Hello and welcome back to Coby's Choice! This chapter has us fully diverting from Canon with some serious repercussions down the line, so I really hope you all like the direction I've ended up going. It kind of just... happened. I blame the Donquixote family. Anyway, thank you to my Patrons who keep driving me to write: Aaron Ashbaugh, Andrew Bohl, Animephilosopher1, Ankhseram123, Ant Franklin, Badmr7, Cam Bliss, Christopher Mitchell, Clark Kent, Claude Walker, Cordell Sanders, Cory Johnston, Darko129, Dave Gh, David, David Bowling, David Reynolds, Emi Stafford, Eric Bandel, Eugene Malone Jr., EvilJelly, Fenrir Ragnarok, FlakeTrain, Garvin Lee Nelson-Mathlin, GLADIUS315, GODA98, Illiasse Naji, Immagenius, Inucbus, Jacob McCarthy, JEP1010, Jkat, John Mekjian, Jonathan Moh, Joseph Baty, Joseph Morrison, Joseph Vargas, Joshua Groves, Kcx1, Kevin Calderon, Korakas, Kyo Anamoto, Lamont Hale, Marielle Orff, Markoos, Matt Walther, Matthew Burley, McBanjo, Mcgin28, Milagros Peres Davila, Milla, Neridian, Rafael Cardenas, ReactedLyric, Ranger Ellis, Richard Barkley, Riley Bolerjack, Ryuu, Sasha, TheWolfThatExist, Thomas Sanders, Tom Peissig, Ty Chaos, and ViewtifulSoul!

Chapter 47:

Catch and Release

"You!" Kin'emon said, pointing at the man. "You are the magical swordsman!"

"Trafalgar Law," Smoker said, eyeing the man but making no sudden moves. His hand reached out, grabbing Tashigi's arm before she could draw her sword further than an inch from its sheath. "I'll admit, I'm surprised to see you here, but it does explain the state of this samurai. Tell me, what's a Warlord like you doing on this island?"

"Currently?" Law questioned, waving his hand. "Betraying Caesar Clown, the idiots who all but worship him, and the spies of both a Warlord and an Emperor."

"Betrayal?" Tashigi asked.

"Caesar Clown?" Smoker questioned.

"Wait, an Emperor‽" Nami choked.

"Correct," Law nodded. "I have obtained the information I needed from this place and am ready to move forward with a plan of my own, and that involves the destruction of this facility. Can I enlist the help of your crew, Cat Burglar?"

"That depends," Nami replied, leaning back on one foot and crossing her arms. "If we're working together, then it's a transaction and I expect a few things from you for our services. To start: where is my son and who are we pissing off?"

"Currently, Caesar Clown has him and is developing plans to groom him into being the perfect lab assistant for the coming couple of decades. The Emperor in question is 'Beast King' Kaido, and—"

"That man!" Kin'emon exploded, and he would have jumped to his feet if everything from his hips and below were not still missing. "He has sway over this facility‽"

"Anyone care to explain how all this is connected?" Sanji asked.

"That pirate, the one known as Kaido, has my homeland of Wano under his thumb. He has been terrorizing the people there for the last 20 years and I cannot allow it any longer! That is why Momonosuke and I set out to sea; to find powerful warriors willing and able to topple that man from his throne!"

"Then it seems there will be several countries with new rulership by the time we're done," Law grunted, his teeth gritting. "The Warlord with ties here is Donquixote Doflamingo, the current king of Dressrosa."

"It seems this lab has some powerful patrons," Smoker commented. "The Marines will take custody of the scientists and spies on the island."

"No, you won't," the Warlord rebuffed.

"Excuse me?" Smoker questioned. "You may hold the title of Warlord, Trafalgar Law, but that does not mean you may interfere with Marine business or prevent proper arrests."

"You can have Velo and Monet, but I need Caesar as a bargaining chip. He's going to get me close enough to Doflamingo so I can kill him."

"Why?" Nami demanded. "Unless you have a way of getting him off this island, we're your ride now and I don't want this Caesar guy around my baby."

