Hello, all! Are you ready for another chapter of Coby's Choice? And are you excited for the Live Action adaptation coming this Thursday? I know I am!

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Chapter 51:

Reunion

"Uhh," one of Franky's marine buddies muttered. "Does anyone else see that?"

"See what?"

He pointed his sword toward the carpus Amy had severed. The tan-white flesh there was wiggling. The crab-eel started to shrink, its mass shifting and changing as it grew a new claw from rest of its body. The other creature mirrored this, new legs growing from the bases of the old.

"That's just not fair," Amy whined. "Alright, let's go for the head, then!"

Amy led the second charge at the now-smaller eel-crabs, her Haki-coated umbrella held out to her side. Shifting her mass within her body as she'd trained extensively to be able to do, the blonde launched herself into the air. She flipped over herself, building momentum before she fell on Crab #1 with another Obsidian Mallet. It cried out as its shell cracked, exposing its softer insides through the openings. The marines carrying guns took aim quickly, firing rounds into its fleshy parts before the shell could knit itself back together. If nothing else, they would be an annoyance for the hulking maritime creature as it moved to attack them.

And move it did, bringing one of its claws up to grab at the baker on its shell. Its aim was off, however, since its eyes and head was focused on the larger group in the snow. Amy jumped straight upward, letting the regrown claw snap at the air fruitlessly. The other claw shot toward the group, prompting Franky to put himself between it and the Marines. His large arms reached forward, catching the crab's pollex on either side. The sharpened ridges cut through the faux flesh he wore, scraping against the metal beneath but unable to tighten its grip around the Cyborg.

B-B-BOOM! Three cannonballs shot from the Sunny, slamming into the second crab monstrosity that has been trying to flank them despite Zoro's efforts. It screeched, the momentum of the projectiles staggering it and denting the shell.

"Wah?" Billy-Zoro questioned as the creature skittered backward.

"Sunny, the kids!" Amy yelled.

"I couldn't just sit here and do nothing!" Sunny yelled back from her railing. She was still beached ashore, the children chained against her haul. "Something doesn't feel right, but I don't know what!"

Her actions, however, had consequences. The attack sent powerful vibrations through her wood, rattling the chains and waking the children. They moved slowly, their hands instantly going to their heads or stomachs as the pain of their withdrawals crept up on them. Brook redoubled his musical efforts, but the children were already awake.

"Raaauuugghh!" Sind screamed, his arms flexing as his hands hooked the chains holding him and the other children. The smaller ones tried to do the same, but their strength was incomparable to those who had started their gigantification. They made short work of the bindings, the larger ones pushing Sunny's hull in anger. The ship barely wobbled, but the fact that they could make her whole ship move at all with a testament to their strength.

"Candy!" they shouted. "Give us candy! We need it!"

"S-Stop!" Mocha begged, clutching her head with a pained expression. "P-Please, everyone!"

"We need to help the kids!" Tune cried.

"We need to help ourselves first!" another marine replied, pointing his sword at the crab-eels. Said monsters had come up with a new strategy, banging their claws on the ground before them as they started this zig-zagging pattern toward the pirates and marines.

"What do we do?" Franky questioned.

"Wah!"

"We can't understand you, Sword-Bro!"

Within the pirate ship, Chopper froze, his hoof suspended in the air as he nearly spilled a test tube of chemicals from the sudden rocking of the Sunny. Quickly, he grabbed stoppers to ensure no chemicals mixed or spilled accidentally and jumped from the chair he'd been standing on.

"Sunny!" the reindeer doctor called. "What's going on out there‽"

"Things are going from bad to worse!" the voice of their ship answered from the walls. Chopper, Grace-Billy, and Zoro-Grace traded uneasy glances.

"I'll go check it out," G-Billy offered, hurrying to the door.

"I think we need to get ready to move," Z-Grace commented, Chopper matching her with a nod as the pair quickly —but carefully— started gathering the materials together for shipment.

