Chapter 21: A Familiar Face.

Yeah, weird chapter title... moving on.

Dislaimer: Don't own anything here except the Oc's

[Drum Castle, Front Yard, Ezekiel's POV]

''Oh God, not you guys again'' I said after setting the birdies in a more safer area inside the castle and witnessing Luffy sucker punch Wapol in his snout. Unfortunately for us, that being me, Luffy, Chopper and Kureha, weren't so lucky to see Wapol fall from the mountain without the help of his suborbinates.

I was looking at the third member and willed myself to remember him. Its like i've seen him before, maybe someone i beat up? Looking to my left, i saw Luffy cracking his knuckles. ''It just feels like you just keep getting in our way again and again''

''Why are they here? And whose that shitty skunk man?''

The 'shitty skunk man' as Sanji dubbed him after few moments, looked at me with complete hatred in his eyes directed solely at me. ''We meet again, Vane'' My lastname was spitted out by him if it were a venom.

''Do you know him, Ezekiel?'' Luffys serious face was washed out and looked at me with surprise.

''Never seen him before, but he obviously remembers me'' Turning back at the hairy man with white baggy pants and his brown hair filled torso acting as a woolly shirt. ''Oi! Are you the one i owe money? Because i remember paying them all before i became a pirate''

''Don't be shitting me, Vane! It's because of you i had to suffer in marine jail!''

''Is he a friend of yours?'' Sanji asked me, but i ignored his guestion and made my own.

''Look, can't we get into a decent compromise here? I'm injured and i haven't replenished my reserves yet''

''I don't care if you have a deadly disease! I've been training till this day to get my revenge!''

''Where have i heard this story before'' I deadpanned at him.

''I'm not the only one that's aiming to clam your head! Me and dozens more have been paid to remove your existance from this world!''

Now i was intrested. ''You mean that someone wants me dead? I already have a Shishibukai after my ass''

''Isn't that obvious. You and Luffy here are the only ones with bounties, so that shouldn't be a surprise'' Sanji exclaimed.

''You're right, but the key word here would be 'paid'. Usually that job is reserved for hitmen and as you can see...'' He just nodded, figuring out that the man in front of us can't be described as one.

''You fiend! How dare you approach the King of the Drum Kingdom and commit such a henious, violent act!'' Chess shouted at us, closely followed by Kuromarimo.

''Yes! He is the King of this land! You stand before the King who rules these people!''

I looked at Luffy who by now stretched his mouth wide open. ''Who cares! You guys just piss me off!'' And ended it showing his tounge at them. I laughed at his antics, it was funny seeing him imitating the fat hippo.

''And what is your story?'' I asked the 'unknown' man.

He snorted at me. ''I heard that the Straw Hat pirates were here and decided to lend my assistance to them in eliminating you.

''Hey, brats. You know them?'' Kureha asked us from behind me and Luffy.

''Yeah, he's a Jamaguchi! A Jamaguchi pirate!'' Luffy began stomp the snow like a kid that has been denied to eat candy before going to sleep.

''Jamaguchi? (Big problem mouth)'' Doctorine asked while Luffy still continued his childish antics, much to my amusement here.

''All he does is cause me problems! Eating my ship, bullying my nakama, he's not gonna get away with it anymore!'' After that, it went with Sanji reminding Luffy about the coldness outside and the Captain running back to the castle.

Slowly standing up, Wapol looked at our direction. ''Now... I'm angry. Straw Hat... I'm gonna eat you alive!''

''Give the guy few minutes will ya? He went back inside to fetch his jacket'' I pointed at the place Luffy stood seconds ago.

''He's Gone!'' Wapol also began to stomp like Luffy did minutes ago.

Chopper went over to me when i was discussing Sanji about the hair-covered man. ''Ezekiel-San, i have to ask'' Turning our head to the now four-legged Chopper and nodded at him. ''Did his... arms just stretch?''

''Yeah, he stretches alright. He's a Rubberman'' Sanji told him.

Chopper was now shocked. ''W-What's that?''

