"Bepo, hurry up!" Law ordered, noting his crew member's bad habit of apologizing. They didn't have time to waste. An admiral would be upon them soon. The Marine HQ was nearby too.
"I've contacted Cole." Shachi reported, "They can move now, but the coating isn't done yet."
"Tell them to move. We'll come back for the coating another time!" Law instructed.
"Roger that, Captain!" The den den mushi mouthed, followed by a quick kachap as the line went dead. His crew already following orders. Shachi stuffed the sleeping snail back into his pocket and he sped up to clear the path ahead with Penguin while Bepo and their new recruit worked in the rear.
He pulled to a stop when he spotted the other pirate crew struggling with a giant in black with bear prints. "Captain, it's Eustass Kid and—"
"What the hell is a Shichibukai doing here?!" Law interrupted, easily spotting the tall 22 meters male.
"Trafalgar Law." The Shichibukai noted, locking onto the captain standing on a root.
Law lowered his stance. "So, you know my name..." He muttered as a yellow glow emitted from his mouth milliseconds later a laser shot forward.
"Captain!"
Charlotte cursed at the cry and pushed forward, taking out the trailing marines on her way. If someone was going after her target—"What the hell are you doing here?!" Charlotte glowered as she made it into the clearing. She noted the two devil fruit captains in the center, abilities activated.
"We're right by Marine HQ and Marie Geoise. It shouldn't be surprising no matter who you run into." Law said toward the hunter, though he kept his focus before him.
That is true. Charlotte scolded herself for being surprised, and jumped into the center between the two captains, who shot her a sideway glance, wondering what she was doing. "I'll only do this once." She warned, reaching over to her left arm and unbuckling the leather straps there. "And only because I don't allow interferences in my hunt." She dropped the heavy leather bindings against the ground. "So, I'll clear the way and the two of you run."
"Like I told him, you're in the way." Kid said, stepping forward before the huntress, ignoring her offered help.
Law did the same, "Don't order me around. I don't need your help."
Charlotte glared at the two men before her, frustrated. These short-tempered, stubborn—
"It's just an arm..." One of the Heart Pirates behind her murmured, disappointment clear in his voice. "I thought she was hiding something underneath all that binding... but it's just a regular arm."
Charlotte's gaze fell to her bare arm and hand. Goddamn these pirates are annoying! She hissed and an explosion just right of her pulled her back to the battle at hand. A cut appeared on her cheek from where the laser just grazed her. She lowered her stance, blades ready. She didn't have the luxury to be zoning out.
Their attacks proved useless against the tough metal skin of the Pacifista before them and it wasn't long before they were all panting, bloody, and bruised compared to the robot that they could barely dent.
"Shambles." Law huffed, switching around his crew members to avoid another beam. The Shichibukai had taken off his gloves and were firing laser beams out of his hands now too. Two of his members had already been shot. One chipped in the shoulder and another immobilized by the laser that went through his thigh.
A giant metal fist smashed against the tiny head of the Pacifista, sending the giant robot tumbling into a tree. "Looks like you're having some trouble there." Kid smirked with a pant at the other Captain. A bright yellow glow shot towards him, tearing through his metal arm.
"Kid!" Killer shouted, rushing towards his boss' open side and shoving him out of the way. The hit hitting him instead. He coughed up blood through the holes of his mask. "Shit..." He panted and Kid was quick to grab him and move from another beam.
"Damn it, he just won't go down." Kid panted as the panda man pulled himself out, red blood seeping from under his cap, but otherwise okay. Yellow glow dripped from his mouth again, gaze locked onto the two retreating supernovas and the laser disappeared, exploding elsewhere in the background.
"Looks like you're having a little bit of trouble there." Law repeated smugly despite the sweat dripping down his face. He finally managed to teleport something of the giant bear. His devil fruit ability was proving useless against the Shichibukai. The bear too large for him to transport and the beam too fast. At least until now.
"I don't need your help!" Kid panted tiredly, yet still managing to find enough strength to shout at the other.
This time the yellow glow highlighted the doctor captain and Law's grin turned into a scowl. He readied his room, wondering if he had enough juice left to catch another beam at this distance.
"That's my target!!" Charlotte hollered, landing a spinning kick against the top of the robot's head, forcing the mouth close and letting the beam explode within its own mouth. She pushed off his head, flipping backwards into the air again.