G-Billy ran onto the deck, meeting Brook there as the skeleton tried to come up with a plan.

"What's happening, Bones-Makes-Music?"

"We seem to be in a conundrum, Billy," the musician replied. "Sunny could not explain, but she insists something more dangerous is coming this direction and that we must finish the battle with the creatures there quickly. They are proving to be quiet resilient, however."

"Creatures?" the bird trapped in a girl's body echoed. "What creatures?"

"Why those, of course." The skeleton raised one, boney digit to point out over the railing toward where most of the adults were facing off against Velo's creations. As the pair watched, Zoro in Billy's body met the head of the first crab-eel, its needle-like teeth scraping against Wado Ichimonji in the duck's beak. The eel lit up with electricity, the lightning affecting the body of the Thunderbird in no way. B-Zoro smirked through his borrowed beak, pushing the eel head back and swiping upward, his blade carving a gash through one of the creature's eyes. It flailed in pain, smacking the swordsduck with its head like a flail.

"Angry-Moss!" G-Billy cried, more out of fear for his own body than worry about the swordman within. The duck's borrowed eyes rose to the background of the chaotic scene. "Bones-Makes-Music, do you see that?"

"I don't have eyes to see," Brook pointed out. G-Billy pointed his borrowed finger at something in the distance. "Oh, what is that?"

"It looks like a giant, purple cloud. And it's getting closer."

Sunny fired another cannonball, the projectile slamming into the face of the second crab-eel before it could snap up one of the marines. It screamed and retreated again, the last hit far more painful than the ones that had hit its exoskeleton.

"Shiiilolololo!" a high-pitched voice laughed, dragging attention to the purple cloud G-Billy had referred to. There, floating over the chaos, was Caesar Clown, his gaseous body swirling. "Greetings, pirates and marines! It is I, Dr. Caesar Clown, head of this laboratory!"

"So you're the sick freak who's been drugging these kids!" Amy growled.

"Candy!" the kids yelled, recognizing the man.

"Now, now, kiddos," the horned scientist muttered. "Be good and you'll get your candy. Let me talk to these stupid adults for a moment." He turned back to the fighters, his face twisting into a snarl. "I'll need to abandon this place because of all of you," he growled. "I hope you're happy."

"Gotta admit," Franky shrugged. "It feels super good."

"Yes, well, let's see how good you feel when my Shinokuni gets you. Ah, but I won't just dowse you all with it. Where's the fun in that? I'd rather watch you all struggle until it eventually overcomes the lot of you. That way you can't say I didn't give you a chance; you just weren't good enough. But let me show you what you're running from."

Caesar pointed a hand downward, directing a spray of purple gas over the second crab-eel. The grey of its body turned to more of a stone color like concrete, the creatures movements slowing before stopping altogether. In moments, the beast was nothing more than a statue.

"What the Hell?" marines demanded.

"It turned to stone?" Amy questioned.

"No way!" Tune muttered.

"That's right!" Caesar laughed, reabsorbing the gas before it could go anywhere. "Shinokuni is a petrification gas for chemical warfare, and I've already got several kingdoms interested in buying it, but I need to show results for them. Don't you worry, though. I said I'd give you a chance and I will. After all, those kingdoms need to see that it can't be escaped."

He backed up several hundred feet, still able to see the ships in the distance and they, in turn, able to pick out his giant, purple body from the snow. Bringing his hands together, he poured the Shinokuni gas toward the ground where it started to spread.

"And go! Shiiilololololo!"

"Fuck!" Amy cursed. "Forget the crab!"

"Inside!" Franky suggested. "Those doors should be super tight enough to keep out the gas!"

"Candy!" the kids raged.

"Th-There's candy inside," Mocha whispered, trying to help through the pain as best she could. The children nearest her heard her quiet words, instantly latching onto the idea.

"Inside! Candy inside!" They chanted, their chorus growing in volume as they other kids heard the suggestion. The children charged the door, ripping it off the hinges in their haste.

