One Piece (Love Story) [Part Two]

Chapter Three Hundred and Forty Eight

-Chapter Three Hundred and Forty-Eight-

"There's the lab! We're going to be okay!" Usopp cried out in relief as we desperately clung to Brownbeard's back, trying our hardest not to get flung off as he haphazardly galloped toward the laboratory.

"Uh...you sure about that?" I asked the moment I noticed how the opening of the lab seemed to be getting smaller by the minute as if the door was beginning to close.

"Oh no...no, no, no, no...!" Usopp frantically shook his head as he, Nami/Sanji, and Brook began to scream in panic. "Are you kidding me?!" he cried.

"Guess they got tired of waiting" I huffed.

"No! We're so close!" Brownbeard frowned.

"Have mercy! We're all about to die out here!" Nami/Sanji cried.

"We can't after all that!" Usopp wailed. "And we tried so hard too!"

"Well, I seem to be giving up the ghost already..." Brook said as his soul left his body. "I'll have company soon" he sighed.

"That's morbid" I said. "But at least you're thinking positively, so I guess that counts for something."

"No, it doesn't!" Nami/Sanji and Usopp tearfully snapped.

"Yo! Kin'emon!" Zoro suddenly called out. "Think you can cut through iron?" he asked.

"Most certainly!" Kin'emon nodded. "Have no fear!"

"Hey, Brownbeard! Let's keep up the pace!" Zoro ordered.

"Yeah? To what end?" Brownbeard frowned. "You want me to bash my brains out on that wall?" he sneered.

"Would you rather slow down and eat poison gas?" Zoro mockingly asked.

"No way! No how!" practically everyone shouted.

"I got nothing to lose! Here I go!" Brownbeard proclaimed, scooping up a discarded pipe in the process and lifting it over his head as he charged towards the closing door.

"Not like we really have a Plan B in a situation like this..." Nami/Sanji grunted as they climbed atop the pirate's shoulder.

"It's do or die now!" Usopp frowned as he climbed atop the pirate's other shoulder. "But that's nothing new for us, huh?" he huffed.

"You ready to do this?" Zoro asked.

"Of course" Kin'emon agreed as the two quickly hopped atop the pipe Brownbeard now carried and drew their swords. It happened quickly in a blaze of red and blue as a triangular-shaped hole was cut into the door the second the two swordsmen lunged forward.

"Hey, Zoro!" Luffy's laughter was the first thing to reach my ears over the boisterous shouts of the others as we charged straight into the lab.

"Now there's a giant hole in the shutter!" the men around us angrily cried.

"What did you just do—are you trying to kill us all?!" one snapped as those of us still clinging to Brownbeard seemed to slump right over in exhaustion.

"Huh? Oh no!" Usopp suddenly cried the second he peered back. "Well we made it in, but that means the gas can come in too!" he sobbed in realization.

"What the hell were you idiots thinking?!" one of the men crowded inside the lab snapped. "We're all going to die with you now! Hurry! Let's plug up that hole!" and with that command, they quickly rushed to cover the massive hole that had been made.

"Come on, guys! We've got to be quick!" hurriedly, they grabbed hold of the cut triangular piece of metal that lay discarded on the floor. With a few grunts and heaves, it wasn't long before they were pushing it upright and back into place.