Chapter 14
Archon
"Maxwell Trevelyan… Kishishishi!" Moria rose to his full height as he looked over at Max, "You've got a lot of guts, Magister. Singling yourself out after what you just pulled…!" The Warlord smiled with his shark like teeth.
Maxwell moved his arm in an opening gesture, "Well, you're the one who issued the challenge. I just cut in line in order to fight you… Unless you're feeling scared, Gecko?" He hoped comparing him to a small lizard would set Moria off. It just so happed to be the Warlord's surname.
Chopper finally noticed Maxwell had separated himself from their group, "Wait, Max! What are you do—!?"
"No—Wait!" Sanji slapped a hand across Chopper's mouth, "Actually, this is perfect! Maxwell can distract Moria while we deal with Monster Luffy!" Oars was looking down on all of them, turning his head between the Straw-Hats, and Moria.
"You sure you're alright with this?" Franky asked Zoro. The cyborg understood Maxwell was outing himself as bait. Maxwell had the second highest bounty on their crew, and Moria was after those quality shadows. Still he didn't like the implications if Maxwell lost.
The swordsman was staring at them as if calculating the risk, "…He'll be fine." Zoro didn't appreciate Maxwell taking on Moria all by himself. Actually, he would have preferred himself fighting Moria, but Zoro knew he wouldn't get a fight out of it. Moria had already taken his shadow, and they've all been hearing this supposed interest in Max.
Maxwell was capable in fighter. So, he would allow it this time. But that didn't stop Zoro from feeling concern about his fellow crewmate. Maxwell preferred to fight from the rear, either being the unseen strike, or an artillery battery. He liked to finish fights as quickly as possible, yet here he was trying to buy them time. Zoro hoped Maxwell had a plan.
"Sorry, Luffy," Maxwell mentality apologized to his captain, "I know that Moria is your fight, but we need to him down now!" Luffy couldn't hear him. Maxwell didn't have that kind of telepathy. Instead, he had a grim determined scowl on his face, resolving to take down this monster! "…I hope you can forgive me."
"Kishishi!" Moria raised his clawed gloved like he was holding two spheres, "Don't think you can taunt me, greenhorn! I've been sailing these seas since you were in your nappies!"
"…Then I'll just have to make the first move!" Maxwell spun his staff, firing off arcane bolts at the shadow user. He with through the motions. Flick, flick, flick, turn, reverse, stamp!
"Kishishi—! DOH!" Moria thought he could sidestep the projectile, but he didn't know Maxwell's spells were target seeking. "DOH-DOH-DOH-DOH-ARGH!" The arcane bolts hit Moria right in the face, making him stumble back a little.
Maxwell then followed it up with an Energy Bombardment. Bolts of arcane energy flew out of the glyph Maxwell had summoned. They were like a flock of birds, flying directly toward Moria.
"Grr! Doupleman!" Moria's shadow rose of the ground and came to life like a living silhouette. The Doupleman took the bolts at the last second. They were to close to change course. The magic tore through Moria's shadow, making the Doupleman look like swiss cheeze. However, the shadowy double wasn't disabled. Instead, the Doupleman quickly regained it's shape and swung a clawed hand at Maxwell.
Maxwell shifted into the Fade Step, bolting out of reach of Moria's shadow. Claws dug into the ground where the Magister originally stood.
"Kishishishi!" Moria laughed as he saw the mage dodge. Magister wasn't a warrior, he was a coward! He could take Trevelyan's shadow and be done with these pirates before breakfast! All he had to do was get close!
"My deepest apologies for being late!" "Hey guys! Guess who I found!"
Moria then noticed the weakling the Straw-Hats had sent off come back with the Humming Swordsman of all people… And he had a shadow! When had Ryuma been defeated!? Brook also held a giant sack in his hand, and Moria read the word "SALT" in big black bold letters.
"What!? Already!?" Moria looked between the dressed up skeleton and Oars. The Straw-Hats were already fighting his special zombie, drawing its attention away from him and Trevelyan!
