In this chapter, the Straw Hat Pirates are going to visit the Little Garden...which for some strange reason contains dinosaurs. Hopefully our heroes won't get eaten...they'll be able to defend themselves, right? Then again, velociraptors aren't exactly a threat to humans despite what Jurassic Park told us...I blame them mixing their DNA with komodo dragons. John Hammond can be smart yet so dumb...
Chapter 20: Aren't Dinosaurs Extinct?
"Look at all the dinosaurs..." remarked Yuzu.
"Whatever happened to that comet that wiped them out?" questioned Karin. It seemed that it had missed them entirely.
Currently, a Brachiosaurus was walking by.
Hopefully they wouldn't encounter a T-Rex. At least it had eyesight based on movement...right?
Maybe they were taking Jurassic Park too seriously. Rumor has it that T-Rexes were actually scavengers...apparently mixing them with reptiles made them vicious.
"Just another day of exploring." remarked Zoro. It felt odd exploring without Luffy and Nami. How was he going to get to where he wanted to go without Nami guiding him? He had no sense of direction whatsoever.
Yuzu looked up, and she noticed several pterodactyls flying in the sky. And before you ask, they weren't technically dinosaurs. They were prehistoric though, much like the sabertooth tiger.
"How long do you think it will be until the Ice Age?" questioned Sanji.
"How am I supposed to know?" inquired Usopp.
Together, the five of them decided to explore the island. Hopefully there wouldn't be too many problems.
Not only that, but it seemed like an odd place for the bounty hunters to search for them. Who would expect a pirate to be lurking on an island full of dinosaurs?
However, it seemed that another pirate was thinking the exact same thing.
"Whoa, that man is huge!" exclaimed Yuzu. That tree that was growing outside their house had nothing on him.
"This world is crazy..." remarked Karin. Of course, her world had creatures that wanted to eat her soul...maybe this world would be preferable.
At that very moment, the giant approached them.
"You're not here to pillage our ship, are you?" inquired Zoro. They had children onboard and they wouldn't want to witness that.
"Why would I do that?" asked the giant.
"You seem big and strong..." noted Yuzu.
"That's because I AM big and strong..." remarked the enormous pirate.
"What's a pirate doing in an island like this?" inquired Karin.
"My name is Dorry...I'm in a feud with another giant who goes by the name of Brogy...we've been at for 100 years..." explained Dorry.
"Whoa..." remarked Yuzu.
"I guess giants live for a long time..." noted Zoro.
"They sure do." agreed Sanji.
At that very moment, Brody showed up...carrying the lifeless body of a Tyrannosaurus Rex.
"Holy cow!" shouted Yuzu.
"They're exactly as strong as they look..." noted Karin.
"That lizard was no match for me...why did he even bother trying to bite me?" questioned Brody.
Dorry sighed. His rival was being a showoff again.
Elsewhere, their enemies were plotting against them.
"So, they think that they can hide from us on a prehistoric island like this? It sure is a good hiding spot...hopefully the dinosaurs won't eat us..." worried Mr. 5.
"Hopefully just because they call me Miss Valentine doesn't mean that I taste like Valentine's Day chocolate..." noted Miss Valentine. That Mosasaur they had encountered fifteen minutes ago seemed to be looking at her hungrily.
Currently, they were located in Miss Goldenweek and Mr. 3's hideout.
"Greetings...would you like some tea?" asked Miss Goldenweek. She had prepared some specifically for the occasion.
"I certainly would, but I think it would be more satisfying to have a toast after we collect the bounty on the Straw Hat Pirates..." remarked Miss Valentine.
"What should we do with the kids that we have with them? I don't think they have bounties on their heads...why are there children on the ship anyway?" inquired Mr. 3.
"Maybe we could use them for slave labor...I want a nice foot massage..." suggested Miss Goldenweek.
"I didn't know that there were children that were pirates..." said Mr. 5.
"You learn something new every day." answered Miss Valentine.
