Vlad walked up to the Crimson Palace, the name Paul gave the ship he crafted, and the official flag ship of the Bloody Pirates. It's Jolly Roger was a blood red Skull with vampiric fangs dripping some blood, with red crossbones behind it.
The ship was being loaded with supplies, such as food and drink. Some weapons and materials for both Paul and Jack were brought aboard as well. Some of the treasure from the Paradise Treasure Island was also being carried into the ship. It was being loaded by the chosen Chimeras that would accompany the crew to the chosen New World base.
As Vlad watched the loading process, he heard the sound of wings behind him. "You do remember your assignment, correct," Vlad looked behind him. "Owlman?"
Behind Vlad was an Owl Chimera, just a tad bit taller than Vlad himself. The Chimera bowed before Vlad. "I do, sir. I am to search the New World for three islands. A New World Treasure Island, a New World Base... and an island for 'sacrifice'."
"The sacrificial island is arguably the most important of all, even more so than the Base. You do know what I am asking you to do, correct?"
Owlman was quiet for a bit. "To find an inhabited island... for the Bloody Pirates and the Chimeras to sate their bloodlust."
"Indeed." Vlad looked to see Hoarfen overseeing the loading process, Tanya giving orders as to where certain supplies would go, Jack and Paul analyzing the materials, and Medusa tuning her guitar. "Though most of the top crew members look human, we are no different from the feral Chimeras. We are... monsters."
Vlad looked at his own hand. "I myself am struggling to keep my desire for spilling blood in check. If we don't get some kind of outlet to release our pent up savagery, I can't guarantee what will become of the island that will fall prey to our inhumane desires. I'd rather avoid getting any kind of attention at this point in time. We're not yet powerful enough to be noticed by the world."
Vlad then looked at Owlman. "Are you able to fulfill this mission? The first two involve no bloodshed, but the final part... is you literally sentencing an all but innocent island of unknowing citizens to death."
Owlman was silent for a bit before he bowed his head. "For you, my captain, I will do anything. I was but a cripple, an unwanted man who was being sent to the Holy Land to be tortured to death for the amusement of the Celestial Dragons. You gave me a new body, and a new life. For the debt I will never be able to repay, I will do anything for you and the crew... even murder."
"That is good to hear, for you know that you must not be discovered on this mission. Man, woman, elder, or child; it matters not. If anyone were to see you," Vlad looked at the bowing Owlman. "You do know what must be done, correct?"
"I am to terminate them."
"And?"
"And make it seem as if they were murdered, by either bandit or beast. I must not leave any trace of the Chimeras."
"Very good." Vlad then looked forward. "Dismissed." When he said that, the sound of wings flapping was heard. Then, it slowly disappeared, with Vlad no longer sensing anyone behind him.
After a few minutes, it was time to finally set sail. With a small army of Chimeras on both The Paradise Base and Treasure Island, the Crimson Palace sailed towards the Red Line. It didn't take long for the ship to reach the destination.
It might have been the quality of the ship, the workload, or Medusa's music that made time seem to go faster for the cruise, but it didn't matter. Vlad saw the Red Line, which meant that they were close to the entrance of the New World: Sabaody Archipelago.
In a matter of minutes, the archipelago was within Vlad's sight. "Weigh anchor at the closest harbor."
"Yes, captain," A falcon Chimera answered as he steered the ship. He was able to perfectly position the ship near a harbor, and screeched to signal his brothers to lower the anchor. An eagle and crow Chimera were all that was needed. The two Chimeras made lifting that large anchor that weighed tens of thousands of pounds look as easy as lifting one of their own feathers.
After the ship was proper secured, and the gang plank was lowered, the Chimeras made themselves scarce by hiding in certain sections of the ship. It was one of Vlad's first orders. The Zoan excuse can only work for so long, and people would probably find it suspicious that a large number of Zoans are on that one ship.
The core members walked from the ship, and looked around.
"These people look pretty tense," Hoarfen said.
"Well, we are pirates," Tanya said. She then looked at the people. "But it doesn't seem like it's us they're afraid of."
"Of course not," Vlad said. "Sabaody Archipelago is the final island of Paradise, and practically the entrance to the New World. Pirates are common on this island." Vlad looked at a tree. "Especially here. That tree has number twenty-five written on it, meaning we're in the lawless area of the island. Pirates and bounty hunters run amok here."
"Oh, that explains why this idiot tried to gut me." Vlad looked to see that Hoarfen had impaled a pirate with his sword over his head, obviously wanting to cleave Hoarfen's head in two. Hoarfen yanked his arm out of the man's chest, and watched him fall to the ground. He licked his fingers to taste the blood, and looked less than satisfied. "Weak."
"Still, the pirates aren't what's making the townspeople tense. Something else is here," Paul said with his arms crossed.
There was some bounty hunters hiding behind the barrels. "T-That guy is huge."
"We can't take that guy on! He looks like he could crush us like grapes with just his pinky."
"L-Let's at least see his bounty." The guy then took out a book filled with bounty posters, and started searching. "Huh? A huge guy like that doesn't have a bounty?"
"Seriously? He looks like he could crush a village. What about the pretty boy that stabbed the unfortunate bastard with just his arm?"
The bounty hunter began to scrawl through the book. "What the-? How can a guy who can kill so easily not have a bounty?"
"Do any of them have bounties?"
The guy looked. "No. None of them." The guy then looked at Vlad's group, who were walking into the town. "But those guys are definitely not rookies. You can tell by just looking at them that they're all veteran pirates."
"You don't think they're privateers, do you?"
"Hell no. They've got to be pirates. No way guys like that would work for the government."
"Then why don't they have bounties?"
"Hell if I know, and shit if I care. They're not worth anything, so there's no point in risking our lives."
"Oh, Vlad, I'd like to buy some new guitar strings. Could you lend me some money?"
"Sure." Vlad then took out a large bag, and opened it. The bounty hunters eyes turned totally black when they saw all the gold in that bag, and watched as Vlad took out a few gold coins, and gave it to the exotic beauty.
"So... much... gold."
"He took it out, knowing there are a shit ton of pirates around."
"That guy's either seriously strong, or seriously stupid."
"Alright, we'll separate for now. I'll look for someone to coat the Crimson Palace. The rest of you search for any necessities the island may offer." Vlad then gave each of them a certain amount of gold. "We each have the transponder snails Jack and Paul made for us, correct," Vlad asked as he pulled up a sleeve to show what looked like a watch, but was instead holding a mini transponder snail. The crew all showed Vlad that they each had one on their wrists. "Good, I'll call you when the ship is ready. Do not hesitate to contact anyone should the need arise. Dismissed." Vlad then began to walk away.
"Hey, do you wanna try to gab that gold?"
"I don't know. That guy had such a commanding presence. He even sounded like a marine captain or something. Maybe he's a turncoat. He must be tough."
"Whatever. He's alone. Besides, look." The one bounty hunter looked to see that their partners were following Vlad. "If we don't get that cash, they will!"
The bounty hunter thought for a bit. "We might be able to steal at least a little bit while they kill him."
"Good thinking. Let's go." The bounty hunters then began to follow the crowd.