Law frowned, turning his eyes on the marines in their midst. He raised a hand, a blue orb forming under his palm. "Is this really the kind of conversation to have when the marines can hear us?"

"Right now, our goals align," Gin shrugged. "B'sides, I'd rather not have t' fight 'em."

"We were sent here to investigate the rumors of the island and stop the perpetrators," Smoker said. "Nowhere were my orders to capture you or the Straw Hats."

Law held his stance for another few seconds before he dropped his hand, the blue orb fading into nothing. "Fine, I guess going against you all would be more hassle than it's worth. I need Caesar Clown because he's being funded and employed by Doflamingo, who in turn is making deals with Kaido in Wano."

"What are they doing?" the Commodore asked. "Why is Caesar Clown so important to those powerful individuals?"

"He's developed a way to create artificial Devil Fruits—"

"Impossible!" Tashigi interrupted. "New Devil Fruits are found periodically, but no one has ever been able to create one on their own!"

"Something is only impossible until someone manages it," Law rebuffed. "Now shut up and listen to me. Caesar developed a formula he calls SAD and uses it to grow what he calls SMILEs. That's his name for the artificial Fruits. I've been here for months, but that's almost everything I've been able to learn. Without Caesar or the SAD, the current batch will be the last SMILEs that get shipped to Wano."

"Then what's with the kids?" Nami demanded.

"Another project, but for Big Mom," the man said. "Giants are the one race she doesn't have in Totland yet. Something happened so that they want nothing to do with her, but she still wants them. She's paying Caesar to find a way to turn kids into Giants for her family collection."

"That's messed up," Sanji frowned, his cigarette dropping ashes on the floor. "That means taking out Caesar and his research will piss off two Emperors."

"Don' matter t' Don Luffy," Gin chuckled. "Speakin' of, where is th' Don?"

"Last I heard, Caesar caught him and his group in an ambush."

"What?" Nami demanded. "How could—? He had Robin and Coby with him! Not even Zoro's stupidity should have countered that."

"The Pirate hunter was not with the group during the ambush. He made his way outside at some point and found two others of your crew. I ambushed them there in the snow, but they are not harmed." He added the last part quickly before any of the pirates could pull out their weapons. "Tri-Horn, the Devil Child, Long-Nose, and the Ghost Ship were all taken to a cell they have since escaped from. Straw Hat and the samurai's legs were dumped into the trash. At least, that's what Monet told me when I asked. Foolishly on Caesar's part or at Monet's behest, no one was killed."

"My legs‽" Kin'emon questioned. "Are you referring to the ones to severed from me?"

"You found your body and your legs will go back on just as easily," Law waved off. "Anyway, I don't really care about the Emperors; I'm just trying to get back at Doflamingo and Caesar Clown is a tool for that. Monet too, I suppose, but she's expendable."

"We've met Velo," Nami said, "but the name Monet is new to me."

"She is a member of Doflamingo's crew, sent here to keep an eye on Caesar so he doesn't go selling the secrets of SMILE to any other black-market dealers. I don't know if he's aware of that, though."

"That means Velo is a member of Kaido's crew, then," Smoker deduced. "Why is she here?"

"Kaido is the one Doflamingo is selling the SMILEs to," Law answered. "From what I hear, they're incomplete. That's what Velo said, anyway. She's here to experiment on those who have eaten SMILEs in an attempt to awaken the full use of the Fruits' potential. She called it Artificial Awakening."

"Then those monsters we fought…?" Tashigi gasped.

"Members of Kaido's crew that he deemed expendable for the sake of Velo's research," Law nodded. "She's got better access to SMILE science here which is why she's not doing it in Wano."

"So it is human experimentation just like we thought," Sanji breathed. He blinked. "Wait. The goat-legged guys. Are they…?"

"No, that's my doing," the Warlord admitted. "The centaurs, too. That was my way of earning Caesar's trust so I could learn what I have. Apparently they were test subjects when the island became uninhabitable and Caesar gave them a way to walk again. I just made it more efficient. So, are you going to help me or not?"

