The Forgotten Angle: Water 7 Saga
Chapter 15: The Man of Pride! The Return of Foxy the Silver Fox!
Rated Mature for: Explicit and suggestive language and graphic violence; rating may increase with time.
Characters may have altered/differing features from the canon. These are in accordance with the author’s vision of these characters.
If you enjoyed this work, and have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment.
After rescuing Foxy, Porche, and Hamburg from a wild storm, the Straw Hats discover that the Sexy Foxy has been taken over by the former-captain of the Fanged Frog Pirates, Kibagaeru. Foxy challenges him with a Davy Back Fight in an attempt to regain order.
~ * < The Man of Pride! The Return of Foxy the Silver Fox! > * ~
It didn't take more than a day for a storm to develop. And it developed fast, at that. The clouds were so thick that it darkened the sky, even though it was barely evening. It wasn't raining yet, but it was only a matter of time before the sky decided whether it wanted to or not. The waves were rough and choppy, easily tossing the Going Merry around. It was a miracle they hadn't been capsized yet.
“Whoa!” Luffy exclaimed excitedly. “What a huge wave! It's scary!” He was sitting on a barrel that was sliding around on the deck.
The huge wave in question crashed down. Though it was several kilometers away, it was loud enough to hear clear from the ship. And make it rock even harder.
Tenshi was perched up on the mainmast's yard, tightening the ropes around the furled main sail. The ropes were soaking wet, making her job harder. Her hands were already red from the strain of pulling them tight. She was kept dry by her brown overcoat, similar to Nami's pink and Robin's light-blue. “I'm glad someone's having a good time,” she muttered.
Down on deck, Zoro and Usopp were clinging to the base of the mainmast. Not because they were trying to keep from getting thrown overboard, but to keep the mast itself from breaking. Even from up where she was, Tenshi could hear the metal braces groaning against their nails.
Over the harsh winds and crashing waves, she heard new voices. Three of them. Though they were distant, they were loud and shrill enough for her to not only hear them, but also recognize them. In their direction, off in the distance she saw a small boat. Its only sail was black, with a Jolly Roger crudely painted on it. And it already wasn't faring any better than the Merry.
She groaned with dismay. “Not these guys again!”
The others spotted them too, with Luffy, Usopp, and Sanji looking out from port-side. “Ahoy!” Luffy called out cheerfully. “Guys! Long time no see, huh?!”
“Ahoy!” “Ahoy!” Porche and Hamburg yelled back just as cheerful.
“How dare you, 'Straw Hat'?!” Foxy yelled angrily. “Don't look this way! We haven't fallen so low as to need your help!”
“Okay! Sounds good to me!” Tenshi happily said, waving an arm at them as the Merry sailed away. “See ya later!”
“Hey! You nasty wench!” Foxy protested. “'S-Straw Hat'! If you want to help us, we're okay with that, ya know!”
Tenshi shook her head, her curls slapping against her face with each sharp movement. She was still grinning. “Uh-uh, you can't take it back now!”
But her grin slowly faded as a wave grew behind the tiny boat. It was the biggest one she had seen yet. While the Merry was far enough away that it wouldn't get capsized, the same could not be said for the Foxy trio's boat. It was a matchbox in comparison.
Even from the distance, she saw a pink Noro Noro Beam shoot at the wave. But it only slowed a small portion of the rising water. And it conjoined with itself around that section, nullifying the effort. He tried several more times, but it was still no use. The wave did not shrink, nor did it slow down.
Tenshi slid down the mainmast, letting her feet hit the deck. Her boots were across from where she initially left them, but she left them alone for now. “Hey, isn't this bad?” Usopp asked.
“A small boat like that won't stand a chance,” Nami agreed.
“Once the thirty seconds for those beams wear off, that's just gonna add to the wave,” Tenshi added. "With all the beating from the water they're taking."
“Guys! Stay back!” Luffy shouted, grabbing a rope. “Tenshi! Grab the other end!” Without waiting for her response, he launched his hand holding the opposite end towards the Foxy trio's boat. “Hold onto this.”
Tenshi ran and grabbed the coiled end with both hands. Whether it dragged back the whole boat or just the trio, it was going to be heavy. Even with Luffy's added strength.
“Idiot! No!” he protested. “I meant the rope!” He started to get dragged away.
But Usopp managed to grab him around the waist before he was pulled overboard. Tenshi braced her feet against the deck and wrapped the rope around her hands—very dangerous, she was well aware, especially with how raw and sore they still were, but this was an emergency. The deck was so slippery, she was dragged along with them to the bulwart.
Luckily, Luffy's arm snapped back at the same time, pulling Foxy, Hamburg, and Porche with it. They crashed into the side of the ship. Luffy, Usopp, and Tenshi were nearly pulled overboard themselves by the trio's combined weight. But as they continued to hang onto Luffy's arm, their feet remained on deck.
Everyone looked back up just in time to see the wave, grown and strengthened by the slowed water running out of time, as Tenshi predicted, swallow up the small boat. Nothing was left. It was like witnessing the Fanged Frog's ship succumb to the Sea Monkeys' wave. Except the small boat was empty, at least.
