Chapter 12: To the Lotus Eaters

Chapter 12: To the Lotus Eaters

SWISH! "AHH!"

Juvia fell to a knee after Samehada passed through her, taking quite a bit of Magic.

"Come on," Kisame sighed. "Move your Water Body apart before Samehada actually hits you."

"Right," Juvia replied as she got back on her feet.

Again, Kisame gave a lazy swing of Samehada. At first, it seemed that Juvia was managing to part her body. Then, halfway through, Samehada started splashing.

"Looks like your transformation speed is what needs the most work. At least you're getting the process down," Kisame commented.

This had been the routine since leaving Old Nile. At the moment, spars were ongoing all over the deck.

"900 Brick Tongue Slap!"

Jinbe blocked Tsuyu's strike with his right arm, since his left was still bandaged up. He then followed up with a sweeping kick. She gracefully avoided it, rebounding off the main mast (sailing right over Sasori's head incidentally). "900 Brick Roundhouse Kick!"

Taking the hit on the head, Jinbe was barely moved. Still, he gave an encouraging smile. "Very good, Tsu! It looks like you'll reach the Thousand Brick phase of Fishman Karate in no time."

"Ribbet!" Tsu happily replied.

"Still, things get exponentially harder after that," Jinbe declared, deciding not to sugar-coat it. "You'll need to work on strength first and foremost."

"Yes, Sensei," Tsu bowed her head.

Closer to the bow, Halibel and Brook were engaged in a pure swordsmanship duel. Halibel didn't draw on her natural Hollow powers, while Brook refrained from his Revive-Revive Fruit's abilities. Both were done for the purpose of refining their technique. Despite the handicap, Halibel's centuries of experience were still enough to easily force her opponent on the defensive.

"Oh my!" Brook exclaimed as he switched into a flurry of straight-up fencing thrusts. "I can honestly say that no woman in my world comes close to your skill with the blade."

Halibel raised an eyebrow as she let Soul Solid pass through Tiburon's hole. "I thought Jinbe said this 'Big Mom' character had a sword," she mused as she turned Tiburon with enough force to wrench her opponent's blade away.

Brook scoffed (which is impressive for someone without a tongue) as he dashed around the Hollow, pulled Soul Solid back out, and attempted a strike to the back. "Please, that woman treated her sword like a baseball bat. No technique whatsoever. She only got away with it thanks to that ridiculous strength of hers."

Halibel hummed as she blocked the attempted strike without even turning around. Righting herself, the Hollow retaliated with a series of slashes. "Sounds like half of the other Espada," she muttered under her breath.

As Brook was forced back on defense, Apacci glowered at him. She was currently being forced to sit down as Hanataro applied Reishi to some nasty looking gashes on her side.

"Why did you just charge at Kisame?" the long-suffering Hanataro felt compelled to ask.

"Hey!" the short-tempered Arrancar snapped. "I had him!"

Hanataro sighed as he decided to give a bit of advice. "In my experience, if someone that strong has an opening…it's a trap."

"And what'd you know about that? I didn't see you helping out in the Quincy War," Apacci scathingly reprimanded.

Hanataro bowed his head, but still kept treating the Hollow. "Because this was all I could do. I had to see hundreds of my comrades die because I was weak. I couldn't even do the basic techniques like Flash Step or the lowest of Kido. That's why I spent the thousand years after that constantly improving myself. Even now, after all that, I'm still not sure if I could stand up to you or the Sternritter."

Apacci flinched, remembering how disastrously her and her friends' fight with Quilge went. And they'd heard that he was one of the weaker Sternritter.

"Hey," Apacci said in a much quieter voice. "Sorry for what I said," she mumbled.

"Umm…" Hanataro stumbled for an answer. "Don't worry about it." He quickly went back to applying treatment as the Hollow averted her eyes.

Finally, Franky had put the finishing touches on his new fist; with the old one that Gustave crumbled slowly being detached. Usopp was helping keep the metal in place until the unscrewing was complete. When the last screw popped out, Usopp gently laid it down.

In an instant, Chakra strings shot out, grabbed the hunk, and brought it flying back to Sasori (still in Lotus position as he steered the ship). Right before it landed, the Ninja had unrolled a scroll for it. With a single Hand Sign, it vanished as Kanji spread out on the scroll.

"Hey! You could've just asked," Franky huffed while his fellow shipwright rolled up and pocketed his scroll.

Sasori simply settled for rolling his eyes, not even bothering to respond. Still, his mind was already racing at the possibilities and planned tests for the metal created by Dr. Vegapunk himself. Even through second-hand accounts, the craftsman couldn't help but respect the inventor.

"Rude," Usopp couldn't help but comment. "I don't get how you could work with that guy to make all this," the sniper gestured to the Cutty Sark as a whole.

