The Way Out
Maria brought her fist screeching through the air, knocking Ridley onto his butt. "What the hell is wrong with you!?" she shouted. For some reason Ridley was fairly certain that the majority of the crew's hate was always directed at him…but this time it felt exceptionally so. He wondered how much they hated him right now… "Why the hell did you have to say those things to Mikoto? I thought you actually valued his friendship!" Ridley nodded his head, he did value it. "So, what…did you do this for me? Did you do it so he wouldn't pick you, but would pick me instead!? I don't want to picked like that! I don't want to have to step over my comrade's body! Fix this right now! Apologize, grovel, I don't give a damn, just fix things already."
Ridley wiped a trickle of blood away from his mouth; the girl could really punch hard. He was fairly certain that she was holding back, but it still felt like she broke his jaw. He reclined further onto the ground and looked straight up into the sky. "I told him everything." Maria paused for a second, what the hell was he talking about? Was that his way of saying good-bye? What kind of screwed up relationship did this guy have with his friends. "I told him all of the Infinity Pirates were fighting with him." Ridley sighed and pointed towards the muddied flag of the Infinity Pirates, "I don't know about you, but I still feel like an Infinity Pirate, don't you?" Maria shook her head. The guy was insane, stupid, and probably dropped on his head as a child. What the hell was he getting at? "If I was to say it straight to his face, we'd get disqualified as we aren't supposed to help our old crew out…but in that speech I gave…I gave Mikoto all the hints he needed to know. If he's half as smart as I think he is he'll figure it out…after all it is like a riddle." Maria shook her head, she thought she joined a pirate crew not some sort of help group for the mentally disabled.
Maria looked over the railing of the Ghost Hook pirates once more, "hey, I think your brilliant and insane plan is going to blow-up in your face." Ridley raised an eyebrow and sat up, he had no idea what she meant. "Mikoto ain't moving, but Sage is." Ridley's eyes widened. Crap! She wouldn't get it! She just hated his guts; she wouldn't bother looking for anything in that statement. She'd just think it was Ridley being a gigantic ass…which was what in all reality his wanted poster probably should've said. Ridley shot up and went to the railing, should he throw something at her? Like his guitar? Knock her out cold and then what? Hope Zesiro doesn't take over. He needed Mikoto to go up and talk, not just for Sage to step down.
"Um," Sage said as she took the stand and the small Den-Den Mushi receiver, "Mikoto's not feeling well. So, I guess it would fall to the First Mate of the Infinity Pirates to take the pick…but, uh…we don't really have one." Kraven's and Shane's crew laughed at the Infinity Pirates' utter lack of organization, but Sage just kind of shrunk away not sure how to reply to that. She was clueless. She suddenly felt the same pressure Mikoto felt. She looked over the crowd, realizing that there were hundreds of men looking at her. All of them were expecting something out of her, she looked over at Ridley or Maria…she had come up here with every intention of picking Maria, but the pressure made her double guess herself, her throat dried up and she felt dizzy. Wha-what was going on with her? She stumbled back a bit. "So…um, I'll take over the duties…and I, um, I say that we will, uh…" he eyes traveled across the crowd, what was she supposed to do…what was she supposed to do? Think what would she do before this…what would she have done before the Davy Back Fight! Sage paused for a second and let out a deep breath…she knew what she would've done and she'd do right now too. "We are going to trust our captain."
The crowd all rolled their eyes as the girl ran off of the stage. In all honesty they could care less, they already knew who would be picked…after an outburst like that not even God himself would pick Ridley. Sage ran up to Mikoto and shook him a few times, but he refused to come back to life. "Come on, Mikoto," she said, "come on, just enough for a few words that's all you got to muster." She paused for a few seconds, realizing what she was asking of him, but she knew that she had to ask him of it. It had to be him, he had to be the one to answer. It may tear him up inside for the rest of his life, but Sage was almost one hundred percent certain that if he didn't that would be even worse!
"Do you think Ridley really meant what he said," asked Mikoto looking down between his feet, his head only bobbing because of his slow and steady breaths. Sage paused for a second thinking about it. Ridley was an ass, but for some reason thinking it over. Something was definitely strange. "Do you think he really wants us to leave him?" Sage breathed heavily. She noticed something strange, Mikoto was stirring again. She let out a loud breath, she was surprised, but something definitely seemed to be shocking Mikoto back to life.