"We will," Nami decided. "But I'll only fully agree when I have my son back and we'll talk about Caesar again before we leave. Are we clear about that?"

"Is that all? Very well. Follow me, then." Law turned, leading then toward the door. "Caesar and the Heir of Chaos are this direction."

Velo glared at Monet through the side of her eye, the green-haired harpy seemingly unconcerned by the heat in the smaller scientist's stare. Vergo walked on Velo's other side, the two traitors flanking her as a silent warning to not run.

"It will be so good to see everyone again," Monet said, having to hop and use her wings to compensate since she was unable to walk. It would have been a tad comical if Velo's heart wasn't still in her talons, which made the member of the Animal Kingdom Pirates thankful for her choice to not step on it. Vergo, for his own part, had Law's heart in one hand, Monet's having already returned to its original place. "Is there anything I should know before I get back?"

"Well, Pink has changed a bit," the man said. "He's gained some weight since that whole incident, you know, but it wasn't too bad until recently. He's been letting himself go in an attempt to shake off the leeches that think he's an easy cashgrab."

"Why doesn't he just tell them to fuck off?"

"He does, but more of them come." Vergo shrugged. "You'd think they'd stop by now, but apparently him being a widower makes him more attractive."

"Some people just need to learn some self-respect," Monet said with a roll of her eyes. "Pink needs to move on, too, but I'm sure he doesn't want to hear that. Anything else?"

"The princess is still alive."

"Really?" Monet blinked. "Color me surprised. I was sure someone in the coliseum would have done her in by this point."

"She's still kicking by the skin of her teeth," Vergo said. "I think the Young Master still finds it entertaining, but he's said he'll only leave her alone until the special tournament. After that, she'll have lived out her run on the stage."

"I look forward to it." Monet licked her lips. "The despair on her face when she learns she's fought so hard against a foe she never had any chance of beating will be delicious to watch. I'm so glad I'll get to see it myself. Speaking of, are the prizes ready?"

"Acquiring them wasn't too difficult. I'm certain their lure will bring in plenty of powerful individuals ripe for our picking."

"So, this young master individual," Velo commented, testing her luck. "He must be a pretty dreadful person to get you both to be loyal to him."

"He's a name known around the world," Monet said with a grin. "I'd order you to bow down and swear your loyalty to the Young Master, but I know you're obsessed with Kaido's lead fatass."

"Do not say such dreadful things about—!" Velo barked only for Monet to tighten her grip on the heart in her talons. Velo doubled over again, gritting her teeth at the pain assaulted her.

"Anything to say now?" Monet asked.

"Do not…" Velo choked out. "D-Do not say… such dreadful th-things… about D-Dr. Queen."

"Well, she's dedicated if nothing else," Vergo commented. Monet maintained her grip for another moment before letting go. Velo felt the pressure in her chest lessen, allowing her to breathe again. "Monet, why didn't we just kill her?"

"Do you want to piss off Kaido?"

"You don't care about that," Vergo waved off. "You know we could get away with blaming her death on any number of other people around here. What's the real answer? Does she have a true use or is it some weird sense of friendship?"

"Ha!" Monet laughed, barking out like a crow or a raven at the paltry idea of a friendship with the diminutive scientist. "I would sell Velo's soul to the Sea Devils for a single corn chip. Nah, she's been doing research on SAD and the SMILE Fruits' growth and effectiveness without Caesar's knowledge. Not only that, she cracked the secret formula a month ago. She's just been looking for a chance to run and return to Wano so Kaido can start growing SMILE himself and cut both Caesar and the Young Master out of the deal."

"You—‽" Velo gasped, stopping. Monet and Vergo passed her and turned, eyeing the horrified biologist. "How—‽"

"How did I know?" the harpy grinned. "Velo, you're a brilliant scientist, but I'm a spy and a Logia to boot. There was no way you could hide any of your 'secret research' from me. Rather, if the Young Master had ordered me to, I would have slit your tiny throat when you started and let your little babies starve in their cages."

