[Kiru beach]
"My head hurts..." Ramos groans, his eyes urging to open as the sunlight wouldn't stop harassing his eyelids. Voices are invading his ears as two people are arguing.
"Who is this Angelica?"
"Like I told you, this is who will help you liberate Wano."
Ramos rubbed his eyes, shot up to his feet, and took a fighting stance. "Oi! Why are you lot so loud?" He barks out.
His vision focused on the tall, white-haired girl with blue streaks in her hair, horns, and wearing an odd outfit, complete with sandals. And a kanabo. The other woman is fitted in pirate attire, with curly black hair, stunning, and her charcoal eyes could leave a man's soul bare to her.
Yamato noticing his presence, halts her argument with Angelica to charge at him.
"HIS AWAKE!" She lifted her kanabo, black lightning sparkling around it.
"YAMATO WAIT-" Angelica calls out her ally, reaching out her hand just as Yamato launches off the ground.
Bzzzzt.
Yamato's kanabo clashes with Ramos's fist, a shock wave passing, ground cracking at the point where the attacks met.
Angelica braced herself as a gust of wind sent debris everywhere.
Zoom.
The two flashed to clash again, and Yamato aimed her weapon at his exposed left side.
Woosh.
Ramos, using Kami-e to avoid her attack, flashes behind her. He moves his fist back, flames igniting on the limb.
"Red hawk"
Flaming fist to the face, Yamato's head whipped back, saliva escaping her mouth, her eyes about to roll to the back of her head.
"Argghh." She is grinding her teeth, foot stomping the ground for balance as she retaliates with a kanabo swing at him.
Crack.
A thunderous sound broke as Yamato slugs her weapon into his chest. Advanced armament connecting with his ribcage, Ramos went flying to the sky, form decreasing to a spec at the velocity he propelled to the clouds.
"Yamato, why would you do that?" Angelica rubbed her temple at the girl's actions.
"He was ready to attack us! Didn't you see he made his fist burn up in flames?" Yamato justifies her actions.
[Meanwhile]
Ramos's ascension to the heavens halts as he uses Geppo to prevent his plummet back to Earth. "Damn, she's strong." He whips blood from his lip, chest aching from the haki-infused hit. Positioning himself to rocket back down to them, his observation haki flares. The body forces its master to focus on the disturbance.
"Dang empathy. " He changes directions towards the distress.
--
"Brat! Where is your offering for our service?" A tall man with his lower body resembling that of a zebra.
"Yeah, we saved you from those two beasts fighting. "An elephant man hybrid cackles.
They are Kaido's henchmen, known as Beast Pirates, SMILE users, and the artificial zoan fruit users are pestering a purple-haired little girl in a patched-up yukata with a visible blush.
"No you didn't!" Tama pointed at them, "I already stopped them from fighting, you two dragged me here!" Tama yells.
Slap.
"Shut up brat–you should be grateful we didn't let them kill you!" The Zebra-man spits on her.
Tama, holding her cheek with the hand print, fighting back tears, glares at them.
"What? You're going to do something about it?" The elephant-man walks up to her menacingly.
Slash.
A massive flaming slash engulfed them, cutting and burning, mingling their bodies in pain.
Thud.
They dropped down, smelling of burned flesh. Tama wanted to puke at the smell, but before her body could react, she was swept away.
"Sorry that you had to see that." A masculine voice apologises to her, his dialect strange.
Ramos looks at the girl staring at him, "You ok?" He studies her body for any injuries.
"You saved me..."Tama mutters.
"Of course I did, you were in danger. " Ramos ruffles her hair.
"Heyy–don't do that big brother!" She pouts, smoothing her ruffled hair.
Ramos chuckles, "Sorry about that kid."
"Urgggh!" A cry rang out, Ramos side-stepped the blur, the Beast pirate fell into the sea, body disappearing in the contaminated seawater.
"Do you have to hit people like that?" Angelica holds her hips, fake scowling at Yamato.
"Yes," Yamato answers.
"Look who's alive ~" Angelica purrs.
