Ch. 13- Cool Fight

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Aika, Kumi, and Jupiter © Me

"What the…?! Brown-Croc?!"

Luffy had just gotten inside the lab and saw Brownbeard's smoldering body. Chopper had just gotten through explaining what had just happened to the others.

"So you mean those two guys we saw outside weren't here to save him, after all?" Luffy asked.

"Yeah," Chopper answered. "I think their target was the children, as well as our lives! But first, they attacked Brownbeard on their Master's orders, and he was on their side!"

'The hell…?' Blizzard thought. 'What kind of Master does that?!'

"Brownbeard practically this Master!" Chopper added.

Luffy stared at Brownbeard in disbelief as he remembered how much he praised Caesar.

"If Vegapunk was the Devil who stole the use of our legs, the Master is a kind and merciful god of salvation!"

"…That son of a bitch…!" Luffy hissed.

"This Master has to be one twisted guy!" Chopper exclaimed as he turned to the still-sleeping children. "We can't let that sicko get his hands on the children, again! Plus, I'm worried about Nami-Franky! Who knows what those two guys will do to her?!"

"I'm all over that!" Luffy said before he jumped on Blizzard's back again. "Blizzard! Let's ride!"

"Right!" Blizzard said before he dashed off.

"Usopp! Chopper! Robin! Franky!" Luffy ordered. "You guys stay here with the kids! Blizzard and I will be right back with Nami!"

"Hang on, Luffy!" Franky said. "I'm going with ya! That's MY body you're talking about! Hey, Chopper! I can't fight in this body of yours! Gimme one of those beans! The ones that transform you into a monster!"

"Beans?!" Chopper repeated, holding out a Rumble Ball. "The Rumble Ball isn't a bean, it's a very powerful drug! You can have one, but I don't think you'll be able to control it!"

"Just shut up and give it to me!" Franky said as he snatched the drug out of Chopper/Sanji's hands.

"Listen, Franky," Chopper advised. "You'll only be in Monster Point for at least 3 minutes. After that, you won't be able to walk for a while, so stick to Kung-Fu Point if you can-"

However…CRUNCH! Franky bit down on the Rumble Ball…and transformed into Chopper's Monster Point!

"ZUUUBERR!" he roared.

"WAIT A SECOND BEFORE YOU TAKE IT!" Chopper shouted in comical anger.

"C'mon, Franky! Follow me!" Luffy called.

BWOOOH~! Franky roared…before he slammed Chopper's hand down on Luffy and Blizzard.

"HOLY SHIT!" Blizzard cursed as he dodged.

"AAAH!" Luffy screamed. "STOP IT FRANKY! WHY ARE YOU ATTACKING US, YOU JERK?!"

"I knew it!" Chopper exclaimed. "He's completely out of control!"

Usopp, Robin, and Chopper watched as Franky chased after Luffy and Blizzard.

"So…what was Franky trying to do, again?" Usopp asked, sweat-dropping.

"He won't be able to move after using Monster Point," Chopper replied. "So…yeah, I'm guessing he won't be much help."

"In other words, he's just getting in the way," Robin added.

Suddenly, something dashed passed the three and into the snow. Upon getting a closer look, they saw that it was…Aika, in her Wolf Form!

"Aika?!" Usopp questioned, causing the wolf-girl to stop. "W-where are you going?!"

"I gotta go help them!" Aika said.

"What?!" Chopper questioned.

"That lady said she'd help us," Aika said, "so now I have to help get her back!"

"Aika, wait! Stop!" Robin cried, but Aika had already run off, and not long after, Kumi followed.

"Kumi!" Usopp called. "What are you doing?!"

"Not you, too, Kumi!" Chopper cried.

"Aika! Stop!" the puppy called as she chased after her. "You can't just run headlong into danger like that! You're outta your mind! AIKA, COME BACK HERE!"

But Aika didn't stop. She just kept galloping in the direction Luffy, Blizzard, and Franky went off in.

'I don't believe this!' Kumi thought. 'Normally, Aika's afraid of her own shadow, and yet here she is, running through this snowstorm?! What's gotten into her?!'

She then gasped as she remembered a few words Blizzard had said, before.

"When Luffy touches your heart…he kinda has a way of changing you."

