The Gate to Kisho
Chapter 11
Mike? Who is This?
"Zato!" Fuyu shouted, brandishing his weapons at the exact moment.
Their captain attempted to push away his offender, but it was no use. "Wait, you're the person who saved us!"
The hooded savior leapt back, still not revealing his identity. "Zato.. Alba! Get away from here!"
Tohru suddenly grabbed his cloak from behind and ripped it off, stunning all three of them. It wasn't human.
"Is this the 'dangerous creature' you spoke of?" Fuyu asked. Standing in front of them… was a panther.
"A talking panther wearing a massive veil that rescues us from the Marines. Am I dreaming?" Zato muttered. Their new friend produced a few flyers. "What are these?"
Zato looked up at the panther… but he wasn't there. "Holy…!" Tohru started. Before she could say anything else, she fainted. Zato looked down to see a small black kitten walking on two feet in the panther's place.
"Where'd he go?"
"I'm right here!!" the kitten roared, suddenly becoming a massive figure.
Fuyu chuckled to himself, realizing what was going on. "I never knew we could find duplicate devil fruits," he started. "And it's surprising that we stumbled across one around here. Here guys, take a look at this photo." He reached for the paper at the bottom of the stack with a picture of a crew.
STRAW HAT PIRATE CREW! BOUNTY: 700,000,050 Beri!
Close to the center of the crew stood an animal similar to the one with them, only it wasn't a panther. "Is that a moose that transformed like he did?"
Bang! Tohru beat him quickly and shrieked, "THAT'S A REINDEER BAKA! HAVEN'T YOU HEARD OF TONY TONY CHOPPER?!"
The monster beside them shrunk back to the size of a kitten. "Think of me as Tony Tony Chopper. But I'm Mike… Mike… Jinsoku."
"Hito Gotta no Mi, Model: Kurohyou – Human Mix Form Fruit, Model: Panther. I never thought it existed." Fuyu said.
Mike took over. "For an animal, it morphs them into forms that blend human characteristics, such as speaking as this, and walking on two feet. I can use a total of four forms – normal, human giant, focus, and one other."
"So what's your purpose of coming here and attacking us?"
"I… seek my old master," Mike muttered.
Tohru began to stroke his head, causing Mike to jump back as if offended. "You can't touch me!!"
"Then tell us about your past. If this is a Model Panther fruit, then obviously you were a different animal before," Zato responded.
Mike returned to his small cat-like form and began weaving his yarn. "It began years before in the stormy seas of the Northwest Sea. I remained only a mere kitten at that time. Before my life was brought here south, I sailed with the greatest pirates I have ever known – the Saber Star Crew. And leading them with his majesty… my old master – Captain Warren 'Saikou Jentou Bouryokudan' Tarento!"
Zato, Tohru, and Fuyu stared at Mike blankly, causing the panther to collapse with sorrow. "I thought… it was epic… he was a great man… I thought you should've known him."
"Nope, never heard of him, neither do we really care," Tohru whispered. Crash! Clang! Slam! Fuyu and Zato managed to hold Mike back before he could kill her.
"Captain Warren prized me as a valuable crew member. He used the word… nakama only with me. He was a supreme being to our crew, but a scoundrel, a rotten gangster in the eyes of the government. It wasn't long before our crew invaded a Marine Stronghold that had caused us trouble all along the way…
"And then, a man going by the name Akaiso rose in the ranks of officers. The Grand Marine Headquarters assigned him with the task of taking down our crew. That's just what his aims were.
"As we rested from our previous battle, his bounty suddenly came in! A single attack and he was given one wild bounty – he who brought the head of Warren Tarento would be immediately promoted to Shichibukai rank… and a bounty of 300 million was placed for further encouragement!"
"300 million Beri??" Zato and Tohru shouted.
Fuyu smirked at their response, saying, "You know, the World Government is one to reach extreme limits at times. Let me guess, pirates all over the sea attacked your crew at once?"
Mike put his head down as he finished the tale. "Akaiso came after five consecutive battles we faced. Captain Warren was worn out enough… our crew begged to Akaiso for mercy.
"He agreed… and formed a thick layer of ice around Warren right there, saying he wouldn't let him live in torture rather than slaying him at once. To follow up, he shocked my crew by forcing me to swallow the devil fruit as a whole in front of Warren, and then flung me into the sea. With that, he quickly destroyed the ship. I heard Warren's final words… to run, before he was taken."
"They killed your former master?" Tohru moaned, coming close to pet Mike once more. He bit her finger and made it bleed a bit to prevent her from reaching.
"That's why… Zato Alba. I ask of one thing – please let me join this crew! I want to sail out and find those things that I lost. And I want to be at sea once more, to find my lost crew. And to find the treasure that Warren himself seeked – the secrets of the Void Century at the Grand Kingdom of the Sky!"
Fuyu and Tohru pushed themselves off the ground with grins on their faces while Zato kept his head down. "As the captain of the new Star crew… I welcome you aboard!"
"but Zato… we aren't on the ship yet," responded Tohru.
Whack! Whack! Smack! "Ack… geez, I was just saying, Fuyu…" Whack! "Fine! I'll shutup!"
With Mike Jinsoku as the newest members, the new Star Pirates move on to the next point of the island chain – Commence Town, said to be the Town of Beginning.
From there, they will set out to the vast sea!
Enjoy, and review