Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or One Piece

Madara silently stared at the picture before him. Chained to the wall was a young girl of roughly eight years, unconscious and held by seastone cuffs that the marines had had on board. Next to her kneeled the agent he had captured, Mire D Fenrir, eyes blank from the genjutsu he was trapped in. Now that the two were next to each other, the resemblance was even clearer. The same raven hair, the same pale skin-tone, and the facial structure was similar, though it seemed the girl got most of her looks from her mother, whoever that may be. Lucky her. The only mar, in Madara's eyes, was that under her left eye she had a tattoo of the World Government's symbol, five connected dots forming a cross with the letters 'WORLD GOVT'.

Checking the rest of the room, Madara nodded to himself. The operating-table with Heavy's body on it was prepared, a set of sterile medical instruments laid ready next to it. Madara himself was wearing rubber-gloves and his white lab-coat, having opted to remove the armor for what came next. Grabbing the necessary object, he approached the girl... and emptied a bucket of water over her head.

Spitting and sputtering, the girl's eyes snapped open, blue as the sea. "Hey, what's the big..." She started, only to trail off when she realized her surroundings. "Where am I?" She asked.

Madara stepped into her line of view. "You are on what's now my ship. You attacked me, why?"

The girl looked at him, the gears visibly turning in her head. "My mission. Now let my go, or my daddy will kill you! He's really strong, and..."

Madara interrupted her before she could make more of a fool of herself in his eyes. "He wouldn't happen to be the weakling beside you, would he?"

The girl's head snapped to the side, and her eyes widened. "Daddy." She whispered.

Madara eased the genjutsu's hold on the man, allowing him to return to consciousness, albeit without the ability to move more than his head. "Ooh, what happened?" He moaned.

"You lost, and now you're at my mercy." Madara replied coldly.

Mire looked up, and growled. "Madara Uchiha. How foolish of you to leave me untie... What is this? Why can't I move?"

Madara chuckled. "Because I have not given you permission to move. Now, you two will answer a few of my questions, and maybe, just maybe, I will spare your lives. Let's start with something easy. Girl, what is your name and age?"

The girl glanced at her father, who nodded. "Mire D Celia, nine years old."

Madara nodded. "Good. Next question, which Devil-Fruit did you eat?"

Celia found this man creepy, but it wasn't really a secret. "The Yata-Yata no Mi, a zoan-type."

Madara frowned. "Oh? To my knowledge, zoan-fruits allow one to become an animal-mix and an animal, not a flock of them."

Fenrir tried to tell Celia to keep her trap shut, but found himself unable to speak, forced to watch helplessly as that stupid brat babbled out well-kept secrets.

"Amongst the zoan, there are variations that allow for multiple forms. There is a Inu-Inu no Mi model wolf, and a Inu-Inu no Mi model wolf, pack-version. There are also swarm-versions, herd- versions, and flock-versions, like my fruit, the Yata-Yata no Mi flock-version."

'Interesting.' Madara thought, a useful ability, if harnessed correctly. A crow or raven was a fairly common bird, only the seagull attracted less attention in this world. If he decided to gain that power, he'd have to ask the girl more questions, but Madara hadn't made a decision yet. The look in Fenrir's eyes had told told him much, and if Madara read the man correctly, then there might even be a chance to get the girl on his side.

Still, now it was time for some intimidation. Madara was good at intimidation. "Before we continue, I believe that I should show you just what can happen if you decide to be uncooperative." He took a step to the side, giving his prisoners a clear view of the operating-table.

Fenrir's eyes widened. "Vice-admiral Heavy! What are you planning?" He demanded.

Madara gave him a bored look. "Something that requires concentration, so you both will be quiet." He subtly laced the order with a genjutsu that ensure that neither of them made a sound, and had to watch what he did.

Then he began the operation.

-0-

The first step was easy. Using a scalpel to cut open the skin, peeling it off the skull. After all, the chakra no mesu was a jutsu designed to do internal damage without causing visible injury, so for Madara to properly see what he was doing, the skin had to go. Charging the jutsu with slightly more chakra than necessary, he increased its cutting-power to the point where it could be used to open the skull, careful to remove the bone without damaging the blood-vessels supplying the brain with oxygen. Once that was done, Madara reached for the instruments, as the last step required a delicate touch that a jutsu simply didn't possess. With a few quick and fluid motions he separated body and brain, letting latter fall into the special solution. He wiped a bit of sweat from his brow and smiled. "Operations successful, patient dead." He stated sardonically. Then he reached for the brain, studying it intensely, small bolts of lightning occasionally flashing up between his fingers and the brain.

