One Piece 1. Prologue

**One Piece-GX**

**Prologue**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece**

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_Many years ago, the pirate king, known as Gol D. Roger, was executed in his hometown, Loguetown._

_His final words sent pirates from all over the globe, into the seas_

'_My treasure? If you want it, go take it! I left everything I own, in THAT place!'_

_Those were his final words._

_For over forty years, pirates from all over the world searched hopelessly for One Piece, the ULTIMATE treasure._

_And failed._

_No one could possibly imagine that the most unlikely person, a teenage boy, named Monkey D. Luffy, found the treasure, and claimed his position as the pirate king._

_For twenty years, this boy, NO, this man, sailed around the world, as the most free in all the seas, with his trusty nakama beside him._

_Until he gave himself up to the marines…_

_Publicly._

"_Hey guys! Sorry to barge in on you, but can you arrest me?"_

_These lines echoed around the world like a disease, spreading into every home, in every city, in every country._

_In the same place as Gol D. Roger once sat, Luffy sat, grinning._

"_I suppose this is my final moment eh?" he muttered. "Well I better tell you… That One Piece I found? It's still out there. IF YOU WANT IT…"_

_The marines thrust their spears down._

"_GO CLAIM IT!!!"_

_And that was the end._

_The second pirate king had been executed, and had begun to stir up the third great pirate era._

_But that is an other story._

_Ours begins in a small island, south of Loguetown…_

_In a burning village…_

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"KA-SAN!!!" cried Toma, rushing forwards, towards the rising flames.

His mother smiled at him. "It's not too bad, son…" she whispered, her green hair falling over her eyes. "Maybe I'll meet your father…"

The boy's black hair was starting to become singed, so great was the heat of the flames. "NO! YOU CAN'T CHASE AFTER SOMEONE WHO'S NEVER BEEN HERE!"

More debris fell, obscuring his view of his mother even more.

"Goodbye… Toma…" she whispered, closing her pale blue eyes.

"KA-SAN!!!!!!!!"

He dove forwards, into the heat…

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His green eyes snapped open. "KA-SAN!!!" he arm wretched out, clawing at the air.

"He's awake!" called a female voice.

"Get the sedatives!"

He saw people, blurry, but definitely there, their dark silhouettes surrounding him. He felt drowsy. He remembered the heat…

The burning…

The pain…

His eyes focused on his arm. Bandages were draped around them, covering shoulder to fingertip, showing no inch of skin.

"W-where am I…?" he groaned, groggily.

A silhouette moved closer towards him, which he defined as a girl. He couldn't quite make out her features, but for some reason, could feel that she was a girl.

"Ka… San…" whispered Toma, his vision blurring again.

"He's delirious," muttered the girl. She leaned in closer, her red hair brushing against his neck. "Can-You-Understand-Me?"

Toma sat strait up, his bandaged hands on his throbbing head.

"W-where am I…?" he whispered again. His back was pressed against a pillow, and he could feel a blanket over his legs.

"Thank goodness!" cried the girl. "I'm so glad you're safe!"

His eyes focused on her. "W-who are you people…?"

She giggled, her long red hair touching his chest. Her pale brown eyes came close to his. "I'm Riko! An apprentice nurse here at the sanctuary!"

He shook his head. "Sanctuary? No… I was at home… There was a fire… Ka-san…" his eyes widened. "Where is she?! Is Ka-san safe?!"

The girls pale lips tightened. "Um… I'm sorry…"

"…Huh…?"

"Another person was brought here… She died in the night three days ago…"

Tears began to form under his eyes. "Ka-san…"

"_Maybe now I'll be able to see your father…"_

His father.

The one who had deserted them, claiming he'd comeback with the great treasure, and live a wonderful life.

The man he hated most of all.

The one couldn't even remember.

"Where is this sanctuary…?" he muttered, leaning his head back against the wall.

"We're still on the island of Tsukiwan." said Riko. "Only we're a little separate from the rest of the inhabitants! We act as a hospital for the sick and injured!"

"Hold on… I LIVE here… How come I've never heard of you?"

She shrugged. "Children aren't usually allowed in here, so we keep it a secret!" she gave him a wink.

He gave a dissatisfied grunt. Swinging his legs round the side of the bed, he stood up, stretching his arms, getting used to the muscle movements once again. "You said she died three days ago. How long have I been here?"

"Four days. You were unconscious the whole time."

He began to walk over towards the sink.

"You were very badly burned."

He stared in horror at the mirror above the sink. He was covered, from head to toe in bandages. His torso, his legs, his mouth, even most of his hair was hidden under the white material. "What the hell is this?" he whispered, moving his arms up, and feeling the clumps of hair sticking out the bandages.

"You suffered from horrible burns…" continued Riko. "This was the best way to heal them."

He moved his hand down to his face, feeling the little bit of pale skin under the eye.

"I'm sorry, but can I ask your name?" she asked.

He turned back towards her, pulling down the bandages over his mouth, revealing his healthy lips. "I'm Toma. Toma Kyoya."

**_8 years later…_**

A bandaged man strode through the city streets, his hands in his pockets.

On his head, he wore a fedora cap, covering up to the top of his eyes. He wore a long trench coat, which stretched down to near his feet, and had loose baggy jeans over his bandaged legs. He wore no shirt but his chest covered by the snow white bandages which encased the rest of his body.

A rather large man was walking in his direction, a hint of his purse sticking out his coat pocket.

"Bingo…" whispered Toma, his green eyes narrowing.

He continued to walk towards the large man, keeping his hat down with one hand, and letting his other arm drape in mid-air.

As he passed, it was so quick, no one could even see, let alone notice it.

Toma's hand slipped atop the purse, and pulled it gently out the pocket, flicking it into his outstretched palm, and then shoving it into his jeans.

After getting a safe distance away, he opened the purse, and let the coins fall into his hands.

"10… 20… 30… 40… 50…" he grinned. "5000 beli in total… I did it…"

He yelled happily, and then began to rush through the streets, dodging and weaving out the way of the other citizens, towards the large, church like structure near the end of the island.

'The Sanctuary' as it was known, was a hospital and a place of worship, for those who believed in the god 'Kazaan'. Even those who were of different religion or even criminals were welcome, the church providing them with sanctuary, as it was named.

People washed their lives away, to start anew in the Sanctuary, becoming Priests or Bishops, wanting to help the place that saved them.

Toma had been in the church for eight years, serving as a Templar Knight in training.

Though, in his many years at the place, his only friend had ever been Riko.

The main reason was because he didn't want to become attached. He had a goal now - a goal that would lead him away from the church and out to the open seas, where many men have met their graves.

He was going to become a pirate. He was going to become the freest man in all the sea. He was going to become the Pirate King. And succeed where his father had failed.

He'd forgotten all spite about his father, and even forgiven to an extent. But the sea seemed to call to him.

He wanted to journey out into the deep waters, and sail into the heart of the grand line.

Little did he know, this was the start, of his story…

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**Hey ya'll! It's me, Hangman1, and I'm doing ANOTHER One Piece OC thingy! REJOICE! I don't know how I'm gonna keep them going together, but It'll be great fun! Just submit an OC to the following template bellow…**

**Name:**

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**Appearance:**

**Personality ****(Likes, dislikes, general personality, etc): **

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**Hope ya enjoy, and remember, press that review button! You know you want too! **


	2. Templar to Pirate

**Chapter 1: Templar to Pirate**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece!**

**This story has been Beta'd by SeeNoEvil121 (Who I'm a big fan of, read her story, it rocks!)**

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Riko began to hum lightly as she chopped the various potatoes, dropping them into the boiling pot of water.

As a sister of the sanctuary, it was her job to ensure the other monks, nuns, bishops and even the templar were given a healthy diet. Everyone was pretty much satisfied with her cooking...

...except for one person.

"Yoink!" came a merry voice from behind her as a potato she was peeling was yanked from her hands.

She growled. "Toma!? Why are you in the kitchen?!" she spun round to see the bandaged man munching on the raw potato.

"Not bad… Needs a little salt… Maybe some pepper… And some mince would be good with it too…"

A tick formed on her head. "GET OUT!"

"Alright, alright, keep yer' hair on!" he mumbled, getting to his feet, swallowing the rest of the potato. "I'm only trying to be friendly."

He stuffed his hands into his deep pockets, causing the little black metal hammer on his belt to jangle.

These hammers were one of the varied weapons that the Sanctuaries Templar seemed to use, specifically for middle-weight fighters. It was designed to be an extendable hammer, which could stretch from a length of 60 centimetres to 3 meters, allowing great mid-range access. It was commonly referred to as a Demi-Mallet

Toma casually opened the door, and exited.

Walking a leisurely pace, he flicked a key out his deep pocket, and then unlocked a small blue door, leading into a tiny room, near the size of a cupboard.

It wasn't much, but right now, it was his home.

He sat down on the small, thatched bed, and looked over at a chart pinned to the wall.

_Ferry to Shell Town; only 10 thousand beli for a cabin! Night trip, luxurious, meal served with ticket purchase! Offer ends…_

Bellow the 'offer ends' were a list of hand drawn dates, each with a red line drawn through them. Toma had managed to 'collect' ten thousand beli and was planning to leave the Sanctuary. He'd heard some decent ships could be bought in Shell town, so he figured that'd be a good place to start.

He hadn't told anyone that he was going to leave. He was simply going to walk out that night, leaving a note, stating he relinquished his position as a Templar.

The trench coat he wore boar a rosary emblem on its right shoulder, proving him to be a member of the sanctuary. He didn't want to remove it. Although he wasn't one to dwell on things, he was often sentimental.

The stone grave that bore a new bouquet of flowers on it every week was proof of that.

A small duffle bag lay under his bed, with many of the supplies he'd need for a week's journey. He assumed he'd manage to get around well enough after that.

All the food had been stolen from the kitchens even under Riko's watchful gaze. Even from the last trip, he'd managed to nick an apple, and a wedge of cheese. Toma had grown up to become a well-respected pick-pocket, along beside thief.

Rich followers of the religion liked to come to the sanctuary, asking Kaazan for a sign that their wealth may have corrupted them.

Toma found it rather entertaining watching people cry in amazement and anger as their purses or wallets seemed to vanish after praying.

The other templar often scolded Toma for his unfaithful acts, while Toma argued he was just 'showing them how to better themselves in a different light'.

One thing was for sure. He wouldn't be missed. Maybe by Riko, but everyone else in the sanctuary avoided him.

He'd been saved by the Sanctuary, and owed it a great debt, but couldn't bear to stay there any longer.

He had to fulfil his wish.

He'd become the Pirate King.

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A man in a blue suit, with a broad sword strapped to his waist, lay sleeping at the gate, a helmet with a rosary symbol emblazoned in the iron over his head.

Toma walked past him easily, his duffle bag slung over his shoulders, his trench coat blowing lightly in the wind.

The ferry arrived in Tsukiwan at 11 o'clock, then set sail half an hour later. With luck, no one would notice he was gone until the ferry had taken off.

The walk from the Sanctuary to the port wasn't that far. He literally just had to walk down the hill, and then sit on the small bench by the sea, inhaling its salty scent, and tasting its dry texture.

In the distance, he caught a glimpse of the ferry's lights in the mist, shining through them like a blazing fire.

He sighed, drooping his head back.

In his whole life, he'd never left Tsukiwan, and in the last eight years, had hardly explored the island. After his mother's death, his education had stopped. The only thing he learned in the Sanctuary was how to fight with his Demi-Mallet.

Not many people collected around the port - only a handful of travellers, who had come to see the famous Sanctuary, and possibly even confess.

It was not long before the ferry had reached the port.

He silently stood up, and then slung his duffle bag over his shoulder.

He'd not taken three steps, when he heard something which made him halt.

"So it's true?"

He knew that voice. He turned around and saw the red-head girl, staring at him, her eyes wide. "Riko…" he muttered.

"You don't have to go. I'll stop shouting at you. I promise. P-please…"

She had no friends in the Sanctuary either. She'd been trained as a sister from childhood, and had been too engrossed in her work to make friends.

As she grew up with Toma, she'd grown to find him her very best and closet companion, even if they did argue a lot.

He didn't want to say anything. Adjusting his cap, he continued to walk forwards.

Tears began to form under her eyes. "Toma… Toma! Stop joking! That note was a joke, right?!"

He suddenly stopped and turned, so his green eyes were staring into hers. "Sorry Riko… I've gotta go…"

"What do you mean you've got to go?!" she cried. "You should stay at the Sanctuary with me! We can stay together! What more could you want?!" shock then appeared on her face. "Unless I'm not good enough… Am I that hideous to you…?" she shivered, as though his emerald eyes were stabbing her like daggers.

He sighed, and then walked back. "It's not that Riko…" he looked out to the sea. "It's an amazing sight… When I was a child, I always dreamed of sailing the seas… Being free like the Pirate King, Monkey D. Luffy… I heard that he was a dreamer too… He claimed that he would become the Pirate King, while those around him laughed…" he grinned under the bandages. "And he did it…"

Giving her a hug, he picked his bag back up, and began to tread back down towards the ferry.

Riko simply stared in his direction, buds of tears, still swelling under her eyes. "YOU BETTER COME BACK! YOU HEAR!? COME BACK WHEN YOU'RE THE PIRATE KING!"

He waved casually behind him, not turning around.

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The room given to him in the ferry wasn't much bigger than the one back at the Sanctuary.

He threw the duffle bag down onto the soft bed, then withdrew a little box of pills from a pouch in the bag, and lowered the bandages around his mouth, revealing the skin to be perfectly healed.

He picked up two green pills, and then swallowed them.

He didn't like these pills; they tasted like crap, but he had to take them.

Doing up his trench coat, he began to walk through the halls of the ferry, towards the pub on board. Templar were strictly prohibited from drinking, but that still didn't stop him.

He had to be the most corrupt Templar in the whole order of Kaazan (One reason being he was an atheist)

As he entered the pub, he was immediately greeted by the roaring sound of music and laughter.

A group of men were on the stage, each playing their separate instruments, filling the pub with merry tunes. Groups of people sat in bunches, swapping stories of their adventures throughout East Blue.

The ferry stopped at five places: Tsukiwan, Shell Town, Rokudo, Kakura, and the Sakura Village, going in a continuous loop, in that order.

He walked over to the bar table, and then pulled up a stool.

A thin barman was suddenly in front of him, wiping a class with his chamois. "You want something, gov?" he spoke with a broad Geordie accent.

"I'll have some rum…" grunted Toma, as he stretched his arms out, feeling sleepiness beginning to dawn on him.

"Awright, gov." the barman muttered, as he scuttled over to the rows of bottles on display, and began to pour out a glass.

He held out the small glass cup to Toma, who took it, then pulled down his bandages to allow himself a drink.

"So what's yer story, gov?" asked the barman.

Toma shrugged. "Not much… I just wanted to see the place where the second Pirate King became famous."

"Ah, you're heading to Shell Town? Sweet place." He then nodded at the badge on Toma's trench coat. "You one o them' Templar from tha' Sanctuary?"

Toma shrugged again. "I just quit. It was too boring."

He poured the contents of the glass down his throat, and then wiped his mouth.

The barman's crystal blue eyes fell on the bandages on Toma's arm. "What's the story with them', gov?"

Toma's eyes flicked upon his bandaged right arm, which he quickly hid inside his coat's sleeve.

"No need ta' feel scared, gov!" laughed the barman. "We're not the kinda' people who discriminate'!"

"OI!"

The bar silenced.

Toma turned round, to see a large man with flowing black hair, picking up a scrawny brunette by her shirt. The man had tattoos all over his face, along with many piercings on his nose and ears.

"WHAT YOU WHISPERIN' ABOUT THEN, EH?!"

Toma's eyes narrowed.

He didn't like people who pick on unarmed civilians.

A blond man stood up, and ran beside them, fear in his eyes. "P-please!" he cried. "S-She's my wife! P-please let her go!"

The man's red eyes fell on the blond. "SO IT'S YOU I SHOULD BE PISSED WITH, AH?!"

He slammed his free fist into the blonde's chest, causing him to fly across the room, knocking into the bar stall, causing the rum to fall over Toma's coat.

"So little missy…" whispered the large man, his mouth drawing close to her ear. "You're gonna have to repay me tonight…" his hot breath caused the hairs on her neck to prickle.

"P-please…" she whispered.

Toma sighed, then stood up, turning around, and walking towards the scene.

A few eyes fell on him, including those of the large man.

"Eh? What do you want, punk?"

"Deroy-aniki!" whispered a scrawny man beside him. "Look at his shoulder! He's one of them Templar!"

Deroy grinned, dropping the lady, and advancing on Toma, towering over him, his yellow teeth agape, revealing his unpleasant jaws.

"You got rum on my coat…" whispered Toma, his left hand down over his cap, hiding his eyes.

"What's that Mummy-boy?!"

Toma flicked the Demi-Mallet out of his belt, and then slammed it into Deroy's head, causing the man to cry out in pain and fall over, smashing a table to pieces with his weight.

The Mallet had gone from its small size to that of a spear. Toma twirled it around in his hand, still holding onto his cap.

"I happen to like my coat." muttered Toma.

"Aniki!" cried the scrawny man. He glared at Toma. "You'll pay for that you Templar-scum!"

"T-thank you…" whispered the lady, a cross between fear and admiration in her eyes.

Toma smiled at her, the outline of his jaw visible underneath the bandages. "Don't mention it!"

The group who were with Deroy all got to their feet, each drawing daggers.

Toma continued to twirl the Demi-Mallet around, not even blinking, his eyes locked on the group.

"Try it." He muttered. "I dare you."

"B-Bastard…" whispered the first man.

"DON'T MOCK US!"

Toma sidestepped the man who ran at him easily, hitting him slightly on the head with the mallet, knocking him out.

Although it looked small, the mallet packed an incredible punch. It almost had enough power as a heavy steel sledgehammer, except it covered more range, and had more speed.

Toma sighed, and retracted the hammer. "Listen guys, I've had a few drinks, I'm tired, I'm grumpy, and if you continue like his I'm going to have to beat you all up. So please just knock it off."

"HE SHEATHED HIS WEAPON! GET HIM!" cried a second man, who began to run at him, followed by the remaining three.

"Idiots…" muttered Toma. He flung his mallet round, causing it to extend, hitting all of them together, and sending them into another table.

The whole room was now staring at Toma, who had contracted his mallet for a second time, and dropped it into his belt.

The blond man had scuttled over to his wife, and was checking her for injuries.

Toma returned to his stool, letting his eyes lock with the astonished barman. "Check please."

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**Okay! That's my first (Second) chapter done! Sorry about the cliché ending, I just couldn't resist it! It was an opening which I took. Who wouldn't do it? You know, fight in a restraint, hero wins, sits back down, asks waiter for check, it's classic!**

**Right, I've had eight submissions already, which is really great!**

**I've already chosen a few who'll appear really quickly!**

**The first is by the leading One Piece writer; SeeNoEvil121, who submitted Leo Hartnet, who'll be the ship's navigator, and the second, by a new face, Sam In The Dark with his Fishman, Gonzo! THANK YOU!**

**And everyone else, you all gave such great characters! I'm so indebted to ya'll! If you have any questions, don't be afraid to PM me! And remember to press that button! (REVIEW!)**


	3. Art of Kaazan

**Chapter 2: Art of Kaazan**

**This chapter features the OC Leo Hartnet by SeeNoEvil121!**

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Toma yawned as he walked into Shell Town, last nights events giving him an unusual lack of sleep.

People had knocked on his door upon every minute, asking him to bless them as he was 'A pilgrim from the Sanctuary of Kaazan'. Only when he'd thrown them out, and told them quite plainly that he COULDN'T give blessings, he WASN'T a pilgrim, and he WASN'T a follower of Kaazan!

Other than that the night had passed rather smoothly.

And now he was here.

The place where the second Pirate King, back when he was a no name rookie and took down Captain Axe-Hand Morgan, the corrupt marine official.

Even many marines respected Strawhat Captain Monkey D. Luffy for this amazing act.

Toma looked up towards the giant marine tower, and saw the remnants of the statue that Luffy had knocked down, when trying to free his first nakama, the Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro.

He'd been fed, in his childhood, amazing stories of Captain Luffy, about how he climbed a waterspout, and sailed in the sky, and how he breached the great prison of Enies Lobby, defeating a member of the assassin squad; CP9. And most amazing of all, how he seduced the Shichibukai, breached Impel Down, freeing half the prisoner's with his known rival, Captain Buggy, and then sailed all the way to the Marine headquarters, along with two rogue Shichibukai, Jimbei the Fishman, and Crocodile the Sandman.

Where he rescued his adoptive brother, Portogas D. Ace, from the clutches of execution.

Luffy had an amazing past. He did all these wondrous, unimaginable things, before he'd even reach the age of twenty.

Toma noticed a sign pointing out a pub and a smile came onto his face. He needed some rum. He pushed the door open and walked inside.

The population of the pub seemed to mostly be people who'd finished a hard day's work, and had decided to spend the night drinking their troubles away.

A man sat on a barstool, drinking from a tankard.

He had short spiky ebony black hair, and had two piercings in his left ear. He wore a short sleeved white shirt, unbuttoned with a visible black undershirt hiding his bear skin. Rough jeans covered his legs, and a Chinese dragon tattoo wrapped around his right arm, flames spewing from its mouth from the wrist across the back of his hand. He was muscular, though in a subtle way. He looked no older then nineteen.

Toma sat down beside him, dropping the duffle bag on an empty stool.

The female bartender smiled at him. "Nice to meet cha' stranger!" She was tall, slim, and had short brown hair tied back in pig tails. "I'm Rika!"

Toma smiled under his bandages. "It's nice to meet you as well Rika."

"So what brings you here to little ol' Shell Town?" she asked while wiping a mug.

"I wanted to visit the place where the Second Pirate King earned his first title in the news." muttered Toma. "Can I have a glass of rum?"

The first sentence caught their attention.

Both the man and Rika stared at him.

"You want to see the spot where Luffy-kun beat Morgan?" asked Rika.

Toma cocked his head. "Kun?"

She nodded. "I knew him! I was a little girl who was saved by Zoro-kun before he was put in that marine base! Luffy saved Zoro-kun from getting executed…" she looked down, a sadness suddenly shedding over her. "Luffy-kun…"

The man continued to stare, as though bewildered. "Why do you want to see that?"

Toma smiled. "Because I'm going to be the next Pirate King!"

Rika dropped the glass, which smashed into fragments of glass as it connected with the ground.

"I'm sorry!" she cried, as she began to pick up the broken glass. "I don't know what came over me!"

The man was staring at Toma in amazement. "You want to be the next Pirate King?"

Toma nodded. "Yup."

The man's eyes flickered to the rosary emblem on Toma's trench coat. "Aren't you a Templar?"

"Curse me for being sentimental." muttered Toma. "I'm an EX-templar. And I don't take confessions!"

The man gave him a friendly smile, accompanied by a chuckle. "I like you! I'm Leo! Leo Hartnet! Nice to meet you!" He held out his hand.

Toma took the hand, and shook it.

Leo noticed the bandages. "You got an injury or something?" he asked, with no malice in his voice, but merely concern.

Toma withdrew his hand, and surveyed it. "These bandages are my blessing and my curse." He clenched his fist. "I was burned very badly at the age of twelve." he smiled. "But I don't mind. As long as you don't call me a mummy, I'll try not to kill you."

Leo narrowed his eyes. "You actually think you can beat ME in a fight?"

"Don't think; know," said Toma, still smiling.

Leo smiled, giving him a pleasant shrug. "I wouldn't get cocky in these parts. Rumour has it, the marine general here is as worse as Axe-Hand Morgan."

"Worse?"

Rika nodded, throwing the remains of the shattered glass into a bin. "His name is Bill 'Giant'."

Toma cocked his head. "Giant? Why's that?"

Leo took a sip from his glass. "Because he's a power hungry man who likes to stomp out any problems he faces. This includes people who boast about themselves."

Rika took out a fresh glass, and handed it to Toma, pouring rum from a bottle into it.

"He raised all the taxes in these parts, to an all time high, meaning we have to raise our prices as well. That'll be 50 beli."

Toma spat the rum in his mouth out. "F-FIFTY?! WHAT KIND OF RIP OFF PUB IS THIS?!"

"I'm just trying to make a living!" retorted Rika. "You can stop drinking it if you want."

Toma muttered something about frustrated young women, then drained the glass, and dropped the coins onto the table. "You happy then?"

She scooped the coins up, and dropped them into a purse.

"So is this marine guy really that strong?" asked Toma, as he took out his Demi-Mallet, and began to wipe it with a chamois.

"He killed the last marine captain stationed here and took his place, claiming he died in an accident." said Rika.

"That wasn't my question." muttered Toma. "Is he strong?"

"Well…"

SLAM!!!

The door to the pub was thrown open, as five muscular men walked in, each having a musket slung over there shoulder by a leather strap.

And then a small man walked in, with bright violet hair, a top hat, and a sneer on his fat face. He wore a marine captain coat, and had a pistol tucked into his belt. "Well, well, well, Rika-chan, looks like you've got some odd customers in today!"

Toma blinked, then cocked his head. "Who's the midg-"

Leo clasped his hand around Toma's mouth, stopping him from continuing.

A tick had formed on the man's head. He spotted the rum glass then sneered. "Have you a license to purchase alcohol, sir?"

"If I did, I'd probably be more drunk than usual." Mumbled Toma massaging his jaw when Leo finally let it go.

"I'm afraid there is a tax for non-licensed drinkers!" cried the man, pointing accusingly at Toma. "You are charged one hundred beli!"

"EH?! THAT'S MORE THAN THE BLOODY RUM COST!!" yelled Toma. "NO WAY IN HELL I'M PAYING FOR THAT!"

A dark look cast over the man's eyes. "Oh…?"

The men around him all shuffled to hold their muskets with one hand.

"BILL-TAICHOU!"

A young marine ran in, and bent down to whisper something to the captain.

Toma leant back, and whispered slyly to Leo. "Why the hell is he called Giant?"

"It's a nickname he chose himself. I think he was meaning to signify his seat in power. He didn't realise it was bad irony." replied Leo.

The marine had stopped whispering to Bill, and had run back out of the bar.

Bill seemed to nod slightly, before returning his gave on Toma. "You are a lucky man… I was about to have you executed for insolence on my taxes-"

"INSOLENCE MY ARS-" started Toma before he was grabbed by Leo again.

"-but I now have some rather pressing business to attend to. But for that rude comment."

He clicked his fingers, causing one man to walk forwards, and then snatched the purse from Rika's hand.

"I'll take away your wage allowance for the week. All your taxes are doubled Rika. Make sure you choose your customers more carefully!" he laughed manically, before leaving, the large marines flanking him.

Toma gasped for breath when Leo let go.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?! I WAS ABOUT TO FLATTEN THAT MIDGET!"

"Listen! I've been on this island for only five days, and even I can see what a terrible thing this guy has done to this village!" said Leo. "But we can't risk doing anything! There's another marine base on Kakura! If they hear about this, they'll come and attack anyone who dares hurt their precious marine captain!"

Rika sank to the ground. "That was my living money. How am I supposed to survive without it…?" she whispered, her eyes wide.

Toma growled. "But can I at least flatten him?! Then get Rika-'s money back?!"

Leo shook his head. "You're crazy!"

Toma grunted, and then stormed out of the pub, his hands in his pockets.

"Leo… You're strong… Can't you get my money back…?" she whispered.

Leo shook his head. "You know I can't… If I fight them…" he paused, staring at the door Toma had just left, "They may all die."

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"Wow…" whispered Toma, as he sat on the Base's wall, his legs crossed. "This is one big building."

Ominous wind was blowing around the marine base, making it seem more intimidating than it would usually seem.

"Well, I won't get anywhere sitting around here!" said Toma, with unusual optimism in his voice. He hopped off the wall, into the sandy fields, and began to walk towards the tower, his duffle bag still slung over his shoulders.

Although he didn't notice it, he was being followed.

"I can't believe I'm doing this…" muttered Leo. "Why can I never resist a girl pouting?"

"_Please Leo! I don't want to go without money!" cried Rika, biting her bottom lip, making her look like a wounded puppy._

It was ridiculously cute. He sighed dreamily, then vaulted the wall, and began to follow Toma, keeping a safe distance.

They seemed to encounter no problems, until around five minutes had passed, and a group of marines appeared, each looking equally as large and thuggish as the next.

Shell Town's marines had once been amazing people, famed for their virtue to duty. Until Bill 'Giant' came to power that is. He abandoned those with hopes for a better future, for muscle packed thugs.

One man stopped the confused Toma, and before he knew what was happening, was instantly surrounded.

Each of them grinned, similar to that of a school bully.

"You lost little man?" grunted one.

"Looking for the way out? We'd gladly help- if ya' pay us!"

Toma's eyes narrowed. Slowly, he drew the small hammer out his belt, holding it tight in his fist.

"_He can't possibly fight them with that!_" thought Leo. "_I have to help!_"

He rushed out from his hiding place, his fists ready, when he suddenly witnessed something amazing.

Toma lashed his hammer out, extending it, then slammed it into the head of the man in front of him.

"**KAAZAN SEPPU!**" (Kaazan's Whirlwind) yelled Toma, leaping up in the air, while still swinging his hammer round, knocking each of the men into each other, the force of the hammer passing through them like an electric shock.

After they'd all been knocked down, he kept spinning in the air, before landing gracefully on the ground, lashing out his hammer, his back bent.

From Leo's eyes, he looked like that of a demon, his bandaged body, his shining green eyes, the black weapon with a rosary symbol emblazoned on the ebony metal.

Slowly, he got to his feet, stretching, then cracking his knuckles, and contracting the mallet.

"You can come out now!" called Toma.

"_DISCOVERED?!_" Leo mentally screamed, with his mouth agape.

Sighing, he walked towards Toma, who was staring right at him, a smile visible through the bandages.

"I thought you'd come and help! You seem like a nice guy!"

"Don't remind me…" muttered Leo, as he walked beside Toma. "I just came to help the girl out."

"Yeah… RIGHT." Said Toma, while grinning.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" mumbled Leo.

"Admit it; you want to be part of my pirate crew!"

"What?! Are you some kind of idiot?!"

"That's not a nice thing to say!"

"IT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE! IT WAS AN INSULT! I-N-S-U-L-T!"

The two continued like this for some time, until they reached a large door, with the marine symbol in aqua blue painted on it.

"So this is it?" muttered Leo.

Toma shrugged, and extended his hammer. "Pretty much." He then held onto its long metal shaft with both hands and closed his hands.

"O-oi… What are you doing?"

"**Kaazan…**" his eyes snapped open, and he swung the mallet forward, digging it into the ground. "**MARUISHI!**"

The mallet popped out of the ground, flinging forward a giant mass of earth, which crashed through the door, littering the entrance hall with dirt and wood debris.

Leo winced. "I think they know we're here now…"

"Oi! There are people down there!"

"They wrecked the door!"

"They've got a weapon!"

"IT'S A ZOMBIE!"

The last comment caused Toma, who was halfway through the doorway, to freeze. "You guys are so freakin' dead…"

He began to spin around again, the mallet extending to its full reach. "**KAAZAN SEPPU!**"

Leo sweat dropped as Toma rampaged through the entrance hall, hitting everything in sight with the mallet, crying out in rage.

"I'VE GOT YOU!" yelled a marine private, who leapt up in the air behind Leo.

The raven haired man simply slammed his fist back, hitting the man in the face, instantly knocking him out.

"Guess he didn't need help after all…" muttered Leo, as he stuck his hands in his jean pockets.

"**KAAZAN MARUSHI! KAAZAN SEPPU! MARUSHI! SEPPU!!**"

After about a minute, the whole room was littered with defeated marines, and tons of debris.

Toma sat down, panting, while contracting his hammer. "Man… It's been ages since I've been in a fight that long…"

Leo walked up beside him. "You realise this is just the start."

Toma cocked his head. "Eh?"

Leo directed Toma's eyes to a balcony, where a short, violet haired man was standing, a grin on his face, four men at either side of him, each holding a musket.

"The game is over boys…"

**00000000000000000000000000000**

**Slow chapter, meant to introduce Leo, and next chapter he'll join the crew. Then we'll try and get to the part where the get a ship; oh goodie. Again, thanks SeeNoEvil121 for being a great Beta, and giving me Leo to use. You rock!!!**

**Next Time****: A Deadly Gentleman **


	4. A Deadly Gentleman

**The Deadly Gentleman**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece!**

**000000000000000000000000000000**

"It's game over boys." Said Bill, the sneer wide on his face. "I have to give you credit. Not many could take down this many marines, in such a short space of time."

"THEY'RE THE ONE'S WHO CALLED ME A ZOMBIE!" barked Toma. "I DON'T FORGIVE!"

Leo walked forwards holding both his arms up. "Listen. We don't want any trouble. We just wanted to get that little girls money back."

BONK!

Leo was hit hard on the head with the Demi-Mallet.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?!"

"I TOLD YOU; I WANT TO FLATEN THAT MIDGET!"

"THEN WHY'D YOU HIT ME?!"

"BECAUSE I FELT LIKE IT TURF-HEAD!"

"Morons…" whispered Bill as he indicated the men around him to fire. Each of the marines held up their muskets, and aimed them towards the quarrelling men.

"FIRE!"

Almost instantaneously, Leo spun round, holding out his palm. **"Level 1!**"

The bullets seemed to stop in mid air before crashing hard into the ground.

"W-WOW!" yelled Toma. "HOW THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT?!"

Leo shrugged, glaring up at Bill. "I ate the **Chikara Chikara no Mi**." (Gravity Gravity fruit) muttered Leo. "I'm a gravity-human."

"AWESOME!!!" cried Toma, his eyes going wide. "YOU'RE DEFINETLY IN MY CREW!"

"I DON'T WANT TO BE A PIRATE DAMMIT!"

Bill was shaking in anger at the two men's distraction. "How dare you ignore me!" he cried, his voice shrill.

"SHUT UP, CHIBI!" yelled Toma.

Each marine around Bill seemed to gasp, and suddenly all their eyes were upon Bill, whose eyes had become dark.

"Chibi…?"

His hand suddenly shot out, and he hauled the nearest marine thug up in the air, lifting him like a chair.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU RUDE INFIDELS!" he threw the marine forwards, directly at Toma and Leo like a missile.

The two dived to the side, as the heavy marine landed on the ground with a great THUNK! Leaving a small crater-like patch in the ground.

"Wow… The Chibi's stronger than he looks."

This statement was followed by two more marines being thrown towards them, each being dodged.

Toam extended his hammer, and then held it like a baseball bat, his eyes narrowing.

"**Kaazan…**"

A large marine was thrown at him.

"…**HOME RUN!!!**"

He swung the mallet forward, connecting with the marine and returning him with equal force towards Bill and his remaining guards.

There was a loud crash as he guard slammed into the balcony, enveloping it in smoke.

"Strike!" cried Toma, giving himself a thumbs up.

Leo scratched his head. "Wow… You really are strong…"

"I told you so!" jeered Toma, as he stuck his tongue out through the bandages. "Now join my crew!"

"NO!"

A cry erupted from the smoke, as the tiny violet haired man leapt out, and landed on the ground, his coat ripped, bulging muscles showing on his tiny body.

"Wow… Chibi looks real freaky now…" muttered Toma.

"RAGH!!!" yelled Bill, as he pounced forwards, intent on ripping Toma's head off with his bare hands.

The bandaged man slid to the side, with all the delicacy and effort of a master thief.

Lightly, he dipped his hand into Bill's pocket, just as he passed, and plucked out the leather purse which defiantly belonged to Rika.

Bill spun round as he hit the ground, snarling like a wild animal.

"You low class scum have the gall to come and insult me in my own base… Then you dare bring me into the fight… And then you pick my pocket?! I am going to kill you… I'm going to drag your dead carcasses through the streets, and prove what happens to those who defy me."

"He's a bit touchy isn't he…" whispered Toma.

Leo knelt down, getting into a bracing position, as if preparing to either attack or dodge at the right moment.

Toma simply began to twirl the mallet round, his eyes locked on Bill.

Two marine guards got to their feet, and aimed their muskets towards Toma.

"Oi… Toma…" muttered Leo, as he spotted the marines.

"DIE!!" yelled Bill, as he pounced forwards, clawing at the ground like a ferocious cheetah.

"**KAAZAN…**"

"FIRE!" yelled one marine, as they all pulled the trigger.

"**ISHU!!!**" (Spite) yelled Toma, as he swung the hammer down, slamming it into the back of Bill's head, shunting the small man into the ground, his eyes wide, and his pupil's blank.

"Yosh…" muttered Toma.

Leo had his arm outstretched, right behind the bandaged man, the bullets an inch from Toma's head.

"Please don't make me do that again…" grunted Leo, as the bullets crashed into the ground, and he got to his feet, wiping the dirt off his shirt.

He looked towards the marine guards, who were all staring in wide-eyed astonishment at Leo's feat.

He held out his palm towards them, then plucked his arm back, as if stung. "**DRAW!**"

All the enemies were flung towards the two, as if pulled by strings.

Leo then knelt down, and began to fling his fists forward, each punch connecting with a guards jaw, knocking them out.

He drew his fists back, getting into a boxer like position, then going back to back with Toma.

"You got the purse?"

"Yup!" replied Toma, as he held his mallet defensively.

The remaining marines all began to shake.

"T-they defeated all of Captain Bill's guards!"

"They're not human!"

"One of them is a zombie!"

"SHUT UP!" yelled Toma, a large tick spawning on his head.

"Run for it!" cried a marine private, as he dropped his musket, and bolted for the door.

The others followed suit, each dropping their weapons.

The two men relaxed, and Toma contacted his mallet, dropping it into his belt.

Leo wiped his brow, and then cast an eye at Toma.

They both burst out laughing.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Rika squealed her thanks when she received her purse.

"Thank you so much Toma-san!"

He chuckled. "Don't mention it!"

"So where you heading next?" asked Leo, as he slung his own bag over his back.

Toma shrugged. "I was thinking about heading to Sakura village. I don't know why, I just like the name."

Leo sighed, and took a sip of sake. "You really are the craziest pirate I've ever seen."

"Ain't I just!"

Rika punched Leo on the shoulder. "You should go with him! You've always wanted to go out to sea!"

Leo grunted.

Rika turned to Toma, grinning. "He says he'd like to be your nakama!"

"What?!" yelled Leo.

Stars formed in Toma's eyes. "Really?! Awesome!" he gave Rika a thumbs up, then flung a stray bandage over Leo's neck, followed by hauling him out the pub despite Leo yelling his protests.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"So… What do you actually do?" asked Toma, as they walked along the harbour, having finally released Leo from the bandage-prison.

"I'm a map-maker by trade." muttered Leo. "I've been told I'm an A class navigator…"

"A-CLASS!" he paused. "Is that good?"

Leo sighed. "I suppose so… All ship job's are divided into classes, going from E-class, all the way up to X-Class."

"So you're somewhere in the middle?" said Toma, cocking his head at the short haired man.

"You could say that…"

"Well in that case; I'm an X-class thief!" exclaimed Toma, smugly.

"I can see you're really modest…"

"Don't insult the captain, Turf-head!"

"Oi!"

"Turf-head!"

"Stop that!"

"Turf-head!"

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU IF YOU KEEP SAYING THAT!"

"…"

"…"

"Turf-head…"

"I'LL END YOU!!!"

"Hey… If you're an A-class navigator, why haven't you been taken onto a ship before?"

Leo shrugged, and dipped his hands into his pockets. "I wanted to join the Marines, like my dad… My entire family pressed me to go onwards, and become a high ranking marine navigator… My father was always away from home, since he'd become a commodore, so I had to teach myself, in the art of Fighting, and Navigation…"

Toma cocked his head.

"At the age of 11 I found the Chikara Chikara no Mi when I was training out in the forest, and thinking how hungry I was for training, I ate it without a second thought."

"Devil's Fruit?" asked Toma.

"You've heard of them?"

"Sort of." Whispered Toma. "Before I became a templar I was told they were fruits that harboured demons inside them, and gave you amazing powers when eating one. But the order believed Devil's Fruit's to be the food of Kaazan, meaning eating one is a blessing. I don't really care much for the idea though." He shrugged. "Never was one for religion."

Leo nodded, then began to continue his story. "I thought that my dream would come true… Until the World Government sent bounty hunters to my island…" he grimaced, his usual polite face flashing with contempt. "They were sent to eliminate pirates who were never there… So they decided to have fun on my island… They killed men, women and children, not caring about age or beliefs, or kidnapped them, and shoved them onto their ship…" he smiled sadly. "My mother was killed by them… A bounty hunter they called 'Shinigami' Bell stabbed her through the heart…" he clenched his fists. "So I crushed him…"

Toma's eyes widened.

"I hate blood… I hate anything uncivilised for that matter…" he regained his posture, and smiled at Toma. "I don't like using my powers for attacking if I can help it…"

The pair remained quiet for an amount of time, before Toma spoke up. "You don't know if we can get any good ships somewhere do you?"

"There's supposed to be a set of life rafts in the third port; why? Don't tell me you haven't got a ship!"

"Yup… You're my first crew member! So we now need a ship! And of course some more crew members!"

"Did you think this pirate thing through?!"

"Yeah! I took a whole day planning it!"

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT MORON!"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"So why exactly Sakura village? It's not like that's someplace the 'Pirate King' would go to for some non-important reason." muttered Leo.

Toma sighed. "I've never been there before, so I thought it'd be interesting! Come on, what's wrong with that?" there was silence. "By the way, what is Sakura village?"

Leo fell on his face, causing the life-raft they were sailing in to shake.

"You don't even know about Sakura village…?" muttered Leo. "Sakura village is famous I East Blue for its great Sakura trees. It won number eight in 'Places you need to see before you die'. The sight of it is meant to look like rubies falling from the sky."

"Ooh…" whispered Toma, awe in his voice.

"But recently a group of bandits created a fortress on the island, causing the income to drop, as travellers didn't want to face ay danger. The village is meant to be completely sealed off, except from food supplies, which are brought via the Brandybuck ferry."

"Brandybuck?"

"Yeah, you know, the ferry which goes from Tsukiwan to Shell Town?"

"Ah!"

"So you do know it! It delivers supplies to the villagers, but never stays for more than half an hour."

Toma grinned. "So we get to beat up some bandits?"

"That is NOT what I said!"

"But you implied it!"

"Do you have half a brain?!"

"No!"

"WHAT KIND OF ANSWER IS THAT?!"

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

**Next Time: Cook from the Deep**


	5. Cook from the Deep

**Cook from the Deep!**

**This character is from Sam in The Dark: 'Cascade' Gonzo. Hope you don't mind, I've given him a One Piece style laugh!**

**Also I received a question! Hooray! I love receiving questions!**

**Q: "****i am a little confused about his bandages how much of his body do they cover?" from Wizle**

**A: Toma's bandages cover all of his body, from his toes, up his legs, around his torso, around his arms, and even around his face. If his jacket and jeans were taken off he would be totally covered in bandages. A light gap reveals his eyes, and to eat he pulls down the bandages over his mouth. I hope that answers your question!**

**000000000000000000000000000**

"Hey, Leo, can we play a game?"

"No." grunted Leo, as he flicked through the large book on his lap.

"Alright… I spy with my little eye…"

"I said I wouldn't play!"

"Aw! You're no fun!"

They had been sailing in the wide sea for two hours, with no sight of land of any sort. Leo had told Toma, that the current should pull them along nicely, and they'd arrive at the island in four to five hours.

It sounded so simple; but WHY was it so boring?!

Toma sighed, and leaned over the side of the boat, looking out towards the water, a bored expression on his face.

Only then did he notice a stream of bubbles moving across the surface of the water, coming towards them.

"Hey, Leo…"

"Yeah?"

"What's that?"

Leo stood up, and looked over Toma, towards the stream of bubbles.

"It's probably just some dolphin or something, don't let it worry you."

"It's just…" Toma's eyes narrowed. "It looks a bit big for a dolphin…"

CRASH!!!

The water's surface was broken into a cascade of droplets, a giant man leapt out the water.

The front half of his belly and eyes were chalk white, while the rest of his body was coal black. A large fin stuck out the back of his neck, like some second head, and long swimming trunks adorned his legs. A Hawaiian shirt was draped over his shoulder, along with a harpoon, with about six fish skewered on its end.

The muscular man let out a loud, throaty laugh, then noticed Toma and Leo, who were staring, wide eyed, in astonishment, shock, and amazement.

"Who are you?" The man asked, cocking his head.

"THAT'S MY LINE!" yelled Toma, pointing accusingly at the fish-man. "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!"

"Why, I'm Gonzo, chef and fishing extraordinaire! And why are you on my ship?"

"LIKE HELL!" cried Toma. "THIS IS MY SHIP!"

Leo narrowed his eyes. "Toma… Be quiet… This guy…" he gulped slightly. "He's a killer-whale Fishman."

"I can see that." Said the bandaged man, bluntly.

"You don't get it…" whispered Leo. "Fishmen are incredible beings, with the ability to live in water, and on land… One of the ancient Shichibukai was a Fishman… On land, they're tough, but in water…" he shivered. "They're near invincible."

Toma's eyes widened, then his gaze returned to Gonzo, who was looking confused. "This isn't my ship? I wonder if that storm last night caused it to move… Oh dear…" he sighed. "Well, worrying isn't going to help."

"Oi!"

Gonzo turned to look at Toma, who was also standing.

The size of the two tall men in the tiny boat seemed to make them appear even larger.

"Do you want to be my nakama?"

"Eh…?" muttered Leo.

Gonzo cocked his head. "Alright."

"EH!?" yelled Leo.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

A young marine ran through the corridors of Marine Headquarters, a look of shock on his face.

He had long blonde hair, tied back in a pony tail, and had two giant knives sheathed in his belt.

He ran towards the large door, with the marine symbol emblazoned on its front, then knocked.

"Come in!" came a voice.

The marine pushed the door open.

A tall man was sitting at a desk, scribbling notes onto large forms. "Oh! Hello Vice-Admiral Helmeppo!"

Helmeppo nodded. "Admiral Coby! The Shichibukai are here for briefing!"