"The doors!" Amy gasped.

"After them!" Tune yelled, gesturing for the marines to abandon the shore for their own safety. "We'll figure it out later! We have to get away from here now!"

"What about our ship‽" Franky demanded. "What about Sunny‽ We don't know how the gas would super affect her!"

"Get me to the water and I can get out to sea!" Sunny suggested. "Get me there and go! I'll be fine! Promise!"

"It will drain me, but I can lighten her mass long enough for us to get her out!" Amy suggested as G-Billy led the crew's chemically-learned from the ship's interiors. Grace was using Zoro's superior strength to carry all their equipment, most of the group jumping to the snow while Sunny used a rope to lower Z-Grace without jostling the chemicals too much. The other crab-eel screamed as the gas caught it, turning its body to stone like its mate.

"Help us!" Franky ordered as Amy laid her hands on Sunny's hull. She focused, converting Sunny's mass to air, but she was a dense ship. The shipwright, Chopper in his Arm Point, G-Billy, B-Zoro, and Z-Grace in their mismatched bodies, Brook, and Tune pressed against Sunny's side. Their combined strength and Amy's contribution slowly —oh so slowly— pushed the ship toward the water. Her keel ground against the earth through the snow, Sunny keeping an eye on the approaching cloud since she could do nothing to properly help.

The edge of the gas cloud reached the Marine ship. Its metal was left undamaged, but Sunny noted with worry that its wooden walls began to petrify on contact. The ship creaked as its density changed, sinking a couple feet. Sunny was made of Adam Wood, a material many shipwrights considered harder than metal if treated right, but it was still wood and Caesar's Shinokuni would affect her according to all evidence, and she would likely become too dense to float even if she made it back to the sea.

Finally, just when she was about to tell her crew to abandon her and go, she felt her keel touch water.

"One more push!" she called, giving the crew a heads-up since they could not see the lake behind her hull. Readying themselves, those working together shoved Sunny that much further, her hull falling into the water enough for her to shimmy the rest of the way there. She moved her docking system instantly, switching to her paddleboat mode. "I'm good! Get out of here before it gets you!"

"Be super safe, Sunny!" Franky ordered as Amy collapsed, the use of her powers on such a large ship for extended time having drained her. Chopper lifted the chocolatier, throwing her over his shoulder as the pirates and Tune booked it toward the doorway. Sunny directed herself, paddling away from the Shinokuni toward the mouth of the lake as quickly as she could, her not-eyes glancing back long enough to make sure her crew made it into the building. They paid no mind to any of the tied-up satyrs who had attacked the ship or the pair of giants still unconscious after Law's failed assault. Without help, the gas would claim them, too.

"Wa-wah!" B-Zoro quacked as they ran through the doorway, the lab very dark compared to the perpetual snowy-white outside.

"We know it's at our heels, Angry-Moss!" G-Billy translated. "Just shut up and run!"

"Wah!"

"Where is he going?" Tune questioned.

"Wait, not that way!" Too late, G-Billy watched his body disappear down a different corridor, tail feathers flashing in the dark before vanishing. The only cold comfort —or was that the cold from the snow outside?— was that B-Zoro still had Wado Ichimonji with him for defense.

"We'll find Zoro again later!" Z-Grace insisted. "He can take care of himself! We need to take care of the kids!"

"If Angry-Moss gets petrified in my body, it's on you, Girl-Makes-Colors!"

"Don't worry! He's too stupid to be petrified!"

"That is not how chemicals work!" Chopper cut in. "You know that, Grace!"

"Since when has logic applied to any of our Big Four?"

"Yohoho!" Brook laughed. "She has a point, Chopper!"

"We need to focus on finding the kids and stopping the gas right now!" Tune interrupted.

"I can smell them!" Chopper said, taking the lead at a fork. "This way!"

"All of the bugs are big~! Then all of the bugs are small~! Kaku go stabby-stabby, Uncle goes kicky-kicky~ All the bugs go woosh~!"

