Cap. 12: Luffy's heart. Luffy vs "Dirty Game" Don Krieg
What did Luffy go and do that for?!" asked Demeter.
"Because back then," Athena began, "Sanji would rather see the restaurant destroyed than see it in Krieg's hand. I mean, from what we saw in Sanji's memories, the Baratie was Zeff's pride."
"And Zeff agreed to that?!" Apollo asked.
"Sure," the god of war replied, nonchalantly as the combat continued.
"That boy is trying something," Krieg said. "Gin! Hurry up and blow a hole in Red Leg Zeff's head!"
"But... but Don Krieg...!" Gin stammered, the gun now trembling in his hand.
"Expect!" Luffy exclaimed. "I didn't even touch them! All I did was pop the fin!"
"Hey Luffy!" Sanji yelled. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
"This ship," Luffy replied bluntly. "I'm going to sink it."
"ARE YOU GOING TO WHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAHT?!" the Baratie staff and the Krieg Pirates screamed in horror.
"IS THIS SOME KIND OF SICK JOKE?!" Patty asked.
"THAT SHIP IS SUPPOSED TO BE OURS!" the Krieg Pirates yelled.
"GIN!" ordered Don Krieg, sounding a little more scared this time. "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! KILL ZEFF NOW!"
"Are you crazy?!" Sanji questioned as he grabbed Luffy by the collar of his vest. "You can't sink this ship! I've slaved for most of my life on it!"
"But if I sink, they have no reason to stay, right?" Luffy asked, surprising Sanji and the visitors.
"Actually, he has a good point," said Hera.
"That's Luffy for you," Percy added. "He can be silly at times, but sometimes his logic is straightforward."
"His simplicity is worthy of admiration." Hades clapped, amused.
Gin just stared in disbelief as Zeff chuckled.
"...You just don't get it..." Sanji hissed. "You don't understand my feelings towards this ship and the huge debt I owe!"
"And for that, you plan to die?" Luffy asked as he brushed his hand away from him, then grabbed Sanji by the collar of his jacket and pulled him close to his face with a furious look in his eyes. "Kill you?! Is this how you want to pay your debt?! The only man saved you because he wanted to do something with your life, not die like a fool! Only a coward would do something like that!"
"So how else am I supposed to stop them from taking over the old idiot's ship?" Sanji questioned.
"...Oh shit," Clarisse cursed in realization. "That's how you're going to stop him from doing something stupid!"
"What do you mean?" Grover asked.
"Luffy is talking about how Shanks saved him," Clarisse said. "He is identifying with Sanji's situation, remembering what happened for not thinking about the consequences."
All the demigods looked surprised at Clarisse, who looks uneasy.
"W-what are you looking at?"
"It's just that you don't normally think about things that much." Percy says.
"Say that again, and I'll kill you Prissy!"
"I'm with Percy, you don't think much about things…" Groover seconded when he felt Ares's look, furious, and Athena suppressed her laughter.
"Shut the fuck up, smartass!"
"Are you two done?" Pearl asked, making them both turn to look at him. "You had the misfortune to meet up with us Krieg pirates. There's nothing you can do about it, now. Not when we have a hostage!" She then raised her flaming shields. "Now, burn and die with this latest FIRE PEARL SURPRISE!"
But just before he could take down Luffy and Sanji… Gin suddenly ran up and hit him with these club-like weapons… and completely shattered his shield!
"WOW!" Thalia gasped.
"Wow...it's so strong!" Dionysus exclaimed. "Not bad to be from the "weaker sea".
"He smashed the shield like nothing...!" Annabeth whispered in shock.
"Gin?!" Sanji questioned. "What are you doing?!"
"...I'm sorry about this, Pearl," Gin said. "Just step aside."
"Ugh...!" Pearl choked as blood spilled from her mouth. "W...why, Gin...?!" At that, she soon collapsed.
"GIN!" yelled one of the Krieg Pirates in disbelief. "WHY DID YOU ATTACK PEARL?!"
"GIN, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Don Krieg yelled. "HOW DARE YOU BETRAY ME LIKE THIS!"
"...I'm sorry, Don Krieg," Gin apologized, "but we owe Sanji our lives." He then turned to look at Sanji as he held his gun against his shoulder. "Then... let me send him to the grave with my own hands."
"What did you say?" Sanji asked.
"...Oh no...!" Apollo whispered, but then Junior put his hand on his shoulder, with a smile.
"As gods, you must be strong. Also, I didn't think you were one of the most sensitive."
"Well, after my tests, I'm trying to make things right with my children."
"Well, you're on the right track."
"I can not believe it...!" Patty whispered. "That guy managed to break his shield, just like that!"
"Maybe he's not just a chump," Carne added.
"Phew!" Luffy sighed. "See? Everything went well!"
"Liar!" Sanji barked. "You were really planning to sink the ship!"
"...Have you lost your mind?" Don Krieg began, "Gin... Battle Commander of the Pirate Army?"