"Well," Franky mused. "He gets SUPER motivated when he's got a project going. And that's something I can respect."

Sasori didn't deign to respond to that, instead concentrating back on the ship.

At that point, Usopp's head shot up. "Hey Guys!" he said loud enough to pause everyone. "I'm sensing land. And Sanji's there!"

Brook and Franky started cheering along with the Sniper. Jinbe let a small smile grace his expression.

"Oh," Kisame turned with a grin. "Is this the chef who fought off swords with his feet?"

"I believe so," Juvia nodded.

Halibel sighed. "Kisame, please behave yourself here. You had your fun at the last island."

Giving his own overdramatic sigh, Kisame hooked Samehada back onto his back. "I suppose I can go one island without tearing someone apart."

"How generous of you," Apacci deadpanned.

Despite that, the crew managed to sail on, seeing the island without issue. To put it simply, the island looked like a paradise. Palm trees were spread out over a sandy beach. If one could see far enough, they'd notice the majestic waterfall that fed into a smooth river. All manner of beasts flocked to the mouth, enjoying a bountiful feast. Noticing the trend, the crew looked down. The water was crystal clear, revealing a great coral reef, filled to the brim with exotic fish. The sun was shining. The temperature was comfortable. Birds, including a Caracara, were circling and chirping.

A near-intoxicating smell wafted towards the ship. Following their noses, the crew spotted what appeared to be a resort. The main building was painted with a stunningly pink shine. Hundreds of people looked they were having a good time. Jacuzzis were strewn about with couples enjoying themselves. Others were simply chilling out either on the beach itself or amongst the gentle waves rhythmically caressing the coast.

The biggest crowd was right outside the main building. And in the center, a massive grill was letting off that enticing smell. Two figures were blazing through the cooking meat. To the left was a towering man, and the girth to match his height. His right arm shined in the afternoon sun, metal shifting from fingers to a peeler as he added cuts of potatoes to a stew. To the right, a blonde-haired slimmer figure flipped a massive salmon steak by kicking the oversized spatula. It sizzled so loudly that everyone on the Cutty Sark could hear it.

Amongst the crowd, two more figures were meandering through. One was a tall white-haired woman, with a tray of margaritas topped by lotus pods. Her long flowing hair did much to accentuate her attractive figure, especially since she was also wearing a bikini. Not far away from her, an even taller and more muscular man was handing out cheesecakes and ice cream.

At this point, the Cutty Sark was close enough to drop anchor, making sure to keep its distance from the other ships. Then, the crowd spotted the crew as they hopped onto land. Unusually, Sasori decided to join them. Although, he released and wrapped himself in his Hiruko puppet.

"Welcome!" all of the people shouted as one. Kisame was admittedly unnerved by that. Something about this whole scenario seemed wrong to him, but he couldn't quite say what. Noticing that discomfort, Halibel made sure to walk within arm's reach of the Ninja, just in case.

"Mira?" Juvia hesitantly asked.

The white-haired woman turned and waved. "HEY JUVIA!" She made her way over, drinks still on her tray, and hugged her guildmate. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," Juvia quietly responded as she tightened the hug.

Eyes drawn to the scene, the muscular man ran at them, desserts in hand. "Tsu?"

Said frog-girl narrowed her eyes. "Sato?"

The fellow Pro-Hero hurried over. "It's so good to see you!"

Ignoring the girls meeting their friends, most of the Straw Hats rushed to the grill. "SANJI!"

"You Guys!"

Then, something happened. In their eagerness to reunite with Sanji, the other Straw Hats all missed it. But Jinbe didn't. As he ran over, Sanji knocked someone's plate onto the ground, spilling food everywhere. He didn't even pause to clean it up.

That immediately got the Fishman suspicious. Before any of the residents could notice, Jinbe quickly gave a look to Halibel and Kisame. Message received, the two then made the effort to act normal, politely introducing themselves to everyone.

"OOHHH! HALIBEL SWANNNN!" Sanji immediately started going crazy. "Let me be your prince…so that I may sweep you off your feet and take you to our happily ever after!"

Halibel blinked, completely stunned at the odd behavior. She turned to Kisame as an out, only to scowl at the sight of him holding in his laughter. 'Traitor,' she couldn't help but think.

Sanji leaped at her, only for Apacci to ground him with a dropkick. "No one just leaps into Lady Halibel's arms!"

"Thank you, Apacci," Halibel said in a tone as dry as Hueco Mundo. That was not helped in the least at Kisame chuckling at her.

"OOHH! Apacci Swan! So assertive!" Sanji got right back up and was now doing his 'love tornado' routine around the younger Hollow instead.

"Sanji, my boy!" the larger cook beckoned with his arm as his cybernetics squeezed lemons over the salmon steak. "While I can appreciate your hospitality to these fine ladies, I don' have enough free hands for that salmon!"

