"If all you dumbasses are done trying to hurt my lovely ladies, then we will be done pounding on you," Sanji glares at the sorry pile of men that are lying all around us.

"Too bad," I pout, feeling the fighting energy still pulsing through me. "I was looking forward to showing you boys how a girl can fight." I kick a hand from a Foxy pirate that is trying to grab my ankle.

"Here, Akari, to wipe your hands," Zoro hands me a scrap of cloth.

"Oh, thanks." I happily take the cloth and wipe my hands of the red substance that stains them. "Where did you get this?"

"Tore it from some guy's shirt." He shrugs, "You're not fond of blood, and having it smeared on your knuckles probably doesn't make you feel good."

I toss the gross cloth to the ground, trying to get the feeling of blood out of my mind. "My biggest fear is blood, yet I chose to be a pirate where there will always be a chance to see some amount of it."

"It's okay that you are afraid of blood," Luffy speaks up, keeping his gaze on the race. "Have I said that before? Either way, as long as you keep fighting even when it freaks you out, then it doesn't matter. It becomes a problem when you freeze, because if we are honest, as much as I try, I can't protect you every time there's a fight."

I slightly smile, appreciating this moment of seriousness from the biggest goofball I've ever known. "I'll make sure that I never get to that point. Usually the adrenaline of a fight keeps my mind distracted enough. That's a promise, captain."

"Whoa, look! They pulled ahead! Somehow they got a large speed boost!"

All of us look back at the sea to see that the Barrel Tiger has taken the lead for the first time since the race began. Even if it doesn't stay that way with the fishman that are pulling Porche in her boat, it gives me a flash of hope that this doesn't have to end bad for us.

"That was unbelievable!" Itomimizu shouts. "The undefeated Cutie Wagon actually lost her lead for a moment! It seems that the Barrel Tiger has a secret weapon to boost its speed. The race is getting more and more interesting. Go Porche!"

"Don't have to think for too long who he's rooting for," Zoro scoffs.

"What do you think gave them that boost?" Luffy asks.

"Something that we only just learned about," I shake my head. "Usopp must have used a dial he kept with him. If they want to reach the finish line first, they might have to use it a couple more times."

As Capote tries to attack the Barrel Tiger once more, Robin uses her Devil Fruit powers to keep him away. No matter how many times he tries to take out their ragtag boat, he is going to be met with her arms sprouting up all over him. The Cutie Wagon is back in the lead at this point, so his attacks are ridiculous.

At this point, the race is still in the early stages, and I'm looking forward at what is still to come. I'm not surprised to see a horrible obstacle course of coral coming up quickly, and nothing that looks inviting after it. They'll have to be careful with two Devil Fruit uses on their boat to not have anyone go overboard. It looks like the real challenge is about to begin.

"Wow!" Itomimizu calls out. "The most difficult challenges of the course are just ahead! The first is the Long Coral area. Then it's the terrifying Long Whirlpool, followed by the Long Gap. How will these two teams conquer the challenges!?"

"Anything is easier than the challenge we had to go through in the sky," I mumble.

"Did you say something about my challenge of love, my darling?" Sanji leans towards me with a teasing glint in his eye.

"You wish," I shove his shoulder. "No, I was talking about the round man that tried to kill us."

"Oh yeah, that guy sucked," Luffy says.

"Ah!" Itomimizu crackles at the sudden burst over the speaker waves. "That is...there is someone on the island!"

The Foxy Pirates around us that we didn't knockout all scream as one, "Boss!"

"Riding the amazing runner, Hamburg, it's the genius of trickery, the natural enemy of rules, it's our infamous boss! Foxy the Silver Fox!"

"Oh boss! We'll win for sure now!"

"Hm, our boss' face is a little twisted. He must be thinking about some very evil scheme! Go boss!"

I roll my eyes, "Seems like he is known to do something during the race, which doesn't even surprise me. These people seem like a bunch of cheats."

"Stay alert everyone," Sanji glances around at the three of us.

