Chapter 26: Escalating Warfare
A/N: Hey! I vastly apologize for the sheer lateness of this chapter. I was working hard on a Ninja Clash chapter and due to the nature of it, required many months of effort and work, but I like to think it paid off. With that done, hopefully I can get back to more consistent updates with my stories.
And to Mr. Nobody, do rest assured I have gotten your reviews and am taking your ideas with deep consideration. Thanks for suggesting them!
And in my opinion, you should change your name to Mr. Somebody. ^_^
Arc – Captured Rain Genin Resolution, part 6
Oboro is standing in the Nara restaurant kitchen wearing an apron as he works on a sink full of dishes. He looks over to his left, to see a huge pile of dirty dishes stacked almost to the ceiling. Oboro has a resigned look on his face.
Subtext: Endless... endless... pile of dishes.
XXXXXXX – East Blue, Debris around Baratie
Zabuza was not in a happy mood as he looked around. Where was that bastard Roronoa Zoro? No more fooling around with his fun, he was going to slice the brat in so many different ways it wouldn't even resemble jerky.
He continue his search and only saw battle between Krieg's men and Baratie's cooks. Mihawk himself was gone as well. Whatever happened while he was out, it was enough to make the man leave. Probably out of boredom. And seeing how the three sword cheat was no where around, Zabuza guessed that meant he was swimming with the fishes thanks to Mihawk.
With that, he slammed his blade hard into the debris, shattering half of it in sheer frustration. There was going to be hell to pay if the fool was really dead. Maybe even Krieg himself. Zabuza had grown tired of that man's ambitions and petty schemes. And with his fleet gone, he didn't even have the good sum of money to make it Zabuza's worthwhile.
As he debated whom to take his anger out, his eyes caught hold of one of the skirmishes. Surprising even himself, he found himself curious to the match as he watched it progress.
XXXXXXX – Baratie, Port Fin, Choji vs. the Demon Brothers
The battle of Chefs and Don Krieg's pirates halted momentarily as all eyes settled on the changing boy. He fell on all fours as tan fur completely covered him. A long tail sprouted from his rear end as his eyes shifted into a golden rage. A small mane of about an inch emerged around his neck.
A second later, the transformation was complete, with a lion in Akimichi Choji's clothing on the fin. He reared his head back and gave a roar, causing many of battling men to shake in their boots.
Meizu and Gouzu stared at the boy, caution in their eyes. "Your mane is pathetically small, fatso."
Some caution, anyway...
Choji's lion face twitched in anger. "I'm still growing, dammit! And who asked you your opinion anyway!?"
Zeff watched from his position by the main entrance. 'They say the length of a lion's mane shows a lion's successful battle record. It may be small now, but that may very well change in the future.'
Choji crouched. "Now feel the power of the Cat Cat Fruit: Model Lion!"
With that, Choji charged in a burst of surprising speed. 'Fast!' both Gouzu and Meizu thought as they just managed to jump out of the way, missing Choji's claws. 'In his normal form, he uses power. And in his beast form, he has speed. Truly he is more formidable than first glance would suggest. And if he could master both attributes...'
Choji hit the deck and turned on a dime, lunging back towards the Demon Brothers. This time, they ran in separate directions, the older brother going left and the younger going right. They rebounded on the deck and came right towards Choji, their metal claws ready.
The Akimichi struck with both of his arms, his natural claws colliding with the demon brother's metal claws. The chore boy gave a loud roar and shoved their arms back with brute strength.
The two Mist Chunin were thrown off balance, but quickly recovered with their other hands on the deck. As one, they kicked Choji's legs before he could react, making him stumble on the deck as they struck again. This time, Choji was not fast enough as their metal claws scraped across his two forelegs, making him scream in pain.
"CHOJI!" several Chefs shouted.
"I'm fine!" Choji insisted as he recovered on the ground and lunged again, but both Demon Brothers backflipped back, a special gleam in their eyes.
With their non-clawed hands, they reached out and poked each other thumbs on their other's headsets, drawing blood. Meizu's right hand thumb and Gouzu's left hand thumb then touched each other's palms, drawing the kanji for 'Jutsu' on them.
Then they clasped hands and became forming seals, with each brother forming half a seal.
Choji couldn't help but gawk in amazement. 'You're kidding! You mean by putting that blood seal on their palms, they can make hand signs together without removing their metal claws!?'
Finishing the set of hand signs, the two brothers called out simultaneously. "Suiton: Mizu Hou no Jutsu (Water Style: Water Cannon)!"
Water leapt from the ocean and surged right towards the incoming lion missile. Choji reacted by slamming his paws on the deck, breaking through and raising a portion in front of him like a protective wall. The water jutsu slammed into the raised deck and blew it apart easily.
