The Conglomerate- One Piece SI Ch.13

Chapter 13

MONKEY D LUFFY

Luffy burned with anger at Crocodile’s twisted schemes. He was frustrated that he had no choice but to play along with the bastard’s plans, who was forcing the crew to clash with Barto once more.

Though there was much to learn by fighting against his rival, he did not like to do it on someone else’s behalf, especially someone who held one of his friends hostage.

Thankfully, the vegetable-haired marine was able to see through Crocodile’s plans, and so now he and his entire crew moved through the capital city trying to search for that bomb.

Initially, they had been searching without any direction, but then Nami had joined them and had pointed them towards the place where the bomb was.

“Can we really trust her?” asked Zoro, and it was indeed strange for one of Crocodile’s agents to help them, but in the end, they had no choice.

The deserty bastard had beaten up Barto and put him in seastone cuffs, while he enacted his final plan. And if they wanted to save Vivi’s country, they had to find the bomb as Barto had asked them to.

“For the time being, we have no choice but to trust her,” Nami answered as they reached the central clock tower, and by the words of that woman, this was the place where the bomb was hidden.

“Let’s go!” he announced, yet just as they were about to rush into the building, their path was cut off as a massive explosion rocked the area.

BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM!

And all of them were forced to jump back, as Luffy held his straw hat, stopping it from flying away.

“Mr. Zero was right,” a voice cut in as Luffy saw many of those Baroque Work agents stopping their path.

“...that you lot would not go down so easily,” and they were led by that bald fellow.

“But your journey ends here. We will not let you interfere with his plans anymore,” and they all prepared themselves as Luffy looked the steel man in the eye.

“Move, metal freak! I don’t have time for this!!” Luffy declared, but the man was steadfast as he simply made swords out of his arms and legs, refusing to back away.

“We will not let you destroy Mr. Zero’s plans,” and so there was only one way forward, and it was through them, and so Luffy prepared himself for just that.

“Nami, Usopp,” he called out to two of his crewmates as he prepared himself for his power-up, for after fighting Barto twice, he had realized his failures and mistakes.

He understood that the Seas were far more treacherous than he had thought, and if he were to succeed in his goal, he would have to become stronger.

“I am going to clear the path for you guys,” Luffy declared as he prepared himself for a fight.

“Go and search the clocktower, and if there is indeed a bomb inside, then give the signal,” and the two of them nodded as Luffy pushed his arm to the ground, and stretched the insides of his body, pushing the powers of his devil fruit to the limits he had yet to.

He drew a deep breath. His body steamed. Veins throbbed. It was time, as he put his fist to the ground and whispered the name of his new technique.

“Gear Second!”

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PRINCESS VIVI

Vivi had never felt as hopeless and helpless as she did now. Even when the droughts had hit, and the kingdom had been on the brink of civil war she had held onto hope that she might be able to change their fates, that she might be able to stop the nefarious plans of this hidden enemy.

But now, all that hope and optimism had begun to fade, as she stood atop one of the tallest buildings of Nanohana, a town city at the edge of the capital.

“Why have you brought us here?” she asked, and the damned Pirate smiled as he ground the cigar in his mouth.

“To show you that no matter how much you may persist, you cannot win against me,” and suddenly a herald blew the horns, as she stilled for that sound, often indicated the arrival of Royalty, and she could think of no reason why her father would come to the village.

“It is about to begin,” and she stood there cuffed, with the beaten and bloodied Marine Captain behind her, as her father strode into the city with a few of his guards.

“What is he doing here?” she whispered, but immediately saw through the disguise.

“This is not him. This is not my fath...” but before she could say anything more, the Pirate put a rope through her mouth, as he stopped her from screaming.

“Now! Now, I wouldn’t be so stupid. If you try anything Princess, the innocent little Marine behind you will be the one to pay the Price,” and she looked at the green-haired boy, and he was perhaps around her own age, and was bleeding profusely as he lay there forced to watch helplessly, as the imposter strode into the town.

The people who had once bowed in reverence now glared at her father, or the imposter who stood in the centre of the town, as people began to scream for answers.

And soon enough, a crowd stood in the King’s path, as the imposter spoke in her father’s tone, as she could do nothing but sit there helplessly.

“Today, I have come here to apologise to you all,” he began, as Vivi stilled much like the people of the town.

“I am the man who took away this country’s rain, and for that I apologise,” and the entire town was still.

“And to end this entire ‘Dance Powder’ ordeal I have no choice but to destroy this village for you are the only people witness to this tragedy,” and so the people began to scream and shout, as her father turned to his guards.

“Men! Destroy and eradicate this wretched village,” and people began to panic, yet few had the might and the courage to stand up against Royal Guards, and a few pelted stones, others threw what they could but the King remained cold.

Even the guards as loyal as they were, remained hesitant to abide by their King’s orders.

“I will do it! I will avenge the people you have killed,” and she saw a boy break through the guards, as he came at her father but was pushed away and thrown back violently as he began to bleed.

“Men!” the imposter ordered, and she could hold herself back no more.

“N...” but before she could say anything else, she was pulled back, the rope around her mouth was tightened once more, as the scum kicked her.

“I thought I warned you!” and yet the pain she had expected never came, as she heard a grunt from the side, and opened her eyes to see that golden hook of Crocodile pushing into the shoulder of the young Marine Captain.

“AGHHH!” the green-haired boy grunted in pain as Crocodile twisted his hook and gave her a twisted smile.

