Disclaimer: I own nothing... EXCEPT THIS BATCH OF COOKIES!
"There are some things you can only learn in a storm."
~Joel Osteen
Chapter 5
The Storm, Part 2
Little Garden…
The wrecked ships were scattered on a small section of the river that cut through the island. Some of them were bobbing silently in the water, others were resting on the edge quietly. It seemed that they were anchored before the crews that inhabited them disembarked and met their doom at the hands of the island's violent nature.
Lucy and Natsu stood a couple of feet away from the ship graveyard, staring at the huge vessels with something akin to awe. The shadow of the trees, the crow of nearby birds, the growling of predators, the tense stillness – it all created an eerie atmosphere equivalent to what one might get from a haunted mansion.
It set Lucy on edge.
"Well, let's go!" Natsu cried out cheerfully, pumping a fist in the air.
Lucy gulped in response to Natsu's nauseating enthusiasm. She will admit that the entire area made her uncomfortable, and not just because she was afraid that a ghost might pop out and scare the living soul out of her, but because it gave her an awfully wrong feeling that only intensified when she caught sight of a torn flag with a skull and crossbones hanging limply on the pole of a nearby ship.
"Come on, Lucy!"
Lucy turned her attention from the eerie ships, and noticed that Natsu had already walked ahead of her and was waiting for her with a huge smile on his face and a glint of eagerness in his eyes.
She glanced at the scary ships. She wasn't afraid; she could do this. Ghosts weren't real.
Right?
Her hands fiddled with the keys hanging on her belt loop. It never hurts to be prepared, she thought as she gripped a silver one tightly.
Yuki Island…
"Where is it?!"
Raiden's grip on the mayor's jacket tightened, making the man choke as his throat closed up. The bruises on his face and the blood pouring out of various head injuries did nothing to ease the fear that gripped the heart of the citizens of Yuki Island.
After the people had been gathered into the middle of the town, Raiden wasted no time in picking out the mayor from the crowd and starting his interrogation.
An interrogation that had, so far, been unsuccessful.
No matter how many times he had asked the same question, no matter how many times he had pummeled the poor old man, he kept getting the same, choked response with the same defiant look.
"I don't… know."
Raiden growled in response. He clenched his meaty fist tightly and pulled it back before smashing it on the mayor's face, sending him flying many feet away. The mayor's body smashed against a building before slumping to the snowy ground.
Raiden was furious. One freaking month he had spent with the higher-ups all up on his ass about this mission. One month he had spent struggling with a stupid log pose that barely functioned. One month he had spent with a pissed of Tenryuubito whining and bitching about how the Vice-Admiral was taking too long to find a simple fruit.
And now - now that he had finally found the damn island - now that he finally had the fruit near his grasps, the stupid people who were most likely in possession of said fruit, decided to act difficult and refuse to tell him where they had the damn thing.
Some of his soldiers were already raiding the houses in the vicinity. He could hear them slamming doors, opening cupboards and closets, and breaking glass and throwing useless stuff around. But so far, nobody had found the one thing he was searching for.
Raiden snatched a nearby marine, making him yelp in fear over the unexpected treatment.
"Anything?" he growled in the marine's face.
The marine shook nervously and gulped before answering, "N-n-no sir."
Raiden growled and pitched the Marine away. The marine cried out as he flew in the air before sliding across the snow.
Raiden turned to glare at the citizens, who flinched in response and gripped their families tighter.
"Where is it?! I know you have it!" he roared as he approached the civilians, who took a couple of step back in fear, only to be stopped by the marines positioned behind them with weapons at the ready.
"S-sir, Please, W-we don't know what you're talking abo- Gah!"
Raiden grabbed the man that had answered by the scruff of his jacket and pulled him to his sneering face.
"Of course you do! Now tell me where that damn fruit is!"
The man could only shake in fear as he was lifted in the air by the large hand that was bigger than his own head.
When the man didn't respond, Raiden growled in frustration once again and dropped him to the ground. The man landed on his back and lifted his body by his elbows so he could sit up. But, fear paralyzed him as the Vice-Admiral towered over him with an intimidating presence that nearly made him piss his pants.
Raiden reached within the folds of his clothing and pulled out a revolver.
Everybody's eyes widened as he pointed the weapon at the wide-eyed man, who could only stare back at the gun in fear.
"Then, you're useless to me."
He pulled the trigger.
A shot rang out, echoing within the large valley before it faded away.
The Marines and citizens could only stand back in shock.
Raiden blinked in confusion. He had pulled the trigger. He knew he had. The echo of a gun was proof of that, but there was no dead body lying at his feet. In fact, there wasn't anybody there.
It was as if the man had disappeared, or never even existed in the first place.
"You should really control that temper of yours, man."
Raiden's eyes widened. Slowly, he turned his head to look behind him, and the sight that greeted him was definitely a surprise.
Thatch gripped the man Raiden had shot by his arm. He stood tall with his crew of six men right behind him, wearing a cocky expression that further angered the Vice-Admiral. Still, Raiden couldn't help but release a large shark-like grin on his features at the sight of one of Whitebeard's commanders.
"Aaaaah, Thatch of the Whitebeard Pirates. It is a pleasure to finally meet you."
"I'd say the same to you," grinned Thatch, "but it is not a pleasure meeting you."
Raiden chuckled. He turned around to fully face the Division Leader, who let go of the man he had saved and let him slump on the ground where he attempted to catch his breath.
"I heard you were a funny one," he crooned, "I never imagined meeting you in a place like this." The large man licked his lips. "Tell me, what is a Whitebeard pirate doing in such an island?"
Thatch's expression turned serious. Raiden's eyes widened slightly as the shorter man pulled out a large blade from it's sheath and pointed it at the marine.
"I'm here to protect what belongs to Pops."
Amazon Lily...
His sword would be extremely useful in a situation like this.
"Dark Ecriture: Reflect!"
Marguerite's eyes widened as her arrow was suddenly reflected by an unseen force and sent it back in her direction. She barely managed to avoid it by moving to the side, causing it to impale on the bark of a tree behind her.
'What was that?', she wondered as she glanced back at her arrow before turning back to her opponent.
She didn't understand what had happened. One minute she had the man right where she wanted, and the next, he managed to throw her off and stand back up as if his energy was completely refilled.
Which, evidently, it wasn't.
Yes, he was standing tall alright, but Marguerite could see the way his legs were trembling from the small amount of strength if took just to stay in that position. His failed attempts to hide his obvious weakness didn't do much for him.
Still, Marguerite was left baffled as he still managed to hold her back and even display unknown abilities that Marguerite has never seen nor heard of before. Saying that she was amazed by his skill and what seemed to be 'magical' talents, was an understatement even now.
"Looks like I underestimated you, Man," she commented.
The man didn't respond. He remained silent, but his sole visible eye remained glued to her own body as it stood in a crouched position, ready to attack when the opportunity presented itself.
"Your will is admirable, but I wonder," she pulled out another arrow and positioned it on her snake bow, "How long will it last?"
The man's eye narrowed. "Long enough," was his simple reply.
Sabaody Archipelago...
Rayleigh knew the moment he had laid eyes on the man standing atop the rubble of Sabaody's Marine Base, that he would bring a whole new level of chaos to the World Government from the likes no one has seen since Gol D. Roger.
It had amazed him how a random stranger that nobody's ever heard of before, single-handedly destroyed an entire Marine Base and defeated a Vice-Admiral faster than bread could toast.
It hadn't been part of his plan of the day to meet a man such as Gildarts; it had just been a coincidence. When he had first felt the rumble of the earthquake in Grove 57 and felt the massive power coming from the direction of the Marine's base, he thought, 'Why not check it out?'
