31 Luffy VS Kaizo.

Kaizo hadn't expected the scenario that unfolded after Luffy's declaration. He had anticipated many changes from the canon since the battle with Kuro: a new devil fruit, new characters, yes. But never, EVER, did he expect what came next.

After Luffy's declaration, Kaizo tried to defuse the situation and failed miserably as the captain was keen on fighting his first-mate. Kaizo could only sigh as he told Sanji and Usopp to change course towards an islet in the distance.

Since Nami was still processing her "family business," Kaizo deemed them capable enough to maneuver the ship for the short 5-minute distance.

He was wrong, but they managed to sail the ship with everyone's efforts. F for performance and A+ for effort. Kaizo whispered some words to Zoro and Sanji before leaving the Merry with Luffy.

The islet was rocky with sand and had many big rocks everywhere. Kaizo and Luffy positioned themselves at a fair distance from the Merry and began stretching.

"Are you sure you want to fight me?" Kaizo asked Luffy.

"Yeah, the challenge is nice and everything but…" Luffy's tone got serious.

"You're strong." Luffy said.

"Ok…" Kaizo replied.

"Stronger than any of the foes we've dealt with, even Arlong. You saved me from the cage at Orange Town, saved me from Kuro's attack and even helped Nami get a chance to see her mother again." Luffy said.

"Ok, so?" Kaizo inquired.

"As a captain, the least I should do is be strong. Strong enough to protect my crew, even when they're capable of protecting themselves!" Luffy exclaimed.

"I don't get Haki or Spiritual Energy as well as the rest, so I want to improve while battling you, before it's too late and I regret it!" Luffy declared.

Kaizo heard Luffy's resolute tone and felt conflicted.

'I guess all these new strength concepts have dealt a blow to his perception of his own power. In canon, Luffy was like a frog in the well, always going against the current without understanding where he was going or who he was facing.' Kaizo mused.

'Is that a problem?' Izanagi asked.

'No, for now. As long as he doesn't lose confidence in himself, everything'll be ok. I'm guessing he just wants to test his limits against a powerful opponent without having to put his life on the line, which is ironic since Luffy grows more in said situations.' Kaizo thought.

'It IS ironic, huh?' Izanagi remarked.

'Yeah.' Kaizo agreed.

"Ok, I'll fight you with everything I've got!" Kaizo spoke as he unsheathed Izanagi.

"Yeah!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Zoro, countdown." Kaizo instructed.

"Ok." Zoro complied.

Zoro took an empty bottle of Rum and threw it upwards as a starting signal. The moment it broke, Luffy and Kaizo dashed at each other and clashed his fist with his sword.

The battle began.

Kaizo pushed Luffy backward as he backflipped and jumped towards him. As Luffy backflipped and landed, he propelled himself towards Kaizo, aiming for the first attack.

Kaizo, ever vigilant, anticipated Luffy's maneuver and met him head-on with a swift strike from his sword.

Their clash reverberated across the small islet, echoing against the rocky cliffs that surrounded them.

Luffy, with his incredible resilience, absorbed the force of Kaizo's blow, his muscles tensing as he pushed back against the Shinigami's strength.

[Gomu-Gomu No: Rocket!] Luffy shouted.

Luffy stretched his arms and grabbed two big rocks and propelled himself towards Kaizo. Kaizo, anticipating the frontal attack, tried to counter with a slash from his sword.

With incredible reaction speed, Luffy twisted mid-air, narrowly avoiding another strike from Kaizo's blade and crashing onto another rock.

Luffy got up from the rubble and retaliated with a barrage of punches, his fists moving like pistons as he aimed for Kaizo's defenses.

[Gomu-Gomu No: Gatling!] Luffy exclaimed.

Kaizo, somewhat unfazed, deflected each blow with practiced precision, his sword dancing in the sunlight as he parried Luffy's attacks.

But Luffy was relentless, his determination unyielding as he continued to press the attack. With a powerful kick, he aimed for Kaizo's midsection.

The attack connected with a resounding thud, but Kaizo countered by slashing Luffy in the chest.

