Both Franky and Zoro took the small bridge on the lower level, while the others took the stairs in direction of Moria's dance hall. Luffy and Sanji were already rampaging through the castle, in search of food and Nami respectively.
You ran behind Robin, Chopper and Usopp, and you blinked when ghosts appeared at the top of the staircase. They passed through Sanji and Luffy, the both bending over as dark clouds hovered them.
"It's all over..." whined your captain pathetically. "If I were to be reborn, I would want to be a maggot..."
"I have such large eyebrows...I'm better off dead...." said Sanji, whimpering.
"Oi, Sanji, Luffy! What's wrong with you?!" cried out Usopp.
"Ne-ga-ti-ve! Ne-ga-ti-ve!" sang the ghosts in unison.
"Robin, what's going on?!"
"It's the ghosts' doing!" she answered. "When you touch them, you lose your will to live. We haven't found a countermeasure to it-"
"STRAIGHTEN YOUR BACK AND MOVE YOUR ASS ALREADY!" you snarled, kicking Sanji and Luffy's butt.
That sent them flying to the top of the staircase and they crashed against a few zombies standing there. Usopp and Chopper sweatdropped at the scene while Robin blinked in disbelief, before a smile made its way on her lips.
"Well, it seems we found one!"
"SHE KICKED THEM ALMOST THROUGH THE ROOF!" cried out the reindeer and sniper.
"LET'S KEEP GOING ALREADY!" you snapped at the trio behind you, running ahead.
Chopper and Usopp grabbed the fallen bodies of Luffy and Sanji, before following you close behind. However, when you were about to pass the doorway, there was an explosion and the roof above your heads collapsed. You avoided the debris as Robin, Chopper and Luffy were pushed next to you.
When the smoke cleared out, the staircase that led you at the top disappeared with the zombies and ghosts. Chopper was leaning against the edge, yelling for Usopp and Sanji's name.
"What happened?!" you grunted, clutching your head painfully.
"They had fallen!" yelled Chopper in his human form.
"Man, that surprised me!" cried out Luffy, rolling on his stomach. "Eh?! The stairs are gone! What happened?!"
"The zombies. Usopp and Sanji....Everyone has fallen" replied the reindeer.
"Too bad for them, I'm moving on ahead. If that bitch somehow breaks Steven and I'm not here to contain him, this island will disappear in a matter of seconds!!"
"W-Wait what?!" stammered Luffy and Chopper in unison but you were already gone.
Scurrying in the long hallway leading to Moria's dance hall, you avoided encountering zombies on your way or the strange ghosts with a big tongue. The last thing you wanted was to end up back in the creeps's hands. At this thought, you shuddered violently and you shook your head, getting rid of them immediately. Because of him, you will have nightmares for a week.
Jumping on a platform, you climbed a staircase leading to the last place you saw La Florette. Stopping momentarily to catch your breath, you examined at the same time the walls. There must be a secret passageway leading to her room or something like that.
"But, she was using portals to make her way room to room....Where could she be in this damn gigantic castle?!" you grunted, trailing your digits on the marble.
You closed your eyes and tried to use your purple eye to find Steven. However, it was as useful as glasses without lentils. Not really effective. You banged your head against the wall, letting out a snarl. If only you didn't let your guard down and save the reindeer, you wouldn't find yourself in this stupid situation. In fact, you were blaming everything on Luffy for even bringing you in his crew.
Suddenly, you heard it. A familiar whistle song resonating in the castle's empty halls. Your eyes widened in surprise, and you slowly faced the way it came from. The sound continued, and you didn't waste any time to run toward its source. You finally ended up in what looks like a wide open room with pillars forming a circle in the middle. And at the center of it, stood a dark figure examining something on the ground.
"My guns!" you exclaimed.
The person jolted at the sound of your voice, and whipped his head to face you. It was a woman. A zombie, to be exact. However, you couldn't help the familiar feeling engulfing your chest.
"Oh. It's you" said the woman. "My true body"
"You must be the zombie holding my shadow, are you?" you replied, taking a defensive stance.
"Maybe"
A silence reigned in the awkward atmosphere, and you narrowed your eyes at the zombie when she bent down and took your guns. She cocked the hilt, and her golden eyes fell on you.
"You want those back, don't you?" the zombie hummed.
"I would appreciate it. But that's not gonna happen in this life, right?" you scoffed, rolling your eyes as your tone dripped with sarcasm.
"You're not as stupid as you look" smirked the woman, pointing your gun at you. "I'm not here to return to you. In fact, I enjoy having my own body..."
"I'm not surprised that it would end up as fight. Anyway, you look like someone who needs a good spanking" you spoke, lifting your fists in an attacking stance.
"Now" you said in unison with the zombie. "Let's get started, shall we?"
(A/N: For a good immersion, you can add the music to this as you read)
The two of you lashed at each other. With a raged cry from your shadow, she lifted her weapon and shot several bullets. Some of them in your direction, the others using the pillars to bounce against them and randomize their trajectory. A scowl appearing on your face, you quickened your pace and slid on the ground to avoid the bullets.
