Chapter 5: Strike! The Deceitful Pragmatist!
To enjoy a good meal. A freaking amazing meal that actually made me taste again after years of chronic staleness. To be allowed to eat in peace so I can relax and momentarily forget the insanity I am drenched in. Peace and quiet. That is literally all I wanted.
Why is that too much to ask? Is all that bad karma finally getting into effect? Fuck that, I don't believe in karma! But that just makes me ask the obvious.
"Why the fuck is this happening?" I mumble into the table, my face getting intimately familiar with the grooves on the wood. They didn't have much to tell and I'm pretty sure they were suing for sexual harassment.
To recap why I am so miserable, a man had just barged into the Baratie, shot a marine and demanded food. My food lies next to me, unfinished, surely calling me a massive bitch for not letting it inside me. I can't help it. My unhealthy obsession with sticking my nose into things it doesn't belong is just too strong.
Which was why I was begrudgingly paying attention to the man and what was about to happen. I had a few paths which this could go. The betting pool was on and it was getting crazy!
...
Oh god, what is happening to me?
Anyway, one of the staff of the Baratie, a big, surly man whose forearms put Popeye to shame, approached the man. By the amazingly fake smile on his face, I could tell that he was not having any of this guy's bullshit. That was an aura of a hardened man I got from him.
That sickly man was in for a ride, I predict it.
Luckily, they were well within hearing distance. Let the eavesdropping commence!
"Hello, good customer! How may we serve you, bastard?" the big cook guy asked, tone laced with joy so fake it might as well be counterfeit play money. That is to say, less than fakeness allows.
Literally, no one is buying that. I think Even Luffy can see through acting that lousy.
"This is a restaurant, right?" said the sickly man asked in return, looking less than friendly. Or maybe that's his neutral face? "I'm starving and I'd like some food." The groaning his stomach let out proved that he wasn't lying about that.
"I see, I see," The big guy said, rubbing his hands together, fakeness oozing out of his ears. "And how would you intend to pay for your meal, bastard?"
A swift movement later the shooty end of a pistol was pointing at the man's face. "If it comes down to that, I think lead will suffice," The sickly man said. The line was kind of badass, I will give him that.
But man, you just fucked up something royal. I give the man my brief and unsubstantial pity, as I foresee the coming events.
"I see, I see," the big guy says, nodding his head, all the while wearing that fake ass smile. Then it just vanishes as he slams the guys head with both hands, slamming his head into the table he was sitting by and breaking it in half. "No pay, no service, you filthy bastard!"
Alas, poor Yorick, I knew thee not. But thine mistakes be the damnation of thine own make.
The man's limp, but conscious form was unceremoniously thrown out the door. It was as I predicted. You don't fuck with chefs who are prepared to fend off pirates if the need arrives. I know basically nothing, but at least I can pick things up pretty quickly. Our sickly friend obviously was less observant, or maybe desperate enough to not care.
...
"Well, that happened," I state nonchalantly, turning back to my food. Better eat it before it gets cold and less appetizing.
...
...
NO! You are not involved in this! The guy made his poor choices, let him suffer the consequences! This is not my problem!
...
...
"Fucking hell," I growl and get to stand up. I just can't catch a break today, what the fuck! I then see that Sanji is heading outside with a place of rice. I shoot a glance at my leftovers, some juicy pieces of mutton and assorted salads.
...
-o~O-O~o-
Monkey D. Luffy was a very peculiar person. Perhaps not the brightest or the most crafty, but he knew that. He was very well aware that he wasn't perfect. But he was curious, and when something got his interest it was impossible to dissuade him from looking into it. He could also be very sneaky when he wanted to be.
Hence why he was observing Sanji surprisingly covertly from the upper balcony of the Baratie as he approached the man who had been thrown out. The man didn't look so good, in Luffy's opinion. Too ashen and those bags under his eyes couldn't be anything good.
Something about Sanji had struck a chord with the Rubber Man. Something that just drew his attention to the blonde cook. And it wasn't long before that intrigue was rewarded.
"You said you were starving, right?" Sanji asked the man leaning on the railing on the lower level. He placed a plate of rice on the ground in front of the man. "Here."
The man glared at the plate as if it had done something unforgivable to him.
