One Piece (Love Story) [Part Two]

Chapter Three Hundred and Four [Rewritten]

"The fact that we're still alive is probably the reason he came back" Chopper said as he grew big. "In other words, we got lucky last time, he's here to finish the job" he frowned.

"Sure, that's one way to look at it, but I call this payback time" Franky said as he took aim at Kuma. Already could I feel my stomach beginning to churn...something was wrong about the man that stood in front of us. Yes, he looked the same as when we had first met him back on Thriller Bark...but he also looked different. Was it...was it perhaps just my imagination?

"You got him!" Nami cheered the second Franky shot at the Warlord—landing a direct hit and knocking the man back into one of the many trees that surrounded us.

"Not exactly" Franky tsked as the Warlord started to stand back up. "He's down, but he's not out."

"Luffy?" Brook breathed out as our captain activated Second Gear.

"We know he's strong, no question about it, so let's go all out from the start" he told us as we all nodded our heads and prepared ourselves for a fight.

"I'll be on that boat" Sanji agreed as he angrily fixed his tie.

"Ah! Here he comes again, crap!" Usopp cried out just as Kuma once again started to shoot beams of light towards Luffy, only for the rubber man to jump out of the way and let them pass right on by towards Usopp, Franky, and Brook who had been following close behind our captain. It luckily missed the three and as they weaved themselves passed all the rubble that was falling towards them. Zoro, Sanji, and Luffy were the first ones to be able to get close enough to the Warlord, dodging his beams in the process before they all three attacked at the exact same time.

"It's hitting him, but it doesn't seem to be bothering him" I noted from my spot next to Robin, eyes trained on Kuma's face. He looked more or less annoyed with their attacks before his body finally started to tilt back once the three had finished. Harshly did he slid backwards into one of the nearby buildings the moment he hit the ground.

"Yes! Way to go—they took him down!" Nami cheered.

"Those three are just too awesome!" Chopper praised.

"Don't forget, he's one of the Warlords—it'll take a lot more than that to beat him" Robin reminded the two.

"She's right, we shouldn't go celebrating just yet" I nodded in agreement with the raven-haired woman.

"And judging by their faces, they know that too" she said as she motioned to the three that were breathing heavily.

"So, he's different now?" Luffy panted out. "Well, maybe he's a twin or something?" he guessed as he tried to come up with a logical reason for the Warlord's sudden differences.

"It's possible, but that's a scary thought" Sanji frowned.

"They look the same, but they're different" Zoro panted. "The real one would have teleported to dodge our attacks, and he doesn't use that shock wave attack—doesn't have those paws either" he noticed.

"We'll he's plenty strong as it is, and what's worse, the real one might be after us as well" Sanji said as he, Zoro, and Luffy all quickly dodged the impostor Kuma's attacks. I couldn't help but stare at the beams that he shot from his hands, a sudden sense of familiarity hitting me.

"Those beams..." I breathed out.

"What is it, Skylar?" Robin asked.

"I don't know why, but the way those beam lights shine reminds me of someone—someone I met a long time ago that could produce those same beams of light" I said. "It's there, in the back of my mind, if only I dig deep enough..." I mumbled as I began to think, the faintest sound of whispering voices from long ago soon filling my mind.