He was panting, but wasn't the only one looking bothered. Luffy was completely unpredictable to the mochi man. Brulee had mentioned that his observation haki was so good he could see into the future, but it seemed it wasn't that way with Luffy, which was lucky.

Luffy wished Katakuri would run out of energy and need blood, but he seemed to not be bothered by it at all, even after how many attacks he'd made. Though he still wasn't out of breath, like Luffy was. He was also uninjured but for some bruises and a possibly fatal stab wound. Who knows what would happen to him?

Roger had not been a devil fruit user. But this, the no doubt scary prospect of him falling ill and not having a cure, hopefully that threw him off, messed him up. "When faced with an unpredictable opponent, I've learned the best strategy is to shut up and observe. Oi, Straw Hat Luffy! I haven't underestimated you in the slightest!" But Luffy looked around and saw the whole surroundings becoming mochi as he sunk into the floor, too.

"Gear four-" and he was buried in the mochi that formed all around him, crushing him and knocking the air out of his lungs. As rubber, he'd been stepped on and crushed before, but this was bad! He was trapped in the sticky substance, unable to move with the weight and just how glue-like this thing was.

"Sorry to end it like this. I was getting a bit peeved," Katakuri said, and walked away. Luffy couldn't hear so well anymore, but heard some mention of a snack time. Man, food would be nice for Luffy, too. He then had a good idea. It wasn't a nutritious meal, but sugar might give him a high for a while.

He sensed other people around suddenly, with Brulee gone in the mirrors somewhere. He was glad, he didn't need to be annoyed and distracted with her anymore. He started to eat the mochi all around him. He ate upwards, the pressure of it all around him being painful. Especially on his cuts and bruises.

When he popped out the top, he was fat and full. But the mochi was disgusting. It really was like eating glue, not sweet at all! "Damn, I hate eating mochi!" he announced, taking deep breaths now that he wasn't suffocating anymore. Well, he was good at holding his breath, always had been. Any normal person would have been crushed and deprived of oxygen too long.

"Where did he go?!" the teen demanded. The chefs there were tiny. Luffy was feeling tired. Annoyed that he should have another power up, but he just wanted his wounds healed. He didn't want to be punched around and have them ache and burn. "He's over there, and eating donuts!" Luffy said darkly. He could hear and smell him, not even needing observation haki.

"Lord Dogtooth has left the mirror world for some important business!" one of the little chefs insisted. Luffy grabbed the one who had been speaking, and bit into his neck, and then went after the second one. They were still alive, but just barely when he was done with them. He felt his wounds close up, the ones on his face stitching themselves up. His bruises disappeared.

His left arm was fine. He couldn't feel it, but that didn't mean it was a burden. Sometimes he even forgot he couldn't feel it, as it worked perfectly fine. At least Katakuri wasn't like Doflamingo and went for any weak spot like that. There was also no sound of explosions here, and the enemy didn't seem so shallow and underhanded to try and trigger a flashback. Which could just be worse for him.

The other chef was screaming about Luffy, calling him a monster. Luffy knocked him out with haki, a small burst that took up no energy. Luffy sprinted to the mochi shrine. He had to admit the ability to build things out of the mochi was pretty cool. He didn't hesitate to ruin it, though, and smash through the hard walls, that weren't too hard, not nearly too hard. He saw Katakuri eating huge donuts with a mouth stretched out very widely, all his teeth pointed and sharp. Luffy didn't react, having seen many different types of people in the grand line, as well as many different shaped fishmen.

So, he wasn't taken aback by the appearance. But he looked up at Luffy in shock, and anger was building, too. Luffy wished he could have some donuts. They looked so fluffy and perfect. But he didn't let himself be too distracted. "So you saw it, did you? My mealtime scene?" He put his scarf back on, but Luffy wasn't fazed.

"Our fight isn't over!"

Katakuri looked around. "I see, you killed the chefs. I shouldn't let any living human around you. I apologize for not killing you instantly and in such an anticlimactic way. I just couldn't wait any longer."

"Why do you get to eat donuts in the middle of a fight?! What the hell?!" Luffy raged.