Kaizo staggered backward, momentarily off-balance, but quickly regained his composure. Whereas Luffy simply grabbed his chest before beginning his next assault.

As they circled each other, the tension between them palpable, Kaizo's mind raced with strategies and counterattacks.

He was aware that Luffy had become stronger than his canon counterpart, but even he couldn't predict HOW strong he had become.

Luffy, on the other hand, was more focused on how easily Kaizo was breaking through his attacks. It was as if Kaizo had seen them thousands of times. He knew that brute force would not be enough, so he came up with an idea.

With a sudden burst of speed, Kaizo closed the distance between them, his sword slashing through the air with deadly precision.

Luffy's Observation Haki activated for a brief moment and he foresaw Kaizo's attack. Luffy dodged the attack and bent his arm around Kaizo's, rendering Izanagi useless.

"Shishishi! Time for the second round." Luffy chuckled.

[Gomu-Gomu No: Mogura-tataki/Whack-A-Mole!] Luffy shouted.

Luffy began to smash Kaizo against the ground over and over again, barely leaving him room to breathe or process the attacks.

(In the Merry)

The crew and stowaways watched the battle escalate rather quickly. Only Zoro, Sanji, and Ann were able to keep themselves calm about it.

"S-s-shouldn't we stop them?!" Usopp asked, terrified.

"You're welcome to try." Zoro replied.

Usopp shrieked in fear.

"Don't worry, Usopp. We'll step in should the situation escalate any further." Sanji assured him.

"That doesn't help me at all! Where's Nami when you need her???!!!" Usopp cried out.

"Don't rush those sorts of things. She'll be back when she's processed everything," Sanji reasoned.

*BAM*

Everyone focused back on the battle and saw Kaizo on the ground in a large crater.

(Back in the battle)

Luffy maintained his arm strapped to Kaizo's and didn't let his guard down.

[Hado #31. Shakkaho/Red Fire Cannon.] Kaizo muttered.

A fiery red orb was generated in Kaizo's fingertips and was sent towards Luffy at high speeds.

The attack connected, and Luffy was repelled by the orb, loosening his grip in the process. Not wanting to leave an opening, Kaizo grabbed Luffy's arm and pulled him over.

"GET OVER HERE!!!" Kaizo shouted menacingly.

Luffy was pulled towards Kaizo while he focused as much of his Haki and Spiritual Power as he could in his hand and punched Luffy.

*SMASH*

Luffy was blasted back and crashed into several rocks until he stopped at the last rock. It was also a stroke of luck, as that last rock prevented him from falling into the ocean.

Luffy was injured, and that was an understatement, but he still wasn't down for the count. He was catching his breath, but Kaizo appeared in the distance.

"You know, the moment either of us falls, it's game set." Kaizo stated.

Kaizo gathered Spiritual Power on Izanagi and slashed the edge where Luffy was standing, making him fall.

"This is not a "fight or die" situation; take the loss as a learning opportunity and use it to become stronger, Luffy-" Kaizo advised.

Kaizo then gave Luffy his back as he walked towards the Merry and signaled Sanji to prepare to swim.

Luffy was falling and in the last second hooked his hand onto the ledge, but it was too late. Luffy touched the seawater and fell into a state of weakness.

As he fell into the water, he only had his thoughts to keep him company.

'Too strong. Stronger than Kuro, Arlong, Smokey combined. I think he might even be stronger than Ace,' Luffy thought.

'Damn! I'm the captain, goddamn it! How can I save anyone if I can't even save my crew?! I can't rely on him to save them, that's my job!' Luffy ranted internally.

Luffy flashed back to when he heard about Sabo's death and that Uta would never come back to Foosha Village. He was furious at his own powerlessness, at his overreliance on Kaizo. He wanted to be the one to help them.

'Take the loss?! That's no different from giving up!!! If I were to take a step back then, why would I aim to be THE PIRATE KING!!!!!!!!' Luffy declared to himself.

[¿¿¿???]

"Shishishi! That's the spirit! We can't let that ghostly cheater surpass us!" a voice echoed in Luffy's mind.

Luffy's pupils dilated.

