Chapter 23: The Fall
Disclaimer: My recent attempts to usurp ownership of One Piece have left me mentally unhinged. I am now only one mutating vat of acid away from becoming a super villain.
Previously:
The crew is recovering on Skypiea; salvaging gold and Dials, and repairing the ship while Luffy is hailed as the new God. Conis joins the crew as their Dial Mechanic, in exchange for a Devil fruit, while Wiper invites himself on-board looking for battle. Zoro and Tashigi grow closer, yet Tashigi remains indecisive. The adventure in the sky slowly draws to a close…
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
A strained sort of calm had settled over the makeshift Marine encampment on the edge of the Upper Yard. Slowly, the wounded were patched up and the marine soldiers seemed to recover. The most activity amongst them came from the coast, where the majority of the marines worked almost non-stop to build a ship capable of carrying the four hundred or so men back down to the sea. It was a crude vessel, made out of salvaged planks and badly-hewn logs, but it was large and seaworthy enough to hold the entire crew of hundreds.
The Skypieans had been helpful, but cautious. An uneasy peace settled between the Marine intruders to the Upper Yard and the Skypieans, they were allowed to stay in and near their encampment as they prepared to leave. A few Skypieans had even offered their services to help build the ship, after 'God' Luffy had made peace with Captain Smoker.
Smoker himself had not been seen much in the encampment. Hina took charge of the stranded Marines, keeping the camp organised as their new ship slowly took form. The camp was abuzz with sawing and the hammering of nails, while scaffolding and sawdust littered the ground. As the morning sun rose sluggishly over the horizon, the men were already at work to put the final touches on their homemade raft.
"Where is Smoker?" Tashigi asked Hina after a pause, still staying at the raft. It wasn't a pretty ship, but it seemed solid enough. Like a giant brick of wood with a sail and rudder attached. It wasn't pretty, or particularly navigable, but it would float enough to get them to the nearest harbor on the surface.
Hina shrugged. "Licking his wounds, probably," she answered simply. "He was beat up pretty badly, but his pride was hit the worst. He'll recover, though."
Tashigi nodded uneasily. She still hadn't talked to her captain since their duel. Technically, Tashigi was still under arrest, but Hina still gave her free reign of the camp. It made it very easy for the lieutenant to sneak out for her daily meetings with a certain green-haired swordsman, but Tashigi always returned.
Although Tashigi was starting to wonder just why she always came back.
Hina must have noticed her distracted expression. "Hina's men work fast," the captain said quietly. "Your tribunal is in three days, but we'll be back on the surface by then, I guarantee it."
Tashigi shifted uncomfortably. "Do you think there's any point actually attending that tribunal?" She muttered under her breath. Her stomach churned at the very thought.
Hina shrugged. "That's for you to decide," she said simply. "But if Smoker doesn't turn up then they may accuse him of helping you escape. There's a Vice Admiral involved now, and Akainu will be taking a vested interest. It's important that, at the very least, Smoker and Hina makes an appearance."
The lieutenant's eyes narrowed. "Are you suggesting that I run away?" She said cautiously.
"Hina said no such thing," the captain replied coolly. "You are still under arrest and it is forbidden for you to leave this camp." She paused, her eyes softening slightly. "But if you're going to make a decision, make it quickly."
She bit her lip. It was a dilemma that she was still wrestling with. The option was right there; she could simply walk to the other side of the island towards the pirate ship. Tashigi doubted that anyone in the camp would even try to stop her. Hina would make up some excuse that she had run away, and Tashigi would continue her journey through the Grand Line while sailing under a pirate flag.
Not so long ago, the thought of becoming a pirate would have been unthinkable. Now, it was… complicated.
Hina stared at her with firm yet sympathetic eyes. Somehow, even after weeks stranded on an island in the sky, the captain looked as flawless as ever. Her purple suit was ironed and pristine, her white coat was spotless. Tashigi couldn't help but feel slightly jealous of the captain's strong elegance and beauty.
"What would you do in my shoes?" Tashigi asked in a quiet voice. She could stay in the Marines risk execution, and forever be labelled as pirate sympathiser, or she could join a pirate crew and become a wanted woman. Either way, her ambition of being a strong marine would be ruined.
"Hina is not in your shoes," the captain replied with a shrug. "You've got to make up your own mind."
Tashigi paused, frowning slightly. She hesitated slightly. "But… What about during your excursion… did you…?"
Her voice trailed off. Hina just relaxed back in her seat and lit a cigarette coolly. "That excursion was a huge success," Hina replied calmly, but there was a hint of a smile playing at her lips. "We swept across the whole island, and we managed to recover the majority of our lost forces."
Tashigi shifted. "Yes, but I heard… well, there are rumours…" her voice became slightly pained, but she had to ask. Tashigi started to blush madly as she looked at the captain. "… Is it true that you and 'Black Leg' Sanji… Did you really…?"
Tashigi motioned with her arms awkwardly. Her cheeks were burning red. Hina's face was as impassive as ever. Hina took a deep breath of her cigarette.
"Oh dear," Hina commented finally. "There are rumours, are there?"
Tashigi nodded reluctantly. "The whole camp is whispering about it."
They both glanced across to a circle of large, burly marines who were talking in hushed voices. Occasionally, one of them would turn around and glare snidely at either Tashigi or Hina. Something about the whispering made Tashigi's skin crawl. She could only imagine what they were saying about them, but Tashigi would bet money that it was nothing pleasant.
Tashigi glared at the group. Hina just nodded calmly. "I see," Hina muttered as she dropped her cigarette to the ground and slowly stood up. "Allow me to show you how to handle whisperers ."
Slowly, Hina started to walk towards the group of men. Tashigi just watched quietly. The marines stopped talking quickly as Hina headed towards them. They stood up and saluted, but a spark in their eyes glimmered with judgement and disgust, and there was an almost insolent speed to their movements. Hina remained completely calm.
"… Yes, captain?" One of the men muttered in a voice that bordered on rebellious. He was a large man with a beefy build and a furrowed brow. Hina turned to stare at him critically. No one spoke.
The man seemed to interpret Hina's silence as guilt or hesitation. His face twisted into a small sneer. "What can I do for you, capta—"
Suddenly, Hina's leg moved in a flash. The man never even had time to react as the captain's leg slammed towards his crotch. His eyes bulged, but there was no impact. Instead, the leg phased through him while metal bars rippled and took shape, tightening around his waist. The group gasped. The man winced in agony.
For a half second, nothing happened. Then, the man collapsed slowly to his knees, clutching at his groin. He was suddenly wearing a metal, chastity belt like contraption - solid metal manacles that were wrapped tightly around his crotch and waist like iron briefs. The man's face was red. His eyes were nearly bulging out of his head.
