One Piece Fan Fiction / Teen Titans Fan Fiction ❯ The Ultimate Cruise ❯ Departure--Fantastic Journey to Confrontation ( Chapter 10 )

DISCLAIMER: I do not own One Piece, Teen Titans, or any characters or elements contained within. I believe these can be credited to the geniuses Eiichiro Oda [author and artist of OP], Marv Wolfman and George Perez [respective author and artist of The New Teen Titans comic of the eighties], and Glen Murakami and his talented crew [the staff of the Teen Titans animated series, the Titans version which this story is based off.] Thanks for developing these wonderful characters I have the pleasure of using in this story!

 

Any original characters—and hopefully by now you realize all the Iso-jin are my creations—belong to Pivitor. Remember it!

 

 

The Ultimate Cruise:

One Piece meets Teen Titans

 

Chapter 10: Departure—Fantastic Journey to Confrontation

 

Shadows still covered most of the streets of Ianoa Island, but this time it wasn't from the sunset. Both the Straw Hats and the Iso-jin wanted the night to get things ready, so wait the night they did. The various teams worked hours on end to make the proper preparations.

 

However, the night was nearly over, and it was almost time to set sail. Slade had already been given too much time to run—even if he was just in a simple lifeboat, he did have the Iso Toa. Who knew what sort of tricks he could be pulling?

 

The Teen Titans and Straw Hats stood on the top deck of the Ehever, gazing at the town and the damage that had been done to it. It was for the best that they left before anything else befell these poor people.

 

“I'm done!” Usopp exclaimed, pushing open the door to the deck and promptly collapsing onto the wooden floor. “I've loaded the last of the supplies from the Merry Go.” He gasped.

 

Nami strolled up to his collapsed body. “Great!” She exclaimed. “But I hope you made sure to lock all the doors, lower the sails and,” as the navigator continued she sent an unhappy glare Luffy's way, “and to take down the flag.”

 

“Of course I did…” Usopp managed to spit out, still gasping for air between each word.

 

“Fantastic!” Nami exclaimed. Usopp outstretched his shaking hand—hoping to be helped to his feet—but the girl seemed completely oblivious to it as she walked right past. “This means that we're almost ready to leave!”

 

“Nope: we're definitely ready.” The group turned to see Robin leap over the edge of the ship, pulling a rope behind him. He unwrapped the rope from around the railings; it was attached to a Redbird projectile, and propelled by a grappling launcher. “I attached the rest of my Subzero Disks to Smoker. They're all on time release, so every few hours one should go off. Not even one of the surviving Marines will be able to free him.”

 

“Well, that means the Merry Go will be safe while we're gone then.” Chopper smiled. “I guess there's nothing else to take care of before we leave.”

 

“There most certainly isn't.” Ivan said. The man stood in the open doorway, watching his guests. “We're done on our side too, so there's nothing left to do but retrieve the Great Power.”

 

“That's right.” Robin growled. “The only thing left to take care of is Slade.”

 

Ivan turned, walking back into the ship. “You're all welcome to do as you wish while we're traveling. Just ask anybody on the ship for assistance if you need it.”

 

Intrigued by the offer, and knowing the luxuries these Iso-jin possessed, the troop of heroes filed into the ship to see just what there was to offer.

 

However, Usopp still lay motionless on the hard floor. “Uh, a little help guys?” he whimpered.

 

So it came to pass that the Straw Hats, the Teen Titans, and the Iso-jin finally left Ianoa Island. However, their presence would never be forgotten. For on this island, there was still a battered restaurant, a jilted bartender, and villagers who just couldn't believe their eyes. The town square had been reduced to a crater from the fight with Buggy and Alvida, but the two villains were now nowhere to be found. A Marine ship and a Pirate ship both remained strangely docked on an island not accustomed to either.

 

A frozen cloud of smoke seemed indefinitely permafrosted to the ground, but the streets and buildings around it were cracked and battered from the quick succession of battles that had ravaged it. Even their harbor seemed broken and strangely low on water after the Ehever's emergence.

 

But this was not the time to dwell on these things. The future of these heroes had been carried off by a madman, and he still had to be stopped.

 

 

 

The Ehever's prison lay deep within the ship—only the engine rooms were buried any further. The dank walls and lack of light were not very inviting, but fortunately not many ever dared to oppose the Iso-jin. Plus, those who did rarely lived.

 

A rare beam of bright light intruded into the barracks as a lone figure quietly walked into the room. Only one person inhabited any of the cells; she groaned and covered her glassy eyes from the glare.

