Chapter 18: Monster
Disclaimer: I am still nursing the bruises after trying to rob Eiichiro Oda of the ownership of One Piece.
Previously:
Battles are erupting throughout Upper Yard. Usopp faces off against the Devil fruit hunters Berrit and Isaac, and eats a Devil fruit to beat them. Sanji challenges Captain Hina and the Marines, while Luffy, Smoker, Marcus, Wiper, Gan Fall and Enel collide…
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Usopp's body rippled as his bones shifted and muscles sagged. He tried to gasp, but he couldn't breathe as his lungs collapsed. It felt like his whole body was being transformed, piece by piece, but somehow it didn't hurt. There was just a numb sensation as his body grew and reshaped.
His vision was hit the worst. Between his size growing, his pupils dilating, and his eyes moving further apart, Ussop's mind was caught by the surreal experience, unable to understand the power so changing his body. The transformation might have only taken a few seconds, but it felt so, so much longer. And then—
The transformation completed as his entire body reformed into a new shape, and he was hit by an entirely new set of senses he had never experienced before. Sight, sound, sensation – all of it was so far removed from human, he had never imagined anything like this before. Slowly, he managed to focus on his hand, only to realise that his skin had turned brown and warty, and he now had four long, long fingers. His hand was rough and dry, and not even remotely human.
"Whoa…" Usopp muttered in surprise, but voice was different. It was louder, more throaty, almost like a croak.
The wooden planks he was standing on were groaning under his weight; he was larger, heavier and much, much fatter. His every perception had changed; he could now see more than 270 degrees around his body from bulbous eyes on the side of his head, easily picking up every slight motion through elongated pupils.
Isaac and Berrit were staring at him with shock. The look of absolute disbelief on their faces brought a long grin across Usopp's wide face and gaping mouth. It was only when he felt the length of his tongue in his mouth that he made the connection.
"Holy shit, I'm a toad," Usopp muttered slowly, and there was a phrase that he had never thought he would say.
He was in the body of a hulking toad so large that he pressed against the ceiling, at least seven foot tall even as he crouched, but he was broad and fat that he dominated that entire room. Flaps of dry, warty skin covered his body, while his head was wide and flat with a bony ridge over his bulbous, round eyes. His hind legs felt large and muscular, curled up behind him, ready to leap. Usopp was still wearing his grey overalls, but they had grown with his body while his boots had been torn off to reveal large, webbed feet. His slingshot in his pocket was now so small he could barely use it. His mouth felt so large he could swallow a man whole, as he ran his tongue over five rows of peg-like teeth.
"The Toad Toad fruit, Cane Toad Model…" Berrit murmured darkly, cracking his knuckles. Suddenly, Berrit didn't look so big. In terms of height, Berrit was still slightly larger, yet Usopp's toad form dominated the man in terms of mass. Isaac glared at him furiously, clutching his gun tightly.
Ok… Usopp thought, the panic rising in him, I'm a Cane Toad now. You can freak out about that later. I'm in full toad form right now, so how do I change to hybrid…?
"You bastard!" Isaac shouted angrily, his flintlock shooting upwards. "Do you have any idea how much that fruit was worth?"
Usopp moved on instinct, and apparently he had a whole new set of instincts. His mouth burst open and a long, spotty and slimy tongue whipped out of his mouth fifteen feet towards Isaac, wrapping around his head in the blink of an eye. The man screamed in shock as Usopp's muscled tongue slammed him against the wall, causing more crates to crash to the ground.
The tongue shot back inside his mouth. Usopp raised a toad hand to his throat, eyes bulging in amazement. "Holy shit… !" Usopp gasped. It was taking a lot for him not to freak out.
"Why you?!" Berrit growled angrily, slamming forward with a heavy uppercut.
Usopp jumped backwards, or at least he tried to. His muscles were completely foreign. As soon as he unleashed his hind legs, his whole body accelerated upwards with breakneck speed. He burst through the roof of the skipper, but he never even felt it. In an instant, he was flying upwards into the sky, watching the whole island stretch out beneath.
The air rushed by him. His heart was pounding like a sledgehammer. He could hardly even feel his previous injuries as a strong toad's strength superimposed over his tiny human wounds. Suddenly, he was laughing with elation as he watched the ship get smaller and smaller.
"Holy shit!" Usopp screamed joyfully, dropping downwards like a stone. "Oh, I can work with this!"
The adrenaline pounded through his body. His muscles were screaming. In an instant, he felt a like a monster. It was brilliant.
"Get that punk!" Isaac roared, staggering out of the ship. His body was coated in saliva. "Rip my Devil fruit out of his stomach!"
Usopp was laughing, with huge croaky chuckles of breath. He landed on the top of the cliff, before bounding downwards in a huge leap. Berrit charged out to meet him, the man's muscles bulging as he slammed both hands outwards.
"Take this!" Berrit bellowed. "Two Ton Stomp!"
The force dropped downwards like a boot falling from the sky. Usopp barely managed to dodge, just as the impact pounded a circular depression into the rocky cliff. Isaac was out on deck, his eyes glowing brightly. Usopp had to clench his eyes shut and jump away, leaping over cliff side with ease.
These guys are still dangerous, Usopp thought with panic, and twice as dangerous when they're fighting together. I need to separate them…
An idea came to him, just as Isaac fired a salvo of bullets into the cliff. Usopp leapt away, his strong legs pushing him through the air, dropping towards the skipper. Usopp was still getting used to his new body and ended up overshooting, but grabbed a hold of the skipper's mast and swinging down towards the ground. His huge mass almost caused the ship to capsize as he crashed onto the deck, splitting planks of wood.
"Berrit!" Isaac shouted, twisting towards Usopp, gun flashing furiously. Usopp had to jump backwards, leaping onto the top of the skipper.
"On it!" Berrit shouted, charging at Usopp furiously. He was panting slightly, but still looked ready to brawl.
Usopp grinned, just as his tongue shot down through the hole of the skipper's roof, wrapping around two large crates. "Hey!" Usopp shouted happily, flicking the large boxes up into his hands with his tongue. Toady fingers wrapped around the metal lockboxes tightly, each one containing a Devil fruit. "How much are Devil fruits worth again? A hundred million? Perhaps more?"
Isaac's face contorted in fury. "Put those down! They're mine!"
The grin on his face was predatory. "If you insist…" Usopp murmured drawing his arm back and slinging the crate in to the air. "Go catch!"
Isaac blurred as he leapt for the box. Usopp twisted around and threw the other Devil fruit in the opposite direction. Berrit barely managed to catch it before it fell over the edge. Usopp was already picking up two more. There had been a dozen, but Usopp was going through them quickly.
There's a large fortune in this boat, Usopp realised, and Nami would so kill me if she saw what I'm doing now. Somehow, that only made it more enjoyable.
"Fetch!" Usopp shouted gleefully, launching a third box into the distance. Isaac watch in horror as the crate disappeared into the forest below.
"Stop him!" Isaac roared. "That's our money!"
Berrit charged for him, but Usopp was already hurling the other crate to the side of him. Berrit hesitated for one moment, before changing direction and leaping for the Devil fruit. His fingers brushed against the side of the box in mid-air, just as Usopp's tongue wrapped around his leg and yanked him backwards.
"No!" Isaac cried, watching another hundred million disappear into the forest below. He was too distracted, he never even noticed Usopp's tongue spin Berrit around and tossing the large man towards Isaac. The two men collided in a mess of flailing limbs, just as Usopp leapt towards them with unstoppable momentum.
Isaac staggered upwards and raised his gun, but Usopp shoulder barged him with the force of a steam train. Isaac was sending crashing into the mast of the ship, while Usopp slammed a powerful leg straight into Berrit back.
Every other blow felt like Usopp was pounding a brick wall, but this time Usopp felt the crush of muscle and bone under his foot. Berrit roared in agony, but recovered like a monster, jumping to his feet and slamming heavy blows at Usopp. Despite Usopp's new bulk, he was surprisingly agile as he darted backwards, standing on his hind legs as he dodged Berrit's wide blows.
This guy is too strong in close combat, Usopp thought frantically, but his body was still bursting with energy. Usopp dodged to the side, kicking up a large foot that collided with Berrit's side and knocked him to the ground.
Berrit roared and jumped again, but Usopp responded instinctively by spitting. A huge chunk of ooze burst from his gullet, splattering into Berrit's face and causing the man to crash blindly to the ground
"Cool…" Usopp muttered in satisfaction. His body was brand new. Every muscle was different and Usopp was still trying to work through it. "Toad ooze…"
Through his peripheral vision, Usopp glimpsed Isaac standing upwards, and responded by spitting a glob of ooze with enough to force to send Isaac crashing to the ground.