But even though she wanted to be petty, she didn't bring up the irony, even to the Foxy trio. She kept quiet as Zoro and Sanji joined her in helping Luffy and Usopp pull them onto the ship. Foxy and Hamburg fell onto the deck with loud, wet thuds. Sanji managed to catch Porche before she fell as well, cradling her in his arms. She instantly clung to him, still looking shell shocked by nearly getting shipwrecked and drowned.
Thankfully, Sanji didn't fawn over the fact that a woman he was carrying was holding tightly onto him. With a face of determination, he marched to the lounge, kicking the door open to walk in.
Chopper transformed into Heavy Point and pulled Hamburg's arm over his shoulders. He was big and strong enough to lift him onto his feet, and followed Sanji to the lounge. Hamburg had enough consciousness to walk along with him, though he still looked shocked by what happened.
Foxy, however, pushed Luffy away when he tried to help him up. Grumbling under his breath, he pulled his coat tighter around himself and stalked into the lounge. Though he too looked a little traumatized, he looked more frustrated.
Still quiet, Tenshi went into the storage room under the galley to reach the women's quarters. And once she was down there, she gathered up three of the largest blankets she owned in her arms, and walked back out on deck and up the stairs to the upper deck to go into the lounge.
Foxy, Hamburg, and Porche were already sitting at the table, with Sanji and Chopper drying them off with towels. They took the blankets and draped them over Porche and Hamburg's shoulders. They instantly pulled them tight around themselves, relaxing under the warm and dry yarn-fabric.
Foxy was less polite and grateful, snatching the blanket and snapping over himself. He was still scowling, now looking embarrassed. And he was pointedly not looking at anyone.
The room was still mostly quiet. It was far noisier outside, between the wind blowing, and the waves crashing against the windows. The only sound in the lounge was Sanji making a pot of soup. Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Robin, and Tenshi were all watching the Foxy trio—Chopper had ran out of the room before Porche could see him once he determined they were uninjured. The women removed their overcoats so they could dry; Nami's outfit was a light-blue knitted t-shirt, orange skirt, and her gladiator sandals, Robin wore a light-purple button up long-sleeved shirt alongside her dark-purple pants and cowboy boots, and Tenshi had an open teal flannel over a black tank top, jeans, and her black pirate boots.
Foxy finally sighed, slumping down in his seat. The anger and embarrassment was gone, leaving him looking depressed. “Well, I feel ashamed,” he said quietly. “First I lose five hundred subordinates. And now, to think I even lost my ship...” He clasped his hands in front of his face. “This is truly the end of Foxy 'the Silver Fox'...” He sniffled and concluded, “It might've been better if I'd just let fate take its course and sank into the sea.”
“Boss...” Hamburg whimpered, gnawing on his blanket. He was also crying. Porche buried her face in her hands to sob.
Sheesh. And I thought I had low and dark moments. For the first time, Tenshi actually felt a little sorry for Foxy and his crewmembers. No matter how much of an obnoxious and arrogant cheat he was, it had to be incredibly distressful and degrading to go from the top of a five hundred-strong crew to a tiny boat, where he nearly lost his two remaining mates and his life in a storm, and had to be rescued by the same opposing crew he nearly screwed over.
Even Tenshi had to admit she too would be feeling angry, embarrassed, and depressed as well.
Foxy scrubbed his face dry and suddenly leaned forward to plant his hands on the table. His still-splinted nose was inches from Luffy's. “Therefore, I'd like you to take pity on me and let us stay on this ship!” He bowed his head onto the table. But not before his face briefly showed how frustrated and desperate he looked at having to ask an enemy for help.
“Okay,” Luffy said. No judging, and no hidden favors to demand in return. Just simple acknowledgment and agreement. “Since you don't have your own ship anymore, it can't be helped.”
Nami and Usopp glanced uneasily at each other. Well, this likely won't go well. But Tenshi still continued to remain quiet.
Sanji ladled the soup into three bowls and brought them to the table. “Here you are. This soup will warm you all up.”
“Oh! This looks good!” Porche exclaimed happily. “I'll have it with Choppy.” With the blanket still draped over her shoulders, she picked up the bowl and left the table to find him.
“Sanji!” Luffy called out as Sanji gave Hamburg his bowl. “I wanna have soup too!”
“There isn't any left. Wait until tomorrow.” He placed the last bowl in front of Foxy.
But while Hamburg eagerly slurped up his soup, not bothering to use his spoon, Foxy just stared blankly at his bowl. Even after being granted sanctuary, food, and shelter, he still looked depressed.
“What's wrong? Don't hold back,” Sanji said kindly.
Foxy turned to look at him, but with disdain. “What is this?! There's nothing in the soup!”
Sanji nearly attacked him, but was held back by Usopp grabbing his arms. “Don't act so full of yourself! Maybe I should put you in the soup!”
“Hey! Calm down!” Usopp protested. “Calm down, Sanji! And you! Apologize to Sanji! Okay?!
“Huh?!” Foxy exclaimed. Hamburg snickered against the rim of his bowl next to him.
Tenshi glanced at Nami, only to double-take when she saw she had a heavy twitch in one eye. “What's wrong?”
“I had a gut feeling that someone was snooping at our gold,” she said quietly. Her eye was already calming down. “But it's passed.”
Tenshi snorted in amusement. “Only you would have a sixth sense for that. But it must be Porche looking for Chopper. At least she doesn't seem like the type to filch someone's treasure.”
“She better not be... Still, I'll count the treasure just before they finally leave to make sure none of it is missing.”
