Chapter 34: The Monster of the Mist

"KROOM! SWOOSH!"

"Hold fast!" A Goblin captain implored his underlings as their fleet bobbed up and down relentless tsunamis emanating from beneath.

"The Hell's going on down there?" Nnoitra snarled as he hopped into the air.

Having an idea of what 'the hell's going on down there', Jinbe was concerned.


OoOoOoO


"Jihahahaha," Hody taunted as he dodged another 'Water Shark Bomb', leaving only bubbles in his wake. He charged, his red trident pointing straight ahead.

"RAH!" Kisame sidestepped just in time to avoid damage, but not enough to actually counter before the Fishman was out of range again.

"What's wrong? Too slow to catch me?" Hody chuckled, his dark hair billowing in the current.

Not even bothering with a verbal rebuttal, Kisame sped through Hand Signs.

"Water Style: Five Hungry Sharks!"

"Shark Pack!"

The constructs began tearing each other apart, every collision unleashing the strength of a tsunami.

Hody effortlessly maneuvered through the artificial frenzy.

"Sukodu!"

"Right!" The Summoned Mako heeded his master's command. "Water Style: Racing Bullets!" The Shark's Jutsu managed an even greater speed than Kisame's.

"Tch!" Hody scoffed as he took a sharp turn, only getting grazed by a few.

"I'll admit, you're a slippery one," Kisame growled, crouching as one hand rested on Sukodu's head.

"Hehehe…you know, you were right earlier," Hody laughed.

In an instant, he zoomed right beneath Sukodu and gave a severe punch. It staggered the Summon, but wasn't enough to dispel him.

"A real Fishman could keep up with me."

Kisame bared his teeth, while the Hand Signs were made.

"Water Style: Exploding Water Shockwave!" The Ninja used the Jutsu more to propel himself rather than slam his opponent like he normally would.

"Hm?" Hody narrowed his eyes.

KRISH!

Samehada clashed with the red trident, shockwaves emanating from the point of impact.

While Kisame and his steed were pushing in sync, Hody was still strong enough to hold back both to a standstill.

"RAH!" Hody instantly brought one hand back. "Water Shot!"

"URGH!" Kisame's head leaned back. Lethal damage was avoided, but it cut a gash across the gills on his right cheek.

The Ninja growled as he head-butt his opponent.

"AHH!" Hody was stunned. This allowed Kisame to push the trident back and slash Samehada across the Fishman's chest.

Sukodu bared his teeth, aiming for Hody's foot. However, said foot nailed the Mako in the nose, forcing him back (with Kisame along for the ride).

Kisame released Samehada, speeding through Hand Signs. "Water Style: Water Trumpet!"

Hody crossed his arms, successfully stopping any damage.

"Che," the Fishman scoffed, and took off at top speed.

"Where…" Kisame turned before he finished that sentence, saving himself.

Hody reappeared and bit his foe in the side, though not through anything vital. At the same time, he grabbed Samehada's hilt.

"SQUELCH! AAGH!" Hody screamed in pain, releasing his death grip and withdrawing his perforated hand.

"CRUNCH!" Kisame used his chance to crash a knee into Hody's jaw, slamming it close with such force that the Fishman's pointed teeth shattered. Simultaneously, he went through Hand Signs.

"Water Style: Water Shark Bomb!"

This time, being point-blank, the Jutsu nailed Hody. It sent him to the sea floor with a resounding 'CRASH' and cloud of debris.

Cautiously, Sukodu swam down.

"Hehehe…I'm surprised," Hody's voice echoed. "Never did think that self-righteous Jinbe would team up with someone so vicious."

Kisame raised an eyebrow. "Says the man who bites people." That earned a giggle from Sukodu.

The Fishman gave a genuine chuckle, before baring his regrown teeth. "Oh…there's more where that came from."

"Yeesh…even with Jinbe warning me, that looks as nasty as it sounds," Kisame grimaced.

"Oh…so it was Jinbe that told you all about me?"

"Yeah…he didn't spare any of the grisly details," Kisame growled, still uncharacteristically serious. "Except one."

Hody steadied his trident.

"Oh yeah, Jinbe told me all about your utter failure of a coup at Fishman Island…how you used your own comrades as shields…how your entire crew was stupid and weak enough to cheat for your power…" Kisame almost sounded more offended at the latter accusation.

