-One of the vaunted 'Six Powers'. By swinging their leg out in a high velocity arc, users of this technique are able to generate a compressed sickle of air that can rend through objects and cut enemies down from afar. Masters of this [Skill] are able to fire it with any limb, create gusts sharp enough to slice stone, or even invent their own variations of the technique. Note: Due to your low level with this [Skill] there is an 80% chance the [Skill] will fail on use.
The blue sickle of energy ripped through the air and easily split the weak conflagration in twain. Heat barked a scream as the crescent sliced open his chest and then was silenced when I crashed into him a half-second later.
The two of us tumbled over the deck like a pair of entwined ragdolls before rolling to a stop. The second-mate tries to throw me off but he's too slow.
I've already picked up the discarded sword next to where we landed and raised it high. The steel sinks into his heart and a strange gasping noise comes from his throat.
"That's for burning my village." I spat with a sort of wild-eyed glee. "You glasgow-looking motherfucker."
+2,060 Exp! I stand up, still riding the high from both the kill and the VIT infusion. "Who's Nex-" I'm silenced as the metal boxing glove crashes into my face.
Alert! Eustass Kid's status has changed to [APOPLECTIC!] He is receiving +40% to STR, VIT, DEX, and LUK.
What follows is the most brutal and one-sided beatdown I've ever witnessed let alone been the one to experience. I try to raise my arms to defend but it serves no purpose. Even if I weren't a stones throw away from death, he's just too far above my weight class now. My vision is replaced entirely by metal fists, health notifications and the color red. Whether it's Kid's hair or my own blood I can't be sure.
My health ticks below 600. 450. 300. 150. And then finally culminates with,
"REPEL!" One of Kid's 'gloves' flies off his hand like a rocket and carries me limply past the bodies of his crew before hammering me into the center mast and breaking a pair of already fractured ribs.
My knees fail me as my health falls below 50. I willingly let myself slump to the floor and allow my head to hang loosely to the side. There's no plans of fighting back or buying for time. I'm not even in any pain. The only thing left in my body is the single realization that I am tired...
So..so..tired..
"Kid..." Killer speaks up. His voice laced with unusual concern. "This is a major setback." His gaze sweeps over the bodies of the crew..lingering on Heat and Wire for just a little longer than the others.
Eustass spits at the ground in dismissal. "If they died to some random nobody then that just means they were trash. Trash like that would only have gotten in our way given time. This won't stop me! Nothing's stopping me!" Eustass's head tilts up, daring the heavens to challenge his proclamation. "I will be!" He inhales a breath to roar his next words. "KING OF THE PIRATES!"
A wave of silence follows his decree but it is ultimately interrupted when a tiny chuckle bubbles in my throat. A weak raspy gurgle that I just can't stop. Even as my shattered ribs tear my insides further from the movement, it's just too good not to laugh.
The captain of the Kid Pirates saunters towards me with a lip-curdled sneer and gathers one final metal fist over his right arm. "What's so funny dead man?"
"Sorry...it'd… it'd take too long to explain.." I paused to cough, letting a fresh rivulet of dark blood flow down my chin. "I want you to know Eustass... That you will neverbe King. And that someday...someday I'm going to be the man who kills you. Even though you won't remember this...I want you to know that I swear it on my soul."
Eustass scoffs at the delirious ramblings and pulls his arm back. The swords making up his remaining gauntlet shift to the front and his hand comes down like the executioners blade.
"I'll be seeing you Eustass..."
You have died.
Remaining lives (4/5) → (3/5)
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The first thing I felt on my return to consciousness...was the wind.
Then came the weight of the rifle in my hands and the feeling of Kiwi's feathers brushing against my legs. My eyes opened slowly… and a long weary breath followed shortly after. I lazily glanced over my sparrow's side and gazed down on the Victoria Punk sailing across the waves, its inhabitants blissfully unaware of the...event...they were all just a part of.
Just like when I had died against Blackjack, everything had been reset to before the fight began. My levels. My [Skills]. Their lives.
Everything except for my own mental exhaustion. The lethargy of dying on that mast down there is still the foremost emotion in my skull.
I could wait a bit and then try again I suppose. Go for the ol' 'Round Two' as it were. Using what I'd learned from the first battle I'd probably do better. Way better.
But I'd still lose.
I may have devastated the numbers on his crew but I barely got any damage in on the man himself. And despite my higher stats I did even less to Killer than I did in Baterilla.
It hurts to admit it. It's a truth I didn't want to face when I set off to chase these men down. 'I'm not ready.'
"Come on Kiwi." I whisper, grabbing the straps of his bridle. "We're turning around."
I'm going to go back to Kivuruk to help them rebuild. I can't replace the lives lost or the people scarred. But I can rebuild houses. I can restore homes and boats and supplies and anything else they need. I don't care if it costs me every cent of the millions I've collected so far.
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