"I thought our fight was over. But now that you've seen my full face, I can't allow you to live no matter what. Mama will forgive me for not capturing you. I'll make sure you're dead soon." Luffy punched and he punched back, their fists meeting. Only Katakuri's arms looked different than before, more square. And it burnt!

Luffy pulled his hand back, it throbbing. Well, now was the time to take advantage of the limb that couldn't feel! He met his other hit just fine, even though they both saw this one red and swollen as well. The teen showed no discomfort or pain. Katakuri aimed for his face again, but Luffy ducked and kicked into the puncture hole from the shard of blood stone.

He couldn't see any wince, so he wasn't sure if it did any damage. "I see, you can't feel pain in your left arm," he said casually. Luffy narrowed his eyes. "I told you observing was the best course of action. If you can't feel that arm, you won't notice it missing." Luffy unconsciously yanked it to his chest and held it close.

"I assume some sort of nerve damage. Maybe at the war at Marineford."

"That's right," Luffy said. There was no use in denying it. Luffy took a deep breath, and relaxed his arm and put it up in a fighting stance. If he was going to target his unfeeling arm, then that was a mistake on his part, focusing on something that will do no real damage. It would be useless, and Luffy thought that wouldn't end up being what happened.

Luffy was punched in the gut, and he doubled over before standing tall and letting out a jet punch, actually slamming it into his opponents face for the first time. His scarf was pulled down, but he pulled it back up. Katakuri went for another punch, now truly angry, and showing it easily, but then the puncture wound from the blood stone started to turn black. He showed a look of discomfort and worry at the arm.

"I suppose I won't use my right arm anymore," he said calmly. Luffy felt he had an advantage now, but he couldn't get another hit in, despite him being one armed now. But when he punched Luffy, he grabbed up the last chef, and drained him dry completely, throwing his lifeless body to the ground.

His black mark didn't move. And it wasn't like the markings on Luffy's arm from the Sky Island blood stone. It was not one that looked like a tattoo, but a clear wound. Luffy retreated a bit when he brought out the trident and nearly ripped Luffy's right arm off with his trident he pulled out of nowhere. But Luffy realized too late that it was a decoy, and he was nailed in the face again, and was sent flying into another wall.

Coughing at the force, he stood up tall, and willed only the left side of his body to transform into his gear fourth, which was his original arm. Lucky! It wasn't clawed or anything. He shot forward and released a king gun into his stomach. "You aren't a logia, after all! I stabbed you and you went around the armament haki punches! Haki works on logias! You're super strong, not perfect or invincible, Brulee was lying!" Luffy shouted, and shot forward and punched his face, throwing him far back.

He seemed distracted by something. If he hadn't underestimated Luffy at all, then why was he surprised that he was getting hit? But he didn't fall on his back, and slammed his foot down to stop his flying back anymore. "She was wrong! Attacks can still hit you!" and he punched him in the right arm, not knocking him over, but he did lose balance for just a moment before he punched back, but Luffy nailed him with a kong gun, and then was able to bring out her newly modified gear fourth out of his other arm. Shooting that arm forward. He grabbed onto Katakuri's scarf and pulled him forward before unleashing another kong gun right into his chest, which sent him flying far, hitting the floor hard over and over before he caught himself.

"The fact that you figured it out was impressive. That's correct, I'm able to dodge attacks with my mochi by observation haki. However, for some reason, I cannot see what you do in advance. That's the only way you're getting any hits in."

"So that's your weakness against me?!" Luffy shouted, panting hard. This fight was honestly exhausting so far, but not so much that he needed a break. He had more than enough blood to last him. He was just feeling fatigue and wanted some food. The mochi hadn't actually helped, and he'd burnt it all off already.

"I suppose. But I won't let you touch me again, even without my advanced observation haki." He sounded angry now. Though he always sounded slightly angry, just more detached than he was now. Two rings of mochi formed in the air, and then haki covered fists came out, larger than the man was himself. "I'm beginning to see how you defeated Cracker."

"I did that with my crew, not alone!" Luffy said, not going to take credit when it didn't belong only to him.

