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One Piece - Lionheart of the Sea 17
🕑 Added 2023-01-04 05:35:50 +0000 UTCHey everyone, and welcome to my One Piece fanfiction. This chapter will be entirely about fighting. The two crews will fight against each other, except for the Captains, who'll wait until everything is settled before the main event fight.
Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit fan-based parody. One Piece is owned by Funimation, Eiichiro Oda, Shueisha, Toei Animation, and Fuji TV. Please support the official release.
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"Pirate" Regular speech.
"Pirate" Thoughts.
Finger Pistol Attack names.
(Pirate) Words said previously.
"PIRATE!" Shouting speech.
[Pirate!] people talking at the same time.
"Pirate" people talking over communication.
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Hunting The Deep Sea Hunters
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—…
"Now… which one is Arlong?" Light asked threateningly, holding up his fist and glaring at each one of them, daring them to speak.
The Fishmen all glared at him, all of them outraged that they had come here on their turf. Once the shock was over, Arlong leaned back in the chair, not believing that he was worth the trouble. "Arlong?" He repeated darkly. "Well, that just so happens that I'm Arlong."
Light walked to them. His head held up high and without a fear in the world as he marched in. Though they towered over them, they weren't any stronger than the Fishmen they fought before. However, Arlong seemed to be different… He was calm and relaxed, but there was something dangerous in him that seemed to earn the respect of the rest of the crew.
"That's good." Light said as he gave him an empty look. "I'm Light."
"Light?" Arlong repeated, obviously not recognizing the name and clearly wondering just what he was doing here. "What are you supposed to be?"
"I'm a Pirate." Light answered bluntly. "And I've been looking for you."
"Hold it right there." One of the Fishmen said as he and another attempted to cut Light off. "Where do you think you're going?"
"You wanna talk to the boss?" The other asked. "Well, you gotta talk to us first. Get it?"
They smirked evilly as they put their hands on his shoulders, but Light bashed their heads with two uppercuts and knocked them out as he silently told them to move out of the way. The other Fishmen looked startled at that as he walked right up to Arlong.
"Oh, you have, have you? So what does a Pirate want with me?" Arlong asked causally, though there was a hint of irritation in his tone. "Just what are you doing here?"
Light stopped in front of Arlong. He glared at him for just a moment longer before he seized his wrist and threw it back. "Shark hunting."
BAM!
And by the time he swung it back, he falcon-punched Arlong so hard that he was launched from his chair and sailed above the ground, flying backward so far before he was smashed through the wall.
It was a few seconds until Arlong pushed himself from the rubble. Everyone was staring—slack jaw—at Light.
"Who the hell are you?" Arlong demanded furiously.
Light's face was filled with nothing but fury. His face made him look like some kind of monster, as there was a vengeful fire burning in his eyes. "I am your reckoning, Arlong!" He yelled at him. "This is the day you'll pay for everything!"
Those words sent a clear message to the Fishmen. Light cannot forgive Arlong, not only for all the suffering he had caused the villagers or for countless nameless people… And Nami was at the top of that list.
Sanji came running up behind him. After this declaration of war, the Fishmen started to attack Light, but he easily took them all out with a few kicks.
"Back off! You're out of your league!" Sanji yelled, kicking their asses, and walked on to stand next to Light. "Geez, you just had to run on ahead by yourself."
"I'm the Captain. It's my job to lead the charge." Light responded, not worried about his scolding. "Besides, I just couldn't hold back my rage any longer.
"You fool." Sanji said in annoyance. "I never said anything about wanting you to hold back… I just don't want you hogging all the actions."
"Don't worry; they'll be plenty to go around." Light said in understanding. "I just want Arlong."
"Well." Usopp said nervously, also coming up. "I just want to let you guys know that I don't mind it if you hog it all."
Zoro came up and rolled his eyes. "I see that you're raring to go, as usual."
"Can you even fight, long-nose?" Gin asked, mildly bothered.
"At least you had a brave face on the way here." Silk chimed in.
The Fishmen glared at the six human Pirates. Zoro had a hand on his White-sheathed katana, Usopp stood proud with his nose in the air, Gin had one of his Tonfa over the shoulder and sent a glare back at the Fishmen, Silk was already prepared to draw her Sword, Light cracked his knuckles, and Sanji grinned as he fixed his blazer.
"Wh-who are these guys…?" A villager stuttered.
[Hold it!] Johnny and Yosaku crossed their Swords which kept villagers from entering Arlong Park.
"That guy just decked Arlong!" Nako exclaimed. The villagers were surprised by Light's attack that sent Arlong into the far wall earlier. They couldn't believe what they had seen and still had trouble comprehending it.
"No human should be able to do that!" Genzo questioned.
"Are they…" Nojiko murmured.
"Didn't we tell you…?" Yosaku reminded. "Just stay back here."
"Now, do you understand why we're keeping you away from that fight?" Johnny brought up. "You guys will just get in their way."
"But why?" Genzo wondered. "What reason could they have to fight?"
"Reason…?" Yosaku questioned.
"Big Sis Nami was crying." Johnny stated.
"Do they need any more reason than that to put their lives on the line." Yosaku said.
Arlong chuckled from where he was against the wall. As Arlong began to laugh and sent waves of cold down her spine, he spoke.
"A Pirate? Of course…" Arlong said, highly amused. "This is all starting to make sense now. You've been after Nami this whole time." He burst out laughing again, louder than ever. "The girl is mine, and I'm not giving her up!"
Just hearing those words angered the crew further as they all glared at him. Hachi also laughed as he walked up confidently. "A bunch of idiots like you aren't worth Arlong's time!" He declared. "We know how to deal with you!" And he blew through his long mouth like a trumpet.
"Is that like a dog whistle?" Silk asked curiously.
"Dog whistle?" Repeated Gin in surprise.
"It's a special whistle that emits a high-pitched sound that only dogs can hear." she answered. "It calls dogs to you, and I'm starting to think it's the same thing here."
"And yet, I'm guessing it's not a dog that they're calling." Light logically surmised.
Hachi's trumpeting continued through their conversation. This caused worried murmurs among the villagers at the entrance.
