Chapter 25
After Naruto and Luffy finished hugging it out, Naruto walked Luffy back to the hotel. Hancock and Kakashi stayed behind a little. Kakashi looked at Hancock who was visibly distressed.
"Hey, Ms. Hancock?" Kakashi asked.
Hancock looked at Kakashi.
"Yes?"
"You've tried to convince Luffy not to fight Psycho several times now, stating, "you've seen what they can do to people." Kakashi paused, "What can he do to people? What kind of moves are we up against?"
Hancock fixed her face to be more serious. If she was going to be apart of their team, she needed to help in anyway possible. Telling Kakashi everything she's seen as a member of DEATH would be a great start.
"Okay. I'll tell you what I know about him and his organization, but let's wait until we get back to the hotel." Hancock said.
Kakashi nodded and the two walked into the village.
MARINEFORD
The throne room that Psycho resided in was battered from sword slashes and burned from small explosions from energy beams. An intense fight had been going on there.
"Shave!" Kaku said, disappearing as a slash came towards him.
Cyclone's sword slash missed by a mile and crashed into the ceiling up top. Kaku appeared behind Cyclone and tried to kick him but Cyclone ducked and a slash missed Cyclone as well launching towards the end of the room where DEATH members watched.
"Hey look out!"
"It's coming right for us!"
The DEATH members moved out the way and the wall was cut completely in half. Kaku landed and attempted to sweep Cyclone but Cyclone jumped and threw a spinning kick at Kaku who grabbed Cyclone's leg and threw an attack.
"Finger pistol!" Kaku attempted to pierce Cyclone with his finger, but Cyclone caught it and landed, Kaku stood to his feet.
"Ha ha ha this is fun Cyclone-san!" Kaku said happily.
"It's been 15 minutes… but of course he says he wants to go an hour. With the way this is going, he just might make it." Cyclone thought to himself.
"But I'm done playing around." Kaku said seriously.
Cyclone stared at Kaku, still holding his finger, as Kaku started to transform. Cyclone wasn't surprised by the man slowly transforming into a beast, eventually the hand Cyclone held turned into a hoof and forced Cyclone's hand open. Kaku stood tall, looking down on Cyclone in his giraffe-human hybrid form. Kaku smiled for a second and then got serious and bent down. Cyclone's face showed small surprise.
"Sorry for looking down on you! Cyclone-san!" Kaku said, on his knee.
"FOOL THIS IS A FIGHT!" Cyclone yelled with an angry face.
DEATH members watched with confusion.
"A devil fruit user?"
"Is he serious? He's joking around with Shogun-sama!"
"He turned into a giraffe! Ha ha ha!"
"Fool! Giraffes have wild power that shouldn't be underestimated! But, Yes! It is a fight, Cyclone-san!" Kaku said, grabbing his two swords.
Cyclone smiled and charged Kaku. The impact of the blades crashing shook the entire palace.
"This guy is tough!"
"What is he?"
"You certainly have gotten stronger, CP9 Kaku." Cyclone said with a small smile.
"Oh I didn't tell you? I'm not a member of CP9 anymore! After our defeat in Enies Loby I was let go. From the outside looking in, I watched over the horrors the World Government are responsible for and have vowed since then to destroy any government official or anyone who works for them!" Kaku explained, still in a stand still with Cyclone.
Cyclone ducked his head a little and smiled more.
"I like you kid." Cyclone said, Kaku showed surprise, "However, you still have 30 more minutes!"
Cyclone pushed Kaku's blades towards the ground and jumped to throw a punch at Kaku who brought his head back and launched his giant square nose at Cyclone. The two clashed again shook the building once more.
KURO'S BOAT
Robin sat on the deck in a chair reading a book, while DEATH members under Kuro's watch fished, sang, drank, ate, and cleaned. Two men also watched over Robin with a watchful eye.
"Don't think about doing nothing to the boss while you're on this boat." One of the guards said.
"Yeah! You attack him and you ain't surviving." Guard two said.
Robin looked up at them.
"I wouldn't dream of attacking your captain." Robin said with a smile.
The men both winced.
"She's mocking us!" Guard two said.
"How dare you!" Guard one said.
"She's not mocking you. Fools." A deep voice said.
The men looked over and Kuro was walking towards them.
"She meant what she said. She's not attacking anyone on this ship." Kuro said.
"Y…yes Captain!" Guard one said.
Kuro looked down at Robin.
"No. She wouldn't do anything to jeopardize going to this lilbrary." Kuro said, with a small smile.
