LW: And now we get to 2 of the most important fights in the arc! Caesar, and Vergo. Let's GO!
Rubber King and Mirror Master - New World Chaos: Cloudy with a Chance of Calamity
Building R
"NO! NOT THE MASTER!" The chorus of minions yell out as Luffy punches Caesar into the blast door with barely even a 1st thought, never mind a second.
"Owowowowowow! You little shit, you broke my nose!" Caesar cries as he writhes in pain on the floor, before slowly rising to his feet once more "Idiotic brat, weren't you listening to a single word I said!? You know who I have backing me, you'd be a fool to cross me knowing who will come to destroy you for harming me."
"I heard every word, I just don't care. You're hurting kids, you messed with my niece, so you can be King of the Fucking World and I'll still kick your ass!" Luffy states bluntly, before starting to walk toward the mad scientist like a slasher villain, slow, steady, stoic… and unrelenting in his approach.
"Wait, wait wait, let's talk about this, just a simple apology and I can make this all go away, we don't need to get violent, hey Straw boy?" Caesar panics and flounders "After all, one of the beasts of the New World is right here in the lab right now. Vergo of G5, nobody can stand up against the strength of his Armament haki. Doflamingo and Kaido sound like distant dreams, but Vergo, he is right here, he could be beside me with just a call, you don't want that, do you? I doubt those 3 stooges lasted very long against him, Law, Smoker, and that lanky freak all dead by his hands, Shurorororo. Your crew is next, and then you, unless you apologize, and stand down"
"I don't care, I'm still breaking you here and now. Be thankful it's me and not Robin, I think she'd be more than happy to see if it's possible to rip someone's spine out their asshole without killing them" Luffy darkly muses, punching Caesar in the face again when the gasbag was frozen in shock and fear, from the statement, as well as the mental image.
SAD Production Facility
Clang!
Clang!
Shing!
BOOM!
Vergo's fight with Smoker and Kaos continued to drag on, the pirate switching to a glaive for the added reach and distance, as getting close to Vergo and his haki-infused swings and punches was a bad idea for the Dual fruit eater. The crackle of purple lightning also limited Vergo to striking Kaos with his bamboo, while the punches and kicks were reserved for Smoker whose jitte had no added danger to a non-fruit user like the turncoat Vergo.
"You know, haki might be rather useful right now" Smoker groans as Kaos sidesteps another bamboo dart.
"I don't think he can, not well at least" Vergo taunts, his tone remaining flat and lifeless though.
"I can use it just fine, there's just no point getting in a black arm fight with someone like you Vergo, you outclass me in Armament for now at least. Besides, it doesn't matter how strong your haki is, when you continue to miss me" Kaos grins cheekily, his chest opening up and letting the bamboo pass right through where his heart should be, before swinging the lighting glaive to force the turncoat to retreat "I at least have you beat with Observation, speaking of, you might want to check that"
Bwam!
Bwam!
Bwam!
"What?" Vergo's head turns sharply, as alarms blare throughout the building "What did you do?"
'What did you do?' Law also wonders 'And how?'
"Nothing, what do you think happened?" Kaos asks curiously.
"That alarm means the pressure in the SAD tankers is dropping sharply, someone must have pulled a quick-release valve, or punctured the main storage unit" Vergo grimaces.
"Well, we've been kind of busy fighting you, Law wasn't here long enough to mess with the tanks, so that leaves, whoever else has access and control of this place" Smoker hums, a little curious himself.
"Caesar, but why?" Vergo mutters.
"His Smilie was made of Poison Gas empowered by a Zoan fruit, maybe he has another, and got curious as to what it would do to the SAD" Kaos muses, a knowing smirk as the lies flow off his tongue.
"No, SAD is incompatible in this form…" Vergo begins to argue, before pausing "It's not important, dealing with you 2 is" he states before lunging, both his opponents either dispersing into smoke or cartwheeling out of his way, his haki-coated forearm blocking a return slash from a bladed-tail, cutting clean through his jacket but bouncing/sparking off the obsidian flesh.
"Neither of you stand a chance of killing me, not while you're this weak!" Vergo raises his voice slightly, catching Smoker's arm while he is still in his smoke form, and slamming him into the floor to solidify him, then throwing him at the young pirate.
?
"You have no idea where you're going do you?" Tashigi sighs as she leans against Zoro for support. "Perona warned me about this, but I thought she was joking, you really do have no sense of direction do you?"
