Chapter Seventeen | The Warriors of Elbaf

Pushing the map across the table, Quinn shrugged apologetically as Nami looked over her haphazard sketch. "This is about the best I can do from memory."

"It's… incredible. How the hell did they manage this?"

"People traded, explored… colonized. Where I come from, England, was probably one of the worst offenders – but when you think for the longest time that there's no land to be found west and you're proven wrong? Every kingdom, city-state, and mess of alliances wanted a piece and by god they fuckin' took it."

"So this-" Nami circled the Americas with her finger, prodding at it for good measure. "Nobody knew it was there?"

"Apart from the people already living there? No."

"No wonder you mapped the entire world…"

"We called it the Age of Discovery for a reason. That much I can remember from primary. There was a globe or world map in every classroom from year one to six."

"I just can't wrap my head around it all. You said people don't travel by ship? They fly? How does that even work?"

Laughing, Quinn shrugged again. "I couldn't tell you. I don't know the specifics of it, but think of it like a big steel bird, but instead of flapping its wings it has engines beneath them that get it to fly."

"Did you ever fly?"

"Now that's a different question entirely. On a plane? No. But if we're talking brooms, well, that's more my expertise."

At the word broom Nami's jaw dropped and she stared Quinn down, waiting for a punchline or a chuckle or anything to tell her that what had just come out of Quinn's mouth was complete and utter bullshit. It was until a few, awkward, silent moments later that she blinked rapidly and shook her head, hands up as she stammered, "Wait. Wait- wait. You're not- brooms? Brooms?"

"Dunno' if witches fly brooms in storybooks here, but back home that was about as common as can be. Except, we actually did it. Played sports on brooms too."

"You could fly and people chose to turn it into a game? I don't- I don't even know why I'm surprised to hear that. Of course that would be a sport." Nami cursed under her breath at the stomping above their heads, the candles in the galley flickering at the force of Luffy's footsteps. "Bet you five hundred berry we're at Little Garden."

"That's a fool's bet."

The door swung open as soon as Quinn had finished speaking, and Luffy stretched his head into the room, grinning excitedly. "We're there! Come look, everything is huge!"

"Wouldn't be too bad of a joke for Little Garden to be bloody massive, ya think?"

"Har har," Nami drawled, rolling her eyes. "Let's get a look at this place. Didn't Miss Sunday say it was a death sentence?"

Walking out of the galley and wincing at the wall of heat on deck, Quinn planted her hands on her hips and surveyed the massive fronds, palm trees, and all around jungle that surrounded them. "Yup."

"Do you think there's monsters here?" Usopp quavered as she approached, fidgeting as he glanced around, flinching at a roar from deep within the jungle. "Nevermind. There's definitely monsters here."

"Are there magical beasts in this world?"

"What? Are there?"

"Like dragons, gryphons, kelpies, animals like that."

"I don't- maybe? Who knows?" He gestured at the jungle around them. "I didn't even know trees could get this big, so, it's not like- AH-!" A loud shriek escaping Usopp at the sight of a massive tiger prowling out of the undergrowth.

Quinn immediately drew her pistol, and on the lower deck she could hear the dull click of Zoro preparing to unsheathe a sword. They didn't need to do much more than that, as the tiger keeled over and died a moment later, its flank torn to ribbons and streaming blood. "This place isn't normal! It's not normal!"

"I smell adventure!" Luffy crowed, ignoring Usopp's strangled muttering. "Sanji! I want a lunch box! A pirate's lunch box!"

"A pirate's-?"

"Meat," Sanji said, answering Quinn's question before it was even finished. "All meat. And we should really stock up while we're here, before Luffy eats the rest of our stores."

There was a tapping below, and Quinn glanced down to see Zoro rapping the hilt of his sword against the rail. "Sounds like we're going hunting. No pistol," he added, giving Quinn a meaningful look. "Me and you should be able to bag plenty of meat. More than the Cook ever could."

"What did you just say?"

Oh, for fuck's sake.

"I said you couldn't catch shit!"

"Wanna' bet?"

"Damn straight!"

