Melville

The bell rang.

Across the Melville shipyard, workers arched their backs, stretched their arms and legs, heaving sighs of relief. Time to pack up, get paid, and head home or to the taverns.

Izou smiled, looking down at his handiwork. The last of the new cannons had arrived from Doyle that morning, and the last crate was now safely in the warehouse. The crew of theLady Snowwere already in the taverns, celebrating an end to their nerve-wracking journey.

He gave the crates one last look-over, then headed for the door. Keene, the Chief of Security, was hanging around outside, waiting to lock up. Izou greeted him with a nod as he passed, then saw Derby ambling towards him.

"Good evening, Mr Derby sir." Izou bowed out of habit. Keene snorted, but nodded respectfully all the same.

"Still so formal, Izou." There was a twinkle in Derby's eyes. "Just stopping by to check on the warehouse. Is everything in order, Keene?"

"Just about done sir. Just this door left."

"Very good. Walk with me, will you Izou?"

Izou nodded, and fell in beside Derby as he headed back towards the main gate.

"The job's going well," he said. "Wouldn't you say, Izou?"

"Yes sir," Izou agreed. "Everything's been arriving on time, even with thespecial shipmentsto deal with. The keels are actually ahead of schedule."

"Maybe I underestimated Newgate," Derby mused with a wry smirk. "Ah, but forty years tells me it won't last. I just hope the special shipments don't cause us any trouble."

Izou glanced back at the warehouse. Keene had locked the doors, and was securing them with a heavy chain. There were a lot of his men around too; more than usual. Derby was clearly taking no chances.

"I just stowed the last shipment myself," Izou assured him. "So long as we keep them locked up, there shouldn't be any danger."

"That's good to hear." Derby smiled. "You're looking much better yourself, Izou."

"Thank you sir."

They reached the gate, and bade each other good night; after which Izou joined the pay line. Once paid, he strolled out through the gate; making his way along the dockside. The docks were busy with ships, as usual; their crews hurrying to unload their cargo and finish up their duties so they could sample the local nightlife. The taverns were already busy, and he could hear the strains of a sailor's song.

I've got a fine little rhyme!

Sing us another one!
Just like the other one!
Sing us another one, do!

Izou smiled, feeling a touch of nostalgia. It was a song Whitey Bay used to sing when she was plastered. It wasn't the kind of song the local mothers would like their children to hear.

He strolled onward, turning onto Main Street and heading on up the hill. The sounds of merrymaking faded, replaced with the sounds and sights of a normal town. Children were heading home from school, and people were finishing their shopping. He could smell food cooking, hear people talking, see them smiling as they greeted friends or loved ones. A few glances came his way, but only briefly, and without much interest.

How different from before; when he had spent his days slaving in the shipyards, and his nights drinking away his misery. Then people had looked askance at him, and crossed the street to avoid him; and well they might. What a mess he must have looked then; red-eyed, unkempt, his clothes uncared-for, his aura as repellent as the look on his face.

Not any more. Now his long black hair was in a ponytail, and his clothes, though still the garb of a humble shipyard worker, were cleaned and recently mended. Even his aura had changed, as his life had changed.

At all once he reached his destination; a certain patisserie and cafe, near the top of Main Street. It was starting to fill up, as townspeople and visitors came in search of a meal.

The door clinked as he opened it and stepped inside. Most of the tables were already taken, but Izou's eyes were on the counter, and the two women standing beside it. One was Elizabeth, the cafe's owner; who saw him and brightened. The brown haired woman with the plaid shirt and overalls turned with her bright blue eyes.

"Izou! Hello!" she called out, beaming. "Great timing!"

It was indeed, for the other woman was Herzla. She had changed too; both in appearance and in aura. Instead of her old ragged cloak, she wore a simple kimono with an apron over it, while a traditional head-wrap concealed the top and back of her head. If this were Wano, she would have been taken for a respectable peasant woman.

And she was smiling too. The darkness that had shrouded her eyes when he first met her was gone. She didn't even look all that old any more.

"Hello, Izou," she greeted him, her smile warming his weary heart. "I was just dropping off some produce."

"A good thing too," Elizabeth cut in. "Everything she brings in sells out fast."

Izou wasn't surprised. Herzla took very good care of her orchard, using knowledge she had learned in Wano and other places too. The fruit she took from her trees and bushes made excellent pies and pastries. He knew; he had tasted them many times.

"Granny Herzla's apples are the best!" declared Linda, Elizabeth's daughter, emerging from the kitchen, practically a spitting image of her mother. "Hey Mr Izou!"

