"Hey! Oars!" He tilts his head up to look at them. "Moria stuffed Luffy's shadow into you...but that just means that you shouldn't underestimate the strength of the crew." Oars suddenly breaks out into laughter as he stares down at them.
"Hahahahaha~! You puny pirates sure are tough!" laughs Oars. Without another word he suddenly stands, and leaps high into the sky before smashing down in front of them. Not a single one of them flinch or move despite the impact tremors and rush of air that assaults them.
"Just throwing this out there," Zoro begins. "What do you guys think of sending him flying?"
"Dahahahaha~! I really like that idea!" Run agrees, grinning.
"I bet it would be a blast," Sanji adds.
"N-No!" cries Usopp quickly. "Hold on! You guys said...send him flying? Do you really think we can do that to that behemoth?"
"I was really surprised when he started jumping around like Luffy," Zoro muses, smirking. "I'd never expect something so big to actually be so agile, too."
"Still, he isn't fit to be the King of the Pirates," Robin tells them.
"The real question is how to topple him," Franky mutters. "We can go about it multiple ways."
"We'll have to bring him down to our level first," Run says. "We could start at his ankles and work our way up. Even as big as he is if we hit his achilles tendon that'll probably drop him in a heart beat. Hmm, I'd say that's the best way to go about it."
"Enough talking," Oars grunts. "Just go crunch already." He leaps up into the air high above them. "Gum-Gum...Butt Drop!" The giant comes smashing down, landing on his behind as they all dodge out of the way. While they're all moving away he suddenly focuses his attention on Franky. "Gum-Gum..." Oars raises his giant fist in the air.
"Oi, Franky! He's targeting you!"
"...Hammer!" Franky dodges out of the way of his huge fist, and slides back across the ground.
"Damn punk!" growls Franky, dropping the huge stone nuchuku he's carrying. "You're just beggin' me to show you who's boss!" He suddenly takes off sprinting towards Usopp and Chopper. "Behold our forces combined! Guys! It's time for tactics number fifteen!" The two of them seem surprised by the cyborg's decision but follow after him none-the-less as he changes course for Sanji and Zoro. "Zoro! Curly! Enter stand-by!"
"Stand-by?" echos Sanji.
"Just get ready to hold my legs!" Robin and Run watch them from a distance, confused about what exactly the three are planning. They find out in short order as they're forced to watch their 'Pirates Docking: Six'...it's a 'technique' that makes Run laugh so hard that tears actually being falling down his cheeks. Robin, on the other hand, stands in complete silence. It takes Chopper only a few seconds to realize that no one is clinging to Franky's left arm. "W-Wait, what?! Nico Robin! Hurry up! Dock onto my left arm, already!"
"No," Robin says firmly. "That would hurt my pride as a human." Chopper, Franky and Usopp are all taken aback by her plain and blunt words. "It really would hurt my pride as a human."
"Dahahahaha~! Aw, c'mon, it's pretty funny!" Run laughs, giving her a gentle nudge in their direction. "Go on." Robin immediately turns to glare at the red head who is facing away from her, staring up at the sky. "Huh. That cloud kinda looks like a bear. I'll be."
"So, you're not going to dock?" Oars actually asks, earning their attention. "You guys got me all worked up for nothing! C'mon, do it!" Oars raises one of his hands and swings it towards them. "Dock with him!" He knocks Usopp, Franky and Chopper right off of Sanji and Zoro's shoulders. The three sail across the court-yard and smash into the near-by wall.
"Robin!" shouts Franky. "We could have become Robot Warrior Big Emperor!"
"Don't ask me to 'dock' with you again," Robin tells them. "Ever." Zoro stabs two of his swords into Franky's discarded nuchuku, and hefts the huge weapon over his shoulder. Sanji grabs Oars' attention by suddenly kicking a huge rock into the side of his head.
"Oi! Robin!" calls Zoro, sprinting towards the red giant. "Go for his joints when I whack his left arm!" Oars turns to face their cook, bracing himself as he cocks back.
"You little shrimp!" growls Oars. "Gum-Gum...!"
"Now, Usopp!" demands Sanji.
"Got it!" replies Usopp. "Special Attack! Special Oil Star! Three Chamber Shot!" The oil balls strike Oars hand that he's bracing himself with, and immediately slips out from under him.
"Oi! Red!" screams Zoro, glancing back at the red head. "Send me flying!" With a grin, Run nods and disappears from view only to reappear in his path. He lowers his stance and cups his hands as Zoro rapidly approaches. "Alright! Here we go..." He leaps up, and steps onto Run's palms before the red head sends him flying skyward towards Oars easily. "...Super Fencing!" Zoro strikes the giant in his outstretched arm with ease.
"Cien Fluers!" announces Robin, thousands of arms sprouting skyward from Oars shoulder. "Big Tree!" The arms quickly tie up his left arm before twisting it around behind his back. "Clutch!" Franky and Chopper rush towards the off-balance giant. Their shipwright builds a hasty staircase to get them up to his head before they leap off towards him.
"Take this! Super...Frapper...Gong!" Their fists connect with Oars' jaw so hard that it completely stuns the giant. "Run! Hit him, too! Aim for his chin...and ring his bell!"
"Alright!" shouts Run, dashing in their direction and leaping up with ease. "Now...Sea King's Bite!" A resounding 'boom!' accompanies the strike, and it sends the giant reeling. He smashes shoulder first into the near-by building, nearly leveling it with his massive body. The only thing keeping him standing is one leg. Sanji takes a long drag from his cigarette and exhales a grey cloud.