"Right. On my way, Silver." Sanji got back to the grill and put the finishing garnishes on the main course after removing it.

'Silver?' Jinbe wondered. The Fishman restrained himself from immediately asking why Cipactli and Gustave were after him. He had questions about this island first. He approached Mr. Silver, but before he could ask any questions…

"Here…compliments of the house!" Silver handed a bowl of stew to Jinbe. The Fishman noticed a slip of paper hidden under the meal. He quickly pulled it out.

'Don't eat the Lotus.'

Before Jinbe could inquire further, he turned and saw Juvia, Tsuyu, Usopp, Franky, and Brook digging in after their friends insisted. Even Hanataro was nibbling on a Lotus from one of Sato's desserts.

'Great…just great,' Jinbe fought the urge to bang his head on the table. At the very least, the Ninjas and Hollows had managed to abstain from the Lotuses due to their own paranoia. Sasori was just shoving whatever was pushed his way into Hiruko's mouth, fooling the residents into thinking he was eating.

"Guests, Welcome to my resort!" A female voice boomed out from the double-door entrance. She was tall, with long smooth black hair. A backless black dress reached down past her knees. With dark eyes, she gazed at the newcomers. "My name is Circe…and I present to you the greatest hospitality this side of the Sea."

Circe's gaze lingered on Jinbe as she stroked a hamster in her palm. She then made her way over to the crew. "My dear fellows, make yourselves comfortable. Your friends are already fitting in nicely. Whatever you want, we can provide."

Kisame gave his best smile as he extended an open hand. "I'll hold you to that. Name's Kisame Hoshigaki, pleased to make your acquaintance. Hope that I'll enjoy myself here."

"The pleasure's all mine," Circe bowed instead of taking the hand. "And believe me, you'll have the time of your life."

Halibel swore that she saw matching gleams in their eyes.

"And what's your name, Handsome?" Circe moved on over.

"Jinbe," the Fishman quickly replied, not exactly used to such a forward manner.

"Well, Jinbe…let me know if there's anything I can do to make you more…comfortable," Circe started to lean into him.

"Umm…sure," Jinbe tried to disengage in as polite a way as possible.

Halibel eyed this woman, wondering what her game was.

"You seem rather tense," Circe looked right back at the Hollow.

"It takes a while for me to get 'comfortable' with strangers," Halibel admitted while emphasizing Circe's previous word choice.

The hostess chuckled, with the hamster squirming in her hand. "I'm sure that the peace you desire can be found here."

'Now, that's interesting,' Halibel thought. 'Never once did I mention that as something I wanted…and yet she knew.' She restrained from even touching Tiburon's handle, so as not to give herself away.

"Well, I shouldn't keep you," Circe claimed as she moved to return inside the resort. "Please, join your friends, and dig in."

The doors closed behind her with a mighty 'WHOOM!'

Sighing in relief as she left, Silver leaned towards Jinbe.

"Sorry bout not introducing myself all proper," the cyborg apologized while extending his robotic hand. "Captain Silver, at yer service."

"Would you please fill me in on what's going on?" Jinbe skipped the formalities, already very concerned for his crewmates. At the moment, the Straw Hats, Tsu, and Juvia were starting to truly relax, lulled into the trance.

"That Circe's a damn witch," Silver crudely put it. "I can't figure out how she makes those Lotus though. I tried sneaking off…but I couldn't get too far."

"Why?" Halibel cut straight to the point.

"I noticed that Circe always goes to the opposite end of the island whenever she thinks everyone else is asleep, taking one person with her each time. I was only able to follow the one time," Silver explained. As the cyborg talked, Jinbe couldn't help but feel Silver was deliberately leaving something out. 'Why was he the only one unaffected?'

"I kept my distance, and saw her go into a cave. Before I could follow her in, the guard appeared," Silver continued. "It was a Manticore."

"What's a Manticore?" Halibel quickly asked.

"Really big lion, but it had a stinger tail and a man's face," Silver shuddered at the memory. "Heard the damn thing talking before it started turning in my direction. I had to hightail it. The only way they wouldn't be suspicious was if I ran back and acted like the others."

"Okay…we'll wait until nightfall to make a move," Jinbe decided. "I'll stay here and make sure that everyone is safe. And Sasori…will you help us here?" The Fishman eyed the puppet, recalling how he refused aid on their last island adventure.

Sasori let out a chuckle, deepened in tone by Hiruko. "Sure. After all, this 'Lotus' has such a fascinating effect on everyone, chemically speaking at least. I'd be grateful if you gave me the chance to properly study it."

"Don't make me regret this," Jinbe added dangerously. He then sighed. "You and Kisame are the most experienced at gathering intel. So I'll let you two take point on this. The second we have enough information, let me know."

"Sure thing," Kisame grinned and settled in, giving the appearance of relaxing.

