The Battle of Tomb Aqueous Begins! Straw Hats in Trouble!
As Zoro and Sanji prepare for their fight with Ga, unsettling silence continues to fall over them, their eyes locking on each other. Ga smiles and waits patiently. Zoro grits his teeth, gripping his sword tighter. Sanji remains relaxed, casually standing still with his hands in his pockets.
"Ready, cook?" Zoro asks.
"Waiting on you." Sanji replies.
"Right. You take the right, I'll take the left."
"Got it."
Ga remains motionless and expressionless, her pale eyes watching them closely.
With unbelievable speed, Zoro and Saji leap into the air, swiftly moving themselves to either side of Ga, ready to strike simultaneously. Zoro slices through the air, aiming for her body. Sanji tilts his body sideways and swings his powerful leg at her head. But to their surprise, neither hit lands. Both land on the dock again and look at her in surprise. Ga remains in the same position, unmoved.
"What the hell?!" Zoro exclaims.
"She dodged that? No way!"
Zoro looks to Sanji. "Pay attention! Land your blows!"
Sanji glares at him. "Me?! You didn't hit her either!"
"Try harder!"
Ga floats herself closer to them. "Are you boys going to argue all day? I was looking forward to a fight."
Zoro and Sanji growl at her, their anger rising. "We haven't even started yet!" Sanji shouts.
Ga giggles. "Seems like it's already over by the look of things."
Zoro readies himself for another strike. "I'm going to cut that tongue of yours right out."
Ga smirks. "That's more like it."
In a furious rage, Zoro and Sanji begin unleashing a series of powerful attacks at Ga. They take turns slicing and kicking, with each strike more fierce than the last. The air crackles around them as swords and legs cut through the air. Yet to their dismay, none of their hits are connecting. Ga remains untouched as she simply slides away from their attacks, dancing through the sky gracefully.
Zoro and Sanji stop themselves once again to asses their situation.
Sanji spits his cigarette out. "I don't get it! What is going on! I've taken out sea monsters with some of those hits."
"We're not hitting her at all." Zoro corrects.
"Yeah, now that you mention it, she's just been avoiding our blows the whole time."
"But how?"
Ga laughs. "You two have a lot to learn about those who can master devil fruits."
Sanji crosses his arms. "That's right. All the Drakens are devil fruit masters."
"But what's her power?" Zoro wonders.
Ga floats higher in the air. "I ate the paper-paper fruit. I'm a paper girl." She grins.
Sanji is confused. "What? Paper?"
Zoro glares at her. "That's why she's avoiding our attacks so easily."
Ga spins herself around in circles. "That's right. I can make myself light as paper. Even the simple motion of waves displacing air can lift me off the ground."
Sanji huffs. "That doesn't make any sense. If she's made of paper, she should be easier to cut."
"We just have to get a better angle on her." Zoro insists.
They leap into the air again without warning, releasing another series of strong attacks. Yet no matter how hard they try, no one single shot lands, as Ga continues to carefully reposition her body with ease.
Both return to the dock and stand side by side, catching their breath.
"This is impossible!" Sanji yells.
"We're getting no where." Zoro grumbles, removing a sword from his mouth and placing it back in it's sheath.
"You boys are fun!" Ga mocks. "So entertaining. I could do this all day."
Sanji jumps forward aggressively. "Don't count on it!"
Ga smiles and stares at them for a long moment. She raises one hand into the air. "...Now it's my turn." As she swings her hand downward, hundreds of white shards in the shape of moths burst from her fingers, sending the paper shapes straight at them. "PAPER MOTHS!" She calls out.
Zoro and Sanji shield their faces, but every surface of their skin is quickly diced with powerful paper cuts. They fall backwards, with sections of their clothes shredded and bleeding through.
Sanji grimaces in pain, holding his arm. "Ah! What was that?!"
"Paper!" Zoro replies, wiping blood from his eyes.
"How the hell can paper do that?"
Ga grins, hovering above them. "What's the matter? Never had a paper cut before?"