Robin flinched.
"Anyway, we're almost there. So get ready to get off my boat. One of my men will take you to where Psycho's head room is and then he can decide what he wants to do with you from there." Kuro explained.
"We're almost there? Really? How long have we been on the sea?" Robin asked.
"About 30 minutes." Kuro answered.
"Arlong Park 2.0 is basically by the beginning of the Grand Line… how did we get this far so fast?" Robin asked.
Kuro pointed up at the sails.
"Two giant breath dials are attached to the mast and blow a constant "wind" at the sails to give us maximum speed in the water. No one can catch us, and no one can run from us." Kuro said.
"But I thought dials were only native to Skypiea?" Robin asked.
"Cyclone-san brought back every dial the locals used in Skypiea and studied how they worked, he then used what he learned to make his own dials." Kuro explained.
Robin was surprised.
"How smart?…" Robin asked softly.
Kuro chuckled.
"Cyclone-san may seem like a brute, but he's the smartest guy in DEATH right now, with Psycho-san right under him. Those two are unlike anything I've ever seen." Kuro said.
Robin continued to look at Kuro with surprise from behind.
IN THE SKY
Psycho flew through the sky, his purple aura surrounding him. As he flew he was in deep thought.
FLASHBACK
"Even after all this time… it pains you to see them like this… doesn't it?" Kataka asked softly.
Tears fell down Psycho's face and through his glove covered hands heavily. He clenched his teeth together as hard as he could but couldn't hide his sorrow.
"You have to remember, that this is for the good of the world… once you're done with your job I already promised you could have them back so they can rest in peace." Kataka reassured.
END OF FLASHBACK
"Why did I break down like that? Yeah it hurt to see them like that… but…" Psycho stopped thinking and continued to zoom through the sky.
"This is for the good of the world… even though it hurts I have to pull through. Phase one should be complete, as soon as I get back to Marineford it'll be time to initiate phase two…" Psycho stopped thinking, closed his eyes, and opened them again, "Phase two my plan for DEATH to control every inch of this world and rule as it's supreme leader!" Psycho yelled to himself as he zipped through the sky.
SAKURA KINGDOM
In Kakashi's room Hancock and Kakashi sat around the same lantern that was set up earlier for when the group told stories about their past.
"Ready when you are, Hancock-san." Kakashi said.
Hancock inhaled and exhaled until she spoke.
"Psycho… he attacked my ship with my women warriors on it and completely laid waste to everyone on it…" Hancock said.
Kakashi's eyes widened.
"He killed a ship of females?" Kakashi asked.
Hancock nodded.
"Yes. Afterwards he asked me to join and of course, I told him no. Afterwards a group of WANTED posters dropped from the sky and Luffy's was one of them." Hancock said.
Kakashi continued to look at Hancock with a straight face.
FLASHBACK
"Psycho needs to pay for what he did to my crew, to me, and to someone very important to me." Hancock said.
"Hey I only joined to protect someone I really cared about… that's all our history." Hancock explained.
END OF FLASHBACK
"So that's the important person you wanted to protect?" Kakashi asked.
Hancock nodded again.
"Kakashi… I really love Luffy. Seriously. When I first started to have feelings for him two years ago I never thought it would come to this. Where I'd want to protect him, want to give my life for him…" Hancock explained further.
Kakashi continued to look at Hancock with his straight expression.
"I see now." Kakashi said.
Hancock continued to explain.
"Anyway, during my time with him he wanted me to take over islands for the most part. Nothing I wasn't used to, since as a pirate I was used to doing stuff along those lines." Hancock said.
"Has he ever been in any huge fights where he needed to go all out?" Kakashi asked.
Hancock started to shake.
"Do you know what a celestial dragon is?" Hancock asked, looking down, her eyes closed tight.
Kakashi gasped.
"Never heard of one… I'm assuming it's a legendary animal?" Kakashi asked.
"Contrary to the name, they have nothing to do with dragons." Hancock said, "They're a high social group. Direct decedents of the people who created the World Government who rule over 170 countries around the world. They look down on everyone who aren't one of them and wear bubbles over their heads so they don't even breathe the same air as us "normies" they call us." Hancock explained.
Kakashi grew tense.
Hancock continued.
"They buy and trade people, giants, and pretty much anything that breaths for slaves to ride, housework, and eye candy…" Hancock cringed at "eye candy."
"Well… they sound like charming people… I almost want to get ahold of one." Kakashi said.