The fallen pieces of metal from Kid's punk arm floated up, gathering around her legs again and forming a giant needle. She stabbed him with the giant kick and the ground beneath them quaked at the impact.
"How many times do I have to tell you, woman? There's not enough metal for the two of us!" Kid huffed when Charlotte climbed out of the mess. He had long ago gotten over the fact that she had some kind of ability similar to his. It was no wonder why he felt like his magnetism was weak when they fought.
Law watched the exchange form the corner of his eyes. Something about Kid statement was bothering him. Charlotte ignored the man, remaining silent to his words. The three faltered, attention turning back towards the warlord as he pulled himself free from the ground, face peeled back to reveal wires and electrical pulses zapped the air.
"It's not over yet!" Law warned and the other two disengaged from each other. Another blinding yellow glow covered the three of them. They jumped out of the way, but the laser didn't explode on impact this time, instead it created a path of destruction in its wake like a giant sword of light.
"What did you do?" Law snapped at the huntress, avoiding another yellow line. He was firing laser beams simultaneously from his mouth and hands now. This was much more troublesome than before.
"Nothing!" Charlotte shouted back annoyed at the accusations.
"He must be short circuiting." Kid pointed towards his neck where the electrical wiring was exposed on the Pacificst's side. "He's getting worn out. Not much longer before he goes down!"
"If we can manage long enough." Law muttered, swapping around both crew's pirates this time around to avoid the many laser beams. Everyone was worn out.
Charlotte glanced out at the pirates around her. Most of the crew members were already on their last straws. Killer was bleeding out against Heat who had ran out of fire long ago and Penguin was cradled in Jean Bart's arm, unable to move on his own. It didn't look like Jean Bart could handle much longer either, two holes in his side. Law looked tired too and Kid was right, there wasn't enough metal for the two of them.
"They're easier to dodge if they don't explode." Charlotte said positively. She wiped the blood and sweat off her chin. The two pirates captain looked at the only non-pirate in the fray and their lips split into grins. They weren't going to lose to her.
"Hey," Charlotte called and the two tilted their faces towards her. Charlotte turned towards Kid and for some reason it irked the doctor that she wasn't calling for him. "He's bleeding blood, but why is it wires where there should be flesh?"
"Because he's a cyborg." Law interrupted. Was she only realizing it now?
Charlotte ignored the tone, not sure why he was suddenly in such a sour mood. Their situation was same—Kuma hadn't gone anywhere. Yet. "So, he's not 100% robotic?"
Law raised a brow at the huntress, didn't she just hear what he said.
"His skin perhaps. The things tougher than steel. And he's enhanced, but cyborgs are still part-humans." Kid explained and Charlotte nodded as they dodged another beam.
"What about abilities?" Charlotte asked around her right glove, pulling it off with her teeth. She couldn't tell because of the blinding lasers firing from his palms. "Can cyborgs have devil fruit ability?"
"Do you have a plan? You're getting chatty again, woman." Kid huffed with a scowl. She was like this too just in their battle right before everything changed in her favour.
"Knowledge is wealth." Charlotte shot back immediately, a smug grin on her face. Kid shot her a look at the strange outburst.
"What's his devil fruit ability?" Law interjected, frowning. If what Charlotte was insinuating was true and the cyborg copies also had devil fruit ability, then this was going to get a whole lot tougher. "You met him before?"
Flames licked the orange sky filled with dirty grey mushroom clouds spitting rain like a machine gun, and strong winds whipped at the broken slabs of concrete which were once a mighty building. The coliseum was empty, in rumbles, and on fire. The smell of iron and burning flesh filled the crisp air as a single lone figure moved through the desolate decaying area.
Charlotte ran, bolting through the wretched place as quickly as her bare feet could take her. Her once screaming limbs were suddenly quiet as she sprinted away from the two males that had performed magic and removed the collar around her neck. They have saved her life, but she knew nothing of them, and she had no intentions on staying to figure out which side their motives left them. She just had to get away and out of this God forsaken island.
Although that was much easier said than done. Skidding to a stop, the teenager pointed her choice of weapon—a blade she had dulled from her latest battle—at the enormous man with a large torso and disproportionately short legs dressed in a flimsy green robe that only looked like a giant piece of tablecloth on him. "Who are you?" The beat up and battered girl asked, her voice never exposing how tired she was.
