Episode 6: Man of Iron! Bill vs Gunsten!


Wealth, Fame, Power. Monkey D. Luffy, King of the Pirates had finally achieved it all, his discovery of the legendary treasure One Piece sent millions of men home from the sea as the treasure hunt for Gol D. Roger's fortune came to a close. However not all were spurred to return to land, as for one new group of pirates, now was the time to return to call of the sea. Luffy may be the Pirate King, but that doesn't mean he can't be overthrown, right?


Now it's time to set sail! For a mystery! Dunno where we will go! Or what we're gonna see!

ONE PIECE!

Gotta find a good crew, and I'll work 'em to the bone! Just no time to rest, it's all mine and mine alone!

I've always believed, this is my destiny! To be the greatest pirate the world has ever seen!

If you're NOT on our side, then you better run and hide! We'll defend 'till the end all of our friends! On that you can depend!

Now it's time to set sail! For a mystery! Dunno where we will go! Or what we're gonna see!

We will never give up! The ship or the hunt!

One Hope! One Dream! One Day!

ONE PIECE!


[Bill's Blacksmith Shop - Giygas Island]

The clock continued to tick and the furnaces simmered in Bill's garage, as Bill munched on iron ore to finish working on the final set of armour Arlong had asked him to make.

"These seem pretty high quality" Bellamy muttered as he picked up a warm metal sword, "How long do they last, eh?". Bill shrugged, "Eh...maybe two or three years if you take care of them...heh...just be sure to keep them away from water and rain so they don't rust".

"Seems simple enough, not that I ever really swords" nodded Bellamy, "Usually I just stick with my devil fruit and armament haki, nine times outta ten that gets the job done". "Then again, it's not like haki is the only way to win fights anymore" added Alvida, "Believe me, the world has definitely changed a lot in these last few years, devil fruit powers are becoming stronger and stronger by the day to the point where sometimes they outright outclass even the most advanced forms of armament, or even conqerours" she explained.

Bellamy and Bill were quite surprised to hear this information, though Alvida figured it was understandable given both had stayed away from pirating for at least a decade now. "Hmph, that...is actually kinda scary to hear" Bill admitted, "So like...I guess it's kinda going back to how things used to be, huh? Heh...devil fruits and raw strength are becoming stronger than just generic things like will power and resolve...heh...I gotta say, that sounds about right to me".

"You got that right, even though my devil fruit isn't exactly a top tier ability I can still wreck people pretty good. Aheh, I mean just last week I totally obliterated that smoke guy in Loguetown" Bellamy explained with a grin. Bill raised an eyebrow, "Woah...you beat Admiral Smoker? Heh...I'd be impressed...but that guy is an absolute joke, I hear basically anyone can beat him. He's like...the definition of talking the talk but can't walk the walk...sure he seems big and strong because of his status...but in reality he can't do shit. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if my old man with arthritis could kick him up the ass" he chuckled, reaching into his smelting abs to pull out of a freshly smelted helmet and dunking it into some cold water to cool it down.

Alvida chuckled and folded her arms, "That does sound quite accurate. Granted he still managed to catch myself and the rest of Buggy's men at Loguetown, but that wasn't our fault. Even now logias are still tricky to deal with, I've seen a lot of them come and go that work for Buggy's agency, always full of confidence and thinking they can tackle anything because of their intangibility. Even Crocodile was a victim of this type of inflated self-confidence".

"I can somewhat understand why they'd feel invincible" replied Bellamy, "I mean...they kinda are, when you think about it. Unless you got armament haki, there's basically nothing you can do. Plus a lotta logia fruits have crazy strong powers, waaay better than most paramecias like us he added, pointing at himself, Alvida and Bill. "The man makes a fair point...heh" Bill agreed, "I once heard of guys who could do loads of stuff...turning into lighting...turning into poison...turning into snow...lots of stuff...heh...truly our world is weird one".

"Agreed" nodded Alvida and Bellamy simultaneously. The three continued to talk, but after all a while suddenly heard what sounded like louds explosions in the distance and people running and shouting. They were confused and stepped out of Bill's garage, seeing smoke coming from the main village and what looked to be someone quickly flying around.