"By the way, I heard that there were giants here...two of them to be precise. They have bounties on their heads that are roughly the same size as them...which is really saying something." noted Mr. 3.
"Maybe if we bring the marines their heads, we'll be able to collect their bounties...won't that make us filthy rich..." noted Miss Goldenweek.
"I love bounty hunting. It makes us feel so satisfied..." remarked Miss Valentine.
"Let's go take of these pirates, shall we?" nodded Mr. 3.
Together, the four of them began to execute their evil plan.
Meanwhile...
Looking outside, Ichigo noticed where they were going to be executed.
"I wonder what happened to that giant phoenix that vaporized people whenever they broke the law..." questioned Rukia.
"Maybe they decided that Chuck Norris was a more efficient method to do it?" inquired Ichigo.
"Yeah...Chuck Norris is a really great executioner..." remarked the teenage girl.
Wondering who Uryu Ishida was going to fight next, she decided to check the news.
"Oh god...it looks like he's up against Mayuri Kurotsuchi..." said Rukia.
"Wasn't he the judge in our trial? He didn't seem like a fair one..." noted Ichigo.
"No, he was not. He's a mad scientist who likes experimenting with Quincy...I've lost count on how many he's experimented on...all that I know is that he's experimented on thousands of them." explained the teenage girl.
"That's terrible!" exclaimed the teenage boy.
"Yeah. Of course, Uryu Ishida did use that hollow bait that attracted Hollows all across Karakura Town...it goes without saying that the Soul Reapers would probably get mad at him for that..." noted Rukia.
Ichigo nodded. How could Uryu be so reckless? At least he had owned up to his actions by killing that Menos Grande...that thing reminded him of Godzilla. A soul-eating Godzilla.
He sure hoped Uryu will be alright.
Inside Mayuri Kurotsuchi's laboratory...
Uryu aimed his bow at Mayuri Kurotsuchi.
"Step away from my friend." demanded Uryu.
Mayuri immediately noticed him. He was surprised that a Quincy of all people was in his laboratory. Of course, he had heard reports of a Ryoga invasion, so maybe he wouldn't be too surprised. Knowing the bad blood between the two, it made sense that at least one of them would be a Quincy.
And yet, none of the other members of the group seemed to be a Quincy. One of them was even a former Soul Reaper...who for some strange reason was as sexy as Rangiku herself. He'd ask her out on a date if she wasn't her enemy. Maybe he could experiment on her body to see how she transformed into a cat...and make her wear a skimpy outfit during the procedure. She liked being naked anyway.
"A Quincy? I thought your kind were extinct. Oh well. I've been looking forward to experimenting on them again." remarked Mayuri Kurotsuchi.
A wide smile formed on his face. This was going to be so much fun for him. He hadn't done an experiment in quite some time...though he did get to participate in that sham trial. It was so much fun sentencing Ichigo and Rukia to death...even if they probably didn't actually commit the crimes that they were accused of. Ichigo wasn't even a resident of Soul Society...though since his father was a former Soul Reaper he was still technically subject to their laws.
"I am NOT a science experiment!" exclaimed Uryu.
"Oh really? Wouldn't you like to know more about your race?" inquired the scientist.
"I do have a few questions, but you're not cutting me open like a frog!" shouted the archer.
"Then perhaps you would rather I poison you...my bankai will see to that..." remarked Mayuri Kurotsuchi.
"Be careful! This man's insane!" exclaimed Chad.
"Yes...I don't know why the Soul Reapers have him on their side." agreed Uryu.
"Maybe their leader was drunk when he hired him?" inquired the large boy.
"Yes, maybe he was. I have to question his decisions...apparently, he went to war with the Quincy because they disrupted the natural order of things..." remarked the bespectacled Quincy. Why would that be?
Mayuri Kurotsuchi pulled out his blade.
"Maybe I'll just cut your head off and put in a jar..." stated Mayuri.
