I do not own Naruto or One Piece. If I did Naruto That is all I can say.
"Talk" Talking
'Think' Thinking
Authors Notice 4-5-15: Hello my fans, my adoring, insanely patient fans. I'm uh, late. Very late I guess. I know you may not wish to hear an excuse but this is one of fuck you proportions. I always said it would take an act of God to prevent me from writing. Unfortunately it was not God, but man that did it. I was blindsided by a driver who was texting and not paying attention and woke in the hospital a week or so later. I had some brain damage and my spine was injured. And my vehicle? Burst into flames turning my previous laptop and flash drive into slag, destroying everything I created for all chapters.
On a more positive note, and trust me folks this is positive. The other driver got what he deserved, an operation and a lot of physical therapy later I'm at least walking without the support of a wheelchair and thinking better. Granted this was months later, but I am now back to work at my job, and writing out my stories...only slower, because I have had to reread everything manga, and fanfiction related to get to this point, not to mention the anime.
Now that I got all that off my chest an you all updated, let's get on with the chapter! The long freaking awaited chapter!
I cannot tell you what happened after I saw the "Red" as I called it when I was younger, but from eyewitness accounts I attacked the World Noble who was known as Saint Mjosgard, and I bit his gun in half and severed his thumb and index finger in the process. Ha! Can you believe that? People have died for less and I got away with it...well mostly, apparently Jinbe blackmailed him and the incident was dropped. I have no idea what he blackmailed him with, but it must have been bad for a man who could murder someone in public and get away without any repercussions to have him back down.
But that is not all, apparently I punched a hole in the hull of the ship he crashed on, and made three full grown Sea Kings cower before me. Let me add that I was six years old. Six! And I did something that was thought to be unimaginable at the time.
The next thing I knew, I woke up in the Palace. At first I thought I killed the Queen and tried to escape...I failed miserably. In my haste to escape I jumped from a balcony without putting any thought into it and landed in a garden area after bouncing off something bigger than I was. Words cannot describe how embarrassed and hopeless I felt right then and there. I was sure I was done for.
Instead I met the children of King Neptune and Queen Otohime face-to-face. Prince Fukaboshi, Prince Ryuboshi, Prince Manboshi, and Princess Shirahoshi (All in an even arrangement from eldest to youngest for your benefit reader.) Apparently, I bounced off Shirahoshi's head, Fukaboshi assured me I was fine, the Queen was fine, but I got into a fight with Ryuboshi and Manboshi because I made their little sister cry.
Unfortunately, that paled for what was to come next.
"That is enough for today!" Namur bellowed out once the match ended. Both Kotetsu, and to a lesser extent, Vista were wounded, and the sun was going down. He was not going to let anyone fight in the dark, especially after that fight. "We continue tomorrow at first light. Rest and recover people!"
Thankfully the fishman thought to bring a few doctors into the deserted island before the fight started. Two were already at Kotetsu's side, closing his gaping torso wounds with gauze to stem the blood flow so they would patch him up on his ship, and another one was fretting over Vista.
The shark fishman finally took a good look at his fellow Commander. That last attack did cut him; several times in fact. He saw two upon his right arm, one along his left hand, once on his right calf, at least two on his chest, and once for his right cheek.
"You gonna be all right?" Namur asked the large swordsman.
"I'm fine." Vista smiled, waving the doctor away from him. "They are pretty deep, but they won't cause any scarring."
"But you cannot say the same for him." Naruto butted in, his eyebrows furrowed. He watched as Kotetsu, still gripping his swords in both hands get lifted onto a stretcher and carried away towards Namur's ship. He was in good hands, the blonde knew, if his potential doctor was any indication, then the other three would do just fine.
"I'm sorry Naruto. He will make a full recovery, but he will be scarred for life." Vista apologized, bowing down as much as his giant frame could. "I hope it is of no inconvenience."
Naruto looked at the both of them, glaring for a full minute before relaxing himself after everyone else left. "Well, I will be down a swordsman for a little bit, but this loss will bring out the better in him instead of that thing." Man he really did not like talking about Magara.
"I will agree, I did not like all that bloodlust flying through the air." Namur said, breathing out lightly. "I don't know much about the Iron Island Massacre. But he was in the thick of it."
"It was a Marine coverup. They attacked first because they were a neutral island, and could not be having that. He saw some bad things there, and even more before it took place. No wonder he snapped like a twig." Naruto said, briefly filling in some of the blanks.
"When he wakes. I will ask him the full story, hopefully I can help out in someway." Vista shrugged his broad shoulders. He really didn't know if he could help or not, but he owed the kid that much at least.
"We'll get back to that at a later date. But right now I got a crew that needs a pep talk, but how about we talk later? I got to know what's been going on with the guys after two years."
Naruto missed the look the two Commanders gave each other. "Yea, how about nine o' clock my ship?" Vista offered.