"Shut up, not like you'd be much better. Spectra tried to lead us to the shore 1st week I was there, we ended up in the remains of a village in the center of the island, and then got attacked by those Humandrills"
"Well go through that doorway, we might actually meet up with the others. Also, maybe the 3 of us should have tried to learn Observation haki while you were gone"
With the kids
"We're almost there, Building R shouldn't be much farther!" Nami shouts as the Straw Hats, giant kids, and G5 all grouped up and follow her down the corridors.
"My head hurts, like I just woke up from a dream" One of the kids groans.
"Then you were given the sedative, you'd feel like you took a tumble and have a migraine if you were knocked out via my method" Artemis admits with a shrug, some groans of agreement making Medusa giggle.
"By the way, what was that you did, it didn't feel like Conqueror's Haki?" Robin asks her newest lover, who blushes.
"I, it's something I'm just starting to understand and harness. Calypso, the 1st Poseidon, was known as an Apex, the most powerful, undisputed King of the Sea. It's not quite Conquerors as far as I can tell, but it's something similar, it's forcing them to acknowledge the bigger fish as you humans say" Shirahoshi explained as best she could.
Building R
"This doesn't look like where they keep the handcuffs" Ussop squeaks as the man and duck combo find themselves in the doorway of Caesar's observation center, a room currently filled with hazmat goons.
"How did we even end up here?" Carue whines, her head buried in her wings, though ready to flee immediately.
SAD Room
Now, the fighting has taken to the air, Smoker via his Devil Fruit while Vergo and Kaos did so via Gepo. Bamboo, Jitte, glaive, and tail, all sparked and clashed, before Vergo managed to get the upper hand, spear-kicking both of his enemies down onto the platform where the fight began.
"Well, that should probably have fucked my spine in any other circumstance" Kaos hums as he pulls himself out of the hole he'd been kicked into, Smoker silently joining him "You know, I think we're almost done, honestly" he sighs deeply.
"That's what I've been trying to…"
"No, not like that, the opposite in fact" the pirate grins.
"I highly doubt that, even though youadmitted freely that my haki greatly surpasses yours, meaning you can't hurt me, while I can break through any attempts you make to defend yourself, be it haki or your Devil fruit" Vergo drawls "Not even Smoker's logia devil fruit can protect him, all it would do is give me a greater surface to hit," he says, just as Smoker does precisely that, emitting a thick smoke screen obscuring himself and the 2 pirates from Vergo's view "Seems you really are giving up, I just said this won't work" he sighs, tilting his head to avoid a White Blow then slamming his haki coated fist into Smoker's jaw "You can't win like this, but I'm more than happy to put you in the ground Demon Bamboo!" he cries, swinging his weapon like a club, only for his arm to be grabbed, not by smoke, but something more akin to sludge, needle like talons piercing him to the bone and stopping his swing dead.
"You missed something very important in the smoke Vergo, that I have help" Smoker scoffs as Kaos steps out of the smoke, the former marine finally noticing the size difference between the 2.
"Now, let's make sure this ends quickly. Doru Doru Lockdown" he grins before with an upward flick of his free hand, the wax on the floor rises and envelops the turncoat, trapping him up to his waist in Steel-Hard wax.
"This is nothing, I'll be out of it in a matter of moments" Vergo sneers, armament haki flowing across his skin.
"Shame you won't last that long" Law taunts, drawing Vergo's attention back to him "Thanks for keeping his attention, I needed a couple of minutes to get my heart to fit in correctly" he says with a grin, Vergo's eyes widen behind his shades "Neither of you will be on your thrones for much longer, and yes, I know you're listening, Joker. Vergo's as good as dead, whose hands get bloodied, well, that's not for me to say, either way, you lose your right-hand man. Meanwhile, as we speak Straw Hat is taking down Caesar, and as you already know, you've lost this batch of SAD as we speak. Your overconfidence has finally led to your undoing, as I always knew it would, but feel free to cackle like some fairytale villain while you plot your next scheme, enjoy it while you can, but you won't be laughing for much longer" Law says as Vergo throws off his coat, releasing the Den Den Mushi from his pocket.
