Okay! I'm back again with the next chapter, otherwise I wouldn't be here. Let's start off with some reviews, shall we?

Robin: (picks up a review) From Tai-Tsume…

(grabs root beer bottle) Thanks for the review and the soda! Want some Robin?

Robin: A little. (picks up another) From Kaizoku Hime Mizuki…

Thanks for the heads up!

Robin: (takes a sip and grabs another) From yoaifan124, or Kira-san…

Kira-san? Hmm… More like Kira-chan… And thanks for the review!

Robin: (smiles and picks up another) From Kami-san…

Okay! What happened with Zoro and Luffy in the attic was, well… they were gonna do something without my permission and I was going to lecture them, and try to take a picture. But once I got there, I took the picture first, bad idea, and Zoro cut up my camera, which he still owes me one, and I pretty much rant and raved about having to do the nasty up in my attic, which I could hear. So now they're going to use the basement, which I padded the walls so I don't have to hear Luffy's moans, thus giving me a nose bleed. And Kyuubi is still missing? Hmm… He doesn't like coming here, but I'll look around, and I think there's a tracking button on that remote. It's hidden on one of the sides and lift the lid, which would make it act like a metal detector.

Robin: That's a long one.

Yep.

Robin: (picks up another) From Ookami-san…

Yeah… I'm surprised myself on how many chapters I posted up in a whole week. Although, I kept a lot of creative ideas on hold for the sake of studying and it all just let loose. And thanks, I thought it would give a little something to the fic, but one that would lead up to trouble later in the chapters. Vivi, Kohza, and a few others would come back, but only for a brief moment. And I hope your power comes back soon! Well, it would if you're reading this…

Robin: (picks up last one) From Gene-chan... and she brought us crepes.

Oh yummy! (looks at disc) Huh? (places disc in and watches) So that's why he cut up my camera, he thought I was you coming back for a photo shot! (laughs) Ah! But he still owe me a new camera!

Robin: (giggles) How about posting this up.

Yeah! Enjoy everyone!


No sleep…

No sleep until I'm done with finding the answer

Won't stop…

Won't stop before I find a cure for this cancer

Sometimes…

I feel like going down I'm so disconnected

Somehow…

I know that I am haunted to be wanted

) I've been watching

I've been waiting

In the shadows

For my time

I've been searching

I've been living

For tomorrows

All my life (

In the shadows…

In the shadows…

They say

That I must learn to kill before I can feel safe

But I…

I rather kill myself then turn into their slave

Sometimes…

I feel that I should go and play with the thunder

Somehow…

I just don't wanna stay and wait for a wonder

)(

Lately, I've been walking,

Walking in circles

Watching, waiting for something

Feel me, touch me, heal me

Come take me higher…

)(

I've been watching…

I've been waiting…

I've been searching…

I've been living for tomorrows…

In the shadows…

In the shadows…

I've been waiting! – The Rasmus


Chapter 29: Double Beat Down!

Both Luffy and Zoro, despite being in different areas at the moment, were staring down at their opponents at the exact same time as they readied themselves for a fight. Both made the first move as their opponents, who were in their ready stances as well.

Luffy and Bellamy started rapidly punching and kicking in many ways as well as dodging.

Zoro and Mr. One clashed once again as Zoro moved to try to slice through the man. Mr. One blocked these attacks with his arms.


With Luffy

Luffy got a few punches in and was going to do a roundhouse kick when Bellamy jumped high into the air. "Damn…" He said as he jumped high as well.

From there they kicked and punched until they landed, which both did a roundhouse kick, which knocked them back a couple of feet and jumped high up into the air once more.

"Give it up! There's no way you can beat me!"

"I'm not out yet!" He called as he suddenly disappeared, only to reappear in front of Bellamy.

Bellamy reacted quickly as he tried to knee kick the teen's head, but the said other dodged as he felt a punch under the ribs.

He took no time as he did a high kick to the other's head, which had enough force to knock the other back to the ground, creating a crater. He was still in the air, waiting for any kind of movement.

"Brat…"

He thought he heard something and just barely dodged a spearing kick attack, only to be roundhouse kicked, which created a sliding crater into one of the mechanical rides.

"Are you dead yet? You Loser!" Bellamy yelled as he panted, watching the metal fall and making a sound of hitting the ground. He smiled with a twisted pleasure. "Too bad! Don't worry though, your 'boy toy' will be taken care of. My boss is really interested in his swordsmen skills! He'll make one hell of a Nighthunter, if he beats the Warlock first though!" He laughed.

"Over my dead body…"

He heard from behind him and was going to turn when he saw the teen in front of him. 'He's faster than before!' He thought when he felt the onslaught of the punches and kicks, without seeing the other move a muscle. 'How!? I didn't see him move!' He felt a heavy blow on his stomach, which created a sliding crater to one of the game stands.

Luffy panted before coughing up a little blood. 'Shit… Used a bit too much force.' He held his side, which he was sure to have a lot of broken ribs. 'I wonder how Zoro's doing? He's fighting a Warlock after all…' His senses suddenly became alert as he was kicked into the house of mirrors, which he shattered a few.

"I'll make sure you're good as dead, Daywalker!"

He could tell his opponent was experiencing the rampage mode and he knew that all he could do now is run and dodge it out. 'Zoro… I bet you're kicking that Warlock's ass! If you're still fighting, then I'm fighting as well!' He thought as he dodged a punch, creating more shattered mirror pieces.


With Zoro

He paused as he watched his opponent. 'Damn it! I've exhert myself, yet there's still no scratch on him…'

"Have you realized that you cannot defeat me?"

"Heh! I rather die than admit to something so stupid!"

"You have a sharp tongue, I'll give you that."