Vlad walked into the forest, where he knew no civilians would be nearby. He stopped when he saw some idiots with wide grins walk out from behind some trees in front of him. Then, more walked out from the trees all around him. Vlad was surrounded, but unsurprisingly, he didn't look intimidated at all. If anything, he looked a bit bored.
"We'll be taking that gold, pretty boy."
Vlad looked forward with a bored expression, closed his eyes, and just kept walking.
"Hey! You deaf, pretty boy?!" Vlad didn't respond. "You sonofa-!" The man yelling lifted a sword and charged at Vlad.
Vlad lazily opened one eye, and readied his hand to rip the fool's heart out. Instead, the man was slashed across the chest hard enough to make him float. As he screamed with his chest gushing blood from an ice-covered wound, he was sent flying by a kick, disappearing from the forest.
"You didn't need to do that, Hoarfen."
"Eh, I kinda did. I've got impulses."
"You know I sent Owlman ahead to find an island for us to indulge in those when we reach the New World, right?"
"Like I can wait that long. Let's just slaughter this scum for now."
Vlad sighed. "Alright."
With that, and both of their eyes glowing, Vlad and Hoarfen proceeded to tear the bounty hunters to shreds, literally. Limbs were sent flying. Blood splattered everywhere. Screams of pain, anguish and horror echoed throughout the forest.
Throughout the entire nightmarish ordeal, the two bounty hunters watched in horror, one of them looking like they were about to vomit. In a matter of minutes, the two demons were standing over bloody slabs of meat. There was nearly no way to identify who the men they killed were. Then, the bounty hunters actually wet themselves when they saw the inhuman creatures look at them with their unholy, glowing eyes. Screaming in terror, they both ran for their lives.
"Should we kill them," Hoarfen asked.
"Let them go. There's no point in wasting our time to kill such worthless cowards. Anyway, I'm heading towards the town. There should be a coating expert somewhere in that area. Care to join?"
"Nah. I'll just have my lunch while it's still fresh, then probably look for Jack or Paul. Those two usually look for some interesting stuff. I'll just met you at the ship."
"Fair enough. Enjoy your meal." With one last wave, Vlad walked away, disappearing into the forest.
"Keh, like he needs to tell me that." Hoarfen then turned towards the spilled body parts, and walked over towards them while entering his hybrid form. "Thanks for the food." Hoarfen then began to eat, the sound of squishing meat and breaking bones echoing throughout the forest.
Meanwhile, in the town square, the citizens were looking in terror towards a certain direction. Down the street came an ugly fat man sitting on the back of a crying man. That tub of lard was a Celestial Dragon. When the people saw him, they all grovelled, hoping to spare their lives.
"Ho-hah. This island has become even more filthy. Ever since the Roswald Family was harmed in this area, the atmosphere became even more putrid. To think these maggots allowed a godly being like a Celestial Dragon get harmed! Revolting! Ho-hah!"
"It is indeed disgusting. It is only through the graces of the Celestial Dragons that they are allowed to live," said the Celestial Dragons attendant.
"Ho-hah. Hm?" The Celestial Dragon saw a doctor and a nurse carrying a wounded man... the same man Hoarfen slashed and sent flying with a kick. "Oi! You guys, wait!" The doctor and nurse stopped in fear. "Why are you moving while in my presence? You should be groveling like the lowly humans you are," the fat man said as he got off the slave and walked over towards the two.
"P-please forgive us," the doctor begged. "I beg of you, let this slide. This man is bleeding terribly. I originally thought he was caught in a fight, but it seems as if he was attacked by some unknown beast. Please, the hospital is right there."
"Hm?" The Celestial Dragon looked down at Hoarfen's victim. "Ho-hah. Indeed. This is quite a horrid wound. I suppose I should," the Celestial Dragon raised his leg and kicked the stretcher. "Put him out of his misery!"
The doctor looked at the bleeding man in horror, and knelt down to try and help him. "Please, stop!"
"Oh, no," the nurse said as she also knelt down.
"Ho-hah, is that lowly citizen more important than my well deserved respect?"
The injured man coughed. "M...on...st..er."
"Huh? What do you say, worm," the Celestial Dragon asked as he reached for his jacket.
"A... monster. . . . A monster is on this island. Blue. So blue. So cold."
"Hah? What nonsense are you speaking?"
"So cold. So cold. SO COLD! SO COLD! A MONSTER OF ICE IS ON THIS ISLAND! IT ISN'T HUMAN! IT ISN'T HUMAN! A BLUE MONSTER OF ICE IS ON THIS ISLAND!"
"Please, your grace! This man is delirious! The loss of blood is driving him mad! Let us treat him," the doctor begged.
The Celestial Dragon was getting annoyed. It got worse when he heard screaming. He looked towards the forest to see two men with soiled pants running for their lives. "Ho-hah?! What impropriety is this?! More humans dare run in my presence?!"
One of the guys fell, and the other tried to help him up. "Hurry up, you idiot! We have to tell the boss! We need to get the fuck off this island!"
"That couldn't have been real, man! Those... those... THINGS! They weren't human! No man can do that!"
"Just shut up and run!"
"Excuse me." The two terrified men looked at the Celestial Dragon's attendant, who was holding a gun. "Do you not realize that you are in the presence of a Celestial Dragon? You should show more respe-"
"WHO GIVES A FUCK!" That one shout from the man shocked everyone, none more than the Celestial Dragon himself. "IF YOU'RE GONNA SHOOT ME, DO IT ALREADY! YOU'D BE SAVING ME! HURRY UP, DAMMIT!"
"STOP WASTING TIME, JACKASS! ONE OF THOSE THINGS WILL BE HERE ANY SECOND!" With that, the two men ran like hell, as if they were being chased by the Devil himself, and in a way, they technically were.
The Celestial Dragon was shaking in rage. "HO-HAH! HOW DARE THEY?! I AM SO ENRAGED! HOW DARE MERE HUMANS NOT RESPECT ME?! WHAT COULD BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN MY GLORIOUS PRESENCE?!"
"They are fools, Celestial Dragon. They do not understand that it is only through your mercy that they may live."
"Ho-hah. That is too true. Hm?" The Celestial Dragon noticed the lovely nurse helping with the patient. He then walked over to her, and examined her, making her nervous and shake in fear. "Hm, alright. In order to appease me, I shall make you my wife." The woman's eyes widened in shock.
"Then I shall start the paperwork to bring her to the Holy Land as Lady Fifteen."
"Oh, I am tired of wife one to seven. You may return them to the lower class."
"Understood."
"Please wait! I-"
"Wait, you people," a young man said while running towards them. "She's my fiance!" He was then shot by the Celestial Dragon in the stomach. While gripping his bleeding stomach, he fell to the ground. "Maria."
"NO! YOU MURDERER! HOW COULD YOU?! PLEASE, SOMEONE! PLEASE HELP HIM!"
"What is this? Do you have some complaint about me?"
"Please! Let me go!"
"Take her to the port."
"Very good, sir."
"No!"
"Oh, my." All activity stopped. Everyone looked to see an incredibly handsome, dark-skinned man standing over the young man. That man... was Vlad. He gently turned the man over to his back. "This is unfortunate. He still has quite a bit of life to look forward to." Vlad pulled up the man's shirt. "Hm... yes. This is simple to remedy."