"Th' Monkey genes run true, eh Donna?" Gin chuckled from Nami's right side, the pair watching Ace as he insisted on riding on Bucktoof's back. The incomplete beast didn't seem to have a problem with it, but the child's pitch could use some work. At his young age, Gin was certain Brook would do his best to make Ace have the voice of a professional singer by the time he was older.

"You've only seen half of it," Nami told him, remembering all the little things Ace did back on Weatheria that reminded her so much of Luffy.

Bucktoof stopped, his ears perking up at something the others could not hear. Ace had only enough time to grab the creature's fur before he took off down the hallway.

The rest of the pirates (and Kin'emon) ran after them, voicing their own worries or demands. Bucktoof didn't listen to any of them, turning two corners before slowing to a stop.

"Gaoh!" the creature said. "Ga-gaoh!"

"Ace!" Nami fretted, catching up and quickly pull Ace from Bucktoof's back.

"Mommy, look!" Ace pointed out over the small landing they'd come out on, a parade of children smashing their way through the lower level of the lab. Their eyes were red and bloodshot, all but Mocha at the end screaming about candy.

"Why're the kids back in here?" Kaku questioned.

"Why are some of the others following behind them?" Sanji asked, pointing to a group and marines and pirates trying their best to catch up.

"I don't know, but let's find out," Nami answered. She jumped, each of the pirates finding their own way to land safely on the bottom floor. "Hey! What's going on?"

"Nami?" Chopper blinked as the second group fell in alongside them. "We can't stop! Run!"

"What is it?" Nami and her group merged with the others. "What are we running from? What about Sunny? What happened to Amy?"

"Sunny's fine," Franky answered. "And Baker-Sis super knocked herself out helping us get Sunny back into the water."

"Back…?" Gin blinked. "What happened while we were gone?"

"What about the others?" Ace questioned. "Why're they all angry?"

"We have a lot to catch you up on," Zoro said with Grace's voice. Both mother and son blinked, staring at the swordsman. "Long story short, the kids are addicted to a drug called NHC10 that's been gigantifying some of them and we're running away from a petrifying gas that Caesar released on us outside, mostly likely a hydrogen- or beryllium-based reactionary that turns carbon into stone-like structures with an internalized exothermal reshifting, essentially changing the molecular structure of biomatter into rows similar to diamond or high-percentage shungite."

"You sound funny, Uncle Stupid Moss!" the boy laughed.

"Why can't Grace just stop the gas?" Nami asked at the same time. Zoro and Grace looked at each other before turning back to the navigator.

"Yeah, about that," Grace began, but it didn't sound like her. "Well, I'm actually Billy and Girl-Makes-Colors is in Angry-Moss' body. Until we can find Black-Cloak-Swaps-Souls to switch us back, we can't really use Girl-Makes-Colors' powers."

"That explains the chemical jargon," Nami sighed. "Wait, where's your body then, Billy?"

"Zoro's in it," Z-Grace answered, causing Nami to let out another, much harsher sigh. Nearer the back of the group, Sanji made no attempt to stifle his laughter at Zoro's misfortune.

"So let me get this straight," Kaku clarified. "Caesar Clown released a gas that turns living things into stone—"

"A stone-like state," Z-Grace clarified.

"—and the children are suffering from withdrawal from some gigantification drug—"

"NHC10, also known as imidogin hydrocarbide."

"—and you didn't close the insolation doors, why?"

"The kids ripped them off the hinges," G-Billy supplied.

"That just makes perfect sense!"

"I told you our adventures don't follow logic, Kaku!" The group paused, Merry practically falling from above them to land beside her former co-worker. She punched him in the arm. "Why else do you think we needed to build Sunny out of Adam Wood?"

"Merry‽" the group asked, said Klabautermann grinning wide.

"Merry!" Ace cheered, jumping from Nami's arms to Merry's. "You went with Daddy and the others! Where are they? Do you want to meet Bucktoof? Did you fight weird monster things, too?"

