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"One Piece." – Speaking
'One Piece.' – Thinking
One Piece. – Flashbacks
One Piece. – Devil Fruits and Techniques
Deadly Drinking Pirate
Rumble With the Blackbeard Pirates
Previously on Deadly Drunken Pirate,
Then Luffy stopped in his step, like he stepped in something that sent shivers up his spine. And yet he didn't frown, but with the smile of a serial killer who has all the cards in his favor.
"Hello again Teach." Luffy spoke as if malice dripped from his mouth. Turning dreadfully slow to face that dirty man from the bar. And this time, he had that sicken doctor and that large wrestler by his side; there was also that sniper with a strange eyepiece and rifle. "Or do you prefer to be called 'Blackbeard'?" As if the word triggered something in the man, darkness soon emerged to form a living outline around Teach's body.
"Luffy-kun…" Nami's tone spoke for what she and Kur were feeling their bones. "What the hell is that?" Luffy didn't answer immediately, just glaring at 'Blackbeard' and his gang that continued to do the same.
"It is a power that the scumbag was willing to commit murder on Whitebeard's own ship to steal for himself; pure darkness." Luffy muttered. "Think of him now as a stinking, walking, living and talking blackhole."
"Then how…!?" Kuro was a genius and proud of it as well as his skill in assassination while moving too fast for the naked eye to catch up. But fighting a virtual human blackhole was something that he couldn't even dream of. Yet Luffy didn't back down and just set an edged eye towards the former captain.
"Nami, get to high ground with a good distance between you and these shitholes." Luffy spoke again and in a tone that his crew recognized to be 'the captain' tone; one that Luffy only used when he is going all out. "Kuro, get to the King's Gourd and return with all no-Devil Fruit fighters. This is a fight where us Eaters are in the most danger, even myself. Understood?"
Kuro knew that tone of voice and moved in his signature blur, not even caring that he was reduced to delivery boy; it was only until he got the rest of the gang to join the party with him. "You can send in an entire battlefleet, Mugiwara (Straw Hat), and it won't be enough." Teach spoke once Kuro had left their sights, "We may be some but we already destroyed an entire country just to show our power. Your crew is no threat to us, only you yourself." Teach apparently didn't acknowledge Nami moving to the top of one of the buildings a lot like a sniper does; it is just to get her close to the clouds as possible.
No, the real focus of attention was Luffy himself who tried to contain a chuckle. Teach almost sounded like Shank's first mate when he totaled a gang of bandits with relative ease over ten years ago; key word being 'almost'. Instead of hot air like now, that was spoken with skill; and Luffy swore to only speak with skill from that day onward.
"Then show me. Show me the power of a blackhole. Show me the Dark-Dark Fruit!" Luffy proclaimed while drawing out his katanna, of which the blade suddenly got engulfed in flames; meanwhile, he also drew his saber which its blade also changed and looked as if it was frozen with dry ice. "In the meantime, I will show you power of the Drunk-Drunk Fruit!"
XXXXX
And while the two captains were just about to battle, Nami was still hiding on top one of the houses, staring them both down. Then her concentration was broken to the sound of gunshots and her widen when a hole appeared in her chest; yet Nami suddenly phased out, like a mirage.
Down below, "I wonder if fate will make this count as a miss since fate never lets me miss." It was the gunman that appeared aside Blackbeard along with giant wrestler and the sickly doctor who rides an equally sick horse. His name was Van Augur, the sniper of the pirates if that wasn't obvious enough.
Augur is a rather thin man of abnormal height, with light brown hair that hangs down to his lower neck. He appears calm all the time, even in battles, and his typical expression is generally emotionless. His eyebrows are almost always furrowed in what looks like a saddened expression, and he rarely smiles. The left lens of the black glasses he wears is a normal, rectangular eyepiece, but the right side is circular and holds what appears to be a cross hair.
He sports a large black hat, protruding out to both sides: curiously, its shape bears an uncanny resemblance to an upturned boat's hull. Van Augur is constantly wearing a long black cape, under which he wears a button-up, pale lavender shirt with loose sleeves, and simple black pants, with a maroon belt with an aqua outline that goes over a small portion of his shirt. He also wears black shoes. Due to the size of his rifle, named Senriku, he carries it leaned against his shoulder.
And while this lanky man was talking to himself about fate, Nami appeared on another one of the houses. And she was proud of herself for fooling such a marksman with a simple illusion, a mirage if you would. Yet, Nami truly was there before her mirage was shot instead. 'I need to remember to kiss Luffy-kun so hard that his face will peel off! Now I can show how strong women can be like men!'
