บท 7: Chapter 5: Rage 2
When had the power dynamic shifted? Was it because he had taken charge of the conversation so strongly? Rosan wasn't sure, perhaps she was inherently submissive? Whatever
it was, he would note it. Staying in a control of a situation benefited him well and allowed him to dictate how things went.
"I dunno…maybe we should wait to do that? I wouldn't want you to get in trouble for kissing the weapon…" holding a finger to his chin, Rosan looked as if he was seriously
contemplating it but, in reality, he was toying with her, dangling the bait to see how much he could milk out of this situation.
Mom's greatest weakness was her inability to accept denial. If Rosan told her that he would not be able to do something, that she wanted to do, because of someone else…well her
reaction would be less than stellar.
As predicted, the brunette's face contorted into one of cold fury. She possessively grasped him and, in a dangerously low tone, said "They will not lay a finger on either of us! I will
make sure of it. You have nothing to worry about because you are safe with me."
Her face morphed back into its pleading from like nothing happened as she once again asked to be kissed.
Rosan was totally victorious. He had carefully observed what made her tick and ruthlessly took advantage of it. Rosan marveled at how easy it was to manipulate a person. She
had been reduced to absolute putty in his hands and it was fascinating to witness. He would be sure to take advantage of her hospitality up until his escape.
"Hm~ well in that case, if you promise-" "I promise!" She interrupted him and then flinched as she realized her mistake. Hastily apologizing to the boy, Rosan accepted it with a
wave of his hand and said "Ok! You can kiss me then!"
"But...~" he stopped her and the visible frustration on her face was delightful "...you can't tell Doc about this conversation, okay? We wouldn't want him to get jealous that his
weapon has a favorite that isn't him y'know? This conversation stays between us, then I'll let you kiss me," he finished with an impish smile on his face.
Mom nodded vigorously at his request (demand) and Rosan let out a fond sigh. Nodding in a go ahead motion, Rosan allowed the woman to do what she wanted.
The black haired woman looked like she had won the lottery and, knowing how much of a pervert she was, she probably thought she did. Cupping his cheeks, the pretty woman
dove for his lips.
The things he did for Mod-chan. She better not ever say he didn't love her.
Rosan calmly removed his weapon, a sword, from the back of his opponent. Blood dripped steadily from the weapon in a steady pat as the man beneath him bled out. He stared
coldly at the corpse. He was weak, afraid, and barely put up a fight. Worthless. If this was supposed to be training, then Doc was trying to turn him into a sadist.
Clapping interrupted him and he stared at the smiling Doc. The man was getting increasingly impressed with his results from these battles. He currently looked elated at Rosan's
effortless victory over his latest foe. "Well done Rosan! At this rate you'll win this tournament with ease!"
"You've proven yourself a reliable weapon, so I think it's time to accelerate part of your training!" The man exclaimed and Rosan merely nodded his head. Was it time? Already?
That was rather quick.
Doc, who was out of reach, called in a guard and had them remove Rosan's handcuffs. The redhead hummed as he felt the thrum of Modification roar to life. He nearly smiled at
the feeling of slowly regaining his powers but he held it back.
He had been waiting for this and now, it was the beginning of the end for everyone here.
Turning towards Doc, Rosan bowed his head and said "Thank you for this opportunity Doc. May I demonstrate what I am capable of doing with my Devil Fruit?"
The redhead knew Doc was testing him. It was fairly obvious and the redhead had to wonder just how much he was being underestimated due to his age. He wanted to see how
Rosan would use his ability with the sudden freedom granted to him. No doubt, he had placed countermeasures in case he tried to increase his size to escape. If they were meant
to counter the effects of the Saizu Saizu no Mi, they would work well...for someone who had it.
But he didn't have it.
His planning was still in motion however so for now, he would play along by solidifying his "obedience". Besides, simply escaping wasn't enough for the 9 year old anymore.
He wanted no, he needed more.
Doc let out a pleased sigh as Rosan made no attempt to escape. The best way for the boy to escape would be with his Devil Fruit so right now was his best possible chance. He
had been slightly worried that Rosan was pretending but once again he had been proven wrong. The boy truly was 100% obedient now. Even if he tried to increase his size to
escape, the room they were currently in, was full of seastone. Rosan would simply activate it if he grew too large, neutralizing him in the process.
Luckily, that would not be the case.
"Of course, Rosan! I'll be bringing in the next opponent so, please return to the waiting area while we clean up the mess. If you wish to choose a new weapon please do so."
Rosan simply nodded and made his way through the gate to walk back into the waiting area. He had the location memorized, so he simply walked there on autopilot. Finally alone,
but most likely being watched, Rosan sent a mental prod towards Mod-chan to see if she was still there.
After a long moment, he received a weak prodding in return, but no verbal confirmation from the Devil Fruit. She was here but she was weak...
He'd give her time to rest up. Being suppressed by Seastone for so long must have not been great for her because it wasn't great for him. For now, he had a plan to set into
motion.
Placing the bloody sword gently on the table, Rosan glanced at his desired weapons. As he picked them up, Rosan placed the massive gauntlets on his tiny hands and flexed his
fingers. Nodding to himself, Rosan used his 'Saizu Saizu' abilities to make the gauntlets better fit his small hands and he clenched his fist to ensure they were on correctly.
Job done, Rosan waited patiently for Doc to call him out once more. It didn't take long, as his voice soon came onto the intercom. "Report to the arena please, Rosan," was all
he said before cutting it off.
Rosan made his way to the arena at a leisure pace. He stopped to stare at his terrified opponent with an unimpressed stare. It was only natural, rumors had been spreading like
wildfire around the inmates that anyone who had been put up against him had not returned. The 9 year old prisoner did nothing to dissuade the rumors and, since silence equaled
guilt, they all had a good amount of fear for the child.
It wasn't a lie anyways.
This man was no different. He was shaking uncontrollably and he could barely hold on to the sword he was wielding as he faced the much younger boy. To think rumors could
reduce people to such a state. Did everyone just believe everything they heard? Not even a little bit of doubt? This man looked like he had already given up just looking at the 9
year old.
Not a threat to him then. He'd get nothing out of this fight so he'd make it quick.
The moment the signal began, Rosan audibly said "Increase" and watched as his gauntlet grew larger and his strength increased. Not wasting any time, Rosan, in a mood to
flaunt, sprinted towards the man. Right before reaching him, Rosan placed the palm of his gauntlets on the floor and used the momentum of his speed to launch himself upwards.
The man's eyes widened as the tiny missile began soaring through the air.
Flipping himself to face the man, Rosan caught a sloppy swing of the sword with the side of his gauntlet and said "Decrease."
Everyone watching gasped, as the sword was reduced to the size of a toothpick. The, now defenseless, man's terror increased tenfold as he looked into the expressionless gaze of
Rosan. Still in the air, Rosan grabbed one the taller man's arm and delivered a strong strike directly onto his mouth.
The man toppled over from the force of the blow with an "oomph" on his back. Rosan landed harshly on top of his stomach, knocking the wind out of him, and paralyzing him.
Moving forward so that he sat on his chest, Rosan delivered blow after blow to his face. The man tried using his arm to block his onslaught, but they simply folded under the
pressure of his punches.
The redheaded monster rained punch after punch and felt the man's face breaking under his assault. The floor under him was beginning to dent at the display of strength and
Rosan decided to wrap this up.
Holding his hands, together Rosan delivered a brutal double axe handle strike. The mans stopped struggling immediately as blood was sprayed everywhere. His hands fell limply to
his side as Rosan crushed his face against the gauntlet with a CRUNCH.
Rosan stood up, gauntlets still clenched into a fist, and he looked over at Doc. The redhead looked completely unbothered by his display of brutality and he bowed to his jailor as
he made his way to the rest area. As he walked back to the waiting area for further instructions, Rosan finally allowed himself a violent grin. His sharp teeth gleamed and his eyes
glowed. Even the chilly purple had a glow in it, in contrast to its normally empty look.
