Episode 8

As Zoro and Sanji prepare for their fight with Ga, unsettling silence continues to fall over them, their eyes locking on each other. Ga smiles and waits patiently. Zoro grits his teeth, gripping his sword tighter. Sanji remains relaxed, casually standing still with his hands in his pockets.

"Ready, cook?" Zoro asks.

"Waiting on you." Sanji replies.

"Right. You take the right, I'll take the left."

"Got it."

Ga remains motionless and expressionless, her pale eyes watching them closely.

With unbelievable speed, Zoro and Saji leap into the air, swiftly moving themselves to either side of Ga, ready to strike simultaneously. Zoro slices through the air, aiming for her body. Sanji tilts his body sideways and swings his powerful leg at her head. But to their surprise, neither hit lands. Both land on the dock again and look at her in surprise. Ga remains in the same position, unmoved.

"What the hell?!" Zoro exclaims.

"She dodged that? No way!"

Zoro looks to Sanji. "Pay attention! Land your blows!"

Sanji glares at him. "Me?! You didn't hit her either!"

"Try harder!"

Ga floats herself closer to them. "Are you boys going to argue all day? I was looking forward to a fight."

Zoro and Sanji growl at her, their anger rising. "We haven't even started yet!" Sanji shouts.

Ga giggles. "Seems like it's already over by the look of things."

Zoro readies himself for another strike. "I'm going to cut that tongue of yours right out."

Ga smirks. "That's more like it."

In a furious rage, Zoro and Sanji begin unleashing a series of powerful attacks at Ga. They take turns slicing and kicking, with each strike more fierce than the last. The air crackles around them as swords and legs cut through the air. Yet to their dismay, none of their hits are connecting. Ga remains untouched as she simply slides away from their attacks, dancing through the sky gracefully.

Zoro and Sanji stop themselves once again to asses their situation.

Sanji spits his cigarette out. "I don't get it! What is going on! I've taken out sea monsters with some of those hits."

"We're not hitting her at all." Zoro corrects.

"Yeah, now that you mention it, she's just been avoiding our blows the whole time."

"But how?"

Ga laughs. "You two have a lot to learn about those who can master devil fruits."

Sanji crosses his arms. "That's right. All the Drakens are devil fruit masters."

"But what's her power?" Zoro wonders.

Ga floats higher in the air. "I ate the paper-paper fruit. I'm a paper girl." She grins.

Sanji is confused. "What? Paper?"

Zoro glares at her. "That's why she's avoiding our attacks so easily."

Ga spins herself around in circles. "That's right. I can make myself light as paper. Even the simple motion of waves displacing air can lift me off the ground."

Sanji huffs. "That doesn't make any sense. If she's made of paper, she should be easier to cut."

"We just have to get a better angle on her." Zoro insists.

They leap into the air again without warning, releasing another series of strong attacks. Yet no matter how hard they try, no one single shot lands, as Ga continues to carefully reposition her body with ease.

Both return to the dock and stand side by side, catching their breath.

"This is impossible!" Sanji yells.

"We're getting no where." Zoro grumbles, removing a sword from his mouth and placing it back in it's sheath.

"You boys are fun!" Ga mocks. "So entertaining. I could do this all day."

Sanji jumps forward aggressively. "Don't count on it!"

Ga smiles and stares at them for a long moment. She raises one hand into the air. "...Now it's my turn." As she swings her hand downward, hundreds of white shards in the shape of moths burst from her fingers, sending the paper shapes straight at them. "PAPER MOTHS!" She calls out.

Zoro and Sanji shield their faces, but every surface of their skin is quickly diced with powerful paper cuts. They fall backwards, with sections of their clothes shredded and bleeding through.

Sanji grimaces in pain, holding his arm. "Ah! What was that?!"

"Paper!" Zoro replies, wiping blood from his eyes.

"How the hell can paper do that?"

Ga grins, hovering above them. "What's the matter? Never had a paper cut before?"

Zoro stares at her. "She's sending shards of paper through the air so fast, they might as well be daggers."

Sanji struggles to his feet. "Damn! We won't survive another one of those!"

Zoro lifts himself up and readies his swords again. "Yeah, that was a little too crazy."

Ga agrees. "You're right! You couldn't withstand a simple attack like that, could you? But I still want to play. So let's try something else." She smiles and lifts her other hand into the air.

"Not this time!" Sanji exclaims, jumping toward her.

But just before Sanji is about to land his blow, Ga waves her hand at him playfully. "Origami." She says softly.

Zoro's eye grows wide as Sanji falls back through the air, watching in horror as his body abruptly begins to contort and fold in on itself. When he returns to the dock beside Zoro, he is nothing more than a folded shape of human, twisted and unable to move, in the shape of a swan.

"Sanji!" Zoro shouts.

Ga laughs. "Do you like it? You can call him Sanji-swan now!"

