Disclaimer: Godzilla and One Piece are the sole properties of Toho Co. LTD and Eiichiro Oda respectively. KP360 claims no ownership of anything save for any OCs, abilities, and locations.
Alabasta Arc opening: Know Know Know by Does (Gintama Op. 15)
The clouds have gathered all across the sky, smoothed over in a blanket of grey. The rumbling of thunder can be heard in the distance.
This, is something that has not happened in Alabasta for a long time.
"Alright, you psychopath… where did you disappear off to this time?" Gian growled as his tail swished across the ground, sending clouds of sand up with each swing. He was able to keep the damage within Alubarna to a minimum, a good thing considering after this, the country will have a lot of rebuilding to do, especially after a decade long drought like the one they've experienced.
Mr. 0.5 had disappeared, burrowed under the ground once more. He knows this, due to the massive hole in the ground where he supposedly landed. Ironically, that was something Gian had tried to keep from happening in the first place. But anything was better than having the monsters loose within the city he suppose.
"Our increased size also means that he could be potentially easier to hear coming, though this is troublesome nonetheless."
His musings proved true, as the ground rumbled, before cracking open as Mr. 0.5 leapt straight towards him. Larger body size be damned, the sheer speed and power of the sudden assault was still enough to send Gian stagger backwards. The fact that his teeth were now locked firmly around his right arm were an added problem.
Despite his smaller frame, Mr. 0.5 ironclad teeth were fastened harder than glue as they embedded themselves into Gian's forearm. The killer even resorted to shaking his head back and forth like a Rottweiler, determined to rip a piece of flesh off like he did before.
Gian hissed in pain, swinging his body around as he tried to dislodge the tenacious beast. This involved slamming Mr. 0.5 repeatedly against the ground, dragging him along. It was only after swinging the appendage with enough strength, did he finally managed to throw his foe back onto the sand.
"Is it just me, or did that bring back a twisted sense of déjà vu?" Gian grumbled as his arm healed. On the opposite side of him, Mr. 0.5's response was to simply snarl as his horn flashed with energy before firing off a large Lava Pulse. Another clash of beams occurred, before the unstable masses of energy blew up in their faces, shrouding the area in smoke once more.
"Great… we're back to where we started... gotta play the whole waiting game again…" Gian cursed internally as he realized once the smoke cleared that Mr. 0.5 had burrowed underground once more.
But lying in wait is no longer an option.
Deep underground, as Mr. 0.5 tunneled about. His eyes were perpetually tilted upwards. To a normal person, this subterranean environment would be pitch black. To the killer however, the earth above him was detailed into an intricate map.
His horn provided leverage by feeling the vibrations above ground. From the small pitter patter of a desert scorpion, to the massive stomps of his hated foe. Every movement up above would send waves of movement through the sand, all concentrated to the tip of his horn. This is how he can pick up any movement he chooses to.
But that wasn't all he had.
Kaiju-Zoan users have a hidden gift. It may not be apparent to other humans, but those who have eaten those cursed fruits have acquired… other talents.
And Mr. 0.5 was seeing it fully right now, as Gian's massive frame was highlighted, in his vision, as a flickering flame of bright blue light.
His Aura is strong; it foretells a feeling of dominance, pride and regality. Mr. 0.5 can see it all, and there's no doubt about it.
'Beast Warrior' Gian does not deserve to possess such a powerful Kaiju-Zoan.
"Kihehehehe… Beast Warrior… this is where the true differences of our abilities lie! I was originally worried when I first believed you to have already unlocked the ability to sense the Kaiju Aura… but I suppose that was just a fit of the moment thing! Were you actually able to unlock your Aura Sense, you could've located me even under all this sand. The Full Transformations of the Goji-Goji no Mi's has much greater physical strength than my own, in a frontal fight even I perhaps could not emerge unscathed. But with my burrowing ability, along with your own arrogance, victory is all but certain for me!"
And Gian had no idea of all this, as Mr. 0.5 cackled as he tunneled towards him, intent on chomping down at his flesh once more. The rookie Kaiju-Zoan user doesn't even realize until it is too late, as the ground behind him cracked open and Mr. 0.5 leapt from down below, latching onto the other Kaiju's back to deliver a bone crunching bite to the back of his head.
"RRGGGHH… ATOM INCINERATOR!" Gian roared in pain as his dorsal fins were super charged into heated blades. This managed to stab into Mr. 0.5's stomach, causing him to screech in agony and dislodge himself.
"Keeping kicking… I like it when my meat squirm…"
"Atom Megaton Lariat!" Gian's only response was to charge forward, both arms ablaze and outstretched. Before he could slam either one of them into the killer, Mr. 0.5 tunneled under the ground again.
"Desert Torpedo Drill!" Gian narrowly avoided getting part of his side gashed open by Mr. 0.5 firing out of the ground once more, his entire body alight with an orange aura.
"Too slow, too slow! With my ability to burrow, you cannot hope to keep up with me!" Mr. 0.5 taunted as Gian reeled back.
"Dig all you want… I'm going to burn you into the sand!"
"Even with such an obvious disadvantage you're still clinging on as if you have any hope… it'd be inspiring if it weren't so foolish!" Mr. 0.5 growled "I don't even see any reason for you to get involved in the first place! What do you even hope to accomplish from this? That you'd be hailed as a savior of this country? Pathetic!"
"You are nothing more than a pirate, that fact alone will put people against you! But unlike most pirates, you carry a much more hideous curse!" Gian gritted his teeth as Mr. 0.5 charged him again, slamming his claws into his raised arms in rapid jabs, until one broke through his defenses and sent him reeling.
"You've eaten the mortal flesh of a creature known only to myth, a Kaiju-Zoan. In their eyes, you're no different than the monster whose form you took on! You know that fact well, don't you? You've seen the looks on many human faces! They may outwardly cheer you on, but inside you can see their fear! To them, you aren't 'Beast Warrior' Gian; you are nothing more than the abominable spirit of the Goji Goji no Mi!" The wide jaws of the beast opened once more, shooting the same orange heat ray that Gian had to duck under; too slow to retaliate this time.