"You certainly can talk the talk after all these years runt." Doflamingo teases, the snail having his ever-present grin and shades "But I get the feeling you're the one being overconfident because I severely doubt you can back up those words, not now, not in decades to come. You can't hope even to cut Vergo's hardened skin, never mind kill him, meaning I get a front-row seat to him butchering all 3 of you Fufufufufu"
"Not exactly. Room" Law cries, enveloping the entire platform "Scalpel" he whispers as he swings his sword, cleaving Vergo in 2 just above the wax lock that stopped at his hips, as well as splitting every tanker in the room, and even slicing through the mountain behind the lab.
"Desolation" Kaos hisses, Smoker's eyebrows raise at the word, before the pirate lunges.
Vroom Vroom Vroom!
Even Law was surprised by the younger pirate's action, spearing the still-forming blade clean between Vergo's eyes, then erupting out of his chest just below his sternum, the whir of the Chainsaw Staff the only thing drowning out the maniacal laughter.
Finding his focus, Law turns his head, addressing the snail directly "It's been 2 years, has anything happened, or have you just maintained the status quo, kept everything running business and usual? Whitebeard ushered in a new era, or at least the end of the old one, but nothing has happened, everyone's just holding their breath waiting for someone else to make the first move. Admittedly Blackbeard trying his hand at making this era his only to get slapped around for his troubles probably didn't help matters, but none of the big players have done anything, even the Marines have simply licked their wounds and regrouped. The War of the Best was the Prologue to the New Era. You always told me it was coming, that a new era would come to pass brought by an unstoppable tide, the age of the Daring Ones. Here we are Joker, I've opened the Gate, the gears are broken, and there is no turning back"
"§The wheel of fate is broken, the Dawn is coming§" Nagini hisses, rising from Kaos' flesh before lunging at the Den Den Mushi, devouring it with a snap of her jaws
"§Fuil don dia fola. Cloigeann don ríchathaoir cloigeann. Anamacha don rí anam§" Kaos mutters as he removes Hebi from Vergo's carcass, Lily making short work of the former Vice Admiral, and soon all his secrets would be hers….. And his.
Building B
"Ok, that the FUCK was that? What kind of attack could slice the entire building in half like that?" Sanji shouts as things start to rumble and break, Law's slash doing a lot of structural damage to the entire mountain laboratory.
"The place is really falling apart now" Nami grimaces, they didn't have time, and things were about to get worse.
"Not to mention, that attack opened the floodgates, and that poison gas outside now has plenty of points of entry to seep into all of the labs" Valentina notes "All right everyone, you know what that means, Doubletime it, we're on one hell of a time crunch to get to R block before the gas gets us, and even then the slashes mean we're all still cooked unless we get off this island pronto"
"So this is where everyone else is"
"I told you we were going the wrong way, given they just came from that direction"
"CAPTAIN!" the G5 cheer, as Zoro and Tashigi come from around a corner.
"No time to explain, we all need to get to build R now, before the gas traps and kills us" Robin summarises.
"Fair enough, and after I find out who made that cut, and fight them, nobody gets to be a better swordsman than me" Zoro grumbles but nods, getting an amused eye roll from most of the crew, and a fond sigh from Tashigi.
SAD Production Room
"Law, are these tanks supposed to be empty?" Smoker asks, peering into the broken vats revealed by Law's slash, and surprised to see a look of panic on the Warlord's face.
"What?"
"BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURP!"
THUD!
"hic!"
"And that's MY cue to head downstairs" Kaos chuckles, a grin on his face as he leaps off the railing to the true floor of the room down below, Smoker and Law look confusingly at one another before following the Straw Hat 1st mate.
"You made quite a mess, but I think you got it all" a female voice coos softly alerting the duo of their destination, while Kaos just followed the Devil fruit signatures.
"Hmmm, it has a tart, apple flavor to it" Alvida slurs, her eyes half closed and clearly exhausted, as well as round as a beach ball, though just shy of Kaos' height in diameter, as she lay on her back, panting heavily, her enhancement seal having spread along her pudgy arms and legs, forming detailed arrays that to the untrained eye almost look like tattoo sleeves all the way down to her wrists and ankles. The glyphs glowed softly, explaining how her stomach was deflating before their eyes, very slowly, but at a steady, even pace.
"Hey Alvida, have a fun binge?" Kaos teases, his eyes and hands glow to draw all the remaining SAD towards himself, to the 2 other's surprise given the tankers around them, there was barely enough left over to drown a Devil fruit user once it was all condensed into a floating ball of waxy looking fluid, which was quickly absorbed by Kaos' DF and squirreled away into his pocket dimension for later examination.
