Aha! A fight chapter! -laughs like a maniac- Don't ask. I've been watching way too much anime. -shakes head- One Piece has been messing with my head.

Thanks to Clare for beta-ing!

Btw: I will not be updating next week, and maybe not the week after because I am going away. So, I apologise for this, k? Sorry peoples.

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Chapter 21: Arlong's end

Nami ran along the corridor, poking her head into rooms and looking around, trying to find the others, or at least some sign that they were close by. She ran past a door and saw a flash of black. Zoro had a black shirt. She skidded to a stop and twisted around, running back to the door.

"Zoro?" she inquired. There was movement in the room and then a green head was stuck straight out in front of her. Zoro blinked for a moment.

"Nami?" he asked and then he was thrown forwards as Sanji burst out of the room.

"Ah, my wonderful Nami has come back to me!" he cried and then stopped, "Are you alright?" Nami was a little shocked that he hadn't put a pet name on the end of that.

"Ah, yeah I'm fine. Zoro, Sanji, Luffy needs you all downstairs to help. He's fighting Arlong." she said. Zoro jumped up from where he had been laying against the wall.

"Luffy?" he asked, "Why's he fighting ar-what's-his-face for?"

"He's fighting him… because he's defending me." she replied, a little guilty. Zoro blinked and then a stern expression came to his face.

"Let's go Sanji. Usopp, Chopper, you guys come too." the swordsman ordered. He didn't seem angry with her, just concerned. More than likely about Luffy's well-being. Nami smiled.

"I'll show you the way." and she was about to turn around when Nojiko appeared from the room. Nami's eyes widened and then she bit her lip as she looked at her sister.

"Nami." Nojiko said, a smile coming to her face. The orange haired girl hurried forward and hugged her sister. Nojiko chuckled.

"I'm sorry." Nami said. Nojiko smiled and shook her head as she hugged her sister in return.

"It's not your fault." she replied, "It was Arlong who forced you to do all this."

"But, I shouldn't…" and Nojiko stepped back from her sister and took her by the shoulders.

"We understand." Genzo said as he moved out of the room, aided by Usopp. Nami looked over and then smiled when she saw Genzo. There was a loud crash from downstairs and Zoro looked up.

"Luffy…" he muttered and then turned to Nami, "We need to get going!" Nami blinked and then her expression became determined.

"Right." and she ran back towards where she had come from. Zoro, Sanji, and Chopper hurrying behind.

---

Luffy ran down the stairs, a determined smile on his face. He was gonna win this. He could feel it. Luffy reached the bottom of the stairs and then skidded to a stop, his arms wind milling as he looked down at his own reflection in the water beneath him. He regained his balance and then blinked down at the indoor pool in front of him.

"…that's cool." he muttered and then leaned over it, scratching at his nose as he did so.

"It's him!" a voice said behind him. Luffy blinked and turned around to see the guy who had originally caught him, standing there, a smug look on his face, "We've been wondering where you went."

"Well you don't have to wonder any longer, I'm right here." Luffy responded. The man laughed, his blonde hair shining in the light.

"True." and he lashed out, catching Luffy around the throat. The boy choked as he was lifted from the floor. Luffy grabbed the blonde's wrists and tried to pry them away from his throat, but, he couldn't seem to dig his fingers in or get a good hold on the weird skin. The man holding him smiled evilly.

"Won't be able to do that. Extensive training in the water has enable me to become fishlike, and slippery." he mocked. Luffy gritted his teeth and brought his leg up, but the man dodged him and Luffy gasped again as the hand tightened, becoming weaker with each breath he couldn't take.

Luffy felt his body giving up and he willed himself to hold on. Nami would be back with the others soon, and they would help him. Just as Luffy began seeing spots dancing before his eyes and his body was limp from a lack of oxygen, something hit the man in front of him in the back, knocking him forward and making him release Luffy's neck.