"All right see you there." Naruto bade them a temporary goodbye before leaving for his ship.
Back on the Nautilus spirits were awfully low. Granted, they were already low with Gin knocking at deaths door, but with Kotetsu getting thrashed around like a broken doll was quite a blow below the belt.
Upon seeing his hitchhikers moping around the main mast the Captain of the ship decided to make his pep talk count. "All right guys." Naruto said walking upon the deck of his ship. "I know how you're feeling. Kotetsu losing was quite the blow."
"An understatement!" Igaram bellowed with a stamp of his foot. "Uzumaki I once again protest to this foolish wager."
"I'm the fucking Captain here Igaram!" The fishman snapped, hot spittle flying from his lips. "I got us into this mess and I will get us out if the situation calls for it." Walking over to the main mast, he angrily tapped the thick wood, leaving a small indentation on it.
"What are we to do then?" Carmen asked.
"If you're as angry as I am, then you hold it in." Naruto clenched his fists together until his knuckles popped. "You hold it in until the time is right. And then you unleash it, unleash everything until your enemy cannot move."
"Aye aye, Cap'n" Bashura nodded.
"You're all dismissed, sleep well, get a hearty meal, and be on that island by sunrise." Without another word, Naruto turned on his heel and retired to his cabin.
After retiring to his door-less room, Naruto took off his sandals at the foot of his bed, and flopped on top of it. The metal frame groaned in protest at his heavier weight, but stopped after several seconds. Again, the blonde reminded himself how creepy it was to sleep in a dead man's bed. The thing was too small and caused his feet to stick out over the edge, it smelled of old dust and was pretty uncomfortable. But a bed was a bed, at least until he could replace it with something better.
Placing his hands under his head, he looked up at the cracked ceiling, the desk that held his journal, the closed closet that held his clothing that more than likely would be destroyed in one fight or another. And finally the wall that secured Arlong's Zanbato; Kiribachi, with thick rope, Kuro's Cat Claws and Don Krieg's Diamond embedded gauntlets placed on a shelf with a cover in front of it to prevent them from falling to the floor.
'I should give those gauntlets to Gin.' He thought to himself. While he was the Captain of the ship, he knew he was able to claim whatever trophies off his opponents, but Krieg was not felled by his hand, it was by his First Mate's and he deserved them more. 'I guess I should give Kiribachi to Madame Shyarly if I ever get there..." He stopped himself right there.
"Fuck! I killed Arlong. What is she going to say about that!?" Now that he finally got himself some alone time, Naruto realized that he had killed people. A lot of people, Arlong and his entire crew, a shit ton of Marines, Kuro, and maybe that Mr. 5 asshole. And to add to it he was a wanted man. "Oh man, oh man this is so not good." How the hell was he going to face Jinbe, Hody, or even Shirahoshi now?
"Um, Cap'n?" Naruto looked up and saw Bashura looking at him with a curious gaze. For a fearsome-looking savage, he didn't really portray it too well. He was far too nice to be one. "May I have a word with you?"
"Uh, yea. Sure. Come on in." It was kind of silly saying that because of the lack of door, but the giant man crouched until he could walk into the room. Man, it must suck being that big. How Jinbe and Neptune, not to mention other tall fishmen and merfolk dealt with it was beyond his understanding. "What is it you wanted to talk about?"
"About our chances for tomorrow." The Navigator bluntly said. "Kotetsu was strong in his own right, but he was nothing more than an ant against his opponent. Do you actually think we can pull this off?"
A long, tired sigh escaped from the fishman's sharp teeth. "Honestly?" Bashura nodded. "Honestly, I am having my doubts. I know we fought Kuro, and Don Krieg, not to mention members of the Baroque Works. Those were easy compared to what we face now."
"That bad?" Bashura tilted his head sideways in question.
"Lets say this. Back on Fishman Island, I was the freaking piranha in a tank of fish." This was more or less the truth, he has not lost a fight since Ace beat him two years ago. "But now that I am out of the tank, I find myself the soon to be meal for some Sea King." He knew he was understating it, he could punch out Sea Kings no problem, it was people that were the issue. Sometimes he wondered if he could even win most of his fights now.
"You really believe we have no chance of winning?"
"I didn't say that. It's slim, but if we can win, or at least tie the next match, then I will be the last to fight," He clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. "I will give it my all, you may think I'm awesome now. But you have not seen me when everything is on the line." His fight with Skorka, and Arlong proved just that.
"Then who do you think should fight next?" Blinking his wide yellow eyes, the Catman was curious to see what his Captain could do in a pinch.
"Well lets see, with Gin and Kotetsu out. All we got is you and me."
"What about Miss Goldenweek, Igaram, or Carmen?"
"I cannot ask Igaram to fight. He's only hitching a ride with us, Goldenweek is still having the shakes from her sugar withdrawal, and Carmen..." Naruto paused, considering how to say this lightly. "Carmen may be acrobatic, proficient with her fans, and one hell of a chef. But I just cannot see her fighting and winning against someone."
