Straw Hat RWBYs
An: Sorry about the long wait guys. I've not had the best of times starting out 2022. Add that to low motivation to write, writer's block, and recently purchasing Elden Ring, I've had a time and a half getting back to writing. But I am back, and I hope this chapter is well worth the wait!
And to answer some reviews real quick:
MutedArdor: No, Rankin isn't HQ level, and if it wasn't clear, I apologize for that. I tend to write the scenes as I envision them in my head, then edit them afterwards. Rankin, in my head, is actually more on Smoker and Luffy's level at this level in the story (I say Smoker and Luffy are rather equal at this point in the story since to me they are two of the strongest guys in the East Blue. Smoker beat Luffy in Loguetown because he was a Logia, and Luffy had no knowledge of them and no way to fight them off).
You're right; RWBY isn't that weak. The scene itself suffers because I needed them knocked down for a brief moment to have Luffy show up. Trust me when I say, Team RWBY would have gotten a second wind and gotten back up if Luffy hadn't shown up when he did. They still wouldn't have won against Rankin, but I promise their own fights will be better, as this chapter will show.
I hope I can keep this one going as well.
Ultimatrix bearer: Thank you! It's nice to know I've done a good job with this arc, and of course, I can't thank Nomadskout8 enough for all his help. As well as KingJGamer and a few others for all the help they've given to help me flesh out the world.
Drake G. Reaper: Oh, if all hold's out, they'll be with them longer than that. I've got too many ideas to let it end at Saobody. And of course, RWBY will be apart of the Walk to Arlong Park. That's too awesome of a scene for them to miss out on!
AkArI16: A cameo.
Also, to everyone who was wondering why I chose to have a World Noble show up so early, I do have a reason; one that explains why he was there in the first place and will play into the story later down the road. The reason why he was there will be revealed in the conclusion of this arc.
Also, shoutout to Nomadskout8! Without his help, I don't think I'd have gotten this far this fast.
And with all that said, let's get to it!
Chapter 8: The fighters face off! A shared dream between swordsman and swordswoman!
"I'm sorry," Lea told Ruby as he reached down to grab her. However, he felt something collide with his face, making him cry out as he was flung away from the Huntress-in-training. The other Marines were thrown away from the all-girl team as well. Team RWBY was confused until they heard a familiar voice.
"If you're sorry now, then you're gonna be even more sorry after I get done with you," Luffy called out, a wide grin as his face as his arm snapped back into place, though no one noticed he had stretched. Team RWBY gasped as they turned to face him.
"Luffy!" Ruby shouted.
"You punk!" a random Marine grunt shouted. He and his friends grabbed their swords and rushed the straw hatted teen. "You're gonna pay for that-Ugh!" He was interrupted when they were all thrown backwards, large cuts appearing on their bodies. Team RWBY then heard the sound of swords being sheathed.
"We leave you alone for a few hours, and you go and get yourselves into trouble," Zoro said as he finished sheathing his swords with an audible click.
Suddenly, Nami was by the all-girl team's side. "Hey! You four ok?!" she asked frantically.
"Zoro!/Nami!" Blake and Weiss shouted simultaneously.
"Great. More uninvited guests," Rankin grumbled. Lea and the others picked themselves up and positioned themselves around Rankin. Nova came to stand by his side.
"Glad we got to you in time!" Luffy commented as he swung his arm around. "Wouldn't want the Marines taking you away or anything!"
"How'd you know about that?" Weiss demanded.
"No time to explain! We've got bigger problems," Zoro told her and turned his attention back to the Marines.
By now, the Marines had regathered their wits. "So, I take it you know these young ladies?" Rankin asked. Luffy nodded.
"Yeah! They're our friends!" the pirate captain proclaimed with a smile. Then his smile darkened as he continued, "So, I'm gonna have to ask you leave them alone!" Rankin shook his head.
"Can't do that. Orders from above," he said. "They're coming with us." Zoro grunted and pulled out Wado Ichimonji.
"I'm afraid that's not gonna happen," Zoro told the Marine, brandishing his weapon at him.
Nova took offense at this and brandished her sword at him. "Threatening a Marine captain is a serious offense," she growled. Zoro visibly flinched and had to force himself not to gape in shock at her appearance.
But before either could comment on Zoro's weird behavior, Rankin speaks up again. "This doesn't concern you," he told the straw hatted teen. "Just leave now, and you won't get hurt."
