Legal Stuff: All original characters, plot, and settings belong to Eiichiro Oda. Enjoy Chapter 26!

All of his attention focused on the animal. There were no more allies around that he had to protect. There was only the one enemy in front of him now that the damn Love Cook and the wolf were fighting in a different part of the tower. In this fight, he couldn't lose focus for an instant…

"I prefer meat," the giraffe proclaimed.

"What?" Zoro growled.

"I said that if I had a choice between vegetables and meat that I prefer meat!"

Zoro's eyes narrowed. If this was a ploy to disrupt his concentration, it wasn't going to work!

"And I'm saying that it doesn't really matter, herbivore!"

Zoro only paused long enough to unwind the bandana on his arm and tie it around his head.

"I no longer have time to fool around. First, I'll defeat you and take your key."

Zoro didn't want to think of the shame he would bear if the Love Cook retrieved the wolf's key and he wasn't able to take it from a giraffe! The animal threw him an incredulous look.

"Tying a dirty piece of cloth around your head will make you stronger?"

Zoro smirked at the giraffe's mocking tone.

"Who knows? Are you afraid to find out?"

Zoro unsheathed Yubashiri and Kitetsu and held them parallel to each other. The fact that this animal was underestimating him gave him the advantage.

"Nitoryu: Nigiri Tower Climb!"

Much like the many flights of stairs, Zoro slashed upwards towards the beast's head. The foreman jumped back but he was still in range for the continuation of Zoro's attack. He reversed the direction and sliced downwards.

"And Tower Return!"

The giraffe's neck moved sinuously like a snake. Zoro realized his danger as soon as the enemy spoke.

"If you keep jumping around like that, you'll leave yourself wide open! Giraffe Scythe!"

The giraffe's neck moved fluidly, connection with his side. All the air exploded out of him with the hit, and Zoro found himself flying through the air before finally crashing into a wall. He picked himself up from the pile of rubble. He growled. There had to be a way around the assassin's natural shield.

"Your defense is poor for a swordsman. Here, I'll show you what a perfect protective stance looks like."

The giraffe started shifting position. His limbs began folding one on top of the other and whirring, mechanical sounds echoed in the garden. Soon, the noises stopped, leaving him able to see what the giraffe transformed into.

Sitting a few feet away from him, where a tall, lanky animal should have been, sat a squat giraffe cube instead. The giraffe's head rested on top of cube, calmly observing him. His legs sat in front of him, while his arms were placed squarely above his shirt line. Zoro felt a vein beginning to throb from his temples. The assassin couldn't be serious. He had to be joking or making fun at Zoro's expense.

"Iron Body: No Blind Spots: Giraffe Box!"

Zoro's calm exploded. "Shut up! I can see that it's a box! What in the hell are you even doing?! You can't attack me like that!"

His opponent scoffed. "You really are stupid. I can attack you anytime I want and with this perfect defense, you'll have no chance. Besides, you're forgetting a very important fact about giraffes: we have four legs. Tempest Kick: Giraffe Shower!"

Zoro would never describe any of his opponents as cute, with a very silent and secret admission of Magina, but the rapidly moving giraffe legs could only be called adorable. It pissed him off even more. This animal had to be making fun of him!

"Like I said," Zoro snapped through gritted teeth before letting out his frustration with a shout, "are you going to fight me seriously or aren't you?"

The foreman's smirk broadened. "You're not nearly observant enough for a swordsman. My attack started as soon as I started kicking. Don't tell me that you can't see it?"

Zoro ground his teeth in silent frustration. What was it about this enemy that frustrated him so much? He dared a quick glance around the area. He said the attack already started. What—? His eyes widened when tiny flashes caught his attention. The giraffe's smirk turned fully mocking.

"Yes, my slash attacks were all aimed upwards. They'll reflect off of the ceiling and come raining down…on you! Meanwhile, I won't be affected at all. Iron Body!"

