MARINES - A ONE PIECE story (ENGLISH) - Part I

CHAPTER XXX - Aries and Virgo

Again, Aries had managed to dodge Jorge's attack, which left only a gaping crater in the stone wall. For a large, fluffy ball, the pirate was relatively skillful, and he always managed, at the last second, to roll to the side to remain unharmed. His main problem was endurance, and after only a few minutes of fighting, he was already out of breath.

- Why don't you separate yourself from this woolly mass, if it slows you down so much ? Jorge asked his enemy while trying to strike him with his fists.

As an answer to this question, Aries' fleece seemed to absorb the power of the blow, and the soldier's phalanges sunk and got lost in it.

- For your information, this is not wool, but cotton ! Aries cried.

He then released an enormous amount of fiber that covered the floor of the room, a white, fluffy ocean in which Jorge nearly drowned.

- This immense power is that of the cotton-cotton fruit, making me both soft as a lamb and dangerous as a wolf.

The cotton soon covered every inch of the floor, and Jorge struggled to get out of it. But the more he struggled, the more he became entangled in the soft, limp fibers, making it almost impossible for him to fight.

- As the Zodiac tailor, I have the full trust of my God, Helio, and I will not disappoint him ! I was frightened by your number, but now that I face you individually, I am well aware of your flaws and weaknesses.

As a big smile appeared under his scarf, he pulled a pack of matches from his fleece and cracked one.

- Did you know that cotton is extremely flammable, Teddy bear ?

A cloud of cotton appeared in the air, which Aries grasped firmly. He lit it with a match, and like an Olympic athlete, adopted a throwing posture :

- Cotton Cannon !

The flaming projectile shot across the room, and Jorge narrowly dodged it by diving into the sea of cotton that had formed at his feet.

- Cotton Cannon ! Cotton Cannon ! repeated Aries as he fired more and more projectiles.

Like a rain of meteors, they rocketed across the room, knocking over knick-knacks, hitting the walls, sometimes missing Jorge by a few centimeters. One of them hit the large silk curtains that covered the windows and, rolling against their fabric, set them on fire. A small flame at first, which quickly grew and spread to the sea of cotton that covered the floor. A thick black smoke filled the room, tearing coughs from the two belligerents, now completely blinded.

Aries, eyes closed, nose hidden under his scarf, was groping for the door to escape. Jorge was dizzy, barely able to stand, and the growing heat made him gasp loudly. His eyes were weakened by the thick smoke, so he decided to rely on his sense of smell to find his adversary in this pea soup : roaring like a beast, speeding along on his four legs, he was now indistinguishable from a real bear. Following the smell of Aries's refined perfume, he managed to find his trace, a few meters from the door, and the pirate let out a cry of terror when he saw his adversary standing right behind him. This time, weakened by the rising fire and his previous dodges, he was unable to escape :

- Bear Boxing: Fatal Hook !

The blow hit Aries in the head, where he was least protected, and his thick fleece was not enough to absorb the shock. His skull vibrated, his jaw snapped, and a long stream of blood escaped from his mouth. He collapsed, completely stunned, and almost caught fire when he touched the burning ground.

Jorge kicked the thick wooden door, letting some of the smoke escape, and stuck his head out to take a deep breath. As he fled, he considered his defeated opponent for a moment, and resolved to drag him to the upper floors to avoid him ending up as a roast. The smoke was already rising when he glanced up at the ceiling, and he hoped his comrades were safe...