"She ate the SAD!?" Law gapes.
"Yup, every drop," Vivi says almost laughing at the absurdity "Didn't even leave some for Luffy, he'll be so grumpy he missed it" The 2 girls chuckle at that mental image.
"Ok, can someone explain what's going on, how did you even end up here?" Smoker growls irritably.
"I followed the trail of destruction my wife leaves in her wake when mad or hungry, especially based on Meliodas' accounts" Vivi explains
Flashback - Same room.
Heavy breathing was the only noise the figure made as they lumbered towards the main tanker in the facility, based on the piping it all fed back to this one, it was the perfect place, to consume it ALL. Glowing orange eyes found its target, as clamps were ripped off their hinges, and the pipe fell to the ground with a soft thud, its metallic nozzle lightly clicking against the floor before it was picked up in a vice grip.
Her eyes were almost painfully intense as she slipped the nozzle into her mouth, the cold metal strange against her tongue, before shoving her fist THROUGH the quick release/emergency vent button, the SAD beginning to flow freely.
Gulp!
Gulp!
Glug!
Glug!
Glug!
The empty void in her stomach began to fill, whatever this stuff was, it soothed an ache she didn't even recognize, and lit a fire inside that would have made her giddy under any other circumstance. But right now, all that mattered was consuming, once she'd been able to adjust her position so the SAD didn't just explode over her like a firehose.
Her eyes were half-lidded and unfocused, her mind on other things, which explained why there was no reaction as slim arms encircled her waist, a gentle kiss on the back of her neck.
"This certainly wasn't where I expected you to go sweetie, but I suppose anything edible will do, especially with that seal on your back" Vivi playfully coos, pulling the Smooth woman slightly so she was at least sitting, the pipe would allow for that much she was sure. "Must be quite dense stuff, you're already bulking up like crazy, but I guess this is the curse of falling for 2 heavy eaters, you just look even more lovely as the numbers go up" Vivi giggles, one hand cupping her wife's already voluptuous left breast, the other her cute muffin top, the grin on her face widening as both expand beneath her grasp "I wonder just how big you'll get~"
Flashback end
"I don't know how to process that" Smoker admits, as Vivi explains everything that had happened since she broke off from the group.
"Just, can she move in that state?" Law asks, already grimacing at yet another delay to his plans.
"I can move just fine, besides the seal will take most of the excess and store it away for later needs, such as the major fight we're probably going to end up causing when we get to… where is Doflamingo based?" Alvida asks, her body already having gone from 'spherical' to '7 months pregnant with Quintuplets', meaning she was partially able to sit up and communicate with the others.
"Dressrosa" Kaos and Vivi respond, Smoker knowing this was going to happen anyway so just let it go, while Law tried to figure out how to avoid a straight-up brawl that would get all these knuckleheads killed.
"Yeah, there. I'll be fine in a little while, and I'll be able to walk in just a few minutes, the stuff gave me an energy boost as well as whatever else that magical crap was supposed to do, so I won't be slowing you down that much" Alvida argues, with a smirk.
"I'll hold you to that, you slow us down, these 2 are going to have to carry you, you got it?"
"Meh" Kaos and Vivi shrug, way too casual for the Warlord's liking, not helped by Alvida's laugh at their response.
Building R
"What the Hell, the building's coming apart" Luffy yelps, Momonosuke clinging to him for protection, as the ceiling starts to collapse around them.
"This can only be the work of One Man, what the Hell are you up to Law?" Caesar grimaces, pulling a Den Den Mushi from his lab coat " R building, floor 2. Status report!"
"The SAD tankers' sirens are going full blast, pressure is in the negative, and there's nothing left in them!" a Satyr responds.
"WHAT!? That idiot Vergo must have ruptured them, bastard probably didn't even care about collateral damage, good thing I already sent Joker his delivery or this would be very bad news for me Shurorororo"
"Master, help us!"
"We have men trapped all over"
"MASTER!"
"Damn you, damn you! This lab was my paradise and now it's falling to pieces, all because YOU knuckle draggers had to show up and team up with Law to spit in the face of your betters!" Caesar screams, then turns to the snail once again "Open the Air vents on the 1st floor of building R" he commands.
"But sir.."
"You heard me, I want this room flooded with Shinokuni right this minute!"