That's when a figure jumped upward into the air, but both Demon Brothers recognized it at once and shot another water cannon jutsu at it, blasting it apart completely.
Then they saw what it was... a piece of debris.
"A decoy!?" they shouted together. At that instant, Choji dashed forward, spun around and mule-kicked both of the Mist Ninja right in the chins, launching them into the air.
Choji then rolled on his back as the two stunned ninja fell back to the ground... and then he began batting the two back and forth between his legs like toy balls. He even began purring!
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?!" the Baratie Chefs and Krieg Pirates shouted together while the Demon Brothers screamed.
"Having fun!" Choji replied as he reared his rear two legs back and kicked the two brothers in the chest. A second later, the two Demon Brothers crashed against Baratie's wall.
Gouzu and Meizu emerged a moment later, a look of utter hatred on their faces. "Alright fatass... you're dead!!"
Choji twitched violently. "NOT IF I RIP YOU TWO APART FIRST, YOU PIECE OF LOW-GRADE, TRASH-SUCKING, COW-SPEWING ROTTEN PUCKS!!!"
The Mist Ninja clasped hands again. "Suiton: Mizu Tsume no Jutsu (Water Style: Water Claw)!"
Water rose up and covered their free hands, forming water claws that looked nearly identical to their metal ones. In response, Choji began changing again. He sprang up on his two back legs as his knees turned around 180 degrees. His two palms on his forelegs became fur-covered clawed hands as they thickened. The mane remained, resembling a makeshift beard around the boy's face, which became more human.
"What the..." several of the pirates stated.
"His hybrid form," one Chef declared. "Half human. Half lion."
With that, Gouzu, Meizu and Choji all dashed towards each other. 'We have him this time! It's four claws against two!'
"Lion Tank!" Choji roared out loud before blowing up again, then converging into a living boulder.
'What!?' the two Mist Shinobi thought in surprise. 'He's using that move again in his hybrid form!?'
Once again, Choji rolled across the ground in force toward the two Mist Chunin. Mere feet from the two, Choji suddenly uncoiled himself at a much faster rate than last time and pounced on the two, his claws slashing across the two ninja's chests. "Slash."
Both Gouzu and Meizu stood motionless for a second before they collapsed on the wooden deck, now unconscious.
Choji gave a predatory grin as he looked at his hands; he really liked these things. "Match to me, losers." With that, he shifted back to his human form. He turned around and pointed triumphantly at the Krieg Pirates. "Which of you babies wants some!? Come on! Who's next? I'll beat you all down!"
"So you manage to beat down a couple of grunts and you think you're on top of the world?"
Choji froze on the spot at that cold, hard voice. Giving a very big gulp, he slowly inched around to look at the speaker.
Momochi Zabuza, his face red and sore, was standing on top of the ocean, looking directly at the boy. The sheer weight of the gaze was enough to sap Choji of his inflated confidence and reduce it to a mere shadow of itself. "... I didn't mean you..." he squeaked out. Zabuza was supposed to be unconscious!
Zabuza walked forward, coming on to the fighting deck with his blade in his right hand. "You may have the basics of fighting like a shinobi, but you don't act like one. A true ninja would have used your last attack to strike their throats and kill them, not their chests and knock them out."
No one moved or uttered any response from Zabuza's cold remark about his own men. The young Akimichi took a few fearful steps backwards. "... so... so what? I... still won... didn't I?"
"Victory comes from utterly defeating your opponent. So they that will never fight again," Zabuza countered, purposely taking a single step forward. "To be able to completely crush your opponent by all means possible. By any means necessary. To not take a killing blow when you had the chance just shows you're no shinobi."
With that, Zabuza took a powerful step on the deck. The action alone was enough to make Choji flinch so badly he fell on his butt. "You're just a brat." He paused for a moment, then continued. "I will, however, acknowledge that you were able to fight the Demon Brothers to a draw despite this. You may have some potential after all."
At that, Choji's eyes narrowed and he found anger filling him as he jumped to his feet, pointing right at the Mist Swordsman. "What the hell do you mean 'fight to a draw'?! I beat the crap out of both by - " Choji suddenly stopped in mid-rant as his eyes jerked wide open and his mouth hung open. 'I... I... can't... breathe...'
"Gouzu and Meizu may have been weak, but they were ninja. Unlike you, brat." Zabuza pointed at the bloody gashes on the boy's arms from the brothers' attack. "Their claws are poisoned, boy. And should take affect right about... now"
A loud gasp resounded amongst Baratie's employees along with happy gloating from the pirates as the boy began gasping for air before his eyes rolled back and he collapsed on the ground.
