The two could hear the rest of their teammates all entering the other rooms they had chosen to pursue Cannibal and his crew. Borya and Kalifa made their way through a long hall that seemed to waft a faint smell of food. Not only that, but there was also a chilly breeze coming their way. "Reminds me of the café...and that day we met too", Kalifa said as she lit a cigarette. She was under the impression that it could be the last one she smoked.
"Yeah, you're right! Memories huh? We've all come pretty far ya know. Got another one of those", Borya asked.
"I didn't know you smoked.
"I don't... but what the hell, might as well give it a try at least once."
"Fine, but don't make it a habit. Honestly, it's not really good for you", Kalifa said as she lit one for Borya as well.
Borya took a puff of it...it had a very distinct taste...but it wasn't one he could see himself indulging in on a regular basis. "I don't see the appeal, but... wait! I think we got company. I can feel something!" He felt an overwhelming presence that seemed to be approaching... them! It was coming from up ahead. He dropped the cigarette and stomped it out as quick as he could, before coughing. "Ack...ack.. Kack! Damn!"
"Happens to most people on their first time. Now come on, we have a bastard to fry", Kalifa said as she prepared herself. As soon as she said that, she managed to get a glimpse of a man sitting in a chair in the room ahead. There were a few tables around him, but they seemed to be scattered in a fashion that hinted something was about to happen. He must have parted them in preparation for battle.
He had his legs crossed, as if he didn't have a care in the world. From the looks of it he also appeared to be smoking. He had sunglasses over his eyes, and he also wore an all-black suite. His tie however, was a light blue, with the words "cool" running down it. "Wimp! Can't even smoke a cig correctly", the man said before letting out a puff of smoke.
"I am a lot of things, but a wimp is not one of them", Bory replied. The two came forward to get a better look of the room their presumed opponent. The second they entered the room; they were smacked with a force of cold air. It was so strong, that it blew out Kalifa's cigarette. "Why the heck is it so cold in here?" It was so cold that he and Kalifa were actually able to see their own breath whenever they exhaled.
"Thats the way I like it. Nice and refreshing, isn't it?"
"Not in the slightest", Kalifa replied. We're not here to hold conversations. We're here to take you down!" Borya transformed into his human kangaroo form. He didn't seem to have any intention of beating around the bush either.
"Ah, I figured as much." He took the cigarette out of his mouth and put it out with his own gloved hand. "Very well. I suppose I don't mind speeding this up then..." He stood up, took off his tie and tossed it behind him. "My name's Hooligan, and I'll be your mauler today." Just then, he began to change as well. He grew large black claws, and an enlarged snout. White fur began to coat his enlarged body. He turned into a complete polar bear! Just as they were told, he too had the power of a Zoan devil fruit! "Introducing, the Ursa-Ursa fruit! Model; Polar, if it wasn't obvious."
"So you can turn into a polar bear? Is that all? I've fought a bear before", Kalifa said as she recalled the encounter with Springer back on Malina island. "Hm... that reminds me. What DID happen to those silencers."
"Not my concern. And you should know better to assume that Springer can even hold candle to my power. In fact, I'll prove that to you right now!" Hooligan raised both of his hand, and sprang forward. Just as he did, Borya jumped forward as well in an attempt to block Hooligan's attack. Borya tried to block the oncoming claw, but it only resulted in him being slammed towards the floor.
"Borya! Be careful! Remember, they're strong so we can't afford to hold back!"
"Alright! I underestimated just how strong you are...but I wont make that mistake again!", Borya said as he took a boxing stance.
"No matter how strong you are, my bubbles will be able to weaken you!" Kalifa took her left arm and swiped her left arm to create a stream of bubbles that shot forward like bullets being shot! "Here's a new one I made just for you." They impacted Hooligan dead on, and they were expecting him to lose his energy. "Now you'll fall as easy as any enemy!"
"Is that what you are expecting?" He was covered in bubbles...but he didn't fall. In fact, he didn't even seem like he had lost any energy. Your little bubble trick won't work on me!" Hooligan shook his body, and the bubbles off along with it!"
"What!? That was supposed to sap your energy! What is the meaning of this", Kalifa asked as she pressed for an answer."
"You think I'd tell you? Well, your mistaken! Frosty dash!" That was all she heard, before she felt a cold wind dash past her. By the time she noticed what was going on, Hooligan was behind both she and Borya. "How did he move so fast?" His speed wasn't the only problem however. She found that the both of them had a layer of frost covering their bodies!