The skinny man groaned and stared with terror at the slime covering his body. "Damn you!" He cried in despair, clutching at his suit. "This is my favourite suit!"
Usopp chuckled, feeling happier and more powerful than he had ever felt. Suddenly, he knew what it was like to be strong. Berrit staggered to his feet, glaring at Usopp with pure rage.
"I will goddamn stomp you!" Berrit screamed, staggering forward. "I will stomp your goddamn bones into dust!"
The toad grinned madly, a slimy tongue licking his lips. Usopp shot his hand out and grabbed a lantern from the ship, smashing through the glass as he ignited the flame. "Let's see you try… !" Usopp croaked, taking a deep breath. There was so much about his new body that he wanted to try out.
His lungs just kept on expanding, his whole body swelling as the air burst inside of him. The realisation hit Berrit too late, but Usopp was bulging like a bomb ready to explode. The large man dived to the ground, but Usopp was already spitting outwards.
"Toad oil!" Usopp shouted, just as the torrent of air and oil hit the open flame and exploded into an inferno, slamming towards Berrit. The fire collided with enough force to send Berrit flying into the prow of the ship, screaming in pain.
"Do you remember all those times you stomped me?" Usopp yelled angrily, jumping into the sky with a powerful leap. Berrit desperately tried to put out the flames, his eyes widening in panic as he saw the gigantic toad crashing onto him like a cannonball. "Thanks for that!"
"Usopp…" The toad shouted loudly, drawing his legs back just before he landed. "STOMP!"
The force caused the skipper to tear apart, splitting the prow cleanly off as it slammed through the Milky Road. Usopp felt Berrit's body crack under his feet, just before he leapt upwards and the large man fell towards the ground with a large chunk of the skipper.
Usopp was panting heavily, but he only felt satisfaction as he saw Berrit disappear into the Milky Road. The whole skipper was drooping, only being held up by the moorings to the cliff side, Usopp took a deep breath, dropping to four legs as he turned around.
There was a click of gun being cocked. Isaac was standing on the ship, clutching his flintlock with both hands as he glared at Usopp. The slender man looked like shit; he was slouching, shaky on his feet, unable to stand up straight, and both his hands were trembling as he tried to aim the gun. Isaac's face was pale and his eyes were bloodshot.
"You… you…" Isaac gasped weakly, breathing wheezily. "… you're just a pathetic liar…"
"You don't look so great," Usopp muttered, eyes narrowing. It still surprised him how strong and throaty his voice sounded.
The man looked like he was trying to respond, but he could barely breath. His gun was trembling madly.
"Tell me, did you ever go splashing around in swamps when you were a kid?" Usopp muttered, almost conversationally. His eyes were cold. "Did you ever go hunting for frogs and toads?"
Isaac didn't respond. Usopp took a small leap forward. "Well, I did," he continued. "And let me tell you something I learnt…"
Usopp took a deep breath. "Cane toads are toxic."
He raised a toad finger to point at the large parotoid gland on the side of his meaty neck, behind the eyes, still throbbing gently as it secreted toxin over his warty skin.
Wow, that was a weird thought, Usopp thought quietly, somehow maintaining his composure, I am really going to freak about that later…
Isaac's eyes bulged with fear. He seemed to be having trouble moving. The memory of Usopp charging into him flashed before his eyes, and all that sweaty skin making contact.
"Bufotoxin. It's actually a neurotoxin, I think," Usopp continued, slowly stepping forward, frowning as he struggled to remember. "I used to read about these things. Usually it's not fatal to humans, but, well, I don't think anyone's ever tested what a giant, seven-foot tall toad could do. That's a lot of poison. That's enough to be absorbed straight through the skin." He touched his parotoid glands curiously, and the toxic ooze still sweeping out, though it did seem to be slowing down as his heartbeat calmed. His skin felt rough, warty, and sweaty.
Usopp's childhood days of toad hunting were rushing back to him. It had been an adventurous childhood. "It attacks the heart and blood flow. Symptoms include twitching, shallow breathing, vomiting, inflammation, hallucinations, intense pain…"
Isaac was barely standing. The gun dropped out of his trembling hands as he nearly collapsed to the ground. His eyes were bloodshot, staring unfocused upwards, unable to activate his Daze Daze fruit powers.
Usopp was standing above him now, looking down with an unreadable expression. Not that Isaac could see him. "….and blindness," Usopp finished finally.
There was a moment's pause. Slowly, Usopp's tongue snatched the keys for the Seastone handcuffs off Isaac's belt, clutching them tightly in his hands. Isaac stared upwards at Usopp with pure, mute dread. The memory of Isaac holding a gun to Vivi's head, of him shooting Carue, and of him standing next Marcus as the psycho tortured Luffy all flashed before Usopp's eyes. This man tried to murder Usopp's friends for their Devil fruits.
"Do remember how I said I'd let you live if you surrendered?" Usopp said finally.
Isaac nodded with frenzy, still struggling to breathe. Usopp gently placed his hand on Isaac's chest.
"Well…" The toad muttered. "… Apparently, I was lying."
With a gentle push, Usopp shoved the man over the ledge. Isaac didn't even have time to scream before he was swallowed by the Milky Road. Usopp watched for a few seconds, before slowly jumping away.
"If you're going to fight," Hina shouted, as her arms extended into iron bars. "Then you should do it properly!"
The bars slammed into either side of the valley and expanded outwards, forming a cage around Sanji. The chef grunted, leaping over the metal-fence like cage. Behind Hina, the marines watched in awe, but the valley was too narrow for them to take part in the fight.
"Fight?" Sanji replied casually, just as the cage banged together beneath him, nearly catching his fingers as he cartwheeled over the iron bars. He shot Hina a smile. "I'm really more of a lover than fighter."
"That's obvious," she retorted. "You most certainly couldn't be anything less of a fighter."
He grinned as he jumped over her the cage. A couple of Marines were trying to take aim with their rifles, and Sanji charged in response. He spun pass Hina, his feet pounding furiously as the Marines collapsed to the ground. Fullbody tried to attack with a boxer's jab, his iron knuckles glinting in the air, but Sanji avoided the blow and sent a kick into the man's chin that knocked him upwards.
A second later, Hina was on him, sprouting bars from her fingers as she tried to capture him. Still, she couldn't use her full power when Sanji was surrounded by her own men, while in the chaos Sanji was cutting through the marines like a hot knife through butter. The cramped conditions and disorder were terrible for the marines, and the chef took full advantage of that.
An iron bar landed a glancing blow on the pirate's shoulder, knocking him to the ground. Hina was on him in a second, her foot blazing as she slammed blow after blow. Sanji had to twist to avoid, while the marines cheered their captain on and tried to charge.
"Stay back!" Hina ordered, unwilling to let anyone else get in the way. The pirate was doing everything he could to avoid fighting her, and she never wanted to give him any of her men to hide behind. "Hina will take care of him!"
"But captain—" Fullbody shouted in protested.
"Hina said stay back!" Hina snapped, throwing a fierce jab towards Sanji. The chef barely dodged, and her fist ended up punching four iron bolts into the rock cliff face. Still, Sanji grinned.
"I knew you wanted me all for yourself!" He said with a sly smile, backing away slightly.
"You're flirting when you should be fighting," Hina shouted, spinning her fist towards him with lightning speed.
Sanji dodged backwards, chuckling slightly. He launched a sharp kick, but again stopped his foot inches away from her face.
The chef winked cheekily. "Now what's the point in being a pirate if you can't do both?"
Hina simply scoffed, spinning her leg around in roundhouse kick.
Sanji couldn't avoid the blow in time. He blocked with his own leg, only for Hina's to phase straight through him. Her leg transformed into an iron, rippling as it locked around Sanji's ankle. When she pulled away, there was an iron manacle around his right leg, and an iron chain connecting him to Hina's right leg.
Hina smirked, raising her arms. "Let's see you avoid Hina now!"
The first uppercut nearly took Sanji's head off. He barely avoided the blow by leaning backwards, only for Hina to drag his footing away using the chain, and slam his body into the ground with a vicious kick.
Sanji gasped in shock, feeling the rock crack underneath him. "Alright, then," Sanji murmured, struggling to pull himself up. The captain was undeniably strong. "If you want to dance, then let's dance."