Then Nami's danger sense roared for her to look up and when she did, the sun was blocked by the giant wrestler himself, with both of his hands ready to crumble the house to the ground. And crumble the house, he did. Yet the only body among the rubble was the giant admiring his handiwork.
That was because, one again, Nami appeared at the top of yet another building that was still in one piece. "This is getting serious. I need to start fighting back before-!" Nami was going to get battle ready when she felt the same danger sense. Yet this time, there was no giant from the sky or a gunshot from the earth. Instead, the building was sliced and diced like carrots on a cutting board.
This time, Nami jumped high into the air rather than vanishing like one of her mirages. Down below, she saw the sickly doctor and his horse; and Nami saw that the doctor had a sickle out. 'How is he so strong when he so sick that both he and his horse collapse and cough up blood!?'
Nami wished that she wasn't wasting time thinking when more gunshots were heard and Nami had to fly around what's left of the town to avoid Augur and his oversized revolver. "You can't keep up this little game, girl. Fate has decided that you will die and it is best that you accept it."
This caused Nami to scowl to the point that her face was covered in painful wrinkles. Then she descended as fast a meteor down to the wooden ground, with her fist aimed for an earth-shaking impact. And despite her appearance, Nami caused the ground to ripple and sent the Blackbeard Pirates flying back. This was yet another thing that Nami had learned from her 'generously pampering boyfriend'.
"If you want to talk about 'fate' and 'dying' then I will have to agree." Nami said, getting up and seeing that she did good work. "But I am a woman and I decide everything for myself, including how I will die. I am not a weakling, I get to choose." Not waiting for a response, Nami got into a one-arm handstand. "Rankyaku: Daburudorō (Storm Leg: Double Draw)!"
Nami twisted and spun her legs around to create one large cut on her left side and then moved to make another on the right side. And these sharp air blades easily sliced through the abandoned buildings. (Thankfully Nami can sense that the houses were all truly empty) But Nami knew that it didn't help when another giant shadow covered her; it was the same giant, only that had an entire building in his hands, ready to crush her.
Even though Nami was able to avoid that attack with Soru, she suddenly felt her legs give out with the feeling of cold hard steel grazing the flesh. In any case, Nami fell to the ground and had to slid on the rumble in order to stop. Adding insult to injury, literally, Nami felt the wreckage around her being shot at point blank while she still was dazed from the sudden loss of feeling in her legs.
The only silver lining that Nami never lost her bo-staff and got it ready until she saw all three of the Blackbeard pirates staring down on her. And they had their weapons to go for the killing. Just when Nami thought she was going to go down swinging, she was spared. Both Ogre and Burgess had to move away from their target to avoid a scatter of bullets that forced them to dance a good distance away. The navigator looked up and felt like a princess rescued from danger by a handsome hero, a whole bundle of them. One thing was for sure; The Cavalry has just arrived.
XXXXX
Meanwhile, in the opposite side of the town,
"…Surasshu-go (Searing After-Drink Slash)!" Houses were literally cut to pieces by what seemed to be a blade made of fire by how the wreckage were littered with flames around the edges where they were cut. All the while, a pudgy large man was running over the cut houses as if he was trying to outrun a forest fire. "Is running the only thing you can do, Teach?"
Instead of a forest fire, the dirty old man turned to sneer at a certain straw-hat wearing pirate; whose katana was still aflame. "You have no chance of capturing my brother if you can't even take my heat."
"You are getting really annoying, boy! And it is bad enough that you set my brilliant plan back by years, now you are getting under my skin." Teach, henceforth will be known as Blackbeard, growled with even more darkness surrounded him, making the outline even more thick.
"I rather not, I bet it is even more disgusting under there than out here. And it is dirty and stinky as it is." Luffy retorted with another jab, even faked disgust and waved his hand in front of his nose. But it still got his opponent even more enraged.
"That's does it! I was going to save this for your brother, my former commander!" Blackbeard roared, not even noticing that Luffy twitched an eyebrow on his stoic face. "But you have forced my hand! Burakku Hōru (Black Hole)!" From his shoes, a thick blanket of darkness emerged and scattered in all directions from Blackbeard's feet.
While the darkness swirled around where Luffy was standing, the rest of the wrecked houses and buildings were slowly sinking into the darkness. And the sounds of wood creaking and glass shattering invaded Luffy's ears; like a poor chorus, this irritated the pirate slightly. All the while, Blackbeard had the smile of a madman and laughed while the surroundings around his enemy were slowly being destroyed.
