As the Mini Melody raced ahead, the mood was unusually tense. They all knew having high bounties put them at risk for this sort of thing but so soon and while they were still in the East Blue was a surprise. Just who could be targeting them?
Soon enough, the little vessel pulled alongside a truly impressive galleon almost twice the size of the Merry. Forest green paint marked the hull beneath half a dozen cannons pointing up and around the boat's perimeter. The two towering masts were marked with the random sets of numbers and card suits… With several near-identical boats flanking it.
"Holy crap, it's a blockade!" Nami blanched, "And no Marine markings… This has got to be a pirate crew, and a big one!"
"That can't be!" Alvida shook her head, "A crew this size patrolling the area around the Red Line would attract every sailor in the East Blue! They would never let someone else control access to the other seas!
"Well, like it or not," Desire cracked her neck, "We're gonna beat somebody's face in. I wouldn't want my ride getting pinched!"
The Mini Melody pulled up alongside the flagship of the fleet, a large wooden bear head at the bow. Luffy's seething anger was actually abated when a woman's head popped up on top of the figurehead. Her radiant blonde hair was in wavy twin tails and whatever clothing she was wearing wasn't apparent on the long, slender arms cushioning her chin.
"Hello there, you all look to be in quite the pickle," she chuckled, "Looking for something?"
"You took our ship!" Luffy growled, "Give it back or we're taking it back!"
She chortled into her hand, making the others realize there was nothing on her shoulders either. Even more strangely were the drops of water trickling down her limbs. "Goodness, such a bad temper. You clearly need someone to teach you respect. You are in the presence of a member of the Trump Pirates, and we are more than free to take whatever we wish."
The girls all scowled at the haughty blonde, none more so than Sally. If this woman were about thirty years older and a flagrant liar about her age, she'd be a dead-ringer for her spoiled witch of a mother-in-law.
"But, I'll tell you what," the wet woman continued, "I can't help but notice the multiple women on board your little dinghy. I could propose a trade for your ship if you wish it back so badly, hm?"
"Are you serious?!" Nojiko gawked, "What, you want us to join your crew in exchange for the Merry?!"
"Oh, no, no, that's not what I meant. We don't accept nobodies into our ranks, after all. What I meant was that my brother, our captain, could very well use some… Companionship, if you know what I mean."
The women all gagged and felt their blood boil. The arrogance on this woman was unreal but that paled to the captain. Luffy's teeth were clenched so tightly his jaw creaked, his very aura radiated malice. "Shut. Up."
"Hmmm? What is it, little pirate? You'll have to speak-"
In a single bound, he leapt from the Mini Melody to the deck of the Trump flagship.
"Louder?!" the blonde finished, her voice hitching before paling at the young man's barely restrained rage.
"You can say whatever the hell you want about me. But stealing my ship, and expecting me to pawn off my crewmates? You either apologize right now and give the Going Merry back or I'm going to make you regret it."
"Oi, what's all the commotion up here?!" The door to the ship burst open revealing a rotund man in a yellow shirt with a large "J" on the front, suspenders and a fluffy white coat with a pig's head covering his entire back.
"Boo Jack, help!" the woman screamed, "This pirate, he's planning on attacking us!"
The fat pirate guffawed in surprise before scratching his chin. "Well then, let me ask this upstart a question, my dear sister. What happens when a nobody goes up against one of the Trump Pirates?"
He then paused for a few seconds, completely heedless of the simmering anger still coming off of Luffy before bearing a smug grin. "He gets fed to the Bear King, of course! Now, get off of our ship!"
Luffy quirked an eyebrow when Boo Jack suddenly rolled up into a ball, dozens of metal spikes emerging from the white shawl now covering his entire body. Even with his legs covered, he somehow rolled forward like a spiky boulder prepared to mow Luffy down even as he tore holes in the deck of his own ship.
"Gum-Gum Bullet!"
His hands black with Armament Haki, Luffy's palms snapped forward and stopped the rolling, tubby bully in his tracks much to the absolute horror of his apparent sibling. He could feel Boo Jack shifting around, squealing in total shock about how someone could have possibly stood up to his Spike-Spike Armor.
"STRAW HAT PIRATES!"
"Yes, Captain!" they all answered from their ship.