Hody snarled at the reminder.

"But in all that, Jinbe neglected to mention why."

"Eh?"

"You heard me. Why? Indulge my curiosity."

"Because Humans deserve to die!" Hody zoomed forward once again.

Kisame wasn't quite fast enough, his left side given three new wounds. Sukodu was unable to keep up, lashing and biting at empty water.

"They're weak, disgusting, repulsive cretins…who should know their place beneath Fishmen!" Hody continued his ranting and raving. His natural speed underwater was keeping him well ahead of Kisame's attempted counters.

"JIHAHAHAHA! Now that I've gotten a good look at you, I can see you were right!" Another jab of the trident.

"Huh?!" Kisame's indignant response came in a lower tone.

"You're slow and clumsy as only a Human can be," Hody gloated as he floated back. "Just goes to show just how outclassed all you humans are!"

Hody's sadistic grin morphed into a glower.

"I can't stand the look of you."

"That so?"

Sukodu rushed forward, but Hody adeptly avoided the Mako.

"Yes…you really are just a human, who dares to taint our species' image!"

Seeing the Mako's exposed belly, Hody drove his trident into the Summon.

"AAH! Sorry, Master Kisame! POOF!" In a puff of smoke, Sukodu was forcefully dispelled.

"And now…let's see just how quickly you'll fall like all humans must in this sea!" Hody declared. "OCEAN DRUM!"

"Urk!" Kisame bent over from the blow to his stomach, almost vomiting. The force was enough to send the Ninja crashing into the sea-floor.

"JIHAHAHAHAHA!" Hody bellowed out a laugh, ringing throughout the sea. He then rushed down.

Dazed, Kisame barely had time to block, Samehada's scales bristling in agitation and hunger. Hody's trident made a horrible grinding as it slid across the legendary blade.

"YAH!" Hody lunged, jaws open.

"CHOMP!"

"AAAAHHH!" Kisame howled in pain, as the Fishman's teeth dug into his left shoulder. Desperate to get Hody off, the Ninja popped a Kunai out of his right sleeve.

"SKRIT!" And Kisame drove it right between Hody's legs.

"WAH!" And let's just say…that was more than enough to get him to back off.

Hody cupped his nether region with his free hand, blood leaking out. A look of pure hate made itself known.

"I'm going to enjoy this…" Hody unwrapped his fin-shaped blade, the Kirisame. He quickly fastened it to his own Dorsal.

Kisame powered through the pain shooting from his shoulder. It was healing slower than it usually would. Still, he managed his Hand Signs as he came to a realization.

"I guess I really am slower and weaker than a Fishman. I need to even the scales, now. And Samehada has to feed for me to do that. Alright, let's start by disengaging."

The Ninja slammed his hand to the floor. "Earth Style: Great Mud Wall!"

In an instant, over 30 feet of hardened earth blocked Kisame from sight.

"You can't hide from me, filthy human!"

Hody swam forward at full speed, a punch obliterating the wall.

To his confusion, 3 Kisames all leaped at him, each with a Samehada.

"What is this?!" the Fishman roared in rage and started swinging. 2 Kisames stood back while the 3rd halted Hody's advance with a swing of Samehada at the Kirisame, a 'BOOM' emanating from the clash. The other 2 swooped in on both of Hody's flanks.

"Water Shot!" The Fishman's right hand snapped forward.

"Blub, blub, blub, blub," Kisame's first Clone dissipated.

"Hehehe…are you really using Water constructs…against a Fishman?! Big Mistake!" Hody quickly pivoted towards the Kisame holding him in place. Using Water Heart, he was able to grab a hunk of the water used to create the Clone, dissipating the rest of it.

"So YOU'RE the real one! Shark Pack!"

Over a dozen watery constructs hurtled at the ex-Mist Ninja, who was too slow and too close to dodge.

"PEW! PEW! PEW! PEW! PEW!" Kisame looked like swiss cheese. To Hody's horror, he wasn't bleeding, but leaking. With a taunting smirk, the last Water Clone rejoined the ocean from whence it came.

"Where are you?! Come and face me, you coward!" Hody swiftly turned his head all around, but Kisame was nowhere in sight.

Slowing his breathing down, Hody closed his eyes and sniffed the water.

"Back to the surface?! The hell's he thinking?! He gonna run crying to that damned Jinbe?!"

