A Siren's Journey (One Piece! Various X Reader)

[65] - Little Garden Arc ~ 4

🏴‍☠️️Ch.65: A Victory Not So Sweet! Broggy's Bitter Tears!🏴‍☠️

As more eruptions occur from the volcano signalling the start of the giants' duel, the Straw Hats, Guild and their Pack members can only watch in anxiousness as Dory pushes himself to his feet despite the seriousness of his injuries.

What comes next is something is something no one expects. Dory moves towards the fossil-like mountain structure, grasping at both ends.

"What is he...?" Vivi stammers.

'Quetz' seems to realize what Dory's intentions are whilst grabbing at the skeletal formation before anyone else does. He squawks with panic, taking up the two raptor eggs under his protection, and swooping out of the cave until he's among me and my animal companionships.

With a remarkable show of strength, despite being injured so heavily, Dory lifts the rock formation so that it's ripped right from its anchoring in the jungle floor.

"Whoa, look! He picked up that huge rock. That's so cool!" Luffy awes at Dory's actions.

Though, it's safe to say that this isn't a show of Dory's health to continue with his fight with Broggy, as he stomps menacingly towards us carrying the rock overhead.

🎇Um, Captain...🎇 Hanabi squeaks warningly, eyes brimming with scared tears.

I'm quick to snatch up Vivi while the animals of the group make themselves scarce along with me as Dory drops the mountainous structure right over us. Luffy, however, doesn't escape in time and ends up with his entire lower half pinned underneath. If it wasn't for his rubbery Devil Fruit powers, his lower body would have been crushed beyond comprehension.

Luffy screams could be heard through the billowing cloud of dirt that came after the rock was dropped. They weren't screams of pain, but of anger and annoyance. As the cloud of dirt clears, the rubber captain can be seen smacking his hands against the ground in frustration at being half trapped. "Come on! What are you doing? Get this rock off me! Move this thing!"

"It can't be helped now." Dory states calmly over Luffy's angry rants, silencing the young ravenette.

"It's been over a century..." Dory pants with heavy breath. "...since we started the battle...this duel. Injured or not, I cannot allow myself to run away from this fight." Stomping over to grab his fallen sword, he bends down to pick it up. "To do so would be like running from the title of warrior. And if I was no longer a warrior of Elbaf, and I would no longer know who I am." His gaze shifts back to us, now having moved to stand before Luffy's trapped form. "I'm sorry I suspected you of causing the explosion. I now know that this was a judgment. A judgment from Elbaf...The god of war. I didn't have the god's protection... and that is all."

Luffy is set off by the giant's words. "Listen to me: Gods and protection and judgments have nothing to do with what's going on! If a guy told you to just run off and die, would you?!"

🌠Our captain is right! This is not divine intervention!🌠 Astro argues.

🎇Someone here is out to sabotage you!🎇

Numerous growls and hisses of agreement come from my animal partners.

🌺Someone has interfered with your duel!🌺 Carmela joins in to try and sway the giant's choice.

"And last I checked, if a duel of honor has been interfered with by an outside party, then it's no longer an equal fight and should be rendered null and void! Isn't that right?!" I reason.

"SILENCE!" Dory bellows, to which everyone reluctantly does so, cutting off any more arguments. "What can you know about this? You're a human can't have been living on this Earth for more than two decades. how can you possibly hope to understand the ways of the warriors of Elbaf?"