This is the last chapter of the Anime-only Z's Ambition Arc, and the next chapter will lead into the movie itself, but... Well, you'll notice the changes this chapter sows once you read it. As always, a huge thank you to all of you who just couldn't wait and needed chapters early: Alex P, Andrew Bohl, Animephilosopher1, Anna Khuu, Ant Franklin, Badmr7, Cam Bliss, Christopher Mitchell, Clark Kent, Claude Walker, Cordell Sanders, Cory Johnston, David Bowling, David Reynolds, Dean, EbayUserGreen, Emi Stafford, Eric Bandel, Eugene Malone Jr., EvilJelly, Fenrir ragnarok, Garvin Lee Nelson-Mathlin, Illiasse Naji, Jacob McCarthy, JEP1010, John Mekjian, Jonathan Moh, Jordanitos, Joseph Morrison, Josh Watson, Julien digot, Kari Winters, Kcx1, Kevin Calderon, Kieran Walker, Korakas, Kyo Anamoto, Lamont Hale, little greenmen, Loriane bourguignon, Marielle Orff, Markoos, Matthew Burley, McBanjo, Mcgin28, Michael Lessard Lagrange, Milagros Peres Davila, Milla, Nathaniel Oppegaard, Nicole Morris, Philippa Sale, Rafael Cardenas, Ranger Ellis, Reader45, Richard Barkley, Ricky Shaffer, Riley Bolerjack, Ryuu, S.D,Gaines, Sasha, Sebastian Gutierrez, TheMedia_Ghost, TheWolfThatExist, Thomas Sanders, Tom Peissig, ToonTownTourist, Ty Chaos, ViewtifulSoul, X.P Xavier, and Григорий Сухотин ! Thank you all for your support!
And now, on to the chapter!
Chapter 29:
Getaway
"Shuzo," the Vice-Admiral grunted. "I thought you were dead."
"Momonga," the now-named Shuzo responded. "Why are you standing there and not fighting the wanted pirates behind you?"
"There are processes to be followed. You should know that. Are you the one responsible for all the destroyed pirates these last few months in the area?"
"I am," the man nodded. "Now step aside and let me and my men kill these pathetic pirates. Or better yet, help us do so."
"I can't allow that. Pirates must be taken to trial before—"
"Always so by the book," Shuzo interrupted with a shake of his head. "I should have known. Fine then. If you won't help us or step aside, then you're an enemy in collaboration with pirates, and I will be your judge and jury. Alpacacino!" The alpaca at his side perked up at its name. The animal opened its mouth, a light shining from within. "Fire at will."
And the alpaca spit up a missile.
The boom of the alpaca firing a projectile from its throat echoed over the waters, the shining missile smoking its way over the ocean. Vice-Admiral Momonga drew his sword, reading a block that would slice the attack in two, redirecting each half into the Straw Hat Pirates behind him while maintaining the safety of the prisoner, only for a pair of Tempest Kicks to race over his head.
"Cross Sail Typhoon!" Merry yelled, the Klabautermann leaping over the marine and launching a storm of Tempest Kicks each crossed in X-shaped pairs. The first one impacted the missile, blowing it to smithereens from its own explosives, while the rest passed through the resulting smoke and fire to litter Shuzo's men with debilitating but not life-threatening cuts.
"What?" Shuzo demanded as the white-haired girl landed.
"Baaahahaha!" Merry laughed, hands on her hips. "That's a cool pet you've got there, but ours can fly! Now, Billy!"
"Wah!" the electric Gigafowl dove from above, banking around Shuzo until he was between the Longarm and the alpaca. With a squawk, the bird released a charge. Shuzo reacted quickly, the black sheen of Haki coating his arms and absorbing the attack. The animal had no such luxury, however, the electricity coursing through its meat and circuitry.
"Meeeehhh!"
"Alpacacino!" the man yelled as Billy flapped away, the Longarm rushing to the side of his partner. Little bits of static sparked off the burnt part-animal, Shuzo falling to his knees as he scooped Alpacacino into his arms. The Zoan weapon turned to him with a wince. "You'll be fine, Alpacacino. You've taken worse than this."
"M-Meeh," Alpacacino answered with a nod, the man laying him down with an order to rest. He stood, turning a glare on the pirates as the Fly Squad settled on the raft.
"Branigan!" Shuzo yelled. "Identify!"
"The attacker was 'Ghost Ship' Going Merry, a Klabautermann, sir!" the lacky with the wanted posters answered. "The pirates that just arrived are 'Thunderbird' Billy, a newly-identified Straw Hat worth 17-million, 'Weightless Woman' Amy, 'Spring Wind' Kaku, a government turncoat worth 74-million, and who we suspect to be 'Black Leg' Sanji, though he doesn't match the poster, sir!"
"Damn that poster!" Sanji roared. "Once I get my feet on the moron that drew it, I'll—"
"Pirates!" Shuzo roared, pointing at the group on the raft. "I am Shuzo, a Vice-Admiral of the Neo-Marines! For his ambition and your transgressions against humanity, I will wipe you from the face of the earth!"
