Hello readers! It's that time of the month again with new chapters and forms of escapism readily available! I am working on several projects as usual, being a busy bee and if you want to learn that I've been doing, all of my social media with the name KATSURA369 plastered on it will slowly be filling. Some of these projects will include new audios. Which I am also making commissions available for. So if you've got a message you want to send with the voice of your favourite anime character or even to read you a story, you can check that out on my membership pages under commissions.
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HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS CHAPTER
'Where could they be?"
Sakura's heart was racing as she zipped through the dense forest, her nimble body leaping effortlessly from branch to branch. Her friends were split into three groups, so she was sure that if she covered the ground of the entire island she would eventually find someone. With her speed and agility, she would be able to cover more ground and could easily navigate through the treacherous terrain.
As she moved through the forest, her senses were on high alert. She could hear the chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves, as well as the low rumblings of the dinosaurs that also dwelled on the island. She was hoping that one of these sounds would clue her in on her friend's whereabouts. Luffy was usually quite loud, and Nami and Usopp would be screaming if they ran into any dangerous predators, which was possible every turn of the way here.
She continued to dart through the trees, her lithe body twisting and turning as she made her way deeper into the forest. Her eyes scanned the forest floor below. After a few minutes of searching Sakura caught a glimpse of movement in the distance.
That's when she saw Nami! The girl was leaning against a tree, still, and didn't respond when Sakura called out to her.
"Nami!"
On the ground now, Sakura ran over to her, but still, there was no reaction.
"Finally, I found you!" Sakura called out, relief washing over her. But as she got closer, she realized that something was off.
The figure remained eerily still and didn't move, even when she was right in front of it. When she didn't sense any presence from her, and when she touched Nami, Sakura felt the texture. This wasn't Nami, but a statue carved in her exact image. Just like a clone.
'But who can do this?' It was just wax after all but Sakura was officially convinced that they were not the only people on this island.
Suddenly, she heard laughter from the shadows. She spun around and saw Miss Valentine twirling her yellow umbrella, a smug grin on her face.
"Well, well, well," Miss Valentine sneered. "Looks like you fell right into our trap, little girl."
This was a trap set by the notorious Baroque Works. If she was here then chances were the other agent had followed them to Little Garden, despite what they were told about not needing to pursue them, Sakura should've known better than to trust the words of an enemy.
"You're here..." Sakura glanced back at the wax figure, "What did you do to my friends!?"
Miss Valentine laughed again, mockingly twirling her umbrella. "Oh, nothing much. We were just having a little fun with them,"
"Them?"
"That little girl, the princess, the swordsmen, and your captain..." Miss Valentine's smile widened, "And now you,"
Out of instinct, her fists clenched at her side, "Where are my friends?"
"Do you really want to know?" Miss Valentine strolled across circling Sakura, "I'll be happy to take you to them, though you're a little late to the party. We already made a cake,"
"What are you talking about?" Something in her tone set Sakura on edge. Her friends were definitely in danger, and this method was likely used to let their guard down and capture them. How could they have been restrained though? Luffy and Zoro were pretty tough and they defeated Miss Valentine and Mr. 5 easily
.
'Or are there more agents on this island?' That meant there would be more people with abilities they didn't know about.
With the power of her devil fruit, Miss Valentine controlled her weight, making her light enough to be picked up by the wind when she jumped into the air, going meters above, towering over the trees.
"You'll find out soon enough,"
Sakrua glared up at Miss. Valentine, as she floated above her like a cloud. "This is your only chance to come clean and tell me everything you and Baroque works are up to on this island,"
There was her signature cackling directed at Sakura, "Oh is that so? Well, it doesn't matter, you and your friends honestly believe you could escape from an organization like Boroque Works? I think it's time we put you in your place! With my kilo-kilo fruit!"
The woman began to ascend towards the ground, at blurring speed, as she increased her weight gradually the closer she came to earth.