"Huh? What the hell is that?!" Bellamy exclaimed, putting a hand above his eyes to try clear his vision.

"B-BILL! Y-You gotta come quick man!" a villager yelled, running up to Bill's house, "T-There's pirates attacking the town square!".

"Seriously? You gotta be kidding" sighed Bill, shaking his head as he turned to Bellamy and Alvida, "Lemme guess...friends of yours?".

Alvida shook her head, "Not a chance! The rest of crew is back on the ship, but even Buggy knows better than to just attack a town that's trying to help us" she explained.

Bellamy nodded, "Exactly, plus I know Hachi wouldn't do something like that either but...uh...wait a second, has Arlong been back since he left earlier?".

Another loud crash was heard as the village seemed to be shaking in the distance. Bill sighed and threw a satchel over his neck that he filled with ore, "You two...heh...wait here, alright? I'll be back in a bit.".


[Town Square - Cast-Iron Village]

"TAKE THIS!" Gunsten laughed as he punched Arlong's chin. Arlong yelled and was blown back, however Gunsten continued his assault by rocketing forward with fire and smoke billowing from his jet legs. Grabbing Arlong's nose, he flew upwards into the sky before letting go of Arlong. As Arlong fell, Gunsten laughed more as he flew up higher before dive boming like a missile and ploughing his fists in Arlong's abs.

"Get ready for a crash landing you bastard!" Gunsten smirked, "JET-JET...NUKE!".

Arlong was sent smashing into the ground, with the impact creating a massive shockwave that caused the glass in all the nearby buildings to shatter while Arlong was lying on his back in a large smoldering crater.

He coughed up some blood, "F-Fuck...man...t-this really...ain't my day...fuck humans...s-seriously" he thought to himself, as he watched Gunsten hovering above him while Gunsten's crew cheered.

"K-KICK HIS ASS CAPTAIN! SHOW THAT SHARK PRICK WHO'S BOSS!" cheered Gunsten's crew. Gunsten chuckled and folded his arms as he hovered above Arlong, "Damn shame, you know I was hoping to get an actual fight but this is just embarrassing! To think such a weak ass bitch roughed my entire crew, you're pathetic sushi boy" he scoffed, "The question is, what exactly should I do? Kill you now and eat you for dinner? Or turn you into the marines and claim whatever pitiful bounty you have on your head? Decisions decisions decisions...hmm...".

"H-Hey kid...you just got me...at a bad time...I ain't in top condition..." Arlong coughed, "If I was...I'd be eating you alive right now...bet.".

"AHEHAHA! Tough talk for a guy who's totally out for the count!" Gunsten boasted, "I mean, what exactly do plan to do to save your sorry ass du-" ~WABAM!~

A loud clang was heard and onlookers gasped as Gunsten was knocked out of the sky, a steaming iron hammer lying on the ground next to him. Both Gunsten and his crew were surprised at this, wondering where it could've possibly come from when they heard a voice approaching them.

"Hey you! Heh...you fellas are making a whole lotta noise y'know? I'd be fine with that but...you're smashing up businesses and disturbing the peace" spat Bill, as he walked towards the battle. He took a bite of an iron ore chunk, causing his skin to light up and bubble with heat from his stomach furnace.

"Eh? Who the hell's this guy?" Gunsten muttered, standing back to his feet and rubbing head, "Jesus dude, you threw a damn hammer at me? Ever hear of overkill?". "Pfft, you're one to...talk about...overkill" Arlong mumbled.

"Name's Bill, best blacksmith of this town and best blacksmith in the world. You best remember my name Rocket Man, just so that you know who to avoid" Bill grumbled, folding his arms. "Ahehaha! Really now? You think I'm scared of someone like you? I'M RUNNER GUNSTEN! DO YOU SEE HOW EASILY I DESTROYED THIS DAMNED SHARK?! I'VE GOT A 600 MILLION BOUNTY ON MY HEAD! ONE OF THE GREATEST DEVIL FRUITS OF ALL! A NAME FEARED BY ALL IN THE NEW WORLD!" Gunsten yelled.

