He quickly made his way to the captain's room. The hallway was illuminated by torches that were placed along the wall, he still didn't understand while they couldn't get a few light-bulbs installed but then again very few things the Captain did were sensible. It was hard to imagine that something like this could happen now, but it was the most convenient time it could have happened. Finally reaching the door he rushed into the room without knocking.

A man with red hair glared at the Den-Den Mushi in his hand "Say that again Scratchmen and I will kill you and crucify your corpse so the whole world can see!"

"Kid!"

Eustass Kid glanced at the door "Killer, what is it? Not any more alliances I hope, even this one is too much."

The masked man walked beside Kid and handed over a paper, while placing today's newspaper on the desk "You should see this."

How annoying thought Kid as he grabbed the paper, his scowl deepened when he read through it "What, another one? Wasn't Blackbeard enough already!" he hissed and ripped the Wanted Poster in half.

"Hey, Captain Kid are we done with the talk or what?!" came Apoo's annoying voice from the Den-Den Mushi.

Kid's glare shifted from the torn poster to the snail "Shut up you asshole!" but cooled down a bit "have you seen the new Wanted Posters?"

"Nah, the News is little slow in its deliveries here" came the reply.

"It looks like we have a new Blackbeard roaming the seas" growled Kid, obviously irritated by the news. He hated when people showed him up...then again he was irritated by simply speaking too Apoo so it could also be that.

"...You think he will come after us?"

Kid glanced at Killer who flipped a page in the news paper. Reading fast through the lengthy article he snorted "Most definitely."

"We should warn Hawkings to be on his guard if he didn't already see the newspaper" suggested Killer.

"I will send a message to Hawkings" came Apoo's voice from the snail "now I gotta go."

"Fine, if this asshole shows his ugly face here" Kid flexed his mechanical arm "he will die!"

X-Darke threw the newspaper on the ground "This could be problematic..." but also an opportunity. He didn't get entangled with Kaido because of personal fancy, and if by some chance this new guy took the Yonko out...then that would open up a world of possibilities...the problem emerged by the consuming Devil Fruit users part...now the question was is everyone a meal...or does he select his targets...

"Captain?..." asked a worried subordinate "you seem to be spacing out..."

He glanced at the man and frowned "Its nothing, only thinking about things" looking back at the paper he snorted and walked over it. I will deal with it when the time comes...

Teach laughed with all his strength, not even two years have passed since he became one of the Yonko and already someone is trying to copy him...and though he didn't know how the rookie can absorb Devil Fruit powers without the Yami Yami no Mi, he knew that this man was too green to be much of a threat.

"Zehahahahahaha now this is news!" he laughed.

His crew also found it entertaining.

"Perhaps he would also join us, nya?" asked Pizzaro.

"Murunfuffuffu don't think a person like that would fancy joining anyone, probably would kill us while we slept" came Catarina's reply.

"He could join as long as he brings more booze" said Vasco Shot as he stole a bottle of medicinal alcohol from Doc Q while the man slept.

Van Augur on the other hand didn't share his comrades humor "Perhaps we should warn Burgess. Though he would probably challenge our new big fan, I doubt he would succeed where people like Sengoku, Garp and Fleet Admiral Akainu failed."

"You have so little fate in our dear helmsman" chuckled Laffitte "he would be hurt if he heard you."

"Jokes aside, we shouldn't underestimate this new enemy" said Shiliew as he lit another cigar "I know Garp, Sakazuki and Sengoku and none of them are weak. In fact even without the Devil Fruits all of them are formidable fighters."

That took away most of the myrrh the crew had, not because they had a higher opinion about the new meat, but because nobody wanted to anger Shiliew, it was normally a one way ticket to the afterlife.

"Zehahahaha if this guy thinks he can take us one, well...we will show him that one can't stand against darkness and win!" laughed Blackbeard as physical darkness covered his hands.

Law walked over the deck of the Thousand Sunny. After making sure that Caesar was restrained properly he started to inspect the vessel of the Straw Hats.

It wasn't simply a ship, it was their home, that much was obvious.

Though a pirate vessel, primarily designated for combat it had all the luxuries one could imagine on a luxury liner. He was almost certain that not even the Tenryubito ships had such creature comforts on board.

Though the sunflower in the front did make the crew look like push-over rookies.

Law spotted the navigator of the crew and moved closer, there was something important he had to tell his new allies.

"Navigator-ya" he called, making Nami turn around from her drink.

"Yes?" she answered.