We both grinned at him. ''A monster, just like you and me'' I told him with as much proudness as i could, since there's no reason to be ashamed who you are. Chopper was silent and stared at me for a while. Tuning out the rants of Wapols flunkies, i set my sight to the hateful glare of the other weird man. ''Mind telling me more about your 'benefactor'' I inguired the chubby man.

''I could tell you a bit. First; he doesn't like your kind'' I frowned at him. ''And that's all i'm going to tell you before killing you''

''Your client sounds like a racist bastard, something i have no intrest in meeting in the near future''

''This castle is Hiluluk's grave'' I heard Kureha say after Wapols jibberings and i looked down to see the fierce gaze of determination by Chopper. ''I don't give a damn about this rundown place. I guess you have't realized it was this rendeer who hung Hiluluk's flag there'' Wapol just laughed at that and began to throw insults at Choppers deseased father figure.

''Defiling my sacred castle with that filthy doctor's flag! BURN THAT FLAG AT ONCE!''

Briefly looking at the reindeer, that was slowly turning into his giant fuzzy two-legged Chopper. ''You will not enter this castle... ever''

I whistled at his size. ''Someone eats his plate empty''

''What flag is doctor's conviction! I'll never let it be taken down! EVER!''

''Hahahaha! Show no mercy! Leave none of them alive!'' Wapol shouted at us and turned to his temporary addition. ''That includes you too, Onikuma''

''Demon Bear, how... fitting'' I though for awhile and i still couldn't remember the guy.

''A shame you injured your left eye, i would've taken the pleasure of squashing both of them in my palms'' Onikuma snarled at me.

''Oh, it's not injured. It's sleeping a bit from the stress i might've put in''

''Grandma, you gonna fight too?'' Sanji made the mistake of mentioning the Witch's age and got a bump in his head for it.

''If you guys can't handle it, i'll come and save you'' She sounded irritated and i decided to keep my mouth shut lest i'll be the next target of the old woman. ''What was that, brat?''

''Nothing, absolutely nothing. I wasn't thinking anything about anyones age at the moment'' I frantically waved my hands and turned around just in time to grab a arrow directed at my head. Breaking it in two, i nonchalantly threw it aside. Onikuma was by now shouting at Chess about 'claiming' me. ''Oi! I ain't no ones possession!''

Glansing at my side to see Sanji's outstreched leg intersepting a fuzzy black hairball from the other flunkie from Wapol that stuck to his leg. Chopper tried to help our cook, but also got the fuzzball in his arms which he and Sanji 'played' tag with them. It went like that for a while when Kureha and i shook our heads.

''Oi! Ezekiel, a little help'' Our cook yelled at me, but it was too late when Chess shot those flaming arrows of his that whizzed past the afroballs, setting the aflame. Apparently Chopper used him as a decoy and went in to punch Wapol, but stopped in his tracks saying that he couldn't punch men with 'sick' heart. That proved to be costly as Wapol opened his mouth and was about to eat our reindeer for dinner.

Using Shunshin, i accelerated my speed and slide under the giant maw through Choppers legs. ''Propus! (A star that means 'Forward foot' or 'Rising foot [In some cases])'' And kicked him straight under his jaw, where he was lifted from the ground and flew few yards away. I had my left leg high and right hand balancing my weight as to not lose my balance.

While Wapol was in mid-air, Luffy, who was flung over here with the help of Sanji, tackled him even further towards the woolly hippo. The poor creature soared through the sky and vanished in a bright star.

The both men of Wapol rushed over to their King while Onikuma took advantage of my slightly restrained movement and rushed at me with a huge double-edged axe. ''Where did he get that?''. Luckily for me, Luffy pulled me back with his streched arm and got me away just as the axe was about to cleave me half.

''Thank you. You guys are really great'' Chopper thanked us. I smiled at him and patted his over-sized hat, while ignoring Sanjis rants about Luffy wearing Nami's jacket.

''That's what nakamas are for'' I told the blue-nosed doctor.

''But i didn't-'' He was about to retort to me when Wapol stood up and shouted something along the line of 'Baku Baku Factory'.