"No," she said, nodding her head, "Ridley definitely wants to be on our crew!" Mikoto nodded, grabbing the mic from Sage. He lifted his body up and off of the benches. He was about to head upstage when he stopped short. He let out his own ragged breath, he was about to take the last few steps up the stage to the final point in time where he would have to make the hardest decision of his life. But first…
"Thanks, Sage." Sage nodded, gratefully tears beginning to stream down her face. Finally, it was back! No, Mikoto was back! She collapsed onto the bench, she felt like she had been fighting in the last few events with all of her might, when really she was just trying to pull her captain back to her. She thought about it and she knew if anyone could make a miracle happen it was Mikoto.
Mikoto took the last few steps up the stage and paused in front of the podium, he looked down at the mic and at the crowd. Two options here…Ridley or Maria. Both of them seem like horrible choices as he would be leaving one of them back to face whatever Kraven had planned. However, as he thought back on Ridley's outburst he realized the truth. He wasn't quite sure what Ridley wanted, but for some reason staring up there and at his eyes and at Kraven…Mikoto for some reason could put it all together once more. "As the winner of the last Davy Back Fight event, I get the last pick, which means unless Kraven accepts another challenge from my crew he's stuck with my choice. Which is why I'm picking…" the entire stadium held their breaths awaiting the answer. This decision of the captain was probably the hardest one he'd ever be faced with, "the person I should've pick all this time...Goro." The entire stadium gasped loudly, but possibly the loudest gasp came from Kraven.
"What the-!" shouted Kraven jumping from his spot on his ship straight to Mikoto and the podium, "are you an idiot! You decide to sell out your own crew! I didn't take you as that kind of man! You just gave up on your two crewmates!" Kraven seemed to be boiling mad at Mikoto.
"I'm not that kind of man," said Mikoto, "and neither are you." Kraven looked taken back, what the hell was this idiotic captain doing? "Here's my offer, one last Davy Back Fight if I win I get both of my crewmates back!" Kraven laughed, lifting his head and shaking it. Did the guy forget? Kraven had no reason to-Kraven HAD no reason to… "and if you win you get your crewmate back." Kraven tightened his grip, looking down at the Kid Coyote, his anger obviously boiling. "What do you say to it, buddy?" Mikoto said looking the man straight in the eye.
"You're an awful rotten pirate," growled Kraven, "why the hell should I risk two of my people just for your one?" Kraven could already feel his anger boiling, ready to overflow. First his father took the life of his first First Mate and now the son was going after his second! What the hell was this world coming to? This was the lowest of the low, the dirtiest tactic to ever grace the pages of the Davy Back Fight.
"So, you are selling your own crewmate out?" asked Mikoto glaring up at Kraven. Kraven was beginning to breathe heavily, obviously annoyed with the punk kid acting like he had checkmated him. "But you are right, one for two doesn't sound fair. So, how about this just for accepting my challenge you get Goro back AND if you win you get to pick another TWO crewmates of mine. And in order for me to get my crew back I actually got to beat you." Kraven tightened his grip, he soooooo wanted to punch this idiot in the face. "Or…do you not care enough about your crew to even accept my challenge?" Mikoto declared, "the only thing you got to do is agree and your crew is complete again. Even if you lose you wind up right back where you started, no harm, no foul. But in the mean times if I lose, I lose half of my crew. Are you saying I got more guts than you? The guy who didn't even have his pirate flag when we first met." Kraven gritted his teeth before finally turning his head to the side and spitting.
"Boy, you just dug your grave," he muttered, "I accept your challenge. I'll go get the hat for the random lottery." Kraven turned around about to return to his ship, but was met with Mikoto's out-stretched arm.
"No," Mikoto declared, picking up the mic for the Den-Den Mushi once more. "The rules state the person who made the Davy Back Fight challenge, in other words me, gets to the decide on what event we use. And I decide on…a good old fashioned fight." The entire crowd immediately went into an uproar. Earlier it was said that Mikoto had the least number of fans amongst the crowd, but right now in this open field hearing this insane uproar, it was easy to tell that that had changed. Mikoto currently had the most! Everybody was chanting his name egging on the Shichibukai.
Kraven smiled. "Good, that was what I was hoping for."
