Ch-21: A new Opponent appears

As Flint charged, his enormous fists swinging with lethal intent, the world around us seemed to slow. I took a deep breath, feeling the familiar surge of adrenaline. This was it – the confrontation I had been waiting for.

"I will crush your skull." He bellowed.

Flint's first punch came in hard and fast, a wrecking ball aimed straight at my head. In that moment, the four bone arms on my back dissolved, and I focused my energy into my fists, reinforcing them with dense bone gauntlets.

As the punch came at my head, I threw a punch of my own, meeting him head-on.

"Ordinary Bone Punch." I said, channeling my inner Saitama.

Our fists clashed, and shockwaves erupted around us, causing the pirates nearby to stumble back. The cobblestone beneath my feet cracked as I absorbed the full force of his attack.

With a thought, the bone gauntlet on my arm dissolved, wrapping around Flint's fist in less than a second. Before he could react, I pulled his arm back, causing him to lose his footing and stumble forward.

"You're not as unstoppable as you think, Flint," I grinned.

Not letting go of the moment, I used my other arm and delivered a devastating uppercut. The impact lifted Flint off his feet, but he landed like a cat, his grin widening.

"Not bad, Bone Demon," he growled, wiping a trickle of blood from his lip. "But you'll need to do better than that."

He flexed his arms, and the bones wrapped around his fist shattered into pieces.

I smirked beneath my mask, the rush of battle fueling my determination. "You talk big for someone about to lose," I taunted.

Flint smirked, charging at me with renewed ferocity. His massive fists came at me like a hurricane, each blow strong enough to crush a man.

I weaved through his attacks, my Observation Haki guiding me like a sixth sense. Each movement was precise, calculated.

I ducked under a wild swing, delivering a sharp jab to his ribs, followed by a swift kick to his knee.

Flint staggered but quickly regained his balance. "I'll crush you!" he bellowed, swinging both fists down in a double hammer blow.

I crossed my arms, reinforcing them with bone armor, and caught his fists, the force driving me into the ground. The impact sent a shockwave through the street, cracks radiating from where I stood.

Gritting my teeth, I pushed back, using the bone arms that had reformed on my back for additional leverage.

With a surge of strength, I threw Flint off me. He tumbled back, crashing into the bone wall I had created. Panting, he struggled to stand, his eyes blazing with fury.

"You're finished, Flint," I said, my voice cold and unwavering.

He lunged at me, but I was ready. The bones on my back shifted again, forming two large, bladed wings.

With a swift motion, I slashed at Flint, the bone blades cutting through the air with a deadly whistle. He barely managed to dodge, but I followed up with a flurry of strikes.

Flint's defenses crumbled under my relentless assault. His eyes, once filled with defiance, now flickered with growing fear. He swung desperately, but his punches were wild, uncoordinated. I easily sidestepped his strikes, my movements precise and controlled.

"You thought you could challenge me, Flint?" I taunted, my voice low and menacing. "You thought wrong."

With a swift, bone-shattering punch, I struck Flint square in the chest. The force of the blow lifted him off his feet and sent him crashing into the bone wall. He slumped to the ground, gasping for breath, his eyes wide with disbelief.

The street fell silent, the only sound Flint's labored breathing. I stood over him, my four bone arms poised behind me, ready to deliver another flurry of blows should Flint attempt to rise.

But Flint wasn't done yet. With a grunt of effort, he pushed himself up on shaking arms. "This... isn't over," he wheezed, struggling to his feet.

He looked behind me, eyes desperate. "Call the Beheader!" he ordered one of his subordinates. The lackey scrambled frantically, rifling through his clothes before pulling out a Den Den Mushi, its snail eyes swiveling to take in the chaos.

I watched him for a moment, curiosity piqued. Whoever this Beheader was, I hoped they would present more of a challenge than Flint. Dismissing the underling, I turned my attention back to my opponent, my gaze hardening.

"You've got spirit, I'll give you that," I said, clenching my fists. "But it won't save you."

Flint launched himself at me, swinging wildly. His movements were erratic, driven by desperation. I easily blocked his punches, my bone arms intercepting each blow with mechanical precision. He aimed a kick at my side, but I caught his leg in mid-air, twisting it until he cried out in pain.

"Had enough?" I asked, twisting harder. His response was a scream of agony as he struggled to free his leg.