He pulled a newspaper from his coat "While we were busy on Punk Hazard I didn't have the time to ask you, but have you seen the latest newspaper?"

"No, we should encounter the messenger birds today, why?" she asked with a frown.

"Before you arrived at Punk Hazard there was an incident at the Marine Headquarters. As one of the Shichibukai I received a warning from the Marines with a Den Den Mushi before the official disclosure to the public." He said in a serious voice as he placed the newspaper on the table in front of her – closely followed by a loud crash as Luffy slammed headfirst into the mast after being pushed too hard by Franky on the swing.

Nami smiled as she watched the antics of her crew before turning her attention to the newspaper. When she opened it up, something fell out.
"Huh? What's this?" the navigator asked herself as she picked it up.

She turned the piece of paper over and gasped, startled by the picture. Robin was the first to notice Nami's distress and came closer to see what was going on.

"What's wrong, Miss Navigator?" asked Robin as she walked up to her.
Nami didn't answer and instead kept staring at the bounty. Robin looked over her shoulder and her eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh my, this is unsettling" said Robin worriedly.

Sanji. of course, was the next to notice, when he saw the bounty his cigarette dropped out of his mouth. "What the hell—?!" he said.

"Oi, Ero-Cook, what's the problem?" said Zoro, walking up to the others. "Eh? What the hell is that thing supposed to be?"

"Huh? What 'cha guys lookin at?" said Luffy, dropping behind Nami, who let out a squeal. "OHO! SO COOL! Hey, Zoro, you think I could get cool armor like that!?" said Luffy excitedly.

"Hey guys, what's goin—EHHHHH! N-N-N-NANI!" yelped Usopp as soon as he saw the wanted poster.

"YEOW!" sang Franky as he came over. "Who is that guy? How come it doesn't say his name?" he asked.

"Yohohohoho! Just looking at him makes my heart flutter with fear. Ah! Even though I don't have a heart. Yohohoho, skull joke!" said Brook, also coming to look at the bounty.

"EHHHH! M-M-M-M-MONSTER!" cried Chopper upon seeing the poster.

"Man, that is one heck of a bounty! I wonder what he did to get it?" wondered Sanji.

"Whoever he is, I've never heard of him before. So that's quite a bit for a first bounty," said Robin.

The picture on the wanted poster showed a man covered in black armor with a smooth plate that looked half-folded over his face. The armor was so tightfitting that it looked like an exoskeleton. His right arm had, or rather was a wide black blade. Under the poster it said;

"The Hunter"
Wanted Dead or Alive
For crimes against the World Government, this man is to either be killed on sight, or brought in for Marine execution.
Reward: 666,000,000 belli.

Having the attention of the Straw Hats, Law decided to explain the new development.

"As you can see there is a new player in the game, and not someone that should be taken lightly. The Hunter as the marines named him is a currently unknown factor that shook the world by attacking the Marine Headquarters." He could see that his words did have an effect by the stunned faces of the Straw Hats.

"T-the Marine Headquarters?!" stuttered Usopp.

Law nodded "He single-handedly nearly destroyed it. Sengoku, Akainu and Garp almost lost their lives fighting him."

If the news about the attack wasn't enough of a warning then this surely was.

"Is grandpa alright?" asked a shocked Luffy.

Law nodded "Only a minor injury what I hear, but the marines suffered a large blow in this. The number of casualties are into thousands. But that in itself isn't whats problematic, its the Hunter's motives that concern us."

"What motives?" asked Nami.

"He hunts for Devil Fruit users, eats them and gains their powers and knowledge" Law said with a frown "So in a sense this alliance is not only to stop Kaido but ls to protect us from the Hunter."

He looked over the faces of his allies, they didn't disappoint. Though some were frightened like the skeleton, long nose and the tanuki, the rest showed determination.

"You think he will come after us?" asked Zoro.

"From what I have learned he is selective in his prey. By my reasoning the only two people who could be considered potential prey here are myself and Nico-ya."

That made the switch, gone was the fear and doubt. As soon as they heard that one of them is in danger the only feeling that remained was determination, the fear and the doubts evaporated in front of their will to protect their nakama.

"Well he can get only a knuckle sandwich if he comes here" said Luffy "He wont get Robin...or you Trafal-guy."

Law nodded "If he appears we will deal with him then. Now that you are updated let's think about how to make the exchange with Donflamingo on Dressrosa."

AN: This chapter wouldn't be possible without spardasdaughter7 - thank her, not me.