Chapter 4: Declaration of war

The grandline has always been the destination for any sea traveling adventurer and Akura's crew was no different. After three years spent exploring South blue, clashing with pirates and evading the marines they decided to take a venture at the world's most dangerous sea. In the last years their crew became accustomed to the pirate-like life. It wasn't easy entering the grand line. To most people it was suicide, however Jadu – their overconfident navigator- took it as a personal challenge and succeeded in bringing them to the grand line mostly in one piece. Their ship Hellfire sustained some damage and they had to dock at the closest island. Fortunately, the island they landed on was one giant city called Evergrand. It was a perfect opportunity to restock their supplies and fix their ship. They split into three teams, Leon went to buy supplies to fix the ship, Nana went to restock the kitchen's supplies and the last two excitingly went to explore the city.

Akura and Jadu rushed to the city center with childish excitement. Jadu wasted no time flirting with the ladies while Akura searched for the high point in the city to get a bird's eye view of the island. While the youngest of the crew were fooling around, Leon was annoyingly bargaining with a carpenter. He was in the middle of bargaining when the air shifted in the market place. The people around him tensed and the jolly atmosphere disappeared without a trace. It didn't take long to spot the cause of such a shift.

It looked like a regular fancy carriage however instead of horses, muscular men were used instead. The coachman had no problem treating them as horses. Every time they slowed down he whipped them without care. Evergrand's inner city was known as Paradise. It was home to the cities' noble and the largest slave auction in the grand line. The slaves in Paradise were top tier which naturally attracted the highest nobility in the world the celestial dragons. Leon was unfamiliar with such a scene so unlike the rest of the town's people so he couldn't hide his digest, however he didn't let his emotion get the better of him. Leon always had personal problems when it came to people degrading others and such things made his blood boil with rage. He couldn't afford to be a righteous person, so he ignored the scene in front of him and kept examining the carpenter's merchandise. Only fools could afford being righteous.

Jadu on the other hand was having the time of his life. For a thief like him Evergrand inner city was truly a paradise. Just a few hours in the city and he was four times richer than he was before reaching the island. A master thief like him had no problem scamming foolish nobles. Nobel ladies were especially easy targets. They were blinded with his rugged good looks and easygoing charm. He was shockingly different from the noblemen they were used to which only served to pique their curiosity about the handsome adventures and his merchandise. He managed to trick one woman that a smooth looking rock with a blue tint was a rare gem from a dangerous island that he bravely survived. He was a citizen of Ladrones after all. Spinning lies and tricking people was his second nature.

While the crew of the hellfire spread across the city, their captain's luck led her to the most dangerous place in the city. Paradise's Auction house was a sight to behold. It was a massive mansion plated with gold. After all It was the only place worthy enough to host the celestial dragons. It was the tallest structure in the city. Its impressive height was what pulled Akura to it. She climbed right to the top and enjoyed one hell of a view of one of the richest cities in the world.

While Akura was enjoying watching the sunset, a lovely sound drew her attention away from the beautiful sight . Someone was singing along with music. The music was like nothing Akura ever heard before. It was gut wrenching and downright depressing. It forced tears out of her eyes and ruined her jolly mood. With an annoyed expression she followed the source of the sound to a fancy guest room inside the auction house. The source of the heart wrenching melody was a golden haired woman and her lute. The woman sat inside a gold bird cage as she sang that melancholy song.

" Can't you stop with that depressing song?" Akura complained to the caged women.

The woman dropped her lute in shock and stared at Akura in bewilderment. It has been years since someone entered her beside her master. The other women's inhuman appearance also left rather jaded. As a slave she had seen mermaids, fishmen, and other unique looking people, however Akura's appearance certainly was a sight to behold. With the straw-hat hanging by string around her neck, her fully grown horns were on full display alongside her wings.

" How did you get here?" They were on fifty-fifth floor . For someone to climb all the way here was impossible. Was it a devil fruit? or did she actually fly up her with those wings of hers? They didn't look like they could carry her weight. Unable to hold her curiosity she asked.

" Did you fly up here?"

Akura's annoyed expression turned gloomy. Of all the things she had to say, she had to point out that one. As a child Akura remembers flying above Jigoku's forest. It was one of the few times she got to see the sunlight outside the permanently-dark forest before living with Leon. It wasn't until human children attacked her that she permanently lost that ability. Her wings stopped moving after that accident. The lack of medical attention only made it worse. It was one of the few things that could get her depressed just thinking about it.

" No, I climbed up here….. I can't fly…"

" Oh so are those wings an accessory of sorts?" Could that woman be just a regular human with an odd fashion statement?

Her words only added salt to Akura's old wounds. " what?! No they are fucking real. See." she got defensive and approached the caged women who was frighted with Akura's sudden behavior.