Zabuza walked over to the fallen boy, his sword raised. "Don't worry. As a reward for fighting them head to head, I'll end you before the poison can." With that, the Mist Ninja swung his sword down hard at the boy...
…only to quickly jump backwards as a large figure nearly landed on top of him. The large figure slammed on the deck a second later, a wooden staff in his hands that pierced into the wooden deck right where Zabuza himself had been.
The man was quite large and heavy. He wore armor with the kanji for 'Food' on the chest plate. He had long, dashing red hair with bandages wrapped around his forehead. He held his wooden staff in his right hand.
"Get away from my boy!" Choza roared, anger keen in his eyes.
"Choza!" several of the Chefs cried out happily. Their bouncer was back at last!
Patty and Carne were shaking their arms around violently. "What took you so long, you fat oily PIG!? Eating milk and cookies while we were all fighting for our lives!?"
Choza's face twitched violently at the colorful insults as he snapped a look at the two. "Shut up! It's not my fault pirates decided to attack while I was out getting supplies!"
"You were raiding the kitchen," Zeff spoke up unexpectedly, causing Choza to facevault in sheer shock of the accusation. "Z-z-zeff!? How... how could you e-e-ven suggest I..."
"Wipe the crumbs off your face and get to work." Zeff interrupted.
"... yes boss..."
Zeff breathed out as Choza resumed his gaze upon the Demon of the Hidden Mist. Zeff knew that Choza had little choice but to eat up before joining the battle. Akimichi techniques required vast amounts of calories in order to use their jutsu. He had no doubt that when Choza laid eyes on Zabuza, he knew he needed every advantage he could get. Foremost eating as much as he could as quickly as he could.
And hopefully, Zabuza would now think Choza was just a hungry fool and underestimate him. Zabuza was no fool, though. Zeff could tell he was still pissed from the blow Zoro gave him, but Zabuza was not so small that he would let anger overtake him or cloud his judgment.
The second Choza looked back, Zabuza dashed forward and swung his sword again. Choza countered by throwing his staff to the side and forming a series of signs: Tiger, Horse, Boar, Sheep, Rat and Snake. His hair became rigid and spiked as it began growing at exceptional speed and covered him like a cloak. Zabuza's sword hit the hair and bounced off, but the force still sent Choza skidding across the deck.
"Nikudan Hari Sensha (Spiked Meat Tank)!" That's when Choza curled up into a large ball with his hair forming razor-like spikes and began rolling right at the Mist Ninja, tearing up the deck as he went. Zabuza jumped back a series of times right out into the middle of the ocean.
"Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu (Water Style: Giant Waterfall)!" A second later, a large destructive tunneling wave came barreling directly toward Choza... who merely kept his course and slammed right into it!
XXXXXXX – Back on the Port Fin
"Patty! Carne!" Zeff shouted. "Get Choji inside quick! That poison hasn't been in him too long!"
"Aye aye, Chef!" both of them replied at once, not bothering to bicker for once as they knew time was of the essence.
While Choji's fight had been coming on, Sanji was trying to deal with both Pearl and the idiotic rubber man. According to the pirates, this Pearl guy was abandoned in a jungle as a child. As such, he developed a defensive maneuver to produce fire to protect him from the dangers of the jungle. And all it took for this nutjob named Pearl to go berserk with his flames was just a little cut, such as the bloody nose he just got.
And as if that wasn't bad enough, the guy began flinging 'Fire Pearls' all over the place. Several came directly for Sanji and Luffy. Sanji was able to avoid the pearls easily enough and was mildly surprised to see the rubber idiot dodging by standing on one hand and leaping out of the way. 'So the idiot does have some skills...' Sanji observed, dodging another Fire Pearl.
Other pirates and even Chefs weren't so lucky as the Fire Pearls hit them on their arms, chests, even heads. Many began swatting themselves furiously to put out the flames while others decided to resort to the more direct method by jumping into the sea.
But none of those were what concerned Sanji at the moment (the Chefs could take care of themselves and he didn't give a crap about the pirates). Not even the rubber idiot running around like a chicken with its head cut off due to fire on his rump. What concerned Sanji at the moment was that more than half of the fin was on fire and that Pearl had no intention of stopping his fire attacks.
And that wouldn't do!
"You scum!" Sanji yelled out as he rushed Pearl, who launched several fire waves directly at him. The cook jumped to avoid the flames as he aimed another kick at the man's head, but he blocked it with his left arm shield.
"What kind of fool move is that!?" one pirate shouted in disbelief. "Does he want to get burned!?"
Pearl was of the same opinion. "What was that!? Not even wild animals would jump towards a wall of fire!"