He swung his leg around, catching Hina off-guard as he tripped her over. He ducked under a vicious jab, only to pull himself close to her and gently wrap his arms around her body. He felt her gasp in surprise as he placed one hand over her shoulders and the on her hips, as if preparing for slow dance. Sanji's grin stretched from ear to ear.
"Captain Hina!" Fullbody shouted in shock, standing a few meters away.
"What sort of wrestling hold is that?" Jango exclaimed in confusion.
She glared at him, but Sanji never moved. He kept his body close to hers while gingerly touching her. "What are you doing?" She growled darkly.
"I'm dancing," Sanji said softly. "Aren't you going to use your powers to bind me in place like this? Then we could dance forever?"
She glowered at him. No, she couldn't use her powers properly when he was close and holding on to her, otherwise she would end up binding herself, and she couldn't restrain him if he didn't attack.
"Well, Hina could always just do this," she muttered, jamming her knee into his stomach painfully.
The force nearly knocked Sanji to the ground. His teeth clenched, but somehow he managed to keep his position.
"Ow… !" He staggered, before recomposing himself, flashing a smile. "Nope, still worth it. If that is the price of being close to such beauty, then I will take a hundred blows before I let go!"
Hina smiled sweetly. "Challenge accepted," she replied, cracking her knuckles.
The first punch crashed into Sanji's chest. He grimaced, but kept a hold of his pose, gently spinning around as if they were actually dancing. The second uppercut nearly knocked his teeth out, but still he just kept on grinning.
"Do you know how beautiful you look?" He muttered coolly, lighting a cigarette.
"Yes," Hina growled, slamming her fists in again. Their bodies danced across the ground; with Sanji keeping close to her while she lashed with a furious onslaught of attacks.
"I don't believe it," Sanji replied, ducking under a fist. "No one could ever know the beauty that I'm seeing right now…"
A brief smile flashed across her face, followed by a roundhouse kick that sent Sanji skidding across the dirt. He recovered like a champ, jumping up and holding her hands to spin her body around lightly. Hina responded by slamming her leg into his face.
He was laughing as he took the blow. Hina couldn't help but grin as she saw the playfulness in his eyes. She kept on firing blow after blow, faster than ever before, yet Sanji just sidestepped them all. He was panting heavily and bleeding, but the chef was still going as strong as ever. His reflexes were brilliant as he matched her pace perfectly, never missing a step.
She threw a roundhouse punch, only for Sanji to grab her arm and lightly pulled her over, leaning her body backwards. His lips gently touched hers for a fleeting kiss. The moment lasted maybe a second, before Hina grabbed his head and slammed him into the ground.
Around them, the marines were charging forward, led by a furious Jango and Fullbody. "Captain Hina-!" They both cried together.
"I said stay back!" Hina shouted irritably, dropping the third person. Her cheeks were blushing slightly. She thumped her foot into the ground, and a barred cage burst upwards, blocking the path of the marines and leaving Sanji and Hina to fight alone.
He was grinning as she wrestled him against the cliff. She smirked slightly as he twisted the grappling hold around.
Hina thudded her foot in the ground and suddenly the bars of the cage closed, leaving a completely opaque wall that stretched into a cage to enclose the pair. In an instant, the marines were left to stare at the metal box, while the only the sound of movement could be heard from inside. It sounded like a wrestling match.
"Whoa…" Fullbody muttered in amazement. "Captain Hina is fighting so hard."
Jango was standing next to him, looking at the cage with awe. Around them, the other marines were glancing at each other with various degrees of confusion.
There was a shrill scream from inside the cage, followed by low moan. Slowly, the mood turned awkward.
Only Jango and Fullbody seemed completely oblivious. "That must be some fight," Jango agreed, nodding his head. The rest of the men looked at each other, wondering what they were supposed to do now.
Vivi woke up slowly. Her head was sore and foggy, and her eyes flickered unsteadily. Slowly, she gained consciousness just to realise the air was rushing by her, and she opened her eyes just to see the forest crashing into focus.
She screamed. There was no conscious thought involved, but instead she just suddenly screamed as she tried to take stock of her surroundings. She was lying on her side, clutching a rough, dry surface tightly. With a tremendous lurch, she hit the ground and came to a halt with small bounce.
"Hey!" A voice shouted from below. It was a deep, throaty voice, but nevertheless sounded strangely familiar. "Don't scream like that!"
Vivi blinked, her head still spinning madly. It took her a long time to realise that she was lying on the back of a giant brown toad, clutching at its muscular back. "What the-!?" Vivi gasped, unable to finish the exclamation. Her mind was too bewildered and the sight was too weird.
"Alright, it's a bit weird," the croaky voice muttered sheepishly. "But I can explain."
She jumped off the toad's back, stumbling as she landed on the rough ground. It was the largest toad she had ever seen, slowly turning around to face her. It was a toad that was wearing overalls. She stared into a pair of globular eyes with shock, and it was only then that she realised where she recognised the voice.
"Usopp!?" Vivi gasped.
"Hi there," Usopp croaked, raising a four fingered hand awkwardly. He grinned brightly, and there was a disturbing sight. She was suddenly staring into a large, gaping toad grin.
"Usopp!?"
"Let's not freak out about this,"
"Not freak out!?" Vivi was in complete hysterics. "You're a frog!"
"I'm a toad, actually," he said helpfully.
Vivi's mouth dropped open. From Usopp's back, there was shifting sound. Dazedly, Chopper scrambled upwards, rubbing at his eyes with tiny hooves.
"What happened?" The reindeer muttered.
"Usopp's a frog!"
"I said toad!" Usopp snapped irritably, jumping on the spot.
Chopper frowned, and then glanced downwards. His eyes bulged and his hat flew off as he screamed with pure panic, before scrambling to Vivi's side.
"AHH! Giant toad!" Chopper screamed frantically, hiding behind Vivi's leg.
"See?" Usopp said, motioning at Vivi. "Toad."
Chopper was blinking repeatedly, stammering as he tried to understand what was happening. "What's going on?!" He shrieked at Vivi.
"It's Usopp!"
"What? Where?" Chopper exclaimed, looking around side to side.
"Here!" Usopp waved his hands up and down. It was a strange sight on a toad so large and daunting.
Chopper's eyes nearly burst out of their sockets. "Oh my god!" He shouted in a high-pitched voice. "Usopp's been eaten by a toad!"
"Huh? No, Chopper, I am—"
"Don't worry Usopp!" Chopper screamed, transforming into his Heavy point. "We'll get you out of there!"
He raised his fist threateningly, and Vivi stood there staring stupidly for a few moments before she slapped herself, then she had to jump in front of the advancing goliath of a doctor. "No Chopper!" She soothed. "That is Usopp…"
There was a pause. "I ate a Devil fruit," Usopp murmured finally.
Chopper dropped down to his normal size in stunned silence. Usopp shifted awkwardly.
"Usopp?!" Chopper exclaimed in a stunned voice.
"That's what I've been trying to tell you," Usopp sighed with despair.
"But you're a toad!"
"Can you please not make a big deal about this?" Usopp pleaded, his eyes wide. "Because I'm trying really hard not to freak out right now, but I'm never going to be able to swim again and I'll be a toad for the rest of my life, so could you please just pretend like everything's alright?"
Chopper paused for a few seconds, before exclaiming, "But you're a toad!"
Usopp face-palmed, or snout-palmed as the expression might be. Vivi looked around anxiously, rubbing her wrists. There was still a red mark from the Seastone handcuffs. "Those Devil fruit hunters…" She said finally. "What happened to them?"
"I got rid of them," Usopp answered simply. "They're gone. I had to eat a Devil fruit to do it. Nami's missing and Sanji's holding off Marines, so I figured we needed to get to the Going Merry as soon as possible and then search for everyone from there."
Vivi nodded hesitantly, before pausing. "Where's Carue?" She asked anxiously.
"Right here," Usopp replied, shifting out the way so Vivi could see the large duck. Carue was shivering, weak and barely conscious, and Vivi and Chopper rushed to his side quickly. Usopp had been carrying Carue in his arms while Vivi and Chopper were on his back. "He's been shot." Vivi's hand flew to her mouth, her eyes widening. "He looks pretty weak," Usopp continued. "I wrapped up his bandage, but I thought I should get safely to the ship before Chopper sees him."
The doctor nodded, instantly seriously as he inspected Carue's hastily fastened bandage. "That's… not nice," Chopper admitted nervously. "It needs disinfecting and treating. I need my supplies on the ship."
Vivi glanced around. They were making good progress and entering the forest again, but without the high ground it was impossible to see the Going Merry.