"That leg," begins Sanji. "That's all that's keeping you standing...but not for long!" The cook launches himself at the disoriented giant, gliding through the air towards his leg. "Bad Manner...Kick Course!" Sanji smashes into his ankle, and with a loud grunt knocks it out from under him. He smashes into the very building supporting him, landing upside down and nearly toppling it completely. Usopp celebrates immediately, cheering loudly as he stares at the toppled zombie. They slowly approach him, standing several meters away when they stop.
"You all...you're a bunch of meanies!" complains Oars. "Now I'm pissed! I'm gonna send the whole lot of you flying!" Although he says that...he remains absolutely still. "H-Huh? M-My horns! My horns are stuck too deep in the ground!" A gleam appears in the eyes of all present, when causes cold beads of sweat to roll down Oars' face. "W-Wait a second..."
"Ooh~," drawls Franky. "What's that you say? Your horns are stuck?"
"Oh-ho!" grunts Run, grinning. "How unfortunate!" They calmly approach the stuck giant...and deliver a quick and sound beating.
"Aaaah! Give it a rest!" screams Oars, suddenly breaking free. The crew falls back immediately, eventually coming to a stop some distance away. "You're all like a bunch of devils!" They stare up at the red giant who seems to have shrugged off their attacks easily enough.
"Wow! Even tossing him around didn't seem to phase him! He's as tough as he is big!"
"To stand a chance against that monster," begins Franky. "It looks like our only choice is really going to be Tactic's Fifteen!"
"That's right!" agrees Usopp. "I'm confident it would have worked earlier if Robin had gone along with it!"
"Don't ask me to do that!" Robin snaps back, and crossing her arms in irritation.
"Relax, relax," Run begins, reaching out and giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "They're just playing around." Robin turns away from them and Run glances at Franky, motioning across his neck with his free hand and shaking his head quickly.
"You dumbasses!" Sanji shouts at them. "There's no way that Robin would do something so humiliating!" The cook pauses for a moment as if lost in thought, and a sudden perverse grin splits his face. "Actually, I might want to see Robin dock after all, ehehe~." He feels a sharp gaze land on him, and he slowly glances over his shoulder. 'Pissed' might be an accurate word to describe exactly how Robin appears. "K-Kidding! I was totally kidding, Robin! R-Run, give me a--"
"A-Alright, relax. They're just having some--" She turns her attention to the red head slowly. "--ahem! Let me begin their apology by saying that--"
"Alright, enter stand-by, men!" announces Franky. "Pirates Docking Three!" Just as before, Chopper perches on top of Franky's head and Usopp clings to his right arm. "Oi, curly! Lend me a hand, err, actually lend me your leg! Gimme a boost!"
"Fine!" Sanji agrees. "I like your drive! Go! Armee de l'Air Robot Shoot!" Sanji sends the three of them sailing through the air, and to actually land on top of Oars' head. Maybe it's because they were actually expecting...well, they aren't sure what they WERE expecting but the attack is little more than some stomping and taunting. All of it rather ineffective, at least until they rile Oars up enough to actually make him punch himself in the face in an attempt to squash them.
"Well? How does it feel to ring your own bell?"
"Good job! It went just as I planned! Did you see, Robin? Well done, Pirates Docking Three!"
"Here it comes! The second knock down!" Oars shakes his head violently, and then braces himself before he falls. "Dang! We were so close!"
"Man, he can really take some punishment," Run takes a step towards Oars, and Usopp suddenly thrusts his arm out. "What wrong, Usopp?"
"Just wait a second," Usopp tells him. "I've got an idea."
"Aah, look, I'm all for having a bit of fun but maybe now isn't--"
"Just hear me out!" Everyone turns to look at him in response. "It looks like he hasn't completely lost his memories. Remember the way he reacted, and whined when Robin wouldn't dock with us? Doesn't that remind you guys of Luffy? So, when you get down to it...doesn't that mean he shares all of Luffy's weaknesses?" It finally dawns on all of them seconds later, and they scatter. "Oohhh! Look! It's a mountain of meat!"
"Meat?!" grunts Oars. "Where?! Where is it?!" Franky and Zoro attack him from behind the next second, knocking the red giant to his knees. "Aah. This is so embarrassing. There's no meat...and I was knocked to my knees." Franky laughs in response.
"Good job!" cheers Franky. "All we've got to do is just keep knocking him down until Luffy beats Moria! Hurry up and get your shadow back, Straw Hat!"
"Why wait?" Zoro questions him. "All we've got to do is just take down this big lug."
"Whoa, wait a second! Weren't we just keeping him busy so that he doesn't get in Luffy's way?! Do you seriously think you can beat it?!" Zoro grips the tsuka of his newly acquired sword with a feral grin on his face.
"I'm just accepting the fight he picked. What's wrong with that?"
"It doesn't matter how much you cut him up! He's a zombie! The only way that we can win is to purify him!"
"You could always just run away," Sanji tells him. "I don't plan on waiting for Luffy, either."
"Guess there's really no other option," agrees Run, grinning. "Can't leave him to just stomp around, after all!" While Usopp, Chopper and Franky are beside themselves with worry, Robin only giggles in response.
"Looks like there's no stopping them," Robin tells them. Oars stands up slowly, and raises one of his massive fists. Zoro responds by drawing his newly acquired sword. It's a solid black blade with a crimson saw-toothed Hamon. The red head whistles in appreciation, having recognized it the moment it left it's saya. It is, without a doubt, the O-Wazamono Grade blade Shusui. It's widely renown for both it's durability and destructive capability.
