Disclaimer: One Piece is the property of Eiichiro Oda. Many of the characters in this story are property of me. Do not use this story or its characters without my permission. Thank you.


"What do you mean...experiment?" Araly asked. The situation was so striking and unusual, she jumped up from her seat. However, because of the unconscious training she had, the exciting development only made her sleepy and unable to stand well.

"It's just as I said" Harriet responded. "That's not at all important, however. You want me to help you find your friends?"

"I think it is important" Marco said, standing away from the wall as his show of excitement. "What the hell kind of experiment involves a whole island full of people!?" Harriet sighed tiredly, and pulled a modern looking book from one of her cavern shelves. She opened it, thumbed through the pages, and started reading from one underlines excerpt.

"The situation has become so bad that leading scientific commander Reginald Drakengard has offered a solution. The convict isle called Okumaiwa (Great Bear Rock) will be subject to a heavy dose of the mind-manipulation drug. Commander Reginald, under the order of leading scientist Doctor Vegapunk, will live on the island and observe the immediate and long term effects of the drug's process." With the passage read, she closed the book and set it back in the shelf.

"That was nearly twenty years ago" Harriet added. Araly could barely believe what she heard, so she passed out.

"She does that" Marco said. "Anyway, who was this Reginald Drakengard? I've been around twenty years and I never heard of...anything like this."

"You shouldn't have" Harriet said. "That is a top-secret document form the archives of the World Government itself. Because the log was incomplete and Reginald went missing, the Marines assumed the worst and thought the drug experiment went out of control. This entire island is assumed to have rabid, homicidal humans on it as a result, and no one ever comes near it."

"What did the drug really do?" Marco asked. "Obviously, if there were rabid humans running around, we would have noticed."

"Fortunately" Harriet said, "Reginald was in control of the experiment the entire time. For reasons I do not know, he decided to manipulate the convicts of the island into nincompoops who speak a bizarre dialect and dress like weirdos."

"That's it?" Marco asked. "You'd think, with that kind of power, he'd raise an army or something...and why was there a convict isle? Why wouldn't the government just send these prisoners to the Gaol?"

"They were deserters and defectors of the World Government" she explained. "Proud men who sold their souls to the devil for fortune, but ended up infamous. Many of these men were guards and workers at the Great Gaol, Impel Down, and I believe the man who 'left' is here as well." Marco gasped dramatically. He had only ever heard stories of 'that man', and he was rumored to be here!?

"What'd I miss?" Araly said, dizzying out of her feinting spell.

"A dangerous man may be here" Marco muttered. "Araly! We have to find Bard and the others before anyone else does! Who knows what these psychos will do if they encounter some normal human beings!"

"You go" Araly said sleepily, laying on the floor with a pillow at her head, "I'll stay here."

"That's too inconvenient!" Marco shouted. "Quit falling asleep when exciting things happen!"

"Oh, don't worry yourself, deary" Harriet said waving her hand. "I'd be more than happy to have some company. Would you like to learn a bit of alchemy while you stay?" Araly gave it a thought, and went over every possible answer in her head. Her response was almost too sudden in that regard.

"Yes!" she said. "Marco, you're temporarily in charge. Get out of the woods and find Bard. We're at the top of the plateau, so we should get a food vantage point somewhere."

"Yes, acting-captain!" Marco saluted. He went sprinting out of the cave, and his fellow crewmen followed after him automatically.

"I knew it!" one of them shouted. "She was eaten, wasn't she!?"

"No" Marco answered, "let's just find Bard and the guys! We can't waste any time at all!" Without any more words, the Buster pirate squad dashed through the forest in search of the rest of the crew to help them. However, with Marco leading, they were getting nowhere very fast...


In the yard of the Argent Fist's barracks complex, Arthir and Bard prepared for their face off. Bard stretched his arms and back, while keeping strain and pressure off his right leg. Rez and Zan stood behind him, where they considered the corner of his ring to be, and Coleen stood far away to avoid the unnecessary introduction. Mainly because she was there only to observe an report any decisive action against Ramone from Bard if she saw any.

"I got this" Bard said, flexing his arms high over his head.

"Not on a bad knee" Rez said. "Even if its' just a straight-up brawl and you can use your Tekkai technique, you won't be able to get in a good hit without proper grounding! You can't win with a bad leg."

"Yeah I can" Bard said. "By the way, who's that girl? Is she a villager or what? And what's with her arm?"

"Focus, captain" Zan said. "I hate to say it, but you may not be in the best shape to fight this man. He has experience, as I know you do, but his eyes are mad."

"His eyes?" Rez skeptically said. "His eyes aren't going to be swinging the damn punches!"

"I know what you mean, Zan" Bard replied. "I can see it too. That crazy and total apathy for human life...he's got the eyes of a killer, or a soldier still waist-deep in the trauma of war. I'll just avoid him when I can and strike at his neck! That's the safest plan." Bard set himself in a fighting pose, one where his right leg was forward and only very lightly touching the ground. He continued to refuse to put pressure on it, as his knee was already a fragile thing to injure, and held his arms up as a boxer would. Although he faced his opponent with total fighting conviction, Bard couldn't help but smile.