"I don't need your pity," The man growled. Luffy frowned. What kind of an idiot doesn't want food? "Stop looking down on me."
Sanji stared neutrally at the man before taking out a cigarette and lighting it. "Do you know what a cook's duty is?" When he got no response, he continued. "A cook's duty is to make food and feed the hungry. To leave not a single soul starving."
Luffy smiled widely. Sanji was a good guy, helping someone in need like that.
The man still eyed the plate of rice before him like it might explode any second, but even to Luffy, it was obvious that he was really hungry.
"Oh, just stop pussyfooting around!" Luffy blinked as someone else stepped out of the restaurant. He knew who it was just from the voice. It was Abel doing that cool thing with his voice! Luffy was really paying attention now.
Abel was also carrying a plate in his hands and placed it next to the one Sanji had brought.
"Abel-chan?" Sanji said quietly, a bit shocked.
"Rice is a bit bland on its own. Some complements should make it better," Abel said, looking at the starving man, hands on his hips. "Now suck up that stupid pride and eat! Starving yourself isn't a pride thing, it's compounded idiocy."
"..." The man stared at the two in shock. "... Why? Why are you helping me?"
"I'm a cook. It's my duty to feed the hungry," Sanji stated simply.
Abel crossed his arms and huffed, raising her nose to point up. "I needn't share my reasonings. Now shut up and eat before I'm forced to take excessive action!"
Despite the bark in the threat, Luffy could sense that Abel didn't actually mean it. The weird dress-guy acted really scary at times, and his punch reminded Luffy a bit too much of Gramps for his liking, but Luffy was sure of one thing.
Abel was a really great guy. He'd absolutely make him a part of his crew! And Sanji too! He'd make an awesome member, and he was a cook too. It was perfect!
As the sickly man finally began eating and broke down in tears before his two saviors, Luffy saw that they both smiled. Sanji's smile was glad and content, while Abel's was similar, but felt... different. Luffy frowned.
Something about Abel's smile felt... off.
-o~O-O~o-
The man introduced himself to Sanji and me as Gin and vowed to repay us for saving his life. A bit dramatic of him, but I allowed it to slide. He left on a small boat Sanji "accidentally" let him steal. Stupid chivalrous fool. Good for him.
It was almost immediately after that Luffy appeared, almost out of thin air, and stated that he wanted Sanji to join his crew. Understandably the cook refused, only for Luffy to refuse his refusal. I quickly vacated the area and headed back inside once he was distracted enough with his new mark.
As Luffy needed to pay off his debt to the head chef for fucking up the Baratie a bit, what followed was a lot of waiting. As Luffy worked(and kept failing) the rest of the crew, plus me, debated on what to do about this. Obviously, staying here for three full years was out of the question. Everyone had better things to do.
Long-nose tried to almost mutiny and take the captain's spot, only to be dissuaded with a good lecture on responsibilities of a captain by yours truly. Dropped some hard knocks on his noggin, and dissuaded him of the notion, at least for now.
Zoro motioned that we just pay off the debt, which was shot down by Nami, for obvious albeit greedy reasons. Not that we had enough at hand anyway.
On our third day waiting, Nami wrangled me into trying to negotiate a deal with the owner, Zeff. I just want to say, that man scares me, and I don't even know why. He just has a really dangerous aura that seems to have faded a bit with age but is no less apparent to my sixth sense. For an old geezer with a peg-leg, this man smells of danger. Definitely get that he was a pirate before this.
Also, his mustache is ridiculous in how much it makes me impressed that he can maintain it so well. Kudos for dedication to a look.
So yeah. The negotiations went nowhere, as you'd probably guess. The guy was an immovable object and I was pushing in vain. At first, anyway. After a considerable time debating and making my case, I did manage to strike a deal.
Although...
"Only one year?!" Nami shrieked incredulously.
"Hey, lay off me! I did the best I could," I defend myself. "You're lucky I managed to shorten it to only two years instead of three. The guy is old and experienced in bargaining, and it shows."
Long-nose sighed and rested his head on the railing of Going Merry, our meeting place. "This is going to be our lives for a while, huh?"
"Damn it, Luffy," Zoro mumbled, clearly as annoyed at this situation as the rest of us.
