Chapter 16
"Which one of you bastards made Robin scream in pain? If I have to ask again, everyone suffers the consequences."
Zoro stood in front of the recovering skeleton musician and flower flower devil fruit user with killing intent in his eye. The DEATH members watched with fear and some even fell on their butts due to the swordsman's killer stare.
"Grgh….grgh…argh…heh heh heh…that was…an interesting attack you've done there…" The squid man spit up blood.
"Looks like you're in no position to fight, but if you're the one who hurt Robin… then I'll show you hell right here." Zoro said menacingly.
The squid man turned around to look at the one-eyed swordsman.
"How dare you threaten me… I can kill you easily… you just caught me off guard." Squid said.
"Threatening me with death… you'd damn well better kill me then." Zoro said, putting a sword in his mouth.
The squid laughed and grabbed two swords.
"Gladly. I'll kill you right now, Roronoa Zoro, then I'll kill the girl and skeleton." Squid said.
The squid barely finished his sentence though as Zoro charged him with three-sword style, the squid blocked the attack and the two were at a standstill.
DRUM VILLAGE
"Collier Shoot!" Sanji yelled as he jumped in the air and kicked Gaston in the neck and down towards the ground.
Gaston hit the ground with a boom and Sanji followed.
"Mouton Shot!" Sanji yelled as he began kicking rapidly as he came down onto Gaston's body, kicking him hundreds of times simultaneously further into the snow-covered ground. When he was done, steam came up from the hole Sanji and Gaston were in. Sanji jumped out and lit a smoke.
"Well. That wasn't too tough." Sanji said.
"That was amazing Sanji!" Sakura said.
"HAIIII IT'S NOTHING SAKURA-CHANNNN! ANYTHING FOR YOU!" Sanji said, hearts in his eyes.
Nami looked the other way.
"But Sanji-kun! How are you moving right now? Let alone kicking? Didn't your leg get burned up and your chest cut badly?" Sakura asked, "As a doctor where I'm from I don't think you should be moving too much."
"Ahhhh Sakura-chan I appreciate the concern, but there's still a lot you must learn about me. The wounds I got from that turban guy were nothing much, I just needed a little rest." Sanji explained.
"What is he? To get those kinds of wounds and recover so fast?" Sakura asked herself.
"We need to get looking for survivors." Nami said, interrupting the conversation.
Sanji's face became serious.
"Agreed. Let's move." Sanji said.
"These two are friends right? They both seem… off… when they're around each other." Sakura thought to herself, but she knew now wasn't the time for that, they had to find any survivors they could.
Before the three could go anywhere a giant metal fist stopped them in their path.
"And where the hell do you think you're all going?" A giant asked.
The three all stared up at the giant with black steel armor and giant metal hands.
"Great another one, we don't have time for this." Sanji said.
"KILL ME THEN! HA HA HA HA HA!" The giant laughed, throwing a punch at the ground.
The punch's shockwave blew the three heroes back, but they all rolled and recovered.
"Come on girls! We can take this guy, he's big and strong, but he's not the boxer guy. We have the advantage with speed and power." Sanji said.
"Maybe both of YOU have the power advantage I'm wielding a climate changing staff." Nami complained.
"Look what in the world is your deal? You weren't like this when we first met… now it seems like you complain about everything, and it's clear you don't like me. So, what the hell is it? Do you want to fight me or something?" Sakura asked, fury in her eyes, "I didn't come all the way here to make enemies with people I'm supposed to be friends with so what do you want to do about your feelings towards me?! LET ME KNOW! RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW!" Sakura yelled.
Nami's eyes perked up and Sanji looked towards the giant but he listened to the girls behind him.
"And if you won't tell me what the problem is… then I'll beat it out of you! Right after we beat up this giant!" Sakura continued.
Nami continued to stare.
FLASHBACK
"You're jealous of the new girl is it?"
"I don't know why though? I mean it's obvious I feel SOMETHING for Sanji, but I always pushed him away because he'd just come back… but now… I feel like he won't come back this time." Nami admitted.
"Nami." Robin said.
Nami looked at Robin.
"I've been reading this book lately. It's about two people who loved each other and knew it without ever telling each other how the other felt." Robin said.
"How did they know they felt that way if they never said it?" Nami asked.
"Because no matter what, no matter how far they tried to get away from other, no matter how much they talked to other people, they always ended up back together, and they always felt at home when they were with each other." Robin said.
"So basically, I just wait to see who he chooses?" Nami asked disappointed.