Everyone around him just stared at their comrade with speechless horror. He looked like he should have been screaming, but couldn't breathe. Hina just inspected him critically.
"For every snide glance I receive…" Hina muttered, very quietly, into the man's ear. "… for every whisper, and for every rumour that comes to my attention…" Her voice was deadly calm and serious. "… I will tighten that belt another inch."
She smiled sweetly at the group and started to walk away, her hips swinging with every step. The whole camp had stopped to stare at the man in shock, still whimpering slightly as he groped at the solid metal brace.
Hina just calmly walked back towards Tashigi and sat down, lighting another cigarette. Tashigi looked at the captain with a mixture of awe and horror.
"You will not be hearing anymore rumours," Hina announced simply. Tashigi decided not to press the issue, but she couldn't help stare at the captain with respect.
It was a while before Tashigi managed to speak again. Around her, the camp was slowly getting back to work.
"Ok then," Tashigi nodded, smiling slightly.
Luffy sighed as he focused on the presences around him, one by one. The auras swirled around him, but he was slowly managing to single out the ones he recognised.
Zoro was first. Luffy could feel the swordsman's latent killing intent and razor-sharp aura. Zoro's presence was as sharp as his swords, focused with infallible determination. Right now, Zoro was across the island, duelling viciously with Wiper. The pair of them, what they were doing could not be called sparring. It was closer to almost non-stop fighting, with a viciousness that looked like open and mutual murder to everyone around them.
Wiper's presence was surprisingly similar to Zoro's, but his aura burnt furiously, like his spirit had a heart of fire. Luffy could feel the raider's rage even from here. As Wiper clashed with Zoro, the ground rumbled slightly and their auras blazed like a murderous inferno, but Luffy had the distinct impression that they were both enjoying themselves.
Nami was at the outskirts of the camp. Her aura was softer, more round and Luffy could visualise it as blue. She was practicing with her new sword, and Luffy could feel how she moved, her mind and body in perfect harmony as she operated the Dials of the cloud sword.
Usopp was at the ship, still working hard to fix the Going Merry. The ship was on scaffolding, out of the water, while Usopp and Conis hammered in Dials and fixed planks of wood. Usopp's presence was distinctively green and almost squishy, but Luffy could still feel the iron at his core. Conis' presence was much softer, more fragile, and tainted by the grief that she was struggling with.
Sanji's aura was as solid as a brick, firm and unyielding. He was working in the kitchen, rapidly cooking for the entire congregation of Skypieans, but particularly the female half. The chef was abuzz with joy as too many women crowded around him, swooning happily.
Chopper was playing with Carue across the fields. The doctor's presence was distinctly less human compared to the rest of the crew, but he still shone bright violet with a childlike innocence and compassion that made Luffy grin.
Vivi was pure warmth and kindness. Her aura was soft and gentle, even as she relaxed calmly in her tent. Judging from how her presence wavered slightly, Luffy suspected she was on the edge of sleep.
And then there was Robin. Luffy spent a long time focusing on her. She was towards the ruins, still inspecting and making notes of the history that covered Upper Yard. Her presence was calm, measured, and distinctly guarded. It was like she kept herself restrained, shielded, and focused. Luffy couldn't read minds, but it was more like being attuned to her personality.
He took a deep breath and sighed, letting himself float outwards. He could feel everything across the island, like he could touch everything in his mind. He could feel the Marines in their camp, the Shandorians, the Skypieans, even if he couldn't make out any details. Only his friends were crystal clear, so distinct they were nearly tattooed on to his skin.
When he opened his eyes again, somehow it was like his sense faded slightly. Sitting across from him, Aisa stared at him in amazement. "Wow," the young girl exclaimed brightly. "You really can see across the whole island."
He grinned. Aisa was the only one whose aura reacted when he concentrated on it. "Your range is still better than mine," Luffy admitted.
He was struggling to cross the entire island, even when using his Devil fruit to amplify his powers. Aisa could pick out the 'voices' of people much, much further away. Slowly, Luffy was beginning to realise that Aisa's Mantra must have been more powerful than Enel's, but it just worked on a different scale. She lacked the battle precognition of a warrior, she instead had the ability to sense and detect people from miles away.
"I can focus it easier." Aisa shrugged. "I was born with the power, but you've just awakened it. I've never met anyone else who can use it. Well, besides Enel but he doesn't count…"
Her voice trailed off. Slowly, Luffy nodded as he rubbed his shoulder absentmindedly, still adjusting to the crisscrossing network of scars that ran across his skin. They took the bandages off recently, but Luffy's body was still tender.
Chopper had done the best he could to soothe the burns, but the electricity still scorched vivid burns running across Luffy's right arm and shoulder. Lichtenberg figures, Luffy recalled. They looked like red tattoos under his skin, jagged and swirling around like lightning.
"Enel's dead," Luffy said, not unkindly. "It's over. You get to do whatever you want now."
"I know, it's still…" She grinned brightly. "… It's still amazing."
Luffy pulled himself up. "Come on," he said with a mischievous smile. "I know where Sanji keeps the ice cream now."
"Top shelf, third cupboard across in the larder," Aisa replied cheerfully, pointing at herself. "Mantra, remember?"
He faltered for a second. "Is there any left?"
"Little bit."
"Race you for it!" Luffy shouted, already jumping forward. Aisa squealed and leapt after him, clutching at his bandages and laughing as she tried to tackle him to the ground.
The rest of the morning passed in a happy excitement. Between Luffy and Aisa, they managed to clear out whatever sweets Sanji had stashed away in minutes, prompting the chef to launch a furious onslaught of punishment kicks at Luffy. The captain could have phased through them all easily, but that took the fun out of it.
The argument was just starting when Robin returned to the camp. She walked by the kitchen and smiled softly at Luffy and Sanji as she passed, but Luffy noticed a glimmer in her eyes that made him pause. He wasn't the most observant when it came to a lot of things, but he was learning quickly about Robin. Luffy distractedly muttered an apology to Sanji, before disappearing into a spark of lightning that shot away quickly.
He met Robin at the rear of the Going Merry, in a little spot hidden by the scaffolding of the ship. She had her arms crossed and a playful smile on her lips that made Luffy's knees weak. She stared at him bemusedly as he rematerialized in a crackle of electricity.
"You're getting good at that," Robin noted calmly, scratching at her chin softly.
He nodded. Transforming into lightning was still disorientating, but he had a lot of motivation. "Thanks," Luffy muttered awkwardly.
There was a pause. Robin looked mildly amused. She stayed quiet just to see how long the silence would stretch out. Luffy fidgeted hesitantly.
After a while, Robin looked at him mischievously. "What are you waiting for?"
Luffy shot towards her at the speed of lightning. She giggled as he wrapped his arms around her tightly and pressed his lips against hers. Her taste, her body, her eyes, everything about her was so mind-blowingly beautiful that he couldn't help but grin like a buffoon, even as pressed against her more forcefully leaning backwards while their lips meshed together. Her body was pressed so tightly against his that they were breathing as one.