Coby raised his eyebrows. "Oh? How many came this time?"

"Four."

The pink haired man nodded, then raised his glasses onto his forehead, and stood up. He picked up the blue coat which lay behind him, and flung it over his back.

"So which ones came this year?"

"Cheshire Cat, Meera Flame, Joker, and Chill."

Coby cocked his head as they both walked down the corridor. "Meera and Chill came? I'm not shocked about Mirror, or even Chesire, but _MEERA_?"

"Yes, Admiral!"

Coby sighed, as he pushed open the large door.

It was going to be a long day.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

CLANK!

"YATTA!" yelled Toma, as he leapt onto the ground. "WE'RE AT SAKURA VILLAGE!"

Gonzo grinned at his new found friends. "I'm glad I could be of assistance."

"THANK YOU!" yelled Toma, throwing himself at the Fishman's feet. "WITHOUT YOU, I WOULD HAVE DIED OF HUNGER!"

Leo grunted, as he too hopped onto the bank.

"Why did we come here again?"

"To beat up the bandits!" cried Toma, as he punched the air. "Then steal a ship!"

"STEAL!?" cried Leo. "MY GENTLEMAN CODE DOES NOT ALLOW STEALING!"

"Fine, new plan; knock Leo out, then steal the ship!"

"OI!"

"FOSFOSFOSFOSFOS!" chuckled Gonzo, as he patted his muscular stomach with laughter. "You two really are something! I'm glad I met you…" he suddenly zoomed up close to Toma, his eyes wide, his teeth sharp. "YOU'RE NOT VEGETARIAN, EH?"

"N-No!" cried Toma, as he shrunk under the intimidating stare.

"Well that's a relief!" cried Gonzo. He smiled sadly. "I had to leave my last pirate crew because someone was a vegetarian! FOSFOSFOSFOSFOS!"

"_He got tossed out his crew because of someone being vegetarian?!_" Leo mentally screamed.

"So… If this island's called 'Sakura Village', where's the village?" asked Gonzo, as he stared up at the giant forest of Sakura trees which welcomed them.

"Haven't the foggiest!" said Toma happily, as he flicked his mallet out of his belt, and began to twirl it around his fingers, while whistling a happy tune, and marching off into the forest.

"O-oi! Wait for me!" called Leo, as he ran after his captain.

Gonzo smiled. "Nice guys… Fosfosfosfos…"

"Oi!"

Gonzo froze, as a deep voice resounded from behind him.

"You're one of them Fishmen right?"

Gonzo turned.

A man stood there, a giant ball and chain beside him. He wore sunglasses, and had a dark funeral type suit on. "I'm afraid you're too valuable to be allowed to roam free. Shishishishi…" He ran a hand through his greasy black hair, and grinned, his sharp teeth giving him a slightly feral appearance. "I'm from the Ragnarok Bandits… The name's Einswield, but you can call me Berserker…" he began to spin the heavy ball around on his chain. "Shishishi…"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Coby hung his coat on the wooden rack, then sat down in his chair, surveying the room.

Four people sat there, two male, two female.

The first male was around 18, and had long black hair, which came down to his shoulders, a sharp fringe covering his right eye. His left crimson eye surveyed the room, like that of a watch dog. Paws replaced his hands which he constantly licked, and a black tail wagged behind him.

This was the Ex-captain of the Assassin Pirates, Cheshire Cat, also an Ex-Cypher Pol member.

The first female was a well built lady, of around her mid-twenties, with flowing blond hair, and fuchsia coloured eyes. She wore a tight leather suit, and had a thorn whip tied to her belt.

She was the Ex-captain of the Vixen Pirates, Meera Flame.

The second female had flowing blue hair, and blue glasses which covered her eyes. She looked to be around early twenties, and wore a cyan shirt and jeans, giving her an ice-coloured appearance.

This was the Ex-bounty hunter, Blue Knight Chill.

And the final person; Mirror Knight Joker.

He wore a large pointed hat, which drooped back against the wall. A grinning porcelain opera mask covered his face, and black robes covered his body. Long frayed sleeves hid his arms.

Of all the people in Coby's service as Marine Admiral, and head of the Shichibukai division, he'd never seen anyone so creepy as Mirror Knight Joker.

"Well… It's nice to see you all again!" he smiled weakly. "Meera, Chill, I'm so glad you could join us!"

Meera chuckled darkly, while Chill just nodded.

Coby laughed nervously. "Well, as you can see, we've been facing the problem of a group of bandits hibernating by Sakura village, thus isolating the island. And, well, the higher ups wanted me to, well, ask you if you could eliminate them…"

Meera laughed. "You expect us; the strongest pirates in the Grand Line, to beat some low-life bandits? What do you take us for? Can't you just dispatch some marines?"

"Well… Funny story… The nearest base was… Attacked by some pirates… And the nearest base after that has gone to clear up its mess…"

"And what about the base after that?!"

Coby sighed. "It's not my fault. The anniversary of the second pirate king's death is coming up, and all marine bases in that area have taken time off. Since I'm stuck with this task; you're the only hands I've got available."

Joker stood up, then held onto his hat with a white gloved hand. "Understood…" he whispered, before heading towards the door.

"Hey!" cried Meera. "Are you going to actually do it?! Come on, we're all better than-"

"Meera-san…" he said, his voice still calm. His head turned, and the grinning mask's gaze seemed to bore into her. "Are you questioning me?"

The pressure in the room seemed to double, as if Joker's emotions themselves were like weights.

Meera shook her head, fear laced in her eyes.

Joker nodded. "I will do as ordered… Admiral…"

He pushed the door open, and disappeared down the corridor.

Cheshire closed his visible eye. "I'll go as well then-Nyuu… **Soru…**" (Shave)

He disappeared.

Coby's head slumped onto the desk.

He really hated his job.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"I think we're lost…" muttered Toma, as they continued to walk through the fields of Sakura.

"And you're Fishman friend has disappeared as well…" muttered Leo. "Are you a bad luck magnet or something?"

Toma let out a heavy sigh. "Probably…"

"Well now… What do we have here?" a different voice asked.

The two froze.

"Some little people lost in the woods? What do you think, Sis?"

"That's right Aniki… Two little lost sheep…"

Leo looked up at the sky, and saw two people sitting on the Sakura branches, one male, one female.

The female grinned. She had long blond hair, which ran down all the way to her heels, and had a bo-staff in her arms. "I'm Freya!" she called.

"And the name's Thor!" called the male. He had short brown hair, and a stone hammer slung over his shoulders.

"Are these some of the bandits you mentioned?" muttered Toma, as he extended his mallet.

"Most definitely…" whispered Leo, as he held up his arms defensively.

"You shouldn't mess with Ragnarok…" said Thor, as he stood up on the branch. "Or you'll get hurt."

Freya grinned, while licking her lips. "Let's party…"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"**Hebi…**"

Gonzo dived to the side, as the giant iron ball rushed towards him.

"**CHAIN!**" (Snake Chain)

The iron ball rammed into the tree, creating a giant hole inside it. Sakura blossoms began to dance down to the ground.

Gonzo narrowed his eyes.

"**5 gallons…**"

Berserker laughed manically, as he swung the giant iron ball on its chain, and then threw it at Gonzo. The killer-whale Fishman grunted, then slammed his fist forwards. "**Tender Steak!**"

His fist pounded into the iron ball, stopping it in its tracks, and then letting it fall to the floor.

Berserker's eyes widened. "You stopped my wrecker ball…?"

Gonzo smiled. "**Fishman Karate-Kitchen Kenpo!**"

Loki stared dumbly at Gonzo. "You really think your wimpy martial arts will take down my wrecker?" He cackled. "I'LL CRUSH YOU!"

Gonzo got into a stance. "I will take you down!"

Wind blew throughout the bay, letting his shirt blow back, revealing a sun-shaped tattoo on his chest.

"I am Gonzo, ex-chef of the Great White Pirates! I will not lose!"

**0000000000000000000000000000**

**Next Time: A Man's Curse!**

**Tumteetum… Teetumtee… Oh! Am I on? Sorry! I didn't realise! Can we edit out that bit? … What do ya' mean 'no'?! Urgh… Anyway, as you guessed, there are new Shichibukai. Those who've read KuroNaiya Ryu will know about the Holy Knights, and I just want to say, they'll be in this story! Oh, and if you don't like the idea about Coby being an Admiral, well, I'm sorry, but I'm going along with the plot. If anyone realised, Rika also appears in the original story line (She gets chucked over a wall by Helmeppo in episode three…)**

**Ja ne!**


	6. A Man's Curse

**A Man's Curse!**

**If you haven't noticed all ready, Ragnarok is based on the ancient Norse mythology. Each bandit is given the name of a Norse myth, such as Thor, Freya, and Berserker (Norse soldier famed for attacking in a bloodthirsty manner)**

**00000000000000000000000000000000**

"**20 gallons…**" Gonzo ran forward, his fist cocked behind him. "**PRIME RIB!**" he slammed his fist forward with bone crushing force, causing a shock wave to resound around the area of forest.

The chain ball went flying back to Berserker, who began to spin it round on its chain again.

"Very impressive… I give you credit…" he hissed, with sadistic pleasure. "I realllly wanna crush your skull… It'll look sooooo good on my wall… But slaves are slaves, and money is money…"

Gonzo winced slightly at the tone of Berserker.

"You can either surrender now and be delivered to Odin in one piece, or I can bring you there with every bone in your body broken; your choice."

"Odin…?"

Berserker sneered, then hurled the ball behind him, before halting it in its tracks, raising the tension in the chain.

"**Hebi…**"

Gonzo braced himself.

"**CRUSH!**"

He hurled the meal ball over his head, and brought it slamming down upon Gonzo, who blocked it with both arms, the ground crumbling beneath the Fishman.

"You're one tough bastard… Like all Fishmen… But still…" he grinned. "Useless…"

"**10 gallons…**"

Gonzo held his breath.

"**Rum Barrel!**"

Water exploded from the blowhole atop his head, ramming into the ball sending it flying into the air.

Berserker's gaze followed.

Taking the opening, Gonzo rushed forwards, his fist cocked. "**5 gallons-Tender Steak!**"

Berserker doubled over as Gonzo's fist slammed into his belly, causing blood to spurt out his mouth.

"**15 gallons-Fried Leg!**" his coal-black leg slammed into Berserker's face, causing him to stumble back.

"**20 gallons…**"

Berserker's eyes turned white. He stared, helplessly at the fist zooming towards his chest. "Shit."

"**PRIME RIB!!**"

CRUCH!!!

There was the sound of a small gasp of pain, before Berserker fell to the ground, unconscious.

Gonzo cracked his knuckles, then lolled his head to the side.

"Well that killed five minutes…" his eyes then widened. "Oh yeah… Where'd that bandaged guy go?"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"**THUNDER…**"

Toma stretched out his mallet, holding it in a blocking position.

"**STRIKE!**"

Thor smashed his stone hammer into Toma's metal handle, causing a loud clang to resound through the clearing.

"Wow… You're stronger than I expected…" muttered Toma, as his green eyes met Thor's blue ones.

"Thank you." Responded Thor, in a polite tone, before he retracted his hammer and swung it towards Toma's side.

Tomas saw the movement, and slammed the butt of the mallet into the ground, the hilt again meeting the stone.

"I don't like you." said Toma, flatly.

"The feeling is mutual." Thor muttered.

Toma flicked the mallet out the ground, causing Thor to stumble back.

"**Kaazan…**"

Thor's eyes widened.

"**STORM!!!**" he then began to wildly hit Thor with his mallet, showing no mercy, simply hitting on instinct.

Thor grunted, as he slumped back against a tree, causing another hail of Sakura to fall.

Toma chuckled as he spun his mallet around. "This is fun!"

Thor grinned as he picked up his stone hammer. "You bet it is!"

Meanwhile, Leo was simply staring a Freya, not moving at all, his shirt blowing in the light wind.

"Well?" muttered Freya, as she held her staff defensively. "Aren't you going to attack me?"

Leo looked up at her, his eyes dark, a slight threatening aura around him.

Freya stepped back a little.

"No…"

This took the female by surprise. She blinked briefly, "Eh?"

Leo looked down. "As long as I live… I will never attack a lady…"

A tick spawned on Freya's head.

She thrust the staff into Leo's chest, causing him to double over, then slammed him into the ground.

"FIGHT ME DAMMIT!" she yelled.

He looked up at her, a little blood trickling down from his mouth. He was completely calm despite that, "No… I swear, as a man, I will never harm a lady…"

She screamed in rage, and kicked him. "FIGHT ME!"

"No,"

She raised the staff, as if about to strike him, when the Demi-mallet hit her hands, causing her to drop the wooden pole.

"Jeez man!" yelled Toma, as he rushed over, deserting his fight with Thor. "Are you really that thick!?"

Leo got to his feet, and shook his head. "I will never hurt a woman… it's against my code,"

Toma sighed, and then looked at Freya, who had picked up her staff. "Fine… I'll fight her."

Leo shook his head. "As a man, I can't allow that!"

"WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON?!"

Leo set his eyes on Thor. "I'll let you detain her, but you'd better not hurt her!" he shot over his shoulder to Toma.

"Jeez, you're no fun…" muttered Toma, as he swung the mallet over his shoulders, and began to walk towards Freya. "Kay, I'm your opponent now!"

Freya chuckled, and began to spin her staff round her hand.

"I'm going to enjoy beating a real opponent… People who actually have some strength make good slaves…"

Toma grinned.

Freya stabbed her spear into the ground, and pole-vaulted towards him in an attempt to kick him in the head.

Toma's hand shot up, and grabbed her ankle, before slamming her to the ground (With as little force as he could manage)

Before she could gather her senses, his mallet's head was in front of her face.

"I win!" Toma chirped, gleefully.

"**Room…**" muttered Leo, as Thor swung forwards.

The hammer made contact, with what seemed to be an invisible wall of gravity.

Leo grinned. "**Trap!**"

Thor seemed to feel claustrophobic all of a sudden.

He felt the invisible walls close in on him, leaving him trapped. He groaned, but whenever a noise left his lisp the wall became tighter.

Leo sighed. "They were easier than expected."

"WHY COULDN'T YOU HAVE USED THAT ON HER, TURF-HEAD!?" yelled Toma, as he pointed at Freya, who had backed up against a tree.

Leo chuckled. "My code prevents me from harming, attacking, or even trapping a lady… I am truly; a gentleman…"

"Gimp…" muttered Toma as he contracted his hammer, and loomed over Freya. Leo, catching the statement, shot him a deathly glare over his shoulder. "So. D'ya mind telling us WHY you attacked us?"

The female shivered as the green eyes stared at her, like poisonous flames.

"We serve under the group Ragnarok. Me, Thor, Berserker, Loki, Siegfried, Valkerie, and Odin. We are the bandits who are situated on this island. We don't take kindly to intruders."

"What a coincidence!" cried Toma, as he knelt down beside her, a grin visible through the bandages. "Neither do I!"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Cheshire landed softly on the beach, and looked up at the falling Sakura.

His red eye surveyed the island with a bored expression.

He took note of the large man ling on the ground, blood coming from his mouth, a giant wrecking ball beside him.

He began to lick his paw, letting his cat ears prick up.

"Cheshire doesn't hear anything-Nyuu…" he said, in a bored tone.

Sighing, he got out of his crouched position, onto his two human legs.

He began to softly pad forwards, dust picking up when his feet gently touched the ground. He knelt down over the man's body, and began to prod it with a clawed finger.

"Are you dead-Nyuu?"

There was no response.

He cocked his head. "ARE. YOU. DEAD-NYUU?"

A majestic laugh resounded from behind the raven haired Shichibukai.

"Berserker lost? Such a pity…"

A large blue haired man appeared from the trees, wearing goggles over his eyes, and a large katana over his shoulder.

"I guess I'll have to finish you off…"

Cheshire's raven eye stared into the man's goggles. "Cheshire asks who you are-Nyuu…"

The man chuckled. "I am Loki. God of Deceit… Lord of…"

"**Tsumegan…**" (Claw-gun) muttered Cheshire.

He disappeared in an instant, then reappeared in front of Loki, his index claw sticking into the man's chest.

Loki gasped slightly, but didn't have time to say anything.

"**Jinsoku-shigan**" (Rapid finger-gun)

RATATATATA!!!

Loki screamed, before falling to the ground, defeated before he could even attack (Or finish his introduction…)

Cheshire held up the bloodied index finger, and began to lick it, taking the metallic tasting blood onto his pink tongue.

"Cheshire likes…" he whispered, while continuing to lick.

He then got down into a crouched position, and began to pad through the forest, licking his finger.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Freya was walking ahead of Toma and Leo, some bandages tied around her waist and arm, attached to Toma's left arm, like a leash.

"I strictly disapprove of this…" muttered Leo, who had a blush on his face.

Toma cocked his head. "Oh? Why?"

"Well it just seems…" he looked away, his blush deepening. "Perverted."

Toma burst out laughing. "She's a hostage you idiot!"

"THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! I'M BREAKING AT LEAST THREE RUELS OF THE GENTLEMAN'S CODE!"

"ENOUGH WITH THE CODE ALREADY!"

Freya had tried to break the bandages earlier, and try running for it, but they appeared to be really strong, as though made of steel. The harder she tried to break free, the stronger they became.

"OI!"

The duo looked around, and saw the large Fishman running towards them, a grin on his face.

"Oh! Gonzo!" cried Toma, happily.

The Fishan stopped in front of them, smiling. "I'm sorry guys, I er, got held up."

"Really? We got attacked by some weird bandits." Muttered Leo.

Freya stared, wide eyed at Gonzo.

The Ragnarok team made most of their money from slaves. Fishmen were INCREDABLY high in value, and made at least 70 million in a slave market.

Why hadn't Berserker taken him?

Gonzo suddenly busted out laughing at something Toma had said, which Freya, too caught up in her thoughts, hadn't heard, while Leo was looking pissed.

"I DID NOT SAY THAT!" cried the raven-haired man.

"Yes you did; you said with her like this you felt; and I quote: PERVERTED."

"YOU'RE TWISTING MY WORDS YOU ZOMBIE!"

THUNK!

Toma's boot crashed into his head. "I'M NOT A ZOMBIE TURF-HEAD!"

Leo growled.

Toma's gaze then returned to Freya, who was staring at them, a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

"Don't mind them, they're idiots." Muttered Toma, as he continued to walk.

"SPEAK FOR YOURSELF; IDIOT-CAPTAIN!"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"Wow…" whispered Toma, as he stared up at the huge wooden gate leading into the mountain.

"Me, Berserker, Thor and Loki were on patrol… Only Siegfried, Valkerie and Odin remain in the base…"

"That's good to know!" cried Toma, happily.

She shook her head. "_He doesn't realise… Sieg, Valkerie and Odin are worlds above the rest of us…_"

"So how do we get in?" muttered Leo, who had his hands in his pockets.

Toma flicked the mallet out his pocket, a glint appearing in his eye.

"DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!" cried Leo. "We're going to go with stealth this time!"

Toma yawned, then rested his elbow on Freya's head. "She'll yell if we try into sneak in… There's no point in sneaking into a place that EXPECTS us."

Leo shook his head. "We could try…"

"Alright, we'll take a vote: all those for sneaking in, say Aye."

"AYE!" yelled Leo.

"All opposed?"

Gonzo and Toma both raised their hands.

"So it's settled; we barge in!" cried Toma, happily.

"YOU JUST CAN'T AGREE WITH ME, CAN YOU?!"

Toma tied the bandage imprisoning Freya around a tree, and then bit it, snapping it in half.

He then extended his hammer, and swung it over his shoulders.

"Ready Gonzo? Leo?"

Leo sighed, but nodded.

Gonzo cracked his knuckles.

"Let's party…"

**0000000000000000000000000000**

**I personally think this chapter sucked. I really didn't do well here, but I hope to improve it next time: FORGIVE ME!**


	7. Music and Axes

**Music and Axes**

**00000000000000000000000000**

The hall of Ragnarok was quiet.

The bulk of the forces were out, checking for intruders or people worth selling as slaves, meaning only three people remained in the stronghold.

Siegfried, Valkerie, and Odin.

All of the above were in their separate rooms, doing, well, whatever a bandit does in their spare time.

It was quiet…

_**CRASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**_

The wooden door/barricade collapsed, as three tremendous forces hit it at the exact same time.

"I think we overdid it…" muttered Leo, as he walked into the hall, his hands in his pockets.

Toma followed, his Demi-mallet over his shoulder, his Templar coat flowing behind him. "Really? I think we could have made a better entrance… That's what all the cool pirates do…"

"Fosfosfosfosfos! I really like you two!" cried Gonzo, who followed last, his harpoon over his shoulder.

The hall was empty, except for a large wooden table at its centre, and a huge red banner, with the emblem of a flaming skull emblazoned on its front.

Unknown to them, in a room deep within the stronghold, a single grey eye snapped open.

"_Intruders…"_

"HEL-LO! IS ANYBODY HO-ME?!" cried Toma, as they wandered about the hall.

"I really don't think we should be calling the enemy out…" muttered Leo. "Also, why are we actually looking for them again? Surely it would have been better to bolt from the island after we'd beaten those grunts."

"Well then I wouldn't have had the satisfaction of beating up their leader, would I?"

"Oi!"

The trio started up at a set of stairs, where a man was standing, a sitar strapped to his back, and goggles around his neck. He had long silver hair, and a red feathered cap, which covered one eye. He also wore a red tailcoat, reaching down to his knees.

"What the ell' are you doing in here?" he asked, in a bored tone. He spoke with a northern London accent.

"That's one of them?" whispered Leo.

Gonzo held his harpoon tight.

The man leapt onto the metal banister, and slid down it, stopping right at its foot, beside Leo, who had to hop back to avoid being rammed into.

"The name's Siegfried… You can call me Sieg…" he un-strapped the sitar, and held it above his lap. "I'm afraid I need to kill you all now… Nothing personal…"

He strummed the sitar with the large plectrum. Strings shot out the top of the sitar at incredible speed, wrapping around Leo's legs, arms and torso. All three of the pirates gasped in surprise.

Sieg grinned slightly, then pulled the guitar back.

The strings tightened.

Blood spurted out of Leo's body, cascading around him.

Toma's eyes widened. "LEO!!"

"My sitar shoots out string of highly strung steel… If it's tightened it'll cut through solid stone…"

Toma was about to step forwards, when Gonzo grabbed his arm, and shook his head.

Sieg cocked his head, and then sighed. "So who's next?"

THUMP!

Sieg's eyes widened as Leo got to his feet, a grin on his face.

Blood stained his shirt and jeans.

"You didn't think I'd die without a fight, right?" he muttered. He looked back towards Gonzo and Toma. "You guys go on ahead, I'll catch up later…"

Toma smiled happily. "Right!"

The duo then ran up the steps, leaving behind Sieg and Leo.

"That's not fair… Yer' supposed to die when I attack you…" muttered Sieg.

Leo chuckled, then thrust his fist forwards, stopping an inch from Sieg's head. "**Burst…**"

Sieg's eyes widened as what seemed to be a blast of air hit him in the face, causing him to fall back, and land onto the cold ground.

He gritted his teeth. "Yer' a Fruit user…" he muttered.

Leo hopped onto the banister, and stared down a Sieg, a smile on his face. "Yeah… I ate the Chikara Chikara no Mi… I'm a Gravity man…"

Sieg narrowed his eyes, then hopped onto his feet, standing at level with Leo.

He held out the plectrum, and smiled. "I'll rock you with my music!"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"Do you really think Leo-kun will be okay on his own?" muttered Gonzo.

Toma shrugged as they ran. "I've only known Leo for a short, well, very short time, but in that time I've realised something."

Gonzo stared at him.

"He's strong!" said Toma with a grin.

Gonzo grinned, before leaping forwards and forcing Toma off his feet, sending them both onto the stairs.

"OI! WHAT GIVES!"

Gonzo nodded towards the spot where Toma had been treading.

A large throwing axe was embedded in the ground.

Toma shivered. "Er… T-thank you…"

Gonzo's gaze fell upon a figure at the top of the stairs.

The figure grinned, and began to lick the lollipop in her hand. "Oh? You managed to dodge it? That's no fun…" she popped the lollipop in her mouth, then drew an axe from her belt and walked into the light.

She looked to be around sixteen, with lilac hair reaching down to her mid-back. Crystal clear eyes looked onto the world with a bored expression, and all sorts of weapons adorned her body, from razor sharp swords to deadly throwing axes.

"I'm Valkerie… Now…" she grinned. "Who wants to play with me?"

"S-SCARY!" cried Toma.

She flung the axe forwards, with deadly precision and power.

Gonzo rolled to the side, dragging Toma along with him, just barely managing to avoid the deadly weapon.

"ALRIGHT…!" cried Toma, as he scrambled to his feet. "I'M BEATING THIS GIT UP!"

"**10 gallons…**"

Toma turned round, and whispered, in the briefest of moments: "Eh?"

"**RUM BARREL!!"**

A burst of water hit Toma in the back, shooting him up in the air, flying over Valkerie, and landing on the platform.

For a moment, the bandaged man just sat there. Before he spun round, a huge tick on his head. "WHAT THE HELL?! I THOUGHT YOU WERE ON MY SIDE!!"

Gonzo grinned. "You go find a ship! I'll be up shortly!"

Toma grunted, before running towards the large doorway.

Valkerie turned round with ghostly grace, and drew an axe. "I won't let you escape…!"

She suddenly felt cool metal kiss her neck.

Her crystal blue eyes turned to see Gonzo, standing beside her, his harpoon brushing against her neck.

"Please don't harm the captain…" muttered Gonzo, his eyes locked dangerously with Valkerie's.

"Tch…" muttered Valkerie. She slammed the butt of the axe into Gonzo's chest causing him to double over, and then kicked him hard in the ribs.

Quick as a flash, one of her large swords was drawn, glinting in the candlelight.

Gonzo grunted as he climbed to his feet, rubbing his chest with his hand. "That stung…" he muttered.

With her spare hand she drew her final axe, and then crossed both her weapons, a grin on her smooth face. "Let's play…"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"**SLICE!!**"

Sieg feinted backwards, the blast of gravity whizzing over him, leaving a deep gash in the walls.

He let out a short whistle. "Amazing… Ya' really are strong…"

Leo grunted, then held his arms up in a defensive stance.

Sieg stood up straight, and began to strum his guitar. "I will rock your soul! **ROCK…**"

He slammed the pick into the strings, sending a massive wave of sound around the room.

"…**CONCERT!**"

Leo clutched his ears, as the sound burned into his head, like some insane venom. He felt his ears begin to bleed.

He screamed in pain. How could this one instrument have so much power; AND NOISE?!

The music stopped.

Leo slowly looked up, and saw Sieg looming over him. "That last move you used; 'slice'… You concentrated the gravity in the area, crushed it, then sent it rippling through the air… You created a blade of energy…" he cocked his head. "And you were going easy on me… Why? Your abilities have so much potential… Why do you belittle yourself?"

Leo gritted his teeth.

Sieg pulled a knife from his belt, and held it above Leo's face. "Surrender now and I may let you live…"

Leo stared blankly at him for a moment, then grinned. "**Slice…**"

The knife broke in two.

Sieg's gaze fell on the knife for a split second.

It was enough time.

"**BURST!!**"

Leo's fist thrust into Sieg's breast, gravity around it being pushed forwards, increasing its power.

Sieg cried out in pain as Leo's fist hit him, but had no time to recover.

"**BURST! BURST!! BURST!!!**" with each word he thrust his fist into Sieg's chest, causing the silver haired man to cough up blood.

Leo grinned, then leapt into the air, both fists clasped together, and raised high. "**Crush…**" he began,

Sieg stared up, watching the fists come down.

There seemed to be a look in Leo's eyes, not that of anger… Was it… Pity?

"…**LEVEL 2!!!!!**"

Leo's fists collided with Sieg's skull.

He felt a moment of sharp, agonising pain, before all went black.

Leo stood over the unconscious body of Siegfried, his hands in his pockets.

He sighed, and shook his head. "Idiot…"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"Why the hell is this place so dark…?" muttered Toma as he proceeded through the slim hallway, occasionally bumping into a wall due to the lack of light.

His hammer was out and fully extended, but so far he'd met no signs of life.

"ANY-BODY-HO-O-OME?!" cried Toma in a sing song voice.

A rumbling sound could be heard in the depths of the hallway.

Suddenly, a giant oval like shape appeared under Toma. He jumped in surprise as a large grey circle appeared in the shining oval, followed by a small black dot in its centre.

It was an eye.

The pupil focused on Toma, before a resounding laugh echoed around the cave.

"_Welcome mortal…_"

"Oh Kaazan, I don't like the sound of that…" whispered Toma as he shivered.

Grey eyes began to appear around the walls, lighting up the room in a slight white light.

Each one had the little black dot completely focused on Toma.

"_You are in my domain… The domain of the all seeing god… Odin…_"

"You sure are modest," muttered Toma.

"_In this realm, your fear, your dread, your pain shall become your only ally… You will Basque in the great terror that is my home… WITNESS AND DESPAIR MORTAL-FOR I AM…_"

Toma thrust his mallet into the large eye that he stood on, causing a resounding shriek to echo around the cave.

Every other eye blacked out, leaving the cave in darkness once again.

"_Who are you…?_"

Toma pulled his mallet out the ground, wiping the dirt off it on his bandaged arm. Blood was mixed with the earth.

"_Why have you come here…?_"

Toma looked up, and then adjusted his cap covering his eyes.

"_I think I'll torture you before I kill you…_"

A light appeared at the end of the hall.

"_Yes… No… I'll cut you to bits… Yes… No… Yes…_"

Toma walked towards the light, finding it to be a silver door.

Slowly, he placed his hand on the doorknob, and pushed forwards.

"_I'll kill you slowly…_"

He opened the door fully, and walked into the light filled room.

"_**I'll kill you…**_"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"Cheshire is bored…" muttered the raven haired man, as he began to lick his paw, his red eye locked on the new arrival.

The figure hoped off the boat, landing onto the earth below.

His metal boots left deep imprints in the soft ground.

Cheshire didn't blink. He simply continued to lick his paw, his eye locked on the porcelain mask, surrounded by mist from the sea.

"Cheshire wonders what took you so long…" he muttered, his ears twitching.

The man grasped his pointed hat with a black glove, then adjusted it to reveal the black cloth covered eye holes.

"I had trouble along the way…" whispered the figure, as he wiped the bloodied sword attached to his free arm on the ground.

The mist began to clear, revealing giant corpses of Sea Kings, floating dead in the water, each sliced in half.

"Some Sea Kings thought they could try and eat me…"

Chehire began to lick his other paw. "Cheshire thinks you're being sneaky… Joker-san…"

**0000000000000000000000**

**I preferred this chapter to last. Thought the scenes at the end had a little drama. Those who've read KuroNaiya will recognise 'Mirror Knight' Joker, and probably think 'Why's the freaky guy in this story?!' and the simple answer is: He is my best created character. I personally think my idea for Joker is my best work of art, yeah*! So, I hope Ya'll like him. Cause he's gonna be one of the main bad guys in the series. Thanks to all the amazing OC's I've been receiving, I can patch this story together nicely, all thanks to you guys: BRAVO!! YOU ALL **_**ROCK**_**!!! THANKS! **

***Deidara quote…**

**s.**


	8. Eye of Odin

**Eye of Odin**

**Beta-The wonderful SeeNoEvil121!**

**00000000000000000000000000**

"Cheshire found more beaten humans…" muttered Cheshire, as he and Joker padded through the forest.

"So people are here apart from us? That is a surprise…" whispered Joker, his voice giving off no signs of emotion.

Cheshire began to nibble on the raw fish he'd caught.

"Who do you believe defeated them?" asked Joker, calmly.

Cheshire shivered. Even he, an emotionless survivor from 'Arma Phantasma' and even from the Cipher Pol corps, found this man's emotionless voice scary.

It was like talking to a demon.

"Cheshire thinks the pirates who beat Giant Bill are here…" he muttered, in a monotone voice, trying to mimic the emotionless speech.

Joker stood still. "Then these bandits must be weak… I don't like killing weak people…"

Cheshire's gaze focused on Joker. "The top three bandits are said to be stronger than the rest… Cheshire thinks they would be worthy to kill…"

Joker's shoulder's seemed to relax. He continued to walk. "That's good…"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Toma screwed up his eyes in the pale light. It was like standing inside a lamp, except with less heat. Slowly, but surely, the light began to fade away, leaving the room a slight grey colour.

"_Kill…_"

The silver door slammed shut behind Toma, and then folded in on itself.

"_You are in my world…_"

A large eye appeared on the entire floor of the circular room, lighting it up even brighter. This was followed by an eye on the ceiling, and many, many eyes lining the walls.

"_You cannot get out…_"

Toma winced at the creepy tone in Odin's voice.

"_My eyes see all… I am long dead…_"

Toma was taken by surprise at this remark. "What do you mean by that?"

"_Why did you come here?!_" yelled Odin, his voice echoing around the room.

"Well I thought it'd be fun to beat up some bandits! But seeing as you just seem to be a room filled with eyes, the fun's been sucked out…"

A group of eyes disappeared, revealing a copper coloured door.

"_You mock me, bandaged one…_" whispered Odin.

The door clicked open, then was pushed ajar.

"_I shall destroy you…_"

A figure stood in the doorway, wearing a tattered cloak, a long hood, and spiked silver gauntlets and boots. A long spear was clenched in his right hand.

"_I will punish you… Your penalty? Execution…_"

The hood was pulled down.

Odin was appeared to be an old man, wearing a cloth over his eyes. A long beard stretched down into the cloak, disappearing from sight. Finally, adding to the scare factor, a large scar seemed to run across his forehead, in a slight curved motion.

Toma tightened his grip on the hammer, then grinned. "Are you ready Ossan?"

The curve on his forehead began to shake, before splitting open, revealing it to be a large grey eye, staring directly at Toma.

"Oh shit…"

Odin rushed forwards.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"**20 gallons-PRIME RIB!**" Gonzo's fist slammed into Valkerie's sword, breaking it under his force.

She laughed in delight, drawing another sword, and trying to hack at his skin with her short axe.

"FUN!" she cried, slamming the axe into Gonzo's arm, causing him to yelp in pain. "FUN!" she raised her sword. "FUNNNNN!!!"

Gonzo leapt back, his arm bleeding slightly, and yanked his harpoon out the ground. "**35 gallons-Salmon Fillet!**"

Suddenly, he began to thrust the harpoon forwards, as fast as lightning, the edge of it nearly a blur.

"**70 gallons…**" he suddenly stopped thrusting, the harpoon's point facing towards the ground. "**Cheese skewer!**" he slammed the spear into the ground, creating a large crater in the stone, and leaping up in the air with the excess momentum, water spurting out his blowhole.

Valkerie was impressed. Though she'd taken no damage, the strategy was admittedly impressive. He'd began to thrust with the 'Salmon Fillet' move, gaining speed and power onto the harpoon, then, when he'd reached his peak, he slammed the spear into the ground, giving him enough force for a huge air lift.

She held both her weapons above her head in a blocking stance.

Gonzo was falling towards her, his fist cocked, the water enveloping him like a blanket.

"**65 gallons…**"

Her eyes widened. That voice hadn't come from above.

For a fleeting second, her crystal pupils darted down towards the ground.

"**Rainbow Trout!**"

The real Gonzo's fist slammed into her stomach, knocking the wind out of her, followed by water hailing down on her from above.

He'd never used the combo she'd expected. He'd never even left the ground. When he thrust the spear into the ground, he immediately followed by blowing out water, creating an illusion. Were Fishmen really this powerful, to be able to control water in such away?

She skidded to a halt, both the axe and the sword dangerously close to falling from her grip.

A tiny trickle of blood ran down from her lips.

She winced. "You prick!" flinging her weapons aside, she drew a small grey pellet from her pocket, and cast it to the ground, causing smoke to envelope them.

Gonzo began to splutter and cough, and felt the girl push past him, roughly. "Next time we meet, I'll cut you to pieces fish boy!"

The smoke cleared.

She had disappeared.

Gonzo grimaced, then noticed the trickle of blood, leading towards the wall, then disappearing.

A small grin appeared on his boyish face. "Fosfosfosfosfosfos…!"

Groaning slightly, he climbed to his feet. He hated injuries. They always slowed him down.

"OI! GONZO!" The Fishman looked round, and saw Leo running up the stairs, panting slightly. "You alright?" asked the young man, a slight look of worry on his face.

Gonzo grinned. "Of course Leo-kun! You don't expect a Fishman to fall so easily, do you?! FOSFOSFOSFOSFOSFOSFOSFOSFOS!!"

Leo sweat dropped. "I could do without the sarcasm…"

_**BOO-OOMM!!!**_

The ground began to shake, with even more force than it had done when Leo, Gonzo and Toma had broken in.

"WHAT THE HELL!?" cried Leo, as he grabbed the stair banister for support.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

(5 minutes earlier…)

"Oh shit…"

Odin rushed forwards.

Yelping, Toma fully extended the mallet, and blocked the spear's blow, diverting it up in the air.

The large, cyclopean eye, was staring right at Toma, as though it was some insane searchlight.

"_Eye… See… You…_" whispered Odin, without moving his lips.

"YOU ARE SERIOUSLY FREAKING ME OUT, DUDE!" yelled Toma, as he pushed forwards, causing Odin to stumble back. "So please…" he swung his hammer round beside him. "PISS OFF! **KAAZAN…** he swung to the side, aiming for Odin's thigh. "**MUCHI!!**" (Whip)

THUNK!

The spear stabbed into the ground, blocking the hammer, inches before contact.

"Well shit…"

Odin's boot connected with Toma's face, sending him sprawling back, against the wall. Odin hoisted the spear into the air, then spun it round, so the point faced towards the slightly dazed Toma. "_DIE!_"

He thrust forwards.

Toma regained his senses, split seconds before the spear was in front of him, just managing to duck, before the spear connected with the wall at bone breaking force.

The bandaged man let out a heavy sigh. "Whoo… That was dangerous!" he cried.

An eye appeared under the spear's blade, staring directly at Toma, who stared back, slightly perplexed.

"_**I-Stab…**_"

A blade shot out of the eyes pupil, needle thin and sharp, crashing into the ground between Toma's legs.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" yelled Toma.

He slammed his mallet into the blade, breaking as if it were glass, then rammed his own body into Odin's causing the pair to both slam into the next wall.

"YOU ARE SERIOUSLY PISSING ME OFF, OSSAN-TEME!" yelled Toma.

The eye again locked upon Toma. "_**I…**_"

The bandaged man stopped yelling, and simply stared, seeing, as though in slow motion, the thin strand of silver nearing the eye's pupil.

"Fuck."

"…_**STAB!**_"

Toma fell back, bending himself with amazing flexibility, and avoiding the blade.

But this gave Odin a huge opening. He slammed the butt of the spear into Toma's stomach, causing him to fall to the ground, then pinned Toma to the ground with one hand.

"_I shall skewer you… I am Odin, Master of the Me Me no Mi! ALL SHALL BOW BEFORE ME!_" (Eye Eye fruit)

Toma let out a short chuckle. "Eye Eye fruit? That's lame…"

Odin's pupil dilated. "_IT IS THE ULTIMATE FRUIT!!_" he cast the spear aside, then slammed his fist into Toma's stomach, causing the bandages around the mouth to be stained with blood.

He raised the fist again. "_WHY DO THEY RIDICULE ME?!_"

He thrust forwards. "_DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_"

Toma's eyes widened.

CRUNCH!!!!!

Odin's eye widened in surprise, when his fist was caught by Toma's, halting it in its tracks.

"_It's so good to meet ya…_" came a sing song voice, from behind the bandages.

Toma's eyes turned yellow.

"_I'm afraid Toma had to go out… So I'm here to play for the next few minutes…_"

A manic laugh then resounded from Toma's mouth.

"_LET'S HAVE SOME FUN!!!_"

He pushed up, throwing Odin off his body with minimum effort.

The old man stood slightly dazed, then gasped, and dodged Toma's fist barely, as it slammed into the wall, leaving a huge crater.

Toma pulled his fist out the wall, then extended his hammer. "_It's been a while since I've been out… I at least want to enjoy this…_" he began to laugh again. "_Don't waste my time, Eye boy…_"

Odin roared, then rushed forwards, his fist raised.

Toma sneered, and blocked the blow with his hammer.

"_USELESS!_" with his free hand, he slammed his fist into Odin's belly, casing the old man to cry in pain.

Toma then drew back, and slammed his boot into Odin's chest, causing him to sprawl against the wall.

"_You say you've died before_?" he cocked his fist. "_Rest in peace this time! __**KAAZAN…**_" he slammed his fist forwards. "_…__**RAI-BOLT!!!!**_**" **(Lightning-bolt)

_**BOO-OOMM!!!!!**_

Odin's eye was wide.

Toma's bandages were spiralling around his arm, revealing it to be perfectly healthy.

A giant crater was resting beside Odin, millimetres from his head.

Toma's eyes had returned to their usual, emerald green colour. "Sorry bout' that…" he began to wrap the bandages back round his arm. "Forgot to take my pills this morning…"

Odin fell forwards, unconscious.

Toma cocked his head, then prodded Odin's body with his mallet. "Aw… He fainted…"

He contracted the hammer, then shoved it in its holster, then removed a small pouch from his coat's pocket, and extracted two pills. Sighing, he swallowed them, and felt them slide down his throat.

All the eyes had disappeared, leaving the room an odd murky green colour.

"OI! TOMA!!"

The bandaged man turned round, and spotted Leo and Gonzo running towards him, through the dark corridor.

"Yo!" called Toma, regaining his cool, and smiling pleasantly.

Leo stared at Odin's unconscious figure. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but was halted by a; "Don't ask…" from Toma.

Leo lolled his head in realisation. "Did we just beat up a load of bandits…?"

"Pretty much…" muttered Gonzo, as he scratched his head.

Toma turned towards the door where Odin had entered, and pushed it open, walking into a large cove, leading down to the sea.

A deep pool of water rested at the bottom of the cove, opening out into the vast blue ocean.

And moored to the side of the cove was…

A ship.

A large ship.

Saying 'large', was probably an overstatement, as it wasn't much bigger than a yacht, but then again, not much smaller than a large voyager. It seemed to be, just a normal ship.

A dolphin figure head adorned the front of the ship, and a large white sail was tied up on the mast. The black hull, looked sleek and well kept, obviously having been cared for, for many years. On the hull, in golden letters, the words 'DAWN WALKER' were emblazoned, shining in the flickering lamplight.

"Awesome!" cried Toma, as he leapt down onto the cove's floor, and ran towards the ship. "THIS IS PERFECT! And even better; no guards! This baby is BEGGING to be stolen!"

Gonzo grinned, and brushed his fingers along the wooden hull. "That's one fine quality ship…"

Leo didn't say anything. From the look on his face, he was trying to hide his inner fury at stealing.

"So; are we all set?" asked Toma, a wide grin appearing on his face, showing under the bandages.

His two crew mates grinned, slyly.

"YOSH!" yelled Toma. "WE GOT OURSELVES A SHIP!"

Leo folded his arms, and smiled, knowingly.

CLICK-WHIR…

His eyes snapped open.

Was that… A camera noise?

He didn't have time to think, because at that moment, Toma had grabbed his arm, and hauled him aboard the ship.

"So if you guys are a crew…" muttered Gonzo. "What's your name?"

Toma folded his arms, and looked down, in deep thought.

"I've got it!"

In a matter of moments, he had pulled down the sail, and taken out a paint brush and pots of pain from his deep pockets. "Remind me to pick up our stuff from the row boat…" muttered Toma, as he dipped his brush in black ink.

Slowly, the brush glided across the canvass, shapes taking form.

At the bottom, three skulls took shape.

One, covered in bandages, a deep grin on its comical face, two hammers crossed behind it.

The second, wearing a top hat, with L H written on either side of it in a fancy font.

And the third, with black markings over the face, and a fin sticking out the back of the head, a ladle and a spatula crossed underneath it.

And in the centre of the flag, a large black rosary, with two cutlass's crossed behind it.

"We are…" whispered Toma. "The Templar Pirates!"

"L. H…?" muttered Leo. "As in 'Leo Hartnet'? Couldn't you think of something better?"

"It was either that or wimp in bold letters…" muttered Toma.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!"

"FOSFOSFOSFOSFOS!"

"YOU CAN SHUT UP TOO!"

"_**Cough**_-WIMP!"

"I'LL END YOU!"

"FOSFOSFOSFOS!"

"SHUT UP!!!"

Loud laughter and shouts echoed around the cave, as the ship began to drift out the harbour.

None of them noticed the two figures standing on the bank.

"Cheshire wonders if we should kill them…" muttered the raven haired man, as he slid the camera into his bag.

"Toma Kyoya, eh?" whispered Joker. "Let's let them enjoy this moment… They've completed our task…"

He spun round, his cloak billowing. "The marines will want the photos… Come, Cheshire…"

The man grumbled, then followed.

Little did they know, that if they had decided to end the lives of our brave heroes, the fate of the world, would have taken an entirely different course…

**00000000000000000000000**

**Next Time: Fuchsia Island**

**The next guy to join will be Chris Hopkins, again, by SeeNoEvil121, followed up by Haze, by LaZy-RaIn-DaNcEr, and the AGAIN, followed by Jay D. Maverick by Drasser. Wew! Big line up, and there are even MORE I need to add in! To top that, I've got KuroNaiya Ryu, Music of Love/Passion and Death Scythe to run as well! HECTIC! I'll see ya'll soon!**

**Ja ne!**


	9. Fuchsia Island

**Fuchsia Island**

**Enter: Chris Hopkins, by SeeNoEvil121! Have a cookie!**

**Beta: Guess who! SeeNoEvil121**

**00000000000000000000000**

"I've got a lovely bunch o' coconuts, dun dun, here they are a' standing in a row: big ones, small ones, some as big as yer' head,"

"SHUT UP!" yelled Leo, from the cabin.

Toma silenced and took his wounded puppy look. "But I'm so BORED!" he moaned, small tears appearing in his eyes, giving him a very pitiful aura.