He wouldn't be able to dodge, he wasn't even sure if he would be able to block properly. Showers of rain-like attacks covered the area. Zoro was able to stop some of the slashes, but fine, thin cuts still snuck through his defenses. Slowly, his arms, thighs, even his face were covered in wounds. He smiled grimly. He wouldn't be able to block them all.

Well, then it was time to take a chance. Zoro used his arms to shield his head the best that he could and stopped trying to block the giraffe's attack. The assassin rushed him as soon as the shower stopped. He was pushed through a wall. He pulled himself out of the broken stone.

"You bastard," he growled.

The animal looked impressed. "You really are a tough guy. There aren't many people who could survive that attack."

Zoro grunted. "I'm always training my body, so attacks like that mean nothing to me, you damn gi-riff-raff."

The enemy's eyes glittered. "Gi-riff-raff? You know that I'm a giraffe!"

Good. He was getting more upset while Zoro felt calmer than ever. He didn't have extra energy to waste on physically taunting the long-legged herbivore. Insulting him would have to do. Maybe he would grow careless and slip up.

"Gi-riff-raff."

It was a clever name and it was certainly doing a great job of riling up the assassin.

"That's wrong! I keep telling you! I'm not a gi-riff-raff! I'm a giraffe!"

"Shut up," Zoro snarled. "You are a gi-riff-raff. You should stop rambling and hand over that key you're keeping. Otherwise, be quiet. I could care less about your complaints!"

The fury on the enemy's face was hard to miss but Zoro didn't really care. This fight was already taking too damn long. Still, the herbivore was going to run his mouth off anyway.

"If you mock me, you're going to end up paying for it ten-fold!"

His eyes narrowed. He struggled to regain his composure. This assassin already attacked Magina in Water 7 and he was more concerned about a stupid nickname? He would be the one who was going to pay!

"Likewise, asshole. Prepare yourself, CP9. Playtime is over. First, I'm going to break that Iron Body of yours," Zoro growled.

The giraffe dared to laugh. "What are you saying? You are going to break through my Iron Body?"

"Yeah, I will. Would you like an example?"

Zoro took his stance and prepared to attack.

"Ittoryu: Lion Strike Dragon Cut!"

He loped over to the foreman and struck like the large savannah cat. To his surprise, the animal didn't try to block his attack, instead he retaliated with an attack of his own.

"Tempest Kick!"

The giraffe's counter attacked blocked his strike. They both ended on the opposite side of garden.

"Would you really have been able to cut through my block with that? I am the only CP9 member who can easily switch between Iron Body and attacking," the assassin gloated.

Zoro filed that information away. The foreman was a versatile enemy, so his own attacks had to be just as diverse.

"I see. It's not going to be that simple, huh? Then, how about this attack? Santoryu: Gorilla Attack!"

Zoro felt his arm muscles bulge with strength.

He growled deep in his throat as he raised his arms, "Bring it, leaf eater!"

The giraffe nodded. "A show of strength? How interesting! There's been no one to challenge me for a long time. I'll take you on!"

As soon as the animal blocked Zoro's strike with his large, square nose, it became a battle between their strength and will power. He was almost glad. There were no tricks that one could pull when there was a fight against brute strength. Even better, this particular skirmish was his. He felt the giraffe being pushed back a split second before he was thrown across the room. Zoro resumed a fighting stance as the foreman pulled himself out of the rubble.

"You weren't all just arrogant talk after all!" the herbivore sounded surprised.

Zoro grunted. "Your type can't imagine yourself losing at all, can you? Well, I'm about to change your way of thinking."

"You're such a haughty speaker!"

"You too," Zoro shrugged.

It wasn't going to be an easy fight since they were well matched but there was no way he was going to lose.

"I haven't even begun to show you my true strength yet!"

The assassin's neck seemed to fold in on itself. Zoro readied himself for whatever attack was coming next.

"Show me then!"

As the giraffe's neck continued to shrink, he shouted, "Giraffe Cannon!"

Once he stopped moving, the leaf-eater yelled again, "Giraffe Blast!"

