DSquiggs

One Piece: Bighead's Dream

The past few days hit Klank like a marine vessel when he took to some makeshift shelter the Captain must have made. There was only enough room to rest, which made him wonder if Bighead intentionally planned to make everything about this island uncomfortable. Inside, pushed tightly against the branchy wall, was Klank's All-tool. A sigh of relief. Even if he had no immediate use for the thing, having it on hand put him at ease. It could fix any situation. To the left of the tent, was a small table with enough stump stools for each crew member. Another makeshift shelter was to the left of that, and other branch shacks in front of and behind the first two. Klank took a seat at the table, which held bite size bits of various foods. A single bottle of rum was centered between it all. Phin had been trailing slowly behind since the hole. Bighead ran off somewhere, probably to torture someone else. Phin approached.

"Took you long enough," Klank joked. He offered the fishman a shot at the bottle. He waved it off and lazily grabbed some meat as he sat with a thud. The fish remained silent.

"What's eatin ya," Klank was serious this time. He popped a cigarette immediately after a large swig. "It ain't just the injuries that's bothering ya."

"The injuries are fine," Phin took the bottle and drank the rest of its contents. He was silent for a bit longer as he thought and ate. Klank just watched, and smoked. Nothing could bother him now. "We are not ready."

"That's why were here," Klank exhaled.

"It may not be enough." Phin sat straight up to stretch his back, a wince of pain showed across his face. "Did you notice anything different about The Captain?"

Klank took a long drag and tilted his head back. He held the smoke in his lungs for a moment in thought, but felt its burning rise. He blew out the smoke. "No," he choked. "Looked pretty normal to me."

"That's my point," Phin pointed. My training these past few days has been sparring with him.

"And you couldn't land a single hit."

"Don't be a fool!" Phin felt offended. "I landed plenty, problem is I did no damage. And he..." Phin showed off his bloody bandages and continued, "...fucked me up. Nothing I did broke his defenses, and the look on his face said he was toying with me. I think he was trying to shatter more than just my physical barriers. That man is more than what he appears to be, and I can't read it. And if I can't read or even touch our own Captain, how am I going to fair against those who get in our way?"

Klank looked his companion up and down in amazement, eyes wide, cigarette dangling from his drop jaw mouth. "I think that's the most you've ever talked."

Phin let his head fall to his chest in shame. Bighead really did break him.

"Don't fret, friend. Bighead won't allow us let ourselves down in the end." Klank rose from his seat. "But he won't just hold our hands." Klank was slowly realizing that truth. He wasn't sure where the confidence was coming from, but he would run with it for as long as it lasted. "Get some rest. Tomorrow's gonna suck."

One Piece: Bighead's Dream

Klank couldn't remember a more frustrating time in all his life. It had been two days without a cigarette, and the first day, it really pissed him off. It's all he wanted to help him mentally combat the extreme weather changes. He'd been rained on, hailed on, and snowed on, and now he waited for the unbearable heat to melt the thick layer of ice that anchored his sitting body to the ground. He thought it a miracle he wasn't dead, or at the very least stricken with hypothermia. It was still new to him, but Klank had no choice other than learning to stay calm, and even go beyond that. He practiced meditation. Even that though, only did so much. His body ached all over, probably from the freezing air just last night. He almost called it quits.

"There better be a point to this," Klank yelled, hoping Bighead was out there. His Captain's words, both on the ship and before dropping him in the hole, kept repeating every time Klank thought about leaving the whole. "This some bullshit," he said a little softer this time. He felt his blood start to boil, and it had nothing to do with the torch in the sky. He grunted, but was able to recover, although it was much harder this time around since Bighead didn't have the decency to bring any food. Two more days passed and Klanks body became skinnier and raggedier than ever. But, he continued whatever god awful training this was supposed to be. He often thought about the blueprints to his dream ship, and sailing his final ocean of the world. Those were the moments when Klank didn't notice natures ever changing wraith.

After the fourth day, Bighead finally came. Phin was with him, also looking beat to hell. He had bandages completely covering his torso, blood slowly soaking through. Bighead was the same as always, and tossed down some food.

"You're still alive!" he stated jovially.

Klank shot a death glance at his Captain. "You put me down here not knowing if I'd survive?" He stood to his feet, pants soaked with water from a storm last night. He squeezed the bread he had caught and snapped a chunk off to eat. "Where's my god damned smoke." To which Bighead tossed down. He immediately duplicated it into handful. It was bliss, and for a moment, all that torture didn't matter when he puffed the stick all the way down. When he exhaled, he stared into the sky.

"Amazing what the body and mind can do just to survive, huh?" Bighead laughed. Even Phin chuckled, but doubled over when he did. Klank realized he might not have had it as bad as the fishman.

"What was the point of this?" Klank popped another cigarette.

"In order for you to endure the next part of YOUR training," their was a big emphasis on 'your,' "We needed to get your mind and body attuned to one another on a deeper level."

"For what?" Klank prodded.

"Soon! First you get a single days rest. Eat up, think on the last few days, and sleep." Bighead motioned for Klank to come out of the hole. "The next part is gonna be intense. It will make or break you."

"And if it breaks me?"

"Then say goodbye to your dream of sailing all the precious oceans on your precious ship."

