[AU: Hey, how's it going? Never mind. Here's Chapter 7. Read the note and the end of this chapter! Thank you and read on.]
[AU: Yay! A new chapter! How much do you love One Piece?! Don't answer that, it was a rhetorical question. Arigato!]
[This chapter has been revised.]
"Alright." Usopp said as we walked back up the slanted path on the mountain. "They're going to attack from this shore at daybreak. But the only route into the village is this one slope. Everything else is cliff, making it tougher to come through." We reached the top of the hill and looked down at the beach below, vacant of any human presence. "In other words, if we can defend this slope to the death, the village won't get attacked!"
"Oh! That's easy!" Luffy grinned.
Of course you would think it's easy, baka.
"Talking about it is, but the rest depends on our strength!" Usopp replied, completely determined about the current situation. "What can you guys do?"
"I cut." Zoro replied.
"I stretch." Luffy said.
"I steal." Nami responded.
"I attack." I mused.
Not like I can do much else … except maybe kill …
"I hide." Usopp said quietly.
The four of us were at his throat in seconds. Luffy had a good hold around Usopp's neck, causing the filthy liar to tear up and gasp at his strong grip. "YOU'RE GONNA' FIGHT!" We screamed in unison at him.
"I'M JUST KIDDING!" Usopp gasped, water running down his cheeks. "JEEZ!"
'-.-'
In almost no time at all, Usopp had managed to lug down several large barrels full of oil to the path we were guarding. Luffy and Zoro helped him drag the crates over to the slope effortlessly, following Usopps' order to dump the contents down the hill. A sliver of the morning sun made the freshly spilled oil shine on the path, the feel of dawn creeping up on everything that decorated the mountainside. The last few remaining drops of oil were emptied from their barrels as Usopp kicked at the last wooden crate, grinning in satisfaction at the sight before him.
"Alright! Perfect!" He said, clearly proud of the mess he had made. "Now they won't be able to climb up this slope thanks to all this oil we've laid out here! We'll let 'em slip and slide on this slope, then beat the crap out of 'em while they flail about!"
Nami carefully leaned closer to the brown liquid smothering the road. "Oil, huh?"
Usopp nodded. "No matter what, we will protect this slope!"
"Conversely, let's just hope that none of us slip down there." Nami mused quietly. "It'd be like diving right into an ant-lion pit."
Nami was most definitely right about that. I glanced down the hill at the oil staining the path as well. If we make one wrong move, we'll end up just like those poor bastards when they slide down the mountain. Just to be on the safe side, the five of us stood a few yards away from the slippery substance, lest we ruin our own plan too early. It'd sure be funny to see one of the guys sliding down in the muck, though. I'm so cruel.
"I'm amazed you can think up stuff this cheeky!" Luffy complimented Usopp.
"But of course!" Usopp replied, looking especially pleased with himself. "When it comes to cheekiness and slingshots, I'm utterly confident!"
I snorted. Talk about arrogant … My train of thought was interrupted when the tiny sliver of sun grew larger over the horizon. I shielded my eyes, growling at the rising light. "Damn, it's almost daybreak."
"They'll be coming soon." Zoro said. "Now all we have to do is wait."
'-.-'
Oh, we were waiting all right.
And waiting, and waiting, and even more fucking waiting . . .
We had been sitting on the mountain for over an hour and still no Black Cat Pirates. The five of us had been carefully watching the ocean shoreline, waiting to see if any boats would glaze over the ocean's eye, but no such luck. It seemed we had lost our chance to fight against the ignorant enemy pirates as the sun rose higher and higher in the sky, practically taunting us with each passing second.
Or at least it's taunting me. I thought bitterly, curling my knees up to my chest as I sulked. I'm probably not going to settle down at all until I reach my family again. Damn, this is just unnerving. Bloodlust … As if to emphasize my impatience, my neck began to twitch. No, control. All I need is control. I released an aggravated huff of air through my nose as my shadow grew longer against the dirt road beneath me.
