The Root of The Problem

Enma collapsed forward, his entire body slumped down to the ground and he just laid there on the cold cement for a few more seconds before being forcibly yanked up and into the air by Taisho. "Pirates…the scum of the sea, I can't believe you actually chose to fight me. I would've thought that someone with a name for themselves like the Infinity Pirates would be wiser than that. I must say you expertly dashed my expectations for you in one fell swoop. Where's your captain at? Hopefully he will provide me a bigger challenge." Enma's eyes widened as he charged forward, producing his bone spear one more time. He was tired and almost down for the count, but he couldn't let Mikoto fight this man! This man…was unstoppable. Enma rushed forward, but was quickly halted in his own charge as Taisho brandished his blade and swung down. The large blade easily showcased the difference in their strengths. Taisho swung wide and forced Enma away. The Warden clapped his hands as Enma tumbled backwards and into a wall. The fight was over minutes ago the fact that Enma could still stand showed his strength, but in the end that didn't matter to Taisho. Taisho smirked and turned away, "take this prisoner to a new cell." Akihito looked down at Enma and then up again at Taisho, he knew where his loyalties lied. They were with this prison…it didn't matter if it hurt his pride to cage someone he lost to…he would serve this prison in any way possible.

Taisho walked over and pressed Enma's skull beneath his shoes. "Excuse me, sir…I expect you to tell me where your villainous scum-sucking pirate captain is." Enma couldn't crane his neck any further up, the sole of this man's shoe was crashing into the top of his head. Regardless, Enma wouldn't say anything even if he could look at Taisho. Besides his eyes told Taisho everything, "Some loyalty your captain has instilled in you what did he promise you? First pick of all the women on the next island? Couple million belies? I will not allow you to get away with that. Your captain won't escape we've made numerous genius steps to turn this base into the indestructible base you see around here. Escape is impossible. I appreciate the attempt though, I don't want my guards to get rusty. This was good practice for us.

"Nonetheless, despite your help I'm going to stop your captain and lock them up, I will not be offering you a way out, you'll all be imprisoned here," muttered Taisho as he walked away. Taisho hefted his large sword back and kept walking forward. He kept moving forward, aiming at an incredible speed forward. He didn't know where his next victim would be, but…" Taisho opened his hands and let out an incredible mass of roots that began exploding out and began searching through the prison. His entire attention would be searching for him. This 'Kid Coyote' person would be trapped in his web soon. He would seal him away, keep him from escaping along with the rest of the crew. The hunt had already begun. Taisho was rather surprised at the fact that Mikoto seemed to be avoiding him. He thought that as a pirate, captain, and coyote he would be equally eager to meet him. If he found him they would have it out like two true fighters unlike the rest of these prison guards.

Taisho smiled as he sensed everything through his roots. Body heat, nourishment levels, everything was coming forth and blowing into his body, his entire body shivered as he walked forward sensing with his roots on the way through. Taisho stopped as he found them…his goal was in sight stopping this pirate would definitely earn him a new rank. Bringing in a pirate like him, somebody who turned down the offer to be a Shichibukai. That thought accelerated him a little bit further. He had just found him. "Mikoto D. Azgard…it would've been a pleasure to have made your acquaintance, however, since you are a pirate within my prison I'm afraid we'll never get the chance. I'll kill you before we ever even meet."

"What the-?" shouted Mikoto as the ground beneath him suddenly shifted, lifting the poor coyote into the air and suddenly another attack came up and knocked him back down. His feet were thrown into the air, Mikoto flipped around and managed to land on the ground again, but only problem was the instant he felt the soft ground beneath his feet he found another root shooting towards him. It seemed like whenever he got enough time to take a breath another root shot at him. Zesiro stepped forward and drew his blade, chopping a root straight in half. "What's going on did we anger a tree or something?" asked Mikoto moving back and trying to examine the massive attacking roots. He tried to bob and weave throughout the attack. However, the roots were too numerous it was almost as if Mikoto was trying to fight against a hundred bad-guys! Even worse unless Mikoto could attack the person controlling the roots he couldn't do anything about it. The Den-Den Mushi suddenly buzzed on.

"Dear Mikoto," shouted Taisho into it, "you have two options. The first option is you surrender now and we make your stay here a little more comfortable. I'm afraid it is all we can offer you, you are a pirate, your entire crew is labeled as pirates. You'll be sealed away in this prison for the rest of your life. Option two is pretty much the same, except with daily torture and the promise of slow death when it is time for you execution. It is for your best that we offered you the first option. I hope you take us up on it. Your actions are very annoying for us…your actions are going to affect many of our prison guard's next pay raise…they probably won't get any raise at all. Not even one belie, you don't have them to be broke, do you?"