"But it's not my fault," Luffy whined, skipping his job again. I swear Luffy has to be the worst kind of ADHD kid.
Nami let out a sigh. "Can't be helped. At least you managed some results. Thanks."
"I won't accept those thanks on the account that I don't want to," I mutter. I didn't feel satisfied with my negotiating, and that annoyed me immensely. "At least the food is pretty good."
"Speak for yourself," Zoro snapped at me, annoyed. I cackle under my breath while shooting him a jeering grin.
Oh yes, Sanji had been most welcoming and understanding to out circumstance and had served us delicious food on a massive discount. And by that, I mean free. Me and Nami, that is. The guys only got the same bland soup every time and had to pay out of pocket. Didn't help that Sanji and Zoro just couldn't help but snap at each other.
I can almost feel the shadow of death I'm hanging on my shoulders by continuing to flirt with him as my female persona. I'm in no hurry to stop though. Anyone who says no to free food is a moralizing idiot.
Speaking of the gentleman cook, he was being pestered by Luffy constantly about joining his crew, much to the blonde's annoyance. Watching it had made me reconsider just how seriously I should take Zoro's claims of the kid's stubbornness. I needed to leave this crew behind me before his influence claws it's way into my soul.
It was so weird, yet so informative watching this as an outsider. I fear for my sanity if I ever cave into the pressure and go mad enough to even consider joining that idiot. That is a commitment I was not sure I was willing to make.
Speaking off, I spotted Luffy staring off into the mist covered distance, hanging from the Merry's figurehead. Odd. When it came to this situation of ours, he usually paid at least some attention.
So I too, out of a whim, gazed into the mist that was almost as thick as smoke. And suddenly I didn't feel so whimsical. Something was off... something foreboding. I'd always been proud of my ability to sense the atmosphere and read people. It had come handy numerous times. It was my own personal sixth sense. And now it was going crazy about something. A really discomforting gut feeling.
"... Oh shit," I mumble to myself as I begin to see a faint shape in the mist. A really big shape.
"Hm? What is it, Abel?" Nami asks me, having apparently noticed my noticeable discomfort. Damnit, I lost my cool and let it show! My inner actor is infuriated at this failure.
"..." I keep staring at the shape as it becomes more distinct. A bad feeling crawls through my spine like a centipede. "... Everyone." I point into the mist. Regaining my calm. "I think that might be trouble."
Everyone turned to look, and Nami and Long-noses faces grew ashen. Likely the result of the massive ship now only a few meters away from the Baratie, shadowed by the mist in a shroud of ominousness.
"Pirates?" Zoro spoke, the only one besides Luffy and I not freaking out.
"I'd say that's a safe assumption," I respond, not letting the ship out of my sights as the fog begins to lift slowly.
The sight sure is something, and not in the way I'd thought. The ship was, in fact, a massive pirate ship, based on the black flag, but that was the last thing on my mind. The ship was an absolute wreck. The sails were torn to the point of near uselessness, the bowhead was missing a large piece of it and the hull looked like someone had hacked at it with a massive knife.
That, I concluded, was one beat up ship. And I faintly recognized that flag.
"... Fuck me," I growl and pick up my stupid white paperweight and start skimming it. Very quickly, and people notice.
"W-wait, you know whose ship that is?" Long-nose asks. I can basically hear his knees rattle.
"Maybe," I say calmly. "I think I saw that flag somewhere... here!" I stop and read. "... Shit."
"What? What?! Is that really dangerous? Are we going to di-"
"Cram it," I order Long-nose to calm his shit He does. Good! I turn back to the ship. "That there is the ship of the Krieg Pirates, led by "Foul-Play" Krieg, the owner of most try-hard name ever. He is wanted for being a pirate and a massive dick, the book's words, not mine. Lists some of the tricks he's pulled, like masquerading as a marine ship to raid towns." I read out loud, omitting information I don't find relevant enough. "He has a bounty of-" I stop.
My eyes widen as I scan my eyes through every. Single. Number.
"... Seventeen Million!? I¨ve never even seen a number that high! Is that standard around here?"
"By East Blue standards it's pretty high," Zoro commented like it wasn't a big deal. "Bounties that mean anything generally come in at least two million."