''Oh! He got up!''

''He shouldn't be able to stand after the hits he took'' Luffy and Sanji said respectively.

''I guess all those layers of lard must've absorbed the impact'' I nodded to myself.

The King of Drum Island turned to his men ''Chess, let's hear what was on my menu today''

The mentioned Guard of Wapol took a small notebook and began reading his todays menu. ''Ah, onboard of a ship, you had one 'butter sauteed cannon', one 'cannon extra rare and a 'cannonball and gunpowder salad. You also had one 'grilled house' in town'' Reciting it, he made a bow to his King.

''What the hell do you eat?'' Sanji asked sarcatically with a sweatdrop.

''That's some serious diet'' After i said that, Wapol began to transform. There started to appear a chimney on top of his head, cannons as hands, two windows and a door in the middle of his stomach. ''The hell...''

''A house?'' Sanji also made a face of disgust while Luffys was the polar opposite.

''Cooooooool!'' That said, we looked horrified when Wapol... ate... his two suborbinates in one go and began to munch them.

''What the hell!''

''He's eating his nakama!''

''A cannibal!'' We, as the Straw Hat pirates said, while staring with Chopper at the giant houseman Wapol. Even Onikuma stopped and looked at the houseman with morbid expression. Wapol began to dance side to side with smoke rising from his head and two cannonarms. Stopping after his 'ritual' was done, the door on his belly began to open, revealing the two Guards of Wapol fused together with four faces and with equal number of hands. They were being held by a straing pair of brown belts that appeared somehow on their torso and called themselves 'Chessmarimo'.

Wapol began his own rant that everything in his country goes as he says and took aim with one of his cannonarm at the flag on top of the castle. I, of course, wouldn't let that happen and did a quick series of hand-seal for a Fire Jutsu. ''Katon: Endan! (Fire Release: Flame Bullet!)'' And spitted a large glob of Chakra filled fireball at the cannonball, destroying it in mid-air before it hit the treasured flag. ''Phew, and not a second too late'' I boasted and was patted hard behind my back by a grinning Luffy.

Chopper looked at me wide-eyed, but it was Kureha who brought out his thoughts for him. ''Your also a Devil Fruit-user?''

Turning to her, i sheepishly scrathed behind my head. ''Nah, you see, i have never eaten a Devil Fruit much less seen one'' I saw that she took a step back, like everyone else i told before, the first being Daxter and my crew. ''My crew... i like the sound of that''

''He's our Magician! A cool Magician with cool tricks'' Luffy shouted and turned to Chopper. ''He'll show you a magic trick if you join'' The Captain pouted when he didn't get a reply from the shocked reindeer.

''I-Impossible and your eyes...'' Doctorine continued.

''...might have something to do with it, but i leave that to Tony-Kun to figure it out'' Just then a Giant axe went pass me that was attached to a chain. Turning my head, i saw Onikuma helding the chain with a look of irritation.

''I will make you pay for what you did to me!''

''And for the thousandth time! I don't remember who you are!'' I shouted back at Onikuma.

''Can't remember, CAN'T REMEMBER! Because of you, i had to suffer in jail! Your the one responsible for getting me and my buddies in that hellhole!''

I widened my eyes when reality hit me. ''It was you? Wow, you got out?''

''So you do know him'' Sanji side glanced at me.

''Yeah, he's the leader of a small gang of bandits that i beated about a year ago. Those bastards were harrasing a old man and i did something about it'' I answered the cook, who just shrugged. Obviously because it wasn't his problem.

He growled at me even more. ''Do you know how much i had to spend to bribe the marines'' I knew that was a rhetorical guestion, but i pretended not to listen to him and mused to myself.

''The marines have fallen so low on their guard duties. They can't even keep their justice up'' I shook my head. ''If i had been in the marines, none of you would've been alive before meeting your gages'' Hearing some stomping noises i saw that Onikuma charged at me, surpirisingly fast for someone his size.