Tilting your head to the right so one of the bouncing bullets missed your head, you threw yourself at your shadow. Both of you rolled on the floor, giving each other some punches and kicks. The zombie let out a snarl and headbutted you, making you cringe in pain. She grabbed the back of your neck and slammed your face against the tiles of the floor. Hearing the hilt of the guns, you turned so you laid on your back, bending your knees to kick the zombie and sent it flying across the room.
Wiping the blood from the wound of your lower lip, you stood back up and regained a defensive stance. The zombie, who crashed against a wall, pulled itself out from there. She landed back on her two feet, a dark glare on her face.
"Don't test my patience, little girl" the zombie growled.
"Same thing to you, skunk"
The fight continued with you having the upper hand, since your shadow sure did have your abilities, but she didn't seem to know how to use them correctly. Until, she somehow summoned your naginata, and was now swinging it in every direction to slice you. Arching your back, the blade missed your torso barely an inch, the naginata stopping at your neck. The zombie female smirked slightly and swiped your feet from under you. Doing a backflip, you jumped away and stopped the naginata in mid-air when she decided to follow you closely.
Holding her glare, the two of you were staring at each other intensively. Who will flinch first? Your knuckles were turning white as you held the weapon's rod. Your shadow applied more force, making you take a step back.
"Give my weapons back, it's useless" you said, and your zombie clicked her tongue in disapproval.
"Sorry, but I have no intention to return in your shadow, (y/n)"
"That's your job, you dumbass" you gritted your teeth, pushing her off of you.
You enrolled your arms around her waist and slammed yourself against her, sending you both falling backward. You landed on top of the zombie, straddling her hips. You pined her hands above her head, quickly patting your backside in search of your bag of salt. The shadow struggled under you, but you were heavier than her. You were about to throw the salt in her mouth, when she used her legs to slam a knee between your limbs.
Letting out a 'huff', you lost the small sack of salt who fell a few feet away from your duo. You growled and punched her jaw, to which she responded with one of her own in your stomach. Cursing, you were thrown away by the blow and collided against one of the pillars. You squeaked when one of your guns landed at your feet, and you stared in confusion at the zombie. She was still holding the other one in her hand, and she motioned for you to take it.
"I have my pride. If you defeat me by using only your powers, you will have the right to use the salt against me" said the zombie.
"No cheap tricks, then?"
"As if I need to cheat to end you" she smirked, loading the gun.
You stared blankly at her, until a smirk of your own made its way to your lips. You took the gun in your hand. But, to her surprise, you extended the hand holding the weapon in front of you:
"I will use no gun in this fight" you stated. "It's a battle against my very being. That means I must use the first weapon that came to me when I rebirthed in this Realm..."
The gun glowed a purple color, and it slowly transformed itself into a long dagger. (). Twirling it around your fingers, you finally pointed it at the zombie:
"Let's end this!" you declared.
The female zombie dashed at you, leaping across the room like a cheetah running to get her prey. You did the same, and before the two of you could clash, you used your dagger to rip the left side of your dress. Tearing it at the level of your hips to all the way down, your left leg was able to move freely once again. You used your dagger to block the zombie's gun and swung your leg to hit her temple hard.
Your shadow swore under her breath, and shot your naked thigh. But you anticipated the bullet. Eye flashing purple, you hit back the bullet with your dagger, deflecting every shot the zombie sent at you. It was a tirade of bullets and sparkles of lightning each time one of them collided with the blade.
You did a roundhouse kick, smashing your leg against the zombie's ribcage. She coughed a black substance, her eyes turning white. Her body stood still for a moment, before your shadow fell on her knees. She let out a raged breath, the black substance dripping down her chin.
(A/N: You can stop the music now)
"Y-Y-You...." she tried to say, and you lifted a hand.
"You were defeated" you stated firmly. "You know how the deal goes..."
"I s-suppose..." she sighed, hanging her head low. "Alright. You win"
You walked toward the sack of salt and bent over to take it. Until, when you regained your posture, you felt a hot breath against your neck. A familiar giggle resonated in the room, and a hand wrapped itself around your throat.
"B-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l-chan~" cooed the voice of La Florette in your ear.
"W-What are you doing here?!" you stammered, your voice catching in your throat when the witch suddenly trailed a hand over your naked thigh.
"I got bored of this pity fight..." she whined. "So I came here to have some fun...."
Her hand continued up on your naked leg, and she reached for the brim of your thong. La Florette tugged on it, letting out a small giggle, before releasing it. You flinched as the brim slapped your skin, the sound echoing around the room.
"How naughty...Wearing a thong around me? Tatatatata! Though, I already saw you naked earlier when I changed you in this beautiful dress that suits you so well" continued La Florette.
"You were the one who changed me-Ah!" you squeaked when she grabbed your hips all of sudden.
