LW: And now for a big event, 3d2y. Let's see what happens in this universe then.
Drop in the Ocean - 3d2y: Rusted Destroyer! Overcoming Duality!
Rusukaina - Calm Belt
"I hate observation haki training" Luffy grumbles as he adjusts the blindfold, Rayleigh's low chuckles in the background not helping his mood, not that much would be given he's quite literally fighting blind against the wild beasts that call this island home, with only his fledging haki to help his dodge or counter their attacks, which in this case he fails as he's slammed into the trunk of a tree by a hyperactive rabbit the size of a bear
'Maybe I should ask how Grima is training the kid… no she's probably attacking him with her sword and hoping for the best, which isn't exactly the best plan for Luffy' Rayleigh thinks with a sigh, as he watches his student run around like a headless chicken, being chased by the various wild beasts of the forest.
? Evening
"Byojack! How long's it been since we began the attack?" a man asks gruffly as a small group of ships attack the marine contingent
"Um cough, about 8 minutes, give or take a few seconds" another voice wheezes, causing the former to growl
"It shouldn't take that long to sink 3 warships and a single liner, these chumps have gotten so weak while I've been gone. Get rid of the recruits" he scowls
"But, we can't do that. We scoured the seas looking for the toughest pirates on the seas while you were gone" the sickly one argues
"Adding weaklings will get us nowhere! Sebastian, Nightin, and Gairam show the rookies how the World Pirates are supposed to behave! You have 1 minute" the Captain orders, getting nods from the named 3 before the leap into action, the larger one diving into the water and acting as a ride/transport for the other 2 before speeding onward in a straight line towards the marine vessels, to the shock of those on board once they finally notice the Fishman and company, especially as Sebastian was moving to quickly for them to actually land a hit on him, least not before he reached the ships and his crewmates disembarked on a ship each.
"These marines are pitifully naive, I guess I'll have to show them the error of their ways" the old lady Nightin cackles from her position on the top of the ship
"Screw you, you old hag!" One of the marines shouts back before they rush her, to which she sighs, before unleashing a Kanpo Kenpo: Gedokusan, the spiraling tornado of medical maleficence sending everyone on the ship flying beside herself
"I always did think these navy ships were ugly, give me a minute and I'll have it looking spiffy. Cube Break!" Gairam cries as he slaps his hand against the deck of the ship, causing it to fall apart into many wooden cubes which caused the marines to fall through into the lower levels of the ship, then out the ship itself as the effect spread to the sides of the vessel
"Remember, only 1 minute men!" Sebastian shouts as he deals with his ship, smashing his spiked maces into the mast and then the deck of the ship as he does
"And time" Byojack mumbles, the trio finished in exactly 1 minute as ordered
"We need more action like that" World chuckles, the destruction filling him with an almost giddy amusement "I'll take care of the rest…. In 50 seconds" he declares, Byojack gripping tightly as the man lept into the air and reached the marine ships via Soru, before dropping onto the deck to the panic and worry of those onboard as this beast of a man glares down at them, the lighting flash revealing his face
"Oh God, say it ain't so"
"That's the Pirate Byrnndi World!"
"To think people still remember me after all this time, that's cute" he chuckles darkly "Give me those" he growls ripping rifles from 2 marines before pointing them at the remaining warships "More More Hundredfold Gun" he declares as he destroys each ship with a single shot, the ammunition ballooning the moment they left the rifle
"You're gonna pay for that, burn in hell!" a marine shouts, swinging the scythe they were carrying, but it was caught easily by World and his armament-coated hand, the pirate sneering before leaping into the air via Soru, and a sense of dread fills the sea
"More More Hundredfold Chop!" World bellows as he splits the ship in two using the now oversized weapon, then with a thud lands back on his ship "How long?"
"Exactly 50 seconds"
"Good, I'm glad to see I've not lost my touch" World smirks before speaking loudly as he addresses the pirates his crew had recruited for him "Newcomers! A few ground rules now you've joined the World pirates: Anyone who fails to follow my orders…. Will end up like them" he states, pointing out to where the destroyed vessels of marine and pirate were sinking
"But Captain, all those men were putting their lives on the line to follow your orders" one argues
"And they were taking their sweet time doing so. Listen close I'll say it once, my orders are to be completed to the letter, including within the timeframe I set for you. If you can't complete a simple task like that, you don't belong on my ship" World explains with a scowl "But if you run away… you're also dead" he adds, after killing a few attempted deserters with broken walnut shells "Knew I forgot something. Barorororo!"
Amazon Lily
"Hancock! Carrier bat for you!" Artemis shouts, leaping over Nyon to grab the bat and message, mostly because she knows the old woman would annoy the Empress no matter the contents, and she was already stressed as she was in Big Sis mode concerning Luffy's time on Rusukaina.
"Thank you, sweetie, don't forget I'm letting you travel with the food and winterwear so you can see your uncle" Hancock coos, ruffling Artemis' hair as she takes the message "Oh….fuck! Please tell me they've not picked another fight with a Yonko, my delicate heart can't take the stress, oh beloved, won't you rid me of this pain!"
"You could just call Dad if you're that needy, he left you your mirror before Grima kidnapped him" Artemis sighs, holding in the urge to facepalm at her sort of stepmom's antics
"Hush now, the Warlords have been summoned for something very bad and most likely dangerous. Please don't do anything too stupid when visiting your uncle, and stick close to Sonia and Mari, understood?"
"Yes Hancock" Artemis mock salutes, before adjusting her beret
"Good. The only reason we're still doing this is that it will take 4 days to get to Navy Headquarters, so as long as you come back tomorrow, I can just claim bad weather delayed me by a day. Luffy's well-being is worth more than whatever crap the Navy has me about to undertake this time" she says with a sigh, watching the now quite busty redhead gives her a very Kuja grin, seems she'd settled in rather nicely actually.
?
KABOOOOOOM!
"Barorororo, I can't believe you managed to build it" World laughs after firing the cannon
"He, he destroyed an entire island in just one shot" a crewmate gasps in shock
"I'm grateful that you never lost hope and spent the 30 years I was locked up building this ship, my dreams have become reality, which is the best welcome back Cap'n I could have ever wished for" World chuckles as he addresses his old crewmates "And then there's the cannon, bigger than any I've seen in my life, and when I augment it with the power of my Moa Moa no mi, we shoot cannonballs 100 times bigger, artillery completely beyond comprehension. We could even take down the Captian of the World Government before they could even put up a fight" he grins widely at the thought "Actually, that's a great idea, glad I thought of it. Men set sail for the Red Line, we're going to destroy MarieJois Barorororo!"