After maybe fifteen minutes of study, interrupted by repeated replacing of the brain into the solution, Madara finally leaned back, satisfaction on his face. "I see. So that's how it works."

At that moment, someone hammered at the door, and Olvia's voice echoed through the door. "Madara, three Marine-ships just showed up, they're aiming at us!"

Madara's face spread into a smile. "Perfect timing. Follow me you two, now you will see what this operation is all about. You will follow me, nothing else. You will not attack, and you will not attempt to flee." The orders were again laced with genjutsu, and after Madara had taken Celia off the wall and shouldered corpse and brain, the two followed him like lost puppies, Fenrir red with anger,Celia with very green face.

-0-

Olvia stared in shock when Madara entered the deck, a mutilated corpse and its brain in his hands. "What on earth have you done?" She demanded with a shrill screech.

Madara seemingly ignored her, throwing first the brain, then the corpse over board, watching it sink. Only then he turned to Olvia. "Call it a very special operation, an experiment on those that ate Devil-Fruits."

Olvia stared at him. "On those that ate Devil-Fruits? What were you trying to see, whether or not they died like normal people?"

Truth be told, Olvia was slightly afraid of Madara. She didn't know him very well, all she had seen of him was his strength. She had heard how he had killed many Tenryuubito, how he had burned what was known as the capital of the world down, and how he had essentially kidnapped her and trapped her on this marine-ship, even if that had more or less been on Professor Clover's request. That the Professor had trusted this man enough for such a gesture did speak for the man, as did him giving her a cutting from the Tree of Knowledge, which had become her most precious treasure that received plenty of care. She had immediately known it was the real thing from the smell, the Tree of Knowledge having with the ages taken up the scent of paper, parchment and ink.

Still, seeing the man drag such disfigured corpses made her worry just how safe she was.

Madara smiled at her, and for a second her worry diminished. His smile seemed so kind and warm. Then her eyes landed on the splatters of blood on his coat, and shivers ran down her spine once more. "Where are the Marines?" He asked.

Olvia pointed starboard, where indeed two vessels under the Marine-flag were closing in, cannons seemingly loaded.

Madara closed his eyes, and remained still for almost half a minute, his features relaxed. Then his onyx eyes snapped open, and a feral smile graced his lips. "Now, to test my newest ability."

He extended his hand towards the ships in the distance, fingers extended and palm facing the unfortunate vessels. His arm tensed, and suddenly the ocean seemed to bulge. The vessels were in a dent in the sea, not that it mattered. The ships were torn apart. The masts broke like twigs, crashing onto the deck, broken wood and the sails burying men beneath them, larger fragments smashing holes through the deck. The cannons and their ammunition, suddenly much heavier, tore through the wooden structures until the dented the metal . On both ships, these groaned in protest, before breaking in half, then collapsing under their own weight, letting both ship and crew sink into the dark depths of the sea.

After ten seconds, Madara turned away, a smile on his face. " Well, it's trickier to control than I expected, but as a first try, I think we can label it a success."

Olvia didn't understand what Madara meant, but Fenrir's eyes widened in shock. "Impossible! That's vice-admiral Heavy's power! You can't have it!"

Madara turned to him. "You see, I'm not just a warrior, I'm also a bit of a scientist. I studied Devil-Fruits, and I have come to the conclusion that it's not some devil that grants the power, but simply a reaction certain substances cause in specific parts of the brain. This means that in every human lies the potential of every Devil-fruit in existence, we simply cannot use it. However, due to certain special abilities I've developed, I can analyze the brain, and with the knowledge of how a normal human's brain works, I can identify the differences and isolate the change in thought-pattern that allows the ability. Harmonizing my own brain so that I gain these abilities is a bit tricky, but as you've just seen, it works perfectly. The only catch is that I need to actually have the brain, pardon the pun, in my hands, to study it."

All stared in shock at the man who had within less than an hour overturned centuries of knowledge. Olvia gained another shiver, though she couldn't tell from what. The only thing she knew was that while perhaps insane, she was in the presence of a genius. "Does this mean that you can give these abilities to others?"

