06/01/13 UPDATE

*Chapters are currently being edited

Dear readers,

I'm so sorry that I haven't posted new chapters in ages. Things in my life have just been a lot busier. However, I have too many ideas for it to just abandon it. The story will go on, I just can't announce a deadline, and for that, I'm sorry.

If you're a new reader, don't be afraid to leave a review or message me if you're curious about anything. I appreciate each and every one of your comments about my writing.

~Swaben

A Black Tie Event

Not many men escape death only to read about it later. Kuro recalled the first time clearly: his execution was glamorized by the news, the deaths culminating to it covered up by what the media called a "coinciding incident". Morgan's incompetence in that he was the instigator of nearly one hundred deaths of his own men would not have been looked upon kindly by the public. In fact, it would horrify them—that Marine was both a hero and a villain, both an invincible savior and a coward simply for being the strongest to survive while his peers were bleeding out. Kuro was one of the few privy to the truth of that night.

The Government was a precarious organization, one he never exactly knew much about, but some things were certain: much like himself, they were always hiding something, and always trying to bury the skeletons in their closet out of any perceivable view.

Author's Note

About:

Oda left plenty to wonder as to what actually became of Kuro, so I got the idea to write about a journey with an unlikely focal character. I wanted to write something about a villain. I've always thought of him as an oddball for One Piece because of how heavy his personality was. This will also gleam into the lives of other characters along the way, but mainly through his observations. This is set after Luffy defeats Crocodile, around three months after Kuro's defeat.

Etc.:

This story mixes canon and non-canon elements and characters. There are original characters that play some significant roles, each with their own lives and goals that cross paths with his and have different levels of importance in the plot. The One Piece world is pretty gigantic!

Thanks for reading!