"Shishishishi!" Luffy laughed, his grin never faltering. He went to speak again, but noticed Drucilla's body just a few feet away. "Who's that?" he asked. Everyone turned to the dead body and winced. Team RWBY's anger resurfaced.
"A victim," Rankin replied. "Of a dragon's insatiable hunger." The wording confused Luffy, so Weiss decided to clear it up for him.
"Luffy, that woman was shot by a World Noble that was here, on the island," Weiss explained calmly, knowing a simple explanation would be enough for him.
And it was. Luffy's face morphed into a grimace of disgust, whilst Zoro and Nami gasped. "T-That…" Nami attempted to say, but she couldn't form any words.
"Bastards!" Zoro hissed as he clenched Wado tightly.
"I thought that ship looked familiar!" Luffy growled. He looked around before turning back to Rankin. "Where's the jerk now?!"
"Gone. Thank heaven," Rankin replied easily. "And since I can tell what you're thinking just by the look on your face, forget it, kid. A normal civilian has no business with a World Noble."
"Oh. I'm not a civilian…" Luffy said, allowing a challenging grin to spread across his face. Nami noticed this and groaned inwardly.
'Don't say you're a pirate. Don't say you're a pirate. Don't say you're-' the pirate thief thought, praying that he wouldn't get them into more trouble because of his stupidity.
Luck, however, was not on her side as Luffy's grin widened and proclaimed loudly, "I'm a pirate!"
"Idiot!" Weiss hissed at him. "Why would you say that?!"
"Welcome to my life," Nami groaned, as the Marines' faces morphed into scowls of disgust.
"Pirates, huh…?" Lea grumbled. He threw a look towards Ruby. "You failed to mention that bit." Normally, getting ousted in such a way would have caused Ruby to blush and chuckle sheepishly. However, her anger towards them and the World Noble was still burning hot, so she simply glared back at him.
Nova's glare hardened. "So, your criminals," she growled. "I suppose that changes a few things." Her grip on her sword tightened. Rankin grunted.
"Some," he agreed. "But not all." He looked at the group before him. "Those three that just arrived…arrest them," he ordered.
"And…Team RWBY?" Lenora asked.
"That hasn't changed," Rankin told them. "They're new to Susanos. I'm sure the Fleet Admiral and the Hero can help them understand the ways of the world."
Luffy suppressed a shudder at the mention of the Hero of the Marines. He shook himself and grinned. "Heh. I told you you're not taking them!" he said loudly. Rankin looked at him like he was a bug crawling on his shoe.
"Your opinion has no baring here, Pirate!" the captain said before vanishing and reappearing in front of Luffy, landing a hard push kick to the pirate captain's sternum. Team RWBY gasped.
"Luffy!" the all-girl team gasped in shock. Zoro, however, just smirked while Nami just shook her head.
Rankin had noticed something grab his shoulder as he kicked the cardigan wearing teen away and looked at his right shoulder. His eyes widened as he saw a hand…and an arm that wasn't supposed to be that long. He looked up to see the kid several feet away, but his arm stretching to impossible lengths. Luffy raised his head and smirked.
"Heh! Got ya!" he shouted. "Gum Gummm…" Rankin felt the hand tighten on his shoulder, causing him to grab the appendage and jerk it off him, but it was too late. Luffy was already flying forward at an alarming pace. "Rockeeeeeeet!" The blue haired Marine grunted in pain as Luffy shoulder rammed into his chest, sending him flying backwards, even farther than Rankin had sent Luffy earlier.
Team RWBY was floored. Their eyes were wide and their jaws were slack. They knew of Luffy's Devil Fruit, of course, but the way in which he used it stunned them. Luffy had basically turned the power of Rankin's attack against him! They could only stare at Luffy, who was still grinning that wide, devil-may-care grin on his face.
The Marines were no better. "What the hell was that?!" the pompadour Marine shouted.
"Son of a-" the bandana wearing Marine yelled out at the pirates.
"Captain!/Brother!" Lenora and Nova screamed, turning to where Rankin flew off.
Lea, however, frowned. "Someone with a Devil Fruit here? In the East Blue?" he mused.
Luffy landed with lightly on the ground next to team RWBY. The four brightly colored girls stared at him in surprise and awe as he stretched his arm again and flew into the air after the Marine. Zoro simply grinned and sheathed Wado and grabbed his bandanna from his arm. "Heh! Guess it's time for the fun part!" he said, grinning as he tied the bandanna around his head. This gave him a downright evil look as the green cloth cast a shadow around his eyes. He redrew Wado from its sheath and held it out in challenge.