"Where are they?" Luffy grumbled loudly, bringing me out of my troubled thoughts. He was staring at the morning sky anxiously, a pout gracing his mouth where his wide grin should be. "The sky's all bright now. What's the deal?"
"Maybe they overslept or something?" Zoro said, shifting in his sitting position next to me.
"No, that's just you, Zoro." I replied. He gave me a soft glare, but didn't respond to my sarcastic comment.
"No." Usopp said, staring intensely at the open ocean. "They'll definitely show up. Lots of 'em."
That's when I heard it - the war cry that could scare the boots off of an entire village, especially those who remained blissfully unaware that pirates were going to be rampaging through their town. I licked my lips, ready for the attack without question, but then I realized something odd and somewhat frightening: There were no pirates on the shore in front of us.
"Say . . ." Nami said aloud, sounding curious and on-edge. "Maybe it's just my imagination, but I hear something coming from somewhere." She walked closer to the cliff side, cupping her hands behind her ears to listen more efficiently. After a moment, she nodded to us, a look of terror hidden in her eyes. "Yeah, I definitely hear it!"
"N-now that you mention it . . ." Usopp mumbled.
"Nani? What is it?" Zoro asked.
"There's a place just like this to the north, too!" Usopp exclaimed, paling at the sudden realization. "You don't suppose . . ."
"YOU MEAN THIS IS THE WRONG SHORE?!" Luffy yelled urgently as he began dancing in his place, his eyes wide with shock.
"THIS IS WHERE THEY HAD THEIR SECRET MEETING, SO I JUST ASSUMED!" Usopp retorted just as frantically, his knees beginning to buckle again from fear.
I slapped my hand over my forehead, now completely aware that we could've easily failed in our mission. I huffed out a deep breath and glared at the sniper intensely, ignoring the trembling form of Luffy who had begun screaming at the top of his lungs. "Where is this place?" I asked calmly.
"If you run straight north from here, you'll get there in three minutes." Usopp replied hastily, his eyes bugging out of his skull. "The terrain there is almost exactly the same, so we just need to stop them at the shore!"
Without a moment's hesitation, I bolted up the hill, the soles of my boots slapping against the road as I disappeared into the forest. I ignored the confused cries of the others behind me as I continued forward, eager to get to the shore before any damage was brought to the island.
After all my years of murder, I might as well do something good …
I ran over a brief route of the island in my head. I wasn't very good when it came to directions on an unexplored isle, but since we had been roaming around the forests and towns for the past several hours, I had a good idea where the north shore would be. Even if I get lost, I could find the others there easily, whether it be due to the massive amount of persona energies or the high-pitched battle cries from both opposing teams. And possibly Usopp's girly screams filling the air would be a tip-off, too.
By the time I had reached the beach, the sun had elevated its way into the sky, pulling dark shadows from neighboring trees and bushes that inhabited the cliff. The Black Cat Pirates were all stationed down on the shore, their large ship sitting proudly behind them. The sails were all black, baring their sleek white Jolly Roger proudly, and the front of the ship adorned a statuesque accessory of a cat's head. The pirates on the beach looked ready to attack anyone who got in their way no matter what, so obviously seeing a short, somewhat innocent-looking girl standing at the top of the slope didn't intimidate the armed mob whatsoever. I was the only one facing the pirates at the moment, but I assumed the others would show up any minute now.
One of the crewmembers on the shore - that crap hypnotist, Jango - sneered at me without a bead of sweat on his forehead. "You're that girl who called me weird! What do you think you're doing?"
I hooked my thumbs in my back pockets, silently counting out how many buccaneers I had to fight. A few dozen wasn't much, but I could deal with them all before the others show up. I released a huff in response. "I'm here to tell you that you're prohibited from entering the village."
The entire crowd of freebooters found my declaration humourous, but their captain seemed quite miffed. "And who are YOU to give such a command?!" Jango sneered, half a dozen veins throbbing over his unusually proportioned face.
A wry smirk made its' way to my lips before I could help it. "Are you saying that you don't know who I am?" I said, my voice low, husky, and, to some degree, dangerous.