Sanji just gave a small smirk as he held out his cigarette. "Moron. You can't be a cook if you're afraid of fire." He held his cigarette off towards one of the flames around him, lighting it as he took another puff from it.
This only proceeded to piss Pearl off that much more. He punched right at Sanji, who dove to the ground and landed on his hands, flipping upward and slamming his right foot into Pearl's face. A cry of astonishment came from the pirates along with cheering from the chefs as Sanji backflipped back while Pearl touched his face in disbelief. There was no accident in harming him this time.
"How dare you!?!" Pearl whined. "DANGER! DANGER!! DANGER!!! EAT MY FIRE PEARLS!!" As promised, Pearl flung a large number of Fire Pearls at Sanji, who evaded them easily.
Only then did he realize that the Fire Pearls were heading directly for Baratie! And Sanji was still surrounded by flames, so he couldn't do anything!
"You took away my pride when you hit me!" Pearl declared. "So now I'll take away your pride by burning that trash heap of a restaurant!"
That's when Zeff swung his peg leg out in a powerful kick, the air pressure putting out the flames, and the blunt pieces of lead bounced harmlessly off of Baratie. "Even with one leg, your little fireballs can't touch me or my restaurant."
"Hooray! You're AWESOME, Head Chef!!!" all of the Baratie Cooks cheered at once, including Patty and Carne from inside the restaurant as they were still attending to the poisoned Chore Boy.
"It's a miracle! Red Leg Zeff is still alive and kicking!!" the pirates said.
"Nice move, Mister!" Luffy added, giving a double thumbs-up.
Don Kreig himself was not happy. Pearl was getting a bit too reckless with his flames. Time for him to deal with that. He grabbed his chained spiked mace and whirled it around his head a few times to gain momentum before hurling it right towards Pearl and Sanji, fully intending to crush BOTH of them.
Sanji caught the shadow on the ground and looked up to see the thing coming right at them. Pearl noted Sanji's look and panicked when he saw it coming.
That's when Luffy jumped through the wall of flames before either man could react. "GUM-GUM BAZOOKA!!!"
Luffy's hands slammed into the giant weapon and sent it flying into the sky.
"He bounced it back..." both Sanji and Don Krieg stated at once while Luffy was furiously swatting his hands against his shorts, shouting 'Hot! Hot! Hot!'
That's when the weapon came falling back towards the earth, crashing right into one of the masts of the Dreadnaught Sabre. The thing tumbled like a fallen tree towards the three pirates. Both Luffy and Sanji were able to avoid it, but it slammed right into Pearl's head. Sanji could have sworn it squished a foot or so out of the man as Pearl foamed at the mouth and collapsed on the deck. "What's wrong with him?"
"He's a weirdo," Luffy answered. As he did, there was a cry of pain and the sound of snapping wood. Both turned around to see Zeff lying on the ground, his peg leg broken. Holding the man at gunpoint was Gin as he tossed the peg out into the ocean.
"That's enough, Sanji. I don't want to kill any of you," Gin said loudly. "But this ends now."
XXXXXXX – Baratie, Starboard Fin
Both Naruto and Sasuke were staring hard at the young Mist Ninja. "What the hell are you talking about!?" Naruto demanded, pointing a finger at him. "You just handled both of us like toddlers and you say we're better than you are!? How about some honesty from the bad guys here!?!"
"Why would I lie? Only fools lie. Especially when the truth is far more effective. And hurtful," the Mist Ninja replied.
Naruto just replied with a verbal assault, and truthfully, Sasuke wasn't that far behind him. What was this guy playing at? He had countered them so easily earlier...
Wait a minute...
He then turned his attention back to Haku as he broke off into a sprint directly toward the other boy. Once he was right on top of the Mist Hunter ninja, Sasuke threw a left fist at him, which Haku calmly caught with his right hand.
Shocked, but not at all deterred, Sasuke fired a right kick, which was blocked by Haku's left arm. Annoyed now, Sasuke just launched a barrage of punches and kicks, all of which Haku blocked with minimal effort. Not once did Haku falter in his stance or look like he was struggling as his arms intercepted each of Sasuke's attacks.
Sasuke's right hand came in again, and this time, Haku ducked it, elbowing the Uchiha hard in the abdomen. Sasuke took a step backwards as he held his stomach, before Haku's sandaled foot slammed into Sasuke's chin, sending him rolling along the deck.
The Mist boy turned around to see Naruto coming right at him, a right hook ready. Haku nudged his head off the side, but Naruto spun around, delivering a rear kick to Haku. Again, Haku blocked the attack easily, sending Naruto's foot to the ground and throwing him off balance. Naruto gave a brief cry of disbelief before using the fall to deliver a backknuckle at Haku, who merely grabbed it and shoved Naruto backwards.
