"This is so boring!"

Kodiak grunted. He agreed with Moth but he found the man's incessant whining to be just as tedious as having to stand on guard as the workers swept up all the debris from that Straw hat kid's attack. He still didn't know what to make of his captain's words. This boy was the apparent grandson of one of the most powerful Marines alive. That meant they had to give him free reign here. That didn't sit right with Kodiak. He understood his captain's fear but that didn't mean he had to like it. They shouldn't cater to the weak just because of their connections, even if it was such a dangerous one.

At least they had taken care of that damn Emiko bitch. Yes, that had been satisfying. Kodiak had gone up against the Green Arrow a few times and every time she'd come out on top, either by escaping from his clutches or trapping him in one of her ridiculous arrows. It had infuriated him to no end. But at least, they had taken her down and now she knew her true worth.

"Gah, why do we have to do this?"

Kodiak grunted, glaring at his companion. "Will you shut up?" he growled. "You're making this worse than it already is."

"Oh, well excuse me for venting my feelings! I'm forced to stand here in the hot sun, watching some sweaty old dudes sweep up some broken ass shit! I mean why can't there be a pretty girl here. That would at least make this worth it."

"Disgusting," Kodiak shook his head. "Keep saying that and Dart will…" he started to say before spotting something in the distance. He frowned, making out a group of people heading their way. "Wha-"

The arrow appeared right in the middle of the broken gate. Before he could react, it began spewing smoke, the entire area immersed in the stuff in seconds. He instantly backed up, coughing as he fled to the courtyard. Moth followed as well as the workers, all fleeing the smoke while hacking up a storm.

"What *cough* the hell?" Moth managed.

"We're under attack," Kodiak growled, a slight grin crossing his face. Good. He was eager for a fight. He took out his shields, readying them.

He didn't have to wait long as the figures emerged from the smoke and his eyes narrowed as he recognized them. That bitch Emiko was back, bow and arrow in hand. Evidently she hadn't learned her lesson yet.

Beside her was that bastard in the Straw hat and the rest of his group, cracking his knuckles for them all to see. Kodiak grinned when he saw him. They'd given him a chance. He didn't get another. Now he would pay for his previous attack on them.

"What the hell are they doing here?" Moth growled.

"Seems like little Emiko thinks she has a chance with this sorry lot. Hope you enjoyed your time with the girl and your mentor, cause you just killed them."

Emiko stared him down, doing her best to ignore the churning in her gut. She knew she needed to find Roy and Lian fast or else they would die. She just hoped that Luffy and his crew could live up to their promise, that they could beat Richard.

I'm placing all my faith in you guys, she thought. Don't let me down.

"Where's Richard?" Luffy said menacingly, a far cry from his goofy self.

"Probably in his office," she said.

"Then that's where we're going."

"You think I'd let you?" Kodiak laughed. "You got lucky before, getting that free pass. But that was a one-time offer. Now you're going to die."

"Yeah!" Moth cried out. "Should have learned your lesson caus-"

He didn't get to finish as Luffy's fist shot towards him. "Gum-Gum Pistol!"

Moth crumpled as he was punched in the face, rolling on the ground and groaning from the blow. Kodiak glanced his way in surprise before seeing the fist snap back. "Devil Fruit powers," he grumbled. "That's annoying."

Luffy turned to him and sent another fist flying his way but he brought his shield up in time, deflecting it. He then threw his own arm back and sent his sharpened shield whipping through the air. "Let's see how you handle this!"

Luffy gasped and moved to dodge but he didn't have to, Zoro's blade appearing in front of him and blocking the coming shield. There was a clash of steel, sparks flying as the two weapons collided before Zoro put more power into it, knocking the shield aside. It clattered onto the ground a few meters away.

"Go," Zoro ordered, eyes fixed on his opponent. "I've got this."

Luffy nodded without a word, moving towards the doors to the inside. However, just as he reached it, he was yanked back suddenly right before a red dart impaled the ground where he'd just been.

"Aw, so close!"

Shang-Chi released Luffy, eyes already following the voice up to a windowsill where Red Dart was, lounging over the railing as if she didn't have a care in the world.

"Whatcha doing, Emiko? We gave you one last chance and you abused it? For what? You really think these losers stand a chance against us?" she laughed.

Emiko trembled, her finger itching over her bow and nocked arrow. Luffy noticed but didn't say anything. He knew no words would help now. Only actions. He moved to take another step forward but before he could, another dart appeared at his feet.

"Not happening," Red Dart chided. "I can't just let you waltz int-"

BANG!

She instinctively moved back, dodging the bullet that would have shot through her arm. She turned and glared down at the armored girl below who had her guns raised.

"Hey, Dart lady!" Sabine cried up. "You said you wanted to fight a real Mandalorian, right? Well come on then."

Red Dart smirked. "Alright then," she said. "It's not like the rest of you actually stand a chance anyway."

"Go," Sabine said, keeping her eyes fixed above for any other projectiles. Luffy instantly moved, ducking into the building with Shang-Chi, Emiko, and Nami right behind him. Once they were inside, Emiko took the lead, guiding them through the hallways towards the main office room. They passed by several other people, some being official workers who gasped and hid at the sight of them, others being militia who tried to attack them but were swiftly taken down.

"There it is!" Emiko gasped after leading them up the stairs and down a few more hallways, spotting the fancy double doors ahead. She'd always been tempted to sneak in here before now and try to take Richard down from the shadows. But she'd never really had a chance before.

"Richard's in there?" Luffy checked.

"He has to be," Emiko replied. "And Lian and Roy should be here too."

"Right! I'm gonn-"

"Wait," Shang-Chi interrupted, looking around. "Where'd Nami go?"

Nami had slipped away as soon as they entered the building, moving down a side hallway and quickly making her way to where the vault would be. She'd asked Emiko about her time as the Green Arrow and how she'd stolen the money from the Longbow Pirates, making sure to hear in detail the exact place the vaults were. All that money, lying there for the taking. And with all the fighting going on, it was the perfect chance to steal it all for herself.

If there was as much as Emiko predicted, Cocyashi Village would be free in no time.

She had to admit she'd felt a little bad about abandoning the others like that but there was no way she was fighting these guys. As much as she may want to for the all the pain they'd inflicted, she wasn't a fighter. She was a thief. And she had other, more important, things to prioritize.

Still, she hoped Luffy kicked this Richard guy's ass hard. She had felt a stabbing in her heart when she saw Emiko despair like that, when she'd heard the story about what had gone down. She knew there was no one who could beat Arlong, but she certainly hoped Luffy had what it took to bring Richard down. Nami knew she couldn't be saved. Even after she finally freed her village, she knew Arlong would force her to keep working under him in some way. He may have promised to free her as well but she knew better after spending all these years among pirates. Just as long as Cocoyashi and everyone in it were safe, she could live with that. But Emiko and everyone here could be free. They could all be saved as long as Luffy won.

But Nami was a pragmatist and a thief. As much as she wanted to kick Richard and his whole crew's collective asses, she wasn't strong enough to fight them. And she wasn't sure how strong Luffy really was. He had beaten Buggy, one of the most powerful pirate captains around, so he stood a fair chance. But in case he failed, she wanted to get this money and get the hell out of here.

Sorry guys, she thought. But this is the real world. And I can't take any chances.

She then grinned as she spotted one of the pirate militia rushing down the hallway. And he was just the right height too.

She instantly put on a terrified expression and ran towards him. "Oh please help me! Save me!" she cried out.

"What? What is it?"

"Those pirates! They're attacking the building! There must be dozens of them!"

She saw the man gulp but he raised his sword all the same. "Don't worry miss. I will protect you. These pirates stand no chance against the Longbow Pirates. You'll see. Dragon Richard and the others will wipe the floor with them."

"And you?" she asked, pretending to look at him with adoration.

"Uh…well, I'll help too of course!" he said, blushing. "Just stay here until it's safe!"

"You are such a brave man!" she gushed.

"Thank you! Now, to-" he started, turning towards the hallway before Nami whipped out her new staff and whacked him over the head, knocking him out cold.

"Too easy," she grinned. "Well, that's a disguise down. Time to find that vault."

Zoro watched his opponent carefully as Kodiak made a flicking motion with his arm towards his fallen shield. It suddenly jerked up and flew to his waiting hand, Zoro noting the thin cord between Kodiak's hand and the shield that allowed him to do that. "So, who are you anyway? Why are you so willing to throw in with Emiko and die?" Kodiak asked.

"Who said anything about dying?" Zoro asked, pulling on his bandana and wrapping it around his head. He yanked out his swords, placing the Wado Ichimonji firmly in his mouth while holding the other two in his hands.

Kodiak raised an eyebrow. "Well now, that's certainly a ridiculous stance. What are you going to do with a sword in your mouth?"

"Guess you'll just have to find out."

"Do you honestly think you stand a chance against us? Against me?" Kodiak laughed. "You…you're nothing. Some no-name who pissed off the wrong people and is now going to die because of it."

"Is that right? Are you going to keep running your mouth or are you going to let your weapons do the talking?"

Kodiak's smile turned dark. "Yeah, I think I am done here. Let's see what you got, sword-mouth."

Zoro hadn't seen any weapons on this guy other than the shields he carried. He'd never heard of anyone who used them like weapons but the way the guy had thrown one at Luffy before had shown he certainly knew how to use them effectively. Still, it made Zoro wonder just how dangerous this guy could be.

Time to find out.

Kodiak smacked the shields in both hands together with a resounding clang and then charged forwards. Zoro didn't wait for him to arrive, rushing him as well, bringing his right-hand sword up to Kodiak's right-hand shield. The two weapons clashed once and then the two combatants launched a flurry of movements, the swords and shields colliding over and over again in symphony of metal.

Zoro had known a couple students back at the dojo in Shimotsuki Village who had used a shield and a sword for offense and defense capabilities but he never relied on that, preferring to perfect his three-sword style techniques. He found his blades to be the best defense he would need. Now he saw how much of a weapon a shield could be.

Kodiak was able to put a low of power in his blows, the shields coming down like hammers. Except their rims were sharpened so thin they were like blades. Zoro found that out as Kodiak was able to power through his defense and land a blow on his arm, leaving a trail of blood.

Zoro gasped in surprise, not expecting that, but reacted fast as Kodiak, having made that move, was now open. He swung his blade down towards the man's exposed shoulder but Kodiak was faster, twisting around so that the blade landed on his back instead, bouncing off the shield he carried there.

"Nice try," Kodiak crowed. "But not good enough. First blood is mine."

Zoro grimaced but still glowered at his opponent. "Don't get cocky," he growled. "This fight's far from over."

"Good," Kodiak grinned, licking his lips. "It's been a while since I had a challenge. So make this last."

Sabine and Red Dart eyed each other for a second before they both lifted their arms and fired, darts and bullets flying through the air. Both foes ducked, the projectiles missing their targets. But they were up and at it almost a second later.