Leo sighed, and put down his quill. "Gonzo's just cooking, and we'll arrive at the next island soon… Just find something to occupy yourself with in the meantime…"

"Isn't annoying you my pastime?"

"NO!"

Toma sighed, and walked into the helm deck.

The Dawn Walker had four cabins above deck, and three more bellow. A kitchen, a helm, and a dining room, where Leo had set up his navigation office. The other three were the sleeping quarters, a stock room, and a vault, where all the money Ragnarok had obtained was now resting. A small crow's nest rested above the sails, with a seat at its side. Toma slumped down on a seat in the helm deck, and let out a sigh.

Leo had strictly instructed, under any circumstances, that he did not, repeat, NOT, touch the helm. The ocean's current, and wind direction, was heading towards an island dubbed Fuchsia Island, known for its annual bazaar, which attracted many people.

Gonzo recalled, that in his last crew, as a young fish, he'd travelled there, and seen all kinds of things at the bazaar, and if the date was right, the annual event should be starting that night.

Toma stared dumbly at the roof, and withdrew a ball from his pocket, and began to carelessly throw it into the air, and catch it in his hands.

"Bored…" thump, "Bored…" thump, "Bored…"

He sighed and closed his eyes. "GRUB'S UP!" yelled Gonzo.

Toma slid to his feet, and exited the room. What was so great about a giant market? (Except for the thieving practice, of course!)

In Tsukiwan, Riko had dragged him around stalls every few weeks, making him carry all her bags. Her room in the sanctuary may have been small, but it seemed to be a vacuum for endless junk, from jewellery to clothes. She gained all her money from working around town in her spare time, and seemed to come back with piles of beli.

He shook his head. He'd never understand girls…

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"Oi, Dagger! Hurry up!" muttered the teen, his eyes narrowing in the shadows.

The smaller boy squeaked, and ran forwards, stumbling slightly in his excitement. "Yes sir, Grey-nii!"

The two ran through the forest, and entered a clearing, where a broken down shack lay, its roof bearing many holes, light filtering through it.

Slowly, they entered the shack, and peered through the darkness.

A figure turned round, cat-like eyes glinting in the slight light. "Dagger? Grey? What do you want?"

"Captain Chris!" cried Dagger, happily. "Some pirates have been spotted on the bay!"

He began to jump around excitedly, his chocolate brown hair dancing.

His older brother, who looked exactly like him, except with a taller, more masculine frame, rolled his eyes, and returned his gaze upon Chris. "We didn't see much of them, but Dagger reported a huge Fishman! Carrying plates of what looked like; what was it again?"

"Meat!" cried Dagger. "He was a man eater! I know it! We can finally prove ourselves, Captain!"

A grin flashed on Chris's face. "This is brilliant…" he rubbed his hands together, and bent the small cap down over his eyes, causing the yellowish-green eyes to glint even more. A dagger was unsheathed from his belt.

It was a strange dagger that was double sided, with a slight curve at its front and back. The tip was divided into two prong like blades, like a barb, obviously used for applying more damage when drawing the blade out of a target. All in all, it looked rather scary.

"Let's go guys!"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Toma surveyed the small town, with a bored expression.

Stalls were being set up around the pink coloured buildings, with many people laughing, and speaking in loud voices.

"Is this IT? Come on! Why the hell did we come here?!"

Leo sighed. "We need to restock for a long journey… Loguetown is at least a week's sail away, so we need a large amount of supplies."

Gonzo finally emerged, discarding his apron. "Did you guys enjoy the beef fillets? They're a specialty of mine!"

Toma nodded. "Yeah! They were terrific! I could feel the juiciness flowing in my mouth! It melted just like butter!"

Leo nodded. "It was delicious… Why'd your last captain ditch you? You're amazing!"

Gonzo frowned. "He was a vegetarian… THEY ARE THE SCUM OF THE EARTH!!!" he punched the air, flames of passion burning in his eyes.

"Hey! Calm down!" yelled Leo. "I didn't mean to trigger bad memories!"

Gonzo appeared in front of him, a dark glint in his eyes. "You aren't a vegetarian, are you?"

A sweat drop appeared on Leo's head.

Toma's gaze returned towards the town. "I wonder if they have any rum… I've been dying for a glass ever since Shell Town…"

Leo regained his posture, and began to walk forwards, shortly followed by Gonzo. He removed a wallet from his jeans, and removed three hundred beli notes.

"We each get a hundred to spend on stuff from the bazaar. I'll get supplies with the remaining money."

He handed a note to Toma, then to Gonzo.

"OI!"

The trio froze, as three huge shadows covered them.

A male, shade covered figure stood at the top of the port's stairs, a dagger twirling round in their right hand.

Two boys stood beside him, one holding a small wooden sword, the other a wakizashi (Japanese: Short sword), each with chocolate brown hair and eyes. The taller one wore comfortable clothing, consisting of a baggy shirt and jeans, while the smaller one, wearing a cap, and goggles around his neck. On his shirt were the words; SOGEKING JR.

The figure in the centre moved into the sunlight.

He was around 5'8 in height, with red hair, sticking out a cap placed roughly on the head. Cat like; yellowish-green eyes stared towards them, as though staring into their very souls. He wore a long sleeved T-shirt, and baggy jeans, hiding most of his figure.

"Yo…" je whispered, in a low voice. "Demon-Breaker Toma…"

"Eh?" the bandaged man cocked his head. "How the hell d'ya know my name?"

He grinned, and held up a piece of dark brown paper, with the words WANTED, branded in large letters.

The picture was of Toma, bent down, in a slight crouched position, his mallet fully extended, his eyes staring right at the camera, glowing their emerald green colour.

'DEMON BREAKER' TOMA- 16 MILLION BELI

"Wah? I've ALREADY got a bounty?!" he grinned. "This pirate thing is easier than I thought…"

The red head clenched the dagger in his grasp. "We're going to prove to the villagers that we're true pirates! Right guys?!"

Dagger jumped at being addressed, then regained his stance, taking up a psudo-tough expression.

Gray held his wakizashi downwards, in an assassin like stance. "I'm ready Chris…" he whispered.

"Prepare yourselves!" yelled Chris.

"Oi… Toma…" muttered Leo. "Are we really getting into a fight 1 minute after arriving on this island?"

"Pretty much…" replied Toma, as he flicked the Demi-mallet out the sheath, and began to spin it round, slowly extending it. "I'll handle this…"

Chris spurted forwards, with amazing speed, closely followed by Grey and Dagger, each holding their weapons in parallel, creating a pincer formation.

Toma cocked his head, and then ducked.

The three gasped in surprise when all their weapons were blocked at the same time by his hilt.

Dagger's wooden sword was stopped by the hammer's head, Grey's at the weapon's butt, and Chris's prong trapped in the centre.

Toma held the hammer with one hand, holding all their strength in the single arm.

"Give up yet?" muttered Toma, merrily.

Chris's eyes widened in anger.

"I hate your type… You get cocky at the first advantage you have…"

Toma pulled down his bandages, revealing his mouth, and allowing himself a smile.

"I like you." He said, in a sing song voice. "You're called Chris, right? Well, I guess I'll properly introduce myself; I'm Toma Kyoya, ex-templar, master thief, at your service…"

Chris applied more pressure to his dagger. "Chris Hopkins, captain of the Fuchsia Pirates."

Toma removed his hat with his free arm, and bowed his head. "It's nice to meet you!"

"CHRISANTHIA!" came a loud, shrieking voice.

Gray gasped. "No! It's the witch!"

Dagger looked round, panic stricken, to see the old lady running down towards the bank, her grey hair unkempt, horror on her face.

She grabbed hold of Chris, and yanked him into a desperate hug. "Chrisanthia, what are you doing?!" cried the old lady.

Toma stood up fully, and contracted his mallet, dropping it into a sheath.

"Hey oba-san, we're new in town, so could you tell us where I can find a pub-?"

SLAP!

Toma recoiled as the old lady slapped him hard across the face.

A tick appeared on his head. "OI! WHAT THE HELL OBA-SAN?!"

Leo grabbed his arms to stop him from pouncing on the lady.

"HOW DARE YOU HURT MY GRAND DAUGHTER!" yelled the lady, holding the reluctant Chris tighter to her chest. Snatching at cap, she pulled the hat off, causing red hair to flow down to Chris's shoulders.

Chris stared in horror at the three pirates, who had now seen her secret, and pushed away from her grandmother. "I HATE YOU!!" she cried, tears streaming down her face.

The old lady began to follow after her.

Toma sweat dropped slightly. "That was kinda random…"

Grey nodded. "They're always like that…"

Toma chuckled, and patted both boys on the head. "I like this island! By the way, do you know where I can find a pub?"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"_You should become a successful woman, Chirsanthia. When you grow up, you will marry a proper man, and have many, many children." Droned Abigail._

_Chris rolled her eyes. She had heard it all before and as usual, she was in no way interested._

"_I have heard… That the neighbour's daughter is learning etiquette and dancing courses. She will no doubt become a lovely housewife!" she sighed, and rubbed her temple. "Why can't you be like that, Chirsanthia?"_

"_Mother…" muttered a soothing voice. Rose Hopkins, Chirs's mother walked in. "Don't be so harsh on Chirs…" she smiled down at her daughter. "You should live your own life to its fullest. No matter what."_

"_Nonsense!" cried Abigail." If we let her go to her own ends, she'll end up a street rat, or a thief! Would you really want your own daughter become a pirate?!"_

"_If she wanted to, I wouldn't stop her…" whispered Rose, as she winked at the grinning Chris._

"_Where did I go wrong with you Rose…?" moaned Abigail. "I thought I told you to marry a handsome, rich businessman, or a marine official… You would live your life much better life that, instead of being married to a Pub owner…"_

_Rose sighed._

"_Would you honestly CARE if your daughter became a thief? I would be grief stricken! Oh Chrisanthia!!" just then, she noticed the young redhead had vanished._

"_Oh? She disappeared…" muttered Rose, slightly surprised, but still smiling._

"_CHIRSANTHIA! NOT AGAIN!!"_

_-------------_

_Chris sat beside the pond, and lopped a stone at the water, letting it skip five times, before had her cap pulled tightly over her head, covering her long hair, and wore baggy clothing, hiding her growing body._

_She hated etiquette. She hated dancing. And was rubbish at mother and father new she was tom-boyish, and respected that, but as for her grandmother…_

_A stick landed beside her._

"_OI!"_

_She turned round, her cat-like eyes sparkling with confusion._

_A chocolate brown haired boy stood a small distance from her, panting slightly._

"_Can you pass the stick over, mate? We've been playing buried treasure, but that's the best thing we could find."_

_Chris cocked her head. "Treasure?"_

"_Yeah!" cried the boy. "We're the Fuchsia pirates, and the other boys are the marines!"_

_Pirates…_

_The ones who sailed the seas, free from law, tyranny and hatred…_

_Famous names, remembered throughout history…_

"_Can I play…?" whispered Chris._

"_Sure!" said the boy, grinning. "I'm Grey! And you are?"_

_There was a brief moment of hesitation. _"_Chris… Chris Hopkins!"_

_----------_

_Chris pushed the boy off the plank, causing him to land on the dirty ground bellow._

"_Oi! No fair Chris! We're meant to walk off on our own!"_

_The girl sneered. "Silence grunt! The drowning don't complain! Who's the captain here?!"_

_The boy rolled his eyes. "You Chris…"_

_The others laughed._

_Chris had been sneaking out of her house, disguised as a boy, to play with her new found was so much fun. No manners, no lines, no verses, no rules. Simple was the happiest time of her life._

_When her grandmother FINALLY looked away, she'd sneak up to her room, shed her dress or other formal wear, and sling on her pirate the years, she'd risen through the ranks, and become captain of the Fuchsia pirates, ruling with an iron fist._

_The boy on the ground pretended to drown, making fake gargling sounds._

"_Oh no! The sharks are coming!"_

"_There aren't any sharks around Fuchsia!" jeered his friend._

"_Oh no, the giant squids are coming!"_

_The all burst out laughing._

_They continued to play, Chris executing a few more of her unreliable team mates._

_In the short space of time, they stormed a marine base, captured a new ship, and plundered a village._

_It was so much fun!!_

_The sun began to set, and Chris rushed home, and scaled the wall, climbing into her room through the window. Almost as soon as she landed in the small room, there was a knock at the door._

_Chris rushed to it, and opened it slightly, poking her head out (First of all removing her hat)_

"_Chrisanthia? Where did you disappear to? We were supposed to practice dining tonight!"_

"_I was just resting Grandmother…" muttered Chris._

"_Why did you leave your previous dress on the couch?" snapped Abigail._

"_It was uncomfortable! Now can I go to bed?!"_

_Abigail sniffed, but closed the door._

_Chris slid against the wall, and sighed. "That was too close…"_

_--------_

_Chris slowly closed the door behind her, and slid the deer horn dagger she and her friends had crafted, into the hinge, preventing it from opening._

_Then, with the precision of a thief, she tiptoed towards the window, and began to scale down the wall._

_Quickly placing the cap on her head, she rushed off in the direction of the woods, her other deer horn knife sheathed, along with her own handmade prong-dagger._

_The gang were already waiting for her when she arrived._

_Grey smiled, and Dagger grinned. "What's up, Captain?"_

_Chris smiled, evilly. "I think today we'll go plunder the village armoury…"_

_A cheer went around the group, all the makeshift-pirates raising their small weapons._

_A satisfied smile appeared on Chris's lips._

"_CHIRSANTHIA!!"_

_The world came crashing down upon the red-head._

_Her grandmother was running across down the path, towards the clearing, HORROR covering her face. _

"_CHRISANTHIA! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!"_

_Chris simply stared, her eyes wide, shock, anger, terror, fear, all pilled into one emotion, forcing its way out the 12 year old._

"_Chrisanthia…?" muttered Grey. "Are you talking about Chris?"_

_Abigail laughed. "Is THAT what she told you? Really Chrisanthia, why are you out here getting dirty?! You should be at home training with me!"_

"'_She'?" whispered Dagger, his eyes wide._

_Chris's eyes widened. Without pausing for breath, she ran, barging past her grandmother, and bolting down the path, tears welling up in her eyes._

_Sorrow…_

_Hate…_

_Regret…_

_Loss…_

_--------_

"_Why are you here?" muttered Grey, as Chris walked up to him, and the smaller group of boys._

_Chris looked down. "I'm sorry… I just thought…"_

"_He doesn't want to talk to you CHRISANTHIA." Snapped another boy, his eyes narrowed._

_Chris winced at his tone. "I… I'm sorry Grey… I'm sorry everyone…"_

_Grey closed his eyes. "I'm sorry too…" his chocolate brown eyes focused on her. "We don't allow girls in the crew Chrisanthia…"_

_Her rage was let loose. "WHY NOT?! WHAT'S WRONG WITH GIRLS?! I WAS YOUR CAPTAIN, FOR TWO BLOODY YEARS!"_

"_Don't get angry…" muttered Grey, calmly. "The Fuchsia pirates don't fight girls…"_

_Chris roared, and drew her dagger out its sheath. "I'LL BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF YOU!!!"_

_He stared at her._

"_GREY!!"_

_Dagger looked at his brother. "Nii-san…"_

_The other boys looked at the replacement captain._

_Grey sighed. "You want to become a member of the crew…?" he muttered. "Fine… Just don't badmouth us if you get yourself killed… You know those new pirates who showed up in town recently?"_

_Chris nodded, wearily._

"_Steal something from them. Anything, but it's gotta be valuable. Jewellery, Money, Weapons, Cargo, anything, then show it to the whole crew…"_

_Some boys were gaping at his generosity, and all expected Chris to refuse._

_But she wouldn't._

_Not Chris._

"_Fine!" yelled Chris. "I'll get something from them! And you better be bloody ready when I'm above you all again!!"_

_-------------_

_Nothing is ever simple in the world._

_That is a law, that all must learn._

_The group of five were sitting at a booth in Chris's father's pub, each either talking or drinking._

_There were three males, and two females._

_Two of the men were sitting at the nearest edge of the booth, one having a conversation with the females, the other sitting quietly, meditating. The other boy was greedily eating his food, looking out of place amongst the rest because of his extremely young age._

_She thought these fairly harmless looking pirates would be easy pickings._

_Slowly, with the elegance of a cat, she crept up to the booth, and slid her hand into the resting man's pocket, like a worm, burrowing into the ground._

_Feeling cool metal, she gently pulled out the light item._

_It was a beautiful silver dagger, with a curved blade, and a hilt running along behind the blade, like a knuckle-duster._

_It was meant to be._

_Smiling with triumph, she slid the dagger into her pocket, and began to creep back along the floor._

_She had nearly reached the door, when a voice halted her in her tracks._

"_Oi…"_

_She slowly turned her head, and saw the tall man standing over her._

_She couldn't recall his features, but remembered the sword, long thin, with a spider shaped hand guard, with ruby encrusted eyes._

"_Please give me that back, missy…"_

_The pub had turned silent._

_She saw her dad, staring in fear at the scene._

_She shook her head, and began to shuffle towards the door, her eyes still locked with his._

_He frowned. "Seriously kid, the Crescent Dagger is worth twelve of your lives!"_

_Like lightning, he unsheathed the sword, and held it horizontally. "Now hand over the dagger before I spill your guts!"_

_She let out a small gasp, then leapt from the ground, putting all her hope and strength into her underdeveloped legs._

"_BRAT!!" he slashed diagonally._

_She felt the steel bite into her skin, slicing through the flesh of her back, but didn't stop._

_She kept running, pushing her way out the door, and stumbling out towards the woods._

"_Oi-" the man started, taking a step after her._

"_Nikolai…" came a calm voice._

_The silver-haired male was standing, a slight smile on his face. "It's time we left…"_

_Various males in the pub had stood up, and drawn their various weapons, all glaring angrily at the five._

_---------_

_Grey was surprised when he saw Chris running towards them, panting._

_She held out the dagger triumphantly._

"_I… Did…" she began to fall over, her pupils dilating. "…It…"_

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Chris was sitting on a rock, gazing out to the sea.

Two ships, with marine emblazoned flags, were sailing towards the island, probably to restock at the bazaar.

"Chris-nee!"

The red head looked round, and saw Dagger running towards her, grinning, a cute dimness present on his face.

She smiled fondly, and ruffled his hair. "Yo, chibi…"

He blushed angrily. "I'm not a chibi!"

She laughed. "Sure…!"

She had woken up from the injury on her back, two days after the incident.

The scar still remained.

The boys allowed her to play with them again, amazed she could be so brave to run from that pirate, and gifted her with the silver dagger.

She had become captain again.

All was well.

Her grandmother still bothered her, and tried to catch her before she could go out, dragging her to tea parties, and such like.

But she managed.

But that pirate…

Demon Breaker Toma…

"_I like you! You're called Chris, right? Well, I guess I'll properly introduce myself; I'm Toma Kyoya, ex-templar, master thief, at your service…"_

A small grin appeared on her lips.

She had to fight him again.

**0000000000000000000000000**

**Next Time: It's Just a Scratch!**

**Found this chapter fun to write! I can see why loads of people like using Chris!**

**Next up will be the Clockwork Arc! OOOOH! See ya'll soon! Oh! And I'm slowly learning how to use the Wiki from my friend, GodlyDragon, so look out for my OC's on OnePiecefanfiction . wikia . com! We'll be waitin'!**


	10. It's just a scratch!

**It's just a Scratch!**

**000000000000000000000000**

"_Give me another round…" grunted the man, slamming his glass down on the table._

"_Seriously…? Are you trying to kill yourself?"_

_The man's bloodshot, black eyes stared at the blond. "If I could I would, Sanji…"_

_The blond man sighed, and picked up a bottle, handing it to the Green haired man._

"_Seriously, Marimo… You gotta get out of your slump. We all had to move on… Nami, Usopp, and I. We all got lives now. Don't get stuck on it, we'll remain Nakama no matter what!"_

_The man grunted, and sleeked back his now unruly hair. "Try telling that to Robin or Chopper…"_

_Sanji winced. "Zoro…"_

"_SHUT UP SANJI!" cried Zoro. "I WATCHED LUFFY DIE, 17 YEARS TO THIS DAY! YOU THINK I'LL FOGET THAT?!"_

_He remembered that grin on Luffy's face, as his head slumped over, the spears piercing through both his lungs, killing him instantly._

_Luffy had never been afraid of death._

_Zoro had stood there, and picked up famous Straw Hat when it landed softly on the ground._

_The last time they'd been here, Luffy was the one to pick it up again._

_Sanji sighed. "Maybe you should go see Brook… He always makes me feel better when I'm drunk…"_

"_I ain't drunk…" muttered Zoro, as he stood up, picking up his three swords, and strapping them to his waist._

_He picked up the straw hat which lay on the counter, and dropped it on his head._

_His name was Roronoa Zoro, the Pirate Hunter… First Mate of the Pirate King, Monkey D. Luffy._

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

_He placed a finger on his lips, and adjusted the top hat, making his amber coloured eyes shine in the shadows._

_Toma was scrunched up in a ball like position, cradling his head, his eyes wide, and bloodshot._

"_What's wrong, Toma…?"_

"_Shut up…"_

"_Are you alright…?"_

"_Shut up… Shut up…"_

"_Say… Do you need a hug…?"_

"_SHUT UP!" cried Toma, as he sprang to his feet, staring at the man equal in size._

_They looked exactly the same._

_The bandages, the jacket, the hammer in the belt…_

_But not the eyes._

"_Toma…" he chuckled. "You can never escape from me… I'm your special friend…"_

_The whole world went black._

_Toma's eyes widened._

_He saw the great yellow eyes, shining in the darkness, like malevolent lanterns, with the sharp, slit-like pupils. "You won't escape…"_

_He felt something lick his check._

"_Because I…"_

_He appeared right in front of Toma, his tongue sticking out, their noses touching, veins visible in the bandages around his head._

"_Am you!!"_

Toma's eyes snapped open.

Groaning, he placed a hand on his temple, and sat up.

He was sitting on a bar stool, music blurting from behind him, merry laughter resounding around the tightly packed pub.

He saw the empty rum glass in front of him, and groaned.

"That's gonna be one hell of a hangover tomorrow…" he muttered.

"Oi. You okay, sir?"

Toma raised an eyebrow, and surveyed the red headed man behind the counter.

"Yeah, I'm fine ossan…"

He looked at the window, and saw his reflection.

"Just a nightmare…" he slid his hand into his pocket, and pulled out two pills, then shoved them into his mouth. "I'll have another round."

The man chuckled. "You sure you'll be okay, buddy? You looked pretty conked out for a minute there!"

Toma grinned. "I'm fine, seriously… So PLEASE, can I have some more rum?"

He grinned, and pulled out a bottle from under the counter, and began to pour its contents into the glass.

Toma instantly drained the glass, then placed the due sum on the table, before walking towards the exit, stumbling ever so slightly.

"You think you'll be okay?!" called the barman.

Toma waved casually, and pushed open the door, walking into the biting cold.

Frost penetrated the thin bandages, freezing Toma to the bone.

He began to shiver, and immediately zipped up his coat to over the mouth, so its collar was resting just under the eyes.

The moon was up high in the sky, and some light snow was falling from the sky.

Tsukiwan suffered from snow two months a year, December and January. During that time, tourist visits fell, and imported food rates grew. It was the one time in the year where the island slightly suffered.

He sneezed lightly, and pulled his cap down.

Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he began to walk down towards the harbour, where the Dawn Walker was stationed.

He saw light in the ships direction, and a little smoke ebbing out of the kitchen.

Gonzo was obviously putting his newly bought ingredients to good use.

He let out a content sigh.

"You."

Toma turned his gaze to the side.

Three marines stood there, two with rifles, aiming at his head. "You are a pirate."

"I guess so." Muttered Toma, as he flicked out his demi-mallet.

"I'm afraid you'll have to come with us, Kyoya-san…" whispered the marine, his cap covering his eyes.

Toma fully extended the mallet. "And if I don't?"

CLICK-CLICK!

Both men cocked their rifles.

"…We'll bring you with us in a body bag…"

A small smile appeared on Toma's lips. One of his eyes turned yellow, with a slit pupil. "Is that so…?"

"**CRESCENT…**"

Both men's gazes shifted to the rapidly approaching figure, who was crouched low, a silver dagger wrapped around her right hand.

"…**SLICER!!**"

Chris, gaining enough momentum, leapt up in the air, and held the dagger in front of her, cutting down the tips of the rifles.

Landing softly on the ground, she spun round, a sharp grin on her face. "Sorry boys! This bastard's my prey!"

"Nice to see you too…" muttered Toma, wryly, as he began to spin the mallet around, his eyes returning to normal.

The head marine scowled, and drew a pistol, then aimed it up in the air.

"We followed you here, Kyoya-san!" snapped the marine. "We were prepared for this! We saw what you did to the Ragnarok base!"

He fired the pistol up in the air.

From the cliffs above, metal cannons appeared, a marine behind each one, pointing down towards the duo.

"You can't win against us!" yelled the marine, now aiming at Toma.

"**PUL…**"

The marine looked to the side briefly, before a palm collided with the side of his face.

"…**SE!!!!**"

What seemed to be a blast of compressed gravity, shot at point blank range, shot through the marines head, causing his eyes to go blank.

He slumped to the ground, unconscious.

"What took you so long?" snapped Toma, at Leo, who was wiping the blood off his hand onto a handkerchief.

"I was sampling Gonzo's fish and carrot broth…" muttered Leo.

Toma rolled his eyes, then focused his concentration on the marines above. "So Gonzo's missing this one out, then?"

"Yup…" muttered Leo, stuffing his hands in his pockets, and surveying the marines with a bored expression.

"You pull em' down, I'll beat em' up, that work for you?" whispered Toma, suddenly holding the mallet in both hands.

"Works for me."

"OI! WHAT DO I DO, YA BASTARD?!" yelled Chris.

"You can poke em' to see if they're dead." Snapped Toma, as he crouched down. "Ready?"

Leo grinned, and held both arms in the air. "**LEVEL…**" he thrust his arms down. "**…2!!!!!**"

There was a loud rumble, and rocks began to fall from the cliff side.

Some shouts were heard, and suddenly various marines and their cannons were tumbling from the Cliffside.

"That's my cue!" muttered Toma, as he sped along the path, running towards the tumbling marines, and knocking them on the head when they landed.

Chris grunted, and stuffed the silver dagger into a stitch in her cap. "Show off's…"

It was over in one minute.

Every single marine, was now lying on the ground, knocked out.

The bandaged man chuckled. "That was easier than expected! We didn't even need Gonzo! He'll be upset now!"

Chris suddenly looked surprised. "You mean the man-eater…?!"

Toma burst out laughing. "You actually think GONZO, is a man eater?! No, he's our cook, and a bloody good one at that!"

Chris sighed. She'd be shouting at Dagger later for giving her false information.

"Shouldn't we check them?" asked Leo, looking at some groaning marines.

"Don't panic!" cried Toma, spreading his arms out wide. "There's nothing to be afraid of!"

CLANK!

The trio froze.

Slowly, Toma turned his head.

A marine had a cannon pointing at Toma, its fuse lit. "Check… Mate…"

He fainted.

BANG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Leo dashed forwards, along with Chris…

The cannonball collided with Toma's back, ramming into his spine.

He was pushed forwards, but didn't slump to the ground.

It didn't even penetrate his back.

"Shit." He muttered.

Both his eyes flashed yellow, before he fell, a little blood trickling from his mouth.

His eyes saw Leo, running towards him, and crouching over him, shouting.

He saw Chris, horrified, tears beginning to appear in her eyes.

Looked like she'd never seen death before.

That brought a smile to his face.

He'd seen death before.

He was death itself.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"It's amazing…"

"It is! Extraordinary! It's healed up already! Before our very eyes!"

Voices.

Unrecognisable.

One emerald eye opened.

He saw two blurry silhouettes, like his first sight in the Sanctuary.

His eyes came into focus.

Two old men, each identical, with glasses and moustaches, were hovering over him, like ghosts.

"Please tell me I'm not drunk…" groaned Toma. "If I am, Leo will pay for everything I smashed…"

"HEY!"

Tom sat up, and looked to his side.

The raven haired man was sitting there, glaring. "Don't insult me! Who do you think dragged you here?!"

A grin appeared on Toma's face.

He began to cough, violently. He doubled over, his eyes wide, some liquid pulsing up his throat. He spat out blood, into his bandaged palm.

In the little puddle of blood, was a white pill.

One of the men cocked his head. "What on earth is that?"

Toma cursed silently, and spotted his coat hanging beside the bed. He dipped his free hand into the pocket, and pulled out a small pill box, opening it to reveal a treasure trove of green pills.

He picked up three, and swallowed them instantly, retching slightly, from the pain in his upper back.

The pain began to die down.

"Three questions…" whispered Toma. "What the hell happened…? Where the hell am I…? And who in Kaazan's name are those to midget ossans?"

One of the men crossed his arms angrily. "We'll have you know that you were hit in the back by a lead cannonball!"

"Would've killed most people, so it would!"

"But you survived, so you did!"

"And your friend here brought you here, so he did!"

"And we looked after you, so we did!"

"And we're the fantastic Alchemy doctors of Fuchsia!" they yelled in unison.

"…" Toma stared, blankly. "So who are you?"

They fell on there faces.

A spotlight appeared in the middle of the room, and ne of the old men slid into its centre.

"We are twins, so we are."

"Who need each other, so we do!"

"And we strive, yes we do!"

"To find the answer to the universe, yes we do!" they both clapped their hands against each others. "We have been researching alchemy! The propertied of rearranging matter!"

"But it's not going so well, so its not…"

"We've had many fallbacks, so we have!"

"But…"

Happy tears appeared behind the large glasses. "WE ARE UNRIVALLED IN MEDICAL ALCHEMY, SO WE ARE NOT!"

He pulled down the bandages around Toma's chest, revealing a small circle, with a six sided star imprinted inside it.

"Your organs were damaged, so they were!" exclaimed one.

"But we repaired them, so we did!" cried another.

They both hugged each other happily. "WE ARE GENIUSES! SO WE ARE!!"

Toma sweat dropped, and pulled his bandages back down, then got out of bed, and slung on his coat.

Leo stared. "You can't leave now! You need to rest!"

He shrugged, and pushed open the door. "I heal fast."

In the small lobby, Gonzo sat, snoozing.

He jolted awake when Toma walked in.

"Oh! Your all healed captain?"

Toma grinned. "Of course! It was just a scratch!"

Leo skidded out of the room, and let out a heavy sigh. "Are you really sure you're alright Toma? Having a cannonball hit you in the back should at least take ages to heal!"

"Relax, relax!" said Toma, carelessly. "A little lead thingy ain't gonna kill me!" he then cocked his head. "By the way… Where'd Lil'Chris go?"

Leo shrugged. "She showed me this place, and then ran off. She seemed bothered about something…"

Gonzo nodded. "She ran past me as well, into the woods. I was trying to find you and tell you about dinner!"

Toma's eyes sparkled. "Food?!"

"_HE'S ALREADY FORGOTTEN ABOUT CHRIS!"_ Leo mentally screamed.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

The red head lay on her flat rock, staring out to sea, a faraway look in her eyes.

Dagger and Grey stood a little behind her, not sure whether to leave, or speak.

The rest of the Fuchsia pirates all stood behind the duo, looking concerned.

Ever since the incident four years before, they'd all seen Chris in a new light. She wasn't some kid anymore. She was going to be a real pirate.

"It's weird, you know…?" whispered Chris suddenly, as she closed her eyes. "That man… Toma… When he fell… And saw my face…" she opened her eyes. "He smiled…"

Dagger cocked his head slightly.

"Are pirates villains?" muttered Chris. "That band of people Toma defeated… The marines called them 'Ragnarok'… Aren't they villains? So what does that make pirates?"

Grey smiled slightly. "Pirates are all different…" muttered Grey. "Some strong… Some weak… Some kind… Some not…"

Chris smiled. "I think both of the Pirate Kings were kind… They just wanted to sail the seas in freedom…" she grinned. "That's what I want to do!"

Grey nodded. "And we want to help you Captain!"

"Yeah, Chris-nee!" cried Dagger.

Chris smiled. "I'm sure you could…" she hopped off of the rock, and stood, facing her whole crew. "But… You guys aren't ready yet…"

Some of the boys began to whisper.

"And when you are ready… I'm sure you'll all surpass even me…" muttered Chris, as she walked past them.

She stood beside Grey, just for a second, and patted him on the shoulder.

"Good luck…" she muttered.

Tears welled up in Dagger's eyes. "What are you talking about, Chris-nee? Aren't we all going to sail to sea together? Wasn't that the plan?"

Chris chuckled, but continued to walk, not looking back.

Grey looked round. "Oi! Chrisanthia!"

She froze.

"Don't die." Muttered Grey.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"Supplies?"

"Check." muttered Leo.

"Money?"

"Check."

"Cannons?"

"Check."

"Rum?"

"Rum? That wasn't on the list…"

"WHAT?! ARE YOU TELLING ME YOU FORGOT THE RUM?!" Toma slammed his boot into Leo's skull. "GO BACK AND GET MY FRIGGIN' BOOZE! HOW AM I GONNA SURVIVE WITHOUT IT?!"

Leo shoved the boot off his head, and met his own glare with Toma's. "DON'T SHOUT AT ME! BLAME YOURSELF FOR DRINKING YOUSELF SILLY! I ASKED YOU IF WE HAD EVERYTHING ON THE LIST!!! YOU SAID 'YES'!!!"

"FOSFOSFOSFOS!"

"YOU CAN SHUT UP TOO!!!!"

More shouts began to echo from the deck of the Dawn Walker.

CLANK!

The trio froze, as a large suitcase was dropped onto the deck.

Cat like eyes surveyed the three. "You weren't gonna leave without me, were you?"

Toma cocked his head. "Of course not! Who are you again?"

The girl grinned, and removed her cap, letting her hair flow behind her. He then dipped herself in a bow. "Chris Hopkins. Thief, actor, spy, and captain of the Fuchsia pirates… Ex-captain…" she grinned. "If you don't mind… I'd like to go to sea with you…"

Leo stopped punching Toma, and raised an eyebrow. "You want to come with US? What about your friends? Your family?"

Chris smiled. "All of them will understand…" a nostalgic look appeared in her eyes. "I want to see the world… This island is my home… But home isn't made for living in…" she looked up. "It's made for dreaming of…"

Gonzo laughed. "I like this kid!"

Toma knelt down, so his eyes were level with hers. "It's a rough world out there kid…"

He tightened her collar.

"Are you sure you're up for it?"

Chris grinned, and nodded.

"Then welcome aboard… Chris-chan…"

**000000000000000000000000000000000**

**Whoo!! I did it! I had HUGE writers block with this chapter, and managed to leap over it with improvisation! HOORAY FOR MAKING THINGS UP AS YA' GO ALONG!!**

**SNE wondered if this chapter was a little confusing, and reading over it, I agree, that it is VERY confusing… But then again, if you've managed to keep track up till now, it should make enough sense! Basically, a marine ship which docked found Toma and Co. planned to arrest him, yadda yadda, it should make sense from then on!**

**Next time will be the Clockwork arc! Prepare for some creepiness!!!**


	11. Clockwork Island Part I

**Clockwork-Part 1**

**Underground Island!!**

**We have a new OC from lazy-raIn-daNcEr: Haze**

**THANKS RAIN! YOU ROCK!!!**

**000000000000000000000000000**

_Once upon a time there was a great inventor._

_His name was Dr. Frank Stein_

_The man lived in East Blue, and was always experimenting._

_He made everyone on the island very happy._

_He made robotic limbs for the disabled and robotic helpers._

_He was also known as 'Puppet King'._

_One day, Dr. Frank Stein decided to journey to the Grand Line to find his fortune, and return to turn the whole of East Blue into a Utopia._

_After a week in the cursed sea, the famous Doctor, went insane._

_The village in which he lived disappeared._

_Which is why, young children, you should never go into the Grand Line unless you're strong, or you'll end up like mad Stein._

_Hehehe! Don't be scared! It's only a story after all!_

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

A man sat at the head of the large table, in the well lit cavern. He was tapping the table, humming ominously. His hair was blue, and unruly, uncut, and unkempt.

There was a loud echo, resounding throughout the cave, and suddenly the walls began to shake, violently.

He began to chuckle.

Then laugh.

Then scream manically.

"We have more friends over, Milo-kun…"

With his free hand, he held up a blue sock-puppet, with goggle eyes, and sharp teeth, metal plates resigning its back. "Let's rip' em' apart! Kill em' all! Rip em' Tear em'!"

"Yes Milo-kun…" he whispered. "Yes…"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"In total we spent 874 belis at the Fuchsia Baazar. We stole 8000 belis from Ragnarok, still stored in the ship's vault. And in total, before the ship came into our possession, we had 1764 belis." Muttered Leo to the crew, as he wrote down the numbers on his note pad. "So in total, we now have 8890 belis stored in the vault bellow. 40 percent is to be used on supplies, so that's…" he scribbled something down. "3556 belis… And the remaining 60 percent is to be divided into money for each of us meaning…" he pondered for a second. "15 percent each, or… 1333 berries each! Any questions?"

Toma raised his hand.

"Yeah?"

"What did you say after 'In total we spent'?" asked Toma.

Leo fell on his face. "ARE YOU GONNA LISTEN AT ALL?! I'M JUST TRYING TO DIVIDE OUR MONEY EQUALLY!"

"So what's for dinner, Gonzo?" asked Toma, turning to the Fishman.

"Oh! We're having some haddock fillet, with cream and thyme sauce! It's really quite delicious, but the Great White crew never appreciated it!" he let out a heavy sigh.

Leo stood, glaring stonily at the crew. "You guys have a low attention span…" he muttered.

CRASH!

He fell onto the deck, as Chris's boot hit him on the head. "WHO YOU SAYING HAS A LOW ATTENTION SPAN?!"

Leo grunted, but stood up. "I'm not going to fight YOU, Chrisanthia!"

"Eh?! Why not, wimp?! And don't call me that! Call me Chris!"

He winced, but kept a calm expression. "I don't fight girls… Chris"

A huge tick appeared on her head. "I'm gonna break your face, pretty boy!" growled the red head, quickly flicking out her two Deer-horn daggers, and diving at Leo, who made a tactical retreat across the deck.

"GET BACK HERE YOU COWARD!!"

"I'M NOT A COWARD!! I'M JUST A GENTLEMAN!!"

"SAME DIFFERENCE!!"

"IT'S 'SAME THING' NOT 'SAME DIFFERENCE'!"

"I'M GONNA FREAKIN' MURDER YOU!!"

Toma and Gonzo watched the scene from a safe distance, sipping from their bottles of rum.

"Hey, Gonzo…"

Gonzo took a sip from his rum, and looked at Toma. "Yeah?"

"If Chris is here, who's at the helm?"

"…"

"…"

"…"

The whole deck fell into silence.

Even Chris stopped chasing Leo.

"Oh crap…"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Leo banged his head against the wooden wall. "I. Can't. Believe. We. Are. Lost!!" at the end of every word he banged his head off the wall again. He glared at Toma. "This is all your fault!!"

"Eh? How the hell's it my fault?! Chris was supposed to be at the helm!" retorted Toma.

"I never blame girls!! You should have realised, and gone to the helm youself!"

"WHAT DO I LOOK LIKE; A GENIUS?!"

"EVIDENTALLY NOT!!"

Chris was watching with a large sweat drop on her head. "Are they always like this?"

Gonzo shrugged. "Pretty much…"

The ship suddenly began to shake.

Leo and Toma stopped arguing.

Chris dived off from her seat, and scaled up the mast, landing in the crows nest.

Her eyes went wide.

"It's a…" she narrowed her eyes to get a better view, then shivered. "IT'S A WHIRLPOOL!"

Toma leapt up onto the dolphin figurehead, in a crouched position, and screwed up his eyes in the darkness.

Sure enough, a dark swirl could be seen at the centre of the water.

But it was no whirlpool.

"That's not a whirlpool!!" he called.

There seemed to be a little relief.

"It's far worse…"

It was huge, like the size of a battleship, spiralling fully, drawing the ship towards it.

"I've heard of things like this… On Tsukiwan they called them Ateresu-Kadou… Endless-Vortex…"

Gonzo stared over the side of the ship, at the biting swirls, gnawing at the wooden hull.

"I thought they were just legends!!" he yelled.

Toma sat down, in a basket like stance, still on the figurehead.

"Don't move!!" he closed his eyes. "They are unstoppable…"

The ship suddenly zoomed into turbulence, being spun round the pool, like some giant pinball.

Chris stabbed both her daggers into the wooden floor of the crows nest, while both Gonzo and Leo thrust their arms into the deck, to give themselves stability

Toma sat calmly on the figurehead, breathing heavily…

And they descended into blankness.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

_Drip… Drip… Drip…_

Chris sat up, and rubbed her head. "Urgh… What happened…?"She was still in the crows nest of the Dawn Walker.

Leo and Gonzo were unconscious on the deck, there fists buried in the wood.

Toma simply sat on the figure head, staring down the stream in which they were being pulled along.

Chris leapt down from the crows nest, and walked up beside Toma. "Where are we?"

Toma cast one eye at her, then returned his gaze to the stream. "Across the world, there are 15 Ateresu-Kadou's… 3 in each of the four oceans, and 3 in the Grand Line… The one we fell into is the largest one in East Blue… Known as the Bermuda Sphere…" light began to shine at the end of the dark tunnel.

"This Ateresu wasn't natural…"

Gonzo sat up, and rubbed his head, shortly followed by Leo.

Both walked up behind Chris and Toma, and stared at the light growing, and growing.

"This Ateresu was man-made…"

The light surrounded them.

It was a glistening hall.

Shining marble tiles decorated the floor, and two great doors were at the centre of each side of the room.

The stream ended in a slight crescent shape, blocking them from sailing any further.

"This place is creepy…" muttered Chris, with a slight shiver.

Toma didn't move.

The current slowly ended, and the ship came to an abrupt halt.

"Drop the anchor…" muttered Toma, as he stood up.

Gonzo cocked his head, but pulled the lever, letting the large iron anchor fall into the water, with a great splash.

Toma leapt out onto one side of the hall, and closed his eyes. "We aren't alone here… There are two more signs of life in this cave…"

Leo's eyes widened. "What…?"

A blank, expressionless face appeared in front of Toma. "Welcome!!"

"HOLY SHIT!!!!" yelled Toma, leaping back, terrified.

Chris, Gonzo, and Leo's jaws dropped, and there eyes became wide, fear appearing on their faces.

It was a tall, masculine figure, wearing a butler uniform, with two long, dragging arms, stretching down to the floor. A top hat rested on its head, and a tight, proper collar was tied around his neck. But his face bore no nose, or mouth, or eyes. It was made of wood.

"You are the second guests to arrive here!" cried the butler, as he reached out his long arm, and shook Toma's numb hand. "I'm so glad!" he said with relief. "We have had no visitors for so long, and now five people have appeared, including you! Oh joyous days!!"

He bowed.

"Allow me to introduce myself! I am Rue Higashi! Butler to the great Dr. Frank Stein!" he suddenly went rigid. "But why are we wasting time talking?! The good doctor will be wanting to meet you all!" He spun round on his heels. "Please follow me!!"

Leo regained his cool, but still shivered slightly. "T-Toma…? W-What do we do…?"

Gonzo and Chris also stared at the bandaged man.

Toma shakily nodded. "L-Let's follow…"

Slowly, they followed the faceless butler, in through one of the giant doorways.

The next room was rather like a town centre, with a huge fountain at its centre, of a huge man, with long hair and glasses. Water spurted out his mouth, landing in the pool bellow.

But that wasn't the scary thing.

People were running about, laughing, yelling, and crying. All of them faceless.

"What the hell is up with this place…?" whispered Chris.

Toma turned to Rue. "What's going on here? All these people…?" he turned to a group of them. "They're faceless…"

Rue chuckled. "All in good time… All in good time… First you must meet the good doctor…"

"Earlier, did you say Doctor Stein?" asked Leo.

"Exactly!" cried Rue, in an ecstatic tone.

"You've heard of him?" asked Chris.

Leo nodded. "A child's story from my island… About a man named Doctor Frank Stein…" he looked cautiously around. "He was a great inventor, who was famed throughout East Blue… But one day, he journeyed to the Grand Line… It drove him insane… He destroyed his home… We were always told to never go near the Grand Line if we were weak… Or we'd end up like Mad Dr. Stein…"

Chris shivered. "That's creepy…"

"But I can't help wondering…"

Toma gazed behind him, at Leo.

"What?" asked Gonzo.

"What if… What if it wasn't just a story?"

_**CREEAAKK!!!**_

A great wooden door opened, leading into what looked like a banquet hall.

Rue bowed, and held out his huge arm. "Please enter… Dr. Stein will see you shortly…"

The Templar pirates walked into the hall, and heard the door slam shut behind them.

Another person sat at the far end of the table, with her arms crossed, and her eyes closed.

She had long red hair, reaching down to her waist, and had a red-sheathed sword strapped to her back. She wore a pink-sleeveless shirt, and blue shorts, ending two inches above her knees. When they entered, a hazel eye surveyed them, carelessly. But she paid them no heed, and closed her eye again.

"Wow, tough crowd…" muttered Toma, as he slung a seat out from under the table, and sat down, lazily.

Chris, Leo and Gonzo followed suit.

"Toma… Earlier you said that this wasn't a natural Ateresu… You said it was man-made…" whispered Chris. "What did you mean?"

Toma sighed. "There are four types of Templar studying the art of Kaazan… The path of air, the path of water, the path of fire and the path of earth. All are trained with different weapons, matching to that path… But as a basic, we are all trained to know what may hit us if we were selected as a Knight of the Above…"

"Knight of the Above?" whispered Gonzo.

Toma cast a green eye in his direction. "In simple terms, a travelling priest, who goes from church to church… But it's a tough world nowadays, so they had to be the strongest, the bravest, and the smartest to do so… We were all informed about natural disasters, and how to survive them… The three I was told about were the Ateresu-Kadou, the Suna-Ibaku, and the Kaze-Kabe…" (Sand-curtain/Wind-wall) whispered Toma.