Madara smiled. "In theory yes. However, in an adult, the brain is too ingrained in its patterns to make such changes permanent. The brain corrects itself after a few hours, which means that the ability is lost at that point. But yes, I could temporarily empower someone with the abilities of a Devil-Fruit whose user I've studied." While the shock still held everyone in his clutches, Madara turned to Celia. "And now Fenrir, I will give you an ultimatum. Either you tell me what you know about the Rokushiki, or I learn how to fly."

For a second, silence reigned, until the meaning behind the words became dreadfully clear. Celia tried to squirm back, but the cuffs around her wrists drained too much of her strength to make it more than a tired crawl. "No, please no. Please, I'm begging you, no. Daddy, help me, please." Celia called out, even as she felt a warm liquid run down her leg.

Fenrir looked at the scene, his face a blank mask. "The secrets of the Rokushiki will never fall into your hands, Madara Uchiha." He calmly replied.

Even Celia froze at that cold-hearted declaration. "D-d-daddy?" She whimpered, not being able to believe what she had heard.

Madara raised a brow. "You're condemning your own daughter to death? How cold-hearted." he stated, though his voice sounded almost humored.

Fenrir's gaze was calm. In fact, he looked more like someone citing out of a lawbook than a father deciding the fate of his only child. "The CP9 are an elite and secret force of the World Government. We do not exist, as such, we have no bonds to distract us from our goals." He smiled lightly, a touch of evil in his features. "I do not exist, the Rokushiki does not exist, you are wasting your time."

Celia stared at her father, betrayal flooding her eyes with tears. Madara paused, in what looked like pure scientific interest. "It seems that this girl here disagrees with your assessment."

Fenrir growled, as if Madara had brought up a sore point. "She seems to be stuck on some silly belief that I somehow care for her. This is all her mother's fault, I should have made her death more painful."

Celia's eyes grew to the size of saucers. Her father had just let slip something that shattered the foundations of her entire life. After almost two minutes, she finally found the strength to speak, her voice somewhere between pleading and broken. "Y-y-you killed mommy?"

Fenrir snorted. "Of course. Basic CP9-protocol. Should a CP9-member produce offspring as a result of stress-relief, the other party involved must immediately be eliminated. The offspring is either terminated, or if potential is seen, recruited into the CP9. I didn't know she had gotten pregnant, the girl was almost four when they were found. The woman corrupted her with silly stories, were it not for the fact that she had already eaten a Devil-Fruit I would have saved myself the trouble and ended her together with that woman."

Celia stared, her entire body shaken. "B-but the letters I sent mommy..."

Fenrir rolled his eyes. "A waste of paper. They were checked, then burned."

Celia slumped together lifelessly, like a puppet with severed strings, tears streaming out of her eyes, the only word passing her lip was an occasional whimpered "mommy"

Madara's hand, still hovering above the girl's head, was suddenly grabbed in a vice-like grip. Olvia had stepped to him, and grabbed his wrist. "Madara," she began, her voice as cold and sharp as glass-shards in a freezer "you will not hurt this girl."

Madara was still looking at the hand holding his wrist, all who had enough mind remaining half-expecting it to burst into flames from the Uchiha's cold glare. "Developing maternal instincts? She is not Robin, despite certain similarities, and you can't just replace someone. Trust me, I speak from experience."

Olvia's gaze would have frozen boiling tar. "I know that Madara. Believe me, I know." Her voice was now as sharp as Madara's Kitetsu. "You won't harm a single hair on the girl's head."

The two stared at each other for almost half a minute, a silent contest of wills. Then, to everyone's surprise, Madara was the one that broke the eye-contact, taking a step back while raising his hands in capitulation. His face broke into a smile. Not an insane or evil smile, but a kind one. "My, there is steel in you after all. Good, I was afraid that the loss of Ohara might have broken that spirit of yours. As for Celia here," He glanced at the girl, who was now staring at the two of them with tear-filled eyes "you needn't worry. It was never my intention to harm her. I merely hoped that a few threats might motivate Fenrir here to talk."

Fenrir laughed out. "You never grasped the situation, I couldn't care less about the brat, she is but a tool! You will never learn the secrets of the Rokushiki!"

