The Power of One Dream (A One Piece x Fairy Tail Story)

Part 12: Battle 5

The Humming Swordsman walked through the door of light and found himself outside again, or so it seemed. Looking at the sky above, Brook was sure it wasn't this dark when he first entered the foreboding church with his companions, neither was he inside that long. Nor was it quite so murky when they first arrived. Looking back, the Magical doorway promptly melted away, leaving him stranded in the murky gloom. Struggling to focus his soul's vision through the oppressive mist that lingered around him, he could just make out a number of solid shapes hiding in the mist. And many more behind those in the surrounding area hidden deeper in the mist. Walking cautiously towards the nearest structure, he put out a bony hand to investigate.. and stopped.

The mist cleared slightly and Brook could now see the carved-stone caricature of 'Manticore Sting's' namesake sat upon a pile of bones. It was a tombstone! And he was in a graveyard!!

Brook backed away slowly. 'Heh, good thing I have a valiant heart... Oh wait, I don't have ANY heart! Yohohoho!' Brook's frivolous attempts to reassure himself were interrupted by a shimmering light somewhere behind him. Turning around, the light flickered behind a curious stone shape, before fading away completely. It took a moment for his soul's vision to adjust to the low visibility, and for the mist to pass by the structure. But when they had, he could make out a melancholy but beautiful angel sculpture. And from behind the sculpture a ghostly-white face emerged.

"AAAAAARRRRRGHH!!!" Brook screamed!

"Eeeeeeekk!!" the face squealed back.

"AAAAAARRRRRGHH! A GHOST!!!........... Oh wait, I'm sort of a ghost myself. Yohohohohohoho!!"

"Brook-san??"

Brook stopped chuckling and looked back at the face. As the mist cleared further, Brook could now clearly see the face (and the figure attached to it) more boldly leaning out from behind the angel statue, and that it was not so ghostly as it first appeared obscured by the mist. In fact it was a lovely face of pearly-white skin, albeit with confusion and underlying worry apparent in those ocean-blue eyes framed by light blue locks.

"Ms..... Juvia-san??"

They had little time to wonder at this odd predicament as the mist was illuminated by the light of a Magical Barrier around the graveyard where they stood, reaching up to the sky before seemingly disappearing completely. And then they too heard the pre-recorded challenge issued by the foreboding 'Head' boom through the murky air as it seemed to come from every direction. Neither were aware this was the same message issued to their respective comrades around this time. But by this point it was all too clear WHO the Water Sorceress' and the 'Soul King's' opponents were, and what they would have to do to proceed further.

From across the marsh-like stretch of graveyard where they stood transfixed, Brook looked into Juvia's eyes with a determined frown fixed upon his bony brow. "I have no wish to see you harmed. Will you not yield?" Juvia seemed shaken slightly by Brook's subtle warning, but only for a moment. Soon she fully emerged from behind the angel statue wearing her own determined frown on her fair pearly-white face. "Juvia cannot." she said flatly, yet with her voice full of conviction. For she had come this far and could not forsake Lucy now.

In response, Brook's cane-sword Soul Solid swiftly appeared in his bony hands with his right held tight on its handle, and his determined frown not wavering. "Well then, it looks like there is nothing else to be said, except one humble request....

"Might Brook-san be permitted to see Juvia-san's panties?"

.....

"WATER SLICER!!!"

Suddenly a massive wave of water manifested out of nowhere in front of Juvia's outstretched hands, containing what looked like multiple scythe-shaped blades made out of the same water. A wave that was rapidly advancing towards Brook.