And when he had finally met Gildarts and after he got over the shock of the man's similarities to his old crewmember, Shanks, Rayleigh knew that he definitely had to have this man on his side.
The man practically radiated power. A power that even he seemed to have no control over.
His personality was equally as enticing: the cheerfulness in his walk and talk, his carefree attitude over the most serious stuff, his eagerness for adventure – it was all intriguing.
Rayleigh watched from his position behind the building at the scene that unfolded in front of him with an unreadable expression. The man's daughter stood shaking by his side, obviously eager to join her father in the conflict, but knowing that if things took a turn for the worse, she would have to stand back and strike at the opportune moment.
He had known that this would happen. In fact, he had wanted it to happen.
When he had offered his two new acquaintances a tour of Sabaody, it hadn't been just to let them enjoy themselves in everything this place had to offer; it had been simply for him to discover what these people were capable of. And to say that he was pleased with what he saw, would be an understatement.
Gildarts stood threateningly over the Tenryuubito, his mere presence being strong enough to make even Rayleigh feel a small tinge of fear that he was able to easily ignore. The cracks that appeared under Gildarts feet, were enough to show Rayleigh how powerful the man truly was.
And it excited him.
He smiled.
Gildarts glared with no sense of sympathy for the shaking family that stood before him. Family that carried around people like they were less than dogs, and killed whoever they so pleased simply because they had the power to.
He had never seen such a vile example of human wickedness.
Jalmack chuckled nervously. "Just w-who do you think you're talking to, Boy?"
Gildarts gave no form of response.
Jalmack's expression twisted grotesquely, emphasizing a demonic appearance that Gildarts itched to pummel.
"I AM A CELESTIAL DRAGON!" he spat. "YOU ARE BELOW ME!"
He pulled another gun from within his clothes and shoved it in Gildarts face.
"DIE!"
Saint Jalmack didn't have a chance to finish his statement before a fist with the force of a thousand vessels connected with his face. His cheek caved in on itself. His body was lifted from the ground by the impact and sent flying.
By the time his body collided with the wall of a store building, Jalmack had already been unconscious.
The crowd's eyes bulged out of their sockets, their mouths hit the floor beneath them and they stared in shock at the unbelievable scene that had just transpired.
"Gyaaaaah!"
Saint Greta could only yell in shock and horror as she witnessed her husband being knocked unconscious by a barbarian that she had never heard of before.
"H-h-how dare you?!" she cried out.
Gildarts simply rose an eyebrow in his direction.
Following her husband's example, Greta pulled out a gun from the folds of her pockets as well. Pointing it in Gildarts' direction.
"I hope you rot in he-"
*BAM!*
Greta hadn't expected the hit to come. Maybe she had, but she had expected it from the man she had threatened. Not a strange woman that appeared out of nowhere.
Gildarts watch with unconstrained amusement as Greta's body flew across the air the same way her husband had, before colliding into the same building.
"Tch," Cana held her fist up in the air, "Annoying bitch."
Gildarts couldn't contain it: he laughed.
The crowd could only stare in shock at the insane people before them; the man's maniac laughter only adding to their suspicions of the mental instability he seemed to suffer from.
"WHAT HAVE YOU IDIOTS DONE!?"
The entire crowd voiced the exact same thoughts at the same time.
Gildarts stopped laughing and gave the crowd a curious, almost innocent, expression.
"Weee punched a couple of idiots?"
The crowd could only facefault.
"You people are idiots."
Gildarts and Cana turned to look at Cromwell, the kid whose parents they just knocked into tomorrow.
"You'll pay for this," he said with a shaky voice.
"Indeed they will," spoke an unknown, shaky voice.
Their eyes drifted to a man who stood near the scene and wore a neat suit. They hadn't seen him before, nor did they know where he came from, though thinking back on it now, Cana does believe that she had seen him standing in the background near the Tenryuubito.
It didn't take them long to notice the strange, small snail gripped tightly in his trembling hand.
South Blue…
Levy honestly didn't understand what was going on.
No, it wasn't the fact that they woke up in some random hospital in a different island that definitely wasn't Tenrou Island that threw her off. It wasn't the fact that Gajeel was the only one in the bed next to her when she woke up that flabbergasted her. It wasn't even the fact that the only maps available in this island seemed like total crap to an intellectual like her.
It was the fact that for the past one and a half hours they've been in this bar, Gajeel has drank more than half of this place's supply of alcohol.
She sat in shock on the stool next to her partner, watching with wide eyes as he downed what could be his… 50th drink? She didn't know. She had to stop counting after a while when the numbers became too much and too fast to the point that she could no longer keep up.
From what she's known of Gajeel, the man wasn't normally one to indulge himself in alcohol. Sure, she's seen him take a few drinks back at the Guild, but never to this excess.
That was Cana's job. A job that looked like it could be taken away if Gajeel ever felt this same motivation once they got back to their guild.
She glanced at the red-haired man sitting across the bar guzzling alcohol at practically the same rate as the Iron Dragon-Slayer. His dark eyes met with Gajeel's own red ones, and Levy swore she could see a spark of electricity coursing from one pair of eyes to the other.
She rolled her eyes at the lame display of masculinity Levy has been witness to for the past two days. She couldn't even go buy food without Gajeel picking a fight with the cashier because 'he looked at him wrong.'
She grabbed her own mug of alcohol and continued to watch the display with an unamused look. The witnesses that had finally begun to notice the competition between both men were staring in shock at the amount of alcohol they were both consuming. The bartender seemed to be more than distraught over the severe diminishing of his alcohol supply.
"O-oi, you'd better have money to pay-"
The man shut his mouth as soon as Gajeel's drunken glare turned towards him, frightening him to silence.
Gajeel 'tsk'ed and glared back at the red-haired man that hadn't stop staring.
"More!" cried Gajeel.
"More!" cried the man.
The flustered bartender stumbled and did what he was asked.
More mugs were placed in front of them, separated from the various empty ones that covered the entire bar table.
"More!"
"More!"
"There isn't more!"
Both contestants froze. The bartender realized his mistake and immediately backed away as he was given two death-stares that threatened to burn him where he stood. He stuttered and shook in his position before he ran to the back of the bar.
Once he was gone, Levy watched with concern as both men turned towards each other to meet one another's glare head-on.
They stayed in that same position for what felt like an eternity. Neither of them budged, and the silence that overtook the place was nearly deafening.
It was only broken by a few choice words.
"Clown-face."
"Pierced weirdo."
Stools fell to the ground and both fighters stood facing each other.
"Gajeel!" Levy cried out, standing from her own stool.
The tension in the air was almost claustrophobic. The witnesses could only stand back in shock as the scene played before them.
Despite the fact that they were used to such things happening in this bar, they were not used to seeing people face each other off with so much intensity. They were strong; their mere presence screamed it. And like hell did they want to get caught in the crossfire.
"You want to start something?" growled Gajeel.
The man smirked, "I believe I already did. I just want to finish it."
Gajeel's hands clenched into fists. "Why you-"
"Boss!"
The door to the entrance of the bar had swung open, and a zombie-like man entered the establishment, interrupting the heat of the moment.
"Hm?" The man turned to look at his crewmember that had entered, his eyes running over the other's disheveled features and panicked expression.
The man lifted a hand and pointed behind him with his thumb, "Marines have docked on the island."
The man's eyes widened slightly.
"Tch."
He glanced back at Gajeel – Levy standing right behind him, ready to hold him back if needed.
Gajeel glared back at the man, unaware nor caring of who these 'Marines' were. He just wanted to kick some ass, and he wanted to make sure it was this guy's ass he was kicking.