The boy crumpled to the floor and gasped for breath, his hand coming up to hold his throat and massage the bruised flesh. He looked up and saw Usopp standing at the top of the stairs, the gun in his hand still aimed at the blonde haired weirdo. Luffy grinned.

"Perfect timing." he muttered before looking around. The blonde was seething with anger, his eyes fixed upon Usopp as the marksman took a step backwards.

"You…" the man growled before bounding up the stairs and after Usopp.

"You'll never catch me!" Usopp cried as he ran down the corridor, the man hot on his heels. Luffy stood up and looked around.

"Luffy!" Zoro's voice called. The boy looked around and saw the swordsman, the chef and Nami at the top of the stairs. Nami was standing with two people he didn't know. Zoro smiled and Luffy grinned again.

"You're late." he replied.

"Didn't know there was a time limit." the swordsman responded before coming down the stairs. Sanji followed but Nami stayed at the top of the stairs. She smiled at Luffy as the boy gave her a short wave.

"Choo?" a voice called. Luffy turned towards the room to his left. Zoro came to stand beside him and Sanji moved to stand on his other side.

"Shall we?" Sanji asked. Luffy and Zoro nodded and they walked forward. As they entered the room, three men appeared before them. The first was a weird looking guy with white spiked up hair, the second looked like he couldn't decide whether he wanted to be a guy or a girl.

He had ponytails on either side of the head, admittedly they were short, but, still, they were ponytails. Not to mention the long, plaited piece that ran down his back. The third, was the creepiest of all.

His nose would have rivalled Usopp's, and it was shaped strangely, sort of like it belonged on a swordfish. He was large, and looked faintly blue. His eyes were dark and slanted, and his teeth were white, and glinting as he smiled at them.

Zoro glanced at Luffy and noticed the set jaw. Luffy was planning on attacking, and nothing Zoro said or did would have possibly prevented it. Not that the swordsman was going to anyway. He was up for a good fight. He looked over at Sanji and smirked.

"You take girly boy, I'll take starfish head." he muttered. Sanji looked back at him, curly eyebrow raised.

"Deal, and the last one to win, has to wear one of Nami's skirts… with her lovely permission of course." Sanji replied. Zoro raised and eyebrow and then nodded, turning back to watch Luffy.

"Hello, and who may you be?" the one with the long nose asked.

"We're Nami's friends." Luffy returned in a strong, and commandeering voice. The man in the chair looked over at the spiky haired one.

"Hear that? Nami has friends." and the three laughed, the laughter cutting off abruptly from the long nosed one as he stood, "Nami has no friends. We're her friends. So why don't you toddle off, and go annoy someone else?"

"I think I'll stick around and annoy you." Sanji commented. Luffy glanced at him and smiled.

"My feet are planted. Can't move em'. How ironic." Zoro added. Luffy glanced at him and beamed.

"Looks like you're going to have to deal with us… Arlong." Luffy said as he turned to face the weird man again. The man frowned and then laughed again.

"Nami sold you out, and she blamed it on me, and now you want revenge. I see. Well, how about this? Why don't you just go back to the hole that you climbed from, and die! I don't have the time to deal with a little baby like you!" Arlong yelled, his anger and voice rising with every syllable. Luffy raised an eyebrow, not even phased. He didn't care if someone yelled in his face, he didn't care if someone told him to die, but, he did care if someone called him a baby.

"Nami's our friend, and you won't boss her around any more!" Luffy yelled and ran forward. Zoro and Sanji took their queue from the boy and leapt towards their respective 'dance' partners.

Sanji flipped onto his hands as he reached the man in front of him. He swung out a leg and it connected against a solid bone. He paused and looked up, his eyes widening to see the weird girly boy had blocked the attack. Sanji let his body roll forward, and performed a neat roll that let him spring back onto his feet again. The man he had just attacked was watching him.

"I have the highest level in karate in this area. You will not beat me." he said.

"Oh yeah? What's your name?" Sanji asked as he tapped his left toe against the ground and undid the buttons on the front of his jacket.