"The Neo-Marines?" Momonga scoffed. "Until you disappeared, you were a member of the actual Marines. Who is it that you now claim to serve? What is his ambition?"
"A world without pirates," Shuzo answered, spreading his arms. "It makes sense, you know? Why the Great Pirate Era has gone on so long. Do you know why? Because the Marines as an organization benefit."
"I don't get it," Chopper admitted with a stage whisper. "Why would the Marines want to keep the Great Pirate Era alive? Every marine seems Hell-bent on killing us."
"And yet, the increase in pirates and the danger they pose has driven countries that didn't trust the World Government before into their arms, bringing the Marines members and funding unlike anything they've seen before. Not to mention the surge of Devil Fruits that they've taken from pirates, increasing their own strength."
"Preposterous!" Momonga yelled. "You used to be such a good marine. What has deluded you into such a belief, Shuzo? Fleet Admiral Sakazuki is almost rabid with his devotion to the end of the Great Pirate Era."
"But he hasn't gone far enough. Even that mad dog has a leash keeping him from doing what needs to be done. That's why we will. Master Z's plan will destroy the One Piece and all of the Emperors in one fell swoop, ridding the world of that which feeds the horrid cycle of piracy and revenge. Without the dream of the One Piece or becoming Pirate King, no new pirates will rise and the real purge can begin. The world will be free after more than 20 long years."
"Master Z?" the marine gasped.
"Sir, you shouldn't have said that," Branigan muttered, Shuzo's eyes widening.
"Oh, I suppose I shouldn't have," he blinked. "Baararara! Well, it doesn't matter. Everyone here is going to a watery grave anyway!"
"You won't hurt my friends or my father anymore!" Lily yelled, the mini-giant growing to her full size, fork in hand. Her appearance caught both Shuzo and Momonga by surprise, allowing the girl the time she needed to stab at Shuzo's submarine. The fork skid over its hard shell, forcing the neo-marine and his lackies to jump to the surrounding waters lest they be swept away by force.
Luckily for them, said waters were full of another hundred submarines containing other neo-marines, some of which surfaced as platforms for them. The rest opened their doors, their pilots stepping out with guns cocked.
"Well, this is inconvenient," Robin commented.
"Understatement of the Godadamned century," Zoro groused.
"I guess this is the part where we improvise," Grace said, pulling paints from her bag and swirling them into a ball between her hands. She compressed her creation, forcing it into the space of a small marble before throwing it directly upward.
It exploded into a firework.
Across the way, the D-team and the marines chasing them noticed the colorful spectacle.
"Damn," Coby hissed. "That looks like Grace's powers. I guess trouble found us and we're moving into our back-up plan. Your orders, Captain?"
"Take us in!" Luffy yelled, his body shaking as a battle-smile stretched over his face. "Let's save everyone and get the giant cook guy!"
"Super!" Franky grinned. "Time to show off some modifications Sunny, Merry, and I worked up, 'cause this bug's got wings now!"
He pulled a lever, the buzzing under the Ladybug's wings growing louder. The sides lifted up, the paddles extending to either side behind them. The speed lever's groove extended, almost doubling its range. The cyborg shoved it upward, their craft giving a jolt as physics caught up with the change.
Rising out of the water somewhat because of air flow, the Ladybug began skimming over the waved, a mist of seawater marking their trail as droplets were sucked into the back of their slipstream.
"Yohoho!" Brook laughed as the marine ships behind them vanished from sight due to the mist. "What a feat of engineering, Franky!"
"We got the idea from you!" the machine-man said. "Merry wanted to recreate how you could run on water, but she doesn't have the right shape for it and has Moonwalk anyway. But Sunny figured out how you managed it and used my know-how to make some rough schematics. We finished putting this together on Fishman Island with Den's help but didn't get to use it."
"Well, it's gettin' a workout now," Gin commented. He felt a hand on his shoulder, Luffy leaping forward over Franky and Coby to balance on the boat's bow, grabbing one of the decorative antennae as a handhold.
"This is awesome!" the captain grinned as he leaned forward against the wind. Franky banked the Ladybug so the raft was directly ahead in their path before punching it, their forward speed building. The quintet took in the situation, studying the unexpected players on the battlefield.
"Looks like we've been ambushed!" Coby yelled over the thrum of the wings, his superior eyesight seeing everything more clearly than the rest of the group. "From what I can see, the marines are just as surprised at whoever these guys are showing up!"
"Nami's still hidden," Luffy muttered, feeling her spirit in his Observation away from the battle and not under threat of any submarines still underwater. The layout locked in his mind, Luffy leapt, enlarging his hand. "Third Gear: Gum-Gum Giant Pistol!"
"What?" Shuzo blinked, jumping from the submarine he stood on to the raft. The sub's pilot shut the door, the force of the fist driving the craft back underwater. Luffy's fist retracted, the pirate captain flipping onto the raft where he could stare down both the marine and the neo-marine.
"Alright," Luffy began, popping his knuckles. "Who the Hell are you guys and whose ass do I need to kick?"
