Gasu Gasu No Mi

At the lake in the center of Punk Hazard, Zoro's team watches the creature now known as Slime. Brook announces, "I BELIEVE THE NAME OF THAT MONSTER IS... 'SLIME'! I HAVE READ ABOUT IT ONCE IN A BOOK!! THE SLIME IS AN INDECENT CREATURE..." His imagination runs wild: "IT LOVES ABOVE ALL ELSE TO ATTACK WOMEN, AND ITS FLUIDS HAVE THE POWER TO DISSOLVE CLOTHING WHILE LEAVING THE BODY INTACT!!" Nami immediately demands the book: "HUH?! WHO CAME UP WITH SUCH A CONVENIENT MONSTER?! C... CAN I BORROW THAT BOOK SOMETIME?!!" Brook says, "L-LIKEWISE...!!!" while Zoro cuts through the fantasy: "DON'T BE STUPID. TAKE A BETTER LOOK." The lake itself is turning deadly. Brook admits, "I DON'T KNOW ABOUT DISSOLVING CLOTHES..." but warns that simply touching the stuff is dangerous: "SEE WHERE ITS FLUIDS ARE DRIPPING INTO THE LAKE? ALL THE FISH ARE DYING ONE AFTER ANOTHER!" Nami understands the danger: "IT'S LIKE THE THING'S MADE OUT OF PURE POISON...!!!" and "OH, NO... IF WE DON'T ACT SOON, THIS WHOLE LAKE WILL BE DEADLY...!!"

Sanji, still using Nami's body, chooses the risk anyway. Brook asks, "A... ARE YOU REALLY GOING TO GO? SANJI-SAN...!!" Sanji answers, "I CAN'T DO NOTHING!! THIS IS MY PROBLEM TO DEAL WITH!!! IF I DON'T DO THIS, HOW CAN I CALL MYSELF A MAN?!" Then he apologizes to Nami's body: "I'M SORRY, NAMI-SAN...!!" He dives into the freezing lake because, as he says, "BUT I'M THE BEST SWIMMER IN THIS WHOLE CREW!! I'LL MAKE SURE I RETURN BEFORE ANY HARM COMES TO YOUR BEAUTIFUL BODY!!!" He calls back, "YOU GUYS DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE SLIMES ON THE SHORE!!" and splashes down. From underwater he immediately feels the cold: "UGH...!!! IT'S BEYOND FREEZING DOWN HERE!!!" Kin'emon's legs can only wonder, "WHERE IS THAT GUY'S DAMN BODY...?!!"

Inside Caesar's laboratory, Law's team finds the room empty. Chopper says, "NOBODY'S HERE BUT MONE... THIS COULD BE OUR LUCKY DAY..." Monet tells them, "...IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THE MASTER, HE'S NOT HERE." Law notices Caesar's absence: "I SEE. WHERE'S HE GONE?" Monet answers that he may have gone to observe the battle outside, and Chopper mutters, "WHO CAN SAY? HE CAN BE EVER SO TWISTED..." Law decides his own time on the island is nearly over: "I'VE HAD PLENTY OF TIME NOW TO INVESTIGATE THIS ISLAND. I THINK SOON IT MIGHT BE TIME FOR ME TO LEAVE." Monet smiles politely: "OH? WE WILL BE SORRY TO SEE YOU GO."

Law asks Monet for a favor: "I WAS WONDERING IF YOU MIGHT LEND ME YOUR ABILITY FOR A SMALL TASK... WOULD YOU COME WITH ME FOR A MOMENT?" Monet, amused, raises a finger and says, "OH, MY. A DATE? HOW LOVELY!" Law tells her, "NO NEED TO GET SO UPTIGHT. SO, WHAT'S THE TASK?" Chopper, hidden in the bag, realizes what Law is doing: "...THAT MUST BE THE BIRD-LADY USOPP WAS TALKING ABOUT...!!" Monet agrees because she is bored: "VERY WELL, THEN. I WAS FEELING BORED ANYWAY." Law says only, "YOU'LL SEE WHEN WE GET THERE." With that, he leads Monet away from the lab, creating the opening Chopper needs.

Back at Caesar's research lab main entrance, Luffy has Caesar by the neck. Caesar snarls, "WHY, YOU..." while his men panic around the ship. Someone shouts, "GET OFF ME, YOU FILTHY BOY!!!" and the followers cry, "GET AWAY FROM OUR MASTER!!!" and "THAT LITTLE... STRAW HAT!!!" They aim guns and rush to protect Caesar, but Luffy's grip holds. The abduction plan has reached its first visible success: Luffy is physically holding the "Master" in front of his own subordinates.

Brownbeard marvels at what he is seeing: "SO THAT'S THE POWER OF HAKI!! LUFFY'S PRETTY AMAZING, HUH?! HE'S HOLDING RIGHT ONTO A LOGIA FRUIT USER!!" Robin explains the limit clearly: "BUT ARMAMENT HAKI ONLY ALLOWS THE USER TO GRASP THE ENEMY'S TRUE FORM. IT'S NOT THE SAME AS THE POWER OF THE SEA, OR KAIROUSEKI... IT CAN'T ACTUALLY PREVENT THE ENEMY FROM USING HIS POWERS...!!" Caesar proves that immediately. Luffy stretches his arm for "GOMU GOMU NO..." but Caesar transforms into gas and counters with "KARAKUNI!!" Luffy is blown back and the attack slams through the area with a "BONG!"