One Piece: Bighead's Dream

The remainder of the trip en route to the island was uneventful. Everyone seemed to unintentionally stick to themselves, and any conversations to be had were brief. Klank wasn't stricken with the same self-judgement as everyone else seemed, mostly because he had this ship to focus on. He thought about the operation that almost destroyed it and was going over the blueprints of his dream ship. How could he change certain things to allow it to withstand such brutal maneuvers. In time, and with more situations to experiment, Klank was sure he would figure it out. The crew docked, and with barely any time to really admire the environment, Bighead lead everyone to their destinations. Klank walked beside Bighead until an open area presented itself. Bighead motioned for him to stop as he kept going. Suddenly, the Captains hand grew to the size of a large boulder. Raising his fist, Bighead let out a shallow grunt, and punched the ground. After the initial shockwave, Klank approached and looked down into the crater.

"Whoa!" Klank gasped. "I hope you don't expect me to do that."

"This part of your training doesn't require physical work," to which Bighead motioned for Klank to enter. "Sit." The demand was harsh.

"So what the hell is this?" Klank sounded irritated and produced a cigarette. It disappeared immediately, and so did the one from in his headband. Bighead was holding both of them. "What the f..."

"You lack patience," Bighead stated matter of factly. "And these aren't helping."

"They help just fine you crazy bastard."

"You're too restless, too angry. Hand over all your tools."

Klank stared at Bighead for a long moment, thinking hard about what was said on the ship. He complied. "So what am I supposed to do?"

"You're gonna sit here, in this hole, until I come and get you."

"And that'll be?"

"Dunno!" The Captain smiled. "But do your best to stay calm."

"And what if I decide I'm gonna leave this little crater of yours?"

With the most serious look Klank had seen yet, Bighead struck with a, "You won't."

One Piece: Bighead's Dream

A storm raged for as far as Klank could see from his beloved wheel. All the levers were finally reset, more than a few needing to be used in their chaotic escape. The Jubil Pirates, however, were relentless in their pursuit, always showing up just when safety was all but had. It took the combined efforts from each member of The Bigheads to create an opportunity of escape only days ago. Sierra and peanut skated across the thrashing ocean, freezing waves when they reached their peak height. As important as it was to block a quarter of the ships from going further, she was childishly reckless in her actions. Her youthful mind was plagued with the absurd notion that she was invincible. Phin took to the deep sea, creating maelstroms wherever he could. Three ships capsized, but that made no dent in the monstrous fleet. Against Klank's protests, Isaac had slammed a lever by the wheel. The back of the ship opened up to release a mini version of itself, perfect for a two man team, and significantly more mobile. Isaac leaped onto the mini ship and immediately pulled a lever meant to give a wild burst of speed, but not before Captain Bighead himself joined. Klank was left alone, baffled. He grabbed two smokes as the situation demanded, and puffed. With the snap of a lever, the ship drifted to face his fleeting crew. Another lever, much like the one on the mini ship, allowed Klank to close the distance.

"I suppose it's time to really test your capabilities, baby," Klank said as he glided his hands over the wooden wheel. "Operation..." he pulled another lever. The other rods surrounding him descended into the bowels of the ship, replaced by a set of two levers with three triggers on each. Klank stepped between them as a small contraption secured his feet to the floor. "Evasive Retrieval!"

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The sun shown brightly now that The Bigheads were out from the blanket of storm clouds. Though they could still see that storm, they could no longer see the destruction the crew had wrought. After just a few days of suspicion, finally there was time to relax, and that was exactly what Klank was doing, a cigarette in his mouth and a hammer at the ready. The ship took considerable damage in Operation Evasive Retrieval, and Klank realized the kind of fortifications must be made. There were a few cannon holes on the side, but most of the damage came from the ship itself. It would take some time to fully recover the ship, but Klank welcomed it. As he worked on the holes first, hoisted over the edge, Bighead leaned over the rail to look down at the shipwright.

"Never seen a ship do that," Bighead bellowed.

"No one has," Klank smirked, still hammering away. "For good reason." He raised his hands as if to show the ship. Shattered wood was hanging all over, and on deck, a mast split down the middle. A sail was torn and sprawled across the deck, and a large gap was created at nose of the ship. Even the ships figure head was blown to pieces. "I anticipated some minor damage, but nothing like this mess." He kept patching the holes.

"Lotta bang for any ship," Bighead chuckled. "I'm curious," he became serious, but still with a smile. "As a shipwright, knowing what might happen... Why?"

Klank halted his hammering and took a long drag. The smoke wafted up his face and he replied, "Why would I install an arsenal my ship couldn't handle?" Bighead remained silent as Klank took another drag. "Can't build my dream ship without testing a few extremes." He continued repairs. "The things we've been up against so far are nothing compared to what's to come. It doesn't take someone who's sailed all the seas to realize that. And if I'm gonna sail the entire world, I want a ship that's worthy."

"Haha!" It was an unusually loud laugh from the Captain. "We're on the same page, Shipwright. When your done with those, join the rest of us. There are discussions to be had."

"Interesting," Klank wondered. Captain Bighead hadn't called for a meeting before. As soon as he was done, Klank brought himself top deck and approached the others.