Zoro glares at her angrily. "You'll pay for that!"

Ga smiles coyly. "Don't take too long."

Zoro lifts his swords into the air and runs forward. "TWO SWORD STYLE-"

Yet before he can finish his words, Ga swiftly floats by him, touching his blades gently with her fingers. Zoro stops himself immediately, realizing with great shock that both of his blades have been turned to paper. He freezes in place, unsure of his next action, until Ga's giggle snaps him out of his daze. He quickly reaches for his other sword, still safe in the sheath.

"PAPER VINES!" Ga calls out. As soon as Zoro's hand touches the hilt, he finds himself unable to move, as twisted rolls of paper creep up his body, securing his arms and legs to the dock.

"No! I can't believe it!" Zoro exclaims in distress.

Ga floats in front of him with a evil smirk. "You see now how all of your so called power counts for nothing when facing a true master."

Zoro shakes with anger under the weight of the paper vines. His mind racing, and eye locked on his enemy.

Inside the first floor of the compound, Nami and Robin stand before Io, poised and ready for battle. Io runs his tongue over his two front fangs, salivating at the chance for new blood. Nami and Robin remain stoic, yet a feeling of uncertainty runs through them.

"You're move, ladies." Io commands with a chilled voice.

Nami raises her clima-tact and twirls it once. "Right. Let's not waste anymore time. You ready?"

Robin smiles and crosses her arms in front of her. "Of course. Two against one shouldn't be an issue for us."

"Agreed. Only one of us should be more than enough to handle this creep."

Io chuckles. "Your overconfidence is alluring. It will make your downfall glorious, and blood all the sweeter."

Nami grins determinedly. "Wouldn't bet on it."

"You may have faced many enemies in the past, but you haven't faced us yet." Robin adds.

"No matter. We're all made the same." Io scoffs.

Nami slams her clima-tact into the metal floor. "Exactly! We're all made the same, and no one is resistant to lightning!" She swings her weapon high in the air. "Thunderbolt-TEMPO!"

With a loud bright flash, she sends a thick bolt of lightning cascading down on Io. For a moment she senses sure victory, but when the black smoke finally clears, she is stunned to see Io unchanged.

Io smirks. "I hope that's not the only trick you know. As much as I enjoy being tickled, I would prefer something much more tantalizing."

"Impossible..." Robin breaths in amazement.

Nami's mouth hangs open. "How did he do that?!"

Io lifts his arms into the air. "Nothing impossible about it. Blood contains both iron and gold. I can control the amount of both and channel it around my body. I'm afraid your lightning can't hurt me."

Nami huffs. "Oh, great!"

Robin steps forward and twists her arms together. "Then try this! SIX FLEURS!"

Six large hands spring out of the ground beside Io. They take turns slapping him down into the floor. Yet before each hit, Io simply turns to liquid, sliding between her fingers and reassembling into his full form.

Robin steps back and recalls her hands. "Damn!"

Io smiles at them. "I grow tired of these antics already."

Nami looks to Robin desperately. "How are we suppose to win like this?!"

Io cackles and points at them, wiggling his finger at their faces. Suddenly, their vison begins to cloud with transparent, blurry splotches.

Nami and Robin rub their eyes. "Ah! What is that?!" Nami exclaims.

"My vision is fading!" Robin shouts.

Io grins, watching with delight. "Those would be your white blood cells. They let blue light through to your retina, which sends a signal of increased brightness to the brain. This causes dots to appear in your vision!"

Nami shakes her head. "I can't see anything!"

Robin holds one eye open. "Neither can I! We need to think of something fast!"

Just then, Nami remembers a tactic she can use for this situation. "Hold on! I'll buy us some time!" She swings her clima-tact in front of her. "MIST TEMPO!"

A wall of thick mist bursts into the air around them, providing a cloudy sanctuary for them to hide in.

Io is briefly stunned. "To hell with these tricks! I lost sight of them!"

Inside the mist, Nami and Robin continue to rub their eyes, until they realize the blood cells are disappearing.

"My vision is returning!" Robin remarks.

Nami blinks rapidly. "Mine too!"

"He must have to see us to be able to use that ability."

Nami looks above her. "That means we'll have to be quick and smart about our next attack."

"Right."

Nami raises her clima-tact straight up into the air. "I'm going to distract him with some thunder clouds. That will cause him to harden his body, preparing to take the lightning. After that..."

Robin nods. "I'll do the rest!"

Nami begins to release a series of cool and heat balls into the air, forming thunderclouds above Io's head. They crackle with energy.

Io looks up at them and laughs. "Another thunder trick? You've got to be joking. You're a one note pony, girl." His slowly starts hardening his body.

"Thunder!" Nami calls out, keeping his gaze locked on the clouds.

As Io focuses on the sparkling lightning, Robin suddenly explodes from the mist in front of him, readying her attacks. "CINQ FLEURS!" She shouts.