"World please wait a moment, I don't think we'll be able to carry out that plan as easily as you appear to believe" Byojack argues as he shuffles over to the mountain of a man "Our actions the other day mean the World Government know you've escaped from Impel Down and are back to your old tricks again, only bigger of course" he gives a wheeze that might have been an attempt at a joke
"I want them to know I'm back, who cares if those weaklings know I'm back?" World asks with an indifferent shrug
"I'd agree with you, except the Government has already summoned the 7 Warlords to apprehend you, or worse take you out" Byojack explains, causing the rest of the OG World pirates to tense and fret
"The fuck does that mean, Warlords?" World huffs "They like those Emporer bastards? The only good news I heard inside, was Apophis finally bit the dust"
"Right, the Warlords were something that was put in place AFTER you were locked up" Byojack mutters, and resists the urge to facepalm "They're a group of 7 powerful pirates who are given cart blanche by the World Government so long as they work for them when need be, such as the recent War against Whitebeard last year" he explains "I'm sorry World, but your plan isn't going to work out, the Warlords were summoned this morning and will all be at Navy Headquarters in a couple of days at most"
"Wait a minute, you said they were summoned this morning, correct?" World asks
"Yes?" Byojack responds, unsure where this was going
"Perfect. Which of those chained mutts lives closest to our current location, I wanna have a little chat with them" he says with a sinister chuckle
Rusukaina - evening
"Huh, why ain't I getting beaten up already, there's never been a time where EVERYTHING sleeps at the same time, someone's always up and trying to murder me, smash me, or some mix of the two. It's Mt. Colubo but without nobles" Luffy mutters to himself as he continues to blindly wander through the island "Hey Alligator, Lion, Gorilla? Anyone around? I'm gonna kick your ass if you are, so you better be around here somewhere or I'll be so mad! I'll even fight the bunny if I have to!" he groans, then stops "I smell food. THAT WAY!" he shouts running in the direction his nose was guiding him
"Huh, guess it was a good idea to bring food along, made it a lot easier and safer to locate him this way" Sonia chuckles as Luffy sits down and starts clearing the folding table…. Before realizing he wasn't alone
"Hey Green snake, poison snake, Artemis" Luffy waves while eating, his brain not doing a good job of supplying names of non-family members at the moment
"Hello Luffy, how's your training going?" Artemis asks with a grin
"It currently sucks, Reyleigh is having me fight the animals blindfolded to train my observation haki" Luffy sighs "How did you learn it?"
"Meditation, followed by getting things thrown at me, though I think Hancock and Sonia just got bored and decided to test my reflexes as much as my haki" Artemis admits, getting a laugh from Marigold, and an indignant squawk from Sandersonia and Hancock (there via Den Den Mushi) at the accusation
"I'm looking for the Empress, the leader of Amazon Lily" a gruff voice speaks behind them
"Um, you're kind of on the wrong island Mister" Luffy turns and looks at the imposing figure of World "Not that they'd let you in the door, Amazon Lily's kind of a dude-free zone"
"I did mention that, but I think he ignored me" Byojack sighs from his place on World's shoulder
"I'm here to find the government dog and kidnap her" World admits freely, as none of those in front of him was even a challenge
"We'd never let you lay a hand on our sister!" Sonia snarls
"She's also not here, so you came all the way here for nothing" Artemis adds, getting a glare from World before he turns his attention to Byojack
"I said she MIGHT be here, the Kuja ship is just off the shore, so it made sense that as its captain the Empress would also be here"
"So all I got are some brats on a picnic, fan-fucking-tastic" World sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose "We're off!" he grunts before turning on his heel and beginning to walk off
"Hold it right there, you don't get to threaten my sister and get away with it!" Marigold scowls, her and Sonia shift into their hybrid forms, while Artemis pulls her glaive from its hidden position on her back
"Just great, the bastard finally dies and I still have snakes to deal with" World mutters, having had enough of snake Zoans 30 years ago.
"Anyone know who this guy is, besides a dick who's trying to kidnap Hancock?"
"You're him, aren't you? Brryndi World?"
"Ah, so you're on the other end of that snail, which means I won't have to wait long for you to get the message" World chuckles "I'm coming for you next, once I deal with these pests"
"Not going to happen" Luffy scowls before leaping at World with his fist coated in armament, only for it to stop dead on the man's equally haki-fortified cheek
"Hey kid, I don't have time to play games, so fuck off!" World shouts before kicking Luffy through a large boulder "I don't have time for this crap" he mutters, then looks down as he feels a shallow cut against his forearm
"Nobody gets to just kidnap Mama Hancock without a fight. The Kuja pirates live and die for their Captain!" Artemis declares, energy flowing off her in waves
"Well damn, a legacy that can fight. And not only that, I have the Warlord's sisters, and daughter right here. Perfect" World purrs "More More hundredfold Blitzkrieg!" he declares before moving faster than any of the girls could detect, slamming Sonia's head into the ground while sending Artemis flying straight up with a gut punch
"Nobody hurts my family and gets away with it Medusa Hair: Salamander!" Marigold yells as her flaming snake hair lashes out, only for World to extinguish it with a thunderclap before kicking her into a tree at Mach 1 and backhanding Artemis out of the air as she fell
"Mari, Sonia, Luffy, Artemis! Anyone, please respond!"
