Chapter 16: Battle Royale
Disclaimer: I'm intending to challenge Eiichiro Oda to a duel for the ownership of One Piece.
Previously:
Okay, deep breath…
Luffy and his crew are lost and separated in Skypiea. Vivi and Nami fight priest Ohm, then hospitalise his dog, escape when Vivi's injured; Sanji, Usopp and Chopper meet up with the pair later, get help from Conis' father, and try to find the Going Merry, on which Conis is being held captive by Yama, but she teams up with the disembodied spirit (?) of the ship itself; meanwhile Zoro ends up lost and wandering the island after escaping from marines shipwrecked on the sky, with the help of Tashigi, which Smoker is not very happy with, while Captain Hina leads the rest of the marines to restore order, but there's a big war between God Enel and his Enforcers and the Shandorian Raiders, being led by Wiper, which gets really bad when Enel destroys a sacred golden bell and makes the Shandorians a little bit upset. Also, Devil fruit hunters Berrit, Isaac and Marcus arrive on the island to kill everyone, aiming for Vivi and Enel particularly, and as well as that Luffy and Robin end alone and sleeping together while everything is about to collide at the giant beanstalk in Upper Yard…
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
The dull groan scraped through the trees. It was the sound of metal being shredded by a huge amount of force. Luffy could practically feel the forest writhing in agony as the sound filled the air. Next to him, Robin was staring upwards at the giant beanstalk with a look of concern.
"The golden bell…" Robin muttered quietly. There were ruins across the island, all referring to a golden bell, the centre of the ancient Shandorian culture. The back of her neck started to tingle. As an archaeologist, she had developed a near-supernatural sense for when a piece of history was in danger.
But it was more than that. The language of the ruins was far too similar to the poneglyph language for it to be a coincidence. With every ruin she found littered across the jungle, Robin started to reach an inescapable conclusion; there was a poneglyph somewhere on this island. With that knowledge, and the feeling that she was listening to a piece of history being destroyed, a cold dread crept over her body.
Even as the sound faded away, it seemed to linger in the air. Luffy glanced around the forest anxiously, while goose bumps ran down his body. He couldn't quite explain the feeling, but there was the sudden realisation that this forest wasn't a safe place to be anymore.
"Robin," he said softly, gently letting go of her hand. "You go on ahead. I'll stay here and make sure no one follows."
She frowned. "Who's following us?"
"I don't know," he admitted awkwardly, unable to describe his feeling of foreboding with words. It was faint, barely decipherable, but persistent. "I just… I just think that this is going to get very violent very quickly."
She didn't respond for a few seconds. In the distance, there was sound of angry screaming, rapidly getting closer. It was the sound of war cries.
Luffy glanced towards the trees, before turning to stare at Robin earnestly. "Please, Robin," he said quietly. "I promise that I will catch up with you. I just need to handle this."
Robin's instinctive protest died in her mouth when she saw Luffy's expression. Around, them the sound of screaming echoed through the trees. Trust my captain, Robin thought quietly.
"Alright," the archaeologist nodded. "I'll go on and look for the others."
He smiled brightly, looking at her with relief. Robin pulled in close and gently pecked her lips against his. The feeling was still so new, so strange, that it made their hearts race.
"Promise you'll stay safe," Robin muttered. "And catch up with me soon."
Luffy nodded, watching her walk away briskly with a longing look. His stomach clenched uncomfortably, even as he turned to face the incoming screaming.
Through the trees, Luffy glimpsed dozens of men, all wearing tribal clothing and shooting through the air on trails of white cloud. They all were carrying weapons, and looked furious. Furious enough to slaughter anyone in their path.
The pirate took a deep breath, and cracked his knuckles slowly. Eventually, he would have to sort out his feelings for Robin, but right now it just became very simple. There were enemies coming.
And they wouldn't be going any further.
"Alright, this is a very important question. You will answer it quickly and quietly." Zoro growled darkly, clutching his defeated enemy by his collar. "Which direction is north?!"
A flash of puzzlement flickered through Captain McKinley's bloody face. He had lost his white beret on the ground, and his face was heavily bruised. His white uniform was ruined by bloody slash down his chest that was still oozing blood; it was a shallow cut, but still painful. Around them, the other White Berets were littered across the earth, either unconscious or moaning with pain.
Feebly, McKinley raised a hand and pointed towards the forest. "That way…"
Zoro nodded approvingly, drawing an arrow on the back of his hand with the letter 'N'. The fundamental problem with doing so never seemed to occur to him. Already, he had shifted slightly, and 'north' was now pointing in the wrong direction.
"Ok," The swordsman muttered, furrowing his brow in concentration. The bloodthirsty demon that had singlehandedly defeated the White Berets was gone; replaced by a man who was trying to tackle a very difficult concept. "And what is in the north direction?"
McKinley looked at Zoro confusedly. His interrogator was quite clearly insane. "Um… Well, there's Giant Jack - the beanstalk, God's Shrine and the Ruins of Penance…"
Zoro nodded, repeating the places under his breath quietly. He looked like he was trying to prepare for an exam, and would have made a list if he had the paper.
"Next question," Zoro demanded. "Which direction is east?"
The captain stared for a long time. Zoro's grip on his collar never slackened. "Are you… lost?" The captain croaked.
Zoro looked momentarily flustered. His clothes were tattered and covered in blood, and he was covered in bite marks and scratches from walking around aimlessly all night. He had rapidly went from being 'a little bit annoyed' to full-blown aggravated.
"I'm not lost. All of this geography is in the wrong place!" Zoro snarled. "Now just answer the question."
McKinley paled, glancing around at the bodies of his men lying around him. The White Berets had fought hard, but they had still barely lasted a minute against the swordsman. "You mean you attacked us just because you needed directions?" McKinley gasped.
