Here we go, Chapter 60! And is anyone else hype for the One Piece live action coming out at the end of the month? I was iffy but hopeful when I first heard about it and that Oda was at the top, but that latest trailer has me excited! What about you all: Andrew Bohl, Animephilosopher1, Ankhseram123, anony, Ant Franklin, Cam Bliss, Clark Kent, Claude Walker, Cordell Sanders, Cory Johnston, Darko129, David, David Bowling, David Reynolds, Emi Stafford, Eugene Malone Jr., EvilJelly, Fenrir ragnarok, FlakeTrain, Garvin Lee Nelson-Mathlin, GLADIUS315, GODA98, Immagenius, Inucbus, Jacob McCarthy, JEP1010, Jkat, John Mekjian, Jonathan Moh, Joseph Baty, Joseph Cheung, Joseph Morrison, Joseph Vargas, Joshua, Joshua Groves, Kcx1, Kevin Calderon, Korakas, Lamont Hale, MAEGHT Maxime, Marielle Orff, Matt Walther, Matthew Burley, McBanjo, Mcgin28, Milagros Peres Davila, Milla, Neridian, Rafael Cardenas, ReactedLyric, Richard Barkley, Riley Bolerjack, Ryuu, Sasha, TheWolfThatExist, Thomas Sanders, Tom Peissig, and ViewtifulSoul!

Chapter 60:

Colosseum Competition: Block A

"All fighters in Block A, please report to the starting gate. I repeat, all fighters in Block A, please report to the starting gate!"

The announcement from the speakers echoed through the halls of the Colosseum's underground tunnels, turning people's attention from their neighbors to their surroundings. Luffy blinked, tilting his head. His eyes moved to the paper in his hand, reading the words on it.

Fighter: Lucy. Starting Match: Block A.

His eyes widened.

"Crap! I'm not even close to ready!" Using Shave, he blurred only to reappear with the first helmet and weapon he could grab from the available armory, the pirate captain hurrying to follow the crowd moving toward what he expected to be his immediate competition.

"I did not think they would begin so early," Gin said, swallowing his worry for his captain. They were supposed to be fighters who did not know each other, after all. He crossed his arms, checking his sheet just in case. According to the paperwork, he would be fighting in Block G.

"They do have eight blocks to go through," Custard shrugged. "You slipped in with the bell, Rum."

"Speaking of, you're not from around here, are you?" Angel asked, studying the man. "You don't talk like the locals."

"That is true enough," Gin nodded, keeping his own accent in check. "You do not, either. I arrived on a vessel earlier today and joined the tournament on a whim. I intend to gift the prize I win to a friend."

"You're sure you'll win but don't want it for yourself?" Custard prompted.

"I would gain nothing useful." He left it at that, not wanting to expose the powers that would give him away. He stepped forward and gestured with a hand. "Shall we watch?"

"I don't see why not," Angel answered, the trio making their way to the competitors' viewing area.

"Seeing as I arrived late," Gin began on their walk, "whom should I keep an eye on?"

"There are a lot of interesting names," Custard commented, eyeing the crowd. She pointed at faces or distinctive clothing as they entered their sight. "Those three are members of the Chinjao family: 'The Drill' Don Chinjao and his grandsons Sai and Boo. Those two girls are members of the Crescent Blade Pirates and they have a third heading into the arena right now, though it seems their captain isn't fighting. The ones in the tournament are the Black Cat, the Spartan, and the Gold Dragon. Those two are Kelly and Bobby Funk, a pair of ruthless bounty hunters, and there's another pair: Abdulla and Jeet."

"They entered under fake names, but there are even commanders from the New Whitebeards here," Angel added, jerking her chin at a shorter man with brown hair and a tan cloak leaning against a wall, his arms crossed. He had a matching fedora with a white feather pulled low over his eyes and a well-polished saber hung at his hip. "That's 'Swift Saber' Haruta of the 12th Division. We also saw 'Killer Crossdresser' Izou of the 16th and 'Flower Sword' Vista of the 5th. I imagine they're here because the Devil Fruits in question belonged to their late crewmates and they want them back. There's also Tank Lepando of the Dressosian Army, 'Fighting King' Elizabello II of the Prondence Kingdom and his top strategist Dagama, and a number of notable pirate crews. There's even a true Giant in his own area waiting for his turn."