"That you Empress?" World asks, Byojack having retrieved the Den Den Mushi while he was piling up the 3 Kuja "Those punks are all still alive, for now. I'm leaving my vivre card with the boy, but if you ever want to see your sisters or daughter again… find me in 2 days before the break of dawn. I'll be waiting" he laughs as the snail goes back to sleep "We're leaving Byojack, we may not have the Empress, but we have something just as good, for now at least Barorororo"
Garreg Mach
"À̴̛͓̗̝̺̳̤̺̞̎͌̍̎̊͝͠ŕ̴̳̠̤̦̔̑̔̏̂͐́è̷͓͍̿̓̓̆̀̄͌̀͗͗͜͝ͅ ̶̜͔̪̻̙͎͒̃͑̒̋͒͋̋͠W̸̢̧̨͈̥͚͉̪̹̤̰̏̍̈̑̌̎͝ͅę̷̥̙̙̞̺͚̝̈̉̆̍̄̐̾̍̄͒͠ ̵̛̪̙̮̤̯̤̳̤̖͕̠͊̅͒̆͋̑̈́͌͗ą̴̨̦̪̞̠͖͒͆̑̈́̈̒ ̴̢̛̥̯̘͎̠̺̺͉̞̞̈́̂̂̊̂̏͒ͅb̸͖̰͕̦͙̥͙̙̖̓ạ̴̧̖̘̟̈́̐̐̑̌͆͛̒͂͛̑ḑ̴̮̭͙̥̫̤̘̠͉̝̠̓̇̑͋́͌ ̸̛̛̱̳̗͍͖͔̳̖̳́̇̃̎̔̔͒͒̅̕͜P̶̢͎̤͔̹̫̠̿̾̿̂͒̆̌̂͂̕̚e̴̲̗͓̹̋̆͌̒͗̈̂́̈́̊̈́͘͜r̴̡̔̎̍̑̓̎͑͠͝͠ş̵̼̫̜̺̄̍̔̔͑͠o̴̡̨̫̜̫̲̝͙͂̆̔́̌͌̎̄̚n̴̛̳̣̫̯̒̏͜?̴̥̹̰͖͈̍̈́̈́͂̔̾̉́̂̂̈́̈," the shadow asks lowly, deep purple eyes peering into Kaos's green
"I, don't know" he admits with a sigh, neither Yig nor Saria was happy with the answer, even if they could sense his honesty.
"Kaos!" he turns his head before standing, since his awakening a separate mirror had been redundant when he could just form them out of his body, which he did a moment later, a spinning disk of silver fluid that smoothed out and shimmered before revealing Hancock's concerned face to him
"Hello, Queenie. What seems to be the problem" he asks with a soft smile, hoping to ease whatever was eating at the snake princess
"It's Artemis" Hancock says, causing his smile to drop and eyes to harden "She's been kidnapped, along with Sonia and Mari by a pirate known as Brryndi World"
"We're going to rescue them correct?" he asks flatly
"Of course, we just need to retrieve his Vivre card from Luffy, as he left it with him after beating him unconscious from the sounds I could make out over the snail" Hancock explains
"I'm coming through" Kaos states rather than asking, the mirror expanding before he walks into and through it, exiting Boa Hancock's bed chambers, and getting a shaking and whimpering Warlord in his arms. Just as the Mirror Gate closes Grima bursts into the room, having just gotten off the Den Den with Rayleigh
"Mother fu…. Of course, he went off half-cocked" Grima mutters, pinching the bridge of her nose "I'll have to call Ray back, so he can at least expect Kaos to show up on his doorstep. Not that he should be surprised, I'd want to break World's nose again if he took a member of my family from me, never mind a child" the dragon zoan scowls, though internally doubts her feelings were purely or even mostly based on the dragonic hoarding traits she exhibited from time to time.
Rusukaina
"He's waking up" a voice is heard, though sounds almost underwater to the half-conscious Luffy
"Reyleigh" he mumbles as he groggily opens his eyes, then notices there was more than just his mentor "Hancock, old lady, Kaos? What are you all doing here?" he asks in confusion, and a little concern given his brother's blank facial expression
"My sisters have been taken, as has Artemis" Hancock explains "We're here for the Vivre card, and then won't trouble you much longer"
"Unless you want to come to help kick this guy's ass, or at least his underlings, I call dibs on making him pay for hurting my kid" Kaos growls, pupils contracting into slits as a low hum of haki bubbles up inside him
"You don't think you can defeat this man if he is the nyo-torious Byrndi World?" Nyon gasps
"I don't care who he is, I'm going to rescue her"
"And I'm coming too" Luffy groans as he pulls himself to his feet "That guy was an asshole and he hurt my friends and family. Lets kick his ass!"
"Rayleigh, talk some sense into these idiots!" Nyon screams
"I'd only be able to stop Luffy at most, Grima warned me Kaos would be, unreasonable to say the least, and to just let him do what he feels he must" The former Roger pirate shrugs "As for Hancock, has anyone ever been able to make her do something she doesn't want to do?" he asks, surprisingly seeing both Luffy and Gloriosa point at Kaos, who's face twitches into a smirk, before reverting to its murderous glare "Bring the boy back alive ay Serpens? He still needs a little more training to get him ready for his New World debut" he winks, getting a nod from Kaos before he turns on his heel and starts to walk back to the ship, Hancock's hands gripping his like a lifeline
Perfume Yuda
"Destroyer of the world huh, talk about a big title" Luffy muses as Nyon explains to him the history of Byrdi World
"So he just kills everything in his path indiscriminately? Honestly surprised anyone would allies with that kind of guy, especially given it doesn't even offer you any protection" Kaos notes "Given you said he even tended to kill his men just as much as he did marines, civilians, and other pirates, it's odd he even still has a crew at all. Though it does explain how the navy was able to get all his enemies to fight World alongside them, the man didn't exactly have any friends and was very good at making enemies. Shame they just threw him in Level 6 rather than kill the bastard when they had the chance"
The next morning
"Well fuck me, it's like Thriller Bark and the Polar Tang had a baby, and that baby got strapped from head to toe in cannons" Kaos grimaces as World's ship, the Groseade surfaces, the size of an island but as formidable any other pirate ship
"So glad of you to arrive so promptly Empress" World greets as he steps into view "So far your sisters and kid are being treated cordially, though that could change at any time," he says as he waves his hand and a panel opens up, revealing the 3 locked up in cage balls
"Big Sis!"
"Run away, save yourself!"
"Papa! No, you can't be here!"