"But the gas is lethal, you said so yourself"
"I'm made of gas, it can't hurt me, in fact, it might even make me stronger, turning my gaseous form into a toxic cloud of instant death, Shurororo" he cackles.
"Of course Master, we'll get right on that once we evacuate…"
"No, do it now, was I not clear, vent the room IMMEDIATELY! Are you too dim to understand what the word NOW means?" Caesar bellows.
"But sir, there are 100 of our men down there with you."
"I'm sorry, did you mistake me for someone who gives 2 shits about that? You're nothing but expendable guinea pigs, the dregs of society, if 100 or even 1000 of you up and died nobody would care or even notice, that's how little you mean to me or anyone else in this damn world!"
There was dead silence, even the rumbling of the lab seemed to fizzle out for a moment, as what Caesar said was processed by all those around and above him.
"What are you doing, can't you hear me? It doesn't matter how many of you die, you're all as replaceable as used tissues, I would barely need to exert myself to find another batch of worthless rejects and turn them into pliant minions. Shurorororo, let in the Shinokuni, it will give me more power than anyone has seen before, a high I've been chasing for 4 years is about to be surpassed!" Caesar laughs manically, oblivious to the reactions of the men around him.
2nd Floor
"Well damn, I mean we knew Caesar was a bastard…. But that seemed needlessly cruel even for him Qua!" Carue frowns, watching all the minions break down into tears, then facepalms when they still couldn't get it through their thick skulls and rationalize that Caesar was trying to fool Straw Hat, and he still loved them dearly. Pure copium huffers the lot of them.
With Luffy and Caesar
"We've opened the vents, Master!"
"Good, but you should have done that when I asked you to, you're here to follow orders not think. Shurorororo. Yes, yes, here it comes Straw Hat, your death!" Caesar laughs as the thick purple smog pours out of the vents, enveloping and in turn being assimilated by the Mad Scientist, who, much like Moriah before him, began to bulk up heavily as he infused himself with the power of the Shinokuni "Shurorororo, Shurorororo. Behold my full strength, the True Power of Science!"
"Take a good look Straw Hat Luffy, are you still so sure you want to fight me now I'm the true embodiment of Death? This has been a very productive and useful demonstration. I already have 2 countries with an interest in purchasing Shinokuni, countries that are normally peaceful. But after learning a weapon like THIS existed, they realized they needed to protect themselves, by any means necessary. My expertise will be in high demand soon enough, I will fill the world with my glorious weaponry, and when that happens I'll take my place as the King of the Land of the Dead. Shurororo, Shurorororo!" the bulked-up mad scientist monologues, before turning to his brainless henchmen "Now watch!" he orders the pirate, then wafts his massive, smoky hands over the satyrs, petrifying them in a matter of moments "Shurorororo, my creation is so perfect it impresses even me, shutting down the nervous system near instantaneously, it's an art and a science! Shurorororo!" Caesar cackles, as it finally sinks into his goons, the gas man views every one of them as disposable cannon fodder and meat.
"Impossible, how can one man command such power, those poor people" Momonosuke frets, panicking as he looks upon the statues that were once men, all on their knees or curled up, what little of their expressions that was readable a mix of pain, terror and heartbreak.
Luffy's face tightens into a scowl, someone's really in need of a punch to the face, another one in this case "Hey Momo, can you keep an eye on Brownbeard, this shouldn't take long" Luffy asks, getting a nod from the dragon boy before running off, for this plan he's going to need enough distance to get a proper run up for it.
Upstairs
"Listen, I know you're all brokenhearted and all, putting your life back together after a revelation like this will be tough, but can we have a look at that control panel?" the minions turn to see Ussop and Carue right behind them.
"Can you check the cameras for Miss Vivi, she broke off from the group even before we did?" the duck angel asks in concern.
"All our friends are down there, we can't let them die" Ussop continues, as the girl blushes.
"I know that, but they'll be fine until they get to Building R, Vivi could be in danger NOW" she frets.
"Hey, these pirates were here the whole time, let's kill them!" one of the minions cries, aiming his rifle at the duo.
"Kill us? We didn't just turn your friends into lawn ornaments" Ussop argues
"Or break your spirit by playing nice, then shattering the facade like cheap porcelain" Carue adds.
"They do have a point" a bearded Satyr nods, tears still rolling down his cheeks "We trusted the Master and he betrayed us in the Worst ways"
"What do we do now?" another asks.