By the time they broke apart, they were both laughing and panting for breath. Robin was still amazed at how much more confident he had become at kissing so quickly.
"Much better…" she purred happily, drawing herself in for another kiss.
At that moment, absolutely everything was right with the world.
The ground thundered with another deafening collision as Wiper slammed his bazooka down like a sledgehammer. Zoro blocked the attack with his sword, lashing out with a vicious kick. Wiper blocked with his leg, twisting around in the air as he launched his foot outwards in return, but Zoro was already sidestepping.
The swordsman's gaze was murderous as he pulled his blade back. "Thirty-six pound cannon!" He shouted, as the air exploded with a blast of wind. Wiper barely had time to block the attack with bazooka, but the force still sent him flying backwards and crashing into a tree.
Slowly, the tree creaked as it collapsed to the ground. Zoro grinned.
"What's the matter?" He said smugly. "Not so tough without your big gun, are you?"
Wiper scowled, but he was grinning too. It was a good fight and Zoro showed no signs of surrendering. Wiper was using his old Burn Bazooka again; not as destructive as the broken God-Slayer, but lighter and more comfortable.
"You wish," the raider growled, heaving the bazooka on to his shoulder. This was technically a spar, but both Wiper and Zoro had a problem using 'reasonable' force. It was much more fun to just try and kill each other.
He launched a salvo of explosive flames, followed by a powerful roundhouse kick and furious barrage of cannonballs. Zoro didn't give an inch, meeting bazooka blasts with razor sharp slashes as they danced furiously around the clearing in the forest.
It hadn't been a clearing when they arrived, but it was a clearing now.
"So, you're going to be tagging along with us then?" Zoro muttered, chopping two cannonballs in half and returning a flying slash of his own.
"You got a problem with that?" Wiper growled, jumping into the air as the ground exploded as flames jetted from the nozzle.
Zoro parted the inferno with flash of steel. "If the captain says it's alright, it's alright," Zoro shrugged.
Wiper scoffed. "Captain?" He grunted, twisting around for another blast. "You really follow that shrimp as your captain?"
Zoro was on him a second, cutting down with his sword. He used the flat of the blade at the last second, but the force still sent Wiper crashing into the ground. "Don't talk bad about my captain," Zoro said warningly.
The raider just smirked as he pulled himself off the ground for the twelfth time that day. The guy has persistence, Zoro conceded.
"Fine," Wiper grunted, reloading the bazooka. "So long as he doesn't try to boss me around, we'll get on just fine."
"Good enough," Zoro nodded. "Luffy is a dumb moron most of the time, but you should still treat him with respect."
The raider launched an explosion of fire, but Zoro was already side stepping as he charged forward. Wiper swung his bazooka around with enough force to talk Zoro off his feet, but the swordsman recovered before he hit the ground.
"Tell me something…" Zoro demanded suspiciously, firing an onslaught of slashes so quickly that Wiper could barely block. "… isn't this place your home? Why leave?"
Wiper shrugged. "If Upper Yard is at peace, then there's nothing left for me here." Burying the old chief had took away all his deserve for their homeland. Wiper was a warrior, and it looked like Shandia would be better off without him. "Besides," he continued. "The golden bell fell out of the sky. That means my promise isn't complete until I go down there and reclaim it."
"Fair enough," Zoro muttered. The memory of Wiper leaving him for dead was still fresh in his mind, but repeatedly kicking Wiper's butt in these duels was helping Zoro to work through it. Besides, the swordsman wasn't one to hold grudges.
Zoro's foot collided with Wiper's skull with enough force that his bones crunched. Even as the raider collapsed to the ground, the flat of Zoro's swords slammed against his chest and send Wiper crashing into the forest. Two trees collapsed from the impact.
"If you ever hurt anyone in the crew again," Zoro warned coldly. "Then I'll cut off your head myself."
Wiper staggered to his feet shakily, spitting out gobbet of blood. "Fair enough," Wiper murmured in response. Zoro grinned. Both of them were bruised, bloody, exhausted and injured, but it been one of hell of a workout.
The raider slung his bazooka across his shoulders and started to walk away casually. Zoro sheathed his swords and nodded as if they hadn't just been trying to kill each other for the last few hours.
"This was fun," Wiper nodded, limping out of the clearing. "Let's do it again sometime."
Zoro wiped the blood of his brow and shrugged. "Alright then," he muttered nonchalantly, walking away in the opposite direction. Zoro had a sinking suspicion that he had just made a new best friend.
Luffy winced as he pulled the last of his bandages of his raw skin. The ointment took most of the sting out of the burns, but his body still hurt. He was in his tent, inspecting his skin cautiously. The lightning shaped scars across half of his torso, growing less vivid as they faded into his chest. Luffy spent a long time tracing out the patterns across his body.
He was still wearing his old shorts, but they were filthy dirty and had been torched beyond repair. Luffy hesitated slightly, before searching through the chest of clothes, rapidly taken off the ship, for something else to wear. He paused to look at his usual outfit of red vest and blue shorts, before pushing it to one side and rummaging deeper through the clothes. Between his old wardrobe and the ones offered by the Skypieans, he had quite a selection.
He felt like something different. He felt different.
In the end, Luffy settled on a pair of long, black jeans, fastened tightly around his waist with a thick dark leather belt. He chose a thick, heavy dark blue jacket with red lining, leaving it unfastened at the front and with long sleeves to cover the scars over his right arm. Then, Luffy changed his mind and decided to roll up the right sleeve up to the shoulder to reveal the vivid scars proudly.
He was sick of his sandals, so Luffy borrowed a pair of Zoro's old boots instead. Luffy paused as he wondered vaguely if he should get a hat, but then decided he didn't need one.
Luffy spent an uncharacteristically long time checking his appearance in the mirror. He looked like a different person. He looked older, more mature than he had been before.
I look like Ace, he realised with shock, before grinning brightly at the thought. He might not share any blood with his adopted brother, but somehow there was something in his appearance that reminded Luffy of him.
Luffy spent a few minutes rummaging through the bottom of the chest, before finding a necklace made of large, red beads and wrapping it around his neck.
Outside, he could sense his friends gathering in the camp. They were excited. Luffy grinned brightly, before walking out the door confidently. The crew was all gathered around the campfire, chatting excitedly. Usopp was in his toad form, bare-chested as he heaved a large box off his huge back.
"Luffy!" Nami shouted excitedly, turning around to meet him. "Come look at what we-"
Nami's mouth dropped open as she saw his new appearance. Luffy grinned at her happily, completely missing the light blush across her face. Without the bandages and frayed rags hanging off him, Luffy looked… different. It was more than just an appearance. He held himself straighter, and seemed more confident. And his chest was more toned and muscular than she had ever seen it before.
