The day was beautiful as usual in the little fishing town of Siracusa. The warmth of the summer sun shimmered down the island and out to the ocean. It was getting dark, the sun was losing much of its heat and it would sink further beneath the wide and endless horizon leaving the little town at the mercy of the darkness. The cool breeze swayed the palm trees near the coast, this would normally be followed by small dots of fishing fleet in the horizon as the fishermen used the sea breeze to help them sail back home after a long day at sea. But not even one boat can be seen today. One quick look at the deserted dock explains why. Between the warehouses of the docks and the open sea, all the boats were tied nicely to the piers. The dock was completely bare of any activity, there was nothing but the sound of the calm small waves breaking onto the beach. Beyond that, scrunched, windblown newspapers flew past the deserted avenue that leads to the town's square. Every shops, cafes, restaurants, theater lining the main avenue which stretches from the docks to the grand basilica stood vacant. This afternoon, the bell of the grand church would not ring to guide the fishermen home. Today, it only served to heighten the sense of surrealism many of the citizens were feeling that the barren boulevard of their town and its surroundings have been forcibly cut off from the rest of the world. The sense of desolation, however, was interrupted for a moment as one former samurai broke the surface of the gloomy water.

"Did you get him?" shouted one calm looking man ashore.

The man just nodded as he wobbled to the coast with his friend in tow.

"Come on," the man muttered as he pumped the chest of the unconscious guy. The starfish-haired man just stood on the sideline.

After a few attempts, the guy coughed violently as he regained his consciousness, he looked up and saw his partner's relieved face.

"Welcome back Leo," Hayato kept his cool manner, despite of the huge celebration and relief behind his mask.

"Hayato…how did…?" Leo then heard footsteps and immediately looked around.

"Hi, remember me?" the starfish guy's face loomed over him.

It didn't take him long to remember that hairstyle, "YOU!" At that, Hayato quickly faced the guy and swiftly unsheathed his katana.

The starfish guy raised his hands, "there's no need for violence…" he smirked, "after all you are no use to me dead."

"What the hell did you say!?"

"Look, do you want to get thrown to the sea again!?" the starfish guy tried to make his point across to the guys, that a guy who can send somebody like Leo flying was no ordinary guy.

"You saw the posters, I can offer you shelter in return for your cooperation."

"What's he talking about?" Hayato asked.

"The man wants me in his crew."

"So that's why you were fighting?"

"I didn't even remember that part."

"That doesn't make any sense…" Hayato protested.

"Guys, guys, hello, back to topic please, I need your answers now, the offer stands for you too swordsman."

Leo thought for some moment and he's decided that he couldn't quite imagine himself being as a swashbuckling pirate.

"Sorry Marco. You're a great Captain, and if it weren't for you, I guess, I'd have destroyed half the town, but…the thing is, I've got some things to settle first."

Despite the cool on his face, Leo could still catch a hint of disappointment on his face. For a moment there Leo thought that this was a bad idea, a mistake to continue on this vengeful path and that he should just take his offer, but then he convinced himself that it had to be this way. Those guys that framed him and killed her had to pay and he couldn't just forget about that no matter what.

"Is this about that set up you've been going on about? You're really telling the truth?"

"It's complicated, I just don't want you to get involved in this."

"If the Marines really is responsible for that then we can help you Leo, heck, they have just killed our Captain and our best friends, there's no reason for you to think that you're alone in this. We want payback just as much as you do Leo."

"It's not the Marines, it's bigger than that, and don't ask me where i know about this."

Marco looked confused, and he should be, as there was not many organizations or bodies that were bigger' than the Marines. Except…

"Who?"

"You ever heard of the World Noble?"

Marco was taken aback by that, it crossed his mind but he never expected him to really say those words. He managed to keep his cool though that didn't stop the chill he was feeling right now.

"Are you serious?"

"This is why you better stay out of this."

"This is a very dark and dangerous path you're taking here Leo, you must understand that strong will alone is not going to cut it."

There was a moment of silence before Leo continued.

"When you were in the church, you said your former Captain has become the way he was because his daughter, that he loved her so much that even years after her passing he still look for that cure no matter what the odds were?"

Marco just looked up at him knowing where this was going.

"I'm looking for that cure…and I know exactly what it is."

"You won't make it. The Admirals, the whole World Government, everybody will be against you."

"Then at the very least…I'm not going to regret it one bit."

"There's no convincing you out of this is there?"

"Nope."

"Well, I guess this is goodbye then." Marco offered his hand.

"Good luck Marco." Leo said, but then he realized that Marco was not letting go of his hand.

"Be careful, these guys, they are nasty."

"I will." Leo said as he wrestled his hand back.

"Let's go Hayato."

The two men continued down the shore to the dock, Hayato caught up beside him, still apparently having difficulty taking it all in. He just couldn't believe that his friend would just outright refuse an offer of help from what could possibly be one of the most powerful Pirates in the planet. Knowing his pal's stubbornness though, he shouldn't have been this surprised, he thought. "Leo wait! Are you sure about this? He may know something."