"Supposedly this sword won't bend a millimeter even if a dinosaur steps on it," Zoro mutters. "This sounds like the perfect chance to test it out! Oi!Your next opponent is going to be me!" Oars launches his fist down at Zoro, who redirects with a loud grunt. "It's far heavier than Yubashiri...but that added weight means..." He raises his swords quickly. "Three Sword Style...108 Pound Phoneix!" Zoro watches wide-eyed as the wave created by Shusui completely swallows the others. "It absorbed the others?" Oars dodges the attack at the last second, and it slams into the wall behind him. A huge half-moon is blown in the stone...although it's far from a clean cut, it's still extremely impressive.
"Shusui's slash absorbed the slashes from the other two and became one big one...but that excess damage...it really isn't the most compliant of swords. It's proof that I haven't mastered it, yet." He holds the weapon out as if to examine the blade. "You really gave me a great blade, Ryuma!"
"Dahahaha~! That's some sword you picked up, Zoro!" Run praises.
"You're good!" Oars announces. "I bet that really would have hurt if it would have hit me, you bastard!" He raises one of his giant feet before smashing it down again and again towards the swordsman. "I'm gonna trample you! Stay still and let me step on you!" Zoro dodges this way and that avoiding his massive foot before eventually launching himself at the giant. A powerful blow from his swords knocks Oars' foot out from under him, and sends him toppling.
"Got you! Now! Three Sword--"
"I'm gonna flatten you!" He drops direction in Zoro's direction, intending to crush him under his body. The swordsman jumps back quickly, barely avoiding his massive body. He disappears into the resulting dust cloud as Oars finally stands himself up. "Damn it...I missed...and I can't see anything through all this dust!"
"Three Sword Style...108 Pound Phoenix!" Oars snaps his head back, and barely avoids Zoro's attack. He jumps out of the dust and lands beside the group.
"Zoro!" shouts Usopp. "Don't do anything crazy! Seriously! Even if by some chance you manage to defeat him, all you'd get out of it is Luffy's shadow! Your and Sanji's shadows would still be missing! But if Luffy takes down Moria everyone will get their shadows back immediately! You don't need to get hurt fighting an immortal zombie giant! Let's just place our trust in Luffy and keep this guy busy!"
"I do trust Luffy...but even he has a weakness."
"Aah, it's most definitely trickery," asserts Run, earning Usopp's attention. "Think about what we've found so far; an invisible man, a girl who can control ghosts, and finally Moria. Everyone we've fought on this island is skilled in deception and deceit. There's no way that they're going to fight Luffy head-to-head. When morning comes, if Luffy still hasn't taken down Moria, then we're going to be down three fighters. At the very least, we need to get Luffy's shadow back. That way he can give us a hand when sunrise comes."
"I'd say we've got about thirty minutes before sunrise," Franky surmises. "But with these foggy waters, the sunlight won't hit everywhere."
"The fog is the only thing in our favor right now," Sanji adds. "With sunrise on the horizon, the feeling of annihilation is setting in. We don't have any time to waste." The whole ship begins shaking violently several seconds later, nearly knocking all of them to their knees as a result. "What's going on now?!"
"L-Look! The fog!"
"Aah, c'mon, give us a break here!" complains Run, staring up at a now clear sky. In fact, everything is clear enough to see the stars over head. When morning comes...there's going to be nowhere for Luffy, Sanji and Zoro to hide. As if they weren't already behind the eight-ball!
"Damn it! Why now of all times?!" shouts Usopp. "With that thick fog gone, the morning sun is going to shine right down on all of us! Haven't we got enough problems without...wh...waaah! I-It's Moria!"
"Where?!" demands Chopper. "Where is he?!" All of them quickly search their surroundings, looking for the Shichibukai.
"Why is he here? What happened to Luffy?" Just like the rest of them, Oars begins looking around for the man.
"Well, well, look who finally showed up?" Run says, motioning with his chin to Oars stomach. "Still if he's been hollow this whole time, then that really explains the agility." Oars finally seems to notice Moria sitting in his gut and laughs loudly.
"Well, I'll be!" laughs Oars. "I've got a cock-pit in my tummy! Look at that!" He laughs again as he pokes at the 'cock-pit'. "I'm like a giant robot! From now on I'm, uh...Oarsbomber! Nice to meet all of you! I'm totally psyched that I get to be a giant robot!"
"Oars!" calls Moria quickly. "Calm down! Don't get so hyped up!" When the red giant finally calms himself down Moria laughs and looks down at them. "Ok, punks! I'm gonna give all of you a chance to fight me! If you win, then you can set all the shadows free! All of you feel free to attack me at once! But if you can't defeat Oars, then you'll never pull me out of him!"
"That's just dirty!" Usopp complains.
"If we don't defeat Moria we can't purify Oars," asserts Chopper. "But now we've got to take down Oars just to get to Moria."
"We're gonna need a boat load of salt!" Run says aloud, staring up at the massive Oars. "That's the only way we're going to stop Oars." He glances over his shoulder at the man. "Usopp! Go find as much salt as possible! In the mean time, we're going to try to weaken him as much as possible!"
"Alright!" shouts Usopp, taking off running toward the only exit in the square. "I'll take care of this! I'm pretty sure that there was a kitchen in the first mansion we went to!"
"So that's your plan!" laughs Moria. "I thought you were raring to go but it looks like you guys are just going after some salt! Oi! Oars! Crush the path to the mansion along with that long nosed guy! Make it impossible for them to get to the kitchen!"
