Change in the Wind (Amisi)

[yasuo]

(Take place before the Dinner thread)

Yasuo was currently sitting against a wall in the streets of Sabaody Archipelago lawless area. He has sitting in this spot for the last three days without food. All he could was drink water that he left over from his trip across the ocean so far. He was lucky to survive the trip this far, but he was broke and starving for food. His bag was currently sitting right next to him, along with his sensei sword. He had a sign on his lap that currently was advertising that he was looking for a job.

He wouldn’t mind what kind of job he got, but he would take it. He even took a job last night where someone used him as a punching bag, but all he got for being that was a water bottle. Yasuo gladly accepted that gift and went back to sitting in his spot after that. Yasuo laughed a little and said “Thinking of the past isn’t going to help me…” He mostly spoke to himself and continued to lean against sitting against the wall.

Suddenly a voice broke threw the crowd and said “Ow…look it’s the punching bag from last night. You still open for business…I got a couple more punches in me…and my nakama need to learn to deliver some punches. So what do you say…five berri for five men to beat you up.”

Yasuo stood up and said “Five berri you say….sure.” He looked at the man with waited for it. Suddenly all five men where beating Yasuo into the ground. They were punching and kicking Yasuo, but Yasuo didn’t put up a defense. He just took the punishment and continued to stand up. He just kept taking the beating for a couple of minutes. After the first guy was done, the second one stepped up and continued. Meanwhile Yasuo would continue to just stand there and take it.

After the other four finished the ringleader stepped up and said, “Not bad kid…too bad you a little whoosh that choose not to fight back. But then again…would could you do.” Said the man as he punched Yasuo a little harder then the last. The punch knocked Yasuo into the wall, and made him lean against it. He had some bruises and some blood running down the side of his face. But he was still okay, just trying to hold himself up. Suddenly the man reached down and picked up his sensei katana.

Yasuo quickly say that and moved to kick the man, but he had no energy to do much. The man blocked the kick and said, “What a wuse…I am taking this katana. No need for you to have it.” With that he punched Yasuo in the stomach and made him fall over. Yasuo was gasping for air, and said, “Please…don’t….”

The man continued to kick Yasuo and all he could do is take it. “Please…don’t…” said Yasuo again as he knelt on the ground. He just wished someone would help him.

[amisi]

“Eh… Captain Lola, it looks like trouble.” The pink-haired captain swiveled her head in the direction Akai was pointing, a frown immediately weighing down her face. Lola had seen plenty of unfair fights in her time… as a pirate, she’d been on the giving and receiving ends of more than a few. But what was happening across the street, a few dozen yards down, couldn’t be called a fight anymore.

One young man was kneeling on the ground with five others standing around him; the one holding a katana was currently engaged in savagely kicking the young man while his four cronies goaded him on. Lola’s brow furrowed in anger.

“It might not be good to get involved here,” said Masuku, catching Lola’s arm as she began to stalk toward the small crowd. She firmly shook his restraining hands away and waved off any further objections from the masked man.

”You’re just going to stand by and watch? Think of what Luffy did for us! He defended us against a Shichibukai—and now you’re too cowardly to save even one person from a bunch of muscleheads?” Masuku seemed cowed by the mention of the Straw Hat crew; whether he genuinely felt bad for his reluctance to help or just didn’t like being yelled at, Lola couldn’t tell (and didn’t particularly care.) At least Akai and Garth looked like they agreed with her.

This was her chance to carry on the helping spirit of the Straw Hats. ”Hey!” barked the captain, coming up on the group with Akai, Garth and Masuku a few paces behind her. The man who seemed to be the leader briefly stopped his kicking to stare at her.

“You want something? Drag queen convention’s down the road,” he said after a moment.

“Real funny,” said Lola. She grabbed for the kneeling man, intending to help him to his feet. ”Be a good boy and apologize. Do it convincingly enough and we might let you go with minimal butt kicking.”

[yasuo]

Yasuo was continued to be kicked and beaten into the ground. He tired to make his way to his feet, but couldn't find the strength in his body stand. He wanted to take back his master's katana, yet he didn't have the strength due to the lack of food. His tears mixed in with the blood rolling down the side of his face.

'Please...someone...help me...Sensei....sister...' thought Yasuo as he felt the guy continue to kick him. When suddenly someone yelled at the men kicking Yasuo. When he suddenly the kicks stopped and someone was helping him to his feet. He could see the men once again, and the person that picked him up It was a woman, with not the best looking features in the world. She held two pink pony tails and she was taller then him. He watched as he ordered the men to apologize to him.

The man huffed and looked at the lady in front of him. "Oh...why would I apologize for doing nothing wrong."

He planted his feet in the ground, and said "Apologizing won't be nessecary...we had an arrangement...which was five berri's for all five men to practice on..." Yasuo spoke in a weak tone of voice as he looked at the men infront of him. He stood up and moved his right arm and held his stomach area. There was intense pain from the punches and kicks he recieved so far. He looked hard at the man and said "But my katana wasn't part of the deal...return it."