 

Ian snickered a bit under his breath as he closed the door and walked towards the cell. She was awake today—they'd have to up her dosage of tranquilizers. He quickly produced a key from his coat pocket, opening the cell and placing a plate of food at the prisoner's feet.

 

The prisoner reached slowly for the food, shivering. “Why are you keeping me here?” She managed to ask.

 

“Dear sweet Tashigi,” Ian smiled, “that doesn't matter. Zoro seems to care for you for whatever deranged reason, and when the time comes you'll be very handy.”

 

“Don't you realize I'm a Marine?” Tashigi continued. The Marine smiled, regaining a bit of her previous courage as her sedatives slowly wore off. “My Captain is the Great White Hunter, Captain Smoker, and he won't let you get away with this!”

 

The Crystal Swordsman laughed out loud as he walked out of the cell, slamming the door behind him. He remained silent he walked across the prison, resting his hand on the handle that would allow him to leave.

 

“My dear, Captain Smoker has already met his defeat.” Ian informed her as he returned to the halls of the Ehever. The heavy door to the prison slammed with a deafening thud, but with the chaos running through Tashigi's mind she couldn't even hear it.

 

Smoker was defeated? The fragile figure curled up into the fetal position, covering her head. No, it couldn't be! Smoker couldn't be beaten!

 

Two white eyes glowed ominously in the corner, watching the entire ordeal. Then, as if they couldn't bear Tashigi's sorrow anymore, they disappeared.

 

 

 

As Ian stepped into the hallway and the door slammed behind him, Chiyu was standing besides the entranceway.

 

“We need more sedatives.” He told her. Chiyu nodded her head in response, and then moved to the teen's side, placing her arm on the small of his back. Ian wrapped his arm around her delicate shoulders, and the two walked down the hallway.

 

“I'll be sure to get more tomorrow.” Chiyu told him. However, she quickly let the business drop. Almost as fast as the words were out of her mouth, she had leaned her head and rested it upon her lover's neck. “So…tell me Ian, are there more prisoners to feed?”

 

The glee couldn't be hidden from Ian's face. Even if he had been raised in a cult all his life—even if he had been trained for a specific purpose all his days—Ian was still a teenage boy, and Chiyu was the perfect prize for a teenage boy.

 

“Actually, Father gave me the day off.” Ian smiled. “And since I'm going into battle tomorrow, I was hoping we could have a little fun.”

 

`Nobody ever comes down here!' Ian thought as he span, wrapping Chiyu into his embrace and pushing them both against a wall. She smiled and puckered up as the two teen's lips met; they were far too impatient to even wait to get back to their rooms. In all reality, this would be a much better place to buy some time away from Ivan.

 

“So, you two are an item!” Zoro exclaimed. Ian gasped, leaping backwards and raising his arms into the air. However, upon the sight of Zoro he quickly regained his composure. The green-haired swordsman whistled. “That was unexpected!”

 

Ian's eyebrows crumpled into a fierce arch, anger oozing from his pores. Nothing could infuriate the young warrior like the sight of that man. “Why do you care?” he asked. “In fact, just what the hell are you doing down here anyway?”

 

“Your father said I could do whatever I wanted.” Zoro bragged. “So, I thought I would inform your little girlfriend that you're kidnapping woman from all over the place.”

 

Chiyu's eyes glanced back and forth between her boyfriend and the prison, but Ian just laughed. “Did you think she didn't know about Tashigi? We all know, and let me tell you Roronoa Zoro, I'm not letting her go. Not until I get my revenge!”

 

“Revenge for what?” Zoro asked. “You were the one who attacked me!”

 

“For what?” Ian asked, veins bulging from his neck. “You wouldn't hand over the great power! If you had just cooperated we could already be helping my home! But now we have to work with you and go through so much more trouble!”

 

“You're right, but now we're working together regardless of what happened.” Zoro stared at the other swordsman with unwavering resolve—he didn't even blink. “Allies don't keep hostages, Ian.”

 

The crystal swordsman started to turn, grabbing his girlfriend as he did so. “Don't trust me if you wish, Roronoa Zoro. In fact, that's the smart thing to do if you ask me. We're working for the same goals, but it's anything goes after that—if not for the others, at least for me!”

 

The couple stormed through the hallway and out of the triple-bladed fighter's line of vision. They walked for what seemed like an eternity, Chiyu barely able to keep up with her lover's angered pace.

 

“Calm down honey.” The healer whispered. “Don't let him get to you. You have me now. There will be plenty of other times for your revenge.” She leaned backwards, kicking a door open. The two disappeared inside, and for the first time in what seemed like ages, Ian completely forgot about Roronoa Zoro.