La Florette caressed your thighs sensually, biting her lips. She turned your body so you were facing her, the gesture making you dizzy a little. The witch grabbed your chin, whipped your face to the right side, and licked your cheek. Chills running down your back, you tried to push her away, but she merely tighten her hold around you.
"You're so beautiful~....I hope Master will share with me!~ I was his favorite!....Until you came in the picture, you bitch"
La Florette's personality quickly did a 180, her expression turning dark and into one of pure rage. Her eyes became red and her nails dug inside your hips. She lifted her chin haughtily like a snob:
"Second Line: Tear"
Something slashed across your face, and you released a scream of pure agony. You felt like your face was breaking in pieces. Literally. You fell on your side, clutching your cheek. When you looked at your hand, you saw pieces. Broken pieces of your face like a porcelain.
"I ate the Porcelain-Porcelain fruit. It turned me into a Porcelain Woman" explained La Florette. "Everything that I touch, including myself, turns into porcelain...."
"So that's what you did earlier?! Turned me into porcelain?!" you barked, trying to hold the pieces of your face together.
"I was Master's favorite....I gave my love and my life to him. We were happy!" the mad woman snapped, slamming her foot on your side, eliciting a pained growl from you. "Then, you appeared! My Master was only talking about YOU! Kissing your wanted poster! Telling me about his fantasies of a future with YOU!"
At each sentences, she kicked you with her heels, the kick stronger than the previous. When she was done with her tantrum, she took a deep breath:
"Finally...I accepted my Master's happiness...." she said more calmly. "If his true happiness is to be with you, then so be it. Seeing you running away from him breaks my heart! You...You.....YOU....."
She lifted her head, her eyes completely showing insanity.
"YOU WILL BE THE BRIDE. AND YOU WILL MARRY MY MASTER"
A smirk appeared on your lips, to her surprise. She thought she would see despair in your eyes, but instead saw a smug expression. You stood up, and cracked your neck.
"So...You're telling me you took my clothes?" you muttered audibly. "And you also took Steven?..."
You clicked your tongue in a scolding manner, shaking your finger at her nose. You lifted one arm, extending your palm. La Florette blinked when both of your guns appeared in it, a purple aura engulfing your arm. You lifted the limb up, and the guns transformed themselves into a huge cannon/flamethrower.
She looked down at your feet, and saw that your shadow was back. And so it meant....
"You sure have some nerve..." you scowled, sending vibes of terror in La Florette. "When I'm done with you, there will be nothing left"
You loaded the cannon, a loud sound coming from it to signal it was fully loaded and at its maximum. You aimed it at La Florette, your smirk turned even bigger.
"Let's get started...shall we?" you muttered.
(A/N: Again, if you want some music....)
"Human Realm: Dancing Flames"
The witch didn't have the time to move that you were already charging at her. The first cannon bullet you shot at her, purple flames danced around it and transformed the bullet into a bigger size. La Florette screamed in fear, stepping aside to avoid the blow. However, what she didn't know is that it was a homing rocket.
The projectile passed through her and she released a pained noise. She was sent flying across the room, and through numerous walls of the castle. Wasting no time, you went after her. You found her leaning against a wall, trying to catch her breath and energy. You aimed another shot at the mad woman, and this time, it hit her straight in the forehead.
The brown haired witch gasped, and her head falling backward as foam escaped her lips. You sauntered toward the woman, slamming a foot beside her head. You leaned down, a dark look on your face:
"Give. Me. Steven. And. My. Clothes" you ordered.
The woman nodded fearfully, searching frantically in her clothes. She handed back to you Steven, screaming when you snatched the dizzy wooden doll from her.
"Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-YOUR CLOTHES ARE IN MY BEDROOM! A-A-A-AT THE END OF THIS HALLWAY!!!" she stammered. "P-P-PLEASE, DON'T KILL ME!!"
She was now a sobbing mess, grabbing her face as the tears fell on the floor. You rolled your eyes at her, putting a hand on your hip as you waited for her to stop crying. She sniffed a couple of times, blinking as to why you didn't end her life at this moment.
"I'm not going to kill you, bitch" you told her. "I would be too kind for that. And as for your Master, you can still try to win his love. You can have him all for yourself for all I care"
"B-But....He..loves..." she sniffed, wiping her tears.
"He will eventually get over me. I'm simply a toy for his lust. It wouldn't have last long" you sighed. "And this creep is too old for me. Now. Stop crying and get the Realm of Hell out of this island. If our path ever cross again, I won't hesitate to end you there"
"O-Ok!" she nodded, before opening a dark portal and disappearing in it.
You touched your cheeks to see if it was okay, and you were relieved to found that you weren't a piece of porcelain anymore. You opened your palm and glanced at Steven. The small doll stood on his little legs, shaking his head.
"Are you okay, Steven?" you asked worryingly.
The doll nodded, doing a small dance of victory. You chuckled at the sight, before lifting your head to glare ahead. You won one battle, but not war. And it was barely starting.