Having his heading, Hody pursued.


OoOoOoO


"HAHAHAHAHA!" Ares dove past the blast zone of his opponents' Gran Rey Cero. His Celestial Bronze armor was scorched, along with the exposed bits of his arms and his cheeks. Otherwise, he hadn't been particularly damaged.

Grimmjow growled at his opponent, and zoomed forward with Sonido.

"KRISH!" Ares blocked a kick with his forearm guard.

"WHOOM!" The Hollow's punch blocked with the flat of his sword.

"SWISH!" The God retaliated with a swing, the shockwave heard all across the island and nearby sea as it cut the tip of Grimmjow's mane.

"AHH!" Ares stumbled when Halibel shot a Cero at the side of his face. Not missing a beat, Grimmjow tossed the Greek God towards Thoth's Barrier.

"AAAUUGGHH!" Ares howled in pain before quickly pushing himself off, golden Ichor dripping off of his burns.

For a brief moment, the God's eyes seemed to be consumed by a hellish fire. And for the quickest of seconds, the ghostly image of a leather jacket formed around him. "You little punks!"

Then, the biggest plume of fire yet erupted from the God's hand, completely covering the sky from his opponents' point of view.

"CASCADA!" One of Halibel's strongest moves was only enough to make a small hole in the flames, barely able to protect herself and Grimmjow.

The attack was so vast, it forced Jinbe and Nnoitra to separate mid-clash.

"Fuck!" The ex-Espada skidded in the air.

Jinbe submerged and went 'Full-Armament' to avoid the damage.

Waiting a few seconds, Jinbe popped back out. He noticed his opponent had managed to also avoid the God's fire.

"Che…" Nnoitra scowled. "Let's finish you off, so I can focus on that bitch! Queen of Hueco Mundo…LIKE HELL!" The crude Hollow stuck his tongue out, letting loose his own Cero.

Jinbe didn't move, his Observation Haki telling him he'd be safe.

Nnoitra began to laugh, assuming the lack of movement was just stupidity.

(Splash!) "CHOMP! Thank you!" (Splash!)

And Nnoitra's laughter died, his mouth hanging open as he tried to comprehend what just happened.

In the blink of an eye, Kisame had breached. Samehada swallowed the Cero. The Ninja even got a good second of hang time. Then, both submerged just as quickly.

Jinbe braced himself. He could just feel the Reiatsu gathering around his agitated opponent.


OoOoOoO


Hody left a trail of bubbles and blood as he ascended.

'Once I finish that fake, I'll tear Jinbe apart! Nnoitra be damned!'

However, he paused at the sight before him.

Samehada was slowly vanishing into its wielder. Fins sprouted from Kisame's back and forearms, new gills pumping on his shoulders.

"What are…" Hody didn't finish, on account of Kisame's tail propelling him right at the Fishman.

"Here I come!" And the Ninja nailed Hody with a punch to the gut.

"HURK!" Hody nearly wretched as he hurtled straight back.

'All right', Kisame thought. 'Using my Water Jutsu won't be too effective against a Fishman. So I'm just going to have to do this the old-fashioned way.'

Instead of his usual tactics, Kisame pumped all the Chakra he could into his limbs for a purely physical upgrade.

Seeing another attack imminent, Hody swung his trident.

Contemptuously, Kisame grabbed the trident by two of its points. Then, he snapped both off, and drove them into Hody's shoulders.

The only thing stopping more damage was the Fishman lunging forward with his jaws bared, forcing Kisame back.

But that reprieve wasn't for long. Soon, Kisame charged.

Hody tossed the remains of his trident like a javelin. Kisame altered course, casually avoiding the toss. Then, spikes sprouted from his right fin, just before he gouged the Fishman on his right flank.

Howling in pain, Hody pivoted and charged forward, aiming Kirisame at the Ninja.

Grinning, Kisame sped down, and swam back at his foe's stomach.

This time, Hody locked both Kisame's hands in his own.

'Whatever happened, his strength and speed increased!' Hody realized in their deadlock. 'Is he actually as fast as a Fishman now?!'

Hody's thoughts came to a screeching halt, as pure rage eclipsed everything.

'NO! I will not abide this human! I WILL NOT!' "RAAH!" Hody felt a surge of strength, managing to push Kisame back.