"Well, that's up to you. You have to let him do what he wants. Trying to force him to be yours will probably make his romantic feelings for you diminish." Robin explained.
END OF FLASHBACK
Nami stared at the pink-haired kunoichi
"She's right… what the hell is wrong with me? This isn't like me at all… worrying about a guy in a life or death battle like this… I'll apologize to her and Sanji-kun when this is all over… I was out of line. I'll take your advice, Robin."
Nami finally spoke to Sakura, who still stared at her.
"I'll happily explain to you why I've been so out of character, but only after we beat this big idiot in front of us. Together." Nami said, with a smile.
"So, finally a real smile this time. Alright, let's do this then!" Sakura thought to herself.
Sanji let out a small smirk at hearing the end of the conversation and spoke.
"You might be a giant…" Sanji started.
"But you'll fall here and now…" Nami continued.
"You're not dealing with some amateurs, we won't make it easy for you." Sakura finished, punching her hand.
IN FRONT OF DRUM CASTLE
Naruto stared at Onawagi who laid, seemingly, unconscious on the battle field.
"If he's knocked out from that you must have been doing a number on him Sasuke." Naruto said.
"His abilities are incredibly dangerous to those without the ability to even see an outline of him like I can. He's talented, but far from the toughest fight I've had." Sasuke explained.
Naruto walked over and helped up Hancock.
"Hey, you okay?" Naruto asked.
Hancock looked up at Naruto.
"Yeah… I'm fine… wait… aren't you? One of the injured that were carried on the boat to come out here?" Hancock asked.
"Yeah, I was. But I'm better now!" Naruto said, thumbs up and a smile.
Hancock's eyes widened.
"That means!... Luffy!" Hancock expressed.
Naruto stared at her.
EARLIER
Chopper walked around the room with a chart he used to keep tabs on his patients, all were in stable condition. Zoro, Sanji, Luffy, and Naruto were all stitched/bandaged up, and getting blood pumped into their bodies. Usopp laid on a bed sleeping.
"What kind of guy did you all fight?" Chopper asked out loud, "I hope you never fight him again, just from this fight alone Zoro and Sanji were almost killed. Luffy and the blonde one though… their injuries are indeed big ones, but nothing fatal, they were warning shots most likely… a demonstration of power."
Chopper finished checking on all the patients and went back to grinding up medicines and making pills for later treatment.
Luffy and Naruto both woke up and yawned.
"Ahhhh what a nice nap! Hm? Where am I?" Luffy asked, looking around.
Chopper turned around with excitement in his eyes.
"Luffy! Blonde hair!" Chopper yelled.
"Hey! My name is Naruto!" Naruto corrected.
"Sorry! I never knew…" Chopper said.
"Oi, Chopper, where are we?" Luffy asked.
"Oh! Um, you and Naruto were both very injured, as well as Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp. We brought you back to my home island for treatment. Robin, Brook, and I have all been tending to your injuries!" Chopper explained.
"Where is everyone right now?" Naruto asked.
Chopper looked towards the ground.
"Right… That Onawagi guy was punched out of the Docorine's castle and then there was heavy cannon fire and DEATH members running into the city, even a huge lightening strike…" Chopper said.
"Lightning?! Eneru?!" Luffy asked.
"I don't know! I don't know who's fighting him right now either if it is him, but he's at the docks I-."
Chopper was interrupted by Luffy running out the door.
"LUFFY! YOU'RE STILL NOT 100 PERCENT YET! LUFFY!" Chopper yelled.
"Let him go Chopper, you know how he is, he'll be okay. Where are Nami, Sakura, Robin, and Hancock?" Sanji asked.
"ARE THEY ALL YOU CARE ABOUT YOU FOOL!" Chopper asked with an angry face, "But um… Hancock didn't jump out the castle when we did, Robin is right outside with Brook, and Nami and Sakura are both fighting in the village."
"They probably need my help! I'm good to go right doc?" Sanji asked.
"Of course, n-."
"Of course?! THANKS DOC!" Sanji said, bursting out the room.
"WHY DOESN'T ANYONE LISTEN TO ME!" Chopper yelled out with tears.
Naruto looked over at the reindeer.
"They must always act like this." Naruto asked with a smile.
"Yeah. It's dangerous, but it can't be helped. They care about each other a lot." Chopper said.
Naruto smiled and got up.
"DON'T TELL ME YOU'RE LEAVING TOO!?" Chopper complained.
"Sorry little buddy, I've got to! I'm ready for payback. If Luffy is going to the docks and Sanji is going to the village, then I'll go to where Sasuke and the docorine are." Naruto said.