He had won.
His victory had been assured and now, there was nothing they could do about it. His escape was not a possibility now. It was imminent. Unavoidable. Assured.
Why?
Rosan opened his palm to look at the key that rested there. Knowing he'd soon be visible on camera, Rosan pocketed the key and allowed his rage to vanish. Adopting his
standard neutral expression, he calmly sat down to give an appearance that he was still that obedient little toy.
Information truly was a dangerous weapon. Had they known what his Devil Fruit actually was…he was sure they'd never have released him from his Seastone in those conditions.
After all, Modification was too difficult to keep a leash on unless you completely nullified it. The ability to change your size however? There were many counters to that.
Had Rosan's Devil Fruit actually been the Saizu Saizu no mi, he may have had to find other means to escape. But the ability to change his size was not his Devil Fruit. Rosan was
a Computer Boy who could modify whatever it was that he was touching and they had signed away their lives the moment they freed him.
When had he gotten the key you ask?
It was while he was punching the life out of his opponent. Due to the nature of how he normally killed his opponents, his ruthless executions seemed like a normal occurrence and
Rosan had calculated it into his plan. It was also the reason why he had opted into using the gauntlets, they were the easiest way to get what he wanted.
While punching the man repeatedly Rosan, knowing that Doc wouldn't watch the brutal affair, had stolen a tooth from the man. As he continued to punch the man, he had
modified the tooth into the object of his desire.
A universal key for his handcuffs.
It had taken longer than he thought it would, which is why he had punched the man for so long. That was to be expected though. He didn't have access to Modification for 3
months and so he needed to get a feel for it again.
But, with the tooth successfully turned into a key Rosan had completely won. There was nothing they could do anymore. If by some chance they wanted to replace his Seastone
handcuffs, he wouldn't allow them and would just have to strike early. He doubted it though, these handcuffs had never been removed from him.
Winning just wasn't enough anymore though. It would never be enough to simply win. Rosan wanted to crush the wills of the people who had given him hell. He wouldn't be
satisfied until he heard them beg beneath him. Everyone that knew of his existence would have to die. Doc had likely advertised his newest weapon to the upcoming spectators
and so, Rosan would have to take everyone out in one fell swoop. This way he would maintain anonymity and no one would know how he looked or what his name was.
Now that he was free, it would be easy to do what he wanted.
After all, Doc had said himself that he was the Ultimate Weapon.
Rosan had been handcuffed again and escorted back to his quarters to retire for the day. He had naturally done it all without causing a fuss, obedient pet that he was.
He was now sat on his bed, regarding his cuffed hands in curiosity. They were an interesting variation of handcuffs. Instead of linking together like standard handcuffs, they were
more so like bracelets on each hand. Due to this, Rosan was able to mostly ignore them and perform normally, even with the exhausting drain it gave him.
Removing the key from his pockets, Rosan removed the cuffs from his hand and tossed them aside. The redhead felt the familiar surge of Modification coursing through his body
as he flexed his hand and the boy smiled.
He had missed this feeling. It felt good. No, it felt amazing.
He felt alive.
The boy modified his key into a copy of the handcuffs and put them around his wrists. It would be hard to spot the difference between these and the Seastone handcuffs and
Rosan wanted to keep up appearances at the moment.
Glancing at said Seastone handcuffs, Rosan palmed the floor and modified a deep hole into it. Done with that, he tossed the Seastone into the newly created pit.
Not yet finished, Rosan grabbed a piece of metal and modified it into a familiar mechanical fly. He gave it orders to find his belongings, scout the entire island and relay the
information back to him. It buzzed in affirmation and flew through the holes of the cage, carefully maneuvering so as to not touch them.
Rosan closed the hole and stood up to walk over to his bed. Breathing softly, the redhead easily entered his Mindscape.
Opening his eyes, Rosan blinked at what he was seeing. His Mindscape...it was different then he last remembered.
While still a forest, it was nothing like how it used to be. The sun had gone down, replaced by the dark of the night and the only source of light was the pale moon in the sky. It
was now raining as well, had it been changed to a rainforest? The leaves were a bit droopy but otherwise, they were still healthy and there was an ever present endless amount of
green.
Rosan realized Mod-chan was nowhere to be seen. He could feel her though, as a weak pulse inside of the house. The boy headed over there and quietly opened the door to the
house and walked into the room he knew she was located in. Rosan frowned as he took sight of her.
She looked terrible. The purple haired woman was bedridden and it looked like she had just woken up, which she probably had. Her tanned face was flushed from what seemed to
be a fever and her breathing was heavy. She saw him approach and tried to shoot up in joy at being able to see him once again. It had been so long since they had seen each
other and the woman was overjoyed to see him!
Rosan quickly closed the distance between them, to make sure she didn't get up. His Devil Fruit looked weakened and he didn't need to see her overexert herself anymore. The
boy gave her a tight hug as he felt relief flood his entire system. He had missed her terribly. She had been a constant presence in his life and when their connection cut, he felt a
horrible emptiness that he didn't want to feel again.
"Ah, I missed you more than you could imagine, Mod-chan," Rosan said, hugging her cheek to cheek. She weakly returned the hug, but her grip on him was firm. She was shaking
heavily, afraid that she could lose him again and it filled the redhead with a familiar burst of anger. How dare they make his Mod-chan feel like this? Anyone who hurt Mod-chan
didn't deserve any mercy from him. He was going to enjoy what he was about to do to them.
Mod tried to talk, but Rosan shushed her. The woman looked like she was just struggling to stay awake. Seastone…he hated the effect it had on her. Rosan wouldn't allow himself
to be capture and subjected to its effects again.
"Don't worry Mod-chan," Rosan reassured the bedridden woman. "Rest and restore your powers. I've got it handled now, you don't have to do anything," He said softly to her. She
didn't have to clean up for his mistakes anymore, Rosan would do that himself and this would be his start.
She finally noticed his shift in demeanor and shot him a worried look, but Rosan ignored it in favor of getting up and walking out of the door.
"I have company. I will allow you to rest until you feel good enough to speak to me then I'll visit you again, okay? In the meantime, assimilate yourself with my memories that
you've missed. Goodbye Mod-chan."
Before she could say anything, Rosan vanished and returned back to reality.
Mod tried to get up and call him but she was still too weak to do anything. The purple haired woman panted in exhaustion from the exertion before lying back down on the bed.
Rosan…he was different. Something had changed him. She needed to look into his memories immediately to understand the full scope of what went on.
What had happened to him?
Rosan woke to the familiar sensation of a cool ointment being rubbed on him and was not surprised to see a shock of blonde hair. Meiko worked diligently and quickly. The girl was
humming a nice tune to herself and she didn't seem to be aware that he was awake.
"You know Meiko..." Rosan watched in amusement as she squealed in fright "...I haven't actually been seriously injured for a while now. My body has become quite adjusted to
Doc's treatment. While I enjoy the sensation of the ointment, your actions are unnecessary," he finished calmly.
Something about what he said, caused her to flinch, before she pouted halfheartedly and tried to glare at him. She failed miserably as the glare fell away instantly, replaced
instead by embarrassment. "I know that you haven't b-been really injured for a long time…but, I still want to visit you and this is the only way I can be useful so please don't kick
me out! A-also, you still do have small i-injuries so I can work on those?"
Rosan stared at her and said "Fine, do what you want," and that was the end of that. This girl managed to find comfort in his presence and Rosan didn't care enough to tell her to
leave so she was free to do as she pleased. It's not like he had anything better to do.
Meiko had made good on her promise to visit him more often. When the girl had said more, Rosan had figured she'd show up every week. But no, she meant every single night.