"Hello Linda." Izou smiled, nodding his way towards the young girl.

"Well, you can have as many as you like, dear," replied Herzla, smiling. "But they need time to grow, like you."

Linda regarded Herzla for a moment.

"Huh. You're not scary any more like how my friends at school say, Granny Herzla," she said, then grinned. "Just old and wrinkly!"

"Now Linda!" admonished Elizabeth. But Herzla just chuckled.

"It's fine," she said. "I'm not that old, but I certainly look it."

Izou could not help but smile as he watched the exchange. Herzla's head-wrap hid her horns, but there was really no need for it. Everyone in Melville who knew her knew she was an Oni, but no one seemed to care. She was just Herzla, or Granny Herzla, or Old Mother Herzla.

"Now you both look like you could use some dinner," Elizabeth cut in, her smile back in place. "I've got some splendid pot pie, and plenty of fruit for after!"

Izou glanced at Herzla. She glanced back. Both grinned, and nodded; allowing Linda to lead them to an empty table as he pulled out his wallet.

"Oh please Izou, it's on the house," insisted Elizabeth. "Herzla's been a boon for my cafe lately. It's the least I can do."

"It's only fair to-" Elizabeth looked back with a wry smirk.

"Just for tonight. Come by again, then I'll let you pay."

Izou sighed, and put his wallet away. Elizabeth beamed, and headed for the kitchen, followed by Linda.

"You had a spring in your step," commented Herzla, still smiling. "A good day in the yard?"

"Pretty good. The last shipment from Doyle arrived, so that's a load off for everyone."

"I can imagine."

There was no harm in telling her that. Everyone knew that special shipments of huge crates were arriving from Doyle; and Herzla somehow got all the gossip. So long as they didn't know what was actuallyinsidethe crates, then everything would be fine.

"Did they ever find out who that strange little man was?" she asked.

Izou's mood soured a little. He didn't know much about it, but apparently a short man in flashy clothes had been seen sniffing around the shipyard a few nights ago. One of Keene's men spotted him, and he ran for it; disappearing into the back streets of Melville.

"No," he admitted. "Some of the tavern keepers had seen him drinking and playing cards for money; but they thought he was just some tourist. No one's seen hide nor hair of him since that night."

He activated his Observation Haki, letting it spread gently across the cafe. The feeling was good, overall; people eating and drinking, and enjoying each other's company. Little attention was coming his way; just passing glances, or mild curiosity. If someone was watching them, they were doing a good job of hiding it.

And if they werethatgood, eavesdropping was the least of his worries.

"A spy then," mused Herzla. "If he's got any sense he'll be long gone. Should we be worried?"

Izou faltered. Herzla was far from weak, but how much did he dare tell her?

"Mr Derby's worried," he admitted. "But even an Emperor would think twice before attacking this place."

"Or someone stupid."

Fortunately, Elizabeth chose that moment to return with two plates of steaming hot pot. They ate, talking about everyday things, then followed up with fruit tart with plenty of cream. Replete, they drank tea and gossiped until the sun was setting, and they began their journey home.

It was almost dark by the time they reached Herzla's hut. It had changed a lot in the past week, since Izou had moved in. He had practically rebuilt it, until it looked more like a proper house; albeit a small one. He had laid stones along the path leading to the road, and Derby was negotiating with the Mayor about improving the road itself.

"Why don't I make us some tea?" suggested Herzla. Izou smiled at the thought, and headed for his room; returning with his shamisen. For all that her mother had disliked Wano, and for good reason, Herzla enjoyed his music.

He paused, as he spotted a newspaper sitting on the kotatsu. It must have arrived while he was at work. He took it, and laid it out before him, reading as he played.

The paper was a week old, but no less dramatic for it. There was a big, flashy article about the Heart Pirates taking down the Germa-66, aided bydemonsof some kind. There was a lot of breathless speculation about what the Marines were going to do, and how this would affect pirate activity and commerce.

Izou had been a pirate, and a courtier, long enough to hazard a guess. Pirates would run wild, and the Marines would run ragged. The kingdoms would become restive, and new powers would emerge. And the world would get crazier and crazier.

And the new fleet would be needed all the more.

"The world is changing," Herzla mused, setting a cup of tea before him and sitting down opposite. "I can feel it in my bones…like a storm coming."

"Yes…but what must be must be," replied Izou, setting down his Shamisen to take a sip of his tea. "Whitebeard won't stop, not until Lord Oden is avenged, Kaido is destroyed, and Wano is free."

