Forcibly United

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Comes the Hot-Blooded Dragon

Chapter 3

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Ryu Kumon had spent the last the last year training.

Ever since his defeat at the hands of Ranma Saotome, he'd spent his days developing his own branch of the Yamasenken into an art which could be used to preserve life instead of taking it. The pigtailed man's stern lecture during their fight had struck a deep chord in Ryu.

These days he understood: Martial arts were meant to preserve life. They were meant to be a beacon around which people could gather, not a darkness from which everyone would flinch. One who fought for those who couldn't defend themselves was a man who was to be admired. One who fought with true conviction could surpass any inherent limits in their style to grasp victory.

These days, raiding the evil people who emerged from Roanapur's harbour, Ryu understood what it meant to fight for life. The villages in the area he and his men raided from, they were the ones who benefited from the hundreds of thousands of dollars of stolen goods. He'd even started working with the police in a Malaysian town no more than ten kilometers from where his pirates were camped.

That town's police mascot, Greta, greeted him with a broad smile as he and his men docked at the town.

"You know, Ryu, sooner or later Papa is going to have to arrest you for all the guns your men carry around with them," Greta informed him sternly. Wearing a light blue sun dress which contrasted her platinum hair perfectly, her frown proved to be an indomitable force.

"Is that any way to talk to me, Greta?" Ryu wondered, patting the girl on the head. He watched as his men lowered the metal gangway to the concrete pier. "Is Darien around? I've got some things for his clinic."

"Doctor Grey is around," the girl informed him, pouting cutely as she crossed her arms. One finger quirked up, holding a set of car keys. "He said he expected you tonight, so the loading bay for his dock is unlocked. His truck is parked in the usual place."

"Is that disapproval I hear?" Ryu wondered, tapping his chin and accepting the keys from the girl. He flashed a sly smile at the girl. "The way you're acting, you'd think I wasn't the one who delivered half the equipment which allowed Darien to keep you alive."

"You should have more respect for those who can save lives!" The girl growled, jabbing him ineffectually in the ribs. "All you and your men can do is threaten people! You can't save lives with bullets, you know!"

"I know," Ryu admitted, pulling the girl into a tight hug. He stroked the crown of her head, smoothing the greyish-silver tresses into a modicum of order before releasing her. "That's why I do what I do. I can't save lives, so I just supply the men who can with the equipment they need to do their job."

"That's why I like you," Greta informed him, crossing her arms sternly as she glared at the camo-clad boy. "You know you aren't allowed to get a girlfriend! When I'm old enough, you're going to marry me! Alright?"

"Now, Greta... I'm going to be an old man by the time you're old enough to get married! You'll want someone your age!" Ryu informed her. "You're going to make some boy very happy when you're older. It's a shame, but I don't think it's going to be me."

"You'd better wait!" The girl informed him angrily.

"I can't promise I will," Ryu hesitantly told her.

"So if you don't have a girlfriend and I'm old enough, you'll date me?" Greta asked, her eyes shining as they met his.

"I will," Ryu said with a decisive nod.

"I'll hold you to that, Ryu Kumon!" The girl said with a pout, before dashing down the pier.

"Heh. By the time she's old enough to think about that sort of thing she'll be interested in boys her own age," Ryu chuckled to himself as he watched the European girl dash back towards her Papa's house.

She was insufferably cute, that was for certain.

There was no doubt in his mind that once she was old enough to understand relationships, once she was old enough to realize why she liked a cute guy in her class, she'd be a power around which he'd have to tread carefully. He recalled the shy smile she'd flashed him, promising himself he'd have to visit at least a small amount of agony on the guy who'd dare to date the innocent girl.

In his more honest moments, he could admit that she was part of his reason for being the man he was today. He'd been adrift, directionless, when Dr. Grey had asked him for an impossible amount and quality of medical equipment. He'd taken the request for a challenge, and pushed himself to his limits just to get some of the more obscure items.

In that month where Greta hovered in the realm between life and death, Ryu had gladly entered himself and his crew into the Shit List of dozens of prominent gangsters. During that month, hospital equipment and funds which some of the best clinics in America would have been jealous of made their way to Dr. Darien Grey's stucco building to compliment the money Greta had had on her when she was found.

Men and women entrusted to cure some of the worst diseases known to mankind had been entrusted with less than the retired American doctor. Dr. Grey had repayed that trust and more by essentially resurrecting the young girl now crushing on Ryu from the dead. Before he'd known of her plight, Ryu might have passed Greta by as an impossible case.

No girl with a gunshot wound to head could possibly live. Not without a series of miracles fueled by good luck and a certain martial artist. Once Darien had suckered him into caring, Ryu had refused to give up on the stricken girl: As young as twelve or thirteen, with a weapon she was far too light to have ever wielded on her body as she bled out on a dock? It was obviously a setup of some kind. There was no way a girl as kind and sweet as Greta could deserve a fate like that.