She would barge quietly into his room, ointment in hand, and would proceed to rub the ointment on his body while talking to him about mundane things.
The boy got the feeling that not a lot of people cared or listened to what she had to say. He was pretty sure she told him everything about her day because no one else was willing
to hear her. Rosan, not having much better to do, would listen and even contribute to the conversation sometimes (something she greatly appreciate if the elation in her eyes
meant anything). It wasn't very often but, the blonde didn't seem to mind that he rarely talked back.
She was just happy that someone was actually listening!
It helped that she had a pleasant voice, instead of one that grated on his ears, so Rosan didn't mind listening to her. She was unknowingly a good source of info too. Rosan
learned that they were on an isolated island called Daybreak Island near the calm belt in the North Blue. It's citizens, typically, were wealthy people who either had slaves
participating in the tournaments or spectators. Rosan curiously asked her if she had any slaves and she frantically waved her head no.
The girl was vehemently against the idea of having people fight against each other. She abhorred the fact that they'd be killing themselves for the pleasure of other people. Rosan
asked her why she was on this island then and she replied, downcast, "My parents," and ended the conversation there. Rosan sensing her sadness let the topic drop though he
was a bit curious now.
Speaking of which, Rosan had asked Meiko if her parents were concerned at all that she was going out so often, but her only response, was to tell him "My parents…they don't
care about me at all...they won't notice I'm gone."
At his questioning glance she explained that it was because she wasn't very good at doing anything. She claimed that she was not interested in learning their craft and as a result,
they had written her off as useless.
She had wanted to become a medic for the Marines, partly to impress her parents, but mostly because she genuinely wanted to help people. The only problem was that she had
no idea how to approach the marines, especially considering the less than legal affairs happening on this island. If they figured out her origins were tied to this island she'd never
be able to become a marine. The blonde was also too young (being 11), to sail towards a base on her own.
The blonde girl also had low self esteem. She didn't seem to realize that she created her very own ointment, but Rosan had banished that self doubt when he told her how well it
was working on him. Her face had turned an atomic shade of red and she stammered an insane amount at his compliment.
Rosan wondered why he tolerated her so much but, he just chalked it up to her being the only nice person in his own personal hell. She had a naivety to her, that made him
wonder what she was doing here, and she was the only person on this island who was genuinely kind to him. The redhead had gotten good at reading people. He had an easy time
telling when someone was lying and she was genuine in everything she did.
In another timeline, they could have been great friends.
It was a shame that she had to die along with everyone else here.
"Rosan…you seem a bit happier than normal today. No that's not right…you seem more relieved?" Meiko suddenly said, interrupting his musing. Rosan glanced at her, wondering
just how she knew that, but he saw no harm in telling her the truth.
He would just omit some details.
"Relieved? I suppose I am a bit relieved. I was allowed to use my abilities today…it felt nice not being so restricted. Perhaps that's the reason?"
As predicted her gaze turned into one of guilt and she looked down. Softly slapping her cheeks in an eerily familiar way, she looked up and determinedly asked him "Your Devil
Fruit right? Could you tell me what it is, please?"
"My devil fruit is the Saizu Saizu no Mi. It allows me to increase or decrease the size of myself and objects," was his automated response.
Meiko's soft blue gaze narrowed at him slightly. "Y-you don't have to lie to me, Rosan," the redhead rose a brow in surprise at that. "I know the situation your in is really bad, bbut I've never lied to you so, please don't lie to me."
Rosan froze as he heard what she said. He regarded her with a shocked expression on his face, as the familiarity of it all washed over him.
It was like looking at a ghost. Rosan remembered having the same problem with his mother about being truthful to him. She had been lying to him about how badly pregnancy
had affected her and he found it unfair, due to the fact that he was always honest to her. The redhead never thought he'd be the one getting called out for such a thing, but life
was funny like that.
Still, to be able to so easily call him out on his lie? So easily? Despite her confidence issues, there had been no doubt in her tone whatsoever. It was worrying how easily she could
see through him. If she had been an actual enemy, Rosan would have had a much harder time escaping from this place.
That was another thing about her, she could read him like nobody else. Frankly it was unnerving.
Around her, Rosan felt exposed in a way that he never experienced. Despite the wall he had up constantly, she tore through them like they were made of paper. The redhead
wasn't sure how she was able to see through him so easily. Nobody but Mod-chan could do that (and she could read his mind!).
Not even Robin or his mother could see through him this easily and he was an open book around them.
That wasn't to say this was one-sided. Rosan had a frighteningly easy time seeing through her as well. Maybe that was why she kept coming back, they had some sort of bond
that he couldn't explain. The two of them were compatible in a way that had him putting his guard fully up.
It's why the redhead decided she needed to die. She was an enigma. An enigma that could be dangerous to him. She needed to be eliminated due to the power they held over
each other. Rosan could not risk having this person as an enemy.
Rosan, with a critical eye, gazed at her as she called him out so bravely.
She raised a fair and valid point. Rosan would be a hypocrite if he didn't realize that, because he had had the exact same issue with his mother. He watched as her, once confident
gaze, wilted under his eye and she had quickly reverted to her meek demeanour.
Meiko had a very good point and he acknowledged that fully. If this were anything else, he'd have conceded. But this wasn't anything else. She didn't seem to understand the full
scope of the situation that he was currently in.
"I don't trust you," Rosan told her truthfully. Her expression turned a bit hurt, but he continued unimpeded. "Don't get me wrong Meiko, everything you do is genuine and normally
I would have no problem trusting you, but I'm sure you know what happened to me. I can't allow myself to trust anyone so easily. No, that's not quite right. I won't allow myself
to trust anyone."
Why was Rosan telling her this? If she told Doc, all his planning could be ruined and he'd have to settle for enacting his plan early. He wasn't sure why he was doing this but,
something told him this conversation would stay between the two of them. Was it stupid of him? Yes but, this weird bond they had, assured him that she wouldn't.
He was getting pretty sick of lying anyways. It went against his character that his mother so caringly raised.
Despite the hurt in her eyes, the understanding gaze she directed towards Rosan baffled him. Here she was, telling him everything she could and he wouldn't even tell her one
thing with the reasoning being that he didn't trust her, despite being trustworthy.
Yet she gazed at him with nothing but understanding and compassion. To see someone so caring, so friendly, so kind, Rosan couldn't believe it. How could someone like this exist?
How could she direct such a gaze towards him? How could someone be so nice to him?
It seriously pissed him off.
Who the fuck did she think she was? She thought she had the right to look at him with those eyes. This weakling thought she could pity him? Just the thought that he was being
looked down upon, filled him with nothing but hot burning rage.
Quicker then she could react, Rosan forced Meiko down and loomed over her. His dual eyes were positively blazing, as he snarled down at her. It was the first time he'd actually
lost his temper since this change and the fact it was Meiko who caused it made it all the worse.
"You really think you understand me don't you?!" He questioned furiously to the frightened girl beneath him. His voice was low and packed with fury as he spoke to her."You don't
understand anything I've gone through so stop pretending like you fucking do. Don't try to relate your life to mine just because your parents don't love you and you have no
friends," he hissed venomously.
The redhead was angry in a way that he couldn't even explain. Who did she think she was? Rosan wouldn't let someone with family issues try to relate to him. How dare she even
try to compare the two of their issues. Last he checked she wasn't a fucking prisoner who had been getting tortured for THREE MONTHS!
"T-that's cruel Rosan! Y-you don't have to say something like that," Meiko sobbed but Rosan didn't care. She made him so angry. Did she really think that just because she could
read him, she could just go and say whatever the hell she wanted? Rosan wasn't a naive idiot anymore. He wasn't going to believe anything a person said just because they
honeyed their words.
She needed to pay.
Raising a fist, Rosan nearly swung down before stopping as he got a good look at her face. He was so consumed in rage, he assumed that she was crying in fear.
