Luffy and Celestia eventually found signs of life. Ponies were filing towards the center of town while chattering about the public trial. Following the crowd, they came to the edge of the town square, but with the throng of ponies it was impossible to see what the crowd was gathered for.
“Tia, can you see anything from my shoulders?” Luffy asked, looking back at the filly.
She shook her head, a frown on her face. “Just a bit of what looks like some platforms, there’s too many ponies here to see everything.”
Luffy’s eyes lit up, an idea forming in his head. “Yeah, I bet everypony in town is here. Hang on tight, Tia.” Before she could even ask what he was thinking, Luffy stretched out his arms and grabbed a nearby roof. In an instant he retracted his arms and used the momentum to hop onto the roof. “There we go, now we can see the whole crowd. Your folks should be down there somewhere.”
Celestia didn't respond, still trying to wrap her head around what just happened. "H-how did you do that? I've never seen magic like that before."
"That wasn't magic, I ate a devil fruit and now I have a rubber body." Luffy pulled on the corner of his mouth to demonstrate. "Now, what do your folks look like so I can help you find 'em?"
Celestia described them both, her father sharing her white coat with a short, deep red mane and her mother had a navy blue coat with a lilac colored mane that went down to her shoulders. Between the two of them, it was quick work finding her parents. The couple seemed to be pleading with a guard who had a sympathetic look, but seemed to be unmoving.
Hopping off the roof, Luffy cut around the crowd and pushed his way towards the distressed parents. "Excuse me, does this pony happen to belong to you?" He asked, grinning and holding out the foal in question.
The couple recoiled at his appearance for a moment, allowing Luffy to see an infant in the mother's arms with very similar colors to her. When they finally did notice who he was holding, joy overtook them and the father scrambled to scoop her into his arms.
"Thank you sir," he stated, hugging the filly tight. "When the caravan wouldn't turn around in the storm, we feared the worst."
Luffy waved off the thanks, a grin on his face. “No need to thank me, she led me to town so we can call it even.” Before the stallion could argue further, he turned and ducked away into a nearby alley. Once he was out of sight he pulled himself onto another roof to get a good view of the trial. A round of trumpets blared, signaling the start of the proceedings.
A lavender pegasus mare led out by a pair of unicorn guards by a chain attached to the shackles on her hands. Her long, navy mane was disheveled, hanging limply around her with bits of it sticking up and obstructing her eyes. Her wings were chained to her back, the metal appearing to dig uncomfortably into the appendages. She was pulled forward and left to stand on the lower of the platforms. Even with the shackles in place, her well developed muscles were plain to see.
“Ooh, she looks crazy strong,” Luffy said to himself, watching as the mare knelt on the platform.
Another trumpet blast echoed across the square, a crier stepped forward with a parchment unfurled “Hear ye town of Platinum. We stand in attendance to the trial of Minerva Gale. She stands accused of raising her arms against a fellow guard. The honorable Count Shadowmark presides.”
The trumpets sounded again, a procession leading an opulently dressed unicorn stallion onto the larger platform. A pair of earth ponies brought out what could only be called a throne and carried it onto the platform for him to sit over the trial.
The grey stallion sat upon his throne, smoothing out his fineries before an aura appeared around his horn and throat as he spoke. "Never let it be said that I am not a fair ruler. Miss Gale, do you confirm that you raised your swords against your fellow town guard?"
"I cannot deny that," Minerva answered, her voice even as her answer. "But if I may ex-”
"So your plea is guilty." Shadowmark's lip curled in a smirk. "I am aware of no circumstance where a guard can turn their weapons on a fellow guard legally."
Luffy frowned, the words of the Count not sitting right with him. Glancing over at Minerva, he could see her rage was muted, as if she’d seen this coming before the trial had begun.
“With an admission of guilt I have no choice but to lay down judgment. Minerva Gale will be executed in three days time. She will not get the honor of being buried in the cemetery reserved for guards." Grabbing a gavel from within his smokey blue shirt, he banged it against the arm of his throne.