To his great surprise, Io watches as five strong hands spring up from his body, wrapping his legs, arms and neck. He staggers under the grip.

"And-CLUTCH!"

One by one, Robin snaps Io's limbs and neck, causing him to buckle and fall forward, gasping in pain. He stumbles to the floor and breaths heavily, his limbs twisted and broken.

Nami steps out of the mist and smiles. "How'd you like that trick?"

Robin grins with satisfaction. "Looks like he enjoyed it."

Io continues to writhe in pain for a long moment. But soon, he gradually begins to rise to his feet again, straightening his limbs one by one.

Nami and Robin look on in shock. "What..?" Robin mutters.

Io grunts as he reassembles his body, eventually allowing a laugh to return to his voice. Soon, he stands tall once again and slowly turns toward them. "...That's the idea."

"How?!" Nami exclaims.

"I severed his tendons and bones!" Robin protests.

Io smiles evilly. "Indeed you did. However, I grow tired of telling you I can control my blood. The more platelet-rich plasma I can deliver to my injuries, the faster I can heal. I have mastered this ability. You cannot defeat me like this."

"No..." Nami breaths, her voice shaking.

Robin looks on with a grave concern.

On the spiraling staircase, Sky and Luffy are halfway up the compound, riding the revolving stairs and running to retain their haste.

"Are we almost there?" Luffy calls to him from behind.

Sky keeps his eyes locked on the top of the stairs. "Almost!"

Luffy huffs. "This is boring! Why didn't we just use your portal ability?"

"That's exactly what Fukitsu will be expecting! The long way is the best option."

But just as they finally reach the top of the stairs, a small explosion rips the edge of the top stair away from the floor. A cloud of smoke erupts into their faces, as the entire stairwell begins to fall sideways.

In the brief moment of shock, Sky loses his balance and tumbles toward the railing, knocking them both into the air as the stairwell falls into the wall. Luffy quickly uses his ability to shoot one arm to the platform above, while wrapping his other arm around Sky. When Sky is secured, he pulls them both up through the air and onto the platform safely.

Sky and Luffy kneel, catching their panicked breath. "Thanks, Luffy!" Sky remarks, steadying his nerves.

Luffy smiles. "No problem."

"Looks like he was expecting that too."

As they rise to their feet again, they examine the small room they're standing in, which appears to be a vestibule leading into Fukitsu's chambers. They step through the doorway and carefully peak around the corner, seeing nothing but an empty chamber.

"Where is he?" Luffy wonders, holding his hat in place.

Sky shakes his head. "I'm not sure...but I don't like this."

Their eyes begin to scan the room, until they come to the front of the chamber, where the prison cell is located. Sky freezes for a moment in surprise, as he spots Aiku and Lunya hanging with the other prisoners, just above the floor line.

"Aiku! Lunya!" He shouts, running toward the cell. Luffy follows.

But just before they reach the cell, a transparent white wall appears in front of them, blocking their access.

Sky bangs against it furiously. "Damnit! What is this?!"

Luffy comes beside him. "Here, stand back!" He guides Sky away from the door, then winds up his arm. He thrusts forward with all of his might, but his fist bounces off without causing any damage. Luffy growls in anger.

Above them, menacing laughter begins wafting through the air. Sky and Luffy spin around and direct their eyes to the ceiling. There, standing in a large open vent, is Fukitsu. He looks down at them through the wide rectangular opening, smiling and chuckling as he watches them struggle.

Sky jumps forward. "Fukitsu!"

"That's him?" Luffy inquires, staring down his enemy.

Sky nods. "That's him."

Fukitsu grins and folds his hands behind his back. "My, my, Sky. How much you have grown since our last encounter."

Sky grits his teeth. "Spare me your pleasantries, monster. I'm here to end it this time."

Fukitsu laughs. "I'm sure it will make for a fine show when you finally fall."

"Not this time. This time I have friends. And none of us will fall until you have."

"A rousing speech. Fearless to the last. You know if you weren't my enemy, you would make a very powerful ally. I can still-"

"GUM-GUM PISTOL!" Luffy interrupts him.

Luffy's arm flies at Fukitsu like a bullet, catching him off guard. He lands the blow and sends Fukitsu stumbling backward, blood spewing from his nose.

Sky and Luffy leap up through the vent and land on the roof, now standing before the open air high in the sky. Fukitsu holds his face and attempts to find his balance after suffering the hit.

Luffy pounds his fist into his hand. "Enough talk! I'm here to kick your ass!"

Sky repositions his body, shifting into a fighting stance. "I've been waiting for this moment for a long time."

Fukitsu wipes blood from his face. "You stole the words right away from me."

Sky looks to Luffy. "We don't have much time, Luffy. I'm not sure how much longer Aiku and Lunya will last in there."

