The atmosphere on Long Ring Long Land had shifted. The initial shock of the Straw Hats' victory in the Donut Race had faded, replaced by a desperate, frenetic energy coming from the Foxy Pirates. They were down 1-0. They had lost their dignity, their winning streak, and most tragically, their horse.
"Fehfehfeh! Don't get cocky, Straw Hats!" Foxy's voice boomed over the loudspeakers, though he sounded a bit raspier than before (probably from screaming into a pillow). "The Donut Race was just a warm-up! The real man's game starts now!"
The carnival grounds shifted. The crowd moved toward a large, circular arena marked out in the grass.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" The announcer screamed, his beak-microphone practically inside his mouth. "WELCOME TO THE SECOND ROUND! THE GROGGY RING!"
The crowd roared.
"The rules are simple!" The announcer pointed to the field. "Each team selects three players! One player is the 'Ball-Man' and wears a ball-shaped hat! The other two are support! The goal is to put the opponent's 'Ball-Man' into the goal hoop! Weapons are allowed! Violence is encouraged! Anything goes in the Groggy Ring!"
Three massive shadows stepped onto the field from the Foxy side.
"Introducing the undefeated champions! The Groggy Monsters!"
First was Hamburg, the gorilla-man who had lost the boat race, looking angry.
Second was Pickles, a tackle machine with spinning shoulder pads.
And third was Big Pan, a massive Wotan (half-fishman, half-giant) who towered over the others, his skin slippery like a loach.
"LOOK AT THAT SIZE!" The announcer yelled. "Big Pan is a Wotan! A half-giant! Who can possibly stop this mountain of muscle?!"
On the Straw Hat side, Luffy picked his nose.
"Okay," Luffy said. "My turn to pick."
He looked at his crew. Zoro and Sanji were stretching, eager to fight. But Luffy's eyes drifted past them.
"I choose..." Luffy pointed. "Chopper! Dory! And Brogy!"
The crowd blinked.
Chopper, the small reindeer, stepped forward nervously. "Me? Are you sure, Luffy?"
"Yeah!" Luffy grinned. "You're fast! And Dory and Brogy are strong!"
Dory and Brogy, currently shrunk to the size of large humans by Ben's magic, stepped forward. They looked like rugged, bearded warriors, but compared to the massive Big Pan, they looked like children.
"Fehfehfeh!" Foxy laughed from the sidelines. "You pick the pet and two old men? Straw Hat, have you given up? Look at the size difference! Big Pan will crush them!"
Ben, standing near the equipment rack, smirked. He adjusted his glasses.
"Size difference, huh?" Ben muttered. "Well, we can fix that."
---
The three Straw Hat participants walked onto the field. The Groggy Monsters loomed over them, casting long shadows.
"Prepare to be crushed, little men!" Big Pan sneered, looking down at Dory.
Dory looked up, stroking his beard. "Little? Gebabababa! It has been a long time since someone called me little. What do you think, Brogy?"
"Gebababa! Indeed, brother!" Brogy hefted his shield. "Shall we show them what a real Giant looks like?"
Ben walked up to the edge of the field. He raised his hand, his magic flaring to life.
"Command T: Restore."
SNAP.
The sound was like a thunderclap. The air pressure in the arena dropped instantly.
VOOOOOOOOOM.
Dory and Brogy didn't just grow. They exploded in size.
One second, they were six feet tall. The next, they were expanding rapidly, shooting upwards like rapid-growth bamboo. Ten feet. Twenty feet. Forty feet.
They kept going.
The ground shook as their mass returned. The crowd screamed, scrambling backward as massive feet slammed into the turf.
When the dust settled, two titans stood on the field.
Dory and Brogy, stood at their full height of over twenty meters. They were mountains of muscle and armor.
Big Pan, the "giant" Wotan, stood at their knees. He looked up, and up, and up, his mouth hanging open in absolute terror. He was a toy compared to them.
"G E B A B A B A B A !"
The laughter of the giants created a shockwave that blew the announcer's toupee off.