“Probably a good idea.”
Gritting his teeth, Foxy finally grumbled out, “I apologize for my remark about your soup.”
Sanji sniffed, relaxing and adjusting his tie. Usopp let him go with a sigh of relief. “Try the soup, Boss,” Hamburg encouraged, licking the remaining liquid from his lips. “It's really good.” He stretched his arm across the table, holding his empty bowl. Tenshi took it and walked to the sink.
With a huff, Foxy lifted the spoon from the bowl and slowly sipped the soup. His eyes lit up for a moment, and his tongue darted out to lap the droplets of soup from his lips. But he quickly masked his hungry expression with indifference. “Hmph. It's not tanuki soba, but it's decent.” He still took a heartier spoonful.
“This soup is all you'll get,” Sanji said tightly.
Porche returned to the lounge, eating from her own soup bowl. “I couldn't find Choppy,” she said sadly. “Only yarn and dirty books.”
“Why do people keep nosing at my stash?!” Tenshi exclaimed in exasperation.
“Ah-ha!” Porche exclaimed, pointing her spoon at her. “So it's you who owns such filthy books!” Her offended expression faded as she glanced around and moved closer to her. “... Where'd you get them?” she whispered.
Tenshi casually shrugged. “The bookstore where I originally lived. Sometimes catalogs. The library even gave some out for free, but that's just asking for nastiness. Books can't be washed, after all.”
Even as she shuddered in disgust at the implications, Porche still finished her soup. She hummed happily. “Thank you for the soup, Mr. Cook! It was delicious!” she said as she and Foxy handed Tenshi their empty bowls and spoons.
“Ahh!” Sanji exclaimed, practically dancing in place. “It warms my heart to hear such praise, Porche-chan!”
With all of the dirty dishes in her hands, Tenshi turned back to the sink and turned on the faucet. She picked up a sponge, soaped it up, and began washing the bowls and spoons. Though Sanji always insisted she didn't need to, she actually enjoyed washing dishes. It was a calm task that she was able to focus on, but one that didn't require too much effort beyond scrubbing dried food from utensils and dishes. And sometimes it gave her a few minutes of peace to think.
“... You've been noticeably quiet,” Foxy snidely observed. She could feel his eyes boring into her being.
“I was told to behave while you guys are our guests,” she explained, tilting a bowl around to rinse it under the running faucet. “But I won't be held responsible if any of you three piss me off.”
“Hmph. I suppose it would be wise to not provoke you into another verbal assault.”
Hamburg snickered in his hands, obviously remembering what she did during the Run Roller Around game. “Shut up, Hamburg!” Foxy snapped. He wriggled under his blanket and grumbled, “This blanket feels so rough! And these colors are obnoxious and bright!”
“Hey!” Sanji yelled, needing Usopp to hold him back again. “How dare you insult Tenshi-sama's hard work?! She made those blankets with her own hands! It took a lot of her time, blood, sweat, and tears! There's love and care in every stitch of yarn! And it was only out of the goodness of her heart that you're even allowed to use them!”
The room was quiet again. Foxy, Hamburg, and Porche turned to look at Tenshi, trying to gauge her reaction to Foxy's criticism and Sanji's praise. Especially because if she indeed made all three of these blankets, it truly was kind of her to let the three of them use them.
But she remained silent as she rinsed the dishes and began drying them off with a dish towel. There was no indication that she was hurt or pleased. She didn't even look like she had been listening to anything.
“Tenshi's blankets are great!” Luffy declared with a big smile. “They're warm and cozy! And she can make them in as many colors as you want!”
Porche pursed her lips, her eyes darting away. Foxy humphed, but he didn't cast away his blanket. “I like this blanket,” Hamburg said, adjusting it over his broad shoulders. “You really made these? You think if I learned how to do it, I could make them?”
“Sure!” Tenshi said, smiling at him. “I'd be happy to teach you tomorrow!” She finished drying the dishes and set them aside to completely dry overnight on the counter. Her movements were stiff, yet measured. And her smile didn't reach her eyes.
As she walked to the door of the lounge, Zoro stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. He looked up at her, raising an eyebrow. “I'll be okay,” she said, still smiling broadly. She moved from under his hand to leave the lounge.
Though she didn't slam the door shut behind her, it was still loud when it closed, even with the still-raging storm outside. The quiet awkwardness remained heavy in the lounge for the rest of the night.
By the time morning broke, however, the storm was gone. There were only a few scattered clouds in the sky, and the puddles on the deck were drying off. Compared to last night, it was gearing up to be a warm day.
Luffy and Usopp were sitting on the starboard-side bulwart, fishing. Foxy was fishing with them too, but looked far less enthused about it. Luffy and Usopp just looked sleepy, widely yawning as they clutched their fishing poles.
Tenshi and Hamburg were sitting criss-cross on the deck behind them, facing each other. They both had a skein of yarn in their laps, which were attached to their crochet hooks. Hamburg had a thicker crochet hook, as that would be easier for him to learn the basics.
And learn, he did. “You got the hang of it quick,” Tenshi said approvingly. All she needed to teach him were two of the three basic crochet stitches, chains, slipknots, and two different ways to start crocheting in the round. And he picked up on them quick enough that he was able to make a square. It was wonky in shape, and some stitches were looser or tighter than others. But it was still a good start.
