A pain rang through his head like bells, as though his brain was bouncing against the inside of his skull. The Fishman groaned, his eyes still shut as he breathed heavily. He was moving again, yet it wasn't under his own control. He began to open his eyes, finding everything to be a blur. It felt like a minute before his eyes could finally adjust, creating a full picture.
As he thought, the ground was moving below him. He was facing down as he felt himself bump up and down. Seeing a pair of legs walking beneath him made it clear he was being carried by someone. He tried to move his feet, but it quickly became apparent that now not only were his hands bound, but his feet as well. He grit his sharp teeth. Slowly the Fishman's gaze rose, seeing another person's legs moving behind. His gaze rose further up the figure's body until finally he found the man's face.
The young man with the scar across his nose smiled as the Fishman locked eyes with him. The cloaked young man strode along at an easy pace after the person carrying the Fishman. He was relaxed and confident, but more than that his expression was like that of someone who knew something you didn't. It was the kind of smug face he wanted to punch as much as he could.
"Ah, so you're awake! I guess it must be those Fishman genes – Swimming around at the bottom of the sea must make anyone tough. Or perhaps you're a special case?" the young man questioned him, though it was uncertain if he was actually looking for an answer. The Fishman didn't care to answer regardless.
"Who… The hell… are you?" he growled, his brows furrowed as he bared his teeth. The young man didn't seem intimidated, but rather kept on smiling.
"You can call me Baldric, but let's not get off topic," Baldric spoke, raising a hand and pointing back to the Fishman. "Right now, this is all about you. Do you have a name?".
"Go to hell!" the Fishman snapped back. Baldric paused.
"Well, that's not a very nice name. I can see why you're always so angry…"
"It's always just a joke to you, isn't it?" the Fishman snarled, furious.
"Um, Baldric?" a third voice spoke, belonging to the large, rotund woman who carried the Fishman upon her shoulder. "Maybe we shouldn't-"
"Laughter is the best medicine, or so I'm told," Baldric remarked, ignoring Alyona's protests. The Fishman snarled again.
"It's always so easy to laugh, isn't it? But I made a promise to myself," the Fishman spoke, his whole body tensing. "I'll turn that laughter into tears! For you and every other Human!"
Baldric's smile began to fade as he looked into the Fishman's eyes. He could see burning hatred. There was no untruth to his words, he knew.
"You'd really make an enemy of the world, huh?" Baldric spoke, any trace of his usual jovial tone gone. "I guess we're not much different, then…"
"Watch your tongue," the Fishman responded, his eyes narrowing. "I won't be compared to a Human".
"It's true," Baldric replied. "I've seen this world for what it is, Fishman. All of its ugliness and all of its sickness. I can tell you've probably seen it too. So I want to help you".
"Help?" the Fishman repeated, almost spitting. "I've seen your kind's protectors and helpers, Human, and they didn't care! You expect me to trust you?!"
"To be honest? I doubt I can make you trust me," the young man remarked, his expression serious. "But if there is a chance… I'd like to make a deal with you. In addition to your freedom, I'll agree to any terms you want. And in return, I want your help for just this night. Is that a deal you can make?"
Alyona swallowed a lump in her throat as she continued to walk, her body tensing as she listened. She glanced back over her shoulder, attempting to watch the conversation as it played out between the two men. But for a long time, there was only a silent pause.
"… Kai," the Fishman spoke at last, breaking the silence. "My name is Kai".
The room was large and mostly empty, save for a wooden desk. In the center of the room a group of half a dozen hostages had been tied up, surrounded by two dozen men. In addition to the two-dozen men, two men and a young girl stood behind the desk.
The young girl was blonde, wearing a green kimono. She sat on the desk with her arms bound to her sides by a rope, along with her legs. Behind the desk was a tall man in a tiger-striped shirt who wore a pair of gauntlets. And of course, next to him was a large, muscular man in the black Captain's coat who carried a large iron club on his back.
The young girl, Madoka, had discovered that the tall man with the gauntlets was the First Mate and went by the name Onigawara. He seemed relaxed and confident, leaning against the back wall with his arms crossed over his chest. He watched over the group in the room with amusement, as if the whole thing was a game. Of course, in that regard he wasn't much different to his Captain, Ushitora.