"Eh? Can you save him," Maria asked, actually stopping her struggle.
"Of course I can, especially since I've decided this young man should live." Vlad then knelt down and bit the palm of his hand. He placed the bloody palm over the young man's wound, and used his powers to take out the bullet and manipulate the man's own blood to heal him. In a matter of second, the man was gasping for air and coughing from the revival.
"Johan!" Maria was actually able to break out of the hold of the two guards of the Celestial Dragon and past the attendant. She hugged her fiance, tears flowing like a waterfall, overjoyed that he was alive. "Johan! I'm so glad! You're alive!"
Johan hugged his fiance. "Maria. I'm sorry I scared you."
"Boy." Johan looked up and saw Vlad. His face was shadowed, but Johan felt like he was in the presence of someone incredible. "Do not waste the life I gave you. I am not a generous man. This is the first and last time I will save you. Guard you life well, for it does not belong to you alone. It belongs to her as well," Vlad said as he pointed at the still sobbing Maria.
"Y-Yes. I understand." Johan looked at Vlad with awe. "Are you... a god?"
Vlad immediately laughed at that. "A god? No. Never. I am something much... darker." Vlad then knelt down and looked Johan in the eyes. He saw the shock and fear in Johan's blue eyes when Vlad showed him his crimson eyes. "I am a devil. A being that all should fear, including fools who would dare call themselves a god, when there is only one true being deserving of that title. However, know that your life was saved... by the Bloody Devil."
"Bloody... Devil?"
Vlad just smirked as he got up and walked towards the injured man. When Vlad's shadow was over the man, he opened his eyes to see something that made his labored breathes quicken. "I-It's you. You were with that monster."
"Is that what you think Hoarfen is? Oh, he's more than just a mere monster. Still, that isn't important right now. What is is the fact that you somehow survived his slash." Vlad examined the man's wounds. "Ah, so that's why. The wound was too shallow. Hoarfen must have miscalculated the timing of his swing. That isn't like him. His impatience must be affecting him. Well, I can't let this continue." Vlad then placed his hand over the man's chest and healed his deadly wound in a matter of seconds, which shocked the doctor and everyone around him.
The thug coughed before getting back up to look at Vlad in surprise. "Why did you... save me?"
"Save you," Vlad asked with a chuckle. "I've damned you."
"What?"
"It's only a matter of time before Hoarfen senses you. Once he finds out he has failed to kill you, he'll hunt you down and tear you to pieces, literally. And he'll enjoy doing it." The man looked at Vlad in fear, knowing he was telling the truth. "So, I suggest you get off this island as fast as possible if you want to live." The bandit looked at Vlad in fear. "Well, what are you waiting for? Do you want to be killed by Hoarfen?" When the man didn't move, Vlad knelt down and looked into the bandit's eyes while his own crimson eyes were glowing demonically. "Run."
With that, the man got up and started to run while screaming in terror. He even pushed the Celestial Dragon out of his way, the most shocking act yet.
Vlad laughed at the sight as he stood back up. "Ah, I'll never get tired of doing that. Weaklings are so easy to terrorize."
"How dare you?"
"Hm?" Vlad looked to see the Celestial Dragon pointing a gun at him.
"Do you know who I am, lowly human?"
Vlad was silent for a bit. "A hideous tub of lard?"
The Celestial Dragon's eyes widened. Then, he shot Vlad three times. A bullet in the heart, one in his right shoulder, and the final one in his head. His head was pushed back and Vlad was still standing. Seeing Vlad get shot made everyone scream. The Celestial Dragon smiled, overjoyed to have killed the rude peasant.
"Ow." The Celestial Dragon's smile was quickly replaced by a look of shock. It got worse when Vlad moved his head down, his eyes glowing, with a small trickle of blood running down his face. "No matter how many times I'm shot, it's still uncomfortably painful. An annoying prick." Everyone watched in amazement as the blood returned to Vlad's body, and the blood from Vlad's wounds began to move something to the palm of his hand. When the blood had reached it's destination, Vlad stretched out his hand and dropped something. It was the three bullets.
"I-Impossible! What kind of Devil Fruit other than a Logia could make someone exempt from my holy bullets?!"
"Oh, so you pigs actually know about the Devil Fruits. And here I thought Celestial Dragons only knew how to eat, sleep, and shit. To answer your question, you hideous boar, I ate the Blood-Blood Fruit. I'm a blood man."
"B-Blood?" The Celestial Dragon then finally realized something that replaced his fear with rage. "How DARE you call a holy being a hideous boar?!" The Celestial Dragon then emptied his gun and reloaded it with different looking bullets. Vlad immediately knew they were Sea Prism bullets. "I'll kill you for insulting a g-" The Celestial Dragon was interrupted by a squelching sound, followed by the sound of spilling water. He looked down to see... that Vlad had impaled him with his bare hand.
"Be quiet." The Celestial Dragon, as well as everyone else, looked up at Vlad in absolute shock. "You have no real power. You're just another 'sacrifice'."
The Celestial Dragon looked at Vlad in astonishment before he started to snarl. "HOW DARE YOU?!" He pointed his gun right at Vlad's head. "HOW DARE YOU SPILL MY HOLY BLOOD?! HOW DARE YOU SO MUCH AS TOUCH ME WITH YOUR FILTHY HANDS! YOU TOUCHED THE BLOOD OF TWO LOWLY HUMANS! YOU'VE CONTAMINATED ME! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL SHOOT YOU DEAD AND HAVE YOUR BODY STUFFED AS A TROPHY! I WILL-"
"Shut up and die. Bloody Urchin." When Vlad said that, the Celestial Dragon had spikes shoot out throughout his entire body. It was impossible to recognize him. He didn't look like a Celestial Dragon at all. He didn't even look human. He just looked like a giant red sea urchin.
Vlad removed his hand and clapped them clean. "Much better."
"D-Do you realize what you've done?" Vlad looked to see the shocked attendant. "You've murdered a holy ancestor of the founders of this world!"
Without hesitation, Vlad formed a pistol with his blood and shot the attendant in the head, killing him instantly. "Don't you ever... call those pigs the founders of this world. They don't deserve such a title." Vlad then looked up towards the sunny sky. "Only one may be called the founder of this world. And it is not these pathetic humans pretending to be gods."
The people were astonished. This man was both ruthless and fearless. He killed both a Celestial Dragon and his attendant with no hesitation or fear. It was as if he thought they couldn't touch him. With power like his, they wouldn't be surprised if they couldn't. What's more, with both the attendant and the Dragon dead, there's no one to report the fact that he attacked a resident of the Holy Land, and no one would report him. If anything, they would praise him for riding the world of such evil.
"Now then, time to find a coating expert." Vlad then started to walk away when he said that, the people watching him go in awe. "I wonder how the others are doing?"
The bandit ran as fast as he could, looking around the port for his ship. He didn't care if he would abandon his friends. They were probably dead anyway. They tried to help him capture Vlad, and nothing about that plan went well. He just kept running and searching, not paying attention to his surrounding at all.
As he searched, he ran into someone. "DAMN YOU! WATCH WERE YOU'RE GO-" The bandit's eyes widened in horror when he saw who he ran into.