"Uh...I-I think we get it captain, that's like the third time you've said" replied one of Gunsten's crew mates, who was immediately slapped by his fellow crewmembers.

"Hmm...is he always like that?" asked Bill, looking at one of Gunsten's lackeys, to which he got a nod in response. Bill tapped his chin, "Hmm...you're a weird captain...heh...but if it's a fight that'll make you leave this town, then I guess I'll have to make you leave and knock some sense into you".

Gunsten and his crew listened to this bold claim...and instantly burst out laughing hysterically. Bill didn't understand what the joke was and sighed, reaching into his smelting abs and pulled out a gigantic iron cannon. Of course all the men immeditately stopped laughing and yelped when a giant cannon ball was fired straight into Gunsten to blow him up.

"For the record, I know how to fight guys, I used to be a captain of my own crew. You're devil fruit seems somewhat strong, but mine is definitely better" Bill chuckled, as Gunsten picked himself out of the rubble from a nearby building that had been blown up from the cannon fire.

"A-AGH! T-The fuck kinda devil power was that?!" Gunsten shouted, marching back towards Bill with his jet feet clanking against the ground while spewing thick black smoke.

"Heh...the Smelt-Smelt Fruit...let's me eat stuff like metal and ores to smelt down into weapons...cool, right?" Bill smiled. "OOOOH! FUN!" exclaimed Gunsten's crew. "DON'T PRAISE HIM YOU IDIOTS!" Gunsten snapped.

"I'll give you another chance to leave dude...heh...I mean you keep bragging about your bounty, get too cocky and maybe I'll just kill you and become 600 million berries richer, huh?" chuckled Bill.

"Eh? D-Don't joke about stuff like that! You're really starting to piss me off!" Gunsten yelled, crouching down as he rocketed forward blasting smoke and fire from his jet legs. Bill just smirked, putting his arms in a cross shape to block as his body began to shine and steam. There was a loud crash as Gunsten made contact, ploughing his fists into Bill's guard and forcing him back while flying through him like a bulldozer. However as he flew up and around, he gritted his teeth seeing Bill was practically unharmed, his body shining like silver. It appeared that Bill had converted the metal built up in his body into iron armour and transformed his skin into metal to smother the attack.

"Damn, this dude is tougher than he seems" thought Gunsten, as he manoeuvred through the air to try and get a better position for another attack.


{Devil Fruit Profiles}

Jet-Jet Fruit/Jetto-Jetto no Mi

User - Runner Gunsten

Type - Paramecia

Ability - This devil fruit transforms the user's forelegs and feet into powerful mechanical jet engines, which allow for high speed flight and mobility. When concentrated, the user is capable of performing strong jet powered kicks and can create fires by using the sparks that get released from the jet exhausts. At it's basic form, the user can push themselves to Mach 1 speeds.

Strengths - When enough fuel has been consumed, the user is capable of pushing their engines to Mach 2 speeds and create sonic booms. Because of the amount of toxic smoke released, the uses has reinforced lungs meaning that they can freely breathe in areas dense with smog, smoke, poison gas, and places with low oxygen levels without being affected.

Weaknesses - In order to operate at top condition, the user must consume fuels such as petrol, diesel, and oil. These liquids can cause thick black smoke to billow from the exhaust pipes at the bottom of the jets that can choke people when enough has been inhaled. The ability is also practically useless when in an enclosed space and relies entirely on a wide open outside space for absolute control of a fight and area. Like other devil fruit users, the user of the Jet-Jet Fruit is unable to swim.


[Giygas Island Bay - Leaving Port]

The waves gently rocked the small ship back and forth as it sailed quietly out of the harbour. In the galley, Krieg was standing over a large pot on the stove that was filled with a hot bubbling stew while Kuro was looking over some maps. "Hmm...judging by the few stops that we have to make before properly getting set into the Grand Line, I'd say it'll take us at least three weeks before we can properly begin our quest to go take down the Strawhats" mused Kuro, "First we have to head to Whiskey Peaks to pick up your friend Pearl...then Amazon Lily to get my boy back to his mother...hmm...indeed, just those two trips will take at least three or four weeks".