It was enough to make Nami's mind go blank.
"Whoa, what is that?" Luffy asked eagerly, pointing at the large crate. Zoro and Sanji barely even noticed his new appearance, while Usopp made a passing comment about the new clothes. It took Nami a few seconds to react, but she saw Vivi stare at Luffy with a similar gaze.
Nami's stomach clenched as she remembered the elephant that was still between her and Vivi.
Neither of them noticed Robin quietly inspecting them both.
"I've picking these up from the forest all evening," Usopp said happily, opening the crate. "And it's brilliant!"
Luffy's eyes widened. Inside the box, there was dozens of different coloured fruits of all shapes. Some were in crates of their own, but Luffy would recognise the aura anywhere. It was soft, faint and barely recognisable, but at the same time it twisted the air around them.
"Devil fruits… !" Luffy gasped.
"Fourteen of them!" Usopp chattered, delicately lifting the fruits out, one by one, with clumsy toad hands. "Fourteen!"
"That's one point four billion! At least!" Nami added, shaking herself out of her daydreams while her eyes turned to Beli. "That's almost as much as all that gold is worth!"
Vivi shook her head. "We'd never be able to sell it all. Not straight away, at least," she added. "It would take a whole country to be able to pay that much."
Usopp turned to smile and Conis, sitting nervously at the edge of the group and fidgeting with her dress. "You wanted a Devil fruit?" He said happily. "Come on, you've got a choice!"
She hesitantly walked forward, looking at the fruits suspiciously. "Just don't eat two of them," Luffy warned. The image of Enel exploding flashed in front of his eyes. "You really don't want that to happen."
Conis bit her lip as she glanced at the different fruits. Usopp nodded and pointed at pair of fruits; one pale yellow and shaped like passion fruit, the other brown and shaped like plum.
"Ok, these two were found in different gardens across the island, but I think they appeared at the same time," Usopp explained. "So, they must be the Stomp Stomp and the Daze Daze fruits. Berrit and Isaac died at roughly the same time, so I can't say which is which. You've got a fifty-fifty chance."
"You should make a note of that," Robin suggested, looking up from her book. "Devil fruits are worth a lot more if you can identify them."
Chopper nodded, pulling out a notepad to write 'Daze/Stomp' on a piece of paper and putting it next to the two fruits. Usopp nodded and continued.
"Ok, and this one…" He pulled out a large, blood red, coconut Devil fruit. "Got this from the beach, it appeared a bit later. So this must be the Shred Shred fruit."
Nobody spoke. They all remembered that power well, and someone it was just as ominous now as it had been when Marcus had used it to try and kill them all. Conis clenched her fist tightly, while Usopp pushed the Shred Shred fruit further out the way than all the others.
"What about the Metal Metal?" Luffy asked curiously. He couldn't see any silver grapes. "What happened to that one?"
Usopp shook his head. "I looked for that bag of grapes, but when the island split in half there was a lot of land that ended up tumbling down," Usopp explained. "You said you were quite close to the chasm, so I think the ground must have… cracked away after you left…"
Luffy looked confused. Sanji sighed. "So the bag of grapes fell through the White White Sea?"
"Yep," Usopp nodded. "We've lost the Metal Metal."
"Oh, what a shame," Robin commented calmly. "That would have been a really valuable one."
Nami pouted miserably, glaring at Usopp. He croaked, before rapidly changing the subject. "But we've got eleven more from the Devil fruit hunter's ship!" He said quickly, pointing to the smaller crates. Usopp looked slightly sheepish for a second. "Even if, you know, some of them are a bit knocked around…"
Zoro and Sanji started pulling out the crates one by one. "Huh, look at this," Sanji noted. "Some of these have got labels on them."
At the front of each crate, there was a small label with large, untidy writing sprawled on it. Zoro picked up two crates to check. "Huh, this one is labelled 'Cow Cow fruit, Model: Giraffe'," Zoro read, before turning to the second crate. "And this one just has 'Smells a lot like soap' on it."
Usopp eyes widened as he recognised the Cow Cow fruit, Model: Giraffe. "No way, I nearly picked that one up!" He exclaimed, remembering the moment where he had picked his Devil fruit at random. "You mean to say that I almost turned into a giraffe?"
Zoro shivered, putting the crates down. Zoro tried to imagine Usopp as a giant giraffe, but the mental imagery was horrifying.
Slowly, Luffy, Conis and Nami rushed forward to check the fruits. "Well, you're welcome to whatever fruit you want, Conis," Luffy offered. "In fact, anyone who wants one can just take it."
Conis didn't reply. Nami looked through the boxes curiously. The idea was tempting. "What about you, Zoro?" Nami asked curiously. "Are you going to take one?"
The swordsman shook his head disinterestedly. "Nah, I like swimming," he said simply. Eating a Devil fruit felt like cheating anyways.
"How about you, Sanji?" Nami asked. "Interested?"
The chef shook his head. He'd already been through them, but he couldn't find the one that he was after. "It's dangerous to have too many people with Devil fruits," Sanji explained. "There have to be enough swimmers in the crew."
Usopp lifted up a crate slowly. "Hey, check this one out!" He exclaimed, reading the note. "This is the Naked Naked fruit, it has the power to make any woman in the vicinity completely naked!"
Everything paused and turned silent. Sanji suddenly stopped breathing. His eyes widened. His face turned bright red.
"Give me that fruit!" Sanji screamed furiously, charging at Usopp with enough force to tackle the huge toad to the ground. "Give me that fruit! Give it to me or I will cut you!"
Vivi and Nami reacted quickly. Even Robin looked concerned. "Sanji!" Nami warned, her face pale with terror. "You are forbidden to eat that fruit!"
"I was joking!" Usopp pleaded desperately. "Just a joke! Look, this is really the Gen Gen fruit, whatever that means."
Sanji paused, took a deep breath, and then calmed down. He glanced around the group, before quickly walking away for a cigarette. Usopp watched him go with shocked, bulbous eyes.
The rest of the crew kept looking through the powers. Conis' hands were shaking. Nami bit her lip as she looked at the different fruits. "Hmm, the 'Peto Peto fruit'?" Nami asked curiously, frowning. "What's that supposed to do?"
"How about this one; the 'Samu Samu fruit'?" Luffy laughed, holding up a rather pathetic, brown fruit shaped like a rotten apple. "God, this one stinks."
"Some don't have a name on at all," Zoro commented, holding up a pair of crates. "This one just has 'Smells like talcum powder, maybe?', and this one says 'Really spicy smell'. Isn't there a description of the powers anywhere?" He dropped the two crates on the floor, while Carue moved over to sniff at them interestedly.