"Get up here and commandeer this ship! We're gonna show these assholes how it feels!"
Without another word, Alvida lifted a trapdoor on the Mini Melody and pulled out a grappling hook attached to several feet of rope. She swung upwards onto the larger ship's railing in one attempt, quickly securing the other end to the mast and then climbing up the length of rope with her crewmates following after her in a single-file line.
Luffy tossed Boo Jack aside and overboard like a sack of ballast as his crew stormed onto the deck, Kuina drawing her sword and pointing the tip right at the blonde's throat as she stayed inside the bathtub located just behind the figurehead. "Move, and you're dead."
The blonde could only squeak in terror as Luffy kicked the door down and led his crew into the galleon's interior. The wooden corridors were manned by dozens of grunts wearing card-themed outfits who immediately drew guns and knives only for Luffy to race ahead and swat every shot aside. In their shock, they were helpless as Nojiko summoned her power and created dozens of thorny branches sprouting out of the walls to seal off the doors.
Much to the bathing woman's horror, the Straw Hat Pirates walked out unscathed while hauling the over sixty crewmen of hers over the shoulders. All of them bruised, bloodied, broken and wishing for the sweet release of death. Nami and Carina had also helped themselves to the storeroom, cackling as they hauled out chests stuffed with treasure.
"Where is our ship?" Luffy asked her.
"Following the rightmost ship here, I swear! Please, spare my life!"
He nodded to Kuina, signaling her to put her katana away. Luffy then tossed her a bundle of clothes and ordered her to get dressed before answering some questions. The woman first admitted her name was Honey Queen and that she was the second-in-command of the Trump Pirates, a band of buccaneers composed of her and her siblings with her as first mate and frontline captain.
And that all meant jack-squat as Alvida turned the ship around on the rest of the boats while the other Straw Hats leapt off their temporary vessel with Moonwalk to start taking over the others. Kuina and Reiju went straight for the farthest ship with the Merry tied behind it, effortlessly throwing the few pirates manning it into the sea before firing its front cannon directly into the rear of the Trump ship tethered to it. All the while, the others casually stormed onto the other three vessels and robbed them all blind. Nami was practically skipping around as she tallied up the tens of millions of beris the Straw Hats would be adding to their coffers.
Within the span of fifteen minutes, the fleet of the Trump Pirates was no more while the Going Merry was free once again. Honey Queen, now dressed in an extravagant fur rob with a yellow leather corset around her waist, fishnet stockings and red high heels, could only stare in horror at just how easily her entire naval force was destroyed.
"H-How?! You all… A bunch of…"
"Pirates wanted for a combined 317 million beris?" Carina finished, making Honey Queen pale even more, "Oh, actually, it'd be 322 million including Alvida… Anyway, you picked on the wrong people."
"What are you all after, exactly?" Alvida then asked, "You can't possibly need a ship if you have this many. And you're so uninformed that you don't recognize the most wanted pirate in the region…"
The regal blonde kept her mouth shut only for Luffy to glare down at her, still completely mad for the attempt made on his beloved little boat. She sighed, "Fine, our captain the Bear King wants to be King of the Pirates. About five years ago, we set up base on Clockwork Island in order to build a weapon that would help him reach that goal."
"Clockwork Island…" Kaya scratched her chin, "Sounds oddly familiar…"
"It's a scientific hub for the East Blue, home to dozens of researchers into all sorts of fields including metallurgy and weaponry. So, my brother led us there to hijack their work and then develop his secret weapon."
"Oh, that's right! My father had people there researching better navigational tools for his ships! They were the most brilliant minds in the East Blue!"
Moodie's hands curled into fists. "What is it with so many pirates around just storming in and taking towns? Between me, Nami and that town you all found Buggy, it's like we're a bunch of exterminators."
"What kind of weapon is this guy tryin' to make?" Desire asked.
"It's a one-of-a-kind cannon, designed to shoot massive drilling bullets. Once complete, it will have unlimited range. He'll be able to launch sieges on islands from miles away and sink enemy ships before they even know what hit them."
"That… Sounds terrifying…" Sally shivered, "Assuming it can even cut through the Red Line, this Bear King will be a danger to the entire world!"