"Sonia, Mari, I'll be right there" Hancock shouts, every muscle in her body tensing
"We'll get you all out of there quick as we can!" Luffy calls up, anger fighting guilt for the spot as his primary emotion right now
"Yeah, I'd going to kill him" Kaos sneers, flecks of red and purple tainting his green eyes
"That kid's here too, don't know who the purple one is though" Byojack admits with a hacking cough
"It doesn't matter who he is, probably a government lackey or bodyguard. Still, the kid can take a beating, I like that in an enemy Barororo!" World cackles "If you want them back you'll have to come and get them, I'll be waiting!" he declares as he returns to the depths of his ship and the cannons on the front deck train themselves on the Kuja ship
"Evasive maneuvers!" Hancock orders, the ship managing to avoid most of the cannon fire, until World pulled out more cannons, prompting Luffy to join in as he usually does
"Gum Gum Balloon!" he shouts as he puffs up and catches the projectiles, before shooting them back destroying the cannons and pausing the assault
"So, the brat has Devil fruit powers, this gets interesting. Give me ammo" World shouts "More More Hundredfold Cannon" he throws more rocks which expand to proper weaponry in a matter of seconds
"Paw Cannon Thrust!"
KABOOM
"That's the Tyrant Kuma's power" Nyon gasps
"Yeah, did nobody tell you I can replicate Devil fruit powers, or at least paramecia if I understand what the fuck they're actually doing?" Kaos asks, eyes locked onto World who frowns at the lack of damage the Kuja ship was sustaining in the onslaught
"Empress, turn yourself over to my men, and nobody else has to be harmed today" World bellows as some of his crew step onto the closest platform of the ship
"Such as this" Saria hums with a sadistic grin, before biting her thumb and forming a 3 pronged purple bubble "Stone Ocean desolation!" she cackles as every man hit with the black-tipped, purple arrows turned to stone… though he aims needs work
"I see you've been experimenting with my Slave arrows, and probably my Mero Mero ni mi too" Hancock winks "Now see a master at work" she declares as she leaps from the Yuda to the Groseade, mopping up anyone Saria had failed to hit and leaving an empty space for Luffy and Saria to board the ship themselves
"Those morons are just begging me to kill them" World mutters while Byojack was deep in thought
'I know that kid looks familiar, it was probably something important and recent too given his age' he wonders before his thoughts were interrupted by Sebastian on the Den Den Mushi
"I'll deal with these intruders Boss"
"Good, you have 5 minutes" World grunts
"How kind, but I'll only need 2, especially if they're all Devil fruit users"
"This is our best route to rescue our family, head straight until we reach the core of the ship" Hancock orders, getting nods from both Straw Hat pirates, only for all 3 of them to be pushed back by a wall of water from the tunnel they were about to enter, Luffy manages to grab the ledge and both Hancock and Saria grabbing him before they fell into the ocean, the rubber boy snapping back and dropping them off back on the deck
"Shesheshe, you want to reunite with your friends that much, I'll be sure to send them to you, after I kill you all" Sebastian chuckles as the giant Fishman steps out of the tunnel, mace resting on his shoulder casually, before swinging it down on the pirates
"Out of my way!" Saria hisses as she leaps and quite literally uses the Fishman as a stepping stone to vault over him and take off running down the tunnel "Justice waits for no butt ugly Fishman and neither do we!"
"Did she just ditch us?" Luffy blinks "Hey, you just wanna take out World before I get to punch him! No fair sis!" the rubber boy whines
"At least it means beloved has faith in us to either defeat or similarly outmaneuver this hulking brute, though I'm afraid the same trick won't work twice, never mind thrice" Hancock sighs "Taste the stone gaze of the Gorgon, beast! Love Love Beam" the pink energy shoots from her hands, but it passes through Sebastian harmlessly "Not another one. Surely even a fishman's tastes in women aren't that far from the norm that I can't affect you?"
"Sorry princess turns out you can't affect a blind man, ironic given the whole love is blind saying" Sebastian chuckles, flicking up his shades to reveal his milky white eyes as well as scars across both of them
"Well, how about this then? Gum-Gum Jet Pistol!" Luffy shouts as he leaps up and cold cocks the Wotan, face-planting him into the deck of the ship with one punch, though he was quick to get back on his feet with a taunting smirk "Damn it, they're never as easy as they look are they?"
"Given he's a Wotan Fishman, he didn't look easy, to begin with," Hancock argues as she manages to kick his mace out of his hand "But he's in the way, so we still have to defeat him to get to World" she adds before Sebastian dives into the water
"Is he running away?" Luffy asks
"No, he's preparing an attack" Hancock responds, proven right when the half-giant leaps out of the water and unleashes a barrage of water bullets, impacting the decking where Luffy and Hancock were mere moments ago
"Radiant divider!" a familiar voice calls, the Fishman barely managing to avoid losing his arm to an energy slash which in turn impacted the main ship, causing a small explosion
"You missed"
"I can fucking see that!"
"I won't" a female voice chimed in
"Wait a minute" Luffy mutters "These guys sound familiar"
"It seems I'm not the only Warlord on World's tail" Hancock muses, as Sebastian attempts to hide using his Camouflage Air technique… only for the arrow to still take out his left knee
"How? That shouldn't have been possible" the Fishman growls as he rips the arrow out
"I locked onto your position, your tricks can't shake me that easily" Nocturne Noire, Sniper/Lookout of the Smile pirates taunts, grinning widely as she notches another arrow "Now be a doll and die for me"
"Debilitating shots only, we need them alive to question" Nylock Morgan sighs "The Government will want to know World's Endgame and we can't interrogate a corpse"
"You think a scratch like this can take me ou…" Sebastian begins to taunt, only to be thrown back when a spear/lance was thrown at him and detonated the moment it impacted his chest, sending the man flying back and KO'ing the giant fishman.
"He's still alive, I think" Ashton hums, while Forrest nods in agreement
"Smile guy!" Luffy perks up then frowns "Wait a minute, you're a Warlord!"
"It's a new thing Straw Hat, don't worry about it" the bluenette shrugs as he leaps across to World's ship, followed by Century and a teal-haired girl with large armored shoulder pads that Luffy thinks resembles knights from storybooks "You let us help deal with this guy, we won't tell the marines you were even here, that sound fair?"
"K. Um, Hancock's sisters and my niece were kidnapped by World, that's why we're even here…. So if you happen to come across them, any chance you can like help rescue them or something?"
