Chapter 7
The Breezeway
Maxwell immediately summoned a Winter glyph. Franky and Robin ran towards it, turning into balls of rocketing mist. It was a tactic Maxwell had used before, using the Fade Step as a means to propel allies towards and away from challenges. As a glyph, this spell could essentially make anyone an intangible comet until the spell ended. And in this case, it was a good way to start escaping mass opposition.
Only Luffy and Maxwell didn't go through. Maxwell could use the spell on himself, at will, and he had a more power version of it. Luffy just didn't want to go through. He wanted to have fun, even if the Straw-Hat captain knew he should be running.
With a nod towards Luffy, Maxwell burst into his improved version, the Frost Step. Maxwell went through every zombie he could, deliberately. Any zombie that came in contact with Maxwell's incorporeal form froze on the spot. Frost and ice latched onto them like an infected rash. The zombies could still move, but they were considerably slower. Or else their limbs would have shattered.
Maxwell kept going until he reappeared in an opening within the crowd. Zombies stopped in surprise at how suddenly their pray was in front of them, but Maxwell didn't waste a moment. He kept running.
Zombies tried to slash at Maxwell, but their weapons went right through him, again! The mage had become incorporeal again under the Fade Cloak.
Maxwell had trained a lot to understand this spell. Their crew had encountered to many enemies that could turn into the elements, rendering all their physical attacks useless. They all had to rely on Luffy to beat them, and that just wasn't acceptable anymore. The Fade Cloak had became a great training tool for the Max, Zoro, and Sanji. Even if it meant Maxwell becoming a training dummy.
Some of the zombies even hit their fellow zombies when they missed. When Maxwel rematerialized, some of the undead tried to doggy pile onto the mage, just to pin him down. Spells required like these required a cool down before they could be used again. But that didn't mean Maxwell was defenceless.
Maxwell preformed the Mind Blast. An omnidirectional sphere of force that exploded from his being. Lighter zombies were went flying. Other were simply knocked back.
This mage was proving to be the real deal, and a slippery little bugger. Maxwell used the Fade Step again and left the zombies behind. They tried to go after him, but one zombie suddenly realized it had stepped onto a glowing red line. A Fire Mine.
Maxwell gave a mental nod as the explosion went off behind him. He was being efficient, sowing chaos in the ranks while he snaked his way through the undead. With the Fade Step, Frost Step, Fade Cloak, and Mind Blast, Maxwell was near untouchable. And with his glyphs, he was hindering their movements.
However, it wasn't easy as you'd think. Maxwell still had to dodge and deflects blows when he was still solid matter. He was surrounded by all side, and had keep his bearings while navigating through this room of undead. They came in all sorts of shapes and sizes, with different weapons and skill sets. And these zombies were considerably smarter than their kin back in the graveyard. Some of them were able to keep track of his movements, and he had to particularly dodge a few axes.
Still, Maxwell kept his destination in site. The open archway! If they could get too that, then maybe they could come up with another plan.
Maxwell spotted Franky and Robin near the exit. "I've got the perfect thing for you guys!"
Franky had turned around to face the hoard, and took a deep breath. "Hold on, Franky!" Maxwell called out. He didn't want to be caught up in Franky's attack. So, with one last Fade Step, Maxwell got past the zombies and cleared the crowd.
"Fresh~ FIRE!" Franky blew his blaze as soon as he saw Maxwell shoot past him. The fire breath may as well had come from a dragon. It was sweltering hot and wide spread amongst the zombies.
"GET THE BUCKETS READY!" One of the zombies cried out. Some of the blazing zombies received buckets of water from their fellows. They weren't screaming or panicking, but fire must have been a concern for them. Once they all had a bucket, the zombies promptly dumped the buckets onto themselves, putting out the fire.
"WHAT!?" Franky yelled at how easily they countered his fire breath. It was ridiculous!
"Don't worry Franky, I'll do you one better!" Maxwell had grabbed Franky's shoulder, prompting him to start running again. And Maxwell made good on his promise. As soon as they cleared the pillars, Maxwell spun around and cast a wall of Lasting Flames to block the entrance.