 

Meanwhile, a stunned Zoro still stood besides the prison wall. As it was finally certain that Ian was gone, a pool of black energy leaked through the wall—Raven emerged from inside it.

 

“Well, that was a surprise.” The gothic warrior said. “I didn't think he would actually admit it, but it was even more surprising that he said not to trust him!”

 

“Not that I would anyway.” Zoro growled. “I don't trust any of them, and I think this whole idea stinks.”

 

Raven looked at him for a second, trying to figure out just where this mistrust came from. Did he get this way with every warrior he fought? “I'm not sure about that.” She finally said. “Ian seemed to have kidnapped her for personal agenda only—I doubt the others would be so petty as to follow along with that.”

 

“So you actually trust them?” The swordsman asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

 

“Not completely.” Raven admitted. “Some things here seem off, but at the same time they really do seem to have good intentions.” Zoro just stared at her. “But then again, that's not to say I believe their entire story. I never trust anybody completely.”

 

“So in other words you're as confused as the rest of us.” Zoro sighed. “So, how is she anyway?”

 

The cloaked girl looked back, sadness resonating in her eyes. “They haven't hurt her, but she's really doped up. Plus she just found out that Smoker was beaten. She should be okay tho—”

 

Raven's speech was cut off by Zoro delivering his fist into the wall. Most surfaces would have crumbled under his mighty force, but this didn't even leave a dent.

 

“We have to break her out!” The swordsman yelled. “It isn't fair to leave her in there!”

 

Grabbing Zoro's fist, Raven pulled him aside. “That won't help now. That makes us look like the bad guys. We can't risk making ourselves look like the ones not to trust.”

 

“Maybe I don't want their trust.” Zoro pouted as he walked away.

 

 

 

“I can't believe this ship has a spa!” Terra happily squealed, slinking lower into the pool of mud was submersed in. Only her head and blonde hair remained above the surface. With another gleeful cry she flopped backwards, her feet emerging from the pit of dirt as she let loose a happy sigh.

 

“Ah, I love these things anyway. But a boat with a spa? Even better! I won't lose my power this way!”

 

The Earth-mover closed her large, round eyes, planning to take a nice long nap. However, her blissful slumber was quickly cut short by another squeal. However, this squeal of delight wasn't the same as the one Terra had unleashed only a few moments ago.

 

This sound didn't even sound human.

 

Terra shot to her feet, a yellow aura flowing around her hands as the mud shot into the air and surrounded her naked body. She wasn't taking any chances. A quick scan revealed the perpetrator: a green pig rolled happily in the mud, only a few feet away.

 

“Beast Boy!” Terra exclaimed, her aura following her anger and exploding around the girl's wiry body. The green pig, upon hearing its name, hopped to its feet. It too took a double-take when it noticed Terra, and then wasted no time in shifting back to his normal form and backing towards the exit.

 

“What are you doing in here?!” The blonde asked, slowly approaching the intruder. Her pupils had completely disappeared, adding even more to her fear-inspiring presence. It was incredible that such a beautiful creature could turn sour so quickly.

 

Beast Boy's eyes, meanwhile, were as big as saucers. “I swear Terra…the sign on the door said this was the men's spa!”

 

“Like hell it did!” she cried. She clapped her hands, and the mud in the spa shot into the air. Forming two spouts, it sprayed at the changeling. He screamed like a girl, again transforming into a pig as the mud shot right over him—however, it would have been dead on had he been at his normal height. Beast Boy charged for the door, constantly dodging shots of mud until he finally reached his destination.

 

The green warrior barely shut the door behind him before he felt more mud slam into it, nearly knocking him over. Leaning against the wall, he tried to catch his breath for a moment before remembering about the sign; much to Beast Boy's surprise, the sign on the door DID say “Women's Spa.”

 

“I'm not dumb enough to get man and woman mixed up.” Beast Boy thought out loud. “How the…” His thoughts trailed off as he stepped on something funny; picking it up, the changeling realized it was a homemade “Men's Spa” sign with some glue on the back of it.

 

Hearing snickering, Beast Boy span to see Usopp's head peeking around a nearby corner. Realizing he was caught, the sniper shot back out of sight.

 

“Usopp! How dare you!” he cried as he charged towards the other boy; as he reached the corner, he quickly shifted into a greyhound and bounded even faster.

 

Several hallways away, Usopp finally stopped and collapsed against a wall. If there was one thing he was fantastic at, it was running. A smile passed across the exhausted coward's face. He wasn't a coward this time! By taking this bold move, Terra would be mad at for Beast Boy for weeks—leaving a big gap for a certain somebody to fill. Score one for Usopp!

