Battling the Demon (One piece)

Unexpected Shock!

The entire crew had froze upon the information that Luna had just told them. That the tall man before them was an admiral belonging to the marines. "Admiral?!" Of course they were surprised at hearing that.
"A...Admiral? He's that high up?" Sanji was asking stunned at that fact.
"That is correct." Luna had spoken up. "There are only ever three Admiral in the Navy." She had stated to them, not even dazed by all this. "The current Admirals are Akainu... Kizaru... and the man that stands before, Admiral Aokiji one of the three powerhouses of the navy. There is only one person that outranks them is Fleet Admiral Sengoku, as he is the top official." She had explained to the crew.
"Wh-Why is someone like that here!? Why don't you go deal with big-time pirates with several-hundred-million-berry bounties!?" Usopp was shouting at him, finding behind Zoro now. Telling him to go someplace else.
"Hm?" The Admiral had noticed Nami standing beside him, causing her to flinch.
"Wh-What?" Nami was asking him as he was just staring at her.
"Here's another sexy lady with super big bazongas! Are you free tonight?" He was picking her up.
"What's the big idea, you tall, lanky jerk?!" Sanji snapped at him.
"Pay attention, you jerk!" Usopp did as well.
"Hold on a sec, you guys, Geez... did you hear what I said? I said I just took a stroll, didn't I? Don't get so worked up." Aokiji was telling them all nonchalantly. "To start with, you guys are... whatchamacallit... you know..." He was saying.
"Wh-Whatchamacallit?" Luffy repeated not knowing
"You know...?" As did Chopper.
"Err... I forgot. Oh, well." Aokiji was rubbing his head now saying.
"You don't make much sense!" Sanji and Usopp had shouted at him
"What the heck's with this guy!?" Usopp was then asking pointing at him. "Hey, Luna, aren't you mistaking him for someone else? There's no way someone like him is a Navy Admiral!" He was shouting to her.
"Hey, hey... Don't judge others by their appearance." Aokiji lifted up his arm in defence. "My motto as a marine is 'total slovenly justice.'"
"That's totally matches your appearance!" But it was the personality that didn't do it for the crew.
"In any case, well... oh, excuse me for a sec..." he had fallen down to his knees and was now laying on his side. "Standing made me tired. Umph."
"Sleeping on your feet won't help it." Luna stated down to him, not even surprised by all of this.
"Anyway, to make a long story short, I have no intention of capturing you guys, so don't worry." Aokiji was telling them that the only reason he came was to check the whereabouts of Robin, after the Alabaster incident where she went missing. And of course he knew that she was with Luffy and that. "What I didn't expect was to see another familiar face." He was looking right at Luna as he spoke.
"This guy sure is apathetic, isn't he?" Sanji stated this more then asked.
"His audacity shows he's a leader, in a manner of speaking." Usopp said looking at him.
"I'm going to at least report this to Headquarters, thought, as with another wanted person, the total bounty for you guys has now changed." Aokiji was saying lifting up his fingered. "100 million... plus 60 million... plus 79 million equals..." he was counting it on his fingers but. "I don't know exactly, but I'm sure it's not too shabby." He got lazy and didn't actually added it all up.
"It's 239 million. You can at least do the maths." Luna on the other hand did, an basically told him off.
"Gum Gum..." Luffy had began to pull his fist back.
"Hold on a sec! Hold on, Luffy!" With now Sanji and Usopp trying to stop him.
"Let me go! What're you guys doing!?" He was shouting at them both anger.
"What's the point in us picking a fight!?" Sanji had asked, arms wrapped around the idiot captain.
"He's one of the strongest marines!" Usopp was trying to tell him
"So what!? Then are you saying we're gonna hand over Robin without a fight!?" But it seemed that Luffy hadn't been paying attention to the conversation.
"Well, you guys... I'm saying I'm not gonna do anything, aren't I?" Aokiji was trying to tell him again but it didn't seem that he cared. But all had come to a stop when the sound of people coming out from the bushes caused all heads to turn. They found a group of shipwreck looking people before them.
"S-So you're a marine... I wish you had told us sooner." They made it sound like it was their fault that the people didn't know.
