Rise to the Challenge
"It's about time you start worrying about yourself."
Not seeing that haughty expression of the arrogant Tenryuubito allowed Shaad's raging desires to ebb as he followed her blindly, lost in his thoughts, but not having the confidence booster of his blades allowed him to more easily see how acting in accord with his desires would only get him killed. Now, though, he was being told to worry about himself. That reignited Shaad's natural defensiveness "Is that a threat?"
"Merely a warning," Marie finally intoned after almost a minute of silence, palm planted on an electronic scanner tucked away behind a loose wall panel.
Shaad raised an eyebrow as he watched the wall open up to a large, torch lit room with wood paneled floors. He'd lost track of how far they'd walked or what route they took to get here. All he knew was that, on this packed ship, the hallways here were clear and this spacious room was somehow tucked away indiscreetly.
"Please enter, Mr. Cornelius Rashaad," Marie beckoned the pirate captain into the room, a dojo. "Or, do you prefer 'The Little Hellion'?"
Shaad was reaching his limit for surprise in one day. Besides, that was more a confirmation than a surprise.
"You can call me Rashaad. . . So, is this where you tell me no one's comin' to save me?" Shaad spoke casually as he examined his swords (left sheathed in the center of the training room), sure to keep an ear out for any movement from his host.
"No," Marie answered calmly, arms crossed beneath her chest as she waited by the door.
"We're avoiding cliches at least," Shaad stated, the young pirate taking a few practice swings as he turned to face Marie, a satisfied smirk spreading his contemplative countenance. Then, are you the one I'll be fighting?"
"Again, no."
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you don't like me," Shaad quipped at her curtness. "But, being kind enough to bring me my swords. . . Is this what that guaranteed protection of property meant," he asked sarcastically, both swords ready despite his seemingly laid back demeanor.
"Our 'assurances' are for our rightful guests, not those who kill and steal their way aboard."
"You can't prove that," Shaad shot back accusatorily, and more than a little snidely. After cracking into a smile, though, it quickly faded as Shaad met Marie's eyes. "Though that response explains why you were so willing to hand her over to that sick fuck."
"There it is," Marie called, pointing a finger at the pirate. Shaad's brow furrowed, confusion and curiosity playing across his face. "Your little crush on - What's her name? Raine? - is far too easy read and manipulate. I bet you'd do anything I want if I said it would keep your precious Raine from certain death."
"Only if it's a painful death you want. You've seen me flustered and you think you know me. I will run through you and anyone else who stands in the way. Depend on the word of someone who'd stoop to blackmail? Hah; if we live it'll be because of our strength, our ingenuity. If we die, it'll be because of our weakness. But, I guarantee you, one thing I, or anyone who stands with me, won't do is die on my fuckin' knees." Shaad was in Marie's face by the time he finished his words. Rage in his eyes, and violence on his mind, Shaad fumed over the smaller captain, swords by his side like rabid dogs waiting to be unleashed. Shaad's fiery gaze traveled from Marie's sharp eyes down to the gun pressed to his gut and back before he snarled, "This how you want to play it?"
Marie put the gun away, but didn't give an inch as Shaad's breath rankled at her brow. "Simple advice is all: trust in those closest to you; believe in your judgment."
"You should listen to her," a new voice cut in jovially. Shaad turned his head to see Valentino smiling over his right shoulder, hakama pants replacing the linen suit he'd worn at dinner. "Marie here was quite the renown pirate prior to entering my service."
Turning back to the woman nearly pressed against him, Shaad's gaze surveyed her from head to toe: curious, appraising.
"Bella Caprice," she stated, answering the unasked question. "276 million beli. You wanna run wild on my ship, it won't be weakness. That's stupidity." With that, the retired pirate pushed past the brash teenager towards the door Valentino had entered through.
A tentative silence settled over the room, a pregnant pause waiting to pop. Fittingly, it was Shaad who did the honors. Not with a sword, though, but a name, a single name. "Maribelle." Marie's steps never faltered, never sparing a glance back. Neither did Shaad look to her. But, he knew the effect he'd just had on her. She was shaken no matter how well she might hide it. "Leanne says hi," he declared smiling even as the door closed with a resounding thud.
Seconds turned to minutes. In the silence, Shaad turned to face Valentino, blades swirling in his hands before settling in a reverse grip, the smile on his face lessened in the torchlight. "You told her my name, but not who I am. . . Is this," Shaad motioned around the dojo in which they stood, "your way of telling me you're unconcerned with my lineage. Either way, there are enough people on this ship already that would kill me just for being me without you telling more. So," Shaad started, having slid his right foot back in preparation for an attack. "what do you want?"
