The anger unleashed:The attack on Mariejois

*Eight months later*

Marimo glares at the crumpled paper in his hands, with so much disgust. His entire body trembles with rage and his eyes are clouded with anger. He looks upward as the wind sweeps across the shores of Grove 13, and he takes a deep breath. He gathers his swords and slings them on his shoulder blades.

Marimo: Are you positive about this?

Spy: Y-yes! Everything is... researched w-well...

Marimo turns his attention to the spy, and a flicker of emotion in his eyes sends the spy down his knees in fear. Marimo smirks. The months he spent learning and perfecting the third type of Haki did not go to waste. He nods to the spy and throws him a small pouch filled with money--100,000 Beli in total.

Spy: This... this is too much....

Marimo: Take it. It was nice doing business with you.

The spy nods meekly.

<p style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Spy: Thank you, Marimo... and I wish you good luck...

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo begins to walk towards the make-shift harbor of Grove 13 where Demon’s Pet had been anchored. After the death of the Oni Pirates, Marimo set out on his own in order to avenge them. He visited nearly all the groves of the Sabaody Archpelago; Groves 1-29 to improve his battle skills (he settled for Grove 13 after defeating all the unlawful residing there); Groves 50-55 to sometimes work as a longshoreman* in order to provide for himself; and sometimes, he tests waters in Groves 60-69 to spy on the Marines and to see if he could get any information about the wretched man, Kabuto.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">For months he trained and trained until he has perfectly mastered his eight-sword style. He also worked hard to study more about the Haki until he could execute all three without breaking a sweat. Five months into the death of the Oni Pirates, Marimo came across a group of half-dead bandits who were washed onto the shores of Grove 13. The least injured among them cried as his nakama died before him, and when he saw Marimo, he groveled at the swordsman's feet, and begged to spare him so he may take his revenge on the man who killed his friends. Marimo is shocked to discover that the one who murdered the bandits was Kabuto as well. Marimo then makes a pact with the bandit that as long as they work together, they will bring down Kabuto.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Three weeks later when the bandit, whose name he refused to give, was well and recovered, he volunteered to research more into Kabuto, because he did such undercover missions for a living. Marimo agreed and the bandit spent weeks of spying in the Marine's base, as Marimo trained himself to prepare for his battle with Kabuto.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Another four months later and the espionage* is successful. The spy discovered that Kabuto works as an assassin for the World Government. He adds that while he isn’t sure, it seems that the World Government had a secret plan that involved the wiping out of several powerful pirate crews, in or out of the New World that may be potential threats to the aforesaid plan.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo reaches the harbor of Grove 13. He boards the Demon’s Pet and looks around for a while. He touches the mast as he bows his head, his eyes closed, and he whispers:

<p style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo: I will not let your deaths go to waste. I promise you that. The Oni Pirates will be avenged—I swear on my name and my life as a swordsman.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">With one last look in the blue heavens, Marimo descends to the decks where he retrieves the Oni Pirates’ spare boat reserved for emergencies. He boards it, and sets it out into the sea. Marimo glances at Grove 13 for one last time as he puts down his swords, and raises the flag of the Oni Pirates on the boat’s small mast.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">= =

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Days later, Marimo finally arrives at the foot of the grand Mariejois where he secretly anchors his boat to a nearby clump of boulders. With the tip of his sword, he gathers bundles of huge seaweeds floating about, and carefully covers his boat to hide it. Satisfied, he takes a deep breath as he readies himself, and channels his energy into his feet. With one strong leap, Marimo effortlessly crosses the distance between his previous position, and the back entrance of Mariejois.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Surprised by his sudden intrusion, he easily takes out the first line of guards who failed to respond in time. The next ones, while more guarded than the first, did not put up much of a fight either, and in no time, Marimo stands before the back entrance of the Mariejois. To his dismay, the doors can only be opened from the inside of the structure, and Marimo contemplates of a way to get in. He sees a window some five stories where he currently stands, and with another blast from his Enerugi Enerugi No Mi, he leaps towards it.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo feels a sudden jolt of electricity from where his hands grabbed the window sill, and he realizes, a moment too late, that the entire building is made out of Sea-Prism Stone. As he begins to fall, he reaches for two of his swords and firmly plants the tips on the cracks between the bricks. He grabs on to them and uses them as leverage, as he swings his feet up and props them on the hilts. He takes out a pair of gloves from his trouser pockets.

