Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to One Piece. I own only some of the OC's in this fan-fiction, and any place I make up.
Italic – Someone thinking
Italic and Underline – A flashback or Location shift
Bold and Italic – Terms that will be explained
Bold, Italic, and Underline – Journal entry, Bounties, Author notes, or Chapter
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Chapter 4: Duel on Drum Island - The Beginning of Shidyk D. Shade!
Excerpt from Isaac's Journal, Date being August 6th…
Things have been going pretty smoothly since we left Dolmarear and Jin-chan took Paikea with her to Kyuka Island. Truth be told, Shade seems to be missing Paikea and, even though I know that Jin-chan can take care of her, I'll be glad for her to be back by our side. I know I shouldn't be so attached to her, but she reminds me of Sage. In any case, we've made it to Drum Island in less time that I thought it would take us, and so now we see what exactly will happen...
"For the last time, Shade! Wear the damn coat!"
"No! You can't make me!"
It had been like this for a while, ever since Isaac and Shade had landed on Drum Island. Shade had this issue with shirts that the two usually ignored until it came to places like Drum Island. So here they were, acting like a mother and her spoiled child as Shade tried to avoid the winter coat that Isaac was trying to force on him. Isaac knew wearing shirts or coats made Shade uncomfortable, but frostbite was even more uncomfortable. And Shade was extremely annoying when he was sick.
"You are wearing this coat and that's final!" Isaac snapped, finally cornering his friend.
Shade knew that if he was going to get to explore the island, it would have to be while he wore the coat. The problem was that if he did wear the coat, he would end up having one serious rash all over his upper body. It was something that Isaac knew, of course, but he figured a rash was better than serious frostbite.
Shade would take the frostbite any day, but not today. He sighed as he held his arms in defeat, "Alright, fine. I'll wear the stupid coat."
After finally docking the ship, both assassins made their way through the snow covered forest as the wind picked up. A few miles of trekking and they made it to a town called Bighorn and were able to locate a bar where they went to work at eating all of the available wares that the place held. Isaac wondered a little more about Paikea, hoping that Jinko was keeping her safe when he noticed his friend stop mid-bite from eating one of the many meat racks that he had ordered.
"What's up, Shade?"
"Nothing. It's fine."
Shade didn't know how to describe it. He felt a strange vibe in the air, as if someone had been calling out to him. He knew Isaac would ask too many questions, questions he wasn't sure he could answer, and decided it was best not to say anything.
After gulping down the last of the meat racks, Shade held out the plate to the barkeep, "More?"
The owner stood there in silence for a moment before he exploded, "THAT'S THE 50TH PLATE YOU'VE HAD!"
Shade shrugged, "So? I want more, come on, man, I'm starving."
The owner looked at him for a while before he sighed and took the plate, "Yeah, yeah…hang on."
Isaac held out his own plate and the barkeep sighed as he went to fill the two orders. Shade glanced at his friend, and saw Isaac looking at the bracelet that Sage had left him. He had been staring at the bracelet almost regularly since Paikea showed up. Shade was getting worried for his friend. He opened his mouth to suggest that, maybe, it would be best for Isaac to stay with Jinko while he returned Paikea home by himself. However, Shade's priorities decided to take five as their plates returned with more hot, steaming food.
As both assassins returned to their meals, they noted three new arrivals when the doors of the bar opened again. The two girls had ears and tails of animals, a cat and a fox respectively, and Shade wondered if the two were part of a travelling show. What got Shade's attention, though, was their companion: a young man with messy black hair and a large stone axe on his back.
The words of the strangers back in Whiskey Peak returned, and Shade wondered if this was the same captain that the two had mentioned. It seems that Isaac also caught on to this and looked at his partner to see if the storm-haired man would do something. Isaac spotted a small signal from Shade's hand, telling him not to act just yet. Neither of them knew if this was the same person those two in Whiskey Peak spoke of, so there was no need to question him without at least seeing what the kid would do.
Said kid took one look at them and nearly went white upon seeing the two assassins. A normal reaction. Shade and Isaac were famous, after all, and their reputation tended to scare off most people the moment they announced themselves. That was when Shade heard the fox-girl ask the kid about him from the reaction he just gave them. The dark-haired kid, at first, didn't say a thing until both caught him pointing at Shade, "That guy…"
The cat-girl was curious, as she plopped down beside the kid, "Uh-huh, what about him?"