Jango looked taken aback, as if he did know - or at the very least, had the answer on the tip of his tongue - but would rather act naïve to escape from answering my question. I could see his eyes gleam angrily behind his ridiculous heart-shaped glasses as he lifted a finger at me. "Enough of this! Get rid of the enemy!"
The rambunctious group of pirates didn't need to be told twice, for they all came charging uphill, weapons held high and bloodlust seeping from their pores. I took in a slow breath, my eyes never straying from the slope as I began to work my dark magic.
Shadow Shield …
As the mob of hostile thieves trekked up the path, I stealthily generated a shadow-based shield around the perimeter of my body. If I wanted to beat these pirates into the ground, then I had to make sure that they couldn't touch me at all. Once I saw the nearly-transparent black circle surrounding the dirt beneath my feet, I slowly and gently tapped my foot against the ground. The attack may not have seemed like much, but boy did it surprise them.
Shadow Force …
The entire crew of pirates who had been dashing up the mountain with a look of bloodlust on their faces before, now all shrieked as a wave of darkness rumbled underneath the soil, causing the road to shake under their boots. The earthquake-like tremor sent the crowd of men sprawling back down the slope, some rolling like balls while others quite literally ate dirt during their tumble down. I had barely moved an inch during the entire scene.
"As I said, you're not getting past me." I said as the Black Cat Pirates all returned to their feet in a rather ungraceful manner.
Jango, who had been unharmed by my defensive attack, began stuttering, his voice rising several octaves as he directed his men. "I TOLD YOU TO GET RID OF HER!"
Although the amateur freebooters appeared to be quite shaken up, they didn't dare disobey their captain. Raising their weapons once more, the psychotic mob of pirates attempted once more to pummel me in to the earth. One particular attacker, a thin, ravenous man with thick black eyeliner and pit stains, ran ahead of the rest of his crewmates, the eagerness clear on his putrid face. When he was just close enough to hit me, I hastily shot one hand out and secured my fingers around his throat.
Shadow Pulse …
Two seconds later, the pirate was dead.
Actually, the word 'dead' is a bit understated. What I did to him was far worse than what that measly phrase defined. No, I'd have to say that he was . . . obliterated.
All was silent on the beach. It felt as if time itself had stopped moving, as if the whole world had been caught in Limbo. The crowd of pirates who had been itching to fight me off now stood with their jaws unhinged, their faces pale and their bloodshot eyes drawing tears. Even their shitty captain appeared positively disturbed by what he had just witnessed - what they had all witnessed. However, I felt no empathy whatsoever as I casually began wiping away some of the bloodshed from my face and hair.
My crimson gaze was directed at Jango as I spoke again. "You really want to try that a third time?"
The brief pause that had enclosed the entire North Shore was instantly broken as several dozen pirate men began screaming like frightened children. They all shrieked phrases that nearly no one could understand, only the occasional 'we're doomed!' or 'please spare us!' could be heard from the bawling brutes. I paid them little mind as I continued to wipe away the remaining salty liquid from my person, inwardly cursing at myself since it was going to be extremely difficult washing the blood out of my clothes.
What a bunch of winy babies … I thought bitterly. Wait a fucking second … where the hell are-
"KORI!"
Well that answers my question …
With one last smear across my face, I turned back to see Usopp standing several years behind me, his breath uneven and his forehead gleaming with light perspiration. "You're fast! I can't believe you got here first! Are the …" His eyes literally bulged out of his goggles as he finally noticed the pitiful scene on the slope before us. "WHY'RE THEY ALL CRYING?!"
I shrugged. "They're weak, that's why."
"MY MEN ARE NOT WEAK!" Jango sneered, having apparently been brought out of his momentary stupor. His attention turned from me to Usopp, his anger only fueling more. "You're that boy who overheard our plan. What do you think you're doing?"
Usopp sucked in a breath - while swallowing down some of his nerves - and faced Jango with an erect stature. "I'm warning you!" He shrieked, his hands at his hips and a soft tremble slithering down his spine. "Turn back now while you still can! Or else my 100 million crewmen will beat the crap out of you guys!"