"I don't want anybody to lose any money over me, but I'm a pirate so I'm going to have to go with option three! Kicking your ass!" Another ten or so vines quickly shot up and pushed Mikoto back into one of the walls, embedding the coyote kid into the stone and not letting go. Mikoto could feel his own strength slowly ooze out of him almost as if he was bleeding. Mikoto tried to struggle free, but he couldn't. Not only was he constantly losing his strength, but the roots were thick and strong. Even if he was at full strength he couldn't break out. He would have to exhaust his entire body's reserve strength just to break free.

"Mikoto, stay still!" shouted Zesiro, with such force and command that Mikoto could help, but turn his entire body rigid and prepare for the crushing of the root. Zesiro's blade flashed for the briefest of instants as he stepped in and brought the sharp metal around with a monstrous swing. The cold steel sliced straight through the roots with an incredible amount of concentration. Zesiro moved forward again, slicing through them all with deadly precision. Suddenly Mikoto dropped to the floor, ready to continue his fight. "We can't hold back, we got to find him…can you follow the scent of these roots back or something?" asked Zesiro.

Mikoto morphed into his coyote form and took of the air, but he shook his head no. "I smell him all right, but I smell him everywhere. This entire prison reeks of his scent almost as if he constantly has roots roots extended throughout it all." It was the truth Taisho used his roots to keep a constant surveillance going of the small prison. He made constant attempts to keep this entire prison under his thumb and so far everybody followed it. They refused to back down and everybody followed the rules and everybody did everything the way Taisho wanted them to. Nobody would ever fail under his watch and he would keep it that way. Of course…this meant that he himself would never fail. That was the rule of this prison. No failures and no escapes…an untarnished record. One kid wouldn't change that.

"Do you have a plan, then?" asked Zesiro looking over to his captain as he started to feel an overwhelming sense of failure. They couldn't even find their attacker, now? It was the two of them against this monster. Mikoto was fast and good in a fight, but…there wasn't a fight this time around. It was just…an overwhelming defeat. Mikoto couldn't fight someone he couldn't find. "We can't just give in, can we?" The words seemed to hang in the air for awhile before Mikoto tightened his fists and gritted his teeth.

"Anyone who can see Taisho holler!" shouted Mikoto letting his voice carry through the prison. They were pretty close to the center thanks to the Vice Warden, so everyone on this floor should be capable of hearing them…however, the opposite wasn't true. Mikoto once more hadn't thought this plan through. The floor was designed to channel screams outwards meaning anybody who could've heard Mikoto was out and away from him…in other words their voices wouldn't carry back to him cause it would be going inwards. "Come on!" shouted Mikoto louder, "there's hundreds of prisoners in here! Just shout if you can see him! I promise you, I'll kick his ass for you!" Mikoto stayed quiet for another few seconds, standing his grounds and preparing for the noise, but nothing came. Of course, nothing would come…Mikoto couldn't hear anything from this distance with the noise being channeled outwards. Taisho smiled…a perfect defense was this jail's goal and from what was going on it seemed more than likely it would come true. "This way!" shouted Mikoto turning around and bolting down a path, seemingly at random.

"What the-?" shouted Taisho as he looked forward, using his roots to sense Mikoto's trajectory…was he just blindly charging in? Did he just pick a path at random and he was hoping to land at Taisho's location? No, that couldn't be it…because he really was. Mikoto had picked the right path out of a hundred? That's not possible! Taisho had heard the screams because he was located on the outer branches of the prison, but for Mikoto to hear them…that bordered on impossibility! No human could possibly hear the screams! Was it something else? Did something else give away Taisho's location? Once more it seemed like an impossibility, there was something else…perhaps he did hear the cries of the prisoners? Taisho supposed it was possible if someone had superhuman hearing.

…or animal hearing. Mikoto was part coyote, like all dogs coyotes had superior senses when it came scent and sound. Even if no one else could hear the cries of the prisoners. Mikoto could. They were all coming in loud and clear, their emotions were clearly behind them and behind Mikoto. Mikoto would not let it go out in vain! Mikoto would answer those cries with his first punch! Mikoto raced through the maze, applying another incredible burst of speed to his legs. Speeding himself up and through the maze-like qualities of the jail. He would find him and he would hit him. That was about the extent of Mikoto's plan.

Taisho's plan was better. Mikoto was racing straight into danger, of course, Mikoto would ignore that, but he was heading for the Warden with no real plan. Taisho sat down and calmed himself down. Even at his current speed it would take Mikoto another five minutes to get here due to the prison's impressive size and all the damage that had occurred due to the fights and now the two monsters running about. Taisho would just relax and conserve his strength for the most part while Mikoto tired himself out. Of course, Taisho still had another method of defeating him. The thick roots from before exploded from the ground once more. Taisho would finish Mikoto off, his plan was as simple as that. "Root…Pierce!"

