ONE PIECE: NEN MASTER - CHAPTER 6 (Patreon)

I rushed through the thick forest at full speed, jumping from tree to tree. Each passing minute or so, a scream would be heard, guiding me towards the source of it all, the more I neared the screams, the more I could sense something was near. 

Knowing I would most likely break into combat sooner than later, I kept my eyes open wide as I scanned everything around, my nose detecting a familiar scent.

“Blood,” I muttered under my breath, I was no stranger to that particular scent, I was used to smelling it day to day with my training, I now had a clear path to follow, dragging me deeper into the forest. Each step, increasing the strength of the scent.

My stomach turned in worry, as I pressed my pace, when without any warning a flash of gray raced past me, barely giving me time to duck under it, forcing a cold stop in my tracks, as I turned towards where my attacker had gone.

Whoever or whatever it was, it was hiding no more than ten tail lengths away, I could feel the rapid pulsing of a heart way within the fur of my ear, and what was more, whoever it was, it was covered in blood, I could smell it now. I swallowed, focusing on the task at hand, as I slowly lowered my body into position, crouching for the attack, claws ready.

“Another one, huh?” 

All of my senses strained ahead, scanning the area with detail, in the process detecting something else, another noise, behind me, it sounded muted and distant. Frowning, I swiveled my ears backward to focus on the sound, noticing it sounded like someone was sneaking up on me.

There was more than one threat.

Pushing my aura out, I focused my senses on confirming the number of enemies around before engaging in combat, while wondering where Marushi and Leo had gone.

Pushing those thoughts aside, I continued scanning the area, making no moves, hearing the once muted faint rustling behind me, become a loud and fast-approaching leaf-crackle.

Sensing it near, I jumped out of the way using my Nen to increase my speed, practically blurring in movement to another branch, dodging the unknown that hit where I used to be like an explosion, shattering the six-inch-wide branch like it was nothing.

A few meters away from me, a tall hefty man stood cigarette in mouth, around nine-foot-tall, broad-chested, with tattoos running all over his body, on his left hand, instead of a hand, there was a rusty hook, while on his right one, he held a butcher’s knife, bloodied to the tip with Mink’s blood.

Keeping my eyes on him, and my ears on the hidden attacker, I frowned, wondering what was a human doing here? Zou was always in motion, never in the same place for more than a second, so how?

“Tsk, this is a difficult one, Jones,” The man clicked his tongue in annoyance, turning around to face me, baring a sickening smile my way.

Out of the shadows, the one that had originally attacked me jumped into view, landing right beside the other with a twisted smile, “It looks like it, Jack.”

Unlike the man I now knew was named Jack, Jones was skinny, disgustingly so, with every bone in his body almost protruding out in grim contrast, with the only similarity between being, both having a body covered in tattoos.

“Kid, we’ll make it easy for you, surrender, and we won’t hurt ya, those bastards pay more for the young ones,” Jones offered, licking his parched lips.

“Those bastards?” I replied, already knowing where this conversation was going.

“You have to be more specific, Jones,” Jack cackled, slapping his thighs before shooting me a dark look, “Celestials boy.”

Slavery.

At this, my hands went cold, shaking for a moment, I had always known I would have to face this one day or another, but knowing, and being prepared for it, were two entirely different things, the mere idea made my stomach turn in utter disgust, clouding my mind for the briefest of moments in a mix of emotions.

I pushed those sentiments down.

No fear.

No hesitation.

No mercy.

It was them, or me.

And I chose me.

“It seems he’s picking the hard way,” Jack laughed reading my look, blowing cigarette smoke out into the air.

“It’s more fun that way,” Jones cackled.

“Surrender, or die,” I said, the tone of my voice sounding colder than I thought it could possibly sound.

Jack laughed for a moment before his visage turned into a sneer overflowing with a condescending attitude, “Surrender? Kid, we hit the jackpot finding this place by sheer luck, we ain’t surrendering shit,” he grinned as ashes fell from his cigarette. “I aim to make the most of this lucky shot, kid.”

