I do not own anything besides these words and the cover art.

The lights were hot, and the sweat was real as it slicked off his body in the beams. The crowded roared, a booming that echoed into the back of Zoro's skull. The man, if Zoro could call him that, was huge as he came down the darkened hall. His body was as a wide as a billboard, where his hidden face grinned from corner to corner. He was the crowd favorite, and it was understandable, as he held a title of one of top three fighters from the higher end circuits of illegal fighting. Not that Zoro cared as he wound his arms up and cracked his neck.

Pica, as the chants sang, had long lavender hair that waved down to his shoulders. Zoro could barely make out his features as Pica wore a yellow-gold spiked helmet with a narrow four-pointed star on the front with a spade on the top point. The star covered his eyes in a visor-like fashion. He looked like he was something from an old movie about gladiators, but as he made his massive way into the ring, Zoro realized that his descriptions were not off. The man almost twice his size, and Zoro watched him throw off the cape like attire. His eyes widened as he took in the frame.

Pica's attire was spikey everywhere, but what Zoro thought was merely shoulder pads were the man's flesh and bone. Three spikes protruded out of each shoulder blade in a gruesome fashion, making the man himself a weapon. Any realistic and legal fight would never have allowed such a threat, but this was not some televised event. Here men died and bled for money, but Zoro was not one to run from a fight.

Pica turned to his fans and the quaking of the theater was threatening. Black tattoos of spades on each bulbous shoulder shone in the light.

Zoro could not help but snicker, and in the daunting noise, Pica turned furiously and looked at the much smaller man. The green haired opponent was biting his bandages on his arms tight as he punched his gloves into a better grip. Pica raised an eyebrow as Zoro called out, "You here to fight or walk the runway?" Pica squared off, his gold gauntlets and matching metallic belt blinded Zoro who shielded his face with another chuckle. "You just planning to win by making me close my eyes to the ugly?"

Pica did not hesitate to send his fist into Zoro's body. The crowd thundered as Zoro curved around Pica's fist and a sharp exhale left his body. Pica smiled but then noticed that his fist had not made the impact he wanted, and as he looked down, he saw that Zoro had blocked the punch with his two fists. His stance was stretched, and the force did push him back a bit, but Zoro looked up with a tight smile with his perfect teeth. "That it? Your big body just for show, too?"

The referee came in hesitantly as he tried to wave the two to their perspective corners. He shouted for
Pica to remove the gear, which consisted of his ridiculous helmet gear and chains that wrapped around his hips and around his body, over a pair of dark underwear. Pica nodded to his assistants who came around and removed it, letting the crowd go wild once again. He put on his black gloves and banged them together. Zoro almost heard the boom of two stones as Pica settled himself.

Nami watched them move as the crowd seemed to be in a frenzy. She bit her fingernail as the pit in her stomach grew larger and larger. She was not in her usual place behind him, as this ring was much larger and inevitable had its last round surrounded by a cage. It was stupid the way men acted like animals when in such an arena, but she was the one who brought Zoro here. She was the one that was watching a man, she honestly truly cared for, fight a mammoth of a being and for her sake at that. She was about to call out to him when the bell rang, and the round ended. It was strange that 3 minutes flew by like that, but she watched carefully.

Every time one of Zoro sharp cuts encountered Pica, the man would falter if only due to sheer force. But then he would come back as if Zoro had no effect on him and he had some unnatural and endless source of energy to which he moved. It was a slow dance, but Zoro was keeping up, only due to his much lighter and quicker frame. She cupped her hands together to shout, but then a hand pulled at her elbow and she went on the defensive. Nami turned sharply to see the familiar face.

"Hachi?" The man was tall and muscular, the dark skin over the forms of his powerful arms. His lips were thick, and though he held a scowl, it softened only for a moment to the familiarity. Then it was away as his gray hair spiked unnatural young for him swayed with the shake of his head.