"Who are these people?" Nami had asked as they just appeared out of nowhere.
"Hey, get hold of yourselves." Sanji was telling them as they collapsed into their knees.
"Then this isn't an uninhabited island?" Usopp was asking looking at them, however
"No, they're are mostly survivors of a ship wreck and washed ashore in the line." Luna stated as she looked at their appearance. Their clothes were tatted and they were covered in dirt and injuries. It was then when Aokiji spoken
"About a month ago, there was a report that passenger liner went missing in this area." He had informed them and it was there when Chopper began to attend to them.
"How are they, Chopper?" Luffy was asking the little reindeer who was checking the heart beat of the man in charge.
"There's some injured people, but their wounds aren't serious. They'll be fine once I apply the medicine I have." He had answered as he was done checking on them. The only problem they had was that they hadn't been eating well making them weak.
"Sanji and Usopp went to get some food." Nami spoken informing them as both men had left some time ago.
"Hey! We're back!" Which they seemed to have finished and were running into the clearing with bags full. Sanji cooked it all up, of course. "You must've been really hungry." Usopp was amused at the two children of the group were basically eating like there was no tomorrow,
"You don't have to wolf the food. There's plenty more where that came from." Sanji told them happy that he could help, but...
"That's right! There's plenty more!" Luffy seemed to be stuffing his face with the food as well.
"Hey, why are you eating!?" Usopp turned around pointing at him asking, since they ate not that long ago. But sighed to turn back to the survivors. "At any rate, even if this is an uninhabited island, if you are so inclined, you can find food, you know." What he stated that this was the problem with amateurs, which was true.
"What did you expect?" Luna spoken up, leaning against the boulders behind Aokiji. "This is the Grand Line, they were lucky to even be alive as they are so weak."
"We're the only ones who made it to this island." The leader spoke up explaining.
"What happened?" Nami turned to him asking.
"On our way back from a gourmet tour to the gourmet town, Pucci... our ship collided with a huge frog that was doing the front crawl and shattered into pieces." But it was hard to believe as frogs normal do the breast stroke. Luffy thought it was interesting and wanted to see it. While Usopp asked if they were our if their minds. "It's true!"
"That's Yokozuna." Aokiji spoke, not all that surprised but the others turned to him confused.
"Then, after a great struggle, we were able to make it to this island, yet we lived on the verge of starvation for a month. We rejoiced when we saw someone was coming, but when we looked carefully, he was riding a bicycle on the sea."
"Hey, now... under no circumstances can one ride..." Usopp began to say
"No, that was him." Before Luna cut him off and pointed down at Aokiji. Of course, they looked behind them at her and Aokiji confused.
"And then, the next one that came was a Pirate ship." And that was the end of they story.
"Us, huh?"
"Then you guys are... whatchamacallit..." Aokiji began to say but didn't know what he was going on about. "...You know... um... well..."
"Say it clearly! Clearly!" Both Usopp and Sanji seemed to be losing patience with him.
"The word is castaways." Luna had informed him..
"Yeah! That one!" Which didn't really mean much after being reminded what it was.
"Oh, Shoot! I totally forgot!" Luffy had suddenly bursted out. "Hey, you! Don't mess with us!" He was trying to pick a fight with Aokiji still, but he was being held back by Sanji and Usopp who were telling him to hold on or calm down.
"Well, like I said..." Aokiji had his hand up trying to stop him. "Like I said several times already, I took a stroll."
"Oh, it was a stroll? Then don't go passing a place like this! Leave!" Luffy seemed to stop trying to attack him, but he was still clearly trying to pick a fight.
"You don't make sense." Although he was right, Aokiji was the last person to say that. "Well, then... okay. I'm going back, but before that..." He pointed at the castaways. "You guys, get ready to depart right away. Fortunately, there's an inhabited island not so far from here. You should go there to get the treatment you need." He actually sounded like he knew what he was doing.
"Hey, you guys! You don't have to listen to this guy! He's a marine!" Luffy being the idiot he was, had shouted that at the castaways while pointing at Aokiji. Everyone was silently looking at him.
"Is there a problem?" Until That was asked and he looked like he was in shocked
"Oh... That's right. It's fine, it's fine. That's right. It's fine. Normally, marines are your friends and we are the bad guys, huh?" It seemed that he remembered how the world actually worked.