"Try some of these, Mandalorian!" Red Dart cried, raising her gauntlet. Sabine barely had time to look up again before three small rockets were launched from Dart's wrist.

"Shit!" Sabine cried, diving out of the way.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The explosions all went off around where Sabine had been standing, rocking the courtyard and obliterating parts of the ground into rubble. Dart grinned as the smoke rose, already scanning for where her enemy would strike from next. "Don't tell me that was enough, little girl," she muttered. "Don't tell me that's all you got."

She saw the smoke part in one place and instantly fired her darts. But all she heard was the distinctive sound of her darts thudding into the ground.

Bang!

Dart flinched back, cursing as the bullet struck her in the shoulder. She instantly ducked behind the balcony as more shots came. "Damn it," she muttered, digging the bullet out from her collar. Her whole uniform was reinforced so the bullet didn't penetrate. Still hurt like hell though.

Sabine looked up at the balcony, waiting for an opening. The explosions had knocked her through a loop, her ears still ringing. Fortunately though, the smoke had put Dart at more of a disadvantage as with her helmet on, Sabine could see through it to her target.

But the fight wasn't on her side because Dart had the high ground. Sabine would always be at a disadvantage like that. Part of her wanted to race inside the building and find her opponent on equal footing. But if she did that…

Sabine glanced to the side where Zoro and Kodiak were duking it out, their weapons clashing in a symphony of steel. If she left, what would stop Dart from targeting him in his fight?. She couldn't chance it. Which left her with one option.

"You little…" Dart started to say when a small metal ball landed on top of the balcony with a small clink. Dart took one look at it and swore loudly before diving through the doors behind her as the bomb went off.

Bang!

Dart coughed as green and blue dust flew into her face. "Blegh! Smoke? What the hell? She tricked me! Damn that…"

She stopped again as a bright gold cable shot up, wrapping around the balcony.

"Oh no you don't!" she growled, aiming her rocket launcher and firing in one smooth movement. The mini-rocket shot out and blasted the railing to pieces, the metal screaming as it was torn apart. Dart smirked, seeing the balcony fall away over the side. That cable was gone as well. Dart hoped that the Mandalorian had taken a pretty nasty fall from that attack.

Then she heard the grunting and blinked as she saw something right on the edge of the stony lip of what used to be the balcony. Then, there was another grunt and a shiny dome appeared from the side.

"You've got to be kidding," Dart muttered as she watched Sabine begin to slowly pull herself up.

SMASH!

The doors shattered open from Luffy's blow and he stepped through them into the main office, instantly spotting Dragon Richard standing by the window.

"Richard!" he cried out. "I'm here to kick your ass!"

Richard sighed, rubbing his forehead. "I sincerely hope you have enough money to pay for all the damages you've inflicted today, Straw Hat, or else I'll make your suffering a hundred times worse."

"You think I care?" Luffy growled. "For everything you've done to Emiko and this town, you're the one who's going to suffer!"

Richard turned around, glaring at Emiko who he noticed was trembling slightly. "I gave you one final chance, Emiko, but you squandered it. All for this…little runt of a pirate," he said, sneering at the boy. "I hope you know the consequences of your actions."

Thunk!

The arrow struck the wooden desk, Richard's hand snatched away in the nick of time, the man's expression never wavering. "Where are Lian and Roy?" Emiko demanded, already nocking a fresh arrow.

"They are being prepped as we speak."

"Where?"

Richard raised an eyebrow. "And here I thought you were supposed to be clever."

He dodged the next arrow too, still wearing the same expression as his eyes followed the arrow's path each time.

"Stop playing games and tell me where they are!" Emiko demanded.

"But you already know," he said. "I told you earlier, remember?"

"Wha-" Emiko started to say before she flashed back to that moment in the inn and what he'd told her. He'd threatened to kill Roy and Lian and then…

'I will turn all the cannons aboard my armada towards the Glades, blasting this hideous neighborhood and all its inhabitants into ash and dust.'

"No," she muttered, looking at him in horror. "The docks."

He smirked at her. "You think I'd keep them here? The place you routinely break into and steal from? Of course not. But the docks…are constant guard day and night and so many ships there to choose from. You can search all you want but you'll never find them."

Emiko felt the panic rise in her, her heartbeat pounding like a drum. He was right. The docks stretched across the peninsula and Richard had dozens of ships along it not to mention all the warehouses and storage sheds and a million other places to hide people. And with all the militia men and guards around, it would be next to impossible to differentiate between prisoners and goods being guarded.

"Emiko, go!" Luffy ordered, snapping her from her daze. "Go find them. I'll take care of things here."

"Oh you will, huh?" Richard chuckled. "By all means, Emiko, go on. Search to your heart's content. By the time you've even reached the docks, I should be finished up here and I'll come along to take care you and everybody else. Because of you, the Glades will burn. I did want to test out my cannons, see what kind of power they all had together. Should be quite the spectacle."

Emiko glared furiously at him, tears stinging her eyes. She reached for another arrow but before she could pull it, a hand stopped her.

"Don't," Shang-Chi told her. "Don't waste any more arrows on him. Luffy will take care of him."

"Yeah, I got this," Luffy grinned, cracking his knuckles. "By the time you find them, I'll have kicked his ass up and down this stupid room."

"You are a brazen one aren't you?" Richard said, eyeing him with contempt.

Emiko so wanted to put an arrow between his fucking eyes and watch him suffer just a little of what he'd inflicted on everyone else. But she couldn't. She wasn't strong enough to beat him. She just had to hope Luffy was.

"Make sure you win," she said before taking off, Shang-Chi on her heels.

Luffy and Richard faced off, the two glaring at each other across the room. "You should know, I won't be letting you off the hook this time, no matter who your grandfather is," Richard warned.

Luffy frowned. "My grandpa? What does he have to do with anything?"

Richard snorted. "He has everything to do with this! That man is a monster. I saw firsthand his capabilities, his power. And despite your attacks on my people here these last couple days, I decided it would be better to let it slide than risking his wrath by killing you. But since you continue to attack me and my people despite my generosity, I suppose I'll just have to kill you anyway and throw you to the bottom of the ocean where no will find you. I have some Marines on my payroll, they'll help me cover it up, and old Garp will be none the wiser."

Luffy knew he wasn't a big thinker or that intelligent. But even he knew that Richard's sudden niceties before after sinking his crew's boats had been strange. He just hadn't thought much about it. But now it all made sense.

"You were worried about what my grandpa might do to you, huh?" he asked, smirking. "Well that was a mistake."

"How so?"

Luffy looked him dead in the eye and for an instant, Richard felt a slight shiver go down his spine. "You should have been more worried about me."

Luffy's arms suddenly shot out behind him, stretching all the way down the hallway. Richard blinked in shock at the sight. "What the…Devil Fruit powers?" he muttered.

"Gum-Gum Bazooka!" Luffy cried, bringing his arms back at lightning speed. Richard reacted on instinct, throwing himself back and letting the hands fly over him. They struck the glass windows behind him instead, shattering them on impact and soaring right through them.

"Aw man," Luffy said, snapping his arms back. "You're fast."

"And you're full of surprises," Richard replied, looking at him with new eyes. "Perhaps this will be more interesting than I thought."

"Why are you following me?" Emiko asked as she and Shang-Chi raced through the halls. "You should go back and help Luffy!"

"No way," Shang-Chi replied firmly. "This is his fight now. If I interfered, I would only make him angry. Besides, Richard said the docks are a big place with many places to hide prisoners. You'll need all the help you can get."

Emiko knew he was right. With him helping, the chances of finding Lian and Roy were much better. But still, she knew how powerful Richard was. How much of a chance did Luffy really have?

"Don't worry about him," Shang-Chi told her. "He can handle himself. We can't afford to worry about him now, only have faith that he will prevail. You trusted him at the inn to help you win, trust him now."

"Right," Emiko nodded. As much as she doubted anyone could beat Richard, she had trusted Luffy in that moment. He had made her trust him. So, she just had to keep doing that while focusing on her own mission now.

They reached the end of the hallway, finding the stairs. However, instead of going down, Emiko shot upwards. Shang-Chi hesitated for a second in confusion before following her.

"Why are we-"

"It'll be faster via the rooftops," Emiko explained over her shoulder, climbing up the final set of stairs and kicking down the door to the roof. She raced out, nocking an arrow and shooting a zip line through a gap in the neighboring buildings towards a street lamp several blocks away. Her aim was true as the arrow struck. She wrapped the other end over the roof's railing, pulling on the thin cord and nodding as it held firm. "I've stolen from this building enough times to map out the best exit routes," she said. "This zip line will take us to the street right next to the main one leading to the docks. It'll shave our time there by three-fourths at least."

"Got it," Shang-Chi nodded. He watched as she readied her bow and moved to jump off the roof when he realized something important. "Wait, I don't have anything to hold on to," he told her but it was too late, she was already jumping over the side, throwing her bow over the cable and grabbing hold of it on the other end, sliding down the cable past all the buildings. "Damn," he muttered, thinking fast. The roof was completely barren so he only had one option. He stripped off his shirt and jumped over after her. He swung his shirt over the cable, and grabbed hold of it tightly, letting himself slide down the cable. He'd been concerned about how it would hold him given how thin it was but the material was clearly strong. Which was good, considering the drop to the street below would no doubt break some bones if he fell.

Within a minute, he reached the lamppost and was now able to drop down safely, landing in a slight crouch. He saw a few people in fancy clothes give him and his bare chest scandalous looks but he paid them no mind, spotting Emiko running ahead.

"Wait up!" he called, dashing after her as he yanked his shirt back on.

Thanks to her experiences, Nami found the vault easily. And thanks to her newfound disguise, she could walk up to the two guards on duty without any problem.

"What the hell's going on out there?" one asked. "What's all that commotion?"

"Oh, some random pirate crew wants to make a name for itself and is attacking Richard," she said, shrugging. "Bunch of morons."

The two guards chuckled. "Oh, well they're dead."

"Idiots."

"But why are you here?"

Nami gave him a smile. "Well, it seems that this crew is a bit troublesome as they've separated and are now running amok through the town. They don't seem strong but they are hard to corner right now so they asked for more hands to chase them down."

The two guards exchanged a look before looking at Nami suspiciously. "Let me guess, and they sent you to relieve us?"

"The guard we've never seen before. Cause trust me, I'd remember seeing a hot piece like you around."

"Oh, well thank you," Nami said, flashing that guard a smile that made him blush. "But no. I'm only here to relieve one of you. Obviously they don't trust me yet to chase down those pirates since I just started here but they figured it would be no harm if I stayed with the vault as long as someone else was there too." As she talked, she saw the guards nodding along, buying it. She found that while simple lies worked sometimes, it was always a good idea to have a more elaborate one at the ready for the smarter guards. Obviously, they weren't that smart as there were still holes in her story, but from one look it was clear they weren't using their brains to think right now. She grinning flirtingly at them, giving a slight pose. "So, which one of you do I get to keep company today?"