"Damn it!" Moria scowled as he looked back at Trevelyan, "Brick Bat!" Moria's shadow then dispersed into multiple black blobs, resembling bats. The flock swarmed towards Maxwell, and Moria ran to reunite with Oars. However, before he could jog a few feet, lightning shot into his back and dragged him backwards until he was sitting beneath a ball of floating plasma.
"Don't think you can run away, Moria!" Maxwell had already disperse the swarm with a Fortifying Blast, and had cast a Lightning Cage between the both of them. "Your fight is with me!"
"Grr!" Moria gritted his pointed teeth as he knelt getting up onto his feet. He was steaming like a teakettle, "Damn you!" Moria swiped at Maxwell, hoping to grab the mage, but his hand went right through Maxwell and his Fade Cloak!
Maxwell stepped in, conjuring a Spirit Blade to swipe at Moria's liver. The sword sliced through Moria's coat and overalls, however it did not draw blood. Moria's hide was tougher than Maxwell thought!
"Kishishishi!" Moria smiled, flashing his pointed teeth. "You should have stayed away, Magister!" Moria then reached for the ground, and Maxwell realized Moria was grabbing his shadow!
His shadowed was peeling off the ground, sounding like the rip in tearing cloth. In a moment of panic, Maxwell set off a Wildfire explosion right where Moria's hand was. Being in close proximity, Maxwell could feel the flash of heat from the spell, threatening the singe his beard.
"YEOW!" But it was worse for Moria. Moria had drawn his oversized scissors, but dropped them as he grabbed his wrist. Whether it was because of pain or the searing light, Maxwell's shadow wasn't no longer within his grasp! The shadow melded back into the ground, and Maxwell quickly put some distance between him and Moria, vanishing into the Fade Step. Maxwell counted himself lucky to pull off that escape.
"THAT HURT, BRAT!" Moria yelled as he tore at his flash-fried glove, revealing burnt flesh underneath. Moria's hand was completely red, with black char marks at the edges, contrasting his chalk white skin. "BLACK BOX!"
Maxwell's eyes widened as his shadow morphed into a square. Just because Moria didn't have his shadow, didn't mean he couldn't manipulate it! Darkness snapped up into the air like a reverse curtain, enveloping Maxwell in a dark cube. All Maxwell could see was black!
"Dispel!" Maxwell shouted and the box shattered in an aurora of light, but Moria was already attacking! The scissors he had dropped were now separated, being wielded by like a pair of sabers! Moria swung in a horizontal slash. Maxwell raised his staff to block, but like all the other times he's tried blocking, Maxwell was sent flying.
The mage rolled with the momentum, though. Moria hit hard, but he wasn't at the same level of strength Zoro and Sanji had. He was just big, using his unusual size to bat enemies aside. Maxwell rolled into a crouch, his arm outstretched with his staff brushing his back.
Maxwell's eyes darted around, taking note of everything around Moria. The ground was still littered with rubble, the chunks of being various sizes. Moria held both scissor blades in each hand. Oars was waving about on fire—Wait, what!?
Oars' entire chest and head were set ablaze, and the giant was panicking. "HOT HOT HOT-HOT!" If Maxwell had to guess, Usopp had fired another one of his Firebird Stars and got it enhanced. That or he had used another bottle of oil.
"How pathetic. Don't flinch, Oars!" Moria yelled up at the giant, "Feeling pain from the heat is just a lingering reaction from when you were alive! You're being stupid! Just calm down and put out the fire!"
Oars did as his master wanted and calmed down, "Actually now that you say it, I don't feel anything!"
Moria then noticed that the cockpit was fire free. "Kishishi! So you're spells do possess a time limit. Let's see how long you last!"
Moria rushed forward, swinging his scissor blade sabers. Maxwell was on the retreat, jumping back and sideways to avoid those swords. The Warlord had a long reach, and Maxwell knew those things would chop into him like an axe if he ever got nicked. He swung them like a drummer, and whenever he beat the ground, anything underneath was cracked open!
