As the crowd of women chanted for your execution, both the sisters Marigold and Sandersonia were towering over you and Luffy. They were praising the Snake Sisters for winning against Gorgon and how the curse made them stronger. And still beautiful.
"Cursed?" questioned Luffy. "What are they talking about? No matter how it looks, you just ate a Devil Fruit"
"Maybe I should swallow them up?" chuckled the green haired snake.
"Or maybe I should strangle them to death?" suggested the other one.
"Could it be that they are scared?"
"You're going to get killed no matter what!"
"Wait a second!" shouted your captain.
"You're going to beg for your life?" asked Sandersonia.
"Even if you apologize now, your sins can't be pardoned!"
"It's nothing like that" said in irritation Luffy, walking to the girls who turned into stone. "Can you help me, (y/n)?"
You helped the ebony male to put the girls outside the arena, avoiding an inevitable accident of breaking into pieces if they stayed at the same spot. While doing so, the three Snake Sisters and the Kuja warriors eyed you two in disbelief.
"They don't have any cracks, right?" asked Luffy after putting down Aphelandra, the last one.
"I don't think so" you replied, jumping back in the arena.
"You three wait here. Sorry about this. Because of us you guys turned into stone. If Chopper was here, I'd ask him to check on you right away. It's just like when Robin, (y/n) and I were turned into ice by Aokiji"
"It's not the same, Luffy" you sighed, shaking your head. "Ice can be melted by applying lukewarm water....They are nothing but stone. So the only way to get them back to normal is to ask 'nicely' to the bitch over there"
"AGAIN?!" screeched Hancock, bringing a hand over her heart. Cue an uproar from the crowd.
"Anyway, they should be able to turn back to normal"
"Shouldn't you be more concerned about your own safety instead f theirs?" inquired Sandersonia.
"Shut up! I can do what I want! I just gotta beat you guys up, right?"
Everyone gasped, until a few giggles escaped numerous lips from the auditorium, as well as from the Snake Sisters in the arena. Luffy looked around him confusingly, not understanding why they were laughing.
"I can do that, right?"
"I suppose you can" you shrugged.
"Sure you can" said Marigold, whipping a tear away from her eye. "If you haven't given up on your life yet, let me tell you something. You'd better not fall into the space between the audience and the arena. I don't mind if it happens, but if you fall, you will be stabbed by the spikes below. You don't have anything else to do, right?"
"Nah, I'm fine!" grinned naively Luffy.
"Here we go..." you groaned in exasperation.
"Then, let's start"
"Kill them, Sandersonia, Marigold!!! For the crime of intruding on this island of women! For the sin of insulting me, show them the art of punishment!" ordered Hancock.
Marigold was the first one to move, lifting her lance above her head and swung the blade in Luffy's direction. You summoned your naginata, clashing with her as sparks of electricity flew out from the collision. You smirked at her shocked expression, who quickly turned feral. The two of you battled with your weapons, Luffy staring at the fight in amazement.
Suddenly, the woman spat from her mouth a purple liquid that nearly grazed your skin.
"Poison?! That was close!" shouted Luffy.
"It's a deadly poison. Too bad for you!"
Marigold continued to shoot her venom at you both, Luffy dodging by jumping around the arena while you deflected the spits with your naginata. The young man charged at the snake woman, avoiding the poison and swung his leg back.
"Gomu Gomu no Stamp!!" he shouted.
However, Marigold deflected the hit with the inside of her hand, the limb bouncing back. His eyes widened in surprise, and let out a grunt when she slammed the tip of her rod in his stomach.
"That hurts....Why? I'm rubber...." groaned Luffy in pain, clutching his guts.
"Watch out!!!" you warned, tossing Luffy out of the way as the snake directed her lance at him.
You twirled your weapon above your head, jumped and swung it down on top of Marigold. She blocked the blade by using the rod, stopping you short. You gasped when a tail enrolled around your waist, looking down to see the smirking face of Sandersonia.
"That's unfair. Don't hog all the fun yourself, Mari" scolded the other snake. "I want to have some fun too"
"(y/n)!!!" shouted Luffy, running to your aid but Marigold slammed once again her rod on him. "Why?! Why does it hurt when I'm rubber?! The guy with the battle axe was like that too! It was just like this! But he wasn't a Devil Fruit user....Which means this isn't a Devil Fruit ability?"
"You're a Devil Fruit user, too, right?" questioned Sandersonia as she hanged you upside-down. "You seem to be a Paramecia type"
"I knew it! Why'd you guys make up the lie about being cursed?"