"Battle Commander?" Hecate asked.
"That's right," Ares replied. "Gin was Don Krieg's right hand man, it seems."
"No wonder he's so strong!" Tyson exclaimed.
"Sanji," Gin said. "I was hoping you would leave this ship without hurting yourself...but I'm afraid that won't happen."
"...I'm sorry," Sanji replied. "I'm afraid not."
"...Then I guess the best I can offer you," Gin began, "is to kill you myself."
Tyson groaned as Themis grabbed the cyclops hand, and gave him a reassuring pat on the head, causing him to smile at him. Percy turned to the goddess grateful that she will calm her brother down and she gave him a thumbs up.
"That goes for you too, Straw Hat," Gin said. "You should have left with your crew."
"Why should I have left?" Luffy asked. "I'm not going to lose to a bunch of cowards like you."
While Gin didn't seem fazed by the comment, the Krieg Pirates were greatly offended as the gods laughed.
"What did you say, know-it-all kid?!"
"How dare you say that about us and to our Battle Commander's face?!"
"We are the Krieg Pirates, the strongest in the East Blue!"
"Maybe," Luffy replied, "but only because you outnumber every other pirate in the East Blue."
Hearing that, the Krieg Pirates became even angrier than before, while the demigods burst out laughing. One thing I would never change about Luffy: he sure knows how to piss off the enemy.
"You sure hit them where it hurts," Sanji said, humorously as he exhaled a puff of smoke.
"Well I was just telling the truth," said Luffy.
"Very good, Luffy! I like it that way!" Congratulate Apollo.
"Show those pirates who's boss, honey!" Artemis spoke, with hearts in her eyes.
The Krieg pirates were ready to kill him at this point, but just as they were about to climb onto the Baratie's destroyed fin...
"STOP, YOU FOOLS!" Don Krieg yelled, causing everyone to freeze.
"But Don Krieg!" one of the men complained about him. "He insulted us!"
"Getting excited about being called a coward," Don Krieg began, "just shows that you recognize your weakness."
"He´s right," Athena said. "If you react to insults, it shows that you are weak inside. That's why Luffy is always indifferent when people insult him."
"I'm with her." Poseidon reluctantly admitted. "Remember Roronoa's attitude towards Mihawk when he didn't take him seriously. That was one of the reasons he lost."
"The outcome of this battle," smiled Don Krieg, "will tell who is strong or weak...and since I, Don Krieg, am here, you can stop complaining!"
Hearing that made his crew cheer in agreement.
"...I hate to say this, but you have to give it to him," said Demeter. "The guy is an idiot, but he has charisma."
"Pfff, please," replied the goddess of the hunt, mockingly. "Luffy has much more charisma."
"Tons more," Percy added.
"I could not agree more." Annabeth added, surprising everyone, "What? He's an idiot, but he's amazing and very trustworthy. And as amazing as he seems, he's managed to talk back to Lord Zeus and that's something to admire."
"You, kid!" Don Krieg called out to Luffy. "Tell me... out of the two of us here... who has a better chance of becoming the King of the Pirates?"
"Duh," Luffy replied. "That's me."
The demigods cheered as their parents smirked, even Hephaestus.
Now it was Don Krieg's turn to get angry. He stood up and began to remove the left shoulder plate from his armor and took aim at the Baratie, causing his men to panic.
"Oh no!" one cried. "Don't tell me he's going to use...THAT!"
"Use what?" Tyson asked. "What are you talking about?"
"D-Don Krieg, please!" Gin cried. "Not the MH5!"
"And now that?" Luffy repeated.
"MH...5?" asked one of the cooks who was watching the fight.
"I do not like this." Hestia whispered in fear.
"If it's a cannonball," Luffy began, "then I'll use the Gum-Gum balloon to bounce!"
"Don Krieg, please!" Gin pleaded. "Don't rush! I'll kill the boy!"
"It doesn't matter whose hand kills him," replied Don Krieg. "You know that above all else, I despise things like 'honor' and 'mercy'!"
"...It really is horrible," Apollo said. "I can't feel anything but evil coming out of him! He's rotten to the core!"
Hades just looked coldly at Don Krieg. He had seen too many people like him throughout his immortal life. If there was something that he despised, it was that someone did not respect oaths or promises and this man turned out to be the representation of what he hated most.
"This is war, Gin!" Don Krieg declared. "And when you're at war, the only thing that matters is victory! Winning is everything, even if it means... using the poison gas cannonball!" At that, his shoulder plate swung open, revealing a cannon barrel inside.
"Poisonous gas?!" Sanji and demigods repeated in shock.
"No! Don Krieg, don't!" Gin pleaded.
"This... IS THE TRUE STRENGTH!" Don Krieg screamed as he fired the cannon, and the Krieg Pirates placed gas masks on his faces while Baratie's staff dove underwater to avoid breathing the gas. However, it was then that the Straw Hats noticed something: Don Krieg was not wearing a mask at all.