Nova turned and leveled a glare at him, before matching his grin with animalistic intensity. "If a sword match is what you want, I'll be happy to face you, Pirate Hunter!" she growled. Zoro's grin threatened to split his face in two.
"Perfect! Let's get started!" With that said, Zoro rushed the female Marine captain. Nova jolted forward to meet him in the center of the square. Nova reached the center of the field first and swung down. Zoro was momentarily shocked by her speed before he grabbed Wado with both hands and swung to meet her sword. The two blades clashed in a shower of sparks as Zoro stepped forward to gain his footing and press down on the opposing blade.
"Captain Nova!" the Marines cried out as they all began racing to aid their captain. Ruby noticed this and frowned deeply.
"Team RWBY!" she shouted, gaining the attention of the Remnantians. "Gemstones!" The girls nodded and quickly jumped into position. Ruby grabbed Crescent Rose and spun around deftly, as Weiss formed a Glyph under the younger teen. Blake jumped up and spun in the air just as Ruby raised the massive scythe up to her. She landed on the butt of the scythe, and with a great roar, Ruby swung Crescent Rose to launch Blake forward towards the group.
In the air, Blake threw Gambol Shroud at Yang attached to one of her ribbons. The blonde Huntress grabbed it easily, and Blake swung Yang into the air. Weiss held up her hand, and Yang easily caught it and pulled her off the ground. Quickly bringing their feet together, Weiss formed Glyphs in front of Yang and herself as they pushed off each other, then the Glyphs, and flew towards the horde with Blake. Weiss then activated her Glyph, which sent Ruby catapulting over to the group as well.
Blake reached the group first and roundhouse kicked the short grey-haired Marine. The man exclaimed in surprise as he flew into a house, making the occupants around it scatter. The pompadour haired Marine saw this and turned that direction.
"Brother!" he cried just before Weiss landed on his face, feet first. He grunted as the heiress created a Glyph under her feet and pushed off his face, sending him flying down an abandoned street. Weiss landed and created another Glyph under her and sent herself racing after him.
"Byron! Clayton!" Lenora shouted and ran to help them. However, she noticed Yang flying towards her. She narrowed her eyes and ducked under the blonde and grabbed her collar. Lenora shouted as she spun around to throw Yang into the ground, but Yang repositioned to land on her feet. Grasping the taller woman's arm tightly, Yang roared as she Judo threw Lenora towards the docks. The woman screamed in surprise as she sailed through the skies.
Lea narrowed his eyes at the red blur heading his way and dodged Ruby's flying kick. He tried to grab her leg, but he heard a loud gunshot to his left. His eyes widened as he saw a massive blade race for his head, causing him to roll under the blade as Ruby spun in the air to land safely on the ground.
Nami was floored by what she had just witnessed. Having known the girls were warriors hadn't prepared her for how coordinated they were with each other. She couldn't dwell on that, however, as she caught Zoro and the female Marine still clashing and noticed some Marines were crowding around them. She moved to help him when she saw some of the crowd heading for her. She frowned and reached for her staff, only to remember she broke it. Gritting her teeth, she turned and ran in the opposite direction, hoping to find something to use to her advantage.
Blake ran into the house she kicked the Marine into. He jumped up and glared at her. "You just made a big mistake, woman!" Clayton growled and pulled out two black tonfa. Blake glared back and held Gambol Shroud above her head and held her off hand out in front of her.
"Not the first one I've made in my life," she told him and tensed up for the upcoming fight.
Byron skidded across the ground with a long grunt. He quickly pushed off the ground with his hands. Spinning around, he grabbed some staff segments from his back and quickly assembled them to form a halberd.
Weiss glided up to him and prepped Myrtenaster. "Don't get up!" she ordered. Byron growled.
"Like hell I'd listen to you!" he snarled as he twirled his halberd around before falling into his preferred stance. They stared at each other for a moment, and then, they rushed each other.
Lenora hit the ground hard but used her momentum to flip to her feet. She looked up to see Yang fly at her with a fist pulled back. Her eyes widened as Yang slammed her hand into her face. Lenora gasped in pain as she flew closer to the docks. She hit the ground again and skidded across the ground until she cleared the buildings of the residential district.