The kid kept pointing at Shade, "That man…is the most famous Zoan-user molester in the Grand Line!"
Shade choked the moment he heard the outburst while Isaac spat from the drink he was having as both girls screamed and ran off. It took Shade a good swing of the beer to stop choking whereas Isaac was trying hard not to laugh at his friend's expense. The kid got back up and shrugged, "Sorry, pal, but they were annoying me. You okay?"
Shade glared daggers at the kid as he regained his composure and growled, "Fine…you couldn't have thought of a better way to get rid of them?"
The kid merely shrugged again as he took one of Shade's meat racks, "Yeah, but I didn't feel like scarring them for life."
Isaac looked at the stranger with the same look he gave Shade when he said something stupid, "Didn't you just do that?"
"To a smaller degree, I think. No hard feelings about my sanity being safe at your expense?" the kid asked, tossing the piece of meat into his mouth.
Shade didn't say anything, but Isaac knew that his friend would be paying the kid back for this. Then again, Isaac had needed a good laugh. Maybe the kid wasn't so bad.
With Jinko and Paikea; Kyuka Island...
Jinko stretched leisurely in her sun-lounger enjoying the refreshing breeze as she wondered how Shade and Isaac were doing. Jinko had decided to take Paikea to Kyuka Island. It was a well-known vacation spot, built around a giant tree, and offered many activities for tourists from shopping to the famous swimming pools. Granted, ever since she ate her Devil Fruit, Jinko couldn't swim but it was nice to be able to relax and not have to worry about anything in particular as she enjoyed her small vacation with Paikea.
Jinko watched the young Shandian as she played with other kids in the pool. She was glad that Paikea had been able to make friends. The girl had been nervous from the moment they arrived. Thankfully, after a shopping trip to find new swimsuits and sampling the local cuisine at lunch, Paikea had settled down and was having the time of her life.
A waiter came to her side and placed a drink she had ordered on the small table that was beside the sun-lounger and asked politely, "Is everything to your liking, Madame?"
Jinko grinned as she took her drink and gave the man a tip, "Perfectly."
The waiter bowed and left as Jinko sipped her drink in peace, until she noticed Paikea coming back to her. She set her drink down and handed the girl a towel. Paikea's brow was furrowed in deep thought.
"Is something wrong, Paikea-chan?"
"No, it was fun...but..." She looked up at Jinko, who nodded encouragingly, and continued, "I wanted to ask you something."
"And that would be?" Jinko urged, helping Paikea dry off her wings.
Paikea took a deep breath and looked quite serious, "Can you tell me a bit about aniki's past?"
Jinko was confused at who "aniki" was. Paikea, upon seeing Jinko's confused expression, clarified that she meant Shade. Jinko nodded, "Why the sudden interest?"
Paikea looked down to her feet and shuffled them a bit, "Well…it's just…they're really being nice to me and I don't know them at all…so I thought if I did…maybe I could understand why they're helping me so much…"
Jinko sighed at Paikea's earnest eyes and gestured for her to sit down. She didn't start talking until Paikea had something to drink. She wondered if Shade would have considered it an invasion of privacy. She knew Isaac would have, and maybe that was why Paikea didn't ask about him. Isaac didn't like others going around telling people about him. Though, Paikea did have a right to know about her saviors.
"Well, we'll start with Shade's story, and I can try to give you a few details about Isaac, okay?"
Paikea nodded as Jinko began, "Shade-kun arrived at the Guild sometime after I did. He had been brought in by one of the Masters of the Guild and was to be his protégé-"
"What's a protégé?"
"It means someone who will take up after whatever art one is good at. A successor."
Paikea's mouth made a small "o" as she understood the word while Jinko continued, "I don't know all of the details, but I do remember some of what he said to the people that became his closest friends."
With Shade and Isaac; Drum Island…
Isaac watched from a safe distance as Shade and the kid from the bar, Axe, stood before one another and prepared to duke it out. After having eaten their fill, Shade and Isaac had decided to leave the bar and see what they could dig up in Drum Island while their Log Pose settled. It had not been more than ten minutes, on their way towards the next town that Shade had managed to dodge a flying tomahawk and was challenged by the kid from the bar.