"GET THE BUCKETS READY!" Maxwell swore it was the same zombie who called out last time, but couldn't see him. The zombies threw water onto the mage's fiery barricade, but all it managed to do was make steam. The fires were still going. "WHAT KIND OF FLAMES ARE THESE!?"
Maxwell, Franky, and Robin all panted as they caught their breath. They were out of the hall, but they were now on a breezeway bridge between the mansion and the main mast of Thriller Bark. It looked more like a tower than a mast. After all, this pole did support a sail for the entire island. More sculpted stone decorated the mast, like some great spire. If this place hadn't been a Warlord's dwelling, Maxwell thought it would have been a perfect Circle Tower.
"Wait…! What about Luffy!?" Robin came to a sudden realization. Their captain hadn't come out with them!
Maxwell looked back at the fire he had made, realizing his mistake. "Oh for the love of—!"
"We can't go back in!" Franky warned them, "Even if we did, you wouldn't be able to find that moron because of the armor he's wearing…!"
"But we can't stay here either," said Robin.
"Argh…! She's right," Maxwell agreed. "And despite the name, those flames won't keep them out forever."
"…Damn. Don't tell me that even he disappeared!" Franky cursed, realizing there wasn't any sounds of fighting behind the fire wall. "HEEEEEEEYYYYY! STRAW-HAT!"
"Gyargh!" A muffled voiced roared in frustration. They didn't know where it was coming from, but then the sound of moving gears and yelling caught their attention.
Up, close to the corner of the archway entrance, was a hole in the wall. A massive chain was suspended in the air, moving from one hole to another, to the other side of the bridge. Something came out of the hole. A casket wrapped in gauze hooked onto a chain link.
"A coffin…!?" Franky looked up in confusion.
"Damn it! Let me out!" The casket rocked as something moved inside it.
Robin's eyes widened, "…That voice…!"
"LUFFY!?" Maxwell exclaimed in shock. How did he get caught!?
"Open this lid, dammit! Let me out!" His voice was muffled by funeral box, but it was definitely Luffy in there.
"What is that moron doing!?" Franky yelled, realizing the casket was getting farther away. "Crap! We got to go after him!"
"RIGHT!" Maxwell and Robin agreed. The three of them immediately started running after the casket.
"I WON'T LET YOU THROUGH HERE… ACK ACK ACK…!"
However, something dropped onto the bridge, blocking their path.
"BY THE MAKER!" Maxwell stumbled, trying to back away from what was in front of them. It was like some giant spider-monkey! A hybrid abomination with six legs, two arms, and a tail growing out of its tarantula bottom. The thorax was replaced by a bandage wrapped torso, and the monkey's head was wearing an aviator's cap. A leather mask also fit over one of it's eyes, with a single google, and it's skin was horribly wrinkly.
Oh, and it was the size OF A F #$&*( HOUSE!
"ACK ACK ACK! MONKEY~ MONKEY~ MONKEY~!" That thing had too wide of a grin to be considered natural. "I AM THE ZOMBIE GENERAL, TALLERAN! THE RUMORED SPIDER-MONKEY!" And a voice was grating enough to match.
"F #$ F #$ F #$&*( F #$ F #$—Shit…!" Maxwell quickly swore profanities under his breath. That thing's words didn't even register in Maxwell's mind. Maxwell hated spiders. Hated them with a passion after stumbling into to many spider nests. You try waking up on morning to see those beady eyes staring you right in the face. That'd scare the shit out of anyone!
Robin looked at Telleran in shock, "A giant spider…!"
"It's way beyond some arachnid now! It's a monster!" Franky corrected their archeologist. It was blocking their path!
The casket clunked against the wall as it entered the hole, "…OH, ANOTHER ONE…" The spider-monkey had turned it's head to see the moving chain.
"Damn, the coffin…!" Franky looked back quickly, but saw Maxwell wasn't going to pipe up any time soon. "What are you planning to do with him!?"
The giant arachnoid merely cackled, "REST ASSURED THAT WHATEVER WE DO WITH HIM, YOU WILL EXPERIENCE IT AS WELL…! YOU SHOULD WORRY ABOUT YOURSELVES FIRST…! FROM THE FRONT YOU HAVE ME, AND FROM BEHIND YOU HAVE THE ARMOURED GENERALS…! WITH THIS, YOUR CREW IS FINISHED!"