Zoro stares at her. "She's sending shards of paper through the air so fast, they might as well be daggers."
Sanji struggles to his feet. "Damn! We won't survive another one of those!"
Zoro lifts himself up and readies his swords again. "Yeah, that was a little too crazy."
Ga agrees. "You're right! You couldn't withstand a simple attack like that, could you? But I still want to play. So let's try something else." She smiles and lifts her other hand into the air.
"Not this time!" Sanji exclaims, jumping toward her.
But just before Sanji is about to land his blow, Ga waves her hand at him playfully. "Origami." She says softly.
Zoro's eye grows wide as Sanji falls back through the air, watching in horror as his body abruptly begins to contort and fold in on itself. When he returns to the dock beside Zoro, he is nothing more than a folded shape of human, twisted and unable to move, in the shape of a swan.
"Sanji!" Zoro shouts.
Ga laughs. "Do you like it? You can call him Sanji-swan now!"
Zoro glares at her angrily. "You'll pay for that!"
Ga smiles coyly. "Don't take too long."
Zoro lifts his swords into the air and runs forward. "TWO SWORD STYLE--"
Yet before he can finish his words, Ga swiftly floats by him, touching his blades gently with her fingers. Zoro stops himself immediately, realizing with great shock that both of his blades have been turned to paper. He freezes in place, unsure of his next action, until Ga's giggle snaps him out of his daze. He quickly reaches for his other sword, still safe in the sheath.
"PAPER VINES!" Ga calls out. As soon as Zoro's hand touches the hilt, he finds himself unable to move, as twisted rolls of paper creep up his body, securing his arms and legs to the dock.
"No! I can't believe it!" Zoro exclaims in distress.
Ga floats in front of him with a evil smirk. "You see now how all of your so called power counts for nothing when facing a true master."
Zoro shakes with anger under the weight of the paper vines. His mind racing, and eye locked on his enemy.
Inside the first floor of the compound, Nami and Robin stand before Io, poised and ready for battle. Io runs his tongue over his two front fangs, salivating at the chance for new blood. Nami and Robin remain stoic, yet a feeling of uncertainty runs through them.
"You're move, ladies." Io commands with a chilled voice.
Nami raises her clima-tact and twirls it once. "Right. Let's not waste anymore time. You ready?"
Robin smiles and crosses her arms in front of her. "Of course. Two against one shouldn't be an issue for us."
"Agreed. Only one of us should be more than enough to handle this creep."
Io chuckles. "Your overconfidence is alluring. It will make your downfall glorious, and blood all the sweeter."
Nami grins determinedly. "Wouldn't bet on it."
"You may have faced many enemies in the past, but you haven't faced us yet." Robin adds.
"No matter. We're all made the same." Io scoffs.
Nami slams her clima-tact into the metal floor. "Exactly! We're all made the same, and no one is resistant to lightning!" She swings her weapon high in the air. "Thunderbolt--TEMPO!"
With a loud bright flash, she sends a thick bolt of lightning cascading down on Io. For a moment she senses sure victory, but when the black smoke finally clears, she is stunned to see Io unchanged.
Io smirks. "I hope that's not the only trick you know. As much as I enjoy being tickled, I would prefer something much more tantalizing."
"Impossible..." Robin breaths in amazement.
Nami's mouth hangs open. "How did he do that?!"
Io lifts his arms into the air. "Nothing impossible about it. Blood contains both iron and gold. I can control the amount of both and channel it around my body. I'm afraid your lightning can't hurt me."
Nami huffs. "Oh, great!"
Robin steps forward and twists her arms together. "Then try this! SIX FLEURS!"
Six large hands spring out of the ground beside Io. They take turns slapping him down into the floor. Yet before each hit, Io simply turns to liquid, sliding between her fingers and reassembling into his full form.
Robin steps back and recalls her hands. "Damn!"
Io smiles at them. "I grow tired of these antics already."
Nami looks to Robin desperately. "How are we suppose to win like this?!"
