Firestorm (Ace x OC)

Chapter 39: Rising Pressure

As the Going Merry continued through the milky roads, Gonfall began to tell the group more about the history behind Skypeia and the Shandorians. Ryoko sat on the ground, her brother's weapons tucked into the sash at her waist alongside her gun with her head in her hands, her knees drawn up to her chest as she tried to keep her focus on the conversation but said focus waned and she stared blankly at the deck.

"Were you even paying attention Ryoko?" Usopp asked, catching the woman off guard as she dropped her hand from the sides of her face, "I was... then the stupid explosions started again." She admits causing the other sniper to look at her strangely, "What, you can't hear it?" She questioned as she leaned against the banister in order to stand up. "No, I think you're just hearing things." Usopp dismissed with a wave of his hands.

Ryoko took a deep breath before exhaling, she then walked over to the boy with a bright smile, "Listen here, I trust my senses. Perhaps your ears just need a little help." She says before pinching both of his ears and playfully pulling on them to make them stick out more from the side of his head. She then released him with a laugh, "Believe me or not, that is up to you. The fighting has started and that is where my concerns are going to lie." 

"It seems your friend here is able to use a form of mantra." Gonfall's voice came from behind her causing her to sigh and wave her hand dismissively, "I would more say it is instinctive rather than that mantra magic stuff." She says as she turns toward the old god, crossing her arms over her chest. "Mantra is also known as the ability to hear. You may have this ability, and simply don't know how to use it properly." The kind man says although he was only met with a scowl. "If that ability is with the priests, I don't want it, so I don't have it."

The man looked like he was about to say something before Usopp stopped him, "It's best not to argue with her, she's almost as stubborn as our captain." He says only to immediately follow with a short shout of surprise as he is pulled into the woman's side, "I'll take that as a compliment, cause you don't want me to take that as an insult." She says as she holds him in the headlock at her side. She watched him struggle for a moment before laughing as she released him, "I can see it now!" She says rubbing the back of her head, "I learned it from him after all." she snickers.

Ryoko froze up as a tingle brushed up her neck and the hairs on her arms stood on end, her once playful smile faded in an instant as she released the sniper and turned her head toward the front of the ship before her eyes shot down a nearly invisible strike of lightning. No thunder occurred, instead, a man appeared and was sitting on the railing at the base of the figurehead of the ship. "You're the one who's been watching us." She observed through gritted teeth, "You're the cause of the static in the air!" She exclaimed as she pulled the revolver out of the sash around her waist. "Get off of the Merry!" She yells as she aims and pulls the trigger, only to watch as the bullet easily passes through the man's eye and out the back of his head. "Ryoko you missed?!" The other sniper exclaimed clearly terrified at what he had seen. "What? No, I didn't! I hit him!" She exclaims turning her gaze toward him.

Movement caught her eye at the last moment, before a large hand wrapped around her neck and pulled her up into the air. "A feisty one aren't you?" The calm and unbothered tone of the new arrival had her gripping the hand around her throat and glaring at the man who seemed wholly unbothered by it. Light blue eyes stared into the silver-blue eyes of the crimson-haired woman before her eyes shut tightly and she let go of her gun to get a better hold on his hand which had only slightly tightened. "Let her go!" Sanji exclaimed running forward and aiming a kick at the man. 

"Sanji!" She croaks in warning, but it is too late as he topples backwards with a shock of lightning. "If death and destruction was what I was bringing, that would have been the first thing you felt. Although..." The blonde man says before his eyes fell on the angered face of the redhead sniper, "You seemed to notice I was coming before I arrived."