Chapter 8: Rebel Warrior Koza! Ace vs. Scorpion Man

The crew was continuing their trek through the desert, as the heat was starting to get to them. Luffy was panting, Usopp used a stick to trudge forward, and Venus was groaning with her head rested on Vivi's back, while the rest were dead silent. Usopp urgently stopped Luffy when he started drinking from the barrel cup. "Hey, quit it!" He exclaimed in terror when some water spilled, and simmered into the sand. "Look at how much you spilled! You big waster!"

"What's the big deal?!" Luffy retorted. "Ace brought a whole bunch with him!"

"There's a limit to everything! You've been guzzling away for a while now!"

"He's tryin' to drink too," Luffy turned to a chivalrous Sanji, who carried a canteen.

"This is so when Nami-san says "Oh, I'm so thirsty!" I can take it right to her!" He gushed, before running up to Lashes. "Nami-san! Venus-chan! Vivi-chan! Would you like some water?!"

Luffy rolled up his sleeve in determination. "Don't be dumb! I'll drink it!"

"We're fine for now," Nami kindly rejected.

"Wait, I-" Venus' protest was interrupted.

"Gimme that!" Luffy tried to snatch it, but Sanji fought to keep it away.

"You're gonna spill it! Quit it!" Usopp scolded.

Zoro turned back to Chopper, and held a bottle out. "You want some, too?"

"Thanks, but I'm fine."

Nami watched the boys fight, before turning to Vivi. "Say, Vivi. Could you tell me about the rebel army?"

"Yes, I probably should tell you about it in advance. It was 11 years ago."

"Sounds like it was a nice country," Nami remarked.

"Yes."

"Gimme that water!" Usopp chased after Luffy with Sanji close behind.

"You wish!"

"But a lot happened." Vivi recalled how Koza, and the Sand-Sand clan rescued her from a pair of strange men, willing to fight them to the death.

The fight between the boys abruptly ended when a huge, strange tail jutted out of the sand. "What is that?!" Luffy exclaimed, and ran to it for a closer look, as it seemed to look around the area. "What is this thing?!" He knelt down in front of it. "Huh? What is this?" He took a stick, and poked at it in curiosity. "Poke, poke, pokey, poke." He shouted in shock when the creature emerged from the sand under his feet; it was a giant scorpion!

"It's huge!" Usopp gaped.

"Wow!" Luffy exclaimed.

Just then, the scorpion's tail started lunging down at him; as Usopp panicked, Zoro, Sanji, and Chopper fought it off.

Venus looked back, as Lashes began walking away. "Say, tell me more about what happened!" Nami requested to Vivi.

"Yes. Our leader Koza was a very strong-hearted boy. But I was worried for that heart once." She told about how she narrowly escaped a third thug, and hid in the ruins. Koza had followed them, and fought one of the men, though suffered a nasty cut that nearly took his eye out, but Igaram and Cobra, her father, took the thugs out in time.

"I see. This Koza friend of yours was a really nice boy. But that has something to do with the rebel army?"

"Yes, it does. We're going to the city of Yuba, where the rebel army is stationed. And the name of the rebel army's leader... is Koza."

Nami gasped in shock. "You don't mean-!"

Vivi nodded in response. "The boy I just told you about."

"Eh?" Venus groaned, weak from parchment.

Just then, Sanji ran up to them with a huge scorpion claw on hand. "Nami-san! Would you like some too, Nami-san?!" She and Vivi gaped in shock, as Venus was quiet.

"This desert shrimp is yummy!" Luffy chowed down.

Usopp pushed him aside in annoyance. "It's not a shrimp! It's a scorpion!"

"C-can't eat anymore!" Luffy flopped down on a piece of scorpion skin, as Ace watched in amusement.

"Knock that off, you guys!" Nami scolded. "Let's go, Lashes!"

"Wait, Nami!" Venus protested. "I'm hungry too!"

"We'll be eating later!"

Luffy watched in confusion, as the camel walked off on command. "What's she so mad about?"

