Saiyans on the Grandline
"First one off the ship." Luffy cheered, jumping off the Sunny, as the ship was docked at Grove 41 of the Sabaody Archipelago.
As the others followed their hyperactive captain, Hachi turned to look at the crew following, wanting to set a few rules.
"Hey, make sure you all remember the grove number, okay?" Hachi questioned. "Like I said earlier, the whole archipelago is connected by a series of bridges, so you won't get lost if you remember the number you're docked at."
"Even if you do get lost, the GPS in your Scouters will lead you back to the Sunny, by following the transmission of the signal tower." Mina said.
"There's one guy that'll still get lost, even with the GPS." Ussop said.
"Yep." Chopper added, before they both looked back at Zoro.
"Huh, what's going on?" The green haired swordsman asked. Chopper and Ussop just looked away from him, and sighed in acceptance. "Hey, what was that for?"
"Hey, a bubble just popped out of the ground." Luffy smiled. "How weird is that?"
"Whoa, seriously?" Ussop questioned.
"That's so cool." Chopper added as Luffy jumped up and balanced himself on the bubble.
"Hmm…" Mina crouched down on the mangrove root, and touched the mossy grass, feeling a sticky substance. "Is this some sort of rosin?" She inquired, rubbing her fingers together.
"That's right, it's a unique rosin secreted by the mangrove roots. When the roots breathe, the air inflates the rosin as it rises out of the ground." Pappagu said.
"Wow, so this is all 100% natural." Ussop said.
"Hey." Luffy called out.
"Luffy, when did you get all the way up there?" Ussop asked, turning to see Luffy was high up in the air, standing on a bubble, but from where the others were, it looked like he was flying, the same way Kaen and the other Saiyans were.
"There's an amusement park over there, let's go, I wanna ride the ferris wheel." Luffy called out.
"Oh my gosh, really?" Chopper asked.
"Yeah, that's Sabaody Park." Camie explained. "Oh wow, I'm so jealous. See, I've always dreamed of riding that ferris wheel."
"You have? Why don't you just ride it?" Chopper asked.
"Not a chance. Don't you even think about it." Pappagu stated firmly.
"Yeah I know, don't remind me." Camie said, sounding dejected.
"If she can't ride it, does that mean I can't either?" Chopper asked.
"No, Chopper I think it has more to do with a potential kidnapping thing, then anything else." Kaen said. "Remember, Mermaids and Fishmen sell for a fortune on the black market in slave trading."
"Oh right I almost forgot about that." Chopper said, before there was a loud crash.
"Luffy, oh no, this is awful." Camie said in concern.
"Calm down he's okay." Sanji said. "Trust me, he's the last guy you gotta to worry about."
"He misstep or something?" Mina asked.
"Nyu, the bubbles don't last much outside the unique atmosphere of the archipelago, aside from being under water, the rosin will dry up as soon as it leave the archipelago's atmosphere." Hachi explained as Luffy pulled his head out of the ground.
"So Hachi, what's our objective on this island anyway?" Nami inquired. "Didn't you say something before about getting the ship coated?"
"Nyu, we'll meet up with one of the islands coating specialists and have him slap a coating of this rosin on your ship." Hachi stated. "That's all it takes, after that your ship will be fully equipped for underwater travel."
"Seriously?" Franky questioned.
"Yep, the process works wonders, even give the ship a sleek shine after the rosin dries, and it's the only way that I know of for humans to travel to Fishman Island." Hachi said. "But you don't want an amateur to do it. If it's not done right, the water pressure will crush the ship, and everyone on it."
"So I'm assuming you're taking us to someone who isn't an amateur?" Mina asked.
"Yep. He's been doing this for years. I trust him with my life, so you're in good hands." Hachi said.
"Thank you for your help, you really are a good man." Brook said. "Or should I say, a good octopus?" He quipped with a laugh.
"But first…" Hachi began, with a serious look on his face. "In exchange for my help, promise me one thing."
"Sure, what is it?" Luffy asked.
"Once we cross the bridge into town, there's a chance we might run into the World Nobles." Hachi said.
"Okay, who?" Chopper asked.
"Yeah, who are they?"
"The World Nobles. Otherwise known as the Celestial Dragons." Robin said.
"Ah, those pompous jerks." Kaen said, crossing his arms. "Eri, you stick by either mine, or Mama's sides, alright?"
