Ussop was looking at the two men who were standing at the top of the hill and had to ask, "Are you really that strong, do you really think you can take them all on?"
"Yep, as long as I have my Omnitrix. Oh, Zoro's good too." said Luffy as if he was discussing the weather and not in a fight to the death.
"Me, we don't have time to mess around. It's time for all of you to get stronger, using my awesome power. Look at my ring! When I say, One, two... Jango, you will become stronger. Every wound will mend and you will gain the strength of a giant." said the enemy Captain, as he pulled out his ring and swung it from side to side as he faced his men. All of the enemy pirates were looking at the ring carefully.
Usopp heard Luffy asked what is was they were doing before Nami answered, "They are hypnotising themselves to become stronger. Their captain seems to be a powerful hypnotist, but I'm not sure if it's going to work."
"One... Two.. Jango! " spoke the other weird man as he continued to spin his bladed ring. What shocked the defenders was the enemies had stopped their bleeding and had seemed to loose all signs of fatigue, more over they were flexing their muscles as if they had all of the strength in the world as they screamed in a berserker rage. The one of them smashed their fist into the side of the cliff as it caused boulders to fall down as a test of their improved strength.
"They've been hypnotized to the point where they're overwhelming their body's self-preservation to gain strength and healing." shouted Nami as she placed her hands on the sides of her head.
Usopp could not resist adding as he moved back with the palms of his hands, "If each one of them is able to smash, with that many men they should be able to turn us into jelly."
"Get rid of them, NOW! " shouted Jango as he pointed to the defenders on the hill. Like men possessed they charged up the hill with inhuman speed.
Zoro pointed back the village as he told the wounded Nami and Usopp, "Both of you get out of here. You're in no shape to battle. Me and Luffy will take care of the..."
Zoro was stopped by the flash of green light, which caused him to turn his captain... only to see a mostly red, gray and blue giant standing at the top of the hill. Zoro then saw the look on the face of the giant, which was pure rage, but the swordsman was looking for was glazed eyes. He couldn't tell as the eyes were all the same colour. Luffy cried out the name of this monster, "MR. BIG!"
Nami looked back and then turned to Usopp, "I hope your villagers are deep sleepers and late risers, otherwise you're going to need a major class lie to get them to believe nothing is happening this morning. Damn Luffy, why in hell are you so easy to hypnotise."
Yet events had started to move as Luffy in his Mr. Big form was charging the pirates which were coming towards him... and didn't stop as he stomped them into the ground of the cliff pass. He made sure to get each and every pirate as his feet pushed down on them, yet from what Usopp saw they were still alive. Flatten and knocked out, sure, but he could see their chest moving up and down. This study on what was happen was secondary in his mind, as Usopp was looking at his friend turning into a giant monster and plowing through the enemy pirates.
The giant soon was at the beach where Jango's ship was located, which the giant then took a moment to lift it up into the air. In the air, he pulled out both the stem of the ship with it's cat's head figurehead and then pulled off the mass from the ship before he dropped it to the ground. He turned back to Jango carrying the long objects like they were weapons, which caused the man in shades to act fast.
"One.. two.. Jango... and you will fall asleep. One! Two! Jango!" said the man as he used his ring again and hoped the straw-hatted man turn giant could see it. The success was revealed when the giant fell backwards and almost sunk the pirate ship, the giant waves caused by the fall didn't help the ship either.
Jango spoke to himself as he tried to cause his breath and hope his pants were wet from sweat and not something else, "That brat almost single handedly stopped the plan. Hell, he was was ready to take us all to hell with him. If Captain Kuro saw that he would kill the rest of us."
"Mon-mon-mon-mon..." said Usopp as he was still trying to figure out what was happening.
"Looks like Luffy finished all of the pirates. Do you think he's all right?" asked Nami as she and the long nosed boy sat on the sidelines, staff leaning on her shoulder.
"Doubt that anything could hurt that giant form of his, but you had better worry about yourselves and your wounds. Cause I doubt it's over this easily." said the green haired man as he placed one of his trio of swords on his shoulder.
"What the hell is it you idiots are doing out there?" asked a voice from the ship, which was followed by a second mysterious voice.
"Yeah, we were sleeping in here."
A few of the stomped pirates were gaining conciousness again as they answered the voices, "That's the Niabun Brothers. We're saved! "
"So there's more people on that ship. Wonder why that is?" asked Zoro as he seemed curious at why these two were kept back.
Elsewhere...
Kuro was walking through the sleep village when he had seen the suddent appearance of a giant... at the beach where his men were waiting to invade. He was pushing up his glasses as he was deciding what to do next... other then see if he would be killing a giant this morning... along with the rest of his men for making him wait.
Behind him, hidden was Tamanegi who was talking to himself quietly.
"Why is that caretaker heading for the north coast so early in the morning? " asked the young man as he was lurking in the back ground.
At the manner house...
