Hello to you reader!
I got into Kilguin by KidLaw, and here I am rowing in the bark of Kilguin's shippers. This story should be short in theory, I already got the whole scenario planned –but you never know when inspiration will strike ^^ I'll keep you in touch, meanwhile I hope you'll enjoy this new work.
This story is currently unBeta-read, so if you like this pairing and willing to correct English, let me know in the comments.
Good reading :)
Chapter 1, Chase the Penguin
The Sabaody Archipelago, the final island in Paradise. Its giant striped trees were elevating towards the sky to unreachable height. The Yarukiman Mangrove was a natural marvel, its aqua color range and the bubbles flying everywhere were giving the dreamlike impression to walk on the ocean floor. The slippery and sticky grass making the ground up was an odd experience for every sailor used to the firm board of a ship. But each one of them, landing there for the first time, couldn't help to feel amaze from being at end of the first half of the Grand Line.
The soap blown by the imperceptible breathe out of the trees was a hypnotizing process. The bubbles were an integral part of Sabaody from the everyday life of his citizens to the light background noises of the bubble's bursting. It truly was a unique environment but as many others on the Grand Line it was also a dangerous one. On this island were mingling, local inhabitants, marines, slavers, bounty hunters, World nobles and the fieriest pirates sailing on the Grand Line. The base mix of a hazardous cocktail ready to blow up at the slightest shake.
You adventurous traveler! Come and lay down your hat on Sabaody Archipelago! Where you can buy articles and food you'll find nowhere else, enjoy the attractions of the marvelous park and buy the most exotic slaves in the world! But remember to signal every fish creatures on the island, bow down on the path of the World nobles and stay away from the dangerous pirates' one.
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"What's wrong with them?! Got something on my face?" Eustass Kid snarled at the sight of people going backwards at his approach. The question was aimed to his crew, following right behind him, on their way out of a second-class bar. It was early in the morning, and they had already drunk more than the average could bear for a day. They were pirates who could hold their liquor though, even if it wasn't enough to enhance Kid's mood.
"I think it's the makeup."
"It's your innate smile"
"Maybe they don't like red heads."
"You sure your devil fruit can't also repel people?"
The Captain narrowed his eyes done with the early good mood of his men, and he wondered why he even bothered to ask in the first place. They had only arrived on Sabaody a few hours ago and his crew was far too excited to have reached this point of the world. Their enjoyment was including more jokes on their captain.
"Killer, a comment? Anything?" Kid inquired his first mate, looking for everyone's opinion while he was hauled over the coals. The masked man had remained oddly less talkative than the others. He was watching as the people who wanted to get in the bar were renouncing, seeing the pirates blocking the entry.
"You can't expect people to throw themselves on you with a bounty like yours."
"Thank you," the Captain huffed, while he appreciated to be reminded of the fair amount of money on his head. Between the two of them, Kid was excessively proud of his expensive wanted poster compared to his first mate. If Killer considered it as the consequence of having gone through the Grand Line; it was a necessary requirement to aim for the title of pirate king for Eustass Kid.
"Are we going for another bar?" Killer asked, his annoyance beginning to show after the third bar of the morning.
"You ain't used to be so moody, what's going on?"
"I don't want to stay here more than necessary."
"Enjoy our stay on the archipelago instead of brooding; you'll miss calm land when we'll be in the New World," Eustass told with a smile as they started walking down the tree number twenty-two, "But you're right, we should start searching for coating mechanic from now."
"We'll find one in the shipyards, from the grove fifty to fifty-nine," the first mate informed.
"Let's go then."
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Killer doubted they would find someone willing to coat their ship in the Sabaody's shipyard. It was too close to the Marine headquarters to benefit an illegal business. However it was the best start to know where to find the mechanics they were looking for. All shipbuilders had their connections and the Kid's pirates were pretty good to get what they wanted, one way or another but preferably with brutal force.
Killer was amazed they hadn't got in any fight yet. But knowing his captain it would come soon enough. The masked man wasn't the last to brawl, he even liked these fights except that he clearly was more cautious than the rest of them. It was his job after all.
The archipelago's life began to spring with the rising of the sun. It was hard to tell where the sun was though, with all these bubbles blocking the sky view. The citizens had taken great advantages of their peculiar environment. Bubbles were used to make buildings and hotels and carry all kinds of charges. But what Kid's crew appreciated the most were the local vehicles: the bon chari. The two medium bon chari they'd rented were a far better means of transport than walking all the way long.
The vehicles' speed was heady, and Killer might have yield to the overall good mood. The most cheerful of them was their captain who had his goggles and a broad smile on, while using his devil's fruit abilities to increase the bon chari's speed to its limits. Kid was racing between heavy roots and slippery hills with ease. Their speed transformed the striped landscape in a moving optical illusion, as if the trees were following their course without getting off the ground.
Their vehicle slowed down and stopped suddenly surrounded by building machines and boat's frames. They were arrived at the shipyard before they knew it. Eustass took a look back to see the rest of his men miles ago, struggling to catch up with them.
"Pedal faster you lazy asses!" The Captain yelled and didn't wait for them to continue.
The shipyard was already busy, full of workers carrying materials and tools, and strangely the Kid's pirates didn't earn more than a few fearful looks on their way. Fine, if the shipbuilders weren't that concerned by the pirates' presence they could get to work easier.
"Oh my!" Kid exclaimed all of sudden, slowing down the bon chari to a cruising speed, "Look what we have here!"
The eyes of his crew all turned to the left, as they were trying to see what the cause of their captain's predatory voice was. Killer immediately noticed who Eustass was pointing. Between the building platforms, a noticeable group was walking, all wearing the Heart's pirates' symbol on their backs. Their white overalls were unmistakable. But the Kid's pirates could talk about clothes! They probably were the only ones on this island to wear such colorful and leathery costumes. One all.