A hush fell over the crowd, a tension palpable within some of those closest to the platform. A colt rushed forward, tears streaming down his face.
"You can't do that!" The colt cried, his mother pulling him to her chest before he could rush either of the platforms. "She was just protecting me!"
"Hush little one," Minerva said, guards leading her off the platform. "This is merely my fate. I have no place here." Her tone fell hollow at that last sentence, but she refused to do anything but look forward as she was led away.
The colt continued to cry out, but Minerva refused to speak further as his mother offered what comfort she could.
From his perch on the roof, Luffy tracked Minerva's path, memorizing every turn as best he could. With that done, he jumped down from the roof and nodded to himself. He quickly traced the path Minerva had been taken on, stopping at what he assumed was the town's equivalent of a jail. He walked inside, finding a lone unicorn guard at a desk manning the place.
The unicorn stood up, holding out a hand to halt Luffy. "Sir, nopony can visit the cells at this time."
"Can't you make an exception? I just wanna have a quick chat with Minerva."
The unicorn let his horn light up in a final warning. "Sir, please exit or I'll use force."
Sighing, Luffy reared his arm back and punched the unicorn in the face, his arm stretching across the room. The guard could only let out a pitiful squeak before crumpling to the floor.
"I really wanted to do this the easy way." Luffy approached the unmoving guard, dragging him over to the desk. With a little work, he made the guard look like he was peacefully sleeping while taking the keys on his hips. "Sleep well, buddy. Just gonna borrow these."
Whistling to himself, Luffy moved into the back where the cells were. All of them were empty save for the one in the far right corner. Her icy blue eyes were already on him, not looking away for an instant as he approached.
"Hi there, I'm Monkey D. Luffy! You can just call me Luffy though. Is it okay if we talk for a bit?" He took a seat in front of the cell, grinning at her.
"I was under the impression I wasn't allowed any visitors. Even unique ones such as yourself." Minerva had a knowing tone, glancing towards the door separating the cells and the office area.
Luffy chuckled, scratching at his cheek. "I think that guard was saying something about that before he randomly took a nap."
"How odd, I've never known Sable to take naps while on duty." A smirk grew across the mare's lips.
Luffy shrugged, his grin not wavering. "Don't know what to tell ya. Anyway, do you mind telling me the whole story of why you're in here?"
"Were you not there at the trial? The story was laid out quite plainly." Her wry smirk grew across her lips as she studied Luffy. "Though given the trouble you're going through I doubt you'd let me leave it at that."
Taking a calming breath, Minerva told her story.
Minerva walked into Captain Striker’s office with the stern neutrality expected of her station. She had adjusted the straps on her armor several times before attempting to enter. She knew where she stood amongst the mostly unicorn guard so avoiding any potential criticism was second nature.
Crossing the threshold, Minerva snapped a salute and went into attention. "Sergeant Gale, responding to your summons, Captain."
"At ease, Gale," Striker replied, not looking up from his paperwork. "We've got a new recruit and you're going to act as his training for patrol duty.”
Minerva suppressed an outward reaction but couldn’t stop herself from asking, “I thought Mist was in charge of training the fresh recruits, sir?”
Pinching his brow, Striker let out an exasperated sigh. “She is, but she’s on medical leave at the moment. Word from the doctor is that she’ll be out for at least a couple weeks. And since your performance is the best, you’re gonna act as her substitute for the time being. There's just one recruit ready for patrol duty. Should be dirt simple, even for somepony without a mind for spells."
Minerva bit the inside of her cheek. Comments like those were all too common from her superiors. That particular one was rather tame really. It at least lacked the sting of malice.
"Very well, Sir. When do I start duty?"
Finally, Striker looked up and pushed away from his desk. "You're starting today. Opening the door, he poked his head out. Shadowbolt, you can come in now."