"In this case, I would say the two of us have a lot to sympathize with in each other. We both possess this cursed fruit that make us take on the form of monsters we didn't want to be. Unlike you however, I fully embrace my identity! No more am I shackled by the confines of a human conscience; I live only to prey on those who are below me!"
"Then you are nothing more than beast! An abomination that has lacks the self-control it takes to truly control one of these fruits!" Gian retaliated, charging up a leg with atomic energy and slamming the heavy appendage into Mr. 0.5's midsection with a loud BOOM, causing the cannibal to cough out a pint of blood, glaring with unbridled fury.
"Beast?! Quite likely! It is because I am a beast that I am able to survive in this world! You surround yourself with pretense that you have nakama that care about you, you think they'd stand by you no matter what. But what's stopping them from one day stabbing you in the back, their fear overtaking their logic?! What makes you think for even one moment, your so called friends can trust that dark power of yours?! You may wish to think otherwise, but from the very moment you've acquired the Kaiju-Zoan, you are already a monster to every other person in this world!"
"That's where you're wrong!" Gian roared as his dorsal fins lit ablaze and he fired an Atom Ray, only for the Baroque Works agent to leap over the beam and land behind him.
"It's true, I have seen the look of fear in people that I wish wouldn't have to see it. I can never forget the horrified look of my adopted family when they first laid eyes upon me in the midst of a Transformation… And I can be certain that my nakama have felt the slightest worry about this state, which I can have no doubt over…" Gian's tail suddenly swung up, wrapping itself around MR. 0.5's waist. His eyes hardened as the grip tightened "But I can also be certain that I will never have to worry about them acting on their fears. Because despite it all, despite I've continuously used my Transformation, they've put their beliefs into me, and I will continue to carry them to their dreams and a ruthless killer like you is not going to keep me from that!" Spinning around on his feet, the yowling cannibal was sent spiraling off into another sand dune. An Atom Ray quickly pounded itself into the area, dealing an extra blow.
"And one more thing that is different, I am never going to let the monster decide who I am going to be. Never forget that." Gian growled as smoke billowed out of his mouth.
That was when the dust cloud was swept up, blanketing the entire area in a cover of sand. The only thing that can be heard was the whipping of the wind, and out of the silence comes the chilling voice of a hunter that's out for blood.
"Foolish, foolish 'Beast Warrior'… if you believe so much in your so called friends, then you can join them in the desert graveyard once I'm done with you! Desert…EVISCERATION!"
And Gian was immediately bombarded by an unending wave of lacerations, curtesy of Mr. 0.5's razor sharp claws and fangs. Similar to the Desert Shred Assault, this move involves the blinding of his foe first through means of sand or dust, then attacking with ferocious might.
With one very noticeable difference: Mr. 0.5 is Fully Transformed now.
In addition to being cut up, Gian felt like he was getting slammed into by a gigantic cleaver, bits of his body was literally getting sheared up, while his blood continuously drained into the sand. He was roaring in pain frustration, but his futile attempts to strike back were somehow always avoided.
"This is really bad now… It's just like before… only there's no Rumble Ball to save me now! Even with the increase in endurance this form grants me, I…I don't know how much more I can take!"Gian thought painfully.
"HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO STRIKE BACK?!"
It's said that, in one's most desperate hour, can a person pull out the the strangest ways to save themselves.
And for a monster like Gian, it would be something that would prove much more useful later down the road.
Mr. 0.5 howled in glee, leaping from the ground with fire enveloping his teeth as he tore a row of flesh away from Gian's side, and easily dodging Gian's sweeping claws as he burrowed back beneath the ground, much to Gian's exasperation. It seems that, with the blinding dust cloud along with the mind numbing pain, tracking this killer would prove difficult.
Only this time, it was not so.
For the briefest of seconds, when Mr. 0.5 returned to the ground, it was as if he left traces of himself within the sand…
And Gian was able to see that.
"Wait a minute… that last time… it was like there was a trail leading a few ways into the earth…"
And moments later, that same visual trail appeared again, only brighter this time. It was a faint orange glow, dim but visible beneath the sand.
And that glow was now moving rapidly towards him. Gian barely registered it within his mind before Mr. 0.5's body emerged once again in another bite attempt. Hastily, Gian had to tumble to the side. He was a fraction too slow, as Mr. 0.5 managed to nick off a strip of skin from his thigh, but it wasn't too deep, and it healed quickly.
And when the killer tunneled again, the orange glow remained, albeit growing dimmer as Mr. 0.5 proceeded to tunnel deeper to prepare for another attack.
"What in the world is that…?" Gian was confused. The light, although no longer as bright, was still very visible as it moved about in a pattern. He was never really the best at logical thinking, but he couldn't help to think there was a correlation between the two…
"Moments before the psycho attacked me back then, the ball of light seems to have grown larger as it came out of the ground… Wait… didn't I hear something about this once?"
Vaguely, he was able to retrace back words he had heard before. Yes, he remembered it now. Back during his conversation with Ace, the fire user had mentioned the concept of Aura. That form of energy that is unique to a Kaiju-Zoan that can be felt by others. Wait, didn't Mr. 0.5 also let it slip that one could sense the Aura of other Kaiju-Zoan users.
Could this be why he was able to trace Mr. 0.5's movements now?
It was then, that he really felt it. It had always been in the air, but only now was it brought back to his attention…
The feeling of savagery, bestial carnage, the need to consume.
And Gian remembered where he last felt it: back during his first encounter with the mass murderer.
Is this what Aura was?
"No time to think about that, he's coming back up!" in desperation, Gian watched as the orange glow grew brighter again as it raced towards him; Mr. 0.5 was surfacing for another attack. The swirling sand still blocked his sight, and as his right fist ignited into blue flames, he prayed that his hypothesis would prove correct.
