Chapter Four.

Rear Admiral. Takeshi Lee

Marine Head Quarters

The Great Daho Coast, Grand Line

The Great Ria Coast was a island located far within the Grand Line where very few dared to enter due to the large amount of Pirates that swarmed the area. The island was very large and was well known for their large pirate activity, not even the Marines were to confident in taking the island due to the large pirate activity. Of course the Marines would easily send off their most powerful Officers the Admirals, but that would leave many other key Government islands at risk. So, under requested orders a single Marine war ship waits patiently at a near by atoll waiting for their moment to strike the island. The war ship had yet to be discovered and the crew was on edge as they strongly disliked being this close too an island that was completely inhabited by pirates, while their leader was simply enjoying his early dinner. Their leader was the fierce swordsmen, Takeshi Lee.

The much older Rear Admiral was known for his fierce skills with a bladed weapon, his brilliant tactics, and for his love of alcohol as he could easily drink anyone under the table without feeling a thing. His crew all stood around the upper deck of the ship in silence, the men in the cannon operating rooms kept their eyes peeled at the coast line of the island, and sitting at a small makeshift table on the upper deck was a man well in his fifties enjoying a lobster meal.

The man had black hair that was tainted by old age on the sides, his most eye drawing feature was the eye patch covering his right eye, and the black mustache he had that had strains of white hair that ran through it like a gentle ocean wave, and wrinkles that rested at the corners of his mouth. Under his standard Marine Officer's jacket he wore a collection of clothing. He wore no shoes allowing his bare feet to become hardened by years of walking on the rough terrain, he wore baggy dark blue pants with a black rope like belt that held them up, he wore a white kimono jacket known as the Uwagi, and resting against his chair was a shikomizure sword in a cane like mounting.

"Um... Sir, I think some of the men are being a little uneasy with being this close to the island especially since we are greatly outnumbered," A Master Chief Petty Officer muttered lowly as Takeshi had noticed his men were being a bit uneasy lately even having their brave leader with them at the moment. Takeshi simply locked his lips as he whipped his mouth with a clothe like napkin and took a final sip from his cannon ball sized jug of rum. Standing up he picked up his sword and gently placed the Master Chief Petty Officer at his seat, motioning him to eat his meal for him.

Takeshi was truly an amazing fighter but that was the only way he could join the Marines was by impressing the higher brass with his skills, as there was no way they'd let a unskilled man join the Marines who was mute. Yep, the Rear Admiral didn't have the ability to speak but yet his men were able to read every order he instructed them to do. They had been with him for so long that one hand gesture, or stare was enough to have the whole war ship fire it cannons.

Takeshi then simply looked at a young Seaman Apprentice and tilted his head slightly. The young Marine simply grinned as he gestured towards the edge of the boat, "You're dingy is all set, sir!"

Takeshi grinned happily at how even the newest members of his ship were getting use to his inability to speak. Many other Marines saw this as a major flaw as with his skills he could become an Admiral, but his inability to speak made many higher ranking Marines unsure to promote him to Vice Admiral and then Admiral; yet Takeshi saw it as a blessing. Not being able talk allowed him in some ways to communicate with his men better, he didn't have time to waste in battle with discussing idiotic things, and enemies were afraid when the fearsome Rear Admiral didn't say a single word or even yell out in pain.

Leaping off the war ship he safely landed in a medium sized dingy. The dingy had a single chair in the center along with a engine in the back that ran on a small supply of coal enough to go to the island and back several times. Mounted on top of the engine was a speaker system hooked up to a recording system as Takeshi himself couldn't release the message as to who he is due to him being mute. Sitting down in his comfy chair he threw up a letter to his men and pulling a lever, his dingy started to head towards the island.

"What does it say?" One of the Marines asked curiously.

The Master Chief Petty Officer slowly opened up the letter and began reading it out loud, "There are three docks located on the island in which the pirates can use to escape. I shall give out a warning for all civilians to hide and I'll take out docks one and two, leaving dock three the last remaining one. Dock three is the closest one to your position. In fifteen minutes head towards dock three and intercept any pirates trying to escape, with the other docks destroyed all the pirates will be trapped in that one area. With me on land and you men guarding the sea exit we will have them trapped, have the rum prepared for my return!"

The men all looked at each other and began to laugh, "Fifteen minutes the Rear Admiral sure is gonna take his time with this one!"

The dingy slowly entered the main ria that ran through the island's most populated area, all of the local pirates glaring at it as it had the Marine logo on the side of it. The pirates all look uneasy as that wasn't a logo they were use to seeing around on the island, or in the area. Many of the pirates refused to leave the island in fear of the Marines and were slightly nervous by the sighting of it. Suddenly, the recording system went off!

"Hello pirates and outlaws of all kind! I am the communications officer for Rear Admiral. Takeshi Lee! This recording is a warning for all civilians on the island to take hiding right away as currently there is a high ranking Marine on the island! He currently in working on destroying your docks to prevent any escape! Any pirates that surrender right now will be given a lighter sentence, any that fight back will be taken care of! Good day!"

There was silence...

Then complete chaos!

Pirates all alike started rushing for their weapons and heading to every near by dock. They weren't planning on escaping but fighting back, but once they saw the power that Takeshi had they would of wished that they never stayed behind to fight back.