A young unicorn stallion walked into the room. If he had seen eighteen winters Minerva would be shocked. The thing that stood out immediately was how gaudy his armor was. Rather than the standard leather armor his was a polished black with gold leafing all across it in spiraling patterns. A short cape was draped along his right shoulder in a rich purple that matched his fur. His amber eyes scanned his surroundings with thinly veiled disgust.
"Shadowbolt, you're going to be learning from Miss Gale here. We're expecting great things from you."
“I’m looking forward to it.”
That might’ve sounded convincing if the whelp had even bothered to glance Minerva’s way as he said it. She had a feeling she was going to need to make a trip to the apothecary once her shift was over.
Snapping a salute, Minerva exited the office with Shadowbolt in tow to begin her patrol. Putting her feelings aside, the pegasus offered her best advice on how to perform the duty. Tips on how to scan one's surroundings without too much eye movement along with subtle sounds to be mindful of.
If Shadowbolt was listening at all he made no show of it. He walked several steps behind her and paid more mind to his own armor than the streets. When asked directly to repeat her lessons he gave half-heart facsimiles of her points.
The headache she'd predicted was coming in strong and the day wasn't even halfway over. Minerva was about to offer a silent prayer when the surprised yelp of a foal caused her to look behind her.
A colt no older than eight rubbed his muzzle as he sat at Shadowbolt's hooves. Further down the street a ball was bouncing, making it obvious to figure out what had just happened.
Before Minerva could help the foal up Shadowbolt snapped with, "Damn whelp! Are you trying to assault a guard?!"
The colt squeaked, unable to form words as panic filled him. Shadowbolt took umbrage with that, drawing his sword from his hip.
"No excuse then? Very well, the punishment for assault on a guard is execution!"
"Put your weapon away!" Minerva snapped, her wings flaring out behind her. Again, Shadowbolt ignored her and raised his sword. "That's an order, Recruit!"
"I cannot follow that order. A law has been violated and thus action must be taken."
Minerva wanted to argue but the rookie brought his sword down. The colt closed his eyes, fear freezing him in place as he awaited his fate. The sudden clashing of metal and a solid thunk made the colt dare to look.
What he found was Minerva pointing a gladius at Shadowbolt while his own blade was buried in the street. Despite being disarmed, a smirk crossed the rookie's face.
"I need backup! Somepony has raised their sword against a fellow guard!"
Clicking her tongue, Minerva sheathed her gladius. A few minutes later another pair of guards appeared on the scene and listened to Shadowbolt's testimony. Not long after Minerva was clapped in irons.
Shadowbolt approached her, venom oozing from his gaze. "I can't wait for my uncle Shadowmark to pass judgement on you. You never would amount to much as a guard, but maybe those feathers will make decent down for my pillow."
Minerva was dragged away, the colt that started the whole incident finally breaking down in sobs as he processed what happened. Shadowbolt ignored the colt, trying and failing to pull his sword free with his arms. Minerva allowed a small grin to play across her lips as the rookie was forced to light up his horn.
Luffy crossed his arms, nodding sagely as the story came to a close. "So the Count's nephew joined the guard, got assigned to you for training, caused a commotion that forced you to technically commit a crime and lock you up. But that foal is free and clear?" He inquired, a conspiratorial edge to his tone.
Minerva nodded, a faint smile playing across her muzzle at the question. "Yes, I suppose it's fairly obvious what it all means."
"Yup, the guards here are really incompetent."
"How dense can you be?!" Just as quickly as the outburst came, Minerva's mask of calm returned as she cleared her throat. "I mean, no. The evidence points to me being set up."
Laughing at the outburst, the rubber man threw his head back. "That makes way more sense! But why would the Count want to set you up?"
Minerva moved a wing in front of her, seeming to be studying her feathers. "An outsider such as yourself may not be able to see it, but the unification of ponies is tentative at best. Old tribal attitudes flee from death like a roach exposed to the sun."
