A/N: Yes, the chapter title is from MCU Loki's ramblings. I'm never making a Marvel fanfic, but I never said I wouldn't borrow from them. I'm honest, but shameless~ On with the show!


Chapter 23: Glorious Purpose

"TENTACLE-SWORD OVERLOAD!" Beginning their duel, Hachi abused his boneless arms by charging toward Zoro, wiggling in an unpredictable fashion. "TRY COUNTERING THIS WILD DANCE WITH ONLY THREE SWORDS!" When Zoro faced Mihawk, he was in awe of how he had carved through his blades! Not some cheap silver, but honest to God forged steel – and he'd gone through it them like butter! He had no clue where to start on chopping through swords, but he'd settle on breaking them!

As Hachi got closer, he charged forward in a stance. "Oni-Giri!" Despite the erratic movement of the arms, Zoro stopped the attack as soon as their swords connect. The clash vibrated his whole body... down to the chest wound he's still sporting. As Zoro winced in pain, Hachi took the initiative to push him back! Zoro stayed on his feet, but his chest was throbbing. "Tch. This is nothing!"

"Of course you're nothing!" Hachi accused. "Mathematically, my six swords can easily trump your three blades!"

Zoro chuckled hoarsely. "I think you're miscounting. My blades weigh far more than yours!"

"Your blades are heavier!? Are you a nimrod!?" Hachi scoffed. "Each of my swords weighs 650 pounds! They're clearly heavier than yours!"

Now it was Zoro's turn to dismiss Hachi. "I won't waste words on a fool."

Enraged, Hachi charged at the swordsman, all blades aimed at his torso. "Octopus Pot Stance!" Zoro prepared to face the attack, but at the last moment, feinted out of the way. The only part of Hachi that touched him was a grazing elbow... on his hard-to-miss bandaged area.

Zoro winced as Hachi turned around, but he learned something about his Style. 'That attack isn't about the swords... if that'd connected, he would have disarmed me and gone right for my wound! Shit, I need to finish this!' Zoro groaned much to Hachi's confusion. "Well, crap... I really... shouldn't have... fought with this wound..." he panted.

"Nuu~ Getting tired? Too damn bad!" Hachi charged at the swaying swordsman in his Octopus Pot Stance. "When you face an enemy pirate crew, expect they'll abuse any opening to win!" As Zoro prepared to defend himself, Hachi seemed to slow down. "Like now! Surprise Ink-Jet!"

That was all the warning Zoro got before his vision went black! Shit! He'd been so focused on attacking that he left his defense wide open! "Nuuhoohoo~ Did you think I'd just do the same thing twice!? I'm not an idiot!" Despite not being able to see anything, Zoro turned his head where he heard his enemy speaking... only for the voice to pick up on his other side! "Nuuhoohoo~ Must be so scary, being in the dark like that! Now, I can finish you off with any attack I choose! How about... Six Swords Waltz! Good riddance, Roronoa Zoro!"

As Zoro stood there in the dark, he did not panic; instead, he chose to focus on what he could hear. The wind through his hair, battle in the distance, his own breathing... and the type of attack Hachi was using: six blades, spinning so quickly, they countered the wind... giving away Hachi's position, and Zoro a new idea for an attack. "Charming Demon..." Zoro raised his blades.

"Huh!? You're still trying to fight? While you're as blind as a bat!?" Zoro could almost see Hachi's shit-eating grin through the darkness.

"Sleepless Night..." Zoro took a familiar stance, except he kept his wrist looser.

"You're facing the wrong way!" Hachi's voice came from behind the mosshead... while the attack was still in front of him. "You'd better turn around or I'll chop you to pieces!"

Zoro's response... was a feral grin. "Oni Giri!" With a twist of his blades, the resulting charge bore through the Octopus's defense. Not only that, but going by the sound of basic silver shattering and the gasp of pain, it was a 2-for-1 deal: broken blade and chopped chum! Zoro kept his stance for a moment until he heard a heavy thud; after that, the swordsman followed the sound of the waves, dropped his makeshift blades, sheathed Wado, and dunked his head into seawater.