"The blazing sun adds to the heat of the action as the racers face the new challenge, the Long Coral Area," Itomimizu artfully announces. "The Cutie Wagon is still in the lead, while the Barrel Tiger continues its desperate pursuit! And don't forget, there is someone on dry land waiting to unleash his wrath. He is our boss, Foxy the Silver Fox! What is he planning!? What exciting things will happen next!?"

"Why is he making this seem like some radio show leading into their next episode?" I speak up.

"Go get them, boss!" many of the Foxy pirates are shouting. "It's only a matter of time now!"

Luffy angerly frowns, cracking his knuckles to get ready for more fighting. "Who else wants to fight!?"

"Yo, boy, want something to eat?" the man that explained the more nuanced rules taps Luffy on the shoulder.

"Here's some inari sushi and kitsune udon, all free!" another man with large portions of both the dishes steps into Luffy's view.

"Really!? Thanks a ton! It looks delicious!" His mouth is wide open as the drool waterfalls out of his mouth. "Akari! Come eat with me!" He wraps an arm around my waist to pull me to him whether I want to or not.

"Luff, we can't get distracted!" I barely get the words out before he shoves some food into my mouth. My mind is changed instantly at the amazing flavor that explodes in my mouth.

"Hey, I have some sweet treats for the girlie if she'd like some!" another man with his hands full of food rushes up.

"I like you best, pretty boy chef, come here," a girl coos as she and a few other women surround Sanji. Their hands all over him to send him into a love stupor.

Sanji lovingly giggles, "It seems that loosing isn't half bad."

"Hey, we're running out of rum here!" a man declares, toasting his stein with Zoro who already looks to have downed many glasses. "This brother sure can drink!"

"You're up next round, right!?" Zoro is a lot merrier with some booze in his system now.

In a matter of seconds we've been snatched away from helping our friends with the race by fighting the ones that might try and harm them from the shore. They've researched us enough to know our greatest weaknesses, and they know the perfect moment to exploit that knowledge. I'm stuck in Luffy's hold, so for now, I have to hope those in the race can handle themselves.

"Uh-oh, what happened?" Itomimizu resumes his announcing of the race. "The Barrel Tiger suddenly slowed down! Using this opportunity, the Cutie Wagon extends her lead! She is entering the Long Coral Area! Oh? The Cutie Wagon suddenly moved backwards! What is happening!?"

I wiggle in Luffy's hold, trying to avoid the treats that he keeps feeding me. My nerves steadily climbing as I can't see the race in live time, having to wait for the relay from a dude watching from the back of a giant bird.

"How tragic! No matter how many times the Cutie Wagon tries to move forward, it keeps getting pushed back! On the other hand, the Barrel Tiger has begun to move forward again. Now the two boats are tackling the Coral Area!"

I relax in Luffy's hold, accepting that I can only listen to the race for the time being. Even when a small explosion rings out, I try not to worry about it as there's nothing I can do.

"Th-this is...that dangerous man has made his move! What a dirty, dirty trick! There's smoke covering the course! Without their eyes, the Barrel Tiger will risk running into something every time they move!"

Foxy's laugh reaches my ears, and I don't think the noise is coming from the speakers, he's just super loud about the move he just pulled off. "Behold, my White Smoke Attack! Go on! Charge without your sight and ram into those corals!"

"Doesn't that hinder his team too?" I try to speak with my mouth full of fried dough.

"Now, that is a model villain!" Itomimizu cheers, but it doesn't last long. "Impossible! The Barrel Tiger passed it without breaking a sweat! Not only that, but the Barrel Tiger is zooming through the Forest of Corals and making amazing progress! Yet, the Cutie Wagon remains stuck at the edge of the Coral Area!"

In the excitement of our team taking the lead, I press my lips to Luffy's even though both our mouths are filled with food. His eyes widen for a moment, but then a grin takes over as we both swallow, and he presses his lips to mine for more than a few brief seconds.

"Don't celebrate just yet! The terrifying Long Whirlpool is up next!"

Usopp screaming can be heard from here, but exactly what he is saying is lost with the bustling of the crowd around us. I can only imagine that he must be complaining about another part of this island being long. At this point, I don't blame him one bit.

"The Barrel Tiger is still speeding up! No...they aren't just speeding up...the entire boat flew! They flew over the whirlpool and all the way to the other side of the Long Gap! And!"

