I don't own One Piece!!

Chapter 51: Never turn a blind eye to a Fox

"You know…fighting angry isn't a good strategy." said Meku stopping the wild swings of an angry Gilmore.

"Shut up! My name is Gilmore not you or boy!" shouted Gilmore

Meku raised an black eyebrow and smirked "That's no way to talk to your elders kid."

That really got under Gilmore's skin, the colorful first-mate yelled in rage and then tried to grab the other staff user.

Stepping to the right Meku smacked Gilmore's hand then spin kicked the younger man across the area they were in.

" I'm not gay so please don't try to grope me…" mocked the blind man with an emotionless face. Gilmore stood up and looked at the other staff user.

"How do you know what I'm going to do if your blind."

"You don't have to see someone to know what there doing."

Gilmore growled trying to figure out a way to trick this blind man, then kill him with his own skills. Glancing around the colorful man saw a giant silver bell around the corner and smirked.

Gilmore stood up and ran, Meku not positive on what his opponent was doing followed the sound of the man's footsteps. The colorful man looked back at the blind man and smirked it was a good thing the bell wasn't attached to the ground.

Skidding to a halt the pirate first-mate stopped just on the other side of the bell, which made Meku stop right under the giant piece of metal.

Gilmore grinned even thou Meku couldn't see where he was or Gilmore's face he knew something was up. Gilmore raised his metal staff, Meku tapped is staff on the ground getting a good fell of where he was and only had one thing to say,

"Shit…"

Gilmore's staff hit the bell, Meku let out a yell, dropped his staff and covered his ears with his hands.

The first mate laughed at his downed opponent "Now I can win…that's what you get for not acknowledging me!"

--X--

"Y-Your going to die weakling!" mocked Fox throwing more of his weapons. Kazuya moved fast reflecting the bladed weapons away from his body.

Fox's weapons some how spun right back to him, the assassin caught the weapons and then grinned.

"F-Fox Hunt!" he said disappearing from sight. Kazuya sheathed his swords, he suspected what kind of attack this Fox guy was using and he knew his sword will be useless.

Quickly drawing his bow Kazuya knocked one of his 'special' arrows. There was a sudden pain in his shoulder, he couldn't see Fox but he could fell the wound the man has just made of his shoulder.

Pointing the arrow strait ahead Kazuya smirked, Fox's voice echoed all around the Crow "What are y-you going to do with that weak weapon! Y-y-y-ou can't even see me!"

Kazuya's smirked grew bigger "I know I can't see you…but now you can't see me!"

Kaz quickly pointed his arrow down and released, smoke filled the area and Kazuya disappeared into the gray fog.

Fox stopped right outside of the gray fog and looked around for the blonde man "O-Oh where oh where did my little prey go?"

The man mocked Kazuya in that sing song voice as he crept threw the smoke, bladed weapons spinning. What Fox fail to notice was most of the smoke was now clearing out threw a newly broken window.

It seemed Kazuya somehow made it out a window and climb up to one of the palaces low roofs, arrow knocked.

Kazuya grinned, his better than perfect sight narrowed in on where he wanted his arrow to go. All of the details for the shot were calculated in his head in a matter of milliseconds from wind, to distance, to even the strength he needed to pull back.

"Got you, you basterd…"

--X--

Meku felt like his skull was splitting open, it was one thing to have your hearing increased because you lost your sight. But Meku went beyond that he increased three of his senses to near god like, so standing in the middle of a giant bell wasn't a good thing.

He could still feel Gilmore coming at him, so sense his hands where helping keep the sound out Meku fell on his back and kicked his feet up hitting Gilmore on the chin.

That kick cause Gilmore's head to jerk back making the colorful man bit his tongue. Blood dripped out of his mouth, and he spit out most of it thou it still flowed down his chin.

Gilmore kicked the in pain Meku, then moved swiftly hand outstretched in front of him.

"Drain Recovery !"

Meku felt something weaken in him, he then coughed his jaw was in a little pain. Gilmore then tossed the blind man to the ground and his other hand shot out to grab him.

"Drain Touch!"

--X--

Kazuya released his explosive arrow which soared and looked like it hit Fox, but then he the man disappeared and his arrow was still there, which exploded a second later.

"It's an After-"

"-Image!" laughed a voice from behind him, Kazuya quickly rolled out of the way, the sound of metal against stone rang in the air as Fox laughed wildly.

Kazuya moved fast and ran to the farthest edge of the roof they were on then launching off it into the air while drawing his swords.

"Crimson Rain!"

The swords blurred and small red air blades appeared, carving up the roof top Fox's body also blurred, no wind blade hit his body.

"Fox Hunt!" yelled Fox becoming useable again.

Kazuya rolled his eyes "Not this again…" he said and started to spin,

"Spring Gale!"

--X--

Meku wavered, something felt very very wrong, he turned his head in the direction of Gilmore to ask his question.

"What did you do?"

Gilmore laughed triumphantly "With my touch I can steal the skills and energy from any person for one day! Now I have your mastery over the staff and I'll kill you with it!"

Meku didn't move as Gilmore tried to attack him, but when he tried to use Meku's skills he tripped up. Meku sensing the opening stuck his staff into the ground and punched Gilmore right in the face.

