Chapter 97: Lion Hunt

Chapter 97: Lion Hunt



The traps had been set up. Mostly they were made up of catapults and giant slingshots with a variety of different ammunitions. Cherry also included a few surprises of her own.

Everything had been hooked up to a complex system of ropes and pulleys that Usopp could use to launch things at Shiki in the air.

Now was the time to cast the lure and hook themselves a big fish.

"The surveillance den den mushi is coming this way. Remember to make it look like an accident hat you were discovered." Cherry whispered to Nami.

"I know already, stop reminding me." Nami whispered back.

Nami stepped out from between two houses and turned to see the large snail gazing at her. She put on a very believable shocked face before running off in the direction of their ambush.

...

Inside the observation room of Shiki's main base.

"Why haven't you found her yet! What the hell is taking so long!" Shiki complained loudly.

"Captain, we don't have surveillance over the entirety of Merveille and we only have so many men to go out searching for her. It's going to take some time." Spoke a man at a console, though it was clear how nervous and afraid he was.

"I don't care, just find her!" Despite his outward anger, he would not punish subordinates who hadn't actually messed up. Well, there was the fellow that was operating their weather prediction technology up until a few days ago, but he had advised against following Nami's advice.

"CAPTAIN! One of the surveillance den den mushi in the village spotted the woman! She ran away towards the wilderness to the south of the village!" Another subordinate reported loudly.

The tense atmosphere relaxed considerably with those words.

"Jihahaha! I knew you could do it! I'll be going personally right away." Shiki said, in a much better mood now that he knew where his new navigator was hiding.

He went to the nearest window and flew outside towards the village from where he'd begin his search.

...

The sun was beginning to set and the sky grew darker. The perfect time to pull of this ambush, as Shiki would still be easy enough to see if he flew, while the darkness would obscure their contraptions in the trees.

"Here he comes. Are you ready, Luffy?" Cherry asked.

"Mm!" Luffy assented. He immediately entered into Gear Second and grabbed two thick tree trunks, preparing to launch himself.

Cherry drew her sword and stabbed it into his back, only there was no blood as the blade transformed into lightning and slipped into his body.

Luffy's hair stood on end and sparks danced across his body.

Cherry couldn't let that continue, so she quickly bounced through the air at him. Shiki couldn't respond properly as he was already losing function in his limbs from the Daft Green

poisoning.

Cherry pummeled him with fists and feet, each strike contained vicious vibrating energy that torn through his body. When the other islands started the fall out of the air, Cherry realized Shiki had already been beaten into unconsciousness.

Below she saw Cabernet in Ship form flying away from the lower island with the villagers, all safe and sound. It was good she prepared for the possibility the islands would fall.

The Thousand Sunny's Coup de Burst charged up and launched itself away from the islands so as not to be crushed as well. Cherry quickly moved to the ship to make sure everyone was

accounted for.

From the island where Shiki's fortress was located, she saw the strangest sight. A large number of people flapping their arms and actually flying with them, they looked much the

same as the villagers.

As for Shiki's men? Well, the islands ought to slow down a bit when they hit the ocean, right? They should be tough enough to endure if they were on Shiki's crew.

"Is everyone alright?" Cherry asked as she landed. It seemed that everyone was accounted for.

Even the duck.

Seeing everyone was accounted for and in good shape, she was satisfied. She walked over to Robin and snuggled up with her, to which Robin responded to by patting her head.

"What happened to Shiki?" Nami asked.

"I don't know, but guys like him are like cockroaches. He probably won't die. From the looks

of things, he'll get caught by the marines though." Cherry said, pointing to the distance

where several marine warship were lying in wait.

The islands landed in the ocean and surprisingly didn't sink. Once the villagers were situated,

the Straw Hats quickly fled before the marines could catch them.

"Are you sure you don't want to come, Billy?" Chopper asked the duck.

"Quack." He quacked decisively and took flight. He'd discovered that Cherry wasn't really like him, and she was also really scary, so he had decided to stay at Merveille.

'Now we can finally get back on track.' Cherry thought, whilst leaning her head on Robin's

shoulder. 'I just need to convince Luffy to go save Ace somehow, why does he have to be so stubborn about the strangest thing...'