Raising his head, he blinked at the light as he surveyed the area; eight broken swords including the borrowed ones, and one barely unconscious Fishman. "W-what?" Hachi wheezed through his own new chest wounds. "I... was throwing my voice. How... did you know I would attack... that way?"

Zoro gave Hachi a caustic glare. "I heard the sound of your blades cutting the air. I made a promise a long time ago to be the World's Greatest Swordsman. Cheap tricks aren't going to fool me. Use this lesson to get stronger, and fight me if we meet again!"

Hachi gasped at the passion in those words. "Nuu... I guess Nami... will be in good hands..." Those were the last conscious words Hachi would ever say to Zoro for a long while. Finally done with his fight, Zoro took a deep breath... before falling over, dead asleep.

Zoro vs. Hachi

Loser: Hachi

Reasons: Severe Wounds

Winner: Zoro


Hook found himself flying back from a single kick, feeling woozy and lethargic. 'What… just happened… I tried to Consume his big ass sword one minute... my powers dropped... and my arms with 'em…' "This feeling..." the brawler muttered aloud with much lackluster. "It's... just like... when I fell in…"

"Watatatata!" A gravelly chuckle brought Hook's attention back to his enemy, casually strolling up to him with his weirdly wrapped blade slung over his shoulder. "You seem confused, James Hook! Should I enlighten you?" Kisame held up his sword. "Behold! The bladeless sword, Samehada! In other words, Shark Skin! A dear comrade on Fishman Island gave me this weapon. Look closely, the wrappings you see on this blade? They're actually flesh and scales from one of the largest creatures you've never seen – a fully matured Sea King!" He swung the blade, the surface of Samehada rippling from the wind resistance.

"Sea... King?" Hook questioned as his strength gradually returned. "The heck's a Sea King?" Rather than answer that, Kisame charged, Samehada raised to strike! "Crap, this is gonna suck!" Hook ducked under the strike, wrapping the fake sword up with Cat Catch Wire. 'Yes! No weakness!'

A firm grip on it now, Hook pulled on the wire to rip the sword out of Kisame's hands... as the Fishman just stood there, looking at Hook bemused. "I'm guessing this would work better if I was human?" With that, he pulled right back, lining Hook up for a clothesline!

He doesn't stay down for long though, as he rolls away, dodging a dropkick, and following up with Iron Boxing Fury Strikes! "ORAORAORAORA... ORA... ora... ora..." All of his hits, sadly, are blocked by Samehada, coating his arms in saltwater. "Shit-!" he barely had the time to cuss, as Kisame kneed him in the chin! In the seconds Hook hung in the air, too stunned to react, Kisame pulled back his free hand, unclenched.

"Fishman Karate: Tide Thrust!" An open palm blow crashed into the boy's stomach, sending him flying through what was left of the grove's fence. "You are laboring under the impression I am like those slaves to fate. False!" Kisame stretched himself out, as Hook stumbled back to a standing position. "You and I, James Hook, are burdened with glorious purpose. We owe it to ourselves and those that look to us to never crack under the pressure!" To punctuate his point, he leaped at Hook, Samehada raised overhead for a downward strike. "To stand up, even as others would stamp us down! Crashing Wave!" He dropped violently and suddenly, an explosion of dirt, rock, and sprinkles of seawater where he brought his weapon down point first. As the dust cleared, Kisame looked down at where his quarry was... only to find Hook standing beside his now prone form. Rather than scoring a hit, all Kisame had done was get himself tangled in Cat Catch Wire. "What!? When..." His eyes lit up in realization. "When you were stumbling to get up... that's when you set it up!"

Hook's answer was to spit out blood, the coppery taste tingling in his mouth. "Glorious purpose, my ass! I don't care! I don't care what your plans are, or what you're trying to do! I'm gonna kick your ass and force you to apologize to Nami and her sister, plain and simple!" With that declaration, he whipped out a leg, landing a Silver Heel to Kisame's face! 'One way or another, this creep is going down!'


