Hidden Fury of the Fish Men Race!
Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Kirsty and Megumi had gone to a larger area to have their rematch, leaving Herman and Monster in the hallway as Shifter lay against the wall, still weakened after the tests performed on him. The merman stood in the middle of the hallway at one end while the wild man stood at the other end, his new claws gleaming in the light.
"Mrrow how how...herre we go again," Monster held out his hands, fingers outstretched, "I'll beat you like last time!"
Herman hmphed, holding his large, meaty hands, "I don't think so! I'm much different than the last time we fought, Monster, I'm much stronger!"
"Mrrow how how how," Monster shook his head, "Impossible...you spent a verry shorrt time on Isla Cadaverr, how could you possibly have gotten strrongerr?"
"You aren't the only one who used the island to get power!" Herman growled, "I'll beat you to a pulp...after what you done to my nakama, you deserve worse,"
I can't kill him...even if I wanted to, I can't!
-Flashback-
"You really think we'll see him there again?"
Axe folded his arms and nodded as Pingu and Austin got read to board, "Positive Herman. However, no matter how you feel towards him, don't kill him. I want him alive, and I want him conscious,"
Herman blinked in confusion, "I don't understand...,"
"Just don't kill 'em," Axe repeated, climbing aboard their ship, "I will deal with him. If anyone is going to get the truth out in the open to him, it should be me!"
-End Flashback-
I don't know what truth he was talking about, but I gotta trust Axe and his way of thinking...I gotta beat him, but keep him alive!
"Let's go!"
"Mrrow how how!" Monster crouched to the floor, "Kuro Neko Pasu!"
Monster disappeared from sight and Herman knew what was coming next.
"Aragosta Parete!(1)" Herman quickly spun himself into a perfect sphere again and waited as Monster's claws began to attack his already scarred shell, Just need to wait until the right moment...
After an eternity, Monster appeared before him, looking a bit flustered. He looked at his new claws, "These must be defective...," he growled.
"No...," Herman uncurled and rose to full height, a smug smile on his face, "Like I said, I got stronger!"
Impossible! In that short amount of time!? Monster bit his tongue, It took me years to get where I am and this...fish...has spent about a week on that island and he's reached a new level?! This can't be!
"ARAGOSTA BATTUTA!"
Monster snapped out of his thoughts just in time to feel Herman's large fist ram into his nose, sending him flying down the hallway and into the wall at the end. Herman cracked his knuckles as he approached the hole in the wall, Monster's legs sticking out of the rubble.
I will still hold my vow...to never hurt another innocent again! I will not become a murderer like Arlong, I will be a defender of my nakama, a merman who will unite the different races of this world under the name of peace...but first, I gotta deal with him!
"Uh...what hit me?"
Herman stopped and twisted a stalk around to see Shifter standing, now leaning against the wall, holding his head, "You're awake, eh? I'll be right with you in a minute," he turned his eye back around to see Monster climbing up from the rubble, looking pissed, blood trickling down his upper lip.
"I usually don't fight with outlaws without bounties...," Monster slowly licked the blood away, "...but R-R-Roog orrrderrred me to put down the enemy, so I will!"
"Bring it!"
-----
Another couple of Marines hit the floor as Axe walked by them, his mind set on finding Roog, Rayo's gift to him, and his Jolly Roger. In his mind, the memory of his beatdown on the beach was fresh, but that didn't scare him...not anymore. The island served him and his nakama in an unexpected way, and it gave him an idea of what was going on here with Monster.
You took my nakama, my flag, my gift, and you even took a kid's life, Roog... he stopped and looked up at the large tower-like building in the distance, "I'm coming for you, asshole!"
-----
"Hold still!"
"Make me, mrrow!"
Herman's eyes swiveled around and around as Monster kept running at high speeds around him, disappearing in a blur every so often.
From what the captain told me, this is a special move called Soru... Herman thought as he tried his best to keep an eye on Monster ...he's so fast! He moves like DJ, but this is a different kind of speed!
"Man Hunt!" Monster appeared in front of Herman and before the merman could stop him, Monster began thrusting his arms forward, ramming all ten of his claw blades into Herman's red flesh. The lobster man choked out a yelp and stumbled back as Monster continued his bladed barrage.
Satisfied, Monster stopped his attack and stepped back, his blades dripping with Herman's blood. The merman fell to one knee, blood spurting from his wounds.
Shit! Time on the island has helped us out, but I still can't take his attacks without injury! Herman covered his mouth, coughing up blood,Still...I lasted longer than I did before, so I'll take that as a good thing. However... he climbed to full height, ...I still gotta take him down and fast!
