Zala towered in her Carnterosaur form casting a monstrous shadow. Her scaled hide gleamed, her muscles tensed, her massive clawed feet dug into the earth as she looked around.
Commodore Guard stood firm, surrounded by a unit of Marines and Cipher Pol agents. Their weapons were aimed at Zala.
A Marine raised his rifle, eyes wide with fear and determination. "This monster is Zala the Cutter at 65,000,000 Beli," he shouted.
Guard gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. "I know her well," he said.
He looked at her and he remembered the battle at Enies Lobby, where Zala had headbutted him with crushing force. He remembered the impact, the way he was thrown backward, crashing into stone, barely able to stand before flames engulfed him by someone else.
Now she stood before him again. "You and your crew have caused a stir, fighting the Marines, the World Government and now you're doing it again," Guard said.
He took a step forward, drawing his sword in one hand, a flamethrower in the other. "You will all be brought to justice," he added.
Zala tilted her head slightly, watching him with amusement. She thought about who he was. She had head butted a few people that day.
"Men, charge," Guard ordered.
The first Marine leapt toward Zala, his sword raised high. Zala reacted instantly as she rammed her massive head forward and hit the Marine. His eyes bulged, the sheer force splitting the air as he was knocked backward, blood spilling from his mouth as his body skidded across the ground.
Another Marine rushed for her side, aiming for a direct strike to her body.
Zala sidestepped with ease, her tail flicking slightly.
Two Marines charged together, calling out. "Go for her legs!" Their blades arced forward.
Zala's tail lashed. She hit the Marine and sent them both hurtling backward, their bodies colliding with debris.
A third Marine hesitated, trying to retreat. But he was too slow. Zala's massive foot came down and crushed him. The Marine let out a choked gasp, blood spurting from his lips as his body collapsed beneath her crushing weight.
Guard gritted his teeth. His eyes locked onto her. "You," he said. His flamethrower ignited, spewing a jet of fire toward her position.
Zala dodged quickly, the heat licking at her scales but failing to make direct contact.
Cipher Pol agents rushed forward, their guns drawn, aiming for a direct volley.
"FIRE," one shouted. Bullets whizzed through the air, but panic overtook them as they saw Zala charging straight toward them.
"STOP!" one agent shouted. There was panic in his voice.
Zala lowered her head. She slammed into their formation with earth-shattering force. They scattered like bowling pins, their bodies tumbling towards the ground, their weapons slipping from their hands.
Zala turned, her eyes locking onto Guard, who was readying his flamethrower again.
She whipped her tail through the air, striking Guard with bone-shattering force. He went flying, slamming into the ground, coughing as blood spilled from his mouth.
The Marines watched in horror. "Commodore Guard," a marine shouted.
At that moment, a black, heavily armored robot tore through the Marine ranks. Its drill-lance spun, humming with raw energy. With a forceful downward swing, RAU 2 slammed its weapon into the ground, sending a shockwave ripping through the ground. The immediate blast sent Marines flying in all directions, their bodies crashing onto the shattered terrain, some tumbling into debris, others landing with sickening force.
The robot's blue core pulsed. "RAU 2," RAU 2 said.
A Cipher Pol agent, scrambled to take aim. "Another one of those robots from the Love Pirates," he said. He raised his firearm, his fingers tense against the trigger.
However RAU 2 was faster. The robot lunged forward, its steel fist colliding with his face in a brutal strike. Teeth shattered, the agent's body jerked backward, blood spraying into the air as he was sent flying, crashing hard onto the wreckage.
Zala looked at the black-armored machine. She saw its reinforced plating, its aggressive energy pulses, and the way its drill-lance twitched.
Zala`s tail flicked once.
RAU 2 turned its head and looked at Zala. Its blue core pulsed again. RAU 2 charged forward, its mechanical legs thundering as it closed the distance with terrifying speed. The blue core pulsed, energy flowing through its frame as it swung its drill-lance arm, aiming directly at Zala's head.
Zala reacted instantly as she twisted her body, dodging just as the drill-lance slashed through the air. The force of the attack whipped past her, the sheer velocity stirring the wind, making her scales bristle from the near impact.
Zala lowered her head, as she rammed her massive skull against RAU 2's head, the impact sending a violent shockwave through its frame. The robot staggered back, sparks flickering from its joints as its sensors flickered, momentarily disrupted.
"Why are they fighting?" a Marine asked as he looked to see the two fight.
RAU 2 lashed out, its steel fist swinging toward Zala's side. However, Zala was already moving. She ducked, narrowly avoiding the attack.
Zala opened her jaws wide and with a ferocious lunge, her razor-sharp teeth glinting before she clamped down onto RAU 2's face.
"Are they not on the same side?" another Marine questioned, as he took a step back.
Metal groaned, the plates warping under the strength of her bite. She tightened her grip, crushing the robot's skull slowly, her jaw pressing harder. RAU 2 jerked violently, its drill-lance whirring, swinging toward her in a desperate attempt to counter.
Zala's eyes flickered, catching the movement. She released her grip and jumped backward, her legs pushing off the ground with incredible force just before the drill sliced through the space where she stood.
The robot staggered, sparks erupting from its damaged face, revealing exposed wiring, fractured plating.
Zala grinned, her sharp teeth gleamed. She pressed her massive claws into the earth, feeling the ground strain beneath her weight as she curled her muscles. She lept and shot into the air. She swung her foot forward and came down. Zala's feet slammed into RAU 2's chest, her force overwhelming the mechanical beast. The blue core pulsed erratically, struggling against the damage, its circuits failing, sparking wildly. The core shattered.
A blinding explosion ripped through the battlefield, sending metal shards flying in all directions. RAU 2's frame collapsed, its once-mighty body reduced to nothing but ruined parts and scattered wreckage.
As the smoke settled, Guard stumbled upright, his body trembling. Blood dripped from his lips as he coughed violently, his vision blurred. He wiped the blood from his mouth, glaring up at Zala. "You… won't… get away," he said.
Zala whipped her tail, striking Guard's chest with a force that sent shockwaves through his body.
Guard was launched backward, his body twisting mid-air before slamming into the ground, the impact cracking the earth beneath him. His breath hitched, his limbs weak, his vision darkening. As he lay there, his eyes slowly lifted toward the sky, the realization of defeat settling in. "I lost," he muttered as he closed his eyes.
Zala thought she should go and help the others and ran forward.