high_seas | A Tale of Two Summits

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A Tale of Two Summits

Who: The Golden Lion Pirates, the Straw Hat Pirates, and YOU!
Where: Gamboller's Berth
When: Evening of Saturday, April 18th
What: Two captains throw two vastly different parties in order to gain supporters.
Status: About as open as it gets!

Gamboller's Berth, a wretched hive of scum and villainy. A muggy, rainy church of sin west of Empieza, where the foolish and reckless sacrifice their money and their lives. There really isn't a better place to host the party to end all parties. Both Luffy and Shiki have spent some time on this island, making preparations for their guests. Both crews welcome all comers with open arms, so come in and enjoy the fine food and finer booze. Take in the lights, the games, the extravagance, and when it's all over, shake the hand of the man you wish to give your support.

An effigy will be waiting for you when you pull into port-- a trophy of Shiki's. A naval galleon, sails broken away, hangs upside-down in mid-air. It does not bob nor sway in the breeze, save for the creaking of splintered wood where the hull was cleaved in two. You'll notice two objects hanging from the ship's deck: from the broken masts hangs the jolly roger of the "Golden Lion Pirates"; from the shipwheel, the Navy captain hangs by his neck. This is a testament of the Golden Lion's power, and a symbol of his wrath against those who stand in his way.

But keep on your guard. Gamboller's Berth is not a safe port by any means, and the locals may not take kindly to such a large foreign presence. The tides may change at any moment.

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[Sanji's got his legs under him again, anyway, and at least his balance is restored -- but he came out of that position by rolling into a crouch. So when Zoro charges at him, Sanji's already exploding forward like a sprinter at the start of a race, flying forward to meet those slashes with kicks and blocks of his own. He starts utilizing his hands more now, flipping into the occasional handstand to avoid a swipe here and there and dropping kicks in the direction of Zoro's head from above. He leaps, twists, and dances around Zoro, matching every slash of a sword with the sole of his shoe.

But there are several attacks that make it through his defenses, which means his shirt is now ripped in places and one of his arms has a couple inconsequential gashes on it.

With a scowl (more because of his shirt, than anything), Sanji kicks up into the air and plants a foot right on Zoro's shoulder, using it to springboard off of so he can get behind him to buy himself an extra second or two of time. And maybe throw Zoro off balance for a beat. He tucks into a quick somersault and lands on his hands, then he's instantly propelling his legs around to deliver a multitude of kicks at Zoro.]

[Sanji isn't the only one taking hits - Zoro sacrifices finesse for pure power, taking blows to his arms and chest in order to make the most of every opening. His are far less obvious than the cuts to the cook's shirt, but eh. One kick even snaps his head to the side, but he recovers quickly and repays it with another slash. It's as fast and furious a battle as any they've had, with the intensity up a notch from usual sparring, and Zoro is enjoying every moment of it. Despite his matching scowl, mostly from annoyance at having his strikes deflected or rendered ineffectual.

The foot on his shoulder startles him and does indeed knock him forward, forcing him to shuffle and pivot in order to keep from taking the next round to his back. Zoro blocks as many as he can and then twists to unleash a spiralling slash at the cook, intending to push them further apart so he can whip out a much bigger move. But then, that's been his standard move so long, and for a moment he hesitates, wondering if Sanji would anticipate it. So this time, instead, he charges, staying in close.]

[The spiraling slash catches Sanji right in the gut, perfectly timed for the moment he was facing toward Zoro again mid-spin. It throws him back and he has to twist in midair in order to land on his feet, skidding backwards another foot or two even then. He throws his arms up to block the attack he's pretty sure will be coming next—

Only it doesn't, of course.

Instead, Zoro charging at him like that catches him slightly off guard and he has to jump backwards to avoid actual blades instead of just a cutting slash of air. He curses under his breath, annoyed at having to be on the defensive all of a sudden. But somewhere underneath that there's a sharp sense of satisfaction. It's always good to get a real fight in, one they can so rarely have against each other and especially not when they're on the ship. They've managed it before, of course, but the risk of doing serious damage to Merrily usually makes it not worth it.

Sanji dodges Zoro's moves for a few more seconds, focusing on the pattern of his swords and using the time to scan him for openings -- and the instant he finds one, he sways out of the way of the next incoming swipe, plants his foot hard on the ground and pivots, letting his other leg whip around with the intention of slamming it solidly into Zoro's side.]

[he's moving so fast that he doesn't have time to plant his feet, so the kick sends him skidding sideways across the arena floor with a heavy grunt. Half the audience gasps, feeling that themselves.

Impressed and thrilled, Zoro bites harder on Wadou Ichimonji and comes right back into it, throwing a Tatsumaki across the open space and then chasing right behind it, so that if Sanji dodges the whirlwind he'll find a marimo there to intercept. There's a bit more power behind the move, this time, since they really don't have to think about collateral damage, and the spectators immediately in the patch shriek and scatter as they realize it's not stopping at the wall of the ring - it's still coming at them.]

