at Luffy's simple-mindedness.

"Shishishishi!" Luffy laughed as they all landed. "Sorry about that, guys. Good to see ya!"

"Yeah, yeah," Sanji said before he noticed Acier. "Who's this?"

"Oh, yeah!" Luffy said. "Zoro, Sanji, this is Acier Pops! Pops, these are my friends!"

"Since they're strong like you are, Luffy," Acier began, "I feel like I'm in good hands."

"I know, right?" Luffy asked.

"Oh! So there you are, Luffy! I knew you'd be okay!"

Luffy looked up, only to gasp upon seeing Franky.

"Franky! It's you!" he exclaimed.

"So, where are the others?" Franky asked. "They off having lunch or something?"

"...Oh, yeah," Luffy said, worriedly. "Nami...she, Aika, Usopp, and the others...they've been captured by that chain guy and taken somewhere!"

"What?!" Zoro questioned.

"You're kidding me!" Sanji shouted.

"So that's what happened," Blizzard spoke. "I knew something was up when I didn't see Aika with you!"

"Robin, too?!" Zoro asked.

"Yeah," Luffy replied. "Sorry, Zoro. I got careless."

"...It's not your fault," Zoro answered.

"I get the gist of things," said Franky. "Still, we can't sail through this stomach acid, or else the Sunny will melt! That's why I had Zoro and Sanji go out and look for materials so I can beef her up! It's gonna take some time, though."

"No, Franky," Sanji said. "At the rate, we're going, it might be too late. We gotta save the others!"

"He's right," Luffy answered. "I know they're strong, but I don't know how much longer they'll last! Plus, Aika and Kumi, are with them, and Olga, too! If we don't get to them soon, that chain guy will kill 'em!"

"In that case, we'll go on ahead," Sanji said. "Sky Walk!"

With that, he kicked off the ground and flew off!

"He can fly?!" asked Acier.

"Franky, we're going, too!" Luffy said as he sat on Blizzard, who was wearing some sort of armor made from the scrap metal found around the island.

"Got it," Franky answered. "I'll catch up with you guys as soon as I'm done with the Sunny here!"

"Where do you think the chain guy is, now?" asked Zoro.

"He's probably in the third stomach, by now," answered Acier. "That's where Alchemi and the Pure Gold is located."

"Then that's where we're going," Luffy asked. "Lead the way, Pops!"

With that, Acier and Zoro got on Chavez, who ran along the surface of the stomach acid while Blizzard swam along behind him, the armor making it impossible to burn his fur and skin. Luffy clung to the wolf-dog's back, making sure his legs didn't touch the acid.

"Hang on, you guys," he whispered. "Just a little bit longer!"

TO BE CONTINUED...

Review, please!