The Prophecy
Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece.
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Both Axe-Head Pirates and the Death Root mercenaries stood side by side as they stared at the trio of highly wanted criminals that stood nearby. The one known as Duke "The Dark Portal" Cross slowly made his way to them, an umbrella in his hand. He came to a stop and swung his umbrella quickly around his wrist. When it came to a stop, everyone watched in amazement as he no longer held an umbrella, but a huge, black sword that was at least seven feet long and five feet wide, a zig-zag pattern on each side.
Axe and Endo stared at the blade, "Holy-!"
Duke chuckled, his large grin never fading, "I'd like you to meet my blade...Unholy!"
"Now, Uncle Duke, don't go showing off!" the girl called Road said mockingly as she darted for both Devon and Crow (or the others now knew him as Kazuya), "You'll be the first to bleed!"
The two swordsmen glanced at each other, and then back at her, going for their weapons, "Yeah, right!" the said in unison as they both lunged for her. However, their swords never reached their target, because the girl was no longer around.
"Missed me, boys!"
Devon and Kazuya saw that the reason she was longer in front of them was because she was now standing on their arms. They were so surprised at the young girls speed, they were too thrown off to dodge the knife blades that soon penetrated their chests.
Kirsty stared, shocked, "How...how did she-?!"
Road smiled cruelly as she pulled out her knives, "I ate the Go Go no Mi," she explained, turning to the doctor, "It allows me to travel back and forth through time by five seconds,"
A Time Traveling Fruit?! Axe stared at her, "No way...,"
The doctors from both groups rushed to the aide of their wounded nakama, and as they did, the rest of the large group noticed that Duke had pulled a similar move and was no longer around.
DJ and Dusty looked around, both confused and alert.
"Where'd that bastard get to?" DJ hissed, hand gripping his sabre tightly.
"I'm right here!"
Everyone turned and was barely able to dodge the oncoming slash by the huge black sword. The large group were divided into two and they all glared at Duke, who had a very amused smile on his face.
"Hehehe...you people are fun to play with," he cackled as Siamon carried the wounded away from the battle, closely followed by their doctors. The fat man's eyes wander around until they fell onto Niri and Death (or Elsa after being revealed by others), "Ah! Two beautiful young women!" he pointed at them, "You two will be the first to die!" he laughed as he raised his giant blade. As he brought it down, two forms came into his path. One was Kuma (Mel or Mac as some called him) and Axe jumped in front.
Axe was able to get only a scrape, which still stung, thanks to his Devil Fruit, while Mel's chest was practically split open, blood erupting from the large wound.
"MEL!"
Before anyone could stop her, Elsa ran over to him, but as she ran towards him, Duke took this opportunity and gave her a wicked gash. The rabbit girl fell to the deck alongside her nakama.
"Duke! Road!" Jeremiah barked calmly at them both, "We came here to test them, not to kill, remember that!"
Both the girl and the fat man walked over to him while both Endo and Axe shot glares filled with hatred at them all. They both had the intention on killing these people who hurt their friends.
"What the hell did you come here for?!"
Jeremiah adjusted the glasses on his face, "Didn't I already tell you, Axe? You are the Ono, and Endo there," he nodded to the merc leader, "...is the Ki, or Tree. Two of the three points of the Kindachi Goten Sankaku! Now, all I need to find is the Kumori...," he smiled, "Good thing my friend Stein Madro is already tracking the man,"
Madro?! Axe grit his teeth, "YOU KNOW MADRO?!" he shouted just as Endo screamed the same thing. The two teens stopped and looked at each other, "You know him too?!".
Cross laughed, clearly amused, "My, my...Axe, don't you know? Endo must know who he is...since Madro is Endo's grandfather,"
Axe immediately became stiff, his eyes going wide, W-W-What?!
The blind man, Prophet (or Meku) stepped forward, "What is this thing you're talking about? This...Kindachi business?"
Again, Cross smiled and began to walk around a large, dark hole that Duke had created somehow, "Kindachi Goten Sankaku...is a legend about the choosing of the second Pirate King. It is foretold that three forces will be helping this new King of Pirates: The Kumori or Shadow, the Ono or the Axe, and the Ki or Tree. If I can control these three forces, then the choosing of the second Pirate King will be mine!"
"I'll never be controlled by you!" Endo shouted.
Axe nodded, "Same here! The only one who controls me is myself...," he pointed to Niri, "And maybe her," he admitted, making some of the others fall over.
"Ah, boys...," Cross shook his head as he and the others began to step through the dark hole, "You don't understand. I will break you...the both of you!"
With that, Cross and his two companions vanished from sight, the dark hole closing up, leaving both groups of outlaws alone on the deck of the huge ship. As the others ran about the deck, tending to the wounded, Axe let out a loud growl and reached out to the side, latching onto Endo's jacket and bringing him close. He gave the boy such a glare, any sensible person would know just to back away at least a mile.
"That...bastard...Madro is your grandfather?!" he hissed through grit teeth, "He's part of your family?!"
Endo returned the glare and punched Axe right in the face, but to no avail, because Axe never softened his grip.