On the outside of his room, within earshot, the flamboyant chef's well manicured fingernails were dug into her palms and her teeth biting into her lower lip. "He thinks I cannot fight does he?" She murmured under her breath.
Turning on one heel Carmen softly walked away. Both Naruto and Bashura were never aware that they were eavesdropped.
After Bashura left several minutes later. Naruto continued where he left off before talking to their resident cat man. He looked right at the wall that held the trophies of his achievements from his near two months at sea once again, and settled his eyes upon his wanted poster.
Wanted Dead or Alive
"Sword of the Sea" Uzumaki Naruto
$45,000,000 Beli
The picture showed a clear view of his face. From the whisker-like markings upon his cheeks, three barely visible gills on his neck, the infamous vicious shark-like grin that showed his sharp teeth. It even showed his spiky blond hair and blue eyes that looked like they were flashing.
"How the hell did they get that picture?" Naruto wondered to himself. As far as he could remember he had no photos of him taken when he was growing up in the Royal Palace, maybe one or two occurred when he was sixteen, but what he was looking at was quite recent.
"Crap, if my face is all over the damn thing then that means every freaking Marine Base will be looking out for me." The blonde placed his right hand upon his chin in thought. The wheels were turning, slowly, until a single thought came to his mind. "Oh shit, how long will it be until Jinbe learns of this." If he didn't know already. Man he was not even remotely looking forward to that conversation.
"Um, Uzumaki?" Another voice interrupted his thought process. Turning his head he looked to see Igaram staring at him. "Am I interrupting anything?"
"Honestly, I have no idea." Naruto admitted. Now that he had some time to think, he realized that he didn't like it one bit, thinking was overrated, especially about half the crap that was nailed to his wall. "Can I help you Igaram?"
"I am hoping so." Igaram said, moving his hand to close the door, only to realize there was no door to be closed thanks to Mr. 3. "You're okay with having no door?"
"Eh, if anything I can get topside faster." Naruto had to look at the positive side of things at times. Even if they sucked. "But I doubt me having no door is the reason you're down here."
"Ahem, yes." The man said, clearing his throat in embarrassment. "To be blunt Naruto, I am worried about this situation with the Whitebeard Pirates."
"Listen, I am not just abandoning my First Mate. Period." Naruto narrowed his eyes threateningly. "And if this is about your place, do not worry. If we are to lose, I will make sure you aren't drafted in. You will still go home with the Princess and we will be on our way."
"I am grateful for that." Igaram really was. Being away from his home, and his wife for two years were like heavy weights on his shoulders. "But I am not here to discuss my role. I only want to ask a question if you please."
Crossing his thick arms across his chest, tilting his head sideways, and with one eyebrow raised. Naruto looked at his temporary crew member funny. "What is this question?"
"Forgive me for being blunt. But why are you working so hard to do this?" The Captain of the Royal Guard asked.
"What is 'This', exactly?" Naruto used his fingers as quotation marks.
"Fighting hard to keep Gin in the crew, and securing a doctor at the same time. Forgive me for saying this, but you do not seem the type."
"The type? Igaram quit beating around the bush and tell me what the hell you're thinking."
"The type to help humans." There he said it, plain and simple. Igaram continued on, being as blunt as a baseball bat to a mans kneecaps. "When I first saw you on Whiskey Peak, you looked very irritated being surrounded by humans, and you stayed that way until you risked your life to save me from that rigged ship. But every so often you switch in-between hating us to tolerating us, and now you are literally fighting for one. And I want to know what drives you to do so, despite the fact you do not think too highly of humans."
For a while it took Naruto's brain to sort out what Igaram said to him, and a few more minutes to think of an answer. Why was he fighting exactly? Sure, Gin was very useful, and a doctor of the Whitebeard Pirates would change matters entirely. But it was just as Igaram said, he didn't like them all that much...or did he? Were these rag-tag jackasses actually growing on him?
"I, uh, I don't freaking know." Naruto finally admitted. Screw Hody Jones throwing a bitch fit if he ever found out, this was just too complicated for him. "I do not like humans all that much, that I will fully admit. Your kind has persecuted and enslaved mine since before I was a twinkle in my dad's eye. Quite frankly, I can say that there are times where I just wish humans never existed." The part that Hody corrupted showed clearly on his face. The hate, the loathing, everything that could have been drilled into his head by the Captain of the New Fishman Pirates.
But as soon it was shown, it was replaced with his normal face, the one that always made Queen Otohime smile. "But after getting my ass kicked by Ace, and actually walking on islands in the Grand Line. I see that not all humans are a bunch of bigoted assholes. Yes there are some, but they generally don't mind my presence, and as for the people on this ship...ah, hell, despite them being a pain in my side, they did not outright try to kill me."