"We learned it too late to do anything, the entire island is a toxic wasteland!"
"Yeah, you guys are as dead as we are" one shouts at the pirates, getting a surprising smirk from the long nose.
"Oh really?"
"Yeah, your Captain stabbed you in the back the same as ours did, he turned tail and ran the moment he saw the Master's Ultimate form!" the minion argues.
"Oh you stupid human, insulting my brother-in-law, to my face" Carue huffs "Luffy doesn't run from a fight, he's also not tactical enough to think of the idea of a strategic retreat… to his detriment at times" the duck sighs "But, the point is, he's not running away, he's prepping for something big, and we all have front row seats to the majesty and mayhem, of the New World's newest Arrival! Quahahaha!"
"Our lives would be easier if he did run away from some fights, but this guy just keeps swinging until he goes down, nothing any of us can do, and at least it ensures… What was that quote Robin used?" Ussop mutters.
"May you live in interesting times. Oh, we're doing that with Luffy, whether we want to or not" Carue chuckles.
"Indeed. But Luffy puts his heart into everything he does, believing in us, so it's only right that we believe in him" Ussop continues, as a yell of 'Gear 3rd' is heard over the speakers, which causes both Straw Hats to grin widely, this was gonna be good.
Down with Caesar
"Everything dies and nothing of value was lost" Caesar laughs as he finishes dealing with his useless minions, all that remained now that Straw Hat had run like the coward he was, being the dragon and the passed-out Brownbeard, no fun at all.
"Gear 3rd!" echoed through the lab, before the clapping of sandals got louder and louder "Armament: Hardening"
"Caesar!" Luffy bellows as he leaps out of the corridor, barreling right for the evil smog cloud.
"You returned, and here I thought you grew a brain cell and ran off, guess that just means I get the pleasure of killing you mysel…. What's that?" Caesar begins to gloat as he turns to face Luffy and sees what he appears to be dragging behind him.
"Gum Gum: Grizzly Magnum!" Luffy screams as he once more punches Caesar square in the face, just this time with 2 armament-coated fists each larger than his entire body. The attack knocks the gasbag flying, but not before shattering the blast door leading to the exit, and knocking the logia into the darkness beyond, deep into the tunnel.
Building B
"Ok, just a little further, we need to get to the R building before this whole place comes down" Chopper shouts as the marines once more carry Moka on their backs, the reindeer having done all he could to stabilize her, all that was left was to wait for the treatment to kick in, and that could be done on the move thankfully. As they reached the stairs, things were beginning to look up, until screaming caught their attention.
"CHOPPER! Emergency! Kinemon ran into the gas and now he's as dead as me!" Brook cries as he rushes towards the ground with the petrified Samurai in his arms.
"What? Explain quickly" Chopper demands frantically.
"Well, we were evacuating the children, while also searching for his son, when one of the kids told us that Momonosuke can now transform into a dragon. The poor guy believed the one that attacked us earlier today might have been his boy, despite my assurances that Zoan users retain their human mind, and that even if he didn't the transformation is reversed when the subject passes out or dies, he still tried to go back for the creature, at which point, well this happened" Brook explains as best he could.
"He's still alive, his life signs are just weak" Valentina assures him.
"That was what Caesar said wasn't it, that the poison worked fine in its previous form, it was just that people kept getting treatment before they could die? So the shell is just to stop people from healing them, it doesn't kill them any faster" Victor guesses.
"You guys can figure this out later, maybe when you're not about to be consumed by that same toxic smog" Carue deadpans over the com system "RUN!" she screams as the gas is right behind them.
Observation Room
"Ok, that's Chopper's team safe for now, Nami is leading the charge into Building R for her group, and it seems Kaos found Vivi and Alvida, so they'll make it to us about the same time Smoker and Law do" Ussop mutters as he keeps switching between monitors "That's basically everyone, provided Franky is actually on the Sunny, not lost in the smoke outside" he sighs deeply "God i hope he's alright"
Building R
"LUFFY!"
The rubber boy turns at the yell "Oh, hey Nami, you're all here, that's great. You missed me kicking Caesar's ass, but that's ok" he chuckles.
"It's also what we expected" the navigator hums, then worries "Oh no, what happened to Brownie?"
"He's fine, he's still breathing and it's a steady, deep kind of rhythm, so I think Caesar knocked him out before I got here," Luffy explains, having missed that whole fight on his way to Building R.