Akura turned her back toward the woman to show her the bones extruding from her spine that was covered with feathers. " See one hundred percent nature." She proudly stated. " The horns are real too." She pointed at the horns that were mostly hidden under her thick bushy hair. " and the tail too." The woman was shocked that what she assumed to be a belt of sort was an extra pointy appandage.

The woman stood stunned at Akura's rather childish response. To approach a stranger without a care in the world. Even her master wouldn't approach her so casually. She might be caged but that didn't mean she wasn't harmless.

" What are you then exactly?" She couldn't see any gills so she wasn't some weird fishman species.

" I am Akura…..I am a pirate… sort of. We are still debating. But being a pirate would be so cool right?" She completely misunderstood the women's meaning. Most people assumed her appearance with just an odd fashion statement of sorts. She wasn't be the first pirate to emulate the devil.

" No, that isn't what I meant. You are not human, right?"

" I don't know… who cares?" After spending a few years on the sea Akura no longer cared about what others thought of her appearance.

The woman chuckled at Akura's casual reply. Her master and slave traders would certainly disagree. An exotic creature like that would be sold for a haffty price. The rare the creature the more that bastards wanted. She knew that fact all too well. The moment the thought entered her mind she panicked. " You should leave quickly." If her master caught he would definitely want to add her to his collection of pretty slaves .

" Why? I just got here…." She suddenly remembered why she was here in the first place. " wait, why were you singing that depressing song. It was such a mood damper." The song totally ruined her fun. " Sing a better song " She demanded another song.

The woman sighed. " No, you must leave…" She didn't want another person to share the same fate.

Akura clearly misunderstood the woman's intentions. " I don't want to." She childishly pouted and sat on the ground.

" You don't understand they are going to catch you if you stay any longer. You better leave before they come back."

" Catch me? Who are you talking about?" Why was she so agitated?

" My master is a celestial dragon who likes collecting pretty women as slaves."

"Oh a dragon? Does he have wings too?" Akura naively asked.

The woman almost fainted in shock. The idiot didn't know about the celestial dragons. What rock was she living under?

" No, he is a dangerous man. He will cage you just like me for his own amusement." She tried to explain how dangerous this place is.

Akura frowned. She was slightly slow on the uptake. The cage looked beautiful with silk cushions on it's floor. She naively thought the woman was lexiary sitting there. " So you can't get out of here." She tried to push the cage's look but it was firmly locked.

The woman nodded with a depressed look. The cage was as large as a small room, however it was still a cage.

" Why don't you get out of it then if you dislike it so much?"

The woman almost wanted to pull her hair in frustration. " if I could I would have!" She angrily shouted at the stupid girl.

" Oh, but you smell strong? I thought you could just….." Akura casually approached the cage door and with one strong pull she broke off its hinges. The woman pewilldarnely stared at the girl 's casual act. Despite it's golden appearance the cage's bars were made of steel. There was no way a petite woman could destroy so easily.

" now you can come out… ...what is your name ?"

"... Lyre..my name is Lyre." It has been so long since someone asked for a name she almost forgot it.

" Lyre, do you want to sail the seas with me?"

Lyre was in a daze as she stepped out the cage that has been her home for years. The chain around her ankles slowed her down, but she managed to walk outside for the first time.

" Sail?...be a pirate?" At the moment Lyre was just happy to be able to move outside her cage. She didn't even dream of leaving that wretched island.

" Yeah, it is going to be a ton of fun. You could sing all kind of songs together." Akura was excited to have someone to sing with. Leon hated singing, Jadu only sang weird songs about love and Nana only sang lullabies that put her to sleep.

The sound of familiar heavy footsteps snapped Lyre out of her daze. " Oh he is coming ….you need…." Before continuing her warning door was opened and a chubby man with a fishbowl on his head stepped inside the room. The moment he saw the scene in front of him he was dumbstruck. His beautiful songbird was out of her cage and a woman with a vivid crimson feathered wings stared at him.

" Who the hell are you?" Akura grumbled in annoyance. She was so close to getting Lyre join them and fatto rudely interrupted her. " Get out here you unmannered goat." Even she knew to knock before entering someone's bedroom. Something about that man ruffled her feathers and it wasn't just the way he was looking at her. it was something different that she hadn't experienced before in her life. She wanted to attack him the moment she sensed him. It was instinct in her that scream that he was an enemy which didn't make any sense. She never met that man before and he looked so weak that kids back home could beat him up with ease.

" GUARDS" The man screamed and a dazon of armed men appeared with their swords drawn. Lyre was scared, but she was also furious. She just got out of that damn cage. She would die before going back there. She cautiously looked at Akura who seemed oddly agitated.

" Capture both of them and be careful. I don't want ruined toys." The man haughty ordered.

