Queen of the Pirates

The Challenge of the Ball

"If we are going to turn back, this is the time to do it. What do you think, Usopp?" Luffy glances back at him.

"Well, it would be nice if we could go home," Usopp stammers.

"We're going in then!" Luffy chuckles.

"Why did you even bother asking!"

Something moves in my peripheral vision, but by the time I move my head, there is nothing but trees. It makes everything a touch creepier.

I scoot closer to the front, feeling safer if I can reach out and touch Luffy. "I don't like how this place is making me feel," I glare at the statues as we glide pass.

A giant bird thumbs as it lands on a high branch before letting out a horrible caw.

"There's something out there," Usopp cries.

"I mean, this is a forest," I peel my eyes away from the bird to give a soft smile to Usopp.

"Look around us!" he points out the multiple wrecked ships that we are passing. "There are shipwrecks everywhere!"

"This is a forest," Luffy repeats my previous statement.

"What does that have to do with anything!?"

Another noise fills the air, and I look around to try and find the source.

"You'll find all sorts of things in a jungle," Luffy chuckles.

"This isn't like back home, Luffy. This is a lot worse," I feel the breath be torn from my chest as I look up and see a giant sickle with a strange mask swinging right towards us. "Boys! Can we speed this up a little!? Crank it up to full power or something!?"

"What's wrong?" Sanji looks over at me just as the sickle passes behind us, causing us all to let out screams (some manlier than others).

"That's what is wrong!"

"There's another one coming!" Usopp screams, but the sound of multiple more sickles being unleashed challenges that statement. "No, not just one more," he gulps.

"Row as hard as you can!" Luffy orders.

Sanji and Usopp with paddles already in hand, start rowing with amazing intensity, considering that our lives truly are on the line. We pass through four more sickles before they can slice right through us.

"What is going on!?" Sanji blurts out.

"Our damn punishment, clearly!" I snap.

"Hit the brakes, Luffy!" Usopp cries. "Look ahead, we need to stop!"

"There's no time to stop!" Luffy shouts. "Switch places with me, Usopp!"

The two boys swap in a second. Usopp has fear written all over his face, while Luffy has focused determination on his.

"Gum-Gum!" he shoots his arms back as he takes a wide stance in the back of the boat.

"What are you doing!?" Usopp shouts, pointing in front of us. "We need to go that way!"

"Just keep going straight!"

I grab hold of the side of the boat as I understand what he's about to do.

"Bazooka!" His arms shoot forward, and when his hands hit the clouds, we are shot up into the air and away from the last giant sickle that meant to slice us in half.