"And you are…?" Shuzo blinked.
"Straw Hat," Momonga grunted. "I knew you'd show up eventually."
"Greetings, Captain," Robin said. "Allow me the honor of introducing you to Vice-Admiral Momonga of the Marines as well as Shuzo of the Neo-Marines."
"And?" Luffy questioned.
"The Longarm wants Panz Fry dead," Merry offered. "We and the marines want him alive."
Luffy turned an eye on the Vice-Admiral, the man feeling his gaze and answering in kind. The two sized each other up with their Observation.
"We will fight afterward over the fate of Panz Fry, Straw Hat," Momonga stated. "Currently, however, our interests align with his continued survival."
"Not only are you too spineless to do your job," Shuzo scowled, "but now you're actively teaming up with a notorious pirate to protect the life of another wanted man?" He spread his arms, raising his voice to the rest of the marines around them as the ships that had been chasing the Ladybug came into range. "Look at this, marines! Look at how far your leaders have fallen! He forms alliances with criminals to fight good people like me who have been ridding these waters of whatever dangerous pirates scrape their way over. I and the Neo-Marines are doing more to end this era than your Vice-Admiral here!"
"Do not twist this situation to fit your narrative!" Momonga said, stepping forward to point his sword at the Longarm. "You are advocating for cold-blooded murder! We cannot condone such actions!"
"He is a pirate."
"My dad is a cook, you jerk!" Lily, still in her giant size, swung her fork like a club, forcing Shuzo to cross his arms and cover them in Haki. Even so, the momentum was enough to send him flying out over the water. He flipped, kicking the air with Moonwalk to right himself.
"And as his daughter, you're a pirate like him!" the airborne man yelled. "Men, fire on the pirates and sympathizers!"
The men standing on the submarines aimed their weapons, most readying themselves to shoot Lily as she presented the largest threat, but a number also aimed for Panz, the Straw Hats, and the Vice-Admiral. With an echoing cacophony of gunshots, a hail of bullets came in from all sides.
"Lily, shrink!" Usopp cried.
"Gum-Gum Balloon!" Luffy announced, sucking in air to enlarge himself as he all but covered his crewmates under his stretchy bulk. As history had proved before, the projectiles had no effect on the Rubber-man. They were repelled, shooting back the way they'd come.
Zoro, however, avoided the defense offered by his captain and instead opted to set himself between Panz and the majority of neo-marines aiming for him. His Observation flaring, Zoro's swords moved as if with their own minds, cutting and deflecting bullets with pinpoint precision.
Vice-Admiral Momonga moved to defend himself as well, the black sheen of Haki coating his arms and sword as he did like Zoro and neutralized his attackers' bullets, those that his swordplay missed crunching against his Haki-coated arms harmlessly.
"Did you think that would faze anyone here?" the marine questioned, turning to lock eyes with Shuzo as Luffy deflated. "We are honest marines who stand unwavering against your ilk! You are outmatched h—"
A trio of late gunshots cracked, cutting off the man's words. He looked down slowly, the front of his pinstripe suit now sporting a growing spot of red. He turned, flinching, to look at his ship where some of his own men had not only fired on him, but shot him in the back and torn three bullet holes through his lower torso.
"What?" he gasped, blood leaking from the corners of his mouth.
"I'm sorry, Vice-Admiral," the apparent speaker for the turncoats announced, pulling his marine ascot and hat off before tossing them to the wind. His fellow traitors followed his lead. "I can't side with pirates in any way. I refuse! Clearly, this Shuzo guy has a point. The Marines have failed. Or you have, at least, Vice-Admiral."
"How dare you fire on our commander!" a voice from farther on the deck demanded.
"How dare you side with the pirates!" another responded. "If this is what you stand for, then I belong in the Neo-Marines!"
In the span of a minute, the decks of the marine battleships were embroiled in a full-scale mutiny, half of the crews refusing to side with or step aside in defense of their prisoner. The other half held firm to their beliefs in the Marines' processes, orders, and command structure, rising with hesitant but solidifying will to deal with the traitors.
All this, however, did not help Momonga as he fell to one knee, coughing blood onto the wood of the giant raft. His sword's blade dug into the wood, supporting some of his weight as he glared at the man who had caused all of this.
"Baararara!" Shuzo laughed. "Now that made all these months out here away from the fleet worth every second! Looks like we've got new recruits, boys!"
"You… won't get away… with this… Shuzo," the marine coughed.
"But don't you see, Momonga? I already have."
"I'm afraid you've made one slight miscalculation," Robin said, turning the man's eyes on her. The archeologist had her arms crossed, ready to act at a moment's notice. "It would behoove you in the future to maintain a more accurate perception of your surroundings."
"What are you getting at?"
"Do it, Dad!" Lily cheered, the massive, moving form of Panz Fry now catching Shuzo's attention. The giant was back on his feet, his eyes locked on Shuzo.