Luffy grins, cracking his knuckles. "Heh. Don't worry. This won't take long." Fukitsu smirks and ushers them forward. "Now-THIRD GEAR!" Luffy jumps into the air, his arm growing in size and hardening immediately.

Yet to his great surprise, before he can launch his attack, Fukitsu lifts a hand toward him gently and sends an aura bubble straight at him. It captures Luffy, absorbing him and trapping him inside. He falls to the floor, bouncing across the surface until he rolls in front of Sky.

Sky looks down to him, his eyes widening with concern as Luffy pounds against the surface. He is unable to escape, and unable to make a sound.

"Hard to believe that boy's bounty is so high." Fukitsu scoffs. Sky locks eyes with him, rage filling his emotions. "If he was only a bit more intelligent..."

"Shut up!" Sky scolds. He places both hands in front of him, palms facing each other, as a blue light begins to glow between them. "There's no mercy in the sky-PORTAL!" He shouts.

Under Fukitsu's feet, a portal to the sky opens wide, sending him down through the hole and disappearing into the floor. For a fleeting moment, Sky assumes the battle may be over. But as soon as Fukitsu vanishes, his head quickly reemerges from the portal. He rises through the air on a small platform made from his body's energy and places himself down on the floor again.

Sky looks on in awe, realizing with dread that one of his most potent abilities has failed him. He takes a step back and centers his emotions.

Fukitsu grins, stepping toward him. "You'll have to try much harder than that."

Sky grimaces. "I can't believe it..."

"I hope you're not out of moves already." Fukitsu mocks.

"Hardly!" Sky crosses his arms in front of him. "SKYWAVE!" His arms fly forward, releasing a x-shaped wave of sky energy toward Fukitsu.

Fukitsu crosses his arms. "Aura shield!"

A thick shield of white energy appears in front of Fukitsu, as the sky energy strikes him and breaks around his body like an ocean wave on the rocks.

Fukitsu then lifts both of his arms to the side. "Aura ghosts!"

Like souls of the dead rising from his body, dozens of ghostly figures in the abstract shape of Fukitsu begin swirling around his figure, before darting forward at Sky.

Sky quickly crouches and places his hand on the floor. "CLOUD BURST!"

With a gust of strong energy, Sky sends a tower of clouds into the air, masking his position. Fukitsu panics for a moment, desperately searching for Sky's figure, but he has lost sight of him.

Suddenly, Sky reappears beside Fukitsu, sliding behind him gracefully. He sends another blade of sky energy cutting through the air, slicing upward through Fukitsu's body. Fukitsu's eyes grow wide with shock as the wave blows through him. As Sky comes to a stop behind him, he watches as Fukitsu stumbles forward, sure he had landed the hit. But to his dismay, Fukitsu's body vanishes into the air. An aura decoy.

As Sky watches this, Fukitsu abruptly appears behind him, raising his hand overhead. "Bubble!" He calls out.

Sky immediately realizes what is about to happen and jolts forward, rolling across the surface seconds before Fukitsu's spell can make contact with his body. He jumps to his feet again and clasps his hands together tightly. "Try to escape this!" He stretches both his arms out in front of him, his hands bent into the shape of a circle. "SUN BEAM!" Through the opening in his hands, a bright ray of focused sunlight bursts forward.

Fukitsu remains unshaken, simply standing and awaiting the attack. Just before the sun beam reaches him, holds a hand in front of his face, a sparkling white glow radiating from his palm. The sun beam bounces off his hand and into the clouds.

Sky huffs angrily. "Damn. His haki is stronger than I thought."

Fukitsu smiles and lowers his hand. "You can't beat me with just the power of your ridiculous devil fruit. There are powers in this world far beyond what you can imagine. If you learn to use those abilities-as I have-you will become unstoppable. Just as I am."

Sky steadies himself and stands tall, facing Fukitsu with a new determination. "You may be strong, Fukitsu. But your overconfidence is your weakness."

Fukitsu laughs. "If you can't have faith in your confidence, what can you have faith in?"

Sky smiles confidently. "I have faith in myself-my heart. My friends. In love. And the power of good over evil."

"You have a way with words, but can your actions speak as loud? Seems to me you're taking your last breaths."

"This isn't my last breath..." Sky retorts, clinching his fists and widening his stance. "This is my first."

The floor under their feet begins to tremble. Fukitsu's stoic expression shifts to concern, as Sky stands assured. Waves of blue energy rupture the surface around his feet, surrounding his frame like lightning as they rise into the air.

Fukitsu involuntarily takes a step backward in alarm, feeling the strength of the energy surging through Sky's body.

Sky smiles, his eyes glowing with blue light. "You may have control over your own aura. But I have control over the Earth's. And now...I will show you that power! AURORA!" He exclaims, blue flames cascading around him.