The swordsman refused to be embarrassed. "Hey! You were the one that tried to arrest me."
The White Berets had been called into Upper Yard to try to enforce the law and capture the freed prisoners, but McKinley had done everything in his power to be as unsuccessful as possible. Despite the fighting, and the Shandorian raiders hunting for blood and the Enforcer squads on the warpath, the White Berets had done their best to stay as far away from the chaos as possible. It had been working until Zoro stumbled onto their camp. First there was a weak but mandatory attempt from McKinley to arrest Zoro, followed by a whole bunch of screaming from the White Berets.
Admittedly, Zoro conceded, glancing around the devastated camp, I might have overreacted a bit. But I was in a very bad mood.
There was a groan of pain from one of the nearby White Berets. Nobody appeared to be dead, but they were all suffering long slash marks across their body. Zoro never appeared to have even exerted himself as he cut through the men. McKinley gulped, before deciding that the swordsman was clearly insane.
For the next half an hour, the captain described the geography of Upper Yard. He explained the landmarks and how to traverse through the forest, he described the Milky Roads, and he described the shape of the island. Zoro listened intently through it all, and then McKinley gave him precise, easy, step-by-step instructions on how to reach Angel Island from their current location.
Zoro nodded, thanked the captain for his help, before standing up and walking in the complete wrong direction. As he watched the swordsman's complete and utter ignorance, McKinley face-palmed and collapsed into a heap.
It was half an hour later before Zoro realised that he was walking in circles again. He frowned as he stared at the notes he made on his wrist, which were already completely illegible from sweat.
"This doesn't make any sense," he growled to the empty forest, glancing around at the trees. At this point, he was sure he had walked a perimeter around the whole island. Several times. "Everything is in the wrong place…"
His fist broke through a nearby tree trunk with frustration. From above in the canopy, there was a chirping that sounded annoyingly like laughter. After a few minutes, Zoro reached the only possible conclusion. "That bastard captain must have lied to me," Zoro mumbled, before picking a random direction and starting to walk.
A furious scream burst through forest, followed by a dull thud as a tree collapsed. Zoro's hands were instantly on his swords, just as an explosion cut through the air. A man dressed in white robes with floppy ears, a priest, screamed in pain as the impact knocked him roughly into a bloody heap on the ground.
There was another priest trying desperately to flee away, his body scorched and burnt. The priest barely made it three steps before a figure materialised in front of him, swinging a heavy metal weapon downwards with so much force it caused bones to snap. It was a brutal and instant attack, knocking the priest straight into the ground.
All three swords were unsheathed and ready. The man in front of Zoro was panting heavily as he heaved his huge bazooka back over his shoulder. The raider turned to stare at the swordsman with undiluted fury.
"You…" Wiper growled, his hands trembling from rage. "You are trespassing on this island…"
Zoro grunted, his eyes narrowing. "Trust me; I'm trying my best to get out of here."
"I don't care," Wiper snarled, twisting the bazooka towards Zoro. "Everyone on this island will die!"
There was far too much rage pulsing through Wiper's body for any hesitation or reason. Wiper wanted to hurt Enel. He longed to see Enel's bloody and broken body. His body craved the sound of Enel's screaming as the God begged for mercy, but Wiper would never give any. That golden bell had been Wiper's dream, and Enel had taken it from him.
And so Wiper would make Enel's death slow and brutal. The murderous intent was pouring off the raider, so powerful that it even made Zoro pause.
As far as Wiper was concerned, anyone between here and God's Shrine was a substitute for Enel. The rage consumed him, and his primal instincts demanded blood right now. There was no restraint left. Not after what Enel had done.
Wiper had already left the rest of the Shandorians behind, not that he cared. Wiper had always preferred fighting alone anyways. It made easier to go a little bit berserk.
"You want a fight?" Zoro growled, too annoyed to back down from anything. His swords cut through the air as he dropped into a fighting stance. "Fine. But this damn island is really pissing me off - so I'm in a bad mood!"
Wiper's cigarillo dropped to the ground. With a click, he loaded another round into his bazooka. The black metal nozzle of the God-Slayer seemed to gleam hungrily.
"A 'bad mood'…?" Wiper repeated, his voice cracking with anger as he pulled the trigger. Zoro barely had time to dive for cover before a violent inferno of blue flames burst from the nozzle.
The fire burnt straight through a nearby tree and turned it to cinders. The explosion caused the foliage to catch light. Wiper's eyes gleamed into the flickering flames.
"Me?" The raider muttered darkly. "I'm the king of bad moods!"
Zoro vs Wiper
Usopp squinted as he stared into the distance. It was hard to see through the fog and the trees, but slowly his keen eyes managed to make out the outline of a ship sitting in a swamp in the distance.
"I can see her!" Usopp proclaimed loudly, his voice thick with relief. "The Going Merry is down there!"
Nami nearly collapsed in relief. Chopper was holding Nami's hand tightly for support. Behind her, Sanji was eagerly helping Vivi climb up the steep cliff. They were all panting, tired, and exhausted. The vague outline of their ship in the distance was a huge morale booster.
The group had followed a thick Milky Road over the forest, and had to climb up a small mountain just to traverse the dense jungle. There was a narrow, treacherous ledge carved into the cliff face running along the Milky Road, heading straight down towards a swampy lake. From their vantage point, the jungles of Upper Yard stretched out beneath them. There were ancient ruins littered all over the place, half-hidden by thick vines and overgrown vegetation.
"That's not far away!" Nami panted excitedly. "We can be there in a hour, max!"
Usopp was grinning madly at the thought. They were all tired, but the sniper seemed to have the most energy when it came to reaching the Going Merry.
"And after that?" Sanji asked curiously. Carue was busy struggling to flap up the unstable cliff. For much of the journey, Carue carried the injured Vivi, but the duck was now having difficulty with the narrow paths and loose stones.