"Huh? Didn't I kill you," Hoarfen asked. "Oh, whatever." Hoarfen then turned his fingernails into claws, and tore the man to pieces. The man was dead in an instant. "Can't let my prey live, now can I. Nothing I slash should ever stand up again. I have a reputation to keep."
"Hey, mutt." Hoarfen looked over at Tanya in aggravation. "Make yourself useful for once and help me carry this food." There was tons of meat, fruits, and vegetables behind Tanya, who used the gold Vlad gave her to buy it.
"Tch. Why the hell did I have to run into you of all people? I was looking for Jack or Paul."
"Stop complaining and grab the food." She grabbed one of the large bags of food and lifted it like it was nothing, something that surprised the merchant and everyone around the two pirates. Everyone thought she was just a pretty face, but she's showing to be as strong as she is beautiful.
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." Hoarfen easily lifted the other two bags like they were nothing. Many of the men around him felt inadequate when they saw that. Hoarfen was a slim man, and many of the men around the pirates were big and burly. Still, many of them knew they would struggle to lift just one of those bags, yet the blue-haired pretty boy made it look as easy as lifting a balloon.
Hoarfen groaned. "Why do I have to do something as lame as help you out, pussy?"
"Do you ever stop bitching? Oh, wait, you can't. You're a bitch."
"I will fucking skin you, pussy."
"Bring it, bitch."
"Now, now, lovelies." The two looked to see Jack walking up to them.
"Oh, Jack. Have anything interesting to share," Hoarfen asked with a hopeful tone.
Jack released a depressed sigh. "Alas, I do not, Hoarffy. This island is devoid of artistic potential. Nothing around this drab little island stirs the artist within me. It is... dull."
Hoarfen got depressed. "Seriously? Oh! What about Paul? Is he doing anything fun?"
"I'm afraid not, Hoarffy. He's gathering materials on this island necessary to rebuild his beloved hammer."
"Huh? He's making his own hammer?"
"That is correct, Hoarffy. His last hammer was destroyed by the traitors that caused his downfall. What a shame. That hammer of his was a work of art. He once swung the hammer hard enough to shatter the air around him. You would almost believe he ate the Tremor-Tremor Fruit. It was practically unbreakable, even without the use of armament haki. A magnificent weapon worthy of legend."
"If it was so awesome, how did it get broken?"
Jack sighed. "It was immune to physical damage... but not to intense heat."
"So it was melted. By who?"
"A young recruit... who happens to be an Admiral now."
Hoarfen knew who Jack meant. Akainu always has been a pain in the ass for all pirates. Hoarfen made a bet that Paul especially hated the guy, since he destroyed his most prized weapon and got him thrown into Impel Down.
"Less talking, more carrying. We need to get this food to the ship," Tanya ordered.
"Ah, keep your fur on, ya annoying sour pussy."
"Why you flea bitten- When we get to the ship, I'll shred you to pieces."
"Bring it on."
Jack chuckled. "Those two get along far too well. Phemmy should be close to collecting all the materials he needs for him hammer."
As Jack followed his crew mates, he noticed someone. It was a man taller than Vlad, but shorter than Paul. He was a handsome gentleman, with a smooth handlebar mustache, neat hair, and a monocle. He was a lean looking man, had four pistols strapped on his chest, a sniper on his back, and a saber strapped to his left side. A man-at-arms. A man-of-war.
"A piece of art... in the making," Jack said to himself, analyzing the man, ideas of how to 'perfect' the man just flooding his mind.
"Oi, Jack!" The doctor looked to see an impatient Hoarfen. "Stop spacing out! We need to get this crap to the ship so the pussy cat can make herself useful for once."
"I will fucking cook you!"
"Come on! I don't wanna keep Vlad waiting if he's there with the coating guy."
"On my way, Hoarffy!" Taking one last look at the man, Jack ran to his crew mates. "Hm, this reminds me, I do hope Meddy is not having any trouble with her shopping."
The beautiful guitarist was walking down the street looking for a music store... either unaware or uncaring of all the looks she was getting.
"She's so beautiful," a woman said.
"A once-in-a-lifetime beauty," a man said.
"Her skin is so dark. She looks so exotic," another man said.
"Mama, who's that pretty lady? Is she a princess," a little girl asked. Medusa actually heard that, and lightly giggled. The way she did it made many people blush because of how elegantly beautiful she did it.
Eventually, she found the store. "Hm? Ah, welcome. Nice looking guitar you have there."
Medusa smiled as she looked at the guitar strapped to her back. Though she walked throughout the entire island with it, not one person made a comment on it. "Thank you. I'm quite proud of it. Though, the strings are getting a bit worn."
"Ah, left wall at the end. Bottom shelf."
"Thank you." Medusa went over and grabbed a few boxes of strings. She walked over to the counter and bought the strings.
"Thanks for your business."
"Mhm. Oh, do you mind if I switch the strings on your counter?"
"Sure. No problem."
"Thank you." Medusa did just that, loosing her old strings, taking them out, and replacing them with the new ones.
"Wow. That was fast. Must have been playing that guy for a while, huh?"
"Indeed. Now, let's test the strings." She strummed the strings and started to tune them to her liking. That should do it." She then began to play a song.
"Hey, that song. Wasn't that made by some artist who calls himself Bleach?"
"It was. I believed he called it Going Home," Medusa said as she continued to play the song. "It's one of my favorites to play."
"It really is a lovely song." Medusa, while still playing, looked behind her to see a beautiful woman who looked to be in her twenties. She had red hair that was styled in a way that covered her right eye. Her skin was tan, but not as dark as Medusa's. She had a slim and athletic body. She was quite the sight.
"You're quite skilled with the guitar, miss."
"Thank you."
"Could I make a request?"
"Hm? I suppose."
"Do you know any music from Dressrosa?"
"Ah, the famous New World island." Without giving a clear answer, Medusa immediately started to play a song one could easily dance to.
In fact, the woman did. Medusa was impressed. The woman kept up a perfect rhythm in dance with Medusa's guitar. The woman's moves were almost artistic. Even the shop keep was mesmerized. He wasn't the only one, either. Outside his store, many people came at first to listen to the lovely music, only to be greeted by a breath-taking show.
The melody of the guitar and the grace of the dance was a magical sight. You would even pay to watch it. When Medusa played the finishing note, the woman was able to stop at the perfect moment, almost as if the two had been rehearsing. When the music and the dancing stopped, the crowd clapped, cheered, and whistled in admiration of the two artistic beauties.
"I must say, you are a gifted dancer."
"As you are a gifted guitarist."
Medusa smiled. "I suppose we have gotten to know each other enough to give our names. I am Medusa. It is a pleasure to meet you," Medusa said with an elegant courtesy that made her appear like a noble woman.
The woman did an equally elegant courtesy. "The pleasure is all mine, Ms. Medusa. I am Gypsy."
"Gypsy. A lovely name. I will be sure to remember it."
"Medusa."
"Hm? Oh, Paul. Are you finished shopping already?"
"I have all the material I need. I saw Hoarfen and Tanya carrying three bags, with Jack following them. Safe to say that they're done. Looks and sounds like you're done, too."
"Oh, so you were listening."
"Yeah. You've still got it. Now, let's go. I know Vlad isn't the impatient type, but I don't wanna keep him waiting."