At first, Isaac had wanted Shade to avoid the fight, but Axe had not helped in the matter and attacked Shade using something he called Rokushiki. Isaac had seen such power before, but didn't know the name. Shade, having sparred with Isaac before, managed to block and avoid all of Axe's attacks, but what had been a surprise was the fact that although Axe knew how to use Rokushiki, he claimed he wasn't part of the World Government. Now, both fighters were facing off again, and Isaac had decided to see how long it would take for Axe to realize Shade was far beyond his level.
Axe seemed confused for a moment before he murmured out loud, "You…have the same eyes as me…"
Shade blinked, "No, we don't."
"I'm not talking about the color!"
"Then what are you talking about?"
"Your eyes…you've seen tragedy, and you've experienced much pain…"
Isaac was surprised at how observant Axe was, as not a lot of people could see past Shade's personality and his antics. The boy was special and he could now see why Shade had asked his friend not to interfere in the fight. Of course, no matter how special Axe was, Isaac knew that there was no way Shade would lose to some rookie in a physical battle.
While Axe focused on a memory, Shade snorted as he took a boxing stand and charged, "Herculean Boxing!"
The young captain was snapped from his daydream, but it was too late as Shade's fists connected in a flurry of punches. Isaac had seen Shade fight, and while his friend was horrible at stealth and quiet-killing, he made up for it in raw strength. The youth didn't stand a chance as he was sent flying back before he skidded on the snow and came to a halt while Shade regained his breath.
Isaac leaned on the tree he was next to and shook his head before he called to Axe, "You should keep your mind in the battle and not let it wander! Shade will kill you if you don't pay attention!"
This was a bluff. Shade wouldn't have killed the kid for challenging him to a fight, but Isaac didn't think it was right to let the kid get beat up anymore than necessary. Shade gave him a look, making it very clear that he didn't appreciate the bluff. Isaac wanted the fight to end soon. The more into a fight Shade got, the more likely it was that his Devil Fruit would go off, and if that happened, things would get very ugly very fast.
Axe got ready to charge again, but Shade was a step ahead as he unleashed another bout of Herculean Boxing on him. This time, Axe had a hard time getting back up. Isaac guessed the damage from two consecutive flurries of strikes had finally taken their toll on Axe's body. Shade took the opportunity to grab Axe before he removed his own coat and used it to tie Axe up on a low hanging branch like a punching bag. Isaac knew what was coming but decided that Axe needed to learn from his mistakes.
Shade cracked his knuckles slightly as he addressed Axe, "Now that I've gotten your attention, how's about I ask you a few questions? First off, if you're not part of the World Government, how the hell do you know Rokushiki?"
Despite being hung up like laundry, Axe smirked, "If you must know, I learned it from a wanted man."
Shade frowned as he looked at Isaac, whom merely shrugged, before the assassin returned his attention to Axe, "Go on…"
"Make me."
"Suit yourself, kid."
Shade began to pound Axe like a punching bag, only letting up every few minutes to see if Axe would cooperate with him and answer. Isaac sighed and knew this would take a while. The kid was far more stubborn than he let on.
After twenty minutes of punishment, Axe's face looked as if someone had decided to turn him into a balloon from all the swelling the strikes had caused. Shade was getting ready to sock him one more time when Axe shouted, "ALRIGHT!"
Shade smirked as he broke the branch and let Axe fall on the snow, "Good boy."
Axe groaned on the ground as the storm-haired man kneeled beside him, "Now…who taught you Rokushiki, and why on earth did you even think of challenging me to a fight? I'm a complete stranger to you, you don't know anything about me, and yet you want to try and kick my ass?"
Isaac silently admitted that Shade had a point, and he too wondered why someone like Axe would go after someone like Shade. Unfortunately, due to the pain he had suffered, all both assassins got for an answer was mumbling and gasping. Shade decided that he wasn't going to take more of this, and frowning, grabbed Axe by the hair to look him in the eye, "Hey, speak up!"
Isaac was about to tell Shade to give him a few more minutes when he was surprised to see Axe grinning as he held a strange conch and stated, "Gotcha." Shade didn't get a chance to form a sentence as Axe shouted, "Flash Dial!"
Shade wailed as the conch let out a blinding light and let go of Axe, swearing as he tried to restore his sight. Isaac, who had been able to react faster than his friend, began to unfurl his whip, but didn't get a chance to help out as Axe's arms turned stone-like and he let Shade have it.
"Kachi Kachi no Bazooka!"