Bighead was serious now. In his hands, he held six sheets of paper, which he began to hand out. They were wanted posters, to which Klank wondered how Bighead acquired. Klank looked at his, an angry face, yelling at whoever looked upon the poster. 320,000,000. His eyes widened, and then he smirked. He never dreamed, that as a simple shipwright, he would gain such a reputation. Sierra and Peanut both held a higher bounty, each at 380,000,000. Phin was indifferent to his 400,000,000. And Isaac smiled the same smile as his poster, for a bounty of 530,000,000. Even Sasayaki had a poster of her own, the number still higher than Klanks at 340,000,000. Klank looked to Bighead, who was standing silent while the rest talked over themselves.

"What about you?" Klank questioned.

"Don't know," he smirked slyly. "It's always fluctuating. I'm showing you these, because these bounties paint a," he paused for a moment as he shot a glance at Isaac. "Flashy target on your heads." He gave instruction to Klank to set a course, to which the shipwright complied. "We've racked up quite powerful enemies so far, but what lies behind us is not the problem. The problem is ahead of us. Maybe not anytime soon, but eventually, we will come across Pirates and Marines alike that we are not ready to face. Make no mistake, you're all strong in some way, but not all ways. As Captain, I'm taking us out of the game temporarily."

"What does that mean?" Sierra interrupted.

"We're heading for an island nearby, safe for the most part, but well hidden."

"For what Purpose," Phin was suspicious.

Bighead smiled his giant smile. "Training."

One Piece: Bighead's Dream

Phin stood against the roaring crowds as he waited for his mystical transport back to the dingy room. Jebidazer was kneeling a short distance away, still sobbing at his loss. Puzzy was still atop the colorfully flashing contraption that was the conjoined cubed rooms. A look of confusion struck the game master's face when the wheel of judgment did not appear for the crying pirate. Jebidazer, also dumbstruck, rose. He was an imposing man, standing two feet taller than Phin, red hair waving down to his shoulder. He wore all black with a unique symbol stitched into his shirt. A skull n bones with a small dagger pinning a small wanted poster to the cheek. A bounty hunter, Phin thought to himself. One from a legendary guild; The Trackers. It was realized almost immediately, no matter the outcome of this battle, that the Bighead pirates were about to acquire a new and eternal enemy. Afterall, Phin was about to hand this man his second loss in a day. Everyone knew that if there was one rule of The Trackers, it was that losing was a big no no. The only crew to have ever bested one of their men, ages ago, felt The Trackers most brutal wraith. That crew was no longer.

GM was nowhere to be found, and neither was the barrier. The crowd paid no mind, instead averting their attention to the screens. Phin, along with Jebidazer and Puzzy, had missed the game changing happenings, but caught on quick when his crew mate, Isaac, began stirring the pot. The fishman's thought, was that Isaac was more than just stirring. He was splashing its contents all over the place and burning everything around it. He looked to the only other two people close by. They both eyed Phin like he was a fish out of water. He chuckled at the thought.

The loser pirate, no doubt wanting revenge, made the first move toward him. Phin attempted an escape, but the ground rose before him in a maze. Behind him was unchanged, and Jebidazer was closing in. When he looked back, Puzzy was amidst leaping from his perch on the cubes. Phin turned his body to his pursuer taking a stance in his native martial art. He whirled his hands in a circular motion, drawing water from the air in a spiraling fashion until it all merged into a small sphere. All he could think was his old master scolding him for being overly flashy, but to Phin, it was much more than that. As much as a weapon water was in a fishman's hand, the element demanded respect and grace. Phin mustered both and drew back his hands with a swift and smooth dance. When he launched his attack, Phin follwed though into a defensive stance, never taking his eyes of Jebidazer. The sphere launched precisely towards Puzzy, changing from its round form into a sleek spear. The projectile pierced through Puzzy's shoulder as he landed. It sent the game master fyling back into the flashing cubes.

"That was my victory," Jebidazer whined. "I'll kill you."

Phin remained silent, believing whole heartedly that words had no place in a life or death battle. He launched forward with a side kick. The target easily deflected the blow. A few more assaults ended the same way, and while Phin was much stronger in terms of power, Jebidazer seemed to predict everything.

"I'm a focus man," He laughed. "No matter what you do, you'll never hit me." He began his own series of assaults, which Phin also had no problem deflecting, no doubt because of his superior strength and speed.

Phin created a deadly pellet with each counter, but no matter how close, Jebi never felt one of them. Moments passed with the two going back and forth with nothing changing. Until Phin had only one option left. He deflect an attack with his feet, using the force of the attack to launch himself back. As he descended, he whirled around and waved his hands, continuing to do so through his landing. Water whipped around like a fan, and with each rotation of his body, the water fan spun faster and faster. The water started to shrink into a six finned blade. He launched it directly at Jebidazer, who easily avoided. Phin, dove at his enemy with all his speed, unleashing the quickest set of punches and kicks he could manage. Though the attacks weren't his strongest, Phin was impressed at the speed of his opponent, even with his devil fruit ability. That bout was all he needed, however, and at the last second, Phin dodged back. Jebidazer turned to deflect the water blade, but he was too late. His enhanced focus was all on Phin for too long. The blade caught along the lower right half of Jebidazer's torso. He dropped with a loud thunk.

