Battle of Little Garden: Bonds Tested in Wax and Flame

They ran through the dense jungle, until a flicker of light caught their attention. A giant candle stood out among the trees, its eerie glow drawing them in.

"You think that's where they are?" Usopp asked, his voice low and hesitant.

"How would I know?" Luffy replied, as blunt as ever.

As they approached, they saw Nami and Zoro standing at the base of the giant candle, trapped in thick wax.

"What are you doing to them!?" Vivi yelled, her voice filled with anger as she glared at Mr. 3.

Mr. 3 smirked, adjusting his wax armor. "Ah, you finally arrived. I was beginning to wonder if you'd just let your friends die."

"Nami! Zoro!" Ryomen shouted, relief washing over him when he saw them alive, but his expression changed as Nami beamed at him.

"Ryomen! You're okay!" Nami called out, then her gaze shifted to the state of Ryomen and Vivi's tattered clothes. "Wait…what were you two doing after you left the ship!?" She asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

Vivi's face turned beet red, flustered by the insinuation. "W-we were fighting Baroque Works agents! It's not what you think!"

Ryomen blinked in confusion, completely missing the implication. "What are you talking about?"

Beside Nami, Zoro raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? You're ignoring the fact that they're covered in wounds?" He asked, clearly unimpressed.

Nami finally took a closer look, realizing the extent of their injuries. "Oh! Hahaha…sorry." She laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of her head.

Mr. 3, clearly losing patience, stomped his foot. "Enough with the chit-chat! It's time for you to die!" He roared, his voice full of irritation as he prepared to unleash an attack.

"Luffy, hold him off! I'll free the others!" Ryomen shouted, his voice commanding amidst the chaos.

"I don't think so! Kya Kya Kya!" Ms. Valentine and Mr. 5 stood in Ryomen's path, smirking confidently.

"Dismantle." With a single word, Ryomen slashed the air, instantly shattering Ms. Valentine's newly crafted umbrella into pieces.

"Hey! Do you know how much that costs?!" She screeched, fuming.

"Don't care. Now get out of my way." Ryomen replied coldly, his tone unwavering. He opened all four of his eyes, and the sudden, eerie sight of his second pair stunned both agents.

"This won't stop—" Mr. 5 began, but was cut off as Karoo charged toward him with surprising speed.

Mr. 5, despite seeing the attack coming, was too slow to react. Usopp's "Egg Star!" shot blinded him, leaving him defenseless. Karoo took advantage of the opening, pushing Mr. 5 off his feet and slamming him onto the ground with a thud.

Ms. Valentine lunged at Ryomen, but Vivi intercepted her. "You're not getting past me." she declared, engaging the Baroque Works agent.

"Thanks." Ryomen said, nodding at Vivi and Usopp. He then approached the giant wax structure imprisoning his crewmates. His hand brushed against the hardened surface, and he muttered, "Cleave." A network of cracks splintered across the wax, and within moments, the entire structure crumbled to the ground.

"Freedom!" Nami cheered, beaming with relief.

Zoro, however, was less enthusiastic. "We're still stuck in wax." He noted dryly, with his body nearly covered.

"Sorry." Ryomen replied, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "If I use Cleave too recklessly, I might slice you all in half by mistake."

Nami immediately inched away from him. "Then stay far away from me!"

Meanwhile, Luffy faced off against Mr. 3, easily dodging his wax creations. "This is your end!" Mr. 3 roared, summoning a massive wax mecha as his final weapon. "Ms. Golden Week, paint it while I finish these fools!"

"I can't. My palette was destroyed." She said, sipping tea with a casual shrug.

"Why didn't you bring a spare!?" Mr. 3 shouted in disbelief, just as Luffy's "Gomu-Gomu no Pistol!" smashed into his head, momentarily dazing him.

Elsewhere, Usopp triumphed over Mr. 5, knocking him out with the Usopp Hammer. He then used his "Flame Star" to carefully melt the wax imprisoning Nami and Zoro, leaving them barely clothed.

Ms. Valentine made one last attempt to attack, but was swiftly taken down by Nami and Vivi, their staff and yoyo striking her in tandem.

"Let's help Luffy!" Ryomen urged, rushing toward the ongoing battle.

Luffy, locked in a tougher fight, was now facing a more cautious Mr. 3, who shielded his head from attacks.

"Luffy!" Usopp called out, tossing him a long, oily rope. "Wrap this around him and set it on fire! That flame on his head will do the rest!"

Luffy grinned, easily dodging Mr. 3's assault as he looped the rope around the mecha's body.