Giving her wings a flap, she let them settle on her back before continuing. "I was sent to this town as part of a measure by the Council of the Three Tribes to promote intermingling between all pony kinds. The Count was expecting a weather pony when I was sent over to this town. However, I am unable to perform such a duty."
Tilting his head, Luffy tried to parse out the concepts she was talking about. The council thing was simple enough but what about weatherpony? "Why couldn't you be a weatherpony?"
"I was born with a deformation. My wings cannot lift me up no matter how hard I flap. Many a doctor have come to the same conclusion; my wings are situated within my body in such a way that there is no way for me to fly. And that means I cannot reach clouds to shape them for the weather."
Reaching back, she ran her fingers through her feathers. "With wing strength not being an issue, a thought occurred to me; why not affix blades to my wings and master what few would dare to dream of, a four sword style. I've devoted myself to my physical training. So when I came to this town and outperformed my unicorn peers, I believe the Count took this as a slight."
Hearing her story, thoughts swirled like a storm in Luffy's mind. It was hard to sort out which to address first. One one hand, he'd had a bad feeling about the Count and Minerva's story only confirmed it. On the other though, four sword style sounded amazing! Nodding, Luffy met the pegasus's gaze with his own. "That settles it, I want you to join my crew!" Jumping to his feet, Luffy held up the cell keys.
"Your crew?" Minerva repeated, unable to get a read on the man before her. One moment appearing serious, the next jumping like a foal with a new toy.
"Yeah, I'm making a pirate crew and someone like you is perfect for it!"
Minerva's expression twisted, staring daggers at the rubber man and testing the strength of her chains. "I would never join a pirate crew! I'm a guardsmare! I've sworn to protect ponies, not pillage and plunder from them!"
Luffy chuckled, putting his hands on the bars. "That's not the kind of pirate crew I wanna make. I wanna travel, see what the world has to offer and find things other people have never seen! You'd be able to find sword fighters to test your skills against! If we're lucky, we might even find lost treasure!" His eyes lit up as he spoke, threatening to bounce out of his skin. "I hope we come across a haunted hoard."
Minerva stared at the would-be pirate in gaping disbelief. There was no way someone could have such innocent intentions. No. Studying his face, the guard could only find pure curiosity and wonder. Slumping in her chains, she could only laugh. "It seems a fool has crossed my path. Consider my interest piqued. I wish to see what kind of pirate you aspire to be. If you can find my swords and clothes in the barracks, then I will accompany you." Sensing his eagerness, she gave a hasty explanation on where to find the barracks.
"Is that all?! I'll be back before you know it!" Stashing the keys away, Luffy zipped out the door.
Seeing a cloak hanging up on a clothesline, Luffy grabbed it as an idea popped into his head. Throwing it on, he followed the directions Minerva had given him. Once the barracks were in sight, he slowed down to a casual walk.
Pulling himself onto a nearby roof, Luffy stared at the guards at the gate. "They probably would ask me for proof if I said the Count asked me to clean out her stuff." Sitting on the roof, he thought for a brief moment. Jumping up, he studied the twin barracks buildings, seeing that the one on the right had a couple mares exit.
Grabbing the roof of the building he was on, he pulled himself back like a slingshot. Once he let go, he sucked in a deep breath to let his head inflate. Once it was five times its original size, he slowly floated over to his target.
Once he landed, Luffy let the air out in one big blow. Wobbling for a moment, he quickly regained his balance and hopped down out of sight. He quickly looped around, only to be stopped at the door by a female guard.
“What is your purpose here?” She asked, blocking the door with her spear.
“I’m on orders from the Count to clean out Minerva’s belongings,” Luffy said, holding onto his cloak.
“Please present your work order,” the guard asked, holding out her free hand.
“I already gave it to the guard at the gate,” Luffy said, pointing behind him.
“And I’m asking to see it now,” the guard insisted, irritation creeping into her voice.
Silence hung in the air as the two stared at each other. Luffy hadn’t seen this coming. Between his disguise and avoiding the front gate it all seemed like the perfect plan. He’d need to call upon all of his wit to come up with a solution.