 

However, the sniper had no more time to think as he heard a sound; looking down the hall, he noticed a green bloodhound. It quickly phased back into Beast Boy.

 

“You didn't think you could escape me, did you?” he asked, flashing a grin. The light sparkled on the end of his pointy fangs. “I have your scent.”

 

And again, Usopp was off.

 

 

 

“Are you two in need of our assistance?” Starfire called ahead of her. Blocking the hallway they were traveling were two workers—and a dozen large boxes. The beautiful alien girl floated behind them, joined by Sanji—nearing “stalker” status—and Chopper, who was taking his turn to keep an eye on the chef.

 

The larger of the two workers—several feet higher and several shoulder-lengths wider, in fact—turned to see who had found them. “Aye, fair miss. You needn't worry yourself—we can handle this.” As he talked he slowly looked the Tamaranian up and down, liking what he saw.

 

Unlike most Iso-jin workers, his outfit was not entirely red—the sleeves and legs were, but the chest area was gray. His clothes were actually similar to the large, baggy clothes of ancient Japan, but because of his massive size they almost seemed tight on him instead. A tight gray skull-cap topped his bald head.

 

“Me mates call me Tank.” The massive worker told them. “Yous welcome to stay and watch though, miss.”

 

Sanji leaned down low, level with Chopper. “Look at this scum Chopper.” The cook whispered, growling. “He's obviously hitting on my Star-kun!”

 

“When did she become yours?” the tiny reindeer asked, confused. Sanji growled again and decided to end this conversation, standing up while nervously taking a drag of his cigarette.

 

The other worker turned as well, eager to see what had his friend so excited. While Tank made him look puny, in all actuality he was about five and a half feet tall. His clothes were nearly identical to Tank's, except what was gray on his were yellow instead. He also had spiky blonde hair which ran along the side of his head into long sideburns.

 

“Yeah, we got it covered.” He smiled, bowing a bit. “They call me Swifty, and it's a pleasure to meet yous.”

 

“Yes, the meeting of you both is a pleasure to me as well.” Starfire smiled. “So, is it your jobs to move boxes all day?”

 

“Nay miss.” Swifty laughed. “We's soldiers. Today we're simply moving our weapons.”

 

Tank's eyes grew large as he finally realized that this was an opportunity to impress a pretty lady. With a mighty grunt and the flash of his tremendous arms, the gigantic soldier lifted four of the boxes into the air.

 

Starfire and Chopper looked impressed, but Sanji simply growled again. Swifty also looked less than amused. He nudged his friend in the back, whispering under his breath, “What're you doing mate? Yous making me look bad!”

 

However, Starfire seemed to be ignoring this fact completely. Instead, she looked at the massive amount of boxes. “I am guessing it will take more than one trip to move them all?” As Tank nodded, the alien girl landed. “Then please allow me to assist!” Without even waiting for their permission, Starfire leaned down and grabbed six of the boxes. Her eyes burned green as she effortlessly lifted them into the air.

 

“That's my Star-kun!” Sanji cried joyfully. Chopper's jaw hit the ground in shock. Tank's wasn't far behind.

 

“Crikey yous strong!” Swifty exclaimed, staggering a bit. “My, I feel faint now.” The soldier barely managed to catch himself on a wall. Star looked between him and the last two boxes.

 

“Then no need to hurt yourself. Tony, grab his boxes!” The reindeer saluted in response to his female friend, dashing to the cargo. In one swift motion Chopper shifted to his massive human form and lifted the final two boxes. The three proceeded down the hallway, following Tank as he told more tails to Starfire.

 

Swifty leaned forward, still stunned. “That little bugger is a strong one too! Even I can't lift two of `em!”

 

“I could.” Sanji bragged.

 

“Then why didn't the girl ask ya to?” Swifty asked.

 

“All my strength is in my legs.” Sanji growled as he followed the others. “Much better for Star-kun in the long run.”

 

The Iso-jin raised an eyebrow at that. “Yous wish, mate.”

 

 

 

Robin leaped into the air, arcing gracefully as he back flipped across the deck. As he landed, several dozen Iso-jin soldiers did as well—at least the ones who could follow Robin's swift movements. Far more lay flat on their backs.

 

“Well, I guess that could have gone smoother.” The Titan laughed. “Still, most of you are doing really well. In fact, I think you're ready for some actual combat practice now!” The soldiers gasped, backing a bit. “Come on now, who's up for a spar?”

