Back slamming against the vault door, Johannes bounced shakily, barely staying on his feet. Free hand brushing his hair to the side, a face running with blood glared down at Cerulean, the Boss still unmarred, his stance relaxed and at ease.
Gritting his teeth, Johannes charged, hopping into the air, halberd swinging from behind him, arcing through the arc as it came down upon Cerulean, stopping dead, pinned with the tilting of his head against his shoulder. Wrestling it free, Johannes flipped his grip, swinging it from the other side at the freshly exposed flesh, but even though Cerulean didn’t move, it bounced harmlessly off with a scrape of metal, the skin glowing with a metallic sheen.
Johannes growled, “It was a Devil Fruit then…”
Lifting his wrist, Cerulean’s hand curled, the fingers becoming bladed. “Caught on fast enough.” Sliding one leg away, Cerulean bent his legs before lunging forward, shooting his palm out. Johannes took a step back, blocking it with the shaft of his halberd. Cerulean grabbed hold, keeping it steady as his other arm swooped in, fingers all pointed together. The hand twisted into a drill before continually twisting, spinning with a dull screeching towards Johannes’ armor. He tried to lift his halberd to block, but it was still stuck. The drill hand tore through his breastplate like it were plaster, Johannes’ body shuddering from the rough movement of the drill, its sound muddled by the flow of blood. Lifting his arm, the drilling stopped as Johannes lost the strength to hold his weapon, the halberd clattering to the ground. Holding Cerulean aloft, his hand gripping his armor, Cerulean tossed him aside, the knight clattering to the ground.
Rolling his neck over his shoulder, Cerulean raised both of his hands, twisting them into drills. “If I’d known you were that much of a push over I’d have taken you out myself yesterday, just like Chester…” With a horrid wail, the door screeched as the drills came into contact, beginning to peel away at the metal, sparks flying. Within, the king and queen kept close to each other, the still tired Lina grimacing as she brought her blade to bear.
Suddenly the drilling stopped, Cerulean gasping out in shock. Turning to look, he saw Johannes behind him, the point of the halberd dug into his skin, even through the metal it reflexively became, though not deep. “That hurt,” Cerulean growed, elbowing Johannes away, the weakened man stumbling to the ground. As he tried to crawl to safety, Cerulean stepped down on his leg, pinning him. The knight grunting in pain, Cerulean pointed out a thumb, leaning down to put its bladed edge against Johannes’ throat. “The strength to never give up isn’t really strength if you can never win. Not that you’d have been any better off giving up, but maybe you’d have lived.” Pushing the thumb to one side of his through and digging in, blood running, he finished, “Maybe.”
Marv looked up from his place in the flooring where the knight had left him before, regaining consciousness he saw Cerulean dealing with the pesky knight and a smile was on his face, till he felt the pressure of a boot on the back of his head, forcing his face down back onto the stone floor where he had lied before, knocking him out again. Chester leapt towards Cerulean and threw a fist out, towards the Boss’ face, knocking him off Johannes before he could slit his throat. His fist colliding with his let out a metallic echo, like striking a sword with a stick. “Want to try to kill me again, asshole?!” Chester shouted, his wounds had begun healing from his last encounter with Cerulean, but the X-mark on his chest still widely visible through his mostly torn shirt.
As Johannes collapsed to the ground, Cerulean glared, holding his expression for a few moments. Face still glaring, he looked around, before muttering, “Am I not doing it?”
Chester turned to Johannes and nodded. “Yeah, damn straight. You lie down there and rest knightboy. It’s time for the big dogs to tussle.” And then Chester turned to Cerulean. “You’re not doing anything. I’m beating you down, once and for all. And this time, nobody’s gonna drug me and drag me onto a boat.”
Cerulean reached into his pocket, pulling out a hand mirror and examining his own glare. Face finally relaxing, he growled, “No, I was doing my terrifying glare, but you weren’t terrified.” Tossing the mirror aside and raising his hands, which became bladed, he said, “Which must mean I beat you so bad you forgot about it.”
“You’re just not that scary.” Chester responded, putting his fists up and rushing Cerulean, trying to get in close to the man, making up for his lack of reach that way. “And hitting a guy who’s not looking isn’t very sporting.” He said, throwing a punch. Cerulean raised a hand, aiming to catch it, but it slipped by his paw, smacking against steel skin. Casually, Cerulean took his other arm and gripped Chester’s at the elbow, blades digging in. Chester shot a look at Cerulean, cursing under his breath as he swung again, his fist colliding with Cerulean’s gut, sending vibrations through his hand Cerulean’s metal body let out a ringing sound, as if striking a bell. Chester got in closer and delivered a shoulder tackle, rubbing Cerulean’s footing and making him let go of Chester’s other arm, which was now bleeding from the bladed fingers that cut like talons.