"You see!? Darkness is power, darkness is gravity! With this power, I will be able to destroy the world!" Blackbeard hollered once that portion of the town were sucked in. "And if you want to know what has happened to it all, then witness it! Ribereishon (Liberation)!" Luffy then saw the town buildings emerge from atop Blackbeard's head as if a geyser.
"Do you see the unbeatable power that I possess!" Blackbeard laughed as it rained wreckage, landing everywhere but where he was standing and also Luffy too, apparently. "This is the power of darkness, the strongest force on this planet! And I am darkness!" Suddenly, the man of darkness felt pain on his right side that also seemed to be freezing cold.
"Kōritsuku sake no Surasuto (Freeze-Burn Sake Thrust)!" Luffy shouted from his spot, this time using his rapier that was covered in dry-ice. "While you do put on a good show, how is that you are invincible if you still can draw blood and you still could feel pain? I thought that you were a Logia user like Ace?"
While Luffy mocked Blackbeard, the large dirty man was twitching through the pain and suddenly got up on his feet. And the freezing ice had vanished. "This Logia fruit is very powerful as it is rather unique. Unlike most Logia fruits which allow the user to let attack pass through, mine absorbs attacks as well physical trauma and pain." Blackbeard muttered while trying to get back from that sudden attack. "But there is just one more thing that this power can absorb, Kurouzu (Black Vortex)!"
Luffy knew that he was in trouble when he felt gravity trying to pull him towards Blackbeard, and the force was so strong that it was irresistible. "Nothing escapes gravity, especially that of a blackhole. But once the blackhole touches you…" Blackbeard only needed to grasp Luffy's shoulder and the former's prey realized what has happened to him, right before the old man sent Luffy flying back to where the straw-hat captain was just standing. "You will lose your powers! That is that power of the Dark-Dark Fruit!"
Yet Blackbeard's answer wasn't moans of pain but the sound of the wreckage being sliced and diced. "I will admit that the power is as scary as I imagined. But you still have no way to stop me from using this power! Busohoku: Surudoku (Armament: Sharpen)." Luffy's katana and rapier both turned black and their edges look especially sharp. "Now take this, Hikori Jujika (Fire and Ice King Cross)!"
Blackbeard saw a slash of fire and a slash of ice merge with each other to form a cross -scissor attack. "Kurouzu!" Panicking just a little, Blackbeard used gravity to try and absorb the frontal attack; key word being 'try'. And the dirty pirate knew that when his other side was terribly slashed just as he activated his Kurouzu move.
"Azuma Dorinku-Doriru (Eastern Drink Drill)!" Luffy had used the pulling force of the gravity to get in an especially swift stab-and-slash at Blackbeard, with the latter focused on the cross attack. "The only reason I am not afraid of you or your power is that you haven't awakened it. And trust me, I have."
All Blackbeard did was growl and get up like before, with yet more darkness surrounding him. "I am going to take your head even if I have to sink this entire island." Luffy just smirked and grinded his two blades together, setting off flames and dry ice on the katana and rapier respectably.
"Bring it, you bloody traitor."
XXXXX
Back in the other side of the town,
"How dare…" A man's low voice glided across the wreckage with the wind before the giant wrestler crashed. "…the three of you bastards…" That was then followed by the sickly doctor who flew over the giant along with his horse. "…try to harm Nami-swan!" Then the sniper skid next to the giant.
"It would seem that we were mistaken by the idiot with the sun hair. Fate didn't make it clear that the cook will be as bad as our prey." Van Augur seemed to never lose his cool. Which could be said for Burgess who only got a faint footprint on his steaming face. Of course, Doctor Q took his time getting back since Stronger was as sick as he was.
As for the Straw Hats, "Can't you do anything without acting an idiot, blondie?" Zoro said with lack of content for Sanji's still love-struck tendencies while helping Nami back to her feet; the cook tried to do it himself only to be slapped by said woman. It was so sad that Sanji was still not trustworthy with a woman, especially one that has a man already.
"More stinking pirates to stand in our way? I am angry enough to punch Fate after I do you in!" Burgess charged in, as angry as a bull seeing nothing but red. But his charge was halted hard by Sanji and a certain man that was known as a 'demon' in the East Blue.
