Zane: The circus may have packed up and left town for now, but the entertainment is far from done. A foe more treacherous than your average pirate stalks the humble Syrup Village, yet he is only the second most deceptive pirate on the island. A game of lies has just begun, and our heroes are about to get tangled in the ensuing webs.
GammaTron: That's correct, Zane. This is going to be an interest set of chapters. Rico, disclaimer, please!
Rico: GammaTwon and Zane the Wowdsmith do now own One Piece ow Pokemon. They awe owned by theiw wespective ownews. GammaTwon made me, though, and my Mama, Papa, Onii-chan, and Onee-chan! Pwinnydude also owns some of the OC Pokemon in the stowy, so go see him on Deviantawt!
Chou-Chou: *barks out a translation* (GammaTron and Zane the Wordsmith do not own One Piece, owned by Oda Eichiro, nor Pokemon, owned by GameFreak and Nintendo. GammaTron made the OC Rico and his family while the artist Prinnydude on Deviantart made some of the OC Pokemon in the story, such as Franky's Garsoul.)
Chapter 13: The Long Nosed Liar. Captain Usopp's Adventures!
It was a glorious day on the Thousand Sunny, with the crew mates hard at work and/or having fun. Zoro and his two Pokemon sparred with their blades in the gym...while all wearing weights on their bodies. Brook played a jaunty tune on a piano below deck as Rico sang a duet with him, Chou-chou sleeping nearby. Ash was sparring with Charizard in his half form in the skies, the Fire/Flying type getting more hits in than Ash could. Franky was below deck in another part of the ship, working on something. Misty was relaxing in a chair, a pair of sunglasses over her eyes while she had her Azurill out and in her arms, while Luffy and Nami…
"YAY! IT'S FIXED!" Luffy cheered, holding up his newly repaired hat. "THANK YOU, NAMI!"
"All I did was mend the cuts," Nami explained as she put her sewing kit away, "Now be careful with it, it's just a tempo-"
Immediately, Luffy poked a hole in the top of it.
"YOU IDIOT!" Nami barked, eyes white and shark-like teeth in her mouth, as she poked Luffy's head with the needle.
"THAT HURT!" Luffy yelped.
"THAT'S THE ONLY WAY THAT I KNOW OF THAT HURTS YOU!" Nami shot back.
"Whatever, I'm gonna raid the kitchen for a pick-me-up snack," Luffy deadpanned as he walked off back into the ship's interior.
At the same time, up above in the sky, Ash and Charizard circled the crow's nest as their training continued, each launching a fireball at the other as they caught sight of each other. Charizard performed a barrel roll to dodge one before nailing Ash in the face with a burst of flames. Ash shook his head, getting the soot off.
"Alright!" Ash called out to his Pokemon, "Fire training's going well, so let's focus on flight maneuvers and mid-air attacks. Try to hit me with your best Wing Attack, and remember to ride the air currents like when we battled Circ so you don't waste your energy on needless action."
Charizard grunted in acknowledgement as his wings glowed with a blinding, white light. He gave a roar before soaring towards his trainer with the speed of a fighter jet. Ash read the movements of his teammate and launched himself higher into the air, dodging the attack at the last second. However, a sudden change in the wind shifted Charizard's course, and before he could react, his Wing Attack tore through the main sail as he crashed back into the deck.
"You okay, buddy?" Ash called out, reverting to human form as he landed beside his dragon.
Charizard shook off the dizziness and nodded to his trainer, showing he was unhurt. He emphasized the fact with a thumbs up.
"That's good," Ash sighed in relief, "But still, you have to learn how to predict the changes in the wind current when riding them on the open seas. I can't even count how many times Gliscor went sailing off into the distance every time the wind shifted."
"We've got more pressing matters than that, you idiots!" Nami barked as she pounded the back of Ash's head angrily. She then motioned to the large, diagonal hole in the sail as the ship slowed to a stop. "Without that sail, we're stuck in these waters until I can sew up that tear, and that'll take all day to fix!"
"Well, can't we just use that paddle-whatever thing Franky was showing us earlier this morning?" Zoro asked, turning his attention away from his now resting Pokemon as he slung a towel over his shoulders.