Monster flung his blades outward, splattering the walls with Herman's blood, "Why don't you be smarrrt and give up, merrrman?" he taunted, "You may actually have a chance to live when ourrr fight ends,"
"You're not one to say who lives and who dies, punk," Herman growled, one of his hands turning into a large claw, "No one...no one...tells me when I may or may not live! If to die in battle is my fate, then so be it, but I decide when that battle happens! There is no fate, but what we make!"
Monster scoffed and ran at him again. Herman raised his claw, ready to strike him on the head, but Monster proved too fast again and he slashed both sets of claws deeply across Herman's chest, causing more of the merman blood to shoot out, covering his fur jacket, as well as his face.
Stunned, and with the surprising amount of blood lost already, Herman stumbled back a few steps before falling backward onto his shell.
"Mrrow how how how...," Monster licked the blood off his claws and walked slowly over to Herman's fallen body, "You'rrre still too weak, merrrman. You will die herrre...simple as that,"
Shifter watched as Monster stood over the lobsterman, going on and on about how it was futile to even try and beat him. As he watched, thoughts began to run through his mind. Kirsty had come to save him from the lab, and now Herman was practically defending him from this wild man bounty hunter! It made him wonder...
"Why...," he called out, still feeling a little out of it, but better than before, "Why...are you...fighting...for me?"
"Mrrow?" Monster turned to him, "Ah...the unique case," he pointed a claw at him, "I'll get with you in a minute...just let me finish with this weakling," he said, turning back to Herman.
Then, to his surprise, Shifter found himself pushing off the wall, pulling his arm back. He tapped into one of his borrowed abilities and aimed right at Monster.
"GUMO GUMO NO PISTOL!"
Monster snapped his head back around, then back just as Shifter's fist came shooting at him. The bounty hunter smirked, "If you'rrre gonna attack me, you may want to be fasterrr than that!"
"Shit!" Shifter pulled his arm back, I'm not up to full strength...I need some food in my belly, but I can't leave Big Red here to die at this freak's claws!
The bounty hunter pulled on his gloves, making sure they were on before taking a few steps toward Shifter. He held out his arms, a grin on his face, "Play with me...,"
"You wanna play? Fine, I'll bite, but don't think I'm an easy target just because I'm a bit...out of it," Shifter held up both hands and Monster watched as flames erupted around them.
This fool thinks he can burn me? Monster wondered as he made his way to the Devil Fruit User, So be it...I'll show him how foolish it is to take me on!
C'mon...just a little closer... Shifter pleaded, watching Monster approach, the flames around his hands dancing. He waited until Monster was at least a couple of yards away from him, "GOTCHA!"
"Mrrow?!"
"SUMU SUMU NO FIRESTORM!" (2)
Shifter began to punch the air, and Monster watched as not one pair, but many pairs of flame-covered hands came flying at him.
"MRRROW?!" he yelped before being pummeled with fiery fists repeatedly.
Shifter kept going, he didn't let up even for a second.
Another gift of my Fruit is that if I combine certain abilities, I can make stronger attacks for myself! Of course, there are some things I cannot do like combine two Logia powers, but with Firestorm, my combo of Straw Hat's Gumo Gumo no Mi and Fire-Fist's Mera Mera no Mi, I can do major damage!...I hope
Already feeling drained, Shifter stopped his attack and pulled his arms back. Panting, he saw Monster get up from the attack, his coat singed, smoke rising from the fur cloth.
"You'rekidding...!"
Monster discarded his coat and cracked his neck, "Just like the merrrman...weak!"
Shit...I was afraid of that! Shifter backed away slowly, Bad enough I'm not up to full strength, but I was hoping Firestorm would take him out! Maybe...maybe there's something else to this Devil Fruit of mine I don't know about yet. I just hope I don't pay for my ignorance.
Monster growled loudly and crossed his blades, "My turrrn...mrrow! Kuro Neko Pasu!"
Shifter watched as Monster disappeared in a blur, and even if he was up to full strength, he was unable to stop the attack. It came at him all too soon. A searing pain filled his torso as Monster's claws punched through his body from behind. He could hear Monster chuckle, and he could feel the hot breath of the bounty hunter on his neck.
"Mrrow how how...be glad R-R-Roog wants you alive. You and that healing woman arrre imporrrtant to him,"
"That woman...,"
"Mrrow?" Monster looked behind him to see Herman pushing up against the floor, his eyestalks drooping, blood still dripping from his wounds, "Arrre you still living?!" he half-shouted as he pulled the blades out of Shifter, the unique man falling to the floor.
"That woman...is my nakama...," Herman panted, coughing more blood up, "Every single one of those kids is my nakama! I told you, bounty hunter...if I am fated to die in battle, it will be me who decides when that battle is, and no one elses!"
Monster scoffed as Merman climbed back to his feet, "You don't get it, do you? You will die herrre, yourrr friends, too!"