Usopp shifted around, gingerly picking up Carue with one hand. His huge bulk was very awkward for small motions, Usopp had realised. "We're not far," he muttered. "Get on my back; it'll be faster that way."
Vivi paused, staring at the warty surface uncertainly. Even Chopper hesitated. Usopp sighed. "It's either on my back or in my mouth," Usopp said in complete seriousness.
That made the decision easier, but Vivi was still nervous as she stepped up over Usopp's hind legs and pushed herself on to the uncomfortable back, feeling his spine dig into her legs. Usopp was so broad that his back was as wide as sofa, and surprisingly rough. Chopper held onto Vivi tightly, while the princess clutched the back of Usopp's overalls.
The toad hesitated. "Also…" Usopp muttered uncomfortably. "Try not to touch the warts so much. I'm trying hard not to poison you."
"What?" Vivi exclaimed in fear, snatching her hands away. "Poison?!"
"Hey, I said I'm trying not to poison you," Usopp muttered defensively, just as his legs unleashed in an immensely powerful jump.
The world blurred as the acceleration forced them into Usopp's back. Vivi and Chopper screamed in terror, clutching each other tightly, and then they reached the peak of the leap gravity seemed to stop. Vivi had to hang on just as the world came tumbling downwards. They landed on the ground with a huge wallop, breaking into another furious jump.
Somehow, each jump was more terrifying than the previous. Vivi could only glimpse the forest rushing by her, yet Usopp managed to blur through the forest with strong, powerful bounds. He needs a saddle, Vivi thought frantically, clutching on for dear life, this would be so much more comfortable with a saddle…
Without warning, Usopp skidded to a halt, sliding across the foliage roughly. Chopper's eyes were spinning madly from disorientation, while Vivi felt like she was going to be sick. She had to clutch on tightly while her head rolled.
"I'm going to be sick," Vivi belched weakly. "I swear that if you do that again I'm going to be sick down your… overalls."
Usopp didn't respond. Despite everything, his heart was still skipping from his new powers. He hopped through the air, moving closer to the figure he glimpsed staggering through the forest.
"Hey Nami!" Usopp shouted happily, waving his hand frantically.
The navigator paused. She was weak, tired and injured, but she was still making good progress while using Ohm's sword as a giant walking stick. Her eyes bulged and her mouth dropped as she saw the giant toad wearing overalls, hopping towards her cheerfully while carrying a duck under its hand.
You know, Nami thought with a weird calm, it says a lot about my life that this isn't the weirdest thing I've ever seen…
"Hey Nami," the giant toad croaked excitedly. "Glad we've found you. We've got to get to the Going Merry straight away."
She stared for a long time, slowly recognising the voice. "… Usopp?" She asked disbelieving, taking a step backwards.
"Oh yes," Usopp nodded, the folds of fat wobbling with every movement. "I'm a toad now. A toad, not a frog - a toad. I ate a Devil fruit, I haven't been eaten by a toad. Everything's fine, don't freak out."
Nami didn't respond for a while. "What the hell happened when I was gone?" Nami muttered weakly, her head spinning. Perhaps it was the blood loss causing her to hallucinate, she thought slowly.
"I'll explain later. We've got to get to the Merry," Usopp said urgently. "Now get on my back."
"What?" Nami staggered in confusion. "I'm not getting on your back."
Usopp sighed. "Suit yourself," he muttered, just before lashing out with a whip-like tongue. Nami could only scream as the slimy tongue wrapped around her body and lifted her upwards.
"USOPP!" Nami shouted furiously, still thrashing madly. The tongue was surprisingly muscular, and held her in mid-air. "Put me down right now!"
She swore that Usopp was smirking just before he leapt upwards. The air rushed by her and then Nami started screaming madly.
"I'll cut off your tongue!" She screeched. "I'll cut off your tongue right now unless you - oomph!"
Usopp's tongue shook abruptly, taking the air out of her and leaving her so dazed that she couldn't scream. There were rollercoasters that were a more relaxing ride than Usopp.
When they finally stopped, it was at the edge of a lake covered in fog. There was a sound of Vivi finally throwing up over the side, while Chopper was whimpering slightly. Usopp had to squint to see the outline of the Going Merry in the middle of the lake.
Gingerly, Usopp extended a toe into the water, feeling the numbness spread over his foot. He scowled slightly. "I can't swim anymore…" He muttered with a flash of discomfort.
"Put us down already…" Vivi begged weakly. "We'll find a boat."
Usopp's eyes narrowed, feeling a surge of rare confidence flush through him. I'm not a weakling anymore…
"No, I've got this…" Usopp muttered, bracing himself for another jump. His hind legs tensed like springs. "Hold on tightly!"
Nami squirmed madly. "No, Usopp don't do it," she begged. "There are too many Devil fruit users here, we can't risk falling into the wa—"
The scream burst from her lips as suddenly they shot upwards like a rocket. Usopp was laughing madly as they blurred through the air, louder even than the screams of his three passengers. A second later they were dropping downwards, crashing into the deck of the Going Merry with enough force to crack the planks.
Usopp never stopped laughing. The coast was hardly visible in the distance. "Did you see that?" Usopp shouted excitedly, hopping up and down while the others staggered off him. "I'm so awesome! I can jump and spit and my tongue just - Ah! This is brillia…"
His voice trailed off awkwardly as they all turned to stare at the prow of the ship, where a bloody, slender figure rested on a scorched ground. Conis stared at the pirates with shock, struggling to move through all her injuries. There were cuts across all her body as if she had been through a shredder. Her pink dress was in tatters and stained red.
"I protected your ship…" Conis muttered weakly, staring between each member of the group slowly. There were tears swelling in her eyes.
Nobody moved or said a word. Conis gulped, wincing as she tried to stagger upwards. The tears were pouring down her cheeks as stared at them with gut-wrenching guilt. "I'm really sorr—!"
Conis never even had time to finish before suddenly Vivi was on her, wrapping her arms around the angel in a tight hug. A second later Nami was with her, hugging Conis compassionately. All three of the girls were sobbing. Chopper was bawling madly as he leapt in, hugging Conis tightly.
"Don't apologise," Vivi muttered through sobs. Conis stared at them with wide, tearful eyes. "You never have to apologise to us."
Conis gulped in breathless silence. It was Nami who was the first one to pull away. The navigator took a deep breath. "Chopper," she ordered gently, wiping her nose. "Go get your supplies. We've got injuries. Lots of injuries…"
The doctor nodded before scrambling away. Usopp gently placed Carue on the ground, while Nami and Vivi helped Conis to her feet, despite her their own injuries.
"You've lost a lot of blood," Vivi muttered compassionately, gently steering Conis into the ship. "Go see Chopper, it'll be alright."
Just before she disappeared into the meeting room, Nami paused to stare at Usopp. "I'm going to kill you for that little stunt later," Nami promised. Usopp gulped, shifting uncomfortably. Nami hesitated, before conceding unwillingly, "… but thank you for getting us back to the Merry quickly."
Usopp grinned brightly. Suddenly, he was left alone out on the deck, staring at the ship. The Going Merry had taken a beaten. He hopped upwards, examining the scorched prow, the broken wood and the blood-stained floors. Usopp sighed, gently stroking the mast.
"It's alright, Merry," Usopp muttered quietly. The ship seemed to almost shudder in relief. "I'll fix you up…"
Chopper moved in blur, stitching up cuts, disinfecting wounds and bandaging injuries. The normally frantic doctor was completely calm and professional as he patched up his four patients. Usopp spent the time unfurling the sails and readying the Going Merry to sail.
It was nearly half an hour before Vivi managed to stagger back into her room, where Carue was sleeping on his nest - which was more of a vaguely ring-shaped fortress of fluffy white pillows and blankets than anything else. Vivi stayed by Carue for a time, stroking her companion duck's feathers. "Get better, okay, Carue?"
The duck gave her a weak, sleepy quack. Vivi sighed, before giving the giant bird one last hug before taking a quick nap next to him, sinking into the giant duck's feathers.
When she came out onto the deck again an hour later, clutching her fresh bandage tightly, she saw that Nami and Conis still hadn't emerged – which made sense, because their injuries were much more fresh and serious. Vivi found herself staring at Usopp all over again, still in his toad form, as he climbed up the mast and unfurled the sails.
His new body was just so weird.
"Hey!" Vivi called. "Why don't you come inside?"
Usopp scratched his head. "I can't fit through the door anymore," he admitted sheepishly.
There was a pause, before Vivi giggled slightly. "Why don't you turn back into a human then?"
"I've been trying!" Usopp protested. "I… I don't know how…"
"What?"