When trying to light the rope, the agent tried to catch Luffy between his palms and crush him, but Luffy stopped the mecha's hands with his legs. With a swift movement, he ignited the rope, flames spreading quickly around the wax figure.

"Aaahh!" Mr. 3 screamed as his wax body melted away. "How can I lose to low-level pirates?!"

"Not just any pirates! Captain Usopp's crew!" Usopp declared proudly, delivering the finishing blow with his hammer.

Ryomen turned to Ms. Golden Week, who remained calm despite her comrades' defeat. "You should leave now. You can take them with you if you care about them."

Without a word, she collected her teammates and vanished into the jungle.

As the crew regrouped, Zoro shot Ryomen a curious look.

"What?" Ryomen asked, meeting his gaze.

Zoro crossed his arms. "You didn't strike me as the type to care whether your enemies lived or died."

Ryomen's expression darkened, but his tone was even. "I don't. But I know not everyone here feels the same way. So I hold back." His eyes softened slightly. "And I would never hurt a child, if that's what you're implying."

Zoro nodded in silent understanding, ending the conversation.

…

Afterwards, the crew met the two giants, Dorry and Broggy, who had just finished their duel.

"So that's what was going on? Sorry we couldn't help." Broggy said with a hearty laugh.

"To think they wanted to kill us! I even forgot we had bounties!" Dorry bellowed.

Vivi, her face clouded with guilt, whispered, "They only came to this island because of me…"

Nami lightly tugged her cheek. "Stop blaming yourself, Vivi. We're all in this together."

"Yeah, don't worry about it!" Usopp chimed in.

"Want a senbei?" Luffy offered, holding out snacks.

"Where'd you get those!?" Nami asked incredulously.

"The little girl gave them to me." Luffy said nonchalantly.

As the others laughed, Ryomen approached Vivi, his voice softer than usual. "You shouldn't blame yourself for this. Even if you weren't here, Baroque Works would have still sent someone after us. So just remember I'll always stand by your side, no matter what."

Vivi's cheeks flushed red, and she stammered, "W-What? We shouldn't be moving that fast!" Her flustered response left Ryomen confused.

Before he could ask what she meant, Sanji emerged from the jungle, his voice booming. "Nami-san! Vivi-chan! And the rest of you! I'm so glad you're safe!"

Usopp rolled his eyes. "He only shows up now?"

Sanji's gaze fell on Dorry, and he immediately recoiled. "W-Who's this giant?! Are you Mr. 3?!"

"How do you know about Mr. 3?" Nami asked, her eyebrows raised.

Sanji grinned. "Nami, you're even more beautiful than before!" He then noticed the others' state of undress. "Wait, what were you all doing without me?!"

"Of course that's where his mind goes…" Zoro muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"What's gotten into everyone today?" Ryomen grumbled, completely lost.

…

After calming down, Sanji revealed he had spoken to Mr. 0, pretending to be Mr. 3, and convinced the villain that the Straw Hats had perished.

"Great! But we're stuck on this island for a year before the log pose resets!" Usopp groaned.

Sanji smirked and pulled out an eternal log pose. "Not exactly."

Vivi gasped. "That's…an eternal log pose to Alabasta! Thank you, Sanji!" She hugged him briefly, leaving him blushing.

With new excitement, Nami shouted, "We can finally leave this island!"

Sanji grinned. "By the way, Zoro, you didn't forget about our hunting contest, did you?"

Zoro smirked. "I'm sure I won. I caught a rhino this big." He spread his arms wide.

Hearing this, the giants roared with laughter, reminiscing about old battles.

"Mr. Giant! Mr. Round! We're heading off now!" Luffy waved as they prepared to sail away.

After saying their farewells, the Straw Hats boarded the Going Merry and set sail, with Zoro and Sanji continuing their argument about who caught the biggest prey until Ryomen declared it a tie, much to their dismay.

As they approached the island's exit, the giants appeared once more, advising them to trust the wind and sail straight ahead. Suddenly, a colossal goldfish burst from the water, its jaws wide open.

"Grab the helm! We're gonna get swallowed!" Nami yelled, but Usopp, frozen in fear, didn't move.

Suddenly, Usopp's face lit with determination. "We're going straight ahead! Right, Luffy?!"

Luffy grinned. "You bet!"

The Merry charged into the goldfish's maw, only for the giants to strike, cleaving the beast in two and freeing the ship.

The Merry was freed, and continued to peacefully sail over the seas.

…

"Someday! I swear I'll go to Elbaf! The village of Warriors!" Usopp declared, his eyes gleaming with determination.