The two guards exchanged a look and then back at her. Or, more specifically, her chest and she had to resist the urge to smack them both with her staff. She may be used to it by now but it still made her blood boil.

"You should go," one of the guards said to the other. "You're the better runner."

"You kidding? I've seen you when they serve pizza here, you're way faster."

"Not as fast as you when the chef makes those brownies."

"Yeah, but…you're married, so…there!"

"So what? I have a right to look around, you know!"

"Yeah, but I'll tell your wife about your looking around, don't think I won't!"

The other guard glared at his companion. "Bastard," he murmured before taking off. He glanced Nami's way one last time. "It's not fair. I want guard duty next time!"

"Well, make yourself comfortable," the first guard said, a bright smile on his face. "I doubt any of those pirates will be able to make it all the way here, so we can just relax for now."

"Oh, that sounds great!" Nami said, stretching out and making sure the guard's eyes were trained in one spot as she reached back and took hold of her staff. "It may only be my first day but this is tiring work. I mean, I see how you do it with all those muscles, but me? Look at me!"

"Oh I am! Uh…yeah, thanks," the man stuttered, flustered as he looked at his arm muscles which were almost non-existent. "I have been working out more. Just look at-"

Wham!

The guard never saw her staff coming, slumping over from that one hit and sinking to the ground. Nami sighed, shaking her head happily. "All too easy," she murmured to herself before eying the vault. "Now, let's open you up and give all that treasure a new home, shall we?"

Zoro clutched his swords tightly before bringing them up and diving forward, thrusting them towards Kodiak. The man just laughed, raising his shields to repel them. Zoro smirked and lifted his blades up fractionally so that instead of striking the shields dead-on, they instead slipped up them until they were once more resting on the rims.

With a swift but powerful thrust, Zoro pushed the shields down, throwing Kodiak off balance. In that instant, Zoro flipped his head furiously, his third blade slashing down dangerously. Kodiak backed off quickly but it was too late, the blade leaving its own cut down his chest.

"I guess second blood's mine," Zoro said. "I told you not to get cocky."

Kodiak touched his injury and seemed to glare furiously at it but then threw his head back and laughed. "You actually got through my defenses," he murmured. "This is going to be fun." He then stared up at Zoro with a wild look of fury and excitement. "Give me everything you got!"

"Oh I intend to."

The two burst forward at each other again, their weapons clashing once more. As they did, Zoro saw a twist in Kodiak's eyes right before something happened to his shields. An instant later, they began rotating around wildly, throwing Zoro's blades off them. He brought his third blade down as he dodged to the side, letting it take the hit before he could be struck as Kodiak pushed forward.

What the hell? he thought. He can rotate his shields like that? What the hell kind of shields are these?

He could barely think on it before Kodiak suddenly threw his shield out with all his strength right at Zoro, forcing him to block the attack. He grunted at the surprising strain but caught a flicker of movement and saw Kodiak throw his other shield now, making him bring up his other sword to block that attack as well.

Just as fast, Kodiak used the attached strings to pull his shields away, throwing them to the sides and flicking them behind him now.

What is he up to?

Kodiak suddenly launched himself into the air, pulling the shields up with him and letting them fly overhead in a deadly arc right back down to Zoro whose eyes widened at the incoming attack.

"Ursa Hammer!"

Zoro grunted as the shields struck his swords, just managing to get them up in time. But the force behind the attack shattered his defenses and brought him down to his knees. He just managed to deflect the shields before his swords were pushed aside as well.

He panted a little from the strain, having close to being ripped open by those damn shields. He didn't know the last time he'd faced an opponent like this. He suddenly felt a smirk cross his face. It was more exciting than he remembered.

He got back up as he saw Kodiak whip his shields back out, the way he moved them around with the cords reminding Zoro of that children's toy, the yo-yo.

"Ursa Swipe!" Kodiak roared, bringing the shields back around on either side. But Zoro was ready this time and threw his swords out to match them, the blades clanging against each other. As soon as they did, Zoro pushed off with his swords against the shields and gave himself an extra boost to launch himself forward towards Kodiak's now exposed body.

"Three Sword Style – Crossing Eagles!" he roared through the air, bringing his swords back up.

His blades all converged together as he reached Kodiak, coming down hard. But Kodiak reacted faster, throwing himself down so that his back was exposed like a turtles and once again letting the shield there take the brunt of it. Zoro's swords and his shield held firm against one another for a second before Kodiak pushed up with his arms, throwing himself up and around and Zoro aside.

Both landed on their feet, Kodiak whipping his shields back into his hands.

That shield on his back and the way he uses it, Zoro thought to himself, it's almost like his own version of a three-shield style.

This wasn't going to be easy.

Sabine, being pulled up by the cable, heard the rocket go off and felt the shockwave of the blast. She also felt her cable get loose as the railing it had been attached to was suddenly blasted off. It was only thanks to her quick instincts that she was able to reach out and grab the edge of the whole balcony, just barely keeping herself up. Her fingers felt like they would be ripped off at any moment and she could feel all her arm muscles burning up like a wildfire. But she kept pulling herself up, trying to get on the balcony.

"You are determined, I'll give you that," Dart said by the doorway, making Sabine look up. "But you've left yourself wide open. Not very smart. Guess this fight will end sooner than I wanted."

Sabine grimaced, watching Dart raise her gauntlet for another attack, and pushed all her strength into her left arm, heaving herself just enough so she could let go with her right arm and lift up her own gauntlet.

Thwip!

The cable shot out again, latching onto Red Dart's leg and clinging tightly. "Wha-" she muttered in surprise before she was yanked off her feet in surprise as Sabine pulled on the cable as hard as she could, allowing herself to drop back down a little for the extra momentum. Dart shrieked as she hit the ground and found herself sliding towards the balcony's edge as Sabine kept pulling. She instantly grabbed hold of the doorway, clinging to the side of it tightly.

"Hey, do me a favor and don't let go, alright?" Sabine called to her, yanking even harder. Dart couldn't reply, trying to hold on as tightly as she could. Sabine then held tightly to her cable and began to retract it, letting it pull her up. Dart nearly screamed, feeling like her leg was about to be ripped off as Sabine used it to climb up the last few feet and clamber up onto the balcony.

"You…" Dart growled, releasing her grip on the door frame as she turned towards Sabine.

Sabine panted as she stared back at her opponent. She'd gotten rid of Dart's high ground advantage, but this still wasn't going to be an easy fight. The two eyed each other for a split second before moving, Dart raising her gauntlets while Sabine grabbed her guns. They fired at the same time, dodging as well as they could in the space. Sabine felt three darts hit her, two bouncing off her armor while a third made a gash in her side. She winced but kept moving. She saw Dart briefly go down, one of her bullets striking the woman in the leg. It didn't look like it penetrated though, but it did hurt her.

Dart shot Sabine another look before suddenly turning around and dashing back inside the building and around the door frame, covering herself. It only took Sabine two seconds to realize she didn't have any cover.

"Oh shit," she muttered before dashing forward as fast as she could. The second she saw Dart appear again, she fired her gun, making the woman duck back behind. Sabine breathed out in relief as she made it inside. She dropped down and slid the rest of the way, planning to take Dart by surprise by attacking from below.

As she slid past the door, she came face-to-face with Dart's gauntlet.

"So predictable," the woman murmured before she fired.

Sabine thought she'd be ok, seeing as the darts were aimed for her armor. But as soon as they struck, they each let out a stream of electricity, shocking her right through her armor and making her cry out in pain, her body jolting from the attack.

"Electro-darts," Red Dart informed her. "Hits you even with all the armor on huh? Guess beskar is just as conductive as any other metal. Too bad for you."

Sabine grunted, feeling her whole body spasm and turn numb from the electro attack. She could barely move her fingers much less her arm which was bad when Red Dart whirled and kicked her in the gut, knocking her flat. She gasped and choked from the hit, feeling the pain roll through her stomach.

"Not much of a Mandalorian, are you? What a pity."

Another kick to her stomach and Sabine cried out this time, rolling over the floor from the blow. Have to get up, she thought, trying to move. While Dart may have kicked her where there wasn't armor, Sabine still had padding down there that absorbed a good part of the blow. But with the electro darts and now these, her endurance and tolerance were fading fast.

"You shouldn't have gotten involved," Dart told her, walking up. "Should have just left us alone. Would have saved your life. Now you're going to die."

Killer Moth groaned as he woke up, his head pounding. What had happened? He remembered those people from before, led by the straw hat guy, charging into their headquarters. That bitch Emiko had been with them too. He had moved to attack and then…there had been a fist maybe? He couldn't really recall. All he knew was that he was on the ground and he definitely felt like he'd been punched.

Clang!

Moth blinked, rising up at the sound of clashing metal. He rubbed his head and looked around, spotting Kodiak at the end of the courtyard fighting that swordsman guy. From the way it was going, both were pretty confident but Moth knew it was only a matter of time before Kodiak won.

"But that's just one of them," Moth muttered to himself. He took another look around and then noticed part of the courtyard had been blown up with metal railings around the spot. He glanced up and saw the balcony had been completely obliterated. And now that he was listening, he could also hear the sounds of fighting coming from there as well. "Dart no doubt. But where are the others?"

He knew Brick and Silencer were down by the docks, mobilizing the new cannons onto the ships as well as guarding the prisoners. He supposed the order for those prisoners' executions would come soon given Emiko's betrayal. Stupid girl.

Moth contemplated what he should do next. He knew Dart and Kodiak wouldn't appreciate him butting into their fights. He could always just watch Kodiak's fight. From what he was seeing now it looked like quite the show. But he still had a bit of a headache and honestly felt like a good lie down was a better option.

Actually, finding the bastard who punched him was what he wanted to do. Yeah, he'd been taken by surprise but that wouldn't happen again. He was sure it was that straw hat bastard. Well, Moth would find him and unleash his gun's most powerful attacks on that guy until he was nothing but ash. But where could he…

Moth's thoughts came to a halt as something flickered on the edge of his view. He glanced to the side and his eyes widened as he saw a figure with a large sack over their shoulder. As he watched, he swore he saw something sparkle at the opening of the sack, almost like it was filled with…

"Treasure," he murmured, his anger rising. "That bastard's taking our treasure. Hey! You!"

The figure yelped and turned and Moth saw it was a girl. And not just any girl, but that hot piece from the store yesterday. He never forgot a girl like that.

"What do you think you're doing?" he barked.

The girl stared at him for another second before she bolted, running right for the open entrance of the courtyard.

"Hey, get back here!" he cried, chasing after her.

Nami cursed her luck as she ran as fast as she could. She had hoped all the higher up Longbow Pirates would be too busy dealing with her companions but evidently not. She grimaced as she tightened her grip on the bag of treasure she'd just stolen and desperately looked around for anywhere she could hide.

