Storm of the Ages

One Piece: Bighead's Dream

“Look,” Isaac shouted to the squirrel, his hands so close it looked like he was shaking the sense into him, “we don’t have time for this petty argument! Did I sell you out? Yes. Having I been blaming weird stuff that happens on the ship on you? Without a doubt! But that’s not what’s important right now,” He yelled to the squirrel.

Since the match, Isaac has been stuck in his cell with peanut, a fiery companion to his icy acquaintance. The girl could understand Peanut just fine, but it seemed to be an acquired skill, as all he could see was the animal defensively perched on two legs, mouth squeaking like a toy, and arms violently protesting.

Isaac through up his hands in protest, doing a quick circle of the room before coming back, kneeling down. “I messed up, okay.” He was hoping for sympathy, but the squirrel merely crossed his arms and looked to the wall spitefully. “I did something, and now someone I care about is could pay for that. I know you love Sierra, you wouldn’t follow her if you didn’t. Well, that’s how Sasa and I are too, and if something happens to her, because I was being an idiot, then death would be too good for me.”

Peanut peaked and eye over, watching his face with his creepy eyes, the only part of him not ablaze.

Isaac sat down, in an attempt to conserve some energy for the next match, but the truth was, he was nervous without Sasayaki, and he knew GM would use his penalty to his advantage. “I have to get back to her, let her know she’s not alone, get everyone out of this place.” Isaac thought about what would happen to the others if they lost, and knew GM would not likely let a single person off the hook. He was the kind of man that used all of his pieces to win, and everyone he traveled with had a unique value. “Do this for me, and you can ask any one favor of me, no questions asked. I’d like to say I could win these games alone, but if I take a single hit in the next match, I’m dead, for real.”

Something he said must have peaked the critter’s interest, bring him down to all fours, cocking his head, then finally raising an arm to raise two little fingers.

“Deal,” he pronounced, giving the squirrel a before sealing deal with a heated bumping of fists.

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The doors opened, Isaac and peanut walking out side by side with a fierce determination. Surrounding them was a forest, with patches of light shining through the greenery. Manhunt, he imeadly identified, knowing there was only a handful of games the GM would employ specificly to take advantage of his one hit KO penalty. If he had to guess, modifications would be made to maximize his disadvantage state, such as no Haki, all while using Isaacs field of employment as excuse to justify fairness. The illusion of fairness was important, and dare he admit, the jaded man was a master at making you believe you could win.

“It’s looking like a senerio seven, wouldn’t you say?”

The squirrel looked up and flashed four fingers, still too stubborn to side with him fully.

Isaac looked up, waiting for the projector. “Guess we’ll find out, he smiled.”

GM appeared in the sky, his face particularly smug, with Bighead mumbling something off in the background offscreen. “Welcome to round two, contestants. We have prepared a classic for you all today, a game of manhunt!” The crowd roared, manhunt being a fan favorite since the first days of the games. “We decided to spice things up this time around, upping the player count to twenty five, while initiating zombie rules, tur-“

“Cut the crap you coward,” a familiar voice screamed, the camera shaking and hitting the ground, forcing everyone to turn their head sideways to see Klank to the side of Bighead, stoic as ever, and Sasayaki being restrained by two half beasts with security shirts. “Isaac is going rip you up for this. He is going to chew you up and spit you out like the day-old jerky that you are. He could take all of those damn cowards if you let him. ALL OF THEM.”

The team struggled to hold her back as his eyes glued to the screen, fighting back every muscle in him that want to move, to leap up unit the sky and yank her out of the screen, running away from the damned island for good. He could see peanut yelling gibberish at the screen, expressing every emotion he felt inside, Isaac turning to him and forcing his heavy jaw open. “Forget numbers,” he told his riled-up partner, flames bursting out his fur and past him. “Doomsday.”

The crew finally managed to get Sasayaki in order, Klank whispering something to her as they did, a dynamic he seemed to miss in the previous game. “What an idea,” the GM thought out loud. “Isaac and Peanut verse the remaining contestants. We could call the game, fugitive.” The crowd roared in approval, always thirsty for a new game. “Put and hour on the clock, and if the pair can evade capture, they will advance, if caught, the remaining 23 contestants will move on to the next round.”

“Quite a disadvantage,” Bighead blurted out behind them, a grin stealing away any additional modifiers, he could tack on. “I bet it would even more interesting of only the fugitives could use their haki.”

GM intended to object, but the crowd was out of their seats, the screams permeating the room which they were held. “Fu-ga-tive,” the shouted. “FU-GA-TIVE.”

He was impressed at the captain’s subtle manipulation, a side of him he had not seen in the days that passed, and smirked. He also caught a glimpse of Klank, at first appearing agitated with the plan, Isaac realizing that was wrong when he followed his eyeline down to the cigarette that was out of his reach. “Would you look at that,” Isaac smiled through his tenseness, the strike hitting GM, “a game just for me! This moment could go down in history, don’t you think?”

“Surely it will,” the man teethed, “but remember, the sudden death modifier is now active for this round, and I have decided to provide Den Den communicators to the hunters.”

“Fine by me,” he winked to the crowd, the stands reacting with a vigorous wave surged around the arena.

Sasayaki’s chain squirmed free just before it began, her blunted end reaching the front camera. “The hunter becomes the hunted, but can they really beat him at his own game? Will he run and hide, or take to the offensive? Is this man truly without fear!? Let’s hear it for the one, the only, the untouchable, Isaac.”

“ISAAC. ISAAC. ISAAC,” the crowd chanted, momentum building in his favor as Peanut looked up to him, both of them exchanging a look of confidence as Sasayaki started a song in the distance, Bighead knowing the words to this one, it’s lyrics piecing GM’s patients.

youtu.be/Mj_hApbc5qg

“Begin,” GM announced, the projector shutting off, followed by the faintness of noises in the distance. He couldn’t hear anything nearly as well as Sasayaki, but Isaac had still fined tuned his sense to a level suiting of a respected bounty hunter over the years, his only hurdle being his motivation to chase targets larger than he believed he could handle.

“The song,” he told peanut, on guard, “of course. Thanks Sasa.”

