Drode: It seems like most of you aren't even looking at the other chapters. Man, I pity you for missing out on so much raw violence. And to think the guy is doing this to please you.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. If I did, Monster Luffy would definitely grow more hair on his head to hide his bulging biceps. I feel fat just looking at him.

Ch 11
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FLASHBACK

6 years ago...

"Cha!" Shinai hit shinai, as two kendo masters fought on a unparallel floor made of bamboo, supported only by a single oak trunk 30 feet above the ground. With that in mind, falling backwards would end up in tilting the floor and sending both competitors falling.

Still, what seemed to be normal swift strikes was less than obvious to the average nobody, but to them, it was a fast paced battle of wits and patience. The first to land a hit would be the winner, yet neither would back down. Even with their faces covered by the head guards, they could see each others eyes and focus entirely on their next move.

Feint, block, underhand sweep, dodge, overhead smash, horizontal sweep, spinning lance cross, both of them gracefully danced with their own rhythm. If their opponent moved upfront, they moved in as well, crossing their shinai blades in order to shove hard then moved back again once they determined that the strength level was equal. Even charging with a fierce thrust proved futile, as one could simply turn to the side and slap the shinai downwards, in which the opponent would have time to strike.

Arcing the body even with the heavy armor on, the downward slash was blocked, as the two wooden swords clashed with the kendo masters fighting with their minds set only on defeating the other. The floor trembled beneath the blows exchanged, damp with sweat and saliva.

This sort of battle would have lasted a while, maybe 2 more hours at the most, until the bell rang. One of the kendo fighters blinked, turning to face the clock, and the 2nd fighter took the chance to rush in.

"That's quite enough, you know...Dark Wave!" The person said, slightly disinterested as he turned his head slightly. His opponent was defeated in an instant as a pitch black arc of light was shot from the face mask, burning his arms severely and sent him over the edge. Only to land amongst the dozens of feathered pillows placed along the ground, his spirit broken and his soul in tatters.

"If you take advantage of a swordsman's weakness, then you are lower than scum." The person said, taking off his kendo mask with his gloves to reveal a rather handsome man. Long, slicked-back hair with gray markings, a smooth chin and nose, pierced silver earrings on both ears, and a blood red bandanna around his eyes. On his forehead were several odd markings with a black painted eye in the center. He was only 13 years old, but he held a adult air around him shrouded in mystery.

Without a care for his own safety, he walked off the edge of the upraised floor without taking the ladder that he used to get up in the first place. He landed perfectly on both feet, but the impact caused the Navy ship that he was taking to quake sharply, making many fall with seasickness.

"That was great!" Without warning, he was glomped to the ground by a 14 year old Prelude who was currently still filling out in most assets, her hair trimmed back up to her shoulders. The tackle caused him to lose his armor, as both he and Prelude were both wearing seamen uniforms as they were merely grunts in the Navy. "You totally nailed that guy!"

"How...how long have you been here? I told you that you shouldn't watch my fights!" The guy said, trying to get up as he scrambled for his shinai. The wooden blade was lifted up the ground, carefully examined by a wizened old man with a white top knot on his head and a fluffy white beard that went down to his stomach. His eyes were unreadable, covered over by his burly eyebrows.

"Boy. Haven't I already told you not to use the Ebon Eye on your fellow seamen? Granted it was dishonorable, but now I have to send him to the Medic Wards." The old man, known as Raizen of the Golden Blade, scorned, really ticked off at his apprentice. "As the next one to succeed the title of Nocturne, one must focus more on the rights of his opponent and counter it without disabling."

"Yeah, yeah. I've heard it a lot, old timer. But the Ebon Eye needed to be discharged anyways otherwise I would get nightmares for a week." 'Nocturne' said, walking past his tutor even Prelude clunging to his leg in a fit of admiration.

"Hmmph...he certainly takes after his forefathers." Raizen muttered, as he tossed the shinai into the sea below. Bending down, he lifted the burnt body as if it was as light as a feather and carried the victim towards the Medic Room.

15 minutes after going in the showers...

"You know, the men's showers weren't co-ed." 'Nocturne' said bluntly, currently wearing a towel and nothing else. His chest was tightened, 6 pack and all, and his arms and legs were flexible but muscular, perhaps as good as Zoro's.

"Ah...don't be like that, snookums...if I so wanted, I could change the rules in a millisecond. Besides, the ship guard for this room is out for a drink, so it doesn't really matter." Younger Prelude grinned, sitting on the wooden bench enjoying a fruit smoothie in a striped two-piece bikini. Her other hand was modifying a long barreled flare rifle with secondary flash grenades.

"I see you are still using that toy of yours instead of your combat skills." 'Nocturne' said quietly, looking at the weapon. He was suddenly stripped of his towel which was thrown outside, making him blush furiously in embarrassment.

"Call it a toy again and I'll fire a round through your skull." Y. Prelude growled, promising a slow and painful death to him with vicious eyes that were that of a killer's.