"Give that back!" she heard the man, Moth as she recalled, cry out behind her. "That doesn't belong to you!"

"Yeah, well I don't think it belongs to you either! Finders, keepers!"

"Just give it back now or you'll regret it!"

"No way in hell!" Nami yelled. This much treasure in her hands was seriously bringing her close to her goal of a hundred million. It might even put her over the top. If that was the case, there was absolutely no way she could let this bag go.

But she wasn't able to keep that promise as she heard a whooshing sound behind her and felt a sudden rush of wind on her back right before a large amount of force struck her, making her scream in alarm as she was flung aside. She did her best but she couldn't keep her grip, the bag of treasure slipping from her grasp.

She hit the ground and groaned, feeling scrapes and bruises already forming. But none of that mattered, her eyes already looking for where the treasure had gone. The second she spotted it, she rushed over to it but had barely started moving when she heard another whooshing sound. She looked up just in time to see Moth with his gun pointed at her and what seemed like a ball of wind shooting at her right before it struck. It didn't send her flying this time, just knocked her back to the ground where she lay with a groan.

"That's my special Air Shot! Pure pressurized air!" Moth crowed. "Sends any of my enemies flying away. And that's only the start of what this baby can do! So unless you want to see some nastier tricks, I suggest you stand down now."

"Fat chance of that," Nami muttered, already rising back up. She couldn't afford to lose that money. If it was enough, truly, then her whole town's freedom was just within her grasp. There was no way she would let it go, not when it was right in front of her like that.

Emiko ran as fast as she could, racing past all the other bystanders. She nearly knocked a few down but only just managed to avoid a collision. They still swore and cried at her but she ignored them, her mind focused solely on finding Roy and Lian and getting them to safety.

She hoped Luffy was ok but couldn't think about him now. She had her own challenge waiting. She'd already seen Kodiak, Red Dart, and Killer Moth. That left two other top members of the Longbow Pirates unaccounted for. Brick, she knew she could take. But Silencer? She wasn't too sure about that one.

She saw the docks just ahead and increased her pace, desperation fueling her.

"Wait up!" Shang-Chi called, right behind her.

"We don't have time!" she replied over her shoulder. "We need to get there now! Who knows how long we have?"

Shang-Chi didn't want to admit it, but his long sleepless night on watch was taking its toll and all this running around wasn't helping. He knew going into battle like this wasn't smart but he also knew right now he didn't have a choice.

I just hope anyone we come across isn't too tough, he thought.

Emiko reached the docks first, the guards on duty still groaning from the beating Zoro and Shang-Chi had given them earlier. And when they saw him enter the docks, they instantly grabbed their weapons and faced him. "So you're back, huh?" one growled. "Big mistake, because now you d-"

Shang-Chi didn't even look as he smacked the man with his fist, knocking him out easily. The others all came but they didn't last long, Shang-Chi wading through their attacks and delivering devastating blows to all but one of them who trembled in fear, seeing all his comrades go down in seconds. He dropped his blade and turned to run but hadn't made it a few steps before Shang-Chi grabbed him by the collar.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked menacingly.

"I…uh, I…ah…"

"Emiko," Shang-Chi said, dragging the stuttering man towards his new crewmate. "Ask away."

Emiko got right into the man's face, making him flinch. "I'm looking for two people. A man with red hair and a young girl with blue hair. They would have been brought here only a little while ago. Where are they now?"

The man stared wide-eyed at her. "I-I d-don't know a-an-anything," he said.

Emiko growled and grabbed an arrow, pressing it against his throat. "Tell me!" she demanded.

"B-but I don't kn-AY!" the man gasped as Shang-Chi grabbed hold of his ear.

"My father once taught me a technique where if you grab the ear in a certain spot with a certain amount of pressure, you can rip it off in one stroke as easily as paper," Shang-Chi said calmly. "I never got to actually practice it on a real person before, so I'm curious to see if it works or not. Forgive me if I get it wrong the first few times."

"W-wait, wait!" the man begged. "I can't tell you! They'll kill me!"

"Of course, this technique could also work on other parts of the human body. I think it might be possible on the-"

"Yes, yes, they came through!" the man cried. "B-brick and Silencer brought them through earlier b-but then they separated. I think I s-saw Brick go up on that sh-ship over there." He pointed to a particular ship several spots down.

As soon as he was finished, Emiko was off. "Thank you," Shang-Chi said before swiftly knocking the man out. He then took off after Emiko.

The workers there all backed off as they ran through, none of them wanting to get involved in this mess. A few militia men also backed away, Shang-Chi recognizing Shuffleton among them. The man eyed them warily, shaking his head.

Don't worry, Shang-Chi thought. We will win this fight. And then you'll all be free.

As soon as they reached the ship, Emiko ran up the gangplank. However, in her desperation, she had failed to notice two people standing at the top.

"Hey, who are you?" one of them asked.

"No one's allowed up here!"

"Stop or-"

Emiko whipped her bow around, striking one man in the face and knocking him over the side of the gangplank into the waters below. The other one cursed and moved to draw his sword but Emiko kicked him in the knee, bringing him down, before punching him hard in the face, leaving him a groaning mess while she didn't stop, rushing past him to the ship's deck.

"Oh hell," she muttered, seeing a whole squad of Marines waiting for her. "What the hell is this?"

"Hey!" one of the Marines cried, spotting her. "What are y-"

He didn't finish, an arrow sprouting from his shoulder, making him yell in pain. The others all gave cries of alarm and outrage, drawing their weapons, but they were too slow, Emiko nocking and shooting as fast as she could. She didn't even bother to bust out her special arrows for this, leaving the Marines a groaning mess on the deck.

She stomped over to the leader and squatted down next to him. "What are you doing here?" she demanded.

"Screw you bitch!" the man growled.

Emiko grabbed the arrow in his shoulder and twisted it, making the man scream in pain. "One more time, what are you doing here?"

"We're here to transport a prisoner," the man gasped. "Harper Roy. Captain Broderick's overseeing it himself."

"Broderick," Emiko seethed, thinking of the Marine who had kept her island enslaved under Richard's rule for so long, ensuring no other Marines came to save them. The corrupt and fat fool who did whatever Richard wished.

But that became secondary to the other bit of information. If Broderick was here to transport Roy, then Roy must be here. Emiko shot back to her feet and turned to head for the interior of the ship when something struck her from behind, knocking her down.

Bang!

She flinched at the gunshot and looked up to see Shang-Chi on top of her. She followed his gaze towards several Marines at the doorway to the ship's interior, one of their guns smoking.

He saved me, Emiko realized, looking back at Shang-Chi. But there was no time to give thanks as the other Marine was now aiming. Emiko reached for an arrow but was too slow as Shang-Chi kicked up a nearby mop and then spun in the air, his foot striking the mop and shooting it out like a javelin. The Marine cried out right at the ragged and wet end struck him in the face. The other Marine looked at his companion in shock but he didn't get to raise his weapon in time before Shang-Chi was on him, sending him flying with a backhand. The Marine who got hit by the mop was swiftly knocked down as well.

"Thanks," Emiko said, walking up to him. "I-"

Shang-Chi held up a finger, stopping her. She paused, unsure what he was doing as he tilted his head towards the door. Then he punched it, or more accurately through it. His face tightened and he yanked back, the door bursting apart as he dragged someone back through it. Emiko gasped as she recognized Broderick.

"You…you will…pay for this," he gasped out, face contorted in pain from being ripped through a door. He glanced up at them and his eyes widened as he saw Emiko. "Y-you! I will have you-"

Emiko stopped him before he could say another word by stomping on his overinflated stomach, making him gag. "Where's Roy?" she demanded.

"Emiko?"

She whirled around at Shang-Chi's voice and gasped as she saw Roy sitting a few feet away. He looked bad, all banged up from his fight with Richard especially in the face. His nose and jaw were broken and one eye still swollen shut. He was still unconscious, clearly being dragged by the Marines to their base. But he was alive, and that was what mattered.

Except, there was no sign of Lian.

"Where is she?" Emiko growled, turning back to Broderick.

"Who?"

"You know who! Harper Lian!"

"Oh," Broderick said, sneering up at her. "I don't know." He gasped again as she pushed down harder with her foot. "You're going to pay for this," he said. "Richard will have your head."

"You're a Marine," Emiko told him. "You should be saying 'the Marines will have your head.' I guess you've had your own head shoved so far up Richard's ass you've forgotten, huh? Guess you really are just a pirate now."

"You think you can rescue them?" Broderick asked. "You're done. You and all your companions will die before the day's out. There's no escape from this."

Emiko didn't reply, doing her best to push down the fear inside her. As much as she didn't want to, as much as she wanted to believe in Luffy, she'd seen how strong Richard was. And his crew. Beating them…well, she just didn't know. Which was why she had to find Lian now.

But where was Lian? They must have separated the two. But then…where had they taken Lian? Emiko looked over the deck to the rest of the docks that spread all the way for over a mile, packed with ships, warehouses, sheds, and tons of people. She could be anywhere. Where was she even going to start…

To be a great archer, one had to have fantastic eyesight to shoot the small targets from far away with expert accuracy. So Emiko was able to see a lot more than other people, pick up on the smaller details and spot things others couldn't. And it was just good luck that the person she just spotted stood out.

"Brick," she muttered, instantly recognizing his frame even from the great distance between them. He was at least 300 yards away but she'd been following him for so long, she knew it could only be him. And if he was over there, that was likely where Lian was too.

"Can you watch him?" she asked Shang-Chi, pointing at Roy's unconscious form. "Or, actually, can you take him to the hospital."

"Of course. Go get your sister."

Emiko gave him the directions before racing down the gangplank, leaping the last way and landing back on the docks. She didn't stop, moving as soon as she hit the ground. She dashed along the docks, moving faster than even she thought possible. There were still plenty of workers about but the second they saw her coming they moved out of the way, none of them wanting any trouble.

Brick had been way down, between the seventh and eighth ships. She knew there was a small warehouse there which would be a perfect place to keep Lian. If he hurt her…she gritted her teeth, imagining the many different, painful ways she'd make him suffer for that.

"Hey!" an official said, spotting her running towards him. "You can-"

She grabbed a plank from a nearby worker and threw it at the man, the wood striking on the head before he could react and knocking him senseless. The instant she did that, three militia men came at her, getting their weapons out.

"Great," she muttered. She didn't have time for this shit. "Alright you fucking bastards. You want some? Come get some."

She charged the first one just as he got his rifle up, grabbed the barrel and twisting it up into the air before smashing her fist into his throat, making his gasp from the shock. She then pulled the gun from his grasp and whipped it around, slamming it into the head of the second militia man. She turned back to the first one and finished him off with a knock to the head.

She turned, ready for the third, before stopping. "Shuffleton?" she said, blinking in surprise.