"WHAT IS THAAAAAAT?!" Foxy screamed, his eyes popping out of his skull. "THEY'RE REAL GIANTS?! ELBAF GIANTS?!"
"Oops," Ben shrugged innocently. "Did I forget to mention they were shrunk? My bad."
---
The entire Foxy Pirate crew was in a panic. The Groggy Monsters were huddled together, shaking.
"Captain!" Porche cried. "We can't win against that! They'll squash Big Pan like a bug!"
On the sidelines, Mini Merry, who was sitting on a crate next to Nami, tilted her head cutely. Her eyes flashed with scrolling data streams.
"Papa!" Merry chirped, tugging Ben's sleeve. "I did the math! That big fish-man has a survival probability of zero point zero one percent! It's super low!"
"Is it?" Ben chuckled.
"Yep!" Merry giggled, swinging her legs. "My sensors say his best strategy is to play dead! Or run away really fast! But he can't run fast because his legs are wiggly!"
Nami laughed, patting Merry's head. "Even Merry knows they're doomed."
Meanwhile, Foxy was gritting his teeth. Sweat poured down his split forehead. He looked at the scoreboard. 1-0 to the Straw Hats. If he lost this, it was 2-0. Game over.
"No..." Foxy hissed. "I am the master of the Davy Back Fight. I make the rules."
He pulled out a pen from his pocket. He glanced around furtively. Seeing everyone distracted by the giants, he sprinted over to the referee's table where the Official Rulebook lay open.
Foxy grabbed the book. He flipped to the "Groggy Ring" section. With frantic, scribbling motions, he wrote a new clause at the bottom of the page.
Rule 428: Participation of Pure-Blooded Giants is prohibited unless the opposing team also fields Pure-Blooded Giants. Violation results in immediate disqualification.
He slammed the book shut and grinned wickedly. "Checkmate."
Foxy ran to the announcer, waving his arms. "STOP! STOP THE MATCH!"
"Captain Foxy?" The announcer looked down.
"Objection!" Foxy pointed at Dory and Brogy. "This is a violation of the rules! Giants of that size are illegal in the Groggy Ring!"
"What?" The announcer blinked. "I... I don't recall that rule."
"It's in the book!" Foxy shouted, holding up the thick volume. "Page 428! Read it!"
The announcer took the book. "Uh... ladies and gentlemen! Please hold! We have a rules dispute!"
The crowd murmured. Luffy tilted his head. "Rules?"
"He's cheating," Nami said instantly. "He just wrote that."
"Obviously," Ben nodded. He walked calmly toward the announcer's podium.
"Let me see that," Ben said, his voice projecting clearly.
"Stay back!" Foxy sneered. "The rules are absolute! If it's in the book, you are disqualified!"
The announcer flipped to Page 428. "Let's see... Rule 425... Rule 426... Ah, here it is."
Foxy grinned. I win.
Ben narrowed his eyes. He didn't need to touch the book.
"Evanesco."
He cast the spell silently, a mere twitch of his finger.
On the page, the fresh, scribbled ink shimmered. It dissolved into nothingness, vanishing from the paper as if it had never been written.
"Well?" Foxy demanded. "Read it out loud! Disqualify them!"
The announcer squinted. He adjusted his glasses. He brought the book closer to his face.
"Captain Foxy..." the announcer said slowly. "There is... nothing here."
"WHAT?!" Foxy screeched. "Impossible! I wrote it—I mean, it's right there!"
Foxy snatched the book. He stared at Page 428.
It was blank at the bottom.
"B-But..." Foxy stammered. "I... the ink... the rule..."
"Is there a problem, Captain Foxy?" Ben asked, smiling politely. "I don't see any rule forbidding giants. In fact, Rule 1 says 'Anything Goes', right?"
"YOU!" Foxy pointed a trembling finger at Ben. "YOU DID SOMETHING! YOU ERASED IT! YOU CHEATED!"
