Canon Fodder

CHAPTER 226 ESCORT

CHAPTER 226 ESCORT“I’m just a re

“I do not,” he said thinking. “I’ve missed a golden opportunity.”

“You have. Fine you can have that mine can be…Bohemian Rhapsody.”

“What’s a Bohemian?”

“A wanderer,” I said. “A man that goes from place to place.”

“Like a hobo?”

“No.”

“Or a gypsy.”

“Ah yes, Gypsy Rhapsody has a much better ring to it,” Brook said. 

“Brook, you change my ballad's name, I’ll kill you again,” I warned. 

“You can’t kill what has no life.”

“Thanks there Nosferatu WOW player,” I said. 

“Cut the bullshit, he’s running,” Nami said. The researcher made a run for the railing. I extended my hand, pulling the heat from the water as he jumped down. He smacked into the ice hard and I lifted the ice up to us. Tilting it to drop him back on the deck. 

Breaking off an icicle I stabbed it into his arm. “This is a warning, you try again, it stabs through the rest of the way and becomes your new arm, got it?”

He grit his teeth but nodded. “Okay, Franky you got another tiny ship we can take or should I make a bridge?”

“I was hoping to work on the other mini-ships,” he admitted. 

“Fine, fine,” I said, lifting water up to the deck. Freezing it I slid down and froze the water in front of us in a large bridge. Chopper, Sanji, and Nami made their way down as I made the research assistant float by holding the water in his body. 

“What the hell are you?” He groaned.

“We are the Straw Hats. Be lucky I’m not that guy, he’s the cook. He could probably cut you up just enough to allow you to watch while we eat you alive,” I said. 

“I bet I could, but long pork is not my style,” Sanji said. The researcher stiffened, officially freaked out. 

“Chopper here is our mad doctor. He was originally human but turned himself into what he is now with one of his mad experiments,” I stage whispered. 

“I was a reindeer!” He yelled. 

“See, he’s convinced he was always this way,” I said. “And Nami…well you really don’t want to piss her off. Our captain is worth 400,000,000 berries. But she beats him up on the regular. I saw him more beat up by her than from after he fought a CP9 member.”

The researcher’s Haki leaked more fear with each tale. Nami cracked her knuckles and walked past him. I heard the guy audibly sigh as we moved to the ice covered base of where the pillar rock sat. 

Once there the researcher pointed to a small rock on the side of the monolith. I moved it to reveal a lever. Flipping it the rock slid to the side. A wave of heat escaped as a staircase was revealed. 

“What should we expect down there?”

“Stairs. Turn right at the first corridor. Takes you to the main lab area. But you have to use the elevator. It’s deep underground since there are still poisonous gasses on the surface here.”

“That poisonous gas thing sounds like bullshit,” I said but started moving inside. Once the others were in I flipped a similar level and the rock moved back into place. “You lead, dispensable intern.”

“I’m not an intern,” he grumbled but walked in front. Inside was a long corridor made of concrete. Lights strewn up over top of us every few feet there was plenty of light to see ahead. At a T-intersection he turned right and we continued on. 

“What’s the plan?” Nami asked. 

“Find the kids? Free them? I’m sure Luffy and the others are already captured in here somehow. So free them while we are at it.” I knew they were heading closer to us with my Search quirk, but I was sure they’d get captured soon enough. 

“It worries me how right you probably are,” Nami whispered. Our voice and footfalls echoing down the hall, it was the only noise we could hear. 

“Probably fight this Fart guy. Leave the researcher here for dead too, at some point.”

“Hey, you said you wouldn’t kill me,” he said, fear back in his voice. 

“You’re right. I’m an honest pirate,” I said. “But I have no qualms about using you for a human shield.”

“But-“

“But what? You tried to kidnap my crew mates. You’re lucky you're walking,” I said. He shut up as we kept on. 

“Weston’s so mean,” Chopper giggled. 

“These guys are testing on kids, Chopper. Don’t forget that. Next you’ll tell me they tested on puppies,” I said. The guy stiffened. I knew the truth. “See, they have no standards.” 

We slowed down coming to an elevator door. The researcher pushed a button and we were soon inside. The elevator was slow but I was preparing for what was to come. I guessed a big fight but wasn’t too sure. 

That was until smoke began to billow out of the door of the elevator. At least I thought it was smoke. It began to coalesce into a pale man with long black hair. He looked like a terrible copy of Orochimaru. 

“Caesar,” the researcher said as if Jesus had showed up. 

“Oh, it’s Fart,” I said, wrapping my hand in Armament Haki I grabbed at the man but the gas his body was made of expertly dodged me. Then he turned back into a gas, filling the room. Nami and the others dropped immediately. I held my breath. 

At least until the gas had a mind of its own and forced itself into my nose and mouth at the same time. Pushing through into my lungs I passed out after a solid 10 seconds. I hadn’t seen that coming. The guy was more skilled than I thought.