Next Bonus, 100!!
<><><><><><>
Flower Island.
The Going Merry glided into the dock.
Since bursting into the Grand Line and leaving Crocus and Laboon behind at Twin Cape, the crew had spent days adrift in a chaotic sea.
They had weathered shifting blizzards, sudden tornadoes, and deep-sea whirlpools—nature's wrath in its purest form.
They had fended off Sea Kings.
And now, finally, they had arrived.
"We need to stay for three days," Viola announced, checking the Log Pose on her wrist. "The magnetic field needs time to reset before we can head to the next island."
"Oh, thank god!" Usopp slumped against the railing, groaning. "The weather on the Grand Line is a nightmare. I thought we were done for."
Zoro, however, stood by the gunwale. He stared at the port town, his brow furrowed in suspicion.
Sanji stepped out of the galley, wiping his hands. "We're running on fumes. Water, food—the pantry is empty. We need to restock."
"What's wrong?" Viola asked, noticing the swordsman's tension.
"It's weird," Luffy said, tilting his head. "There's nobody here."
Usopp stiffened, his relief evaporating. "Now that you mention it... it is too quiet."
"Where did everyone go?"
Luffy grinned, a wide, carefree expression. "Maybe they're all at a festival!"
"Hah??" Usopp stared at him. "A whole town at a picnic? Don't be stupid."
"Whatever! I'm going down!"
Luffy stretched his arm, grabbed a bollard on the pier, and slingshotted himself onto dry land. He took off running toward the town without a backward glance.
"Hey! Luffy! Don't wander off!"
It was too late. The rubber captain was already a speck in the distance.
Zoro settled back down. "I'll watch the ship."
Viola, Sanji, and Usopp disembarked to chase after their wayward captain.
—————————
"Where did Luffy go? Honestly, that guy..."
The trio walked through the streets, scanning the area.
"Still haven't seen a single soul," Sanji muttered, lighting a cigarette. "It's eerie."
He exhaled a cloud of smoke. "There's no sign of a struggle. No destruction."
"Either they were forced to leave..."
"—Or it's an ambush."
Viola's eyes narrowed. She glanced up at a rooftop. A shadow flickered.
"Who's there?"
Suddenly—
A figure rose from behind a second-story window, a rocket launcher resting on his shoulder. The dark bore of the weapon aimed directly at them.
"I'll be taking those heads!"
The man pulled the trigger.
WHOOSH!
A rocket screamed through the air, trailing a tail of fire.
"Look out!" Viola shouted.
"Aaaah! A rocket??" Usopp shrieked.
"Trying to hurt a lady?" Sanji's eyes flashed. He leaped into the air, his leg spinning. "Diable Jambe!"
He kicked the projectile mid-flight.
BOOM!
The explosion knocked Sanji back, and he landed awkwardly, skidding on the pavement.
"GET THEM!"
A roar went up from the alleys.
The silent town suddenly burst into life. A horde of men armed with guns and swords poured out from every corner, swarming like angry hornets.
"What is going on??" Usopp screamed in panic.
"We have to run!" Viola commanded.
Sanji took point, clearing a path as Viola and Usopp followed close behind, fighting their way back toward the port.
—————————
At the Port.
Zoro, who had been resting with his eyes closed, snapped them open.
A towering man stood on the pier. He held a massive bazooka and was draped in bandoliers of ammunition.
He grinned, revealing yellowed teeth.
"Hey. You're my prisoner."
Zoro frowned, his hand drifting to his swords. "Who are you?"
"I'm Pete," the man grunted. "I'm a boss under Admiral Ochoku. I run this dock."
"Ochoku?"
"That's right."
Pete jerked his chin toward the town. "Come quietly. You're coming with me."
"Where to?"
"To the mines!"
Zoro's eyes narrowed. "So that's where the townspeople went. You enslaved them."
"Shut your mouth and get down here!"
"And if I don't?"
"Then you die!"
Pete pulled the trigger. The bazooka roared.
BOOM!
"Hey now, that's dangerous."
Zoro vanished, reappearing in front of the Merry. He drew a single blade.
SHING!
A flash of steel. The rocket was sliced cleanly in two, the halves exploding harmlessly in the water behind him.
"Oh?" Pete raised an eyebrow. "You got some skill."
He reached behind his back and hauled out a Gatling gun.
"Taste true suppression!"
The Gatling gun spun up, spitting a tongue of flame.
RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!
Zoro dodged, dancing through the hail of lead as bullets chewed up the wooden planks of the pier. He sprinted to the side, but the stream of fire tracked him relentlessly.
BANG!
A dull, heavy sound cut through the rattle of the Gatling gun.
Sniper!
Zoro rolled, narrowly avoiding disaster.
CRACK!
The stone where he had been standing a split-second ago exploded into dust.
"Duo? So there's another one," Zoro muttered.
He scanned the area. On a rooftop diagonally above him, a man lay prone, calmly chambering another round into a high-powered rifle.
The sniper saw he was spotted but didn't move. He just took aim again.
Bullets rained down from two directions.
One grazed Zoro's side, tearing his shirt and drawing blood.
Zoro broke into a sprint, drawing the fire away from the ship. Then, he launched himself into the air, drawing all three swords.
The blades spun, creating an impenetrable barrier of steel.
He deflected the bullets, closing the distance. As Pete paused to reload the Gatling gun, Zoro lunged.
"Santoryu: Oni Giri!"
SLASH!
The strike cut deep across Pete's chest.
Blood sprayed, and the large man toppled backward.
BANG!
Simultaneously, a gunshot rang out. The bullet whizzed past Zoro's ear, missing by millimeters.
"Gum-Gum... Pistol!"
A rubber arm stretched out of nowhere, grabbing the sniper on the roof and yanking his aim off-target.
Luffy rocketed into view, smashing the sniper into unconsciousness with a single punch.
At that moment, Viola burst onto the docks.
Seeing the pursuers behind her, Zoro stepped forward and cut them down in a single fluid motion.
"Hey, what happened? Where are the Curly-Brows and Usopp?"
Viola gasped for air. "We were ambushed looking for Luffy. We got separated in the chaos."
"Can you see them?"
Viola calmed her breathing. She activated her Glare-Glare Fruit ability, forming circles with her fingers and scanning the island.
"Sanji and Usopp... they've been captured."
Luffy landed beside them. "Where?"
"That direction. They're being taken out of town."
"I'm going to save them!" Luffy declared.
"Wait, Luffy!" Viola grabbed his arm. "We need to understand what we're dealing with first."
"Something is very wrong with this island."
Zoro sheathed his swords. "That guy with the machine gun mentioned an 'Admiral Ochoku'."
They woke up Pete. Using her powers, Viola peered into his mind to extract the truth.
<><><><><><>
~ 70 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon
https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)