P.E.R.C.Y. J.A.C.K.S.O.N.
"That didn't sound good."
The hallway shook again. Worried shouts that so far, had been more like background noise, grew closer and closer.
Usopp gulped, "You're right."
He held up the seastone cuffs that Luffy had trusted him, Kin'emon and Brook to find, "Let's get these to Luffy, shall we?"
"Sooner, rather than later," Brook agreed, "Best if you carry them, though. Yohohoho!"
Usopp skidded to a halt, "Wait a second! Where is Kin'emon?"
"MOMONOSUKE!"
"Kin'emon-san!"
"Brook, wait!"
"Usopp-san, please get the cuffs to Luffy-sencho. I will take care of Kin'emon-san."
Usopp didn't get a chance to protest before Brook and Kin'emon had both disappeared around a corner. Usopp wasn't too worried; Brook could take care of himself.
But still, Kin'emon had attacked Annabeth when they met, right?
"He'll be fine!" Usopp declared loudly, reassuring himself against the din growing ever closer.
"Caesar!"
Usopp crept silently to a large steel door at the end of the corridor. He knew he needed to find Luffy, but that voice sounded awfully familiar.
"Brownbeard?"
O.N.E. P.I.E.C.E.
"Sanji-kun, are you alright?"
Sanji was in front of her, so she couldn't see his face, but the distinct limp in his step was starting to worry Nami.
"Never better, Nami-swan!"
Nami bit her lip. She trusted Sanji with her whole heart. If he said he was ok, then he was ok.
But still…
"Nami! Sanji!"
"Chopper?"
The hoard of marines that Sanji had left with Chopper and Percy was hot on their heels. They still held Mocha aloft. Nami noted with relief that Mocha's color had drastically improved since they'd last seen the girl.
"Up here!" Chopper waved from atop Mocha's chest, "Where's Annabeth?"
"She went to find Law," said Nami. Something in Chopper's voice was making her uneasy, so she added, "Where's Percy?"
The corridor gave a particularly violent shake.
Nami saw a mop of black hair at Chopper's feet and almost tripped, "Percy?"
"He's having another episode," Chopper explained, "It's really bad."
Cracks began snaking their way across the floor.
Sanji swore loudly, "Fucking hell, Percy's doing that?"
"His bigger powers require a lot of concentration," Nami realized, "Remember at the battle on Fishman Island? Percy almost caused another earthquake because he was mad at Hody."
"And if he's having a flashback, Percy could kill all of us before he comes to his senses," Chopper reasoned, "We need to find Annabeth."
"Now," Sanji agreed.
P.E.R.C.Y. J.A.C.K.S.O.N.
"WHAT? MOMONOSUKE TURNED INTO A SMALL DRAGON?"
"I wasn't supposed to tell anyone, but yes."
Kin'emon saw the scrawny fire boy riding a dragon earlier. He'd left him behind to face the poison himself.
He'd left Momonosuke to die, he was sure of it.
The wall of poison beckoned him forward.
Because Oden be damned; if he'd left Momonosuke to die again, so soon after arriving in this new time period, he didn't deserve to save his country. The others would have to take over for him.
"MOMONOSUKE!"
His vision turned purple. The poison wrapped around him in a gentle haze, so why wasn't he dead yet?
"Kin'emon-san, are you alright now?"
The skeleton's voice was low and comforting in his ear. Kin'emon whipped around, but Brook was nowhere to be seen.
"Brook! What is this?"
"I am sorry, Kin'emon-san, but I cannot allow you to kill yourself."
Rage boiled in Kin'emon's gut. He stalked in a circle, but all he could see was poison.
"You're doing this!" he realized, "Let me out! I must save my son!"
"Kin'emon-san," Brook said sternly, "You can do nothing of the sort if you are dead."
At this, some of Kin'emon's rage fizzled. Much as he hated being in the wrong, the skeleton's words had merit.
"Why do you care?" he demanded, "Why do any of you care? What have I done to deserve your help?"
The air to Kin'emon's right rippled. Brook's skeletal face loomed out of the anomaly, looking annoyed.
"Nothing, now come with me."
"What is this sorcery?"
"Kami almighty, there isn't time for a lesson in magic!"
A boney hand shot out of the air and grabbed Kin'emon with more strength than the samurai thought a skeleton ought to have.
"That itches, bu!"
O.N.E. P.I.E.C.E.
Never in a million years did Jomei think that one day he'd see Caesar's full power. Sure, he appreciated Caesar for saving his life, but Jomei was smarter than others gave him credit for. Behind the kind façade, Jomei knew that Caesar was a powerful man. If he did what he was told, Jomei was confident that he'd never have to see that power.
But this twig of a boy in a straw hat was wiping the floor with the master. Caesar was losing, and badly. His controlled façade had slipped long ago.
Caesar was humiliated. Everything that he had built on Punk Hazard was crumbling to pieces.
It was awe-inspiring to watch.
"Like David and Goliath," Jomei murmured as Caesar swelled to several times Strawhat Luffy's size.
"Caesar's gonna kill us too if he goes that nuts with the poison!"