"I'll see what I can do" Morgan assures his fellow captains and Warlord "For now, we get a move on"
"Huh, guess I wasn't needed, and I came all this way for nothing" the audible pout had all heads turn, directly up to the floating Perona
"Ghost girl! How are you doing, is Zoro with you?" Luffy shouts, grinning widely
"No you idiot the location of your crewmates are supposed to be a secret you straw hat-wearing himbo!" Perona shrieks, then sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose "I needed some time off the island, so when Mihawk was called for a summit I tagged along, didn't expect to run into you of all people. Hancock and Smiler, them I knew I'd see eventually" the hollow girl notes "Anyway, you keep up whatever stupid you're doing, and leave me out of it, I'll tell Mihawk we've already got 2 Warlords on site and the clown within range, so he can just relax where he is for the moment at least. See ya Luffy, tell Zoro what stupid shit you ran into to cause this incident if you survive ok? Horohorhoro!" she laughs as she flies off
"Your friend is weird" Morgan notes
"Eh, she's Zoro's friend, or more than friend if Kaos is right and they're sleeping together. Which is a shame, as he and Robin both seemed interested in tapping that as they say" Luffy shrugs "Onwards!" he then shouts…. Just in time for him and Hancock to fall through a trapdoor
"It's one thing after another with Straw Hat" Century laughs "Well, might as well enter the normal way, ay boss?"
"Preferably before Buggy makes this a messier trip than it needs to be" Kjelle argues
Within the ship
"Ok, who boobytraps their own ship?" Luffy whines as he pulls himself to his feet
"Someone with either control of their ship via Devil Fruit powers, or someone paranoid to the point of madness. My money's on the former honestly" Hancock answers
"You sure, this place is a maze, so paranoid and crazy is also on the table" Luffy argues
"Further giving weight to the control the ship theory, if they can manipulate all these structures to corral and confuse their enemies" the empress counters
"Eh whatever, either way it's annoying, and Kaos isn't here. Think he found World already?" Luffy asks
"No, the ship isn't shaking so he's probably still searching" Hancock answers with a shake of the head
"Fair enough, he's not in a holding back mood, meaning this ship probably isn't going to see the sunset" Luffy mutters just as the 2 reach a clearing "Ok, maybe you were right, this seems too perfect to be an accident. Also, any ideas?"
"Given this place is a maze, any option will do, so we'll go right and see if that gets us either out of this place or closer to the girls" Hancock decides, running down another corridor, only for a block to drop down and seal it off, separating her from Luffy
"Well, nice of you to drop in kid, time for a little fun, Barorororo" World cackles from where he was standing, the cube that just dropped
"World, don't underestimate the kid, he's straw Hat Luffy, the one from the papers who raided Impel Down and attacked Marineford to rescue his brother" Byojack relays through a Den Den Mushi
"Who?" World asks in confusion
"Right, damn it, you really aren't up to date on a lot of things. He's also Vice Admiral Garp's grandson!"
"Shit, the guy who throws cannonballs like they're soda cans? This twerp is related to him, and the source of the mayhem Marineford is in the midst of, don't make me laugh"
"Not just him, both of his older brothers are just as if not more powerful, Portgas D. Ace and Serpens D. Kaos, plus they're both sons of the Yonko Whitebeard"
"Damn it, just my luck" World scowls "Well at least I got the pipsqueak rather than one of the other 2 then" he chuckles
"Given my brother wants to kick your ass for stealing his kid… yeah you probably lucked out, just a little" Luffy couldn't help but agree "But hey, least it means I get first crack at you" he smirks before leapign forward and launching a punch, which World easily dodges, and counters with a suckerpunch, throwing Luffy against one of the various stone cubes that made up the arena "Shit, guess I need to take it up a notch. Gear 2nd: Gum-Gum Jet Gattling!" he cries, unleashing a barrage of punches that barely register to the eye, and while the attack was the one to take down Rob Lucci, World just bobbed and weaved around the strikes, before landing an armament haki coated punch just below Luffy's ribs, leaving an indentation in his rubber body for a minute or 2, not that it matters as World kicks him through the wall into his weapons storage room.
"You're not dead yet, but I'm getting bored of just knocking you around, so feel free to take any weapon you like to make it interesting. I've got swords, spears, hammers, maces, guns, a flail, I think there's a Buster Sword around here somewhere" World mutters to himself, not feeling the need to pay attention to the downed rubber boy
"I don't need them. I don't need any weapon" Luffy scowls as he re-enters Gear 2nd "Jet Pistol" he cries and while World was able to avoid most of the damage, the jet black fist still managed to cut his cheek 'Haki' Luffy thinks, as while still not reliable, at least he was able to use it to get first blood
"Don't get too cocky there kid, you clearly can't control your haki, that was the equivalent of a lucky shot at best. You may have survived Marineford, but that doens't mean shit here, you're still just a little punk and I'll proe it. If you can't dodge this attack, nothing you've got will even touch me. Brace yourself for More More Hundredfold Speed!" World declares before throwing a handful of shurikens into the air and zipping around the room, smacking Luffy around like he was in a pinball machine, then finishing with a haki-coated gutpunch and pinning him with the still falling throwing stars. "How, disappointing, I presume you came to help the Empress save her weakling sisters and daughter right? Ah what's the point asking you, you're already unconscious" World mutters and begins to walk away, missing Buggy and co. as he heads back toward the main section of his ship, and in doing so, allowed the clown pirate to do their best to patch up Luffy
Elsewhere
"Where, am I? This place smells like an Apothecary, and I really wish I didn't know that because of Artemis and Tharja" Hancock mutters as the next area she comes across looks like an actual living area, soon finds some old lady working at the desk on the other side of the room
"Welcome Pirate Empress" the woman croons without turning her head or stopping whatever she was doing
"You failed to introduce yourself, don't even turn to greet your guest and ignored me long enough I've already walked across this room. You're a very rude old lady, and given how much of a cunt Nyon can be sometimes…. That's saying a lot coming from me" Hancock critiques and sighs, wanting whatever shitshow this fight was going to be, to be over so she can find her sisters and Artemis
Rather than be offended the old bag just cackles "To think, the World government made a prissy little thing like you a Warlord, they really must be losing their minds" she smirks as she turns and waddles her way closer to Hancock "I'm Nightin, doctor of the World Pirates, and master of Kampo Kenpo if you must know"