He first came at me with a swipe that, to my utter surprise, was a brown furry bear claw. Following the claw, i saw that his whole arm was covered in it and so was his visible torso. His face had that bear-like features with yellow animal eyes and was also covered in brown fur from head to tow, while wearing its brown pants. Despite his larger size and obviously increased speed and muscle mass, might give him an edge here, but i knew i could take on him. The two small fuzzy bear ears would've looked cute if not for the fact that he attacked me again. This time much faster and pegged it as another advantage of the Zoan Devil Fruit.

''My Kuma Kuma no Mi, model: Brown Bear! (Bear Bear Fruit). A Zoan Devil Fruit that gives me the powers of a bear! This power will forfeit your life!''

''Greaaaat, my Chakra isn't full yet, infact its still little half full and this shit comes here? Unveliavable'' I thought and decided to spawn Fire based Jutsus, given that my affinity to it, it costs less Chakra than it normally.

Onikuma released another barrage of slashes that were all a little too close given that i was a cyklops at the moment. One was about to slash my face, but i redirected it with a kick to his furry elbow that i used as a small springboard. Sommersaulting in mid-aid and seeing him make another fast swipe with me having no chance of dodging it, i clapped my hands together for a Wind Jutsu this time. Feeling the Wind being compressed between my palms, i placed my now opened palms in his torso shouting. ''Fūton: Reppūshō! (Wind Release: Gale Palm)''

The plan was to use his mass for my advantage and the Wind Jutsu did its job of getting me some distance from the bearman, as Lisanna liked to call him back at my start Island.

I skidded back to where i saw Luffy bombed with his rubber body in front of Wapol from the castles tower. I guessed that Wapol made another shot at the flag while i was occupied with Onikuma like it should've happened in the anime. ''Straw Hat! Ezekiel-San!'' Chopper shouted at us while i kept gazing at my opponent. ''Are you okay!''

''I'm fine. I'm rubber'' Luffy answered him and turned to me. ''What about you?''

''My hands hurt from doing those hand-seals, can't move properly with the feets still sore, left eye wastes consumes too much energy without a proper control over it, i've never fought one-eyed and my opponent is a Zoan-type'' I turned back to him grinning. ''I've had better days''

He replied with his own grin and pointed at the fusioned flunkies. ''Oi, reindeer. Think you can finish that guy off?''

Chopper turned his gaze at them with determination. ''He's nothing, no problem''

''Then, i guess it's settled'' The Captain declared. ''My opponent is gonna be Jamaguchi!''

''You low-life Straw Hat! How dare you fly around like that!'' I heard Wapol say behind my back where Luffy was positioned.

''I won't hold back anymore!'' Chopper also shouted at his opponent.

''You think you can defeat me? Eh, monster?'' The fusioned Wapol warrior guestioned the other Zoan-type on the yard.

''It's clobbering time!'' I threw my hands in the air.

Onikuma just snorted at me, still in his bear form. ''What i've seen now, you can only spit fire. Nothing impressive''

I still didn't let go of my grin. ''Oh my, it seems i'm being underestimated. We can't have that, now can we, so let me show you how we do this back home'' Running at him with my normal speed, i activated the right Sharingan eye and dodged his retrieved axe and made a front flip, while balancing myself on his shoulders. Gripping the fur on his shoulder i dropped my weight forward until i touched the ground with my feet and Onikuma bending backwards. ''Never... underestimate... ME!'' Enhancing my sore arms with Chakra i threw him further away from the others through gritted teeth. Turning around, i saw that Luffy was staring at Chopper with all his attention. ''This will be done in three minutes, after that, we'll have that eating contest Luffy!''

Of course, i wasn't underestimating my opponent, seeing that he was now in a half human from. He now sported a shorter snout with a black tip, his fur was slightly shorter and was a bit thinner than in his human form and took a traditional Sudo stance. ''Witness the power of the bears!''