Io cackles and points at them, wiggling his finger at their faces. Suddenly, their vison begins to cloud with transparent, blurry splotches.
Nami and Robin rub their eyes. "Ah! What is that?!" Nami exclaims.
"My vision is fading!" Robin shouts.
Io grins, watching with delight. "Those would be your white blood cells. They let blue light through to your retina, which sends a signal of increased brightness to the brain. This causes dots to appear in your vision!"
Nami shakes her head. "I can't see anything!"
Robin holds one eye open. "Neither can I! We need to think of something fast!"
Just then, Nami remembers a tactic she can use for this situation. "Hold on! I'll buy us some time!" She swings her clima-tact in front of her. "MIST TEMPO!"
A wall of thick mist bursts into the air around them, providing a cloudy sanctuary for them to hide in.
Io is briefly stunned. "To hell with these tricks! I lost sight of them!"
Inside the mist, Nami and Robin continue to rub their eyes, until they realize the blood cells are disappearing.
"My vision is returning!" Robin remarks.
Nami blinks rapidly. "Mine too!"
"He must have to see us to be able to use that ability."
Nami looks above her. "That means we'll have to be quick and smart about our next attack."
"Right."
Nami raises her clima-tact straight up into the air. "I'm going to distract him with some thunder clouds. That will cause him to harden his body, preparing to take the lightning. After that..."
Robin nods. "I'll do the rest!"
Nami begins to release a series of cool and heat balls into the air, forming thunderclouds above Io's head. They crackle with energy.
Io looks up at them and laughs. "Another thunder trick? You've got to be joking. You're a one note pony, girl." His slowly starts hardening his body.
"Thunder!" Nami calls out, keeping his gaze locked on the clouds.
As Io focuses on the sparkling lightning, Robin suddenly explodes from the mist in front of him, readying her attacks. "CINQ FLEURS!" She shouts.
To his great surprise, Io watches as five strong hands spring up from his body, wrapping his legs, arms and neck. He staggers under the grip.
"And--CLUTCH!"
One by one, Robin snaps Io's limbs and neck, causing him to buckle and fall forward, gasping in pain. He stumbles to the floor and breaths heavily, his limbs twisted and broken.
Nami steps out of the mist and smiles. "How'd you like that trick?"
Robin grins with satisfaction. "Looks like he enjoyed it."
Io continues to writhe in pain for a long moment. But soon, he gradually begins to rise to his feet again, straightening his limbs one by one.
Nami and Robin look on in shock. "What..?" Robin mutters.
Io grunts as he reassembles his body, eventually allowing a laugh to return to his voice. Soon, he stands tall once again and slowly turns toward them. "...That's the idea."
"How?!" Nami exclaims.
"I severed his tendons and bones!" Robin protests.
Io smiles evilly. "Indeed you did. However, I grow tired of telling you I can control my blood. The more platelet-rich plasma I can deliver to my injuries, the faster I can heal. I have mastered this ability. You cannot defeat me like this."
"No..." Nami breaths, her voice shaking.
Robin looks on with a grave concern.
On the spiraling staircase, Sky and Luffy are halfway up the compound, riding the revolving stairs and running to retain their haste.
"Are we almost there?" Luffy calls to him from behind.
Sky keeps his eyes locked on the top of the stairs. "Almost!"
Luffy huffs. "This is boring! Why didn't we just use your portal ability?"
"That's exactly what Fukitsu will be expecting! The long way is the best option."
But just as they finally reach the top of the stairs, a small explosion rips the edge of the top stair away from the floor. A cloud of smoke erupts into their faces, as the entire stairwell begins to fall sideways.
In the brief moment of shock, Sky loses his balance and tumbles toward the railing, knocking them both into the air as the stairwell falls into the wall. Luffy quickly uses his ability to shoot one arm to the platform above, while wrapping his other arm around Sky. When Sky is secured, he pulls them both up through the air and onto the platform safely.
Sky and Luffy kneel, catching their panicked breath. "Thanks, Luffy!" Sky remarks, steadying his nerves.
Luffy smiles. "No problem."