(Back with Luffy)

Sanji saw Luffy's body and was swimming to get him out of the water until…

*ROAR*

Luffy unleashed a powerful roar that created a pocket of air underwater. With his strength somewhat recovered, Luffy tightened his grip on the edge of the islet and pulled himself out of the water.

Everyone else saw how the water spiked and a silhouette sprang from it—it was Luffy. Luffy crash-landed on the side a couple of meters from Kaizo and looked at him with a new resolve.

'Something's different. He's changed.' Kaizo noted.

"You're right." Luffy spoke with his hat covering his eyes.

Kaizo tightened his gaze.

"This is not a battle to the death; I'm neither protecting nor helping anyone to fight this hard. However---" Luffy raised his gaze at Kaizo.

"I won't back down from a battle this fun! That would make me a lousy captain, wouldn't it?!" Luffy declared as his pupils became red.

Kaizo gripped Izanagi as he felt the change in Luffy's power level.

"I never give up, and I won't start now!" Luffy yelled while exuding a red energy from within himself.

'Spiritual Power!' Kaizo realized.

Luffy dashed towards Kaizo as he began to turn his arm over and over itself.

'That's!' Kaizo thought.

Luffy punched Kaizo with his left hand, but Kaizo evaded and focused on avoiding the next attack.

Unfortunately for Kaizo, Luffy was one step ahead. He moved his left arm like a whip and bound Kaizo, who would've escaped if it wasn't for Luffy's next attack.

[Gomu-Gomu No: Rifle!!!] Luffy shouted.

Luffy's arm shot and retracted at high speeds against Kaizo's torso. Kaizo blocked with Izanagi and Armament Haki, but it was still painful due to Luffy's own Haki.

*BAM*

Kaizo received the strike and was sent towards the rocks, though not as far as Luffy had been earlier.

Kaizo regained his composure, but Luffy was already on his next move. Various punches came from underground as Kaizo failed to locate Luffy, only to see a hole in the ground.

[Gomu-Gomu No: Mole Quake!] Luffy exclaimed.

Luffy's voice was heard from underground as he continued to wallop Kaizo. The Shinigami was then sent upwards as Luffy emerged from underground.

Kaizo managed to see Luffy's worn sandals and put two and two together. Luffy strengthened his feet and spun in a drill position, using his Haki to locate Kaizo's presence and deliver his barrage of attacks.

Luffy then rolled up like a bug, grabbed two rocks, and shot himself like a slingshot. He bounced off every rock, increasing his momentum with each bounce.

'Dammit! I can't evade using Flash Step; I haven't learned how to use it in the air!' Kaizo realized.

[Gomu-Gomu No...] Luffy yelled while bouncing.

Kaizo focused himself to predict the trajectory and felt an itchy sensation on his back. He gathered all his Armament on his back, believing that it would save him from the attack, but Kaizo predicted Luffy wrongly.

Luffy was shot, and he was aimed at Kaizo's back, but the moment Luffy "felt" the Armament on Kaizo's back, he shot a barrage of air from his mouth, changing his direction at Kaizo's head.

[Pinball!!!] Luffy shouted.

*BAM*

Luffy bounced off Kaizo's back head and kept bouncing off rocks, dealing more damage with each bounce while keeping Kaizo airborne.

(Going Merry)

"A-aren't they going a little too far? No matter how much fun they're having." Usopp expressed, concerned.

"It's more than just a simple fight for fun, Usopp." Zoro explained.

"Huh?" Usopp questioned.

"Luffy's fought a handful of somewhat strong enemies, but he knows that none of them are at the level of the Grand Line, based on what Kaizo had said to us." Zoro elaborated.

"Right." Sanji, who just came from the water, concurred.

"Luffy wants to see how strong he has become." Sanji continued.

"Since we're part of the main fighters of the crew, we know what Luffy's going through." Zoro added.

"He wants to test his strength to the limit and know how much he has improved and how much he needs to improve from here." Sanji concluded.

"But…" Usopp started, looking at the intense battle.

"Do they need to go THAT intensely?" Usopp wondered.

Both Zoro and Sanji sweatdropped.

Meanwhile, two out of the three stowaways were watching the battle with keen focus.

