Firestorm (Ace x OC)

Chapter 18: Goodbyes In A Heat Haze

"What's wrong Scorpion?" Luffy asked seeing the older man was getting slightly clammy.

"It's uh huh hahaha!" The man laughed although Ryoko glanced over the rock toward him, something in her gut told her that this man was terrified. Which was probably the most logical reaction. "So sorry! But this is the day where your luck runs out! All those heroic songs and tales your supporters flatter you with ends today!"

"Don't be stupid... turn back..." the eldest whispered peeking out from under the woman's flowing white outfit and over the rocks.

Ryoko's lips formed a frown hearing that and she looked towards Ace who met her eyes briefly when he glanced down at the kid, his slight grin hadn't faded.

"This is so exciting!" Luffy exclaimed, still sitting behind Scorpion, "Ace it's a serious fight! So don't pull any punches!"

Ace was irked at his brother's statement, "I wasn't planning to!" his stance shifted from his irked lean forward form back to his relaxed stance, "But before we fight there's something I wanna know! Move aside Luffy!" he demands

Ryoko jumped slightly hearing the man suddenly yell, "Ready?! Here I come!" She immediately grabbed both boys and ducked as Ace leaped over them onto the rock now moving towards the man. She released the boys as she turned around fast looking over at the scene. 

The man took out a contraption, perhaps of his own design, as his ostrich ran forward and Luffy hopped off the back. A net was launched toward Ace but was easily sent back to the source as the younger man burst into a pillar of flame entirely unphased.

"Hot Hot Hot Hot Hot!" The man yelled rolling around in the net on the hot sand, trying to get the net off while the ostrich kicked sand back at him.

"Whoa, Ace just threw the net right back at him!" Ussop exclaimed in surprise.

Both boys were now looking over the rock in concern for the man who got the net off of him, however, the man had sustained some damage.

Ryoko clenched her fists as she stood up from behind the rock, noticing the smoke curling off the man she hopped up on the rock pulling her mask over her face.

"I guess I should be thankful, if defeating you was easy it wouldn't be much of a victory," Scorpion said with a grin.

"Yeah? Well, you have some skills yourself." Ace says, his ears picking up the sound of boots running over rocks.

"Well, I'm glad you approve, 'cause this fight isn't over. Popo the compressed extinguisher gun!" Scorpion exclaimed and his ostrich ran over and dropped some sort of contain down in front of him before running out of the way. "A special compressed air gun full of extinguisher foam! Don't let the foam confuse ya, this gun has the power to blow a hole clean through ya!" he exclaims as he assembled it swiftly and began running toward Ace.

Ryoko slid down the side of the sand crater, eyes widening as the rock that had been behind Ace had two holes blown clean through it. Her heart began to pound with worry as she watched the fight continue. 

Ace had leaped over the man, causing him to turn around so there would hopefully not be any bystander injuries, his eyes narrowed slightly as he looked towards Ryoko who had slid down into the dune. He ran forward a grin on his face as he narrowly dodged two shots of the foam while clenching his fist. As he got within range he threw a punch right into the man's diaphragm.

Scorpion made many wheezing gagging sounds as he stumbled forward past Ace and slid down the other side of the second dune.

"I expected as much, you lied about beating Blackbeard didn't you," Ace says looking down the dune towards the man. "You figured using his name would drag me out into the open. Am I right?"