Ushitora was a giant of a man, towering over even Onigawara. He stood with his arms crossed, looking down upon the little girl. He had to admit, he was rather impressed – for a hostage, the little girl was showing a lot of backbone. Still, he couldn't believe it was anything more than naivety.
"You've already taken over the island," Madoka spoke, frowning. "Why do you still want us?"
"Insurance," Ushitora remarked, smirking as he walked around the desk. "The Marines aren't going to bomb this place so long as we've got hostages".
"Coward!" Madoka snapped back, sticking out her tongue. "If you were really tough, you wouldn't resort to cheap tricks!".
The Captain burst out in laughter as he slapped one of his hands down on the table. His roaring laughter filled the room and suddenly Madoka found herself shrinking back a bit. He turned his gaze and looked back to her, still smirking.
"Coward? Only a weakling would dare say something so pathetic," the Pirate Captain remarked. "Battles aren't won through fairness. Not even the Marines are that naïve. But then, what would a kid know?"
Before the girl could respond, a Den Den Mushi sitting on the desk began to ring out. The Captain's attention was drawn away as he looked to it. Reaching out, he grabbed the receiver and raised it out.
"What is it?" Ushitora began, but suddenly he began to overhear cries of anguish over the line. His eyes widened, his jaw dropping slightly before he grit his teeth. "What is it? What's going on? Is something happening?"
"Captain!" a voice cried out on the other end of the line. The bang of guns could be heard, but they were quickly followed by more cries of pain and shrieks of fear. The large man's hand shook as he held the receiver.
"What's going on?!" he demanded an answer, his expression stern.
"Captain! It's horrible!" a sniveling voice spoke back. "She's… She's overpowering us! No matter how many guns or how many swords or how many men we have… She… She-!"
He could hear a splatter of something before the line turned to static. The Pirate Captain frowned, looking at the receiver for a moment before setting it down. He turned back towards the rest of his men, who looked surprised at what they had overheard. He frowned, glaring at his own men.
"At arms, men!"
Another body fell to the floor as she strode through the corridor. Her silver hair fluttered behind her with each step as she clutched her wooden cane firmly in her hand. The old woman stared forwards intently, her face like stone as she proceeded without stopping. Two men stood down at the end of the corridor, their legs shaking as the stared at her.
Behind her was a corridor stained with blood – as many as six people now lay across the floor and leaning against the wall, staining the walls and floors with their blood. Their weapons were broken and their bodies covered in gashes. Yet in spite of the carnage, not a single drop of blood could be seen on the old woman's body, nor even a scratch.
"N… No way…" one of the men spoke. "This shouldn't be possible… This shouldn't be possible!"
"D-Don't just stand there!" the other retorted nervously. "She's just some old hag!"
The old woman made no visible change in expression, but her hand began to move across, grasping the handle of her wooden cane. At that both men immediately tensed up before quickly raising their guns and taking aim. The old woman's brows furrowed.
Both men yelled loudly as they began to attack, firing relentlessly at the old woman. But almost like a dance, she swerved and twisted around their bullets at a speed that could barely even be comprehended by the two men. In mere moments she stood before them, now within reach.
They both jumped in fright as she stepped close and one of the men immediately took their rifle and swung it like a club. In the same moment however, the old woman pulled on the handle of her cane, drawing from the cane a sharp blade.
Neither man ever actually saw the attack. In an instant the man's rifle was cut in two, the other half dropping to the floor. The man watched as blood burst sideways from his partner's throat, but he found that the moment he tried to run his own chest seemed to burst open, staining the floor with red. The air was knocked out of his lungs, making him unable to even cry out in pain as he collapsed to the floor, losing consciousness. In that instant, the old woman was once again returning the cane-sword to its scabbard, walking along without breaking her pace.
She looked towards a set of large, wooden doors at the end of the hallway. She knew that beyond those doors was where the Pirates were – and most importantly, where Madoka was. The very thought made her blood boil, but she did not worry. She was a Pirate, after all. When enemies threatened those closest to you, it was an act of war.
