Act 2 Chapter 4: Rematch, Strawhat vs Red Heart
Simon trudged through the wooded area, heaving in air when he can. Pellets flew by his head and his assailants had no intent of letting up. Squall clicked his tongue and broke free of Simon's grip. His sword unsheaved and deflected several bullets in its path. "You can run all you want, Simeon. But a real man takes his challenges head on!" Squall barked as he readied his blade to face the wave of armed masked men.
"Don't be stupid," Simon retorted as he slid to a stop. "There's no reason to fight! We can get away from them without having to harm anyone!"
Squall ignored Simon and leapt into the air with a twirl of his blade knocked more bullets back at the men. Few were hit while the others took cover behind the nearby trees. "Don't think that's gonna save you!" He held his sword with both hands and an ominous aura poured from it. "Ravenous! Dive!" In an instant, Squall disappeared and the air rippled like a leaf landing on still water. The men looked at each other confused, but one by one they all fell with the trees that were supposed to protect them. Squall reappeared behind them, the leaved on the group flying into the air as he landed. "Told you, you guys are a joke!" He slowly slid his blade back into his sash.
Simon stood amazed at Squall's swordsmanship, but it still didn't make the senseless violence okay. "Why... why don't you listen! We didn't have to-" Simon grit his teeth trying to find the words to say without getting too angry himself.
"Face it, Simeon. You're way is useless if you don't have the power to back it up." Squall walked past Simon with a smirk. "Only those that are feared and powerful can demand respect... and you... HA! You're as much a joke as them!"
Simon clenched his fist and grabbed Squall by the collar with anger etched into his face. "You just don't get it! You can't find any way to solve your problems, so you just get rid of them!" Simon shoved Squall back, who still held his smirk. "You're nothing more than a spoiled brat who can't get his way!"
Squall's smirk quickly faded. His eyes focused on Simon and his hand resting on his blade's handle. "So, you finally wanna go? Or you gonna keep crying?" He pulled his sword out once more and pointed the blade at Simon. "I only needed the ship. I don't need you anymore! Soon I'll be heading right back to Vegapunk and giving him what he deserves. You are nothing compared to my goals, Simeon!" Black lightning slowly shot out from the blade.
Simon's anger blinded his better judgement, and he took on an offensive stance. Mist flowed off his body and cool chill washed over him. "Should've figured that's all you wanted... I won't let you take the ship... I need it to get Tea help." Possibly due to the pent up frustration at the situation, Simon's body began to become covered in a dense condensation. "I'll make you see things my way! One way," Simon pulled back his fist and the condensation swirled around it like a ball of swirling winds. Squall smirked once more and dashed towards Simon ready to slash his opponent as easily as the others, but something was off. The swirling wind pulled the follage to pull toward it causing Squall to slightly lose his footing. Noticing this, Simon jumped forward and immediately punched Squall in the face.
Squall's body was ragdolled by the tornado carrying him several feet before exploding into a flurry of slashing winds. He spun into a tree far off from the explosion with such force that it shattered the tree's trunk and caused it to collapse. The swordsman coughed up some blood but wasn't severely injured. He could tell his opponent was serious, but didn't know how to fully use his abilities. In the right hands, that attack would have launched him across the entire forest. Squall spit to the side and picked up his blade. Simon slowly walked toward Squall and was prepared to counter whatever move the swordsman through at him. "So, you do have some bite in you. Too bad you can't see how badly you're outmatched." Squall stood up and shook his shoulders while popping his neck. "Now to show you true might!"
Squall's blade whipped back and forth and ended in an open stance with his arm outstretched to the side. "Surging Talon: Double Reach!" The black lighting surged again, but when Squall began to spin his blade he spun on the ground kicking up leaves, catching them in his blade path cutting them up. The surging motion of the blade unleashed towards Simon, but split in 2 midway. Simon was caught by surprise but managed to duck out the way of the first swirling blade storm. The second blade storm seemed to react to its target's movements and homed in on his new location. The blade storm picked up Simon and torn into his body. "H-How did this hit me?! My devil fruit should have protected me!"
Squall slid under the blade storm with his weapon midslash and a mischievious smile on his face. "You think I wouldn't be able to deal with you? Don't be STUPID!" Squall slashed at Simon and sent him flying high above the trees. "Im a haki user, you idiot! You're devil fruit doesn't mean anything!"
