Hello again everybody! I hope you are all having a good day! Well, I am getting more nervous as the first day of school draws closer and closer for me. In fact, it seems that the closer the first day gets, the busier I'm becoming. The only time I have on the computer is the time to type up the next chapter of this story…
I really have nothing interesting to say so why don't we get on with the tale?
Disclaimer: One Piece is not owned by a lowly being such as myself…
The explosion that resulted from the collision between Tide's Wind Scythe and the Marine's bazooka threw everyone back a few feet. A huge cloud of dirt and dust went into the air, making it impossible to see more than a foot or two in front of you.
Tide sat up on the ground. She coughed as a bunch of dirt went into her lungs and rubbed her eyes. The dust was stinging. As she tried to see what was going on around her, she heard the yells of terror coming from all around her.
The townsfolk…Tide thought.
"What a huge explosion!" an unseen man yelled.
"That was so scary! That Elementist girl is at it again!" a woman screamed.
"Everybody! Run for cover!" another man shouted.
Tide jumped to her feet and brushed off her dress. She kept on high alert. After all, those Marines were still around. Then, suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder.
Tide turned quickly and landed a punch directly in the middle of the person's face. It was as her fist made contact with the person that she realized…This person is the same height as her…
"Ugh!" the person exclaimed as she landed on the ground.
"Listerra," Tide said, realizing it was her partner, "Don't sneak up behind me like that!"
"You're the one who hit me without seeing who it was, you jerk!" Caout yelled as she jumped to her feet, unscathed.
After all, punches don't hurt a rubber girl.
Tide clapped her hand over the girl's mouth and glanced around. She heard yells and crying and running but couldn't see anyone thanks to the dust cloud. And it sounded like no one was heading in their direction.
"C'mon," she said, tugging on Caout's arm, "While this cloud has them distracted, we can make a break for it!"
"We're running?" Caout asked, as though it was the worst idea ever, "We can't just run from a fight, Nyshairyn!"
"Listerra, we have to!" Tide replied, "Keep your voice low! You don't want them to find us!"
"That's exactly what I want!" Caout said, clenching her fist in front of her face, "Those guys have caused nothing but trouble for you! Let's beat them up!"
Tide flicked the girl on the forehead. Even though it didn't hurt the girl, she still looked at Tide indignantly.
"Idiot!" Tide hissed, "Get your priorities straight! This dust cloud is giving us the chance to escape here and get to the docks unharmed! You want to leave this island, don't you?"
Caout frowned. While she didn't like leaving during a fight, she had to admit that Tide had a point. Caout, begrudgingly, consented to the idea of running.
"Then let's go!" Tide said as she started walking.
She had taken no more than a few steps when a loud bang filled the air. Caout watched, mouth open, as Tide fell to her knees. She was clutching her shoulder.
Caout ran over to the girl. She noticed that the white fabric of the dress that Tide was grabbing was quickly turning a deep red.
"I think I got the demon!"
Caout quickly snapped her head around to see a group of five Marines coming from the dust. They all had their guns trained on the two girls. Caout listened to them cock their weapons.
"Nyshairyn," Caout said as she stood up, "You okay?"
"Yeah," Tide gasped, standing as well, "It's just a minor wound…I've had worse…"
"By order of the Marines, you are both under arrest!" one Marine said, "Surrender quietly and we won't shoot!"
"I never do anything quietly," Caout scoffed, "And surrender to you jerks? Not in this lifetime!"
"You can either surrender without a fight," another Marine said, "Or we'll shoot you and take you in by force…You may be children but your both criminals…So, what's your choice?"
Caout jokingly looked like she was pondering her answer. Then, she gave the men an evil smirk.
"I choose the latter!" she shouted as she stretched her arm suddenly.
Her fist collided with one Marine and sent him flying back into the dust. The other four men took the attack as the signal to fire. As they shot, Tide clenched her teeth. What were they going to do?
Caout quickly stood before Tide, shielding the girl. Tide could only watch as the bullets collided with the girl. She waited for the blood to fly out from the wounds the girl had. What she saw instead was parts of Caout's skin stretching towards her…
Tide watched as Caout's skin sent the bullets flying back towards the Marines. The men dropped as they were hit by their own shots. Tide stared at Caout, who grinned at her widely.
"Bullets don't bother me!" she said cheerfully, "But I hate being shot at! It's really scary!"
Tide shook her head slightly and said nothing. Do not question it, just go with it…
Just down the road from Haustella, Reo was walking slowly under the shade of his umbrella. He had heard the explosion from a few minutes earlier and smirked.
"Wherever there's trouble," he said lowly, "Caout isn't too far away…"
The demons inside his cloak chuckled as well. They almost had her…
Caout and Tide ran as the sounds of gunfire and shouting filled the dusty air. Tide held onto Caout's arm so that she wouldn't lose the girl in all of the chaos.
"You sure you know where you're going, Nyshairyn?" Caout asked.
"Yeah, don't worry about that!" Tide replied, "Just keep on the lookout for any obstacles…"
"...Hey, Nyshairyn?"
"...What...Listerra?"
"Obstacle at two o'clock…"
Tide looked and saw some Marines running toward the two of them. The duo stopped as the men drew closer.