Madara rolled his eyes, before fully turning to the captured agent. "It's you who never grasped the situation. You really haven't figured it out yet? I can control your mind, you cannot keep a secret from me. You will tell me all you know of the Rokushiki, you will instruct me in it, and there is nothing you can do to prevent that. The only thing you decided with your actions was your fate after that. Had you cared for your daughter, I would have let you go after you taught me all you knew, but you proved yourself unworthy of such kindness. I can promise you this, you won't outlive your usefulness." He glanced at Celia, who was hugging herself, crying silently. "Perhaps you will be a decent feast for the crows. And now sleep."

Fenrir's eyes were filled with horror as he felt his consciousness slip. After all he had done, he had failed. Then he knew no more.

Olvia walked to the still silently crying girl, kneeled down, and pulled her into a warm embrace. "Shh." She gently coaxed the girl, who had stiffened at the unexpected contact. "It's alright. Let it all out."

Celia remained stiff for a few more seconds, basking in the warmth of this woman. 'She smells like mommy.' A part of her mind noted, and with that, the dam broke. Sobbing loudly, she pressed herself into the woman's bosom, clinging to her like to a lifeline.

As Madara left the two females, the intricacy of the female psyche a mystery he felt that even he wouldn't be able to solve and as such should best be left alone, he asked himself a serious question. "What to do next?"

-0-

The next days had been fairly calm for those aboard Madara's ship. Fenrir was locked up and in deep trance, incapable of even feeding or relieving himself without help and supervision, and the marines where still mindless dolls.

The little girl, Celia, had really taken a shine to Olvia, following the white-haired woman with the devotion of a puppy. The girl was still visibly uncomfortable in Madara's presence, hiding behind Olvia, but with the woman's encouragement, she had gathered enough nerve to dine together with the former clan-head.

As for the archeologist, she evenly split her time between caring for the cutting of the Tree of Knowledge, doting on little Celia, studying different maps, and pestering Madara about the library. The last thing in particular with irritating determination and regularity.

-0-

Madara's brow twitched slightly as he looked upon the white-haired woman that stood before him once again, staring at the book in his hands is if it were a child he had robbed from its cradle. He began to regret having promised the Professor to keep an eye on her. If he hadn't, he likely would have, if not simply tossed her overboard, at least dumped her on some inhabited island nearby and went on his merry way.

Olvia impatiently tapped her foot. "I'm waiting, Madara. What did you do to the books you took, and when will you return them?"

He took a calming breath, before giving her a slightly annoyed look. "You do realize that I have killed people for reasons far more minor than your constant nagging, don't you?" He asked in return.

Without batting a brow, Olvia nodded. After recovering from the shock of Ohara's destruction, she had sat down and carefully pondered everything that had happened so far.

She understood that she was in the company, or the hands depending on one's viewpoint, of a man who could take down the leader of the CP9 and make it look like the easiest thing in the world, who took on two very powerful vice-captains and according to Celia, who had watched, thoroughly humiliated them both. Someone who, as she learned cut up those who ate Devil Fruits in the attempt to gain their power. And while it was sad fact that the mistreatment or even murder of fruit-users in attempts to gain their powers was nothing rare, what set Madara apart from the rest of the sick minds was that the man succeeded. He actually did what common knowledge and centuries, if not millenniums, of research and tests had declared impossible, using the power of the Devil without making a pact with it. Madara Uchiha was a genius unlike any other, succeeding where even the one hailed as the greatest mind on the planet, the elusive and enigmatic Dr Vegapunk, had failed.

Olvia was fully aware of the fact that every breath she took was a mercy he was granting her, and that Madara could end her life on a whim. She accepted that, but ironically for that very reason she had lost her fear. Death was a part of her life, as present as the the sun in the sky or the ocean beneath her feet, so there was little to fear. Also, Clover had trusted him, even more, he had entrusted her to his care, which spoke volumes of how much the Professor had respected and trusted the man, a feeling at Olvia suspected had been mutual. The promise he had made to the Professor, to keep her safe, was Olvia's shield against Madara, the barrier that kept her from harm... and encouraged her to challenge him, perhaps more than she could allow herself.

She smiled. "Yes, I know. However, I still want to know about the library." He voice turned solemn. "That library is the life of countless scholars, thousands have risked and gave their lives to gather it. And from what the Professor told me, you have gathered the most rare, the unique pieces, and I want to know where they are."