"Sounds like some fierce competition," Gin commented, a touch of his old thirst for blood leaking into his words. A grin tugged at his lips. "This may actually be fun."

"That's not even including Mama knows how many others who used fake names to hide who they are from the officials like the New Whitebeards," Custard said. She pointed at a buff man with a veil hiding his face and a sword at his hip. He was dressed in what appeared to be a brown uniform, but none of the three could place its origin. "I mean, that guy covering his face? Clearly a big name in hiding."

They reached the platform, Gin allowing the women to elbow their way to a comfortable position as he easily ignored Rum's sass in his head. The arena below was a circular platform made of the same tan stone that the Colosseum had been constructed from surrounded on every side with water, the arena filled near to bursting with the competitors from Block A. Gin's eyes instantly picked out Luffy, his captain standing in the middle with a brass helmet and a thin club, the helmet sporting a blue mohawk of plumage that hung down his back. After finding Luffy, he scanned the stands, his eyes eventually finding Merry with Ace on her lap.

"Hello all and welcome to the Corrida Colosseum!" the announcer called, his voice echoing through the open-air stands. People and toys alike cheered. "Have we got a show for you! Here, today, we have fighters from across the world looking to claim one of two prizes unlike anything else! What's that, you might ask? None other than a pair of Devil Fruits whose last users shocked and shook the world without even trying! Today's top two fighters will receive the Fruits of the notorious 'Fire Fist' Portgas D. Ace and his captain Edward 'Whitebeard' Newgate!"

The already-considerable volume exploded to a new level as the people's surprised whispering turned to more cheering. The Master of Ceremonies basked in the atmosphere for a minute before waving his hands, shushing the people.

"For those of you below, the game is simple: last man standing wins! If you fall unconscious, forfeit, cannot move, or you fall into the water, you are eliminated! Obviously, you're also out if you die, but you better watch out! We've brought some new friends to play!" He threw something out of his box, a raw steak hanging in the air for a moment before gravity took hold. Out of the moat jumped a blue fish large enough to swallow even some of the larger gladiators, a pair of pointed bull horns twisting out of its head. It's razor-sharp teeth snagged the steak only for its landing to be met with more of its kind. They ripped it apart for stealing the morsel, leaving nothing but a disjointed skeleton that slowly sank. The people cheered like savages.

"That's right, folks!" the announcer yelled into the mic. "Little Fighting Fish! Native off the coast of Green Bit circa 200 years ago, these predators are ready and willing to devour anyone unlucky enough to fall off the platform! If you hit the water, you're out even if you make it back, however unlikely that is!

"Now then, let's go over a number of the favorites in this match as they enter the arena, shall we‽ To start, you all know him and love him! Will his horns take the lives of more gladiators today‽ It's the Fighting Bull of Corrida!" A pair of Colosseum workers in full armor wrestled a massive black bull, weights wrapped around its neck to keep it down until the match started. It bellowed its cries, its inability to move only making it angrier.

"Up next, he's a notorious war criminal on the run from his homeland and the World Government, but we want to see if he lives up to his epithet! It's 'The Beheader' Suleiman!" The man was tall and dressed in dark purple, a bored look on his face hiding in the shade of his black-and-gold hat with white plumage. He carried a massive saber, the sword sitting comfortably in his left hand as he walked across the bridge to the arena.

"We're also playing host to a Super Rookie who sailed into the New World three years ago; women swoon when he even looks in their direction, it's Cavendish of the White Horse!" His speech was interrupted as women around the stands swooned as he said they would, their boyfriends or husbands throwing glares and a number of hostile words at the blond man on said white horse below. He winked, a number of women —and some men— getting into a fight over whom he winked at.

"Ahem!" the announcer demanded, getting his female aides back in line. "Moving on! She and her crewmates escaped from captivity after the Sabaody Incident two years ago! It put them in the news and they've been making waves since, it's 'Black Cat' Belladonna of the Crescent Blade Pirates!" The young woman looked to be no older than 30 at the latest, her white clothing tight against her creamy skin contrasting well with her flowing black hair. Her top cut off just above her navel, showing a midriff lean with muscle and decorated with white scars. She carried no visible weapon, but she walked with an air of confidence, golden eyes glaring at one of the competitors entering from the other side.