"Beats me," Usopp and Zoro remarked.

"This is all the breakfast we get?!" Usopp griped.

"Seconds! Seconds!" Luffy banged his bowl with his spoon.

A kick to each of their faces stopped their demanding. "Don't act wasteful!" Sanji scolded. "You've had enough calories!"

"Hey!" Zoro snapped when the captain swiped from his plate. "Luffy! Why you-!" He sprang to his feet. "Keep your hands off others' food!" He ordered.

"C'mon! Gimme food!" Usopp complained, before Sanji kicked him away.

"There isn't anymore!"

"Don't sweat it!"

The girls ate more politely, as Nami grew irritated. "Why does this happen at every meal?" Vivi asked.

"Don't make eye contact."

"Look! Ace-san is cleaning his fork and plate after his meal!"

"Yeah!" Nami agreed in surprise. "He's completely different..."

"He's so considerate," Venus swooned.

"Damn you!" Zoro stretched Luffy's lips open. "Give it back!"

"No!"

"From his incompetent little brother. But you'd never guess from Ace's well-mannered personality that he has an immense bounty on his head."

"Ace-san has a bounty?!"

"I hear it's such a large amount that bounty hunters around the world drool at the thought of it. Fire Fist Ace of the Whitebeard Pirates; pirates of the world over fear the mere mention of that name."

"Which means this Blackbeard pirate Ace-san is seriously chasing must really be something too."

"Blackbeard... the traitor who killed his own crewmate. It looks like Ace is going to keep chasing him as long as it takes."

After everyone finished, Nami poured sand on the campfire to put it out. "Okay! Let's get going! Today-" She turned around, and to her chagrin, Zoro and Luffy were still at it.

"Dammit! Give it back!"

"What's the big deal?"

"Knock it..." She punched them in their heads, stopping the fight, "Off! Now hurry, and clean up! We're leaving for Yuba!"

Behind her back, an inattentive Luffy spotted a chicken leg floating in thin air. "W-wow! Awesome!"

"Oh no! They saw us!" A boy's voice frantically exclaimed.

"Hurry, big brother!"

"This meat can talk!" Luffy pointed in ecstasy.

"What? What're you talking about, Luffy?"

"Oh! The meat! The meat's running away!" Rather than answer Nami, he began running after his new discovery. "Wait, meat!"

"Luffy!" Everyone called after him, to no avail.

"Wait, meat! Get back here, meat!" He chased a pair of boys running away, with the chicken leg on a feebly made fishing pole, when he lost sight of them. "Which way?! This way?!" He turned to his right.

The boys watched from hiding, as he ran past them. "We did it, big brother!" The youngest helped himself to the chicken.

"Is it good, Chip? It's our first food in 10 days! Eat it slowly!"

"I can't believe we got meat! Here, big brother!"

"Yeah, we never even had any in the Badlands!"

"Oh? You're from the Badlands?" The boys froze in fear before turning around; Ace was kneeling on the rock over them, blocking the sun. "From that rustic nowheresville?"

Chip was kept behind his older brother. "Who're you?!"

"You can't have the food back!"

Ace was completely silent, as the boy drew a pistol. "M-move, and you're dead!"

He chuckled with a smirk. "I'm generally not fond of dangerous things, but..."

"B-big brother! Have you shot for real before?! Will it really shoot bullets?"

"H-hell if I know! H-hold on! I'm gonna-"

The trigger was pulled! "Stop!" Chip shoved him down, but the bullet was fired.

To their confusion, Ace was unharmed; the bullet plopped on the sand. "Wh-what happened?!"

"Play your dangerous games in moderation," He lectured, and they panicked as he straightened up. "Good little boys should brush their teeth before sleepy-bye."

"H-he bounced it back with a rock!"

"I-I've never seen anyone so strong before!" Chip cried.

Just then, Usopp, Venus, and Nami walked up behind him. "Who're they?" Usopp asked.

The boy dropped his pistol, and ran to Ace. "I have a favor to ask! There's someone I want you to find, and catch!" Ace stared down in silence. "If you catch him, I'll pay you a million berries!"