Maxwell's brain wasn't the only one going a mile a minute. So was Franky's. "Wait… Zoro. Sanji! Were those two sucked into the wall, like Straw-Hat was just now!?"
"ACK ACK ACK! YES. AND SOON YOU'LL BE JOINING THEM!" Telleran's legs scuttled in anticipation, "JUST LOOK!"
All three Straw-Hats spun around, hearing the clanking crunch of marching metal. Maxwell's fire was still burning, but the zombies had decided to just ignore the flames and march right on through. They stood like a flaming legion ready to drag them all into hell.
"YOU ARE COMPLETELY SURROUNDED BY IMMORTAL ZOMBIES! ACCEPT IT!"
Franky grimaced, "I don't know whether you're a stupid spider or a stupid monkey… But that huge spiderweb that Sunny got stuck in at the harbour was yours, wasn't it?"
"INDEED! ACK ACK ACK! ALL YOUR MOVES ARE BEING REPORTED DIRECTLY TO LADY PERONA'S GHOST NETWORK!" Telleran didn't even care whether or not Franky was fishing for answers.
"…I wonder if those big ears of yours are part of your informative power?" said Robin, "They look like ears that can hear quite well."
That seemed to snap Maxwell out of his hesitant stupor, "Is now really the best time to be talking about that thing's ears!"
Telleran put a hand behind his ear, "HUH? …WHAT?" Apparently he was deaf in one ear.
"THEY'RE JUST FOR SHOW!?"
Franky just shook his head, while tapping his feet, "…This situation is the worst. This what you call being plugged up from all sides…!" But then, the cyborg suddenly having an idea. "Max, can I count on you to get your shit together?"
Maxwell looked between Telleran, them, and the hoard of armoured zombies, "…If you take care of that thing, I should be able to take care of these guys." He was still nervous with the giant arachnoid standing near them.
Franky grinned, "Hehe. Don't worry about that Longbeard. Just stick with me!" Franky then looked to Robin, "You mind leaving the plan to me?"
Robin merely grinned, "Do what you want. I'll try to cope."
"Heh," the cyborg sported a maniac grin, "Isn't that reliable…"
Franky them aimed his arms at the breezeway they were standing on. Two little gadgets sprouted out of his hands and clasped together. "Well, here it goes." The gadgets began to glow, lighting up from between his palms.
"COUPE DE… VENT!"
A beam of condensed energy shot from Franky's hands! It shot right at the bridge, with enough force to crack even the ends of the breezeway. But where the beam hit stone, the bridge just shattered!
Telleran's Jew dropped. "GYAH! WHAT!? YOU JUST BROKE THE BRIDGE!"
Time seemed to slow down around them.
"…This was your big idea?" Maxwell put his staff away as he deadpanned at the cyborg. The zombies screamed and yelled as the bridge fell out from under their feet.
"Well~" Franky lowered his shades, grinning unashamedly, "something like that." Even if the zombies wouldn't die, they could still be crippled by this sort of thing.
Robin had a hand on her hip, looking at all the impending destruction, "Such a violent person." They were at least 3 stories up. Miraculously though, Robin had a solution for not falling to their deaths.
"Cien Fleur!" Robin spread out her arms from her usual crossed position.
"WINGS!"
Hundreds of arms sprouted of her torso, growing out of her back. Each limb sprouting out of another arm, until the flesh eventually looked like feathers. "Beautiful…!" Maxwell didn't even notice he was falling. Robin looked positively divine!
"Wha—!?" Franky didn't even had time to register as Robin had grabbed him and kept him aloft, "Hold on, Max! STRONG LEFT!"
The cyborg shot his detachable hand at Maxwell and grabbed onto him by the jacket. Realizing Franky was saving him, the mage grabbed onto the chain between Franky's wrist and forearm.
So, there they were. Suspended in the air, Franky grabbing onto Maxwell, Robin grabbing onto Franky. The liminal wings Robin grew flapped to keep them aloft.
"Holy crap! We're flying!" Franky exclaimed.
"Yes. For about 5 more seconds," Robin apologized.
