Chapter 19: 3/4
The Fishman were recoiling in shock, before anger clouded their judgement and all fixed Nami with their own loathing. "You scum! Betraying us like that and taking about marks forced up another! You have no idea how many of our kind were given that, and what these marks truly mean!" Kaneshiro declared, pointing more at the Sun-Pirates mark on his chest. As two being stepped forward.
"Yeah, well whatever marks you've got, they still make you our enemies," Yosaku announced, standing in front of Nami, with Johnny shoulder-to-shoulder. "I admit, we did just beat more of you, just by a bit. But if you're anything like them, this won't be very hard at all," Johnny gloated, baiting their foes.
"You! You're the ones we want. I bet Nami hired them and Zoro to come here and attack Arlong!" one of the Fishmen declared. At those words, each of them charged forward, eager for blood.
As Sakura smirked from a corner, shifting a kunai in-hand to cut the trap-wire.
Immediately, three dozen logs, covered with iron kitchen-ware, stuck the Fishman in the heads or arms, dropping from above. Another moment later, Sakura, Yoasku and Johnny each threw handfuls of smoke-bombs into the group, stunning each Fishman further. Sakura herself raised one hand, hesitating a moment at the idea of carnage,
'Uhhhh….ummmm…'
"Gahk! You'll pay for that! Each of you will die and after that I'm gonna find these villagers, tear their children apart before them and—"
BRRRUUUUUUUUUMMM!
At the mention of others hurt and children endanger, Sakura triggered the explosives. Paper-bombs she had hidden with loose layers of dirt in the middle of road, far from the buildings enough to leave them untouched, and several of Usopp's exploding stars, triggered by the kinetic force of the first explosions.
Sakura grimaced at the smoke-column with new focus, 'No…not like the Land of Waves was. I wont' let people get hurt like that, or…or just watch and do nothing…like…like with Nojiko-san and Usopp-san were…' her thoughts trailed away, as Johnny and Yosaku charged.
Each of them started on different sides, mowing through the smoke to take-out the Fishman any way they could. Many were struck down, while Nami watched and relaxed.
"Nami, you are dead!" a hateful voice exclaimed. Nami's eyes shot open, finding a single blue-skinned Fishman had come through and was charged her. The man had a single Oodachi-sword raised overhead, barely feet from his target. Nami tried to raise she staff, but her shoulder gaze out, searing with pain.
"Ahhhh!" dropping to the ground, her head drooped forward, her neck beneath the short orange hair clear to see, and behead.
The shadow of death fell over Nami…
….1 second….pink hairs, freshly cut, were scattering in the air.
0…0
Luffy stood before the Fishmen, cracking his own knuckled and impatient for the beat-down to begin. Arlong was shaking his head, while the crew who followed him began to show a smoldering rage; Kuroobi greater than the others.
"You're attacking us on Nami's behalf, as if she were part of you?" he demanded from them. To which Luffy simply nodded.
"Yup. Nami's my navigator, so she can't spend time here making maps from Arlong. I can't let that happen, and Arlong hurt her enough, so I've gotta give you a big butt-whoopin'. Plus…" a new haze began covering Luffy's eyes, straight towards a Marine with whiskers on his face.
"Old-man Kakashi? Is that the one. The Marine who shot Usopp and hurt Nami's sister?"
The Jonin could only nod. "That is the one, Captain Luffy."
"Well, then if he's on the same side as these bozos, then that's even more reason to rip them apart," Luffy declared, to the fury of the Fishmen.
"Who or what the hell could make a human possess such an impossible and fatal idea?! The only bozo going down here is you!"
At those words, fifteen of the Arlong pirates charged straight for Luffy. None of them even came within arm's reach, their efforts stopped by two wraiths darting in to meet them. Sanji was moving left, dropping for a hand-stand and twirling about, knocking half of them aside, until reaching the last. This one felt the chef's foot hook around his neck.
"Reception!" With the cry, Sanji shifting himself around, slamming the Fishman's face straight into the concrete. Before dropping his other foot down on the back of another, producing a sickening crack.
Gin was on Luffy's right, shifting around as his tonfa's met the knees, elbows and necks of their opponents. Several were dislocated or broken from his strength and technique, the final one struck in the chest sufficiently to send the Fishmen flying backwards straight into Arlong.
"Luffy, Kakashi, quite hogging all the action. Gin and I want a piece of these bastards ourselves," Sanji petitioned the other two.
"He's right. Don Luffy, leave this enemy's underlings to us," Gin commented, standing tall in the centre of Arlong park. "Kakashi can act from a distance, while you save your strength for the enemy captain."
