Prehistoric Rodeo

"Prehistoric Rodeo?" 

Hanock read the sign with a confused look. 

"Comrade, do you know what they mean by this?" 

She turned to Bartolomeo. 

"I do, Comrade. This is an attraction where pirates can battle against prehistoric beasts in a game of rodeo!" 

"You mean people ride dinosaurs?" 

Barto nodded. 

"They imported them from prehistoric islands like Little Garden! Not only dinosaurs, but there are also Sabretooth Tigers, Mammoths, and even Moropus!" 

"......" 

"......" 

Hancock and Luffy looked at Bartolomeo with blank expression. He cleared his throat with a slight blush. 

"Basically, a lot of freaky ancient beasts that you can wrestle." 

"Oh~. That sounds fun! Doesn't it, Hancock?!" 

Hancock nodded. 

"Alright, let's go!" 

"Ohhhh!" 

Luffy led the group to the rodeo. 

"You can't ride the dinosaurs." 

They were met with immediate rejection by those working at the front desk. 

"What?! Why?!" 

Luffy asked in a panic. 

"Because this is a rodeo show. You come to watch the rodeo not be a part of it." 

"Then why are you in the gaming district?!" 

Bartolomeo shouted. 

"Because you can bet on who will last the longest. You get a lot of money if you can predict a death too." 

"I don't care about any of that! I want to ride the dinosaurs!" 

Luffy slammed his hands on the table the staff were sitting behind. 

"Like I was saying, you can't." 

The staff kept a hardened tone and face. Luffy gritted his teeth before turning away. He looked at the ground with a dejected look. 

"Wait, I can just sneak in." 

His eyes lit up again as a mischievous smirk appeared on his face. 

"Hancock, Lomeo. I have a great idea....?" 

He lifted his head but Hancock and Bartolomeo were gone with the rest of the Barto Club. 

"Guys?" 

The staff had also disappeared. 

"Where did everybody go?" 

Location Unknown. 

"Mhm! Mhm!" 

The Staff let out muffled noises after having their mouths gagged. Their eyes were covered by blindfolds. 

"Gambia, removed their blindfolds." 

"Yes, boss." 

The staff members heard voices around them and were soon able to see after their blindfolds were removed. 

"?!" 

Their bodies stiffened when they noticed they were in a dark room surrounded by people wearing black suits, fedora hats, and sunglasses. They lined off on two sides leading to two chairs in the back. On one chair was a man wearing a three-piece suit with a coat. His green hair was swept back and properly groomed. He donned a pair of dark shades with skeleton-theme frames. Next to him was a woman wearing a blood-coloured slit dress with black stockings and a fur scar. 

"Mhm! Mhm! Mhm!" 

The staff members started letting out muffled sounds. Hancock snapped her fingers. Two men removed the cloth from the staff members' mouths. 

"What the hell?! Where the hell—Blegh?!" 

The staff member was slapped after Bartolomeo snapped his fingers. He looked at Hancock and Bartolomeo with confusion. 

"Watch your tone. You're already on thin ice as it is." 

Hancock spoke with a cold tone. 

"Um....Weren't we outside just a scene ago? How are we suddenly here? And why is it so dark?" 

Another staff member asked calmly. 

"Your disrespect to our Don has caused us to forcibly change the genre of the story." 

Bartolomeo lifted his hand and a cigar was placed between his fingers. 

"This is a Mafia AU story from now on." 

The staff members looked at each other in confusion as Bartolomeo puffed on the fake cigar. 

"I-I'm sorry if we offend you in a way—" 

"Offend?" 

Hancock let out a dry laugh. 

"You basically spat in our faces." 

She twirled a mini-pistol with her fingers. 

"You disrespected the Don." 

"How?! We were just doing—" 

A shot flew and hit the ground between the staff members. They looked at the smoking hole in the flood in shock. 

"Save your excuses. Disrespect is disrespect." 

She blew the smoke coming from the gun. 

(T-These people are crazy!) 

The staff members became pale. 

"So here's what we're gonna do." 

Bartolomeo pointed his fake cigar at the staff. 

"You're gonna allow Don Luffino to ride the dinosaurs and have a jolly good time. You're gonna make him laugh until he cries, capeesh?" 

