Chapter 8: Foolish Needle Techniques
"It's about time they start dying down," the cook noted after he exhaled a cloud of smoke before. He then landed a kick to the jaw of the enemy that stood before him. After receiving many deadly blows, finally the soldier gave out completely.
"Tamago Boshi (Egg Star)! Hissatsu Namari Boshi (Sure-Kill Lead Star)! Usopp Noise! Usopp Wagomu (Rubberband)! Usopp Hammer! ….That was too easy," the long-nosed sharpshooter bragged while breathing heavily from delivering his various sorts of attacks. "If I had eaten breakfast, I could've taken them all down by myself!" Before he could exaggerate his abilities any further, a bloody soldier jumped him from behind. "Aaaaaah! Get him off of me! I'm going to die!!! Ahhh, I'm dead," he cried while he was still running around.
"I don't think a dead person can be running around with so much energy like he is," Sanji assured Usopp.
"Gomu Gomu no Pistol!" The stretched out punch just barely missed his nakama as it striked the desperate enemy in the face. The enemy lifelessly dropped back to the floor.
"Luffy, be more careful, could you?!?!?! Did you know how close you came to hitting me?!?!?!" he cried.
"My bad, but the brave warrior of the sea could've taken it no problem, right?" Luffy joked with a goofy grin on his face. Three guys closed in on him, but as soon as they got within range, Luffy pushed them away with his famous Gomu Gomu no Fuusen, and combo'd it up with Gomu Gomu no Gatling Gun, while they were still in midair.
"Well, of course! I mean what can a little rubbery punch do to me!" Usopp boasted, "It was just that I was planning for an ultimate-super-strong attack and you interrupted me, that's all!" Another soldier rushed forth with a kunai in hand, intending to stab him, as he spoke.
"Watch out!" Sanji yelled from behind.
Usopp caught sight of the enemy and rolled away just in the nick of time. He then prepared a launch of ketchup and mustard and launched it to his eyes. While occupied with wiping the mess off his face and clearing his vision, he was met with plentiful kicks to the groin, delivering the already-dead soldier to a painful close of his life.
Luffy proudly laughed as he dodged an oncoming attack from the various assailants. With just two guys left, he performed a Gomu Gomu no Rocket to clear the field of any more foes.
"Well, that was fun. Not very challenging, but I haven't got a workout like this in a while, so I'm satisfied!" he commented.
"Like I said, too easy," Usopp told them as he bent over from exhaustion and fatigue.
"Don't rest too easy yet, guys. More of them are coming this way…," Sanji stated, as he took out a new cigarette from his pack.
Usopp stood up straight with a dead-serious look on his face. "Guys," he said, "I think I have caught the can't-fight-anymore-so-you-guys-should-do-all-the-work-now disease upon staying at this exotic island (only Nami and possibly Robin has realized that this isn't an island so far) for too long, so you guys handle it and I'll take care of the rest from the sideline." He immediately ran over to the bushes to hide.
"Don't worry, Usopp! It'll all be over soon!" Luffy reassured his nakama, while he winded up his arm.
Then, in a blink of an eye, 3 ninjas and a casually dressed man appeared before them. The three ninjas were of medium-sized height and no other noticeable characteristics about them were standing in the front, while an awkwardly tall and skinny man stood behind them. He had short spiky hair and wore a red tank top with jean shorts.
"So these punks are the one we're supposed to recover. They don't look much though, leader…," one said.
"Don't let your eyes fool you! But you guys are right though… Anyways, try to save some action for me!" the tall one ordered.
"Yes sir!" they obeyed.
Two ninjas faced the adversary that stood in front of them (Sanji and Luffy), while the other turned to the side, to catch a glimpse of the coward in the bushes.
"Oh crap!"
"You ready to knock 'em out cold, Shin?" one asked the other as he gave a threatening glance at the casually dressed straw hat pirate.
"You kidding me? I've been fighting little punks like them while you've been sucking your fingers as a child. You're damn right I'm ready!"
Before they could take a step forward, though, the brief fight has already been decided.
"Selle!"
"Gomu Gomu no Pistol!"
The two men were sent flying, while the two pirates gave a short sigh on the brevity of that fight. They were expecting something more enticing.
"Is that all?" Luffy asked in a bored manner.
"Well, there's still the other ninja and this guy right here," the blonde cook indicated. He turned to where the other ninja was standing at earlier, but noticed that that person no longer was there. Not in sight even.
"UWAHHHHHHHH!" a familiar voice cried out from deeper in the woods.
"Usopp… Luffy, I'm going on ahead!" Sanji said as he attempted to make a dash in the direction of Usopp's voice. However, before he can get too far, three needles punctured the ground in front of him, a clear indication of challenge.