"Oh no!" Nojiko exclaimed with wide eyes. "It's here!" Everything began to quake for everyone in the area, which caused more panic among the villagers.
"AAAH!" Usopp screamed. "WHAT IS GOING ON HERE, GUYS!?" He exclaimed to the crew, but Silk, Light, Zoro, Gin, and Sanji quietly waited for what was called to Arlong Park. Something huge from the ocean started to rise from underneath the water.
"Every single one of you is about to become fish food!" Hachi exclaimed. "Mohmoo, rise!" Hachi threw his arms in the air as he called the supposed beast's name.
Usopp yelled in surprise until he saw the beat-up-looking Sea Cow appear from the waves—Still sporting a giant, swollen lump on its head. "It's Mohmoo!" Nako called out as the rest of the villagers were alarmed by the towering sea creature. Mohmoo leaned in a bit as its large eyes focused on seeing what it wanted, but it stopped dead as soon as it saw Light.
"Huh?" Was all Hachi said as the cow let out a low whine.
"Aaaah!" Usopp screamed as his eyes bulged out of his goggles.
"It's actually real!" A villager screamed.
"Oh, it's that thing again." Light said, folding his arms.
"Seems he's a friend of the Fishmen." Sanji nodded in agreement.
"That's what everybody was so afraid of?" Gin questioned. "Honestly, I was picturing something a lot worse."
"I was wondering where he went." Zoro confessed nonchalantly.
"Don't look now, but I think it's pretty scared of you, Captain." Usopp noticed from its expression.
Mohmoo was now crying as he saw them and mooing softly to himself.
"Hey, stop!" Hachi called to Moomoo while frantically shaking its arms. "Where are you going? Get back here, Mohmoo! You can't just leave! Mohmoo!"
"Leaving?" Arlong spoke as he looked at Mohmoo. "Now, isn't that a shame?" The words from the Fishman leader caused the sea cow to stop. "But… I suppose if you really want to run away, then who am I to stop you." A grin spread across Arlong's face. "Well, then?"
Arlong's words seemed to strike something within Mohmoo. With a roar combined with a moo, Mohmoo spun around with angry white eyes and bared its fangs as it swam back to attack the human crew.
"IT'S COMING RIGHT FOR US!" Usopp yelled as he flailed his arms.
It was time to get ready for a huge fight. Light stepped forward and faced it. "Leave this to me."
"You gonna use your power again?" Zoro asked.
"Nah, it'd be a waste to use it here." Light reasoned as he squatted down a bit.
In a dash of speed that only Arlong and his crew (minus Usopp) could follow, Light vanished from where he stood and reappeared inches away from Mohmoo's face. With a swing of his mighty fist, Light punched Mohmoo across the face. The power behind Light's punch was so great that it lifted the sea monster out of the water and into the air. Like a boulder launched from a catapult, Mohmoo was sent flying through the air, past the waterway of Arlong Park, beyond the gate, and even further until he landed in the open water a few distances away from the Island's shore with a giant splash.
SPLASH!
Everyone not already aware of the power Light commanded with stunned in disbelief at what they had just witnessed, especially the Fishermen. Never in their wildest imagination did they think an unnamed human from the East Blue could be anything more than a slave or prey to them, and yet, even the most simple-minded of them could tell the human in front of them was something to take seriously.
Arlong merely dusted himself off as he stood up as Light softly landed back on the ground and gave Light a grin that sent lesser men running in fear. "Well, it seems you're no ordinary human."
Light returned the favor with his own smirk. "You'll find that "ordinary" is the last word anyone would use to describe me."
Though he was still smiling, his eyes were now angry. "Oh, I can see that, but don't worry. I was just thinking about how painfully I'll end your life; I assure you it'll be anything but ordinary."
The villagers outside the entrance of Arlong were busy murmuring about what Light had just done.
"That boy is incredible." Genzo muttered.
"I just can't believe there's a human who can throw that giant monster!" Nako commented.
"It's as if the gods themselves are fighting." Genzo remarked as he was still in disbelief.
Arlong chuckled to himself as Kuroobi and Choo both declared that they'd take them out for him.
"How dare you hurt our brothers!" Hachi said.
"Very well." Kuroobi declared. "It seems that we must now join in the fight."
"Now, you'll get an education in the inferiority of your species." Chew stated.
"Oh, really?" Zoro challenged with a grin. "I'd like to see that."
"Relax, sir!" Kuroobi spoke to Arlong. "Let us handle this."
"If you go on one of your rampages to squash these insects…" Chew stated. "You could destroy all of Arlong Park."
"PLEASE LET US KILL THESE WEAKLINGS!" Hachi yelled.
"Alright, they're yours." Arlong told his executives. Gin, Zoro, Silk, and Sanji stood beside Light, and Usopp hid behind a pillar to likely avoid the fight.
Their focus was on Arlong's executives as Hachi pointed his face upward as his body bloated.
"What the hell's that octopus doing?" Zoro wondered.
"Probably nothing good." Gin remarked.
"Octopus is best when it's cut thin and salted," Sanji stated with a grin. "Add some olive oil and paprika, and it makes the perfect snack while drinking."
"Take this!" Hachi shouted.
"Hachi: Ink Jet!"
The octopus Fishman shot ink from his mouth. Each of the crew quickly got out of the way and avoided the spray of black ink.
As such, the ink merely splattered across the ground in the form of a large black puddle.
.
.
.
Not knowing how exactly to respond to such a gratuitous action, Hachi was simply met with silence as the octopus Fishman responded instead. "Nyu, hey, how dare you dodge like that!"
"What the Hell are you talking about?!" Usopp snapped as he slapped the air. "Did you seriously expect us to just stand there and let ourselves get dosed by your ink?!"
"What?! You mean that isn't what's supposed to happen?!" Hachi seemed honestly surprised by this.
"Idiot." Chew muttered under his breath.
"It doesn't matter. Now to finish you off!" Hachi announced as he lifted a piece of Arlong Park that was larger than he was with his six arms.
"One Hachi: Ink Jet served on the rocks!" Hachi exclaimed as he threw the piece of debris at them.