"It is no problem!" Luffy exclaimed, confidently, as he scrambled to stop the cannonball. "I'll just kick him into the water!"
"Wait! Come back!" Sanji cried.
"WAIT! STRAW HAT!" Gin yelled. "IT IS A TRAP!"
But Luffy was too late... as Don Krieg smirked. The cannonball then exploded and instead of gas, the Straw Hat Captain was showered with shuriken, which cut his skin.
UGH!" Luffy screamed as he fell onto the destroyed fin. "Damn, that hurt!"
"Oh no Luffy!" Artemis cried out, concerned.
"It was too rushed," Ares said. "He should have backed off."
"I thought something was weird when Krieg didn't put on the mask," Hera added.
"Hey, wait a minute!" Luffy noticed. "That wasn't gas!"
"DO YOU BELIEVE?!" Sanji questioned. "USE YOUR HEAD, NEXT TIME!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Don Krieg laughed. "You don't use something as valuable as my MH5 for this! I could wipe out an entire town with one of those things! Do you think I'd waste it killing dirty trash like you?!"
"Say that about Luffy again and I'll turn you into a boar so I can practice target! AND I'M SURE MY HUNTERS WILL AGREE WITH ME!" The goddess of the hunt screamed, beside herself.
"Wow." Aphrodite was speechless. "Note: Get Luffy to fall in love with Artemis."
"...Hmph," Luffy snorted as he stood up, shaking the earlier mistake from him. "I see... well, I guess you get a point for that!"
"Do you think I'm playing?!" Don Krieg questioned, angry at Luffy's casual behavior. "I have so many more ways to kill you! Now... I'm going to ask again: which one of us has the best chance of becoming the King of the Pirates here?"
"...Come on, are you stupid?" Luffy asked. "The answer to that is a simple no-brainer!"
Don Krieg smirked, thinking the raven-haired teen was going to say his name... but once again...
"I will be me!" Luffy exclaimed. "You don't have what it takes to become the Pirate King!"
Don Krieg grunted as the Olympians couldn't help but laugh, despite the seriousness of the situation.
"GIN!" yelled the tyrant. "DO YOUR DUTY AND SEND THAT CHEF TO HELL!" He then looked at Luffy. "As for this insolent boy... I'll kill him myself!"
"Uh-oh... Don Krieg is angry, now...!" one of the Krieg Pirates whispered.
"I understand, Don Krieg…" Gin replied. "I'm sorry, Sanji... but you don't have a chance to win."
"Heh..." Sanji smiled. "We'll see about that... you little time bastard."
Thus, the fight began. While Luffy was busy with Don Krieg, Sanji confronted Gin, who charged at him while holding his gun in an attempt to take down the cook. However, Sanji jumped into the air before he could be hit and tried to kick Gin in the face, but the man ducked his head to avoid it.
"Do you know what they say about me, Sanji?" Gin asked with an almost evil smile on his face. "They call me... the cold-blooded devil."
He soon pinned Sanji against the shattered piece of wood with one weapon, preparing to hit him over the head with the other.
"I can't show you mercy, now," Gin said. "...Goodbye."
"Oh no! Not good!" Thalia cried, and it seemed that the Baratie staff agreed with her sentiment. However, Sanji remained surprisingly calm, fuming from his nose. Then, just as Gin was about to kill him, he spat the cigarette in his face, causing him to grunt in mild pain as he burned it before Sanji slid down, stood on his hands, and kicked Gin in the jaw. Gin wasn't going to be far behind, though, as he slammed his club into Sanji's right side... causing a sickening crack to fill the air. The demigods cringed, knowing it was the sound of his ribs, already broken from the beating he took from Pearl.
Despite this, Sanji continued to fight, and while he was busy, Luffy attempted to go after Don Krieg by running over the fallen mast. However, he saw it coming and fired several bombs into the water, causing some of it to spray out and obscure Luffy's vision. The next thing he knew, he found himself turning and running back to the Baratie, holding his hat protectively in his arms, before being impaled on his left thigh by a green and yellow striped metal stake.
"Wow, what a fight." Clarisse said sarcastically.
"Damn bastard!" Luffy yelled. "You want to fight?!"
"I want to fight?" Don Krieg asked. "I don't need a wish. Battle demands only the tools and methods of death! That's military might, boy! And what can YOU do? Just march forward like a wild ape!"
"Oh yeah?" Luffy asked as he stretched out his cheeks, showing his teeth. "Well, how about I bite your head off?"
His taunt did nothing to faze Krieg, however, he soon heard the sound of blows landing behind him. Luffy turned around and saw that Sanji was lying on the ground, clutching his wounds as Gin stood over him, his weapons dripping blood.
"Oh no!" Hestia cried.
"He's really taking a beating, there!" Hermes added.
"What are you thinking about?!" Demeter asked, startled. "He already took a beating from that Pearl guy! How many ribs did he break?!"
"...About 5 or 6," Athena admitted.