“Is that a dragon?!” Luffy shouted, pointing to the sky.
“What?! A dragon!” The guard actually turned to look, moving her spear away from the door as she readied for battle. Other guards within earshot also turned their attention skyward, scanning for the imaginary dragon.
Seizing the opportunity, Luffy slipped into the barracks and quietly closed the door behind him. Given the time of day, the building was currently empty, leaving him free to try and find Minerva’s things. With a quick glance, he was able to find four two swords and something he didn’t recognize leaning against a small dresser by a bunk.
Going over to the bed, he picked up the object he didn’t recognize. It had two sections, with an open space on the inside like it was made to cover something. The outer edge had a lovely glint to it, promising just how sharp it was.The two swords were basically identical to one another with a simple double-edged iron blade, a hilt wrapped in tightly woven white cloth and a rounded crossguard. Etched into the crossguard of both was a design of a cloud that wisped off at the end like it was being blown in a heavy wind and five raindrops falling from it.
Putting the swords down on the bunk, he removed his cloak and opened the dresser. Hastily pulling out all the clothes he could get his hands on, he tossed them onto the cloak and tied the bundle off. Hefting the bundle over his shoulder, he tried to find an exit route.
Turning his attention to the ceiling, he grinned as he spotted a skylight. Setting the bundle down, he grabbed the empty dresser and chucked it through the skylight.
The door to the barracks swung open before the glass even finished falling. Four guards poured into the room but Luffy was already rocketing out the building with the bundle in tow. Landing on the roof he had to duck as a bolt of blue energy whizzed through the air where his head had been a moment ago.
"W-was that magic?! Luffy cried, running across the roof as more beams whizzed by him. "This world is so cool!"
Stretching his arm out. Luffy grabbed another roof and pulled himself onto it. Dashing along the rooftops, Luffy dodged a hail of incoming arrows and bolts of magic.
The unicorn in the jail slowly roused, rubbing at his sore head. "What the tartarus happened?" Standing up, the guard walked around his desk as he tried to gather his memories. Before he could dwell on the matter for even a moment, the door flew off its hinges.
Splinters danced along the air as the door turned projectile collided with the guard and sent him crashing into the wall behind him. Groaning, the guard caught a glimpse of furless legs running by as the embrace of unconsciousness claimed him once more.
Luffy ducked into the cell area, skidding to a stop in front of Minerva. Hastily opening the cell, he handed off the bundle.
"We've gotta get a move on! The guards are chasing me!"
Slipping two of the blades into their proper resting place on her wings, the mare chuckled. "Somehow I knew stealth was going to be out of the question." Once the pair of swords rested on her hips, she stepped out of the cell.
"It's not my fault!" Luffy pouted, heading to the exit. “How was I supposed to know they’d ask to see a work order once I snuck past the gate?!"
Minerva held her tongue, not wanting to dishearten her newfound captain any further. "Then perhaps stealth is something we should avoid in the future?" Following close behind, she tied the bundle to her back to keep her hands and wings free.
"Totally!" Luffy chirped in agreement.
The two emerged onto the street, a nearby guard shouted, causing others to swarm and surround them. “Halt!” One of the guards in the crowd shouted, the assembled ponies readying their weapons.
Sighing, Minerva drew her pair of swords and flared her wings. ”Captain, permission to engage?”
“Yup, just try not to kill them. You take the ones blocking the way out of the city, and I’ll take the ones behind us!”
Nodding, Minerva dashed forward in a blur, slicing through the shaft of a guard’s spear with one sword while knocking him out with the pommel of the other. Before the stallion even hit the ground, she moved on to engage the next opponent.
Cracking his knuckles, Luffy eyed the crowd before him. Bringing his leg back he shouted, “Gum Gum Whip!” before sweeping his leg out and having it stretch towards the wall of armed ponies. The rubber limb bowled over the guards like pins, sending them to the ground in a tangle of armor.