Fukitsu calms his nerves, preparing for a strong attack. He smirks and crosses his arms. "Now that's more like it!" Suddenly, Fukitsu's body begins to mirror Sky. Waves of white energy blast upward from his frame, swirling around him like a vortex. "Come at me, boy! HAKI AURA!" White flames erupt from his skin.

Sky lets out a powerful, raging battle cry, darting toward Fukitsu with the full weight of his energy behind him.

Fukitsu matches his ferocity, thrusting himself forward to meet his opponent.

As they come together at the center of the roof, both men clash, their fierce energies colliding with unbelievable power. Light waves and lightning strikes erupt into the clouds.

Meanwhile, off the coast of Lighthouse Empire, Usopp, Franky, and Chopper & Muskers continue to lead the security force through the endless line of Navy vessels. They leap and bound from ship to ship, with each Straw Hat taking turns destroying a section of the ship, while the security soldiers beat off the armed sailors.

Usopp sends flame stars and killer plants flying across the deck, setting ammunition crates ablaze and swallowing sailors whole. Franky-in his new Frankytronic form-hammers masts, splintering them apart like twigs as they fall into the deck. Chopper rides atop Muskers confidently with charging battle cries, as Muskers hops between ships rabbit kicking the hulls, bursting open the wooden panels.

Usopp runs down the deck with a large group of security soldiers following him, their weapons primed a ready to strike. "Don't stop now, men! Keep fighting with all your strength. No mercy!"

"Yes, sir!" The men call out as they charge past him, clashing with more sailors.

Usopp begins to weep happily again as they pass, looking to the sky in total bliss. "I can't believe I'm really here! This is really happening! Are there really eight thousand men at my command?! Ha HA!"

Chopper and Muskers stop beside him for a moment. "I don't think so, more like a few hundred."

Usopp turns to them aggressively. "Stop ruining my dream!"

The Straw Hats continue to battle for some time. They lose many men, but with the power of their core, and the remaining warriors who battle with all their might, it appears the group may slowly be securing victory.

As a few more ships are destroyed, the Straw Hats jump to a neighboring ship, which has been abandoned by the crew and left to sink. Franky runs to the aft of the ship and examines the rest of the fleet. He notices that many of the ships are pulling away from them.

"Hey, look! The fleet is thinning out!" Frank shouts, pointing toward the fleet.

Usopp, Chopper and Muskers arrive beside him. "What-seriously?" Usopp wonders.

The security force agrees. "Yeah, see? The ships are slowing and pulling away from us!" One of them exclaims.

Chopper turns toward them. "So that's it? We won?"

Usopp throws his hands in the air. "We did it!"

The soldiers cheer and begin jumping and pumping their fists in celebration. Franky and Chopper high five, as Muskers yowls in delight.

Usopp stands tall and proud with his hands on his hips, wagging his finger at the fleet. "We showed them! That will teach you to mess with the mighty Usopp!" He laughs hardily.

But just then, Franky-who has been keeping his eyes on the fleet-suddenly notices something else fast approaching on the horizon. He narrows his gaze and leans forward. "...Wait. What's that out there?" He gestures to another figure beyond the ships.

As Chopper and Usopp look out over the sea, they can now see that the ships are not retreating, but making room for something else to pass through. Something much bigger.

Chopper begins to tremble. "W-What is that thing?!"

Usopp covers his eyes from the sun. "It looks huge!"

Franky fixates a scope on his eye again, zooming his vision and adjusting the focus. When the figure has come into clear view, he can now see what appears to be a very large Navy ship, with an enormous battering hammer attached to the bow, shaped like a ram's head with curling horns.

"Oh, hell no!" Franky yells, panic setting in.

Chopper looks to him. "What is it, Franky?"

Franky freezes for a moment, stammering. "It's...It's a battering ram! A...battering ram ship!"

Usopp screams in fear, holding his face as his eyes pop. "Oh no, I knew it! We're all dead!" He runs behind the security force and disappears into the crowd. "Go, men! Now is your time to prove your strength! Protect your captain!"

Franky pulls him out of the crowd again. "Cut the crap, Usopp! We have to figure this out. And fast!"

Chopper agrees. "Yeah, that thing is coming straight at us fast! We don't have much time!"

Usopp tries to settle his nerves. "Okay, okay. Let's figure this out. Is there any way we can jump to the ship and fight?"

Franky studies the giant vessel. "I don't think so. It's moving too fast to stop before it reaches the city. And not only that, it has plated iron sides, so we wouldn't be able to damage it enough as it passes."

One of the security soldiers steps forward. "And we don't have nearly enough men left to invade anyway, there's only about a hundred of us now."

Franky looks to his friends. "Seems like our forces are too depleted to fight."

Chopper jumps into the air in fear. "What are we going to do?!"

Usopp comes beside Chopper. "Well how about you, Chopper? Can you transform?"

"What, you mean my monster form?"

"Right."