Well that wasn't necessarily true, Kotetsu/Magara tried it, Bashura and Gin brought the wrath of their former crews on him, Carmen would have hijacked the ship even if it was a mistake on her part and probably would have screwed him when Smoker came around again, and Igaram himself had a hand in trying it himself. But they had not tried it since then, and he did get good use out of them, so they were even...more or less at least.
"So essentially," He continued on, breaking out of his thoughts. "I am considering myself, neutral. I don't necessarily hate humans, but I don't like them either. Satisfied?"
Igaram didn't say anything at first. He just looked at the young fishman with a judging stare. I made Naruto uncomfortable enough to look away from his eyes for several seconds before looking back. Finally, after a minute of silence, a smile formed on the former Baroque Works members face. "It's funny, you sound just like the Princess." He said with a light chuckle in his voice.
"What?" Naruto's eyebrows disappeared into his bangs from surprise. He certainly had not been expecting that sort of answer. "How do I sound like her?"
"For the past two years Princess Vivi has gone through extreme lengths, and even risking her life to exposing Crocodile. And you are risking your..." Igaram paused for a second to try and figure out what he was risking. "You are risking your own freedom for a man you picked out of the sea not more than three weeks ago." He had talked to a majority of the crew on Drum Island and learned exactly what Naruto did to, for the better term, recruit them.
The blonde looked away, to hide the expression creeping into his face. "Don't get the wrong idea. With the hell we're going into we need to be at full strength."
"Whatever you say, Captain. Please try to sleep well." With a nod of gratitude, Igaram left Naruto to his own devices. But before he left, he left his head exposed through the wide space where his door used to be. "After this is all done, please try making time to talk to the Princess. I know she would love to talk more with the man who saved her." And then he was gone before Naruto could retort.
"What? Oh, God damn it Igaram." Naruto sighed in exasperation. Now he was more at a loss than he thought previous. "Well now what? Do I just stay in here or should I try and talk to Namur and the others?" He took one look at the wall that held his Wanted Poster, and the trophies of his short achievements since he had set out to sea.
Leaving to go catch up with Namur and Vista was the easiest choice he made that night.
Meanwhile on Vista's ship within the recovery room, Kotetsu was beginning to stir from the realm of unconsciousness. He tried to sit up, and instantly fell back from the near blinding pain in his torso. "Son of a bitch!" He cursed out. He felt the familiar wetness of blood leaking from his wounds, and it staining the gauze that held his stitches together.
"Ah, you're awake." Kotetsu turned his head to see Vista, the man who defeated him leaning against the door frame, and smiling. "I feared that I cut too deep."
"Only enough to beat me. Ugh, that hurts." Looking to his side, he nearly had a panic attack when he saw that he was missing both his swords.
"Calm yourself lad." Vista calmly made his way over to him, and set his large right hand on Kotetsu's shoulder. "Nidai Kitetsu and your cutlass had to be pried from your grasp by my strongest men." Noticing the sandy-haired teen's dejected look, he continued. "This was after we used some heavy duty muscle relaxers. The doctors could not work on you otherwise."
"So that's why I can't feel my arms." Kotetsu deadpanned.
"It will wear off in the morning, hopefully you can watch the next two fights."
"I rather not show my face anytime soon." The younger swordsman grimaced. "Even if it was out of desperation, I still let that monster out. Normally I would never say this, but Vista, thank you for beating me."
"I would not go and call it an easy battle, you actually managed to cut me up, and that has not happened in years." Vista admitted. "But I am ashamed to say that it was your other side that did it, and not the real you."
"He is stronger than I am."
"Wrong!" Vista's voice boomed, it almost made Kotetsu jumped if he had the power to do so. "When we exchanged blows, he may have had more strength than you, but it wasn't his full strength either. You fluctuate, some blows are weak, others are strong, or in-between. It's not a good mix for a swordsman."
"I, uh...huh." The first tag along for Naruto's crew found himself speechless. He did not deny anything the man said, it was just strange to hear it out loud. "Then how do I fix it?"
"You must overcome this Magara. You need to show him that you are the one in charge, that he is nothing."
"That's a little harder than you think."
"It cannot be that complicated."
"Remember the start of our fight when you declared me the 'Butcher of Iron Island'? Well it goes a lot further than that." Kotetsu explained to Vista exactly when Magara began to manifest, about his best friend getting his brains blown out by Morgan "Moonscar" McCrite, and then him killing the man in a cruel way, and then the entire truth about Iron Island. Nothing was left out of his story, not if he could get help from a fellow swordsman.
After he finished his story, Vista looked at him perplexed. Soon he brought his right hand to his strong chin and began to rub it thoughtfully. "I see...I see what needs to be done." Closing his eyes, Vista did not see the expectant look that was given to him. "Kotetsu, what you need to do is give up on your pacifist ideals. And go in for the kill."
"What?" The younger swordsman's eyes widened in alarm. That was not the answer he had been looking for.
