บท 232: Annoying Clown
"I was hoping you'd get a little more roughed up." Smoker said, Tashigi's voice oozing with disappointment.
"Please, what do you take me for? Rather, how did that guy even become so important? I should think a vice admiral stationed in the New World would be better than THAT." Cherry said, her own disappointment clear.
Smoker and Tashigi thought Cherry was getting out of touch if she thought that Vergo was weak in any sense of the word. That begged the question of what Cherry thought of the two of them, and their imaginations didn't paint a pretty picture.
Cherry lifted a mini den den mushi in her hand, observing it closely. It wore a tiny pair of sunglasses with a peculiar slanted shape to the lenses and had pink feathers around its neck. "You wouldn't know who this den den mushi resembles, would you? I don't know why people are dumb enough to fashion them after themselves, it's bad enough that they make an impression of the speaker when in use."
Smoker and Tashigi's jaws dropped. "Doflamingo?!"
"The Shichibukai?" Cherry asked.
"That's right…" Smoker spoke grimly, the implications of Vergo having this particular den den mushi on his person making the situation quite clear.
"A Shichibukai, are you serious?! Why are we already picking a fight with a Shichibukai when we've been in the New World for less than a day?!" Moaned Usopp, still trapped in Franky's cyborg body.
"Right, you weren't there when Luffy decided to take down Big Mom." Cherry lied. The marines didn't need to know they were really after Kaido, so saying it was Big Mom would get the message across to Usopp while hiding their true intentions.
Smoker didn't look surprised at all, as it was quite common for pirates in the New World to challenge the Emperors if they had any guts. Straw Hat Luffy was lacking in many things, but guts wasn't one of them. Smoker carefully filed away this little tidbit to report to headquarters later, since the movements of pirates was always useful information to have.
Usopp, on the other hand, was shocked out of his mind. He looked like his soul might just leave Franky's body as he nearly fainted from the very thought of it. "Y-you're joking, r-right?"
"Of course I'm joking, you fool! When has LUFFY ever picked a fight with someone he had no business fighting?" Cherry said, but she only managed to keep a straight face for half a moment before bursting into laughter.
Cherry returned her attention to the den den mushi whilst Usopp switched between making peace with his inevitable death and plotting ways to trick Luffy into giving up on his foolishness.
"Well, just to be sure that the den den mushi's outfit isn't a red herring…" Cherry started making sounds with her voice, each one growing deeper until it sounded very similar to Vergo. Then she tried to pick up the receiver only for Smoker to stop her.
"Don't do that!" Smoker warned. "Doflamingo could be here in a matter of hours if you tipped him off."
Cherry raised an eyebrow. "How would he manage that? Even if he's on the closest island, ships aren't that fast?"
It's not that Cherry didn't believe him, but rather that she was interested in the method.
"I don't know exactly, but it's related to his devil fruit. Just don't call him down onto our heads while we're still here, understand?" Smoker said seriously, not wanting his subordinates and himself to be silenced for knowing too much.
"Fine, fine. I'll mess with the lawn ornament when we're clear of the island." Cherry rolled her eyes. She did, however, see the wisdom in not getting the weaker ones among them killed as collateral damage in the case of a fight breaking out with the Shichibukai.
…
Law felt a shiver go down his spine like he'd just barely dodged a disaster, but sensing nothing was amiss he refocused himself on the task at hand. Before him was the manufacturing plant for S.A.D., though strangely there were two large holes ripped through the top and bottom of the main holding tank for the finished product. That mattered little to him as the task at hand was destroying all the machinery here, not collecting the substance.
Several quick slashes later, the machinery fell to pieces, some of which exploded, thoroughly sabotaging the entire process. Now all that was left was to capture Caesar, otherwise the mad scientist would simply rebuild it.
This whole plan was going quite smoothly so far, perhaps a bit too smoothly. He half expected one of Doflamingo's subordinates to jump out and surprise him, but nothing of the sort happened.
"Hopefully, Straw Hat-ya has already grabbed Caesar. There's no reason he should lose to the gas bag, unless he's a complete idiot." Law spoke to himself.
…
"Get out of our way!" Shouted a giant child as he swung his large fist at Jinbe, who effortlessly diverted the blow with his martial arts expertise.
"We can't let them get any of that 'candy'! Every bit that they consume brings them closer to death!" Chopper shouted urgently, fending off another giant child himself.
"Shurororororo! Come children, I have your candy right here! All you have to do is get past these horrible bullies to get your share!" Caesar chuckled.
Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji weren't able to attack the bastard because he would send an explosive attack at the children anytime they tried to make a move on him, forcing them to block it with their own bodies. The flying snow woman would block any ranged attack they sent his way as well with her thick walls of snow.
Needless to say that all three of them were getting pretty pissed off at the stalemate. At least it looked that way up until all three of them smiled broadly and menacingly.
"What are you smiling at?! Have you lost your minds in rage? Shurororo!" Caesar mocked.
His laughing ceased when he heard a crackle over his head. Looking up he saw dense, dark grey clouds roiling above him instead of the familiar ceiling of the facility.
"What-" Was all Caesar could say before a cascade of lightning dropped on his head.
Monet gaped at the sight and turned her eyes to the culprit. The red headed woman, who had been sending uncomfortable balls of hot air towards her throughout the battle, smiled deviously at her.
"Nobody ever thinks to look up." Nami said with mirth and pride at having been the one to take down the boss for once.
Her celebrations were just a tad too soon, however, as an enraged Caesar picked himself up from the ground. He didn't look very good, but he wasn't completely hopeless in a fight. "I'll teach you to make a fool of ME!"
Poisonous gas spewed from Caesar's form, slowly filling the room, while at the same time he sent out flying explosions with his castanets. It seemed that he had given up on reacquiring the children and simply decided to kill everyone.
The Straw Hats might be able to hold their breath for a time, but that wouldn't help the children who were out of their right minds at the moment.
Nami tried to form another storm cloud, but Monet flew up and ruined the balance of temperature with her cold body.
The Straw Hats had no choice but to retreat, but every step they forced the children to take away from Caesar they fought that much more fiercely.
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