''Since when did you get a Devil Fruit?'' I ignored him once again and was intrested more about where did he get the cursed Fruit. ''Those were said to be nigh impossible to find in East Blue, much less in a marine prison''

Onikuma grinned an animalistic grin. ''I can tell you that before i maim you. You see, my benefactor, for some odd reasons wants your head and granted me this power to do so. Don't get me wrong, i'm doing this for my own reasons and theres were a lot more where we came from''

I furrowed my brows in thought. ''That might explain the reason of the odd beasts and others, but what has Blade got to do with this? Maybe nothing'' Taking my own stance that my Master taught me which was supposed to be an traditional stance, but i altered it in a street style that focused solely on beating the crap out of my opponent.

Rushing over to him, i saw that while his strikes were faster and stronger given his bear traits, they were easily dodged until my feet gave up on me and i lost my balance. That mistake proved to be costly as i got a nasty bearish swipe over my torso where i got three identical slash marks and managed to avoid the next one directed at my exposed neck. ''Okay, no close-combat with that tons-of-fuzzy-fun'' I heard explosion from nearby and gritted my teeth in pain when i touched my bleeding chest. ''I better end this quick'' Looking at Onikuma, i saw that he was panting hard. Very hard. ''That's it!''

Setting my plan in my head, i ran at him with normal speed to try close-combat once more. ''Useless'' And made another swipe at him, but with his two paws about to crush me in a mush. Using my surrounding as advantage i slided under his feet with the help of the snow and tied his legs with a steel string that i summoned from my wrist. Quickly standing up and pulling them so that i literally swept his feet under him, with him falling on his belly with a large thud.

Without wasting any time and jumping high into the air, i saw him slowly standing up but not before i plunged my right knee into his spine. ''Rukbat! (The Knee of the Archer!)''

''AAARGH!'' Onikuma shouted after hearing a crack coming from his exposed back. It must've hurt like hell and i was sure he won't be getting anytime soon. He turned his head and looked at me with the ever present hatred in his eyes. ''You can't defeate me! I was the one that's supposed to slay you! How!''

I sighed while sitting crosslegged on his back. ''Last time i saw you was about a year ago and you didn't have the Devil Fruits-ability. But you just now you barge in with one and by the looks of it, haven't trained it properly. Do you really think that you'll just get those powers without doing shit? My Captain trained with his own and gained those powers through sheer hard work. Mine also didn't come just like that... well it might've, but i've also trained with them hard'' I saw that he wasn't listening and tried to drill a hole in my head with his gaze. ''Might as well take you as a captive''

''Do you really think this is over! More will come and they all will seek and destroy that hard work you worked so hard! Mark my words, this won't be-!'' I had enough and kicked him in the jaw, rendering him unconscious for once.

''Shut the hell up. It bugs the crap out of me if someone talks more than Daxter'' Grabbing the bearmans leg, i summoned a clone to help me drag the unconscious Zoan Fruit-user. Just then a epiphany hit me and i looked at the castle. ''Uhm, Clone-Kun. Do your mind if you get Kuma-Chan here to the front yard and tie him up?''

He gave me a salute and ran with the large man, where i sweatdropped at the sight. Running back to the castle with my slashed chest giving me a rough time. ''Oh man, i'm really beat now and still injured'' Seeing a one window and jumping through it i came into a intresting sight. Wapol was... eating himself and out came the same guy, but slimmer.

''You're not going anywhere'' Wapol jumped after Nami and i couldn't let that happen, because she was sick. Deciding to help the lost navigator and berate her later about the latest act she did i jumped towards the so called King and met him in mid-air.

''Denebola! (Tail of the Lion!)'' I delivered the mid-air spin kick, before the thin Wapol reached Nami. Though the kick was weak, Luffy also managed to give his own streched kick and put a decent distance between us and Wapol. ''Luffy, next time, keep your enemies in sight''

''Enemy?'' He looked at me guestioningly and turned back to Wapol when he blinked. ''Oh, its him! I don't remember him being that thin''

I palmed my face and hear a familiar sound of rubber being hit and looked up to see Nami, with a cold glare at our Captain. ''Luffy?'' She slowly began with a cold voice that sent chill down my spine. ''Why is my jacket all ripped up?'' And began to tap on his shoulder.