"UGH! If you must go, they're up at the top of Drum Mountain. You can get there by lift." Chopper explained.
Naruto ran towards the door and thanked Chopper.
"Thanks doc! But I won't need it!" Naruto added before he left.
PRESENT
Naruto continued to stare at Hancock until he spoke again.
"He's fine. We all are, the swordsman and sniper were still unconscious though when I left." Naruto said.
"Well I don't care about them! I only asked about Luffy!" Hancock added.
Naruto fell on his head.
"What kind of ally is she?!" Naruto asked.
"She's not one entirely, she's actually a DE-well, former, DEATH member." Sasuke said.
Naruto got up and stared at Hancock again, who stared back.
"So, you are huh?" Naruto asked.
"It's more complicated than just me joining! I never agreed with what that psychopath talked about, I had my reasons." Hancock explained.
As the team spoke, Onawagi coughed up a little blood and slowly got to his feet. Naruto turned to look at him.
"So. This is the blind guy? The one who attacked the sand?" Naruto asked.
Sasuke nodded in confirmation.
"And that woman's son." Sasuke said, pointing at Kureha.
Naruto's eyes opened in shock.
"HUUHHHHH?! A GUY LIKE THAT IS YOUR SON?!" Naruto asked loudly, "So how'd he get… all…. Evil and stuff? Was he always like this?" Naruto asked.
"No… he wasn't…" Kureha answered.
Naruto looked at her with a serious face.
"She's right…" A voice said.
Everyone all looked over at Onawagi who stood up.
"I used to be called… the angel child of Drum Kingdom." Onawagi said in a weak voice.
DEATH BOAT
"Strong right!" Franky yelled as he continued to take out DEATH members.
On the DEATH boat, Kakashi, Sabo, and Luffy continued their battle with the thunder god, Eneru.
Kakashi jumped in the air to kick Eneru who lifted his staff and Kakashi landed on it. Sabo ducked under and threw a hard punch to Eneru's gut with his rubber gloves and landed. Eneru coughed up spit as he leaned forward, Luffy jumped above him and slammed his two feet, put together like a spear, into his back. Luffy back flipped back to Sabo and Kakashi.
Eneru slowly got on his hands and knees and wore an angry expression.
"Why the hell do you always get in my way? Why does there have to be people like you who fight for your supposed justice? WHY?!" Eneru yelled.
"Because we know what's right and wrong." Kakashi said.
Eneru looked up, surprised.
"Just because your boss shouts some orders and then throws the words peace and justice behind it, doesn't mean what you're doing will benefit this world." Kakashi explained.
"All these people have lost homes and maybe even their lives because of this attack, tell me, how is that related to peace?" Sabo asked.
Eneru looked down and started to laugh.
"YA HA HA HA HA! From the outside looking in it might seem that way, but I don't listen to that man for no reason. There's truth behind the words he speaks, and I intend to uphold them. Besides, I could care less if he wanted to kill everyone in this world… I wouldn't have to worry about punks like you bothering me!" Eneru said.
"So that's it huh?" Kakashi started.
Eneru got to his feet and looked at Kakashi.
"You really joined this organization so you could rule with nobody to oppose you?" Kakashi asked.
"That's exactly right… when Psycho takes over this world… I'll be able to do as I please for as long as I please, that's why I will ensure his plan works." Eneru explained.
"WELL WHAT IS HIS PLAN!?" Luffy yelled.
"I don't have to answer that… and I'm not going to. You've all made me very upset, I'm going to end you all. Right. Now." Eneru said, tapping all the drums on his back.
The lightning circled him, and he became a giant lightning man.
DRUM VILLAGE
Nami created four other mirages and ran around the giant letting cool and warm bubbles mix around him.
"What the hell is this?! Playing with bubbles?" The giant looked down and started throwing punches at the mirages to get rid of them.
He threw a punch that almost hit the real Nami, but Sakura intercepted the punch with a block and began clashing fists with the giant man. Her left fist his his right fist and vice versa.
"Thanks Sakura!" Nami said, "THUNDER BOLT TEMPO!"
A giant lightning bolt came down on the giant shocking him where he stood. As he fell forward, toasted, Sanji had charged up his Diable Jambe and landed under the giant's stomach.
"ANTI-MANNER KICK COURSE!" Sanji yelled as he delivered a 180-degree vertical flame kick that sent the giant flying high.
Sakura stayed behind and charged her chakra punch. As the giant man came coming down she launched forward at a great speed.
