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Chapter 32:
Z's Ambition
The island where the Wake Breaker breached was barren, devoid of life but not unfamiliar to the footsteps of humans. Z left his subordinates to clean their ship and prepare for their final voyage while the man made one last stop. Leaving them behind, he climbed the well-worn pathway between the cliffs, no colors to be seen other than the brown of the earth and the blue of the sky.
"—from humble hometown waters~"
The sound of an old Marine shanty reached his ears as he rounded the final obstacle, a tall man standing beside a mound littered with old swords and rifles coming into view at the end of a horizontal sea stack formation. The man's dark green coat flapped in the wind, Z standing there as he finished the song.
"—and once side-by-side with my fallen friends, rest in her foamy waters~"
A heartbeat passed, the singer not turning to see the neo-marine.
"You know, I used to really hate that song. I thought it was morbid. Still do, in fact."
"Kuzan," Z said. "What are you doing here?"
Rather than answer, Kuzan turned, throwing a green bottle into the air. It flipped over itself, end over end, before coming to rest in Z's good hand, perfectly chilled. He glanced at it, the familiar brand of Jerez sherry staring back.
"That's still your favorite, isn't it?" Kuzan asked. "That one thing hasn't changed?"
"Never was there a finer drink," Z responded with a small smile.
"That used to be the only thing I'd drink. I thought it was the coolest thing because I wanted to be just like you, Master Zephyr."
"What do you want, Kuzan?" Z demanded, turning his eye on the younger man. "Are you here to join the Neo-Marines?"
"Afraid not," the ice-man answered.
"Then don't stand in my way. Someone has to stand for the Justice the Marines refuse to give."
"It's going to hurt you to hear this, Master Zephyr, but you sound just like a certain pirate I've—"
"Don't you dare compare me to pirates!" Z spat, the bottle of sherry creaking in his hand.
"I hear you met him," Kuzan continued, undeterred, "but I doubt you got to talking. I think, looking past labels, you two would've gotten along if your plan didn't include mass death."
The bottle of Jerez gave another creak, only Z's willpower for his favorite alcohol keeping it from shattering in his grip. He took a breath, forcing himself to squash the anger welling in his gut.
"Explain. And your explanation better be a good one."
"From what I hear, 'Tri-Horn' Coby of the Straw Hats had as strong a faith in the Marines as you did, only his faith was broken before he could join."
"What does the Survivor have to do with anything?" Z demanded, eyes narrowing.
"He gave a speech on the podium at his and Firefist's executions," Kuzan replied, turning away from his old teacher to stare out over the horizon. "He talked about standing up for the Justice the Marines wouldn't give. I tried to ignore it, tried to forget his words, but too much baggage came with my track record and my fight with Sakazuki brought things to a head. Maybe I'd still be in the Marines if not for his words, maybe not, but you and he both had your trust broken. And you both turned against the Marines in the end."
"What was the point of this?" Z scowled. "Are you hoping I'll meet him and let him talk me off the ledge? You know I'm too damn stubborn for that."
"I know, but this is a clash of ideals between the Marines, the Neo-Marines, and the pirates that have so many people talking. I thought it was only fair you learned how similar you are."
The bottle shattered, glass stabbing into Z's palm. Blood and sherry mingled as it flowed down, dripping to the dirt. Z growled, glaring at Kuzan's back. The man barely reacted, only reaching into his coat to pull out a replacement. He knelt, setting it by the mound.
"I don't want to fight you, Master Zephyr. I've been trying to learn where I stand for these past two years and I still haven't found the answer, but I do know one thing."
"And what might that be, Kuzan?" Z questioned, his eyes meeting Kuzan's, both unflinching.
"I don't like it when innocents are pulled into it."
"Kuzan!" Z rushed forward, swinging his metal arm, but Kuzan had already gone, breaking himself into a thousand shards of ice and letting the wind carry him away. Only the second bottle of Jerez remained to show that he was ever there. Z grunted, kneeling down to pick up the gift. Despite his anger, he still felt a smile creep along his lips. "So… You've finally found something you're willing to take a stand on? It's about time, Kuzan."
It was raining, the downpour a reflection of their moods. Coby had awoken, hoping that the entire debacle at Kazanonsen had been a bad dream, but there was no such luck. The one good thing in all of this was Sunny's repairs, the little sprite having been there on the dock to meet them alongside Franky, Kaku, and the local family. She looked better than before, though that wasn't saying much with the burns she'd had, the Wood Fairy now having just a touch of color, enough to tell that she would have a mane of red hair.
Now, much of the crew sat on the locals' porch, discussing the Sea Prism Stone bullet that Chopper had pulled from Luffy's shoulder. The captain was not present, his outline sitting on a stone wall in the rain as he looked out over the churning sea. He was shirtless, such visible even at that distance, with white bandages crisscrossing his chest with his shoulder as the focus. Without his stolen hat, the water washed over his hair and into his eyes.
"I'm going to go talk to him," Nami announced, standing up with an umbrella in hand. Ace jumped up at her words, wrapping his arms around her leg.
"Me too!"
Smiling down at her son, Nami bundled him into her arms and carried him out, her umbrella keeping the both of them dry. It was a short walk to Luffy, its length only increased by the slickness of the path. She approached slowly, trying to figure out what to say.
Ace did not have such a problem.
"Daddy!" the little boy called. "You're being so sad. Want a hug? Hugs always make me feel better when I'm sad."
Luffy turned, giving a nod with a wan smile. Nami carried their son to him, setting the child on the stone fence. Now able to move under his own power, and with Nami's umbrella keeping the rain at bay, Ace all but threw himself into his father's drenched arms. Luffy's smile grew a little more as Nami set a hand on his shoulder.
"What's bothering you, Luffy?" the navigator asked. "I've never seen you this mopey before."
"I don't know," the captain admitted. "I mean, I need to get my hat back 'cause I can't fulfill my promise to Shanks without it, but that's only part of it. I…" He paused, still staring over the wind-whipped waves. "This is our first big battle in the New World and we're facing a guy that use to be an Admiral… Nami, am I strong enough to beat Z?"
"You have to be," she responded, her arms lightly tightening around his neck, pulling his head against her chest. "You know Coby wouldn't just let us sail away while the Neo-Marines are running amok. We likely couldn't escape their big plan anyway, if Amy's information was accurate."
