Two Piece: A One Piece Story

Chapter 64 (Lightning Scroll Arc: Part 5)

In town, Usopp took a break from rebuilding a house when approached by a young woman offering him a drink and snack.

"You must be hungry... why don't you take a break from fixing my house," she suggested kindly.

Usopp gratefully accepted and sat down, curious about Orochi's involvement with Misaki and his experiments.

"I've heard that Orochi was disgraced because of his disregard for human life. Almost everyone he encounters becomes an experiment for him," the woman shared, her voice tinged with concern.

"Misaki was one of his experiments?" Usopp asked, shocked by the revelation.

"Yes, she's one of the few survivors," the woman confirmed. "It's no wonder she's the way she is after what she's been through."

Usopp nodded, troubled by the thought of what Misaki must have endured under Orochi's twisted experiments. It painted a clearer picture of her hardened demeanor.

Meanwhile, in the forest, Misaki sensed movement and confronted Jirobo, her former comrade.

"Well, if it isn't the big guy," Misaki taunted, noticing Jirobo's awkward reaction.

"Why do you expect me to... say something like... I'm not fat, I'm..." Jirobo stumbled over his words.

"Big boned? Pleasantly plump? Muscle bound? Buff?" Misaki supplied, amused by her own teasing. "I was hoping you'd play along."

Ignoring the banter, Jirobo attacked, slamming his hands into the ground to create fissures. Misaki deftly avoided being sucked in and evaded the rocks he hurled at her mid-air.

"Not holding back, huh?" Misaki commented, dodging with agility. "Orders not to use curse seals, I presume?"

"Yeah, no curse seals this time," Jirobo confirmed. "Tayuya's not happy about it either."

Misaki's interest piqued. "What's Tayuya's mission then?"

"That's none of your business," Jirobo retorted, glaring at her.

"I think it is," Misaki countered with a smirk, summoning numerous clones.

Jirobo reacted swiftly, sending rocks at Misaki's clones, some of which dodged while others dissolved into mud.

"Earth clones," Jirobo noted, cautious.

Misaki, seizing an opportunity, appeared behind Jirobo with a skewer to his neck.

"Just because snakes are my specialty doesn't mean that's all I can do," Misaki declared confidently. "I am a Monarch, after all."

Jirobo retaliated with a punch aimed at Misaki, but she dissolved into mud, revealing it was another clone.

"Another clone," Jirobo muttered, frustrated.

"How about a deal?" Misaki proposed with a smirk. "If I win, you tell me Tayuya's mission."

"What do I get?" Jirobo asked skeptically.

"Nothing," Misaki replied bluntly.

Jirobo hesitated, glaring at Misaki's clone before throwing a rock that melted into mud upon contact.

"You're at a disadvantage," one of Misaki's clones taunted. "You can't use your curse seal, and you're the weakest on your team. Give up!"

"I won't!" Jirobo declared defiantly.

Their clash intensified, Misaki using her ingenuity and clones against Jirobo's strength and earth manipulation, each determined to gain the upper hand in their confrontation.

Misaki and Jirobo continued their intense battle in the forest, each using their unique abilities to gain the upper hand. Misaki, with her snake clones and strategic taunts, tried to outwit Jirobo, who was restricted from using his curse seal but still formidable with his earth manipulation.

"I won't fall for your tricks!" Jirobo declared defiantly as he struck down most of Misaki's clones with a barrage of punches. However, one of the clones transformed into snakes that coiled around him, catching him off guard.

"You think you can stop me that easily?" Jirobo taunted, but the snakes began to hiss in pain as Misaki exerted pressure on them. Despite his struggle, Jirobo managed to use his earth-based abilities to trap Misaki and her clones within a dome of earth.

"I forgot you had this trick up your sleeve," Misaki admitted, watching her clones dissolve into snakes within the earth dome.

"I can nullify your clone technique with my chi absorption," Jirobo smirked confidently.

Misaki, undeterred, continued her verbal assault, teasing Jirobo about his size and making provocative remarks about Orochi, which irritated him to the point of revealing crucial information about Tayuya's mission.

"For the last time, Orochi is not..." Jirobo began angrily, only to be interrupted by Misaki tossing a bomb that created a distraction, allowing her to escape the earthen dome before it collapsed.

"You're touchy about Orochi's preferences," Misaki remarked with a smirk, summoning more clones as she prepared for the next phase of their battle.

"You can't fool me with these tricks," Jirobo warned, punching another clone that dissolved into snakes and ensnared him once more.

Misaki's smile turned sadistic as one of the snakes bit Jirobo, injecting venom into him. He winced in pain as Misaki revealed she had the antidote.

"Tell me about Tayuya's mission, and I'll give you the antidote," Misaki proposed, her expression challenging.

Reluctantly, Jirobo disclosed that Tayuya was on a spy mission with Kabuto, although he didn't know the specifics.

"There, you have your information," Jirobo said, catching the vial of antidote Misaki tossed to him.

As Jirobo recovered, he warned Misaki about Kidomaru following someone to a cave.

"Kidomaru is tailing either the spider guy or the bone guy," Misaki realized, concerned for the inexperienced Kidomaru's safety. With that, she hurried off, leaving Jirobo to tend to his injuries and contemplate the outcome of their encounter.

Jirobo cautiously swallowed the vial, unsure if Misaki's gesture was genuine. After all, they didn't nickname her "that crazy witch" for no reason.

Meanwhile, in another part of the forest, Zoro's instincts alerted him to a presence behind him. He turned swiftly, fixing his gaze on Kimimaro emerging from the bushes.

"I know you're out there," Zoro asserted confidently.

Kimimaro remained silent, his eyes locked on Zoro with a focused intensity that spoke volumes. Without a word spoken, the tension between them palpable, both warriors understood that a fierce battle lay ahead—a clash that promised to be truly legendary.