She groaned as she painfully picked herself up off the floor. Yang landed and smirked at her. "Had enough?" she taunted, crossing her arms. Lenora frowned and dusted herself off.
"Nope," she replied as she cracked her knuckles.
Ruby and Lea stared at each other as they sized each other up. "How can you follow him he basically admitted he's abusing his power?" she asked finally.
"Because I think he's well within his right to," Lea replied callously. Ruby growled at the answer.
"There is no reason to treat people like that!" she protested.
"Then they should have thought of their actions before they committed such sins against him," Lea retorted. Ruby snarled and spun Crescent Rose around.
Falling into a stance, she said, "Fine! I guess talking's getting us nowhere!"
"With that, we're in agreement." Lea fell into a fighting stance.
Back with Zoro and Nova's fight, the two broke their clash and stopped to evaluate each other. The Marine captain smirked at him. "I always wanted to test my skills against you, Pirate Hunter," she told him. Her smirk turned teasing as she asked, "Or should I designate a new epithet now that you're on the wrong side of the law?"
Zoro scoffed. "I don't care what you call me," he admitted as he placed Wado between his teeth. He pulled his other two swords and continued, "As long as I complete my ambitions, nothing else matters!" Nova laughed as she lifted her saber over her head.
"I like your resolve! But I'm afraid your ambitions end here!" she said. Zoro smirked from around Wado.
"Why don't you let your sword do the talking!" Zoro growled. He tensed his muscles and held his swords at the ready. "Otherwise, how can you call yourself a swordswoman?"
"Very well!" Grin turning darker, Nova rushed him, making the Santoryu user tense as he prepared for her assault. "Sigrún Rush!" she shouted as she thrust her sword at him. He crossed his unnamed blades to intercept the thrust. Nova's attack didn't end there, as she quickly continued the thrusts in different vital points.
Zoro clinched Wado tightly as he struggled to keep up. 'Dammit! Her speed is unreal!' he thought. Suddenly, she spun counterclockwise to send upward slashes his way. His block was broken by the first strike, forcing him to step back for the next one, however it did graze him. He gritted his teeth and met the other slashes with his two blades before she spun around the opposite way and brought her sword down in a powerful downward stroke.
He turned his head quickly to block the strike with Wado. The O Wazamono sword stuck in-between one of the serrated teeth, stopping it cold. Nova's eyes widened as he pushed forward, throwing her off balance. Quickly, he raised his other two blades and placed them behind Wado.
"Tora Gari!" he shouted as he swung his two blades down in an overhead swing with Wado following behind at a rapid pace. Nova quickly regained her footing and deflected the two swords but wasn't able to fully avoid the third, getting a cut on her collarbone. She hissed as she jumped away from him.
She looked up at him and grinned as he rushed her. His swords were held in front of him as he shouted, "Ushi Bari!" His swords flashed forward multiple times as he tried to stab her. Nova held her saber upside down and blocked the strikes with a smug grin on her face. Zoro frowned as he finished the attack and she jumped forward.
She was about to attack him again when a Marine ran forward. "Help Captain Nova!" he shouted and swung his sword at Zoro.
The Pirate Hunter turned and deflected the strike, but he grunted in pain when another grunt stepped up while he was distracted and stabbed his ankle. The man pulled his sword back, only for it to be knocked out of his hands by a furious Nova.
Zoro limped away from the two as he turned to face them, though he eyed the other Marines. He cursed himself for not paying closer attention to the other Marines around him. He got so caught up with fighting a competent sword fighter for first time in years that he got tunnel vision!
"What the hell was that Marine?!" Nova growled as she picked the man up by his collar.
"M-Ma'am, I-"
"I've made it clear never interfere with my battles!" she shouted at him before kicking him in the balls. The other Marines cried out in sympathy as the man crumbled to the ground in pain. Nova growled as she turned back to Zoro. She frowned at his wounded ankle and raised her sword.
Zoro tensed, but he soon found himself shocked when she brought down her sword on her own ankle. She grunted in pain as she dug the serrated blade deeper. The Marines gasped in horror. "Captain Nova!" they cried.
She gritted her teeth as she pulled her sword out of her wound and turned to Zoro. "Now then," she said and brandished her blade at Zoro again. "Shall we continue?"
"But wha…Why did you…" Zoro found himself too shocked to say anything. She smirked at him.