Hamburg grinned with a pleased giggle. “So, a bunch of these grandma squares can really make a big blanket?”
Tenshi didn't bother to correct him on the name. He was enthusiastic about learning, and that was all that mattered to her. “They can. And in any size you need, and as many colors as you want. It just takes time, practice, and imagination. And sewing,” she added with a chuckle. “Lots of sewing. But here, I'll show you how to finish off a square.”
Chopper screamed as he ran across the deck. Porche was on his heels, trying to reach out and scoop him up. “Choppy, come back!”
Luffy and Usopp barely twitched at the commotion behind them, still focused on their fishing. Or at least as much as they could be between their yawns. While Luffy had the standard red and white bobber, Usopp's was a cork carved in the shape of a wharf roach. It was very special to him, being a gift from his late mother, and he refused to let anyone else use it, much less touch it.
Something caught Hamburg's eye. “Hm? Where's the boss?” he asked, looking from his abandoned fishing pole to around the deck. But there was no sign of Foxy anywhere.
Not too long after, there was a loud commotion from the mikan trees. There were angry grunts, loud punches, and yelps of pain. And the branches and leaves were rustling. There was no doubt about who was beating him up in those trees.
“There he is,” Tenshi said cheerfully.
"Is he seriously messing with Nami's mikan trees?"
“He's an idiot,” Luffy said, almost sounding disappointed.
Hamburg turned back to Tenshi, now looking a little concerned. “Are all three of you women that scary?”
“Only when we're royally pissed off,” she quipped, cutting the yarn from her project with a loud snap of her scissors.
Hamburg snickered nervously. Something else caught his attention, but this time it was out at sea. His crochet project fell from his hands. “That's... Boss!” He leaped to his feet, letting the crochet hook and yarn clatter onto the deck. “I see the Sexy Foxy!” He leaped onto the bulwart and began waving his arms in the air. “Ahoy! Ahoy!”
Sure enough, there was a ship in the distance. Even with how far away it was, the fox tail on the rudder was visible.
“Oh, good!” Usopp said. “You guys're gonna get off our ship then, huh?”
Foxy and Porche ran to join Hamburg, waving their arms and shouting for their ship's attention as well.
Well, that was fun while it lasted. Tenshi gathered up the two sets of crochet projects and supplies and moved to put them away in the women's quarters. She was glad that the Foxy trio would be leaving, and was already anticipating the relative peace and quiet the Going Merry would have once again. But she was starting to have fun, especially with Hamburg. And it wasn't just because she was able to teach him how to crochet, and he was actually excited to learn. He reminded her of Masira and Shoujou, not just because he was ape-like—a gorilla to their monkey and orangutan, at that—but in terms of his personality. He reminded her of how Masira and Shoujou, while they were responsible and goofy, could also be dumb and quick-tempered.
Foxy and Porche, she could do without. Porche was too annoying with how she was obsessed with Chopper and coddled over Foxy, and Foxy was Foxy. And she already knew she would get tired of Hamburg and his snickering after a while anyway.
By the time she returned to the deck, the Merry was sided up next to the Sexy Foxy, once again dwarfed by the massive ship. There was a long ladder that led from one ship to the other. The Straw Hats, save for Chopper and Robin, were gathered around, having presumably seen off the Foxy Pirates trio.
“Did they pick up that long-ladder from Long Ring Long Land?” she joked as she joined them.
Usopp whipped around to grin widely at her. “They've gone back to their ship! We won't have to see them ever again!”
She nodded, looking up at the Sexy Foxy. “I can hear their reunion clear from here.” There were loud sobs clear from the other ship.
The course sail was hoisted. But instead of the crude Foxy Pirates Jolly Roger that Luffy painted for them, it was a completely different one. This one had the skull of a frog with sharp teeth, and had a different crew's name written on it in green.
The Straw Hats gasped and exclaimed in surprise. “'Fanged Frog'?” Zoro questioned, tilting his head. “Who's that?”
“If I remember right, they're the ones who lost in the Davy Back Fight before us and had their stuff taken,” Nami said.
Tenshi nodded. “They took several of their crewmembers, their Jolly Roger, and their sails.”
“And this time, Foxy got his ship taken over by them?” Usopp asked.
“What a stupid guy that Split-Head is,” Luffy remarked.
“Well, it is a motley crew of pirates one by playing games, after all,” Zoro pointed out. “Like Tensh said, mutiny is always a possibility.”
“Finally someone sees my point!” she exclaimed, grinning down at Zoro.
“What do you suppose is gonna happen now?” Before anyone could answer him, Luffy began to climb up the ladder. Usopp followed close behind, thought he protested the whole way.
Tenshi folded her arms across her chest, humming in thought. “Y'know, I wonder if this happened because Foxy lost that last Davy Back Fight. It was the first time he lost a battle after almost a thousand consecutive wins. It probably did a lot more than just bruise his pride. Not to mention betting his whole crew like they were nothing more than poker chips probably shook their confidence in him in that way too.”
Zoro nodded. “Such a big loss and harsh bet would have strong ripple effects.”
“Ooh, look at you, using metaphors!” Sanji teased Zoro, flicking his lighter to life.
Zoro growled at him. “I'll use that lighter to light that straw hair of yours!”
“Wha-Straw hair?! Why, you stupid-!”