"It's no time for laughing!" Usopp chopped him in the head.
"He said he'd help those guys." Luffy moved onto the important part.
"But does he have a ship?" Usopp asked as they stated before that he rode a bicycle here.
"Besides ours, I didn't see anyone other ships anywhere." Chopper pointed out to them.
"There's no ship. They don't have a Log Pose, either. How are they supposed to go to that nearby island?" Usopp was asking confused by all of it.
"Oh, they'll be fine." But nothing Aokiji said was convincing any of them.
"It's true that..." Everyone turned to Robin, Who was still where she had fallen before. "...that man can make it happen." She had been silent the entire time, but when Robin speaks its normal important. With that all being said, the guys began to build a sled as per Aokiji's instruction, that had boxes filled with food and barrels of water on it.
"All right, done!" Usopp finished tying down the cloth with ropes.
"We loaded up food and water, with this much you'll be fine for a while." Sanji stated to them.
"It's nice to work once in a while." Aokiji was saying as the only once's that didn't do the work were the children and woman, since thy didn't really see the need to. At least those on the crew didn't.
"Yeah, it feels good! You're quite a sensible guy." Luffy seemed to have stop wanting to pick a fight with the guy now.
"He hit it off with him after all." Nami was saying in shock, but she wasn't the only one as Robin looked at them.
"So what're you gonna do? Are you gonna swim while pulling these guys and this stuff?" Luffy asked a stupid question, since that wouldn't be completely possible.
"No way." Aokiji dropped his jacket and headed for the sea, which he then bent down beside it. "Step back a bit." His hand was placed into the water where he just stayed their silent as if to wait for something. Everyone stood quietly for what was about to happen. However, before Aokiji did anything a Sea King had emerge from the sea and was heading right for him.
"Wh-What the heck!?" Luffy was in shocked at the sight.
"A Sea King! I bet that's the guardian of this area of this sea!" Usopp's jaw was about to hit the ground. While the Nami and castaways were scared speechless. "What!? Hey, you! Run!" He shouted to Aokiji, who hadn't move an inch.
"Watch out!" Luffy pulled his arm back. "Gum Gum..." While Zoro was about to draw his swords. however...
"Ice Age!" In instant, the sea before them had completely frozen over, along with the giant Sea King. One was unable to see the end of it all as it stretched beyond eyes sight. So it was no wonder that everyone was sweating buckets with blank or shocked expressions at the sight before them. Well, Luna was the exception. It was as clear as day that Aokiji had eaten a Devil Fruit.
"Th-The sea... froze!" Luffy managed to say.
"This is the power of a Navy Headquarters' Admiral." Robin spoken, with face filled with terror while looking at the man before them. A few seconds later, Aokiji had retracted his arm from the frozen sea and come back onto the island.
"This will probably last at least a week." He walked past the castaways, who were all still in shock, to pick his coat up. "Take your time and head in that direction. You'll get to an inhabited island in four days." He was informing them pointing of into the direction he spoke of. "It's a little cold, so dress warmly while walking."
"Is this... a dream?" One could only think to explain the sea becoming ground. "We can now cross the sea! We can get off of this island! Mr. Marine! Thank you!" The castaways were overwhelmed with joy turning around waving to Aokiji. To them this was a miracle. But with that all being said and done, Luffy and that got the castaways ready to cross the frozen sea. Wrapping them up so they would be warm for the travel. "Well then, we'll get going now."
"Yeah. I'm happy for you guys." Luffy said to them.
"Be careful." Nami told them.
"I guess there's different kinds of pirates, huh? We can't thank you enough. Not only did you treat our injured, but you also shared your food and water with us."
"Don't worry about it." Luffy wasn't all that bothered by it. In fact he was glad to help them.
"They say that even a chance meeting is due to karma from a previous life, so..." Usopp had gone off saying.
"That good care if the children so that they don't catch a cold." Chopper spoke to instruct them.
"In this statement the food will probably stay fresh for a while." This information had been given by Sanji that had his cigarette in hand.
"Thank you very much! We'll never forget your kindness, Straw Hat Pirates!"
