My apologies for the significant delay in this chapter coming out. Life has been very difficult and its only getting worse. I will try for a more consistent release schedule.
Chapter 2: Time for Crab
Despite the promise for a game of twenty questions, Zan Gya could barely answer three. All the brute knew of his Captain's operation was that Ganzack had gotten help in designing something called the "Devil Tower", from a mysterious business partner. The Devil Tower was a weapon of some kind, which Ganzack believed would prove to be an unmatched threat to any World Government forces sent after him, and the construction was months ahead of schedule because of this business partner.
Whoever this partner was, they were also the source of the new guns and weapons that had been flooding into the East Blue of late, among other serious technologies. Like the crab hand Jack had been modifying for his own use.
It seemed obvious in retrospect. His bad luck had several months of recovery and journey time to prepare to spring something like this on him. An arms smuggling ring in the East Blue just as Jack comes here for a sabbatical? Why did he not expect this to happen?
Regardless, there was one consolation. The island Ganzack had made his base was finally in sight, meaning this voyage with its irritating crew he couldn't afford to kill yet was almost over.
"So you'll put in a good word for me at the trial right? I scratched your back, now you'll scratch mine?" Speak of the Devil, here was Zan Gya once more trying to butter him up. He seemed very good at hiding his grudge with the man who had eventually taken the rest of his leg during the trip, the repurposed table leg turned peg leg barely supporting his weight. Not that he would need it for long, of course.
"The fact I haven't blown your brains out or taken your remaining leg is the one kindness you will get from me. Be very glad I haven't decided to be cruel yet." Jack put a hand to his hip, casually running his palm over his gun. It was certainly a more intimidating gesture than lifting the briefcase magnetically locked to his left hand, but in truth, less dangerous.
That finally got Zan Gya to back off, but he was smirking as he left, which was a bad sign. When he looked up and saw the burning flag in the crow's nest, it was a relief how easily he could still draw the gun to aim at the cruel pirate's head. Even when shredded by shrapnel and encased in metal, muscle memory persists.
"Hehe, it's too late for you, bounty hunter. When the captain sees that, he'll know we're in trouble and send reinforcements. No matter how strong you are, you can't stand against the full might of the Pirate Shogun!" Zan Gya got back his trademark cruel smirk, finally able to giggle now that his plan for revenge was executed. Jack was unimpressed.
"Tell me, would you bet 12,700,000 on it?" A bullet through the gut cut off the laughing for a moment, a hole blast deep that sent the Cleaver to the floor with a brief scream, but Zan Gya continued in his glee regardless.
"I bet my life on it! I knew you'd never let me live, so I'm not letting you live either! Time for you to find out the true power of our Captain!" Zan Gya pointed out over the side, the distant sight of a golden tower illuminated by a bright flash of light and a distant mechanical screeching.
Putting his gun back into his hip holster, he ran to the front of the ship, through the crowd of panicking pirates who hadn't factored in their survival, moments before the entire ship was torn asunder as a massive ball of fire exploded outwards, engulfing it and anyone still below deck.
Many of the pirates were simply incinerated by the heat of the blast or shredded by force and shrapnel. Whoever remained was so injured by the experience that they were too wounded to escape the shockwave that dragged the ship under, swept up and pulled into the depths. Jack himself was also swept along, losing himself in a tide that threw him around like a rag doll, barely able to cling to his briefcase and a piece of driftwood.
The whiplash was too much for his ailing body, and soon he blacked out, and found his sleep restless with ghosts. Flashes of better days. A toast to a good mission. Chevalier's birthday. Beating Bernie at darts. So many memories, scattered and lost. All he could feel was the flames. The heat, as it gnawed at his raw flesh. The feeling dragged him back, back to the cool ocean water that surrounded him. He soared upwards, breaching the surface, thanking the good doctor for the foresight to install a rebreather.
Jack tried to swim away, but was dragged down by the ripple waves from the weight of the ship. He desperately tried to claw his way to the surface, but felt the phantom hands that weighed his metallic body down, the weight of his failure anchoring him to the sea floor. He could not afford to die here, could not let his Justice sink with him, and so he pushed the flesh of his body as hard as he could, forcing himself to breach the surface, so that he could grab onto a chunk of the mast, to try and hope that even if he passed out again he wouldn't sink.