"In this part of the world, man men and women will come at you with the desire to take your life. And the only way to survive it to either kill them first, or cripple them to the point where they will not come after you ever again." Opening his eyes, he gave the young man a look that had only been seen when his enemies fell before his swords. "You do this yourself, by yourself, and not rely on Magara. That is the only true way to be free."
"I...I don't understand."
"You will soon enough my boy. One of these days you will reach the crossroads where one step in either direction will determine your fate as a swordsman. The path of life, or the path of death." Vista removed himself from Kotetsu's side and out of the room. But before he left, he turned towards the boy once more, and smiled. "You're a smart lad, you'll figure it out." And then he left.
"Son of a...well no sleep for me tonight." Kotetsu sighed out tiredly. Left with his thoughts he soon began imagining the two paths that lied before him. Should he go down the path of life, no one would ever die before him, but his life would be swarmed with so much danger that he would die before he reached the age of twenty. But the path of death, all he could see was a mountain of bodies, and his entire existence being a curse upon the seas.
"Sometimes I wish I just never joined the Marines. God damn it." Kotetsu closed his eyes to try and calm himself, but soon went off to dreamland. It was better this way.
In a different part of the ship Vista entered a room and was greeted by Namur chuckling from something their visitor had said. "What did I miss?"
"Uzumaki just finished a story about how he dyed Suikazan Fuguki's hair hot pink, and put itching powder in all of his karate gi's." Namur said with a crackle in his voice.
"I've done far worse to him, and he deserved every bit of it, and more once I get back." A cruel, malicious smile came to his face and he began to chuckle. Oh Fuguki was gonna get it when he got back.
"I hear that. Now, what do you want to do. I got a couple of beers chilling in the fridge."
"I could drink." Naruto easily caught the a beer that was flung his way, propped his thumb under the cap, and popped it off. "So, what have the Whitebeard Pirates been up to?"
"Oh you know, conquering or liberating islands, fighting Pirates and Marines. You know the usual." Vista replied before taking a drink of his beer. "But I'm afraid those are the only good things to happen to us."
"The hell are you talking about?" Naruto questioned.
"We've had some tragedies in our lives. Thatch was lost to us a year ago." Namur said.
Naruto nearly choked on his drink. He sputtered a few times, coughing to get the burning alcohol out of his lungs. "The guy with the pompadour? Wasn't he the Commander of the Fourth Division?"
"The very same. We have yet to find a replacement for him, I don't think we ever can find one." Vista sighed sadly. "The good always die far too soon."
"Shit," Naruto spent several minutes in silence to pay his respects to Thatch. He personally didn't know the guy, but he made him, a stranger, feel very welcome on the Moby Dick all those years ago. "It must to have been a powerful bastard to take him down then."
"I'm sorry, Naruto, but that is not the case. Thatch was murdered, stabbed in the back by a member of our own crew." Namur informed him.
"The fuck you say!?" This time Naruto dropped his drink, ignoring the sound of it shattering upon the floorboards. He didn't feel the amber liquid splash onto his feet of pant leg, all he felt was anger at someone being murdered by one they called a crew mate. "Why did he do it?"
"Thatch acquired a devil fruit called the Dark-Dark Fruit during a raid. He chose to not eat it, because he liked to rely on his own abilities and was planning on selling it. He stabbed him right in the back and fled like a coward after sailing with us for over twenty years." Vista answered him.
Namur continued for the swordsman. "As you probably know, Ace and Thatch were pretty close friends. He went off after Thatch's killer soon after."
"So is that why you're out here in the Grand Line, to search for Ace?" Naruto questioned.
"Correct, but we've had no luck in finding him. In fact, you're lucky to have run into us what you did. We were about to said back to Whitebeard for an important meeting." Namur said, tipping back his head to finish his drink, and then threw to bottle to the floor.
"Well if I find Ace in my travels, you want me to tell him to get his ass back to Whitebeard?"
"That would be nice, and if you run into a man called Marshall D. Teach, or as he called himself Blackbeard by now. Do us a favor and tear his head off." Vista finished his own beer, setting it down with such force that it shattered.
"I believe I can do that." Naruto nodded before looking at the floor covered in broken glass. "Uh, so who's gonna clean this up?"
"I'll have Wade clean it up." Vista said with a smile.
The next day the three separate divisions of the Whitebeard Pirates met up on the very same deserted island where they won their first victory. But unlike the first day where they were all puffed up and confident that they would win, the three crews gave Naruto and his people a wide berth when they arrived a little after nine am.
After the highly destructive fight that leveled a great portion of the forest, done by the swordsman of Naruto's crew mind you with a single attack that actually cut Vista. They learned that this was not a crew full of greenhorns, but a crew of potentials. Potential to do what though, that remained to be seen.
"All right, who's next?" Naruto asked once they were in place. His face was was plastered with his infamous shark-like grin, showing off his sharp teeth. Of course it was false bravado, he was nervous, if they lost they belonged with the Whitebeard Pirates.