"What path were you?" asked Leo, curiously.

Toma looked over in the other girl's direction, and caught her staring curiously, listening to his every word.

"I was the path of Earth, who is to listen to nature's heartbeat… It is the path you must take if you want to fight with nature on your side… It is based around the Demi-Mallet… The path of fire uses rapiers, the path of water claw-gauntlets, and the path of wind Bows…" he smiled. "I chose it to counter the darkness within my heart…"

Leo laughed. "You don't have darkness in your heart! You're the purest person I know, who doesn't drink that is!"

Toma shook his head. "I have more darkness in my heart than anyone in this room combined…"

There was an ominous pause.

"The Bermuda Sphere came into existence little other than 17 years ago." Said Toma. "Before there existed the island of Gardua. It was swallowed by the Ateresu, and plunged into the depths. It is the only known unnatural Ateresu in the world, and of course… The most dangerous. When encountering an Ateresu we were given this advice…" he chuckled. "Commit suicide… It's much less painful… But…" He looked up at the ceiling. "We all ended up down here… Which leads me to believe this 'Doctor' may not be such a 'good' one as made out to be…"

"Interesting!"

Toma looked behind him, and saw the girl standing there, her arms folded, a grin on her face.

"You seem like a nice guy! I was wondering whether you guys were pirates!!"

"We are." said Toma, flatly.

She burst out laughing. "Very funny! That's a great joke!"

"I'm being serious…"

"Oh! Stop! You're tearing me up!" she began to gag with laughter. "I'm Haze! It's nice to meet you! You're Toma right?"

"Yup…" he muttered, turning fully round and sitting on the table.

"My boat got sucked into that 'thing', what did you call it? Atesuru?"

"Ateseru…" corrected Chris, with a growl.

"That's it! It got smashed in the stream bellow, and I was hoping this doctor guy could help me out!!"

"I can…"

The group turned round, and saw a man, wearing a white lab coat, and glasses with thick lenses. Long, thick blue hair ran down his head, to his mid back. He surveyed them all with his crimson eyes. "I am Doctor Frank Stein… I'm pleased to meet you all…"

He held up his right arm, showing a blue glove puppet, with freaky goggle eyes, and sharp, metal fang-like teeth. Metal plates ran along its back, into the thick sleeve.

"This is my friend, Milo-kun…"

He closed his lips. "Nice to meet cha'!" said the glove puppet.

Toma narrowed his eyes. This wasn't simple ventriloquism.

"I hope you'll all like it here… This is my Utopia…" he held out his arms. "Clockwork Island…"

**00000000000000000000000000000**

**Next Time: Night of the Puppet**


	12. Clockwork Island Part II

**Clockwork Island Part 2**

**Night of the Puppet**

**000000000000000000000000**

The room went silent.

"So he's… Doctor Frank Stein…" whispered Leo.

Haze's hand shifted slightly to her sword's hilt, while Chris's hand went to the stitched pocket on the inside back of her hat.

Gonzo grit his teeth. "This man…"

A giant, dark aura spread around the room.

"He bears the scent of death…"

Toma's hand also moved to his mallet.

Dr. Stein chuckled. "I am sorry if I have scared you all… This is my village, Gardua."

Leo's eyes widened.

A nostalgic smile appeared on Stein's face. "It was swallowed by the Bermuda sphere… All my friends died…"

PUNCH!!!!

Milo head butted him. "Don't be so sorrowful in front of the guests, Stein-baka!!"

Stein looked surprised, then an exclamation mark appeared above his head. "Of course! I'm meant to make the guests feel welcome! Thank you for your guidance Milo-kun!"

Everyone sweat dropped.

"Is he really having a conversation with a sock puppet?" whispered Chris.

Stein's gaze returned to the group. "This is the home I constructed from scratch… Every person, every home, every wall, was constructed by Milo-kun and I…"

"Damn right!!" yelled Milo.

"It was of course built to prevent me from going insane… But whoever does end up here always ends up dead… It's really quite tragic…" he put his hands into the lab-coat's pocket, and the Milo-hand brought out a cigarette.

He placed it in his mouth, then with his normal hand, he withdrew a lighter, and lit the cigarette.

"So…" he inhaled. "I assume you wish to find the way out of Gardua…?"

Toma nodded, but did not take his hand off his mallet.

Stein smiled. "Good. I can arrange that. Unfortunately, I must remain… I have grown too fond of my people to leave now…" he clapped his hands together, causing Milo to yelp. "But I can arrange for you to have accommodation during the night, and I can send you back to the surface in the morning. How does that sound?"

Rue walked in, his arms held out front, plates lining them, balanced precariously on the stringy limbs.

"Please, dine with me. I will arrange for you to return to the surface world in the morning."

Rue grasped the wooden table, and let the plates slide down his arms, onto the surface. With that, the tall butler bowed. "Please enjoy your meal!!"

Toma let go of his mallet, and picked up a fork on the table, then stabbed it into a roasted potato.

Pulling down the bandages around his mouth, he took a bite.

Stein smiled pleasantly.

The food was untainted, unspoiled, and cooked to absolute perfection! It was nearly as good as Gonzo's food.

Toma swallowed the crisp skin, and felt it slide down his throat. His gut feeling didn't subside.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"Oi! Captain! Look at that!"

A tall man, with a feather cap, and a huge scythe strapped to his back, walked towards the deck. He wore jester like cloths, with baggy pants, and pointed shoes, and wore a green and pink shirt, with sleeves far too long for his arms. He had a white porcelain mask, with two simple black lenses, and three red lines under the right eye.

"It's an Ateresu-Kadou… What of it?" said the man, with a casual shrug.

"It's just… It's the biggest one I've ever seen!" cried the man, staring out farther.

The man chuckled. "That is the Bermuda Sphere, Judai-kun… Haven't you ever heard of it before?"

Judai cocked his head. "No captain Kyoya… I haven't."

The captain laughed. "Men who don't know anything about the sea…"

Blood exploded from Judai's body. He toppled over the side of the deck, and was quickly swept up by the current.

"Don't deserve to stand in my presence…"

Some other members of the crew watched shakily.

The captain moved to a wooden throne in the centre of the deck, and sat down, slinging his scythe down beside him, a silver ribbon connecting its hilt to his wrist.

"We're going back to the Grand Line… I've got some unfinished business to attend to!"

"Yes, Captain Kyoya!" chorused the crew.

A poster was nailed to the wall behind him.

It showed a picture of him, holding his scythe, blade side down, the silver ribbon spiralling around him.

'DEMON SLAYER' HIBARI KYOYA- 2 BILLION BERI

He was currently, the most wanted man in the world.

And Toma's father.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"Wow!" cried Haze, as she patted her belly. "That was a great meal!"

Stein chuckled. "We're glad to see you enjoyed it, aren't we Milo-kun?"

"Of course!" cried the blue puppet. "It's been months since any real guests arrived!"

Stein nodded. "All the guests who have arrived in the past die from disease… It's rather tragic… I came up with a hypothesis that a virus has collected in the air around Gardua, which Milo-kun and I have built up an immunity against…" he looked at them with a hazel eye. "Of course, you all seem fine." He shook his head, and began to moan slightly. "It's been so long since we've had guests… My puppets all try to comfort me… But they cannot sustain me… And the disease kills all my new friends…"

Gonzo narrowed his eyes.

"I would love to leave this village…" whispered Stein. "But I'm afraid… It's like I'm bound here…"

"Like nails to wood!" cried Milo. He then clamped his sharp jaws over Stein's head. "AND DON'T GET SORROWFUL WITH THE GUESTS, BAKA-STEIN!!"

"OW! OW! OW! SORRY! OW! PLEASE STOP, MILO-KUN!"

The group sweat dropped.

Stein clapped his hands together again, earning another yelp from Milo. "STOP SQUISHING ME, AMEHITSU*!"

"Sorry, sorry!" muttered Stein in apology.

Rue walked into the room, in a bowed position. "How can I help, Dr. Stein?"

Stein smiled pleasantly. "Can you please prepare rooms for my lovely guests. One for the ladies, and one for the men."

Chris winced. "How the hell does he know I'm a girl?" she snapped to Toma, in a hushed voice.

A second puppet walked in behind Rue. She wore a French maid outfit, and had shoulder length green hair. But unlike the other puppets, she had a face. It was so lifelike, going into details towards even the tinniest freckle.

"How can I be of assistance?" she whispered, in a dead-pan voice.

"Rose-chan, can you escort the two ladies to their room?" asked Rue, in a pleasant tone.

"Understood…" whispered Rose, her jaw moving with the speech, adding to the illusion of life. "Follow…"

Chris grunted, and stuffed her hands in her pockets.

Toma looked at her, and muttered under his breath. "Be careful…"

Chris nodded, and followed Haze.

Rue then held out his long arm, and spun round on his heel. "Please follow me gentlemen!"

Stein smiled at them, and waved the hand wearing Milo at them. "Sleep well! I will help you all in the morning!"

As the three young pirates left the room, their gazes never left Stein's…

And his never left theirs…

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"This place is way too creepy…" grunted Toma, as he flopped down on the soft bed. "It's like those haunted castles you heard about in stories! Except for the fact this is a cave, and it's underground… Well, it's still got the evil madman!!!"

Leo sighed, and leaned against the wall beside his bed. "The air was really heavy in that room… I felt… Like running away from that man…"

Gonzo looked down. "Toma. You said you could listen to nature's heartbeat with that templar style you use…"

Toma looked at him, curiously.

"What did you feel when he looked at you?" asked Gonzo, his eyes very narrow.

The bandaged man gave him a short shrug. "Who knows…"

There was a knock at the door.

"It's not locked!" called Leo.

The door opened, and Rue walked in, pushing a small cart, with a bottle of wine in an ice bucket on it. "I have brought you all a nice drink to help you go to sleep…" said Rue, fondly. "We have plenty of wine from the village store. That's where most of our food comes from!"

Rue let go of the cart, and walked out the door, one hand holding onto the handle, slowly closing it behind him. "Good night…"

He shut the door.

Toma winced. "Creepy… Are these guys naturally scary, or do they have to work at it?!"

Gonzo had already stood up, and walked over to the wine, picking it up, and examining the bottle.

"Hn… This is a really expensive stuff… 19 year old West bBlue vintage… Urland…"

Leo raised an eyebrow. "Urland? What the hell is that supposed to be?"

Gonzo shrugged, and spun the bottle round in his hands, showing the curvy name given to the wine.

_URLAND_

"One bottle of this is worth over ten thousand beli… I'm amazed to see a real bottle of it…"

Toma cocked his head. "How do you now so much about wine?"

Gonzo gave his captain a toothy grin. "I know all about the vintage wines from the four oceans! I was taught about it when I was just a guppy!"

The captain shrugged. "Hey… You remember when he mentioned that disease that killed off anyone who survived the Bermuda?"

Leo cocked his head.

"Well, why haven't we been affected, and if it affects everyone, how can Stein have built up an immunity?"

All of them went silent.

"When did you become serious, Toma?" muttered Leo.

Toma let out a loud laugh. "Serious? Me? That's a good one!"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Chris let out a heavy sigh, as she sank into the large bed. "Ah… I wish we had these on Toma's ship! Those beds feel like sleeping on rocks!"

Haze stared at her, warily. "Are you the only girl in that crew?"

Chris looked up at the older girl. "Yeah, I suppose… Why?"

Haze blushed angrily. "None of them have tried to… Well… Take advantage of you, have they?"

Chris blushed angrily and sat up quickly. "S-SHUT UP! PERVERTED WOMAN!"

The door opened and Rose walked in, standing up fully erect, staring blankly into space.

She took one look at Chris, then began to walk towards the girl.

As she walked closer, Chris drew up against the wall. "Oi-Oi! Stay back!" she warned/

Rose bent over, her face an inch from Chris's. No warmth came from her skin.

"Run…" mumbled Rose.

Haze's eyes widened.

Chris simply blinked, a nervous grin on her face. "W-what…?"

"Y-you cannot… Get out…" mumbled Rose. "Run… They… Are…"

A crack formed on her grey, wooden face.

"…Coming…"

She fell apart. Literally.

All the joints, connecting the arms, legs and head to the torso broke, causing the pieces to flop onto Chris's body. Cracks also formed along the surface of the skin, causing light grey powder to fall.

The 16 year old simply stared, her mouth wide. "W-W-W-What…? WHAT THE HELL?!?!?!?!!"

Haze rushed over to her side, hurriedly removing the pieces of the now destroyed Rose, and removing the dust from Chris.

The young girl was still staring blankly at the pieces of the puppet, its eyes still wide.

"W-what just happened…?" whispered Chris.

Haze knelt down, and picked up the head of Rose, a crack running right down its centre, from the top of the forehead to the lower part of the chin.

She turned it so the face was level with hers, and then muttered, "**Konki-Harou…**" (Energy Surge) a blue light illuminated in her hand, flowing around the puppet's head.

The eyes in its skull jolted into life, fixing on Haze.

"Where is master?"

Haze grit her teeth. "Do you mean Dr. Stein?"

Rose looked towards Chris. "You… So… Young…" a slight smile appeared on its face. "I… So… Sorry… You… Must… Run…"

Haze narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean, run from what?"

"The curse… Of… Master…" whispered Rose. "I… Fell into… The Bermuda… With my crew… We were… Treated… Fed… And healed by… Master…" her eyes began to dim, fading into a blank white colour. "He… Is… Mad…"

The head crumbled to dust, and Chris bit her lower lip nervously.

"W-WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" yelled Chris. "SHE-SHE-SHE-SHE CAME BACK TO LIFE!!"

Haze reached inside a bag on her shorts, and pulled out a pair of fingerless gloves, which she slid onto her hand.

The, slowly, she unsheathed her sword. It was a silver colour, with a crimson hilt and guard, like the sheath.

"I don't know why…" whispered Haze. "But the energy in this place…" she held out her hand, and a black mist began to appear, swirling around like smoke.

"What is that?" asked Chris, looking interested but weary at the same time.

"The energy in this place is rage… Mixed with sadness… Mixed with… Death…"

The clenched her fist, and the black mist disappeared.

"H-How did you do that…?" muttered Chris, now holding her Crescent Dagger in a defensive stance.

Haze smiled. "I ate the Konki Konki no Mi! I'm an Energy human!"

"Energy… Human…?" whispered Chris, as her legs gave out, and she slumped to the floor. "This is one demented world we live in…"

Haze chuckled. "Tell me about it…"

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

The pair went ridged, as it opened, and Rue walked in.

He looked down at Rose's remains, and shook his head. "Really… I thought we'd fixed all the bugs this time…" he looked up at them, his blank, expressionless face shining in the moonlight. "I hope she didn't disturb you… Perhaps you would like to see the good doctor…? And ask for a check-up?"

Haze knelt down, holding her sword at her side.

Chris did likewise, holding the dagger in front of her, and drawing the pronged dagger from her belt.

"Oh… Really, I do not wish to fight… It may spoil the room for the next guests, and the doctor will be angry at me! Oh poor Rue…" He held out his arms at their full length. Knife like blades shot out the top of the fingers, turning them effectively into claws. "But if you insist…" the silhouette of red eyes appeared under the wooden face. "I shall bring you to the doctor… _In Pieces!!!!_"

He sped forwards.

"Here he comes!!" cried Haze.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

A soft snoring could be heard from the boys room, as all of them lay in bed, sound asleep.

None of them could tell that their door had softly been opened, and three, silent, cloaked figures had entered.

Each one carried a long, thin sword.

Dark red lights shone through the gaps in their hoods, from the silhouettes of their eyes.

One stood by each bed, and all raised their swords, like a well oiled machine, in time with one another.

"_Bring them back undamaged…_" whispered one.

"_Stab through the heart…_" said the second.

"_Dismantle the corpse…_" said the third.

They spun the swords down, so the sharp point was hovering over the sleeping figure.

"_Die…_" they all whispered, simultaneously.

They thrust downwards

**00000000000000000000000000000**

**Ooh! Cliffy! My evilness comes into affect!! MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!**

**I received a question from a Miss Sanjiandserea, so I'll just let everyone know my answer:**

**Q-'Will there be any romances in this fic?'**

**A-'Possibly, depending on reaction. This is a One Piece fic, so it is unlikely, but if people want romances, you get romances. Ain't I a big hearted guy?'**

***Amehitsu- Rain head, joke relating to the blue colour of Stein's hair.**

**Next Time: Clockwork Island Part 3-Flesh to Wood**


	13. Clockwork Island Part III

**Clockwork Island-Part 3**

**Flesh to Wood**

**0000000000000000000000000000000**

"Whoo… That was a close one…"

The crimson eyes fell on Toma, who was staring at the sword, inches from his heart. Leo had his palm clenched around the puppets head, crushing the gears inside the hollow shell and Gonzo's fist was embedded into the remaining one's skull.

"_Trickery…_" whispered the surviving puppet, as it drew the sword out of the feather bed.

Toma leapt to his feet, and flung on his jacket, pulling out his hammer from his skull-buckle belt. "I'd say that's pot calling the kettle black, ya twerp!"

"_HAH!!!_" the hooded puppet slid forwards, as if on wheels, making no sound of boots clacking off the floor.

"**KAAZAN…**" Toma raised the mallet in the air and then thrust downwards with great speed. "**ISHU!!!!**"

The metal mallet contacted with the top of the head, and smashed it into the ground, the two forces crushing the head like a grape, causing tiny black gears to fall to the floor from its inside.

Toam grinned. "Lucky!"

Leo sat up, and pushed the useless doll away from him, crumbling to dust as it landed on the floor.

Gonzo snapped the head off, then smashed its remains on the wall, freeing his fist.

"Pieces of junk…" he muttered, as he flexed his fingers.

"Well that explains about the 'disease' he's immune to…" muttered Toma. "Anyone who's lucky enough to survive gets butchered by these pieces of crap…"

Leo's eyes widened. "But wait… Doesn't that mean…?"

Gonzo gasped slightly. "CHRIS!"

As soon as the words left his lips, all three of them bolted for the door, Toma smashing it down with a swing of the mallet.

Then they all froze. The contents of the town square also froze. All of their heads swerved round, to face the three pirates.

Red eyes shone on the blank faces.

"_Are you lost sir?_"

"_Do you need any help?_"

"_Would you like to see the doctor?_"

Blades, guns, spikes, all kinds of devices, shot out the puppet's body parts, turning their usual seemingly harmless bodies into dangerous weapons.

The three were surrounded.

Toma let out a heavy sigh. "Kaazan really hates me…"

The puppets swarmed.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Haze burst out the window, Chris right on her tail, the two bolting down the hallway in which they had been led by rose.

Suddenly, a crack appeared in the wall surrounding the window from where they had exited.

With a mighty crash, Rue broke through the wall, now spawning six arms, each with knife like fingers, crawling on the floor like a grotesque spider, the blank face opened up where a mouth should have been, revealing grinding jaws. "_Come back dearies!_" cried Rue, as he scaled along the corridor, tearing at the ground. "_I don't want to have to hurt you even worse than I'm already going to!_"

Haze reached into her bag, and drew out a small capsule, throwing it behind her. "GO TO HELL, FREAK-SHOW!"

The small capsule exploded, causing rocks to wall in front of Rue and effectively blocking his path.

Chris looked behind her, and saw the wooden-monster burrowing through the rocks, like a scorpion, crawling out from the largest crack, then continuing to speed along behind them.

"Got any idea's, Dairy-cow?!" yelled Chris in frustration.

"No! Bout' you, flat-chest?!" cried Haze, as she dug out a few more capsules, and flung them behind her, creating an even larger explosion.

Again, Rue simply shrugged off the rubble, taking no damage at all.

They came to a cross-road, each path leading into darkness.

"Which way?!" asked Chris, anime tears streaming down her face.

"I've no idea!!" yelled Haze, also in tears.

"How bout' right?!" suggested Chris.

"Right is good!"

The two dashed down the earthy path, as fast as their legs could carry them…

…Only to arrive at a dead end.

"No…" whispered Chris.

Haze spun round, and saw Rue, each of his arms grasped onto the wall, blocking all ways of getting round him.

"_Lucky I am, that master decided not to finish this path…_" spat Rue, no longer in a jolly tone, but a sharp, harsh one. "_Tell me… Should I slice you, or dice you?"_ one of his hands fell off, revealing a pair of scissors, as sharp as razors. "_Please surrender now, and I'll make it as painless as possible…_"

Haze grunted, then held her sword vertically, point side up. "**Hana-Nami!!**" (Wave of Flowers)

Chris stared in astonishment, as blue flower like shapes began to bloom all around Rue, surrounding him.

Haze grinned. "Survive this, bastard!"

Blue energy flowed out of the flower-like shapes, crashing into Rue at amazing speed, causing the puppet to stumble back. Smoke began to bloom around the puppet, blocking him from view.

"Nice!" yelled Haze, as she cocked her arm, in a victory pose.

"_You're really starting to annoy me…_"

Haze's jaw dropped.

A hand reached out of the smoke, and gripped into the earth, with clawed metal fingers.

"_The master will be angry if I spoil you… But maybe he'll forgive me…_"

He dashed out the smoke, towards the pair.

Both girls let out a small gasp.

_**CRASH!!!!**_

The ceiling around Rue fell in, falling down on the puppet, crushing his whole body.

Again, smoke enveloped the area in which he once stood, but this time, his head could visibly be seen, the red eyes faded, a great crack down the centre of the face.

"Leo… I think you overdid it… Just a tad…"

"Well you'r the one who said 'think of something-QUICK!' I only responded to your wish, CAPTAIN!"

"FOSFOSFOSFOSFOS!"

"I AM REALLY GOING TO KILL YOU IF YOU KEEP LAUGHING!!"

Three silhouette's were visible atop the rubble.

As the smoke and dust cleared, Leo, Gonzo and Toma came into vision, arguing fiercely.

Toma turned his head for a moment, then spotted both Chris and Haze, who were staring, mouths agape.

"Oh! Yo!" he waved at them slightly.

"THAT'S THE WRONG REACTION, DAMMIT!" yelled Chris, as she flung a rock at him.

Leo and Gonzo also took notice of them. "Chris! Haze! Why are you further underground?"

Haze put her hands on her hips. "We were led here by that weird puppet maid. Just a little earlier she freaked out and totally fell to pieces! Then we were chased by Dr. Gruesome, here!"

Toma slid down the rubble, and looked at the head of Rue, its mouth still agape with sharp teeth.

He suddenly shivered, and looked up at the hole above him.

Many red eyes were staring down at them from above, like ghosts.

"Leo! Gonzo! You guys might wanna get down here!"

Both men looked up, then hurriedly slid down the rubble, beside Toma.

The red eyes continued to stare, but then all vanished, turning the cavern dark.

"_Ooh! Very impressive, Captain-kun…_"

Toma stared down at Rue's body. Its eyes had reappeared, and a voice was echoing from its dead lips. It was Dr. Stein's.

"_I never imagined my little creation Rue would be crushed by some rubble so easily… Such a pity…_" a mad chuckle could be heard. "_Then again, he was a base product, originally designed for construction… The real works of art are still to be released…_"

The cavern suddenly lit up, lights on the ceiling illuminating the passage in a dull orange.

"_Tell me, Captain-kun… Do you like to play games?_"

Toma narrowed his eyes. "Yeah… I'd say I do, Stein-sensei…"

Another mad laugh. "_So witty Captain-kun… You'll make a fine puppet…_"

The entire group's eyes widened.

Toma got to his knees, and wrenched the head off of Rue's body, bringing it right close to his.

"What the hell do you mean by that?!"

"_Did you ever wonder where I got all the designs for my works of art?_" whispered Stein. "_I'll give you a clue… I didn't use a drawing board… I simply used the amazing art I was blessed with in the Grand Line… The dark gear technology…_"

Toma grit his teeth. "Are you trying to tell me…?" whispered Toma. "That you turned all the people in your village… Into faceless dolls?!"

Chris wretched, suddenly doubling over, and mildly vomiting.

Leo knelt down beside her, and tried to comfort the young girl, but kept his eyes glued to the puppet. They were filled with rage.

"_You make my artwork sound like such a crime, Captain-kun! But I'll get back to the real point… I want to play a game with you all! It'll be fun!_" there was a short pause. "_I must warn you… In this village I am the reigning champion… I created this town as a maze… You may find yourselves running into traps, or my faithful puppets. But your task on a whole is simple; find me. It's like hide and seek… But to add to the game, I'll set a little gamble on the table… If you win, I will gladly let you grant me punishment as you see fit, let it be death, annihilation, or mercy…_"

Gonzo growled, and clenched his fists.

"_But if I win…_" there was a mad cackle. "_I'll turn you and your friends corpses' into puppets!!! CAHCAHCAHCAHCAHCAHCAHCAH!!!_"

Toma suddenly wrenched his hand to the side, smashing the head between his palm and the wall.

The red lights of the eyes flickered. "_You… Have… A ten… Minute… Start… Good… Luck!!_"

Toma growled. He looked up, at the blank faces staring down at him. His yellow eyes narrowed. "This guy… Is really starting to piss me off…"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Cheshire held the piece of paper between his two fingers, from the top right hand corner, and stared at it, intently.

On it was a diagram of a man, an arrow, a skeleton, another arrow, some second layer of skeleton, and a final arrow leading to a black gear.

"Cheshire wonders what this is, nyuu…" he muttered, narrowing his crimson eye.

Joker leant back in his chair, his arms folded, revealing his leather clad sleeves and black and white gloves.

His hat was tipped over the front of his mask, hiding the top half of it. "That is a diagram of the dark gear technology…" whispered Joker, in his emotionless tone. "Three forms are used throughout the world, all of them SS-class crimes, punishable by torture and public execution…"

Cheshire lowered the paper, and looked at Joker, intently. "Three forms, nyuu?"

Joker raised the hat, revealing the black eye lenses. "Stone gear, Wood gear, Steel gear. Their danger rises in that order, stone gear being the weakest, Steel being the strongest."

Cheshire cocked his head. "Why? Cheshire wonders the difference…"

Joker looked up at the ceiling of the pub, and raised his boots onto the table. "Stone gear involves destroying the bulk of the body, and replacing it with rock. Wood gear involves striping the body of flesh, and adding a special form of wood, creating a puppet like body. And steel gear involves extracting the skeleton and brain, then adding a metal layer atop it, granting it stability. In the cases known 30% of the subjects die before completion of the Dark Gear."

"Oi!" a large bald man, with a dragon's head tattoo on his shiny head walked up to the table, and knelt down beside Joker. "Nii-san. D'ya wanna buy a friend a drink? Come on! Just lend us a few bob!"

Cheshire picked up the small piece of fish on his plate, and popped it in his fanged mouth. "Cheshire doesn't talk to scum…" he muttered, licking the sauce off his lips.

The man gritted his teeth. "You little bast-"

He had raised his fist, when Joker's hand clenched around his wrist.

The man screamed in pain, dropping to the floor, and clutching the lower part of his arm, unable to move.

"Though I doubt my partner couldn't defend himself…" whispered Joker. "I don't like those who bare ill will against him…" With his free arm, he held his hand inches from the man's neck. A blade shot out the top of his wrist.

Many men in the pub now stood up, and the staff backed away.

The man looked up, at the black lenses.

"Please do not upset me again…" whispered Joker, as he retracted the blade, and let go of the wrist, causing the arm to flop uselessly to the floor. "Come, Cheshire…"

Cheshire picked up a last piece of fish, popped it in his mouth, then hopped off his seat, following in Joker's wake.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"Do you think that bastard was serious about this?" muttered Leo, as they ran down the dark corridor.

"Did he SOUND serious?" snapped Chris. "The guy's a maniac!"

"Those red eyes…" whispered Gonzo. "Stein seemed to be able to see our every movement… Do you think those eyes…?"

Toma nodded, and turned towards the Fishman. "Yup… They were cameras alright… He must be somewhere close by, or the earth would probably block the signal…"

"What's Dark Gear?" asked Chris. "He mentioned something about that…"

Toma shrugged. "I haven't the foggiest…"

"_ATTENTION PLAYERS!!!_" Stein's voice boomed through the corridor like thunder. "_YOU HAVE EXACTLY FIVE MINUTES BEFORE I RELEASE MY WOODEN FRIENDS UPON YOU! YOU BETTER RUN, RUN, RUN! OR THEY'LL CUT YOU UP LIKE PAPER!!! CAHCAHCAHCAHCAHCAHCAH!!_"

"The bastard!" muttered Haze. "And I thanked the guy for the food! I'm gonna beat my thanks out of his puny skull!"

"That made no sense whatsoever…" whispered Leo, with a sigh.

"You gonna make something of it, turf-head?!" yelled Haze.

"ENOUGH WITH THE TURF-HEAD!"

A light appeared in front of them. It was the door in which Haze and Chris had been led through by Rose.

"Lucky!" yelled Toma, as he picked up his pace, running even faster.

The group emerged into the lighted hall…

To be surrounded by a field of puppets.

Every one of them staring with red eyes, but not moving, like malevolent statues.

"This is beyond creepy…" muttered Chris. "But the blue-haired bastard is keeping to his word…"

"Let's not stand here then!" yelled Leo, as he ran forwards. "We need to run! Now!!"

"_DING-DONG! May I have your attention? Testing-Testing, One, Two, Three! Can you hear me?! You can? Good… I have decided to cut your start by four minutes, since I find it unfair on the little puppets! Look at their cute little pouts! And will you just look at the time! That happens to be-NOW! So sorry! Bye-Bye!_"

The group froze.

Slowly, one of the puppets looked up, followed by another, then another. Before long, all of them were gaping at them with the soulless crimson eyes.

"Oh crap…"

**0000000000000000000000000000**

**Next Time: Clockwork Island Part 4-Fool's mate**

**Taadaa! Hope ya liked the instalment! I'm really enjoying writing this arc, and I hope ya'll like it! See ya'll next time!**


	14. Clockwork Island Part IV

**Clockwork Island Part 4-**

**Fool's Mate!**

**000000000000000000000000**

"**KAA-ZAAN…**" Toma smashed his mallet into another puppets face. "**…STORM!!!!!**" he continued delivering a flurry of blows to everything around him, smashing anything within a 3 meter range to pieces.

"**LEVEL**…" Leo crouched down.

Puppets surrounded him, enclosing him in a circle.

"…**3!!!!!**"

He leapt up, and explosion of gravity rotating around him, crushing the helpless doll's to pieces.

"**CRESCENT…**" Chris weaved In and out between the gaps the puppets made, halting at a safe distance, her silver dagger clasped in her hands. "**…Volley!**" All puppets behind her were instantly diced into scrap.

Gonzo threw both his fists back. "**175 gallons-"** He slammed both his fists into two separate puppets. "**SALTED PORK!**"

The two puppets and those directly behind them, were all pulverised by the sheer force of his fists, a giant hole ramming through their chests, causing them to fall into dust.

Haze drew her sword, and began to spin round on the spot, as puppets surrounded her. "Let's see if ya'll can survive this, bastards!" she yelled, yellow energy flowing off her body. "**HASU-SHIPPUU!!!**" (Lotus Hurricane) The energy exploded around her, colliding with the puppets, cutting them to pieces.

"Strike!" yelled Haze, making another victory pose as she sheathed her sword. "I rule!"

Toma sighed, and contracted his mallet.

They had managed to obliterate (Literally) every puppet in the dining hall, allowing them access into the town centre.

The great golden door creaked open, and another wave of puppets sprawled in, slowly walking like zombies, odd weapons sticking out various limbs, giving them a grotesque appearance.

"These bastards don't know when to die!" yelled Chris, holding out her dagger again.

All the puppets rose their weapons, pointing them towards the pirates.

Guns, Knives, Swords, Axes, and some weapons so weird that were impossible to name.

"I am going to smash these pieces of crap to saw dust!!" yelled Toma, holding the mallet above his head like some insane tribal weapon.

Suddenly, the red eyes of the puppets vanished, leaving their normal blank expressions.

Slowly, but surely, they lowered the weapons.

"What the hell is this…?" whispered Gonzo, as he fingered his harpoon.

"_My, my… You've all lasted longer than expected… Most are chopped up rather quickly… What a shame I've decided to end the game now…_" he laughed manically. "_In this game, you have only seen my mediocre art… Constructed in limited time, when I was mass producing… You have still to see my real art… The art I spent years slaving over…_"

"This bastard is sick…" muttered Chris.

"_I am watching your every more, and yet you have still to exit the town centre… Disappointing. Although you have lasted longer, your distance record is… Poor… So let's make it more interesting!!_"

"What does he mean by that…?" whispered Haze.

"_I've decided to spilt you all up! You might wish to hold your breath for a few moments…_"

All the puppets suddenly doubled over, their arms and legs contracting, as they took small, cube like shapes.

"What the fuck are they doing?" muttered Toma, as he dashed over to one, and poked it with his mallet.

"_FLOOD GATES: OPEN!!_"

The group froze.

A low rumbling could be heard from the depths of the tunnels.

Before they could move, the gate to the great hall, and to the Dawn Walker, slammed shut, leaving only the tunnels and the town centre accessible.

"Please tell me he didn't just say 'flood gates'…" whispered Chris.

The rumbling began to get louder.

Slowly, Leo turned his head towards a dark tunnel.

"RUN FOR IT!!!"

White water exploded from the tunnel, rushing through the town as fast as a storm, ripping over the puppet's, who seemed unharmed by the great force.

BY this time, the group had already began to run as fast as their human limits would allow, Haze following a close second to Toma.

"How the hell-PUFF-are you so fast?!" yelled Toma.

"I don't think… That's the right thing to say right now!!" yelled Haze in reply.

Chris was leading last in the group. She looked behind her, and saw the wave ripping through the town.

"SHIT!!!!" she cried. She was so preoccupied, she didn't notice a small rock in front of her.

With the great force of momentum, she tripped, her leg slamming into the ground, causing her to scream with the sudden jolt of pain.

Leo froze, and suddenly bolted in the opposite direction, grabbing Chris, and slinging her over his back.

"You're the last person I want helping me!!" yelled the red head, her eyes screwed shut.

Leo made no reply.

He suddenly stopped running, and crouched down.

"Oi! What the hell are you doing?!" cried Chris.

The water was getting nearer. "YOU CRAZY BASTARD!!!"

Leo held his arms wide. "**ROOM!!!**"

The water collapsed over them.

"LEO! CHRIS!" yelled Gonzo.

"They'll be fine!" cried Toma over the roar of the water. "They won't die that easily!"

Gonzo grunted, but kept running.

"You realise we'll never outrun this thing, right?!" yelled Haze.

Toma then froze, and spun round, holding the mallet vertically, the hammer side down.

He grinned as the water ripped towards him. "I wonder if I'll survive this…"

The water enveloped him.

"Aw shit!! What the hell are we supposed to do now?!" yelled Haze, tears streaming from her eyes.

Gonzo shook his head. "Maybe we should just jump in! Wait a minute…" he froze. "I'm a fishman… Why am I running?"

"YOU JUST REALISED THAT NOW?!"

Gonzo didn't have time to answer, as he too was covered in water.

"SHITSHITSHITSHITSHIT!!!!" cried Haze. "I'M A FREAKING' HAMMER!! HOW THE HELL AM I GONNA SURVIVE THIS?!"

She kept running, the energy supplied from the fruit providing her with inhuman stamina.

She could almost feel the water brushing against her heel, its salty sting kissing her wake.

"OH…"

Her foot hit a rock, causing her to sprawl forwards.

"…SHIT!!!!!"

Suddenly, her vision was blurred by water, the salt burning her eyes.

She screwed her vision shut, and tried to move, but her strength left her. And all faded into blackness.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Dr. Frank N. Stein sat in the small room, in front of a small table, tapping the desk.

A large grin was on his face, his eyes hidden by the light reflecting off his glasses from the camera screens.

Den Den Mushi camera's had been installed everywhere over the island.

"Cahcahcah… They've been separated… I can release my art…" he cast one eye to his right. "Rook… Awaken the art…"

A short, hooded puppet, with a huge wooden hammer, bowed. "Yes, my lord…"

He then spun round on his heels, and walked out the room, into the dark tunnel.

Stein's gaze returned to the camera.

Toma was lying in the middle of his arena, slightly dazed, and completely drenched.

"What's the next move, Captain-kun?" whispered Stein. "I seem to have placed you in Check…"

With his normal hand, he reached over to a crystal chess set, and moved the Black Queen piece parallel to the White King piece.

"Let's see how you react…"

He cast his eyes around the various screens.

Gonzo had swum down the current, using his fishman abilities to take him right to the floodgate.

Haze had nearly drowned, but was still breathing, lying unconscious outside of his workshop.

He looked over the final monitor, and was surprised to see Leo and Chris intact, still in the centre. Chris was hanging off Leo's back, slowing down their pace, but still, but were walking towards the nearest tunnel.

"Ah… A miscalculation on my part, right Milo-kun?"

"Baka-Stein!!"

The Doctor let out a loud laugh, before spawning a wide, manic grin, with his teeth grit shut. "Let me see… Who should I use to destroy you?" He looked towards Toma. "Prince…" He looked towards Gonzo. "Rook…" Haze. "Bishop." Chris and Leo. "Knight."

As if triggered by his words, the screens shut off, bathing the room in an eerie darkness.

"You're move, Captain-kun…"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

A stream of water spurted out Toma's mouth, followed by a fit of coughing and spluttering.

"Jeez! The guy might as well burn the place while he's at it!" cried the thief, as he got to his feet. "When I find this bastard I'm gonna smash his head in!!"

Suddenly, he took realisation of where he was.

It was a spherical room, almost basin like, with spectator stands surrounding it. The gate where he'd probably entered from, was barred shut with a steel gate.

The floor was muddy and damp from the flood gates, but still had enough foothold to give balance.

"He took note of his muddy coat, and cursed. "I just finished washing this… KAAZAN; WILL YOU NEVER LET MY COAT REMAIN CLEAN?!"

There was a loud creak.

A large wooden door, which had appeared bolted shut, suddenly began to open outwards, revealing a small figure.

They appeared around the height of a tall 8 year old, with a gold crown atop their head. A red uniform covered their torso, strapped on tightly with white straps. Jet black pants were tightly bound to the legs, showing the ball joint knees caps. In his right wooden hand, he grasped a trench knife. Bound by the white straps, was a marionette controller, shaped like an X.

It was a faceless puppet.

Toma narrowed his eyes. "Do you mind telling me who the hell you are?"

The faceless puppet stared. No red eyes appeared. It remained faceless. "They call me… 'Puppet Prince'…"

"Prince?" whispered Toma.

Suddenly, Prince grabbed the wooden X strapped to his back, and threw it towards Toma, like a shuriken.

Acting on impulse, the bandaged man sidestepped, avoiding the wooden projectile by inches. "WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT FOR?!"

He stepped back into place, then felt small pieces of sting pressing into his skin through the bandages.

Fast as possible he ducked forward, and the Wooden X flew back over his head, towards Prince, who caught it in his left hand, and let out a hollow laugh.

"This will be a fun game! Father has not let me out in ages!" he cocked his head. "Now I'm going to kill you!"

Toma grabbed his mallet from the ground, and fully extended it, then swung it to his side, holding it like a staff. "Bring it on, bastard!"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"I don't owe you anything, for the record…" grunted Chris as she and Leo progressed slowly through the centre, towards the earthy tunnel.

Leo made no reply, and instead stared strait ahead, into the distance.

Chris bit her lip, then let out a sigh. "Why do you think that mad doctor opened the flood gates above? Surely he wanted to have more fun than drowning us…"

Leo shrugged. He'd used his ability to seal of the gravity between the water and him, creating a protective bubble, stopping the water from sweeping them up. "I assume he wanted to split us up…"

Chris raised an eyebrow.

"He wants to pick us off one by one, instead of fighting us head on… It's the mark of a coward… Strength lies in numbers. I've no doubt he's going to send someone after us."

Chris shivered slightly. "Leo… I think I can walk now… You don't need to carry me…"

Leo smiled. "Sorry Chrisanthia, but it's my duty as a man to help a lady in need…"

A tick spawned on her head. She smashed her fist into his head. "I've changed my mind! Carry me slave!"

"That's cruel…"

A slight argument began to issue, causing neither of them to notice the two figures barring the doorway.

It took a few moments before Leo spotted them.

They were both tall, the exact same height, and both wore lime green wayfarer's clothes, secured with brown leather straps. Slung onto each of their back's was a huge sword, the one on the right left handed, the one on the left right handed.

Both of the figures were identical in every sense, apart from the colour of the bandana's tied around their foreheads. The on the right was red, while the left was blue.

They stared towards Chris and Leo, their face's showing no signs of humanity. Like all the other puppets, they were faceless.

"Let me guess…" whispered Leo, as he crouched down and let Chris climb off his back. "You guys are the 'art' Stein was talking about…"

Both nodded. "We are Knight…" they whispered, simultaneously.

"That is seriously freaky…" muttered Chris, flicking her reindeer horn daggers out her belt.

Leo stood up strait, and cracked his knuckles. "So am I going to have to send you both to oblivion before we can pass?"

Both paused. "Correct…" they whispered.

At that moment, they gripped their swords, and held it in one hand, the massive size of the sword showing the strength of the tiny wooden body.

Like a well oiled machine, the two moved in synchronisation, swinging the sword around in the respective hands, before slinging it over the shoulder, and waiting for Leo and Chris to move first.

"Any ideas…?" whispered Chris, under her breath.

"They seem to be a team… If we each fight one on one, they should be at a disadvantage…"

"Got it…" muttered Chris, tightening the grip on the dagger's hilts.

"They seem tense, Blue…" whispered the Red bandanna.

"Correct, Red…" whispered the Blue bandanna.

Leo grinned, then kicked off from the ground, bolting at high speed towards them.

Chris followed in his wake, running at a fast pace.

"Let us begin, Red…"

"As you wish, Blue…"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Haze let out a huge sneeze.

Sighing, she wiped her nose with her sleeve. "I really, really, REALLY hate water…"

She was dripped wet, her crimson clothes and hair drenched turning it a slight brown.

She sneezed again. "Toma-chan?! Chris-chan?! Where are you guys?!" she moaned, with a pout. "Why did you guys ditch me?!"

Anime tears streamed down her face. "Now I'm cold… And wet… And alone…"

Her last word echoed down the hallway. "ALONE… Alone… _Alone…_"

"JEEZ!" yelled Haze.

She was walking down a wide passage, lined with various wooden torso's and limbs, each dangling on thin wire, giving the place a 'mad workshop' like feel.

This may be due to the fact that it was a workshop that happened to belong to a madman.

"Haze suddenly came to a dead end. Only it wasn't simply a wall.

A huge brass pot blocked any further advancement. Heat waves could be seen spiralling above it, accompanied by a gross bubbling sound. A log fire burned brightly underneath it, cooking the brass.

And above it was a huge emblem. A black gear, with a white skull at its centre, and two swords crossing through it vertically.

"_London bridge is falling down…_"

Haze went ridgid.

"_Falling down…_"

She slowly turned her head.

"_London Bridge is falling down… My… Fair… Lady…"_

A silhouette was advancing through the shadows. It was tall and hunched.

As it emerged into the candlelight, Haze may have mistaken it for a lab assistant, had it not been for the lack of a face.

"Kukukuku… The Good Doctor informed me of your coming…" it whispered. It spoke in an English accent, with a hint of Transylvanian. "I am Bishop… Doctor Frank N. Stein's assistant… So good to meet the young lady…" he bowed. "Although, you have come at an ill time… You see, the pot?" he pointed to the brass cauldron. "It has been prepared for you and your friends… The doctor made poor bishop slave for hours to prepare it. But Bishop loves the Doctor, so Bishop does so… Though now you are here, I cannot let you leave… Until you are the good doctor's artwork of course…"

He removed his hands from behind him, showing his long spindly fingers. String descended from the fingers, and was attached to the joints of two small marionette's, one under each hand.

Haze chuckled. "You're a puppet that control's puppets…"

The marionette's were simple, like blank mannequin's, but with two sharp blades strapped securely to each hand.

Haze quickly flicked the sword out her sheath, and held it vertically. "You want me to slice you up, bastard?"

"Kukukuku… _Make it out of sticks and steel, sticks and steel, sticks and steel, make it out of sticks and steel… My… Fair… Lady…"_

Both puppets suddenly stood rigid. With his fingers, he began to softly plan their movements, letting their feet land softly on the ground.

Though Haze did not notice it, the black gear emblem above the brass pot began to glow.

Before the redhead's very eyes, the wooden marionette's began to expand, suddenly standing at the height of a full grown man, yet slightly shorter than the hunched Bishop.

"Doctor has blessed his loyal assistant with puppetry skills…" whispered Bishop. He drew his hands back, causing both the marionette's to leap forwards, slamming both their blades at Haze who blocked with her sword, though stumbling back from the force. "I alone can control the good doctor's creations… I am the one who pulls the strings behind the red curtain… _Chop her till she's skin and bone… Skin and Bone… Skin and Bone… Chop her till she's skin and bone…_"

"_My… Fair… Lady…_"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Gonzo was staring at the huge metal gate above his head. It was shaped like a spiral, presumably when opened creating the Endless-Vortex.

"Tis' amazing… Ain't it?"

Gonzo looked behind him, and saw a short wooden puppet looking up towards the flood-gate.

He wore blue dungarees, and had a red bandanna tied around his head, with a black gear emblem at its centre, a skull inside it. He was leaning on a huge wooden mallet, also bearing the gear emblem. The stragest thing appeared around him though. He had a face.

A long wooden nose, and sharp jaggy jaws, that opened with a hinge every time he spoke. Piggy red eyes were staring up at the ceiling, sucked back in the wooden sockets.

Gonzo narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists.

"I'm guessing ya wanna fight, eh?" muttered the puppet, without looking towards him. "Yah see, I don't like killing people…"

Gonzo cocked his head.