Isaac tapped his hand to his hips to get Peanut’s attention, the squirrel clearly wanting to rush the enemy head on like his companion would, reluctantly following Isaac’s retreat as he headed deeper into the forest, the crowd contemplating his next action as he vanished in the tree line.

“Here,” he finally said, finding some smaller trees, replanted from destruction in previous games. “This one,” he tapped with his foot, the squirrel quickly melting the base clean through, then working diligently on the other side as it flipped, forging a staff that the bounty hunter spun in his fingers, then gripped tightly. “Now to gather the rest of the supplies,” he instructed, both of them scourging the area while keeping the sound as limited as possible.

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The clocked ticked down, ten minutes already expired as the group of hunters finally finished their plans and split up. It was easy to keep an eye on at least twenty of them from across the forest, but the remaining five we much better at concealing themselves, concealing their intent, a trait that was critical in surviving the new world. It didn’t help how spread they forced his vision, the ones broken off being the targets he was most concerned about. “Showtime,” he whispered, finalizing his plans at a speed that would have made Klank proud. “Just like we plan,” he reminded Peanut, who had already taken to a sprint towards the main group, slowly advancing forward with their weapons held firm, and eyes on every corner within sight, moving at a snail’s pace.

A flare of red darted out of the bush with the ferocity of a wild boar and singed the first victim upon landing on a lower calf, molten teeth melting into the hunter’s skin. The others reacted uniformly, turning to the animal and swinging wildly for a strike while Isaac cracked a straggler on the temple with the blunted end of his staff, the man falling into his arm before being dragger off into the bushes. The others chased the squirrel, giving him the opportunity to snag Peanut’s first victim, whacking her on the side of the head, and dragging her off in the same manor.

Five more minutes passed, and another seven fell in the same manor, Isaac discovering that it was much easier to dump them in random locations before rounding them up in his makeshift cell, the doors that the contestants waited in, the same doors that qualified as a DQ when entering. One more hunter feel to the tactic before the Den Dens instructed a full retreat, Isaac choosing to keeping the contestant as leverage, gagging them with a torn shirt and dragging them back to the starting area with Peanut toeing the line, eyes glaring at the bait with an eerie determination to return to their friend.

Twenty-five minutes had passed as the Den Dens came back into play, obvious code words ringing through the forest, making even Peanut shake his head. “Blue lion. Come in Blue lion. Do you read me?”

“Lion pouched,” another voice explained. “Silver Fox and Pocket Gerbil intercepted; casualties were astronomical. Lost eyes. I repeat, lost eyes.”

The whole exchanged was ridiculous, the banter going on for a full minute before Isaac picked up the Den Den and put on his tough guy act. “I don’t know who you are, I don’t know why you’re here, but I can tell you something.. I have a particular set of skills, skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. Walk through your doors, and I will not pursue you, but if you don’t, I can promise you this.. I will hunt you, I will find you, and I will capture you. You can face the wheel now, or you can face it after I am done with you, but you will face it, nevertheless. I’ll be waiting for your answer.”

Once again, the crowd was on their feet as Isaac’s name was chanted through the forest. He tossed the Den Den up in the air, Peanut scorching it midair, setting light to the tree and signaling the others onto their location. The two vanished back into the forest, the sound of the wheeling spinning above as rest of the average contestant took their chances with the wheel, dishing out judgement piece by piece, leaving 5 opponents remaining, excluding his hostage, each closing in on the forest.

Forty minutes had passed when the first of five entered his sight, seeing a tied-up man in the middle of a clear opening. The man rushed in, face red with rage, lunging for the middle when his foot hit the trap, the ground caving in beneath him. The man let out a grunt as his arms and legs extended into wooden planks, perfectly catching himself before plunging below over the pit, yet still facing down.

“Cannonball,” Isaac yelled as he saw Peanut summersaulting off the tree, searing the devil fruit user’s back as the ball of flames collided with his neck, forcing him down and passed out with a crisp. “It’s super effective,” he winked, the crowd laughing.

A blade sliced to his side, drastically misjudging the distance between them, yet closing in closer with its next slash. Isaac retreated back, slinging his staff around to hit the blunted end of the blade with each wild strike, when he felt an arrow hit his chest, but no, not yet, but soon. Swiftly he spun to sweep the man’s legs with an unneeded flair, twirling the weapon as he came back up, an arrow nearly missing him from above. Once again, he saw an arrow land a clean shot, and what came after, forcing him to retreat behind a tree, the another as he saw himself taking another hit, only this time from another archer.

“Little help,” he called out, poking the staff out around the corner, only for it to get hit by another arrow, wedged deeply into the wood. “Left. Left. Right. Do a barrel roll, he instructed the squirrel, dodging each arrow as he made his way behind the tree. “If you can take out one of those archers, I might be able to deal with the other after the sword guy, but we have to move fast, and that means operation KABOOM.”

Peanut put up a protest, but he knew better than most what was at stake. “Listen,” Isaac yelled, waging around his finger like a sword. “If you want to see her again, you’re going have to be willing to do some crazy shit, okay.” He lowered the staff, the swordsman regaining his stance. “Now fly like the wind, Peanut,” he yelled, lunging the squirrel into the sky before rushing out of cover, catching two arrows with his staff be jabbing the swordsman in the guy, his reach long enough to attacking without hesitation. Two more arrows were inbound, yet neither needed to be evaded, as their aim was offset by a blinding white light and wave of heat that almost would have scorched him, had he not rushed to the swordsman to use him as a shield.

The full force of the man’s weight was on him, Isaac tossing his limp body to the side and stepping away from the flames that were overtaking the forest. “What the hell was that,” he yelled at the squirrel, racing back to check on Isaac, yet bickering his gibberish in protest. “Ohhhh, I’m guessing you think this is my fault. I wanted you to do a little explosion, not drop mother bomb on my head. You could have killed me.” The squirrel continued, more furious than before, no more understood. “What.. was that a finger? Ohhh, we are throwing those out now, well guess what, we’re done! You thought we were going to get along?” he yelled, Peanut looking to the side in disbelieve be resuming his high-pitched gibberish.