"Usopp, heads up!" screams Zoro in warning. Oars massive fist closes in on the sprinting Usopp in a heart-beat, smashing the exit and obscuring their sniper. "Usopp!" Chopper sprints towards the destroyed exit, looking around for Usopp in all the rubble.
"Shit!" Sanji growls. "That big lug is actually using his head now that Moria is pulling the strings!"
"Usopp!" cries Chopper. "Usopp, where are you?!"
"He's alright!" announces a voice from above. Brook drops out of the sky, carrying Usopp and a huge bag labelled 'Salt'. "I thought that you guys might need salt, so I gathered it in bulk!"
"Brook! You look like you're doing a lot better!"
"Indeed! Yohoho~! Although I was badly injured, I still drug my battered body to the kitchen in search of salt! Upon stumbling across some milk, I happily drank it and now just take a look at me! I'm truly better! Milk helps mend broken bones, after all!"
"Either way, you're just in time," Sanji says. "With the path to the kitchen cut off, Brooks salt is our last chance now." Moira's obnoxious laughter reaches their ears seconds later.
"You lot should be glad that I decided to join the fray," Moria tells them. "And I'd be extremely careful if I were you! I'm not simply a passenger here! I am going to show all of you the ultimate nightmare!" His laughter follows a second time.
"You," growls Brook. "I shall fight in this battle as well, then! I'll give it my all! It will be impossible to repay the debt I owe you all for recovering my shadow but I'll fight to my fullest regardless!" A loud 'crack!' sounds seconds later, and Brook slumps over with a whimper. "I...I'm still so stiff."
"Dahahahaha~! Alright, just take it easy, Brook!" laughs Run. "We'll make sure to get you an opening!" Zoro, Sanji, Chopper and Run go charging forward seconds later. Chopper stops at the base of a large tower, one of the few that hasn't been crushed completely. Sanji and Run come to a stop several meters away while Zoro continues on.
"Here we go, Zoro!" calls Chopper, changing into his Heavy Point and cupping his hands. Zoro jumps towards their doctor, lands on his hands and gets sent flying up to the top of the tower.
"Three Sword Style," begins Zoro. "Great Buddha Slayer!" He hacks the tower into several large sections before landing beside Sanji, Chopper and Run. Sanji rushes forward the moments his feet touch the ground.
"Eat this! Jenga Cannon!" announces Sanji, kicking one of the chunks at Oars. It connects with his ribs, and sends the now suddenly flaming giant stumbling in the opposite direction. "Have seconds! Thirds! Fourths! Fifths! And sixths!" Each part of the tower is launched at Oars quickly, while Run draws his cutlass. "And now...you! Go, red hair!" Run dashes towards Sanji, and jumps up when he extends one of his legs. "Armee de l'Air Crimson Shoot!"
"Stinking jerk!" complains Oars. "You're annoying!" With a single blow he sends five of the pieces sailing away from him in the direction of Robin, Brook and Franky. Run appears before the giant, passing by his out-stretched arm quickly.
"Churning Tide!" announces Run, moonlight briefly flashing off the edge of the dark blade. Huge gashes appear on Oars' forearm...and begin racing up his arm all the way to the shoulder as if they've a mind of their own. Oars' right arm falls limply at his side, and the giant glances at it in confusion just as Run lands back with Zoro, Chopper and Sanji.
"Eh? That's weird...I can't move my arm."
"Man, that arm of yours is tough!"
"Good job!" cheers Sanji. "Zombie or not, he won't be able to use his arm for a while like that!" Zoro stares at the cuts as well, eyes narrowing in response. Each one is clean, deep and precise...has he been capable of this the whole time? "Look!" All eyes turn towards a blur flying right towards Oars.
"This is going to be...SUPER~!" bellows Franky. "I use this trench mortar against Sea Kings! I'm gonna fill ya full of holes, Moria!" Franky fires several shots at Moria, and Oars responds by dodging completely out of the way. He braces himself on an arm and leg. "Seriously?!" Oars launches out a foot, and kicks Franky into one of the nearby buildings, pulverizing part of the wall. He falls to the ground, surrounded by crushed stone where he lies motionless.
"Franky!" screams Usopp. The cyborg coughs violently, and lies spread eagle on the ground.
"You're not done yet, Oars," Moria tells him. "He's still hanging on by a thread. Finish him off!" Oars grunts in acknowledgement and raises one of his feet, intending to stomp the life out of Franky. Zoro, Chopper, Sanji and Run go rushing towards the red giant. Before they can cover the distance, however, he suddenly struck by a bolt of lightning. It's so strong that it forces the giant to his knees, and almost makes him plant face first into the ground as he braces himself with his undamaged arm.
"Lightning?" grunts Chopper in question. "It's...it's got to be...!"
"NAMI~!!" screams Sanji, staring up at a broken bridge. "It's Nami~! I'm so glad to see you~! Nami~!"
"Stop yelling!" Nami shouts back. "What are you going to do if he notices me?!" Sanji breaks out into tears, saying just how glad he is that Nami is safe. Oars growls and pushes himself up slowly, his gazing turning to their Navigator. "See?!"
"Woman, how dare you take us so lightly," Moria growls. "Oars! Show them all your true power!"
"Gum-Gum..." begins Oars, raising his unhurt arm.
"Usopp! Grab Franky!" Zoro orders. "Now is our chance!"
"...Pistol!" They all stare in wide-eyed shock as Oars' arm actually stretches out to strike what remains of the bridge. "It stretched. That's more like it. Everything feels right now." Nami's screams reach their ears, and they look up. Although she's screaming, Robin's arms are holding tight to her and lowering her to the ground. They quickly gather in front of Robin, Nami and Brook, ready for anything.