(Who the hell is Don Luffino?!) 

The staff members were getting more confused by the second. Bartolomeo pointed at Hancock and himself. 

"Also, we're gonna ride with the Don." 

"I want a pink dinosaur with purple hearts." 

Hancock added. 

"There no such dinosaur!" 

The Staff shouted. 

"Then make one." 

"....." 

The staff were rendered speechless. Bartolomeo— 

"I want one with a mohawk." 

He added his request. 

".....It's no use. These people are insane." 

The staff members started resigning to their fates. That's when the place suddenly became bright. 

"What are you guys doing?" 

Luffy appeared with his hand on a light switch. 

"Why are you guys in a shed?" 

He asked while looking around. 

"N-Nothing! We were just asking the staff to let you ride the dinosaurs!" 

Everybody removed their mafia attire in a second and returned to their normal appearances. 

"Really?! Thanks, but I already handled it." 

"Handled it?" 

Luffy nodded. Everyone left the shed after Luffy led them out. 

"......" 

Their eyes widened at the sight of the creature in front of them. 

"I stole a T-Rex." 

Luffy spoke with a huge grin. 

"Good going, Luffy-Senpai!" 

Bartolomeo and Barto Club immediately started praising Luffy. 

"I expected nothing less from you, Luffy~!" 

Hancock was smitten as per usual. 

"Noooooooooo!" 

The staff on the other hand were panicking. 

"You freed a prehistoric apex predator?!" 

They grabbed Luffy's collar. 

"Are you insane?!" 

"According to my doctor who's a reindeer, no." 

Luffy let out a laugh. 

"Raaah!" 

The T-rex let out a roar and thrust its head at Luffy. 

"It's gonna eat us!" 

The staff started freaking out. 

"Down boy." 

Luffy causally slapped the dinosaur and it slammed into the ground. 

"See? No problem." 

"Our Main Attraction!!" 

The Staff ran up to the dinosaur with terrified expressions. 

"First, you cry that's it gonna eat you now you're crying after I saved you." 

Luffy frowned. 

"You guys are unhinged." 

(I swear if it wasn't for the fact he would kick our asses....) 

The staff members glared at Luffy while gritting their teeth. 

"What's going on here?" 

A shadow cast over them causing them to look up. There was an Allosaurus wearing a mask looking down on them. 

"Why are you guys messing around near the dinosaur stalls?" 

"A talking T-Rex?!" 

Luffy's eyes popped out of his head. 

"Hancock, Lomeo, I want that dinosaur! I need it to join my crew!" 

"I'm on it, Luffy-Senpai!" 

Bartolomeo leaped at the dinosaur. He was swatted with a haki-coated tail and crashed into the earth. 

"It can use Haki?!" 

The words "I want it" were written on Luffy's face. 

"Luffy, I think that's a Devil Fruit user." 

Hancock whispered in Luffy's ear. 

"Boss! Help us!" 

The staff called out to the dinosaur in desperation. It slowly morphed into a human. 

"X Drake..." 

Bartolomeo sprung to his feet. 

"Why couldn't you just allow yourself to be captured?!" 

"So you knew who I was and still attacked me?" 

"Of course I knew, but that didn't matter. Luffy-Senpai wanted you, so I had to make him happy." 

"I have my own crew and work under a Yonko. Why would I allow myself to become my rival's pet?" 

"Because I would do it. I would do it in a heartbeat! And yet, you...." 

Bartolomeo started crying genuine tears. 

"I hate it when others get the chance to live your dream and pass it up.... It should've been me...!" 

Gambia silently patted his back while nodding with an understanding expression. 

"I'm leaving." 

Drake picked up the dinosaur and lifted it in the air. He and the staff started walking away. 

"Hey, Dino-Guy!" 

"Dino-Guy?" 

Drake turned back and looked at Luffy. 

"I want to join the rodeo! Can I?!" 

Drake looked at him for a bit before answering. 

"Do as you like. I was forced into this role anyway, so I don't really care." 

He walked away with the staff without looking back. Luffy looked at Hancock and Bartolomeo with bright eyes. 

"Alright, we have permission!" 

"Ohh!" 

Hancock and the Barto Club cheered. Less than an hour later, the entire attraction was destroyed.