Chapter 4: Tragedy

I do not own One Piece! That will always belong to Eiichiro Oda! I only own my OCS. Sorry for the late update. I am overwhelmed with a new job and a unique graduation course from my writing school.

Drake had to keep Wildfire at a total dead on a gallop, praying he got to Breaker and his sons before they got to Buford. He tried not to think what would happen if he did not reach them in time.

Damn it, Breaker, he thought. Why did you have to drag the boys into this? We could have handled this differently.

Wildfire was starting to wheeze from being pushed from the hard ride, and Drake knew if he made the stallion run any faster than he would drop dead, the old bounty hunter brought the dark chestnut stallion to a stop, and he dismounted. Wildfire was coated in sweat as Drake took the rifle and the saddlebags that were full of ammo before he tied Wildfire's reins loosely around the saddle horn.

"Okay, fella," he said as he turned the stallion back home. "This is where you and I part company. Now go on home and get a damn good rest."

The horse needed no urging, and he took off in a steady trot. Drake sighed; he still had another mile to go, but he refused to ride Bo's faithful horse into the ground no matter how much he wanted to reach his boys and Breaker.

"Breaker, you keep the boys and yourself safe and clear of the damn Buford," Drake muttered as he started a leisurely running pace despite that he was carrying saddlebags and a rifle. "Buford won't think twice about killing all of you."

~~.~~.~~

Tarlong made a face as he and Garth followed Breaker through the old tunnel. Man, the whole thing reeked something awful like a sour mixture of piss and old stale beer. He was sure that the marines used it to take a damn piss in which was disgusting.

"Breaker, do you any clue where this will take us?" he asked.

"Tarl, just keep that damn mouth of yours shut," Breaker snapped at him.

Tarlong blinked at Breaker's sudden change in attitude. What the hell had gotten into the sawtooth/ tiger shark hybrid? Breaker could be a little grumpy, but this was not fair. Garth stumbled and fell in the foul-smelling water that trickled along the tunnel. The sound echoed through the tunnel, as did the sound of Garth's glasses as they clattered along the stone floor.

"Garth, you stupid clutz!" Breaker snarled, turning some.

"Don't you call Garth that!" Tarlong said as he gave Breaker a hard shove away from his mute brother. "Don't you ever speak about my brother that way!"

Garth had felt for his glasses, and once he found them, he put them back on, not bothering to clean them. Tarlong helped his brother up, making sure he was okay. The mute sawtooth assured his older sibling that he was fine. Tarlong finely accepted that Garth was fine before the two brothers moved on ahead of Breaker.

"Boys," Breaker called after them. "Wait for me." The two ignored him, which only angered the hybrid. "Damn it, you two, I said wait for me!"

~~.~~.~~

Bo and Cledus had picked up Mary and were driving the double horse team at full gallop, causing the wagon to bounce wildly. Mary almost fell from the bucket seat a couple of times.

"Damn you, Cledus!" she yelled angrily at the man. "Either learn how to drive or give me the damn reins, and I will!"

"Sorry, Mary," Cledus said. "But we're racing against the clock, and we all know this."

Bo gripped the back of the seat as he leaned forward. "Cledus, slow up. I think I see Wildfire up ahead."

Cledus pulled back the reins easing the team up to a stop, and Bo jumped from the wagon. He whistled to the dark chestnut stallion who whinnied a greeting to his master and trotted up to him.

Mary grew concerned seeing the empty saddle. "Where's my husband? Did Drake fall off?!"

Bo had gone over Wildfire and saddle. "No," he said. "Looks like Drake is on foot. The rifle and saddlebags are gone, so it means he's on foot."

Mary took Cledus by surprise when she took the reins from him and gave the wagon team's rump a hard slap that caused them to jump forward and take off in a full gallop. Cledus hung on for dear life to the seat as Mary continued slapping the reins on the horses' rump, urging them on.

"Woman, are you trying to get us killed?!" Cledus said.

"If Drake is damn walking, then he still too far to help Breaker and our sons," she said. "I'll be damned if I lose my sons and our best friend to that fat bastard of a marine captain."

"Well, try to get us there without killing us!" Cledus shouted.

~~.~~.~~

Drake stopped to rest and catch his breath. He cursed himself mentally. He should have realized that Breaker would have gone off to rescue Lil Enos' daughter but took his sons with him, which upset him. Damn it, Breaker! You always were hardheaded.

He became aware of the sound of pounding hooves and shouting. He rose just as a double horse team came charging down the road. The wagon they pulled was bouncing so hard that the wheels came off the dirt road a few times. He was surprised to see his wife was driving the team. He hurriedly stepped back as she pulled the team to a rearing stop.