"No doubt about that, but I don't trust him."

That again. Hayato thought. His friend still have that mindset that all Pirates were some mischievous rascals that couldn't be trusted, due to his relatively sheltered upbringing. But by assuming that he inadvertently put himself in the same category as those people, but he kept denying that. He truly believed that he was better than them.

"So, where are we going?"

"We're going to get a boat and get the hell away from here."

"To where?"

"Jaya."

"Jaya?" Hayato said, with a tone of surprise.

"Leo, do you know anything about Grand Line?"

"You can't survive a single trip in Grand Line with those small fishing boats!"

"I know that, but as long as I have you, there should be no problem. After all, you grew up in this sea right? You should know it like the back of your hand."

Hayato would like to point out to his friend that his hometown was on the other side of the Red Line, so the sea was quite different, and that citizen of Wano Country was forbidden from going out of the country, so he had very little knowledge or source about navigating Grand Line except from the legends and folklores of his country, but he refrained from it due to the big news that he was about to tell his friend now.

"Leo, wait, I need to tell you something."

Leo didn't seem to hear it, "listen, can you go around the dock and find the best boat in here? I'm going to be away for a while ok?"

"Where are you going?"

"I just need to meet somebody before we go."

"You made friends on this island? Very subtle."

"She saved me from drowning if you must know. I just cannot go away like this."

"Ok, but first listen to me, I've got to tell you something."

"Can't it wait? We really don't have much time."

"What are you talking about?"

"The Marines are going to be here in any second, I'm sure of that. Marco said something about the Marines blocking the way to the other part of the Grand Line. They wouldn't just do that to prevent them from going back to their stronghold, they want to keep them boxed in, so the Marines must be sweeping island after island in Grand Line to look for that guy right now. That's why we need to get out of here fast, real fast." Without waiting for a response Leo quickly disappeared, leaving Hayato quite speechless.

In minutes Leo was already back in Isabel's home. The lights were already on meaning she was home. He just now realized that he hadn't think of a story to explain his disappearance, and also his super-fast healing ability.

"Leo? You came back." Isabel came through from the back, she looked worried. Gosh, even when worried she still looked good! Leo thought and felt sad that he had to leave her in the island alone with the pirates. Marco was a good man but he doubted he really had the same presence as the late Captain.

"Where the hell have you been? You can't just wander around like that!"

"Err…I just need to report to the Captain is all."

"H-how can you even move with a wound like that?!"

Leo just stood there awkwardly, trying to find any good reason for it and then he found it, the only thing that he could think of in the given amount of time, "well, they don't call us New World Pirates for nothing, I've been through far worse condition than this. We've got tricks for these kind of things you see." He praised his brilliant mind for coming up with it.

But she'd have none of that, "New World Pirate or not, you still can't go around like that, let me take a look at your wound, it must look horrible right now." She reached for his pajamas button but he quickly stopper her, knowing that there would be no such wound in his stomach.

"I had the Pirate doctor take a look at the wound earlier, so there's no need really…he said you've done a very good job though."

She just looked up piercingly at him, still not fully convinced.

"Did he get you vitamins too?"

"Uhmm…no? The ship was totally wrecked."

"Then I'm going to get one for you, wait a moment."

"It's not necessary really, Isabel, you don't have to, I just came here to say goodbye."

She came back with a glass of water and a pill, from the color it looked like the one she had him swallow earlier.

"You're going?" She asked as she handed the glass and the pill. Her face looked sad. He didn't understand why she should be. Doesn't it mean her island would be Pirate-free once more? He thought as he swallowed the pill with no second thought.

"Why the sad face?"

"No, you just seem like a really nice guy, you seem different than the rest is all."

"You seem to have no problem trusting people you just met."

She smirked at that, but somehow there was something off about it. She exhaled,"…oh the irony."

"Excuse me?" She couldn't be…

"Difficult to concentrate? Here let me take your glass." She took the glass and put it away.

Leo put his hand on his head, he didn't know where this sudden sleepiness came from. "Wait…why am I suddenly feeling…" before Leo could finish the sentence he was already lying out cold on the floor.

Isabel bent down and poked the side of Leo's face to see if he wasn't faking it, then smiled when he didn't respond.

"Maybe you are the one who's too trusting Mr. Two Face," Isabel said as she unbuttoned the top part of her blouse to reveal the striped uniform of Impel Down.

She reached down beneath the front of her uniform and produced a mini den den mushi. She then dialed it. There was a 'click' sound on the other end signaling that somebody was taking the call.

"Listen very carefully, I know where Marco the Phoenix and his goons are hiding."

This chapter was actually a part of bigger story, but I decided to stop it right here because the second part still needs some improvement and I don't have the time for that right now. It'll be ready in a week's time.