'And Izuku and Yamato are safe,' he thought, but did not say. It pained him to think of them, and what he had done to them; but there was no point to it. He would apologise to them when the time was right, but not before he had explained himself to Whitebeard, and submitted himself to his judgement. It was the least he owed the man he had once calledPops.

"I hope you're right, Izou," said Herzla. She sipped her tea, as Izou looked down at the paper. His eyes fell on a small text box, advertising a two page spread on Law'smonsters. Curious, he turned the page, as thunder rumbled in the distance.

Then he hesitated. That wasn't thunder. He had heard thunder often enough, and he knew this sound just as well.

"Cannons…" Herzla frowned in surprise. "Why are they shooting at this time of night?"

"Those aren't the Moby Dick's guns."

Izou dashed into his room, pulled up one of the floorboards and pulled out a richly-decorated box. Inside were his pistols, and the cartridges he had made himself. Willing his fingers not to twitch, he unscrewed the cap at the bottom of the stock, and fed the cartridges into the tube. Once both stocks were full, he eased the cap spring back inside, then screwed them tight.

"Izou, what is it?" Herzla asked, as he stuffed the last of his cartridges in his pockets and stood up, thrusting the pistols into his belt.

"Herzla, stay here."

Before she could say another word, he dashed out of the house and ran towards the road.

Who the hell was it? And why were they attacking?

(X)

Bill, Captain of the Silver Pirates, smirked in triumph.

It was a grand sight; grander even than he had expected. The port-town of Melville, shipyard of Whitebeard himself, lay before him. It was a fine-looking port; one of the best he had ever seen. All the taverns and shops and warehouses were in good order, with painted signs and frontages, with no broken glass or trash lying around. The docks were clearly well-maintained, with some fine-looking ships moored at them. Aside from the sailors piling out of the taverns, the people standing before him, or peering out of windows, were well-dressed and healthy-looking.

A good place. A prosperous place. Just like the boss had said.

"Listen up!" he called out. Standing atop his subordinate Avelon, he looked down at the townspeople like the conqueror he was. "Rally your people! Bring them here!"

Glorious. And so easy! Thanks to the Coating Resin the boss had given him, his ship had slipped safely and silently under the waves; unseen by Whitebeard's scouts. He could go anywhere, strike anywhere, and be gone before anyone could do anything about it.

And now, time for his perfect heist to begin.

"Are you stupid or something!" shouted one of the townspeople. "You wanna pick a fight with Whitebeard!?"

"You're digging your own graves!" shouted another. The crowd shouted and shook their fists. Bill pulled out his pistol and fired it into the air. The crowd fell silent, suddenly cowed.

"Me and my crew are just making themselves known!" he called out. "We haven't hurt anyone! And we won't, so long as you do as you're told!"

"What do you want!?" demanded a portly, balding man in a suit as he emerged from the crowd.

"You in charge here?" Bill asked.

"I am Stanwix, Mayor of Melville," replied the man. He drew himself up, trying to look authoritative; but he just looked scared, like the rest of them. "I warn you, young man. This town, and this entire island, are under the protection of Whitebeard, Emperor of the Sea. I advise you to withdraw while you can."

Bill heard his men sniggering.

"Well the thing is,Mister Mayor," he retorted with a sneer. "Whitebeard isn't here right now, and we are; so I adviseyouto have your people bring out their treasure! Cash, jewels, bullion, valuables, all of it! And while you're at it, I'll be taking a peek in your famous shipyard; see what all these rumours are about!"

A shiver of fear ran through the crowd, the people glancing nervously at one-another. Oh yes, they were up to something all right; and the boss, he knew, would be very pleased to know about it.

"You won't do that."

Bill looked up, and saw another figure emerge from the crowd. He was a man at the wrong end of middle age, with thick glasses and a thin fringe of white hair around a bald pate. But there was something about him that caught Bill's attention; something solid.

"And you are?"

"I am Derby, master of the shipyard," replied the man, with a conviction that belied his appearance. "Young man, you've caused a disturbance but you've done no harm. Leave this place before things get worse for you."

Bill scoffed, and levelled his pistol. The crowd began to back away, but Derby stood his ground.

"Okay then, I'll just have to make myself clear!" He turned to his crew. "Boys! Start looting!"

The pirates surged forward, some menacing the crowd with their guns while others headed for the warehouses and shops; taking axes to the doors.

Bill grinned as he watched. Nothing to it. All they had to do was empty a few safes, maybe grab some nice valuables, and they would be safely on their way. Bill and his crew would be rich and famous, and the boss would get his cut. On top of the juicy information of what was being built in those new drydocks.