"Daddy can do it!" Ace cheered. "'Cause Daddy's the strongest ever!"
"Well, ain't that a wholesome moment." The family jolted at the voice, all three turning to see the tall form of Kuzan with his own umbrella.
"Aokiji!" Nami hissed, pulling out her Perfect Clima-Tact.
"Hi mister ice guy!" Ace waved.
"Yo, little Monkey." The former Admiral gave an easy salute.
"You don't need to worry about him, Nami," Luffy commented, turning to face the man. "Why are you here, Kuzan?"
"Do I need a reason to be here?" he asked. Luffy did not respond, only maintaining his stare. Kuzan sighed. "Alright, I'm here to see if you all are gonna give up and let Master Zephyr have his way."
"Fat chance," the pirate captain said. "That bastard—"
"Language, Luffy!" Nami insisted, punching the rubber-man in the back of the head.
"I think we have bigger things to worry about?" Kuzan suggested.
"Yeah," Luffy agreed. "Z has my hat and there's no way I'm letting him keep it! I gotta keep it safe so I can give it back to Shanks when I'm a great pirate!"
"That's not…" Kuzan trailed off with a sigh. "So, you and your crew are sailing off to face the Neo-Marines? You're all agreed on this?"
"Of course we are," a voice grunted, the former marine turning to see the rest of the Straw Hats arrayed behind him. Zoro stood at their head, Wado Ichimonji extended before him like a promise. "Where the captain leads, we will follow."
"I refuse to be stuck like this!" Amy offered. "I'd rather die than go through puberty again! It was bad the first time! A war is nothing in comparison!"
"Z thinks his Justice is justified while killing innocents as collateral," Coby scowled. "I don't care what happened to him in the past, that is inexcusable. He'll answer to us."
"I'll paint a landscape of our victory so future generations can remember we succeeded when the government failed," Grace said, twirling a paintbrush between her fingers.
"My horns are itching to crack some skulls," Merry grinned, punching her palm.
"My path is chained t' you, Don," Gin swore with a small bow. "Simply command an' I'll conquer th' underworld in your name."
"My second life, I have pledged to you, Captain," Brook agreed.
"I wanna pay back that cat-faced Klabautermann for what he did to me!" Sunny piped up from her place on Franky's shoulder, the cyborg holding her flower-Heart.
"Wah!" Billy quacked.
"I ain't exactly got anywhere else to go right now," Kaku chuckled, scratching a cheek. "I'm kinda stuck with y'all."
"If you all are dead-set on it, then I guess I'll give you this." Kuzan reached into his pocket before pulling something out and tossing it toward Nami. She caught it.
"And Eternal Pose?" she questioned, cradling it in her hand. The name Piriodo was stamped at the top.
"That'll take you to the last End Point," Kuzan said.
"Wait, those are real‽" Coby gasped. "But the government said… Actually, of course they lied. Why am I surprised?"
"Well, I'm giving you all a chance to get there, but I'll admit I don't expect you to make it out. Even if you manage to beat Master Zephyr by some miracle, you'll be surrounded on all sides by the best the Marines have to offer."
"Do you really think that will scare us off?" Merry laughed. "I was being held together by bubblegum and a half-finished wish when I sailed through Agua Laguna for my crew, and we're leaps and bounds above that now. I know exactly how strong our spirits are and nothing you could say would dissuade any of us, so get out of our way so we can save the world, again."
"Again?" Kaku blinked. The pirates ignored him, their captain standing from his spot upon the wall.
"Everyone, prepare to set sail," he ordered. "It's time we take the fight to Z."
"Not so fast, Captain," Franky grinned. "You might have forgotten, but the locals offered us super powerful weapons left behind by all the guys whose spirits Z broke. Let Sunny prepare to cast off while the rest of us suit up for war. Can you handle that, Sunny?"
"Of course, Maker!" the red-tinged white silhouette saluted. She took hold of her Sunflower and hopped from the Cyborg's shoulder, scurrying to their ship and fading as she stepped onto the gangplank.
"So cool," Luffy whispered with a grin as ropes in the rigging shifted, Sunny prepping herself. Kuzan watched silently as the Straw Hats made their way to the locals' house, the rain coming to a full stop above.
Maybe, he thought, the world did have a snowball's chance in Hell after all.
The Straw Hats had gathered their loot, each decking themselves in enough pirate-y gear to fit a crew, and each now had some weapon that wasn't originally theirs. Even Ace had begged to be able to carry one, finally receiving permission to wield a Very Sharp Stick the old man said had come from a crew calling themselves the Minimal Pirates. Ace swung this stick, stabbing the air in basic moves Coby and Zoro had taught him, as he led his family up Sunny's gangplank. Her Klabautermann formed on the railing, striking a salute.
"Ready to go, Captain!"
"Hey, wait!" Luffy and Coby turned, the two having brought up the rear of the crowd. The boy from the island —Gully was his name— stood on the dock with his hands on his knees. He was panting, his wooden sword held in his hand, but he quickly sucked in a breath and looked up to them. "I wanna be a hero when I grow up! Which is stronger, a Marine Admiral or the Pirate King?"
"Well—" Luffy began only to feel a hand on his shoulder. He glanced to the side, Coby's eyes locked on the kid. Getting the silent request, Luffy nodded, leaving the roset. Now alone on the gangplank, Coby lowered himself to sit.
"Listen, Gully," he said, beckoning the kid forward. "Like you, my Dream is to be a hero. For a long time, I believed the path to that was through the Marines, because I thought they fought for justice. Maybe some of them still do, but just because they wear the white coats doesn't make them heroes."
"So I should become a pirate!" the kid said, prompting Coby to shake his head.
"I didn't say that because most pirates are still pretty evil. The answer to your question needs something else. How do you want to change the world? Do you think you can fix the Marines, or do you think they're too far gone? That will decide if you will become an Admiral or a pirate, Gully. Either way…" He paused, a grin coming to his face. "Sunny? Bring me my remaining Kiba."
A door opened on the ship, a blade shooting from the men's quarters within. It spun through the air before landing in Coby's hand. He studied the Alabastian blade that had served him well until the loss of its pair. He'd had the gold inlay of Anubis on the blade redone on Fishman Island and the scales motif for the crossguard reweighted. He'd also had the leather rewound and oiled, restoring the sword to its original condition. With a wan smile, the roset flipped it in his grip and held the handle out toward the boy. Gully stared at it.