[Sanji does manage to avoid it, throwing himself out of the path of the attack, and mentally he's thinking that he needs to be ready to block -- but for a split-second he's distracted, tracking that whirlwind out of the corner of his eye to make sure there's no one still in path. It's just a quick glance, but that's all it takes for Zoro to be on him. He throws an arm up to block and twists out of the way as best as he can, but there are still swords there to meet him and he's rewarded with another slash across his side.

Gritting his teeth, he lunges backwards into a back handspring once, twice, putting some space between them. But he doesn't give himself any time to catch his breath, no, nothing like that. Instead, the second his feet hit the ground again, he shoots forward with increased speed, dashing across the space between them and snapping a now burning leg around to meet Zoro head-on.]

[Zoro slides to the side as soon as Sanji disengages, preparing for what might come back at him. When he twists to block, he's an inch or two to the wrong side, meaning that his crossed swords glance off Sanji's foot and the Diable Jambe scores up the length of his outstretched arm before he can duck and roll. At least he gets out of the way before it can touch his bandanna, but that leaves a more obvious mark than all the other hits he's taken.

Rolling with the momentum, Zoro spins out to the other side and comes back with more slashes in rapid sequence, just to keep Sanji moving. He's caught in the thrill of the fight, not even really caring anymore whether to use bigger moves or just keep fighting for the sheer joy of it, for the energy and the blood racing through his veins, for the delight at finally meeting his match. Of course, he does care about winning, but that's just pride. He doesn't care about the audience, and will gladly end the fight when he can be sure of the outcome. Right now, it's not so obvious who'll win.]

[Moving he can do. He's good at moving. Sometimes the up close and in your face fights are better anyway, especially for Sanji. He keeps Diable Jambe going, lashing out with his flaming foot to catch Zoro whenever possible. His speed picks up even more as he jumps around, twisting out of the way of Zoro's swords and never letting the other man move too far away either. It's fast, it's intense, his adrenaline is pumping, and he can't stop the sharp grin that spreads across his face as he throws a knee at Zoro's side, pushes off of again, hits the ground, and then leaps up into the air to deliver rapid kicks from above.

The fire just makes it look cooler, too. Yep. You're welcome, audience.

(Although they look an odd mix of awed and terrified right now.)]

[not even when they were actually pissed at each other did they fight this recklessly, and Zoro is more than happy with it. Leaving scores in the floor and taking chunks out of the retaining wall, sending the audience scattering this way and that as they try to avoid moves that can't be contained by the ring, it's all good. He's not going to pay for it.

With his open shirt flapping around, some of Sanji's kicks land right on his bare skin, leaving scorch marks, but Zoro doesn't care. The harder he fights, the more Sanji dances around him, and it's only by the virtue of his love for fighting that he doesn't stop in his tracks and watch him move with awe. No, no time to admire the gracefulness, gotta keep fighting.

Of course, it does need to end sometime, and someone has to be declared winner so the bets can be settled. Anyone who took a chance on the cook in his suit is beyond excited right now, because he's proven himself to be able to more than just last. But Zoro is not about to let him break his winning streak, he's also got money riding on this. So at one point when they slide in close, he mutters around the hilt of the sword in his teeth]

How do we get out of this without losing Keimi any money?

[Sanji's knee is up between them, braced against Zoro's chest so that he can shove him away, but the muttered words make him pause. His brows draw down as he peers at Zoro.]

...Keimi-chan's got money on this?

[Shit.

With a frown, Sanji cuts a glance to the side, eyeing the edges of the arena. He's not actually even sure of the rules or anything for the fights, he didn't pay much attention to anything in his eagerness to just hop into the ring. And he's certainly not one to throw a fight, but fuck knows how long he and Zoro could keep this up. If Keimi-chan bet on this idiot...

Mah, well, it's a pretty safe bet, really -- until Sanji came along, anyway.

He huffs.]

Hell if I know, marimo. Throw some shitty rules at me I can break.

[Maybe he can get himself disqualified or something.

And now he does shove Zoro back, whipping his other leg around at his side. Gotta keep making it look good.]

[plants his feet like a moron and takes that hit hard in his side, enough to make him grunt again. He'll feel that one in the morning.

Neither of them have Conqueror's Haki so that's out. Zoro shoots the audience a look, and sweeps it around the arena. He didn't actually get the rules either, just that he needed to fight and not lose. No, wait, there was that one fight earlier where the threw a guy halfway up into the stands...

He cuts back in to pass close to Sanji again, blades whiffing past his flank without cutting.]

Think if you go outside the wall you're out. [hmm] I bet we could break the ring and get out without anyone noticing who won.

[because, really, if they just cause enough chaos, no one will bother flagging either for a loss if they can't see what's happening.]

[Twists out of the way so it looks like he's dodging, but he's looking beyond Zoro at the edge of the ring again. He gives the smallest of nods as he shifts his weight to one foot.]

Works for me.

[And then he jumps into the air and snaps his burning foot out, catching Zoro in the chest with the intention of backing him up towards the perimeter. He follows after him instantly, diving back into another flurry of kicks and flying limbs, moving them further back until they're fighting right along the boundary.]

[well, that's going to leave a mark. Zoro grasps the strategy and rolls with it, hopping back with each step so his parrying swings only glance off Sanji's shoes as they clear space between them. When he feels his shoulder brush the wall, he braces for a change in tactics.