But she wasn't.
No, she wasn't crying because of his harsh words or how physical he was with her. She was crying because of his pain and that realization froze him completely. "I-I'm s-so sorry
R-Rosan," she sobbed out an apology, making him flinch. "I'm so weak and pathetic, that I can't even properly help you when you're in so much pain."
Rage left his body in an instant and was instead replaced by regret. The boy sagged slightly as regret for what he did, and was about to do to this girl, seeped into his body.
What was wrong with him? He had let himself get possessed by rage and had nearly struck the girl because of it. It was sloppy of him to allow himself to succumb so easily to his
own emotions again. He couldn't allow himself to lose control like that again.
Taking a deep breath, Rosan said "You should go Meiko…and you shouldn't come back." He got off of her and let her pick herself up.
She tried to protest his decision, but Rosan would not be swayed. Seeing that he would stay firm in his decision, she sadly got up and walked over to the cell. "I-I know you feel
bad Rosan…but i-it's not your fault so I d-don't blame you!" She began softly.
Facing him, compassionate blue stared into a combination of rage filled red and chilly purple as she said "Rosan, I just want to understand you! Please...I know you can't trust
anybody, I really do, but that's why I want to earn your trust! B-because if you can't trust even one person in life then can you really call that living?"
"Nobody should ever be forced to be alone!" A 4 year old Rosan said to Nico Robin. The memory came rushing to him suddenly and Rosan had to bite his cheek to prevent himself
from lashing out.
"Get out," Rosan said through grit teeth. He hated how her words affected him. He hated how much sense she made. He hated that she refused to accept the reality that Rosan
didn't want to trust anybody. He hated that he seriously considered her offer. He hated how seemingly vulnerable he was around her.
So he pushed her away.
Opening the cage, Meiko left a few parting words. "I knew you weren't going to hurt me Rosan. Deep down…you're kind Rosan I know it. I'm so sorry that they did this to you
and...I'm going to make this right. You may not trust me Rosan, but I trust you," she told the younger boy with a sad smile on her face.
"I-I'll find a way to break you out Rosan, I promise," before he could respond, Meiko softly closed the cage and scurried away.
The heterochromatic boy stared in disbelief at her retreating form.
She fully believed what she said. Meiko actually did trust him and that confused him more then he could imagine. It was impossible for someone to be so kind. It was a trick, it
had to be. But it wasn't. This was just who she was. Someone like her, didn't belong in a world like this. The blonde was too pure for her own good.
Rosan didn't like her.
In his 3 months here, besides rage, He hadn't felt a single emotion flare up and yet she was able to get a reaction out of him so easily. She was lying about something, she had to
be. The girl needed to be eliminated. She was a threat to Rosan.
Right...?
3 months later
Like he had demanded, Meiko hadn't visited him since the night he blew up on her.
Rosan was unstable and he could freely admit that. He had been rather unhinged ever since his mother died. Someone like Meiko, who was too gentle for her own good, should
not be around someone like him. It was only logical that she would heed his warning and stay away.
He had to admit, he was slightly disappointed. Though he didn't like the girl, her voice was soothing. Rosan wondered if she knew how to sing?
The redhead decided to focus on more important matters. Namely, Doc's walking form in front of him. After all, today was the day of Ash and Dust and Rosan planned on winning
the whole thing. Anything less would be a failure for a boy and he wouldn't feel as good destroying everything on this island.
Rosans strength had increased greatly over his span here. Due to being forced to work in Seastone handcuffs for 3 months, being free of their effects, meant he was stronger than
ever and it was noticeable. None of the other prisoners posed a threat to him anymore, so Doc had stopped giving him sparring opponents. No need to have such needless deaths,
were the mans words.
He was sure he had heard them celebrating at the prospect of never having to face him again and the boy withheld a snort at the thought. Treating a 9 year old like he were the
boogeyman, was as funny as it was shameful.
So now, when it was training time, Rosan would just build his knowledge with the various weapons that he had at his disposal. It had the added benefit of making sure he was
with the much more submissive Mom instead of Doc. Rosan didn't hate the woman as much as he hated Doc and, ever since his talk with the pervert, the power dynamic between
the two had shifted and Rosan found that he was able to get away with far more stuff as long as he sufficiently distracted her.
Though, that had the downside of turning Mod-chan into a seething lunatic.
He pointedly ignored the sudden feeling of being glared at.
There were various books on how to use a majority of the weapons so Rosan didn't have a hard time picking them up. He wasn't a master yet, but he had a good idea on how best
to use each weapon. His preferred weapons were the Battle Axe, Hammer, Gauntlets, Sword and Scythe.
Rosan was not a fan of the scythe, which was why it annoyed him to no end that it was one of his best weapons. Everything about the weapon irked him…its exceedingly long
reach, how the blade was so awkwardly placed onto the pole, how he had to hold it in a way that didn't interfere with his short stature. The weapon was so impractical, it was a
wonder why people thought using it was a good idea.
He despised the weapon and the first thing he'd do when breaking out, would be to find a way to make the scythe more accommodating to his frame.
He had been reading a copious amount of random books since his stay here, to accumulate his knowledge and it was paying dividends. Blacksmithing, gardening, hunting,
geography, calligraphy, etc. Rosan had soaked the knowledge of all sorts of books and added it to his growing list of skills to learn. He planned on utilizing every skill he learned so
that he would not be reliant on anybody but himself. He would become a Swiss Army Knife so to say.
Speaking of Modification, Rosan had done a good job of making it appear as if he were being properly restricted. Doc still believed that, outside of training, he had no freedom
whatsoever and that was so very far from the truth. The bug he had sent out to scout had already gotten a full scope of the island, located his items, and relayed all the
information back to him.
In that time frame, He also had a conversation with Mod-chan. It went about as well as he expected.
Flashback
Rosan sat idly in the lounge area of his mindscape. His face was a picture perfect calm as idly raked a hand through his hair.
Adjacent from him was Mod-chan with a blank look on her face. The woman appeared to be as calm as Rosan, but she couldn't hide the distraught look in her red eyes from the
redhead. She had probably finished assimilating herself with his memories of his stay here then.
This was going to go well.
Rosan sighed at the look on her face. She was always trying to be strong for the both of them. It was as endearing as it was annoying. The redhead could take care of himself
now, and, while he would still need her, the purple haired woman needed to understand this.
Rosan decided that now would be a great time to get that out of the way.
"Something on your mind, Mod-chan?" Rosan asked her softly. Mod-chan flinched at his flat tone and the 9 year old softened his expression. "Without the Seastone limiting us,
you look much better…I don't want to see you like that ever again."
Rosan meant what he said, he hated seeing Mod-chan like that. He never wanted her to look so vulnerable. Just the thought of seeing her like that again made him sick.
Mod-chan blushed and a small smile appeared on her otherwise sad face. She thanked him before she turned serious again. Straightening herself, she said "I'm sorry for calling
you on such short notice Rosan its just…I finished going through your memories and-" Mod-chan struggled to say what she wanted to say, visibly fighting back tears and failing
miserably.
The child shot her an understanding look as he waited patiently for her. Mod-chan was very protective of him so seeing memories of him getting tortured for the better part of 3
months, must have destroyed her. Rosan knew her, she probably blamed herself for this. It was a testament to her overprotectiveness, that she wasn't a sobbing mess at the
moment. It was all to keep up the appearance that she was alright.
For him.
He hated that.
Rosan didn't want Mod-chan to be overprotective of him. They were equals now and they needed to look out for each other. It shouldn't be so one-sided in his favor. Rosan would
let her say everything she had to say before speaking his mind. Holding things in like this would only lead to a bigger breakdown in the future. It was unhealthy.
(Hypocrite.)