“No need to fight,” a man, a fishman, more specifically yelled, his arms crossed with spite. “You should save your energy, because trust me, you’ll need it to take me down.”

The two exchanged a look, figuring out who was going to challenge the man first, when Isaac rolled his eyes, flicking up the staff with his foot. “Fine,” he said, throwing the staff passed the man and at a partially singed rope behind, sending two boulders to each side, the fishman catching each with a hand. He seemed to take the test of strength as a challenge, predictably missing the point. Just as the man flexed to send the boulders back, Peanut’s fiery feet connected with his chest, sending the fishman flying back into a tree. Isaac looked around as the fishman was stunned, pointing at another tree and lifting his finger at an angle, peanut scorching through. The large maple started to bend, wailing as it buckled under its weight and falling towards its victim.

Laughs were heard as the screen once again screen appeared, revealing Bighead booming with delight behind GM. “It looks like Fugitive has its first champion. Congratulation, Isaac.”

Not only did GM waste his best chance at easily eliminating him, we wasted more contestants then he should have in the process. Isaac also gained the advantage of popularity, the crowd roaring his name, and a new hashtag appear on the monitor: #GD, Game Destroyer.

He felt the reluctance of GM to smash the hammer to the ground, and took the moment to take one more peak at Peanut before they both disappeared. “I still haven’t forgiven you,” he declared, the squirrel lunging at him before he vanished safely and into his next room.

One Piece: Bighead's Dream

The door opened, light and mist pouring through as the crowd’s roar was aleady appearent. He knew what happened to Bighead, the man that supposed to be his trump card, now removing any chances Isaac had to vanish into the crowd like he planned. The crowd continued to amp as he remained inside, Sasayaki still on his back, peaking through see what challenge was ahead, nodding to confirm that the man was as predictable as they assumed. “Play it,” he instructed, taking one last moment to compose himself before the show began.

youtu.be/0vRbxtTCY50

Isaac strutted through the mist as the song blared behind him, his arms slightly raised to his side, beckoning challengers as he approached the ring. It was your classic three roped wrestling area, posts made from pure seastone, and a mat that looked as springy as he remembered. The other contestants lacked his flair, nervously waiting on the side of the ring, likely due to the behemoth of man that remained across from them. Regardless, Isaac couldn’t let such men intimidate his only chance to get off this island. He hopped up to the stage, pumping up his arms and Sasayaki dance around him to the aggressive beat, jumping on the post and putting his hand on his ear to the audience, causing an uproar of cheers and boos. “I can’t hear youuuuu.” he yelled, repeating the action, causing an uproar, and forcing the behemoth, the clear favorite to cross his arms.

“If you’re done, Isaac, I’d like to explain the game for those who might want to survive it, if that is alright with you,” GM interjected, just as much of a dick as he remembered.

“Give ‘em hell, boy,” Bighead yelled from the background, forcing a stern lookback from GM.

GM appeared high on the projectors, “Welcome to the ring, a game usually reserved for late round combat, but fitting, considering new games I have cooked up for this show.” He paused for the crowd, losing their minds for the idea of new games. “And for the first time ever, all of you at home can den den in with your reactions, just transmit to the number below and #greatpirategames.”

A new bar appeared on the bottom of the screen, messages from the home audience scrolling below, and a section for a poll appearing. “What does it say?” Sasayaki whined, “Do they love us?”

“The ring is an 8-man free for all, winning by knockout or ring out, with the top competitor moving on to the next game without question, spinning the gold wheel for an advantage in the next round, and the other top contenders spinning the silver and bronze wheels for penalties. For the rest of you, judgement will be decided after the match, so remain quiet until it is past. The only rule to this game, is no weapons are allowed, which means Sasayaki, you advance as the third-place contestant by default,” He taped his sign to the ground and Sasayaki vanished, his waist suddenly feeling naked, her distinct frequency gone, making the world quiet again.

GM vanished from the projector, and a referee appeared at the center of the ring, as was customary in this classic, beckoning the other contestants to the ring. “Alright, you know the rules. Keep it clean, keep it fun, and most importantly, keep it in the ring. If I see any foul play, I’ll throw you out of this ring faster than you can ‘Spin the wheel,’ got it?” The contestents nodded, each taking a spot in the ring, nerves building, crashing into violence as the bell rang.

“Showtime,” Isaac remarked, gingerly hopping up to the post without Sasayaki’s added weight. One of the smaller contestents saw the opportunity for a quick ring out, charging him dead on. The man rushed with a blunted shoulder, but he was too predictable, Isaac front flipping over his head and rushing his body against the seastone, stunning him. He took a quick glance at the crowd, raising his arms and in innocence before sliding him under the ropes with low spin grab. The man vanished before hitting the ground, appearing in one of six seats around the ring; GM had never intended for more than two to advance.

Another man was run out by the behemoth, his overgrown arms lifting his prey and chucking him against the barrier, the crowd reeling back at the collision, only to celebrate as the unconscious man slid down and vanished to another seat. It had looked like her would get another victory, but as grabbed for the next victim, a tall woman with hair down to the floor, her body broke apart into an array of noodles, reforming behind him and rushing to the opposite side of the ring. He peaked back, annoyed, but it didn’t really matter what order the enemy fell, only that they did. His gaze was now on Isaac, “You’re next, enemy.”

Me? he pointed, realizing that this was a match he win without Sasayaki, but not one he could ignore. In the pirate game, when more than one contestant could move on, the game became more than just surviving the round, it became a chess match, eliminating people who you thought could hurt your game most in the future, and if the brute could survive to face one of his new companions, there was no telling what kind of brutality they would suffer. “Well, stud,” he teased, “what are you waiting for? Lay it on me big guy.”

The man charged forward, wildly swinging for a feel of human flesh, but much too slow for his prey. Isaac may nit have much of an offensive without his weapon, but he had honed his observation haki to level that made it easy to predict such simplistic movements. Left, right, from above, from above by slightly left, he saw each attack come at him over and over, yet it did not slow down the man, continuing his assault and Isaac easily leaped back on over each attempt. “Stay still,” the aggressor yelled, his anger reaching its peak as Isaac jumped onto his arm, the head, the testing his stability with a kick to spine, the crowd now laughing at the brute.

