Prey to Predator!

Zesiro, Ready for Action!

Ridley sighed as he listened to Mikoto, "fine! I'll tell you what I know. Trevor apparently came here to kill us...or her...I'm not quite sure who is planning to kill, just that he wanted to kill someone. Melanie came here to capture us, so they both wound up on this island. After awhile me and Melanie got into fight..." Ridley looked over to Melanie, who was out cold, he cleared his throat and continued, "anyways, we fought and I won. Then, um...Trevor knocked me down through some dirty underhanded tricks! And then Melanie and him fought...Trevor brutally taunted and teased Melanie throughout the fight talking about how he killed her parents and the like, how he put their skulls on his ship to decorate it. Melanie couldn't focus and got her butt whooped...again. Then I carried Melanie here. That's a basic summary." Ridley smiled, despite the fact that half of what he said was a lie, he got the basic point across to Mikoto.

"Ridley, untie me," said Mikoto as he struggled against the bonds. Ridley looked around him, unsure of how to proceed. He shrugged and quickly undid the bonds. Mikoto flipped his feet off of the bed and stood up. "Where is this Trevor person?" Mikoto asked looking over at Ridley.

"You can't be serious!" shouted Ridley, "That man attacked and beat a fellow Shichibukai! I highly doubt you want to get involved with that psychopath! He was definitely a tough opponent! I think it would be best if we just gathered up the rest of the crew and left as soon as possible!" Mikoto was ignoring him, Mikoto quickly slipped his sandals on and was about to walk out ignoring Ridley, but Ridley ran around him and stood in his way. "Mikoto, listen! This guy has a tremendous killing aura! I don't think he'll hold back in a fight! His hands are like blade and they've probably killed more people then anybody we have ever met before...including my own dad!"

"I'll just consider it a warm-up for the rest of the Grand Line," said Mikoto, "I mean there are another six," Mikoto looked over at Melanie who was stirring as her hand went up to her head, "five Shichibukais out there. I'm not going to become King of the Pirates just by running away from them. I'll have to take them out sooner or later. So, I'll take this one out now then! Cool?" Ridley didn't dare move out of the doorway.

"Are you stupid?" muttered Melanie as she sat up. She looked down and noticed that her sword was missing. Ridley had taken it and stashed it somewhere to make sure she didn't do anything for awhile, even though he highly doubted that she would with all of her injuries. "He is way stronger then some second rate pirate. I mean, what your bounty just barely broke 30 million...and now you want to go fight him? He's taken out pirates whose bounties exceed 100 million...you are just jumping to your own death." Melanie moved her foot to the floor and was about to step off of the bed, but as soon as her weight shifted onto her foot, she flinched and pulled back. "Besides, he's my opponent, not yours."

"Then let's have a race!" shouted Mikoto, "first one to beat the crap out of him, can beat the crap out of him!" Mikoto looked back over at Ridley, who shook his head still not getting out of Mikoto's way. Mikoto stretched his arm out, there was still a slight twinge of pain as he moved it due to the gunshot wound, but Enma did a good enough job fixing it up. Mikoto smiled as he pushed past Ridley, "catch me when you can, Melanie!"

Melanie grunted as she tried to shift the weight off of her foot once more, but Ridley came over and pushed her down. He had given up on Mikoto. There was no way he could catch up to him. Ridley just had to focus on keeping Melanie safe for now. "Does he really want to join my parents' skulls so much?" Melanie muttered as she lowered her head, "I've come this far, just to find out about my parents' death? And that my so-called 'ally' killed them? Let me go out and kill that ass!" Melanie stood up, pushing Ridley away, but her foot gave way almost immediately and she fell back down to the floor. Melanie cursed as she collapsed onto the ground.

"You must've twisted your foot when you fell during your fight," said Ridley as he bent down to pick her back up. Melanie swatted his hand away. She dragged herself back up onto her feet using the bed for support. "What a nice way to treat the guy who even though you tried to kill him, decided to save your life!" Melanie turned her head away from him as she sat down on the bed. Ridley shrugged, "no respect for the guy with the green Mohawk...as usual." Ridley went over and sat down on a nearby bed, he began shuffling through Enma's medicine, picking up bandages and the like examining them for their uses in patching himself up.

"Your captain is going to die," muttered Melanie as she looked down at her feet, "Trevor's going to kill him. That's a fact. Trevor is thirty times stronger, faster, and more beast-like than any other person could be. You better start praying for your captain."

"First off, I don't pray," said Ridley as he pulled out another tube of disinfectant and began applying it to his wounds. "If I can't get something done that I want done...I don't deserve to have it done. Second off, Mikoto is stronger then you'd think. If that guy died every time someone thought he should, he'd have died more times then I can count. And last off, focus on your problems...here!" Ridley tossed the remaining disinfectant over to Melanie.

Melanie caught the disinfectant, but then tossed away without using any, "I don't need your help. I'm just waiting for my foot to feel better and then I'm out of here. I'm going to find out if Trevor really did kill my parents. And regardless of what you say, your captain is dead meat." Ridley just leaned back and wrapped a bandage around his waist to keep the blood in. He had an all-knowing smile on his face as he looked over at Melanie.

(-With Zesiro-)

Zesiro was stuck out in the middle of a large field. He was glad that he finally had some peace and quiet. Ever since the last island and his last fight, the crew had been very attached to him. He had his sword drawn and was doing some basic practice swings, nothing too strenuous as he didn't want to reopen any old wounds, but he couldn't just not train. After all that time on the ship just sitting around and doing absolutely nothing, he was going a little a stir-crazy. A little light exercise wouldn't hurt him.