Jack awoke with sand seeping into his prosthetics, water dripping from his short hair, and someone jabbing into his side with their foot. He opened his eyes, waiting for them to adjust to the light again, and saw two low level grunts trying to pry his briefcase from his hand. He would have wished them luck breaking that electromagnetic seal, if not for his disdain for the attempt. But as they tried to pry the fingers apart, one pirate screamed bloody murder, as a blade sank into his buttocks.
"Get away from him, you pirates!" The new arrival was a sudden shock. Armed with a relatively large naginata, stood a small Knight. Clad in heavy plate armour, worn and marked by the years, but not rusted in the slightest, they were quite the odd figure. Now that they had everyone's attention, the tiny Knight pointed their naginata at the two pirates. "Now tell me where my dad is!"
"For fucks sake, not this kid again!" The pirates left the sand covered cyborg where he was and drew their blades, preparing to deal with the annoying child.
"Shouldn't have come back here brat, now we have to deal with you." One of the pirates stalked towards the small child, his friend following close behind. They were so focused on the child they didn't notice as the "corpse" they were looting got up and started dusting himself off.
"Might I ask you gentlemen where I am, and where your crewmates are?"
"Holy shit, how the hell are you alive?" In all fairness, pointing your blades at the "corpse" back from the dead is a reasonable response. Still doesn't erase the resulting irritation.
"I suppose I'm simply 'built different'," he said as he dusted himself off with a chuckle, his gaze hardened on the two pirates, hand on his hip, "now I would prefer to resolve this before I have to start killing, but I am willing to resort to violence if need be."
"Can you believe this guy? Half dead and trying to act tough."
"Must be all the water in his head. Wonder if it'll keep him floating."
"Let the records show I attempted diplomacy. Little girl," He brought his hands up, a katar blade pushing out from his left forearm as he drew a kirpan from his hip, "would you mind stepping back briefly? I don't want you to risk getting hurt in the crossfire."
"You really are a cocky guy, ain't ya? I bet the Captain will like you as a jester." The attitude remained, but at the sight of a knife, but pirates readied their swords in return.
"Honestly? I'm glad you didn't surrender. I'll enjoy this more." Jack rushed forward at the right pirate, throwing his knife at the other pirate to keep him out of the way. The cry of pain as metal parted flesh to gut his foe was music to his ears, and the perfect distraction to leap on the other man, finally having cleared his eyes.
The tackle was harsh on the pirate, breaking a few bones from the force as they landed, the scream only worsening when a blade pierced through his shoulder, pinning him down.
"I will ask you only once, where is your captain, how many do you number, and what is the Devil Tower?" The katar was pulled from the shoulder and placed to his neck, edge already digging into the skin.
"Fuck you!" The pirate simply laughed, spitting on Jack. He stopped laughing when a quick slice carved his throat open, a wet choking noise all he could get out as his neck was almost completely cut clean through. Jack turned towards the other pirate, who was trying to crawl away with his knife still in the gut. Passing by the little girl, he grabbed her naginata as he walked over.
"I sure hope you're more willing to start talking than your friend." Kicking the pirate onto his back, Jack casually placed the blade at his throat with a smile.
"Please, I'll talk, I'll talk!"
"Where is Ganzack, what is the Devil Tower, and how many pirates are here?"
"The Captain is up at the tower, it's his magnum opus and the key to fight off the Marines, and I guess like fifty guys?"
"And I suppose you don't know anything else?" He sighed as the pirate shook his head. "Well I still appreciate what you've said. I'll be letting you go then."
The pirate took a moment to prepare for some kind of thanks, which was interrupted as the blade of the naginata pushed cleanly through his throat, before tearing out the side. With practised ease he flicked the blood off the spear and waved the child over.
"Hello there, my name's Jack and I think this is yours. What's your name?"
"I'm Medaka, and I needed to ask them stuff about my dad!" There was a fierce look in her eyes, not an ounce of fear. This child was already far too used to death, and for that alone Ganzack had to pay.
"Oh, is your father a captive of the pirates?" She nodded fiercely, as he reached down and removed his knife. "Well then, it's good that I'm here to help rescue him then. Why don't we go to your home so we can discuss battle tactics further?"
Jack held his hand out to the little girl, which she took after a brief moment of hesitation. Medaka led him through the village, which had certainly seen better days. The streets were painfully silent, and the people who watched from the windows did so quietly and carefully. A scenario he was very experienced with.