"K-kalifa...what h-happened ttttto us", Borya asked. The fuzz on his body was covered in icy crystals. He quickly turned around and tried to kick at Hooligan, but before he could, Hooligan had vanished again! Damn it I can't hit him!"
"And you NEVER will. You two have no chance of beating me!" Hooligan took his claw and slashed Kalifa across the stomach, which had enough force to send her to the other side of the room. "And I haven't forgot about YOU wimp!" Hooligan transformed into his human bear form and grabbed onto Borya's arms.
"Keep your hands to yourself!", Borya broke free quickly and jumped as high as he could, before touching the ceiling of the boat. Within a few seconds, he came back down and stomped on Hooligan's face. It managed to damage him quite a bit. But it wasn't enough for him to let up.
"I'll turn you two into chew toys!"
"Thats harassment! And THIS is your end", Kalifa shouted as she rubbed more bubbles across Hooligan's legs. "I'll just smooth you out!"
"I bet that's what you think, isn't it. I already told you're your little bubble trick won't work. And neither will trying to turn me into a doll!"
"Kalifa what's going on? Why isn't your devil fruit power working?"
"I don't know! This has never happened before." She did notice something strange however. The bubbles looked a bit more solid than normal. Not only that, but her hands almost seemed to get even colder. "Wait...what's this", she thought to herself.
"Frosty dash", Hooligan called out again! He dashed to the opposite side of the room this time, and once again, leaving a wake of cold air by the two. It almost felt like they had been encased in ice!
"This is outrageous! Can he control ice or something", Kalifa asked.
"Seems like a bit of a stretch. Possible power of his devil fruit?"
"Unlikely. There's someone whom can do that with their devil fruit; Kuzan, but I'm sure he's still alive. Besides, if he could control ice, he would have demonstrated it more intensely. This seems like it's only..."
"It's frost. Like he keeps saying. We're on the right track, but what does this mean? We have to put things together if we want to figure this out. It's got to have something to do with why it's so cold in here. This frost is making it harder to move...wait! That's why I feel so slow."
"We better think of something soon! He's far too strong to combat in the cold, and I cant weaken him."
"You know what helps us think", Borya asked.
"Of course. Fill her up please", Kalifa said as she held out her coffee cup.
"Too bad Raymond's not here, he'd also want some", Borya said as he filled up his and Kalifa's cups. "Would you like some too? Plenty to go around", he said over to Hooligan.
"No thanks. Maybe if it was iced but I don't like hot...WAIT! Why the hell are you drinking coffee in the middle of a fight for your lives!?" He was actually starting to become irritated now!
"He doesn't like hot...that gives me an idea. Kalifa, maybe we should turn up the heat, and level the playing field", Borya whispered over to Kalifa.
This time, Hooligan zoomed over towards them with the intent to skewer them with his claws, but they managed to avoid both of his hands. Even when he misses, he manages to create a chilling wind. "Not bad...especially since your speed is dwindling." He looked up to see both of them on the opposite end where he was standing not too long ago. But since he saw them in the process of running, he knew they were starting to slow down.
"We've figure you out...well sort of", Kalifa said. You're able to somehow manipulate the cold air in here. I assume it has something to do with your fur, more or less."
Hooligan jumped in surprise. She must have hit the nail on the head. That's when Borya jumped in. "It would explain why Kalifa's bubbles didn't work on you. You somehow coated yourself in frost which froze all the bubbles before they could in contact with your skin. Am I right?"
"It would also explain why attacking you only makes us feel colder!"
"Well, I guess I cant hide it. You've both figured it out. As long as I am in my polar bear form, or my human bear form, I can solidify the cold air and turn it into frost."
"But how? It takes more than cold air to make frost", Borya said.
"Correct! It takes moisture as well. Didn't you notice that the moment you entered the kitchen you could see your own breath. AS you know, there a hefty amount of moisture when you exhale...that combined with the cold air was enough for me to warp it into a weapon of my own. It not even part of my devil fruit. Just something I learned how to do.
Kalifa adjusted her glasses. "That's pretty clever AND it explains a lot. Even being part of one of the most highly regarded intelligence agencies I had no idea that there were people who could be capable of such ingenuity. Other than my friends of course. Now that we know your tactic, we can put an end to it."
Hooligan chuckled. "Thats cute and all but how exactly do you plan on doing that? I don't know if you realized but this room is always cold."
"Hmph! Kalifa", Borya said as he looked at Kalifa. She returned his nod. Suddenly, he coated his feet in Haki. Kalifa did the same, completely coating her shoes in Haki. "Step lightly! We can't afford to fall through the floor. Just like that, both she and Borya shaved away!"
