Double or Nothing: Chapter 11

The Thrill of the Fight

This was insane, it was suicide, yet Kuina couldn't care any less. Surrounded on all sides and facing some of the most fearsome pirates the seas has to offer, Kuina laughed. It was here, in the heat of battle, that she felt most alive.

All her doubts, all her fears, melted away as she fought for her life. She felt her blood sing, her souls screaming in joy, as she danced across the battlefield, cutting down all that stood before her. It was chaotic, with bullets whizzing around and swords flashing, yet she found her heart finally still as she found her purpose.

Surrounded on all sides, she couldn't miss; Her sword cleaving through armor and limbs alike. After a dozen, Kuina lost count, but it mattered little. A hundred men, or even a thousand, she'll beat them all regardless. "Come on! Is this the best you got?" She taunted as she spread her arms out wide.

Her challenge was quickly answered as the huge bulk of Buffalo flew right at her. Propelled at great speeds, she barely had time to blink as he loomed over her. With his fist cocked back, roared out, "Die!"

Kuina grinned as she met him head on. Sword met propellers and Kuina felt her arms rattled as her blade was nearly ripped off her hands. Barely able to hold on to her blade and the man's fist barrelling down on her, he threw herself aside.

The beach shook as she felt her heart hammer away at chest. Strong, terrifyingly so. Was this the famed strength of the New World? Shaking the numbness in her arms, she grinned savagely, "Now that's more like it!" She couldn't wait to get there!

Her momentary distraction however almost ended her journey there and then. As she saw a glint at the edge of vision, she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Kicking hard on the ground, she skidded away as Baby 5's guillotine legs sliced down where she once stood.

"Oh come on, no fair!" She chuckled, eyes narrowed as the maid looked back at her in distaste. Facing two of them was proving to be much harder than she had anticipated.

Pulling her legs out of the sandy ground, Baby 5 marched towards her. Spread her arms wide, hands lengthened, sharpening to fine blades as the woman rushed towards her. "Then you should have thought better than to mess with my masters business!" She screamed as she bore down on her with savage intent.

Arms turned to blades, fingers turned to guns, her elbows into swivel guns, there was no end to her strikes. Kuina quickly found herself on the back foot as she parried her musket-like kicks. "You really want my head huh?" She asked, pushing the girls legs up high as she grinned widely, "I don't mind since I'm getting quite the view~"

Taking a good look at the girls underwear, she commented, "Frilly and wearing a garter band? Kinky~"" Can she be blamed for not being able to control herself from inspecting the woman's beauty?

With her face burning, the woman's legs came down like a pole axe as she shrieked out, "You pervert!" With one hand holding down her skirt, the woman was down to just her arms. Was she cheating a bit? Yes, but was there really such a thing in war?

Fuming as he poured lead down her way, he shouted, "How dare you! No one looks up Baby 5's skirt other than me!" This had Kuina cracking up while Baby 5's face burnt in shame.

"Buffalo!" Baby five shrieked as she tried skipping away, "I swear I'll strangle you once I get my hands on you!" Try as she might however, with her legs close to stop Kuina from having a look, she wouldn't go far.

"Come on, it was just a peek~" She taunted as she rolled to the side and stayed low, using her as cover and forcing the girl to choose between modesty and victory. She chose to tie her own hands down, something Kuina was all too happy to exploit as she swept her legs out under the taller girl.

Eyes wide, the girl's chin slammed down on the pommel of Kuina's blade before a foot buried itself in her stomach. Kuina grinned wide as the girl's face twisted in pain, before she was thrown back to her partner.

Catching the maid, the bigger man was forced back before he skidded to a stop. Glaring up at her as he cradled his thoroughly embarrassed partner, the girl refusing to even look up as she buried her face against the palms of her hand, Buffalo growled out, "You're stronger than you look at swordswoman."


"Thanks, though you really ought to stop thinking that just because someone's from one sea or another, that they're weaker than you are," Kuina fired back as she stood her ground, sword raised and ready to strike back at a moments notice, "Who knows, maybe you're facing the next Mihawk."

Glancing around, she'd find the beach littered with the groaning and broken bodies of men. With the sands stained red with blood and the waters filled with the sunken remains of ships, the Legionary were defeated down to a man, but they were inconsequential. The real price stood before her; The Donquixote Lieutenants and the Fruit behind them.