"Similar to a Jian, both sides of the blade are sharpened, making the sword useful for both stabbing and slashing. In addition, the handle is long enough for both two-handed and one-handed grips, allowing for any form of swordplay. Having been forged in Alabasta, I call it the Sabaku no Kiba. Not only that, it's got a pair out there, being fixed on Fishman Island, so you might find it someday. It's a bit big for you right now, but I'm sure you'll grow into it, Gully. Whichever path you choose, I expect you to follow it to the end, got it? When that happens, I expect to see that this sword has helped carry you to fame."
"Yeah!" Gully nodded, grabbing the handle with both hands, as Coby eased its sheath over the blade. Gully struggled to hold the sword above the ground, filling Coby with nostalgia for the East Blue and his time first training under Zoro.
Someday, Gully would make a hero out of himself, and Coby was proud to be part of that origin story.
The two parted ways, Coby onto the deck as Sunny pulled her gangplank up and Gully to the dock. The point of the Sabaku no Kiba dug into the wood as the boy waved with his other hand, silently wishing the pirates luck and good fortune as they sailed toward war.
"Fleet ahead!" Usopp called from the crow's nest above, his younger body clinging to the roof. A fake, purple beard hid his mouth, but it was his favorite thing out of everything he'd taken from the storage shed. "Their ships and submarines have formed a blockade around the island! I can't see their flagship though!"
"Knowing this is the end of the road, I'm sure Breaker has separated himself from his ship," Merry commented, dressed in a red haori over a mesh top. Two bandoleers crossed over her chest, each holding four loaded pistols along with her mini cannonballs. A tanto hung from her back. "He probably wants to be by his Captain's side with the other lieutenants, the suck up."
"Well, we gotta get there before we do anything," Luffy said, drawing the sword he'd taken from the stash of stuff. "Everyone, everything is on the line here. Don't hold back. Sunny! Prep the Gaon Cannon! We're blowing a hole through that blockade!"
"Aye, Captain!" The figurehead's mouth opened, her cannon extending as energy gathered in the pipe. "Cannon ready!"
"Fire!"
With a lion's roar, the blinding light of the Sunny's ultimate weapon unleashed itself against the ships directly ahead. Two were caught in the beam directly and were vaporized on the spot. A third and fourth were on the outskirts, one losing its bow while the other had its starboard side sheered away. Neo-marines yelled and bells clanged as their crews tried to slow their sinking to no avail.
"Wow!" Ace yelled, the boy clinging to his mother. He was dressed in a small, blue captain's coat and a black shirt with a standard jolly roger alongside his inherited hat. His Very Sharp Stick was clutched in one hand, Nami having to keep an eye on it lest he poke someone's eye out. "Sunny's so strong!"
"That she is, Young Master," Gin agreed, the de-aged monk hanging from the rigging. He had dressed himself in a butler's suit, though the image was ruined somewhat by the veritable cannon that was strapped to his back and the pistols that hung at his hips. "Ain't no ship ever gonna overpower Sunny on even footing."
"Land ho!" Usopp called. "We're gonna run aground!"
"That's the plan!" Coby nodded, the young man dressed in what could be called Barbarian armor. He was bare-chested with leather straps crisscrossing his torso, Hoshokusha and Emono crossed across his back and a pair of revolvers on his hips. "Franky and Brook can guard Sunny once we land. The rest of us are taking the fight to them."
"Perfect," Amy grinned, punching her palm. She was dressed in a child-sized dress of scaled armor along with a helmet. A pair of bazookas hung at her hips. "According to Kuzan, the last End Point is the hardest to rouse, so that should give us a little bit of leeway."
"You know, I'm going to miss having a little sister," Grace chuckled. She had switched out her dancer outfit for something smaller, her stomach bared between shorts and a tubetop. Her shorts were all but covered by pallets of paint, tubes of the stuff forming a sash that ran over her shoulder.
"Bite me!" Amy shot back. Sunny rumbled, giving them a moment's warning before her keel hit land. The ship shook as her momentum carried her onto the beach, neo-marines below screaming and running from the ship's bulk that threatened to crush them. Sunny slowed to a stop, the whole thing listing slightly to port. "We're here!"
"Their flagship on to our starboard!" Merry reported. "I can't feel him, so Breaker's separated himself like we suspected!"
"We don't have time to stand around and talk," Luffy commented. "Everyone, attack!"
Like water, the crew flowed over the bow, landing hard on the ground. Each pirate drew whatever gun they had taken from the stockpile before unloading their ammo into the crowd of neo-marines with deadly aim.
"Kyahaha!" Amy laughed, her bazookas' missiles carving a pair of trenches through the dirt before exploding. "Look at the maggots run!"
"Pardon, Don," Gin said. "Shall I clean up th' riffraff?"
"Zoro, Sanji, Gin, and Merry, you all are coming with me," Luffy ordered. "Everyone else, make sure Z's army is in no position to help him."
"Right!"
"You can do it, Daddy!" Ace cheered, swinging his Very Sharp Stick. Luffy smiled, ruffling his son's hair before the captain and the four he'd asked for by name took off. Grace turned, waves of color dancing through the air at her beck and call.
"Hello, neo-morons!" the artist called. "It's time for you to face the music of all the people you've gotten on the wrong side of!"
"The Justice of the world has come for you!" Coby agreed, growing into his Slasher Mode and drawing his swords. "Let's see if you can handle the weight of your misdeeds!"
Across the distance, the quintet of pirates were driving a wedge through the army as they rushed the peak of the volcano.
"I can sense him now!" Merry called from her spot on the far right. She pealed away from the formation. "Wake Breaker's mine!"
"I've got the girl," Zoro grunted, discarding the gun he'd been using to help clear their way.
"Leave th' plant guy t' me," Gin said.
"I guess I've got the Long-Arm, then," Sanji breathed, smoke on his breath.
Merry crested a ridge, breaking the line of sight of her crewmates. She paused, resting on the cliff as she studied her fellow Klabautermann and the battlefield he'd chosen. He stood with his arms crossed, said arms resting on the top of the blade that came from his sternum. His snow leopard head tilted, his slitted eyes turning to see the horned girl.