"Guess we'll finish this some other time," he stated. And, with a dramatic turn making his coat flap in the wind behind him, the man turned back to his crew. "Let's go men."
A group of weird looking men stood up from their seats and followed after their captain, who moved towards the entrance.
Levy sighed in relief when she realized that a fight of fists had been fortunately avoided.
Except, Gajeel was not pleased.
She didn't have time to respond before Gajeel grabbed one of the empty mugs with a large hand and threw it in the man's direction. The mug hit him square in the back of the head, creating a small 'THUNK' that seemed to echo throughout the bar.
The man stopped in his tracks.
Levy's eyes widened.
Gajeel, however, smirked, oblivious to the wave of killing intent that suffocated the other occupants of the room. Ever so slowly, the man turned his head to the side, and Levy flinched at the angry expression before her, one she was sure would give her nightmares for the next few nights.
"Gihihi," Gajeel laughed, "Why not finish this now?" He cracked his knuckles and stood up in a battle position.
The man didn't respond, but slowly, his lips turned up into a large smirk.
He turned around completely and cracked his own knuckles, "Why not, indeed."
Levy looked at both contestants with an expression akin to frustration and slight fear.
Why couldn't it have been somebody else she got stuck with?
Yuki Island…
Thatch hadn't lied when he told his men that they were easily capable of defeating Raiden's barely trained men. His eyes scanned the battlefield; 4 of his crewmembers were fighting alongside each other, while two others focused on getting the civilians out of harm's way.
Despite the fact that Raiden was known to be a strong Vice-Admiral, his men surely lacked the fighting capabilities to face Whitebeard's men.
Raiden, however, was a different story.
"Heh," he smirked slightly, "looks like you're stronger than I made you out to be."
Raiden smiled widely as well, his panting breathes were loud and the small cuts around his body were testament of his fight with Thatch for the last few minutes.
Thatch, who seemed to be in better shape than the Vice-Admiral, had only a few bruises as evidence of the current battle.
"And you're not as weak as I thought you would be," he mocked, "So, you never really answered my question: what is a member of the Whitebeard pirates doing in an island such as this?"
"Like I said," began Thatch, "I'm here to protect Pop's territory." He straightened his posture and glared straight into Raiden's eyes, "This island belongs to the Whitebeard Pirates, and you have no business here."
"Au contraire, my dear friend," said Raiden, "I am here on World Government business. Now, tell me, do you really believe that it was a smart idea telling a Marine Official that a pirate owns this island?" he spat, "We could easily arrest and/or kill everyone here for associating themselves with a criminal."
Thatch smirked, "You're not going to do that because first," he held an index finger up, "do you really believe the World Government would risk getting on the bad side of the most powerful man in the world?" he uncurled his middle finger, "And second, I'll kick your ass before I let you do that."
Raiden scowled, his body straightening up and frustration clearly evident on his face in response. "Kick my ass? You're really bold to be saying statements like that, Thatch-san."
Thatch's smirk simply held on, "I pride myself in being an honest man, Raiden-san."
Raiden chuckled, "There's nothing prideful about being a pirate. And, as much as I would love playing around with you for a while, I have more important things to get to than battle with a no-good man."
Raiden was already a huge and intimidating man. That has already been established in the past. But, his Devil Fruit form only heightened those characteristics of his appearance.
Thatch watched with slight amusement as Raiden's already-gargantuan form grew in size, his skin turned into a dark greyish color, his muscles and fat grew bigger and his fingers turned slightly pudgy and stubbed. His ears got smaller and became circular, and a large snout grew on his maxillary with two large nostrils at the end.
This, was the Kaba-Kaba no mi* that had become quite popular throughout the years since Raiden's consumption of it.
"You still feeling overly confident, Little Man?" he spoke with a deeper, more baritone voice.
Thatch's smirk simply grew in size and turned into an excited smile. He gripped his sword's hilt tightly and held it up in a battle position, "The only thing I'm feeling, my Giant Friend, is excitement."
And he watched as a red, blood-like substance poured out of the man's grey pores.
"Ugh! Gross! You sweating blood?"
Laxus' ears twitched at the sound of battle that came from the mountains as he ran through the thick forest. The large trees made it nearly impossible for him to see the valley he was headed towards, but that's where his heightened Dragon hearing came in handy.
The resonance of swords clashing, skin hitting skin, guns exploding, and men hollering was enough to start the adrenaline pumping in his veins, becoming faster and faster each second he got nearer.
As a Fairy Tail mage, he shared the same characteristic everybody in the guild held: a lust for battle.
Natsu was a prime example of it; a guy who always picked fights with every moving, living being so long as they proved to be strong in his eyes. Didn't matter if he knew they could easily defeat him, Natsu always raised his fists against the toughest opponents simply for the thrill of the battle.
And though Laxus was more subtle, that didn't mean that he didn't enjoy fighting the same way his pink-haired friend did.
"You stay here. Take care of your grandfather."
He cringed inwardly. He knew he was going to get a lot of shit from Thatch for not following orders, but no way was he letting him and his crew risk themselves for Laxus' safety while he sat idly by knowing that he could do something to help.
So, when he reached the valley between the mountains and the town was within sight, Laxus felt the itch and excitement for battle increase in intensity. He could see the crumpled gates that were supposed to protect the town, and the townsfolk that were escaping in Laxus' opposite direction.
Laxus' eyes widened and he immediately hid among the crowd passing by him when he saw two of Thatch's crew-members lead them out.
"Let's go!" cried out one of the men.
The fight wasn't over - that much he knew. There were only two crewmembers here and Thatch was nowhere in sight. He pushed against the mass of people while making sure to stay away from Thatch's crewmembers.
When he finally made it out, his eyes widened at what he saw. The four remaining crewmembers were fighting the remaining group of Marines that weren't unconscious and scattered throughout the snowy streets of the small town. The small adobe-like houses were broken into and some of them were even destroyed, but it looked like all of the civilians had been evacuated by now.
*BOOM!*
Laxus' ears perked up and he looked up to see a large cloud of smoke emitting from the middle of the square. He immediately began running in that direction.
"Laxus!"
He heard the yell, but opted to ignore it. There was a battle going on here, and no way was he going to be left out.
He saw the marines before they could strike. Five of them saw him and immediately charged, but all Laxus wanted to do was laugh at the way they moved clumsily and held their weapons in an idiotic manner.
One of them shot a rifle, but Laxus wasn't a Lightning Dragon Slayer for nothing. He dodged the bullets coming his way and punched the marine out of the way, knocking him out in the process. Another marine charged at him from behind with his sword lifted above his head. Laxus saw the attack coming and turned around, grabbed the marine's wrist and smirked at his frightened face as he flung him towards the two other marines coming his way, knocking them back.
The remaining marine stared at his downed-partners with an expression of fear and doubt.
"You next?!" growled Laxus as he saw the remaining marine.
The solider flinched in response. Sweat poured down his brow as he looked into Laxus' intense expression, before throwing his gun to the snowy ground and turning tail to run.
Laxus sweatdropped.
"Laxus!"
An arm clasped itself on his shoulder. Laxus grasped the wrist and the man cried out as he was flipped in the air and slammed into the snowy ground in front of Laxus' feet.
"Gah! What the hell, Laxus?!"
Laxus' eyes widened when he recognized the frustrated and pained expression of one of Thatch's crewmembers before letting go of his wrist.
"Ah, shit! Sorry!" He apologized as he extended his arm once again to help the man up.
The man grumbled and took Laxus hand to stand up.
"What are you doing here? Thatch told you to stay back," he stated angrily.
Laxus crossed his arms over his chest, and looked almost poutingly, "I came to help."