"I need to pay you back for that explosion," the massive man said, bending his knees. He jumped, the downward force of the raft causing a huge wave of displaced water to surge outward. Panz rose higher than any of the pirates, marines, or neo-marines thought be could from such a position, the man curling up as he reached the apex of his parabolic arc. "Cannonball!"
"Crazy bastard!" Shuzo screamed, Moonwalking his way through the air as he desperately tried to escape the impact point or what would be the resulting splash zone. The giant hitting the water caused the sort of ruckus one would expect from such a thing, the raft and ships being tossed about on the sudden waves.
"Meeeh!"
"Alpacacino!" Gaining some height with Moonwalk, Shuzo's discerning eyes and Observation managed to catch the tail end of his best friend sinking below the surface of the water, the ocean forcing Alpacacino into his base form as a bazooka. He dove, hoping to catch up in time.
The pirates held on to the raft for dear life as the craft bucked, water sloshing over the sides. Off to the side, a plume of swirling water shot up from the sea. Another similar plume, these cylinders dwarfing even the Navy battleships in size, rose on the other side, quickly being followed by more.
"What the Hell is that?" Kaku asked, launching a Tempest Kick toward the neo-marines. "It don't look like any current I've ever seen!"
"Nami?" Usopp yelled into his snail. "I hope you've got an answer and a solution for us!"
"It's called the Thrust-Up Stream!" Nami's voice answered from the invertebrate. "It's like a lesser form of the Knock-Up Stream, but more unpredictable and capable of throwing ships miles up into the air! If they aren't destroyed outright, that is!"
"Not the sort of answer we were hoping for!" Merry commented, cannonballs stolen from the marines orbiting around her as she hovered over her crewmates (and Kaku and Lily) by standing on one. One of the Thrust-Up Streams grew under a battleship, the hull of the expensive ship splintering as the force of the water ripped it apart. The screams of marines, both still loyal and otherwise, were washed away with the lives of the unlucky. Despite this scene, neo-marines were beginning to swarm up the sides of the remaining ships to aid the turncoats.
"Holy shit!" Franky cursed over Usopp's panicked screaming. "That thing is super powerful!"
"Usopp!" Nami yelled. "Get Panz Fry back to the Sunny! We need to leave now!"
"Right!" Usopp steadied himself, new determination welling in his gut as he made his way to the edge of the raft. Each Thrust-Up Stream made a new wave, but such currents surely wouldn't be a problem for a giant. "Panz! We're getting out of here! I'll direct you!"
Momonga looked on with weaking confidence as a wave from a collapsing stream approached his side of the raft, the bleeding Vice-Admiral unable to do more with his injuries than ready an Iron Body and his Haki and hope for the best. Even so, the shock of betrayal caused his manifested will to be patchy and inconsistent.
"Pterodactyl Swarm!"
The pink-haired form of Coby in his Slasher Mode appeared before the marine, his swords cutting through the air. Slashes splashed against the water, carving gashes that filled quickly from the sheer volume. With that a failed plan, Coby shifted into his Armor Mode and turned his back to the water.
The wave crashed into him, breaking against his bone plating. The Zoan grit his teeth, his feet and swords digging into the raft. The wave flowed around them, Momonga staring at Coby in shock.
"Thank Goda waves count as moving water," Coby grunted to himself, his transformation shrinking into his Human Mode. He was soaked, the last of the water having fallen over him.
"You… protected me," the marine blinked, wincing as the breath required aggravated his wounds. "Why?"
"Because you needed help, Vice-Admiral," the Zoan answered, trying to shake the water off like a dog. The young man panted, fighting the slight energy drain he didn't want the marine to see.
"But I was there at Marineford." Momonga coughed, more blood forcing its way past his lips. "I tried to ensure your execution."
"And here you were betrayed. Despite all reasons for why I should have let you die, I just couldn't allow that. I will be a hero to the world even as a pirate, and a hero would not allow another person to die if they can do something about it."
As Coby spoke, Chopper rushed over and grew into his Heavy Point. Momonga's eyes widened slightly as the hybrid reindeer forced him onto his back. Chopper muttered to himself as he drew medical equipment from his bag, Coby distinctly hearing "not sterile, but it will have to do" from the doctor.
"The Monster Doctor?" Momonga winced, the doctor's hoof touching a raw nerve.
"Shut up and don't move," Chopper ordered. "The bullets passed all the way through you, so we don't need to surgically remove them, but this has the adverse effect of doubling your rate of blood loss. Based on their trajectories, most likely the projectiles passed through your stomach and intestines. While not good, they missed your more vital organs. We need to close the bullet holes and cauterize them for good measure. For best recovery, you need to be off duty for two weeks at minimum, three for best results."
The marine laid there, stunned, as the doctor set to work. Coby pitied him, having to be awake through his surgery after what just happened, something the Zoan could not claim while he'd been in the care of the Surgeon of Death after the war.
"You bastards have a lot to answer for!" Sanji raged, the fires of his passion burning around him. "Attacking Lily-chan, Robin-chwan, Amy-dearest, and Grace is a crime punishable by loss of manhood!" He disappeared only to show up again with a burning foot already planted in the gut of one of the neo-marine gunmen. He hacked, eyes wide and spittle flying, as the cook launched him into the ocean before moving on to his next foe. The rest of the crew were not idle, launching their own attacks at the Neo-marines and turncoats at their leisure.