"I told you before," Valentino responded in his usual smooth tenor as his fingers ran over a bokken before plucking it from the wall and strolling towards Shaad. "I wish to spar."
Shaad eyed Valentino warily, fingers rapping against the handles of his swords before his knuckles paled with the tightening grip. "Why me?"
"Partially for who you are. Mostly because of what you possess; Chiryoku and Tairyoku are renowned the world over among true swordsmen. If you're to keep those two, you must be worthy. . . Or, I could just have you detained for threatening Sir Cypher. Either way, you'll have to fight I presume."
"Cypher," Shaad mulled lowly, loosening his tensed muscles with a few deep breaths. "Allow me to disappear Cypher."
Valentino's lip curled up in a smirk. "That's a tall order. . . You'll have to earn it."
The time for talk was over as Shaad launched himself across the reinforced, soundproofed room roughly the size of a basketball gym. Valentino stood calmly, showing no openings even in his relaxed demeanor. But, Shaad had been plotting since they'd started talking. Redirecting nearly his full speed in an instant, the teen pirate planted his right foot, going low to start his attack, and slashed left, the trailing blade blocked with minimal effort. That didn't matter, though. The swipe at the legs was little more than a distraction. The blur that had been Shaad's first step became merely a gust, blowing past Valentino and into the air. The heavier black blade raised high, Shaad swung down on the regal Noble's smirking visage with his left arm.
Shaad's powerful strike flowed smoothly, unobstructed. That was the worst part. Shaad felt confident had Valentino put up a harried defense, he'd be able to overcome it. Instead, the older combatant deftly sidestepped the downward stroke, letting Shaad's blade breeze harmlessly by before driving a hard fist right below his ribs. Sweeping the pirate's legs with the bokken, Rozzeg took Shaad off his feet and sent him crashing to the floor.
His body bouncing off the hardwood, Shaad's eyes were wide, his face a mask of pain as his lungs grasped desperately for air. Gasping for air, the proud captain struggled fruitlessly against an invisible force pressuring him. Still, though, as fresh air burned in his lungs, a fire blazed in his eyes. Looking up the bokken at Valentino's superior sneer, Shaad pushed a greater strength throughout his body.
Knocking the wooden blade from his throat with a motivated backhand, Shaad thrust a double kick squarely in Valentino's torso. Utilising the momentum, the young pirate rolled backwards and into a standing position. Despite the clean impact, however, Rozzeg was unfazed by Shaad's kick, only letting it push him a couple of steps before straightening up and meeting Shaad's glare.
"I am not someone you can toy with," Shaad snapped, his pride overtaking his usual calm. "I will wipe that arrogance from you."
"Passionate words do not alone a winner make," Valentino warned. "But, I assure you, you've not seen me arrogant."
Shaad growled at the retort before a sharp gust of wind forced self-control upon him. But, there was no wind in this sealed room. Instead, with a single stroke of an imitation sword, Valentino Rozzeg created a gale force strong enough to unsteady and unnerve Shaad.
An alarm blared at the back of Shaad's mind, that always logical part of his mind telling him to back down now. But, his pride and that incessant part of him that enjoyed a challenge wouldn't let him. He wouldn't and couldn't run away. Not here. Not now. And, definitely, not to this. . . this infuriating noble.
"Boost X2." Instead, Shaad launched toward his challenger again. Rearing back with both swords, Shaad swung down with all his might. Two renowned named blades versus a wooden katana; logic clearly dictated the winner of such a conflict. But, as Lord Rozzeg's weapon of choice became enveloped in an obsidian black color, logic, like Shaad, was thrown aside.
Shaad knew what just happened. He knew how dangerous the situation had become. Unfortunately, his thoughts seemed intent on sending him straight to an early grave. A solid whack to the head further made good choices (and almost consciousness along with them) a product of an alternate reality.
Maybe it was the way Valentino seemingly taunted him with the weapon of choice or maybe it was the obvious gap in strength and skill, but something about the confident noble reminded Shaad of all of his father's worst qualities. While Shaad now understood the extent to which his father had sheltered him much of his life, he was unable to forgive the man that gave him life for just abandoning him. He would not back down from his goal of eliminating the specter that was his father. And, for that goal to be at all realistic, he could not back down now. The gap might prove itself insurmountable, the odds inconceivable, but Shaad refused to let a small thing like the impossible deter him. He would achieve what he set out to accomplish. No matter how many times it took.
Shaad bombarded Valentino with a barrage of swift attacks, his blades coming in from every possible angle. Valentino - calm, almost smirking, however - easily deflected each swing with minimal movement. "Fractured Memories." Swinging down with one sword and up with the other, Shaad aimed to cleave off Valentino's wrist.
