Let's Do This! (One Piece)

Chapter 13. Fight

Ruwa sat with her eyes trained on her orange haired friend, he stood with a brave face against a sneering giraffe looking man. Keito's legs quivered belaying his mostly hidden, crippling fear even as he stood to face his opponent in the ring. The proctor, who was amply named Captain Cutthroat asked if they were ready to begin, "Eyy you trash are you both ready?!" He yelled as he turned to look at the two in front of him. The droopy eyed Liel was ready and merely gave a halfhearted thumbs up as an indication, while the shorter orange haired boy on the other was having an internal conversation with himself, trying desperately to hype himself up. "Trash?!" Yelled the proctor as he tried to get his attention with little success. Keito was beginning to belittle himself, his resolve breaking apart under the pressure of so many eyes. I can't do this! I can't do this! I can't do this! What was I thinking!?! Oh God Oh God Oh God!!!

Ruwa hummed as she watched him panic before deciding to do something, "Keito!" She shouted as she sat with her legs crossed, back still leaned against Sho with their other companion Kale giving her the nasty side eye at her shouting. The orange haired males eyes whipped up and over to lock with her own burning orbs immediately, "Remember, you promised to win, don't doubt yourself now." She reminded as she watched him shakily nod his head up and down and straighten up. He turned to face his opponent, although he was indeed still thoroughly terrified he had promised Miss Ruwa that he would win this match. And promises were meant to be kept.

All you needed to do to pass this challenge was to fight and win two battles, this was Keito's first fight he had to win to even have a chance at his next one. "Yes! I'm r-ready!" Liel sneered at him but merely nodded in response, honestly, the brown haired guy thought, this is gonna be a rather easy win for him, I mean the kid was already shaking. Keito waited with baited breath as he prepared himself to quickly move, he couldn't let Liel hit him not with how he was now. Keito was by no means a weak kid, but he was a sharp shooter, a gunslinger, not a mixed martial artist ready to throw down and tank hits like a champ.

"Begin!" Not a second after the signal did Liel just—move, faster than most eyes could even comprehend he tried to blitz the smaller boy. Keito leapt hands over feet to the side only just barely missing the mad man as the droopy eyed fighter skidded to a stop. Quickly reaching for his gun he tried to make his move "too slow" Liel grabbed him by the arm and yanked him into a left hook punch "guhk!"  Releasing his arm before the burlier male drove his foot into his stomach successfully kicking him away and into the dirt. "You have to be faster shaky shit, or was it all talk?!" Growled Liel with a cruel grin on his face. "Come on, come on, come on?!?!" He raced after the teen who tried to scramble to his feet shaking from both the pain and his own steadily growing fear. "Why aren't you fighting back?!?!" Screeched the man with sharp eyes, lifting heavy fists to pummel him with. "Come on! Your soooo eff'n boring! I want to play!!!" He struck at his face again but Keito was able to throw his arms up to block just in time, "Is it cause that damn dumbass bitch Ruwa isn't protecting your ass now?!" He cursed as he threw another punch "once I'm done with you I'll fuck her up too!" only for Keito to not be there. "What?!" Turning sharply to see the tail end of the beat up boys completed flip, he stared for a second, kinda confused on the slick getaway.

The orange haired boy reached down to his holster and unfastened it with one fluid motion not once did he shake or stutter as he pulled the cool but familiar lethal weapon out with a frown. His face was overshadowed by his bangs, "...don't..." he muttered as he clicked the safety of his gun off. He paused as he took a breath, as if to re-center himself in the moment. This caught Ruwa's attention as her burning red orange eyes stared at the sight of a very different Kobayashi Keito.

"What? Got something to finally frick'n say ya pansy?" Liel grinned with too much teeth to be anywhere near pleasant to look at. He tensed feeling the odd tension that had started to trickle in to the atmosphere, how strange. His once big grin turned downwards as his droopy eyes started to focus out of reflex. Unfortunately, it would do him no good.