Simon's body was pretty badly hurt in the assault but he was still able to hang in there. With vantage point, he did manage to spot some figures in the distance. After regaining himself, he turned to see where Squall was. The second he turned his head, his eyes met with Squall's up close and already caught within another attack. "You're fast!"
"Of course I am! I was made to be the best!" Squall erupted into a mad laughter and kicked Simon in his side, knocking him off balance once more. The swordsman lowered his sword below him and the black lightning cracked with a howl. "Now to finish this! Be proud weakling, you get to die by a REAL swordsman! High Hawk!" Energy burst from Squall's blade and extended the length of his sword almost triple its broken length.
Simon's eyes widened as he adjusted himself and recoiled from the kick. He focused all his haki into his hand and held it out to defend himself. Squall slashed at Simon who managed to stop the attack but the force sent him flying several yards away and into the top of a tree. The energy still locked into his hand almost carrying him to his destination while the lightning crackled and hissed across his skin. "If I don't do something, this blade beam is gonna do some SERIOUS damage!" Simon quickly thought of something to do but his mind grew blank. "He's too strong... I can't beat him in a fair fight..." Simon closed his eyes as the force continued to push him into the trees trunk, caving in by the second. "But fair was never my specialty." Simon smiled and squeezed down on the energy in his hands.
Squall jumped across the tree tops and landed across from where Simon was pinned down. "Oh? You still haven't been crushed? Thats some resilience. Telling from the looks of it, you're Devil Fruit must be the Mist Mist Fruit... what a shame. Such a weak fruit for such a weak-" Squall grew quiet for a second as he noticed something was off. He looked at where the energy was spewing from the tree top. "I-impossible!" Simon immerged from the tree trunk with one arm missing. A trail of mist leading to the trunk. Simon smiled and reformed his hand, the tree top soon being slided to mean wood dust.
"I figured I'd take a page from your book, Squall. Let me show you what I can really do!" Simon jumped high into the air and covered his body in mists. Squall looked up at the cloud and began to unleash a series of slashes that missed its mark. "Having troubes friend? Let me make things easier for you!" The cloud launched a series of swirling projectiles at high speeds. "I even came up with a fancy name like you, Misty Missiles!"
Squall's irritation grew more at the mockery, but this didn't break his focus. I deflected the missiles that seemed to carry considerable weight to them. The cloud was slowly descending, and Squall used this opportunity to leapt up and unleash his High Hawk at close range and dispell the cloud all together. But when he unleashed the energy, the cloud broke into several mid-sized pieces, dodging the attack. "Tch, now im getting impatient. Just give up already!"
The clouds dispersed, reforming behind Squall. The unaware swordsman turned around to see Simon with a humongous fist of swirling winds ready to slam Squall straight to the ground. Unable to dodge, Squall braced himself with haki and closed his eyes, ready for the worse... but nothing happened. He opened his eyes to see Simon tapping his nose with his finger mockingly. Squall's face grew red as a fiery hot coal, but when he went to slash at Simon, his body wouldn't move. Simon used the clouds from earlier to create cuffs to lock Squall's body to his arm, keeping it in place. "I might not be able to beat you in a fight, but I always know the odds on a gamble." He released his cuff off Squall and gave a smirk to his victory as he turned to the company below.
"You'd really let your guard down... in the middle of a fight?" Squall sheaved his blade and grit his teeth. "Talk about an idiot..." He turned to what caught Simon's attention and his a slight joy came across his face, but it was quickly was taken away when he realised that the company below wasn't alone.
Down below...
A group of scientists were looking amongst themselves as their intruders kept at their demands. "W-we really can't do anything to help. We don't have the equipment to-" A bullet whizzed by one of the scientist's head. The others were quickly rattled and stammered thru their resources to try and find what the mysterious group before them wanted.
A rather robust man came out from past the trees into view with his pistol still hot, tipping the brim of his hat up to see what was before him with a menacing smile. 2 others limped behind him with mushrooms growing on their clothes. They were the lucky ones, as the other 2 members were nowhere to be seen. "You bloaks better come up with something to fix my crew, or my next bullet will be between the eyes!" He loaded another round and took aim once more.
One scientist stepped in front of the others with a bottle of fluid held in front of them. The others tried to stop this individual but they were set on giving it over to protect the others. "This is what you want... its all we have at the moment. But as you can see," the masked individual swished the fluid around in the bottle which barely broke past the half way mark of the flask itself.