"I'm so sorry, Rosan," Mod-chan began through shaky breaths. "There are so much things I could have done to help alleviate your pain, but I couldn't and while I was sleeping you
were suffering so so much," the woman said in despair. "What I saw was horrible and...I could barely watch it! No should ever have to go through that, especially not you a-and
it's just not fair-" Mod collapsed as she failed to finish her sentence. Her frame was shaking, as she tried to hold in her sobs and Rosan frowned as he looked at her.
What was with the woman in his life always trying to hide things from him? Maybe that was why he enjoy- he tolerated Meiko's presence. She was an open book and she didn't
hide anything from the boy.
Unlike him.
Rosan made his way to Mod-chan and hugged her. "It's okay Mod-chan. Let it all out, I'm here for you," the boy whispered soothingly. He would say more but he wanted her to
finish before he spoke. For now he would just be the presence she needed.
Mod-chan clutched his smaller frame desperately as sobs wracked her body. "I-its all my fault Rosan! Y-you tried to be so brave by yourself and I c-couldn't even b-be slightly
useful!" The purple haired woman was an emotional wreck as she spoke. "They took everything from you and I couldn't s-stop them. E-even now, you've been doing everything by
yourself, while I'm just sitting pretty a-and I f-failed you so horribly p-please f-forgiv-" Mod-chan wailed as the floodgates opened.
This was Mod's problem when it came to Rosan. The woman refused to put the blame on the redhead and instead, chose to shoulder it all by herself. He had noticed it since he
was 4, but he was dealing with his own trauma and, by the time he had met Robin, he had thought she had solved it on her own. From having Rosan leave the island, to him
getting captured and tortured, to his drastic shift in personality…she blamed it all on herself.
He'd have to correct that. The boy should have corrected it the moment he noticed.
Stroking her hair softly as she wailed into his small body, Rosan decided now would be a good time to speak. "Mod-chan, you have to stop blaming yourself," Rosan said firmly.
"None of this is your fault, the blame lies solely on me. I'm the one who made these decisions and I'm the one who got us captured at the end of the day," the boy finished looking
the sobbing Devil Fruit in her eyes.
"B-but the only reason we got captured, is that you tried to hide the fact you had my powers in the first place." Mod-chan said utterly heartbroken, remembering explicitly how the
boy had only decided to use his abilities when it was too late, because of her. Rosan was a child who valued not disappointing those important to him. Of course he'd take the
words she told him when he was 4 seriously and it had cost them. She was stupid for not taking that into account.
Rosan shook his head in denial. "I let my guard down and you know that, Mod-chan. I got arrogant, full of myself, because of how strong I had been getting. The idea that I could
get ambushed never crossed my mind because I thought just hiding Modification was enough. I am just as to blame for deciding too late to use Modification."
"You need to understand Mod-chan. The moment I decided to leave Baterilla, I should have stopped acting like a child. I failed to do that, I paid the price and now your paying the
price for my immaturity too," the redhead said softly. "The only one who failed was me, Mod-chan. Do not blame yourself or else, I'll really get upset with you," Rosan finished
firmly with a frown on his face.
Mod-chan tried to argue, but anything else she said, was swiftly shut down by Rosan. The woman didn't want to believe him and that was okay. Rosan would give her time to
gather herself, but he would get rid of these self-destructive thoughts.
"I'm not someone who needs protecting anymore, Mod-chan. I made many mistakes, that you salvaged, but those mistakes just kept piling. I won't allow myself to make those
mistakes again so you don't need to worry about me," the 9 year old told the slightly surprised woman. It was becoming apparent to her now just how much he changed and it
was slightly staggering.
"We were supposed to be partners, but I was a child and you were my mother. But, no more. You can rely on me now and I'll prove it to you with my actions from now on."
Rosan's red eye blazed as he confidently spoke.
"B-but Rosan, your smile…I failed to protect it! They took your happiness from you and I couldn't do anything about it! I...I can't forgive myself for that." Mod-chan looked so
defeated as she spoke about the promise they had made so long ago. The woman looked like she was about to break down again and Rosan steadily calmed her down.
She raised a good point and the reality of his emotional situation, was finally becoming clear to the boy. Rosan would normally have been sobbing just as badly at this point but
right now, he couldn't feel any type of sadness. The redhead was beginning to understand the brunt of just what happened to him and he resisted the urge to frown.
He wouldn't let it affect him.
"You're right Mod-chan, they took away my innocence and they showed me how cruel the world can be. I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise to you. Just like you, I can't forgive
myself for this failure. So, the people who did this, have to pay."
Mod-chan protested, quite strongly, at that. "You're not to blame Rosan! You tried but no one could make it out of such horrific torture unscathed. You haven't failed anything, so
there's nothing for you to forgive!" The woman firmly responded, glaring at him with a motherly fury.
Rosan simply countered her argument. "That's how I feel about you right now, Mod-chan. You haven't done anything wrong, so there's nothing to forgive," the boy said, throwing
the Devil Fruit's words right back at her. "How about this? I will slowly forgive myself, if you can do the same," the dual eyed boy proposed.
Mod's eyes widened as she realized that she had fallen straight into his trap. The woman looked at him in a new light and realized that, maybe Rosan didn't need her to protect
him so much. The realization hurt her a bit, but she pushed it down in favor of the swelling pride inside of her.
Equals didn't sound too bad to her and, based on what she had seen from his memories, Rosan really didn't need to overly rely on her anymore. He had escaped with nothing but
his cunningness and intelligence. Despite the situation, Mod was really proud of the boy.
Rosan watched all this transpire with a critical gaze. He knew Mod-chan enough to guess what she was going to say next. Before she could, he decided to speak up. "Mod-chan I
know you are still upset with yourself at my personality shift, but what's done is done. There is no time to dwell on the past, when there is so much of the future to experience.
Maybe in that future I will learn how to feel happiness again but until then, we just need to continue."
Mod-chan looked at him in wonder before her gaze turned resolute. Nodding steely, the tan woman said "You're right Rosan. I need to get out of this funk and focus on our future.
Thank you."
Rosan nodded, satisfied, with her response. "Good, now do you have any idea why my eye has changed color? I've theorized some things but you have a much more intricate
understanding of my body than I do."
Current
A fusion of some sorts between him and Mod-chan. That had been what she told him. Despite being afflicted by seastone, Rosan's inner body, barring Mod-chan, still worked
normally and in response to his intense desire to become stronger, Modification had changed too merging partially with the boy.
It was fascinating, Rosan wondered curiously if that made him half devil or half fruit.
Seems all those people calling him a monster were right. He felt Mod-chan vehemently disagree and conceded without any argument with her. He personally didn't care that he
had partially fused with Mod-chan and she didn't seem bothered by it either.
In fact, Rosan was sure she was ecstatic about it. It made their connection stronger and Rosan would have a much easier time using Modification. He had been secretly training
with it and he noticed the ease at which he was able to do things had dramatically increased.
It was rather odd though, Rosan thought the moment he ate the Devil Fruit he had fused with Mod...maybe it had something to do with the fact that she appeared to be the only
conscious Devil Fruit? He was positive that Devil Fruit's fully combined with a person until that person died. Did that mean Mod-chan was not the Mod Mod no Mi in full?
Well, he didn't care too much about it. If that was what Mod-chan said happened, then that's probably what happened. The redhead had no reason to doubt her.
Doc was none the wiser at the fact that Rosan had been free the entire time. To be fair to the doctor, Rosan gave no hints. He kept up the facade of having the Saizu Saizu no Mi
and due to that, his actual ability to increase and decrease the size of things had improved considerably.
What had surprised Rosan, was that Meiko actually didn't tell anyone about their meeting or the truth behind his Devil Fruit. Though the blonde girl didn't know he had
Modification, she had already known that his fruit wasn't the Saizu Saizu no Mi. She could have ruined months of planning if she told them.
