Yukimura pulled the blade out of the shattered stone, tiny dust particles settling on his broad shoulders.
— Sniper… — he muttered, glancing gloomily over the rooftops. — So, you didn't come alone.
— Well… technically, he showed up on his own, — I smirked, catching Augur's silhouette out of the corner of my eye.
— Trusting pirates is disrespecting yourself, — Yukimura said coldly, catching his katana and taking a low, strange stance.
"Yeah… you think I'll let your strike hit me again?" — flashed through my mind as I started activating the fruit's power.
He lunged forward, the strike landing right on my side… and passed through, meeting no resistance. My body at the moment of impact became like a taut spring.
— At the moment of contact… you changed shape, — Yukimura said with some disbelief, then squinted. — But how long can you hold me off?
He attacked again. I clenched my hand into a tight spiral and shot it forward, blocking the katana. Metal clanged against metal. At the same instant, my other hand turned into a spring and lunged straight into his stomach.
BAM! — a steel block. He managed to brace the blade, and the impact threw him a step back.
Yukimura moved again, the katana in his hands whistling as it sliced through the air.
I shifted sideways, springing off the pavement, and immediately dashed back, clenching both hands into steel spirals. The strike came from the left, then the right — metal met metal, each clash resonating with a dull ringing in my shoulders.
— Fast… — he said shortly, deflecting my attacks, — but too predictable!
Suddenly, his blade slid along my spring, sharply changing angle. I managed to twist my torso away but still felt the cold metal scrape my collarbone. A thin streak of blood dripped onto the stones.
— Damn… — I exhaled, gritting my teeth.
Time to use Soru, I thought. I clenched my legs into springy spirals and shot myself forward, landing right behind him. My hand lashed out like a steel whip, aimed at the back of his head…
CRACK! — he parried without even turning around, the blade striking my spring and knocking it aside.
But this time I was ready — my other hand, already twisted to its limit, flew at his torso.
BAM! — the hit landed, Yukimura was thrown into a building, his boots screeching on the cobblestones.
A second later, leaning on his katana, he straightened up, but I could see — his breathing had become heavier.
— So, it's tough, huh? — I smirked.
— Bastard, — he replied, taking stance again.
I lunged forward, now attacking in a series: strikes came from above, below, from the side, changing rhythm each time so he couldn't adjust. Yukimura still blocked, but his movements grew harsher, and the blade heavier.
The final strike to the stomach broke through his defense, he bent over, and I was about to launch the finishing jump to knock him out…
— Captain! — a shout rang from above.
I looked up and saw hundreds of new watchmen surrounding the rooftops. Muskets, crossbows, loaded rifles. Rows appeared in the alleys — more and more kept coming.
— …Seriously? — I muttered, stepping back a few steps.
— Looks like your friend spotted them too, — came a calm voice. From the roof, holding a rifle at the ready, Augur was already covering me as several watchmen fell, but new ones took their place.
I could've dealt with this, but it would just buy them time to bring more people, a thought flashed…
Yukimura straightened, his gaze cold once again:
— You won't last long.
— On that, I agree, — I said, as my legs turned into springs.
Bane bane no mu: Springy Evacuation! I shouted, using the technique in a second and landing on one of the tall buildings.
— Forward! — I threw to Augur.
We dashed almost simultaneously across the rooftops. Bullets whistled behind us, boards cracked underfoot. Augur occasionally looked back, shooting at those trying to chase us, while I used springs to jump over entire streets at once.
Yukimura stayed below, but I still heard his shout:
— Patrol the streets quickly! Block all exits from the district!
We disappeared around the corner, dissolving into the city's noise and smoke, weaving between crooked roofs and narrow alleys. My heart thumped loudly in my temples, breath ripped from my lungs. I already knew — this fight was far from over.
— He was pretty strong, — Augur remarked calmly, jumping down into a dark alley as if we'd just been for a walk, not fought to the death.
— Yeah, — I sighed, looking at my clothes, slashed and bloodstained in several places. — Need to change… and wash all this in acid.
But a thought nagged me, and I turned to him, squinting:
— I have another question. Why were you on the roof in the first place?
Augur scratched the back of his head, as if trying to find the words:
— Well, how to say…
— Speak.
— At first, I just went to the armory… — he started slowly. — But then I noticed the marines gathering in one place. I thought… either they're giving something away for free, or…
— Alright, alright, — I waved my hand, — got it.
Checking my pockets, I found bandages, weapons… but something was missing.
A small leather bag with money.
My face twisted slowly, as if someone had shoved a rotten fish under my nose.
— BASTARD! — I barked, looking at my empty pockets. Yukimura… that long-haired managed not only to wave his katana around but also to cut my money. And there was a hefty sum in there!
But my outrage was cut off by Augur...
— By the way, we need to get to the ship, — Augur said calmly, pointing at the huge clock on the tower. The clock showed twenty minutes to four.
— Let's run then, — I replied, hiding anger in my voice.
Port of Logtown
The port is patrolled… — I thought, glancing at a dozen soldiers walking there and at my torn and bloodied clothes in several places. — We'll have to sneak in quietly… or at least quickly.
Augur adjusted his rifle behind his shoulder, scanned the street, and smiled slightly.
— Get in the barrel, Captain, — Augur said calmly, pointing at a huge wooden barrel behind us.
— No way, — I shook my head.
— It'll be faster that way. And quieter, — he shrugged, as if that was the most convincing explanation in the world.
I already pictured the scene: me, curled up in a barrel smelling of old wine and some strange vegetable echo…
"A couple of minutes later"
— Why did I agree to this? — I thought, closing my eyes and trying to fit inside what was more like a beer keg in size.
The barrel creaked, as if recalling its glory days, and suddenly began to rock side to side. Through a gap, I saw Augur walking alongside, slightly smiling and glancing at me, almost laughing.
— Hey, Augur… — I whispered, feeling my legs going numb, — remember we're supposed to get to the ship with the dragon?
— Yeah, — he answered shortly, not even turning his head.
I was starting to calm down — patrols slipped past, no one paid much attention to the man dragging a heavy barrel. But as soon as he stepped onto the gangplank leading to the deck, a sharp voice rang out:
— HEY! What are you doing on our ship???