“Enough talk Jack!” Jones grinned, giving me a maddening look, “Let’s just show the brat a bit of his future life!”

“Ha! Fine, but you sit this one out, I like his look, he's a fighter, and those are the best toys to break,” Jack grinned, tossing his cigarette into the ground, the air around him changing radically. 

“Ugh, fine, but I get the next one!” Jones grumbled, taking a seat on the ground.

I eyed them both, knowing that regardless of what they said, I had two enemies to worry about, and enemies lied, their words meant nothing, so I would fight like I was fighting two.

Jack chuckled, giving me a glare as he scratched his head with his rusty hook, “Time to have fun brat!” he bellowed, dropping his hips low, readying his blood-soaked knife.

In-kind, I got into position, my claws bare and ready, pulsing with Electro, and empowered by Nen.

Grinning, Jack disappeared out of sight, closing the distance between us in the blink of an eye with incredible speed, his knife flying towards my throat in a curved motion.

Ducking under his attack in the nick of time, I kicked at the branch underneath me as hard as I could, pushing my body into the air, where I danced right above him for the briefest of moments, as my body flipped upside down getting into position where I held my arms close, eyes focused on him, and ears turned on the enemy outside this fight, then as fast as I could, my arms shot forward before he could react, delivering a downward hit on his back, wherewith ease I dug my claws, electrocuting him.

The branch underneath him caved upon impact, as his body was sent to the ground with a loud crash.

Hovering mid-air in a slow descent, I twirled around, shooting one of my hands towards the tree as fast as I could, digging my claws into it, so as to prevent dropping to the ground.

“Jack, the kid is kicking your ass!” Joe laughed at his partner in a maniacal manner, pointing at him like a child that’s about to snitch.

“Popopopo!” Jack laughed, standing off the ground with a feral grin, “He’s certainly a tough one! He dislocated both of my arms with that attack!” Still laughing, the man shook his arms violently, popping both arms back into place with shocking ease, as he cracked his neck.

“Need help?” Joe snickered.

“Nah,” Jack replied, doing some stretches with his arms.

My face darkened, I had put enough Nen there to bend metal, yet he had taken that, plus Electro, and had shrugged it off. If brute strength wouldn't do it, my next attempt would be piercing.

“Here I go!” Jack grinned, beaming with delirious joy as he darted towards me at great speed, once again closing the distance between us in an instant, this time attacking with both his knife and his hook.

Dodging once again, I threw my torso back. As my opponent pressed on me without slowing down, chasing me down with a flurry of attacks, seeing this, I took a quick step forward, throwing a horizontal kick down on his face, knocking the man to the ground with a loud thundering sound.

Then, pressing my feet against the tree I got into a crouching position reminiscent of a cat about to leap to its prey, before I blasted towards him, immediately closing the distance between us as he got up. Giving him no time to react, both of my hands flew towards him in a blur of movement, one to his throat and the other to his solar plexus simultaneously.

With an ear-piercing howl of pain on his part, both of my attacks landed, easily piercing deep within him, where I flexed my claws now coated in his blood, getting a firm grip before pulling both of my hands out in a singular motion, yanking out his intestines and throat.

Shocked, Jack dropped his bloodstained knife to the ground, as in a daze he brought his hand to his throat, quiveringly touching my handiwork in disbelief before trying to mutter something, that was instead replaced by him briefly vomiting blood before dropping to the ground dead.

“JACK!” Jon shrieked, darting towards me, in what he probably assumed was my blind spot, the screaming part ruining any type of surprise element, not that it mattered, after all, all this time I had kept my ears zoning him out.

Sidestepping out his rage-fueled attack, I grabbed his left arm and threw him into the air, before pulling down his arm, slamming him head first into the ground with enough power to knock him out, and break a few bones.

I couldn’t kill him just yet, there were still Minks to save.