It was about a second until the middle of the debris cracked in the middle. It split into two pieces which revealed Sanji with his foot raised in the air and destroyed it with a single kick.
"Not bad, Sanji." Light praised him.
"Yeah, but not much compared to hurling that sea cow through the air." Sanji retorted in response to Light's praise. But then he smirked again as he confessed. "Looks like I picked one hell of a monster to be my Captain."
"We all did." Zoro added in light amusement.
"But hey… At least it makes for some good times." Silk joked with the other.
"I still wonder." Sanji said before he also added. "Though in truth, our crazy Captain is far better than a gang who prey on a lady."
"A lady, huh?" Kuroobi asked skeptically, "Ha! You rush into certain death for one lousy girl? I think that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!"
Sanji glared at him. "Lousy girl?" He repeated, and they could hear the anger in his voice. "If you insult Nami one more time, I can promise you'll go from Fishman to fish sticks!" He took out his cigarette and said threateningly. "Got that?"
Kuroobi didn't look concerned nor the least bit impressed. "Your skills are quite exceptional." He admitted after a minute. "For a human. But I must admit chivalry from a pirate seems just a little fake."
Sanji sneered back at him as he admitted smugly. "I'm dead good at what I do," he said as he put the cigarette back into his mouth. "And I guarantee that there's nothing fake about my desire to help a beautiful lady in need."
Kuroobi, in response, started cracking both of his fists. "Looks like I'll be acquainting you with the true superiority of the Fishman species." The ray Fishman said.
Sanji and Kuroobi faced off as Hachi stepped forward.
"Maybe no one told you that the penalty for playing around in Arlong Park…" Hachi said as he lifted another piece of rubble that was smaller than the last. "Is death!"
"Here he comes." Gin noted as Usopp became frightened again.
"Come here!" Hachi called.
"Hey, octopus…?" Zoro got Hachi's attention as he pointed his sheathed katana at him. "Why don't you take me on?" Hachi looked at Zoro as his face turned into a glare.
His taunting worked… Furious, Hachi yelled out. "You're Zoro! I forgot!" he threw his stone at him, which Zoro dodged easily as he finished yelling. "You won't get away with hacking and slicing my brothers from the port!"
"That stuff's old news, octopus man." Zoro said, holding up the white blade. "I personally don't care what reasons you have for wanting to kill me. The situation has changed. You see, the tables have turned." Holding his blade and carefully unsheathed it so that no one could miss the gleaming blade. "You're not the hunters anymore, understand? Now it's you fish freaks who are being hunted!"
"Okay then, it's decided, Sanji; you take out the manta ray." Light instructed him.
"Consider it done." Sanji had no issues with that order.
"Zoro, you handle the octopus." Light followed up.
"On it." Zoro complied.
"Gin, whatever the last one is, he's yours." Light finished.
"No problem." Gin faced Chew.
"Silk." Light gave her a serious expression. "Cover Zoro; if his injuries look like they're too much for him, take over his fight."
"Understood." Silk accepted that directive.
"Hey, hold on." Zoro heard those words and wasn't happy with them. "This is my fight. I don't need someone covering my ass."
"Unfortunately, you don't have the luxury of choosing." Light informed him unreservedly. "Your concern is winning this fight, but mine is making sure you live, and right now, you're a wounded man who could fall at any time now. If you are upset at needing assistance in a fight due to your injuries, then blame yourself for being injured in the first place."
Zoro clicked his tongue in annoyance but reluctantly accepted his terms. As Light said, he was mainly upset with himself for being injured, so he didn't have much room to complain about it.
"Uh, Captain…" Usopp spoke out after feeling that his presence was being largely forgotten. "What about me?"
"You hang back and guard the villagers with Yosaku and Johnny." Light instructed him. "Your specialty is sniping, so it's better you stay in the long-range distance."
"Right, I couldn't agree more. I mean, don't get me wrong, I was more than ready to duke it out with these Fishmen, but if the Captain thinks I should gain some distance and focus on things from afar, then who am I to agree with that sound reasoning?" Usopp enthusiastically rebuttals while ignoring the fact that he was readily backing away right after Light spoke until he was right next to the front gate.
"What about you?" Zoro asked Light.
"My only concern is Arlong." Light decided, staring directly at the shark Fishman. Arlong stared back at him as though he was daring him to come closer.
Nojiko didn't know what to make of what she was seeing. First, the black-haired boy earlier sent Moomoo soaring through the air like it was nothing. Now, his crew was about duke it out with the Fishmen.
"Why're these people, Pirates?" Nojiko thought. She couldn't quite understand how people like them could be Pirates.
Arlong brought himself back onto his feet and started making his way over. There seemed to be a look of disappointment on his face.
"You morons are a pathetic sight to behold." Arlong said to his officers. "I'm sick of watching this; now get out of my way!"
"But sir…?" Kuroobi objected. "There's no reason to go on a rampage. Think of Arlong Park."
"In that case, you had better hurry up and kill them." Arlong warned them as he sat back down comfortably on his throne. "If you take too long, I'll step in myself."
"Don't worry. We'll definitely kill them!" Hachi assured.
"Well, listen to you." Light scowled at Arlong's dismissal of them. "You still think you can afford to be sitting pretty like that?"
"Do you honestly think your sad little group can defeat us?" Arlong smugly asked.
"So what if we do?" Sanji said with a grin.
"You got something to say to us?" Zoro added as he held out his Sword, ready for a fight.
"Go on and say it." Silk demanded. "It won't matter once we end this."
Arlong ignored them and rested his chin on his hand as he opted to watch the fighting proceed.
"Hey, calamari...?" Zoro called out to Hachi. "Let's go!" All Hachi did was laugh at Zoro as the human Pirates approached.
"All right, it's time!" Hachi taunted cheerfully. "Now, I get to kill Zoro!"
"I'll kick your ass in no time flat!" Zoro threatened.
"Just try not to get yourself killed before then!" Sanji told them.
"Here's hoping you both don't take too long." Gin added as he advanced with them.
"Hey, what's the rush?" Kuroobi asked. "You're all running headlong into death. None of you will leave this place alive!" The ray Fishman blocked a kick from the blonde cook.