Halibel leaned in and lowered her voice so only the Fishman could hear. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" her eyes darted over to the Ninjas.

"If they get out of line, I know you can handle it," Jinbe reassured the Hollow.

"I could if it was just Kisame, but I'm still not so sure about Sasori," Halibel admitted.

"I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, for now." Jinbe still heard Kiri's words in the back of his mind. Mulling it over, he wondered what sort of organization Akatsuki was to accept such a reputation in its ranks, which led to more doubts concerning Sasori. The Fishman had to remind himself that neither Ninja had done anything questionable towards the rest of the crew. Plus, they were in the Sea of Second Chances after all. Whatever crimes they committed, Jinbe felt that their short life and first death would suffice as punishment.

Jinbe shook his head, getting back to the situation. Halibel gave a concerned look before sighing. "Very well, I'll trust the rest of the crew to you. Apacci, with me."

The Fishman watched as the Ninjas and Hollows tried to blend in with the enchanted. He then turned to Silver, noticing his mechanical glint.

"How long have you been with Sanji and the others?" Jinbe asked, deciding now was the time for probing.

"Spent a couple a years by myself, wandring' round the entrance islands. Then, I heard this strange noise." Silver paused for dramatic effect. "Turns out, Sanji boy was fawning o'er Mira there. I offered them a ship, and we headed west."

Jinbe couldn't help but notice the gaps left in Silver's story. Still, he had more pressing concerns.

"Back at Old Nile, we ran into a group looking for you. Maybe you'll recognize them. Went by Gustave, said he worked for Cipactli."

"Nah…can't say as I have." If it'd been anyone else, Silver might've fooled them, he was that good. Still, Jinbe caught that he was lying.

"Here's the deal," Jinbe proclaimed in his most serious voice. "We're going to bring down this island's operation. Sanji, Mira, and Sato will most likely join our crew. And…you will give me a straight answer once we're through here. Is that clear?"

Completely nonchalant at being caught out, Silver removed his hat in an exaggerated bow. "Alright, then. Just let me know when the fight's going down." Jinbe noticed a saber peaking out of the cybernetic arm. "I'd love to get back at Circe for makin' a fool outta' me and my crew."

"For now, you're going to stay where I can see you…along with everyone else," Jinbe's tone gave no room for argument. Still, he couldn't help but note that the cyborg referred to the others as 'his' crew. That'd be something to look into later for the Fishman.

So, the rest of the afternoon passed in relative tranquility. All those who had eaten the Lotus were content to simply eat, drink, and relax. The Ninjas and Hollows patiently waited for night, observing the residents falling asleep where they stood. As if being directed, Mira, Sato, and Sanji carefully arranged the leftovers so that the scent of Lotus would be the first thing everyone else woke up to. Then, they too began to slumber.

Of the crowd, Jinbe and Silver were the only ones awake. The Ninjas and Hollows had given the crowd the slip, replacing themselves with Water and Sand Clones. Granted, with the distance from the casters, all they could do was give the illusion of sleep. Still, that'd be enough for now.

Right after the sunset, Circe reemerged, had her escorts grab the first man they could, and began walking down the shoreline. She was unaware at the four presences following her.

The four only stopped pursuing when Circe entered a cave at the bottom of a sheer cliff on the opposite side of the island. Once she was out of sight, something else came out and started pacing. It was the Manticore, and it was almost as big as Jinbe. The scorpion tail swiveled in the air as its human face scanned the surroundings.

Deciding that a more stealthy approach was needed, Kisame bit his thumb. "Summoning Jutsu," he whispered and slapped his hand on the ocean surface. When the smoke cleared, two Wobbegong Sharks sat in the shallow water. Both were a little bit shorter than the Ninja himself.

"Gensō, Gazō." Kisame bowed his head. "Could you two go in there, figure out what's going on, and report back to us?"

A deep chuckle could be heard from both of them. "Sure, it's been awhile since we've been summoned…or had the chance to test ourselves."

One second later, Kisame felt the Chakra pulse out from the summons. Just like that, they'd vanished. He turned to his comrades. "Don't worry, Gensō and Gazō are the best Genjutsu specialists out of all sharks."

"The question is…how will they compare in this Sea?" Sasori wondered.

To find out, the four watched the Manticore. Over the next half-hour, the creature didn't deviate from its pacing, indicating that it hadn't noticed the Wobbegong brothers.

"Now, we wait," Halibel surmised. Kisame and Apacci marginally relaxed at the words. Sasori kept his eyes on the Manticore, Hiruko's 'tail' poised at the ready.

Inside the cave, Gensō and Gazō were slowly making their way towards Circe, making sure their Genjutsu also covered their disturbances of the water. At the end of the cave, there was an eerie green light. Upon closer inspection, the light was coming from candles arranged in a circle. The light illuminated an absolutely massive Lotus Pod, with smaller pink plants blooming around it. Although, some clearly had been picked earlier that day. Guards kept their eyes peeled towards the entrance of the cave. In the center, Circe was putting down the hamster she'd been holding earlier.