Staring back at her, Kuina expected the man to fire back only to find him laughing. Narrowing her eyes, she watched the man lowered his gun before he slung it over his shoulder. "You're a funny girl, so how about this?" Leering at her, the man offered, "What if we forget about this, make peace, and you join the Donquixote pirates?" Now, this was certainly a surprise.

As Kuina's brow raised at the offer, Buffalo continued, "You're clearly looking for a challenge since you're ballsy enough to fight us and actually put up quite a show." Letting Baby 5 down, he complimented her, "You're strong, ruthless, and beautiful; I like that a lot. So how about I show you a good time?"

Extending a hand to her, he offered, "We could use a girl like you in the Donquixote Familia. It'd be a shame if a talent like you wasted here."

Kuina hummed as she lowered her sword. Slowly, she sheated both blades before easing herself down on the ground cross legged. "I don't know, I was enjoying myself," She replied as she frowned. The thought of getting recruited by pirates had certainly crossed her mind, but she never expected a Warlord or atleast one of their crew members to offer her a spot.

"Ninnn, If you're looking for someone to fight then there's a lot of them in the familia!" Buffalo replied as he threw his arms out wide, "We have lots of strong fighters, ones with bounties that reached in the tens of millions. You'll never run out of people to spar with! If you wish, the young master would be all too happy to provide you with people to fight."

Kuina nodded. He was making a compelling argument. Outside of her morals to the man's business, the former Celestial Dragon genuinely took care of those close to him. It'd also be an easy way for her to get the New World without having to save up for the trip. The ticket to pass through the Red Line can get ruinously expensive.

"But she's a pervert!" Baby 5 all but exploded as she finally got her bearings and Kuina nodded with her. "She'll just harass Monet and Sugar!" She added, making Kuina snort in amusement.

"Hey, you were asking for it," She teased back, making the Maid stomp down in indignation. Seeing the woman sharpening her arms and raring to go would have looked intimidating if not for how red her cheeks were. She was just too easy.

"Come on Baby 5, can you at least give her a chance?" Buffalo tried appeasing the irate mate, "You gave me a chance, ninnn?" Reaching to the woman's shoulder and lightly squeezing them, he added, "Just think of it. The boss would be happy if we got him a strong fruit and a strong swordswoman."

"But Buffalo!" The woman whined, but she slowly, the tenseness in her stance melted away as her bladed finger softened up to delicate digits. She could take the offer now, but did she really want to?

Taking a deep breath, Kuina sighed as she leaned on her sword before getting her up back on her feet. Rolling her shoulder and shaking the sleep of her feet, she admitted "Not gonna lie, I am tempted cause getting to fight with such monsters would be fun, but there's just one little problem," Frowning, the man gave her a questioning look, one that Kuina was all too happy to answer, "I'm a greedy little shit."

Sporting out an easy going smile, Kuina pointed her sword at the two. "Why would I fight for you when I could beat you both and have all of you come down on my head?" She asked as the two shifted, their forms tensing for the fight ahead. Chuckling, Kuina shrugged as she pointed out, "I am going to go to the New World eventually, so I am going to find all these fighters… why not fight them all?"

"Are you out of your mind?!" Buffalo asked in disbelief as Kuina kept smiling, "Do you know just how many pirates call the young master their captain? How many crew owe their allegiance to us?"

"Come on man, don't threaten me with a good time," Kuina replied as she started circling them, eyes watching, "I might just actually kill you instead of just knocking you out." It was not everyday that she got someone good to fight and they were just making it hard to calm down.

"Y-you're actually insane!" Baby 5 replied as the woman took a step back while Buffalo turnened, keeping an eye on her.

Tilting her head at the other girl, Kuina's smile stretched wider as she fired back, "Insanely good looking you mean?" Chuckling, she asked, "What? Can't take your eyes off me?" As the woman wrapped her hands around herself, Kuina asked, "Is your limbs all you can turn into weapons or your whole body because I wouldn't mind wielding you~"

That proved to be the girl's breaking point as she let out a strangled growl of frustration. "I have enough of this!" The woman shouted as she jumped up high. Tucking her arms close, her slender form grew deadly, gaining a wicked edge as her heels turned to the handle of a blade, "Buffalo!"