"Hey, I'm still new to this Zoan thing!"
Vivi thought about. "Have you… I don't know… tried thinking about being human?"
Usopp dropped the deck, still walking slowly on four legs. "I'm pretty sure it's not that easy."
"Well, get Chopper to show you how," Vivi offered. An idea occurred to her. "Maybe you could even use Rumble balls now, too?"
Usopp grinned, but there was a flicker of uncertainty there too. Vivi still remembered how scared she had been trying to use her powers. One bite of a fruit and your life was changed forever.
"You'll get used to it," Vivi promised gently, smiling brightly. "And not being able to swim isn't so bad. I mean, I was terrified at first too, and now I can do stuff like this."
In a flash, Vivi's body dematerialised into sand as she transformed into a cloud, disappearing through the gaps in the wood. Usopp's mouth dropped in awe.
"Whoa!" Usopp shouted excitedly. He glanced around, before closing his eyes and trying to concentrate. "Um… Human point!" He should, but his toad body never shifted. "Long nose point! Sniper point! Grr… Cowardly point!"
It was a while before they were ready to sail out. Conis limped out on the deck, covered in bandages, while she wrapped a long sash around her like a shawl. The sash had ended up caught on the side of the ship, and there were eight Axe Dials embedded in the sash, while she clutched a ninth tightly.
Nami wore a long white t-shirt, with the cloud sword draped across her back and the Clima-Tact on her belt, along with half a dozen Dials from Pagaya's selection. Usopp paused, still trapped in toad form, before picking out some Dials for himself.
"Ready?" Usopp muttered, dropping the sails down and raising the anchor.
Nami nodded, standing at the rudder. "Let's go," she ordered. "We've got to find the others. Zoro. Robin. Luffy."
Vivi frowned. The Going Merry was sailing in the light breeze, and before lurching as it entered the Milky Road. "Wait a second…" Vivi muttered with concern. "What about Sanji?"
"Crap," Nami cursed, thinking back to the chef that she'd left behind. "I forgot all about him. He must be shattered after finding off all those marines. Come on, let's go pick him up."
They found Sanji casually strolling towards the lake, alongside the Milky Road. He was bare-chested and barefooted, while smoking a cigarette with a small smirk. His hair was a mess. As the ship approached, the chef coolly climbed on board.
"Sanji!" Nami shouted in relief. There weren't any marines in sight. "You did it! You held the marines back."
"Oh, I held the marines back alright," Sanji replied smugly, walking through the group with a self-satisfied smirk. "I held the marines back for two and a half hours."
They were all quiet as he walked towards the bathroom and shut the door behind him, before slowly turning to stare at each other with confusion.
There was a tense silence as the six men stared at each other cautiously. Only Marcus and Enel seemed completely at ease, while slowly the tension started to grow.
"You…" Luffy muttered darkly, clenching his fists as he stared at Marcus.
"Straw hat!" Marcus waved cheerfully, seemingly unconcerned about his scorched skin and clothes and the smoke drifting from his body. With his bright grin, there was something distinctly inhuman about the man. "Wait… you're not 'Straw Hat' Luffy anymore, are you? What should I call you then? Anyways it doesn't matter. I'm just really glad that you're still alive."
Marcus' grin widened even further as he looked at Luffy. "Because I've been really looking forward to killing you myself," Marcus muttered, his eyes glinting with bloodlust.
Luffy didn't respond as the memories of Mock Town flashed before his eyes. His heart was already racing as his body trembled in anticipation.
"Dan Marcus…" Smoker growled, staring at the Devil fruit hunter. "You have no business interfering with Marine matters. Straw Hat is mine."
Luffy glanced at the captain distrustfully. Smoker had his hand on his revolver tightly. Marcus just laughed. "Oh, get over yourself, Smokey," Marcus mocked. "The Marines don't exist up here. But don't worry; you're on my list too. I've wanted to kill you for a long time."
Smoker's eyes narrowed. Enel was looking at them with quiet amusement. Standing between Marcus and Gan Fall, Wiper folded his arms and grunted. "You are all intruding on my battle," the raider growled. "This is between me and Enel. Get the fuck out of here before I kill you all."
Enel held up his hands in mock fear, still sitting cross-legged on the hovering ball of cloud. "Oh, how frightening," the god muttered sarcastically, holding his golden staff tightly.
A vein in Wiper's forehead bulged with rage. His hands were white around the God-Slayer. "Answer me this before I end you," Wiper snarled. "Where is the golden bell?!"
Enel smirked. "That bell? You mean what's left of it?" He said dismissively. Wiper looked ready to explode. "I left the pieces just up the beanstalk on my ship. You're welcome to it if you can get by me."
The raider's eyes were murderous. Luffy looked between Wiper and Enel cautiously. "So you're the god then?" Luffy muttered, staring at Enel. "It looks like I need to beat you up too. The rest of you I don't care about."
"You're not going anywhere," Smoker growled. He had six bullets in his gun, and there were five other fighters. It looked like he'd have one spare. "As far I'm concerned, everyone here is under arrest."
"Enough!" Gan Fall snapped, speaking up for the first time. The old man was wearing armour that rattled as he moved, and a heavy backpack almost as big as he was. He stared daggers at Enel, pointing his lance towards the man. "Enel is the threat here. Whatever issues you have with each other must be put inside for the time being. We must take down Enel first."
Wiper scoffed angrily. "You wish, ex-God," Wiper growled venomously. "You're just as bad as he is, and you're going down just as hard."
Gan Fall's frown deepened but he didn't respond. The old man was staring between the fighters, analysing them critically. His eyes lingered on Luffy for a while, his expression unreadable. The tension kicked up another notch.
A short bark of laughter shot from Marcus' throat. "Well, this is interesting!" The Devil fruit hunter giggled. "Looks like everyone hates everyone! Allow me to tell you order in which you're going to die! Firstly, I'll kill the old man, cause he's boring." Marcus cast a dismissive gaze towards Gan Fall. "And then I'll slaughter the angry dude over here." He pointed at Wiper, who just scowled. "And then it's Smokey - that shouldn't really take too long." Smoker cast Marcus a dark glare. "After that then I suppose it's formerly-Straw Hat. I want to take my time with you, so I guess I'll just rip your legs off so I can finish you later." He smiled brightly at Luffy, who didn't respond. "And finally, I'll take care of the god bastard here; which might take a while, but it's going to be fun."
Marcus ripped off the scorched remains of his shirt. Wiper suddenly paused, glaring at an object on Marcus' belt. He recognised it instantly.
"That Burn Sword…" Wiper demanded quietly. "Where did you get it?"
Marcus looked down at the Dial weapon with mild confusion. He had completely forgotten about the weapon he taken from the raider who attacked them in the White Sea. "I don't know," Marcus frowned as he struggled to recall. "Wait… oh yeah… there was that guy before…"
"Kamakiri," Wiper growled, a cold fury rising as he stared at Marcus. He could recognise his best friend's prize weapon anywhere. "Was his name Kamakiri?!"
Marcus shrugged dismissively. "How am I meant to remember?" He replied, turning to face Wiper. "Was he a friend of yours or something?"
"Yes," Wiper's voice was trembling with rage. The images of his childhood companion flashed before his eyes. "A close friend."
"Oh," Marcus said simply, before a predatory smile grew on his face. "Your friend died a coward. I tortured him and then murdered him myself. He was begging by the end."
There was a short pause. In an instant, the tension exploded into a fiery rage. Wiper screamed an animalistic howl, heaving his bazooka around to Marcus. "Then you die first! " Wiper roared in berserk rage, pulling the trigger.
The God-Slayer exploded in a shockwave that took Marcus off his feet, sending the man flying into the trees. Wiper was already charging after him.
Luffy jumped after Marcus, but in an instant there was a cloud of smoke in his path. Luffy could barely gasp as suddenly a hand grabbed his throat and slammed him to the ground.
"I told you…" Smoker growled, the smoke whipping around into a powerful lash. "You're mine! "
The blow slammed Luffy into a tree trunk, causing the tree to collapse in a hail of splinters. Luffy was on his feet in a second, meeting the smoke cloud with an onslaught of punches.
Enel was laughing. Gan Fall glared darkly. "Enel!" The old man ordered, but nobody seemed to pay him much attention. "Focus on Enel!"
"You never change, old man," Enel said derisively. "Still the same useless leader you've always been. What have you ever actually accomplished? It's almost pitiful; the pathetic, hopeless life you've led."
Gan Fall took a deep breath, dropping into a fighting stance as he face Enel alone. "My life is not over yet!" He growled, raising his lance.