"THAN?!" Apollo questioned in disbelief.
"Haa...haa...!" Sanji gasped. "Those... skewered meatballs you call 'weapons' aren't doing much, are they, Gin?" Then he gave her a forced smile, despite his pain. "You... bloody bastard...!"
"I'm going to finish you off, right here and right now," Gin said as he lunged at him. "So don't move!"
Sanji growled before jumping on his right hand, causing Gin to miss...or so it seemed.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Sanji asked. "Are you trying to fail on purpose?! STOP PLAYING!"
BAM! He kicked Gin in the back of his skull, sending him to the ground... but as he did so, he screamed in pain and began coughing up blood.
"What happened?!" Thalia questioned.
"...He put too much pressure on himself," Junior replied. "He got so bad that he couldn't even take the shock of Sanji's own attacks anymore."
"Honestly!" Artemis exclaimed. "None of them know their limits, do they? Men always jumping into danger without knowing..."
"Luffy." Aphrodite said with a laugh as Artemis shrugged and turned her back angrily.
"Arty, don't worry." her twin brother tells her.
"Shut up! And don't call me that!"
The Krieg Pirates soon laughed at Sanji's expense as Gin prepared to finish him off...but just as he was about to, tears began to fall from his eyes.
"I... I...!" he whispered before throwing his head to the sky. "I CAN'T KILL THIS MAN... DON KRIIIIIIIIIIEEEG!"
Hearing that made everyone around her gasp and disbelieving at what she had just said.
"I... I just can't kill him!" Gin cried.
"...What did you say?" Don Krieg asked angrily. "Say that again! I DARE YOU!"
"...That...that was the first time...that someone had been so nice to me!" Gin sobbed, while the gods smiled. "That's why... that's why I can't kill him!"
"...Stupid son of a bitch...!" Don Krieg hissed as he raised his shoulder pad again, to the surprise of his men. "You dare not kill him, huh?! You disappoint me, Gin. I thought that of all my men, you would faithfully execute the principles of the Krieg Pirates! I made you the battle commander of my army because of your strength and cruelty in your bloody quest for victory! I thought you were unsurpassed at these things... but now I see I was wrong!"
Tyson groaned as he grabbed Percy's hand, causing him to hold it close to him.
"Easy, big guy. I'm with you."
"I wish she was here..."
"I'm...I'm so sorry," Gin apologized. "I would never betray, Don Krieg...! I do not regret anything I have done in your service! I respect your strength... and I thank you..."
"...Gin..." Sanji whispered.
"But...he this is the one person I just can't kill!" Ginny cried. "...Don Krieg...is...is there any way...any way...this ship can be saved?"
Hearing that made Don Krieg tense up in rage, while the Krieg Pirates froze in fear.
"INEXCUSABLE!" Don Krieg yelled. "HOW DARE YOU, MY MOST TRUSTED OFFICER, REFUSE TO OBEY MY ORDER?! WHAT THE HELL HAS HAPPENED TO YOU, GIN?!"
At that, the Krieg Pirates panicked as they put on their gas masks, realizing that Don Krieg planned to use the MH5 for real, this time. Gin, trying to communicate with his leader, also prepared to put on his mask, but Don Krieg, no longer seeing him as part of his crew, ordered him to remove his mask. This surprised the Krieg Pirates, as Gin was the most loyal of the entire crew, and was even used as a distraction by Lieutenant Fullbody so that Don Krieg and the others could escape after escaping from the Grand Line.
"...It just shows you how much some people can take others for granted," Hera said, sternly.
"Thank the muses, Luffy didn't turn out like this," Aphrodite added.
"Look at!" Tyson exclaimed when he saw Luffy trying to attack Don Krieg again. However, this time, Krieg destroyed the pole Luffy was using to cross over, forcing him to hold on tight to avoid falling into the ocean, then turned and ran again as Krieg fired the stakes at him again.
"Gin!" Luffy called. "Don't listen to that bastard Krieg, got it? Because I'm about to kick his ass!"
"...Straw Hat...!" Gin whispered in disbelief... but then growled. "Straw Hat! You shouldn't talk about Krieg like that! Don Krieg...he's the most powerful man in the world. A dwarf like you...couldn't even dream of defeating him!"
"You're crazy?!" Sanji questioned. "Open your eyes you idiot, he's trying to kill you along with us!"
"...I know," Gin answered. "I am a coward...a fool who allowed some damn feeling to get in the way of my duty!...I deserve the death penalty."
At that, he threw his mask into the sea.
"...he really is crazy," Annabeth said. "How can someone be so blindly loyal?!"
"I guess it's hard to realize that the person you followed endlessly would kill you without a second thought," Junior replied. "I guess Gin just wanted to believe that Krieg was a good leader."
"Like Jason with dad." said Thalia, sad.