Regaining his stance, Cerulean simply brushed himself off, unharmed. Shaking his head, he grumbled, “Look at you, you’re a disgusting mess. Do you even bathe? You’re just weak. You got lucky so far but nothing you try to do matters, because I’m stronger.”
Chester looked at Cerulean, while ripping the last shreds of his shirt off, bandaging his arm with it, biting down on the cloth while he tied a knot to secure the makeshift bandage. “You’re talking a lot of shit for someone who’s entire organization’s been dismantled by a booze lover and his group of misfits.” Chester responded with a cold tone. Putting his guard back up. “You think you being able to deflect swords are gonna save you from me? Sooner or later. You’re gonna get tired, and I’m gonna pummel you into metal dust.”
Cerulean snorted. “That’s rich coming from a puddle of blood.” Height raising just a smidgen, round blades on his feet propped him up, crossed across his feet like a screw drill. Without moving his legs, they spun up, drawing lines in the stone as he scraped his way towards Chester, both arms crossed over his chest, forearms growing stiff blades. Chester was holding back laughter as he saw the boss come scraping towards him. “It’s like an idiot on iceskate- Oh boy” He cut himself off, rolling out of the way as Cerulean picked up speed and came at him. While Cerulean was charging, he kicked at his back from the side. Cerulean grunted as he screeched off course, digging one hand into the rock to slow him as he knocked into one of the walls. Eyes falling to Johannes, on the ground several feet behind Chester, Cerulean shot him a knowing grin before the blades on his feet spun again, aiming for Chester with Johannes just beyond. Chester looked at Cerulean and rolled his eyes “You’re really this dumb? You think I’m not just gonna dodge again” Chester asked, getting ready to jump out of the way, only to catch Johannes in his peripheral vision. ”Shit.” Chester uttered as Cerulean came charging at him. He took a moment and focused, as Cerulean was only a couple feet in front of him, he smashed his hand down onto the ground, releasing vibrations into the ground that cracked the stone flooring, making the terrain far rougher for Cerulean. Chester dove backwards onto his back to try and get more distance from Cerulean, who’s eyes went wide as he dove into the cracked ground. Rather than skate across the relatively smooth surface, the blades tearing and breaking the ground even more as they went across it, until they couldn’t. Cerulean flailed as he stumbled, falling face first onto the cracked pavement.
Chester leapt back up onto his feet from his back, standing on top of Cerulean and having a smirk on his face. “Look who’s eating gravel. If it ain’t Mr. High and Mighty.” He taunted, He raised his fist towards the downed Cerulean, it vibrating till it almost blurred, as he hesitated for a second. “Get up. You tripped like an idiot. I didn’t strike you down.” Chester demanded, refraining from taking his free shot on the Chief.
Face darkening, Cerulean got to his knees, blades sprouting from his knuckles. Shooting up, he went into an uppercut, snarling, “Weakness! Everything you are is weak!” The attack caught Chester by the chest and the chin, scratching him up as he skidded backwards, without falling. He winced in pain from the wounding attack, but he still kept his jaw clenched. He turned to Cerulean to face him. “That really your best shot?” The pirate taunted, keeping his fist by his side, vibrating it.
“Winning the battle is everything! I’ll always give my best shot even while you run away.” Clenching both his fists, he spat, “All I fight are cowards, and you’re no exception.” Slowly walking forward, his arms stayed at his sides, face locked into a glare. Chester’s look of determination, clenched jaw and wide gaze didn’t falter, as he walked towards Cerulean, as well, staring him down as the two got closer, when they were standing in arms reach of another, Chester’s arm shot up in an uppercut aiming to rattle Cerulean’s head with his devil fruit. His step slowed, but once again he was unhurt, his own fist jabbing into Chester’s side, knuckles still bladed. Chester winched at the pain, Palmstriking Cerulean with both his hands, the force forcing him to slide across the tunnel, away from Chester, the blades clawing up Chester’s side as he did. Chester heard a weak voice from behind him, followed by the clacking of metal.