"Then you've never faced one of us alone. That is more encouraging," he said, and his mochi fists in the air, and one nailed him in the gut when Luffy was going for another kong gun. This one made his vision go black for a moment, and he threw up from the force of the attack. Up came mochi and blood. It was gross, almost looked like human organs. "I will give you no more chances. Back to square one."

Luffy coughed, catching his breath while laying on his back. God, did that one hurt. Those new mochi arms were more dangerous than the ones he'd been beating Luffy with the whole time so far! "Crap, he's back to being strong again!" Luffy said. He still had gear fourth out on one arm, and released another kong gun, only for it to be harshly punched out of the way, and then nailed when he was off kilter.

He wondered how many bruises he'd have later. The teen went spinning away and banging on the floor again. With half of him covered in armament haki, it sounded like metal was hitting the ground, or at least some hard material. "Damn those donut arms!" Luffy swore in frustration. How many more tricks did this guy have up his sleeve, now only one armed!

He hoped his crew was okay. Zoro would be so mad at him later, but he just had to get there at 1 am, and then they could all flee. To go to their next yonko target. Luffy hoped Ace was doing alright. "Are you distracted?" Katakuri asked.

"No!" Luffy replied.

"I see you're wilting. You won't last much longer." Luffy realized he was fatiguing faster because he'd spent too much time in gear fourth already. He needed ten minutes.

"Thanks for reminding me!" Luffy shouted, and started to flee. "Ten minutes… then I can fight again," he muttered, though Katakuri could totally hear him. But he was now out of gear fourth, and could barely move let alone fight. He got up, looking as exhausted as he felt.

Blood wouldn't fix this completely, he needed the rest. At least a few minutes. He started to run, with the mochi man hot on his trail. "A time limited power up, huh? How disappointing, the fight is already over."

"I got you a bunch of times, it's not like I haven't achieved anything," Luffy said as he did his best to sprint away.

"The victors write history. Though I will acknowledge your feats." Luffy then caught the whiff of somebody perfect for him at the moment! He was glad, and managed to grab Brulee, who was pretty weak, to be honest, and happily thrust himself and her through the nearest mirror, and right after he entered, it broke. Katakuri was trapped in there for now.

He was panting. "Great, this place looks safe, thanks for the help! Now I just gotta rest for a few minutes."

"No, I've been used again!" she lamented obnoxiously. "How dare you lay a finger on Brother Katakuri?! I'll make you pay!" she shouted. Luffy easily pinned her down, not physically strong enough to fight even an exhausted Luffy off. Then they both saw the danger they were in with Big Mom there, destroying buildings, still shouting about wedding cake.

But then Brulee made a scene, and everyone saw them there. Perospero and some of the other siblings. Then Big Mom tried to crush them both, and Luffy grabbed Brulee and ran with her. They were surrounded soon, and Luffy launched them back in the mirror world, where he hopped from mirror to mirror, never in one place too long and not in the way too long.

Brulee was unhappy with this, of course. "If you want to go somewhere helpful, then just go to Cacao Island!" she shouted in anger. "Stop using me already!"

"No, I gotta finish off Katakuri."

"Why?! Besides, you'll never beat him!"

"I have to to get away! He'd be trapped in there if I just killed you, but I'm not gonna do that. Besides… I want to beat him. He's a billion bounty guy. I want to see just how strong I am. I want to surpass him! Even if he's weakened now, I'll still have defeated him."

"You could never defeat him! And what did you stick in him?! That red thing!" Brulee shouted, both of them in an empty building, the witch Charlotte tied up once again. She was more useful than Bege ever was, truly. Luffy didn't tell her the truth. Besides, he didn't know if it would make him sick and die. It was underhanded, he knew that. But it was also a smart move.

Luffy said it was just a red stone. Nothing special about it. She didn't see his face because she was facing the other way. After the ten minutes were up, and Luffy was ready, he left and wished there were some enemies around, because he wasn't going to drink from a bystander.

So, he reentered the mirror world, and dumped Brulee behind while he ran to find Katakuri. "So, you've returned. What for? Even if you'd run away, everyone would have known you were up against me. None would laugh. So why have you returned? Would you rather be dead than be called a runner?" he said.

