For the safety of herself and her harried companions, Locks was tied up and thrown (gently) into a storeroom, which was locked immediately. The dragon would be fine. She could always burn the rope off if she felt the need (which was why it was old rope), and she could pick locks with the best of them (no pun intended).
This task was completed just in time for them to hear a cry of "Bye bye, baby!" as their 'guests' jumped overboard.
Cue angry growls from the crew.
oOo
oOo
Luffy was determinedly eating the townspeople out of house and home. Usopp was singing his own praises. Sanji was flirting. Zoro and Nami were competing in a drinking contest.
A couple of the oh-so-friendly islanders were sneaking on board the Going Merry. These rookies that had sailed into town had a couple of decent bounties, so they were bound to have some treasure, right? And where else would you find treasure but in a storeroom?
So, of course, they picked the lock and waltzed right in. The crew was being conned on shore, so there was no way anyone would be on board . . .
Now, so that the readers may understand what is about to happen next, a couple of things should be mentioned . . . Luffy has a wonderful tendency to run off like a lunatic, and his loyal crew does their best to follow.
Locks, on the other hand, has been living alone with the rubber hellion for over three years and has come to the conclusion that she is not needed except one the rare occasion, as back-up against Marines (Garp specifically), and so takes the opportunity to wander off on her own.
She has earned a bounty on her own, separate from the madness that seems to follow the Straw Hats. The Marines don't know that she's travelling on the Going Merry. Thus, a couple of idiotic no-name bounty hunters in the Grand Line have no idea of the mistake they have just made.
They turned on the lights, and gaped at the (gagged) girl that sat squinting at them under a great deal of rope.
Locks has a headache. The sudden bright light isn't helping any. Maybe if she melts the bulb . . .
The gag disintegrated as a great ball of fire hurtled towards the hapless thieves.
oOo
All is quiet in Whiskey Peak. Not a Straw Hat stirred as their entertainers flit out into the night.
They plot the deaths of their guests right outside the building . . . how stupid can they get? This stupidity is highlighted when a voice calls out:
"Looks like there are roughly 100 bounty hunters here . . . I'll take you on . . . Baroque Works."
They all turn to stare at him with wide eyes- He's gone! Suddenly, they turn to the centre of their midst, where a grinning swordsman pretends to look for himself. Weapons are pulled, shots fired- And down they go!
Mr 8 stares at his fallen minions, a blade passes dangerously close to his face-
He bends backwards and plays his saxophone, uncaring of the casualties, bullets shooting out from the instrument, forcing the swordsman to duck.
They eventually trap the mosshead in a nearby building . . . or do they? They stop firing for just one second, and the table he's hiding behind is cleaved in two as he rushes past them, leaving bloodied bodies in his wake. He dashes up a ladder, and suddenly leans back as a bullet blast over his head. With wide eyes, he follows the projectile to see- Ms Valentine furiously heaves a barrel at the interloper. The man merely narrows his eyes- The barrel is split neatly into four flaming pieces.
He jumps onto the roof, eyeing this new foe, when some idiot with a mallet tries to get him from behind. Said idiot finds the head of his hammer riven in two before he is knocked down.
A child rushes the swordsman with a piddly little knife. He disarms the kid, who is quickly gathered up by an apologetic nun . . . they think they're so smart. They try to shoot him- he knocks them down from behind and dashes up another ladder. Some more idiots follow him up- he grins and pushed the ladder away, watching gleefully as they fall. When the ladder is in just the right position, he jumps to it, riding it for a scant second before leaping from it to the next roof, knocking out the waiting fools with one move.
The woman from earlier grabs his throat and slams him into a wall, raising knuckledusters high- next thing she knows, he is crushing her head with one hand. Bullets blast his position again from Mr 8.