"Bye bye! Thank you!" They were taking off on their journey on the ice.
"See ya! take care!" Luffy jumped all over the place waving to them along with Usopp and Chopper. With them now gone, the guys that were on the ice sea realised how cold it was and headed back to the island. All but Chopper, who was covered in fur and grew up on a winter island. He was skating across on the ice which had caused the others to stop. "Whoa! That's amazing, Chopper!"
"Just as you'd expect from someone born on a winter Island!" Usopp seemed completely impressed as Chopper was showing off his skating skills. They were having a burl as he was mucking around on the ice causing Luffy and Usopp to bust out laughing and Aokiji watch d until they all come back into the island.
"Hm?" Luffy noticed him sitting there just staring until he had this troubled look come over his face. "What?" Which had caused Luffy to ask.
"How should I put it... You're just like you gramps, Monkey D. Luffy...You're free-spirited, or should I say you're hard to figure out?" Aokiji stated this fact
"G-Gramps..." which had thrown him back as a panicked expression had appeared.
"Gramps...?! Luffy's!?" Usopp made sure he was hearing it right. "Hey, what's the matter, Luffy? You're drenched in sweat." He had ended up turning to see his captain.
"Well... N-N-Nothing. Um... well..." Luffy was having a hard time trying to come up with something to say.
"You gramps really helped me out a while back." Aokiji had moved on through the conversation. "The reason I came here was to have a look at Nico Robin and you. On second thought... maybe you should die now, huh?" His demeanour had completely changed, along with the air which was now beginning to become tense. "The Government is still taking you guys lately, but if I devil into your history, I can tell that your group has a backbone. I know your group is small, since it's gathers shrewd members, it'll probably become a problem later on. The circumstances that initially led to your search orders... All the actions you took up until now... The speed of your groups progress... I've been dealing with outlaws for a long time, but it worries me to think how you'll turn out."
"Th-That's too sudden!" Usopp had his hands in front shouting. "You said earlier that you just came to check things out!"
"The reason I especially regard you guys as dangerous is... you, Nico Robin." Aokiji was looking right at her and she knew that already.
"So you're after Robin after all! I'm gonna beat the crap out of you!" Luffy shouted at him.
"Her bounty amount isn't just an indication of her strength. It also indicates the level of danger she poses to the government. That's hat's why you got a 79 million berry bounty on your head at the age of eight. I'm impressed that you survived as a child. You betrayed people and run away. You gained people's favours and use them. You have survived in the underworld by being quick to switch sides. So this is the group that you chose as your next hideout, hah?" Upon hearing this, Robin's eyes widen in shock.
"Hey, you jerk! How insulting you are!" Sanji was Australian offended by his statement. "What garage do you hold against Robin!?"
"Stop it, Sanji!" Usopp ran up to the man that was about ti attack Aokiji, so that he could stop him.
I don't have any grudge against her. If we're somehow connected... it's that I let her get away once, that's about it." What all he said, not really going into details. Although it was a long time ago. "You guys will eventually realise it, too. In the not so distant future, your regret that you took in a troublesome woman. As proof, the organisations Nico Robin had something to do with up until today all got annihilated... except for her." Aokiji took to his feet, "I wonder why... Nico Robin?"
"Stop it, you jerk! Her past doesn't matter!" Luffy was beginning to lose it.
He's right! If you're care about other's past, you can't be friends with ruffians like a pirate hunter or a former thief girl or a violent scary woman!" Usopp snapped about Zoro, Nami and Luna while pointing at the man.
"'Ruffians' was unnecessary!" Nami took offence to his comment and chopped him.
"What's more important is the present, rather than the past!" Sanji yelled this at him.
" Open is our precious friend now! Don't badmouth our friend!" This time it was Chopper. The only ones that had spoken up were Zoro and Luna. This entire time Luna didn't seem all that interest in it. Not could be the same said for Zoro.
"I see... you really did a good job befriending this lot." Aokiji made it sound like it was all an act.
"Just Get to the point already. If you want to capture me, go ahead and do it!" And it seemed to have caused something in Robin to snap, as her arms had gotten ready to us her Devil Fruit. "Treinta Fleurs!" (Thirty Flowers, Spanish) Which had caused thirty arms to sprout out either from the ground around or on Aokiji to hold him.
