The Alternative

There was absolutely no way she was eating that piece of poison. And while that may have meant choosing being imprisoned by default, Nami saw it as something else.

"Are you stupid?" she asked, twirling her weapon ready. "What kind of idiot would choose any of the above?"

The Game Master chuckled, then broke into a roaring laughter.

"Gehehehehe! That's right! That's what makes this fun. Seeing prideful women like you break under my feet!"

He tipped his hat, and from the floor rose two piles of slime, shifting and molding until they took on the forms of two familiar men.

The first, a middle-aged clown wearing a red and white striped shirt. His face as ugly as she remembered from their first encounter—Buggy the Clown.

The second, a lanky fellow wearing contrasting blue and white stripes. The glasses over his ugly mug only added to his plain physique, the only thing exceptional about him being the hair sculpture sitting on his head in the shape of the number three, the tip, on fire. This was the former agent of the Baroque Works organization — Mr. 3.

Like the rooms from before, foes from the woman's past were taking physical shape.

"You're not going to face me yourself? She called out at the man watching above.

He replied with a mocking smile. "You have to work your way up before you can face the king."

"BARA BARA CANON!"

"CANDLE LOCK!"

Aimed at the female pirate, the clown's fist shot forward, paired with a whip made of hot wax. However as soon as they touched her body, they passed straight on through. During their banter, Nami had already prepared a mirage duplicate of herself.

"Mirage Tempo, and..."

Just as the fake foes realized that their target wasn't actually there, black clouds then filled the room above them, crackling with electrical energy.

"THUNDER BOLT TEMPO."

Lightning struck down, burning through the two men down to their bones.

"I already know how this room works," Nami scoffed, reappearing on the opposite end of the room. "If you really wanted to capture me, you never should have returned my Climactact."

The Game Master cackled.

"Like I said, you've already been caught long ago."

From the corner of Nami's eye, a white blur lunged at her from the side. Her body twisted to meet it, raising her blue staff just in time to intercept an invisible blade fired from the palm of a brown glove.

CLANG!

"Hahahaa... we missed you~"

Just above her head hovered a ball-shaped man wearing yellow sunglasses. The goat-like horns growing from his head as well as the small white wings on his back were indicative of his Sky-Island background, his laugh just as annoying as she remembered back then.

And if he was here, then his twin must have been...

"Hahaha... You missed~"

With both hands bracing her staff against the man's weight above her, all Nami could do was look down behind her as an identical goat-man pressed his fat hand against the small of her back.

"This time for real... Impact."

From where he touched her soft skin released a violent concussive blast.

"Gah!!"

Nami flew through the air, bouncing off and onto the ground in a messy heap. Her back arched as it felt like a wrecking ball had just tried to rip her upper body off from her legs.

"Hahahaa~ We got you!" The twins, Hotori and Kotori danced hand in hand, obviously proud of their maneuver.

Meanwhile the orange-haired pirate groaned in pain as she tried to gather her bearings as she rolled onto her back. No... she hadn't rolled herself.

The weight of an invisible man was suddenly on top of her, pinning her hands to the side.

"Gurururu... Did that hurt my bride?" growled a voice, a foul stench breathing directly into her face. "Don't worry... We'll make you feel good really soon..."

"AIYE?!"

Nami couldn't stop a yelp of surprise from escaping her throat, as the feeling of a large wet tongue slobbered up over her breasts and across her neck and cheek.

"Back... OFF!" she cried, throwing her knee upward and feeling it connect home.

"Aroo?!"

The invisible man whimpered, and she felt his mass roll away.

She picked herself off the ground, wincing in disgust as she wiped the drool off of her face.

Counting the two charred bodies on the ground, there were now five foes in the room that she had to watch for. Furthermore not knowing this room's limits, there was almost certainly going to be more on the way so long as this continued...

She clenched her empty hands... Empty?

Her eyes blinked in horror as she realized she had dropped her weapon after being thrown across the stage.

And then the floor shook.

Before her eyes heavy blue legs began to walk towards her, slowly molding upwards until they the muscular body of a sawtooth shark-man took shape.

Arlong.

Of every enemy found in her memories, this was the one she dreaded to face the most.

"Shyaahahaha!" his haunting laugh sent shivers down every nerve. "What's wrong Nami? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Six foes now... not including the Game Master. She looked up, seeing him still watching from his pedestal above. If only she could knock him down to earth...

Then there was the matter of her weapon. The round twins Hotori and Kotori continued to dance in circles around it like some sick ritual.

With every second of deliberation, Sawtooth Arlong stepped ever closer. Soon his shadow loomed over her, his sharp teeth fixed in a despicable grin.