"You've come back," he purred, the words vibrating from the back of his throat. "The little sheep hasn't had enough?"
"Fat chance, fat cat," Merry replied, hopping down the ridge. She cracked her knuckles. "You and your friends ran off before we could beat you last time, but you've got nowhere to run now."
"You really think you have a chance against me, Going Merry?" Wake Breaker uncrossed his arms, stepping forward. The ground cracked under his boot. "You might be the one that outed our kind, but you aren't the oldest nor the most powerful. You cannot defeat the ship of a former Admiral."
"Says you. I'm the first ship of the one who will become the new Pirate King. An Admiral is nothing compared to that."
"Then come, Ghost Ship, and I'll make your epithet even more literal."
Merry charged forward with Shave, Wake Breaker catching her punch with a single hand. His other came up, shooting forward, but Merry caught it in kind, the two Wood Fairies comparing their strength. Breaker pulled, trying to drag the female fairy into the blade coming from his chest.
Merry would have none of that, the girl kicking the air below. The momentum of her Moonwalk rotated her until she was above the cat-headed neo-marine, Merry kicking the air again. Her horns cracked against his skull.
"I hope you didn't think it would be that easy," Breaker commented, using his maintained hold on her fist to throw Merry away. She flipped, skidding to a stop. The top of Wake Breaker's furry head was covered in the shimmering darkness of Armament Haki. "I am the ship of Admiral 'Black Arm' Zephyr. Your little band of pirates cannot stand up to him, so you cannot stand up to me."
"You're real self-assured, ain't cha?" Merry responded. "That's fine. The bigger the ego, the harder you'll fall."
She drew two of her pistols before charging, her arms trailing behind. Breaker's eyes narrowed, the male fairy punching the air. His fists had such force that they created sonic waves, Merry having to hop to the side as the area where she would have stepped exploded into chunks of rock.
"Too slow, fat cat!" Merry taunted, raising her pistols as she ran past him. He turned as she pulled the triggers, one bullet pinging off his blade while the other sunk into his shoulder. He hissed.
"Ain-senpai always says not to play with your food." Breaker shot forward with a growl, the Klabautermann charging on all fours. The blade on his chest carved a path in the earth as he went.
Merry turned as he reached her, the cat-like man pouncing with claws extended. She reacted on instinct, firing a pistol straight into his face.
Breaker recoiled, his body destabilizing as he fell. This prevented his chest blade from cutting Merry in half, not that such would have killed her outright. He rolled, narrowed eyes glaring as his foot carved a curve into the ground. He spat out the bullet that she'd planted in his forehead.
"I didn't care for that," he said, drawing an ax from his hip, the blade of which glowed slightly. "Come here, mutton chop. I'm getting hungry."
"You must get all the girls with that one," Merry groused. "Oh wait, you're a ship, so you have no experience with women."
"I'm getting real tired of your big mouth, Going Merry."
"Can't say I'm amiable to you either, Wake Breaker." Merry reached back, pulling the tanto she'd claimed from its sheath. She held it in a reverse grip, a pistol in her other hand. Going on the attack, she jumped into a spin, her sword turning into a blur. "Caravel Rush!"
"Rising Storm!" Breaker countered, swinging his ax up, Metal ground against metal as the blades met, Merry keeping her circular momentum with Moonwalk. The cat-headed fairy dug his feet in, the smaller Klabautermann driving him backward. He twisted, redirecting Merry into the earth, before bringing down his free hand.
Merry coughed red essence as his clawed hand landed on her back, driving her torso into the ground. He didn't plan to let her get a moment's rest, bringing his ax down while she was prone. Merry, however, would have none of that. Channeling Sanji, her leg shot up, intercepting the ax so its blade hit the earth just shy of her horns.
"You're certainly flexible," Breaker commented with a sneer, his free hand coming up in a block as Merry tried to kick him in the stomach. Pushing off his defense, Merry spun into a handstand before coming up with her gun aimed. She fired, planting the bullet in Breaker's side. He flinched, letting the hole heal as Klabautermanns could. "You realize all I'm doing is stalling you, yes?"
"Funny," Merry responded. "I could say the same thing."
"You really think your captain has a chance to beat mine?"
"When it comes to Captain Luffy, you never bet against him. Chances mean nothing for the one who will become the King of the Pirates."
"…I see," Breaker said with a frown. "You're all morons."
"Screw off, fat cat!" Merry tossed her empty gun aside and charged. The tanto spun in her grip, crashing against Breaker's ax. He grit his teeth, matching Merry move for move. Lines opened and closed across both of their bodies as they landed hits that healed instantly.
It culminated as Merry was forced to lean back, the ax ruffling her hair with airflow as he slashed through the space where her neck and Heart had been only a second prior. Flowing with the momentum, Merry flipped, her foot lashing out to nail Breaker in the muzzle.
He would have none of that, one black-clad hand reaching forward to rip the sword from her hand. Merry stared, aghast, as his hand around the blade crumpled the sharp metal under his fingers.
"What now, little sheep?" he questioned with a fanged smirk. Merry responded by drawing her fourth pistol of eight and firing a bullet into his gut. "Stop shooting me! I'm a Klabautermann like you, so you know it doesn't work!"
"I know," Merry responded, pulling out her hammers. "It's just really fun."
Now dual-wielding her hammers, Merry became a whirlwind of spirit essence and corundum, each clash with Breaker causing sparks to fly. Literal sparks, not the romantic kind, on account of the insane force behind their weapons.
"Shit," Breaker hissed, Merry dropping low to sweep his feet out from under him. The act threw him off balance, the ship-girl's right weapon swinging down to slam into his chest blade. The manifested metal there screeched as it crumpled under her hammer. He growled, Merry's boot stomping on his arm to keep his ax down.
"Stay down," she ordered, her second hammer in his face. He tried to heal the dent in his blade, only for Merry to hit it again, eliciting a cry of pain from him. "I said stay down."
"Too bad for you, my captain can be just as stubborn as yours." Wake Breaker began to shift, his body being sucked into his ax. Merry tried to react in time, but the loss of his bulk under her made her hammer slam into the earth rather than the weapon. Breaker's essence, now free, reformed over the ax, only now in the form of a full snow leopard. He grabbed his ax in his mouth and ran.