Hooligan raised an eyebrow at this. "What in the hell are you two doing?" He had no problem keeping up with their movement, but they weren't exactly moving in a specific formation. They were simply running around across the floor. He did notice that the seemed to speed up progressively but they clearly weren't going to attack any time soon. "What is this, some kind of game", he asked. That's when he began to notice something odd. The area seemed to be getting less and less cold. He also noticed the faint smell of burning wood. "Wait a minute! You clever little rats!"
"I think he finally caught on to what we were doing. The friction of our Haki clad feet on the wooden floor is creating enough heat to subdue the cold. But were not just gonna stop there", Borya said as he vigorously scraped his foot against the wood. It actually managed to create sparks that ran across the ground! This caused a fire to start!
"Hey! What are you trying to do? Burn the ship down", Hooligan said as he quickly zoomed across the fire to put it out. While he did that, he noticed several other fires were starting. Some were being made by Kalifa as well. "You'll burn down the entire ship, and your so-called friends along with it!"
"We've survived a buster call and your silencers. I'm sure they'll be fine", Kalifa replied as she continued starting fires.
"A fire in the kitchen is usually a no go for me, but in this case, I'll make an exception", Borya shouted. The two continued to move rapidly whilst sparking fires, which Hooligan continued putting out. He kept up with them nearly flawlessly, but the purpose of their tactic wasn't to start a fire. It was to remove the chill in the room. Unfortunately, Hooligan didn't realize that this was also how Borya built up energy for one of his attacks. "THAR PUNCH!" As soon as he crossed paths with Hooligan, he electrified his fist with the static he built up, and punched Hooligan right between the eyes!"
The sudden zap through his body was enough to catch him completely off guard. Not only that, but it also made clear to Borya that he no longer had the extra layer of frost to absorb attacks. He fell backwards! "What the hell was that!? It's been a while since I've been hit that hard."
"Ok...not bad. You were both smart enough to shake off the frost. It's no wonder you and your other goons made it this far, but the problem remained the same. I am too strong for the both of you!" In the blink of an eye, he appeared in front of the both of them with his fists held out.
Kalifa gasped! That form! The hand positions! There was no doubt what that attack was. "Thats...that's"
Hooligan smiled and tightened his fists. "SIX KING GUN!" A powerful shockwave shot out and pierced both Borya and Kalifa, and was more than enough power to send them crashing into the wall behind them! Even though the shockwave supposedly only hit their stomachs, the pain traveled up through their bodies. Kalifa had seen Lucci use this technique before, but he's never used it against any of them. Not even during training. "Still alive? I bet your surprised. All of us, even cannibal himself can use all six powers. Including the elusive seventh." He noticed the blood from the two on his hands, as well as it traveling down in a straight path towards the other two combatants. He quickly licked it off his hands. "Oh! It seems like the fear has taken hold of your blood long before I attacked."
"He only hit us with it once...and it nearly knocked the wind out of me", Borya said as he somehow managed to stand up. He reached down and clasped Kalifa's hand to help her stand. It would seem that she had a much harder time standing up after the attack.
Kalifa held on to her stomach in an attempt to alleviate the pain. "We can still turn this around! Get behind me! She held out her arms and produced a mass of bubbles from her arms. She managed to make a wall of soap in front of her.
"I'm not going to fall for that!" He used his storm leg technique to create a razor wind and forced it through the mass of bubbles. It made a small opening, but it didn't last long enough. Kalifa simply closed the gap with more bubbles. "Huh?!"
"Its not enough wind to blow the bubbles away. Maybe it would have been if I was the same Kalifa years ago, but I've honed my skills. Now Tital wave!"
All the bubbles shot down towards Hooligan! The bubbles managed to spread so far in the room that he was unable to dodge the wall of bubbles! He fell to his knees, after he had lost his energy from the bubble impact. "Ah, what the hell! You and your stupid bubbles!"
"I'll make you regret saying that", Kalifa shouted as she pulled back her arm. "Borya!"
"Right! Let's go!" After preparing his finger as well, he and Kalifa ran a straight path towards Hooligan. He managed to build up static as he ran. They both jumped high into the air and shouted. "Thor, Finger Pistol!"
"Finger Pistol! Rubber Whip!" They both stabbed Hooligan right in his chest! The force of both finger pistols was actually enough to send him through the floor! Not only that, but Borya's Thar pistol electrified him. Thanks to Kalifa's makeshift rubber attack, she was unaffected by the shock.