"Agreed. Keeping our captain waiting is very rude. It seems we must part ways, Ms. Gypsy."
"So it seems. I hope we meet each other once more."
"As do I. Maybe in Dressrosa."
"That would be nice."
"It would. Good-bye, Ms. Gypsy. May we meet again soon." With that, Medusa walked away with Paul.
Gypsy watched as the two walked away with a smile on her face. "Gypsy."
The beauty looked behind her. "Oh, Flynt."
It was the handsome gentleman that Jack saw. "I have completed my task, but I cannot seem to find the captain. Do you have an inkling as to where he might be?"
"Hm, knowing him, he's probably flirting with some girls."
"I suppose that is a fair assessment. Hawk might be with him as well."
"Well, let's go find him. I personally want to get to Fishman Island as soon as possible. I want to see Briggs again as soon as possible."
"Yes, it would be nice for the whole crew to be back together." With that, Gypsy and Flynt went off to look for their last two crew mates.
"Come on, beautiful. I'll be sure to show you a good time," said a tall and fairly handsome man to two blushing women, who were actually covered by his shadow. He was a fair-skinned man with long, flowing, white hair. He also had a bit of a goatee. He wore a long blue jacket, but no shirt, showing off his well-toned abs. He had a wild look to his face. Made him look ruggedly handsome. To add to his wild charm, his canines looked sharp enough to be fangs. He was a beast of a man.
"What do you say? If you're worried about that cute friend of yours, my boy over here can keep her some company," the man said as he pointed a thumb to the man behind him.
"Come on, Snart. Don't drag me into this," said the man. He was a purple haired man who wore a checkered bandanna that went low enough to make his eyes look as thin and slit-like as a snake's. He was a pretty scary and intimidating looking man, but those strange objects hanging from the back of his head made he seem just a bit less scary.
"Aw, don't be like that, Hawk. I'm giving you a cute girl. Why wouldn't you want me to drag you into this?" Hawk sighed at Snart's comment. "Now, where were we," Snart asked as he lifted the blushing girl's chin to have her look into his blue eyes, mesmerizing her.
"There you are."
"Hm? Oh, Gypsy, Flynt, what's up?"
"Apologies, Mr. Snart, but I believe we are ready to depart."
"Aw, come on, Flynt. Just a few more hours? I found a seriously cute girl."
"Snart, it's rude to keep Briggs waiting."
"I'm sure he'll understand, Gypsy. Now then, How about it, honey? You wanna spend some time with-"
"BOSS!"
Snart grew a tick mark. "Goddammit." He looked to see the two bounty hunters run towards him like bats out of hell before tripping and falling at his feet. "What do you idiots want?"
"BOSS! PLEASE! WE NEED TO GET THE HELL OFF THIS ISLAND!"
"THERE ARE DEMONS ON THIS ISLAND!"
"Yeah. You're looking at one. Now go away before I gut you idiots."
"BOSS, PLEASE!"
"THOSE THINGS COULD APPEAR ANY MOMENT!"
"THE RED DEMON!"
"AND THE BLUE DEMON!"
"Would you idiots stop screaming already? You're scaring the girls."
"W-We should go."
"Y-Yeah."
"Wait, hah?!" The girls started to walk away, with Snart reaching out to them, anime tears flowing down his face before they turned angry as he glared at the idiots that scared them off. "Look what you morons did!"
When Snart looked at them, he realized they were crying. "Please, boss, we need to get the hell out of here."
"They're kill us."
"Would you bitches stop crying? And you call yourselves men."
"Please, this place is practically cursed."
"Oh, suck it up. Just get some of the other guys to help you kill this guy."
"We can't." Snart raised an eyebrow at the man's response.
"They're dead."
That caught Snart's attention. "What?"
"The demons... they slaughtered them all."
Snart was silent for a bit. "Where?"
After a hell of a lot of convincing, the bounty hunters finally led Snart and his group to the massacre sight.
"My word," said a shocked Flynt.
"This... this is awful," Gypsy said as she covered her mouth in horror.
"There's no way in hell two men did this," Hawk said.
"They weren't men."
"They were demons. We kept telling you."
Snart ignored his men, and started to sniff. "I've got their scent." Everyone looked at him. "One of them is near the ocean... and another is heading towards the other. They must be preparing to set sail. Let's pay them a visit."
"YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS, BOSS!"
"THEY'LL KILL US!"
"SHUT UP!" Snart's roar terrified the two cowards. "Don't you know who I am? I'm the CEO of the future Omega Corps, the organization that will be known as the most powerful pirate mob in history. We'll be so strong, that we'll make the Baroque Works that Crocodile bastard kept bragging about look like a scout group. Besides, whoever these guys are, they robbed me of some perfectly good employees. No way in hell am I gonna just let that slide. Let's go!"
"Sir," everyone except for the bandits yelled.
"Alright, Shep, here's the supplies. You, Hawk, and Mino take it down to the cargo hold," Hoarfen ordered.
"Understood, sir," a German Shepherd Chimera responded with a salute. He, the Crow Chimera, and a Minotaur grabbed the bags of food and materials and carried it to storage.
"Okay, so now all we have to do is wait for Vlad to show up with the coating guy," Hoarfen said.
"Well, hopefully you won't have to wait long."
Hoarfen looked over the rails to see Vlad with some men. "Damn, you're fast. So those are the coating experts, huh?"
"Yeah. The boss here told me he should be about an hour or so."
"Eh? That long," Hoarfen asked in a bored tone.
"Sorry, youngin, but this a delicate procedure. One screw up'll end with you and yer ship bein' crushed by the water pressure before yer anywhere near Fishman Island," the head coater said with a heavy accent.
"Tch, whatever," Hoarfen said as he jumped off the ship.
After hearing the explanation, the other top members of the crew got off of the deck as well. The Chimeras were staying in the hold by orders of Vlad and the rest of the crew, making sure to not be noticed by anyone.
Vlad and the crew watched as the coaters did their job.
"Yeah, I don't feel like watching them do this crap for an hour," Hoarfen said.
"Do we even have anything better to do," Tanya asked.
"Maybe we can keep you company," a voice yelled. The crew looked behind them to see another crew walk towards them with a silver haired man leading them. The man pointed at Vlad. "You, the red-eyed pretty boy!"
"Hm?"
"And you, the ice sculpture!"
"Ice sculpture?"
"I heard you sent my boys to hell."
"Those pathetic bounty hunters were yours," Vlad asked.
"You should pick 'em better, pal. They're meat was so weak, that I actually had to leave some scrap behind. It was bad enough to make me waste food!"
The crew shivered in disgust. "So, those truly were bite marks. And now we know why some of the corpses were so devoid of flesh and muscle," Flynt stated.
"You ate my men? That's sick," Snart said with a snarl.
"You're telling me. Those guys were so stringy that I think I still have bits of muscle stuck in my teeth. Gross."
Snart glared at Hoarfen. "Only a real monster like you would be the big boss."
"Nah. Not me." Snart's crew was shocked to know that the monster in front of them wasn't the leader. "This guy's the leader." Hoarfen pointed his thumb at Vlad.
Snart glared at him. "You actually let a freak like that work for you?"
"I don't see why not."