Foxy opened his mouth to scream his accusation to the crowd. He was going to call off the match. He was going to throw a tantrum.
"I WILL NOT ACCEPT TH—"
Ben flicked his wrist.
"Silencio."
Foxy's mouth kept moving, but no sound came out.
"..."
Foxy grabbed his throat. He screamed silently. Mmmph?! MMMMPH?!
"Oh dear," Ben said sympathetically. "It seems Captain Foxy has lost his voice from excitement. I think that means he accepts the ruling. Proceed!"
The announcer shrugged. "Well, if the Captain has no objections... PLAY BALL!"
The whistle blew.
"Gebababa! Who is the Ball Man?" Brogy asked.
"I am!" Dory pointed to the massive, ball-shaped hat perched precariously on his helmet. It looked like a pimple on a boulder.
"Very well!" Brogy slammed his shield into the ground, creating a wall. "I shall defend! Chopper! Attack!"
"On it!" Chopper squeaked.
On the other side, Big Pan, the massive Wotan, was staring up at Brogy's kneecap, trembling like a leaf. He realized he was standing next to a legend.
"H-Hey cousin!" Big Pan stammered, looking up with wide, hopeful eyes. "We're... we're practically family, right? Wotans and Elbaf warriors? Us giants gotta stick together, yeah?"
Brogy leaned down. His face came closer and closer until his nose was the size of Big Pan's entire torso. He squinted one massive eye.
"You? A giant?" Brogy rumbled, his voice vibrating in Big Pan's bones. "Gebabababa! You look like an oversized loach! Do not insult the glory of Elbaf with your slippery skin!"
"Eep!" Big Pan squeaked.
Dory did the most strategic thing a twenty-meter giant could do in a game against human-sized opponents.
He sat down.
THOOM.
Dory crossed his legs and sat in the middle of the field. Even sitting, his head (and the ball) was so high up that Big Pan couldn't reach it even if he jumped.
"This... this is impossible!" Pickles cried, looking up at the summit of Mount Dory. "How are we supposed to get the ball?!"
"Climb him!" Hamburg suggested.
The Groggy Monsters tried to rush Dory. Brogy didn't even use his weapon. He just extended one finger and flicked Big Pan in the forehead.
Pting.
Big Pan flew backward across the entire arena, crashing into the spectator stands.
"One down," Brogy laughed.
Meanwhile, Chopper was on the offense. He was facing Hamburg and Pickles.
"Get the raccoon!" Hamburg roared, charging with his gorilla speed.
"I'm not a raccoon!" Chopper yelled.
He didn't transform into Heavy Point. He didn't use Kung Fu Point. He stayed in his small, nimble Brain Point.
Chopper took a deep breath. He remembered the darkness of the Time Chamber. He remembered Dory's sword swinging at him in the blindfold training. He remembered the feeling of air pressure shifting before an attack.
Sense it.
Hamburg swung a massive fist.
ZOOOM.
Chopper vanished.
"Huh?" Hamburg blinked.
Chopper reappeared in mid-air behind him.
"Soru!" (Shave)
"He's fast!" Sanji whistled from the sidelines. "That's the Marine's technique!"
"He picked it up after seeing you and zoro fight," Ben noted. "And refined it dodging Giants."
Chopper kicked off the air. Bam!
"Geppo!" (Moonwalk)
The little reindeer bounded through the sky, walking on nothing but air. He flew over the heads of the confused Groggy Monsters.
"Hey! Come back here!" Pickles shouted.
"Too slow!" Chopper stuck out his tongue.
He flew straight toward the enemy goal hoop. The hoop was guarded by... well, nobody, because Big Pan was currently unconscious in the popcorn stand.
"I'm the Ball Man for our team!" Chopper realized he wasn't the ball man. "Wait! I need to clear the path for Dory!"
"No need, little doctor!" Dory laughed.
Dory stood up. He picked up the actual ball (which was the Foxy team's ball-man, Big Pan, who was technically the ball). Dory realized Big Pan was the ball man for the other team.