His head and neck flew out at him. Zoro dodged as the long neck shot past him. His eyes widened. His neck stretched! What was going on? He pulled himself back to the moment. With his neck elongated like that there was a brief window of opportunity.

"That long neck of yours is your weak point!" Zoro growled before slicing.

The neck looked like water flowing around his blade. He swung down and only hit air. The enemy smirked.

"It isn't a weak point. You, however, left your side wide open! Tempest Kick: White Blade!"

Zoro jumped back as fast as he could. Damn! What kind of creature was he? His body could lock one instant and be fluid the next. It looked like he was going to attack again. The more the enemy attacked, the greater chance he had of breaking it.

"I won't miss this time! Get ready to be blasted off the tower…"

However, instead of the giraffe coiling his long neck in preparation to shoot out at him, his neck shortened, and his appendages elongated. Even the assassin was surprised.

"Shoot! This is the wrong position!" he yelled, his eyes wide.

Zoro's frustration at this enemy didn't leave him. It built until it burst out of his mouth. "What sort of set up does your body even have?! It makes no sense!"

"This wasn't supposed to happen! Now, I look like pasta noodles coming out of a machine!"

The foreman thought about it before standing on his elongated legs and bringing his arms up in a karate stance. "Pasta Machine!"

Zoro yelled again, "Don't just make up an attack name!

Every word that came out of this enemy's mouth irritated the hell out of him! Magina's words came floating into his head moments later. 'Roronoa Zoro, you are too emotional right now. Our goal is not revenge; our goal is to rescue Robin.'

He growled. The siren was right about that. Robin and not revenge was the goal. Still, the fact that he was the man who attacked Magina in Water 7 and that he was just as irritating as the Love Cook didn't calm his raging feelings any. Too emotional? Damn straight he was!

"I like my normal long form but having long arms and legs is not bad either. Even if these new powers are unpredictable, I am the best candidate for this Devil's fruit. I am a Master fighter. Ever Master knows that in order to win, you need to turn your weaknesses into advantages instead. Giraffe Blast!"

"You couldn't come up with a different attack!" Zoro shouted while he dodged.

He just about had it with this assassin! Zoro used his attack to strike at the foreman from down below. It would catch him on the way up. "Dragon Twister!"

Just as he hoped, the man couldn't defend from his attack but Zoro forgot that he had other abilities. The giraffe leapt out of the way of the attack's path. The strike hit the ceiling instead and made a hole to the floor above. The animal jumped up to the room above them. Was there anything up there that could help the assassin in this fight? It wasn't long before the giraffe jumped down.

"Thanks for waiting!"

Zoro brought up his katana to block just in time. Soon, they were in a heated duel. Blocking and attacking became instantaneous and the clang of swords rang throughout the room. The animal wasn't done bragging yet, but instead of his words annoying him, this time they calmed him. Or maybe now that he was fighting a swordsman, his emotions settled.

"My arms, legs, and neck have a longer reach and I can control them all at will! My swords are swinging fluidly and vigorously. I use the 4-Sword Style and that allows me to use my Giraffe powers to their full extent. You have no chance to beat me!"

Zoro realized it as the foreman was talking. He wasn't annoyed with the beast because no matter what was said, the outcome wasn't going to change any.

"You are strong. The extra reach that being a giraffe give you additional power. You can store away that long neck of yours and take away that disadvantage. And you can use 4-Sword Style. But…"

And when he struck next, he cut through the giraffe's attack.

"What? He broke my attacks?"

The assassin's shocked words were more for his benefit than Zoro's so he continued. He wasn't done surprising the animal yet!

"None of that will be able to defeat me!"

Chapter 26…I feel like it's crazy that we got this far. There is some Japanese in this chapter; it should be 1 Sword Style, 2 Sword Style, and 3 Sword Style. Anyone else feeling like summer is kicking their butts or is it just me? ;) Well, hopefully the next chapter will come easier than this chapter did. Hope you're all keeping safe and healthy and this little posting will brighten your day! See you in the next chapter!