Ch. 11- Olga Discovers the Truth

One Piece © Oda

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

Click! Creaaak~!

The Straw Hats had reached the top of the stairs, where they found a peculiar door. As Luffy opened it and they entered, they gasped upon seeing a room that seemed to remain untouched for many years, considering there was dust everywhere. There were also things like gemstones on a scale and a chalkboard filled with formulas.

"Wait," Olga said. "I know this place!"

"You do?" Aika asked.

Before Olga could answer, Robin gasped as she spotted something on the table: a container of some sort, filled with a strange fluid...and inside was an egg-shaped nugget of gold.

"It's...it's the Pure Gold!" Robin exclaimed.

"Whoa!" Luffy said as he looked at the treasure. "So this is the treasure we're looking for?!"

"It's so pretty!" Aika added.

"The treasure...that could buy the whole world...!" Nami whispered with Berry signs in her eyes.

"Oh, boy," Kumi muttered. "There Nami goes again."

"Why is there such a valuable treasure down here?" asked Chopper. "What is this place, anyway?"

"It's my crappy old man's lab," Olga answered. "After all this time...I can't believe he's alive."

"Oh, yeah!" Luffy replied. "He was having a hard time because he got captured by those dinosaurs!"

"You mean he was here, inside Lord Bonbori's stomach, the whole time?" asked Olga.

"Yeah," Luffy answered, "and he was crying a lot when I told him you were alive!"

"H...he did?" asked Olga, surprised, while Robin picked up a nearby book, blew off the dust, and skimmed through the pages.

"Wait," Robin said. "This is...!"

"What is it, Robin?" Nami asked.

"It's Acier's research journal," Robin answered, causing Olga to gasp.

"What does it say, Aunt Robin?" inquired Aika.

"Let me see," Robin answered before she began to read. "'I have decided to forbidden Pure Gold. I know that as a scientist, it is taboo, but...I must do what is necessary to save my daughter.'"

"S...save me?" Olga asked before she glared. "How was making the Pure Gold saving me?! He only made our lives hell!" She then pointed an accusing finger at the Pure Gold in the container. "That...that...THING has nothing but trouble! He knew the consequences, and he made it anyway?! WHY WOULD THAT SAVE ME?!"

"Wait, Olga!" Robin argued. "There's more. 'My precious little Olga...who was barely beginning to live...had contracted a fatal illness. For her...I would even sell my soul to the devil.'"

"Wait...I-I'm sick?" Olga asked in shock. "But...but I feel fine!"

"'Through research,'" Robin continued reading, "'I have found that the light from the Pure Gold has the extraordinary effect of suppressing the growth of living things to an extreme extent. It should stop the progression of Olga's disease by letting her absorb the light.'"

That's when Olga's mind momentarily flashed back to a time when Alchemi was still an island. She was in bed, fatigued and almost breathless. Her skin was pale and she had broken out in a cold sweat. Then, Acier, back when he was still a well-built man, approached her along with her mother, and held up a familiar silver ring, which he slipped onto her left middle finger.

"Don't ever taking this ring off, understand?" his voice asked in her memory.

"So that's why Acier made the Acier made the Pure Gold," Robin speculated. "He was trying to use to keep you alive, just a little longer."

"No way...!" Olga whispered in shock.

"That's why you still look like a child," said Nami, "even though 200 years have passed!"

"Wait, what?!" Brook questioned in surprise. "You're over 200 years old?! That practically makes you an old lady!"

Olga wasn't really listening, though, for she looked down at her left middle finger and rubbed at the spot where her ring was.

"Olga?" Aika asked in concern. "Are you okay?"

"...I never realized how selfish I was until now," Olga said. "When my Mom died...I never once thought about how heartbroken Dad was, too...and yet..." She then gripped at her finger...as her body trembled. "Despite that...despite that he made the Pure Gold to save me...!" She sniffled as tears fell from her eyes. "I...I'm such a dumb-ass! For the past 200 years old, I blamed my Dad for everything that happened to me...even though he actually saved my life!"