In a final act of defiance, Flint managed to land a weak punch to my jaw. I barely felt it. "Pathetic," I muttered. Releasing his leg, I delivered a bone-crushing uppercut to his chin. His head snapped back, and he staggered, blood spraying from his mouth.

"You should have stayed down," I growled, advancing on him. Flint's eyes darted around, searching for an escape, but there was none. I drove a knee into his gut, doubling him over, then followed with a brutal elbow to the back of his neck, sending him sprawling to the ground.

Gasping, Flint tried to crawl away, his movements sluggish and pained. But I wasn't about to let him go. "Where do you think you're going?" I sneered, grabbing him by the collar and hauling him to his feet. His face was a mask of panic now, the dawning realization of his defeat clear in his eyes.

I slammed him into the bone wall, my bone arms pinning him there like a butterfly on display. "You're finished," I hissed, leaning in close so he could see the cold determination in my eyes. "Any last words?"

Flint spat blood, his voice a hoarse whisper. "You... you can't win forever."

I smiled grimly. "Maybe not. But I can sure as hell win today." With that, I delivered a final, devastating punch to his chest, feeling the bones crack under the force. Flint's eyes rolled back, and he slumped forward, unconscious. The street fell silent, the only sound his labored, uneven breathing.

As I stood over Flint's unconscious form, I turned my attention to the remaining pirates. Their faces were masks of fear, eyes wide as they took in the scene. I raised my voice, ensuring they all heard me clearly.

"Listen up!" I shouted, my tone commanding. "Surrender now, and you won't end up like him." I gestured to Flint's crumpled body for emphasis. The pirates exchanged nervous glances, weighing their options.

One by one, they began to drop their weapons, raising their hands in surrender. The fear in their eyes was palpable, and I couldn't help but feel a grim satisfaction. "Smart choice," I said, nodding approvingly.

I looked over to where Kosuke was sitting on a barrel, watching the whole scene with a calm detachment. "Kosuke, give me a hand. We've got some bounties to collect."

Kosuke nodded, his expression serious. He hopped off the barrel and joined me, methodically tying up the pirates who had bounties on their heads. "Let's get these guys back to Fury," I said, hefting Flint's limp form over my shoulder.

We shooed away the bounty-less pirates, who scattered like leaves in the wind, eager to escape the chaos. A few minutes passed as we carried the captured pirates back to our ship, Fury. Hiro and Lucy were waiting on the deck, ready to secure the prisoners.

"Put them in the lower deck," I instructed, and they quickly set to work, locking the pirates away.

Suddenly, a loud slicing sound filled the air, and the bone wall I had created was cut into pieces. I spun around to see a nearly 8-foot tall man emerge from the debris, a long cutlass in his hand. He wore a red overcoat adorned with medals and a tall guard's hat. A scar ran across his nose bridge, and his blonde hair caught the sunlight.

I paused for a moment, brows furrowed as I searched my memories. The man seemed familiar, and then it hit me. "Suleiman the Beheader," I murmured to myself. He had appeared during the Dressrosa arc, fought in the Corrida Colosseum, and later joined the Grand Fleet. His presence here meant serious trouble.

The fact that he could cut through my bone wall, which was nearly as strong as steel, told me everything I needed to know about his strength. I considered asking him to join my crew as a swordsman, but first, I had to see just how good he was.

"Kosuke, get Hiro to help you with the rest of the prisoners," I called out, not taking my eyes off Suleiman. "I'll handle this."

Kosuke nodded and went to fetch Hiro. I stepped forward, my bone arms poised and ready. "So you are the one that Flint called, Suleiman the Beheader," I said, meeting his gaze. "I've heard of you. Let's see if you live up to the stories."

Suleiman smirked, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "You're brave, I'll give you that," he replied, his voice deep and steady. "But bravery alone won't save you."

I tightened my fist, feeling the familiar surge of adrenaline. "We'll see about that." _____

A/N: Finally a Canon character, hopefully you were not bored of OCs till now.

As you can see, I wish to add Suleiman as the swordsman of my crew and thus Shinku no Tatsu, the Meito will go to him.

Btw, suggest some more canon characters that you wish to see me add to the crew.

Keep in mind that currently Dante is in South Blue, 2 years before the start of Luffy's Journey.