After feeding it a pill, she snapped her fingers. In an instant, a naked man had appeared in the hamster's place, shivering. Acting quickly, Circe removed a vial from her pocket. She then forced the man's mouth open, letting the black liquid pour down his throat.

Backing away, Circe began to chant, gathering magic power. With a roar of exertion, the witch slammed her hand down, the magic lighting up the bizarre symbol with green energy. Then, all that light converged onto the hapless man.

Screaming in agony, he began to transform. His skin turned gray. Clumps of his hair fell out. Gills began to appear on his sides. Teeth sharpened to fine points. Nails turned into claws. Eyes became small, beady and green. All sanity seemed to leave the man as he devolved into growling and snarling at everything he could see.

"What in the name of the Sage is that?" the younger Gazō quietly asked his older brother.

"I don't know, let's hope that Master Kisame can fill us in," Gensō replied.

Visibly disappointed, Circe quickly knocked him out with a blow to the head. Once out, the creature was dragged off by a guard. "Dammit…another failure," Circe mused to herself as she brought out a notebook. "Mixing in human blood with the Samebito's proved insufficient. Subject still lost all semblance of intelligence."

Circe paused as a presence swept through the cave. She immediately knelt down.

Unnerved, the Wobbegong brothers didn't dare to move.

The smoke billowing from the candles coalesced into a womanly figure. The only truly distinctive feature was the eyes. They were a fairly dark blue that seemed to stare right through the prostrate woman.

"Lady Hecate," Circe announced as the other guards all bowed in turn.

"Circe, report," Hecate cut straight to the point, her voice reverberating off the cave's walls. Her very words seemed to be brimming with magical power.

"My Lady. I still haven't been able to completely recreate the process of Samebito birth," Circe's head was still bowed in obedience and apparent shame.

A sigh seemed to emanate from the smoky figure. "You've had this base of operation for years…I generously enhanced your shape-shifting abilities…and this is all you have to show for it?" Hecate's voice hadn't risen in the slightest; it didn't need to.

"My Lady…I've perfected the physical transformation…I just need a little more time to steer the subjects' minds through it," Circe nearly begged.

"Very well…but remember the consequences for disappointing Lord Poseidon," the specter representing the Goddess of Magic seemed more contemplative. "We need to perfectly recreate the enemy's masses before directly engaging them."

"I understand…Tiamat's forces won't know what hit them by the time I'm done here," Circe attempted to put on a brave front.

"See to it," Hecate's smoky hologram began to fade. "By the way, dispose of your eavesdropper," the Goddess pointed right at the Wobbegong brothers.

"Damn it, our Genjutsu didn't fool her! How is that possible?!" the brothers frantically thought.

Circe fired a beam of green magic at where Hecate pointed, hoping to transform one of the unseen intruders into a guppy. Instead, Gazō went back to his home in a poof of smoke. With the cover, Gensō managed to dart out of range of the witch, powering through towards the cave entrance.

"A Summoning Jutsu?" Hecate observed. "Circe, you have Ninjas snooping around. I expect word from you the second they're dealt with." Not waiting for a reply, Hecate cut the connection, dispersing the smoke.

Enraged, Circe sent a mental signal to The Manticore. "Thorn! Catch the little spy!"

OoOoOoO

At the edge of the cave, Gensō was swimming faster than he ever had before, sensing imminent danger. Sure enough, the Manticore was about to land right on top of the shark.

Tikka-tikka-tikka-tikka-tikka

The Manticore leaped to avoid a barrage of strange-smelling needles. He growled when he realized that the Wobbegong had evaded him. "COME OUT!" the monster roared in frustration.

Sasori (still in Hiruko) landed with a SPLOOSH on the water, his Chakra keeping the puppet dry. Apacci stood on air a ways back, making sure the Manticore didn't leave.

Thorn the Manticore raised an eyebrow at his opponent's 'tail'. "My, my…quite the sharp appendage." The creature tried to give off an air of sophistication…but fell short in the Ninja's eyes.

"I'd rather you skip the pretensions…I don't like to be kept waiting," the former Sand Ninja snarled.

"Very well then," Thorn growled. Without another word, the Manticore began firing needles out of the tail. In response, Sasori tore the cloth off Hiruko's mouth, letting loose a barrage of his own. Apacci glowered as she used Sonido to avoid any stray needles.

While that was going on, Gensō finally made it to Kisame and Halibel.

"What happened?" Kisame quickly asked, noticing the Wobbegong's frantic state.

"We were spotted. Someone incredibly powerful by the name of Hecate contacted Circe and pointed us out. She said she was working for Poseidon."