Reaching up, Buffalo caught the woman as he wielded her, denying Kuina of feeling her legs beneath his hands, "Right!" Glaring at him, Buffalo shouted, "Ninnnn, it's a shame that we'd have to put you down, but you're too much even for me!"

"Awww," Kuina purred back as she crouched low, digging her heels and eyes sharp. "Can't handle someone with a bit of bite-!" her taunt however would be cut short as she moved, raising her blade, catching the man's heavy strike.

Kuina hissed as her knees nearly buckled, her arms aching as she felt Baby 5 heated glare on her neck. "What? Was that too hard, ninnn?" The man taunted as he leaned down, putting his weight against her guard, "And here I thought you were something. Seems like you were all bark and no bite."


"Heh," She gritted out before she gave way, letting the strike fall through as she slipped to the side. Feeling the blade pass by mere inches from her cheeks, she struck back, swinging up the man's fat neck as she shouted, "Just surprised, that's all!"

Grinning, the man leapt back before his hair whirled to life. With the droning buzz, he shot up the sky as he laughed, "Well my dear sword's woman, you're going to get a whole lot more surprised!" Aiming down, Kuina quickly found herself staring down the barrel of a Baby 5's heel.

"Fuck!" Kuina cursed as she started running, zipping from side to side as she danced around the hail of bullets. Parrying some of the shots, Kuina was forced to dodge as missiles started running down on her. "Oh come on!" She screamed up at the two, "Fight me down here you cowards!"

"Don't mind if I do!" Buffalo shouted back as he dove down, lance in hand and making Kuina regret her words.

The two were merciless, giving her no rest as they upped the ante. They struck fast, zipping by before she could follow up. Darting across the sky, Kuina was left helpless on the ground, forced on the back foot. "What's wrong? Can't take the heat!" The man taunted as a splash of fire rained down on her.

Dashing across the sandy beach, Kuina gritted her teeth, trying to figure out how to strike back. Feeling her legs burned, she found herself quickly running out of options. How the hell was she supposed to fight someone that's flying? She needs to get up there to do something, but how? It's not like Geppo was on the table.

Turning, Kuina felt her heart drop at the sight of the sleek warhead raised atop Buffalo's head. Baby 5 had turned herself into a bomb. Bearing down on her, Buffalo laughed, "It was fun while it lasted, but it's time to end this!"

Digging in her heels, Kuina braced herself. If she was going down, she'd drag both of them down with her! As Baby 5 started to glow and Kuina felt her heart all but ready to leap out of her chest, a roar echoed out across the beach. Pulling himself up, Buffalo stopped just a hair's breadth from the cloud of lead pouring down rage.

Kuina watched dumbly as a canister shot shredded the jungle canopy. Trying to figure out where the hell that shot came from, Kuina quickly found its source as another shot rang out, forcing Buffalo up higher in the sky. There, atop the deck of one of the ships still afloat with a whole arsenal of cannons behind her back was Nami.

"Nami!?" Kuina cried out in surprise at the presence of the red head, "What the hell are you doing!" She should have been long gone by now as they had planned or atleast far away enough that she should be able to escape, not here, trying to knock out Buffalo out of the sky for her.

"I should be asking you that!" Nami shouted back before her voice was drowned out by the roar of canons. With the glow of the blazing fire and smoke from the ships behind her, Nami looked like a goddess of war ready to exact vengeance down on Kuina's head. "What the hell made you think this is a good idea!?" She scolded Kuina, making the swordswoman flinch. She was pissed alright and so was Buffalo and Baby 5.

"You bitch!" Baby 5 roared out as she shifted, sitting atop Buffalo. Aiming a cannon down at them, she screamed, "You think a few canons can save you!

"Shaddup!" Nami roared back as she swung her burning fuse, setting off a withering barrage of canister shots that blotted out the sky. Crying out in pain, Kuina watched Buffalo shake, faltering for a moment, before zooming back up. Finding some space to breath, Nami turned her attention back to Kuina, "I thought you were smart, cute, and charming, not suicidal!"