"Then why didn't you?" Velo asked. "Why hold off on such a dreadful act?"

"Because the Young Master wants what you know. That's the cost of your life, Velo. We'll return you to Kaido as soon as you give us what you know and forget what it is."

"You cannot do that," Velo said with certainty. "There is no dreadful Fruit known with the ability to erase one's memories. Even those that could do so theoretically are not in the possession of your dreadful little gang."

"You don't know what we can do, little Velo. And trust me, you don't want to know the extent of what we can. For your sake, I hope you decide to make the right choice and do as we say."

"Y-You need me alive," the Zoan said. "You can't do any dreadful thing to me. I destroyed the records I kept so the information only exists within my mind. Your captain's wrath would be dreadful if such information was lost because of your actions."

"You seem to be forgetting one key detail," Vergo commented, his hands and sleeves turning black with the sheen of Armament Haki. "We don't need your arms or legs to get the information we want. It's not about your life. It's about the rest of you."

Velo paled. "M-My superiors won't stand for your dreadful actions when they hear about it! Dr. Queen and Captain will—"

"Will what?" Monet grinned. "They sacrifice crew members all the time for the sake of your research. Do you really think they care that much about you?"

Velo's mouth slowly distorted, elongating as her teeth turned to those of carnivores'. Monet raised the heart in her hand, making Velo freeze partway through her transformation.

"Ah, ah, ah," the harpy taunted. Velo scowled as she slowly reverted. "That's what I thought. Just be a good little pawn and do as you're told."

"I can't trust you to keep me alive, can I?" Velo questioned. "My fate will be dreadful either way."

"Well, that's not impossible," Vergo commented. "We currently want you alive, however. We don't have any need for Caesar now that you know his secret formula, but we also can't allow you to take that secret to Wano and end our deal with Kaido. You will come with us, you will give us the secret to making SMILE, and then you will forget the secret. Do all that and we will let you live."

"You expect me to believe such dreadful lies?" Velo muttered.

"We don't care if you believe us or not. You just have to do what you're told."

A door beeped and slid open before them, the trio stepping into another room, this one containing a small pedestal beneath a large, opaque screen.

"WELCOME BACK, VELORI. FUNK~!" the computer said in a masculine voice. "OH, THE HARPY IS HERE. GO AWAY."

Velo swallowed audibly, her eyes darting to her captors.

"Go on," Monet urged, gesturing with the heart in her talons and unbothered by the blatant dismissal. "Start it up."

"What dreadful thing do you want from me?" the biologist demanded, moving slowly but still reaching the podium. Its surface held a keyboard ringed in small snails, a tiny cousin of the Transponder Snail that Velo had managed to rig for her set up.

"Caesar's done," Monet said, Velo stiffening as Vergo set his Haki-coated hand on her head in a silent threat. "We're leaving, but just the three of us. You're going to release the rest of your monsters to attack Caesar and delay our guests long enough for us to make our escape."

"I really have no choice," Velo muttered. "What a dreadful turn of events. Perhaps I should have stayed in Wano despite the risks."

"Hurry it up." Vergo grunted. "As soon as you're done, we're leaving."

She hesitated, causing Monet to squeeze. Not hard enough to hurt, but just enough for the periwinkle-haired woman to feel it. She sighed, reaching forward and shaking off her sleeves. Both of her wrists were incomplete, half an inch of space between her hands and the rest of her arms bridged only by a small pipe of metal. The right hand was the normal color of flesh, but the left was the metallic of steel. It's separation was not parallel but diagonal, a result of losing said hand when last she was assaulted by the forces of CP9 all those years ago.

"This is a dreadful idea," she warned. "Some of these creatures can fly. There is no guarantee they remain on the island to wage this war the way you want them to."

"I seem to miss the part where that's our problem," Monet said. "Besides, I know you have plans for this. I know you implanted orders into their heads. Now do it."

Velo laid her fingers on the keyboard, connecting it to the PA system she'd had the centaurs install around the island.