“Hey hunter,” the devil fruit user yelled, facing he own challenge with a man that was well versed in the government’s martial arts, display his iron body with pride. “You figure out a way to clean up that monster and I’ll take care of these other small fry. We can roshambo for placement after that.

He peaked over while she was getting set up. “That’s a deal noodle, but I am going to need something from you first,” he smiled.

“Already planning it,” she smiled, clearly a fan of the events.

“Hey ugly,” Isaac yelled, the man fully turned. “I bet you hit like a skypean,” he smirked, crossing his arms and fluttering them prominently.

The brute roared to the sky, his pride now at stake while a commotion continued behind him “You know,” he rumbled, “There isn’t any rule against killing, and it would be so easy.”

“Just like your mother, big guy.” The crowd was roused, with mother insults hitting particularly hard in the pirate community.

He huffed, clearly ready to kill. “Take it back,” he demanded. “My mother was a saint, and NO ONE talks bad about her.”

Isaac shot a glace at the crowd, biding his time, the continued he smirk to the man. “She certainly isn’t one now, if I you what I mean.” His hands cupped and inviable shape at his check then slowly moved it down to his waist as he raised his brow. “Don’t worry,” he assured him. “I was gentle.”

“Enough,” he yelled, finally where he needed him to be, charging at Isaac with a blind rage. Isaac waited, seeing large fist come from him, seeing what would happen if dodged a moment to late, yet still finding the patients to hold back until the fist was nearly on him. The crowd gasped as he vanished to the side, the brute’s heavy fist hitting the referee with its full force, sending the unfortunate mediator out of the ring and into the barrier. He remained still for a moment after hitting the ground, the brute just standing there in awe.

Noodle was true to her word, luring the target where he needed to be, then sweeping up the remaining contestants as they were distracted by the commotion. The referee finally found his feet, pulling a red card out of his pocket, a red X appearing in the sky, and the wheeling, transformed into a much darker version, started to spin. “Hitting the judge is an automatic disqualification, and entitles you to the death wheel.”

It was a scary name, but not all options of the death wheel were fatal, yet they did tend to be harsher, with an alarmingly larger number of punishments over forgiveness. Isaac almost felt bad for what he had done, but the games were all about survive, a concept he and noodle understood. He was happy to work with the women, but knew that he may have to fight her in an upcoming round. Still, he too was a person of his words, meeting her in the center of the ring for a showdown unlike any other previously seen in the games. “Judge, can I get some music over here?”

The man stepped onto the stage, realizing what was to happen. He made a motion to the sky, and had the show shake hands, the girl’s grip unsurprisingly flimsy. “Alright,” the judge started, if this is how it goes down, is going to be the best out of three, same time released, haki disabled. Agreed?”

The two looked at each other, the woman smiling at the rule mod, knowing Isaac fully intended to use his observation to win. “Agreed,” he sighed, his senses dulling as the new rule overtook the ring, music staring in the stands.

youtu.be/Y1PRiUcIJMI

Their eyes locked, the crowd cheering ferociously as one hand laid flat, the other motioning. The hands moved to the words, the first round released, widening Isaac’s eyes. “Scissors beats paper! Isaac score the first blow!”

Isaac pulled back, celebrating his point with a breakdown for the crowd, slinking to the ground with a crisp wave move that hadn’t been used since before his time. “Sounds easy”

They met again, hands motioning vigorous, this time the woman pulling back. “Rock beats scissors, Penne strikes back!”

The woman did a dance of her own, her body turning to noodles and twisting in a pasta tornado, before coming back. “Was there any other pastabilitiy?”

“Alright,” the referee announced, “this is for the win, and for an advantage in the next round. Get those fists ready!” The crowd stood in their seats; hands pressed against the barrier as their hands motioned. He gave the girl a final glance before releasing his choice, the crowd gasping before he could even look down. Isaac had thrown scissors, never doubting that the noodle could predict it, knowing it was her one weakness, but looking down in awe as a lone rock stood before him. Isaac, had lost. Penne lit up, wrapping him in her flimsy embrace before doing a lap around the ring, the crowd cheering for her as her advantage wheel spun. ‘Skip a round,’ the wheel read, drawing in instant envy, but a warm smile, knowing he wouldn’t have to face her ability anytime soon. “No hard feeling hunter,” she called out before GM appeared on screen to announce her victory and send her off with a tap of the hammer.

“Well now, Isaac, it seems you will be moving on, but with a penalty, shall we see what that is?” he asked the crowd, now on its feet, yet GM wasn’t happy one bit. In the time since the silver penalty wheel appeared, the crowd had started chanting “hunter,” his gifted pirate games name.

Isaac raised his hands to the crowd, taking in the praise from a well-done show, then lowered them, the crowd becoming silent as they took his side. “You know, George,” he started, the name piercing through the projector, “I love these games, these people too much to take an advantage.” The crowd riled up again, calming down with another raise and lowing of the hands. “So, I say,” he paused. “Bring on that wheel baby!”

The crowd lost it as the silver penalty ring started spinning, lasting for what seemed like forever, then finally landing on what would be his trial within the trial, the GM reading happily, “Sudden death,” the worst of the silver wheel penalties, the crowd stirring with the same emotions as Isaac, although he would never show it.

One Piece: Bighead's Dream

“So, this is the place,” Bighead remarked, the feeling so familiar. Since leaving the room, the man found himself in a lavish villa, filled with what could only be described as fantasy location with the most unrealistically attractive creatures in the world.

A woman stood before him, flowing blonde hair that reached her knees, curves that bent the imagination, lips swollen with anticipation, and piercing blue eyes that nervously looked to the ground before finding his again. “I,” she started, her hand gripping the other, pressed against a golden dress that shimmed in the lights, slightly damp from stray splashed from reckless bachelors cannoning the pool. “I feel like our connection is so strong, which is crazy, because even though we just met, I feel like I’ve you all my life.” Her face glew as she reached for a rose from the table beside them, likely more expensive than anything the pirate ever owned. “That is why I have decided to give you this first impression rose.”