"We don't need it," stated the man sternly, "Now go back and look after your grandfather."
Laxus frowned, "No way! I'm not going to let you guys have all the fun."
"Can you even fight?!"
Both men remained silent and the sound of the marines groaning in pain that Laxus knocked out filled in the silence.
The man sighed. "What about your grandfather?"
"He's safe," said Laxus, "I moved the ship to keep it hidden from sight. Nobody's going to find it unless they looked."
"Thatch is going to be pissed off."
"Let him."
*BOOM!*
Another explosion.
Laxus reacted instantly, and the man had no time to react before Laxus took off in a run that he could never hope to catch up to.
"Laxus wait!"
Too late. Laxus ran through the streets and jumped over unconscious marines. When he reached the middle of the town, Laxus found Thatch battling against... a giant hippo?
No, it wasn't just a giant hippo. Well, he'd never exactly seen a hippo stand and look almost like a man while wearing a torn, white coat that hanged off of his frame. And he didn't believe Hippos had hair that they could pull back in a small ponytail at the top of their heads.
Thatch looked a little worse for wear, but compared to the hippo man - as Laxus decided to call him - he looked way better.
Thatch had a few bruises here and there and there was blood pouring from the top of his brow. He was breathing harshly and his legs seemed to give out a little underneath him, but still there was a giant smirk on his face and exciting glint in his eyes as he held his sword up and charged towards Hippo Man.
Hippo Man's appearance was way worse. There was blood pouring from every pore in his body and a few slashes on his grey skin. Unlike Thatch, he seemed to be struggling more to hold his own, but still he did not give up as he raised his arms as Thatch jumped in the air and brought down his large, curved sword.
Laxus' eyes widened when he heard a resounding clash echo, and Hippo Man's arm seemed to remain unharmed as it held Thatch's sword back. Hippo Man smirked as he raised a fist and proceeded to punch Thatch across the face, but Thatch saw the attack coming and he immediately jumped back in the air.
Before Thatch could land on the snowy ground, the Hippo Man moved at a speed that should be impossible for a man his size. Thatch's eyes widened and he brought his sword up, meeting Hippo Man's headbutt head on.
They both slammed against the building behind Thatch, making the building cave in on itself and completely fall apart from Hippo Man's size and strength.
For a few seconds, there was no signs of movement as the rubble remained still. Then, the large form of Hippo Man erected from the rubble, clutching onto Thatch's shirt.
"You ready to give up, Little Man?" growled out Hippo Man breathlessly.
Thatch panted in the Hippo Man's grip before smirking, "Course not."
In the blink of an eye, he raised his sword up in the air, and scratched Hippo Man's eye.
"GYAAAAAAHHHHH!"
Hippo Man's grip on Thatch's shirt disappeared, and Thatch landed on his feet before jumping away from the crying creature.
Hippo Man clutched onto his eye with his large, shaky palms as blood continued to pour out of the vertical wound.
No way was he going to see with that eye ever again.
"What's wrong bud?" gloated Thatch, "Got something in your eye?"
Hippo Man glared at Thatch with his remaining eye. And if looks could kill, Thatch would have been lying on the ground twitching.
"You..." he growled out.
"Yup, me," grinned Thatch as he rested his blade on his shoulder.
"GRAAAAAHHH!"
Hippo Man roared as he charged once again, and Thatch smirked, holding his sword up and ready to attack.
But, something caught Thatch's eye. And he found himself distracted as he finally took notice of Laxus standing from a distance and watching the battle with such concentration that he didn't notice the Marine sneaking up from behind him with a sword.
Thatch's eyes widened. "Laxus look ou-!"
Thatch never got to finish, as Hippo Man's fist slammed full force against his stomach. Thatch gasped as the air was completely sucked out of his body, and he felt like a cannon had hit him point blank on his abdomen.
"Thatch!"
Laxus took a step forward, but a sudden sharp pain in his back stopped him.
He should've stayed back like he was told.
Marine Base, Loguetown...
The door slammed open. Smoker looked up annoyed from his paperwork as Tashigi pulled out her katana from her sheath.
"We demand that you let us join these 'Marines'!"
Smoker raised a brow as Erza stomped into the room with Gray following silently from behind. Tashigi lowered her sword and she gaped at both intruders who ignored her and stared directly into Smoker's own eyes.
Smoker puffed out a small cloud of smoke and raised his arms to rest his head on his hands. Unsure if he heard correctly, he asked "What?"
"We would like to join the 'Marines'," stated Erza again.
"No," deadpanned Smoker.
Erza gaped, obviously taken back by the blunt rejection.
"Why?" asked Gray.
"It's not that simple," said Smoker, "There's a process that you have to go through as well as training. And I can't just take in a couple of castaways that attacked my crew in our own base."
"Why do you even want to join?" asked Tashigi as she sheathed her sword.
Both Mages shared a look.
"Our home doesn't seem to be anywhere around in this... 'East Blue'," explained Erza.
"Did you check the maps of the Grand Line?" asked Tashigi, "We don't have that many but there are a few there."
"We did," answered Gray, "And there's nothing there either."
"So, what? You think that joining the Marines could be a step into finding your home island?" asked Smoker.
Both Gray and Erza nodded.
"Do you at least know what ocean your home is located in?" asked Smoker. This was odd and becoming more suspicious by the minute. The fact that these people landed all the way in Loguetown, claiming that they are not of East Blue is strange in and of itself. How could he know if they were telling the truth and they weren't going to attack them once they had their guard down?
"Our island... is not exactly that familiar with the outside world," explained Erza.
'Aaahh. One of those,' thought Smoker. That made more sense. Isolated islands were not uncommon, and though they were more common in the Calm Belt, the oceans were huge and there was always the possibility that there was a far off island that not even the World Government has come in contact with.
"Still, I can't just take you in under me," said Smoker, "There's paperwork you have to sign, a process you have to go through, and training that is a requirement here. You don't just become a Marine because you demand it. And even if you did, it wouldn't be a certainty that you would be put in my station."
Erza and Gray shared a look. Obviously this wasn't going the way they planned. From what they've learned during the... what, two days, they've been in this base? The Marines were a World Power that had access to a vast amount of knowledge and research. Their arms stretched far and wide and if Gray and Erza were to join them, then they'd have a greater chance of finding their friends and getting home, instead of going at this alone. Gray had zero to nonexistent knowledge in navigation, and Erza's was far too limited.
Joining the Marines was a good move for them that they had to take advantage of.
"But," Smoker rubbed his chin in thought, "Considering the fact that you managed to beat some of my well-trained soldiers and even managed to hurt me in the state you're in... I think I can make an exception."
Erza's eyes brightened.
"You seem to already be trained fighters, so how about this?" he leaned forward, "I will contact Headquarters about your situation and throw in a good word for you."
"How's that sound?"
Both Mages smiled.
"We would greatly appreciate that."
Sabaody Archipelago...
"I gotta admit," Rayleigh looked at the unconscious bodies of the Tenryuubito on the nearby rubble of the building they had been punched through, "I sort of did see this coming."
His eyes narrowed towards the suited servant who was still holding the Den Den Mushi with shaky hands and a terrified expression. The man was unable to react before Cana's' fist slammed against his cheek, knocking him unconscious.
"It looks like I'm going to have to cut this tour short," said Rayleigh.
Gildarts raised a brow as he pointed at the Den Den Mushi that fell to the ground in confusion, "What is that snail supposed to do?"
"Call an Admiral," was Rayleigh's simple explanation as he walked towards the four slaves that the Tenryuubito had let loose after their sudden confrontation. The young girl felt uneasy as the older man analyzed her collar. "Don't worry," he smiled, "I'm not going to hurt you."