Ramos stares at the two, holding Tama close as she clings to him like a koala.
"You..."
"You."
Ramos and Yamato are waiting to pounce on each other like wild animals, any sudden movement means attack.
"Sigh–"
Poof.
Yamato and Ramos are being held by green smoke, which curls like fire and leaves warmth instead of a burning sensation.
"What is this Angelica?" Yamato tries to move the smoke binding her.
Ramos attempts to use his haki, but the warmth becomes a sudden burn.
"Hisss!" He gasps as his hands feel like they are being consumed by flames.
"Don't even think about it. My powers absorb spiritual energy. Angelica warns.
The two fools stopped their actions immediately.
Angelica snaps her fingers, and the smoke bindings dissolve
"Now then, let's have a chat, no?" Angelica hums excitedly.
------
[Amagasa village]
In a clearing surrounded by a bamboo forest, the village of Amagasa is located.
In one of the bamboo homes, Yamato, Ramos, and Angelica sit around a small table, Tama presenting them with 4 rice balls.
"Eat up, please!" Tama bows, gesturing for them to eat.
The 3 look at each other and bow back.
"Thank you." They harmonise.
Reaching for the rice balls, they chew, enjoying the food.
"Aren't you going to eat with us?" Ramos asks between chews.
Tama shakes her head, "No need, as a future kunoichi I have to train my body to resist hunger." She justifies her starvation.
"How do you expect to grow stronger if you starve yourself?" Angelica bluntly asks, reaching for the final rice ball, "Here, eat now!" She shoves it at Tama's face.
The girl tried to resist but gave in to her hunger.
"Munch...I'm sorry...munch...for being a bad host." She apologises through chews and building tears.
Ramos flicks her forehead lightly, "Don't apologise."
"Huff –you're mean big brother ...you look just like...?" Tama trailed off, closely looking at Ramos."Wait, why do you look like Ace?"The purple-haired girl grabs his face like dough.
Ramos just let her be, disregarding the fact that she's touching his face right after eating.
"Pfft–to think about it you do look like Fire Fist Ace." Angelica teases.
"WHAT!" Yamato gasps as if a great revelation has been revealed. "YOU DO LOOK LIKE ACE!" She points at him.
"Get your finger away from my face," Ramos growls, Tama still mashing his face.
Bang!
The door of the bamboo hut was kicked open, and a short old man burst in, with a white goatee, traditional attire, a red mask with an angry expression, and the man has a sheathed blade tucked in.
"Tama! Who are these people?" The masked man demands, taking out his blade, ready to strike.
None of the 3 felt threatened. They look at the man like he's insane.
Ramos tilts his head, "What is happening?"
Angelica grabs his chin, making him face her,
"Well, you see~this place is currently under the ruler of Kurozumi Orochi, the evil Shogun and Kaido."
Ramos's eyes widened at her words, "Great, escaped one Yonko just to end up on another's territory."
"Oi! Do not ignore me brats." Hitetsu attacks, sword aimed at Ramos.
"MASTER NO!" Tama cries out.
Cling
Clang
Hitetsu's blade clashes with Ramos's haki-coated fist, sparks of steel and lightning jolting around. As the two separate, Ramos notices a cut across his knuckles, fresh blood seeping out.
"How did you do that old man?" Ramos questions as he looks at the cut.
"You possess Ryou?" Hitetsu sheathes his blade.
Ramos ignores Tama's fussing over his wound and observes the old man.
Yamato looks in awe at the wound.
Angelica just clicks her tongue, "You just attack without assessing the situation?" She snaps at him.
Hitetsu rubs his head, "I thought you were intruders. "
--------
Back at Kuri beach, the beaten-down pirates were found by Tobiroppo: Page One and Ulti.
The purple-haired, masked siblings analyse the fallen soldiers.
"Yamato has escaped. " Ulti tells her brother.
Page one kicks a burnt henchman, "We need to find out who did this before Orochi-sama realises. " Page One nods to his sister.
Ulti turned to the henchmen behind her, "Search for anyone foreign or suspicious." Ulti orders.
[End of chapter]