And soon, these runts would regret picking a fight with 'One Stroke' Sasaki Sakura.
All of the Pirates stood patiently a few feet from the door, their weapons raised. There was a long silence as they watched the door, waiting for the enemy to come. Captain Ushitora frowned as he watched, feeling chills running down his spine. Who could possibly be killing his men out there? Who was strong enough on this island to tear through the dozen men he'd left on guard?
He noticed out of the corner of his eye that the girl was smiling to herself. He frowned, looking back to the door. She couldn't possibly think it was her grandmother, could she? There was no way an old woman could fight their way through a gang of Pirates, much less his crew. Still, the little girl seemed far too sure of herself. She was just a naïve runt, wasn't she?
He was torn from his thoughts however as the doors suddenly burst off of their hinges, breaking and splintering into pieces as they hit the floor. Almost immediately three of his men rushed forwards to attack, but they had only ended up sealing their own fate.
An elderly woman stepped through the wreckage of the doors, her moving quickly as her cane-sword arced through the air. The very tip of the blade passed through flesh, carving through the three men as they charged towards her. Before even a single one of them could attempt an attack she walked between them, flicking her sword down to remove the blood from the blade as all three men crashed to the ground, gashes and cuts opening across their bodies. The other men in the room jumped back in fright, clutching their weapons tightly in front of them as the old woman stopped for a moment, staring directly towards the Captain.
Ushitora froze, staring back at the old woman as sweat trickled down his brow. He began to realize, even as no words were uttered, exactly what the old woman was ready to say.
I am going to kill you.
His body shook as he stared. The chills down his spine were intense. He felt like a blade had been pressed against his neck, or a gun had been pressed against his head. He'd felt fear before, but this was something else entirely. This was pure, unbridled terror.
"K… Kill her, men!" he roared at the top of his lungs. Despite their similar fears, not a single man dared to go against the Captain. Letting out their battle cries, another two men rushed towards Sakura. One swung his blade, but Sakura was quick to parry his attack. Then, in one instant she rose both the scabbard and her sword, using the scabbard to strike one of the men in the throat before he attacked whilst her blade pierced through the other man's chest. Both fell backwards, letting out gasps for air as they hit the floor.
Another man had already raised his rifle, aiming for the old woman. Yet even so, as he fired, Sakura deftly avoided his bullets with little effort, her blade swinging through the air. She wasn't nearly close enough to touch him, yet nevertheless the man's weapon was suddenly split in half lengthwise before a long slice opened up down his face and torso, causing blood to gush out as he cried in pain.
"We'll tear you limb from limb!" another Pirate shouted as he swung at her with a cutlass from behind. Sakura raised her scabbard, blocking and deflecting the attack before she turned her head, her eyes staring into his. The man found himself paralyzed with terror as he stared into them, only to find that a second later she had slashed through his chest with her cane-sword, causing him to crumble to the ground.
"The hell is she?" one crewmember spoke, shrinking back as he shook in fear. "No one can even put a scratch on her!"
"Enough!" the Captain bellowed, catching Sakura's attention immediately. She turned towards him, her eyes widening slightly as she saw what he was doing. He held Madoka up in a firm and tight headlock, whilst in his free hand he held a pistol that was positioned with the muzzle right against Madoka's head. Madoka's eyes were widened, her mouth closed tightly as she looked towards the pistol pressed against her. Sakura's hand shook with anger as she clutched her cane-sword.
"Don't you dare-"
"I won't!" Captain Ushitora spoke, smirking even as sweat fell down his brow. "But neither will you! This is your granddaughter, right? Of course it is – she's why you came here! I won't shoot her, but unless you put down your weapon and stand still, I'll shoot her!"
Sakura stared, glaring daggers at the Pirate Captain. But the Pirate Captain refused to back down, smirking smugly as he curled his finger around the trigger. After a long and tense pause, the silver-haired woman shut her eyes, her hands opening as she dropped both her cane-sword and her scabbard to the ground. Ushitora grinned wider, chuckling.
"That's it. That's the smart decision…" he remarked, continuing to laugh. "You've cost me a lot of men, but I'm not scared. I still hold the upper hand. Not even someone as strong as you can defeat me!"