"Heh! None of you are going to get even close to him at all!" Kuroobi declared, standing tall and ready in his Fishman-karate Gi.
"Someone go and wake-up Hatchi. He's doesn't' have to fight, but only make that trumpet-call to bring Momoo here. And then we can-"
"Boss, boss! Hey, who the hell are you!" a new voice came, behind the Straw Hats.
Luffy turned about, while Kakashi, Gin and Sanji didn't let their awareness waver from the more immediate threat.
"Take! Where were you, and what happened to your party!?" Kuroobi shouted, recognizing the voice but could not see his crewmate beyond the enemies blocking them.
"We found more of our brother's beaten-up badly! They were attacked by a pair of bounty-hunters who confessed they are here with Roronoa Zoro. All of them are right here and-"
"What! More! How, how are so many things fall apart!" Pandemonium began to course form the ranks of the Arlong Pirates. Until a certain idiot spoke-up.
"Oh. That must be the guys Johnny and Yosaku ran into. And they're not with Zoro. Zoro is with me," Luffy announced, jabbing one thumb at himself.
"Zoro is my Vice-Captain now. Are you guys picked a fight with him and then took him away and hurt him. That's another reason I gotta kick your ass!"
All the people there blinked…once…twice….
"Kill them!" Kuroobi ordered, all of the crew charging to get stuck in the fight. Gin and Sanji could only shake their heads, while Luffy faced-down the charging crew.
"Oh, you all want some more! Well then Gum-Gum-"
"No! Captain Luffy, go beat-up those guys behind us!"
"Huh!? Oh, okay," the simple-minded fighter decided, on Kakashi's directions. Pivoting around, Luffy struck out with his leg, extending the limb backwards through the air.
"Gum-gum: Whip!" in a twist, the rubbery leg scythed through the air, catching each of the Fishmen in its wake and launching the party out towards that sea, past a few hundred meters.
Kakashi kept his eye on the battle, watching Gin and Sanji hold their own nearly back to back, and noticing several Fishmen begin diving into the pools.
'No!' the ninja began weaving hand-signs. "Lightning-style: Discharging bolts!" between his fingers, Kakashi summoned tendrils of lighting courses over themselves, before casting out towards the water. A sizzling flash followed, mixed with dozens of air-bubbles breaking the surface. After a single moment, the forms of another dozen Fishmen reached the surface, their prostrated forms twitching with multiple electric jolts, knocked-out and cooked.
Now the Fishmen could only fight the pirates on dry land, not sprout forth from the water.
At the same time, Gin was moving through more of their enemies, revelling in the thrill of conflict with a clear consciousness.
'Yes, this is how battle truly should be, skill and direct confrontations, with cunning where the impacts make the greatest change. I'm more at home here than with any of the underhanded ploys Don Krieg decided with.' His commitment to Luffy growing with each foe he struck, Gin advanced too far, exposed to a blind-strike from behind.
"Hyakumaigawara Seiken!" Kuroobi shouted, bearing towards the Man-demon to strike him in the back. His target froze, the instinct born from battle rising to warn of the strike too late, as Kuroobi and the other Fishmen grinned at the oncoming sight of knocking him down.
Kakashi noticed this, as did their fourth crew member.
"Epaule Shoot!" Sanji got their first, a flying kick connecting with the Kuroobi's shoulder to deflect the punch, as the other foot curled over his throat. "Collier," and the Fishman struck the ground hard enough to crack solid concrete.
Elsewhere kunai and shuriken sliced around the pair and Gin, meeting the wrists and ankles of each Fishman homing in on the latter. At their cries, Gin's instincts kicked in, striking down each of the wounded foes before they could rally. Kakashi didn't spare a nod at his own work, instead drawing two kunai and moving to the left, working his own way through the remaining Fishmen with the full skill that all high-class Jonin carried.
Within seconds, each of them was out of the fight, while the Jonin sensei thought back to his own Genin with worry.
0….0
Nami couldn't move, darkness covering her form as the Fish-man's blade moved downwards.
"No!" "Ummmph!"
It was 1 second….pink hairs scattered through the air.
In that span, Sakura had seen the danger and acted just barely enough. The girl substituted herself with a barrel positioned close to Nami, then immediately moved for her friend, channeling a burst of chakra through her legs and arms. Her chakra-control refined from Kakashi's training at the Baratie, the girl executed the speed to reach Nami, and strength to push her aside.
The Fishman began glaring at the pink strands of hair, the only things he managed to cut. Both girls began breathing hard, Sakura on her knees as the Fishman moved to attack again. Her eyes wide in terror, the Genin could only raise a single kunai towards his sword, with both hands and hope.
"Exploding star!"