Both Maxwell and Franky balked, "So short!"
"—But it might just be enough!" Franky aimed his other hand at the ledge of the broken bridge. "STRONG RIGHT!" He had to eyeball it, but thankfully his other hand caught the ledge.
"Hold on tight!" "Ugh—! Sorry I can't go any farther…!" "RETURN HAND!" "AAAAAHHHHHH!"
Robin's wings dissolved and suddenly they were falling, again. Maxwell held on for dear life as they swung like a three joint pendulum. Maxwell was the weight, Franky was the joint, and Franky's hand was the anchor. Robin held on tight to the back of Franky's shirt as the swung towards the wall. Franky's chain retracted between them and the ledge, but there was no telling if the stone was going to hold!
…Thankfully, it did.
"OUGH~!" The mage groaned with pain. Maxwell had slammed into the wall like a bouncy ball. He was able to get turned around to protect his limbs, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt any less.
Maxwell twirled and swayed in the wind, as his body scraped along the concrete. "Thank Andraste for the gambeson…!" Maxwell tried looking up, trying not to get dizzy. Franky was still holding onto the ledge, but there was a destinct impression that Franky was stuck in the wall.
Looking down wasn't as bad, and he was thankful they didn't fall down there. Many of the zombies had lain prone in the courtyard below. There was actually a stretch of grass on this island! But that was secondary. Some of the zombies bodies appeared to be broken, lying above and beneath the rubble, but Maxwell wasn't counting on that to have killed them.
Maxwell then called up to his friends. "Franky! Robin! Are you alright!?" He didn't see Robin!
Franky kicked himself out of the wall. "…I'm alright!" Maxwell heard the cyborg say. "That bitch used me like a footstool, though!" Maxwell did see Robin peer over the ledge up above. "Hold on. I'm going to pull you up!" Maxwell took a moment to get himself oriented to face the wall. He would have to grab onto Franky, once the chain had retracted enough.
So, Franky's hand started pulling him up. Maxwell kept his eyes on either Franky or the wall to remain calm. It wasn't the smartest idea to be flailing in the wind right now.
Once he got close, Maxwell latached on. Hanging around Franky's waist. The man literally felt like metal drum under a fleshy exterior, but Maxwell didn't care about that. He was just disgruntled at how close his face was to Franky's spandex covered ass.
Franky then started climbing, retracting his other arm while Maxwell held on for dear life. This whole situation had been precarious. No rope, no harness, just hanging over the edge on a corpse filled island. Wonderful!
Once Franky's other wrist clinked in, Franky grabbed Maxwel by the back of his coat and flung him into the ledge. "—OOF!"
Maxwell rolled onto his hands and knees, while Franky climbed onto the floor. Robin hadn't offered help to either of them. She was keeping an eye on the zombies below.
"HEY, YOU BASTARDS!" The three of them looked over the ledge, to see Telleran standing upright, "I'M STILL A SPIDER! I'LL BE UP THERE SOON ENOUGH!
"Yohohohoho!"
Maxwell looked up, "What?" A high pitched laughter was coming from the sky.
It was Brook!
"Something is falling from the sky… No, it's someone!" He was making jokes while falling from the sky. "BOOONE~! Just bones, of course!"
*CRASH!*
…
…
…
From what Maxwell could see, there was a silhouette-perfect hole in the ground where Brook hand landed.
"Well… that was unexpected."
"Hey, what was that thing that just fell?" Franky asked. Maxwell then quickly helped the cyborg up onto the ledge. He didn't want him falling down either.
Thick globs of gossamer then hit the walls beside them. Thick cables of spider silk, shot like thrown needles and thread. Telleran was climbing up, making a giant funnel web in the process. "HEY~ HEY~! ACK ACK ACK! SOME STRANGE INTRUDER MAY HAVE ARRIVED, BUT YOU CAN'T RUN AWAY FROM ME, NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU TRY! MONKEY~ MONKEY~!"
"Grah…!" Maxwell scowled at seeing the spider-monkey hybrid again. "It just had to be giant spiders—!"
"And a monkey," said Robin.
Maxwell sighed, "…Yes, I know it's part money—."
"And a zombie." Franky replied.
