Sandersonia and Marigold looked at Ben. They looked at their sister. "Big Sis, allow us," Sandersonia hissed.
"A man who dares to flaunt such power in our sacred arena must be crushed," Marigold added.
Hancock gave a single, curt nod. "Bring his head," she said. Her eyes were fixed on the winged demon below. She thought he was not affected by her at all.
The two sisters jumped and landed in the pit.
Ben thought he did not want to fight them really. He thought back to the quest and thought this was important.
"Let's kill him," Marigold said as her body underwent a violent and dramatic expansion. Her legs fused into a massive, muscular tail covered in earth-toned, spotted scales. Her neck elongated and her jaw unhinged to reveal a flickering forked tongue, while her voluminous orange hair took on a life of its own and swirled around her. She had transformed into a King Cobra.
Beside her, Sandersonia started to change. Her body elongated. Her legs fused together into a massive, powerful serpentine tail covered in thick scales, while her neck stretched upward. Her green hair whipped wildly around her. Her jaw unhinged slightly to reveal gleaming fangs, and her tongue flickered more rapidly. She had transformed into an Anaconda,
Ben looked at Marguerite. "Get back Marguerite," he commanded. He thought he did not want her to get hurt here. She was strong however he needed to do this alone.
"No!" Marguerite responded as she clutched her serpent bow.
"Don't be a fool, Marguerite!" Kikyo shouted from the sidelines. "You're already a traitor in the Empress's eyes. If you draw your bow now, there is no coming back," she added.
Aphelandra stood tall and looked down with a worried expression. She bit her lip. "Go, Marguerite. Save yourself," she added.
Ben turned his head slightly. "I've got this," he said. Trust me," he added.
Marguerite looked into those bottomless red eyes, seeing not a monster, but the man who had tackled her away from death. She took a shaky breath and finally nodded. She nodded and sprinted toward the arena walls.
Ben turned back to the two massive serpents towering over him. He cracked his knuckles and his black wings unfurled. He thought this was necessary. "I don't want to fight you," Ben said.
"We want your head," Marigold said. "Serpent's Guillotine," Marigold said as she swung her axe towards Ben.
Ben quickly flew to the right and dodged the attack.
Sandersonia lunged forward. Her massive tail snapping forward like a whip."Snake Slam," she hissed as her tail rippled. She imbued it with Armament Haki, the scales turned a deep, metallic black. The tail came towards Ben.
"Demon's Inferno Fist," Ben said as he channeled his energy into hand. He ignited the energy and released black fire as a result. His fist had black flames and he punched her tail. There was a small shockwave that released a blast. Ben felt her haki was like a wall.
"What?" Sandersonia remarked. She thought his hand ignited. "It's like you sis," she added.
"He can control fire," Marigold said. "Deadly Poison," she shrieked as she spat a glob of corrosive, emerald-green venom.
Ben saw this coming. "Shave," Ben said as he vanished in a blur of motion. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared further ahead and dodged the attack. The acid hit the stone floor and started to melt and turn into a liquid. "That was close," he said.
"That was one of their techniques," Hancock said as she looked at Ben from her viewpoint. She thought how does he know that technique. He is not part of them. She narrowed her eyes.
"How did you do that?" Sanderonia asked as she looked at Ben who disappeared and reappeared.
Marigold eyes flashed red. She used Observation Haki and saw Ben appear in front of her. She seized the opening, Marigold coiled her lower body and lunged at him. "Snake Thrust," Marigold said as her tail blackened with Armament Haki. She drove the massive appendage forward like a spear and hit Ben in the chest. Ben went flying back and crashed to the ground.
"Ben," Marguerite shouted as she saw him flying.
"I am okay," Ben said as he got up. "Demon Barrage," he commanded. He flared his wings wide, and dozens of small, needle-like dark energy projectiles manifested in the air around his body. With a single beat of his wings, he launched the storm of energy forward towards Sandersonia.
Sandersonia's eyes flashed a predatory red. "Snake Dance," she whispered as activated her Observation Haki. Her serpentine body rippled and flowed like silk in the wind as she dodged the missiles coming towards her. She dodged with the fluid grace of a belly dancer. Every missile aimed at her found only empty air.
Ben thought that was annoying.
"Cobra's Crushing Fang," Marigold said as she leapt high and swung her axe at Ben.
"Demon Slash," Ben has his muscles coiled like high-tension springs. He swept his arms in a violent, wide arc and launched a projectile claws attack towards the axe and hit it..
Marigold was knocked slightly off from the attack and her axe slammed the ground and shattered the stone floor.
Ben jumped forward. "Demon Fist," Ben said as he channeled the energy into his right hand. He swung his fist drove the punch straight into Marigold's armored scales.The impact sent a shockwave through her massive body and sent her skidding backwards.
"He has some strength," Marigold said as she looked at him.
Sandersonia whipped around and her tail snapped toward his head.
"Demon Kick," Ben countered as he spun mid-air. He channeled his energy into his right leg and kicked her tail. The force of the strike echoed like a thunderclap through the entire stadium.
"Snake Thrust," Marigold said as she imbued Armament Haki in her tail. It turned black. She used her tail and thrusted it forward and hit Ben in the shoulder. Ben was sent flying back.
"Snake Slam," Sandersonia said as she imbued Armament Haki in her tail. It turned black. She wrapped it around Ben as he was mid-air. "I got you," she added as she then slammed them head first into the ground. The stone ground and shattered and splintered.
There was a dust cloud around him. Ben spat blood and felt blood come from his head.
Sanderonia took her tail out from the dust cloud.
Marigold smiled. "That would teach him to come here," Marigold said.
Meanwhile in the stand, the reactions were mixed, "Did you hear that sound? Like a mountain splitting in two," one remarked.
"No man can survive his skull being used as a hammer against Amazonian stone," said a battle-hardened captain.
"Sandersonia's Haki is absolute. To be caught mid-air is a death sentence," said a muscular veteran.
"All that talk of a 'crew' and he's ending his journey as a stain on our floor," said a broad-shouldered archer.
"Marigold is right," she said. "The only lesson a man should learn when he dares to step foot on Lily is death," said a stern elder.
"Ben," Marguerite whispered as she felt her knees go weak.
"The Gorgon sisters have proven their dominance. A man's strength is nothing but a fragile glass compared to the might of the Kuja," Kikyo said as she watched the dust settle.
As the dust cleared Ben was still standing. His eyes glared.
"He is still up?" Marigold questioned.
Marguerite looked up and sighed in relief.
"I am not done yet," Ben said as he looked at them. "I know losing means I lose everything. I have people I love to protect and I will do anything to protect them," he stated,
"He is a tough one," Sanderonia said.
Hancock looked at the battle. She could feel something in her heart.