"Get back here!" Merry demanded, giving chase.
"There you are," Sanji said, the relaxed chef staring at the backs of both Shuzo and Alpacacino. He tapped his foot on the ground. "Can we get this started so we can get this done?"
"Perhaps," Shuzo responded. He spun, Alpacacino jumping into his hand. "Say goodnight, pirate!"
Sanji barely moved in response to the projectile, one foot rising to kick the explosive off course. Shuzo scowled.
"You're one of the reasons Robin-chwan and Amy-dearest are in such trouble. It's time for you to say goodnight. Diable Jambe!"
Sanji shot forward, forcing Shuzo to bring his Zoan weapon up to block the flaming kick. Alpacacino brayed in pain as Sanji's flaming shoe seared an imprint into his side.
"What the Hell?" Shuzo demanded, pulling away. "What kind of Devil Fruit powers do you have?"
"Devil Fruit powers?" the chef echoed. "I don't need those. These are just the fires of my passion for the ladies of the world!"
"Well, whatever they are, all I need to do is slow you down, so come get some, pirate!" Shuzo kicked into the air with Moonwalk, Alpacacino in his one hand. Explosives rained down on the Straw Hat, but Sanji jumped away, following the Long-Arm into the air.
"Sky Walk!"
"That's just the Moonwalk technique!"
The two scowling men met in the middle, the neo-marine's swinging 5/6th arms matching the pirate's legs blow for blow. Not for the first time, Shuzo cursed the loss of his hand and how he was still learning to compensate for his shorter arm.
So far, the only bright part about it was that he got to snub it in Ain's face that he was now more like their beloved Master Z than she was.
"Concassè!"
Shuzo paid for his momentary distraction by taking a flaming foot to the skull. Sanji's heel dug into his head for a moment before the momentum caught up, sending the Long-Arm into the ground below. Shuzo, however, managed to flip himself over during the fall, landing on his feet with enough force to pulverize the earth upon landing.
"Meh?" his weapon bleated.
"I'm fine, Alpacacino," he said. "Some foot isn't going to take me down."
"You're sturdier than you look," Sanji commented from above, blowing out a puff from his cigarette. "I guess you have to be to have taken on the Mosshead. The moron's too tough for anything else. Brochette!"
Sanji launched himself downward with a spin, forcing Shuzo to jump away. The chef's leg drilled into the earth where he'd been standing.
"Three Section Lariat!" Shuzo yelled, swinging his good arm at Sanji's neck. With his foot planted, Sanji needed to duck to avoid the attack. A flash of light caught his eye, though, Sanji realizing his mistake as the boom of Alpacacino firing echoed through the air. The projectile exploded, engulfing the blond in smoke and fire. Shuzo laughed. "Bwaahahaha! Nice shot, Alpacacino! That should do him in!"
A cough came from within the smoke, turning Shuzo's head. Sanji waved a hand, clearing a portion of the smoke to show that he was undamaged save for smears of soot over his face and clothing.
"Man, I actually like these clothes," the chef complained, pulling his foot free.
"How stupidly-durable are you pirates?" the neo-marine demanded.
"Enough to kick your ass." Sanji shot forward, ducking under Shuzo's swinging arm as his leg came up, slamming into Shuzo's face. "Basse Côte!" His other leg came around, knocking Shuzo off his feet. "Longe!" While airborne, the Long-Arm brought up his arms to try to block Sanji's next kick, and he was successful is protecting his collarbone, but he opened himself up to the next series. "Tendron! Flanchet! Quasi! Queue! Cuisseau! Jarret! Veau Shot!"
What was supposed to be Sanji's finisher was interrupted, Alpacacino interposing himself between Sanji and Shuzo. His hooves carved the earth below as the Zoan weapon stood his ground, his neck straining as he absorbed the force of the final kick.
"Alpacacino…" Shuzo breathed. Sanji broke their moment as he spun, his other leg coming up to kick the alpaca-weapon away. "Alpacacino!"
"You couldn't have come up with a shorter name for your damn bazooka?" the pirate demanded. "Well, doesn't matter now."
"The Hell it doesn't!" Shuzo jumped to his feet, his arms swinging. Sanji leapt back, just barely avoiding the appendages. "Alpacacino is my best friend and you'll pay for hurting him!"
"In case you forgot, you'll both die if your leader has his way."
"We know," Shuzo responded, smiling. "There's no better way to die than to go out in a blaze of glory, making the world a better place by exterminating your kind! Pirates have no right to live in this world!"
"You're no better than we are," Sanji scowled, his foot swinging upward to nail Shuzo in the chin. His emotion were making him sloppy, something Sanji was fully willing to take advantage of.
"How dare you…" the Long-Arm muttered through cracked teeth. He staggered, his ears ringing. "I'll take you down… for Master Z…"
"Just say down already! Extra Hachis!" Sanji's legs all but multiplied, kick after kick knocking the breath out of Shuzo. One final kick sent him stumbling back, the man barely standing.
"Why…?" he questioned, falling to one knee. "Why are you fighting so hard?"
"I fight to protect all the lovely women your scheme would kill. And I'll keep fighting until Amy-dearest is sexy again!"
"That's such… a stupid… answer…" Shuzo fell over, Alpacacino nudging him since he had no hope of taking out the pirate on his own. Trusting that the fight was over, Sanji turned back and made his way toward to the main battlefield.
Binz had picked a flat stretch of land being used for rice farming as his chosen battlefield, but this was just fine with Gin. He approached slowly, Binz eyeing him as the de-aged monk fiddled with the cuffs of his suit.
"D'you know who I am?" the Logia questioned, keeping himself balanced on the raised lines of earth that separated wide, shallow sections of water.
"Clearly someone affected by Ain's powers," the colorful ninja-wannabe answered. "Based on clues, you must also be a pirate, right?"
"They call me th' 'Lectric Devil. I'm th' Straw Hat that ate th' Rumble-Rumble Fruit."
"I see," Binz muttered, eyeing the water. "What? Do you want me to surrender just because you might have an advantage here? Master Z's training ensured that any of his inner circle could counter a Logia like you with our Haki."
"I'd be remiss iffin I din't try t' ask ya t' stand down. Violence shouldn't be th' first answer, after all. That said, I knew you'd say no." Gin grinned before stepping into the water. "Poseidon's Current."