"And last but certainly not least of the favorites of Block A, he's been off the grid for 20 years, but it looks like our prizes have brought him out of retirement! Hailed as a scourge of the seas in the early years of the Great Pirate Era and with a known body count to match! He and his crewmates helped take down one of the first Emperors! It's the former captain of the Devil's Luck Pirates: the 'Devil's Luck' himself! William D. Chapston!" The elder pirate was a slim man wearing a blue button-up under a brown vest, an ever-present smirk tugging at his lips. The man being on the back half of 50, the lightest amount of grey had begun to color his brown hair, said hair pulled back into a neat ponytail. A neatly-trimmed goatee decorated his chin and atop his head sat a bicorn hat trimmed in gold. All this clothing, however, looked aged and slightly faded. A sword was strapped to his back.

Gin clenched his fists silently, mouthing a prayer to the Powers That Write for his captain's safety and anonymity. Custard and Angel didn't seem to notice, the two whispering to each other about the named competitors, apparently of the opinion that few if any unknowns would amount to anything in this block.

"87 gladiators stand in the ring but only one can advance!" The people's cheering redoubled at the announcer's words, yelling for their favorite or just wishing for blood. "Ready‽ Begin!"

Luffy blinked as the ring turned to pandemonium. Gladiators lunged at each other, blood spraying as blades met flesh and skin broke. He twisted, his thin club arcing out to bash a guy who had been aiming for his back in the face, said man making a full turn before he fell, blood pooling from a broken jaw and a couple lost teeth.

"This is crazy!" he laughed in his 'old man' voice, ducking another sword before using his foot to kick the man into the air. Another twist and a roundhouse sent him flying away into a tightly-packed group of what appeared to be wrestlers.

"Baaaooooo!" the Fighting Bull yelled, now free of its restraints. Luffy watched as it ran toward a fighter wearing red only for the man to dive away, the bull slamming into a couple fighters behind, flinging them over the side and into the Fighting-Fish-infested waters below, much to the joy of the crowd. A brilliant, fun idea came to Luffy's mind as he moved toward the animal.

On the other side of the arena, one of the few women among the fighters stalked forward, her eyes set on a laughing man. She practically ignored the violent chaos on all sides, only swiping out with her right hand when a man blown away by his opponent nearly barreled into her. Her elongated nails raked across his back, redirecting the man's momentum as Belladonna's hand lost the black fur that had covered it in the moment.

"Haha!" her quarry laughed, running his sword through a fighter with a beard nearly white with age. The old pirate pulled his sword free with a grunt, kicking the body away and swinging the weapon to remove the fresh blood. "Ah man, it's been too long since I've had a serious scrap like this."

"William Chapston," the woman snarled, the man looking up at the sound.

"That's William D. Chapston, thank you," he replied with a grin. "If you're going to say my name, say it right. I might not know what it means, but I know the D is there for a reason." He paused, taking in the hatred in the younger woman's eyes. "Do I know you?"

"No," the woman said. "But I know you. I set out to sea to find you and to kill you for what you did to my aunt and uncle."

"That's…" William blinked, a hand coming up to rub the side of his head. "Ok, yeah, I probably did something, but that was decades ago, probably. Maybe. More than likely, I don't remember those two. How do you even know it was me?"

"Oh, you'll remember," she hissed, her pupils turning into vertical slits as black fur covered her hands and arms, her legs' shape changing under her pants. A cat's tail the same color grew from the back of her waist as a pair of cat ears popped up from her hair. This was the effect of her Devil Fruit from which her fighting style and moniker were derived: the Cat-Cat Fruit: Model Panther. "You'll remember seeing as you and your damned crew killed her, took over my home, and felt nothing when her death drove my would-be uncle to madness!"

"You're not giving me any—" William cut himself off as the Zoan launched toward him with a screech, her claws cutting through the air where his neck had been. His sword, the True Ace of Spades, launched out only for Haki-coated claws to bat it away. "Listen, I don't like to hit little girls. Are you a friend or rival of… of…?" He blinked, trying to remember where that sentence was supposed to go, but he couldn't for the life of him.

Belladonna's eyes narrowed.

"You killed my Aunt Cleo."