Since the duel had moved right under the surface, the Fishman caught glimpse of the other fights, and a thought came to him.

"Deity of Slaughter, I invoke Thee!" Hody declared. "Ares, give me the strength to lay waste upon all our foes!"

He looked at his Patron, who paused after pushing Halibel and Grimmjow back. To his eyes, the Hollows were fighting a Fishman.

Ares gave a fierce grin. "So soon in this battle, you must be facing a wonderful foe. Very well, go wild." The God gestured at the embodiment of Fishman's Hatred, giving a blessing.

"RAAH!" Hody's eyes went bloodshot. Veins popped under his skin, his hair grew wild. Muscles engorged.

"AAH!" Hody screamed as he forced Kisame down, his strength tremendously increased.

"What in the hell?!" Kisame exclaimed.

"SEE! The Gods themselves have shown the righteousness of my cause! All Humans will fall! My glorious work at Fishman Island shall begin anew in this Sea! Not even the Straw Hats will last against me now!" Hody ranted.

"Hehehe…that's likely," Kisame kicked Hody in his injured groin, loosening the Fishman's grip.

Before Hody could tighten it again, the Ninja vanished with Body Flicker.

"Honestly, I don't think you'd last a second against Jinbe," Kisame taunted. "And besides…you won't get the chance to find out."

And then, the Ninja moved.

Enraged, Hody bull-rushed forward.

"And Water Clones!" another 3 Kisames formed, and scattered.

"Those won't save you now!" Hody howled, bringing a fist back. "Ocean Drums!"

"Grk!" The real Kisame had crossed his arms and tanked the attack. It did leave a bruise, but no serious damage.

"Hehe…I'm not impressed. Even with a 'God' helping, he still doesn't punch as hard as that odd beast. Still, let's get him to make some dumb decisions."

"You know, I've just figured out something about you," Kisame began. He sent another 'Water Shark Bomb'.

"HUH?!" Hody backhanded the Jutsu, dissipating it with ease.

"Yeah…you don't have enough hate," the ex-Akatsuki growled.

"…what?" This time, the Fishman seemed genuinely confused at that observation.

"You know why…cause if humans had truly wronged you, you would've pushed your own strength and limits," Kisame put it. "You'd have been so righteously infuriated that you would've gotten this strong all by yourself."

By now, Kisame was actually frowning. "You'd never even been scratched by a human before the Straw Hats, am I right?"

Hody's eyes narrowed, but he remained silent. That in and of itself spoke volumes to the Ninja.

"I thought so. No wonder you never amounted to anything," Kisame growled. "You've just been taking the shallow coward's path with borrowed power, never your own."

Now, the Fishman's eyes bulged with fury. Then, he charged.

"OCEAN DRUM!" Hody unleashed it point blank.

Kisame turned slightly, meaning only his left side actually took the hit. With his right arm, the Ninja got real close, driving a new spike into Hody's left gills.

"GASP! HACK!" Hody backed off, coughing up blood.

"Ooh…that would be one of your lungs filling up," Kisame increased the distance, his Clones oddly still as they kept back.

"FILTHY HUMAN!" Hody charged again, delivering another incredibly strong blow. He felt Kisame's right arm crack under the pressure. Hody followed up with his gaping maw.

But by now, Kisame's left side had healed from the last attack. He kicked the Fishman's bleeding groin again, and punched him with an uppercut to the chin, shutting his mouth. The Ninja sent a spike out from the top of his wrist.

Still, Hody had enough sense of mind to push through the pain and lean back, saving his throat.

The Fishman was sending wild flurries of punches and kicks now, all technique forgotten. He seemed determined that his newfound physical strength would be enough to bring this annoyance down.

On the other hand, Kisame chose his targets carefully. While most missed, those that didn't were landing on vital spots.

"BOOM!" Another punch to the Fishman's bleeding gills.

"BOOM! BOOM!" Kisame tanked two more punches to the stomach.

"Shrik!" The Ninja managed to slice Hody's radial artery in his left wrist.

"CHOMP!" Hody took another chunk out of Kisame's right flank.

"CRUNCH!" Kisame kneed his foe in the kidney, and shoved a spike through the organ.

"AGH! Water Shot!" Hody wildly swung and sent the attack through the side of Kisame's hips.

Quickly clapping his hands together, Kisame's cheeks bulged. "Water Style: Water Bullet."