It would be a big cut, but it was worth it. When your boss had ties to Doflamingo Donquixote, you paid up and didn't complain.

Besides, he had introduced Bill to Gild Tesoro, the man of gold himself and the one who gave him his glorious opportunity. He had learned a lot from that man.

A yell drew him from his reverie. Bill gasped as he saw one of his pirates slump to the ground; a bleeding hole in his brow. A crack rang out, and another man fell; blood spurting from the back of his head.

"Run!" yelled Derby, and the crowd scattered; yelling and crying as they hurried up the main street and along the docks. Derby scurried off towards the shipyard, and Bill levelled his pistol with a snarl.

Then he hesitated, as he saw the man standing alone on the opening of the main street. In his hands were two smoking pistols.

"Fine then!" he snapped. "If you won't pay up peaceably, we'll burn this town and be down with it!"

He jumped off Avelon's back, and pulled a metal ingot from his pack. He bit into it, chewing hard, forcing the metal down his throat as his Devil Fruit power activated. He could feel the inferno in his belly, hot as any forge-fire, melting the metal and driving it through his body.

He gritted his teeth, willing the metal to take form; a cannon muzzle emerging from his belly. He fired, the shot slamming into the building right next to the man with the pistols. The man dived and rolled as the building blew apart; showing the docks and streets with burning wreckage. The pirates began forcing their way into the buildings, shots ringing out and glass smashing. Peseta, his First Mate, was striding back and forward along the docks, overseeing the work.

"Avelon! Check out the shipyard!' he ordered. Avelon nodded, and straightened up; the wheels on his wrists and ankles changing back into hands and feet. He pulled a musket from the basket on his back, and strode off towards the shipyard, calling a few pirates to follow him.

He felt something hit him on the forehead, and hot metal run down his face. He looked, and saw the man staring at him, pistols levelled. In the light of the flames, Bill could see him more clearly. He wore simple clothes, but had long black hair and a delicate-looking face; an odd combination.

Not that he cared.

"Bullets can't do shit to me punk!" he roared. "I ate the Smelt-Smelt Fruit, becoming a Smelting Man! Any metal that touches me melts! Any metal I eat, I can use!"

He pulled more ingots from his pack and stuffed them into his mouth; tungsten, iron, silver, anything he could grab.

"I can also…" he reached into his glowing belly, "make any weapon I chose!" He drew out a rifled musket, fashioned entirely from metal.

"You think you can burn down this town!?" demanded the man, glowering. "This town, under Whitebeard's protection? You're begging for an early grave!"

"He'll have tocatchus first!" Bill sneered back. "We'll be gone long before he gets here; with whatever treasure this bumfucknowhere town has! Though…" He glanced along the docks towards the shipyard. The gate had been broken open, but there was no sign of Avelon. "We can't leave without seeing what's in the shipyard now, can we?"

True, he would have to lay low for a while after this. But so long as he found out what was in that shipyard, it would be worth it. Doflamingo would pay handsomely for that information. Hell, it would probably be more than whatever loot this place could offer.

His hands glowed, forming into a pair of hydrants. He thrust them out, spewing molten metal at the gunman. The man tried to dodge, but Bill was too fast for him; the metal gushing around his legs and forcing him to the ground. He raised his arms, but Bill sprayed more metal; covering them and pinning them down.

"Hah! Dumbass!" he barked, imagining the burningagonythe arrogant prettyboy must be enduring. He'd seen Gild Tesoro kill a man with molten gold; the smell was unbelievable.

"Bill!" It was Avelon, back on all fours again, racing up from the shipyard; the pirates who'd accompanied him hanging onto his basket. "I just checked one of those drydocks. There's ahugeship inside! Big as the Moby Dick!"

"Really now." Bill smirked like a cat. "The old fossil's bulking out his fleet, is he? What's the plan, prettyboy? Is he planning one last blaze of glory?"

"No…"

Bill gaped, stunned, as the gunman stood up, the metal falling from him in glowing droplets. His clothes were scorched, and his arms were covered in burn welts; but otherwise he was fine!

"Huh?! How!"

(X)

"Whitebeard…means to save the world," growled Izou. "I won't let you ruin his plans! I swear on my name! Izou of Ringo!"

Izou charged, pistols blazing, black Haki covering his arms. Bill staggered back, caught off-guard, and Izou's forearm caught his chin, knocking him back. Izou attacked again, and again, keeping the pressure on. He had to take this man down, and then…

"Mommy!"