The swordsmen's eyes widened at the name. "Did this Hecate say she'd be coming in person?" Halibel wondered.

"No, she ordered Circe to handle matters herself, probably to give a chance to prove herself," Gensō theorized.

"What do you mean by that?" Kisame hurriedly asked.

"Circe's been running experiments on the humans. I saw her turn one into this gray, misshapen creature. A Samebito I think she called it."

"What? They're making Samebitos?" Halibel incredulously wondered.

"Trying," Gensō corrected. "Apparently, Circe's shapeshifting abilities aren't enough to make the transformed more than mindless beasts. Hecate said they were simply 'recreating' the enemy under someone named 'Tiamat'."

"So…this 'Tiamat' is in charge of the Samebitos and sent that army to the White Castle?" Kisame surmised to himself. "And this Poseidon is an enemy of theirs?"

"We can ponder that later," Halibel turned back to the Wobbegong. "Did you see anything else in there?"

"Yeah, two dozen guards. And there was an absolutely massive Lotus Pod at the end of the cave, with many smaller plants blooming around it. They looked like they'd been plucked," Gensō revealed.

"Alright then," Kisame drew Samehada. "Thanks for the recon, Gensō. I'll be sure to send a payment of King Crabs first chance I get."

"That would be much appreciated," the summon replied before dispelling itself.

"Halibel, could you transform into your Resurreción. I've got an idea," Kisame had put a hand on the ocean surface.

OoOoOoO

Circe fumed as she stomped towards the entrance, her guards keeping their distance from the infuriated witch. 'How dare that wretched Goddess look down on me! How dare those simpering men fail my experiments! How dare those intruders not leave well enough alone!'

Midway through her mental rant, Circe heard a sound at the end of the cave. It steadily grew louder and louder to the point it became a roar. The witch's eyes widened as she saw that it was a massive tidal wave. The crest was so high that it was scraping the ceiling. Having no other choice, Circe quickly used shapeshifting magic on herself, taking the form of a dolphin. The guards around her were quickly swept away by the water. Then, the tsunami crashed into the end of the cave. The candles maintaining the magic circle were smothered out instantly. To her horror, all the Lotus Pods (even the big one) were ripped from their stems. Before her eyes, the magically-charged flowers wilted away, torn from the earth.

"NO!"

OoOoOoO

"Ya know, I was thinking to myself," Kisame mused. "Why do I have to fight in a dark, cramped cave…when we could simply flood the whole thing and force everyone out?"

Halibel allowed herself the rare smirk at the sight of some guards drifting out. "I must say…you do have your moments, Kisame…as rare as they are." She raised Tiburon, having the feeling that Circe wouldn't go down so easily. While her gut instinct said the witch wasn't someone that required the full might of her Resurreción, better safe than sorry.

Off to the side, Sasori and Thorn had leapt further inland the second Kisame and Halibel started gathering power, still firing needles at each other. The Manticore was absolutely flabbergasted at someone aside from Poseidon wielding such an incredible amount of water with ease. Sasori simply rolled his eyes at his fellow Akatsuki going overboard as usual.

OoOoOoO

On the beach by the resort, all the Lotus flowers were wilting away. Noticing, Jinbe gave a slight grin to himself. Granted, that expression didn't last long as everyone who'd eaten Lotus began coughing. Rotten looking petals were vomited up all over the place.

"Wha…what happened?" Sanji was the first to regain his senses. "Jinbe…when'd you get here?"

"Sanji?" Silver gave a curious look to his fellow cook. "You don't remember anything?"

"Wait…it's starting to come back to me," Sanji replied. Then, a look of utter rage instantly formed. "That woman had me POISON food…" his teeth grinded as he came to a realization about Circe. "THAT WOMAN HAD ME POISON FOOD!"

"My boy, take it easy," Silver assured Sanji. At the point, the Straw Hats, Wizards, and Pro-Heroes had joined them. "Besides…we'll all get a shot at her soon enough." The cyborg's right eye gleamed as his right arm pulled something out of his prosthetic leg. When the components joined, Silver had a mini-Howitzer at the ready.

"Come on, her lair is this way!"

"YEAH!" The entire crowd roared in rage. While some started burning and dismantling the resort, others followed Silver, Jinbe, and their crews towards a direct confrontation.

Sato and Tsuyu cracked their knuckles. Juvia formed a Water Blade of her left arm, while Mirajane transformed with Satan Soul. Brook drew Soul Solid. Franky banged his new fists together. Usopp and Hanataro, despite their shaking legs, managed to balance that out with sheer indignation at being fooled. As for Sanji, the very soles of his shoes were leaving smoking holes in the sand.

OoOoOoO

Back at the cave, Circe chittered as she dragged a guard to the surface. As she breached, she transformed back into a human, tossing the man aside. She had sensed the spell being lifted with the Lotus being destroyed.