… Nani? …
Some of the crewmembers had calmed down by now - and those who had not were still either crying or on the verge of fainting - so those who had overheard Usopp's bold claim had immediately grown serious again. "He's obviously lying!" The crewmen said, annoyance and frustration leaking from their pores and fake cat ears as the mob stared up at us. Now they looked about ready to kill us.
"Yikes!" Usopp chirped nervously. "They saw through it?!"
"Of course they did, you dirty liar." I said, linking my fingers together behind my head in a casual way. "100 million is a little eccentric, don't you think?"
"Why are you always so NEGATIVE?!" Usopp yelled in my face, a vein popping from his sweat-drawn forehead.
I huffed out a frustrated breath. "Why does everyone say I'm negative?!"
Whatever witty comeback he was gonna' reciprocate with was lost in the air as several excited shouts drew our attention down to the shore once more. It seemed that one of the pirates had found our boats, thus rummaging around in our belongings until they found the treasure that had been hidden on Nami's ship. One of the crewmembers held up the bag full of gold and jewels proudly, proclaiming that it would be worth at least a good 5 million.
"5 million Beli?!" Usopp muttered, gawking at the load of treasure that they had pulled out from our boats. He looked at me, an unbelieving gleam filling his dark eyes. "How did you guys get so much money in your boat?!"
I shrugged. "We're pirates, what can we say?"
Usopp blinked at me, still captured in the awe of it all, but seemed to be lost in his own mind. His eyes had a faraway look for a moment or two before he turned back to the pirates who were all crudely dressed as cats. "THAT'S MY TREASURE!" The entire crowd of men glared up at Usopp as he said this, not comprehending that the treasure had already belonged to someone. "BUT YOU CAN HAVE IT!" He cast me a nervous glance. "That cool with you?"
"I don't care." I replied, more or less bored of the situation.
"NANI?" Jango yelled in surprise. "You'll give us the treasure?!" The Black Cat Pirates were all definitely pleased about this proclomation, despite the fact that it was only a bargaining tool.
"That's right!" Usopp responded, his back straightening into his proud, elite posture again. "In exchange for that treasure, I ask that you turn back now!"
Has he learned nothing?
Jango snickered, along with a few of his nakama around him. "You baka. We're pirates, you know. We're obviously going to take this treasure. It's not good enough of a reason for us to turn back, though." Usopp's face fell in defeat, still staring with intensity at the man who had refused his proposal. Jango reached into his coat and pulled out his hypnotizing wheel, the gold ring on a string, and held it up for long-nose to see. "Alright, then. On 'one, two, Jango', you'll let us by! One, two, Jan-"
He was unable to finish his spell, however, since his victim had been knocked out of the way by a very angry Nami gripping her bo-staff roughly. Usopp fell to the ground, removing his eyes from the hypnotic ring Jango was holding, and was met with a face full of dirt. Usopp glanced up at the girl who had smacked him, not understanding why he had been hit.
Nami was indeed very upset about the current scene before her. "QUIT STANDING AROUND!" She yelled furiously. The mikan-haired thief turned to the black cats, sending them an evil glare. "That boats' treasure is MINE! I won't let you have a single Beli! Hold on to it! I'll come take it back now!"
There is no way she can take on all those men by herself just for treasure.
Usopp screamed in pain, bringing Nami's attention back to him in a flash. "THAT HURT!"
"WHO SAID YOU COULD GIVE THEM MY TREASURE?!" She yelled at him as if he were the stupidest person on the planet.
"What's wrong with just SAYING they can have it?!" Usopp retorted, slowly crawling back up to face the dreaded she-witch in front of him.
I stood a few feet away, watching the two bicker back and forth with a very unpleasant scowl on my face. I had clasped my hands at my hips, tapping my foot repeatedly against the road as my forehead throbbed from a horrible headache. I can tell already these two are going to get on my last nerve in a matter of minutes. I tried to keep my cool as best as I could as they continued going back and forth at each other, not even paying attention to the pirates down on the beach anymore.