".. How fucking weak is your currency?" I ask rhetorically, not giving anyone a chance to answer. "Shit, this is like that situation with Yen all over again! Only somehow worse. Why the hell does- where's Luffy?"
That got their attention, as well as mine. The straw hat-wearing monkey in a boy's body was gone. And that was very unsettling to some of us.
"Should've figured," Zoro mumbles. "Usopp and I'll go look. You two can guard the ship with Johny and Yosaku."
"Oh yeah, those two are still here," I remark to no one. "I'd almost forgotten."
"Come on, Abel-Banchou! We'te not that forgettable," Johny- yes I finally got tired of calling those two by their hideous apparel -says.
"With those clothes, you should be," I say, glaring at their annoying ensemble coldly. The bounty hunter and his partner sulk.
Those two had been placed as glorified boat guards and quite frankly I hadn't paid much attention to them. Just enough to appreciate how they now glorified the ground I walked on. As they should.
I am an amazing role model!
"But yeah, you should go find Luffy," I agree with Zoro's plan. "Like, right now, before we end up in a situation no one wants. Or he makes my negotiation a waste of my time."
Zoro nodded and the two left. Well, more specifically Zoro left and dragged Long-nose with him, who'd tried to sneak off into the bowels of the ship to hide. Seriously, man, I don't want to hate you or anything, but you are not endearing yourself to me, at all!
Staring at the ship that dwarfed the Going Merry, I prepared myself to take my rifle out at any moment. I might be outweighed when it came to strength in this world, but I knew that anyone with a gun is a danger to be taken seriously. I'd just hope that was true enough in this world, though Luffy's- as I was informed -immunity to bullets didn't make me very hopeful that that was exactly the case.
And then there was this Krieg prick. Chances are he could become a massive problem, and if I am to be perfectly honest, I've never outright hated a man just from reading about him. I was the type to let actions speak for the character of an individual. But this man was an exception. Certain things I'd read, that I knew with ninety-five percent certainty to be accurate and true, caused my blood to boil.
"Hey, calm down," Nami spoke. "It's not like Luffy can make this any worse than it already is."
I stare at her words of comfort blankly, annoyed at her phrasing. She had no idea, did she?
"... Wanna bet?"
-o~O-O~o-
"Kehehehe! Kehehehe!" I cackle, staring at the blue sky, my first local currency in my possession. A fair stack of paper notes held prominently in my hands as if showing off a prize at a fair where all the games are rigged. I held that stack up like I was that baboon holding the Lion King!
Easiest 15.000 I've ever made.
"I can't believe I took that bet," Nami grumbles, having forced herself to part with her money. The exchange seemed to physically cause her pain. She was mad, but I didn't care.
"Your fault for jinxing yourself!" I say and keep laughing shamelessly.
You see, just the opposite of what Nami predicted, Luffy had made things worse. A lot worse, because within an hour he'd be picking a fight with Don Krieg and his crony crew after they tried to take over the Baratie and offended his dream or whatever. And that meant we were dead in the middle of that conflict and might actually die.
But fuck it! I got money out of it!
Still, knowing when enough is enough, I let Nami's suffering under my ridicule end and take on the seriousness this situation needs. The money went into an empty pocket in my ammo bag.
"Still, this is bad. Extremely bad. Don Krieg is known for being a tricky bastard who does not play fair. Based on what Zoro and Long-nose told me, his only real weakness appears to be his arrogance and inflated ego," I analyze the situation quickly. "And that fact is a bit disconcerting. The guy talks about himself a lot, but there is at least some merit behind it instead of just empty boasting."
I glance at the absolute wreck of a ship. "Even if escape was an option which, thanks to Luffy, it isn't, their cannons could sink us at any time. We're between a rock and a hard place, and to struggle is the only option."
"That was quick," Nami remarked, be it my sudden tone shift or swift analysis. "Damn, that idiot! Forcing us into this stupid fight!"
"I'm with you on that one, one hundred percent," I nod. "But even if he hadn't, I don't think Krieg is the type to let anyone off easy. Chances are he'd have dealt with us anyway."
"So we'll just have to beat him and his crew up," Zoro remarked, looking fairly unconcerned
"You know, one day I'll figure out what makes you so stupid-slash-confident," I muttered loudly. "But seems like that's the only way to go. Damnit! This is exactly what I didn't want from today!"