The robust, hatted man grit his teeth. "That all you got?! That ain't enough to-"
"Hold it." The individual held up their other hand to stop the oaf from spouting more nonsense. "We are in as much need for this as you. This isn't all we have, its only how much we've collected so far." The person tossed the flask to the hatted man, who swiftly caught it and examined it further. Soon after he tossed it to the 2 crewmates who were still sane and they both took turns sipping the liquid in haste. All the scientists gave a curious look and sighed all thinking the same thought at once. "(That was supposed to be rubbed on the skin...)" The main individual cleared their throat before continuing. "If you want more, you'll need to be patient. We are still processing the remedy as we speak, but..." The person waved their hand around to their crew, "if ANY of my team if harmed, we can't guarantee you'll get ANY of the remedy. Each one of us is equally as important as the other. So, be patient."
The hatted man checked to see if the antidote worked, to which it did. The mushrooms slowly fell off and their skin seemed to regain its color. "I see..." He put away his pistol and the tension let up slightly.
Suddenly, the cured crewmates surrounded the individual who spoke out against the hatted man. "Don't move, you'll be staying with us." One spouted as they pulled out their swords.
"And if anyone tries anything slick," the other pirate swiftly kicked the individual in the stomach, sending them reeling to the ground. "Im sure you get the point."
The scientists rushed try and help the individual back to their feet, but they raised their hand to tell them to stop. "Its fine... we need to get the remedy processed and handed over... we'll be fine after that."
The hatted man smirked and sat down on a nearby chair. "Oh, about that..." He laughed loudly drawing all the attention to himself. "I, Strawhat Luffy, am taking control over this 'remedy' for myself! We'll be rich! Imagine having the only cure for that weird fungus, right in our hands! Everyone will be flocking in troves to get just a sip!"
"(Its more of an oitment)"
"You talkin back?!" He pulled out his pistol and took aim at the individual laying down. "One more word and they'll need more than an antidote to fix them up! Now get me MY remedy!"
"Not so fast, Strawhat!" A voice echoed from above. The pirates looked around for the source of the voice but were caught off guard as a figure shoved the 2 assailants back from the presumably lead scientist.
"What are you doing?! You'll get yourself killed!" The scientist spouted as they tried to wave the new man away.
"Don't you worry about that," the man flicked his hair out of his face and squared off with Strawhat. "We have some unfinished business.
"Y-you?! Redheart! I'll make sure you REALLY get it this time!" Luffy fired off bullets rapidly. Each bullet being swatted aside with ease by Simon. "Why you!" The man jumped up and charged toward Simon, grabbing a nearby tool from the bags on the ground.
"You, blonde one! Don't let that hit you! Its a stun baton we use to shock back the overgrowth!"
"Shock back the overgrowth?! What in the world is that stuff?" Simon retorted as he quickly dodged as the sparks whizzed past his body. Luffy quickly spun his foot, grabbed the baton with both hands and went for a followup attack. Simon got his foot caught on a root and couldn't dodge in time, catching an immense shock to his body. He flew a couple feet and landed in a pile of leaves.
Luffy laughed menacingly, slowly approaching his fallen opponent. He turned the dial to its max and watched as the sparks flew from the baton. "This'll take care of you!" He swiftly swung his baton at Simon once more. However, this time the only thing left in the spot of the spot that was struck was charred leaves and a puff of smoke. "W-what?!"
Luffy felt something push off the back of his head. Turning around, he found Simon landing right behind him. "Must've forgot about my devil fruit, but thats okay. I'll make sure to introduce you! Misty Missiles!" A flurry of smokey projectiles launched toward Luffy, who was stunned by the show of supernatural abilities. This didn't last for long as he managed to bat away the missiles with his shock baton. The electicity flowing thru the baton was enough to dissopate the attack.
Luffy made a motion to his comrades before charging toward Simon once more. The nimble blonde managed to dodge the obvious attack, but was caught off guard by the sudden assault by 2 other batons striking his legs from behind. "Gotcha, you slippery snake!" The greenhaired man mocked as he readied another attack, but was stopped in his tracks as Simon struck him with 3 jabs to his round belly. The man whinced in pain, taking a few steps back but smirked as he watched his partner approaching from the other side. Simon heard the leaves crunching under the woman's shoes and rolled out the way, leaving a puff of smoke behind that she struck and released shackles around her arms and locking her in her current position.