Madara's eyes moved upward, whether to ask the the heavens for strength or to demand why he was punished in such a fashion, before he sighed. "Fine then woman, listen up. I have stored the library in a pocket-dimension that is accessible by me, and only me. The entire dimension is under stasis, which means that when I am not there, no time passes, which allows me to transport delicate or easily spoiling goods without damaging them, and safely storing them for long periods of time. There I have stored the documents you're pestering me about, again stored within special scrolls to save space. I am keeping them stored in that particular fashion because there is little alternative. This is a marine battleship, the personal vessel of a vice-admiral no less. While those are usually modified to suit the vice-admirals needs, the former of this vessel was spartanic in his own needs, and more focused on military might. This ship has a thicker layer of armor, there are specially armored zones and more equipment to handle fires, not unusual considering that the man in question turned into magma. So sorry, but the man replaced the library for more weapons, meaning that I have no place in which the books could be stored even if I gave them to you."

Olvia frowned at the explanation, but she had long since passed the point where she doubted the abilities of the man before her. Nodding to herself, she finally spoke. "In other words, we need a better ship?"

Madara actually had to grin at that. "Maybe later. For now this vessel will do, and it's actually a pretty good cover. While the Marine knows that I took a warship, they will assume I've killed the crew and replaced them all with cutthroats. So my little toy-soldiers are covering for us. However you're right, in the long term this ship won't do. Though I'll probably have it cannibalized for parts when a new ship is to be built, no reason to waste good materials. How's the girl?"

Olvia blinked at the sudden change of topics, before breaking out into a smile. "Celia is doing well. I think she's beginning to adapt to her new life, although you still scare her." She threw him a glare. "Your little performance scared the living daylights out of her."

Madara pointedly ignored the accusation in her voice. "An unpleasant necessity. If she grows closer to me, then she will, if not, then not. She's attached to you, and for me, that's all that counts. She cares about you, and the other way around, so I probably couldn't get rid of her even if I wanted to, isn't that right?"

Now it was Olvia's turn to ignore the barely veiled sarcasm. She gave him a look that would have petrified a lesser man. Madara shrugged it off with nary a blink. "She has nowhere to go Madara, and I refuse to abandon her like this. Not again."

Madara grinned and the weakness his white-haired archeologist had just shown. "So you do not wish to repeat your mistakes? An understandable notion, but don't you think you might be projecting a bit more into that girl? Alone, in need of family, with an ability, only a little older than..."

Olvia's face twisted in anger as she slapped Madara. Of course the former clan-head could have easily dodged the blow, and remove her arm while doing so, but honestly he found himself interested in this woman. She knew she didn't stand the ghost of a chance against him, yet she instinctively lashed out. It made Madara wonder if he would have been so defensive if he had ever had a child of his own. So he let her hit him, his head snapping to the side before turning to look at the woman, who seemed to be panting in anger. "I know that I wronged Robin Madara, and there is nothing in this world that pains me more. But don't you dare suggest that I'm using Celia as a replacement for my child Madara, don't you dare. I am fully aware that Celia is not my daughter, and I would never let anyone take the place Robin holds in my heart."

Madara tilted his head. Honestly, he found this a fascinating insight on the inner workings of a parent's mind. "So what is Celia to you then?"

Olvia gave him an almost pitying look. "You never had children, did you Madara?"

The Uchiha gave her a completely neutral look. "No."

Olvia shook her head. "Then there's no way for you to understand how a parent feels. You may be the greatest genius in history, and know a lot more about the brain than anyone else, but until you truly allow yourself to develop parental feelings, you won't understand. To me, Celia is a girl who lost her mother because her father is a monster. She needs help right now, she needs comfort and support." Her eyes turned sad. "She's only a child, Madara, despite all the training she's been through and the lives she may have taken. She's a child that was trying to please her father, only to be brutally cast away. I can't leave her alone like that. She may not be my child, but I am a mother, and if I can ease her pain by being a mother for her, then I will do that without a second's hesitation. She's not Robin Madara, and I know that, but as a mother I can't leave a child abandoned like that. And if Celia needs me, I will be there for her. I once chose my work over my daughter, and while I don't see it as a wrong decision, I will regret it until I hold Robin in my arms and apologize to her. I left my daughter behind so that I not bring her into the dangers we would face, I wanted her to be safe. Celia is different. She has no home, nobody who could take her in."