The blond boy stumbled backwards a few steps on one foot before regaining his balance. Grabbing a kunai, he gave a yell as he charged again, kunai held high. He threw his arm down to bury it in Haku's skull, but the boy intercepted once again, the weapon skipping across the deck. Haku then delivered a powerful palm strike to the side of Naruto's face, before spinning around and hitting the boy on the chest, sending him rolling across the deck as well. Haku merely resumed his relaxed stance.
That was when they had fought this guy one on one. But when they fought together...
With that said, both boys took off running towards Haku, each throwing a punch at Haku... who easily blocked with his arms once again.
Both boys gave a slight gasp at this before going into another frenzy of punches and kicks at Haku, all of which were easily deflected by Haku's arms. 'This is nuts! How the hell can he fend both of us off with just one hand apiece!?'
After another thirty seconds of that, both of them dropped back from their assault, visibly shaken by what had just happened.
'When we fought him one on one, he countered us and fought back,' Sasuke thought to himself as Naruto continued his rant while the boy seemed to just listen. 'But when he fought us together, he just fended us off, not striking back once. Even now he's not taking the initiative. Why? Is it because the skill difference is that great... or is there another reason?'
With that, Naruto formed the seal and shouted 'Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu' as thirty Narutos appeared and they all charged, with Sasuke following a second later. Needles appeared out of the boy's sleeves, four per hand as he threw them at the incoming horde, destroying eight of them.
Four Narutos pulled out kunai and lunged at the other boy, who grabbed their wrists and jumped upward, kicking the other two out of existence. Six Narutos all threw kunai and shuriken next, but the masked boy used the two other clones as shields. The Mist Shinobi then dispatched those six with more needles.
That's when Sasuke came from Haku's blindside, a punch aimed at his head. Haku ducked the blow and grabbed Sasuke's arm, hurling him into another group of clones. These Narutos, however, caught Sasuke in midair and threw him right towards Haku. The startled Mist Ninja earned himself a solid left hook across his face.
Using the opportunity, several more Narutos all jumped the boy in a dogpile. The Mist ninja threw them all off him, only to be greeted by two more Narutos, one hitting him in the stomach, the other in the back of the head.
'He's struggling...' Naruto thought as he watched the boy destroy the two clones. 'He can't fight well against multiple opponents.' A smile appeared on his face as he crossed his fingers once again. "Can't take the heat, huh? How about some more!? TAJUU KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!!"
There were now fifty Narutos around Haku, who jerked his head back and threw more and more needles at them. But for every one he destroyed, three more appeared in its place. About twelve all threw shuriken at him, but the young man threw several needles into the barrage, hitting the weapons and forcing them off course. A Naruto attempted to jump-kick him from the side, but Haku grabbed it, swinging the clone around in the circle again and again, destroying several other clones before hurling it into the center of the crowd, taking out five.
That's when another Naruto came right at Haku aiming a right punch. Haku attempted to block... but was nailed right in the side of the face. Turning on his heel, he attempted to elbow this Naruto, but he caught it in his hand, retaliating by firing a kick to the stomach. Haku stumbled back as two Narutos joined the first one and all three punched at him. He barely had time to cross his arms to block, but the force still sent him skidding across the deck.
The boys, clone and non, would have charged him, but they noticed several explosive notes on the deck, all exploding at once and forcing them back, destroying the remaining clones. Haku slowly got up to his feet as one of the Narutos – the one that had scored several hits just moments ago – exploded in a puff of smoke, revealing one Uchiha Sasuke.
"A deception," Haku stated simply, as if answering a question on a test.
Naruto gave a nod. "Got that right. When we fought one-on-one earlier, you countered Sasuke by blocking, but you only dodged and shoved me. I guessed that meant you were having a harder time with him." He shot a dark look at Sasuke, clearly not liking the fact that Sasuke was performing better.
"So we needed a way to get me close to you without you knowing it," Sasuke finished up.
All Haku could do was nod. "So you used the clones as a cover. When he created the second batch, you transformed yourself into him. So when you attacked, I expected Naruto's moves and that threw me off when you attacked me."
"I also discovered your little secret. Naruto's clone attacks confirmed it for me. The more opponents that you fought at once, the more ineffective you were," Sasuke spoke up this time. "So what could it be that let you outdo the two of us in taijutsu? Answer: you were reading us.
"That's why you struggled and why you never attacked, only defended. You fight by reading your opponents and counterattacking while Naruto and myself attack straight on. That's why you're worse than us. That's also how you were able to outfight us both before." A smirk appeared on his face. "But now that we know, you're going down."