"I think not!" exclaimed Uryu. Mayuri Kurotsuchi had experimented on enough Quincy it was. He was going to stop this here and now.
Mayuri Kurotsuchi charged towards Uryu, swinging his blade at him. Uryu quickly avoided it so that he didn't get cut to ribbons.
"I already killed so many Quincy...what makes you think you stand a chance?" asked Mayuri.
"I can't let you experiment on Chad, now can I? He's not even a Quincy!" exclaimed Uryu.
"True..." nodded Chad. He was just an average joe compared to Uryu and Ichigo. At least Orihime didn't seem so spec-
Oh wait, that was right. She went on Luffy on a journey and she became a pirate. Yarr!
He felt so left out on the loop. At least maybe if Mayuri Kurotsuchi experimented on him he could turn him into something cool...even if it would probably be painful.
Since Mayuri was currently occupied fighting Uryu, maybe he could try to free himself.
Hopefully his awesome muscles wouldn't fail him now.
Meanwhile...
Ikkaku continued to attack Orihime, hoping to break the barrier.
However, Orihime continued blocking the sword.
Eventually, she floored her with a well-placed kick.
"Aaugh!" exclaimed Ikkaku.
"Just for the record, I'm not normally violent...the Straw Hat Pirates told me I should defend myself..." remarked Orihime.
It felt so weird having a bounty on her head, but those marines wouldn't leave her friends alone. Now she was a wanted criminal in Soul Society AND the Seven Seas.
"It's so awesome that you know how to use karate! I wish I could do that!" exclaimed Luffy.
Orihime blushed.
"Well, you do pack a mean punch..." noted Orihime.
"I sure do...but I don't know martial arts!" exclaimed Luffy.
"I could teach you how if we manage to make it out of Soul Society alive..." answered the pacifist.
"But I'll never be as good as you!" shouted the pirate captain.
Orihime blushed again.
"You are one tough cookie...I need to activate my shikai..." said Ikkaku.
Orihime began to worry.
Ikkaku activated his shikai.
Luffy began to worry.
"Wait, if we already defeated your captain..what makes you think that you can beat Luffy?" inquired Orihime.
"I'm still going to avenge him! Somehow!" shouted the bald lieutenant.
"Your devotion is admirable..." noted the pacifist.
Unfortunately, his shikai gave him more range, allowing him to strike Orihime in the leg.
"Ow!" exclaimed Orihime, clutching her leg.
"Orihime!" shouted Luffy.
"I'm fine." nodded the teenage girl. Her leg was bleeding a bit, but she would be alright.
Maybe she needed to go on the offensive...it wasn't normally in her nature to do so though. She preferred fighting defensively on account on being a pacifist.
"C'mon, you can do this!" exclaimed the pirate.
However, after hearing Luffy's support, she decided maybe she should give it a shot.
Ikkaku swung his sword towards Orihime...
...but she launched a kido blast right at him.
"You can use kido?" questioned Yoruichi.
"I'm getting the hang of this!" exclaimed Orihime. Now if only she wasn't such a pacifist.
Still, she had Luffy's support. It was alright to fight so long as she did it for her friends. That's what Luffy said.
Caught off guard, Ikkaku was knocked off his feet.
"Alright, I surrender!" exclaimed Ikkaku.
"But didn't we defeat your captain?" questioned Orihime.
"You spared his life, didn't you?" inquired the bald lieutenant.
Luffy nodded. They decided not to kill Kenpachi. They were here to rescue, not assassinate.
At least, that was what he thought. Sometimes he had a hard time remembering things.
"You're a really good fighter, Orihime!" exclaimed Luffy.
Orihime's cheeks turned red once again.
"Why do you keep blushing like that?" asked the pirate.
"I'm a pretty humble person..." noted Orihime.
"I see..." nodded Luffy.
"I'm impressed you managed to defeat a Soul Society captain...personally I think it would take at least an Adjucha to take one of them down..." noted Yoruchi. Of course, she felt like she could take on at least five of them.