Chopper thinks. "Well sure, I could-but there's no way I could do anything. The only place for me to stand is the water, and I would sink this boat. So there's nothing I can do."

Usopp's eyes gush tears. "I knew it, we're finished. And just as I finally got lead my own army. Oh well, I suppose it's a gallant way to go down."

Franky looks toward the battering ship again, which is nearly upon them now. "Damn! Is there really nothing we can do?!"

"Brace for impact, men! It's going to clip us!" One of the security soldiers calls out.

As the battering ship draws closer and closer, the men and Straw Hats grab onto the railings furthest from the approaching ship, awaiting their fate. But just then, another sound cuts through the sky above them. Music.

One loud, distorted stoke of a guitar chord rips through the air. "Yo HO!" A voice echoes from the clouds.

The Straw Hats look behind them, raising their eyes toward the main lighthouse at the center of the city. There at the very top, they can see Brook standing with guitar in hand, posing in a power stance with radiant lights behind him.

Chopper gets starry eyes and points to him. "Its Brook!"

Franky pumps his fists. "Yow! Get it, brother!"

Brook grabs his microphone. "Any requests for the Soul King?" He gestures to the battering ship. "How about a little-DEMON SOUL!" As Brook's body ignites in red flames, several of the Lighthouse Empire musicians emerge from one level below, all holding their own unique instruments, waiting to perform. "Ready, composers?!"

"Ready, Soul King!" They call back in unison.

A strong beat begins to play, sending shockwaves over the ocean below, and rattling the battering ship. Brook strums a strong, heavy guitar line. The other performers follow his every note, as hundreds of musicians play together in harmony.

As Brook's song begins, all of the sailors on the battering ship crowd around the front of the vessel, trying to get a better look. "What is this awesome music?!" One sailor wonders. "I don't know, but it's grooving!" Another replies. Without thought, many of them start dancing, spinning and twirling around the deck, locking arms with each other and celebrating the random party. They throw their hands in the air and move in sync with the music.

The Straw Hats watch in amazement. "Look at them!" Franky exclaims.

Chopper grins brightly. "They're dancing!"

Usopp chuckles. "That's the power of music, baby!" He turns toward Brook. "Way to go, Brook! I knew you wouldn't let us down!"

With every measure, Brook's fantastic song becomes heavier and more intense, pulling his new crowd of sailors into his alluring performance. Brook and his musicians rock out on their lighthouse stage, while the sailors dance with joy and excitement below, ignoring their duty, as well as the ship's controls.

As the song continues, even the Straw Hat's and the security team begin to dance, hopping around deck and swaying with the melodies. Even Muskers stands on his haunches and prances around the deck.

Brook suddenly notices this and grabs his microphone again. "Hey, Straw Hats! This isn't your party!"

Usopp, Chopper and Franky snap back to reality in a cold sweat, realizing their foolishness. "Oh, crap-sorry!" Usopp shouts, waving his hand at Brook.

Franky turns toward Usopp and Chopper. "Ok, now is our chance!"

"But what are we going to do?" Chopper inquires.

"Now that they're distracted, we need to redirect the ship."

Usopp steps forward. "Right! Chopper and Muskers-you guys punch that ship off course. Me and Franky will disable the rudder."

"Got it!" Chopper chirps. He jumps on top of Muskers once again and rides him to the edge of the deck. "Ready when you are!"

Franky looks to Usopp. "Okay, bro, what's the plan?"

Usopp gazes at the battering ship, which is nearly about to pass them. He readies his sling shot. "I'm going to fire a shot at the connecting hitch. Right after that, use your flying fist to rip it off!"

Franky smiles and gives a thumbs up. "Nice! I like it!"

As the ship begins to pass them at great speed, Usopp and Franky ready themselves.

"Alright, here we go!" Usopp places an iron orb into his sling and pulls it back, aiming carefully. "...GUNPOWDER STAR!" He fires the orb directly above the rudder. On impact, it explodes with force enough the knock the top rudder hitch loose. "Go, Franky!"

Franky steps in front of him and aims his arm. "STRONG-RIGHT!" He fires his fist toward the rudder. When his hand lands, it grasps the thin section of the rudder and rips it off the ship.

"Now, Chopper!" Usopp calls to Chopper.

Chopper nods and pats Muskers on the neck. "Go, Muskers!" He commands. With a mighty leap, Muskers flies forward through the air. His big feet plow into the bow of the ship, throwing the bow to the side and redirecting the course.

When Muskers and Chopper land safely on the deck again, the Straw Hats and the security team gather around the railing to observe their work. Sure enough, the ship sails away from the city uncontrollably, as the sailors on board continue to dance to the music, unaffected.

"We did it!" Chopper squeals, jumping into the air.

Usopp laughs and cheers. "We really did! We're unstoppable!"

All seems well again, until one of the security soldiers comes beside Usopp and taps him on the shoulder. "Uh...Usopp, sir?"