Mr. 3 had been insufferable about them capturing the pirates that were alerted about the boss's identity. They met up at Little Garden, Mr. 3 and his partner Miss Goldenweek were waiting and devised a plan to hit two birds with one stone. The two giants that resided on the island Dorry and Brogy were holding a huge bounty for them, and the straw hat pirates were assisting Alabasta's princess.
None of them were meant to leave this island alive and after the humiliation that had been endured back at Whiskey Peak, Miss. Valentine was more than happy to oblige.
Sakura was the last one on the list that had to be found and captured, Mr. 3 had lost patience and decided to get on with his plan and hopefully lure her out but now she could just drag Sakura back.
"Take this, 10000kg attack!"
..
..
..
..
Usopp didn't know where to turn at this rate, it had all happened so fast. He and Nami never meant to get off the boat, but met the giant Brogy and it was an escalation from there as Vivi and Luffy, met the giant Dorry. They learned that Baroque Works was on the island all through tampered alcohol that they had given to the giants which resulted in Dorry enduring an explosion from the inside of his stomach. So it was safe to assume Mr. 5 was on the island with his partner. But they weren't expecting another office agent Mr. 3 and his partner Miss Goldenweek to be there too.
They believed they were in the clear for the time being because of what Miss All Sunday claimed about Little Garden. Now Dorry was laying on the battlefield injured, and Broggy, Vivi, Nami, and Zoro were about to be turned into wax statues. Compliments to Mr. 3 devil fruit ability that allowed him to manipulate and create wax. His friends were currently sitting up top of a huge wax cake-like candles.
As for Luffy. Well, their captain come to the rescue, but there was another devil fruit user they hadn't thought to look out for. Mr. 3's partner, a young girl who looked no older than twelve, with red braids, Miss Goldenweek.
Usopp didn't fully understand her ability but she was able to manipulate the emotions and motivation of people to a degree that she could control them and this was all through the color of paint. She had painted a black circle that Luffy stepped into and suddenly he had no motivation to save his friends who were being turned into statues right in front of him.
Then he had a laughing fit when Miss. Goldenweek painted a yellow symbol on his shirt, and it went on until Usopp found him with a green mark painted on his shirt.
Zoro, Vivi, and Nami had turned into solid wax statues by now yet Luffy was unable to move from his position, sitting on a picnic blanket with Miss. Goldenweek sipped tea with a frustrated expression as he failed to move his limbs.
Usopp was riding on Karoo to reach his captain. Mr. 5, Mr. 3, and Miss. Goldenweek was all present, but Miss. Valentine hadn't come back. Usopp knew that she was here but they were still missing one more target. Sakura.
"Luffy! What are you doing you, idiot!?" Usopp called to him. He instructed Karoo to charge as Mr. 5 emerged from the foliage. The man had been relentless in chasing after them, but Karoo was remarkably fast, though they still had to watch out for Mr. 5's explosions.
Mr. 5's ability to turn anything he touches into a bomb had little limits. He could even blow into a pistol and create explosions made from the air.
He aimed the gun at Usopp and shot three times, but Usopp was also aiming at something. His slingshot was out and he aimed right at Luffy, his exploding star hitting him right on the back creating a fire that burnt up his shirt.
When Miss Golden Week painted on his back, Luffy felt all sense of tension and fighting desire leave him, his muscles relaxed and he hadn't been able to move. No matter how much he willed himself to. It was like being stuck in a form of sleep paralysis. But now that the paint had been burned off, he was finally free. Despite the minor burns.
"Hey, you come to your senses Luffy!?" Usopp groaned out.
"Yeah thanks," Luffy stood up and Mr.5 realized that this was the goal all along to remove Luffy from Miss Goldenweek's control. "Now I'm mad!"
Mr.5 laughed, "Oh you're made huh? What good's that gonna do when your friends here are already solid statues? All they need is a bit of Miss Goldenweek's paint and they'll be good to go,"
"They're still alive!"
Mr. 3 cackled, "You're not only too late to save them Straw Hat. But now you can experience even more despair! And you're little pink-haired friend will be joining them very soon!"
"You're going after Sakura too?"