"POISON GAS BOMB: MH5!" Krieg screamed as he donned the mask and fired the bomb at the Baratie. Patty and Carne rushed Zeff inside to avoid the gas, while the rest of the cooks dove into the sea and the Krieg Pirates put on their masks. However, Luffy ran over and took two masks from them, throwing them at Sanji and Gin, but when he went to get one for himself, he saw that the pirates had escaped before him.
"AAH!" Luffy screamed in panic. "WHAT I AM GOING TO DO?!"
The teens and some of the gods had instinctively covered their mouths when Don Krieg fired that MH5 bomb, even though they knew they were ghosts and therefore couldn't be harmed; and in the case of the gods, they were immortal. However, the same cannot be said for anyone who has been affected by the gas. Then, they saw that Luffy was lying on his stomach on the deck, holding the gas mask that had been thrown at his face.
"Ugh! I'm alive! That mask showed up just in time!"
"Thank goodness... I'm going to kill him." Annabeth whispered in relief.
"You and me, Wise Girl." her boyfriend replied.
"Yes, that mask appeared just in time!" Clarisse agreed. "But...wait, where did it come from?"
At that moment, Thalia put the pieces together.
"He wouldn't have..."
"Rrrrgh... G-Gin... let go of me...!" a familiar voice urged. "You can let it go, now!"
As the gas began to clear...except for Zeus, Hades, and Hera, everyone gasped in horror at the sight of Sanji, pinned to the ground...with Gin pressing her gas mask into his face. As for Gin, himself… his skin was very pale and blood was practically coming out of his mouth!
"OH NO!" Hestia shrieked.
"AAAAAAAAAAH!" Tyson yelled. "MR GIN!"
"HOLY SHIT!" Ares wept.
"I knew it, that idiot...!"
"Gin!" Luffy cried. "What happened?! Where's your mask?!"
"Uggh... guuuuuhh...!" Gin gagged.
"...Wait," Luffy realized. "The mask that was thrown at me...was it yours?!"
Gin then coughed up a large amount of blood before collapsing.
"GIN, NO!" Sanji yelled.
"HA!" Don Krieg laughed. "What a fool he was! The sin of gratitude got him to the state he is in, and all for some food! You know what they say...death is the only cure for idiots."
"Guh... D... Don... Krieg...!" Gin choked as tears fell from his eyes.
"...Gin," Sanji growled, "you really did pick the wrong man to follow."
"Of course he do," said Hera.
"How people can be so blindly loyal to someone like him is beyond me!" Hermes exclaimed.
Zeus is enraged and immediately summons his Master Lightning, forming storm clouds. The arrogance of this mortal was exhausting his patience. He even dared to make fun of Sanji's treatment of his second-in-command! Krieg's men began to panic, as they began to feel a chill air. The Olympians saw the face of Hades completely furious, something unusual for him. Krieg had indirectly insulted the principles of the god of the Underworld and would make himself pay dearly. The other gods began to be afraid, until...
"KRIEG, BASTAAAAAAAAAARD!" Luffy roared furiously, causing Don Krieg to laugh.
"Don't tell me you feel sorry for that worthless piece of trash!" he scream.
"Piece of trash?" Sanji and Hermes repeated, angry.
"I'm about to finish off that insolent!" Demeter was practically willing to curse Krieg.
"Hypocrites." Percy thought, though he agreed with her.
"That's how it is!" Don Krieg affirmed. "A fool who lost sight of what was important and refused to obey my orders is of no use to me! How do I know he won't betray me again? I'm doing him a favor by killing him like this!"
The only piece of trash around here is him," Athena growled.
"Seriously," Aphrodite added with a vicious growl. "And on top of that he's tacky."
Poseidon didn't even have words for it…but to see Don Krieg seeing his most loyal man as expendable…it just made him sick.
"He is such a horrible man!" Tyson yelled.
"Yes, he is a big idiot!" Thalia added.
"Bastard!" Clarisse yelled.
The Krieg pirates gaped, shocked that their own leader wanted to kill his most loyal member. At that moment, Patty, Carne and Zeff came out, once the gas had dissipated.
"Patty! Carne!" Sanji called. "We need an antidote or something!"
"Than?!" Patty asked. "That's just food poisoning, Sanji! And besides, that guy is our enemy and-"
"TO THE SCREW THE DETAILS!" Sanji barked. "JUST HAVE IT, NOW!"
"That will not work!" Zeff exclaimed. "Quick, put that gas mask on his face! There must be some antitoxin in there! Then take him up to the top deck and make him take a deep breath! It's the only way to save him!"
"Old man...!" Sanji whispered.
"Do you think he maybe he experienced something like that?" Hera asked as Patty and Carne hurriedly carried Gin to the upper deck.
"Gin!" Luffy called out as Sanji put the gas mask on Gin's face. "Don't die, understand?"
"Hmph!" Don Krieg scoffed. "You've got to be kidding me. He won't live another hour!"
"Listen to me, Gin," Luffy said. "Don't let this idiot kill you! You have to live to spite him! I'll kick his ass for you, okay?!"
