I spun around the side, shielding the commander's lean form from further attack as my own pistols shot up and pointed directly at the four pirates on the other side. They barely had time to gawk before four gunshots that sounded like one sent them flying away from me. As they fell, I turned and leaped out the window of the Navy headquarters, feeling one lip pull up in a snarl as I saw that my gunshots had gone unnoticed due to the swarm of pirates pulling everyone from their homes and prodding them into the central square.

I touched the air with one foot and flashed over to the roof of the nearest house, leaping from rooftop to rooftop as I moved toward the square. As I hit the top of the final roof and skidded to a stop, I felt my eyes narrow when I saw the commander's daughter calmly ordering the pirates around, a pair of Marines standing at her shoulder. My hunch about her had been more correct than I would have cared it to be.

"My father should be dead by now; find out if that man he was with was killed as well."

A pirate wearing an incredibly tall top hat ran up to her, skidding around a family being escorted to the rest of the villagers as he shouted, "His raft is still here, Captain Direclaw!"

She frowned. "Find him and deal with him." Stroking the cat in her arms, she turned to the Marine behind her. "Are the two Navy ships taken yet?"

The man shook his head. "Last I heard, the detail dispatched on that mission had taken one, but the other is sending back strange reports. They say a bird is keeping them from taking the other ship."

Her pointed stare made me clamp my mouth shut to keep from laughing. Reza was doing his thing, and had apparently located a new ship for us as well; a good partner, to be sure. "Deal with it; I want those ships for the fleet."

A man who seemed vaguely familiar stepped up to the front of the crowd of refugees and shouted, "Lady Cradge! My wife is pregnant and needs-"

The woman gestured and the other Marine, the one who had not spoken yet, raised his rifle and aimed it at the man, who I finally recognized as Sergeant McLarson. "That name is never to be spoken again in my presence. Here is the reason why."

The Marine pulled the trigger, causing a complete stillness as the bullet began traveling down the barrel.

Snarling, I dug my heels down, flashing forward and moving the barrel of Lac'sar, my second pistol, into the path of the bullet, catching the bullet in my barrel and flinging it skyward before flashing forward and ending up with my right pistol pointed straight up, the barrel digging into the flesh of the Marine's chin next to his rifle's stock while my left pistol was settled on the second Marine's shoulder, the muzzle pressed against his earlobe. The crowd went into complete shock-quiet mode as everthing ground to a halt, the sudden quiet magnifying the distant gunshots as Reza tore through his opponents as everyone around me attempted to catch up with what had just happened.

Smiling, I spoke softly into the stillness. "This used to be such a quiet town."

The woman jerked and spun, her calm shattering as she spotted me standing with my brim over my eyes and my weapons digging into the skin of her Marines. "You!"

"The name, my lady," I cast about furiously for what kind of name to give her, then shrugged inwardly, "is Argyle Finch, gunfighter of the sea." Raising my head, I let her see the blindfold around my eyes. "It is not merely You."

She shook herself and brought her fingers up, snapping them as a sneer crossed her face. "Deal with him."

The Marines tried to, they really did. Their speed would have been far too much for any normal human, as the one flexed his muscles to smash his rifle into my head while the other twitched to begin a drop-and-spin.

Twin explosions echoed through the square and I smirked from on top of the house on the opposite side of the square from where I had been, watching as the pair hit the ground and the rifle clattered away. "Too slow, my lady."

She spun around, her eyes settling on me and shock crossing her features before the top-hat man shouted, "Direclaw Pirates! Attack that man!"

The swarms of pirates leaped at me, several clambering up the nearby buildings and aiming their rifles at me while even more simply swarmed up the side of the building, their swords reaching for me. Just as they were about to touch me, I felt a smirk cross my face before I dug my heels down.

I slashed through them, my pistols holstered and a pair of knives leaping into action as I ended my spree at the position I had been at before, one knife tickling the back of Lady Cradge's neck. As the entire swarm that had been moving toward me dropped, their bodies erupting from the speed with which I had hit them, I smiled at her.

"Pirates like you aren't worth the trouble of going all-out."

