"I really do appreciate the help, but are you sure that you want to waste so much time on me?" Fujitora asked, marveling at the feeling of his body mending at a rate he could feel. "Not that I wish to cause trouble for my colleague, but he was quite determined to confront you and yours."
"Really?" Cherry was actually a bit surprised at that. "I thought the tree guy would have learned his lesson back at Mary Geoise. He thinks he can take our whole crew when he couldn't even stop me by myself?"
"I do recall overhearing more than one rant about that," Fujitora said. "He seems to have convinced himself that it was a fluke. A cheap shot, if you will."
"Hm, well, everybody has pretty much recovered from the war. Even without me, they should be able to handle him on their own. Especially since his weakness is blatantly obvious," Cherry said.
"You don't mean fire, do you?" Fujitora questioned. "While you would think that is his weakness, he has had plenty of time to shore it up over the years. Only an unusually hot flame will do any significant harm to him now."
Cherry blinked. That… did make a bit of sense. Her Solar Breath was a good deal hotter than the average wood fire. "I'm sure they'll be fine…"
…
"Why didn't that work?!" Usopp squealed. "Trees aren't supposed to be immune to fire!"
"Did you think I wouldn't guard against such an obvious weakness?!" Ryokugyu laughed as he toyed with the so-called 'Savior' Usopp. "Tell me where your captain is and I'll make your death quick and painful!"
"Don't you mean painless?!" Usopp shrieked.
"No!" Ryokugyu cackled.
Usopp ran as fast as his legs would carry him, but the roots stabbing up from the ground forced him to dodge constantly which destroyed any momentum that he gained.
It wasn't supposed to be like this! Usopp had shot at this asshole from a few dozen blocks away! He'd even moved right after taking the shot to be sure he couldn't be traced, like a proper sniper!
Instead, the killer tree man had grown right out of the ground next to Usopp only a moment after he nailed him!
"If fire doesn't work, try this on for size!" Usopp spun around briefly to fire spinning grass blades at Ryokugyu.
However, the moment the blades made contact with Ryokugyu, they simply melded into his form harmlessly. "You're pretty stupid, huh?"
"That's cheating!" Usopp accused, redoubling his retreat.
"Pirate obey no rules, so there are no rules when fighting you, scum! You have no rights!" Ryokugyu shouted, launching his arm like a whip.
*Slam!*
"Agh!" Usopp yelped as he was crushed into the ground, then lifted into the air in a grip that literally grew tighter by the second.
*Shing!* *Shang!*
The arm was chopped off at the elbow and the fingers were sliced apart.
"Usopp," Duke Dogstorm said, holding the sword that Cherry forged for him aloft and pointed at the admiral.
"Good job surviving, mrow!" Cat Viper yowled, using his organic arm to set Usopp on his feet, and clacking the metallic claws of the other threateningly.
"You two…" Ryokugyu grumbled. "What business do the minks have here?"
"The minks are allied with Wano, and you have attacked its people without provocation," Duke Dogstorm growled. "We need no other reasons to oppose you, but we also do so because the Straw Hats are our friends."
"Some friends," Ryokugyu huffed. "Pirates are backstabbers by nature. No matter. The Mink tribe is not affiliated to the World Government; therefore, You have no-! Kurgh?!"
Denjiro withdrew his sword from Ryokugyu's neck. "Withdrew" meaning sliced threw the side after the stab, half decapitating the tree man.
"Don't think it'll be so easy!" Ryokugyu sprouted from the ground behind Denjiro and tried to grab him into a bear hug.
He was intercepted by a flaming slash from Kin'emon, lopping off his head.
"What is going on here?" Ryokugyu sprouted a short distance away. "My wood is not so soft that you should so easily cut through it…"
"Our blades were forged by Cherry-dono," Kiku made an appearance in her full samurai armor. "Not only does their edge hold true, they only sharpen with continued use."
"Cheapshot," Ryokugyu growled. "Are you telling me she makes swords now?"
"No more questions," Ashura Doji loomed over him, taller than even his enlarged tree form made him.
It was a great disappointment for the loyal retainers of Oden that they were not able to cut down Kaido themselves, even with the new weapons that Cherry lovingly forged for them. So they would have to make due by defending the ones who defeated Kaido in their place!
Ryokugyu slammed his hand into the ground, piercing roots erupting throughout the street. The warriors surrounding him were not harmed, but they were scattered and displaced from their encirclement.
The scabbards wasted little time dancing to the tune of the enemy. Those who were able leapt forth to attack the admiral while those in worse positions focused on getting into place to attack as well.
Minutes stretched on as the fight raged, tearing through several buildings and leaving the street in ruins. Small injuries piled up, but none of the scabbards took any serious wounds so long as they were being careful.
Unfortunately, Ryokugyu was practically unharmed. They had managed to cut into his body several times, but each time he was seemingly prepared and sprouted anew from the earth.
"You're just stalling for time," Ryokugyu sneered. "Are you hoping the pirates will come to your rescue? They aren't coming, and they never will. They are cowards to the core. Even that slingshot bozo is long gone."
"You're right," Duke Dogstorm spoke solemnly. "We are stalling."
The six samurai charged at once and tore Ryokugyu's body apart once again.
Naturally, Ryokugyu sprouted once again, "How many times will it take for you to learn-"
His observation haki screamed at him. He bent his knees forward and leaned back, narrowly avoiding shortswords wielded by Raizo and Shinobu, the former aiming for his legs from behind and the latter for his throat from the side.
"SUNACCHI!" Kawamatsu was halfway down from a dive off a nearby roof, his own sword angled to pierce Ryokugyu in the heart.
Ryokugyu had only just sprouted. He couldn't do it again until he had fully regrown.
The admiral kicked one leg up to intercept the kappa, but the fishman did not hesitate to abandon his lethal target to take what was given to him freely. His blade bit into Ryokugyu's flesh, drawing blood like sap from a tree.
*Slash!*
Ryokugyu grabbed Shinobu's still outstretched arm and bit down on it like an animal. At the same time, he rolled to the left and back handed Raizo in the process.
Raizo's grip on his shortsword loosened just a fraction, but it was enough to let the admiral snatch it from his hands and chuck it at Kawamatsu, forcing him to leap out of the way.
Then the other six were upon him.
Three were blocked by Shinobu's body. The other three were forced to back off or be skewered by a wall of roots.
Shinobu desperately jammed her hand onto Ryokugyu's face and activated her devil fruit ability, hoping to mature him into the frailty of old age or death.
Then, Ryokugyu grew.
"Hahahahaha!" Ryokugyu laughed as his form expanded far beyond his usual size. "Thanks for the boost, idiot!"
He was easily as big as a giant now, dwarfing them all like some sort of enormous city-destroying monster.
"Round two!" Ryokugyu declared.