"LIKE HELL WE WILL!" Herman screamed, clenching both claw and fist tightly, his shoulders heaving, "You and the Marines messed with my family! Those girls...Dusty, Niri, Chizuru, and Kirsty! Those girls are like my little sisters, if not that, then they are like daughters to me! The boys are the same as brothers and sons...and you screwed with them because you believe you, a wanted man, owe your life to a Marine!" he pointed at Shifter, "I don't know why he did, but he fought for me while I was down. I owe him for that,"
"What arre you talking about?!" Monster demanded.
"What I'm saying is...," Herman's eyestalks rose and Monster could see that his pupils had changed, "You mess with them...you mess with my family, you mess with me!"
Monster's eyes widened, "Those eyes...like a Sea King's!"
Herman glared hard at Monster, his pupils small and filled with something that disturbed the bounty hunter greatly, "You're about to witness the true power of the merman race...our hidden fury!"
"Hidden...furrry?!"
"ARAGOSTA GYORAI!"(3) Herman screamed, pushing off from the ground at an angle.
Monster watched, amazed as Herman came flying at him, What the-?! he was cut off as Herman's head collided with his stomach, taking all the air out of his lungs. Gasping, Monster could do nothing as both he and Herman flew through not one wall, but at least three walls. When they broke through the final wall, Herman landed on the floor and watched as Monster hit another wall, making a large set of cracks on contact.
The bounty hunter groaned as he rolled onto his stomach and pushed off the floor, "That actually hurrrt...,"
"Good, 'cause I got a lot more where that came from!" Herman snarled, standing over him. He reached down and grabbed Monster by his hair, "This'll teach you not to fuck with any of my nakama!" he hissed before spinning around and throwing Monster headfirst into the floor.
A distorted yelp echoed off the walls as Monster plowed through the floor, legs still hanging in the air. That wasn't enough for the enraged merman though, for Herman continued to assault the bounty hunter with numerous punches and hammer strikes with his claw. Even after that, Herman grabbed him by the legs and started swinging him into other walls, the floor again, and the ceiling repeatedly.
This went on for a short time, until Herman began to calm down, his eyes returning to normal. Once a feeling of calm entered the merman's psyche, he looked down to see what he had done to the hunter. Monster was laying motionless, completely battered and bloody, his eyes rolled into the back of his head, mouth agape.
"Oh shit...did I?!" Herman reached down and checked his pulse, "Thank heaven...he's still alive...," he breathed in relief, sitting down against the wall, holding his head, "I lost it again...but at least he's taken care of,".
"Hey, Red, you-?"
Herman looked up to see Shifter walk through the large holes in the wall, holding his bloody wounds. Shifter was staring at the room, then at Monster, who lay unconscious and beaten on the floor.
"Oh shit...!" Shifter slowly turned, "What the hell did you do to him?!"
The lobsterman sighed and closed his eyes, "I had to tap into my anger to beat him,"
"Anger?"
Herman nodded, "When one of my race becomes angry enough, they tap into a fury deep within themselves. When unlocked, this fury increases the strength and speed of that merman. He was too fast and tough before, so I had to use my own fury to defeat him. Luckily for me, I spared his life,"
"How is that lucky?" Shifter demanded, "First chance he gets, he's gonna go berserk!"
"Maybe...maybe not...," Herman wiped the blood from his face, "But I have to keep him alive. My captain wants him alive,"
"For what?!"
"I don't know,"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kilnorc: Oh man, that break was shorter than I thought -scratches head- Well, I hope that Herman's battle with Monster was good, I thought long and hard about this, so I hope it was enjoyable. Now, I know some people already have issues with Shifter's ability thanks to his Devil Fruit, and I know that this chapter is bound to have some people say some more things about him being "too powerful" or something, but let me just say, I don't want him to be all godly! I'm currently working with his creator, and two friends of mine, working out the proper limits of this character.
Aragosta Parete - (Lobster Wall) Aragosta is Italian for Lobster and Parete is Italian for Wall
Suma Suma no Firestorm - A combo move created of Ace's Fire Fist attack and Luffy's Gumo Gumo no Gatling Gun technique.
Aragosta Gyorai - (Lobster Torpedo) Gyorai is Italin for torpedo. More on this and Herman's moves on my profile
On the next chapter of Dead or Alive...
Megumi: I gotta say, with your bounty, I was hoping for a rematch!
Kirsty: I'll give you a rematch you won't forget!
Megumi: Don't take it personally, White Dragon...it's my job, and I have people to care for.
Kirsty; Shit! Not the ki blocking move!
Rock the Dragon!
Kirsty: I've felt this power before...but not like this!
That's it folks, and yes, the next chapter's title is from the english intro of DBZ, which I and Oda-sensei are fans of, hehehehe.