"A true swordswoman never fights her opponent unfairly," she told him simply, making the Pirate Hunter's eyes widen.
A feral grin sprouted around his Wado Ichimonji. "You know what? I think I like you!"
Nova grinned as well. "I knew you'd see things more clearly than these idiots! Since I know your name, know mine is Nova Hogan! And I'll be the swordswoman who bests you!"
"I'd like to see you try!"
They charged each other.
Meanwhile, Weiss had engaged Byron and was growing increasingly frustrated. He hit hard, but she was faster. The problem was that his halberd made it hard for her to get close. She grunted as she blocked another thrust from his weapon, forcing her to dig her heels into the ground to stop herself.
"Give up!" the Marine snarled. Weiss growled.
"Never!"
"Then suffer pain!" Byron switched his hold on the halberd. Weiss prepared herself as he charged at her. However, just as he reached her, he spun, spinning his halberd so fast that Weiss couldn't keep track of it.
"Jupiter Ascending!" he shouted and swung his halberd in a rising slash. Weiss was unprepared for the fast attack and took the blade to the chin. She cried out in pain as the attack sent her flying, her Aura flickering from the force of the blow. Byron didn't give her any leeway as he jump high into the air and placed his feet on the blade of his halberd.
"Juno Descent!" he growled as he fell at Weiss. Unfortunately for him, Weiss recovered from the last blow and saw him falling towards her. Her eyes narrowed as she formed a Glyph under herself. Using the seal, she quickly returned to her feet and jumped up at him. He looked shocked at her bold move until more Glyphs appeared around him. Weiss then used the Glyphs to shoot around him and slash him multiple times.
He grunted out as Weiss appeared above him, a Glyph under her. She pushed off it and stabbed him in the shoulder. Byron gasped in pain as the two plummeted to the ground at a fast pace. They hit the ground with a loud crash. Weiss retrieved Myrtenaster and jumped away from him. She groaned in pain a bit as she rolled her sword arm. She then noticed the blood on Myrtenaster and sighed.
Right. People here didn't have Aura.
"Damn!" Byron growled, shakily pushing himself back to his feet. "You'll pay for that!" Weiss scoffed at him but winced when her jaw throbbed.
"I doubt it," she grunted as she massaged her sore lower jaw. "You're going to be seeing stars after I'm done with you!"
"Well, when I'm done with you, you won't be able to see at all!" Byron spun his halberd around his body. He rushed the heiress, but just before he reached her, he spun around her and swung his weapon at her right side. It landed with a loud crack, making Weiss cry out. Suddenly, the halberd left her side to crash into her other side. Then it vanished and struck her waist, then her shoulders, then her chest, then finally the back of neck. "Mars Assault!"
Weiss gritted her teeth as she fell forward. 'Dammit!' she thought. 'What is up with his attacks?! It seems like they got stronger!' She regained her bearings and landed on her hands to flip back to her feet. Forming a Glyph underneath her feet, she jumped above a horizontal swipe from Byron. She swung Myrtenaster at his side, making him flinch as his arm was cut. Vanishing via her Glyph, she reappeared in front of him and stabbed him in several places on his chest and abdomen. He gasped in pain as she reappeared a few feet away and spun around with a flourish, a Glyph appearing before her. It broke apart into several smaller Glyphs as Weiss returned to facing Byron. Swinging her sword down, the Glyphs raced towards Byron, who gritted his teeth and shook off the lingering pain.
He then surprised Weiss by dodging the Glyphs. He twisted around the Glyphs and jumped over two but didn't see the last one until his foot hit the ground. The Glyph slammed into his foot, sealing him in place. He cursed as Weiss prepared to rush him again. He cursed again as she formed a Glyph under herself and propelled herself forward at unexpected speeds. He gritted his teeth again as he tried to force his eyes to track her.
Weiss was tensing her muscles as she raced towards Byron. 'This ends now!' she thought as she closed in on her opponent.
Byron's eyes widened. 'There!' Suddenly, just as Myrtenaster was about to strike him, he leaned away from the strike. The blade cut his shirt and nicked his skin a bit, but he did dodge the worst of it. Weiss's eyes widened as he reached out and grabbed her arm. He tensed his muscles and clenched his fist.
"Hercules…Haymaker!" he shouted and threw a massive haymaker at Weiss, connecting with the side of her head. Weiss cried out in pain as the hit slammed into her temple and forced her to the ground. However, what shocked her the most was the faint bluish/white light around her fading.