"So Trafalgar Law is there too," Killer commented.
"And I thought this stop-off would be deadly boring," the Captain Kid snickered.
The playful look he saw spreading on his captain's face made the first mate seriously wonder, "You want to attack them?"
"Nah, 'm not that dumb." Eustass replied indignant and Killer lightly tilted his head on the side. Kid was far from dumb but hot headed, sure he was. "But it'd be a shame not to mess with them a little," Kid added. Here we go… However his first mate didn't let him time to carry on his idea and jumped off the bon chari, landing on the grass in an agile leap.
"Leave them to me."
From one gesture of a hand, Kid shut one of his men about to talk. The captain's gaze remained on Killer. Kid leaned on the bon chari's wheel without losing his wicked smile.
"Fine, let them know we're here. But don't waste time to catch up with us."
The masked man nodded and started searching the white overalls that had disappeared from his sight. As he walked away Eustass called after him.
"Eh Killer!" He turned to his captain just to see him smiling from one ear to the other. "In case you're wonderin', they've already ran away towards South!"
"Shit!" The blonde cursed under his breath and he whizzed after the pirates.
"Hope it'll get him out of his sulky mood," Kid thought out loud while the rest of his men finally rejoined them.
"Don't you think it's a bit unfair?" Wire asked.
"You think Killer can't take them on his own?" The Captain took offense.
"I mean unfair for the Heart's pirates," Wire smiled triggering the hilarity of the whole Kid's pirates.
White blurry silhouettes were running as fast as they could among the striped roots. The Heart's pirates crossed another bridge leading out of the shipyard's grove.
"Is he still following us?!"
Nobody needed to look behind to know the answer.
"Yeah, keep running!"
They were out to do simple, harmless shopping, the sun was barely up and they founded themselves chased by a supernova. Great! As if they didn't have enough trouble with the Navy, they had the Kid's pirates to be aware of now.
"How about we don't know they were here?" Penguin ranted about.
"They must have arrived today!" Shachi assumed.
Despite their velocity, their small group was losing ground to the Kid's pirate. Sooner they'd be caught and they surely weren't a match for the Massacre Soldier. So as far as it displeased the Heart's pirates they would keep running. The sticky grass however wasn't an ideal ground for fleeing. When they could the pirates were jumping on the roots but that damn soap was everywhere! And up to this point it didn't seem to slow down their pursuer.
"Why are we running away? They didn't seem aggressive!"
In their rush they could only scream to understand each other, it wasn't their most discreet escape.
"We never know! The Captain Kid has quite a reputation, it's better that our paths don't cross!" Penguin responded, but he started to worry as well as his nakamas. They were too slow and were going to be catch. It was a matter of minutes now.
They were back in the lawless area in a part full of old shacks and half destroyed buildings. Nobody to be seen, but that didn't mean they were alone. As it was Penguin resolved to take advantage of that dump place.
"Shachi! See that run down house over there?" and his companion nodded, acknowledging a high building surprisingly still up. "Help me knock it over!"
Shachi glared at him, not frankly carried away, "What's it gonna do except slow him down?"
"Got a better idea?!"
Shachi grinded his teeth not having anything else to suggest right now, and he got close to Penguin at the head of their group.
"Ok everyone! When Shachi and I hit the house in front of us, you split up and we'll meet at the submarine!"
He received affirmative replies from the others and got back to Shachi as the house grew closer. "You're ready?"
"Let's go!"
Practically at the same time, they both jumped up to inhuman height. They flew during one suspended moment above the dump area covered by moss among which their nakamas were running, waiting for their signal. Then Shachi and Penguin dived towards their aim in a perfect synchronization only acquired through practicing this move countless times. They landed right on the building which trembled under the power of their combines kicks and started to collapse.
Shachi crouched down in his landing and used his spring to propel himself after their nakamas. He was already behind the building when he noticed two things, the house hadn't entirely fallen down and Penguin wasn't by his side anymore.
"Run! I'll catch up with you!" Shachi heard him yelled from the other side and it made the ginger got truly angry. He hadn't enough time to get through the ruins, but he trusted Penguin to get out of this unscathed, he was sufficiently clever for that. It didn't prevent Shachi to worry while he kept running though.
.
Penguin glanced back already seeing the shock of blond hair of their pursuer. Quickly, he took down the rest of the house, kicking in the structure and breaking the building down, leaving nothing but a high pile of stone, wood and a few half destroyed walls.
Short of breath, he hid in the middle of the ruins, careful to not make a single move that could perturbed the dust blowing all around him. Penguin watched under his peak as the masked man was almost at his level. He waited for his moment, ready to jump out of hideout and couldn't help a sly grin when the Kid's pirate started to pass the debris as if it was only a small relief on his path.
It was right at the last moment that Killer sensed an incoming attack on his side. On the top of the ruins, someone had come from the fragments and launched a powerful kick in his legs. The blonde solely owed his dodge to his instincts. But even if he had avoided the attack by a hair's breadth, he had been stopped in his tracks and forced to go back.
The masked man made a backward loop in the air to avoid getting kick out. He plunged down the pile of stones but wasn't balanced enough to land on his feet, so he slid to the bottom, crouched on the ground. He hammered one of his blades in the earth to stop his slide, leaving a deep cut on the way he came.
Killer lifted his head to his assailant up on the stones and picked himself up, almost growling like a wild animal. The hatted man stood his ground and took a defensive posture, his feet slightly apart and firmly stuck on the rocks, his left fist raised up beside his face, the other clenched at his waist's level.
"Wanna fight Iron head?" He yelled, "I'm all yours!"