"I'm here to beat you," Luffy announced.

"It's unfortunate for you that my observation haki has advanced once again. You're nothing special anymore." Luffy was going to speak when Katakuri said what he was going to say for him. "'You won't think that once I've defeated you', huh?" Great, he got stronger while Luffy was away for ten minutes.

Luffy attacked, but he effortlessly dodged each attack. Luffy was more determined than worried, now. He'd looked at the clock in one of the homes, and he had three hours left. It was hard to believe hours had passed. It felt so much longer, but at the same time, like the fight had only just started.

But now, even though Katakuri had sustained some wounds that must ache at least a bit, he was able to move around every punch easily. But Luffy wouldn't give up, never. The only time he'd ever given up was when he was on death's door, dying of poison. Things were very different now, and he would never wallow in grief of losing, or wish for death.

Those days were gone. Luffy would face every challenge head on! So he faced this one head on, and vowed to only win by surpassing Katakuri. He let himself be pummeled and attacked, not fighting back, only trying to awaken his observation haki more. He knew that it was mostly awakened by stress and pain and fear.

This was pretty stressful and painful, but he wasn't afraid. He wouldn't die, no matter what. The enemy was frustrated with Luffy getting up against and again, not to mention his knuckles of his right hand were covered in burns. He still didn't use his left arm out of worry something would be wrong with it.

He said it was just a precaution, but the fact that he might be ill, perhaps fatally, weighed heavily on his mind, which was why he wanted to get this over with as fast as possible, and which was why he was angry Luffy just wouldn't die.

Rayleigh's words kept going through Luffy's mind. Teaching him the basics of observation haki that applied to every situation, even this one. Even as his haki just wasn't enough, armament or observation. If he weren't rubber, or Zoro, he'd be dead by now. He was losing blood, and was getting exhausted.

Two and a half hours left. That's all the time he had to surpass the billion berry bounty man. He started to get the hang of it, but couldn't dodge. It was just his haki telling him where to move, but not what was coming next.

Bloody and bruised, eye swollen from a punch to the face, he finally saw something coming, and Katakuri's left arm suddenly blew up. Luffy opened his mind in shock and watched it happen seconds after Luffy saw it. The teen watched as the man looked at his mangled arm with horror. For once, a real look of fear.

Lucky for him, his arm reformed. His body being made of mochi helped him. Then his other arm did it, and Luffy saw as black marks formed along his arm where the stone had been impaled. He wasn't sick, he was just like Luffy, now! But it was so much faster with him! It had taken weeks for Luffy's to awaken.

To be honest, Luffy actually didn't want him to die. But this might weaken him significantly if he didn't know how to control it. While he was in this state, Luffy launched forward and nailed him in the face, before he closed his eyes and got hit away, too. "Tell me what this is," he ordered. "Now, tell me what it is!"

The perfectly composed man was losing his cool in the face of something unknown, unexpected and quite alarming. Luffy didn't speak. He just closed his eyes, and managed to bring forth that three second vision from before, and narrowing dodged one fist. They were now the giant donut fists. It seemed Katakuri didn't want to do anything with his real arms based on what just happened.

"Is this part of the sickness?!" he demanded, and stopped hitting him, walking forward and grabbing him by the front of his jacket. Luffy was panting and hiding any pain or discomfort. He glared up at the man, needing the fight to be over, but wanting to do it right. He slammed a fist into Katakuri's face, throwing him back, but not down.

He looked livid. Luffy took advantage of this and kicked him in the solar plexus. "I'll tell you… after I've surpassed you!" Luffy said, wiping his bloody mouth. He'd lost a handful of teeth already. They should grow back okay. He hoped. Katakuri narrowed his eyes, and started to beat him harder and faster.

This was good practice, and he managed to dodge a few attacks that could have probably been debilitating. Now that Katakuri knew Luffy had the answer to what was going on with his arms, he wanted to beat it out of him. But even if Luffy were to lose, and was on his deathbed, he would not get that answer.

