Queen of the Pirates

The Humming Swordsman

"We'll be out in the hall," Robin announces to the boys, leading us towards the opening we got distracted from.

"Do these guys understand the situation?" Oink grimaces.

"Whoa," I gasp as Robin and I step into the room that has multiple circus looking tents scattered about.

Oink lets out a chuckle.

"The hall?" Luffy asks, walking over with each step producing constant clanking. "Did you find the others?"

Franky's discarded his guitar and makes his way towards us. Even Oink is jumping to catch up.

"No, but we'll be outdoors once we get past this hall," Robin answers.

"What is this place!?" Luffy exclaims. "It's like a coliseum!"

Besides the tents in the room, there is an oval stage in the middle of the room, and various tattered flags hanging on the walls. It appears to be empty, but I have a feeling that something is lurking in the shadows.

Oink chuckles, "It's much more than that."

Something catches enough like to glint, and Franky looks up just in time to jump back before a sword pierces through his body. The armored being wielding that sword most likely one of the undead that are everywhere on this island.

"Franky!" Luffy exclaims. "Who is it!?"

The armor slowly stands up, and if I didn't believe it to be a zombie before, the two spears stuck in its body confirm that for me.

"Whoa, it's living armor!"

"It has to be a zombie!" I shout. "It's moving even with those spears piercing his body."

"So the zombie is arming itself now!" Franky grunts. "Don't scare me like that!"

The armor slices at Franky, but the cyborg uses his forearm as a shield.

"Strong Right!" His right fist slams into the stomach of the armored zombie, but it digs its feet into the stone to stop itself from going too far.

The armor barely tilts its head up to stare down Franky for a moment. Then it is slashing in a cross motion that Franky luckily dodges.

"Hey! The wall!" He holds his left hand up, revealing the cannon within. "So you know how to use a sword!" He takes a few seconds to aim at the zombie. "Weapons Left!"

The explosion sends the armor to the ground, but it only stays down for a few moments. Once it is back up on its feet, snapping anything dislocated back into place, it is slashing at Franky once again, but his forearm shield protects him. Somehow, the armor slashes through Franky, now they are back-to-back.

"Hey! Franky just-!" Luffy blurts out.

Franky turns around to grab the armor by the helmet. "I'm not going to lose to some zombie!" he chucks the zombie with all his might at the oval stage.

With only a few seconds of calm, I take Luffy's straw hat and slip the string over his head so it hangs around his neck. As much as I love to wear his straw hat when I can, if we get separated for some reason, I don't want him to be without it.

"It's getting up again!" Luffy shouts as the armored zombie begins to pick itself out of the rubble.

"There's no end to this!" Franky grimaces. "Its completely different from the other zombies!"