Disclaimer: I Do Not Own One Piece.

Chapter 10: Fight! Rise And Be Strong! Part IV

Aro jumped to the side, the blade slicing where she was in one clear-cut in the ground. She lashed out at him with one of her paws, growling as she did so. Robrion easily jumped back to dodge her. Her mighty shoulders bulged as she lowered herself to the ground, eyes locked on his. He smiled at her. 'His eyes…' Aro thought to herself. She focused more on his eyes. Something passed behind them. She blinked and her head shot up out of interest. He charged her again.

"Something you like, Kitty?" He brought the blade into a side sweep. Aro ducked under it.

'Ok, this is a bunch of bull. I can't do anything like this except eat him! Right now, I'm not hungry.' She felt the blade passed right over her ears, and she tackled him, pinning his arms to the ground. He let out a grunt from the pain. Aro growled deep inside her body. 'I will not let him win…'

There was a click.

Her ears flicked.

Luffy shouted something.

Aro jumped back.

Robrion made contact.

His foot, with a toe blade, sank into the soft flesh on her side. A kind of shriek erupted from her body as she collapsed on the ground. Her body shook violently and as it started to change back to its normal state. He charged at her, raising the sword, "You shall not transform back!" He started to bring the blade down once more. She reached up suddenly, catching the blade and turning it's angle just slightly to miss her. Her hand started to bleed as she brought her foot to a strong side kick to the side of this head. He was air born for a few yards, crashing to the ground, skidding a bit.

Aro still held the sword, slowly getting to her feet. Lightly tossing the sword into the air, she caught the handle. The blood that slowly crept down her hand made her arm get goose bumps. She had felt this before. Younger though, and it was more than just a cut on a hand. She looked at the forming blood puddle as the clock started to chime. She could see her reflection looking back. What she saw startled her.

Her eyes were wider, and more beastly. Her hands still hand claws. Her jaw was tighter, stronger looking. The fur on her ears was on end, while her tail was flat and twitching as it swung slowly back and forth. "I… I'm coming back to my old self." A familiar pulse started in her hand.

Everything suddenly slowed down. Her ear turned towards Robrion, and she rotated the blade in her hand, turning to him quickly. He was charging at her, hand knife held tight in his hands.

Things then sped up. Suddenly, she was on her back, the sword sinking into his shoulder and the dagger just to the right of her heart. She cringed from the pain for a moment, and put her feet on his stomach, flipping him over her. She was on her feet, holding the dagger that was still in her shoulder. "Son of a—"

"Aro!" Luffy called, and she spun around to be in a crab-walking stance. Robrion had the sword firmly in his hand once more. He was breathing heavily. Something pass threw his eyes again. She knew what it was then. She knew, and she felt her heart sink.

Determination.

Determination on such a high scale, that only death would make him stop. She closed her eyes, feeling the pulse now in both hands. It seemed to come from the air and yet from her. She could see where—no, feel where everyone was. She could feel their hearts. Robrion's was racing, pounding against his rib cage, and making blood come from his wound more. She could feel Luffy's, calm and yet faster than normal. Veldoro's seemed to have no pulse, while Serisha's heart was racing. The man in black seemed unfazed, heart beating normally. Guzen's was slowing, fading from her senses. Robrion started towards her once more, staggering from his lack of strength.

Aro kept her eyes closed, focusing on Guzen's heartbeat. She had once saved him from dying, a long time ago. Since then, they have been close enough to seem to talk to each in a bond like siblings. She reached out to him with her mind. 'Hold on a little longer… I'll free you, I promise…' She then opened her eyes, looking at the angry and blood covered man, Robrion, as he attacked her with the sword. She jumped back to dodge it.

"Robrion! Stop this! At this rate, you'll end up dead!" Aro was surprised at the anger in her voice.

"I will not lose!" He suddenly charged at her. She stepped back slightly, slipping at the edge of something. She glanced over her shoulder to see a small drop into a pit that she didn't notice before.

'That clock blocks people's minds and alters their thoughts…' She thought as she turned back to Robrion. She pushed her weight forward, grabbing his hands so his sword was in the air. "Robrion, listen to me, please. If you continue, death will follow."

"And it shall be your death!"

"I don't know whose death, but I can feel it in the air!" Aro was shouting. She hated death, but she never told why. He pushed at her, and she started to slide back. She glanced back once more.

"I shall have your skin on my wall, one form or the other." Aro looked back to him as he spoke to her. His eyes were different. Someone else's eyes.

It hit her.

"Veldoro! Stop using him as your puppet!" She shouted, pushing back against him.

"Whatever do you mean?" Veldoro sounded dry and emotionless. Robrion pushed more, and Aro could feel her feet touching the edge of the pitfall. She cursed as she continued to be pushed back.

The pulse in her hands returned. A steady rhythm.

"Veldoro! I don't want to kill him!"

Robrion and Veldoro spoke at once in similar tones, "Then you shall die as well as your people."

Something clicked in her head as he gave a final push. She let her back foot slip off, and she dropped to her knee. The air in the room got cold.

The pulse quickened. The blood rushed in her ears, listening to everything.

Her body filled with the feel of electricity and her bones in her hands started to twitch. Her nails got slightly longer, and the anime look came to her eyes. She looked into his, locking his eyes.

A short scream.

The Soft sounds of liquid splattering on the ground were the only sounds in the room.

A whimper and a sob were heard from the two mangled figures.

Ever so slowly, but noticeably, the pulse started to leave. Her hearing slowly returned to normal. She felt them again with her mind. Luffy was now in a small state of shock, Veldoro was tempted to laugh, and Serisha was filled with sorrow. Yet still, the man in black didn't change emotions and Guzen was slowly returning to a normal state of mind. Aro pulled her hand back slowly with the last of the pulsing in her bloodied hand. She let Robrion fall over her and into the pit of unknown. In her hand, she still held his warm heart. It was bleeding, staining her clothes. She looked at hit, reflection clearer than ever, in the bright red blood that shimmered in the light. Her eyes held fear, yet a look of a cold-hearted murderer. She dropped the heart with a small plop and hugged herself. She was going back. Going back to being Oni of the Sea.

"Veldoro… you mother—" She cut herself off, slowly raising to her feet, "You made him human before I killed him… I could see it in his eyes… You made me kill a man from Shira!"

((Authors note: Sorry it took so long. I forgot the idea, and I finally got around to typing it! " Yeah, it got kind of bloody… sorry!))