"To all my cute babies around the island," Velo said into the snailophone. "Order code 42-42-56—" She cut herself off as Monet squeezed her heart.

"That's the kill switch, you bitch," the harpy hissed. "Make them run rampant."

"O-Order code…" Velo swallowed. "Order code 623-6377, initiate."

Suddenly, the lab was filled with the roaring of animals.

"There," Velo spat. "Are you happy?"

"Dreadfully happy," Monet replied with a smirk. "Vergo?"

His hand came down. Velo felt a sharp pain in the top of her head before everything went dark.

The intercom crackled to life, startling but not stopping the quartet of pirates as they ran through the hallways.

"To all my cute babies around the island," a female voice said. "Order code 42-42-56—" It clicked off, coming back a moment later. "O-Order code… Order code 623-6377, initiate."

Suddenly, the lab was filled with the roaring of animals.

"Oh, that is not good," Coby commented, running with one hand behind him holding his broken horn. "I don't know whose voice that is, but whatever order that was woke up a lot of unpleasant things."

"Could you be any more vague?" Merry questioned. "Are we talking more creatures like the ones we just fought?"

"That or worst," Coby confirmed.

"I hate this place," Usopp moaned.

"That individual did not sound confident while giving that command," Robin observed. "Nor was the one initiated the one she started with. I believe something more malicious is at play in this instance."

"Everyone, stop!" Coby yelled, swinging his arms back to force the others to stop running. Usopp wasn't able to stop in time and slammed into Coby's arm, clotheslining himself.

"What the heck, Coby‽" the sniper demanded, pulling himself off his back. "What was that for‽"

"I've picked up Captain Luffy in my Observation."

"Why didn't you just say that‽ Let's go now!"

"We're close to Mrs. Nami and the others with her," Merry noted.

"Usopp, with me," Coby decided. "Merry and Robin, go meet up with the others. Usopp and I will go get Luffy and meet with you… somewhere."

"Works for me," the Klabautermann agreed. "Come on, Robin. Let's catch up to the others."

"Best of luck," Robin commented, following the white-haired fairy in the direction they'd been moving previously. Usopp jumped to his feet as Coby closed his eyes, trying to map a path toward where he felt Luffy's spirit. The Zoan sucked in a slow breath and raised his broken horn.

"Usopp, move."

"Right." The sniper jumped back as the young swordsman aimed his improvised weapon at the floor.

"One Horn Style: Severance." His hands blurred as they swung the horn, ripping a gash through the floor. The strain was, however, too much for the calcemic structure which shattered in Coby's grip. "Shit! Son of a pudge-dicked C.D. inbred bastard!" the roset cursed as blood dripped from his palm.

"Seriously, when did you start cursing so much?"

"It's just a part of life on the darker side of the Sabaody Archipelago," Coby replied, pulling out a simple length of cloth to wrap his hand. "Sorry, it kind of just became habit after a while. At least I can keep it under control around Ace."

"So, how far down does this go?" Usopp asked, looking through the gash in the floor Coby had made. The Prehistoric Zoan user joined him, both staring down.

"Looks like I managed to cut through a couple levels. Damn, I was going for three. I could have done it if I had Hoshokusha or Emono."

"You sound like Zoro," Usopp commented with a shake of his head. "So we've got another floor to go?"

"Yeah," Coby nodded. "I don't know where Captain Luffy was, but he just suddenly showed up in some corner of the bottom floor. And by bottom, I mean like the basement."

"This is a circular building. I don't think the bottom floor has corners."

"That's not what I meant and you damn well know it, Usopp. Now come on."

Coby jumped, falling through the space he'd made. Usopp muttered something to himself and followed, clenching his jaw so he wouldn't scream as they fell into another hallway like any other. Coby hit the floor with a crash, the tile under his feet cracking at the impact. Usopp didn't quite stick the landing, falling over upon contact. He gave a muffled groan.

"Ow…"

"Really, Usopp?"

"Bite me."

"Sorry, that does not sound appetizing."

