AN:
Alright, we are back once again! I know it's getting longer between updates but with the holidays and everything, it's been hard to find the time to write, so that's my excuse... Not that I really need one anyway. A comment about all the ellipses I use made me laugh, and I thought it was a very fair thing to say, lol, so I've tried to cut back a little bit so they aren't used in every sentence. On another note, I'm usually down to let you guys say whatever you want as long as it's related to the story, so keep it related to the story and try your best to keep from using slurs...
Anyway, I hope to have the next chapter out faster than this one and it should be the last chapter in Lougetown, so that's very exciting! Once again, I thank all of you for sticking around with me! For the millionth time, I love all the support you guys give and can't wait to hear what you think about the chapter!
Enough from me; I know you just want to read, lol. Here's Chapter 44. Hope you like it!
Chapter 44: Convergence
"Alright.", Buggy said from underneath his cloak, eyes scanning the crowd his men were spread through. He looked over to the woman standing next to him, "It's rushed, but everyone's in place.".
"What makes you think he's even coming here?", Alvida asked, eyeing the tall platform in the center of the large area.
The question made the pirate captain smile deviously, a familiar straw hat flashing through his mind, "Oh, he'll be here. Don't worry.". He turned away from his companion and looked up at the platform's top, fist clenching at his side… The flashy bastard was going to pay. "Just make sure he makes it up there.", he ordered from over his shoulder, moving through the crowd and in the direction of the wooden scaffolding, "I'll take care of the rest.".
Luffy groaned in irritation at the crowd blocking his way, continuing to try and shoulder through as quickly as possible. Why the heck were there so many people there?!… It was pouring rain outside! He turned in the direction he'd come from when the growing noise of heavy footsteps and shouts hit his ears, curiosity in his gaze. It only took a moment for the sound of the commotion to grow louder and his eyes widened when the front of a mob entered his vision.
"THERE HE IS!".
"GET THAT KID!".
"DON'T LET HIM GET AWAY!".
"HE ATE OUR FISH! KILL 'EM!".
"Uh oh…", the straw-hatted teen mumbled to himself, quickly turning back to the numerous people at his front. Almost as if the crowd could sense his predicament, a path began to open up and he sighed in relief at his luck. He'd thought about trying to fly… But, if he misfired with this many people around… He shook his head and continued down the slowly widening path. It was probably best if he stayed landbound…
"What the hell's goin' on here?!".
Luffy looked to the origin of the voice and a smile almost immediately rose to his lips, racing toward the figure standing in the middle of the parted crowd. Shouts of protest came from the townspeople being shoved to the side by lines of men linked at the hands but he paid them no mind, his sandals pushing off the wet concrete and launching him forward. "Smokey!", he exclaimed, opening his arms to tackle the man just now turning in his direction.
Smoker's eyes widened, "Straw Hat?…". On instinct, his form shifted to smoke and the boy sailed through his figure, crashing face-first into the concrete at his back.
The pirate captain groaned and slowly pushed himself off the ground, rubbing his aching face in annoyance. He'd forgotten he could do that… He slowly stood to his feet and went to address the man but stopped himself when he caught sight of the path quickly beginning to converge once again as it was overtaken by the mob. His eyes shifted back to the black of the marine's and he shrugged apologetically before turning to continue his way toward his destination, "Sorry, Smokey! We'll talk later!".
Smoker growled at watching the teen turn away, "What the hell are you talkin' about, Straw Hat?!". He reared his fist back in preparation to send it in pursuit of the bounty hunter, "We're gonna talk right no-". Before he got the chance to shoot his fist forward, he was consumed by the angry mob at his back, bodies rushing through his smokey form.
The marine captain growled and shot into the air, floating above the commotion while the rain coated his figure and watching Straw Hat sprint down the path leading to the execution platform. He almost immediately went to pursue but stopped himself when he heard cries of pain beginning to mix with the shouts of anger coming from the mob, another growl leaving his lips as he chewed on his cigars in irritation.
Smoker took one last look at Straw Hat getting further and further away before shaking his head. He could deal with him later. First, he had to get this mob taken care of. People were starting to get hurt. He pulled out his mini Den Den Mushi to call Tashigi and dove toward the crowd while the line rang, chest rumbling in irritation… Of all the times she could have gone missing… She'd better have a damn good reason.
