Chapter 73

Smoke filled the area where Lucci's head was as Lionel stood over him worn out, breathing heavily, that last attack was meant to be the last!

"Did I do it? … Can I say it?" Lionel thought to himself.

Lionel continued to breathe heavily as he watched the smoke slowly clear away from Lucci's face.

"Can I finally say I beat this freak?" Lionel continued to think.

The smoke finally cleared enough to see Lucci's face. Lionel eye's widened slightly. The entire right half of Lucci's face was burned off. Only skeleton remained. Lucci's left eye was rolled in the back of his head and his mouth was open wide. Confirming his defeat.

"There's no way he's alive... but." Lionel stopped for a moment.

"I'm too scared to say it!" Lionel thought, "No matter what they've done to him.. He keeps getting back up!"

As Lionel finished thinking he heard someone call to him.

"Lionel-san!" Jimbei yelled out.

Lionel looked back with tired eyes and smiled.

"Jimbei!" Lionel yelled back.

Jimbei approached and made a sick face.

"You sure did a number on him Newgate-san." Jimbei said.

Lionel looked back at Lucci.

"Y-Yeah..." Lionel said.

Nagashima approached the two, rubbing his head.

"Ughhh..." Nagashima groaned.

"Nagashima-san, did you participate in the battle as well?" Jimbei asked.

"Yeah, I did actually where were you!?" Nagashima yelled.

"I came over as soon as I heard that last explosion! I was on the other end of the island feeding fish." Jimbei explained.

Nagashima looked over at Lucci's corpse.

"The filthy cat finally kicked the bucket huh!?" Nagashima said walking over to Lucci's body.

Nagashima kicked Lucci's head. Lionel jumped, Jimbei just watched.

"How you like that huh!? Real shit talker you were how about now tough guy!?" Nagashima said, stomping Lucci's body.

Jimbei walked over to Nagashima and lightly grabbed his shoulder. Nagashima looked back with an annoyed face.

"That's enough." Jimbei said with Lucci's voice.

Nagashima's eyes filled with fright! Lionel choked on his words as Jimbei's arm transformed into a leopard's arm and ran his paw straight through Nagashima!

"WHAT THE HELL!" Lionel screamed at the top of his lungs.

"The shinobi of the ninja world... have such fascinating techniques..." Lucci said, still in Jimbei form.

Lucci threw Nagashima to the ground and a portal opened up, out dropped Okua, with a burned face and his eyes shut.

"The black flames are gone?... but how? Where exactly do those portals send people? I guess we'll know when his devil fruit regrows soon." Lucci said.

Lucci transformed back to his human form in a cloud of smoke, his hands behind his back, but his face was still half burned off. Lionel couldn't breathe as he tripped and fell back on his butt.

"Psycho taught all of his top commanders how to use ninjutsu. We all have chakra in us but only shinobi are taught in schools to harness that power, we don't do that on this side of the world, and only few other places elsewhere." Lucci explained.

"Ninjutsu and devil fruit abilities!? There's no wonder the World Government wanted the ninja dead!" Lucci yelled out.

"Lionel Newgate. You have done well." Lucci said sincerely, "After I take your head, I will mount it in my office... as a symbol to the damage you've done to me today."

Lionel continued to choke, his heart racing.

"You look as if you're about to have a heart attack, your death will be quick, I've spent too much time here." Lucci said, transforming his arm back into a Leopard's.

Lucci raised his arm and his left eye glowed red. Lionel looked up at Lucci but he didn't see anything. He was blinded from fear.

"Die." Lucci said softly as he went for the kill.

"Woah woah!" A voice said.

Lucci stopped in his tracks and his eyes widened.

"No...!" Lucci said as he turned around with an angry expression.

Kraken stood in a relaxed stance with a disgusted face.

"Geesh... how the fuck are you still alive?" Kraken asked.

Lucci kept an angry expression but he panicked in his mind!

"There is no way in this world I win a fight with him right now! But I can't return to Psycho-sama with nothing!" Lucci looked around and eye'd the shocked Lionel.

Kraken continued to stare.