"What's an... 'Admiral'?" asked Cana.
Rayleigh glanced back at her as he fingered with the girl's collar, "Somebody that you definitely don't want to meet."
"What are you talking about?" she asked.
"Everybody run!"
The reaction was instantaneous. Gildarts and Cana stared in confusion as the shocked crowd that had witnessed the events began to panic and scramble back, running around and as far away as they possibly could from the trio.
"What's going on with them?" asked Gildarts.
*DING!*
Both Mages eyes widened at the familiar sound. A sound that had initiated this whole mess in the first place. They both turned to see Rayleigh fiddling around with the girl's collar that had begun to tick the way the slave's had earlier before exploding.
"Oi! What are you doing old man?!" yelled Cana. She took a threatening step forward, only to be stopped by a large hand that clasped itself on her shoulder. She glanced back at Gildarts who stared at the scene with an unreadable expression, "Why-?"
The ticking began to speed up. The girl was beginning to cry and shake, but still Rayleigh concentrated on the collar.
"Stop!" yelled Cana, but Gildarts' hand prevented her from moving. And as the ticking continued to speed up, Cana closed her eyes.
*BOOM!*
The sound of the explosion shattered her heart, and she couldn't stand the thought of opening her eyes and seeing the same scene she had been a witness to not one hour ago.
"It's okay, Cana," spoke Gildarts' calming voice. "Open your eyes."
If it had been any other person, Cana would have refused to do so. But, this was her father, and despite his moronic personality at times, Cana knew that the man was always aware of what he was doing. And she trusted him.
Slowly, hesitantly, and tentatively, Cana opened her eyes and they immediately widened upon what she saw. The small girl was clutching her bare neck, tears continued to stream down her face but they were no longer tears of fear, rather they were tears of happiness.
"What... What the...?"
Gildarts smiled, "That old man is full of surprises." He chuckled.
By then, Rayleigh had moved to the rest of the slaves and one by one, removed their collars the same way he had done with the girl. He would fiddle with them, and wait as the ticking sped up and right before it could blow up, he removed the collar and threw it in the air where it would blow up without harming anyone.
Cana blinked at the scene before her, before her lips twitched into a small smile. "Yeah." she agreed.
"We don't have a lot of time," stated Rayleigh as he walked away from the freed slaves and towards Gildarts and Cana, "An Admiral will soon be here after your heads. We gotta get moving."
"Back to Shakky's?" asked Cana.
Rayleigh shook her head, "I am afraid that we will have to split ways sooner than expected."
"What?"
"Whoever they send, that Admiral will not be able to give up on their search until they find you. They will look under every nook and cranny until the Tenryuubito call it off, and knowing them, they won't call the search off until they have your head in a stick," he stated.
"So, what's the plan?" asked Gildarts.
"There is a ship not far from here," said Rayleigh, "The Captain is an old friend of mine. I recently coated his ship and he owes me a favor. Looks like this is going to have to be it."
Gildarts blinked. "Coated?"
"You'll know when we get there," said Rayleigh, "For now, we have to get a move on before it's too late."
Cana was shaken with worry. She had a bad feeling about this.
Amazon Lily...
"Are you okay, Freed?"
Freed nodded as he grabbed onto Mirajane's hand and was helped up from his position. "Yeah," he said, "You got here just in time."
He glanced at the unconscious form of Marguerite that was a few feet away from them. Considering Mirajane's strength and how hard the blow seemed to have been, Freed doubted she'd wake up any time soon.
His battle against Marguerite hadn't lasted long until Mirajane appeared and knocked the Kuja Warrior from behind when she wasn't looking. Freed had to give the strange woman credit; Marguerite had been able to hold her own against him and even managed to hit him a couple of times with her arrows, though only leaving behind a few cuts that wouldn't take long to heal. Then again, Freed was rather weakened, so if Mirajane hadn't shown up at the time that she had, he wouldn't have lasted any longer in the battle.
"How'd you get away?" he asked her.
Mirajane smiled sweetly, but it made him feel a little uneasy. "Wasn't that hard," she simply stated.
Freed sweatdropped. 'I feel sorry for whoever crossed her.'
"Do you know where the others are?" she asked.
Freed shook his head solemnly. "I don't even think they're here," he answered, "The women who attacked me had told me that we were the only ones they found in a crater."
Mirajane rose a brow at the mention of a 'crater'. "Just what happened?" she asked.
Freed had no answer. After all, there was no plausible explanation for their current situation. It was all too unreal and hectic. For now, the only thing they could do was get as far away as possible from those crazy women who were chasing them.
"I don't know," he answered, "But, for now, we should worry about our current predicament."
Mirajane nodded in agreement, "What's the plan?"
Freed groaned as he shifted on his feet; his entire body hurt and the previous burst of energy that had helped him keep his own against Marguerite was gone, replaced by a intense exhaustion that had him shaking on his knees.
"For now, it'd be best to get as far away as possible and remain hidden until we can recuperate," was his most reasonable response.
Mirajane nodded, " I do feel exhausted as well... It's odd. I mean, how long have we been here? Surely, some of my magic should've been replenished by now, but I still feel as weak as back in Tenrou Island."
"Yeah, me too," grumbled Freed. "I honestly don't understand what's going on." He looked at the palm of his hands, he could feel most of his Magic preserves nearly empty, if he used any more... he doubted he would survive something like that.
And the sudden pulse of magical energy... it's happened two times now and he still had no reasonable explanation for something like that. He's never heard of something like that before. Sure he knew that Mages could somehow transform their life energy into magic, but they usually died after doing such a deathly action. Freed was still somehow alive despite using most of his magical energy.
So, what happened?
"We should start moving."
Freed turned back to Mirajane, who was looking off into the distance and through the jungle.
"They'll find their friend soon and we can't be here when that happens."
Freed glanced at Marguerite before nodding.
Yeah, he'll worry about all that later.
For now, he had other stuff to worry about.
Caryl ran as fast as her legs could take her. She had arrived back to the Kingdom not that long ago and didn't waste on her search for Elder Nyon, who would be pleased with the news she brought.
Never did she stop to ponder as to why the streets of Amazon Lily were nearly empty.
"Excuse me!" she called for a fellow Kuja. She stopped in her step and stood in front of the Kuja who stared back curiously. "Do you know where Elder Nyon might be?"
"Hmmmm... Well, I believe I heard she was with Belladona, but - Wait!"
As soon as she heard the name Belladona, she wasted no time and began to move. "Thank you!"
She needed to get deliver these news to her. Elder Nyon and the citizens of Amazon Lily needed to know.
The Empress has arrived. Their Empress has returned.
Little Garden...
'We... can't use this.'
When Dorry had told both mages that they might be able to find something that could help them in the island's ship graveyard, Lucy's heartbroken heart had been mended with hope that they might actually find a way out of the island and begin their search for their friends.
But, when they arrived and Lucy and Natsu were able to see the state the remaining ships were in... her heart shattered once again.
The ships were large, sure, and some of them even looked to be new before they ventured into the island. But, the state they were in was not exactly... safe-looking so to speak.
Lucy stared at one particular ship in front of her with nothing short of dismay. Its front rested on on the ground, but its behind was left bobbing on the slightly moving waters of the river. It had holes on its side that made it look like a canon had attacked it.
'How is it even still standing?'
"Lucy!"
Lucy turned to see Natsu starting to climb up the rope ladder of one particular ship to her left, which was in considerably better shape than this one, but still it looked damaged.
"This one's perfect!" he stated.
"Wait, Natsu! We don't know if it's safe!"
