The sea lay creepily calm, like the eerie pause before a jump scare. The Tenshū sliced through the water, its hull whispering sinister secrets to the silence of the waves. The sky stretched vast and empty, yet Lila's wind wrapped around the ship with the tension of a bowstring about to twang. Zin came back on board; he was sent out on the hunch, but even though he came back empty-handed, Lila was glad to see him again.
Lila stood resolute at the prow of the ship, her gaze fierce and unwavering, her black eyes gleaming like twin daggers forged from pure determination. The atmosphere around her crackled with a charged energy, an electric tension that prickled her skin and whispered of the impending storm. It was the kind of silence that felt alive, a heavy lull before chaos broke loose. Buzz appeared beside her, his arms defiantly crossed over his chest, and trails of smoke twisted and curled ominously from his fingertips like serpents ready to strike. "He's here," he announced, his voice a low rumble that matched the darkening sky.
Lila responded with a brisk nod. "Light," she commanded.
A searing golden beam split the heavens, its brilliance momentarily blinding, as Admiral Borsalino Kizaru descended from the sky like a blazing meteor. He landed with an elegance that belied the power behind it, the ground barely stirring beneath his feet. His hands remained tucked casually in his pockets, and his sunglasses caught the light, reflecting a mischievous glint as if sharing a private joke with the universe.
"Yo… Monkey D. Lila. You've been busy," he drawled, his voice smooth and languid, a smirk playing on his lips like a cat toying with its prey.
Behind Lila, the Driftborn assembled in solemn silence, their presence a wall of expectation and unspoken resolve. The air was thick with the weight of held breaths, anticipation coiling around them like a living thing.
Kizaru tilted his head slightly, his movements deliberate and sinuous, like a predator assessing its next move. "You know, I've always wondered… how fast does wind move when it's scared?" he mused, his tone mockingly curious.
Lila's response was as sharp and cold as a blade forged from ice. "Let's find out," she replied, her voice cutting through the charged atmosphere with a decisive finality, setting the stage for the storm to come.
"Wind slasher."
Lila's arms blurred as she twisted her wrists, the air around her fingers rippling with distortion. The deck creaked beneath her feet. Kizaru's form dissolved into yellow streaks, the afterimage of his smile lingering before his heel materialized inches from Lila's temple, glowing white-hot. "Playing dirty. I see."
Golden particles peppered the air like hail. Lila's palms thrust outward, and the wind howled in response, bending the trajectory of each luminous projectile. The crew stumbled as the ship tilted sharply, objects flying across the deck and barrels rolling across the deck.
Buzz ignited the air with a deafening roar, sending a shockwave that scattered burning debris in every direction. Flames erupted, licking the sky with fiery tongues, while a thick cloud of ash swirled and twisted, resembling a serpent caught in a hypnotic dance. The ash spiraled towards Kizaru, who stood at the center of the chaos, his silhouette barely visible. Yet, as the deadly cloud approached, the Admiral moved with an uncanny grace, his form gliding through the hazy curtain as if he were merely a ghost passing through the lingering smoke.
"Too slow." With ruthless precision, he booted Buzz across the deck. Vexa intercepted him mid-air, her hands glowing with life-saving energy.
"Pulse Sync." She steadied his heartbeat with her touch, urgency lighting her eyes as she turned to Lila. "We need everyone."
Veyra "Frostbite" launched herself from the rigging like a coiled spring, her hands crashing onto the steel deck with a thunderous impact that seemed to shake the entire ship. "Frostbite Barrage!" she cried, unleashing a torrent of icy shards that erupted outward in a chaotic frenzy. Miniature spires of gleaming ice burst forth alongside towering, crystalline structures, all converging with lethal precision toward Kizaru. He moved with fluid agility, twisting and turning to evade the icy assault, a smirk playing on his lips as he relished the challenge of their rebellion.
"Ah… the whole circus is here."
Zin "Echoblade" landed gracefully beside him, his twin tonfa glowing with the dark sheen of Armament Haki, the very atmosphere humming with an electrifying intensity. "He's quick but not quicker than a heartbeat," Zin murmured, his movements a fluid dance reminiscent of an ancient tribal ritual, each step purposeful and precise as he closed in on Kizaru with lethal focus. In a swift motion, Zin lunged forward. Kizaru sidestepped just in time, but Zin's eyes widened with the foresight granted by Observation Haki; Kizaru was about to do the evasive maneuver. With a fierce twist, he redirected his strike, landing a brutal blow to Zin's ribs. Zin halted before retreating with practiced agility.
From the crow's nest, Riven "Deadeye" took a deep breath, steadying his aim. The sharp crack of his rifle echoed through the air as he unleashed a shot. A Haki-infused bullet tore through the atmosphere, slicing past Kizaru's shoulder with a searing heat. Blood erupted in a vivid crimson spray, staining the deck.
"Hmph," Kizaru growled, his voice tinged with irritation and a hint of condescension. "You're all very annoying."
Gorren "Stonejaw" thundered onto the deck, each heavy footfall resonating like a drumbeat. His body began to morph, skin hardening into impenetrable rock, resembling a living fortress. "You want a wall? I'll be your wall." With earth-shattering force, he smashed his fists into the deck, sending tremors rippling through the ship. The shockwaves knocked Kizaru off balance, just enough for Lila to capitalize on the moment.
