Black Bone Tower Part 24

Previous: Black Bone Tower Part 23

''Drake stood tall toward the elder pirate, and while his subordinates stood behind him, they knew that there was no way they could possibly win against such a man as him. Snowbeard stood atop the ridge, staring down at Thomas, neither of them giving way for the other. Snowbeard popped his neck, moving the gigantic beads on his shoulders around a bit as he glowered.''

Snowbeard: Your arrogance and stature have given you the path of destruction, my old friend. Your name soars among the high seas as the destructor of evil, and a man who bows to no size, shape or form of this corrupt Government. I have waited for the day that our paths would cross once again, but I had no idea it would be like this. I demand you leave these shores at once, this is my home, and you will not have what you seek.

Thomas: Enough! I told you the day that I left that I would have no more of your commands! You have said all you need! I vowed never to deter from my path, no matter what the obstacle! If you wish to be one, then so be it!

Snowbeard: Thomas, stubborn as ever. [His arms, which were crossed, fell to either side of his enormous figure.] Ever since Olive died, your pig-headed qualities rose to the point of no return, and now it has come to this. You may have never been chosen as my first mate, but among my crew, you were the most tenacious and reckless of them all. While I find those to be great qualities in my crew, they have led to the mistake you have made now.

''The two of them removed their shirts, the tension between them could be physically felt among both of their crews. As both of their subordinates drew their weapons, both hands rose from their Captains to stand down. With their orders given, all of them scattered, leaving Nicholas Omage, and Thomas Drake in a vast field, nothing between them but air and opportunity.''

Drake: So it was true what those legends say... a beast does guard the treasure of this island...

Snowbeard: Marukenpo [Said in his growling, low voice.]

Drake: Little did I know it was a beast from the roots! [Lunged toward Snowbeard, and with a huge swipe of his arm, came at the elder pirate with a strike from the side of his wrist.]

Snowbeard: Boukyaku! KIRE!! [His hand painted with black haki, hardened stronger than any diamond and stopped Drake's attack dead in its tracks, catching his wrist in his palm with a grip that would crush solid steel.]

Drake: Errrr, you haven't lost your touch! [His head jolted forward, smashing it into Snowbeard's face, causing him to recoil back with an impact that literally could be felt several yards away where Snowbeard's crew cringed at the sight of their Captain being harmed.]

Snowbeard: Nor have you. [With perfect form in his arm, he chopped Drake in the face with the edge of his hand, and knocked him several feet back.]

Thomas Drake hit his back onto the ground and landed on his feet.

Snowbeard: Marukenpo! Sukai Genkai! [Lunged straight into the air, almost an entire mile into the sky, then wasted no time in taking a new stance.] TenKen!

''With the thrust of his palm, he brought forth an energy force that Thomas Drake could feel pushing him down to the extent that he found his knees bending and shaking as it felt that five tons of pressure was trying to smash him into the dirt. It wasn't long before a gigantic hole formed underneath him, and the pressure created a wind that blew up a huge cloud of dust. Thomas struggled to keep on his feet, beads of sweat drizzling down his face as he strained his whole body against such a powerful strength.''

''Soon the pressure dissipated and Snowbeard landed on the ground. As the dust settled, Thomas Drake still stood, though the sweat on his brow was tremendous, he stood tall, trying to hide the fact that he was panting for breath. As the dust settled, it became quite evident to those who noticed that they now stood in the middle of a three hundred yard wide imprint of a hand that was ingrained into the land around them.''

Drake: I must admit, I am honored that you do not hold back against me, Captain Nicholas. I will show you the same respect. [He lunged toward Snowbeard once again, who held up a fighting stance of the Marukenpo style, and as he unleashed another chop at Drake's neck, Drake surprised him with a serious elbow to Snowbeard's crook of his arm.] Earth Spire! [Smashed his elbow straight into Snowbeard's chest that drove him straight down.]

Ami: Captain! [Called out from far back in the sidelines, reaching out toward Snowbeard, but then bit her lip and put her hands on her mouth.]

Drake: [Looked down at the fallen elder, and then lifted up his elbow to bring it down straight toward Snowbeard.] Diamond Fall! [With the force of a hurricane he brought down his whole body into that falling blow.]

''With a grunt, Snowbeard grasped the elbow, and once again stopped it in its tracks. With a thrust of his foot, he collided a kick into Drake's abdomen. Drake cringed as he was sent up into the air, and Snowbeard kipped up instantly.''

Snowbeard: Marukenpo! Kujiku! [Smashed the palm of his hand into Drake with enough force to smash a stone into small sand particles.]

''Drake was sent flying straight back into the side of a gigantic hill. That hill was demolished to the fullest extent and lay in ruins upon Drake's impact. Dust kicked up high once again, forming that of a mushroom cloud of dirt. Just as Snowbeard predicted, it did not keep Thomas down for long, he jumped out of the horrible puff of debris and attempt another assault. Nicholas seemed to appear in front of him in that very instant, his flattened hand smashing into Thomas's chest, causing a recoil that kicked up even more dust around them.''