Luffy nodded, hating the sound of this guy more and more by the second. Sure, he had his ship back and his crew could go on their way now. But the thought of some fake pirate terrorizing everyone while sitting on his ass until he claimed the One Piece made up his mind.
"Where's this Clockwork Island?"
"Wha-?! You can't be serious!" Honey Queen cried, "It's one thing to take down my ships, but our island is a fortress! Nobody has come close to even reaching him!"
"Nobody came close to taking down Arlong the Saw either, but we did it anyway," Makino insisted, "And he was enslaving innocent people just like you all. It makes me sick to think you can just treat people like cattle…"
"Well now, if you all are in such a hurry to die painfully, then have at it! As for me…" Her cocky smirk returned as her entire body turned into light-pink liquid before dissolving into a a puddle that slithered past the surprised Straw Hats and onto the other side of the deck before reforming. "I'll be taking my leave! Au revoir, you bleeding hearts!"
"Oh no, you don't!" Alvida skated forward, her mace ready only for Honey Queen to raise her hands and blast a hose-full of liquid that sent her skidding away.
"Are you okay?!" Nojiko helped her up only for the black-haired woman to moan at how sticky her clothes felt. Honey Queen just laughed, a hand under her mouth like a true upper-class woman.
"You fools! That's the power of my Syrup-Syrup Fruit! My body can become a sugary syrup that makes me impossible to hit and I can spray any of you with the force of a geyser!"
"A Logia, huh?" Luffy raised his eyebrow, "Well, guess you got us…"
"Hmph, at least one of you is smart! Now then, I'll be taking this rowboat and fishing my brother Boo Jack. I'll send you all some flowers for your grave once the Bear King is through with you!"
In the midst of her monologue, Honey Queen didn't notice Reiju walking up right next to her. She just noticed a fist swinging into her face and expected it to phase right through her, only for the chef to knock her unconscious in one strike.
The others all smiled at the black sheen of armor covering her hand, none moreso than Reiju. "How did I live without Haki for so long?"
"I know, right?!" Carmen laughed, "It's just too useful! You should have seen the look on two of those dolts when I backkicked them without even looking!"
And so Honey Queen, her eyes wide like she was in a dream that she was bound to wake up from any minute, was escorted onto the Going Merry and fed Nami the route to Clockwork Island a few hours away. They also reluctantly picked up Boo Jack furiously swimming alongside the ship, tying him up and removing his spike-filled coat so he wouldn't cause any trouble.
As the time passed, they learned a bit from Kaya about their next destination. According to her father, the town was at the base of a massive mechanical spire built by the scientists as a means to defend themselves from invaders. No doubt that this Bear King has turned the place into his personal stronghold with him at the top alongside his prized cannon. She did also mention one other feature: a diamond clock that was said to be the pride and joy of the town at one point.
Of course, Nami all but urged them to travel in double-time to see such a sight but everyone else was of a more level head. They cleaned themselves off from the beach, ate a light but satisfying meal courtesy of Reiju and Carmen (alongside feeding the captive Trump Pirates, much to their surprise) and then simply kept an eye out for any more pirate activity.
After a few hours of smooth sailing, Kaya spotted an odd-looking island on the horizon. It seemed like a normal island only for her eyes to trail up a gigantic pillar where a hunk of land was resting on top with a castle at its peak.
"Yep, that must be it," Kuina shrugged, sharpening her blade, "So, any more of your siblings we should be worried about?"
"Hah, good luck!" Boo Jack yelled, "You might have gotten lucky against us, but Pin Joker and Skunk One aren't going down so easily! Right, sis?"
The others all watched as Honey Queen remained silent, looking genuinely unnerved. She watched them all effortlessly tear apart their fleet, four whole galleons sunk and looted in less than ten minutes. And even her Devil Fruit which was supposed to make her impossible to hit meant nothing to these people.
"Oi, sis! Say something, damn it!"
"Hey, that's no way to talk to your family!" Moodie scolded him.
"Eh, what do you broads know?! I can say whatever the damn hell I want!"
Luffy foot rested on the top of his head in the blink of an eye, the tiniest bit of Conqueror's Haki making the fat pirate shiver. "You sure about that?"
"N-No sir! Sorry, Honey Queen!"
"Eh? Why did you…? Why do you care about how we talk to each other?"