"Cyclone Fang!" she shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos like a blade. A ferocious arc of wind materialized, sweeping across the deck with lethal precision. It tore into Kizaru's arm, leaving a deep gash that oozed with blood. He clenched his jaw, struggling to endure the razor-sharp, burning agony that coursed through his limb. Lila, with a determined glint in her eyes, accelerated her pace, closing the distance between them. Her entire right arm darkened to an inky black, an ominous transformation that sent shivers down the spines of those watching. The air crackled with energy, a high-pitched crescendo that filled the atmosphere as Lila coiled strength into her fist, aiming to deliver a powerful hook to Kizaru's jaw. The moment her fist collided with his jawbone, the impact echoed like a thunderclap across the deck. Kizaru's body lurched backward, staggering ten paces before he could regain his footing. Satisfied with her strike, Lila swiftly retreated, making way for her crew to seize the opportunity and continue the assault.
Meanwhile, Milo "Smokepot" skillfully flicked his wrist, sending a small, round spice bomb spiraling into the air. "Dinner's served!" he announced with a bold grin. The bomb exploded with a soft pop, unleashing a thick cloud of vapor that billowed outwards, shrouding the area in an impenetrable haze. Caught off guard, Kizaru stumbled backward, his eyes watering and throat burning as he coughed violently, trying to clear the acrid mist from his lungs and make sense of the swirling fog around him.
"What… is that?" he gasped, eyes watering.
"Ghost pepper and gunpowder," Milo sneered, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "Chef's kiss."
Riven "Eagle Eye" lay prone in his sniper's nest, hidden beneath a camouflage net. His finger rested lightly on the trigger as he squinted through the scope, focusing on Kizura's distant figure. "Bingo," he breathed, his voice barely audible amid the rustling leaves. With precision, he squeezed off three shots in quick succession. Down below, Kizura's body seemed to blur for a moment, reacting with lightning speed. He twisted and turned, each bullet slicing through the air where he had been just milliseconds before. Riven's eyes narrowed, a wry grin tugging at his lips as he shook his head in disbelief at his own miscalculation.
Juno "Gearwitch" dashed across the deck with agility, her hammer gripped tightly in her hand. Amidst the chaos, she reinforced the mast, her movements precise and deliberate. "You break it, I fix it. You die, I don't."
Kizaru's smile twisted into a grim line, his patience wearing thin. "Enough." In an instant, he vanished, reappearing behind Vexa with a menacing presence. "Let's see how you handle loss."
Lila's heart lurched in her chest, her eyes widening as if they could barely contain the mix of horror and desperation surging through her. "No—!" she screamed, her voice echoing with a raw intensity that summoned a swirling tempest of wind around her. The sheer force of the gust tore through the air, snapping the mast like a twig and sending Kizaru hurtling backward through the chaos. He slid across the deck with brutal momentum, his body carving deep, jagged trenches into the planks off the ship to the nearby shore as he came to a grinding halt.
Buzz pushed himself off the dusty ground, his breath ragged and labored, smoke curling lazily from his lips like a lazy serpent. "We can't win this," he rasped, each word heavy with the weight of despair. He cast a worried glance at Lila; he knew she couldn't unleash her full power again without her body succumbing to exhaustion. It took every ounce of strength from the rest of them just to land a mere scratch on the vice admiral, a towering figure of intimidation and strength. Frustration gnawed at Buzz, the bitter acknowledgment that he wasn't as powerful as their leader, and yet the chasm between their abilities felt insurmountable. How could he possibly hope to fight alongside her when he felt so small and inadequate?
Lila's fists shook with determination, her Haki flickering like a candle in the wind, refusing to be snuffed out. "I'm not leaving."
Vexa seized her arm, urgency in his grip. "If you die here, so does everything we've built. There would not be any hope for the oppressed."
Lila surveyed her crew, battered yet unyielding in their stance. Her jaw set with unbreakable resolve. "Retreat," she commanded, her voice steady and unwavering.
The Tenshū dissolved into a swirling storm cloud, Lila's wind enveloping them in a shroud of mist and silence. Kizaru stood at the edge of the shattered deck on the shore, watching them vanish.
He touched his bruised shoulder and let out a low, menacing chuckle.
"She's going to be a problem."
***
Hours later, the Driftborn found themselves on the windswept shores of a remote island, the rocky ground beneath them cold and unyielding. The children huddled together, their eyes wide with a mixture of fear and relief, while the crew, bruised and weary, gathered in a loose circle. Lila sat apart from the others, her knuckles stained with the lingering shadows of Haki, her body trembling as if the very air around her vibrated with the aftermath of battle.
Veyra settled down next to her, gently encasing Lila's injured arm in a sheath of glistening ice. "You held your own against an Admiral," she said, her voice a mix of awe and reassurance.
Zin stood nearby, arms crossed and eyes sharp. He nodded in agreement, his gaze unwavering. "That's not a loss. That's a warning."
Buzz, leaning against a jagged rock, flicked a lighter and set a cigarette ablaze. The glow briefly illuminated his face before he exhaled a plume of smoke into the night air. "Next time, we don't run," he declared, his tone laced with determination.
Lila, her eyes drawn to the vast expanse of stars above, felt a fire reignite within her. Her voice, though quiet, carried the weight of resolve. "Next time, we finish it."