Now the puzzle man was rising in pain, holding his injured shoulder. But there was no time to waste. Something was going down, and Phin had to find the others. He hadn't known them long, but each one of them showed promise. Klank was a man of dreams, and at first it was annoying, but even Phin, who never thought about it, slowly began realizing his own. Isaac and Sasayaki were clearly troublemakers, and flashy ones at that, but Phin sensed a camaraderie between them that could not be broken. To be a part of that bond meant something greater than mere friendship. Sierra and Peanut were still immature, the girl always sizing people up, not to measure their person, but their abilities in battle. Phin almost admired that once familiar mind set. Peanut, like he could read Sierra's mind, always gave the look as if to say, " Yea... Yea she can take you." And then there was Captain Bighead. There was nothing to study, not for lack of personality ambition, but because with Bighead, what you saw is what you got. A man of mans. It was an odd assembly of a crew, but no doubt, in time, a worthy one.

Phin bolted away from Puzzy as fast as he could. With no way of knowing where his crew was held up, the fishman headed towards the sea. His domain wasn't far off, and that would be the best place to find the ship. He was confident in the abilities of everyone to overcome whatever challenges lay before them.

One Piece: Bighead's Dream

Phin didn't seem to struggle on most of the puzzles presented to him during each round. The ones he did, he was beat only by Jebidazer. Many were eliminated and forced to face GM's judgement. "There is much more to him than I initially thought," Klank blurted as he watched the screen curiously. He spoke to no one in particular.

"Didn't take him for a man of the mind?" Bighead questioned with a smile.

"Not exactly," Klank replied. "Strong, quiet, straight to the point."

"If you payed more attention, you might have noticed how much he stands back and watches all of you."

"Any thoughts on why?"

"He's trying to decide if you're worthy."

Klank flicked his head toward one of the guards, who immediately came over and lit a cigarette and placed it in his mouth. He took a long drag. "You said 'watches all of you.' Are you telling me he doesn't observe you."

Bighead smiled bigger, which Klank didn't think was possible. "I radiate worthiness, haha"

Klank chuckled as he dragged again, thinking on the adventure thus far. He remembered a few moments on the ship when he would glance at Phin, and the fishman was already staring at him. He never realized his quiet crew mate might be taking Klanks measure. "Well," he said confidently. "He hasn't left, so we must be doing something right."

"As long as everyone stays true to themselves and the crew," Bighead became serious, "I don't foresee his abandonment."

Klank observed his Captain's sudden change. He couldn't help but think that Bighead foresaw more than he let on. Back to the screen, Phin was in his final round of Puzzles created by Puzzy, the mastermind of this particular Pirate Games competition. Klank was lost on it, but Phin seemed concentrated. There were two contraptions, both consisted of metal rods that twisted and turned in a chaotic maze. Each maze had a ring of light at the beginning, which was to be guided to the end without touching. Touching ring to metal would instantly reset both puzzles. To a puzzle savvy person, either challenge individually was quite simple, however, the rule of this game was the puzzles must be completed simultaneously. It was a matter of splitting your minds concentration.

Phin took hold of his rings of light, and Klank squinted his eyes in astonishment when his companion closed his eyes. He moved so slowly that the shipwright could barely tell. It was complete opposite of Jebidazer, who moved frantically, with his eyes open in panic. He had already restarted the puzzle twice.

Bighead closed his eyes as well and said, "Clever! No matter what source the light is, it produces energy."

"He can feel when the rings are close to touching the metal."

"The game master was smart in creating this. Most people, in their panic to complete such a complicated task, won't realize such a basic science."

Klank motioned for another smoke, which the guard responded. It was clear he would rather serve this habit than listen to an obnoxious, incoherent song. He took a drag, glad he wasn't in Phin's place. Klank knew it wasn't something he would complete. "That's not to say it still takes some skill. Slow, steady, and calm." While Klank was some of those things when building, he was none of those when presented a challenge out of his comfort zone. The crew watched on while Phin masterfully solved the puzzle amidst a roaring crowd. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that The Bighead Pirates would claim this victory. After a while of silence, Klank grew antsy. "We need to get off this God Damned Island."

Bighead smiled, and loud enough for the guards to hear, said, "Won't be long now."

One Piece: Bighead's Dream

Phin looked around at the contraption he was in. It was cube-shaped, roughly six feet between each wall. A single window directly in front of him revealed an open field. He could hear others talking close by. He tried to listen, but the constant flashing of various colors coming from the wall distracted him. The amount of color burning into Phin's eyes annoyed him. He took a deep breath and focused. He only heard muffled conversations. It didn't take long before a familiar, booming voice echoed into his personal box.

"And we have an oldy but goody here today, my beloved viewers. Welcome, those just tuning in. This here is, "PUZZLE MAYHEEMMM!" The crowd roared as the inside of Phin's box flashed faster. "Simple rules, as you all know. Six players, six puzzles, and six seconds per player turn. Where applicable, of course." GM spun around with grace and pointed to the stacked cubes. "Becuase we all know, they'll need more than six seconds to solve..." The crowd cheer above GM. He blushed at the thought. "The GM Puzzle," he finished.

Phin looked down to a holographic table that appeared before him. Atop, was scattered thousands of tiny jigsaw pieces. There were small mounds on top of mounds, and single pieces randomly spread. "Phin chuckled to himself. Then GM spoke agian.