<p style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo: Heh… like this is going to help… At least this minimizes the effects of the damn Stone.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Once again, he channels the powers of the Devil Fruit onto his arms and legs, and he forcefully swings up towards the window sill. Feeling another bout of electric current, Marimo ignores the pain and quickly leveled himself on the window before his strength gives up on him. With one final push, he seated himself on the window sill as he tries to recover from the pain. To his delight, he realizes that the building is not made out of Sea-Prism Stone, but is rather only coated, and parts of it, presumably the inside where he is now seated, is free from it.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">When he is certain he’s good to go, he swings his entire body inside, and lands firmly on his feet. He winds up in a hallway. His presence concealed, he listens carefully for any sign of threat around, and apart from the few guards and some slightly powerful Marine soldiers, there was none. He also finds, however, five odd presences and with much thought, he realizes that they must belong to the Gorosei.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo feels his blood boiling. Everyone knew that whatever the World Government does, the Gorosei were always the ones behind it—or they, at least, had the final say in all WG activities. Meaning: they definitely had a hand in the slaying of the Oni Pirates.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Mairmo grips the two swords in his hands tighter. With quick strides, he arrives in front of huge double doors where, if he listened hard enough, his ears picked the faint sounds of voices. They sounded authoritative but old, and he confirms to himself that the five men behind these doors were, in fact, the loathsome Gorosei. With a clouded judgment, Marimo forcefully kicks the doors, and the two oaks flew in the impact, their hinges not being able to bear the force.

<p style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo: YOU GODDAMN GOROSEI!!! I WILL FCKING KILL YOU!!!

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Everyone jumps in their skins at his unannounced arrival, and he is immediately greeted by a torrent of attacks from the guards and Marines in duty. Marimo effortlessly shrugs off most of his assailants, and ignores the few little scratches he received. Employing his Haki, he easily takes down nearly half of his aggressors, and slashes down the rest. The Gorosei looks at him in fear and in worry, and a tensed silence pass them. Then, in a low, careful voice, Marimo speaks:

<p style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo: I will ask this once and I want a clear answer. Did you or did you not plan the assassination of several pirate crews, even those who have not made it into the New World?

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The Gorosei keeps their lips tight.

<p style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo: I said answer me!!!

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Seeing that no one plans on answering him, Marimo grips his swords and sprints towards the Gorosei. Taken aback, none of them could move an inch. Marimo raises his hand to hack the nearest Elder, but freezes when he feels an invisible force ghosting on his arm. Instinctively, Marimo jumps back and crosses his two swords over his chest. He groans in pain when he realizes the huge gash on his right arm.

<p style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo: What the hell!? Who the hell are you!?

<p style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marine: I should ask you the same. Who are you and why are you planning on killing the Gorosei?

<p style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo: Why should I tell a mere foot soldier like you?

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo clicks his tongue in anger. He glares at the Marine before him, and he realizes that a mere foot soldier couldn’t possibly inflict damage on him as the Marine had done. Upon closer inspection, Marimo realizes that the man before him wears the standard uniform of a Vice Admiral. He groans in recognition.

<p style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo: [Damn, I let my guard down] You’re a Vice Admiral… aren’t you?

<p style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">VA: *Smirks* That’s right.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo takes a stance as he raises his swords again. The Vice Admiral loses his smirk and brings up his weapons.

<p style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo: A kunai and shuriken; are you a shinobi?

<p style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">VA: Wouldn’t you like to know.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo and the Vice Admiral charge at one another and their blades clash. Unknown to Marimo, the Marine carefully maneuvers them outside the meeting hall, and onto the spacey hallway. The Vice Admiral then jumps back, and blocks the doors with his frame. Retrieving a small scroll from his pocket, the Marine performs a few hand seals and the double doors are bolted. Marimo raises a brow.

