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

Part 23: Battle 9

[Back in the Large, Windowless, Candle-Lit Chamber]

The shadows took definitive forms, surrounding the group. Some of the definitive and haunting shapes slowly approaching individual members of the group, but even those that didn't left the group speechless with dread. Or some of them.

"THE HELL YOU DOING HERE?!? I'M STOPPIN' YOU THIS TIME.. FOR GOOD!!!" Laxus roared as he charged at the muscular and scowling bearded figure (unbeknownst to the pirates as the former Raven Tail Guild Master, and Laxus' father, Ivan Dreyar). Meanwhile...

"Luffy!?"

Franky who in his battered state was now fully roused, stood in shock swiftly followed by horror at the sight of his captain's beaten and broken body against the far wall of the chamber. And somehow, the massive form of the Thousand Sunny had also appeared in the chamber. Her weapons primed of their own accord, and locked onto her captain.

"LUUUFFYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!"

The Cyborg shrieked in terror, rushing to his captain's side and trying desperately to shield him with his bulletproof body from the relentless onslaught of cannon-fire. But wasn't quick enough to prevent the first barrage or explosions that badly seared Luffy's otherwise motionless body. And while this was happening, an equally battered Ussop on the floor of the chamber watched helplessly, wondering why neither he nor his other crew mates (nor the rest of his companions) could muster the strength to rise to Luffy's aid? Unless he wasn't the only one who (perhaps even subconsciously) sensed something about this whole scenario seemed... off.

As it was, it took all his own strength of will to ignore the all too familiar image of a pot-bellied, elderly Ussop grovelling on the ground, looking back at him with an impression that could only be described as pathetic. "Hey Buddy, don't feel too bad! So we gave it our best shot and it wasn't enough. So we weren't strong enough for The New World, or to find Laugh Tale. So what? We can still make it outta here ourselves before the dust settles, right?"

The current (real) Ussop grimaced while fighting back bitter tears, and forced himself to look around. Sanji at the far side of the chamber stood still and despondent at the sight of a geisha like the ones that had taken shelter in Kaido's Palace during the Mugiwara's raid on Onigashima all those months ago. A geisha that lay badly beaten and motionless before him. "So Luffy and Nami might not make it out of here. Or our crew. Or their kid! Can't win 'em all right?' And so despondent was Sanji that he didn't notice Fullbuster under attack from an actual giant demon!! A demon that for some reason only seemed interested in the Ice Mage?!? But it wasn't the only one after him, or rather the Water Sorceress still in his arms. Juvia having about roused herself both looked confused and on the brink of tears as ANOTHER Fullbuster was hurling verbal abuse (and blasts of Magical ice) in the duo's direction. And while Ussop was still trying to make sense of all this, he could see Redfox near where Franky had stood. Him currently faced with an older woman in black cloak and purple turtle-neck on the floor (her dusty-blonde hair askew). A woman who for all appearances was dead! Yet was still able to say to the Iron Mage something about whether he had yet truly found meaning in his life! "So we probably won't become the great warrior of the sea we always dreamed of being. There are worse things!" To the other far side of the chamber, Brook was actually on his knees before the skeletal remains of what looked like had been a whale. 'Wait... It can't be........... Laboon??' And close to where he lay, it seemed Alberona was now on her hands and knees under some invisible force. A force that Ussop guessed was coming from the slightly-monkey-faced man with a long green ponytail standing over her. "You are nothing without Clive, Holder Mage. Why else do you spern his affection except that you know he will one day see how pathetic you are and leave you..." Ussop gritted his teeth as he beheld the man so viciously scorning her. "..Indeed, you are nothing without your guild or your precious 'friends'. And you will ALWAYS be nothing without someone to hold your hand or to hide behind. The very idea you thought you could become an S-Class Mage when you couldn't even defeat me on Tenrou Island! The truth is you can't defeat anyone yourself. Not even your own limits!!!", "We'll still always have our own stories to tell right? Who cares if they're true or not?" Still striving to block out the other Ussop's callous words, original Ussop managed to painstakingly roll onto his back (because the long-haired man's power didn't seem to be affecting him) and look at the wall closest to him. For though it was just a regular stone-block wall as far as the eye could see, he couldn't shake the feeling that from somewhere inside it, he had 'seen'... something? "Seriously! Who even really cares about the One Piece or the King of the Pirates?"