Ameliorate ✦ One Piece

52

Akira knew she needed to do something. Even if it was perhaps too late to warn her crew, it wasn't too late to help them. And either way, she needed to get out of this room. She knew Will wouldn't simply remain standing and doing nothing for much longer. And because of that, she took it upon herself to react first.

She was the first to move, doing it as quickly as she could. She let the book fall from her hands, the thud echoing faintly while she reached to the belt at her waist, pulling one of her daggers free. The blade flashed into her grip just as she lunged forward, aiming straight for the space between Will and the door.

But Will didn't even flinch as she drew near him. He stepped to the side just as she got close enough, his movements almost lazy in precision as her dagger cut through nothing but empty air. His hand snapped out, catching her wrist mid-swing before she could retract it after her failed attempt.

While her momentum carried her forward, closer and closer to the door, Will soon used it against her as he pulled on her wrist, yanking her back and twisting her arm just enough to throw her off balance. Leaving her with no chance to regain her balance as she was forced to stumble past him and into the edge of the desk with a sharp crack, the pain making her hiss as it jolted up her side.

"Eager," he mused behind her, tone still light but holding a taunting edge at the same time. "They always are at this part." As if baiting her to keep trying. To keep pushing while he barely had to lift a finger.

Akira gritted her teeth. They both knew the truth. She didn't have any other choice but to keep trying. Surrender wasn't an option. Just backing down and letting him kill her wasn't an option. Which was what had her pushing off the desk again. She spun, slashing low this time instead of high, blade cutting toward his side.

And again... nothing.

He stepped back just enough to avoid the strike, her dagger missing him by inches. The movement was clean, practiced and calculating. Deflection and taunt at the same time. And it made her realize he wasn't reacting. He was fully predicting her moves.

It made her eyes flicker to the shelves lining the walls, the dozens of books sitting there and telling stories of other crews who'd found themselves in his same position. That was how they beat them. Learning their strategies before there was any danger to use them. Familiarizing themselves with their strengths and weaknesses.

It made her think back to the stories their own crew had told, evaluating the words and statements, the information they'd shared about themselves. And then she remembered a detail, the one thing their stories excluded. The one thing they didn't share openly. The one thing even Usopp knew she didn't want to be presented as a part of their grand tales unless necessary.

There was one thing Will didn't know. Not yet...

"There it is, that fighting spark back again." His mocking tone had her eyes snapping away from the books and back to him again. "I was preparing myself for this to be disappointingly easy."

"Don't worry, I know how much you care about entertainment," she bit back at him. He was expecting her to be weaker than the others, untrained. He was anticipating rookie moves and predictable shots.

So she gave him one.

She rushed at him, just like the first time, aiming high instead of low with her blade swinging wide, leaving an opening at her side that no trained fighter would ignore. And Will didn't hesitate in using the opportunity she'd given him. He stepped into it, hand snapping out to catch her wrist mid-swing, just like before. His other hand came up immediately after, knocking the dagger clean from her grip and sending it skidding across the wooden floor.