"We've get the ship, then we can sail round the island looking for the others," Nami said firmly. "And then we can all get out of here as soon as possible."
Usopp looked revving to go. The others were still trying to catch their breaths after the climb. "We need to get moving! The Merry is waiting for us!" Usopp shouted encouragingly.
No one moved. Usopp sighed in despair. "Nami, all of your treasure is still on the Merry," Usopp added. "And Sanji, just think how Conis would react if you saved her…"
Nami was instantly alert. Sanji seemed to revitalise instantly. "Let's go!" The chef ordered, marching forward at a brisk pace.
"My money is in danger!" Nami squealed. "Come on, Vivi, we have to move. Get Sanji to carry you if you can't keep up."
"Yes!" Sanji shouted triumphantly, rushing to a confused Vivi eagerly. "Please, let me carry you!"
Carue scrambled upwards and pushed Sanji away from Vivi protectively. The two of them looked ready to come to blows, but Vivi was busy staring out behind them at the valley below.
"Umm… guys?" Vivi bit her lip nervously. "We've got a problem…"
Everything died down as they all turned to stare. The sound of heavy footsteps marching in uniform filled the air. Nami gulped. Sanji's eyes narrowed. Chopper squealed.
Behind them, waves of men in white uniforms were pouring out of the forest. The valley was directly below the Milky Road, yet it was heading in the same direction. There were hundreds of marines marching through, all armed with rifles. Nami even glimpsed the large shapes of cannons being dragged with them.
"Marines?" Nami gasped, staring at the small army of men. "What are marines doing here?"
"Same thing we are," Sanji realised slowly, lighting a cigarette. "They're following the Milky Roads around the island."
Vivi's eyes opened in shock. "But that means…" She stammered. "The Milky Road is the only way to take the Merry out of the lake. If they realise we're here and get into formation…"
Her voice trailed off nervously. "They could trap us with cannonfire and make it impossible to escape," Nami finished. "We'd be sitting ducks trying to sail up the Milky Road."
Chopper squealed and hugged Nami's leg tightly, Carue rushed to Vivi for support, while Usopp cast a nervous glance towards the Going Merry. Sanji sighed with resignation.
"Someone is going to have to distract them…" Sanji muttered thoughtfully.
There was a moment's silence. The chef turned to stare at Usopp meaningful. The sniper stammered in nervous shock. "You mean me?" Usopp gulped.
"Usopp," Sanji said, with total seriousness. "Take one for the team. Sacrifice yourself for the ladies."
The sniper paled fearfully. Nami stared at the marines thoughtfully. There were at least two hundred of them, but more kept on pouring out of treeline. At this height, it was impossible to make out any details; they were simply a sea of white. They were moving quickly for such a large group. Still, the valley below became so narrow that they could only walk ten across. It might be possible for one strong person to hold the entire army back while they recovered the Going Merry.
Nami cast a critical look over their group. Usopp was instantly out of the question. Chopper was reliable enough in a fight, but the reindeer lacked any sort of fighting spirit. Vivi and her Sand Sand fruit powers might be able to do it, but she was already injured and, besides, the marines were sure to have Seastone weaponry.
Nami turned towards Sanji, who was still arguing with Usopp. "Sanji," Nami interrupted. "You have to stay here and hold the marines back for us."
A pained expressed flickered over the chef's face. "But… Conis…" he mumbled, motioning desperately towards the ship. "She's…"
Nami repressed a groan. "Sanji," Nami repeated in her sweetest voice. "Would you please do me a huge favour and stay here and protect us?"
Sanji blinked repeatedly. Nami idly wondered how thick she could lay it on. "I would be ever so grateful," Nami said with fake sweetness, smiling coyly. For extra emphasis, she held her arms up in such a way that her breasts pushed together.
It worked like a charm. The cigarette dropped out of Sanji's open mouth. The chef was nothing if not predictable. The last time Nami messed with him like this she had ended up with a five-course gourmet meal delivered to her room. In the middle of the night.
Vivi couldn't help but giggle. Usopp sighed, muttering under his breath, "How could anybody be so simple…?"
Sanji dropped to his knee, staring at Nami with wonder. "Of course, my lady," he wooed. "It would be my honour to do your bidding!"
Nami grinned, winking at Vivi discreetly. "My hero!" She gushed, throwing her arms around Sanji tightly. His cheeks turned bright red. "Promise me you'll hold the marines back until we get back?"
"I will! I will!" Sanji shouted furiously, his heart pounding as his body revved into fighting mode. "I will fight to the last breath for you!"
They were already turning to leave. Usopp looked eager to leave Sanji behind. Chopper just appeared confused. Vivi was blushing madly at Nami's shameless flirting.
Sanji looked like his dream had come true. Feeling emboldened, Nami even went so far as to kiss him on the cheek. Sanji gasped for air.
"Oh, thank you!" Nami cooed, walking away briskly, before adding in a more serious tone. "Remember, hold the marines back."
"I will hold back hell itself for you!" Sanji roared, leaping up and down excitedly. He could feel his blood starting boil. His body looked like it was fire. "I will never let you down!"
He watched Nami and Vivi walk away appreciatively. Sanji never seemed to hear Nami whisper to Vivi quietly, "… And that's how you get a slave."
Sanji was shaking as they left his line of sight, and he turned to watch the marines still marching up the valley. "She needs me," Sanji whispered quietly, before screaming furiously. "Nami needs me!"
With a furious leap, Sanji jumped downwards off the cliff. The air rushed by him, but he could hardly hear it over the sound of his pounding heart. Sanji's strong, lean legs landed firmly on the ground below.
Already, the marines were reacting to his sudden presence. He saw rifles being loaded and brandished as the wave of men charged closer, but Sanji didn't care.
