Ultimate Fruit

While Luffy was stuck in Amazon Lily, elsewhere, on a certain island.

A blonde-haired man with a top hat was frowning as he read the newspaper. His hands trembled as he gripped the sides of the paper.

Koala looked at Sabo worryingly and asked.

"Sabo, what's wrong? Was there something in the newspaper?"

Koala had also read the newspaper at the side and saw that it was only about Lucas killing a World Noble and a Whitebeard officer about to be executed.

She knew that Sabo and Lucas had met before but their relationship shouldn't have caused such a reaction on Sabo.

Unless...ah!? No way!? Is that why he kept ignoring my advances!?

It was a good thing Sabo didn't know what was going on in Koala's head, otherwise, he would've struck her head with his steel pipe!

Obviously, Sabo was more worried about the matter of Ace.

He wouldn't forgive this...he can't forgive this!

As part of the Revolutionary Army, though they are at odds with the Marines, their main enemy is the World Nobles that control the World Government. As such, they tend to not get involved with matters of Marines and Pirates fighting.

He owes a lot to Dragon and he didn't want to involve them in his selfishness. So...he can only do this alone!

"Koala, tell Dragon I wouldn't be coming back any time soon."

"E-eh? Sabo, what's wrong? Where are you going!?"

Koala snapped out of her delusions and panicked as she saw Sabo already running away.

"To Impel Down!"

"..."

Ehhhhhh!? It can't be...is he really in love with Lucas!? Nooooooooooooooooooo!!!

"W-what the!?"

Lucas looked around but didn't see any open window or equipment nearby that can cause such a reaction.

Soon after, he sneezed.

"...Is someone cursing me behind my back!?"

En, that was the only conclusion he could come up with...it was also a good thing he was so far away and didn't know what Koala was thinking. Otherwise...who knows what he might do!?

Grand Line, Alabasta.

Inside the Royal Palace, Vivi silently read the newspaper and thought for a moment.

After a while, she walked out of the room with a determined expression and went to look for her father.

"Father."

"Ah, Vivi, what is it?"

King Cobra was just discussing some national matters with his trusted aids when Vivi came in. As a father, he still prioritized his own daughter. Plus, there wasn't anything urgent he needed to handle at the moment.

"Father, I think it's time...to abolish the Shichibukai System."

!!!

King Cobra looked at his daughter in shock. Just what had happened for her to suddenly discuss this?

The truth was, Vivi had always felt that the Shichibukai were unnecessary. She still can't forget how helpless she was in the face of Crocodile in the past.

When she heard that Lucas had become a Shichibukai, she felt betrayed. Only when she met him again did she feel relieved. Lucas told her that he was simply using the Shichibukai title for the meantime. Now that he has been captured, and he has already made use of the title, there was no need for the Shichibukai to exist anymore!

King Cobra saw the determined look in Vivi's eyes and nodded. He had also thought the same in the past but never brought it up as it felt like a selfish request.

But now that his daughter also feels the same way, he can't simply ignore it anymore.

"Alright. But just because we want to abolish the Shichibukai System isn't enough...we need to make a plan."

"I understand father. I will help you every step of the way!"

Back in Amazon Lily.

After reading Lucas' note, Luffy pocketed it and turned to ask Marguerite if he could borrow a ship. He refused to follow what Lucas said and find a girlfriend!

However, it was indeed as Lucas said. This was the Calm Belt. It was not easy to make a boat that can sail it and right now, the Kuja Pirates are still away.

This was when the other women arrived and started firing at Luffy. He overheard them say something about the Empress arriving so he quickly went away.

At first, Luffy thought of simply stealing the ship and leaving but he knew that he had no navigating skills at all. It will only waste more time if he were to sail the ship on his own.

As such, even though he didn't like it, he can only ask the Empress to give him a ride…

Since he was still being chased, he tried to be sneaky and find the Empress that way. However, sneaky isn't really his thing even if he wanted it. The moment Luffy landed on the roof, he made a mistake and gauged his strength incorrectly which tore a hole on the roof!

"Dowaa! It broke!"

When he landed, he felt the water and thought he was drowning. Only after flailing for a couple of times did he realize that the water wasn't even knee-deep...he had just landed in a bath.

"Ah, I can stand. Is this a bathhouse?"

"!!! A man!?"

Luffy heard a voice and saw a naken woman's back turned on him. On her back was a unique mark which he felt was strangely familiar…

"Ah, that thing on your back...I feel like I've seen it before…"

"...You saw it!!!"