Near the end of her mental rope, she barked at the hapless guard. "The potential subjects have broken free. Release the failures on them."

Too afraid to protest, the guard scurried off to do so.

Circe then finally got a good look at two figures standing on the water, waiting for her to make a move. She snarled when she recognized them. "How did you not fall under the Lotus' spell?!" She just had to know.

"Because we're not idiots," Kisame gave his trademark toothy grin. "I mean, really? Putting all your eggs in one basket like that…looks like the victims weren't the only ones lacking in brainpower."

Circe bared her teeth and flicked a forked tongue. Halibel rolled her eyes…both at the taunting and the predictable reaction.

"I'll make everyone on the island SCREAM FOR THIS!" Circe instantaneously transformed into a massive green sea serpent 5 times the size of a human, lunging at the two.

In an instant, Kisame managed to block Circe's newfound fangs with Samehada, venom dripping from them.

At the same time, an unearthly chorus of screeching was heard. In a flip of demeanor, Circe began to chuckle. "Your friends are all going to suffer now. I'm sure I can restart my operations with all of your blood."

Looking out, Halibel saw hundreds of misshapen attempts at Samebitos emerge from the cave. A few of them already had blood dripping from their teeth, probably from the hapless guard that set them loose.

"Go on…I can handle this witch," Kisame reassured Halibel as he forced Circe back. As she submerged, she geared up for another charge.

Nodding, Halibel departed with Sonido. She reappeared by Apacci, who was still observing Thorn's attempts to harm the Puppet. "Come on, we need to join up with the others…more enemies are incoming."

As Apacci began to follow her mistress… "I didn't give permission for you to leave!" The Manticore had leapt at the Hollow, only to maneuver his tail and block Sasori's own.

"And I didn't give you permission to turn your back on me…" Sasori gave an inhuman growl through Hiruko. Both tails gave a horrid scraping sound as they clashed for dominance.

OoOoOoO

Thankfully, Halibel and Apacci made it back to the rest of their crew with time to spare.

"Jinbe…this whole island was a trap to try and create Samebitos. Circe is releasing all the failures to try and wipe us out," Halibel quickly summarized.

"Samebitos?!" Sato exclaimed. "How many?"

"A few hundred," Apacci simply put it before turning to the rest of the crowd. "Get Ready! The fight's coming to us."

All the former residents geared up with whatever weapons they scrounged out of their belongings and the resort itself.

"All right Jinbe." Sanji walked up to the front to stand beside him. "Just don't take out too many at once. I have some anger management to attend to."

At that moment, the men and women heard the distorted screeches.

OoOoOoO

Before the duel resumed in earnest, Circe hissed at Kisame. "Your friends are all going to be torn apart."

To her surprise, Kisame laughed in her face. "Hehehe…They can handle anything that an idiot like you could come up with."

With that, the shapeshifting mistress of old and the Monster of the Hidden Mist clashed.

Omake: A visit from Freddy

"Hehehe…a whole new world to terrify", a horribly burnt man with a right hand of knives, wearing a sweater and a fedora laughed. "So many more people and dreams…the possibilities are endless!"

He felt a pull. "What's this? A whole crew asleep…this'll be fun."

And so, Freddy Krueger entered his first dream for the night, deciding to start with the weird-looking girl.

"Ooh…a slumber party? I've always loved those," the spirit leered. True enough, he saw six girls huddled around together, briefly pausing at just how PINK one of them was.

"WELCOME TO YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE!" Freddy bellowed as he started changing the surroundings.

Tsuyu just looked at him. "Hey…wanna play a game of Truth or Dare?"

Bemused, Freddy opted to play along. "Alright…dare."

"Okay," Tsuyu looked as unfazed as ever. "I dare you to stand still and take the shot."

"Wait what?"

BOOM! 'Did that busty girl just make a DAMN CANNON?'

Freddy found himself being hurtled out of the girl's dream. 'Okay Freddy, everyone has their off days. I just need to try with a different victim. No big deal.'

Next, he chose Juvia, making sure to take the form of Gray.

"Oh Darling!" Sure enough, the blue-haired girl came up to him. 'Perfect'

"It's time for dinner. The kids are waiting," Juvia led him along.

When he entered the idyllic house, Freddy was utterly baffled. 'WHY DOES THIS WOMAN WANT SO MANY LITTLE BRATS?!' To his horror, a literal tidal wave of kids was now coming at him and Juvia, complete with Ice and Water Magic.

"Daddy, play with me!"

"Daddy, I'm hungry!"

"Daddy, Sis won't stop picking on me!"

"DADDY, DADDY, DADDY, DADDY, DADDY!"

"HELL NO!" Freddy instantly changed back to normal and bolted.

Back on his own, the shaking specter was trying to get it together. "Come on, you're better than this. It's about finding the right victim."