Zoro, with his blades drawn, made a dash toward Hachi. "Let's see if you can back up all that bragging, octopus!"
"Hachi: Ink Jet!" Hachi fired another stream of ink at the swordsman. Zoro maneuvered out of the way to avoid the ink. Zoro landed on his feet and went to attack the octopus, Fishman. He cut in a wide arc as Hachi ducked underneath the blade. Doing that caused Zoro to slice pieces of Hachi's hair.
"Oooh! You bastard!" Hachi cursed. "My hair!" He growled in anger at Zoro, who stood at the ready with his sword. "But it's okay. It's only hair. It can grow back."
"Huh?" Zoro only said in confusion.
"Now, Zoro…" Hachi grinned. "You can't beat me! I have six hands that will mesmerize you!" Hachi wiggled all six of his arms. "With their wiggly beauty!"
"Shut up!" Zoro shouted and charged Hachi again.
"Hachi's...Triple...Sword...Catch!" Hachi called out. "Now you will see my skills!" Zoro slashed downward as Hachi tried to use his six arms to catch Zoro's blade.
Hachi wasn't successful in catching the sword as blood poured down his forehead.
"That hurt!" Hachi whined with tears in his eyes.
"I don't have time for this crap!" Zoro claimed before he looked uncomfortable. "Not now." He said through gritted teeth. Looking closely, Silk noticed the heavy sweat pouring down Zoro's forehead. She knew it was the wound from Hawkeye Mihawk that was acting up and it wasn't even given proper time to heal.
"This is a waste of time! You freak!" Zoro said and charged Hachi. "WHY DON'T YOU DIE!" Zoro slashed at Hachi, but the Fishman leaped high into the air to evade it and wrapped himself around a pillar.
"Too bad!" Hachi mocked. "Hachi suckers are stuck!" He stayed like that for five seconds which caused Zoro to become annoyed.
"Don't just stick there!" Zoro yelled. "Get down here and fight!" At this point, it seemed Hachi was only toying with Zoro as he grinned in response. "Damn coward." Zoro muttered.
"Stupid octopus!" Johnny remarked. "He's just trying to waste our time!"
"But why? Do you think he knows that Big Bro Zoro is injured?" Yosaku wondered.
"There's no way." Usopp dismissed that theory. "I mean, he's hardly even acted like it up till now. I wouldn't even guess it if I hadn't seen it myself."
"What's up?" Zoro kept glaring at Hachi. "I thought you wanted to fight, but all you've been doing is running?" He said while breathing.
"Nyu, I've just been playing around with you!" Hachi explained. "Actually, a human can't defeat me. I can tell you why but I think it'll be more fun to show you. Yeah, show, I like that! I think you're really going to enjoy it a lot, too."
Light noticed Zoro's breathing had quickened. Light also found he was having a hard time standing up. His wounds must be causing him to shut down, and he was struggling to stay conscious. Zoro wrapped an arm around himself as the pain seemed to become worse.
"Zoro!" Usopp called in concern.
"Crap!" Sanji noticed. "I thought as much. You still haven't recovered from your fight with Hawk Eye."
"Just what I was worried about." Light cursed.
[Big Bro!] Johnny and Yosaku said in unison, worried for their friend.
"I'm not stupid." Hachi stated. "Falling for the old 'injured animal' routine. That's for children! It's time for you to see what my true skills really are!" Hachi shuffled up the pillar and ran inside a door on that floor of Arlong Park. He appeared with six swords in each of his hands. "Now, you may tremble in fear of Hachi's Way of Six Blades!" Zoro collapsed on the ground as standing seemed to take a lot out of him. "Hey, you're not supposed to die yet!" Hachi exclaimed. "I haven't even killed you!"
"No, Zoro!" Usopp yelled.
"I knew it!" Johnny figured. "He's been faking it!"
"So true." Yosaku agreed. "The way he's been pommeled would've killed any normal guy, but he tries to fight anyway!"
"What'd you say!?" Nako exclaimed to the two. Nako is the doctor on the island, so he could obviously tell something was wrong with Zoro.
"Dammit." Usopp muttered. "This is bad. Zoro could die from his wound here if that octopus doesn't finish him off first."
"I thought it was strange." Sanji turned his attention to the Swordsman. "He walked around just like nothing had happened after such a horrible fight. He's laid out flat."
Without noticing, Sanji received a punch in the stomach from Kuroobi. The force from the strike sent Sanji through a wall and flying out of Arlong Park. The villagers looked in the direction of where the cook had been sent.
"Sanji!" Gin called the cook.
"I told you to pay attention to me, weakling!" Kuroobi said. "I'm a 40th Don in Fishman Karate."
"What the hell just happened?" A villager wondered.
"Big Bro Sanji…?" Johnny said.
"It can't be him!" Yosaku couldn't believe it. But it was as he looked closely and found the cook lying flat on his back. "SANJI!"
"We've taken care of these two, Arlong." Kuroobi said. "What would you like us to do with Zoro?
"What a waste of time." Arlong said tiredly. "Just toss him in the sea and finish off the rest of them. Hardly entertaining." He looked toward his other officer. "Chew, you finish off yours too."
"I'll be done in a moment, Arlong." Chew promised him.
"Aww…" Hachi whined. "That's all."
"Well, they did manage to make a bit of a mess." Kuroobi stated as he looked around at the destruction of their base.
"No big deal." Arlong said. "As long as Arlong Park is still standing."
"True." Kuroobi agreed.
"No fair!" Hachi complained. "He killed himself! I never got the chance to show him what great of a Swordsman I am! If he could've died on one of my six blades, I could've stolen his fame! Well, it's no matter! There isn't a human alive that can compare to my way of six blades! Behold: the superior power that only a six Swords master Swordsman can attain!" Hachi started to slice the air and create a large twister that made the wind rapidly pick up, which caused the debris of Arlong Park to float into the air.
"Enough, Hachi!" Kuroobi voiced. "I understand how you must feel. But if you continue this little demonstration… You'll destroy Arlong Park."