"Am I fuckin' training or what?" She shouted, interrupting the both of them. "Christ's sake. Worse than Ron and Percy, you two."

"You can come with me!" Luffy said, patting her on the back.

Lifting his chin, Zoro glanced back and forth between herself and Sanji, the cogs in his head slowly churning away before he eventually relented, waving ineffectually in Quinn's direction. "I've got a score to settle. Make sure Luffy doesn't get himself killed."

Waving her hand, Vivi cleared her throat and Karoo quacked from next to her, though he looked less than pleased at what came out of Vivi's mouth. "Can we come?"

"Sure. Uh, Luffy?"

"No problem! It'll be fun."

"Brilliant. Let's grab some food to go and check this place out."

With that they set off, Luffy snatching the waiting lunch boxes from Sanji's hands and leaping overboard, Vivi and Quinn in pursuit. The foliage was dense, more like a nest of verdant rot buried beneath fresh sprigs, the undergrowth and overgrowth forming a knot of near impassable terrain only made worse by the muddy earth. Quinn immediately set to hacking away at the ferns and vines that choked their path, clearing the way forward with every swipe and revealing yet more greenery.

The island shook from a sudden boom, and just barely visible through the treeline was a trickle of smoke. "This place feels prehistoric," Quinn ventured, wiping a bit of sweat from her brow and casting a quick cooling charm on the lot of them, Luffy humming in thanks.

"What was that?"

"Cooling charm."

"A cooling-? Wow. That would come in handy back home."

"You said Alabasta is a desert, right?"

"Yeah… I miss it so much, and I can't wait to show you all Alubarna. The stonework, the pyramids, the parks… it's beautiful."

There was an unmistakable longing in Vivi's words, and Quinn took a quick look at her to see a forlorn tug to her lips. "It sounds like Egypt," she said, smiling as Vivi grunted in question.

"Egypt?"

"A country in my world, but it's famous for its ancient empire. They were one of the earliest known civilizations, and had an empire spanning what used to be known as the longest river in the world." Quinn grinned to herself, remembering burying her nose in history books at the library near Privet Drive. It had been easy to escape into a book full of tales about places long forgotten, and only remembered through fractured etchings of a language almost lost to time.

It was fascinating, and the few occasions she'd had the opportunity to talk with Bill had inevitably led to him waxing poetic about the many tombs he'd ventured into and the curses that kept them locked, hidden, and plenty dangerous.

"Did you ever get to see Egypt?"

Quinn shook her head. "Only in pictures. The pyramids and the like are often chipped, some are close to ruin at this point seeing as they're all thousands of years old, but the structures that still stand are standing strong."

"How long have they stood?"

"Four, maybe five thousand years? And, you know what? Fuck seeing the pyramids back home, because I'm going to get to look at some proper pyramids as they were meant to be seen. Not some dusty old things, but the real deal." Almost shivering with excitement, Quinn shook out her arms. "Honest, see? I get to be the first modern person, ever, to get a look at what a desert kingdom really was."

Vivi shot her a grin of her own, a grin that was quickly shaken away by the ground beneath their feet rattling away, a great bellow shattering the song of chirping birds and Luffy's contented humming as he poked and prodded at every leaf and branch they came across. They looked up, following the source of the sound, and the three of them laid eyes on a scaly neck that trailed up, up, up-

"Is that a goddamn dinosaur?"

"I think it is," Vivi echoed, staring at the massive head dozens of feet above them, another thump marking the brontosaurus' lumbering march.

"Awesome!"

And with that said, Luffy immediately slingshotted himself upward to land atop the dinosaur's head. Quinn didn't even have enough time to come to terms with the fact that she was staring at an honest to god dinosaur before he was prancing around on top of the goddamn thing's head, laughing all the while.

"Oh for fu- Luffy! Get down from there!"

"Why?"

"Because it's a fucking dinosaur!"

"Eh, so? All he wants to do is eat grass, see?" he shouted, pointing triumphantly at the leaves sticking out of the thing's mouth. A mouth that very quickly opened as the brontosaurus threw its head back swallowed Luffy whole.