Isaac watched as Shade was sent flying, right into a small grove of trees, knocking a few to the ground on impact. He had never guessed some rookie would've been capable of sending Shade flying like that, and knew that there was going to be trouble now.
Shade for his part, had gone from annoyed to furious as he got up and removed the trees that had landed on him. His anger fueled his Devil Fruit and the black flame reacted to his will as it form a long sword of black fire. It was only a few seconds, but Isaac watched as Shade struck Axe with Thamuz, and while Isaac was glad to see that Axe was still alive despite the sword being made out of that unholy flame, Shade had cut Axe in a way that had ended the fight.
The moment Shade regained his senses; however, Isaac had to act as Shade yelped when he realized that he was holding Thamuz in his hands again. The blade began to flicker and shift as Shade lost focus. Isaac dashed over, grabbing Shade's hands and canceling out his Devil Fruit. After a moment, Shade regained his composure and sighed as he looked at his friend, "I did it again, huh?"
"Yes…I'm just glad that we managed to keep it from going wild," he sighed. He didn't bother adding that it would have been disastrous if it had.
Both began to make their way back to Bighorn when they heard Axe shout at Shade, "Where ya going...? I'm not finished with you yet!"
"Yes, you are," Shade shot back calmly, not stopping for an instant.
Isaac was impressed his friend was keeping such a calm act up after calling his Devil Fruit out, but had to agree with Shade. The wound wasn't quite bad, but it was enough to keep anyone in bed for a long time if they pushed it. He turned to see if Axe was taking the advice, but was mildly shocked to see Axe standing as the blood poured from the wound. Isaac stopped, which made Shade sigh in annoyance as he turned around and faced the youth, "You're pushing it, kid. That wound's not deathly serious, but if you don't get it fixed up, you're going to have one hell of a time recovering from it-"
"Get back here!" Axe shouted, taking a wobbly step towards them.
Shade scratched the back of his head, "Why? Why is it you keep wanting to take me on, kid? What is so damn important about this, you got a death wish?"
What Axe mumbled next caught both by surprise as he gripped the stone axe, "In a way, I do...but I can't go just yet, I have a great sin to repent for. What drives me, Shidyk D. Shade, is probably drives all us D's through their life."
Shade was surprised to hear the proclamation but had something else stuck in his mind that he needed to clarify first, "You're a D?"
Axe nodded before Shade began to laugh hard, "D. Axe? That's got to be one of the weirdest names I've ever heard in my life!"
"Oh yeah, D. Shade?"
"Ah, touché."
With Jinko and Paikea; Kyuka Island Resort Hotel; poolside…
Jinko sipped her drink as she let her thoughts wander towards the sky and remembered what she had been told about Shade. Paikea watched her intently. It was actually very amusing. The little girl was staring at her as if this story would explain every question she could ever have about anything.
"Shade's full name is Shidyk D. Shade, and he was born on an island called Litho to a family of miners. Ever since he was small, Shade was rather unique among the children of the island for his strength and appearance. The children's parents warned them never to get near him and I think that hurt Shade a lot because all he really wanted was a friend."
She could almost see a young Shade, watching the children run away as he approached, hearing their parents telling them off for being so close, or shouting at Shade to stay away from them. She always felt sorry for him when she recalled Shade's past, and wondered for a bit if he had ever really had friends back at his home.
She sighed as she went on, "The only people Shade could ever count on for any kindness was his family: his parents and his baby sister, Chou. Those three gave him all the love they could provide and more. He admired his father very much, and was always looking to help his mother and sister in his free-time. However, his father died trying to save some other miners during a cave-in."
Paikea looked worried, but didn't say anything, so Jinko continued, "The worst came after his father passed away and an evil man came to his island. The rulers of the world, the Five Elder Stars, decided to get rid of the evil man and send one of their strongest warriors after him. In the end, though, something happened to the island, and the evil man got away."
"What happened to the island?"
Jinko shook her head. "I don't know," she answered, "He was never specific about what happened. He told me once that "Litho is gone," but I don't see how he could have meant that literally. I imagine, perhaps, that the island became uninhabitable after the battle between the evil man and that warrior. Shade is the only person left from Litho, as far as I know."
Paikea gasped in amazement at the idea of someone surviving something that could have erased an island. She started to ask questions. Who was the evil man? Who was the warrior? How did Shade survive? What about his mother and sister? Did they vanish with the island?