"Kuroobi. Now, prepare for my brick fist." and Kuroobi slammed a palm outwards. Sanji dodged to the side, his lithe and thin body easily becoming a small target as he moved side on.

"Missed." the chef mocked. Kuroobi frowned and brought a leg up, which Sanji easily blocked using his own, "Ouch, better luck next time."

"You mock me?"

"Hmm… yes."

"How dare you?" and then Kuroobi slammed his fist into Sanji's chest, and to the chef's annoyance and pain, he was sent flying across the room and into the wall, where he lay still, rather dazed.

---

Zoro placed Wadau between his teeth, a green piece of material wrapped around his head.

"Is that to keep me from slicing your head open?" the white head asked and then guffawed rather stupidly at his own rather… stupid joke. Zoro rolled his eyes and pulled the other two swords free of their sheaths.

"Let's dance starfish head." he growled.

"My name's Hachi, and in case you hadn't heard, I am able to wield six swords!" the man cried. Zoro blinked.

"Six swords?" he asked, not really believing it. He didn't let his shock or disbelief show though.

"Yep! Just watch!" and the man raced over to a wall. Zoro sighed. This was gonna take longer than he thought. He didn't want to wait. He wanted to fight now!

"Ha ha!" Hachi cried as he ran back, three swords in each hand. Each sword was held strongly between two fingers and Zoro sighed. This guy was going to be a piece of cake. He was weak on his feet, he had no control over those swords, and least of all , he didn't have any respect for his blades. That was something every swordsman needed to understand, learn and then use.

Your blades were a part of you, no matter how they were wielded, who they were wielded against, or what they were wielded for. They were extensions of the innermost part of you, that lusted for blood, or had a strong desire for a certain dream or inspirational gift.

It was what was supposed to drive every swordsman. And as Zoro looked upon this… man, he could see there was nothing. If the blades could, they would turn around and stab their own master through the heart. Zoro could tell. He smiled around the handle in his mouth, teeth crunching against the hard bone of the handle.

"You don't respect those blades. I can tell. They'll turn on you." he growled. Hachi blinked and then frowned.

"Blades are metal dummy, they don't feel or know anything." Hachi responded, looking at Zoro as though he were an idiot. Zoro chuckled.

"A blade is only as strong, as the spirit of the one who wields it. And your blades, … are butter." and Zoro leapt forward, swinging his left hand up and his right hand down while the sword in his mouth was turned so it had a clear shot at Hachi's body, but to Zoro's surprise and much annoyance, Hachi let his body fall to the side, leaving Wadau to cut straight through one of the spike's on starfish's head. Oh dear.

"You cut my hair!" Hachi yelled and then began pumping his arms up and down, "You'll pay for that."

---

Luffy twisted under Arlong's punch, and threw his shoulder upwards and straight into the weird man's naked stomach. The Hawaiian shirt had fallen open during their recent scuffle and Luffy was taking the advantage to hit a usually weak spot.

But this man, he was solid muscle in that area and Luffy was left with a blinding shoulder pain. He was still injured after all. His vision split in two as he stumbled backwards and Arlong laughed.

"I told you, you stupid kid. Don't mess with Arlong." and he dived forward, aiming to use his abnormally long fingernails to scratch Luffy to pieces. But the boy was stronger, and smarter, than that and he spun to the left, dodging the grabbing hands and bringing up a leg to slam it straight down into Arlong's back. There was a loud crunch as the crime lord hit the floor and his nose broke. Luffy grinned.

"Now we're even." the boy said. Arlong roared as he got back up again and held a hand to his profusely bleeding nose.

"You're gonna pay for that you little brat." he spat. Luffy grinned.

"With cash or cheque?" he asked cheerily and then jumped backwards as a fist was swung at him. He twisted around and brought his leg up in a roundhouse kick, but it found thin air and Luffy paused as he looked around. Arlong… was nowhere to be seen.