"You know," Grace commented, her special paints shaped into arrows she fired at her targets. Well, victims really, for beating your enemies unconscious was one thing but leaving them emotionally broken was another. "I'm not sure if I'm relieved or disappointed that Sanji just said my name without an additional title."
"Well, I had to have a… talk with him after we reunited," Amy admitted, blocking a hail of bullets with her umbrella. "I mean, he couldn't come up with anything good anyway when I caught him muttering ideas to himself."
"That… makes sense. Thanks, Big Sis. I noticed you still have a title."
"Threats only work so well."
Brook, Franky, and Merry laughed at the deadpan response, the majority of the Straw Hats slowly forming a circle. Only Nami, Zoro, Gin, and Usopp were absent, the former still monitoring things from afar while the latter joined Panz Fry in directing the swimming giant toward the Sunny.
A ways away, Shuzo broke the surface of the ocean with a gasp, the man hauling the weapon he'd dove in for over to his main submarine. Tossing the bazooka up, he crawled aboard and panted.
"Alpacacino!" he cried, cradling the Zoan in his arms. "Speak to me, Alpacacino!"
"This is you own fault," a voice grunted, the Longarm turning to see Zoro and Gin standing on his craft. The former had Wado Ichimonji resting against his shoulder while the latter spread his Haki-covered lightning wings, tonfa at the ready.
"Why do pirates have to take everything from me‽" the neo-marine demanded, jumping to his feet and hoisting Alpacacino onto his shoulder. He pulled the trigger, firing a rocket at the pair. Zoro stepped forward, easily slicing the projectile in half. Shuzo scowled as it blew up nothing but water. "I knew it wouldn't be that easy."
"Iffin ya walk away now, we'll let ya go," Gin said. "Iffin ya stay, your fate'll be sealed."
"The only fate I'll accept is the one where Master Z wipes every New World pirate from the living world."
Shuzo shot forward, Haki growing across his arms and weapon. Zoro shot forward to meet him, drawing Shusui and Kitetsu to help catch the bazooka being wielded like a club. Gin flew over him, bringing his tonfa down on the radical.
"Heavens Fall!"
Not to be taken out by such a simple move, Shuzo spun, his double-jointed arms circling him like a ring. They beat against the electrified tonfa, Haki grinding against lightning, until a lucky hit by the base-state Alpacacino threw Gin away with a strike to the cheek. The Haki affected him just long enough for his wings to destabilize with a thundercrack, the monk having to reform them as he flipped, landing lightly by the sub's periscope.
"I'm getting real tired of you pesky pirates," Shuzo said.
"Can't say we're fond of you either, pal," Zoro grunted. "1060-Caliber Phoenix!"
Shuzo's eyes narrowed as the blades of air rushed toward him, the Longarm swinging his own double-jointed arms like nun-chucks, his hands naught but black blurs as his Haki formed to defend him from harm. Zoro's attacks bounced off his arms, even as the swordsman kept throwing more to fill the space between them.
With Shuzo between them and the neo-marine's back to him, Gin flashed forward, his tonfa two golden blurs as he appeared with the crack of a sonic boom.
"Astrape's Arc!"
Shuzo spun on his heel, one arm swinging up to wrap around both of Gin's. The Logia's eyes widened as their foe continued his spin, sweeping the pirate's feet out from under him. His powers cut off, Gin had no way to stop him as Shuzo twisted, slamming Gin into the metal of the submarine hard enough to dent it.
"Damn," he cursed, the world a blur and his head ringing as the color green passed over him, the man guessing that was Zoro hopping over to charge Shuzo again. "I hate opponents that can use Haki."
'Based on his movements, I suspect he possesses the Mantra of the Mind as well,' Rum commented.
"Now ya fricken' tell me," Gin groaned, getting to his feet as his vision slowly cleared. "How do I get through all that iffin ya ain't helpin', Rum?"
'If you were to, say, offer me control once more…'
"Piss off."
Zoro flipped backward, landing beside Gin with a bruise forming on the right side of his face. Shuzo had not come out of their confrontation unscathed, however, a long gash on his left side and another, smaller one over his right eye leaking blood.
"You go low, I go high?" Zoro suggested through Wado Ichimonji.
"Works fer me."
Zoro leapt as Gin dashed forward, forcing Shuzo to split his attention. Gin's tonfa scaped over the hull of the sub, sparks flying. Above, Zoro started to spin.
"Combination Attack!" they yelled. "Twisted Lightning!"
Zoro released his side of the combo, a Dragon Twister forming from the force of his swing. Gin, in reaction, launched a veritable net of electricity that caught onto the air flow, twisting in on itself as he ionized the molecules. Eyes widening, Shuzo fired an explosive into the storm from Alpacacino. The counter did not react the way he'd hoped it would, the blast of air causing the lightning within to discharge. While nearly half of it dispersed into the metal hull or the surrounding ocean and another quarter disappeared into the air, the remaining quarter continued in its intended path, striking Shuzo. He grunted as the shock passed through him, his muscles seizing up.
