Ch. 34- Mocha

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Aika, Kumi, and Jupiter © Me

The battle in the Biscuits Room has been won by Zoro and Tashigi. Now, there are only ten minutes left until Shinokuni fills Building B. Knowing that, the two swordsmen hurry to catch up with their respective comrades.

"Wait! You're going the wrong way, Roronoa! The exit's the other way!"

"GAH!"

Right now, Zoro and Tashigi are running through a hallway to escape from the killer gas.

"I'm surprising you're still even standing after what you've been through!" Zoro said.

"I'm not the weak girl that I was, two years ago!" Tashigi said. "At any rate, we have to catch up to my men!"

"Right!" Zoro said. "I'm worried about Robin!"

Just then, Tashigi spotted Shuusui in Zoro's sash and gasped.

"Oh, my god!" she whispered. "Is that the legendary sword, Shuusui?!"

"KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF IT, YOU SWORD NERD!" Zoro shouted.

XXX

Meanwhile, Mocha is still running away from the other kids. However, this time, she had a few friends to back her up.

"Milky Ball!" Nami shouted as she shot some clouds out at the kids, blocking their path. "Hurry, Mocha! Keep running!"

"I will!" Mocha cried.

"RAAAARRGH!" one of the kids roared as he destroyed the clouds. "Get outta our way and give us that candy!"

"Dammit, this won't last forever!" Nami said. "How far does Mocha have to go before she's safe?!"

"Cien Fleur! Dos Manos!" Robin cried as she crossed her arms, causing two giant arms to appear and grab one of the larger children: a little boy with almost buzz-cut hair. The moment he was pinned down, Chopper and Kumi- the latter holding his medical bag- climbed onto his neck.

"Hold still!" Chopper as he reached into his bag and pulled out a syringe. "This is a sedative! It'll make you feel better!"

"Let me go, you stupid raccoon!" the boy shouted. "Let…let me…"

Once Chopper injected the sedative, the boy became lethargic before he sat up and shook his head.

"Ugh…w-what happened?" he asked. "How'd I get here?"

"You're okay," Chopper said. "You only had a bad dream, that's all. It's over, now!"

"Chopper, we only injected 3 kids with the sedative you made, so far!" Kumi said. "There are still too many of them!"

"You're right, Kumi," Chopper said. "This is taking too long!"

Mocha panted as she ran down a flight of stairs.

"Oh…now where am I?" she asked. "I don't know which way to go, anymore!"

Just then, she let out a shriek of terror, causing Nami, Chopper, Robin, and Kumi to look down and gasp.

Mocha…is surrounded by some of the children, and now they are trying to fight her to get the "candy" in her arms!

"Oh, no! Mocha!" Nami cried. "They must've circled around ahead of us!"

"If they get that candy away from her," Chopper began, "then we're back to square one!"

Mocha cried out in panic as she tried to pull the candy away from her violent friends.

"Kombu! Beeyo! Please, stop!" she cried. "This candy is bad for you! If you eat, we'll never go home!"

"Stop being stingy!" Beeyo shouted.

"Hand it over!" Kombu yelled.

But then, Mocha managed to jerk the candy away from her friends. However, she felt cornered, knowing that they would stop at nothing to get it.

She was left with only one option…one that may very well cost Mocha her young life.

Soon, Mocha unwrapped the candy, revealing the smaller ones inside…and to Chopper's shock…she stuffed them in her mouth!

This, of course, caused the kids to complain…but if they had known why, they would've urged her to spit it out.

"Hey! No fair, Mocha! You ate all our candy!"

"That's not air, you hog! How can you be so selfish?!"

"Mocha!" Nami cried.

"How could she do that?!" Robin questioned in shock.

'Is she outta her mind?!' Kumi thought. 'That stuff's gonna kill her!'

Chopper stared in absolute horror…before he yelled out at the top of his lungs, "MOCHA~!"

Mocha looked back upon hearing Chopper calling her name.

'Chopper…I'm sorry!' she thought. 'They're all my friends!'

"MOCHA, DON'T SWALLOW THEM!" Chopper shouted. "SPIT OUT THAT CANDY, RIGHT NOW! I TOLD YOU WHAT THEY'LL DO TO YOU!"

"Give us back our candy, Mocha!" Synd shouted. "GIVE IT BACK, RIGHT NOW!"

Mocha looked at her rampaging friends…with tears falling from her eyes. Then…she swallowed the candy.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Chopper screamed.

Flashback; about 40 minutes ago

Earlier, Chopper and Kumi were helping Mocha escape from the children and get to the Biscuits Room before the other kids did. Along the way, he had told Mocha of Caesar's true intentions.

"You mean the Master is a bad man?!" Mocha asked.

"Yes, he is," Chopper answered, trying to keep the door closed while in his Heavy Point form. "A very bad man."

"But, he's always so nice to us!" Mocha said. "And the candy he gives us every day is so yummy!"

"But it's all a trap!" Chopper said.