"Woman, are you trying yourself and Cledus or these poor horses?" Drake asked as he stepped up to the tired team.

Mary looked at him before she lowered her eyes. "Drake, I'm worried about our precious boys." She said. "I don't want to lose them."

Drake climbed up on the wagon. "Give me those reins, Mary."

Cledus climbed into the wagon's back as Drake climbed onto the seat, taking the reins from his wife. He barely had time to sit when Drake slapped the reins on the horses' rumps, and once more, the team took off in a gallop.

~~.~~.~~

Breaker forced open the long-forgotten door, and the rusty screeching of the hinges echoed throughout the holding cell area. Tarlong and Garth both shook their heads, wanting the ringing in their ears to stop. Breaker, impatiently, dragged them out from the tunnel into the main area.

"Oooow!" Tarlong said as Breaker dragged them out by their ears. "That hurts you, rotten bastard!"

"You two are too damn slow," the hybrid said with an angry snarl. "There's a young girl who needs rescuing and the both of you of dragging your feet."

Tarlong angrily knocked his mentor's arm away. "If this is so important, then why didn't you come here alone? Why did you need us for?!"

"Lil Enos oldest daughter, Cynthia, was born not only mute but also deaf." Breaker said. "Garth is the only one who can speak to her, and you're the only one who understands sign language."

"So, you tricked us into coming here and helping you?" Tarlong said bitterly. "That's low. Come on, Garth, let us- Garth? Garth! Where are you, little brother?!"

Breaker looked around. "How the hell did he sneak off, and we didn't see him?" he said.

"I don't know, but I gotta find him," Tarlong said now in a panic.

"He couldn't have gone too far," Breaker said.

Tarlong nodded as they hurried off. They found Garth crouching before a prison cell where Cynthia was sitting, hunched in a corner, clearly frightened. The mute sawtooth was busy talking away to the girl, who seemed to relax slowly, and soon she was communicating back to Garth.

"What are they saying?" Breaker asked Tarlong.

"Garth is telling her that we're here to rescue and return her to her family," Tarlong said as he watched Cynthia. "She told Garth that she is happy to hear that, but that the…. Oh!"

"What?" Breaker said.

"She had some very colorful for the marine captain," Tarlong said with a light chuckle. "It seems he has the key to her cell."

"Who says we need a key," Breaker said as he cracked his knuckles. "Garth, tell her to cover her head because that door won't be there long."

Garth nodded and passed the message to the girl. Cynthia covered her head as the tiger sawtooth hybrid got a firm hold of the cell door. Tarlong and Garth watched in absolute awe as Breaker ripped the door off of its metal hinges. Hearing the noise had alerted the guards who came rushing in just as Breaker lifted the door above his head.

"Watch out!" One of the marines shouted.

"I think this belongs to you, boys," Breaker said before he hurled the door at the marines.

The marines screamed as the cell door landed on them.

"Grab her, and let's go!" Breaker yelled before he charged from the room to meet the oncoming marines.

"You heard him, Garth," Tarlong said.

Garth nodded as he helped Cynthia from her prison cell. They hurried to catch up with Breaker, who was a nightmare to any marine who came running. Not one marine wanted to face the hybrid Fishman man who was in fury mode.

~~.~~.~~

"Daddy! Daddy!"

Buford cursed as he spilled his glass of whiskey. "Damn you to hell, Junior!" he roared as he glared at his son. "Look at what ya made me do?!"

Junior stood 8' 3" tall with shoulder-length dark brown hair and medium green-colored eyes. He wore what was known as the chore boy marine uniform, and he was a bit slow. "I'm sorry, daddy," he said. "But daddy, she's gone!"

"Who's gone ya retard?" Buford snapped, hoping it was his wife.

"The pretty girl, daddy," Junior said.

"What?!" Buford surprisingly jumped out of his chair. "There ain't no way she could've done that. I got the damn key right here!"

"It was the big shark daddy," Junior said. "He got her out, and there are two younger sharks with him."

Buford gave a wild curse flinging the glass of whiskey at his son before he charged, knocking poor Junior aside. He hurried to a locked gun cabinet, and once unlocked, he pulled out a rifle with a scope.

He smiled as he loaded the rifle. "Looks like I get to bag me a stinky old fish," he chuckled.

~~.~~.~~

The heavy wooden door that led to the prison cells from the training yard came flying off its hinges, scaring every marine there to death. The marines there stood still, watching and waiting. The wait was not long as the dust and dirt cleared to reveal Breaker in his fury mode. Marines who knew Breaker and had seen him when he was like this were quick to order their fellow marines clear of him. Tarlong and Garth, with Cynthia, followed Breaker into the training yard.

"I see the gate," Tarlong said, pointing to the closed grated gate.