"You are truly a fool."
Both Sasuke and Naruto reacted like they were slapped. "WHAT!?!"
Haku merely held up a hand. "It's true; I fight by reading and reacting. But no reaction is faster than an action and that's why you both outclass me in taijutsu. But if you think taijutsu is my only skill, you are sadly mistaken. A shinobi can call on many skills. Physical. Weapon-based. Deception. As well as Genjutsu and Ninjutsu." He formed a series of hand signs. "And my talents lie more in ninjutsu, which I haven't used on you yet. Let me show you both how well I can use it. Hyouton: Kirigakure no Jutsu (Ice Style: Hidden Mist Technique)."
XXXXXXX – Baratie, Port Fin
"I don't care if he was a living legend!" Gin continued to shout at Sanji, keeping his pistol aimed at Zeff's head. "He's just a simple cook now and I can kill him at anytime!"
"That traitor!" Luffy roared in anger, echoing many of the thoughts of many of the Chefs as he reared his arm back for a punch.
Sanji held up an arm in front of Luffy. "Wait, let's hear what he has to say." He shot a look past Gin's shoulder at Patty and Carne inside Baratie, both of whom were ready to jump Gin from behind. The assistant chef shot them a dark look that said 'Don't try anything. Yet.'
"It's simple, Sanji. You want the Chef to live, you all get off of Baratie. You will all still be alive and we get what we want. Everyone's happy."
"Everyone's happy?" Sanji repeated, a tone of clear disgust in his voice. "Don't screw with me. You can all just go to hell because I'm never leaving this ship."
All of the chefs, Patty and Carne included, immediately grew worried. You don't tick off the guy with the gun at the hostage! "Sanji, shut your mouth or he'll shoot the boss!"
"You look pathetic, Crap-Geezer," Sanji said, ignoring them all. "You're setting a poor example for the Fighting Cooks. How are we supposed to respect you now?"
"Shut your mouth, you stupid brat! You don't have any right to talk to me that way!" Zeff shot back.
"DON'T CALL ME THAT, YOU OLD COOT!" Sanji yelled back. "STOP TREATING ME LIKE A KID!!!"
"You are a kid, brat!"
"I'm 19 years old!"
"And still a kid!"
"Sanji!" One of the cooks cried out. "There's no time for this! We've got to save Zeff!!"
That seemed to snap Sanji out of his argument because he didn't utter a response. Instead, he looked directly at Gin and spoke. "Gin," he told the pirate in a determined voice. "Aim your gun at me."
That shocked just about everybody. Luffy included. "WHAT!? ARE YOU TRYING TO GET KILLED?!"
"Maybe."
Gin was quite startled himself. "Sanji... what?" Why would he say that?
"If you want to die that much, I'll be happy to help!"
Everyone's head jerked to see that the speaker was none other than Pearl himself. Despite looking about a foot shorter now, he stood up grinning madly at Sanji. "I never imagined the Invincible Pearl would take two bloody noses - "
"You got more than a bloody nose," Luffy interrupted. No one commented.
" - in one battle! I'm feeling threatened. So don't move, or your Chef will pay the price! Absolutely Natural Pearl Surprise!"
With that, he slammed his right pearl shield into Sanji's head at twice the force he used on Patty and Carne. Sanji hit the deck hard and went on tumbling until he hit Baratie itself.
"Why you...!!" Luffy yelled ready to attack.
"Don't touch him, Chore Boy!" Sanji shouted.
Luffy just looked at him. "Why didn't you dodge that attack!?"
"You got holes for eyes? He'd pull the trigger if I did that!" Sanji told him as he struggled to get up. He looked over at Gin, who was still holding the pistol inches from Zeff's head. "You're a damn coward! I can't accept such a deal!"
"Why not?!" Gin pleaded, looking desperate. "If you do, you all survive! It's easy!"
"This ship is the old geezer's pride and joy!!" Sanji insisted. "I once took everything from him! His strength! His dreams! So I'll never let anything else be taken from him again!"
"Shut up," Zeff said in a softer voice. "There's no need to talk of that stupid story."
"I SAID QUIT TREATING ME LIKE A KID!!" Sanji yelled as Pearl appeared behind him, a nasty smile on his face. "Pearl Cymbals!"
At the cry, Pearl slammed his two hand shields against Sanji's head. The young man gave a cry of pain as blood trickled down his mouth and face. "That was a cheap shot, Gin!!" Luffy roared as Sanji collapsed on the ground.
"We fight for keeps, kid! You all brought this on yourselves! If you had just handed the ship over you could have all left in peace!!" Gin repeated as Pearl leapt into the air. "Tarnished Silver Surprise!"