She handed the rose to Bighead, looking over it curiously, before tossing it up in the air before walking off, “Nope.”
“Wait,” she begged, rushing to the rose, and turning him back around. “This means I have chosen you, to move on, and get a chance to be with me. It means you’re safe.

“Ohhhhh, I see,” he said, taking the rose again, looking her in the eyes, her beautiful eyes, then crushing the flower in his hands and tossing it to the side. “I am not a man who can be won so easily, he declared while walking to the crowd and looking up at the den den.

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The wheel started spinning in the sky, the crowd on edge for the divine judgement, all while Bighead smiled. Just as the wheel started to slow, he grew to the size of three house stacked, his arm raised prominently in the air. “Wait,” he demanded, the smile growing faster than his enormous grin, “I have a proposition for you, GM.”

The wheel glitched, needle skipping until it vanished, signifying the GM’s wavering resolve, his silhouette appearing again on the monitor, glasses glowing with interest. “I respect you, Bighead, that is why I have not killed you on the spot, but I did not think you a coward. You harbor my enemy, wander into to island as I host my games, refuse to play, and now you stop my wheel!?” The crowd clung to his every word, understanding just how GM had become over the years. There was a reason he was an emperor, his judgement absolute, but that did not mean he was without weaknesses. “What could you possibly have to offer me, old friend?”

The man continued to grow, the other contestants cowering behind their doors as the villa barely fit his feet, his head now reaching the screen, looking GM’s face dead on, arms surrendered in the air. “The best damn pirate games since Jimmy Blue Jeans entered this island, RIP,” he called out, with two taps to this chest, and his finger held prominently to the sky.”

The image looked down, the crowds looking up in awe at the display. “That’s a tall promise,” he smirked, the lure set. “What are you offering?”

“Why, me of course!” The crowd gasped, understanding what it entailed. The rule-rule fruit was powerful, but the one thing it could not alter was free will, that was for man alone to change. “I wager that my crew will not only survive this game, they will win it, and when they do, we will take no prize, only our fame, and sail away with a smile.”

The figure remained uncharacteristically quiet, as did the crowd until coming back. “Such confidence, to trust your remaining years in such.. questionable hands. You must know these men well.”

Bighead let out a laugh so boisterous, it rumbled the stands. “No, not really. In fact, I just met them a few days ago, but I just got this feeling.”

GM’s laugh bordered on the maniacal, carrying on longer than was socially acceptable for anyone else. “Fine! You think they can beat me and my rules!? I’ll grant your request, and when I win, and I will win, Jesse, you will host these games until your last days.” He raised his hammer.

“Ohhh, one more thing,” Bighead interrupted. “I trust these games will all be fair for my crew. I’d hate for your reputation to be ruined over greed,” he grinned, casually looking to the crowd, and then to the cameras.

GM paused, frustrated with the idea of limiting himself, but when push came to shove, his image was the only thing that ever mattered to him, it was, afterall, the whole reason he invented these little shows instead of pursuing greater treasures on the seas. “They will be winnable, but they don’t have to be easy,” he declared with a tap of the sign, the crowd roaring Bighead’s name as he vanished to GM’s room, chained to a chair in vision to the camera, still grinning.

One Piece: Bighead's Dream

Arcadia

Mist filled the stage as lights went up, stroking to the crowd with a maddening pace that could only match the hype of the beat. Already the crowd was on their feet, feeling the energy of a Sasayaki’s voice and Isaac’s unmistakable talent for rousing the crowd like the head cheerleader at a peep rally. More lights flooded the stage, revealing Klank with an edgy reluctance on a set of massive drums that encircled him, two hammers pounding to beat into a live system, scratched and altered by an energetic Peanut, bouncing between the discs and sound board with a large porcelain mousehead covering him, and the occasional flame hitting the skies with eternal glory. Sierra was just to the side, pumping out mist and assisting on the piano with a determined hop, a guitar made of Ice slung on her back for shredding emergency. To his left and were Phin, also reluctant on bass, but much in character of the breed, and Bighead, towering over the others with a long glossy blue dragon-headed guitar that was fit for a giant, enjoying ever second.

https://youtu.be/7JUvmzvFpgU

The first song blasted through like their pop album debut, Sasayaki singing through with Isaac on backup and dancing. Peanut was determined to amp the crowd, hitting the beat heavily while every else played low key, Sierra joining Isaac on the front with what could only be described as battle dancing, never wanting to be out shined.

https://youtu.be/15JCb6P60Vw

The crowd remained on the edge of their seat as the first song conclude, wondering what new poppy verse would come next, but they were blown back as Klank and Bighead took over, Klank’s frustrated hands pounding the beat with same determination of a mid-battle build, and Bighead pounding his gigantic head back and forth as faced Isaac and his powerful vocals, Bighead’s fingers fiercely moving between the strings. Sierra, never wanting the be undone, slid to Isaac’s other side and facing Bighead, shredding the guitar with icy accuracy and a glare that could kill. Phin didn’t want to join in, but understood the gravity of the situation. Standing firm to the crowd and setting the beat.

https://youtu.be/HgzGwKwLmgM

Roars filled the stands as the last song started, a lone spotlight hitting Isaac and Sasayaki, both choosing to harmonize as the rest of the crew fell back to normal levels of hype to let the two shine as they hopped around the stage with soul as sierra took back to piano. The crowd seemed to know this sound, the faint sound of voices joining in as the song raged on. Peanut continued to support with pyrotechnics, perfectly in tune with sounds, though, nearly hitting an angered Klank who was almost appearing happy before the incident. Finally they drew the crowed down as the lights dimmed, claps echoing through the stage when the entire area light up.

A large colosseum came into view, one of many one island, along with other area’s reserved for various activities and more, this particular arena set up with two stages facing each other, with people flooded in the middle and around, and a podium to the side with three chairs, with three daunting figures observing.

The first judge rose, an adorable mink that Isaac tried not to notice, but unmistakably drawn to. “Like, OMG,” she stared, perking up out of her chair and peeping up like the most devoted fangirl. “I absolutely loved you guys! Sierra, girl, you are fireee.” A satisfied smirk found her face as the bouncing bunny girl continued. “This crowd was feeling y’all, and I’d vote for you a thousand times over if I could. Chow my little love birds,” she said with a wink.

