(A/N: I really shouldn't be writing right now since I feel kind of loopy and aren't certain whether I have covid-19 or not. A family member of mine does, and I'm still waiting for my results. x_x But I was eager to get this chapter out, even if it is much shorter than some of my others. I apologize in advance if there are any mistakes, but I'm out of it...Sooo, let me know if there's something that needs to be corrected.
On another note, thank you to everyone who's reviewed, followed, and favorited this story. You guys are the best! :))
Toffee couldn't help but wince when a fearsome gust of wind was stirred up just from the giants weapons clashing; her shadow desperately clinging to Toffee's leg just so he wouldn't be blown away. "I'm amazed they haven't destroyed more of the island with those attacks..."
"It's because their attacks are so efficient," Usopp murmured out in awe. "Each one is a fatal blow aimed at a vital spot!"
"And those two have been trying to kill each other like this for 100 years?" Nami brought up, letting out an exhausted sigh. "But this is a good thing. We can escape now, can't we? Let's get going."
For someone who had previously wanted to desperately escape, Usopp remained where he stood. His eyes were completely wide while he voiced, "They don't have a reason...And yet they still fight like this..."
"What a pointless fight this is," Nami mumbled, placing a hand on her hip and giving a shake of her head.
"Dumb ass!" Usopp shouted, catching both Nami and Toffee off guard. "This is a true man's fight! It's like they've each raised a warrior's flag to their chest. And that flag is even more important to them than their lives. They will never allow it to be taken down. That's why they've fought for the past hundred years. Don't you get it? This isn't a battle of anger. It's a dual for their warrior honor!"
"This is completely stupid...Right, Toffee?" Nami claimed, peering over at the gray haired female for confirmation.
Toffee just smiled sheepishly and rubbed at the side of her neck. "Well, this fight seems less pointless compared to the ones my brothers' often got in. For example when they fought over who took the last piece of meat, and when Deimos would attack Ashley because he stole another potential girlfriend from him...Or just Theo beating the crap out of everyone for spreading germs..."
"...I'm sorry I even brought it up." Nami mumbled, rubbing at her temple in annoyance. Toffee's brother's sounded like a couple of grade A idiots more than assassins.
"Of course you can't compare stupid fights like that to this! Their 'brave warriors of the sea'! It's the kind of proud, honorable, warrior that I want to be!" Usopp exclaimed with a grin.
"Hmm? So you want to become a giant?" Nami asked in a bored tone, slumping down on a nearby log.
Usopp growled at this, and angrily ran over to the navigator. "NO! Were you even listening to a word I said?!"
"Aren't you supposed to be watching them?" Nami brought up innocently, pointing over at the fight.
Having seemed to forgotten about this himself, Usopp quickly turned his attention back on the giants and smiled. "If those warriors have a village, I really want to see it one day!"
I'm amazed he'd want to go somewhere with giants after being afraid that he was about to be eaten by just one Toffee pondered, gazing at the sniper with her head tilted. Yet hearing a loud crash, Toffee turned her focus back on the giants to see that they had tossed their weapons aside to punch the other in the face. The two seemed to be equal in strength, both falling backwards at the same time just from that one simple blow.
Strangely enough the two giants were letting out loud and friendly laughter after such an intense brawl, and the other giant, Dorry, had even followed Brogy over to his campsite where he took some of the ale for himself. And it turned out that Luffy, Vivi, and Carue happened to be at the other side of the island where Dorry resided, much to the three's relief.
"I'll let your friends know that you're okay!" Dorry promised with a wide grin, giving a wave to the humans and guzzling down one of the keg's of alcohol as he went on his way.
Usopp watched Dorry with a shine in his eyes, turning to Brogy with that same gaze. "That fight was incredible! That's why I've decided to become a brave warrior of the sea!"
"Eh? Brave warrior of the sea? What the hell is that?" Brogy questioned, peering up from his weapon which he had sat down to crudely repair.
Usopp grinned, sitting down between Nami and Toffee on a long log. "It's you guys! Someday I wanna become like you!"
"Hmm? You wanna become a giant?" Brogy inquired in confusion, blinking slowly down at the strange male.
Nami giggled at this while Usopp just gawked, managing to stutter out, "N-no I don't!". Straightening his posture and placing a closed fist on his chest, Usopp declared proudly, "Like an Elbaf Warrior, I want to live my life full of honor and pride!"
Brogy grinned at this, unleashing his rather unique laugh. "I see. Well, since we live much longer than you scrawny runts, we think carefully about how we want to die. After all, riches, material wealth, as well as one's life will all disappear some day. But, to a warrior of Elbaf, to die with your honor untarnished...That is a glorious way to die. In the land of Elbaf, that honor is a treasure that lasts forever."
"Honor is treasure? That's wonderful!" Usopp exclaimed like an excited child. "I've decided! From now on I shall call you my master!"
"Gababababababa! Your a funny little man!" Brogy said in amusement, his words causing Usopp to just laugh himself. Nami shook her head at the two men, but a faint smile was on her face.