"Don't try anything dumb, Lucci." Kraken said.

A small drip of sweat went down Lucci's head.

"He doesn't know I have two devil fruits! That's it! I'll use my camouflage to slip away!" Lucci said to himself.

Lucci smiled softly and Kraken took notice.

"Till we meet again, Kraken!" Lucci said, disappearing!

Kraken was slightly taken by surprise! Lucci began to run towards Lionel.

"I think I'll be taking you with me, Lionel Newgate! Your power will very much come in handy!"

As Lucci reached towards Lionel he felt a sudden pain, as if he had been shot! Lucci coughed up blood as he hit the ground and reached towards his stoamch, he slowly became visible again.

"H-H-How...?" Lucci asked.

Kraken, holding a marine pistol loaded with sea stone bullets, smiled.

"Thanks. That special sight of yours comes in handy!" Kraken said.

Hinata smiled.

Lucci's eye widened as he saw who had arrived.

Naruto, Sasuke, Kakashi, and Hinata stood by Kraken, Brook and Franky pointed their weapons at Lucci, Law and Fujitora stood with the Shinobi, Sakura and Nami held Okua and Nagashima's heads in their hands, Chopper and Usopp hugged each other in fear of Lucci's appearance.

"WHY IS HIS FACE BURNED OFF!" Usopp screamed out.

Lucci breathed heavily and was in great pain. He looked over at Lionel who was still in a shocked state but smiling, tears falling slowly.

"In our next encounter, none of you will make it away... I promise!" Lucci swore, slowly getting to his feet.

Every one watched as Lucci got to his feet and slowly put his hands behind his back.

"Straw hats and... Shinobi... it is truly an honor." Lucci said.

"Who the hell are you? And where is Psycho!? We saw that explosion from an energy beam!" Naruto asked.

"My name, is Rob Lucci. Former world government associate for the secret agency CP9, then I moved to CP0, now I am DEATH's top lieutenant. Psycho-sama isn't here, that boy over there, he was the one who fired that attack." Lucci said, pointing at Lionel, everyone looked at Lionel for a moment. Hinata ran over to comfort him.

"Why are you working for DEATH?" Kraken asked.

"I knew my full potential would be unleashed under Psycho's tutelage... I've studied the shinobi for a long time as a secret agent of the government... when Psycho made his move on the world I got in touch with him as soon as possible." Lucci explained.

"And your government is supposed to be about peace!?" Naruto yelled.

"There's much about this world you don't understand, Naruto Uzumaki. "You ninja have had a rough history yourselves that you don't even understand." Lucci said.

"Only thing I'm understandin' here is you're a freak who needs to go down!" Franky yelled.

"Cutty-Flam... still the loudmouth, are you?" Lucci asked.

Sakura giggled.

"Cutty flam?" Sakura laughed.

Lucci looked over at Sakura.

"I've heard the kunoichi of the Ninja world were very beautiful, I see I was not told a lie." Lucci said.

Sasuke and Naruto stepped up. Lucci noticed.

"Such a fascinating people you are. I do hope we get to fight soon, I'm a little worn out now you see, and there's much to be done tonight." Lucci said.

"Psycho got something planned!? Huh!?" Kraken asked.

Lucci smirked.

"Goodbye for now." Lucci said, disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

"Hey!" Kraken yelled out.

"Lady Hinata can you please find him with your byakugan?" Kraken asked quickly.

"He's gone." Kakashi said, walking up to Kraken.

Kraken was confused.

"That wasn't his camouflage ability, that was a shadow clone." Kakashi explained.

"Oh, I see... but when did he?" Kraken thought back to when Lucci used camouflage to "run away."

"That's when... he summoned a shadow clone while he was camouflaged and slipped away." Kraken put his hand in his pocket and looked around, he noticed admiral Fujitora was with the group.

"Admiral Fujitora!?" Kraken asked.

Fujitora smiled.

"Kraken... but... you died, didn't you?" Fujitora asked.

Kraken rubbed the back of his head.

"Well... I guess not. I've got a lot of explaining to do I know and every one else I know you all want answers as well!" Kraken said.