"Just eat grass my fucking- do you think if I shoot it dead now he'll come out okay?" she asked, whipping her pistol from its holster and leveling it at the broad side of the dinosaur.

"I don't-"

Both Vivi and Quinn's jaws dropped when a bloody giant came wading out of the jungle and chopped the dinosaur's head off with a single swing of the sword. Even Karoo quacked loudly, jerking back in fear as blood spurted from the stump neck of the brontosaurus like a geyser, Luffy's cackling, spit-soaked body following with it.

"What the fuck."

"How wonderful!" the giant boomed, snatching Luffy out of the air and staring at him like he was a curious trinket. "You're a lively one, aren't you?"

"You're huge!" was Luffy's reply, jaw hanging open. "Are you human?"

"I am no human, I am a Warrior of Elbaf! A Giant! You may call me Dorry!"

"Awesome!"

"We're going to die, aren't we?" Vivi whispered.

"He seems friendly enough. I think?"

Pointing directly at them, Dorry's sudden laugh made her ribs shake. "Are those your friends over there?"

"Yeah! Hey guys! Did you see I got eaten?"

"Yeah," Quinn echoed quietly. "Sure did, mate."

-::-

"Thanks for the um- the dinosaur."

"Not a problem! Not a problem at all!" Dorry bellowed jovially. Everything he did was jovial, from eating to talking to shining his armour, he did it all with a smile and a laugh. It would be pleasant if it weren't for the fact that it made her bones rattle every time he did it.

The dinosaur genuinely was good, though, and who in the world would ever have had the opportunity to say such a thing? Spitroasted dinosaur seasoned with salt, pepper, and whatever unnameable herbs grew on this prehistoric hell of an island. Quinn had tested a few of them to see if they held a magic she could identify to no luck. While the world did have magic, plenty of it, that didn't mean that every animal and plant could be tossed into a potion without so much as a how do you do. Little Garden, while frightfully bizarre, was also frightfully mundane.

It would be an incredible discovery for her if it wasn't so goddamn frustrating. If she even recognized a few of the plants here that could be enough, but each and every one of them looked like something you'd find imprinted in stone. Bunch of bloody fossils.

"They're like old friends, aren't they?"

"Huh?" Wiping the grease from her lips, Quinn paused and then nodded at Vivi's question. "I think that's just Luffy. He's not book smart, but he sure as hell is people smart."

"Mister! Why are you here all alone? Is there a village here?"

Chuckling, Dorry set aside the absolutely massive haunch of brontosaurus he'd been chewing on, while Luffy sat atop his as if it wasn't a ten foot tall chunk of meat he was using as a chair. "Of course I come from somewhere! But that somewhere is very far away. Elbaf is a village of warriors, of giants, and lies very far from here." He then sighed, looking weary for the first time since Quinn had spotted the mountain of a man. "Back in my village we lived by a code of sorts. It's why I'm here. When there is a dispute and neither side will yield, it is up to our God to decide the righteous. I've been fighting another warrior to decide who is right, and that would be the victor of our battle. Whosoever lives is favoured by God!"

As if he hadn't been wandering down memory lane, as morose as such a street was, Dorry once more broke out into laughter. "But we've been at it for a hundred years now, and it still hasn't been settled!"

"A hundred year long death-match?" Quinn choked, regretting taking another bite almost instantly. Thankfully Karoo gave her a couple whacks across the back, and she spat up the chunk of dinosaur that had lodged itself in her throat.

"A hundred years is nothing! We live three times as long as you little humans."

"But, even then…" Vivi set her food down, aghast. "What's the point of fighting for a century? Don't you think that's enough? Wouldn't you want to stop fighting at this point? And- and- do you even want to kill each other?"

"Doesn't matter!" With his words, the nearby mountain erupted, the sound of it almost flattening Quinn. "Looks like it's time to fight!"

"But- you're friends! Aren't you?"

"Shush," Luffy interrupted, slapping his hand across Vivi's mouth. "This is about honour."

"Zoro and Mihawk," Quinn continued, to which Luffy nodded.

"Exactly."

"Let's watch the show then?"