Toffee let out a small giggle of her own, but blinked when noticing that her shadow's antenna's were twitching like mad, and he seemed to be staring in the direction Dorry had gone. The shadow's antenna's allowed him to sense and hear things better than most humans, and this caused a frown to form on her features. She hoped it wasn't a sign something bad had transpired...Especially since the volcano had erupted, signaling it was time for the giants fight to resume.
"You're going?" Usopp asked surprised. "Your wounds from the last battle haven't-"
"So what?" Brogy proclaimed gruffly, swinging down his battle ax. "The other guy's got the same problem. Making excuses in a merciless battle to the death would tarnish my name! Gababababababa!"
"Alright, mister Brogy! Knock 'em dead!" Usopp cheered, pumping his fist into the air.
"You got that right, Usopp. He's going down for sure this time!" Brogy agreed, sharing a hearty laugh with the sniper before heading off to continue his duel.
"They sure take this pointless fight seriously," Nami muttered in bemusement, shaking her head at Usopp who was yelling out various supportive cries for Brogy. When she noticed Toffee was holding Heartless, who almost looked sad, Nami frowned. "What's up with him...?"
"I'm not really sure...But I think something might be wrong..." Toffee admitted, gently stroking at the top of Heartlesses head.
"...It's probably nothing. Maybe he just ate too much dinosaur meat?" Nami tried to reassure. "Heartless-kun can rest better once we head back for the ship. We need to wait for the others and think of plan if we're really going to have to wait a year for the log pose to set..."
"Hold it! I am completely useless against dinosaurs. Therefore, it is impossible for us to make it through the jungle!" Usopp declared boldly despite his cowardly words.
"What happened to all the 'brave warrior' talk just now?" Nami questioned, holding up her hands in exasperation.
"I was merely speaking of my intentions. I want to become a man who lives with pride!" Usopp stated with a smirk, crossing his arms over his chest. "Listen, Nami. Toffee...Even if the day should come when I have lost everything...and am facing my moment of death on a desert island, I will take pride in the life I have lived and proclaim: I am the brave warrior of the sea, Usopp!"
"That's a really nice announcement, Usopp, but we're heading over to where Luffy and Vivi are!" Toffee called out, having followed after the orange haired female when she had started to walk off.
"Oi! Were you two really just going to leave me here alone?!" Usopp cried out angrily, running to catch up to the girls. "What if something dangerous decided to come and eat me?!"
"Maybe you shouldn't talk so loud. You might attract a-" Toffee started to say, only to pause when hearing large footsteps and a guttural growl. An ankylosaurus had appeared out of the trees, gazing at the three humans with a hungry expression.
"DINOSAUR?!" the three yelled out, taking off like a couple of mad-men.
When Usopp and Nami were consumed by fear, it seemed they could even outmatch Toffee's speed, and she had found that she had become separated from the two. It didn't help that they had been zigzagging all over the jungle.
"G-good thing, the dinosaur is no where in sight. Bad thing, I have no idea which direction Usopp and Nami went," Toffee said through small pants, placing her hands on her hips while Heartless copied her actions.
Wondering if she should climb up the tallest tree where she might be able to find them or possibly one of the others, Toffee's form tensed up when hearing a terrified scream.
"Was that...Nami?" she whispered, her eyes completely wide. Had something or someone attacked her?! Eyes narrowing, Toffee and Heartless quickly took off in the direction the scream had emanated from. Much to her horror, there was no one around.
D-dammit! We were too late Toffee thought in frustration. The one blessing, the former assassin didn't spot any blood. So this possibly meant that Nami was captured, and hadn't been hurt. There were no signs of a struggle, yet Toffee noticed a strange residue on a nearby tree.
"Huh? Is this...wax?" she pondered, gazing down where she shared a look with her shadow. "Looks like the Baroque Work Agents were on this island after all..."
Hearing a loud crashing noise, Toffee found herself wondering what else could be going wrong, her features turning pale when seeing a large amount of blood shooting up into the air like a fountain of water.
That...came from where the giants were. Then, one of them was taken down Toffee thought, falling to her knees while her trembling hands gripped at her skirt. She was finding it difficult to breathe, and possibly might have started to hyperventilate if Heartless hadn't taken hold of her hand.
"Something must have happened...to one of the giants before the battle...That's why you were so upset...A battle they've been fighting for so long wouldn't have ended that quickly..." Toffee voiced breathlessly, staring down at her shadow who gazed back at her with saddened eyes, his hand gripping at hers in a comforting manner.
The fear was still there, but anger was beginning to boil up within Toffee knowing that whoever had managed to hurt one of the giants, could be using similar shameless tactics against her crew mates. Crew mates...Yes, that's what they were to her. She had never saw herself becoming a pirate, but that's exactly what had come to be. The Straw Hats, in such a short amount of time, turned into people she cared for.
"Zoro and Sanji can handle the situation better than us...but we should find the others just in case," Toffee murmured, using a nearby tree to help her stand up. "Stay immobile for now, Heartless-kun. You should keep yourself hidden until things become dangerous."
Heartless gave Toffee a cute salute, slinking into the ground and returning as her normal shadow. And once he had, Toffee was dashing off into the overgrown jungle and making sure to stay alert for any signs of danger. It wouldn't be good if she was spotted and captured herself.
