Snarl Of The Red Dog
Their arrival at the Gecko Islands was interrupted by a large number of flags rising over the shrubbery and a terrified voice calling out, claiming he had a force of ten million fighting men. Sakazuki sneered, Zoro unsheathed one of his blades with a scowl, and Nami barely reacted save to choke up on her bo staff. "Really, so you're saying you have several times more than the total possible population of this island hidden somewhere on it that I can't detect?" Sakazuki's scowl didn't change, "Bullshit." Magma began dripping from his hands, melting the sand beneath him.
The voice returned, even more terrified than before, yet not giving up. "I-I t-t-t-the g-g-gr-great c-captain U-U-U-Usopp, l-l-l-leader of t-t-t-ten m-m-million men, shall not a-allow you to step f-foot on this island; for i-it is u-under my protection!"
Sakazuki's scowl deepened as he responded, "Hmph, you're nothing but a cowardly li-" he was cut off when a small metal ball impacted his forehead, melting as it pierced halfway through his head. Nami gaped, gasping at the sheer skill required to make such a shot on a windy day from cover. Sakazuki smirked, "Hmmm, seems you're quite the sniper… Usopp you say? Son of Yasopp? Interesting...Join my crew."
"M-monster… Wha-what! The great captain Usopp, join you?! Ha! As if!" Sakazuki knew it wouldn't be so easy; but he knew what he must do. He could sense the sinister intentions of someone on the island, and the approach of numerous hostiles. He would wait until they attacked, slaughter them, and gain a crewmate in the process.
"Alright, then show us to the best restaurant in this… town." He smirked, figuring he might as well eat and speak while they had time. Perhaps he could enthrall Usopp with tales of his father, increasing the odds he would join.
They reached the restaurant Usopp claimed was the best in the world; they took his word with a few million pounds of salt. Which, incidentally, is what was on their food. Zoro and Nami desperately drank every drop of water they could find while Sakazuki and Usopp chatted over their meals. Sakazuki regaled Usopp with tales of his father, often manipulating the stories in various ways to encourage him to take to the seas; often implying that it was necessary to honor his legacy. While he subtly manipulated the sniper, he kept track of the approaching pirates; until Usopp suddenly ran away upon checking the time, making up a reason he had to leave. Sakazuki frowned, tracking the liar as he fled; before turning to his crew. HIs eye twitched at the sight of them drinking from an aquarium. "Get out of there, you fucking morons!" he barked, growling as he strode forth to physically drag them out of the restaurant; not bothering to pay. "We're going to follow him; see what he's up to."
By the time they reached the hedge wall outside the large manor, Usopp had already snuck in. Sakazuki, still carrying his grumbling crew, leapt over the wall in one bound. He spotted Usopp in a tree, regaling a young woman with tall-tales of adventures he'd never had. He landed as a butler approached ridiculing Usopp, mocking his heritage, and proclaiming him worthless. Sakazuki scowled deeply, barely restraining himself from killing the fool where he stood. "Oi, butler; servants should know their place. Obviously you don't; seeing as you're giving unauthorized orders on behalf of that girl. She clearly wants Usopp here; yet you're ordering him to leave and telling her what to do. Seems to me you may need a reminder on which of you is in charge here, hmm?" Though he appeared calm as he mocked the butler, his crew could see the tension in his shoulders, the way he clenched his fists, and the sharp rise in the temperature around him.
The butler turned with a sneer on his face, adjusting his glasses with his palm. "Oh? More wannabe pirate trash, I presume? And what would you know about duty, let alone that of a butler, hmm?"
Sakazuki grit his teeth, consoling himself with the knowledge that he would kill him later; for he sensed this was the source of the malevolence on the island. "At least I'm proud to be a pirate. Unlike you; who hides behind false pretenses and lies to keep your malevolence hidden. I proudly fly the jolly roger for the world to see; freely showing the world I am a threat. You hide your true colours; but none can hide from haki. I see the evil within you, waiting for just the right time to strike. You may pretend you're a simple, arrogant butler; but I can see the pirate within you. Even as withered and rotted as it is."
The butler's teeth cracked, he grit them so hard. "How dare you! You break in here, accost the heiress, and accuse me of such a heinous crime as piracy! I should call the marines!"
Sakazuki smirked evilly, a cruel gleam in his dark eyes. "Oh, but we both know you won't do that, right? Wouldn't want to expose yourself, now would we?" He casually walked up to the conceited ex-pirate, towering over him as he stared into his eyes. "This island will be your grave, ex-pirate." he spoke at just above a whisper, so only the butler could hear him. He turned to his crew, ignoring the fuming butler as he walked away. "Come on, let's go." his crew followed him, chuckling lightly when he set the hedges on fire to spite the smug cunt of a butler.