A fresh explosion hit the fish-man's face. Before one person in brown overalls appeared, hurling through the doorway, with a hammer in-hand.
"Usopp-Hammer!" the strike would even make a seasoned Marine cringe, sending the fish-man spinning before he crashed to the side. Yet, Usopp did not let-up, a fresh gong ringing through the scene with each hit.
"Usopp Hammer! Usopp Hammer! Usopp Hammer! Rubber-band of Dooooom! Usopp Hammer! Usopp Hammer U-Usopp Hammer! Usopp Hammer! Usopp Hammer! Usopp Hammer!"
It went on for another minute. Until the Fishman's face was rendered more bruised than blue. Sakura looked over, her eyes comprehending Usopp's panting figure and the fresh pool of blood at his feet, while Yosaku and Johnny were dealing with the last few enemies.
"You idiot! You're gonna open that wound again! Nami, are you hurt?" Dr. Nako admonished him, bolting through the door to grasp Usopp as the boy collapsed. As he looked over them both and found Nami unhurt, the doctor approached Sakura, resting one hand on her shoulder.
"Hey, girl. Thank you, for saving Nami. Those traps of your worked splendidly, but there still are a few enemies left," he reminded her pointing at the field, where three Fishmen remained, with Johnny and Yosaku blocked them from others.
Sakura nodded, pushing aside any other thoughts to pick herself up. Looking around the field, she executed another substitution with a barrel behind the Fishmen and was running towards the ground.
Pushing- off with her legs, Sakura launched a signature black-leg style kick at one of their heads, knocking him towards the bounty hunters, the grinning as they immediately punched him in the face. Sakura herself pushed off that foe's back, twirling about the deliver a spinning round-house at another with her heel. The girl form was well, but also deeply straining on her body. So much that up landing before the last one in a crouch, the final enemy snatched her by the hair, hold the girl up before himself.
"Nobody moves! You have hurt my brother's enough. One more thing, and I will kill this one!" he demanded.
"Sakura-chan!" Nami exclaimed, starting to run forwards, while Johnny and Yosaku grew worried, "Little-sis!"
Sakura struggled against this enemy, the pain on her scalp running deep, "Ow, ow, Put me down! Let go! Let go!" Sakura's hands rose above her head, clawing at the strong fingers while her legs were flailing about with each word.
"Let me go!" as her heel slammed into something very, very soft, squishy, and sensitive.
"Hooooooooooooo!" the Fishman suddenly began howling in a high alto, dropping Sakura to the ground.
Looking back, the girl noticed her enemy was curling forwards, and took a chance.
"Get out!" she cried, shooting one last chakra-enhanced high-kick into his jaw, knocking him over backwards, and into oblivion.
Slowly, the Genin Kunoichi began panting from the action, and her own exertions. Until a single hand began to rub through her hair.
"Here…does that make the soreness a little better?" Nami asked, gently stroking Sakura's hair with a particular grin on her face.
"Hmhmhmhm! That really was a nice hit, Sakura-chan. You really showed him not to mess with you again."
"Huh? What do you mean, Miss. Nami? I just kicked him," Sakura replied, confused.
"Just kicked him!?" Johnny squeaked out, calling Sakura's attention towards him. The bounty-hunters had dropped their swords, so both hands could cover their groins, protectively.
"Little-sis, Sakura! You kicked him right in his ruts, down below! I think I got hurt just seeing that happen!" Yosaku fearfully recalled.
Sakura herself blinked, before Nami brushed it all aside.
"Ok. You beat every here, so this village is safe again. For now…." As her voice grew shakenly, trailing off, Nami stumbled backwards.
"Huh? What is it Miss. Nami?" Sakura asked, lightly stroking the older girls' arm.
"Zoro!" With a scream of fear and worry, Nami took off, calling Johnny, Yosaku and Sakura to watch her, and spot the other two approaching them further ahead.
"Big-bro Zoro!" Yosaku and Johnny's voices shook the town, both sprinting forward to help their close friend. Sure enough Kakashi was carrying Zoro inside, one arm around the teen's waist, the other holding his arm draped over Kakashi's shoulders.
Sakura's hands flew to her mouth, falling backwards to the ground in terrified awe towards Zoro's wounds. Her crewmate appeared to be dyed exclusively red, accented with dense black marks across his face. Still, what stopped her, stopped all of them was the look in Zoro's eyes.
"Get the doctor to patch me up, again. Then, we're heading to Arlong Park for the others."
0….…..0
Inside Arlong park, the Fishman captain regained consciousness. Shaking his head, the man felt another figure on top of himself. Realizing it was one of his brothers, Arlong carefully lifted him aside, only to find the sight of a nightmare. 90% of the Arlong pirates were strewn around their base, beaten in one way or another.