“Hey, Split-Head is on fire!” Luffy yelled down from the Sexy Foxy's bulwart, interrupting the ensuing fight. “Come check it out already!”
“His head...”
“... Is on fire?” Sanji and Nami questioned, confused.
“We'd hear him screaming if that were the case,” Tenshi pointed out. She started to climb up the ladder. Even if she didn't care about what Foxy and his crew were going through, she was too curious and nosy to pass up seeing what would happen.
By the time she joined Luffy and Usopp, Foxy raised a pistol into the air. Porche and Hamburg were standing by him, looking worried. Fourteen men were standing in a group before him, all without eye masks, but most with swords in their hands. The presumed leader, a tall and portly man with a graying brown mustache and a captain's outfit, stood facing Foxy. These must have been the Fanged Frog Pirates.
“We, the Foxy Pirates, challenge you, the Fanged Frog Pirates, to a Davy Back Fight!” Foxy announced. “I'll teach you who the real captain is!”
“Here we fucking go again,” Tenshi muttered as a pistol shot rang out.
~ * <|> * ~
It wasn't long before Zoro, Nami, and Sanji joined Luffy, Usopp, and Tenshi in boarding the Sexy Foxy. Chopper and Robin stayed on the Merry, though nobody blamed Chopper. He already suffered enough of Porche trying to grab and squeeze him like a stuffed animal. And it was also good that Robin was staying on the ship in case anything went south.
By the time they came down towards the deck to watch the chaos, Foxy was laughing before the Fanged Frogs captain, looking confident as ever. “You said you'd beat me up, huh, Kibagaeru?” he taunted. “If it's a duel you want, why don't we start with us captains?! I assume you have no objections?”
All of the Straw Hats were on the steps by this point. Nami, Usopp, and Sanji were sitting normally, while Luffy sat criss-cross. Zoro was longing length-ways behind them to relax, hands behind his head, and Tenshi was sprawled back to lean her elbows on the step behind her, and her knees were spread apart.
“He's quite confident, isn't he?” Nami remarked.
“He's got that attack, so...” Usopp pointed out.
Luffy turned to him. “Is he gonna use it?”
“Well, what else would he do?” Sanji asked.
Tenshi remained quiet, curious about how this would go. Though she was loathed to admit it, Foxy was a strong battler, even if he only relied on one core strategy.
The only problem was this strategy had a blatant and easy-to-exploit weakness...
“Here I come!” Foxy yelled out, thrusting a hand forward. “Noro Noro Beam!”
Kibagaeru didn't move an inch as the pink beam shot at him. But four of his Fanged Frog pirates did move. They lifted their swords up to cross in front of him, reflecting the beam directly back at Foxy. His voice and face were slow as he screamed out in frustrated surprise.
Most of the Straw Hats were astounded as well. “That went the way I predicted,” Tenshi drawled, not shocked in the slightest.
“Men! Take him down!” Kibagaeru commanded once the Noro Noro Beam stopped firing.
The same Fanged Frog pirates charged at Foxy as their captain laughed. Though they didn't use their swords, they did pummel Foxy with their fists as they too laughed. “That beam of yours is no threat at all once it's reflected!” Kibagaeru declared. “I already know your trick!”
Tenshi's face twisted in discomfort as she watched the one-sided beating. It reminded her too much of similar attacks in Mock Town. Most of the time, she merely witnessed it happening. But there was one time she was at the center of such a beating. True, it was partially her fault, but it still didn't feel good. Not to mention with how unpopular she was in town, it was likely a much stronger beating than it reasonably should have been. That had been the closest that Cricket, Masira, and Shoujou fully realized what she often went through in Mock Town, though she managed to play down the bruises and cuts she had.
And while this was also partially Foxy's fault, it was a more everyday occurrence for pirates. And he should have been prepared for it, especially when the battle between him and Luffy exposed the weakness to the Noro Noro no Mi. But it still made her uncomfortable to see, especially since he couldn't even defend himself against four for almost thirty seconds. That was the worst part.
“Boss!” Hamburg roared, pulling out a metal club. He ran up and slammed two Fanged Frog pirates away from Foxy.
But then Porche screamed. “What are you doing?!” she demanded.
Kibagaeru was holding her against himself, and was pressing a knife to her throat. “Stop right there!” he demanded.
Hamburg froze, his face still curled into an angry grimace. “Drop your weapon!” Kabagaeru continued.
“You let her go!” Sanji demanded. He leaped to his feet, but was held back by Usopp and Tenshi.
“Wait, Sanji! You could make things worse!”
“We're not a part of this Davy Back Fight this time!”
Hamburg reluctantly dropped his club with a loud clang. He groaned uneasily as he was stared down by the Fanged Frog pirates, all grinning maliciously. Foxy's face and body were still deforming from the attack.
One of the pirates lifted Hamburg's club, even with how it was almost his size. He jabbed it into his stomach, making him double over. The other three pounced, punching him as hard and fast as they could. This made Tenshi's discomfort even worse, making her think about how Masira and Shoujou had been beat up by Bellamy and his crew, even if she didn't visually witness it. But at least they were able to initially fight back; Hamburg was given no choice, otherwise his friend could be hurt.
At the same time, the Noro Noro Beam wore off of Foxy, and the earlier beating caught up to him. His body writhed madly in place until he finally collapsed. Hamburg also fell over.