"WHAT'RE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!" Nami shouted, her face up close to Usopps' as they argued. "AFTER I JUST SAVED YOU!" She pointed to Jango down the slope, who was still holding his gold wheel in front of him, apparently having hypnotized himself again. "I forgot to mention it, but don't watch this ring all the way through. He's a hypnotist! Oh, where's Luffy?" She said, looking around for any sign of the straw hat boy. "He ran here second, right?"
"Dunno." Usopp said, glancing around the cliff top as well. "He either chickened out or got lost!"
"He got lost, then." Nami mused. "Jeez! Just when we need him, too!"
"I'll take command here." Usopp said egotistically. "Go kick their butts! I'll cover you!" He continued, motioning to the black cat men.
"EH?!" Nami shrieked, almost popping one of my eardrums from the shrill sound. "HOLD ON, WHY ME?! WHY NOT KORI?! There's no way I can take on that huge army! I'm weak, you know!" Yeah, girl, we all know.
"Don't underestimate me just 'cause I'm a guy!" Usopp replied. "I'M SO SCARED MY LEGS ARE SHAKING LIKE CRAZY! SEE?!" He definitely spoke the truth, for his legs were buckling together faster than a jackhammer pounding into the ground.
She was the one to lie, however. "BIG DEAL!" Nami said. "See, look! I'm so scared I have tears in my eyes."
"YOUR EYES ARE BONE DRY! If you're gonna' lie, LIE MORE REALISTICALLY!" Usopp scolded, clearly unimpressed with the lack of skill from the stuck-up thief.
"I DON'T NEED YOU TO TELL ME THAT!" Nami yelled.
At this point, my blood pressure was so high that I was about ready to explode. One basic rule to being around me: never argue or scream; it sets me off. And in conclusion to the annoying conversation between Nami and Usopp, I completely lost it. "Oh, will you two SHUT THE FUCK UP already?!" I said very loudly, my already black aura growing darker by the minute. Nami and Usopp looked positively unhinged at seeing my usually calm exterior explode into a fit of fury. "I'll take care of them!"
By that point the Black Cat Pirates must have reawakened their captain from his hypnotic state, considering how the entire horde of men began charging up the slope with their swords and axes held high above their heads. It seemed that nearly all of the swashbucklers in the crew had now completely forgotten what had happened to their nakama only minutes before when he faced me. Whatever, it's their funeral. I nudged Nami and Usopp out of the way as I stood in place, dead set on blowing these numbskulls down the mountain. I took in one deep breath, closed my eyes, and began to work my dark magic once more.
Shadow Shield …
With another protective layer of shielding around my person, I waited impatiently for one of the nasty fuckers to make their way up the slope first so I could release all of my pent-up aggression. Soon one of the bootleggers - a particularly thick man in a striped shirt with a dark Mohawk - had come close enough to where I could perform my next attack. I shot my arm out, grabbed his collar, and sealed my open palm with his left cheek.
Shadow Melt …
My hand burned as the dark matter crawled through my fingertips onto the surface of the mans' face. His eyes widened, like large, brown dinner plates, and sweat began to gush through the pores of his face as he gasped out in pain. Whatever weapon he was holding fell to the ground as his main objective now was to get away from as soon as possible. He screamed, cried, and pleaded for me to stop, but his protests only encouraged me more. I could see that the other crewmembers who had been rushing up the mountain path now all stood motionless once more, taking in the bloodcurdling scene without a word.
After only a few seconds of contact, I released the man from my grip. He fell to his knees instantly, clutching at his bleeding face, the skin practically melted through to the bone. His left eye - which had come into contact with my magic during his struggle - was bulging, the blood vessels seeming to have popped at some point. He screamed in agony, a clear sign that he had already given up, but I continued to cause him more pain. Well, cause them all pain, really.
Shadow Whip …
With a hasty snap on my wrist, I long line of darkness shot from my fingertips, the end of it's whip meeting the back of the pirate man sitting at my feet. A long gash appeared on his skin a moment later, accompanied by more shrieks of misery. Without even looking, I slapped the whip around to another enemy, the force of the leather ripping off skin upon instant contact. Half a dozen of the Black Cats were struck by one flick, and that was enough to kill every single one of them.