Snart's glare hardened. "I'll show you why not." Snart then began to transform. His hybrid form was a bit taller than his base form, and it was easy to tell what kind of creature he was.
Hoarfen's eyes widened, while Vlad just hummed in a dismissive tone. "A snow leopard."
"That's right, red eye. I ate the Cat-Cat Fruit, Model: Snow Leopard. I'm gonna use these claws to tear you to the bone, and smash those into dust."
"Are you? Well then, come at me, boy," Vlad said as he began to extend his arm.
However, before he fully raised his arm, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked to see that it was Hoarfen, his eyes shadowed. "Vlad, let me deal with this guy."
Vlad looked at his First Mate for a bit and lowered his arm. "Very well." With that, Hoarfen walked forward.
"Hah?! Is this a joke?! The leaders should be fighting each other! Not the Number One vs. the Number Two," Snart roared.
"Shut up. A piece of shit like you isn't worth Vlad's time."
Snart grew a tick mark. "That right? I don't think you know who you're dealing with, Ice Sculpture. I was once feared as Snart the Frost Beast! However, the Government erased my existence after they caught me... and stuck me in Level Six of Impel Down."
"Oh," Hoarfen said in an uninterested tone.
"We are all Impel Down escapees," Flynt explained. "However, Sir Snart is the only one of us who was powerful enough to be considered a Level Six threat. I myself was Level Five, while the lovely Gypsy was a Level Four, along side Sir Hawk. Without a doubt, Sir Snart is the most powerful among us."
"That right," Hoarfen asked.
"Yeah," Snart answered. "And my powers aren't the only thing that makes me feared by the Government. They wanted me gone because I was able to figure out one of their Six Powers techniques." Hoarfen remained silent and uninterested, his eyes still hidden by shadow. "Let me show ya. Shave!" Snart vanished.
He was running around Hoarfen at blinding speeds, analyzing him. Hoarfen had no openings for Snart to take advantage of, except for two: his left arm and a small spot on his back. Snart smiled at the information. He planned on slashing Hoarfen's arm off, stab his back, then finally slash his head off when his defense is at it's lowest. Smiling at his own plan, Snart appeared before Hoarfen, and dashed towards the still pirate.
Time seemed to slow down for Snart, just because he wanted to savor the moment. His instincts were at a level where times seemed to move at a crawl if he concentrates enough. With a shit-eating smile, Snart readied a clawed hand to cut off Hoarfen's arm. He was about to begin his plan and kill the ice sculpture.
Then, something happened.
Snart felt a horrible amount of pressure in his stomach. He was struck by something. It was hard enough to make him buckle over in pain and even vomit. He took some steps back, groaning in pain while holding his stomach. He slowly looked up to see what had happened. He was struck... by Hoarfen's left fist.
Shocked, Snart looked up, and saw the coldest blue eyes. They were devoid of any emotion, except for one: contempt. It was almost as if the eyes were looking at something less than garbage. Less than scum. Less than the shit buried beneath it. They were the coldest, cruelest, most hate-filled eyes Snart had ever seen.
"Pathetic. Is this the best you can do? You couldn't hurt Vlad if he had a damned cold while drunk and asleep."
"Oddly specific," Vlad commented.
Snart just glared at Hoarfen, anger boiling within him while being forced to literally look up at the powerful pirate. With a bellowing roar, Snart charged at Hoarfen with his claws at the ready. However, instead of slashing Hoarfen's throat off, Snart felt a powerful uppercut smash his jaw into an under-bite. It was powerful enough to make him float.
While still in the air, Snart felt his ankle being grabbed, and was then slammed face first into the ground. He was smashed hard enough to bounce a bit, only for the force of the attack to smash him into a crater.
"SIR SNART," Flynt yelled in shock before he took out one of his pistols and fired at the back of Hoarfen's head.
The bullet never reached it's target. It was blocked by a knife. "Now, now, young man," Jack said as he twirled the knife he used to deflect the bullet. "You shouldn't get involved with another man's fight. Not very sporting, don't you agree?"
Flynt looked at Jack with an intense anger before quickly looking at Snart in worry. It was at just the right moment to see Hoarfen kick Snart onto his back and then stomp on Snart's arm hard enough to break the bones and create a crater. The sound of bones breaking and Snart screaming in agony was almost deafening.
"NO," Flynt yelled as he tried to run towards his captain, only to be pushed back when Jack slashed the strap holding his guns off. Flynt touched his chest to feel a warm liquid. He looked at his blood covered hand and looked up at the smiling, demonic looking doctor.
"You won't be getting involved, son." Flynt glared at Jack before looking down at his guns on the ground, trying to calculate how fast he would need to be to get at least one of them to shoot this... demon.
"It's no use, boy." Flynt looked up at Jack, who was still twirling a knife. "I'm sure we've already established that those guns have no use against me." Flynt glared at Jack, but he was also sweating out of nervousness. He knew Jack was right. The bastard proved it once already. His pistols were no use, so he needed to upgrade. With that thought, he took his rifle off of his back.
"Ooh, what a lovely toy."
Flynt ignored the comment and aimed his rifle. Within a second, he pulled the trigger. The bullet was mere centimeters away from Jack's eye in a millisecond. Flynt's highly developed senses allowed him to see this. Like Snart himself, it was like he could slow down time itself with his mind in order to not only take the perfect shot, but witness it as well. However, he saw something shocking.
Jack used his knife to redirect the bullet before it reached his eye. He even did it with a smile. Flynt was understandably shocked, his rifle shaking in his hands. "T-That's impossible. What are you?"
Jack's eyes were shadowed, but his smile was still visible. It was even... growing. "An artist. And you... are a very handsome man." Flynt was cowering, his mind screaming for him to run, but his legs completely paralyzed. "But..." Jack then looked up, two glowing white orbs in his shadowed face looking straight at Flynt, terrifying the man. He felt like he was staring into the eyes of a soulless abomination. "I can make you... beautiful."
Then, Jack disappeared.
Flynt looked around frantically, trying to use at least a tiny bit of observation haki to find the creature. Then, he felt a sharp pain in his left leg and fell to his face. He groaned as he struggled to look at why his leg hurt so much. What he saw made his eyes widen in horror. He screamed in anguish and terror when he saw that his leg had been cut off by the bottom of his knee.
"Ah, a work of art." Flynt look up behind him to see Jack, his soulless eyes still glowing, while holding Flynt's severed leg. "Now... how shall I..." Jack extended his arm, holding Flynt's leg and squeezed it until it popped right before Flynt's horrified eyes. "Complete you?" Jack then started to walk towards the terrified man, who was crawling away desperately, leaving a bloody trail as he did.
"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HIM, YOU FREAK!"
"Hm?"
Jack looked to see the man known as Hawk charging towards him while spinning a chain-sickle. When he thought he was close enough, Hawk jumped into the air, and was prepared to fling his weapon at Jack's head. However, he was interrupted when Tanya appeared out of nowhere and kicked him to the ground.
The beautiful cook landed elegantly on the ground in front of her crew mate. "You alright, Jack?"
"Oh, just fine, Tanny. In fact, I would say I'm satisfied. I will return to the ship, for now."
"Not gonna finish him off?"