"That's impossible. How...?"
"There's only one Rubber Man in the whole world!" asserts Sanji. "How could he stretch his arm?!"
"Gum-Gum...Whip!" Oars screams, seconds before a massive foot sweeps towards them. They barely dodge they attack, confused about how exactly he's stretching his body despite the impossibility of it all.
"Damn it! It's like fighting a massive Luffy!" Oars jumps skyward seconds later.
"Gum-Gum...Bell!" His giant head comes stretching down, nearly crushing them a second time. "Now that my body can stretch I feel like I'm in the groove! Gum-Gum...Spear!" They impact from the attack sends all of them recoiling, avoiding his massive feet and the resulting chunks of concrete.
"It's like he's eaten the Gum-Gum Fruit!" Run shouts. "This one of your tricks, Moria?"
"Good guess, red hair," retorts Moria. "I'm making you live this nightmare with my Shadow-Shadow Fruit power Shadow Revolution!" Moria goes on to clarify that the power works by exploiting just how shadows work. A shadow will always copy whatever a body does. They're a mirror image of one another, and it's an iron-clad rule. But his power works by changing the shape of Oars' shadow, thus forcing the body to move, and contort itself in a manner similar. As if to demonstrate this power again, he forces Oars to contort himself into a giant ball...which them promptly begins rolling at them.
"Aah...bail?" They all turn, immediately, and begin running away from the massive 'ball' rolling at them. Fortunately, they only take a few steps before Oars stops.
"Oi, Master! Just a second here!" complains Oars. "This is my fight! Keep out of it!"
"My bad," replies Moria. "I got carried away. I'm just here to offer my assistance! Go on, Oars. Crush every one of them!"
"Can someone tell me where Luffy is?" Nami asks.
"He must have gotten tricked by Moria," Usopp tells her.
"Damn, he's such an idiot some times! Does this mean everyone isn't going to get their shadows back unless we beat both Oars and Moria?"
"Seems that way." Nami complains about the lack of time, which launches a small argument between her and Usopp.
"Excuse me!" Brook calls. "Please...I have a request! Please grant it for me!" Brooks request is...a strange one. But it might work. He wants Nami to use her Clima-Takt to electrify himself, Usopp's giant sling-shot to fire himself like a bolt at Oars, and Robin's Devil Fruit powers to impart spin. Without a better plan, they agree. If they can disable his other arm, after all, then they'll have one less thing to worry about! It takes only seconds to get everything set up. "Thank you for agreeing to this!"
"This seems like a bad idea."
"Being unable to repay a debt is even worse!" Nami creates the thunder clouds, and Usopp fires Brook off. Just like a bolt of lightning he goes sailing through the sky towards Oars. "Yohohoh~! The electricity is so strong you can see my bones! Ah, but I was bones to begin with! Yohoho~! Lightning Bone Sword...Gavotte Bond en Avant!" He pierces the through the red giant's left shoulder...and slams into a wall behind him, where he embeds himself.
"Well done, bones!" calls Zoro, rushing forward. "Two Sword Style...Nigiri...Tower Climb!" Oars recoils from the upward slashes.
"Why, you," begins Oars. "No...I'm going to finish the skeleton first!" Oars turns to Brook. "Gum-Gum...Battle Axe!" His foot smashes down on the wall Brook has embedded in, and demolishes it completely. Usopp digs into his bag quickly, and then loads his sling shot.
"Special Attack!" Usopp screams. "Atlas Comet!" Oars shields himself from the attack with his arm, and then turns his attention squarely on Usopp. Nami immediately runs out of the line of fire, leaving their sniper standing all alone.
"You're next, long nose!" He raises his unhurt arm. "Gum-Gum...Pistol!" Rather than stretch, however, his arm remains completely normal. "H-Huh? My arm isn't stretching? Why not?"
"Ochenta Fleurs. Cuatro Mano," Robin calmly states. Looking inside the 'cock-pit' in Oars stomach, they can see Robin's arms have grasped Moria in a choke-hold. "Could you stop manipulating his shadow for the time being? Hold!" They can see the veins on Moria's face and neck begin to bulge as the grip tightens.
"Do you think this will keep me out of the fight?" Moria questions. "Don't make me laugh, woman. Brick Bat." Moria's shadow grows out of Oars, and then begins to break apart into several ball shaped bats that barrel towards Robin rapidly. Unfortunately for Moria, they never reach their intended target as Run appears between them in an instant, cutlass held at the ready.
"Aah, 'fraid I'll have to cut in!" Run says with a grin. "Churning Tide." He cuts the first three into pieces...and again, the slashes seem to roll forward. They scar the ground, cleaving through stone, rubble and shadow. They're all blown away with the howl of wind and bite of steel. Rather than be irritated, Moria only laughs in response. "Huh. Not the reaction I was expecting."
"Robin! Behind you!" screams Sanji. Run turns quickly, and growls when he finds Moria's shadow growing out of the ground behind Robin.
"Now," begins Moria. "Let's see which of us is a more powerful long-distance power-holder!"
"Cuatro Mano!" shouts Robin. "Clutch!" There's a loud 'snap!' followed by an even louder scream. Run smirks, still watching the shadow...but it soon fades as he continues staring at the shadow. It begins laughing in the same, now irritating, manner as it's master.
"That was a close one! You almost had me! But Doppleman and I can switch places at any time! It's the shadow that was here until just a second ago...but unfortunately for you, he has no bones to break or joints to dislocate!" Moria reaches down before they can react, and grabs Robin's shadow. He stretches it up while at the same time producing a huge pair of scissors, and then promptly cuts her shadow from her. She pitches backwards, and Run catches her with his free hand before she strikes the ground. "I don't have anything to put it in...but I guess I'll take it anyway! It could prove to be useful later."