The sound of a bottle smashing against the concrete rang through a dark alleyway accompanied by the laughter of a group of mobsters making their way down the street. They'd just finished their rounds for the night and were headed back to their hideout to sleep off the long day of work.
"Did you see that guy's legs, Boss?", Gambia asked eyeing the broken sake bottle he'd thrown… It probably looked similar to the man's bones…
Bartolomeo smirked over his shoulder while continuing to lead the group down the alley, "He deserved it and you know it. You know how many times we asked him to pay up.". He turned back at the grunted agreement of his men and sighed as they began to joke amongst themselves about the many people they'd beaten up on the job… He couldn't wait to get back to the comfort of the hideout… Being a mob boss was a lot of work and the one thing that kept him going was being able to get back to his room every day and look at his wall until he fell asleep…
The thought got the mob boss moving faster, his exhaustion from the day's work practically vanishing. "Come on boys hurry up! Let's get back to the hideout and have a couple more drinks before bed!", he shouted behind him. There was no time to dilly dally… Merry's Terrible Trio was waiting… Maybe his boys would help him recreate one of their many crazy battles depicted in his news clippings… He was unashamed to say he'd read each one of them dozens of times… They were just… So damn cool…
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Where the hell are they?!".
Barto froze in place and the voices of his men halted immediately, all of their eyes shifting to the building the voice had come from. He looked around at his men for a moment before signaling to approach the building on his lead. There was no point in being quiet, considering the power he held, so they waltzed up to the building with little care as to whether they were heard or not.
Tashigi shifted her vision to the door when she heard footsteps coming from outside and hoped with everything she had that it was a marine. She'd called the base to have them send a group to come take care of the current situation so she could go help Captain Smoker with the mob but they'd yet to show up… She shook her head and slowly moved to the door pushing the small boy at her feet to stay in front of her.
Just when the marine went to lead the child out of the door, a head of green hair entered her vision and she yelped, jumping slightly as she pulled Ren back into the room to stand behind her.
"What's a marine doin' around here?", Barto questioned suspiciously, stepping up two of the steps and leaning on his knee, "You guys don't usually bother with stuff happening in these parts.".
Tashigi backed further into the building as men began to gather around the door and her hand flashed out protectively in front of the child at her feet, "Who're you?…".
The question made the green-haired man smile. "The name's Bartolomeo.", he answered almost immediately, pointing over his shoulder, "And these are my boys.". He stepped off the stairs and turned away from the building, his interest in the situation fading. He didn't like dealing with the Navy…
"Well, don't mind us.", Barto said, waving their interaction away. Whatever was happening, he didn't want any part of it. He just wanted to go back to the hideout and read about his favorite bounty hunters. He beckoned his men to follow and turned back to the street, making to resume his earlier trek when the woman's voice rang out at his back.
"Wait!", Tashigi shouted in desperation. She watched the men halt and gulped, looking down to the small boy she stood in front of, before slowly reaching down to grab his hand. She led them out of the door and her head shifted down the dripping alleyway searching for any sign of the help she'd called for earlier… They should've been there by then… She could hear the rising voice of the mob even over the pouring rain coming down from the sky and it just made her all the more desperate… Captain Smoker was going to kill her…
The woman turned back to the group of men and as reluctant as she was to do it, she bowed in their direction, "Will you please watch over this boy for me?… There is someplace I'm needed and I can't bring him along.". She felt guilty for leaving the child with such a rugged-looking group after such a traumatic experience, but… If she didn't head over to help Smoker… She shivered at the thought, rising from her bow, "It would only be for a short while, I promise! Someone is headed this way right now to take care of everything, I just can't stay to wait for them.".
Bartolomeo looked at the woman incredulously… She wanted to hand off an obviously traumatized child to a group of mobsters?… She obviously didn't know they were mobsters, but… Still… "Uhhh… Yeah… No thanks.", he replied awkwardly, making to turn away once again.
"Please!", Tashigi begged, her eyelids clenching tightly closed in hopes they would stop, "I promise to reward you handsomely if you do this for me!".
The words stopped the mob boss in place and he turned back to the swordswoman, an expectant look in his gaze, "… What's the reward?". As much as he wanted to get back to the hideout, he couldn't lie… He liked the sound of a reward.
The marine scrambled to find an answer, not really thinking the plea would be well received, and said the first thing that came to her mind, "Uhh… I'll give you... Money?…".
