Sight and Sound

"I can't believe you would go this far," Gan muttered quietly as he slowly shook his head, "you pirates are seriously siding with the World Government in this issue?"

"We're siding with ourselves," Ridley stated, "We became pirates because we went against the grind in the first place. We pirates never fit into the world's current laws and systems. We carved out what can only be considered our only niche in this world and tried to live how we want to. That's how we are stepping forward and making our own world and that's what we are doing here. We're not doing this for the Revolutionaries or Marines. We're in it for ourselves."

"If you're against the Revolutionaries than you are against progress," lamented Gan, swinging his arms to the side. "If you leave the Marines alone they'll never progress, they are too bogged down in their own little world to ever step out of their own shadows! They are too used to having their way a new world order is necessary at this point. This war is necessary."

"And that's why they'll always be pirates like us," Ridley stated simply as he brought his guitar around and strummed a quick melody, "all governments are either corrupt or incompetent it seems. Some laws need to be overturned, sure. But to think that you're going to create a utopia just by coming in seems stupid. You'll become just as corrupt as them."

"Oh, yeah, then how about-" Gan went to move forward, but he found his body moving strangely sluggish in terms of speed. Gan was never fast, but he had great Haki and the like in terms of a straight up fight he probably couldn't handle most people in a brawl, but he was confident that he could've handled Ridley, but that was only if he was at his fastest.

"Say hello to Devil's Symphony: Sluggish Strings," Ridley explained carefully, "music is tied into the thought process and that's where Sluggish Strings finds its home at. You see it uses music to kind of cut into the thought process. Kind of like an earworm. It'll worm its way into your thoughts and slow all of your reflexes down slightly."

Gan looked down at his hand, it did seem like his body was stuck in muck. A heavy tar. He could see why Ridley felt so confident in this melody to actually slow him down it was a dangerous technique that Gan wouldn't have thought that a man like Ridley could actually manage.

"Your Haki wasn't that good was it?" asked Ridley, "you were getting all flustered when I was talking crap about the Revolutionaries that you forgot to actually focus on the fact that I am your self-admitted enemy. "You got a bit heated up which broke it."

"I'm guessing you learned about Haki from your father Karasu?" coughed Gan as he finally brought his gun out and aimed at Ridley. "Makes sense. You and your rabble aren't exactly common pirates, are you? Father of the master of the Black Market? Mikoto's father came from the New World and had survived in there for all of his life. Zesiro, a Shark Fishman, great genes in that body. Hiro-Shu was an explorer of exceptional renown before he met with you guys.

"Maria was a world-class fighter taking belts in several different tournaments. Enma has friends and family in the Marines, so while he may be a small time doctor we've known about him. Then there's the Bounty Hunter, Rosa on your team," Gan laughed as he recalled the entire group, "definitely not an average group of pirates.

"We as Revolutionaries are hoping to bring in a new world order, not get rid of it, so some criminals would remain criminals," Gan sighed, "maybe it is for the best if you guys just died here on this island. We were hoping you would see our way and join us. You may have even brought Shane and Victoria over into our grasp and there wasn't much of a way we could turn that down."

"Is that why you helped Mikoto out a bit when it came to Raphael?" asked Ridley. Mikoto had mentioned it in passing just once so Ridley was on the up and up about that. That Mikoto had encountered Gan and rather than trying to kill him, Gan seemed to be rooting for him in this fight, which was uncommon for a Revolutionary and a pirate.

"Please," Gan laughed, "I'm smarter than that. If we managed to edge Mikoto into our territory great, but right now the bigger threat between a tiny band of pirates and the Marines? Is definitely the Marines. The Marines definitely won't be able to refill the now vacant Shichibukai post any time soon. They are out of time before the war picks up speed." Gan clinched his fist for a bit of a dramatic effect, "you were trying to injure our opponents, why wouldn't we help you?"

"I'd wager that we are the bigger threat between us and the Marines," stated Ridley as he whipped his guitar around, "especially me to you right now."

"I'd still argue you aren't much more than an insect to us," Gan stated, pulling the trigger, if it wasn't for the fact that he still felt bogged down by Ridley's melody earlier he would've already done it. While Ridley lacked the superhuman speed that Mikoto had he was still quick enough to bob his head out of the way before the finger sunk in enough to fire the bullet.