"Come!" He roared maniacally, throwing his arms up. The marines just kept on rushing towards him. "Come and face me! I am a soldier of love! I will beat you all back before I allow you to pass!"
Sanji's legs were twitching in anticipation. It had been a long time since he had felt so fired up. "I will face down hell itself!" He proclaimed. "I will repel legions of demons and hordes of monsters! There is no force on heaven or earth that will get by m—"
With a strangled choke, Sanji's voice cut off as he suddenly recognised the distinctive pink-blond hair leading the column of marines. His eyes widened in shock and dread.
Standing at the front of the marines, walking briskly as her hips swayed side to side, Captain Hina stared coolly towards Sanji while she pulled on her gloves.
Sanji's knees instantly went weak. The previous fire died away as quickly as it had come. The chef gulped.
"Oh shit…"
Sanji vs Hina
With a grumble, Yama staggered out of the men's room and climbed onto the deck of Going Merry. His huge body was so large that he barely fit through doors. He hadn't managed to get much sleep. The ship had proved to be as troublesome to sleep in as it was to sail. The rooms were too small, the beds were uncomfortable, and hull somehow managed to creak even when the ship was still on a lake.
Yama had been planning on making the ship a gift to God Enel. Now, he was seriously starting doubt whether he should even bother. It would be disrespectful to present Enel with such an inferior ship as this.
In the swamp, it was still gloomy as the thick canopy blocked the sunlight. The lake was covered in a light fog, while vines dangled down from above. Yama lit a lantern at the prow of the ship, illuminating the ruins that towered eerily over the centre of the lake.
The commander was frowning angrily as he pulled the sails down. The mast seemed to jam as he yanked the ropes down, and the wood groaned with protest. It took a considerable amount of effort just to unfurl the sails, yet then the light wind hit the boat and the Going Merry started to sway.
As Yama tried to pull the anchor up, the knot almost seemed to resist as he tried to untangle it. The rope must have got wet during the night and expanded, Yama told himself, his beefy fingers struggling to untie the rope. After a few minutes, he ended up just snapping it.
"What a piece of trash ship," Yama grumbled, pulling the sails until the Going Merry started to move sluggishly through the water. Around the ship, sharks circled almost expectantly. Yama stood by the rudder, but it seemed to jam constantly. The commander was already irritated, and his patience was rapidly failing. After a few minutes, he reached a decision.
"Devotee!" Yama shouted to Conis, below deck. The fat man had never bothered to remember her name. "Come out now!"
It took a long time for Conis to emerge. She barely made a sound as she slowly stepped out on to deck. Yama didn't even glance around at her.
"There have been too many delays already," Yama ordered brashly. "And I am needed at God's Shrine. I will leave this worthless ship here, and make the rest of the journey by foot. You will join me. Make preparations."
Conis didn't respond. She was breathing deeply and trembling, but Yama was far too obnoxious to pay her any attention. The commander stomped onto the deck in disgust, his foot breaking through a plank. Yama grunted. "What a useless vessel," he mumbled bitterly, under his breath. "It would be shaming to present the Almighty Enel with this ship…"
Conis never made a move. For the first time, Yama glanced at her. "Did you hear me, woman?" Yama snapped. "I told you to make preparations. You must be at your best when I give you to Lord Enel, so he may judge if you are worthy. We will be leaving within the—"
"No." Conis' voice was a whisper, but somehow clearly audible. Around them, the sharks started to squirm.
Yama's beady eyes narrowed. "What did you just say?" He asked coldly.
"No," Conis repeated, her voice growing more firm. "'We' will not be going anywhere. You will leave this ship alone. You will exit this ship quietly and walk away, and I will never have to see you again."
The commander was perfectly quiet for a few seconds, before drawing himself up to his full size. The man was huge; a giant, sweaty wall of muscle and fat. Despite herself, Conis couldn't help but flinch. She was skinny, slender and timid; a complete opposite to Yama.
"You dare to give me orders?" Yama growled coldly, a vein throbbing on his forehead.
Conis gulped, but forced herself to stand her ground. "Yes," she muttered, meeting Yama's eyes. Her body was trembling furiously. She had to struggle to say the words. "Get. The. Hell. Off. This. Ship."
"And if I refuse?" Yama demanded, taking a step closer to her. His shadow towered over her. "What happens then?"
Quivering, she slowly pulled her hands from behind her back. She was wielding a knife, a large cooking blade, which Conis pointed at Yama's stomach hesitantly. The commander raised an eyebrow, but didn't seem the least bit concerned.
"Heresy!" Yama snarled, cracking his knuckles slowly. His arms were short and skinny compared to his body, but still well-muscled. "I gave you the chance to serve God himself. Is this how you repay me?"
Conis' heart was pounding so furiously it was hard to even hear him. Her arms were twitching. "I will never go to Enel," she muttered through gritted teeth. "And you will never hurt this ship again."
"This ship?" Yama snorted derisively. "This piece of crap, worthless ship?"
A flash of anger burst exploded in Conis' eyes. Around them, the mast and the hull creaked ominously. Just the wind, Yama told himself.
"Do not insult the Going Merry," Conis whispered, the knife still trembling in her hands.
Yama grunted. His nose was dripping snot disgustingly. "If you care so much about this ship…" Yama muttered slowly, carefully reaching out to the lantern at the prow of the boat. With a single finger, he gently knocked the lantern off its hook. "… Then you can watch it burn!"
Conis gasped in shock as the lantern broke across floor. The lamp oil spilled everywhere and exploded into flames. Within seconds, the deck of the Going Merry was alight.
And then there was Yama, charging towards her in a blink of an eye. With ease, he grabbed the knife out of her hands, and then slammed a huge fist straight into her stomach.
