The Intent to Kill

"Crap," muttered Ridley as he peered around the corner. Shane's men had moved on without him and so he was alone, which didn't fully bother him. Its not like he was ever a huge people person. He crouched down and tried to hide himself, the problem was he could see The Fox Brother's forces moving.

Three pirate captains meant three separate crew. With just the Infinity Pirates and the Dark Knight Pirates it was a matter of capture the leader. If their crew could take down the leaders than there was a chance they could win before they were overwhelmed, however, that was still a million to one shot after all as far as Ridley could tell Mikoto and the individual Fox Brothers were probably about equal...but that was given his bias. He knew Mikoto's strengths to an incredible level so he was confident in Mikoto's chance of victory, but that still didn't ease his mind.

The Fox Brothers probably had better synergy and a lot more to lose so they would be extra cautious and very good in counter-attacking and boosting their team morale. If one of them fell the others would probably double up their efforts in revenge. Meanwhile Mikoto, Shane, and Bando had no such obligation. The limits their enemy would be willing to go to for revenge definitely outweighed their current fighting morale.

Ridley paused and rested in the shadows. He was taking his sweet time in his movements, no need to attract attention so he was waiting for his opponents to move on without him. Ideally they would have had greater numbers on their side to overcome the upcoming obstacles, but without that Ridley would just have to settle for something else. A new way to turn the tides in their favor when all went wrong.

Of course, when it came to underhanded tactics and new ways to win wars Ridley dared anybody to challenge him. There was only a limited number of people on the island so the numbers wouldn't change too drastically unless there was some turncoats amongst them, but the fact was the Fox Brothers were Shichibukais so Ridley doubted anybody would turn on them. Without numbers the next best way to win a war was superior firepower, but if the numbers wouldn't change the strength of the two teams wouldn't either.

Which meant Ridley would have to rely on the third way to win a war, with superior tactics. Many battles have been won and lost over something as simple as a failed shift. Ridley would make sure to turn this into another one. He had heard Zesiro's voice over a Den-Den Mushi so if they kept the Den-Den Mushi than he would have a line directly to his allies.

He smiled to himself, direct communication capable of instantaneous message relaying was the most important tool a general could have. It fit Ridley perfectly, he grinned ear to ear as he moved stealthily through the fortress.

As much as he didn't like direct confrontation he didn't have the time to scour this entire castle from top to bottom, he needed to hurry the process along and the best way to do that was to have someone tell him where the stuff was that he was looking for. One-on-one was his best bet and to do that he'd need a lure.

He flicked out a Tone Dial ordinarily he'd use them to record songs and music on, but dire times meant dire strategies. He quickly recorded over the current message and laid it down to rest.

You could learn a lot from a building if you just rested in it for a few hours. A prison was a good place to be in, but he learned something back at Zenith Gaol something that a good musician must always keep in mind. Acoustics. The way the sound reverberates off of walls can be a great tool or weapon to use in combat. From his time in the prison playing songs he had matched up the estimated time it would take for a single note to travel down the hall and more importantly how long it would travel.

He set off the little Tone Dial and waited for someone to walk right into his trap and in a building with a bunch of men running around, wanting to get promoted for something it didn't take long for someone to stumble upon it. Ridley ignored the first few, a large group who were patrolling and a few smaller groups who were just wandering around.

Finally a single visitor came upon the Tone Dial. He was scrawny obviously weak and mumbling to himself in a low biting tone. He was obviously low on the ladder. The lower you were the more eager you were to be promoted and the more risks you were willing to take. Ridley supposed this worked out well for him. Ridley's smile grew wide like a demon's as he descended upon him.

One swift swing from his guitar knocked the poor man's head forward and into the wall. Ridley quickly took the man down and brought him around. Ridley moved forward, grabbing the man from under his arms and dragged him into the nearest empty room he could find. He was back at the prison. He quickly strung the guy back up in one of the cells and slapped him awake.

"Wha-?" asked the man as he shook his head, stumbling back into the real world. Ridley sighed as he looked the man in the eye. "Who are you?" asked the man before Ridley shook his head and lightly slapped the guy again to tell him to shut up.

"I need to get to the communication room, if you waste more of my time asking me stupid questions I'm going to waste more of my time hitting you," Ridley explained, "I don't like wasting time so I suggest you don't ask any more stupid questions."

"What are you doing?" ased the man causing Ridley to sigh. Ridley brought a new Tone Dial up to his ear and turned it letting out a very shrieking sound that shook the man's eardrums and made him cry out in pain.

"No more stupid questions." Ridley repeated. "Just do what you're told and I'll leave you alone. Communications room, now!" The man looked left and right as if scouring the room for help, a friend, an ally, someone to beat Ridley to pulp, but when he found no one.

"Room 21-B...West Wing," the man stated with a slight stutter to his voice which caused himself to shiver.

Ridley nodded, another cruel smile that overcame him. "Listen, kid, there's one more thing I need you to do for me."

(-with Zesiro-)

"Someone's coming down the hall," Zesiro stated as lowered himself into a crouch. He looked back at him as Dai and Shino copied his movements along with Suzanne who all crept up behind Zesiro. "We don't have the time for a fight," Zesiro grumbled we need to get moving.

"One of us has time for the fight," pointed out Suzanne as she motioned that there were four of them. "One of us stays behind and puts that son of a bitch out of his misery while the rest of us continue on our mission." Zesiro paused before nodding slowly. Yeah, they definitely needed to keep moving with as little problem as possible.