---

Sanji groaned and sat up, a hand instinctively going to the back of his head. That had been a hard hit… the wall, not the punch. He slowly got to his feet, the room spinning crazily. He obviously had a concussion and he would have to finish this fight soon, lest he pass out.

And wouldn't that be a lovely thing to do. He became suddenly and acutely aware of the fact that someone was standing in front of him and he looked up just in time to see a fist come straight towards his face. Sanji's visible eye widened and he ducked down, the fist colliding into the wall with a sickening crunch. Kuroobi grabbed at his hand but other than that, showed no sign of pain.

"How you got back up again after my brick fist the first time, I do not know, but you won't get up this time." and he swung out his uninjured hand. Sanji ducked again, but this time, he let himself fall forward onto his hands and brought his legs straight up, wrapping them around Kuroobi's neck.

Hooking his ankles together, he tightened his calves and then bent his knees and with a pull that made his head throb, he sent Kuroobi straight into the wall behind him, face first. Sanji chuckled as the man slid down and hit the floor.

"Idiot." and then he put a hand against his forehead, "Time to sit down." and he moved over to the wall and sat down against it, leaning heavily, "Where's that damn reindeer when you need him?"

---

Usopp poked his head out from behind a door and looked around. There was a loud crash and then a shadow appeared on the wall. Usopp cocked the hammer on the gun in his hand and pointed it carefully into the corridor.

"Can you see anything?" Chopper whispered beside him.

"A shadow." Usopp replied. That was when the shadow turned into the tall man that had been chasing them, "Now it's a man."

"I can hear you little needle nose." the man said. Usopp closed his mouth and glanced at Chopper, who blinked up at him.

"You scared?" Chopper mouthed. Usopp held out one hand that was shaking like a leaf.

"Terrified." he replied, also mouthing.

"Marco…" the man called, "Polo." and Usopp frowned. Now he was starting to get annoyed with all the games this guy was playing.

"I've had it." Usopp mouthed. Chopper grinned.

"Get him Usopp." Chopper replied. Usopp blinked. He hadn't been ready for Chopper to agree with him so readily. Actually, he didn't really want to do anything. He would much rather hide in the corner and shake like a madman until all of this was over. But… the look in Chopper's eyes made Usopp gulp and look back out into the corridor again.

"Come out already. You can't hide forever!" the man yelled. Usopp closed one eye and took aim, using his nose as a sight. Lightly running his finger down the trigger, he squeezed off a perfect shot that made the man fall to the ground and moan in pain. Chopper fidgeted.

"Do you think he's alright?" the little doctor asked. Usopp blinked.

"I don't know. I only hit him in the leg." the boy replied. Chopper bit his lip.

"Should I go look?"

"No! Let's just wait here until Zoro comes back."

"…but… what if he doesn't? I mean, he doesn't know where we are, right?" Chopper asked. Usopp frowned.

"Oh sure, just spoil my plan."

"Ah! I'm sorry Usopp!" Chopper panicked. Usopp sighed.

"I guess we can find somewhere else to go." he replied and then looked up at the groan that came from the man lying on the floor and his eyes widened, "Let's go." and he grabbed Chopper and reefed him out the door, bolting down the hallway and towards the stairs.

---

Zoro raised an eyebrow as Hachi ran for him, and he sighed. Hachi swung his swords down quicker than Zoro had expected though, and the santoryu artist suddenly found himself fighting for his life.

He blocked and moved to the side, throwing his weight around so he could better dodge the lethal strikes but Zoro noticed, the more frustrated Hachi got, the more sloppy and irregular the sword swings became.

"Hnh! Hold still!" Hachi yelled in a rather whiny voice.

"Like hell." Zoro replied before throwing his shoulder into an unprotected spot on Hachi's stomach and throwing the man backwards before twisting on his heel and bringing both swords down.

Hachi brought his swords up and blocked combining the strength of all six of the blades to create a rather strong cage that Zoro hadn't expected. The swordsman leapt backwards as Hachi crossed his blades and then threw them outwards, catching Zoro's shirt and ripping it.