The instant those words were out of my mouth, I almost swallowed them as top-hat man slashed down at me, his ax almost severing my arm before I spun away, my right knife chopping down and almost cutting his limb off in turn. He leaped back, his ax spinning, then leaped back forward, almost taking my head off before I brought my left knife up, deflecting his blow while my right knife cut through his shirt and clanged off the armor beneath.

The force of our respective blows sent us skidding back, trails of dust flying up from beneath our feet, then the captain herself was on me, a set of claws emerging from the gloves on her hands as she attempted to remove my trachea from my throat. Jerking my head backwards, I watched as her arm shot over my head before my own knives leaped up, almost of their own accord, and scratched her cheek.

She faded into an afterimage and then the top-hat guy was on me, although another four swords had been added to the fight as their owners followed him toward me. A sneer crossed my face.

"Enough."

I flashed again, my hands sliding the knives back into their sheathes before I drew my rifle and shotgun. Holding the shotgun in my right hand, I landed behind the five and aimed the weapon at their backs as they skidded to a halt and began turning around.

"DIRECLAW FLAIL!"

A cat-o'-nine-tails shot toward my shotgun just as I pulled the trigger, filling the group ahead of me with millions of pellets that sent them flying away into the side of the building ahead of them, a pair of them crashing through the wall into the building beyond. The crowd screamed as the whip-weapon wrapped around my shotgun, then I spun, the muzzle of my rifle digging into Captain Direclaw's chest as I eyed her coldly.

"Your choice; pirate or prisoner."

She faded into an afterimage, a sneer crossing her face, then I aimed my rifle behind my head and pulled the trigger. There was a gasp as my bullet found its mark where I had known it would, then the crowd surged back as more pirates swarmed the square, kicking anyone too slow out of their way.

Growling, I reholstered the now-empty shotgun and brought my rifle into a normal two-handed grip, working the lever action as I sprayed the pirates down. Nine dropped, then I replaced the rifle on my back and drew my knives again, flashing forward as I cut through the horde in front of me before I moved on toward where I could see flashes of light heralding Reza's still-going battle for the ship. Smirking, I flashed to the nearest light and cut the man's throat before he could stir, flashing away again before his head even finished hitting the top of his rifle. It was the matter of mere moments before I had cut through the entire line and was standing in front of the ship they had been firing at, smirking up at the craft.

"Hey, Reza! Having fun?"

"Au! Au! Too much fun, Boss! Caw!" The raven appeared on top of the mast of the ship, his head twitch back and forth in amusement. "You spoiled my fun, arau!"

Laughing as I slowly walked up the plank connecting the craft with the dock, I moved toward the anchor as screams and war cries sounded in the village; sounded like what few pirates were left had been attacked by the loyal Marines and were getting the little bit of stuffing I had left in them smashed to pieces. "You're almost as much trouble as I am, Reza."

"Au! Think ya got what it takes, arau?" He fluttered down next to me, his feathers shining with blood as he smirked at me. "I gots skillz, au!"

There was a loud explosion before I could answer and we both turned to see that one of the Direclaw ships had turned her cannons on the village. A flame erupted on one of the house and I tched.

"Reza, I like this little town, but I think their quiet days are over." Turning to look at him, I cocked an eyebrow. "One for one?"

He spread his wings and cackled. "Au! Au! I'm down, diggy-dawg! Arau! Au!"

With that exclamation, he pumped his wings and was off, flashing toward the ship that was still maneuvering to fire. Smiling, I flashed after him, ending at the crow's nest of the ship that had fired. The watchman gaped before I elbowed him off the perch, sending him screaming down to the deck below. As many pairs of eyes turned upward, I drew Yamakaze and screamed its name; a sudden gale erupted to life, then I leaped off the crow's nest and plummeted toward the deck, my ax over my head. As I hit the wood below, I brought the weapon down, shattering the entire craft's superstructure and cutting the ship in half.

Flashing back to the ship Reza had picked out for us, I smirked as I watched my ship collapse into the harbor, while Reza's disintegrated under his onslaught before he returned to perch on top of the mast, a few splinters poking out from his feathers.

"Au! That was mad sweet, arau!"

Laughing, I nodded as I pulled up the anchor and walked back toward the helm, resting Yamakaze on the deck beside me. "Drop the sails, if you could, Reza."