The sounds of a male screaming assured Toffee that she was running in the right direction. She just wasn't expecting the sight that greeted her. That pain filled howl must have come from Brogy as the poor giant was pinned to the ground by wax with what looked like nails embedded in his arms and legs. If that wasn't disconcerting enough, Nami, Vivi, and even Zoro were trapped on what looked like some twisted candelabra.
Monsters...how could they do something so unbelievably cruel Toffee thought, her hands gripped tightly at her sides. She wanted to rush down and attack these four agents, but noticing the odd 3 in the glasses wearing males hair, Toffee remembered what Vivi had said. The lower the number, the stronger a Baroque Works Agent was. Even if she could capture them with her shadow, there was no guarantee it would hold, and they might break free before she could implement that technique upon them...
What do I do? At this rate, Nami and the others... Biting down on her fist hearing that the twisted man known as Mr. 3 was actually planning to turn Zoro, Vivi, and Nami into wax figures, she needed to come up with a plan fast. And before Zoro actually chopped off his own two legs just to escape...
"YAAAAAAGH! I'M GONNA KICK YOUR ASSES!" Luffy bellowed, and Toffee's jaw dropped when she saw the insane captain of the Straw Hat's along with Usopp and Carue go flying right by the alarmed Baroque Work Agents where they came to a halting, and painful looking crash.
Toffee wasn't sure whether to laugh or scream in horror seeing the three coolly recovering and directly approaching the enemy without what looked like a plan. Instead, she ended up smiling and shaking her head. This was completely different from how her family told her to handle an enemy. Being secretive and discreetly taking out your foe was the best method, but maybe that wasn't always the case?
Still, while Luffy had managed to take down Mr. 3, Usopp was currently being chased by Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine. And that odd little girl, Miss Goldenweek, was using her Devil Fruit ability to mess with Luffy's emotions to keep him from rescuing his friends.
Now Toffee thought when Luffy had been freed by Usopp comically crashing into him, only to spot Miss Goldenweek about to use her paint once more and she dashed down to where the girl was, catching the petite teenager off guard when she found her paint brush was unable to connect with her palette.
"Huh? I can't move?" Miss Goldenweek said, sounding rather calm despite her current state.
"Toffee!" Nami and Vivi both cried out together, both relieved to see the woman. Thanks to her dealing with the Baroque Works Agent, Luffy's attack was able to connect with the pumpkin faced contraption where he stopped the wax from falling upon his friends.
"Tch! You were hiding all this time, huh?" Zoro questioned with a small smirk, not really looking upset.
Toffee nodded, starting to approach the red haired girl who in turn flipped around and walked toward Toffee. "Sorry, but I was waiting for the right moment to help...And this is going to hurt, okay?" the pink eyed woman said with an apologetic smile.
Her shadow had traversed up her arm to cover her fist and strengthen her attack, which she then proceeded to slam directly into Miss Goldenweek's stomach. Strangely enough Miss Goldenweek punched Toffee in her stomach too, yet Toffee merely winced while the teens large brown eyes bulged before they slowly closed and she fell forward. Toffee quickly made sure to release her ability to catch the sixteen year old before she could hit the ground. She was still a child, after all, and Toffee didn't want her to sustain further injuries.
"Oh, Toffee! When did you get here?" Luffy asked with a grin, turning to face the older girl after retracting his arms. Though he let out a small startled cry when he noticed Toffee lifting up her green shirt where a nasty looking bruise had formed upon her stomach, which the girl was examining. "Eh? When did you get hurt?"
"Technically I hurt myself. Whenever Heartless connects with someone's shadow, they're under my control. Anything I do, they do. And vise versa," Toffee explained, giggling awkwardly when seeing the question mark appear above Luffy's head. He obviously didn't understand. "If I hurt them, they hurt me back."
"So, it's like a double edged sword?" Vivi pondered quietly, not really sure if that was a useful Devil Fruit power or not.
"That attack didn't have anything to do with a sword," Zoro scoffed out, digging a finger into his ear.
"That's not what I meant, Mr. Bushido!"
"Anyways...I'm just glad that's over," Nami sighed out, placing her hands on her knees. "Could you hurry up and finish destroying this stupid thing, Luffy? My legs are getting stiff."
"Breeze Breath Bomb!"
Luffy was just about to send another attack at Mr. 3's weird form of 'art', only to freeze since something had impacted with Toffee, causing a massive explosion and the girl to scream loudly out in pain. And what further angered the straw hat wearing male, the culprit had hit her with a second attack which wasn't even necessary since Toffee was already struggling to remain standing.
"I never would have guessed you'd actually pose a problem for us," Mr. 5 said bitterly, holding a gun in his hand. "We should have captured you with the others. Well, you won't be moving anytime soon, now."
I'm sorry...I couldn't be more helpful Toffee thought with guilt, struggling to remain conscious. But the pain was becoming too much to deal with, and her burnt and smoky figure was soon falling to the ground; the last thing she heard being Luffy and the others screaming out her name.