Recognizing it'd be impossible to block both swords with the bokken, Valentino fell back on his heel, loosing the Haki clad weapon with a flick of his wrist that left it spinning in midair. Shaad's blades caught the weapon as Valentino stepped back in and delivered a devastating spinning elbow.
The powerful blow sent Shaad reeling, using a hand for balance as he slid to a stop. But, despite Shaad clutching his ribs and spitting blood, Valentino did not pursue. The noble continued to look down on Shaad. Nearly on his knees, that infuriated Shaad all the more. He was a conqueror, born into a line of kings and leaders; he bowed for no man.
"Speed Boost: Lv. 3." Pushed to the edge, Shaad turned it up another notch. The young pirate was determined to expose Rozzeg's arrogance. . . and make him pay.
Moving even faster than before, Shaad again charged in. Slashes came in at a frenetic pace, but Valentino stayed a step ahead each time. If Shaad went low, Valentino parried and blocked the high swing that followed before pushing him back with a boot to the chest or an elbow to the jaw. If Shaad came in high, Valentino simply dodged and moved in to counter. Blood dribbling from his mouth and angered, Shaad launched himself into the air, putting the full weight of his fury behind one powerful slash from both swords. "Strength Boost: Lv. 3."
Valentino, sensing the impending threat of Shaad's attack, strengthened his defense, the black armament Haki spreading to cover his forearms as well. The epic clash shook the room and cracked the reinforced floors. Shaad held the advantage, but he was losing it quickly. Shockwaves filled the air as brute strength and honed Haki pushed the youngster back.
"Strength Boost: Lv. 4." Shaad's muscles strained, veins bulging, as he risked everything to best his better. But, it wasn't enough. Valentino, having locked his stance, continued to overwhelm the pirate captain. Black tendrils of Haki embracing his muscled biceps and strong shoulders, Valentino's strength was too much for the young Shaad to handle. Being pushed back, though, Shaad still did not relent or give in.
"Strength Boost: Lv. 5!"
He'd sacrifice everything. Pushing his body to its very limits, Shaad could feel his bones cracking and crumbling under the immense pressure of their extended conflict. But, so to did Valentino's bokken. Hearing the wood creak and seeing some splinters snap off, Valentino's immense strength finally waned, his arms being pushed back. However, that was not Shaad's win but his loss as Valentino allowed himself to be pushed so he could take advantage. Letting his arms be pushed back in the struggle brought Shaad in close enough for an earth-shattering punch, the impact plowing through Shaad and wrecking the young man's entire body before Valentino tossed the outlaw overhead.
Shaad, ever resilient and even more stubborn, landed on his feet. His arms pulsed continuously, but they'd be fine with rest from continued exertion. His legs, though, would receive no such break. "Speed Boost: Lv. 4." Turning things up another notch, Shaad again moved straight for Valentino. "Star-crossed Fates!" Shaad was on top of Valentino in a flash, baring down on his larger foe with outstretched swords ready to carve the mark of death on all that stood in his way.
Valentino was surprised, Shaad was faster than he'd expected. If he'd been more careful, it wouldn't be a problem, but at this range, there were no good options. Shaad was already too close to escape, and the two swords and their approach angles made defense a fool's errand. That only left an offensive counter, an option with a narrow margin for error. As Shaad's blades zoomed in, Valentino blocked the swing coming in from his right, locking his bokken with the guard of Shaad's Tairyoku. Utilizing his superior strength, Valentino threw Shaad's arm aside, his aim clear: force Shaad off balance and draw the smaller man into a short strike to the head from his bokken.
Shaad sensed that goal as well, and while his dominant hand might've been able to strike first, he'd have his senses rocked trying to finish his attack. Instead of being dragged into Valentino's swing, Shaad shifted his weight, repurposing his momentum into a twist and aiming Chiryoku at Valentino's left side.
In that moment, Valentino acknowledged he may have underestimated the youngster standing before him. Perhaps he had been a bit arrogant. But, that only meant he needed to end this. A little more is all it would require. Despite still going strong, the Noble's experience told him Shaad was pushing his limits at this point. Forced to change up his tactics, Valentino coated his left arm in Haki, letting Shaad's encroaching blade clang into his solid defense before knocking the younger fighter to the ground with a vicious swing of the Haki clad bokken.
His vision may have briefly blacked out and the grip on his swords loosened for the umpteenth time this match, but Shaad refused to give up until he was completely unconscious. . . or worse. That sort of deciding scenario almost happened as Shaad narrowly avoided the crashing fist looking to bury him in the floor, rolling out of the way and lunging back to create distance.