Electricity sparked, steam rising as the pirate sent a massive charge through the liquid. Binz responded by clasping his hands in a handsign, Haki covering his legs while a wall of plants grew around him. The electricity struck the living wall, burning black lines into its green side.
"You will need to try harder than that, pirate," Binz said.
"I was hopin' I wouldn't have to, but I guess we're doin' this now." Gin pulled a pair of empty pistols from his pockets and aimed, pulling the triggers. A hum buzzed through the air as bullets of pure electricity shot through the air, the smell of ozone permeating the surroundings. Binz danced, plants sprouting to block the lightning.
"Mosa mosa~" the neo-marine sang, his plants shedding their scorched parts and growing toward the pirate. Gin's eyes narrowed, the man-turned-teen running from his position with the plants in hot pursuit.
The advantage of irregular ammo for his mid-range weapons allowed Gin to fire continuously at Binz even with the flora chasing him, but the battlefield also allowed Binz virtually-unlimited nutrients for his plants. Every miniature lightning bolt seared his shield, but the plant wall simply regenerated in the next second.
Water splashed as Gin came to a stop, the pirate jumping upward while the chasing vines overtook his pervious position. The suit-wearing monk sprouted his electric wings as he flipped, using his hands to balance on the greenery.
"Zeus' Touch," he said, sparks flaring around him. The vines' internal temperatures soared as the electric current Gin sent through them flashed-boiled the water within. They browned, withering away under his hands. Binz's eyes narrowed.
"Mosa mosa~!" he cried, thorns sprouting from his wall. "Mosa mosa~! Grow! Grow!"
The wall expanded as Binz mimed pushing it forward, the plant launching itself toward Gin with more speed than any plant had a right to. Gin holstered his pistols before reaching behind and drawing his cannon, taking aim at the approaching wall. Energy sparked in the barrel, electricity running along grooves in the metal as Gin condensed it into a sphere. In a way, it was a lesser version of Sunny's Gaon Cannon, though the weapon used did not have the integrity needed to survive its ordeal.
"Nemian Bolt!" he named the attack, launching the ball from the cannon. Thunder boomed as it shot forward, colliding with the plant wall in a flash of light that exploded. Gin shot forward as he tossed aside the now-ruined cannon, each step sending steam into the air as he dove through the hole his attack created before it could heal. Binz recoiled as the pirate penetrated his defenses. Gin landed in a kneeling position, his hands, feet, and the ends of his lightning wings all in the water that covered their battlefield. "Poseidon's Current!"
Not having time to grow a new defense, Binz covered his legs in Armament Haki. The layering took away some of the bite of the electricity, but it still sent a painful jolt through his nervous system. Gin took advantage of this momentary break, jumping forward as he drew his weighted tonfa. They shone, blackness crawling up the golden ends as Gin activated his own Haki, an unyielding, unforgiving gleam in his eye.
"Mosa!" Binz tried to counter, a single plant rising out of the water between himself and the path of the tonfa, but the moment proved to be against him. A violet glow surrounded Gin, the man's body rapidly aging back to its normal time. Binz's eyes widened as the effects of Ain's Return-Return Fruit were undone in a mere moment.
"Astrape's Arc!" The tonfa slammed into the hasty wall, tearing through its shoots and leaves in an explosion of chlorophyl.
"Mo—!" the colorful ninja began only for the weights to cut him off, crashing into his jaw. He spun once, his long arms flailing with the force of his spin. His eyes swirled before, almost in slow motion, Binz tumbled backward, landing with a splash as darkness crept into his vision. "Mosa… Master Z… I have failed you…"
"And stay down," Gin ordered, cracking his neck.
'I do not know what transpired or why we are here, but I wish to never go through such an ordeal again,' the familiar voice of Rum whispered in his brain. Gin adjusted his now-too-small suit.
"Can't say I'm happy t' hear your drivel," Gin muttered, "but I'm glad t' not be 15 anymore. Thank you, Zoro."
'Is that what happened to us? How unrefined, but I should have expected a country bumpkin to fall for such a ridiculous scheme, whatever it was.'
"Shuddup, Rum. I din't miss you, but I'll take ya over th' alternative."
'And I too am delighted I am cognizant again, my dear oaf.'
"Oh!" Amy moaned, her, Usopp, Robin, Chopper, and Brook all finding themselves surrounded by a similar purple glow. Their bodies grew, Amy and Usopp most notably compared to their older crewmates. Amy in particular found herself in a predicament, her scaled armor —thankfully a two-piece— now did not cover her stomach. The skirt rode up some as her hips widened and the chest piece was too small, restricting her beathing.
"Oh my!" Brook sighed, wiggling dramatically as he glowed with no outward sign of change. His hands came up to his afro. "I got older! The days of my youth are gone! Well, I'll admit 90 feels pretty good."
"You still don't look different," Nami said, ignoring the groaning neo-marines that littered the ground around her. Ace hopped on one's stomach like he was a trampoline, his Very Sharp Stick now with a red point from all the legs he'd poked with it.
"Auntie Amy and Uncle Usopp are Auntie and Uncle again!" the boy cheered. "You ok, Auntie Amy?"
"I'm fine, Ace," the blonde insisted, her sister helping to loosen her too-tight top. "Kiddie clothes just don't fit us adults."
"That makes sense," Ace nodded. "Is it because your boobies are too big again?"
"Where did you hear that?" Nami demanded as Usopp, Brook, and Robin laughed, though the latter kept hers as a muffled chuckle.
"Uncle Sanji." The answer proved to redouble the crew's mirth. Nami felt an eye twitch.
"I'm going to kill him," she muttered.
"Die!" A neo-marine that had been on the ground surged upward, his sword aimed for the navigator's throat. She gasped, swinging her Perfect Clima-Tact around, but he never reached the Wind Wall she created. The neo-marine grunted in pain, looking down to see that Ace's Very Sharp Stick had stabbed into his thigh.
Ace pulled it out with a yell, the man falling to the ground again. His helmet rolled away as he collapsed, opening him to a beating as Ace swung the Very Sharp Stick against the top of his skull again and again.
"Not! My! Mommy! You! Meanie!"
"That's enough, Ace," Nami ordered, noting that the man was now foaming at the mouth.