Barto stared at the woman for a moment and scoffed, waving the offer away as if he'd never even heard it, "You think you can just buy us like that?". He looked over his shoulder and, before he cut the conversation, asked one last question, "Just out of curiosity… How much money we talkin' here?…".
Tashigi continued to fumble her words, stutters of nonsense leaving her lips as she attempted to come up with a realistic number… How much could she even afford to offer them without having Captain Smoker blow a gasket over it?… "Uh… three… No… Five… Five-hundred thousand?…", she answered uncertainly, gauging the green-haired man for his reaction. It really wasn't a very large sum, but it was pretty much the most she was comfortable offering without Smoker's approval… "I would offer more, but I'd have to get approval from my super-".
"Done!", the mob boss exclaimed, rushing forward to shake the woman's hand. He didn't care if he seemed desperate, he needed the money. He was saving up to get something really special built but it was going to take a while to make enough, so he needed every penny he could get… As much as he didn't want to take care of a kid, it was only for a little while and he couldn't afford to be stingy… He wanted his masterpiece done sooner rather than later…
"Really?", Tashigi questioned in bewilderment. As much as she'd hoped for it, this was the last reaction she'd really expected… She shook her head and was jolted back into action, releasing the man's hand to bend down next to Ren. She looked into his hazy eyes and couldn't help the guilt that swirled in her stomach… It would only be for a little while… When the other marines arrived, he would be brought back into their custody and he would be safe. She was sure of it. "Alright, Ren.", she whispered softly, remorsefully looking into his cloudy orbs, "… I have to go now, but I'm gonna leave you here with these nice men… Do you understand?".
The child slowly nodded and the swordswoman released him from her gaze as he turned his back. She stood to her feet and took a deep breath, pushing her swirling emotions to the back of her mind. Once she was done helping Captain Smoker, she would be back to make sure he was taken care of. "Thank you for doing this, Bartolomeo.", she said genuinely, "Some marines from my unit should be arriving soon. Just stay here and wait for them. When they get here, hand Ren off and you'll have earned your reward.".
Tashigi turned toward the sound of the mob in the distance still somehow growing louder and glanced over her shoulder one last time, "I'd also suggest not entering that building… The scene inside is quite… Gruesome…". With those last words of wisdom, she faced her destination once again and pushed her soles into the concrete as hard as she could, sprinting toward where she hoped beyond hope her superior was… If she kept him waiting any longer… The thought made her feet move even faster and she practically blurred down the street, her figure disappearing down one of the branching alleyways.
Bartolomeo sighed as he watched the woman's form vanish, gaze dropping down to the boy he'd agreed to look after. He hadn't noticed it at first, but he was pretty much covered head to toe in blood… Just what the hell had this kid been put through?… He got down to his knee and held out his hand in introduction. "My name's Bartolomeo, but most people call me Barto.", he said softly, "Your name's Ren, right?".
Ren despondently raised his hand and lightly grasped the one held opposite of him, his head nodding in confirmation.
The action made the mob boss want to frown… This kid was messed up bad… He shook the thought away and tried to make his smile as non-threatening as possible, "Well, it's nice to meet ya Ren. We're gonna hang out for a little bit while we wait for some other people to show up. That sound alright?". He watched the boy nod his head again and stood with another sigh, sight landing on the doorway of the building the woman had said not to go into… As much as he felt like he should listen to the warning, a part of him just couldn't help but wonder what had happened to make this little kid the way he was…
Against his better judgment, Bartolomeo waved over Gambia and introduced him to Ren, "Ren, this is one of my boys, Gambia. He's gonna hang out with you for a second while I go check some stuff out, alright?". Another nod came from the despondent boy and he turned toward the building, slowly making his way toward the door. She'd said it was gruesome and he was leaning in the direction of trusting her with Ren covered in blood the way he was… However, he still wanted to see it with his own eyes… Hopefully he didn't regret it…
The green-haired man ascended the few steps to the door and slowly stepped his way into the building, eyes widening at the scene in the room. Being a mob boss, he'd seen his fair share of blood, but this was something else… He took another step into the room and when his foot hit the wood, the splashing of liquid brought his gaze to the floor. His stomach gurgled uncomfortably when he realized he'd stepped in a growing puddle of blood… The marine had been right… He'd have been better off without seeing this… He shook his head and went to move away from the two bodies lying at his front but yelped instead when he suddenly lost his balance.