"Sorry, nope," Usopp sighed, before pulling a notepad out of his pocket and handing it to Nami. "But I do have this! I found in on the ship."
Nami frowned, struggling to read the fine, curly handwriting on the notepad. It was list, with figures along the side. "This is a list of the prices that the Devil fruit hunters were going to sell the fruits at," Nami realised. Curiously, Robin walked over to inspect the paper.
"Apparently, that Samu Samu fruit is marked with only 'I couldn't even give this one away'," Robin noted. "Perhaps we should avoid that one."
"The minimum price of these fruits is a hundred million," Nami realised, her eyes glistening.
Robin shook her head. "Actually, the average price for Devil fruits is a hundred million, but there are some that worth much more and others much less, depending on the power," she explained. "That's what makes identification so valuable. However, when the seller already knows that they've got a poor quality Devil fruit, then often they'll simply claim it that is unidentified and sell it for the standard price. They effectively scam their customers by offering the false opportunity that it may be a world-class power, even when they know it's not."
Nami looked at her confusedly. "So, look at the giraffe, the soap, and the talcum powder fruit." Robin pointed at three of the Devil fruits on the list as an example. "All of those are listed as a hundred million simply because they contain powers that few people would be happy with. And so, when they are sold, the sellers would neglect to mention that the fruits have been identified in order to put their prices up."
"Oh, I see," Nami agreed. "So, we should effectively avoid any fruits that are listed a hundred million, right?"
Robin hesitated. "It's not an exact rule," she admitted. "Often, the true strength of an ability depends more on the user than the power itself. Even relatively weak fruits can be formidable if they're eaten by the right person."
"So which ones are the expensive ones, then?" Usopp asked curiously, still looking over the piles of fruit.
Nami pursed her lips, going through the list. "That Gen Gen fruit is pretty pricy, that's three hundred million," she mused, turning the page. "Oh, and that spicy fruit is two hundred and fifty. Couple of others are—"
"What's the most expensive fruit here?" Conis asked quietly, speaking up for the first time in a quiet, timid voice.
The navigator paused, before pointing to a crate on the ground. "That one," she said finally. "The 'Call Call fruit', no idea what that means. It's worth five hundred million."
Conis nodded quietly. Without another word, she bent over and picked up the crate, unfastening the clamps and pulling out the Devil fruit. It was a bright white fruit shaped like a pear. Conis didn't even hesitate as she lifted the fruit to her mouth and took a large bite. It crunched.
Everyone watched in stunned silence. Conis' hands were trembling and her face crinkled in disgust, but she forced herself to swallow the fruit down. Nobody said a word.
"Alright then," Conis muttered finally, keeping her voice firm by pure force of will. She had blink repeatedly, but she refused to let herself cry. The image of her father was still imprinted on her eyeballs. She had to be strong for him. She had to get stronger.
"What did it taste like?" Robin asked quietly, looking at Conis sympathetically. "Often the taste describes the powers."
She paused. "It tasted like rotten meat," she said after a while. The taste still stung her tongue. She glanced down at her hands hesitantly, before turning and walking away without another word.
The group was silent as they watched her life. The only one was making a noise was Carue, who was still prodding and sniffing at the assorted Devil fruits. Nami looked between everyone curiously, yet Zoro just shrugged.
"She can do whatever she wants," the swordsman said simply to Nami's unspoken question.
Luffy glanced to the tent where he could feel Conis' presence, but just nodded. "Well, anyone else who wants one is welcome," he said quietly. Curiously, Luffy fiddled his fingers just to watch the sparks flying from his fingers. The Rumble Rumble power still felt so weird.
"Do you have space on the ship for all these fruits?" Vivi asked Usopp curiously.
He nodded. "Yeah, they won't take up much room. Particularly not compared to all that gold," Usopp added with a pointed glare to Nami.
"We're not leaving any gold behind," Nami said warningly.
"But the ship can barely take it! We might not even be able to float!"
"It's gold, Usopp," Nami said in a slow voice, as if the sniper was talking nonsense. "Solid gold. We have to take it all."
He grumbled, and Usopp's tongue shot out so quickly that it hit Nami over the head in a light swat. The navigator looked at horror at the thick saliva coating her orange hair, just as the toad started to chuckle. Nami growled, drawing her sword and clicking the Dial, reshaping the blade into a large club and whacking Usopp repeatedly over the shoulder.
Luffy just laughed as he watched the two of them fight, while Zoro and Robin started to pack up the Devil fruits again. Carue was still at the edge of the group, playing with one of the crate curiously as he kicked with large webbed feet.
"You sure you don't want a Devil fruit, Mr. Bushido?" Vivi asked Zoro curiously. "I've found mine quite useful."
Zoro just snorted. "I don't need a Devil fruit," he said with a shrug. "Besides, what if you end up with a really weird ability? You can't just eat a random fruit, cause mayb—"
There was a large gulp. Everyone froze, and slowly turned to stare towards Carue. The large duck was crouched over the ground. The crate had popped open. The Devil fruit was missing. Vivi's eyes bulged.
"Carue?!"
Smoker sighed softly as he walked towards the camp. The savage forest had been weirdly peaceful for the entire week, even at night. It was as if the entire island was still revelling in the knowledge that the old tyrant was dead. Smoker had spent the last few nights staring at the Skypiean camp. He thought about raiding the camp with brute force. He thought about bombarding the ship with cannons. He even mused poisoning the pirate's meals and dragging them back. Smoker had vowed that he wouldn't let Monkey D. Luffy escape, after all.
Still, the captain did nothing. He just stared at watched before slowly walking away. He didn't have the energy to fight anymore, and he seriously doubted he would win.
This fight was over, Smoker decided finally. Skypiea was at peace and Smoker had absolutely no intention of being the bad guy anymore. It was time to leave. That didn't stop the defeat from stinging, though.
He had lost a battleship, a good portion of his crew, and the trust of his longest friend. Now, he had to go back down empty handed to a tribunal that he might not survive. It was time to leave, but it just wasn't a pleasant exit.
I wonder if Tashigi will still be there when I go back, he thought sourly. His lieutenant had absolutely every reason to leave, and Smoker seriously doubted she would stay with the Marines for much longer. He was almost afraid to go to their camp and find out.
Instead, he limped through the forest, searching through the Skypiean camp until he found the person he was after. The elderly lady was cooking gently at a hob, preparing a dish with a spicy aroma that smouldered in the air.
"Amazon," Smoker said quietly, causing the gatekeeper to jump. "How are you?"
The old lady looked as frail as ever. Her eyes bulged as she saw Smoker, but the captain had no intention of being threatening. He was here to ask for her help, after all. He sighed, looking at uncomfortably at Amazon.