"I always destroy the bodies beyond recognition, so the Doc get's mad with me!" his red eyes focused on Gonzo. "You're probably wonderin' why I ain't a mindless slave like the rest of my faceless friends…"

He swung the hammer out from under his grasp, and slung it over his shoulders. "I'm the latest piece of art, and the one who shows the closest thing to a real personality. Along with that, I am by far the most destructive of the 'art' made by Doc…" he slammed the hammer into the ground, leaving a small crater. "Let's get started then…"

Gonzo held out both his arms, and narrowed his eyes.

Unknown to him, and all the other members of the crew, Stein knocked down the little black king piece on his chess board.

His bishop and his queen both stood diagonal to the crystal piece.

"Cahcahcahcah… You've fallen into Fool's Mate, Captain-kun…" a mad grin spawned on his face. "You lose."

**000000000000000000000000000**

**Next Time: Clockwork Island Part 5-101%!!**


	15. Clockwork Island Part V

**Clockwork Island-Part 5**

**101%!!**

**00000000000000000000000000000**

Gonzo let out a heavy grunt as the large mallet slammed into his side.

"You ain't gonna survive if ya keep blocking…" muttered Rook. "**GUIGNOL…**" the mallet seemed to shake slightly. "**…IMPACT!!!**" (French-Puppet Impact)

Suddenly, the cover atop the mallet blasted off with explosive force, sending Gonzo rocketing to the side, his arm burnt.

Inside the mallet were six silos, presumably used to send out short blasts of heat, which had burnt Gonzo.

"My hammer has been customised to use maximum force…" said Rook, in a bored tone. "By using the six silos's held within, I can fire exothermic energy, combined with the strike of the hammer. It also provides a deadly block breaker…"

Gonzo got to his feet, stumbling slightly. "Pretty dangerous weapon then, eh?"

Rook nodded, slinging the mallet over his shoulders again. "The mallet is the main reason that most of my prey gets too mangled before I can bring them back to the Doc… But hey, I don't look a gift horse in the mouth…"

He shrugged. "So… Are you gonna surrender, or will the Doc have to reassemble you?"

"**50 Gallons-SWISS CHEESE!**" bending down, baseball size droplets of water shot out his blow hole, racing towards the small wooden man.

"I take it you went for the latter then…" muttered Rook.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Red ducked down, then slashed upwards with his zanbatou*, only to be blocked by a wall of earth hurtling up from bellow.

Leo had slammed his hand into the earth, reversing the gravity and pulling it upwards.

"Tag in!" muttered Chris, as she vaulted the wall, and then spiralled down towards Red. "**CRESCENT DIVE!!!**" yelled the girl, holding the dagger out, in guillotine like form.

As if summoned, Blue appeared, blocking the silver blade with his own Zanbatou.

With his free hand, he held up his palm in front of her face.

"Die." He whispered. A panel slid to the side in his palm, revealing a small nozzle.

"Shit!!!" yelled Chris.

A blast of fire shot out the nozzle. Chris leapt in the air, using the blade as a medium, then landed back atop the wall of earth.

On the other side of the wall, Leo spread both his arms out wide. "**Burst!!**"

Like a bullet from a shotgun, a huge hole appeared in the wall, turning it into an arch.

Red and Blue stood parallel to Leo.

Both held up their free hands, revealing the small metal nozzles in their arms.

The raven haired man winced. "Oh smack…"

A tornado of fire cascaded towards Leo, only to be blocked by a force of gravity.

Though protected from the intense heat, Leo's vision was impaired, the orange tongues blocking his view.

His sight was such a problem, he didn't notice Red and Blue speeding around the wall, going for a pincer attack behind.

"Slice him…"

"…Dice him…"

Both swung their swords out to either side, in a strait line.

"**Aka-Aoi KASUGAI!**" (Japanese- Red-Blue Clamp)

In synchronisation, they swung their swords together, preparing to decapitate Leo.

Triggered by this movement, Chris landed on the ground, silver dagger in one hand, double-edged dagger in the other.

With a loud clang, the blades met, halting slightly, but causing the younger girl to wince.

"Can we please kill these bastards now?!" she growled, slamming her boot into Blue's face, causing him to fall back.

Leo grinned, then spun round, and grabbed Red's face. "Yeah… We can kill them… **Burst!**"

Red's face began to collapse in on itself, as a ball of pure gravity slammed into the wooden skull.

The puppet stumbled back, then regained its ridged stance.

"Tch… These guys are different from the other puppets…" muttered Leo.

Red looked towards Blue, who had also stood up.

Both held their arms out towards each other. With a slight hiss, the arm from the elbow down, disconnected, causing the arms to fly out on a chain, locking finger's with each other.

"Red…" muttered Blue

"Plus Blue…" whispered Red

"Equals Magenta…"

"Magenta?" muttered Chris.

"It's a form of dark pink described in the mixing of ligh-"

"I DIDN'T NEED AN EXPLANATION DAMMIT!!"

The chain suddenly began to whirr, pulling the two puppets' right together, reconnecting with the arms, their fingers still locked.

"What the hell are they doing…?" muttered Chris.

A symbol slowly began to appear on the blank faces. That of a single gear, with a skull emblazoned in the centre.

Slowly, the arms moved arm closer, passing through each other.

The puppets were fusing.

As the two bodies got closer, and the headbands crossed, the separate red and blue turned into a dark shade of pink, with a black gear emblem.

"Oh… Fuck…"

The puppet looked up. In its two hands it held a zanbatou. Two arms shot out of its side, each with a small nozzle in the centre of the palm.

"Now that's something you don't see everyday…" muttered Leo, a nervous grin appearing on his face.

The puppet looked at them, then began to spin the blades around in its two top hands. A mouth appeared, as the wood spilt at the bottom of the face, like Rue's, with sharp wooden teeth. It let out a guttural roar, then pounced forwards.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Haze felt stone kiss her back as she was slammed against the wall by the cold wooden hand of the marionette's.

"Kukukukuku… You cannot defeat my soldiers, Haze-kun…"

The teen winced.

"After all… No matter how much you slice, stab or bludgeon them… They shall not die…"

The second marionette thrust its blade forward, its blade being blocked by Haze's shin guard.

"**Ro…**" muttered Haze. She suddenly ducked, and held her sword by her side. "**SUI-PU!!!**" (Japanese-Low sweep)

She slashed upwards, severing the puppet directly in front of her in half.

This took Bishop off guard, making him step back.

Haze then held her sword vertically, and placed her free arm atop it, her palm facing towards the other marionette. "**Konki-BAKUHA!**" (Energy blast)

A blast of red energy slammed into the marionette, causing it to fall apart, no damage dealt to its figure.

Bishop seemed taken aback. "W-what have you done?!"

Haze grinned. "I'm not the kinda person you wanna piss off, mate…" she stood up, and pointed the blade onwards him. "I disabled the energy inside their bodies… Those string things you've got attached give off a constant blast of energy, pumping those puppets with movement… You're like a router, simply needed to supply the real machines with energy…" her hazel eyes turned crimson. "I see all energy moves… You are useless against me…"

Bishop took another step back. "N-no! Wait! Stop!"

She stepped forward, taking graceful strides. "**Hana-Kai!**" (Flower Cut)

As she passed Bishop, she made a slight movement with her blade…

And the wooden puppet was severed in half, falling uselessly to the floor.

She sheathed her sword, and then looked up towards the corner of the room, where a tiny blue snail sat.

With one hand, she conjured a small red ball of energy, then fired it towards the snail.

In his lab, Stein slammed his fist on his desk. "Impossible… She's taken down Bishop…" he gritted his teeth. "They've desecrated my art… My beautiful art…" slight tears began to well up in his crimson eyes. "Why do my friends always die…"

He cast an eye towards the chess board, and then made a single sweeping movement with his arm, causing it to fly off the desk, clattering onto his stone floor.

"My art… My ART!!!"

He hugged himself, sobbing uncontrollably.

"She murdered my art…" Slowly, a symbol began to appear on his forehead, burning brightly like a branding mark.

The black gear with a skull. Red tears streamed from his eyes.

"Those pirates… WILL PAY!!!!"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Chris cursed as she hurtled backwards, landing on the ground with a soft thud.

No matter how hard they tried, they couldn't seem to get close enough to Magenta without suffering damage.

Flicking the double-edged dagger around in her hand, she took an assassins sprint, dashing forward at full speed, attempting to get close enough to the enemy.

Leo on the other hand was having trouble of his own.

With four hands, and the speed of two experienced swordsmen, Leo was having trouble defending himself, let alone attacking!

Magenta's movements were as one, leaving no openings at all. With each sword he slashed manically at Leo, his blows only being held at bay by the gravity surrounding the navigator. With his two lower hands he barraged Leo with flames, not harming him due to the gravity shield, but still badly impairing his vision.

At this point, Chris vaulted over Leo's shoulders, landing on Magenta's shoulders, holding a little balance.

"Go to hell ya wooden bastard!!" with both knives she stabbed into Magenta's head.

With another roar the lower arms both pointed towards Chris, firing jets of flame at her.

She reacted instantly, leaping off his shoulders and landing on the ground, beginning to slash his legs.

Magenta aimed a kick at Chris, who again used her cat like agility to avoid the attack, and continue hacking at the legs. They were made from a very hard wood, that seemed almost like rock, but the silver dagger was successfully managing to break through its shell.

Leo took advantage of Magenta's attack's on Chris, to start barraging the upper body.

He took hold of both the wooden shoulders. As Magenta raised both swords, Leo muttered. "**Room… LEVEL 3!**"

A slight blue light surrounded the upper body of both Magenta and Leo.

The wooden creature's movements rapidly slowed, but nevertheless, it tried to hack at Leo.

"It's useless!" yelled Leo. "I've tripled your weight. The gravity around you is too dense to even move, let alone attack!"

Chris continued to hack, before swinging both her arms back. "**CRESCENT HEKI!!**" (Japanese: Crescent Tear)

Slashing with all her might, and swinging both blades in a diagonal like fashion, the right leg of Magenta was severed in half.

It roared, again attempting to move, as if to tear Leo apart.

A slight grin appeared on his face. "It's no use…" he held out his palm, and touched Magenta's chest. "**Sougon Senrei…**" (Japanese: Gravity Baptism)

Again, it tried to move, but could not. Its chest was beginning to dissolve, the gravity around it folding in on itself, causing the wooden puppet to implode.

Magenta seemed to stare at Leo as it face began to dissolve. Instead of letting out a howl, it wailed. "Thank… You…"

It turned to dust.

Chris stared, slightly shocked. "What the hell did you do…?"

"I began to pull then gravity inside its chest… The body collapsed in on itself…" His face showed no emotion.

"Did that thing… Moan…?" muttered Chris.

Leo closed his eyes, and turned on his heels. "Who knows…"

_**KA-BOOOOOOOMM!!!!!!**_

Leo's eyes widened.

The earth had begun to shake, as if suffering a huge quake.

"W-what the hell is going on?!" cried Chris.

On the ceiling a huge symbol began to spiral into existence.

Leo stared, his mouth agape. "That mark!"

It was the black gear, a skull at its centre.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"**GUIGNOL IRE!!**" (French: Puppet Wrath) Rook slammed his mallet into Gonzo's side, causing the fishman to yelp as burn marks singed his chest.

With his right hand, he grabbed onto Rook's wooden arm, and clenched it like a vice. "**20 Gallons-Prime Rib!**" after the last word left his lips, he slammed his fist forward at boulder crushing force.

With a sickening crack, his hand was caught in Rook's grip.

Gonzo screamed as his knuckles were pulled out of joint by the block.

"I am made of a compound wood by the combination of oak and bone. I refer to it as _Boak_. The wood is strong enough to withstand the impact of a typhoon. A simple punch from you will not so much as dent me."

A slight grin appeared on Gonzo's face. "Boak? Is that the best name you could come up with?" he sneered. "Don't make me laugh! **500 Gallons-Popsicle Rampage!!!**" he fell onto his knees, inhale, then fired a torrential blast of sharp icicles from his blowhole.

Rook narrowed his eyes. "**GUIGNOL VAGUE!**" (French: Puppet Wave)

He slammed his hammer vertically, creating a huge heat wave, melting the icicles on contact. "Such useless attacks will not harm-"

Gonzo had bounded forwards. He was glaring at Rook, a slight manic grin on his face. Clenched in his hand was his harpoon. "**10,0 Gallons-Meat Kabob!!!**"

Rook had no time to react before the harpoon was slammed through him, spearing him. Gonzo continued running, pushing Rook along with the harpoon, preventing escape.

"Fleshbag!" yelled Rok in anger, he slammed the hammer into Gonzo's shoulder, but seemed to give no damage.

"Fraid' I can't let you hurt me anymore!" muttered Gonzo.

He slammed into the wall, stabbing the harpoon into the earth, effectively sandwiching Rook.

"I wasn't head cook of the Great Whites for nothing… The name's 'Cascade' Gonzo…" he took a step back. "And I'm about to send you to oblivion."

Rook said nothing. Instead, a slight grin appeared on his jagged mouth. "Interesting… You seem to think that I'll die here…" he let out a hollow laugh. "It ain't gonna happen… Ya see, I live as part of the Doc… I am part of his soul… If you blow me to smithereens, I'll simply be resurrected in a new model… You can't win against me…"

Gonzo grimaced. "You aren't a living thing… You can't be resurrected… You never lived from the start…"

The grin on Rook's face vanished.

"You are simply a parasite, dwelling inside the body of a dead human, who was murdered in cold blood. You are nothing. You're an idea, an echo."

Rook's eyes widened. "Y-you must be jokin…" muttered Rook. "I can touch… I can see… I CAN'T BE FAKE!!"

Gonzo knelt down. "I've stabbed you with a harpoon. I've smashed my fist into you. I've pelted you with ice… If you were alive, you would be dead." He began to inhale. "It's over."

"N-no…" Rook shook his head, and tried to break the spear, an emotion which could only be described as fear appearing on his face. "I-IT CAN'T END LIKE THIS!!!"

"**500,0 GALLONS-SPECIAL SAUCE BLITZ!**" a cascade of water shot out the blowhole, ramming into Rook's body. "Blow away!!" cried Gonzo, water still spurting out the blowhole.

Rook said nothing as his body was crushed by the sheer pressure of the water. When only his jaw was left visible, a huge cry echoed through the cave; "STEIN-SAMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Then all went silent. The wooden hammer dropped to the floor.

The wooden body, left soaked, eyes blank, slumped to the floor, its torso crushed.

Gonzo shook his head and then grabbed the sodden harpoon.

He looked down at the hammer, and picked that up as well.

"B-Bastard…"

Gonzo froze.

The blank eyes stared up. "Y-you have no idea what you're meddling in… Stein won't need to kill you… Hehehe… The Prince will destroy you all…" he let out another laugh. "The Prince whose power has surpassed even that of God… He will destroy you all… He-He-He-Heee…" the head lolled downwards.

Gonzo shook his head.

"_Well… Well… Well…_"

Gonzo's eyes widened.

Throughout the cave, everyone looked up.

A huge mark was appearing above Gonzo's head. It was that of a gear, with a skull at its centre.

"_Fishman, Swordswoman, Human and Brat… You have destroyed my art… My poor art…_" suddenly a loud manic laugh echoed. "_Such a pity that you will all die… When the Prince is done with Captain-kun… You. Will. Die._"

Gonzo shook his head. "Prince…?"

"_But now, I'll leave you a present… As gratitude for destroying my art… COME FORTH; PAWN!!!_"

From the symbol above Gonzo's head, a huge wooden arm began to descend. The symbol was opening, revealing a behemoth behind, in some sort of dark dimension, red eyes glowing on the blank face.

"_Fear my pawns… If you wish to win you must fight, pirates of above. FIGHT WITH 101%!!! CAHCAHCAHCAHCAHCAHCAHCAHCAHCAH!!!!!_"

**00000000000000000000000000000000**

**Next Time: Clockwork Island Part 6-Illusionary Eye of Kaazan**


	16. Clockwork Island Part VI

**Clockwork Island-Part 6**

**Illusionary Eye of Kaazan**

**From last chapter, I forgot to put the definition of 'Zanbatou'. It's a large Japanese sword, often very heavy, and hard to swing. The largest ones were giant, but rarely used to their weight and mass, if ever used. **

**I also had a point made by SanjiandSerea, which I would like to clear up. In LIGHT, Blue and Red make Magenta. In LIGHT Blue, Red and Green make white. These colours are to do with LIGHT combination, not paint/colour. I hope this has cleared any confusion.**

* * *

Toma did a back flip, placing his palm on the ground to give him a greater distance. As he did so, the wooden shuriken zoomed forwards, stopping a few inches from him, then zooming back towards Prince, who again caught it.

Toma grinned. "That thing's got a string on it… You're range is limited. Pretty big weakness, eh?"

Prince said nothing, instead brandishing his trench knife. Toma took notice of a long leather glove wrapped around the hand which Prince held it in.

Bracing himself, the thief took a step back, and held his mallet diagonally. "Bring it on, wood-face!"

Prince dashed forwards, both his weapons grasped in hand. Reacting quickly Toma held up his mallet to block, stopping the trench knife in its tracks. As he did so, the Prince's grip on the knife tightened.

Suddenly, the metal blade ignited.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" cried Toma, slamming his foot into Prince's chest, causing the puppet to sprawl back.

In a matter of moments, Prince threw the shuriken forwards, only a few feet away from Toma, this time having the weapon blocked.

"Ok, you are SERIOUSLY pissing me off now!" cried Toma, using his Mallet to vault over up close to Prince, the releasing a barrage of blows with the Demi-Mallet.

"**KAAZAN…**" he swung the mallet back. "**…STORM!!!**"

The blows increased in power, yet none seemed to affect Prince physically. Suddenly, the wooden hand snatched out, and grabbed the mallet in mid blow.

Toma was taken by surprise, lowering his guard for a millisecond.

In the space of time, Prince wrenched his arm back, pulling Toma forwards, the thrust the ignited knife to the side.

With his leg, Toma diverted the stab by kicking Prince's arm. Continuing the kick, he smashed the tip of his boot into Prince's face, casing him to fall back.

As he fell, his grip released on the mallet. "Checkmate!" cried Toma, happily. "**KAAZAN…**" he spun round, the mallet connecting with Prince's side. "**…TAIHOU!!!!**" (Japanese: Kaazan Cannon)

The puppet was fired off at the force of a cannonball, a trail of dust being left behind in his wake.

Toma grinned, and made a victory pose. "Strike!"

Suddenly, from the cloud of dust, the shuriken zoomed into view, slicing past Toma, leaving a deep gash in the ground.

Prince emerged from the dust, a small dent in the side of his woodwork where Toma had hit him.

The bandaged man pointed accusingly at him. "WHY THE HELL AIN'T YOU DEAD?! I DID THE VICTORY POSE AN' ALL!"

Prince picked up the shuriken, which was still attached to his arm, then tightened his grip on the trench knife. As he did so, the metal knife ignited.

"What the hell is up with that blade?!" muttered Toma.

"The blade is one of the seven _Butaikage_." (Element-Shadow) murmured Prince. "This blade is known as _Hokage…_ It contains the ability to spawn flames, in order to increase the cut's devastation."

Toma narrowed his eyes.

"This blade is forged from a special metal which holds heat longer than any other, but does not melt at any stage. All other ore's of this metal have long since disappeared. I hold the only one of its kind."

Prince then held the knife vertically. "Shall we continue?"

Toma grinned. "You bet! Now I'm pumped!"

Both sped forwards.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

The huge puppets known as 'Pawn' were forty meters in height, stretching all the way up to the ceiling, with large, tree-truck size arms, and huge boat shaped fingers.

Of course, these creatures had huge disadvantages to their grand size.

For one, they couldn't use speed in their movements, and were easy targets for long ranged attacks. But whenever they attacked, a cascade of rubble was sent hurtling along the area, crushing anything in its path, be it ally or enemy.

Haze, who was still in the workshop, was fighting against a single Pawn.

Gonzo, who still resided by the floodgates, was fighting two.

And obviously the most unfortunate of the group, Leo and Chris were forced to deal with FIVE of the behemoths.

Chris was running through the now destroyed streets, passing the crushed bodies of the wooden puppets, avoiding a hail of debris from above, as one of the Pawns lumbered after her.

In her haste, the cap on her head fell off, causing her crimson hair to flow down to its full shoulder length.

"Jeez… CAN YOU STOP FOLLOWING ME?!"

Suddenly, she skidded, and ran down an alleyway, ending up in a different street.

This was lucky, as the Pawn following her had struck the street she was in with its whole arm, creating a huge crater.

Leo had disappeared from her vision long ago, as he had began to directly assault the puppets, to great affect as it would be.

The other four puppets in the town centre were lumbering about uselessly, knocking into each other as Leo weaved between them, placing extra gravity on one of them, and causing it to knock into another Pawn. It showed how useful his abilities were against large groups.

Chris on the other hand, who was a lightweight fighter, was rather ineffective against enemies who could crush a house under one foot.

The Pawn following Chris suddenly swept its arm to the side, knocking down rows of the small puppet houses, attempting to smash Chris to the side.

The red head wall kicked up a house then leapt onto the wooden arm, stabbing her Deer-horn knives into the arm for support.

Then she began the slow climb, using the protruding points of the knives as pick-axe like tools.

Pawn stared down at her, then lifted its other arm, and swept down, as if swatting a fly.

Chris dug the knives out, then kicked back, stabbing them into the other arms hand.

As she did so, he stopped sweeping, and lifted its arm in the air, above its head.

As it did so, she kicked off from the giant hand, and landed on the face, then began to rapidly savage the smooth wood with the knives.

It roared like a beast, and went to slam its fist into its face, in order to squish the girl.

She grinned, and fell back, freefalling from the monster, then stabbing the knives into its leg, sliding down at a steady speed.

Pawn however was not so lucky, as its own fist collided with its face, smashing its own head in. It groaned, then fell back, its inner gears crushed.

The redhead grinned. "Lucky!"

In the distance, she saw how three Pawns were sprawled over, evidentially having been made to crush on another, while the last one was being grounded by Leo's gravity abilities.

"That was easier than expected…"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Toma weaved to the side, narrowly avoiding the blazing knife, then slammed his mallet into Prince's stomach area, smashing straight through the wood.

"Survive this, bastard!" yelled Toma, ripping the hammer upwards, tearing the torso of Prince fully open and revealing the hollow chest.

Prince stumbled but then stood steady. "My turn." He muttered, slamming the side of the blunt shuriken into Toma's chest, causing the bandaged man to rocket to the side, kidding off the earth occasionally, then landing sprawled out on the ground.

Toma quickly recovered, climbing to his feet, using the mallet for support.

"I am the greatest of Father's art… You cannot win." Muttered Prince, his voice cold, and emotionless.

"Screw you!" snapped Toma.

Prince reacted immediately, hurling the shuriken at Toma, the wooden X colliding with his chest, causing blood to spurt out his mouth.

"Petty insults will get you nowhere, Captain-san."

"It's Toma, flat-face!" he grumbled.

Prince drew back the cord, but instead of withdrawing the shuriken, he himself flew forwards, landing at point blank range from Toma.  
"Oh crap!"

The knife ignited, and was immediately thrust into Toma's chest.

Without being able to say anything, Toma doubled over, then cried out in sheer pain, the flames searing his flesh.

After ten seconds, Prince withdrew the knife, and turned. "I will send another puppet to pick up your body…" He held up the shuriken over Toma's head.

The two green eyes stared hatefully at Prince.

"Have you any last words?"

"Fuck you."

Prince cocked his head, then slammed the shuriken downwards.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Haze skidded around the corner, running at her full speed.

Behind her, a giant arm appeared, crawling after her like a grotesque slug.

She drew a few capsules out her pocket, and flung them behind her, immediately creating a small number of explosions, slowing the Pawn down. She continued to run, skidding round another corner…

Only to see Gonzo, running the same way, from an equally big arm.

Both parties stared, while running.

"**Konki…**"

"**20 Gallons…**"

Haze thrust her palm over Gonzo's shoulder, while he thrust his fist over hers.

"…**BAKUHA!**"

"…**PRIME RIB!**"

A blast of white energy slammed into the arm behind Gonzo, slicing straight through it, while the sheer pressure of Gonzo's punch created a huge crater in the palm of the hand behind Haze.

"Nice to see ya' again!" muttered Haze. "Wanna swap?"

Gonzo gave her a toothy grin. "Definitely!"

Both dashed in their facing directions, Gonzo rushing towards the Pawn who followed Haze, while Haze dashed towards the one who followed Gonzo.

She quickly drew her sword, then leapt in the air. "**Shiroi-Odori; CHITOGE!**" (White Dance; Blood Thorn)

Leaping over Pawn's head and arm, she stabbed her sword downwards, leaving a straight red line over where she leapt, before landing softly on Pawn's back.

As she did so, Pawn was suddenly slashed in half, from the start of the hand to the back of the head.

She sheathed her sword, and grinned.

Gonzo meanwhile cocked both his fists.

"**5,00 Gallons…**"

He rushed across the arm, then stopped, inches from Pawn's face.

"**Champaign Shotgun!**" both his fists collided with Pawn's face, resulting in a huge bang, the power and pressure form the twin punches completely annihilating the Puppet's inner circuits.

Gonzo stomped on its remains. "Piece of crap." He muttered.

Haze walked beside him. "Took ya long enough! That damn junk wouldn't leave me alone!"

Gonzo grinned. "Well, on the bright side, we're together, and so are Chris and Leo!" he folded his arms. "I just wonder if Toma's alright…"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Prince cocked his head as the shuriken was stopped by the bandaged hand.

A manic grin had appeared on Toma's face, visible through the bandages. His tongue snaked out, and licked his bandage covered lips.

"Who are you?" muttered Prince. "You have a different aura…"

Toma laughed slightly. Without warning, he was on his feet, his fist buried in Prince's hollow interior, both sides of the puppet fully destroyed.

Prince doubled over.

"I?" muttered Toma. He let out another laugh. "I… DON'T HAVE A NAME!!"

He flung his fist to the side, causing Prince to be cast away as well.

He would have crashed with the wall, if the bandage now tied around his leg hadn't prevented it.

"HAH!!" cried Toma. He pulled back the bandage, then slammed his fist into Prince's face as he drew into range. "What happened to all that 'art' crap? Where has your confidence gone?"

Prince ignited his knife, then slammed it into Toma's leg.

If the puppet had emotions, he would have been sorely surprised as Toma didn't scream, but instead laughed.

"Little flames don't work on me, wood-ass!" he grabbed Prince's arm, and snapped it, as if it were merely a twig. He cast the arm to the side, then drew his face close to the small optical lenses inside the wooden skull.

"I'm going to annihilate you…" he muttered.

He let go then drew back, gliding as though on ice. "I think you'll find that Toma ain't the real one running the show here…" he whispered. "I'm the real captain here…" he fully extended the mallet, then tore the bandages off his left arm. "I'm going to show you something only a few have ever seen…"

He held his arm out fully, revealing a black eye shaped tattoo on his palm.

"It's a pity you didn't last longer…" as though by magic, multiple Toma's began to appear, encircling Prince, fully surrounding him. "At this level my speed is triple that of Toma's… My strength is quadrupled… And my stamina is limitless…"

Prince looked wildly, as though for a gap. The multiple Toma's weren't real; they were afterimages.

"Did you know all humans have a 'sixth' sense, Prince-chan?" whispered Toma, as he closed in on the red clad puppet, along with the afterimages. "You wouldn't know, as you're merely wood, but it exists… Of course 'sixth is just an expression, as all humans also have a sense of heat, of sound and of depth, and much more. But this sense is commonly unknown…"

With the eye hand he tapped his head.

"It's the ability to sense when someone's looking at you. It feels killing intent, and warns you. This sense is highly flawed though, as it sometimes picks up things like falling leaves, or rustling bushes… But this move is designed around that sense…"

He grinned. "The tattoo on my hand ain't for show. It's the mark of the followers of the path of earth. The bearers of nature and defence. This move triggers that sense, and makes it go haywire, preventing you from ever finding the _real_ me… Cool, eh?"

Prince stepped back.

"It was over as soon as ya stabbed Toma-chan… You let me out… And I am someone you _never_ want to meet… Unless you want to get severely maimed…"

He then held out the eye arm fully, and the mallet diagonally in his right hand, hammer side down. The bandages on his body were flowing slightly, showing his tiny miniscule movements. "Say hi to Kaazan-sama for me…" The images increased in speed. "**Kaazan…**" he stared at Prince, with his cold yellow eyes. "**Genkaku-Me…**"

In an instant, all seemed to freeze.

Suddenly, Prince was bombarded with attacks from all directions, his body being ripped apart by sheer force. The Demi-Mallet seemed to be a blur, held in Toma's right arm, thrusting forwards, in random directions, shredding the wooden man to pieces.

After all the blows stopped, Toma cast his hand forwards, and grabbed Prince's face, the eye tattoo pressing into its remains.

"Blow away."

The body was ripped apart.

Toma stood there, laughing manically, staring down at the thrashed remains.

"Pathetic! I could go on for hours! And you say YOU are the BEST?! HAHAHAHAHA!!!" he then froze, and fell to the ground, his face grasped by his hands.

The yellow in Toma's eyes faded, returning to the emerald green shade.

"Shit that always stings…" he muttered, before vomiting.

In the midst of his sick lay two blank white pills.

He stared at them, and groaned, then took two green capsules from his pocket, and swallowed them, shivering as they passed down his throat.

He stared at the remains of Prince, and shook his head.

"I overreacted… Again."

He then spotted the knife, and picked it up.

It was just a simple trench knife, except with more lustre around the metal, making it shine brightly, even in the dim light.

He shrugged, and then dropped it in his pocket, getting to his feet by using the mallet for support.

He let out a heavy sigh, then contracted the mallet, and cracked his spine, stretching his muscles as if he'd woken up from a long sleep.

Suddenly, a loud whir echoed around the cavern.

The large door of the arena was opening, revealing a figure in the shadows.

Slowly, he walked in, a black revolver in one hand. His white lab coat billowed behind him as he walked, flowing in time with the smoke from his cigarette.

The crimson eyes locked with Toma's emerald ones.

"Remember us, dipshit?!" yelled Milo.

Stein's eyes flickered towards Prince's remains. He grinned manically. "Useless… And I thought my puppets were strong enough to surpass God… A mere pirate like you beat him… I feel pity for him, since he was so useless…"

Toma narrowed his eyes.

Stein loaded the revolver, then pointed it strait at Toma's head.

"It's Game Over. Captain-kun."

* * *

**Next Time: Clockwork Island-part 7: Game Over**


	17. Clockwork Island Part VII

**Clockwork Island Part 7**

**Game Over**

* * *

Toma rolled to the side, just as a bullet was fired from the revolver.

Stein clicked his tongue, then grinned again.

"You are the first person, in my whole life, who has driven me to personally destroy them. And undoubtedly the last."

Toma grit his teeth. "Why'd you spend your life down here, Stein?! You're a great scientist! You're wasting your life on these pathetic pieces of clockwork and wood!"

Stein's grin faded. With inhuman speed, he appeared in front of Toma, and struck him with the butt of the revolver. "What you are criticising is 100 years of research. The 2nd Dark Gear; Wood. The ability to resurrect the dead in new forms. I have created eternal life. And you shun my art?!"

"There is no life, without death!" snapped Toma, as he slowly got to his feet, and wiped the blood from his mouth. "A wise man told me that!"

Stein's grin returned. "I see… That phrase… It's by the Archbishop of Earth, from the order of Kaazan. You trained under him?"

Toma smiled. "Of course. I wouldn't have anyone else."

Stein chuckled. "I was considering obliterating you. But being a pupil of an Archbishop makes your body too valuable…" he laughed manically. "Earth, Water, Wind, Fire, Shadow and Light. The six path's of Kaazan, each based on different weapons. But of course, you must know of the six gates…"

Toma nodded slowly. "Yeah, I know of them. What's it too you?"

Stein cocked his head, and then laughed again. "Can you open one of them?"

The bandaged thief narrowed his eyes. "Of course I can…"

The huge grin widened further. "These six gates are also known as the path to a different dimension; the GX universe…" Stein held out the arm with Milo attached. "But did you really think that there were only six gates?"

Toma's eyes widened.

"**Tokeikinmu…**" Black light appeared in Milo's mouth. "**TAIHOU!!**" (Clockwork Cannon)

A stream of black and white light cascaded towards Toma, who preformed another roll to the side, avoiding the attack.

Left partly blinded, Toma rubbed his eyes, vision slowly returning.

The white lab coat sleeve had been torn away by the blast, revealing a wooden arm, with metal plates patching the sides.

Milo's eyes had turned blood red, glowing ominously, and had changed from blue to ebony black.

"I think you'll find I'm not as merciful as my puppet friends…" whispered Stein, the gear shaped mark appearing on his forehead. "You will become my art Captain-kun…" he stared into Toma's eyes, pure madness in his gaze. "Now then…" he tossed the empty revolver away, and then placed a hand inside his lab coat.

From within, he drew a single-handed hatchet.

"…Shall we begin?"

Without warning, he sped forwards, his hatchet colliding with the staff part of the Demi-Mallet.

The two faces were level with each other, eyes met in a furious stare-off.

"You should have just let Prince kill you! His way of death will have been much less painful!" roared Stein, a huge sadistic grin on his face.

Toma grit his teeth, and then delivered a sweep kick to Stein, knocking the raving scientist to the ground.

With one swift movement, his slammed the mallet down, stopping an inch from Stein's head.

"Give up." Muttered Toma. It wasn't a question.

Stein's grin deepened. "This is why you cannot win…" He slammed both his boots into Toma's stomach, causing the thief to stumble back.

"YOU ARE SOFT!!"

He swung the hatchet towards Toma's neck, only to have it stopped by the mallet.

Toma looked up, menacingly.

His now yellow eyes locked with Stein's crimson orbs.

The slit-like black pupil's seemed sharp, and harsh.

"Did you just call me soft?"

Stein grinned. "Oh? Now this is interesting… The yellow eye, the slit pupil… You must be a Kyoya, no?"

Toma said nothing, continuing to stare. "That doesn't answer my question… Did you call me soft?"

"A Kyoya… I have not seen one since the Archbishop of Shadow appeared…"

Toma seemed to snap.

In one movement, he broke the weapon lock, and had Stein pressed on the ground, bandaged fingers locked around his throat.

"DON'T MENTION THAT TITLE IN MY PRESENCE!!!"

Stein grinned. "So you bear a grudge against your superior? One of the high members of the order of Kaazan…. Hibari Kyoya!"

Toma roared, let go of Stein's throat, and slammed his fist into his face.

Stein didn't move, though a trickle of blood oozed from his lips.

"That's it… Show me the true rage of the Kyoya… I've only heard the rumours… The clan who could turn from angels to demons… Gaining unimaginable strength in the process for a period of time… Until the second form of the bloodline is unlocked… Until then, when the strength is used, the user appears mad and sadistic…"

Toma removed his fist from Stein's jaw, and then stood up.

"Your insults mean nothing… I only bear that name in mind, but not in spirit…"

"Insult?" Stein laughed, and stood up parallel to Toma. "Who said anything about insult? I'm COMPLIMENTING you! Gaining power only for the price of insanity… It's a dream come true!"

Toma slammed the mallet into Stein's face, causing him to sprawl across the ground again.

"You know, killing ain't much fun for Toma…" The yellow irises were wide with rage. "But Toma ain't here right now, is he?"

Stein grinned, though his teeth were grit together. "Yes… Let me see the power of the Hakkyou no Me." (Japanese-Eye of Madness)

With those words, he held the black Milo up, pointed straight at Toma.

"**TOKEIKINMU NAMI!**" (Clockwork Wave)

A stream of white and black light was hurtled towards Toma, who dived to the side, then began to sprint forwards, his mallet swaying beside him, rushing towards Stein.

With a malevolent cry, Stein slashed the hatchet downwards, trapping the mallet in the ground, and then aimed a kick at Toma's head.

The bandaged man dodged, then wrenched the mallet out of the hatchet's grip, the contrasting force causing both men to stumble back.

In synchronisation, they regained footing, and both swung their respective weapons, again each force being blocked.

"You planning on just dying yet?" spat Toma.

"No…" muttered Stein, innocently, before he jabbed the hand with Milo attached into Toma's chest.

"**Tokeikinmu…**"

"You son of a-!"

"**TAIHOU!!**"

Toma was enveloped in a wave of black and white light, the impact hitting him at point blank range.

When the light cleared, Toma lay, basted a few meters away, unmoving.

Stein stared, then giggled, then laughed. Then cackled manically.

"I WON! I WON! I BEAT A KYOYA! I BEAT A KYOYA!!! CAHCAHCAHCAHCAHCAHCAHCAH!!!"

"Do you mind…?"

He cast his eyes down for a split second.

"…SHUTING THE FUCK UP?!" cried Toma slamming the mallet into Stein's face. **"KAAZAN KONNUSUTTO!**" (Japanese: Kaazan Soul Thief)

Stein was sent hurtling backwards, colliding with the wall, causing the arena area to rumble.

Toma's bandages around the stomach area were blackened, and the skin beneath, slightly visible, was red and burnt.

"Man… I hate having to change my bandages…" he whispered, beating the dust off the navy blue coat. He moved up his free hand and adjusted the fedora, so it covered his eyes.

A trickle of blood rolled down Stein's lips.

A grin was still present on his face. "I was sure that would kill you… Being hit by Milo-cannon is the same as being at point blank range with a bazooka… You're body should be destroyed, or at least bearing a concussion…"

Toma's eyes appeared visible, both back to their emerald green shade. "I don't die that easily…"

Suddenly, without warning, he doubled over coughing, spitting out blood. Amongst the blood were two white pills, which dissolved on contact with the air.

"Crap… That killed me twice… That really sucks…"

Stein raised an eyebrow. "Killed you twice? Yet you stand before me? This is rather interesting…"

He slowly got to his feet, and flexed his muscles.

"Alas… I'm afraid our time may be cut short…"

He suddenly stumbled back, clutching the side of his face, where Toma had last hit him. "_Did that blow do more damage than I thought?_"

A low rumbling began to echo throughout the arena.

"You see, opening eight pawn gates damages the area heavily… You are the first people I've used it on…" he grinned. "The floodgate will break, releasing all the water into my domain… Sealing the Atseru-Kadou…"

Toma's eyes widened.

Stein smiled. "This Utopia I created… My Clockwork Island… Was meant to last me my whole life…" he cast his eye towards his wooden arm, with the black Milo-cannon at its hand. "My arm was lost during my first days in the Grand Line… I feared I would die… When a Man gave me the power of the Wooden Dark Gear… To create my Clockwork Children… He revived my arm… My purpose…" he smiled. "Though I find it hard to admit… You've won… I'm in checkmate… Captain-kun…"

With those words, he fell forwards, blood exploding from his arm joint.

"_You're amazing Stein! You've saved us!"_

"_Don't ever leave us, Doctor Stein!"_

"_When I grow up, I want to be an amazing Doctor, like you Stein… If there were more like you, this world would be a better place…"_

A smile formed on Stein's face, not in madness, but rather in a look of content.

"_You're leaving…?"_

_Stein looked at Rose, wearily. "You found out, huh?"_

_The brunette looked down. "I want you to know… When you come back… I'll be waiting… I'll wait forever…"_

His red eyes began to glass over.

"_Why are you doing this?!"_

_Stein looked at her. His face and hair were stained with blood, and the lenses on his glasses were splashed with the crimson liquid also._

_He grinned. "Because I can… It's simple…" he swung the bloodied hatchet over his shoulder. "I will make everyone in the village beautiful art… Faceless, clean, perfect… It will be my Utopia, my Clockwork Island, free from human contamination…"_

_Rose back away. "You aren't the Frank I know… You aren't the man I am in love with!" She ran forwards, and grabbed his shoulders, then shook him violently. "GIVE ME BACK MY STEIN!"_

_Her eyes went wide._

_Slowly, she looked down, and saw the hatchet buried in her side. "I won't erase your face, my beloved Rose…" he moved his face forwards, and captured her lips. "We will be bound in everlasting Utopia… Our haven… Rose…"_

As he landed on the ground, his smile widened.

His world would finally end…

"Don't you dare, ya bastard!"

Stein was brought out of his thoughts when Toma hauled him over his shoulders, and began to run towards the gate.

"W-what are you doing…?" wheezed Stein. Using Milo had not only injured him, but exhausted him.

"What's it look like? You said if I won, I'm the one who decides what happens!" he grinned. "I ain't letting you die on your own choice!"

Stein stared, the grin gone, his face now blank, in mild surprise.

Far away in the nether regions of the cave, the floodgate burst, causing a loud crashing sound to echo around the tunnel.

"Shit! Where the hell's my ship gone?!" yelled Toma as he sprinted down the tunnel, dragging Stein on his back.

As light appeared, he skidded to a halt, revealing the town centre.

It was all but destroyed, six of the giant Pawn's lying sprawled out, crushing buildings.

Crying in anger, he doubled in speed, despite the heavy load he carried.

"Give up… You'll never escape, even if you do get to your ship…" muttered Stein. "This is pointless…"

"DO YOU WANT ME TO HIT YA AGAIN?!" roared Toma. "I ain't dying! I CAN'T die! Not yet!"

Arriving at the large archway, the whole crew appeared into sight.

Leo, Gonzo, Chris, and even the girl from earlier, Haze.

All of them stood on the Dawn Walker, unanchored and ready to sail.

Toma let Stein go, and ran towards them, grinning and waving.

Stein's gaze never left the bandaged man.

"_He never gives up hope… Even though he is doomed… Who is this boy…?_"

In an instant, Stein began to grin.

Toma vaulted the side of the ship, landing on the deck.

"Yo guys! What did I miss?"

He was unanswered as Gonzo grabbed him in a furious bear hug. "DON'T EVER SCARE ME LIKE THAT CAPTAIN!"

"OI! STOP THAT! YOUR GONNA KILL ME!"

Leo grinned "Everything's exactly as we left it. Nothing's missing. With luck, we'll find a way to get out-

"The floodgate's broken…" cut in Toma. "We don't have any time."

Chris's jaw dropped. "The _floodgate_? You have GOT to be joking!"

Toma closed his eyes, and shook his head.

Haze fell to the ground, on her knees. "It's all over… We're gonna die in this cave… I'M TOO YOUNG AND BEAUTIFUL TO DIE!"

Above the rumbling, a clapping was suddenly heard.

Toma spun round, and saw Stein standing there, fully erect, clapping his hands.

"I must congratulate you Captain-kun… You have exceeded my expectations…" he grinned manically. "It's a pity one of us won't live long enough to see this to the end…"

Toma's eyes widened.

The Black Milo was pointing at the hull of the Dawn Walker.

Sure _he'd_ probably survive… But the same couldn't be said for the crew.

"You backstabbing bastard…" muttered Toma.

Stein grinned. "I created the Atseru Kadou by delving deep into the earth, creating a large crater… Below the first crater, there is a second, both only being separated by a layer of water…" he adjusted his glasses.

"If that barrier between the two was broken, the Kadou would seal up, sending everything in Clockwork Island to the surface world with Geyser like force…"

He suddenly gave them a sad smile. "I'm actually glad to have met you, Kyoya-san…"

In an instant, he pointed the Milo cannon directly bellow his feet.

Toma's eyes widened.

He opened his mouth wide.

"**TOKEIKINMU: KO-BAKUHA!!!!!**" (Japanese: Clockwork: Great-Bomb)

Stein was surrounded by a pillar of white and black light.

He gave them one last smile, and let the cigarette drop form his mouth. "See ya…"

_**BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!**_

Water erupted form the ground, welling up like a fizz from a soft-drink, covering the cave in moments.

The Dawn Walker was sent flying out the gateway, up the shaft in which they'd fallen, towards the bright light above.

With a great CRASH, a ton of rubble, wood and metal, accompanied by globules of water, were sent flying out into the open air.

The Templar crew exhaled one, large, great breath of fresh air, before freefalling, down towards the sea.

With a loud, resounding SQUELCH, the Atseru Kadou imploded, folding in on itself, leaving the ocean calm, and quiet…

Until the debris fell upon it that is.

In an instant, the sea was bombarded with pieces of rubble, only beaten by the large ship landing atop it.

The crew had escaped Clockwork Island.

_Once upon a time there was a great inventor._

_His name was Dr. Frank Stein_

_The man lived in East Blue, and was always experimenting._

_He made everyone on the island very happy._

_He made robotic limbs for the disabled and robotic helpers._

_He was also known as 'Puppet King'._

_One day, Dr. Frank Stein decided to journey to the Grand Line to find his fortune, and return to turn the whole of East Blue into a Utopia._

_After a week in the cursed sea, the famous Doctor, went insane._

_The village in which he lived disappeared._

_Which is why, young children, you should never go into the Grand Line unless you're strong, or you'll end up like mad Stein._

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

The ebony haired man clicked his tongue, and snapped the silver pocket watch shut.

"Stein's dead." He muttered, bitterly.

The violet haired teen opposite him raised an eyebrow.

"Seriously? _THE_ Frank N. Stein?"

The man cast his head back, the thin ponytail running down the back of his chair. "There are only four of the Great Genius's left… Me, You, Vegapunk and Franky…"

The teen folded his arms behind his head. The thick glasses he wore were on the edge of his nose, only just covering his azure eyes. He wore a blue t-shirt, and bore baggy denim jeans.

"Hard to imagine Stein dying… I know he was mad, but… Wait a Mo, how the hell did you know?"

"Really, Rene-chan… You don't believe in my reliable sources?"

"Sorry, Professor Gigaku…"

Gigaku smiled. "Good…"

He wore a buttoned up lap coat, and had thick glasses, and, to match Stein's, had crimson eyes, with even more crimson slit-like pupils. His greasy black hair was slicked back, and tied in a pony tail.

Though he didn't look it, this man was one of the most dangerous men alive.

'Mad Alchemist' Professor Gigaku.

* * *

**Next Time: Hunting the Hunter-**

**Mission to a Masquerade?!**

**Whoo… I had a BIG writers block on this one… Sigh… Professor Gigaku was by YolkaEd, so I don't deserve ALL the credit for every mad Scientist who appears in this Fic.**

**Ya just gotta love the Mad Scientists!**

**On a side note, I was watching Umineko no Naku Koro Ni (When Seagull's cry) on Animeseason, And I gotta say, it's an awesome anime! Check it out, but I warn ya, it ain't for the faint of heart!**


	18. Hunting the Hunter

**Hunting the Hunter**

**Mission to a Masquerade?!**

* * *

Chris coughed, spitting out a load of salt water, then rolling around, scrapping the bitter taste off her tongue with her pearl like teeth.