By this point, Zoro was properly sitting up to watch, his arms crossed. Nami was covering her eyes, looking horrified at the one-sided brutality.
Kibagaeru laughed triumphantly and looked over at the crowd of Foxy Pirates. “You all see how stupid your former boss looked?! You don't have to be loyal to a guy like that! Got it?!”
Luffy stood up. “Hey, you!” he shouted angrily, pointing at Kibagaeru. “Wasn't it supposed to be a captains' duel?! That's dirty!”
Kibagaeru turned to sneer at Luffy. “You're an outsider, so shut up! And besides, I never even said that I'd accept the Davy Back Fight. Only one gun was shot into the air! And no coins were thrown in honor of Davy Jones!”
“In that case, it should be all hands on deck,” Tenshi remarked, winking at Luffy. Though he still looked angry, this did seem to calm him down a little.
“Both of you, don't,” Zoro said, though he looked mildly disgusted. “This is their fight. It has nothing to do with either of you.”
Foxy chuckled weakly from where he lay. “He's right,” he said, slowly rising to his knees, and then his feet. “Just shut up and watch, 'Straw Hat' and Sakidō... Watch the proud Foxy 'the Silver Fox' fight!” He suddenly pointed up into the sky. “The hell?! Look'it that!”
Everyone reflexively looked up. When they looked back down, Foxy was gone. “He's gone.” “Where did he go?!” a group of Fanged Frog pirates that looked like doctors wondered.
Foxy popped up by a different staircase that led to the upper deck, wearing a blatant female disguise. Not even Luffy should have been fooled by it. “That way!” he exclaimed in a falsetto voice, pointing. “I saw him go that way! It's true!”
The Fanged Frog pirates spun around and ran in the direction he pointed. “That way, huh?!” “Let's get 'im!”
But then they turned back around, revealing a large cannon aimed straight at Foxy. “You think we'd fall for that?!” “You think we'd fall for that?!” “You think we'd fall for that?!” “You think we'd fall for that?!”
*KA-BOOM!*
The explosion rocked the ship, though not nearly as violently as the captains' duel had. But it did let off a large plume of smoke. It faded, revealing Foxy collapsed on the deck again. His disguise had been shredded to pieces.
All of the Fanged Frog pirates laughed and pointed at him. “One roasted fox, coming right up!” “Smells like singed fur and failure!” “You want a mirror so you can reflect your stupid beams and face back at you?!”
Tenshi's fists clenched at her sides. It was ironic that she was getting upset from an enemy getting laughed at and insulted, especially when she did it for nearly four minutes straight to him. But at the time, it had been during a Davy Back Fight, he could have fought back if needed, and it was a game where no holds were barred. Not to mention she was an enemy of his herself.
But these were crewmembers he used to presumably trust, despite not having them for long. At the very least, they were expected to be loyal to the crew. And it was over a dozen of them doing it instead of one woman.
Once again, she was reminded of her time in Mock Town.
The rest of the Foxy Pirates were still watching in utter horror. They definitely came across as far more loyal to their captain, alongside Porche and Hamburg. And just as worried.
One finally darted from the crowd to run to him. “Boss!”
Kibagaeru tossed Porche to another Fanged Frog pirate and grabbed a whip that had been coiled around his right shoulder. Quick as a snake, he whipped the back of the Foxy pirate, making him fall to the floor. With a flick of his wrist, he wrapped the whip around his forearm. “Get back here! I'm your boss!”
“That's taking it too far!” Tenshi exclaimed, leaping to her feet alongside Luffy. “There was no Davy Back Fight established, so he wasn't part of this so-called duel!”
“You shut your dirty mouth, you ugly whore!” Kibagaeru yelled, pointing the handle of his whip at her.
“I'm not a whore, I'm a slut! Should I chuck a dictionary at your fat head so you can learn and remember the definition?!”
“... She's right,” Foxy coughed, struggling to push himself up again. “Aren't weapons something you should use against your enemy? Why would your hurt one of your own subordinates?!” He was finally able to push himself up onto his hands and knees. “If you rely on only power, you're nothing but the head of a group of thugs. You don't have the caliber to be the captain of a ship.”
“What kind of captain were you to the Fanged Frog Pirates before all this?” Tenshi added, still glaring at Kibagaeru. “Especially when you never seemed even a little upset that your former crew drowned at sea! Were you this cruel to them before? Or are you just throwing a tantrum against Foxy, especially now that you can actually hurt him?” I can't believe I'm actually defending and siding with this idiotic Split-Head.
Foxy nodded over his shoulder at her in appreciation, and turned back to Kibagaeru. “Just give up on this ship. And my subordinates as well.” He rose up on his knees. “I won't give you anything. Not a single thing!”
Kibagaeru suddenly swung his arm, whipping Foxy across the face. It was such a strong attack, it made him fly to the side. “Shut up, I said!”
“Boss!” Porche screamed in despair. Nobody else could muster up the air to cry out in shock or dismay. Tenshi stared with wide eyes. If she thought Foxy was brutal during the Davy Back Fight, this Kibgaeru was a monster. It made her sick to imagine if this indeed was how he was with his former crew if nobody obeyed them.
The silence was only broken when Foxy's body fell onto the deck again. Blood spattered around him. For several moments, he didn't move.
“Hey! Split-Head!” Luffy ran to him. Tenshi followed close behind, spinning on her heel to get on the other side of him. “Hang in there!”