The next judge rose, a heavyset man with an oversized mustache that twirled into a hypnotic circle, and a voice that clear looked down on anyone that wasn’t scene. “It was a show, that is for sure. Bighead, you were the star of this performance, giving the technical expertise to the axe that I haven’t seen in some time, and Klank was excellent with both speed and timing.” He began to twirl his mustache as the words set in. “However, I can not discredit the soul brought to the stage by Wiggs and Bedge, who blew me away with their love letter to mt past with “Don’t go breaking my heart.” The two celebrated with a tear felt hug and jumps of joy as Sasayaki stared the two down, a murderous intent in her chain.

Finally, the last judge rose, 8’5”, wide as house, a glare with grit to destroy dreams, and a tight shit that went up to his ribs that read BABY. “I,” he paused, “was not impressed. It is clear to me that this group is still a bunch of strangers trying to come together to for what consider cool music. Peanut, I was appealed by you take on what was supposed to be a joyful beat, and it in fact, stole all the joy from my soul, only slightly more disappointing that that ridiculous mask.” The words set in with a drop of the fiery squill’s head. “Sierra, if you spent more time on you craft than the other musician’s your performance might have been salvageable. Klank, your rhythm on those drums can only be describe a teenage boy trying to figure out love making with his very disappointed first girlfriend. Phin, do I even have to comment? Bighead, you were a distraction the entire performance, and the only thing bigger thing than your head is your ego.”

The crew started to exchange looks, wondering what they would do if the battle was lost, and how they survive if the worst were to happen. Isaac stepped up, Sasayaki amplifying his word. “I’m sorry you didn’t like our performance, but I can assure you, we gave it everything we had, and that’s saying something.”

The man laughed. “I am sure, little bounty hunter. As much as I hated parts of your show, you and Sasayaki really brought a passion to every word, and not even that firey rodent can take away from that, and that is why I have decided to vote for your band, Sailing Sirens.”

The crowd roared, pleased with the class, and Isaac bumped his fist to his chest, then raised his finger to the sky. An image suddenly appeared in the center of the arena, a shadowy man barely visible, with a large sign in his hand prominently labeled “GM.” The judges took their seats and the crowd quickly calmed down to hear his words. “Your crew, Bighead, has proven to be entertaining, and thus, I have decided that you all will participate in this years games. He tapped his sign on the ground, and the crew vanished into the island, each separated to the waiting room to their next challenge, as was customary in the great pirate games. “Bedge, Wiggs, I’m afraid you have lost this battle, and thus are subject to judgement.” He tapped his hammer on the ground again, and a giant wheel appeared in the sky, spinning furiously. Quickly it spun, until it slowed down to a creep, nearly landing on death by 1000 scorpions, until inching over to banishment. The hammer hit the ground again, the two vanishing back onto their ship, which they were so quickly stolen from when sailing too close to the island.

All around the world people cheered from the video Den Den, for the great pirate games, a yearly tradition of victory and brutal defeat head finally begun. “For those of you tuning in for the first time,” the man spoke, “welcome to my island, Arcadia, where the rules are my own, and anything can happen. Most of our contestants will perish to the wheel’s mighty judgement, but those who overcome their obstacles, outsmart their competition, and win our heart, will be given the ultimate prizes as granted by me, you humble GM, and at the very least, be pardon for their crimes and leave this land with their life, for this year,” he said with a mischievous wink. “And don’t forget to Den Den in to let us know what you want to see, and who your favorite contestants are! #Shipitorshipout #Bloodbeatslove #Greatpirategames”

The screen faded out, and Isaac found himself in a cold room with Sasayaki luckily still over his shoulder, nothing but a bed to rest, and a nightstand with one light, and enough food and water to hold him over into the door opened, with anything behind it. “Welp,” Isaac said back to Sasayaki, “Looks like those assholes finally found me,” he said with a satisfied grin, knowing that if he were to die here, it would at least be a flashy death.

One Piece: Bighead's Dream

“I’ll touch that wheel again,” Isaac thought to himself as Klank went on a rant. If he didn’t know any better, he would have assumed it was his thing. Sasayaki agreed mockingly humming to Klank’s protest in his ear. Still, he had a point. Did he care if he was caught? Isaac had never stuck around a place long enough to find out what sort of consequences repeat offences offered.

“Our dream?” Sasayaki almost answered, resting down on his shoulder when he placed his hand on her lantern.

Isaac stepped back to the railing, trying to emulate to emulate a sense of mystery with a loose lean, “Ohhh you know, adventure.” He never really knew what that meant, only that he had to keep going, because there was something out there he was looking for, something he hadn’t found yet. “As long and Sasayaki and I can see the world together, and have some fun doing it, we’ll pretty much go anywhere.”

One Piece: Bighead's Dream

“I want to ride it,” Sasayaki whispered, the two finding their way to their feet and to the side of the ship as the ordeal began. “I want to make it a collar, give it a cute name, take it for a walk, and do the whole thing again tomorrow.”

Isaac gave a confused look back before he realized what was happening. “You’re not a siren anymore,” he teethed, trying not to draw the attention of the other crewmates as Klank started his relentless assault. It was useless of course, Isaac had happened upon many sea kings in his time adrift, and he could sense this creature was on another level. “You can’t go seducing every mythical creature you lay your eyes on.” He looked over to Klank as the spears bounced off and gave a thumbs up. “Good effort!” he shouted, but the man was clearly too distracted by the challenge ahead.

Sasayaki jerked in front of Issac, peaking back at what now appeared to be a dragon, her lantern glowing as she looked back to him. “Don’t body shame me! How is it okay when you flirt with your little mink girls, but suddenly not okay when I want a piece of those scales. Double standards.”

“Fine,” he conceded, pushing her back, but play it cool for now, okay.”

Just then, a strange man walked on board, introducing himself as Bighead, a name he was all to familiar with, being a bounty hunter. Over his years as a pirate, he had amassed a 500 million berry bounty, an impressive number for a solo act. He was a loner, or so they said, but he could at least confirm the pirate never held a crew, being “too grand” to work with others. Well, that is what the papers said, at least, but in Isaac’s experience, the news was nothing but bullshit the marines put out change the story.