"Of course, that little girl is also on our list, I imagine Miss Valentine will bring her along. I cannot wait to see the look on her face when she sees you and your friends reduced to perfect wax figurines, it will be a great expression to add to my collection,"
Again he laughed with a tune that gripped Luffy's mind and made him burn with anger. These people had tampered in a 100-year-old duel between warriors, messed with his friend, and were trying to steal Vivi's country, he was determined to kick their asses.
Where to start though? Zoro, Nami, and Vivi were still stuck on that cake and the wax jack-o-lantern was still spinning and spitting out more wax.
The tension snapped when something was sent through it, crossing Luffy and Mr.3's path who were having a stare-down, they caught a flash of yellow before it hit Mr. 5 hard to throw him off his feet. There was Miss Valentine, unconscious with her fingers bent and twisted against the structure of the bones.
"Sorry, I'm late. It took some persuasion but I finally got her to share where the party was,"
"Sakura!"
She walked out of the forest, head held high, not a single sign of battle on her body but she was the only one who followed after Miss. Valentine.
"Well, it seems that the little missy has some fight after all," Mr.5 hadn't been counting on them having another brawler in his plans and he had thought that the agents would at least be able to handle her if she was. Looks like he had miscalculated.
"I heard the story after a bit of prying,"
'A bit of prying?' Mr.3 glanced at Sakura's handy work and would call it torture easily. So she was not soft-hearted. But neither was he.
She was walking in his direction without uttering a single word, and Mr. 3 felt an odd sense of intimidation by her calm demeanor, but he was willing to call her bluff. She hadn't seen what he was capable of.
"Well since you're caught up, let's get back to Ah where'd she go!?" Mr.3 looked around frantically. He had counted, Luffy, Usopp, Karoo, and the two giants, and when he went to count the candle crew mates.
"When did she get there!?"
Sakura was on the wax cake, under the spinning jack-o' lantern inspecting her friends. Every time she inhaled, she felt the wax flake in her mouth and throat. Vivi, Zoro, and Nami had been stuck into the wax, so they likely weren't able to escape, but there was a puddle of blood at Zoro's feet.
'Why is this idiot posing?' Zoro had one hand on his hip and the other was holding his sword out with a deliberate air like he was expecting to become a statue.
Luffy blinked, "Whoa, how'd she get there so fast!?"
"It's pointless, your friends will be dead soon enough," Mr. 3 held up his hand, it started to look like it was melting but turned into wax ready to mold. "And so will you!"
Sakura ignored Mr. 3's ranting, but she wouldn't forgive it. Her priority was saving her friends. She put her hand on Vivi's forehead, sending chakra through, she sensed her vitals, it was weak but still there.
'I can do this,'
With precision in her chakra control, Sakura sent it through the entire form of wax, the shell started to crack like glass, until finally a second later it cleared from Vivi. The princess collapsed in Sakura's arms. Doing a quick look over as she coughed, hacking up wax particles that were in her lungs. Looking down though, Sakura could see her feet were still stuck in the cake like a candle.
"You alright Vivi?"
"Y-Yeah," She wheezed.
Sakura moved to Zoro and Nami, opting to get them out of their petrified state at the same time in case their vitals were in a similar condition or worse to Vivi's. Sending chakra through the wax, she broke the shell encasing them. Shattering every fragment through their bodies. Again they fell forward. Sakura caught and settled them down.
"Sakura....." Nami coughed. "You're..."
"The heck are you doing here?" Coughed Zoro.
"Hang on, I'll have you guys out," She drew her fist onto the single tier, carefully releasing her chakra to break the mold that was holding their feet.
Mr. 3 cried out in alarm. "My wax is as hard as steel how is this possible!?"
"Guess I have to get that giant too,"
"How the hell did you free us?"
Sakura didn't answer Zoro, staring at the giant Broggy, she knew it was going to take a bit more effort, and now that she understood how the wax was encasing them....
Smiling Sakura pulled her chakra to her fist, leaping from the cake.
"She's not going to try to-
Nami's concern was answered as Sakura landed a punch when she hit the ground, it cracked beneath her knuckles, along with the wax encasing Brogy, up until the last speck freeing the giant. He was disoriented for a moment, but he managed to sit himself up.