The Olympians just fell silent, once again bursting with pride at the boy's bravery. He began to win the favor of the gods and the admiration of the young.
"Such a boy, huh.'" Themis said, more to herself than to anyone else.
"N...no...!" Gin choked. "D-don't... fight Krieg... you can't... win...!"
Hey wait a minute!" Sanji cried as he grabbed Luffy by the arm. "Don't rush it! If you jump right in, you'll play the game! He will kill you!"
"...Don't be stupid," Luffy said as the wind blew up and yanked his hand out of Sanji's grasp. "I'm not going to die!" At that, he charged forward at full speed. "If you want to shoot me, then go ahead and shoot!"
"No wait!" Sanji called after that. "Returns!"
"There you go," Ares said, with a smile.
"Same reckless Luffy as always," Hestia muttered.
"Oh, what can you do?" Hephaestus shrugged. "It's not like he listens to us at all.
"Careful, Luffy!" Artemis wept.
"Lady Artemis, as much as I like Luffy as you do, he knows he won't listen to you!" Thalia argued.
"I can still warn him, can't I?" the goddess questioned.
"I doubt he even thinks of the consequences."
"Heh!" Don Krieg smiled. "What a fool he is. An enemy who is blinded by rage is an easy target if you ask me!"
"Do not say I did not warn you...!" Sanji whispered.
"I heard even a monkey can learn, boy!" Krieg yelled. "But you persist in your mistakes! A monkey seems smarter than you!"
"Maybe," Luffy began, "but I don't give up that easily!"
"The ocean is your enemy, boy!" Krieg yelled. "If you keep charging at me, you'll just be a target for my bets! If you go past that fin, it'll be your funeral!"
"...My funeral, huh?" Luffy asked as Don Krieg dropped more of his bombs into the water, causing the ocean to spray upwards. Luffy growled as he was surrounded by the white foam of the ocean... and not long after, he howled in pain as he felt those sharp stakes pierce his left shoulder and his stomach.
"Oh no!" Apollo wept. "Luffy, get out of there!"
"Wait! Just keep watching and enjoy the show!" Junior said as the match continued, and though Luffy hesitated for only a second, he quickly ripped the stake out of his stomach before continuing to charge at Don Krieg, who didn't seem fazed in the least. As Luffy stretched his arm back, the water around him dissipated, revealing Krieg holding his spiky porcupine cape.
"What the hell?!" Ares questioned. "He can't even show his face like a warrior?! Luffy, show no mercy!"
"Wait a minute... I wouldn't have thought..." Athena begins to think.
"He wouldn't, even he isn't that unaware!" her daughter screamed.
"GUM-GUUUUUUUUM... BULLET!" Luffy roared as his fist slammed into Krieg's face, despite the spikes digging into his knuckles.
"...He did it...!" Zeus grimaced. "Damn stupid kid."
"As reckless as you Prissy." Clarisse sneered at her, though Poseidon's son paid her no heed.
All the spectators were in disbelief at what they had just witnessed as Don Krieg collapsed from Luffy's blow. As Luffy stood up, smiling confidently as the wind ruffled his hair, the Krieg Pirates could only wonder what kind of man he was...or if he was human, for that matter. At that moment, Luffy, his fist practically spilling blood, reached out and yanked the stake from his shoulder and flung it into the remains of Don Krieg's chevron.
"So…is this still MY funeral…or yours?" Luffy asked, panting slightly as the adrenaline began to wane. "My funeral... it'll take longer than this! You may have a bunch of fancy weapons and a spiked cloak and stuff... but I'm not going to die here!"
"... Oh...!" Tyson whispered in amazement, he could tell that his older brother was brimming with confidence as well.
"Yep, that's our Luffy," Groover smiled.
"Yes, defiant to the end," Apollo added.
"Yeah, he's crazy. But he's less annoying than the rest of the brats." spoke the god of wine with the ghost of a smile on his face.
"Uh oh!" Junior exclaimed, this time disguised as Rocky Balboa. "This match is not over, the second round begins!"
"I think you're enjoying yourself too much, Junior." Themis said, exhausted.
Sure enough, Don Krieg started to get up, wiping the blood from his lip as he did so.
"If this isn't your place to die," he began as he stood up and held his shoulder-plate pistol, "then WHOSE IS IT, BOY?"
Luffy simply jumped on him before stretching out his leg and kicking Don Krieg's shoulder, causing him to collapse again!
"Do not!" he exclaimed. "It's still yours!"
The Krieg Pirates were in complete disbelief at what they were witnessing: their own captain, being defeated, and by a cute boy. The only ones who were really enjoying it were the Olympians and the Baratie staff. The Krieg Pirates kept talking about how Krieg had ended and how his reputation as the strongest pirate in the East Blue had been tarnished...but that only seemed to add fuel to the fire.