As Zoro fell, gravity reasserting itself over him, Gin shot forward to capitalize on the opening they'd made. He planted his feet just before the Longarm, his tonfa coming in from either side to meet both sides of Shuzo's head.
"Thunderclap!"
Too late did Gin see Shuzo's smirk, the neo-marine managing to duck under the strike. Gin's tonfa struck each other, bouncing away and leaving the monk wide open. Shuzo shot upward with an uppercut, his fist meeting Gin's chin. As his feet lifted off the hull, Shuzo launched himself at the Logia. "Three Section Lariat!"
Gin was unable to react in time, the Haki-covered arm catching him by the neck. He struggled to breathe as the manifested will cut off his powers, his lightning wings fading. Shuzo's arm around his neck flexed, cutting off the Logia's airway. His other arm rose, aiming the still-unawake Alpacacino at Gin's face.
"Let go of my crewmate!" Zoro yelled, jumping forward. Shuzo grunted, swinging his arm holding Alpacacino to catch the pirate's blades. His second forearm secured the massive gun in place, sparks flying as metal ground against metal.
"You pirates certainly are strong," Shuzo said. "I'll give you that much, but that won't be enough to save you from the Neo-Marines. You two have high bounties and you can't take me, so you have no chance against Master Z or the other officers. You and the rest of your kind will cease to exist!"
"That… ain't… happenin'!" Gin grunted, his hands fighting to pull Shuzo's arm away with his own Haki. "Not 'til Don Luffy's th' King!"
"Pirate King," Shuzo spat, his nose crinkling as he frowned. "A worthless title that has caused too much pain. Once we destroy the One Piece, its legend will be gone and morons like you and your captain will stop sailing."
He ended his statement with a grunt, Zoro having cut a slash into his leg. The swordsman ducked the retaliatory strike, Kitetsu III singing through the air with a mist of darkness just visible around the blade.
Red flew and Shuzo yelped, the neo-marine jumping away from the pirates. Gin gasped, taking a full breath as Zoro turned his lone eye on the Longarm.
"Give up now," Zoro ordered, Kitetsu dripping with Shuzo's blood as he pointed it at the Neo-Marine. "I've crippled you."
"No you haven't," Shuzo denied.
"Then what's that?" The swordsman gestured to his feet where an arm sat. Shuzo blinked, turning from the severed appendage to his new stump. He studied his wound, everything from his second elbow down on his left side missing. Haki coated the wound after a moment, plugging up the bleeding.
"It's just a flesh wound."
"A flesh wound?" Gin questioned. "Your arm's off!"
"I've had worst."
"Liar!" the pair yelled. The bazooka shook, white fur sprouting over its metal as Alpacacino finished recovering from the nasty shock Billy had given him and the subsequent dunk in the ocean. His eyes opened, the Alpaca Zoan letting out an angry "meeehh!" before firing pointblank into the two pirates.
"Zoro!" Gin dove, placing himself between the animal-weapon and the swordsman. Whatever Alpacacino spit up exploded, sending both Gin and Zoro backwards into the ocean with the Logia taking the brunt of the explosion.
"Fuck," Shuzo winced with no more eyes on him, the man releasing his friend so his remaining hand could hold where his other arm had been cut short. He took in the surroundings, all that remained of his missing piece a bloody smear surrounded and interlaced with soot. On the raft, a further distance away from the sub than it had been before the giant up and tried to crush him with a child's most impressive swimming maneuver, the Straw Hat Pirates were dividing themselves into their prior groups and retreating, their mission complete with the Vice-Admiral incapacitated beyond any hope of stopping them and in their debt to boot. The Pirate Hunter moved below the water, rescuing the Electric Devil from the ocean
Above the water, the mutiny on the battleships still raged, screams, the clang of swords, and the crack of gunpowder carrying over their decks, but such was starting to lessen as fewer men stood with each passing moment. One more ship had been destroyed by a Thrust-Up Stream while another had, at some point, capsized, leaving only a single battleship in working order.
"Meeeh?" Apacacino questioned.
"I will not admit that Ain was right," the Longarm (the title more accurate with him only having one longer arm now) said. "Still, I suppose we need to leave now if we want to recover in time to take part in Master Z's great plan. We've spent too long preparing to miss it. Send up the signal, my friend."
Alpacacino nodded, turning his face skyward and opening his mouth. A blue flare shot from within, exploding into a lightshow of blues and purples. The neo-marines around, those that could still move, grabbed the comrades that they could and crawled back into their submarines. Some of the turncoat marines seemed to notice this, a number of them diving from the battleships in the hopes of joining this new faction rather than stay and face the consequences of their actions.
The pair nodding to themselves and each other, Shuzo and Alpacacino ducked back into their submarine and took their leave, most of the subs they'd brought falling in behind them. Shuzo growled as the adrenaline began to drain from his system, the numbness of his missing arm growing to enflamed pain and an odd itching.