"Cleo?" the elder pirated echoed, scanning his memories for someone of that name. "Cleo…? Cleo… Cle-oh fuck! You're Cleo's niece‽ Then that means—"

"My uncle would have been Blake," she confirmed, a sick satisfaction bubbling inside her at the look on William's face. She flexed her claws. "The user of the Flame-Flame Fruit before Fire Fist. I had to look at your Goda-damned flag every day growing up in the Oasis, a constant reminder of what you took from us. I thought it was a blessing when your crew disappeared, but then the fighting started again and the gangs came back to power. Your actions caused my mom to die. I have 20 years of pain to pay you back for."

"This trip is getting way more personal and involved than I was promised," William sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Look, kid. Your aunt was a crazy, annoying assassin who tried to kill us. She got what she deserved."

"Is that supposed to make me want to kill you any less‽" the cat Zoan demanded. She launched forward, only for William to vacate his previous position with Shave— or Shuffle, as he called it. Belladonna didn't miss a beat, turning to where he reappeared. "Your crew killed every parental figure I had!"

"No, we only killed one," William corrected, unhelpfully. He spun, cutting down a fighter that tried to take him by surprise. "Seriously, I'm way out of your league."

"I don't care!" The cat Zoan charged forward only to be forced to dive away as the Fighting Bull barreled through the area she'd been passing through, the laughing Lucy riding on its back.

"Go, Ucy!" Luffy cheered as his mount bowled over multiple fighters. "Woohoo!"

"Well, you don't see that every day," William chuckled, ducking quickly as a sword attempted to take his head off. He spun, the True Ace of Spades catching said sword as it came in for another pass. Suleiman's eyes widened slightly as the smaller man easily matched his strength. "Hey there, big guy. Nice sword."

"I must say, for such a reputation, it is rather surprising I have never heard of you."

"Come on, I haven't been that far off the grid."

"You'll be six feet under the grid when I'm done with you!" Belladonna yelled. The older pirate twisted, a band of black and red forming on his arm as his activated his Devil Fruit. His other hand came up, spinning it. It slowed to a stop within seconds, the band flashing before fading away. William blinked, a smirk coming to his face as his eyes became a sickly green.

"I can work with this," he muttered before his body turned transparent. Suleiman moved to stab him, but he twisted around the weapon and dove, his see-through body fazing into that of the war criminal. Suleiman stumbled backward, his black eyes taking on the same green glow and his lips quirking into a smirk that did not fit on his serious face.

"Now then," the possessed body of Suleiman muttered, bouncing his sword between his hands, "let's take a risk."

The roar of the crowd was loud even from within the bowels of the Colosseum. Amy pursed her lips, her hands twitching as she fought the urge to go free Gin from the gazes of Angel and Custard. She wasn't particularly close to the pair —having only sparred with each once or twice during her time in Totland— but the full-blooded sisters of Cracker were not women to take lightly.

Still, with them occupied watching the fight and Luffy in said fight, that left Amy with plenty of time to poke around the underbelly of the Colosseum and stake out the competition. Most of the fighters were men, too many of them giving her lascivious looks for her tastes, but none of them really amounted to anything she couldn't handle with a good punch or two should the need arise. Thankfully, her leather, metal-lined armor covered everything it needed to, though she wished there had been an option to cover her midriff. Still, it was better than the bikini top the woman in the changing room had first offered.

Amy was not the only one who had forgone watching Block A, it seemed. Maybe half of the remaining fighters were spread out among the corridors and rooms, punching training equipment or lounging. Her eyes trailed over a tall, buff man with a crown on his head, said man boxing with the air using a pair of boxing gloves. A smaller, mustachioed man no less wide talked to a group nearby, his glasses doing nothing to hide the gleam in his eye.

"It's sick, isn't it?"

Amy turned slightly, finding another woman beside her. She was dressed in less armor than seemed effective, said armor only really protecting her modesty rather than her vitals. What the armor failed to do, a round shield on her arm and a green cloak did better. Her long, pink hair was braided down her back, rising into her bronze helmet. A sword hung at her waist and her voice carried the accent of Dressrosa.

"What's sick?" Amy asked.

"All these people dancing to Doflamingo's tune, like a street full of people who don't know the mariachi are turning them into puppets." The woman turned slightly, her brown eyes studying the blonde. "Are you one of these people?"

