Straw Hat Luffy: The Black Fist

Chapter 49: Demons and Angels

AN:

A small disclaimer here to start this one out. This chapter has some pretty gruesome depictions of violence so steel yourselves, lol. I had fun writing this chapter and I'm glad I'm getting it out sooner than some of the more recent chapters. I got to write some stuff I've been thinking about for a while so that's always cool. Hope it pans out the way it does in my head.

Anyway, I don't have much else to say other than thanks for the love on the last chapter even though I'd been gone for a while. It's always nice to see the couple of you who comment on most chapters and also the new ones, so keep 'em coming. I love hearing what you guys think and any criticism or ideas you have about the story so far. I know I probably sound like a broken record at this point, lol.

Enough from me, I hope you enjoy this chapter and I'll see you in the next one!

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Chapter 49: Demons and Angels

"Alright, I've seen you kill enough of my coworkers... Time to die.", Ms. Monday growled, wrenching one of her brass-knuckled fists back as far as she could.

Zoro spun, panicked, while his hand grasped at Kitetsu's handle. Before he could grab it and pull the blade free, an extremely hard fist collided with his forehead, the skin underneath it immediately rupturing while blood splattered across the offending appendage. His back crashed straight into the ground, cracks ripping through the earth underneath him, and his eyes widened when he saw the now red-colored fist enter his vision once again.

A roar of exertion left Ms. Monday's mouth as she drove her knuckles into the swordsman's head for the second time, another loud crack piercing through the air. She held her fist in place, vision obscured by the swirling brown cloud surrounding them, and continued to grind downward to ensure her opponent wouldn't be getting up again. The woman huffed when she felt she'd done enough damage, staring down at the figure below her, and slowly stood, waiting with bated breath to see if the pirate would retaliate. Surely that had knocked him out at least... Right?

"Not bad.", the verdet mused licking up some of the blood dripping from his forehead, "You're pretty strong.". He wrenched himself from the ground, shifting to the side on instinct, and grabbed the arm careening past his face by the wrist, pulling his attacker in close so she could see him clearly, "But, not strong enough.". His other palm flashed out as he stood to his feet and wrapped around the woman's head, grip strengthening while he lifted her into the air. He felt her struggle against him but he wouldn't soon be losing this battle, not with all the work he'd put in to make himself stronger.

With a growl, Zoro squeezed his digits as tightly as he could and the woman's voice seemed to rise a few pitches before it was cut off completely with one last piercing scream, her consciousness vanishing from the waking world.

As the dust cleared and the two forms became visible once again, the surrounding bounty hunters gawked at the image of one of their strongest being held in the air by her head, unmoving.

"Holy shit...".

"He did that to Ms. Monday?... Are... Are we gonna be ok?...".

"... I... I think we're all gonna die...".

Many more shocked whispers rolled through the surrounding bounty hunters but Zoro blocked them out, taking in a deep breath and letting Ms. Monday's unconscious body drop to the ground without a care. In the blink of an eye, Kitetsu was drawn and the sound that accompanied the action shocked his enemies back into reality, weapons being readied for a fight more bloody than anyone present thought possible.

Mr. Eight watched the swordsman jump into the fray once again and almost couldn't find it in himself to shoot his unconventional weapon. He'd never seen such a display of martial prowess and the sight had left him incapable of movement. It felt like if he moved he would die... Ms. Wednesday was more right than she knew... It brought him to the conclusion that some sort of mistake must have been made... There was no way this man wasn't the one the bounty was supposed to belong to...