Mikoto looked to his side, amazed to see a single medium-sized root come jutting out at him. Mikoto twisted around and brought his fists soaring into it. A rapid-fire punch, transferring all of Mikoto's speed into power. A large hole emerged in the root from the force instants before it dropped dead to the floor. Mikoto quickly landed back on his feet and resumed the chase. "Root Constrictor! Root Pierce! Root Slam!" One of the thinner roots snaked its way around Mikoto's foot and held him fast, nearly tripping him. The next two roots than shot forward each one anxious and aiming to take Mikoto out by themselves. The first one was the same as before a medium-sized, sharply tipped root that shot for Mikoto's chest. The last one was the biggest one yet, the size of a tank that stretched into the air and then flopped down aiming to nail Mikoto into the ground.

"Crap!" Mikoto yelled, quickly transforming into his smaller hybrid form. Due to his small size and smaller feet he managed to snake his own leg out of the first small root and then quickly, using his superior speed, he bolted out of the second and third's range. Mikoto dodged, sending his lithe body left and right, continuously to avoid each shot. He wasn't about to hold back, he had higher speed than his opponent's 'roots' did. He would just have to use that to his advantage and go faster! Mikoto picked up the pace, really pouring it on and charging in.

Taisho was impressed. Not only did he avoid the roots, but he might actually make it here before Taisho thought he would. He chuckled to himself. Pirates like this were the easiest to imprison. They charged head forward into the trap no matter what. Taisho had more than enough time to prepare…he was omnipresent with his roots. Wherever Mikoto zagged or zigged Taisho would be well aware he could sense his movements with his roots and when Mikoto entered into the next hallway. He would just spring his trap. Honestly, taking the battle to him…what was the kid thinking? It was almost as if he wanted to lose. He had given Taisho a taste of his strength by destroying his roots, a taste of his speed by zooming towards him, what was left? His intelligence had already been observed by the fact that he had ignored these rules. Strength, speed, and intelligence…Taisho had figured out all of these elements of Mikoto's abilities and was already working on it…a method to dismantle him in one move. The trap was set…it would take less than a few seconds for Mikoto to walk into it.

Mikoto turned around jetting into the hallway and following the prisoner's yells. He was almost there! He could smell it now the scent of the man he was chasing had gotten stronger…almost too strong. Mikoto looked around, based on the scent it smelled like Taisho was all around him, but the only thing around him was stone walls and ceiling…unless something else was underneath those. Mikoto tried to slam on his brakes, but it was already obvious that he had become trapped.

"Root Cell!" Taisho's roots exploded from the wall and ceiling, several layers of them shot down and completely blocked away the path behind Mikoto. Mikoto looked at them with a slight sense of despair…he knew what was coming next. He quickly turned around and bolted forward...one of his exits had just been taken away from him! If the other one went then he would be out of luck! He need to go just a little faster! Suddenly the next layer of roots slammed down in front of Mikoto, impeding his forward motion. Mikoto didn't care, he brought his head forward and right into the tightly-woven net of roots. They didn't budge. Mikoto was trapped! Mikoto jumped back and pounded his fist into it. Once, twice, three times! The roots seemed perfectly capable of handling such weak attacks.

"Face it, scum," said Taisho as he walked up to the newly formed cell and waved a small hole open so he could look at his opponent's face. "You're trapped within the prison. It may not be a conventional cell, but it is a cell made here by the Warden. You should feel honored that I felt the need to go to such lengths with you. Although I highly doubt you would live up to my expectations and break through even three layers I decided to go all-out and I created six layers of roots! All tightly-woven with no chance for escape! Some may call it excessive, but if it keeps you pirates locked up then I'll go to any means necessary! Six, seven, or even a hundred layers! I'll keep you from moving! Your body will slowly start to tire out from exhaustion surely you already feel it? All this running around? You probably haven't eaten anything in awhile have you?" Mikoto glared through the small hole, but Taisho was right. Mikoto hadn't eaten anything he was too focused on the fight to eat…although he did have himself a nice sleep. "Don't even think about saving up your energy, either. In a few more minutes my men will be here with a sleeping gas bomb made from the Sleeping Nightlocke's pollen on the third floor of this prison. In other words, when they get you will be put to sleep…but you won't wake up from it. You will be instantly executed on the spot for even thinking you could insult my prison!" Taisho's ears perked up as he heard his latest prisoner mumble something to himself. "Excuse me what was that?"

"I said…Rapid Fire x 30!" Mikoto stepped forward, pumping his arm up and transferring all of his power upwards and through it. The thirty punches Mikoto fired were done in an instant, so fast that they had all blurred into one tremendous punch. That even six layers of roots couldn't stand up against. Mikoto stepped out, taking him time, but breathing heavily. That attack was going to cost him. It would be awhile until his fist healed up. "Now…maybe next time you will use all hundred layers."

The Warden's Strength

Feeling too bored to come up with a good title for next chapter, no witty puns today (ha ha root of the problem). Anyways, look a new chapter! Now what am I supposed to talk about? Oh, well, NEW BONUS CHAPTER!