Hachi's eyes widened as he paused his slicing, which caused the twister to be sent into the air.
"I'm sorry." Hachi apologized bashfully. "I forgot I could destroy stuff.
"Don't get carried away." Kuroobi remarked.
"I'm fine now." Hachi assured.
"I think I've heard about enough." Gin, tired of being ignored at this point, stepped forward against Chew. "You fish-brains keep talking like it's over when we haven't even started." He stood tall, showing he didn't appreciate being insulted. "Maybe you'll take this more seriously after I've caved in your skull?"
"Oh, have I offended you?" Chew asked sarcastically. "If you want to die so badly, I'll be happy to oblige."
"You said that no human could compare with your Swords?" Silk questioned Hachi as she stepped forward to face him in Zoro's place. "Since you were hoping for a challenge, how about I put your Swordsmanship to the test?"
"You plan on fighting me? That's crazy. There's no way you could be a match for me. It's impossible." Hachi pointed his Swords at her. "But that's fine. Either way, I'll be able to demonstrate the strength of my way of six blades!"
"Way of six blades." Silk muttered. "How ridiculous." She smirked incredulously at him while slowly unsheathing her own Sword. "Not too long ago, I saw another fighter using six Swords. I can already tell that your style is a joke compared to his."
"What?" Hachi certainly wasn't expecting those words. "Someone else knows the way of six blades? That can't be. Only an octopus with six hands, like me, should be capable of using six Swords. You must be lying!"
Silk was unhindered by Hachi's outbursts. She could still remember the way Light used his makeshift six-Sword style to beat Kuro. Even though it was something he came up with on the spot, the skill and sharpness she felt from watching him was the real deal. She wasn't worried because she didn't feel the same thing from Hachi.
Meanwhile, back by the gate, the doctor gasped in shock from where he stood. If anyone wondered what had him startled, they merely had to follow his gaze. That way, they could see a certain cook they had been knocked down was now leaning up.
"He's still alive!?" Nako shouted in disbelief.
"Of course he is!" Usopp stated gleefully.
"Alright, Big Bro!" Yosaku cheered.
"That's the best punch that Fishman's got?" Sanji muttered. "The old man's kicks were 100 times worse than that, and I never even died."
"Now you'll understand why two human hands never have a chance to beat me!" Hachi exclaimed.
"Six blades Tentacle Sword Overload!"
Hachi approached Silk swinging all three of his blades. Zoro stood her ground and leaned forward before she dashed forth herself.
"Edge Slicer!"
Silk shot past Hachi, and seconds went by as the octopus cried out in pain as blood spurted from an open gash appeared across his hip.
"She did it!" Yosaku exclaimed happily with tears in his eyes.
"She faced all six swords and not even a scratch." Johnny cried like his partner as the villagers were also impressed with Silk's skill.
"Perfect Sword skill." Nako commented. "With perfect concentration."
"Way to go, Silk!" Usopp cheered her on. "That dumb octopus has got nothing on you!"
"How dare you cut me like that!" Hachi shouted in anger. "Now I'm really mad. I'll kill ya bitch! There's no way you'll survive my next attack! You just got lucky, is all; you'll never beat my six Swords with just one!"
"More empty words? All you Fishmen ever do is boast about how superior you are, but it's all talk, nothing to show for it." Silk reprimanded him while pointing her blade at him. "If you're a real Swordsman, prove it with your Swords."
"Fine, if that's what you want, then I'll so you just how strong I am! No human can survive when I really get serious!" Hachi shouted hysterically.
"Way of Six-Swords Octopus Pot Stance!"
Hachi pointed all six blades together and charged Silk. He stabbed forward with each tip as Silk blocked with the back of her blade.
"New Years - Open!"
Hachi shoved Silk which left Silk wide open, and rammed his head into Silk's body, or rather, he tried to, but Silk was and used her footwork to shift out of the line of his attacks.
"Body slam!"
Desperate to land an attack, he moved in and used his whole body as a battering ram. Silk saw an opening and moved in as well as she just jumped, landed on the large Fishman's shoulder, and used it as a foothold to leap high into the air. Hachi saw an opportunity in this and got underneath the airborne Silk.
"You'll never touch the ground alive!" Hachi stated and began to spin his Swords above his head.
"Waltz of the Six-Swords!"
"You'll be mince meat if you touch them for even a second!" Hachi promised as she started coming down.
Most of the spectators got worried but what Hachi didn't count was that Silk had already planned this. "You idiot, in a battle of Swords, the one with the higher ground… Has the edge!" Silk expertly sliced Hachi's hands which caused the octopus to scream as blood squirted while Silk landed on the ground.
[All right!] Johnny and Yosaku cheered.
"Awesome!" Usopp commented with a smirk.
"Damn it! First, you timed your roll to dodge my Tentacle Sword Overload!" Hachi shouted. "Then you slice and dice my hands up like some cheap sushi chef! How dare you make a spectacle on my master swordsmanship! You'll pay for that, you stupid human wench! I'll tear you limb from limb!"
"See, just like I said, talking is all you can do, but you haven't shown anything that doesn't prove you're nothing but a third-rate Swordsman." Silk accused him, not intimidated at all. "I'm the one who'll tear you apart."
TAP!
Before she could follow up on that statement, Silk felt a hand grasp her shoulder, and to her surprise, her wounded crewmate—Zoro, had risen to his feet and looked ready for a fight once more.
"Zoro?" Silk certainly didn't think he'd be up yet.
"He's up?" Usopp was surprised as well.
"Big Bro?" Johnny sounded worried.
"Let me handle the rest." Zoro petitioned her.
"What?" Silk asked.
"I've rested more than enough to get my strength back. Now I'm tagging back in." Zoro demanded, stepping in front of her. "I started this fight, so now I'm ending it."
Silk was a bit reluctant but sighed and stepped back. "You're as stubborn as always. Fine, but don't take too long, or your wounds will reopen."
"No worries, this'll be done in a second." Zoro assured her as he placed his Sword in his mouth.
"Huh, you're switching out again? But I really wanted to kill that girl!" Hachi protested before he shook it off. "Oh well, I wanted to kill Zoro first anyways, so it all works out."