"Obviously, we can't just have a normal puzzle," he paused. "This is the Pirate Games. In that top square there, is THE ONE, THE ONLY," The crowd finished the introduction.

"PPUUZZZZYY,"

Phin had no reaction.

"That's right,"GM continued. "Puzzy, eater of the puzzle puzzle fruit, able to take things he touches and turn them into a bizarre, mind numbing, hair tearing, scalp ripping PUZZLES." A large hologram of the puzzle that lay on every contestants table hovered before GM. "This same puzzle, is in physical form at Puzzy's table, he will alter this puzzle throughout the game, and that same alter effects everyone, as they are all working on a hologram linked to the physical puzzle. First two to finish, are safe, the others," he paused again, this time lowering his voice when he next spoke. "Get the wheel."

Without any warning, Gm flipped up in hand and pointed, "BEGIN!"

Most players frantically dug through their puzzle piles. There was no logic to how they were tackling their trial. They just hoped for the best. Phin, though, after shoveling through for a moment, raised his fist and slammed the table. He was surprised at how realistically the pieces reacted. The shock of the contact sent the jigsaws flying, they stuck to the walls all around phin, all spread out and easy to determine. This put him at ease, and he non-nonchalantly began grabbing all the edge pieces. After he organized them, he started solving. He could here the others murmuring to themselves, trying to talk their way through the puzzle. The voices were cut short when the faces of the pieces started moving. The picture, for the rest of the puzzle, would be in motion. This put Phin off, but he didn't panic. He kept with fitting edge pieces, taking quite some time before it all fit together.

"Fishman Phin, of The Bighead Pirates, has the most complete so far, but not by much. In close second, Jebidazer of The Lazer Pirates." The screen focused on the fishman, no doubt a crowd favorite, if not only because of Isaac. Phin ignored everything and continued. His eyes eventually began to blur the jigsaw pieces. A lot of them looking the exact same. He realized it was a change enforced by Puzzy.

"Any piece not yet touched by the players," GM explained, "Will change shape periodically." The crowd laughed and cheered.

Phin, wanting to jump out and take his shot at GM, kept solving. He knew in this place, where GM rules, he stood no chance if it wasn't actually IN the rules. The puzzle was nearing completion after so much time. GM's description held true. He was ready to rip his own head apart, but his temporary coolness prevailed. Finally he had finished, and was second to do so. Jebidazer was victorious in the end.

"Must be that "Lazer focus," Phin whispered to himself. It was then that he looked out the window and noticed the large screen. In repeating hashtag across the bottom, #MUSTBETHATLAZERFOCUS. Phin cursed.

One Piece: Bighead's Dream

Klank sat there in his chains taking a puff from the cigarette dangling in his mouth. He was forced to go without for a while, and that caused him to be rather unpleasant company. His constant yelling convinced the guards to succumb to the shipwrights only need. He was on his fourth cigarette now because of it. Patiently, and most importantly, quietly, Klank watched as Sierra played her hands. One after another, the men around her fell to dust, and he wished he was there instead of her. During his days with The Kraken Pirates, he was known to rule the table. His old crew went so far as to team up on him and even stack the deck. It never mattered. Klank always won, mostly because of his already unnatural win streak coupled with his ability to silently intimidate his opponent during the game. He chuckled when Sierra revealed her devil fruit as she cast her last hand. "Neat little trick," he said aloud.

Bighead, with his unending smile, nodded in agreement. "It won't help her win, though."

Klank also nodded in agreement. "She is good at keeping her emotions in check, but she doesn't know how to play the mind game."

Bighead laughed. "A rookie mistake," he bellowed. "At least we still have Isaac and Peanut and Phin."

At that moment, Sierra appeared in chains and completely frozen. Klank could feel the cold radiating from her as she broke out of her life saving binds.

After she spoke, Klank looked at her and said, "I gotta teach you some things, Kid."

Before Sierra could reply, the screen flipped to the next game, and the first thing depicted, was Isaac, looking around. Hashtags rolled across the bottom as the explanation began. Klank snickered at the thought of being stuck in his chains for a whole week. His frustration grew when his smoke met its end. He looked to the guard closest to him and without hesitation, he planted a cigarette in his mouth and lit it. He smiled as the guard walked away, seemingly defeated.

Sasa became a little more lively, throwing out comments at Isaac's failed attempts. Klank could tell she kind of hoped he would fail all together. That would mean he would be in this room with her, and they could hash a plan to escape.

The Captain and the shipwright laughed hysterically when Isaac asked two girls if they liked fighting. It was clear to them the lone hunter had no idea what he was doing. This went on for a while and hope for The Bighead Pirates seemed to dwindle. It looked up however, when the girl from one of Isaac's earlier trials appeared and took the lead. Klank glanced over at the weapon to gauge her reactions. He was not displeased. Jealousy was obvious in all her flailing. The guards restraining her struggled.

Bighead, never losing that confident smile, sat silently. His faith was something to be taken seriously, and Klank couldn't help but think to himself, "He's gotta know something."

