A Decision for the Best – 'Ten-Blade' vs. 'The Bear'

Crasten backed away, panting. The fight with Bison was really a stalemate.

"Quite a good defence you got with that weapon." Crasten panted.

Bison held up the rope. "Of course. I can attack and defend with ease. Plus, it's really hard to block especially if you don't have any weapons."

The two fighters started circling each other, trying to figure out how to get the advantage.

"So what're you going to do?" Bison asked, his eyes trained on Crasten's larger figure.

"You should ask yourself that." Crasten replied, his furry fists clenching.

"Oh, I know what I'm going to do." Bison said, a smirk appearing on his face. He suddenly snapped his arm sideways sending the blades towards Crasten. Crasten hopped to the side but that was what Bison was waiting for. Bison sprinted forward and tackled into Crasten, knocking the bigger man to the floor. Crasten managed to get his knees on Bison's stomach and pushed upwards, sending Bison into the air. Bison landed with ease and swung the blades.

Crasten raised his arm and winced as the blades dug into the flesh. He smirked and pulled back, trying to rip the blades from Bison's grip. Surprisingly, Bison didn't let go and merely smirked himself.

"Don't think I don't know that particular weakness." Bison said. "I've trained my strength despite my small body." With that, Bison wrenched his arm back with enough force to send Crasten soaring towards him. Cocking his fist back Bison smashed it straight into the middle of Crasten's face. Crasten crashed to the floor as Bison stood back, cracking his knuckles.

Crasten groaned and sat up only to get kicked in the skull by Bison. Bison continued to stomp on Crasten's face, relishing the sounds.

"Hahaha! You are nothing!" Bison exclaimed before something white tackled into him. Bison rolled across the floor and managed to skid to a halt, facing the sneering face of a white wolf. Bjord growled and sprinted towards Bison. Black marks still covered his hide from Wora's attack, but otherwise he seemed well off.

At the last second Bjord leaped towards Bison, teeth snapping. Bison lifted both hands and latched them around Bjord's upper and lower jaw. Bjord whined in surprise before Bison swung the wolf like a bat, slamming him into the side of the mountain. Bjord went limp as Bison dropped him. Bison turned around just to see the great fist slamming into his face with enough force to smash a crater through the mountain.

Crasten pulled his fist away, looking at Bison's bloody face with disgust. "Don't get arrogant."

"Hey, Bear-man!"

Crasten turned around, bemused, when he was promptly whacked in the face by something long and hard. Wora slammed him in the face once more with her surf-board, before grinning at Crasten.

Crasten growled in annoyance and went to grab Wora. Wora just stepped back and sparks spat between her hand and the surfboard. Her hair seemed to grow and straighten back into its usual sharp spikes.

"I completely and totally forgot I kept a spare reserve of electricity in my board." Wora laughed. "I always forget these things." Wora backed away before placing the surfboard on the ground and then backing even further away. She pointed her hand towards Crasten. "Hibana Ball!" The ball of electricity shot towards Crasten. He ducked it only to see Wora sprinting at him. "Hibana Board!" Wora jumped and landed on her board, where electricity sparked between her feet and the metal. With a whirring sound the board shot forward much faster than Wora could have ran. Wora put her hands together where electricity sparked. "Hibana Wave!"

At the speed she was, Crasten couldn't dodge. Wora's hands were slammed straight into Crasten's chest and a large flash was emitted. Crasten was thrown backwards, smoking and blackened.

Wora curved around in a loop on her board before jumping up and grabbing the board, folding it back into the square she hung on her back attacked by a rope.

"How d'ya like that!" Wora smirked, clicking her fingers.

"You..." Crasten's voice hissed as he stood up, causing Wora's smirk to falter. "You no-good rookie brat!" Crasten sprinted towards Wora, his legs pumping. His large arms were extended outwards, the claws deadly and sharp.

"Hibana..." Wora pointed her hand towards Crasten and sparks moved between her fingers.

"DIE!" Crasten screamed, his face full of fury.

"Sword!" The electric blade shoot from Wora's hand and went straight through Crasten's eye and out the back of his head. As the mass electricity soared through his body, Crasten twitched and writhed, dropping to the floor and screaming in pain, clutching his head.

His body thinned as his devil fruit deactivated. Crasten rolled, trying to get rid of the pain in his head.

Wora stomped on his back and leaned down, placing her hand on the back of Crasten's skull. "Hibana Wave."

The final flash was seen before Crasten fell unconscious, completely blackened and defeated. Wora straightened up and let out a small laugh, before there was a sudden force on her shoulder.

Wora turned around to see Bison gripping her shoulder. "Hibana Wave!"

Bison quickly let go and backed away as the electricity flashed. "Woah, I don't want to fight."

"..." Wora raised an eyebrow. "What? You don't want to fight? Well you could have said that in the first place since now I've wasted my devil fruit trying to zap you." Wora frowned. "Besides, I thought you wanted my skin you no good son of a gun."

Bison merely lowered his head. "Aye. I was a fool no doubt. It's funny in a matter of moments how one's mind can change."

"What are you saying?" Wora asked.

"I'm saying that fighting as 'Ten-Blade' Bison, fighting as the person I was before I left the Nameless Pirates has made me realize just how much of a mistake it was to hide under the skins of my opponents. I've killed hundreds for that sole reason, not for the reason that a pirate should kill. I didn't do it for treasure or for another like that." Bison smirked and shook his head. "I feel like myself once more..." Bison frowned, before turning towards his costume of skins he had taken off before hand. He sighed and walked over to them. "Some of these were innocents. They never did anything to me. The Nameless Pirates were the kind of pirate who steal and drink, but never kill those who didn't deserved to be killed. When did I lose my mind? When did I lose my reason?"

Bison stood up and looked to Wora. "You remind me of a person in my crew by the name of Woodpecker. Strong, feisty... always fighting. That in turn made me realize that I... I miss them. I never agreed with Jackal's fruit... but I miss them..." Bison placed a hand on his face and shook his head. "I could never go back to them again... in my heart I know that. Jackal was like a brother and I wish I didn't do what I did. I want to be a pirate again, not just on my own but with Nakama. People who look out for me and people who I look out for. Is that so hard to believe? Is that really something I should ask for?" Bison looked to Wora.

"Uh... well, I don't know anything about being with a crew considering I travelled on my own, but I have travelled with Dragon Claw since that last island. I said to myself that if I got adventure I'd join and I certainly did. If you really want a new start, if you really want to be a pirate again I guess you could always ask Dragon Claw if they'd accept you."

Bison stroked his chin. "I-I guess you're right... I don't know if they'd accept me though. I mean, I did try to kill them."

"Well, you already look different. I'm sure that would be reason enough." Wora said. "Perhaps you need to prove your change? Show them just who you are?"

"Yeah..." Bison smiled to Wora. "Perhaps that what I need to do. It's been many years, but perhaps the time has come to cast away the animal I was given when I joined the Nameless Pirates. Perhaps I shouldn't be Bison anymore. Perhaps I should be Isaac Grey. Yeah, that would make sense. Start anew, as if I never joined the Nameless Pirates." Isaac smiled even broader and straightened to full height. "I'll ask... no, I'll beg if I have to. I will try my best to be a member of Dragon Claw!"

(Uh... sorry for forgetting the author's note last chapter XD. Thanks to Draco Oblivion, L-R-D, and Dthehalfdragon for the reviews!

Next time on OPNN – New Dreams: Gouki and Jenny finally reach the summit of the mountain, bit can they save Hikari? Also, Horatio confront the Bounty Hunters for the final time. What is his tactic?

'Till next time!