"No go, bro," Franky answered as he came out of the ship's interior, wiping oil and grease off his hands with a small cloth. "The Channel Zero Paddle Wheels need Cola to turn, and we're short on supply right now."
"Then we'll just relax until the sail's fixed," Ash smiled as he slumped up against the mast and pulled his hat over his eyes. "No harm, no worries, right?"
"Don't be so carefree," Misty scolded as she joined the discussion. "We need to be able to get to an inhabited island immediately if our food reserves get low, and with bottomless pits like you and your brother on board, it's only a matter of time before-"
"We're out of food," Luffy grumbled as he shuffled back onto the deck, holding his stomach.
"Impossible," Misty replied as Brook and Rico came onto deck, the child on his dog's back, "We just restocked when we got Nami and Rico-chan."
"Luffy-Nii, don't you wemembew?" Rico whispered after he jumped onto Luffy's available shoulder.
"Oh yeah!" Luffy's eyes widened and a big grin grew on his face. "Me, Rico, Ash, Pikachu, Monferno, Brook, Gyarados, and Charizard ate it all in an eating contest yesterday. I guess I forgot."
"That…" Nami stated as he left eye twitched, "Is not okay."
Rico, Monferno, and Luffy shivered in fear as Misty pulled her mallet out, Nami took out a staff, and Zoro began to take his swords out…
Ash stood on the top of the Crow's Nest Gym, his face swollen from the beating, as he looked out to sea for a new island as Luffy, Charizard, Pikachu, Monferno, and Brook, their faces all swollen, or cracked in places for Brook's case, as they fished along with a bruised and battered Gyarados and Dewgong. Rico had the worst punishment of them all; he had to go sit in a corner and think about why you shouldn't have an eating contest when you're on a ship and not near any towns. Chou-Chou was currently marching behind them, keeping an eye on the punished to make sure they didn't try to escape.
"This sucks," Luffy grumbled through swollen lips, "Ash and Charizard were the ones who tore the sail anyway, so why'd I get punished just as bad as them?"
"Perhaps it's because you were the one who won the eating contest that got us in our predicament," Brook answered as he rubbed his face, Mi's cloak of gas blocking the sun in place of the overcoat.
Suddenly, though, an idea popped into Ash's head as he shook off his facial swelling and glided back down onto the deck.
"Hey, I told you to stay up there until you spied dry land!" Nami ordered as she continued patching up the sail.
"If I can't see one from here already, I doubt new ones will suddenly pop up before we start moving," Ash countered, rushing into the ship's interior as he started rummaging through crates and barrels. "Besides, I just remembered a way to get out of this predicament."
He then stopped his searching as he pulled what he was looking for out of the crates and held it up for all to see. It was a large, black sail with Buggy's jolly roger printed on the vast majority of it, a sight that made the rest of the crew uneasy.
"Before we left Rico's village, Franky and I found a storehouse near the dock filled with supplies from the Clown Pirates, so we took some with us on the ship, and this spare sail was mixed in with them. We were originally planning on burning it, but desperate times and desperate measures, as the saying goes."
"I don't know, bro," Luffy replied, patting the head of a now shaking Rico comfortingly, "The thought of raising Booger's flag really makes me lose my appetite."
"Same here, but he's got a point," Nami sighed, "Until we can get the sail fixed, we can't drift out here for too long with no food. We'll keep it up just until we reach land. Does that sound fair?"
The crew begrudgingly nodded in unison as the half-dragon started to secure the new sails bearing their most recent foe's emblem.
On a nearby island was a small, rural village with a beautiful mansion on the outskirts. A young man stood atop a hill just outside the village. He was a tanned, skinny teenager with black curly hair and a long nose, giving him a stark resemblance to Pinocchio. He wore a dark yellow plaid bandanna, a pair of glass goggles around his neck, and brown overalls with a white sash and no shirt underneath, the whole getup soaked in the smell of gunpowder.
"Well, time to start the day for the town," The boy laughed as he looked at the figure beside him. "Ready, Art?"
The figure was an unusual white and brown beagle-like Pokémon that seem unremarkable at first, save for the beret-like structure on top of its head, but it possessed a tail with an end that resembled a paintbrush. This paintbrush was oozing with yellow paint from the tip.