"Screw honor" Rez growled. "I'm saving you if you lose, you pompous moron!"

"Whatever" Bard replied. "I won't lose." Zan smiled at his captain's confidence, but all Rez could do was seethe. It was that confidence that got pirates killed on the Grand Line and he knew it, but Bard was still off in his happy little world where everything was alright.

"A warning must hence" Arthir warned, apparently. "I am known not only for my powerful hammer, but for my powerful arms as well! It is with these mighty pillars of justice and unwavering law that I may carry forth the force of Heaven against the impure and the unrighteous! These arms of mine are God-sent weapons of light!"

"Well my kicks can cut metal!" Bard gloated back. Although his statement held little bias, as he hadn't yet cut through anything thick enough for Bard to classify as 'metal'.

"Have at thee!" Arthir shouted, initiating the fight. Bard roared and charged forward as well, but in sprinting hobbles. Once in range, the battle began. Arthir threw a strong right hook down, but Bard leaned away. Then, Bard retaliated with a rising hit to Arthir's collar area, which he acknowledged with a frown and wide eyes. Then Arthir used his height and kicked at Bard. Again, Bard was too quick, even on one leg, and dodged yet again. Now slightly airborne, Bard jabbed quickly at Arthir's throat, getting four solid blows in as he fell, then another one-legged support uppercut to Arthir's jaw. This sent Arthir back a step, and Bard took the moment to hop back as well and breath.

"This would be easier" Bard noted "if I had that Endless Breath stamina...or whatever..."

"Guh" Arthir grunted. He's quick, and powerful. He has a frightening combo, but without his right leg I know what limits he has been pushed to. Enjoy your fight, young Bard, for I shall make it your last on your own legs! "Well played, sir Bard. I commend you as an adversary..." Arthir sneered his hateful gaze above his trusting grin to divert Bard's own attention away from his straying hand. Arthir wrapped his own fists with an explosive ink card and gripped it in his fist. This ink was orange and sparkling, pointed into his skin rather than away from his fist.

"Thanks" Bard said, his breath back, "you're pretty good too."

"Have at you then" Arthir lowed. Bard sprang high and far on one leg, coming down exactly at Arthir's face level with his good leg drawn back. Arthir kept his grin, gripped his paper, and stopped Bard's light-speed kick with a super-light-speed punch that sent him flipping through the air. Bard regained his gravity half-way through his tumble and used his good leg to stay upright and land on it.

"Damn!" Bard said in amazement. "How'd you get so fast!?"

"I told you already" Arthir said, almost annoyed. "My fists are heavenly weapons, forged to-" and as he gloated Bard Soru-jumped into his face with his shoulder. As he flew he also used Tekkai, so his tackle was even more devastating. He impacted into Arthir's jaw and kicked his throat to get off. "-mugeeehhh..." Arthir moaned in finish. He shook off the jarring hit and glowered at Bard. "How distasteful of thee! Didst thou really think I wouldn't expect such a lowly cur like yonder others to not attack me when my guard was down!?"

"Then why'd you lower your guard?" Bard asked. Arthir just seethed and got back into his basic fighting stance.

"I shall show ye what my power is!" he announced.

"I'm glad!" Bard said. "And if I like it, I'll show you what my power is!" The gloat-fest between two brawny men became tense and ecstatically emotional now! Zan stood upright and proud to watch while Rez used his headband to cover one eye. Half the vision, half the shame, apparently.


Inside the underbelly of the regal castle, the king Rupert's royal guard nervously approached a cage of terribly wrought iron and barbed wires. Inside was a man of heavy breathing and heavier frame, the body of a man who spent more than one lifetime keeping himself in the prime shape of strength. Even in the absolute darkness one could see how impeccably ripped this specimen was. Now, he sat on the cold floor, wrapped in heavy chains with evil-looking crosses at the sides of his cell. A guard nervously approached.

"...Si-Sir Reginald Drakengard the T-T-Terrible..." he frightfully began. "You have been summoned by...by..."

"By...?" a hideously deep voice whispered. This made all the guards jump to attention and stunned the young guard reading his proclamation. "Was it the king?" asked the voice of the terrible man politely. The guard could only shake in fear to respond. "What does he need of me...?"

"...ee..." the guard squealed. The clanking of chains now came from the cage. Followed thereafter by the stomping of feet, Drakengard stood in front of the cage door with a gleaming mouth of white teeth and shady eyes of maddening villainous intent.

"Unlock this cage, boy" he ordered slowly. "I yearn to rip flesh once more..." The fear and tension in the room escalated exponentially when the fearless executioner consorts came by with the huge key to the huge padlock and opened the door. Out into the dim light stepped the man, clad in dirty pants and a black, bushy stubble beard, Reginald Drakengard in the flesh. "Kurururururu..." he growled in laughter. "I walk again...!"