Isaac moved to the group, seeing his opportunity to act, “Good thing you arrived, he said to the stranger, shaking his hand. The man’s grip intensified as Isaac's did, the locking grips for the slowest handshake in his life, less like an actual handshake, and more like a struggle of wills that ended as the man’s hand started to ever so slightly swell larger. “You see, this crazy glowing gerbil started pressing these buttons, and I was like, noo, Klank said not to touch those, but by the time I got there, it was already too late.” He looked back to Klank to see if he was buying it, slowly dragging on his cigarette while Sasayaki was preoccupied with the dragon.

“Well now,” Bighead laughed, patting Isaac on the shoulder, Sasayaki taking a quick peak back before returning to her lusting, “that sounds like quite the tale! I must admit, I’ve never seen a vessel hop so gallantly before in my life, and that’s saying something. You must be quite the adventure, I’ve got a ninth sense for these kinds of thing, you know.” Bighead looked back at Sasayaki, then to Sierra and peanut, the to Klank and the Phin. “In fact, you’re all of a different breed. Little trouble makers, right? In need of some parental guidance, yes? Perfect!” he exclaimed, putting his hands on his hips and growing larger. “I’ve been waiting for people like you all my life, and now that I’ve found you, you shall not escape my manly grasp! From here on out, this is my ship, and I am your captain! Good? Okay!”

Sasayaki suddenly decided to take notice, looking to the others and back to the stranger, twice as large as he was before, the floorboards bending under his weight. “Uhhhh, what?”

One Piece: Bighead's Dream

The sky finally faded to knight after the ship had long departed the island, and slowly Sasayaki was regaining her poise, humming a familiar tune as her chain found life. “Did we win?” she muttered, groggily swaying back and forth, searching for her bearings.

“We did,” Isaac smiled, pointing to where they left, the faintness of ships far beyond their sight. “You should have seen it, dozens of ships breaking, off, cannons firing everywhere, fishman singlehandedly manning the ship, old man building like there was no tomorrow, and some crazy drunken stowaway girl and her gerbil skating across the sea. You would have loved it,” he started, taking the time after to fill in all the details. Sasayaki was tired, but she loved every second of Isaac’s stories, forever wrapped up in his crazy dreams. She looked from one end of the sea to another as he described it, pretending to see the world through his eyes, even mustering the strength to scan the ship, taking careful note of the frequencies of her new companions, all of them ringing in interesting ways. She listened until the night had long set in, coming more alive as the old man behind the wheel slowly started to dowse off.

Klank nodded off as Isaac and Sasayaki slid down the pull, a sweet lullaby emanating from the chain as they approached the wheel. The song set in as the made their way to the deck, the man muttering as he steered them forward. “Don’t, don’t mess with the buttons,” he yawned, struggling to keep one eye open. “They’re.. they’re my buttons, and I, I steer the ship.. my ship.. my..”

“You are steering the ship,” Isaac comforted, carefully loosening his grip, only for another wheel to be dupped in its place, the man still steering the air. “Woahhh,” he whispered as Sasayaki continued to hum, “Look at those waves,” he said, guiding Klank to his cabin, slowly resting him against the bench. “Be careful out there,” he said with the poke of the nose, tiptoeing back to the deck and to the wheel, rip with adventure.

“Finally,” Sasayaki dragged, “The kids are asleep and the adults can play.” Her lantern hovered over the wheel, then the buttons, then below. “This isn’t any old ship. Each of these thingies is connected to another thingy down there.”

Isaac grasped the wheel, feeling the pull of the sea’s currents at the slightest resistance. “We should probably test them out then, since we’re here. It’s the responsible thing to do.”

Yes, she nodded, looking regal as she wrapped around and perched over his shoulder. “Kind sir,” she played, “I’m afraid the enemy has surrounded us. Would you be a doll and press magic number button seven.”

“Aye, captain, engaging.” With a twirl of his free hand, he nobly lifted his finger, definitively pressing the cool steel.

At first, nothing happened, so he pressed it again, and again, and again until he felt a rumbling from below the deck. He shared a look with Sasayaki, unsure of what could possibly be generating so much noise, when the ship took a hop out of the water, then another, and another, sending Isaac bouncing on the deck. Sasayaki was the quick one, recognizing the power of an overcharged air dail, anchoring to the wheel and pulling Isaac back to the floor in a snap. “We pressed the wrong button,” She kindly reminded him, pulling back to wheel.
“I’ll just press it again,” he yelled, getting flashbacks of his last shipwreck, pulling his body closer to press the seven, only for his hand to be misdirected upon hitting another wave, striking five instead.

Gears grinded just below deck, splitting the wood and sprouting a single fin to the ships right side, sending the vessel into a bouncing tumble. “Wrong button,” Sasayaki screamed, sensing another silent night in the ocean until the once again could wash up on shore.

“We. Just. Neeeed. T- to. Pressss. The right. Bu-uttons.” He struggled, sliding his hands down the row and causing the ship to groan. He could tell what happened next, the chaos more than he was accustomed to, but he knew everything would be alright when the ship inexplicitly stopped, with what he could have sworn were large fingers encasing it. “Nailed it,” he exhaled, smiling as the world slowly stopped spinning.

One Piece: Bighead's Dream

“Can you hear it, Sasa?” Isaac asked, knowing full well that his companion was too gassed from her task. I searched the town, looking beyond the walls to see what their song had done, the freedom it gave. “From here on out, their only excuse is their own,” he said with a smile, handing on the top of the ship while his ride worked valiantly to escape the island. Normally, he’d attempt to help out, but something about the pair made him believe they could handle the chaos.

Roars of cannons fired to their side, each shot closing in as the fishman pushed them to sea. “Look at that fight,” he remarked, wondering how far the ships were willing to come. Men ran towards their ship with new determination as Klank continued to build, but it didn’t seem like that could run as fast as the old man could build. “Sasa, look at gramps build. Crushing it.”