"Yes Papa."
"Cool, so what's the big deal?" Luffy inquired.
"This is difficult to ask, but no matter what happens in the town, you must promise to do nothing to defy the World Nobles." Hachi said.
"No matter what happens?" Nami asked.
"Just ignore it?" Sanji questioned.
"Exactly." Hachi stated. "Even if they kill someone in front of you. Just look the other way, try to pretend like nothing happened."
Hachi turned to look at the trio of Saiyans, and despite the fear he showed when he saw the angered look in Kaen's eyes, he stood his ground and spoke with courage.
"I'll say it one more time. No matter what, you act like you didn't see a thing."
"Hachi, do you even realize who you're requesting this of?" Mina asked. "Kaen won't be able to make that promise, not even if his life depended on it."
"Well his life does depend on it." Hachi stated. "If he does anything to defy the World Nobles, or even harm them, the World Government will send an Admiral to the archipelago to solve the cause of the problem. An' they're stronger then any of the Warlords. If he were to act on his heroic heart, he'd be putting everyone he cares about in danger and signing his own death warrant."
Kaen's grip on his arm tightened, with his finger nails digging into his flesh. He was facing a tough decision right now. He didn't want to put his family in harms way, but he couldn't just ignore his instincts either.
"Kaen, you don't have to come with us if you…"
"I'll do my best to look the other way." Kaen said, interrupting Nami's concern about him.
"Babe, are you sure about this?" Mina asked. "It's harder to go against your instincts then you might think."
"I'm sure." Kaen sighed. "It might make me sick to my stomach, but I'm willing to give it a try, if it means to keep you safe."
"Nyu, good. Now, let's get going." Hachi said.
~Later~
"As Robin said earlier, the World Nobles are also known as the Celestial Dragons." Hachi explained, walking with the group, wearing a jacket that covered four of his arms, with a bandage over the mark on his forehead, with Camie sitting on his shoulder wearing a dress and heels, and Eri sitting on the other shoulder. "They think they're so much better then everyone else, they wear masks to avoid breathing the same air as us. Now remember what I said…"
"Yeah, yeah. No matter what they do, just stay out of their way." Mina sighed.
"Aside from that, there are probably a couple of other things you should keep an eye out for. Remember, this is the place where everyone gathers, before heading to the New World. In other words, like you there are a lot of big name pirate gangs around."
"Which means Marines and Bounty Hunters, are out to catch them." Mina acknowledged. "Quick question though, and this has been on my mind for a while. About the slave trading…"
"I'm afraid the law won't protect pirates from being bought and sold here." Hachi said.
"I was afraid you'd say that." Mina sighed in defeat.
"Kidnapping happens all the time around these parts, so try not to stand out." Hachi continued. "If the people realize how much you're worth, the whole island will be on you, and we'll never get the ship coated, and fair warning, the marines here aren't push overs. We're right by Navy Headquarters, so you never know which power houses might show up, but the bounty hunters here are pretty ferocious too. They're a lot tougher then what you're used to. Oh yeah, and one more thing…"
"Oh come on, we're gonna be just fine." Luffy said, before noticing Hachi's getup. "Hold on, when did you get that wound on your head?"
"Huh? Oh that, don't worry about it okay?" Hachi asked. "An' by the way, Camie isn't a Mermaid, and I'm not a Fishman. Not while we're here anyway, just pretend we're humans like you."
"What? Why would we do that?" Luffy questioned.
"Mermaids and Fishmen catch a high price on the slave trading market." Mina explained. "If Camie and Hachi are discovered as what they really are, then they might get kidnapped and taken to where all the slave trading happens."
"Oh yeah, I guess that makes sense."
"Hey I just noticed something, where'd Kaen go?" Camie asked.
"He's in my Duplication Void." Mina said, pointing to her chest, with a chain coming out of it, and connected to a choker around her neck. "He didn't trust himself not to act on his heroic instincts, so I put him in there until we get to our destination."
"Won't that mean you'll be able to make a duplicate of him?" Robin questioned.
"It doesn't really work that way. I can make a duplicate of him if I wanted to now, but the duplicate wouldn't last very long, it'd just whither away into nothing after half an hour." Mina explained. "Though… I did try one thing with a duplicate of Eri while we were at Spa Island, and it was quite exhilarating, and her duplicate lasted quite a while. Probably could have lasted longer if I continued what I was doing."
