x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

  Thomas stretched, letting out a yawn as he uncoiled his body from it's unconscious position on the Merry's deck. He slowly blinked his eyes back to the waking world, trying to wash away the image of that hideous, hideous monster that Nathan turned into. The sooner he scrubbed that from his brain, the better off he would be. He hated bugs by default. If he ever saw that monstrosity again, it would be far, far too soon.

  Then he looked at the scene before him. A giant, easily as big if not bigger than the Mery herself, holding the decapitated head of a dinosaur in a triumphant pose.

  "It looks like you're awake, little human," the giant laughed voice booming through the jungle. Thomas looked to his right and left, Nami and Usopp passed out on the deck right next to him.

  He really wished he hadn't woken up now. Thomas swallowed the ball that had begun to form in his throat.

  x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

  "Well, that was a waste of time," a man said, walking away.

  "What a shame, I was looking forward to picking him off while he was by himself. No matter. If nature wants to take its course, then so be it," a woman shrugged, following after her partner. It was a shame they didn't get to kill the Straw Hat as payback, but alas, nature had other plans. It was one less problem for them.

  Of course, if they had stayed longer, they would have realized things were not as clear-cut as they appeared. If they stayed to observe, they would have noticed its neck begin to bulge, as if someone was pushing against it from the inside. If they remained close enough to hear, they would have heard the sounds of distress of an animal that was about to vomit. Vigorously.

  After all, even nature, as mighty as it was, would have a hard time contending with a Straw Hat Pirate.

  x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

  "Hold still!" Norris shouted, holding the massive cat like animal in a headlock. She was sure it couldn't understand a word she said, and yet, it struggled even more, trying to claw at her with its long claws and get its long, saber-like teeth into her. But she had it in her grasp, and she wasn't letting go for anything.

  It snapped and snarled, failing around in her grasp as she tried to cut off its air supply. Yet, despite the death grip she had on it, still resisted. Norris found herself scowling. Sure, she could keep choking it out, but this was taking far too long as it was. She was going to kill it anyway for food. Might as well make it painless.

  It didn't take much more than that. Even as it slumped to the ground she almost heard something, coming out of the forest. It sounded, suspiciously so, like the scream of a human being.

  Norris took the moment to pause, but nothing followed but the sound of the jungle. Nor did any lights fill the sky.

  Was it possible that there were other people on the island? Not impossible. The island was considered a nature preserve by law and was thus forbidden. Though the island's reputation as a primordial hellhole was enough to ward off most of those traveling the Grand Line.

  Now, all she needed to do was get the tiger back to the Going Merry.

  x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

  I was hanging from the uvula of a Tyrannosaurus Rex. I didn't know if I should be wetting my pants, and screaming in utter, if slime-covered, glee.

  Unfortunately, I had neither pants too wet, or even really a mouth. It was very much helping that I had covered much of its uvula in layer upon layer of string, but I think it was starting to notice the weight at the back of its throat.

  There weren't a lot of good options. Leaving through either means was not something I wished to do. On one side, the chompers, the other? Even less inviting.

  Though I would be the first person to gain knowledge of how exactly a Tyrannosaurus stomach and intestinal tract, no, stop it! Bad brain!

  I would have slapped myself if I wasn't using my four arms and four legs to hold on for dear life. There were better ways to find out about how it digested food than being the food!

  Taking stock of my situation was simple. One Tyrannosaurus Rex, who had just tried to eat me. Myself? One Spidops, or aka, how the fuck was this my first instinct when being eaten? Sure it worked, but now what?

  I hardly knew anything about it. New mon aside, it was probably one of the weakest fully evolved bugs aside from the cricket. But how well I could keep my grip while human was something I was in no hurry to test.

  All I knew was that Spidops was a spider that liked string. Used it for traps and the like.

  I paused, looking down the throat, gears turning in my mind. That. That would do the trick.

  As soon as the idea popped into my head, I acted, crisscrossing ropes of string back and forth along the Tyrannosaurus's throat. Of course, that wasn't exactly a good thing. It felt the sudden blockage, and combined with a sizable spider hanging from its uvula?

  Yeah, anything in nature was going to have a single response to that.

  I barely had enough time to react as the massive wall of string in its throat bulged, swiftly breaking apart.

  Oh come on!

  x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

  Ow. Just. Ow.

  Upside, I was the first person to vomit out of the mouth of a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Downside? I'd been vomited out of the mouth of a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

  BAHRAOR!

  And it didn't like that it just had vomited me out. I shake my head, feeling the wood at my back. Oh shit, that is a lot of teeth!