One Piece: Bighead's Dream

Klank was in a room identical to the one from before. The only difference was that now, Sasayaki, Isaac's beloved weapon, was coiled up on the small wooden chair next to the barely lit candle. She appeared out of nowhere sometime after the shipwright won his game and was teleported himself. He wondered what GM could possibly have planned to be putting the two together. He was glad, though, that this next challenge would be taken on with familiar company. He walked over and sat down on the floor next to the chair, sliding down the wall as he did. He popped a smoke and lit, inhaling it in a single bound and immediately lighting another to relax. After the first game, he was able to rid himself of the anger from being put in this position. Now, he was calm and ready for anything.

"Just go with the flow," He lightly whispered to himself. It was a saying he learned from his time with the Kraken Pirates.

"Ugh!" Sasa blurted.

"Problem?" Klank replied.

"In fact there is." Clanking of the chain followed suit, almost like she turned to face her soon to be partner. "Problem is, you sound like the old Isaac, but you're not him." She thought herself that the saying made her miss him. She felt different without the one she's grown accustomed to.

"You mean he wasn't always that way?" Klank took a puff. "I would love to see the troublemaker before he was just that." Another puff.

"He was always a troublemaker." Her voice became softer. Her attitude towards Klank had changed a bit since Jubiltown. "Those were just darker times for the both of us." It was obvious her sudden loss was taking an odd toll for the living weapon. She remained silent.

"Well," Klank stood, taking another drag. "We've all had darker times, and we've all seen things we probably could have lived without." He lit another cigarette before the other was finished. "It's all fine and dandy to dwell on the past from time to time," A long drag. "Today is not one of those times. We have a game to win, whatever the hell it's gonna be, and if you wanna be in Isaac's grasp again, then I need you to perform just as you would if it was him wielding you. I need you to get ANGRY." He yelled that last word to emphasize the emotion.

"You couldn't handle me," she assured.

The chain rattled. Klank took hold of Sasa by the handle of the blade and held her up high as he whirled the chain around his arm.

"GET ANGRY," he demanded. It was then, when Sasa got angry, that Klank felt his mistake. A violent vibration stormed through the chain. He yelled in pain as he fell, Sasa still wrapped around his arm. The shock was so powerful that Klank couldn't let go.

Of her own accord, the weapon silenced herself and spoke. "You dope. Literally, you can't handle me."

"We'll figure it out," he struggled. His whole body felt numb, like it fell asleep and thousands of needles were prodding at once when he tried to move. "We have to."
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"Welcome, fans of The Pirate Games." The voice was GM's. He stood over an enormous sea course. The boundaries started at the edge of Arcadia, the farthest reaches spanning far out into the sea. A thin translucent dome covered the entirety of the coarse. There were no extra islands, just open sea. Little obstacles, however, were randomly placed. Some were tall wooden pillars, others were giant ramps, and even some cone shaped mechanisms facing in many directions. "This is a brand new event I've cooked up just for you. I call it," he paused for dramatic effect. "TWISTED WOOD!" The crowd roared as the cone shaped mechanisms exploded with fire breath. Few of them shot out cannons. "Rules are simple. Each team has an hour to modify a ship of their choosing." GM extended his hand to a group of ragged ships by the edge of Arcadia. Further inland, there were multiple piles of scrap wood, worn weapons, and other strange objects. "After that hour is up, the chosen ships will set sail within the Dome of Destruction for a free-for-all showdown." He tapped his hammer mid-air, and eight doors beyond the scrap piles opened. Out walked the contestants.

Somewhere in the middle, Klank walked out, Sasyaki in hand and chain wrapped thickly around his forearm. He looked ragged, showing the beating he had taken in his short training sessions with the weapon. The blunt end of the chain glowed and hovered, observing the competition. The other seven crew were of no unique qualities. At least to her. Some fishmen, humans, and other creatures were among them.

"We'll kill them all," she said loud enough for some of the others to hear. The duo received harsh death glares.

"Anything goes in this game. However," he paused again. A purple wheel of judgment appeared at the peak of the dome. "Every two minutes a rule will be enforced as deemed by the wheel. The longer the match goes on, the tougher the game becomes. The last ship standing, wins." GM looked to the contestants. "HOW LONG DO THEY HAVE TO MODIFY THEIR SHIPS?" he yelled for the crowd. To which they, including those watching from the screens, yelled, "ONE HOUR!"

"BEGIN!"

The contestants immediately took off to claim their ships. Klank took off for the piles. Sasa didn't like that.

"What are you doing, you fool? You'll end up with shittiest ship out there."

Klank kept his pace and began digging once he got there. He wasn't worried. "They're all ships that don't deserve to grace the sea with their presence." He watched the others as they chose, and predictable they were. "Look at them. Going for the biggest, heaviest ship they can find." He chuckled. "No two man crew can effectively maneuver, let alone battle, with a ship of those sizes. Especially ones that are not tailored to the crew." Klank knew that none of their competitors were shipwrights, a welcome advantage to him. "Do you trust me?" he asked Sasa.

"I sure as hell don't."

Klank could feel the paralyzing effect of Sasa's anger, but it wasn't so bad now. He produced another cigarette, glad that he was allowed to keep it this time. It kept him calm and clear. "You're gonna have to." He lugged a brazier onto his shoulder and then reached into his fanny pack. He pulled out a small vial of oil and smiled devilishly. "Because anything goes."

With but a few minutes left, each two man crew was finished with their modifications. Each ship underwent basic patch jobs, horribly done, confirming Klank's thought of no shipwrights. Most of the fixes made were unnecessary, having little to no effect on maneuverability. All of them had overly used cannons placed on each side of the ship. They were going for power house tactics.