Maxwell did fight back though. He cast Inferno and Winter glyphs on the ground as Moria chased him. They didn't always work, but when Moria accidentally stepped on one, his foot was scorched from the heat.
"GRR! HOLD STILL!" Moria swung down both of his sabers at Maxwell, with a little more force this time. The piece of rubble Maxwell had been standing on shattered into pieces as Moria pulverized it.
Maxwell then noticed he had been backed into a corner. He was between the mast wall, and a particularly large piece of the stone bridge. Moria had been herding him this whole time! "Dammit!"
"Kishishi!" Moria smiled as he loomed over the mage, "Now, let's try this again!" Moria reached down, but as he did, Maxwell saw something flying towards them! It was like a piece of a building that had been cut up into a piece of celery… And Maxwell's eyes widened as he saw who had kicked it!
Moria was surprised when he suddenly saw Maxwell suddenly flash in front of him. He didn't even have the shadow yet! Maxwell was in the Frost Step and flew right through the Warlord. Moria suddenly felt cold as he saw his clothes frost over, and ice cake his limbs. This was something similar to what Perona could do! How many abilities did this rookie have!?
"GA—URK!" Moria then suddenly felt a building crash into him, and the corner he had been standing in exploded into dust.
"HA-HA!" Sanji cheered, "That's one for me, moss-head!"
"Screw you, crap-cook!"
"YOU KICKED A BUILDING AT ME!?" Maxwell yelled at the chef, not appreciating having been in the flight path.
"Eh. I knew you would dodge," Sanji shrugged. He had also kicked about a half-dozen tower pieces at Oars as well.
"MMM! YOU BASTARD!" Oars cocked his arm and swung at the tower slices that were flying towards him. One had already crashed into his liver, making him lean from the impact. That didn't mean he was going to allow more!
"DOWAAA! The tower's flying towards us!" Franky jumped for cover. The stone pieces crashed into the ground, kicking up dirt and dust. Maxwell saw Robin save Brook from being crushed under one of those tower slices.
"Crap! He used it against us!" Chopper grimaced while Maxwell cast some Barriers. They wouldn't last against a giant's fist, but they might offer some protection.
"Hey! You guys okay!?" Sanji called out. Robin, Franky, and even Brook gave them all a thumbs up.
"Kishishi! Did you forget that I joined the battle? This will be your worst nightmare!"
"Wait—What!?" Maxwell backtracked as he saw the Warlord. He was already back in Oars' cockpit stomach and none of them had seen him move! When did Moria get out of the rubble!? The pile didn't even look disturbed!
"You ready Usopp!?" Maxwell the heard Franky and saw the cyborg running towards two piles of rubble. There, he saw Usopp pulling back on what looked like a giant ribbon in between them.
"I'm good to go! But I'm not sure if this thing is going to work!" Usopp strained against his giant rubber band, "I just threw this thing together!" It was particularly taught.
Frank grinned, "Don't worry about it! I'm extra super this week!"
"Alright! Let's do it!" Usopp agreed, and Franky jumped into the harness.
"Yeah! Aim me right at his stomach!"
"No—Wait!" Maxwell tried to stop them, but it was too late.
"Certain Kill: Iron Man Comet! GO!" Usopp already let go of the harness, and fired Franky like a human sized slingshot.
Franky did indeed fly right up to Oars' stomach. He actually flew sitting cross legged while preparing his left arm cannon. The cyborg directly aimed his mortar shot at Moria. However, as he fired, Oars had dropped, leaned over, and shifted with the dexterity of a break dancer. Oars was now standing on one arm, and the mortar shot flew over Oars' side and exploded against the mansion.
Worse yet, Oars' hips were still rising up, and had his legs poised to kick!
"FRANKY!"
*KRRRCH!* None of them could do anything as Oars leg smashed Franky into the mast. Stone and mortar crumbled, and they watched as their friend fell down with it.
"Don't stop, Oars!" yelled Moria. Oars had returned onto his feet after kicking back away from the wall. "He's still breathing. Finish him!"
"Yes, Master." Oars then started walking up to Franky, intent on squashing him underfoot.