"Good job, Ace," Grace praised, ruffling the boy's hair. "Moving on, Big Sis and the others being back to normal means that Zoro defeated Ain and I'd bet that the others have finished their fights too. Based on our track record, that means only Z and the lucky mooks that have avoided fighting are left, and Luffy should be in the middle of fighting Z."
"We gotta go cheer for Daddy!" Ace declared, wholly unphased that he just beat a full-grown man into unconsciousness. "I wanna see Daddy fight the bad metal arm guy!"
"I'll stay with Sunny and make sure we're super ready to take off," Franky said with a thumbs up. "The rest of you can go back up Luffy."
"Sounds like a plan," Coby nodded, growing into his Dino Mode. He knelt, Grace lifting Ace to set the boy on the triceratops before hopping up as well. Nami, for her part, jumped onto Billy's back, leaving the rest of the crew on foot to chase after them. Only a few neo-marines tried to get in their way as the group hurried to the top of the dormant volcano, but they were swiftly, and non-lethally, dealt with.
"You little punk!" Z's voice roared as the crew crested the apex. Gin, Zoro, and Sanji were already present, though Merry was still absent. "Why do you keep fighting? You know we're both gonna die here. And even if you do make it out, you're still a pirate."
"Shut up!" their captain yelled back. Both fighters faced each other down below, Z's metal arm having several bad dents in it that were, as far as they could tell, new as of minutes ago. Luffy's shirt was missing, his torso, like Z's, covered in bruises. "I'm doing whatever I want because I have the freedom to do so, and I refuse to let my son live or die in a world where people like you get to tell him no! Where people like you get to tell him what he can or can't be!"
"You've got guts, I'll give you that. You could teach those greenhorns in the Marines a thing or two about never giving up…" the leader of the Neo-Marines panted, wiping blood from the corner of a smile. Cracks worked their way up his machine, the bulk of it falling to scraps and pieces with a couple of explosions as the inner workings failed. Z frowned, looking down at a normal prosthetic that had been hidden beneath. "Doing whatever you want, huh? Sounds nice. I guess I'll do the same thing. I'll crush every pirate's dreams into dust, and if you want to stand in my way, then you'll be the first! You can take the crown of the Pirate King to the Godadamned grave! We'll see whose convictions are stronger!"
"You've already decided to die!" Luffy rebuffed, matching Z's charge. The steam of his Second Gear rose as he pumped up his blood flow. Haki crawled up both fighters' arms, leaving all upper appendages black as midnight. "I'm fighting for my crew! We aren't the same because I have ambitions beyond this! You can't say the same!"
"They're really going at it," Chopper said, each hit the fighters below landed on each other causing a shockwave that threatened to crack the casings of the Dyna Stones scattered about the area. Ace stared at the scene with fear and wonder, having never truly seen his father duke it out with someone of his level.
"Luffy's got this," Usopp assured them, the waver almost gone from his voice. Down below, Luffy blew air into his fist and punched Z with a Giant Pistol. In response, Z grabbed one of Luffy's expanded fingers and flipped the pirate over his head, slamming the captain into the obsidian hard enough to crack it. Lava bubbled at the ends of the loss of structural integrity. "We just have to trust in him."
"'Black Arm' Zephyr is back," a voice said, the pirates turning to see Kuzan standing at their side. "I'm glad I'm around to see it."
"Kuzan!" Coby gasped. "So you're here, too."
"The biggest threat to the world is right below us. I couldn't exactly just ride on by."
Below, Luffy landed a lucky hit, shattering Z's sunglasses. The former Admiral stumbled back, his nose turning an ugly shade of purple. Pirate and neo-marine alike panted for air, patches of lava billowing foul chemicals and the smell of sulfur into the surroundings.
From the other side of the basin came a snow leopard carrying an ax in its jaws, a goat with enough wool to pass as a sheep wearing Merry's clothes following it closely. The leopard turned, slashing the air with the ax hard enough to send an air slash at the ungulate. The goat kicked off the air, flipping over the slash before bringing its horns down in a headbutt that caved the earth where the leopard had been.
"Stop running, you coward!" Merry demanded. The leopard did not respond, only throwing another air slash but this time in the opposite direction. Confused, Merry traced its expected path with her eyes only to see it was aimed at her captain. "Wait, no! Captain Luffy!"
"Daddy, watch out!" Ace yelled, jumping forward as if he would be able to do anything. The edge of the crater proved to be too steep, the boy losing his footing and tumbling down,
"Ace!" Nami cried, instantly spurring Billy forward to catch her son.
While neither Merry nor Ace could do anything about the surprise attack on Luffy, Coby could, the roset vanishing in a Shave to reappear in the way of the attack. Hoshokusha shot out, redirecting the slash into the air where it fizzled out harmlessly.
"If you want to doom the entirety of the New World by killing my captain with a cheap trick like that, then you'll have to go through me first."
"Coby," Luffy coughed with a small grin. "Thanks. I'll leave him to you."
"The pirate that claims to be a hero," Z muttered, eyeing Coby's back. Breaker skidded to a stop, shifting out of his animal form to appear humanoid, clothed in the default white raincoat. He growled, his eyes darting between Coby ahead and Merry behind. "Wake Breaker, stand down."
"But sir!" the Klabautermann tried to protest. "These pirates—"
"Are only stopping you from getting close. Let us captains handle this." He turned, a darkening eyes narrowing at Luffy. "Well?"
"I won't quit," the rubber-man swore. "With my family and crew behind me, I will be… the King of the Piiiraaates!"
"Well, your majesty!" Z mocked, stepping forward. "Eat this!"
He threw a Haki-coated haymaker into Luffy's cheek, the pirate planting his feet and tanking the blow. Gritting his teeth, Luffy threw one of his own, the force of his punch making Z take a single step back. Luffy stepped forward to match this, the pirate pounding his chest with two more blows before damage to his leg made Luffy fall to one knee.
"Hah," Z breathed, and uppercut sending Luffy onto his back. The pirates let out worried cries for their captain. "Is that it? Is that all the conviction you—?"
Luffy moved, both of his feet slamming into Z's solar plexus. The aged man coughed, the blow making him stumble. He stood, staring at the pirate, before something gave and he tipped backwards. He laid there, taking in air with short, pained breaths as his asthma attacked him.