'Could it be…?' Kumi thought as she stared at Aika, who had a look of determination in her eyes.

XXX

Meanwhile, at Caesar's laboratory, Caesar is looking at Franky's wanted poster.

"I don't know where or how he got them," Caesar noted, "but this 'Cyborg' Franky has Vegapunk's lasers installed in his body! Once I've cut the laser system out of him, I don't need the rest. Warm up the incinerator!"

"Yes, Master!" the guards nearby exclaimed.

"Also, about the Marines, sir," said another.

"I'm already preparing a plan as we speak," Caesar replied. "Evacuate all the soldiers from the island, now…that is, unless you all want to die. Shulolololo…!"

"M-Master?" one of the guards questioned nervously.

XXX

Meanwhile, in the mountains behind the lab…

"Let me go, you creeps!"

Nami is seen, tied up to a steel beam by the Yeti Cool Brothers.

"What do you want from me?!" Nami questioned. "You sleazy perverts! Why in the hell would you kidnap me?! I mean, yeah, I'm cute and I have a hot body, and I can see why anyone would want to have me at their mercy, but-"

"What in the hell is this guy saying?" asked Rock.

"He swings for the other team," said Scotch. "That's cool."

"You two are gonna pay for this!" Nami shouted. "Just you wait! When my Captain comes and rescue me, you are gonna GET IT!"

"Shut your trap," Rock said, holding his gun. "I don't like noisy guys. They're…"

"Not cool," Scotch added.

"But apparently, the weapons attached to your body are…"

"Pretty cool."

"And if we hand you over to our Master, our reward will be…"

"So cool!"

Nami gasped as realization set in.

'They're not really after me!' she thought. 'They're really after Franky!'

Suddenly, both of them shivered and hugged themselves for warmth.

"Brr~! It's a cold one out, today!" Rock said.

"My body is…so cool!" Scotch added.

"THEN PUT SOME WARM CLOTHES ON, YOU FREAKS!" Nami shouted.

"Our rifles are like cannons to you," said Rock. "We have poison rounds, too. We never show our faces and there's now way for you to defeat us!"

"You say your Captain is coming?" Scotch asked. "Of course he is. We've set it up so he will follow us. People can't help but follow footprints…in the snowy mountains."

XXX

"Hey, Blizzard, look!" Luffy said as he pointed to a trail of prints like the ones he saw before. "Footprints! Good things are here! So big and easy to see!"

"Yeah," Blizzard said as he followed the footprints. "TOO easy. I'd be careful, Luffy! This smells like a trap!"

KADOOM! BAKOOM! BWOOOOOHH! Franky roared as he kept slamming Chopper's humongous hands at Luffy and Blizzard.

"Franky, knock it off!" Luffy shouted. "Seriously!"

Blizzard growled in annoyance, but as he looked back ahead, he gasped when he realized he was about to run right off a cliff!

"WHOA!" Blizzard cried.

"BLIZZARD, HIT THE BRAKES!" Luffy cried.

SKREEEEEE~! Blizzard braked to a halt just in time.

"Phew!" the wolf-dog sighed.

"Man, that was close!" Luffy laughed, but then…KATHOOM! Franky slammed Chopper's hands down on the cliff…causing it to start crumbling.

"…Luffy…!" Blizzard hissed.

"I know what you're gonna say," Luffy said, a look of annoyance. "I hate Franky right now, too."

KROOSH! The entire cliff fell apart, causing the three Straw Hats to fall!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Luffy screamed.

AWWOOOOOOOOOOOO~! Blizzard howled in terror.

BWOOOOOOOHH! Franky roared.

"Look Scotch!" Rock said as he and his brother looked up. "Here they come!"

"Got it, Rock!" said Scotch.

"Luffy?!" Nami questioned. "And Blizzard and Chop- I mean, Franky!"

Just then, Luffy noticed Nami and grinned.

"Hey! Nami!" he called as he, Blizzard, and Franky kept falling.

"Guys, look out!" Nami warned. "The enemy is here!"

"WHOA!" Blizzard cried. "LUFFY, LOOK DOWN!"

Luffy looked down and spotted huge, icy spikes down below!

"Yikes!" he cried. "What's with all those spikes down there?!"