Madara slowly nodded. "But you can't do that with Celia. She was CP9, there is no safe haven for her."

Olvia sadly shook her head. "No, there isn't. I don't have the choice I had with Robin, and unlike her. Celia is safest with me. I'm not her mother Madara, but that doesn't mean that, one day, she might become my child."

Madara raised a brow. "You want to adopt her?"

Olvia nodded. "She's not Robin, but she might one day be her sister. If Celia needs me, then I will be there for her Madara, and if that means adopting her, I will." With that, she turned around and left.

Madara looked at the closed door, chuckling. "I see. You do see her as your daughter Olvia, whether you know it or not. Though I was wrong to assume you're replacing Robin." That was good. He would have lost a lot of respect for the woman if she replaced her daughter, a girl that Madara actually liked, so easily. He winced as he touched his stinging cheek. "I guess I deserved that."

All in all, it had been an interesting day, and it was about to get even more interesting.

-0-

Maybe an hour after Olvia had left, Madara's reading was interrupted by the sound of cannons, and the heavy shaking of the entire ship.

"What the hell?" He growled as he dashed towards the deck, wanting to know who had the impunity to attack him, and indirectly a marine warship.

Seeing Olvia staring starboard, and noticing both the raven sitting next to her and the black dots that were flying towards the two ships shooting at him, and an island that those ships seemed to be trying to block him from said island, Madara walked up to them. "What's going on?" He calmly demanded.

Olvia looked up. "We were heading towards that island to stock up on water, when those two ships suddenly popped up and opened fire on us."

Madara raised a brow. "No warning, nothing?"

Olvia glanced at him. "I think that was the warning."

Madara nodded, when his eyes widened and he gave Olvia a strong shove. Startled, the woman stumbled backwards, only to feel something shoot past her, right where her head would have been a few moments earlier, and slam into the mast, leaving a small dent in the armored plating and a twisted piece of metal that had once been a bullet. Olvia stared in shock, her eyes wandering to the ships who had paused its fire, seemingly waiting for them to turn tail and run. "No way. From this distance...?"

Madara's face on the other hand twisted in rage. It didn't matter that the shot missed. It didn't matter how much Nico Olvia annoyed him. It even didn't matter why they had shot at them. The only thing that mattered was that they had attempted to harm someone that Madara had promised to watch out for. They had attempted to kill someone under Madara's protection. And there was exactly one response for something like that.

He closed his eyes and placed his fingertips on his temples. A few moments later, his eyes snapped open, burning with rage. He threw his hands forwards, fingers extended and palms facing up, before slowly raising his arms.

-0-

Out at sea, utter pandemonium broke out as the crews felt their ships rise out of the waters and into the heavens, and themselves being pulled upwards, away from the safety of their vessels.

"IT'S SHIKI! HE'S ATTACKING US!" one of the captains cried in panic.

The other captain, a man with a generous stomach hiding his strong muscles, black hair and a few missing teeth, was grabbing onto the side of his ship with one hand, stared to the other ship, shaking his head. "WHY WOULD THE GOLDEN LION BE ON A MARINE-SHIP? IT'S SOMETHING ELSE!" He shouted back, before he felt the tug get much stronger while changing directions. His eyes widened as he realized what was about to happen. "HOLD ON TIGHT!" The man that would one day be known and feared as Blackbeard cried out, bracing himself for the inevitable.

-0-

Madara frowned in concentration, turning his palms so that they now faced each other.

Just as he was about to act, the raven opened its beak. "Whitebeard." It croaked, Celia's voice completely unrecognizable in this form. "Whitebeard is here, craw!"

Even if Madara had cared, it was too late. His palms shot towards each other, narrowly missing each other to push as wide outwards as his shoulders allowed.

The ships mimicked the movement of his hands, shooting frontally towards each other at rapidly increasing speed, only that they didn't miss each other.