"You two are crewmates, yeah?" She nodded as Luffy stepped in front of her, "A crew is supposed to be like a family, always looking out for each other. Nobody should be badmouthing each other because it just brings everyone down."
Honey Queen just paled, realizing just how little the rest of the Trump Siblings acted like a family. True, they were all found and brought together under Bear King, they weren't bound by blood. But, how often did they scoff and laugh at each other? She herself was no stranger to laughing at her brother's misfortune, she just assumed that's how all pirates were.
She was brought out of her thoughts as the Going Merry was now under the shadow of Clockwork Island, and the twelve green galleons all decked out with card motifs sailing towards them.
"HOLD YOUR FIRE!" Honey Queen called, "These pirates destroyed my fleet and captured myself and Boo Jack! Let them pass!"
While most of the ships paused, one of them continued forward. And standing on the bow was a scraggly man with a brown leather helmet and goggles along with a brown fur shirt and something large over his back.
"Oh dear, Honey Queen, you must have finally put on enough makeup to rot your brain! How airheaded can you get?!"
"Let me guess, another brother of yours?" Desire asked, her pipe in hand.
"Skunk One, yes. And something tells me he's not in the mood to talk…"
"You all think you can just sail right up and meet the Bear King?!" the goggled pirate laughed, "Well, I'm afraid it isn't that easy! It's about to rain on your parade!"
The Straw Hat Pirates watched as the massive backpack he had on started to rumble and smoke before he jumped off the bow of the galleon and flew up and over the Going Merry. A cloud of black, sulfurous gas swiftly floated down.
"Are you insane?!" Boo Jack yelled, "You'll poison the two of us!"
"POISON?!"
"Everyone, get close to me!" Nami ordered as she summoned her Nimbus-Nimbus powers, white tufts covering her arms. Soon the entire crew, plus Boo Jack and Honey Queen being lugged over by Kuina, was surrounding the navigator as she shot her hands up.
"CLOUD COVER!"
A wave of white surged out of her limbs to form a puffy barrier over twenty feet around before closing down around the sides to create a dome that kept them all safe from the gas. Skunk One looked down and balked at how easily he was stopped. He dropped off on the aft deck of the Merry, preparing to make another flyover only for the dome to burst open and reveal the entire crew, weapons drawn and ready for a fight.
"GAAAAH! I SURRENDER!"
"Too late, jackass!" Desire rushed up and beaned him over the head, Carina pilfered his wallet, several of the girls threw off his gear and chucked it into the ocean, and Reiju dropped him off next to a terrified Boo Jack and a shaking Honey Queen.
"Gods, what kind of asshole pulls a stunt like that?" Nojiko shook her head, "Trying to poison us and his own crew?"
"Hey guys, check this out," Kuina said, sheafing through her old stack of bounty posters. She pulled out three showing the Trump Siblings they had met. Their wannabe fly-bombed Skunk One was wanted for 6 million beris, Honey Queen for 7.8 million and Boo Jack for an impressively small 3.2 million.
"Jeez, no wonder you all hide behind a bunch of weapons and ships," Alvida scoffed, "For pirates with this kind of price around here, you're all pathetic."
"HEY! Just because you all have Devil Fruits, you think you're so much better than us?!" Boo Jack yelled only to get kicked in the face by the former captain.
"No, they aren't…" Honey Queen sighed, "Even with my fruit, I was no match for them. How do you all do it?"
"Conviction," Luffy said, his arms crossed, "The second things were going wrong for you, you hid and tried to run away. Me? I don't care who it is, I'll never turn back on my dream."
"Hehehehehe, he says that now…" Skunk One muttered, "Just wait until the Bear King gets his claws on you…!"
"You mean this guy?" Kuina pulled out another poster, this one showing a brown goliath of a man wearing a massive pelt over his back with a bounty of 11.6 million beris. "Pft, Buggy the Clown was worth more than him. Heck, GIN was worth more and he wasn't even a captain!"
Both of the male Trump Pirates balked at hearing their captain mocked only for a ship full of angry glares to shut them up. Luffy just handed the paper back and headed into the galley for a quick snack before the Merry hit the shores of Clockwork Island. The girls simply went about their business save for Desire who kept an eye on their three prisoners.