Hancock laughed.
"That's funny, but…" Hancock stopped.
Kakashi grew serious.
"But what?" Kakashi asked.
"If you so much as even bump into one, even by accident, you can expect a navy admiral and a warship coming after you." Hancock said softly.
Kakashi cringed.
"Are navy admirals that powerful?" Kakashi asked.
"Oh yeah, you guys haven't been here that long. Long story short, there are only three navy admirals at a time, and each have a powerful devil fruit at their disposal. Luffy and I fought against them in the Summit War two years ago." Hancock explained.
"Where are these admirals now?" Kakashi asked.
Hancock inhaled and exhaled.
"Former admiral Aokiji went missing… no one knows where he is, former admiral Akainu got promoted to fleet admiral, and former admiral Kizaru…" Hancock stopped.
Kakashi waited for Hancock to conduct herself.
"It brings me back to the celestial dragons… Psycho… he…" Hancock stopped again.
Sweat formed on Kakashi's face.
"Psycho murdered a family of celestial dragons in cold blood!" Hancock yelled.
MARINEFORD
Kaku crashed his sword nose into Cyclone's swords. Both men were covered in bruises, mainly from rolling on the ground or dodging, and grunted.
"But Cyclone-san! You don't understand!" Kaku grunted.
Cyclone pushed himself away from the giraffe man and landed.
"Just because I'm a giraffe doesn't mean I have to eat plants! I actually love meat!" Kaku stressed.
Cyclone smiled.
"And all I'm saying is it's weird for a giraffe to eat meat." Cyclone said.
Cyclone looked Kaku up and down.
"One-minute left. He held his own against me. I'm very impressed with him. He's earned a spot as a general already, but he has one more test to withstand for these last seconds." Cyclone thought to himself.
Cyclone continued to look at the giraffe until he spoke.
"Thirty seconds left before you become a member Kaku. I'm very impressed, but… let's see how much you've truly trained your body to withstand my moves!" Cyclone said.
Kaku wore a concerned face. Cyclone closed his left eye. When he opened it, it was yellow and had the appearance of a clock. Cyclone focused his view on Kaku's chest. After a moment Kaku dropped to his knees and coughed up blood.
"Awh huahk! What the hell? Is he?..." Kaku said out loud.
Cyclone smiled as he stared at the pained giraffe man.
"Twenty seconds."
"He's speeding up my heart! He's basically making me experience a heart attack for the last few moments! I have to withstand this!" Kaku said to himself as he got back on one knee.
Cyclone stared at the giraffe, very impressed with him.
"Ten seconds!"
Kaku slowly stood back up on both feet and clenched his hooves, eyes closed, and blood running down his mouth rapidly. Cyclone closed his eye and yelled.
"TIME!"
Kaku opened his eyes and sweat dripped off his face, Cyclone in front of him with his hand outstretched. Kaku shrunk back into human form and smiled.
"Welcome to DEATH." Cyclone congratulated, as he looked outside to see the sun rising.
Kaku smiled even harder.
"Thank you so much for the opportunity! I can't wait to put in work for this organization!" Kaku yelled.
"A new member I see." A voice said.
Kaku turned around to see Psycho walking towards him.
"Ah the legendary Psycho. It's an honor." Kaku said, getting on one knee.
Psycho looked down at him.
"No need for that. I'm not God. Just a man with a plan. A plan for peace." Psycho explained. Kaku got back to his feet.
"Sorry about the mess in here. Initiation for the new guy." Cyclone said.
Psycho smiled.
"It's fine. We'll worry about it later." Psycho said, "Anyway, the talk with Kataka was a success. I got the things I needed for phase two. How many islands did Eneru take over before his passing?" Psycho asked.
"I think you'll be happy to know that Eneru and his insane powers allowed him to take over 85% of the Grand Line." Cyclone said.
"85%?!" Psycho asked surprised, "Very impressive… phase two is surefire to begin now…"
MARINEFORD PORT
Two boats arrived at the port to Marineford. Two men got off the first one and Robin and Kuro got off the second one. Robin looked over at the two men who got off the second boat, gasped, and fell on her butt. Kuro looked down.
"What are you doing? Get up." Kuro said.
Robin stared full of fear at the two men she looked at.
One man wore an all-white suit from head to toe, topped off with a white top hat, a pigeon on his shoulder that wore the same outfit. The man next to him was at least ten feet tall, wore flower pants and a floral shirt opened to expose his body, a pink feather jacket hung over his shoulders, fancy curved shades, and a smile that was the epitome of evil.