Kaya had woken up again from a nightmare. She had seen Usopp trying to aduct her again, grabbing her from her window as well as the Usopp mentioning the insult to his pirate blood. She was puzzled what her friend had betrayed and turned on her like that? The things he had said about Clahador had been so shocking they had to be untrue... how could Usopp think the gentle and caring man was such a cruel pirate? It was just not possible.
Which had lead her to knock on the door of that same servant as he moved in the silent and huge house. She opened the door... to the sight of her good friend and servant Merry on the floor in a pool of blood. All she could do in that moment was scream the man's name as she went to see if she could revive him, terrorified the man had already passed into the next world.
Merry coughed up some blood as she rolled him over to his back from where he had laid on his stomach. The sheep haired man had taken moments to catch his breath before saying, "It's good to see that you are still safe, Miss Kaya."
Tears had been pouring on her face, but she had to know, "Still safe? What are you talking about?"
"Clahador! " was the reply in a tone as harsh as a blizzard. Merry continued, "He... he tried to kill me"
Kaya turned pale and felt her blood turned cold, remembering the words of the man in question as he told her if he could not protect her he would not be able to face her father in heaven. This had to be a lie, she told Merry this himself. His answer shocked her even more.
"He's a pirate! " These words Merry spoke brought the words of Usopp back to her.
"What Usopp had said yesterday when he tried to kidnap me..."
"Yes, Usopp is the only person who knew about this. He tried so hard to protect us, even when we wouldn't believe him due to his previous lies." said Merry, which cause Kaya to flash back to Usopp's words the day before.
"You'll understand tomorrow. We have to go now! Please believe me!" echoed in her mind as she realized they had been protecting the wrong person. Had chase a man who was trying to be a hero to this village from the same village as if he had been a monster. They had even shot the boy as if he was a lowly criminal and he had tried to save her life. All she could think of was what she had done to him, what they had all done to them.
Merry tried to get on his feet, rolling so he was facing the floor again but with the difference of his hands being out. He kept coughing, trying to clear the blood from his throat. He tried to calm her down with his words, "No one has made any movies yet, so we should try and keep calm. Clahador has left the mansion, looking for the rest of his pirate crew. If he has a crew even a fraction as powerful as he was, then not only us but everyone in the village is in danger.
If all he wants is treasure, then it might be best to give him all the money he can take if it gets rid of him. Which means you're the only person who can stop him."
"I'm not going to run away. I'll try to convince him to take my money and leave the island." replied Kaya between her sobs.
Back in the village...
"The caretaker went to the north coast. And there was some kind of giant on the same coast." replied Tamanegi as he gather his friends early in the morning.
"Stop sleeping, Ninjin" called out Piiman, the pepper headed boy, as he pointed to the other boy.
"It's way too early. I'm usually sleeping right now, so that's why I keep falling asleep." said the boy with his hair covering his eyes.
"This is no time for sleeping, it's a emergency. I think pirates, and maybe giants, are invading us, even if the Captain said he was lying about the invasion." said the boy with the onion like head.
"I agree." said Piiman in agreement with the first boy.
"The Captain was acting weird yesterday... weirdier then usual." said Ninjin as they took a moment to think things over. They were interrupted by a sickly woman in an overcoat.
"Miss Kaya?" asked the pepper boy with shock echoed on his face and the faces of his friends.
Ninjin asked the obvious question, "Why is she all alone?"
Tamanegi gave the answer, "Something must have happened! "
Back on the beach...
Zoro was thinking on what kind of pirate was going to appear from the ship, even asking it outloud. Luffy's omnitrix had timed out and he had turned back into his human form, which lay on the sands of the beach. One of the pirates Luffy had crushed was laughing as he added, "You're going to die now."
The werido hypnotist yelled out a command, "Get out here, Nyaban Brothers!"
"Eh? Is the Captain calling us." asked the first voice, which was responded by the second voice.
"They haven't left yet for the village? Why are they still stuck here?"
The first one spoke up again, "Looks like everyone has been beaten up by someone. Who could have done that?"
"Don't know, but it looks like we don't have to hid ourselves anymore. Let's go!" said the second character as the two figure jumped from the ship and landed next to their captain.
The first one was a thin like man in a vest and shorts, with black boots which covered his shins. A bow was on his shirt, which with the cat eats on his head and the clawed gloves in his hands made him look like a cat made human.
The second was more stout, looking more like an oni then a cat. He had cat ears too and a spot over his left eye. His clawed gloves were white compaired to his brother's black one. He wore no shirt, his pants were stripped. He wore books which looked more like shoes, but both his and his brother shoes looked like paws.
Nami asked who were they, while Usopp was commenting how power they must be to jump the distance they did from ship to the cliff pass. Zoro did not respond as he studied his enemy. It was not a question as to if they were powerful opponents, it was more how powerful they were and what weapons they would be using.
The hypnotist spoke to the two men, "Buchi, Sham, no matter what happens we have to get out of the slope and into the village. But as you can see, we have some road bumps. I want to to steamroll all of them to clear our way up and out."
The way they reacted surprised Zoro as they turned into cowards as the first brother spoke, "I don't think I can do it. Don't you agree, Buji?"