"HEY! STOP! HE CAN'T MOVE!" Chopper yelled as he, Zoro, and Maxwell rushed to intercept. If they didn't stop them now, Franky was going to die!
However, as they ran, Chopper noticed a lone cloud up in the air. "Huh…? That cloud is—"
*KRRRACK!*
An incredibly large and strong thunderbolt struck Oars, making the giant shudder and spasm! The electricity had stopped Oars right in his tracks. Right when he had his leg up in the air! "UWOOO!" Oars fell down, disoriented and off balance!
"Lightning! Maxwell, was that you!?" "No, no! I can't make a thunderbolt that big!" "Whatever it was, it worked! The thunderbolt brought him down!"
"It's the climatact!" Sanji exclaimed, "NAMI! ARE YOU UNHARMED!?" Sanji desperately started looking around the courtyard, looking for their navigator.
"THERE SHE IS!" Sanji then spotted her on top of the bridge, where Perona's Wonder Garden had been. "IT'S NAMI! NAMIIII~!"
"Don't yell! He's going to notice me!" Nami shouted back.
"I'M SO GLAD!" Sanji kept on yelling though, waving his arms and sobbing in relief, "I COULDN'T RESCUE YOU! FORGIVE ME~! I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE SAFE! NAAAMIII~!"
"Will you shut up?" Sanji's yelling only proved to annoy the swordsman.
However, Oars had also taken note of who summoned that thunderbolt, and looked up right at Nami. "I told you so!"
"Oh wait, I accidentally pointed out where Nami was! NAMIII! I'M SO SORRY!" Sanji waved his arms again.
Maxwell shook his head, refocusing on the battle, "Usopp! Quick, help me move Franky while we still have time!"
"R-Right!" Both men took Franky under his arms and dragged the cyborg away from the main fighting. They found a small alcove where Franky wouldn't be spotted.
Franky was in bad shape. Maxwell immediately started healing the cyborg, focusing on his chest cavity… No—wait, that was the refrigerator. There's the organs! Franky's body may have had a cast iron shell, but that didn't mean much compared to a thousand tons of force! He couldn't rely on Mordred and the others for energy, so he'll have to do it himself!
Usopp quickly saw the look on Maxwell's face as it became more and more gaunt. "Max! What are you—!?"
"GOMU-GOMU NO… PISTOL!"
Both Maxwell and Usopp looked up as Oars fist collided with the bridge. Nami was up there! However they're eyes widened when they saw Oars' arm being longer than usual!
"By the Maker!" "His arm stretched!" "That can't be—!" "NAMI!"
Oars' arm had stretched out, destroying the part of the bridge Nami had been on! Did that mean—!?
"THERE! THERE SHE IS!" Usopp yelled pointing up at the bridge, "SHE'S OKAY!" Nami was suspended by what looked like two cords of rope. She was swinging in the air, slowly descending with the momentum to where they where.
"Thank goodness," Sanji sobbed in relief, "Robin saved her!" It wasn't until Nami got close and landed, that Maxwell saw the cables were actually Robin's arms growing out of one another. They were wrapped around Nami's waist like she was having two different hugs at the same time. Nami did not stick a landing pose though. She was still shell shocked from nearly dying at Oars' hand.
"That was surprising," said Robin as her hands dispersed. Brook was rattling like a bag of bones. (Yohohohoho!) His jaw was wide open, in fright, at the new ability Oars had shown. "Are you alright, Nami?"
Nami panted, sitting onto her knees, "…Yeah… Somehow…!"
"Something very bad just happened!" Usopp's teeth chattered as he put a protective hand over Franky.
"Why did his arm stretch!?" Sanji shouted. "There's only one rubber-man in the world!"
Zoro looked up to see Moria grinning, "It was Moria… He did something!"
Oar looked at his retracted fist, "I stretched… That felt kind of familiar." This gave Oars an idea!
"GOMU-GOMU NO—!"
"DUCK AND COVER!" Maxwell yelled as he saw Oars lift his leg.