After removing the taste, she took notice of her surroundings.

She was on the deck of the Dawn Walker.

The last thing she remembered was Stein, smiling, then whispering, 'See ya…' before being enveloped in a black and white light, and now they were above sea level, sailing peacefully on the ocean of East Blue.

Leo was lying a small distance from her, beside Haze. Both were unconscious.

But Toma and Gonzo were nowhere to be seen.

She then took notice of smoke wafting from the kitchen, accompanied by a glorious smell that could only be from Gonzo's food.

She continued to glance around the deck, then spotted Toma, sitting cross-legged on the dolphin figurehead, his eyes closed, a celestial calm on his bandaged face.

Slowly, Chris stood up, and walked over to him, not saying anything.

"It's rude to stare…" he muttered.

Chris jumped in surprise.

"W-what happened?" she asked, hurriedly.

Toma shrugged, and opened his emerald eyes. "Stein sacrificed himself to save us… He blew up the water reservoir beneath Clockwork Island to cause a geyser effect… He blew himself up…"

Chris's eyes widened. "B-but…! He was mad!" she stammered. "Why would he save us?!"

Toma swivelled round, then walked onto the deck. "I beat him… And he respected that… He knew that we'd won, and didn't cheat on the game he controlled."

She shook her head. "I don't understand… This is way to confusing…"

Toma sighed. "Oh! I've got something for you!" he removed the small trench knife from his jacket pocket. "One of the puppet's had it! I thought ya might like it!"

Slowly, she took the knife, and examined it, sliding the handle into her grip. The bronze ringlets slipped round her fingers perfectly.

"Amazing… It's so light…" she whispered, awestruck.

At that moment, the dagger set ablaze, causing the girl to scream, and drop it. "WHAT THE FUCK?!"

Toma burst out laughing. "You should have seen your face!!! PRICELESS!! HAHAHAHAHA!!"

"I'LL MURDER YOU, MUMMY-BOY!"

"MUMMY?! WHO'D YOU CALL A ZOMBIE WITH LESS LIFE THAN A ROCK?!"

"I DIDN'T EVEN SAY THAT, IDIOT-CAPTAIN!!"

One of Leo's eyes opened. "Who the hell is shouting…?" he gurgled, rubbing his head with his hand. "Oh god! My head feels like it's been split in half…"

Haze also stirred, and sat up.

"Where am I…?" she took notice of her surroundings. "Oh! It's Toma-chan and co!"

A tick mark appeared on Chris's forehead. "'Co'? WHY AM I THE 'CO'?"

Haze grinned. "So we're back up top eh…?" she winked at Toma. "I suppose you all are okay to have me?"

Toma cocked his head. "You aren't inviting yourself into the crew are you?"

"An invite to the crew? I'd be happy to except!"

"OI!"

Haze hopped onto her feet, and grinned. "I'm Haze by name, swordswoman by trade!" she grabbed Toma in a headlock. "NOW LET ME JOIN OR I'LL SNAP YER' NECK!"

"YOU CRAZY GIT! GET OFF ME!! HELP!"

Chris and Leo simply stared, grinning slightly at Toma's pain.

"FINE! FINE! YOU'RE IN THE CREW! _**JUST GET OFF ME**_!"

Haze let go, stepped back three paces, then crossed her arms over her chest. "So? You going to introduce yourselves then?"

The bandaged man sighed. "'Demon-Breaker' Toma… Bounty of 16 million Beli…"

She whistled in an impressed manner. "Whoo… 16 million already? You must've been pretty hard on the marines for that!"

"I beat up a midget called Bill… That. Is. It."

She cast her gaze over to Leo and Chris. "And you guys?"

"Leo Hartnet, navigator." Muttered Leo, who folded his arms in boredom, his earring jangling slightly.

"Chris Hopkins: Thief, Spy, and soon-to-be greatest pirate!" proclaimed Chris.

"Over my dead body…" grumbled Toma.

"YOU'RE ALREADY DEAD, ZOMBIE!"

"I'LL KILL YOU CHIBI!"

Haze looked over at the smoke wafting out the kitchen. "And I'm guessing the Fishman is 'Cascade' Gonzo of the Great White Pirates…"

"Great what?" muttered Toma, sounding mystified.

"Don't tell me you've never heard of the Great White's! One of the only all Fishman crews in the sea! I heard he got kicked out his crew because of an argument with the captain…"

Gonzo walked out the kitchen at this moment, wearing a white apron, and his favourite Hawaiian shirt.

"Oh! You're all up!"

He suddenly began to shrink as three glares were directed in his direction.

"W-what?!"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Haze, Chris and Gonzo sat around the small circular table in one of the ship's cabins.

Gonzo had prepared a barbeque feast, which was disappearing quickly.

Leo and Toma had gone to the helm, both muttering that they weren't hungry.

The captain had also mentioned heading to the guild island of Ryume, to check if any supplies were needed.

Gonzo was currently sitting at the table, telling his story to Chris and Haze.

"… So the old captain died… It was a pity… We all loved him like a father, and he never ONCE criticized my cooking. The new captain known as 'Drinker' Chamu, and was a renowned vegetarian…" he bit his fist. "How I hate vegetarians…! He constantly criticised my cooking, and brought me to the point of berserk rage. We had a fight on deck. The winner would be able to stay on the ship…" he sighed.

"I of course lost. He was a sea-sponge Fishman, with the ability to copy opponents powers. The previous captain, 'Sting' Cello only remained in power because of his ability to shock opponents who came near him-He was a jellyfish-man-and after he died of illness, Chamu became the strongest for miles. So I was booted out the crew, and meant to fend for myself… Tragic really…"

"Oh… Tragic…" muttered Toma, who was looming over Chris and Haze.

"WHAT THE HELL!? WHERE DID YOU COME FROM?!" yelled the cat-eyed girl.

"I ditched Leo a few moments ago… He can handle the helm by himself!"

Chris growled.

Toma directed his gaze towards Haze. "So what about you? You seem to have a pretty weird past, being an energy-human and all…"

Haze shrugged. "Not really…"

A far away look appeared in her hazel eyes. "I have no memories… One day I woke up, and my past had disappeared, like a half-forgotten dream. All I have is my name and my sword. But what I do know is that people were out to kill me from that day on. I was only fifteen…"

She suddenly grinned, and drained her glass of rum. "But hey, there's no point mulling over the past! Why are we going to that island, what did you call it? Ryume?"

Toma nodded. "Ayame no Ryume, island famed for having a number of bounty hunter guilds."

Chris cocked her head. "Guilds?"

"It's where bounty hunters collect and drop off bounty." Muttered Gonzo. "The more famed the guild, the stronger its users. Ryume has the largest guilds in East Blue. But why are we going there?"

Toma looked down. "There's only one thing that was missing from this ship when we recovered it…" he looked up, anime tears streaming form his eyes. "THE VAULT WAS EMPTIED! ALL MY MONEY IS GONE!"

"WHAT?! WHY WOULD THAT MAD GUY NEED BELI NOTES?!"

"I HAVEN'T THE FOGGIEST!!" cried Toma. "ALL MY STOLEN MONEY!! I'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO STEAL IT BACK!!!" he suddenly grinned evilly. "Which is why we're going to temporarily become bounty hunters…"

"Because we lost over 8000 beli, we've got to become bounty hunters?" muttered Haze. "That's screwed."

"DON'T MOCK MY BRILLIANT PLAN!" cried Toma. "We've just got to make up 10 thousand Beli, then it's smooth sailing."

"So… How close are we to the island…?" asked Chris.

"Oh, we're already here, Leo's just harbouring us."

Three glares were sent in his direction. "Um… Did I do something wrong?"

Various pairs of eyes followed the group as they walked through the dirty streets.

"They're all staring at us…" muttered Leo, without opening his mouth. His hands were stuffed roughly into his pockets, and his eyes were trying to avoid the gaze of the onlookers.

At the end of the street was a large wooden building, with a black horse emblem, above the title: 'EBONY-HORSE BOUNTY GUILD'

Toma strode forwards, and pushed the door open.

The guild was simply a typical pub, with many large men, with equally large weapons.

A huge billboard was nailed to the wall, with notes and posters pinned to it.

"So what's the difference between a Guild and a simple marine bounty?" muttered Chris.

"Marine bounties are legal, and don't require missions…" whispered Leo. "Guilds don't just ask for bounties, they apply tasks. Sometimes it may be

theft, assassination, or even infiltration. But guilds are never legal. They only stay open because of heavy bribery to local marine officials."

The young girl shivered slightly.

Toma was examining the billboard, looking at the notes pinned tightly.

"5 thousand beli for an assassination? Man these clients are cheap…" muttered Toma, moving onto another note. "Aha!" he tore a note from the board, and rushed over to a table.

Leo followed in his wake, and pulled up a chair.

Gonzo, Haze and Chris followed suit.

"10 thousand beli for the protection of a Masquerade!" cried Toma. "We get to go to a party! AND get paid for it! How awesome is that?!"

"It says PROTECTION dummy!" snapped Leo. "We aren't officially attending, we're simply acting as security. God knows why they can't buy guards with this much money."

"Must act as normal guests. Disguises will be supplied. Act as security from 9 pm-3 am. Pay after terms completed. This is awesome!" cried Toma. "It's on Ryume too! AND it's tonight!"

"Isn't this too good to be true?" muttered Haze. "It almost sounds as though they're using us as fodder, not guards!"

Toma grinned. "Come on! What can go wrong? It's a masquerade, remember? No one will recognise me, or any of us, so we won't have our names on this. If we see any trouble, we sort it out, beat up a few people, bish-bash-bosh, we've got ourselves supply money!"

"I don't know…" whispered Chris. "It sounds suspicious…"

Toma sighed. "Come on… We need money, and this is the only life-line we got! I CAN'T SURVIVE WITHOUT RUM MONEY DAMMIT!!"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"It's tonight…"

The two masked men raised there heads.

"Seriously? They decided to do it TONIGHT?"

One man, who was looking down at a magazine shrugged. "What makes tonight different from any other night? People will dance, people will cry, and of course, people will undoubtedly die."

"That's rather cruel, Oni." Whispered a man with a fox shaped mask.

"Shut it, Kitsune…" snapped Oni, as he flipped the page of his magazine. "Oho! Damn I love these models! I wish I could get a girl to do that!"

A man wearing a dog masked snatched the magazine, and looked at its contents. "Play-pirate? Are you SCREWING with me, Oni? We're assassins for god's sake!"

Oni glared, his demon mask hiding his grimace. "GIVE ME BACK MY MAGAZINE, INU!"

At that moment, two women walked into the room. One wore a cat mask, the other a bear mask.

"What the hell are you guys arguing about?" muttered the one with a bear mask.

The smaller one, with a cat mask, giggled.

Oni whistled. "Man, you guys are looking FINE. I'd prefer you to the magazines any-day!"

This earned him a hard kick from Inu.

"Pervert." Grunted Inu.

"I'm not a pervert, I'm just interested in the female anatomy!" shot-back Oni, with a venom-liketone. "Now give me back my magazine!"

"Yara, yara…"

The group of five froze.

"For a band of mercenaries, you all talk an awful lot…"

Two figures emerged from the shadows, one at either end of the room.

One was wearing a pointed wizard like hat, and frayed robes, with long sleeves that covered his black and white gloved hands.

The other wore fancy clothes, with baggy trousers and shoes that were pointed at the toe tip. A large cap with a huge purple feather sticking out it was planted on his head.

Both wore pale white porcelain masks.

The one with a pointed hat wore a manic looking grinning mask, while the one with a feather cap wore a solemn looking mask, with curved eye designs.

"Oh? Why are you here?" muttered Hibari Kyoya, his hand quickly moving to his scythe's hilt.

Joker cocked his head. "Is that any way to address your father and superior, boy?" a blade shot out the sleeve of the robe. Black markings covered the silver metal, with symbols that made no sense.

Oni shook slightly. "Why are both archbishop's here? I thought we were only hired by one!"

Inu shrugged. "Don't ask me!"

Joker retracted the blade, and relaxed his stance. "Do not worry. I am merely here as an observer. As a follower of the Order of Kaazan, and superior to the Archbishop of Shadow, I must oversee his… Workings…"

"Otou-baka…" grunted Hibari. He glanced at the mercenary band. "You guys know what I'm paying ya for, right?"

"Stealing the black diamond…" droned the company, bar Oni who had returned to his magazine, and was giggling in a perverted manner.

Joker surveyed the scene for a moment. "Why not have your crew steal the gem? Would that not be more sufficient?"

Hibari shrugged. "I don't want my name splashed on this. It's better off these guys do it…" he grunted. "Now can you explain in depth why you are REALLY here?"

In a flash, both men had their weapons drawn, and blades locked, the rune-covered blade belonging to Joker pushing back Hibari's massive scythe.

At once, the pressure in the room dramatically increased.

Kitsune and Neko both fell to the ground, struggling for breath.

Out of all the group, Oni was the only one who seemed unfazed.

"You've gotten stronger, Archbishop of Light…" whispered Hibari, his yellow eyes flashing through the black lenses.

Joker leaned closer to the mask, revealing two mismatched eyes, one fuchsia pink, the other amber. "It's 'Mirror Knight' right now…"

They stepped away from each other, causing the tension to drop to its original state.

Kitsune took a large gulp of air. "Jesus… I hate Haki so much…"

Joker raised his arm, and let the blade slide back into his sleeve. "By the way… I thought I might give you this…" he removed a slip of ragged paper from a deep pocket in his robes, then dropped it, letting it flutter open.

Hibari's eyes widened.

Joker turned. "Goodbye brat…" he disappeared in a flash of white light.

On the ground was a wanted poster. Of a bandaged man, crouching with mallet-like weapon clutched in his hand.

'DEMON BREAKER' TOMA KYOYA

* * *

**Next Time: **

**Masquerade-Mayhem! Part 1**

**The Opera of Madness**

**Yay! I beat up another writers block! Not only did I do that, but I also held it down, and used the Pokemon move: 'AURASPHERE'! Then I gained 4300 exp. Points, lvl'd to LV100 and obtained a master ball! I play way too much Platinum… DAMN GODLYDRAGON FOR BUYING A JAPANESE SOUL OF SILVER… *Crying* I want a new Poke-plot… **

**Moving swiftly on from my gaming rant (I've got a LVL 100 Mewtwo: **_**SWEETNESS**_**) I'm sorry for not listing other characters that have been added. Those whove read the reviews of this story will guess that 'Oni' is actually Jay by Drasser, but I'll use the real mention when he removes his mask.**

**A list of soon to be added characters are as follows: (If your character isn't shown here, DON'T PANIC. I'm simply showing the ones coming up sooner than later.)**

**Blacksmith-Zugai Hibiware (YolkaEd)**

**Fighter-Long Mei-Lin (Sakura-chan 484)**

**(YET ANOTHER) Thief-Indigo (DreamTiger5)**

**Enemy (HOORAY.)-"Bad Game" (Kyuuki-sama)**

**Assassin- Akari Chite (Sanjiandserea)**

**And that's all the up and coming mentions so far. That'll do for about… Well, quite a number of chapters… Don't stop sending in guys! I love all your entries! DO. NOT. STOP. *Menacing glare***

**Need more villans! Keep sending in VILLANS. MUST. HAVE. VILLANS…! *Zapped by taser, then carried off by men in white coats…***


	19. Masquerade Madness Part I

**Masquerade-Mayhem! Part 1**

**Opera of Madness**

* * *

A short man wearing a massive blue top-hat stared critically at the group. "So you are the ones who have accepted my offer?"

"Yup." Said Toma, flatly.

The man sighed. "I expected someone… Tougher…"

Toma shrugged. "To bad, ya got us."

The man sighed. "The masquerade is tonight, and as you can see, I have no guards… You see, I hold clients who prefer not to be seen in the… How do I put it? 'Higher world'."

"You deal in the black market." Muttered Leo.

The man winced. "I suppose you can put it that way… But you see, I happen to have come into contact with one of the sweeter deals on the market, and managed to trick its owner out of it for a very reasonable price…"

He made a gesture to his right, towards the large onyx-black gem, shining like an abyssal mirror.

Toma cocked his head. "Ain't that the shadow-gem?"

The man grinned. "You are familiar with the teachings of Kaazan?"

"You could say that…" muttered Toma. "The shadow-gem was one of the relics that gave the original archbishop of shadow the ability to open the gate…"

Chris raised an eyebrow. "I thought you said there was only four paths of Kaazan…"

"There are currently." muttered Toma. "But originally two other paths existed, considered to be the strongest of all; the path of light and the path of shadow. They were removed because of the strain on the user's life-force, but two archbishops who trained in the form still exist…"

The client nodded. "Tonight is the final night that this gem is in my possession. At 2.30 am, a dealer will come to pick it up. He's offering me a rather lot of money for this gem, so I decided to have maximum protection on it tonight…" he pointed to five costumes, each bearing masks hanging on the wall. "You will pretend to be normal guests. Eat, drink, laugh, socialise… But keep your eye out for anything suspicious. You see, I've become aware that someone is rather desperate for this gem…"

He removed a scrap piece of paper from his drawer, and held it up.

THE SHADOW GEM WILL BE DRENCHED IN YOUR BLOOD.

"Well that ought to dampen your day…" muttered Toma. The writing was blood red.

"I originally had two bidders for the gem, one was outbid. At first, he threatened me, then actually informed me that he would rob me on the very night of my masquerade!" tears streamed down his face. "PLEASE HELP ME!!"

The crew all sweat-dropped.

"You said ten thousand, right?" said Gonzo, as he folded his arms.

The client nodded. "Yes, 10 thousand beli, in cash."

"Why buy guild-hounds? With money like that, surely you can afford legal hands."

He sighed. "If only. Legal work often is a double-edged sword. The government will 'confiscate' anything which does not belong to me. This includes the diamond."

Toma grinned. "Well I'm in!"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"Captain…" groaned the lumbering creature, as its bulbous eyes stared longingly at the unconscious woman. "I… Hungry…"

Joker sighed. Slowly, he retracted his sword, and stepped back, letting the hulking navy blue creature loom over the woman.

A large, pink, slavering tongue seeped out the long slit-like mouth. Responding to this motion, the woman's chest began to glow.

The creatures long, floppy, rabbit-like ears pricked up slightly.

A white orb appeared, hovering above the woman's chest, pulsating every second with light.

The tongue snaked around it, then pulled the orb into its mouth.

At once, the woman released a strong muscular spasm, her back arching, and her eyes shooting open in a brief moment of pain. Then her pupils went blank. Her soft breathing seemed to amplify.

The creature stood up, licking its face, having no lips to lick.

It was huge, around 7 foot, with long, trailing arms, and sharp pointed claws. It's skin was navy blue, and its eyes were a bright bulbous yellow. Each eye was around the size of a grown man's fist.

A long-pointed wizard's hat covered its head, with two long floppy ears trailing out its back. Black robes covered its body, making it appear almost identical to Joker.

The creature began to rub its chest, still licking its face in joy. "Yummy…" it groaned.

"Please use manners when eating, Jester…" whispered Joker. He cocked his head at the still living woman. "It's no good to kill someone who has no heart… Simply leave her…"

Jester nodded, then raised his right hand, and made a swipe at the air.

Three dark lines were drawn as his claws ripped the air, as though it was made of paper.

He then reached into one of the tears, and pulled it, as if it were a curtain, revealing the abyss like portal.

"Shall… I go… Captain…?" groaned Jester.

Joker nodded.

The creature then stepped into the rip, disappearing from view, the rip closing behind him.

Joker continued to stare at the woman, who was staring blankly at the ceiling.

Suddenly, the rune-covered blade shot out his sleeve. He immediately slashed the air, revealing a large white tear, opposite to Jester's black one.

He continued to stare, then stepped into the portal, as it sealed behind him.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

The ballroom, as it turned out, was a huge circular building, with glass doors lining its sides, showing the night time garden surrounding the building.

Ivory white pillars held up the ceiling, which was decorated with a strange pattern of angel like creatures holding a sword towards navy-blue demon like creatures, with wide mouths and rows of sharp teeth.

The client, who had dubbed himself 'Mr. Tall', had given each of the crew a room to get changed into their costumes.

Leo had been given a white jacket and trousers, along with a ram mask.

Gonzo had been given yellow robes, and, oddly enough, was given a face-covering knight helmet, which covered his black and white skin.

Chris had been given red dress (with much to her protest) and a fox mask, along with a furry-red fox ear hair band.

Haze was wearing a black suit, with a hood, complete with a vulture mask, musical symbols covering parts of the polystyrene face.

Toma was the least changed. He was simply supplied with a mask, and had fully done up his templar coat. His mask was blank, and featureless, with only two black lenses to allow sight.

Mr. Tall appeared very pleased with the outcome.

"You all look perfect!" he cried with glee. He held up his wrist, and glanced at his clockwork watch. "Five minutes till I open the gates. Just act natural."

"How do pirates act natural?" muttered Toma.

"We could rob people…" suggested Haze, with a shrug.

Leo sighed, and took a place beside the door.

When the first person arrived, knocking rapidly, he opened it, and bowed at the presence of the young lady. Gonzo took his place beside the buffet, serving people food and drinks.

Haze, taking in her new costume, decided to stand in shadowy parts of the room, before jumping out at guests, moaning like a demented ghost.

Only Toma and Chris remained together.

Toma was leaning against the wall, impassively staring as the party came into swing.

Chris was simply sitting beside him, not saying anything.

"So why do you look so low…?" muttered Toma, as some guests began to dance.

Chris shrugged. "My Grandmother wanted to prepare me for a life like this. Being a pretty housewife. Going to parties. Having no adventure…" she sighed. "I never thought I'd actually end up at one of these parties _as_ a pirate…"

Toma burst out laughing.

"It's not funny!" cried Chris.

Toma didn't stop.

Suddenly, the girl grinned behind her mask, and began to laugh as well.

She looked at Toma, her yellow eyes glinting behind the mask. "I think I may actually enjoy this job…"

Toma grinned. "That's the spirit!"

Suddenly, the hall went dark. A single spotlight fell into the middle of the circular ballroom in which Mr. Tall was holding the event.

The man himself walked into the spotlight, and bowed. He was wearing a mask which only covered the top half of his face, revealing his pearly white grin. "Welcome, my friends, clients, and guests!" he called. "I humbly bow you all into my home. Tonight, on the 35th anniversary of the Ayame no Ryume festival! And I, Rainsworth Tall, have been selected, by high public vote, to host this luxurious event!" He did a low bow, removing his giant top hat. "I wish you all have a good time. Dance, drink, eat, enjoy yourselves. I am your humble slave." With that, he turned on his heels, and exited the room.

At once, the small orchestra began to play a slow waltz, and a few couples hurried over to the now large spotlight, dancing to the slow beat.

A blonde lady had immediately hurried over to Leo, and asked him for a dance, which he politely agreed to.

Toma closed his eyes lazily. "Why do I suddenly feel so tired…?" he muttered.

Chris was about to answer, when a young man, of around 17, bowed to her. "Excuse me, miss… Would you like to dance?"

Chris turned slowly, staring at him.

He was smiling politely, under his own Fox-mask.

Before she could grab her dagger and attack him, Toma pushed her forward. "My friend would LOVE to dance with you! She'd be HONOURED."

He grinned evilly as Chris glared at him, while being carried off to the dance floor.

"That was really mean…" moaned a voice.

"HOLY-CRAP!" cried Toma as the vulture masked Haze loomed over him.

Haze burst out laughing. "That brings the scare count to 18! I LOVE this costume!"

Toma gasped for breath. "I seriously thought you were the Shinigami there… DON'T DO THAT!!"

Haze began to chuckle, striding off towards Gonzo.

"Crazy-lady…" muttered Toma.

"Excuse me, Nyuu!"

Toma froze. "Nyuu?" he turned around.

A small teenage girl of around sixteen was standing beside him. She wore a pink cat mask which covered the top half of her face. Snow white hair fell down to her shoulders, and a toothy grin was visible. "Would you dance with me, Nyuu?"

Toma sweat dropped. "Sure… Why not…?"

She cocked her head.

He let out a sigh. "Erm… Nyuu…?"

She 'eeped' in joy, then dragged him over to the dance floor.

"Thank you very much, Nyuu! I hope you won't be disappointed, Nyuu!"

"Um… Hope you ain't disappointed either… Nyuu…"

She giggled, and took him in a waltz position.

"So who are you, Nyuu?" she asked, politely.

"Toma. My name's Toma. You, Nyuu?"

"People just call me Neko, Nyuu!"

Toma cocked his head, but didn't ask.

"What brings you to this weird party anyway, Nyuu?" she asked. "It's not exactly the thing a teenager would be up for, Nyuu."

"Speak for yourself, Nyuu…" muttered Toma.

Neko grinned. "I like you, Nyuu…" she leaned closer to him, so her grey eyes were locked with his green orbs through the lenses. "I may ask to keep you as a pet. Once we get father back, that is…"

Toma narrowed his eyes. "Father…?"

The hall suddenly went dark.

A spotlight fell on the orchestra, revealing a lone figure standing there. All the musicians had been knocked out.

The figure was male, with long silver hair. A grey demon mask covered his face, and he carried two handguns, one red, the other deep blue. He wore a black shirt, coat and jeans, and had two ammo belts tied around his chest. Grinning under his mask, he removed the top hat which rested on his head, and bowed.

"Ladies and Gentlemen… Welcome to our Opera of Madness… Unfortunately for all of you, we're going to have to kill you…"

Toma quickly glanced to his side, and saw Neko was rushing towards the figure, grinning wildly.

The man who had asked Chris to dance was also heading in that direction.

Also, one man with a dog mask, and a woman with a bear mask emerged into vision behind the figure.

"The name's Oni!" he cried. He gestured to the two behind him. "Inu and Ursa." Then he gestured to the two in front. "Neko and Kitsune…"

He cast both his arms out.

"Let us begin Act 1! The cast are set, and the music is high!" he closed his eyes. "Let the slaughter begin…"

Everyone was so transfixed with fear at the group, they didn't notice the single silhouette weaving through the crowd.

Oni looked down just in time to block with both of his guns, as the Demi-mallet was slammed down at him.

A clang resounded throughout the ballroom.

"Demon, eh?" whispered Toma, as he locked eyes with Oni. "You don't know what Demon's are…"

Oni narrowed his eyes. "Who the hell are you, brat?"

Toma grinned, then slammed his leg into Oni's side, causing Oni to lower his guard.

In a spilt second, Toma had the mallet above Oni's head. "The name's Toma Kyoya! KAAZAN ISHU!"

In an instant, four different weapons were pointing at Toma, and one gun blocking the hammer.

Kistune held three kunai between his fingers.

Ursa held a staff.

Inu held a short-sword.

And Neko carried two daggers in each hand.

Oni glared. "You seem strong… I like that…"

Toma returned the glare, ignoring his life-threatening circumstances.

"The feeling is mutual…" he tightened his grip on the mallet. "**KAAZAN…"**

The air around him began to give off slight pulses of energy. **"… SEPPU!!!**"

With the force of a cannon, he blasted into movement, like a spinning-top, causing the surrounding mercenaries to stumble backwards.

Oni grimaced, then did a back flip.

With a low grunt, two leathery wings shot out his back, then began to flap, giving him aviation.

"Take out the trash!" he grunted, before gliding off with a burst of speed.

"HOLD IT---!" cried Toma, dashing across the ground with equal speed.

Inu made a move forward, when Leo appeared in front of him, quickly removing his own mask, then landing an uppercut bellow Inu's jaw. Following up to this, he thrust a hard punch in the man's stomach.

"INU!" cried Ursa. She stepped forward, but was blocked by Haze, who also removed her mask.

The guests by this time had begun to flood out the exit, screaming. Some were stared, transfixed.

Neko and Kistune both began to follow after Toma and Oni, only to be halted by Chris and Gonzo.

"**20 gallons-PRIME RIB!"** Gonzo slammed his fist towards Kitsune, only to have his blow dodged.

"A beatstick, eh?" muttered Kitsune. He flicked a kunai out a punch on his leg. "This'll be no problem for a Shinobi…"

Neko and Chris both removed their masks and stared at each other.

Without warning, Neko pounced, both daggers held tightly in each gloved fist.

Chris quickly drew her crescent dagger and a Deer-horn dagger. The weapons collided, resulting in Neko having to leap backwards to avoid falling into the 16-year old.

"I don't like you, Nyuu…" muttered Neko. "You are too short, Nyuu…"

Several tick marks spawned on Chris's head. "SHORT?! I AIN'T SHORT FURBALL! AND WHAT'S WITH 'NYUU'?"

"ARGH! YOU'RE MEAN, NYUU!"

"STOP WITH THE NYUU!!!"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

A white rip appeared in mid-air in the small office. A large black boot stepped out of the rift, followed by a cloaked figure. The porcelain mask stared impassively at the black gem sparkling in the dim-office light.

A second rip appeared, this time a dark indigo, revealing the navy-blue skinned creature.

A slight chuckle emanated from Joker. "Are you hungry, Jester-kun?"

"Yes… Captain…" slurred Jester.

"It's time then… I think I'll enjoy meeting my grandson… It'll be even more fun when I take his heart… And feed it to a Necromancer…" he began to chuckle lightly. "I hope you're ready Toma… The game has just begun…"

* * *

**Next Time: **

**Masquerade Mayhem! Part 2**

**Dog-Fight! 1000 NYU-TON KYOUKI!**

**DAMN YOU WRITERS BLO----OCK!!!! CURSE YOU!!! *Pants…* Sorry, had to let that out… *Sigh…***

**Well, another Chapter has been tackled (Not my best work, but hey, I ain't much of a critic…) **

**Well, as far as my gaming rant is going today, I've been obsessed with FF (Final Fnatasy) Tactics Advanced 2: Grimoir of the Rift. Currently, my higest guy is a level 64 Baanga (Whitemonk/Gladiator/MasterMonk/Trickster/Templar)**

**AND I REQUIRE HELP! WHICH WEAPON TEACHES GIGAFLA|RE TO ALCHEMIST!! I MUST KNOW!!! *FLAMES OF YOUTH AND GAMER SPIRIT!***

… **Ok, rant over, back to reality… ALCHEMIST!!!! GIGAFLARE!! SPIRIT!! *Zapped by three taser's and dragged off by large men in white coats…***


	20. Masquerade Madness Part II

**Masquerade Madness! Part 2**

**1000 NYU-TON OSHI!!**

* * *

"WAI—T!!" cried Toma. "I SAID STOP BAT-BOY!"

"Who'd stop, dipshit?! AND WHO YOU CALLIN' A BAT?! I'M A DEMON. **DEMON.**"

"I'LL CLUB YOU TO DEATH, BAT-BOY!"

Oni growled, and flicked out his two pistols. "May Lucifer feast upon thy soul…" he smirked under his mask. "**Demonio Menor – Ira de Alastor!**"

(Demonio Menor – Ira de Alastor-Spanish: Minor Demon-Alastor's Wrath)

As the words left his lips, his fingers began to dance upon the triggers, shooting in rapid succession. If that wasn't enough, a white energy seemed to emanate from the bullets.

As Toma dodged a wave of bullets, he felt the skin on his arm prickle under his bandages. "_Static electricity?_"

His eyes widened as a huge volley of bullet's fired head-on towards him. "Shit-!"

All of the bullets collided into Toma at once, creating a small explosion of static energy.

Oni stopped flying away, and instead began to hover in place, cocking his head slightly.

Toma groaned, shaking his arms to try and regain feeling in his muscles. The energy seemed to make no damage to the body, instead taking an impact on the nerve system, paralysing all feeling with static energy.

"Wow, that stings…" he muttered, as he shakily regained his footing. He shivered slightly, and then began to spin his mallet round in one hand. "Oni, huh? First time I've seen a demon using guns."

Oni landed softly on the ground, his wings retracting. "Tell me, Templar…" his eyes were glued to the crucifix on Toma's shoulder. "Do you believe in hell?"

Toma's eyes narrowed. "In an honest sense; no, I think hell is a myth. I'd be happy to send you there, but you may be disappointed if there is none to find."

Oni laughed. "You're funny. But I'm being serious." He removed the mask, and cast it to the dirty ground, letting his silver hair flow freely. He stared at Toma with a crystal blue eye, his other obscured by silver bangs. "You see, Hell is a metaphorical term. I only joined up with that group you saw recently. And in that gap between my childhood and them, I've experienced a hell on earth…"

With a soft grunt, his features began to distort. His pale skin became jet black, and two bat-like wings appeared again. His hands deformed into claws, but still human enough to gain a grip on his handguns. He gave the shocked Toma a sharp-fanged grin. He softly brushed the hair away from his right eye, revealing it to be blood red. "I ate the Oni Oni no Mi… Model: Ga-Goiru."

(Oni Oni no Mi Model Ga-Goiru: Japanese-Demon Demon Fruit-Model: Gargoyle)

He flexed his elongated arms, and then held the blue gun out at full arms length. "Die ya fuckin' pest…" He pulled the trigger. "**Demonio Menor – Virus de Nebiros!**"

(Demonio Menor – Virus de Nebiros-Spanish: Minor Demon- Nebiros's Virus)

Two ebony bullets flew from the gun, towards Toma.

The thief rolled to the side, only for the bullets to explode, releasing a cloud of violet gas.

Toma stumbled to his knees. "_Poison?_" he began to cough violently. "_Shit! I can't even see outside the cloud!_"

Out of nowhere, a clawed fist grabbed Toma by the throat, holding him up his in the air.

Toma's eyes were screwed shut, the gas burning his vision.

He was abruptly pulled from the gas to see a grinning Oni. "The name's Jay. You're Toma right?"

Toma groaned slightly.

Jay sighed, then held the blue gun at Toma's forehead. "Sorry mate. Nothing personal…"

He pulled the trigger.

Casting Toma's body to the side, Jay returned to his human form, and let out a sigh. "Now… Where am I gonna find that fucking gem?"

BOOM!!!

Jay's eyes widened.

Energy was pulsing in Toma's body. Like a puppet on strings, the Templar returned to his feet. A manic grin was visible underneath the bandages. "**Tsuchi no Seki…**" His yellow eyes locked with Jay's. "**KAIHOU.**"

(Tsuchi no Seki KAIHOU-Japanese: Gate of Earth-Open)

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Gonzo slammed his fist downwards, missing Kitsune narrowly, creating a small crater in the ground.

"Wow, wow! That was a close one!" cried Kitsune, in a mock tone.

Gonzo grit his teeth.

Kitsune then grinned under his mask. "My turn then?"

He blurred out of sight, reappearing at short intervals, heading directly towards Gonzo.

The Fishman crossed both his arms in a defensive stance, only to have Kitsune suddenly appear behind him. "Wha-?!"

"**Oro Velletta!**" Kitsune held a small golden capsule in his hand, which he crushed.

(Oro Velletta-Italian: Gold Veil)

At once, a blinding light enveloped the area, causing Gonzo to scream in pain, clutching his burnt eyes.

Kitsune did a back flip, drawing three more capsules out, one between each finger. One red, one blue, and one green. In the other hand, he drew a small kunai.

Gonzo glared at him, his eyes watering.

"A Shinobi uses tricks and deceit to get what he wants…" muttered Kitsune. "'Father' taught me that. My mask protects me from the effects of the elemental veils, putting the opponent at my mercy."

"_Elemental Veils?_" he glanced at the capsules.

Kitsune blurred out of sight, again appearing behind Gonzo. "**Fuoco Velletta!**" he crushed the red capsule, causing a searing red heat to surround Gonzo, entering his lungs, pain flooding his entire body.

(Fuoco Velleta-Italian: Fire Veil)

He aimed a punch behind him, but Kitsune had already moved to a different spot, this time holding up the green capsule.

"**Selva Veletta!**" a brown gas exploded this time, again flooding through Gonzo's lungs, this time causing all his limbs to ache, preventing movement.

(Selva Veletta-Italian: Wood Veil)

Again, Kitsune disappeared, appearing right in front of Gonzo, the blue capsule held high. "**Acqua Veletta!**"

(Acqua Veletta-Italian-Water Veil)

He shoved the capsule into Gonzo's mouth, where it instantly dissolved, turning into a liquid, flooding his throat, preventing speech.

He then held the kunai at the Fishman's throat. "I've sealed off you speech, your movement, and your feeling. You've lost…"

Gonzo's arm suddenly made one swift movement, and grabbed Kitsune's elbow with bone crushing force.

"What?!"

Gonzo grinned. "Giving me a liquid was a very bad idea."

He slammed his fist into Kitsune's gut, causing the man to double over, choking slightly.

"Let's play again shall we? I warn you… I ain't going easy this time…"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"**BLAST!**"

Inu gagged as the blast of pure force hit him in the chest.

Leo lowered his fist, and stepped back slightly. "No offence or anything, but you seem awful weak compared to the other guys I've fought…"

Inu grunted "Figures…" To Leo's surprise, he sat down, cross-legged, and pulled out a bottle of sake. Pulling up his mask slightly, revealing his mouth, he took a long drink. "Jeez I hate this… Oni always has to go for the big entrance… I hate fighting, ya know…" he sighed, then offered the bottle to Leo. "Want a drink?"

Leo sweat dropped. "Are you being serious?"

Inu shrugged, then hopped onto his feet, and stretched his muscles. "I suppose this calls for drastic measures then…" he looked out the ballroom window towards the blood red moon floating in the sky. "What do ya know? A blood moon! Tonight of all nights! Hahaha!" he turned to Leo. "Sorry dude, but you're going down…"

Leo cocked his head.

Inu placed the bottle into his bag, then removed his shirt, revealing the slim yet not overly fit chest. "Before Oni came along, it was just the four of us… And 'Father'…"

Leo's eyes narrowed.

"Our 'Father' is the whole point of this… We wish to bring him back… And to do that, we need money…" his body began to shake slightly. "Our father was a kind man… He took us in, children of the street, and gave us a home, food, and trained us to become skilled fighters, and protect ourselves… But then the one thing even a brilliant man like him couldn't avoid happened… He died of old age…"

Leo looked down in a slight gesture of pity.

"That's why we need to get enough money to find out how to bring him back! WE WON'T STOP UNTIL HE'S ALIVE AGAIN!"

Leo sighed. "Sorry mate… You can't bring someone back from the dead. It's not possible…"

Inu suddenly went rigid. In the blink of an eye, he had slammed his fist into Leo's stomach, causing the navigator to choke and double over.

"Don't you dare mock us…" whispered Inu, menacingly. "Oni only arrived after Father's death… Before he came, I was the leader…" he looked up, his eyes now grey, with black slit pupils. "I'll show you the power of a leader!"

With his free hand, he smacked Leo in the side of the head, with surprising force, causing the gravity human to be sent flying across the room, crashing into one of the glass walls.

"What…? What the hell are you?" gasped Leo, as he wiped blood from his mouth. "_His strength has just gotten much higher! Hell, his speed has too!_"

Inu grinned. "I ate the Tsuki Tsuki no Mi. I'm a moon-man?"

Leo blinked, then sweat dropped. "Oi, you serious?"

"OF COURSE I AM, DUMBASS!" Inu regained his posture, and looked at the blood-moon. "When I am in the light my power weakens… But when the moon is high…" he began to shudder. "I can place myself in the 'Berserker Trance'…"

Slowly, he began to grow, his back arching over. Fur sprouted from his skin, covering his body.

Leo looked on, slightly shocked. "Well this sucks…"

Inu laughed, and flexed his newly formed muscles. "Behold my power! THE POWER OF A WEREWOLF!"

He was humanoid in shape, with grey fur covering his whole body. His clothes had torn slightly due to his new-found height, and his jaw length had grown, into a canine like structure. He glared at Leo with beady grey eyes, then flexed his clawed paws. "I warn you… Now I have sanity, but when the moon reaches its highest, my power doubles… And I loose all sanity!"

Like a bullet, he tore across the floor, ripping tiles from the ground, dust trailing behind him in an earthen cloud.

Leo grimaced. "**TOKU!"**

(Toku-Japanese: Shield)

Inu impacted with the wall of gravity at such force, that Leo was pushed back, gritting his teeth as pumped more energy into the wall of force.

Inu grinned. "It stings, don't it mongrel!"

Leo held one hand out fully. "**DRAW!"**

Inu turned round, and saw a large piece of rubble, from when he tore across the floor, flying towards him. Grimacing, he spun round a slammed his foot into it, smashing it to pieces.

Leo grinned, and slammed his own palm into Inu's back. "Fooled you… **LEVEL 3!**"

Inu cried as the gravity around him was tripled, causing him to fall sharply onto the ground, his mass creating a small crater.

Leo, immune to the effects of his ability, leapt onto Inu's back, again holding out his palm. "**BURST! BURST! BURST!**"

Like a ferocious punch, each pulse of energy caused Inu to gag slightly.

Leo began to pant. Using so much of his Devil's fruit power consumed a lot of energy.

Grunting slightly, he stepped off of Inu's body, and began to walk towards the door, brushing the dust off his shirt.

"Was that a mosquito bite or something?"

Leo stopped walking, and spun round, only to have a fist impact with his gut. He coughed up a little blood, his eyes wide in surprise and shock.

Inu was looking down on him, his eyes now crimson. "You are really going to die now, human!"

"**Maan-Happen!**" Inu grabbed Leo's shoulder with one hand, holding him in place, then with the other hand began to slam his fist repeatedly into Leo's gullet. With each punch, Leo coughed up more blood.

(Maan-Happen: Dutch-Moon Bite)

Soon a drool of crimson liquid was flowing from Leo's mouth. His eyes had lost their lustre, and he was staring down at the floor, unable to move due to lack of energy.

Inu raised a clawed fist. "The moon has reached its peak…" he clenched his hand. "FEEL MY WRATH!!" letting out a wolf-like howl, he slammed his fist down. "**MAAN WRAAK!**"

(Maan Wraak: Dutch-Moon Revenge)

With boulder-crushing force, he slammed his arm down, attempting to smash Leo's body.

With a sickening crunch, Inu screamed in pain. Leo held his arm, fully erect, clenching Inu's fist. The force of the sudden block had caused Inu's Ulna and Radius bone to snap in half.

Leo looked up, a sad smile on his face. "I am sorry…"

"What?!" Inu's eyes were wide.

"I'm afraid I won't die just yet…" Leo held out his hand, a grey orb swirling in his palm.

"W-what is that thing?!" cried Inu, trying to break out of Leo's iron grip.

"There is a theory that out of all the atoms in this universe, there is a certain atom which applies force to all objects in the universe… It is known as a 'graviton'. Graviton's are the atoms which apply gravity to the universe, like an unwritten law… But the devil's fruit I've eaten allows me to bend this law… All gravitons; the law of the universe, are at my control."

"WHAT?!"

"I'm afraid you won't be able to fight after this…" whispered Leo.

"N-no!"

Leo grimaced.

"STOP IT!!"

"**1000 NYU-TON OSHI!!!!**"

(1000 nyu-ton Oshi: Japanese-1000 Newton Pressure)

The orb was slammed into Inu's gut, causing the Moon-man to scream.

He felt his entire body swell like a furious balloon, wanting to burst with the tremendous pressure applied in his body.

Leo stepped back, and watched Inu fall to the ground, rolling around in pain.

"The attack won't kill you… I've merely applied pressure to you internal organ stopping you from moving. You'll be able to move very freely when you're caught…"

"D-damn you!!" groaned Inu, shortly followed by a moan of pain.

Leo sighed. "Don't attempt movement. It'll only cause more pain…"

Inu cursed, gave one, final, furious groan, then made no more movement, his body falling into a state of unconsciousness.

Leo cocked his head, staying poised in case this was another trick, then turned on his heels and strode towards the door, back in the direction of the main building.

Mr. Tall slammed the door to his office, and began to pant. Having heard of the outburst at the masquerade, he'd rushed straight back.

He cast his eye over to the black gem in the corner. He let loose a heavy sigh of relief. Only two more hours and the gem will have been sold.

He smiled. As long as the guild hounds did their job, he'd be able to sell the gem, and hopefully, if things worked out well, not have to pay the band of mongrels! Even better, if the guild hounds and the bandits killed each other, all his problems would be gone!

"You look happy, Rainsworth-san…"

Mr. Tall froze. Slowly, he turned his head.

Joker stood beside the door, his arms folded, his covered eyes staring right through Mr. Tall.

"M-Mirror K-knight!"

"Please, do not be so formal, call me Joker…"

Mr. Tall stepped backwards, only to make contact with something large and soft. A sticky liquid fell on his forehead. Shakily, he looked up, and saw the huge blue creature looming over him, drooling. "Tasty heart…"

Mr. Tall was frozen with fear.

"Jester… At ease… He is not your meal."

The creature frowned, but stepped back, and closed its gaping jaws.

Joker then proceeded to push Mr. Tall forward, onto a small wooden seat, then knelt down so their eyes were level. "We need to talk, Rainsworth… I have had to sacrifice valuable time, and Cheshire is getting suspicious. I do not want the government on my back for shirking my responsibilities. I hope this trip has been worth it."

Mr. Tall shivered. "I-I'll do what you want!"

Joker nodded. "Good… Please listen closely, because I will only say this once… What you're about to go through will cause unimaginable pain, which will haunt you forever."

The man's eyes widened.

"But I will persuade the government to stay away from you and your… business for a while. But as I say…" he stepped back, and gestured for Jester to move forward. "There will be quite a lot of pain. This will hurt."