By now most of the pirates - those who had not yet met the opposite end of my dark powers - turned on their heels and ran straight down the slope, leaving their 'nakama' behind to bleed.
They're not getting away that easily.
Shadow Force …
With another tap of my foot I cast loose another tremor through the earth. The sonic wave managed to trip up the cowards before they actually reached the sanctuary of the shore again. The earthshaking force had also pushed the Mohawk pirate away from my feet and down the slope with his comrades. The whole of the Black Cats' crew were now all together, as if they were sheep that had been herded by a dog. All of them were more or less dying by this point, so I figured that they had had enough of physical pain. Wearing a twisted grin, I finished them off.
Shadow Machete …
I raised my arms closely together, pointed outward in front of me, black magic sparking across my pale skin like electricity. With a swift motion, I forced my hands to separate, giving the impression that I had sliced the air. Though as I did this, the darkness that had been swelling over my arms then shot out as thick as a blade and flew down the slope. As the darkness traveled, it grew larger until it was as wide as the width of the slope. The men were defenseless as the machete-sharp shadow cut through them, blood gushing from skulls, throats, torsos, and legs. The only sounds that were carried by the morning breezes were of men screaming in anguish. It was truly a horrific sight to behold, yet I felt no remorse for these imbeciles who were now facing death.
You wanna' know something about me finally? Then here goes: I've always killed without mercy. That's it, done. I had no emotion when it came to death or murder. I was taught that if there was anyone who dared to oppose the power melted within my veins, then that person should die. End of story. There would be no pleading for a second chance, no retaliation swing from the enemy, not even enough time for the victim to send a silent prayer to whatever god they think would be watching them from above. So seeing this group of men on the battlefield before me, I couldn't help but feel a little ashamed for inflicting the pain-inducing feel of death into their systems. But, then again, what do I care? I'm practically a monster. Any sign of guilt or shame disappears as soon as the blood is spilled, so that's how I go on with life.
At least I didn't get any blood on myself this time.
Rotating my neck around as I worked out the tense knots, I glanced back at Nami and Usopp, who just stared at me as if I had bugs crawling out of my ears. Their mouths were gaping open, their jaws hitting the ground as they looked back and forth between me and the mutilated pirates on the shore below us.
Usopp raised a finger at me, trembling like a newborn baby. "H-how did you d-do that?!" He squealed, completely perplexed at what had just happened.
I remained nonchalant, unaffected by what I had just done. "Do what?"
Nami spazzed out - again - her eyes growing wide and her teeth sharpening as she yelled angrily at me. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'DO WHAT'?! YOU JUST KILLED AN ENTIRE MOB OF MEN! AND YET YOU'RE COMPLETELY CALM ABOUT IT?!"
I nodded. "Yeah. What's your question?"
"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED HERE?!"
The three of us turned around to see Luffy and Zoro standing several yards behind us, panting heavily from all the running they probably had to do to make it to the north shore. They were both staring at the Black Cat Pirates, who were just about done for as they remained motionless in a pile on the sand.
"About time!" Nami said, glaring daggers at the two boys who were incredibly late to battle. "Kori already took care of these pirates, so you're a little too late! What took you guys so long?!"
"NAMI!" Zoro screamed in rage, several veins popping from his forehead and his eyes dark and menacing as they peeked out from underneath the black bandana around his head. "HOW DARE YOU KICK ME DOWN THERE!"
Nami and Zoro went back and forth at each other for a while, pinning the blame on each other for the boys' tardiness and how slipping in the oil on the other slope was a simple 'accident', even though it wasn't. Luffy, who had just now noticed the mob of useless pirates blanketing the entire north shore, nodded at the Black Cats on the beach, one hand on top of his hat. "Why are they just laying around?"
"Baka!" Usopp screamed. "You guys were late, so we took care of them!"
I turned to him. "We?"
Usopp flinched back. "I meant Kori!"
Luffy's dark eyes suddenly popped into the shape of glowing yellow stars, wearing a matching vivacious grin to emphasize his awe. "You took them all out single handedly?! SUGOI!"