In an ear-shattering cascade of bursting wood, bending metal, and breaking bones the two ships collided, each smashing the other ships front, shards of wood the size of spears flying through the air as dangerous shrapnel, piercing and shredding all those unfortunate enough to be in its path. Screams of pain echoed over the sea to the intact Marine-ship. Madara could fight a small smile as the familiar melody of fear and agony reached his ears, bringing back memories of his old world, were injury and death were as common as water was in this one, and where such cries woke one far more often than crickets or a rooster. Calmly, he looked at his minions. "Were picking up the survivors." The mindless marines nodded and started steering the ship towards the wreckage that had plummeted back into the sea when Madara released his hold on gravity.

Olvia on the other hand had grown pale when she heard Celia's report, the countless ravens having flown back to the ship to reunite with the one still on board. "This is bad." She muttered "This is really bad."

Madara glanced at her. "What's wrong?"

She stared at him in disbelief. "What's wrong? Those ships belong to Whitebeard, one of the Yonkou! He's known as the Strongest Man in the World, and unlike many captains," she pointed at the wreckage "he cares for his men. He sees each and every one of them as his child, do you really think that he'll forgive you for this?"

Madara blinked, before a feral smile appeared on his face. "The strongest man in the world, you say?" He chuckled, barely able to contain his laughter. "Marvelous. Finally, a worthy opponent." An insane smile spread on his face. "One can't fight his nature. Mine is battle." His eyes focused on the island. "This will be fun!"

-0-

When Madara's ship anchored and sent out a few boats, most holding those fished out of the water, a mob had formed, waiting for them. The injured were immediately pulled away for emergency-operation, while the healthier ones were welcomed back an brought away from the scene of battle to be. However, one figure that stepped out was met with hateful glares. Madara.

A large man stepped forward. "I know you. You're Madara Uchiha, the Emperor of Pandemonium." He stated.

Madara tilted his head. "That epitaph is new." He frowned for a second, before shrugging. "But I like it. You seem to have me at a disadvantage here, you would be...?"

The man growled. "I am the Commander of Whitebeard's 3rd division, Diamond Jozu. Why did you attack our men?" He demanded.

Madara's face showed boredom and a bit of disappointment. "They attacked me without provocation. I retaliated."

The man's arm seemed get a shimmer as his face twisted in rage. Madara's hand on his Kitetsu tightened. "How dare you...?" He demanded, before another voice interrupted him.

"Jozu, enough."

The man spun around. "But paps, you can't just let him-"

A giant of a man appeared, holding a large halberd and with a mustache like a white moon. "That man is out of your league, Jozu. He would kill you."

Mutterings broke out, but Madara had eyes only for the giant. He could feel the power in this man, the shivers running down his spine. This was the real deal. This man was powerful. This man existed on the highest tier, this man before him was a monster. Just like him. Madara's pulse increased, and he felt a smile tugging at his lips. This Whitebeard, though different, was a being just like him and Hashirama, a powerhouse and a true warrior.

Whitebeard looked at the man before him, and his posture clearly showed that he was prepared to attack or defend in an instant. He opened his mouth. "As a captain, I understand your actions, and apologize for the rash behavior of my men." He calmly stated, bringing outrage to his men.

Madara nodded politely, knowing that this was far from over, and would not be resolved with mere words.

Whitebeard took a deep breath. "However, as a father, I cannot forgive what you did. No father can stand by and watch as his children are butchered." The air filled with Haki, forcing a number of Whitebeard's own men to their knees. "Prepare yourself, Madara Uchiha."

Madara grinned, and all bystanders remembered that when an animal shows his teeth, it was a threat. He could feel the Haki in the air, tugging at his mind, trying to bring him to his knees. So he was right, Haki was indeed a power based on the feeling of an alpha in its pack. However, for someone like Madara, a master of Sakki, the power of the predator before its prey, it was not difficult to shake it off. Still grinning, Madara released his Killing Intent, and all but Whitebeard felt ill at the immense feeling of bloodlust and hatred. "Perhaps we should move this somewhere where your men won't be in the line of fire." He suggested, a smile still on his face. And why not, his very blood was singing. Battle, there would be battle. Finally, there would be battle.

Whitebeard's eyes had grown cold, but he nodded, and the two moved to a clearing inwards.

The scientific part of Madara's mind noticed that the mix of Haki and Sakki had a few unexpected side-effects. The situation had changed for both of them, and both seemed to itching for battle. It was different from all either had ever felt before. When Haki clashed, it was like a match for leadership in a wolf-pack. When Sakki clashed, it was like a meeting of predators, like a tiger and a lion meeting and fighting for territory and prey. However, this mixture invoked a new feeling.