"That would be me." Vista's and Namur's men parted ways to make room for the a single figure and entourage. The person was a very feminine-looking man wearing a pink and purple kimono. He had a pale complexion and hair tied in a way resembling that of a geisha. On his waist he carried a pair of flintlock pistols, a katana, and another another Japanese-looking, light-red spotted instrument tied around his waist. He was followed by twenty men, each dressed in in the same attire.
The leader of the group departed from his men and entered the middle of what would become the battlefield. He stared at Naruto, smiled, and deeply bowed to him. "Greetings, my name is Izo. I am the Commander of the Sixteenth Division, please treat me well."
"Um, I'll try to." Naruto said, being as respectful as he could. The guy was pretty weird. "So, who will you be fighting?"
"He will be fighting me." Carmen announced, boldly stepping forward.
"What the?" Naruto turned towards the Chef of the ship in surprise. There she was clad in her pink flamingo dress when they first met, her fans opened all the way to reveal the rose design within them. "Carmen are you sure?"
"Positive. I'm more than just a Chef. I can fight." She said, narrowing her eyes at her opponent. "Trust me."
"All right, kick some ass Carmen."
Nothing more needed to be said. Both Carmen and Izo stood opposite of each other, like before there would be no referee, and they would fight until one of them gave up, could not continue, or in the worst case, killed.
The wind blew stirring the sand under their feet. And they struck! Both combatants sprinted from their positions and began attacking each other. Izo's katana flashed from its scabbard fast as the eye could see, he aimed it for Carmen's shoulder, but was intercepted by the pink-haired Chef's fan. The blade itself came to a halt when it hit the sharp blade his the fabric of her fan. Carmen soon retaliated, closing her fan and thrusting it towards Izo's belly to impale him.
The geisha broke from the engagement, back flipping away, but Carmen was right on his heels. Snapping her fans open, she slashed at her opponent, missing him by just centimeters. Izo flipped once and dug his feet into the sand, flipping it at the Chef.
"Ah!" The sand hit its mark, striking Carmen in the face, blinding her. She stopped in her tracks, desperately blinking to get the grain out of her eyes. Finally tears did their work, allowing her to half-see Izo pointing a pistol at her.
Izo pulled the trigger, a loud bang echoed throughout the deserted island as the bullet left the chamber. Carmen ducked under the bullet and a man from the audience yelled, not from being hit, but from alarm. "Oh that is it." The pink-haired woman growled to herself. Springing forwards on her hands, Carmen began doing front flips towards Izo at a rapid pace. She kicked up as much sand as she could to distract her opponent.
Two feet away, Carmen landed on her feet, and used all the strength she could to jump as high as her body would allow. Tucking herself into a tight ball she began spinning forwards, soon picking up high velocity before extending her slim right leg out. "Desolladura de Liebre! (Flaying Hare)" She screamed.
Izo brought the back end of his sword out to block the attack. He had no urge to maim someone if he could help it, she would probably break a bone hitting his sword, but not lose a limb at least. Her high heel hit the blade with a loud...clang? He then looked on in horror as the tip of her heel sliced through the steel, and cut it square in half!
Carmen landed square on her feet and lashed out with her closed fan, striking the Commander of the Sixteenth Division square across his painted face and sent him spinning right into the sand. The pink-haired Chef gave herself a self-satisfying smirk and turned towards Naruto. "Think I still don't have a shot at fighting and winning?"
"Looks like you are busted, Cap'n." Bashura said, scratching the back of his head in a nervous gesture.
"Shit, how did you not hear her?" Naruto demanded.
"I'm a Catman. Not some supersonic Batman." The savage-looking Navigator protested.
"Either way, you're screwed Uzumaki." Kotetsu said with heavy gnashing of his teeth. The cuts Vista inflicted upon him yesterday hurt more than he ever imagined. They would leave scars that would mar his flesh for the rest of his life, and he would have to deal with it. It would be a good reminder at least.
"And what will you have me do? Huh asshole?" The blonde snapped back at the swordsman.
"Wear your freaking coat or something. Or just say that you're sorry. That always works." Kotetsu blew a strand of his sandy-blonde hair away from his face. And wondered for the millionth time why he chose to follow such an idiot? Oh right, he had no choice in the matter.
"Either way, I think she has proved you wrong on this. She can fight." Bashura said with a smile on his face.
"Yea, that I will agree." Naruto replied. "Lets just see if she can win."
"What in the world was that!?" Izo hotly demanded. Slowly he stood up on his own two feet and placed his right hand on his cheek. The entire area was swelling up, and turning black from the strike. Looking at his broken sword clutched in his left hand, he tossed it away. He had no need for a useless weapon.
