Disclaimer: One Piece is the property of Eiichiro Oda. Many of the characters in this story are property of me. Do not use this story or its characters without my permission. Thank you.
Dean twitched once. Then once more. Then his whole body started to shake as he raised his arms to feel around at his horridly shattered ribs. Thankfully, his ribs were still in solid pieces, although most likely fractured. He hesitantly and shakily raised himself back up to his feet, tripping once and landing on his fist. 'Lockout's' eyes were wide and flaring with anger he hadn't felt in a very long time.
"Well?" the young man's voice sounded out not to far away, "what now, old man?" Dean looked up slowly and threateningly, bearing his blood-spattered teeth. Bard was hopping to-and-fro like a boxer with one fist at his chest and the other swinging rhythmically at his waist. He was smiling and bright eyed, further pressing Dean into a homicidal rage.
"…" Was Dean's angry response. He glared with a heated passion, as if his glare itself would stir the misty air. He watched Bard, the young object of his blood-lust, with terrible menace. He just couldn't wait to rip into Bard's flesh and flay him with bare fists.
In the middle of Dean's mental ranting, Bard disappeared.
"ORA!" Bard screeched as he sunk his fist deep into Dean's exposed face. Dean, now completely awake, repaid Bard by grabbing onto his arm and using the kinetic force of Bard's own punch to throw him down the street. Bard wiggled himself into a proper position as he flew through the air and skidded down the wooden streets on his hands and knees with his head down. The ground, however, was still rather slick, and Bard was stopped as he rolled onto his back ad bounded back up to his feet with a smile.
Dean started charging down the street at Bard, unwillingly giving him plenty of time to search for a weak point.
His armor is pretty funky Bard thought as he concentrated hard on his opponent's movement. It's way to narrow for me to punch, but I bet if keep my hand flat and get him under the ribs, I can get him staggering again. Once he's off balance, I'll give him a good kick to stay down with and wait to see if he gets up again. The time came, as Dean was very closely upon a ready and smiling Bard. With straightened fingers, Bard thrusted his hand with every available muscle through a narrow slot in Dean's armor. Bard's hit connected with only more metal, and his face was connected with Dean's fist.
"OW! CRAP, OOOOW!" Bard screamed as he staggered backwards. Dean continued at an unbroken pace and delivered a hard kick to Bard's stomach. Bard slid back and continued to cradle his possibly broken fingers, apparently unaware that he had been hit twice now. Bard's eyes shot up to try and study his opponent's armor once again, attempting to find the flaw that nearly bent his hand backwards. It seemed that Bard's opponent had a cracking plate of solid metal shielding against his skin.
"EYES UP, YOUNG FOOL!" Dean had closed in while Bard was studiously analyzing his opponent, but he was ready. Dean launched another punch to Bard's face, which was dodged and intercepted between Bard's biceps and forearm. Dean continued his attack, attempting a quick jab with his free arm. In mid-swing, Bard's other hand caught the fist and clenched it hard. Bard looked up with a devious grin across his bruised face.
"Bard's New Move!" Bard said enthusiastically. He raised his right leg up and placed it perpendicular to Dean's barred stomach and tensed it up. It's the same basic principal, I guess Bard thought at the last minute, throwing the final minute touches on his new impromptu finisher. "Super…" Bard started as his leg started to draw back almost against Bard's chest. Dean tried his best to back away from the obvious attack, but was caught fast in Bard's hold.
"SORU-STOMP!" Bard's leg moved back and forth so fast, even he couldn't follow it. The bars started to give way, and seemed to be melting against the sheer force and speed of Bard's kicks. Dean could feel the pain slowly creeping his way as his body shook uncontrollably against the sheer force of Bard's attack. Finally, a very audible crack and shatter was heard, followed by the muffled cries of pain from the dementedly outmatched bounty hunter as bard's leg began to pummel against bare skin.
Dean flew back willingly after he wrenched his arms free from Bard's insane grip and slid back onto his knees, holding his stomach as if his guts were about to come spewing out. He gasped and tried to focus on the wooden ground, watching the thick rain drops from his head and splash onto the ground. As his vision stabilized, he saw the rain underneath him turn slowly red.
"Hooo!" Bard squealed, kicking his leg up in the air and slowly brining it back to the floor. Steam shot up as the rain made contact with his pantleg and boot. Bard assumed a new, more arrogant pose, with both hands open and thumbs folded inward, pointing up against his sides. He shot one open palm forward and faced the edge of his bladed hand at Dean. "Next round, old man" Bard half-growled. Dean looked up with wildly shaking eyes and a bloody, grinning mouth.