He was helping her search for her brother, as well... Though for some reason, something about the thought kept dancing at the back of his mind.

Almost as if the solution was right in front of his face.

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Ryu was lounging on the deck of his ship when he heard Kyo call from his spot at the helm.

"What's up?" Ryu demanded, springing to his feet and entering the cabin. His helmsmen grinned at him from where he studied the computer.

"Remember that torpedo boat we raided the other day? She's back out on the water again," Kyo informed him, increasing the throttle and adjusting course.

Ryu nodded his assent, but something about the situation bothered him. They'd been thoroughly defeated and humiliated just two days earlier. They'd lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in military-grade weapons, cutting-edge computer equipment, and disturbing porn.

The first two he'd been able to sell or distribute with ease. The latter he'd just dumped into the sea with a shudder.

He moved to the front of his boat, hand shielding the sun from his face as he glanced across the water at his next target. Indeed, it was the Black Lagoon. The torpedo boat was a rather unique sight in the oceans south of Thailand. Ryu knew that Revy, their gunwoman, was currently indisposed. He was sure he'd broken her arm when he'd fought her.

So why would they bother to ship out? Did they expect her to fare better despite her handicap now that she knew how he fought? Or did they have an ace hidden up their sleeves?

"Binoculars!" Ryu bellowed, holding a hand out as he stared at boat ahead of him, slowly growing large as their lead narrowed. After a moment, one of his crew slapped a pair into his hands. He brought it to his eyes and focused them on the three figures staring at them from the back of the torpedo boat.

The large black man he recognized, having knocked the man out as he exited the top hatch of the boat the last time they'd crossed paths. The boy standing to the man's left was new. He wore a fine silk shirt of some sort overtop of white trousers, glaring across the water at Ryu's boat as if to stop it by the fierce set of his eyebrows.

The third figure was very familiar to Ryu. Frighteningly so.

Ranma Saotome stood at the edge of the boat, watching Ryu's advancing boat with a boredom which belied the situation he now found himself facing.

"Men, raise a white flag," Ryu growled, thrusting the binoculars into the chest of the man nearest him. His men hesitated, clearly confused. "Raise the flag and get that boat on the radio! Tell them we're not going to solve this fight on the water!"

"Boss?" Kyo asked hesitantly, sticking his head out of the door of the cabin. "You want to challenge these guys fairly? Why?"

"Don't ask why! Just do it!" Ryu snapped, sitting down and glaring at the boat in front of him.

He wouldn't lose again! He refused! Especially if that bastard had fallen so far he was throwing in with the criminals from that cancerous city!

He would win this time!

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Ranma eyed the boat's white flag warily as it approached, narrowing his eyes at the sight of Ryu Kumon standing proudly on the front tip of the boat.

"It's been a while, Ryu. I'm surprised you're pulling this sort of crap out here when you should be working on rebuilding a fighting style that works for you," Ranma informed the boy, crossing his arms. The youth in the military gear quirked an eyebrow.

"And I'm surprised to find you working with brigands like this, Saotome," the Kumon-dojo heir replied. He glanced at the torpedo boat critically, shaking his head. "That fragile thing couldn't possibley host our battle... and my boat is worse. We can't fight here."

"Where's the nearest island? We'll settle this issue there," Ranma growled, punching the palm of one hand with the other. He smirked ferally at the other boy. "Besides, I'm interested in seeing what you've come up with to replace the Yamasenken. I always knew you'd have to be a smart bastard to even figure it out, so I'm sure you've got something I'm gonna be interested in seeing."

"The Kumon school has grown to eclipse the Saotome school," Ryu informed him with a glare, crossing his arms. He jerked his head, and the other boy's boat started to accelerate. "Follow me and I'll prove it by beating you unconscious!"

"Ranma Saotome don't lose!" Ranma yelled, turning to Dutch. "Look, we follow 'em. I can beat this bastard. We can make the entire sea south of Thailand safe for people. Anything you lose for being late with this delivery you'll gain back, and more, for getting rid of this jerk."

"I agree," Dutch admitted, tapping one finger to his earpiece. "Benny-boy, follow the other boat. We're about to get a clinic in just how insane the Japanese are with their martial arts."

"I'll get the camera equipment ready," Benny groaned in reply.

The Black Lagoon lurched around to follow the other boat.

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Author's Notes:

Le twist!

I felt like expanding a bit on Ryu's motivations and tying Greta's plotline into the story a little more. The battle between Ryu and Ranma will commence next chapter, I promise. This arc will probably be wrapped up in the next two installments. Then it's time for the Sealed In Stone Arc where Ranma, Ryouga, and the crew of the Black Lagoon encounter a mythlogical creature from Thailand!

Also, a big thanks goes out to Cylon One for the editing work they've been doing with the story. Previous chapters have been edited for typos, spelling errors, and even the misuse of words. They're probably a lot more bearable to read thanks to Cylon One's work.