"Woah, slow down, Ace!" Merry grinned. "We need to all catch up with each other soon."

"Not here and not now!" Chopper interrupted. "We need to get somewhere the gas behind us can't reach us!"

"Does anyone know the lab's layout?" Smoker questioned, the rest of Merry's group catching up with the white-haired ship spirit. "Where the Hell is the Surgeon of Death? Wasn't he with you, Cat Burglar?"

"Law's here?" Coby blinked, the body of a long-necked bird draped over his shoulder. What followed was a myriad of quick greetings. The marines rushed toward Smoker and Tashigi, tears in their eyes. The pink dragon around Luffy's neck abandoned his place, jumping instead to the half-samurai with a cry of "Ki-Father!". The face the samurai made in his responsive "What happened to you, Momonosuke‽" was funny in its own right. Robin raised an eyebrow as Zoro ducked behind Franky but had to hide a smirk as Luffy rushed Nami, sweeping his wife into his arms before nuzzling her neck.

"Nami!" Luffy cheered, spinning her around. "I've got something for you! I found your Clima-Tact!"

"Thank you, Luffy." Nami accepted her more-perfect weapon, tucking the previous one in her coat.

"Hey, where's everyone going?"

"Running from bad gas," Chopper offered.

"Oh," the captain nodded. "Brook got in the beans again."

"That's not what I meant, Luffy!" Chopper yelled as Ace and Merry laughed. "There's a purple gas behind us that could turn you to stone!"

"Why doesn't Grace just stop it? She's right—?" He pointed at Zoro only to realize something was off. "Zoro? Why do you feel like Grace?"

"Bodyswapping," G-Billy supplied. "It's been a problem."

"Oh. Yeah, I can see that."

"Daddy!" Ace cheered, jumping out of Merry's arms, off Usopp's face, and onto Luffy's shoulder. "Look, Mommy! I found Daddy!"

"More like he found us," the young mother commented despite her smile as Luffy grinned, ruffling his son's hair.

"Ace, I have something for you, too!"

"Really‽ What‽"

There was a BANG from somewhere ahead of them, the sound quickly followed by the cursing of several marines.

"What was that?" Franky asked.

"The kids broke another door that would've helped!" Tune explained. "We need to get someone ahead of them before they do it again!"

"Horn and I can go," Kaku offered, earning a nod from Coby beside him. They glanced at each other before vanishing with Shave, both Zoan users reappearing ahead of the kids. This made the enraged children lock onto them, screaming something about candy animals and gummies.

"Please find something fast," Chopper whispered. His prayers were answered a minute later as Coby and Kaku shouted something incomprehensible over the roaring of the children, ushering them through a door barely large enough for Sind and Mocha to get through. The marines and pirates followed, Gin being the last one through before they shut the door, barring it closed. Sanji spun, activating his Hell Memories technique before kicking the door's edges, melting them and the doorway into metal slag that closed its gaps, rendering the door no better than any other wall.

"One problem stalled, but we still need to stop the kids!" Chopper noted. "I've almost got the next round of NHC10 ready to calm them down, but that will still take a while!"

"Why's the floor wet?" Merry questioned, pointing to a slimy, green substance covering the aforementioned area. "The Hell is this stuff?"

Z-Grace dropped to a knee, running a finger through it. Chopper passed off Amy's unconscious body to Gin before doing the same, the two conferring in low voices.

"I'm no scientist," Kaku began, pointing to a tank with a nozzle dripping the same fluid, "but ain't that the symbol for stuff that's radioactive? That's bad juju, right?"

"My legs!" Kin'emon realized, still carrying the dragonoid form of Momonosuke as he reacclimated himself fully, doing a little tapdance.

"This is a form of sulfhemoglobic blood," Chopper finally announced. "It's blood with sulfur that prevents the normal amount of oxygen from binding to it, which changes the color from red to green. I can't tell you why it's here, though."