Gin kept moving, making sure he dodged the water bullets that Chew kept spitting at him. As Gin was moving side to side, he had hoped to close the distance by moving closer, but unfortunately, the speed of Chew's water attacks was high enough that Gin couldn't confidently evade them at a shorter distance.
Chew stopped after a bit to speak. "Is running all you can do, human?"
"Depends. Are you just going to keep spitting at me?" Gin shot back.
"I have you at my mercy this way. Why stop?" Chew reasoned.
"You call this mercy. You haven't even scratched me." Gin reminded him.
"Well, let me fix that." Chew sucked in more water.
"Squirt Machine Gun!"
With that, Chew started shooting water bullets at Gin once again, and Gin went back on the defensive, avoiding his projectiles. But, despite how it looked, Gin wasn't just running. He was thinking all the way, timing the speed of Chew's attacks and the number of how many times he could fire before he had to reload on water.
"He's almost empty." Gin noticed while dodging. "I have to time this perfectly, only got one shot at this."
Chew fired a few more. After his last one, he stopped for a moment, and Gin saw his opportunity.
"NOW!" Gin pivoted and rushed forward, spinning his tonfas to attack Chew.
"Naive…" Chew muttered before he spat out another water bullet.
Gin was completely caught off guard as he assumed he calculated the numbers perfectly, so he wasn't expecting this. Gin was only a few feet away when Chew fired, and because he was unprepared, he got hit by the shot of water in the head. It hurt him and knocked him back as it packed as much weight as iron.
As Gin was knocked off balance, Chew followed up by kicking him in the stomach. Gin doubled over as the air was knocked out of his lungs, but it didn't stop there as Chew hit him with an upward punch to the chin, lifting Gin's feet off the ground. He finished up by grabbing Gin by the throat and lifting him up while using his grip to strangle him.
"Gugh…" Gin coughed out, unable to breathe.
"Gin!" Yosaku called out.
"No, he got hit!" Usopp became fearful of his condition.
"I know what you're thinking; you thought you figured out the pattern of my attacks and thought you saw the right opportunity to go on the offensive." Chew accurately guessed Gin's strategy. "I've fought more humans than you can imagine, and more than I few had the same line of thinking as you, soon enough it became easy to trick them by acting as though the number of times I could shoot water and the moment I need to refuel were obvious enough that you could pick up on them."
"Agh…!" Gin felt Chew tighten his grip.
"You humans are too simple-minded for your own good. That's your first mistake. The second was not understanding one detail you seem to be unaware of." Chew released his hold of Gin's throat before he threw a final punch at Gin's abdomen. The punch sent Gin flying backward before he hit the ground a few feet away and lay there flat on his back and motionless. "I may specialize in long-range, but I'm good at close-range as well."
"This is bad. These Fishmen are stronger than I thought." Usopp grimaced at the situation.
Arlong smirked at what he was seeing. "Your crew is dropping like flies. Are you starting to understand the superiority of the Fishman race?"
"I wouldn't get too excited if I were you." Light advised him, not concerned at all. "My crewmates may be down, but they're not out; this is far from over."
After saying those words, Gin started to move. He reached for his tonfas and grasped them back into his hands as he rose to his feet to face off against Chew again.
"You still stand despite how outmatched you are?" Chew questioned him. "The human brain truly is a waste of meat."
"You're the one who's brainless if you really thought those light, flimsy hits were enough to keep me down." Gin spat out a bit of blood, looking none worse for wear.
"Hmph…" Chew frowned at him. "Tell me, why do this? Why lay down your life for one girl?" Chew felt like asking for no apparent reason other than mild curiosity. "Nami is a thief who steals from Pirates and a traitor. Is she honestly worth dying for?"
"Ha, so you feel like small talk all of a sudden?" Gin joked before he answered. "I'll admit it. I don't know much about Nami; in fact, I barely know her. I've hardly said two words to the girl and the amount of time I've spent around her is less than minutes; it doesn't really sound like a bond worth risking my life for."
"Then why?" Chew became more confused.
"It's simple. It's because the Captain and others consider her to be Nakama." Gin answered, resolved.
"…Is that all?" Chew sounded skeptical.
"I know it doesn't sound like much, but it means everything to me." Gin dismissed his skepticism. "On the last crew I was a part of, the word Nakama was an empty word that had no meaning. Everyone was only out for themselves; we'd even watch as others were killed without batting an eye. As long as it wasn't us, we didn't care." He sounded almost disgusted with himself. "I only learned the true meaning of what it meant to have Nakama after I met these guys; here, we're there for each other. If there's something so important that one of us is willing to risk his life fighting for it, then the rest of us will do the same." Gin rested one of his tonfas over his shoulder. "And so, if my friends are willing to risk their lives to save Nami, then I'll do the same."
Chew just stared at him before letting out a sigh. "I see; I suppose I can understand the reasoning at least." He frowned at him again. "So, I assume that means you also don't mind "losing" your life along with your friends."
"Don't get ahead of yourself. We're not dying here." Gin declared confidently. "The only ones dying today are you guys."
"And how do you suppose that when you can't even reach me?" Chew reminded him as he sunk his head into the water and sucked more into his mouth as he got ready to fire away once more.
"Squirt Machine Gun!"
Gin responded by dodging his attacks again, but this time, Gin planned on doing more than just running around. Gin only dodged side to side at first, but he was gradually moving forward to close the distance between him and Chew.
"One good thing came from getting hit by your water gun; I was able to find out it's not as damaging as I first thought." Gin voiced out as he moved in. "I won't win if I'm too afraid to get hit by a few bits of water."
"Is…That…So…?" Chew questioned while spitting. "Well…Let's…Put…That…To…The…Test."
As Gin got closer, it was harder to waive past all of Chew's Squirt Gun shots, and some of them started to hit him, but Gin powered through them, letting out only quiet grunts in response as he kept advancing forward.
Chew soon noticed that Gin was powering through his water bullets and quickly became aware that his machine gun wasn't strong enough to cut it. "All right, let's see how he handles something stronger."