"My name is Bartholomew Kuma." The man known as Kuma answered, surprising the girl. She hadn't actually thought that she'd get an answer from the man.
"Why do you have bear ears?" Charlotte continued as she slowly circled her target. It was true, the male had two round stumps on the top of his head, poking out through the green hood he wore. "Are you a bear?" Charlotte had never faced anything but people, so she wasn't too sure how she'd fare with a bear.
"No, I'm a human." Kuma answered, stepping towards the girl as she maintained the distance. "...If you were to go on a trip, where would you like to go?" Kuma asked suddenly, slipping his black glove off his right hand.
A grin split across her face. "Anywhere off this blasted island." Was her reply before a pink paw print engulfed her vision.
Charlotte nodded, dropping her other glove to the ground. Another regular arm. Law noted, not sure why he was expecting anything different than the first arm she revealed. "Years ago, but he couldn't fire lasers from his mouth, and he had paw prints on his hands. He was a devil fruit user."
Law glanced back at the human weapon, eyes calm and calculative. "He's not the Shichibukai. He's a Pacifista modeled after Bartholomew Kuma. A human weapon created by Dr. Vegapunk if you will." Law informed and Charlotte raised a brow at him as if asking how he knew all that. He shot her words back at her, "Knowledge is wealth, right?"
"Dr. Vegapunk made this?" She scowled and Law was surprised to hear that she knew of the man. Seems like she was well informed. "Then it's not impossible..." she muttered, hand over her chin. "In fact, it's more probable than not." She nodded. Her plan could work. Law glanced back at the human weapon, eyes calm and calculative. "There's only a laser for holes on his hands. But... Scan!" He pulled Kikoku from its scabbard. "His human cells are identical to that of Bartholomew Kuma."
Scan? Charlotte repeated, marking down the new move in the back of her mind. "In a way, he's still Kuma-san then." Charlotte breathed under her breath and Law raised a brow at the respect towards the other.
"Still chatting?" Kid grunted, jumping back towards them. His crew no longer alongside them, having taken the distraction Kid provided them to retreat to their ship first as per his order. The metal arm he made ripped apart along with part of his bicep.
"Why are you still here?" Charlotte glanced at the taller male, voice carrying much steadier than she felt. Her limbs whined when she straightened, tired from overuse. "You could have made it out with your crew."
"How about you?" Kid shot back and Charlotte only blinked at him in confusion. "You didn't have to join this battle to begin with." Marines turned a blind eye to hunters if they continued to bring in criminals even if their method didn't exactly align.
"Because he's here." Charlotte responded easily, pointing to the male on her other side. Her hunt. "I don't like it when someone—even a Shichibukai—tries to take my prey."
Law shot her a sideway glare. "I have a name." That explains why the rest of the hunters and kidnappers had backed away. Still, wouldn't it be easier if she just teamed up with the Shichibukai then?
"What the?" Kid scoffed with amusement. He collected metal towards his arm again. "Aren't you on the same side then?"
Charlotte pushed off, grinning over her shoulder. "I work alone."
"Oi, he's firing a beam!" Kid warned as her body became a shadow against the gathering light. Her head still turned stupidly away from the opponent she was suddenly dashing towards. Instead of being fatally pierced by the beam, Charlotte twisted her ankle, skidding against the grassy grain at the last moment, sliding underneath the blast, and continuing her mad dash towards the large body. "The fuck the woman thinking?" He cursed, jumping out of the slicing beam's way.
"She really isn't half bad." Law said and Kid quirked a brow at the man. "As a melee fighter, she was limited in what she could do from afar and with the laser' destructive nature, she couldn't get close without risk being caught in an explosion."
They're easier to dodge if they don't explode. Her words rang in his mind and his lips pulled upwards. "What a waste of a talent to be hiding out on an island like this." Kid agreed, arms crossing over his chest. He made the right choice in staying to see what the chatty woman was planning. Law nodded in silent agreement.
Both pirate captains watched with keen eyes at the lone huntress' next moves. Now that she was finally within close combat range of the giant human weapon, they could finally see her skills.
She pressed a hand against his leg.
Coughed.
And almost missed dodging when a laser shot out of the cyborg's palm towards her.
That's it?! They thought, more than disappointed.
