Chapter 26: I don't own One Piece.
This chapter is different from the rest, as I'm going to jump ahead of myself and introduce some new characters that you all know of, but probably not seen or read much about.
Give me a review and tell me who you think I'm writing about.
:D
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Chapter 26: The Man-slayer
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Somewhere... in the West Blue there was a hunter. Not a pirate hunter, or a gold hunter, or a hunter of rare items, and he wasn't even a hunter of vengeance or looking for revenge. He simply liked to hunt people. A certain breed of people.
Most who saw the deaths of those he hunted would go out of their way to avoid him. Diving into a river, or climbing up a tree, or even running into someone else's house as long as they didn't confront him or see him again.
At first glance one might think he was a gentleman or a noble man of high rank for he had the presence of a man meant to do great things. His dead-straight, midnight, shaded hair gleaming in the moonlight hung handsomely across his face, long enough to hide his eyes from time to time, but short enough to look perfect. In his step there was an eager energy that was so lacking in other youths nowadays, and in his keen eyes lay the desire of adventure and the thrill of life that so many learned to kill early in their dull lives.
The dark haired man walked down yet another unknown street. His sense of direction and memory never failing him for a moment, and although having never set foot in that town he knew exactly where he was going.
"Dragon's Head." the young man said to himself as he had finally saw it at last. "Such a quire and interesting name. I wonder if they had ever owned a dragon's head." He smirked and then headed in pushing through the closed doors and into the warmly lit room.
"I have come!" he said with pride. "To challenge all of you to duel with me. The winner," he said, "will get this bag of gold." He held up a the bag and loosened the straps so that everyone could see what he was holding.
"I challenge you!" said one drunk man with a grin.
"Don't bother. Astin. He looks like he's itching for blood."
"Shut up, Sen, you old timer." He pulled out his heavy broad sword and swung it down at the stranger. "I could use the money."
"Fool," mocked the stranger, "Anyone can use money," he pulled out his sword and swung it back at him in turn, "but it takes a wise man to know when he can't obtain it." The challenger looked confused for a moment before the stranger disarmed him completely of his weapon and sent it flying off to be in-bedded into a distant table.
"You are not worthy of fighting me." the stranger said with disdain. And before the man could disagree his chest had been intruded by an unfamiliar object. He glanced down in shock and pain then groaned as the blade was pulled back out again.
"HOW DARE YOU!" yelled some of his friends standing up in shock and horror.
"Oh, dear," the stranger shook his head. "I'm so sorry he seemed to have fallen onto my blade, but don't you worry, I'll clean up the mess."
"WHY YOU!" the group of them rushed at him.
"NO! Stop!" They all turned to look at the strong voice.
"It's blood-blade Ikanu!" Sen Bansi yelled standing up from his spot in the corner.
Ikanu's eyes went black and his body's muscles flexed like a predator's that had he found his new prey. His gaze met with Sen's and he then started walking towards him with a knowing smile on his handsome face. Everyone's eyes in the room were on him. They couldn't help it he looked elegant and graceful walking across the room with such great purpose. But his beauty would not stop them from feeling the fear he was creating. He would make them see and live their nightmares. He would be the fear that the survivors would spread stories about for years to come.
"You!" Sen Banshi started at Ikanu, "You're the one that killed my entire nakama two years back!" his hatred and defiance for Ikanu were evident in his blazing eyes.
"I swore that one day I would have my vengeance!" … Ikanu raised an eyebrow in a bored and disinterested way ... "And now fate has given me a chance to redeem myself for not being strong enough then."
"Wait?" Ikanu held up his bare palm to the man to stop his talking. "Are you a swordsman?" He asked as if he were inquiring about the weather.
"Yes, … I am the legendary man-slayer Sen! And I..."
"That is a wonderful name." Ikanu smiled, everyone was staring and in shock, "Tell me," Ikanu continued sounding pleasantly interested, "How long ago did you acquire that name? Was it ten years ago? Twenty? Or Fifty?" He unsheathed his sword and stretched his arm out and looked down his blade at him the look of complacency replaced with one of disdain. "I don't wish to fight a washed up old man who fights with a rusty walking stick!"
Sen had no more words to say or speeches to give, and drew his blade. Ikanu noticed how well he handled his body weight and how easily he shifted it from on position to another. This might actually be fun. They clashed blades almost immediately testing each others strength and then leaped out of the way. Ikanu had a bad feeling about Sen's Blade there was something not quite right with it. And then he realized it was a blade filled with guilt and regret. This wasn't going to be a challenge at all, this was just the warm up.