Thus, as MR. 0.5 leapt out of the earth, claws outstretched to deliver another slash, he never expected to be smashed headfirst by a flaming fist. His roar of shock and pain was drowned out by the thunderous impact, and impact so powerful it cleared the artificial sandstorm away completely.
"WHAT?! IMPOSSIBLE?! HOW DID HE MANAGE TO HIT ME?!" were the killer's flabbergasted thoughts as he sailed through the sand before landing in a pile several yards out "His blow connected, even though I actively tried to impair his vision… that wretch! He got in a lucky hit! No matter, I'll just whip up another sandstorm and-" a sudden thought made his eyes widen in panic.
"Wait, that last punch he threw… it was aimed too directly at my head! With the sand obscuring his vision there's no way he could've known where to punch! But that fist was completely confident in where it meant to land… NO! It can't be! There's no way he could've sensed Aura in a split second!"
"Beast Warrior… How did you sense me…? You were able to sense Aura back there, Isn't that right?" Mr. 0.5 growled as he groggily got up. Sand streamed off his red hide as his eyes glowed dangerously. In front of him, Gian's amber colored eyes betrayed nothing, only holding a glare of contempt as his tail swung back and forth.
"I ASKED IF YOU WERE ABLE TO SENSE AURA BACK THERE, DID YOU NOT?!" The killer roared in fury.
"Is that what it is? Well, that would explain a lot." Gian snorted as he got into another fighting position "All I knew was that I was tired of getting torn to shreds, and simply wanted to return the favor. It seems like that paid off rather well."
With an angry roar, Mr. 0.5 tunneled straight for Gian, wanting nothing more than to impale him at the end of his horn. This time, the extent of Mr. 0.5's malicious Aura was on full blast, and Gian could see it perfectly.
"If this really comes naturally, it couldn't have come at a better time! Now I have nothing to be afraid of!" taking aim at the rapidly approaching orange ball of light, Gian's dorsal fins lit up for a split second, before unleashing another azure beam of light from his maw, directly in the path of the tunneling monster. The ground was completely ripped open as MR. 0.5 howled in frustration as he was blown out of the sand.
"Shit… that all but confirms it; he really is able to sense Aura now! I don't know whether he was just lucky or had it hidden this whole time, but my one advantage is gone! Whenever I get close, he just forces me away!" he then proceeded to tunnel again, only to narrowly be missed by another Atom Ray.
"In a straight up fight, the beast within the Ragon Ragon no Mi is overpowered by the beast within the Goji Goji no Mi… Even though he's still inexperienced, he's already in tune with that immense strength! Burrowing is the only method I have left, and now he can see my Aura as well! Damn you Beast Warrior! When this is over, I won't even kill you; I'll rip the flesh from your body while you're still conscious!"
Mr. 0.5 began tunneling in increasingly erratic patterns now, each one followed by an Atom Ray. Occasionally he would peek his head out to try and blind his foe with his own heat ray, but his aim was never steady due to his opponent knowing exactly where he'd pop up. This hit and run tactic is not fitting for a killer like him; he much prefers it when his prey's eyes widen with fear as they see death approaching. But this is the only option he has right now, and one that is very ineffective, as whatever blow does connect, Gian would simply heal it.
And Gian was getting tired of waiting; he's been on the receiving end for far too long, time to dish it all back!
"Playing Whack-a-mole with me now, aren't you? You underestimated me way too much now!" swinging his head in a wide arc, Gian unleashed a torrent of atomic energy from his jaws, cutting Mr. 0.5 off completely. As he sensed his aura frantically tunneling in a new direction, he steadied his breath again and aimed. This time, it would hit.
Because Mr. 0.5 only had one way to go.
As the beam lanced into the ground, it managed to smash the killer right in the left side as he tired one last attempt to escaped being cornered. Mr. 0.5's howl could've be heard all across Alabasta; the Atom Ray had incinerated a large portion of his abdomen. He was sent flying out of the sand in a violent explosion, landing ungracefully in the sand as blood dribbled out of his mouth…
"NO! He got me with that one! This wound… This wound is too grievous!" The monster tried to scramble away, for the first time in his life, Mr. 0.5 felt vulnerable. His wound was heavy, and it impaired his movement. He could sense Beast Warrior approaching as he charges up another beam of destruction.
He looked his potential killer in his eyes.
And grinned savagely.
"Kihehehehe… KIHEHEHEHE! YOU FELL FOR MY TRAP, BEAST WARRIOR!"
And that's when the ground collapsed completely underneath Gian, the monster letting out a startled yelp as he tumbled into the pitfall. Only now did he realize: Mr. 0.5 wasn't trying to avoid him by moving the way he did; he was loosening up the ground!
And all the Atomic energy he expunged only further impacted this.
With the turn of the table, Gian was on his back, arms and legs waving rapidly as Mr. 0.5 recovered just enough to laugh maniacally.
"YOU REALLY ARE NAÏVE COMPARED TO ME! YOU'VE UNLOCKED AURA, ALL FOR NOTHING! IT JUST GOES TO SHOW YOU, PREY WILL ALWAYS BE HUNTED BY THE PREDATOR!"
And just like that, Mr. 0.5 bunched himself up and leapt directly onto the larger monster's chest. He could see the telltale signs of a desperate Atom Ray, but this time, Beast Warrior would never get the chance.
With a gurgle, Gian felt the teeth of Mr. 0.5 sink directly into his throat, the pressure increasing by the second. His Atom Ray was still building up, unable to be released yet with nowhere else to go.
Air was beginning to become harder to breathe as Mr. 0.5's jaws caught his windpipe in a vice like grip. Gian's struggling was growing steadily weaker.
"I've won!" Mr. 0.5 grinned sadistically, preparing to rip his throat out.