His chest was rising and falling, proving he was still alive. But he was bleeding from a thin slash across his forehead and cheekbone, as well as his nose. Bruises were already developing across his body, and there were patches of soot on his skin and clothes. And he was still missing a lower tooth from his fight with Luffy.
His eyes slowly opened until they could focus on Luffy crouching over him. “Oh... It's you, 'Straw Hat'...” He looked to the side at Tenshi, who was kneeling next to him. She was close enough to see his eyes were amber-colored, almost close enough to match a red fox's fur. “And you... I guess that was pretty pathetic, huh? Though I'm curious about why you're so concerned, Sakidō... Especially after those Davy Back Fights...”
“Everything you just went through, minus your Noro Noro Beam, is only a taste of what I went through myself,” she said solemnly. “I spent the last six years in Mock Town dealing with harsh beat downs, mocking laughter, and cutting insults. Almost daily, with little to no reasons, and all many-to-one. And I don't like to see other people go through any of that without any good reasons.”
Though briefly stunned at her revelation, Foxy let out a small huff of laughter. “I suppose that's why you're so vulgar and resilient. Six years...” He turned back to Luffy. “Say... would you do me a favor?” He reached into the front his pants and pulled out something dark and puffy, and dropped it in Luffy's hands. “This... Would you take this...?”
It was the afro wig.
He was smiling fondly at this point. “That match was the best stage of my entire life...”
Tenshi raised an eyebrow. “You just keep that in your draw-?” She was interrupted when Luffy shoved his straw hat on her head. When she nudged the brim up, he was already adjusting the afro wig on his head.
“You're super groovy right now!” he declared, smiling down at Foxy. He stepped around him to stand firmly before Kibagaeru. “I'm your opponent now!” he declared. “Bring it on, Fanged Frog Pirates!”
“Up you get,” Tenshi said, pulling Foxy's arm over her shoulders. He was able to stand on his feet and walk alongside her as she took him out of the way. She had to bend down a little, with how much taller than him she was.
“Not gonna blot my wound with your shirt?” he teased. “Not even my bloody nose?”
“Don't push it, Kitsune.” But she did pass him a handkerchief she pulled out of her pocket. He blew his nose in it and wiped the blood from his face wound.
“Hey, now! This has nothing to do with you, 'Straw Hat',” Kibagaeru protested.
“It does!” Luffy insisted.
“But I don't want to fight a guy with a one hundred million Beri bounty on his head. What good would it do me to fight you?”
“Feh-fefefe,” Foxy laughed, now standing properly beside Tenshi. “What're you saying? If you defeat the Straw Hats, you'll get that one hundred sixty million Beri bounty. And not only that, but they have a mountain of gold on their ship too. I bet that's worth quite a bit.”
Porche frantically nodded in agreement. “I TOLD YOU SHE WAS SNOOPING AT OUR TREASURE, TENSHI!”
“Hey, don't spill our secrets!” Tenshi protested to Foxy. “We're trying to help you!”
But he ignored her to continue taunting Kibagaeru, who was starting to look greedy, “Are you shocked?! Just take it, you petty thieves!” He laughed again.
“A-A mountain of gold...” one of the Fanged Frog Pirates said, sounding intrigued.
“On top of a one hundred sixty million Beri bounty...?”
“Prepare to fire!” Kibagaeru shouted, Beri symbols in his eyes. “The target is 'Straw Hat'!”
The Fanged Frog Pirates scattered, some of which running to drag the cannon over and aim it at Luffy. Porche managed to get away from her captor and ran straight for Foxy. “Boss!” she whimpered. “Look at you! I'm so sorry!”
“I'm fine, Porche-chan,” he said, clasping her shoulder. “I'm sorry you and Hamburg got involved and hurt. Go make sure he's alright.”
She nodded, briefly clutching his wrist before it left her shoulder, and went to Hamburg's side. He was coming to and starting to sit up, rubbing the bruise developing on his stomach.
“Fire!”
*BOOM!*
Instead of instantly exploding once it hit Luffy's torso, the cannonball knocked him off of his feet and sent him flying backwards. But he managed to cling to the railing with the heels of his feet and his fingers. His limbs were stretched like a slingshot. With a yell, he snapped his limbs back to normal, sending the cannonball flying back at the Fanged Frog Pirates. They managed to run out of the way, leaving it to explode against a wall.
As he fell back down to the deck, he stretched his limbs out to punch and kick four Fanged Frog Pirates.
Usopp and Sanji jumped to their feet to join in the fight. Tenshi grabbed her rope needles in one hand, and pulled the rope's slipknot free with her other hand. “How're you going to fight with those dinky knitting needles?” Foxy questioned skeptically.
“Watch and learn.” She twisted around and lifted his chin up with the point of one of her needles. He stayed frozen, staring up at her with fright as he felt the tip threatening to pierce his throat. While her smile looked sweet, her eyes were threatening, even behind her round glasses. And her lightning scars made it all scarier. “But if you even try to steal them, I'll kill you slowly. And without your Devil Fruit. Maybe even without my needles... Get it?”
He gulped, his Adam's apple grazing dangerously against the needle point, and managed to give a nod.
Satisfied with this, she tossed her needles up and caught them both, one in a reverse grip, and the other in a forward grip. She had already used Zoro's birthday gift to shine and sharpen them, so they were extra shiny and dangerous. The rope connecting them billowed out behind her.