"What's the hurry? Why don't we go a couple of rounds first? I promise that after all of this is done, you will meet up with your friends again. However, I' am at no liberty to say when and where," the man in front of them said in a sly manner. "But before we get any further, allow me to introduce myself. They call me Xiaofin. I was born in Raofu, a land very distant from here. Ever since I was a boy, I knew I wanted to become an acupuncturist. You see, my father carried the same profession, and…"
"NO NEED TO TELL YOUR WHOLE LIFE STORY!" Luffy and Sanji interrupted impatiently.
"Very well then. Now, let us be…"
"Gomu Gomu no Bullet!" Luffy shouted as he shot his rubbery arm out toward the face of the enemy.
Xiaofin, however, masterfully maneuvered himself out of harm's way, allowing the dangerous punch to shoot past him. Once the attack lost its momentum, he grabbed the stretched arm.
"Now, now," he began while staring at Luffy's hand and pulling out a long, thin needle. "I didn't say 'sta…"
However, he was interrupted again. While he was taking his time, Sanji ran down along the stretched arm to the other side and landed a ferocious heel to the jaw of the enemy before he could say anymore. Xiaofin was knocked to the ground, and scratching himself among the rough dirt until he hit a tree.
Xiaofin immediately got back up to his feet and took a deep breath.
"I DIDN'T SAY START YET! GOD DAMN IT, CAN YOU GUYS JUST BE A LITTLE PATIENT!" he shouted, while a visible bruised appeared on his jaw.
"With such a climatic entrance, I expected something better of you bastards. I guess I set my standards too high," Sanji commented while he exhaled the smoke from his cigarette.
The enemy gave a small grin due to the fact how little he was being thought of. A split second later, he suddenly pulled out 5 needles and aimed them all at the cook. "Headshot!"
Sanji could barely see it coming at him and only just barely manage to avoid it by bending backwards (Matrix style dodge). "What the hell is he? He shoots out those things at an unbelievable speed and I was lucky to even see then coming, let alone dodge it!"
"SANJI!!!"
Before the warning of Luffy could be heard, though, Xiaofin already closed in the distance between him and Sanji. While the cook was still in a dodging motion, the acupuncturist quickly took advantage and kneed the side of his head. Before he could fall over, he continued the assault with a flip onto top of Sanji and landed a parade of stomps onto his chest. After that, he targeted 4 needles to each arm and leg to lock him in place with the ground. The needles stabbed him through the wrists and ankles and pierce through the ground beneath it, holding the cook still.
"It's payback time, asshole! STOMACHACHE!"
With 4 other needles in hand, he stabbed him into four specific spots around the stomach. With an instant flush of internal pain, Sanji cried out in extreme agony as the effects of the technique kicked in.
"Although I do love to see your suffering, I must end this in a timely manner. Time to knock you out cold! NAUSEA!"
With another needle he just pulled out, he intended to stab it on top of the pirate's head. Sanji struggled to break loose, but with the tremendous pain from the last technique still going on inside of him, it proved futile. Before contact with the needle was made, Luffy wasted no time to assist his nakama.
"Gomu Gomu no Muchi!" A powerful sweep of the rubber leg came toward the acupuncturist, forcing him to cancel his current plans to avoid the attack. The sweeping managed to knock out all of the needles from Sanji's body, freeing him from both the restriction of his body and the effects of Xiaofin's "Stomachache". Sanji immediately rolled away and got back up to face the enemy once again.
"What a shame! And here I thought I could take down one guy before I have to get serious."
"Unfortunately, now I have to get serious…," Sanji said quietly as he took the last puff of his cigarette before throwing it down to the ground. He sent off a deadly stare while he pressed on the cigarette with his feet. Then without a warning he dashed forth.
"Epaule!" He proclaimed as he targeted the right shoulder of Xiaofin. The acupuncturist just barely managed to move his targeted shoulder out of the way. However, Sanji didn't finish there. Immediately as he witnessed the unguarded face of the enemy, he quickly threw out another kick. "Joue Shoot!" The attack hit his cheek dead on, forcing him to mis-step to the side, leaving him unbalanced and vulnerable. "Côtelette!" A deadly kick to the ribs. "Gigot!" A leg sweep making him fall over, and then a "Reception!" A hook to the shoulder and neck with his feet of Xiaofin as he's falling back and then a slam forth in the opposite direction.
Sanji wasn't done yet, and was ready to plant the heel of his shoe to the enemy's head, but the enemy launched a counter assault before that could happen while still lying on the ground.
"PURPLE NURPLE!" A needle pierced to each breast of the blonde cook. Sanji first looked dully, thinking it was either a failed attack or just extremely weak. Seconds later, he dropped to his knees, the effects of the twisting of his nipples started to kick in.