"Emiko," he said, eyeing her warily. He glanced backwards and paused before sighing and holstering his weapon. "She's in a crate."

"Wha-what?"

"Your sister, Lian. They put her in a crate. They were…Brick's planning to dump it into the harbor once he gets the word. Dock 17. Crate's got marks from where Brick picked it up."

Emiko didn't thank him. She barely managed to contain herself when he started talking. Once she was sure he was done, she took off, her heart in her throat. She hoped Luffy was able to keep Richard contained so he couldn't give that order but she couldn't take the chance. She had to get there now.

The time that it took to get there flew by instantly and felt like it took years. When she arrived, she didn't see any sign of Brick but she saw the crates stacked and ready for transport. And she saw the one crate way down the jetty that had the small splintered areas on the side from where a strong person would crack the wood. Something only an archer like her would notice.

She rushed over, ready to crack the crate apart. "Don't worry Lian," she muttered. "I'm here. I'll have you out in a jiffy."

If she wasn't an archer, she might have been killed or knocked out right then and there. As it was, she heard the whistle in the air and felt the wind shift around her, making her duck on instinct. The object hurtled past her head and slammed into one of the wooden railings, cracking it apart. It was one of the large metal hooks, the heavyset rope stretched tight. She followed it to the large person holding it, his bare chest exposing his reddish, stony skin as well as his stacked stature that looked like it could crack one of these ships in half.

"Brick!" Emiko growled, grabbing an arrow.

"Well, well, well," Brick said, walking up to her. "I honestly didn't think I'd see you come. I thought you'd be smarter than this. But I must say, I am glad."

"So am I," Emiko replied. "If there's one asshole I'd want to kick, it's definitely yours."

"Do you really think you can win?" Brick smirked. "Against me? Against Richard? Against any of us? You must know how this ends."

Emiko took a breath. "Maybe once, I did. But then a rubber-brained idiot stormed into my life. And I have faith that he'll take down Richard. And I have absolutely certainty that I'll take you down."

"Big words. That's enough talking. Time to die."

Brick yanked back on the rope, pulling the hook back to him. As soon as it got near, he began to whirl it around until it became a spinning blur next to him.

"Do you think you'll get away with this?" Broderick asked after Shang-Chi tied him up with the other fallen Marines. "Your head will hang before the day's out."

"If you say so," Shang-Chi replied, looking around carefully and spotting what he needed.

"You think I'm kidding? If Richard doesn't get you, the Marines will! Mark my words, you-"

Shang-Chi didn't hear the rest as he stuffed the wet cleaning rag into Broderick's mouth and tied it around his head, keeping it in place. Broderick struggled and spat but couldn't remove it. Instead he just growled and threatened through it, only muffled grunts coming through. Still annoying but better than before.

With that done, Shang-Chi turned back to Roy. The guy was in bad shape considering all the damage Richard had inflicted during their fight. Shang-Chi had received some medical training from his father so he knew the basics here. But the man clearly needed to go to a hospital before his condition deteriorated.

Shang-Chi started with the jaw, keeping it in place, and then moved down, bandaging the man the best he could with whatever materials he could scrounge up. As he did, he wondered how the others were faring in their fights. He'd only known them a few days at this point but he hoped they were well.

"Y-y-you…" Roy suddenly mumbled.

"Don't talk," Shang-Chi advised. "You're too hurt and weak. Don't worry, I will take you to the hospital now. Emiko's gone after Lian."

Roy nodded weakly before lying back, his breathing becoming more even, making Shang-Chi relieved. Still, his state bothering him. Shang-Chi had heard of Harper Roy, one of the best bounty hunters in the East Blue, right up there with Zoro before the swordsman joined their pirate crew. And yet Richard had done this to the man with barely a scratch on himself.

"Luffy," he murmured. "I hope you can live up to your words. Or else we're all in trouble."

He glanced slightly behind him at the scoffing sounds Broderick was making but turned away from him, carefully lifting Roy up and walking towards the gangplank, making sure not to jostle the man too much.

However, just as he reached the gangplank, he paused. Something was wrong. He didn't know what, but he felt it to his bones. Something had changed.

Maybe it was just the fact that he had been up the whole previous night but he trusted his senses. He glanced down at Roy and then felt his heart skip a beat, lowering the man to take a better look. He couldn't hear his breath anymore. Had something…no. As Shang-Chi looked closer, he saw the man still breathing normally. But why wasn't he making any sound?

That's when he realized what had made him pause. He couldn't hear. Broderick had been making noise even after his mouth had been stuffed with that gag. But now, he was silent. And, as Shang-Chi looked up, he saw a bird overhead but it didn't make a sound. He could no longer hear the waves lapping against the docks or the people down there making any noise, and there had been a buzzing of voices and sounds a minute ago.

It was instinct that saved him as he felt the wind change, pushing himself forward to avoid the blow. He whirled around and saw a foot going right for his face, moving aside right in the nick of time. But that wasn't enough as just as fast, the foot's owner swept it after him too fast for him to dodge, knocking him in the head hard and sending him rolling backwards on the ship's deck.

Idiot, he chastised himself. He knew there had been another member of the Longbow Pirates. Moth had been incapacitated early on and Kodiak and Red Dart were occupied while Emiko went after Brick. That left the final member.

Silencer. The woman who, according to Emiko ate a Devil Fruit. The Calm-Calm Fruit that created a soundless dome wherever the user wanted. Perfect for sneak attacks.

"So tell me, Straw Hat," Richard said derisively, "why fight so hard for one girl? I thought you were a pirate?"

"I'm a different kind of pirate," Luffy replied. "Emiko's part of my crew now so I'll do anything to help her out."

Richard snorted. He couldn't believe the nonsense coming from this boy's mouth. "You've got it wrong. The crew should be doing anything for you, not the other way around. You're the captain. You're in charge. Your crew helps you achieve your goals."

"And then I help them achieve theirs," Luffy replied.

"No! What kind of a captain are you? I know my crew would do anything for me because I promise them power and fame as long as they serve me. They get to live the good life here on Star Island all thanks to me. I couldn't care less about their own personal goals or lives so long as it doesn't interfere with my life. And if they go against me in anyway, they die."

"That's not a crew," Luffy replied. "Your crew are your friends. You should be willing to die for them."

Richard laughed. "What a naïve, stupid little boy you are," he snarled. "You're lucky I'll put you out of your misery now. You'd never make it out in the big, bad world with that mentality. Let me guess, you've been living the good life up til now, riding on your granddaddy's coattails until you decided to try the whole teenage rebellion thing and gave piracy a shot just to piss him off. Well, that was a mistake because now you're going to die. But your other mistake was giving that poor girl false hope. Because of it, I will now kill her, her family, and everyone in the Glades. All because you made a promise you couldn't keep."

Luffy just stared back at him, shadows over his eyes. He wasn't one for listening to long monologues or big speeches. He got bored of it all very quickly. But Richard's words still filtered in and he understood the gist of it.

There were many things he could say in response to Richard's words but he didn't see what the point was. Richard thought he'd been living the soft, easy life until now because of his grandpa? Whatever, he didn't care. He thought Luffy was an idiot for wanting his crew to be his friends and for helping them achieve their goals. Fine, everyone thought he was an idiot.

But thinking he would lose? Thinking he would fail Emiko and go back on his word? Nuh-uh. That was something Luffy refused to allow.

"When I make a promise to someone, I mean it," he said solemnly. "I told Emiko I would save her friends and her town from you, so I will. Now, I'm done talking so I'm going to keep my promise and kick your ass."

Richard smirked. "Big words. Let's see if you can back them up."

Richard's leg came up, striking his desk and shooting it up into the air with ease. Just as fast, he shoved both hands forward, launching the desk right at Luffy who yelped and jumped over the thing, narrowly getting struck.

"That was clo-" he started to say when he suddenly saw the new shadow forming under him. He barely had time to look up before Richard, who'd leapt into the air as well, slammed his fist into Luffy's head and sent him crashing into the floor, his head smashing through the wooden panels and smacking the hard mortar beneath.

"Ow!" he groaned. "That hurt!"

But before he could try and get his head back out, Richard brought his leg down in an axe kick that smashed Luffy through the rest of the wooden boards.

"I'll have to switch offices thanks to you," Richard growled in annoyance. "You thought you could defeat me? What a joke."

Luffy grumbled, trying to get back up, but Richard's foot was pressing down on him hard. And painfully.

"Ok then. Let's try this."

Richard frowned, feeling a shift on his foot. "What are you doi-"

"Gum-Gum Balloon!"

Richard cried out in alarm as Luffy's body suddenly inflated, growing bigger and bigger until it covered the entire room, sending all the furniture crashing into the wall.

"Alright then," Kodiak suddenly said, grabbing Zoro's attention. "Let's try this."

He held out his shields and seemed to press something as a second later, spikes jutted out from the rims. A second after that, they began to spin around wildly until they were a blur.

"What the hell?" Zoro gasped at the sight.

"Spinning Buzz-Saws!" Kodiak cried, whipping his right one out. Zoro raised his shield to block it but the spinning spikes caught the edge of his blade and with a twist of the cord, Kodiak was able to knock it aside.

An instant later, Zoro's chest flared in pain as Kodiak sent his other shield around so fast he wasn't able to bring his other sword up in time, the spinning weapon slicing into him. He managed to dodge on instinct but still got a nasty gash in his shoulder.

He grimaced in pain but had no time to dwell on it as Kodiak was on him again, both spinning shields converging on him. Again, he raised his swords to block and as the shields struck, the spikes caught the sides of the blades, throwing them off. Zoro gasped, seeing the spinning spikes coming right for his chest, this time aiming to slice him in two, and he acted on instinct, bringing his mouth down and around with all his jaw strength, his Wado Ichimonji striking the right shield at its bottom and avoiding the spikes.

Zoro tightened the muscles around his neck and shoved the shield aside with his blade, knocking it into the other one and forcing them off to the side away from him. He gasped, feeling the strain of that attack, and flinched in pain, looking down to see he'd still got cut in the chest though not too deep.

"Enough of this," he growled, glaring up furiously at Kodiak. "I'm sick of playing defense. Swords are for cutting, not blocking."

He watched as Kodiak made the movements with his wrists to bring the shields back to him. The instant he did that, Zoro moved as well, dashing forward as fast as he could. He smirked as Kodiak blinked in shock and readied his blades. From what he'd seen so far, he had a pretty good idea of what the guy would do next.

Sure enough, as soon as Kodiak's hands grabbed hold of the shields again, he began to hold them up in such a way that it would be near impossible to break through their defense to get at him.

Near impossible.

Zoro ran the last few feet and then leapt into the air, throwing both arms up and bringing his swords around his Wado Ichimonji, gripping them as tight as he could.