Settling on Sasori, because he looked more wimpy to the delusional Freddy, he went in.

Not even ten seconds later, Freddy ran out. 'Never again...and I thought Pinhead was scary.'

"Okay…maybe I should just stick with the girls…they're always easier to terrify."

He entered Apacci's dream…and saw lush green fields, a herd of deer prancing.

"Hmm…I can work with this," Freddy was about to work his magic.

"HEY SHITHEAD! SCRAM!"

…only to see an angry deer-woman pointing another god-forsaken cannon at him.

With a flash of red, Freddy was exorcised yet again.

"Okay…last girl…this has to work," Freddy tried assuring himself before plunging into Halibel's dream. When he landed, confusion was the first thing to pop into his mind.

"Ooh…who's a good girl? Who's a good girl?" Halibel was scratching a baby shark behind the fin as it cradled in her lap, while the rest of the infantile pack was nuzzling her.

Suddenly, she noticed the newcomer, who was still dumbfounded. Glaring, the sharks all turned to Freddy (they were all flying by the way).

"Get him."

"AAHHHH" Freddy barely made it out alive, and a shark was still chomping down on his arm after he exited the dream.

"Okay…so girls got a little tougher since I've been gone. No big deal. Just gotta get into the groove again."

Sadly for him, there was no getting back into the groove. Because he started with Jinbe. And he was immediately taken aback by being in the water.

'Wait a minute…this isn't water…it's Sake?'

Jinbe came into view, doing a leisurely backstroke as he drank in the Sake he swam through. He then saw Freddy.

"Forget you saw this," Jinbe growled.

"EEEPP! Yes, Sir!" Freddy bolted.

Once safe, Freddy's sanity was near its end. "THAT'S IT! If I can take down the scariest guy here…then I'll be able to take my place as the King of Nightmares!"

With that, Freddy entered Kisame's dream.

And he was instantly lost. Freddy found himself surrounded by a thick mist and was standing on water.

DU-DUN.

The specter paused at the sound of the horn. Something about it seemed familiar.

DU-DUN. DU-DUN.

The horns were starting to speed up and get louder.

DU-DUN DU-DUN DU-DUN DU-DUN. At this point, drums and other horns were joining in. And Freddy finally recognized the tune. At the same time, he realized that he was standing on the ocean.

'Oh No.' With the mist, Freddy couldn't see a damn thing. 'Wait…what's that?' He could barely make out something resembling a fin protruding out of the water, before it submerged just as quickly.

DU-DUN DU-DUN DU-DUN DU-DUN DU-DUN DU-DUN! The music was quickly reaching its crescendo, sending Freddy into a full-blown panic. Then, he felt something grab his foot.

DU-DUN!

"AAHHH!" Freddy's screaming was cut off as he was dragged under.

And so, the record for shortest life in the Sea of Second Chances was broken by Freddy Krueger.

Next morning, a very cheerful Kisame walked up on deck. In one hand was a brown fedora, and his right already had the five knives on.

'Oh great' Halibel thought. 'As if he needed any encouragement.'

A.N. All right. Hope y'all had a Happy Halloween. Originally, this chapter was going to be released then…hence the Omake with Freddy Krueger…but life happened. Sorry for the delay.

As for the Chapter itself…I wanted to focus more on set-up, while also revealing more of Poseidon's forces. To sum up, we have Hecate, the Greek Goddess of Magic…who'll definitely be playing the biggest role out of everyone introduced here. Circe…the witch from the Odyssey who turned men into pigs…who I've also given a massive boost by bringing that shapeshifting magic to its logical conclusion. And Thorn the Manticore...also from classic Greek and Persian myth. For the latter two, I took some inspiration from Percy Jackson's version…scratch that, they are one and the same. So yeah…I'll be bringing in more Percy Jackson as I go along…so watch out for that.

While I was eager to show Sanji, Mira, Sato, and Silver in action…I felt that time was needed to flesh out this location and the villains. Rest assured, they'll get their fair share of action starting next chapter. Also eager to show Sasori's first one-on-one in this fic.

Also loved bringing in more Shark Summons. The Wobbegongs are definitely favorites of mine…they look so cool. As for names, I just took the Japanese words for illusion and picture. Yeah…I know…real inventive.

Let me know what y'all think. Again, thank you for all the Review, Favorites, and Follows. I can't believe that my insanity has earned me more than 50 of all those.

RE: Michael Dorsey…Odd is certainly a word for it. You wouldn't believe the looks I got when I said my story had Ninjas, Hollows, Pirates, Wizards, Quirky Heroes, Benders, Gods, and Davy Freakin' Jones. Still, appreciate the compliments. As for Godzilla…if I include him or any other Kaiju…it'll most likely be as part of the 'endgame' when the heroes and final villains are throwing everything they have at each other. Again, thanks for the Review!

Til Next Time…Have Fun!