A loud splash accompanied the sound of Barto's body hitting the ground and he groaned in pain, slowly lifting himself out of the small puddle of red liquid. When he saw a large amount of it dripping from his face, he scrambled back in panic before quickly realizing that it wasn't his own. Another unpleasant gurgle rolled through his stomach as footsteps came rushing through the door, his men gathering around him in alarm.
"What the hell happened, Boss?!".
"What the hell?! Why is Boss all covered in blood?!".
Gambia shouldered through the gathered bodies and it seemed like he took no notice of the blood covering his leader's form as he offered his hand to help him stand. He nodded when the help was taken and lifted the green-haired man from the ground, finally taking the chance to have a look at his front. The sight made him cringe… It looked like he'd just gotten done with a rather bloody meal… The two headless bodies in the room didn't help the look of the situation…
Barto did his best to wipe the blood from his skin and clothes but only really succeeded in making things worse… He sighed and waved his boys away, "It's fine, boys. I'll just clean up when we get back to the hideout.". Hopefully, the Marines showed up soon… He didn't know how much longer he could stand being covered head to toe in someone else's blood…
The men nodded their understanding but instead of dispersing, they couldn't help but be stunned by what filled their surroundings, eyes shifting through the macabre scene in shock… Just what exactly had happened in there?…
The mob boss went to make his way back outside when he suddenly realized something, eyes shifting through the mobsters gathered in the dark room… Everyone was in there… But, if everyone was in there… Who was with Ren?… His red orbs widened and he almost immediately rushed toward the door, shouldering through his men to make a path for himself. Just when he passed through the back of the group and his gaze landed on the door, a thin figure dressed in a cadet uniform stepped into it.
The cadet's eyes widened and it took everything he had to keep himself from fainting at what met his vision when he looked through the doorway… It looked like a ritual sacrifice or something of the like was taking place… The small boy's broken words were starting to make more sense now… All he'd been able to hear was 'ate' and 'mother'… And now, as he stared at the green-haired man with blood covering his entire front, he thought he understood what he was trying to say. His legs began to shake and he unconsciously took a step back, his courage disappearing when he saw the two headless bodies at the man's back.
Fear consumed the young cadet and it wasn't long before his terrified scream ripped through the air. He stumbled backward and almost immediately forgot what he'd gone there to do, his legs carrying him back in the direction of the base as fast as they possibly could, "Cannibals! There are cannibals in Lougetown! Oh god!". He had to tell someone!… He didn't even have the courage to look over his shoulder to see if they were in pursuit. His only goal was to make it back as fast as he could… Preferably without becoming someone's meal first…
The only sound that could be heard in the wake of the marine's exit from the building was the rain hitting the concrete outside, and it stayed that way for several long minutes as the gathered men stared at the door in bewilderment. Not one of them could believe the events that had unfolded and it was very evident in their lack of speech.
It felt like an eternity before the silence was broken, a crazed laugh leaving Barto's lips as he continued to look out of the open door in disbelief, "Surely that didn't actually just happen… Right?".
Luffy kept sprinting down the curving path through the crowd like his life depended on it. He had no idea who the guys opening the way for him were but he cared not. He could practically smell it… The reason he was there… He was close… With one last snaking curve around a rather tall building, his feet almost stopped in wonder, eyes drinking in the execution platform's majesty.
The pirate captain just barely kept his feet carrying him toward his final destination but his eyes never left the tall wooden piece of architecture… IT WAS SO COOL! He couldn't help it when his pupils were replaced by stars and he rushed the rest of the way down the path, skidding into the area surrounding the platform. Before he could even think about making his way to the top, the path at his back suddenly closed and a cloaked figure stepped out from the crowd.
"I wonder if you remember me.", came a woman's deep voice from underneath the hood of the cloak. She stopped in front of the boy with the execution platform at her back and let her outerwear drop to the ground, the soaking fabric making a wet squelch at her feet.
Luffy gazed at the person in curiosity. She was pretty, for sure. But, he didn't really think it was enough for him to remember her solely by her looks, if that's what she was asking… He shrugged, once again looking up to the top of the platform with his eyes shining in anticipation, "Nope.". His knees bent and he looked back to the woman in front of him, "But thanks for clearing the way if that was you! I can't wait to see what the view's like from up there!". His stomach was so hot he could barely take it, and if he didn't get up there soon it felt like he was gonna explode.
Just as the pirate captain went to launch off the ground, a shout came from behind, followed by several more, and he turned to find a group of men sprinting in his direction with their weapons raised.