"This guy's strength is no joke. Plus his legs are so freakin' quick and agile, it's annoying!" thought Xiaofin. He slowly got up and again got ready for a finishing attack on the target that stood before him.
Before he got the chance though, Sanji ripped out the needles from his chest and "boot" him. Xiaofin blocked the blow, but was pushed back.
"I'm getting sick of your freakin' stupid techniques! I'll make sure this last hit will make sure you understand that you and your organization are dealing with the wrong people…."
"Before that though…., LOOK OUT, THERE'S A HUGE DINOSAUR BEHIND YOU!" he bluffed.
"Where? Where?" Luffy asked loudly from far back.
"I sure got a stupid ass captain…," Sanji thought in distress, "You remind me of a nakama I have. Don't feel bad after I'm done with you. I usually kick his ass too when he's acting like an idiot."
With that said, he dash forth, quickly closing in the space. However, the end wasn't as near as Sanji proclaimed, with a smirk of confidence on Xiaofin's face as a leading indicator.
"Athlete's Feet!" Two needles came flying at the spot Sanji was dashing toward to, leaving his feet vulnerable to the attack.
Sanji tried to brake but was still moving forward due to the velocity of the initial rush, so he hopped high enough to avoid it, leaving him completely vulnerable in mid-air long enough for the enemy to capitalize.
"I'm not such an idiot now, am I? SEIZURE!" In an instant, two golden long needles blasted toward his neck.
"YOU LIAR!!!!!" Luffy's voice boomed. Just at the nick of time, a tree was launched forth from behind Sanji, pushing him forward, allowing the aim of the deadly attack to miss completely. Sanji immediately pushed himself to the side with his legs to jump out of the destructive path of the attack Luffy just created.
"Don't you have a better way to enter into the fight?!?!? That attack on me could've been used to the enemy's advantage!" Sanji yelled.
Luffy just showed off his usual goofy grin and ran to where Sanji was. "Where's that guy anyway?"
"I was too distracted to notice. Although that guy don't look much, he won't be easy to take care of. He probably used that chance to attack us from where we can't see him…."
However, right after Sanji said that, they found Xiaofin lying under one of the trees that Luffy's thrown tree knocked over. They could also hear his pathetic groan as they stared at him dully.
"Sanji I think you're giving him way too much credit…."
"Shut up…"
Xiaofin then pulled himself out with an angry look on his face. "Your sense of teamwork is praiseworthy!"
"No, you just suck," they both said at the same time.
"Well, we'll see what you have to say about that after…" he said before a familiar attack interrupted his speech.
"Takusei Tabasco Boshi!" The deluxe tabasco star hit the target as it was aimed, and soon, the guy was running in circle begging for water.
"That's our cue," Sanji stated.
"Hah, I knew Usopp won't go down that easily…."
Both pirates dashed forth. Sanji continued straight ahead, while Luffy jumped onto a high tree that was directly above Xiaofin.
Sanji slowed down once he reached the dancing Xiaofin and just grinned at his patheticness. "Don't bite more than you can chew. You're only wasting your energy and time by doing so… Anti-Manner Kick Course!"
The vertical kick rocketed him straight into the air toward where Luffy stood on a high branch on a tall tree. "Bye! Gomu Gomu no…, Storm!" Soon, a destructive barrage of punches pounded the enemy further and further up. Exactly right after the final punch sent him flying to wherever he came from, it all ended with a flash with Usopp's aid.
"Hissatsu Hanabi (Sure-Kill Fireworks)!" Truly a beautiful finish! Truly a grand "Farewell Package" (couldn't think of a better name)!
The gang regrouped as they head back into town.
"So, Usopp, how did you do against the guy that chased you into the woods?" a curious captain asked.
"Do you need to ask? I took him down just like that," he said followed by a snap of the finger.
"No, really."
"What? That's the exact truth. Is it so hard to believe that I completely dominated an opponent?"
"Yeah, basically," both of his nakama replied.
"Well…., he tripped on a tree root and I pounded him senseless with a hammer, okay? That's still a victory, right?"
Both guys grinned and just nodded as they continued walking.
After a brief silence, Luffy's stomach interrupted with a loud growl. "I'm hungggrryyyyy. Sanji, meat!"
Author's Notes: A resurrection with what I think a decent-but-not-great fighting chapter without beloved heroes from the Grand Line. Hopefully this update can regroup my old readers and catch some new ones as well. Also, thank you to a recent reviewer to remind me that I still have an obligation to complete.
For the combo ideas, I don't think I can use them with the current fight pairings I have so far. Paying attention to the details on chapter 6 should give you the background you need to create combo ideas for me if you're interested. Anyways, read and review. Hell, even if you don't read it, still review it. Sure you won't have much to say, but I won't mind. I'm doing it all for the stats, baby!
PS: I promise I won't say "baby" again if that will also help increase my stats!