"I don't know if I can answer all of those questions for you yet," Jinko replied, "Shade still carries a lot of burden with him because of what happened. Thinking about it causes him too much pain. I don't think he'll be able to accept it until he finds that evil man and kills him."
With Shade and Isaac; Drum Island; Bighorn Village…
"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO OUR CAPTAIN?!"
Dusty gawked at what she saw. Axe was laying quietly on a large bed, a thick, blood stained bandage wrapped around his torso. She turned to Shade and Isaac, both sitting on comfortable chairs, the former with one of his legs over his knee and hands behind his head while the latter read a book quietly.
Shade opened one of his eyes and shrugged at her, "We just had a little skirmish and I guess he couldn't take it. No biggie, he'll survive. Wake up with one hell of a sore spot but he'll survive."
Isaac snorted at his partner's comment, "We should be grateful that your Devil Fruit didn't go wild when you snapped out of it, though."
Shade glared at his partner but closed his eyes and commented at Dusty, "I think the last thing he needs is to have a furry brat wake him up."
"Brat!?"
Dusty stomped over to him and leaned in, "If I weren't afraid that you'd live up to your title and try to molest a Zoan user, meaning me, I'd whoop your ass!"
"You have got to be the most gullible person…you do realize that he was joking, right?"
Dusty blinked as realization hit. "He's so getting an ass-whooping when we get back to the ship…" she growled, shaking her fist at her unconscious captain.
Isaac chuckled while Shade continued to defend the young captain, "You do that, but first, why don't you let him rest? Go play in the snow or something."
Dusty flipped Shade off as she stormed outside, making Isaac laugh a little at his friend's expense and the girl's courage. Shade didn't bother glaring at his friend as it would just have made Isaac's day. The storm-haired young man wondered why he hadn't finished what he started, why he had let Axe off as easily as he had. Perhaps it was because he didn't want Drum to be erased by his lack of control when it came to his Devil Fruit? Or maybe it was because Axe had said something rather interesting in their fight, how their eyes were the same.
Regardless of the reason, Shade had taken a liking to Axe and he would let him off to see what he would do once he was fully healed and back on track to find the late Pirate King's treasure.
"…Kairi…"
Both assassins looked towards the bedridden captain, and realized after a moment, that Axe was talking in his sleep. Shade went over to check on him, listening as Axe grunted and mumbled on through his sleep. He didn't notice Aro and Dusty come back inside until Aro said, "Man, he looks rough, what's wrong with him?"
"He's having a nightmare…by the looks of it, a real bad one," Isaac said, coming over and touching Axe's forehead.
"He probably got a fever from that wound…we'll need to get him to a doctor…" Shade mused. Isaac nodded in agreement.
Dusty snorted at the idea and shook her head, "Yeah, go all the way up the damn mountain…Ain't gonna happen. I don't think any of us are gonna get there, least not in a short amount of time."
Aro walked away from the group and began to forage the room, "He doesn't need one. Someone get me an ice-pack."
Shade looked at the cat-girl, "Why?"
"If we can bring the fever down, he'll be fine," she explained before she murmured under her breath, "I dunno what's going on in his head, but that nightmare…I don't even wanna know what he's dreaming of right now."
While the assassins helped Aro look for an ice-pack, Dusty looked outside and turned to the others with worry written in her face, "Well, we got another problem…"
"I told you, fox, I'm not a-"
Dusty quickly waved off the shirtless man. "Not talking about you, you egotistical dork. Vivi and Usopp left to someplace called Cocoaweed," she sighed, "First Straw Hat, now these two…"
That caught Shade's attention as he focused on the fox girl, "Straw Hat Luffy? Are you two traveling with him?"
"Yep…he's our captain and both our crews are heading for-" Dusty started, ears dropping, before she was cut off by Aro.
"Dusty, hush."
While Isaac finished setting the now filled ice-pack on Axe's head, he could see the cogs in Shade's head turning as he processed the information he had been given. Even Isaac was interested now, but he knew that he needed to keep Shade on track so that they could meet Jinko and Paikea again. He hoped that both were doing okay as the four took a look outside at the sound of someone laughing loudly.
With Jinko and Paikea; Kyuka Island...
Jinko and Paikea enjoyed their dinner as the sun began to set, and Jinko continued telling Paikea about Shade. "After he survived the destruction of Litho, Shade went out to sea to search for a way to get stronger and met up with one of the Assassin's Guild's Masters, "Bronze Bullet" Charlie. Charlie-sensei was…odd. He was an amazing warrior but everyone couldn't help but wonder what went through his mind at times."