Usopp stared at the imposing figures retreating back, nearly falling out of the tree as his words finally registered. "Klahador's a pirate?" he muttered to himself, trying to understand. He stared at the butler, looking for signs of the malevolence Sakazuki spoke of. To his shock he could actually see it; a shadowed malice surrounded the strange man as he walked away.
When they reached the beach their ship was moored at, Zoro locked eyes with his huge captain. "So, are we gonna kill that smug little shit or what?" he was smirking as he asked, a hand on his prized blade Wado Ichimonji, sliding it slightly out of its sheath.
A dark smirk stretched across the magma man's face as he answered, "Of course. But first we're going to make a little deal with Usopp. Regardless of the outcome, that smug cunt's gonna die."
Usopp ran in moments later, gasping for air. "Wh-what were you talking about? Klahador's a pirate?!"
Sakazuki hid his smirk as he turned to the wannabe, "Haki is a wonderful thing. When mastered to a sufficient degree it can allow you to sense one's intentions; and that butler is just dripping with malice." Now he grinned at Usopp, "A pirate ship is approaching, probably associated with this Klahadore. They'll arrive by dawn. We'll defend your town… if you join my crew."
Usopp gasped, "You evil bastard! ...Fine, I'll join. But only if the village never even learns they were in danger."
The Red Dog quirked an eyebrow, "Oh, and why would you want that?"
Usopp grit his teeth, "Because they deserve to think all my lies of pirate invasions were just that: lies. They don't need to live in fear of the next, unlikely attack. Let them keep their blissful delusion of safety as long as they can."
Sakazuki merely nodded, "Alright then, arm yourself; this will also be a test of your capabilities."
At this Usopp grinned, raising a hand. Before their eyes each finger morphed into a gun barrel before the whole hand became a cannon. "I ate the gun-gun fruit. Every part of me is a projectile weapon. My eyes can function like high power scopes and I can fire whatever ammunition I want so long as I have consumed it in the past. Give me an explosive cannonball and I can shoot a barrage of them back." His grin never faded through his explanation, and Sakazuki's kept growing throughout.
"Seems you're an even better catch than I originally thought." He formed a ball of magma in his hand, cooling the outside till it formed a perfect iron ball. "Eat this. It's filled with magma and will detonate on contact; releasing the lava over whatever it hits. We go full lethal on this crew unless otherwise stated. Can you scale the ammunition to the size of your barrel."
The gunman nodded, "Of course; you know how hard it is to find ammo for… of course you don't. Regardless, yes. Yes I can."
They waited for the pirates to arrive, covering the two beachheads with traps to slow their progress at Usopp's insistence. When the pirates arrived they encountered a nasty surprise; Atop the hill stood four figures silhouetted by the rising sun staring down at them. Usopp opened fire immediately, killing dozens of the rabble. Sakazuki destroyed their ship with a blast of magma. Unfortunately for Usopp, there were simply too many pirates for him to kill them all before they reached the top, even with Sakazuki setting fire to the oil slick. Soon the pirates were upon them, attempting to overwhelm them with sheer numbers. Zoro became a whirlwind of sharp and pointy death, leaving a trail of dismembered bodies behind him. Nami focused on defending herself, often tricking the pirates with her looks; not being used to fighting so many opponents she prioritized not getting swarmed. Usopp turned into a massive amount of multi directional guns, firing seemingly at random, yet never missing or hitting an ally. Sakazuki flowed down the hill, mangling everything he touched, killing dozens with whips of lava and meteors fired from his molten form. Before long not a mook remained standing; and Sakazuki set about executing the survivors.
"GRRRRRAAAAAH, YOU INCOMPETENT FOOLS! IF ANY OF YOU WERE STILL ALIVE I WOULD KILL YOU MYSELF!" The crew turned to look at the new arrival, only to see Klahadore standing at the top of the hill, katanas attached to every finger by a set of gloves. He leapt forward, slashing open Usopp's chest with his bladed fingers. Sakazuki scowled angrily, launching a barrage of meteor fists at the fool who dared harm his crew. Somehow the butler managed to dodge every blow, darting forward to slash the huge man who mocked him. The blades shattered on his suddenly shiny black chest. As the 'butler' gaped at his broken claws a giant hand clasped around his throat, searing his flesh from the intense heat of its molten form. His arms were shattered before he was tossed aside rolling to a stop near Usopp's fallen form. The fallen liar groaned as he turned to the battered form of Klahadore. He slowly stood, shaking with effort and pain, to stare down at the fallen captain. "You… You're scum." so saying he leveled two fingers before Klahadore's eyes, turning them into pistols. "Rot… in hell {BANG!}... bastard." He collapsed backwards, saved from hitting the ground by Nami catching him.
Hours later he awoke, wrapped in bandages and lying in a soft bed in the manor. Somehow Kaya had learned of Klahadore's betrayal and the Red Dog's role in safeguarding the village; she had thusly decided to give them her personal ship: the Going Merry.