Enel smirked. "It might as well be," he said mockingly. "You know, I've felt your presence dart around the island. You've been rescuing your former soldiers all morning. Why? To satisfy your own pride?" Enel's grin widened. "Do you actually think they're safe and sound, that they're out of my reach?"
The old man never responded. There's as an edge to Enel's voice. "Well, they're not," he said with a smile. "Right now, all of your old Enforcers are huddled together on the west beach." Enel slowly raised his arm. The air flashed. Gan Fall's eyes bulged. "I can feel them now."
"Don't you dare!" The man roared, but the lightning was already shooting through the sky. From the west coast, there was a flash of light followed by a huge roll of thunder echoing across Upper Yard.
"And now they are all dead," Enel said arrogantly. "Like stepping on ants. How does it feel to know your life's work has just been obliterated with ease?"
For half a second, Gan Fall looked like a crippled old man, tears swelling in his wide eyes. Then his brow furrowed as he glared at Enel with pure rage.
"DAMN YOU!" Gan Fall roared, charging forward with his lance in hand. Enel was laughing furiously, sparks flying through air as Gan Fall's lance stabbed through his body.
A shot of lightning cracked through the air like a huge whip, ringing like a bell while the forest erupted into chaos.
Smoker's blows were relentless. Luffy was sent crashing across the ground while an onslaught of fists materialised from the smoke. Around him, everything was pandemonium. The trees were alight while the lightning arced everywhere, causing the air to crackle with power.
Through the corner of his eye, Luffy glimpsed Marcus absorb a blast from Wiper, before sending the raider flying with a shimmering punch. Then, Smoker was on him and Luffy clenched while the smoke wrapped around him and slammed his body around like a ragdoll.
Luffy recovered instantly, lashing out with a furious salvo of punches that hit nothing but smoke. His heart was pounding madly while Smoker's fist collided with his jaw.
"Give it up now," Smoker growled, kicking Luffy to the ground. "This is the end."
He struck out with a kick that passed useless through Smoker's chest. Luffy's teeth clenched as he threw blow after a blow of lightning-fast attacks that hit nothing but smoke.
"You can't touch me!" Smoker shouted, knocking Luffy to the ground angrily.
I've got to hit him, Luffy thought to himself, already staggering upwards, I've got to learn how to hit him…
Luffy charged, phasing straight through Smoker's incorporeal body. Already, Luffy was panting. I need to learn how to him… !
He blurred with speed, his hands and feet launching themselves so quickly that not even Smoker could keep track. Not one of them collided with anything but air. The smoke billowed around him furiously; lashing out with blows so powerful they split the ground.
Luffy took every attack like a monster. He never paused even as the impacts rattled his bones.
I need that power again, Luffy thought with gritted teeth. I need to use Haki…
He could feel the strength inside him. He knew it was there he just couldn't pull it out. His heart pounded like a drum and the adrenaline roared through his body like fire. Luffy never understood what the strength was or where it came from, but he could feel it like a blind man groping around in the darkness.
He just hadn't unlocked it yet, not fully. The lock was crumbling, but still strong.
Luffy glared as he focused on Smoker. Whatever determination he had left, he needed to use it all now. He couldn't afford to lose here.
A wordless scream burst from his throat as he charged. His fist blurred as it cracked through stone, throwing up dust everywhere as Luffy lashed out with blow after blow.
Smoker growled, rematerializing as he pulled his revolver out. "I'm sorry, straw hat," the captain muttered quietly, his eyes dark. There was no time for hesitation or doubt. "But I can't afford to let you live anymore."
Luffy glared, panting heavily. "That's strange…" He murmured under his breath. The images of his friends flashed through his mind. Inside, he felt the lock break a little bit more. "Because I can't afford to die anymore…"
"You're friend squealed like pig when I cut him open!" Marcus laughed gleefully, while Wiper flashed between the trees, firing wave after wave of explosions towards him. "He begged like a child as I broke his bones, one by one."
"SHUT UP!" Wiper roared, launching the God-Slayer in a fiery blast. The flames covered everywhere, but a second later Marcus just charged out of the inferno. Wiper swung his bazooka like a club, but it collided against an invisible shield and ended up jarring his shoulder painfully.
In an instant, Marcus' hand grabbed Wiper's arm. There was a crack of bone snapping. The raider screamed in pain.
"And he told me all about you too," Marcus said happily, tightening his grip slightly. "Did you know that your 'friend' sold out the entire tribe just to save his own life?"
"Shut up!" Wiper screamed, kicked upwards and slamming his foot into Marcus' chest. His ankle cracked, but he never even felt the pain.
"He told me absolutely everything about your tribe," Marcus laughed, wrapping his hand around Wiper's throat. "And I didn't even ask any questions!"
Wiper couldn't speak as Marcus' hand tightened over his windpipe. It felt like his skin was being torn to pieces. Marcus' gaze was demonic.
"You're not so tough now, are you?" Marcus mocked.
Wiper glared at him with berserk rage. "How would you know?" He gasped, just before launching himself into Marcus. The shimmering air cut his skin, yet Wiper just roared as he slammed Marcus to the ground. He couldn't feel pain anymore; there was far too much rage.
One arm was broken and the other was holding his bazooka, so Wiper used his teeth as he went for Marcus' throat. He felt the blood swell up in his mouth while his teeth bit straight through flesh. Marcus howled in laughter as he felt the pain flush through him.
Marcus' fist sent Wiper flying off him, and Marcus staggered upwards, clutching at the bite wound on his neck. His gaze was hungry while Wiper stumbled to his feet.
"Come on," Marcus growled ravenously. "Give me more. Make me feel it. Make it fun."
"You want fun?" Wiper spat, heaving the God-Slayer on his shoulder as he charged. "I'll give you fun! "
Marcus' fist nearly broke his neck, yet Wiper pushed on, slamming the nozzle of the God-Slayer into his chest. The shimmering caused the metal to crack and break, yet Wiper didn't care, pulling the trigger.
"Jet Blast!" Wiper roared, just as the gush of air burst from the nozzle.
The force crashed into Marcus' chest, blasting the monster of a man far off and away into the distance. Wiper growled as he saw the mad man disappear as a speck over the trees, but there was no time to confirm the kill. The distance - he had been blasted for thousands of feet, at least. No matter what happened, Marcus wouldn't be returning to this battle soon.
Wiper let out a heaving breath, panting for air. His ankle was broken and his arm was shattered. His earlier wounds were catching up to him and Wiper could feel his concentration fading and his rage bleeding away. His body was falling to pieces.
And, worst of all, the God-Slayer was breaking. The nozzle was cracked while the Dials were overheating. There was too much power, and it was too unstable. He had pushed the weapon too hard and the metal was failing. He had maybe one more blast before it exploded into a cloud of smoke and debris.
Wiper didn't expect to survive the next blast. Still, his teeth were clenched as he limped away, loading the Seastone cannonball into the bazooka. So long as Enel doesn't survive it either, then I don't care, he thought viciously.
The memories of sitting inside the chief's tent, listening to all those stories about his history flooded him. There were tears in his eyes as he limped through the clearing, hoisting the God-Slayer upwards.
Calgara, this is how I honour your memory, he thought with deep breaths, by blasting the false god into oblivion!
He emerged just in time to see Enel knock Gan Fall into the ground. The old man put up a good fight with impressive stamina, but all it took were three bolts of electricity and Gan Fall was scorching in armouring. Enel looked mildly bored as he slammed his golden staff into the old man, sending his body crashing through the trees. Gan Fall was clutching his backpack tightly even as he collapsed.
Slowly Enel turned to look at Wiper, panting heavily and struggling to stay conscious. Enel smirked arrogantly.
"So…" The god said lazily. "You're my next challenger then?"
"No," Wiper snarled. "I'm the man who's going to kill you."
"God cannot die," Enel replied, stressing every word as if talking to a child.
Around them, the earth was scorched by lightning and the trees were alight, covering the clearing in flickering flames. Wiper took a deep breath to steady his hand. "Look around you!" He shouted. "What do you see?"
Enel shrugged dismissively. "Nothing important."
Wiper's voice was murderously quiet. "I see earth," he whispered. "I see Shandora. I see something precious that you are defiling with you every step!"
His voice grew into an angry bellow. "I see my homeland!"
Enel was laughing. Wiper couldn't hear it over the sound of his heart pounding in his chest. His finger was on the trigger, while his gaze turned blood red. "You are standing on my property!" Wiper snarled. "Get off!"