"AAAH!" The Jutsu nailed the Fishman in the right eye, blinding it.

"Shark Grip!" Hody had caught Kisame's forearms while they were still in a Hang Sign, smirking when he heard the cracking.

That smirk instantly wiped away when Samehada's spikes ran through his own hands.

When the Fishman let go, Kisame sent another spike. This time, irreparable damage was inflicted on the already-slashed radial artery, rendering Hody's left hand useless.

Then, Kisame backed off, taking mental score.

"If he'd actually been aiming for my vitals, I might've been in serious trouble. I guess he really was used to being able to bring people down with sheer force. Even an utter ass-kicking from Luffy didn't convince him to switch things up. Hell…I've seen Chunin with more precision! Anyway…looks like I've taken out his groin and reached a femoral artery, took at the left radial artery to paralyze his hand, tore up his left gills and lung, put out his right eye, and a kidney too. He's boosted in strength, but he's reeling. Just one more blitz should be just enough." The Ninja looked at his Clones, deliberately staying out of sight and reach. "All right…let's get some more numbers."

He bit his thumb and made those iconic Hand Signs. "Summoning Jutsu!"

Four puffs of smoke came forth, revealing Mei, Jiro, Zoku, and Ushi. Four leering Bull Sharks all arched their backs, a sure sign of agitation amongst sharks.

"Hey ladies, wanna try something new?" Kisame asked, pointing at his foe.

"…is that an actual Fishman?" Jiro eagerly asked.

"Clearly," Mei grinned.

"Alright…let's get some cover," Zoku decided.

"And see if a Fishman's nose can keep up!" Ushi finished.

As one, the Bulls formed a complete circle beneath the Ninja and Fishman. When they reached the sea floor, their Chakra flexed.

"Water Style: Mud Current!" The four started quickly swimming around, creating a completely murky sea by stirring up the seafloor silt.

In a matter of seconds, only a small oval of water remained clear.

With a terrifying grin, Kisame backed up into the cloud and vanished from sight.

"AAH! Shark Pack!" Hody used his good hand to repeatedly fling constructs into the cloud. But, they hit nothing.

Hody's functional eye darted left and right, looking for any disturbance in the cloud.

"THERE!"

"Shark Arrows!"

"Hehehehe…missed!" Kisame's voice echoed around him.

"Water Style: Four Shark Shower." Four constructs arched out of the cloud, and dove straight down.

Not deterred, Hody swam up and gripped one of them with Water Heart. Then, with a cry of "Shark Pack!" he flung the remains of one 'Shark' at all three others, dissipating the Jutsu with overwhelming force.

"RAH!" One bull shark had swum out of the cloud, and took a chunk out of Hody's right calf.

"Tch!" Hody kicked the shark with his good leg, with enough force to immediately unsummon it.

"Damn it!" Jiro cursed before returning to Shinkai Trench.

"Water Style: Water Bullet!" Kisame sent one projectile, nailing the Fishman in the back of his shoulder.

"THERE YOU ARE!" And Hody zoomed into the cloud, hand extended. And Bingo! The Fishman gave a triumphant smirk at feeling actual flesh.

"Shark Grip!" He crushed Kisame's lower left leg, satisfied at the definitive 'CRUNCH' he heard.

"URGH!" The Ninja cried out as he was dragged back into the clear water.

Hody brought his foe back towards his gaping jaws, intending to completely slice off Kisame's leg. His teeth started to dig in.

"CHOMP!"

"AAR!" Hody howled in pain when another Bull Shark completely severed and swallowed his own foot, quickly retreating before Hody could retaliate. On top of that, the agony forced him to release Kisame.

"All right, Hody Jones," the Ninja sneered as he sped through Hand Signs. "Can you match my strongest move?"

"Water Style: Super Water Shark Bomb Jutsu!"

"NO! YOU WILL NEVER MEASURE UP TO THE FISHMAN RACE!" Hody put all the strength Ares had granted him behind his remaining hand.

"Ocean Shark Drum!" An absolutely massive shark construct formed out of the water surrounding Hody, and lunged forward. It hit the Jutsu, and utterly blasted it to pieces. Not done, the attack's ensuing shockwave slammed into Kisame.

"URK!" The Ninja reeled, his insides briefly feeling like jelly, all the Chakra left being forced to recover from that single move.