She really had kept it a secret. Rosan…needed to apologize to the 11 year old if he saw her before the end of the night.
That was neither here nor there though. Rosan had a tournament to win and a lot of money, that was definitely going to Doc, to earn.
He had been waiting about an hour for his match to start and he patiently waited. Some man named Daichi was his opponent. It was the same name as the captain of the Saber
Pirates, the pirate crew that was housing Robin. If it was anything like his very first battle, Rosan doubted he'd even break a sweat. Even if it was, people in the Blue Seas were
rather weak.
Rosan was currently donned in an all black outfit. A form fitting, long sleeved shirt, covered his upper torso while long cargo pants that were tucked neatly into some steel clad
boots made up his lower half. His messy red hair had been tied into a bun, so as to prevent anyone from having an easy way to grab him. Though some strands still hung over his
face that he made sure wouldn't get in his way.
Despite being a massive pervert, Mom was good at what she did. Rosan was rather vain himself so he was impressed by what she did. The outfit was approved by the both of
them and so he chose to wear it. Mod-chan begrudgingly approved of it as well so he really knew it was good. His Devil Fruit always took the chance to hurl an insult at the black
haired woman and it was funny to see the, normally calm, Mod so riled up.
As he made his way to the entrance of the arena, Rosan felt the thrumming of people, all screaming, no doubt excited to watch 2 people fight to the death. He withheld a sigh at
that. Rich people always claimed to be of a higher status then people but, when it came do to it, they were just as barbaric as the ones they showed disdain too. They just hid it
behind curtains and pretended to be perfect. He knew better though, they wanted to watch this because it was fascinating to them.
Well lucky for them, Rosan would put on a show that they'd never seen before.
"Rosan," Doc began, speaking to him excitedly. "Today is the debut of my ultimate weapon! You've got a lot of people expecting you to fail and the bets have already been made.
I'm the only one who believes you'll win it all so you'll win yes?"
Said weapon glanced at him and merely nodded his head. He'd win the tournament, that was a guarantee. The green eyed man had said that everyone else already wrote him off
and that he was the only one to actually believe in Rosan and that thought, made him snort inwardly.
How sweet. Guess he had to win then.
His inner show off flared as he thought about them doubting his ability. It was time to put those doubts to rest because Rosan wasn't going to lose here of all places. They were
surely going to regret betting against the redhead, but then again, they were rich so they probably didn't mind as much.
Besides, it wouldn't be their only regret tonight.
Rosan closed his eyes and let out a small breath. The boy had opted to use twin daggers for this fight and he lazily held them.
They were one of the few weapons that actually fit his tiny frame. The daggers were still made for adults though so they looked more like dual tanto on him. He quite liked using
them, it allowed for a more speedy approach and there was a certain type of beauty in the precise cuts.
The redhead opened his eyes as the gate to the arena finally opened. "Bright," he idly noted as he looked around. The roaring of the crowd pounded in his ear, as thousands of
people cheered at the spectacle. The cheers only amplified as both contestants walked out of their respective entrances and into view.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WELCOME TO THE 7th ROUND OF THE ASH AND DUST TOURNAMENT!" A booming voice, at the top of the commentator stands, said.
Modifying his vision to get a better look, Rosan was able to see that he was a man in a full black suit with slicked back brown hair and an obnoxious pair of sunglasses on his
grinning face. "ON ONE SIDE, HAILING FROM THE NORTH BLUE, HE'S LEAN HE'S MEAN HE'S SHORTER THEN THE 5 LETTERS IT TAKES TO MAKE GREEN, GIVE IT UP
FOR ROSAN!"
Rosan hated this guy already.
The crowd booed loudly for the newcomer, but the boy ignored it. They'd have a real reason to boo him soon enough.
"ON THE OTHER HAND, WE HAVE ONE OF THE MOST PROMISING PROSPECTS TO WIN THE ENTIRE THING! HE'S LAST YEAR'S CHAMPION AND HE'S HERE TO
RECLAIM HIS THRONE! GIVE IT UP FOR DAICHIIIII!"
The crowd roared in excitement and Daichi basked in the noise of their cheers. He was a brown skinned muscular man with a buzz cut and a cocky grin. He wore a sleeveless blue
shirt with camouflage pants and boots. For weapons, he had brass knuckles equipped. He was a muscled brute in every sense of the word.
This would be easy.
"THIS LOOKS LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE A FAST ONE FOLKS, SO DON'T GET TOO COMFORTABLE!"
Oh if only he knew.
No doubt, they thought he was going to be easy pickings. They immediately set him up against a fan favorite, and reigning champion, after all. Nobody expected such a small child
to win a tournament, much less this fight.
Wasn't it just ironic that only Doc had complete faith in him to not just win this fight but the entire thing. "I'll have to repay his goodwill," Rosan thought mockingly.
A fast one hm? Very well, Rosan would go against this notion because he had nothing better to do. He would toy with their little golden boy and give them the show they wanted.
It wouldn't be fast. They could get as comfortable as they wanted while they witnessed his performance.
Both of his arms laid lazily by his side as he stared at his opponent. The brute let out a laugh at what probably looked like a hopeless struggle. He didn't yet understand, that the
one who would be dictating the pace of this fight, was Rosan.
This could have been a quick fight if Rosan had wanted it to be, but he didn't want it to be. He wanted to torment this person.
"That's quite cruel, Rosan," Mod-chan said, tone not disapproving. He would have been surprised if it was, Mod-chan generally didn't care about anyone that he didn't care
about. She would barely bat an eye at what he did to anyone else. It was a healthy reminder that the Devil Fruit was intended to be a weapon before he, luckily, managed to find
her.
"Just doing what the crowd wants, Mod-chan," was his response as he got ready.
A horn blasted, signaling the beginning of the fight and Rosan took off. It was funny how everyone who fought him reacted at his speed for the first time. They always
underestimated him and when he did this, they hesitated for far too long giving him enough time to do what he wanted.
Case in point, Daichi's eyes widened at the sight of him vanishing and let out cry of surprise as shallow cuts suddenly marred his chest.
4 strips of his shirt fell off as Rosan stood before him. The little shit stared mockingly up at him, as a small amount of blood dripped off his daggers. Daichi felt a vein throb at the
look in the boy's dual eyes. The look of utter dismissal. As if...as if he weren't even worth his time.
Why was it that even though Daichi towered over Rosan, he was the one being looked down upon?! That look in his eyes...it suggested he wasn't being taken serious at all!
Unbidden, sweat began forming at the thought that he was only alive because the kid didn't want to kill him, but he quickly shook those thoughts away.
This kid was messing with him! Haha as if he could kill him! Nice try, but he wouldn't fall for such tricks from a child of all things. He had been planning on giving the crowd a
show, but the little brat had pissed him off to no end with his little bravado play.
Rosan leapt back as Daichi crashed his brass knuckles where he was standing. He smirked at the fact that he had successfully provoked Daichi and, as he soared backwards, he
began his next course of action. The moment his feet hit the ground, the redhead was already on the move. He was always on the move, never let your opponent think of their
next move. Dust was kicked up as Rosan once again vanished from Daichi's sight.
Overwhelm them every step of the way.
Glancing around wildly, Daichi couldn't help but let out a gasp of pain as 4 more cuts appeared on his body, this time on his back. He wildly turned around in an attempt to punch
at the offender but Rosan anticipated this. The child deftly dodged the blow and, using his much smaller height, he jumped on the man's overextended arm. The redhead smiled at
the man as he balanced himself perfectly on his flailing arm.
Daichi saw red at the cheeky boy's actions. W-who did this brat think he was?! Did he think he could afford to mess with Daichi of all people? The thought made him gnash his
teeth in anger.
Daichi tried to shake him off and when that failed, he used his other arm to swing at the annoying gnat. Rosan leaned back, completely avoiding the blow, and stabbed deeply into
the offending arm.