The crowd recoiled as the limb snapped back into place. "He's eaten one of the cursed fruits!" A voice cried out, hidden among the sea of ponies. "The legends are true!"
“Don’t let that scare you! You’ve got horns, use them!” Another stallion barked.
The order revitalized the assembled guards, a volley of multicolored spells arcing towards Luffy. The rubber man Stretched his arm out, zipping up towards the roof to avoid the magic. From his vantage point he could see that most eyes were on him and not Minerva.
Grinning, he threw his head back and let out a villainous laugh. "That's right! I ate a cursed fruit! Glorious power is at my disposal! Even all of you together could not hope to defeat me!"
Luffy's proclamation had just finished when the sky was blotted out by a volley of arrows and magic bolts. Hopping down from the roof, he avoided the storm. Landing in an alley, he grabbed two buildings and stretched his arms.
"Gum-Gum Rocket!" Luffy called out once his back hit the end of the alley.
Zipping forward Luffy collided with the wall of ponies, knocking them over before crashing through the wall of a house. Standing up, Luffy found a family staring slack jawed at him as they sat at a dinner table. Waving at them, he chuckled.
"Sorry, thought the guards would stop me better than that. Anyone hurt?"
"No, we're fine," the mare said, relaxing visibly while warily eyeing the rubber man.
Sighing in relief, Luffy turned on a heel, a basket of bread catching his eye. "Do you mind if I have a piece?”
“Uh, go ahead," the father said, floating a roll over to Luffy with a quick bit of magic.
"Thank you!" Luffy chirped as he stuffed the bread into his mouth and dashed out the hole he made.
"Luffy!" Minerva called once he was back in the street. Behind her was a clear path out of the village. “Your distraction worked, let’s go!”
Luffy bolted, Minerva at his side as the open countryside grew in their view. “Nice job, Minnie! Can’t believe you opened us up a path that quick."
"It was quite easy. Your distraction played off their superstition beautifully. Quite the clever ploy, Captain."
Blinking owlishly, a blank stare overtook the captain. "What're you talking about? I just thought it'd be funny to scare those guys."
A distant sound of glass breaking could be heard from the direction of the swordsmare, pure incredulity overtaking her features. "You cannot possibly expect me to be-"
Her sentence was cut off by the pair slamming into something. Stepping back they found themselves face to face with a translucent, shimmering royal purple wall.
"Never in my wildest dreams did I expect that Minerva Gale would betray her honor by attempting to flee her sentence~" A voice rang out, causing them to turn around.
Floating several feet above the air with an aura the same color as the wall that had blocked their path was Shadowmark.
"Why do you care what Minerva does?!" Luffy snapped, pointing at the Count. "You're getting what you wanted! Minerva's leaving so your guys won't look bad anymore! No one's been seriously hurt so just let us go."
"Is this the kind of company you keep, hairless apes?" The Count questioned, pointedly ignoring Luffy.
"Now that I am no longer in your service I believe I should be candid with you,” Minerva started, bringing her wings in front of herself. “Piss off you spoiled, tribalist lout. I'm leaving this town to see how far my skills with the blade can take me."
"The answer is going to disappoint you." Magic hummed around the unicorn's horn.
Balling his fists, Luffy's mask slipped and a fierce glare was leveled at the noble. "I'm tired of your attitude. I thought I left entitled pricks like you back in my old world. Minerva! Let's kick his ass!" Luffy charged forward, his eyes glued to the floating pony.
Shadowmark laughed, lazily floating up higher. "And how do you suppose you'll reach me?"
"Gum-Gum Pistol!" Luffy cried, his punch stretching out towards the Count. The unicorn’s eyes widened at the oncoming attack. Just before Luffy’s fist could make contact with the noble’s snout, a barrier popped into existence. The force of the blow was enough to knock the Count back several feet in the air.