Kakashi walked up to Kaken and extended his hand.

"My name is Kakashi Hatake and this is Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, and Sasuke Uchiha. We are from the Village Hidden Leaves." Kakashi formally introduced.

Kraken smiled and shook Kakashi's hand.

"It's very very nice to formally meet you all, really it is!" Kraken said.

"Are you the marine we were expected to meet here?" Naruto asked.

Kraken became slightly confused.

"Erm, um, well no... not yet anyway... I was going to come find you when Luffy and the others were healed up." Kraken explained.

"So who did Kasai expect us to meet here?" Sasuke asked Kakashi.

"Who?" Kraken asked, but before either could answer, Naruto blurted out.

"Luffy's here!?" Naruto yelled out.

The rest of the straw hats celebrated hearing Luffy was okay.

"Yes Naruto, he's here. I saw your fight on Drum..." Kraken said.

Naruto lowered his head.

"Hey, it's okay Naruto! When Luffy has his mind set on something that's just what it is with him, he attacked me a few times earlier actually." Kraken said, "Thank you, for being a great friend to him, and all of you, thank you!" Kraken said.

"Navy admiral Kraken...? He went missing 11yrs ago if I remember correctly... it was all over the news." Law said to himself.

"I know you are all tired, come! I've got a camp set up further down. I can fill you all on anything you'd like to know when we get there and everyone is acquainted. And just a head's up, Straw hats, Law, and Fujitora..."

The groups looked at Kraken.

"Smoker and Sakazuki are at the camp." Kraken said seriously.

"Who-who are they?" Naruto asked.

"Sakazuki is the fleet admiral of the Navy and Smoker is just a commander, but they're both incredibly strong and... they both hate ninja..." Kraken said.

Naruto looked down.

"But that's just because of how they've been brought up I promise! If they did their own research they'd see where they're wrong, look at Lucci! He's a psychopath and even he respects the shinobi." Kraken said.

"I just want a warm meal already..." Usopp rudely said.

Sakura and Nami punched him in the back of the head.

"IDIOT DONT BE RUDE!" They both yelled then hugged each other smiling, "SISTERS!" They said in unison.

Kraken smiled.

"Come on everyone, it'll be okay. How's everyone doing over there lady Sakura? Lady Nami?" Kraken said.

"This young man will be okay; I've healed his throat and chest wounds. The one with the hole punched in him is..." Sakura started.

Everyone held straight faces, Kraken walked over to Nagashima and drew a knife. Everyone watched with confusion.

"Get the hell up lazy bones!" Kraken said, throwing the haki infused knife at Nagashima, who quickly dodged it!

Everyone was surprised, Sakura became white with fear and almost passed out.

"How are you alive!?" Sakura asked.

"Hm? That's the power of the space-space fruit baby, a logia that allows me to become and manipulate space. I made that punk cat think he punched a hole in me so I could get some damn rest and get away from that bastard!" Nagashima said, walking over to Kraken.

"You must be all the people Kraken's been waiting for. Saves us the trouble of having to come looking!" Nagashima said.

"A space fruit you have to show us some techniques!?" Brook, Usopp, Chopper, and Franky were fascinated.

"I ain't showin' nothin' to nobody!" Nagashima yelled.

"Come on everyone, let's get back to camp! We've got a lot to discuss!" Kraken said.

As everyone began to follow Kraken they stopped.

"Kraken..." A voice said.

Kraken slowly looked back to see Kasai and Mihawk not far behind him. Kraken couldn't believe his eyes.

"Kraken?..." Mihawk said, slightly surprised.

"Kasai... you're..." Kraken choked on his words.

The two men slowly walked towards each other.

"11yrs... this is what I survived 11yrs of hell for..." Kasai said softly.

When they finally reached each other, Kraken grabbed Kasai quickly for an embrace.

"KASAI PLEASE FORGIVE MY ABSCENCE! FOR 11 YEARS YOU'VE WANTED TO DIE AND WHILE I'VE PLAYED DEAD! I HAD TO GET STRONGER TOO MANY PEOPLE WANTED TO KILL ME!" Kraken yelled.