"CHAAAAAAAAAA! FLY AWAY!" Sakura yelled as she caught the giant right in the middle of his body.
"GUAHHHHH!" The giant let out a groan and spit out blood as he was blown away.
The giant's body tumbled through the village until it came across a boat. The DEATH boat.
DEATH BOAT
Kakashi pulled Luffy to the side.
"You can launch people at incredible speeds right?" Kakashi whispered.
"SURE CAN! WHAT DO YOU NEED OLD MAN?" Luffy yelled.
"AHHHH! For you to be quiet for a second!" Kakashi pleaded, "When I see the proper opening I'm going to end this fight… I'll let you know when I need you."
Luffy smiled big.
"I understand old guy."
"YA HA HA HA. Prepare to die in my strongest form…hm?" Eneru looked out to the side and saw a giant heading for his boat.
Kakashi and the others looked back and saw the giant coming as well.
"Oh no! Everyone move now!" Kakashi ordered.
Sabo grabbed Luffy and jumped out of the boat, Kakashi followed. Eneru stared with a blank face and held out his hand. Eneru shot a beam of lightning that lifted the giant above and over him, destroying the roof of the ship in the process and the back of the boat as the giant crashed through it, landing in the ice water. Eneru looked back at the giant and then forward and wore a shocked expression.
Luffy was in gum gum bazooka stance with Kakashi at the end of it, both hands occupied by lightning blades.
"NOW! LUFFY!" Kakashi yelled.
"GUM GUM BAZOOKA!" Luffy yelled as he launched Kakashi.
"I THOUGHT I ALREADY TOLD YOU! WHAT COULD YOU POSSIBLY DO TO ME IN THI-."
Kakashi had flown faster than Eneru thought and hit him in the body with one lightning blade, Kakashi lifted Eneru up and slammed his other one into his body, Eneru coughed up blood. Kakashi then took Eneru through the air in a zig-zag pattern, lightning following them the whole way.
DRUM FOREST
Zoro and the squid slashed swords. The squid was bloody and beat up from being dominated for the past few minutes. Zoro wasn't even letting him think he had a chance.
"I told you I'd show you hell." Zoro said as he pushed the squid away.
The squid panted heavily.
"Should I kill you now or torture you more?" Zoro asked.
The squid chuckled.
"Something funny?" Zoro asked.
"PAY ATTENTION YOU IDIOT!" The squid yelled and one of his tentacle arms came out of a hole to stab Zoro through his just recently closed wound.
"Cien Fluers!" Robin yelled.
The squid's arm was grabbed by Robin's sprouted arms. Zoro stared straight ahead in anger.
"Trying to attack me from behind? That's the greatest disrespect a swordsman can get on the battlefield. I'll just take your life now." Zoro said, putting his sword in his mouth.
The squid stared with fear as Zoro squatted and crossed his arms.
"Oni…." Zoro said.
"STOP PLEASE! DON'T KILL ME!" The squid yelled.
"ROBIN LET HIM GO!" Zoro yelled.
"But!" Robin tried to interfere.
"NOW!" Zoro yelled.
Robin let the squid man go but he couldn't react to it before Zoro made his way behind him. Zoro stood and look directly at Robin and holstered two swords. When he holstered the last one the squid man's body burst into cuts and blood and he fell on his knees, then forward. His white pupils confirmed his defeat.
"Giri…." Robin finished for Zoro as the two stared at each other.
IN FRONT OF DRUM CASTLE
Naruto and company stared at the blind DEATH member who tried to cling to the last amount of consciousness he had left.
"The… angel child… of Drum?" Hancock asked Kureha.
Kureha looked down.
"Yes.. exactly. I wasn't always like this, I lost my vision in battle, you see?" Onawagi said.
"So you became evil because you lost your sight in battle?! What the hell kind of sense does that make!" Naruto yelled.
Onawagi looked down and started trembling.
"That's not it either… he's lying." Kureha said.
Sasuke, Naruto, and Hancock all looked at the older woman together.
"SO IS THAT WHAT YOU'VE BEEN TELLING PEOPLE ALL THESE YEARS?! ONAWAGI! YOU KNOW I'VE ALWAYS BEEN AGAINST LYING!" Kureha said.
Onawagi clenched his teeth and trembled even harder.
"YOU KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT!" Onawagi snapped, "IF YOU HAD BEEN THERE FOR THE DOCTOR THEN NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE EVER HAPPENED!"
Kureha's eyes widened under her glasses; tears started to form.