Usopp turns to him. "Hm? What is it?"

The solider points to the remaining Navy ships, which are now heading straight for them again.

Usopp's eyes pop. "Oh CRAP! We forgot about the other ships!"

One of the soldiers steps beside Usopp. "Don't worry, sir! We can do this!"

Usopp immediately changes his attitude, pretending as though he never lost confidence. He puffs his chest out and raises his fist. "Oh-ah-right! Yes, that's right men! Don't loose your confidence. We can take them!" He legs shake.

"Sir, your legs are trembling!"

"Don't mind that! That's how I get my myself limber for battle!" His voice cracks.

"Yes, sir!" The soldiers cry out. They begin to shake their own legs.

Franky steps in front of them. "Get ready, everyone! Here they come!"

The crew watches at the Navy ships speed toward them, readying their canons.

Along the boarders of Tomb Aqueous, Tydal, Tiff, Bara and Chong continue to battle with Fukitsu's fleet. As their giant vessels round the outside layer of ships, their strong bows tear through the Navy ships with ease, splinting them apart while raining unforgiving cannon fire down on the fleet.

Yet soon, to counter this aggression, the Navy ships slowly begin to surround them, attacking the paddle wheels and boxing them in, preventing the giant ships from maneuvering, and stopping their momentum

On board Tydal's ship, one of his crewman runs beside him frantically. "Tydal! The Navy fleet is beginning to box us in! They're sacrificing their ships to act like barricades. Our paddle wheels are under attack again-it's hindering our speed."

Tydal looks around him, assessing the situation, noticing his friend's ships are in the same trouble. He nods and turns to his crewman. "Alright. We're going to have to destroy them ship to ship from this point on. Pass the orders to the other captains. Drop the gangway planks on top of the nearest ship-invade at will!"

"Right away!" The crewman runs inside.

Tydal gazes at Tiff's ship, which is located directly next to him. "TIff!" Tiff looks to him. He points down toward the Navy vessels surrounding their bow. "Let's go!"

Tiff nods and runs forward down the bow. Tydal does the same. With strong leaps, both throw themselves from the front of their ships and glide toward the marines below.

Just before Tydal reaches the first ship, he swings his sword underneath him, pulling a strong wave of water up into the air. "TSUNAMI STRIKE!" He calls out. With great force, the small but powerful wave strikes one of the Navy ships like a solid blue wall, destroying the wooden panels and fracturing the hull. As the ship tips to it's side, it falls into another ship and pushes it under the waterline.

As Tiff flies through the air, her fists begin to burn with raging fire once again. She places one hand behind the other and raises her fiery fists overhead. "DINOSAUR PAW!" She yells. When she comes directly over the mast of one of the Navy ships, she pushes her fists downward straight through the mast of the ship with such force, that the mast is violently slammed straight through the deck. The entire ship splits in half and immediately begins to sink.

Tydal and Tiff land gracefully on the floating wreckage, punching and slicing any remaining sailors into the sea. They then direct their gaze toward Chong and Bara, who take their own turns blowing huge smoke rings and powerful air strikes at the Navy fleet. The ships are destroyed instantly with ease.

When all the friends have safely settled on the floating wreckage, the gangways of their giant ships lower, revealing hundreds of feisty soldiers, ready to fight for their captains. The planks make contact with the nearest Navy ship, and all at once, soldiers from each ship flood onto the vessels, quickly overtaking the helpless marines. Along with Sky's blue sash around their waists, each crew wears bandanas or headbands representing their captain. Yellow for Tydal, red for Tiff, white for Bara, green for Chong, and purple for Lunya's crew; battling with extra gusto for their imprisoned captain.

As the soldiers fight their way through ship to ship, aided by their powerful captains, a sudden deafening sound rings out through the air above them. Tydal and Tiff stop themselves and look up at Tomb Aqueous. There, at the very top, they can see extreme energies erupting, as if two stars were colliding. It doesn't take long before they realize what is happening. There's no doubt, it's Sky and Fukitsu, and their battle is growing more intense than any could imagine.

Tydal stares up at them, the bright colors reflecting on his face. "We have to end this quickly! We don't have much time left!"

Tiff shields her eyes. "Those two are going to set the ocean on fire!"

Tydal turns to Tiff. "Come on-let's go! We have to take out the rest of these ships now!"

"Right!"

Both leap into the air again, reading their next attacks.

On top of Tomb Aqueous, Sky and Fukitsu continue to clash, their energy waves surging into the clouds, flashing with violent colors. They scream at each other with every breath of strength their lungs can gather, fighting with all their might to overtake the ferocious power.

Behind Sky, Luffy remains trapped in Fukitsu's aura bubble, desperately punching the barrier to free himself.

"Give it up, boy! You will never defeat the strength of my haki!" Fukitsu growls, forcing his weight forward.