Pearl slammed down head-first on the downed man, using both his pearls and weight to deal a crushing blow. The bystanders could even hear several loud cracks as Sanji's head flung back in utter pain, coughing up even more blood.
Pearl stood up and laughed while Sanji just groaned in pain. The Chefs were just astonished that Sanji, yet again, did not even attempt to dodge. What could Sanji have taken from Zeff that would make him do this!?
XXXXXXX – Back to the battling Jonins
Zabuza kept pressing his attack while Choza kept on charging into the water attack. This went on for several minutes straight before both men backed off; Zabuza by canceling his water attack and Choza by jumping into the air. He landed on the ocean surface.
The two men stared at each other before Zabuza shouldered his massive blade. "Are you so confident in your abilities that you would deliberately force me out into the ocean where I'm strongest? Or are you just underestimating me?"
Choza wasn't surprised that Zabuza knew that he was trying to force him into the ocean... or that he played along with the act. It gave him the advantage after all. "Neither. I can't afford to fight you there. We'd probably wreck Baratie. The safest place to fight you is out here."
There was a certain gleam in the Mist Ninja's eyes. "But not safest for you."
The Akimichi couldn't disagree with that. If you went by bounty value alone, Zabuza's was over three times his. Zabuza had been a member of the Mist's elite Swordsman unit and an ANBU to boot. In comparison, Choza had been a standard Jonin, whose strength came into play as part of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio... and neither Shikaku nor Inoichi were here. Effectively, his strength was reduced by a third.
He was doomed. But he would stop Zabuza here. Even if it cost him his life!
XXXXXXX – Omake: Cats vs Dogs.
Choji waving his arms around happily. "Yeah, that's right! Everyone knows I'm a cat lover... AND PROUD OF IT!! CATS RULE!!"
Suddenly there is a loud spinning drill-like thing coming right at Choji! "GATSUUGA (Dual Piercing Fang)!!!" The attack blindsides Choji, slamming him against a wall.
Kiba stands up with Akamaru lying on his head. "Who the hell are you kidding, fatass? Everyone knows that dogs rule over cats! Ain't that right, Akamaru!?" Akamaru barks in reply
Choji recovers quickly and gets right into Kiba's face, very pissed off. "Shut up! I'm just big boned! Screw your dogs! And why are you here anyway!? You don't enter the story until *censored for spoilers*!"
Kiba growls back as the two boys glare daggers at each other. "That's not my fault! Blame the stupid author! But I couldn't have you going around saying that cats rule! Akamaru and I made our mark long before you made any cat proclamation!"
The Akimichi yells back. "So what!? I just kicked two Mist Ninjas' butts at the same time! That's more than you can say!"
The Inuzuka's face grows red with anger, but he waves Choji off. "Big deal! I could have done that with one hand tied behind my back! So your cats suck!"
"Hey! At least cats have the decency to clean themselves!"
"Piss off! Don't you mean be waited on hand and foot like the little pussies they are!? Dogs are stronger, faster and just plain better!"
"And easily outsmarted, outwitted and just plain stupider! Everyone knows cats are smarter and craftier than dogs!"
"Sure! Yeah! That's why you see signs saying 'Beware of the Cat!' Oh... wait! Those all refer to dogs! That just proves how loyal and devoted dogs are!"
"You obviously have never been on the wrong side of a cat! You rub one just the wrong way and they'll scratch the living daylights out of you! And dogs just leave their droppings all over the place!"
"Oh? And cats getting stuck in trees, just meowing like little babies because they can't get down by themselves? Talk about helpless and pathetic!"
"Hey! At least they know when to ask for help when they know they're in trouble, unlike dogs!"
"That just means dogs are brave enough to confront dangers head-on to protect their friends!"
"YOU WANNA FIGHT, DOG BREATH!?!"
"BRING IT ON, PUSSY!!!"
Both boys and Akamaru are about to charge into an all out fight when suddenly all three are encased in bugs. They all drop to the ground screaming and twitching.
"SHINO! STAY OUT OF THIS!!"
"DAMN CHEATER!!!"
"BARK! BARK!"
Shino merely holds up the V-for-Victory sign. "Insects win."
End of Chapter 26.
Done and done! Hope it was all good! I've never tried writing multiple battles at the same time. Back to back battles and huge battles sure, but not several at once. I hope it went okay.
So we have Choji's fight over with, Choza and Zabuza; Sasuke, Naruto and Haku; and Sanji and Pearl all going at it at once. And things should only intensify in the next few chapters.
Choji's Devil Fruit in Japanese (Shinobi Language in this story) would be something along the lines of Neko Neko no Mi, Model: Lion. But do remember that in this story, the main language is 'English' for the world, as such Choji's Devil Fruit, like the others, will be referred to by their English names most of the time.