"—WHIP!"
Oars leg stretched as the zombie kicked. It was like a high velocity cable, snapping and swathing anything that was in it's path! "Now it really is like a Monster Luffy!" Zoro and Sanji jumped above the swinging limb. Maxwell and Usopp had to duck under it and keep Franky's unconscious body pinned to the ground. Everyone else had to jump and tuck in their head.
Oars didn't stop there though, "GOMU-GOMU NO…" the zombie jumped into the sky, craning his neck as the zombie stretched.
"HERE IT COMES!" yelled Zoro.
"BELL!" Oars through his head down, his neck stretching as he attacked. The zombie's head was like a mace, pulverizing the ground and exploding into a cloud of dust and mortar.
They were all sent flying, being caught up in the shock wave. Sanji had been quick and grabbed Franky from them as Oars attacked. The giant had been aiming right for them! With their patient evacuated, Maxwell disappeared into the Fade Step, avoiding most of the spray. Usopp wasn't so lucky as he tumbled through the air!
"Shishishi! It feels great when my body stretches!" Oars retraced his head and touched his feet together, "SPEAR!" Still being in mid air, Oars shoot his feet down, impaling the earth with his hyperextended legs.
The attack kicked up more dust and dirt,
"Damn it…!" Sanji cursed as he skidded onto his heels, "His attacks are so much stronger now!"
Zoro had also skid back, dragging his hand across the ground, "Oars doesn't have that power, but he still stretched. What did you do Moria!?"
Evidently, Moria had heard them, even over Oars cacophony as he landed. "Kishishishi! That's right! It is my doing! This is the nightmare I promised you! The Kage-Kage Power: Shadow Revolution! It's great, isn't it?"
"R-Revolution?" asked Brook. He was slumped over a piece of rubble with the bag of salt by his side.
"Shadows copy the body's movement. Everyone knows that." Now the Warlord was just gloating. "The body and the shadow must have the same shape... That is a law of nature. But now, the shadow that should be following Oars has been possessed by my shadow, and is under my control! I can change the shape of Oars' shadow, but the body must have the same shape! And rather than the shadow changing to match the body, the body now matches the shadow and transforms! That is the Shadow Revolution!"
"In other words, common sense is overturned," Chopper scowled. "Moria is stretching Oars' shadow's arms and legs, which is causing Oars's limbs to stretch as well!"
"So Oars hasn't become a rubber-man, yet he can freely transform his body!" Sanji threw away his cigarette, "Give me a break. He's to big for that!"
"Yeah, we can't approach him at all," Zoro observed. If Oars could stretch like Luffy could, he didn't have a chance at getting close to cut the monster.
"Kishishi! He's more trouble than just rubber! If I make his shadow round, then Oars becomes round!"
"Huh!?" Oars then suddenly felt himself tilt over, and his body condense into a sphere.
"OARS BALL! Kishishishi!" Moria had the zombie using his shadow to do so. Maxwell and the Straw-Hats had to scatter again just to not get caught!
"Hey, hey!" Oars tried looking don at his stomach, "Wait a second, Master! Please don't mess with my fight!"
"Kishishishi! My apologies, I didn't mean to interfere," Moria sounded completely unapologetic, "I only wanted to help. Now, crush them one by one, Oars!"
Zoro ran forward as Oars returned to a humanoid form. "Wait, Zoro! It's too dangerous!" Chopper tried too call out to him. However, he then notice Maxwell running after him! "Wait—Max! What are you doing!?"
Maxwell had heard Moria's explanation for Oars ability to stretch. With Oars' inability to feel pain, Oars could fight all he likes with that undead body. However, Maxwell did see one loophole! Oars was not Luffy. He was not made out of rubber! All that stretching would put a strain on all the body! Weakening the muscles and tissues Oars had within! If he could pull this off—!
Maxwell heard the crackling of electricity above him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Brook flying right towards Oars. He was spinning like drill, cane-sword pointed foreward, and aimed right at Oars' shoulder! The skeleton looked like an arrow, covered in lightning!