"Fine then, you ogre." Gin said with his trademark, hollow smile while using his tonfas to keep Burgess from budging. "Let's see you dance, with the Devil and hell's best cook." This time, Sanji didn't make a remark but join Gin in making a devilish smile on their faces; enough to even make Burgess flinch.
Meanwhile,
"Please tell me you are joking." Zoro said with clear content as he stared at Doctor Q and Stronger with Kuro looking no more amused. "We have to fight those two!?"
"I wish I was joking but while I know how to make plans, I don't know how to even make a pun." The former pirate captain responded. "And to honest, I can't believe the large amount of life coming out of this deathly man."
*cough cough* Doctor Q let out yet another several pints of blood from his mouth before finally speaking. "Sorry young ones but Fate has decided that we should fight. And both me and Stronger can't fight Fate, only you." The horse made a sound of agreement before coughing up blood all the same. "And we are going to strike, whatever you draw your blades or not!"
Zoro and Kuro both knew from that point that they let their eyes fool them when their opponent appeared in front of them with a double-bladed scythe ready to take heads off. And while both swordsmen can block that attack, someone else did. "Sorry guys, but I am wanted a piece of him for myself. If you don't mind."
"As long as you don't get in our way…" Zoro said, getting into his stance while Kuro finally revealed his 'cat claws'; they have been repaired and upgraded since one glove pair of blades had been broken off all the way back in the East Blue. But these claws will be able to withstand even an elephant's foot stepping on them, or better yet a dinosaur. "…or Luffy will have our necks, Chopper."
"Got it guys." Doctor Q had everyone in a loop on how he could be so sick and yet so alive at the same time; but facing a being that was a cross between a human war veteran and a full-grown reindeer was something beyond his imagination.
Finally, Augur was left facing not one but two fellow marksmen. And before he could fire off his rifle, the sniper had to move to dodge gunshots from the other sniper that had a very long nose while moving his head back to evade Frank's bullets, only for one to explode loud and hard in his face. "You think that you and your little gang are hot stuff for picking on our captain. You just never met pirates like us before, punk."
"So, you better be ready. Ready to face your death unless you are better than this." Usopp said, his legs and his voice no long shaking. All the while, pointing the tip of his rifle at Augur and hiding his self-satisfied smile for his clear bravery.
Yet, before anymore conflicts could start off,
"…Raifuru (Rifle)!" The excitement was shattered, like an ice sheet with a heavy boulder on it, when one of the houses exploded and out came a certain large dirty man that had a fist to the face really hard. "If you wanted to go for our fists, then you should've said so." It was, of course, Luffy stepping over the rumble and even had his hand on a post to make it look cooler. "But for the record, touch my blades and you will regret."
Even though Luffy's sudden change from smug to scary had disturbed everyone, even Blackbeard's crewmates somehow, the walking blackhole himself was growling like an animal crossed. "How dare you." Blackbeard said quietly yet also manically, as if he was losing his grip. "How dare you be so smug with me! I sailed with Whitebeard for twenty years! I am your senior, your better! You are just a snot-nosed bastard who can't even sail the Grand Line!"
How it was possible nobody cared but they could have sworn that both captains gave off different auras that clashed. "I know, Teach." Luffy spoke as if he was the Shinigami himself. "I know everything. And you are truly walking into your own grave if you keep this up. I am already out of mercy while you are out of steam. You also are out of luck, both you and your stinking boy club you call crew."
This must have been a cranking point because Blackbeard practically erupted with darkness. "That's it! Forget your bounty, you will be nothing but dust for your insolence!" Blackbeard used his darkness to suck up the rumble like a vacuum cleaner and sent it flying at Luffy at supersonic speeds. The young pirate simply sliced the bits of wood and brick into harmless pieces. Yet that was when Blackbeard appeared, fast for a fat guy, and ready to grab Luffy's head with his darkness.
However, this was not his lucky day and Blackbeard knew that when he was sent flying hard by something big and something that stung at his flesh. "If anyone is going to take Mugiwara's head…" Blackbeard grunted in confusion while Luffy hid a smirk as the voice was familiar to the latter and not the former. "It is going to be the White Hunter. And let me show you, pirate scum, how the White Hunter does his work." Smoke soon filled the wrecked Mock Town, with a certain 'smoker' standing besides Luffy, both staring at Blackbeard.
End of Chapter 33.
*I had planned to start the Skypea arc in this chapter but decided to set it aside to have this fight between the Straw Hats and the Blackbeard Pirates. It may extend over a couple more chapters until I will have them visit the sea in the sky. Leave a review and flamers will be ignored!*