"You bastard!" growls Sanji, spinning rapidly. When he's finished, his left leg his glowing as if it's on fire from the knee down. "Diable Jambe!" He rushes the Shichibukai quickly, and leaps up to kick him in the face. "Give Robin's shadow back! Extra Hache!"
"Brick Bat!" The huge Shichibukai breaks apart into a great number of bats. Only his head remains in place, laughing while Sanji is swarmed by the bats. Run appears in front of the floating head in an instant, cutlass at the ready. Moria's eyes widen in response, even as he begins to disappear and the cutlass descends. The final bat disappears just moments before his blade passes through and the red head lands. Sanji spins violently within the swarm of bats, scattering them all quickly and appearing relatively unharmed. Moria's laughter reaches their ears, echoing out of Oars' stomach.
"Damn it...that bastard switched places."
"Kishishishi! That was a close one, red hair! You almost got to me!" Run slowly glances over his shoulder, glaring fiercely at the Shichibukai. "Oh? That's a good look in your eyes! Was that woman someone important to you, by any chance? Kishishishi! You--" The Shichibukai blinks in surprise when the red head vanishes and reappears in front of Oars, his cutlass crackling wildly with energy. "Oars! Move!" The massive giant quickly jerks himself out of the path...but not quick enough.
"Sundering Tide!" growls Run, bringing his cutlass down. The weapon comes down and to everyone's utter amazement, cleaves through Oars injured arm entirely. His arm drops to the earth with a loud 'boom!' as he staggers backwards from the impact...before immediately surging forward.
"Gum-Gum...Pistol!" He strikes the red head and sends him sailing back, smashing into the ground several dozen meters away with another loud 'boom!'. "Aaah! Master, he cut off my arm! He--"
"Aah, considering where I was aiming, big guy...yer lucky ya moved in time." Run calmly walks out of the cloud of dust, weapon still crackling with energy. "Ya could even say that ya saved yer master's life." The red head rushes forward once again, covering the distance between them quickly even as Oars raises one massive leg.
"Gum-Gun...Axe!" His massive foot comes down, and Run dodges quickly, avoiding it entirely before leaping up towards him.
"Crimson Tide!" A wave of energy races out from his swing, and Oars jerks his head out of the path but not before Run cleaves through one of his horns.
"Waah! My HORN! Gum-Gum Bell!" Oars snaps his head forward, smashing into the red head and once more sending him crashing to the ground...
- - -
"...i...O...Oi...!" A voice echos, through the haze of pain that's fallen upon his mind. There's a sudden 'pop!' and it feels as if sound has returned. The shifting of stone, and panicked voices pierce his ears, and Run's eyes snap open. Zoro stands over him, a sword clutched in either hand. He looks like he's been put through the wringer. "Get up."
"Aaah, yeah, yeah," Run says, slowly pulling himself to his feet. "Dahahaha~! You look like hell!" If his Haki were anything but a reflex at this point Run was sure that he'd be in far worse shape than he actually is. As things stand, however, he feels like he's been trampled from head to toe.He looks around slowly, finding the two of them surrounded on all sides by a number of normal people...a pirate crew, by the looks of them. Among the people, however, Zoro and Run can see Luffy, and in front of him a ragged looking Oars. "Man, it looks like we missed a hell of a fight!" Suddenly, a number of the people around them turn to make an escape, but stop in place when they notice the two of them standing tall.
"Wh-What the? How are you two standing?"
"I don't know what happened to Luffy but it looks like he delt plenty of damage," Zoro observes.
"I see that," agrees Run, grinning. He looks over at his cutlass sticking firmly into the stone beside him and pulls it free with ease. "It's time that we have the other arm of his off."
"O-Oi, you two will croak if you go running around in that condition!" A woman with a large sword on her back turns to look at the two of them with wide eyes.
"Y-You two can still stand after taking a hit from that monster?" questions the woman. "You two are nearly as immortal as a zombie!" The people around them seem to notice that other members of the crew that they've apparently moved seem to have vanished. They naturally assume that they've all run away, and get ready to do the same...at least until Luffy growls and pushes himself up off the ground.
"Damn it," groans Luffy. "L-Looks like...that didn't quite cut it! Just one more attack...Robin!"
"I'm here," replies Robin, stepping up behind Zoro and Run.
"I want up!"
"Very well. I'll provide some footing." Brook seems to come out of nowhere seconds later, offering assistance as well.
"Great! Brook, I have a favor to ask!"
"I thought as much," calls Nami, appearing on top of a large pile of rubble. "Everyone has taken positions to provide support!" The people around them seem to be amazed with their tenacity. They never imagined that they wouldn't even consider running away. Brook sprints forward, grabs Luffy, and tosses him over a shoulder.
"Everyone, get out of our way!" commands Run, his voice accompanied by a burst of Haoshoku Haki. They all beat feet in the opposite direction as a result, going for the nearest hiding place...whether out of fear or understanding, it doesn't matter much to the red head. Robin crosses her arms calmly.
"Pierna Fleurs!" says Robin. Legs sprout from the wall beside Oars, and Brook goes jumping up them quickly, heading for the top of the mast it seems.
"Eh? Where are you going?" Oars questions, looking up at them. Cloud begin forming around the red giant seconds later, and he looks around in confusion.