With more than half of the Trump Siblings onboard, none of the island's defenses dared fire on the Merry. The cheery caravel sailed right past them all until they pulled up on the shores of the natural island all cloaked in the shadow of the fortress hundreds of feet above them.
Now back on deck, Luffy ordered the anchor dropped as he finished off the last of Carmen's canapes and had the Trump Siblings hauled to their feet as Kuina dropped anchor and Desire lowered the gangplank.
As soon as the gang walked off the dock and onto the grassy terrain, they could see houses and shops sitting desolately along a winding road up towards the island's spire. The group used their Observation Haki to sense the dozens of pirates waiting in the buildings for an ambush.
"Alright, get your asses out here!" Luffy called out, "We already beat three of these stupid Trump Pirates, so get it over with!"
Around sixty goons armed with sword, pistols, gauntlets and all other sorts of weaponry burst through the doors and windows screaming for blood. The Straw Hats simply charged ahead save for Luffy to keep an eye on the three captured pirates.
Despite being outnumbered more than five to one, the enemy force was defeated in minutes with many picking the fallen crew's pockets while Luffy just walked ahead.
"H-How…"
"Training, duh. Now come on! I wanna beat this stupid Bear King already."
Honey Queen, again astounded by his boundless confidence, walked ahead while her brothers sulked behind. They marched up the hill with their crew's goods in pocket, anyone else trying to ambush them getting swiftly smacked around and looted. By the time the gang had reached the entrance to the tower, hundreds of pirates were lying on the ground unconscious or wishing they were. Now the Straw Hats stood in front of a massive wooden door.
"Okay, so what's the deal with this?"
"This… Is as far as you go…" From behind the door stepped another obvious member of the Trump Pirates, with yet another loud getup. Despite the massive yellow furred collar around his neck to the black strapped vest over his purple clothes and red face paint over one eye, his expression was dead serious.
"Pin Joker!" Skunk One and Boo Jack cheered, "You pirates are in for it now!"
"So, this is why we were getting an SOS from your fleet. I assumed it was the Navy giving you so much trouble…"
His hand rested on the handle of the long rapier resting on his belt as he pointed at Kuina with a grin. "But to think I'll finally get my revenge…"
"Huh? Revenge? What are you talking about?"
"Two years ago, you tried to capture me for the 9.9 million beri bounty on my head. You even gave me this!" He pointed to the long line of stitches down the unpainted side of his face. "And now I can defeat you and present your head to the Bear King!"
"Nice try, the last clown I saw didn't impress me either," she scoffed as she drew the Wado Ichimonji, "Now step aside and let us in or I'll give you a matching one."
In an impressive display of speed, Pin Joker was in front of Kuina in a flash with his much skinnier blade locked against her katana. She had to give him credit, he was far better than before. But alas, she had some new tricks of her own. She summoned her Armament Haki and coated her blade, so that when she broke the blade lock and swung down again, the Wado Ichimonji cleaved right through his sabre.
"I-Impossible!"
"Ugh, I've had it with these freak shows!" Carmen cried, shifting into her half-peacock form, "Let's deal with this ruffian already! Flamenco in C Major!"
Her taloned feet moved like a blur as she spun and swung her legs out, battering the disarmed swordsman with a flurry of kicks and slashes that left Pin Joker a bleeding, welt-covered mess on the ground moaning in agony.
"Hmph, how droll," she said as she returned to normal, "And to think this Bear King wants to be King of the Pirates."
"Yeah, these guys are definitely more bark than bite," Moodie sighed, "Alright, let's get this over with…"
"Look! There they are!"
The Straw Hats turned as a clamor of voices came from down the hill. They were then surprised to see dozens of men and women all wearing old labcoats and ratty garments underneath.
"Oh my goodness, look! Pin Joker has been defeated!"
"And the other three are their prisoners! It's finally happened!"
"WE'RE SAVED!" They all cheered, clapping and celebrating to the Straw Hats' joy and the Trump Siblings' horror. It was true. Their entire force was nothing compared to these guys.
"These must be islanders that the Bear King is forcing to work on that special cannon," Nojiko noted, "These guys might be jokes to us, but they could easily hurt all of the people."
"But that's going to change!" Nami told her, "We're pirates now, and that means we're free to kick anyone pulling this stunt out on their ass! We did with Buggy, we did it with Arlong and now we're gonna do it here!"