  Silk Trap!

  As the jaws came down, silk exploded outward, gumming up it's mouth as I scuttled further up the tree.

  Crack!

  Bark sundered as the Tyrannosaurus Rex tore its way free, snarling up at me from my perch. Silk wrapped around the trunk of the tree, giving me a better grip, trying to think of an escape plan. I could Spider-man this. Silk string from tree to tree and escape. However, I had no idea how to pull off such a trick. And.

  BOOM!

  The tree quaked, shaking violently. I looked down, my eyes narrowing. Well, the Tyrannosaurus Rex was now bashing its head against the trunk of the tree. Each blow caused the tree to shake more and more. I either need to learn quickly. Or I needed a completely different plan. I paused, noting the web being woven between my body's fingers. String. String was used to make webs. String was sticky.

  I weaved, before hurling the net downwards towards the ancient tyrant. It began to look up, only for the mass of strands to wrap around it's jaw, clamping it shut.

  I shifted forward, more string pooling between my fingers as I jumped.

  String Shot!

  More surrounded its jaw, locking its maw in place as I landed upon its head. I pulled on the string, yanking its head back. Yes! I had control of the Tyrannosaurus Rex!

  SNORT! GRRRRRRRRR!

  I felt the rumble beneath my feet, legs, whatever. It began to paw at the ground.

  Then it began to run.

  "SSSPPPPIIIIIII!"

  x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

  "DDDDDDOOOOOOPPPPPPPSSSSSS!"

  Huh. That was a giant spider riding on top of a giant monster.

  Zoro, for a few moments, thought nothing of it. Sure, it was certainly an odd thing to see. Not exactly the strangest, even if it was fairly high up on the list. Ultimately though, he decided to continue on, carrying his kill behind him.

  Still, that was one weird-looking spider. And it was making a noise that sounded suspiciously similar to a name. Zoro came to a stop. Killing that would make for a far more impressive kill than the one he had currently.

  And what exactly were the odds that the large spider was Nathan? Luffy wasn't nearby, though Nathan didn't seem like the type to wander off on his own.

  Zoro pulled Sandai Kitetsu from its sheath.

  So he was in for a weird act of nature. Or Nathan was more adventurous than Zoro had thought.

  x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

  One year? One year? That's how long it took for the Log Pose to reset on this island? They, did not have the supplies for that long of a stay. Nor the time. Ms, Vivi didn't have that long. Nowhere near that long before things in Alabsta came to a head. They didn't have enough time to waste.

  Of course, he wasn't going to ask about any alternatives. The giant, Boggy, seemed friendly enough. But he could also see the human bones littering the ground. Sure, a human wasn't much of a meal to a giant, and Little Garden was, by all accounts, a cornucopia of food. So correlation may not have been causation.

  Little Garden's simple nature might have been enough to have done those unfortunate people in. Especially with a year of exposure. Most crews didn't have monsters like Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and even Nathan. Surviving in Little Garden for a year would require a combination of skills that would include being able to kill the various ancient animals for food.

  Nathan would be a blessing on that front. A clean source of water would be crucial in a situation like this.

  But that ran into the problem that they needed to get the Alabasta on a much shorter timetable than that. They couldn't afford to remain in Little Garden. They simply couldn't. If they waited a year, there was no doubt Alabasta would burn. If they even managed to survive the experience. Food and water weren't going to be issues, but he wasn't a fool. There were more threats than wildlife, starvation, and dehydration.

  God knew stuff inhabited this island that they couldn't see. An isolated primordial hellhole that the World Government considered a nature preserve? How much interaction did this place have with the outside world?

  None, would be his best guess. They were on an island untouched by the flow of time. That was when the volcano erupted, spewing out molten rock into the sky. Absent-mindedly, he scratched at the back of his leg. It'd been itching for a bit now.

  x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

  You! Little!

  POW!

  Headbutt was a bad idea. Headbutt was a very bad idea. I was still holding onto the back of it's head for dear life, trees going as if I was in a car going down the highway. And it just wouldn't stop trying to shake me off, likely planning on eating me the moment I was dislodged.

  I really couldn't afford to let that happen. Again.

  Damnit! Spidops didn't have the offensive firepower to take something like this out of commission! I needed to switch, but that was going to put myself at a lot more risk. It wasn't good. There was only one move that could even attempt to pull my ass out of the fire. But did Spidops even have it? Did I even have a choice?

  Then again.

  I raised my arms.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  What self-respecting bug type didn't have U-turn?