"Robin! Stop it!" Usopp cried out to her.
"Oh, my, my... maybe I talked too much." He didn't seem all that worried as he had arms grabbing around his neck and chin. "How disappointing! I had too high an opinion of you, thinking you were a little smarter than that."
"Clutch!" All the arms bent, pulled Aokiji down so that his spin would break. However, instead he had completely broken apart like glass. Or ice in this circumstance.
"That was so stupid." Luna stated sighing down at the ground as she knew what was about to happen next.
"Ahhh! He shattered into pieces and died!" Chopper freaked seeing this. But that wasn't true. The ice began to gather together and as if the world was rewinding
"N-No... We're screwed..." Usopp was saying seeing the ice to take shape into that of a man. "H-Hey! Guys! Run! Let's get out of here!" He then began to run off as Aokiji was completely back to normal like nothing happened. Chopper screaming this began to scream in terror along with Usopp.
"That wasn't nice." He was standing before Robin and then bent down to pick and throws up several blades of grass to blow on with an icy breath, thereby freezing them into the sword shape. "Ice Saber!" He had taken ahold of it. "I wasn't going to kill you, but..." Aokiji pulled the large, jagged sword of hard ice down at Robin. Of course was about to use her own abilities, however, she wouldn't have made it in time if it hadn't been for Zoro that had appeared to block it. Which was when Sanji had leaped up above.
"Slice Shoot!" And kicked the ice sword away.
"All right!" Usopp shouted before Luffy charged.
"Hmph! How dare you butt in, you damn cook?" Zoro said this with a giant smirk on his face.
"The same to you, you natural monument!" The same was done by Sanji.
"Gum Gum..." Luffy's arm stretched back as he dashed towards them. Aokiji grabbed both Zoro's right shoulder and Sanji left leg just as Luffy's fist... "... Pistol!" Slammed right into him but... "It's cold!" Their limbs began to become covered in ice.
"He froze them!"
"Those three... all at once..." the remaining crew were shocked at this. Well, almost all of them. Luna still seemed completely unchanged by all of this. The guys on the other hand had all fallen to the ground roll in pain due to their limbs being frozen.
"If they get frostbite, their limbs will become gangrenous!" Chopper, who was sweating buckets at the sight, shouted all panicked. "What're you doing, Usopp. We have to go help those three now!" He turned to the long nose that fallen on his butt in fear.
"I-I really would like to, but my body can't move. Did I get frozen, too?" He responded shaking in both body and voice.
"No! You're just too scared to move!" Had been the truth and then the both of them began crying out to their friends that were frozen.
"Robin! Run!" Nami screamed to the woman, since it was clear that she was his only target.
"You've come across some good friends. But you're still you, Nico Robin!" Aokiji told her but
"No...! I'm no longer..." Robin began to try and tell him definitely, but for some reason he had wrapped himself around her as he was ice.
"Robin! Watch out! Run!" Luffy cried to her as Aokiji began to freeze her like she did to Luffy and that. However, it was different this time.
"I'm..." She still tried to speak but the others were all stunned at what happened to their friend. They were completely speechless at Robin's entire body being frozen over as a human ice statue. Luffy stood up shocked but it soon turned to anger.
"You bastard!" He snapped at Aokiji over come with emotion.
"There's not point in yelling." Luna spoken not even caring about what happened. "If you defrost her carefully she'll live. Probably." She stated that fact with mono tone.
"That's right." Aokiji backed up her claim. "But her body has become fragile, so be careful. If her body is broken, she'll die." He explained in more detail before pulling back his right arm. "For example..."
"What!?" The guys shouted as they watched
"...If you smash it like this..." As he swung it down in the direction of Robin.
"Stop it!"
"Hm?" But just before he had the chance to, Luffy grabbed ahold of Robin's ice body and just barely ducked.
"That was close..." He was on his knees bending back but seeing this caused Aokiji to lift up his foot as to stomp on them both. Lucky for them that the only one he managed to step on was Luffy as Robin gotten scooped up by Nami, Usopp and Chopper that were celebrating that achievement.