" Oh fatty, you are so noisy. Who the hell do you think you are?" Akura tainted the arrogant man. Who was he calling toys?

Lyre turned pale at Akura's careless words. Angering a celestial dragon was a sin, mocking them would certainly be a death sentence.

The man's turned uglier. " You are lucky that I like pretty women….. will you still be pretty without your sinful tongue."

Lyre grabbed Akura's arm in warning. It would do her no good to further angry her master.

" We are terribly sorry master. please forgive us. That girl is just stupid and don't know who are you.' Lyre kneeled and started begging the celestial dragon for forgiveness. she attempted to force Akura to kneel with her but it was like moving a rock the girl wouldn't budge.

Seeing his beautiful songbird on her knees always pleased him." We will see my golden bird. We might spare her life but her tongue would have to go." That filthy tongue that dare insult his greatness.

The instinct that urged Akura to attack the man went crazy after Lyre's terrified and submissive action.

" Kneel you ungrateful bitch." The man ordered, however the moment he met Akura gaze, his heart fell into his stomach. In his entire life he never felt so terrified. His guards were armed and strong. Some of them even had some devil fruit. Such things should bring him camfort, however her gaze scared him. He instinctively hid behind the marine captain, Bashan. The marine captain sensed the shift and the room and his grip tightened around his sword. He had to remind himself that wielder of the mera mera no mi. He had nothing to fear from a young girl.

" Lyre, is that celestial dragon you spook of earlier?" Akura's tone of voice scared Lyre. It was filled with something dangerous that worried her.

" Yes, you must knee." She tried to be forced to ground beside her again but was no use.

Akura tilted her head in confusion." He looks nothing like a dragon. Is there more pig if anything? Oh, yes a celestial ugly pig."

Bashan who had been silently standing almost dropped his sword. As a marine captain he was tasked with protecting the celestial dragon during their stay in Evergrand. It was one his most hated tasks, however he didn't have the power to refuse. During the bastard's stay, he personally witnessed the celestial dragon cruelty and arrogance. Many times he wanted to curse at him or burn him to crispy, but he knew the consequence of such actions so he kept his mouth shut. Seeing someone insult his without a care in the world was invigorating , but he was also terrifying. That asshole had the ability to buster call that damn island on a whim.

Bashan unsettled his blade and ignated in flame in an attempt to scare the mad women. He couldn't attack since the bastard wanted her unharmed so his best bit was to scare however his plan backfired. Akura used to be scared of fire. It brought alot of unpleasant memories of her childhood. As she grew older that fear faded, however the memory of getting attacked with fire only increased her anger.

" Who are you trying to scare with the punny flame of yours, grandpa?"

Grandpa?! He was only twenty-two. His hair wasn't even that white and he certainly didn't look like an ealdry.

" I don't want to hurt you please stand down and come quietly." he gently warned however it was no use.

" Get that monstrous bitch." The celestial dragon barker and his words set Akura to action. In the blink of an eye. She dashed and stood right in front of the sad excuse for a human.

" monstrous? sure, I WOULD SHOULD SHOW A TRUE MONSTER." without hesitation she rammed his head to ground breaking the fishball and scaring his ugly mug .

Bashan and his men stood in bewilderment. How can someone be that fast? He was a bloody captain and a logia, but he didn't even see her move. He quickly snapped out his shock as the reality of the situation sank in. SHE ATTACKED A BLOODY WORLD NOBLE. Without match though he attacked with his flames. She needed to die or else everyone on this island would be screwed. The flame latched into her wings surprising Akura who was burning with rage, however confusion took over as her wings absorbed the flame without any pain. What the fuck was that? Akura was familiar with how her wings reacted to fire, however that fire felt different. It came out of that man's body and it felt strangely familiar. Bashan was also shell shocked this was the first time his flaming slash didn't work. The word Haki came to mind however he didn't dwell on it.

" Surround her." He ordered his men.

" AKURA." Lyre screamed deafening the men in the room and knocking a few of them. During the commotion she managed to remove her seastone and unleashed her devil fruit powers for the first time in years as an attack.

" Damn, the songbird is freed." Bashon was used to seeing the slave women weak chained that he forgot why they kept her chained in the first place. As the user of oto oto no mi, she wasn't to be understated.

Using the momentary distraction, Akura jumped over the guard and grabbed Lyra before dashing toward the balcony.

" After them." Bashon tried to follow them but another deafening sound wave stopped him in his tracks.

" Akura,wait …" before she could continue, Akura threw Lyre over her shoulder and leaped to the outside world. For a moment Lyre caught a glance of the beautiful sunset and was mesmerised before screaming in absolute terrior as they plummeted to the ground. Akura used her Corseque blade to nail the two of them to the building wall. They got dragged a few floors before the blade stopped their fall.