They sparred for about ten minutes cutting through tables and chairs, swinging on the light fittings and throwing the random item or two, but Ikanu noticed the older man tiring. This was just too easy.
He had lived up to his reputation well and that pleased him enough. That even in this sorry state he would be a reasonable force to be recond with.
Ikanu hit the older man in the shoulder just above the elbow then jabbed at the knee.
Sen's Kantana slipped just a little bit from his hand as his arm felt the pain and Ikanu used that moment to knock the sword clean out. He then brought the hilt of his sword into Sen's jaw.
Sen's response to the previous blow was to spit out a glob of blood into the already beer stained floor. He looked up at Ikanu unbelief in his eyes.
"I was once like you, but I was then taught to help those in need. The strong should raise the weak up, not grind them in the dirt." Sen whispered through shattered teeth.
Ikanu knelt down beside him and for a moment looked like he would be gentle and help the broken man up, but he just leant over his body to whisper in his ear. "I don't need to grind you into the dirt. You will do that to yourself. There is no honour in killing someone who is already dead. Know this, you can never beat me and you'll never be as brave as your friends were... By the way who were they again?" Ikanu straightened up and stood, looking at his hands in a interested way as if seeing them for the first time, as if somehow they were more interesting than the fight he had just won.
"Is their anyone in this hive of a rubbish who have the skills to challenge me?!" Ikanu called out the open question. No one answered.
"Oh, please." The young man announced. He lifted his arms up and out wide as if to show to the world how unguarded he really was. "Is this all I am to expect?"... "So, I take it everyone else yields!"
He looked up angrily, "I was told the best swordsmen could be found here! You are the swordsmen Bandits. ARE YOU NOT!"
The barman stepped out from behind the counter, he pulled what looked like a rotten segment from beneath the counter top and drew out a shining blade. "Come on men! Everyone attack!"
On demand every blade that had been previously hidden was now in plain sight and preparing for attack. Ikanu's eyes were filled with excitement and glee as they all rush at him. He jumped up out of the first attack that was strangely aimed for his legs and continued dodging their thrusts and jabs by flipping and sliding out of harms way as if he was performing a dance.
It didn't take to long before he had killed every man with a blade in hand. He hadn't gone after those who ran away. And those that still remained to scared to move lay quivering and shaking on the floor. He spoke softly to them.
"Blame yourselves. For you didn't have the courage to even try to overcome your weaknesses and failings. Victims shouldn't go around announcing to the world how they survived great feats, when all they did in that moment of fear was hide." He lifted his Kantana high. "I have come to cleanse this world of fakes and to teach those who wish to learn the truth," he turned around in a slow circle as if trying to spot anyone worth talking to. "... a far better way of living."
The cowards seemed to have a better idea and ran for the door into the cold night. Those who chose to stay and fight before long the fell, and only the bar maid, having hidden safely behind the counter was left living in the room. Although now all she was doing was shaking and quaking in fear wishing the man would just go away and that this was all just a nightmare.
"You can't hide from me..." the young man started singing to himself. "I will always find you." She jumped when she heard him tap the top of the counter.
The young man, now known as Ikanu, asked her for a drink of the house sake, as if nothing had just happened. He placed two coins on the table as she pulled out what he had asked from her, and then still shaking poured him his drink.
"Thank you." he said and he excepted the sake.
He look at her kindly which surprised her for a few seconds until she remembered that he had done the same thing earlier. He sat himself down at the bar and folded his hands on the counter top, and fixed his stunning eyes on her. She looked away quickly. Here was a man who she had just witnessed killing everyone she had even known and lived with, and here she was starting to think he looked beautiful. What is wrong with me? She thought. Stealing a look at her fallen comrades she felt her eyes beginning to well up with tears. As she brought her eyes back to the top of the counter she caught a glimpse of his hands again to see they were tightening around each other.
"Don't you hate them miss?" Blood-Blade Ikanu asked.
"Why?" she asked instantly feeling the tears coming up, "What reason would I have to hate them? They saved me from a fire when I was young. I am indebted to them for their kindness." She glanced up into his eyes again. Big mistake! He was looking at her sadly as if he knew a sorry truth.
