The Blind Bandit

Chapter 2

Sitting down on an empty row of seats, the three Whitebeard pirates waited for the competition to begin.

"Hey, front row seats! I wonder why no one else is sitting here." Ace said as a huge rock smashes into the seats next to him.

"I guess that's why," Haruta said, chuckling at Ace's expression, "though I doubt these rocks will even hit you."

"It's starting!" Ace said, shushing Haruta.

In the center of the ring, the event host raised an earthen platform, and jumped back down to the level of the rest of the arena.

Raising his left arm, the host said, "Welcome to Earth Rumble VI! I am your host, Xin Fu!"

"This is better not be just a bunch of guys chucking rocks at each other," Haruta said, sighing and looking the other way.

"Isn't that what we paid for?" Ace said happily.

"The rules are simple. Just knock the other guy out of the ring, and you win!" Xin Fu exclaimed, leaping up to a podium above the ring and ringing a bell, "Round one: The Boulder vs. The Big Bad Hippo!"

While Xin Fu spoke, The Boulder raised his arms and turned around to the cheering of the audience. Looking towards The Boulder, The Hippo saw him pointing at him.

"Listen up, Hippo. You may be big, but you ain't bad!" The Boulder started with an insane grin on his face, "The Boulder's gonna win this in a landslide!"

"Hippo...mad!" The Hippo yelled, raising his arms in anger and stomping one foot.

The Boulder quickly fired three rocks that crashed into The Hippo, but he didn't move. He instead catched one piece of rock with his mouth, chewed on it and spat it out. The Hippo then jumped up and down, causing the surface of the arena to tilt, making The Boulder lose his balance.

"Unbelievable, ladies and gentlemen! The Hippo is rocking the boat!" Xin Fu said.

Reaching the edge, The Boulder saves himself by bending out part of the ring into a small platform. Then grabbing it and throwing it at his opponent, it hit him on the back.

As The Hippo turns around to look at him, The Boulder bends up The Hippo's part of the ring, and throws him out on it, making The Hippo crash into the lower area of around the arena, ending the fight.

"The Boulder wins!" Xin Fu declared.

"The Boulders got some nice moves," Thatch said, grinning and leaning forward on his seat.

"Yeah, but he's just listening to his muscles, plus my moves are better," Ace said, crossing his arms and turning towards Haruta, "Right, Haruta?"

"I don't think the people here would like your 'moves' that much," Haruta said, pointing at the Fire Nation Man happily waving a Fire Nation flag with the crowd booing at him.

"Huh, there are firebenders too?" Ace said with wide eyes.

"Wow Ace, you didn't tell us you were a firebender," Thatch cackled, holding his sides while Ace just glared at him.

"Next match...The Boulder versus Fire Nation Man!" Xin Fu called out.

As the Fire Nation Man put his left hand over his heart and started to sing the Fire Nation national anthem, the crowd booed at him again while bombarding him with pieces of rock, much to his surprise.

"Go back to the Fire Nation!" Someone in the crowd yelled, throwing a rock that hit the Fire Nation Man's head.

Starting to become angry, the emotion quickly changes to wonder as the Fire Nation Man is sunk chest-deep into the ground. Revealing The Boulder as the culprit who subsequently raises himself high into the air on an earth pillar, the Fire Nation Man looked petrified.

"No, no, please!" The Fire Nation Man pleaded, only to have The Boulder grin broadly at him and leap up into the air, face turning serious.

Plummeting straight down, The Boulders feet held back behind his back as to direct his knees to the ground. He slams the surface of the ring, creating a pillar under Fire Nation Man that catapults him out of the ground.

The Fire Nation Man, now screaming through the air, smacks upside down and face first against the large boulder that was embedded into the stand next to Ace.

"Yeah! Wooo! The Boulder knows how to put the hurt in the dirt!" Thatch cheered while Ace stayed quiet and the rest of the crowd roared.

Riding a badgermole, a man goes over the surface to make it smooth again by letting the animal bend all the rubble away. A female assistant then holds up a sign to announce the next round as a bell is struck. The Boulder defeats several more fighters, entertaining the crowd between his victories by wobbling his chest, he relishes his fans' praise until it finally reached the final round.

"Now, the moment you've all been waiting for." Xin Fu yelled as the crowd went wild, "The Boulder versus your champion...the Blind Bandit!"