Alright…so I've been toying with this idea for an OC for a while, trying to really fit him into the One Piece universe. I think it's a pretty neat idea. Now…don't write me off immediately because the story revolves around an OC and his OC (original crew). I plan to integrate other characters from the actual story as much as I can. THAT INCLUDES THE STRAWHAT PIRATES. So don't think you won't get any Luffy or Zolo, or Nami or anything ok?

So I hope you think I do a good job with my OC because I did my best to make him very One Piece-ish, with a weird quirk and everything. Please enjoy the story and tell me if I'm doing anything poorly so that I may improve upon it.

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Chapter 1

Hunting Devils on the High Seas

A tall man leaned back in his hammock and stretched. He yawned and sat up. The room was swaying slightly, but the man did not stumble as he walked toward the single wooden doorway. He ran his hands through his short jet-black hair and grabbed a large deep red coat from a nearby rack. One by one, he slid his arms into the sleeves and then reached forward and opened the door.

Immediately, he was assaulted by the harsh tang of the sea air. It washed over him and burrowed into his nostrils, swimming upwards into his brain. He smiled and moved further out onto the deck of his ship. The wind whipped through the sails above him and he could feel it soar around his ankles and calves, and his thighs. All around him men bustled up and down the length of the ship, tying knots and pulling levers.

A shorter man with long blonde hair pulled back into a pony tail and an eye patch rushed in front of the tall man, carefully carrying an eternal log pose in his hands. The raven haired man eyed him and then opened his mouth to speak.

"Michael!"

The blond haired man turned in alarm and almost fumbled the log pose. After he had caught it, he snapped his feet to his side and hoisted one hand up in a salute. "Uriel, sir!"

Uriel sighed and leaned down toward Michael. "Michael…what have I told you about being so formal? It's really not needed amongst crew members." He straightened up and spread his arms wide. "We're all friends out here in the sea! We all have the same goal, the same plans. I'm not gonna bite your head off if you just call me Uriel every once in a while."

Michael nervously looked at Uriel and then averted his gaze. "Uh…Uriel…"

"It isn't that hard is it?" Uriel turned around and began pacing back and forth. "I mean, sure I'm the captain, but you're my first mate, aren't you? Of everyone here, you're the one I trust the most to tell me things."

Michael anxiously pulled at his collar and gulped loudly. "Uh…Uriel…you see you've…um…"

Uriel stopped pacing. By now most of the crew of his ship had gathered. They were all standing around, watching the exchange carefully. Some were choking back laughs.

"For the love of god man, spit it out! Don't worry about consequences, I won't hurt you. I value your opinions and your views. You're experience in this business is almost as great as my own, and varied as well. Surely whatever pearls of wisdom you may spout off will do me good to hear." He smiled kindly at his first mate. "So Michael, what is it that you're trying to tell me?"

Michael was sweating now, and his face was flushed. He tried to look at his captain but couldn't and averted his gaze again.

After a moment, someone stepped out of the crowd that surrounded them. A woman walked forward. She wore loose, comfortable looking pants and a rather nondescript t-shirt. She came to a stop next to Michael and laid a hand on his shoulder. Michael looked up gratefully and nodded vigorously.

The woman smiled and flicked a stray piece of her brown hair over her ear. "Captain, first mate Michael here is trying to say that once again, you've forgotten to dress yourself entirely."

Uriel raised an eyebrow and looked downwards. Sure enough, his shirt and overcoat extended downwards but the clothing came to an abrupt end around his waist, leaving his legs and other parts bare. Uriel opened his mouth and then closed it. Then opened it again, said, "Ah…yes…" and turned and walked back into his cabin.

After a moment, Uriel emerged with pants now hanging securely by their belt around his waist. Around the ship, a loud chorus of laughter could be heard from his crew. Uriel blushed slightly and walked the length of the deck to the helm where Michael and the woman were now standing.

"Ahem," he began with dignity. "Now that everything is in order…"

The brunette raised an eyebrow and a smile twitched across her lips. "No thank you?"

Uriel winced. "Well…yes…thank you second mate Zofiel. I do appreciate being notified about…er…things of that nature."

Zofiel laughed lightly. "When are you going to learn to check yourself before you leave your room? This has been the tenth time this month." Uriel frowned and then decided to change the subject.

"Michael, how close are we to our next target?"

The blond haired first mate nodded curtly and pulled a map from his pocket. He placed it on a barrel near the helm and pointed to a small island. "That's Pellet Island. It's a spring island. Which will be a nice change."

Uriel's eyes glazed over slightly as he stared at the map. "And that's where the target is?"