As much as I bitched, I'd probably ended up feeling bad for just ditching this place. Sanji is an amazing chef, and this place clearly means much to everyone working there, so I'd feel like an utter dick for running away. But I wasn't a fighter, damnit! I could do it, sure, but by the standards of this world, I was nothing.
I needed to think this through...
A bit later Nami and I were back on the ship, with Yosaku and Johny, while the three others were in the Baratie helping out. Well, I think Long-nose didn't but was pressured into helping in any way he could. So that left us to make sure no one tried anything shifty to the boat.
I'd found myself some informative entertainment.
"Damnit, he wasn't full of shit," I sigh, shifting through a stack of wanted posters Johny had shown me, putting the world into perspective. Seriously, the smallest bounty I had seen so far was three million Beri. "Either this monetary system is inflated as hell, or the marines are just swimming in cash and these guys are dangerous as hell."
I went through a few more before a specific one stuck out to me. Mainly because the shadowed drawing of the face of this person included a saw-like nose.
"Arlong, huh?" I say to myself. This guy... wasn't human, that much was obvious. His teeth were too angled and sharp and that nose... Reminded me too much of a saw shark.
His bounty was also slightly higher than Krieg's, at twenty million. 'Captain of the Arlong Pirates, composed of entirely Fishmen'? So it's safe to assume that's what this species is called? So this world houses more than just boring old humans? Hmm... Interesting. My curiosity preens at this discovery. I'd love to learn more of these Fishmen! Oh the things I could learn...
... I feel like I just missed something important while in my thoughts? Weird. What could that have been?
"Hey, Abel, can you hand those over?"
"Sure," I say and hand the papers to Nami without looking and walk to the side of the ship in thought. That's when I see Johny and Yosaku flailing about in the water. "Huh? Damnit, didn't I tell you two to chill and not bumble about carelessly!"
"... I'm sorry."
"Wha-" I snapped forward suddenly, my body pushing over the railing and I knew nothing.
-o~O-O~o-
Nami felt bad, but she tried to smother the feeling, as her staff cracked Abell on the back of the head and sent his body limply to the sea below. She slightly winced as the hit literally made a cracking sound, and she wasn't sure if it was from the wood hitting his head.
She quickly shook her head and raised the anchor and freed the sails, as the ship began to distance itself from the Baratie. She looked back for a moment, and her breath stalled for a moment.
Abel was floating on the water motionless. Face down. Nami felt a rush of panic. Was he alive? She hadn't hit him hard enough to knock him out, right? Then she remembered that Abel wasn't, as he put it, 'from around here' and was a fair bit weaker than the people she was used to handling. Dread filled her to the core.
"No!" She snapped at herself and forced herself to not care. In any case, those two bounty hunters were swimming closer to the crossdresser. They'd help him. She turned away, cursing the situation forcing her to this.
"Damnit..."
-o~O-O~o-
My head ached something fierce, pain strumming at it like a jackhammer on speed. I cracked my eye open and saw a blurry shape really close to my face at the same time as my throat began to convulse. On instinct, I punched the shape.
Damnit, I was dizzy and my vision blurred further. And my head hurt, a lot. Fuck, am I having a concussion? That's bad unless I handle this right.
"Oh thank God you're okay, Abel-Banchou!" I hear Johny's slightly distorted voice yell in relief. A bit too loud.
"Why did you punch me?!" Yosaku exclaims in a more subdued, annoyed manner.
"Shut it!" I groan, holding my head to emphasize. "I'm having a concussion here, and would prefer you assholes not being so loud." Then I add, "And it's your fault for trying to make a move on me while I was out."
"I was trying to see if you were okay," Yosaku makes his excuses. I know he's being honest, but pain or not, I cannot resist.
"Yeah, yeah. I know. I'm pretty and you can't resist my charm" I mumble sarcastically, only to wince at a wave of pain. "Damn, Nami, what the fuck?"
"You remember what happened?" Johny asks, somewhat awed and curious.
"Up to the hit to the back of the skull," I answer clearly. "I have a pretty good memory, but I'll need the blanks filled. I'm guessing she did like a good thief and nicked the ship. Keep it short, understand?"
"Okay, Banchou!"
"Shh!" I hiss, cradling my head. I needed to keep a calm head and not stress myself out, or this got worse. I think this was only a mild concussion, but you could never be too sure.
"Right, sorry Banchou," Johny apologizes. "Yeah, Nami-aneki stole your ship and your captain ordered us to take you and Zoro-aniki to go after her."
"Figures. Okay," I affirm that I understood that. "Fuck, my stuff was onboard... Wait, Zoro? Why? What about the Krieg and his goon squad?"
"I'll take that," I hear a third person, Long-nose, I think. "Zoro got into a fight with a really strong swordsman and, well, isn't that good right now."
I blink to make the world clearer, avoiding sudden head movements. I glance a heap lying on the deck, bandages covering his torso red. Wait, I mean... focus! "... Well, shit, I missed something. That looks bad."
"I'm shocked he isn't dead... Anyway, Luffy told us to go on ahead after Nami and leave Krieg to him and Sanji," Long-nose.
"Are we still in the near vicinity?" I ask.
"... Huh?"
"Can we still see that Krieg bastard?" I clarify.
"Uh, yeah. We just left and aren't that far yet."
"Good. Gimme my gun," I growl and slowly crawl to the edge of the small ship we're on. I held out my hand expectantly until I feel a comforting weight on it.
"Here. But, uh, why?" Johny asks as I scan the area. We really haven't moved that far yet, but the ship Krieg came from is in absolute pieces, creating a field of debris on the ocean surface. I could spot him standing behind his men, in the rear lines of his broken "formation". Hiding behind his own men, huh?
"Feeling pissed," I say grimly and shift through my ammo bag. "And I don't think I'll want to be a burden. I do owe you guys, twice fold now." I pull what I was looking for out and examined it, focusing on it. Just what I was looking for.
"What do you mean?" Long-nose asked.
"My life has been saved twice now," I reply, looking at the bullet I'd fished out. Clearing my vision through a mental trick to pinpoint your focus. "First when you picked me off of that island... and now I almost drowned, I think. You have my thanks for both these things, all of you."
I slid the bullet in with a click and braced it on the side of the boat, aiming down the iron sights through my increasingly less hazy and disoriented vision.
"And I'm nothing if not a man who pays his debts, so call me a Lannister," I say, not expecting anyone here to get it.
"W-w-wait! You mean, you're going to shoot?!" Long-nose shrieks, making me wince.
"At Krieg, yes," I say, adjusting my sights as I run the calculations, taking account of the wind, distance, and the angle. Focus, take deep breaths, center your eye on the target... "And be quiet, my head is killing me."
"It's no use, Banchou!" Johny cries behind me, ignoring my request. "The man wears invincible armor! You'll never get him!"
"Ain't no such thing," I reply casually. "All things can be broken, even the sturdiest metal. Not that that is what I'm aiming at." I adjust slightly to the left and up. "This is a different type of bullet from what I usually use. I don't know actually what it does, but I have a faint idea. And if I'm right..."
"... Then... what?" Yosaku asks slowly. My brow furrows as my eyes grow distant, cold and dead. I see my target clearly now. I hear all three shuffle back when they feel the change in my demeanor. These are not normal eyes.
These are a killer's eyes.
"Then," I say with deathly calm, "I will have made this at least a little easier for Luffy." Krieg is growing more and more distant, but I wait. Wait until the last second. Until we are out of the range where retaliation is possible. My weapon has superior range and accuracy. Use the tools in your arsenal to your advantage, to their full potential.
...
...
...!
I narrow my eyes and pull the trigger, the stock kicking back as the small explosion propels the bullet out of the barrel and sends it towards its target. Much to my shock Krieg somehow reacts with lightning reflexes, perhaps on instinct and lifts his armored arm in front of his head. Which I had aimed at.
So that is what the bullet impacts on. Bright light flashes before I'm hit with the loudest sound I've heard up until now, my vision blurring as a wave of pain rushes through my skull. A loud, not to mention powerful explosion occurs, the fire-blast covering the entirety of Krieg's form, and then some. I feel the shockwave slightly from where I kneeled at, a considerable distance from ground zero.
My eyes were wide as saucers, suddenly having regained absolute clarity, just to witness this moment. I'd speculated that the bullet might've been an explosive round but...
"Holy shit," I murmur, marveling as a miniature mushroom cloud climbed the air. That explosion was a lot more powerful than I'd thought possible. Suddenly I was really happy I hadn't tested these before. It made the discovery right now so much more worth it.
A quick glance at the other three showed their shock as well. Their jaws were down to the wooden floor and their eyes were bugging out of their sockets. Literally. It was really weird. Johny's eyes fucking lifted his sunglasses, what the fuck.
"... I'm going to call these Doomsday Rounds," I decide, turning back to see the damage. The smoke cleared.
And much to my immense shock and disbelief, Krieg was alive and standing. But to my credit, he sure as hell wasn't unscathed. His form was showing some obvious burns and his armor... holy hell, more than half of it from his left side- the side that caught most of the blast -was missing. Just... gone! Even that stupid cape of his had been almost completely incinerated.
I took great satisfaction at how absolutely shocked and pissed he looked at the same time. He was glaring murder at our direction, and I think he could see me. But to make sure I stood up, using the still smoking rifle as something to stabilize myself, and met his gaze levelly. I didn't waste my time long on him though.
Then I glanced and saw Luffy's eyes on me as well. Shit, these guys have a good set of eyes. He looked very severe, uncharacteristically so. But when our eyes met, he gave a confident grin that told me all I needed to you.
'Good work! I'll take it from here.'
With a weak chuckle, I sit down, my back against the side I'd just shot from, letting my rifle rest on my left shoulder. My other hand rested on the front of my face, partially covering it, keeping my head stable.
To tell you the truth, I didn't hate Krieg for a pragmatic use of strategy, no matter how unfair and dishonorable. Pragmatism is about doing what is necessary, in the most effective way possible. That didn't bother me. In fact, I was fully okay with his implementation of it, impressed even.
No, what made me hate him was because of the reason he was being pragmatic for. For self-gratification and a sense of power. To trample on anyone weaker or smarter than himself, to show that he was the smartest and the strongest. His pragmatism was purely selfish, to feed his own ego.
I smiled a bit.
I suppose that's what made us different.
-o~O-O~o-
Usopp was shaking. Johny and Yosaku felt a chill. Both stemming from a sight before them.
Abel, sitting on the edge of the deck leaning on his smoking rifle. Holding his head from what Johny assumed might've been from the head trauma from Nami knocking him out. They'd all been shocked and awed at what Abel had just done. He'd laid a significant blow on Don Krieg of all people! But now they just felt... unnerved.
Because of the dead, empty look in those eyes. Because of how hollow and sinister that smile looked. Usopp had never seen a face like that, but Johny and Yosaku had. That was a face of a specific type of person, a type they honestly didn't think Abel was in any way. Then they recalled hearing of how good the crossdresser was at acting, and it made sense.
That's the face of someone whose innocence had been broken.
It should've been a hint at how easily he was going on about his intent to shoot at Krieg. It was to harm or even to kill, and there was no hesitation. Only calculated steps to assure success in the task taken.
The expression faded almost as soon as it had taken form, but it still sticked with the three for a long time afterwards. Abel soon became 'normal' and did what he usually did, started bossing the three around and get back to the current mission. Johny, and Yosaku to an extent, held great respect for Abel, despite the short time knowing the odd man, and helped him bandage his head due to a possible skull fracture he apparently got from the orange-haired thief. But they couldn't forget that face, no matter how 'normal' their Banchou looked presently.
The face of a deceitful pragmatist.
-o~O-O~o-
Admit it! You thought the chapter title meant Krieg, right? Well, YOU'RE WRONG!
So, here's a tasty little sample of a darker side of Abel's character, as well as a taste for what is going to carry him through this mad ride he's on. And boy, will he need it!
Abel has discovered the high-explosive Doomsday Rounds!
Bullets discovered: 2/6.
Also, because it'll be off-screen: Abel's single act of defiance had some effects. With most of his armor and hidden weapons gone or unusable, Luffy's fight with Krieg went way more smoothly than in Canon. His attack also ruined Krieg's chance to use MH5, as his shield malfunctioned because of the blast caused by the explosion and failed to fire the poison. Gin doesn't get poisoned but takes Krieg and his crew with him after they are defeated.
- Misdirecting You, C-Hablerie