"Looks like he was expecting that too."
As they rise to their feet again, they examine the small room they're standing in, which appears to be a vestibule leading into Fukitsu's chambers. They step through the doorway and carefully peak around the corner, seeing nothing but an empty chamber.
"Where is he?" Luffy wonders, holding his hat in place.
Sky shakes his head. "I'm not sure...but I don't like this."
Their eyes begin to scan the room, until they come to the front of the chamber, where the prison cell is located. Sky freezes for a moment in surprise, as he spots Aiku and Lunya hanging with the other prisoners, just above the floor line.
"Aiku! Lunya!" He shouts, running toward the cell. Luffy follows.
But just before they reach the cell, a transparent white wall appears in front of them, blocking their access.
Sky bangs against it furiously. "Damnit! What is this?!"
Luffy comes beside him. "Here, stand back!" He guides Sky away from the door, then winds up his arm. He thrusts forward with all of his might, but his fist bounces off without causing any damage. Luffy growls in anger.
Above them, menacing laughter begins wafting through the air. Sky and Luffy spin around and direct their eyes to the ceiling. There, standing in a large open vent, is Fukitsu. He looks down at them through the wide rectangular opening, smiling and chuckling as he watches them struggle.
Sky jumps forward. "Fukitsu!"
"That's him?" Luffy inquires, staring down his enemy.
Sky nods. "That's him."
Fukitsu grins and folds his hands behind his back. "My, my, Sky. How much you have grown since our last encounter."
Sky grits his teeth. "Spare me your pleasantries, monster. I'm here to end it this time."
Fukitsu laughs. "I'm sure it will make for a fine show when you finally fall."
"Not this time. This time I have friends. And none of us will fall until you have."
"A rousing speech. Fearless to the last. You know if you weren't my enemy, you would make a very powerful ally. I can still--"
"GUM-GUM PISTOL!" Luffy interrupts him.
Luffy's arm flies at Fukitsu like a bullet, catching him off guard. He lands the blow and sends Fukitsu stumbling backward, blood spewing from his nose.
Sky and Luffy leap up through the vent and land on the roof, now standing before the open air high in the sky. Fukitsu holds his face and attempts to find his balance after suffering the hit.
Luffy pounds his fist into his hand. "Enough talk! I'm here to kick your ass!"
Sky repositions his body, shifting into a fighting stance. "I've been waiting for this moment for a long time."
Fukitsu wipes blood from his face. "You stole the words right away from me."
Sky looks to Luffy. "We don't have much time, Luffy. I'm not sure how much longer Aiku and Lunya will last in there."
Luffy grins, cracking his knuckles. "Heh. Don't worry. This won't take long." Fukitsu smirks and ushers them forward. "Now--THIRD GEAR!" Luffy jumps into the air, his arm growing in size and hardening immediately.
Yet to his great surprise, before he can launch his attack, Fukitsu lifts a hand toward him gently and sends an aura bubble straight at him. It captures Luffy, absorbing him and trapping him inside. He falls to the floor, bouncing across the surface until he rolls in front of Sky.
Sky looks down to him, his eyes widening with concern as Luffy pounds against the surface. He is unable to escape, and unable to make a sound.
"Hard to believe that boy's bounty is so high." Fukitsu scoffs. Sky locks eyes with him, rage filling his emotions. "If he was only a bit more intelligent..."
"Shut up!" Sky scolds. He places both hands in front of him, palms facing each other, as a blue light begins to glow between them. "There's no mercy in the sky--PORTAL!" He shouts.
Under Fukitsu's feet, a portal to the sky opens wide, sending him down through the hole and disappearing into the floor. For a fleeting moment, Sky assumes the battle may be over. But as soon as Fukitsu vanishes, his head quickly reemerges from the portal. He rises through the air on a small platform made from his body's energy and places himself down on the floor again.
Sky looks on in awe, realizing with dread that one of his most potent abilities has failed him. He takes a step back and centers his emotions.
Fukitsu grins, stepping toward him. "You'll have to try much harder than that."