Until he caught Gian giving off a weak grin.
"He's smiling?! What could-"
"Our current situation… really does prove what I've said earlier…" Gian wheezed, and it was only now that Mr. 0.5 noticed in horror that Gian's entire body was glowing blue. Understanding what was about to happen, he scrambled to loosen his jaws, but Gian had wrapped both his arms around him.
"Prey… always has been able to adapt in order to survive against the predator! This is why… they're aren't afraid to fight! ATOM PULSE!"
Up close, and in a Full Transformation, all the atomic build up from earlier had to go somewhere, and where else but through the pores of his skin?
In a fiery explosion, the entire pitfall caved in even further, the impact launched tonnes of debris into the air. Mr. 0.5 naturally bore the brunt of the explosion; it was as if his skin was literally disintegrating as he was blown away as the ground collapsed around them.
Whatever scream of rage and pain he emitted could even be heard over the falling sand.
The hole was still billowing smoke as the battle ended. Within the debris, two shapes finally beginning to stir.
This battle took a massive toll on both of them, so much so that either Kaiju-Zoan user had reverted back to their human forms, having too little energy to maintain their monstrous appearance.
Gian was stumbling with every second step, his vision greatly disorientated. Normally a Full Transformation would result in completely immobilization after it ended due to the sheer amount of energy expended to maintain it, yet even with that he forced himself to his feet. This fight would not be over one of them leaves the living world, they both knew that. As such, even as his whole body literally screamed at him to drop, he still gathered the remaining amount of atomic energy into his right fist to deliver one last blow.
A few ways beside him, Mr. 0.5 was in a much more devastated state. That last Atom Pulse had incinerated even some of his hide; the leather armor he once wore was completely disintegrated. Sprawled on the ground and hacking up blood. The skin on his chest and abdomen was peeling back, some red muscle was even showing.
As Gian got closer, he finally noticed the macabre environment he was truly in. This hole didn't just tunnel them a few dozen miles into the bedrock, it revealed a room. Despite the debris, the room appeared to be rather well kept. This was redundant, as the other details of within the chamber revealed what hellish environment it was meant to be. A massive row of what was meant to be a drying rack had some blacked objects on it, and upon closer inspection, Gian's eyes widened in horror.
They were bodies, some still fresh, others had begun to decay. Other traces of human remains were separated into surprisingly neat bins: bones, skulls, removed body parts and organs… What remained had been destroyed by the cave in.
And only then, did Gian realized that this is Mr. 0.5's makeshift slaughterhouse. Despite his nature, the killer seemed to keep the place rather organized. Gritting his teeth, the atomic energy in his fist grew brighter. There was no questioning it now, he had to end this abomination once and for all.
Then the killer glared back, and even Gian flinched at what he saw. The heat from his last attack had even tore off Mr. 0.5's balaclava, revealing his face for the first time.
It was unsightly; unlike a normal person's head, Mr. 0.5's head appears to be elongated slightly, with the top of the skull slightly tapered like an eggplant's. his ears were on different parts of his head, one closer to his eyes and the remaining one was located closer to the back of his head than anything else. His eyes were narrow, with a red tint but wild with unbridled hunger. The sharp teeth, filed to points, were neat and in place despite his profession. His head had no hair, though whether it was originally like so or were they burned off earlier is unknown to Gian.
"Damn you Beast Warrior… destroying my one place of peace…" the killer managed to gurgle out; his tongue had been partially melted by the Atom Pulse and speech was a bit hard to interpet.
"What the hell is this place?!" Gian shouted.
"This…? Nothing more than my humble storage… my cookhouse… AND YOU'VE RUINED IT!" the killer screeched "I was going to add you as a centerpiece to my dining table! AND I STILL WILL! THESE INJURIES WILL NOT PREVENT ME FROM RIPPING YOUR GUTS OUT!" Mr. 0.5 was absolutely rabid by this point, frothing at the mouth and charged forward, jaws agape. The toll from his Full Transformation is almost debilitating at this point; only sheer hatred fueled his charge.
But in a battle between exhaustion, the one with the stronger will is the one to succeed.
And Gian was done being pushed back as he slammed his knee into the killer; even something as simple as that made his pain receptors flare up, and he nearly fell to his knees.
Mr. 0.5 flew back, coughing up another pint of blood. Movement was too difficult right now. A dim glow caught his eye as he witnessed Gian limping forwards, flaming fist still ignited. But now, Mr. 0.5 was too weak to move, and with mounting dread knew what the result could be.
"No…! NO…! I CAN'T DIE HERE! I'M A PREDATOR, ONE THAT FEASTS ON THE FLESH OF MY PREY! I'M SUPPOSED TO SATE MY HUNGER AS THE ULTIMATE SURVIVOR!"
Flashback:
38 years ago, the boy that would eventually become the masked killer that is Mr. 0.5 had not started out that way, but his circumstance had been an unpleasant one. Born with a defect that caused his head to become misshapen, he was an outcast, viewed by all who saw him as a monster, a strange being. All, except for 2 people.
"Mother… why was I made this way… why do those people see me like this?!"
Kneeling in front of the boy was an auburn colored haired woman, dressed in nothing but stitched rags, almost skin and bones, gingerly comforted the child.
"My dear Betrugus… the words of people are packed with venom due to them being unable to see past their prejudices… it has nothing to do with you. Pay them no mind, for you are our gift, our most prized possession. And we are blessed that you were born to us."
"No! My existence has brought you two nothing but suffering! They see you has the herald of a demon spawn! I know that, I hear the locals talking about it all the time!"
"That may be so, but we will never trade you for anything!" a male voice entered. He was dressed similar to the woman, and also looked to be in poor conditions. One leg was lame, broken by an incident from ages past and now forced to use a makeshift crutch.
"Father…?"
"You are our son Betrugus that much will never change. And although others see us as pariahs, we want nothing more than to make sure that you live." The man whispered hoarsely.