"A million berries?!" Nami exclaimed.

"I can't pay right away, but I will pay it when I grow up!" Ace was still quiet. "Please! Find this man!" The boy showed a photo of a tough-looking man with sunglasses, and a hearts arrow tattoo on his forehead.

"Darn it!" Luffy griped. "It's meat, but it ran away! I'll make it pay!" A maniacal laugh from far above his head caught his attention. "Huh?" On the tall rock was a man chasing an ostrich around the perimeter of the ledge.

"Why, you! Why'd you do that?! I'll strangle ya!" In the chase, the man's rifle began to fall, but he managed to catch it. Although, a small bomb fell right out. "No!" Luffy only watched in confusion. "No! Hey, boy! Run! If that blows up, it'll take half of Alabasta with it!"

"Huh?"

To the man's horror, he didn't seem to move. "No!" He frantically ducked down for cover. "It'll blow the Grand Line to the moon!" After a few seconds, nothing happened, "Hey! Boy?!"

"Yeah?"

He was greatly startled when the strange boy was suddenly right behind him. "Wh-what happened to the bomb?!"

Luffy held up what had fallen down. "This?"

"No!" He quickly backed away, but wound up hanging down by one leg.

Luffy laughed. "You're funny, old guy!"

"Hey, boy! Quit laughing, and help me up!"

"Upsy-daisy!" Luffy pulled him up, so he regained his bearings.

Just then, he realized what he was doing: spying on Ace. He used his telescope to look, but his target was gone. "Where?! Where is he?! Where'd he go?! I can't afford to be playing around at a time like this! Popo!" He yelled at the ostrich. "We're heading out to where he was!"

"My brother and I've followed him out here from the Badlands," The older boy confessed.

By now, the rest of the crew had gathered, as Ace looked over the picture with strong focus. "So, who is he?"

"Scorpion, a bounty hunter."

"Bounty hunter?" Zoro asked in surprise.

"Why are you guys chasing a bounty hunter?" Nami asked.

The two boys looked at each other nervously. "Well..."

"I have business with him too," Ace chimed in, "A man in Yuba defeated Blackbeard. His name was Scorpion. My reason for going to Yuba is to meet him."

"Eh?!" The crew gaped in shock. "He defeated Blackbeard?!"

"This guy did?!" Usopp exclaimed.

"I dunno, Ace," Usopp expressed skepticism, "Did this Scorpion guy really beat Blackbeard?"

"I'm not sure. The only way to find out is to meet him."

"A-Ace?" Chip stammered in surprise. "You don't mean the real..." He shared a glance with his brother. "Fire Fist Ace?!"

Everyone turned to him when he straightened up, almost like he was ready to fight. "What is it, Ace?" Usopp asked.

"Two people. And a bird?"

Nami turned to Chopper when he began sniffing the air. "What is it?"

"They're coming!"

"Eh?"

Everyone watched cautiously, as a man rode an ostrich over a dune. "There you are, Fire Fist Ace!" They looked on in confusion. "I'm Scorpion! The indomitable hero! I've come from afar to challenge you! Let's fight, fair and square!" The boys ducked down behind a rock.

"That's Scorpion?" Vivi looked on, not entirely impressed.

"Heya!" Luffy beamed from behind his back. "Are you all here?"

"L-Luffy!" The crew shouted angrily.

"Wh-what're you doing there?!" Sanji demanded.

Scorpion and Ace stared at one another head-on. 'I-it's really him. This is Fire Fist Ace?!'

"What's wrong, old guy?"

"Eh?! N-no, uh... so sorry! Your luck's run out! Your heroic saga that's told on the sea ends today!"

The boys watched from behind the rock, staying quiet. "Don't be stupid! He's the real one!"

"Eh?"

"This is so exciting!" Luffy exclaimed. "Ace! It's a serious fight! Don't pull any punches!"

"I wasn't planning to!" Ace snapped. "But there's something I wanna ask him too! Move aside, Luffy!"