Though, not without more back up.
"So Medaka, do you know anything about these pirates? I'm looking for something called the Devil Tower, and that's probably where your father is being kept right now." He smiled as he watched her instantly perk up and almost start bouncing in place.
"They came a few months ago and they've been just awful. They took the food, and they took our money, and they took my dad, and they took old man Barney, and they just keep taking everything!" She was shaking with the emotions of a child, wild and painful.
"You have been very brave to fight back. Don't worry, on my honour as a… a man, I will bring these men to Justice." He gently lay a cold metal hand on her shoulder, and smiled at the confidence in her eyes.
"Stay home tonight Medaka. I do my best work nowadays alone, so put your faith in me to bring back your father."
Jack walked casually up to the tower's surrounding walls, disappointed in how lax the guard was. Yes, this was the East Blue, but were the pirates here truly so pathetic? Approaching the door, he decided knocking was the polite thing to do.
He punched the gates hard in the centre, knocking them off their hinges and entering with style. Would Guru-ji be happy he prioritised style? Probably not. Was this holiday tour all about RR, which included style? Absolutely.
"Ganzack pirates, your reckoning has come. Lay down your arms, or face your judgement." Jack couldn't help his smile as the growing crowd of pirates started laughing. It was hilarious how arrogant they were, even with reinforcements steadily trickling in.
"Well, looks like we're doing this the fun way." And so Jack drew his revolver, cocked back the hammer, and smiled like Christmas was here early. Time to tear open the presents.
A pirate with a bandana rushed at Jack, getting close enough to swing his sword. The blade was grabbed mid swing, snatched out of his hand as Jack shot through his eye. The sword was thrown like a javelin, flying through the air and burying itself in the chest of a pirate with some very stylish technicolour pants. A rather beefy pirate, showing off his many muscles in a strained tank top, tried to rush Jack with a hammer. His knees were blown out with a pair of well placed shots, and Jack calmly walked towards him. Another pirate attempting a sneak attack was shot with Jack barely turning away.
Jack lifted the hammer with a single hand and looked the pirate in the eyes, the scum marvelling in fear at the strength he saw before him, gazing upon Jack like he had never believed such things could happen. This marvel of science would be the last sight he saw: a single swing caved in half his skull and he fell to the dirt as a backswing collapsed another man's rib cage and everything behind it.
A further swing practically decapitated two men rushing at him, leaving a red streak in the air of blood, meat, and bone fragments, as their heads came apart under the sheer force. A swing that crushed a man's head down into his torso was the final straw, finally breaking the wooden haft of the hammer. It did little to stop the rampage, the jagged wood flying across the field, impaling through the guts of a poor fool whose choice to wear all white was the least and last of his many mistakes.
As Jack threw the large hammerhead at a man's head, like a brick for freedom, he heard exactly what he was waiting for. A voice roared across the field, followed by the whirring of mechanical limbs. Jack turned, and smiled as his HUD flagged the newcomer with exactly what he wanted to see.
[Dead or Alive]
["Pirate Shogun" Ganzack]
[9,300,000]
"ENOUGH! You will lay your weapons down and let yourself be chained up, or I will decapitate this girl here and now."
Gears and gyros whirring as heavy footsteps echoed across the field. Jack turned to see the man he had a sharp chin, accentuated by his pointed purple goatee. The burgundy tunic and navy pants were unremarkable beyond a sign of bad fashion and not doing too well a job of covering the armour plates that stuck out from under the tunic.
Over his shoulders were two giant pauldrons of red with a golden trim, with mechanical crab claws attached to each shoulder. Between the pauldrons descending down the back was a royal blue cape of fine silk, descending to Ganzack's calves. It only half covered the four mechanical limbs styled like crab legs, descending on either side of his torso, each one ending in a wide barrel, designed to hold multiple forms of projectile.
The true concern was what the Pirate held in one of his claws: A little girl who really should have stayed home. He lifted Medaka up, her neck secured between the pincers of his mechanical claws.
"Medaka! No please god no! Please, you have to save her! Please save her!" Jack looked over at the prisoners and saw a man, starved and beaten, but desperately clinging to the fence. The man's identity was obvious, and he looked Medaka's father in the eyes as he threw down his briefcase and pistol.