"Smeargle, Smear…" (Not really, Usopp…) the Pokemon groaned dejectedly, though its master didn't seem to notice.
"Then let's go!" the boy cheered as he took off down the hill towards the village.
"Smeargle Smear, Smear Smeargle Gle…" (This will bite him in the bum one day…) the Smeargle sighed as it followed.
"PIRATES ARE COMING!" Usopp shouted as he and Art ran through the empty streets of the village, "PIRATES ARE COMING! PIRATES ARE COMING WITH A GAGGLE OF MONSTERS AND GHOULS ON A LION-THEMED SHIP!"
"Guess it's time to go to work," a man said from inside one the houses, getting up from his table to grab his coat and generally unmoved by Usopp's warning.
"Time for school, children," a mother said to two kids, the three also unaffected by the cries of danger.
"A FRANKENSTEIN'S MONSTER AND A LIVING SKELETON! A WEREWOLF AND EVEN A DRAGON! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! RUN FOR…" As the lad, reached the edge of the village, he immediately turned around as a wide grin grew on his face, "JUST KIDDING!" Usopp laughed loudly, though his grin and laughter was replied to with a frying pan to the face.
"Usopp…" one of the villagers growled as he exited his house, clearly the one who threw the frying pan and now armed with a rake.
"Your little joke's gotten way out of hand," a group of villagers joined the man, each carrying their own household item such as ladles and hammers.
"Oh look, an Absol," Usopp said nervously, pointing to his left.
Everyone, even Art, looked to Usopp's left. Painted on the fence nearby was a poorly-made ainting of an Absol. Usopp grabbed Art in the confusion and ran off before the mob could react.
"Now that was great," Usopp chuckled as he leaned on a tree while sitting on its branch, "Right, Art?"
Art didn't reply, as he was busy painting on the tree with his tail, whose tip now oozed a lime-green-colored paint.
"There they are!" a voice exclaimed from the base of said tree.
"Huh?" Usopp looked down to see a pair of boys where the voice came from. "Oh! It's you guys!"
"Good morning, Captain!" a boy with a green shirt with the Jolly Roger on it, blue shorts, a sea-green sash, and green hair in the shape of the top of a pepper greeted.
"The Usopp Pirate Crew, reporting for duty, Captain!" a boy wearing a black sweatshirt, orange shorts, purple sash, and his purple hair covering his eyes and sticking out of the top of a red hat making his hair resemble a carrot top added.
"Hey, Ninjin, Piiman, where's Tamanegi?" Usopp asked as he jumped down.
"We're not sure, Captain," Ninjin, the purple-haired boy, shrugged.
"He's probably sleeping," Piiman, the green-haired boy, added.
"How can he sleep so much?" Usopp pondered, before his thoughts were interrupted by a voice screaming out in terror. The four turned to see a third boy in glasses, his onion-colored hair in the shape of an onion top, a blue vest over a yellow shirt, and brown shorts, running towards the four in fear.
"THIS IS BAD!" the boy screamed as he skidded to a stop before the four.
"Tamanegi, what's wrong?" Usopp asked, a worried look on his face.
"I saw pirates heading this way!" Tamanegi replied.
"Liar," the three humans said in unison, any worry or fear they may have had vanishing as they waved dismissively.
"(That's the cauldron calling the kettle black…)" Art shrugged before turning back to his painting.
"It's true!" Tamanegi screamed. "And it's not just any pirate ship, either! Its sails had the jolly roger of the Buggy Pirates!"
"B-Buggy Pirates!?" The three lads screamed in terror, their faces now pale and covered in sweat. Even Art looked fearful as his paw slipped and drew a large line through his painting.
"Captain, what should we do?" Piiman asked the trio's leader, Usopp.
"Alas, time for snacks!" Usopp declared, about to run off when a large Pokemon stopped him.
It was a tall bird with a long neck and long legs.. The skin was silver-gray and metallic, hardened into an iron-like state, except for its red feathers under hollow sheathes that coved its very sharp wings and its yellow eyes. Its feet both had two toes on them and its tail had hooked ends.