"Wait, did you just call me cute?" Kuina shouted back, feeling her cheeks heat up. Shaking her head out of her day dream, she screamed back, "Never mind that. It's too dangerous here!" She warned her, "Run! Just run!"

Nami however would remain stubborn as she pushed one of the cannons and aimed at the sky. "You think I'd let a friend of mine get herself killed!?" Nami screamed back before she pressed the burning match against the gun's fuse, "Fat chance!"

Expecting a bomb, Kuina plugged her ears only to find Nami frowning and staring at the inert gun. "Oh crap," She whispered as she tried lighting up other barrels, but those two would remain silent. She ran out of guns.

"Finally ran out of cannons huh?!" Baby 5 laughed as she pulled on Buffalo's collar, aiming him down on her. With her arms lengthening to a deadly point, Baby 5 aimed her lance at Nami's heart as she shouted, "Now die!"


"Oh no you don't" Kuina gritted as reared her feet back for a kick. Putting everything she had on her foot, she swung it hard, launching a cloud of sand up to the two.

Ostrich Kick!

"Gah!" Flying through the cloud, Buffalo's hair sucked up the dust, blinding both of New World Pirates. "Oh god, it's in my eye!" Buffalo screamed as he careened off, almost crashing into the sea, before he managed to veer off, flying up and gaining altitude.

Running to the shore, she leapt across the sea, before landing hard on the deck. Clambering up, she found Nami desperately trying to reload one of the guns. She was about to shout at her before her eyes fell on one of the barrels.

Grabbing Nami, she asked, "Tell me you have enough gun powder for another shot!" She might just have something that could help her fly.

Startled, Nami opened her mouth before she shrieked back, "Oh god, please don't tell me you're not going to blow us all up!"

Laughing, Kuina replied, "Well, not you but it's definitely going to be explosive!" Looking around, she quickly found the barrel in question. Ripping a gun barrel from its carriage, she stuck the gun down on the deck before filling it up as much as she dare could. "Cotton!" She shouted, reaching her hand out to Nami.

The orange her hesitated, but as soon as gun fire rained down on them, she handed one over. As Kuina stuffed the barrel and turned it over, she instructed Nami, "When those two come back, I want you to light the fuse!"

Shaken, Nami asked back, "Are you sure you know what you're doing!?"

Kuina grinned as she got on top of the barrel and planted her feet firmly on the butt of the cannon. "I have now idea!" She admitted as she stared up at the sky and croached, pulling her sword out for one last hurrah.

"Kuina!" Nami shrieked out, "This is insane!" Kuina knew, but this was the only thing she knew that could end this fight now. She had to take her chance. Sheathing her shorter sword, she held onto Wado Ichimonji for her dear life. She only needed one sword for this and no other sword would do.

As the two dove down once more for another pass, Kuina braced herself. Feeling the sweat pour down her forehead, she waited till she saw the white of their eyes. "Light it now!" She shouted, looking over the fearstrucked redhead, "Just trust me!"

"I swear once we're on the other side, I'm going to strangle you!" Nami shouted as she pressed the lit match against the fuse. Feeling the gun buck beneath her, Kuina closed her eyes. Taking in a deep breath, she felt her limb fill with strength as the fire in her heart burned bright.

With the recoil of the cannon launching her, Kuina shot up across the sky like a dart. Feeling the wind rushing against her face, she almost loosened her grip on her sword as she slammed against the air in front of her. Roaring, she held one, swinging her sword as she called on everything she had.

Tsubame Geisha!

For a split second, an impossibility was reached. One sword became three as the two clashed. Feeling her body drained, Kuina felt herself slowly fall, but not before seeing the unmoving body of the two pirates falling down with her.

Grinning, she braced herself for the fall as she whispered, "Don't underestimate me you shits." She won. With a splash, she sank deep into the water. While the two floated, Kuina fell deeper.

As the darkness closed in, the last thought that Kuina in her mind as the darkness started closing one of awe, "Angels could swim," She whispered as a red haired beauty reached down, grabbing her hand and Kuina saw the light

A/N:

Sorry it took me a bit to post again. Currently some place else where I don't have access to my work station. Using a tablet to type is quite hard. Also, posting is proving to be quite the challenge