"Yeah, you'd rather take a bite of G—"

"Look out!" Coby tackled Usopp, the pair barely missing the massive, green needles that impaled the ground where Usopp had been standing. They rolled, adrenaline bringing them to their feet as they spun to see the source of the attack.

Staring at them was a giant mix between a porcupine and an armadillo, but bigger in size than Billy their duck. It was porcupine-ish for the most part, four lines of hard scales running down its back causing the needles to stand in five separate rows, three between and two on the outside. It had needles pointing forward, backward, and straight up. Its quills rattled as it hissed, showing off two separate rows of razor teeth and long, clawed fingers. Its eyes were pure white, foam drippling over and from its lips.

"Alright, am I allowed to curse about this?" the roset questioned.

"Y-Yes."

"Son of a Jabra, that's thing's nasty."

The arma-pine hissed, quills shooting from its back. Coby grabbed two from the first attack and used them to deflect and redirect this new set. Each one rang like the pipe of a chime, each hit causing the quill in question to ring until it hit the floor. They were dissonant all together, the vibrations causing Coby to feel a queasiness in his stomach.

"Green Star: Rafflesia!" Usopp yelled, throwing the seed in question over Coby's shoulder. The plant bloomed directly beneath the head of the creature. The green thing gagged, hacking and wheezing until the stench overpowered it and it fell over.

"That thing wasn't too tough," Usopp sighed.

"Maybe not, but I don't want to be around when its friends show up. We need to find a way to the lower floor." The pair took off, putting distance between themselves and the monster they'd incapacitated for the moment. "I'm guessing that thing's related to the creatures we fought a while ago."

"But why?" Usopp questioned. "If they're here, that means someone made them, right? Who? The Master guy?"

"I don't think so," the swordsman replied with a hum. "The way he and the winged woman ambushed us, that didn't scream 'I make monsters' or anything. Plus, that voice we heard didn't sound like either one of them. I'm thinking there's another scientist on the island."

"So that's the person who made all those horrible things?" Usopp asked as they rounded a bend. "Why?"

"Who knows?" Coby shrugged. "Luckily, if most of them are like that porcupine thing, then I think we've already dealt with the better ones. We just have to hope there aren't so many that they have strength in numbers. They can't be that easy to make."

Naturally, as soon as Coby finished speaking, something whipped out from the wall and smacked him, sending the Zoan back down the hallway from whence the pirates had come until he hit the wall by the corner.

"Coby!" Usopp gasped, having to jump out of the way as that same thing swung around, cratering the ground where he'd been standing.

The creature had a mostly red body with shifting highlights of gold, its form that of a giant centipede. It snapped its mandibles, each seemingly capped with another pair of pinchers, as its long body undulated. Its entire body was far too long, spiraling up the wall, across the ceiling, down the other side, across the floor, and back up the wall to repeat this pattern three times before ending at an open hatch in the ceiling. Its body was covered in some liquid that fell to the floor in great globs.

"Oh, that's just gross," Usopp complained, keeping his eyes on the thing in the event it tried any sudden moves. "Coby, you good?"

"Did anyone get the number of the Sea King that hit me?"

"Don't need to. It's still here."

Coby shook his mind clear and pushed himself to his feet, his hazy vision taking in the image of their new foe.

"I'm not sure if I wish Sanji was here or not," the roset muttered, rubbing his head. "Alright, let's see if I picked it up from Merry well enough. Tempest Kick!"

An arc of sharpened air shot from Coby's leg and raced toward the creature. It didn't so much as flinch, the razor air slicing into the side of its body. There were several SQUEEEE sounds like the hiss of air escaping containment before parts of the creature started to flake off. Its skin shifted, filling the hole Coby's attack had left behind.

"Green Star: Bamboo Javelins!" Usopp yelled, throwing the seed in question. The bamboo shot upward from its point of contact with the floor, impaling the creature in several places. It didn't slow down, however. In fact, the beast seemed to flow around the plants like water, said plants shrinking as if they were being absorbed into the monster wherever they touched. The liquid the dripped from its body ate away at the plant's roots, not as quickly as the dragon's acid would have, but fast enough to be noticed. "The heck is this thing?" he asked.