"Nico Robin." The man in all white said calmly, "Long time no see."
"Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh… so this is Nico Robin? The survivor of the Ohara massacre?" The tall man said, "Do you think she came to join as well?"
"It's a possibility. How interesting." The man in white said.
Two DEATH members arrived at the port.
"Donquixote Doflamingo and Rob Lucci! You're right on time. Psycho-san just got back. If you were wanting to join, then by all means he's available!" Member one said.
Member two looked at Kuro and Robin.
"Kuro-san! What are you doing here?! And with her?!"
"I had business to conduct with Psycho-san today anyway." Kuro said.
The man nodded.
"And this one?"
"She's with me. She has a meeting with the boss too." Kuro said.
The man nodded once more and let the four pass. Robin grew more uncomfortable as she walked up the Marineford steps and looked out towards the village. It was being rebuilded but from what she saw, someone did a number on it. Just thinking about the fact that 9 million people inhabited this island but now it's taken over by DEATH members.
Eventually the four got up the throne room where Psycho, Cyclone, and Kaku waited. Psycho sat in his throne and Cyclone and Kaku looked up at him. At the sound of footsteps, Psycho looked up and Cyclone and Kaku looked back.
"Hm?" Psycho groaned.
"Psycho-san! Donquixote Doflamingo and Rob Lucci have come to join DEATH! Kuro-san said that he had business with you as well as the crazy wench Nico Ro-."
Psycho shot a yellow beam out of his two fingers through the man's heart.
Lucci looked at the man with a straight face while Doflamingo smiled. Kuro didn't even look down at him and Robin looked down with fear.
"How many have I told you to watch your mouth at the mention of her name?" Psycho said, leaning with his face held up by his hand. His arm still outstretched.
Robin gasped.
"He just killed one of his own men… over me!" Robin thought to herself.
"Anyway… so you two want to be recruited into DEATH?" Psycho asked.
Doflamingo and Lucci nodded.
Psycho smiled.
"Then you'll of course have to prove yourselves first." Psycho said, standing up.
Cyclone grabbed his sword. Lucci put his arms at his side and Doflamingo extended his arms and stuck out his tongue.
"Robin. Our library trip is scheduled for tomorrow anyway and this could take a while. Go find somewhere to rest until-."
"SIR SIR! FIVE NAVY BATTLE SHIPS ARE IN OUR SIGHTS!" A member yelled.
Kaku, Lucci, Doflamingo, and Cyclone smiled.
"Oh really? Who's on them?" Psycho asked in a bored tone.
"Ship number 1: Vice admiral Tashigi!, ship number 2: Vice admiral Smoker!, ship number 3: Vice admiral Coby!, ship number 4: Vice admiral Helmeppo! And ship number 5…Vice admiral Doberman! On his boat with him is… FLEET ADMIRAL SAKAZUKI!" The member explained.
Psycho's eye widened at the mention of Sakazuki. And he gripped the arm of his throne.
"Akainu…" Psycho smiled, "Five vice admirals and ten battle ships, all filled with men ready to destroy this island… a buster call." Psycho broke off the arm of his throne when he said, "buster call."
Robin took notice of this.
"Has Psycho… experienced a buster call too?" Robin asked herself.
Cyclone walked back into the room, everyone looked in shock, not even noticing he left.
"Sir they're going to bombard this island with cannon fire and destroy everything!" A member yelled.
"With what cannons? HA HA HA HA HA HA!" Cyclone laughed as he sheathed his sword.
MARINEFORD WATERS
"Fleet Admiral Akainu! We're within firing range of Marineford Island!" A soldier said.
"FIRE NOW! WIPE OUT EVERYTHING STANDING!" Akainu ordered.
"You heard him men! Fire!" The soldier said.
"PSYCHO IS AN OLD MAN BY NOW. THERE'S NO WAY HE'S SURVIVING A BUSTER CALL ONSLAUGHT!" Akainu yelled again.
Smoker stared at Marineford. Coby and Helmeppo stared confidently at the island as well. Tashigi was a little nervous but was ready.
All five vice admirals ordered their men to load the cannons and fire, but when they fired the cannons they fell apart.
"WHERE'S THE CANNON FIRE?!" Akainu yelled out.
"Sir the cannon's fell apart!" A soldier yelled.
"WHAT!?" Akainu shouted out again, "WHO THE HELL DESTROYED THEM!?"