Krieg huffed as he tasted a spoonful of stew, "So about a month, huh? Hmph, no matter. It's not as if we're in any sort of rush. Besides I know Pearl will be delighted to see me again after all these years. It's only natural that the world's strongest man reunites with the world's most invincible man after all". Kuro nodded in agreement, "Indeed, I look forward to meeting him. I recall that back in our old days of pirating he was known as 'Iron Pearl the Invincible Wall', correct?".

Krieg nodded, "Heh, yeah that's him. Great guy, fiercely loyal, excellent combat ability...but...ah...he gets a little upset when he sees his own blood...as in he lights everything on fire" he explained. "Aheh, there's always a catch I suppose" Kuro chuckled, rolling up his maps as Krieg started to dish up dinner. Walking over to the galley door, Kuro stuck his head out to the boy on the deck, "Hayami! Food is ready, be quick now or else I'm certain Krieg will eat it all on you".

"Huh? Oh! Hmhm, thanks Dad" Hayami chuckled, putting down his training gloves and heading into the galley. The three men sat around the little table enjoying Krieg's stew, with both Kuro and Hayami being impressed by the taste and quality. "mmph! Top notch Krieg, you've outdone yourself tonight" smiled Kuro. "Agreed there, this is fantastic Mr Don Krieg!" added Hayami.

Krieg smirked and puffed out his chest, "Ahhh well you know...a man learns a few things after learning the horrors of starvation!" he boasted, "Oh and uh...kid, you don't gotta call me 'Mr' or my full name. Don't get me wrong, you're a good lad to have the respect, but you're more than welcome to just call Krieg like your old man does" he explained, nudging Kuro's shoulder. Hayami nodded and gave a thumbs up, as he continued eating.

"Y'know I gotta ask" began Krieg, turning to Kuro, "How in the hell did a guy like you manage to have a kid in the first place? Let alone with that psycho snake woman, I hear she calls herself the 'most beautiful woman in the world' or something ridiculous like that". Kuro shrugged, "To be completely honest, I...really don't know how it happened. But about two decades ago me and Hancock crossed paths...really hit it off...and before I knew it, she was pregnant with my shark slaying champion across the table" he chuckled, gesturing at Hayami with his fork.

"Hmm...and tell me, man to man" Krieg smirked, "How was she in bed? Good, right? Or did she make you work for it only to then be awful?". Kuro just laughed, while Hayami choked on his food and covered his ears. "D-Dude! Not cool Krieg, that's my Mother you're talking about!" Hayami protested.

"Relax kid, it's just man talk!" replied Krieg, slapping Hayami's back, "Now come on, tell me the good stuff! I wanna know if she really lives up to her self given title Kuro!". Kuro tapped his chin, knowing it wouldn't be very wise to talk about how he made his son right in front of his son, but at the same time knew it was just friendly banter among men. Shrugging, he leaned over and whispered into Krieg's ear to explain all the graphic NSFW details. Krieg laughed and slammed his hand on the table, "NO FUCKING WAY! I see now why you they called you 'Kuro of a Thousand Plans' back in the day".

"Ahmph, it's all a matter of the mind" Kuro chuckled. Hayami just sighed and rubbed his chin, "Heh...man, so much for a mature discussion I guess".


[Cast-Iron Village - Town Square]

"COME ON CAPTAIN! KICK HIS ASS!" Gunsten's crew yelled, as Bill was in the process of trying to shoot Gunsten out of the sky by rapidly firing molten iron ore from his fingers like a gatling gun.

"Heh...it's just a matter of time dude, just give up so I can go home and eat" Bill chuckled. "S-SHUT UP YOU BASTARD!" Gunsten yelled, flying in a loop and divebombing towards Bill like an eagle with his fists outstretched directly in front of him to deliver a massive punch.

Bill just laughed as he put up his arms in a X shape again to block the attack while coating his body in iron armour again, making a clanging noise as Gunsten flew straight into him. A loud crack was heard as Gunsten yelped and darted backwards. One of his crew members gasped and pointed, "L-LOOK! C-CAPTAIN GUNSTEN'S HANDS!".