"That's a secret. I can't tell anyone...Even if they're about to die. But you can't use 'Willpower', right? People who are not from this island are unfamiliar with it. That's why you're weak"
"LET HER GO!" snapped your captain, running at her.
"A kick with the left foot" she stated, before avoiding said limb. She giggled, glaring at Luffy. "I'm over there"
"She predicted my move! (y/n)!!!"
"Hebi Slam!"
Sandersonia lifted her tail and slammed you against the ground. You let a snarl, rolling away while holding your head in pain. Luffy ran to you, kneeling down and taking your face in his hands:
"Are you alright?!" he panicked.
"Attacks like that won't work on me. They are simply dizzy" you said. "But watch out Luffy, she can read your moves like other opponents we faced in the past"
Luffy then used his Gatling technique and sent waves of punches at Sandersonia, who dodged them by doing some kind of weird snake dance.
"Those kind of moves won't work on me. I've already grasped your movements" she stated smugly.
"I don't mind if you focus on attacking her, but...Hebi Stick!"
Marigold used her tail and slammed the tip against Luffy's ribs cage. The young boy let out a yell, falling a few feet away. Your captain passed through the railing, and he would crashed on the girls turned into stone if he didn't propel himself over them.
"LUFFY!" you yelled, watching as he fell toward the spikes. "Hungry Ghosts Realm: Kodama!! Save him Steven!!"
The wooden doll ran toward the edge and turned into his true form. With a yowl, he extended his claws to Luffy and grabbed him before he could land on the spikes.
"This man is only talk. How silly" hummed Hancock, tucking her hair behind her ear with a smile that you wanted to punch so bad.
"Shut up, Hancunt" you said bluntly as you pulled back Luffy in the arena.
"I can't take it anymore!!" gasped the Pirate Empress, arching her back exaggeratedly.
"SHE INSULTED THE SNAKE PRINCESS AGAIN!!"
"UNFORGIVABLE!!!"
"HURRY UP AND KILL THEM!!"
"Sonia. Mari. Put an end to their life right now, so that I will never have to hear...Their filthy talk again!" she said as she truck a strange pose with her finger pointed at you and back arched so much you thought she will fall backward.
"I wanted to enjoy it a little more, but since it is our sister's order, it can't be helped" told Sandersonia.
"Then, the play time is over" added Marigold.
"Let's hand the convict over to their despair and death!"
Sandersonia extended her tail, enrolling around Marguerite's form and pulled her inside the arena. Luffy glared at her angrily:
"What are you doing?! Don't touch them! What if they break?!" demanded Luffy, which the Snake Sisters responded with a laugh.
"I'll break them" said the green snake, and Luffy gasped at her.
"You said they saved your life, right? Then she deserves it"
"Too bad for this girl but it's your punishment..."
"Quit screwing with me!!" snarled your captain. "This fight is between us and you!! Stop it!!"
The young man dashed forward, and Marigold swung her weapon down on him. He jumped in the air to avoid it, but she used her tail to smash him on the ground. She then enrolled it around his waist, squeezing him:
"You're the only one who thinks that this is a fight. This is a public execution"
"Oi, let go!" you snapped, pulling out your guns.
You coughed saliva when Sandersonia suddenly whipped around and slammed her tail against your back. You faceplanted, your guns sliding away from your reach.
"Look quietly. This is nothing compared to the wound in our sister's heart" said Sandersonia, throwing up and down Marguerite's statue.
"Oi, stop it!! She admired you!!!" cried Luffy.
"Everyone in this kingdom does. That's why I think she would be satisfied with that"
"LIKE HELL SHE WOULD. ARE YOU STUPID?!"
"Such insolent words..."
"We'll break the other two as well...Slowly and taking our time. That way you will suffer more, right?" said Marigold.
"Here I go...Three...."
"Stop it!"
"Two..."
"I SAID WAIT!!!"
"One....."
As Sandersonia mouthed zero and was about to crush Marguerite against the marble, Luffy's eyes narrowed into slits, and he shouted at the top of his lungs:
"I TOLD YOU TO STOP, DAMMIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
A wave of power and wind surged from him, shaking everyone who witnessed this. The Snake Sisters stood there with their mouth agape, frozen on the spot. Some of the Kuja women had fainted by the display of immense willpower from the boy. You, on the other hand, stared silently at him, eyes wide like saucers.
"......He has....Conqueror Haki....?" you whispered to yourself.
Marigold put Luffy back on his feet, the young man running to Marguerite's statue as Sandersonia did the same. He checked her a few times, careful to not make any crack. He sighed in relief:
"Thank God. Not a single scratch on her!" Luffy beamed. "What, so you listened to me after all? Thanks! Shishishishi!!!"