The man looked at Yasuo and spoke in a moking voice, "I don't know what you are talking about...this is the newest pirate sword I bought a few minutes ago. If you want to have it...fight me for it. That is you are too scared to fight. Unless your sensei was to pathetic to teach you anything..."

Yasuo grinded his teeth, and took a step forward. "You bastard...I'll...fight...." said Yasuo as he took a step forward just to slump to one knee and tired to hold himself up.

[amisi]

Lola held out her hands to steady the man. He looked to be in incredible pain… and no wonder, with five people pounding him into the dirt. Her brow furrowed in concern as she listened to the conversation between the man and the people harassing him.

He’d agreed to this? Lola wanted to shout at him and give him a punch herself for doing something so irresponsible. Getting permanently injured or killed was worth five beri? Was this guy crazy or something? It seemed like he cared more about the katana that’d been stolen from him than his health. Lola’s dark eyes drifted to the man clutching the ill-gotten sword. He claimed to be the rightful owner, but the look in the beaten man’s eyes said it all. It was obviously his sword. Besides, the thug wasn’t holding the katana with any respect.

The captain let out a small hissing breath as the injured man stumbled forward, apparently ready to take his assailant up on his offer to fight for the katana. He fell to one knee and didn’t quite seem like he could get up again. ”Hey, hey,” said Akai, reaching over to support him by one arm while Garth took the other. ”Take it easy.”

”Is the katana that important to you?” asked Lola, eyeing it (and the man who was holding it). ”So important that you would allow someone to beat you for pocket change before selling it?”

[yasuo]

The man laughed at Yasuo for trying to stand to face him. Yasuo just grunted as one of the guys that came to save him, helped him back to his feet. However as soon as Yasuo was able to stand, he coughed again and some blood came out his mouth. Suddenly he heard the woman behind him speak to him. He looked at her and figured she must be the leader of this group. He looked at her and said “When one is starving and can’t get a cooking job…you take money for anything. Even if some guy beating you up. However there was no way I would sell my sensei’s family katana. This man stole it…so now I must defend something important.” He spoke in gentle voice as he looked at the woman.

He turned and looked forward, “I will fight you…and take back that which so precious to me.” Said Yasuo as he looked at the man determination was in his eyes.

The man looked at Yasuo, “So the weak man has a back bone. Too bad weak people don’t know anything about fighting or martial arts. Only the strong can fight! Weak serve the strong!” said the man as he charge at Yasuo with his fist pulled back. Yasuo filled with fury as the man charge at Yasuo.

Before the man knew what happened, said “Koukuu Doragon Ryuu: Dragon Rage”. Suddenly launched a two powerful jabs that caught the man off guard. Then Yasuo followed up with a powerful over the head elbow strike. The man got hit on the top of his head. Then finally brought his right hand back and delivered a powerful blow to the man’s diaphragm. The air around the blow seemed to fly away from the two of them as the man was struck. The man slumped forward and fell forward. The men that was with the guy where shocked. Yasuo just reached down and picked up his katana from the prone man.

He looked at the man and said “The strong you say…I disagree. No one is born strong, martial arts were created by the weak…to defend themselves from the strong.” He walked towards the group that was helping him from before. “Thank you…” said Yasuo as he bowed to only fall forward due to the lack of strength he had left. He was still wake, but lay on the ground.

[amisi]

“Upsy-daisy!” grunted Akai as the man got to his feet. The redhaired man was struggling a little under Yasuo’s weight—his talents were in speed, not strength. Garth seemed to have less trouble, easily guiding the man to stand fully upright. A look of shock came over the dark-haired man’s face when Yasuo coughed up a startling amount of blood.

“Oi, oi! We need to get this guy to a doctor!” cried Garth.

Lola frowned and shook her head, listening closely to what the man told her about his need to recover his sensei’s katana. Well, she couldn’t argue that. But there was no need to be selling himself as a human punching bag to make ends meet. And… from what he said… he was a cook? The Rolling Pirates could definitely use a cook. Maybe…

She was on the verge of offering him a job on the spot, but he cut her off with a challenge to the man who stolen his katana. Lola’s large lips clamped shut. Now wasn’t the time. The captain watched with apprehension as her would-be cook hit his opponent with two quick, elaborately-named jabs, followed by two blows that looked like they could lead to a concussion and a punctured lung, respectively. The man collapsed like a sack of potatoes, his friends watching in horror as Yasuo reclaimed his katana.

How admirable, thought Lola as she listened to his words about martial arts. She was meeting all kinds of insightful people today. She would definitely have to ask this man to join her crew. The question was on the tip of her tongue when the man at last came over to them and thanked them. He tried to bow and collapsed instead.

“Medic!” shouted Masuku. Akai clamped a large hand over his brother’s mouth and held a forefinger before his own lips in the universal symbol for ‘shut up!’

Lola knelt beside the young man and felt his pulse, then moved to turn him over. ”Well, you’re alive. But I doubt you’re feeling so hot. What do you say you stop getting beat up by thugs for money and join my crew instead? We really need a cook. Garth, grab him. We’ll take him to a clinic.”