  The blow smashed into the back of the T.Rex's skull, sending me flying backward in the same motion, wreathed in pale green light.

  There was just about three forms I could possibly have access too that could match a Tyrannosaurus Rex blow for blow. But two of them I wasn't sure. Did I meet the thresholds I needed? The risk of not meeting them was considerable. So it was better to take the safer option.

  "Pinsir!" I slammed into the ground, as the T. Rex turned around, snarling at me in anger. Its footfalls almost sounded like thunder as it began to charge at me.

  The pair of horns on my head clacked together in anticipation as I charged, ducking under its jaws as I slammed into its leg. There was a roar of pain as it stumbled, even as I pivoted around, the blow crashing into its knee. The blow was not enough to bring it down, but it further knocked the beast off balance.

  My goal was simple. Stay away from the mouth, and focus on the legs. Ultimately convenience it that I wasn't worth the trouble of being prey. A fully grown Tyrannosaurus Rex out massed me by a considerable margin. Pinsir I doubted broke 200 pounds. A T. Rex? That was several tons of bone, muscle, and teeth. Of course, it wasn't like it would let me hammer away on it's legs like an early Fromsoft boss.

  Yeah. That was a tail, heading straight for my face.

  Harden Harden Harden!

  WHAM!

  And now I was back to being partially embedded in a tree. Again. I was really getting tired that I could keep using the word again to describe what was happening to me.

  I shook my head, breaking my way free from the bark, snarling. The Tyrannosaurus Rex stomped its feet, staring me down.

  You know what? Screw this.

  Focus Energy!

  My arms dug into the soil, tearing several sizable rocks from the ground as it began to charge at me.

  Rock Tomb!

  The first rock was surprisingly sidestepped. But the second? Smashed directly into its mouth. It stumbled, slowing at both the impact and the sudden, rocky intrusion into its maw.

  And that was enough. Even as it began to crush the decent-sized stone, I darted forward.

  Brick Break!

  The uppercut smashed into its lower jaw, the rock in its mouth shattering under the force. Teeth began to break as it stumbled back, seemingly unable to roar in pain.

  I held my ground, breathing deeply. As much as Pinsir could, anyway. The Tyrannosaurus Rex then spat, a combination of broken death, blood, saliva, and gravel landing on the forest floor.

  "Pinsir," my voice was a low role, promising even more of a fight if it wished to continue pushing its luck. Part of the feeling in my chest vanished, as if my blood had been flowing about a mile a minute, and went straight back to a normal pace.

  Still, it stomped on the ground, it's snarl matching my own.

  "Oni Giri!"

  I barely had time to blink, as three long slashes appeared in T. Rex's flank, causing it to let out a roar of pain, snapping at the air. Expect, it wasn't just snapping at the air. If the name didn't cement it, the cuts sure did. There was only a single member of our crew that could do such a thing.

  Zoro!

  On one hand, it was great to see the arrival of the man on our crew who could and did slice and dice. But on the other hand?

  I could have handled this on my own! This wasn't like Mr. 5 and Ms. Valentine! I wouldn't normally say no to the help, but. Fine.

  Focus Energy!

  Might as well take the opportunity to set up again. Once more, I reached into the ground picking up another pair of rocks. The first crashed into the side of it's head, drawing it's attention as it roared again, charging towards me. I hurled the second rock as it barreled towards me. My horns clacked together. Zoro wasn't the only one who could cut things.

  X-Scissor!

  ROAR!

  x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

  Something wasn't right. The jungle was quiet. Too quiet.

  Slowly, Norris let go of her kill, bringing up her fists. Something was watching her, and she had no idea what it was. But the jungle was silent, not even filled with the buzzing of insects or the chirping of birds in the canopy.

  The only sound was her feet against the branches and foliage that made up the forest floor. She moved, making sure her back wasn't facing any given direction longer than a few moments.

  Every one of her senses screamed that something was wrong, even if she couldn't see it. Her fists clenched, her thumb cupping the underside of her other digits.

  "Do us both a favor and reveal yourself, now!" She shouted, blood pumping through her veins. Anticipating a fight. A challenge.

  Then she saw it. Out of the corner of her eye, at the very last second.

  "You absolute son of a ---!"

  x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

  BOOM!

  The clash of steel. It was a marvel to behold. To think he'd ever see two giants going at it, matching the other blow for blow. It was if he was watching a volcano fight a hurricane, two forces of nature going at it with one another. Something as terrifying as it was majestic. He could feel the island itself shake beneath each titanic blow. And the match itself? Equal. None gained ground that the other managed to reclaim. The story of how they had been dueling for a century sounded almost farcical, but seeing it in action? Now Thomas understood how such a clash could last so long. Centuries of combat did nothing but sharpen their skills. But beyond that was how they sharpened one's understanding of the other, something that would have had to have been already clad in solid steel before.