<p style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo: That was clever. I acknowledge your strength now. My name is Sasagawa Kenshin, and I will become the strongest swordsman in the world.

<p style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">VA: In respect to your introduction, then I’ll introduce myself as well. I am Vice Admiral Yuseyuki, so far the first Shinobi to ever achieve this status.

<p style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo: I figured. Shinobi are enemies of the Government… just like us pirates.

<p style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">VA: Enough chitchat, Swordsman-san.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The Vice Admiral suddenly disappears. Marimo frantically looks all around but could not feel the shinobi’s presence. He is taken off-guard when the Marine abruptly reappears before him and quickly slices Marimo’s face with a kunai. Marimo jumps back in time, and violently swings his swords. Despite the speed and power in the attack, only the air pressures from the swings manage to land a direct hit on Yuseyuki.

<p style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo: Damn it, fight evenly!

<p style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">VA: I am a shinobi…

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo looks around, uncertain of where the voice is coming from. Without warning, Yuseyuki materializes next to him and kicks Marimo forcefully on the side. Shocked, Marimo barely manage to evade his attack.

<p style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">VA: To fight in the darkness is our way…

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">He reappears behind Marimo and slits the swordsman’s shoulder blades, chest, and abdomen. He also plants several shuriken in different blind spots all over Marimo’s body. Marimo’s swords clatter on the ground as he falls on his knees as white-hot pain explodes from his wounds. He blindly grasps for his sword to defend himself.

<p style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">VA: To fight in our enemy’s blind spot is our greatest advantage…

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Yuseyuki then stands before the writhing Marimo, a katana in his hand. He raises the weapon, and it glints under the fluorescent.

<p style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">VA: World’s greatest swordsman? *Scoffs* You make me laugh. But I have to commend your guts for coming here, at least. I shall therefore give you an honorable death. Raise your head, swordsman. Do not die in shame.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo swallows hard and with determination, he lifts his gaze to meet the eyes of the shinobi. Yuseyuki nods once at him, and forcefully swings down the Katana. Marimo smirks, and in a split second, shatters the blade into pieces. Yuseyuki’s eyes widen, and instinctively, he jumps back, his hands full of kunai and shuriken again. He coughs blood as he sees a deep cut on the area above his breast bone.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo slowly stands up. Dark energy emanates from his body, and he gathers all his fallen swords. Yuseyuki resumes a guarded stance as he pockets another scroll, anticipating Marimo’s next move. The swordsman grins maliciously.

<p style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo: Remind me to make a mental note: Haki, obviously, doesn’t work on guys like you who prey on their opponent’s blind spots… or maybe my Haki isn’t as perfect as I thought it was…?

<p style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">VA: You’re wrong. Haki simply does not work on us, however impeccable it is.

<p style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo: Is that so? Thanks for the heads up then. I guess there’s no fighting you evenly, is there?

<p style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">VA: There is no such thing as an even fight. In battle, you use whatever resource you have to your utmost advantage.

<p style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo: You talk too much, don’t you? All I wanted was a yes or no.

<p style="text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">VA: …

<p style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo: Well that settles it. Now that I have a pretty good idea of your fighting style… *Stretches his muscles* I can fight you seriously now.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. The energy from his Devil Fruit courses through his entire body and he feels a strong surge of power. He opens his eyes again, and Yuseyuki is surprised to see a hint of a negative emotion, akin to wrath, clouding it. Wordlessly, Marimo charges forward and starts spinning in a very quick manner. The sheer air pressure from his movements is enough to knock down several of the decorations lining the walls of the Mariejois hall.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo: DEATH WHEEL!!!

