Man, even Loya didn't see that coming - Tony having such a terrible sense of direction! I totally missed that in the main story. Is this some hidden swordsman skill or what? Talk about a plot twist! But hey, Tony's not quite as bad as Zoro, that famously directionally-challenged swordsman. At least Tony can usually find his way around.
Plus, Tony had been living at headquarters for a while, so his daily routine was pretty straightforward - just going between his bed, the mess hall, and the training grounds. No wonder he seemed normal.
Who would've thought his first real mission would go sideways like this?
Tony was doing fine following the ice path, but then things got hilarious when he suddenly lost his way. Why? Because the ice path vanished into thin air!
Loya hadn't even noticed this happening. He'd been so focused on the chaos in Big Snail City, determined to save the civilians. Rescue operations take time, no matter what world you're in. To conserve his magic, Loya dropped his pseudo-dragon skill.
Without that power boost, Loya was too busy with the rescue to waste energy leaving markers. And that's how Tony ended up lost in the woods.
Everywhere he looked, it was just trees, trees, and more trees. Everything looked the same. Faced with this unfamiliar terrain, Tony resorted to the classic swordsman technique - throwing his shoes to find the way! I won't get into how well that worked out, but let's just say Mingde and Aludo had their work cut out for them trying to track him down.
Meanwhile, Beard was facing off against Loya. 'High Frequency Rock Burst!' he shouted, slamming his fist into the ground. In an instant, a sea of razor-sharp stone spikes erupted from the earth, aiming straight for Loya.
This move really showed off Beard's skills. His High-Frequency Fruit power could only make objects vibrate, but he'd figured out how to use those vibrations to shape stone into spikes, then launch them with pinpoint precision.
It was a delicate balance - too little power and the spikes would be useless, too much and they'd crumble to dust.
'Damn, he's really mastered that fruit power,' Loya thought, impressed despite himself. 'This guy's no joke.'
Loya was hovering in mid-air thanks to his Moon Step technique. In the blink of an eye, he accelerated to stage two, blue energy crackling around his fists and feet as he shot towards Beard like a bolt of lightning.
'Ice Dragon's Iron Fist!' Loya roared.
BOOM! The sound of impact rang out, but it wasn't flesh that Loya's fist met.
At the last second, Beard had coated his clothes in Armament Haki, blocking Loya's attack.
He might not be as fast as Loya, but Beard's Observation Haki gave him the edge he needed.
Their previous fights had taught Beard a painful lesson - when Loya's attacks connected, that biting cold ignored Armament Haki like it wasn't even there, freezing him from the inside out. Only his incredible physical toughness had saved him.
But Beard was sharp. He'd spotted a weakness in Loya's technique - it only worked at close range.
By hardening his clothes with Haki, he could take the edge off Loya's attacks. The cold still bit through, but it wasn't nearly as devastating.
The downside? Even with Armament Haki, the clothes he used to block would instantly freeze and shatter. But it was better than taking the hit directly."
Alright, I'll rephrase this to make it sound more natural and conversational, keeping the "One Piece" universe in mind:
Beard was looking rough. His coat was so torn up he might as well have been wearing rags. But Loya wasn't exactly in great shape either - he was black and blue all over.
Every time Beard came at him with that dagger, Loya had to make a split-second choice: dodge or defend. And let's be real, taking a kick was always better than getting stabbed.
"Ha! Useless brat! I've got you all figured out!" Beard taunted as Loya's fist bounced off his Haki-hardened coat once again. In the same breath, Beard's special dagger made this eerie high-pitched noise as he stabbed back viciously.
Loya couldn't help but be impressed. 'How is he pulling off these huge attacks without even slowing down?' he wondered. At the last second, Loya jerked his head to the side. The ice armor covering his body met the dagger - and it might as well have been warm butter against a hot knife. The dagger sliced through like it was nothing.
Loya thought he'd dodged in time, but he was a hair too slow. The vibrating dagger left a shallow cut on his cheek.
Suddenly, Loya felt like his whole world was shaking. His head was spinning, and he felt like he was gonna hurl any second.