"Uncle Usopp!" Merry suggested. "It's wet and we need to stop the kids. Use one of your plants!"

"I know just the one," the sniper nodded, pulling a seed from his satchel. "Green Star: Sargasso!"

The seed bloomed into a ever-growing web of seaweed, sucking in the blood on the floor to aid in its growth. The Sargasso quickly surrounded the children, lifting them off the floor and restricting their movements. Only Mocha escaped the plants, the poor girl leaning against one of the tanks while clutching her head. Usopp's pleased smirk fell into worry quickly, however, as the green of his plant started to change and shift, becoming more of a red with yellow and orange dots.

"Guys?" he said. "That's not supposed to happen!"

"Candy?" Sind questioned, studying the plant's new coloration.

"No! Not candy! Guys, don't let them eat that! I don't know what it might do, but it can't be good!"

"White Smog!" Smoker yelled, his smoke covering the top of the multi-colored seaweed. The children gagged at the smell, keeping them from trying to snack on the plants. The smoke became more thick, denser and denser until the children passed out. "There. Problem solved."

"You can't knock kids out like that!" Z-Grace growled. "It's bad for their brains and lungs!"

"Would you rather they ate the weird seaweed, Pirate Hunter?"

"I'm not Zoro!"

"Alright, we need to figure out what's going on!" Coby yelled. "Who wants to start?"

"My head," Mocha groaned.

"I think your group should start, Dino-Bro," Franky commented. "I mean, you all were the first to leave."

"Yeah, that's fair," Coby admitted. "Well, we explored the burning side of the island for a bit and fought this big, red dragon, which Zoro-sensei and I decapitated. Captain Luffy wanted to eat it, so we butchered it only to find out it had had a clutch of eggs, only one of which survived the fight."

"That's your souvenir, Ace!" Luffy cut in, taking the egg from Robin and handing it over to Ace. The boy's eyes stared at it in awe. "Don't know anything about it, but I did say I'd get you something cool! And what's cooler than a baby dragon?"

"You're the best, Daddy!"

"Anyway," Coby continued, "after the dragon, we found the talking legs stuck to its hide, saw a harpy, and had a bad feeling, so we returned to the Sunny, but you guys were gone. With nothing else to do, we headed toward the other side of the island where a giraffe centaur ambushed us." Coby ignored the way Kaku's eyes sparkled at the idea of a giraffe centaur. "We crossed the river to meet a bunch of other centaurs who invited us inside to get away from the coming avalanche. The biggest one, named Brownbeard, took us to meet the master, but Zoro-sensei disappeared en route. We then met the master and the harpy who ambushed us."

"I got thrown away!" Luffy interrupted. "That's where I met Momo and found all our stuff. Oh, I still have some of it." He preceded to pass out the rest of his luggage, including Gin's tonfa and Amy's primary umbrella, even though she wasn't awake. That was good since the group had left her replacement in the snow while running from the gas.

"Usopp, Merry, Robin, and I woke up in a cell and busted out," Coby said, getting back to his side of things. "We ran into some monsters on our way to meet up with Nami and her group, including another dragon that really wanted the egg. We split up at one point since I sensed Captain Luffy, only to meet up with Merry and Robin again, after they'd found Smoker and Tashigi. Together we fought this bird" —he gestured to the dead bird over his shoulder— "and then we met up with you all."

"I'll go next," Nami offered. "Shortly after you all left, we were ambushed by a group with sleep gas. Most of us woke up in a cell with the samurai's head. Kaku pointed out that Grace, Billy, Brook, and Ace were missing and must have got away. We busted out and ended up finding these kids who begged us to help get them out. We made our way back to the ship only to find Brook, Ace, and Sunny talking to marines with Kin'emon's torso. After some discussion, a group of us decided to go back in to find your group since Sunny had a bad feeling. That was probably you all getting ambushed. Anyway, Ace snuck along and we ended up finding Dr. Velo's lab and the human experiments she'd made. She abducted Ace and left her monsters to kill us. I sent Kaku and Kin'emon ahead, but Velo got away from them.

