Chapter 246: South Eastern Beach
Chapter 246: South Eastern Beach
"Oh, they're good humans!" A tiny voice cheered.
"Then you should follow us! We have to get this fish back to the village!" Another stated.
The massive fighting fish was once more being dragged away, at a speed much faster than one would expect such little people to be capable. Perhaps there were a large number of them obscured by the hulking mass of the dead sea creature.
"Alright, get us to the other side, Cabernet." Usopp spoke commandingly.
Cabernet hurled him to the other side of the bridge without hesitation, causing him to squeal along the way. A fighting fish leapt out of the water and almost snatched him out of the air and swallowed him whole, if not for Robin stepping in and swatting it back into the water with a giant palm strike.
"You should be more careful about your choice of words, Longnose-kun." Robin teased gently as Usopp stood up with a groan and dusted himself off.
"I would like to be flown gently to the other side, thank you." Caesar spoke politely.
He was promptly thrown across the gap without hesitation.
"Damn youuuuuu! GEH!" Caesar squealed through the air and slammed into the ground face first.
Robin bridged the gap with a massive arm and started to walk across with Law and Cabernet. She at least had the sense to remember that if Cabernet took off the disguise that Kin'emon had given her to use her wings, it would transform back into the object he used to make it. Without Kin'emon here to make it again, she would be left exposed.
Cabernet and Usopp fended off the fighting fish that tried to attack Robin's bloomed arm bridge until they were safely across. Usopp was still a bit miffed about being thrown, but counted himself lucky when he saw Caesar's bloodied, busted nose.
The attacks died down as they soon reached the shore of Green Bit. Many wrecked ships could be seen washed ashore, no doubt destroyed by the fighting fish, in addition to a marine warship somehow entirely scuttled past even the beach, but mostly unharmed.
"Did the fighting fish do that too?" Usopp asked, pointing at the marine warship.
"Doubtful. I have a funny feeling it might have been put there on purpose though." Law said, remembering that he'd told Smoker he was planning to go to Green Bit in hopes of drawing some extra trouble for Doflamingo to deal with.
"What are you going to do about the marines?! I'm a wanted man, remember?! Joker can't save my hide since he isn't a Shichibukai anymore!" Caesar was panicking.
"We'll just kick their butts, science clown. Marines are silly and weak." Cabernet spoke confidently.
"Not if they sent an admiral here!" Caesar sneered. "And of course they'd send an admiral, I'm a super very important person that the world government will want to make sure to capture!"
"They aren't here for you, they have no idea you're here. Now shut up before you get us spotted." Law said coldly. He then directed his attention to Usopp and Robin. "Now, get into that forest, you two. We need to make sure there isn't anyone lurking in there to ambush us during the handoff and our sniper here needs a good spot to set up well out of danger."
The forest before them looked more like a giant sized flower garden with tree height flowers with several meter thick stems. There was no sign of the little people and their fighting fish prey after they entered the forest. After marching for a while, they overheard distant voices that sounded somewhat panicky.
Going to see what was going on, there was a group of marines in a circle all pointing their weapons outwards. They shouted back and forth with the little people surrounding them before things came to a head.
"Are you good people or bad people?" A little person who had introduced himself as Leo asked.
"Of course we're good people, we're marines who protect the innocent!" The marines insisted.
"Then surrender your weapons!" Leo challenged.
The marines would naturally not do such a thing, making all sorts of excuses to why they shouldn't and won't do so. A bad decision as they were promptly stripped of said weapons anyways, along with their uniforms as well. They were thankfully spared their under garments, however, and they ran away in fear from the helpless mugging they just experienced.
Robin stepped out into the clearing in spite of Usopp's protests. "Hello again?"
She could have caught some of the fleeing little people with her devil fruit, but felt that it wasn't necessary and not just a little rude.
"Halt!" The little person called Leo cried out from a hidden place. "Are you with those bad humans?!"
"No, I'm not with the marines. I met some of your fellows who were out fishing, we had a nice chat. I am a good person." Robin said.
"Then hand over your weapons!" Leo commanded, leaving no room for argument.
Robin reached into her bag and pulled out her blood bound dagger, throwing it into a nearby flower stem with a thunk. It was swiftly vanished by a scurrying little person who quickly took up hiding again.
"You ARE a good person! There aren't too many good people around these days, so selfish!" Leo said. "Good bye!"
"Wait! I want to learn about your people!" Robin said hurriedly, but noticed they had no intention of stopping for her. Seeing no other way, she raised her arms and bloomed a hand that expertly snatched up the little person called Leo.
"Ahh, I've been caught! She tricked us!" Leo cried out.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Usopp burst out of his hiding place. "She didn't catch you, she saved you from stepping on the invisible foot chomping beetle!"
"""""" Silence.
"R-really?! I'm sorry for accusing you, miss." Leo said, sounding genuinely apologetic.
"..." Robin couldn't believe he bought that terrible lie, just like that.
"..." Usopp himself was surprised, but managed to keep his face looking confident.
"Hey, doesn't that guy's head look familiar?" A little voice asked.
"Oh, yeah, it does. Where do I remember that shape from?" Another voice asked aloud.
Usopp paused, the only shape they could be referring to his acorn hat, right? He started wearing it in honor of Montblanc Noland, whom he admired very much for sticking to the truth even to his death and for his great bromance with the warrior Kalgara of Shandia. This ironically hatched an idea in his little compulsively lying mind.
"Perhaps you recognise me from my ancient ancestor, Montblanc Noland? I am Montblanc Usoland, great hero of the seas!" Usopp lied through his teeth.
""""Ehhhhh???!!!"""" All the little people cried out in shock simultaneously.
...
Back on the south eastern beach of Green Bit.
"What are you doing...?" Law asked, looking exasperatingly at Cabernet.
She was making a huge pile of sand for seemingly no good reason. "I'm making a huge pile of
sand," she admitted.
"Why...?" Law asked, hoping against hope that there was at least a reason that made sense to
the woman herself.
Cabernet paused and stood up, tilted her head and scratched her fake beard. "I can't recall...
OH! Cherry told me that throwing sand in people's eyes was a very respectable and honest way
to start a fight, so I was just getting some ready just in case."
*Pururu- Gacha* Law answered his den den mushi immediately.
"We know where the factory is." Snail-Franky said.
"Good, destroy it as soon as possible." Law said.
"It might be a little more complicated than that, but we'll do our best." Franky said.
"Notify me if you have any problems." Law said, hanging up.
"That's a weird bird." Cabernet said, peering into the horizon towards Dressrsa' main island.
Law furrowed his brows. Would Doflamingo break the deal or not? If he did, would he and Cabernet be enough to get the hell out of dodge?