"Tiger Trap!" he bellowed, bringing them down again in a descending slash, striking through the spinning spikes to the shields' rims. Zoro thrust his blades down, for a second stopping the spikes' spin with sheer strength as he forced the shields to lower just enough. He then pushed off of them, lunging forward and slashing downwards with the Wado Ichimonji right across Kodiak's chest.

He flipped over Kodiak's back and landed back on the ground, turning instantly towards his opponent who he saw had fallen to his knees from the blow.

Damn it, Zoro thought. Just as he had attacked, he had sensed Kodiak pulling back so the slash he'd given him hadn't been too deep. Really just a flesh wound. This fight wasn't over yet. Still, he'd finally gotten a real hit in, proving he could get past the man's defensive skills.

"You truly are remarkable," Kodiak said, rising up again to face him. "I can't recall the last time I got struck like that, that I felt true fear. Tell me your name, swordsman."

"Roronoa Zoro."

"Zoro, huh? The legendary Pirate Hunter of the East Blue? Is that why you're here then?"

"I have never called myself that," Zoro replied. "Others chose that name for me. I just collected bounties to make a living. Now, I'm no pirate hunter. Just a pirate like you."

Kodiak raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You mean your motley little gang is a pirate crew? And what, you think taking us down will cement your reputation or something?"

"I couldn't care less about that. We're taking you down for Emiko and all the people here."

Zoro wasn't an emotional person, preferring to keep his feelings to himself and liking when others did the same. Still, he had felt something, watching Emiko fall apart in her inn, screaming about her weakness. For most of his childhood, he had fought as hard as he could against Kuina, trying to beat her to prove himself as the best. But he never had and would never get the chance to because of her death.

But that situation was so completely different. Because Kuina never used her superior strength and skill against him or the others. She never abused her power level to make Zoro feel inferior somehow, to use him however she saw fit. If she had, Zoro knew he would be helpless against her. She could have done whatever she wanted and no one would be able to stop her. It was because of her kind and noble nature that that didn't happen.

Richard wasn't like that. He knew he was strong and used it to bully everyone around him, forcing them to submit and constantly reminding them they couldn't beat him. Still, Emiko had tried to fight back and still was beaten down. So when Zoro had seen her like that, he'd felt her rage and pain.

She wasn't strong enough to fight these bastards alone. Fine then. Zoro would fight them alongside her. And he would win.

"Emiko?" Kodiak growled. "All for that little bitch, huh? What kind of reasoning is that? What does that girl mean to you that you're willing to risk your life?"

"She just joined our crew," Zoro replied. "And even if she hadn't, I'd still kick your ass."

"And why is that?"

"She asked for help."

"That's a stupid reason. You may be a good swordsman but you're a terrible pirate."

"Well, I did only become one a few days ago," Zoro shrugged. "Besides, I don't really care what you think of me. All you need to know about me is that I'm the one who's taking you down. So, are you going to keep flapping your gums, or are you going to fight?"

Kodiak glowered at him with a dark smile. "Yeah, enough talking."

Sabine managed to sit up at least and she started crawling backwards as Dart came closer. As she did, she also looked behind the woman.

"How pathetic," Dart laughed, raising her gauntlet. "And here I was hoping for a challenge. Oh well. Maybe there's another Mandalorian who can-"

Sabine's cable whipped out again, shooting past Red Dart and latching onto the chair behind her. Dart turned just as Sabine pressed the button on her gauntlet, retracting the cable at full power. She felt the painful pull on her wrist but smirked as the chair flew at them at top speed.

"Heads up," she said. "Cable Shot."

Dart could only gasp before the chair struck her full force, knocking her down with a grunt of pain.

"Fight's not over yet," Sabine told her, rising up. "Not until I beat your ass."

"Heh," Dart spat, rising as well and throwing the chair off of her. "Not bad, kid. Guess you'll give me a good fight after all."

If Sabine hadn't been watching her enemy's hands, she would have gotten hit. Instead, she saw Dart's hand twitch and instantly ducked down, the red darts flying over her head and hitting the wall behind. Sabine rushed forward like a bull as Dart kept firing, letting the projectiles bounce off her helmet as she charged, grabbing hold of Dart around the middle and slamming her into the ground.

"Get off!" Dart cried, throwing a fist. Sabine caught it before it could hit and just managed to twist it enough to the side as the gauntlet fired again, its darts hitting the ceiling this time. She threw her own fist and smiled as it connected, smacking Dart across her jaw.

Her victory was short-lived as Dart lifted up her other gauntlet. Sabine moved to block it but Dart fired, the darts shooting up at nothing.

"Flash Darts."

Sabine's vision turned white as the darts went off, blinding her. She cried out in alarm, backing off for a second as she moved to rub her eyes from the pain.

The next thing she felt was Red Dart's gauntlet pressed against her stomach.

"Point Blank Needle Shot!"

Sabine could only manage a grunt as she felt scorching pain roar through her, the darts lodging themselves into her belly. Her padding managed to stop them from going all the way in but that didn't help much. She collapsed, her hands feeling sticky and wet as she clutched at her injury.

"Not a bad effort, I must admit," Dart said. "But still, it's time t-"

She flinched back as Sabine suddenly flung the bloodied darts she tore out at her. "You think that was enough to stop me?" Sabine asked, her voice trembling a little. "Guess again."

Dart couldn't help but snort. "You can't even stand up. How can you possibly-"

"You think a little pain will stop me? After everything you and your crew have done here?"

Dart snorted again. "We're pirates, sweetie. This is what we do."

"Yeah, well, this is what we do," Sabine replied, rising up. Dart shook her head, watching her with derision. She even doubled over at one point, the pain getting to her. She wouldn't last another ten seconds.

"I think I've had enough," Dart said, sighing a little. "So let's j-"

Sabine suddenly straightened up, throwing several objects Dart's way so fast she was barely able to react, throwing up her arms in time to block. Her eyes widened in shock as she made out the small little balls just before they went off.

Around Nami, she could see all the people running away, either fleeing indoors or just getting out of the area once they realized the Longbow Pirates were fighting someone. Honestly, Nami couldn't blame them. She'd do the same in their situation.

She grabbed hold of her staff again, using it to stand back up before she faced off against Moth, holding her weapon closely. She wasn't much of a fighter but every now and then she'd been forced into situations where she had no choice but to fight back. Seemed like this was one such occasion. Hopefully he was one of the weaker types.

"A stick?" Moth laughed. "Really? That's it? What are you going to do with that?"

"Let me go now or you'll find out the painful way," she promised.

"Ooh, terrifying!" Moth exclaimed mockingly. "I promise to do my best to spare your good looks but you did choose this, so…" he shrugged.

Nami was ready though as he pulled the trigger again, throwing herself to the side as the air shot flew past her, shattering a barrel behind her with its force. She dashed forward, knowing she had to close the distance between them quickly. Moth looked surprised that she had managed to dodge that one and quickly fired another round that Nami threw herself to the ground to avoid. She was back up as fast as she could, whipping her staff around to whack Moth in the face and knock him down.

She breathed hard from that dash but smirked at the fallen pirate. "How was-"

The gun pointed up at her and fired before she could react, the air shot blasting her into the wall. She groaned, her back aching from the blow, and she fell back down, just managing to catch herself on her hands and knees.

Moth rose up slowly, glaring over at her. He had misjudged her. He knew that now. He thought she was some weak, helpless hottie who had happened to find a staff. But she was stronger than he realized. He couldn't afford to lower his guard just because of her looks. That blow from the staff had done a number on him as he'd barely managed to fire his gun at her. Honestly he'd gotten lucky with that one.

She is dangerous at close combat, he thought to himself. Can't play around then. Time to use this.

Nami grunted as she rose up, trembling a little as she faced her opponent. But he wasn't even looking at her now, doing something with his backpack. She tensed her muscles, ready to charge him again, when he suddenly let out a burst of air from his gun at his feet, launching himself upwards. As soon as he did that, the backpack he'd been wearing sprung out a pair of wings that actually did look like a moth's.

Nami blinked and gaped at the sight, not expecting that. She didn't even think it would be able to stay aloft but then, as he started his descent, the wings flapped and small devices along the sides let out collective bursts of pressurized air, bringing him back upwards.

"Ah, the upgrades are perfect," Moth said, flapping again. "Now, go ahead and hit me! Oh wait, you can't! But I can still hit you!"

Nami's eyes widened as he raised his gun again and she threw herself to the side as he fired at her. But this time, instead of a burst of air, a small net shot out right past her, catching a small crate instead and wrapped tightly around it. So tightly, that several of the planks cracked from the pressure.

"Ooh, close one," Moth chuckled.

How do I do this now? Nami thought desperately. She had a chance when he was on the ground but now that he was in the air, she didn't have a clue as to what to do.

"Here, I'll just take that."

Nami's gaze shot to the bag of treasure as Moth shot at it, the net wrapping around it tightly, and she noticed the cable stretching from the net all the way to Moth's gun. She was already moving before she put the pieces together.

Moth retracted the cable, pulling the bag back to him, when Nami leapt at it, just managing to grab hold of the side of the net as it was yanked upwards. "Huh?" he gasped, feeling the sudden strain and seeing Nami shoot up to him. "Huh?" he gasped again right before the cable stopped pulling, bringing the bag and Nami to a stop. "Hey!" he finally managed to say, feeling the weight of two people bring his wings down a foot. "What are you doing? Get off!"

"Give me back my treasure!" Nami demanded.

"It's not yours, moron! You stole it from us! Now let go or you'll be sorry!"

"Never!" Nami screeched. "It's my treasure! I need it!"

"Honey, we all need it! But this is your last warning!"

Nami glared up at him and held out her staff. It was difficult to move it around while dangling in the air but she just managed to get enough power into her swing to strike at Moth's legs.

"Hey, stop that!" Moth demanded, trying to move his legs out of the way but Nami was persistent, swatting away at him like he was a moth.

"Just let me go, you stupid bugman!"

Moth glared down at her. "You want me to let you go? Fine then!" He fired off again and Nami yelped as she was shot back down at breakneck speed. Looking at the rushing ground, she kicked her legs up before they hit the hard street. Still, the impact jarred her, like someone had hit her with a cart, and she felt her staff roll off her fingers. But she held on to the net and the bag of treasure. She would never let that go.

Moth grunted in annoyance. He'd hoped that would be enough to shake her off but she was persistent. "I thought thieves and cat burglars were supposed to be smart," he muttered. "If this one's willing to die for one bag of treasure, then she's the worst thief in the world!"

I can't lose this chance! Nami thought. For Nojiko! For Genzo! For Nako! For everyone else! I refuse to let this treasure go! Not when this will free you all!

"You want to die that badly?" Moth roared. "Fine! Have it your way!" He yanked back up on the bag while also swinging it to the side. Nami could only brace before she was smacked into the side of a building. She gasped, pain shooting through her. She felt like she had dislocated her arm on that one, but she hadn't lost her grip yet.