"Alright Usopp! Let's go together!" Luffy chimed in enthusiastically, wrapping an arm around Usopp's shoulder. The two of them laughed and hugged, their excitement contagious as they started singing joyously about their dream adventures.

Out of nowhere, Sanji interrupted with a puzzled look. "Have you guys seen where the fridge is?"

"It disappeared!?" Luffy gasped, as if the thought of a vanishing fridge was the gravest thing he'd heard all day.

Meanwhile, Ryomen and Zoro stood at the helm of the ship, engaged in an intense workout session.

"2675…2676…" Zoro counted in a steady rhythm, lifting a five hundred kilogram barbell over his head with ease, his muscles straining under the weight.

Beside him, Ryomen was performing one-finger push-ups with the ship's refrigerator balanced on his back, while using 'Dismantle' to randomly send a multitude of slashes in the air. Sweat glistened on his forehead as he focused on his training, every motion precise and controlled.

Their peaceful routine was suddenly interrupted by Vivi's frantic shout. "Everyone! Come quickly!"

Both Zoro and Ryomen dropped what they were doing, Ryomen's eyes widening in concern as he saw Nami unconscious on the deck.

"What happened!?" Ryomen's voice was sharp with worry as they gathered around her.

…

The crew now stood in Nami's room, watching anxiously as she lay motionless in bed, her pale face covered in cold sweat.

"Is Nami going to die!?" Sanji wailed dramatically, tears streaming down his face.

"Unlikely, but she's in serious condition. She must've caught a cold from the extreme weather." Vivi responded, her voice filled with concern. "Does anyone here know medicine?"

Everyone simultaneously pointed at Nami.

"I'm sure there's a doctor in Alabasta." Usopp suggested, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"Yeah, but it'll take a week before we get there." Vivi added, her voice tense.

"Does it hurt to be sick?" Luffy asked innocently.

"I dunno. I've never been sick." Came the unanimous response from the crew.

Vivi stared at them, her jaw dropping. "Are you people even human!?"

The mood shifted as Ryomen took charge, his tone serious. "Alright, enough with the jokes. What should we do now?"

A faint voice broke the silence. "It's not good…" Nami mumbled weakly, her hand twitching. "In my desk…there's a newspaper."

Vivi quickly retrieved it and read aloud, her voice trembling. "Half of the royal army has defected to the rebel forces…This puts us at a complete disadvantage."

Despite her condition, Nami tried to rise from her bed. "We need to head toward Alabasta." She said with determination, her legs shaking as she forced herself up.

"Nami, wait—" Ryomen reached out, trying to convince her to rest.

But Nami cut him off with a weak smile. "Thanks for worrying about me. But I'm fine." She then walked out of the room, leaving the others standing there, stunned by her resolve.

Vivi, on the other hand, fell to her knees, her hands trembling as the weight of the situation overwhelmed her. "If I can't stop this…then it's all over for Alabasta! Crocodile will take everything!"

Just then, Zoro entered the room, his face calm but urgent. "Nami says we should steer south. A storm's coming."

They all followed his lead, leaving Nami's room to prepare the ship.

Ryomen approached Vivi and placed a hand on her shoulder, his voice soft but firm. "What do you want to do?"

Vivi took a deep breath, her resolve hardening. "We need to head to Alabasta, as fast as possible. But first, we must find an island with a doctor. Nami can't last a week like this."

She turned to Nami with a look of concern. "I'm sorry for making you worry, but please don't overwork yourself."

Nami tried to reassure her with a smile, though she was clearly struggling. "Vivi… It's okay. I'm really—"

Before she could finish, Luffy's startled voice interrupted. "What is that!?"

Everyone turned to see what he was pointing at—a massive cyclone swirling in the distance.

"That direction…That's where we were headed just moments ago! We could've crashed right into it!" Vivi gasped, her eyes wide with awe. "I've never seen such a skilled navigator…Nami, you saved us!"

Luffy grinned. "Alright! No more delays! We'll head south and find a doctor for Nami!"

The crew nodded in agreement, ready to face whatever lay ahead.

…

Another day passed, and Nami's condition worsened. Her breathing was shallow, and her skin was clammy to the touch.

Vivi, Sanji, and Ryomen took turns tending to her, doing their best to ease her suffering, but it was clear that she needed professional medical help—and soon.

Outside, the weather had taken a turn for the worse. Snow fell heavily, and the sea was rough. Zoro stood on the deck, scanning the horizon with a pair of binoculars. His expression suddenly darkened as he called out to Luffy and Usopp.

"Do you guys think…a person could stand on top of the ocean?"