Through the exchange, Scorpion began to panic internally. 'What's wrong with me?! Don't wimp out now! This is nothing! I'm invulnerable! I won't die! Not as long as they're waiting for me!' "Here I come, Fire Fist Ace!" At that, the ostrich began charging in, with Luffy hopping off to watch the fight, as Ace leaped in. "Take this!" Scorpion pulled out his rifle; everyone watched, as he shot out a net to ensnare Ace, only for it to be blown away by his flames. "W-w-w-what?!" The net fell on Scorpion; he began rolling on the ground, as the net smoked. "Oww! Hot! Hot!"

"H-he sent that metal net flying back!" Usopp exclaimed.

"Awesome!" Venus swooned, as the boys looked on fearfully.

Scorpion chuckled to himself, as Ace loomed over him. It wouldn't be any fun if it were that easy to stop Fire Fist Ace!

Ace smirked when his adversary was still eager to fight. "Oh? You seem to have some skill."

Scorpion staggered to his feet. "Our hellish battle is just getting started! Popo! Compressed Extinguisher Gun!" On cue, the ostrich crossed his path in a sprint, leaving a yellow tank in front of him. He strapped it on his back, and plugged the accordion-like tube into his rifle. "A compressed air gun filled with extinguisher foam!"

"W-what?!" Zoro exclaimed.

"Extinguisher?!" Sanji added.

Scorpion began to charge in, weapon ready. "I'm gonna use this to fill you full of compressed extinguisher foam!"

He fired, but Ace, who initially stood in place unfazed, dodged every shot with ease, until he landed a punch in Scorpion's gut. The fight ended there, as the loser collapsed to the ground. "Sorry, but you never had a chance," Usopp shrugged.

"I expected as much," Ace remarked down at Scorpion, "You lied about beating Blackbeard, didn't you? You figured using his name would get me to show up. Am I right?"

"That's right," He chuckled weakly, and gripped the sand, "Not too shabby of a plan, huh?" He coughed, as the sand slid down from between his fingers. "We've fought on even terms this far. Now I'm gonna get serious!" When he tried to get up, he fell back down.

"No more!" The older boy cried out. "That's enough, Dad!"

"Eh?!" The crew turned to him in surprise.

"Dad?" Luffy asked.

Scorpion coughed while laying supine, and struggled to look up. ""D-Dad"?!" He was shocked to see two familiar little boys sliding down the hill.

"Stop this!"

"D-Dip! Chip!"

"Dad!" The boys immediately ran up to him. "Stop! You don't stand a chance against Fire Fist Ace!"

Scorpion cupped Dip's head with one hand. "Wh-what're you two doing over here?! When did you leave the Badlands?!"

"The world's greatest battle is too much for you!" Dip cried. "We came to get you, Dad!"

Scorpion chuckled. "Don't be silly. I'm the world's greatest bounty hunter. I've fought epic battles with everyone, from Double Barrel Danny, to Hellbattler Luther, and they all begged for their lives!"

"Or so you plan, right?" Chip asked.

Scorpion flinched at that, before regaining his composure. "You found me out, huh? That's right. I'm a terrible liar, and a terrible father. But there is one thing that's true! Even the most insignificant person can still challenge the world's greatest hero if he tries hard enough! That's what I wanted! I wanted to show you two a grand dream!" The boys felt choked up. "Men need dreams burning inside their hearts! Even if it means struggling every day, never give up! Stand tall! Live every day with a laugh! As long as you keep challenging the impossible, life will be paradise!" He laughed. "But there's no way to show that without putting my life on the line!" His hand lowered, as he felt weak. "Yes! If you stand up, the path will always open!" He regained his footing in front of them.

"D-Dad!" Dip exclaimed.

"Now! Watch your father's unconquerable spirit!" His eyes stayed on Ace. "No, I won't lose!" He began staggering up the hill. "Not as long as I have an enormous dream burning inside my heart! Popo! The bazooka!" To the boys' fear, the weapon was placed in front of him. "Fire Fist Ace! This is the end!"