"Diamonds are a girls best friends." Carmen said, easily raising her right leg to the side. She showed off a toned, curvy leg that was properly taken care of. But it was the heel of her high heel that Izo was looking at. Embedded at the end of it was a small diamond that gleamed in the sunlight, and by the looks of it, it was very sharp. "I never leave home without them."
"Clever girl." Izo smiled. He discarded his spent pistol and took the other one in his free hand. "I will not underestimate you again." Izo sprinted forward and attacked Carmen again.
Carmen dropped both her fans and caught his punch to her head, and caught his wrist that held a firearm with the other. She raised it above their heads, snaked her middle finger to the trigger, and pulled it. The gun went off above their heads, the bullet flying harmlessly into the sky.
"You think I need a bullet to beat you!?" The Whitebeard Commander demanded. He lashed out with his left leg, burying his knee in her stomach. Carmen choked on her spit, then he hit her in the same area again, and again. Izo then kicked her feet from under her, and used gravity to elbow her right in the chest when they both came to a hard landing.
Carmen attempted to roll away to catch her breath. She desperately lashed out with her right hand for her Palmada de Jamón (Ham Slap) technique. But instead her hand was pinned under Izo's wooden sandal. Growling that her precious cooking hand was being crushed, she punched him right in his kneecap.
A loud pop echoed throughout the area. Izo yelled in pain when he felt his knee pop out of place and fell to the ground on top of her. It was then, to Naruto that the most ridiculous thing he ever saw. It was a cat fight, they had long since stopped using attacks and were more or less scratching at each other. Carmen's dress ripped right at her hip, the front of Izo's kimono was torn by her nails, Carmen's face was struck by the butt of the pistol before she dug her nails into his wrist to make him let go of the gun.
The two of them rolled around in the sand for the next several minutes, making spectacles of themselves. Sand was flung everywhere, hitting onlookers, and reaching into places on both combatants that would not be dealt with until they took a bath. The sound of cloth ripping and yelling pounded the ears of men and women alike in the group, and neither fighter seemed to have been gaining the edge.
It wasn't until Carmen managed to pin him underneath her did she use the dirtiest move in a fight. The lower part of her dress in tatters, she raised her left knee as far back as possible. "Galleta de Tuerca (Nut Cracker)!" She screamed, using the advice Naruto gave to them all last night, using all her bottled anger and unleashing it!
Izo screamed with the intensity of the Fat Lady opera singer when Carmen drove her knee into his fruits. All the men and fishmen alike winced and covered their groins. And they each winced as the chef kneed the Commander of the Sixteenth Division in his groin over, and over, and over again until the man ran out of breath.
Carmen removed herself from Izo, panting and looking like she lost a fight against a wood chipper. Her neatly styled hair resembled a rats nest with sand in it, the left half of her red flamingo dress was completely torn away, her flat stomach was exposed through a giant tear in the front. Her left cheek was swollen like an apple and half of it was turning black and blue. Even her nose was bleeding from being hit.
Izo however was in no condition to fight. The man was curled up in the fetal position, his torn kimono hiding the fact that he was grabbing his groin out of a desperate attempt to find some sort of relief in the pain upon his entire being.
"Holy shit, she won. She actually won. Hooray!" Kotetsu was the first to cheer for the victor of the fight.
"Very...unladylike." Igaram blinked owlishly.
"She still won at least. Good going Carmen." Bashura happily grinned at the woman.
"Thanks big guy." The pink-haired victor said, favoring her right leg over her left, no one could blame her for limping, she kneed Izo nine or ten times in a row with all her might. She looked over to Naruto with only her right eye showing thanks to her left eye being swollen shut for the time being. "Well?"
Not even closing his eyes, or giving out an irritated sigh, Naruto looked straight at Carmen. He was in the wrong, he knew it, the crew knew it, there was no denying it at all. Now he had to make it right. She cooked his food after all, and she could do a lot worse than spit in it.
"I'm sorry Carmen." He apologized. "I was wrong, you can kick some major ass. Forgive me?"
"It's a start." She lightly huffed, passing by him to sit down in the sand. God she ached all over.
"Naruto." Namur made his way over the the small crew. "I think we should take a small break. Izo...well." He gestured towards the whimpering man being carried away on a stretcher in the fetal position.
"I understand. An hour?" The blonde asked.
"Soon enough. Then it will be our turn to fight." Namur looked at his fellow Fishman, and nodded at him. "I hope you've gotten stronger since that last I saw you."
"I've gotten much stronger." Naruto gave Namur his by now infamous shark-like grin, and pumping his fist. "You better go all out Namur, or I will crush you."
"I fully plan on it Uzumaki."
Naruto's Ship
"That was something Carmen." Naruto congratulated the Chef of his ship. All of them were siting in what was supposed to be their medical bay, Carmen changed into a blue flamingo-styled dress. Unlike Kotetsu she only had some bumps and bruises, the biggest being the left side of her face swelling up like a balloon. Bashura handed her a thick slab of dinosaur steak to put over it.