"Promise us, son, that you will always be strong, you will always survive! No matter what pain comes your way!"
Betrugus could not hold back the tears as he embraced his parents. The small, fetid mud hut may be their only shelter, but at that moment it was the warmest place there is.
This family is not a fortunate one. Being simple farmers by trade, their lives were already dependent on their harvest in this small village in South Blue. The birth of their child, with his hideous features, prompted the local chief to suggest the family be rid of him.
It was only when they refused did everything go south.
The village was already fearful of the unknown, and having a child like that terrified the locals. Now, with the parents of the child refusing to disown him, they began to distrust the family as well. Seen as two devils giving birth to hell spawn, they were ostracized, driven out of their homes and forced to relocate on the outskirts, near the jungles of the island. Their old farmland was destroyed, and many a times did the family enter town to buy necessities were they treated with disdain and fear. The more irrational members have even openly tormented them, either pelting them with rocks when they spot them, vandalizing their house, or even physically assaulting them. Driven to poverty, every day is a fight for survival, but they had love between each other, and that was sometimes all it needs.
And sometimes this love is what creates monsters driven to the breaking point. 12 years after his birth, life had suddenly changed for the boy…
Betrugus' stomach growled as he went about the jungle, hoping to find some fresh fruit. Food had run out again, thus foraging will have to do for now.
Well, the day's work hasn't turned out good. There doesn't seem to be much food around, save for one interesting fruit he found. Said fruit is a big one however, easily the size of a honey melon. The strange patterns on the fruit is unlike any he has seen before either; a reddish brown skin with streaks of yellow running down the side.
It certainly does look appetizing.
Stumbling back to his home, he can't wait to see his parent's faces when they spot the large fruit. But he was so hungry, he hadn't eaten anything the entire day.
"Maybe I should just have a small bite… there's still enough for all of us!" he said to himself before peeling a bit of the fruit and taking a bite, only to receive a nasty surprise.
"BLEAH! This tastes awful!" the fruit was rancid, the horrid taste flooding his mouth as he struggled to spit out whatever he hadn't swallowed. Disappointment set in afterward; the only food he found was potentially rotten, and now it was getting late.
"Well, I guess we'll have to make do with this, I'll have to look for more tomorrow."
Racing back home, he was ready to explain his findings. What he found, however, was an unfathomable sight.
The door to their small hut was shattered off the hinges, upon closer inspection there were 3 pairs of footprints around the house.
Fear crept into Betrugus' mind as he ran towards the hut at new speeds.
"Mother… Father… what is going on?!"
And it was only when he entered did hell become revealed.
His father, lying on the ground. A bloody gash at his windpipe.
His mother, a double bladed axe buried in her back, and another one embedded in her thigh, sprawled faced down.
And within the ransacked house was 3 unknown men, all burly and menacing looking. Their leader, Betrugus assumed he was due to him looking different, had his face shrouded by a balaclava.
"Are you kidding me? This poor sack of shit has pretty much nothing in his house!" the leader complained "I knew we should've mugged one of the townspeople! At least we'll get something in return!"
"Hey, it's safer this way! Apparently this family isn't particularly liked by the townfolk! Nobody will miss em!" one of the underlings huffed.
"Still, for the newly formed Barley Pirates' first raid, this is honestly disappointing!" the remaining one shrugged "We should've waited until we got more crewmates… then we can actually raid a village instead of killing a hobo and his wife like a common mugger!"
It was at this point Betrugus' let out a scream of anguish, alerting the 3 pirates. He dashed over to his mother, shaking her frantically as if she was still living.
"Oi, there's a kid here…"
"That is one ugly looking brat…"
"Must be their son, could've fooled me from the way he looked, thought he was an alien for a while!" a malicious smile suddenly crept up the supposed captain's face.
"With how off-putting he is, he'd probably fetch a high price on the slave market! Yeah! Let's steal the kid!"
With that, hands ripped Betrugus from his mother's body, the boy screaming and kicking as he thrashed about. One stray leg smashed into one of the pirate's eyes, causing him to bellow in rage and throw him to the ground.
"You little brat! Stop moving around so much!"
"WHAT DID YOU DO WITH MY MOTHER AND FATHER?!" Betrugus shouted with grief. He once again ran at the pirates, screaming his anguish out only to be backhanded by one of the underlings.
"You can see it can't you? they're on the ground right there! Now quit being a pain or you'll end up like them!" Betrugus screamed as he flailed his arms again, not even thinking straight at this point.
"Little punk… we're teaching you some etiquette!" the captain roared before kicking the downed boy. He was then beaten by the remaining two as well.
Crying in pain, one of his eyes glanced to his downed mother, and saw that, despite her injuries she was still breathing. It would not be long before she passes, but during that time, one word slipped out from between her lips before her spirit left her at last.
"…Survive…" the woman hoarsely whispered.
Angry tears pricked his eyes as he glared up at his attackers. He couldn't explain it, but within his being it was as if there was something gathering, trying to break free.
One of the underlings threw another punch, feeling his fist impact against the boy. It was when he tried to pull his arm back when he realized it wasn't returning to him.
"You brat! Let go of my arm!" the underling shouted, but Betrugus was glaring hard at him. The pirate flinched slightly as he could've sworn that the boy's nails were growing and digging into his arm, and… were the brat's eyes glowing red?!
"You little-" just as he was about to kick the boy, a sharp pain spread through his arm; this exploded into unimaginable agony as the man screamed as he clutched his bloody stump: Betrugus had ripped the man's arm clean off.
"M-my arm…! MY ARM! WHAT DID YOU DO TO- GURK!" the man never finished, because Betrugus had pounced on him with unimaginable speed, before ripping his throat open with his right hand, the nails now lengthened to claws.