Blood gushed down his arm as Daichi let out an agonized scream at the pain he was feeling. The idiot tried to withdraw his arm, but that only had the added effect of making the
dagger lodged weapon dig deeper. Rosan decided to reward his tenacity with more stabs, this time to his biceps.
The man wailed in pain at the boy's assault. This was unreal! H-how was this kid so strong? What had they been feeding him?!
Done with his arm, Rosan leapt up his arm so he could reach the mans face and decided it would look better if he put 4 more cuts there. A slash appeared on both his cheeks, his
forehead, and across his nose as the man fell on his ass.
That was a grave mistake. Rosan smiled maliciously and, like a shark in the water, the redhead pounced on him. Cut after shallow cut appeared on his body as little monster
gingerly took his time. His shirt had been completely shredded from the little boy and any attempt he made to defend himself only ended up with that appendage getting a new
wound.
The crowd had gone completely silent. Whether it was at the fact that their former champion was losing so handily or the fact that his opponent was clearly toying with him.
Whatever it was, they had been hushed completely.
Finally, Rosan got up to admire his handiwork. A rose was carved neatly onto the man's muscular chest. The man let out gargled choke at the brutal pain of having your chest
carved into with a sharp weapon. The dual eyed boy almost scoffed, but he didn't care about the pathetic state the man was in.
Finished with his job, Rosan grasped one of his blood soaked daggers and slit the man's throat. The boy watched as his latest victim choked on his own blood with a passive gaze.
Red and purple bore into brown, as the man gagged and grasped at neck with his hands, but it was useless.
Rosan had made sure his strike was fatal.
The sight of the 9 year old boy covered in blood, etched itself firmly into the minds of the spectators and Rosan was declared the winner. He bowed mockingly to the crowd, before
making his way to his designated waiting area. That would teach them to doubt the boy.
It was like the floodgates had been broken as the crowds roars increased tenfold.
Rosan realized that they were cheering for him and a sneer almost made its way onto his face. These disgusting humans...he didn't want or need their cheers. They could save it
for the other contestants because they would need it far more than he did.
"Cheering at the sight of an 9 year old killing in cold blood. How barbaric," Mod-chan sighed at the sight and Rosan agreed with her.
"Don't worry Mod-chan, their time in this world is reaching an end," He said softly as the gate shut behind him, crowd cheering loudly for him all the while, unknown of the fate
that was going to befall them.
Rosan made his way back to Doc, who looked positively ecstatic at his performance. "Yes yes! Well done Rosan!" The blonde man congratulated. "The fact that you didn't even
sustain an injury against the previous champion, is nothing short of incredible! I knew you would perform most impressively!" Rosan held his disgust at the gushing man before
him. "Come, let's get you cleaned up right away!"
Rosan closed his eyes as he let himself get taken away.
After getting cleaned up by Mom (Mod-chan was filled with fury the moment she laid eyes upon the woman), Rosan had absolutely mowed through his next few opponents. It was
laughably easy how little resistance they put up to the smaller child.
It seems like they wanted to give Daichi an easy run to the finals and Rosan graciously took that in his stead. No one had managed to make him break a sweat and the redhead
got the feeling that he was going to be disappointed until he got his revenge.
The crowd loved him now, due to his tendency of showing off (seems old habits die hard) and how versatile his weapon choice was. He had yet to use the same weapon twice in
the 4 matches he had after Daichi. In said matches, he chose to use a sword, a nagi, a staff, and a sickle.
He had comfortably made it into the finals and for his last match, he chose to wield the scythe. He lazily held it over his shoulder and as a result, the blade dragged slightly on the
floor. He figured he'd get some more practice in with the strange, hard to wield, weapon that was bigger then he and what better way to test in then against his final opponent.
He had no idea who his final opponent was going to be. The contestants were not allowed to view other fights, so as to keep the battles fair. As a result, they were both going in
blind.
Not that it mattered to the dual eyed boy, his opponent would die and Rosan would live. That was that. Besides, if they were anything like his previous opponents, Rosan wouldn't
be struggling against his opponent.
As he made his way to the arena, Rosan was greeted by something large and blue. He blinked as he took in the appearance of his opponent. 8 feet tall with a lot of fat and gills on
his shoulder and neck. He had spikes all over his body and if they were anything like the fish he was based off of, Rosan was going to be in a bit of trouble.
A Pufferfish type Fishman. Fantastic.
Rosan made a mental note to stop tempting fate so much. His final opponent was an actual Fishman. Fishmen were notoriously powerful and were said to boast 10 times the
strength of humans. They were made of much sturdier stuff as well and this one in particular, looked like he'd be able to tank a lot of damage.
He wore a slave collar around his neck and the look in his eyes, suggested that he really wanted to turn Rosan into paste.
Right...Fishmen didn't like humans because of the amount of prejudice they had to face. While their hatred was justified, Rosan didn't care about how they looked or where they
lived so, why was this man looking at the redhead like he personally committed a crime against Fishmen. The only crime he was about to commit wouldn't really leave the man
with much room to direct his hate because he'd be well, dead.
No matter. It would be slightly difficult, but maybe, just maybe, Rosan would finally have a good fight. Gripping his scythe, Rosan stared blankly at the slave across from him.
"How interesting, unlike the other humans, your gaze lacks disgust," The Blue man said and he sounded impressed. If that was enough to impress him, then the bar was set really
low.
"What is your name boy?" The Fishman asked curiously. Rosan continued staring at him, as he contemplated answering, before he decided there would be no harm in doing so. It
wasn't going to matter in a little bit anyways.
"My name is Rosan," he kindly introduced himself. "In regards to your curiosity, your race means nothing to me. Human or Fishman, you are all just obstacles that need to be
dealt with. Who you are doesn't mean anything when you're dead," Rosan replied frigidly.
Despite his uncaring response, the Fishman nodded in respect. "I thank you for that, Rosan," he said with a short bow. "It's not often I meet someone who doesn't care that I am
a Fishman. My name is Kenzo and unlike my other opponents, I shall give you an honorable death."
"Kenzo huh?" The redhead repeated softly. "Sorry to tell you Kenzo, but I have no intention of dying here," he informed his opponent truthfully. "You have no need to worry
though. I will not forget your name, even in death."
"I will not underestimate you, Rosan. Your main advantage is gone," The pufferfish said and he actually looked apologetic. "It was a good run but your journey ends here. I'm truly
sorry young one but I have a family a I must make it back too them at all costs."
"Whether you underestimate me or not, the results of this fight won't change. I will win. That is a fact. You assuming that I'm simply winning because my opponents
underestimate me, is underestimation itself Kenzo," Rosan said matter-of-factly.
"You say you have a family? If I ever find them I will send them your regards and let them know that you died with honor, instead of the death I'm about to give you. You deserve
that much." With that, Rosan ended the conversation and Kenzo followed suit.
The annoying commentator chose that moment to speak up, "WELCOMMMEE TO THE FINALS, EVERYBODY! IN A CONTINUOUS SERIES OF UPSETS, OUR TWO FINAL
OPPONENTS ARE NOTHING THAT WE EXPECTED!"
"ON ONE SIDE, WE HAVE KENZO THE FISHMAN! TRUE TO HIS LINEAGE, HE'S A SAVAGE MONSTER WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR SOME OF THE MOST BRUTAL
DEATHS HERE."
Rosan scoffed as the crowd jeered and booed the fishman. All of this just because he looked different? People really were stupid if they judged things on the surface only.
Kenzo's eyes flashed with pure hatred but he held himself back from reacting outwardly.
"ON THE OTHER SIDE, WE HAVE THE SURPRISE UPSTART! THE GRACEFUL KILLING MACHINE! THE TRUE UNDERDOG! NOBODY EXPECTED HIM TO AMOUNT TO
ANYTHING, BUT HERE HE IS AND HE'S READY TO COMPLETE THE FAIRY TALE. GIVE IT UP FOR ROSANNNNN!"
