Chapter 20: Hidden Instigators
Brogy, with all his might, swung his axe, ready to land the finishing blow. "Kuku," the mysterious man hiding in the jungle chuckled, his schemes unfolding perfectly.
"Alright, you two, you've done enough for the day," Lucas declared, his voice cutting through the tension. He grasped Brogy's arm, stopping the axe mid-swing.
"Whaaaaaat!" the mysterious man gasped, his disbelief palpable. He couldn't believe his eyes.
"There you go, now you're free," said Lucas 2—the clone Lucas had left to free Luffy. He had made Luffy intangible, pulling him out. Usopp, Vivi, and Igaram gasped in astonishment, their minds struggling to comprehend what they'd just witnessed.
"What's with those faces? Did you forget the apparent name written on my bounty?" Lucas asked, reminding them of the title "Ghost Pirate" he had shared with the Straw Hats.
"Wait, then you really are a ghost?" Luffy said, standing up and dusting himself off. Just then, a boom echoed through the jungle as Lucas halted Brogy's attack. The force caused a reverberating sound that shook the forest.
"Woah, what was that? Huh, look!" Luffy exclaimed, pointing. The others turned to see, their mouths gaping in surprise.
"So huge," Usopp whispered, his voice filled with awe.
"What even is that?" Vivi asked, her eyes wide with disbelief.
Lucas had transformed into Way Big, towering above them. "Who... Who are you, and what are you doing interfering with our duel?" Brogy demanded, his voice booming.
Lucas turned back to normal, his expression serious. "Although I can't fully explain everything, it seems there are some people who tried to manipulate this duel of yours," he said, looking sharply in the direction of the hidden figure.
"Huh, manipulating?" Brogy murmured, confusion flickering in his eyes. He then noticed his feet were trapped by wax—harder than normal. Dorry had fallen, his body no longer obeying his commands.
"Come out, Baroque Works scum," Lucas commanded. Mr. 3 and his partner emerged from the shadows, their expressions confident.
"Chh, even if I've run into some bumps, I still have the upper hand," Mr. 3 sneered.
"What, you're behind this?" Brogy roared, his anger boiling over. "Bastards!" he yelled, his fury palpable.
Lucas transformed into Heatblast, hurling a fireball at Mr. 3. Mr. 3 quickly formed a shield with his wax powers, but the fire melted through it. He dodged by a hair's breadth.
"I already know your powers. There's no way you'll win," Lucas declared, propelling himself up with fire from his hands, his resolve unwavering. The battle to restore honor had begun, and Lucas was ready to bring justice to the giants' duel.
While high up, Lucas launched a barrage of fire attacks at the Baroque Works agents. Propelling himself forward, he targeted Mr. 3 with great force. Mr. 3 and Miss Goldenweek dodged the initial fireball, but Lucas landed with a hard punch on Mr. 3's face, knocking him down.
"You look like a kid, but seeing that you work for Baroque Works means you're also a bad guy," Lucas said, towering over Miss Goldenweek, his eyes cold and determined.
"I'm not a kid," she replied, her voice trembling with defiance. But Lucas wasn't in the mood for games.
Lucas, transformed into his Ghost Freak form, opened his chest just like Ben did when he first encountered and defeated Zombozo. The eerie sight sent chills down Miss Goldenweek's spine. She turned white from fear and passed out, collapsing onto the ground.
"That'll take care of that," Lucas muttered as he reverted to his normal form. He quickly freed Brogy, unbinding him from the wax that had trapped him.
"Well, I guess I should find the rest and come back here," Lucas said, looking around.
"Wait here, I'll be back," he assured Brogy and the others before transforming into XLR8. With blinding speed, he darted off, racing through the dense jungle in search of Zoro and Nami.
Now free, Luffy and the others prepared to search for Lucas and the two giants. But before they could move, they found themselves facing Mr. Five and his partner, who held the beaten Carue.
"You bastards!" Usopp shouted, fury in his eyes.
"Hey, are you the one who planted that bomb earlier?" Luffy demanded, his voice filled with rage.
"That, in fact, I did. Although it wasn't my plan, it was effective," Mr. Five replied with a smug smile.
"Bastard!" Luffy yelled as he charged forward. Miss Valentine tried to intervene, but Lucas swiftly held her in place. She had increased her mass to land on Luffy, but Lucas partially transformed his arm to resemble Gravattack's and held her mid-air.
"Now, that's not very nice," Lucas said, his tone steady as Luffy continued his charge.
"Incredible," Vivi exclaimed, awe-struck as she watched Lucas and Luffy fight in perfect sync.
Luffy stretched his arm, aiming a punch at Mr. Five. But as his fist made contact, an explosion erupted. Mr. Five laughed, "Heh, I'm a living bomb. Just by coming in contact with me I can make explosions to deflect your punches"
But Luffy charged regardless, his determination unwavering. "Gum Gum!" he shouted, his voice echoing with power. "Pistol!" Launching a ferocious punch, he struck Mr. Five. An explosion erupted as Mr. Five tried to deflect the force, but Luffy's punch pierced through.
"Gaaah!" Mr. Five coughed, reeling from Luffy's punch. His eyes widened in shock. Luffy's fist had connected with an explosion, but the rubber pirate stood
"So what if you can make explosions? I'll still kick your butt!" Luffy shouted, his voice echoing through the clearing as he launched another barrage of attacks.
The advantage Mr. Five once held evaporated in an instant. "What is this?" Miss Valentine struggled, trapped in a gravitational lock mid-air as Lucas held her still.
"Quit squirming would ya!" Lucas sent her flying to the ground, bashing her with great force.
In the heat of battle, Mr. Five's eyes widened in disbelief as he turned to face her. "What!" he exclaimed, his voice laced with surprise and irritation, his partner layed unconscious in just one move.
But in that fleeting moment of distraction, Luffy seized his opportunity. With a fierce determination coursing through him, he launched himself forward, his fist propelled by the strength of his resolve. "Oof!" Mr. Five's breath escaped him as Luffy's punch landed squarely in his stomach.
Luffy's grin widened, unfazed by the chaos around him. "Gum Gum Bazooka!" he shouted triumphantly, his voice booming with the thrill of victory. With one final, colossal thrust of his arms, he unleashed the full force of his attack, sending Mr. Five soaring through the air like a ragdoll.
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