(-in a few hours-)
The obstacle course as well as the tug-of-war had been cleared away to make room for the two combatants who were now bravely spending the last few minutes checking up on their own conditions. Each of the two captain's entire crew was buzzing around them, neither side leaving them be as they asked questions. Both of which were mostly questioning their sanity. "What if he didn't accept your challenge, Mikoto?" were the majority of the questions the Infinity Pirates were asking while the Ghost Hook Pirates' questions seemed to center around, "Why did you accept his challenge, Kraven?" Both of them answered simply…Kraven had to accept his challenge.
Kraven stood up and threw his hood off of him, he was ready for real combat. Illiaster King, the man who Mikoto's father had killed in combat. His First Mate had been so rudely stolen from him by this man, the man who possessed the same Devil Fruit as him even. Kraven could feel the hatred welling up inside of him. Mikoto was the one man, he couldn't allow to walk away in one piece. He had chosen to do things with a Davy Back Fight, because he knew on the battle field he would have to crush Mikoto…he couldn't hold back his rage anymore. The Davy Back Fight was the only way Kraven knew how that would allow him to take his crewmate and force his hand to leave Mikoto alive…but now as Kraven walked onto the battle field, he was ready to rip him limb from limb.
Kraven felt a tight tug on his shirt before he had taken even his third step towards the field to fight it out with his sworn enemy. Kraven turned around and saw Goro there, standing behind him as a faithful pillar of strength. Kraven looked at his First Mate, perhaps expecting some words of wisdom or faith, but instead was greeted with Goro quickly bowing to him, lowering his head to the man, who in his mind, was the greatest in the world, "Kraven…" Goro muttered, feeling himself getting choked up in the process, "thank you!" Kraven nodded. That's right, this was no longer just a matter of settling an old score with Mikoto's old man…Mikoto went deliberately after one of his own now…Kraven would have to be sure to rip him limb from limb very slowly to make sure Mikoto felt every single one of his muscles tear themselves apart. With both his past and the present moving Kraven forward, he was certain…there was no way he could lose.
Mikoto stood up from the corner, his feet already going at full-blast. No such thing as holding back during this fight. He looked over and saw Ridley and Maria, both separated from Kraven's crew, but they knew better than to come over to Mikoto's side. They had lost the Davy Back Fight and were going to comply by the rules of the Davy Back Fight. Mikoto nodded towards them and they both nodded back. Mikoto wasn't going to lose them. He had lost Ridley once and he wasn't going to lose him again. Ridley's music was a little odd in taste, but he kept the ship lively. Speaking of the ship it only lasted this long because of Maria's excellent work on it. If it wasn't for her Mikoto doubted he would ever actually be able to use it, she was a solid back bone to his team. And, of course, those two weren't the only reasons why he was fighting. Mikoto looked over at the rest of his crew. If he lost Kraven would pick another two members of his crew.
Aaron, who wasn't even officially a member, but regardless of that he still put his life and neck on the line for them during this fight and back at Zenith Gaol. There was no way Mikoto could let Kraven take him. Then there was Rosa and Lily, the duo that were originally bounty hunters, but had decided to risk life and limb to rescue Mikoto from Trevor and Lily, who almost literally threw her life away to help them escape. Enma had healed more wounds of Mikoto than he could even count, plus he pulled Mikoto back together the first time they had lost a crewmate. Mikoto would have to try his hardest to make sure that Enma wouldn't be needed to do it again.
Hiro-Shu the ship's fateful navigator, getting them this far wasn't such an easy task especially with all the trouble they got into, but somehow Hiro-Shu was always there lending them a shoulder to lean on and a trustworthy guy to rely on. Zesiro…Mikoto had been with him because Renvont destroyed his home town, so in a way their meeting probably wasn't one of the best, but ever since then Mikoto never had to worry about Zesiro deserting him. So, Mikoto knew he couldn't lose him to Kraven in a fight like this. Finally, Sage was still on his crew. The trusty cook, she was the only girl on their crew for the longest time, so Mikoto supposed she had to be pretty tough to stick it out with the guys and Mikoto knew without her gentle and kind support he wouldn't be standing here right now. Her constant belief in him propelled him into the center of the stage. With all of these reasons behind him there was no way he could possibly lose.
A Good Old Fashioned Fight
Because what kind of story would it be without a fight? Congratulations to those of you who guessed what the way out was. A lot of theories was bouncing around from what I saw and almost everybody had their own idea. I'm sure a few of them could've worked, but this was my idea. I mentioned earlier Kraven and Mikoto was the same kind of people so this is the finishing touch! Lets see who wins!