Chew then stopped and breathed in all the water he had. He sucked in so much water that his stomach bloated up like a balloon, ready to spit out everything in one shot. Now that he had stopped shooting, Gin charged in earnest again, but Chew wasn't worried because he already knew that Gin wasn't fast enough to close the distance before he could fire.
"Squirt Cannon!"
Chew pointed his mouth toward Gin, ready to unleash the water he held in one giant blast. However, Chew didn't know that while Gin wasn't fast enough to reach him, Gin's hands were faster than his feet. Before Chew fired, Gin was only a few feet away from him once again, but this time, Gin dropped one of his tonfas and let it fall. Before it even hit the ground, Gin reached into his pocket and took out a handgun. With a quick draw, he aimed and fired it at Chew.
BANG!
"Augh!" Chew cried out as he was the one caught off guard this time.
He wasn't able to fire his Squirt Cannon as his focus was redirected to the bullet that buried itself in his eye and the pain that came with it. Chew stepped back and clenched his face as blood leaked out of his eyelid. But Gin didn't give him time to dwell on it as he continued his advance and was right in front of Chew before he swung his spinning tonfa right into Chew's still bloated stomach.
Chew felt his insides rupture as the heavy iron ball at the end of the tonfa collided with his stomach, which was nothing but an oversized target right now. The force behind the strike was so much that Chew fell to his knees and pointed his head upward as all the water he was carrying exploded out like a popped water balloon. Damaged, dazed, and barely able to breathe, Chew was completely defenseless, and Gin knew exactly how to finish off someone like that.
With a step forward, transferring all his weight into his arm, Gin swung his tonfa at Chew's unguarded head and smashed it right into his face. Chew's face crumbled under the weight of the tonfa and was completely broken before Gin pushed further and sent Chew flying. Chew's body was launched off of the ground and far away until he hit the wall. He was launched with so much force that the stone wall didn't stop him. Instead, he broke through and continued hurling through the air until he hit the ground a fair distance away from Arlong Park—Bloody and unconscious.
All of the spectators were jaw-dropped in bewilderment. Yosaku, Johnny, and Usopp were filled with amazement and cheer; Light just had a look of satisfaction.
"Chew…" Arlong murmured.
"I should have told him…" Gin rested his tonfa over his shoulder. "He might be good at close range, but I'm lethal."
Now that one fight was settled, Zoro and Hachi were still in the middle of theirs. While Zoro had gotten up to fight again, he wasn't exactly fully recovered and still looked pretty shaky.
"What's wrong with ya, Zoro?" Hachi questioned. "You look like you're having a really bad day or something?"
Zoro said nothing as he tightened his hold on the katana in his teeth which freed his hands to allow him to tie his bandana around his head.
"I've already demonstrated my way of the six blades to these pathetic humans." Hachi continued. "And there's no way you can hope to defeat me in that condition."
"Just shut up already," Zoro growled through his Sword.
"Big Bro…?" Yosaku said. "He's taken such a beating."
"Hey, you're a doctor, right?" Usopp asked Nako and got his attention. "How bad is Zoro looking right now?"
"I'm sure the onset of fever caused by his wounds is making him delirious." Nako explained." Or worse, if that wound opens up again, I'm afraid he'll die for certain."
"But he doesn't have time to think about that right now," Johnny stated.
"Yeah." Yosaku agreed. "He has to focus on fighting that six-sword freak."
Silk could easily take over fighting Hachi again if something happened to Zoro. But she knew Zoro wasn't going to go down from a fight like this, and he'd find a way to win.
"I'll show you Three-Sword Style." Zoro glared at Hachi.
Hachi glared back at him. "You fool, you can't defeat my six Swords with your three! I have twice as many Swords as you, don't you get it!? Six is more!"
"I was never very good at math." Zoro breathed as he held tightly onto his Swords. "Three-Swords? Six-Swords? Doesn't matter!" He turned to Hachi. "You may have more Swords than me, but mine will always carry more weight than yours!"
"Weight, you say?" Hachi questioned. "It may not look like it, but my Swords actually weigh quite a bit. Over 300 pounds each, to be exact. They weigh much more than your pathetic human Swords."
"I meant the burden of…" Zoro groaned and realized it was pointless. "Oh, forget it."
"Time to die, Zoro!" Hachi declared.
"Octopus Post Stance!"
Hachi pointed his blades together and ran at Zoro.
"Tatsumaki!"
With his back to Hachi, Zoro spun around with one swift motion and sent Hachi spiraling through the air with four slashes across his body and sliced through all six of his swords.
This caused everyone's jaws to drop. Johnny and Yosaku cried tears of joy for their old friend. Light had a proud grin on his face seeing Zoro show Hachi what it truly meant to be a true Swordsman.
"Hachi…" Arlong murmured.
"Defeated… Three-Sword…Style." Hachi said and slammed into the ground, defeated, causing a cloud of dust to billow out once he crashed.
"So fish…" Zoro said. "The weight I carry in my three Swords. You satisfied?" Zoro sheathed his katana in his sheath and took a knee. "All right…" He breathed. "Now that tentacles is out of the way, I think it's time to finish off the rest."
"Defeated in one blow." Silk thought, honestly impressed by Zoro. "I guess I was worried for nothing."
"No, look out!" Yosaku warned as Kuroobi was standing over Zoro and was about to attack him
"How could you do that to Hachi!" Kuroobi growled and was knocked away with a kick from Sanji. "You!?" he glared at the cook.
"You thought you'd gotten rid of me, huh?" Sanji asked.
"Not bad." Kuroobi commented. "I didn't know there was anyone in all of the East Blue who could stand back up after one of my punches!"
"Oh sure, there's a whole bunch." Sanji smiled. "At a certain restaurant I know of. Wanna go?"
"I don't think so?" Kuroobi said as Sanji chuckled in response. "Didn't you say something like 'any man who hurts a lady is just a piece of crap?' And yet, look at what your precious love of a woman has finally gotten you! You have no escape, and you'll die by my hand! And not just you, but your friends. They'll die, too. I'll kill Zoro, that girl, the tonfa guy, and even the long nose guy, and I'll massacre the entire village! And as my final pleasure, I'll murder that traitorous bitch Nami! Don't you see? Your love is worthless! If it can't save you, then you protect no one!" Kuroobi exclaimed while widening his arms. "Not even your little girlfriend, Nami!"