The other Pirates began to laugh alongside their Captain. Onigawara smirked, stepping out from behind the desk as he made his way through the crowd of Pirates and passed the other hostages by. Sakura stared down Onigawara as he neared, but in the current situation the tall man had no reason to fear the old woman.
"But I'm not a forgiving person, you know… You've killed a lot of my men, so I think I'll have Onigawara break you!" Ushitora taunted her, grinning. "Fair's fair, right? I won't let you enjoy the pleasure of dying until you've been beaten into a pulp! Onigawara!"
The man grinned as he raised his gauntlet-covered fists. Stepping close, he swung his right fist right into Sakura's stomach, causing the old woman to tense up and grit her teeth as the blow struck hard. With a grin, Onigawara continued to swing and swing, striking the old woman with a series of strong blows across the face and torso.
Sakura refused to budge or fall down, but each blow struck hard. Blood began to trickle down the old woman's face from her forehead and from her mouth as her lips burst. Strike after strike shook her, causing her to flinch from the pain.
Madoka shut her eyes, fighting back tears. It was all her fault for getting captured. It was her fault her grandmother was now getting mercilessly beaten by the Pirates. She couldn't bear to watch the scene before her, but even hearing the impacts of iron against flesh made her wince. But as the sounds reverberated, she began to hear a collection of new sounds – a strange thumping against stone.
It began to slowly get louder as the seconds passed, at first sounding fain but now ringing out loudly. In the midst of his beating to the old woman Onigawara stopped, pausing as he looked around. Ushitora likewise froze, wondering where the loud and continuous banging was coming from. He heard something crack behind him and turned, but he definitely did not expect what happened next.
A huge crack tore through the wall before suddenly the stone burst apart, a large hole opening up in the wall. Dust flew up, causing the Pirate Captain and the others inside to cough as the dust flew past. Stone bricks fell to the floor as the dust settled, revealing three figures standing in the wall.
"Oh, wow, we actually found them on the first try!" a young yet large and heavyset woman spoke first, standing on the right as she looked around the room.
"Of course we did. I told you I have good senses, didn't I? What do you say, Kai?" a young man with dark hair and a scar across the bridge of his nose chimed in, standing in the center of the three. He turned towards the last man on the left – a dark-skinned Tiger Shark Fishman with black, unruly hair.
"Hn," he grunted, offering little to the discussion. Spotting Ushitora and the little girl in his grasp, his eyes narrowed. Raising his hand, he caught some of the rain from outside in his palm. Then, whilst everyone in the room was still distracted, he swung his arm.
Ushitora let out a cry of pain as a bullet of water smacked against his arm with the force of a shotgun, knocking the pistol out of his hand as blood dripped down the limb. As his grip slackened, Madoka quickly squirmed out of his grip and dropped to the floor before springing forwards, jumping towards the trio standing where the wall used to be.
"Hey!" Onigawara yelled out as he raced across the room, his teeth grit. "How dare you harm the Cap-".
Before the First Mate could say another word, Alyona's fist snapped out and slammed into his face with such force that his nose cracked, breaking as blood began to stream down his face. But more than that, the man was flung backwards from her sheer strength and crashed through the desk, breaking it in two. Clutching his arm tightly as he stared down the trio, Ushitora snarled.
"Who the hell are you?!"
The young man in the middle smirked, reaching into his cloak and beginning to draw a sword. Holding a broadsword out, he pointed the tip towards the Pirate Captain, smiling.
"I'm Captain Baldric and we," he began, gesturing to the other two with his spare hand. "Are the Knightfall Pirates!"
Author: Well, looks like the gang's united and ready to take down Ushitora! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. I have to admit, some of the stuff I planned for this story arc has actually changed a fair bit from when I planned it out, but I think this is working out a lot better. I certainly hope anyone reading this enjoyed it!
If you've got a critique to give, or even if you just wanna tell me what you think of the story, please, by all means, send a review! They're always much appreciated.
I might not update next week depending on how busy I am with college, but I'll definitely post the week after. Until then, see ya!