Kuoobi was standing aside, squaring off with a blonde human, while another adorned with a grey coat and red dragons was glancing about, beside a third masked human who was doing the same.
"What…the…hell!" Arlong brokenly demanded, trying to absorb all the he saw.
"Oh, Captain. You're awake again. Please, let me deal with these scum, then we need to deal with Nami. That traitor requested these bastards attack us, betraying the trust and loyalty all of us have shown that harlot! After all these year—ghhhrk!"
Kuroobi's voice was cut-off, by a single leg honing towards his face. The martial-artist caught the kick, turning it aside to counter with a solid punch. Yet his target ducked their head, flowing with the move and landing with both feet on the ground. Without missing a beat, Sanji drove one heel straight upwards, forcing his opponent to back-flip away.
"She is no harlot!" The cook demanded, his face the picture of gentlemanly anger. "Nobody like you, the source of her torment and agony, can be allowed to speak so rudely about such an indominable, unconquerable beauty as Nami-swan!"
"Hh. And what do you know about her, filthy human," Kuroobi scoffed in response. "That girl betrayed her own family and home just for money and power the Arlong Pirates will achieve, one day. But now, that will never happen, instead I'll track her down and imprison her permanently. That garbage needs to be straightened out, with any kind of resistance pummelled out of her."
Sanji's form became frozen, rigid and unmoving. Just as Gin and Kakashi defeated the last of their enemies, he drew the cigarette from his mouth, dropping it before stomping down.
"Everybody, back away!" Sanji roared, pointing his arm directly towards Kuroobi.
"I challenge you a duel. One pirate to another, here and now. Do you accept, or have too much cowardice and mediocre skill with Fishman-karate to place it on the line?"
Arlong looked over towards them, his mouth curling into a knowing smirk at the human's words. "Ohhhhh…the fool really should not have said that to Kuroobi."
Said Fishman was fuming, equal to Sanji, but clear and self-centred, not subdued and selfless.
"You dare, to mock my mastery of Fishman-karate! I'm a level 40 Dan in this art," he declared.
"On my honour as a master and proud officer under Captain Arlong, I accept your request."
Sanji merely nodded, while Gin stepped aside, dragging Kakashi with him. "Come on, Kakashi-san, but keep'an eye on Arlong. I wouldn't put it past him to try somethin'."
Elsewhere, both Captain met other another's eyes, nodding at their crewmate's request. The field was left open. "Hey, Sanji. Do you very best and barbeque that stupid fish!"
"Aye-aye, Captain," the cook promised, grinning eagerly, "of course, a fish can never fight a cook, otherwise the chef would be beaten by seafood."
"Kuroobi! Crush that insolent bastard!" Arlong ordered his own man.
"With the deepest pleasure, Captain. Feel the power of the art you have insulted!" Kuroobi roared, closing in on Sanji within seconds. The Fishman struck out with his own front-kick. Sanji misjudged the range and was hit to his chest. The blow sent him crashing into the wall of Arlong park.
An imprint of his body was left behind him, while the Straw Hats began to shout in worry. Kuroobi merely sneered, dropping his pose to face the other pirates.
"That was truly a most pathetic display, come on, Arlong, let's rip these-!"
"Selle!" Another hard strike hit Kuroobi, directly to the lower back. The Fishman tumbled forward from the impact, before pushing past the agony to his feet.
"Don't you dare think a weak hit like that will finish me!" Sanji's voice came to his ears.
"Oh, hey Sanji! Good to see you're okay!" Luffy shouted over.
"Please, you have no need to worry yourself Captain. Old Man Zeff's kicks were a hundred times worse than this guy can do. And I never even died," he assured them. Causing Kakashi to raise one eyebrow, 'if that is true…..maybe letting my Genin train with him was not such a good idea.'
Back in the fight, neither Sanji or Kuroobi wasted time, one charging forwards while the other rose to their feet and braced his form. Sanji began raining kick and kick on the Fishman, who's arms moved in economic, minimal blocks. Kuroobi's strong arms, honed by his martial training, intercepted every kick at the ankle to stop them cold; each move honed to a reflexive edge, totally controlled with maximum results.
Sanji backed off for a moment, then began forming cartwheels around his enemy to flank them. Kuroobi moved fist, catching Sanji's leg and lifting the chef over his head. Sanji hit the ground hard, leaving a dent in the concrete slab and coughing blood from the impact.
The chef did not give in, but neither did Kuroobi step. In less than a beat, Sanji was air-born, but only throw lightly. He was suspended for a second, before Kuroobi's arm struck upwards, driving his dorsal-fin into the cook.