Moth glowered in annoyance before turning and swinging the bag across the street into the other building. This time, Nami was more prepared and managed to position herself so the bag was struck instead. Still, her body was jolted from the blow and she could feel bruises appearing all over her.

"Damn brat!" Moth seethed. "What will it take?"

He could tell he was losing altitude, the treasure and the girl bringing him down bit by bit. Even though he hated it, right now he had no choice but to let go. Gritting his teeth, he released the net on the treasure and let it drop back to the ground.

Nami felt her stomach flop as she fell, but she managed to brace herself, landing in a crouch on the street. She quickly grabbed hold of the treasure bag and started running away as fast as she could.

Emiko frowned at the sight of Brick whirling the large hook around, a sense of dread settling inside her, before she fired a normal arrow his way. As she suspected, Brick blocked it with ease, the arrow deflecting against the whirling hook.

"You got smarter. Didn't think that was possible."

"Aw shaddup!" Brick growled, charging forward. "Hook Gouge!"

He threw the hook forward and Emiko whipped to the side, narrowly missing it. He may still be a lumbering idiot but his strength was no joke, able to throw that hook with such power it sped right to her. Instead, it smashed into the jetty, catching onto one of the beams holding the whole thing above the water.

"So is that your plan?" Emiko asked. "Just going to keep throwi-"

Brick gave a hard yank and the jetty burst apart as the hook ripped through it. "Fuck!" Emiko cried, leaping out of the way as Brick pulled the hook through three meters of the jetty before finally freeing it. He instantly began spinning it around again, grinning at her.

Emiko glanced down, seeing the massive tear in the jetty and swore again. Now she would have to watch her footing. One misstep and she'd fall right through or at least lose her balance and from Brick's speed with that thing, that would be it.

"Alright, let's even the playing field," she growled, swiftly firing an arrow his way. He brought up his swinging hook but she wasn't aiming for him. Instead, the arrow struck the planks at his feet, the capsule on the head breaking on impact and releasing its special substance that began eating away at the wood. "Acid Arrow."

"Shit!" Brick swore, forced to back up now as his footing disappeared fast. In that moment while he was distracted, Emiko fired another arrow and he wasn't fast enough to bring the hook up in time.

BOOM!

The small explosion went off. Emiko mostly used it for knocking down doors and the like but it was definitely effective against enemies when necessary. And Brick got a whole faceful of it, though she sadly didn't think that would be enough.

She was proven right as Brick reappeared from the mist, glaring at her. His whole face was scorched black but other than that, he didn't look that much worse for wear. His toughened skin was clearly no joke. She needed some way to break through that. Maybe another-

Just as she had that thought, Brick let loose a roar and threw out the hook again. Emiko didn't even need to dodge, the hook going past her into the water on the side of the jetty instead.

"What?" Emiko blinked before Brick yanked back and the rope came up. Until it didn't the hook coming to a stop somewhere underneath her. "What?" she repeated, confused by this move. He didn't look frustrated, so this had to be part of his plan. But what was it exactly?

Then she felt it. A tremor in the jetty. Cracks began to appear along the planks and an ominous creaking drowned out everything else. Emiko blinked in surprise and then shock as she looked down. "He latched onto a support beam," she murmured right before Brick gave a massive heave to the side, the part of the jetty the hook was attached to suddenly ripped free.

Emiko was just able to brace herself as her footing was sent flying, the jetty aiming to throw her into the churning sea. But she timed it right, jumping at the exact instant she needed to and managed to land on the still stable part of the jetty while the ripped section flew by.

"Nice try!" she cried, nocking an arrow and running for Brick.

"Think you can escape that easily?" he sneered and gave another yank on the rope, bringing it to him. Emiko glanced back and almost yelped as the jetty came flying back towards her. She threw herself down, lying flat on the wooden planks, and felt the wreckage ruffle her clothing as it flew over her.

"Didn't realize he was this strong," she muttered, watching as Brick stepped out of the way and whirled the jetty wreckage around so that it wouldn't hit the ground, pieces of it breaking off and flying everywhere.

"Hook Smash!" Brick cried, whipping the hook and wreckage overhead and bringing it down like a hammer. Emiko swiftly grabbed two arrows, dropping her nocked one, and fired them both up at the wreckage before turning and jumping off the jetty.

BOOM!

SMASH!

She felt the blast of the explosive arrows as she jumped, firing off a grapple arrow to the ship next to her. The force of the blast propelled her faster right as what remained of the wreckage slammed into where she'd been standing, splintering into hundreds of pieces. Emiko glanced back and was thankful she was far enough to miss most of it though she felt a few splinters still strike her.

She swung on her grapple line towards the ship, kicking off the side as soon as she hit it and running along it for several meters before she kicked away from it again, swinging right back to where Brick was.

"Not good enough!" Brick cried, whipping the hook out again to throw at her.

"Flashbang Arrow," Emiko said, firing away. The arrow struck Brick just as he was about to launch the hook, the white flash sending him stumbling back with graphic words as he clutched at his eyes.

Emiko released the grapple line, landing back on the jetty. "Alright, now let's try-"

"YAAARRRGHHH!" Brick roared, bringing his hook up and swinging it around wildly. He was still clearly unable to see but that didn't matter the way he was flailing about. Emiko dodged the hook as it sailed overhead and then dodged out of the way as Brick brought it back down with devastating force, splintering the jetty. He ripped it free and then began to turn on the spot, whirling the hook around like deadly carousel.

Emiko moved out of the way, thumbing her way through her quiver. She needed to stop this quickly. Brick was quickly entering what she had dubbed his 'berserker rage,' a state of his that he entered where he lost all reasoning and acted purely out of blind rage. She'd seen him use it against an attacking pirate crew and had gaped when he'd practically torn them all apart. It had been flies attacking a bull. If he came at her like this, would she even be able to stop him?

"No more tricks, bitch!" Brick cried out, sending the hook smashing down at her again. Evidently, his sight had now returned as Emiko dodged it. But this time, when the hook struck the jetty, Brick didn't stop there, instantly pulling it to the side, the momentum of his strike still powering him. Emiko's eyes widened as the hook came at her again, part of the jetty attached, and this time she wasn't fast enough, the blow catching her in the side and sending her flying across the docks.

She hit the ground and rolled several meters before finally coming to a stop, groaning in pain. Her ribs felt like they were on fire from that strike. At least she'd gotten hit with the jetty fragment and not the hook itself or else she'd likely be dead. Still, that hook had to go, now. But the way he was moving it around, she'd never get a good hit in. She needed to keep him still for just a few seconds.

"Onto-Grabber Arrow," she said, firing it at Brick.

He caught it just before it could strike, smirking. "More tricks," he murmured just as the arrow went off, a dozen small cables shooting out and latching onto anything in sight. Crates, sacks, barrels, beams, planks, work tools, whatever was nearby. One even shot into a wooden spire.

As all the items came hurtling back towards Brick, crates and barrels smashing into him and sacks bursting apart, their contents exploding all over him, he tried to throw them aside and instinctively dropped the rope with the hook.

Now! Emiko thought, firing another arrow at the rope right at the base of the hook. The second the arrow connected with the hardened fibers, the capsule broke and the acid was released, instantly eating away at the rope.

"Annoyances!" Brick bellowed. "You think this will…huh?" he gasped, picking up the rope again and feeling the small weight loss. He looked at the end and his eyes bulged as he saw the hook missing from the end, it now lying on the dock. "Damn you!" he cried in anger.

Emiko was about to taunt him back when he released the rope, instead grabbing hold of the last cable still taught, the one connected to the wooden spire. She didn't know how he was able to get a grasp on something so small and thin with those hands, but he did, pulling hard. The spire cracked from the force, the base splintering off. Emiko would have thought the grapple would be ripped out first but either Henry was a truly fantastic inventor or the spire was poorly built as Brick ripped the whole thing off at the base, pulling it to him.

"Heh," he said, holding the giant beam easily in his hand.

Shang-Chi looked up at Silencer who regarded him carefully. She was wearing black leather from head to toe and while the other Longbow Pirates had a sense of arrogance about them, she gave off an aura of menace from look alone. He had no doubt she was the top member of the crew.

He tested himself, trying to say something out loud, but nothing happened as he suspected. There was no noise allowed here now, as Emiko had said. Well, if that was this woman's main power, then she had already lost the element of surprise and her advantage.

Let's see what else she's got, Shang-Chi thought, rushing her. But as soon as he got close, suddenly he was hit with a wave of sound only in his right ear, surprising him and knocking him off balance. He stumbled and Silencer moved, jamming her fingers into his stomach. Shang-Chi's eyes bulged, her fingers like daggers as they struck, feeling a roaring pain from that spot.

Instinct screamed at him to move back but he didn't, pushing back against that. Instead, he side-stepped, letting Silencer's glance off him, and fired a punch her way. She blinked in surprise and backed off but he didn't let her get away, closing the distance fast and stamping his foot on his uninjured side down hard to give him the leverage he needed to bring his other foot up fast, striking Silencer hard in her side and sending her rolling across the deck.

He didn't give her a moment to recover, already after her. But she came up on her hands and knees and came at him with her left fist, making him duck down to avoid it. Just as fast, her right hand came out and Shang-Chi only saw the glint of metal before the knife slashed across his legs. He winced, moving to back off, when the knife came back around, this time aiming to stab him. He managed to grab hold of it with one hand and then leaned in, grabbing Silencer's bicep with his other hand and flipping her over his shoulder and down onto the deck as hard as he could.

He blinked as she landed, still hearing nothing. The void of silence was messing up his perception more than he realized. He had thought for a second that she hadn't hit the deck at all and that he somehow missed.

He shook his head and lunged for her, aiming to punch her hard and knock her out. But his second of hesitation cost him as she grabbed his fist and then wrapped her legs around his arm, trapping him. He moved to shake her off when she brought the knife back up and stabbed at him, making him grab hold of her wrist to stop her.

They strained against each other for a few seconds, neither one giving the other an inch, before Shang-Chi started moving forward, aiming to slam her into the cabin wall and knock her down. But just then, sound returned to his ears and he blinked in surprise. He was able to hold onto his grip though.

But she didn't.

Before Shang-Chi realized it, she released her handgrip on his arm. He managed to see her fist coming from the corner of his eye at the last second before she smashed it into his face. He almost reeled from the blow but managed to hold fast. Still, Silencer gained an inch with her knife and Shang-Chi gritted his teeth as he fought back against her.

I need to get it together, he thought. She was constantly muting and unmuting his ears, causing small instances of distraction that gave her the advantage. It was a clever move that worked on even the best warriors. After all, a moment's distraction could mean your life.

Shang-Chi grimaced and then lunged downwards, using all his strength to twist Silencer's knife to the side as they hit the deck so it didn't stab him. He felt Silencer grunt beneath him in surprise and pain but she didn't let up either, punching him in the face again. He growled silently before moving to grab hold of her when she suddenly grabbed his wrist with her knife hand. Except, there was no knife.