* * *

**Next Time: **

**Masquerade Madness Part 2**

**Crescent Inferno!**

**Okay guys, I've got a poll that's gonna be on my profile soon! In this story, would you prefer a gang of bounty hunters, a 2****nd**** gen. baroque works, or some other evil invention dwelling in my horrid mind to be in the next arc? I ask with the fullest of hope for you all to post!**

**GAMING RANT: (Pokemon Mystery Dungeon-Explorers of Sky) WHY?! Why are you almost exactly the same as explorers of Time?! Has anyone here played Explorers of Darkness? Is the guy Dusknoir serves Dialga, cause he's Dialga in Time. WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GAMES?! *ROAR!* That said, it's a decent game, and the add-on's from E.O.T/D ain't so bad either, like the Spinda Juice bar and the Recycle Shop.**


	21. Masquerade Madness Part III

**Masquerade Madness Part 3**

**Crescent Inferno!**

* * *

Kitsune grunted as he dodged another punch from Gonzo. He quickly ducked as he began to create a series of hand signs. "**Notturno Veletta!**"

(Notturno Veletta: Italian-Night Veil)

Chocking slightly, he spat out three capsules through the mouth hole in his mask, each ebony coloured. He grabbed all three, then began to leap backwards, not taking his eyes off Gonzo. "Go to hell, fish-face!"

He threw all three capsules at Gonzo and they exploded in a black cloud.

Gonzo stood stock still, in the middle of the pitch black cloud. It was odourless, simply a cloud of darkness.

"GOTCHA! **RANCORE VELETTA!**" Kitsune appeared behind Gonzo, a kunai held in his grasp. At once, he began to barrage Gonzo with stabs rapidly, attempting to badly maul the killer-whale Fishman.

(Rancore Veletta: Italian: Spite Veil)

Gonzo grunted, then grabbed Kitsune's arm, and tossed him hard against the ground. Taking a deep breath, he blew air from his blowhole, causing the dark cloud to dispel.

"Game over chump!" snapped Gonzo.

"GO TO HELL!" yelled Kitsune. Spinning the kunai round in his hand, he swung it downwards… Amputating his own arm.

Gonzo, surprised by this motion, drew back in shock and revulsion, quickly letting go of the discarded limb.

Kitsune did a back flip, then pulled a scroll out his pocket, and unravelled it, tying it's thick folds around the wound.

Gonzo narrowed his eyes. "You cut off your own arm? Are you an idiot?!"

Kitsune panted heavily. "A ninja's greatest shame is to be captured. Often warriors of the past would commit sepuku to atone for their sins…"

"YOU'RE GONNA KILL YOUSELF IF YOU DO THAT!" yelled Gonzo.

Kitsune grinned. "What would someone like you know about honour? I served 'Father' loyally for many years… Then he died and left us alone. I would gladly give my LIFE to have father back! A measly arm is worth nothing!" he put the scrolls wooden interior in his mouth, then began to perform a series of one-handed signs. "It's slower with one hand…" he grunted. "But it'll kill you all the same…" he suddenly stopped, and slammed his hand on the ground, dropping the scroll from his mouth. "**MORTE VELETTA!**"

(Morte Veletta: Italian-Death Veil)

Gagging, he spat out a single grey pill, and caught it in his remaining hand.

"Survive this, bastard…" he crushed the pill, and was immediately surrounded by a grey smoke. As soon as the smoke appeared, it contracted, flying into Kitsune's lungs. He swallowed the whole gas, then wiped his mouth, grinning slightly.

Suddenly, he disappeared, reappearing in front of Gonzo. The Fishman gagged as Kitsune's fist was slammed into his gut. "They call me Kitsune…" nine –tails began to wag slowly behind him. "Because of my special pill… The pill which unlocks the power of the Kyuubi no Kitsune… The most powerful of fox-demons…"

He disappeared, then reappeared behind Gonzo, elbowing him in the small of his back, causing Gonzo to scream in agony.

"The pill is like a steroid. I gain temporary strength, speed and stamina, but after its effects I experience depression, fatigue and pain. But it's all worth it." He grinned under his mask. "Let's see how long you survive!"

Gonzo rubbed his stomach as he regained his posture. "Kyuubi no Kitsune? Don't make me laugh." Gonzo turned, passion blazing in his eyes. "You are not fit to have those tails!"

A large boulder with the kanji for 'unfit' landed on Kitsune's head. "Un… Fit…?"

Gonzo folded his arms. "I as a Fishman know the experience of being close to an animal! The killer whale, swimming majestically in its watery kingdom, with no care for the above world! I represent it as a Fishman! But YOU!" he pointed accusingly. "YOU MOCK THE VERY BEING OF THE KITSUNE! YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED!"

"_The very being?!_" Kitsune sank into a corner, ghostly pale. He began to shake. "Now you've pissed me off blubber-boy…!"

A tick appeared on Gonzo's head.

He dashed towards Kitsune, and in an instant, had slammed a punch in his face. "WHO'D YOU CALL FAT?!"

"I NEVER SAID THAT, IDIOT!" Kitsune clenched his fist. "Now go die, asshole!" he ran forward at Mach speed, claws replacing fingernails.

Gonzo lowered his fist. "I guess we'll end it now then…" he held his hand flat, then raised it in the air. "**100 Gallons…**"

Kitsune roared, and stretched out his clawed hand.

"…**CUT THE CAKE!**"

With ferocious power, Gonzo slammed his hand down in a destructive karate chop, hitting Kitsune point blank in the head. His mask snapped in half, revealing his young, shocked face.

He slumped to the ground, eyes wide, unconscious.

Gonzo sighed, and flexed his shoulders, causing the bones to crack back into place. He then dusted his Hawaiian shirt, and turned around. "Don't aimlessly fight…"

Kitsune made no response.

"NY---UUU!!!!!"

"SHUT. THE. HELL. UP!!!" roared Chris, as she slammed her boot into Neko's side, causing the silver haired girl to skid across the floor, hissing slightly.

Neko quickly drew both her daggers, and held them in a crossed X shape. "I don't like you at all, nyuu…"

Chris growled, then slid the Crescent Dagger into her grip and clenched it tightly. "So now cat-girl…" she made a feral grin. "Let's dance…" at once, she began her movement, running at Mach speed, leaving slight afterimages behind in her trail.

Neko grit her teeth. "**Gato… GARRA!** (Nyuu!)**"**

(Gato Garra: Portugese-Cat Claw)

Leaping in the air, Neko did a backflip over the red-head, then slammed both her blades into Chris's sides.

Still running, the blades tore through skin, causing the girl to scream in pain, then fall to the ground, blood oozing from both her sides.

Neko grinned, then turned round, looming over Chris. "In the group I'm the head assassin. Any opponent I face is dead before they know it, Nyuu!"

"Your group is retarded!" snapped Chris, through gritted teeth.

Neko's eyes flashed. She grabbed Chris by the throat, her diamond nail glove digging into the girl's pale skin, drawing blood. "Don't insult us." Her tone was menacing, and sounded almost like it was said by a different person without the cute 'Nyuu' following the sentence.

Chris gnashed her canine teeth, then pulled a random dagger out her bag. "GO TO HELL!"

As her fingers slid into the ringlets, the Hokage blade was set ablaze as it stabbed into Neko's arm.

Chris cried out in pain as her hand was burnt by the intense heat, while Neko howled, letting Chris go and staggering back, clutching her wounded and singed arm. "I-I'm going to kill you, bitch!" cried Neko. She clenched her fists, then held her arms crossing each other, the diamond nails glinting. "I'll destroy you!"

She crouched down on all fours, her back arched, and her grey eyes set upon Chris, who was massaging her now burnt hand.

"**Gato Destrua!**"

(Gato Destrua: Portugese-Cat Destroyer)

Like a bullet, she sped across the floor, slamming into Chris like a torpedo, all the claws digging into Chris's torso, tearing at her stomach.

Both flew across the floor, impacting with the wall, causing Chris to cough up some blood due to the force of the impact.

Neko stepped back and grinned, licking her bloodied claws. "Looks like I win, Nyuu!"

Chris gritted her teeth, her fingers wrapping round the Crescent Dagger.

Neko folded her arms. "Give it up. My claws are solid diamond, you can't-"

Chris was on her feet, momentum applying force to her attack. The Crescent Dagger made a solid impact with the diamond claws, and too Neko's shock, began to scratch their shiny surface. With her free hand, she made a swipe at Chris, causing the girl to fall to the ground, three fresh cuts appearing on her cheek.

Neko looked at her now broken right hand nails. "W-what have you done to my hand, Nyuu?!"

Chris grinned, and wiped the blood from her face as she crawled to her feet. "This is the Crescent Dagger. The one-of-a-kind diamond tipped blade, that I'm gonna shove down your overconfident throat!"

Neko growled. "How dare you, Nyuu! It's time for you to pay, Nyuu!"

Chris allowed herself a sly smile. Slowly, she picked up the Hokage trench knife, and slid it over her fingers, doubling it over the Crescent Dagger.

Neko's eyes narrowed.

Chris then knelt down, and placed her free hand on the ground. "I'm gonna beat the 'nyuu' out of you, so stand still!"

Neko hissed, then dashed forwards, slashing down with her other claws.

In an instant, Chris blurred out of sight.

Neko's eyes widened. As she turned her head, she saw the silhouette of Chris both daggers raised. "Too slow!"

"Nyuu!?"

"**CRESCENT… INFERNO!!!**" as her grip tightened, the Hokage blade set alight causing her to wince in pain. But her slash continued, creating a long diagonal cut down Neko's back, fire following the blade's trail, adding to devastation.

"NYUU!!!!!" Neko screamed, then fell forwards, eyes wide.

Jay took a step back, wincing slightly at the wave of pressure now encircling the area.

Toma stood erect, his coat billowing in the strong winds, a gigantic metal crucifix held in his hand. It was crafted from a black metal, and like the demi-mallet, tall and slender. Each end was blunt, yet obviously could cause damage if connected to flesh.

Toma's grip tightened.

"You have angered a Templar from the Order of Kaazan. I sincerely hope you have a death wish." The yellow eyes showed no emotion other than loathing. "Toma generates enough power to defeat a demon. I generate enough power to defeat an angel…" he held the crucifix up high, and then slammed its butt on the ground, causing the very Earth to ripple as if it were water. "When I open the gate I have power to surpass a god."

Jay grinned. "They say being cocky is the first route to demise, dumbas-"

He said no more as the weapon was slammed into his cheek bone, causing him to skid across the ground.

Small craters appeared in the ground as Jay skidded.

Toma began to spin the Crucifix around. "This weapon is known as Kamitoku. The God Shield. Cute, huh?"

Jay staged to his knees, wiping blood from his mouth. "What the hell is with that thing…?"

"The Earth Gate controls nature itself. Wood, Metal, Paper, Earth, all that is created from Mother Nature's womb." He held the Kamitoku vertically. "That is my power. Each Templar is different. The basic weapon focuses on Kaazan, the God of the Gate. But which gate we open is a different story."

Jay grinned. "Are you saying that weapon is a god?"

"Precisely." He grinned. "This Kamitoku is known as Gaia. Let me show you…" he span Gaia around over his head. "HOW TO CONTROL A GOD!"

He slammed Gaia on the ground. "**GAIA DOKI!**"

(Gaia Doki: Japanese:-Gaia's Wrath)

Jay raised an eyebrow, before leaping back, just in time to avoid several spiked pillars of earth shooting out the ground.

Toma grinned. "You see? Nature is at my control."

Jay smirked. "Cocky bastard, ain't cha?!"

Toma blurred out of existence, appearing behind Jay.

"So fast-!"

"I'm not being cocky if I'm serious." Whispered Toma, in a gleeful tone. His yellow eyes widened, a sadistic grin appearing on his face. "**GAIA GOKAI!**"

(Gaia Goka: Japanese-Gaia's Lust)

Jay instantly transformed into Hybrid form, flapping away from Toma, only to have four pillars of earth fall from the sky, slamming into his arms and legs, binding him to the ground.

Toma cackled. "I told you; THIS IS THE POWER OF A GOD!"

Jay grunted, then aimed both his guns at the ground. "**Demonio Menor – Dolor de Ifrit!**"

(Spanish: Minor Demon-Ifrit's Pain)

At once Jay was enveloped in a plumage of flame, causing Toma to shield his eyes slightly from the harsh light. A hot, violent billowed from the flaming orb, causing Toma's coat to billow behind him. He narrowed his eyes. "Did the bastard just self-destruct?"

Jay grunted as he stood up, dusting ash from his clothes. "Man that REALLY stung…"

He grinned at Toma as the flames cleared. He had returned to his human form, his shirt and coat burnt to cinders, revealing a heavily scarred chest. Over his right breast was the mark of the World Government. The five dots joined together by the singular rods.

Jay cracked his shoulders, then clicked open his two handguns, placing in a few more rounds of different coloured bullets. "Ya know I really have to obliterate you now. Food has to be put on the table. And I eat a lot of food…"

Toma grinned. "You seem to be under the delusion you can beat me, Mr. Demon… But you have overlooked one tiny detail…"

Toma blurred into existence directly in front of Jay. "You're inevitable demise."

Jay leapt back, aiming both handguns at Toma. "**Demonio Mayor – Odio de Mefisto!!!**"

(Spanish: Major Demon-Mefisto's Hatred)

One red and one black bullet shot out of each of the guns, colliding together mid-way between Toma and Jay.

This was followed by a low feral growl, before a giant _snake_ composed completely of fire, began to slither towards Toma at breakneck speed.

Toam grinned, then swept Gaia vertically, sending a blast of wind to meet the fire-snake, causing a small explosion.

"LET'S SEE HOW A DEMON FARES AGAINST THE MIGHT OF GOD!!" cried Toma.

Jay grimaced. "Do you ever shut up?"

* * *

**GAMING RANT: Kingdom Hearts-Oh yeah, my new favourite gaming series which I just got into! I'm getting I and II for xmas, but I can't get Chain of Memories! WHY GOD?! WHY DID YOU NOT RELEASE IT IN THE UK?! *CRIES INTO NIGHT*!**

**Next Time:**

**Masqurade Madness Part 4**

**Earth's Embrace! The Man called Father!**


	22. Masquerade Madness Part IV

**Masquerade Madness Part IV**

**Earth's Embrace! The Man called Father!**

**Sorry for going all emo on you guys last chapter. Hope ya'll enjoy!**

**Beta: The ever-awesome SeeNoEvil!**

* * *

Tama began to spin her staff around, then held it completely still, vertically in one hand. "So… You're a swordswoman… My name is Tama. It's nice to meet you."

Haze narrowed her eyes. "The name's Haze. Don't forget it!"

Tama cocked her head. "I always remember the name of the people I kill…" he pointed the spear towards Haze in a thrusting motion. "**Fou Torrent.**"

(Foe Torrent: French-Mad Volley)

Before Haze could blink, Tama had appeared right in front of her, the staff thrust into her gullet.

Coughing up a little blood, Haze stumbled back, then wiped her mouth. "L-lucky shot…"

Tama smiled under the mask.

In a flash, Haze drew Aka-Hana, then dashed forwards. "**Hana…**"

"She slashes across chest…"

The redhead's eyes widened. Before she could stop herself, Haze walked right over a suddenly crouched Tama, causing her to trip.

"**Fou Javelot…**" Tama's staff thrust upwards into Haze's chest, knocking the wind out of the woman. "**Fou Soulever…**" before Haze could respond, the staff began to thrust upwards, leaving no openings, causing her to choke.

(French- Fou Javelot: Mad Spear. Fou Soulever: Mad Elevate)

When the vicious barrage of blows ended, Haze fell to the ground, clutching her chest, eyes wide in pain.

Tama began to spin the staff around again. "I am the bear. A peaceful giant… Until provoked." She slowly moved her hand towards her mask, and slipped it off. Haze cast her eyes over to her, still lying on the ground, clutching her chest. "When provoked I become a powerhouse…"

A long scar ran down Tama's lightly tanned face, over one of her eyes. She was half blind. "My sight may be weak, but my victory is imminent. I know what you do, before you even do it."

Haze grinned. "Oh?" she slammed her palm into the ground. "**Konki-bakuha!!**" a red blast of pure energy exploded from her hand, sending her spiralling up into the air.

Tama's eye widened. "What?!"

"**Kakuu…"** she gripped her blade tightly. "…**KAGAI!**" soaring down through the air like a bullet, Tama sidestepped the attack moments before Haze hit the ground, her sword cutting right through the marble floor like butter.

Tama felt a small cut appear on her cheek. She clicked her tongue in anger. "She slashes upwards…"

As soon as the words left her lips, Haze did so, the sharp teeth of the blade missing Tama's face by millimetres. "**Fou Vigne…**"

(French-Mad Vine)

As Haze paused, leaving a small opening as a follow-up to her attack, Tama slammed the staff into Haze's legs, tripping her up again. Acting instantly, Tama flipped the staff so she held it vertically, above Haze's chest, then thrust down. "**Fou ****häis!"**

**(French-Mad Hate)**

Grunting, Haze clashed her blade into the staff, blocking the deadly thrust, then used her momentum to flip back onto her feet. "Alright!! No more games, bitch!" she spun the sword round in her hands, till it faced downwards, then slammed its point into the ground. "**Hana-Nami!**"

Tama took one step back, her one working eye widening. Blue energy was swirling around Haze, in the form of flower petals, encircling her and dancing around her like Sakura blossoms. The sight was beautiful. But Tama's awe was cut short, as all the 'petals' merged together, then flowed towards her, in a wave-like state.

Before she could attempt to dodge, the wave hit her square on, smothering her in pure energy. Tama tried to yell, but no sound left her mouth, only bubbles, which floated through the thick substance like water. Her lungs began to scream for air, but the bubble of energy kept her from breathing. To make matters worse, a voice could be heard from outside the liquid like substance, "**Hana Bakuha!**"

(Flower-Blast)

Like a hot knife through butter, a crescent shaped wave of energy sliced through the field containing Tama, cutting into her sides, causing blood to trickle from her chest.

The energy dispersed, and Tama fell to the ground, clutching her chest and choking. Haze was upon her, the crimson blade pressing against Tama's lightly tanned skin. "I'm gonna ask you two questions. 1; how did you know my attacks, before I did them? And 2; why did you even come here?! What's the point of disrupting a party?"

Tama smiled lightly. "I have an extraordinary ability. I can see the future, with my blind eye. Some call it a gift that only few have, but most shunned me for it. They called me a heartless. So I locked myself away. As for my purpose… I wanted to resurrect Father… He was the one… Who made me feel like I had a heart." She cast her eye at Haze. "You make me feel… Never mind. You are the first person to beat me, and for that, you have my thanks." She coughed, and closed one eye. "Oni has gone to the main building. You'll find him there."

Haze nodded. "Thank you." She then sheathed her sword, and dashed towards the exit.

Tama, Inu, Neko and Kitsune lay at the farthest ends of the hall, each unconscious. So none of them noticed a slight mist encircling the centre of the hall. Slowly, a figure appeared…

XXX

Jay dodged another swipe from the huge crucifix, then slammed the red gun into Toma's chest, and pulled the trigger repeatedly. This only caused the bandaged man to laugh, then slam his knee into Jay's chin, causing him to stumble back.

"You're really hopeless aren't you…?"

Jay wiped some blood from his mouth, then grimaced, his fangs glinting dangerously. "I really would like to rip your throat out, captain."

Toma grinned. "You know, I like you. You are the same type of sadistic git that I am. Hey, Birds-of-a-feather, ya know." He spun the crucifix around. "Pity I need to kill you."

Jay shrugged, then brought his hand up to his hair, and began to finger his silver locks. "I really hoped I wouldn't have to do this…" his red eye narrowed. "But you leave me no choice."

Before the thief could say anything, a stream of blood shot out Toma's body, causing Jay and Toma to gasp slightly in surprise. The bandaged man stumbled back, then clutched his chest. "N-no… I need… More… Time… ARGH!!!!" he screamed, the crucifix leaving his grip, then dissolving back into the Demi-Mallet as it connected with the ground.

Jay watched in astonishment, as Toma's iris's faded back to there usual emerald green colour, leaving the normal Toma panting on the ground. "Wow… That really stung." He cast an eye at Jay. "Excuse me one moment-"

He then vomited violently, _five _capsules landing on the ground then dissolving. He groaned like a sea-sick boy, then fumbled on the ground, regaining his grip on the Demi-Mallet. "I hate doing that. It always make me vomit." He grinned sheepishly at Jay, who was speechless. "The gate's aren't actually that powerful. I can only control stone and earth-substances, such as mud and sand. And even then, it causes high stress and fatigue towards the body…" he flexed his shoulders. "I really need to make this quick, so can you stand still while I beat you up?"

Jay, though shocked, managed a grin. "I don't suppose you'll tell me what the hell I was just fighting?"

"No way in hell."

Jay sighed, then flicked his guns open, and loaded in some more ammo. "Well then… I guess it's back to one on one-"

He said no more as a fist connected straight with his jaw, sending him sprawling out onto the ground. Leo stood there, cracking his knuckles. "I may argue with him…" he glared at Jay. "But if you hurt my friend again I'll crush you."

The demon-man spat on the ground. "Two-on-one…? Doesn't that seem bad for me?"

Toma looked around and saw Gonzo with Chris at his side in the distance, shortly followed by Haze. "I guess the masked guys are out, then…"

Jay cursed silently, crawling to his feet like a wounded dog. "Oh well… In times of trouble…" he began to run as fast as his legs would carry him towards the main building, before taking flight. "…I run like hell!!"

"Oi! Wait!" yelled Toma, but as he took a step forwards, he began to cough violently, falling to his knees. Leo ran towards him, shortly followed by the rest of the crew.

Jay sent one look back at them, and allowed himself a small smile. It must be nice to have friends like that…

XXX

Inu opened one eye. That attack Leo had used on him had hurt like hell! He coughed slightly, then feebly sat up, clutching his chest. It still felt like a weight was piled up inside his stomach. He glanced around the room, then suddenly noticed the change of scenery. Tama, Neko and Kitsune were in the same room, rather close to him, all unconscious. They were all currently in a small office like room, with a desk at its centre… And on a small pedestal atop the desk was…

"The black diamond…" muttered Inu. Painfully, he clambered to his feet, then began to limp towards the desk. It was so close… They couldn't stop. Even if Tama, Kitsune and Neko were beaten, he would never stop… He had to resurrect father!

_Seven Years ago…_

_The boy leant against the wall, tears streaming from his eyes. No one ever let him play with them. They called him a freak. A were-wolf. He knew he transformed every night, and yet tried to be harmless… Yet the devil's whisperings inside him were too strong, and he gave in…_

_He suddenly noticed a tall figure looming over him. It was an old man, who was smiling at him, most of his face covered by a large white beard, that went down below his belt._

"_Are you the moon-boy they speak of?" he questioned._

_The boy slowly nodded, sniffling slightly._

_The man smiled. "I am here to take you some place warm. Don't worry, you'll be safe with me. Simply call me 'Father'."_

_Father… The first one to ever show me love…_

Inu collapsed on the desk, his hand struggling to reach the gem, the weight in his chest increasing with every breath. He was so close… He couldn't give up now!

Behind him, the rest of the group began to stir, Neko being the first to sit up. But her first motion was to scream. Inu sent one look back at them, then his eyes widened. Kitsune was missing one arm. The other male sat up, then noticed Neko and Inu, both injured, staring at him in shock. "W-what happened?" he then glanced down at his arm. "Oh my god…" he began to gag.

Tama began to wake next, rubbing her sides which now bore two great gashes.

"Kitsune…? What happened to you?"

The shinobi shrugged. "I cut off my arm. I tried to beat him, but the Fishman was too strong." He then stared at the diamond. "I-is that?"

Inu smiled weakly. "It must be. But I have no idea how we got here…"

Neko weakly got to her feet, then stumbled over to the desk, and picked up the black stone. "This is what our client asked for, Nyuu?"

"Yes…" came a calm, jolly voice. "It is…"

All four of them froze. The door of the room lightly closed as an elderly man walked in. His eyes were closed merrily, and a smile was imprinted on his kind-face. "It's so nice to see you again… My children…"

Inu slumped to the floor, the shock of the sight making him forget about the gravity in his chest. "F-F-Fath…?"

"Father…?" whispered Neko. Tears began to form in her eyes, and she bounded forwards towards him, laughing and crying. The man grabbed her and pulled her into his arms, laughing along with her.

The other three stared, too shocked for words. It was him. The man who had came into their lives out of nowhere, and taken them in. Four misunderstood children, who were taken in by an elderly man… Who in turn died of old age, leaving them alone again.

"Is… That you Father…?" whispered Inu.

The man smiled. "It is me, Amadeus."

Inu grinned. "I hate that name. They call me Inu now."

Father smiled, then let Neko to her feet, and walked over to his other three children. "I am so happy to see you…" he held out his arms.

Inu slowly climbed to his feet, as if in a drunken state. Tama and Kitsune followed. Neko came from behind, then bunched together with her siblings.

Father smiled, then placed them all in his arms. "I am so glad to see you again… And I am… Sorry." His smile suddenly grew impossible large, stretching wider than any human jaw bone would allow. "Goodbye."

Jay burst through the door, then his eyes widened. Four arms, two normal human, two grotesque, demon like arms, were fully erect, one piercing through each of the group's bodies.

"F-father…?" mumbled Inu. He slumped to the ground, his eyes white.

The creature stepped back, then shivered slightly. A rip began to form in the centre of the body, allowing a horrid bat-like creature to step out. Its skin was a deep blue, and its eyes were like two full-sized bulbs, glowing ominously.

The form of father suddenly began to change, turning quickly into the form of an unconscious Mr. Tall, his face curled up in an unspoken scream.

The creature smiled, as the three other members of the bandit team slumped to the ground. Four glistening white orbs were floating in his hands. "Ittatakimasu!" it mumbled, before shoving all the orbs into its mouth, the licking its lips and rubbing its belly. "Yummy… Warm hearts taste best!"

The creature then took notice of Jay, and gave him a toothy grin. "Can I… Eat your heart too…?"

* * *

**PLOT-TWIST!! DUN-DUN-DUNNNNN! Be scared, Mind-slaves!**

**Next Time: Masquerade Madness Part V**

**Ace of Spades**


	23. Masquerade Madness Part V

**Masqurade Madness Part V**

**The Ace of Spades**

* * *

Jay instantly had both his guns pointed directly at the creature's skull, his red eye blazing with a hate-filled heat. "How dare you…" he muttered. "HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO ME!!"

Before the creature could move, Jay was on him, slamming him hard to the ground, and then hitting him repeatedly with his weapons. "Everything… I ALWAYS LOSE EVERYTHING!!"

He remembered the smile on his parents faces… The grin of the man in a suit… The fangs of the Cheshire…

Tears began to well up in his eyes. And now his team mates, who had accepted, laughed, worked, drank and sang with him. They were gone. This creature had killed them.

"IT'S NOT FAIR!!" yelled Jay. He held up the red gun, about to bludgeon the creatures head in, when the elongated arm shot up, and held his arm in a vice-like grip.

A small grin-like expression was on the creatures face. "You are pathetic."

Jay froze. He knew that voice. It didn't belong to that creature. It belonged to _him_.

The creature suddenly got to its feet, lifting Jay up by one arm, the man writhing pathetically, unable to break the grip. "Tasty heart…" slowly, the creature's hand moved forwards towards Jay's chest. Beads of sweat began to form on the Demon-man's forehead. Was he… Going to die?

"**KAAZAN…**" the demi-mallet slammed into the creatures face, right between the eyes. "**…HOMERUN!**"

The grip broke immediately as the monster flew like a rocket into the wall.

Toma grinned. "Nice shot!" he then collapsed in a fit of coughing. Weakly, he grinned at Jay. "You so owe me…"

Jay stared dumbly at Toma. Hadn't he shot him earlier? And yet, this crazy templar saved him? WHAT SCREWED UP LOGIC IS THAT?!

Gonzo skidded to a halt in front of the door, and then ran inside, towards the bunch of wounded bandits. He quickly checked Kitsune's pulse. "They're still alive… But they're so cold… Like… Stone."

The creature groaned. "Jester has a headache… Jester is hungry!!"

Chris and Haze appeared in the doorway, Chris brandishing the Crescent Dagger in one hand, a deer horn knife in the other, and Haze holding her sword diagonally, her eyes narrowed.

Jester moaned, his rabbit like ears ruffling slightly. "I don't wanna fight… I wanna eat…"

Suddenly, the wall behind him burst open, causing Jester to sprawl across the ground. Leo grinned. "The hero always arrives last!"

Toma sweat dropped. "That was lame man…"

"LIKE YOU HAD A BETTER ENTRANCE, IDIOT!"

Jester groaned. "Mirror-sama…" slowly, it got to its feet, shivering slightly. "Can I kill these people…?"

Before anyone could blink, Jester had grabbed Haze by the neck, and slammed her against the wall. "The forgetful swordswoman who always runs. Hiding from the shadows like a frightened girl. The man will never leave you alone. You were always being followed. You want to be alone, so you travel with people who make you feel better. How selfish."

He then disappeared, suddenly in front of Chris, his bulbous eyes centimetres apart from her cat-like orbs. "The young girl who wanted to be different, but could never be accepted. Only out of pity did your friends accept you. Always striving for attention, wanting to prove yourself. A meaningless effort. One who knows nothing can understand nothing."

He turned to Leo and Gonzo. "Two men who have had happy childhoods, only to experience loss. The Fishman losing his crew, the gravity-man his home. So sad. You choose to travel with a merry idiot who makes you forget your pains."

Vanishing again, he appeared behind Jay, his arms draped over him like a ghostly apparition. "So much tragedy for one so young. Taken from your parents and made to live in torture as a living weapon. Then betrayed by your best friend."

Then finally Toma. "Caught like a baby in a fire. You watched you mother burn. Now your whole mind is clouded with revenge. How unholy. And yet, you hate yourself for it. You cast a burden upon yourself to grin, when really you are weeping. Tell me, brat… How are we different from you? Your form of 'justice'… Is an illusion. "

Jester then began to laugh. It was an inhuman laugh, which chilled everyone to the bone. "My cast is coming to form! How interesting!!"

Then, in a flash, Jester vanished.

Chris blinked. "W-what was that… Did he… Read my mind…?" she clutched her head.

Haze shook her head and slumped to the ground, letting her sword fall with a small clatter. "How did he know…?"

Jay meanwhile was staring at Toma. For a moment, just for a moment, the bandaged man's eyes had flashed a pale topaz.

XXX

"That was low…" a voice mumbled from the shadows.

Joker laughed at this, his fuchsia eye turning in the speaker's direction. "What? Traumatizing the actors? No, I think you'll find I was being merciful."

Hibari walked into the moonlight, his arms folded. "Don't put everything into theatre-speak. I hate it."

"The world is a stage, my boy. Shakespeare."

"I've decided I hate you."

Slowly, Jester appeared from the shadows, a sad look on his face. "I wanted more hearts… I am hungry."

Hibari eyed the creature with distain. "Why do you let that gargoyle follow you? It is a slow and stupid creature, and isn't much use."

Joker shrugged, then stroked Jester's bald head, before placing the large pointed hat over its blue-skin. "I find it comforting. Like a pet if you will." He flicked the gem out his pocket and tossed it too Hibari, who caught it in one hand. "See it as a gift."

Hibari shrugged, then disappeared.

Joker shrugged, then cast an eye towards Jester. "Did you follow my instructions?"

The gargoyle nodded grimly. "Yes…"

XXX

"You realise I'm cutting your pay!" snapped Mr. Tall.

"Like hell! You said to protect the gem till the time was up; we did that! But no bloody man came to pick it up! And we were fighting a bunch of psychopaths!" yelled Toma.

Jay had moved him and the rest of the bandits to the Dawn Walker, and had weakly thanked Toma for his hospitality.

Leo nodded. "We did technically fulfil the properties of the agreement. If you argue, we will have our lawyers on you."

At this point, Toma dragged Leo over to a corner. "Wait! Lawyers? WE'RE FREAKING PIRATES!"

Leo grimaced. "I know, just play along!"

Currently the captain and the first mate were negotiating with Mr. Tall over their payments. As to be imagined, it was not going so well.

"I asked you to GUARD! They broke into my party!"

"No; you asked us to protect the gem. We did so. They didn't get their hands on it till after the time limit, so our payment is legit. You owe us 10 thousand Beli, in cash."

The man grumbled, then swung open a drawer on his desk, and threw a parcel in front of the duo. "That has six thousand beli. It's my final offer."

"DO YOU WANT ME TO BEAT YOU UP, YA LITTLE SHIT!?" yelled Toma, who had to be restrained by Leo.

The man winced slightly. "Fine. I'll raise it to nine thousand. Take it or leave it."

Leo nodded, and held out his hand to shake. "You have a deal."

Toma grumbled, but settled down.

Leo quickly counted the money, nodded, then stood up. "Let's go, idiot-captain."

Toma shot him a quick glare, and then followed.

XXX

**Later…**

"Thank you very much…" mumbled Jay.

Toma grinned. "You're welcome! Now I can be very smug seeing as I helped someone who killed me! Kind of."

Jay allowed himself a weak grin. "You still haven't explained that whole 'getting shot then going completely psycho on me' thing."

"I ain't gonna talk about it, so don't bother asking…" Jay shrugged. "You can't blame a guy for trying."

Toma looked over at the unconscious group of bandits. "How are they doing?"

Jay closed his eyes. "They're in a semi-coma. Technically, it shouldn't be possible, but they won't wake up. It's as if they're dead to the world." He cast his crystal blue eye towards them. "I only joined them around a year ago. Hardly knew them." He shrugged. "I'll just have to hand them into the island's hospital and see what they can do about it."

Toma looked at Jay. "What about you?"

The man grinned. "Me? The infamous Jay D. Maverick? I'm just going to wing it. Take myself where the wind blows."

The bandaged man closed his eyes. "You could join our crew."

Jay laughed. "Me? A pirate? You must be joking!" he gave himself a lecherous smile. "I need women… And I can't find that on the open sea."

Toma laughed. "If ya insist. A gunslinger would be really useful on the crew." He turned around. "Of course, those really fast pirate women that would rather kill you than smile at you couldn't possibly interest you. But hey, every man to his own." Before he could walk away, Jay grabbed his shoulder, his eyes dark, a small bit of blood trickling from his nose.

"I'm in."

'_It works every time…'_

XXX

Haze grunted as she dropped another bag of flour onto the deck. Gonzo had ordered a huge list of cooking supplies with his money, so he, Haze and Chris had gone out to collect them.

She froze when she noticed Jay staring at her, a thoughtful look on his face.

She looked up at him and glared. "What the hell are you looking at?"

He narrowed his eyes, then walked in front of her, and grabbed one of her breasts, causing a furious blush to appear on her face. "Not bad. Must be a D at least."

"PERVERT!!" Haze smacked him on the side of the head so he landed beside the docking board where Chris was walking up, one bag slung over her shoulder.

He again took up a thoughtful pose, then groped the girl's chest. "Hmm… Not bad. Needs a few years to mature." He gave her a lecherous grin. It vanished instantly when he saw the look she was giving him. Her eyes were wide, a huge tick on her forehead, the Hokage gripped in her now gloved hand, the blade alight. "Toma… It's okay if I kill this guy right…?"

The captain, who was sitting cross legged on the dolphin figure head, let out a roar of laughter. "Just don't beat him up too bad Chris. A long-range attacker can be rather useful!"

Jay had begun to leg it with a furious Chris trailing after him, the blazing knife held high.

Gonzo appeared with four sacks, two over each arm. Each had a label in a weird language written in exotic writing. "To celebrate a new crew member, I'm making barbeque tonight! Don't eat or drink to much!" he sent Toma a glance. "So hold off the rum till it's ready!"

The captain sent the Fishman a small pout, then grinned and lay back, taking in the mid-day sunlight.

Jay had taken his team mates to the local hospital, and spent some time there before returning like nothing happened.

Is forgetting the past a part to being a pirate? He then thought of Monkey D. Luffy's cocky grin, and how there couldn't be any hidden memories locked away. A small smile appeared on his face. Perhaps holding onto the memories instead of forgetting them made you stronger.

Meanwhile on deck, Jay was still running from Chris, laughing all the way. The next thing the demon man knew, he ran right into Leo's fist. "I consider myself a calm, patient, understanding man…" whispered Leo. "But if you keep being perverted towards my nakama…" he shot Jay a look that would make a Shinigami afraid. "I. Will. Kill. You."

Jay shivered slightly, and had an odd feeling Leo was being _very_ serious.

Toma smiled, then did a backroll onto his feet from the figure head, and began to hoist the sail down. "Three awesome crew members in one month. That's gotta be a record." He flicked a paint brush out from his coat pocket, followed by the ink, then marched over to the sail and began to scribble something parallel to the small versions of himself, Gonzo and Leo.

Parallel to Gonzo was a small skull wearing a cap with some red hair creeping out the edge, and two crossed daggers beneath it. Parallel to Leo was a skull with long red hair and a single red sword. And parallel to Toma was a skull with one blue and one red eye, with two handguns beside it.

The bandaged man admired his handiwork, then grinned. "Yosh!"

A thief, a navigator, a cook, a swordswoman, a spy and a gunslinger. The crew was beginning to grow.

XXX

"Oi! I ordered five swords for today! Where the hell's my damn pickup?!"

The eighteen-year old grunted, and continued to hammer the burning metal on the forge. His shoulder length brown hair quivered slightly every time he struck the metal.

"OI!"

The teen shrugged, then withdrew the blazing metal and laid down the hammer, locking eyes with the far older man. One of the blacksmith's eyes was covered by his long bangs.

"I have your pickup…" he grunted, pulling a large beige bag up from the ground. "That's eight thousand beli."

The man began to chortle, then drew a long thin nodachi type sword out his belt and held it by the teen's throat. "Actually, me and my boys don't feel like paying."

The blacksmith shrugged. "Alright. If you wish to make any purchases please check out the catalogue in the hallway. Exits are to the far right and-"

"DON'T SCREW AROUND KID!" he made a motion to grab the bag, but the blacksmith made a simple withdrawing motion, then slammed his knee into the man's head, causing him to slam hard into the wall.

The teen then threw the bag to the side and grabbed a large Labrys style axe, and held it in one gloved hand. "Please leave the shop or I'll be forced to evict you from the premises."

The man grumbled and stood up. "You think that toy will do you any good kid?"

The teen shrugged. "**Bone Splitter.**" Without warning, he sped forwards, stopping right in front of the man, the Labrys bellow the man's chin, the edge of the blade cutting into the lower chin. "Please leave."

The man screamed before scrambling out of the shop.

The teen sighed. "I scared away another customer. Why do they always try to steal? I only ask for a few thousand." He sighed. "Zugai, when will you learn…?"

* * *

**Next Time: Commi Island!**

**Drunken Bar-fight?!**


	24. Drunken Bar Fights

**Commi Island!**

**Drunken Bar fights?!**

**Beta'd by the ever-awesome SeeNoEvil121**

**New arc prologue! Yay!**

* * *

"Yoho-yoho, a pirate's life for me… Fifteen men, on a dead man's chest, Yohoho; and a bottle of rum…" Toma narrowed his eyes, and glanced at the deck.

Chris was sitting against the barrier, sharpening one of her knives, Haze was lifting some weights in her quarters, Gonzo was steering the ship, Leo was drawing a map, and Jay was up in the crow's nest, reading a magazine entitled 'PLAY-PIRATE' and giggling perversely.

The bandaged man let out a loud sigh, then began to sing louder. "YO-HO-HO-HO, A PIRATES LIFE FOR ME…"

Still no reaction, except from the mild-giggles coming from the crows nest.

'_Alright, time for my secret weapon…'_ "I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts, dundun; here they are a-standing in a row…"

The next thing he knew, a dagger, a gun and a sword were placed right at his neck.

"If you sing one more word of that song, I will kill you…" growled Chris.

"Big ones, small ones, some as big as yer' head."

"ARGH! GET BACK HERE SO I CAN CUT YOU!!" cried Chris

"HEY CAPTAIN, YA WANNA PLAY RUSSIAN ROULETTE?!" howled Jay, as he loaded on of his guns.

Leo sighed. "Can all of you please be quiet?"

"Haha! Can't catch me!"

"DIE, ZOMBIE!!" cried Chris

"EH?! WHO ARE YOU CALLING AN UNDEAD FREAK OF NATURE?!"

"SHE NEVER SAID THAT, YOU TWERP!" bellowed Haze.

Leo narrowed his eyes. "Can everyone…" he slammed his fist on the small table. "BE QUIET?!"

At once, the gravity on the deck doubled, causing the whole of the crew to slam roughly onto the deck.

"Thank you…" mumbled Leo, as he continued to draw his map. "If we keep sailing like this, we'll hit the winter current, which will take us right up close to Commi Island."

Toma sat cross legged, and began to scratch his chin. "Commi Island? Where have I heard that before?"

Leo laughed. "You don't know? It was the island that Arlong took over 28 years ago. The infamous Fishman nicknamed it 'Arlong Park'. You remember it now?"

Toma's eyes widened. "Oh yeah! Isn't that where Monkey D. Luffy beat the crap out of that Arlong guy, and then gained his first bounty of 30 million beli?"

"Fosfosfosfos! You should remember these things, captain! It is notably one of the most told stories of East Blue. People still tell their children tales of how the silly Strawhat wearing pirate defeated the powerful and deadly Arlong, saving the lives of so many villagers. It really is a story of good versus evil. Though I have to admit, most Fishmen aren't like Arlong. We would never exploit humans for revenge. We all have a strong sense of justice."

Toma sighed, then got to his feet and walked over to the barrier, looking out at the sea. The sun was rising, shimmering off the salt water in a thousand different colors. And sure enough, in the distance, a small island could be seen.

XXX

"What are you looking at?" mumbled the blond man, sending a sharp glare towards the small boy.

The man wore a blue tailcoat, and matching pinstripe trousers, every inch of his person immaculate. His hair was shoulder length, coloured dirty blonde, with lilac streaks running down the front. He grinned slightly at the boys fear. "Boo."

The small boy screamed and ran off.

The man began to chuckle, before glancing offhandedly at his watch. "Please hurry up, Ojou-sama…" (Milady)

"_What_ did you say?!"

The man's eyes widened, and as he turned, a foot caught him squarely in the face.

A small girl, looking to be around twelve, glared at him. Her hair was golden and curled, with a pink bonnet resting atop her head. She wore a silken white dress, and carried a small shoulder bag. "Isari, don't be rude in my presence!"

Tears began to run from the man's eyes. "I am sorry, Ojou-sama! It will not happen again!"

He then caught sight of a brunette standing behind the girl, his one visible eye staring blankly back at him, a lazy expression on his face. Isari noted that with the shredded black hoodie and ripped jeans, he was not the fitting company to be with Milady. He also took note of the Labrys styled axe strapped to the boy's belt.

"Zugai Hibiware. Always a pleasure to see the town's leading blacksmith."

The 18 year old nodded. "Ibari."

The man winced. "It's I**s**ari."

He shrugged. "Same difference."

The girl giggled. "Zugai-kun said he'd help with the sword forging! Isn't that great, Isari-san?"

Isari's eyes narrowed. "Of course, Helen-ojou-sama. But, I must ask you to reconsider. We are running a… How do I put it? High class operation, which must remain secret. If we let any… Peasant into our mansion, who knows what will go wrong?"

Zugai's eye narrowed. "You calling me a bird?"

"I SAID PEASANT NOT PHEASANT!" yelled Isari, a tick spawning on his head. "Milady, **please**! You can plainly see he isn't well educated, and not fit to be in our company!"

His response was a sharp bop on the head with her tiny fist. "Isari, be nice to Zugai-kun! He is the best blacksmith on Commi Island! Father will be so pleased."

Isari rolled his eyes. "Oh, I am sure of that. How will he express his enthusiasm? By trying to cut me up with a cleaver. I look forward to it."

Zugai smiled cheerily, taking hold of the hilt of the Labrys. "I could do it for you if ya like!"

"I've decided I hate you."

XXX

Toma was first to leap off the ship onto the port, stretching his arms as if just waking up. "Ah! I love ports! The smell of sea air, the sound of angry people haggling…" his green eye locked onto the tavern dubbed 'THE FORBIDDEN FRUIT' "And the lovely pubs which sell rum for very cheap prices!"

Before he could run off, he was grabbed by Leo. "Oi, captain. Look after Jay. And don't get too drunk."

The silver haired man grinned at the captain, his fanged teeth glinting.

"Eh? Why do I have to baby-sit?"

"Erm… Actually, I'm four years older than you, captain." Pointed out Jay. His response was Toma turning on his heels and charging in the direction of the pub. "Oi! Wait for me!" cried the demon-man, as he ran after the captain.

Leo smacked his face in frustration. "I'm surrounded by idiots…"

"FOSFOSFOSFOSFOSFOS!"

"DO YOU WANT ME TO KILL YOU?!"

**Later…**

Toma slammed his third glass onto the bar counter, then sighed heavily, a drunken blush on his face. "Ah! I win again!"

The man sitting beside him placed his half-empty glass on the table, shaking his head in defeat. So far, the ex-templar had challenged three men to drinking competitions, winner pays. He had won all times.

Jay was smirking in amusement, instead settling for beer. Though he wasn't against rum, he found it far too strong.

"Any more challengers?!" slurred Toma, punching the air with the vigor of an excited four-year old.

Most of the pub's guests hastily returned to their conversations, trying to ignore the raving bandaged-man.

He grunted in disappointment, then swatted the air "Ah phooey… Who need's ya?"

He then swiveled round on the circular seat, and ordered some more rum.

Jay grinned at his captain's antics. Though he'd only known the man for a short while, it was really entertaining watching him scare the entire pub with a drinking contest.

"Hey!"

The pub's contents froze. A large man with glossy metal armor and a scarred bald heard marched over to the bar counter and sat down beside the slim pirate. "I accept your challenge. Three glasses. No breaks. Loser pays."

Toma smiled. Jay shivered slightly at the evil edge on Toma's face. "I accept." He slammed his fist on the counter. "BARMAN! SIX MUGS OF RUM."

"R-right away, sir!"

The barman quickly returned with a tray holding six pints of beer. "Woohoo!" yelled Toma, quickly grabbing the nearest tankard, and eyeing his opponent. "Ready? Set? GO!"

He then began to _inhale_ the contents of the tankard, while the bald man stared at him in amusement. "I thought this would be hard. But now I can see it's going to be easy. 'Demon-Breaker' Toma."

