Chapter 9

Zoro swung his swords as he pushed his opponent away.

Sanji did the same, but kicked him away and both Straw Hats glared at the two men. "Oi, aren't you going to tell me about their arms?" Sanji asked him.

"It's too complicated to explain to you." Zoro answered, placing his third sword in his mouth.

"Eh...either that or you don't even know yourself." Sanji retorted.

"Urusai...blond freak."

The two men with demonic arms charged at the two.

"What did you say, shithead?" Sanji retorted.

"You heard me, curly brow." Zoro closed his eyes, firing back.

Their opponents started swinging their arms at Zoro and Sanji, but both men quickly struck back with Zoro slicing his opponent and Sanji kicking the other in the neck.

"Hmph...not bad..." Zoro muttered.

"Thanks..." Sanji replied, slightly surprised by the compliment.

"...for a twirling princess..." He should have known better.

"You asshole!" Sanji shouted and tried to kick Zoro, but he blocked his leg with his swords.

"Great...now they're fighting amongst themselves..." Usopp sweat dropped.

"Those bakas..." Nami muttered as well.

"Hahahahaha!" The Straw Hats all turned to looked at the laughing Hisho. "You guys really are as crazy as they say you are...but...don't think that you defeated them so easily..."

Zoro and Sanji's eyes widened in shock as the two men they thought they defeated appeared in front of them and slashed both Straw Hats across their waists.

"Zoro! Sanji!" Usopp shouted as he watched the two back away and grab their waists.

"Hahahaha! You really shouldn't underestimate your opponents. I thought you two would know that after all those fights you were in..." Hisho laughed.

"That bastard..." Sanji cursed.

Zoro didn't say anything and stood up.

He then charged at his opponent. "Santoryu...Yasha Garasu!" He shouted and spun like a rolling wheel and started thrusting his swords at his enemy.

The man used his speed to try and dodge the attacks, but Zoro was too fast for him and was left with a bunch of cuts all around his body.

"Suge...Zoro is serious..." Chopper commented in slight fear as Zoro glared at the man on the ground.

"Yohohoho...scary..." Brook agreed.

"Too bad it would take more than that..." Hisho told them and Zoro's eyes widened in shock as the man stood up and his wounds began to quickly heal.

"No way..." Zoro muttered.

"Quick regeneration." Robin said.

"No way...what is he?" Chopper said with his eyes wide in shock.

"We are what the World Government fears." Hisho answered. "Pirates? Hah! They don't even compare to what we can do! We are the new breed of demons that will rule this world! Once we destroy the World government...we will be the ones to take over and make this our world!"

"You bastard..." Franky gritted his teeth in anger.

"Of course...such a thing can't happen without the man we call the Chosen One." He chuckled. "So, in a way...I must thank you...thank you for bringing the chosen one to us!"

"Luffy..." Nami muttered in sadness.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Luffy stared in the direction that Hisho and his nakama were fighting it out.

"You seem surprised that they decided to stay..." The Leader of the demon army said to Luffy as he walked toward him.

Luffy didn't answer him.

"I see...the silent treatment..." The Leader sighed. "If you are so worried about them...why don't you go see how they are doing..." He told him with a smirk.

Luffy made a noise in surprise.

"What are you waiting for? Go!"

Luffy clenched his fists and ran.

"Why are you letting him go?" One of the other high members of the army asked.

"No reason...just thought that he should see his nakama one more time..." He turned away and had a smug look on his face as he walked away.

The man smirked. "I see..."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Zoro! Sanji!" Chopper, Usopp and Nami shouted as they watched both men fall to their knees, clutching each of their wounds.

The two men smirked down at them.

No matter what Sanji or Zoro did, the wounds they inflicted on them would only heal.

It pissed both of them off.

"Damn this..." Zoro muttered, getting up.

"What the hell do we do?" Sanji wondered.

"Hahahahaha! Is this really what the famous Straw Hat pirates? If you ask me, it's pathetic!" Hisho laughed.

"Urusai!" Zoro angrily yelled.

He then closed his eye and concentrated.

"Eeeh? What exactly do you plan on doing?" Hisho asked, looking at Zoro.

Zoro didn't respond and only concentrated on what he was doing.

"Oi, what are you planning?" Sanji whispered.

Again, Zoro didn't respond.

The others looked at Zoro with questionable looks, also wondering what he was planning.

He then opened his eye and glared at his opponents.

Both men looked at him, prepared themselves for what he was planning on doing.

Zoro lowered his arms slightly and then positioned themselves into the pose that he took to deliver his Oni Giri attack.

Both men saw this and planned on attacking him before he would deliver his attack and charged at Zoro.