Too late. Natsu's motion sickness kicked in and he was left dangling from the ladder and his cheeks were puffed up from what Lucy assumed was vomit. All in all, he looked horrible.
"Seriously?! It's not even sailing yet!"
Lucy sighed. Of course he wouldn't listen to her. He never does.
"You go, Lucy!"
Minutes later she was climbing up the ladder, struggling a little and gritting her teeth at the rough texture of the old rope that nearly cut through the skin of her palms, while Natsu stood back on land and cheering her on.
"Shut it!" she called out.
Her head peeked over the railing and she looked across the bridge for any signs of danger, but when she didn't see anything she climbed over the railing and landed softly on the bridge.
'Huh, that's not so bad.'
It actually wasn't that bad. There was dust here and there, along with cobwebs, and parts of the railing seemed to be broken off. But, the mast looked like it was in good shape and the sails seemed to have been rolled up before the occupants of the ship had left, so they must be in good shape. It was also pretty big, too.
Which would pose a problem. Lucy was not exactly sure she would be able to navigate such a large ship, especially since Natsu would be incapacitated the whole time they are out at sea. She would have to search for a smaller, more manageable ship that would be cozy for both and not hard to navigate.
Still, it didn't hurt to look around for anything that might help. She climbed up the stairs that led to the front of the ship, where she knew the steering wheel was supposed to be. The sound of creaking wood unsettled her - already the entire area was creepy enough. Followed by the dark shade of the large trees and the ominous atmosphere created by the abandoned ships, it all made up a frightening scene. She gripped her keys tightly.
When she reached the top of the stairs, she walked to the front of the ship... and immediately screamed.
Shingu Island...
The door to the only bar in the entire town smashed into tiny pieces and a figure was sent flying, crashing into cart and destroying it completely.
"My cabbages!"
Gajeel groaned as he felt the large splinters of wood digging into his back, still he smirked in excitement when Kidd's angered form appeared on the doorway.
"Gihihi, well what do you know?" he chuckled lightly, "You're not as weak as you look, punk."
Kidd cracked his knuckles and smirked. "You aren't surprising me so far, pal."
Gajeel scoffed and stood up from the wrecked crate, ignoring the cabbage man's horrified expression at his destroyed business. "Well, then let's change that."
With that final statement, Gajeel charged and Kidd ran towards him to meet him head on. Right when they were a few feet from one another, Gajeel smirked and pulled his fist back.
"Tetsuryūkon*"
Kidd's eyes widened when Gajeel's fist arm suddenly turned into a large steel club that elongated his way. The club struck him in his abdomen, and Kidd felt his breath sucked out of him from the impact. The force of the brutal hit sent him flying back and smashing through the entrance of the bar that had already been destroyed by Gajeel's body.
Gajeel smiled in satisfaction.
"Gajeel!" Levy cried out, looking more angry and flustered than ever as she walked out the entrance and stomped towards him.
"What?" he deadpanned.
"What are you thinking, you idiot?! What part of 'stay low and don't catch attention to ourselves', did you not understand?!"
Levy knew what she should've expected from Gajeel. Even after leaving the Dark Guild of Phantom Lord and joining Fairy Tail, he was still a man who rarely abides by the rules and listened to instructions. Especially, when those instructions came from a 'shrimp' like Levy.
"He started it!" he yelled defensively.
"And I'm going to finish it!"
Gajeel's eyes widened when he saw the sword flying straight his way. Levy cried out as Gajeel's arm pushed her away, and was immediately covered in scales. Gajeel swung his arm as the curved blade came his way, effectually redirecting it.
His eyes widened though, when he felt something - some type of force - pulling him forward. His arm was stretched forward and his feet lifted off the ground. His body was suddenly flying in mid air, and Gajeel had no time to react as he was pulled to Kidd, who had an arm stretched out in front of him and his other fist pulled back.
The fist struck him in his midsection, the same place Gajeel had struck Kidd. But, instead of being sent flying, Kidd grabbed onto Gajeel's clothes and the sword that he had thrown earlier was suddenly in his hand once again as if it heeded Kidd's call to come back.
Kidd raised his sword in the air and brought it down, but Gajeel raised his armored arm to meet the sword head on. The sword and Gajeel's arm clashed, and thinking fast, Gajeel covered his other hand in iron scales before driving it deep into Kidd's face.
He smirked as Kidd was forced to let go of Gajeel and was sent skidding back into the bar area, which was already destroyed since the beginnings of their battle.
Kidd smirked as he attempted to gather back the oxygen he had lost from the exhilaration of the battle and the hits he's taken so far. "So," he spoke, "Do you really think it's wise for a man of metal to fight against a man of magnetism?"
Gajeel's response was a smirk. "That just makes things more interesting!"
Kidd's smile widened and he stretched his arm forward, purple sparks emitting from his hands. After what happened earlier, Gajeel learned his lesson and immediately called off his iron scales. However, he soon realized his mistake when Kidd's smile widened impossibly larger and he soon felt a piercing pain in his back.
Gajeel cried out - as the dagger that most likely belonged to one of his crew-members who were standing in the sidelines - dug into his right side from behind.
Kidd twisted his wrist, and Gajeel cried out louder as the dagger followed the motion and twisted in his back. It wasn't deep, but that didn't mean that it wasn't painful.
"Gajeel!" Levy stepped back into the bar, but Gajeel wasn't having it.
He gritted his teeth and glared at the smiling fool that was mocking him. Oh, he was so getting rid of that stupid smirk on his stupid face.
Quickly coming up with a plan, Gajeel covered his arms in scales once again and smirked when Kidd did as he expected and he felt the familiar pull from earlier. His body was once again lifted from the ground and flew in Kidd's direction. Kidd pulled back his sword, ready to impale the dragon-slayer, but Gajeel's left arm transformed into a large spearhead. He blocked Kidd's sword with his scaled arm, and impaled his spear-like arm into Kidd's shoulder.
The pirate cried out and Gajeel smirked as he pulled his fist back and struck Kidd in the face once again. The pirate was sent flying backwards and blood poured out rapidly out of his wound as the hit shoved him away and was torn off the spear.
Kidd crashed and slumped against the wall. Gajeel smiled victoriously as he took note of Kidd's clenched eyes, but it wasn't over just yet.
Kidd glared angrily at the Mage and slowly stood up from his position. Gajeel smirked and took a battle position; he stretched his legs wide and crouched slightly with his fists raised and ready to either defend or attack should he need to.
Kidd spat, and a tooth clattered over the wood of the broken down pub.
"Gajeel, stop!"
Gajeel ignored his friend's cry; his eyes were glued to Kidd's own and neither fighter keeled over as they glared at one another.
"You should listen to your little friend," spoke Kidd. "It's only going to get ugly from here on out."
"You're right on that, young man."
Both fighters turned at the sound of the unfamiliar voice, and saw the Marine soldiers that stood at the entrance of the pub with weapons drawn and ready to attack.
"Stand down, both of you!"
"Who are you losers?" grumbled Gajeel, "Can't you see we're in the middle of something?"
"I can see very well," spoke the Marine at the front of the small army, "Just like I can see both of you thrown in a cell for destroying private property and causing a disturbance. It doesn't take a genius to guess that you both are pirates."
Gajeel blinked. "Pirates?"
"What makes you say that?" smirked Kidd.
"You both are coming with me," continued the Marine soldier, ignoring both men's questions. His eyes then shifted to the crew standing in the sidelines and Levy standing not far from there, watching the scene with a worried expression. "Along with your crew."
Gajeel and Kidd remained silent before sharing a look with each other.
"Now, put your hands in the air before I- Gwah!"