"In a way, I guess," Amy admitted, raising a hand to her chin. "Everyone in here is playing by Doflamingo's rules to get those Devil Fruits. I suppose it's what we plan to do with them after winning that really sets the puppets apart."

"And you?" the rosette questioned. "Are you a puppet?"

"Someone else already has my loyalty," the blonde replied with a wave. "I only dance to my captain's tune, as stupid as it can be sometimes." She offered a hand. "I'm Coco."

"Rebecca." The female gladiator accepted the hand. "What block are you fighting in?"

"Block F," Amy answered.

"I'm in Block G." Rebecca relaxed a little, apparently glad her new friend would not be in direct competition with her. Not yet, at least. "I take it you're after the Fruits for your own ends, then?"

"Something like that," the blonde nodded. "It's more like not wanting them to stay in the hands of someone like the so-called king of this island. This is just the easiest way to do it. You?"

"I'll claim one of the Fruits," the native growled, conviction in her voice, "and I'll kill Doflamingo with my own hands."

Amy glanced at the waiting fighters around them. Other than a few eyes studying their forms rather than their faces, there didn't seem to be any real interest in them. She reached over, resting an arm around Rebecca's shoulders.

"Have you got somewhere private we can talk? I think we can help each other."

"Go, Daddy!" Ace cheered from Merry's lap as he watched his disguised father riding the bull below. A part of him remembered and missed Bucktoof back on Punk Hazard, but his Uncles Sanji and Usopp had assured him that the creature had not wanted to sail with them because he was afraid of boats. The boy had a feeling the bull would probably be the same, but it looked like Daddy was having a lot of fun. "I wish I was big enough to fight down there."

"I'm not sure if you should really want that," Merry commented. "There's plenty of strong people down there. None as strong as your dad, of course, but it'd still be dangerous for someone your age."

"But you're only a little older than me."

"I suppose that's technically true," the Klabautermann conceded. "But I'm not human, remember? We Wood Fairies play by different rules. I was practically full-grown when I materialized on Water 7."

"No fair," the boy pouted.

"That's how the world works, kid."

"You got this, Bella!" a woman dressed in a red hooded cloak yelled from their left, another in white on her other side covering her ears with a bored look on her face. "Kill that bastard like you've always wanted to!"

"Must you be so loud, Roseanne?" the woman in white demanded. Her hair was the same color as her dress, a thin scar running down over one eye but clearly not having ruined its use. "I've no doubt she cannot hear you, anyway."

"It's the purpose of the thing! We have to support our crewmates at all times! Wooo! Kill him!"

"Two-and-a-half years and I still cannot believe you are our captain," the white-haired one sighed.

"A year in the New World and I can't believe your bounty is still stuck at 70-mil."

"That's—!" The woman's pale face turned red as she floundered for a rebuttal. Ace giggled at their banter, unperturbed at the evidence that both of these women must be notorious pirates in their own right.

"They remind me of Uncle Stupid Moss and Uncle Pervy Cook," the boy grinned, his words earning a laugh from Merry.

"They do seem like fire and ice," she agreed. Ace blinked up at her. "Opposites, I mean. Two things that shouldn't logically be in the same place at the same time."

"But there was burning water back at the Punk place."

"And it still doesn't make sense," the Klabautermann bit out, "so I have elected to ignore its existence."

"So, like yours and Uncle Stupid Moss' sense of direction."

Merry froze, an eye slowly looking down at the boy in her lap. "Robin's been teaching you how to make fun of people," she accused.

"Auntie Robin-sensei calls it 'ver-bal-ly tar-geting others' per-so-nal-i-ty weaknesses'," he replied without a shred of shame, carefully sounding out the multisyllabic words.

"Well… you're doing good."

"Merry, the pretty boy's doing something."

Merry blinked, her eyes following Ace's little pointer finger to where Cavendish down below slumped over his horse before falling to the floor. A shiver crawled its way up her spine.

"Oh shit," Gin muttered to himself, his hands cracking the stone wall under the open window through which he, Angel, and Custard watched the first event. Down below, Cavendish rose, a creepy smile on his no-longer-handsome face. He lashed forward with his sword, nearly cutting a man in two, before charging ahead with an unrestrained laugh.