The people of Clockwork Island hollered in delight at their imminent rescue as Luffy and the others were led into the tower and Honey Queen guided them to the entrance to a large freight elevator.
"Wait, you're just going to let them up to the throne room?!" Boo Jack balked only for the blonde to nod.
"Boys, let's face it. We're in way over our heads. We were better off just smuggling contraband before the Bear King came up with this insane plan. Now how about we all just get this over with so we can escape with our lives and what's left of our dignity intact, hm?"
The swordsman, the dive-bomber, and the tubby soldier all admitted she was right. All of them were just common contraband runners who got their small-time bounties evading patrols and sneaking unlicensed booze and gambling into Marine-ran towns. Almost none of them had any experience with real piracy save for Pin Joker and that was more for self-defense than anything.
As the lift carried the group up dozens of stories, they all spilled how the Bear King outfitted them with their specialized equipment and legions of hired hands and shanghaied pirates to fill out their numbers. They were to avoid contact with the Navy at all costs to not tip off that this research outpost had been occupied. And, most importantly, they were to put first priority on making sure that nobody stopped the construction of the King Cannon.
"Wow, no wonder I've never heard of any of you," Alvida sighed, "You're all just a bunch of pretenders playing pirates."
"And yet you still enslaved an island full of innocent people for your captain's vanity project," Sally shook her head, "How disgraceful, what ever should we do with you?"
"Don't bother with that," Luffy shrugged, "A bunch of fakers like them won't last a day without this King guy."
"You do realize he has a Devil Fruit, right?" Pin Joker asked.
Carmen and Reiju both silently shifted into their half-animal forms, Sally summoned several bees, Carina changed her volume so her clapping her hands was completely silent and Desire summoned a square barrier over her unimpressed face.
"Where did you find so many?" Honey Queen asked, "I only got my Syrup-Syrup Fruit through an underworld dealer who regularly travels to the Grand Line!"
"Crew secret," Nami told her, "Now all of you line up. I don't want any funny business. Carina, help me restrain them."
By the time the door opened to the top floor, the four Trump Pirates had their hands bound together and were shuffled forward under the careful watch of Makino and Kuina. The large metal door lifted up to reveal a grand view with half of the room's walls being massive windows that showed off the glittering waters of the East Blue.
But the crew all focused on the goliath of a man sitting in a large throne, his brutish face in total shock as these strangers marched in with all of his inner circle in tow.
"What the?! Who are all of you?! How did you capture my crew?!"
"Was pretty easy given how weak they are," Desire boasted, "Now, you wanna come quietly or should we just beat the snot out of you now?"
"You dare speak to the Bear King with such disrespect?! I was hoping to use this for a more suitable target…"
He pressed a large red button on a pedestal next to his throne, opening a large circular panel in the floor. Up came a solid metal cannon, twice as big as the ones typically found on a pirate ship. The Trump Pirates all cowered in fear at the sight of the completed King Cannon.
"AHAHAHAHA! You blustering fools are too late! This is the ultimate weapon of the seas, and you all shall be its first targets!"
Luffy's fists tightened as he stepped forward. "Really? A stupid cannon? Why don't you stop hiding up in this stupid tower and prove how strong you are yourself?"
"A king doesn't sully himself with commoners! You might have gotten lucky enough to defeat the rest of the Trump Pirates, but I don't need to lift a finger to defeat you!"
From the smaller door leading from the staircase came an entire platoon of soldiers dressed in heavy metal armor. Around twenty-five in total, and all brandishing massive lances, swords and tridents.
"Guards! Defeat these intruders, and take the other four to the dungeon!"
"WHAT?! WHY?!"
"You all are pathetic failures! Letting yourselves get captured by no-name pirates! That goes double for you, Honey Queen! Even after shelling out millions for your Devil Fruit, you're just as worthless! I expect to be properly compensated in my bedchamber later…"
The other ladies all went green in the face at the underlying threat, with even Boo Jack, Skunk One and Pin Joker all looking terrified that he would even suggest that. The entire room then went cold as Luffy's glare threatened to kill anyone who spoke up.
"Apologize to her. Right now."