Zesiro unsheathed his swords and moved forward. "I'll stay back." The rest of them looked at him, while Shino and Dai seemed to regret his decision Suzanne seemed fine with it. "You guys are a much better unit together than I am. In other words, you guys should move on and finish the job while I alone take on the intruder."

"Oh, the intruder takes on you," stated a gruff voice as he appeared behind them. It was a large alligator standing on his hind legs. A cruel bestial smile spreading down his lips as he barred several rows of razor sharp teeth.

Dai, Shino, and Zesiro all drew their weapons and took aim at the monster before them, but he just responded with a smile and coy shaking of his head, "I appreciate the offer, but I don't need to fight all four of you. I'm just here to take one of your heads and turn the in to the boss. I don't really care for numbers when I only need one, more stress than its worth and all that."

"Go," repeated Zesiro in a low tone. "Get going!" Zesiro paused as he eyed the monster, the beast was huge and hundred of times more powerful than a normal human. Zesiro was already beginning to sense the monster's muscles and killing intent bearing down upon them. It was like a truck had landed on their shoulders, freezing them all in their place. "Get running!" Zesiro barked back to his teammates causing them to finally stir. With one last weary look back they ran off running.

The monster before Zesiro smiled as he flexed his muscles and really turned on his killing intent. It was intense. A hurricane of desire to rip, shred, and kill enveloped him as it practically flew from his opponent. The monster stepped forward. His entire being weighing down on Zesiro already.

"I suppose suspecting a nice easy battle would be too much to ask for," Zesiro stated with a slight smile on his lips.

"Like you want that," replied the alligator creature, "I can already sense it coming off of you as well. My killing intent isn't the only thing turning this room into a furnace. I can sense yours as well. Don't act like a goddamn hero when you are around me. An animal's senses are finer than most."

"Guess that means I won't have a leg up during this fight," Zesiro stated as he drew his blades and waited for his opponent to draw his weapon. However, his opponent didn't draw a weapon nor did he take up a fighting stance. "Do you mind? I'd rather not cut down a decent fighter with one swing of my blade."

"Consider this your handicap," the monster said with a rather casual smirk despite the fact that they were talking about a chance of killing each other. Zesiro growled, tightening his focus and readying his blades. He was going to have fun at this little mission.

The alligator surged forth, his massive bulk carrying him for Zesiro like a truck. The alligator brought his fist out, a wide swing with all of his power aimed right at Zesiro's head. The Fishman reacted quickly, crossing his blades to form an X-like shield. Without even the slightest amount of concern for his own well-being the alligator continued with his punch, smashing his right fist right into Zesiro's crossed blades.

Zesiro laughed at him, if the man wished to destroy his right fist so fruitlessly he could be his guest. However, his laughter only lasted a minute as the man's rough fist plowed through Zesiro's block and smashed right into his left cheek. Zesiro laid there on the ground for a few seconds, slack-jawed, both from the man's attack as well as the in-effectiveness of his block. While Zesiro would've loved to have laid there for a few more seconds and tried to piece things together the monster was already moving in on him again.

His fist stretching up and into the air before plummeting down into the ground, pulvering the soil where Zesiro was just laying. Zesiro gritted his teeth, landing awkwardly a few feet away after jumping desperately to avoid the punch. The alligator smiled, spinning his shoulder and giving it some exercise as he walked for the poor downed fishman.

The beast-like man let his tongue roll out of his mouth as he eyed up his worrying prey once more. A blood-thirsty animal-like instinct washing over him once more as he closed the distance. His mouth agape, his rows of teeth on perfect view for his opponent. Zesiro's eyes shot to his side once more, making sure his swords were still in his hands. The man's punch had left his arms feeling numb.

Zesiro stood up. He was nobody's prey. Zesiro turned both of his sword parallel to one another, one right above the other as he narrowed his gaze on his opponent. Zesiro strode forward, quickening his pace with every step. "Streaming Swords!" Zesiro lashed out, bringing both of his swords forward with a flick of his arms. The two swords shot out, slamming into the alligator's tough hide...but that's all they did. They were met with a surprising amount of resistance, neither of them digging into their target's flesh. As a matter of fact, they almost rebounded off of the animal's thick skin.

Zesiro's will was undettered though. He gritted his teeth and rotated into another downwards cut. "Reverse Waterfall Cut!" He brought his entire bulk around and slammed it right into the monster's head and brought him down to one knee, but the monster's smile persisted on his face as not a single drop of blood was spilled. Zesiro grunted, swinging his feet around and moving into another infamous cut move. One sword went above the monster's fallen head, the other below, both of them with the clean cutting blade facing inwards. "Crab Cut!" Zesiro snapped his two blades together, pincering the beast's head in-between the fatal blades, but once more Zesiro's blades didn't cut it. The beast's neck stood strong and without even a scratch appearing on the surface.

"I am Master Alistair's most faithful servant," he stated as he brought one fist back and readied a punch. "In exchange for the heads of his enemies that I bring him he granted me with un-rivaled tough skin and ultimate physical power!" The monster screeched, hammering his fist into Zesiro's gut and throwing him a few feet back and into the wall.

Zesiro cursed himself quietly as he brought himself back up to his feet, a new burning and probably bruising sensation welling up in his stomach. He knew he was going to skin the gator alive...he just didn't know how yet.

The Match of Monsters

Finals week...urgh...