As Olga sobbed, everyone looked at her sadly, except for Luffy, who just blinked at her. Then, without uttering a single word, Aika went up and hugged the blonde-haired girl, who tense up for a moment...but then she sniffled as she, surprisingly, returned Aika's embrace, and continued crying, making everyone smile at them.

XXX

Meanwhile, outside at the Final Gate, Treasure stood before Acier, who sat on the ground before him.

"You...!" Treasure hissed. "You're Myskina Acier, aren't you?! How dare you interfere!"

"...For 2 centuries," Acier began, "I couldn't do anything to help my daughter...so after I saw her again after so long, I finally got the chance to protect her. Even if she hates me...even if I'm a worthless man...I'm glad to be alive." That's when he reached into his coat and pulled out a button. "I figured like this might happen, so I set up explosives around my lab to protect my research!"

"You what?!" Treasure questioned as he backed away in shock.

"...Olga," Acier whispered, tearfully. "I love you...goodbye."

Click! He pressed the button, and soon after, BABOOM! BOOM! The whole place began to explode!

XXX

Inside Acier's lab, the Straw Hats gasped as they felt the tremors from up above.

"What the hell is going on?!" Luffy questioned.

"Everybody, we gotta get outta here!" Olga shouted.

"What?!" Nami asked, holding the container with the Pure Gold. "Why?! What's going on?!"

"My Dad must've started the self-destruct sequence!" Olga answered.

"WHAT?!" Usopp shouted.

"We gotta get outta here!" Luffy yelled. "Everybody out!"

XXX

Outside, Acier smirked as rubble began falling around him and Treasure.

"I'll protect my daughter," Acier began, "even if it costs me my life! That's the duty of a father, after all!"

Then, the ground beneath him and Treasure crumbled, causing them both to fall into the depths below.

"YOU BASTARD~!" Treasure cursed.

XXX

KABOOM! A window from Acier's lab exploded, just as Luffy and the others ran out to get to a safe distance. However, KABLAAAAAAAAAM! Another explosion burst forth from the lab, sending them all flying off a cliff!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGH!" Usopp and Chopper screamed.

"WE'RE FALLING!" Kumi yowled as she clung to Aika.

"WE'RE GOING TO DIE!" Brook cried. "Oh, wait! But I'm already dead!"

"Luffy!" Nami called. "Gum-Gum Balloon! Hurry!"

"Right!" Luffy answered. "Gum-Gum BALLOON!"

BWOOMP! BOING! Taking in a huge breath of air, Luffy inflated his stomach, where the others safely bounced off. Well, some more than others. While Olga, Kumi, and Robin landed on their feet, Usopp, Chopper, Brook, and surprisingly, even Nami, landed rather harshly on their backs or heads, but due to their built-up resilience from being with Luffy so much, they just got back up and walked it off. Aika, meanwhile, was still bouncing on Luffy's giant belly.

"Ahahahahaha!" she laughed. "This is so much fun!"

"Aika!" Nami called. "Time to get down, now!"

"Okay!" Aika answered as she jumped down off her older half-brother's stomach and into Nami's arms.

"Good girl," Nami praised.

"Hey!" Chopper called. "Where's the Pure Gold?!"

"Oh!" Nami exclaimed. "Y-you're right! Where is it?!"

"There it is!" Olga answered as she pointed at the shore, where the Pure Gold still remained in its container. However, the glass had cracked due to Nami dropping it during the explosions, so the fluid was leaking out a bit.

"I'll get it!" Aika answered as she ran to grab it, but then, THOMP! A familiar figure landed before her, causing her to let out a frightened shriek before she ran back to Nami and jumped into her arms again. "It's the crazy chain man, again!"