Seeing Johannes, his gauntlets on the ground in between the two, the man looked up at Chester, grunting, “You’re...well, inept as a leader, but you’ve somehow gathered respectable comrades behind you. And I hate to admit it but you’re strong. You may not have my heart behind you…” Johannes stopped to catch his breath, blood still staining the floor. “...But I will give you a hand,” he finished, nodding at the gauntlets. Chester was hunched over him, looking at the gauntlets, nodding. “You softened him up.” The pirate flashed a smile at Johannes, as the dark shadow of Cerulean creeped up behind him, the metal man aiming a strike at the pirate. Chester turned around, whipping the Boss with the metal gauntlet in the face, before putting them on while his opponent recovered.
“You think a pair of gloves is going to help you?” Cerulean growled, before digging his claws into the ground, pushing forward and raising them, the ground splintering as the cuts traveled through the ground at Chester.
Chester saw the cuts coming for him and jammed his gloved hand into the ground, releasing vibrational shockwave that counteracted the attack, protecting both him and Johannes behind him from harm. Chester properly strapped the gloves to his arms, as he started walking towards Cerulean. “No, I don’t need the help. But they’ll make the knight over there feel like he’s part of this win.” Chester responded cockily, throwing a downward punch, like a hammer at Cerulean’s shoulder. He snorted, “You-” but his words were cut short, the fist hitting against his iron shoulder, denting it more easily, Cerulean’s leg buckling from the blow. Chester went for the uppercut from below, striking him and knocking Cerulean into the air before he fell onto his back on the floor.
Grasping his chin, Cerulean stood again, scoffing, “Is this a joke? A little bit of metal between you and me and suddenly it actually hurts.” Sprouting circular coils on his chest and arms, they began to spin, threatening to shred anything that came into contact. Spreading his arms, he lurched over, aiming to pull Chester into a bear hug. Chester lept backwards as Cerulean dove onto him, his smaller frame allowed him to narrowly escape the chipper attack, aiming a punch for Cerulean’s unguarded area - the face. Metal against metal rang out and Chester was struck by the edges of two of the blades, one on the shoulder and one on the collar while fist planted itself in Cerulean’s jaw. Stunned, Cerulean backed up, staggering away as he shook his head, grunting, “When was the last time I got hit like that?”
“A second ago” Chester taunted, dashing in and hitting Cerulean in the face again, decking him to the ground. Chester spoke in his best Knightly impression, “The thing you don’t understand, Cerulean. Is that it’s not about the metal on a warrior’s arm that matters. It’s the metal in the warrior’s heart that wins a fight. And you? You’re soft.” He continued, delivering a kick to Cerulean’s ribs. Chester pointed behind him, to Johannes. “That guy over there? He has more heart than the both of us. He’s a better warrior than you, than me. He’s stronger than both of us. And I don’t think you can handle that.” Spinning his arm around into a windmill punch, striking Cerulean again to illustrate his point. The bigger man, punched in the stomach, slumped down to his knees, breathing heavily.
Looking down at his two hands, he glanced up at Chester’s gauntlets, muttering, “I’m this weak?” Shoulders slumping in defeat, his eyes trailed across the ground, spotting something. Mouth curling into a snarl, he growled, “I’ll never be weak no matter what it takes.” Hopping up, he snatched Johannes’ halberd off the ground, holding it in one hand as he aimed it towards Chester, lunging at him point first. Chester raised an eyebrow as Cerulean came charging at him. He was already too fast for Chester to just deflect the attack, he simply had to move out of the way. He rolled to the side as Cerulean came charging, shouting after him “You missed, idiot!” As Cerulean passed, his foot came up at Chester, cutting into his stomach and knocking him back a bit. Bouncing to a stop, he pulled the halberd back and swung in down, angling it at the fallen Johannes. “Come closer, arms behind your back so I can hit you. Do anything funny and, well…” Cerulean nodded at the fallen knight, before insisting, “I have all the power here.”
Chester looked at Cerulean, then at the fallen knight, then back at Cerulean and gritted his teeth. “Coward.” He insisted, spitting on the ground in front of him. He walked towards Cerulean, with determination. “You know I never did like that guy, right? If you wanted to hold me hostage, you should’ve threatened the little girl whom I assume is in the vault, protecting the king and queen. Her, I actually like. Kill the knight, if you want. I’ll just do to you what you do to him.” Chester promised, making a fist out of his hand. As Cerulean was about to strike Johannes, Chester put up his hand. “Wait, stop. I lied. Hit me.” He offered, standing down on one knee, hands behind his back.