"Now that's one thing settled,"
Sakura glanced at the cake that was still spinning and releasing flex of wax, it was even getting into her lungs. She flexed her hands.
"Guys off."
Curious to see what she was intending to do, they followed her instructions. After cracking her knuckles, Sakura gave the wax cake a powerful chakra-filled punch that caused it to break apart the moment she forced her chakra into the structure.
"MY MASTERPIECE!" Mr.3 cried. His wax could become as hard as iron, he didn't think anyone was capable of damaging it like this! Sakura turned and set her sights on the creator now as if to say it wasn't over yet and he knew he was next on her list.
'I need to get out of here!' The mission be damned, it wouldn't matter if he was dead anyway.
Luffy was in awe, watching Sakura, "So cool! I didn't know Sakura was that strong!"
"No one did!" Nami exclaimed they hadn't even seen her fight until now! She was surprised herself because Sakura had come across as a bit of a child, someone who needed help learning about the world and she certainly had enough questions to support that impression. Even when she had that medical knowledge.
"Seriously..." Zoro clenched his jaw. "I thought she could only heal..."
"What the...." Vivi was astonished, "I never thought Sakura had this kind of power,"
"Me neither!" Luffy exclaimed still excited.
There was just one more issue to deal with. Mr. 3 stepped back when Sakura's eyes met his. And instinctively he went to his trump card. The wax flowed freely from his body before encasing him and hardening to the point of feeling like stone. Yet he could carry the weight with ease, as he basked in his new armor. As if it had given him a new sense of confidence, Mr.3 beat his chest.
"I will not let you pirates get away with this!"
Sakura glanced at Mr. 3 who had sweat on his brow. He had taken down his enemies with cunning and wit. That was how he brought down the giants despite their superior strength but now it looked like he was going to have to face a monster with equal ability in a head-on fight.
"I'm not through just yet!" Mr. 3 exclaimed. He used his wax to wrap and mold himself into a humanoid battle machine.
"Now for the finishing touches if you don't mind Miss Golden Week,"
"After this can I take a break?"
"Of course, I would prefer you stayed out of this. When I'm in this form I'm impenetrable,"
The girl took out her paints and did the job in a few seconds, covering the entire wax mold in a series of colors to give more depth to the armor.
"Let's see about that," Sakura rushed towards Mr. 3. He attempted to keep her at a distance and attack with his wax, but no matter how many times he extended his wax, she avoided the attacks with the speed he couldn't match.
With a fierce determination in her eyes, she launched herself towards her opponent. Her muscles tensed as she balled up her fist, ready to strike. As she got closer, she could see the wax armor covering his body, but she didn't hesitate. With all her might, she delivered a powerful punch that landed directly on his chest.
The sound of the impact echoed through the room as the wax armor shattered into pieces around him. As the pieces flew in all directions, she watched with satisfaction as Mr. 3 came pouring out of the suit, stunned and disoriented. The force of her punch sent him flying back towards the other side of the jungle, crashing through the trees.
"What was that about impervious to harm?"
Again jaws had dropped at the display, and after a quick knockdown of Miss Golden Week, it was safe to assume that the straw hat pirates had officially won this battle. And the only challenge that lay ahead now, was getting off the island to continue their journey to Alabasta.
That's all Folks. Remember if you want to see the full update schedule for June, just check out my Tumblr. I will also be giving info on available commissions and art.
CHAPTER SNEAKPEEKS: Available on 7th and 22nd of each month on Tumblr page. https://www.tumblr.com/blog/katsura369
Here's a small layout of what's here and what's to come!
MEMBERS NOW:
-Kunoichi amongst Heroes chapter 45, 46, 47
-Kunoichi amongst Pirates chapter 13, 14
-Through the Looking Glass chapter 13, 14
-Through the SpyGlass chapter 1 , 2
Public Posts 15 June
-Kunoichi amongst Heroes chapter 44
-Through the Looking Glass chapter 13