A/N: No more disclaimers, but you'll still see me around. I found out I the update I did previously was exactly a month after I update the last time. My Muse had a long vacation…Just started watching Trigun anime after reading a few of the manga. (English, of course). Gosh, I feel another fanfic coming! (Later, of course.)

I-I-I-Chapter Nine-I-I-I

I-I-Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head-I-I

They had come cloaked. He had watched in the shadows, looking them over. They were hired by Alucard to dispatch the pirates, and they weren't doing so well, thanks to him. Torikki growled as he sped through the jungle. Alucard didn't know, but he would make sure the hired four wouldn't succeed. The pirates could help this island anyways, and his dear cousin could regard this as a...parting gift. After all, today was the day. He didn't notice the rain splashing on his face as his thoughts tumbled.

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After a few minutes passed Usopp had to stop running, his adrenaline decreased for the moment. Dark branches surrounded him, hiding the rest of the jungle. Light from the slowly ascending moon peeked through, making more shadows.

His heart still beat quickly, and his mind was clear and paranoid, but his lungs felt like they would burst. And those cuts in his lungs and arm were bothering him. He touched them again, wincing. They weren't normal and wouldn't stop bleeding. This was bad. He itched underneath his bandanna. Sweaty hair sprang out. He wiped it away, and it fell back in place. Then he blew at it. It tickled his nose.

Ripping off his sweat-drenched bandanna, he threw it on the ground while scratching his nose. Raising his fist to the black canopy, he shouted, "I've had enough of this jungle, y'hear me! I want out! GIMME YOUR WORST!" He left both arms in the air, waiting for anything. Suddenly a bright flash blinded him and before he could recover a crack of thunder deafened his ears, vibrated his chest and the ground he stood on.

Instinctively he crouched to the ground, hands over his ears and his eyes screwed shut. Convinced of some high power, he opened his eyes and looked around wildly for any change. Finding none, he sighed with relief. Then the rain came falling. He felt a drop on his head and looked up to receive the full might of a leaf heavy with the gradual downpour. As the rain came down harder, Usopp glared out miserably from behind the wet mass of hair in his face.

While in the process of tying his wet afro back with a piece of string, he glanced around and spotted something. Two, slitted, yellow eyes glinted from the darkness. He froze, jaw dropping, as ablack panther stepped out of the shadows, right in front of him. Its tail twitched, and the Straw Hat didn't move, mesmerized. Silvery whiskers framed a stony face, and its ears swiveled constantly. The muscles in its body could be seen with clarity, even in the dark. The moonlight gleamed on its wet fur, and a pink tongue darted out to lick its snout of rain water.

Usopp trembled, and the cat smirked.

"AAAAGH!" He backed into a tree trunk, the leaves waving wildly and water splashing them both. The cat suddenly looked somewhere else, eyes narrowed and ears turned. It turned around and melded back into the shadows, but not before looking over its shoulder at Ussop. Its eyes motioned him to follow, and Ussop, gulping, ran after it.

Hey, if I don't follow, I won't get lost! He thought. I'll die anyway. I can blame the cat for my...er, its...stupidity.

Suddenly the feline sped up and he had to jog. He heard it moving through the vines and branches, and soon he was halfway in a sprint, his legs and lungs crying out, and his head was swimming. He heard a crash behind him and he knew who it was. Dark branches blurred past him as he sprinted with a final burst of energy. The panther disappeared and a shot of panic struck him. His legs gave way and he somersaulted as he fell onto the…dirt? He grinned but while had fallen he heard something behind him.

Time slowed as he twisted and brought forth his palm. Aob sailed over Usopp, whip lashing out in fury as Usopp fell, and he placed his palm on Aob's chest. They descended; Usopp starting to flip backwards and Aob still flying. The air rippled and Aob blasted to the other side of the clearing. Usopp landed with a thud seeing stars as his head rang from the impact. Shaking it, he staggered to his feet, his clothes drenched. Squinting in the rain, he tried to lift his arm but instead dropped to the ground.

"Wh--?" Try as he might he couldn't get up. He felt faint and a searing pain in his chest. Mud clung to him as he rolled to his side, facing Aob in the distance. Usopp curled in the fetal position for a moment. He got up slowly, wiping the mud from his face. His eyes stung when the rain got in. "Impact…conch," he said shakily. Losing too much blood….clutching the gash on his chest, he dropped to the mud, aware of Aob rising.

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It kept raining, and there was no sign of the contestants. The water poured down the steps in a gutter carved on the side of them, but that didn't stop the amount overflowing down the stone steps. Many people started to stand, but since they would get soaked anyways, some stayed seated, unfortunately.

"Ugh, my pants are sopping!" Nami complained, clearly not enjoying the odd feeling. Sanji readjusted his grip on their umbrella.

"I'll help you wring out the water from them, Nami-san."

"Right now?"

"Sure."

"…."

"Nami-san?...OW!" Nami sighed as Sanji nursed his wound with eyes shining of love. Luffy giggled and splashed on the stone steps. Two steps below Nami and Sanji was Zoro, still asleep. Water splashed onto his face and he woke up to see a hole in his umbrella. Looking around wildly he noticed he was sleeping on a mini waterfall.

"Ungh," he grunted as he stretched. When he yawned the rain got in his mouth which he then spat out. Rubbing his eyes as the downpour roared, he sat back down, looking at the jungle.

"It's raining harder than usual," he remarked. Nami whipped her head in his direction, wet hair sticking to her face.

"And what would YOU know about that!" she erupted. Zoro opened his mouth to reply stubbornly when Luffy splashed over and pointed to the jungle.

"Hey look, it's Usopp!"