"Atoli, Atoli, Look! They're so strong!" Dias exclaimed.

"Yeah, they're...amazing." Atoli murmured.

"Ann, are you seeing this?" Dias asked.

"I'm more focused on cutting this rope; these damn pirates couldn't afford a sharp knife," Ann grumbled.

"I... I want to be that strong, and beyond!" Dias declared.

"Yeah, with that power we..." Atoli was interrupted by a loud crash on the islet.

(Back in the battle)

Luffy ended the combo with an axe kick to Kaizo's back and sent him crashing onto the ground.

Luffy was tired, and the red aura was decreasing in his body as he panted for air. Kaizo got up from the crater and sheathed Izanagi. He began to walk towards Luffy and raised his hand after being somewhat 10 meters away from him.

"If you don't get knocked out after this blow, it'll be my loss. Should you withstand it, I'll go full power against you." Kaizo announced.

"Gotcha!" Luffy replied.

Kaizo gathered his spiritual energy in his fist once again and poured all his armament as well. He then proceeded to dash towards Luffy, preparing to strike him.

Luffy, however, was just standing still while crouching a little.

'What's he planning? That's not the Gear 2 position, and he won't be able to defend on time if he doesn't use his Haki immediately.' Kaizo thought.

'Something's wrong.' Izanagi warned.

Kaizo jumped forward and punched Luffy in the chest. The strike was so powerful that it even generated waves.

Luffy's body remained unresponsive until...

[Gomu-Gomu No...] Luffy's arm moved towards Kaizo's face, vibrating.

'Shit, this is…!' Kaizo realized, but it was too late.

[Gum Counter!!!!!!] Luffy shouted.

Luffy delivered a powerful uppercut to Kaizo's face, sending him backwards as he broke stones.

(On the Merry)

"W-what happened?!" Usopp exclaimed.

"It was the kinetic energy." Atoli explained.

The three Straw Hats looked at the little girl, who seemed to be in a trance.

"The blunt attack from the blue-haired one created waves of energy from within the rubber guy. The rubber guy somehow redirected said energy into his fist, reducing the overall damage while increasing his own," Atoli elaborated.

"So, if the blue-haired one had used his sword…" Dias trailed off.

"The counter would've failed," Atoli confirmed.

The crewmates look at Kaizo's condition and he's bleeding from his nose intensively.

"Did he used Haki or Spiritual Power?" Zoro.

"No idea, I guess it was a gamble with himself, look." Sanji pointed at Luffy.

(Back in the battle)

Luffy was feeling exhausted after receiving beatings, touching seawater, and creating new techniques, all of which took a toll on his body. But strangely, he felt fulfilled by the battle, even though he knew he could never beat Kaizo as he is now.

[Reach out the Truth: Izanagi!] Kaizo declared.

After pronouncing those words, a powerful wave of Spiritual Power surrounded the area. The rocks began to break, and the once rocky mountainous islet became a rocky plain.

Kaizo was in his Shikai state and saw Luffy making his way towards him.

"Hey, Kaizo!!!" Luffy shouted.

"What?" Kaizo replied.

Luffy jumped to deliver one last punch.

"Thanks for battling me!!!!!" Luffy shouted.

Kaizo smiled as he raised his Nodachi.

"Thank you, for evolving!" Kaizo responded.

[Spirit Arts: Blade of Fury/Riken Ranbu!] Kaizo announced.

Kaizo lowered Nodachi and slashed Luffy on the chest. Blood spurted from Luffy's side, but he didn't feel threatened. As he lost consciousness, the injury began to heal by itself.

Luffy fell unconscious, and Kaizo was declared the winner of the battle.

Kaizo undid his Shikai as he carried Luffy to the Merry. When he arrived, he passed Luffy to Usopp so that he could take him to the rooms. He had to explain that he and Luffy were fine and in no lethal danger, by the way.

Kaizo simply sat in front of the stowaways and grinned. Even a strongheaded woman like Ann knew that there was no way she could do against those monsters, even weakened like that.

*CLANG*

Ann dropped the knife as Kaizo got closer.

"We've got some things to talk about." Kaizo.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[I need reviews about the dialogue and fight scenes plz.]