Conis vs Yama
Usopp staggered as he raced down the cliff path. The stones underfoot were loose and treacherous, while the narrow ledge snaked around the mountain. The Milky Road ran alongside; a floating lane of white cloud hovering in the air.
"Come on!" Usopp shouted encouragingly. "Faster!"
"Oh, shut up!" Nami grumbled, struggling to keep her footing. Next to her, Chopper was in his reindeer form while Nami held out to his antlers for support. Trailing behind, Vivi was resting over Carue, while the duck marched forward determinedly.
"But it's so close!" Usopp whined, motioning madly to the shape of the Going Merry. It was still barely visible in the fog and gloom, but much closer. The Milky Road led them straight to it. "Our ship needs us!"
"Then why don't you go ahead?" Nami muttered irritably.
Usopp faltered. "But what if there are enemies on the ship?"
The ledge widened into a large, rocky plateau. Nami sighed in relief and exhaustion, pausing while she panted deeply. Even Carue was looking tired from the hard march.
"So you're scared," Nami teased.
"I'm not scared!" Usopp protested loudly, all evidence to the contrary. "I'm never scared! I'm the great warri…"
Everyone seemed to ignore him as his voice trailed off. From the corner of his eye, Usopp glimpsed a dark shape on top of the Milky Road, just out of sight. Slowly, Usopp staggered forward, walking around the bend to get a good look.
It was a ship; a small, single mast ship anchored to the cliff face while it floated on the Milky Road. The hull was narrow and flat, sitting low in the cloud. It was a skipper. It took Usopp a few seconds before he realised that he recognised the vessel.
He gulped nervously. "Uhhh…" The sniper stammered, while the possibilities raced through his head. None of them were good. "… I think you should see this!" He called loudly to the pirates behind him.
There was no response. As a matter of fact, everything had turned deadly quiet. Usopp was shivering with fear as he slowly turned around. "Why is no one talking anymore?" Usopp muttered in a panicked whisper.
Nami, Vivi, Chopper and Carue were all standing perfectly still, staring, almost entranced, at something to the side. None of them were moving.
"Nami?" Usopp rushed over to her with quiet fear, grabbing her shoulders roughly. "Nami! What's happening?!"
She struggled to focus on him. Her face contorted in confusion. "Usopp…?" Nami muttered slowly. She seemed severely dazed. "What's happening? Where are we?"
At that moment, Usopp recognised the reflection in her eyes. There was bright blue light coming from the other side of the plateau. Usopp's mind whirred. His heart started pounding. He didn't dare look round.
"Everyone!" Usopp shrieked, throwing his hands up to cover Nami's face. "Close your eyes right now! "
Suddenly, a huge shadow towered over him from behind him. Usopp's knees turned into jelly.
"Hello, there," Berrit said with an evil grin, cracking his knuckles. In an instant, Usopp was struck by just how big the man was. "Remember me?"
The sniper tried to dive for cover. Berrit was faster. Hands the size of dinner plates struck out and engulfed Usopp's skull tightly, his long nose pressing into Berrit's palm. Without any apparent effort, Berrit lifted Usopp off the ground with only one arm. Usopp tried to thrash and struggled, but Berrit's body was as hard as stone.
"The last time we met…" Berrit continued over Usopp's muffled screams. "You did some things that I bet you thought were funny."
Usopp's heart was pounding like drum. He was trying to scream at the top of his lungs, but Berrit's grip around his skull was too tight. "Somehow, I doubt you're goddamn laughing now," Berrit growled. "Let's start small. Two-hundred pound stomp! "
The force shot down from the palm of his hand. Usopp's whole body felt like it being crushed together. He thrashed for a second, and then stopped moving. Usopp was gagging from the blood filling up his mouth.
Around him, the rest of the crew were still hypnotised by the glowing blue light.
"Still alive?" Berrit grinned. "How about this? Four-hundred pound stomp! "
The air waved as the force pulsed downwards. A circular impression appeared on the ground below him. Usopp's nose snapped. Berrit was growling.
"I can still go goddamn higher!" He shouted. "Six-hundred pound stomp! "
Usopp's body collapsed to the ground. His head was spinning so widely it was hard to focus. His body felt like it had been pulverised.
"Will you get a move on?" Isaac muttered angrily. His voice sounded strained, and annoyed. His eyes were glowing blue light furiously. "I can't keep this up for very long."
"Alright, alright!" Berrit muttered. He pulled a pair of handcuffs out of his pocket, holding them gingerly, before snapping the handcuffs around Vivi's wrists. The princess was too dazed to even resist.
Usopp gasped in shock, trying to scream. With a relief sigh, the bright glow in Isaac's eyes disappeared. "This is the ultimate power of the Daze Daze fruit," Isaac explained wearily. "I make people so dazed they forget where they are, and how to fight back." He rubbed his eyes and massaged his head painfully, before admitting, "Although it does give me one hell of a migraine."
Once the blue light disappeared, the other pirates were starting to recover. Nami was glancing around in shock, blinking repeatedly. "Nami!" Usopp shrieked, pulling himself off the ground despite aching bones. "Come on, we've got to fight back right no—"
"Huh?" Nami exclaimed with obvious confusion. She barely had a chance to move before Berrit appeared in front of her. "What just happened?"
"You've just lost," Berrit muttered, slamming his hand over Nami's forehead. "Horizontal stomp! "
The impact hit her from the front. Nami never even had time to scream before the force suddenly pushed her backwards, taking her off her feet. In a second, Nami was flying through the air, before suddenly tumbling off the cliff. Usopp could only scream as he saw Nami rolling roughly down the rocky side, bumping into trees and vines before disappearing roughly into the foliage below.
The tears started to swell in Usopp's eyes. He drew his slingshot, before suddenly realising he was still out of ammo. Smoke bombs, Usopp thought desperately, glancing at Isaac. I need smoke bombs to beat him…
"Nami!" Vivi screamed in shock, thrashing useless against the Seastone handcuffs. Carue was recovering too, charging at Isaac in an angry head-butt.