"Sure" he replied menacingly as he steadily rose up to his feet and prepared. This would be a truly mad fight.
The elite guards of 'Lockout' Dean were staggering down the street, now in half of their original numbers, trying to find some sign of allied presence. The mast was still rolling along after them, but at a pace they could easily crawl away from. Most of them were moving on momentum and the grace of the gods that let their bones not break yet. None of them could breathe normally, from all of the running and screaming they had been doing. Finally, some hope glimmered in the distance.
The bounty hunters rushed along with a second wind, trying not to drag their feet. They could hear the feint sounds of people talking amongst themselves. Soon, the faded vision came into focus, and the bounty hunters were staring down the wrong ends of a solid legion of gun barrels wielded by pirates.
"'Sup, guys?" one pirate asked jokingly. The pirates were smiling murderously at their enemies, who were just now coming to terms with their fate and raising their hands over their heads. The elites fell to their knees and started to cry lightly.
"Avenge us, Sir Dean…" one poor elite mumbled as the pirates encroached upon him with rope and wood.
"MARCO!" yelled one man as he hit another on the head, "THIS IS YOUR FAULT!" The man who received the hit, Marco of the Buster Pirates, rubbed his new wound carefully and looked back up tentatively. The rest of the Buster Pirates were staring daggers at him for, once again, getting them lost. And in the woods, no less.
"Yeah, well…" Marco started as he formed his excuse on his feet, "those back roads were tricky, and that fog was way to foggy! How was I supposed to know where I was going?" Marco pleaded. A group of five very muscular pirates shook their heads synchronically.
"We're ashamed of you, Marco." The tallest and meatiest one said dejectingly. "You've forgotten yourself yet again. We aren't the same pirates we were only a few days ago." The group started flexing their muscles and growling loudly. "We're Bard's Buster Pirates!" The huge man roared as he flexed and posed over the others.
"We must find and aid the captain!" another grunted out.
"You guys are idiots, y'know?" Marco rebutted.
"You're the idiot!" one shouted. Soon enough, the entire crew was arguing among themselves over who was and wasn't stupid and whether or not to just start heading back. As they all exchanged insults and retorts to those insults, a creature stalked them in the dark of the woods. The brush rustled and the branches shifted from the rain and wind, then a loud hiss was heard. All the pirates fell instantly silent. They started looking around with paranoia.
"Shh…" Marco hushed. "Something's out here" he whispered. All the pirates started drawing their swords and loading their guns, moving tightly together. Those without weapons just darted their eyes about and flexed menacingly.
"Just like Marco to get us lost and in mortal danger" one pirate whispered softly in Marco's direction. Marco seethed under his bandana and waited for something to happen. No noise for several moments. Not even the rain was sounding.
"It must've left" one burly pirate announced. Everyone became slightly more lax afterwards.
"I guess it got scared of us!" the muscular leader proclaimed. Again, however, the hiss was heard. This time, it was much louder and no one was able to spring into action. A dark and narrow form was lurching about in the shadows.
"Haaaah…" the creature hissed in a hollow voice. "Thy lives are gone" it lowed. The pirates became agitated and re-readied themselves to defend.
"Yeah right, ugly!" Marco shouted from the front of the line. "No one messes with the Buster Pirates and gets away with all their bones! Ready!?" Marco raised his sword, prompting everyone capable to aim their rifles at the slim figure in the darkness. "AIM!"
And with that whatever the phantasm was slithered away into the darkness. Marco and the pirates stood with curious looks at the now empty scene. One rifle was fired and the rest turned to the trigger-happy pirate.
"Sorry" he goofily shrugged. Marco sighed and motioned with his hands for everyone to follow.
"C'mon, guys. Let's find Bard and see what we can do…"
"Aw, no," the overly-anxious giant man shouted as he tackled past Marco. "We ain't following you no more! Bard's Pirates, HO!" his four cohorts cheered 'HO' with him as they ran off through the woods. The rest started jogging to catch up and vanished into the darkness.
"The Buster Pirates are allies in thessse desssperate timesss, sssso it hasss been decccided…" the slithering figure spoke to himself as he watched the pirates rush off noisily. "Now, to reconnoiter with my kinsssmen and lend my helping hands to our campaign…" With that, the lanky giant slithered off through the shadows and towards the now brightly lit city. The underhanded ace of the Ninpo Pirate's information network had wonderful news to deliver indeed.