“Hurricane Waltz!” Minerva boomed, Using her whole body to slash with all four blades in a fluid motion. A barely visible, razor thin wave of air pressure flew out from the mare's swords, slamming into the bubble Shadowmark had enclosed himself in.
Gritting his teeth, Shadowmark looked down on the two as he trembled with barely contained fury. A cold darkness crept into his gaze. "I see, so the ape has eaten a Tartarus Fruit. And the flightless bird has found a way to reach the sky." Straightening out his clothes, the unicorn grabbed his wrist to stop his shaking. A wicked grin split his muzzle and his eyes focused on Luffy. "But we unicorns have proposed a way to quickly deal with you cursed beings."
A ball of light concentrated on the end of the Count's horn. Before Luffy could wonder what he meant, droplets of water started to swirl around him. The rubber man tried to run, but the drops zeroed in on him and in a matter of moments a reverse diver's helmet of pure water fixed itself to Luffy's head. An involuntary gasp escaped his mouth, letting the taste of salt assault his tongue.
On reflex Luffy slumped, his limbs going limp. After a second, he blinked and righted himself. Rearing his arm back he flung another punch at the noble.
Before Shadowmark could react Minerva put herself directly under the Count. She started flapping her wings kicking up powerful winds. Once the wind picked up she started to spin the swords in her hands like a propeller to give the winds more shape.
"Tornado Tango!" True to its name, a tornado formed from the pegasus’s attack, catching Shadowmark within it. The Count’s shield ping ponged around the tornado, his body twisting into uncomfortable positions within the bubble.
At some point Shadowmark's concentration faltered and the orb of water surrounding Luffy's head collapsed, soaking his clothes. Sucking in lungfuls of air, the rubber man watched his new crewmate's display.
Spreading out his limbs, the Count put a stop to his tumbling. The glow around his horn grew and a deluge of magic bolts rushed down towards Minerva's head. She stopped the movements of her blades and moved in a serpentine motion to deftly dodge the magical storm.
Shadowmark's horn glowed even brighter, even more bolts of magic coming down and forcing Luffy to begin weaving to avoid the spells. Despite his best efforts, a few of the blasts grazed his body.
Gritting his teeth, Luffy ignored the smell of singed hair and skin as he stretched his arm out towards the Count's shield. His arm wrapped around the shield a few times, his body being buffeted by spells. Bracing his lasso arm, the rubber man strained and attempted an over the shoulder throw. With a roar of effort, Luffy brought the Count down, a cloud of dust bursting upward as the shield made contact with the dirt road.
Luffy wrapped his other arm around the barrier, stomping his feet into the ground to act as an anchor and keep the Count from floating away.
Capitalizing on the opening, Minerva came in, bringing all four blades down in a series of flowing strikes. "Squall Samba!" She boomed, practically pirouetting around the shield in a blur of motion the swordsmare made look effortless.
Against the assault, Shadowmark could only watch in horror as his barrier shattered like glass, shards of it dancing in air for a brief moment before dissipating in fading sparkles.
The feedback from the spell's forced failure left the Count stunned, his body stiff as his eyes glazed slightly.
With the barrier gone, Luffy's arms snapped back to his sides. The next moment, he threw his arms out behind him, letting them stretch as far as they could. Taking a knee, Luffy launched his final attack. "Gum-Gum Bazooka!" Thrusting his palms into Shadowmark's stomach, the rubber man sent the noble flying until he faded over the horizon.
With his adrenaline fading, Luffy started to fall backwards, only to be caught by Minerva. "That was quite the gamble you made."
"What? No way I'd do that, gambling's dumb," Luffy's eyes were half lidded and his legs were swaying.
Minerva chuckled for a moment before the sound of chatter and rapid hooffalls in the distance cut it short. Hefting Luffy onto her back, she took off and spared the town behind her a glance its way. "Goodbye Platinum, I doubt we'll meet again."
A smile graced her face, thoughts of the future swirling in her mind. The train of thought was interrupted by a loud snore coming from her back.