Captain Bounce stood over us for a moment, then take a few steps.
"Stand up," he said. "Show me what you've got."
I pushed myself to my feet, muscles tense. Sand clung to my soaked clothes, my hands still a little shaky from the fight with the pirates earlier. Emma stood beside me, blades ready, eyes locked on him.
Bounce moved first. He bounced across the sand, each step shaking the ground. He was fast. Too fast to predict.
I grabbed a rock and threw it. Without thinking, it shifted mid-air and slammed near him, making him stumble slightly. He landed perfectly and immediately closed the distance again.
"You're strong," he said. "But I want to see how far you can go."
I shifted my weight, ready for his next move. Emma stayed close, scanning for an opening.
Bounce lunged at me, feet pounding the sand. I rolled aside, barely escaping the impact. The sand exploded where he had landed, making the ground uneven.
He bounced again, faster this time. I threw another rock, just trying to keep him back. It hit his side, slowing him a tiny bit.
He laughed and bounced away, taking a small step back. "Not bad. But let's go all out."
I squared my stance. This time, I didn't throw rocks. I focused on the sand and stones around me. With a thought, I made one of the rocks fly toward him. He barely dodged it.
Bounce bounced forward again, faster than before. I leapt to the side, feeling the ground shake as he slammed down. Sand sprayed everywhere, covering me. I coughed, spitting out grit.
Emma shouted from the side, "Noah! Be careful!"
I nodded. I could feel the Vector energy inside me. I pulled slightly on a small boulder, sending it rolling under his feet. He stumbled, but only for a moment. Bounce bounced high into the air, landing behind me, then back in front in a single motion.
He moved too fast for me to track properly. I dodged, rolled, and used small pushes with the rocks to keep him guessing.
Bounce stopped suddenly and landed in front of me. His eyes were focused, waiting for my next move. I clenched my fists, sand sticking to my skin, muscles burning.
He smiled. "Show me what you can really do."
I stepped forward, trying to anticipate his next bounce. I sent a small push of force through the sand beneath him. He stumbled slightly, then bounced right back.
The desert around us was chaotic. Sand and rocks flew. Each of us tested the other, striking, dodging, moving without pause.
Bounce lunged again. I rolled, sending two small boulders sliding toward him. He dodged, then came at me with a spin, hitting the ground hard. I leapt back, sand spraying all around.
Emma was close, ready to jump in, but she stayed behind me. She trusted me to handle this. I trusted her to watch my back.
We circled each other, neither giving an inch. Bounce jumped high, landing with a crash that made me stumble. I countered, flinging a small rock at his chest. He knocked it away, laughing, bouncing back.
I focused again, pulling a larger rock toward me and tossing it with more force. He dodged it, but the movement slowed him enough for me to step forward.
"You're fast," I muttered under my breath. "But I can handle this."
Bounce bounced forward like a spring, striking the sand hard. I dodged, then sent a rock flying under his feet. He stumbled for a second but recovered instantly, bouncing back.
Our fight went on like this. The desert shook with every step, every strike. Sand and dust filled the air. Rocks rolled, kicked up by our movements. The heat pressed down on us, sweat stinging my eyes.
Finally, we both paused for a moment, breathing hard. We were covered in sand, our clothes torn, muscles burning. The tension in the air was thick.
Bounce grinned. "Alright, kid. Let's see how far this goes.
I clenched my fists, feeling the sand under my feet shift at my will. "Yeah," I muttered. "Let's see who's stronger."
The desert went silent except for our heavy breathing.
He looked at me and laughed.
"You're strong," he said, "but all you're doing is throwing stones. Is that it? That's your best?"
I clenched my fists and stared at him.
He bounced again, kicking up sand. "Kid, you're still weak. Let's see how long you can last!"
Before I could react, he slammed the ground hard. The shockwave sent sand flying, and I stumbled back, barely keeping my balance.
Emma stayed close, watching, ready to help if needed. I couldn't let her fight alone.
I grabbed a few rocks and threw them, aiming at Bounce as he bounced toward me. The stones hit him, but he laughed and shook them off easily.
"Not bad," he said, bouncing all over the place. "But you'll need more than that!"
He charged again, faster this time, bouncing over the sand and small rocks. I dodged, rolling in the dirt. Every step he took shook the ground beneath me.
I tried another throw, a bigger rock this time. He dodged and bounced back, smirking. "Kid, come on! Is that all you've got?"
The fight went on like this. He bounced, I threw rocks. He laughed, I blocked. He was strong and fast, and every time I thought I had an opening, he found a way to counter.
Then he leapt high and came down with a powerful slam. I pushed against the ground instinctively, but the force sent me flying backward.
I hit the sand hard, chest aching, and tried to get up. Bounce moved closer, ready to strike again.
"Stand up, kid," he taunted, bouncing lightly. "Or this ends now."
I struggled to my knees, but before I could stand fully, he slammed down again. Pain shot through my body, and everything went black.
When I opened my eyes, Emma was in front of me, moving quickly, swinging her blades to keep Bounce at bay.
I groaned, pressing my hands into the sand. Slowly, I stood up, ready to face him again.
I focused, and the sand and rocks started to rise off the ground. They spun around me in a circle, like Aang did with his airbending."
I pushed off the ground, slowly rising into the air.
I looked down at Bounce, who was now cautious, his smile fading slightly.
"This… this is my Devil Fruit power—Vector Manipulation!" I shouted.
I clapped my hands together. The rocks, sand, and debris around me surged upward, spinning faster.
Emma smiled at me, and I smiled back.