One Fanged Frog met her head-on, sword drawn. He swung it downwards at her, but she blocked it with a needle. She swiped the other at his torso, managing to cut through the fabric and scratch his skin enough to bleed. When he cringed in pain and lifted a hand to clutch his wound, she kneed him upside the chin. "Nice try, idiot! These babies might not slice, but they leave good scratches!"
Another pirate charged at her, swinging his sword sideways at her body. She spun on one foot away from the swinging sword, causing him to twist around from the momentum. Getting a quick idea, she swung the rope over her head, and then his, like she was getting ready to play Double Dutch. Then, she grabbed the rope further down from the needles and yanked back. This caused him to get quickly pulled towards her with a yelp. Her leg lifted up to kick him back in the crotch, also clotheslining him into flipping face-down onto the deck with a gasping groan. "Bet that hurt in the dick and teeth!"
Why did that feel so familiar? Using the rope as part of the attack...
Another pirate came running. This one had two knives, obviously trying to match her weapon usage. She tossed a needle up to grab it and use it to block one knife that was sliced at her. The other was stabbed at her. Still holding the rope under the other needle, she instinctively swung it. It clanged into the side of the knife, knocking it out of the pirate's hand. When he was distracted by this, she swung the rope upwards. This sliced him up the chest and to the throat, though not badly enough to bleed him to death. But it did knock him backwards. "'Bout gutted you like a fish!"
That was familiar too! So familiar...
But she didn't have time to ponder on the attacks being familiar, nor even the attack names that were vaguely echoing in her head. She had to focus on not getting killed.
It wasn't too much longer before all thirteen of the Fanged Frog Pirates were defeated. Only the captain was left. And he was busy whipping at Luffy's leg, making him jump backwards on one foot while yelping in pain. Kibagaeru was laughing maniacally, swinging his arm back and forth. The whip snapped through the air each time.
Luffy finally stopped and stretched his leg back. “Gomu Gomu no...” He nearly lost his concentration when he was repeatedly smacked with the whip, but managed to execute his attack, “Whip!” He lunged his foot at Kibagaeru, letting the whip wrap around his stretched out leg. But instead of actually kicking him, he snapped his leg back to normal, taking the whip out of his hand.
Kibagaeru blanched when he realized he was without his weapon. And when Luffy harmlessly nudged it off of his foot, he turned around and started to run. “Gomu Gomu no... Pistol!”
He crashed into the opposite side of the deck, landing in an unconscious slump. The Foxy Pirates cheered loudly, pumping their fists into the air.
No more time was wasted. Kibagaeru and the other Fanged Frog Pirates were tied up and put off to the side. The Foxy Pirates' sailmasters climbed up the foremast to quickly replace the Fanged Frog's coast sail with the proper Foxy one.
As the Straw Hats gathered up again, Foxy walked up to them, flanked by Porche and Hamburg. His new facial wound was bandaged, and he had wads of tissue in his nose. “That was splendid, 'Straw Hat',” he said. “You're as marvelous as ever.”
Luffy chuckled. “I was just pulled in by your passion.”
Foxy held out a hand, presumably for a handshake. “Let me just tell you one thing...”
This instantly had Tenshi suspicious. She remembered what happened the last time Foxy tried to end things with a supposedly friendly handshake. While it wasn't anything disastrous, it was still a trick. And Porche and Hamburg snickering behind him weren't alleviating her suspicions.
But Luffy evidently didn't have that sense of suspicion. “Oh, don't be like that. We're friends. You don't have to thank me.” But he still reached out to accept the handshake.
However, instead of Luffy grasp his hand, or even grabbing his wrist for another over-the-shoulder throw, Foxy lifted his hand up and pressed his middle and ring fingers against his thumb. “Noro Noro Beam!” His grin was crafty now.
The pink beam encased the whole Straw Hat crew, slowing all of them down. Their faces were ones of utter shock. Except for Tenshi, who looked annoyed as she rolled her eyes.
The Foxy Pirates cheered again. “That's our boss!” Porche praised. Hamburg snickered into his hands.
“Feh-fefefe! Remember this good, 'Straw Hat': I am Foxy 'the Silver Fox', a man who takes and gets whatever I want.”
A pair of trap doors began to slowly open under their feet with a drawn out creak.
“Your luck ran out when you got on this ship, you fool,” Foxy continued as the Straw Hats began to slowly sink down, sliding along the lowering doors. “Just clearing up the humiliation of that last Davy Back Fight wouldn't satisfy me. I'll take the one hundred sixty million Beri and the gold.”
“Yooouuu iiidiiiooot!” “Yooouuu iiidiiiooot!” “Yooouuu iiidiiiooot!” “Yooouuu iiidiiiooot!” “Yooouuu iiidiiiooot!” they all drawled at Luffy.
The thirty seconds ran out. But instead of the trap doors snapping open, they continued to open slowly. And the Straw Hats dropped straight down, breaking off pieces in their wake. The resounding cheers of the Foxy Pirates faded as they fell down into the bowels of the ship.
“This time for sure, I'll show you that we, the Foxy Pirates, are the mightiest pirates!” His laugh was drowned out by the Straw Hats' screams and yells of fright and dismay.
*** To Be Continued ***