"What the hell...?" However, it only seemed to annoy Aokiji.
"Usopp! Chopper! Run to the ship! Treat Robin and save her!" Luffy ordered them both.
"G-Got it!" And they were off back to the Going Merry.
"Don't bother..." Aokiji began to follow after them. "It's be better for the world not to save that woman." Just then Nami swung her Climata-Tact as him, although he grabbed it with very little ease.
"Not to split hairs, but a pirate group is a collection of people like that." She told him smirking, which had caused him to glance over to Luna, that hadn't moved an inch to do anything.
"You got that right, lady." He was back to looking down at Nami. "Get out of my way, would you?" Then throw her to the side.
"Nami!" Seeing this... "We can't..." both Sanji
"...just let you..." And Zoro were about to jump in
"Wait, you two!" Only to be stopped by Luffy's shouting. They were stunned at that he would tell them that. "Don't interfere. I wanna fight him in a duel." It was then when his lifted up his fist, his left one still frozen. "Let's you and me... settle this fight!"
"That's fine... but since I don't have a ship to take you back, I'll kill you, okay?" Aokiji began to freeze over, only happens when he uses his Devil Fruit. It was then when the fight was about to start and it wasn't going to be an easily fight for Luffy. As they was no one but the two of them were the only ones left as the others had ran off to the ship. But it was a one sided battle, and Luffy was losing with parts of his body were covered in ice. Just like his arm. He had retreated backwards and found himself breathing heavily, while Aokiji didn't seem even the slightest bit out of breath. "As I thought, you're an odd one." That had been what Aokiji had gathered just before Luffy charged at him once again. He dodged Aokiji's attempt to grab ahold of him which resulted him being kicked high in the air. That was when Luffy toke a deep breath in causing himself to rapidly inflate his stomach. Which he then began twisting his body around tightly, then blows the air out behind him while untwisting to fly forward while spinning towards Aokiji. "Gum Gum..." where he had brought his fists forward..."...Storm!" Repeatedly in a blurry, rapid barrage of strong punches that created the illusion of him having multiple arms. And they were heading for Aokiji that measly shattered himself apart and reconstitutes around Luffy.
"Ice Time..." And just as he done with Robin, he had freezer the young man and placed his frozen body on the ground. With the battle come to its conclusion, Aokiji had found himself sitting down before the frozen Luffy. "Darn... I was tricked. Since I accepted the duel, this fight ends when I win. Now I see..." He was rubbing his head a little frustrated upon releasing this. "If I mess with the others, now, I'd be the senseless one here... right, Captain?"
"You give him too much credit." It was when someone voice caused Aokiji to turn, only to see Luna leanings against it, her arms crossed completely unsatisfied by all of this.
"Maybe you're right." But he was completely amused standing up, before patting himself up. "Let me say this. In the future, Nico Robin will grow... that woman will definitely grow to be too much for you to handle. You guys will no longer be able to shoulder the burden of the brutal feet that Nico Robin was born into. That's what it means... to let her on your ship..." Aokiji lifted up his foot above Luffy's face. "...Monkey D. Luffy!" And the man smelled his foot down... on the ice right beside him, shattering it. "Then again..." he stood up straight continuing. "Why it's true I consider Nico Robin to be a dangerous woman, you..." Aokiji had turned around away from Luffy to Luna once again. "...are far more dangerous."
"You sure have a big mouth, Aokiji." She glaring up at him.
"Now, now, don't look at me like that." He had his hands in front waving as if to defend himself against her. "I know better then to fight you, Miss Athena. After all, you're name suits you, goddess of wisdom and warfare." This time Luna's glare sent chills down Aokiji spin. "You have always been the scary type. However, I think its a way of protecting yourself. After all, who wants to get close to someone that would kill you."
"Protecting?" She seemed completely annoyed by his statement, just like Zoro's back on Sky Island. "Why should I need to protect myself?"
"I don't know. How about next time we meet, you tell me." And with that Aokiji left, leaving Luna to watch his back as walked away from her. There seemed to be something different than before as she turned away. Her expression looked almost sad.
"Protect? Hah. What a ridiculous notion." She said clicking her tongue watching the man. "I hate humans. They were only care for themselves in the end..."