'What the... is this some kind of vibration?' Loya realized, fighting to keep his lunch down. It felt like his brain was rattling around in his skull. His tough body held out for a moment, but then...
'Bleurgh!' Loya doubled over, puking his guts out.
WHAM! This was exactly what Beard had been waiting for. The second Loya bent over, Beard's Haki-coated foot slammed into him with brutal force.
WHOOSH! Loya went flying, skidding along the ground for a good hundred meters before crashing into some ruins at the end of the street.
"Tsk tsk tsk! How's that feel, you little punk? Not so hot now, are ya?" Beard cackled. "I ate the High-Frequency Fruit, kid. Everything I touch vibrates at supersonic speeds. It's not just gonna make you puke - it can liquify your organs and scramble your brains. You don't stand a chance!"
Loya was in a bad state. His brain felt like it was doing the cha-cha, and he couldn't focus on anything.
That vibration had traveled through his blood, bones, and muscles in an instant, going straight to his brain. He felt light-headed and weak as a kitten.
Beard's kick had been no joke either. Not only had it sent Loya flying, but it had also cracked a few ribs with its sheer power.
But Loya wasn't done yet. This was still within his limits.
CRASH! The pile of rubble exploded outward as Loya struggled to his feet. Beard's laughter cut off abruptly. He stared down at Loya, who was swaying but standing.
"Oh? Still got some fight in you, huh?" Beard growled. "When are you gonna get it through your thick skull? There's a world of difference between a New World pirate like me and a rookie like you!'"
"'Heh.' Loya's mocking smirk said it all.
In One Piece - heck, in most anime - the bad guys just love to run their mouths and spill all their secrets. It's one reason Loya's such a Naruto fanboy. Those ninja battles are all about piecing together intel bit by bit, then cooking up a plan.
That little 'heh' might not sound like much, but it's been topping the 'Most Annoying Sounds' list for years. Its ability to get under someone's skin is unmatched.
Beard's reaction was exactly what Loya was hoping for. The pirate's face darkened as he snarled, 'If you're so eager to die, I'll be happy to oblige!'
'Air Shock, Emptying!'
WHOOSH! Beard turned into a black blur, closing the distance in an instant. His dagger, aimed straight for Loya's heart, made this eerie high-pitched noise. 'Go to hell!' Beard roared.
Now, Beard might not know Shave technique, but he's still a big-shot pirate with some serious speed moves.
In the blink of an eye, that screeching dagger was right in Loya's face.
But Beard was so caught up in his rage, he missed the weird little smile playing on Loya's lips.
'Looks like the intel was off,' Loya thought. 'You can channel your fruit powers through your feet too! But guess what? I've been waiting for you to charge in!'
'Ice Make: Ice Coffin!'
CRACK! A wave of bone-chilling cold exploded outward, filling the air.
Beard's Observation Haki went haywire, screaming at him to get out of there.
But physics is a harsh mistress. The momentum from Beard's charge was too much. By the time his brain caught up, the frost was already closing in.
WHAM! The impact sent Loya flying again, crashing through the ceiling.
'Huh? That's it?'
Beard froze, staring at the huge chunk of ice in his hand. There wasn't a single ice crystal on his body. Somehow, Loya had focused all that cold on Beard's dagger, freezing it solid.
Suddenly, Beard felt a searing pain. He yelped, chucking the ice away.
Where he'd been gripping the dagger, a big patch of skin came off with it. Blood started flowing freely.
'Holy crap, that's cold!' Beard gaped at the ice on the ground. After a moment of shock, he tore off another piece of his already tattered clothes to bandage his bloody palm.
'But if the kid can do that, why doesn't he use it on me?' Beard wondered as he wrapped his wound.
Out of nowhere, an ice spear came hurtling down from above, fast as lightning.
'What the-? Even faster than before!' Beard's eyes went wide. He barely had time to dodge, relying on his Observation Haki to save his skin.
As Beard stumbled to his feet, he looked up - and his jaw hit the floor. Whatever was up there, it definitely wasn't Loya anymore. Beard completely forgot about trying to figure out the marine's game plan.
'What kind of monster are you?!'"