"The Children!" Momonosuke gasped, seeing it wasn't just pirates and marines on Nami's tail, but all Caesar's former test subjects of various sizes.
"See, told you we'd free them all" Luffy grins, patting the dragon between his antlers.
"We're still missing a few though: Alvida, Vivi, and the Psycho obviously, but also Val, Vic, Kaya, and Chopper, not to mention we didn't see a hint of Ussop, Brook, Carue or the Samurai" Sanji grimaces as everyone catches their breath in Building R.
"If Kaos is missing then so are Smoker and Law" Zoro reminds him, as Tashigi was also getting worried about her boss, given he specifically went off hunting Vergo.
D-R Corridor
"Did we really need to drag this thing, it's huge?" Smoker grumbles.
"That's the point, if it's used to haul SAD it's more than sturdy enough to haul people" Law snaps.
"Maybe I should have gotten in as a test, or Vivi" Alvida chuckles as she pushes alongside her wife and brother-in-law, while Smoker and Law pull from the front.
"It's for the kids and any injured marines, we don't need testers" Law argues, unable to see the pout though he did hear her grumble about him being 'no fun' like that was a big shock. At least they were nearing the end of the corridor "Straw Hat!" he shouts, his fellow captain really did stand out in a crowd, even here.
"Traffy! And Smokie!" Luffy grins, then pauses "But where's Kaos?"
"Back here, with some welcome additions," Kaos responds with an unseen smirk.
"Sorry Luffy, got hungry and then got lost, but we're back!" Alvida purrs.
"Alvida! Vivi! Glad you're back!" Luffy cheers, as the 5 man team enters building R and finally stops heaving the cart.
"Straw Hat, where's Caesar?" Law asks, noticing a distinct lack of amoral scientists in his general vicinity.
"Oh. I kind of punched him that way, broke the door in the process, but since the whole place is coming down it's probably not that big a deal" Lufy explains giddily, pointing to the destroyed blast door he smashed through a few minutes prior.
"You.. the point was to kidnap him, not let him escape!" Law shouts.
"Well excuse me, I was going to kidnap him, but he's a logia, those things are slippery, I was hoping to knock him out and worry about the details later…. That didn't pan out" Luffy huffs "Besides, he's a dick, why do we need to bring him with us, why not just kill him or something….. I spend way too much time around Kaos, Zoro, and Valentina, that would not have been a suggestion I put forward 2 years ago" he pauses, rubbing his chin.
"That's not what we agreed on, the plan was to kidnap…"
"Oh, now I remember, it's because if Robin or Kaos had gotten their hands on him, you'd probably have arrived to see Caesar try to shove his guts back into the hole one of them tore through his torso, while also being on fire," Luffy says with a grin and a finger snap.
"You moron, the point of a plan is to follow through with it, I knew this was too complex an idea to leave in your hands. We need to get him back, now!" Law scowls, Luffy blowing a raspberry in his direction in annoyance.
Just off the Shore of Punk Hazard - In the Air
"Once this mission is over, I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna kill that bastard Joker. Why does he keep doing this? I find a lovely guy, we get engaged, and then not only does he kill them, but he burns their whole village to the ground. 8 times for fuck sake! Why won't he let me be happy?" A woman in a burgundy maid outfit with a katana on her hip, and both a Gatling gun and a bazooka strapped to her back whines and cries, stomping her feet cutely as her partner/transport flies them to Punk Hazard.
"Eh, it's just how the Master has always been, he's trying to protect you from men who don't deserve you" the large man, Buffalo argues, flying via unknown means, which seem to have formed propellers around his head like the front of an old airplane "Plus this keeps happening because you can't say no to those chumps" he teases lightly.
"What made him a chump? He said he needed me, how could I turn my back on him?" Baby 5 whimpers, her tears starting to fill her aviator goggles "He was the 8th victim of Joker's wrath, only 10 days after he confessed to me"
"Listen, here's the lesson to take from this. Just because someone asks, doesn't mean you gotta say yes" Buffalo explains "Neither you, nor anyone else need 50 newspaper subscriptions, stop lending out all your money or wasting it on crap you don't need. Jeez, how much debt are you in back home?"
"Why do you care, not like you have any either?" Baby 5 huffs "It's just 98 million, I could pay that off easily" she assures herself, unable to see her co-worker's eye roll while on his back.