"The Straw Hat Pirates," he muttered, committing the faces of the crew to memory. "Someone follow them! We're going to track them down and—!"
A snail rang, cutting off the man's orders. He paused, one eye slowly turning toward the shaking invertebrate. Taking a breath to push his sudden annoyance down, he gestured for the comms man to answer.
"Shuzo," a deep voice grunted, the Longarm's spine going straight as his eyes shot open. "You snubbed Ain before, but you won't do that to me. Am I clear?"
The man nearly fell out of his chair in his scramble to take the snail. He reached forward with this left and hand before realizing said hand wasn't there anymore, quickly correcting himself to bring the den-den to his face.
"M-Master Z! Wh-What can I do for you, sir?"
"The operation starts tomorrow. Make your way to the rendezvous ASAP."
"B-But sir, I'm pursuing some—"
"Now, Shuzo."
"…Yes, Master Z." The snail clicked, falling asleep in his hand. Shuzo allowed a scowl to rise, the neo-marine turning his eyes toward where the Straw Hats were disappearing over the horizon. "You better hope we never meet again, Straw Hats. Your deaths at Master Z's ambition would be more swift and merciful than if I get my hands… hand on you."
He glanced at his partner and, again as one mind, they nodded.
"How is he, Chopper?" Luffy asked, the pirate captain staring up at the reindeer doctor as he hopped across the giant's face. Now that they could see Panz Fry clearly, they noted that he had dark green hair that fell to this back in a mane and three pink tattoos on his face, one on his nose and another across each cheek. His head was wrapped in enough bandages to clothe an army of mummies, most of said wraps just below his horned helmet. The pirates rested amid a mass of reefs just poking out of the water, the Malventamor Sea several leagues behind them so they didn't need to worry about the weather turning on them, again. "How soon 'til he can cook for us?"
"He'll be fine with a few days' rest," Chopper answered, shifting into his Walk Point to climb down the giant's front the same way a mountain goat scales down a cliff. "His body temperature was getting low from being in the water for the trip, but giants are especially good at getting that back up."
"I'm so glad to hear that," Lily said, her shoulders slumping as she sat down. "Thank Goda. You're the best, Doc."
"Flattery won't get you anywhere, you jerk!" Chopper singsonged.
"So about the food…?"
"Can't you wait?" Nami questioned, Ace in her arms as he rested against her shoulder. "Honestly, Luffy. You can't expect an injured man to be able to cook just because you want him to."
"But Nami—" Luffy's words were interrupted by rumblings of hunger, but the captain was not the only one from whom the sound came. The couple blinked as they turned, seeing Zoro, Gin, Coby, and Lily blushing and/or rubbing the back of their heads, each having unwittingly contributed to the noise. As if in response, Ace stirred, his own stomach grumbling.
"Why am I not surprised?" the navigator questioned with a roll of her eyes. "Still, we should let Sanji do the cooking. We don't have enough food for Panz to do his famous volcano stuff. Not if we want to make it to the next island after Lily ate some."
"Oops?" the mini-giant coughed. She got her wits about her quickly, gesturing over her shoulder to another part of the small reef the pirates had found to camp. "Actually, though, I managed to steal some of the marines' food from those ships that got blown up. It seemed like a waste to let it get lost in the ocean."
"Ha!" Panz laughed, only for his head to ache at the sound. "I should have expected nothing less of my daughter. Well, I've got ingredients, a pan, and there should be a volcano around here somewhere, so I suppose I should get to work."
"You don't have to do that!" Sanji called, rolling up his sleeves.
"I may be a wanted man, but I am a cook first and foremost," the giant replied, getting to his feet. Ace marveled at his height as the giant stood. "You understand, I'm sure. I am capable of cooking, so I will."
"You know what this means?" Luffy grinned, taking Ace from his wife's arms so he could set the boy on his shoulders. "This is Ace's first party!"
"Wasn't that the one on Fishman Island?" Amy questioned from her spot sitting on the railing of the Sunny.
"But this is Ace's first party with just us! No catering, no kings or princesses or whatever. Just us!"
"Luffy knows the word catering?" Grace muttered.
"'Course he does," Merry responded. "It's about food."
"Now hold on," Panz rumbled, studying the bags of stolen food. "Lily got enough for some of the filling, but we're missing the meats. I'll look for the volcano while you all do some fishing for lobsters and muscles. Then we can party."
"Party?" Ace blinked, a grin growing across his face as he fists grabbed hold of Luffy's hair. "Party! That means food!"
"You can't have a party without food," Luffy agreed. "We'll take care of it, Giant Guy! Leave it to us!"
"I'll throw a super ship together for you!" Franky yelled, eyeing flotsam and metal from previous casualties of the Bad-Tempered Sea caught on the edge of the reef. "Can't leave you stranded here, can we?"
"I'll stick around to check on your injures!" Chopper added.
"And the rest of us and Sunny will take care of the fishing," Usopp nodded from the ship.