Luffy didn't respond to torture. His lips were sealed for now. Either way, it was lose-lose for Katakuri. Luffy jumped out of the way, and the man brought out his trident again, brandishing it. "I'm through with your stubbornness."

"My stubbornness has kept me alive this long. I'll… make it outta these mirrors. Because… everyone is believing in me!"

He was going to aim for Luffy's stomach. He knew that, and just as he was about to dodge, something made him fall to the side. His eyes widened in confusion, and pain as his stomach was run through, catching his side, but still a deep wound. Luffy staggered forward and fell onto his face. Despite the pain, he tried to stand up.

His legs were weak and shaky. He saw Katakuri's arm's mark was glowing red. He was alarmed, looking at the mark. It was like a ticking bomb. Luffy's arm was hidden under the sleeve. "Don't hold it in," Luffy rasped before he fell flat on his face. There was a loud blast and Luffy blacked out finally.

When he woke up, it was only a few moments later. He looked up, and saw Katakuri in a crater. His arm had the veins sticking out visibly. He was looking cool, but Luffy could pretty much smell the unease wafting off of him. It was now clear Luffy knew about his new problem. He couldn't kill Luffy now, but he also couldn't let him win.

But Luffy was terribly wounded, and bleeding heavily. He needed blood and a shit ton of sleep. How many hours had it been? Ten? Eleven? A fight had never lasted this long. The war in Marineford only lasted two hours and that had felt like a lifetime. This was even worse. He missed Zoro, and Ace, too. "What is wrong with you? What's that pitiful face?" Luffy's face was screwed up in discomfort and anger that his leg had slipped! But it had felt numb! Something else happened. He was kicked in the face, sent spinning away. He tried standing, but his leg kept shaking, like it wasn't used to standing.

He coughed up blood, his own probably this time. "Your legs are shaking." Luffy glared at him defiantly. This was humiliating! He'd been hit thousands of times by now, and what caused this?! He wasn't tired enough to fall from exhaustion, either. "That one moment of carelessness will be the deciding factor of this match! Why did you lose your focus?!"

It seemed he was angry at Luffy for failing in any way. He should be wanting Luffy on the brink of death, but now he sounded offended that Luffy had fallen like that. After so many hits, standing back up, soaked in blood and bruises. Some of his shirt and shorts had been burned away by the blood.

He'd lost one of his sandals from the strap being burnt apart. His clothes were in tatters. Luffy was pounded into the ground, and did his best to fight for consciousness. He rolled over and tried to get on all fours, but a fist slammed him into the ground. He cried out, panting and coughing. "Just as I began to acknowledge you! You've disappointed me…" The dismissal in the man's voice was irritating. Luffy wished he knew what had happened.

Looking at his leg, he saw the glint of something, something shiny. Shaking hands grabbed it. It was as thin as a hair, but firm. He held it and tossed it aside. But the yonko pirate's eyes widened, and his head snapped around instantly. Luffy couldn't hear much over the painful beating of his heart, and his panting. His ears were ringing from the pain and how many hits he'd taken.

Katakuri started to walk away, and Luffy stumbled back to his feet, slamming his foot down to try and get blood flow back to normal. Something had happened. He used gear second to pump blood back through his leg, which worked alright. He watched as Katakuri approached the corner where Luffy could finally hear a group of people.

But Luffy was so exhausted, and watched as Katakuri demanded to know what was so funny, before he impaled himself on the last remaining spike of his trident weapon. Luffy was shocked. He grunted and then ripped his scarf off. "DON'T YOU DARE GIVE UNWANTED SUPPORT IN A DUEL BETWEEN MEN!"

He sounded angrier at this than any other moment so far. And Luffy was pretty angry the fight had been interfered with, but to impale himself? Most likely only to make the game even. He could have had both of them get some blood to even the match out again, but he had both of them weakened instead of strengthened.

"If you're going to laugh at that idiot, then laugh at me, too!" he said. He seemed like the kind of guy who would never take his scarf off, but here he did so to prove a point. The girl, who Luffy assumed was his sister, screamed and shouted at him to not come near her, calling him a monster.

What a bad sister.