"What were you doing with your daughters duplicate?" Pappagu asked.
"That's only for me and Kaen to know." Mina smirked. "But as I said, Kaen's being cautious about breaking his promise."
"That's good and all that Kaen is taking precautions to avoid defying the World Nobles, but now I'll have to explain things all over again." Hachi said.
"No you won't." Mina stated with a low whisper. "He can hear everything that we say. He just won't be able to come out until I start pulling on the chain connecting him to my choker."
"Hey, how about we stop and get some transportation." Hachi said, noticing a shop with the vehicles they need.
"Sounds fun." Eri smiled.
"Welcome friends." The shop owner smiled. "Looking to get a bubble bike?"
"Yes please." Hachi said.
"First, let's get this young man all set up." The shop owner said, stepping up to Luffy.
"Nah, set her up first I wanna see how this works before I do it." Luffy said, pointing to Mina.
"Sure, no problem." The shop keeper said, applying some of the rosin from the ground, onto the front of an air tank, and blowing up a bubble, big enough to fit a whole person inside. "Here, hold this."
"So what do I do? Just put myself in?" Mina asked taking the bubble from the shop keeper.
"Start by pressing into the bubble."
Mina raised the bubble over her head, and pulled it down on herself.
"That's it. Slowly…" The shop keeper smiled, before Mina's head popped in.
"Whoa, this is so cool. I'm inside the bubble." Mina gasped, before pulling her arms and chest in.
"Oh, so cool. Me next." Chopper, Brook, and Luffy said in awe.
"How fascinating." Robin smiled.
"An' none of the air is coming out as I pull my body in, this is amazing." Mina smiled, curling up inside the bubble with minimal effort.
"You ain't seen nothing yet." The shop keeper said, holding up a bike without any wheels. "Here, pull this thing inside there with you."
Mina pushed her arms through, and pulled in the bike's handles, pedals, and seat, with the propeller on the back end, still outside.
"Like this?" Mina asked.
"As long as you can reach the pedals, you can drive it around all over the place." The shop keeper said.
"Mama, I wanna be in there with you too." Eri smiled.
"Nyu, up you go." Hachi smiled, putting Eri inside the bubble, sitting in Mina's lap, before the pink haired girl started to pedal and the bubble started to move.
"Wow, it's actually moving." Luffy smiled.
"Cool." Chopper said.
"These Bubble Bikes are the most convenient way to get around the Sabaody Archipelago. They rent for 500 Berries per person, but you can purchase it for only 10,000 Berries." The shop keeper said. "So how about it?"
"We'll just rent one." Hachi said.
"Wait, I've got the money I'm gonna buy one." Luffy said.
"Me too, me too." Chopper said.
"Nyu, no you don't." Hachi stated firmly.
"Let me guess." Mina said, stopping in front of them. "It's a scam to buy one, because they only work inside the Archipelago?"
"Here and Fishman Island." Hachi said, before turning back to the store owner. "We'll rent the one they're in, and two more rentals."
"I take it you're a local then. Such a shame, such a shame." The shop keeper said.
~An' So~
"Wow this is fantastic I love it." Nami smiled, pedaling her rental bike.
"Feels great, doesn't it?" Camie asked, riding the one Hachi was pedaling.
"There were all different kinds to." Robin added.
"Suddenly I have the urge to sing. Yohohoho." Brook said.
"You can't stop me, I'm gonna buy one of these." Luffy said. "Even if they only work here and on Fishman Island, I'm sure Franky could figure out a way to make it work on the water. Oh, what are those?" He questioned, running over to a food stall.
"Oh look, there's a shopping mall over there." Nami smiled, spotting a mall.
"I'd be happy to accompany you if you'd like." Robin said.
"What do you say Mina? You and Eri wanna join us for a girls trip to the mall?" Nami inquired.
"As much as I'd love to, I wanna be able to get Kaen out of my Duplication Void as soon as possible. Don't want him going stir crazy in there." Mina said.
"It's a big empty void filled with sparkling and twinkling stars and rainbows." Eri said.
"I guess exposure to that kind of view would make anyone go crazy if they were there long enough." Robin said, hopping onto Nami's bubble bike before the redhead pedaled away. "Well, enjoy yourselves."