"I don't care, but at least I got a name out of that hot air" Hancock shrugs while Salome just looked sleepy "Tell me where you're keeping my family or I'm going to break you to pieces slowly until you do" she threatens
"You may not care about me, but I know plenty about you thanks to Byojack, I've even spent the time since World came up with this plan to develop a counter to your Mero Mero no mi" Nightin boasts
"Is it blinding yourself? Or a gimp suit, because I'd rather not see the latter. Pain, blindness, and innocence seem to be the only counters I'm aware of, to be honest" Hancock questions, a part of her actually curious, but also knowing she still had techniques that should bypass her countermeasures, even if her beams and arrows will be rendered useless "Fuck it I don't care anymore. Love Love beam!" Hancock decides to just go for broke and take out the only obstacle to her path straight away
"Kampo Kenpo: Fishwort Hell" Nightin cries as she downs a mortar of herbs just before the beam hits her, the Devil fruit's power passing through her harmlessly while her face twists in pain and disgust, before finally reaching a peak as she screams and flail "Sorry princess, your power is impressive, but it's much to easily countered, thanks to this special blend of hundred of the most bitter herbs known to medicine, it purges my heart of all wicked desires, rendering your Devil Fruit powers worthless against me. And now it's my turn, brat" the old lady smirks before downing a jar of some other concoction and leaping at Hancock "Kanpo Kenpo: Poison Mist" she gurgles before spraying a green fog at Hancock who tries to defend herself though was confused by the lack of anything happening… until she looked down
"What the hell?" she squeaks as the mist began to eat away at her clothes
"Who's the classless one now tart? But it's about time I really got serious" Nighting hums before pulling a vial of pink powder from her pocket and draining it "Kampo Kempo Secret Medicine: Ginseng Newcomer" she declares as before the Kuja's eyes the shriveled-up old lady expands, regenerated and perks up to that of a rather well looking, middle-aged at most, woman, even her voice sounded lighter and full of life "I may be 80 years old, but with the right herbal regiments, I still look and feel amazing"
"Great, I'm half naked and you're no longer bootable, this fight is going to be longer than expected" Hancock mutters, then has to weave around the repeated high speed kicks Nightin launched at her, leaping over the regenerated doctor to the banisters of the stairs, then onto the railing above them when Nighting launched a Cordyceps Soul Shot.
"This is a taste of what I was capable of back in my heyday, impressed yet? You youngesters may not like the Kampo part, but the Kenpo part tends to catch the eyes" Nightin laughs
"You're really starting to annoy me" Hancock huffs, forming a heart balloon and pulling back "Maybe a Slave arrow or 20 will shut you up" she says as she fires, but Nightin uses the herbs piles on her desk to form barriers to block the attack "Fair enough, that attack is a slower projectile, how about a Pistol Kiss instead?" she asks, firing little hearts from her fingertips, but once more they were all blocked by the restored World Doctor's herbal barriers
"You can fire those shots all day you'll never hit me, I was the Queen of Kampo Kenpo for 50 years you stupid harlot. You're not that strong, nor that hot, bitch"
"In that case, grant me one final request…" Hancock pants, a light blush forming on her cheeks "... shut your filthy mouth and never open it again" she commands, eyes glistening and face the peak of sweetness, it even manages to counteract the herbs to the point Nightin was blushing herself…. Which prompted her to dive for more bitter herbs to regain her protection/immunity
"Damn it, she's like some kind of succubus, a demon of desires made flesh" Nightin grimaces as she swallows the concoction, then leaps at Hancock who was still in 'adore me' mode, merely bobbing and weaving as she dodges the doctor's strikes "You may be able to bat your eyes at most but I'll run you through!" she declares as Hancock leaps across to Salome "Taste my Cordeceps Soul Burst!" she shouts as she lunges at Hancock…. Only to get slapped down by her familiar's tail
"§Thank you Salome§" Hancock hisses with a soft smile
"§No problem Mistress§" the snake coos, panting as she rubs it's scalp
"Using your snake's cheating!" Nighting shouts!
"It is, oh my" Hancock swoons "How tragic I wasn't informed"
'Damn it, how she's so good at being adorable?' Nightin mentally groans, her body heating up from Hancock's sheer beauty. Her eyes shifting erratically from her standard color to heart-shaped irises. Her artificial purity clashes with her burgeoning desire.
"You look a little peaky hon, is your medicine not working?" Hancock asks, having stopped covering herself and turned to gaze down at the woman
"That's not going to work you government whore, I don't swing that way!" Nighting screams waving her arms at the Empress
"Are you sure, a lot of girls say that, before meeting me?" Hancock asks, fluttering her eyelashes "Though that's true about a lot of things…" she continues "...I can kill you in so many gruesome ways, tear you apart like a wild beast, and nobody will bat an eye. Do you know why, Miss Nightin? It's because I am beautiful!" she announces, tilting her body into her signature 'so far back the highest point of her body is her bosom' position
"Damn it, she's just too sexy!" Nightin squeals as Hancock's sheer unparalleled hotness purged all of the medicines from her body in a heart-shaped fountain of energy, shriveling her up to her previous old form
"Perfume Femur" Hancock calls as she kicks Nigthin in the face, petrifying her as well as smashing through her desk in the process "I think we've learned something very important today. Nothing can counter my beauty, or even make it wane" she grins haughtily as she struts out of the room, intent on finding her family
Surveillance room
"This isn't good. Straw Hat's still alive, Hancock took out Nightin, I've lost the other woman, and both Warlord Buggy and Morgan's crews have boarded the ship" Byojack mutters to himself as he scans the feeds "Wait, where's Gairam?" he gasps, just before several feeds light up and flash a blinding blue "Gairam? Gairam!" the sickly pirate shouts into his Den Den Mushi
The cube maze
"Damn it! Someone's fucking with me right now!" Luffy screams as he runs around in circles, before the cubes all begin to sink into the floor "That was weird"
Meanwhile
"I bet Straw hat is done with World by now, so it's time to take the cred… I mean check up on the lad" Buggy grins as he and his crew end up wandering into the engine room
"I think we took a wrong turn" Galdino hums before leaping back as the wall erupts into cubes and a large man with large cube-shaped tufts of hair appeared, steam billowing out of his ears
"Where'd that bitch go?" Gairam bellows, to the confusion of, basically everyone
"The empress?" Kabaji asks
"No! The one with the rage of a thunder god!"
"Huh?"