"So, he was crazy?" Paikea asked, "Why did Shade-aniki choose him as a master?"
Jinko smiled a bit, "Even if Master Charlie was crazy, he was still one of the greatest warriors to ever exist. He could hit a target nearly an island away without ever missing a mark. He was also very kind deep down and didn't kill for no reason, something he taught Shade about assassination."
Paikea try to imagine such a man who would teach Shade how to fight while being such a strange fellow. It was hard, but she managed to get the idea of a wild man of some sort while Jinko sipped her drink and went on. "When he passed away, Shade was left without a Master to follow but because he didn't have one, he ended up meeting Isaac in the Infirmary many times. I went there to feed Isaac since it seemed he would only eat anything I made."
Paikea opened her mouth to ask why Isaac was in the infirmary, but Jinko cut her off, "Isaac was very sick when he met Shade. It's not something he would want me to talk about."
"Anyway, a few months after that, Shade acquired a new master, a retired Master named Felonious Shrodinger. He was Isaac's grandfather and had taught Master Charlie. Though, um, many people think Master Shrodinger's training is what made Master Charlie so crazy...Anyway! He was able to provide most of Shade's training and was the father figure Shade needed to finally realize how much he should care about the future than the past," She shook her, "Of course, that was after Shade went after the Five Elder Stars and ended up fighting not only the three Admirals but the Fleet Admiral and a Vice-Admiral."
Paikea looked confused, and so Jinko explained, "Think of them as the strongest warriors in the entire world, so strong that even the strongest man in the world would have a hard time fighting them."
Paikea gasped as her imagination showed many great monsters defending five men while Shade fought them bare-handed. She had starry eyes as she exclaimed, "And he was able to survive too!?"
Jinko laughed a little at the girl's excitement, "Yes, but the fight didn't last long and he did get captured. He would have been executed if Isaac and I hadn't shown up with another friend of ours."
Paikea, of course, was already in the world where Shade was a superhero and Jinko was left to laugh at the younger girl's expression.
With Shade and Isaac; Drum Island; Bighorn...
"Are...are we dead?"
"I dunno..."
"If I am, then I'm in Hell."
"Why?"
"Because you two are here."
"HEY!"
"Shade, just get us out already."
In Bighorn Village, which was completely covered by the avalanche, a large mound of snow was being pushed upward, then collapsed inward. Dusty, Aro, Isaac and Shade poked their heads out of the white and looked at the town.
"Whoa..." Dusty breathed, "Heavy duty, man..." she slapped Shade on the shoulder, "Thanks for savin' our asses."
Shade rolled his eyes while Isaac climbed out of the snow and began to help the girls. Despite Isaac's warning, Shade barely managed to use his Devil Fruit to create a dome of black fire which had prevented the avalanche from crushing them along with most of the town. Isaac had then neutralized the fire once it was clear that the avalanche was over before he calmed Shade down from his shock. The blonde was rather proud of his partner for acting and not letting his fear of his Devil Fruit cloud his judgment in order to save the four from the ensuing natural disaster.
Isaac's thoughts got interrupted as Aro looked around at the buried village with concern, "Uh…guys…where's Axe?"
After several minutes of digging, Axe was found having saved the life of Dalton, the former captain of the guard for the former king. After the doctors that the former king had taken with him fixed both of them, it was decided that the group needed to stop this former king, and so a small group headed upwards to the castle atop the mountain. Shade and Isaac had stayed behind to help out around Bighorn.
The group was surprised to learn that Straw Hat and the Axe-Head's doctor had taken care of the issues and all ships were free to move on to Alabasta as planned.
That late afternoon, Shade and Isaac were sitting with Axe as the rest of the people of Bighorn began to take out the cannons and the two pirate crews got ready to get going. Shade, however, wanted to clear something up before he and Isaac also made tracks for the next island, "Kid…"
"What?" Axe asked.
"You said that we had the same eyes. Eyes that had seen suffering and pain."
"Yeah?"
"What happened to you?"
"Do I ask you how come you're the way you are!?" the young captain snapped, glaring at Shade.
Isaac decided to intervene before it got ugly, "Now, now. Let's calm down. I'm sorry if Shade touched a nerve, he can be pretty insensitive."