Nojiko blinked as something warm and liquid hit her cheek. She touched it with trembling fingers... and looked at her fingertips, to see them stained red. As she slowly became aware of her surroundings again: Nami and Genzo fighting a single Angler Fishman, a destroyed house not too far from where she was standing... and the blonde girl she had endeavored to warn, to get her off the island, with one unarmored hand in Arlong's mouth, preventing him from ripping into Nojiko herself!

"Figures you'd attack a bystander," said blonde growled, before addressing Nojiko. "Blue, could you stand back, while I smash this no-name guppy?"

As Nojiko dimly nodded and stepped back onto the porch, Arlong growled at his opponent. "How dare you stand in my way, you-"

"And will you stop gnawing on my damn hand, you son of a bitch!?" Silk cut him off and even paused the battle for a bit, by delivering the mother of all haymakers into the shark's jaw! "MIGHTY CRUSH!"

As the name implied, Arlong, dislocated jaw and all, was pummeled into the dirt, a small crater where his head had landed. "A-Arlong! That skinny bitch hurt him! The hell!?" The Angler growled. "Well, what are you standing around for!? Get over there and-!" A Wootz Steel staff nailed him between the eyes. As he rubbed the spot, he and his ten cohorts (down to seven) were met with a wall of scratched-up, but lively villagers, Nami leading them.

"For 13 years, this village... this whole island has suffered under that asshole's will," Nami hissed, with enough venom to make even the toughest of them back up.

Genzo picked up her speech. "So many of us suffered... so many failed to make it. Today, we will have no more! Today marks the first day of our freedom! If these people can end the nightmare, then we will never let you near them!"

With that rallying cry, the group began to batter the fish sticks with all the relish they could muster! Silk giggled at the display, before addressing a now silent, but steadfast Arlong, now back on his feet. "Hm? Nothing else to say, ya asshole~?" Silk teased, leaning forward with one hand on her ear. Arlong just glared at her, unable to speak. "Well, since we have the time, I just have to know! What crawled up your ass and died? Were you captured by humans or something? Did they torture you? Or were you just born a huge piece of crap?" All of Silk's jovial nature evaporated into cold fury, as her eyes matched Arlong in contempt. "Actually, I don't give a crap. It doesn't matter what happened in your past, it won't excuse your garbage personality and actions! I'm just here to take out the trash!" Silk loosened her shoulders in a circular motion, silently thankful that Arlong could no longer bite-!

KRICK! CRACK!

Silk's jaw dropped as Arlong reconnected his, wincing all the way through. While he was still too sore to speak, he had nothing left to say. He just reached in his mouth pulled out a set of teeth (and they grew back), then pulled out a second set (Gross! They grew back again!) before posing in a fight stance. His weapon of choice: his two sets of teeth. By the time Silk thought to try and make something to attack, defend, anything – Arlong was on her forcing her to block! Unfortunately, even with the Gauntlet, Silk found herself at a disadvantage; each attack not only drove her closer to the ocean but farther from the pile of gold...

So, stepping away from that, it might be time for an analysis of the battlefield. In order to understand the state of affairs right now, let us re-establish the fights from quickest to longest. First up, Sanji humiliated Kuroobi at the docks with Zoro finishing Hachi shortly after. He fell asleep though, so he's currently not important to the remaining confrontations. Nami was leading the charge against the dregs of the Sunset Pirates, while the last one to finish their duel was Ussop, who fried Chu to a crisp. He is on his way back to the village, but won't be back in but a few minutes. This state of affairs is all-important to note, because when a mostly uninjured Sanji came up, he was stuck between helping a proud gutsy blonde fighting a Fishman by her lonesome, or the delicate flower, in a thinning crowd of civilians, up against five angry Fishmen. As Sanji looked back and forth for a moment, Silk called out to him. "Sanji, right!? Go help Nami! Wipe out those other creeps!"

"But..." Sanji looked even more perplexed. "Nami... Silk... two beauties, and I can only save one?"