He cawed again, then the sail of the single-master dropped down and the wind that had sprung up after Yamakaze's gale filled it, propelling us forward. As I maneuvered through the wreckage of the ships, I smiled as Reza fluttered back to the top of the mast and began picking the splinters out of his feathers. "Where to next, buddy?"

He seemed to consider it as we pulled away from the bay and he spat out a splinter, then his eyes lit up. "We ain't been to Rogtown yet, au! I say wez go there, arau!"

I felt a little uneasy suddenly. "I dunno, Reza. I have never been that close to the Grand Line in a long, long time. Just the name is making me uncomfortable."

As we shot into the open sea, Reza shrugged and spat out another splinter. "Your call, Boss. Au! We can always head out-au!- to somewhere we've already been, au!"

Sighing, I looked up at the stars and adjusted our course. "No, you're right. In the spirit of drifting around, we should pay at least one visit to the Red Line. I just don't want any more trouble."

"Au!" He eyed me askance. "Your life is trouble, au! Even a town as small as this got into trouble the instant-au!- you arrived. You knew the-au!- price when you defied-au!- the sea devils! Arau!"

Nodding, I watched the stars shift as we fell into a comfortable silence, the only noise that of the ocean around us, the creaking of the ship and the minuscule splashes as Reza spat the splinters he pulled from his feathers into the water. Much as I really didn't want to go to such a trouble-prone town as Rogtown, I knew I couldn't avoid it; trouble would find me anyway. Might as well be the one initiating it, even if it was by going to a town I knew I was going to get into trouble in.

I almost groaned, but stifled it. But I didn't want to get into any more trouble! Every time I did, somebody got hurt that wasn't supposed to. Oh, sure, I could defend myself easily; I could protect anyone I wanted to, I could stop bullets from reaching their targets and swords from ever cutting again. But every time I fought, it was at the cost of some completely innocent stranger that didn't deserve it.

That island back there, for example; I had come and gotten into trouble and a town of people were hurt because of it. I had even wielded Yamakaze, which meant the ocean around the island was going to be the source of several quick yet vicious storms that would make it unapproachable by sea or air for a day or two. Why I had unleashed Yamakaze, I didn't know; I just knew my usual sensibility had deserted me.

Looking toward the horizon, I wished fervently that I hadn't sworn to myself not to utilize my abilities for nothing, as I wanted nothing more than to be finished with the journey and safely in Rogtown, no matter how much trouble I got in. I needed a distraction. Any distraction.

Reza chose that moment in my gloomy musings to squawk, "Au! We got company, boss! Arau!"

I snapped my gaze up, then followed his gaze to port just as the massive sea snake erupted into the air, jaws wide as it apparently intended to devour us, a crazy look in its hungering gaze. Without a pause, Reza shot into the sky and I leaped forward, bouncing off the deck as I grabbed up Yamakaze to keep it from being swallowed as the beast descended, its teeth turning the boat into splinters. Before it could submerge, however, I slammed my fist into the horn atop its head, sending a wicked vibration through its brain that caused it to scream in unadulterated agony.

As I landed on top of its head, I stomped over to the side and looked down into one eye, Yamakaze resting on my shoulder as I stared at the thing through my bandana. "Listen, hisser, you just busted my boat." It bellowed in raged, then I stomped down hard, causing it to squeal in pain and a bump to begin forming. Shifting to avoid it, I continued glowering. "I'm going to Rogtown and you owe me a ride. Now I can either kill you and use your skull as a boat or you can give us a ride there."

The thing seemed to consider arguing the point, then Reza floated by. "Au! Ya might wanna listen, arau! He's a Gorgon-au!- and might eat ya if ya don't-au!- do as he says!"

The thing whimpered and snorted questioningly at me. "Rogtown, now!"

With a bellow of fear, the thing took off toward the distant city, making far better time than the boat had been as panic flooded its feeble brain at the thought of a Gorgon becoming angry at it. Even as I smirked at that thought, I gestured for Reza to fly closer to me.

"By the way, Reza, let's not let anybody else know I'm a Gorgon, yes? I'd rather not become the target for the Seven Warlords or any Sea Devil remnants."

"Au! You know best, Boss."

Shrugging, I gently set Yamakaze on the sea snake's scales and smiled softly to myself. Whatever else the snake might have done, it had proven itself an excellent distraction.