"Ah-how did you know you'll get you power's back if you hit my face!"

The blind staff user raised an eyebrow "It does…well that's good to know."

Gilmore blinked in confusion "You tricked me! How was I not able to use your skills!"

Meku smirked, his feet started to move rapidly " My enhanced senses due to my blindness is not a skill boy, it's natural. I built my style around my sightlessness and enhanced senses…so you'll have to be blind to use my style."

"Wha-" Meku's staff slammed into his gut and stayed there, Gilmore could here the blind mans voice ring out.

"Staff Ki Magic-Thunderstorm!"

Gilmore convulsed, sparks of electricity jumped off of his body, he then flash blue a few time before flying back and crashing into a stone wall. The colorful man's hair was smoking at the ends and he shock from the near deadly charge he just received.

Meku's staff was still spinning the sparks danced over the blind man, the electricity around the staff moved and shaped into a different element. The blind assassin jumped forward to where Gilmore leaned against the wall

The staff collided with Gilmore's chest and Meku add more power into this one,

"Staff Ki Magic-Explosion!"

The was a loud bang and Meku stumbled back a few feet from the force his own attack created, Gilmore on the other hand wasn't so lucky.

Gilmore's charred body laid twelve rooms and walls back cover by rocks and stones. Meku sighed he didn't like over doing things like this but it seemed necessary at the time.

Stepping over the ruble Gilmore walked over to the smoldering body of Gilmore and squatted down next to it resting his elbows and staff on his knees. The blind man sighed and grabbed Gilmore's hand with his own.

After a few seconds Meku stood up after removing and den den mushi and a note next to the body of Gilmore.

The blind man again did his signature sigh and walked away limping a little and a little out of breath.

"That's all I can do for now…"

--X--

Fox didn't know what happened he was going to win, he always won. He was the best of the best.

"How I'm the best of the best…"

Kazuya looked at the man "You still alive? Well aren't you a trooper." he mocked.

"I'm…the best…"

The blonde archer laughed and sleuthed his swords "Your not the best…just mediocre." he said then wincing starting to fell all of the cuts and gashes on his body.

Taking one last look at Fox, he stepped out of a pool of blood and walked away. Fox died seconds later, he was missing both arms and his lower torso.

--X--

Endo and Ares were walking down an long and what many would say creepy hallway. Ares was looking around for Exuro…and Endo was looking at his empty beer mug with a depressed stare.

"You just had to make the floor collapse didn't you…" complained Endo

"What are you complaining we lived threw that fall…no help from you thou." Said Ares looked at the walls, which were covered in hundreds of old paintings of the past rulers of Pompeii.

"Hey I'm made of wood I would have lived…now if we were falling into a giant furnace that would be a different story."

Ares glanced at the mercenary threw the side of his eye "Do you take anything seriously Ordam?"

Endo laughed and then flicked a picture frame knocking it off the wall, wincing Endo place it back and then answered the question "Why yes I do take things seriously but now's not yet the time…I also take things seriously yet relaxing and fun with Shan when we're alone you know she gives-"

"Okay! Stop talking don't need to know any of that!" Ares said trying to cover up is slightly red face.

Endo raised an eyebrow and grinned "-Great back rubs. What did you think I was going-…Oh you have a really dirty mind."

Things got quite between the two then Endo decided to say something that's been bugging him "So is your hair naturally that color?"

Ares face vaulted

--X--

Ares and Endo kept on walking down that hallway for a good hour before they finally reached a door. They knew that they weren't in the castle/palace anymore and also knew that Exuro was somewhere just behind this door.

Endo was opening the door when "You guys need any help?" asked a voice from behind them, it had sort of an echo like sound to it.

The two jumped and spun around ready to fight Exuro but what they weren't expecting was a man a little taller than Ares decked out in all black armor.

Endo decided to handle this one "Who are you Mr….you are a guy right?" asked the wood man because the armored man was wearing a helmet covering his face.

"Yes and I am the Dark Knight protector-" Endo started to snicker, Ares elbowed him "Why are you laughing?"

"No reason just something I read in a comic book…carry on," Endo waved to the knight to continue.

"As I was saying I am the Dark Knight-" more snickering from Endo "-and I'm the savor of Pompeii, I have come to rid this land of the evil that is Exuro!"

Ares smiled and stuck out a hand "Well Mr. Knight me and my friend here are here for the same reason, and we could use all the help we can get."

The knight nodded his head, walked past the two, opened the door and walked through. Endo and Ares looked at each other

"So……was that a yes?"

--X--

Okay and here's one of the final chapters of Death Root. Now the next chapter will contain the main fight with Exuro, after that some more fighting, and then the Aftermath/Epilog.

Now if you have any questions regarding this chapter do ask in your review. Also even if you don't have a question or wondered something review anyway but please try to make it longer than 'Good chapter' I just feel if that's all that's in a review it makes me wonder if there really reading…anyway enough of my worries.

I also have a new One Piece story out called Pirates of the Pink Crane so if you can check that out also, the next update for that will be right after I finish Death Root and before I start my Water 7 arc.

Now please please READ AND REVIEW!