Dialogue "sample"
Thoughts 'sample'
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Disclaimer: One Piece and all of its characters belong to Eiichiro Oda.
Chapter 281: The devastated country
"This looks like a fort, but there is not a single guard in sight." Zoro looked around.
"Guys, look at this!" Shouted Luffy from the distance.
"How did you get up there so quickly?!" Usopp looked at Luffy, who was standing on top of a nearby tower.
"This is so cool! And the entire country on top of an elephant." Luffy smiled.
"Look at this…" Robin knelt down at the entrance.
"This iron bar door was not opened, it was destroyed."
"Yes, the bars are completely bent…" Law observed.
"A door so huge…whatever did this, was extremely powerful." Nami pointed out.
"Captain, come down!. You don't need to jump, the doors are open!" Vivi called for him
"The path ahead also looks strange…" Said Brook.
"Yeah, is completely destroyed. This looks like it was done by a massive animal." Kinemon pointed out.
"The marks are very fresh, that animal could still be around… " Chopped looked at them with interest.
"We best be prepared then." Zoro smiled and undefeated one of his swords.
Vivi looked at the forest when she felt something.
"kyaa!, please help!" A female voice screamed.
"Someone is coming!" Warned Usopp.
From between the trees, a female figure came running towards them.
They heard the loud noise of trees being ripped apart and all of a sudden, a gigantic crocodile came out with its mouth open, trying to catch some prey.
"Wait up squirrel girl!, all I want to do is crucify and chill!" The crocodile rider spoke in a sadistic tone.
His expression changed to confusion when he noticed the appearance of an unknown group of people who looked nothing like the inhabitants of this country.
"Huh?, who are-"
Vivi and Luffy moved in front of the beast and punched its jaws.
Zoro and Brook rushed to its sides and attacked it with their blades.
The beast went flying with a broken mouth and several deep gashes at its sides. It would not survive for long.
The rider was falling down and before he could land, he was engulfed by a bubble.
"Room…"
Law appeared in front of him with his long blade in hand.
"W-wait!-" this all happened too fast. He didn't know who these people were and now he was going to die.
"Shambles!" Law cut the man's head, followed by his limbs.
The piece fell down on the ground.
The squirrel girl looked absolutely terrified and continued running.
"Wait!, tell us what's going on at least!" Nami shouted but the girl continued running until she disappeared into the forest.
"Let's follow her." Urged Nami.
"Take that guy's head at least, he may have something useful to say." Suggested Vivi before going after the girl.
The ground hurried through the shrubbery until they reached an open area.
"The city!" Nami was about to venture further when Vivi grabbed her.
"Stop Nami. Pay attention!" her shout alerted everyone.
"What is that?!" asked Usopp.
"Is nasty…" Franky covered his mouth.
"What happened to this place?" Asked Luffy.
The entire city seemed to be surrounded by a ghastly cloud of smoke.
"This…looks very familiar." Law's eyes became sharper.
"This reminds me of that man…" Robin mentioned.
"Yes, this is definitely Caesar's doing." Said Law.
"What, that guy?!, but that's impossible, he is with the Marines." Said Luffy.
"Maybe not directly, but Caesar was always working on new ways to create weapons that used his gas…this seems like something he would made," explained Law
"That's awful…" Nami mustered.
"Those people are still alive." Vivi pointed at the many crosses placed all over the city.
"I have to save them them!" Chopper was about to rush in when Zoro grabbed him.
"Wait, you moron!. We need to do something about this poison…if you fall sick, who is going to save these people?"
"Let me try something!"
Luffy moved forward.
"Gear third!..."
Luffy's hands started to grow in size.
"Gomu gomu no…clap!"
The two massive hands were smashed against each other, generating a powerful gust of wind.
Part of the poison was blown away but a lot of it still remained.
"It works!, I just have to do that a few more times." Exclaimed Luffy.
"Hey, what's going on over there!" A group of people came running from inside the forest.
The head-on Law's hands opened his eyes and screamed.
"What's going on?!, what did you do to me?!"
"Is that Lord Sheepshead?" One of them said.
"My minions!, come here and save me!" the head shouted.
"Charge!, kill those guys and save the Lord!"
"Yeah!"
There were ten armed men in total. All of them wore strange dark leather clothing with spikes all over.
"I assume you are the ones responsible for all of this destruction." Vivi took the head from Law's hands.
When the man called Sheephead refused to answer her, she squeezed it a bit.
"ahhh! Stop!."
"Who are you? and why did you do this?" she asked calmly while driving her fingers into his flesh.
"We are part of Lord Kaidou's crew!. "
"What?!"
"Kaidou?!, the Emperor?"
Seeing the looks on their faces, Sheephead smiled.
"That's right!. I myself am the right hand of his first mate, Jack the Drought… I'm sure you have all heard of him, hehe "
"Let me guess, you are about to tell me that if we don't release you, Kaidou and his crew will hunt us down and kill us. is that it?" asked Vivi.
"That's right!, but if you let me go and return my body, I can let this one slide…just this time." the head grinned.
Vivi looked at the destroyed city and it's crucified citizens. Many of them looked to be already dead while others were quickly dying, from the poison or from the terrible wounds inflicted on them.
"I remember a time and a place where crucifixion was used as the most painful and cruel method of execution. Reserved to the worst criminals. So...tell me."
Vivi looked down at the head, who was now looking back at her with worry after seeing her cold eyes.
"What horrible things did these people do to deserve such a fate? You better have a fantastic answer."
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