" Damn, Akura. Couldn't you warn before jumping from a fifty story building. my life flashed in front of my eyes.

" Sorry…. " If she wasn't carrying Lyre, it would have been much easier to climb down but before they could continue their argument. a flaming fireball was headed their way. With a loud scream the two jumped inside one of the rooms and a pursuit ensued inside the auction house. Bashon and his men pursued the two women all night, but the winged woman was a slippery one. She hid in crazy places and her brute strength was inhuman. She broke walls and floors. At sun rise, the auction house of paradise city was an absolute wreck. The marine had to evacuate the building in fear it might collapse.

With bated breath the two women managed to arrive to the city's port.

At the sight of his captain and her companian Jadu whistled. " Oh, Akura. Who the beautiful angel with y…" Akura interrupted by pushing him back inside the ship.

" are the others here yet?" An impatient Akura asked as she placed an unconscious Lyre on the deck. Jadu nodded his head. " take care of Lyre-Chan's injuries while I find Leon to set sail."It was nothing new for his captain to cause havoc, however it was the first time he really wished she hadn't. They were in world noble's territory, not just another run of the mill island. Jadu fears came to fruition when saw the familiar brand of the celestial dragons on the blond woman's back. His heart sank into his feet. When he decided to join Akura's crew he expected to make enemies with a few marines, not the entire world government!

Akura returned to deck with a worried Leon not far behind. " a strong logia fruit user in following us along with a group of high ranking marines we need to set sail immediately."

" what have you done now,Akura?" Leon inquired as he prepared for them to set sail. Before she could explain she was interrupted by panicking Jadu.

" she kidnapped a celestial dragon bloody slave!"

" No, I didn't"

"yeah you did, you fucking idiot. You made us enemies of the world government."

Jadu's outburst caught her off guard. She was used to him being her partner in crime. Leon was usually the one who scolded her. It honestly pissed her off. Why was he so bloody scared? The moment they sat sail to the sea they were ready to make enemies with anyone as long they got to have a grand adventure.

" I don't care. Lyre-chan is not a bird and wouldn't let her be caged. I will beat anyone to death if they say otherwise." to steal a person's freedom and to treat them like a pet was something that rubbed her in the wrong way. It made her blood boil with uncontrollable rage.

" This is just how the world works, Aku-chan." Jadu felt helpless under her burning gaze. He could never say no to his beloved captain.

"Then I don't like the world. I will burn to the ground if I have to."

Such childish words coming from a full grown adult. Jadu could only laugh. His captain was hundred percent serious with her threat and what scared him more was his desire to see her do such that. Burn that world to ground with hellfire.

He looked at Leon for support but their first mate response surprised him.

" Akura, tell Nana-San to make dinner for our new guest. " This was the first time Leon didn't scold their captain for making a mess of things. Jadu sighed helplessly. " you are just gone let her do this?"

Leon shrugged. " it was bound to happen someday…. we never officially agree on but we're basically pirates in the government's eyes and making enemies with the law is just part of the course." He always knew Akura's nature would eventually clash with the government. " and freeing someone from slavery isn't something to get scolded over." He raised Akura to be good so she wasn't the type to take injustice laying down especially when it came yo taking someone's freedom. As a child she was always trapped and isolated in Jigoku and that made her value freedom more than anyone else

A small chuckle alerted Nana's presence. " I guess we need to put on our jolly Rogers soon then." She, like Leon, expected such an outcome.

Jadu raised his hands in defeat. Seriously, a bandit like him was bound to make enemies with the world government any day now. Akura smiled knowing that her entire crew was now on board with her crazy antics.

" this Lyre-chan, our new crew member and musician." she proudly introduced their newest official member in years,

" I don't remember agreeing to join your crew." Lyre remarked as she examined her surroundings.

Akura childishly pouted. " but I already decided…. I really want a musician on my crew. Music makes an adventure tons of fun."

" Akura-Chan, you're going to be the death of me someday." Jadu mumbled with a helpless smile. was always a troublemaker but he always pulled when it became too dangerous. As a person from the slums of Ladrones, he was a survivor.

Akura frowned. " Don't jinx idiot-du . I just need to be strong enough that marines will shake in their boots at the sound of my name." The exchange between the two friends foretold the tragic and buried Legend of the Sea devils, the world's government's worst nightmare.

Preview of next chapter

" what will you do if you knew that Gold Roger had a son?"

" kill the devil child of course and save us the trouble."

The word burned the child's heart with pain and anger. A loud crush and a tall figure in a dingy coat smashed a bottle on the man who answered the question.

" you talk shit…...for someone so we...ak. If you think Roger was one…. then you never felt terror of a devil before ..." The person slur their words. " I would happily ...show... you a….DEVIL" the person's eyes had predator glim that would send any sane person running