There was a murmur among the crowd as Gunsten tried to close his fists, however his hands had been beaten bloody and crushed to pieces from the continuous attacks on Bill's dense defence. "G-GAHHH! S-Son of a bitch!" he scowled, as he gently eased his hands and lowered them. Bill just laughed, "Heh...seems like a 'you problem' dude...after all, it's just common sense that you'll get busted up flying into an unbreakable wall at your crazy speeds, y'know?".

"S-Shut up! How many times do I gotta tell you to SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH?!" Gunsten yelled, clenching his teeth in annoyance as black smoke billowed from his legs, "I don't need my hands to beat your ass! Or should I say...KICK your ass!" he shouted, crouching down and rocketing forwards at high speed while rearing his leg back to unleash a powerful kick, "SAY GOODNIGHT SMELTER BOY! IT'S OVER!".

"Hmph...have it your way man" Bill scoffed, his body shining a brilliant silver as he took a fighting stance. Gunsten continued to laugh as he flew forward, launching his rocket powered kick towards Bill's face. However in that moment, Bill quickly ducked and caused Gunsten to lose his balance as he just kicked the air. Stumbling forward in confusion, Gunsten was unable to defend himself as Bill reached into his smelting abs and pulled out a giant iron hammer that he brought crashing down onto the pirate's skull.

~CLANG!~

Dust scattered across the ground and the black smoke started to dissipate into the sky. The air was still as Gunsten lay battered, bloody and unconscious in the dirt, his crew silent as if they couldn't believed what had happened. Bill sighed, slowly turning to look at the crew, "Well...heh...guess that's it, huh? So...unless you wanna be smart and leave this town...who's next?". The men of Gunsten's crew all shouted in terror as they quickly picked up their captain and made a run for it, quickly heading to the harbour and clambering back onto their ship which clumsily skulked out of the bay.

"Huh? Wow...heh...those guys really are cowards" Bill muttered to himself, taking a minute to actually look around the village at all the damage. He was concerned at first, but felt a rush of warmth in his heart as he began to hear claps and cheers from the villagers coming out of their houses and thanking him for saving them. "HEY WAY TO GO BILL!/YOU SAVED OUR BUTTS!/YOU'RE A REAL HERO BILL!" the villagers cheered. He smiled and rubbed the back of his neck, "Heh...a-ah come on guys...i-it was nothing really, just doing my job y'know?". Despite his humble nature, Bill secretly loved the attention but made sure to not let it go to his head. As some the villagers set to work patching up the smashed windows, Bill walked over to the crater that Arlong was lying in. Sighing, he made his way down and was assisted by some other villagers to carry the fishman back to Bill's house. "Don't worry big guy...you did good today" Bill thought to himself as he patted Arlong's forehead.


[The Next Morning - Bill's House]

The sun streaked through the curtains of Bill's house as Arlong began to stir awake. The warmth hitting his face made him sneeze, as he drowsily rubbed his eyes and sat up in bed. He was confused as to where he was, but noticed that he had been all bandaged up and was in a bedroom. "Hmm...shit, did I die?" he thought to himself as he slowly got out of bed and got dressed. He could hear a faint crackle of a frying pan and the smell of meat as he poked his head into the kitchen, where he saw Bill, Bellamy, Alvida and the rest of the crew all chatting and eating. Hachi looked up from his breakfast and smiled, "O-OH! ARLOOOONG! GOOOOOD MOOOOORNIIIIIING!" he waved excitedly.

"Hmm? Oh, hey man, feeling better?" asked Bellamy, glancing up at the fishman while sipping some coffee. Arlong shrugged as he took a seat at the table, "Meh...been better I guess...the fuck happened to me?". "You got your ass handed to you on an iron platter, that's what happened" Bill laughed, frying bacon on the stove, "I heard it all from the villagers, apparently you got beaten to a pulp by some boxer at a café and then immediately after got absolutely wrecked by some pirates" he explained, "Luckily I showed up and saved you...heh...no need to thank me, just looking out for a pal".