"Arlong needs to talk," he said firmly, and she followed him to a quieter area, away from the jeers and taunts. Nami grew fearful again but wore her mask well as she knew giving Hachi anything away would surely be the death of her.

"So? Where is he?" she asked with a certain amount of snark, and to that, Hachi handed her a phone.

Nami looked at it puzzlingly but took it regardless. "H-hello?"

"Nami," his cold voice came through, "how are you?"

"Fine," Nami said skeptically. "Why am I talking to you over the phone? Are you too good to see me in person?"

"And distract you from this crucial fight? I couldn't. But don't worry…I'll be there shortly. I just…needed to tie up some loose ends."

"Oh?"

There was silence and then Arlong continued, "Yes, Nami. Do you doubt me? Is there something you feel like I am not telling you?"

She paused and spoke softly, "You know I have no right to ask."

"Good girl. It seems you are remembering who is in charge here."

She glanced at Hachi who was hovering with serious eyes. "So…why not call my phone?"

"Do you have it?" Nami stopped and checked her person then cursed herself. "It seems your head is everywhere but where I need it-"

"No! That is not true. You know you could trust me. I…I can handle this. One more fight, remember?" Arlong chuckled on the other line, and Nami heard shuffling around him. "Are…where are you?"

"Tsk, tsk, Nami. What did we just talk about? All these questions…as if everything I do isn't to secure the standing of this family. Nami, you remember family, right?"

She was getting annoyed, her anxiety rising. "What is with the 1000 questions, Arlong? Is there something you needed to tell me? Sending Hachi over…like I'm still some child-"

"No, Nami. You were never a child to me."

Nami gripped her arm and Hachi seemed to frown slightly, but her eyes locked forward as she spoke, "What...what do you need?"

"I need you to throw the fight."

Nami suddenly was shocked as the crowd booed and cheered simultaneously, the bell rang for the end of the second round. "What?"

"Nami, I need your boy to throw the fight."

"Why?"

Arlong sounded frustrated and she heard the vroom of a motor in the background, "Nami, I don't have time to explain shit to you. I told you what to do, and I need you to follow orders. This is about securing the finances of this organization."

"Arlong-"

"Nami! I will not tell you again." His growl made her suddenly feel as if his fist had traveled through time and space to hit her square in the throat. Her voice was caught once again, and she shook.

"Yes," she responded soundlessly.

"Hand the phone back to Hachi…and get to your fighter." She nodded to the man as she handed off the phone. Hachi watched Nami sprint towards the arena, the cage slowly being lowered for the final match. Apparently, each fighter had held their own, but Hachi knew what was going to happen and he secretly hoped for the best. "Hachi," Arlong said as the screech of tires was heard over the phone, "make sure she does what she is told. And bring her to me after…"

Hachi responded tersely, "Of course, boss."

As he hung up, he heard the roar on the other line and a boom within the white noise. Everything was coming down, and Hachi hoped Nami knew what she had set into motion.

Music Inspiration/Theme: Mashup Remix [Doom Dada, Coup D'etat & Shake the world] (G-Dragon ft. Taeyang & TOP)

Let me tell you, it has been a while. I have my general outlined plot, but all the details got a bit messy, so I was sitting in my room like a madwoman throwing papers up in the air as I tried to read my own chicken scratch to figure out what I wanted to say when. Ya'll, this was a struggle. However, it is my struggle and I proud take it. LOL

Okay, real talk, hold on to your butts, cause this rocket is getting launched and I hope ya'll ready for the most painful bumpy ride of yo life. Okay, I'm being dramatic, but I hope ya'll stay with me.

Also, happy holidays and happy new year! Thanks for bearing with the wait, and believe me, the weight of this story in my head has been heavy but I am going to try my best to focus on this and nothing else until I see this through!

Okay, guess, I get goosebumps when tough people walk out and do cool powerful movies, idk…maybe it's the anime I was raised on. Haha.

Okay, I'm done. Stay with me, ya'll.

Jesus, help me, but I will finish this story!

XoXo shipfiend