It was only a few second drop before they landed on another floor. From the looks of it, it was another long hallway they fell into. This changed the field a bit, but it was a plus that they were doing damage to the ship as well. That's when the unexpected happen. Both of their fingers went through the floor. Hooligan vanished before they hit the ground. "Damn it, he's fast! These guys are amazing!"
"Borya focus! He's still around somewhere...", that's when Hooligan appeared and he stood right in front of Kalifa. "Hooligan!"
"I'll blast you to hell this time", Hooligan shouted as he held his fists out in front of Kalifa. "Six King Shotgun!"
Borya hopped to action as quick as he could. "Kalifa look out!" Borya pushed Kalifa out of the way of the attack...but it also put HIM in the line of fire. The second he pushed Kalifa out of the way, Hooligan launched the attack with everything he had. The shockwave was so strong that even though Kalifa was pushed out of the way she was still hit with some of the shockwave! "Borya wasn't just sent to the wall this time. He was sent THROUGH the wall...and on the other side was only the blue sky hanging over the ocean. He didn't seem to move afterwards. Was he out cold?
"Borya wake up! Borya you'll fall into the water", Kalifa shouted. She was about to run over and try to grab him, but her path was cut off by Hooligan.
"You have bigger problems to worry about!" He seemed to be panting heavily. And he nearly looked like he was about to fall over.
"Dont get cocky! You used too much stamina with that attack!" Kalifa kicked him to the side and knocked him out of the way...but by the time she made it to the hole in the wall, she didn't see Borya. He must have fell into the water. "Borya..."
"Your feeble attempts at ignoring me are just that. Feeble!" Kalifa prepared to attack him again, but due to his size he managed to grab both of her arms with only one hand. "Now should I throw you straight down into the ocean, or should I just rip out your throat right here? My other meal might be a bit too water logged, but your still here. Now that you cant move your hands, you cant use your devil fruit power. No more tricks to save you!"
"No more tricks, you say? I'm afraid that's simply not true. You think I've just been sitting around since I left the tower of justice? I've honed by devil fruit ability like you wouldn't believe!"
"Oh really. So tell me what else can you do with these silly little bubbles?" Hooligan chuckled as if he didn't have a care in the world...but then his question was answered by, the sudden realization that he was feeling tired. Almost like he was being drained. The only time he's felt like this was... He looked down and saw that there were more bubbles surrounding his legs. "What? How?! You can't control bubbles without moving your hands! Unless... No! You can't be serious!"
"Thats right! That's what happens when you finally awaken to a devil fruit. I don't NEED to move my hands. AND I can turn inanimate objects into bubbles if I so choose. Montague was wrong! I did live long enough to see it happen! You lost the moment we got rid of that frost!" She was easily able to break free from his grasp now. "You'll pay for killing my comrade!"
"Who says I'm dead?! But I thank you for your concern", a voice said. At that second, Borya came through the hole in the wall and kicked Hooligan away!
"Borya! You're still alive! How?!"
"My legs couldn't react in time to help me moonwalk back in...but my tail was able to puncture the ship and keep me hanging. I was literally about a hairs length away from falling into the water. I think all my ribs are broken...and I blacked out for a few seconds but I'm still standing... sort of." He did seem to have trouble keeping his balance. Kalifa got hit with the attack a bit as well, but he took the full brunt of it.
"Well, don't worry. We'll finish him off this time", Kalifa said as she surrounded Hooligan in more bubbles. His energy was swiftly drained again.
"You! How could I lose to you wimps?! I should have been able to dispatch you easily", Hooligan shouted as he tried to stand...but he couldn't manage it. He was at their mercy this time!
Borya and Kalifa walked over to the grounded man. "I already told you! We're not wimps! You guys are so cocky! You get a little power and you think your invincible."
"I used to think that way too honestly. But a quick reality check made me realize that you can't win everything with strength alone. I suppose it's too late for YOU to learn that though now, isn't it", Kalifa added. "You ready Borya", she asked as she pulled back her leg and prepared a kick, as if she was aiming to kick a soccer ball.
"Ready when YOU are!", Borya did the same with his leg.
"What?! What are you going to do", Hooligan asked
"Were gonna give you the BOOT! "DOUBLE SHOT!" They both kicked with all the strength they had, and aimed right at Hooligan's chest. Like an iron ball being shot out of a cannon, he crashed through the wall! He had lost consciousness on the kicks impact and plummeted straight into the ocean, ending the battle. "Hehe. Notice the pun there", Kalifa asked as she leaned against the wall.
Borya turned back to his regular human form and sat down. Yeah, Gurin and Raymond would be proud...I hope everyone else is ok."