BECOMING THE BOSS – THE 9 BOSS BREAKTHROUGH
In the Sky above the Restaurant
Lucy feels threatened upon the arrival of the bosses. That Vongola Primo is the strongest enemy she has ever fought, granted he was not much stronger than Sawada Tsunayoshi but he was still stronger. Not only Vongola Primo is here but all of the Vongola bosses of the past, they had been sealed in ice, is that the true purpose of the zero-point breakthrough.
Lucy decides not to waste time, she creates several glass shards and launches them at the 1st, trying to immediately take out the biggest threat. The 1st counters using his cape, using it's metallic lining to block the weaker material.
The 3rd Vongola boss prepares his bow and fires an arrow towards Lucy. The velocity of this arrow is unparalleled, few archers in history and none alive today can achieve this speed. As the arrow pushes Lucy backwards the focus of the attack switches.
The 2nd approaches Yaru, wielding the flame of rage as he hits the youngster repeatedly. While his predecessor lays into Yaru the 7th continues to work on attacking Lucy, he fires his gun at her several times and continues to damage one of the world's most promising fighters.
While this fight is going on the 5th seems uninterested in what is going on, lowing a spyglass from his eye he voices his concern. "Everyone, he sensed us… he is coming".
As if it was the ground, an old man walks on the air as he approaches the Vongola bosses. Each step makes the spines of the Vongola tingle, it's as if each time he lowers his foot he is destroying another life. This old man has a vile looking face, he looks as if he has lived for 100 years, he bears the Yakuza tattoos and wears a loose fitting black robe.
"There you are Honda" sighs Vongola Primo, this is the man he has been waiting for, that they have all been waiting for.
"Yes I am here Vongola Primo; it seems like you want to encroach on my space even now" replies the terrifying Yakuza, "You should have stayed away, I've always left you to your own devices… but now you should fear me for I have finally become god".
"I was a vigilante, it was my job to save people from you" explains the blonde haired boss, "you have always aimed to harm people with that god complex of yours, that's why we vowed to stop you".
"It hasn't worked out very well has it?" Honda asks rhetorically.
"Actually" begins a smiling Primo, "It's worked out pretty damn well". Without explanation or provocation, the 1st spreads his arms as if he is inviting the whole world to hug him.
Understanding what their ancestor means, the other 8 Vongola bosses follow suit, surround Honda in a huge circle with their arms spread wide. They surround him in what seems to be a round formation, something that confuses Lucy and Yaru as they watch on.
"You have some sort of special tactic perhaps; do you really think you can beat god" Honda asks of his nemesis.
"Did you ever wonder… did you ever wonder why I developed the zero-point breakthrough while I was fighting you" prompts the 1st, "After all you don't use the dying will flame it is known to seal away".
Like the rest of the Yakuza Honda doesn't have access to the dying will flame, his strength is accessed through more brutal training methods, developed after centuries of war and human experimentation.
"An oversight" Honda suggests.
"No" replies Primo, "It was a technique learnt by every Vongola boss, we used it to seal ourselves away for this moment… this moment when we will seal you away with all our might".
At this moment all of the Vongola bosses dying flames begin to flicker, a flickering abnormal flame. This is the starting of the zero-point breakthrough 'first edition' as Tsuna calls it. Gradually at the centre of the circle ice begins to form, a negative energy pool is generated.
The ice surrounds Honda in the centre, a huge iceberg like structure surrounds the Yakuza boss in the sky and keeps growing. Forming this structure is incredibly difficult, it takes a lot of energy, as such the Vongola bosses begin collapsing, one after another as their energy is used up. They are using up their very life force to seal this dangerous man away.
Watching as his allies collapse around him Primo spares a thought for the only Vongola boss not with them, 'Decimo, take care of the Vongola, the future is yours'.
The Vongola bosses continue to collapse, Primo remains the boss in the best condition, clearly reflecting the fact he has the most life force to expend. Eventually even the 2nd collapses, leaving only the 1st left alive. Honda appears to be sealed away but 1st doesn't dare to stop using his technique until he physically can't anymore.
Primo doesn't die, his life force is so great that he ran out of stamina before it was depleted. Despite being out of breath he manages to speak a few words aloud for his successor, "You were the boss the Vongola has been looking for… the rest of the Yakuza will be yours to take care of".
Completely exhausted Primo falls from the sky, tumbling into the restaurant where he lays next to the corpses of his comrades. 'Your sacrifice wasn't in vain my followers; we did it'.
Primo smiles as he closes his eyes but his relaxation doesn't last long. 'What is this demonic feeling' he asks himself as he looks at the ice in terror.
The ice around Honda begins to fracture and the ground begins to shake in such a way that it resembles an earthquake. "Yaru, watch out" offers Lucy, "The old man… he's really pissed".
As the ice shatters completely Honda emerges, clearly having suffered damage but still able to stand in the air he glares at his enemy, "Nobody has ever come so close against me in combat… have pride Vongola Primo, your plan which you dedicated hundreds of years of Vongola life towards, it nearly worked".
"How did you escape" Primo breathes out, attempting to yell but he finds himself unable to.
"Naïve, don't ask the question when the answer is obviously right in front of you" scolds Honda, "I've become god… there are no 9 men on the planet who can combine to surpass a god".
'My guardians, I have failed' the 1st thinks in an attempt to speak to the dead, 'Tell me… what the hell do I do now… have I failed'.
"Are you questioning yourself" asks Honda as he floats down to the ground and stands over the mafioso, "What more could I have done, it's a very human thought, I'm sure I would have done the same thing when I was a mere human".
"But know this Vongola Primo, there is nothing you can do in the face of overwhelming power" declares the Yakuza leader with an overbearing demeanour.
Vongola Primo closes his eyes for a few moments before defiantly opening them, "NO".
"You still have some resolve huh" remarks the Yakuza.
"I thought I had lost all hope but I haven't, I thought I had failed but I haven't" claims the Vongola boss, "I still have something left… the Vongola family is still here".
"Sawada Tsunayoshi, that's his name".
"He is still alive, and his power is within touching distance of mine".
"They used to call him a no-good piece of trash but has risen all the way to Vongola boss".
"He has refused to give up all this time and as his ancestor let me assure you, he's going to beat you".
Honda laughs, "Refusing to give up despite not having any chance, how laughable". Honda turns to look at his two subordinates causing them to join in his laughter.
Honda then turns back to Primo so as to finish him but is astonished by what he sees. The 1st is standing up, looking him in the eye. 'What the hell is that look in his eye… isn't he even remotely scared… dammit does he really believe after all this he will win'.
As Honda hesitates Primo speaks to his guardians in his head again, 'I understand now, I haven't failed at all, by creating the Vongola I've given birth to the rise of Sawada Tsunayoshi, I've succeeded'.
As the two ancestors of the mafia and yakuza stare each other down a few seconds pass before Primo laughs, "I win" he says before his eyes close. He died standing up.
"That old fool" begins Honda, "He put in all that effort and endured an agonizing death, did he really think it was worth it just to tell me he had won".
"Old man" yells Yaru to his leader as he receives a text, "I'm receiving word that the mafia are running back to Italy".
Honda ponders for a moment, "This time we will pull the weed out by the roots, we'll take a few months to gather our forces and then we will raid Italy, we will be rid of the mafia".
Everyone had faith in Tsuna when he declared war on the Yakuza, then came this stunning defeat, everyone understood just how outmatched they were. The seed of doubt had been planted in the Yakuza's head though, despite everything that had happened, despite the Yakuza's total victory on this day, the mafia still believed. The mafia still believed in Sawada Tsunayoshi.