"Listen to me...we may be related by blood, but we are not family!" Endo snapped, "He killed my parents, his own flesh and blood, leaving me a damn orphan! He kidnapped Shan, he killed us, and sunk our first ship!" he smacked Axe's hand away from his body, "The people you see with me right now, is my family! The ones sailing with me right now are the one family I know, and we will always be there for one another!".
The young treasure hunter stared at Endo for a seemingly long time before backing away and nodding, "Sorry, I understand how you feel...what you're going through. Trust me, I've had some messed up shit happen to me in my travels," he turned to his crew, "Everyone, say your goodbyes," he ordered, "It's time to go...,".
After everyone was stitched up, it was time for them to depart. Penny gave one last hug to Axe, something the treasure hunter was grateful for since he was relieved that the little brat was alive after all. The small girl walked over to Austin, her face red as she tapped the deck nervously.
"Hey, Austin-kun," she said quietly before kissing him on the cheek, "...bye!"
Before the mute boy could respond, the girl floated up to the crows nest. Axe frowned as he watched her float away, "She has a Devil Fruit? Damn, girl, what have you been doing?" he wondered aloud before turning back to Austin, smiling at the boy, "Good going, kid,"
Red-faced, Austin turned but stopped when he saw Niri, Siamon, Kirsty, and Devon looking at him, each and everyone of them smiling. They had seen the kiss too, and it just embarrassed the poor child even more. After exchanging farewells, Axe and Endo faced each other again.
"Seems like we got off on the wrong foot," the treasure hunter muttered, "It's nice to actually meet 'Death Tree' Endo Ordam instead of the Death Root Leader,".
The pirate-turned-merc nodded, "Yeah, and I wish that sometime in the future that we can actually fight alongside each other instead of against each other," he held out his hand, "Friends?"
Axe grinned and slapped his hand, "Friends...,"
"Hey, boy!" Siamon walked over and placed his large hands on the boy's shoulders, "Take care of the Guppy for me, will ya?"
"Captain Siamon!" Niri turned away, looking embarrassed, "I can take care of myself...,"
Axe couldn't help but laugh at Siamon and Niri. He patted Siamon on the arms, "Don't worry, big guy, I will. She's my nakama, so I'll always be there to watch out for her,".
With that, Axe and his nakama walked to the edge of the boat, ready to leave. As the others leapt off the boat, Axe and Niri turned and waved at them all.
"Goodbye for now, Death Root!"
Niri smiled, "See ya in the future!"
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That evening, as the crew returned to their ship, they walked into a sight they didn't count on seeing. Azu was playing Pirate Poker with Pingu, while Chizuru and a strange girl watched from the side of the room.
The shipwright slammed his hand of cards onto the table, "Dammit, that penguin is good at poker!" he tugged at his dreadlocks, "Dammit!"
"Azu," the stranger shook her head, "He's not good at cards, you just suck at it,"
"SHADDUP, ARISA!" he shouted, very annoyed, "Pingu's good at cards and that's the truth! He had a damn thief teach him how to play!"
"Oi...Azu...,"
The shipwright nearly wet himself and he slowly turned to see Niri standing right behind Pingu, bangs covering her eyes as she cracked her knuckles.
"Uh...N-Niri...hey...,"
"Could you excuse us, guys?"
As Azu's desperate cries for help echoed around the room, the others left them behind and locked the door so that Azu wouldn't escape from Niri's wrath.
"Poor bastard," Axe shook his head as the room suddenly filled with agonizing screams, angry honks, and numerous sounds of punches landing on flesh.
That night, as everyone took a well deserved rest on the ship, weary from their battles with the mercenary group called Death Root, Devon took this time to check out Mock Town at night, this time, carrying Shidyk's poster with him. He hoped to get some information this time.
He wasn't the only one up, though. Axe spent the night in his cabin, wide awake as the words of Jeremiah Cross echoed in his skull. The legend about the choosing of the second Pirate King involved three people. One was him, another was Endo, and no doubt that shadow was Shidyk D. Shade.
I meet Endo here, Shidyk has passed through here with a girl with wings, Devon's heritage possibly lies around here somewhere... Axe shook his head, "Fate...what do you have in store for us? Do I truly have that kind of destiny before me? Do I really have a mission to accomplish besides taking down Kairi and repenting for my greatest sin?" he shook his head again and rubbed his eyes, "Screw it, I'll ask Chizuru later...maybe she knows something about this legend,"
With that, he blew out the light in his cabin and went to sleep.
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Kilnorc: Well, the mini-arc of Death Roots and Axe-Heads are over with! Time for the major part of Jaya to start! Confrontations, meetings and that's right, new bounties! WOOT! Get ready ya'll, cuz here it comes!
On the next chapter of Homeland...
Chizuru: The Log Pose keeps pointing upward, and if it isn't broken, that only means one thing...
Axe: An island in the sky? C'mon, even I don't see that happening.
Kirsty: Who is this Cricket guy?
Axe: Apple pie is better than cherry pie, fatass!
Cogs in the Gears of Fate
Devon: Where's Cricket live?