It's harder for him to direct an attack at the wall or the ring floor without looking like he's going to, so he carefully drops his stance to make himself a target Sanji can aim for. At the last second, he can duck and let the kick hit the wall instead, and twist himself up to send an Oo Tatsumaki spinning across the ring floor to distract and dismay onlookers. If they time it right, it'll look like they're really going for each other and not the escape route.]

[Sanji moves with him, watching for a sign or opportunity -- there!

The second Zoro's stance drops, Sanji slams a foot into the ground, pivots hard, and sends his other foot flying...right past Zoro as he ducks and into the barrier behind him. It pretty much explodes on contact, and the Oo Tatsumaki that immediately follows does its job, creating even more chaos across the arena and providing the perfect cover for them to skip on out of the ring.

He still turns to catch any follow-up attacks from Zoro, figuring they need to keep up the pretense of fighting until one of the officials realizes they're out-of-bounds and calls it.]

[between their attacks and the scattering audience, there's so much chaos in that spot that it should be a piece of cake to slip on out. Zoro throws one more flying slash out, not so much at Sanji as at the seats, the wall, anything that might be blocking their path, making a hole for them to duck through. It might be a few minutes before anyone even realizes they've disappeared. If they can't call a winner, they can't call a loser either, and the bets will ride. Except for those who bet that the fight would be over too quickly, they'll be the real losers.

Zoro chases the cook until they're very clearly in a deserted underground corridor, far from anyone else, and finally skids to a stop and puts his swords away. Before Sanji can even say anything he turns to grab him and push him against the wall, bending his head and raking teeth over his lips.]

Were you trying to turn me on with a fight like that?

[You'd think Sanji would've been more prepared for that, what with how he was standing there giving Zoro an intense stare down, panting a little from going at each other like that and feeling hot all over, like his blood was boiling beneath his skin -- but no, once Zoro's swords left the picture, his guard dropped. Which means he hits the wall with a grunt and is half a second from snarling at Zoro when he suddenly finds a mouth against his own.

Look, adrenaline and such, he was still in fight mode, okay?

But it doesn't take long for him to redirect that fire, and he's quick to arch into Zoro, hands reaching out to find the top of Zoro's pants so that he can haul him in close as he returns the kiss.]

I was trying to kick your ass, ain't my fault you're some kinda shitty masochist.

[Mumbled against Zoro's lips before he dives back in again.]

[fight mode is best mode. Even Zoro is still panting, and growls against Sanji's mouth in between kisses]

Yeah, you tried, all right.

[there's so much smirk in his tone, because he knows exactly how intense and fierce that fight really was. They really were trying to kick each other's asses, arena be damned. So much more fun than trying not to break the ship. Zoro is rather pleased with everything, from the moment he caught the cook's eye in the crowd. He'll be even more pleased if they can slip off somewhere to burn off all this adrenaline in some way that doesn't involve drawing blood.

Okay, maybe a little blood.]

Oi, I would've done it.

[Nips at Zoro's bottom lip and then draws it between his own, hands dragging up over Zoro's chest for a moment before lowering to his hips again. They hover there as he kisses Zoro hard, but then he's giving a powerful swivel of his hips, using his grip on the other man to help abruptly reverse their positions. Once he's got Zoro with his back pressed against the wall, Sanji hands find their way under his haramaki as he grins against Zoro's mouth.]

Just didn't want Keimi-chan to lose any money.

[Because, like Zoro, you'll never hear him say he could've lost that fight.]

[there's only a token resistance, a press of his chest against Sanji's, before Zoro goes with it, hooking an arm around the cook's shoulders and chuckling back against his lips.]

Yeah, uh huh. That's exactly it.

[that can be their excuse forever. Thank goodness for such interruptions, they can go on not knowing who can actually defeat who a little while longer.

Zoro slips his other hand across Sanji's chest and around his flank, doing his best not to get his fingers caught in any tears in his shirt. There's quite a few, though, so he'll be privately pleased with himself for landing hits. He can feel the bruises along his shoulders where they press into the wall, so he took as good as he gave.]

Wanna get out of here? [or, well, this wall is just as good, really]

[The wall is really quite good, yes, as evidenced by Sanji pressing Zoro back into it even more, his hips grinding against the man's as though he's trying to force their bodies to meld together right there. His nails scrape over Zoro's stomach and he buries his face against Zoro's neck, tongue dragging over the skin there.

It takes him a minute, but eventually he remembers to answer Zoro's question. And as much as he would like to start tearing clothes off right there in the hallway...]

Mm...yeah. [Presses a few kisses to the underside of Zoro's jaw before glancing up to catch his eye.] Let's get a room somewhere.

[as much as he would just pick Sanji up over his shoulder and carry him off like a caveman, better not to attract attention - not after they just escaped the fighting ring. Zoro manages to eventually push Sanji off him, only to hook his arm with his own and drag him up the hallway. Door door door...need to find a door, get out of here, and find an inn!]

[It's the other way, dumbass. 8|]

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A Tale of Two Summits

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