"I'll take that as a complement." He said and thought. 'Luffy's big talker attitude is rubbing off on me.' He tried to attack once again, only to see the other made his arms like buzz saws. 'What the hell? How fast is he going?' He also felt his katanas suffering, which he quickly pushed the other to get his katanas away, but left his front exposed. He felt the spinning blades on his chest, which forces him back. He slid back for a moment before stopping to breathe.

"A moment's misjudgment…" Mr. One said as he hit the other's chest with his buzz saw arms. "Will lead you to death…" His hand became blades and, in a shoving motion, pushed the swordsman, who let go of his swords due to the sudden shock of pain, to a mechanical, roller coaster ride.

His body went flying through the air and his back hit the pillar, before falling face first on the ground.

Mr. One looked at the still figure as he licked the blood off of his hand, then he steadily approached the man.

Zoro was still breathing as he heard his opponent approach.

"You're still alive?"

'Can't let him see my back!' He thought as he tried to get up.

"Why do you struggle with your bare hands?"

He had his back on the pillar, sitting up and panted. Blood covered his chest as his shirt was only slightly torn to ribbons. "If I tried to explain… You'd never understand… You don't strive to be a swordsman."

"I never wanted to know anything about things like that…" He said as he slightly raised his arms, only to harshly go down to cross one another, thus causing the ride to be cut into pieces along with deepening the swordsman's already deep wounds. "Die in peace." He said as he started to walk away, only to stop a few moments later to look back to see the man standing among the rubble. 'I-Impossible! With those wounds…!' He thought as he spoke. "How can you still be standing? Did you dodge the metal scrapes?"

'Dodge?' He thought as he panted and blood went down his face and soak his already bloodied clothes. 'No… for some reason… I knew where they wouldn't land…' He turned his head, sensing something very familiar. 'My katana… Wado… is under that cart.' He looked to see a red cart that was part of the ride. He went up, lifted the cart over, and saw Wado, undamaged. He lifted his katana and stared at his reflection on the blade. 'What's going on? Everything is so silent… only the sound of my heart thundering in my ears is heard… Is this… the brink of death?' He looked at the rubble before him. 'Just a moment ago, as these things were falling, it seemed that they were alive… but it's more distinct than that… A breath?' He looked at the ripped up cloth from a flag not far from where he was standing. 'Sensei… said something, sometime ago…

"Listen closely, in this world we live in, there are swordsmen who can cut nothing."

'Cut nothing… is to know its breath? Is that the power to cut steel?' He looked up at his opponent, who looked shocked and almost scared, and seemed to be saying something, but he didn't hear the words. 'I hear is now… the breath of his steel…' He lifted his katana. 'But a katana follows its will…' He quickly moved his blade across the cloth, but wasn't cut. He moved the blade down on the cart, which was cut in half. 'Now all that's left… is to know if I do have the power to cut his steel.' He pointed his blade to his opponent, setting his sights on one target.

"You've tried taking me down with three, there's no point with using one."

"Doesn't matter… I only have one move, then no more."

"So you're prepared… Very well!" He said as he charged forward.

He sheathed Wado in and prepared one drawing technique, Shishi Sonson, or Lion's Song.

"Now die!" He said as he attacked.

For a moment, all was silent as the two opponents were on opposite sides. When the sound of the katana being fully sheathed was heard, blood exploded on Mr. One's chest as he fell to his knees.

"I thank you…" Zoro said. "I know I can still become stronger!'

'Amazing!' Mr. One thought. 'Within this fight, he became something entirely different… it's almost if he's…'

Zoro fell on his knees while he panted.

"What will you do next?"

He heard his opponent.

"Will you try cutting diamond?"

Zoro grinned and dryly chuckled. "That'd be a waste."

"Well shit…" Mr. One whispered as he fell to the ground, unmoving.

He looked up and heard the distant sounds of something breaking. 'Luffy…' He got up, gathered his other two katanas and his bag, and headed back in the carnival with only the sounds of fighting to guide him.


With Luffy

Luffy was cut up badly due to the shards of broken mirrors, whether they flew from the forceful punch or kick, or when he gets hit and falls on the shards. He was in the last room of the huge house of mirrors, and waited for the other to attack. That's when the crazy laugher was heard and mirrors were being broken around him, cutting him, but he didn't move. He waited until he could see his opponent in the rampage speed and did what he did the first time they fought. He lifted his fist and brought his punch downward, making his opponent crash down onto the puddle of shards and blood, followed by a combo of other punches to the face. When he knew that he done enough, he threw the other up in the air, kicked the other until the ceiling busted open, which he did one last roundhouse kick to send his opponent flying towards a game stand with water in it. He then fell back into the house of mirrors and laid there among the shards and blood splatters.


I dreamed that I was missing

You were so scared

But no one else would listen

Cause no one else cared…

After my dreaming

I woke with this fear

What am I leaving

When I'm done here

So if you're asking me

I want you to know…

)When my time comes

Forget the wrong that I've done

Help me leave behind some

Reason to be missed

Don't resent me

And when you're feeling empty

Keep me in your memory

Leave out all the rest…

Leave out all the rest…(

Don't be afraid

I've taken my beating

I've share what I made

I'm strong on the surface…

Not all the way through

I've never been perfect

But neither have you…

So if you're asking me

I want you to know…

)(

))Forgetting all the hurt inside

You've learned to hide so well

Pretending someone else

Can come and save me from myself

I can't be who you are…((

)(

))((

I can't be who you are… - Linkin Park


I'm going to up the rating for this, is that cool with everyone? Because it's gonna get a little... I don't know the word for it, but it's kinda up there... Well! I'll see you next chapter then! Enjoy reading this last chapter for being rated T!