"Master Z!" Breaker yelled, Coby blocking his path.
"…Well?" Luffy panted, waiting.
"I'm getting old," Z admitted from the ground. "I want to get up, but my body won't listen to me. I used to be stronger than this, used to go longer and fight harder. It's a damn shame... Every time I find joy in this world, it always seems to get away from me."
"Daddy did it!" Ace cheered, setting off a chain reaction of celebration from the pirates. Taking that to mean the fight was over, Luffy trudged to the Dyna Stone that had his hat, the pirate reclaiming the stolen article. He turned back, Z forcing himself into a sitting position.
"What, you wanna keep going?"
"No," Z sighed with a shake of his head. "When a man has big dreams, he tramples everything in his way. You've won. Now take your hat and take my life."
"I don't need your life," Luffy said, placing his hat where it belonged. "Besides, I refuse to kill someone who's already down. It's just murder at that point. A certain crybaby taught me that a long time ago."
"Dammit, Captain!" Coby yelled. "I'm not a crybaby anymore!"
"Ha," Z chuckled, coughing up some blood. "You're the boy that claims to be a hero. The one that finally made Kuzan grow a spine and stand up. Such a waste."
"Pardon my manners if I disagree, former Admiral Zephyr," Coby rebuffed. "I see a life in the corrupt Marines as a waste compared to my life as a pirate. When legal restrictions keep you from doing what's right, then the law is meaningless and Justice flawed."
"Maybe," Z sighed. "Had you joined up, I would've liked to have taught you a thing or two. Based on what Kuzan said, it almost sounded like you could've fixed 'em. Too bad we'll never find out."
"Yeah," Coby agreed. "It's a real shame."
"Luffy!" the rest of the crew yelled, the group reaching the bottom of the crater.
"Hey guys," Luffy grinned. Nami was the first to reach him, his wife grabbing his cheek and stretching it out.
"Don't you 'hey guys' us, Luffy!" she said before hugging him, tears carving lines through the dust and grime on her face. Chopper and Ace were not far behind, the former crawling up his side while the latter latched onto his knee. "You had us worried sick for a minute there!"
"Yeah, but I won and got my hat back, so it's all good. Right?"
"Daddy's the bestest ever!" Ace nodded.
"Master Z!" Ain called, she and the other lieutenants now at his side, the Klabautermann helping the old man stand.
"Ain…" Z coughed. "Binz… Shuzo… Wake Breaker… I'm sorry. You all suffered so much for my sake."
"Suffer?" Ain parroted. "No, Master. Never. Your dream was always ours, too."
"Well, well, the gang's all here. How convenient."
Everyone, pirates and neo-marines alike, jolted at the drawling voice, everyone looking up to see a woman in a yellow, pinstripe suit and an Admiral coat.
"Kizaru!" Coby gasped, recognizing the individual.
"Shishishi!" Despite the tense atmosphere, Luffy could not hold back the laugh, turning the light Logia's attention on him. "Shishishihahaha!"
"What's so funny, Straw Hat?" Kizaru demanded. "The Marines have you surrounded and you're in no state to put up a decent fight. You're practically already in chains."
"You're still a woman! Shishishi!"
"Ppppffff," Gin wheezed, turning away and covering his mouth. One of Kizaru's eyes twitched.
"That's it!" the Admiral declared, light glinting at Kizaru's fingertips. "You all die! Yasakani Sacred Jewel!"
Z grinned, ripping up obsidian from the ground below to intercept the beams of light that went for the pirates. In blocking those, he failed to stop the ones that pierced his shoulder and side.
"Master Z!" the lieutenants cried.
"You beat me, 'Straw Hat' Luffy," Z grinned, planting his feet to keep from falling again. "That means you won the right to continue your journey. Leave this fight to me."
As if to punctuate his words, a wall of ice formed, blocking off Z from the rest of them, trapping him in with the marines. In doing so, Kuzan had also frozen the remaining Dyna Stones, ensuring they wouldn't explode and put the last End Point at risk.
"Master Z!" Ain screamed, slamming her fists against the wall. Binz and Shuzo stared at the scene in shock.
"I refuse!" Wake Breaker declared, throwing his ax over the wall. He faded as the weapon left his hand, the Heart disappearing over the divide. The blade stabbed into the earth on the other side, the Klabautermann reforming.
"The Hell do you think you're doing, Breaker?" Z questioned, the marines charging them.
"It's the duty of a ship to go down alongside the captain," the cat-headed fairy responded with a sad smile. "You can't stop me now that I'm here. I can help you stall them long enough for the others to get away."
"You're a damned fool." Z shook his head. "Well, you had to get it from the rest of us, I guess, though I'm sorry to have borne you into this mission."
"I was alive before you defected," Breaker admitted. "I chose this mission as much as the rest of you."
"Now isn't the time for a heart-to-heart!" Kizaru interrupted, sending a beam through Wake Breaker's face. His body stumbled as the head regenerated. "Damn fairies. They couldn't just stay a myth or form on our side."
"How nice of you boys to give your teacher a place to die!" Z smiled. "Listen up! Master's got one last lesson to teach ya! Teamwork!"
"Come on, Luffy!" Usopp insisted, tugging at the captain's arm as something exploded on the other side of the ice wall. "We gotta get out of here!"
"He's right, Don," Gin agreed. "Now's our chance t' retreat."
"Let's go, everyone," Luffy nodded, scooping Ace into his arms. The pirates fled, explosions echoing from the other side of the ice wall. They didn't stay to see the aftermath or how the battle on the other side would end.
As promised, Franky and Sunny were ready to sail when they returned, each pirate climbing to the deck without a moment's wait as the ship pulled out. Marine battleships rocked the water with cannonballs, but any that came close enough to threaten Sunny were stopped by Merry, the older Klabautermann taking them for the crew as energy built. Franky grinned, pulling his favorite lever.
"Coup de Burst!"
With the battle won and hearts mostly settled, the Straw Hat Pirates escaped the Marines once more, their next adventure already forming on the wind.
End of chapter 32
That's the end of Film Z. I think it feels a little rushed, but there's a lot the pirates didn't see, so they wouldn't know how it turned out. Let me know what you think and what you want to see in the Punk Hazard Arc, because that starts next chapter!
-SwordOfTheGods