"Hurry!" Breaker shouted as he swung a marine rifle like it was a baseball bat. "I'll keep our friends here busy!"

"We need to open that gate," Tarlong said as he, Garth, and Cynthia ran toward it.

Garth pointed to the marine standing at the gate lever. Tarlong nodded, speeding ahead of his brother. The marine on guard had already decided he wasn't hanging around and abandoned his post. Tarlong pushed the lever up, and the gate slowly went up.

"Breaker! Let's go!" Tarlong shouted to the hybrid.

The tiger-saw shark hybrid looked towards him, nodding. A loud bang rang out, and Breaker, stunned, looked down at the hole in his chest as blood ran down his chest. He looked toward his young charges before he crumbled.

"No!" Tarlong screamed, running back to the old shark. "Breaker!" He was on his knees, rolling Breaker over. "Talk to me, please! Breaker, you can't be!"

Sadly Breaker was gone. Dead before he hit the ground. A wild whoop followed by laughter drew Tarlong's attention. The young sawtooth looked up at the balcony overlooking the training yard where Beuford was doing a little dance despite being overweight. Junior stood next to his father, horror on his face.

"Daddy! Oh, daddy, what did you do that?" Junior said as tears began to flow. "You killed that old Fishman!"

Buford stopped dancing, backhanding his son. "Don't ya be sheddin' tears from that freak! I warned him what would happen if he crossed me, and he refused to listen!"

~~.~~.~~

"There's the base!" Drake shouted over the thundering hooves of the wagon team. "The gate's open! I pray we aren't too late!"

The wagon came charging in the yard, scattering marines. Drake brought the horse to a rearing stop, and he saw the body of his friend with Tarlong sobbing as he looked up at with hate toward Beuford.

"Breaker!" Drake jumped from the wagon. "Oh god, no! No, no, no!" The old bounty hunter dropped to his knees, taking the body of his lifelong friend in his arms. "Breaker, you stupid, impatient fool, why didn't you wait? You should have waited, damn it."

"You-you lousy stinking human!"

Drake jerked his head up as Tarlong snatched a discarded marine rifle from the ground. "Tarl, no!"

Too late. Tarlong aimed and fired. To everyone present, the shot was that of an accurate sniper. Buford's head jerked back, then he staggered forward, breaking the wooden railing as he fell. The marine captain landed and going through the wooden roof of the storage shed. The marines under his command rushed to him, and shouting soon followed.

"He's dead! Captain Buford is dead!"

Drake looked at his adopted son. "Tarl, what have you done?"

Tarlong barely looked at his father just as he was tackled to the ground by marines.

~~.~~.~~

Tarlong stared at the marine captain, his feelings torn asunder. He had never felt hate until that very moment in his life. The marines, as Tarlong had always believed, were the good guys. They were to protect and defend the innocent, but what Tarlong just saw said otherwise. Breaker had said there were evil people in the world, and this marine captain, this Beuford, just for no reason took the life of his father's friend. The man had laughed and danced over the evil act he had wrought. This man was bad, and Tarlong knew that Buford must pay. His eyes shifted to the discard marine rifle by his feet.

"You-you lousy stinking human!" Tarlong snatched the rifle up.

He never heard his father screaming as he swung the rifle up, aiming and fired. He heard only the sound of the rifle firing, the smell of gunpowder filling his nostrils, and the satisfaction of seeing the murder of Breaker fall. Marines ran past him as they rushed to where that bad man lay.

"Tarl, what have you done?"

Tarlong barely looked at his adoptive father before tackled to the ground by marines. The instinct to fight kicked in as Tarlong tried biting his sharp teeth and slashing with his saw nose. There were too many marines. Soon Tarlong lay subdued bound in chains and rope.

"Let him go!" Mary screamed as she rushed over.

Drake grabbed her as Cledus and Bo held back an upset Garth, who struggled to go to his brother. A terrified Cynthia dropped to her knees, crying silent tears. Tarlong was wild-eyed as he was yanked up and dragged off to the prison cell. He fought all the way, kicking and pulling.

"In you go, murderer!" one of the marines said as they shoved Tarlong into a cell.

Tarlong looked at them, his eyes a mixture of shock and disbelief. "Murderer?" he said. "That fat bastard murdered my father's friend! It was justice that I delivered for the murder! The marines are supposed to protect the innocent, but you don't! You're all the same as that murderous bastard! All of you!"

His screams fell on deaf ears as the marines left him, bound still. Tarlong screamed and cursed until he started crying. He had delivered justice, and it was he who was called a murderer. Where was that right when Tarlong saw the wrong being done? Who would save him now?

What will happen to Tarlong now? Will he face the so-called justice from the marines, or will he be proven innocent? Remember to Read and Review.