Before the fuse was lit, the boys latched onto his waist, stopping him. "Dad! That's enough! No more!"

"Dip! Chip!"

"We understand!" Dip cried. "We understand what you're trying to say! We stood up to hardship too! We'll live every day as hard as we can! With you around, we're filled with courage!"

"I'm sorry I complained!" Chip cried. "I don't really care about food! I'm happy just being with you, Dad!"

"We love you, Dad!"

"We love you!"

Scorpion tried to stay strong, but he faltered. His weapon fell to the ground, as he hugged his boys. "Dip! Chip!"

"Dad!"

The alarmed crew watched, as his rifle landed upright; it fired the bomb, which shot out red spikes, and stuck into the rock ledge above, before exploding. To their horror, a large portion started falling right towards them, with Scorpion protecting his sons. "Mr. Scorpion, run!" Venus called out.

Meanwhile, Luffy came charging in. "Gum-Gum..."

"I got this," Ace stopped him, "Fire Fist!" His attack not only shattered the rock, but rather destroyed the rest of it.

When the dust cleared, Scorpion was face-down on the ground, unresponsive. "Dad! Dad!" The boys were trying desperately to wake him up.

"Dad!"

"You alright?" Ace asked, approaching in concern with Luffy close behind.

"A-Ace..."

"Dad protected us!" Dip cried.

Luffy knelt down. "Hey, old guy. Did you die?"

Just then, he puffed out some air under his helmet. "D-don't be stupid. As if I could really die, and leave my adorable sons behind." He pushed himself up, so he was crouched down. "Scorpion-sama is invulnerable!" The boys quickly latched onto him, sobbing in relief, as he held them close. "Thank you for coming to get this lowly father of yours. Let's get home, to the Badlands!"

"Yeah!" They agreed.

"Well then..." Ace straightened up with a smirk.

"Are you really leaving, Ace?" Chopper asked.

"Yeah."

"Do you really have to?" A heartbroken Venus frowned sadly.

"I'm afraid so. Seeing as Blackbeard isn't in Alabasta, I have no reason to be here."

"Oh," Luffy said.

"Where will you go next?" Sanji asked.

"Scorpion says there's a man who saw him in the west. Guess I'll check it out." He took out a folded-up sheet of paper. "Luffy." He tossed it to his little brother, who eyed it curiously. "Always hang on to that."

"Huh? It's just a scrap of paper."

"That scrap of paper will bring you and me together again sometime."

"Yeah?" Luffy unfolded it.

"You don't want it?"

"No, I'll keep it."

"It's natural for a big brother to worry about his bungling kid brother," Ace grinned cheekily, "He might be a bit much for you to handle, but take good care of 'im!" He bowed for the rest.

"Huh?" Luffy looked up.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Ace pulled something out of his robe; a book of some kind. "I found this when I was buried in the sand. Does it belong to any of you guys?"

Venus gasped, as her eye lit up in recognition. "My spell book!" She squealed with delight. After he handed it over, she pulled him into a tight hug. "Thank you, thank you! I thought it was gone forever!"

"Heh, you're welcome," He chuckled, feeling out of breath. Usopp pouted in jealousy, though didn't say a word. "Luffy," He turned to his brother after Zoro pulled her off, "When we next meet, we'll both be top pirates!"

"Yeah!" He beamed.

"Come to the top!"

"Hey!" Dip and Chip called out from Popo's back.

"Hey!" Luffy waved both arms, as they rode off with Scorpion leading Popo. When he turned back, Ace had disappeared. "Huh? Where's Ace?"

The crew turned, and noticed he was right. "Well, he's gone," Zoro smirked.

"Fire Fist Ace, huh?" Sanji remarked.

"We'll see him again!" Luffy grinned. "Yeah. I'm sure of it!"

"I hope we do!" Venus swooned. "He's dreamy!"

"Priorities, Venus!" Nami snapped.

(A/N: You know the disclaimer.)