The woman didn't care that he saw her n_a_k_e_d. Rather, she was more angry at the fact that he saw the mark on her back!

Hearing the commotion, two people barged inside the bath as well and quickly put a robe to cover the woman's back.

Luffy started to panic as he knew that it wasn't right for him to be here. Especially in a women's bath!

"Ah l-look, I…"

"He saw...my back…!"

The two women's faces paled. They stared daggers at Luffy and gripped their weapons.

"Then he will have to die. That is the only solution."

"W-wha-!? Come on! I only saw her back!"

The woman didn't bother to explain much to him anymore. She stretched her arms forward and formed a heart shape with her fingers.

"Now take everything you have seen here with you to the grave! Mero Mero Merrow!"

"!? Huh!? Noro Noro!?"

Luffy thought he heard her say Noro Noro which was the ability of Foxy that slows people down.

Luffy was prepared to be slowed down but as the Mero Mero Merrow passed through him, he didn't feel any change at all.

"???"

"???"

The woman was confused as well so she fired another attack at him but...the result was still the same.

"???"

"???"

"???"

"???"

All four of them tilted their heads, completely confused why her attack did nothing at all!

"Why do you not turn to stone!? Even after seeing me in the bath..is your heart not moved in the slightest!?"

Though confused about what was going on, Luffy felt like he would be in even more trouble if he stayed so he quickly ran away.

"I'm not sure what's going on, but I'm sorry for barging in your bath! Umm...you're very beautiful!"

"W-what did you say!?"

This was the first time Hanc_o_c_k heard anyone call her beautiful, yet at the same time, still not be affected by her attack!

Actually, even Luffy didn't know what he was saying.

Dammit! It was all because of what Lucas wrote! Now I can't get it out of my head!

Luffy decided to put the blame on Lucas instead.

Once again, still in the Blazing Hell, Lucas sneezed…

"Achoo-! Dammit, who the hell keeps cursing me!? Aren't I already in hell!?"

"..."

The guards seeing him act crazy decided to ignore him…

Luffy jumped out of the window and landed on the ground. Before he could land, he sensed an incoming attack and quickly twisted his body to dodge.

However, below him, numerous Kuja warriors were already there waiting for him.

In a few moments, he was once again caught…

Actually, he could try harder to escape, but from the start, he knew that there were all misunderstandings about each other and he didn't want to hurt them. It was not their fault he ended up on this island after all, of course they will be wary about him.

When he was dragged over to an arena-like area and was asked to fight for his life, he didn't care too much. But he was annoyed that the people who had saved him before had been turned into stones by Hanc_o_c_k.

"No matter what I may do...I will always be forgiven. Why, you ask…?"

Hanc_o_c_k only needed to tilt her head slightly and brush her hair but it made everyone swoon at the sight.

"It is because I am...beautiful!"

"Ahhh~! Hebihime-sama~!"

The crown shrilled and their eyes seemed to turn into hearts as they were completely entranced by her beauty.

Luffy was just quiet and didn't have a change of expression.

Hanc_o_c_k looked at him and laughed.

"Hoho, and you too...you forgive me, do you not?"

"You may be beautiful, but you really piss me off!"

"!!!???"

Ahh...no good...I cannot understand this man at all! This man's existence...I cannot bear it!

Hanc_o_c_k placed her palm on her head and tilted back as if she just suffered from a mental attack.

Seeing her like this, her two sisters finally decided to enter the stage and confront Luffy themselves!

"It's Marigold and Sandersonia!"

"Take that man's head for me!"

"You just leave it to us, sister…"

Suddenly, the two of them started to morph and turn into snakes!

Hebi Hebi no Mi...Model: King Cobra / Anaconda!

Luffy saw these forms and understood that they were also devil fruit users. But before he fights them for real, he decided to move the statues of the people who saved him earlier to a safe location.

Once he was done, he clenched his fist and got ready for battle.

Merigold was the first to attack as she swung her spear at him. With Luffy's battle sense, it was quite easy to dodge. But when Merigold started to spit something out, Luffy was nearly hit and barely dodged in time.

Looking back at where the spit landed, he could see it actually corrode the area! It was poison!

Luffy gritted his teeth and launched an attack at her.

"Gomu gomu no...Stamp!"

When his stamp was about to hit, he noticed a slight change of movement in Merigold and judged that she was about to block his attack.