Just as he thought he had his fill, he sensed the first ship leaving dock, a rugged old marine vessel with two men leading the charge. “Wiggs and Bedge! I knew you guys had more fight in you!” He lied back to the top of the mast as the cannon fire got closer and took it all in, always finding a strange delight when things went insane, and he would have to remember ever bit of it to tell Sasayaki when she woke up. “What. A. Day.”

One Piece: Bighead's Dream

“I know what you are,” Isaac said to no one, tapping the ground with Sasayaki’s blade and making note of the acoustics. “To any old passerby, you look just like a normal island, brimming with wonder and adventure, but you’re not, are you?” He looked up to the tree, seeing the snail that he placed in between the branches to ensure proper coverage when the time came and smile. “You can fool everyone here, but not us, not today.”

Sasayaki reeled up when she saw a group of pirates passing by, but said nothing after realizing they were too involved in the party to pay attention. “Do we really have to do this? Can’t we just cause some trouble and get out of here by the time the anyone realizes?”

The thought had occurred to Isaac, just leaving it be and sailing on to his next destination with the crew, maybe kidnapping a pirate and stashing them below deck for some spending cash on the way, but something about the island insulted him, and it was a felling he couldn’t shake. “How much do you still remember? Being alive, I mean.”

Sasayaki looked over her chain, running all the way down to that scythe end. “Not a lot, but the parts I do remember the clearest were towards the end, when they finally found a way to contain me.” Sasa looked to the sky, her old home. “I just wanted to sing, but they couldn’t let me, not after what I had done.”

Isaac grabbed another snail and headed down the road, trying to find some additional coverage. “This entire island is a cage, feeding on the weakness of this world before they are allowed to grow.”

“Would they survive?” Sasayaki questioned. “What if the king is right? What if he is saving these people for a worse fate?”

He smiled, placing the last of his snails before looking back to his companion, his friend. “Maybe not, but it is their right to decide. My father may have been an asshole for leaving me that day, but if he didn’t, I would have never ran away, never found you, never found this island. Drive isn’t inherited, it is forged, and robbing people of that is something I cannot do.”

Sasayaki looked up, remembering again of the thing she used to be. “What if I can’t do it?”

“Then you will be given the opportunity to fail,” he smiled.

--------------

The day was winding down, and Isaac had found the perfect location for his show. Lights were set off across the island, with many epic fights lined up on the king’s ship to keep everyone that could interfere busy for the day. It was easy to stir up trouble, throwing some insults here, nudges there, all for a safe distance where Isaac could see the drunken mistakes get misconstrued; throwing sound was always a funny thing. The important thing was focus, Isaac gripping the juiced up snail and placing it on the ledge of highest rooftop that was still in sight of the ship. “Are you ready?”

Sasayaki was quiet, as she had been for most of the afternoon, the weight of her task undoubtedly weighing on her. “I think so, I think I can remember this time.”

“We’re stronger than we were then, and more determined.” Issac thought back, embracing the struggle that brought him to this pace, and the one that would undoubtedly lie ahead. “This is the sort of thing we dream of from the very beginning, and even better, this world can hear your voice again, your true voice.”

She remained still, the light inside her flickering. “Okay,” she finally said, “I’m ready.”

Isaac flipped the transmitter switch as Sasayaki wrapped her tail around his waist, anchoring tightly while her head rose up from behind him. The town went silent, confirming that Klank was every bit as good as he imagined him to be, and he took a moment to choose his words.
“Uhhhh, hey, Isaac here.” His voice echoed through the town. “I know I’ve been here a short time, but I have say, you guys really piss me off. All you made through the grand line, crossed a giant fucking mountain, and lived! You made it to the new world, and what, you’re just going to stop there? This sea is people with dreams, and if that’s not you, then go home, because you don’t belong here. And for the few of you that do belong and need a little push, on me.”

Isaac grasped Sasayaki’s tail, feeling the flow that ran through her, the subtle tune that always played, and smiled. “Awakening: Siren form.”

Vibrations shook the building and a chalky screech was sent through the town as light emerged from behind him. Feint wings sprouted from the chain, kicking up the dust as they fluttered nervously. “I.. I don’t know how much longer I can hold this,” Sasayaki, her sonic form peaking over his shoulder.

“Easy,” he reminded her, grasping the Den Den before it got kicked up in the chaotic flutter, “Just remember the words, and let them flow out of you like they used to. I’ll even get us started.”

Sasayaki’s wings wrapped him, her vibrations challenging his stance as a hint of a face appeared with the first words.

Siren song - Call to the unknown - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcOuQjvmzrY

The song carried through the town, sweeping every corner and breaking the illusion that rooted the island long before the king called this place home. In the times of old, there were myths of siren, luring strange sailors to strange places for their own personal gain, but those day for Jubiltown were long over, and the people on it could only do two things onward, face the facts that their journey was over and return home, or follow the sirens tune and set off to an uncertain fate. Regardless of what their felt when the song was done, nothing could ever be the same again.

Sasayaki collapsed over his shoulder, her lantern nearly drained. “It was a beautiful song,” he whispered, wrapping her up and taking a leap off the building, setting off for the ship while there was still time. “Now let’s blow the powder keg while there’s still time.”

Issac jumped on the deck, tossing the den den to Klank before leaping up to the lookout point. “We should probably get moving, before the King remembers where to find us,” he said with wink, looking out to the town.

One Piece: Bighead's Dream

"Captain?" Isaac questioned, looking back at Sasayaki. "Uhhh, okey?"

Sasayaki peeked over his shoulder, delighted by this idea. "Captain says get me back to the party!"

"Hold on, Sasa," Isaac interrupted, finally feeling charged from the meal. He looked over his new ride, and the men it came with, then reached in his back pocket. "There's something I have to do before we leave this place, and if any of you can fix this transmitter, or find some way to boost boost the signal so it can override the king's range over the island, it will make all of our lives a lot easier."

Sasayaki coiled around to his left side, latern close enough to his face to nudge. "Issac, are you sure?"

Issac nodded, Sasayaki reeling her chain around his neck like a scarf. Just then, Klank took a drag from his cigarette, new, even though the one he kept on him remained, and it was then that he knew he was the man, tossing the broken Den Den to him and walking back into the town. "Three and half hours," he told him, Sasayaki peering backing as they left.