How was she so freakishly strong again? It seemed like she was strong as she was sexy...which was really saying something.
"Is your leg going to be alright?" questioned the pirate.
Orihime nodded. She used her powers to heal herself.
"You should be a doctor!" exclaimed Luffy.
"Maybe I should..." nodded Orihime.
"Wait, does my crew even have a doctor?" inquired the pirate.
"Maybe you should...what if one of your crewmates get sick?" suggested the teenage girl.
"Yeah...I never thought of that..." noted Luffy.
"It's alright...if you need advice I'm willing to listen..." noted Orihime. Luffy was smarter than people gave him credit for.
Luffy agreed.
Elsewhere...
"I'm glad that you're helping me out...but won't Byakuya be mad at you for betraying him?" asked Nami.
"I don't see why he wants Rukia to be executed...he's her brother!" exclaimed Renji.
"That's crazy..." noted the pirate girl. Hopefully the two of them can reconcile before Rukia got executed.
"I hope that I can at least save Ichigo..." noted Nami. She was the reason that Ichigo was in this situation in the first place.
Well, that and Rukia hadn't told him that transferring Soul Reaper powers to a normal human being was illegal.
Of course, she didn't think that Ichigo was a normal human being in the first place. Since when could he see ghosts?
"Do you know where they're being held?" asked Nami.
"I do...however, it's likely going to be guarded." explained Renji.
"I see..." nodded the pirate.
"By the way, do you have a zanpakuto? I notice that you seem to be wielding a Soul Reaper blade much like myself..." asked the redhead.
"Huh?" asked Nami.
"I suggest you try communicating with it. It should give you an edge...chances are you're going to encounter a Soul Reaper captain sooner or later." advised Renji.
Nami nodded. She decided to focus.
A few minutes later, she found herself in some strange sort of spirit world.
"Did it work? Or did something hit me on the head?" inquired Nami.
A few minutes later, she encountered her Zanpakuto spirit. He resembled a man...only he was made out of gold.
"Who are you?" asked the navigator.
"The name's Beelzebub...you wanted my power?" inquired Beelzebub.
"Yes!" shouted Nami. She wasn't going to survive in Soul Society otherwise, most likely.
"Good...however, you should know that I don't work for free. Why don't you give me some of your hard-earned cash?" asked Beelzebub.
"No! It's precious to me!" shouted Nami.
"What else do you plan to spend it on?" inquired the spirit.
"Um..." asked the female Soul Reaper.
"Go on. I'm waiting." inquired Beelzebub.
"Fine. You win. But I'm only giving you a little bit..." said the Shinigami.
"Fair enough." nodded the golden spirit.
Beelzebub stretched out his hand.
Nami grabbed on and she felt stronger.
Shortly afterwards, she found herself back in reality.
"Well?" asked Renji.
"I think it worked." said Nami.
"Good...now maybe we can rescue Ichigo and Rukia..." stated the redhead.
"Great...I'm not going to forgive myself if Ichigo gets executed...not even if I get a million beri..." remarked Nami.
"I feel the same way about Rukia..." noted Renji. Of course, he wasn't as greedy as Nami was.
Together, the two of them continued towards where Ichigo and Rukia were being held. It was close to the execution spot so perhaps they could figure out a way to sabotage the execution in case the rescue went south.
This was going to be a long day for them...and hopefully Ichigo and Rukia's days weren't numbered.
They had so much to live for...especially since Soul Reapers could basically live forever unless somebody stabbed them in the gut.
Were they ready to be heroes?
Well, it looks like you're going to have to witness Mayuri Kurotsuchi's climatic battle for another time...for now, I'm going to keep focusing on the Straw Hat Pirates and the Ryoka...since Chopper's going to be introduced soon I'll be altering the story accordingly.
In the next chapter, expect more fighting scenes. It'll be fun.