Klank and Sasa, who were in their own modified ship,if it could be called that, sat patiently waiting for the 'Ready, Set." Not much was needed to build a mobile weapon against his enemy. The vessel was only twice the size of a canoe. Metal rails were built for Klank to grab hold of when things get funky, and the Brazier he snatched was firmly secured at the front. The flame, almost eternal, burned brilliantly and big. In his hand, opposite Sasa, he carried a wooden spear doused in oil. At the back of the ship were three fan wheels. One facing straight back, the other two facing diagonally to the left and right. He had already explained to Sasa what they were for, and given her her job for the games.

"Looks like the crews are all set," GM finally announced. "It's looking to be an interesting battle." The crowd roared. "ARE YOU READYYY?" They cheered louder, sending a light shockwave through Arcadia. "GO!"

The big ships were slow to start, but the chaos was not. Three of the ship instantly fired cannons in an attempt to wipe out others off the bat. Only one sank, and its crew vanished. Klank's vessel, which he named "Little Warrior," was safe from the cannons at such a close distance. Once the others got out to sea, Little Warrior took off. The crowd gasped at its speed. Sasa was pumping the fan wheels, playing them like a DJ. It was then Klank yelled, "RESONATE!" Suddenly his head was throbbing.

"I SAID NO," Sasa yelled. Klank had tried to convince her to respond to commands, but she firmly denied. She grunted.

"Please?" Klank acted excited. "Amp me up," he begged with a smile.

"You better not screw this up."

youtube.com/watch?v=lsV500W4BHU

Sasa's chain rattled violently as it unraveled completely from Klank's arm to put more force into the fan wheel. When she did, the vessel burst forward and the bouncing shipwright held onto his goggles. He wrapped the blade end around his waist and hooked it around the chain.

"WOOOOO!" the shout was nearly drowned out by the wind blowing passed. When they approached a ship, Klank yelled out, "LEFT," to which Sasa sent out a focused shockwave to the left wheel. The act caused Little Warrior to back flip into the air with a slight twist. It reached deck height, and when position called for it, Klank duplicated the oil doused spear into his other hand, releasing the first. It flew through the fire raging in the brazier, and continued towards the target ship. He did this multiple times within one flip and even when descending. Suddenly there was a trail of fire leading from deck and down the side. The ship, riddled with old wood, fueled the fire at an absurd rate. It wasn't long before the crew abandoned ship.

"One down," Klank confirmed.

"That's two ships down, you idiot."

"Personal score," Klank replied jovially. "Hit the ramp."

Sasa forced the middle wheel to gain speed. A loud ringing echoed in the air, alerting the world that the wheel had made its judgement, which GM called out, "Dragon's Breath."

All through out the arena, cones of fire exploded. The flames lasted longer than expected, and one of the ships fell victim. None of this, however, stopped Klank from his plan. He saw a ship, encased in thin metal strips, just beyond the wooden incline. Little warrior made a loud bang, followed by an echoing scratch when it hit. The arena was huge from way up in the air, and Klank could see the remaining ships. His target was the one below. He duped a dozen oil spears and tossed them overboard. After that, Sasa was unwrapped from his waist. The chain arced over the edge, clanging loudly.

"BOOMING SPEARS!" Klank yelled.

"NNOOOOOO!" Sasa was pissed, but she was already sending out the pulse.

The tumbling spears took flight like each of them were shot from a cannon. They made loud thunks when making contact. Oil trailed down. When they landed safe and sound back on water, Sasa bonked him on the head again, this time a lot harder. He wrapped the blade back around his waist and had Sasa turn Little Warrior to face the ship. Klank wound up, holding one spear forward to guide his throwing spear. He raised the forward to put an arc on his toss. He let loose and watched the trail of fire fly. The enemy ship went up in flames. As it did, the wheel made a judgement.

"NO DEVIL FRUITS!" The crowd went wild.

"OH, COME ON!" Klank cursed.

The blunt end of Sasa, glowing and pissed, looked at the shipwright. "You son of a..." she was cut off and dropped to the ground.

Little Warrior slowed to dead stop. Klank was left with a single spear, a useless Sasa, his All-tool, and a single cigarette. He took the smoke out of his goggle band and lit it with the brazier fire.

"God Dammit!" he said as he dragged. He watched a ship in the distance turn towards his. An explosion echoed and within seconds, a black blob closed in.

"God fuckin dammit!" He finished his cigarette just before the cannon ball hit.

One Piece: Bighead's Dream

The crowd went wild for the next event in The Pirate Games. Seats ran in a large circle, much like a coliseum, and they were all filled. In the center of this arena like section of Arcadia, was a giant sized sphere of water. Illuminated red and blue lines ran throughout this hovering ball, which made it look like some kind of sports court. Seven fishmen were swimming inside, feeling out the boundaries and from what Phin could tell, warming up. Six others were standing close by, each of them taking on different stretches. It seemed like Phin was the only one unprepared for what was about to happen.

"And now for one of my personal favorites," A voice sounded barely excited. "Prepare to witness the brutal strength, devastating speed, and the unrivaled endurance of fishmen in this..." the voice paused. "THE FISHMAN BOWL." and with that, the crowd sent a quake of cheer through the island.