Michael nodded slowly. "Well it's their base of operations so if the target isn't there when we arrive, he'll come back there at some point."

Uriel smiled softly. Zofiel, who was watching the captain, shivered slightly as the smile split his lips. "How many are there supposed to be?"

"According to our informant, the captain is one, he's the main target." He paused as he tried to remember all the information. "And then…there should be another one on board I think. Or two."

"He wasn't sure?" Uriel's voice cut through the sea breeze. Michael shrunk slightly under the harsh gaze.

"Um…no he wasn't sure how many there were."

Uriel sighed in exasperation and looked up to the sky. "And how far are we from the island.

Michael hurriedly returned his gaze to the map. "Well...I think by now we would be able to reach the island by…"

"PIRATE SHIP OFF THE PORT BOW!!"

Michael jumped in panic and then looked up to the crows nest. A single crew member was pointing excitedly off into the distance where a speck of a ship could be seen on the horizon.

"The targets," Uriel began, his voice wrought with a cold excitement. "They were pirates?" Michael nodded nervously. "Their flag?"

Michael pulled another sheet of paper from his pocket and handed it to Uriel. The tall man glanced down at the slip of paper and smiled. "The pirate flag!" he yelled to the crow's nest. "Is the Jolly Roger made of bricks?"

The man in the crows nest saluted and then extended his telescope. After a moment of looking out to sea. He lowered it and saluted again. "YES SIR!"

The man's mouth split wide open in a crazy smile. "Bring her around. We're going after that ship."

Zofiel's eyes softened. "Uriel…" she said worriedly.

"We're going hunting Zoff," Uriel turned and hurriedly walked to his cabin. He pushed the door open and reached inside, removing a long object wrapped in canvas. Enthusiastically, he ran to the middle of the deck and ripped the cloth from the object, holding it high. When the white sheet had been ripped away, a long, silver-blue spear shone in the light of the sun.

The crew of the ship stopped what they were doing and turned to pay attention to their captain. Gradually, the level of excitement grew and everyone could feel the adrenaline pumping as the ship began to turn toward the far away pirate ship.

"It's hunting time everyone!" Uriel shouted, his voice high and loud. "We've found our prey!" A cheer went up from crew. "And what strange prey we've found!" Another cheer echoed over the water. "Who would have thought we'd be hunting devils on the high seas, eh boys!" The cheers rose again. Zofiel and Michael were silent, watching Uriel as he worked the crew into a frenzy.

"Who ever thought that we would be KILLING DEVILS ON THE HIGH SEAS!!"

Zofiel frowned and turned to Michael. "It's worse than usual…"

Michael nodded. "It's been a long time since we've had a hunt. His hatred's been building."

"BUT IT'S TIME TO JUDGE THEM, BOYS!!"

Zofiel bit her lip and turned from the scene on the deck below, but Michael grabbed her wrist as she did. "Don't turn away."

"Why? I can't watch him when he's like this. It…scares me…"

"AND WHY US? WHY ARE WE THE ONE'S TO JUDGE THESE SINNERS!?"

Michael turned his eyes toward Zofiel and glared at her. "Is it him, or what we're trying to do that scares you?" he lowered his voice to a hiss. "Because if you can't stand behind Uriel with everything you can give, maybe you shouldn't be here."

"BECAUSE WE SEE WHAT THEY ARE! WE SEE THEM FOR THE DEVILS THEY ARE! FOR THE UNNATURAL BEINGS THEY ARE! AND THE WORLD HAS NO PLACE FOR DEVILS!"

Zofiel's eyes hardened and she shook her wrist from Michael's grasp. "Don't you dare question my faith in him." Without a second glance, she stepped forward and raised an arm. "SO WE HUNT THEM!" Everyone's eyes turned to the second mate. There was a moment of silence before everyone raised their fists to the sky, their voices not far below, soaring upwards and echoing through the cloudless heavens.

"TO CLEANSE THE WORLD!!"

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Uriel's ship skimmed effortlessly over the water, tacking easily against the wind and coming up fast on the other pirate ship. Cheers and shouts echoed loudly from the large ship as it flew over the waves. Uriel had rushed to the very front of the boat, spear in hand and now stood atop the railing, watching the ship with his prey come ever closer.

Soon enough, the other pirate ship began to take notice of the Uriel's fast approaching ship. Shouts soon began to emanate from the vessel and after some time, the sound of a cannon firing.

The first shot went wide, landing nearly thirty yards to the port side of the ship. The black haired captain did not slow the ship or maneuver it in any way. Gradually, the shots grew closer. Each one landing wide or short, but getting closer to his ship.