Jack looked at Flynt, his eyes going back to their original, blue hue. "Hm, no. I don't believe now is the time to make him into art. Good day to you." With a last bow, Jack disappeared.
"Hm. That settles that."
"You bitch." Tanya looked to see Hawk struggling to get back up to his feet, panting in exhaustion from the excessive amount of damage. "You'll pay for this. You and those bastard friends of yours! I'll kill you all!"
"Hm. Is that right? Well then, come on, boy."
With that, Hawk quickly shot out his arm and pointed his palm at Tanya. "Still!" A sort of reverberation was heard, and Tanya didn't move a muscle. "I ate the Still-Still Fruit. Anything I aim at will be completely frozen, as still as a pillar. Nothing can escape my hold," Hawk explained as he walked closer to Tanya until he was just a foot away form the beauty. He raised his chain-sickle above his head, glaring at Tanya. "Now die." He then swung his weapon.
However, the blade phased right through her. Hawk was shocked. "W-WHAT?!"
"Wow, so even afterimages are affected by your power." Hawk looked behind him to see Tanya standing there. "That's pretty cool." She then stabbed him in his side with her claws then quickly ripped them out of him.
With a now bloody side, Hawk fell to his knees, shock and pain evident on his face. He was then kicked in the side of his head, falling to the ground with a pounding head that felt like it would split open at the touch of so much as a feather, and a heavily bleeding wound.
Gypsy was astonished. "How is this possible? My crew is being defeated so easily."
"I do not understand why you are so surprised." Gypsy looked to see Medusa walk up to her. "You're crew was no match for ours. Not even close. You should have realized that with the power of observation haki, Ms. Gypsy."
Gypsy looked in shock at Medusa, before she calmed down. "I did want to meet you again, Ms. Medusa, but not under circumstances such as these."
Medusa sighed. "Yes. This is a very... regrettable reunion."
"It is..." Gypsy then got into a stance. "But it is at it should be."
Medusa looked surprised a bit, before she giggled in a cute way. "You are not planning on dueling me, are you, young lady?"
"I apologize, Ms. Medusa, but I have no intention of just surrendering. Also, your crew needs to suffer at least a tiny bit for what they have done to my comrades." She then began to... dance.
Medusa raised an eyebrow before she laughed. "What are you doing?" Medusa then heard music. Her music. The same music she played for Gypsy. "What?" She then looked around, only to see that she was in the middle of a party, with many people dancing to the music.
She was then gently grabbed by the hand, and lead by a handsome man into the middle of the crowd. He danced in front of her and Medusa couldn't help but join in on the fun.
All the while, Gypsy was also dancing in the crowd while watching Medusa. She smiled at the happy look on Medusa's face. "Well, Ms. Medusa? How do you like my Dance-Dance Fruit? A hypnosis type Paramecia Fruit. It doesn't matter what type of dance I chose, or if the victim knows the dance or not. The moment they see my movements, their minds are under my command. They will hear the music I have heard and dance the moves I have seen. The more skilled the dancer, the more powerful the fruit's effects will be, and only I can choose when the hypnosis will stop. I can have you dance until you starve to death, or kill you without any resistance from you. As much as I like you, Ms. Medusa, I absolutely detest your crew. For their sins, you will DIE!"
Gypsy then ran towards Medusa and twirled. She was spinning fast enough to create a small tornado. When she was in range, Gypsy threw a high-kick aimed at Medusa's head. The amount of power she accumulated should rip Medusa's head clean off of her shoulders. Gypsy's leg might as well be a guillotine blade at this point.
However, Gypsy received a shock when her kick was stopped... by Medusa herself. To add insult to injury, the beautiful guitarist was only using one hand. "I-Impossible."
Medusa giggled before she looked back at Gypsy. "Nice try, young lady."
Gypsy felt Medusa release her ankle, giving her the chance to jump away. "This isn't right! You should be hypnotized!"
"Oh, don't worry. I'm very much under your spell. I can still see the people happily dance to my guitar, and I'm not even playing anything."
"THEN HOW WERE YOU ABLE TO BLOCK BY KICK?! HOW ARE YOU NOT DANCING?! AND WHY ISN'T YOUR HAND SO MUCH AS SCRATCHED?! MY KICKS ARE POWERFUL ENOUGH TO SHATTER EVEN STEEL, SO WHY IS YOUR HAND UNDAMAGED?!"
Medusa giggled. "Silly child. Your Devil Fruit isn't the only hypnosis type. In fact, there are hypnotists in the world that don't even relay on the power of a fruit. I have fallen prey to both types of hypnotists. As such, I have had to develop my reflexes and instincts to be able to dodge or deflect any type of attack when my guard is at it's lowest, like when I'm hypnotized for example." Gypsy's eyes widened at the explanation.
"As for my hand," Medusa started as she looked at her hand. "You are indeed strong, but..." Medusa looked up and pointed in a direction. "You're strength is nothing compared to his." Gypsy looked towards where Medusa was pointing and saw Vlad. He was just standing there, his arms crossed, but he still had an aura of immeasurable strength to him.
"Actually, you're not even comparable to a fraction of the strength the man next to my captain has." Gypsy looked next to Vlad and stepped back in astonishment when she saw Paul. The captain was obviously more powerful than the large man, but power and strength were not the same. Though not as dangerous or powerful as the captain, Gypsy was able to sense that the large man was physically stronger than Vlad. Paul could very well be the physically strongest man in the world.
Gypsy stepped back in horror from just looking at the two men. "I'm not ashamed to admit this..." Gypsy jumped in surprise when she heard Medusa's voice, especially since it was right behind her. When she turned to look and see that it really was her, she felt a cold chill run down her spin. Medusa had a terrifying aura to her, one that let Gypsy know she was completely and totally outmatched.
"In terms of power and strength, I'm nowhere near the level of those two. However, I'm willing to bet..." Medusa then extended her hand, and held two fingers near Gypsy's neck. "That I'm just as dangerous as Vlad, maybe even more." When she said that, she jabbed her fingers into Gypsy's neck for at most a second. In that blink of an eye, Gypsy fell to her knees, her eyes completely blank. She was alive, but totally unconscious. Who knows when she would next regain consciousness.
Snart was then kicked out of the small crater, landing roughly on his shoulder, groaning in pain as he struggled to at least lean on his arms. When he was able to do that, he was able to look up and see something that made him gasp in astonishment. "T-There's no way. My entire crew... beaten? This can't be happening." Snart gritted his teeth as he pulled on the ground. "This can't be happening!"
"Oh, it is, you pathetic cat." Snart didn't look back, but he heard Hoarfen walk towards him.
"No. No! NO! I am a Level Six inmate of Impel Down! My crew is composed of Impel Inmates as high as Level Four and Five!"
"Is that all?" Snart then felt himself being lifted by his coat and was being forced to stare into Hoarfen's cold and cruel eyes. "Let me tell you something: We're ALL Level Six inmates."
Snart's eyes widened in shock. "W-What?"
"The captain, the guitarist, the shipwright, and even that damned pet Vlad calls a cook."
"You fucking mutt."