"HA! Just goes to show that you'll never be stronger than me!" Hody lunged forward.

"You're right," Kisame admitted. "You are stronger."

"Water Prison Jutsu!" Instantly appearing from the mud cloud, the three Clones and Bull Sharks surrounded Hody. He'd been so hyper-focused on the real Kisame that he failed to react.

And just like that, a Water Prison had formed around his legs. And individual Prisons trapped each arm, exposing his torso and head. And to make matters worse, there was a Bull Shark in each Prison.

"What is this?!" Hody screamed. Somehow, the water in the prisons was weighed down to the point where his limbs slowed down.

"Oh…if you were at the top of your game, I'm sure you would've broken out in no time," Kisame got closer, Samehada emerging as the transformation ran its course.

"But with severed arteries, a useless hand, one eye, a stump for a foot, and pierced shoulders…and no way to heal them…"

Kisame raised Samehada.

By now, the muck had cleared, and the two had moved towards the surface. That meant the other nearby fighters were able to clearly see what was going on.

The Ninja quickly slid his blade across Hody's other gills, spikes shredding them to pieces.

"Uh!" And just like that Hody wasn't able to breath anymore. His eyes widened as panic set in.

"Oh right, you can't breath underwater now…just like a human, eh?" Kisame grinned, but it didn't quite extend to the cold look in his eyes.

"You know something," the Ninja continued. "When it comes to true hatred, you're an amateur."

Throughout the fight, Kisame told himself that he despised Hody for his arrogance, lack of earned power, and downright stupid gloating. But in the back of his mind, he couldn't help but recall one drunken night…when Jinbe had sounded so heartbroken when telling him and Halibel about Queen Otohime. While Kisame would die before admitting it, seeing Jinbe vulnerable like that did something.

And now…here they were.

"All right girls, dig in."

"CRUNCH! CHOMP!"

Hody could only watch, unable to scream, as his body was torn apart.

Kisame stood back, smile gone and eyes narrowed. He would let his Summons have their fill.

The two other nearby fights actually paused.

Ares smirked, looking very interested in the Ninja.

Grimmjow scoffed. "Least one of us is having fun…"

Halibel turned away.

Nnoitra was laughing his head off. "HA! Serves that dumb fuck right!"

Jinbe was…conflicted. He knew better than most just how despicable Hody Jones was. On the other hand, this was a level of brutality that was beyond him.

By now, the Clones dispersed, releasing the Bulls and the Fishman.

Somehow, Hody was still alive, but in too much agony to do anything, other than give a terrified look at the Ninja. His limbs were just gone, chunks of his sides and lower abdomen hanging by threads.

Having had enough, Kisame swam up. With one mighty swing of Samehada, he knocked off his foe's head. Hody Jones was no more. The self-proclaimed 'Hatred of Fishmen' died, not with a scream cursing humans, but struggling for breath in the deep.

"We should take the rest back home for Jiro," Zoku suggested.

"No…she snoozes, she loses," Mei insisted.

"But don't you want more later?" Ushi asked, earning an embarrassed huff.

"Go ahead," Kisame decided. "You've all earned it."

"Thank you! Master Kisame!" Zoku quickly grabbed Hody's remaining torso before puffing away. Mei and Ushi left soon after.

With that, Kisame ascended. Once on the surface, he assessed the situation. Up above, Halibel and Grimmjow had resumed their bout with the Greek God.

Jinbe and Nnoitra were a fair distance from each other, both gearing up for another round.

A thousand screaming Goblins leered out at the island from their longboats.

Thoth's barrier was still up…but Kisame could clearly see the line of fire and smoke leading to the library, distantly making out Sasori fighting what looked like a Sternritter, while Juvia and Tsu occupied that other enemy Arrancar.

Then, they all felt a tremble from within the island. With that, Kisame made his decision. "Once that God, Nnoitra, and this army are gone…Thoth will release the barrier and we can help the rest of our crew."

"Jinbe…you okay?" Kisame gestured to the ex-Espada.

The Fishman paused. He took just a moment to reconcile what had happened with Hody, and the same man offering help as a friend.

He gave a small smile. "Yeah, I can handle him."

Nnoitra heard that, and scowled. "They're underestimating me," he growled so low that no one could hear.