If anything, it should be exciting.

"I dunno' if we want to get too close."

Pausing, Quinn took a few steps back, instead choosing to watch from a distance while Dorry loped through the trees, their peaks barely reaching his ribs. God, he made the giants she'd seen at the Battle look like children, and if Luffy didn't want to get better seats then she sure as shit wasn't looking to do something even he thought was risky. So when Dorry and his friend finally met, steel to steel, the sheer size of the impact made Quinn's teeth itch.

For Christ's sake, the wind buffeting her made Quinn want to curl up like Usopp did when a sea beast poked its head out of the water. The strength of the two giants was absurd, trees bowing against their blows and the land itself shaking with each and every mountainous clash. Luffy dropped to the ground, whistling loudly, and giggled once before saying, "Too big! They're way too big!"

"Agreed."

It felt like an entire life had passed her by as they sat and watched the fight from afar, wincing occasionally at a nasty blow, or a near-miss that was barely even an inch away from removing one of their heads.. Every swing was meant to kill, that much Quinn could tell. The point of a sword barrelling towards the carotid, the battered, splintered edge of a shield hefted downward like the blade of a guillotine – there were no punches pulled, and Quinn was waiting on bated breath expecting every step taken, every swing and stumble to spell the end. Yet on and on they fought, growing more tired with every minute that went on until blessedly, finally, they both tripped, faces mashed against the others shield and their chests heaving as they panted desperately.

A silence fell over Little Garden, broken only by the laboured breathing of the two giants who fought now to gather their bearings. Soon that breathing was replaced by a low rumble, one that grew and grew until booming laughter swept over the island, Dorry throwing out a hand and hoisting his friend to his feet. The two stumbled, clapping each other on the back and turning their duel from blades to compliments. "Brogy, my friend! Your axe is as fearsome as ever!"

"I was sure that chop at your shoulder would be the end of it!"

"That old trick? Not a chance."

"Old trick my ass! I only came up with that a decade ago!"

They stared each other down, glaring, until breaking out into laughter again and rolling onto their backs like a pair of children. "Seventy three thousand battles!"

"And seventy three thousand draws!"

"Oi, Dorry! I got some ale from some little humans I met! Let me go get some for you."

Must be Zoro and Sanji, Quinn mused, the now-dubbed Brogy hauling himself to his feet and wandering over to his side of the island, returning a minute later with a familiar cask of beer. He passed it off to Dorry, who laughed for the umpteenth time and whirled around to return to his camp. "Are your friends a red-haired woman and a boy with a long nose?" he thundered, setting himself down with a crash and immediately reaching for whatever hunks of dinosaur were left over. "I spotted them over the trees."

"That's Nami and Usopp. Guess they left the ship."

Still looking a bit shaken, Vivi leaned in and asked, "What about Zoro and Sanji?"

"Dunno', but they can handle themselves."

"Nothing like a drink after a good fight!" Dorry crowed, drinking from the cask like it was a simple mug. It might as well have been considering the size of the man.

"Hey, Dorry."

"Yes, little one?"

"How long does it take a log pose to set on this island?"

"A year!"

"Well that isn't gonna' do. No wonder Sunday said it was a death sentence to come here."

"Did you not see the skulls? Hundreds of humans have come here in the time that Brogy and I have fought. All of them perished, either eaten by the dinosaurs, from the heat and hunger, or because they were foolish enough to attack us. But-" he put a single, massive finger up. "-All of them died. A year here is too much for your kind to endure."

"What're we going to do?" Vivi rasped, her head in her hands. "Even if we survive… what would happen to Alabasta?"

Groaning, Luffy puffed out his lips in annoyance. "Sounds boring. Can we speed it up?"

"I have an eternal pose to Elbaf. That's what Brogy and I are fighting over." Grinning viciously, Dorry leaned forward. "Would you like to fight me for it?"

"Nah. We don't wanna' go to Elbaf. We just wanna' find the next island."

"Why not try your luck, eh?" Caught in another fit of laughter, Dorry threw his head back, cackling. "Hop on your ship and head in any direction! You just might be lucky enough to make it!" Wiping a tear from his eye, he took another swig from the cask, shaking his head and smiling faintly. "You're a funny few, little humans. Such strange creatures."