"Open this door, Mocha!" Synd shouted from the other side of the door. "We need to get to the Biscuits Room, right now! WE WANT OUR CANDY!"

"Mocha, listen to me," Chopper advised. "You're not Caesar's patients…you're his guinea pigs! His test subjects! You're not sick…you never have been!"

"Really?!" Mocha asked.

"Your enlarged bodies are proof of that," Chopper said. "Enlargement of the human body has been researched for centuries, just for the purpose of creating giant soldiers to fight in wars! It's an experiment that's been tested for hundreds of years…but it's never been implemented successfully…and Mocha, forgive me if I sound cruel, but these tests that Caesar has been doing on you and your friends is no different. It'll fail, just like all the others, and Caesar knows it! All he wants is more date for his next experiment!"

Mocha gasped as she remembered how Caesar said they'd all be "cured" within a year.

"So…what will happen to us?" Mocha asked.

"…You'll die," Chopper said, grimly. "None of you will be able to go home."

Mocha gasped in horror at this.

"You know why Aika didn't take that candy?" Chopper asked. "She knew it was bad for you guys."

"…But instead of listening to her…we ignored her, instead…!" Mocha whispered.

'Not just that, but you caused her to think she'll never have friends,' Kumi thought.

"What you think is 'candy' is actually a terrible poison!" Chopper said. "Before you know it, it'll eat away at your insides…and all it takes is one bite for you to want the next one! The more you eat, the harder it becomes for you to run away from Caesar! I mean…look at your friends! You can tell just how dangerous the stuff is by looking at them, can't you?! I've given a stabilizing shot…but if you continue to stay here…then the candy's side effects will kill every last one of you before you're even grownups!"

Mocha gasped in horror at this as she remember a day in the past when Synd used to talk about how they would all go out to sea when they grew up. He believed that once they were "cured" of their "illness", then they would just be sent home and then they would never see each other again. Synd thought that if they go out to sea as adults, they would be able to reunite and still be the best of friends. They all agreed that they would all go out to sea when they were all 20 years old.

Hearing that they will all die at their age…it broke Mocha's heart.

"We…we won't be grownups?" Mocha asked. "You mean…I'll never see my Mommy and Daddy again?!"

"That's right, Mocha," Chopper answered. "We have to get outta here!"

"But…but we never thought about that!" Mocha cried. "The reason we asked you to save us was because we just wanted to go home…because we didn't know what our disease was, and we were afraid we wouldn't be cured in a year…but…"

Tears began to spill from Mocha's eyes.

"…I never thought that we'd die! I still thought we would be grownups! That isn't what the Master promised!"

"Mocha, calm down!" Chopper said, trying to comfort her.

"We only ate the candy because he gave it to us!" Mocha cried. "We didn't think anyone would die!"

"I know, I know!" Chopper said. "It's okay! It's not your fault! This is why we can't forgive someone like Caesar for what he's done! We can't let him get away with this!"

Then, the human-reindeer dropped to his hands and knees and bowed in front of Mocha…who, for a moment, heard what sounded like Chopper trying to choke back sobs.

"I'm sorry, Mocha!" he apologized. "I'm so sorry…we couldn't find you, sooner!"

Mocha sniffled at this before she began to sob at full force.

"Chopper…we don't wanna die…!" she whimpered.

"And you won't," Chopper said, putting a hand on her hand in a reassuring manner, "because I won't let you! I promise, I'll find a way to save you! Caesar's an evil man…powerful and frightening…but…our captain, Luffy, is even stronger than he is! He's the man who will be the King of the Pirates, one day! Luffy will find a way to beat Caesar! I bet my life on it!"

Mocha sniffled and wiped her eyes.

"Now…listen, Mocha," Chopper said. "We need to keep that candy away from your friends."

"O…okay!" Mocha said, putting on a determined face.

"Kumi and I will find a way to inject them with sedatives!" Chopper said. "Will you the candy in the Biscuits Room for me, Mocha?!"

"I…I will!" Mocha said. "I won't let anyone have that candy! I swear…we're all gonna go home…and when I see her again, I'm gonna apologize to Aika for not believing her!"

"That's what I wanna hear!" Chopper grinned, and Kumi smiled as well.

Suddenly, the door burst open, revealing the other kids about to come through!

"Ah! They're here!" Mocha cried.

"Run for it!" Chopper shouted. "I'll try and hold them off as best as I can!"

"R-right!" Mocha said before she turned and fled.

Flashback end

Chopper stared down at Mocha with tears of anger and sadness in his eyes. Not long after she swallowed the "candy"…Mocha started to violently cough up blood, and soon after, her body was quivering in agony, and for a moment, the other children seemed to drop their violent demeanor…and seemed to grow concerned for her!

"M…Mocha?" Dolan asked. "What's wrong with you?! Why are you shaking like that?!"

"And why are you coughing up blood?!" Synd questioned.

"She's hurt…but why?" asked Kombu. "All she did was eat the candy!"