Panic set in for the briefest moments as she landed on the ground and cried out in pain. 'W-What the-? How did…?!' She didn't have time to think any more as Byron kicked her in the stomach and flung her away from him. She gasped in pain as she tumbled for a bit and landed on her stomach again. She wheezed as she tried to regain her breath and then noticed her Aura flickering back to life.
She gritted her teeth. 'Dammit. For a second there, I honestly thought he broke my Aura,' she hissed mentally. 'That was too close. Now, I really need to end this fight before he gets any more hits on me!'
She forced herself to her feet and prepared for another round when suddenly, a wall broke apart close to the two fighters. They looked towards the crash and saw a black streak falling to the ground, which flipped on its hands and revealed herself to be Blake. Her opponent jumped into the air and stabbed his tonfa into two pieces of falling debris, to which he swung down at the Faunus. Blake used a Shadow Clone and sidestepped the strike, using another one to lift herself into the air and roundhouse kick the tonfa marine in the face.
Clayton recovered quickly and readied his tonfa for a strike. "Roar of the Minotaur!" he shouted and slammed his new counterweights down at the disguised Faunus. Blake dodged quickly with a backflip as the boulders connected to Clayton's tonfa destroyed the ground she had been standing. Clayton didn't stay idle as he quickly spun in the air and thrusted his tonfa forward. "Eye of the Cyclops!" he roared.
Blake created a Shadow Clone to avoid the strike, but Clayton anticipated this and rushed where she was dodging to. He executed several fast strike punches to Blake's chest, making her gasp in pain before got in close and threw a hook kick to her head. "Charge of the Chimera!"
Blake cried out in pain as she skidded across the ground. Weiss turned to her in concern. "Blake!" she shouted; she tried to tun to her and help, but Byron rushed her, making her curse and forced to defend herself. Blake, meanwhile, quickly returned to her feet as Clayton closed in on her.
Sidestepping the Marine using a Shadow Clone, Blake swung Gambol Shroud at Clayton's side, making him flinch away as the weapon drew blood. Using her semblance again, Blake maneuvered herself until she was at his other side and slashed at him four times. Clayton hissed in pain and tried to swing his tonfa to hit her. She ducked under the swing and unsheathed Gambol Shroud's katana. Using the bladed sheath in a reverse grip and the katana in a normal one, she unleashed several rapid slashes at his torso.
Clayton gasped and was forced backwards. He tried to steady himself, but Blake wasn't having it. She slashed him several more times as he tried to regain his footing. The cat Faunus swung both blades at his feet, making him trip and fall to the ground. She rushed him again, but he gritted his teeth and spun in the air. "Flight of the Harpy!" he shouted and spun his tonfa like copter blades at Blake. She cursed and used a Shadow Clone to avoid the strike. She backflipped until she was next to Weiss. Clayton did the same until he was next to his brother. The four stared each other down.
"Having trouble, Brother?" Byron asked curiously. Clayton scoffed.
"Not at all, By," Clayton retorted. He spun his tonfa around and continued, "Just getting warmed up! What about you?"
"Was just about to finish this charade myself," Byron replied and readied his halberd. Weiss gritted her teeth and leveled Myrtenaster at him. Blake frowned and fell into a stance, her swords crossed in front of her. The four stared each other down, waiting for the right moment to move.
Suddenly, the two brothers rushed the Huntresses. They tensed, but before the Marines could reach them, a loud clanging of swords reverberated around the area as a body twisted above the brothers and landed between them and the Huntresses with a loud grunt, revealing himself to be Zoro. Several shallow slashes crisscrossed across his torso, and his breathing was slightly labored.
"Zoro?!" Blake questioned loudly.
"Out of my way!" Nova growled, sporting two deep gashes on her shoulders and several cuts to her abdomen as she jumped off the shoulders of the Marine brothers. Her breathing came out in shallow gasps as she spun in the air and brought her sword up behind her neck.
"Captain!" the two shouted. She ignored them as she fell at Zoro. Zoro himself brought his swords up in a defensive stance. Nova smirked as she spun in the air.
"Tyr Stance!" she shouted. Zoro tensed as she neared him. "Sword Hurricane!" Nova spun around at a rapid pace, making the Santoryu user have to duck and backflip away. He stumbled a bit as he landed on his wounded ankle. Nova landed and spun on her good ankle. "And…Blitz Arrow!" She pushed off and thrust her sword forward.