Michael frowned. "They have a good marksman," he walked to the railing where the captain was standing. "Uriel…we may want to take more precaution."

"There's no need," was the man's swift reply.

Michael paused, unsure what to say and then spoke again, stuttering slightly. "But sir…in perhaps five more shots, they could very well hit us."

Another shot rang out and in moments, the projectile landed in the water near the ship, spraying the salty seawater up and onto the deck.

"Sir!" Michael shouted. "I understand your eagerness…but there is no reason to be reckless!"

"I'm not being reckless."

"Uriel!"

"Did you see the color of the cannonballs?"

Michael stopped. Uriel had a strange look in his eyes. It wasn't the fervor before the fight, or the relief after it. It was the look of a tactician. Michael sighed, somewhat relieved. "No I didn't. Is it significant?"

"They were red," Uriel glanced down at the paper that had his prey's flag emblazoned on it and then handed it to Michael. "It was red…like…brick red."

Michael took the paper and looked at it for a moment. "You don't think that they…"

"It would certainly be creative of them…if that's what it is anyway."

Another shot rang out. Uriel's face split into a smile.

"Let's see shall we?"

Michael jumped back and watched as the oddly colored cannonball flew through the air. It was going to be a direct hit, he could tell already. He hoped that the captain was right.

Uriel lifted his spear up and twirled it around his wrist once. He bent his knees, as though testing his weight and then leapt into the air. As he rose, he drew back the bright blue weapon. The cannonball hurtled forward, directly toward the dark haired man.

At the last moment, he whipped the spear forward. The tip clashed against the brick red projectile and there was a cracking sound. Then…

The cannonball disintegrated.

Uriel smiled wildly. Twisting in mid air, he landed gracefully back on the railing of the ship. "That's it!"

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There were no more shots after that. The sea was quiet except for the sound of wood slapping the waves as the ships hurtled toward each other. Uriel watched eagerly as they drew closer. Closer. Closer…and…

CRASH!

The ships collided. Without any orders or any commands, Uriel leaped from his place on the railing, soaring over the gap between the ships and landing lightly on the deck.

"GET 'IM!"

Roars of the opposing crew exploded all around him, but Uriel only smiled. They came at him, one by one, in groups, as a horde, but he knocked them all away. Most were thrown into the ocean, others landed on the ship, knocked out cold. When they had stopped, Uriel was breathing heavily, though not from fatigue.

"He's excited…" Michael said softly to Zofiel from their own ship. "It's been a long time since I've seen him like this." He turned to the men aboard the ship. "This is the captain's fight. He's been waiting. We do not interfere."

Aboard the pirate ship, Uriel ran around the deck, looking over the side and inspecting the fallen enemy crew. "Who can't swim! Who's drowning! Who's unable to swim!"

Suddenly, the sound of a door being thrown open could be heard. Uriel turned to see a large, muscled man step out from the dark cabin. He was very tan and wore no shirt. His eyes were deeply set and his other facial features seemed to be chiseled there as though in stone. He looked around the deck with a passive expression.

"My crew…" His voice was deep. "What did you do to my crew?" His voice cracked slightly and he sniffed loudly. "My crew!" Tears began to fall ostentatiously from his eyes like rivers. "I'm sorry guys! I should have come out first! I'm so sorry!"

Uriel's eyes widened. He lowered himself into a fighting stance and gripped the spear in his hand hard.

"You…"

"Aw come on," a nasally voice came from behind the large man. "If the captain comes out first, that ruins the drama." A small, weasely looking man stepped out from behind the captain. "But now that we're here…we can set things to rightssss."

The captain sniffed loudly. "Y-you really think so?"

The smaller man nodded and slowly, his body began to shift. His head widened and flattened and his body grew thinner. Within a few moments, he had taken on the appearance of a large cobra. "Of courssssse. Now let'sssss show him what you can do."

The large man nodded and with a grunt, his arms turned a strange red color, like brick. It was brick, Uriel realized.

"Bricks…and a snake?" He said softly. "Paramecium and zoan types…" A wild grin cracked across his face. "What were they, the Rengarenga no Mi and the Hebihebi no Mi?"

((a/n that should mean the Brick Brick fruit and the Snake Snake fruit…but I used a free online translator so I dunno))

The cobra-man smiled a reptilian smile. "Yesssssss actually."

"Haha…" Uriel began to laugh. Ripples of mirth spread across his body. "HAHAHAHAHA!" He raised a hand and extended a finger.

"DEVILS!"