Arlong grumbled, not wanting to think about such an embarrassing loss as Buggy slid him a plate of food. "Oi Arlong, don't be hard on yourself. After all, I've a feeling any of us probably would've been beaten hard like that" replied Buggy, "Well...I-I mean maybe besides Bill and Bellamy...and...uh...maybe Alvida? I'm not sure how her devil fruit would handle those types of opponents".

Alvida shrugged, "I...actually don't know. Maybe attacks like that would slip off, maybe they wouldn't, I really don't know. I mean I rarely fight anyway so...does it matter?".

"Anyway, just for the record we kept the ship safe while you guys were taking care of business" said Chew, "We have some security at the port watching it for us, as soon as we heard what happened last night we all came straight here to make sure you were okay" he explained. Arlong sighed as he munched on some bacon, "Good work guys...I...I appreciate it" he muttered, before glancing at Bill, "Oh and uh...t-thank you...for the save I mean, I...that was nice of you Bill, you're cool...for a human I mean" he grumbled.

"Don't mention it man, we're all bros here, right?" Bill laughed, "Oh and by the way! I forgot to mention that I got you guy's order all finished. There's a few crates of iron armour, swords, and axes round back in the garage. Feel free to take it all, on the house of course like I promised as a thanks for bringing that little bastard back home" he smiled, pointing at Luca who was sitting on Kuroobi's lap eating cereal.

"You've been a real pal Bill, seriously" nodded Bellamy, "I'm guessing we're probably gonna have to leave soon, right?".

"Damn straight! The longer we stay, the longer it'll take for us to find Strawhat!" Buggy exclaimed with a grin, "Let's get back out there in a flashy way as soon as we can!".

Cabaji nodded in agreement, "Captain Buggy's right you know, it may have only been two days but we still stayed much longer than we intended to. Would be best for us to hit the seas again to make sure we don't have any more...unexpected guests arrive and try to take us out".

"Mhm...mhm...fair points, I honestly can't make any arguments against them" added Bellamy. The others all gave their thoughts on the situation, with a majority of the guys all agreeing that they should cast off. After all they had a mission to carry out, so now really wasn't the time to hang around. Arlong insisted that he was alright to walk back to the ship by himself, and after a few minutes they were all leaving Bill's house carrying the crates back to the ship.


Arlong stood at the entrance to Bill's garage, watching the blacksmith chew some ore to smelt down for some more orders he had complete for other villagers. "Hey...uh...Bill...mind if I talk to you for a second?" he asked, stepping back inside as the rest of the crew walked away. Bill looked up, "Huh? Oh...heh...course you can, what's up?".

Arlong folded his arms, "Look...I really can't express how much I'm grateful for your help...I...aheh...no human has ever shown me that kinda mercy before...well, at least a human I didn't really know. You seriously saved my ass last night, I...just...thank you." he explained, his tone calm and somber, genuinely coming from the heart.

Bill smiled, "As I said, it's all good...heh...we're friends now, and that's what they do for each other...even when you're across the world fighting that strawhat punk, you're always welcome to come back and see me".

Arlong nodded, extending a hand, "Shahaha...this doesn't have to be goodbye you know, why don't you come with us? The other guys seem to like you a lot, and you certainly have my respect.". Bill sighed as he firmly shook the fishman's hand, "Believe me man, the offer is nice but...this is where I belong now, y'know? Sure pirating was fun, but I had my fill years ago. Being here with a constant peace of mind as a simple blacksmith in a town full of people who all love me...it's cosy...and I wouldn't give that for the world" he explained. Arlong had a small smile on his face as he let go of Bill's hand, "Well...my offer will always stand in case you ever change your mind" he replied, turning and slowly starting to walk outta the garage. "Good luck out there Arlong...don't die on me" Bill giggled, giving a little wave.

"Hmph, I'll get stronger, don't you worry about me" Arlong scoffed, before laughing and glancing back, "I'll see you around Bill...thanks again".