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Yuseyuki jumps away and hauls several shuriken towards Marimo. Again, the air pressure, now working under Marimo’s advantage, deflects his weapons easily. Yuseyuki then unrolls a scroll, bites his thumb, and smears the blood across the paper. Several weapons, all with explosive tags, appear, and with a flick of his wrist, Yuseyuki sends them flying towards Marimo.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo cuts them without difficulty, but a few explosive tags manage to get him. Shrugging of the pain, he continues to charge towards Yuseyuki who leaps away once again. However, the vortex Marimo had created manages to catch Yuseyuki’s foot, and the shinobi is sucked inside. Marimo then hacks away at him, and Yuseyuki struggles to repel his blades, while inside the swordsman’s territory.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">As the mini-hurricane dies down, Yuseyuki grabs another scroll, and summons a long-sword. Marimo sprints towards the shinobi, and with four swords in his hands, swings them with practiced skill. Yuseyuki pars each attack with the long-sword. Landing a painful blow on Marimo, he then disappears into thin air once again.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Closing his eyes, Marimo quietly assesses his surroundings, and his eyelids fly open as he spins on his heel and jumps leftward. With a mighty swing of two of his swords, he knocks Yuseyuki down, and the shinobi swiftly rolls to the side to avoid an impending attack. Marimo glares evilly at him, and gets back on his feet quickly. He then leaps upwards, all his swords unsheathed.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo: SKY TOWER!!!

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Like droplets of rain from the sky, Marimo and his swords freefall towards Yuseyuki. Acting on instinct, the shinobi performs a series of hand seals and a log materializes and takes his place. Marimo, however, reacts quickly, and chucks half his swords towards Yuseyuki’s general direction. The shinobi evades them and proceeds to counterattack. Summoning a handful of kunai, he throws them towards Marimo, who deflected them easily with a single sword.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Yuseyuki smirks. His fingers begin to move in an odd manner, and the kunai scattered all around Marimo levitates in mid-air. Shocked, the swordsman rapidly retrieves all his weapons, and jumps away.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo: The hell!? Devil fruit!?

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">VA: No. *Smirks* Chakra strings.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Like a puppeteer, the Vice Admiral expertly manipulates the blades via the invisible strands of chakra strings. Attacking from all directions, he manages to land several scratches on Marimo. The swordsman attempts to strike back, but is stuck at the defensive. At a loss on what to do, Marimo tries to hack at the strings, but only finds empty air. Yuseyuki smirks in triumph.

<p style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">VA: Can’t fight what you can’t see, huh, Swordsman? You’re weak. I can’t believe I even acknowledged the “strength” *air-quotes* of someone of your caliber!

<p style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo: Shut the hell up! [Damn it, I underestimated him a second time. What the hell is wrong with me!?] I’ll show you… I am not weak.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo takes another stance, and channels his energy all throughout his body. He holds all eight of his swords in both hands, and readies to charge towards his enemy again.

<p style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo: You know… the sight isn’t the only sense of a human being. *Inhales deeply* DEMON’S SONG!!!

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Once again, strong gusts of winds envelop Marimo as he creates a small tornado with his form. Instead of rushing towards his enemy, however, he begins to release strong attacks in all direction; powerful enough that mere air pressure creates cracks and slices on the concrete walls and floorings. While he can’t see it, Marimo feels the chakra strings being cut from all around him. The kunai clutter the floor, and Yuseyuki jumps back to prepare a counterattack. He is unable to strike quickly enough, because in a blink of an eye, Marimo is charging towards him.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">He then hauls his sword towards Yuseyuki, and the Vice Admiral reflexively reaches for another scroll and a handful of his weapons. He is surprised, however, when he realizes that rather of slicing at him as he expected, the swords all swoosh by his form, and hits the ground instead. Suddenly distracted at the odd turn of events, Yuseyuki fails to comprehend Marimo still charging towards him, and is caught completely off-guard.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo: DEMON’S WORLD!!!

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Almost as if all time had stopped, Marimo retrieved his swords one by one. With each weapon he grabs, he hacks at Yuseyuki at least a ten times or so, with the air pressure from each cut doubling the damage. On his last sword, rather than continuing the slicing pattern he began, Marimo instead thrusts the blade through Yuseyuki’s ribcage, from his backside.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">For a long time, none of them says anything. Only their heavy panting could be heard across the hallway, as their blood trickles down the carpeted floor. Then simultaneously, they both fall on their knees from the fatigue and their heavy injuries. Vice Admiral Yuseyuki feebly grabs the sword, cutting his hands in the process, and smiles.