"In that case, think you can lend me about 2 milli, I'm a little short from my last trip to the casino?" Buffalo asks.
'What? He needs me' Baby 5 thinks, her cheeks flushing lightly "Sure, I'll get it for you once we get back to Dressrosa" she assures him, poking her fingers together nervously.
"Awesome, Casino here I come!" the large man laughs, as the island enters their field of view.
'Joker needed me to do this, but after that I'm done with him, just one more job' Baby 5 thinks, psyching herself up for her mission, setting the Gatling gun on Buffalo's back and pulling the bazooka into a ready position "I can barely see the island under Caesar's gas, think it's a good idea for me to shoot it?" she wonders aloud.
"Probably not, who knows what kind of shit that stuff would do to us. I'll handle this" Buffalo argues, "Gust - Matasaburo" he cries, producing a gust of wind strong enough to clear a path through the Shinokuni.
"They'll be here soon, Caesar, Vergo, and Monet too" Baby 5 mutters as she can see an SAD tanker peeking out of the smog.
"Boss did give Monet special instructions to dip out if she was ever truly overwhelmed, but given Vergo's there too, that's not possible" Buffalo laughs "We probably won't be waiting long that's for sure"
BANG!
"Huh, what was that? Did one of the tanks explode? Or maybe some kind of other weapon?" Buffalo panics as the ship is impacted by something from the smog.
"Not something, someone" Baby 5 corrects him, checking her scope, and finding the 'projectile', to be Caesar Clown himself, out cold in a crater on the side of the ship "Shit, that's Caesar! Head down, seems we need intel on what's going on"
"You got it!" Buffalo nods before tilting down for a landing.
Dressrosa
Pura pura pura ca-lick!
"Joker this is Buffalo, I got some bad news!"
"What's the situation?" Doflamingo asks, fingers already starting to twitch.
"Well, we got to Punk Hazard no problem but it looks like something serious went down before we did. We just saw Master Caesar, but he's all busted up. He came flying out of the smoke like a bullet and slammed into the tanker, like he'd just been on the receiving end of a Royal Class ass-kicking"
"Is that so?" Doffy hums, holding back his grimace, before a sadistic grin takes its place "I don't care what state he's in, grab Caesar immediately, get out of there, and bring him straight to me, understood?" he orders.
"You got it boss, we'll be back in no time" Buffalo responds, before the snail falls back asleep.
"Fefefefe" Doflamingo chuckles 'Bunch of damn rookies, blow up the lab for all I care, it'll take more than a little setback like that to beat me. All that matters is Caesar, as long as I have him, I have the means to continue operations indefinitely'
Punk Hazard
"Wait a minute, what about Monet and Vergo?" Buffalo shouts after the call ends, worried about the others as they were only asked specifically to retrieve Caesar.
"Don't worry about it, they can handle themselves," Baby 5 retorts, as the man descends
"Neh, looks bad, wonder what happened to that guy" Buffalo shivers.
"He finally met someone who wasn't afraid of him, or too stupid to be" Baby 5 guesses, even they knew what an arrogant prick the gasman was, then her eyes widen as she catches movement in her peripheral "Wait, that can't be right, someone's on the deck?"
"There's no way that's true, not with all the gas. Maybe it's a dead body" Buffalo suggests.
"It wouldn't be moving if it was a corpse!" Baby shouts, kicking the back of his head irritably "Hold on… that's a robot!" she cries, shock and a hint of awe clear in her voice.
And why shouldn't she, the arsenal maid is the 1st non-straw hat human to see… General Franky!
"Hm?" Franky turns his armored head up as the sound of propeller blades draws his attention "That's one messed-up looking bird" he mutters.
Building R
"Come on, it's time to go!" Law shouts, irritated when the Straw Hats, kids, and even the marines just stand there like statues "We don't have time for this"
"You don't seem to get it, Law, we're not leaving, without the rest of the crew" Luffy states flatly, his eyes locked onto the opposite corridor.
TBC
LW: So, Vergo's dead, Caesar's been beaten, and Baby 5 & Buffalo have just arrived. Now all we need is for everyone to meet up, and then get to the Sunny pronto.
Just as a heads up, chapter 31 will be delayed by at least a week as I'm out of the country the week I'd normally be writing RKMM. I will try to have it done as soon as i can when I get back, but just so everyone knows, there will not be a chapter on August 25th.