'How intriguing,' Rum commented in the monk's head, an amused grin clear in his voice. 'It seems we are not alone in our strange dance of mental symbiosis.'

'More like mental parasitism,' Gin shot back, swallowing a scowl. 'How? Why? You only really appeared after I almost died on Thriller Bark.'

'Those answers will remain hidden from us, my delightful oaf. For all we know, the man could be entirely ignorant of the entity borrowing his body.'

'Somehow, I doubt that's the case.' Gin rolled his eyes before muttering, "Narcolepsy and a sleep demon. That is a devastating combination."

"I don't know if it's a demon, per say," Angel commented, "but I would think the prettyboy must be aware of it. It is likely the reason he was cast to the sea with a bounty in the first place."

"That was only three or four years ago, so I'm sure someone knows," Custard shrugged. Gin's eyes widened, the man leaning forward in the hopes of concealing his worried look as one of intrigue.

The blond below was, after all, heading straight for the monk's captain.

Luffy was having the time of his life. Sure, there were people dying and he was fighting for the Devil Fruit of his late brother, but riding a bull was something he'd always wanted to do and who knew when he'd get another chance to do so? Subduing the beast with a concentrated blast of Conqueror's had been all it had taken to get the bull —now named Ucy— under his control.

"Shishishishishi! Go, Ucy! Take them down!"

"Boooohhh!"

Other fighters screamed as the bull charged them. Space in the once-packed area was quickly opening as more and more fell to the hands of their competition. Luffy grabbed Ucy's horns and redirected him toward the next target, a man with a very wide jaw. The bull pawed the ground, the man in question searching for anyone who could help or any way out.

"Go, Ucy!"

"Booo—!" Ucy's cry was cut off by a sickening squelch, the beast bucking Luffy off. The pirate captain rolled with the force, springing to his feet as he watched Ucy fall over, blood leaking from a new opening in the creature's neck. Standing over the slain animal stood the pretty man the announcer had called Cabbage or something, a twisted grin stretching his mouth far too wide.

"It looks like the Fighting Bull of Corrida has met it's final match!" the announcer called. "Another great warrior goes down to Cavendish's blade! Or perhaps this is the fabled Hakuba! Either way, pieces of the Fighting Bull will be available for purchase at the concession stand for a limited time following this battle!"

"You bastard!" Luffy yelled, almost forgetting to maintain his old man voice, a small part of him wondering if he had the funds to get a piece of the Fighting Bull for himself. "You killed Ucy!"

"Gaahahaha!" the man laughed in stereo, slashing his sword at the young father. Luffy dodged, understandably not wanting to meet the same fate as poor Ucy. He shot forward with Shave, reappearing beside the Super Rookie with his club already buried in the blond's gut. The sleeping man coughed as the laws of physics caught up, Luffy's weapon blasting him backward.

Whatever power had hold of Cabbage, however, would not go down so easily, the man flipping to bury his sword into the arena floor, carving a gash as it prevented him from going over the side like Luffy had intended. The Supernova cracked his knuckles, ready to confront the man for a second attempt, only to be forced to duck as an opportunistic no-name with a wide jaw tried to strike him in the back.

"Gaahahaha!" Hakuba wheezed, getting to his feet. He turned, locking onto the new closest targets: a black-haired catgirl and the man called The Beheader. He launched toward them, his sword cutting into the man's back before either of them could register his presence. 'The Beheader' Suleiman cried out in pain as another body shot out of his own, the acrobatic form of William D. Chapston rolling to his feet as his previous meat puppet hit the floor, unconscious.

"Man," the aged pirate commented, checking that he had not suffered the same injuries as Suleiman. "I haven't had an out-of-body experience like that since I thought I heard a group of men narrating my life."

He looked up to see Belladonna matching Hakuba's sword with her own Haki-coated claws, the alter ego having no technique to speak of save sheer speed. Leaving them to their battle —dealing with Cleo's niece was a pain since she kept yelling shit like "you killed my aunt!" and "I'll kill you for what you did!"— William scanned the arena for another suitable host before the powers of this Possession Devil Fruit timed out and he'd have to roll for another random Fruit that might not be as useful.