"Well, good to see you're not heartless. What a foolish choice." Ganzack casually drew two pistols from his belt, and just unloaded into Jack. He barely felt them, even as he fell to the ground in a seemingly lifeless heap, just waiting as he counted to eight, hearing both guns finally click empty. Jack sighed at the state of his shirt, trying to figure out how he could best repair it. At least he could just lay down and relax for a few, before continuing to kill everyone.
"Laugh!" As one, the remaining pirates started to cheer and laugh, the islanders growing more disheartened as they stared at their lifeless saviour and their overjoyed tormentors. "Take note, livestock! This is what happens to all who stand against me!"
Ganzack handed Medaka off to two of his thugs, who quickly rushed off to the dinning hall with her, before walking over to Jack. Ganzack smiled for a moment, before Jack opened his eyes. He recoiled for a moment, before the two stared at each other, Ganzack with fury, Jack with mild disgust. The Pirate Shogun waved two more pirates over, and they quickly worked to drag Jack away too.
It was a slow job that required two more pirates to drag Jack all the way to the dining hall, lift him up, and lock him against the wall, right next to Medaka. He looked over and saw the tears she would not shed.
"Don't worry, this is just a temporary setback." Jack tugged at his restraints, enjoying the slight give. Sadly, the discovery of leverage did little to comfort the young girl.
Ganzack led his entourage into the hall, waiting a moment to smirk at his hostages before taking his place at the head of the table. His crew quickly took their seats.
"Look at them, the fools that dare stand against me. Let us enjoy the fruits of their failure. Laugh!" The hall erupted into laughter, synchronised to the Captain's command, they all laughed with every breath they had. It was a pathetic display of simple control, and Jack was half tempted to snooze off before seeing what was so interesting about Ganzack. He'd lifted his arm to toast his own ego, and revealed the connection port and bolt between his flesh and the pauldron.
Who knew a linear frame could be found in the East Blue?
"That is an alright exoskeleton frame you've got bolted to you. Very rudimentary and lacking compared to what I've seen before that project was discontinued, but I know what I'm looking at." The festivities came to a halt as the words sank in, and Jack smirked as he saw Ganzack's face twisted through multiple emotions before settling on rage.
"How did you know that?" The Pirate Shogun was across the room in moments. A claw emerged from the cloak and stabbed into the stone either side of Jack's neck.
"I have to ask, where'd you get that?" The grinding of metal on stone as the claw came closer to his neck was an unpleasant sound.
"I am asking the questions. How did you know that?" A second claw wrapped around Medaka's midsection, the poor girl frozen stiff in her armour.
"Well, it's simple. I helped Doc design a few improvements before the project got shut down. He was clearly right that modularity in design would be a good call, but I wasn't wrong that cost and bulk was a problem. The problem, since it got canned."
"So you recognise this? My fine armour. The tool that makes me an invincible warrior." Ganzack flexed, raising his multiple limbs to the air and casting his cape out behind him.
"Nah, that just means you're very lucky and limited. Surviving when the bolts fuse with your bones is a miracle, it's why we never used the external frames. And a hydraulic system instead of microfiber is very rudimentary. And those look like some very solid bolts, no disconnection here. So uh… glad you're alright with the cons."
"What kinda cons could he have?" Apparently Ganzack's weaknesses were all Medaka cared for.
"Well Medaka, he can't wipe. That's the least of it." A crab leg slammed into Jack's gut, cutting off his brief laugh.
"I am the Pirate Shogun. I am the man who will conquer the Four Blues. I am the future Pirate King. And you dare to insult me." A hand reached out to squeeze Jack's throat, barely even getting a cough.
"Why do you all think you're New World material? The fucking arrogance. You are no more fit for the New World than you are to shine my boot." Jack spat his venom at Ganzack, heedless of the consequences.
Before Ganzack could attempt to blast Jack with one of his legs, the sound of gunfire and dynamite caught everyone's attention. One of the pirates rushed into the hall in a panic. "Captain it's the peasants! They're revolting!"
Ganzack growled fiercely as he turned away from his prisoners, and readied himself for battle.
"Arm yourselves men, let's deal with these rats. No one gets to defy the Pirate Shogun and survive." Ganzack drew his pistols with one final glare at his two prisoners, before leading his men to battle.