"Understood...but seriously, a girl like you has to do more than just use weapons. Hand-to-hand also should work when you run out of your precious rescue flares. Unlike me who barely has to raise a finger to snuff out pirates." 'Nocturne' said, locating and breaking into a nearby locker to claim a towel for himself.

"Yeah, yeah. Big history and all. I understand..." Y. Prelude was interrupted as 'Nocturne' slammed his fist into the locker, causing it to be dented inward several feet.

"You know nothing of the Wraith lineage." 'Nocturne' said coldly as a orange fell into his open palm. "Tell me, is the world flat or round? This question has always been the bane of scientists since the World Government has been established."

"Of course it's round! Otherwise we wouldn't have magnetic poles and we would be stuck on our backs unable to stand up. We even proved the moon revolves around us." Prelude answered, really afraid of the tone Nocturne was expressing.

"Then why is One Piece Raftel only located in the WEST BLUE? Even if one travels from east to west, why is that they cannot reach the other side? The answer is simple." Nocturne smirked, getting out a small knife that he obtained from the kitchen.

"And that is?" Prelude asked, confused a little.

"The Kusanagi Tsurugi, also known as Ame Murakumo Tsurugi. Back before the Ancient Weapons were made, this legendary sword was forged from a Wraith who had been granted wisdom from the Devil in exchange for his and his ancestor's eyes from the 2nd generation to the next all the way up to the present. The user of the sword can be invincible and powerful enough to wipe out entire civilizations. However, despite the fact that the sword could recover the Wraith's eyes, he was tormented with endless nightmares in his sleep about wars, violence and the future of our world." Nocturne said calmly, recalling the stories of the old world.

"But what does that have to do with the world being flat?" Prelude asked, tilting her head a bit more as she was doubting the existence of such a sword. After all, if it was so great, then why hadn't she heard of it from her family of weapon collectors?

"I'm getting to that, will you be patient?" 'Nocturne' grumbled, as he continued on. "It was 5 years after he forged the sword that he had given birth to a son. But in his eyes, one wasn't enough, as he soon messed with a lot of women to get a large quantity of children for himself, all of them born with the Ebon Eye and hollow bleeding eye sockets. From that generation, he selected the strongest of them to wield the sword, and in doing so, the regeneration the sword gave him faded, turning him into dust. The sons and daughters were soon found and drafted into the World Government's Navy, most of them working as blacksmiths and the rest as navy specialists. Only the strongest of the family was left behind, as the siblings married themselves and had children that married other sibling's children which carried on to the present day. But when the day came for the Ancient Weapons, a massive war broke out that destroyed several islands. The Wraiths were scattered across the world by this time, but the strongest of them stayed on an island overlooking the fight ageless due to the regeneration powers. To be blunt, he was bored, and since his former father never really used the stupid sword, he gave it a try and swung down in a full arc. That...was how the Grand Divide was formed and why no one has ever made a round the world trip to this day, even by hot air balloon."

"The Grand Divide? I haven't heard of such a place." Prelude stated, looking puzzled.

"Ahem! Stop it with the interruptions." 'Nocturne' snapped, then continued to speak. "Think of this orange as the world. Basically, it can be cut into 16 seperate portions with the right knife and precison. The Kusanagi is similar to this knife, as it's power was nearly limitless. Density, length, weight, piercing, cutting, as well as control over elements, all were perfectly aligned and amplified, embalmed with the Devil's Power. When the slash struck the surface, it didn't just cut the water and take out both of the Legendary Weapons (causing them to be sent flying), it also destroyed 1/16 of the planet." He demonstrated this by cutting a small chunk of the orange out but missing the north and south areas of it. "Despite this, the water did not flow in the now exposed molten core, nor did the fish or ships. However, it did mess with the magnetic forces in this world, making normal compasses to spiral out of control. When the World Government came across the destroyed island where the sword had cut, all that was left of the master was bones and over 50 swords of various shapes and sizes. With them was a note which read to those with the Ebon Eye:

Darkness claimed the soul and caused chaos to unravel,
Kusanagi tamed the darkness but left a hole in the heart,
Broken down the Kusanagi it has scattered them to the winds,
Reforge you will not, recreate you will not, only protect and serve,
Only when Dreams reawaken will all swords be found and reforged,
As darkness once again runs wild to destroy all that remains...

My ancestors secretly hid the swords away in ragged sheaths, selling them to vendors and gypsies who were paid well to keep the swords out of human hands. History was then rewritten as the paper was sent to the elder Wraiths for safe keeping. Although most Wraiths continue to marry each other to stay pure, blacksmithing and assassination has always been in our veins."

"So why tell me all this if it was a secret?" Younger Prelude asked, certain now that he was finished.

"Because like you, I have a dream instead of a nightmare. The other Wraiths are too busy with the dull, boring lifes but I intend to recombine the Supreme Grade Swords and the other lesser Grade Swords back into Kusanagi. Then, I'll use their power to refill the gap that was destroyed several millenia ago." 'Nocturne' said darkly, chin rested on his palms.