"Damn it!" Law cursed, extending his room further. "Shambles." He swapped his crew with some leaves on the far side, sending them out of harm's way. The laser Charlotte dodged slicing up the vertical of the mangrove tree next to them before exploding shortly after.
Kuma raised another hand, laser charging slightly before imploding, the wires connecting the neck and the arm short-circuiting from the earlier damage. Law's grinned, Eustass was right. Kuma twitched, vision refocusing on the doctor, mouth charging where the hand could not. The thing was about done.
Charlotte's head snapped back when the beam shot forward towards her non-dodging target. Her ankle twisted and she pushed off the balls of her feet, chasing the light despite knowing there was no way she could make that distance faster than the speed of light.
Their eyes locked and the world around her seem to slow as recognition and dread swept through her system. All color in her face drained as she watched the doctor's pale lips mouthed a word she had grown familiar with: "Shambles."
Charlotte disappeared for a split moment, reappearing where Law was standing just moments before. In point blank distance from the incoming ray of light.
"That's a cheap shot." Kid called out as Law appeared where Charlotte was standing moments ago.
"She's a hunter after my head." Law shrugged and took the advantage of the close distance that the huntress had forsaken earlier. He brought his thumbs against the Shichibukai's mid-section. "Countershock!" Electricity ripped through the robot, frying the insides.
"Y-You... r-really have no manners." The two turned back towards the panting voice and shaky body climbing out of the smoke. Blood dripped down her chin and her body looked a bit worse for wear, but there was no hole in her body from where the laser should have clean through. "T-that really hurt!" Her hand throbbed, stinging painfully numb and somewhat burnt. A swollen and blistering pink paw print in the middle of her trembling hand.
In three day's time, in Grove 13, just outside of Shakky's Rip-Off Bar. A beam of light would cut into the ground before exploding and setting a nearby tree on fire.
I really hope Shakky doesn't mind that the first place that came to mind was her rip off bar. Charlotte inhaled and winced, coughing slightly. Her right side ached, and she cursed. She really didn't think it would take this much toll on her to just send a laser elsewhere. She glanced at her left palm, the velvety paw print adhering to her left hand as well.
One shot left. Charlotte clenched her fist, ignoring the pain that coursed through her right side or the way her arm hung unnaturally heavy against her body.
Kid jerked back as more metal than he intended flung towards him, building onto this arm. What the—?! He shifted under the added weight. His magnetism back to its regular strength. Red eyes shot towards the worse for wear huntress. Did she run out of juice? Whatever the reason it be. Now he could fight at full strength.
Purururuururu. Kacha. "Captain! We're picked up Penguin and the others. It's just you now!"
"Good. I'm on my way." Law grinned and hung up just as Kid shouted. "Time to end this!"
The three of them charged forward. Kid was first to reach, using his massive metal arm to grab the cyborg's injured head and throwing him into the ground headfirst and causing the laser he was building to explode on its own face. Law was next stuffing the laser holes on his palm causing another implosion. Their attacks were finally wearing the tough weapon down. It really wasn't going to be much longer—
The two pirates' eyes widened as their attacks caused the weapon to go berserk, yellow glow dripping from its chin and lasers shooting out rapidly and erratically at different intervals. Both of them far too close to make a clean dodge. Their arms shot out to shield themselves from the incoming attack.
"Hands off!" Charlotte hollered, kicking the arm out of the way. The laser shot off towards the side setting ablaze a wave of trees. She clenched her teeth at the pain that ran through her leg now that she didn't have the metal protection, swearing to deal with it later. She twisted on her landing leg, swinging her left arm out and pink paw up. "Fly you fucking panda!" She screamed, slapping the large man's chest.
Pop!
In a blink the giant cyborg disappeared.
"What just happened?" The two asked, turning towards the huffing and grinning huntress.
"The panda... fucking flew." She retorted smugly between pants. A loud crashed sounded a few hundred meters behind Charlotte and her smug grin fell. She really didn't know his abilities to use it properly. The broken husk of the cyborg crackled in the ensuring silence, neck broken from landing head first.
Kid glanced towards the sky then back towards the hole where the now expired black-and-white robot laid. His lips pulled into a slant matching hers. "It fucking did."
Law eyed the sizzling pink paw prints on her palms in silence, choosing not to inform the two that pandas cannot fly.