Through Luffy's fawning state of admiration, Usopp's still dumbstruck appearance, and Nami and Zoro's bickering, I could vaguely hear the pirates on the shore shift and groan. I listened intently to Jango, who stood above his unconscious nakama with a sour tone in his voice.
"Night is long gone now. He, Captain Kuro, has a short temper." Jango said absentmindedly, speaking to himself mostly, now fully aware of the danger he would be in if his captain saw him in this state. "Hey, men! Don't tell me that brat did you all in?!" At his word, the few cat-dressed men who had not apparently given up stood around him, making a circle of about a dozen men. Jango sighed at the sight, disappointed with the shortage of muscle. "Good enough. Listen! We don't have time to be dilly-dallying here! If our enemy is strong, we just need to be stronger!" He again pulled out his hypnotic ring, holding it up for his crewmembers to see. "Now watch this ring closely! On 'one, two, Jango', you guys will grow strong. Your wounds will be completely healed, and you will grow stronger and stronger!"
I shook my head after hearing Jango's idiotic monologue to his pirate crew. No amount of hypnosis could heal those guys perfectly in only a couple of seconds. I knew from personal experience that once my opponent has been ripped open, then there was no hope in trying to save them from the call of death. 'You have to make sure they never see the lighter side to life ever again.' The words from that ungrateful asshole rang through my brain like a loud, obnoxious bell, staining my memory forever. I would never forget them.
"Hey guys, you might want to see this." I said to the other unobservant teens near me.
"What're they doing?" Luffy asked, having finally looked over to find the small circle of men around Jango, staring mindlessly at the mystic ring before them.
"It's hypnosis." Nami said plainly, glaring at the pirates down the slope with a disgusted frown. "He's trying to convince them to be stronger? How ridiculous!"
The bizarre hypnotist held up his tool of power, making sure the small crowd of men saw it all clearly before letting it swing lightly in the air. "One, two, Jango!" After the magic words were spoken, it seemed that the small group of black cats weren't as ridiculous as we had thought. Even though the guys still had trouble standing and moving around due to their injuries delivered by my hostile attacks, they all seemed to be completely hypnotized from Jango's spell. The men shuffled back up the slope slowly, their eyes white as sheets since they did not currently have a mind of their own, and their foreheads beading with gleaming sweat. They looked vicious, but still somewhat in pain from the open wounds.
They're not gonna' get very far.
"NO WAY!" Nami shrieked, instantly terrified at the club of men hiking up the mountain at sloth speed. "THEY REALLY DID GET HYPNOTIZED!"
"GO!" Jango screamed at his men. "Crush anyone who gets in the way!" The twelve men all drew in deep breaths and let out strangled war cries. They raised their fists and continued their way forward on the path, seeming to forget about their weapons still laying on the beach behind them.
"You guys get back! We'll handle this!" Zoro shouted. His hands neared his katanas as he waited for the rest of us to duck and cover. Usopp and Nami had no problem with hiding from the battle that was to come, but I remained stationed in my spot, shaking my head at the green bean. He rolled his eyes at me, apparently displeased by my participation in the fight, but let it slide anyway. "Fine, fight with us. Hey, Luffy!" Our childish captain didn't respond, his eyes drawn to the ground intently. "Luffy?" Then, from out of bloody nowhere, Luffy let out a loud war cry that even startled the nearing pirate men. His eyes were white and his face showed fury and strength, signaling at once that this ignorant baka had gotten hypnotized as well.
"YOU GOT HYPNOTIZED, TOO?!" Zoro yelled at his braindead captain, who was still currently screaming.
"What a simple-minded person." Nami muttered, seated in a bush next to Usopp on the cliff top.
Luffy ran forward at full speed, his hands curled into fists and his aura growing dark. "Gomu Gomu No Gatling!" He shouted as his arms stretched in front of him, repeatedly punching whatever was in front of him. The twelve cat pirates all stared in shock for a moment before turning around and running back down the path to the beach, shrieking like frantic little girls.