"Lightning Bone Sword: GAVOTTE BOND AVANT!"
Brook pierced right through Oars' shoulder, leaving a gaping hole in Oars' thick hide! Maxwell now had his target!
"KEEP ATTACKING!" Usopp yelled, "THERE'S OUR OPENING!" Maxwell threw caution to the wind. He said he wasn't going to use it, but Maxwell entered what he was now going to call the Archon State. Eldritch light rolled off him like a fog as his skin cracked and eyes glowed.
Zoro took advantage of this opening as well, "Nitoryu, Nigiri TOROU!" Zoro slashed at Oars, holding his two katanas in a reverse grip. He swung upwards, letting the air slash climb up Oars' torso! Two deep gashes tore through Oars-s body, leading up to the shoulder.
"Gah! Why you—!"
"Searing Glyph. Lasting Flames. Wildfire. Blistering Pain!" He hadn't tried this spell since Skypiea. It was dangerous, experimental, leaving him exhausted and immobile, the last time. No to mention, it required a crap-ton of mana. But now, with this Archon State, he might be able to pul it off on his own!
Maxwell spun his staff, floating in the air in front of him, as it generated the mana for this spell. With it was conjured a spell array, featuring all the diagrams of the Inferno School. The pentagram glowed like red hot iron as Maxwell poured all his focus in this spell!
"BLAZING ARCANUM!" Maxwell roared, "ARCHDEMON INFERNO!"
The pentagram briefly flashed green, then a blaze dragon erupted out of the sigils! It was made out of fire—was fire! Fire, ash, and shadow! It roared with a terrible ear piercing screech! The living elemental flew up towards Oars, jaws clamping down on the giant's shoulder!
"RAGH!" Oars tried to grab the fire dragon, but his hand could touch nothing and set them on fire!
The flames then raced towords Oars shoulder joint, condensing into a miniature sun!
"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!?" Moria yelled, losing his cocky grin. He even flinched as he grabbed the metal edge of his window sill. "Ouch that's hot!"
Maxwell let it burn for a moment. Oars tried to shake it off but nothing stopped those cursed flames from consuming Oars' flesh! Maxwell then grasped his hand into a fist, making the inferno cease. If he let it go out of control it would have been a hazard to all of them. The fire disappeared like a gas burner had been turned off, leaving what remained of Oars' shoulder.
Oars' arm fell down, detached and burnt from his body.
"GAH~! MY ARM FELL OFF!" The giant couldn't help beat gape, looking at his arm as he picked it up. It was someone had deep-fried his arm and only did the stump!
"HA!" Maxwell cheered, having successfully accomplished his spell! The Arcanum had worked! The inferno had eaten through all the weakened cells in Oars' corpse! However, Maxwell quickly felt an harrowing feeling throughout his body, and the Archon faded.
"Crap…!" Maxwell fell onto his side, and was unable to move. It still took too much mana!
Moria couldn't help but gape at the state of Oars' arm. Oars's entire right bicep had been incinerated, leaving nothing but a smouldering crater in Oar's shoulder. The scent of burning flesh was pungent in the air…
"…MMMMAAAAAAGGGGGISSSSTEEEEEEEERRRRRRR!"
Moria roared in outrage at his special zombie being crippled. Oar's zombie was supposed to be his secret weapon against Kaido! He was going to conquer the world with this zombie! How had some snot-nose rookie been able to mar his magnum opis!?
Trevelyan was going to pay for this. Trevelyan was going to die for this!
"OARS! DESTROY HIM!" Moria pointed down at Maxwell's body.
Though Maxwell was hallucinating, he could still hear Moria's cries of revenge. "Well… Shit…" He couldn't see clearly. Colours were clouded and dragged in his vision. He really should have utilized his familiars for tat spell. He could only vaguely feel someone picking him up, and a gust of wind on his face.
"Don't you die on me, Max!" He could hear Zoro's voice. "Come on. Stay with me!"
"Zoro…?" Maxwell mumbled. He couldn't think straight. Why was he being carried like a sack of potatoes again?