<p style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">VA: This is… the first time… that I ever came across… an opponent as strong as you… A-and… this is… most likely… the l-last time… as well…

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo then moves to unsheathe his sword from the Vice Admiral’s ribcage, but Yuseyuki stops him, and grabs the blade firmer.

<p style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">VA: Don’t… I… I want to die like this… isn’t this… honorable? To die by my… opponent’s blade… Literally. This is… this is kind of funny, isn’t it? I… I don’t have any special techniques… I’m not a Devil Fruit user… I’m a simple shinobi… that’s it. But… did you… have a good fight, Swordsman-san? Was I… was I a good opponent?

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo, realizing Yuseyuki is stubborn about his decision, releases his grip on the sword instead, and walks in front of the Marine. He kneels again, his eyes meeting his opponent’s, and he nods in confirmation, unable to muster enough strength to talk back.

<p style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">VA: I… I’m glad… you are strong… so very, very strong… I’m confident… you will achieve your dream—no, your ambition. Dreams… they don’t come true. But ambitions… they do; you make sure they do… So for the sake… of a swordsman becoming the strongest… in the world… I… I’m so happy to become your… stepping stone…

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Tears suddenly stream down Yuseyuki’s cheeks. He blinks in an attempt to keep them from pouring down, but he continues to cry regardless.

<p style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">VA: Ah… what is this? Why am I… why the hell am I crying? Heh. There’s no reason to cry... it’s just that… I’m so happy. I… I had a sister, you know… and… she wanted to be a strong swordsman too… so she s-set out to f-find a dojo that… can take her in… to find a master who can train her to be… to be strong.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo tenses at this.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo: [He… he couldn’t be talking about…? Impossible. It can’t be.]

<p style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">VA: I… I don’t know what happened to her. I spent years and years trying to find her… but I failed. I don’t… even know if she’s… still alive at this point… much less what had… happened to her… She ran away from home… and I couldn’t even chase after her… I’m so weak. One sister—the only sister I’ve ever had—and I… I couldn’t protect her… damn it! … Why… why am I even telling you this? You think I’m stupid now… don’t you?

<p style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo: Yuseyuki… what is… your sister’s name?

<p style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">VA: H… Hinata…

<p style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo: Hinata… Hinata! I know her! We grew up together!

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">In excitement, Marimo then shakes Yuseyuki, and the shinobi groans in pain. Marimo quickly releases him and apologizes.

<p style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo: She’s alright. She’s traveling in many places to become strong. I just know she’s doing fine!

<p style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">VA: Are you… for real? She’s really… you really… you guys know her? A-and… you grew up with her, too?

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo nods vigourously.

<p style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">VA: This is… Kami… what have I done to deserve such fortune? I’m… I’m so grateful… I can’t express… this gratitude… Hinata’s doing well… my sister is doing well… that’s so good to hear…

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Yuseyuki stops crying and a genuine smile is on his lips. Marimo watches in silence.

<p style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">VA: Thank you… Sasagawa-dono. Thank you… for taking care of my sister… I can… this is it for me… but at least… I can die in peace… This may be too much… but… Sasagawa-dono… can you please… fulfill my dying wish?

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo looks at the floor with reluctance. Then with determination coursing through him, he meets the gaze of the dying Marine.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo: I will.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">VA: Please… take care… of my sister… for me…

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Yuseyuki’s eyes slowly close with each word he says. With the last being barely a whisper, he falls down on his back, a peaceful expression on his face. The sword thrusts further into his body and Marimo carefully lifts his form up, and retrieves it from behind. He couldn’t find the heart to simply remove the sword from Yuseyuki’s front side. With his eyes shadowed, Marimo whispers.