Kuroobi gave out a mocking laugh. That was the last straw for Sanji as his eyes hardened in a glare. This fish had insulted Nami for the last time, and he wasn't going to get away with it.
"Maybe you'd have more luck underwater." Sanji suggested mockingly. "I hear that's where you Fishmen fight at your best."
"You still don't get it, do you?" Kuroobi glared. "It doesn't matter if I fight on land or in the water. I'm just as strong either way. Now you will witness the true power of Fishman Karate! When I punched you before, that was just a sample of things to come! My ultimate attack is 10 times as powerful, and there's no chance you'll survive it! And the chance that you'll survive it is ZERO!"
"Collier!"
Sanji landed a kick into Kuroobi's neck, causing the Fishman to slam into the ground on his back. "You said my love was worthless?"
"Epaule!"
Sanji's kicked Kuroobi in the shoulder.
"I can't protect anyone, is that right?
"Cotelette!"
Sanji slammed his leg into Kuroobi's ribs.
"Selle!"
Followed by another in his back.
"Poitrine!"
The next kick went into Kuroobi's chest, which crushed the Ray Fish into the ground.
"Gigot!"
Sanji kicked Kuroobi in the legs and sent the Fishman backward.
Johnny, Yosaku, and the villagers were speechless and even seemed impressed by Sanji's kicking strength. Kuroobi growled in anger as he weakly stood up.
"Son of a bitch!" Kuroobi cursed.
"Thousand Brick Fist!"
"And now…"
"Mouton Shoot!"
Sanji leaped into the air and landed one last kick into Kuroobi's face, which sent the Fishman straight through Arlong Park.
There was no way Kuroobi was getting up after that barrage of attacks from the crew's newly acquired cook. The villagers, Usopp, and the bounty-hunting duo had their mouths wide open and were just in awe. Gin only smirked in pride. Even Zoro had a grin on his face.
"Now, it's done." Sanji remarked coolly. "He won't be back."
Light was glad Zoro, Gin, and Sanji were able to finish off all of Arlong's top crewmen. Now it just left Arlong, who seemed less than pleased by how things turned out.
"Kuroobi…" Arlong murmured. "Hachi…" He looked at the unconscious octopus. "Chew…"
"In the end, they're all just seafood." Sanji stated as he took another puff of his cigarette. "Fish can't fight a cook. I don't know what he was thinking." Sanji smiled. "This fight is ours."
Nojiko was astonished by the crew's strength and watched the entire thing from where she was. Nojiko started to see why Nami put a lot of faith in these guys.
"Amazing! Really amazing!" Nojiko exclaimed. "Those guys beat all three of Arlong's best Fishmen." Genzo resurfaced from the water and inhaled air as he came up.
"This is truly a sight I never thought I'd leave to see." Genzo exclaimed as well, just as amazed as Nojiko.
"This is going great!" Nojiko told him happily. "For the first time, I think I have hope! These guys have fought so well! We may actually be set free!"
Arlong stood from his seat as his hands shook in anger. It looked like Arlong was ready to fight now and avenge the decimation of his crew.
"You bastards." Arlong seethed. "You killed my brothers one after the other! I'm afraid I've let you get too carried away!" He glared at Sanji, Gin, Silk, and Zoro with eyes filled with rage.
"Heads up, the big boss is coming." Gin braced himself.
"Doesn't matter. He's still just a fish, like the rest of them." Sanji figured as he stared at Arlong as the Fishman leader looked at the crew and lumbered toward them.
"Let's hope you're right because he looks pretty mad." Silk noted.
"I'll tear you both apart for what you did to my brothers!" Arlong growled as he charged and reached with a webbed hand. The four of them stood their ground to fight the Fishman leader. Arlong never reached them as he was sent back with a fast counterblow. Light was in front of his crewmates defensively and was more than willing to finally join in on the battle. Arlong glared at Light next, who only gave Arlong a cocky smirk.
"You're the one who's carried away, Arlong." Light informed the Fishman Captain. "Or did you forget that I'm the one you're fighting?"
"Ha, fine, it honestly doesn't matter to me on the order of when I kill you, humans, as long as you're all dead in the end." Arlong directed all of his killing intent at Light. "I'll let your crew have the honor of watching me tear the life out of you."
"You still honestly believe you're going to win, don't you?" Light asked rhetorically as he tightened his gloves and closed his fists. "I'll have fun teaching you the contrary."
Now that all else was settled and every other crew was through with their standoffs, it was now finally time for the two Captains to have their showdown. This next fight would be the one to decide everything.
"ARLONG!" A familiar voice to everyone rang out. Light turned his head and saw Nami standing in front of the villagers. She already had her staff out and looked ready for a fight. Her shoulder was recently bandaged from the previous wound. Nami had a fierce look of determination at the Fishman leader.
"Nami…" Light muttered.
"You're here?" Sanji questioned as he slowly leaned up.
"But why?" Usopp wondered, standing closest to her.
"Hey, Nami!" Arlong grinned when he noticed the girl. "I was just teaching a final lesson to these pathetic, little Pirates. What're you doing here?"
Nami gave Arlong a hard expression and said: "I'm here to kill you."
—…
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And that's the chapter.
First off, I'm glad I was able to wrap up all those fights in this chapter. I know that some of you might be upset that I took away Usopp's fight and gave it to Gin, but Usopp just isn't a frontline fighter yet, so it made sense not to force him into one when there was someone more suitable for the job. Plus, I felt Gin needed a defining moment that solidified his place among the crew, and this was a good time.
I also added the part where Silk takes over for Zoro for a bit because I always wanted her to have a part in this battle, and let's face it if Zoro was healthy during all this, he would have one-shotted Hachi right away, so I had Silk fight while he was given time to rest. Now, all that's left is Light against Arlong, and I promise you, it'll be a great one.
Anyways thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed. If you want more leave a review, if you like the story click the follow/favorite, and as always have an awesome day.