Whitebeard was the alpha of a herd, and Madara was a predator threatening that herd. Battle was inevitable, and unless one retreated, it would be a fight to the very death. No parlor-tricks, no pulled punches, only the clash of wills and strength, the struggle between two monsters in human skin.

Whitebeard looked at him, his eyes filled with mental strength, and that same burning will for battle that filled Madara. His expression was solemn, though it was obvious he had no intention of letting the man before him escape. That was alright. Madara had no intention of escaping. He wanted this fight, and it would be fought to the very end.

The giant raised his halberd. Madara unsheathed his Kitetsu.

The Bull had reared his horns. The Tiger had bared his fangs.

Silence reigned, both silently observing their foe.

Two were on this clearing. Only one would leave it.

Then they clashed.

Chapter 6 is done. A rather difficult chapter to write, as I wasn't sure exactly what Madara should face next. I have multiple ideas, I'm just not sure in what order they should happen. I've already given a small spoiler about what will happen, if you can find it.

I normally don't do requests, but I was in a good mood, so I decided to make an exception in this case. I was contacted by someone who wanted me to update this story on June 6th, as a birthday-present for a friend. I'm sorry that that won't work, seeing as I'm about to leave back to the military, where I won't have internet until Friday, so I decided that you'd probably like it a day early rather than four days late, so for the birthday-kid, just don't let it be read until the 6th, and Happy Birthday from me as well.

I also showed another side of Madara. He is not evil in my fic, but with the way he grew up, he enjoys battle. He loves fighting against a strong opponent, and he feels Whitebeard as a truly worthy foe. He does not support tyranny like the Tenryuubito or Hashirama's plans, he believes in freedom and even peace to a degree, however he was bred for war, it's what he's best at, and yes, he enjoys what he's doing.

Since some worried that Madara wouldn't have any real enemies, I decided to have him clash with one of the most badass-characters in the entire One Piece-world, Edward Newgate. While I can only hope that I will be able to do the clash of these two monsters justice, I can already promise one thing. It will be a tough fight, a bitter one, both of them will get some serious injuries before it is over. There will be no cheap end, like 'Put Whitebeard in a genjutsu and the fight is over'. This will be a tough fight, and I can say that I don't expect the island to be inhabitable after those two finish their deathmatch.

On a different note, I am someone who usually tries to be sparing with OCs, as they can lead a story astray, so unless they're antagonists or cannon-fodder, I plan to be sparing with them. Celia is an OC, but I prefer that she be the only one in Madara's crew, though I haven't really decided who gets to join it yet. So, who would you like to see in Madara's crew?

Now for the Q&A

Q: How could Madara still be in top-form after getting a hit from the Rokuougan?
A: He wasn't. He was actually in a world of hurt, but it's just that he grew up in that world. Pain is nothing new to him, and he can fight even in agony. What can I say, he's just that good. And his armor did soften the blow, the reason it wasn't shattered for good is that it has seals for self-repair that Madara flooded with chakra to fix it.

Q: Will Madara implant the Kitetsu with Fruit-powers?
A: In the near future, no. He doesn't know it's possible, nor does he believe that it is right now. I do have a theory for that too, but at the time Madara wouldn't even have the resources necessary to do so.

Q: Wouldn't the fact that Olvia lives have an effect on Robin? Lower bounty, less attention, looking for her mother?
A: Everything has influence, however if anything, Robin is going to be a higher priority. After all, Olvia is with Madara, so even if found the odds aren't that good for the marines. Robin on the other hand is alone, and could even be used as bait for Olvia and Madara. She's simply the easier target. As for Robin looking for Olvia, of course she would be looking, but where? Madara doesn't have a headquarters she could find, and without a real agenda it's not like you could just predict where he might pop up next.

Q: Will there be time-skips?
A: There probably won't be a way around that, seeing that I'm still years away from where canon really picks up, aka Luffy's journey. There will be more before such a skip happens, but eventually, there will likely be one.

Q: Why doesn't Madara just hunt down the Tenryuubito?
A: Would you travel hundreds of miles just to squash a few cockroaches?

Well, that's all for now, I need to hurry to catch my train to he- I mean, the army. Wish me luck.

Oh, and

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