"FOR CAPTAIN BUGGY!".
The exclamation was followed by several others and Luffy was suddenly surrounded on all sides, a sigh leaving his lips as they all began to converge. Why couldn't they just let him get on the platform?… He leapt from the ground just when the tips of the men's weapons would have bitten into his skin, turning in the air to face the ground, "Gatling!".".
Screams ripped through the stormy air and bodies flew in all different directions as the air bullet ripped through the area, his hands continuing to blur until gravity took hold of him once again. The straw-hatted teen deftly landed back on his feet and looked around at all the groaning and unconscious men, unaware of the attention he'd garnered from the rest of the crowd. What the heck was up with all those guys?… He turned back to the woman in front of the scaffold and eyed her in annoyance.
"STRAW HAT!".
An exasperated groan left Luffy's lips and he turned to find Smokey flying over the crowd in his direction, bottom half replaced with clouds of white. He glanced around to find more men rushing in his direction and groaned again. He didn't have time for this. His stomach was so hot it felt like it was gonna burn a hole straight through him… Without taking any more time to think about it, he bent his knees once again and launched off the ground before the second wave of attackers could reach him.
The clang of weapons hitting the stone street accompanied his form soaring through the air and the corners of his mouth rose. Within a mere moment, he passed the top of the platform and, as he began to descend, his gaze landed on the stocks resting in the middle of the small wooden square, eyes widening in wonder… This was it… The place where the Pirate King died…
"WHITE SNAKE!".
Just as the boy went to set his feet down on the platform, something slammed into his back, and the breath left his lungs in an instant, hand reaching out toward the stocks in desperation. He gasped before his body was ripped backward and pulled through the air, back in the direction he'd come from. A growl left his lips as he struggled against the large hand pulling him away from his goal but it was no use.
"You're gonna tell me what the hell's goin' on, Straw Hat.", Smoker hissed through his cigars, pulling the teen back toward the ground. He had almost every marine on the island trying to subdue the mob chasing the kid and they were holding it at bay for now, but it wouldn't stay that way for long. The worst part was, he still didn't have any clue as to what the damn brat even did… He shook his head and looked around at the group of pirates now surrounding him… Then there were these guys, who'd opened up the path for him… He took a deep puff from his cigars and exhaled the practically opaque smoke with an annoyed sigh, letting it swirl around him… Something was going on and he was going to figure out what it was.
"WHITE BLOW!", the marine roared, smoke shooting out from his body and surrounding all the pirates in the immediate area before hardening around their forms in an instant. While lifting his captives into the air, his arm suddenly slammed back into place and he eyed the struggling boy in his grasp with a frown. "I asked you a question, Straw Hat. What the hell's goin' on here?", he growled, smashing the group of pirates into the ground.
Luffy didn't even hear the groans coming from the men who'd surrounded him earlier, too busy trying to free himself from his captor's vapor-like grip. He knew how futile his struggles were, having been handled by the man like this on several previous occasions, but he couldn't help it… He'd been so close… The excitement and anticipation he'd felt getting stronger throughout the day was beginning to swirl into something fiercer, the heat in his stomach making him sweat.
"Let go of me, Smokey!", the straw-hatted boy growled, continuing to swipe at the large hand holding him captive. It was so unfair! It was like it was solid and yet not at the same time!… He growled to himself and took another futile swipe at the smokey appendage… Stupid devil fruits.
"Answer the question, Straw Hat.", Smoker demanded once again, squeezing his hand tighter, "Why the hell is there a mob chasing you?". He turned the teen to face the pile of unconscious bodies off to the side and made sure he saw it, "And what do these pirates have to do with it?…".
"Oh, we didn't have anything to do with the mob.", the black-haired woman mused, still standing in the same spot she had been the whole time, "It did end up making things a lot easier though.". She paused in thought for a moment before shaking her head with a sigh, "Happy accident, I guess.".
Smoker eyed the woman incredulously and was on his guard in an instant, momentarily ignoring the boy still struggling against his grip. He was sure he'd wrapped his smoke around everyone… How had she escaped?… "Who are you?… And how did you get out of my smoke?…", he asked carefully.
The question made the woman laugh even with the rain pouring around her and she happily caressed the skin on her arm before looking up once again, eyes landing on the marine's captive rather than the man himself. "Why don't you ask him?… He's the reason I am the way I am.", she answered cryptically, smiling at the boy now turning in her direction.
