Docket's Drive!
Another attack from Docket smashed into Enma's jaw and threw him backwards. A normal man would probably have suffered from broken bones by now, luckily the hone-hone no mi strengthened Enma's bone strength. Attacks like these weren't strong enough to break it. However, they were starting to pile up.
Rosa watched on from her spot on the ship, dozens of times she had debated about jumping to the rescue, sword in hand and tiger in suite. But she had to remember that right now the only thing preventing the rest of the Marines from rushing forward and laying claim to their ship was her own erratic cannon fire. So she stayed strong and remained on the ship, hoping that Enma would as well.
This time another powerful volley from Docket hit Enma, one in the gut and another crashing into his shin. Enma was knocked to the ground with a raging pain in his leg. The shin was arguably one of the worst places to get hit and while his bones were strengthened however, without the extra padding of fat or muscles around the shin to protect his precious bones and nerves it hurt worst than any other body part.
Enma collapsed to the ground and was immediate met with another smashing shot to the face. It hurt Enma to admit but even after meeting the wrong end of Docket's attacks numerous times now he was no closer to figuring out how he was attacking! The man's attacks seemed to emerge out of thin air and strike him in a seemingly impossible area. Enma was struggling to keep up with the attacks, by now the only thing he figured out what was that Docket was apparently throwing something, but even that didn't help him out much.
The direction of Docket's throws had nothing to do with where the hits would come from; secondly Docket wasn't a newbie to the fighting circuit like all professional fighters he knew the benefit of throwing feints. Whenever Docket made a throwing motion, Enma would cringe at an attack that would never come. Docket had Enma hopelessly backed into a corner with no escape from the unrelenting attacks or psychologically hurting feints.
Suddenly, Docket dropped attacking and just stood there as if relishing his work. Enma wasn't about to let this moment pass him by, he charged forward almost stumbling due to the recent attacks to his legs. Enma thrust his spear forward aiming for Docket's chest. It wasn't until he was half way there that he realized Docket still had a smug look of pride on his face. Docket swung to the side with the speed and precision of an expert. Docket then swung his elbow forward for Enma's face. Enma was confident that his own hardened skull could withstand the blow, so rather than dodging Enma took it upon himself for an equal exchange. He produced a small bone knife in one of his hands and moved forward for Docket's gut.
Enma was not ready for the power behind Docket's blow. The heft behind it was immense; it was a solid elbow to the face throwing Enma back despite his own hardened skeleton. Docket cringed slightly from the reverb, but nonetheless he didn't seem fazed as he backed away. Meanwhile Enma was reeling, not only from the physical shock, but from the psychological one. Not only did Docket manage to perfectly dodge his blow, but also deliver one through his own super solid defenses. His steel-like skull had been the one to give in the exchange, but how? Was this another benefit to the man's supposed Devil Fruit?
Enma muttered something under his breath. "The tests for it still aren't completed…" he said as he reached into his pocket. "But I do suppose a trial run would have to be done at some point in time." From his pocket he produced a small multi-colored ball. A complete test drive, he had been working on the item for an extended period, but this was the first time he would ever put it to the test. He took a deep breath and bit into the small item, crushing it into a fine dust. There was a sudden swirl as he felt the drug work its way through his body. It felt weird, but regardless he needed to use it.
Docket waved his hand once more. Another attack undoubtedly came crashing for Enma. Enma brought his own arm up to block the incoming blow and tried to use the power of the new drug, but sadly it appeared that his drug had absolutely no effect. Only thing that did occur was his own arm began producing small bones like always, nothing special and definitely nothing that would help him win the fight. He had no choice, but to grit his teeth and hope to weather the blow.
It didn't really help. He still felt the solid blunt object drive itself into his shoulder blade and force him forward another two or three steps. Docket through another weapon at Enma, reflexively Enma's hand went up and covered his face. He immediately felt the weapon drive into his abdomen. Enma was thrown back again. Enma's vision was becoming blurry and he was weakening, each part of his body ached. How was this man hitting him?
"Yar har har!" laughed Docket, "I guess people can't block what they can't see, huh? New advances in technology are amazing, right boys?" The Marines behind him laughed alongside Docket declaring how proud they were that that man was their leader. A few minutes ago they were mocking him for being so fool-hardy. Now? Now they were praising him? Talk about not having your mind made up about a person.
But still Enma felt like he had learned something, "what about the advances in technology?" he asked as he tried to stand up by himself again. He was breathing heavily, but this new glimmer of hope refilled his energy. He had forgotten that fights aren't about who has the best strategy or weapon…the person using the weapon and strategy was even more important. And lucky for him…Docket Jr. seemed fairly unreliable.
"Uh…simple barbaric pirates," scolded Docket in a very condescending voice. "You've been at sea way to long if you haven't learned about the new technology that great ol' Vegapunk, Void Furrow, and many other geniuses of our time has blessed us with. My weapon is one such great technologically advanced weapon. Its…HEY! Don't think you can get information from me! I'm not as loose lipped as I seem. I know, I seem very loose lipped as I was about to tell you all about how my weapon bounces of surfaces allowing attacks from all directions, but…HEY! You're sneaky ain't ya, ya pirate?"