"SHUT UP, YOU PACK OF SCREAMING FOOLS!" Don Krieg yelled as he brought the shoulder pads of his armor together. He then seemed to pull something out of it before slamming it into the piece of wreck, causing Luffy to scream as he jumped into the air as a huge explosion erupted.
"And now that?!" Hera questioned angrily.
When the smoke cleared, it was revealed that Don Krieg was holding some sort of spear in his hands.
"It's the mighty Battle Spear!" exclaimed one of the Krieg Pirates. "It is Don Krieg's most powerful weapon!"
"An explosive spear?!" Aphrodite asked.
"Wow, that's not good!" Annabeth cried.
"I would never sully a spear with firearms... It's an insult to a craftsman!" exclaimed Hephaestus angrily.
"Hehehehe...!" Don Krieg laughed as he took off his coat. "Let's see how long you can survive now... anchor boy! You'll find that this will inflict more serious injuries on you than those stakes did!"
"What kind of spear is that?" Luffy asked.
"It will take you to Kingdom Come!" Don Krieg exclaimed as he threw the spear over his head, causing Tyson to scream as he covered his eye, and not long after, Krieg slammed the spear into the piece of driftwood Luffy was holding, sending him flying into the air once more. . , forcing him to grab another piece before he could fall into the water. However, when he tried to get back up, he suddenly fell to his knees, much to his confusion.
"What happened?!" Aphrodite asked. "He's wobbling!"
"He is not good!" Athena screamed. "Luffy has lost too much blood! If he continues like this, he will be lost!"
"And I think Luffy knows it too!" Percy added.
Despite knowing that he was at his limit, Luffy continued to exert himself, leaping at Krieg, even as he kept swinging his Mighty Battle Spear at him. Luffy managed to dodge it by holding on to the spear's handle, but that only made Krieg angrier. As Krieg prepared to skewer Luffy, the visitors noticed that the rubber boy had managed to hit the spear blade every time he struck, but even then, Luffy ended up getting caught in a huge explosion. There was even a time when they saw that Luffy was almost unconscious, but even so, he managed to get ahead, despite the state he was in. When Luffy stood up again for the fifth time... the Mighty Battle Spear blade suddenly shattered into pieces.
"Hey?!" Don Krieg questioned in shock. "My Mighty Battle Spear! What the hell did you do?!"
"Heh!" Luffy smiled. "I punched him in the head, five times…he looks tired. Maybe he needs a break!"
"Than?!" Don Krieg asked.
"Without that sword," Luffy began, "it's just a bomb on a stick...and that's pretty silly."
"Rrrrrgh...you...son of a bitch!" Krieg cursed.
"Your stupid 'military might' you keep babbling about has been cut in half," Luffy said.
"Hahahahaha!" Ares cheered. "Way to go, boy! Show him how to fight!"
"But he's not out of the woods yet!" Demeter pointed out. "If he doesn't come up with something..."
"Is that really what you think, boy?" Don Krieg asked. "You've been seriously injured before taking even two blasts from my Mighty Battle Spear! All you're doing is bragging, now!"
"I'm not lying," Luffy chided.
"But Krieg is right," Sanji whispered. "He must be pretty busted by now! If he gets hit by another blast, he's down! It's no use...Krieg has too much firepower on him!"
"Perhaps so," Zeff said, "but even a man who has weapons of mass destruction...can't match that child's heart!"
This statement confused the demigods, while some of the Olympians calmly nodded.
"Her heart from him?" Clarisse asked.
"I have no idea what they're talking about." Annabeth said.
"He's talking about guts," Zeus said. "Sometimes, children and Thalia, even in the face of adversity, the Straw Hat still has the guts to face death, head-on without hesitation because he knows what he has to fight for. That's always something to think about not just in this world of pirates, but also in ours. Do you understand?"
The demigods were surprised that the great and all-powerful King of Gods gave them advice.
"Lord Zeus... You..." Percy started but Zeus glares at him with hidden fury.
"Make no mistake, boy. I'm doing this so you can be more effective at killing monsters when we get back home."
"Let's not anticipate!" Themis exclaimed. "They're still kids!"
"Did you see what they know how to do and you still treat them like glass?" Junior asked as he looked at Themis.
"I just came home after years of being a constellation! Sorry if they still look like kids to me!"
"Just give up, boy!" Don Krieg yelled. "You were dead the moment you decided to challenge me!"
"We'll see!" Luffy retorted as he threw a raspberry at him, further irritating Krieg. The boy would jump around him like the animal he got his last name from, swinging on arms in the yard and even making monkey screeches (which made Artemis, Ares, and Tyson laugh, while Percy smirks). Don Krieg tried to bring Luffy down by breaking the pole he was hanging from in half, and even tried to burn him with a flamethrower, but even so, Luffy managed to avoid the attack in time and then released a powerful Gum-Gum Gatling. However, it didn't seem like it had any effect on Krieg, due to the armor being made of Wootz Steel.
When Luffy tried to hit him in the stomach with a Gum-Gum Bullet, he still didn't seem to affect it. However, Luffy grunted in pain and the memory of him blurred as blood gushed from his bleeding shoulder.