Caesar fully shows the danger of the Gasu Gasu no Mi. He spreads into smoke and strikes with "Gas Robe!!" then winds his gas around Luffy while another blast erupts with "BABAHH." Luffy is caught in the swirling gas and cries, "UNGH HHHH HHH!!" Caesar laughs, "SHURORORORO!!! GO ON NOW, BREATHE IT IN!!" He boasts, "OVER THE COURSE OF MY EXPERIMENTS, I HAVE INCREASED THE DEADLINESS OF MY GAS TO UNFATHOMABLE" levels, forcing Luffy into a direct contest not just with a body, but with the air around him.

The onlookers believe Luffy has doomed himself. A Marine says, "HE JUST SUCKED IN ALL OF THE MASTER'S POISONOUS GAS!!" and another concludes, "HE'S DEAD FOR SURE!!" Caesar expects the same. Luffy's face bulges as he holds the gas in his lungs, and the crowd screams, "EEEEHHHHHHHHH?!!" But Luffy has already fought poison before. He coughs and says, "I GUESS POISON DOESN'T REALLY DO MUCH TO ME ANY MORE!" then adds, "I BET I CAN THANK MAGELLAN FOR THAT!!" Caesar bristles at the comparison: "MAGELLAN? THAT POISON-SPEWING MAN FROM IMPEL DOWN...? DON'T PUT ME ON THE SAME LEVEL AS A MERE PARAMECIA -"

Luffy interrupts Caesar's pride with "JET MACE!!" and slams him hard enough that the followers cry, "MASTER!!" Caesar's men are stunned: "WHY, THAT LITTLE... HOW DARE HE DO THAT TO OUR MASTER?!" and "DON'T INTERFERE, WEAKLINGS!!!" Luffy keeps pressing, beginning another "GOMU GOMU NO...!!" The followers hesitate, wondering, "W... WEAKLINGS...?" and "HUH?! NAH, MUST'VE HEARD WRONG," but Caesar's arrogance has already turned their rescue into humiliation.

Luffy follows with "GESHANK!!" and blasts Caesar again, but Caesar immediately commands the Slime pieces: "WRAP YOURSELVES AROUND STRAW HAT!!!" The black blobs obey. The followers cry, "WHAT?! WHY ARE THESE THINGS OBEYING OUR MASTER'S ORDERS...?" Caesar orders, "FLY!!" and then, "SHURORO!! BLOW HIM APART!!" Brownbeard warns, "LUFFY!! WATCH OUT!! THOSE THINGS ARE SUPER-EXPLOSIVE -" The Slime sticks to Luffy with "STICK" sounds, turning Caesar's creature into a living explosive trap.

Caesar uses "JET STAMP!!" and drives the explosive slime into Luffy, setting off a massive blast that engulfs the area. Luffy barely reacts in time, saying, "WHEW... THAT WAS CLOSE! WHAT A HUGE EXPLOSION!" as Caesar laughs, "SHURORORORORO...!!!" The explosion rips across the entrance with a huge "BASTANK!!!" Everyone nearby is blown back by the shockwave, while Luffy, Robin, Brownbeard, and the Marines stare through the smoke at the scale of the blast.

Luffy breaks through and finally grabs Caesar properly. Caesar's followers scream, "HUH?!! MASTER?!" while Luffy pins him down and says, "ALL RIGHT!!! THIS TIME I REALLY HAVE GOT YOU!!!" Brownbeard is impressed: "ALL RIGHT!! HE ACTUALLY MANAGED TO ESCAPE!!! DAMN, HE'S FAST!!" Robin calmly says, "PHEW." Luffy asks for a way to secure Caesar: "ROBIN!! FRANKY!! DO WE HAVE ANYTHING TO PUT THIS GUY INSIDE?!! HE'S A LOGIA, SO WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO SQUEEZE HIM INTO SOMETHING!! ANY BARRELS AROUND HERE...?" The Marines rush in with their own claim: "NOW HOLD ON A MOMENT, STRAW HAT!! IT'S THE MARINES OF G-5 WHO ARE GOING TO TAKE THAT MAN INTO CUSTODY, AND YOU'RE UNDER ARREST TOO!!!"

For a moment Caesar seems beaten, but then Luffy suddenly buckles. He gasps, "AHH!!" and Caesar says, "DEAR ME..." Luffy and Brownbeard collapse as Caesar reforms in a towering gas shape and says, "YOU PEOPLE TAKE ME TOO LIGHTLY..." Robin calls, "LUFFY?!" and then, "LUFFY!!!" while Zoro, watching from nearby, shouts, "STRAW HAT!!" The others do not understand what happened: "WHAT JUST HAPPENED TO HIM...?" Caesar only laughs, "SHURORORORO..." Luffy has not been defeated by a punch, but by something Caesar did to the air itself.

Back inside Caesar's research facility, Law's team suddenly senses danger. Monet lands in the corridor and asks, "LAW...? WHAT'S WRONG?" Law is bent over, panting, and she says, "HOW TERRIBLE... YOU SEEM TO BE IN PAIN..." Chopper, still hidden, wonders, "WHO'S THERE...?" and then realizes, "I CAN TELL YOU'RE THERE... WHO ARE YOU?!!" A dark figure steps from the hall and says, "IT'S ME." Law, barely able to move, recognizes the presence before seeing the face.

Law collapses to the floor, panting and in pain, while Monet watches with a pleased smile. The newcomer stands over him in silhouette. Law demands, "WHAT THE HELL... *PANT* ARE YOU DOING HERE...?!!" The figure answers from the hallway, "HOW MANY YEARS HAS IT BEEN...? HOW YOU'VE GROWN, LAW." The chapter ends on that recognition: a man from Law's past has appeared inside Caesar's facility, and his presence alone is enough to bring Law to his knees.

No description for this page.