"Skaaaaaaarmory?" (Where are you going?) the bird demanded of the faux captain, a fierce glare plastered on her face.
"I have a disease where if I don't have my snack, I'll die," Usopp lied, a nervous look on his face.
Skarmory's eyes narrowed at the young man as she unfurled her wings.
"AAH! HELP ME!" Usopp screamed as Skarmory flew towards the direction Tamanegi came from, holding Usopp in the air by her claws as she pecked Usopp on the head. "Sky, stop it! Please! They'll kill me!"
"Skar Skarmor!" (If they don't, I will!) the bird barked at Usopp. "Skarmory Skar Skar!" (Time to make good on your lies for once!)
"Smeargle Gle Smear!" (I just love karma!) Art laughed as the Usopp Pirates chased after their Captain.
"So why aren't we docking?" Ash asked. The crew had finally found dry land and the ship now floated in the waters a small distance from the rocky shore of the newly found island, as the crew gathered on deck for an important announcement from their shipwright.
"I want to test out something I've been working on," Franky replied, "so Straw Hat, Kiddo, Skeleton, Little Sister, Orange, follow me."
Nami, Luffy, Rico, Misty, and Brook followed him below deck. On the sides of the Thousand Sunny, at the bottom, were two holes covered by doors with the number '0' on them. They turned to '2' on the right and '1' on the left and opened as a small boat came out of it.
The boat had a figurehead resembling a lamb's head and a steam engine in the back. Rico sat in Misty's lap beside Nami in the back seat, Brook was at a side of the steam engine, holding onto it, and Luffy was beside Franky at the front.
"Mini Merry II, Sail On!" Franky declared, piloting the boat.
"This is great, Franky!" Luffy exclaimed, stars in his eyes.
"It's like something out of a dream," Ash added from on deck, staring out at the small steamboat.
"Kawaii..." Rico awed as he looked at the figurehead.
"Glad you like it!" Franky laughed, "I designed this little girl in honor of Merry Go. Consider her as Merry Go's daughter."
"Man, wish I could take a turn," Ash grumbled, slumped over the ship's side in disappointment.
"I think Franky mentioned once that it can only hold four people," Zoro responded. "Any more weight than that would make it sink, I guess."
"Yeah, probably why Rico and Brook can ride," Ash groaned dejectedly as he watched the small boat go. "They're light enough not to count as one whole person, after all."
"Besides, you can just fly over to the island, right?"
"Oh, yeah, I guess so," Ash moaned as he pulled himself back up. He recalled Charizard and shifted back into his half form, with Pikachu leaping onto his shoulder as he did, before launching himself back into air and followed the Mini Merry to shore.
Zoro, Oni, and Giri all watched them go to the island as they shrugged and fell asleep on the now vacant deck.
Meanwhile, hiding in some bushes on higher ground, the Usopp Pirates watched as the Mini Merry II docked on the island and Ash landed beside them. Suddenly, Usopp and Art fell backwards, their faces paler than before.
"Captain!" the three kids whispered. "What's wrong?"
"(A pirate ship with a lion figurehead…)" Art mutter nervously, making Sky tilt her head in confusion.
"T-T-Th-That's a s- s-sk-skeleton…" Usopp whimpered.
"(A-And some kind of F-F-Frankenstein's M-Monster…)" Art added.
"A w-werewolf pup…" Usopp continued, tears forming in his eyes.
"(And even a freaking dragon!)" Art finished, as his and Usopp's jaws dropped, "(Oh my god…USOPP TOLD THE TRUTH?!)"
'Oh my god…I TOLD THE TRUTH THIS MORNING?!' Usopp thought in shock.
"There's no way those guys could be real monsters," Piiman commented as his two friends helped their pale captain back up. "It's impossible!"
"Not for the Buggy Pirates," Tamanegi replied worriedly. "I hear they have all kinds of frightful freak shows in their crew, and each one's more bloodthirsty than the last!"
"I don't see Buggy though," Ninjin said as he peaked back out through the bush. "I don't think he's with them, so maybe it's a scouting ship?"
"Whatever it is," Usopp replied, returning to his observation spot, "anyone flying that flag has to be dangerous…"
Suddenly, though, the four humans and two Pokemon froze when they noticed the skeletal crew member was now staring right at their hiding place on the cliffs.