"Eventually, we ran into Law who offered to take us to Caesar's main lab where we found Ace swallowed by a giant slug that was attacking Caesar. We saved Ace, but Caesar got away and Law said something about this Monet woman kidnapping Velo for something she knew. We met Bucktoof here" —she gestured to the mountain lion-bear-dog-thing that gave a weird gaoh— "Ace named him, and Law fell through a trapdoor. That's when Gin killed the lights, we fought a replicating bug, and made our way back here."

"Yoho! I guess I will recount the strangeness from the shore," Brook offered. "After waking, I found Grace, Billy, and Ace dressed for the snow. Grace entrusted young Ace to me and flew off with Billy to assess the island. While she was gone, I was attacked by Kin'emon's torso before the pair of us were set upon by men attempting to take Sunny. While fighting them, Smoker and his marines arrived and struck some type of deal with Sunny and, in time, Nami and her retinue returned along with the children.

"After they returned inside, the Warlord Law appeared with a pair of giants. Amy and Chopper dealt with them and, when Law was unable to find Ace, he retreated, but not before segmenting the lot of us including Sunny herself. We spent the next while with the children and marines returning us to our original shapes before working together to put Sunny back together. In that process, Zoro, Billy, and Grace returned, but they cited an interaction with Law that resulted in them swapping bodies. Afterward, the children began to show signs of withdrawal that Chopper and Grace identified as some dangerous, experimental chemical, so Sunny and I put the children to sleep with music while they got started on solving the problem. We were later attacked by a pair of large crabs before Caesar Clown himself, and that brings us here."

"Billy and I saw that harpy, too," Z-Grace commented. "We were trying to scout out a cave we found, but that harpy attacked us and chased us away. I caused an explosion to scare her off, but it was bigger than I expected it to be, apparently causing the avalanche. Sorry." She chuckled. "We found Zoro wandering around in the snow and Law got the drop on us. After that, we made it back to the ship and here we are."

"And where exactly is here?" Merry asked, studying the surroundings. "The hell is this blood stuff Uncle Usopp's plants drank?"

"I think Trafalgar Law mentioned something like this," Smoker commented. "This is possibly the SAD formula used in Caesar's process of growing his artificial Devil Fruits."

"Artificial Fruits?" two-thirds of the group questioned. "Is that even possible?"

"Law would know more about it," Nami said. "It was apparently a focus of Velo's research here, causing Monet to target her and decide to get rid of Caesar. At least, that's what he said."

"Ok," Luffy blinked. "So we'll beat up Caesar then go find these Velnet people and beat them up. Sounds simple."

"It's never that simple, Captain," Coby sighed. He'd placed himself between Z-Grace and G-Billy, his eyes moving from one to the other.

"What?" the artist in the swordsman's body demanded.

"I'm not kissing you like this."

"Damn it, Coby!"

While the body-swapped chemist raged at her beau, Luffy knelt before his son, the boy holding the egg his father had chosen to steal for him.

"Now Ace," Luffy said. "I've never really had a pet before, but I think I know a few things after watching your mom with Billy and some of the stuff my brothers and I got into when we were little. They can be really hard to keep alive, but we aren't in the middle of a forest filled with monkeys and crocodiles and big cats and giant birds, so that might be easier for you. Also, you aren't allowed to eat your pets. Ace and Sabo were really clear about that point, no matter how tasty eggs are."

Smoker's eyebrows practically shot through the roof.

"I know about pets, Daddy," Ace replied. "Some of the old guys on Weatheria had pet birds and dogs and stuff. I know they gotta get fed and walked and bathed and things."

"Oh?" Luffy blinked. "Well, good. Plus you've got all of us to help you."

"Hey, Daddy? Since we've got this eggy now, can we keep Bucktoof, too?"