"Usopp?" Coby muttered. "I have a bad feeling I know what's going on."

"Do tell."

"You, ah… You know how I said something about strength of numbers?"

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me."

Unfortunately, Coby wasn't off the mark. Upon closer inspection, the creature was not one thing but many things acting as one. Hundreds, thousands, maybe millions of smaller centipedes crawled over each other acting as one unit that stared down the pirates. The liquid that dripped from it was the same sort of ravenous foam the arma-pine had, but every centipede was foaming at the mouth.

"It's a Goda-dammed hivemind species," Coby said. "You got anything in there for large-scale crowd control?"

"I could try to set it on fire," Usopp offered, pulling a bottle of high-proof rum out of his bag. "I'm more a fan of running, though."

"You know what? Good plan. Let's do both."

"Great."

The conglomeration of centipedes screeched, Usopp and Coby booking it back the way they'd come. The former of the pair threw the bottle of alcohol at the monster. The insects acting as mandibles tried to catch the bottle only for the glass to shatter in their grip, coating the whole upper "head" area.

"Crap!" Usopp realized. "I don't have Kabuto, so I don't have any way to light it!"

"You've got your serious tabasco in there, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Give it to me!"

"But—"

"We don't have time, Usopp!" The long-nosed man shucked over his bottle of hot sauce, Coby popping the top off and turning back to the angry hivemind chasing them. "This is gonna suck."

He downed the bottle.

"Something is going on up there," Luffy said as the building stopped shaking from a localized explosion somewhere above them. "Maybe it has something to do with that girl listing numbers."

"That was an order of some sort!" Momonosuke reminded him, the dragon child draped across Luffy's shoulders. Kin'emon's legs no longer shifted in the Zoan's grip, but moreso because they seemed to realize they couldn't do anything at the moment.

"To do what? Light fireworks?"

"Are you toying with me, or do you really believe the things coming out of your mouth?"

"It would be cool if they were setting off fireworks," Luffy defended. "They're probably attacking, though. That's usually what happens when things start exploding."

"By the spirits, you do have a brain."

"I don't know anything about spirits, but I know a lot about fighting," the pirate grinned, his arm starting to spin as he warmed up. "So, since I know how to do it, let's stop wandering and start punching!"

"Please don—"

"Here we go!"

Momonosuke's works fell on deaf ears as Luffy punched straight upward, his fist ripping through ceiling and tile to create a hole big enough for Luffy, Momonosuke, and all their cargo to pass through safely. The behatted pirate jumped through, landing in a hallway filled with the burnt, smoking remains of hundreds of centipedes.

"Woah!" Luffy blinked. "What happened here?"

"Luffy!"

The pirate turned at the sound of his name, finding Usopp with his hand on Coby's back. The roset was hunched over on his hands and knees, coughing up smoke, an empty tabasco bottle on the floor beside him.

"Usopp!" Luffy grinned. "Coby! Good to see you! I have your weapons."

"You've got Kabuto‽" Usopp asked, abandoning Coby to run up to their captain. Luffy's grin widened, handing the sniper his slingshot. Usopp wrapped it in a hug of sorts, muttering promises to not lose it again.

"You good, Coby?" Luffy asked.

"S-Spicy," the swordsman coughed, trying to get to his feet. Luffy went to him, offering Hoshokusha and Emono to the grateful roset. "D-Did we get them all?"

"I think I saw some crawling away," Usopp replied. "They won't mess with us again."

"Man, this place weird," Luffy said. "Look, I found a talking eel!"

"I am not an eel!" Momonosuke protested, dragging attention to himself. "My name is Momonosuke!"

"Ah crap!" Usopp whined. "A third dragon?"

"Captain," Coby interrupted. "Nami and a group are in the building. We should go to them."

"Yeah, great idea," the behatted pirate nodded. "I've got their weapons, too. Let's go!"

End of Chapter 47

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-SwordOfTheGods