"We'll leave the coating up to you." Nami said as they vanished into the distance.
"Oh man so much stuff. Did you know there's this thing called Bubble Packing? It makes carrying everything so much easier." Luffy said, coming back with Brook and Chopper, holding a string connected to a bubble like a balloon. "Huh, where are Nami and Robin?"
"They went to Grove30. They wanted to leave the coating of the ship to us." Camie explained.
"Oh, alright then. Where to next Hachi?" Luffy questioned.
"Nyu, we're going to Grove31. Even by bike it's a long trip, so we'd better get going." Hachi stated.
"I could easily fly us there if everyone was in a bubble like Luffy's purchases." Mina said.
"Bad idea. I've heard rumors that if a Saiyan was found and taken to the auction house, the starting price would be ten times that of a Mermaids." Hachi stated. "An' since being able to fly without Devil Fruit powers is a trait unique to Saiyans, you'd most likely be spotted instantly."
"Got it, no flying." Mina said. "But, I have a fun idea."
"Nyu?" Hachi looked at her skeptically.
"Let's make it a race. First to Grove31 wins." Mina said.
"You're on." Hachi smiled.
"Ready…" Mina began, with a smirk. "Go."
Almost instantly, they were off, pedaling as hard as their legs could push as they zipped through the archipelago.
~The Sunny~
Things were quiet on the ship, as Sanji, Franky, and Ussop remained there, or rather Franky and Ussop as Sanji went to purchase some groceries to cook some lunch for Nami, Robin, and Mina when they got back, while Franky was looking none too happy.
"Hey Franky, what's the matter?" Ussop questioned.
"I don't know. I got this weird feeling that something ain't right, and that we're gonna be in for a rocky storm." Franky said.
"You're telling me. We've got three Saiyans as members of our crew. Even as a child, Saiyans were still big news, and talk of the town growing up. The things I heard about them, make Mina, Kaen, and Eri seem like harmless butterflies." Ussop said.
"Huh? I wasn't talking about it involving Saiyans. But now that I think about it, Saiyans were big news at Water7 as well." Franky said. "Hell, there were even rumors Gold Roger had a Saiyan as part of his crew before his execution. Even Tom spoke about that."
"I just hope everything will be okay in the end. Kaen isn't exactly the type to just stay put if someone's life is on the line." Ussop sighed. "We both saw the immense strength he displayed when Eri was held at cannon point on Spa Island. There's no way he'd just sit by and let something like that happen to anyone else."
"He bent that cannon barrel like it was a piece of wire, or at least that's what it looked like from bellow at sea level." Franky said. "May God have mercy on the soul of anyone, who pushes him past his breaking point."
~With the Group~
"I'm so perplexed, what in the world is going on? We're being bombarded with bounty hunters left and right." Brook said.
"That's three times we've been ambushed now." Chopper said.
"It's because of our captain." Mina said. "They see his face, recognize him from his poster, and they wanna collect the 300,000,000 Berry Bounty on his head."
"Are we going in the right direction Hachi? All the souvenir shops have all disappeared, and all these buildings seem abandoned." Pappagu said.
"Seems like a real sketchy location for a coating mechanic." Chopper added.
"Nyu. You gotta keep in mind how huge this archipelago is. The government can't keep a watchful eye on all of it, you know." Hachi said. "The Marines won't even go anywhere near this place."
"I think now would be a safe time to let Kaen out." Mina said. "Take the reigns sweetie."
"Yes Mama." Eri smiled grabbing the handle bars, as Mina started pulling on the chain leading into her Duplication Void.
"So where are we heading now?" Luffy asked.
"Our destination is Grove13, it's right around the corner. We had to pass through Grove31 since it was the fastest route from where we docked our ships." Hachi explained.
"So if I'm understanding you correctly, then we should be close to where your coating mechanic friend is." Kaen said, flying next to Hachi's bike.
"Oh hey, you're out of Mina's chest Kaen." Luffy said with a smile.
"To put it bluntly, yes we are close." Hachi said. "We're coming up on it now actually."
A the rest of the ride was rather short as the crew came to a stop in front of a set of stairs, leading up to a building at the top curve of a root.
"Here we are." Hachi smiled.
"We made it in one piece."
"That's the shop there on top of that big root." Hachi explained as they used the bikes to fly up the stairs. "Let's hope they're still open. It's been ten years since the last time I was here."