As Akainu asked that question he looked up.
"Sir there are people on the island… it's… AHHHH!" A soldier freaked out.
"SPIT IT OUT!" Akainu yelled.
"There are a bunch of soldiers who are wearing a weird logo on their shirts and six men! Two of which are masked." Another soldier yelled.
Smoker looked at the men carefully and gasped.
"Sir! Those men are! Rob Lucci and Kaku, former members of CP9! Kuro of the Black Cat Pirates! And Donquixote Doflamingo, former warlord of the sea!" A solder yelled out.
Akainu grew angry.
"What about the masked two?" Akainu asked.
"We don't know!" The soldier responded.
"Dock the ships! We'll go ashore and talk to them!" Akainu ordered.
All ten ships docked and walked onto Marineford. Fleet admiral Akainu, the five vice admirals, and a total of 8,000 men loaded the island.
The marines stood in front of the DEATH army and stared at each other.
"Psycho Uchiha! I know that's you in the cat mask! Come out of hiding already old man, so I can kill you for what you did 64 years ago!" Akainu yelled.
Robin, who was inside the building, looked down at everyone.
"What? We knew something didn't add up with him… especially with knowing Brook when he was still alive and all of us as kids, but he still looks young…" Robin said to herself.
Psycho laughed under the mask.
"For one of the members of the infamous three stooges of the navy… you're smarter than you look, Sakazuki." Psycho said, reaching for his cat mask.
Akainu's arms turned molten hot and he bit his cigar in half.
"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO ME WITH SUCH INSOLENCE!" Akainu yelled.
Psycho took off his mask slowly, as well as Cyclone, and every last one of the marines were so shocked they couldn't speak.
"He… he…!"
"He's still young even after 64 years!"
SAKURA KINGDOM
Kakashi stared with shock at what Hancock said.
"He… killed a family of those people?" Kakashi asked.
Hancock nodded.
"Back in Sabody Archipelago, Psycho and Cyclone were looking for a certain man and encountered the family who told them to bow… Psycho and Cyclone being who they were, didn't bow and the family got hostile." Hancock paused and inhaled.
Hancock exhaled and spoke again.
"Psycho he… drew his sword… and completely slaughtered them. I was so scared… no one was ever stupid enough to do that to a Celestial Dragon, not even the most hardened of pirates." Hancock explained.
Kakashi looked down, eyes still wide.
"Obviously word ended up getting out and an admiral came to the island, that admiral was Kizaru." Hancock explained.
"What… what happened to him?" Kakashi asked.
Hancock closed her eyes tightly, hands on her knees, and shed small tears. She opened her eyes and yelled.
"HE AND PSYCHO FOUGHT AND PSYCHO…" Hancock stopped.
Kakashi stared at Hancock, nervous about what she had to say.
MARINEFORD
The marines couldn't believe what they were seeing.
"HOW THE HELL ARE YOU STILL YOUNG?! YOU SHOULD BE OLD AND DECREPIT!" Akainu yelled.
Psycho smiled.
"Oh how disappointed you must be, Fleet Admiral Akainu." Psycho said.
Akainu got angrier the more he spoke to Psycho.
"You've put a lot of people in danger by coming to this island. You were better off coming alone." Psycho sneered.
"DAMN YOU! OLD OR YOUNG I'M GOING TO KILL YOU RIGHT HERE! RIGHT NOW! YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO MY ANCESTORS!" Akainu screamed, his arms completely lava colored.
Psycho looked up at him and smiled again. As he spoke, he slowly lifted his left leg.
"Oh Akainu… how naïve you are… between me not being as old as I should be, wiping out an entire navy island twice… I'm not like anything you've ever faced before. Perhaps you should ask Kizaru about me." Psycho said, his left leg was up and bent at the knee, "He did tell you why he left the marines right?"
Akainu stared at Psycho with rage, molten lava rolling down his face.
"He told me he lacked the power to fight! So what?" Akainu asked.
Psycho smiled and his leg began to glow yellow. The marines stared in fear.
"He told you that and you still didn't catch it?" Psycho asked with a smile.
Akainu's expression changed to a surprised one.
"He lacked the power to continue, because he didn't have any power to continue with!" Psycho said, smiling big now. Doflamingo, Lucci, Kaku, Kuro, and Cyclone all took battle stances.
"Doflamingo, Lucci. Consider this your initiation… say, Fleet Admiral Akainu… have you ever been kicked at the speed of light?" Psycho asked.