Luffy looked over his shoulder at the woman, his struggling halting for a moment. "…Me?", he questioned blankly, pointing to himself… What the heck was she talking about? He was pretty sure he'd never seen her before… "I already told you, I don't know you, lady.", he added, resuming his struggle against the smokey appendage holding him hostage. His longing eyes landed on the top of the execution platform once again and he couldn't help the deep rumble in his chest, the fire in his stomach slowly growing hotter with every moment he was kept away from where he wanted to be.
"I beg to differ…", the woman replied, her smile widening at the sight of the boy's attempts at escape. She reached over her shoulder and grabbed something that could only barely be seen through the darkness and rain, "Maybe this'll jog your memory.".
The pirate captain stopped his struggling once again and turned to watch the lady reveal a massive iron mace, spikes covering almost the entirety of its surface… Why did that thing seem familiar?… He stared at the club for a long moment trying to remember where he'd seen it before, when it suddenly hit him.
"YOU'RE ABOUT TO FIND OUT FIRST HAND WHY THEY CALL ME IRON MACE ALVIDA!", the fat woman screamed bringing her mace down with every ounce of anger and strength in her large body.
Luffy stared at the woman in bewilderment, jaw dropping to the floor. He was pretty sure it was her, the only thing was… Hadn't she been like… Really fat?…
"It's because of you.", Alvida replied, smirking at the boy's realization. It wasn't hard to guess what he was thinking... She did look quite different from the last time they'd seen each other. "Because of you, I managed to find a devil fruit that made the fat I used to have simply slip away.", she added, caressing her skin softly at the memory of her fateful meeting with the Slip Slip Fruit.
Smoker growled in irritation at the words, guard rising with his newfound awareness of the situation. So, she had a devil fruit… That was probably how she'd escaped his smoke… "What do you want with the brat?", he asked, eyeing his captive as he once again began to struggle against his smokey restraints.
The lady pirate licked her lips while she watched the boy struggle, her grip tightening on the iron mace in her hand, "Isn't it obvious…". Her legs tensed and she barred her teeth in a wide grin, "I'm gonna pay back the favor he did me!".
Thunder cracked in the sky and lighting flashed through the dark clouds as Alvida launched forward, the soles of her shoes never leaving the ground. She skidded across the seemingly smooth concrete, crossing the distance in the blink of an eye, and already had her club raised above her head. A manic grin took over her face, "This is my thanks for hitting me so hard back then, Straw Hat!".
Luffy's eyes widened in the face of the club descending toward him but that was all he could really do. The thought made the fire in his stomach burn even hotter… Why the hell couldn't the two just let him be?!…
Smoker wrenched his captive out of the weapon's path and it cracked into the wet concrete below, a growl rumbling from his chest as he sent his fist shooting toward the woman's chest. The appendage exploded around her form and his eyes widened when he tried to capture her once again. It was like he couldn't get a grip on her no matter how hard he tried…
Alvida swiped at the smoke slipping around her, club rising from the ground while she continued rushing forward, "I told you! I ate the Slip Slip fruit! Anything that touches me slips off if I want it to! Your smoke is useless!".
The bubbling in Luffy's stomach continued to rise as he was ripped back and forth through the air, his teeth grinding against each other in irritation. The club consumed his vision once more and his chest rumbled while he continued to try and free himself… This was starting to get annoying… He was ripped from the mace's path of destruction once again and his struggling became fiercer, his body being lifted into the air. "What the hell are you doing, Smokey?!", he yelled down to the ground in annoyance.
"Putting you somewhere she can't reach!", the marine shouted through his cigars, his figure exploding into smoke and reforming every time the woman's club passed through him. With Straw Hat out of reach, they were at a standstill. She couldn't touch him and he couldn't touch her… However… She wasn't the only one carrying a weapon. He reached over his shoulder and grasped the hilt of his jitte, a smirk rising to his lips. "I'd suggest giving up and surrendering.", he growled, the clang of their weapons colliding sounding into the stormy air.
The woman's grin turned to a scowl while they traded heavy blows, the rain scattering around their colliding weapons, "I already told you! You can't hit me if I don't want you t-". The tip of Smoker's blunt weapon smashed into her shoulder and she gasped in pain, stumbling backward while she held the already bruised area. She looked up at her smirking adversary in bewilderment, wide eyes shifting between his weapon and her injury… What the hell was that thing?