"This place is called Shakky's Rip Off Bar?" Pappagu questioned as they stopped in front of the front door. "Hachi, I've got a sneaking suspicion they're planning on ripping us off."
"This coating mechanic isn't gonna beat us up, and take our money, is he?" Chopper questioned.
"No, not at all. They're good people. I've known them since I was no bigger then you Pappagu." Hachi said.
"You didn't say this place was a bar." Luffy smiled, running for the door.
"Well it looks like they're still in business." Hachi said, spotting the open sign. "Rayleigh, Shakky!" He called out opening the door.
Inside, they all spotted a woman holding a bloodied and beaten up man, with two more lying on the ground around her feet.
"Hey come on in, what can I get for ya?" Shakky asked, before she paused as she recognized Hachi. "Hold on, is that really you Hatchan? I haven't seen you in ages."
"Nyu. I know, sorry it's been so long Shakky." Hachi said.
"Me too. It's been at least ten years, hasn't it?" Shakky questioned.
"This sight is not helping me." Kaen sighed, looking at the bloodied man in her hands.
"Calm down Hun, I'm sure he owes her some money and she's trying to get him to pay up." Mina said.
"You're wrong, they don't owe me money, but I'm still collecting it. Why don't you all take a seat? I'll be with you shortly after I deal with these boys."
A short while later, after explaining things to Shakky, everyone was sitting around waiting to get down to business.
"Really, so you gave up the pirate life Hatchan?" Shakky asked.
"Yeah, a lot happened. Including Straw Hat here kicking Arlong's a…"
"Swear." Eri said, holding up her swear jar to him, while sitting next to Chopper.
"Nyu, fine." Hachi sighed, putting two coins in the jar. "How many jars does she have filled with swear money?"
"At least ten. Being on a pirate ship has been very lucrative for her." Kaen chuckled.
"Such a little scamp." Shakky smiled. "Anyways, I'm proud of you Hatchan. An honest life, is the best life."
"Not sure that means much coming from a woman who just shook down three men for all their money, when they didn't owe you a thing." Mina said.
"Well what can I say? Old habits die hard." Shakky chuckled. "But it's interesting that you two are Saiyans. An' it's not too often you come across a mermaid above water like this. So Camie, are you Hatchan's girlfriend?"
"Don't go overreacting Camie." Mina said, as Camie blushed.
"Camie works with me at my takoyaki stand." Hachi said.
"Oh is that all? Hey that reminds me, can I get you guys some…"
"Too late." Kaen sighed. "Luffy and Brook have already raided your fridge and pantry."
"My compliments Ms. Shakky, these boiled beans are delicious." Brook said.
"They're raiding the fridge." Pappagu said.
"Luffy, Brook, no stop it before she rips you off." Chopper said, while Shakky was just laughing.
"It's okay, you go right ahead." Shakky smiled. "Wait, I've got something for the two of you as well."
"I don't know about this." Kaen said, lighting an herbal cigar.
"Here you go." Shakky said, holding two cones to them.
"Cotton Candy?" Chopper and Eri asked, smiling happily taking them.
"How much?" Mina asked, stopping Eri from digging in.
"Why I'm shocked, I would never rip off friends of Hatchan's." Shakky said.
"Actually, Kaen here saved me from the Big Dumb Mackerel Gang, and the Flying Fish Riders earlier today." Hachi said.
"Then I guess I have more reason to treat you like royalty."
"Hey, how'd you know that was Chopper's favorite food lady?" Luffy asked, his mouth full of food. "Or that Eri would like it?"
"It was easy. You're Monkey D. Luffy right?" Shakky smiled. "Plus, Eri's a child, and children love sweets."
"Whoa, hey you know who I am?" Luffy questioned.
"Of course. Everyone's talking about your crew, and I work to stay well informed." Shakky said, going behind the counter.
"Wow, you hear that Luffy? You're famous." Chopper smiled.
"Although, I didn't know you had a skeleton in your crew, or two Saiyans." Shakky said, brewing up some coffee.
"Three, I'm a Saiyan too." Eri smiled eating her cotton candy.
"Brook, Kaen, Mina, and Eri are rather new additions to the crew." Luffy explained, hopping to the patron's side of the counter.
"Is that so?" Shakky smiled, handing him and Brook cups of coffee. "There, that should be warm enough."