For the first time during this little skirmish, Valentino made to go for an offensive maneuver. But, he was too slow.
"Triple Burst." This time, Valentino was ready for Shaad's speed. Falling forward, Shaad shot forth from an extremely low angle for added momentum, and in an instant, he was beneath Valentino, swords - held in a reverse grip - snapping forward like shears. However, instead of the Noble's legs, it was the Haki covered bokken Shaad's blades cut into while, from a handstand on top of the wooden katana, Valentino came down with a leg drop, leg black with armament Haki.
Shaad didn't shy away, though. With one fluid step, the pirate blasted himself upward, meeting the Haki infused leg drop with the cross of his sword sheath. And, while the sheath was shattered into disrepair, it was Valentino that was knocked off balance.
"Serpent's Strike." Shaad wasted no time in angling himself for a follow-up. With his body streamlined, the outmatched youngster aimed squarely to overcome the odds, his forearms crossed in front and the sharpened tips of his blades leading the way.
A coating of Haki flashed over Valentino's arms as he braced himself. Firmly planting his feet, he caught each of Shaad's blades, immediately pulling them to the sides. If Shaad was thrown off by someone bold enough to catch the swords' sharp blades bare handed, the pirate captain didn't show it, lashing out with a front snap kick to the large man's chest. The strike, landing cleanly, loosened Valentino's grip on the blades and pushed him back.
"Speed Boost: Lv. 5." Shaad knew well the drawbacks of this technique. With each pounding step, his bones would rattle. Every extension would threaten to tear his stressed muscles. If his legs somehow withstood the stress and strain, though, more than a minute of use could leave him immobile for days maybe more while more than two could leave him paralyzed permanently. The last time, he attempted to go beyond Lv.4, the bones in his leg shattered with the first step. The risks were real, but the very real challenge standing before him called for very real risks. Shaad didn't like pain, but he in no way feared it. Nor did he fear death. He merely feared the prospect of being an easy out for whoever might one day introduce him to his creator. No matter where. No matter who. No matter what, Shaad was determined to leave his mark. It was that determination driving him as he again threw himself into the fire of this fight.
Shooting in faster than sight could perceive, Shaad swung up with the lighter Chiryoku. The clash lasted less than a second as Valentino blocked the strike with a Haki coated shin and Shaad dashed back out after little more than a glancing blow. They'd had enough confrontations already for Shaad to know well that even the most tightly knit combinations were ineffective. So, instead he'd go with a clash-and-dash tactic.
The maneuver worked well. Valentino found it impossible to block or counter every attack when they spawned from a 360 radius. However, Shaad found it similarly impossible to break through the seasoned fighter's full body Haki with only light attacks. It was a stalemate, and Shaad would be the first to crumble if it persisted as such.
'Faster. Faster. Faster!' The word became a mantra as Shaad willed himself to new heights. Shaad storming in from every possible direction, vicious winds picked up throughout the room, the scene surrounding Valentino cycling between a raging tornado and being encompassed by an army of fast approaching Shaads. That army soon dwindled to four, then three, and finally two. These were no mere afterimages, though, as Shaad jumped between positions so rapidly as to essentially be in two places at once. With Shaad baring down on him from in front and behind, Valentino stood pact, arms raised and ready. This would end here. By a thunderous Haki fueled punch if Shaad wasn't careful.
Valentino was surprised as Shaad's black blade was thrown at him. It was the one thing that now couldn't be replicated, simultaneously making it the most dangerous. At least that's what an amateur would've thought. Locked in flight, it was now the safest variable of this exchange, even if it could spear Valentino through in not more than a half second. Along with the sword still in Shaad's hand, that made three potential attacks to be wary of, and of the two directed by Shaad, there was a 50/50 chance of Valentino misjudging and blocking air.
Three swords, three directions. Valentino widened his stance and focused. Shaad's strategy was good, great even, but just shy of perfect. With nary a tenth of a second to react, one of the Shaad's flickered, a sign the pirate was focusing on his real attack. Valentino whipped his hands around, knocking the blades aside. As he did that, Shaad sped in from behind, Tairyoku again in hand. Valentino was a step too slow. Spinning around, Shaad's blade sliced across his nose and cheeks, leaving a shallow but lasting cut on the Noble's perfectly sculpted face. Shaad was repayed with a booming uppercut that left him frozen in midair, eyes bugging out as he threw up a wave of blood.
Left shaking on his feet like a newborn fawn, Shaad looked up into the focused eyes staring daggers down on him. "Not yet," he protested with gritted teeth. "Super. . . Nova. . ."