''With no time to hesitate, Snowbeard smashed yet another two fingers into the front of his shoulder, then once in between two of his ribs, causing him to exasperate his pain. Then another pressure point that very next second, until he was hitting pressure points at a horrible rate that was impossible to count, even for himself. He glared at Thomas as he did this, he winced as he saw his former student in such horrible pain.''

Snowbeard: Ikusen Anaboko!!! [Suddenly stopped, and Drake very visibly began to cramp in every single muscle he had, all at once.]

Thomas fell to his knees, his mouth unable to close, and his eyes bulging as he felt pain in every single crevice of his body.

Snowbeard: You have no idea how much I hurt at this moment, Thomas.

''Thomas looked up toward his former mentour, and then finally closed his jaw with a loud popping noise. That was when his muscles bulged to their very capacity, and he held his arms bent at his sides.''

Thomas: I have an idea, but not as much as this will hurt! [Started to grow fine, white fur all over his body, his hair turning red and growing longer.]

Snowbeard: Nanda korewa.... [Eyes widened and stared as he saw his former subject grow larger, and have a horn grow out from the middle of his forehead.]

Thomas: I have advanced myself in ways that you could never begin to understand! You were always so set on staying in this vicinity, never allowing me to go out on my own to discover the riches and wonders of the world! Now I am free, and I will remain as much so long as I draw breath! [Turned five inches taller than Snowbeard then, his face turning to a horse's muzzle, and his feet turning to hooves. The horn in his forehead stopped growing to a very sharp tip, and his red hair flowed as the wind picked up.]

''Snowbeard was speechless as he watched Thomas's transformation, and his healing factor taking away all of his bruises and bloody wounds he received from their fight. All of the crowd stood, amazed at his transformation, as his own crew had not seen him turn into it for quite some time.''

Thomas: Behold: Uma Uma no mi: Model Unicorn! I will accept your surrender now, Captain Nicholas!

Snowbeard: Insolent little brat... You have forgotten your manners as I taught you. Remember I wiped your ass when you were little more than a rascal crawling on the carpet. Now you ask me to surrender?! I would rather see you eat grass! [leaped forward at the newly formed Thomas, his arms locked into a defensive stance, but Thomas stopped him cold with newly formed strength and a very surprising grip, even by Snowbeard's standards.]

''The two of them growled at one another, their haki energies playing ping pong with the pressure that formed around them, kicking up rocks, dust, and the wind around them, making the fight very hard to watch, even at a distance where rocks and pebbles pelted onlookers. Snowbeard finally began to sweat as their strengths became a test of pure endurance, equal in every possible respect.''

Snowbeard: Maru Kenpooooo! [His aura began to shine bright then.]

Thomas: Eh?!

Snowbeard: Gogyou! Hono! Kyoukaaaaaaaaaan!!!!!! [All of his haki was released into a huge, concentrated rush of energy that shook Thomas to his very core, and blasted whatever was behind him, including the ground, completely away like a gust of wind to a piece of paper.]

Thomas: GAAAAAHHH!!! [Was blasted straight back, but was only saved by his hooved feet digging into what was left of the ground below him.]

''The rumbling around them settled once again, and dust dissipated, both of them panted for breath at that point, neither of them willing to admit that this could be a fight that lasted for days on end, ultimately being a stalemate. They merely glared at one another, both calculating and planning their next mode of attack.''

''Both of them felt the shaking in the earth beneath their feet, and stood ready for the next powered attack the other was preparing, until they found that it was emitted from neither of them at all. That was when both of them raised an eyebrow in confusion, and looked to their sides. Their eyes widened, and cringed as neither of them believed what they were seeing.''

''A dragon! Of all the things in the world it could have been, it was a dragon. Its scales were red hot, cracks of molten scales resounded throughout its body, causing it to glow the same color as lava, along with its open maw and eyes. It heated up the very island itself in its approach from the skies. Its eyes locked onto the fighting pair, and it seemed to open its maw in a smile, one that only a dragon could have. It finally landed on their shore, its wings casting enough of a gust to blow away a smaller man, and even tear down the deepest of picket fences from their base. It folded its wings onto its back and glared at the two of them.''

Snowbeard instinctively got into his fighting stance, his face that of awe, and he began to walk up beside Thomas, who wore a similar expression as his hybrid unicorn form.

Thomas: What manner of beast this is could not be true! [In the exact same fighting stance as Snowbeard as their instant alliance was formed, and their fight all but forgotten in that moment.]

Snowbeard: Careful, my boy, this is no time to be in awe, this is a time to look through and see who the true enemy is.

''The dragon stood there for a moment longer, surveying them, and listening to the people of the little town as they scurried back to their homes in absolute horror. The panic in the air was thick, as was the heat that emitted from the gigantic beast that stood easily more than fifteen feet tall, and had an even wider wing-span. That was when it looked back down at the two who spoke quietly amongst themselves and stayed in their syncronized fighting stances.''

Dragon: Kohohohohoho! Tell me, which one of you is the one who helped that cat bastard back on Fringe?

''That was when the two looked at one another in surprise as it spoke, then looked back at him with defiance in their eyes. It had to die, right then, right there!''

Black Bone Tower Part 25