The Marine soldier was unable to finish as an elongated club smashed against his abdomen and sent him flying back, taking a few of his fellow co-workers that were standing behind him along with him.
"Tch, so annoying," commented Gajeel as his hand turned back to normal.
The Marines stood back in shock, but shook it off and prepared to act.
"Attack!"
Gajeel and Kidd smirked, before charging and laughing gleefully.
Sabaody Archipelago...
Both Mages and former pirate ran through the groves of Sabaody Archipelago as fast as they could in their current condition. After Rayleigh freed the rest of the slaves and explained to them the power of the Marine Admirals and what they were capable of, both Gildarts and Cana didn't hesitate when Rayleigh told them to start running.
"It would've been surely helpful if you had warned us beforehand!" yelled Cana as she ran alongside her father and behind Rayleigh, who was leading them to a docking bay where his friend would be with a ship prepared and ready to help them.
"I did," deadpanned Rayleigh, "I told you both not to mess with the Tenryuubito, but there you go and do the exact opposite."
Gildarts laughed, "You gotta admit though, those bastards deserved it."
Rayleigh smirked, "That they did." His smirk then vanished, "But that doesn't mean that there won't be consequences for your actions. If the Marines were on your tail before, they will be twice as hell-bent now to capture you and sentence you to either prison, slavery, or death. Depending on what the Tenryuubito might want for you."
Cana shuddered at the word 'slavery'; she detested the word with her entire being, along with the images that they brought back. Images that she will hope she can bury and never exacerbate again.
"So, we hitch a ride with your friend, then what?" she asked in an effort to shake off the memories of what she had seen earlier that day.
"Then, you go from there. Find your friends. I believe that I have told you the most important and basic information in order to survive the Grand Line. The rest is up to you," stated Rayleigh.
"You're not coming with us?" asked Gildarts.
Rayleigh laughed and shook his head, "Of course not! I'm a retired old man. I just want to live in peace after decades of piracy and being on the run." He glanced back at them, "No offense, I like you guys, but I'm not exactly willing to risk this life I built for two strangers I met not two days ago."
Gildarts pouted, "Well, then at least I won't have to stand your grandpa smell anymore."
Rayleigh simply laughed at the insult.
"You kidding me?!" yelled Cana angrily, "You got us in this mess, and now you're just going to let us fend off for ourselves?!"
"Cana-chan," spoke Rayleigh in a stern tone, "I may have only met you, but I can tell, you guys will definitely survive the world out there."
"You barely even know us," commented Cana.
Rayleigh smirked, "That may be so, but I have a feeling I'll hear a lot more from you in the futu-"
Suddenly, Rayleigh's eyes widened. "Get down!"
Gildarts and Cana reacted fast, and they ducked from the incoming attack that would've surely sent their heads rolling.
The beam of light passed over their heads, but otherwise they remained uninjured.
"Ooooohhhh, I miiiiiiissed."
Gildarts' and Cana's eyes widened and they slowly stood up from the ground.
The man that stood in their path with an army of marines behind him was tall. Like, really tall. And slim. He wore a yellow suit, covered by a white coat that hanged off of his shoulders. He had dark eyes with yellow shades, and a black goatee. The man looked rather... odd. And lanky.
But still, Gildarts couldn't shake the bad feeling the man was giving him.
"Who's that?" asked Cana.
"Kizaru," was Rayleigh's simple answer.
"'Dark King' Rayleigh. It's been a whiiiiile."
It was the way he spoke that irritated Cana to no end.
Kizaru's eyes shifted from Rayleigh's form to Gildarts' own.
"And 'Shanks' Brother' Gildarts Clive, it is a pleasure to finaally meet youuuuuu. I didn't know that Shanks had a broooother."
Gildarts' brow twitched in irritation, but he opted to remain silent.
"So, out of all the Admirals, it was you we got," spoke Rayleigh.
"Well, I was closer to the area, when I heard that 'Shanks' Brother' Gildarts Clive did the unthikableeeee: attacking a Tenryuubitooooo. Along with two accompliceeeeees." Cana shuddered when Kizaru's gaze landed on her for a few seconds before shifting to Rayleigh, "Imagine my surprise when I hear that one of them was 'Dark King' Rayleigh. I thought you were retiiiiired. Or deeeeaaad."
"Well," smirked Rayleigh, "Sometimes, an old man has to have a little fun. Not like I was gonna miss out on the action."
"I'm guessing you're not going to let us go?" asked Cana. She clenched her fists and tapped into her magic for the battle she was sure lay ahead.
The sound of Marines readying their weapons and cocking their guns was the only answer she got.
"Of course noooot," answered Kizaru as he took a step forward, making the other three fighters tense in anticipation. "I am a Marine after all; it is my job to stop pirates like youuuuuu."
He stopped a few feet away from the group, and Gildarts felt a shift in the air that nearly made his hair stand on ends.
"So, tell me, 'Shanks' Brotheeeeeer'...
"... Have you ever been kicked at the speed of liiiiiiight?"
Gildarts could now earnestly say that he indeed has. And it wasn't pleasant.
Yuki Island...
He felt the Marine right on time before his sword could cause any extreme damage that would've surely incapacitated him. Laxus had leaned forward slightly at the sound of Thatch's panic cry before Raiden's attack struck him out of commission, and he immediately turned around right on time to avoid the sword from digging deep into his back, leaving behind only a small, shallow cut that Laxus would be able to ignore with his high-pain tolerance.
He grabbed the marine's wrist with the hand holding the sword, and twisted it, effectively breaking it. The man cried out as the sword clattered onto the snowy ground and his knees gave up underneath him.
With that taken care off, Laxus took one millisecond to wince at the sharp pain in his back before turning back to the battle taking place before him. His eyes widened when he saw Thatch's limp form lying limply over the rubble of a demolished building. He had seen the hit Raiden had struck the pirate with, and he couldn't help but think that Thatch was down and out for the count based on the impact and force of the devastating punch that managed to demolish an entire house.
Raiden stood several feet from the rubble, a large, satisfied smirk crossed over his face.
After a few seconds, Laxus noticed Thatch's fingers twitch slowly. Almost hesitantly, Thatch's eyes fluttered open and he was left staring at the grey, snowing sky with a lost look. The impact must've rattled his brain.
He coughed and stretched for his sword that was only a few inches away from his right hand, but before he could reach it a large foot stepped on his hand and a resounding crack echoed throughout the area along with Thatch's pained screams that were swallowed by Raiden's throaty laugh.
"Not so tough now, are you? Thatch-san," mocked Raiden. He reached bent down and grabbed Thatch's large sword, "Don't worry, I'll end your life soon enough, but first..."
He pointed the tip of the blade over Thatch's right eye and his smirk widened. "You know what they say: 'an eye for an eye'."
He lifted the blade and brought it down.
"Rairyu no Tekken!"
The hit came out of nowhere. Literally. And Raiden felt an immense pain on his side that would've surely caused even more damage if it hadn't been for his blood coating ability that enhanced his defenses in a type of armor made out of his own sweat. It was that ability that had allowed him to maintain his own against Thatch and block his sword strikes.
But, this sudden attack was unlike anything Raiden has ever felt before. It burned. Badly. And he could feel what felt like... electricity coursing through that side of his body as his gargantuan and bloated body was sent flying in the air from the force of the impact, before he finally skidded over the snowy ground.
Raiden groaned in pain before slowly pushing himself off the ground. That. Had. Hurt.
"Who dares?!" He turned to glare with his sole eye at the perpetrator of the attack, and was left slightly stunned when he saw an unfamiliar face standing protectively in front of Thatch's hurt form.
"Who the hell are you?" growled Raiden.