Finally leaving the garage, Arlong followed after the rest of the crew as fast as his injured body would let him. Bill just watched, chuckling to himself as he reached into his abs and pulled out some hammers that he dunked into a barrel of water to cool down.


[Meanwhile, a few hours away off the coast of Giygas Island]

"A-AGHH! G-GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME! D-DO YOU KNOW WHAT I AM DUDES?!" Gunsten yelled as he was forced on the deck on his stomach as a marine officer pinned him down and placed seastone handcuffs on his bandaged hands. "Uh...yeah? You're a pirate with a massive bounty, so obviously I'm placing you under arrest" replied Ippo.

"Woo! Nice one dude, we're rocking it today!" cheered Dan, as he tied up some of Gunsten's crew, while the rest of the marines swarmed the ship.

Having tried to escape after being defeated at Giygas Island, Gunsten's ship had been tailed and caught by Smoker, who stormed the pirate vessel to arrest Gunsten and his men. Due to how much of a bad condition the pirates were in, they didn't put up much of a fight. As the pirates were brought across to the "Great Justice" navy ship, Gunsten was given special attention due his status as captain and because of his serious hand and head injuries.

As Gunsten sat in the infirmary in the bowels of the ship, he cradled his cracked forehead in his hands as Smoker strode into the room. "Hmph...Admiral Smoker? Pfft...I knew I was famous, but not famous enough to have an Admiral after me" Gunsten chuckled.

Smoker rolled his eyes, "Don't hype yourself up, I was in the process of chasing after some other criminals that pose a greater threat than anything you could do...but unfortunately we lost track of them and happened to come across you instead".

"...o-oh...fair enough" Gunsten quietly whispered, "W-Well look man, I ain't in the mood to fight...a-as you can see, I'm a little...under the weather right now, got the breaks beaten offa me by some dumb blacksmith as you can clearly see". Smoker nodded, "Mhm...lucky me I suppose" he replied sarcastically, "Anyway long story short, you'll be tried and contained back at the nearest maximum security prison for a while, and most likely sent to Impel Down...you understand your charges, right?".

Gunsten sighed and nodded slowly, "Y-Yeah...yeah yeah yeah...I-I get it...I'm a pirate, I got caught, and now I gotta do time" he muttered, "Um...j-just outta curiousity, how many years could I be looking at? I-If I can ask?".

Smoker tapped his chin, taking a cigar out of his mouth, "Hmmmmmmmmm...I'd reckon around 20 years? Could be more but at the same time could be less, you are a somewhat big name after all with your bounty and how you tend to put on a show whenever you fight.".

Gunsten quietly chuckled and clutched his side, "Ahehaha...yep...t-that's me...Gunsten of the Sky...heh...not anymore...or at least not for a while...but man, if anything I'm just bummed I didn't get to finish the job and kill that damn sharkman bastard".

Smoker raised an eyebrow at the mention of a sharkman, "Shark? Like...hmm...a fishman? Is that who you fought at that island you were escaping from?". Gunsten nodded, "Mhm...yeah, some shark guy...what was his name again? Ah...hmm...I think it was...Arlong? Yeah...yeah that sounds right, a big blue guy with a pointy nose and muscles.

Smoker's eyes widened as he heard this information, that Arlong had been on Giygas Island the entire time and nearly been killed by Gunsten. "Hmm...that's quite quite interesting...very interesting indeed...maybe...hmm...would you mind our intel officers asking you a few questions about what happened to you on that island?" he asked, puffing on a cigar. Gunsten shrugged and nodded, figuring he might as well since jail time was unavoidable regardless. Smoker patted Gunsten's shoulder before turning and striding out of the room. As he walked to his quarters, a siren began to wail as a voice blared over the intercom;

"PIRATES HAVE BEEN SPOTTED A HUNDRED MILES OFF THE STARBOARD BOW! ADMIRAL SMOKER, PLEASE REPORT TO THE BRIDGE RIGHT AWAY!".

Smoker frowned, "Hmph, looks like Arlong and Buggy are making a run for it again...well they can sail away as fast as they like, but I'll catch them eventually" he thought to himself as he quickly made his way to the bridge.

{TO BE CONTINUED}