Here comes part 4 :)
The Price of Freedom, Part IV
Slavery, of course it has to be slavery. No matter how the people here speak, or don't speak, about what is going on at this island, that is what this is. Newgate understands why Marco wants to accompany him once Marco is done sharing everything the shopkeeper has told him, and Newgate can't blame him for it. He can't even imagine how Marco must have felt in the beginning, before it finally sank in that nobody would come to save him (Newgate doesn't want to imagine it, and he feels like the worst kind of monster because of it). There are people in that situation right now, here, and Marco doesn't want to be amongst the people who sit back and do nothing.
The problem is that Newgate doesn't want Marco anywhere near this Captain Colt.
"Okay, this is the plan," Newgate starts. They are still at the bottom of the small hill that houses the marine base, because there is no way he can hide properly up there to talk. "We figure out where this asshole captain is, then I go after him while you go up there to get the prisoners."
"We're splitting up?" Marco asks, looking a little startled.
Newgate knows he has to play his cards right or he risks having Marco's trust in him damaged (or, worse yet, Marco's fragile trust in himself).
"I think ir's the safest bet. We don't want them to be unnecessarily scared once the building starts shaking, and we don't know exactly how strong this captain is, so I can't guarantee the building will survive the fight. Better to get them out as quickly as possible."
Marco nods, accepting his reasoning. It isn't a lie, exactly, just not the entire truth.
"I guess me being less intimidating helps, too."
Newgate laughs despite the situation, glad that Marco has decided to voice that observation. He hopes the people up there are still in a state to notice it.
Ensign Martins is bored. In his honest opinion, keeping watch is a waste of time and effort. By now, pirates know how to behave in town if they want the marines to leave them alone, and the citizens are too terrified to try anything stupid.
He has better things to do than keeping watch, like getting ready for the new girl. They will start on her as soon as the other members of the hunting party return: they have had to stay behind to take care of some foreign idiots who tried to help the girl. Besides, they have to patch the girl up a little first or she will bleed all over them (not that she won't bleed anyway, but it isn't the same).
Martins is so distracted that he doesn't notice the kid walking up to him until he is almost in front of him. Pretty average height, in relatively good shape, maybe fifteen, and no doubt not from around here (because Martins would remember that hair, not to mention he looks like the sort of kid the guys who are into boys would bring).
Is today Stupid Foreigner Day or something? Martins thinks in annoyance as he stands up.
"Get out of here, brat," he orders.
"I can't do that," the kid says calmly, "I have a question."
Well, Martins has tried to be nice.
"See if I care," he says, reaching for his sword.
And then he is on his back, which now hurts like hell after the crash, and his chest is burning where the kid has just kicked him (and he wasn't close enough to kick him). The kid stands above him, just as calmly as when he spoke, and before Martins can push himself into a sitting position, the kid steps on his still sheathed sword. The sword breaks.
"That was rude."
Before Martins can do anything else —he isn't sure if it would have been reaching for his gun or shit himself— there is a booming laugh, and a giant man shows up walking the steep path to the base. Option two seems much more likely.
"That was a good move, son," the man says, still chuckling.
"Thank you, Captain," the kid replies with a tiny smile. He doesn't even look particularly smug about it, as if taking on a trained marine is no big deal. Martins feels insulted.
And captain? Are these guys pirates? Well, the captain has the looks for it, but the kid doesn't. Then again, he knows how to fight —and damn it, he doesn't look particularly strong— so it could be. Pirates are supposed to stay the fuck away from the base.
"So, as Marco here was saying, we want to ask you something."
And now the blade of a fucking giant bisento is at Martins' throat.
They should have put an entire squad on watch duty.
As confirmed by ten now dead marines, Captain Colt is at the mess hall in the main floor, overlooking the preparations for the initiation of the girl who was kidnapped right before Newgate showed up at that damned street. The girl herself is at the upper floor with the other prisoners, who are tending to her wound because god forbid the marines have to do it themselves.
And, yes, the original plan wasn't to kill the marines they interrogated, but they all sounded so gleeful about the girl that it was unavoidable.
They have cleared quietly the halls as they advance through the main floor, shoving unconscious marines into supply closets or random rooms. They part once they reach the stairs, Marco heading up while Newgate continues to follow the directions he has been given (and he has asked them from more than one person, just to be sure).
The mess hall is easy to identify as he approaches it. There are two large closed doors at the end of the hallway, and Newgate can hear what must be dozens of people chatting animatedly and moving around inside, clearly excited and happy. Excited and happy about the upcoming gang rape of an innocent girl.
Newgate sends caution to the wind and punches the air in the direction of the doors, which are sent flying into the mess hall. The shockwave makes the entire building tremble, though Newgate is familiar enough with his power by now that he has managed to create a tremor that won't threaten the stability of the building.
The surprised and pained screams coming from the mess hall are highly satisfying.
Marco keeps part of his focus on his captain's reassuring voice as he creeps his way up the stairs. He is almost sure that his captain gave him this job to get him away from the marine captain, nut he also realizes the importance of getting these people to safety as quickly as possible. And, oddly enough, Marco doesn't feel offended or dismissed by his captain's choice. Knowing that his captain is keeping Marco's wellbeing into consideration even when they are going to battle is… nice. It gives Marco a feeling of warmth and safety.
Then the building trembles.
Marco shakes his head, somehow unsurprised that his captain attacked before Marco could climb all the way up the stairs.
He senses a large crowd of voices approaching hurriedly and backtracks to slip into a hallway a floor below and into a room he senses is empty. It turns out to be a supply closet.
The marines pass, noisy and asking what is going on, and Marco goes back to the stairs.
His captain sounds angry.
"What the—what the hell?!" a man —Captain Colt, judging by his uniform— exclaims from a sitting position on the ground. He is the one who has recovered faster; all the other marines are still sprawled on the floor, some of them groaning, some silent.
"I should be the one asking that. What the fuck sort of scumbags are you?"
"Scumbags?!" a grunt yells, dragging himself to his feet. "We're marines, so watch your mouth!" He grins sadistically. "You should know better than to pick a fight with Captain Colt."
Marco is rushing through a hallway on the second to last floor (the staircase didn't reach all the way up, and now he has to find the other stairs). There are two doors at the beginning of the hallway, but those lead to twin empty massive bunk rooms that seem to take up most of this floor.
Only a third door is left on the opposite end of the hallway, and that is where the stairs must be. There is someone not far behind that door, too, which means Marco will have to fight after all.
He skids to a halt some ten feet before the door when the handle turns, and falls into a fighting stance. The marine officer that steps through the door stops when he sees Marco.
"An intruder?"
Newgate grins viciously. These assholes will regret it if this bastard actually tries to use his power on him.
Colt looks around instead of standing or attacking, his eyes widening as he scans his fallen men.
"Where's Lieutenant Dreamer?!" he demands.
Just then, Newgate hears the stomping of many feet running their way. He spins his bisento around, slashes through the air, and sends a cutting shockwave through the hallway. He can't hear whatever response Colt receives above the screams, but he hears Colt's reaction to it.
"Get him here! NOW!"
Newgate turns to look at the still sitting Colt and the undiluted terror in his eyes as he stares at Newgate, and suddenly Newgate understands.
His blood freezes in his veins.
"You're not the devil fruit user."
Is now a good moment to say part 5 isn't done yet?