Of course, the bullet wasn't affected by Ridley's music at all so it still tore through the sky and ripped through the first tree it hit. And with the sound of the gunshot now echoing in his ears Gan broke the spell Ridley's music had laid over him. He could feel the sluggish tar coming off of his body now and turned to face Ridley.

Thought Ridley had already closed the distance, throwing all of his weight forward Ridley ripped his guitar upwards, smashing it into his opponent's jaw with all the strength he could muster. Gan was no fighter, so when he took that guitar to the jaw, which since he was no fighter there was no way he was dodging it at this close range, his jaw took the pounding and he flew back.

Stumbling like a drunkard Gan managed to finally find his own feet, stomping his foot down with a quick movement. Though that didn't really seem like it would last too long, as Ridley was already in upon him. Swinging his guitar horizontally and knocking him to the side, forcing him to stumble right to the side and right to the ground.

The hits were coming here fast and quickly. Ridley wasn't exactly as confident as someone else in his strength, especially when his opponent had a gun. Ridley had several problems in terms of strength and speed, Mikoto was always fast enough to dodge bullets and Hiro-Shu was just immune. A lot of the men and women of his crew could easily handle guns a bit better than he could.

So he just had to stay on the offensive. He jumped right on top of his opponent and planting the guitar right through his opponent's face. The powerful downwards drive of his guitar smashing it, or nearly. Gan brought his hands forward, blocking the downwards smashing strike. Gan intercepted the downwards propelling attack. Bringing his two arms over his body, crossing them over and quickly blocking the powerful smashing blast.

Gan twisted himself around, using the little arm strength he had to lift himself up slightly and fire a quick right at his opponent's head, but Ridley ducked right beneath the kick. Ridley charged forward, pinning Gan down onto the ground with all of his might and speed. Gan wasn't out of it just yet, bringing his gun around, but at this range he knew there would be no way he could get a shot off without Ridley batting it away, so instead he just brought the gun around and beamed Ridley with it nearly throwing him off.

Ridley quickly shifted his weight, making sure he stayed on top of Gan, beginning to pivot all the way around now. Continuing to shift his weight to put as much of his strength all the way around and pulling it away, letting a strong golf-like swing come down and into Gan. Gan's body was finally ripped out from underneath Ridley with the strength of his swing.

Hitting the ground Ridley struggled back up to his feet and brought himself back up and onto his feet. Just in time to resume the stand-off as Gan had already swung his entire body around and took aim once more. A good target now with practically a target on his head, the gun was trained on him and now Gan was willing and ready to pull the trigger at the slightest motion from Ridley.

The gun was well aimed at Ridley, so Ridley didn't really dare to move too much with the gun aimed right at him, so he was trying to be very careful not to step on the wrong foot right now. The guy was dangerous, but not incredibly so like Raphael had been.

So Ridley just had to be a little bit careful, he wasn't completely screwed so Ridley took a deep breath and tried to think of his way through this. Gan wasn't an incredibly powerful opponent, but a bit more intelligent than a lot of his opponents. He was also desperate so he would shoot.

And he did.

Ridley dove to the ground, letting the shot hit his shoulder, wrenching it out of his place and hitting the ground definitely didn't do him any favors either. He hit it hard and felt the shoulder pop back into place. Bringing his guitar around and began playing a strict string of melodies which rocketed through the air, filling the small area around them with a vicious noise. Gan's ear drums must've been damaged by the rising noise, but he didn't seem too bothered by it.

Without even worrying about it Gan pulled his pistol around, taking aim quickly and pulling it several times sending a shower of shrapnel down upon Ridley. Luckily Ridley's large reinforced guitar most of the shots. They were fast and dug right into Ridley's guitar and actually pushed him back with the force of the bullets alone.

Bringing the gun around and taking aim once more as Gan was definitely not done, he practically had Ridley pinned down now. His gun fire was well-aimed, but Ridley wasn't exactly out of this fight. Kicking to the side he threw himself out of its way and scrambled up to his feet. Gan wasn't making it easy for him though. Firing several shots chasing right after Ridley, exploding his footsteps.

Ridley twisted around firing another strum on his guitar echoing into Gan's ear drums while quickly taking cover behind one of the rocks. Taking a deep breath he knew he had to go higher. He wasn't exactly fast enough to close the distance in the time it took for Gan to shoot, nor could he bat the bullets away as he closed the distance.

Infestation