"Thank you." Luffy smiled.
"I read an article about you guys recently, about the Enies Lobby incident?" Shakky said. "I'm curious how much is true. Did you guys really pick a fight with the World Government?"
"Ah who cares? It's a long boring story." Luffy said.
"From what I understand, the Straw Hats picked a fight with the World Government by burning down the flag, just to rescue Nico Robin." Kaen said.
"How do you know that?" Mina asked.
"Franky told me how he joined the crew." Kaen stated.
"Wow, sounds like you're not like most pirates." Shakky smiled. "One thing I'm curious about though. Are you related to the Navel Officer, Monkey D. Garp?"
"This is news to me." Kaen said.
"I sure am. Garp's my grandpa." Luffy said.
"That's what I thought." Shakky stated. "A long time ago, he used to chase me, all over the sea."
"Why?" Luffy asked.
"There was a time when Shakky was a notorious pirate herself." Hachi stated.
"Whoa, really?"
"Yep, it's the truth, but I washed my hands of it, forty years ago now."
"Wait forty years? How old are you lady?" Luffy asked.
"Old enough, but these days I get my kicks by cheering on rookies like you guys."
"You're looking good for your age, not gonna lie." Mina said.
"Thanks, that's sweet of you to say."
"Luffy, you better be careful. If your grandpa chased her all over the sea over forty years ago, then we might actually be talking to your grandmother." Kaen said.
"Well… Garp and I did have one night of fun and passion back in our primes that did put a bun in my oven, if you get what I'm saying." Shakky smirked.
"Ew, gross stop. I don't wanna hear about how you and my grandpa played twister in bed." Luffy gagged.
"Shakky, the reason why they're rookies is why we're here." Hachi said.
"Yeah, yeah I know. Don't waste your breath. I already know everything." Shakky said. "Unfortunately, Rayleigh isn't here right now. I actually haven't seen in quite a while."
"Huh? You're mechanic's not here? But we're trying to get down to Fishman Island." Luffy said.
"I can guarantee you he's still on the archipelago at least." Shakky said. "Your best bet would probably be to search for him in the bars of gambling houses."
"Wouldn't it just be easier to wait until he gets back though?" Luffy asked.
"Sure of course. You can wait. He'll be back eventually, but he's been gone for half a year." Shakky said.
"WHAT?" Everyone questioned in shock.
"I'm sure he's shacked up with some girl he met at a bar, can't really say I'm too worried about him." Shakky said. "It's just natural behavior, for an old ex-pirate to disappear. They go exploring, and take their time coming back."
"Wait, you're saying the mechanic was a pirate too?" Luffy questioned.
"That's right."
"Well, that's certainly a conundrum." Brook said. "But if he's not here, then I suppose we have no choice but to find him ourselves. Can you perhaps tell us which Groves we should start searching first?"
"Let's see. If I had to guess, I'd say you were most likely to find him somewhere between Grove1 and Grove29." Shakky said.
"Well we're already on Grove13. So unless Hachi saw him, we can cross it off the list." Kaen said.
"He's quite notorious. He can't relax if there's a risk of him running into the Navy." Shakky stated.
"Must have been some pirate then. Do you know which crew he was a part of before he retired?" Kaen asked.
"Why yes, he was actually part of Gold Roger's crew."
"WHAT?" Chopper and Luffy questioned.
"Gold Roger." Brook pondered. "I remember hearing of a rookie pirate with that name, starting to make it big for himself some years ago."
"He was known as, King of the Pirates. It was twenty years ago, that the Great Pirate Era, first began, at the moment of his execution." Luffy said.
"He was quite the looker too. But rumor has it, that the Saiyans who came to earth sixteen years ago, weren't the first to appear." Shakky said.
"Who else would have come?" Kaen inquired.
"I'm not too sure, but Rayleigh said that a Saiyan was a member of Gold Rogers crew, and his name was Yamoshi." Shakky said.
That got Kaen to cough as he gasped, choking on the smoke from his cigar.
"Kaen, take it easy, what's wrong. What's with the name Yamoshi?" Mina asked.
"Yeah, what's the big deal about the name Yamoshi?" Luffy inquired, sounding confused.
"Back when Planet Vegeta was still around, there were legends of Yamoshi." Kaen said, clearing his lungs. "One legend spoke of him as a hero, the other a villain. But according to my mother, they both started the same way."