"It's calling for rain!" Nami announces. "Cool Ball! Rain Tempo!" The clouds immediately begin pour rain, soaking Oars from head to toe. They've barely finished gushing their rain before the wall beside Oars explodes at the base, and frigid air bursts out. It freezes the red giant from the waist down instantly, rooting him to the ground. Oars doesn't even get time to struggle before the rudder chain comes sweeping around, and binds around his chest, holding him tight.
"Zoro!! Run!!" bellows a voice from above, attracting their attention. Luffy is flying down, his fists swelled up to the size of Oars. "Push in his stomach!" Both of them nod in understanding, and Zoro raises his third blade to bite down. He begins rapidly spinning his sword around while Run holds his cutlass out in front of him, eyes closed.
"Three-Sword Style...Secret Technique..."
"Sundering..."
Both swordsmen disappear as if they had never been there, only to appear in front of the red giant.
"...Three Thousand Worlds!"
"...Tide!" In an instant, it looks as though Oars' stomach has been completely carved opened, blood spraying in all directions even as they pass. Oars' head is yanked back, straightening his spine and forcing him to look straight up towards the sky and the incoming Luffy.
"Eat my extra large bazooka!" screams Luffy. "Gum-Gum...Giant...Bazooka!" Oars takes the attack head on, accompanied by the crunching of bone and snapping of sinew. He topples back, head deformed, and to the applause and the people gathered. They all celebrate at having felled Oars...but it isn't the time to be celebrating. Usopp comes running out of the barely standing remains of the tower.
"Oi, oi!" screams Usopp. "Now isn't the time to be partying! The sun is beginning to rise! We need to get the shadows back! All of you are toast without them!"
"You're right!" agrees the same woman from earlier. "We need to go smack Moria awake and get him to order our shadows back!"
"I...I don't...need a wake up call!" screams Moria, surprising all of them. Standing on top of the giant's corpse, Moria steadies himself before glaring down at all of them.
"I...If you're awake, that works just fine! If you don't want Straw Hat to kick your butt again, give us our shadows back!"
"Kishishishi! Do you think this is a school yard brawl? Even the threat of death is meaningless to a true pirate! I've solved the mystery behind Straw Hat's power up if you whipped dogs from the forest were involved! How vile to use my own abilities against me!"
"Shove it! Give our shadows back!"
"Straw Hat...how dare you trash my Thriller Bark!"
"That's what you get for interfering with our voyage!" retorts Luffy. "Now, give us our shadows back before the sun rises!"
"Do you honestly believe you're that strong? You lot would all have died if you'd continued your journey! You have a pretty decent crew...but you'd have lost them all! Do you know how I know?" The complaints of all those around them fall of deaf ears. "Because I found the answer through personal experience! Why did I lose such infamous and powerful subordinates? Because they were alive!" Moria's power suddenly surges out in all directions, and Run disappears quickly, reappearing and disappearing several times to avoid it as the Shichibukai's seizes every shadow remaining on the island. "Come to me, shadows of Thriller Bark! Become my power...Shadows Asgard!"
"Damn he's persistent!" complains Run, slashing at one of the dark tendrils, and disappearing with Soru again. "He's absorbing every shadow in this place!"
"I'd say you took in about one hundred shadows! In that case I'll absorb..." They watch as Moria grows, and grows and grows until he's nearly as big as Oars. "...one-thousand shadows!" They stare at Moria in shock for several long moments before he suddenly slams himself down towards them, attempting to crush them. It's such a powerful strike that it actually cracks the ground under their feet, and causes the collapse of the building nearby, nearly bringing the mast with it. Nearly everyone gathered before scatters, leaving all of the Straw Hat crew to face Moria.
"Looks like he's going berserk," mutters Zoro.
"There's no way that he can control them all," Run adds, staring at the giant Moria. "Too many shadows with not enough will to control them."
"Looks like anger and pride made him over-estimate himself," Robin agrees. Luffy steps forward, squaring off with Moria.
"Oi, everyone," begins Luffy. "It looks like we're out of time...so I'm gonna push myself a little. Please take care of things after that." They all voice their agreement, while at the same time listening to complaints from those who have stuck around.
"If yer here to watch, then just shut yer trap!" retorts Zoro. "We've already beaten Moria...all that's left is to finish it before sunrise. He's planning to use that power of his to buy himself some time." Luffy crouches down, and begins pumping himself up.
"Second...Gear!" Moria makes his move seconds later, attempting to squash Luffy. Unfortunately, he doesn't have the speed to keep up with Luffy. He dodges this way and that before grasping tight to Moria's belt. "Gum-Gum...Jet Rocket!" He smashes himself into Moria's inflated gut, forcing him back and causing him to vomit up a number of shadows. "Gum-Gum...Jet Bazooka!" Another attack smashes into Moria's stomach, forcing more shadows out. "Jet Bazooka! Jet Bazooka! Jet...Bazooka!" Luffy lands on the wall beside him. "Gum-Gum...!"
"Brick Bat!" shouts Moria, surrounding their Captain with a number of his shadows. They quickly form a box around Luffy before slamming shut. "Black Box! Now...I'm gonna crush you!" He smashes his fist into the black box of shadows, pulverizing the wall. It falls to the ground in a sea of rubble, and Moria promptly stomps on it. "Take that! This is what happens when a whippersnapper tries to act like a big shot on these waters!" Moria stomps on it again and again. "This is what you get for defying the Shichibukai!"
When he finally stops they stare at the flattened box in silence, waiting for any sign from Luffy...and their Captain doesn't disappoint! The box bursts open violently, revealing an unharmed Luffy.