"WHAT THE HELL?! WHY DOES THIS FAMILY HAVE A DEMON CHILD?!" the second underling yelped as he drew a sabre. But he never got the opportunity to cut him down, as his abdomen exploded in a spray of blood as Betrugus sliced him from chest to belly. If was as if the boy was possessed, his movements were unnatural, and his eyes were showing nothing but bloodlust. No sounds were emitted from him, save for the grunt and yells when he threw those fatal attacks.
By now the pirate captain had realized something was up, that if he didn't get out of here he would perish here. Even as his 2 crewmates were cut down, he had already bolted screaming from the hut. But he would not escape tonight.
Not even running 2 steps did the cowardly man felt something cut below his knee, and he fell forward with a pained yell. He looked back in terror to see one of his axes embedded in his leg. Even more horrifying is the primal boy that stalked out of the hut, almost unnatural.
Then, the true horrors revealed themselves as the child began to change right before his eyes. Muscles bulged from his emaciated arms, his form gradually became hunched over. The boy's teeth lengthened and sharpened, and a bony horn pushed out of his forehead.
"N-NO! PLEASE…! STAY AWAY!"
"Hey… Pirate-san…" the boy's voice was deeper, more chilling "I haven't had anything to eat all day… I'm so hungry…"
"P-PLEASE! STOP…!"
"Do you mind... if I just… have one little taste…?"
The only thing the pirate could do was scream as Betrugus' jaws practically unhinged and he lowered his mouth to his flesh.
But the tragedy didn't end there. Betrugus had eaten something that brought him terrifying power, and true extent has surfaced and have no wish to be buried again. That day, something awoken within the boy, and immediately after devouring the pirate captain, the boy howled his grief towards the moon, before that howl grew to the crescendo of a screeching roar.
When the local Marines got to the island, they found hell. The village was razed, bodies strewn everywhere, some only partially devoured, others having only a stray limb to show they were once a whole person. The only other thing that remained was the partially devoured corpse of a dead pirate, his face no longer covered by the balaclava, a massive hole that stretched deep into the ground where the village once stood, and a stray mud house, the decaying building somehow unscathed from the carnage…
The Marines wrote the incident off as a freak accident, that a gas eruption had abruptly formed under the island and killed all its inhabitants. They've quarantined the island completely after that, and Betrugus was never seen again…
That is, until more killings happened.
Entire towns and villages terrorized, sometimes one or two people would go missing throughout the weeks, other times rows upon rows of bodies were found. All had one telltale sign: they were partially consumed.
Those who had been lucky to survive were traumatized beyond repair, but they all recall one thing in particular: a balaclava covered man, wielding dual double axes, with the appetite for human flesh.
Betrugus' killing sprees soon became the center topic of South Blue, and his name spread infamy. Donning the title of 'Hunter Killer', he had amassed a whopping 77 million beri bounty. During this time, his savagery had not dulled the least, they may have even increased. Despite this, Betrugus was not stupid, nor had he lost his sanity; he knew that he had to avoid the World Government as much as he can if he were to keep surviving. He did so by separating his killings erratically; there was never a pattern to when he would strike. Though word did eventually leak out of his existence, he made sure to be one step ahead at all times. To this end, he only rarely used his newly gained power, only in circumstances where he needed to leave no witnesses. It was also during this time that he found out what this power truly was. On that fateful day, he had consumed a rare Devil Fruit, a special form of Zoan fruit known as a Kaiju-Zoan. Information was very limited on this subject, as if people purposely did not talk about it, and the World Government seemed to purposely censor anything to do with one. What he did know is that the fruit is called the Ragon Ragon no Mi, it granted him the ability to breath a combustible material from his mouth, and most importantly allows him to tunnel through the earth. Over time, through practice he was able to use it proficiently, as well as learning all the added benefits from it.
It was through this unholy combination did the mass murderer manage to avoid detections while carrying out his work. Whenever the killings became too much, he would simply tunnel to a different island. He killed silently by dragging his victims into the ground and always finished the job quickly for prey did not need to suffer. And whenever a squad of marines did find him, they witnessed firsthand of the terrifying power he had in his arsenal. He made sure the Marines never gotten wind of this power when he did use it.
Betrugus became a monster, a title granted to those who have witnessed his bloody reputation, and a title he took in with relish. For another 24 years, South Blue was bathed in blood whenever the killer got hungry.
It was a fateful day, when Betrugus took the mantle of Enforcer of Baroque Works. He was completing another "hunting" trip; that fisherman never knew what hit him! He had set up a temporary hideout on the north side of this island, hidden from view by rocky canyons. It would serve as a hideaway before the Marines get wind of his whereabouts again. Today, it appears he has guests.
"Hunter Killer' Betrugus… It seems that word of your reputation were not exaggerated." A deep voice stirred the killer from his feeding. Standing atop the cliff side was the hook handed pirate, along with his partner.
"My, my… I must be getting popular… to think that 'Sir' Crocodile of the Shichibukai would think about paying me a visit!"
"So we're really going to consider him for a part of our organization, Crocodile." The woman beside the Shichibukai noted "We were recruiting bounty hunters, not people who kill indiscriminately. Kaiju-Zoan or not, he could be trouble for us."
"Careful there toots, I may have just had my lunch but I'm not opposed to have seconds…" Betrugus growled, before recognizing who the woman really was "Oh… well, that is unexpected! I would've never expected the 'Devil Child' to be in the company of a Shichibukai!"
"Her association with me has her benefits, she has been quite useful." Crocodile smirked "Just as I assume you will be."
"I take it this isn't just a courtesy visit then?"
"Believe me, most people wouldn't want to be associated with you. However, rumors of your talents suggest you will be a good addition to Baroque Works. My organization will eventually bring about events that will shake this world, and I have reasons that you will be a worthy addition to my cause."
"Well, then I hate to break it to you. I've been solo for the last couple of years and have no wish to give up my independence. I'm not some bounty hunter you can sway with money, so get lost. I have no wish to work for anyone, certainly not for one of the World Government's dogs."