"That was over quick!" Rock said. "Ice Spikes!"

Luffy smirked as he rolled up his sleeves…revealing his Haki-imbued arms.

"Armaments…HARDENING!" Luffy exclaimed. "Now Gum-GUUUUUUM…GATLING!"

KRASH! Using his powerful fists, Luffy shattered the spikes like glass in no time flat!

"Ah, I see," Rock said. "So it won't be that easy after all."

KA-CHAK! BANG-BANG-BANG! The yeti started to fire his gun at Luffy as he, Blizzard, and Franky crashed to the ground.

"Luffy! Look out!" Blizzard cried as he stood up.

"I see 'em!" Luffy said. "It's those guys from earlier!"

With that, Luffy inflated his stomach, catching the giant bullets as he did so.

"What are you doing?!" Blizzard asked. "Bounce them off already!"

"Rayleigh taught me that just bouncing back shots wildly in defense…is a poor way to fight!" Luffy said before he put his fingers together, like he was looking through crosshairs. "Don't waste the bullets…use them against the enemy with twice the force! Gum-GUUUUUUM…FIRE SALUTE!"

BWOING! KABOOOOOM! Luffy's belly sent the bullets right back at Rock with twice as much power than his previous Gum-Gum Balloon.

"Yeah!" Blizzard cheered. "All right, Luffy!"

"Rock!" Scotch cried. "You little son of a bitch! You're gonna pay for that! Icy mountains like this…ARE FULL OF WEAPONS!"

KABOOM! Scotch fired at an icy mountain, causing it to come crashing down on the Straw Hats!

"Look out!" Nami cried. "The icy peak is falling!"

BWOOOOHH! Franky roared as he tried to hit Luffy and Blizzard again.

"Seriously, Franky! Knock it off!" Luffy shouted.

"Why are we having more trouble with this monster than with the other two?!" Blizzard questioned.

"Ugh…!" Rock groaned as he stood up. "Are they…in-fighting?! What a bunch of fools."

"Luffy! Nami!"

Luffy and Nami looked up upon hearing their names and gasped.

"Isn't that…?" Luffy started.

"Aika and Kumi?!" Nami questioned. "Why are they here?!"

Aika and Kumi are seen running towards the battlefield.

"AIKA! KUMI!" Luffy shouted. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?! GO BACK! THIS ISN'T THE BEST PLACE FOR YOU TWO, RIGHT NOW!"

"That's what I tried to tell Aika!" Kumi argued.

BWOOOOH! Franky roared…before he tried to attack Aika and Kumi next!

"No! Franky, leave them alone!" Nami shouted.

Aika gasped as she braked to a halt while Kumi growled viciously, but just when Franky was about to hit them, Luffy dived in and grabbed them at the last second!

"Luffy!" Aika cried.

"You guys okay?" Luffy asked.

"Look out!" Kumi shouted, pointing behind Luffy, who looked up and saw Franky about to attack, again.

"Oh, COME ON!" Luffy shouted.

"Luffy! Franky! Blizzard! Aika! Kumi!" Nami shouted. "Look out above you! And watch your sides for the enemy!"

Luffy looked up and saw the icy peak beginning to fall on Franky, preparing to impale him while Rock and Scotch prepared to shoot from the sides!

"Dammit!" Luffy cursed.

"I won't let you dodge that mass of ice!" Rock shouted. "All it takes is one shot from this K.Y.P. Gas Round to knock you all into an alcohol-induced stupor, just like we did with those other three!"

BWOOOH! Franky roared as he grabbed the ice peak…and slammed it into Rock!

"UGH!" Rock cried before he fell to the ground.

"He actually did something useful?!" Nami questioned in shock.

"Yeah!" Luffy cheered. "Way to go, Franky!"

"Uh…Luffy?" Aika asked in a worried tone. "Look."

Luffy looked up and saw that Franky had turned on him, once again!

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" Luffy questioned as he dodged his attack. "Blizzard, hold these two for me, will ya?!"

"Uh…" Blizzard muttered before Luffy put Aika and Kumi on his back.

"Thanks, buddy!" the Straw Hat Captain said before he turned to Franky, who is charging at him.

"Gear THIRD! Armaments HARDENING!"

SHING! His arm turned black and shiny with Haki.