''Luffy... run'' My small whisper went into deaf ears when Nami began to shout.

''Do you know how much that cost me! 28,800 Beli! And that was after bargaining for it!'' Nami accusingly pointed her finger at the rubber man.

Luffy tried to apologize, but i knew it was in vain. ''Sorry, but that guy shot his cannons and stuff at me. There was no helping it!''

''I can vouch for that, so there's no reason to delay this anymore than it is'' I also tried to put an end to this small banter and get my recovery behind me as soon as possible, since people are after my head. Though, Nami's grin directed at me made me rethink what i just said.

''If that's the case, then don't worry about it. I'll forgive you'' Me and Luffy looked at each other dumbly with guestion marks above our heads. ''When i lent you my jacket, i didn't really expect it to come back in good condition anyway'' She turned around us and i could feel the malicious intent from her. ''For compensation, i'll just tack on a little extra to the 'three times return'. 100,000 Beli, that's what you owe me now''

''Ah! Can it be this was all part of your plan!''

Trying once again to save the future Pirate Kings ass i waved my hands in a diffusing manner. ''Isn't that too much, surely there's another wa-'' Maybe it was another divine intervention that i keep getting, but in reality, it was Wapols banters about a key, an armory about eating weapons to become Kriegs second coming with the weapons and all. Realizing that he didn't have the key, he and Luffy ran into upper stairs. Pulling a key from my sleeves that i snatched from the corrupted King, i twirled it around my finger in front of Nami. ''Here i though i'll make you a nice present for your succesful recovery and give you a key to the treasury, but meh...''

She chuckled bitterly. ''A shame indeed, but what abo-!'' This time it was me who interrupted her sentence and carried her bridal style. ''What are you doing?''

''I'm saving that ass of yours, the doctor will probably murder you... or us all.. if she sees you like this'' Hearing a something coming towards us, we say Sanji crawling like a 7-moths-old baby towards us.

''Nami-Saaan~'' He had that heart eye of his again, but seemed to turn into dust once he saw us. ''Oi! Shitty magician, what are you doing!''

I blinked at him for a moment and looked back at Nami and answered with a shrug. Not one to argue with the love cook, i sighed and not in a mood to do shit. ''Please stop that, i don't have ti... you know what, fine, i won't talk to you. I'm tired and i got my own shit to worry about''

After that, it was quite with the both parties. It was weird, but welcomed as the itching in my eye still wouldn't leave and was irritating. Receiving the memories of my clone that was responsible for Onikuma, that was thrown into a cellar a smile formed on my lips. Setting the still sick navigator onto her bed, i moved Sanji to the infirmary and went to see the birdies.

Whistling on the way there, my heart sunk a bit when i couldn't see them in the nest with the fabric gone. ''My babies grow so fast, already flying around the freed Island'' And wiped a small tear from the corner of my visible eye. ''This is how parents feel about their children growing up, i'm so proud''

[To Be Continued]

There ya go, another fast update... hopefully, seeing as its a new trend going around here. So yeah, someone wants Ezekiel dead. Not that i'm going to tell you who or what and why, but admit it, it was such a turn off for this story and i'm currently thinking about giving Ezekiel a side quest. And yes, the Bearman from the chapter 1 made another appearance, weird...

The attacks name i made are actually named after the constellation, whether their Latin, Arab or Greek. Their usually martial arts related and will change depending about the amount of coffe i have left.

Propus – The name was taken from the Greek as 'Forward foot', but i changed it as 'Rising foot'. It's kinda like Rock Lee's, Leaf Rising Wind, where the enemy gets kicked under the china and 'floats' mid-air.

Rukbat - The Knee of the Archer, well... a knee to the back or in other human parts.

Denebola - Tail of the Lion, just a round-house kick mid-air i came up with.

My attacks name as you can probably see, come from the contellations of the celestial spirits. Its been awhile since i last checked and the internet isn't a reliable source, so i would apreciate if you would PM me about the mistakes.

Stay tuned, since i have something special in the next chapter ;)

- Get of mah lawn!