“Do not interrupt again! The fun is just about to start,” and she stilled as another loud voice broke through the clearing.

“WAIT!” and it was Koza, her childhood friend and the leader of the rebellion.

The rebellion now had over a hundred thousand men, and a part of her was glad to see him still alive and become such an integral figure, yet she was saddened for they stood against one another now.

“You! Do you have any idea what you are doing!” Koza shouted, as he jumped off of his horse.

“I have come here to apologise,” the imposter insisted.

“I am the one who used the ‘Dance Powder’ and robbed this country of its...” but Koza did not let him finish.

“Shut up! Shut up!” and the people backed away as he tried to rush towards her father.

“You are lying! The people in this country they all believed in you! If only you had come out and spoken the truth that you were innocent, that you had not used the ‘Dance Powder’, they would have understood,” and she could not believe those words, for it seemed like Koza knew that her father had not used the Dance Powder.

“Yet even now you lie!” and he tried to hit him but was shoved down by a guard who now had taken out their guns, and was aiming them at Koza and the people of Nanohana and the rebellion.

“The thing that dried up the rains of this country is ‘Dance Powder’,” the imposter repeated.

“And I am the one who use...” and just as Kohza took another step forward, her entire world turned upside down as she heard the sound of a gunshot and watched as her childhood friend’s body fell to the ground.

“No! Kohza-san!” and the people of the rebellion and the town all gathered around him, as her childhood friend lay there on the ground, as the King turned away maliciously.

“End them all!” and so the fire for the rebellion were lit, as she saw people begin to scream and run, as the guards began to destroy the town and she knew that this was it.

This was her last chance to stop the rebellion, yet she also knew that if she stood up, it would mean putting the life of the Marine who had come to save them in jeopardy.

“YES! YES!” Crocodile screamed in victory as the fighting began in full, and she watched as a ship crashed into the town.

BOOOM!

And weapons spilled into the area, and she refused to believe that this was a coincidence.

No... this was orchestrated—every step.

“Weapons! The Gods have blessed us with weapons!” someone shouted as pandemonium broke out.

“Down with the King! DOWN WITH THE MONARCHY!” and just as the forces were about to clash, she heard heard another sound of explosion yet this one came from a different part of the town behind them.

“Well, then I believe it is time for me to step in,” and she stilled for the voice came from beside her, as she glanced up and saw that the Marine captain was on his feet again.

“Have you lost your mind? Do you not care about what becomes of the people of this country, you wanna be Hero?” asked the Pirate scum, as the green haired captain smiled.

“I do,” and with that she felt his body shift as he steadied himself, and took a deep breath.

“That is why I am going to put an end to this scheme of yours!” and suddenly Vivi felt the entire world still, as her body began to shake and the world around her began to spin as she fell to her knees.

WOOOOSH! CRINK! CRINK! CLINK!

And the fighting halted, and the buildings around her began to crack and fall, as she felt as if her mind was about to break.

The air trembled. Stone cracked. People collapsed. Then—silence.

“Impossible...!” she heard the Pirate scum gasp, before suddenly the pressure stopped as the Marine Captain blurred towards him, and pushed his arm through his body, and unlike Luffy and the rest his attack seemed to actually hit the Pirate, who was pushed to the ground, as the remote control for the explosive fell down.

“You have it as well, the Conqueror’s Haki,” she heard the Pirate whisper as he tried to attack him, but the green-haired Marine had broken the chain of his cuffs, and avoided the Pirate’s attack, as his arms were coated in a greyish hue.

“I trained for this specifically,” and he began to hit his face. Again and again, as he straddled the Pirate under him, and each time a punch hit the roof under them cracked, because of the sheer force.

“So that I could defeat scum like you without my Devil Fruit!”

BANG!  BANG! BANG!

“ENOUGH!” but the Pirate did not relent, as a massive storm erupted and they were all thrown to the side, and just as she was about to fall off of the roof, the Marine Captain caught her and pulled her into his arms, as he jumped back.

“Are you ok, princess?” he asked, and she was far more concerned about him as she saw all the wounds on his body.

“Yes, but what about the bomb and the war?” she asked, and he put her down and she saw that he held a key in his hands, as he unlocked his cuffs, which fell to the floor.

“I will handle the bomb,” he whispered as Crocodile rose up in front of them.

“The war, I leave to you,” and she glanced down and saw that most of the people inside the town had become unconscious, and only a few people still remained conscious, and even they were all on their knees.

“Save your people, Princess,” he said, stepping forward.

“I will handle him,” and the warlord was angry as he glared at him.

“I should not have expected anything less from the Student of the Marine Hero,” he whispered but she saw him reach for the bomb trigger and pick it up.

“I don’t know what you did to Daz, but you will pay for your actions!” and with that she saw him push down that button as she tried to stop him.

“NOOO!”

Yet, the Marine captain besides her did not move, and she heard but a whisper from his mouth as he simply stood there with his eyes closed.

“Box in!”

BOOOOOOOOOOOOM! BOOOOOOOOOM!

And the explosion was so intense that it shook the entire ground, yet as she looked towards Alubarna, the capital still stood tall with its arms crossed in front of it.

In the distance, she could make out one building being destroyed, yet that was all. The capital was untouched otherwise, and if the frustrations of the Pirate were anything to go by, that was not his plan.

“What did you DOOO!”

And she saw the green-haired captain smile.

“I just tanked your secret weapon...”

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