"I expected as much. Then you'd be disappointed to find that when I want something, I don't take no for an answer" Crocodile sneered as sand began to gather around him "You will come with me, whether or not-" he did not finish as Mr. 0.5 flung one of his axes towards the pirate, the blade embedded in the man's forehead.
"Interesting, I guess I can add killing a Shichibukai to my list now-" the body dissolved into sand before drifting away, and Betrugus suddenly ducked as a golden hook lashed out from behind him.
"Not bad… you could be useful with just those skills. But you've yet to reveal your powers." Crocodile sneered as he reformed "I came here to find a Kaiju-Zoan user, I would much prefer it if you show me."
"I don't have to use it to rip your guts out!" Betrugus snarled before rushing forward to slash with his remaining ax, only for Crocodile to turn his body to sand once more. Every other strike he threw were the same result; Crocodile's intangibility made him invincible in this skirmish. The end result was Crocodile delivering a swift kick towards the killer's temple.
"Perhaps I was mistaken… oh well, I'll just look for someone else that can fit the bill then." Crocodile shrugged.
The ground exploded, before a massive red beast emerged from the resulting smoke. Crocodile grinned as he finally saw what he came for.
"YOU WANT MONSTEROUS?! THEN DON'T REGRET IT WHEN I DEVOUR YOU WHOLE!" Betrugus bellowed as his maw opened to fire an orange heat ray, only for Crocodile to swirl around and avoid the massive blast. Betrugus attempted to bite down at the President of Baroque Works, but only got a mouthful of sand as a result. He roared in rage before tunneling into the ground as Crocodile stared as a crack bulldozed towards him.
"This power… it really will aid in my plans!" the man cackled before placing his hand to the ground. He first needed to tame a beast first.
"Ground Secco…" the ground beneath his palm suddenly dissolved into sand, the surrounding vegetation all drained of their water.
"Ground Death!"
A sudden howl of agony was sounded as Betrugus burst out of the ground in front of Crocodile, his Fully Transformed body shriveling up as the moisture was drained from it. He fell, severely dehydrated and returned back into his human form. Crocodile walked over and picked him up with the hook around his collar.
"Your Kaiju-Zoan powers are indeed useful. You will be a fine addition for my plans. But as you can see, even you are no match for me." Betrugus attempted to growl at the statement, only to be flung down hard against the canyon walls. For the first time ever, he was at someone else's mercy.
"Yield… and join me… or I cannot guarantee your survival." Crocodile snarled.
"S-Survival…" Betrugus' seethed. The one word that has meaning to him. Everything he does is for survival… he's a beast against the world and will do anything to survive.
"Y-you will not curb my hunger… I will continue to feed, even if I work for you…"
Crocodile smirked before releasing him, dripping a vial of water on the dehydrated man as well.
"I do not plan to, your ruthlessness and your unhesitant feelings towards killing will make you rather efficient for my goals. As long as you work towards my goal of the takeover of Alabasta, you can take as many lives as you wish."
"Tch, you don't give me any options do you?" Betrugus sighed before resigning to his fate. Crocodile only smirked: his plan was one step closer.
Joining Baroque Works turns out to actually be more beneficial to Betrugus than he originally believed. Because of Crocodile's Shichibukai status, he, along with all his subordinates, are granted immunity so long as they don't undermine the World Government. The officials were originally appalled by the idea of the mass murderer under the hand of a Shichibukai, but Crocodile ensure them that he has him under control. Although the killer's violence results him as working as a solo agent, the titular Mr. 0.5 was highly efficient.
To this end, the missions he was given were those that involved the removal of criminal groups. No one would mind them gone, and Betrugus had a steady stream of prey. The termination of unruly agents were also a plus; Crocodile has no need for those that were expendable after all. Despite this, his bloodlust sometimes still seep through, and he was quick to make it known. The moniker of 'Red Beast' was given to him by the Alabastan locals who has witnessed his Full Transformation within the desert sands, a title he embraced with relish.
The other agents, saw him as something to be feared. While the Mr. 1 duo were wary of his reputation, they were indifferent to his presence and pulled their weight regardless. Mr. 2 was more scared of him, but mostly willing to work together. Mr. 3 and under however, were terrified of the man, knowing what would happen to them if they ever lose their usefulness to Crocodile.
Miss All-Sunday was mostly indifferent as well, though her limited knowledge of Kaiju-Zoan powers made her wonder what else was coming.
Within the Organization, Betrugus was at home. He was no longer a pariah, but now the monstrous killer that is Mr. 0.5.
Flashback end
"That's right… I'll survive… I'LL SURVIVE!" Mr. 0.5 thought as Gian stepped closer.
"You've called me a beast before… then you should know what happens when a wild beast is cornered! Unlike you, I have no morals to which restrains me! I'll do whatever it takes to continue surviving!"
Just as Gian was about to raise his fist up, Betrugus spat out one last Lava Pulse. The exhaustion from the aftereffects of a Partial Transformation made it so that that the aim was way off, but it was enough for Gian to lean back in an attempt to avoid it. This, was all the time he needed. Using the last of his strength, Mr. 0.5 Partially Transformed once more.
"I WILL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO SURVIVE! I'LL DEVOUR YOU!" The killer roared as he thrusted his horn forward in an attempt to catch Gian off guard "DIE!"
The sudden flash of Aura made Gian realize what was coming. There was not enough time to completely avoid the move. Atomic energy somehow managed to envelop him again, forming his own Partial Transformation. In theory it shouldn't be possible, he shouldn't even have any energy at this point. But, it's like Betrugus said.
He needed to survive too.
His right fist enveloped in atomic energy as he threw his punch at last.
SQUEALCH!
The two were completely locked together, neither of them were moving. Or, at least no one wanted too.
Mr. 0.5's horn was buried in Gian's collarbone, it was a grievous injury, but one that could heal with rest. His own however, could not.
