Straw Hat Luffy: The Black Fist

Chapter 35: Warm-Up

AN:

Hey there!

I saw a comment about the pacing of the story so far and it honestly made me laugh out loud. Because they were totally right, lol. It is a lot slower than originally planned... I will say this, though, if I hadn't done the pre-cannon arc, we'd probably be a lot further by now. However, that arc is what inspired this whole story... And I think it's really cool... Also, I'm writing this for enjoyment, as something that I, myself, would enjoy reading, and that's the main reason I've really taken my time in letting the story develop. I could definitely probably speed up the pacing but I feel like I would miss a lot of cool moments and that's something I just can't see myself doing. Anyway, I just wanted to mention that and thank you for the comment, I enjoyed the laugh.

On another note, I also want to say thank you for all the likes and follows, as well as other comments. I absolutely love reading through them and hope to see even more in the future!

Onto the chapter! I'll go ahead and warn you that it's kind of another setup for the big fight... Hopefully, that doesn't upset anyone too badly... I still think it's a good chapter, though. Pretty much all action. So buckle up, and don't be afraid to let me know what you think! I'll try not to keep you guys waiting too long for the next chapter but I hope you enjoy this one for now!

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Chapter 35: Warm-Up

"You'll be too busy being dead!", Kuroobi screamed, rapidly sprinting in his opponent's direction. "Hachi!", he yelled, leaping off the ground and high into the air.

The hair on Luffy's neck stood straight up and he immediately dropped to the ground, two swords passing above his head. Without thinking, he rolled backward and pushed his hands off the concrete, slamming his feet into the octopus fishman's middle. His vision stayed locked to the large body sailing into the air until it was replaced by a heel descending toward his face and he quickly flattened his form.

The pirate captain rolled to the right, standing to his feet as the concrete where he'd been previously been violently shattered. Before the fishman with the weird arms could make another move, he stepped toward him and pulled his arm back in the blink of an eye. When he went to throw it forward, however, the hair on his neck stood up again, his head turning toward the gate to find a flying projectile headed straight for him. Luffy's eyes widened and he twisted his body as quickly as he could, his fist flying in its direction, "Pistol!".

A boom sounded and the rain around the boy scattered, but before he even got the chance to see the projectiles collide, a fist rammed into his face and his body smashed into the ground.

"Fishman Karate:", Kuroobi yelled, diving toward his downed opponent, "Hundred Brick Fist!".

Luffy rolled over to face the sky and wasted no time in throwing his arms into a hasty block, gasping when the attack met his guard. The force behind it caused the ground to crack around him and he growled, pushing back with all the strength in his body. A roar left his mouth as he shoved his attacker away and rolled backward, standing to his feet when he felt his soles hit the concrete below.

The teen barely even had time to take a breath before his vision was consumed by a multitude of swords. Six of them to be exact. His eyes carefully watched their sharp edges while he gracefully weaved in between the blades, simultaneously bringing himself into his attacker's guard. "Sun Palm: Impact!", he screamed, his palm finding the middle of the fishman's chest and creating a boom that ripped though the area.

Hachi's eyes widened when he felt the air leave his lungs, a circular shockwave of pain rolling through him before his body shot in the opposite direction.