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!"

The kids turned and saw Chopper, Robin, Nami, and Kumi rushing down the stairs to Mocha's aid.

"Mocha! MOCHA!" Chopper cried. "Speak to me, Mocha! Please!"

"Chop…per…I…" Mocha stammered before she coughed up more blood.

"W…what's wrong with her?" Synd asked, worriedly. "Why's she acting like that?"

"…It was the candy," Chopper hissed. "DO YOU SEE NOW?! THIS THAT 'CANDY' REALLY DOES TO YOU! AND NOW…SHE'S GONNA PROBABLY GONNA DIE SAVING YOU ALL!"

The children gasped in horror at this.

"But…but that can't be…!" Synd whispered. "That…that just can't be!"

'So now you kids finally know the truth,' Kumi thought. 'I just wish you had to find out, some other way.'

"Chopper!" Nami said. "The children are stunned! If we're gonna give them sedative, now's our chance!"

"But we have to help Mocha first!" Chopper cried.

"There's no time, Chopper!" Robin said.

Suddenly, a familiar voice was heard yelling out orders, followed by the sound of many footsteps stomping on the floor.

"There they are, men! Grab 'em, and quick! And remember, no violence! They're only kids!"

"Right!"

Suddenly, Sanji and the rest of G-5 appeared, tackling the stunned children!

"The Marines?!" Robin questioned.

"Sanji!" Nami exclaimed.

"Hey, Bro Sanji!" said a G-5 gunman. "Does socking them in their crown jewels count as violence?!"

"As a matter of fact, yes it does!" Sanji said. "Even though they don't have jewels, yet! Now, medical team! Up front!"

"Yes, sir!" the G-5 medical team exclaimed as they came up, holding their hands.

"Chopper, use those guys!" Sanji said. "They can help with the sedatives!"

"Oh! Okay!" Chopper said. "Thanks, Sanji!"

"All right, kiddies!" said one of the doctors in a sinister manner. "Time for you guys to take a little snooze!"

"There should be an examination room, somewhere around here!" Chopper cried. "Pick Mocha up and take her there!"

"Right!" the rest of the G-5 medical team said as they picked Mocha and began to carry her.

"Jeez! She weighs a ton!"

"Quit complaining! Let's go!"

"Hey, raccoon-dog! You do realize there's not much time left, right?!"

"I'm well aware of that!" Chopper shouted. "But I have to help Mocha, first!"

The little reindeer sniffled as he sat on Mocha's stomach, trying hard to fight back tears, when suddenly…

"Chopper…?"

Chopper gasped and looked to see Mocha…who looked at him with a hopeful expression.

"Did I…do okay?" Mocha asked. "I…I didn't give them the candy…so…did I do okay?"

"…Yes, Mocha," Chopper said, holding Mocha's finger. "You did great! You saved your friends…and now…you'll all get to go home! We'll al be saved…even you! You…you'll grownup to be a great young lady, one day! I know you will!"

Hearing this made Mocha smile.

However, while everyone was getting the kids evacuated, Kumi still couldn't help but think about one thing.

'We still haven't found Aika yet,' Kumi thought. 'I wonder…where could she be?!'

XXX

Meanwhile, on Building C's 1st floor, a huge explosion suddenly went off, creating a huge commotion.

"What was that?!"

"The dumpster! It suddenly blew up!"

The guards gathered around the dumpster, but they couldn't see anything through the dust…but then, they spotted a silhouette behind the cloud.

"W-what's that?" asked one of the guards…but then, a white blur suddenly leaped out…and bit him on the neck!

It is revealed to be none other…than Blizzard, who glared at the guards with the utmost viciousness.

The guards gasped in horror as Blizzard let go of their friend. The wolf-dog growled and snarled as blood dripped from his fangs. Just when he was about to attack the others…

"Stay!"

Blizzard froze on that order, but he still growled angrily…as Luffy appeared from behind the cloud of dust, carrying a nervous Aika in his right arm while an unconscious Momonosuke was draped around his shoulders.

"S-Straw Hat Luffy?!" one of the guards. "Quick, men! Shoot him!"

But just when they were about to do so, Luffy opened his eyes wide and expanded his pupils, unleashing a burst of Conqueror's Haki, knocking out most of the guards except one, whom he approached with his eyes hooded beneath the rim of his hat.

"…Where's Caesar?" Luffy asked.

"H-huh?!" the guard asked, still shocked at Luffy knocking out his companions with just one look. "I-I'm not t-telling you any- WAH!"

Luffy grabbed the satyr with his free hand…and sent an angry glare at him.

"Where's Caesar?!" he questioned, raising his voice.

"Okay, okay!" the guard cried. "J-just go down this hallway and you'll get Building R! You'll find him there!"

"I see," Luffy said as he dropped the guard and walked onward with Blizzard following behind. "Gotcha."

TO BE CONTINUED…

We're nearing the final battle, folks! So look alive!

Review please!