"HA! You have no right to judge, boy. Considering how many whores you-"
Luffy's blackened fist rammed into his stomach, the ten-foot tall man doubling over in agony as that one punch forced all the wind out of him. The young pirate then grabbed him by the back of the neck and tossed him to the ground.
"You're no king, you're just a bastard. And I'm going to make you pay for all the shit you've pulled. Straw Hat Pirates! Keep the others safe!"
"Yes, Captain!" they all chorused before turning to face the circle of knights that now surrounded the throne room. They all split off to defeat the platoon while Luffy dealt with the horrid tyrant of Clockwork Island.
The biggest challenge with the knights was their armor, which the others had to admit was no common iron. Clearly he had sprung for high-quality steel which meant the Straw Hat ladies had to strike hard and smart to defeat their foes.
In the center of the room was Moodie and Kaya, back to back and firing gem shots and pistol rounds at any exposed crease in the defense. When one particularly huge knight tried to cleave them in half with a battle-axe, a huge barrier formed in front of the blondes. Desire then rushed up with her fingers still crossed before planting her foot right between his legs. With him distracted, she yanked off his helmet before socking him in the face and leaving him a lying heap on the floor.
Elsewhere, others were having more luck getting through their foes' defenses. Carina quickly found out that armor had a bad habit of echoing noise. All she had to do was clap her hands near their helmets and the guards were a disoriented mess. Just like with Pearl, Nami's electricity meant any knight she touched would get zapped and roasted inside their own armor. Alvida and Kuina used Armament Haki to imbue their weapons with it and smash or slice through their plating much to the knights' horror. Carmen and Reiju's Zoan forms had enough power to dent the metal, leaving many horrified when their strikes left their arms or legs trapped in compressed metal with broken bones and internal bleeding.
Just like with everything else with the Trump Pirates, the knights were all about quantity over quality. Their only advantage was their armor, with their real strength or battle prowess being on par with all the other flunkies. The other Trump Pirates stayed by the sidelines, amazed at how the King's best forces were getting stomped only for two knights to approach them.
"Everyone, stay behind me," Honey Queen ordered, "None of you have your weapons!"
"You traitor! How dare you fight against his majesty?!"
"How dare I?! He expects me to prostrate myself like some cheap hooker! I should have done this years ago! I QUIT!"
Honey Queen's arms turned to pink syrup as she thrusted her hands forwards, releasing a blast of liquid that forced both the knight's back. The enraged blonde grabbed one of their swords before smacking him with the flat of the blade, leaving with a bloody nose. The other tried to get up and tab her with his lance… Only for the metal to pass through her body as it turned into syrup.
"HUH?! That can't be!"
While Honey Queen was just as shocked that she managed that, she didn't question it and launched another blast of sticky syrup that left him stuck to the floor. She then noticed several of the injured knights scrambling for the door and had an idea. She willed her syrup forward, a small wave of the stuff rushing for the door before suddenly springing up to make a ten-foot tall gooey wall.
"Hey?! What gives?! We need to get reinforcements!"
"Oh no you don't!" Nojiko yelled before throwing a handful of seeds that sprouted into massive green vines that started to ensnare the retreating group, "You jerks have done more than enough!"
And if the fight between the Straw Hats and the knights was one-sided, Luffy was making even easier work of their supposed king. True to the warning, the Bear King did have the power of the Flint-Flint Fruit which allowed him to cover his arms in a special rock-like armor that grew hotter whenever it was struck.
Unfortunately for the tinpot tyrant, Luffy's genuine Armament Haki was more than a match for the flint-man as he simply covered his hands and pummeled away. Aside from his power, the Bear King was as amateur a fighter as possible. All of his punches were sloppy, he left massive holes in his defense, and he was clearly used to letting his superior size and reach do most of the work for him. All he ended up being was a massive target for Luffy's Gum-Gum attacks, including a Gum-Gum Bazooka that sent him flying through his own throne and shattering it to splinters.
"No… NOOOOOO! I am the King of the Pirates! A random nobody can't just storm into my castle and defeat me!"
"You, King of the Pirates?! You idiot! How are you supposed to find the One Piece just sitting on your ass?!"
"It was foolproof! With the King Cannon, I would sink any opposition and then sail to Raftel in one unopposed voyage!" the Bear King growled, standing up as his hands turned red-hot, "But you, a sniveling child with delusions of grandeur!"