My body tenses as we all wait to hear the fate of the Barrel Tiger. The decision to try and jump over two of the obstacles won't mean anything if they don't land safely on the other side. If they capsize now, it will be the end for our team. It feels like an eternity has passed before Itomimizu finally speaks up again.

"They landed safely! What an unexpected turn of events! Will the invincible Cutie Wagon lose like this!?"

"Come on, I want to get back to watching the race!" I finally push out of Luffy's hold, breaking into a sprint towards the sea to see if I can catch a glimpse of the race.

"Akari! Wait!" Luffy calls out to me, but I refuse to turn around.

It doesn't surprise me to see the three fishman combine together to become even more powerful in order to smash through the coral that has held them up this long. There's still so much race left that I worry they'll catch up, but at least Foxy doesn't seem to be interfering for the moment.

"It's not over yet. The Cutie Wagon has combined the strength of the fishman with the tail of the shark! The blazing boat shatters all the corals in its way to catch up with the leader! The race is halfway done and in the lead we have the ever-struggling Barrel Tiger!"

"Don't you want more food?" Luffy wraps his arms around my torso. "That weird dude is announcing the race for us, so we don't have to watch."

I turn my head to see him pouting. "I'm full for now, Luff. Besides, the race is changing every second, and I don't want to be distracted if our team needs us."

"Amazing!" Itomimizu declares. "They saw through boss' trick number eighteen, Fake Sign Attack. What a formidable foe! Is this woman untrusting of everything in the world!?"

"Shut up, slime ball!" Nami's scream is loud enough to be picked up for the speakers to transmit.

"She's profane too!"

Luffy and I chuckle; both of us knowing that's profanity is tame.

"Anyways, the race continues, and the Barrel Tiger faces a new challenge. Shooting high into the air, it's the Long Ripple!" The water shooting up reminds me of mini knock-up streams. "And now, our boss strikes once more!"

"Nami wouldn't stop anyways," I shake my head as I see Foxy dressed up like an old lady as he lies on the ground with Hamburg also dressed up like an old lady looking over him. "But she's definitely not going to stop if he announces the trick like that."

"She pretends that she didn't see them! Nami the Navigator is also very heartless and cruel!"

"You are annoying, idiot!" Nami screams. "I would never fall for that!"

"Very profane!"

"Come on, they are getting closer to the finish line," Luffy releases me from his hold and then grabs my hand to tug us towards the best vantage point of the end of the race.

"Victory seems to be at hand for the leader! But wait, the Cutie Wagon is catching up fast! Who will end up the victor of the Donut Race!"

"Didn't I tell you to quit it already!" Nami's reach her breaking point with Foxy's tricks, breaking another of his fake goal and chucking it back at him.

"Impossible! She's done it again! Not even the Fake Goal Attack could stop her! She is a tough foe indeed! Excuse me, miss. Do you ever believe what you see?"

"Go to hell!!"

"She has lost it! Anyhow, a tragedy has taken place! Porche's team has stopped at the fake finish line! Her trusting and innocent mind shines brightly in comparison to a certain someone's. However, she must realize her mistake quickly!"

"How about you shut your trap and let her figure it out for herself!" I scream at Itomimizu, but I doubt he can hear me.

Luffy chuckles, "Be careful. He's going to call your profane next."

"I would embrace it."

"The race is two-thirds down, and the Barrel Tiger is still in the lead!" Itomimizu exclaims. "The contestants are approaching the Long Bamboo Shore. The finish line is just ahead!"

"We need to pick up the pace is we want to see them right as they cross the finish line," Sanji's voice makes me jump as he appears next to me out of nowhere.

"Break away from all your girlfriends to finally join us?" I tease.

"I grabbed him before running to catch up with the two of you," Zoro speaks up to reveal that he has also joined us. "He would have stayed there for the rest of his life if he could have."

"Shut the hell up, Mosshead," Sanji snaps.

"I'm just telling the truth."

"We have to work together in the next game, so don't fight now," I look from Sanji and then to Zoro. "Bottle up that anger for later!"

"Good thing you'll be with them, Akari, to keep them in line," Luffy gives my hand a squeeze.