Smoker continued to smirk at his shocked opponent, slashing his jitte through the rain and slowly approaching the frozen woman, "It's made of Seaprism Stone… Designed exactly for people like you.".
While the situation below continued to develop, the straw-hatted pirate captain who'd been unwillingly brought along for the ride, hung in the air thrashing like a madman against his smokey prison. No matter what he did, he couldn't escape… It wasn't even that he couldn't move! He just couldn't get rid of the damn smoke wrapped around him and it was getting annoying…
In his struggling, Luffy's eyes found the top of the execution platform once again and he stared at it longingly for a moment before shaking his head, resuming his futile attempts at escape… He was going to get up there. He didn't know how, but it didn't matter. He was making it to the top of the platform if it was the last thing he did. And, judging by the size of the knots in his stomach, if he didn't make it soon… He might actually die…
"Damn it, Mosshead.", Sanji groaned, looking around the area without a clue as to where they were, "You said you knew where you were going!". He should have known not to trust the damn swordsman… It didn't matter if he owed him one or not… He was still an idiot…
Zoro scoffed at the comment, waving the blond's concerns away and pointing up the street, "Just shut up, Cook. It's up ahead, around that corner.". As soon as the words left his mouth, he stepped into an alleyway off to his right and he cleared his throat in slight embarrassment, "… I meant, it's right through here… On the other side of this alley…".
The chef groaned once again and reluctantly began to follow, quickly rushing to push past the swordsman. He ignored the irritated grunt that came from his companion when he stepped in front of him but paid it no mind. He was tired of aimlessly wandering around. And if he let Mosshead keep leading… He was pretty sure that was all they'd be doing…
Zoro watched the cook stomp ahead and couldn't help but think he was acting a little more like himself. He hadn't really meant for it to happen, but he was happy with the surprise outcome of their many detours. He shook his head and began to follow, smirking to himself internally… His feet always took him to where he needed to go…
"What the hell is up with everyone?!", Nami screamed in exasperation, trying to shoulder her way through the angry crowd. Her hand tightly held Usopp's as she pulled him along with her, "I keep hearing stuff about a fish and I can't make any sense of it!".
Usopp groaned when his face smashed into the back of a yelling townsperson and he didn't even have time to apologize before he was once again roughly yanked forward. "I think he ate the prize for some competition!", he yelled to the orangette, furiously rubbing at his sore nose with his free hand.
A growl left the navigator's lips and the grip she had on her friend's hand tightened in irritation… It was exactly the kind of thing Luffy would do… She shook her head and continued to lead the way through the crowd. She could deal with her stupid captain later. Right now, they just needed to find him, and the other two, and get the hell out of there. Her head lifted to the sky and she could practically feel the storm getting worse by the second… She noticeably paled and her speed increased, the boy she was leading yelping while he scrambled to keep his feet under him.
The long-nosed teen somehow managed to stay upright and the two continued moving through the mob as fast as they could, angry shouts chasing them along the way. It wasn't long before the movement of those in front of them completely halted and they almost couldn't stop themselves from smashing into their backs, just barely skidding to a stop in time.
Nami peered through the packed bodies to try and see what was going on up ahead but it was far too dark for her to see anything other than rain and screaming townspeople… Just when she turned to Usopp to ask him to let her get on his shoulders, the crowd suddenly broke… It was the best way she could put it… The entire mob practically shuddered as one and its forward movement was resumed in an instant. It only took her a moment to begin moving with them again and she wrenched her crew member along with her, the two following the angry mob into the area surrounding the execution platform.
As they entered the area Usopp caught sight of the scene taking place underneath the platform first and couldn't help it when he froze in place, Nami grunting in irritation at being stopped from continuing forward.
"What the hell, Usopp?!", the orangette hissed, annoyance evident in the look she was sending him.
The sniper ignored her words, feet staying rooted in place. "That's not good…", he mumbled to himself… It was gonna take a miracle to get everyone back to the ship now… His eyes stayed glued to his captain being suspended in the air by what looked like white smoke and he couldn't help but moan internally at their misfortune… If Smoker was there and he'd already caught Luffy…
The long-nosed teen could tell his companion was confused by his words and pointed dejectedly at what was taking place in the center of the area, a pit settling in the bottom of his stomach… Their chances of getting off the island and making for the Grandline had just dropped dramatically…