The man didn't answer and instead, proceeded to adopt a fighting stance in challenge against the Vice-Admiral.
"Laxus," he heard Thatch groan silently.
"Laxus, huh?" Raiden stood up and faced the younger man, "Never heard of that name. Are you a new addition to the Whitebeard crew?" He smirked, "That old fool just keeps recruiting more and more wayward idiots."
The smirk disappeared and in its place was an angered frown, "Kid, if you don't want to meet your end, you'll want to stand down."
Laxus didn't move. He stayed in that fighting stance, further angering Raiden.
"Laxus, get... out... of here..." Thatch moaned as he attempted to sit up, but even that task proved to be difficult and he slammed back against the rubble of the building.
"I'd listen to him if I were you," smiled Raiden, "Do you even know what you're getting yourself into, kid?"
Finally, Laxus smirked and his eyes shone in determination.
"Yeah, I'm finally gonna figure out what Hippo meat tastes like, fatty."
Raiden roared.
Shingu Island...
It didn't take long for the battle to spread throughout the town. The bar had long ago been abandoned, and Gajeel found himself fighting alongside Levy and his new rival and his crew against a group of soldiers in white and blue that seemed to have no end in numbers. Every time he beat up one, five more would appear, and Gajeel began to wonder if these guys possessed any kind of clone magic because they all looked the damn same to him.
"Solid Script: Storm."
A strong gust of wind emitted from Levy's written word which blew away various marine soldiers and sent them flying.
"Tetsuryūkon."
Gajeel's arm turned into a large steel club with many smaller ones forming at the end of it. With one strike, Gajeel managed to get rid of a large group of marines that were charging towards him and Levy from the side.
"Crap, is there no end to these guys?" he asked in frustration.
Levy glared at him. "We wouldn't even be in this situation in the first place if you had just listened to me," she muttered. What was supposed to be a 'simple trip to the bar to get just one drink' according to Gajeel, turned into a total shit-fest.
"What?! It was that guy!" he pointed at Kidd who was currently getting rid of a couple of Marines himself with his magnetic powers by redirecting their canons and swords.
Levy simply rolled her eyes in response before
Meanwhile, Gajeel was quite impressed with the skills of Clown-Face and his crew. Somehow they all managed to hold their own and beat more marines than Gajeel would have expected from them, despite Kidd's injuries at the hands of Gajeel. It only excited him much more to continue their battle.
"Gajeel!"
While being caught up in his thoughts, Gajeel hadn't noticed the marine sneaking up on him from behind with a sword ready to cut off his head. Gajeel needn't worry though, because the sword was suddenly pulled from the man's grasp by an invisible force and the marine was left stumbling for balance in surprise.
Gajeel glanced to the side and saw Clown-Face with an extended arm and a proud smirk on his face, standing just a couple of feet away.
Gajeel sneered, "I didn't ask for your help, freak."
Clown-face's smirk widened, "You and your friend are not such bad fighters."
Gajeel seemed to be taken aback by the unexpected compliment.
"Uh, you aren't... either?" he replied suspiciously.
"You're just the kind of people I'm looking for."
Gajeel raised a brow in confusion.
"What are you talking about?" he asked.
Clown-face placed a palm on his chest and smiled, "You see, my goal is to spread infamy throughout the world, and achieve the title of Pirate King, but in order to do that, I need a strong crew. One that I know will be capable of defeating everything in our path and spread our name."
Gajeel's eyes narrowed.
"So, what do you say?" Clown-Face stretched his arm out towards Gajeel, invitingly. "Would you like to join my crew?"
"Why the hell would I do that?" deadpanned Gajeel.
Clown-Face chuckled as he dodged to the right to avoid a stab from a marine, and punched him across the face, effectively knocking the soldier out.
"Well, do you have any goals that you would want to accomplish?"
Gajeel thought back to the conversation he and Levy had their first day on the island. When they had discussed various possible theories of their sudden awakening in a strange place, including one where Acnologia's attack somehow teleported them to a different island instead of destroying Tenrou Island the way they had thought. Either way, plans were made to leave the island as soon as they recuperated in order to find their guildmates and figure out what happened.
"You've got a ship?" asked Gajeel.
Clown-Face scoffed. "You can't be a pirate without one."
He would have to bring it up to Levy. Sure he had planned to steal one of the ships on the dock of the island, but apparently Levy's integrity and morality prevented him from doing so. This could be a good opportunity that he couldn't waste.
There was just one problem: he didn't like this guy.
"So, what will your answer be?" asked Clown-Face.
Gajeel eyed the man with a sharp look and opened his mouth to answer, only to be interrupted by a weak voice in the background that his dragon-slayer hearing managed to pick up.
"-Back-up. We... need back up... in Shingu Island."
TBC...
*Kaba-Kaba no mi - Hippo-Hippo Fruit
*Tetsuryukon - Iron Dragon's Club
*Rairyu no Tekken - Lightning Dragon's Iron Fist
A/N: WHAT UP MY FELLOW READERS! Gee, this is probably the fastest update I've posted for this story in a while; only took me - what? - two months? I'd say that's pretty good considering how long I usually take. Then again, I have been on a roll lately, and I'm just so freaking proud of myself!
Well, I'd say things are starting to pick up quite a bit in this chapter. Don't worry, the next one will have tons of more action and some big reveals... maybe.
No new mages introduced here?! What?! Yeah, I decided not to include new mages this chapter, but do not worry! That will change soon!
Review time!
JadeOccelot: You guessed right my dear friend! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! And I assure you that there will be more butt-kicking in the next chapter! Thank you for all the kind reviews you've left me! I really appreciate them! :D
Guest (1): Here you go! Thanks for reviewing!
WaterStar45: Haha, yeah I don't really have much consistency for the honorifics XD. As for your request, I cannot reveal anything now, but I can tell you that Alabasta plays a huge part in the upcoming chapters. I don't blame you by the way, VIVI IS AWESOME! Thank you for your kind review!
firebird1345: Awwww, thank you so, so, so, so MUCH! And I actually kind of do since a lot of people seem to like this story for some reason. Thank you, again!
Game2002: There is XD. A friend of mine told me the same thing, but it was my lame attempt to try and build some suspense. Thank you for reading and reviewing!
12Rayne: Lol! Yes! Indeed he was!
Arttailfox021: I'm glad you do! Thank you so much for reviewing!
TheHufflepffYoshi: *Blushes* Thank you very much. You're right though, the Strawhats haven't appeared yet, but they will soon! Their presence is just not necessary yet. And I know, that is true. When I thought of this story, I wanted to do something entirely different from the others I've read, and so far it's been going well with just a few errors here and there. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!
Matt: I did not forget. The previews are not always accurate; they're just vague ideas of what's to come but that doesn't mean that they will show in the following chapter. Thank you for reading and reviewing.
EchoDeMon: YESSSSSS! :D Thank you for reading and reviewing!
The Tell-Tale Man: Haha! Yes! I am so sorry it took so long, but here his Part 2 of The Storm! Stick around for Part 3 and thank you so much for reading and reviewing! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!
Once again, I would like to thank everybody who read, reviewed, favorited, and/or followed this story. I appreciate it all and it truly does motivate me to continue this story!
As a gift, here's a preview!
Preview
Chapter 5: The Storm, Part 3
"You can't blame yourself for this."
"Then who else should I blame, Elfman?"
"What's that?"
"It's some kind of compass."
"You killed him."
"What, do you have a problem with it?"
"I've been meaning to ask this, but what is that symbol on your chest?"
"Laxus!"
"Gildarts!"
Preview End
Alrighty then, that's it for today. I hope you guys enjoyed and you stick around for the upcoming chapter, and have a great day!