 

Silence continued through the crowd, until one soldier finally stepped forward. “Sorry Sensei, but I think you're a little too intimidating for us yet. Maybe if we saw you fight somebody strong first it would be easier for us.”

 

“But who would I fight?” Robin asked.

 

“I'll do it!” Luffy happily exclaimed, walking from a nearby corner and approaching his friend. He eagerly tossed his straw-hat aside and began winding his arm. “Come on, this'll be fun!”

 

Now Robin knew how his soldiers felt. “Come on Luffy, it wouldn't be a fair fight!”

 

Luffy approached anyway, and Robin quickly span into a whirling kick—which did absolutely nothing. Realizing it was futile, the Boy Wonder tried to back away, and the “spar” quickly turned into a chase instead.

 

Nami was watching from the nearby bow of the ship. As much as she made fun of them, she sure was glad she had these idiots as her companions—things would get far too serious without them.

 

However, the navigator's thoughts were quickly drawn back to troubles. Something didn't seem right here, and she just couldn't keep her mind off it.

 

“Penny for your thoughts!” Nami jumped a foot as her she was jolted back to reality by the deep voice. Cyborg approached her, smiling happily. “That sad face just doesn't look good on you!”

 

Brushing her orange hair back, the thief laughed. “It's nothing. I was just taking a break from watching those fools over there.” The mechanical Titan finally noticed Luffy and Robin, and burst into hysterical laughter.

 

“That spiky-haired brat needed a humble lesson every once in a while anyway.” Cyborg laughed.

 

As he continued laughing at the fight, Nami finally gathered the courage to ask something that had been bugging her for a while. “Excuse me Cyborg, can I ask you something for a second?” The robot turned and nodded. “You're made mostly of expensive equipment, right? And you said you don't get paid for your crime fighting work, right? Then how do you afford it all?”

 

“I'm not at liberty to go into it all,” he began with a serious look, “But let's just say that Robin has some connections in very high places.”

 

“Oh, I see.” Nami sighed. “Have—have you ever been tempted to steal for it though?”

 

“Nah.” Cyborg laughed. “We're the good guys; we need to set an example. In fact, I think the only thing I've ever stolen was Beast Boy's deodorant, just to see if he'd notice it was gone—one month and counting so far.”

 

As much as she should have been amused by Beast Boy's poor hygiene, she was just sadder now. She had hoped he would be more understanding—the more she thought of it, the more the Titans seemed like the Marines of their world.

 

“But at the same time I understand why some people have to steal.” The Titan continued. “We're not insensitive soldiers!” Nami's eyes lit up—that's what she got for thinking that sort of stuff about her friends! “Why are you asking anyway?”

 

The navigator jumped a bit—even after all that, she didn't think it was time to explain her years thieving to pay off Arlong. “I was just thinking—don't these Iso-jin seem like thieves? That Mother lady said she tracked down all these items, so she must have stolen some of them.”

 

“Yeah, you're right.” Cyborg agreed. His eyebrow rose. “Is that what's troubling you? You don't trust these guys?”

 

“Not really, and it's not just the stealing.” She admitted. “I don't see why a force with a fleet this powerful would need us to take on somebody like Slade. What makes him dangerous to them is the Iso Toa, but they know far more about that then we do!”

 

Cyborg scratched his mechanical chin. “All good points, but it's too late to doubt them now. We're stuck with this alliance, for better or for worse.”

 

“True, but that doesn't mean we can't keep an extra special eye on them.”

 

“Of course not.” The Titan laughed. “As they say in my world: Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. They're not going to get away with anything.”

 

The two nodded to each other, and leaned back on the railings. It was as if they were both saying “Enough of this serious stuff.” They had an agreement now, and that was enough.

 

“By the way,” Cyborg finished. “I'm fine with you being a thief as long as you don't steal from me.”

 

Nami laughed, and blushed a bit as well. “Does my reputation precede me that much?”

 

“Enough that even people from alternate dimensions have heard of you? You bet.”

 

“I WIN!” Luffy cheered, pumping his arms in the air joyfully. Robin lay sprawled beneath him, definitely battered.

 

“And this, class, is the best example of how NOT to win.” He sighed.

 

 

 

The Stone of Iso Toa rested upon a disk of energy; it cast a dim red light throughout the entire cave. Several feet before it stood Slade. The ominous figure proudly gazed—not at his beloved stone—but at a viewscreen mounted upon this particular cavern's wall.

 

“It's almost time.” He began. “The explosives are all set and the players are nearly here.” Different lights representing the different parties involved appeared across the screen.

 

“Indeed, it's time for the world to bow to me.”

 

Next time: Unwilling Puppets—The X-Factor