Sure enough...there was Treasure, somehow still alive, although his forehead from bleeding, possibly injured due to the rubble falling on him. Strangely enough, though, was the fact that he had Acier, who had also survived, in his grasp.

"JARARARARARA!" laughed Treasure as he looked down the Pure Gold. "So...this is the treasure you were willing to sacrifice your life for, eh, Acier?!

He then roughly tossed Acier at Luffy's group, causing Luffy to run to him in concern.

"Pops!" Luffy exclaimed. "You okay?!"

Then, Treasure picked up the Pure Gold's container and stared at it...with a crazed grin.

"The Pure Gold...!" he whispered. "The treasure that can buy even the whole world! It's light alone is enough to extend human life...even those damned Celestial Dragons drool over this! And now I, Mad Treasure, have it in my grasp! JAAARARARARARA! JAAAAARARARARARARARA! JAAAAAARARARARARARARA~!"

"That bastard...!" Luffy hissed.

"Unh...Luffy...!" Acier groaned. "I'm sorry. It seems my calculations were incorrect, this time...I was supposed to be buried under the rubble along with him!"

"Who says you should decide when you die?!" Olga questioned, causing Acier to gasp. "Do you know what I've been for the past 200 years?! All this time...I held a grudge against you, and I just now found out it was meaningless! How are you supposed to pay me back if you died?!" At that moment, her eyes started tearing up again, causing her angry facade to drop. "...I get it now...you made the Pure Gold, not out of selfishness or greed...but because you were trying to save me, weren't you?! You...you should've told me in the first place...you idiot!" She then threw her arms around Acier, sobbing silently. "...Daddy...!"

"...Olga," Acier said before he hugged his daughter back. "Forgive me...I was a fool."

"JAAAAAAARARARARARARARA!" cackled Treasure. "JAAAAAAAAARARARARARARARA!"

"...What the hell are you laughing about, you chain freak?" Luffy asked.

"...What did you just say?" asked Treasure.

"...What's the point of hunting for treasure," Luffy started, "if all you do is cast aside your friends?!"

"What are you getting all hot and bothered for, Straw Hat?" Treasure inquired. "Isn't it easier to buy your friends with money and power?!"

With that, he clenched his fist, causing the collars around the necks of Nami, Usopp, Chopper, Robin, Brook, and Kumi to tighten.

"Oh, no!" Aika cried. "Big Sis Nami! Guys!"

"Stop it!" Luffy barked. "Leave them alone!"

"Friends are only meant to be dominated," Treasure began, "by taking advantage of their greed and fear...and I gotta say, Straw Hat...your friends are really handy. Once I kill you...I'll take them back as my tools, once again, and do with them as I see fit!" With that, he squeezed on the container, easily smashing it open before he held the Pure Gold in his hands.

SHING! The Pure Gold shined its brilliant light, momentarily blinding everyone, but also causing the entire third stomach to glow, as well!

"What in the world?!" Brook asked.

"What is this?!" Usopp questioned. "What's going on?!"

"It's Lord Bonbori!" Acier answered. "His body is reacting to the light of the Pure Gold!"

The light was so bright, it could be seen on Alchemi from a great distance.

"JARARARARARARA!" cackled Treasure as he put the Pure Gold against his chest and attached it to himself with his chains. "With the Pure Gold in my possession...I WILL HUNT TREASURES FOR ALL ETERNITY! JAAAAAAARARARARARARA!"

"...How boring...!" Luffy hissed as he imbued his arms with Armaments' Haki. "Your idea of treasure hunting...IS BORING!"

With that, he charged at Treasure with a loud roar, which caused Treasure to do the same. It was at that moment that everyone knew...the final battle had begun!

TO BE CONTINUED...

By the way, I forgot to mention I saw Film Gold (English Subbed), yesterday...definite 9/10, that movie. LOVED IT!

I'll probably start that next week, after I see the dubbed version in theaters. No sense in wasting the ticket, right?

Review, please!