"Well Medaka, it seems we have our work cut out for us saving your father," Jack looked over at the young girl, who could no longer hold back the tears as she desperately tried to pull herself free. "Calm down, Medaka. We're about to enter the fight. Breathe with me: in one two three four, out one two three four, and repeat."
His right hand held Medaka's shoulder to steady her, his left carefully prying the shackles open to not cut her against the metal. He could feel her breath slow and her heart calm, especially as he got her out more and more.
"Feeling better now?" With a determined look in her eyes, she nodded fiercely, ready to do her part in saving her father. "Excellent, then let's go."
Jack smiled as he handed her back her spear, following the trail of the Ganzack pirates. He kept a steady hand on Medaka's shoulder, trying to help as the armour rattled around her, shaking as the battle grew louder. Steel clashing with steel. The crack of gunfire. The harsh roar as explosions rocked the air. The screams of pain and hate as men fought and bled each other.
He breathed in the smell of gunpowder. It smelt like home.
Jack could also hear Ganzack yelling something. Something something laugh. Something something behold my power. Nothing he hadn't heard before. Whatever the case, the duo finally emerged to watch Ganzack flip a switch on a Den Den Mushi. The entire building shook, falling apart as it seemed to tear in half. Jack scooped up Medaka and leapt through the air, landing at the edges of the battlefield. He set Medaka down, looked at the pirate carrying his gun, and smiled.
Retirement was such fun.
The scream as mechanical servos pulped flesh and crushed bone was exceptionally fun. And it was satisfying to get his revolver back. Almost as satisfying as casually casting the man away, across the field, nearly tearing the rest of the arm off.
Jack pushed his way through the battlefield, knife in hand to carelessly cut down all he saw in Ganzack's hall. Medaka followed close behind with her spear in hand, holding it close to her chest like a shield. Not that she'd need it, he was here to make sure she'd be safe. And finally, the shaking stopped and he stood before Ganzack.
"Ganzack, we need to stop meeting like this." He smiled, grabbing one of Ganzack's crew and punching hard into his chest with the sharp crack of bone. "If you'd just surrender, then I'd guarantee at least your life, if not any of your men." The Pirate Shogun glared at him, and he couldn't hold back his smirk. God, he missed this.
He looked down and saw the very island was splitting apart, tearing away a massive chunk of the land. A massive, primaeval roar echoed out, a nearly crushing sound that knocked some of the pirates and rebels over.
The large chunk of island that had split off seemed to form a giant ship, with the Devil's Tower as a central mast and artillery piece. Instead of a mast, there was the head of an actual plesiosaur, who looked down upon the rebels with a delightful hunger. The ancient beast roared and many of those who witnessed it felt the instinctual fear of their ancient ancestors, the old species who saw shapes in the water and knew only fear.
"Huh, so that's why it was called the Plesiosaur." Jack turned to look and saw as Ganzack's claws were launched out as grappling hooks, grabbing onto the masts and letting Ganzack reel himself away to his ship. He could admit Ganzack had added a useful modification to his armour, the kind that could help immensely in both combat and traversal.
So useful, Jack already had his own version. Holding up his left hand, he watched as servos whirred, his fingers spreading out as his palm segmented outwards, before firing off and quickly digging deep gouges into the mast, securing an anchor point right as he began to fly through the air along the tether. Landing with a harsh stomp, planks creaking and cracking under the weight.
Ganzack turned and couldn't hide his flinch, and Jack could not hold back his laugh. "The offer for surrender is still open. You can still walk away alive, even if now I'll carve that armour out of you."
"So, you wish to know my armour's power? Then behold, the genius of my creation!" Ganzack aimed his legs and unleashed a spray of pink slime, coating the deck before him and Jack. "Now, you are truly helpless before me!"
Jack stared at the weird gum stuck to his body and restraining him, a heavy sigh escaped him as he prepared to reveal one of his favourite trump cards so early.
"Congratulations Ganzack, you have proven yourself worthy of getting a glimpse of the true potential of science. Red Sun, Burning Fists!" The panels on Jack's arms spread apart, revealing turbines that glowed red hot and spun rapidly. In moments, Jack had coated his hands in a roaring flame, burning most of the pink gum off of him.
"What the hell… no, this parlour trick is nothing! I am the Pirate Shogun, and you will not intimidate me!" Ganzack aimed the cannons in his crab claws all at Jack, and unleashed a mighty volley.