A fun note about Devil Fruit users and Water. Oda stated in SBS that Devil Fruit users are susceptible to all types of water, not just seawater. However, he elaborated on this, saying that "moving" water, like rain or waves, does not weaken Devil Fruit users, while standing water does.
Also, if a Devil Fruit user is not completely submerged, they can still use their powers from the parts of their body that are above the water. We see this later with Kalifa. It should be noted that their power is reduced by half as a result, if not more.
So what does this mean for Ninja, Suiton Ninjutsu and Devil Fruit users? Since Water Style attacks are undoubtedly moving, this means that this is not enough to completely immobilize as they would be if they fell in the ocean. Of course, if a large amount of water remains afterwards, and the victim is still within it, then they would be immobilized and be in serious trouble. But while in action, it doesn't immobilize, but it does weaken them to a degree. And that may be enough to prove fatal, but it also may be enough for one to escape.
Suiton: Mizu Hou no Jutsu (Water Style: Water Cannon): A Ninjutsu technique used by the Demon Brothers. After doing the necessary signs, a mid-sized water blast will fire from the nearest water source. The blast has no real shape or form to it. The power is comparable to a small cannon. C-ranked Ninjutsu. Original Technique.
Suiton: Mizu Tsume no Jutsu (Water Style: Water Claw): A Ninjutsu technique used by the Demon Brothers. Forms a large water claw much like their metal ones on their free hands, doubling their combat potential. C-ranked Ninjutsu. Original Technique.
Lion Tank Slash: While in his hybrid form, Choji utilizes his Multi-Size Technique and Meat Tank moves. Using the lion's agility and speed, Choji unfolds himself instantly and slashes his opponent(s). With the added force of the lion and the momentum from the Meat Tank, the force of these slashes are two to three times more powerful than Choji attacking in human form. C-ranked Taijutsu. Original Technique.
Uddo Dangan (Wood Bullet): A stabbing strike of Akimichi Choza. Using force and power in combination, he can thrust his staff so hard it pierces wood and stone without so much as a crack around the hole as though it were a bullet shot. B-ranked Taijutsu. Original Technique.
Nikudan Hari Sensha (Spiked Meat Tank): A Taijutsu technique used by the Akimichi clan. A modification of the normal Nikudan Sensha, the clan member will use sharp edges to deal greater damage to their target. This has been seen in two ways. One way is to surround their body with a loose chain of kunai or edged weapons. When their body is enlarged, the chain becomes taut, which allows them to increase the rotation speed and destruction when they roll. The other style takes advantage of clan member's long hair. By using their chakra to harden their hair, they become a rotating ball of spikes, which will slice into anyone or anything that gets close. C-ranked Taijutsu. Canon Technique
Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu (Water Style: Giant Waterfall): A Ninjutsu technique utilizing the Water Element. After doing the needed hand seals, a column of water will circle the ninja and then a large force of water will erupt to hit the attacker. Due to the force of the water, the target will be fully enveloped by the water and be at its mercy as it pulls them away. A-ranked Ninjutsu. Canon Technique.
Hyouton: Kirigakure no Jutsu (Ice Style: Hidden Mist Technique): Definition reserved for next chapter. Original Technique.
Absolutely Natural Pearl Surprise (Chou Tennen Pearl Present): Pearl throws a shield-punch similar to Pearl Surprise (his standard punch), only much harder. The joke behind the attack's name is that the stronger attack is named after a higher-value pearl. Canon Technique.
Pearl Cymbals (Pearl Close): Pearl slams two or more of his pearl shields against an opponent, ideally the head. Canon Technique.
Tarnished Silver Surprise (Service Pearl Ishibigin Present): Pearl leaps into the air and lands head-first onto his opponent, crushing them using his helmet pearl and his weight.
Gatsuuga (Duel Piercing Fang): A supreme Taijutsu technique of the Juujin Bunshin style of combat. After the familiar transforms into a copy of the clan member, both the familiar and ninja will begin a spinning attack. The preferred time to attack is when their opponent is showing an opening. Using this chance, the fast rotating of the two attackers will cause a damaging impact on their opponent when they connect with their claws. While using this technique, both attackers are able to rotate and strike from multiple angles. C-ranked Taijutsu. Canon Technique.
Nami's Ultimate Idiot Competition – Luffy: 49, Naruto: 58. Currently on hold due to Nami's departure.
May the Kage Bunshin and Gomu Gomu no Bazooka be with you!
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or Naruto. They belong to their respective owners: Eiichiro Oda and Masashi Kishimoto. Big thanks to Paintball-Gamer for beta-reading this!