"I'm actually out there living my dream with my crew! You sit up here and let everyone else do all the work for you! That's not being a pirate, it's just being a loser!"
Luffy then stomped up to the massive metal barrel of the cannon and cracked his knuckles. "This is just a weapon! And any weapon can break!"
He stretched his arms around the steel cannon and pulled back with all his strength, quickly ripping the infamous mortar out of its platform before throwing it out one of the many windows where it flew down and splashed into the ocean.
"NOOOOOOOOOO! You've ruined everything!"
"Shut up. Now let's go, we're done here."
"You think you can just leave?! I will flay you alive and turn your hookers into-!"
Luffy appeared in front of him thanks to Shave, the same radiant fury from when the king insulted his crew earlier. The rubber-man's hands were wrapped around the larger pirate's throat. "You know what? We're not leaving until I beat you to a pulp."
After throwing the Bear King backwards, Luffy planted his feet and stretched his arms back as Haki covered his limbs as the monarch tried to get back on his feet.
"GUM-GUM GATLIIIIIIIIIIIING!"
The Bear King could feel five punches hit him at the same time as hundreds more followed, being bludgeoned in every place at once as Luffy unleashed his white-hot rage at the man who not only made a mockery out of pirates, but treated his own crew like trash and threatened his friends. Any one of these would be enough piss him off but all three?
By the time Luffy landed one final punch to the man's face, he was a wreck. Teeth falling out of his mouth, bruises covering every inch, even his bear pelt cape had fallen off and was balled up behind him. The former Trump Pirates all stared in amazement, never imagining that the Bear King could lose this thoroughly. And as he collapsed to the ground, an unconscious wreck, Luffy simply stretched his neck and sighed.
"Aaaah, that's better! Alright, let's go!"
His crew all smiled as they headed back to the elevator, their job complete. Without the King Cannon, the Bear King's plan to rule the seas was toast and all of his men were incapacitated. They passed by the four ex-members of the tyrant's crew, all looking thoughtful.
"So, what do you plan on doing now?" Kaya asked.
"Well, I think we've all had enough crime for our lives," Boo Jack sighed, "I was never much of a fighter anyway. The whole reason I had that spiky armor was to give me an easy win, but I don't want to do that anymore."
"A-greed!" Skunk One said as he took off his goggles, revealing a pair of eyes narrowed in worry, "In fact, I think it's about time I pursue my real interest: meteorology!"
"Wait, really?" Nami spoke up, "How did you become a pirate if you just wanted to research weather?"
"A bad turn of fate, just like me," Pin Joker sighed, "I was a bounty hunter when I got mixed up in a bad deal. And once you have a bounty of your own, you can't exactly walk into government offices to claim rewards. So, I turned to being hired muscle for people until I wound up here."
"Why don't you all stay here then?" Makino offered, "All the scientists here could probably use someone to protect them."
The three men all looked at each other and found themselves liking the idea. Not only would it help any heat from the Marines die off but it would make up for all the suffering the scientists here went through. The only exception was Honey Queen, who just stood in shock before stepping forward.
"If you don't mind, could I come with you?"
"Huh?"
"I can't believe you would stick up for me, both to the other Trump Pirates and the Bear King. In one day, you've impressed me in so many ways beyond your fighting prowess. Plus, your crew are so incredibly well-trained in using their Devil Fruits. It makes me realize just how cowardly I've been, and I want to change that. Plus, I've always wanted to see more of the world. I've been stuck in the East Blue my entire life."
The other Straw Hats could all relate and Luffy, par for the course at this point, accepted her on board. Her former crewmates waved her goodbye, apologizing for their callousness and cruelty and wished her well on her journey.
And so, with a round of applause from the islanders and being told that the Marines were on their way to capture the Bear King, the Straw Hat Pirates sailed away with the Going Merry safe and sound and a new crewmate as an added bonus… Along with the treasure chests they lifted from the Trump Pirates' ship for some extra money for their coffers.
But as Honey Queen got to meet the others, and oddly insisted on keeping her name as her real one was just "too embarrassing," the real excitement turned to their next destination. According to Nami, by this time tomorrow they would be at the entrance to the Grand Line!