"Each and every one of us are Impel Down escapees. You and your worthless crew didn't stand a chance. But then again, you're just a worthless, dumbass cat. An idiot like you would probably come back. Let me give you a mark to remind you just how weak you really are." When he said that, Hoarfen grabbed Snart by both shoulders... and bit right into Snart's left shoulder. The enemy captain screamed in anguish as he felt the sharp fangs and powerful jaws dig into his shoulder. Then, he felt the fangs rip out of his shoulder and was promptly smashed onto the ground.
Hoarfen looked down at Snart before spitting out some of his flesh and blood. "What a disgusting flavor." Hoarfen then walked back towards the ship without giving so much as a second glance.
As Snart lay bleeding on the ground, a shadow loomed over him. He looked to see Tanya, anger evident in her eyes. "How dare you lose to that mutt? You're supposed to be a cat. I can accept you being defeated by anyone else in my crew, except for that flea bitten wolf."
"H-He was a wolf?"
"Yes, which makes it even more insulting by the fact that you couldn't even make him transform. He didn't even try to use his powers!" Snart's eyes widened in shock at what Tanya revealed. "You're a disgrace to cats, just like that worthless weakling Cynthia." Tanya then literally spat on Snart's face before walking towards the ship.
Snart was laying on the ground, beaten, shoulder bleeding, and spit on his cheek. He struggled to look behind him. He saw Flynt in agony, his leg gushing blood. He saw Hawk gripping his side, trying to stop the bleeding. He saw Gypsy on her knees, eyes totally blank. "My... crew... beaten." He then turned to look towards the backs of the Bloody Pirates, specifically Vlad.
"That bastard's crew doesn't even have a scratch. No. I won't let this stand." He struggled to get back on his feet. "I'm... Frost Beast Snart. I'm the CEO of the Omega Corps. I'm the man who will lead the greatest crime organization the world will ever see! Crocodile's Baroque Works will have nothing on my Omega Corps! Not even Doflamingo's Family will be a match for us!"
Snart was now standing, eyes glowing in rage as he glared at the leader of the group who humiliated his Omega Corps. "I WILL NOT LOSE HERE!" Snart then charged at Vlad, claws at the ready. In a mere second, he was right behind the captain of the Bloody Pirates, about to slash his head off.
However, Vlad drop kicked the fool faster than Snart could comprehend. Then, Vlad kicked him in the chin harder than when Hoarfen punched him. Before Snart could be sent flying, Vlad grabbed him by the ankle, and slammed him into the ground face first, creating a crater far lager than the one Hoarfen made. Vlad then threw him out of the crater and jumped out. Vlad walked over towards Snart, he was laying on his front, his breathing labored.
"I thought Hoarfen would have been enough to show you just how outmatched you are. I suppose this is what happens when he holds back."
Snart was shocked to hear that. "W-*cough*What?"
"Hoarfen was barely using so much as a fraction of his full strength. It's more than likely the only reason you're still alive. You were never a match for us. You never will be. No matter what you do, no matter what you accomplish, no matter who you defeat; you will never be a match for us. To us, you're less than trash, less than scum, less than the maggots that feast on the shit you are. You... are... nothing."
Snart was being torn apart by these words. His pride was being completely shattered.
"However, you are far too foolish to remember this. As such, I will give you a constant reminder of your failure. One far more blunt than the scars Hoarfen gave you." When Vlad said that, he ripped off Snart's cloak, exposing his back. Vlad then lifted his hand, showing blood spikes rip through his palm. Then, he slammed his palm onto Snart's back.
Snart grunted from the pain of being stabbed at several spots on his back, but that was nothing compared to what happened next. Snart released a horrible scream of absolute pain and agony. His scream practically echoed throughout the island. He felt like his own blood was burning him. It was horrible. He had never felt such pain or torture before. For what felt like an eternity, the burning hell was over, but Snart still felt the horrible pain. His body was even twitching from the horrible experience.
Vlad stood up and analyzed his own work. Nearly Snart's entire back... was marked with the insignia of the Bloody Pirates. Snart now had a blood red skull with fangs and two crossbones on his back. He was marked with, "The Crimson Curse. Now you know just how insignificant you truly are. Now, and forever more." With that, Vlad walked away.
The Bloody Pirates smiled at the brutality and evil of their captain. Hoarfen was especially pleased, seeing a cat suffer such anguish. He couldn't help but marvel at the mark Vlad made... until something odd happened. "Huh?"
"Is there something wrong, Hoarfen?"
The First Mate looked at his captain. "Um, no. It's just, it almost looked like that skull you made... breathed. Almost like it's alive."
"It was just that pathetic disgrace breathing, you stupid mutt."
"Fuck off, you damned cat."
"Hah?!"
"Enough. Let's get to the ship," Vlad ordered.
"Yes, sir," the two rivals said as they continued to glare at each other, their tails puffed up.
The crew walked towards their ship and got a surprise. "Well, that's impressive. The old one said it would take about an hour," Vlad said.
"Hasn't even been thirty minutes," Paul commented.
"A-Alright, youngin'." Vlad looked at the frightened old man and his frightened workers. "Yer ship's ready to go."
"I see." Vlad looked at the Crimson Palace. "The coating seems flawless. Very well done."
"T-Thankya."
"And the payment?"
"On the house!"
"Oh, thank you."
"Anytime. Let's go, boys!"
"Yes, sir!" After that, the old man and his workers bolted.
"Hm, that was nice of them. Alright, prepare to depart," Vlad ordered.
"Sir," the Bloody Pirates answered.
After making preparations, the crew prepared to descend towards Fishman Island, and after that, the New World will be next. Many of them thought the same thing.
"I'm coming home."
Omake:
Owlman was flying around an island in the cover of night. He was perched on a tree as he analyzed a small village. "Quite a few humans. Not too big or too small. A fairly isolated island. This island is perfect for sacrifice."
"Ah!"
Owlman's eyes widened when he heard a man's gasp. He looked down to see a human looking up at him in shock, holding a book. "He saw me!"
The man tried to run, but he didn't get far at all. Owlman quickly caught him and flew into the forest, not too far from the village. He threw the man onto the ground and held him there with his talons. The man looked at Owlman with fear, but that didn't matter to the Chimera.
"I'm sorry. Truly, I am. But I have orders to kill anyone who has seen me."
"Please, don't," the man pleaded with tears in his eyes. "I have a daughter."
"I see. Then worry not. This island has been chosen for sacrifice. You're daughter will join you soon enough. Just be patient, and be prepared to greet her in the afterlife." After saying that, Owlman used his talons to stab the poor man several times in several different areas of his chest. Owlman tried to make it look as close to a murder as he could, not wanting to leave any trace of him being there. It's better for the people to believe he was killed by a thief than by a Chimera. To make it more believable, Owlman took out the man's wallet, took all the money out of it, and threw it next to him. With his job done, he was about to fly away and wait for his captain to enter the New World.
"R...o...s...e." Owlman looked behind him to see the man bring the book he had to his face. "Forgive... me... honey. Daddy... got blood... all over your... new... bo...ok." With that, the man's arm holding the book fell to his side. He died with his eyes open.
Owlman took one last look at the man, sighed, and flew away.
A/N: Oi, my chapters are long, and I'm too lazy. No wonder it takes me forever to write just one. Meh, not like anyone waits for these things. I don't get any reviews, so I basically have the 'Screw Around as Much as You Want' Card. Yay!