Flashback
KABOOM
"Hey, you can't just go around breaking me ship little lady" Gairam scolds as he drops down to the blown open door to see a cloaked woman step through, face expressionless but her fingers twitching "Here let's do this properly. I'm Gairam, shipwright of the…"
"I don't care, and your Devil Fruit is an affront to my eyes" Saria hisses before grabbing the man by his face "10,000 volt Bari!" she cries as lighting courses through the cube man's body, sending him flying across the room and embedding him in the wall "I really hate this fucking day, and the Mao Mao no mi"
End Flashback
"So Straw Hat got himself a side piece, impressive" Buggy mutters, several of his crew nod in agreement
'He really has no brain between his ears. The only person we know who has multiple Devil Fruit powers is Luffy's brother Kaos, and given Ivakov's Devil Fruit can change your sex it being a woman means it could still be that purple-haired psychopath' Galdino panics
"Pistol Kiss" was heard from the doorway as Gairam gets blasted between the eyes and turns into a very confused statue, just as a half-dressed Hancock peers inside "You, clown! Where is Luffy or my Beloved?" she asks with a scowl
"Straw Hat went that way, haven't seen the lanky fuck all day" Buggy admits
"Your new garden ornament mentioned getting thunderstruck by a purple-haired girl, but that means he also didn't see where she went, so probably isn't as helpful as you'd like" the Waxman adds
"It's better than nothing" Hancock admits, then runs off "Hold on Luffy, don't go off and fight World alone you rubber brained idiot!" her shouts could be heard even as she vanishes into the depths of the ship
"That was weird" Moji mutters, getting a nod from the rest of the crew and even Ritchie the lion.
Chamber of spikes
"I had hoped it would be the Empress who got here first given she apparently soloed the rest of my heavies, but I suppose I can get a warmup from beating you to a bloody pulp first" World smirks as Saria enters the arena, cloak hanging off her shoulders, face expressionless and dressed in a belly top and knee length shorts, she didn't look like much to the bulky Pirate Captain "I'll be nice and make sure your body is at least recognizable when the Empress or Straw Hat get here. More More thirtyfold Smash!" he shouts as he leaps at the woman, just as she jabs her needle nails into her hip…
CLANG
…and Kaos catches the punch in a reflect armored hand, talon like nails only prevented from digging into World's flesh by the man's haki "You have my daughter" he hisses lowly "So I'm going to make this hurt, a LOT, and then just maybe I'll let you live. Probably not"
Once the surprise wears off, World actually chuckles "You're going to need to try harder than that to intimidate me kid, as just cause you're bigger than you were a minute ago doesn't mean you're any stronge-" the pirate doesn't finish his sentence as Kaos lets go of his fist only to kangaroo kick World toward the center of the arena "Well shit, this might be fun after all. More More Thirtyfold speed" he calls before zipping around the room, the purplette following, while not at the same speed, but closer than he'd expected
"Sonido" was heard behind him, World having just enough time to block the punch with a haki augmented forearm, before countering with a straight cross to the jaw, Kaos flying across the arena but manages to use his tail as a spring to stick the landing "Ok, so maybe I underestimated how much that brain of your actually works. But it's no fun if you were that easy to kill" Kaos hums as he pulls out Hebi and coats his left arm with his reflect armour before activating "Anord Nathair: Mamba" as he transitions to his speed form, leaping at World but barely missing due to his Moa Moa enhanced speed-boosting
"You've got some skill, but not enough to beat me. More More Fiftyfold Shotgun" World bellows before blowing on the dust in the room, causing a flurry of small rocks to form and come flying toward Kaos, who shifted Hebi to its Greatsword form to block the attack "I had suspicions, but that's confirmation if ever I saw it. That's his sword, isn't it? The Hebi no Oni no mi?"
"Yeah, it is, what about it?" Kaos asks in confusion
"A Yonko's kid, with that sword…. I guess I just thought you'd be tougher is all" World taunts, only to have to tilt his head in order to avoid a spinning strike from the blade, though it did snap the remaining horn from his helmet in the process "Better, but not by much"
Rumble! Boom! Crash!
"What now?" World grunts and Kaos thinks, explosions and destruction could be heard even here in the heart of the ship
"World, it's the Navy, they've found us and they're bombarding the ship" Byojack relays, just as a magma strike from outside takes out the roof
"Then do something about it!" World bellows, meanwhile, Kaos looks up, and while annoyed the melting roof means Akainu was outside, noted the Bazelguise flying overhead with a hint of his normal giddy amusement, as well as knowing she was the cause of some of the destruction from earlier, it was literally a Bomber Dragon after all.
"Fuck it, gonna need a bit more bulk to actually damage this hard head" the purplette sighs, switching to his hybrid form while World argued with his brother over the Den Den Mushi "Kiba Sutoraiki" he hisses as toxic green talons pierced World's arm, the venom getting through his haki worth the retaliatory punch to the snout
"Another snake, just my day" World scowls, the wounds already starting to itch and burn "I'll deal with that later, first I kill you. More More Fiftyfold speed"
High above them
"Not good, not good" Byojack mutters as he tries to keep the ship from falling into chaos
"WORLD!" the old man flinches as a screaming rubber boy enters the chamber "Wait a minute, shit did I get lost again? Hey old guy, where's World?" Luffy asks
"I'll never tell you anything Straw Hat, I may be frail, but I'm still protect my little brother with all my heart" Byojack declares, putting on a tough expression, only for Luffy to laugh, which was actually how Hancock found them
"What did you do to him you bag of bones?" Hancock shouts
"Nothing, I just told him I wasn't going to tell him where World was" Byojack admits,
"I think I understand World better now" Luffy finally says with a sigh "If you're his impulse control, no wonder he's such a loose cannon"
"I don't understand" Hancock admits, her face contorted in confusion
"He's World's older brother, and if kid World was anything like me, he needed someone to pull his head out of his ass when he has a dumb idea, something, Kaos, Ace, and Sabo were really good at doing for me. But he just had this guy, which is basically nothing in that situation, meaning every idea he had, he went through with, with no arguments" Luffy explains
Hancock blinks "Huh, that actually makes sense, as weird as that is coming from you"
"Oh come on!" Luffy whines just a rumbling is heard somewhere below "Kaos is fighting World right now isn't he?"