"Who are you saving today! Look just get over there and help the village! I'm fine!" Silk screamed, even as she was pushed closer to the ocean. "B-besides! If you hurry and help Red, you c-can kick some gold my way!" She gave the man a shaky smile even as her heel was hanging off the edge. "I can fight my own battles, Goldilocks! So, don't even think about stepping-!"

Arlong lunged forward, swiping at Dorado. The ax went skittering across the ground. The girl holding it fell into the water. Silk tried to move. She tried to swim. She tried to hold her breath. She tried everything! But try as she might, Silk could do nothing as all her strength left her. 'Is... is this what... Hook felt? This sucks... Sanji... needs to go through Arlong... to get to the ocean... I... I-!' She hiccuped her last gulp of air. Her vision grew dark as she continued to sink...

Silk's descent suddenly stopped, as if the hand of God paused her. Granted her vision was incredibly faint, so it might as well have been God. Regardless, something pulled her back to the surface and placed her on dry land. Her lungs ached as she coughed up a metric ton of water. When she finished gasping for air, she looked for her savior...

Only to find a semi-conscious six-armed bleeding wreck in front of her. He was kneeling next to her, a puddle of blood from opened wounds filled with saltwater. Silk blinks, unsure how to respond for a moment. "...I... thank you." The Fishman gave a small smile before his body was racked with a coughing fit. "H-hey, that looks pretty nasty! Let me get you to the doctor. They can..." Her hands are pushed away by two, as he used his others to stanch his own bleeding and hold him up.

He stared silently at Silk for a minute, panting and wincing, before he spoke. "We... treated her terribly... I thought... I thought I was doing... what was right," he coughed up more blood. "Tell her... tell I'm so..." Hachi's eyes rolled up to the back of his head as he finally collapsed into blissful unconsciousness. Silk looked over the Fishman, quickly checking for a pulse in his chest; she released her held-in breath when she heard his soft heartbeat. As she looked over to where Arlong should be, she found him there alright, as was Nami, Sanji... and even an awake Zoro. While she was out, Nami and the residents seemed to have finished wiping up the leftovers, and now they were just screaming for Zoro and Sanji to be careful as... shit, Arlong had water! As Silk was the only one aware of how deadly a Fishman is with water, Sanji and Zoro's guards were completely unprepared when they got splashed and flew back like they were shot!

Silk saw red. Kisame washed away Hook, and now Arlong was doing the same thing. Enough. Was. Friggin' enough! Silk walked forward; Dorado was near the docks, a yard away. She picked up speed; the ax gleamed brightly. She broke into a sprint, raised her hand-

And every head swiveled, and eyes bugged out as Dorado flew into Silk's hands, as she swung the ax–blade first!- into Arlong's raised forearms! "You-" What little he said was blown away; the ax did not cut deep, but it did hold him still for a-!

"MIGHTY PUSH!" In a blow that once more shattered his teeth, Arlong went flying out to sea like a rocket!

"WHAAAAAA!" Nojiko and all of Cocoyashi exclaimed.

"Whoa..." Nami gasped, a smile creeping onto her face.

"Silk~ You're so wonderful!" Sanji crooned.

"...Damn," Zoro muttered, both impressed and a bit jealous.

Silk, her anger evaporated in one hit, smiled brilliantly. "Gorugoru! Get up from that, you mudskipper!"


A/N: There's something to be said about those that say they are great, and those who have no time for all that yammering… Anyway, thoughts on the fights so far? If you can't tell yet, my inspiration for these fights is Jojo Parts 3-5. I might have to depend on their dynamic of fight choreography in the near future. Oh, yeah, and something something Hachi's not as bad something something… Let me go on record that abuse and bullying are bad, and I think Hachi's redemption on that subject went as well as could be done in the story. As for how I'm handling it here… I'm just showing the results of this cycle of hatred a smidge sooner than when Arlong was going to see it if he ever did. I can only hope you all agree or at least get what I'm trying to convey. So, next chapter, we get to see Ussop! Is that anyone's favorite character? He's my number two, right behind Sanji, so I do enjoy writing them!