Chapter 15

Barlin's Tragic Story

Darkness spread all over the world, as it had blanketed the sunny sky. Luffy stood on his ground, staring at Blackbeard.

"Blackbeard... what the hell have you done?!" Luffy shouted.

"This is the beginning of my era, Straw Hat," Blackbeard said. "I showed that Whitebeard that my destiny cannot be stopped. It didn't matter if I'm not the man Roger was waiting for; I'm destined to rule this world in darkness, whether you like it or not."

"You bastard! I should've killed you when I had the chance!"

"Well, I'm glad you had failed to do so. You're no match against me, and now it's time to suffer the consequences! Straw Hat Luffy, as the new King of the Pirates, the time has come for you to die! Accept your destiny!"

Luffy snapped and activated Second Gear. "Who the hell do you think you are to decide who is King of the Pirates!? I'll kill you, for Ace and for Whitebeard!" He charged at Blackbeard as he stretched his arms out. "Gum-Gum Jet Bazooka!" He shot his arms forward, but Blackbeard dodged, appeared behind him, and struck him with the tremor bubble, as cracks appear in midair.

Luffy yelled from the impact and rolled on the ground. He saw Blackbeard jumping toward him, and he dodged, trying to hit him with Jet Gatling, but Blackbeard neutralizes the attack, due to his Dark-Dark Devil Fruit's powers. Luffy stretched his leg to kick him, but Blackbeard stopped him and punched him again with the tremor bubble, as Luffy fell in the sea of darkness he had spawned. Blackbeard held his foot up with the tremor bubble and stamped as the ground shook, and Luffy took hit from the cracks and the ground spitting to pieces, as the last piece knocked him into the air and falling back down to earth.

Then Blackbeard hit Luffy again with the tremor bubble on his fist, as cracks appear in the air, and he flew and hit the ground. Luffy struggled to get up, as he coughed up blood, but Blackbeard appeared and stepped on his chest, his boot coated in darkness, and his fist in the tremor bubble.

"Zehahahahahaha! Finally, victory is all mine! Time to die, Straw Hat!"

Blackbeard then threw a hard punch on Luffy's head as he screamed, and the world began to shatter.

Luffy screamed as he woke up, grabbing his head. He panted as he looked down, and then he looked around, seeing he was back in the Dragon Temple. "It was just a dream," he said. "How did I end up back in the temple?"

"Spyro, you're okay!" Sparx's voice cried out.

Luffy got up, groaning from the beatings he took from Pounder, and he went to the other room, seeing his crew and the others, and Spyro and Cynder were laying on a bed made from leaves and twigs, as he had recovered.

Spyro groaned as he got up, rubbing his head. "Yeah, I'm okay... my head's pounding."

"Mine too," Cynder said as she rubbed her head.

"Spyro, Cynder, try to get some rest," Chopper said as he placed bags of ice on their heads. "These bags of ice should bring down the pain."

Spyro sighed, and he saw Luffy. "Oh, Luffy, you're awake," he said.

"Are you guys okay?" Luffy asked.

"Yeah, we're okay," Hunter said, as he sat by the wall with a blanket over him. "Raymond's managed to get help from the cheetahs, and here we are."

"I did what I had to do," Raymond said. "After seeing you guys get beat up by that rat, I wasn't gonna stand by and do nothing. I had used my dad's abilities to fight the big rat, and I sent him away. And then I went to ask the cheetahs for help, since their village was nearby, and their chief agreed to help bring you guys to the temple." He held out Luffy's hat. "Oh, and I found this hat in the forest, and I figured it's yours."

"Hey, my hat!" Luffy cheered as he took his hat and placed it on.

"You were so strong back there, Raymond," Cynder grinned. "You fought pretty well, and I guess that training with Barlin paid off."

"Wait, you fought that big rat yourself?" Spyro asked.

"Yeah, I did," Raymond admitted. "I couldn't stand by doing nothing after watching the whole fight. All the training I had with Barlin, I managed to master the Elemental Furies, and one day I may master Convexity."

Spyro smiled at hearing this, as he hugged him with his wing. "Raymond, I'm amazed. You became much like me." His smile faded. "But sometimes there are bad guys who may be stronger than you could be. Something to think about."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Spyro and Cynder then fell asleep for some rest, as Chopper placed the blanket over them.