He pulled the trigger. The God-Slayer erupted like a volcano, spilling out clouds of blue shrapnel into the air while the shockwave broke the speed of sound. Somehow, Wiper voice was louder than it all, echoing through the air as he bellowed louder than ever.
"GOD BLAST!"
The whole island rumbled, while a mushroom cloud of dirt rose into the sky.
The ground tremored, causing Robin to straighten as she glared at the explosion erupting from the trees with concern. She could feel the blast even from here, rippling through the air. Robin paused from making notes of the ruins, looking around the forest.
"Luffy…" She muttered under her breath, feeling her stomach tighten.
Quickly, she started walking in the direction of the explosion. She didn't get far before she heard a whimper from the bushes. Robin walked over cautiously, to see a young girl with dark hair weeping into her hands.
"… Wiper…" The girl sniffed, wiping away tears with the back of her hand. At once, Robin's gaze softened.
"Excuse me?" Robin asked gently. The girl jumped. "Are you alright?"
She stared at Robin with wide eyes. "No," she muttered, trembling with dread. "The voices… they're screaming at me…"
Robin frowned. The girl looked terrified. "What's your name?"
"Aisa,"She replied, wiping her face and staring at Robin. "Are you Robin?" She asked after a second. "Luffy told me to find you."
"Luffy?" Robin sat down closer. "Do you know where he is?"
Aisa nodded. "Could you take me to him?" Robin asked carefully.
She shook her head quickly. "No," Aisa muttered quietly. "You don't want to be anywhere near him."
Nami stood at the prow of the ship, watching the beanstalk grow into view. It was huge, and towered over everything, but her attention was focused completely at the base of the beanstalk, where lightning flashed over the treetops. You didn't have to be a navigator to realise how unnatural that weather was.
They were on the Milky Road, sailing west towards the beanstalk. Sanji was at the helm, while toad-Usopp was in the crow's nest, peering into the distance. "There's a battle happening up ahead!" Usopp shouted, struggling to make out the figures.
"Any sign of Luffy?" Vivi asked with concern.
Usopp shook his head, unable to make out any figures between the smoke and lightning. Sanji snorted. "Things are exploding and it sounds like a warzone," the chef muttered. "That's about the biggest sign of Luffy that anyone could expect."
Nami paused. "Sanji?"
Instantly, the chef was all charm. "Yes, my beautiful Nami?"
She didn't even turn around. "Shut up."
"Right away!"
In the meeting room, Chopper was busy treating Zoro. The doctor had smelt the swordsman's blood and Usopp had rushed to fetch him, only to find Zoro unconscious with deep wounds and metal fragments sticking out of him. Chopper had squealed when Zoro had been brought aboard, only to hurry and bandage the swordsman head to toe. A few makeshift blood transplants and a lot of stitching later, and Chopper was still working to stabilise Zoro.
"What are we going to do?" Vivi asked quietly, standing next to Nami, biting her lip.
The navigator paused. "We've got to help Luffy," she decided firmly. "We'll sail in close as we can get, grab Luffy, find Robin, and get out of here."
Vivi nodded. Sitting on the ledge, Conis was staring at the strikes of lightning with wide, fearful eyes. Her face was pale. She recognised the lightning. Angel Island lived in fear of it. "This is God's power…" Conis muttered quietly. "We shouldn't be here. We've got to run…"
Sanji looked at the girl with concern, while Nami and Vivi edged closer to the side, staring at the smoke rising from the forest. There was a good wind behind them and the Milky Road had a strong current; they were approaching the beanstalk quickly.
A sudden boom erupted from the forest. Nami had her sword in hand instantly, while Sanji leapt over the balcony, just as a figure burst out of the foliage and flew across the air towards them. No one even had time to scream as suddenly a man crashed straight into the deck of the Going Merry, cracking the wood as he landed in a shower of splinters.
"That bastard…" A wheezy voice growled, while the man clutched his stomach, staggering upwards.
It took a few seconds for the dust to settle, while all eyes were on the man lying in the middle of the deck.
"You!" Vivi gasped with shock, stepping backwards.
Marcus grinned, glancing around the ship with no fear. His eyes gleamed with pure insanity. "Well, hello there beautiful!"
Behind them, the air exploded into a huge mushroom cloud.
The recoil jammed a large fragment of burning metal into Wiper's shoulder, and he screamed in pain as the he dropped to his knees. The explosion burst the barrel of the God-Slayer, vaporising the triggering mechanism, and left the bazooka a red hot chunk of half-broken slag.
Still, the air around them sparkled almost, a stark contrast to the ground that had been scorched black. Seastone dust covered everything, a very fine powder covering the air. There wasn't much of it, but it was enough to make a Logia vulnerable. The explosion took care of the rest.
Wiper forced a smirk, feeling his mouth swell up with blood. "I got you…" he coughed, glaring into the dust cloud, before dropping to ground.
"Well…" a voice muttered in annoyance. "That was unpleasant…"
Suddenly, there was a sound of footsteps. Wiper's blood turned cold.
No, Wiper thought blankly. Then he turned, desperately trying to deny what his eyes were telling him, that's impossible…
Enel was standing above him.
He looked different. He looked like a golden statue - the man was covered in a second skin of shiny gold plate. Gold with Seastone fragments piercing the metal. He had his arms folded as he glared at Wiper darkly. Slowly, the golden skin cracked and fell to the ground, revealing Enel looking completely unharmed.
His staff, Wiper realised with shock. He must have moulded his golden staff into armour. So long as the Seastone didn't touch him, then the explosion wouldn't have had any effect.
Enel chuckled. "That is an impressive weapon," he muttered, glancing around at the blackened earth. The Seastone dust covering everything was enough to make his skin tingle. "But I have already learned today, to not to give my opponents a free attack. A valiant effort, nonetheless."
Wiper tried to curse. He tried to scream. He tried to fight. He couldn't even move as Enel casually strolled by him. "And now…" Enel muttered, pointing his finger at Wiper. "… Now, you die for that effort."
The bolt of lightning struck Wiper with blinding intensity. The raider couldn't even scream as his whole body convulsed. Enel just walked away without a second glance.
Luffy growled as he tackled Smoker again, hitting nothing but air. The fight was becoming nasty, but Luffy refused to give any ground even under Smoker's relentless assault. The pirate just kept on punching, desperate to land a blow. Not even the huge explosion could deter the battle.
Luffy was panting heavily, sweat dripping from his body. Smoker just looked annoyed. He had his revolver drawn, but Luffy hadn't given him a shot.
"There's only one way this can end," Smoker said finally. "I will kill you and bring your head back to the ocean with me. There's too much at stake here."
"When did you become so bloodthirsty?" Luffy panted, glaring at Smoker as he launched a rapid salvo of kicks.
"Since Tashigi," Smoker replied coldly, trying to level the revolver. Luffy charged through him, not giving him a chance to shoot.
Luffy frowned. "What about Tashigi?"
"You don't know?" Smoker grunted. Luffy didn't respond, too busy trying to dodge Smoker's punches. "No, why would you? What would a pirate care about consequences?"
The captain landed a blow, knocking Luffy into the ground. He tried to aim the revolver, but Luffy was already up and moving. He had heard that the lieutenant was responsible for saving his crew's lives. "What's Tashigi got to do about his?"
"Tashigi helped you in Alabasta. Did you really think that would come without cost?" Smoker growled. "She's being charged with treason, and the only thing that could save her is your head. Do not underestimate my resolve here, Straw Hat. I will kill you to save the life of my friend."
Luffy faltered for half a second, before his expressed became firm. "I'm sorry," he said sincerely, throwing a spinning punch straight through the smoke cloud. "But I'm fighting for my friends too."
There was no talking after that. They both just kept on trading blows, each trying to wear the other down. Luffy had the endurance of juggernaut while Smoker just couldn't be hurt. Luffy danced through the cloud of smoke, while Smoker kept trying to get his shot with the revolver. If he missed a step, he'd be dead.
Luffy's heart was beating so fast that time seemed to slow down, but then he heard a sound that cut through everything else. The sound of screaming echoed through the forest.
"Vivi… !" Luffy gasped, recognising the voice instantly. In an instant, his priorities shifted. She was nearby, and she needed help.
Luffy hesitated, just long enough for Smoker to wrap a coil of smoke around him and slam him up against a tree.
"Got you!" Smoker growled. There was no satisfaction in his eyes as he aimed the revolver at Luffy's head and pulled the trigger.
Time stopped. Luffy remembered seeing the smoke burst from the barrel and the bullet fly towards him. The sound of his friend's screaming resonated through his head. He could feel the blood rushing through his body, and, for a millisecond, he thought he was going to die.