Grinning Cerulean took a few steps to Chester, dropping the weapon on the ground out of reach of either of them. Cracking his knuckles, he slugged Chester square across the face, the fist not even metal, enjoying the feeling of flesh smashing into flesh for the first time in a long time. Continuing to use Chester as a punching bag, he struck, waited for Chester to recover, before striking again. When he was too slow Cerulean grabbed him by the hair, pulling him into the next punch.
Chester’s mouth was full of blood as he opened it to speak. “That all you got, weakling?” He taunted again, spitting a tooth at Cerulean. Snarling, Cerulean redoubled his efforts, staining his knuckles red, blood dripping to the floor, until Chester finally collapsed. Turning away Cerulean went for the door.
Chester crawled onto his knuckles, pushing himself off the floor. “Is… Is that all you got?” He taunted, putting his leg to the ground, standing on his one knee. “Can’t muster the strength to kill me? Figures you were too weak to do that.”
Cerulean cackled, hands curling into drills once again. “At this point I don’t think I need to.” Kicking the halberd over by the door, glancing over at Johannes on the ground, Cerulean said, “I’m already the strongest.” Jabbing the hands into where they were drilling before, he continued his dig.
“What the hell are you doing?!” Chester shouted between painful winches. He was spitting blood as the dark red liquid poured down his face, his lip and eyebrow were both busted, he had a black eye and his cheeks were swollen. The wound on his side had dripped blood all the way down his shorts. “The fight’s here. I’m not done with you yet.” He said under his breath, trying to crawl onto his feet.
Laughing over the screeching of metal on the vault door, Cerulean said, “You’re done when I say you’re done.” Gritting his teeth, he let out a shout, one more wrenching noise being heard as he shoved his hands through the lock. The door shuddering, Cerulean grabbed it and pulled it open. “And I say: you’re all done.”
The king and queen audibly gasped, huddling in the back of the vault. Dried blood on her shoulder, Lina took a breath, holding up her blade. “Oh? What’s this, you look like you’re from Melonberry.”
Lina’s eyes looked passed him, falling onto Chester. Eyes flashing red, she snarled, blade striking against Cerulean, each strike seeming to sound 5 times. The neck, the eyes, the heart: Lina’s strikes were decisive yet each bounced harmlessly, Lina continuing to growl in anger. Snorting, Cerulean reached out a hand, grabbing Lina by the collar of her dress and lifting her off the ground. Choking, her anger began to fade, shifting to terror. Cerulean remarked, “Ah, that’s right, the upstart, Reno. You must be the sister.” Flicking his other thumb, it formed a curved blade, which found its way to her throat. “Melonberry isn’t a problem any more but you’re in my way.” Lina’s sword jabbed at him to no avail, her eyes looking back at Chester, helpless.
As her eyes swept over Chester, he wasn’t there anymore. She would see him springing into the air with the halberd in his hand, leaping at Cerulean and plunging the metal end into his back, pushing the end once it had dug itself sufficiently deep into his back, his body too weary from their fight to create thick enough metal to protect him. When Chester pushed the handle, Cerulean wa flung, spinning around, only to get jabbed in the face by the Pirate, whom was dripping blood all over the place. Staggering, Cerulean dropped Lina, stamping his boot to regain footing before raising both of his arms, slapping his hands together, a small flurry of cuts ripping through the air at Chester.
He pulled his arm back and released his attack, the vibrations tearing through the air and destroying Cerulean’s cuts, before the blast hit Cerulean in the face, knocking the wind out of him. Chester kneed him in the face, jabbed him again and punched him in the stomach, before finally uppercutting him to the floor, in the middle of the vault, Johannes glove on the right hand cracked under the pressure of Chester’s fist and Cerulean’s jaw.
As Cerulean hit the ground, Chester put his knee in his stomach, sitting on him and mauling his torso, each hit cracking the ground as the vibrations traveled through both of their bodies into the ground under them. He was grunting as he took off the gauntlet from his hand, and grabbed it with both and strarted plunging it into the now unconscious Cerulean, each hit more blood poured from his side, till eventually, Chester ran out of energy and fell to the side, leaving a several feet deep indention where Cerulean laid.
“Piece of shit. You, servant. Give me a beer.” He mumbled, pointing at the king before fainting.