His eyes landed on a man with a white beard and a helmet, the man smacking fighters almost casually with his club. A grin came to William's face.

Luffy beat another gladiator in the head with his club, the man going down with an indent that may-or-may-not stick around. The number of warriors in the area had dropped considerably, only ten or so remaining now between Ucy's rampage and Cabbage's careless assault. He eyed a couple others from under the shade of his helmet, ready to take them out of the fight too, when a feeling like cold water pouring down his back hit him. Luffy's eyes widened as his body was suddenly not under his control anymore.

"This," he heard his own mouth say in his own confused voice, "is not the body of an old man."

Luffy tried to say something —anything— as that cold-water-feeling started prodding at his brain, pulling up memories of his life. The images flashed backward too quickly for Luffy to get more than a glimpse before everything settled on a memory from Mount Corvo, his brothers smiling at him on that last day they were all together before the unthinkable happened.

"Ah shit," Luffy heard himself say again. "I should not have done this. I'm so fucked."

'Get…' Luffy thought, summoning his willpower as Armament Haki coated his arms and grew up toward his shoulders. "OUT!"

William shot out of Luffy's chest like a cannonball, smacking into the fighters that had been gathered before the disguised Supernova. The man angled himself to soften the impact for himself, knocking his unfortunate cushions unconscious. He feigned unconsciousness himself, not wanting to get into a fight that would result in him getting yelled at more than he'd already earned.

"Shit," Belladonna muttered, falling back step by step as Hakuba's sheer speed started to best her. She stumbled, feeling her heel land on nothing as the thing piloting Cavendish's body pushed her to the edge of the arena. "Shit, shit, shit!"

"Gaahaha—!" A club smacked into the side of the blond's head, Cavendish crumpling into a heap. Belladonna crossed her fur-covered arms, baring her claws at the bearded man now standing over Cavendish. Her eyes drifted over the rest of the arena where no fighter remained standing, even William D. Chapston apparently down for the count.

"You still wanna go?" the man asked, dragging her attention back to him. He wasn't even breathing hard, not a scratch or scuff to be seen on his clothing. "I don't want my son to watch me beat you up unless you really think you can take me on."

Belladonna pursed her lips and raised her hands, her Zoan transformations fading away as she fell to her knees and surrendered. The stands were silent for a moment before, like a gunshot in the dead of night, a pair of voices cheered.

"Yay Daddy!"

"Go Lucy! Wooo!"

"I-I-I-I don't believe it!" the announcer stuttered. "He tamed the Fighting Bull, expelled the Devil's Luck, knocked 'White Horse' Cavendish unconscious, and forced 'Black Cat' Belladonna to surrender! It's" —He had to riffle through his registry— "It's a late entry; Luuuuucccyyyy!"

And the people cheered, whooping and hollering as the victor of Block A raised his hands and basked in the praise, laughing to himself. The tournament structure was easy enough for him to understand, and he knew he'd just taken the first step toward claiming his brother's Fruit. No one else would get it because no one else deserved it. That was Ace's Fruit.

"Alright, let's clear the arena," the announcer said as the volume in the Colosseum died down, the bridges stretching over the water. Men in black suits shuffled out, checking bodies for signs of life and carrying out those that did. Any that didn't were thrown to the Little Fighting Fish, much to the bloodthirsty glee of the spectators. Luffy silently hoped Merry covered Ace's eyes for that. "We'll have a 15-minute break before the start of Block B! Remember, get yourself a piece of the Fighting Bull before it's gone!"

"I gotta get me some of that!" Luffy yelled, running out of the arena. In the stands, Merry stood, carrying Ace to the place where they could congratulate their captain personally and wish him luck moving forward.

End of Chapter 60

As we saw in the last chapter, with two Devil Fruits up for grabs, one having belonged to a Pirate Emperor no less, of course there would be far more folks interested in the prizes, thus more blocks. Just you wait until you see some of the other fighters to come! Obviously, not everything will go the same way as Canon. Poor Ucy...

I will note for all of you who understand where William D. Chapston comes from, I received permission from Tekking101 personally to use him when I met him at Tekko in Pittsburgh. For those of you who don't know him, he's from Rustage's One Piece DnD that ended several months ago. You should definitely check that out.

Thank you for reading! Read and Review!

-SwordOfTheGods