"I liked that shirt." he growled before running forward again. Hachi brought his blades up, ready to block, but he never got the chance because Zoro let himself drop to his knee and he swung his other leg outwards, catching Hachi's ankles and knocking him over with a perfectly executed sweep kick. Before starfish head had a chance to recover, Zoro's foot was on his chest, and pushing down… hard.

"I'm not going to be a murderer just for you." he hissed before kicking the swords from Hachi's left arm, and then moved and kicked the right.

"Finito." Zoro growled and Hachi puffed his cheeks and then let out a surrendering breath.

"Fine. But Arlong will sort you out as soon as he is finished with that little pipsqueak." he said. Zoro ignored him as he turned and saw Sanji. He grimaced.

---

Luffy looked around and frowned. Where the hell had that fishy smelling guy gone? The boy barely heard a splash before he felt something whoosh past his ear and he turned to see Arlong moving past him at an alarming rate.

"Miss me?" Arlong called. Luffy didn't reply as he ran forward, aiming a punch for the crime lord's face. Arlong moved to dodge, but Luffy changed his footwork and his punch landed squarely against the crime lord's nose. There was a loud crunch and then Arlong stumbled backwards, hands over his face.

"That's twice!" the man yelled, his voice tinged with pain. Luffy grinned and shrugged.

"Should learn to be more careful…" and Luffy's smile turned to a frown, "and less sneaky." and he bent his knees and crouched ever so slightly as Arlong stood to his full height, which, for a man was pretty damn intimidating. But, to Luffy, it looked like a blowfish trying to scare off a potential predator.

"Let's play in my court, shall we?" Arlong growled before running forward and driving his shoulder into Luffy and knocking the two of them backwards. Luffy's heels went over the edge of the pool, and his arms wind milled for a moment before grabbing onto Arlong's shoulders.

"Going down." and Arlong let himself fall into the water, taking Luffy with him.

---

Zoro looked up as he heard the short splash. Looking over at Sanji, the chef looked straight back at him and then both men ran for the pool and looked over the edge.

"What the hell was that?" Sanji asked.

"It was Luffy and Arlong. I hope that bastard drowns." Zoro replied.

"…I don't think it's Arlong who's going to drown actually." and Sanji pointed at the water. Zoro barely glanced in the direction the chef was pointing before he dived into the water, Sanji shortly following.

Zoro swam as fast as he could towards where Arlong had Luffy by the throat with one hand and was continuously punching the boy in the stomach over and over again. Sanji came up beside him, but Zoro didn't pay any attention.

A stream of bubbles issued from his mouth as he brought his sword around. His reaction time was slowed by the weight of the water and his sword just didn't seem to sweep through as cleanly as he wished it would. Instead of hitting Arlong's arm and slicing through like he had planned, it hit the muscle and bounced away. Zoro blinked and then looked around as Sanji struck out with his leg and managed to release Luffy's throat from Arlong's hand.

The boy looked barely conscious… scratch that, he wasn't conscious at all! Zoro's eyes widened and he looked towards Sanji, who nodded and turned towards Arlong, who's eyes were burning with rage. Zoro dived down towards Luffy, leaving Sanji to his fight.

"I can talk underwater and hold my breath for a full five minutes… can you?" he asked as he looked towards Sanji. The chef raised an eyebrow before his lungs gave a short contraction that made him clap his hand over his mouth.

He needed air! Arlong chuckled, his voice strangely distorted under the water. Sanji turned around to begin swimming to the surface, but, he came face to face with two others. The starfish head, Hachi, and ponytails, Kuroobi.

Shit…

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-laughs nervously- you, ah, you don't like me for cutting it off there, do you? -grins- Meh! You'll live. How is my fighting description? Alright? -waits hopefully-

I would like to say a final word. Goodbye Steve Irwin. Crikey, you inspired many many people, and you will be sorely missed mate.

Leave a review for Steve, an Australian icon and legend and a fantastic Queenslander, and say goodbye to him. Steve, you rock mate!