It was odd only using one sword. Its been awhile since he had been so...limited. He always used twin swords. Even when he was just learning how to use swords, he only used one sword for only a short time before he moved on to two swords. He knew from the get-go he wanted to use two swords, so he made quick work of one sword techniques and then progressed to two swords techniques without waiting. Now he was regretting it. It would probably be awhile till they met someone who could fix his sword or make a sword on par with it.

Zesiro was trying to stay calm as he continued through his swords practice, but he kept falling back into old habits and began to use his second hand separately as if he had another sword. He sighed as he brought his sword back into its sheath. It looks like he was going to have to call it day with his practice. He noticed the already dark sky and realized how long he had been gone from the ship. He quickly began to head back to the ship.

He tread lightly through the field, preparing to return back to his status as the resident injured warrior. In just a few more moments he would be shooed into the infirmary and sat down, he would be restricted from doing anything as the rest of the crew tried to accommodate themselves to his injuries. With a heavy heart he headed home.

It was only after a few minutes that Zesiro heard something. He didn't dare to slow his pace. If someone was following him then if he stopped, they would know he was on to them. It would be better if he kept the element of surprise. Regardless of that thought Zesiro's hands came to a rest on his sword's hilt, already primed for battle. Zesiro continued walking forward paying no heed to whoever it was that was following him.

Zesiro had walked for a fifteen minutes and still no sign of an attack. But Zesiro still felt the eyes of his follower burrowing into him. Zesiro looked from side-to-side trying to ascertain the location of his follower, but he couldn't find anything. Zesiro stopped and turned about, "where are you?" he shouted, "I know someone is following me. So just show yourself now and save yourself the trouble."

His follower appeared like a flash of lightning, not wasting a single moment as it darted out from a nearby bush. Its entire body was a blur. There was a brief flash of light that hinted at a blade. Zesiro brought his sword out barely in time to block the fast swing. Just as quickly as the attacker came he disappeared into the bushes.

Zesiro pivoted about and faced the bushes that were around him. They were small berry bushes, more then likely what he he had before was his attacker stepping on a branch or something of the like. Zesiro had drawn his sword and remained at the ready for another attack from any angle. His arm hurt a little from the stroke, he had to guess that was probably because his body still hadn't fully healed from his fight with Daimyo. However, from the feel of it he was healed enough that he could fight. Zesiro kept his eyes out, always moving about from bush to bush waiting for another flash of light as his opponent drew his weapon.

Once more his opponent proved himself to be the faster of the two. He appeared as quickly as before with beyond superhuman speed, once more only appearing as a blur. Zesiro grunted as the blur attacked once more with a thrust. Zesiro brought his sword forward and blocked the thrust with the side of his blade forcing it to the side. The attacker vanished into the bush as soon as he could. Zesiro moaned as he retook a defensive stance.

The attacker was faster then Zesiro and also with all of the bushes surrounding him, he had plenty of places to hide. If it wasn't for his wounds, Zesiro would probably just start hacking away at the bushes. However, Zesiro had put something else together about his attacker. He was using a short sword. The two clashes of their blade helped Zesiro understand that much about him. He was probably using it due to its light weight and to shorten his swing and give him less of an opening during and after the rush.

Despite Zesiro's long time on the ocean, he had never encountered a short sword. He recalled the other swords he faced like Gumm's belt sword, Daimyo's six swords, and even the wacky weapon that Ovid used. But the short sword was definitely a new weapon for him face. And it was funny that because of that, due to the fact that Zesiro had never fought a short sword user in his life he was getting kind of excited. It was even a mix of excitement and worry, it was closer to the excitement that a little kid got when he opened his first Christmas present. And Zesiro was loving it.

It was in that moment that Zesiro's attacker charged. The attacker burst through the bushes and at Zesiro. Zesiro didn't even hesitate as he brought his sword around and down aiming for the attacker, ignoring all conceptions of defense. He left his body wide-open as he brought his sword down with immense power and speed. Zesiro had timed his counter-attack perfectly. He knew his opponent's range and speed from his previous two rushes. Zesiro knew all about his sword's range and his own speed as well. The attack shouldn't have missed, but it did. It came down way too soon. Zesiro's sword slashed into the ground, before the attacker even got within range.

And that was a fatal mistake. The attacker moved in as fast as he had before and brought his short sword forward in a flash, driving the blade forward and into Zesiro's body. Zesiro grunted as he fell backwards with the sword sticking out of his abdomen. Zesiro grimaced in pain as he brought himself back up to his feet, not allowing his attacker to see a moment of weakness. Zesiro wrenched the blade out of him and deposited it on the ground.

If it was anyone else, that attack might have been the end. But Zesiro was a Mako Shark Fishman, he had a naturally more toned and hardened body then normal people. He had the instincts of the shark and when that instinct warned him about the incoming attack, his body reacted. Not necessarily by dodging the blow, but by redirecting the blow into a much less harmful area. To his opponent, it probably appeared like dumb luck that Zesiro had survived the attack, but Zesiro knew better. He also knew that if it happened again, he wouldn't live through it.

A Confrontation of Swords and Hunters!

Mikoto officially set his eyes on Trevor, and with some encouraging words from Melanie and Ridley, is out to hunt him down. The question is who is the predator and who is the prey? Other then Mikoto's shocking attack on his hunter, there is also Zesiro who snuck out to do some exercises, when he shouldn't have and as punishment an opponent has found him and attacked. And yes, there is a real reason to Zesiro's attack missing it wasn't just some fluke...I'll explain it in the next chapter.

Also, as to why my updates are getting faster (especially if you read Iron Hammer of Justice as well), its due to the fact that I am currently on summer break, so I have more time to write.

Asides from that I want you all to look at the number of reviews this story has...nearly 500, right? Well, I WANT 500 REVIEWS! GIVE ME 500 REVIEWS!