Sanji's agony came through his voice, his body heavily damaged by the hit. Closing both eyes for a second, the image of Nami, stabbing herself in desire filled his vision…pulling at one painful memory of a boy, forcibly clad in an iron mask, sharing his own tears with Vinsmoke Renji, begging to escape his own nightmare. Thoughts of that time led to the cook's pain-filled face curling into a snarl.
Spinning with the hit, Sanji's leg hooked around Kuroobi's neck, before twisting again to ax-kick the opposite leg to the bastard's face.
"Face-shot!"
The impact even made the "Man-Demon" Gin grimace. Kuroobi hit the concrete, hard, but Sanji was not finished. Immediately, the cook shoved his enemy towards the pool, forcing two of his limbs into the water. The instant Kuroobi's arm hit the water, the Fishman began shouting:
"GGGGHHKLKKKkkkkkhhhgguuuuhhhh!" Trails of electricity coursed through his body, producing a sickly-sweet scent of burned flesh from Kuroobi's arm and hand.
Sanji looked on, uncaring, but his curly eyebrow raised as Kuroobi still pushed himself to his feet. "You. You really don't ge-get it do you," he demanded, almost desperately trying to hold on to a singular belief. "It-it doesn't m-matter..w-what you do'ta me…or whate-ever hit I ta-take," he gasped, stuttering as the lingering jolts of lightning rattled through his form.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH MY BBUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU UUUUUUUUUTTT!" A fresh cry shook the island, from somewhere in the forest.
"Hey, that sounded like Chew! What the hell is going on around here!?" Arlong demanded. Kakashi merely looked over, until a certain memory cross through his mind.
"Well…I believe that was from the men you sent to move Roronoa Zoro, to be executed. The other members of our merry band went after him, and I can firmly say they succeeded in saving Zoro-san."
Arlong stood rigid, while Kuroobi ignored the implication entirely.
"Heh, don't ev-even try to gloat-t. Such a co-oncept is impo-ossible. Now yo-you will wi-witness-s th-the true p-power of F-fish-man-n Kar-arate! Senmaigawara Seiken!" Mustering his will to command his body, the Fish-man raised one arm, but before his own "ultimate attack" could be thrown, Sanji was moving first.
"Collar!" Sanji's right leg struck the exact spot between his target's neck and shoulder. "Flank!" another kick connected to Kuroobi's side, forcing the Fishman to tumble over himself. "Lower Back!" A solid heel dug into the Fishman's spine; forcing his head to rise. "Chin!" a fourth strike rocked Kuroobi's face, knocking him half-way to oblivion. "Ribs!" the final strike sent the Fishman flying this time, but, again, only enough to hang in the air for the final finisher.
"Anti-Manners Kick Course!" A single rising kick struck Kuroobi in his side. Hard enough to shatter half the Fishman's ribs, crack part of his spine, and launch the battered man skywards several meters beyond Arlong park.
Sanji merely lit a fresh cigarette, knowing his victory had been won. "That will suffice for his insults against Nami-swan. And then-"
"Sanji!"
"Shark Darts!"
"Rocket!"
Sanji whirled about at Arlong voice, before a single arm clasped over his shoulder, and another form shot towards him. Looking out towards its owner, Luffy was barrelling towards Sanji at break-neck speed.
"What are you doing you-!"
"AAHHHGGGRKKK!"...
The sound of dropping blood echoed through the battleground. Sanji could barely speak. Before him, Alrong had tried to attack the chef whilst his back was turned. Before his jagged nose could piece the cook through his heart, Luffy got there first. The Captain saw what was coming the same moment Kakashi did, but while the Jonin was forming hand-signs, Luffy stretched two arms forwards, hurtling himself to collide with the threat to his crew.
Shooting past Sanji, the Captain took Arlong's attack straight-on, the jagged nose stabbing through his rubbery shoulder as Luffy dug his feet into the ground.
"L…L…Luffy!" Sanji could barely speak, awed by the captain's decision. Even Kakashi was rendered speechless by the move, of Luffy throwing himself as a human shield between his nakama and danger.
Luffy merely glared towards his enemy, Arlong, his eyes carrying the promise to send the Fishman 12 feet under.
"Bastard. That was almost the fourth member of my crew hurt because of you. That's something I can never forgive," Brushing aside the pain, Luffy grabbed the collar of Arlong's shirt, before throwing his head backwards several meters.
Gum-gum: Bell!" the resulting head-butt struck like a gong, dislodging Arlong's nose and leaving him dazed from the impact. Luffy stood tall and ready.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone