Disclaimer- I do not own One Piece
The Man From South Blue
The sun lingered high above the sea, gentle waves crashing against the cliffside as seagulls squawked in the distance. Nearby, somewhere between the Island of Syrup and Gosa Village was the island town, Druble. It was a quiet place where one would normally just see as a stop for supplies to get to an island with more to offer. Nothing more.
The island itself wasn't very large and all but one side was accessible by ship as the remainder of it was nothing but high cliffs and large rocks that would certainly crush anything that came too close.
A ship slowly approached the island from across the horizon. Really it was more of a boat than a ship. Even still, it wasn't much being only 20 feet long with a single small mast which billowed lightly from the breeze.
Within it, a lone man looking in his early twenties lay with his eyes closed in sleep, letting the wind do all of the work as he drifted as fast as the wind allowed. He chewed lazily on a piece of straw as he rested his hands behind his head, seemingly not having a care in the world.
After a short while, the boat finally landed at a small beachside near the town.
The man slowly woke up, his bright blue eyes glimmered like the ocean itself from the sunlight.
"So I finally made it. It took long enough." He sat up, stretching his limbs as he stood. His thick, long red hair swaying all the way down passed his back.
He stepped off and cracked his neck.
"So this is Druble…" Then he realized that he wasn't staring at a town.
"What the…Where the… Aww dammit! My aim was off! I was supposed to hit the town and make a cool entrance!"
Seeing that he couldn't do anything about it, just shrugged his shoulders a little as he ran his fingers through his wild, long, deep red hair, (like Raditz).
Aside from his unusual hair, his clothes themselves spoke of strangeness as well considering that they aren't common in that area. Basically, his clothes were a derivative of a karate gi, except that he wore a simple black T-shirt with the word "Sun" in Japanese characters on the back. The gi top he had around his waist with the sleeves wrapped like a belt. His gi pants swayed from a gust of wind, which uncovered his simple tan sandals.
"Well there's no use crying over it now." He grabbed his boat with one hand and dragged it inland like nothing despite his lean yet muscular build.
"There, the tide shouldn't get it from here."
He reached inside his pants pocket, pulling out a folded piece of paper. He unfolded it to reveal that it was a wanted poster of a scarred bald man with a thick black beard.
"Lester the Terror, 18,000,000 berries. Not a bad bounty for East Blue. There was talk that he was trying to make his way to the Grand Line to make a name for himself. Guess I can't let prey like this one get by. "
He returned the paper to his pocket as he took in his environment. Guessing from the smoke that lingered high over the rocks, the town wasn't far away.
"Well I'll have to walk the rest of the way. Maybe the locals can give me some information on Lester's whereabouts. Besides.."
He grinned as his clenched his fist.
"I've been looking for a good fight."
XXXXX
Druble may have been a simple town, but it was a busy one none the less. People working in their stores and others shopping and going about their business. Being sort of a stopping point, many ships come through and offer a stable economy for the town.
The man made it to the town and surveyed the area as he walked down a street which led to the town square. The people seemed relatively unaware that he was there, but he could sense a little uneasiness about them. About what, he wasn't sure.
"Maybe I'm in the wrong place. Usually when pirates attack, there's nothing but death and destruction."
He saw a street vendor selling jewelry. Nothing fancy, mostly stones crafted into bracelets and necklaces. He decided that's where he'd start and walked up to him.
The man smiled as he made a successful sale and noticed the stranger approaching him.
"Welcome to my store. How may I be of service? A beautiful lady such as yourself would look fabulous in any of these lovely gems. So, is there anything here to your liking?"
The stranger's eye twitched a little in irritation.
"I'm a guy." He grumbled. Even though his build is undoubtedly masculine, his facial features were very androgynous, and his long red hair didn't help.
The man's face almost paled as he stammered.
"Oh, oh I'm so very sorry. My mistake. Damn, now I really won't make a sale, and if I don't come up with enough money today…"
"It's alright. My mother's traits are quite strong in me. But maybe you can answer my question."
"Sure, how can I be of assistance?"
The stranger showed him the wanted poster.
"Have you ever seen this man before?"
The salesman really went pale as his entire body shook and backed away as if it were the pirate himself.
"Judging by your response, I would say that you have."
"Who are you? Are you with him?" He said, his voice full of fright.
"Relax, I'm a Bounty Hunter. Now can you tell me where I can find him? Is he still on the island?
The man managed to regain his composure upon hearing that the stranger wasn't a pirate.
"Yes he's still here. Taking everything that he pleases, but he's not someone that you can handle on your own. Other bounty hunters and even Marines have tried and all were killed like flies. To go against him is suicide."
The stranger just grinned.
"Sounds like he's a strong guy. Definitely worth the 18 mil. From the looks of it, he's intelligent, using the town as bait, which is why he made sure not to damage it."
"Intelligent? Ruthless is more like it! We have to pay him a thousand berries a day or he'll have us executed as an example for not paying. Most of us don't make that much in a week and soon we won't have enough to meet his demands. Please, those who have fought back have been killed. Don't go and throw your life away." The man begged.
The stranger's grin only grew bigger.
"But my blood is telling me to fight him. Who knows, I just might win."
A gunshot caught everyone's attention as they all looked towards the noise.
"Hello citizens of Druble! It's that time of the day again and I hope that all of you made as much of a profit as we did!" Shouted a man as he holstered a pistol. An explosion in the distance filled the sky with fire and smoke. Another ship that had fallen for the bait.
The man who had fired the gun was Lester's 1st mate, Hildon. His look was as sinister as a snake and twice as ugly. Everything about him seemed serpent like with his tall thin body and his movements almost as if he were slithering as he walked into the square.
Flanking him were two others, both wielding rifles as guards for him.
He walked up to the center of town and sat down in a chair and desk that his men presented for him. There he propped up his feet and crossed his arms as he looked around.
"Hurry it up! You know the drill! He commanded.
The people slowly complied, making their way into a line in front of the desk. Each pulling out money and placing it before him, in which he counted.
"Good, next!" He said, in which the same pattern continued.
The jewelry salesman was now before them, placing money before the man, but shaking the whole time.
Hildon was counting the money, then became displeased when he finished.
"You're about a few hundred short. Where is the rest of it?" He demanded.
"I'm sorry, Hildon-sama, but business has been running slow lately and I have already used up all of my savings for these last few weeks. I barely have enough to buy food for myself and my family."
"Then your family should have enough food if there is one less mouth to feed. Wouldn't you agree?"
The pirate on the right side of the man raised a gun his head, who could only stare in fear.
"Now, don't be so hasty to pass judgment. "
A hand grabbed the barrel of the rifle gingerly. It was the bounty hunter who was standing behind the man in the line as if he were part of the town.
"Just who the hell do you think you are? I don't recognize you from the rest of the towns people."
"I'm just a regular guy who just happens to be a bounty hunter. Hildon the Forked-Tongue, reward of 5 million berries."
"Damn, another bounty hunter. Go ahead and shoot him! Huh?"
The man who had his rifle held was struggling to pull it away from the man's grip, but it was like it was fused in his hand for it wouldn't budge.
"You bastard!" The pirate pulled the trigger, but the bounty hunter squeezed the barrel like it was clay, causing the gun to backfire, blasting its wielder with shrapnel.
"Ouch, that's why I don't use guns."
"Why you!" The other guard raised his gun, but was quickly pacified by a blow to the stomach, vomiting blood from his mouth. The bounty hunter had crossed the gap between them in the blink of an eye.
"Careful where you point your toys. Someone could get hurt."
He pulled out his fist, which must have gone all the way in from the indention, allowing the man to crumble in a heap.
Hildon was so frightened, that he fell over in his chair in his attempt to escape.
"Just who are you! What are you!" He asked, too scared to even go for his gun, not that it would have done any good.
The bounty hunter stood over him, cracking his knuckles.
"The one who's gonna take your boss's head."
He grabbed Hildon by his collar with one hand and lifted him to his feet.
"Now run along and tell the Captain that I'm coming for him." And with that, he flicked him in the forehead, knocking the man to the ground, leaving a large red mark.
Hildon wasted no time and ran out of town.
"Thank you, so very much." The salesman said, taking his hand and bowing in gratitude.
He received similar thanks as well from others as he smiled.
"It's my pleasure, just be sure to contact the Marines so that they can be here when I get back. And be sure to tie those two up." He ordered.
"Don't worry. We'll take care of them."
The pirates began to cower as the people surrounded them, clutching various instruments of pain.
"Ok then, I'll be back in a little while." The stranger waved as he headed after Hildon.
XXXXX
Inland, where the mayor's mansion was now stands as a fortress when Lester's pirates had taken it. Over 50 men strong, each armed with swords and guns.
In the main room, like a throne, sat Lester the Terror. Along with his menacing looks, he was a rather large man with a pear frame that a normal man would be like a child in comparison. Not to mention that his right arm was replaced with a very large cannon that swiveled at the shoulder.
Hildon charged through the door, panting as he stumbled from exhaustion.
"So men, how much did we get from the last haul? He asked, taking a bite out of a large rack of meat.
"Captain Lester, sir. We obtained over 10 million berries from the last ship. Adding that to the 500,000 that Hildon will be getting from today's pay. We'll have over 100 million berries." One of his soldiers calculated.
"Good, that should be enough for us to start our path to the Grand Line. Then we can burn this place to the ground along with everyone in it." He laughed as he took another bite.
Just then, Hildon burst through the doorway, breathing heavily as he collapsed before the Captain.
"Hildon, what the hell happened to you?" Lester's words more of irritation than concern.
"Captain! A bounty hunter is on his way here! He took out my men in the blink of an eye!"
"So what? We've taken out plenty of bounty hunters and Marines alike. This one will be no different."
"I'm not so sure, sir. He's incredibly strong. He bent a gun like it was a blade of grass. I tell you, he's not like the rest."
"So he's strong, big deal. But I doubt he's bulletproof."
His men all began to mobilize at the front lawn and various windows, weapons ready at the only street that led to the mansion. As the house was blocked between the cliff behind and on the right side of the street and a high wall of rock on the other, they had a great chokepoint for any possible attacks.
The tension was great among the men, but they were composed as they have had similar trouble before and were ready for the same outcome.
For a moment, everything seemed quiet… too quiet.
In the distance, they could hear footsteps and then the shadow of a man coming towards them. But he just seemed to be walking as if it were just an ordinary stroll. Not like he was storming a heavily defended building.
"Does this guy got a deathwish or is he just stupid?" One of the men asked before something struck him in the face, knocking him unconscious as he tumbled backwards.
The guy next to him looked down and saw a large red bump on his forehead, so it wasn't a bullet that struck him.
Several more were taken out with more silent attacks, and yet the man was barely visible.
Up close, Victor was carrying a handful of pebbles that he had been picking up along the street, flicking them with incredible accuracy, but with just enough force to not be lethal.
"Dammit, don't just stand there. Shoot the son of a bitch!"
Smoke and fire exploded from the guns as they returned with their own barrage.
Victor dropped the rocks as bullets whizzed by his body as he calmly walked over to the wall.
With an amazing display of power, he drove his fingers into the rockface.
"What is he doing?" Someone asked as they began to reload.
Victor grit his teeth as the veins in his arms began to bulge.
With a great roar, he jerked on the wall, which cracked all the way up the rockface before a massive chunk was ripped from its side.
The men who witnessed the display of strength began to lose the will to fight as they saw this lone man carrying a boulder easily exceeding 10 tons in only one hand.
"That's not humanly possible! He's a monster!" The men shouted as some even dropped their guns.
"I would run if I were you!" Victor shouted as he heaved the great boulder into the air, causing it to sail through the air and land right in the mansion's front lawn.
More men were frightened at the possibility of dying and also ran while only a few remained.
"Damn, it looks like guns won't work. Come on!" One shouted as they unsheathed their swords and charged, raising them to strike.
Their blades were all stopped by the man's forearms, which weren't even cut by them.
"I'll admit your courage for attacking me, but that's all you get!" He brushed off their weapons and swung his leg in a wide roundhouse, sending them all off the edge into the water down below.
"Now for the main course."
XXXXX
The doors were kicked open, turning into splinters as Victor walked in.
Before him was a hideous sight.
All of the men who had retreated from the front lines, dead on the floor from gun shots as blood pooled from their corpses.
"Well well well, so you're the bounty hunter that's after my head. Looks to me that all the fuss was for nothing." Said the large bald man sitting across the room.
Victor's expression darkened as his hands slowly clenched into fists.
"What the hell is this? They were your own men and yet you killed them like they were nothing." His voice shaking in a quiet rage.
"They died because they were weak. What good is a pirate if he is scared of a single man? They're lucky that I gave them a quick death as I am after all… a merciful captain."
He took a bite of his dinner as his remaining men aimed their guns at Victor.
"Don't bother, men. It looks like it's up to me to take care of this little pest." Lester stood up, his great weight causing the floor to creak.
"Get out of here. You're in the way." He commanded, to which they complied.
All that remained was him and Victor.
The man seemed very arrogant as he continued to eat his food in a casual manner.
"Before we start this little rumble, I will allow you this chance to kneel and beg for your life. Seeing how strong you are, you can become a part of my crew. What do you say?"
"The one who is going to be begging is you. You maggot infested carcass." Victor spat.
Lester was surprisingly calm despite the brutal retort, tossing the meat aside and wiping his chin with his hairy arm.
"So that's your answer, eh. That's too bad as I already know your weakness before you even walked through the door."
Victor heard a sharp snap as he felt something on his wrist, his emotions narrowing his field of awareness to only the man in front of him.
He looked down to see Hildon scampering away, having placed a large green shackle on his arm, the other shackle hanging uselessly below.
"I didn't acquire my bounty by being stupid you know. After hearing my frightened men tell me what they saw before I killed them, I deduced that you are a Devil Fruit user. Who else but someone with Devil Fruit powers can rip apart an entire cliffside with their bare hands? I wasn't about to see what you were capable of and so I set up this little surprise that a Marine left behind after I killed him. They're made of seastone so even if you aren't by sea water, they can still negate any powers that you may have had. Now die!"
He raised his cannon arm and fired a massive cannonball right at his target, the explosion destroying the entire front of the building in a ball of fire.
Lester seemed pleased as his grin got even bigger. His plan was flawless at taking out this bounty hunter.
"Is that all?"
The massive man almost had a heart attack as he stared at the boy who had his hand raised, diverting the blast of the shell with that single limb and leaving the floor behind him unscathed.
"How can he have survived that without his powers?"
Quickly, Lester dropped his cannon and replaced it with a giant spiked mace.
"I don't know how you did that, but lets see you survive this!"
He charged like a rhinoceros, barreling down on Victor as he slammed the mace with all of his might on top of Victor's head.
The floor under Victor's feet caved from the impact.
"Got ya… huh?" He blinked in further surprise as Victor just looked at him with his stone cold glare from underneath the weapon.
"Why won't you die!" He shouted as he continued to pound repeatedly on his foe, knocking Victor's head from side to side with every strike, but the man seemed unfazed by the attacks.
Finally, Lester stopped, too exhausted to swing anymore. For all his effort, he might as well have been hitting a mountain.
"Indeed you are fairly intelligent for a pirate. But unfortunately you made one fatal mistake."
He grabbed the shackle and gripped it tightly, shattering a stone that could rival diamond as if it were glass.
"I don't have Devil Fruit powers, but my power comes from an equally powerful force!"
His eyes instantly shrunk to feral slits as his hair seemed to levitate, making him appear larger than he really was.
From underneath it, spikes began to show that are normally hidden by his thick locks of hair, fanning out into a wide dorsal fin that started from the top of his head, all the way down his back.
"I am Victor Betta! Bounty Hunter of the South Blue!"
Fishman type- Crimson Crowntail Siamese Fighting Fish
"A fishman? So that's why you're so strong. But you don't even look like one except for that fin." Lester stated.
"True, I am only half-fishman. My human blood dominates most of my features so normally I look just like everyone else." Victor explained.
"So you're a freak among freaks. So you think that by capturing me, that you might be accepted by everyone is that it? We'll you really are a naïve little man. So you might as well just give up on that fantasy and die where you stand!"
Lester once again swung his mace, but it was shattered into tiny pieces by a backhand.
The captain looked at his broken weapon before Victor planted a side kick into his gut.
The man's eyes bulged as he doubled over, now looking Victor eye-to-eye.
Victor then grabbed Lester's face in his hand, keeping his voice muffled.
"You talk too much and I hate people who look down on others. Like you did those people down there in that town."
He threw the large man like a toy, sending him crashing into the wall.
"You might be the big fish here, but I've beaten tougher opponents than you. By my estimate from my previous prey, my bounty equivalent should be over 50 million. You are nothing but trash compared to me."
Victor walked up to the man, who now began to cower before his presence.
"Please forgive me. Spare me. I have over 100 million berries. It's yours if you would please let me go. So how about it? What do you say?" He begged, hoping for leniency, but Victor didn't even seem to listen to what he said as he took an orthodox martial arts stance.
"Now you shall face judgment for your crimes! Fishman Karate, Hundred Brick Seiken!"
The house erupted before collapsing in on itself.
XXXXX
The sun had nearly set as Marines filled the city, setting up a perimeter as the two pirates in the city, both beaten to bloody pulps, were carried off in chains.
Standing at the town exit, the man in charge. Commodore Ginsley, waited with several armed men.
"Sir, what if this bounty hunter was already killed by Lester. We aren't fully prepared for an assault with only 20 men." Stated his Lieutenant.
"Well we'll just have to wait and see. That explosion earlier could have been from a hard battle. Even if the bounty hunter failed, Lester and his men might be weakened enough for us to take the glory." Ginsley said.
Not long after that, a great silhouette appeared, making the Marines raise their weapons.
The silhouette seemed strange until they realized that it was Lester's great frame, being carried by a much smaller man, with Hildon on top screaming as he tried to break free of his binds.
Victor set them down before the Commodore.
"Okay, here is Lester the Terror and Hildon the Forked Tongue. Combined bounty of 23,000,000 berries."
The commodore was a little irritated that he had lost the opportunity to take Lester in himself and gain a possible promotion opportunity. But he regained his composure and snapped his fingers. A Marine came forth and brought a small case before the man.
"Looks like you had a little trouble with this Pirate, Bounty Hunter." The man said with a little distaste when he said this.
Even though Bounty Hunters bring in criminals that the Marines are after. Ultimately it's for the money and many Marines just see them as barely better than pirates.
Victor knew this, but didn't mind as long as he was paid.
"Thank you very much. They're all yours." He took the case and began to walk away.
The Commadore sighed a little as he looked at the two.
"Alright, lets take these two in. The rest of you arrest his men up at the house. Without their captain, they shouldn't resist too much."
"Sir!" The men saluted and headed up the path.
XXXXX
The people rejoiced that their town was saved and heartily shook his hand as he walked by, even receiving a few kisses on the cheek from several young girls.
"How can we ever thank you, sir? You liberated our town from such a tyrant. Please, would you at least stay the night? We'll have a feast in your honor." One of the townspeople invited.
Victor hasn't had such a reception before and smiled.
"Sure, I would be happy to."
XXXXX
Night had fallen and the town was lit up like a giant city as people cheered and danced to their freedom in the town square.
Victor hadn't felt so good in such a long time. Food and drink were plentiful as he enjoyed the festivities. Dancing, singing, even fireworks filled the sky as he chewed on his length of straw.
"So, how do you like it? Mr. Bounty Hunter." The salesman said.
Victor looked to see him with a woman and a small girl.
"I am having a great time, thank you. And this is your family?"
"Yes, my wife and daughter. They have wanted to meet you ever since they found out that you saved my life." The salesman explained.
The girl ran up to him and handed him a small wreath of flowers.
"Thank you very much. I made this bracelet for you." She said.
Victor smiled as he took it and placed it over his hand.
"It's beautiful, thank you." He said as he patted her head, causing her to smile wide.
"So where will you go from here?" The man asked.
"Well, I was thinking of moving my trade into the Grand Line. Criminals out there will bring in a greater profit. Seems like the most logical choice."
"Well we all wish you the best of luck on your journey. I know for sure that you will be remembered for what you did for us today."
"Glad that I could help out." He stood up and stretched.
"Well, I guess I'll be heading out then. It's been fun."
"What? You can't mean to set out now. It's already night and we have comfortable beds at the inn should you decide to rest."
"It's alright. I intended to leave after the job was done anyways." He walked up to the man and held out his hand, to which it was received.
"I am glad to meet nice people such as you on my travels. Take care now."
He turned and walked away, giving a small wave.
"Hey! We never got you name!" He called.
"It's Victor Betta! If things go well, maybe you'll hear about me on the other side!"
"Maybe we will." The salesman said as they waved back.
Suddenly he realized something was in his hand, a note. He opened it and read its contents.
"There is 100 million berries at the mansion. That should be enough for your town to return to the way it was."
X
A/N
Victor's last name, Betta, is the true name of a Siamese Fighting Fish.