"Wait, the rules are to put the opponent's ball man in the hoop!" Nami shouted. "Get Big Pan!"
"Right!" Brogy walked over to the stands. He picked up the dazed, massive Wotan by the back of his pants like a kitten.
"Put me down!" Big Pan squealed.
"Gebababa! Goal time!"
Brogy wound up his arm. He threw Big Pan across the field.
"AAAAAHHHHH!"
Big Pan flew through the air. Chopper, hovering near the goal hoop using Geppo, saluted as the massive fishman-giant sailed past him.
SWISH.
Big Pan crashed through the ring.
"GOAL!" The announcer shouted. "STRAW HATS WIN!"
The crowd went wild (mostly out of fear of the giants).
The Aftermath
Foxy was on his knees, clutching his throat, still unable to speak. Tears streamed down his face. 2-0. He had lost two rounds. He had been humiliated. And he couldn't even complain about it.
Ben walked onto the field, waving his hand. The silence spell lifted.
"I... I..." Foxy gasped, his voice returning. "THIS IS RIGGED!"
"Rigged?" Ben raised an eyebrow. "You wrote the rules, Foxy. 'Anything Goes'. We just... went bigger."
"We won!" Luffy cheered, jumping onto Brogy's shoulder. "That was easy!"
"Gebababa! A good warmup!" Dory laughed.
"So," Nami walked up, holding her hips. "Since we won... we get another prize."
Foxy flinched. "Who... who do you want now? Hamburg? Pickles? Me?"
"We already have a cook, a swordsman, and a captain," Nami dismissed him. "We don't need trash."
Foxy slumped.
"We'll take..." Nami pointed. "The Jolly Roger."
"The flag?!" Foxy gasped. "But... without the flag, we are nothing! We lose our honor!"
"Should have thought of that before you shot the horse," Luffy said.
Robin smiled. "A pirate without a flag is just a bandit on a boat. Fitting."
The Foxy Pirates lowered their flag. Luffy took it.
"And now," Ben announced. "We have 2 points. You have 0. But because we are generous pirates... and because my Captain wants to fight you..."
Ben looked at Luffy.
"One more round?" Luffy asked, grinning. "I want to beat up the Split-Head personally."
"You... you want a third round?" Foxy looked up, hope returning to his eyes. "Even though you already won the Davy Back Fight?"
"I didn't get to fight yet!" Luffy complained. "And I want to punch you for shooting Shelly!"
"Fehfehfeh!" Foxy scrambled to his feet. His ego inflated instantly. "You fool! You fell for my trap! The third round is Combat! And in the ring... I am invincible!"
"Combat it is," Ben interrupted, a devious glint in his eye. "But since we've technically already won the Davy Back Fight by taking two rounds, we need some real stakes for this third match."
"Stakes?" Foxy narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"
"I mean," Ben smirked, "if you win, you get your flag back."
"And if I lose?" Foxy asked, confident he wouldn't.
"If you lose," Ben pointed at the bare flagpole of the Sexy Foxy. "You have to fly a new Jolly Roger."
"A new one?"
"Yes," Ben nodded. "A special one. Hand-drawn... by Captain Luffy himself."
The silence on the Straw Hat side was deafening.
"NOOOOO!" Nami, Usopp, and Chopper screamed in unison, their faces twisting in horror. "THAT'S TOO CRUEL!"
"Hah?" Luffy blinked. "What's wrong with my drawing?"
"EVERYTHING!" Sanji yelled. "Luffy, your artistic skills are a crime against humanity! You can't make them fly that! It's a fate worse than death!"
"Fehfehfeh!" Foxy laughed, completely misunderstanding the gravity of the situation. "A drawing by the enemy captain? Fine! I accept! I'll make you regret challenging the Boxing Champion!"
"He accepted..." Nami whispered, covering her mouth. "He doesn't know. He has no idea."
"Poor soul," Robin chuckled darkly.
"Deal," Luffy cracked his knuckles. "I'm gonna draw a masterpiece after I kick your butt."