"Don't worry, everyone."
The calm voice from their midst made Caesar's panicked subjects pause. The long-nosed Strawhat had snuck into their pack, unnoticed, and was watching the battle intensely. Jomei had a feeling that if he hadn't chosen to reveal himself, no one would have noticed the Strawhat pirate at all.
"Luffy is the man who will become the Pirate King," the pirate said tremulously, "He is the kind of man who would never betray his crew. You can count on him."
Several of Jomei's friends shuffled uncomfortably.
Grizzly Magnum!
Jomei watched as Strawhat Luffy's fist swelled to an incredible size, then, blackened with Armament Haki, slammed through the poison and into Caesar. The sound of cracking bones echoed through the chamber as Caesar went flying out the door.
"Caesar lost," a voice in the crowd said in disbelief, "The Master lost."
"That's what happens when you betray your crew," the long-nosed one said confidently, "Everyone, Gods, harpies, pirates, abandons you until all that's left is you and your deciet."
He made for the controls to lower the lift to the ground, "Now, if you don't mind, my captain is expecting a package."
"Hang on a second," said Jomei, "If Caesar is down, why is the building still shaking?"
P.E.R.C.Y. J.A.C.K.S.O.N.
In dimly-lit rooms across the New World, powerful pirates watched as Strawhat Luffy pummeled Caesar Clown into submission.
"Mama will want to know about this."
"That brat's at it again."
"And is anyone really surprised? But look at that."
The screen shifted to another room in the factory. The remaining Strawhats, along with the children and the G-5 marines had gathered in the one gas-free chamber that remained. Everyone was circled around a small, dark figure on the ground. The figure let out a wail and the camera shook violently.
"Now that is interesting."
"Finally, something entertaining."
…meanwhile…
"Percy, you have to calm down," Sanji pleaded, hovering anxiously at Percy's side.
"You can't touch him!" Tashigi and Chopper both said sharply as Sanji made to put a hand on Percy.
"Tashigi-chwan?"
"I've done plenty of work with counseling marines suffering with PTSD," said Tashigi, "You touching him is going to make it worse. What happened to give him this?"
"We don't know," Nami said, frustrated. But then, she looked at Leo, "But you do."
Leo's face was as hard as stone, "It's not my story to tell," he said firmly, "Just wait for Annabeth to get here."
Right on cue, Annabeth, Law and Smoker came stumbling through the passageway, pulling a cart labled S.A.D. behind them.
Annabeth locked eyes with Leo and her face fell. The marines parted, silently watching as the daughter of Athena made a mad dash for her boyfriend.
"Percy," she said softly, grabbing Percy's face. His sea-green eyes were dull and unseeing.
"Annabeth, please."
Annabeth looked up sharply. Sanji's face was white with worry. Nami was sobbing into Chopper's shoulder. Zoro seemed to be doing his best to shield Luffy from seeing Percy. Usopp and Brook hovered anxiously over everyone, trying in vain to draw the frightened children's attention away from the scene in front of them.
"Percy, do you see?" she tried for a smile, "Your friends are here. Everyone's ok now."
She brushed a silent tear off his too-pale face. Gods, she missed his tan; they'd have to work on it on their next adventure. Maybe Annabeth could persuade Luffy to take them somewhere with a beach? Percy would like that; she knew he would.
She kissed him fiercely, "I love you."
Percy looked at her again and with relief, Annabeth knew that he could see her once more.
"Annabeth?"
"Ok, people!" Leo said bossily, "If you aren't a Strawhat, back up! Go find something to do!"
"If Jackson is alright," Smoker said gruffly, "Then why is the room still shaking?"
"Luffy, where is Caesar?"
Luffy pointed down the dark corridor, "Somewhere over there," he said vaguely, "I sent him flying."
Law felt his favorite nerve twitch again, "You idiot, we're supposed to capture him!"
Luffy groaned, "But why?" he whined, "I don't wanna anymore!"
Nami couldn't help but giggle at the look on Law's face, "Forget a plan worthy of Athena, you need a plan that's Luffy-proof."
"Get over it, Law," Annabeth scolded. She hauled Percy to his feet. The son of Poseidon was half asleep from exhaustion, but still, Annabeth managed to hold him up, "Just go get him. He can't have gone too far."
"Everyone get in the cart!" Luffy called cheerfully, "We're getting out of here!"
…meanwhile…
"Ugh, I can't move."
Caesar had never felt more humiliated and bruised in his life. Who would've thought that such a runt of a pirate and a failure of a marine could take down a man of his caliber? One of these days, Caesar would get his revenge.
Or maybe…
"Shirourourou, I still have Smoker's heart," Caesar chuckled maliciously, rifling through his coat pocket, "If I'm going to hell, you're coming with me, Smoker-san."
All he could pull out of his pocket though, was a pile of gold, slightly sticky, dust.
"What is this? Law tricked me!"
The sound of whirring machinery brought Caesar out of his rage. Some giant, metal monstrosity with a drill for a blue head stomped to the edge of the destroyed ship and fixed the gas-gas user with its cold, yellow eyes.
"Eh? What are you doing here?"