"I'm sorry for what happened to you," Smoker said finally. He had been eating humble pie quite a lot recently, but the words still felt foreign as they left his mouth. "I… shouldn't have dragged you into this…"
She seemed to relax slightly. Amazon hesitated before replying, looking at the captain with surprise. "That's… that's alright…" She said cautiously, before continuing. Her voice was old and weak. "You helped defeat Enel after all. I owe you."
There was something off about the statement, but Smoker's normally perceptive ears missed the tone of her voice. He simply nodded. "The Marines will be leaving shortly," he explained. "And I hear that the only way off Sky Island is at a place called Cloud's End…?"
She nodded. "Yes," Amazon explained in a throaty, sombre voice. "There is a school of trained Balloon Octopi near there. If a harvester blows a special whistle, then the Balloon Octopi will leap out and carry a ship safely to the Blue Sea."
Smoker nodded. He had heard something similar from the other Skypieans he'd talked to. "I need passage out of the sky. Where can I find one these whistles?" He asked carefully. "Who should I talk to?"
The elderly gatekeeper paused slightly. "I have one right here," Amazon replied, holding up a large, white whistle in bony fingers. "I will be happy to blow it for you. It's really the least I can do."
The captain hesitated, but Amazon was the very picture of an elderly grandmother. She was short, stout, covered in wrinkles, and so old Smoker couldn't even guess her age. "Thank you," he replied earnestly.
She smiled softly. "Oh, it's my pleasure, dearie."
A few minutes later, Smoker limped back out of the camp, leaving Amazon to her cooking, humming under her breath. Smoker's leg was still sore and his body was weak, but he was strong enough to walk through the forest unmolested. He quite deliberately avoided any of the pirates on his way back. He had no desire to start a new battle, but he walked slowly. Smoker wasn't really looking forward to returning either.
The raft was done, and all the scattered Marines had been rescued. It was time to leave. Still, Smoker's stomach clenched as he limped into the Marine base, while all the men kept their distance cautiously. Hina just looked at him impassively as he walked past, not even commenting on Smoker's absence.
It was only when he was heading to his quarters that he recognised a familiar face. Smoker's eyes widened in surprise.
"Tashigi," he muttered quietly at his protégé. His throat jammed at all the words he wanted to say. Part of him wanted to apologise, but his voice box couldn't manage. "You're still here?" He finished lamely.
Tashigi just smiled softly. "Yes, captain," she said with a sharp salute. "I'm still here."
It was a bright morning as the sun rose over the horizon, while three dozen men heaved the Going Merry into the water carefully. The refurbished ship glimmered in the sunlight, mostly due to the massive block of gold sitting on deck.
There was so much gold that they filled the storeroom and every storage space in every cabin, but there was still a huge block of gold leftover that squatted dangerously on the rear of the ship, fastened by strong ropes. As the hull hit the water, the Going Merry tilted backwards dangerously, but then Conis activated a Dial and the rows of Jet Dials along the base triggered with a dull whizz, straightening the ship out. The crowd cheered triumphantly. Luffy was practicality jumping with excitement. They'd been away from the sea for far too long.
"This is amazing, Conis!" He shouted happily at the Dial Mechanic, who blushed. She had still yet to show any sign of her Devil fruit ability.
"Thanks," she murmured quietly. After a long debate, Conis had left her cloud fox, Su, on the island with an elderly couple who promised to look after her. Su was a sweet and loving animal, but far too fragile for the Blue Sea and Conis had to leave her behind. Conis had also abandoned her pink dress for heavier and more practical clothing, and she wore her light blond hair draped over her shoulders, out of pigtails.
"How does it work?" Vivi asked curiously, still staring at the light bubbles coming from the bottom of the ship.
"There are Jet Dials along the bottom of the hull," Conis explained. "They push force downwards constantly, which helps keep us afloat. You can adjust the Dials' output to help the ship turn faster. There's about two hundred Dials on the bottom, but we don't need all of them. They operate in groups of eight, so while one set is working the others can recharge."
"Won't they run out of energy eventually, though?"
"Yes," Conis admitted. "But they're efficient and operating slowly, so they'll last for a while You'll still need to dock after about a week or so and recharge the Dials completely. Either that or lighten the load."
The rest of the ship had been completely refurbished as well. Conis and Usopp had worked wonders. Broken, splintered wood had been replaced by white, smooth oak from Upper Yard, while every inch of the ship had been outfitted with Dials. Light Dials coated the ceiling, while Heat Dials were fitted in the kitchen. The ship was filled with Dials that not even Conis had found a use for, yet they were still piled up in the cannon deck in large nets.
Actually, Luffy realised slowly that the whole ship was becoming cluttered. Despite Vivi's warnings, Nami had still gathered dozens of trinkets and bits and pieces from the Skypieans. The larder was so full that it was about to burst. Between the gold, the Devil fruits and the new crew members, Luffy suddenly realised that the Going Merry was going to get very crowded.
Still, the ship seemed to creak happily as the crew loaded up.
"Say," Vivi asked loudly. "Where did Carue go?"
In the distance, there was a frantic squawking that sounded a lot like a giant duck being catapulted a hundred feet in the air. A few minutes later, a disappointed Chopper and Usopp walked up the gangway, followed by a petrified Carue.
"Well," Usopp announced to the crew. "Carue can't fly."
Sanji smirked at the frightened duck. Their hunt for Carue's new Devil fruit powers was turning the duck's feathers white. "Say," Sanji suggested, cruelly. "Perhaps Carue is now fireproof?"
Carue squawked in alarm as Chopper and Usopp grinned. "That's a great idea!" They squealed, dragging Carue by the wings and pulling him into the kitchen. A few minutes later, it was followed by the squealing of a burning duck, with Chopper yelling for water.
Vivi rubbed her eyes tiredly. "I'll go," she muttered, chasing after her duck.
Wiper entered the ship cautiously, glancing around for any hint of betrayal. The raider carried only his shield, spear, bazooka and a small bag of essentials. Zoro looked at him curiously.
"Did you say goodbye?" He asked.
Wiper just shrugged silently. He wasn't so good at farewells. Wiper had left the chief's staff behind for the Shandorians to find. The ones that knew him would understand.
"Well, that's everyone," Nami decided finally, looking curiously between their two new crew members. Conis was welcome, but everyone still walked on eggshells around Wiper. "I guess I'll raise the sails."
"What about you?" Luffy asked quietly, glancing at Zoro. "Expecting anyone else?"
He could use Mantra now, Zoro remembered. Luffy must had realised who Zoro was running off to meet all the time. The swordsman just shrugged.
"No," he replied simply. "Not yet."
The sails fluttered weakly in the light wind. Slowly, the Going Merry started to creep forward sluggishly. In the Skypiean camp, people started to shout loudly. They were chanting 'God' and wailing.
"God!" A man bellowed in shock as the Going Merry left. Luffy just waved. "God Luffy! Please don't leave us!"