Jack just shrugged off the bullets, and began to wonder if this was the start of an unfortunate trend for his nice shirts. He'd really liked this one, and look at what had happened to it already.
"You fool! This is already over!" Ganzack's claws both unleashed large swords, each larger than an arm, "I will cut you down here and now!"
"Come on Ganzack, hit me with your best shot!" Jack casually pried at the last bits of gum, barely even caring about the incoming attack. He could take it, and Ganzack would finally be close enough to hit.
"NO!" A rush of movement. The clanging of metal as an armed figure ran. A loud shearing noise as blade met steel and cleaved through it. They watched the small body hit the ground hard, and forced themselves not to look at the helm, refusing to burn another horror into their nightmares. They forced themselves to look at Ganzack, their face stone-like as he laughed at his wretched deed.
"Well that really cheered me up. I've wanted that brat dead for weeks, and now I don't have to worry about forgetting anything here. Glad I got to do it myself, make sure I get to enjoy the moment myself." Jack looked at Ganzack. They did not see Ganzack. The figure was too fat, too finely dressed, they held an intricate masterpiece of a revolver. They saw only something that needed to die. It needed to die screaming.
"Did you know that it is widely considered that the best way to cook crab is to boil it alive." Ganzack blinked, and gaped slightly at such a strange tangent.
"... That is a weird thing to bring up, but I've heard worse last words. Hilarious that I killed this kid, and all you can think about is lunch." As Ganzack prepared his cannons to fire once more, he watched as Jack crossed his arms over his chest before moving them to his sides as he stomped down on the deck.
"Red Sun: Overheat!" In an instant, Jack's body started to heat up, his form engulfed in flame as the metal plates across his body began to glow a violent red. The electric blue eyes now a blazing orange, the inferno of his heart bleeding out of him.
"Eh? What is this nonsense?"
"I told you Ganzack, you did not know the true power of science. Behold a small demonstration." Jack threw a punch, and a wave of fire followed, with Ganzack barely able to dodge out of the way, batting at the flames spreading over his cape.
"What the- wait a minute, you're one of those Devil Fruit users! Yes, I've heard about you. I will conquer more than I ever thought possible, when I get your power." Jack was unimpressed, still not even caring to see Ganzack.
"Whether you recognise my power is irrelevant, I'll kill you regardless."
Jack swung his arms in a wide arc, and a wave of flames rushed at Ganzack. The Shogun dodged, and was met with a fireball casually punched at him, almost knocking him over. Ganzack unleashed a barrage of gunfire, all striking Jack to little effect, as he calmly strode through it.
Rearing back the claws, Ganzack swung both of his giant swords. Jack caught them, a mad grin splitting his face as he held on tight, feeling the metal heat and melt between his fingers. Ganzack tried to pull away, but Jack let go of the blades and leapt forward to grab him by the shoulders. The screams as Ganzack's cape caught fire between his fingers and flesh burned at his touch was all he needed to hear. Ganzack tried to push him off with the hydraulic claws, but he decided when the pirate was free.
Jack spun on his heel and threw Ganzack into a wall, before blasting him through it with his flames. He stepped into the room and paused as he made eye contact with Ganzack's shocked face, as they both looked at the gunpowder barrels in the room. And Jack smiled. All it took was a snap of the fingers, and a massive explosion rocked the Plesiosaur, tipping the ship to the side as water filled the hull, and driving shrapnel deep into the eponymous beast as a massive chunk of its flesh was blasted apart.
Jack looked to where he had left Ganzack and saw a large hole that had been blown through the floor. He jumped down into the hole, and found the arrogant pirate desperately crawling through the steadily flooding halls of his ship to desperately run from him. Jack just walked over and kicked in his knee, before lifting up the metal frame Ganzack was trapped inside.
"Time to boil, you fucking scum." Jack dragged Ganzack over to the side of the room that had already flooded over and held the Pirate Shogun under the water, steam rising as it bubbled from the heat emanating from Jack's augmented limbs.
Whatever screams he made were drowned out under the roar of boiling water as it seared flesh and splashed on blazing metal. The thrashing grew more and more intense as Ganzack desperately clung to life, burnt hands clinging tight to the searing metal, the smell of burning flesh growing thick as the Pirate Shogun grew more panicked, the flesh melting off his fingers not a concern as survival took precedence over the sight of bones charring. Jack lifted Ganzack out, looking over the steam rising from Ganzack's deeply scorched body, a foul grin over his face.