"Meanwhile, I just wonder how Barlin has alchemy powers," Nami said. "Barlin, do you know how you got them?" She then crossed her arms sternly. "And why were the rats after you in spite of that? Be honest."

Barlin sighed. "I figured you didn't know me, and we had just met at my cottage," he said. "Very well. Long ago, in Dante's Freezer, my father served as leader of the snow leopard tribe, long before the Dark Master's attack. He was an alchemist long before me, and I wanted to be an alchemist just like him. He used to tell me stories about an ancient alchemist that once lived in the Dragon Realms, back when alchemy was thought to be traditional."

"'Was thought?' But isn't it what you told me back in the human world?" Raymond asked.

"I thought it was considered traditional too, but thinking back, I felt it was a little too much thought all because my father was into alchemy."

"But what's the legend about the alchemy in the Dragon Realms?" Usopp asked.

"It all involves the ancient alchemist who first introduced alchemy in a world of dragons, from gold to silver, from metal to iron, from copper to steel, all that stuff. But one particular thing that brought tales of alchemy, was when that ancient alchemist invented this necklace I have with me." He showed his necklace. "And that necklace is this, the philosopher's stone."

The Straw Hat Pirates were amazed at seeing the necklace.

Brook gasped. "My gosh... that gemstone necklace looks so beautiful it made my eyes sparkle, if I have any!"

"The philosopher's stone? What's special about it?" Nami asked.

Robin checked the book and saw the chapter about the alchemy, as she saw the philosopher's stone necklace. "I think I found it in this book," she said. "It is stated that the philosopher's stone is rumored to be the most powerful artifact of alchemy. The one who created the stone itself was said to be an ancient dragon that existed long ago in the early days of the Dragon Realms."

"So the dragon was an alchemist," Sparx said curiously. "Now there's the picture."

"Now that's the first thing I'm hearing," Barlin said. "Anyway, I had some thought about having powers of alchemy, and I had decided I wanted that power. My father supported my choice, but he warned me that alchemy is powerful magic, for I would have to learn and train. And I did just that, but it wasn't easy, even after learning from chemistry and magic books. But after turning grass to bread, as my final test, my father decided I was ready for the powers of alchemy. And that's when he gave me the philosopher's stone. But sadly, my role to one day become leader of the snow leopards came to a fatal demise when Gaul and his soldiers, the Apes, invaded our village. Despite mastering my powers of alchemy, and despite our best efforts, we were overwhelmed... my tribe was massacred... and I was the last of my kind." He looked down sadly, as he teared up. "I had managed to escape in one piece, without my kind, and without my father." He tried not to cry, but then he did, his paw over his eyes as he sobbed.

Raymond hugged Barlin as he tried to comfort him. "I'm sorry, Barlin," he said.

Chopper teared up and choked up from hearing a tragedy. "I'm so sorry for your loss, Barlin," he sobbed. "It must've been so awful...!"

"Yes, it was," Barlin sniffled, as he wiped his eyes from shedding tears. "I'm the last snow leopard left... I miss my kind, and my father."

The group heard snoring and saw Zoro had fallen asleep.

"Are you kidding me?!" Nami and Sanji yelled.

WHACK! WHACK! WHACK!

Zoro woke up after Sanji and Nami had bashed his head. "Oh, was I falling asleep...?" he mumbled. "I was having a nice rest too."

"How could you be sleeping from Barlin's story, you jerk?!" Nami yelled, stamping her foot.

"You stupid moss head!" Sanji yelled.

Robin closed the book. "I think let's focus on recovering from that battle we had with that rat Pounder," she said.

"Yeah, I agree," Franky said.

Luffy gave out a chuckle with his toothy smile. But then his smile faded, as he sternly walked out to the balcony, thinking about the battle, and also wondering about the rat tribe. "Ratsono, huh?" He said to himself. "I don't know who he is, or what he wants with me... but if he thinks he can take me down, he'll get what's coming to him. I'm not just some rubber man that's fought countless monsters. I am the one..." he lifted his head with a toothy smile. "...who will be King of the Pirates."