Before he could react, a fist slammed into Toma's face, sending him flying into the wall.

The bald man stood up, cracking his knuckles. "The name's Regnard. Regnard the Rhino." His teeth flashed. "And I'm after your bounty, Pirate."

Jay slammed his beer down on the counter, and flicked his two handguns out their holsters. Groaning slightly, Toma sat up. "It's very unsporting to hit a man in a drinking contest; you should be ashamed."

Regnard laughed. "For 16 million, you don't look like much." He looked at Jay. "Goth-boy there looks stronger than you."

"Oi; I ain't a Goth, I'm a demon." muttered Jay. "And you're a dead man if you try to pick a fight."

The man picked up a stool and slung it over his shoulders. "Ooh! Tough guy are we?"

Toma scrambled to his feet, and began to stumble about in a drunken stupor, before flicking his Demi-Mallet out its holster, and fully extending it. "I will… Shling ya till yash a…" he stumbled again, and began to lean on Jay for support.

"Toma. How drunk are you?"

"I'm a happy-go-lucky scamp!"

"I'll take that as a 'very'." Mumbled Jay, a sweat drop forming on his head.

"You idiots…" muttered Regnard, "SHOULDN'T IGNORE ME!" he then hurled the stool at the duo with monstrous strength.

"**KAAZAN…**" Toma dodged the stool, then slammed the Demi-Mallet into Regnard's side, sending him crashing into another table. "**RAMU-ADA!**" (Kaazan-Rum Revenge)

The two men who had been sitting at the table stood up, one unsheathing a large nodachi-type sword, the other drawing a pistol.

"Oi… I hope you're going to pay for our drinks…" muttered the one with the sword.

Toma grinned… Then flipped them off.

"You are so dead." Muttered the one with a gun, as he aimed at Toma, then pulled the trigger three times.

Jay appeared, blocking two bullets with his handguns, then dodging the third, before kneeing the gun-using man in the stomach.

At this point, many pirates who happened to be in the bar had drawn weapons, and had begun to advance towards Toma.

"COME ON, MAGGOTS!" slurred Toma, still stumbling in a drunken stupor.

XXX

Gonzo grunted as he dropped the last sack onto the ship. Leo had asked him to get supplies, which he had now fully returned to the ship. He let out a sigh of relief, then sat down on a bench.

**_*BOOM!!*_**

His eyes snapped open as a wall of the pub blew open, a few men flying out of it, landing unconscious in the ground.

They were shortly followed by Toma, then Jay.

A huge woman, who was glaring daggers at the two Templar pirates, stood in the hole of the pub.

"You are all banned from my pub! Step one meter from this door and I'll rip your heads off and use them as baseballs!"

Toma groaned, then fell unconscious, the alcohol getting to his head.

Gonzo sighed. Leo was not gonna be happy.

**Later…**

"YOU IDIOTS!" yelled Leo, as he smacked Toma on the head. "You get banned from a pub, ONE HOUR after we make port? Are you guys mental, or just plain stupid?"

Tears streamed from Toma's eyes. "I beg forgiveness, Leo-kun! MAY KAAZAN HAVE MERCY!"

Jay smirked. "You totally blew it, dude." He was then too smacked by Leo. "What the hell was that for?!"

"It was for being an utter ass, and not knocking Toma out when he even _thought _of having a drinking competition!" Leo then cocked his head. "Toma… Wasn't your mallet a bit bigger than that?"

The bandaged man's eyes widened. He slowly removed the metal rod from its holster, and stared, wide eyes. "YOU'RE SHITTING ME!!!!!!!!!!!!"

XXX

Toma's mallet had snapped. The entire brunt of it was cracked off, and drooping slightly. The captain had come to the conclusion that it must have broken when he hit Regnard in the armor.

"Calm down, idiot, we'll just get it fixed." Mumbled Chris.

Toma wailed. "You don't understand! This thing's not just made of any metal! It's made from Orchilum ore! That's not just rare, it's incredibly expensive! "

Haze cocked her head in interest. "Really? How'd you afford it?"

Toma shivered, then crouched down low, placing his hands on the back of his neck. "It was a gift… From the devil himself." He sounded so afraid, he _couldn't _have been joking.

"A gift from the devil?" mumbled Jay. "Are you being serious?"

The bandaged man gulped. "My teacher gave it too me. He drilled everything I know into my skull…" he paused. "He also nearly killed me thirty times…"

Images appeared in his head of a man wearing white robes with a golden trim smashing a large stone mallet into his head as a child, then throwing him off the Peak of Tsukiwan Mountain. Other images appeared too, like a tiger chasing the younger Toma, and the man standing on a rock, and laughing.

"First rule of Akuma's training; do not speak of Akuma's training…" wailed Toma, tears spewing from his eyes.

"Why are you crying?" said Chris, flatly.

"Second rule of Akuma's training!"

Leo let out a long sigh, then folded his arms, and began to lean against the wall of the cabin. "Alright. Let's just find a blacksmith, and get it re-forged. That's easy, right?"

Toma sniffled. "I'd need to find an expert blacksmith who could work with almost any material! Where the hell will I find someone like that?"

**Meanwhile…**

A male brunette sneezed suddenly as he was led down the street by Isari.

"Do you lack manners, as well as grace?" muttered the blond, angrily.

Zugai rubbed his nose, and shook his head. "I don't know why… But I suddenly feel a strange sense of Déjà vu…"

* * *

**Next Time:**

**Baroque Works?**

**The Man they call Isari!**

**Did you like the 'hint' I left at the end? You guessed it, Zugai and Chris are now in GX; I'M GONNA CRY WITH EMOTION! **

**Right, first thing's first, my good friend Aoki-chan made a brilliant picture of Toma, and the link's on my profile! **

**Also, I'd like to thank everyone for their support. Thanks for helping me while I was emo. Being emo isn't always fun… I watched Disney's 'Hunchback of Notre Dame' five times in one day. Well, see ya next chapter!**

**If ya'll can draw pictures of Toma, the rest of the crew, and all others in the story, I'd be happy to see them! I WELCOME ALL!!!**


	25. Baroque Works? The Man they call Isari!

**Baroque Works?**

**The Man they call Isari**

**Beta: SeeNoEvil121**

* * *

_Or tale begins on a dark night…_

_A family known as the Flamehart's moved into Commi Island 12 years after Arlong had been defeated._

_They acted like normal, respected members of society. But behind the scenes they ran with a dangerous crowd. The crowd of Baroque Works. Lead by the 'Rokuki' (Six-King's) pirate, Crocodile, whose original organisation was crushed by the Second Pirate king, Monkey D. Luffy._

_From the depths, 11 new agents rose, each with their own partners, three of which resided with the Flamehart's, acting as respected people._

_But of course, one is stronger than the others._

_And his name is…_

"Ibari. Why have we stopped?"

"I have told you; IT'S ISARI!" cried the blonde, a tick spawning on his head. "Goodness gracious, why Ojou-sama told me to stay here, I have no idea…"

Zugai raised his one visible eyebrow. "Why did you agree?"

Isari smiled slyly. "Because…"

'_Please, Isari-kun! Stay with Zugai-kun!'_

"… I can never resist such a cute pout, especially one such as Ojou-sama's!"

Zugai blinked, then shrugged and began to examine the large wooden door leading into the castle-like building. "So where is this place?"

Isari tapped on the door four times, and then stepped back. "It is the storage area for Baroque Works…"

Zugai's eye narrowed. "I'm sure I've heard that name before…"

Isari shot him a devil-like grin, his green eyes glowing with a demonic-like aura. "Really? It is simply a humble trading company." The door swung open. A bunch of large, heavily armoured men stood in the doorway, eyeing up Isari and Zugai.

"The heart of the Flamehart trading company. The 'Earthen-Nerve'."

XXX

As it turned out, there was a severe lack of blacksmiths in Commi Island. While searching, the same three name's were mentioned; Camoa Braves, Flamehart Trading, and the Bone Barrow.

Each seemed to have its own advantages and disadvantages.

_Camoa Braves-_

_Advantages: Large workforce, good craftsman ship, strong weapons_

_Disadvantages: Large workforce, good craftsmanship, strong weapons, HIGH PRICES._

_Flamehart's-_

_Advantages: Fast, cheap items_

_Disadvantages: No reliability._

_Bone Barrow-_

_Advantages: Amazing craftsman's ship, brilliant reliability_

_Disadvantages: Scary boss, one worker, long waiting list._

So far, none of the above were that promising. So Toma went for the easiest option he could use:

"Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe…"

"Are you sure we should be solving your problems with a children's nursery rhyme?" muttered Leo, his arms folded, a bored expression on his face.

"Have YOU got a better idea?" snapped Toma.

Chris snorted. "You are an idiot, captain."

"Well at least I'm not a midget."

"… Take that back."

"Let me think about it; no."

"I'LL CUT YOU UP!"

The two were stopped by Haze drawing her sword, an evil glint in her eyes. "If you guys keep arguing… I will kill you."

"FOSFOSFOSFOSFOSFOS!"

Toma glanced at the list they had constructed again, and scratched his chin. "Alright, how about the Bone Barrow. It sounds really good, even though we'd have to wait…" he crossed his arms, a confident grin forming on his face. "I guess I'll have to put off becoming the Pirate King until then!"

Gonzo wiped a tear from his eye from laughing so hard, and then glanced at Toma. "You really think you can do it; become the pirate king that is? I mean, you're no where near as strong as some pirates out there-"

"Do you want a smack?"

"Oh no! I didn't mean it that way!" cried Gonzo, with a grin. "I mean, what about the Rokuki!"

Toma cocked his head. "Roku-what?"

Jay laughed. "You're having a laugh, right? The Rokuki are the six most wanted pirates in the world. One of them is the ex-Shichibukai, Crocodile. Six people who've come this close to finding One Piece, the Treasure passed on by Gol D. Roger to Monkey D. Luffy. He apparently hated the second pirate king with a passion. Rumour has it, it was because Luffy beat Crocodile in the Arabasta rebellion, and the Marine's covered it up with Vice-Admiral Smoker."

Toma whistled. "Rokuki, eh?" he laughed. "I'm now really psyched! I just need to get stronger than six people, and then I'll be all set!"

The whole crew sweat dropped at the now laughing man. "I don't think he got the point…" muttered Haze.

"So where is this 'Bone Barrow' place anyway?" said Toma, crossing his arms.

"Oi, did he just change the subject?" muttered Chris.

Leo looked at the small list, and then examined a map of the town. "It says it's to the East side of the town in an alley next to the lake. That doesn't sound menacing at all; a dark place with a convenient dumping ground…"

"When you say it like that, it sounds rather scary…" murmured Haze, as she glanced at Leo, while crossing her arms over her chest.

XXX

"I'm coming in…!" called Toma as he walked through the shop's door, followed by a small 'tinkle' from the bell attached to the door.

It was a small dark workshop, with a forge glowing ominously in the corner, and a few pieces of scarp metal lying on the ground. Another door under lock lay beside the forge, with 'DANGER-DO NOT ENTER' emblazoned on its front in large red letters, contrasting with its black paint-job.

"Wow, gloomy place…" muttered Haze, as she followed behind the captain.

The crew had agreed that Toma, Haze and Chris, being the close-range weapon users, would go to the blacksmiths.

Chris glanced around the room, and shrugged. "Why do I have a feeling this guy might be a nut?"

"… You shouldn't insult those you don't know…" whispered a soft voice, which mad the three pirates freeze.

A brunette stood in the doorway, one of his eyes covered by long-bangs. He wore a tattered black hoodie, and ripped jeans. Over his left hand was a black glove with a flaming skull-emblem.

"W-where the hell did you come from?!" cried Chris, leaping back and pointing accusingly at the man.

"My mother and father met one day and felt rather weird. They decided-"

"Don't involve any clichés!"

The teen surveyed the three pirates, and cross his arms. "The name's Zugai. Zugai Hibiware. I'm the blacksmith here."

The bandaged man grinned. "I'm Toma! Nice to meet ya!"

Zugai nodded, then glanced at Chris, and raised an eyebrow.

"What the hell you looking at?" snapped the girl.

"Not much. Have we met before?"

"I don't think so. I'd remember someone as weird as you*."

"Ah, touché…" he whispered, with a small smile. Slowly, he slung the small duffle bag he was carrying onto the ground, then glanced at Toma. "So what do you want? The waiting list goes by order of interest, so if you ain't useful, you ain't getting any result."

Toma grinned, then pulled out the hammer. "Is THIS interesting?"

Zugai raised an eyebrow, and examined the small mallet. "Light weight. Strong impact. Broken down by heavy strain." He gripped it tighter and extended it fully. "Large size, yet no weight change. Pure orchilum ore." He smiled lightly. "This is interesting. I haven't seen a metal like this in ages."

Toma allowed himself a smug grin. "Of course you haven't; it is my mallet after all- I only use the best! MUHAHAHAHAHA!!"

Haze leant in close to Zugai, and whispered in his ear, "Don't praise him, the compliments get to his head."

"OI! I HAVE EARS YOU KNOW!" bellowed the captain.

Zugai retracted the mallet, then placed it on his work table. "I'll see what I can do. I'm guessing by the looks of you and he fact you came to a smith and not a shop means you want it re-forged."

Toma looked at him with tear-filled eyes. "Yes, oh honourable Zugai-kun! I am but a humble templar (COUGH-pirate) who needs his weapon fixed so I can defend my home!"

The brunette laughed lightly. "Sure, I'll help. It'll be costly though. But seeing as I've taken an interest in you guys, we'll make a deal."

Toma cocked his head.

"You guys work for me for one week. Got that? One week. When that time is up, I'll have had your hammer re-forged and better than ever. It so happens that this is the busiest time of the year for me. I only recently moved here, but lots of tourists come to see the place where the infamous Arlong was defeated by the Pirate King. Said tourists seem to have an odd craving for knick-knacks, and often visit my shop. In addition to this, I've come into the hiring of an organisation owned by the Flamehart Company, which will consume a lot of my time." He stopped for breath. "Basically, I want you guys to help me run the shop and work for the company. Is that a deal?"

Toma grinned, and held out his hand. "Deal!"

XXX

A silver haired female sat on a bar stool, staring idly out the window. A sniper-rifle was strapped to her waist, with some ammunition rounds attached to her belt. "Man, I'm bored. Nothing good happens around here. I think the boss ditched us here."

A male who sat behind the bar grinned. He himself had brown hair tied back in a pony-tail, and had an eye-patch over his left eye. A bowie knife was sheathed on his thigh. "That's because we're the weakest by far of the Numbers."

She shot a glare at him. "You could be a bit angrier, Mr. 11…"

"I wish you wouldn't call me that. I'm Remy! I find those names so boring, Alia…"

"Don't call me 'Alia'! Right now it's Miss. Thursday!"

"Yes, yes…" he waved off her statement and took a swig from his tankard. "I kinda like it here anyway. It's quiet."

He froze when a gloved hand grabbed his tankard. "You are very relaxed for a guarding force…" The tankard slowly began to distort before turning into a pink putty-like substance, the alcohol drenching the material. The blonde man grinned then threw the putty on the ground and crossed his arms. "Good to see you again…"

The brunette's single eye was wide. "M-Mr. 8…"

Isari smiled. "Good evening, Mr. 11… Miss. Thursday…"

He motioned towards the large hole in the wall, which was lined with the same pink material he reduced the tankard to. "I let myself in… I hope you don't mind."

The silver haired girl grunted and took a long drink from her own tankard. "I don't really give a damn. It's not my pub anyway…"

"I resent that…" muttered Remy.

At that moment, the real door opened, two females and one male walking in.

Isari's demonic like grin widened. "Mr. 10… Miss Saturday… Miss Tuesday…"

Both females looked identical, each with their hair flowing back to their waist. The colour was divided half black and half white, each girl having it on different sides.

Miss Tuesday wore heavy shades, and had a serrated blade tied to her back. Miss Saturday wore a belly-dancer like costume, with a small circular disk hanging on a string from her skirt, and unlike Miss Tuesday, wore no shades.

Mr. Ten was a tall, bulky man, with dark skin, also wearing heavy shades. His hair was tied back into two separate pony-tails, each standing erect, like microphones. His clothes consisted of an open white jacket and white hakama trousers.

The dark-skinned man just nodded as a greeting, then sat on a stool.

"Oh! Isari-kun is here!" cried Miss Saturday. She quickly hurried over to the smartly dressed man, her eyes starry. "You didn't visit me, Isari-kun! Is that brat keeping you from me?"

He smiled sweetly. "Please do not insult Helen Ojou-sama."

"So who called us here anyway?" roared Miss Tuesday as she sat next to Mr. Ten

Isari smiled. "That would have been me." He leaned against the wall, next to the hole he'd made, then made a simple motion towards it. A once, the putty-like substance began to reform into the stone wall. "I have recently come into acquaintance with this island's leading blacksmith… Zugai Hibiware… Helen-Ojou-sama has taken quite an interest in him, which I must acknowledge."

Remy raised an eyebrow. "Are plans about to begin then?"

Isari's grin widened. "Correct. Baroque works will make a comeback… With the expansion of the Earthen Nerve… Into the Earthen Brain."

XXX

A single figure hopped out of the small rowing boat. His face was obscured in the darkness, but a wide grin was evident on his features. He held a large musket over his shoulders, with a long bayonet running over the top, turning the gun into a make-shift blade.

He flexed his shoulders, then adjusted the blindfold which covered his eyes. "Right then… Let's get this party started… Toma-chan…"

* * *

**Next Time:**

**Templar vs. Agent! Part I**

**The Templar of Ice**

***Reference to all the other fics that Zugai and Chris have appeared in. I am just one of the many authors who utilises these brilliant characters. Keep your eye out for more references in later chapters, cause I love to recycle jokes…**

**I couldn't decide between using a team of Templar, or a 2****nd**** gen. Baroque Works… So I am using both!! The guy I've just introduced is gonna be one of those currently appearing villains! Yay! It's time for more mindless destruction brought to you by the courtesy of Hangman1! KEEP READING, MIND-SLAVES!**


	26. Templar versus Agent! Part I

**Templar vs. Agent!**

**The Templar of Ice!**

**Beta: SeeNoEvil121**

* * *

The small blond began to lick her large lollipop lovingly, a small blush of delight filling her face. "I wonder where Zugai-kun's gone…" she muttered, her crystal blue eyes twinkling.

She was so caught up in her thoughts; she didn't notice the tall figure standing in front of her. He wore snow-white robes, and had a long-sword like musket strapped to his waist. He sported cyan blue hair which ran down to his shoulders, and wore a white blindfold over his eyes with a blue crucifix imprinted on its front.

"Are you Flamehart-san…?"

The girl looked up towards the blue-haired man, confused. "Yes, I am Helen Flamehart. Do you want an autograph?"

The man smiled lightly. "No. I am sorry. May Kaazan forgive me." He bowed. "I am Marluxia Satoshi. And you… Must come with me…"

Helen took a step back, only to feel a sudden, sharp pain at the back of her neck, before she feel forwards, fading into darkness.

Marluxia knelt down and picked the girl up, holding her under his arm. "Let's get the show started."

XXX

"I've decided working for a blacksmith brings boredom to a whole new level…" muttered Toma, letting his head loll back.

Chris nodded in agreement. "We've only been transporting stuff to that stupid storage place! Who builds a castle in a hill anyway?!"

"Ragnarok."

"Who?"

"Don't ask." Toma replied. He dropped the large crate onto the ground, then lay down on the dusty earth. "It's a hot day… We surely have better things to do than this… Like seeing the King's Seat!"

Chris raised an eyebrow. "Why do you want to see that? The King's Seat is where the Pirate Kings _died_!"

Toma grinned. "I know… Isn't it amazing? Both kings sat in the same place, staring down at the crowd. Smiling." He sat up. "It may be weird but… I am fascinated by it all… The King's Seat."

He shrugged, then picked up the crate, and looked back at the redhead, who was also holding a crate, looking at Toma with an unclear expression.

"Let's get going…" Toma mumbled as he continued to trudge up the hill.

Unknown to them, as single figure followed, his white coat billowing behind him. He had raven hair, and was grinning from ear to ear. "Let's see if you're as good as Marluxia-sensei said you were… Toma-sempai…"

XXX

Leo let out a sigh, then removed the small spectacles from the bridge of his nose. "We're over-budget… Why'd you buy so much stuff Gonzo?"

The Fishman blushed in embarrassment. "Sorry… I'm used to using high-quality ingredients… The Great Whites drilled it into me that I should only use the best…"

"Well, the captain of the Great Whites wasn't an alcoholic templar with a bad attitude…" snapped Leo.

Jay laughed at that. "You really don't get along with Toma, do you? Why did you join then?"

Leo raised an eyebrow, and looked out of the cabin door towards the sea. "Why did I join up with Toma…?"

_Leo narrowed his eyes. "You actually think you can beat ME in a fight?"_

"_Don't think; know," said Toma, still smiling._

_---_

"_I thought you'd come and help! You seem like a nice guy!"_

"_Don't remind me…" muttered Leo, as he walked beside Toma. "I just came to help the girl out."_

"_Yeah… RIGHT." Said Toma, while grinning._

"_What's that supposed to mean?!" mumbled Leo._

"_Admit it; you want to be part of my pirate crew!"_

"_What?! Are you some kind of idiot?!"_

"_That's not a nice thing to say!"_

"_IT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE! IT WAS AN INSULT! I-N-S-U-L-T!"_

Leo grinned. "I suppose he just wore down my defense with his annoying stick-to-itiveness…"

Jay laughed. "He has that weird affect, doesn't he!"

"Oh… So you do all care for your captain… That simplifies things…" Said a voice unfamiliar to the pirates.

Leo, Jay and Gonzo froze. In the doorway stood a man with blond hair, holding a bladed musket in one hand. "I am a Templar from the Order of Kaazan… And I…" the musket made a clicking sound, and he suddenly held it horizontally, finger on the trigger, pointing the gun towards Gonzo. "…Am here to eliminate you and your captain. No hard feelings."

XXX

Zugai took a long drink from his bottle of cola, then looked out to the sea. He and Haze were beside the Earthen Nerve, apparently given the position of 'guarding' while the members of Baroque Works had a meeting at the pub atop the hill.

Haze sat beside him, also drinking a glass bottle of cola. "It's a nice day…" she murmured.

Zugai smiled. "Hey… I'll bet you don't know why the sun set is red…"

Haze cast a glance at him.

"You see, light is made up of many different colours, and out of all those colours, red is the one which travels the farthest." He looked out to the ocean, the red light dancing on the flowing water.

Haze laughed. "Like I asked, know-it-all!"

Zugai's smile widened. "Know-it-all? It's been ages since I've been called that…" he closed his eyes. "I friends back home used to call me back…"

Haze cocked her head. "Where'd you come from?"

The brunette shrugged. "Names are just labels. I forget about labels. All I will say is it was my home. And I'm very glad it was." He drained the remaining contents of the bottle, then wiped his mouth with his gloved hand and got to his feet. "There's a storm coming tonight…" he muttered. "Days this good never end well…"

*CLICK-CLICK*

Haze's eyes widened. Instantly, she rolled forwards and pushed Zugai down, just as a bullet zoomed past his now vacant spot.

"Aw… I missed." Came a cold voice.

The duo looked up to see a cyan haired man standing there, holding a musket in one hand, grinning with a lazy expression. A blond girl was under one of his arms, a gag tied around her mouth, her hands and legs bound. The man's eyes were obscured by a white blindfold with a blue crucifix imprinted on it.

Haze grit her teeth. "Are you a Templar?!"

The man laughed. "Yeah, I am. Marluxia Satoshi at your service. Now please don't try anything, or I'll-"

Before Marluxia could finish, Zugai was dashing across the ground in a flash, his labrys held out beside him. "LET HER GO!"

Marluxia cocked his head, then made a hopping motion backwards, just as Zugai appeared in front of him. Marluxia proceeded to knee Zugai in the chest, then point the barrel of the musket into his chest, the long katana-like bayonet digging into the blacksmiths skin. "It's rude to interrupt." He pulled the trigger, the bullet hitting Zugai at point blank range, causing him to gag.

The brunette fell over as Marluxia stepped back, and Haze ran to him.

"Don't worry, that won't kill him."

Helen was screaming, her cries drowned out by the gag, but her distress visible with the tears in her eyes.

"I just want to chat. Now simmer down…" he pointed the musket at Helen's head. "Or shall I just kill this Ojou-sama and throw the world into chaos…"

Zugai grit his teeth, anger visible in his eyes, the usually hidden one now visible due to his now messed up hair. "What do you want?"

Marluxia grinned. "Simple… I want to kill the bandaged one…"

Haze's eyes widened _'Toma?'_

"You see, me and him go way back. Rivals, you could call us. And since then, I've risen to the level of a Bishop…" he smirked. "… And guess what, some people believe the cursed-one is a bit stronger than me. You see, he has been nominated for an Archbishop."

Hazes eyes widened. "What…?"

"You may be wondering; 'what does a fallen templar and current pirate want with a useless religious seat such as that?' Well, being an Archbishop grants you access to all the secrets of the Order in the Grandline. The includes certain funding from the Pope… And you know what, I ain't letting that bastard get his bandaged paws on it."

"You've kidnapped a girl over a position in church?!" yelled Haze.

"No… My hatred goes a way back. I've wanted to kill Toma for a while. But that isn't the REAL reason I'm here… My boss decided your captain may be a bit troublesome later on… So I need to eliminate any possible chance of a threat."

He tossed Helen onto the ground, then swung the musket over his shoulder. "But I'm lazy, so I'll make you a deal; kill Toma and I let you both live. Sounds like a pretty good deal… Tell ya what, I'll even throw in this little girlie too! Three for the price of a half."

Zugai's eyes narrowed. _'Half…?'_

The blindfolded man grinned. "So do we have a deal?"

Zugai smiled weakly. "**Bone…**"

Marluxia raised a feathery eyebrow.

"… **CLEVER!!**" Zugai was suddenly on his feet, spinning round, the labrys held out at arms length.

Marluxia, taken by surprise, leapt back, just as Zugai slammed the labrys into the ground, creating a minor tremor in the ground. The cyan-haired man stumbled, allowing Zugai to gain the upper-hand, slamming the butt of the labrys into the bishop's chest.

"**HANA…**"

As Marluxia regained his posture, tiny rain-like flower petals, coloured crimson, began to fall from the sky, littering the ground around him.

"…**AME!**"

At once, the petals exploded, engulfing Marluxia in a cloud of smoke.

"HA!" yelled Haze.

"Yare, yare…" Marluxia emerged from the smoke, adjusting his blindfold, as though he'd taken it off and was now putting it back in place. He was completely unscathed. **Bellow his was some fragments of white stone, each piece cracked like a broken mosaic. Some of the pieces were contorted in different shapes, like a field of bubbles.**

Zugai knelt lower, holding his labrys horizontally. "I don't like people who mess with my friends, so unless you want to get your ass-handed to you, then you'd better scram!"

Marluxia's grin faded. "You will regret going against me…" he turned. "I'll leave… For now… Tell Toma-chan the Ice Templar said 'hi'… I'll see him later…"

He withdrew a small capsule from a deep coat pocket, then dropped it on the ground, immersing him in a cloud of purple smoke. When the smoke cleared, the white-clad Templar was gone. And so was Helen.

XXX

Toma sighed in relief as he finally dropped the crate. "Man… How much more do we need to bring up?"

Chris dropped her load, then drew a little list out of her pocket and examined it. "We've brought up six… So we need two more trips; four to go."

Toma groaned. "It's a big hill… I DON'T WANNA!"

"Stop being such a baby!"

"TOMA!!"

From a higher level on the earthen tower, Haze could be seen, running down at a high speed, Zugai following in her wake.

The bandaged man cocked his head, then yelped when Haze leapt on him, giving him a mighty slug in the face. He fell back, then was again grabbed by the redhead, who gripped him in a furious hug. "YOU IDIOT!"

"Choking-CAN'T-_BREATHE_…" moaned Toma as she hugged him tighter.

Haze loosened her grip, then looked at him with tear filled eyes. "You have a psycho after you and you didn't tell me?"

"Eh?"

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL YOUR BEST FRIEND?!"

"CHOKING ME AGAIN!"

Chris managed to pry Haze off the captain, preventing his suffocation. The older female wiped a small tear from her eye, then looked at Toma seriously. "Don't keep problems to yourself… It makes me sad… I don't want you to hide all your problems from me Toma!"

The thief raised an eyebrow. "You've lost me somewhere."

"She's talking about that gun-wielding psycho who blew a hole in my side…" muttered Zugai as he came into earshot. "Some cyan-haired blind guy appeared out of no where with a bound and gagged girl." He glared at Toma. "Because of you an innocent got captured!"

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS TALKING ABOUT?!" yelled Toma. "I don't know any cyan-haired blind-bloke, so it's not my fault is someone's been captured!"

"Oh…" a white clad man emerged from the trees bellow, grinning. "Marluxia-sensei's already made an appearance… That takes fun out of things…" He held a small pistol at arm's length.

Haze's eyes widened. "That guy…" The raven-haired newcomer smirked.

"He's dressed just like the psycho…"

Toma's eyes were wide. "A… Knight of the Above?"

"**Kaazan…**" he pulled the trigger. "**TAIHOU!**" (Kaazan Cannon) a stream of bullets suddenly erupted from the small gun, towards the group of four.

At once the pirates and the blacksmith dispersed, avoiding the furious stream of lead.

The Templar made a clicking sound with his tongue, and quickly reloaded the pistol. "The name's Rurono. Templar of Frost."

Toma's eyes widened. Looking wildly around, he spotted a large branch, around two meters in length. Due to his lack of weaponry, this would have to do. He picked it up and began to spin it round, then nodded and turned to face the Templar.

"Sorry, but I've never heard of 'Frost' Templar. So I'm just going to have to beat you up. No hard feelings…" he adjusted his fedora, then dashed forwards.

Running on either side of him were Zugai and Haze, each holding their bladed weapons.

"So quick to rush to Kaazan's gate." Murmured Rurono. He placed his finger on the trigger again. "**KAAZAN…**"

Zugai, in the lead of Toma and Haze, raised his body, then grabbed the barrel of the gun. In surprise, the Frost Templar couldn't stop himself pulling the trigger.

The gun blew up in Zugai's hand, incinerating his glove, and burning Rurono's hand. The raven haired man cried out and drew back, while Zugai just smirked, shaking the ashes out of his ivory white hand.

In place of a regular hand, a bone hand existed, with long spindly fingers, each seemingly joined to the hand with an invisible force.

While Rurono was withdrawing, Toma took advantage of the situation, and drew the stick back. "**KAAZAN… ISHU!!**" He slammed the wooden rod down on the Templar's head, thrusting the poor man into the ground.

To end the assault, Haze leapt over the man, and placed a sword at his neck.

"Damn… You lot are stronger than Marluxia said you were… You ain't normal people…"

Toma wasn't listening, instead looking at Zugai's hand. "Are you a fruit user?"

Zugai cast an eye in his direction. "I ate the Hone Hone no Mi. I'm a Bone man."

"AWESOME! D'ya wanna join my crew?"

"No."

"I'll put that down as a 'maybe'!"

Chris walked up to the trio, then knelt down beside Zugai. "Be careful with Captain, he's an idiot.

"Do you guys even realise I'm still here? I HAVE FREAKING EARS YA KNOW!!" yelled Toma.

"You people are actually ignoring me… I hate it when they do that… I tried to kill you for Kaazan's sake!!" cried Rurono, a tick mark spawning on his head.

His response was a whack from Toma's stick. "Don't interrupt me when I'm raving!"

Zugai shook his head. "Are you guys always this idiotic. We've got something more important on our hands." He held the Templar by the hair, and locked eyes with him. "Where is that Marluxia guy…? And where is Helen?!"

The Templar laughed. "I've no clue. We only came to meet you here to cause a big stir between you guys and a rather unfriendly organisation." Zugai's response was to slug him in the face, knocking him out.

XXX

"I didn't expect you three to be so fast…" murmured the blonde Templar, who clung to the top of the crows nest, his Knight of the Above uniform ripped all over, a few cuts littering his face.

Jay had both guns drawn, Gonzo had his harpoon slung over his shoulder, and Leo simply had his hands balled into fists.

The Templar had used most of his ammo on shots which had missed the trio by a fair margin, leaving him with a few bullets left.

He let out a small sigh, then stood up straight, holding the gun-blade vertically, so the blade pointed towards the pirates. "Though I hate to admit it, you guys way outclass me. So I should make like a river and run." He flashed a grin in their direction, then slammed the gun downwards into the crows nest, before pulling the trigger.

He immediately vanished in a short plume of smoke.

"Coward." Muttered Jay, as he set the twin handguns in their holsters.

"I guess Toma's a different type of Templar all together…" muttered Leo. "That guy couldn't even hold his own against one of us."

Gonzo simply nodded, his eyes closed in concentration. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open. Three figures were walking towards the ship, one with chocolate brown hair tied back in a pony tail, wearing an eye patch. In one hand, covered by a fingerless glove, he was spinning a Bowie knife.

His partner was a silver haired female with a huge sniper rifle strapped to her belt.

The final man was a huge hulking figure, with dark skin, heavy sunglasses and a dual-microphone like hairstyle.

Leo narrowed his eyes, and Jay redrew his guns.

The fight was just getting started.

* * *

**Next Time: Agent Versus Templar?!**

**The Earthen Brain**


	27. Templar versus Agent Part II

**Templar versus Agent?! Part II**

**The Earthen Brain**

* * *

Toma sighed, and removed his cap, fanning himself with it. "So you guys wanna know about the Knight's of the Above, huh?" he looked at the three of them, Haze, Zugai and Chris, all staring intently back at him.

He shrugged. "I suppose I should start from the beginning. The order of Kaazan was originally a small church, based on the theory that every single emotion a human feels is due to a 'gate' which is sealed inside someone's body. Kaazan is believed to be the gatekeeper. The followers believed that worshiping him would result in opening all gates. Seven was the original number. The seven virtues. Patience, Kindness, Happiness, Selflessness, Bravery, Love and Hope. They were the original ideas of the Order."

He closed his eyes. "Then the templar came into play. They originally started as those who protected the church. Then they became pilgrims, who travelled the world, helping those in need. These pilgrims are Templar who have become Knight's of the Above. And of these seven, the ones who have unlocked their seven gates become one of the seven archbishops." He sighed. "Last I checked, there was a bishop for every element including light and shadow, plus one extra fire. And finally there is the pope, who is believed to have closed his anti-gates."

Haze raised her eyebrow. "Anti-gates?"

"Greed, Lust, Envy, Pride, Sloth, Wrath, Gluttony. He has purged himself of the seven sins. Become 'pure' so to speak." He opened his eyes. "That is the order of Kaazan's templar system. Of course, for everything, there is an opposite."

Zugai frowned. "Opposite…?"

"A reverse version of the original. Instead of the seven virtues, they believe in the seven sins. That Knight we met… I've never heard of a 'Path of Frost,' so I can only assume it's a branch style."

Haze folded her arms. "The man who kidnapped the girl. Marluxia. He said you were nominated as an Archbishop."

At this Toma burst out laughing. "Don't pull my leg! In order to become an Archbishop, one of the seven needs to either be excommunicated or die. And trust me, that ain't gonna happen to them. They're the purest of the pure." He grinned. "And as for that girl… We easily took down that Knight, so the leader won't be too strong. Let's find him and kick some psycho-butt!"

Chris grinned at this. "I'm for that! Kicking butt and taking name's is what I'm always up for!"

Toma laughed. "I'm always up for a fight too! But I'd prefer to be fighting with my mallet, not a stick."

Zugai sighed. "If it means you guys will leave me in peace, then I'm in."

Haze looked down for a moment, then stared at Toma, a determined look on her face, small buds of tears in the corner of her eyes. "I'LL FOLLOW YOU, BOSS! YOUR SACRAFICE WILL NOT BE IN VAIN!"

"Oi, I'm still alive." Muttered Toma.

Suddenly, a huge explosion broke the silence, coming form the direction of the harbour. Toma's eyes widened. Smoke was ebbing out from a certain area, next to a now broken-down pub.

"MY SHIP'S ON FIRE!!"

XXX

"I don't suppose you guys are here for a chat." Muttered Leo. He was standing beside the ship's hull, his arm's folded, Gonzo and Jay flanking his sides.

The brunette shrugged. "My superior's a scary guy. I really don't wanna die, so I need to kill you guys. Apparently his little lady's disappeared, and it just so happens that a pirate ship's in town…" his single eye turned rather steely. "An odd coincidence, no?"

Leo narrowed his eyes. "No matter how low I sink… I never go down to kidnapping. Especially women."

A tick spawned on the girl with a sniper-rifle's head. "YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH WOMEN?!"

"Totototototo…" chuckled the large dark figure, in a deep voice.

"DON'T LAUGH YOU BASTARD!!" yelled the girl, as she drew her rifle. "I'LL BLAST YOUR HEAD'S OFF!!"

Jay grinned, and loaded his gun's. "This girl's mine…"

"THE NAME'S MISS THURSDAY! YOU WANNA PIECE OF ME BASTARD?!"

"I love em' feisty." Muttered Jay.

Gonzo sighed. "Listen, we didn't kidnap any girl, so can you please leave us alone? We're just about to leave anywa-"

The eye-patched man was suddenly in front of him, his knife held vertically, the point towards the ground. Gonzo quickly blocked the slicing blow, only for the large blade to break through the wood, snapping it like a twig.

He grinned. "Wood plus ice equals splinters." He spun the knife around. "Meet my blade, the Hyokage. It converts heat into cold." He gripped its handle tightly. "My body heat brings it to a temperature of -100 degrees Celsius. It ain't something you want shoved up your ass." He flashed Gonzo a grin. "The name's Remy by the way."

Gonzo grit his teeth, then drew back, getting into a karate-like stance. "You will now feel the wrath of my fighting style; Fishman Karate-KITCHEN KENPO!"

"… That's lame."

"I TAKE OFFENSE TO THAT!"

Leo was left in a one-sided staring competition with the large dark-skinned man, with the microphone-like hairstyle.

Leo narrowed his eyes. "The strong silent-type, eh?"

He chuckled. "I am Mr. 10." He held up his palm, so it faced Leo. "And I am a sound-man."

'_Sound-wha-'_

Before Leo could do anything, the man had thrust his palm into Leo's stomach, causing him to double over, a little blood flying out his mouth.

"I ate the Oto Oto no Mi." (Sound Sound Fruit) drawled Mr. Ten. "I can move at the speed of sound, or increase my voice to any octave."

Leo groaned, only to be faced by an onslaught of punches, each delivered at the speed of sound. With each punch, Leo gasped, resulting in an incomprehensible string of groans.

Meanwhile, Jay was squaring off to the Miss. Thursday, a fox-like grin on his face. "So… You're a female gunner."

She grinned smugly, and swung the huge gun over her shoulder. "They used to call me 'The Longshot.' I come from South Blue, and was considered one of the top class gunners there." She laughed. "You don't stand a chance, boyo!"

Jay stopped smirking, and dawned a serious expression. "You can't win… Because… I am something so much stronger than a typical gunner…"

Miss Thursday raised an eyebrow.

"I am…" the image of waves crashing off a Cliffside appeared behind him, as he allowed himself a dramatic pose. "A SUPER PERVERT!"

"Eh…?

His index finger was suddenly pointing directly at her. "No woman can escape my gaze. Be they far or near, they will be rated by me. For example…" he grinned lecherously. "You are wearing stripped panties."

A huge tick appeared on Miss Thursday's head. "You… Stupid… Ugly…" fast as lightning, her sniper was loaded, the barrel pointing directly at Jay. "… PERVERT!!" she flicked a small switch on the side of the massive rifle, causing its colour to change from an inky black to a fiery red. "**GRAN REY INFIERNO!**" (Spanish: Great King Inferno)

As she pulled the trigger, nothing happened for the space of a second, then, suddenly, a torrent of flames erupted from the rifle's barrel, like the fires of a volcano.

Jay was taken by sheer surprise. He quickly changed into his demon form, and took to the air, while the flame made impact with the ship.

"Oh crap… Toma ain't gonna be happy…"

XXX

"I GOTTA SAVE MY SHIP!!!" cried Toma. He was bolting down the hill with unbelievable speed, Chris, Haze and Zugai barely keeping up.

"Where the hell does he get that energy from?!" puffed Chris.

"His idiocy compensates." Explained Haze, the effects of her Energy-fruit keeping her vitalised.

Toma suddenly froze.

Blocking his path were three people.

Two were identical females, with black and white hair, their outfits and hair styles showing them apart.

The other was a blonde man with violet streaks in his hair. His demonic-like eyes were locked on Toma. "Hello… My name is Isari…" he cast an eye towards Zugai and company, who had finally caught up with the bandaged captain.

"… I should have guessed you had a hand in this, Hibiware. I'll make this simple for you; return Ojou-sama. Or I will destroy you."

Zugai narrowed his eyes. "Listen, I can explain; it wasn't us, it was-"

"SILENCE!" yelled Isari. "Don't give me idiotic excuses!" he pointed at them with a gloved finger. "I'll make you pay for insulting the Flamehart name!"

Toma sighed. "Haze, you go on. You've got more stamina than us."

The redhead raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? You don't have a weapon."

He shrugged. "I'll make do. Besides, this guy looks strong, so it gives me an excuse to go all-out."

Haze nodded, before giving him one last hug and running off down the hill.

Zugai drew his labrys, and held it tightly, while Haze drew her Crescent Dagger and the Hokage blade.

Isari cracked his knuckles, then flexed his shoulders. "Miss Wednesday, Miss Saturday."

The girl in the belly dancer like costume drew a small chakram on a string, and began to spin it, while the other drew a large serrated blade, and simply nodded.

"My turn!" cooed Miss Wednesday. She locked onto Chris, and began to giggle. "I pick the cute little boy. If I beat him, you better take me on a date, Isari-kun!"

At his silent response, she giggled, and ran towards the 16-year old, spinning the small blade on the wire.

"Engaging." Murmured Miss Saturday. She instantly drew her sword, and blurred forwards towards Zugai, who blocked with his labrys.

Isari flashed a grin at Toma. "I guess it's you and me, little-man."

"I ain't small…" muttered Toma, as he planted his hand on the ground. "And I'm not weak by the way."

"Oh? Can your actions back your words?"

Toma smiled sweetly. "I'll leave the thinking to you, Blondie. **Tsuchi no Sekai…**" he scrunched his hand up, grabbing a fistful of earth. "**Kaihou.**"

XXX

From a high plateau, a cyan-haired figure sat, a grin on his face. "A gate opened already? Toma really has fallen since our last meeting…" he glanced behind him, though obviously still unable to see. "Wouldn't you agree, Flamehart-san?"

The girl was staring at him intently, fear in her baby-blue eyes, small buds of tears appearing in the corner of her blue orbs.

Marluxia shrugged. "Sorry, forgot you had a gag. I'm opening wounds, bad Marluxia, no walkies tonight." He grinned again at his own sarcasm. "You know that this is all because of the World Government?"

The girl winced slightly. This man was obviously referring to her father's uneven ties to the Government.

"You see, our religion was started because of a few survivors from the revolution. You know Monkey D. Dragon? He ditched them, letting the government butcher them. Only a few survived. These were the first followers of the Order. They wanted to reach purity. Why? To have revenge."

He laughed. "Ironic, no? They started a whole way of life, focusing on cleansing the soul, when in reality, they were as bad as the rest, their minds focused on taking revenge." He pulled out a deck of cards, then emptied its contents into his hands. He began to mindlessly shuffle the playing cards, his grin widening all the more. "There is always a cause, and effect. The Government pushed us, we pushed back, they flattened us…" he smirked. "Can you guess what comes next?"

When she gave no reply, he shrugged.

"I'll leave that to your imagination. It must be nice to live in a rich family. I only know virtue. Well, partly. I also know a little deceit."

XXX

Isari was staring, his eyes slightly wide, as Toma now held a black crucifix, which was crackling slightly.

"This may be more interesting than I imagined." Muttered Isari, with a devilish smile. He placed his gloved palm on the ground, which instantly began to turn to a pinkish mush. He quickly pulled out the putty like substance, sculpting it into a long thin shape.

To end the process, the putty began to change into a long thin spear, with a stone blade.

"_En garde_." Muttered Isari.

The bandaged man narrowed his eyes. "What are you after anyway? Surely you know we haven't taken any girl. I didn't even _know _about this missing girl till five minutes ago!"

The man shrugged. "Helen-ojou-sama is the most important person in this world to me. Even more important than the Earthen Brain."

"E-earthen brain?" muttered Toma.

"Correct. I represent a founder of the modern day Baroque works, the Flamehart's. Our base of operations is the Earthen nerve, hidden deep in the mountains of Commi Island." He frowned. "But we have grown tired of hiding. We are going to take over this island, creating the Earthen Brain. Baroque works will become more powerful than ever before, and Crocodile-sama will reward us. But that doesn't matter to me…" his eyes began to blaze. "All I care about is Helen-ojou-sama."

Toma grinned weakly. The gate had already begun to sap his energy. He began to spin the crucifix around in his hand, before holding it vertically. "**Gaia…**" he suddenly blurred out of vision, appearing before Isari and slamming the butt of the blunt weapon into the man's stomach. "**… PISTOL!**"

The man coughed, but then grinned. "You… Have now lost his fight. **Fouillis Enterrement**" (French: Mess Burial)

The black-crucifix began to dissolve, turning into the same putty like substance the spear had formed from. "You see… I ate the Pate Pate no Mi. I'm a Putty-man. Anything I touch bends to my will… So…" he thrust the spear into Toma's arm, causing him to cry out in pain. "… No weapon on earth can defeat me. _Au revoir_, pirate."

* * *

**Next Time: Templar versus Agent part III**

**Ferocious Demon-Gravity-Gallon attack!**

**Sorry bout' the delay (My internet died for the last four days, so I couldn't access the DocX by SNE… Hope ya'll enjoyed (COME ON 200+ reviews!!!))**


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One Piece, Adventure, Humor