She dropped it, Shang-Chi thought, looking at the fallen weapon. He hadn't heard it fall.

His arm was yanked forward, making him lose his balance. But he still saw Silencer's fist coming around for a third punch and this time managed to move his head to the side. Instead, Silencer opened her fist and grabbed the back of his neck, bringing it down so she could slam hers into it hard, knocking it back.

Shang-Chi stumbled back, releasing his grip on her from the blow and she instantly curled up her legs and shot them deep into his stomach. He spluttered and then fell backwards, groaning.

This is not going well, is it? he thought to himself.

Silencer moved quickly, having picked up her knife and throwing herself at him to impale him. He rolled to the side and made sure to come up on his hands and knees, pushing himself up to full height so he could dodge Silencer's attacks. She came at him, swiping fast and deadly strokes with her knife, forcing him to duck his head, twist his arms, and step aside at lightning speed so he wouldn't get cut.

They moved across the deck at a breakneck pace, their feet practically dancing from plank to plank. Neither one was able to get a true hit on the other, Shang-Chi's punches and kicks dodged just as much as her knife strikes. She lunged and thrust the knife forward, nearly getting him in the rips. Instead, he dodged out of the way though she still grazed his arm.

Still, he was able to close the small distance between them and throw a punch at her gut, making her throw herself back to lessen the blow. He moved and whirled around, launching a kick her way that she threw up her arm in time to block. He saw her hands twitch and quickly retracted the leg before she could grab it and use it against him.

And just like that, sound came back. Shang-Chi had slowly gotten used to the void that he blinked when it was back. Still, he didn't let it distract him and was waiting for the coming attack. But it never came.

"You're good," Silencer said, her voice soft but deep and firm, carrying a lot of weight. "This will be more difficult than I thought."

"I'd offer my apologies but this is a battleground and my job right now is to defeat you," he replied.

"Oh no worries. I prefer the more difficult fights," Silencer replied. "It means I get to have more fun. Usually, they don't last after I cancel out all sound. And only a few make it through my little sparring session."

Little? Shang-Chi thought, a sense of unease coming over him. This woman…there was something off about her. Her face betrayed no emotion or expression. And yet…there was a sense of glee in her voice. It was small and muted, but definitely there. She was loving this, in her own way.

"I can't remember the last time I'd had to take things to this stage," she continued in that monotone, voice and Shang-Chi saw it, the slight shift in her eyes. "If you can, try not to die too soon. I'd like to play for as long as possible."

Looking at her now, with those half-dead eyes and her flat expression as she said those words, Shang-Chi was reminded of a phrase his younger sister used occasionally when seeing certain things that disgusted her. "Creepy as hell."

Just as quickly as he expanded his body, Luffy deflated, returning to his normal size. Richard grunted as he fell back to the ground, having been trapped against the wall unable to move at all.

"Whew! That was a close one!" Luffy exclaimed.

"You bastard!"

Luffy turned and yelped as Richard came at him, his leg coming around for a vicious side kick. Luffy stretched his head back just in time, Richard's foot just passing by. The man whirled around and landed on his feet, quickly leaping forward and kicking out again, his foot striking Luffy right in the chest.

Now I have him, Richard smirked. However, that smirk died quickly as he felt instead of Luffy being thrust back, his own foot somehow sinking into him.

"That won't work," Luffy grinned. "I'm rubber!"

With that said, he thrust his own fist back. "Gum-Gum Pistol!" he cried, bringing it back right for Richard's face.

Richard threw his head to the side as Luffy's fist came and then grabbed hold of it with his own hand. "Too slow," he said and pulled it. Or at least he tried to but only more of the arm came out.

Damn rubber, he cursed. But it went both ways as when Luffy tried to pull his own fist back, Richard held firm. "Hey, let go!" Luffy complained.

To his surprise, Richard did, tossing Luffy's arm away. And as Luffy watched it swing off to the side and right before it could retract back into him, Richard pounced.

"Thunder Fists!"

He struck hard and fast, his punches almost a blur as he hit Luffy over and over again. It was a move he'd used countless times before to take down enemies. But, he had a feeling this time wouldn't work, a feeling proven correct when the damn Straw Hat just smirked at him.

"That won't work!" he said again in an annoying sing-song voice. "I'm rubber!"

"Yes," Richard acknowledged, backing off. "So you are. Well, I had to be sure." He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out his special gloves, slipping them on and letting the spikes on the ends shine. "Now let's see how you handle this."

Judging from the boy's suddenly worried expression, he'd made the right call.

"Gum-Gum Pistol!" Luffy cried, throwing his arm forward and stretching it out quickly towards Richard.

"Too slow," Richard said, easily stepping aside. As he did, he threw his own fist. But not at Luffy. Instead, he struck Luffy's outstretched arm, the spikes over his fist cutting through Luffy's rubbery skin.

"Ow, ow, ow!" Luffy cried, bringing his arm back and clutching it to try and relieve the pain.

"Good," Richard chuckled darkly. "Now let's see what'll happen to your head."

"Eeep!" Luffy gasped as Richard came at him fast. He quickly did the first thing he could think of and stretched his head back to avoid the punch.

"Wha…" Richard grunted, not expecting that. But as he paused, Luffy seized his chance and grabbed hold of Richard's shoulders, holding him in place.

"Gum-Gum Bell!" he cried, bringing his head back into Richard's. Or, at least, he tried to. But Richard saw what was about to happen and while Luffy's grip was too much for him to break out of, he was still able to jump up enough so that Luffy's head struck him in the chest instead of his own face.

He was still flung back from the force of the blow but with the right breathing technique, he was able to flex even his chest enough to take the blow. He landed on his feet, skidding across the floor for a second before stopping.

"You are really starting to piss me off, you rubber brained bastard," Richard growled.

In response, Luffy stuck out his tongue.

Richard focused, letting his senses heighten ever more. When he did, he saw the way Luffy tensed right before he shot his leg outward, bringing it back around towards Richard.

"Gum-Gum Whip!"

But as the leg came, Richard ducked under it and then charged while Luffy was unbalanced.

"Ah!" Luffy cried, seeing Richard coming in fast and quickly dodged to the side but he was still too slow, Richard noting how he would move and following him instantly, throwing a right hook towards his stomach.

Damn it! Richard growled, seeing the spikes catch only part of Luffy's clothing. The boy had sucked in his gut at the last instant, so much so that Richard hadn't done any damage. He kept it up though, throwing another punch for the boy's chest.

"Aye!" Luffy cried, just managing to dodge to the side. Richard kept coming though, punching fast and hard and forcing Luffy on the defensive. He backtracked around the room, twisting and turning out of the way as Richard threw spiked punch after spiked punch his way.

Damn that body of his! Richard cursed. Most enemies of his would have fallen by now. He was able to see all the movements the boy made but even with that predictability, the way he was able to unnaturally twist and sidestep the attacks, using his Devil Fruit powers to stretch his body just out of the way, was making Richard miss every strike.

Luffy himself was growing frustrated as well. With all the constant dodging, he couldn't find time to throw his own attacks back. He kept wanting to turn his twists and turns to avoid those fists of Richard into attacks but before he could, Richard was throwing another fist his way. It was really getting annoying.

After another failed miss towards Luffy's head, Richard admitted defeat and backed off.

"Ha ha!" Luffy cheered, stretching himself out. "Those were some close calls. I'll need some new clothes," he remarked, looking at the spots where Richard's spikes had torn through. "But at least you didn't get my hat," he added, tapping the straw hat proudly.

Richard knew if he wanted to finish this, he had to make Straw Hat come to him, not the other way around. "I thought you wanted to kick my ass and save Emiko," he said, glowering at his opponent. "So far, you've been nothing but a failure in that regard."

That got Luffy's attention, his smile fading. "Alright then," he said, raising his own fist. "Gum-Gum Pistol!"

"Predictable," Richard said, easily dodging the punch. He grabbed hold of it like last time and was about to use it against Straw Hat when suddenly the boy's hand grabbed his firmly. "What?" he gasped.

"Gum-Gum Rocket!" Luffy cried, using Richard to pull himself forward and shoot across the room towards the man. Richard stumbled from the sudden yank, trying to regain his balance, when Luffy's other fist struck him in the side of the head, knocking him down.

"Heh," Luffy said, chuckling. "Damn, you got me."

He pulled back, Richard's spiked fist emerging from his side, covering in sticky red blood. He had managed to punch Luffy at the same moment Luffy punched him and it was clear which one had done more damage.

"Like I said," Richard told him, rising back up. "So predictable."

"Oh yeah?" Luffy said, coughing a little. "Well how about this? Gum-"

He didn't get to finish, Richard seeing him start to stretch and moving to intercept, his leg whipping out and striking Luffy in the side, sending him flying.

"Your attacks are based on your stretchiness which means they work best from a distance," Richard spat. "Let's close that gap."

Luffy was already up as Richard came at him again and yelped, Richard's spiked fist already going for his head. Like before, he bent his head back, avoiding the blow and watching the fist fly over his face.

"Not this time," Richard growled, and opened his fist before bringing his open hand down on Luffy's face. "Titan Claw!"

His grip tightened and Luffy cried out as the man's nails dug into the skin around his face. But he barely had time to react to that before Richard slammed him down into the ground, cracking apart the floorboards.

"Owie," Luffy mumbled. He immediately tried to get up but his head was still a little woozy from that last blow.

"I can't believe I need to use this technique on a little whelp like you," Richard muttered before tensing his whole body. "Breath of the Dragon," he muttered.

"Huh?" Luffy muttered but he barely managed to look up in time before Richard's foot slammed down into his chest except it felt ten times more powerful. "Gah!" Luffy cried out, his body cratering from the strike, pain spreading fast from the source.

"Draco Stomp!" Richard said, pressing down with all his strength. The mortar beneath began to groan and crack from the sudden pressure. Luffy cried out louder, doing his best to free himself but Richard's strength in his foot was immense.

Then, the mortar gave way and the floor cracked apart, Luffy falling through it as Richard gave one last powerful shove and stomped him down towards the next floor where he landed with a painful thud, a cloud of dust shooting up from his prone form.

Richard stared down at him before spitting on the ground. "Pitiful," he muttered, walking away.

And, I'm back, sorry for the delay. Few things going on in the past two months but I hope this chapter was worth it. And don't worry, the next one is almost completely written. My guess, I'll be able to release it in the next week or two.

Most guesses were correct on the fights but no one got Shang-Chi or Emiko's right, getting their enemies swapped. For me, Silencer is the top member of the Longbow Pirates so it had to be either Zoro or Shang-Chi who faced her and Zoro was out seeing as he had to go sword v. shield on Kodiak.

Anyway, I hoped you liked all the fights and stay tuned cause the next update will be soon. Thanks for reading and liking this story and see you next time.