"...'Whippersnapper'?" echos Luffy. "Things like that don't matter! No one...can...crush me!"
"No one can crush you?" pants Moria. "Your ability to say that without justification...proves just how green you are!"
"It's because I'm rubber." His simple retort seems to infuriate the Shichibukai to no end. "In just a second, I'm going to make you spew out all those shadows!" The sun begins to peek over the buildings around them...they're running out of time! Luffy raises his hand and bites down on his thumb. "Third...Gear!" He inflates his fist just like before. "Bone Balloon!"
"Luffy!" screams Chopper. "Think about this! Your body can't handle this technique more than a few times!"
"Gum-Gum...Giant Jet Shell!" He strikes Moria in the stomach again, and again more shadows begin to escape from his mouth. The Shichibukai clamps a hand over his mouth in an attempt to stop the shadows from escaping. He has no intention of turning them loose. Seeing the Shichibukai struggling to bring all of them under control, those brave enough to remain behind begin screaming for their shadows, begging them to abandon Moria and return to them. "If...we're talking to our shadows...then I have something to say, too! If you want to be...King of the Pirates...then you had better come back!" Luffy launches himself at Moria again, striking the same spot as before.
Moria stumbles back, and strikes the mast behind him. It snaps under the impact, and collapses on top of the Shichibukai, forcing the shadows out of him in one big gush. The mast splits apart seconds later, exposing all of them to the rising sun...and setting them ablaze.
"N-No!" demands Usopp. "Guys, no! Run! Do something! U-Use that speed thing!"
"I...I can't!" Run stutters. "I can't get everyone at once! I'm not faster than light, Usopp!" They watch, helpless, as Luffy, Robin, Sanji and Zoro catch flames...and then suddenly extinguish themselves. As if nothing has happened, they appear before them whole and hearty. Zoro laughs loudly, rolling his shoulders.
"I'm very much alive, aren't I?" laughs Zoro.
"My, for a second I thought I'd gone to heaven," adds Robin.
"That sounds good to me!" gushes Sanji. "If we can go together, I'd love to go to heaven!" Run strides forward and embraces Robin tightly. He peppers her face with kisses for several moments before finally settling on just holding her tightly. Her arms wrap around his back as he releases a breath he didn't realize he was holding.
"Fucking hell," Run murmurs, surprising her with his cursing. "I thought...I..."
"Shh," Robin hushes. "It's alright." After several long moments he slowly pulls back and scrubs a hand through his now blood matted hair. They all eventually relax, taking a seat amongst the destruction around them. Run sits on a large chunk of stone with Robin, gently holding one of her hands with fingers intertwined.
"Man, what an ordeal," complains Run. "It was a close call but...it looks like everything turned out all right." He spares a brief glance towards a drained Luffy. "More or less."
"We nearly ceased to exist with the morning light hit us," Robin says. "But our bodies were fully restored when our shadows returned."
"It probably works along the same lines as Moria's manipulation of a shadows form," Sanji asserts. "The body has to match the shadow's form no matter what."
"Who cares," grunts Zoro. "This is the only time we're going to have the fun of losing our shadows."
"Man, I'm wiped," drawls Franky, reclining against a large stone. "Is there any cola around?"
"It kind of feels like waking up from a nightmare," muses Sanji. "Just like that, everything vanishes in the morning." They sit in silence for several minutes before Run suddenly stands, and approaches a prone Luffy. Chopper sits beside their Captain, looking over him.
"Is he going to be alright?" Run asks Chopper.
"He's...placed a large strain on himself," Chopper replies. "Every time he uses that giant gear thing of his, it puts an enormous stress on his body. I'm worried...worried that he's pushing himself too much." Chopper looks back at the red head. "And, you, too. How many times did you get hit by Oars? You need to let me examine you when we get back." The same crew from before suddenly swarms the area, offering their heart-felt thanks for recovering their shadows. Nami suddenly gasps loudly, and they all look over quickly.
"Th-There's something I forgot!" Nami says quickly, ignoring the people gathered. "It's not just Moria here! There's another Shichibukai on this i..." She trails off, staring above their heads at the remains of the mast. All heads turn to look, and find a huge man standing there. "That's...him." He seems to be in the middle of a conversation over a transponder snail. The voice on the other side is concerned over the loss of another Shichibukai...so much so, that he orders the information to be kept secret.
"T-That man," begins the pink-haired woman that they'd heard called 'Lola' by her crew. "I recognize him. Nearly as large as Moria...the pirate called 'Tyrant'. Bartholomew Kuma!"
"You understand what I'm saying, right?" questions the voice on the transponder. "No witnesses. No one can testify to Moria's defeat at the hands of Straw Hat. Accordingly, your mission is as follows: eliminate everyone on that island, including the Straw Hat crew."
"Easy enough," replies Kuma, gently tucking the transponder away. Run sighs heavily as he stares up at the Shichibukai. The 'clack' of his geta across stone might as well be gunshots in the following silence, as he paces towards the man.
"Zoro," begins Run, slowly drawing his cutlass. "Get everyone back to the Sunny."
"Run, be careful!" calls Nami. "He uses some kind of strange power. I saw someone vanished when he touched her with his hand!" Run has only blinked and the large man is gone. Hearing screams from behind he whirls around quickly just in time to watch Kuma send several of Lola's men scattering with a simple wave of his hand. As quickly as he appears he's gone again, and the red head stiffens immediately when a shadow falls over him.
"'Red' Run," speaks Kuma from behind. Run takes a deep breath, and exhales slowly before turning to face the large man. "First Mate of the Straw Hat Crew...I'll begin with you..."