Phin looked back to the water floating in the air, now realizing the fishmen inside were the opposing team. He grimaced at his predicament. The only time Phin ever did anything against his will was for his crew, but he understood what was at stake. Especially now, with his Captain plastered on Den Den Screens all over the world. The man, for the short time that he'd been with the fairly new crew, seemed to have an awful lot a faith. After taking a moment to ponder it, Phin supposed this particular situation was in fact, now, for the crew. "Dammit," he cursed.

The voice, body-less, went on. "As this is in my top events, as you all know, The Fishman Bowl has a simple set of rules. Leaving ones boundary, marked by the glowing red and blue lines, whether it be intentional or by force, calls for automatic judgment. Anything else is allowed. Each player is allowed to use anything on their person from when they arrived." Suddenly, GM materialized in a flashy manner above the sphere. In times past, this spot was where the creator observed the game. A Judgement wheel appeared next to him. "The game is simple. Each player gets a metal ball." One appeared in his hand. It was red, heavy, and the size of a typical cannonball. He continued. "If a player is hit," he said as he launched the ball. It flew at an incredible speed and hit a hologram version of himself. The hologram blinked from his position and into a box above the sphere. "They are teleported to the penalty box for Judgement. And this is where it gets interesting, for those who are new. The wheel spins for thirty seconds, and only resets once it reaches its time. If another player of the same team is hit while their ally is in, the former is permanently out of the game and the ladder takes his place. If an opposing player of the penalized is hit, the former is back in play, and the ladder takes his place. If a ball is caught, the throwee takes the penalty spot. The Fishman Bowl is won when one team is left standing."

Out of nowhere, Phin, along with the rest of his team, vanished from the ground and into the bowl. Fourteen red balls sank down from where GM stood. Seven went to each half of the dome. Each player took their stances at the rear of the borders, ready for the command. Phin floated patiently, observing the watery arena. Thick lines of red and blue separated the dome into fourteen cone like sections, to which each ball finally found towards the center of the dome. There was no time to form a strategy.

"BEGIN!" GM yelled, and the crowd went wild once again.

Every fishman, Phin included, darted for their respective balls. Red streaks flew inside the dome, some bouncing off the invisible wall of the sphere, sending splashes into the crowd. This amped them up even more. Other balls were caught while others made contact. The penalty box immediately cycled players, going so fast that the crowd could only see flash poses of those hit, until one fishman remained. At that point, the wheel had been spinning for five seconds. The event continued like nothing happened. It had to, or anyone of them could be next to face the wheel. Phin, twisting out of the way of an assailing ball, almost passed his given border. It was all much faster paced than he'd expected.

The ball he avoided smashed into the wall behind him, bouncing back and heading right for him. He caught it with ease, and the moment he did, the fishman who threw it took his teammates place at the box. The wheel ticked its final second as it happened.

"Sea King fodder," GM judged. The wheel reset its thirty seconds, and the fishman vanished. The game went on.

Over the next thirty minutes, Phin's team slowly started to vanish until it was just him to face five enemies alone. One of them had used his karate to shoot tiny pellets as a distraction before hitting his targets with the red metal ball. He was undoubtedly the MVP of the Blue Team. The crowd screamed in anticipation. With no balls in his zone, Phin focused his attention on the dome in its entirety. One of the opposing players carried a bat, which he used to wail the balls at much greater speeds. Another held three balls, leaving him with one free hand. The MVP held one, but he was comfortable with his abilities. The others were scrambling to gather what they could, and when they did, they talked between one another on how to proceed. They witnessed the speed Phin had displayed throughout the match, and the only one not concerned was the strongest member of the team. Each of them approached the tips of their cone shaped boundaries.

Phin waited patiently as they all swam at the center. It would be a highly focused assault, but Phin had been saving his best move. They might have expected it if he revealed it any sooner. With all the confidence in the world, The Blue Team wound up and let loose everything they had. Phin took his boomerang in hand. He spun around, turning his back to the enemy. The tool started spinning, drawing water inwards and creating a funnel. When he whipped back to face them, the whirl pool followed. It snatched the metal spheres and gathered them at the center. He immediately spun the boomerang in the opposite direction. The balls dispersed into his former members territory. He forced the tool in the other direction again. Building up the momentum, Phin spun his body once more. Water forced its way inward as the lone fishman gained more spinning speed. When he built up enough power, he flung the six-sided tool. It arced horizontally across the arena, a maelstrom following its path. The weight of its pull tugged violently on each member of the opposing team. Within seconds, they all flew passed Phin as he caught the boomerang, maelstrom already faded.

The crowd went silent, but only for a moment. Phin instantly went from underdog to favorite to the fans of The Pirate Games, evident through the roaring celebration. He looked to GM, no smile, no emotion, just a look.

"You've certainly redeemed yourself from that atrocity of a performance in the Battle of Bands." GM looked out to his viewers. He was stricken with anger, but it didn't show. On one hand, he was glad the crowd enjoyed the show, as it only reflected highly on him. On the other hand, the victor was under Bighead's wing. He looked at the screen, cursing the smiling fool. "You advance, Phin, of the Bighead Pirates."

Phin suddenly vanished from the coliseum. He would never know the fate of the fishmen he bested, and he didn't care.