<p style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo: I promise you, Yuseyuki. I will find and take care of Hinata. I swear… on my name… and on my life… as a swordsman.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo quietly retrieves all his weapons, and sheaths them as he puts them away. He closes his eyes, bows down, and silently pays respect to the fallen warrior before him. Marimo lifts Yuseyuki’s body, and carefully moves him to one of the nearby meeting halls, where a plush couch is available. He lays Yuseyuki’s body on it, and nods to the shinobi one last time, before he exits the room.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo tends to his wounds. He retrieves a small bottle of antiseptic from his trouser pocket and dabs generous amounts on his gashes. Not even wincing once, he rips off strips of his clothes and ties them all across his body. Staying still for a while longer, he takes deep breaths once again, stands up, and sets off towards the Gorosei’s meeting room.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">A few steps away from where his battle had taken place, Marimo feels a sudden change in the atmosphere around here. He realizes, for the first time, that he can breathe easier now, and that he had been breathing laboriously before, even before his clash against Yuseyuki escalated into a full-blown battle. He contemplates on the sudden change that occurred to him, and with horror, he comprehends the situation.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Yuseyuki had casted a barrier around them—possibly right from the moment he led them out of the Gorosei’s meeting hall—in order to protect Mariejois, and to ascertain no one or nothing else is involved in their brawl. They had actually been fighting in a sort-of different dimension where there is, literally, only the two of them.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">And it wasn’t the fact that he had not inflicted any sort of damage on the grand hall of Mariejois at all (although how satisfying it would be, if he had), that unnerved him.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">It was the fact that he, in all his injured, almost half-dead glory, is standing before two perfectly well, and perfectly powerful Admirals.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Aokiji and Kizaru.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">= =

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">He couldn’t even remember what happened.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo was sure it didn’t even take a blink of an eye for either Aokiji or Kizaru or both of them even to defeat him. They effortlessly widened and worsened his injuries, and of course, left new and more severe ones. Marimo knew that they practically ripped his entire body apart. He feels white hot pain from every inch of his body, and it took a huge amount of effort and will power to open his eyes alone.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo: [At least I’ll die looking in the eyes of my killer…s]

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">At this point, he could not feel any emotion at all. Even the physical pain was slowly fading away. He realizes that his mind no longer registers anything now, and knows that this must be what they call dying. The notion was, strangely, very welcome. Marimo now doesn’t understand why people were so scared of Death. He had been too, when he was alive and could feel pain. But now when there is nothing at all, not even a future, left for him, he thinks that there really is nothing better in this world than dying.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">And so he welcomes the finishing blow that Aokiji begins to deliver…

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">= =

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">…Or so, as Marimo reckons, should have delivered.

<p style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo: [I should be dead… I shouldn’t be feeling anything… Death should be about nothingness… so why—just why in the name of all that is good—am I in so much pain?]

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marimo struggles to jog his memory, but nothing comes into mind apart from the final scene of Aokiji, with his hand coated with layers and layers of razor-sharp ice, about to shove it down his ribcage. For the second time, it takes everything Marimo had at that moment to open his eyes. His vision still slightly blurry, he attempts to comprehend the sudden change in environment.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">White ceiling. Huge chandelier. The acerbic scent of medicines and sterilizers all around him.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Hospital… he is in the hospital.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">But as he focuses more, Marimo feels the faint rocking of his bed. So faint and slow it was, it felt like someone lulling him to sleep instead.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Ship… he is also in a ship.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">He’s in a ship’s hospital. He is alive. Aokiji failed to kill him. Rather, someone rescued him. Marimo feels sever pounding in his skull; almost as if someone was attempting to crack his cranium in two. He closes his eyes, as he feels a wave of nausea rock his entire body. He tries to keep it all down, and barely succeeds to do so. His entire body felt frigged yet sweltering, at the same time. Then all of a sudden, he feels a soft hand on his rough one. It was warm, and it was cool at the same time. It was relieving to the touch.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">It was exactly what he needs.

<p style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Person: Rest… Sasagawa Kenshin… rest and you shall be informed on everything you wish to know.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">And Marimo was never one to argue.

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">= =

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">*I had to Google this one. XD

<p style="text-align:justify">'''Notes: Here ya go Nii-chan! I'm sorry it took forever. (_ _) Like I said, I'm not very good at writing fights. Anyway, feel free to change this however you like! '''

<p style="text-align:justify">''' 15:36, May 20, 2012 (UTC) --> I haz no sig here. *o* '''