Others took up the cry. The whole congregation was wailing at the ship. God Luffy. The statement ran in the air. Nami looked at Luffy curiously, but the captain just laughed.
"God?" Luffy exclaimed loudly, standing at the rear of the ship with his arms outstretched. "Don't be silly. I'm a pirate!"
The words rang in the air to the shocked audience. Zoro smirked. Nami giggled. Robin smiled softly. Luffy sighed contently as he turned to stare at the pirate flag flapping in the light breeze. The sun was glowing and the sea was beckoning. It looked like a perfect day. Luffy's heart was pounding.
"Go find your own god," he muttered, very lightly, under his breath, looking wistfully at the black flag. Slowly, the Going Merry sailed off into the distance.
"You ready to leave?" Smoker asked curiously, looking around the raft.
"Oh yes," Tashigi said happily. "Let's go."
The raft was crowded and loud. It stunk of sweaty men and fish. Still, the skies were calm and the Cloud Sea was peaceful. Clouds End floated slowly into view; a colourful archway that was their final stop on their way back to the surface. The edge of sky beckoned, revealing a vast expanse of blue.
"You know," Tashigi muttered conversationally. "We might be the first Marines ever to set foot in the sky. Maybe we'll get a promotion when we hand in our report."
Smoker grunted. The forced optimism in that statement nearly caused him to roll his eyes. Still, it was far too pleasant of day to ruin it with realism. "Yeah," the captain said simply. "Maybe we will."
Hina was on the deck with her men, keeping everyone in ordered. Hina's powers had helped to bind the logs of the raft together, making even the crude vessel as solid as iron. Next to the raft, a small Waver floated next to them, carrying the elderly gatekeeper. Amazon had escorted the Marines all the way down from the White White Sea. She waved to them in preparation. Smoker waved back.
The Marines were practically twitching to return to the sea. When they got there, Tashigi would have to worry about reports and tribunals, but right now, there was nothing but white clouds and blue skies. It was enough to make her smile.
"I think today's going to be a good day," Tashigi muttered quietly, just as the raft started to slip down the slide. Her captain smirked, taking a deep breath of his cigar.
"Let's see…" Smoker muttered, before standing up to yell at Amazon. "Alright! We're ready now! Blow the whistle!"
She didn't appear to hear him. The raft past through the archway, slowly gaining speed as it drifted towards the edge. The captain frowned.
"Amazon! " Smoker yelled, louder. "Blow the whistle!"
The gatekeeper nodded, lifting the whistle to her lips. Still, she didn't blow it. They were going faster now. The edge was tumbling quickly. The men were starting to mutter. Tashigi felt her heart beat faster as she saw the seven thousand feet drop come into view.
Smoker just frowned darkly as he bellowed at the top of his lungs. "Now!" He screamed. "Blow. The. Whistle!"
The waterfall roared towards them. The whole world tilted as the vertigo hit. And then, just before the Marines toppled off the edge of the sky, Amazon grinned.
It wasn't an old lady grin; it was a huge, ear to ear maniacal smile.
"Whistle?" She said in a voice that didn't seem so frail anymore. The white whistle dropped to the ground. "What whistle?"
Smoker's eyes bulged. That was the last thing he managed to see just before the whole raft plummeted off the edge in a seven kilometre high freefall. The screams of Marines faded quickly. The silence dropped over Clouds End, broken only by sharp, carefree laughter.
Amazon was laughing madly. She was laughing with an uncharacteristically large grin on her face as she spun in circles, dancing on the Waver with surprising youth.
"Perfect!" She screamed happily. "You're dead now, Smoker! You and all your Marines. Fall to your death! Oh, that was the ultimate performance! The ultimate performance of revenge!"
The real Amazon had died in the brig of the battleship when Enel destroyed the ship. Fortunately, he had been in the brig and the same time. A bit of quick thinking, one touch to Amazon's face and it had been the ultimate disguise. The Marines had even fished him out of the water.
With delicate care, 'Amazon' slowly put her left hand to her face, while her whole body rippled and changed shape. The old, wrinkly woman disappeared, replaced by a tall man with a tall man with a chiseled face, beautified with women's makeup.
"Oh, Smoker!" Mr. 2, Bon Clay, crowed cheerfully over the serene sea. "You just got played."
"Ow," Luffy muttered, rubbing his head weakly.
Nami glanced to him curiously. "What's wrong?" She asked.
He frowned as he tried to focus on the weird feeling. He still wasn't very good at Mantra. "I… don't know…" he murmured slowly, struggling to make sense of the feeling. "It's like… I don't know… a lot of people started screaming and then disappeared really quickly."
"Huh," Nami replied, uncertainly. She added this 'Haki' to the list of things she had to quiz Luffy about. She hated the idea of her captain being more knowledgeable than her on a subject. "Is it anything to worry about?"
"I'm not sure…" He muttered closing his eyes to concentrate. Around him, the air began to crackle as static jumped off his body.
Luffy could feel his friends. That was first he looked for whenever he used Mantra. Everything else was harder, but as he focused he could feel the white noise coming from Upper Yard, but it was hard to make out any details. They were sailing across the White White Sea and his range was failing, but slowly Luffy scoped around, trying to find any sense of that disturbance he'd just felt.
There were creatures in the ocean; Luffy could make out giant shrimp and octopi, but they were the hardest to sense. Humans had a distinct aura to them, while animals were more blurry. Luffy barely managed to sense a few travellers across the Cloud Seas, but nothing nearby. Everything seemed normal.
And, then, suddenly, he felt it. At first, it was just another aura, but then the presence reacted to his Mantra. Luffy's flinched in shock. Someone else could sense him.
He'd only felt that aura for half a second, but the first glimpse of that person was enough to make his skin crawl. They had felt like a star to his senses, a man whose spirit glowed like a king's, but was made of nothing but hatred and arrogance. Luffy had never even imagined a man like that never felt power like that before. And now they know where I am.
"We've got to go," Luffy said suddenly, causing everyone around him to jump. "Full speed, we've got to go right now!"
"What's going on?" Nami asked urgently, instantly alert.
Luffy's fist clenched. That aura was coming closer. Fast. Straight upwards. "We've got to move!" He ordered. "Get us out of here!"
"Out where?" Sanji said confusedly, motioning to the empty sea of cloud. "There's nowhere to go!"
The whole crew shivered as they felt the killing intent focus on them. Luffy felt it worse than anyone, but he still managed to tackle the crew to the ground just as the whole ship rocked viciously. Chopper squealed loudly from the crow's nest as the whole sea slashed apart and a figure rocketed upwards.
"Flying pink man!" Chopper screamed, eyes bulging. "Flying pink man!"
The laughter was furious. Luffy barely had time to clamber to his feet as suddenly Sanji's leg collided with his skull. He didn't have time to phase through it, and kick knocked him to his knees.