"I wonder at that," he said. He then reached forward and took one of her hands in his and stroked it gently and then encased it in both of his. "What have they really done for you I wonder?" He kept on gently rubbing her hands in his as he continued. "Have they taught you how to defend yourself? Have they taught you the necessary skills that one needs to survive by oneself?" He looked from her hands to her face, "Or did they just put you behind the bar to serve their every whim and tell you they could protect you from anything that might come your way."
He spoke with such certainty and belief that she found herself shaking from fear. He was right, she couldn't defend herself even if she wanted too. She had never had too. She had never even thought she would need to.
"Now, now," the young man was patting her wrist as if reassuring her he wasn't the sort of man she had to be afraid of, "I didn't come here to kill innocent bystanders. It's not your fault you were taken in by them. Men see pretty, young, women as little more than sex items anyway, it was just their way of making sure they could have something to come back too."
"No..." she pulled her hand back, "they didn't see me like that."
"Did they not?" He asked her with a smile. He leaned back on his stool and took another sip of the drink she had given him, and then grin back at her. She felt her face heat up and her heart skip a beat as he was looking at her. She turned her head away as quickly as she could.
"Tell me girl. Was your first kiss stolen or given?"
"What?" she turned back in surprise and anger to be greeted by a kiss from his own lips. One hand grabbed a hold of her wrist and pulled her upper body across the bar and the other went behind her head sinking itself into her hair preventing her escape. She was shocked to find his kiss was very gentle compared to the strength in his hands and after struggling for a few moments began to like the tingling sensation he was leaving on her lips. She started to relax as she felt his hand beginning to massage her head and gently tug at her hair. She knew she hadn't the strength to fight him, and now she was beginning to wonder if that was what she wanted. She had never felt this way before. She threw away all of her misgivings and kissed him back. She had never seen such a handsome man before, and he was giving her what she needed a gentle touch. All she had ever really wanted was to be loved and cared for. She was beginning to lose herself to his touch when... he pulled away.
He smiled at her as if knowing a secret that she had kept to herself for years that no one else knew but him. He turned and looked down at the men he had just killed. "You mustn't blame yourself for liking me. You have had pretty poor company." He stood up and drained the rest of the sake and made for the doorway, but stopped on route to look down at the crumpled men on the floor, and then turned back to her.
"Feel free to tell the tale of surviving a fight with the legendary Ikanu, but don't try to take revenge," he walked over Sen's hand "it is a waste don't you think?"
"Wait!" She was starting to think she had gone mad. "What am I to do? Where can I go? A... are you taking me with you?"
He smiled again, "It's not that I haven't found this fun, but I don't particularly find the company of women very interesting." Her heart felt like it was being ground into the dust. "Men are far more appealing in every way to me. To kill, to love, to hunt, to challenge. Women are... well women are exactly what men think they are." He pulled a golden coin out of his pocket. "To help build the home and family and are to be seen for no other purpose." he glanced back at her keenly, "Unless you want to prove me otherwise." She felt the crushing sensation on her heart again and started feeling really dizzy.
He flipped the coin into the air and watched it spin in fascination before catching it and trapping it down onto his arm. He looked her way. "Heads or Tails?"
"Um..." She had no idea what he was thinking or planning. "Heads?" She nervously guessed.
He lifted up his hand. "Too bad it's tails. It looks like you're going to have to clean up this mess by yourself." He spun around once and then flicked the coin back at her, and when she caught it he gave her a mocking bow. "For your troubles little miss." He said and then strolled back out the door from where he had come just fifteen minutes before.
She fell to the floor in tears as she realized what sort of person she really was. Everyone who had ever cared for her was dead, and everyone had been killed by the man she had allowed to kiss her. She felt dirty and tainted and disgusting. She let out a yell of grief and guilt that would plague her for many a night to come.
Ikanu heard the scream and smiled to himself. He enjoyed being taken seriously and hated. He enjoyed the instant respect that people seemed to provide for him when his name was called. He was the Blood-Blade Ikanu and men should fear him.
He was bad news for every swordsman around. His eyes had a burning fury in them daring people to challenge him. He lived for it. He loved it. He had a lot to look forward to in the future. He had a date to keep with the devil, he long lost friend. He ran his hand through his hair, but that could wait for destiny. He had changed a lot in the past 9 years. He grinned in anticipation of his rivals reaction. Yes, he had changed a lot and for the better.
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I actually surprised myself when I thought up this idea. This will work on the larger scale that I have planned for this story, and I was really excited when I wrote it. So can you guess who this mysterious person could be.
Give me a review with your ideas. :D