Gian's fist has plowed through his stomach, ripping a hole into it. His organs were being roasted at this point.
"I…I… can't survive no more…" even then, that thought was still the only one on Betrugus' mind.
Finally both Kaiju-Zoan users dropped to their knees, their transformations dissipating.
"You… will never… kill another person again…" Gian wheezed as he withdrew his arm "I… will never end up like you…"
Then Betrugus gripped his arm tightly.
"Really now…? Kihehehe… yeah, that's right… you won't be me…" the killer's eyes were glazing over, but a manic fire was still lit within "You'll be so much more…"
"W…What's that…?" Gian whispered hoarsely.
"This… is only just the beginning… By now… you've probably heard Nico Robin's monologue about Kaiju-Zoans… right?!"
"..Nico Robin…?" Did he mean Miss All-Sunday? Is that who she was? The name sounded familiar, but Gian couldn't place where he's heard it before.
"Yeah… that woman…she knows more than she lets on…" the killer paused as he vomited out a sheet of blood. "But she's right… the two of us… we're just 2 monsters on a grand scale chess board… soon, the Kaiju will all return… their age… an era now unknown to the world, will be reminded to them once more…!"
"W-what are you saying?!"
"And you…" Betrugus continued, ignoring his question "You will one of the biggest of them…!" he broke out into broken laughter "I'm just one monster of many, but you? You won't be a mere monster, no… you'll be a destroyer…!"
"The oceans will boil… the land will quake… and soon, entire countries will lay waste at your feet…! What will you do… when your nakama lay dead as you raze everything! You… and other Grand scale Monsters… will tear this world apart…"
"WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?! WHY AM I A PART OF THIS?!"
"Kihehehe… I don't know what's to come either… and I can't offer you anymore… I no longer have time in this world…" Betrugus wheezed one last time "Just know that, one day, you along with those other monsters… will send this world to Hell… and on that day… I'll be the first one to greet you…"
Then Betrugus, the killer, the monster, finally breathed his last. A killer that once terrorized all those he came across was finally removed from this world.
A/N: Yeah, this is a massive chapter.
But it's out of the way now! I never expected it to take this long! But soon, the Alabasta Arc will be finished and we can move on at last! All we have left is the final battle with Crocodile, some exposition for recent events, as well as the introduction of our beautiful archeologist!
G: Wait… am I actually going to have a decent conversation with her for once?
You'll see. All that should take one more chapter!
After this point, you can expect the Kaiju-Zoans to start having a bigger impact in the story. With the final scene of the chapter, you will see that Kaiju-Zoans are not exactly a very popular topic for the World Government. I'll also reveal a little spoiler. There will be another Kaiju-Zoan user in the Skypiea Arc, I'll let you all guess what monster he might be, and what role he'll play!
With that, I'll conclude this chapter and let you read through it!
Responses to Reviews:
To Chance Green G King:
You got Triton spot on actually.
As for the Blade Point, it wasn't exactly based off of Gigan, but Gigan does have a role in this story, in a pretty important part as well.
To Matt:
Everything that happened here, happened.
To Mr. FanficGuy:
Glad you think so!
G: At least some people like me!
To Tamagat:
I've seen the chart before. It's pretty interesting. As for size, I'm also going to change it a bit. The smallest Kaiju-Zoan user is just a few feet under Oars, while the largest is a bit bigger than Sanjuan Wolf. Gian is bigger than Oars, but smaller than the latter. Mr. 0.5 (Betrugus) is one of the smaller ones, mostly due to Baragon also being quite small.
To anquan16:
If I'm willing to continue down that path, then maybe.
To Vergil Leonidas:
Glad Triton has somewhat of a fanbase.
T: Hey, there's people who like me too!
Yeah, and- wait what? What are you doing here?!
T: Oh, Giant told me about this place that's after the story, and considering I don't have a constant amount of appearances I thought I'd check it out.
G: See? told you you'll love it here!
What have you done…
Anyway, Triton's role would be expanded more nearing the end of the timeskip.
As for the Rumble Ball idea, it probably won't be used as much as you'd think. Usually it's like an emergency thing to begin with, at least that's what I'm counting on, and so there shouldn't be too many forms.
The part to kill off Mr. 0.5 was also a thing I thought about. I envisioned him alive later on as a part of Crocodile's posse in Marineford but I just couldn't, it doesn't help I've got multiple Kaiju-Zoans planned for that as well…
0.5: Yeah, right. You just wrote me out because you wanted some bloodshed.
Well, this isn't exactly a child-friendly… HOLD ON, WHY ARE YOU HERE TOO?!
0.5: I'm here to collect my pay, now that I have no more screen time I feel like I should be a regular in these reviews.
I don't pay any of you…
G: give him something, he was pretty important in this part.
Don't you two hate each?
0.5: no… you wrote us that way, offstage we're actually pretty good pals.
G: Yeah, he's a pretty chill guy. We're gonna get along great.
… Is every other Kaiju-Zoan OC I write about going to show up here?
G: You have no idea.
To LapisBizFTW:
Remember, I still have to build up to that. We don't want to rush things here, do we?
G: I still gotta take her out to dinner first.
To JayH120:
All the Gian and Robin stuff will happen in a Chapter or 2. And the Rumble Ball was given to him at the start of the Arc, I'm just using it now.
To pokemonking0924:
It's coming up very fast. All the Kaiju things!
To Maximusace9:
G: We are adding Jojo references to this story. Definitely.
I… am actually not opposed to that.
To 6BlueSweaters:
For now, that's all we can do. But as you'll see, the recovery time is getting shorter as he gets more adapted to his power.
To Lucas FTW:
You can count on it, Kong actually is a pretty important figure to one of the characters I've talked about briefly.
And that's that! We'll see you next time!
Leave a review so that the other guess stars will show up again!
T: I'd love to see you all again!
0.5: Please! I have no work after this so the fan meetings is all I have!