Sky grimaces. "I can't believe it..."
"I hope you're not out of moves already." Fukitsu mocks.
"Hardly!" Sky crosses his arms in front of him. "SKYWAVE!" His arms fly forward, releasing a x-shaped wave of sky energy toward Fukitsu.
Fukitsu crosses his arms. "Aura shield!"
A thick shield of white energy appears in front of Fukitsu, as the sky energy strikes him and breaks around his body like an ocean wave on the rocks.
Fukitsu then lifts both of his arms to the side. "Aura ghosts!"
Like souls of the dead rising from his body, dozens of ghostly figures in the abstract shape of Fukitsu begin swirling around his figure, before darting forward at Sky.
Sky quickly crouches and places his hand on the floor. "CLOUD BURST!"
With a gust of strong energy, Sky sends a tower of clouds into the air, masking his position. Fukitsu panics for a moment, desperately searching for Sky's figure, but he has lost sight of him.
Suddenly, Sky reappears beside Fukitsu, sliding behind him gracefully. He sends another blade of sky energy cutting through the air, slicing upward through Fukitsu's body. Fukitsu's eyes grow wide with shock as the wave blows through him. As Sky comes to a stop behind him, he watches as Fukitsu stumbles forward, sure he had landed the hit. But to his dismay, Fukitsu's body vanishes into the air. An aura decoy.
As Sky watches this, Fukitsu abruptly appears behind him, raising his hand overhead. "Bubble!" He calls out.
Sky immediately realizes what is about to happen and jolts forward, rolling across the surface seconds before Fukitsu's spell can make contact with his body. He jumps to his feet again and clasps his hands together tightly. "Try to escape this!" He stretches both his arms out in front of him, his hands bent into the shape of a circle. "SUN BEAM!" Through the opening in his hands, a bright ray of focused sunlight bursts forward.
Fukitsu remains unshaken, simply standing and awaiting the attack. Just before the sun beam reaches him, holds a hand in front of his face, a sparkling white glow radiating from his palm. The sun beam bounces off his hand and into the clouds.
Sky huffs angrily. "Damn. His haki is stronger than I thought."
Fukitsu smiles and lowers his hand. "You can't beat me with just the power of your ridiculous devil fruit. There are powers in this world far beyond what you can imagine. If you learn to use those abilities--as I have--you will become unstoppable. Just as I am."
Sky steadies himself and stands tall, facing Fukitsu with a new determination. "You may be strong, Fukitsu. But your overconfidence is your weakness."
Fukitsu laughs. "If you can't have faith in your confidence, what can you have faith in?"
Sky smiles confidently. "I have faith in myself--my heart. My friends. In love. And the power of good over evil."
"You have a way with words, but can your actions speak as loud? Seems to me you're taking your last breaths."
"This isn't my last breath..." Sky retorts, clinching his fists and widening his stance. "This is my first."
The floor under their feet begins to tremble. Fukitsu's stoic expression shifts to concern, as Sky stands assured. Waves of blue energy rupture the surface around his feet, surrounding his frame like lightning as they rise into the air.
Fukitsu involuntarily takes a step backward in alarm, feeling the strength of the energy surging through Sky's body.
Sky smiles, his eyes glowing with blue light. "You may have control over your own aura. But I have control over the Earth's. And now...I will show you that power! AURORA!" He exclaims, blue flames cascading around him.
Fukitsu calms his nerves, preparing for a strong attack. He smirks and crosses his arms. "Now that's more like it!" Suddenly, Fukitsu's body begins to mirror Sky. Waves of white energy blast upward from his frame, swirling around him like a vortex. "Come at me, boy! HAKI AURA!" White flames erupt from his skin.
Sky lets out a powerful, raging battle cry, darting toward Fukitsu with the full weight of his energy behind him.
Fukitsu matches his ferocity, thrusting himself forward to meet his opponent.
As they come together at the center of the roof, both men clash, their fierce energies colliding with unbelievable power. Light waves and lightning strikes erupt into the clouds.
End of Act I