"I don't think so either. That man with the swords looks too strong for us." replied the fatter brother, to the thin one who must be Sham.
Zoro was confused at why these were, as Usopp said, the enemy Captain's secret weapon if they were such cowards. They even started to turn and retreat from the defenders on the slope, yet their Captain had managed to force them up the hill.
Zoro had rejudged the two of them to be weaklings and was upset at this, 'How can I become the strongest swordsman in the world if I only get to fight such weaklings? Still if they get up here, I'm cutting them to pieces. Better warn them that.'
He warned them, but they kept coming. It was as the thin brother arrived, his claw caught Zoro's one sword. Which made Zoro re-examine the situation again, 'The cowardly reaction, must be a way they make their opponets think they're weak before they attack with power.'
"You think I'm a weakling right? Truth is, I have the spirit of a cat right now. Looking for something?" asked the brother, as Zoro looked down as saw his two other swords missing. Looking at the cat-man, he saw his opponent had the two blades.
"Give me back my swords... Now!" said the former pirate hunter as he looked at the man.
"But you have your sword... it's in your hands right now," came the reply from the cat-man, before continuing, "But I'm not going to need my swords right now."
Sham tossed the two swords backwards as they tumbled down the hill to the bottom of the slope. Zoro stood silent as his eyes dilated, which cause his opponent to ask if they should begin. Zoro's answer, "You should learn to take better care of other people's things, especially another man's swords."
With superhuman speed, Zoro slashed at the thin man before him as the green haired man passed them. Zoro was almost to his swords when he was asked, "What are you cutting?"
"Sorry, but I think you missed me." said Sham as Zoro felt something jump on his back and grab his arms.
To answer Zoro's question on how he could have missed the man was answered Usopp, "He was wearing a baggy shirt to hid the fact he's super-skinny! Zoro only managed to cut the shirt and air."
"Let's get him, Buchi!" called out the thin brother to his fatter one. Zoro was forced head down on the ground with his neck clear as the other brother headed their way. He called out, "Killing technique, Cat Pounce! "
Zoro saw the fat one jumping into the air and a pawed foot coming towards his green head, instinct took over and Zoro managed to roll out of the way, which knocked the thin one off him. Zoro could hear the sound of the earth and rocks crack and break under that foot as he moved out of it's path. The first mate scambled to his feet as the brothers complained on how Sham should have held Zoro tightier. He realized, 'If that could break rock, it could have shattered all of my bones with ease. Worse, it looks like they are going to make a second pass and I'm not so great at single sword techniques. Going to have to work on that.'
The brothers used an attack they called the "Cat's Claws Technique", which seemed like a rapid attack with the clawed gloves they were wearing. The claws acted like razor sharp knives which had had to deflect with his single blade, which he did but would have been easier with his other two blade present. Then the worse thing happened, Usopp tried to help.
Usopp had fired one of his marbles from his slingshot, likely realizing just defending is not the best thing Zoro could be doing. Yet the green haired man knew if that marble hit the brothers, they two of them would turn their attention on the two defenseless wounded. So Zoro took the shot by moving his body so it could get hit. He was hurt, but he could still defend.
Then Nami took off like a shot down the hill, causing the swordsman to aske what is happening. As he made the connection she was after the swords, so had the hypnotist... who slashed her with his ring as she passed him to get to the blades. Yet then everything froze as a feeling of dread and fear passed though the enemy pirates, even Zoro could feel the emotions coming off of them. Cries of the name of Kuro and the fact they were all going to die passed.
The former caretaker was yelling at the top of his lungs, "Dawn has passed and my plan has still not been completed. What the hell are you doing?"
He then added more calmly before shouting at his minion, "Don't tell me that you have been stopped by these rats! Have the Black Cat pirates been a bunch of weaklings since I left? Like these vermin? Have they Jango?"
"You told me that kid wouldn't effect our plans, didn't you sir?" was enemy Captain's reply, sweating under his dark hat.
"Yes. I told you that. So what? It shouldn't be a problem if the kid tries to stop us, you should know that. It just seems you weren't as strong as I thought you were. I don't want to hear any kind of excuses right now." said the well dressed man which seemed to annoy the cat brothers.
"It was true that you 'were' strong, three years ago. You were, however, in this village... getting soft from the easy life. We, on the other hand, were invading towns and sinking ships" came the collective reply from the two brothers as they looked at the man at the top of the hill.
Zoro knew what was going to happen next. All of the years away from their feared true Captain had caused them to believe they had grown stronger then him, which for many pirates meant they didn't have to obey his commands any longer. Most pirates only served under the strongest person, if that person was to lose their power, then a mutiny would be quick in coming.
'Kuro doesn't look strong having been a butler all of these years under peoples noses... but I was wrong about the Nyaban brothers. They could be wrong about Kuro... which would be a deadly mistake to make given his actions.' thought the swordsman as he tried to figure out what was going to happen next.
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(Posted Wed, 23 Mar 2011 17:39)
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