  "We really need to head back to the ship," Nami said, giving the Log Pose an annoyed look. "Regroup with the others, and plan our next move."

  That was fair. Assuming at least none of the others had encountered the other giant.

  Oh, who was he kidding, of course, that was going to be the case. Someone was going to run into him.

  "I agree," Thomas rose, brushing off his pants, making sure his crown remained atop his head. Though what exactly was there to plan? The only way off this island was if the giants had their own Log Pose that had been reset already. Which after a century, it would have. But there would likely only be one.

  And neither giant was going to take kindly to a bunch of people stealing from them. Enough that they would likely put aside their differences. And while there were a lot of strong people on the crew, but even Luffy would struggle with an enraged giant. At best. They definitely needed to escape, but they definitely needed a plan as well.

  x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

  "I can't believe you of all people wandered off on your own," I rolled my eyes at Zoro's words though it wasn't like he was exactly wrong. I was the least likely person to wander off on my own. Well, besides Vivi, for several different reasons.

  "I wanted to get out and see the dinosaurs," I shrugged, Zoro sheathing his swords, the T. Rex having finally got the message after the thrashing we gave it. Zoro wanted to kill the thing, but I did point out that it wouldn't count toward his challenge with Sanji. Between what Zoro had on hand and what Sanji was likely to get himself, we were likely set on food, even if it was a bit meat-heavy at the moment.

  Of course, Zoro had killed what I wanted to pet above all else, so I wasn't exactly happy, but. I wasn't exactly going to turn down more food. I wasn't that picky, not that Sanji's cooking left me with enough to be picky about.

  "I'm surprised you didn't use the ugly beetle from the start, instead of that weird spider," Zoro crossed his arms. To be fair, I didn't understand that, either. Had I just grabbed a bug type in panic? Or had I chosen something else, but ended up getting Spidops?

  God, if my powers played by Omnitrix rules, I was going to be pissed. I could handle a lot, but pseudo-sapient powers were not one of them.

  "Dumb luck and trying every option but the obvious one," I shrugged. Why exactly did it take so long for me to even consider U-Turn? It was one of the most annoying moves for a damn good reason.

  Sure, it wasn't going to be perfect but clearly better than going back to human for a switch. I doubted teleport would work the same way, but that still gave Baton Pass, Volt Switch, and Flip Turn plenty of use for that alone.

  Well, maybe not Baton Pass, until I was sure I could keep a boost for longer than ten seconds.

  Zoro was about to open his mouth as something screamed through the canopy. My ears followed the sound, catching sight of a red glow above the treetops, trailing smoke as it went.

  Oh, that wasn't good. The two of us shared a look.

  "You better be able to keep up," Zoro said, before running off into the jungle. I was already beginning to change as he vanished into the underbrush, heading towards the source.

  The problem with a lot of the bugs I had was that they weren't evolved enough to be usual, and what few ones I had were too slow. Pinsir was fine, but what few final stagers I had were slow as hell.

  That left me with mostly a whole lot of first form, if I was lucky, which I was not right now, bugs. On one hand, type diversity was great. On the other hand, a lot of it was either Poison or Flying in its secondary typing.

  But I still had something pretty speedy. It took me a few seconds to get used to the limbs before I skated off across the jungle floor, moving over a very thin sheet of water.

  x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

  Under normal circumstances, I would ask how Zoro managed to pop out of the jungle from the exact opposite end of the clearing that I came from, but honestly? There were far more pressing matters to be had. Such as the flare gun, which lay on the ground next to a pile of scorched bodies.

  Karoo, Thomas, and Usopp stacked up on top of one another. I gave a brief look into the jungle to be sure nobody else was around, before deciding to let Zoro cover me as I shifted back to my human form, untangling the mess. They were out could, and would be in pain when they woke up, but they were only injured.

  Luffy's face was equally scorched, with one problem. He was pinned under the skull of some massive beast. He was out cold too, likely unable to defend himself due to, well, being pinned down by said skull. But the skull itself was massive, beyond even the strongest forms I had. I doubted I could lift it much, even with help.

  Zoro approached, his expression both call and pissed in equal measure, a sword sliding from its sheath. "Have anything that can help cut our captain free?"

  I paused, before nodding, letting the change take hold.

  "Lion Song!"

  Razor! Shell!