"Um, excuse me," Brook said, pointing at where the six were hiding. "But I do believe that we are being spied on."
"WAAAA…! WE'VE BEEN FOUND!" the three kids screamed as they ran away.
"HEY! YOU…DON'T RUN AWAY!" Usopp called out as he shot up and watched them run out of sight, only to shutter as he realized that now all of the supposed "Buggy Pirates" were staring right at him.
He nervously turned to look at the others, and with the last mustering of his bravado, puffed out his chest and put on a cocky grin.
"I AM THE GREAT PIRATE FLEET LEADER, USOPP, WHO IS IN CHARGE OF THE SECURITY OF THIS VILLAGE!" Usopp lied, "I'M ALSO KNOWN AS 'CAPTAIN,' 'CAPTAIN USOPP!'"
He jumped down as Sky caught hold of his shoulders with her talons with Art on her back, gliding the pair down to the base of the beach's cliff. Usopp re-struck his pose as he, Sky, and Art now stood five meters away from the group, who were now bewildered by the lad's words and actions.
"It's best you don't try to attack this village," Usopp threatened, raising both hands in the air. "Otherwise, my crew of 80,000,000 men are not going to forgive you!"
"80,000,000?! Sugoi…" Rico awed as he took out a Pokéball, "What do you think, Shushu?"
The Pokéball opened and Chou-Chou came out. The Stoutland snorted as he picked up Rico and put him on his back.
"Wah! Guard dog!" Usopp screamed before he fell back on his behind. The large dog Pokemon sweatdropped before facing Art and Sky.
"(He's a liar, isn't he?)" He asked the pair.
"(Chronic.)" Art replied, a disappointed expression now painted on his face.
"(I am embarrassed that he raised me from a chick…)" Sky sighed, shaking her head with the same disappointment.
"Liar," Nami and Misty stated with deadpan expressions.
"WAA! I'VE BEEN CAUGHT!" Usopp gasped.
"He just admitted it…" Franky sweatdropped.
"Okay! I admit that I lied!" Usopp said as he stood back up and clasped his hands pleadingly. "Bad planning! Bad planning indeed!"
"You're so funny!" Luffy stated between laughs.
"Hey! Don't underestimate me!" Usopp growled, striking another threatening pose. "I am a man with high self-esteem! I am known as 'Honorable Usopp!'"
The tip of Sky's break glowed purple before pecking Usopp in the back.
"ACK! I…lied…" Usopp grunted in pain before collapsing. Smeargle dragged Usopp off as Sky motioned for the crew to follow.
"I'll get Swordsman," Franky said, hopping back on Mini Merry II and going back to Sunny.
"Now this is rich," Ash chuckled, "I feel like I'm watching Brock and Croagunk again."
Back in town, a dark figure walked through the streets towards a large mansion at the edge of the village. He had a relatively slim build with slicked green-and-black hair. His outfit consisted of a standard butler's uniform with stripped shoes and a pair of loose-fitting glasses.
He held a bag of groceries in one hand while adjusting his glasses using only the palm of the other. He gave off a strange air of contempt and menace, yet any lingering townspeople who saw him greeted him fondly. The instant he returned their greeting, the dark aura would disperse immediately.
As he continued, he noticed the familiar face of Usopp and a less familiar group of colorful characters following and laughing with him. He dismissed this and trudged on, briefly passing the group and brushing past Ash's shoulder.
Ash immediately froze, sensing the dark aura of the butler and turning towards him. However, the man had vanished, and before Ash could give him another thought, Usopp ushered the crew towards a nearby tavern. Ash dismissed his tension and followed.
The butler, however, emerged from an alley once the crew had departed. He couldn't tell why, but something about that particular boy struck him as someone to be cautious of. He picked up his grocery bag once more and departed for the mansion, readjusting his glasses once more as he walked.
Zane: And so our first step into Syrup Village is taken. Gamma, what say you on these events and ones yet to come?
GT: I'd say that this is going to be getting rather dangerous. ...And I cannot wait for Sun and Moon to come out so I can get that adorable Alola Raichu. It surfs on its tails and is so adorable!