Chapter 20
Now, however, Ace, Luffy, Sabo, and Haruno aren't weak anymore.
Well, they still are weak but it was incomparable to the past... They were stronger, they had trained. Ace was equipped with his blunt weapon. Sabo was using a fis.h.i.+ng rod. Luffy relied on his fists and... Last but not least, Haruno would use his Ak.u.ma no Mi and Psychic powers to help defeat the tiger. They looked at the forest, their battleground. Sabo finally said: "He's here." After that, they could hear a roar from far away. When a tree fell in front of them, huge amber eyes surged from the dark forest. The owner of those eyes slowly left the darkness, they could see the giant and majestic beast.
Haruno heard a *ding*, a screen appeared before him:
[New Quest]
[Objective: Kill the Tiger King.]
Naguri, who was observing from high ground, looked down at the four kids. He smiled: "Okay, he finally appeared." The tiger looked at Ace and Sabo, recognizing them as past intruders, he shouted: "Humans! What do you want in my territory! Such an inferior being dare to come before me! Leave now and I will spare you. Wait, those two... I know them! Those two ants! Mercy isn't an option anymore, DIE!!"
Ace didn't wait for the tiger's first attack, he rushed toward the opponent with determination burning in his eyes: "I'm going first!" He burst forth as the tiger attacked him with its left paw. Ace merely shouted: "Predictable!" (Muda!) and jumped away to avoid the sweep. Using the tiger paw as a foothold, he jumped again toward the tiger's face and hit it, smas.h.i.+ng his weapon on its face. Ace smiled at his success: "How about that!?"
He was in mid-air as he taunted. The tiger was now officially p.i.s.sed: "Lowly being!" It used its tail to whip
The tiger looked at the small fisherman angrily: "Weak human!" It moved its head and neck, now overpowering Sabo. He flew unwillingly toward the powerful tiger: "Lowly human! You are weak!" It then slapped him away with its paw. Like a bouncy ball, Sabo flew away and hit the ground as well. Luffy looked at the two of them half-buried in the ground. He shouted panicked: "Ace! Sabo!" The tiger turned around, facing him and Haruno. It roared: "Human! You lowly being! Now it's your time to die!" Luffy looked at the approaching predator and uncertainty said: "K-Kuso! Gomu-Gomu- no... Pistol!" His arm stretched and hit the tiger's head... It did absolutely nothing. The tiger jumped in retaliation to attack Luffy and Haruno, who didn't move.
Powerless, Ace saw this scene and shouted: "Oh no! Luffy! Haru!" Sabo loudly shouted too: "Run!" They rushed back as fast as they could. A stunning scene unfolded before them! Two giant portals opened and deflected the gigantic beast. Haruno looked at Ace and Sabo that rushed beside them. He quietly added, a tired expression on his face: "I can only reflect two more attacks." Ace looked at Sabo, Luffy, and Haruno: "We aren't strong enough individually, but we still can't lose! Hey, you three! Help me here!"
Luffy, Sabo, and Haruno looked at him and asked, rather stunned: "Who are you?" Ace angrily looked at them and shouted: "Ace! I'm Ace!" Haruno shouted back: "Lies! Ace never asked for help before!" Sabo and Luffy nodded with a 'hum, hum' noise. Ace's expression changed, now focused. He looked back at the still stunned tiger and said: "I have a plan. Sabo, Haru, you two attract the tiger into the forest. Got it?" Naguri looked at the scene: "Now, it's becoming interesting..."
Ace ran while explaining: "We aren't fast enough! But with Luffy's power, we can win! Sabo! Haru! It's on you!" Haruno and Sabo nodded. Ace and Luffy left into the forest to prepare. Meanwhile, Sabo and Haru looked at the tiger. Haruno shouted: "Hey! Kitten! You think that you are sooo special because of your size, right? Come here and let him slap you!" Haruno pointed at Sabo before using his skill [Telekinesis] to float away. Sabo looked at the tiger and started to run as well. The tiger was even madder than before: "Come here! You little being! Let me smash you!" When the tiger paw was about to hit Sabo, Haruno opened a portal. It deflected the attack, the tiger paw hit a tree far away from its target. After a minute of pursuit, Ace shouted: "Sabo! Here!" He rushed toward where Ace was. As the paw of the tiger was about to hit him again, Haruno deflected it once more. Sabo jumped to where Ace was who then jumped too! Luffy's voice thundered: "Gomu-Gomu no..." and Ace's voice completed: "Rocket!"
Ace flew at a high speed toward the tiger, who predicted it and raised its paw as a s.h.i.+eld! This didn't happen in the anime!
Haruno thought about solutions while rus.h.i.+ng toward them, he then had an idea. He could only open a gate... But everything was going so fast! He remembered what happened to him during the fight against Garp... He tried to recreate the peculiar feeling of time slowing. And he did it! He slowly opened a gate in an even slower world. An opportunity for Ace to attack appeared! Ace, flying, looked back at Haru. The kid was sweating and almost fainted from exhaustion.
Haru smiled at him as Ace hit the tiger, making it collapse on the ground. The last word of the tiger was: "Impossible..." and the flicker of life finally left its eyes. Haruno laid on the ground near the tiger's corpse, he now had a terrible headache...
He heard a *ding* and opened his status. What he saw stunned him for quite some time.
[Edited by Aaronji]