".....Okay, he doesn't know" you sweatdropped, expression dropping. "How convenient"
"Alright, I can tell you're strong! So let's continue...the fight!" now the young man smiled in confidence.
"What are you waiting for?! You have nothing to fear from that man!!" shouted Hancock.
"That's right. We have nothing to fear from him, Mari!"
"Indeed, even if he does possess an immense willpower...As long as he can't control it, it's nothing but enthusiasm"
"But first, if we're gonna go all-out, I've gotta move her...It'd be bad if she broke" Luffy said, turning to Marguerite.
"My, you seem to be extremely calm. It seems that you still don't understand the situation you're in" said Sandersonia. "That statue doesn't matter one bit!"
The green haired woman swung her tail in the direction of the statue, but Luffy took the hit and stopped it from destroying Marguerite. Sandersonia retreated her tail, glaring at Luffy in confusion:
"Why would you defend that statue, when it means taking an attack for it?"
"She's got nothing to do with it, right?" coughed your captain. "She's got nothing to do with this fight, does she?!"
"Very well. Let him move that statue" decided Hancock, surprising her sisters. "We will let that man and woman fight to their heart's content. And then, we will take them down without mercy and show them what worthless creatures men are!"
Luffy lifted Marguerite's statue over his shoulder and brought her a few feet away from the Snake Sisters, putting her down gently. Then, he returned to stand next to after you took this time to regain your guns. The ebony male smiled in confidence, cracking his knuckles:
"Alright, go ahead!"
"Oh? Are you ready?" smirked Sandersonia.
"Ready to be taken down by us?" demanded Marigold.
"I already told you...You're the ones who're gonna get beaten up!"
The fight continued with Marigold shooting her poison at you both, to which you two avoided without much difficulty. However, you started to cough as a deep purple fog surrounded the area.
"What's with that fog?!" questioned Luffy, coughing too.
"My poison melts anything it touches. But that's not all it does"
"I feel dizzy...." you said, clutching your forehead as your sight blurred.
"I won't underestimate you two any longer. You are our prey. I will weaken you with my poison. I will trap you, and then bring you down for good!" stated Marigold, attacking Luffy. "If you so much as inhale my poison, your consciousness will fade!"
The Snake Sisters continued to land some hits on you, and when Luffy tried to take the upper hand, he was throwing attacks like a blind man. None of your bullets hit the targets either. Your captain panted, the purple fog taking a toll on him.
"No matter how hard you try, as long as you can't use your ability, you're no different from a mouse to us! GIVE IT UP ALREADY!" snarled Marigold, twirling her weapon above her head and slammed it on Luffy.
The young man let out a shout of surprise, dodging it but she slammed the tip in his stomach, throwing him out of the arena and into the spikes. You called his name weakly, your sight turning darker as you knelt on the ground. Suddenly, an arm enrolled around your waist and you were tugged toward the pit of spikes.
Luffy gave you a piggyback as he stretched limbs around the edge of the arena and the audience, flying above the spikes like a monkey.
"Oi, you're alright?!" he asked, and you nodded.
"The poison is still in me..." you whispered weakly.
"Leave it to me!"
You hummed in confusion when your captain suddenly tossed you in front of him. Your eyes widened as best as they could when the male swung one of his fist backward, and with all his strength slammed it in your ribs cage. You spat every last bit of poison resting inside in one shot, your body colliding with the wall of the audience.
The Kuja warriors released a startled scream, eyeing you in disbelief as foam escaped your mouth, your limbs stretched in a star shape. Luffy let out a laugh, wrapping his arm around your waist once more to put you back in place from before.
"So, did the poison come out?"
"WHAT THE REALM OF HELL WAS THAT FOR?!!!" you roared, punching the back of his head and he stumbled a little in his flying, a large bump appearing.
"B-B-But it w-w-worked r-r-right?!"
You blinked when you realized that the dark veil covering your sight as lifted, and you were feeling a lot more good than a few seconds ago. You were healed because of the damn moron.
"....Yeah" you pouted, enrolling your arms around his neck.
"Now that we are out of there, what should we do about that poisonous smoke?"
"Watch out, she's going for more!" you warned Luffy, pointing at Marigold who aimed another spit of her poison.
The young boy grabbed the red railing of the arena, and sent you both flying in the sky, right above it. With a smile, he started to inhale the air around him, his body inflating at the same time. Then, he started to blow at the poisonous spots, clearing them instantly.
With a small cry, you landed on the ground with Luffy holding you bridal style, the man setting you back on your feet.
"I finally cleared it! I've blown away both the poison and the smoke!" said Luffy in accomplishment. "Now we can fight without worrying!"