However, it seemed Luffy was REALLY out of it, for he continued to run after the men, somehow passing them and sprinting right up to their ship. He stretched both of his arms around the head of the boat, hugging the wooden ship as he pulled roughly away from it. Luffy was able to successfully pull the head of the boat from the ship in one piece, the black cats skull glistening in the sunlight as he swung it around in the air. The pirates turned to run away as Luffy charged at them with the large, broken boat piece, but didn't get very far when Jango reversed his spell, bringing Luffy and the rest of his men back to reality.
The twelve pirates were all glad to see that they were not being chased anymore, but soon began shrieking for another reason entirely. It appeared that Luffy was a bit sleepy after having exerted so much energy ATTEMPTING to beat the group of dudes into the ground. It was in that instant that the head of the ship that he had been carrying began to tip towards the ground, smashing against the beach - along with the dozen pirate men - with a big furl of sand dust clouding the atmosphere. Luffy lay underneath the wooden structure, snoring loudly with several noticeable Zzzzzzz's floating in the air above his head.
"Looks like they're just about wiped out!" Usopp, who had been expressly quiet with the rest of us, said aloud, his mouth agape at the unusual sight on the shore.
"I guess so." Zoro responded, his eyes wide and his posture stiff. He glanced down at me - damn him for being 5'10" - and smirked. "So, you're the one who cut those guys up?"
I looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. "Yup."
"Hey, never mind that." Usopp interrupted, his attention still focused on the practically defeated buccaneers on the beach. "Luffy's trapped under there!"
"He won't die." Zoro replied, crossing his arms over his chest, emphasizing his muscles nicely. "Worry about your own injuries or something."
Suddenly, I felt two very strange energies that I hadn't noticed before. They were somewhat powerful, but lacked the official strategy that was needed for battle. I scolded myself for not having realized that there were more enemies that we had to vanquish, but that was probably because they had been hiding the entire time. Yep, the two people whose energies I just now noticed are stationed somewhere inside their godforsaken pirate ship.
Not a moment after the two auras made themselves known, an unfamiliar, musical voice sliced through the silent atmosphere like butter, soon joined with a second, slightly deeper voice. "Hey, Butchie! Come look! This is bad stuff! What the hell?"
Jango, who had grown increasingly agitating once he realized that he was in danger now, smiled devilishly, an evil gleam shining from behind his heart-shaped sunglasses. "We still have a trump card!" He murmured so quietly that only I could hear it. "Come forth, Meowban Brothers!"
… Meowban Brothers? …
The two energies who had been resting inside the ship finally presented themselves, hopping up on the deck and smiling down at us through the now large gape in the front of the boat. One of them was very large … and kind of looked like a cow, wearing a bell around his neck and a long, fluffy purple cape, one black spot covering his left eye. The other guy had dark green hair, sharp feline eyes, and wore shorts and a bow-tie blue shirt that exposed his stomach. They both wore the Black Cat Pirates trademark cat ears and tail, but they also had gloves with long, claw-like nails attached to them.
"Siam!" The green haired guy said.
"And Butchie!" The fat guy said next, standing next to his brother proudly.
"Together, we are the Meowban Brothers!" They exclaimed in unison, glaring at us while they nodded to their leader Jango respectfully.
I blinked once, twice. All was silent on the mountain for a good thirty seconds before I was reduced to actually having to break the silence first. I exchanged an eye-popping glance with Zoro - who appeared just as confused as I was - before speaking aloud, emphasizing every syllable clearly and perfectly in a casual monotone voice.
"What the fuck?"
TO BE CONTINUED
One-shots:
Loving Inebriation
Loving Secrets
[AU: Meant to update this a while ago and totally spaced on it. Sorry, but life happened, unfortunately. I'm not too happy with how the second battle scene came out, but it's 3 am right now and I'm too lazy to fix it. I am deeply sorry for anyone who has been waiting - impatiently or otherwise, I know the feeling. Chapter 8 will be up within 1 to 2 weeks, but I can't make any promises. Signing off - ShadowManipulator7 '-.-']