"Before you killed Medaka, I thought about maybe asking you about your friends. But now, I hope you'll wait patiently in whatever hell you burn in, because you'll see them soon enough." And as the fear reached a new peak, as Ganzack started trying to regain enough air to maybe speak through a terribly damaged throat, Jack shoved him back under the boiling water.
Soon, the Pirate Shogun was no more. And Jack began to drag some freshly boiled crab from the broth, hoping the corpse might provide answers the man never would.
Dragging a few hundred pounds of steel and person was surprisingly easy, the benefit of superior hardware he supposed. Of course, with both hands busy he couldn't defend from the spear that finally completed the ruin of his shirt as he climbed up the steps back to the deck.
"Jack! You're alive!" The voice of Medaka was a shock, as was the sudden hug after she threw her spear down. It was closely followed by Ganzack's body, as Jack hesitantly hugged her back.
"Medaka? You're ok. Oh praise god you're ok," he pulled her close, barely even there for a moment, before time caught up with him. "Wait, how did you survive decapitation?"
"Decapi what? Oh, you mean when he knocked my helmet off. Yeah I wasn't big enough for the armour, so I just would peer out the mouth bit of the helmet. So when he knocked it off, I tucked my head down and waited until I could get him with a sneak attack!" Jack chuckled and ruffled her hair.
"You'll make a fine Marine one day, Medaka. Now, let's get you home. Your father must be very worried, and I have business to attend to." And so the two walked to a row boat, Jack making sure to keep Medaka looking away from the boiled crab.
XxX
People could celebrate for days when their hardships were over. After burying their dead, locking up the surviving pirates, and bandaging their wounds, the people of this little island finally cheered as their nightmare was over. Jack may have been the guest of honour, but he was content to avoid the limelight. Sure he danced and feasted with the people, but he left them to their own, in grief and in joy.
Besides, he'd been more focused on the dissection or Ganzack, and examining everything he could of the advanced armour he was using.
As such, when he was leaving, he had made sure it would be a quiet affair. Only Medaka and her father, who he learned was named Tanaka, attended as he loaded his briefcase, which had been safely recovered with only a little bit of blood from whichever pirate tried to open it, onto the rowboat and prepared to set off to whatever adventure retirement would bring.
"You'll be fine, Medaka. Just keep up the training I told you, and call that number I left, and I guarantee you'll have a very great career with u… with the Marines." He smiled as he watched her practically bouncing in place with her adorable salute.
"Why don't you go home, I left a little present for you. I just need to speak with your father briefly," Medaka's eyes widened, and she zoomed off, all but flying to get home, "I hope you don't mind, but I won't apologise for making a spear for her."
"It's fine, I couldn't stop her if I tried. What did you learn from him?" Tanaka had a fair claim to ask about Ganzack, given it was his garage that was used for the autopsy.
"Nothing good, sadly. Zan Gya mentioned a smuggling ring Ganzack had ties to, who helped him get resources for the Devil's Tower and his armour. And any documents he may have kept had long since been destroyed, save the blueprints I found. Whatever else can be said, they're dangerous, with access to very advanced technology." Fuck, why did all the good booze have to be in Paradise, and the real good stuff in the New World? This shit isn't for someone to handle sober!
"Do you have any idea where they are?"
"Sadly no, Ganzack took everything to the grave, and likely wouldn't have shared anything useful. But I know I must search, and that is a start." Tanaka looked at the large sack which contained the disassembled parts that were salvageable.
"What about his strange armour?"
"Ah, now that I can answer. Although I admit it makes me more concerned. The bolts were secured by fusing them to his bones, with more bolts to better distribute the weight. Although there was severe bruising and micro tears, so it wasn't without flaws."
"That science was capable of such things, who could have thought up such things." Tanaka rubbed his temples, still trying to comprehend all that he had seen.
"A very intelligent mind. The kind that I must hunt." The two shared a knowing look. This would not be over for some time, but a beginning was still a beginning.
And so we close out our opening foray into the world of One Piece and take down our first bad guy. Let's hope our protagonist can navigate to the next island sooner (I can write the next chapter faster).