"Santoryu...Rengoku Oni Giri!" He shouted and leaped into both opponents, slashing them while doing so and cutting both of them, leaving them with a bloody 'X' shaped mark on their chests.

"You mean to tell me that that was what you were concentrating so much on doing...you must be a real idiot to just keep attacking them knowing they'll only heal their wounds." Hisho laughed.

"I hate to admit it...but he's right...Zoro..." Franky said. "What were you trying to accomplish?"

"Oi...look!" Sanji said, his eyes widened in surprise as he pointed at the two men.

They all looked at them and saw that their wounds weren't healing.

"W-What? Why aren't their wounds healing?" Hisho asked in shock.

The two men spat out blood and fell to the ground, clutching their chests in pain.

Zoro turned his head to look at them and then looked down at his swords. 'I see...so that works against them...'

"Oi Zoro...what did you do?" Usopp asked.

Zoro turned around and started walking toward Hisho.

He passed by the others and stood face to face with Hisho.

"You bastard...what the hell did you do?" He asked.

"I don't know how to fully control it yet...but...it seems my idea worked..." Zoro started. "You guys might think you are invincible...but it seems like there is something that can counter this regeneration of yours."

"Oh? And what would that be?"

Zoro smirked. "Let me show you..." He then charged at Hisho.

"Alright then you pathetic swordsman...lets see what you got!" Hisho ripped this sleeve off and transformed his arm into that of a demons.

Hisho charged at him.

"Santoryu...Hyakuhachi Pound Ho!" Zoro swung his swords and shot out three compressed projectiles at Hisho.

He dodged the projectiles fluently and then swung his arm.

Zoro blocked the fist with his swords and then closed his eye.

'This again...' Hisho thought and waited for what Zoro was planning on doing.

"Santoryu..." Zoro opened his eye and pushed the man's arm back. He then placed his swords in position. "...Tora Gari!"

"That won't work you fool! My arm is different then theirs! Unlike them, my arm's skin is tougher than steel!" Hisho shouted and placed his demon arm in front of him to block his attack.

However, that proved to be a mistake as the attack created three slashes across the arm.

Hisho shouted in pain as blood spurt from the wounds.

He fell to his knees and clutched his arm tightly.

His eyes widened when the wounds weren't healing. "What the hell did you do?"

"I wasn't sure what it was called at first...but...after seeing what Luffy could do...then I knew that I was able to do it as well...but I can't control it as well as he could just yet..." Zoro answered.

"Huh? You don't mean..." Hisho eyes widened.

"Aa! Haki!" He revealed.

"Eeeh? Zoro can use haki too!" Most of the Straw Hats shouted in shock.

"I see..." The all to familiar voice caused everyone to turn their heads to see Luffy standing in front of a hut, his eyes shield by his treasure.

"Luffy!" Usopp, Chopper and Nami shouted in joy at seeing their captain, well former captain.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Hisho gritted his teeth in anger at him. "Did the Leader send you?"

Luffy didn't answer him and instead turned to face his former nakama. "I thought I told you guys to leave this island..."

"We're not leaving without you!" Nami yelled.

"That's right!" Usopp said as Chopper, Franky and Brook nodded their heads. "We know a little bit about what's going on, but whatever that guy told you, don't believe him!"

"Usopp is right Luffy..." Nami added. "I know the feeling of losing someone...I can help you Luffy..."

"Nami..." Luffy muttered her name. "I'm sorry..." He apologized and then he appeared in front of her.

Nami gasped in surprise at his sudden appearance in front of her.

She watched as he lifted his Straw Hat off his head and placed it on top of hers.

"Luffy..." She muttered as she tried to get a good look at his face, but the brim of the hat was blocking her view.

"I'm sorry Nami...but...I can't...it's too late for me..." Nami's eyes widened at his words. "...please leave...please continue traveling around the world to complete your map and helping the others accomplish their dreams...also take a good care of this hat...if you see Shanks...tell him that I'm sorry I failed to keep our promise...I'm sorry...Nami...mina...sayonara..." With that, he turned around and started walking away.

Nami couldn't help the tears flow down her face.

It hurt.

Her chest hurt so much.

Why wouldn't he let her help him...?

Why...?

"Luffy..." She cried his name.

"Hmph...I don't know why he came, but don't think this is over...Roronoa Zoro..." Hisho said as he clenched his fists and the Straw Hat's eyes widened as his entire body began transforming.

"W-What the hell...?" Zoro's eyes widened as Hisho became a full blown demon.

"Zahahahaha! Now then...let's really start this fight!"

To Be Continued...