The green-haired man regained himself and rushed toward Simon once more but slightly slower this time. He was breathing heavily and his feet were getting heavier. His physique was getting the better of him but he still powered thru regardless. He went for a cross slash, followed up with an upward swing to try and catch Simon off guard, but to no avail. Simon managed to narrowly avoid the batons but the electricity seemed to stop his devil fruit from activating fully. The shackles were becoming weaker the more the electricity managed to graze its creator.
Simon leapt into the air to gain some distance but a bullet phased thru his bullet as he did. Luffy loaded another round and rushed over to where Simon would land. The 2 clashed with Simon's haki infused against the fully charged baton. The battery began to overheat from the overuse, and Simon could feel it. He slipped under the swing of the baton and palmed Luffy in the chin to throw him off balance. "Looks like times up for you, Strawhat! Misty Missiles!" Simon landed on all fours and launded the missiles from his back. Luffy, in a daze, tried to bat the missiles away once again. This time, however, after connecting with one of the missiles the baton short circuited and exploded in Luffy's hand causing him to drop it and grab his hand. The remaining missiles bombarded Luffy until he finally collapsed from the damage.
The green haired man didn't let up, rushing down Simon and letting out a battle cry in his flurry of baton swipes. Simon took a few stray hits but mostly managed to dodge them with little damage. The exhaustion was beginning to get to them both, but the green haired man was determined to win. He stomped his foot down in front of Simon, clasping both baton's together. The charge from both batons ran down the shafts to create a stronger output. A glint formed in the green haired man's eye and for a brief moment his arms began to change to a darker hue. A heavy tailwind followed the attack as it drifted thru the air. Simon wasn't able to use his devil fruit to dodge, the charge in the air made his body seem harder to phase into a mist. He braced for the attack to connect, but as the attack came to its completion, he was unscathed.
"You seriously almost lost that? Talk about pathetic." Squall remarked as he landed behind the green haired man, with his blade in hand. The batons were cut long before it was going to connect with Simon, but that was the least of Squall's concern. "You have the potential... what is your name, swordsman?"
The astonished, swordsman fell to one knee trying to catch his breathe. Unable to turn his head he merely let his weight hold him back as he pronounced his name "Zoro." Squall sheaved his blade and crossed his arms. "(Are these guys... really that stupid...?)" He walked over to where Luffy laid unconscious. "Hmph... just as I thought..." Squall sighed and picked up the empty flask that was left near the tree line. "So... about that processing for the remedy."
The lead scientist walked up to Squall and accepted the flask from him. "Yes. But at this rate it will be some time before we can get another batch. If you think you'll be able to strong arm us into supplying you with all of it, you're sadly mistaken."
Squall backhanded the thought and pointed to Simon before staring down the woman nearby struggling to get her hands free. "What about her, Simeon?"
Simon leaned against a nearby tree and caught his breathe. "She won't be breaking out of that anytime soon. Just leave her."
"Simeon, was it?" The scientist walked towards the tired man before extending their hand. "My name is Lentil. And these are my fellow scientists. As you may have heard, we've been tasked with coming up a cure for whatever is afflicting this island. I can assume you too are after the remedy?"
"Y-yea," Simon nodded as he pushed off the tree that had sap sticking to his back and overgrowth stretching up its trunk. "Its for someone that helped us out. She's in bad shape. Please, if you don't mind, we could use just enough to get her back in shape. Thats all."
The scientists murmured among themselves before coming to their conclusion. One of the scientists came with a capsule in hand. They placed it in Simon's hands and closed it. "This here is one of the finished remedies. The ones we take before coming back to the island are like this. It doesn't make you immune to what's happening. But it does spur the immune system and raise your body heat to kill off any nasty spores that may have worked their way in your body."
"Thank you! We really appreciate that!" Simon smiled widely as he held the capsule above his head to examine it before placing it in his pocket.
Lentil looked to the sky and checked her watch. "Its almost time. Everyone, pack up and head back to the mayor's. We need to leave the eclipse ring before it completely encloses the island. We have 30 minutes. So don't waste time or leave anything behind!" The scientists grabbed their things and made their way back to the city, with Simon and Squall closely behind. Luffy and Zoro remained unconscious. The shackles keeping the woman bound slowly faded.
Zoro shouted, "Nami...! Get the captain... we have to make it... somewhere safe."
"You aren't in much better shape. You really are out of shape, you know!" She sighed as she helped Zoro to his feet before going back to get Luffy.
Zoro kept his head down, looking at his hand. "What was that... I felt it... it was faint, but I could feel it... this power..."