"All right," Kisame turned to the army. "We'll take care of the riff-raff, and then help Halibel."

"And Grimmjow too, right?" Jinbe asked 'oh-so-innocently'.

"Yeah, yeah," Kisame rolled his shoulders, and began walking on water to the rest of Ares' Army.

OoOoOoO

The goblins on board had finished aiming their cannons at the barrier.

"Captain, look!" one spotter proclaimed.

And there, in the middle of the sea, one man casually walked to over a thousand goblins.

He kicked something and it made a clean arc before landing on the first ship.

"Splat!" Hody's head had been dropped right in their ranks.

You could cut the tension in the air as the Goblins slowly realized the gravity of their situation.

Kisame sheathed Samehada on his back, and started running forward.

"RAH!"

And the Goblins fired everything they'd loaded right at Kisame. Before any could hit their target, Kisame had already jumped over and onto the first ship.

With nothing but Taijutsu, Kisame took out every Goblin that swung their blades or fists at him. A kick there, a punch there. He knocked one Goblin's teeth out, and used the poor creature as a springboard to land in the middle of the crowd on the other side of the ship, eyes darting around at potential targets. Dozens had already fallen, and he didn't have a scratch.

Instead of drawing Samehada, he simply grabbed one shortsword out of a Goblin's hand and hacked away at everyone around him. A cut to the face. A cut across the jugular. An impaled heart.

One Goblin tried throwing an old-fashioned bomb. Kisame grabbed it mid-air, shoved it down the nearest Goblin's armor, and kicked him back into the crowd.

"BOOM!" And just like that the first ship was destroyed, a mere handful of survivors floating in the debris.

Before the Goblins even realized it, Kisame was already on another ship. Samehada was out, drawing in every last bit of energy it could. While not much was in each soldier, it was building up enough for whatever serious foe the Ninja would face next.

The Goblins on all the other ships, realizing how afraid they were, started aiming their cannons at Kisame…already writing off their comrades as dead already.

While this was going on, Kisame had hopped over a Goblin popping out from below decks, snatched his sword out of his hands, and drove it right back in the offending Goblin's skull.

Then, he saw the attacks coming, and jumped back right as the ship exploded from the numerous cannonball impacts.

Once clear, Kisame landed back on the water, clearly unimpressed. To rub it in, he brushed his shoulder.

Then, "Water Style: Water Shark Bomb!" Putting a bit more 'oomph' in the Jutsu than usual, the Water Shark grew to the size of one of the ships.

"It's…it's massive!" one Goblin cried out.

"Volley!" Cannons were completely unloaded into the Jutsu, dissipating it.

However, Kisame had already followed up with a "Water Style: Eight Shark Shower." One for every ship left.

"Ahh!" another few dozen were taken out.

Having had enough, Kisame backed up.

"Water Style: Super Exploding Water Shockwaves!"

With that, Kisame created one of the biggest Tsunamis he'd ever done.

To the Goblins' eyes, it completely eclipsed the sky.

"Emergency barriers, up!" the desperate goblins pooled their power together, using devices from their mistress Morrigan's castle.

Putting everything they had into it, the Goblins endured the tsunami.

Panting, they turned back to Kisame.

"Now…what'll you do about the second one?"

In an instant, a second tsunami just as large formed up and bore down on the small fleet.

There was barely any time for screaming, the water crashed down so quick.

And just like that, The Morrigan's fleet under Ares had been completely wiped out.


OoOoOoO


Far away, The Morrigan laughed.

"Oh…Itachi Uchiha…and now, Kisame Hoshigaki. My, my, such an interesting duo to surprise me like that," the Goddess howled in glee.


OoOoOoO


Closer to the barrier, another fight was ratcheting up.

Jinbe held his ground, poised to counter whatever came.

Nnoitra, getting impatient, decided it was time to really get serious.

"Pray, Santa Teresa!"


OoOoOoO


A.N. Umm…hey, been awhile. So, turns out a 40 hour work week AND being accepted into Grad School is quite the drain on me.

Still, I hope this will get me back into the flow. I might've gone a bit too far with the brutality. Then again, with these two as the fighters…perhaps that brutality was inevitable. And, I'm gonna jump at the chance to REALLY bring the pain to Hody. But yes, I feel like if ANY opponent wouldn't have people up in arms about Kisame being too cruel…it'd be Hody! As for the mechanics of the fight…I hope the moves made sense…what with Kisame aiming for precise hits, while Hody just went full brute force! And I'd like to think I made it believable that Kisame really would despise Hody!