Almost casually, Isaac drew a gun and shot Carue twice in the chest. The duck stumbled to the ground in pain and panic, while Isaac simply stepped at over him. Vivi shrieked in fear, just as Isaac levelled his pistol at her.
"Please be quiet, princess," he ordered, almost gently.
Chopper managed to pull himself together quite quickly. He went from scared and confused to angry and protective in an instant. Suddenly, the reindeer's body rippled as he transformed into his human form, an imposing figure of muscle, and charged at Isaac furiously.
"Don't you dare hurt my friends!" Chopper screamed, a furious fist heading slamming towards Isaac's head.
"Go Chopper!" Usopp screamed triumphantly, still patting down his pockets for whatever ammo he had left. "We'll take them down together! Get him!"
For half a second, Isaac was caught off-guard. Then, Isaac's eyes flashed an eerie blue and Chopper ended up swinging his fist two feet away from Isaac's head. The reindeer was blinking heavily, confused.
That was when Berrit appeared from behind. Berrit was at least a couple of feet larger than Chopper's Heavy point form, and twice as broad. Berrit's fist barrelled towards Chopper's face in the blink of an eye. The attack came in two stages; first there was knuckles colliding against skull with a dull thud, and then the air shimmered as Chopper's body was stomped into the rocky ground.
Chopper collapsed to the ground and stopped moving. Usopp's mouth dropped open. Vivi started to scream, until Isaac's black, polished shoe knocked her unconscious.
"Take that one too," Isaac ordered, while Berrit slammed another pair of handcuffs onto Chopper. "I'm sure that there are plenty of rich kids somewhere who would pay good money to make their pets human."
Usopp stared disbelievingly. Suddenly, he was the only one still conscious. His pulse was so slow it felt almost dead. His body was frozen with cold dread. His eyes were wide and bulbous as he stared at his fallen friends.
"… No…" Usopp gasped painfully through choked breaths. His legs weren't working properly. He couldn't even pull himself up off his knees.
Isaac glanced at him emotionlessly. "Hey, it's nothing personal," Isaac muttered, throwing his hands up innocently. "This is just our job. This is just business."
"It's a little bit personal," Berrit grumbled under his breath, casting a poisoned glance at Usopp.
"Alright, so it's mostly nothing personal," Isaac conceded. "Still, we're doing you a favour, really. Do you have any idea just how many people out there would kill for a Logia Devil fruit? As soon as word got out about the princess' powers, there would be people lining up to take them."
Isaac cast an unsympathetic look at Vivi's unconscious body. "We're just the guys that got here first," he said with a shrug.
I have no ammo left. I am outnumbered, and outclassed, Usopp thought desperately, still clutching his useless slingshot. And they are going to kill my friends…
The tears swelled in his eyes. Berrit chuckled coldly, "What's the matter?" The large man grunted. "I thought you were the goddamn 'Brave Warrior of the Sea'?"
He walked towards Usopp slowly. The sniper tried to run, but his body wasn't working. Berrit's heavy boot slammed into his chest, taking his breath away and knocking him to the ground. The dirt covered his body.
"That's the problem with goddamn liars," Berrit muttered coldly. "Sooner or later, all those lies run out."
Usopp spat out blood on to the rocky ground. Berrit turned away in disgust. "You've been lying to yourself."
Luffy will be here, Usopp thought desperately, or Zoro, or Sanji. They'll come in and save the day…
"Will you hurry up and kill her already?" Isaac muttered irritably, pointing at Vivi.
Berrit frowned, already completely disregarding Usopp. "Why do I have to goddamn do it?"
"Because Marcus isn't here," Isaac replied coolly. "And I'm wearing a good suit. Blood splatters just don't wash out."
The large man looked irritated, but then took out a knife and walked towards Vivi. Usopp felt his heart stop. Time seemed to slow down.
They'll be here, Usopp promised himself, someone will step forward and save everyone…
Berrit took another step.
… Luffy will come, Usopp thought, despite the tears rolling down his face, he always comes. He'll charge in, and rescue his friends. Luffy would fight to the end. He would never stop, never surrender, not while his precious people are in danger.
Usopp paused. Another step.
No one was coming.
…
Oh no. I'm going to have to be the hero this time.
Usopp had no idea where he found the strength from. His body felt like it was broken to pieces, but somehow he managed to pull himself to his knees. Somehow he managed to charge at Berrit; his feet pounding faster than ever before.
"Don't you dare turn your back on me!" Usopp screamed, raising his leg upwards as he leapt at the large man with all the strength he had left. His foot slammed straight up and collided firmly with Berrit's crotch.
Despite the man's strength and size, that caused Berrit to squeal in pain.
Isaac raised his gun. Somehow, Usopp was faster. Usopp's hand grabbed a handful of dirt from the ground and launched towards Isaac, deliberately closing his eyes before taking aim. As the dirt stung his eyes and caused Isaac to stagger, Usopp's brought up fist and planted it directly into Isaac's nose. It was a weak blow, but enough to knock Isaac to the ground.
The tears were still streaming down Usopp's face, even as he took position in front of Chopper, Vivi and Carue. Panting heavily, Usopp brought out his hammer and clutched it tightly with both hands in front of him. His slingshot was left in his pocket. I'm out of tricks, out of luck, and out of lies, he thought, as the adrenaline pounded through his body. It felt like his blood was on fire. It's time to find out what was true.
"I never lied," Usopp growled through gritted teeth. Both Berrit and Isaac recovered quickly from his surprise assault. "Every time I bragged, or called myself a brave warrior, it was never a lie."
His hands gripped his hammer so tightly his knuckles turned white. "It was always a promise!" Usopp screamed. "I am the brave warrior of the sea, and if you surrender right now I might just let you live!"