Shade glared at his friend but let it drop since it was usually Isaac that could get people to stay cool under pressure. Then again, Isaac could overreact over the strangest things, so it was hard to tell at times how he could be so calm. Thankfully, Isaac did the trick and Axe sighed loudly while he held his head, "I know, and I'm sorry. It's just…that I got so much on my mind right now…"
Shade followed his gaze and took a look at Axe's crew before grinning a bit. From the small boy and the girls, to the penguin, swordsman, and lobster Fish-man, he had to admit that it was perhaps the strangest crew of pirates he had ever had the chance of meeting. He leaned a bit on the wall and chuckled, "You have a very interesting set of friends."
Isaac nodded as Axe answered, "I know…I just hope I can keep them safe."
"Safe? From who…?" Isaac asked.
"Traitors," Axe spat, "Gotta keep them safe until they're strong enough to take them down…but first, we gotta take care of Straw Hat and Vivi."
"You're going to try and take down Monkey D. Luffy?"
Axe shook his head as one of his crewmates, Niri, brought him some hot chocolate and sipped, "Not now, not right away. I gotta help him and his crew get Vivi to Alabasta."
Shade tilted his head to the side as he tried to get what Axe was getting to, "Alabasta? I'm a little confused…"
Axe tightened his coat and went on, "Vivi is the Princess of Alabasta, heir to the royal throne. She, Luffy and some of his crew, as well as some of mine, are in danger."
"Danger of what?" Isaac asked.
"Of a crime syndicate known as Baroque Works. A large organization who wants to destroy and take over Alabasta by causing the citizens of the nation to rise up against their King. After that is accomplished, he will take over."
"He?" Shade asked.
"Sir Crocodile."
"The Shichibukai, Sir Crocodile?"
"The very same…our crew learned the secret of Baroque Works and their leader through Vivi, and in doing so, they became marked on his Death List," Axe went on before he finished the rest of his drink, "So, we can hardly trust anyone as we go on."
"But you're telling us…so does that mean you trust us?"
Axe nodded, "Yep."
Shade gave a sly grin as he looked at the young captain in the eye. "How come? We could very well be a part of Baroque Works…We could be working for them right now, while you're telling us all of this. What makes you think we can be trusted enough to be told all this?"
Axe cracked his neck before he began to count off with his hand, "Well, first of all, you're an assassin, not a guy who would follow a Shichibukai's orders. Second, with your bounty, you two would be the heads of Baroque Works instead of Crocodile…"
Isaac chuckled, "Is that all?"
"No," Axe rubbed his hands and smiled bit at both assassins as he returned Shade's glance, "You spared me in our fight. If you really wanted to kill us, you would've done so when you first left the bar. With your power, you could've wiped us out by now."
Both assassins laughed as Shade slapped Axe's back, "You have an interesting way of thinking, Axe."
"Got to think outside the box to survive here and there in this cruel world, Shade..."
The three stood quiet for a while before Shade decided to add, "We're heading for Alabasta as well."
Axe looked curiously at the two and asked, "Why? You gonna help us?"
Shade snorted, "As if I waste my time with weaklings!" When he caught sight of his partner's glare, he decided to tone things down and cleared his throat, "There is someone there I have to fight, someone who messed up my past…Maybe you've heard of him."
"Depends," Axe answered with a shrug, "What's his name?"
Shade looked Isaac, who gave him a nod, before he told the young captain, "His name…is Black Crow, the Revolutionary."
Axe's mug suddenly shattered as he closed his fist and would've shouted if Isaac didn't quickly cover his mouth so that it became muffled. After a few minutes, Isaac let go and Axe began his rant, "Why the hell are you after a guy like that!? He's destroyed seven kingdoms!"
Shade grinned madly as his left arm twitched, "Let's just say, it's payback for something he did."
With Jinko and Paikea; Kyuka Island; hotel room…
Jinko and Paikea finished packing up their things as they prepared to leave the hotel in the morning. It had been fun, but by Jinko's reckoning, Shade and Isaac would be done and headed to Alabasta tomorrow morning. It didn't help that she had caught site of a few Marines here and there, and she didn't want to tempt fate and get captured. She decided to spend the time telling the young Shandian stories of Shade and Isaac when both of them were still in the Guild.
"Then there was the time that Shade became one of the Kings of Death," she mused, "That was a day I don't think any of us would really forget."
Paikea looked a bit scared. "Kings of Death?"