He grabbed his leg and flung it in multiple directions.

Gatling Stamp!

"!?"

This time, Merigold was unable to know which direction to block and was hit a couple of times on her body, pushing her back.

Unlike in the original where Luffy was still clueless about haki, this time, he had learned there are multiple types of haki.

When he fought the other women before, he realized that all their attacks contained haki, so it would make sense that the ones he's fighting right now also know it.

Not to mention, they seem to be proficient with Observation Haki as well.

But...Luffy had been preparing for someone of Lucas' caliber in terms of Observation Haki. These two were nowhere near Lucas' level at all! He can deal with them!

Suddenly, Luffy felt something behind so he quickly jumped and dodged.

As soon as he landed, he pushed his leg downwards and started to pump.

Gear...Second!

Swoosh.

In a single second, Luffy was already behind Sandersonia and delivered a punch.

"No good!"

"Jet Pistol!"

Sandersonia was blown away and was about to fall from the arena. Below, countless deadly spikes were placed that will kill her if she were to fall!

Luckily, she was still able to pull herself up due to her snake body.

Merigold was angered so she grabbed Marguerite and lifted her up.

"You will pay for that! Watch how I turn these saviors of yours to rubble!"

"STOP!"

Luffy shouted but Merigold didn't listen.

Just before the statue touched the ground, Luffy shouted once more.

"I SAID STOP!!!"

An invisible wave of energy seemed to explode from Luffy as a number of people in the stands were knocked unconscious.

Surprised, Merigold lost her strength and was not able to smash Marguerite's statue on the ground.

"Just now...that was the Emperor's Haki!"

"No way! Only one in a million people is capable of using it...the Haki of the Chosen Ones!"

It wasn't just the people spectating that were surprised. Hanc_o_c_k, Merigold, and Sandersonia were also shocked.

They didn't think...that this man also possesses the same Emperor's haki that Hanc_o_c_k has!

Luffy sighed in relief when he saw Marguerite was safe. After a few seconds, he restarted his Second Gear once more and attacked!

Sandersonia also no longer fooled around. Her hair moved and formed into snakes as they shot towards Luffy.

"Yamata no Orochi!"

Luffy dodged every single attack easily. Once he saw an opening, he stretched his arm and grabbed Sandersonia as he smashed her to the ground!

Merigold attacked Luffy once more but Luffy was faster.

"Tekkai...Jet Bazooka!"

"!!!???"

The powerful force actually managed to push her off, nearly falling to the spikes below!

The two realized that Luffy was more powerful than they thought. Marigold lit herself on fire and formed two flaming snakes beside her.

"Hebigamitsuki...Salamander!"

"Yamata no Orochi!"

Being faced by two attacks from all sides, Luffy breathed in and clenched his fists.

"Gomu gomu no...Jet Gatling!!!"

*Boom*Boom*Boom*Boom*Boom*Boom*Boom*Boom*Boom*Boom*

It only happened in an instant! All the attacks...were destroyed!

While his opponents were still confused and shocked, Luffy quickly tied their tails together and formed a V sign with his fingers.

"Our tails!? When did he!?"

"Ah!!! It burns! It burns!!!"

Unlike Marigold, Sandersonia wasn't fireproof so the fire from Marigold hurt her a lot.

In her panic, she nearly went off the stage and was only able to grab onto the railings of the stands in desperate.

Luffy saw the clothes on her back were burned off and the mark that they didn't want others to see was about to be shown so Luffy jumped on her back and covered it.

"Ah! It burns!"

Her back was still hot from the flame but Luffy bears with it.

"Damn you, man!"

"Don't move!"

Luffy shouted at Sandersonia who was glaring at him. She thought that he was there to deal the killing blow.

"Even if you're trying to kill me...I don't have any intention of killing you."

Marigold stood at the stage and sighed when he saw Luffy covering Sandersonia.

She knew that right now...Luffy is the only thing that is protecting them!

Only now did everyone realize that the so-called 'Gorgon's Eye' was about to be revealed!

At this time, Hanc_o_c_k finally stood up and announced to everyone.

"This ceremony is over! Before the Gorgon's Eye is exposed...everyone evacuate the arena!"

Everyone quickly ran outside.

Hanc_o_c_k slumped back down on her chair and covered her eyes.

A drop of tear trickled down her cheek as she can't help but remember all the pain that they have been carrying for years…