Chapter 6

Battle with the Rats

The cheetahs shouted as they and the Rat Tribe charged for battle, clashing their weapons. Hunter aimed his bow and fired an arrow at one rat, hitting his shoulder. Some of the rats came charging toward the group.

Luffy started to walk. "Second Gear!" He pumped his arm, and his skin turned pink while steaming. The rats got closer to him. "Gum-Gum..." He leaned forward and threw rapid, multiple punches at the rats. "Jet Gatling!"

The rats hurtle backwards from Luffy's attack.

"Hey, did that creature hit us?! What kind of creature is he?!" A fat rat gasped.

The skinny rat stood up. "Don't stand there! Get them all!"

Zoro drew his swords and placed the third one in his mouth. "Alright, leave them to me. Three Sword Style." He his swords out and spun them, creating a compressed attack on the rats. "108 Caliber Phoenix!"

The rats hurtle backwards from the attack. Spyro flew up and breathed fire at them as Cynder used her Siren Scream, causing the other rats to cover their ears while screeching. The rats came toward the others, but Chopper activated his Kung Fu Point to attack with karate moves.

"Ocho Fleur!" Robin said, crossing her arms. Petals flew by, and the arms sprouted from a rat, grabbing him. "Clutch!" The arms bent the rat's body, and the rat screeched as his bones snap.

A muscular rat in a loincloth appeared and stood by Luffy. "You cannot defy the Rat Tribe!" he shouted in a gruff voice. "Our chief Ratsono is supreme!" He punched Luffy's head so hard his neck stretched out.

Sparx gasped at this. "His neck stretched out! What's this?!" he exclaimed.

"That's the power of the Gum-Gum Devil Fruit," Nami said.

The muscular rat noticed Luffy's neck still stretching.

"That's not gonna work, because I'm rubber," Luffy said. "Besides, it doesn't even itch! Head: Hardening!" A black shiny spot appeared on Luffy's head, and he snapped it forward.

"Bring out the shield!" the muscular rat demanded, and a rat appeared with a large shield. The muscular rat snatched the shield to use it.

"Gum-Gum..." Luffy's head slammed into the shield with a bell sound. "Bell!"

The muscular rat scurried backwards, his shield with a dent from Luffy's Armament Haki.

"He just hit the shield with his head? What is going on?!" the skinny rat exclaimed.

Some of the Rat Tribe fired arrows at Luffy, but Luffy stood there, the arrows barely hitting him. He dodged the arrows and ran toward the rats. "Gum-Gum Gatling!" He threw multiple punching at the rat archers.

The rats ran toward Brook, and Brook just walked by them, holding his sword. He then started sheathing his sword. "Three-Verse Humming...Arrow Notch Slash!" He sheathed his sword, and the rats screeched when slashes suddenly appear on their bodies.

Usopp held out his Kuro Kabuto and aimed at the rats. "Green Star: Bamboo Javelin!" He fired his Pop Green, and stalks of bamboo shot up from the ground, striking the rats.

"These guys are playing dirty!" a fat rat said.

"Use the cannon!" another fat rat said.

The rats brought out a cannon, and one lit a wick, firing a cannonball at the group.

"Look out!" A cheetah called out.

Sanji used Sky Walk, kicking his feet to jump in midair, and he spun around, kicking the cannonball. "Collier Shoot!" He kicked the ball right back at the rats. The rats ran off as the cannonball exploded, destroying the cannon.

Luffy fought with the muscular rat, but Luffy sometimes took beatings from the punches. "That rat's stronger than I thought," he said. "Fine! Third Gear!" He corked his thumb to his mouth and blew on it after a bite, inflating his arm. "Bone Balloon!"

"What! That being can inflate his arm?!" A cheetah gasped.

"Now Gum-Gum...Giant Pistol!" Luffy threw a punch and hit the muscular rat, sending him crashing onto the stone wall of the valley.

"No way..." Hunter said, stunned.

The cheetahs and the rats continue fighting as Nami attacked the rats with Cyclone Tempo. Franky fired pellets from his arm and knocked the weapons off the rats' grasp.

"Those guys are too much!" the rat said. "Retreat!"

The Rat Tribe ran away from the fight, and Spyro spat a fireball at them. Of course, the cheetahs wouldn't celebrate, since they were all too shocked at the Straw Hat Pirates' abilities and powers.

"Did you see how they fought?" a cheetah asked.

"Yes, but how did they do it? What world did they come from?" another cheetah said.

"Wait a minute here," Prowlus said. "What are you guys? I've been shocked by this strange sight."

"Some of us are Devil Fruit users," Luffy said. "What sucks is that Devil Fruit users cannot swim, for life."

"Devil Fruit? What trickery is this?"

"I'm sure we'll explain everything," Robin said.

"I'm sure you will," Hunter said, "considering how your appearances astonish me."

"Shishishi!" Luffy tittered with a toothy grin. "That's fine with me," he said.

"Is that how you respond?" Usopp asked, fazed.

Five minutes later...

The Straw Hat Pirates had explained to the cheetahs about their adventures as pirates, the Devil Fruits, and Luffy had to mention his dream of finding One Piece to become King of the Pirates.

"How curious," Prowlus said. "Those with powers cannot swim for life, and a legendary treasure. I don't care about treasure, though, so long as I'm chief of the cheetahs. You may not be enemies, but I might not give trust to you pirates."

"That's one thing we know in common," Zoro said.

"Now, if there won't be any trouble, we're looking for Warfang," said Nami.

"I know where it is," Hunter said. "I was there when Ignitus sent me to find Spyro. I'll show you the way."

"That'll be awesome!" Luffy said. "Let's pack up our stuff and food!"

"It may be a long trip to Warfang if we go on foot," Robin said.

"It may be," said Cynder, "but it's worth it."

The Straw Hat Pirates had finished packing up, getting ready to leave for Warfang.

Luffy raised his hands up and said, "Alright, let's go!"

Meanwhile, at a misty valley miles away from Avalar, the Rat Tribe had returned defeated. A gigantic rat with armor on his arms and chest and a loincloth stepped his stomping feet out of the shadows, looking rather displeased.

"It's Ratsono," the fat rat gasped.

"Why have you all returned defeated?" the giant rat Ratsono snarled. "I expected you all to return with Prowlus' head, and you came back without it. What's the meaning of this?!"

"We were overwhelmed by strangers from the outside world," a rat said. "Strangers with powers we've never seen before."

"Strangers with powers? What are you getting at?"

"I know why they came defeated, Chief Ratsono," a rat in a cloak said, coming in. "It would appear that our rats have been defeated by a group of wanted pirates from the New World."

Hearing this got Ratsono in curiosity. "Pirates... I've heard of that somewhere. Who are these pirates, Flicks?"

The cloaked rat, Flicks, made a grin and revealed the wanted posters of the Straw Hat Pirates, which were recently new after Luffy's triumph against Doflamingo. "I believe these are the pirates that I have heard from somewhere."

Ratsono picked up the Luffy poster, and he set his eyes on the hat. "I've seen that hat from somewhere," he said. "The same hat back when I was in the New World years ago. Perhaps this pirate will make the new target on my list." He then made a sinister chuckle.