"Fight without worrying, you say?" repeated Sandersonia.
"After bring that badly injured, you still say such insolent things?!"
"Now...." trailed Luffy, entering in his Second Gear, his body letting out smoke. "I'm not gonna hold back my full power anymore. Gear Second"
"What is that?!"
"Steam is coming out from his body!! Men can do that?!"
"What kind of creatures ARE they?!"
"Full power...? You mean you weren't fighting at full power until now?" demanded in disbelief Sandersonia.
"So, you've got steam coming off your body...How is that gonna help you?" asked Marigold.
"We can predict your every move! And have you forgotten that your attacks have no effect on us?"
"I'll give it a try. Gomu Gomu no....Jet!....."
Sandersonia threw some hits with her tail at Luffy, who disappeared each times she went to land her attack
".....Pistol!!" he said, sending a hit that she blocked at the last second, taking her off-guard.
"Sister Sonia!!" cried out Marigold. "It seems like he wasn't bluffing when he said this was his full power..."
"If so, then I will use my full strength to kill you, too!" said darkly Sonia, her hair transforming into several snake heads. "Hebigami Tsuki : Yamata no Orochi!!"
Sandersonia sent at Luffy her snakes hair, and each time he avoided them at the last second with his Gear Second. The snake woman narrowed her eyes at how easily he dodged them, and she couldn't keep up with him anymore. Your captain rapidly jumped at her neck and enrolled an arm around it.
He pulled her down, and the back of her head knocked with the arena's ground. Marigold cried out her sister's name, and your captain took this time to prepare his next attack at her:
"Useless! Your attack will just bounce off of me, just like before. If I can just endure your speed, then your brute attacks won't be able to break through my guard!" told the other woman.
"...Jet Bazooka!!" yelled Luffy, smashing his fists against the open palms of Marigold. It was so strong that she was pushed backward and her weapon broke in half.
"Sonia! Mari! What are you playing around for?!" barked Hancock, her sisters trembling at her anger. "Have you forgotten that you are here...to punish that man and woman?!"
"P-Please forgive us, Big Sister! We will finish them off right away!" stammered Sandersonia.
The two snake women trapped Luffy, with the green haired woman's hair reverting to their snakes form and the other put herself on fire.
"You're not gonna got away!" snarled Sandersonia.
"They got him surrounded! No matter how slippery he might be, there's no escape from this!"
"There's no attack stronger than this one!"
"Gomu Gomu no....." started Luffy as the Snake Sisters sent their hair snakes at him. "....Jet Gatling!"
Luffy punched their hair multiple times, destroying the snakes and they both stumbled backward. Using this momentum, he used his legs to kick their lower-half and the snake women fell on each other. Sandersonia's hair and cape went on fire, the female releasing a screech. Marigold pushed her away from her, but realized that their tails were now tied together.
"Your mistake to forget about me...." you told them, doing a peace sign while Luffy laughed out loud.
"Watch out, Sister Sonia!" shrieked Marigold as her sister fell toward the spikes. "That's the trench of spikes! Grab on to the railing!!"
Sandersonia did as told, holding herself from falling by holding the railing. However, her cape turned into ashes and it was a matter of time before her back will be exposed to everyone. At this, Luffy jumped on top of her back, covering it.
"The man is gonna finish her off!"
"That's horrible! He's gonna drop her into the trench and impale her like a beast!!"
"YOU DAMNED MAN!" snapped Sonia.
"Don't move!" ordered Luffy. "Even if you intend to kill us.....I won't kill you!"
"Don't get cocky, damn you! Mari! Hurry up and kill him now that you have the chance! What are you doing, Mari?!"
"I can't, Sister Sonia" breathed Marigold. "Right now, that man is....protecting us!"
"Look! Sandersonia's cape has burned up, and her back is exposed!"
"If that man lets go of her, the Gorgon's Eye will be exposed!"
"This is terrible! Everyone who sees them will turn to stone!"
"You're covering my back?" murmured Sandersonia.
"You mentioned this earlier, right? You'd rather die than let anyone see it, right? So don't move!"
"The show is over! Before the Gorgon's Eye is exposed, everyone clear out the arena!" shouted the Pirate Empress.
The crowd of women didn't need to be told twice. All of them ran out of the arena and back to the village, leaving the Snake Sisters, Elder Nyon, Luffy, and you behind. Hancock breathed in and out, letting herself fall back on her seat. She brought a hand over her face, tears cascading down.
"You were just fighting me...Why are you helping me?" inquired Sandersonia.
"The thing you don't want anyone to see...doesn't have anything to do with our fight" answered Luffy