"Sanji!" Nami shouted as the chef lashed in a swirl of furious kicks. "What are you doing?!"
Sanji's eyes bulged and his face was pale, even as his muscles bulged trying to fight against the unseen force controlling his limbs. "It's… it's not me!" Sanji screamed, his legs kicking outwards against his will. "Nami! Get away from me!"
The navigator hesitated, just to squeal as Sanji's foot slammed her to the ground. The chef roared in fury. "No!" He bellowed, eyes burning with rage. "Zoro!" He ordered to the swordsman. "Cut off my legs before I hurt Nami!"
Zoro didn't move. A vein throbbed in his skull. "I… I can't move…" He muttered through gritted teeth, straining against invisible bonds. Suddenly, Zoro lashed out with his swords, limbs flailing wildly even as he fought for control.
In an instant, the ship erupted into chaos. Sanji and Zoro clashed, while Usopp and Nami were infected and started wrestling with each other. Robin screamed in pain and used her powers to restrain herself, but Conis and Vivi started to throttle each other. Wiper's eyes bulged as he was forced to slam his own head against the wall. Everyone was shouting and screaming. Luffy stared in a horror.
"Guys… !" He shouted, but none of them were in control. "… Stop it!"
All the while, a furious laughter bellowed over the sea. Luffy's fists clenched as he turned to face the levitating, pink man. His eyes shone with pure, undilated fury as he realised who was responsible.
"You!" He roared in a murderous voice. The air flashed with power. The man just laughed harder.
"Ohh!" Doflamingo jeered, arms wide. "Looks like you are a powerful little brat!"
The lightning was so intense the air snapped with heat. In an instant, Luffy burst from the deck, running through the air at breakneck speeds. His fist blurred with electrical power as he shot towards the man
"Leave them alone!" Luffy bellowed, slamming his fist forward with a crack of lightning. The intense, yellow light was blinding.
But the laughing didn't stop. Doflamingo was standing in the exact same position, one hand in his pocket, but the other one extended to absorb the lightning. His palm gleamed black like ink.
"Huh," Doflamingo muttered, sizing Luffy up like a piece of meat. "That's actually pretty good. You really are strong."
The fist came so quickly that Luffy couldn't even react. It was like instantly, Doflamingo's knuckles were burying themselves into Luffy's stomach, with unstoppable force. He couldn't phase through it. He felt the blood in his mouth. His lungs screamed.
And then, with almost casual ease, Doflamingo grabbed Luffy's leg and threw him downwards at the Going Merry. Luffy crashed into the block of gold with enough force he left an imprint in the metal.
"Luffy!" Nami screamed loudly into his ear. Despite his ringing skull, Luffy barely managed to recognise that his friends had regained control. Doflamingo was distracted.
The man in pink hovered towards Luffy slowly. Everyone was shouting, but Luffy could barely hear it over the sound of his beating heart. "Leave him alone!" Usopp bellowed, firing a quick salvo of fiery bullets from his slingshot.
"Oh, quit it," Doflamingo muttered in mild annoyance, glancing at the rest of the crew. "All small fry, stop!"
The blast of power made Luffy lightheaded. He recognised the force that pulsed through the air, but this was refined, practiced and focused. He uses Haki too, Luffy realised in dread. Around him, his crew collapsed to the ground quietly, foaming at the mouth. Doflamingo just smirked as he stood over him, smiling madly. The man pressed his foot tightly against Luffy's throat.
"You know, you really do have potential," Doflamingo admitted, looking down at Luffy as he fiddled his fingers. "I better be on the safe side and kill you now."
His finger shot outwards. Suddenly, Luffy glimpsed a razor-sharp wire shooting down towards his skull. He tried to move, but he couldn't. His body was still weak. His heartbeat felt like a drum in his chest.
And then, just the wire was about to cut Luffy's skull open, three sharp swords jutted straight through Doflamingo's chest.
"Bastard! " Zoro growled murderously, recovering quickly from the pulse of Haki. His blades cut through Doflamingo's body with ease. The man looked mildly annoyed even as he turned around to glare at the swordsman with insane killing intent.
"Shitty geezer!" Sanji shouted, jumping up from behind. They were the only two, besides Luffy, strong enough to remain conscious against Doflamingo's Haki. Sanji's eyes were alight with fury as his foot shot upwards, cleanly kicking Doflamingo's head straight off in one fluid motion.
The pink man collapsed to the ground. Zoro sighed in relief, his head still spinning as he struggled to stay conscious. "Who was that guy?" The swordsman muttered in dread.
Luffy gulped. The headless, mutilated body of Doflamingo lay before him, but somehow Luffy could still sense the man's presence.
"He's not dead," Luffy murmured, just as the decapitated body started to rapidly unravel, turning into a burst of unwinding threads that shot upwards to the sky. Then a command was asserted on the strings, and they split apart in a thousand different directions, twisting around them until it formed a mesh of wire that almost resembled a giant bird cage, encapsulating the entire Going Merry.
Then, the wires cut cleanly through the Cloud Sea - and gravity reasserted itself. The clouds were cut straight through and Luffy could barely gasp as the entire world seemed to capsize around them. The Going Merry groaned as it tilted backwards, dropping smoothly out of the birdcage, and tumbling straight downwards for a ten-thousand metre plummet all the way down to the Blue Sea.
"Hmm…" Doflamingo muttered, sensing the string puppet disappear. "So… they managed to escape the Black Knight… Lucky bastards…"
Around him, the birdcage continued to grow in the sky. The wire mesh was so large that it blocked the sun. Doflamingo could just sense the pirates dropping out of range. He considered chasing after them for a second, but then decided against it.
"Still," Doflamingo mused, staring at the silver Devil fruit, shaped like a bundle of grapes, that he held in his hand. "At least this trip wasn't a total waste."
He'd found the fruit as he approached from the White Sea. It was a nice little treat, although he had no idea which power it held. Perhaps he could find someone to identify it for him. Doflamingo was musing over the silver Devil for a while, even as he waddled slowly towards the camp of Skypieans.
They were all terrified. The birdcage was so large it covered the whole island. Doflamingo could feel the fear that soaked the ground as the Skypieans stared at the pink intruder in pure dread. It made Doflamingo chuckle.
"Hey there!" He said brightly, throwing his arms open. "I heard you were looking for a new God. Where can I apply?"
Author Notes:
For those interested, the Devil fruits on the ship are a mixture of non-canon powers, original ones, and two canon abilities that will end up with a different user. The Samu Samu fruit, for example, came from the SBS; its only power is that it makes the user tell really bad jokes.
And from now on, we're heading towards the Water 7 Arc. Yes, I am going to change the pacing of the story, because I'm not happy with how long it has became, but I'm still looking forward to Water 7.