"Yep," all 3 pirates look up to see the hanging prisoners "Pop's is going to kick his ass," Artemis says with a grin, before kicking off her shoes
"Don't even think about it kiddo, you don't know if that would even work" Hancock warns
"Does she really think she can just kick open the cage door?" Byojack thinks aloud
"If we could do that we'd be free already" Marigold argues, getting a smirk from Artemis
"But you didn't have this. Dragon's Breath" Artemis chants lighting her fingertips with a snap before blowing it out, the doorway engulfed in the cone of flames "And step 2: Glacial Cross" She extingushed the fire and the edge of her hands turned a deep blue as she crossed them over her chest like Robin, then swung forward forming a large X of ice magic, flash-freezing the metal of the cage "And finally….Kuja Kenpo: Lunging fangs!" she cries as she grabs the highest point of her cage, bends up her legs and kicks out at full strength, armament haki flaring across her entire lower leg just before impacting and practically shattering the door before dropping out to freedom "Tada!"
"YOU DIDN'T DO THAT SOONER!?" Sonia and Mari scream out
"World could have come back at any time, at least now it's just the old guy, plus Luffy and Mama Hancock are here, so it's safe for me to break free" Artemis argues.
"I really hope I don't have to beat you in order to get the key to my sister's cage, because I will do it if I have to, I do it on the regular back home" Hancock threatens
"She's right, Granny Nyon really should have learned by now, but nope" Sonia giggles
Back to the lower levels
"Why won't you die already?" World bellows as another punch is knocked aside by a haki's kick, his other hand blocking a tail strike to the kidney, which left him open to…
"Demon Art: Lily's Vitality Vines!" The tattoo on Kaos's right ribs, of a knarled tree shimmers and flares before haki-coated vines shot from his fingers, growling as the attack missed its target who managed to put distance between them before the attack could land "Yeah, should have known she was too slow to hit someone like you, time for the old reliable" he mutters before rushing the man
"More More Hundred-Fold Cannon!" World shouts as he tears into the debris their fighting has caused, aiming straight for the purple haired man, who didn't even seem to react before he buried his fists in World's gut
"Sen'ei Jashu" Kaos hisses, landing a few strikes to World's centre mass before being backhanded away b the furious Level 6er
"How? I know I hit you, you didn't even try to dodge!" World bellows, while Kaos just smirks
"I'm just better than you World, you got soft, you got old, and you're about to lose it all" Kaos taunts through bloodied teeth, knowing there wasn't much time left till the ship starts to sink, so might as well get this fight over with faster. Absorbing his cloak into his body, Kaos' eyes flash silver before turning from green to black as he swings his arm back and it goes on, and on, and on, and on, through as many walls as needed in.
"You think a trick like that will beat me, I already took out some rubber freak, you won't be any different" World declares, before using hsi fruit to amp up his own power to as far as he could do it, bulking up in size and muscle mass as he does so "More More…"
"Gomu Gura no…." Kaos begins to chants
"...Hundredfold SMASH!"
Outside
"That's new, didn't think Straw Hat could stretch that far" Perona hums as the ship hull nearest them explodes outward and a fist shoots out
"That's not Straw Hat" Mihawk argues, tilting his hat to hide his face as his mouth twitches into a small smirk, meanwhile Perona's eyes bulge as an energy sphere envelops the fist before it shoot back into the depths of the ship
Spike arena
"...Megatonne!" Kaos cries as World's fist barely missed his cheek and in turn, crushes his skull, meanwhile, his fist struck World right in the sternum, impacting all the stored energy to center mass, and that was before the quake bubble broke.
Reality seemed to not only crack but the colors inverted, as even as the backlash shook through him Kaos couldn't help but laugh, his talons anchoring him to the ground, especially as World nearly flew backward, were it not for a simple, secondary attack…..
Console station
"Damn it Kaos, that has to be overkill" Luffy curses as everyone tries to maintain their balance as the entire ship shakes violently, meanwhile Artemis's eyes widen as she see's the way her father's energy flows and changes, matching his brother and fathers, before at the last moment….
"Mom" she gasps, her eyes shimmering as the others turn to her, then the screens given where she was looking, and gasps.
Arena
"One Hundred Petals: Spring's End" Kaos sighs, wincing as the force shatters the constructs, though not before the bladed hands impale the so-called 'Destroyer of the World', meaning that as they fade, they drop his body like a lead weight "Yes, I think we are" he mutters to himself, breathing heavily as he sways from side to side
"You dumbass!" Kaos chuckles as he hears his brother before Luffy jumps from high above down to directly in front of him "I'm supposed to be the reckless one, what the Hell was that all about? Also, how is your arm not exploded?"
"Turns out your fruit and Pop's fruit actually seem to get along rather well, at least enough to not need me to regrow my arm" Kaos admits, then winces as he clenches his fist "Still a bit tender, but better than last time"
"Given your arm exploded last time, I sure hope so" both boys turn to see all 3 Boa sisters and Artemis running down the stairs, 3 of whom tackle hug Kaos, to the amusement of Marigold and Luffy, despite the situation
"We should probably go, before the navy sink the ship, or notice you 2 are here" Hancock suggests, getting nods from all 5 of them
"I'll help him stand" Sonia coos, pulling Kaos to his feet and draping his arm over her shoulders "I'm sure he could recover with us back on Amazon Lily, right Big Sis?" she asks with fluttering eyelashes
"Be horny later flee the sinking ship now" Marigold scolds as Luffy and Hancock lead the way out of the ship, getting a final glace and nod from the Smile pirates, as well as a 'lips are sealed' gesture from Morgan (who was riding the dragon, go figure) before 6 of them scramble onto the Perfume Yuda and flee the sinking ship.
Amazon Lily
"Today wasn't a total loss" Kaos turns his eyes to the mirror, the demented grin of Mayhem staring back "You saved a princess, got revenge on your daughter's kidnapper, had your way with some VERY lovely Amazons…." the being winks as Kaos looks down to Sonia drooling on his chest and Hancock with her face pressed into the crook of his neck, his left hand possessively cupping her generous rear "And last but not least…. We got MORE power Zesesesese" the Straw Hat researcher's smirk reaches his ears, as sitting at the end of Hancock's bed, was a copper green watermelon.
The Moa Moa no mi.
TBC
LW: Well, I think that turned out alright. Thoughts? See you all in 2 weeks for the next one!