"Thaa!? Thathatha, thathathatha. Hey Bakken, you never told me you met an interesting young fellow." Eron was feeling ecstatic, because since his arrival here… he was yet to meet someone defiant.
He turned around to look at Lysander, "Listen here kid, if you honestly want to deliver that ass kicking you so badly talk about… then I'll be waiting on my ship. If you can not even fight Bakken, then you are in no position to fight me. Bakken, finish up here and meet me back aboard the Shadow."
He turned around to leave but before he left, he looked in the direction of Lysander. There was too much tension at the Exchange Circle, it was at peak to the point a person can hear a leaf falling. Eron finally locked eyes with Lysander as he started walking towards his direction, he has never seen such an intimidating look from a child Lysander's age.
The only sound audible in the surrounding area was now Eron's footsteps, he stopped as he was about to walk past Lysander. "Now, you kids have fun. Thathathatha, thathathatha, thaa…!?"
CRACK! THUD!
Suddenly, there was a brief echo and reverberation travelling through the surrounding air. The sound was so crisp and forceful, and after it there was a satisfying thud that resonated in the environment.
Bakken could hear a cacophony of gasps, murmurs, & shouts from the residents of Bloem. But he too was in shock, this is something he has never seen happen.
"I don't remember saying anyone could leave, and especially you. Not after everything that you have done! All the pain you caused these people, you'll pay!"
The sound of Eron's footsteps could be heard as he started walking in reverse, trying to find his footing. Until he suddenly stopped, and went down on one knee with one hand down on the ground.
GASP! GASP! GASP!
'I don't believe this, that brat had such an incredible power. He actually managed to knock our boss back a few steps, and was it a lucky punch? Back at the house he didn't amount to much, was I exaggerating?'
COUGH! "Nice… brat, you managed… to, land a blow on me."
COUGH!
Eron then stood up straight, "And everyone who landed a blow on me is dead, and guess what kid? You are next, thathathatha."
"And Bakken, what exactly are you standing around for? Let's kill this brat, thathathatha."
…
Orion was running towards the Exchange Circle as fast as he can, and along the way he met some of Eron's crewmates. He knocked most of them down, since he only hit those that were in his way. As he was doing this, his efficiency when it comes to swinging the branch was increasing.
It was approximately at 13.8% now, people might say it's lacking. But Orion knew that this small improvement in his swinging, will eventually get him to the level he wants. But leveling up is not as important as the reason he was running, he had to save Lysander.
The minimum time it takes one person to move from Aether Port (the name of the only port in Bloem, and it's usually used in most islands) to the Exchange Circle, was approximately 15 to 20 minutes. However, with Orion's speed it will take him about 5 minutes if he does not meet any other corsairs on the way.
…
Bakken unsheathed his sword after his captain's order, "I feel bad about having to kill you kid, but these were my captain's orders. Hiyaa." His foot could be seen as if it was stuck on the ground, but it was just Bakken preparing to leap towards Lysander's current position.
Lysander happened to see Bakken in mid air, and he was preparing a gift for him for when he arrives back on the ground. But Eron knew thr devastating force that comes with Lysander's punches, so he decided to put his hand on this waist.
PHEW! PHEW! PHEW!
The residents of Bloem were crying, especially the women and children. They saw who Eron was aiming for, well since it was pretty obvious. They were screaming, and Lucy was one of those who screamed "Lys, no."
Lysander's body was in a great condition for someone his age, but his reflexes were far from being at peak. So even if he manages to evade a few bullets from Eron, there still was someone who was flying straight to him from a 10 meter distance.
Eron was a really bad shot, he would always miss the vital spots and shoot a person where it will just hurt them. However, people who have met him think that he is making that on purpose to cause his opponents tremendous pain.
Lysander was now bleeding from one bullet slightly grazing him on his upper arm, he then jumped 2 steps backwards to evade Bakken's attack in mid air.
Bakken stopped near Eron, and they both came running towards Lysander. They hit him with their fists, pummeling him until he was supposed to turn into a pulp. But unknown to them, Lysander was taking the pain.
Lysander knew that this was nothing compared to how the residents of Bloem are feeling, he decided to steal a look to his right under his armpit. And when he met with Lucy's gaze, nothing else was felt more than rage.
"Does any of you even know the trauma you're causing, huh? It is alright for you to be on the side of the perpetrators, but that's it. I've had enooughh!!!" Lysander started yelling.
He touched the ground with his two hands, flipped over so he can kick the area where Eron and Bakken can't defend. He kicked both their chins, but he kicked Eron with his left foot. It was not as strong as the right kick, so Eron only jumped backwards while Bakken flew back 6 to 9 meters.
The fight had only been going on for 8 minutes, and the fighters themselves were tired. Bakken sat up from where he had fallen, he spat down on the ground. And anyone around him could see that it was blood, and people now didn't know if it was time to cheer or to still remain silent.
…
"Lysander, wait for me buddy. I'll be right there in a giffy," Orion stated while he continued to run full speed ahead. He saw the stairs that leads to the top of a building, he climbed them and started jumping from roof to roof. He was now 2 roofs away from the Exchange Circle, and a smile suddenly formed on his face.
…
Eron took his hand, put it in his pocket and took out a cigar. He put it in his mouth, then lit it. After exhaling he glanced at Lysander's direction, his facial expressions took an ultimate 180 degree shift. After the smoke cleared out, Eron's face could now be seen clearly.
He had a slim and angular face, which people will claim as a sharp appearance. His eyes were narrow and intense, with a piercing gaze that can convey a range of emotions from cunning to malice. "Thathathatha, we have been fighting all this time and I've yet to know of your name kid. Now tell me, what's… huh!?"
While Eron was talking, he was surprised when he felt a shadow on top of him. He looked upwards, and what he saw shocked him even more. This shadow came from the direction of the building he wasn't facing, and that building had approximately 19 floors and somebody was jumping from on top of it.
He was so shocked that he didn't even move, Bakken heard that his captain did not finish his sentence. He glanced at his captain's direction and realized he wasn't moving but glaring at the space above him, he realized this and he looked at the direction his captain was looking.
"Damn you, little brats!" Bakken stood up from where he was, and ran full speed at the direction of his captain. He arrived in range just in time as the figure from above was about to collide with his captain, 'If I want to save him, I must jump.'
Bakken then jumped, pushing his captain from the spot he was standing still. After Bakken landed on the ground, him and the figure collided.
POW!
Everyone started to cover their eyes and mothers covered their children's eyes as the gust of wind, comparable to severe weather storms rose from the collision. It was a lot, it had the force comparable to that of strong winds experienced during severe weather events. For context, hurricane winds can exceed 120 km/h (about 75 mph), which can exert forces strong enough to knock people off their feet.
The wind generated from the impact of the branch could be similar to the gusts felt in a strong storm, potentially reaching speeds that could be hazardous. And right in the middle of the dust, there was a silhouette. Nobody could clearly make out who it was, but Bakken had an idea for he and this person have met before.
…
The palace guards were feeling much better as they could see the port they are supposed to dock at, the one and only entrance to Bloem. They finally saw the Aether Port, and they were 20 minutes away.