They were staring at him incredulously. His knees were shaking madly. Usopp didn't care. "Come on!" He challenged furiously. "I'll take you both on! And I'll do it with my eyes closed!"
Usopp vs Berrit and Isaac
"Oww… !" Nami groaned in agony, pulling herself weakly up out the brambles. Twigs and nettles stuck everywhere. Her body was cut, scraped and bruised, but at least the thorny bush cushioned her fall.
Around her, the forest buzzed with life. There were insects everywhere, and Nami could feel dozens of unseen, predatory eyes focused on her from the foliage. Still, Nami looked upwards toward the ledge, feeling a knot in her stomach.
The cliff was at least a hundred feet high. If it hadn't been for all the branches absorbing the impact, Nami would never have survived the fall. The long shadow of the Milky Road covered everything around her. Nami couldn't even hear what was happening up above.
"I've got to get back up," she muttered urgently, already starting to panic. The two Devil fruit hunters were tough. Vivi needed help.
Her legs stung with pain as she tried to stand up. There were so many twigs trapped in her orange hair that it resembled a bird's nest. Nami had to pull out her Clima-Tact and use it for support as she limped away. Her pulse was racing as she staggered forward.
"I've found you." A cold voice muttered from behind her. "Did you really think you could escape me?"
Nami's blood turned cold. There were calm, almost casual, footsteps walking up from behind her. The priest Ohm was staring at her coldly, his huge sword hung over his shoulder. Ohm was missing his sunglasses, but otherwise seemed completely unhurt.
Nami looked ready to flee. "I can feel your presence using Mantra," Ohm drawled. "There is nowhere you can hide. It is time for you to face penance."
She gulped. "Um… I'm already pretty repentant already…" Nami stammered nervously, backing away slowly. "Can't we just call it a draw? Live and let live?"
A vein bulged on Ohm's forehead. "Never."
Nami carefully unsheathed her sword, and started to spin the Clima-Tact with her other hand, but her hands were trembling. It had taken Vivi's Devil fruit powers to stop him the last time they'd fought. Now, Vivi was nowhere to be seen.
She attempted a smile. "I know that you want to 'free' people so we can all live happily when we're dead or something," Nami stuttered, as Ohm circled her like a shark. "But can't we just learn to get along? Tell me, do you have any pamphlets or anything on you because I'm really interested in converting-"
"This isn't about God's judgement!" Ohm snapped, anger breaking through his usually cool demeanour. "It's not about the rules, the Ordeals, or even my broken sunglasses!"
Nami gulped. A white, iron cloud blade slowly extended from the large handle. "No - I will kill you…" Ohm muttered angrily. "… because you hurt my dog!"
Nami vs Ohm
The marines filed out of the camp slowly, leaving behind only the very wounded and a small guard. Smoker never said a word. Tashigi didn't move. No one dared to come between them. Tashigi glimpsed Amazon quickly hobbling away. Everyone who remained in the camp gave Tashigi and Smoker a wide berth, but they were all staring at the confrontation intently.
"Tell me the truth," the captain said in a forcefully calm voice. "Is it true?"
Tashigi hesitated before she replied. That was all the answer Smoker needed. His eyes bulged furiously. Tendrils of smoke started to rise from his jacket.
"Damn it, Tashigi!" He bellowed loudly. He spat his cigar out of his mouth. "Why? Why would you?"
"It was the right thing to do," Tashigi replied, blinking back tears and forcing her voice to stay level.
"The 'right' thing?!" Smoker fumed. "Do you have idea what you've done? I've worked my ass off trying to reassure command that Alabasta was nothing more than a lapse in judgement. I've put my neck on the line for you over and over! And then you just went and made the exact same mistake again. Don't you understand that you are facing the death penalty here?"
Tashigi didn't respond. Smoker grunted. "Hell, maybe I am too…" He murmured in a quieter voice.
"They don't deserve to die because of politics," Tashigi replied quietly.
Smoker grunted. "They're pirates," he said dismissively, eying Tashigi critically. "Or have you forgotten that?"
Tashigi's didn't reply. Smoker's voice turned quiet and cold. Somehow, that was even worse than when he was angry. "Tell me…" Smoker muttered. "What would you do? If you were in my position, if your top subordinate… hell, if your friend… was insistent on committing treason due to her own stubbornness, then what would you do?"
Her response jammed in her throat. Tashigi could only stutter incoherently. Smoker nodded. "I thought so…"
He took a deep breath. When he spoke again, he was back in his officer's voice, firm and strict. "Lieutenant Tashigi," he proclaimed loudly. "As your commanding officer, you are hereby suspended and stripped of your rank indefinitely. You will remain in custody for the duration of this mission, after which you will be delivered to the proper authorities for judgement on your crimes."
Smoker's eyes narrowed. "Tashigi; you are under arrest."
Tashigi's heart pounded. She suddenly felt lightheaded. He had made his choice, and she made her hers.
"No, captain…" Tashigi muttered coldly. Her sword unsheathed with a sharp cut as she flourished the blade in front of her. "… I'm not."
Tashigi vs Smoker
In the distance, Robin could hear the screams of men fighting violently. It sounded like the whole island was bursting into war. She stood at the base of the giant beanstalk, staring at the ruins covering the cloud. Slowly, she felt a twinge of fear; not just for Luffy, but for all this history that might be lost in the fighting.
As an archaeologist, the destruction of history was something that she could not forgive.