Next time…Jinbe vs. Nnoitra!

AND HAPPY SHARK WEEK! Funny story…I'm actually watching a special called 'Ninja Sharks'…AIN'T THAT TOPICAL?! LOL! To celebrate, and to make up for my absence…Have Two Omakes!


OoOoOoO


Omake 1: Why Hody didn't fight Halibel

"JIHAHAHAHA!" Hody laughed as he battled the Hollow on the edge of the mountain. "I'll be done with you soon, filthy human!"

Trident and Tiburon clashed and clanged.

"Oh really?" Halibel stepped back. "Can a human do this?" She pointed down.

Hody slowly came to the realization that neither of them were standing on the mountain anymore. Somehow, he'd walked right off without realizing.

Feeling his impending doom, Hody only had time to hold up a sign.

"Uh-oh!"

"WOOOOOOooooooo….poof."

Halibel turned to the camera. "That's all, folks."

"CUT!" OceanLord looked around and sighed. "Yeah…there's no way you'd drag out this fight, is there?"

Halibel shook her head.

"Fine…back to the drawing board. Hody! Get out of that hole! We need to write a new fight."

"Ugh…"

"HAHAHAHA!" Nnoitra and Kisame were laughing at him.

"Nnoitra…that means no Kisame for you!"

"Aww…I wanted to relive my Kenpachi fight!"


OoOoOoO


Omake 2: How we met

"HELLO! And welcome to the Annual Shonen Team Showdown!" OceanLord declared. "Last year we had a stunning display of nakama and friendship with our Straw Hat/Fairy Tail duel!"

"YEAH!" Luffy and Natsu cheered, arms around each other.

"But this year, we're gonna be making things a little more diabolical!"

"Oooh," Luffy provided the energy.

"On this end, give it up for THE ESPADA!" Doflamingo on a Spanish guitar made his riff as the 10 white-robed Hollows walked out to tremendous applause.

"And taking on these damned souls…let's hear it for THE AKATSUKI!" An unearthly choir (conducted by Brook) belted out for the rogue Ninjas.

"And now they've taken position!" In the massive arena, 10 Hollows stood opposite 10 Ninjas.

"And this year, whoever's left will get an all-expense paid lobster buffet!" Sanji unveiled said buffet.

"And teams…GO!"

SPLOOSH! Suddenly, both sides were covered in water.

"WHAT'S THIS?!" OceanLord gasped. "BETRAYAL!"

"Kisame! WHY?!" Itachi cried as he and the rest of the Akatsuki were swept away.

"DAMN YOU, HALIBEL!" Grimmjow flipped her off before going under with the others.

"I'm not sharing!" Both shouted before dashing at each other.

"It's a bloodbath, LITERALLY!" OceanLord cheered. "NO MERCY!"

Samehada and Tiburon clashed faster than the spectators could see.

"Lady, back off!" Kisame gave a punch to the stomach.

"Not on your life!" Halibel retaliated before biting him on the shoulder.

Kisame mirrored the action, biting her on the opposite shoulder.

In almost no time, they'd torn through their Akatsuki and Espada cloaks, locked together in a brawl, splashing and flailing.

"Neither is giving ground!" OceanLord cheered. "It's a slugfest!"

A full hour later, Kisame and Halibel had been reduced to pinning each other to the ground, trying to keep the other down. Samehada and Tiburon forgotten off to the side.

"AND TIME!" OceanLord declared. "And the Lobster dinner for the victor! With only Kisame Hoshigaki and Tia Halibel left standing…it's a dinner for two!"

"MEAT!" Luffy came running out of the audience, his patience run out.

On instinct, Kisame and Halibel worked in unison to DUNK Luffy's ass!

"Hey, wanna have dinner somewhere more private?" Kisame offered.

No one could tell, but Halibel smiled under her mask. "That does sound nice."

OoOoOoO

"And that's how we met," Halibel fondly recalled during a break between scenes.

"You beat each other to a pulp and had dinner?" Tsuyu sounded very confused.

"Yep," Kisame cheerily added.

"You two have issues," Jinbe concluded.


Til Next Time…Have fun! Stay Safe!