It isn't much longer until we have made it away from the booths and have a clear view of where the boats will cross the finish line. There is already a crowd that is cheering on Porche and the Cutie Wagon, but we ignore them as we push our way to the front. There may only be four of us to cheer on our team, but we do what we can to be heard over all the others.

"This is it, Davy Back Fight, Round One, The Donut Race is about to end!" Itomimizu is buzzing with excitement. "Here they come! Who will cross the finish line first!"

"Nami won! Yeah!" Luffy jumps around with his fists in the air, thankfully having let go of my hand or else my arm would have been pulled from its socket.

"Keep going guys!" I cup my hands around my mouth to help my voice travel a little bit farther.

"Nami-chan! Robin-chan!" Sanji gush as he lovingly sways with his arms in the air. "Your nimble bones are always so beautiful!"

Zoro is standing nearby with his arms crossed without saying a word.

"Too bad, you guys came close," a Foxy pirate says.

"What are you talking about?" Luffy places his hands on his hips before looking at the large man. "We're going to win!"

"Unless your side is planning to cheat!" I glare at as many of the enemy side as I can.

The same Foxy pirate chuckles, "No, you're not going to win, and we aren't going to cheat. Our boss is here, and like you," he grins as he stares down Luffy, "he also has a Devil Fruit Power."

Everyone looks to see Foxy on the back of Hamburg, the pair keeping up with our group in the Barrel Tiger. He lifts a hand, pointing it right at them, "Noro-Noro Beam!"

Everything happens in the blink of an eye, but I don't believe it until the announcement is officially made. Even them, I'm at a lose for words at what we all witnessed.

"The winner is the Cutie Wagon!" Itomimizu declares. "Round One of the Davy Back Fight, Donut Race, has ended! Our idol Porche-chan is the winner!"

"Good job, Porche-chan!" many Foxy pirates cheer.

"How do you like that, loser?" one of them sneers at us.

"Thank you for everyone's support!" Porche gratefully waves to her adoring fans. "That was too easy!"

"Let's claim our new crewmate now!"

"You're the best Porche!

"No one can beat the Foxy Pirates!"

Luffy, Sanji, and I are standing dumbfounded at our team that somehow lost the race that was all theirs right at the end. All they had to do was give it their all for a couple more meters. However, I have a strong feeling that the beam Foxy shot at them is responsible for their loss.

"Hey, what happened to you?" Luffy asks our dejected team, but none of them will lift their heads to look at us.

Foxy lets out his strange laugh, "It's time for you to say goodbye to one of your friends!"

"Wait!" Sanji turns to face the Foxy pirates that are celebrating their win. "Somebody tell me what happened back there! We were about to win!"

"Yeah, you were about to win, but you didn't!" some dude breaks into laughter.

"Nami-chan!"

"Hey! Usopp, Nami, Robin, Chopper!" I shout. "Are you okay!?"

"What happened!?" Luffy asks.

"What was that?" Usopp groans.

"We...really lost?" Nami whimpers.

"I am not okay," Chopper decidedly states.

"We came to welcome you back, but then you stopped moving, and they passed you!" Luffy exclaims.

"Let's get you all on land," I gently suggest. "There's nothing we can do about it now, but we will figure out what happened."

"We thought we were going to win, too," Nami huffs as those of us on land start helping the Barrel Tiger crew to land, "but after that beam hit us, I couldn't move my body. No, actually...we could move, but everything was going very, very slowly. The boat, the wave too." She falls to her knees as despair washes over all four of them.

"By the time we had recovered, the enemy had already won," Usopp crisscrosses his legs, grabbing his ankles and keeping his head down.

"What did he do!?" Luffy growls as he looks back at the Foxy pirates celebrating.

Foxy laughs, turning all our attentions to him. "That was too easy. Thanks to my Noro Photon."

"Jackass!" Sanji glares. "What did you do to Nami-chan and the others!?"

"Noro Photon?" I question. "Is that what your Devil Fruit gives you?"

"It is an atom that was not yet discovered by the scientists," he creepily grins, holding up his hands with only his index finger and pinky up. "Anything from