"You have my thanks," Panz nodded, taking his helmet off to give a shallow bow. No one noticed how a slip of paper caught the wind, flying off over the sea before sinking into the waves.
"Come on, Ace!" Luffy grinned. "I bet you've never seen a volcano up close before!"
"Show me! Show me!" They wandered off, following Panz and Lily as they set about to locate whatever volcano caused this outcropping to rise over the waters. The spaces between above-water sections were pretty wide in some places, but that was no problem for someone like Luffy.
"Be careful!" Nami yelled after them, settling her weight on her back foot as an easy smile came despite situation.
Luffy would always be Luffy, and she wouldn't have it any other way.
"Woah!" Luffy gasped, a piece of rock breaking under his feet. He and Ace slipped, the pair falling into the water. Almost immediately, they started to flail, unable to swim.
"For Goda's sake, Luffy! I just said be careful!"
(One day later)
Vice-Admiral Momonga winced, the man now lying in a hospital bed on a small island in the New world. Three snails sat on a small tray raised over his legs, one facing away. Another stared at him, making the same face as Fleet Admiral Sakazuki on the projection on the wall. The last, he knew, was sending a live image of his injured state to his bosses and peers in the meeting.
"So not only did Panz Fry get away," Sakazuki growled from the head of a table an headquarters, his fists clenched, "but so did his daughter, the Straw Hat Pirates, and these so-called neo-marines. On top of that, two battleships were destroyed, another flipped and is need of major repairs, and over half of the men under your command were killed, are MIA, or actively mutinied?"
Momonga swallowed, swearing he could feel heat through the snail. And, unless his eyes were playing tricks on him, said snail was starting to steam. He rested a hand against his bandaged torso, remembering that he had omitted from whom he'd received first aid.
"Unfortunately, that is correct," he muttered. "Shuzo made an argument suggesting that the Marines have benefitted from the continuation of the Great Pirate Era and that only the Neo-Marines' ultimate plan would rid the world of pirates forever. Three of my men shot me from behind."
"This worries me," Vice-Admiral Tsuru said before the Fleet Admiral could snap again. "Such rhetoric combined with charisma and an unwavering resolve could sway more of our lesser ranks if for no other reason than their displeasure at having previously been passed over for a promotion for whatever reason. We need to keep a lid on this argument and carefully select which divisions can go after this group with minimal risk."
"I fear there is more bad news, though it is only conjecture," Momonga stated.
"What could be…" Vice-Admiral Dalmatian began only to cut himself off. "What is it?"
"Shuzo let slip a name for his boss. He called him Master Z."
Nearly every marine on the call shivered, Tsuru narrowing her eyes. Her fingers clinched the papers in her hands as a visible sweat bloomed over the marines. A spot of magma dripped down from beneath Sakazuki's hat as a vein pulsed.
"Th-That can't be him, can it?" Onigumo stuttered. "He would never turn his fists against the Navy. He wouldn't…"
"Zephyr-sensei," Sakazuki breathed, "So the old bag of bones is turning up again."
"We don't have any proof—"
"Who else could it be?" Commodore Smoker interrupted, cutting off Onigumo's argument. "He went rabid after that Warlord was accepted, a decision I remember several of us objected to no avail. If the Navy did the same to me, I might have responded the same way."
"And that's why you, Smoker, will not be on this case," the Fleet Admiral said.
"But sir—"
"Like those you lead, you've become too much of a wild card. You will sail for Punk Hazard to investigate those rumors while the rest of us deal with this. Clear?"
"But—"
"Am I clear, Commodore?"
"…Crystal, sir."
"Good."
"Should we call on the Six Warlords?" Vice-Admiral Dalmatian questioned. "Zephyr-sensei might be the strongest opponent we could have considering his insider knowledge."
"We cannot let them know of this," Tsuru denied. "Giving any pirate knowledge of the existance of the End Point only courts destruction."
"Aside from Smoker, the rest of you sail to Sakon and Piriodo," Sakazuki decided. "I will send Kizaru to Firs Island and, with luck, stop this madness there. If not, be prepared for war."
"Sir yes sir!"
"Dismissed." The snails clicked off and went to sleep, leaving Momonga alone with this thoughts. He could do nothing in his state, the doctors of the island having come to the same conclusion for his estimated recovery time as the Monster Doctor had. The Vice-Admiral would have to sit here and twiddle his thumbs while one of the strongest marines in history led a group on some plan that could destroy nearly a quarter of the world if Shuzo's boasts were anything to go by.
"Justice," Momonga sighed, staring up at the white ceiling. "Why does it seem that the word has lost all meaning? I pray that the Marines are able to stop this, because if we cannot claim victory again, I fear there may be no future even if we survive..."
End of Chapter 29
And the build up is done! Things are going to be different this time around, so I hope you all are looking forward to that! I think we'll get into more of the world's reactions to Ace's announcement in the paper in the next chapter, a little lightheartedness before everything goes south. Let me know what you all think and who you'd like to see get knocked back 12 years. And, as always:
Read and Review!
-SwordOfTheGods