And then, deep inside him, there was a sudden feeling like a lock clicking open.
The bullet flew passed him so close he felt the air brush against his cheek. At that range, he shouldn't have been physically capable of dodging it, but somehow Luffy was moving even before Smoker pulled the trigger.
A moment of breathless silence flew over the pair. Smoker glared at him with shock, before firing the revolver again. And again. And again. And again. Luffy's body moved on autopilot, easily weaving through the bullets on pure instinct. They came so close he could feel them brush by, but at the same time there was a weird certainty that they would never hit.
Smoker never even had time to react as Luffy closed the distance between them and snatched the revolver out of his hands, twisting it around to face Smoker. Six shots, one more bullet left. For a brief moment, Luffy pointed the weapon at Smoker's head, before lowering it and shooting the captain in the leg instead.
It was over in two seconds, max. Luffy blinked and then time resumed its normal speed. Smoker was on the ground, clutching his leg while the Seastone bullet left him nearly paralysed. Luffy's foot collided with the captain's face, and then he collapsed to the ground.
Luffy stared at his hands in shock, and dropping the empty revolver onto the ground. "How did I do that…?" He muttered to himself, still reeling with the surreal experience. There had been no thought or even reaction involved. It has like he just instantly knew what to do.
Vivi's scream kicked him out of his shock quickly. She was in danger, and Luffy started sprinting towards her quickly. Somehow, he unconsciously knew where she was.
The Milky Road ran alongside the trees. Luffy glimpsed the Going Merry sailing on top, while a red aura shimmered on the deck. Luffy's legs pounded as he jumped to a nearby tree branch and leapt upwards towards the ship.
Everything flew by him in a flash. He saw Marcus on the deck, sending Sanji flying backwards with backhanded blow. Vivi was sending wave after wave of sand at Marcus, only for the attacks to be absorbed uselessly by the red shimmering. Nami was pulling Conis out of the way of the splintering floorboards.
Luffy was there in a blur, before anybody could react. His face twisted in pure anger as he slammed his fist straight towards Marcus with unstoppable momentum. This bastard dared to hurt my friends, Luffy thought viciously, just as his knuckles made contact. His wrist stung, but it was worth it.
The punch took the Devil fruit hunter completely by surprise, coming from behind. His body shot into the distance, crashing through the railing and flying far out of the ship with the force of the blow. Luffy took a deep breath, cradling his wrist as he looked around at his friends to make sure they were safe.
Nami and Vivi stared in amazement as Luffy suddenly appeared on the deck. Sanji sighed in relief, nursing his injured ribs, while Conis looked around confused.
"Luffy!" A giant toad wearing overalls shouted excitedly from above. Nope, I can think about that later, Luffy decided, glaring towards Marcus.
"Get the ship out of here and make sure everyone is safe," Luffy said firmly. "I need to handle this guy."
Sanji was the one that reacted first, lowering the sails fully as the Going Merry lurched forward. Luffy was already jumping off the ship, leaving them all bewildered as he chased after Marcus. I will not let him hurt anyone, Luffy promised firmly, shooting across the forest.
"Ex-Straw Hat!" Marcus laughed, already pulling himself to his feet. "Oh, is it your turn already—"
He never even had time to finish as Luffy's punch cut him off. The blow caused his fist to ache, but Luffy didn't care. He remembered Marcus' abilities well; you couldn't hurt him without doing damage to yourself as well. Any fight with the Devil fruit hunter was a competition to see who could take the largest beating. That was a challenge that Luffy had no intention of losing.
"You made my friends scream," Luffy muttered with cold rage. "Big mistake."
Marcus was giggling like a little girl as he felt the bruise forming on his cheek. The Devil fruit hunter was actually quite badly injured by now. He loved it.
"I was really looking forward to this," Marcus grinned. "It was so much fun beating you up the last time. You have no idea how happy I am that I get to finish the job now."
Luffy glared angrily. This time was different. It had to be. Slowly, there were footsteps from the forest, and a light chuckling. Enel emerged into the stand-off, looking between Luffy and Marcus curiously.
"Well then," Enel chuckled, sounding mildly interested. "Three left, it seems."
Luffy looked between them. He was facing off against two immensely powerful psychopaths, and he didn't feel even slightly out of place. His heart was pounding, the adrenaline was flowing and his muscles were screaming. He felt like a monster.
"Let's get this over with," Luffy said quietly.
"Agreed," Enel said pleasantly, raising both hands and launching a bolt of lightning at both of them. Marcus took the blow with his shield of shimmering air, while Luffy barely had time to dodge behind a large tree. There was a cracking as the tree collapsed to the ground.
At once, the battle exploded. Marcus charged furiously at Enel, glowing so brightly that grass caught alight. Enel disappeared into a blur of electricity, while Luffy slammed into Marcus from behind, kicking the man into the ground. Enel reappeared with another arc of lightning cracking through the air, just as Luffy hid behind Marcus and let the Devil fruit hunter absorb the blast. Marcus was laughing like a maniac as he felt the pain of Enel's lightning.
Marcus slammed down at Luffy, but the pirate was already dodging and heaving up the fallen tree with a groan of effort, swinging the huge log around like a bat. Marcus could absorb the force, but there was nothing he could do about the momentum as the impact took him off his feet. Enel barely had time to dodge before the Devil fruit hunter was batted towards him like a baseball ball.
Enel recovered instantly, launching an arc of lightning at Luffy that the pirate barely managed to dodge, yet the lightning still knocked him to the ground. Marcus was on Enel in a second, roaring as he tried to get a grip, but Enel was always one step ahead. Luffy staggered to his feet, just as Marcus switched targets and charged towards him like a bull.
The force sent Luffy crashing into a nearby ruin, breaking through the stone. It took Luffy a while to regain his bearings, as he slowly realised that the earth was rumbling. Luffy recognised the rumble.
Marcus was instantly on him, clutching down Luffy's right leg with shimmering hands. "Do you remember when I said I would rip your legs off?" Marcus said gleefully, carefully tightening his grip.
The pain burst through Luffy's leg, but he forced himself to remain focused. The ground was still rumbling, and above them a huge shape loomed into a view. Luffy teeth clenched as he pulled himself up, even while Marcus was still holding onto his right leg.
"Get out of here!" Luffy shouted, spinning his body around in a roundhouse kick. The kick caught Marcus by surprise as he flew backwards, losing his grip on Luffy leg. Luffy growled and was already taking the offensive, leaping into the air and slamming his fist into Marcus' stomach with enough force that he went flying into the air.
And straight into the gaping mouth of the giant python.
Marcus couldn't even scream as he was swallowed whole. The Master of the Sky twisted around, while Luffy limped to his feet. His whole body was in agony, but feeding Marcus to a giant snake was one of the most satisfying things he'd done in years.
Enel was suddenly in front of him, laughing as the python lunged towards him.
"Foolish beast…" Enel muttered irritably, blue lightning arcing from his fingers. The air crackled and the python hissed madly, before crashed to the ground in a smouldering pile. As the snake landed, the whole ground trembled.
Luffy was panting heavily as he pulled himself up to face Enel. Around them, it could hardly be called a forest anymore. The trees were smouldering cinders while the ground was scorched. A large chunk of the forest had taken a hit today, Luffy realised.
The pirate and the god stared at each other for a few seconds. Luffy was struggling for breath, while Enel seemed just about completely unharmed.
"Looks like it's just you and me…" Luffy gasped finally, pulling himself up.
Enel shook his head. "No," he muttered dismissively, raising his hand. "It was only ever just me."
The lightning cracked through the air. Luffy tried to dodge but the arc of light changed direction and chased him down. He didn't scream as he felt the electricity burn through him, but his whole body shuddered. Somehow, he managed to stay standing while every nerve in his body screamed in agony.
"Still standing?" Enel said with mild interest, pointing his fingers again. "You're better than I thought."
The blast of lightning was so powerful that the crack of thunder could be heard even on the White Sea. The electricity took the shape of a dragon as it charged towards Luffy, cutting through his body with thousands of volts. This time, Luffy couldn't even dodge.
A few seconds later, Luffy's smoking body dropped to the ground limply. Enel simply scoffed and walked away.
"So then…" The god mused, rubbing his chin. "Who's next?"
Well, Luffy is dead. Story is over. The end.
… Wait, there's more chapters? Huh, that's weird…
Next chapter: Big showdown, epic climax, and giant fight. Also, somebody eats a Devil fruit…
Next week (might be a bit late): 'Defying God'…