"What were these legends?" Brook questioned.
"Yamoshi was an ancient Saiyan, born thousands of years go, and was capable of obtaining the power of divinity." Kaen said. "He was the Super Saiyan God, who's power could rival that of Lord Beerus. In the story where he's hailed as a hero, he fought the corrupted king who oppressed the Saiyans into slavery to do his bidding. In the story where he's a villain, he rebelled against the kind hearted ruler of the Saiyans, trying to claim the throne for himself, and lay waste to the planet. Naturally there was controversy to both stories, and those who chose which one to believe. But just like how they started, they both ended the same way. The power he wielded was too great for his body to handle, so he broke apart from the seams, bursting from the inside, like a bomb had been inside his chest."
"Hello." Mina said, smacking him upside the back of the head. "Does any of that sound familiar to you Kaen?"
"Uh…"
"Thriller Bark? The fight against Zombie Oars and Moria? Is none of this actually ringing a bell for you?" Chopper asked.
"These scars that make it look like you have stripes?" Mina asked.
"You managed to obtain power your body wasn't ready to handle, and it was starting to fall apart on you." Brook said.
"We might be Saiyans Kaen, but we still have hearts." Mina said. "You would have broken mine, if you had shared the same fate as Yamoshi."
"That is interesting to hear. I'll have to notify Rayleigh of this discovery." Shakky said. "Anyway, make sure you're careful wherever you end up looking for him. According to my network of contacts, you've got some infamous company out there. With your arrival on the Sabaody Archipelago, there are now 11 people with bounties exceeding 100,000,000 Berries on the groves. An' rumor has it, the World Government is planning on putting a bounty of over 100,000,000 Berries, on the head of the Saiyan who took down Gecko Moria. In fact, it's more then just a rumor. The World Government has already done so, but since they're lacking a picture for the wanted poster, they haven't put it out yet. I only know, because I have an informant who can get me this knowledge."
"Kaen, that's you." Mina said.
"Then I guess I shouldn't be announcing to the world, that I'm a Saiyan, huh?" Kaen asked.
"It would help things if you stayed quiet, yes." Shakky said. "But adding, Kaen, Roronoa and Monkey here to the list, that makes twelve, but officially it's eleven, so there are nine others. You had a choice to make when you crossed the Grandline. There were seven sea routes that would lead you here, and once you picked one, you followed your Log Pose the rest of the way, right?"
"That's right." Luffy said.
"Well naturally, one of these other pirates picked one of the six routes you chose not to, and trust me, they went through just as much trouble to get here as you did." Shakky stated.
"I doubt that they've taken down two of the Seven Warlords." Kaen said. "But we get the gist of what you're saying. They've each earned their bounties through their actions, and the trials they went through. So we gotta be careful, because if we're not, then we could end up in a world of trouble, we don't wanna be a part of."
~Elsewhere~
"I'm telling ya, they were crazy strong."
All was dark in the hideout of the injured bounty hunters. These were the last group who tried to jump the Straw Hat crew on their way to Shakky's Rip Off Bar, and they were no better worse for wear then the previous groups who tried. But right now they weren't focused on their injuries, they were more focused on getting someone's help to nab a couple of targets who'd caught their eye.
"Sounds like you had a rough time." Peterman, the man they were going for help, said. "So what's this, proposition of yours?"
"Right, I'm sorry sir. You see Master Peterman, I think the green haired girl with Straw Hat Luffy, might be a Mermaid, and the pink haired girl might be a Saiyan." The bounty hunter said. "I noticed something when I saw her before. After the green haired girl fell to the ground her shoe came off, and she had a flipper instead of a foot. An' the pink haired girl used attacks, that not even Devil Fruits would be able to grant to their users."
"But these strong companions you mentioned sound like they could be a lot of trouble." Peterman said. "Nonetheless, a Mermaid spotted on dray land, and a Saiyan girl discovered after nearly two decades, is certainly a golden opportunity. Mermaids are impossible to catch in open water. I appreciate all the info. You came to the right man. An' for this info, you can have 10% of their selling prices."
"Well, that's better then nothing, and it for two targets, so we'll take it." The other bounty hunter said.
"Good. Now, all I'm gonna need, is a disguise for catching them, when the time is right."