Sky mirrors his actions. "You may have strength of haki, Fukitsu-but you will never have the strength of my heart!"

"Ha! Heart is fleeting. True power is eternal!" Fukitsu boasts. He increases the flow of his energy, pushing Sky off balance for a moment.

Sky quickly recovers and matches the intensity of his force. Then, with one final deafening scream, Sky's energy finally overcomes his enemy. As Fukitsu's white aura wave bursts, he is sent flying backwards. He skids across the roof on his back and falls down through the air vent. Luffy catches sight of this and begins to cheer, although he can't be heard.

When he lands on the floor of his chamber below, one of his officers immediately runs out from the back room and kneels beside him.

"Sir! Are you alright?!" The officer inquires in shock.

Fukitsu moans in disbelief, but quickly rolls to his side and jumps to his feet again. He pushes the officer away from him. "I'm fine! Go back to your duties!" He spits out a wad of blood on the floor.

"But, sir, you're injured!"

"Don't make me repeat myself!" He pushes the officer again. "I will not relent, and neither will you! Do you understand?"

"Y-yes sir!"

Fukitsu steps closer to the officer and grabs his shirt. "Need I remind you of why we are here? It is not just for the women. The government requires the technology of Lighthouse Empire, and it is our duty to see that happen! That is our task! We will not stop until every foe is defeated!"

"Understood, sir!"

Fukitsu gazes out the window for a moment. "Have you begun corralling Sky's ships?"

"We have! All the ships are currently bordered by our Navy vessels, with one trapped close to the compound as you requested."

"Good. See that it stays that way. Focus all your efforts on the ship closest to the compound. Disable it completely. Kill all on board. And begin the sword operation."

"The sword operation-now, sir?"

"Yes, now!" Fukitsu snaps. Then he looks up through the air vent. "I'll take care of the other four myself."

"Right away!" The officer jogs into the control room and begins communications.

Finding his strength again, Fukitsu leaps up through the air vent, returning to the roof in front of Sky. He notices Sky attempting to free Luffy from the aura bubble, but he is unsuccessful.

Fukitsu chuckles as he watches Sky. "...You prove to be more entertaining than I had imagined. Your baseless faith is amusing."

Sky stands and faces him. "Glad you're enjoying the show. But it's time to end this. Now." His raises his fist in front of him as it glows with blue light.

Fukitsu folds his hands behind his back. "I agree. It is time. So let's see how strong that heart of yours truly is..." He lifts one hand into the air, as an evil grin spreads across his face.

Just as Sky is readying himself to run forward again, the entire compound suddenly begins to shake. Sky stops himself and steps back, attempting to locate the source of the sound. Then, he notices something extremely large rise into the sky behind Fukitsu. Fear and amazement overtake him as he realizes it is gigantic mechanical arm attached to the backside of the structure.

Sky and Luffy both share a dazed expression as they watch the arm stretch into the clouds. Fukitsu smiles with delight as he watches their reaction. On the docks below, Tydal, Tiff, Bara and Chong freeze in place, lost in awe as they watch the event unfold. Some of their crewmen back away in terror.

Even Zoro and Sanji stop for a moment to gaze up at the ominous sight in astonishment.

Ga giggles at them. "Now it's about to get fun..."

Without warning, the huge arm falls downward, plunging toward the sea until it reaches the hilt of the giant's sword protruding from the ocean. It grabs the blade, and with great force, removes it from the seafloor, sending a series of waves toward the docks. It washes many sailors and crewmen away, while the rest brace for impact, holding onto whatever they can find as the waves smash into the docks.

The arm slowly raises the massive sword into the air, holding it high overhead. For a short time it remains still, as everyone's eyes stay locked on the blade, before gradually falling through the air again. Sky watches in horror as the arm swings the sword down, landing directly on top of one of his ships. The vessel explodes into several pieces, even destroying a few Navy ships surrounding it. They all sink into the ocean.

"NO!" Sky cries out, running to the edge of the roof. His eyes shake with disbelief.

The arm lifts itself from the wreckage and holds the sword high once more, before quickly sending it downward again. This time landing on another of Sky's ships, completely obliterating every piece.

When the arm begins to raise again, Sky turns to Fukitsu, his eyes tearing with fear and rage. "Stop this! Stop this now!"

Fukitsu laughs. "Was that an order?"

Sky jumps toward Fukitsu. "Fight me, you coward!"

Fukitsu smiles. "Oh, but I am fighting you, my dear boy. Look how you crumble under the weight of your emotions. Pathetic."

Sky's face wrinkles with anger. "By the time this battle is over, I'm going to shove that sword right down your sadistic throat."

As the arm readies it's next attack, Sky and Fukitsu lock eyes. Fukitsu elated with his display of dominance, Sky severely enraged. Both men power up once again, as blue and white light erupt from their bodies. They lean toward each other fiercely and prepare to strike.

End of Episode 8