"I've got to save what I can," Robin muttered to herself, casting a critical look around the ruins. Her mind raced as she tried to piece together what she knew about the ancient culture. The architecture of the buildings around her seemed… off somehow, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
The cloud was soft and bouncy underfoot, while Robin took a trace of an ancient text engraved on a building. This island had been in the sky for a long time, but she was starting to suspect that it hadn't originated up here. Perhaps the knock-up stream could have launched a whole island…
Robin was so distracted as she inspected the ruins that she hardly noticed the footsteps walking behind her. It was only when she heard a muffled mumbling did she turn around to see a tall man in a dark black suit with wild dreadlocks sticking out of from his head. He was biting his lip while trying to speak, and slowly becoming red in the face.
After a few minutes of curious watching, pity overcame Robin. "You need to open your mouth to speak," she said helpfully.
With a large of gasp of breath, the man finally managed to speak. "Oh, how careless!" He gasped. He tried to step forward, but ended up falling down face first into the cloud.
Robin sighed. "Don't lift both your feet at the same time when you walk," she suggested. "One foot, and then the other."
The man jumped back to his feet. He was tall and imposing, wearing a purple suit and blue scarf, but the effect was ruined by the fact that he seemed to be having difficulty crossing his arms. Robin had to resist the urge to go over there and help.
"How careless of me!" The man shouted loudly. "But you are still my enemy! I'm the guardian of the sky Gedatsu! I'm a priest to the service of almighty god Enel, I own the Ordeal of Swamp! You will face my judgement!"
There was a quiet pause. "You're a priest?" Robin asked finally.
"That is right!" Gedatsu shouted. His eyes were watering from not blinking for so long.
"And you are going to fight me?"
"Yes! You will face the Ordeal of Swamp!"
"Oh." Somehow, Robin didn't look even mildly concerned.
The awkward silence stretched on uncomfortably. Finally, Robin had to ask. "Are you serious?"
Gedatsu vs Robin
Luffy took a deep breath as he stood on a small hill, waiting for raiders to arrive. Around him, the angry screams filled the air. His body was tensed and ready, but his pulse was slow and calm.
It wasn't long before they emerged. There were dozens of them, carrying everything from guns and cannons to spears and bows. Luffy's eyes narrowed. Luffy had no idea who they were, but he could feel their killing intent. He wouldn't allow anyone to put his friends at risk.
The raiders charged towards the beanstalk furiously, using jet skates to shoot through the air. They were coming up fast. Luffy's fists clenched.
Suddenly, there was another scream from behind him. In the opposite direction, at least fifty men wearing white robes shot out of the trees, screaming as they rushed to meet the raiders.
In an instant, there were at least a hundred men charging towards Luffy from all directions. He stared for a long time.
"Is there anyone else?" Luffy muttered to himself, sarcastically.
It was at the point that the Master of the Sky appeared. The gigantic python reared over the treetops, crashing through trees, its enormous fangs dripping venom. The snake was hissing madly. It looked absolutely berserk.
Luffy just sighed. "Oh, screw it," he murmured in resignation. "I'm not even surprised anymore."
With a tremendous crash, the raiders and the Enforcers collided. Or at least, they collided against Luffy, who sent a dozen men flying with a lightning fast spinning kick. The giant python lunged downwards, faster than any creature that size had any right to be.
"Come on!" Luffy bellowed over the sound of the war cries and the explosions. "I'll take you all on!"
Luffy vs Everyone
The sound of laughter echoed from Giant Jack. Enel sat, cross-legged, at the edge of the ruins halfway up the beanstalk. From his vantage point, he could see the battle below, yet through his Mantra he could feel the conflicts erupting across the island. He loved it.
"So the giant snake has joined the battle too?" Enel muttered excitedly. "Brilliant!"
Enel wished he had prepared popcorn. He would be quite interested to see who came out on top. After all, Enel was a contestant too. He wanted to know who the first person would be to face him.
Eventually, his first challenger came a lot sooner than he had expected. Enel felt the presence crawl up the beanstalk towards him, but deliberately never moved a muscle.
A few minutes later, the sound of screaming spread across the ruins. Marcus strolled over the Island Cloud, heading straight to Enel, while dragging two large bodies behind him. Enel turned to stare interestedly.
"Hey there!" Marcus waved cheerfully. "Say, you haven't seen a 'God' around here, by any chance?"
Enel had a bemused expression on his face. "I am God."
Marcus grinned. "Brilliant!" He said happily. "I've been looking for you for ages! I've got something to return to you."
Marcus heaved up the two bodies he was carrying. Hotori and Kotori, younger brothers of the deceased priest Satori, dangled from his hands. The twin brothers were both just as fat as Satori was, yet Marcus held them both up by their legs easily. They were bleeding and heavily injured, yet alive.
"These guys attacked me," Marcus explained merrily. "I think they were looking for revenge or something. Anyways, they said that they worked for you, so I figured I would give them back."
Hotori (or Kotori - Enel never bothered to differentiate them) mumbled something that sound like an apology. Enel just looked at Marcus curiously, like he was a particularly interesting insect crawling up his leg.
"And then I figured…" Marcus continued with a bright smile. "… that I would kill both of them in front of you just so you know that I mean business!"
The twins never even had time to scream. Marcus simply dropped them to the ground, and then brought a shimmering fist straight through their skulls. Blood splattered everywhere.
Enel simply chuckled. Today was obviously an unlucky day for the Satori siblings. "How quaint," Enel muttered. "You seem to think that you are some sort of threat to me."
Marcus started to chuckle too. "Oh, I like you!" He laughed. "It's going to be real fun when I rip you apart."
"Citizens of the Blue Sea are so amusing," Enel mused, while the air started to crackle with yellow lightning. "Perhaps I should go down there, just to show them what God truly is. Allow me to share some divine wisdom; my power is beyond mortal men such as yourself."
Marcus' grin stretched from ear to ear. Around him, his body glowed as the air shimmered blood-red. "Trust me…" Marcus laughed. "You've never met a man like me before!"
Marcus vs Enel
Author Notes:
Place your bets, ladies and gentlemen. Who will be the last man standing?