"Gaoh!" the creature in question added.

"I've already said no," Nami interrupted. "Hatching a pet is one thing —something I'm not happy to say is happening without my say so." She directed a glare at Luffy, her husband chuckling and scratching the back of his head. "But, raising one is at least easier to manage than taking in one that's full-grown."

"That's how we picked up Billy, though," Luffy pointed out.

Nami didn't have a response to that, so she chose to drop the subject to be returned to later.

"Alright, everyone," she said, diverting the topic. "Caesar's outside, yeah? How do we beat him up without turning to stone from that gas?"

"Is it flammable?" Sanji tried.

"It's possible," Z-Grace replied. "If it's reactive with carbon, then there's likely no carbon in it to convert into CO2 through burning. Well, unless the gas is hydrogen-based, but then that could be like setting off several tons of explosives at once. That could destroy the lab with us in it."

"Then what can we do?" Franky asked.

"If we can find Law, I can get back in my body. With full access to my Chem-Chem Fruit, getting through that gas will be a sinch."

"Caesar Clown is rumored to be a Logia," Smoker offered. "Taking him down will require Armament Haki."

"Got it," Luffy and Gin grinned.

"Amy too, iffin we can wake her up," Gin added.

"I wouldn't mind getting my swords through him a couple times," Coby commented, fingering Hoshokusha and Emono. "That might just get me past the threshold."

"I wouldn't mind knocking him around either," Sanji said. "I haven't been able to kick a Logia yet."

"Perfect," Nami nodded. "Let's send a group to find Law and Zoro while another says here for the kids. As soon as we get everything figured out, we'll take out Caesar and get the heck out of here. And someone please find our baby den-dens!"

Law stared at the room, a metaphorical stone falling in his gut. The table that had held the hearts of all Caesar's untrustworthy underlings sat empty, not a sign to be seen as to the current location of what it had held. Quickly, almost desperately, he raised a hand and activated a Room, scanning everything in the area in the falling hopes of finding his heart.

It wasn't there.

Frustrated, Law drew his sword and cut the table in half, a curse coming to his lips. There were only two scenarios that could have played out, and his current ability to breathe indicated which it was.

"Wah?"

The sound of a quack made Law turn, his confusion matched part for part on that of the duck in the doorway. The duck's eyes widened, the Gigafowl charging forward to swing the sword in his beak at the Warlord. Law pulled his own sword around, catching the blade before it could slice him in half.

"Stop, Pirate Hunter," he ordered, his soles digging into the floor against the surprising strength of the swordsman trapped in the duck's body. "I understand you must be angry with me, but we are now on the same side."

"Wa-wah wawah!"

"We do not have time to fight here. We much return to your crewmates and the marines. Something necessary has gone missing and we must recover it."

"Wah? Wah wah wah?"

"If you must know, my heart has gone missing. Stolen, actually, and I am not waxing poetic. My powers can literally remove a person's heart and Caesar asked that I to that to show my loyalty. I'd intended to steal it back, but it appears Monet beat me to it, taking my heart and Velo with her when she fled."

B-Zoro pulled back a little, sensing no dishonesty from the man. Still, he refused to take his eyes off the Warlord since the man was the reason for his current plight.

"I promise, I will return you and your crewmates to their original bodies when we reconvene, but we must move quickly. Look, you can even keep the sword on my back the whole way, but we have to find them."

Zoro took a moment to consider the other man's words. Usually, he wouldn't bother and would simply attack, but didn't Grace say they would only be able to get back to their original bodies if Law swapped them back? Sure, he could absolutely become the Greatest Swordsman in the World in Billy's body, no matter if it took him a few extra years, but he certainly wasn't keen on the idea.

Slowly, Zoro backed off, choosing to trust Law until he gave him a reason not to.

"Wah-ah. Wa-wah-ah. Wah."

"I don't know what that means, but I'll take it as agreement."

End of Chapter 51

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-SwordOfTheGods