"I did what I had to do." Carmen replied, sighing softly when she pressed the cool mean against her face. "It was dirty though."
"You went against a Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates and won. That is something no one can really boast about." Igaram said, crossing his arms across his chest. "You know when I was a lad, he visited my country to resupply. The sheer presence of that man was terrifying."
"How many people did he have with him back then?" The small crew turned to see, to their surprise, Kotetsu hobbling in.
"Kotetsu what the hell are you doing out of bed?" Naruto demanded.
"Better yet, on this ship. Wasn't that doctor-lady treating you?" Bashura raised a tattooed eyebrow.
"I think the guy with ten pounds of ice on his balls needed her more." The swordsman of the crew replied. Slowly he made his way to the nearest bed and settled on it, wincing from the stitches in his torso. "Heard a pink-haired lady did it, and there is only one pink-haired person that comes to my mind."
"Guilty as charged." Said pink-haired woman chimed in.
"All right guys, can't let our guard down just yet. We got one more fight and this one is gonna be a dozy." Naruto interrupted them before anything could get fully underway. "Namur and I are going to fight next. I want you all to stay on the ship."
"What? Uzumaki that's crazy, we can stay on land and watch the fight." Kotetsu protested.
"Have you seen me fight?"
"Both of us have." Bashura piped up.
"Have you seen two fishmen fight?" Naruto deadpanned.
He was met with silence.
"That's what I thought, when my kind fight it is destructive. When I fought against Ace, I sink half a deserted island while he burned the rest. I don't ask much of you all, but for the love of God, please stay on the ship." Naruto said, empathizing on the last part.
"All right, all right. We'll stay on the dang ship." Kotetsu groaned irritably.
"Has anyone seen Miss Goldenweek?" Bashura asked.
Namur's Ship
"I don't understand, how did Izo lose?" Shizune asked after she dumped what felt like the hundredth bucket of ice onto a mercifully unconscious Izo. The geisha was stripped out of his kimono, face paint washed away, knee in a brace, and his decency covered by a small mountain of ice to reduce the swelling from the damage Carmen wrought upon him.
"No one is unbeatable, not me, not Izo, not even Whitebeard himself." Namur replied. He looked over to his fellow Commander, wincing in sympathy. Getting hit in the nuts once was bad enough, but being hit until he was literally out of breath, was over the top and the most cringe worthy things he had ever seen in his entire life.
"Still, I'm just surprised is all."
"A woman's legs are more powerful than a man's." Namur recited from memory. "Men may have the upper body strength, but no matter how much we train a woman's legs will always outmatch ours. So roughly ten kicks to the groin will do that to a man." The shark fishman however turned to her, an eyebrow raised. "But you rely on something other than your legs to fight. What was it again, poisons?"
"I learned everything from my master. The very same one who is tending to your Captain." Shizune replied. "That should tell you everything you need to know."
Namur nodded from her point. Tsunade had been quite beneficial to Whitebeard's crew, keeping the old man healthy and rested. She was a healer first and a fighter second, and when she ever went into combat, by the love of God run away.
"I'm fighting next for all the marbles. I need you to tell everyone to stay on board." He finally spoke after a few minutes.
"Is that really necessary?" Shizune asked.
"Years ago I saw that boy stand toe-to-toe with "Fire Fist" Portgas D. Ace himself. He lost in the end but he has grown much stronger now." Namur cracked his knuckles, grinning in excitement. "I'm going to go all out against him."
"Just be careful all right. You still have your own promise to keep."
"I don't plan on losing."
On the deserted island
The hour came and went, and the last fighters stepped foot onto the sandy shores. Unlike in the last two fights, no one was out there to greet them, even the four ships that were docked were roughly two miles away our of the intended blast zone.
Naruto stood opposite of Namur, his thick forearms crossed over his chest. His opponent was in the same position, both frowning at each other.
"Tell me something, did you ever figure we would ever come to blows?" Naruto asked his fellow fishman.
"Not this soon." Namur confessed. "But with you becoming a pirate I expected this would become inevitable."
Naruto wanted to protest that he was not a pirate, but held his tongue at bay. As far as the World Government was concerned, he was a pirate. Well so be it, but he was not going to openly admit it.
"Guess there is nothing more to talk about." Naruto clasped his hands together, and bowed towards his opponent. "Let us begin."
"Yes." Namur clasped his hands together, bowing towards Naruto. "May the best man win."
Edit 5-13-15: Thanks to kirashu and deathshade37 I learned that Blackbeard was in their crew longer than how I had written it out to be only a few years or so. It has been rewritten and edited, so thank you guys I appreciate it, even if I was late in correcting it, like so late you guys. Plus a few other things were touched up as well.
Also like Sanji using fancy French words for his attacks, I'm having Carmen using Spanish words because she reminds me of a Salsa Dancer. The translations will be...well sloppy, but easily rectified at later dates should anyone point them at me.