Again, he went to drink, and Quinn felt a pulse of magic from somewhere in the jungle directed their way. Her heart leapt, and she reached out to pull the barrel from Dorry's grasp, something in the back of her head telling her things were about to go terribly wrong. "Wait- don't drink!"

Frowning, Dorry met her eyes just as the cask touched his lips and he faltered, but not enough to stop the ale from spilling into his mouth, another pulse following a massive explosion that made his gut bulge and blood spill from his mouth. Smoke poured from Dorry's lips as he fell backwards, and Quinn rushed towards him, cursing frantically.

"The ale! Someone spiked the ale!"

"What!? How? That was our ale!"

"I felt magic! That way!" Quinn pointed into the jungle, and Luffy swore loudly, cracking his knuckles.

"Do you think it was the other giant?"

Furious, Luffy grabbed Vivi by the scruff of her shirt. "They've been fighting for a hundred years! You think he'd pull a dirty trick like that after that long?"

"Then it must have been you," Dorry growled, his singed head lifted off the ground and his eyes, bloodshot with anger, were trained on them.

Shouting, Quinn took a step back from the giant, ready to grab Luffy, Vivi, and Karoo so she could apparate all of them back to the Merry. "Dorry! Dorry- I tried to warn you! It wasn't us!"

"You expect me to believe you!?"

"We have nothing to gain from hurting you! Nothing! Please, I felt magic in that direction-" she pointed again, off towards where Dorry and Brogy had both fought. "-from a devil fruit user. Someone boobytrapped the ale, and- oh. Oh. Luffy!"

"Yeah?"

She opened her mouth to speak when a massive sword came crashing down between them, and immediately leapt backwards, cursing. "Listen to reason, damnit!"

"No! I won't fall for your tricks again!"

"Shit. Shit."

"Quinn! Catch!"

Luffy's hat came sailing overtop the building sized blade still buried in the ground and Quinn snatched it out of the air, slamming it atop her head. "Luffy! Baroque Works are here! That explosion was from Mister Five, I'm sure of it!"

"Find him! I'll take care of the old man!"

"On it! Vivi, let's move! You too, Karoo!"

They dashed towards the jungle as Luffy leapt, fist pulled back a hundred feet before it came crashing down against Dorry's shield, the clang echoing across the island. Her pulse thundered in her ears and Quinn ran headlong towards where she hoped she could find the rest of the crew and rout out the Baroque Works stragglers that had followed them to Little Garden.

Images flashed through her mind of the wide, shadowed expanse of the Forest of Dean – long nights spent huddled in a tent unable to sleep, feeling out the ramshackle wards they'd thrown up and listening intently for any approaching Snatchers. Quinn's heart skipped a beat and nausea began knocking at her throat, bile simmering just below it.

Blood, spellfire, flashes of red and green careening through the woods as shouts broke out all around. They'd been found. The taboo had been broken.

She could hardly breathe, and it took a moment of pressing her hand against a tree, holding her weight against it for Quinn to get her bearings. You're not there. There's no Death Eaters here. Just a fool who can make his bogeys explode.

"Quinn. Quinn- are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah- I'm fine." She looked at Vivi with foggy eyes then shook her head. You need to move. "Just needed to think."

Empty eyes, a necklace fashioned of split skin and streaming crimson. Macnair had never seen her coming, could only choke on his own filth as her cutting curse struck true and left him like the namesake of Gryffindor's ghost. But they were fucked. Her, Ron, and Hermione – the lot of them were as good as dead, and Quinn would be damned if she didn't take as many Death Eaters with her as she could on the way.

"No. No." Pushing the memories away, Quinn snarled. One fight was enough. One fight made sense. Being ambushed in your enemies' territory was to be expected, but coming after the crew a second time? Stalking them? Hunting them? Enemies of the organization they may be, Quinn was going to make sure Baroque Works regretted their attempt to make a mark of her and the rest of the Straw Hats, and she would be damn sure she left a scar.