While Enma ordinarily would've taken that as a compliment and admitted that he was fairly crafty, but against this man it felt wrong. It felt like he was taking candy from a baby. The guy had no idea how easy it was to rip information off of him. He was basically handing it out to anyone who thought to ask. Admittedly it took Enma this long to figure this out. At least now he figured out the way the guy's weapon was hitting him from the most improbable locations. It was hitting another object, bouncing off of it, and hammering him from that new spot. The weapon was basically changing the direction it was coming from. Even worse it could change its direction more than once so even if Enma did dodge it, there was a chance it would come at him again.
Based on the dull pain Enma was feeling it was probably just a ball with hardened skin to help inflict damage and stay together. However, that still left Enma with the problem that he couldn't see it. Was the skin of it translucent as well as hard? It didn't matter, with that information Enma believed he may be able to put enough together to defeat Docket.
The ball would always bounce off in a predetermined path based on how it collided with a solid surface, which meant that Enma could trace it from start to finish. He was fairly certain that if he knew the start point and if he could also put together its initial trajectory along with its momentum, putting together its flight path would be as easy as pie. Enma quickly began calculating the exact trajectory it could go based on his surroundings.
Most notable additions to his calculations were the almost completely flat floor, the ship, the decorative columns of the URA, along with a few mismatched materials that laid about them. "You might as well tell me the rest about your weapon," stated Enma hoping to drag the last few bits about its movement pattern from him.
Docket's response was "dream on!" He tossed it; he had decided to forgo the usual method of gently lobbing it in order to hide his method of attack, but now he put his entire body behind throwing it with even more force behind it. The small ball shot forward at an incredible pace. Based on the release point, its collision point would be…his left shoulder blade.
Enma swerved to the side to avoid it. He felt the powerful ball whizz by, creating a strong gust of wind that swirled around it. Enma took another step back to ensure that he avoided. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Docket whip another shot forward. Enma quickly calculated its location and dodged it once more. Enma wasn't fond of figuring this math out, but it was better than taking several hits to the head.
Enma quickly formed another short bone dagger and tossed it at Docket to throw him off of his game. Docket didn't mind the incoming attack, he moved to the side and threw another one of his balls forward. It shot forward with incredible speed. Enma brought his arm forward and generated another small bone shield. He shifted his shield up at the moment of impact to deflect it into the air. He still felt the weapon shudder into his body, but thankfully it was only a meager wound.
Enma was still out of luck, even with his knowledge of Docket's weapon. The fact was simple, Enma was at a disadvantage. Spending those minutes trying to put together what Docket's weapon cost Enma pounds of flesh and blood. He still felt every shuddering bruise that had been inflicted by the speeding ball. He was already behind him, coming back would be difficult. His legs, arms, and the rest of his body had bruises and heavy wounds. In order to come back he'd need to take his time. Even if Docket didn't have a Devil Fruit, it was apparent that at this point he was simply outclassed due to his own heavy injuries.
Another shot from Docket flew from his hand for Enma's skull. Of course, Enma liked to think by now he had learned the attack pattern of Docket's shots. He dodged to the left first. He felt confident as he felt the air whoosh by, grazing his cheek. He stepped forward, rushing inwards for Docket with his new spear already drawn and at the ready. It wasn't until he was about halfway there when he fought the ball re-colliding with the back of his heel. He had forgotten it was like a boomerang. Even after the first shot, if it hit another object it could bounce back and strike again. With the second shot, it swept Enma's leg out from under him and made him fall to the ground. Enma grunted as he felt his entire body hit the cement of the island.
Docket produced another series of smaller balls. This time each one was fit between each of his fingers. He held out four fingers with a total of three balls in between them. He swept his hand backwards, throwing all three of them out together. One was aimed at the head, the other chest, and the final one for his knee. Knowing that even if he dodged the initial shot, Enma decided he would be much better off deflecting them. Brandishing his spear once more, he stood up and swatted them away from his body, sending them all scattering in miscellaneous directions. Enma quickly caught his breath and continued his charge from before.
Suddenly, he felt it. His drug was starting to kick in.
Side Effects
I'm supposed to get eight inches of snow...and then I'm going to have shovel it all up...lovely. Anyways, that's right Enma's special new project has borne fruit, but is that fruit going to be an foul smelling Durian or a delicious golden apple? Its still up in the air at this moment.
Also, I did a bonus update last week (which based on the reviews only one person took note of...anyways, expect more of those. I'm like 8 chapters ahead of you guys so you may be in luck and I may just do a bonus update next week as well. Keep an eye out for it.
Finally, the Poll 'Do you think Mikoto will become a Shichibukai' has been taken. And its been replaced with a new one. Basically its asking if you want me to go and do the whole OC profile whenever I introduce a new character to the crew like I was doing at the beginning or not.