The noise the crowd made was deafening. After his first match against Daichi, the crowd had begun cheering for him and after his convincing victories, they were fully on his side.
They were chanting his name as they roared for him to kill the filthy fish.
Tch. Rosan hated taking orders from people he didn't respect.
"ALRIGHT FOLKS! THE CONTESTANTS ARE READY. WILL ROSAN'S LUCK FINALLY END HERE TO THE MIGHT OF KENZO OR WILL HE PREVAIL DESPITE ALL THE
ODDS. DON'T LEAVE YOUR SEATS, IT'S GONNA BE A FUN ONE. BEGIIIIIIIIIN!"
Luck? Never mind, he didn't care. He had more important things to focus on. Namely, the gigantic fishman charging him with surprising speed that belied his massive size.
Kenzo was faster than he expected, but Rosan was faster. The redhead ducked under the man's meaty fist and he slid past his leg to deliver an experimental swing of his scythe,
that Kenzo jumped over and Rosan was forced to block the responding blow from the large man's foot.
Rosan was sent flying, as the kick connected with the scythe. Landing upright, Rosan decided that he should avoid blocking the fishman's blows. In fact, it was in his best interest
to not get hit by his opponent. The man packed a serious punch and Rosan felt the recoil even through the block.
Rosan's adrenaline began pumping in earnest, as the prospect of a challenging fight finally revealed itself. This time, he wouldn't wait until he was sure he had to use Modification.
He made that mistake once and it had cost him everything. He'd win this fight right here, right now and Kenzo would be yet another name added to a growing list of people.
"Boost x2." Rosan said and the effects were immediate. The redhead tensed up as he felt the boost wash over him.
The 9 year old was already plenty strong for his age, but right now, he was sure even through all that protective fat, Kenzo would be unable to withstand him.
He vanished from Kenzo's view.
The fishman barely had time to widen his eyes, before a long cut appeared on his back and the force of the blow was so strong, he stumbled forward slightly. Kenzo tried to catch
himself, but he felt a gust of wind and looked up, only to see Rosan aiming a downward swing that was no doubt meant for his skull.
He leaned back hastily, but was unable to fully dodge the slash and another cut blossomed on his chest.
"So strong. So fast! How is he able to cut through me so easily?!" Kenzo was baffled. How was a child this age, capable of exhibiting such strength and speed? He jumped back
once again as Rosan swung down so hard, the blade of the scythe embedded itself into the floor but that wasn't it, the boy began moving with the scythe still embedded in there.
Just what the hell was that power?! Was he even human?
Rosan "tchd" as he saw that his blade was about to embed itself into the floor, but he swiftly adapted to the situation.
In one fluid motion, Rosan used the momentum of the swing to push himself on top of the edge of the handle, gathered energy into his legs, pushed off the handle with extreme
force, grabbed the middle of his weapon as he dismounted it, and using the force of his leap, dragged the blade through the earth. As he soared towards Kenzo, Rosan began
spinning rapidly, scythe still underground (but not for long), at an incredible pace.
Eventually, the blade tore itself through the ground and joined Rosan.
The crowd roared at Rosan's ingenuity.
Kenzo watched in disbelief and a surprising amount of fear as the human buzzsaw careened towards him. Rosan was moving too fast for him to fully avoid the blow and, at that
speed, he had no illusions of surviving a hit from the boy. Even if he did somehow survive, the match would only be wrapped up moments later.
Kenzo tried to leap away from the redhead but, like he predicted, he was too slow. The boys momentum carried him too quickly to his target. Kenzo let out a loud groan as his leg
was severed cleanly from his body. Falling to one knee, blood gushed on the floor, much to the glee of the crowd.
"Modify," Rosan thought to himself as he modified his own momentum and he steadily halted. Rosan eventually stopped spinning before he could crash into anything and
assessed the damage he had dealt.
He had never spun like that and he took a moment to thank Mod-chan because without her he'd probably be throwing up his dinner. He had been aiming to kill him, but the man
was fast enough to somewhat evade him.
No matter. Without a leg, Kenzo was as good as dead anyways. Rosan gripped his scythe and charged at Kenzo, ready to deal the finishing blowOnly to let out an unexpected gasp of pain. It was the first time he had made such a noise since his change.
Why?
Multiple small spikes were embedded into his abdomen. Rosan looked down unsteadily at the wound. Spikes? But how? Looking up, the dual eyed boy was greeted by the sight of
a fist flying for his face. He only had a moment to say "Fortify!" before it connected with the boy.
"ROSAN!" He heard Mod-chan call out, as the blow connected and he was tossed through the air like a rag doll. Rosan landed on the floor and began tumbling repeatedly, until
coming to a stop courtesy of colliding into the wall. He groaned, hand on head, as he tried to gather his wits.
Blearily opening his eyes, Rosan sarcastically thanked Doc for all that pain training he had been put through. Fortifying his body, had definitely played a hand in his survival as
well. Before, he'd either have been knocked unconscious by the raw power of the fishman or dead. Now, while still pretty injured, he was mostly dazed (he could possibly have a
concussion) and could recover from this.
As he looked at Kenzo, Rosan saw the source of his trouble.
The man was covered in what had to be detachable spikes. A large amount of the spikes were missing from his back and they were no doubt the ones currently making
acquaintances with his stomach. Rosan looked at the mess of his opponents shirt, as the fishman desperately tried to stave off the bleeding of his missing leg. He was using his
shredded shirt as a sort of wrap to apply pressure onto the gaping wound.
Detachable spikes…just his luck. Rosan had calculated a lot of possibilities, but a fishman who could detach his spikes was not one of them. He knew they were for protection but
the extent of that protection was lost to him.
Could pufferfish even do that?
"Are you okay Rosan?" Mod-chan asked worriedly. That punch had been incredibly strong and the Fishman connected all of it. She wanted to make sure Rosan was okay to keep
going. If Mod had to, she would take over his body and finish the fight for him.
Gingerly touching his nose, Rosan winced a bit and verified that it was broken. He let out a grunt as he forcefully straightened it into place and began gingerly picking the spikes
out of his body. "I'll be fine Mod-chan. I modified my body so that it was more resistant to poison and thanks to Doc poisoning me so often, I've built quite the tolerance," The
redhead informed her. "Please ensure that my body is properly checking and purging any foreign sources though."
"Right. We should wrap this up now so I can focus my full attention on healing your injuries. He only has one leg and he's losing a lot of blood. Seeing as you
can still move normally, this fight is as good as over." Mod-chan said with a proud smile on her face.
Nodding in agreement, Rosan ripped the last spike out of his body with barely a wince. His movement managed to catch Kenzo's eyes and he soaked in the sheer surprise and fear
the man displayed.
He had probably not been expecting Rosan to get up from the combination of poison, pain, and power behind that punch. Maybe on anybody else, Kenzo would have already won
the match.
But Rosan wasn't anybody else.
And now, it was time for the finale.
"WHAT AN AMAZING TURN OF EVENTS. IN A SHOCK TO ABSOLUTELY EVERYBODY, ROSAN HAS GOTTEN BACK UP! INCREDIBLE! IS THIS BOY A MACHINE?! A
MONSTER?! A DEMON?!" The commentators grating voice rang out.
Rosan ignored the annoying voice in favor of slowly bending over to pick up his scythe. He'd have to move a bit slower, lest he aggravate his injuries, but it would be more than
enough to finish the fight. "Decrease." Rosan intoned as the size of the scythe decreased looking much more like a Kama.
"Kenzo…," Rosan began making eye contact with the fishman. "...I'm impressed. You were the only one capable of injuring me to such a degree. You have my respect and as such
I will give you the death you deserve. Stand up. Die fighting."
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