"…And a zombie—"
"That's apparently deaf."
"Are you guys seriously trying to psych me out right now?" Maxwell said to Franky and Robin, irritably. Telleran was still busy making his bridge of webbing.
"Is it working?" Robin tilted her head, "I figured you needed encouragement with your wobbly knees."
Maxwell's eye twitched. He couldn't tell if Robin was teasing him or actually being supportive. His knees were not wobbling! "…Alright! This thing is going down!" Maxwell extended is staff and got into a fighting position.
"Alright. Now that Maxxy's found his big-boy panties again—" Maxwell shot Franky a glare, not appreciating the comment. "—Keep that thing busy for me. I'm going to create something!"
"With what!?" Maxwell snapped back at the cyborg.
"Hehe. You'll see~" Franky took off the bundle he had on his back, and starts walking off with what appeared to be a giant iron nunchuck. Knowing Franky, Maxwell thought it would have been a gaatlok weapon of some kind.
Telleran didn't care though. He just stretched out his hands, "ALRIGHT! SPIDER STICKY NET!" and fired a spray of webbing shot at them. Spinnerets were embedded in the monkey's palms.
However, before Maxwell could respond, or Telleran's net hit them, Robin made some arms grow around Telleran's eye. "Seis Fleur. Slap!" All six hands slapped down on Telleran's exposed eyeball.
"GYA! SOMETHING TOUCHED MY EYE!" It wasn't so much as pain, but an instinctual reflex that made Telleran flinch. The spider-monkey covered his face, but his hands still had the gossamer threads coming out. "OH! DAMN! I GOT STUCK IN THE STICKY NET!" Now he had webbing glued all over his hands and face.
Maxwell looked on, impressed. "…Nice job!"
Franky then came walking up, "Alright! I've finished my preparations. Get back."
"…From what? That?" Robin gestured at the thing Franky was hoisting. He was carrying what appeared to be two pieces of a broken pillar.
"I connected the steel nunchucks I brought with me with some stone pillars," Franky explained. It looked heavy, cumbersome even. But with Franky's giant hands and strength, he might as well been carrying a couple of baseball bats. "That way, I'll have a large enough weapon to fight a monster like you!"
Franky threw back his marble nunchucks, getting in close. Telleran was still trying to get the web off his face, so he didn't notice Franky's approach untill it was too late. "HEAVY NUNCHUCK!"
The stone weapon walloped Telleran right in the cheek. But Franky didn't stop there. That cyborg swung those chained pillars like a professional martial artist. They were fast, heavy, and with enough force to throw Telleran around like a ragdoll! The spider-monkey could barely react. All of those blows were being struck on Telleran's face. '—STOP—FOR A—MI—QUIT IT YOU BASTARD!"
In a moment of clarity, Telleran had his hands up, "SPIDER STICKY NET!" Franky had been spinning his nunchuck and Telleran's net struck the weapon. The stone nunchuck was now stuck on the wall of Telleran's funnel web.
"HAHA!" Telleran couldn't help but spout out in victory. He was battered, bruised, and on his back, but Telleran was able to stop Franky's weapon!
But that didn't pause Franky for a second. He just detached his wrist and aimed it at Telleran. "WEAPONS LEFT!" The explosion went off right in Telleran's face, charring it enough to be letting off smoke.
"Damn~!" Maxwell couldn't help but be impressed. Franky had all but beaten that spider to a pulp, and did it and in incredibly stylish way! Now Maxwell wanted in on a bit of the action!
But when he tried to move, Maxwell found that he couldn't.
"WHAT!?" Maxwell had been caught up in another web. One more like a traditional spiderweb, trapping his limbs. When did this happen!?
"Heheheheheh!" Maxwell then saw them, making his skin crawl! More arachnid like beings like Telleran, only they had the heads of rats. They were smaller, just a bit larger than a cat, but they climbed around him and cackled with glee. "Mousy mouse~"
"Huh!?" Franky had looked back, hearing Maxwell's distress, "Guys! What are those things!?"
"I'm sorry," Robin apologized, "It seems we let our guards down. I didn't realize there'd be more spiders." The archeologist had been caught as well. The two of them caught in the same web beside each other.