"Back up, Listerra!" Tide warned.
"What are you going to do?" Caout asked as she stepped back.
"Get rid of them," she responded, "And also clear up this air a little…"
Caout observed as Tide extended both her arms out to the sides of her. The Elementist then proceeded to start turning, spinning faster and faster. Caout was amazed as she went so fast that she became a blur of colors…How could a girl move so quickly?
Suddenly, Caout saw the spinning Tide become lost inside a fairly large tornado. As the tornado sucked in the dust and some planks of wood that were being used for rebuilding homes, Caout noticed the air becoming so much clearer. She could finally see around again. Caout hung onto a large tree that was behind her, making sure that she wasn't sucked into the twister.
A couple Marines weren't as lucky as her. The suction of the tornado pulled two of them in. Caout laughed as she saw them swirling around along with the dirt and debris, screaming like little kids. Then, Tide jumped out of the tornado, still spinning, and kicked it. Was it possible for someone to kick a tornado? Apparently, for an Elementist of air it was!
The tornado then collided with the remaining Marines, spun them around for a few more seconds, before disintegrating. The Marines plummeted several feet before smashing into the ground. Caout burst out laughing.
"That was so freakin' awesome, Nyshairyn!" she giggled.
When the girl didn't respond, Caout looked to see what was up. Tide was still spinning, albeit at a very slow rate. When she finally came to a stop, she wobbled for a second before collapsing in a heap. Caout kneeled down next to the Carrier.
"What's up with you?" she asked, "I mean, besides what's normally wrong with you?"
"I can't stand spinning," Tide answered slowly, feeling too sick to say a comeback to Caout's remark, "I get dizzy easily…"
Caout shook her head. What a girl…Since it was obvious that Tide wouldn't be standing up anytime soon, and since they were still being pursued, Caout grabbed the girl's arm and proceeded to drag her as she ran.
She didn't see Silver following them…
Reo entered the town and had witnessed the large tornado, which had disappeared as quickly as it had shown up. He glanced around the village with little interest.
What a dump…Reo thought as he observed the ruined buildings.
As he walked, he saw a small crowd of people up ahead. They were talking amongst themselves and sounded really pissed off.
"Damn that Carrier girl!" one said, "Why couldn't she just giver herself up and let us move on with our lives peacefully?"
"And what's wrong with that other girl?" another asked, "Not only did she openly defy Marines and say that she would protect that demon, she stretched!"
Reo's attention peaked with that statement.
"Of course a monster would attract other monsters…" another in the crowd said as Reo walked up to them.
"Excuse me," he said coolly, "But I couldn't help but overhear your conversation…You said a girl who stretched came through here?"
The crowd eyed this new guy suspiciously. He was dressed oddly and looked deathly pale…And why was he walking under an umbrella when it wasn't raining?
"What about it?" a member of the crowd answered Reo bravely.
"I've been looking for that girl for a long time," Reo answered casually, "She ran away from the…facility…I work for. I've been sent to retrieve her before she hurts herself or others…"
The crowd murmured at this. So the stretchy girl was from some facility? Was she dangerous? Perhaps, mentally unstable? That would explain why she would aid a devil child and hurt innocent Marines…The crowd then told Reo the general direction that the girl and the Carrier had run in.
"I appreciate it," Reo said as he walked that way.
He had walked for several minutes and was in the middle of the town when he came across Kushiro. The lieutenant was looking for Captain Silver, whom he had lost track of in the midst of the dust cloud and the ensuing chaos.
"You!" Kushiro yelled at Reo, "What're you doing here? All citizens must leave this town at once. It isn't safe here."
"Oh, I'm no citizen," Reo said with a smirk, "Call me a hunter…"
Kushiro gave the strange man a look. What was this bad feeling that he was getting from this guy?
"Have you seen a girl who could stretch like rubber?" Reo asked, "Possibly hanging around with a Carrier?"
"Yes, they ran not too long ago," Kushiro answered, "They are most likely heading towards the docks to look for a ship off this island. My captain has probably gone after them. He'll find them and bring them back here…Alive or dead…"
"Well, that won't do at all," Reo said, "You see, I don't care about the mongrel…But I need the rubber girl to be alive…So, if you don't mind, I'm gonna go after them myself…Maybe I can convince your captain to call off his pursuit…After all, the rubber child is my prey."
Reo took a single step before Kushiro drew his blade.
"I don't know who you are and I don't care," he said, "But Captain Silver has this under control so I suggest you just leave…"
Reo chuckled…A dark, evil chuckle…Kushiro shuddered slightly…He watched as the man opened his cloak…
"Oh well," Reo said moments later, "What a shameful waste of life…But you shouldn't have stopped me like that…"
Reo continued walking, slowly and causally.
On the ground, lying in a pool of blood, was the mauled body of Kushiro. He had tried to fight the demons, Reo could say that…But of course some upstart Marine would be no match for his minions.
Neither would a Marine Captain or a Carrier be any trouble for him either…He was the hunter and he would get his prey…One way or the other…
And another chapter is done! Okay, this story is getting closer and closer to its finale. I hope everyone is as excited as I am! I'll try my best to make these chapters as entertaining as possible.
Please keep reading and reviewing everyone! I appreciate it!