Zoro, however, was able to get his footing back and swung Wado to intersect the serrated blade. His named blade connected with a shower of sparks as it caught in-between the serrations. With a hard turn of his neck, Zoro forced Nova to stumble backwards and agitate her wounded ankle, making her grit her teeth in pain.
Grinning intensely, Zoro swung his neck up and threw her off balance. She cursed as she repositioned her sword to intersect his coming assault. Zoro swung his two blades at Nova, who quickly brought her blade up in defense and caught the blades. She lifted the swords just enough to duck under and then took a swipe at Zoro. He backstepped, stumbling only a moment as he was forced to put pressure on his wounded ankle.
Nova tried to capitalize on this but stumbled forward when she mistakenly put pressure on her wounded ankle. Zoro, having recovered, spun on his good heel and took a swipe at the Marine captain. She cursed and ducked under the sword and spun her own blade to deflect one of Zoro's. What followed next was the two clashing blades creating small showers of sparks every time they collided. The two continued their deadly dance as Byron, Clayton, Blake, and Weiss watched on in awe.
For the Marines, it was the fact that someone was actually keeping up with Captain Nova. The only person they had ever seen match her was her brother. But in terms of swordplay, they had never seen her matched. Yet, this no named pirate was actually giving her a run for her money!
Blake found herself analyzing Zoro's very unique style of fighting. Upon noticing him carrying three blades, she had wondered why he would be carrying around a third. Never in a million guesses would she have assumed he was bold enough (or crazy enough) to wield a full-sized katana in his mouth. And it wasn't for intimidation or show, either. She watched in fascination whenever he'd swing his neck and head around for a strike or block. Somehow his neck and teeth weren't breaking; were humans on Susanos just that durable? Or was it just physical conditioning and training?
And if the latter, just what kind of nightmare training did Zoro go through to effectively use a sword clenched between his teeth?!
Weiss, similarly, was enraptured at the deadly dance of steel. Having studied fencing and swordplay since she was ten, she spent seven years attempting to master and perfect her craft. As she watched Zoro and Nova clash, she quickly analyzed Zoro's techniques. His style, while unorthodox, was effective. One would assume wielding a katana in their mouth would be foolhardy and futile, but Zoro proved that with training, it not only could work, but also be truly effective. While it did limit the movements of the blade in his right hand, it was dangerously advantageous for him. Since he clearly had the strength to block attacks and deliver them efficiently, it made for a third danger his opponent needed to be aware of as well as creating an unknown factor that made Zoro's attacks harder to predict.
Such a style shouldn't be possible, this cacophony of swordplay, yet Zoro made it so. And it was spectacular to behold.
Similarly, Weiss noticed Nova's style was similar to own, favoring technique and speed over raw force. However, Weiss was quick to see the striking differences. Nova's style was…aggressive. Furious. Meant to strike vital points quickly and as often as possible. Weiss's team described her style like that of a deadly dance, every move having a purpose; in comparison, Weiss would describe the Marine captain's style as that of a lethal painter: each swing as precise and deliberate as a paintbrush against a canvas.
However, she didn't have much time to reflect more on this, because Zoro noticed them staring and growled. This was also noticed by Nova, who followed Zoro's lead.
"HEY!" the combined shout of the sword wielders made the four flinch. "QUIT GAWKING AND GET BACK TO FIGHTING!" With that, the two broke their stalemate and continued to clash blades. The Huntresses and Marines quickly reoriented themselves.
"I've got this brother!" Clayton called out. The spikey haired Marine dropped his tonfa with a crash and held his hands to cover his face, save for his eyes. Byron looked horrified.
"Clayton! What are you-Not that!" Byron shouted, making the teen Huntresses stiffen up in alarm as killing intent seeped out of Clayton.
Back with Zoro and Nova, the two's clash took them further down the street as they tried to gain an edge over the other. Zoro clenched his teeth in frustration as he swung his two swords in quick, vicious arcs at the swordswoman. Nova replied by swapping sword hands to block and deflect the strikes heading her way whilst sending lightning fast strikes his way. Despite everything, they were smiling at each other.
"I'm glad I met you Roronoa Zoro!" she said as she deflected a strike from his third blade. "It's been some time I crossed blades with a competent swordsman!"