"IMPUDENT BOY!" Don Krieg roared as he hit Luffy again with his Might Battle Spear, the blast sending him flying once more, then he stood on the broken mast. "How pathetic are you?! Do you really think your puny monkey fist could break through the strongest armor in the world?!"
"Our boy can do anything, you fool!" Apollo yelled.
"Well said, partner!" Junior congratulates when he fist bumps the sun god.
"Ugh…" Luffy groaned as he tried to get to his feet. "Just... a few more... should be enough...!"
"I better get this over with, quick," Athena said. "It won't last much longer!"
"I think he knows," Dionysus said.
"I am the strongest man in the world, armed with the best weapons and equipment!" Don Krieg yelled. "That, boy, is military might!"
At that moment, Junior tries to contain his laughter, but fails shockingly. However, someone has beaten him to it.
"Hahahahahahaha! You foolish mortal! You will NEVER be the strongest man in the world. My son is the strongest man in the world, and that will never change!" Zeus laughs proudly, to the hatred of Hera and the chagrin of the demigods.
"Not even close."
This time, it was Themis who interrupted him.
"I'm afraid there is only one person in this world who deserves that title. And more than deservedly, right, Junior?"
"The Goddess of Justice is absolutely right. Whitebeard."
"Whose?" asks the god of war.
"Oh, don't worry. You'll meet him in due time. But stick with that name. That man's legend surpasses Hercules's by far."
The gods (especially Zeus) were very skeptical about the idea of a mortal surpassing the most powerful and most famous son of the King of the Gods, while the demigods kept quiet so as not to comment on this "Whitebeard", comparing him to Jerkcules. However, the way Themis and Junior referred to him...
"Whoever opposes me, dies," Don Krieg smirked before throwing more bombs at Luffy. Baratie's cooks yelled at him to run away, while the Krieg Pirates cheered, thinking that was the end for the boy who challenged his captain, who laughed triumphantly. "The Strong Always Prevail!"
"And that would be me!" Luffy declared as he charged, despite Past Sanji warning him that it was a trap.
"You fall, as I knew you would!" Don Krieg yelled as he tried to hit Luffy again with his battle spear, and that seemed to end. "Your stubborn pride can't... HUH?!"
Before he was aware of him, Luffy was shot through the smoke, his forehead and nose bloodied from the blow, but he still had a lot of fire left inside him.
"GUUUUUUM-GUUUUUUUUUUM...BAZOOKA~!"
KAPUM! Both of Luffy's hands hit Don Krieg in the stomach, knocking him off the mast, but even then, the cruel captain of the pirate army laughed, believing he had won, and even mockingly praised him for breaking through his armor... but then, Luffy jumped after him again and hit him with another Gum-Gum Bazooka attack, this time shattering his armor completely!
"YES!" Tyson cheered. "He did it!"
"He's not done yet," Themis said.
"What do you mean?" Hades asked, and as soon as he did, Krieg immediately came back to life before capturing Luffy in a giant iron net.
"Oh shit!" Luffy cursed.
"HAHAHAHAHA!" Don Krieg laughed. "YOU'RE DONE, BOY! IT'S THE SEA, BELOW YOU! ALL I HAVE TO DO IS THROW YOU DOWN AND YOU WILL DROWN!"
"NO!" The goddess of the hunt wept.
"I know I like to make weapons, but this is already overdoing it!" Hephaestus yelled, incredulous.
"I'M LAUGHING LATELY, LIKE I ALWAYS DO!" Don Krieg yelled…but just when it seemed victory was his, Luffy growled as he managed to free his arms and legs from him, then twisted his legs before grabbing Don Krieg's face with his feet.
"I have you!" Luffy yelled. "This will end it!"
"Oh, this is going to be good," Demeter said. "You can do it, boy!"
"GUUUUUM-GUUUUUUUUUUUM... GIANT HAMMER!" Luffy roared before throwing Don Krieg into the Baratie's destroyed fin, defeating him once and for all. However... Luffy ended up falling straight into the ocean, despite his victory, and since he was so exhausted from the battle, he eventually passed out.
"Oh no!" Clarisse wept. "Luffy, hold on!"
"He's going to be fine, right?" Aphrodite asked.
"Don't worry!" Themis reassured him.
"Still, that was unsettling," Athena said. "I mean... that had to be the hardest fight Luffy ever had!"
"Don Krieg sure made him fight for his life, that's for sure," Poseidon said.
"But in the end he won," Amphitrite said.
"And he fought with great valor, too!" Hestia added.
"He did," Junior agreed. "But…he was going to have another really tough battle on his hands, very soon."
"What do you mean Junior?" asked the queen of the gods.
"...Do you remember what I told you about Nami? The next stop on our journey has a lot to do with her past, and of course, with Poseidon and Amphitrite. And now that I think about it, with you too, Hera."
To be continued...