The sniper was about fifty feet away. They saw it all; the two opponents in midair, Usopp maneuvering his palm, the impact. Luffy grabbed his hat and leaped into the air, whooping when Aob hit the mud. But Zoro looked on carefully when he peered at Usopp's body, and his eyes widened as Usopp stood shakily. The rain came down so thick it was hard to see, but the gashes on Usopp were visible from even where the Straw Hats sat.

"He's lost so much blood. Look at his complexion," Robin murmured, trying to look closer. She had a better time looking because her hat stopped most of the rain from hitting her face.

"Usopp!" Nami yelled as he fell into the mud a second time. He didn't move and the stands became quiet. "Get up!"

The spectators murmured softly when Aob began to rise, holding his chest in the similar manner Usopp did. Shirt tattered from the impact, Aob's eyes blazed as the pain grew. His black hair stuck to his forehead and he whipped it back. He staggered closer to Usopp while ripping the remains of his shirt off, squinting in the rain and the whip trailing behind him.

"This is bad," Sanji said, sitting up. Luffy resumed splashing but in a careful way. Nami turned sharply to look at the captain.

"Luffy, aren't you worried about Usopp?" she asked, perplexed. Luffy paused and looked at her, the rain dripping off his nose.

"Why should I? He's been through worse and won." Nami raised and eyebrow shook her head, and turned back to watch anxiously.

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"Huyaa! Oogh...Phu!" Reia grunted as she went through the motions her instructional glass on the red book displayed. Whirling and kicking, her hair snapped like a whip as she spun, fighting would-be enemies. The sun dipped under the horizon.

Chopper closed the door behind him with his hoof as he stepped out from the storage deck. Readjusting his hold on the basket he turned around to see what the swishing sounds were. Gasping, he stood transfixed to the ground as he watched Reia train.

Silhouetted in the sunset, orange fire framed her figure as blue streaks whirled around her. They stopped and resumed when she did. The sun disappeared and she stood still, the blue flames contracting into a small sphere, quivering. As the last bright ray sunk the compact ball of blue ectoplasm exploded, shooting everywhere. Chopper ducked and Reia clasped her hands, eyes closed. The clatter of Chopper's basket hitting the ground startled her eyes open.

Suddenly she tipped over and fell to the wooden deck, almost falling into the orange trees. Chopper ran up the stairs and to her side.

"Reia! Are you all right?" he asked, studying her pale face. Her eyes fluttered open and she put a hand to her head, then started running it through her hair. Sitting up quickly, she looked at Chopper eagerly.

"That's never happened before, Chopper! I actually felt weak." She grinned and tried to stand up but he pulled her down by her blue cotton sun dress.

"Sit. What is it?"

"Using too much power seems to draw my own strength…like training to much and tearing muscles…" she said breathlessly. She continued as Chopper felt her forehead and cheeks. "I bet it's heavy things I can't manage, then." Chopper turned away and rummaged in his basket. Then he felt the ship rock back and forth, which was strange because they were in shallow water. He turned around to give Reia a few medicinal leaves to ingest but then stopped to shake her when the ship started to glow blue.

"Reia! Stop! You'll wear yourself out!" Chopper said worriedly. Her eyebrows furrowed as she lay on the deck, blue energy pouring into the ship. "Reia!" The ship stopped rocking and Chopper got a funny feeling in his stomach as it rose slowly. Grabbing Reia's shoulders, he shouted "REIA!"

She inhaled sharply, breathing hard and opening her eyes. The ship stopped glowing and dropped the few feet it gained, rocking afterwards. Chopper took her hand and placed some leaves in it. They were plump, aqua-colored leaves that seemed fresh.

"Eat it. Your strength can be restored," he instructed, a worried look on his face. Nibbling the edge of one, she raised an eyebrow.

"Ugh, my arm body feels like I've been doing too many push ups," she moaned. Ectoplasm appeared and she waved her arm about, the blob expanding and contracting.

"Ow!" The energy vanished and Chopper took her arm, examining it. He pressed on different areas.

"What does it feel like?"

"Too many push ups…"

"You're right. You do use your own energy," he concluded. She turned to face the reindeer, light-blue eyes inquisitive.

"If I work out maybe I'll grow stronger?"

"I'm not a doctor on Devil Fruit abilities. But I bet working on either power, physical and Devil, will be the same. Or it seemed like that to me…" Chopper mumbled. Reia stood up thoughtfully and walked to the rail, looking down at the dark water. Chopper joined her and they both looked at the troubling storm clouds rolling at across the ocean.

"Did you know there was a time I was swimming in the ocean?" Reia asked him softly. Chopper shook his head. "I wonder what would happen if I never found that place on Chinshima andate the Devil fruit."

Chopper chuckled. "Don't we all think that sometimes?" She laughed for a moment.

"Say Chopper, do you need me to do anything for ya? Errands, anything…?"

He thought for a moment then pushed the basket into her hands.

"Can you go get more of those leaves? They're supposed to thrive in this climate…"

"This sticky feeling?"

"No, it's sticky because it's gonna rain."

"I knew that. Anything else, Chopper?"

"Oh, and blood apples." Her eyes widened.

"Blood apples? Never heard that one before…" she murmured. Chopper lifted a fruit.

"This is a blood apple." The fruit was indeed blood red and the peel translucent, but it didn't resemble an apple.

"It looks like a…ugh, heart," Reia remarked, touching the visible "veins". Shrugging, she peered at the horizon and the clouds. "I better hurry. See ya." She stepped back a few feet and swan dived off the ship. Halfway through the dive she turned translucent, somersaulting in the air and turning to face him. Floating in the air, she waved and flew away, hair streaming behind her, the rising winds not affecting her course at all.

"I wonder how Usopp's doing," Chopper murmured. The rain started to drip on his hat. The sky grew gloomy. He sighed and went inside, alone.