"Heh!" Zoro laughed as he blocked another of her swipes. "Same here. Not much challenge here in the East Blue anymore!"
"Shame that when I beat you, I'll be without an equal here!" she commented. "Might have to take that promotion to a Marine base in the Grand Line the higher ups have been bugging me to accept just to find a noteworthy challenge!"
"That's 'assuming' you'll beat me!" Zoro retorted.
"Oh! But I've already won!" Nova's stance lowered, and she held her sword up, just under her chin with the blade pointed upwards behind her. Zoro noticed she was planning something and tried to swing his swords to stop her, but she swung her sword up at an angle and knocked his swords aside. Zoro's eyes widened as the sword spun around her head, and she positioned it behind her for an overhead chop.
"You're finished, Pirate Hunter!" she called out. "Thor's…HAMMER!" She swung her blade down at Zoro.
Time seemed to slow down for Zoro as his mind flashed back to his youth. "Still weak as ever, Zoro!"
'NO! I can't lose here!'
With renewed resolve, the green haired swordsman reeled his arms and quickly blocked the strike. Nova's eyes widened in disbelief. "N-No way…!" she exclaimed. Zoro groaned loudly, his bad ankle shaking from shifting his weight to it. He looked to Nova and with a pained shout, he pushed off his wounded ankle and knocked her sword clear from her hands. She gasped in surprise, and Zoro repositioned his swords to perform his signature move.
"Oni…Giri!" Pushing off his good ankle, Zoro flashed behind Nova, leaving three deep cuts on her torso. She cried out in pain as blood spurted from her wounds. She fell to the ground with a thud.
Zoro wheezed as he steadied his breathing. Wearily, he sheathed his two swords and grabbed Wano from his mouth. He let out a sigh as he sheathed his treasured katana. "Damn, that was close," he mumbled. "For a second there, I thought I was done for." He reached up to grab his bandana when he heard Nova speak.
"Dammit…" Blinking at the weak voice, Zoro turned to see Nova crawling to her sword. He turned to her and watched her.
"I…can't be beaten…here…" she whispered indignantly. "I…need to…become…the greatest…!"
"Hah! You? Wielding a sword?! What a joke!" she recalled a fellow recruit mocking her.
"Why not?! I can swing a sword just as good as you can!"
"Girls aren't built for swordplay! You ought to just give up! Especially a sickly little whelp like you!"
"Shut up! I'm going to be a swordswoman! You can't stop me!"
She remembered all the jeers. All the mocking. How a girl like her, with all her health problems as a kid, would never be a swordswoman.
"Just you wait! I'll prove you wrong! I'll prove you all wrong! I'll…I'll…"
'I swore to myself…'
"I'll be the Greatest Swordswoman in the World!"
"I swore to become…" she gritted her teeth as she inched forward a bit more. "…the Greatest Swordswoman in the World…I…I can't lose here…!" She reached for her sword and continued, "If I can't be...the greatest…I'll never…be able to…avenge my mother…!" She strained to even place one finger on her sword, but to no avail. Until, however, a dark boot scooted the blade into her open hand. Nova gasped as she looked up.
Zoro gave her a blank stare. "You should work on your strength a bit more," he told her. He turned around and started to limp away, but Nova felt indignant.
"You…How dare you…look down on me…!"
"I'm not." Nova leveled her questioning glare at him. "Just some advice, to the swordswoman who nearly beat me."
"Why?" she growled. Zoro was silent for a moment before speaking.
"You remind me of an old friend," he admitted; her eyes widened. "Your hair, your face, hell, the fact you're a swordswoman…you are practically her spitting image. But where she was ready to fold because people told her a girl couldn't be a swordswoman, you obviously didn't. I'd be spitting in her memory if I tried to mock you."
Nova spat on the ground. "That doesn't seem like a good enough reason to offer your enemy a hand out," she told him.
"You're right. It's not," he agreed. "I did it because we share the same dream." Nova gasped, and Zoro turned around to grin at her. "I'll see you at the top. Then, we can settle who will be the Best." With his piece said, he turned and limped off, leaving Nova lying there in shock.
Her shock didn't last, however, as she soon started chuckling softly. The chuckling quickly gave way to laughter as her vision started to fade. She clenched her sword, her Cruelty's Justice, and grinned.
'Yeah. See you at the top…Roronoa Zoro.'
An: And that's the end of this exciting chapter! Hope y'all enjoyed it!