"That sounds good to me. After all, all I dream about is one day coming across the Emerald Ruins as it's said that one can create a weapon with the intensity of a starburst. As long as I can take the pirates out without killing them, I can be a strong marine just like my mom was when she joined the Navy." Younger Prelude said, looking at her reflection in the polished barrel.

"Heh. Our dreams may co-exist in some ways, as neither of us want to get in each other's way. To me, the Navy is just another step to collecting every sword and combining them back into one. You take long range and I'll take short range, that way our paths will always stay together." 'Nocturne' said, getting into his uniform and brushing his hair.

"I'd like that a lot." Prelude said, gazing at the ceiling with a slight grin on her face.

End Flashback...

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"Hrrrrr...mmmmph...huh?" Prelude awoke on her back, her eyes wide open as the flood of memories rushed back in. She was on the dirt covered road, surrounded by the corpses of dozens of Pillbugs. "AAHHHH!" She screamed, backing away with her feet only to bump into a pair of fine, waxed legs. "Huh?" Confused, she looked up to see her slightly panting comrade Requiem who looked like she was running low on stamina. That was the price of the Magnet Magnet fruit, as she had still was unable to focus with that new wavelength on her mind.

Spears made of iron fillings skewered multiple worms bursting from the surface, but that in turn just split them in two, each with a separate mouth and 'brain'. Others just got flatted as the spears shifted to circular weights in mid-air. But all this was taking it's toll on Requiem as she drooled uncontrollably, losing her mind bit by bit.

"Acccccck! Requiem, get control of yourself! Your drool is pouring on my hair!" Prelude cursed, tackling Requiem and lifting her over her shoulder for the time being. "Seriously, thanks for using that Iron Cocoon to break my fall."

"..." Requiem just continued to drool, leaving a path of thick saliva on the ground that the Pillbugs licked up greedily.

Stepping over the bodies of pirates and marines alike, she couldn't help but feel sad for the men and women that lost their lives today. Even if they were on opposing sides, their blood was still red and their minds were determined to reach their goals in life. But she had the support of her captain, a dreamer himself, who wanted nothing more than to lay back and drink soda.

"Rapid Shine Blaze!" Loading 6 flares into her custom revolver, she fired them off in a circular motion behind her, each set at a set angle. In 15 seconds as soon as she was close enough to the tower, the flares intertwined on a single point and exploded into a massive dome of light and flames, engulfing the crowds of man-eating bugs in the explosion.

'Okay, that will take about 2 minutes worth of distraction. Time to call in the heavy artillery!' Loading a red flare into the revolver, she shot upwards wih her eyes closed. "SOS Shot!" FWWWWWWOOOOOOOSSSSSSHHHHH! A horizonal column of red smoke spewed out of the flare after going up 20 feet, marking the tower's location and making it easier to target by sea. 'I sure hope this works...' Prelude thought, now loading up 6 flares again as the hordes began to advance again. 'Hurry, Alto!'

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Shinai: Wooden bamboo sword, used for practice.

Dark Wave: One of Nocturne's attacks, sends the person a optical illusion that becomes real if he believes in it. Mostly made of one's worst fear come to life, like snakes or flames. Cannot be used twice in one week's time. Despite it's appearance, it is a functional eyeball that moves.

Prelude (title): Given to the brightest marksman or woman in the Shinoa Navy Academy, one of the most esteemed military camps in the North Blue. Given the duty to "protect those with a glowing defense of volleys".

Nocturne: Assassin and first mate. Is of the Wraith linage dating back before the World Government was developed. Collects swords of Grade-type and can use limited blacksmith skills to forge them together. 18 years old. Believes that darkness can be used to save the world by any means needed.

Ebon Eye: The only way a Wraith can see since his eyes were dead and bleeding at birth. Can emit Dark Wave. It can also be used to see impurities in a sword as well as weak spots in another's swordmanship after some period fighting them. It's said that those eyes can even see the faint ethereal mist of spirits and souls, giving them the title of Wraith. If the Eye doesn't use Dark Wave within a week, the host is subject to being bedridden for a month forced to live out 'endless' nightmares in his mind.

Raizen: Navy instructor. Teaches several different forms of kenjutsu to Navy students, but once was known for wielding a golden sword that could cut through a person's spine without cutting the skin or clothing. 45 years old.

Raftel: "One Piece", where a normal pirate can become the mighty Pirate King.

Kusanagi: Based on a real sword, said to be of destructive force that can topple the government. Strangely enough, no one has really seen it save for monks.

Great Divide: On the opposite side of the Red Line, only a few miles wide. Makes certain no one can access Raftel from the east.

Supreme Grade Swords: One of which Mihawk uses. Are said to be very deadly.

Iron Cocoon: Wraps a person up and moves it around with Magnetic powers. Then breaks it down and is sent back to the user.

Rapid Shine Blaze: Wide-area explosion which both blinds first, then heavily burns the opponent.

SOS Shot: Prelude's useful flare can also be used to mark targets for the ship cannons to accurately fire upon, as they could easily wipe out the town.