"It's a title, Paikea-chan. It means that Shade is one of the strongest members of the Guild and that he is capable of doing jobs people like me aren't allowed to do."
Paikea had the same awestruck look in her face when Jinko had told her about Shade's exploits. "Does that mean Isaac's just as strong?"
Jinko smiled, "Actually, Isaac was asked to be a King of Death, but he passed. The title he was offered was given to Shade instead."
Paikea's awe didn't die but doubled and she began to wonder if she could one day be strong enough for such a title. Jinko, for her part, continued to pack while some of the darker parts of her story that she left off came into her mind. She shook her head as she tried to shake them off, not wanting to remember exactly what her relation to Isaac was. She didn't want to recall how she was also used as a way to keep an eye on both Shade and Isaac by her own Grandfather. She didn't want to tell anyone exactly what her role now was, especially this young girl who had now become her friend.
With Shade and Isaac; Drum Island waters…
Shade and Isaac watched as the strange rose colored cloud covered the land in pink snow, making it look as though cherry blossom petals were scattering all around. Both found the sight rather amazing but knew that their journey was about to get rough as they headed towards Alabasta and the man responsible for Shade's misfortune.
Shade found himself at the helm with one thought, that he spoke aloud, "Ready or not, Black Crow, get ready to be beaten by one of the world's greatest assassins!"
END OF CHAPTER 4
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Translations and Explanations Section:
Okay this is where I tell you a little bit more about the terms I used for my fan-fiction. They may or may not be perfect, so please comment if I had done some sort of error. This is also where you'll find out more about the next chapter.
Rokushiki – Rokushiki are special skills that are known only to the members of CP9 under extreme training of the body. Axe is one of the few pirates/criminals in the world who also use this art.
Herculean Boxing – Shade unleashes a flurry of punches at his victim. While it is nothing special, due to his strength, Shade's attack is far more dangerous.
Flash Dial – Works in the same way as a Lamp Dial, however unlike the Lamp Dial it produces light in a quick and bright flash. In battle it can be used to blind someone for a brief moment of time, allowing the user to strike their foe when they are recuperating. This is one of the few Dials that can make Shidyk solid to strike.
Kachi Kachi no Bazooka – Axe transforms his entire arm into a solid stone formation and rams it at his opponent or building, full force.
Thamuz – Shade creates a sword made out of his Devil Fruit's flame. It is a powerful weapon and Shade can either use it as one sword or split it in two. Thamuz happens to be the name of a fictional Demon, whose name in turn is derive from a god known as Tammuz.
Five Elder Stars – Theyare the heads of the World Government, and as such, they essentially rule the entire world. They are the five men who rule above the Marines, Cipher Pol, and the ones who made a pact with the Shichibukai.
Litho – Shidyk's birthplace.
God's Judgment – Also known as "El Thor" mostly used to punish "infidels", Eneru focuses a large cluster of electricity above his target, then uses it to send a huge lightning bolt crashing down from the sky, deep frying said unlucky target. He can also use this attack to launch a massive thunder stream from his hand.
"Bronze Bullet" Charlie – A master assassin and marksman. The oddest of the Masters that controlled the Assassin's Guild during Shade's time and Shade's Master. He wore his clothes backwards and said the most random things no matter what the situation. Despite this, he was both a good assassin and a caring man who taught Shade to only kill for a reason that did not involve pleasure. He died from a heart attack.
Black Crow – A revolutionary of powerful and intimidating dispute. He is shrouded in many mysteries but a few things are known about him. He has a bounty of 553 million Belli for the legendary destruction of seven kingdoms in a single week.
Kings of Death – A title earned by the seven strongest assassins in the Assassin's Guild. The names of each king belong to the seven deadly sins and each assassin excels in an aspect of assassination from poison to tactics. The title can only be earned through skill or talent
Shade: On the next Chapter of Legacy of the Assassin!
Jinko: Rayo-kun! What are you doing here?
Rayo: We have a problem.
Merrian: So many criminals, so little time.
Black Crow: All the pieces have finally been gathered.
Paikea: Next time on Legacy of the Assassin! Nanohana Chasing - Several Crossroads Join!
The 4th chapter at last! It took me a while, but I got there. I want to thank kilnorc again for letting me borrow some of the parts with Shidyk. Anyway, with this done, Alabasta is soon to come!
Shidyk D. Shade