"Alright! I'll—WUAH!" Franky tried to run back to his friends, but Telleran struck him from behind, trapping him in gossamer. "Damn!"
"HAHAHAHAHA! MONKEY~ MONKEY~" Telleran righted himself back on his six legs. "YOU MORONS! IT'S IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO LET YOUR GUARD DOWN! THESE ARE MY UNDERLINGS, THE SPIDER MICE! TOTALLING 500 ALL OVER THRILLER BARK! THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A PREY THEY COULDN'T CATCH!"
Then the Spider Mice then started talking. Maxwell counted 6 around them
"Usually we catch them by surprise!" "We capture the enemy in the darkness or from within his blind spot." "Our 'strings' were made by Hogback, so they can't be cut with a human's strength!" "We came from above the ceiling, and caught your nakama without a sound!" "And now we are going to deliver you to the same place as your nakama!" "You should get ready for it!"
"Like hell!" Maxwell barked back. He had enough of these arachoid zombies! Spider silk snapped to a twang as Maxwell donned the Fade Cloak. He wrenched himself for out of the web and spun around, clasping at air, to set off Wildfire explosions at the little abominations.
"WAAAAAH!" The Spider Mice panicked at one of their prey getting loose. Those caught in the magical fire were instantly fried to crisp, while others tried to climb to safety. Maxwell wasn't about to let them go though. Silk crackled and popped like dry tinder, instantly alight in flames. The web sagged, making some mice try and scramble up, but they became easy targets. Robin was also set free from the Spider Mice's web.
Maxwell scorched the walls, the floors. Anywhere he saw a spider, he'd light it up to try and spot another.
Telleran was outraged, "MY UNDERLINGS! YOU—!" Another set of hands touched Telleran's eye, "ACK!" He grabbed his face to cover his eyes again, but this time there was no gossamer on them.
However, before Telleran could do anything else, the spider-monkey paused as a voice echoed in the din.
Yohohoho~ Yoho-ho-ho~ …Yohohoho~ Yoho-ho-ho~
"Huh?" Maxwell also stopped trying to blast the Spider Mice to try and listen.
Yohohoho~ Yoho-ho-ho~ …Yohohoho~ Yoho-ho-ho~
"WHAT IS THAT!?" Telleran shifted nervously, trying to spot where the voice was coming from.
Gather up all of the crew, it's time to ship out Binks' brew. Sea wind blows—to where—? Who knows! The waves will be our guide~!
"WHO'S SINGING THAT!?" Telleran demanded. He didn't see anyone, and it wasn't one of the Straw-Hats. Even the remaining Spider Mice were looking around cautiously.
Or across the ocean's tide, rays of sunshine far and wide. Birds, they sing, of cheerful things in circles passing by~
Yohohoho~ Yoho-ho-ho~ …Yohohoho~ Yoho-ho-ho~
"Yohohoho! Hello everyone. So you landed on this island after-all."
Brook had suddenly appeared in their midst, landing on the web. His cane, which turned out to be a sword-cane, resting on his shoulder.
"H-How did you get up here?" Robin wasn't sure if Brook was going to be their enemy or not. He was the first form of undead they had seen, even before they got here.
"I jumped of course." Brook saluted with his top-hat, "I'm quite light, you see."
Brook then looked back at Telleran, observing him, "If you came here, I guess it can't be helped. I'll tell you all I know about this island."
"HEY, WHO ARE YOU, YOU BASTARD!?" Telleran didn't recognize the skeleton, "YOU'RE NOT A ZOMBIE! DOES THAT MEAN YOU'RE ONE OF THESE PIRATES' NAKAMA?"
Brook just turned around and started walking towards Maxwell and Robin. "Hey! Skeleton!" Franky tried to call out. If he was friend, he shouldn't being turning his back on the giant spider-monkey. If he was foe, Franky had to try and get up to help his friends.
Brook use giggled, "It's fine… This fight is already at an end." Then he deliberately and slowly started sheathing his sword.
"Three Verse Humming…" Brook's sword cane closed with a definite click, "Arrow Notch Slash!"
Then blood erupted across Telleran's back. A giant gash from the monkey's head to abdomen. And the zombie writhed like a person possessed.