"Gum-Gum…ELEPHANT GUN!"

WHAM! Luffy punched Franky in the jaw with a gigantic fist!

"Whoa!" Aika exclaimed. "He's so strong!"

"WHY ARE YOU USING YOUR BIGGEST ATTACK ON HIM?!" Nami and Blizzard questioned in anger.

All of a sudden, Scotch snatched Nami off the steel beam and began to run off with her!

"KYAAAA!" Nami screamed. "LUFFY, HELP!"

"NAMI!" Luffy cried as he hopped on Blizzard's back with Aika and Kumi and rode after them. "I'm sorry, Franky and Chopper! I'll have Chopper look at you later!"

"Dammit, these mountains are so big!" Blizzard said. "If we let them get away now, we'll never find them!"

"Fool," Scotch said as he began to climb out of the chasm. "These mountains are our backyard. It's impossible for anyone to catch us here!"

"Whoa! He's climbing!" Luffy said. "He's like a monkey!"

SKREEEEEEEE~! A loud squawk was heard in the distance, causing every to look up and see Jupiter in his Owl Form, flying towards Scotch with Law atop his back.

"Hey…isn't that…?!" Nami questioned.

"Law and Jupiter!" Scotch exclaimed. "Great timing! Straw Hat Luffy and White Wolf Blizzard are here!"

Law didn't reply, though. He just held up his hand…causing a thin, dome-like film to appear. Then, the Warlord unsheathed his sword…SLICE! He cut Scotch clean in half, severing his torso from his legs!

"What the?!" Scotch questioned before he fell into the snow while Jupiter landed perfectly on the ground. However, they didn't seem to notice that the youngest of the Yeti Cool Brothers about to stab them both with a giant knife!

"Traffy!" Luffy cried as he spotted the enemy. "Behind you, look out!"

But then, Law jumped up and put his hands on Scotch's chest.

"Counter Shock!" Law shouted.

ZZAAAP! A powerful electric shock emerged from Law's hands, like they were a defibrillator! The force was so powerful, it sent Scotch back into the snow, again!

"Hmph…how pathetic," Jupiter said.

At that moment, Nami managed to pull herself out of the snow after Scotch dropped her.

"Nami!" Luffy called as he ran over to her. "You're okay!"

"Luffy! Thank god!" Nami said before Blizzard bit the chains binding her off. As she got up, Aika and Kumi approached her.

"Aika! What are you doing out here?!" Nami asked, sternly.

"Yeah!" Luffy agreed. "You two could've been killed!"

"You think I wanted to come out here?!" Kumi asked. "Aika ran out first! I was just following her to get her back to the lab!"

"…I just wanted to help you save Nami," said Aika, her wolf ears drooping. "I'm sorry."

Luffy sighed and put a hand on Aika's head.

"You really had me worried, you know," he said before he grinned. "Try not to do that again, okay?"

Aika smiled and grinned, and at that moment, Law approached them.

"Oh! Hey Traffy!" Luffy said. "Thanks for getting Nami back for me!"

"Yeah, thank…YOU!" Nami barked. "Gimme back my body, you jerk!"

"…I've thought it over," Law said, "and I wanna talk to you, Straw Hat-ya."

"Me?" Luffy asked.

"It's no doubt that it was mere coincidence that brought you and your subordinates here," Law said.

"Subordinates?!" Blizzard repeated.

"Shut up and let Law talk, pup," Jupiter growled.

"As it happens," Law continued, "this island harbors a crucial key powerful enough to throw the New World into disarray."

"What?" Nami asked. "What do you mean?"

"There are two ways to survive in the New World," Law said. "You either affiliate yourself with one of the Four Emperors…or you try to be one." He then turned to face Luffy. "From what I saw back on Sabaody, two years ago, you are not the type to serve others, Straw Hat-ya."

"Nope!" Luffy confirmed. "I like to being Captain!"

"Then…form an alliance with us!" Law exclaimed.

"An alliance?" Luffy repeated.

"With you!?" Blizzard questioned.

"Together, you and I just might be able to pull it off," Law smirked. "I have a plan…to take down one of the Four Emperors!"

TO BE CONTINUED…

Here it is, folks! The moment you've been waiting for!

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