Dock number one was in ruins as the few pirates that were at the docks watching over their ships were scattered across the area all bleeding out and knocked out cold. Only one ship remained as it had released itself from the dock and was attempting to escape, the few crew members on board firing off their cannons desperately trying to take out Takeshi before he sank their ship.

BOOM!

A cannon went off as a cannon ball flew right at Takeshi who simply grinned and leaped high into the air, swinging his sword he unleashed a vortex of wind and sliced the cannon ball in half. The two halves crashing into the docks below without any damage, but before the crew could fire another one Takeshi began too jump on top of thin air. The pirates were shocked beyond belief, but Takeshi was simply using his skills in the art of Geppo. Leaping high into the air he gently swung his blade through the air and sent a giant vortex like blade at the ship. The crew cried out in horror as their ship was sliced in half, the crew getting sucked into the under pull of the sinking ship.

With dock one gone Takeshi wasted no time and rushed forward, racing through the streets he ran into many pirates who were shocked to see a Rear Admiral just casually running through their streets. Before one of them could attack he was far past them and before they could warn the others, they were cut by the razor sharp blade that he carried. His speed was so blinding that they never even saw him cut them, the streets were filled with dead and dying pirates who never even stood a chance.

"Here he comes!" A Pirate cried out as his crew were standing within the island's market center all of him men with their guns aimed at the street he was racing down. The pirates all nervously held their guns as they waited for their Captain to order them to open fire, but the Captain never spoke out as he had been take out by a lightening quick slice of Takeshi's blade. The blade like wind cutting his throat open before he could even give out the order, his crew never even noticing as he hit the ground without a sound. By the time they noticed Takeshi had simply sliced the barrels of their guns off and was continuing his journey to dock number two.

"Who is this guy!"

"I heard he took out dock one!"

"We gotta get out of here!"

"Hold your fire until you see him!" The dock owner called out as he himself was a former pirate like most of the dock workers and had created a defense formation with the crews that docked there. He had several pirate ships with their cannons aimed at the entrance, his workers and stray pirates that he arrived at the dock to aid in their defense hiding behind supply crates, and he had his own shoulder mounted cannon locked upon the entrance. The tall walls around the dock made it so they he could only enter one way and they were ready for him.

Suddenly, a single man in his fifties wearing a Marine Officer jacket casually walked through the entrance. Everyone was beyond nervous by how casual he was being, his hands in his pockets, and a smile on his face. In the street behind him laid nearly one hundred pirates all of them fell pray to his blade and none of them would be getting back up to fight again.

"Who are you?" The Owner roared angrily.

Takeshi didn't answer naturally.

"I asked who you were!" The Owner roared as he angrily fired his cannon, but as the cannon ball ripped through the ground behind Takeshi and went off his body suddenly disappeared. The fire and black smoke swallowed up the entrance causing one of the pillars to collapse and take out a small group of pirates, but Takeshi was no longer there.

Then Takeshi appeared behind the Dock Owner, with usage of Soru he was able to dodge the cannon fire and appear directly behind his attacker. The other pirates all turned their attention to Takeshi and opened fire with their rifles, but Takeshi simply used Geppo and launched himself high into the air as the Dock Owner was killed by his own defense plan. High in the air Takeshi used this to his advantage and pulled out his sword, using Geppo again he launched himself forward and landed on a near by ship. The crew needless to say weer surprised.

"Die!" A overly muscular pirate roared as he went to kill Takeshi with his axe, but the mute Rear Admiral simply side stepped and avoided the axe. Swinging up he cut the pirate's chest right open with one swift movement. More pirates raced at him but all he did was continue side stepping avoiding attack after attack, every attack he got he traded with a deadly blow himself. Until only ten pirates remanded, then he just grinned at them.

"Open fire!" A Captain cried out as every other pirate ship opened fire on the ship he was currently on. Just as they did this Takeshi disappeared again and before anyone could notice the pirates began to bombarded the empty ship, not even realizing that Takeshi was now on another one and was taking care of its crew.

Takeshi continued this until dock two was done. Every ship was below sea water and every pirate was finished the Rear Admiral then made his way towards dock three but to his joy the city was empty. The remaining pirates were now at dock three attempting to escape, the didn't even try to create a escape plan there was just a over sized crowed trying to get on the few remaining ships at the dock.

Finally, Takeshi arrived at dock three.

"He's here!"

"We are done for!"

"Just arrest me, don't kill me!"

There were ten ship stilled docked and only four had began setting sail the crew all cheering in joy as they were about to exit the crescent shaped dock and enter the open sea, but then suddenly their joy was killed by one Earth shattering sound. The lead ship was swallowed up in flames and its crew was killed in a fiery explosion. Appearing, before the dock's exit was a large Marine war ship one that a Rear Admiral would command. The large war cannons faced at the dock before them, the crew on the upper deck with their flintlocks and shoulder mounted cannons aims. Every pirate quickly dropped their weapons in fear, besides one ship that refused to be taken alive. The crew all started to prepare their cannons, but before they could Takeshi launched himself high into the air. Slicing the two pillars in front the entrance in half he blocked the exit and quickly used Geppo to position himself above the ship.

Takeshi began to spin his sword and in a hurricane of wind like blades he turned the ship into wood shaving, the crew along with it.

The Rear Admiral may not of been able to speak, but his skills with the sword wasn't something to mock at all.

The Island of pirates had finally been taken out.