In reflex, he turned back towards the seafront. He saw Linda, cowering behind some crates; while her mother Elizabeth lay on the ground nearby. A blonde pirate, with two cannons on his shoulders, had his foot on her back.

Bill's fist plunged into his stomach. Izou was flung back, hitting the ground hard. His whole body hurt, and his stomach felt like he had drunk molten lead.

"Izou!" cried Elizabeth; then gasped as the blond pirate kicked her.

"Hold her, Peseta!" ordered Bill, striding down the dock and standing in front of him, grinning in triumph. "You shouldn't have played hero, Izou."

Izou clutched his stomach, and tried to drag himself back, to think of something. Surely someone would see the smoke, and the light of the fires? Surely one of Whitebeard's ships would come?

No, they wouldn't. Even if someone had reached a snail and made the call, it would be hoursat leastbefore a ship arrived; maybe longer. Whitebeard's fleet was large, but it couldn't be everywhere at once.

It wasfearthat had protected this island. Fear of Whitebeard, and maybe respect too; respect for the man himself, and for the customs and code of the Pirate.

This man named Bill cared nothing for those things. He struck where he dared, and took what he could get. He was a pirate of the new generation. The Worst Generation, for sure.

"I wonder how much Big Mom would pay for that info?" Bill mused, still smirking. "Or…maybe Kaido? I bet he'd pay a nice price. He's been kinda antsy these days, let me tell you. He put out a huge fucking bounty for some freckle-faced nobody namedDeku; can you believe it? I bet he'd pay five times that to know that his rival's tooling up."

Izou tried to move, but his body would not obey. His stomach was burning, and his strength was gone. He still had his pistols, somehow, but he could not lift his arms. He was alone in this place, with pirates running wild. If only…

"Cap…tain!"

Bill looked to the side, his smirk becoming a frown. Izou followed his glance, just in time to see one of the Silver Pirates slump to the ground; blue in the face and foaming at the mouth.

Then he felt it. A massive, overwhelming presence; washing over him like a mighty wave. He knew that feeling, though he had felt it only a few times. He saw it by the shipyards. Black lightning erupting out.

"The hell…?!" gasped another pirate, staggering and clutching at his throat. "I can't… breathe!"

"Conqueror's…?!" Izou breathed. He hardly dared believe it. Had Pops arrived!?

No. It wasn't him. Izou had felt his Haki before. Who was it!?

A flash behind Bill lit up the dock, followed by abanglike a thunderclap, and a billow of smoke. Bill turned round, his bewilderment turning to horror as he saw where the explosion had come from.

"The El Silverado!" he wailed, as his ship crumpled and began sinking into the harbour. Peseta let out a snarl, and levelled his cannons at Linda. The girl screamed.

Thensomethingpassed over them; like a cloud blocking the sun. Peseta fired, and the crate Linda had been hiding behind blew apart. Izou cried out, his heart clenching.

Then he saw; or rather, he saw nothing. There was no body, no blood; no sign someone had been there. Just pieces of crate; and whatever had been inside it.

"Huh?" Peseta looked confused. He began to turn, as a blur flashed up the dock towards him. But the blur was too fast, flashing past him and stopping; resolving into the shape of a man, a long no-dachi held out at the end of a swing.

Peseta's head fell off, screaming as it hit the ground.

"What the fuck is going on!?" yelled Bill, glancing about for his attacker. Then he saw Izou, and his bewildered eyes filled with murder-light. The hydrants melted, shifting into an enormous molten hammer. Bill raised it high, and Izou knew this was it.

And then he was moving; a gust of wind tossing him across the dock. He landed near Elizabeth, and had to force himself to look up; just in time to see a dark shape land a little way from Bill.

"You're to blame for this?" it asked, sounding both tired and irritated. Izou stared, as the darkness faded and revealed a human shape.

And then his heart sank, as he recognized his saviour. For there, clad in a white shirt, a thick coat, and dark green pants with a green sash, a gold chain about his neck, was Midoriya Izuku.

And he wasangry.

"You… You're… Deku!?" Bill was now very,veryscared.

Izuku narrowed his eyes, and Izou saw them change; like before, at Mt Hermann. A moment ago they had been wild and hot. Now they were focused, bright, like smouldering pits of emerald flame.

Bill stepped back, looking around for someone to help him, tosavehim; but no one was there. Peseta was a screaming head and a stumbling body, and the rest of the Silver Pirates were spread out along the docks; fighting an enemy Izou could not see.

Then he saw something near Izou. Izou looked, and almost cried out as he saw Linda. Bill thrust out his arm, and molten metal leapt from it; forming into chains and shackles as it flew across the gap, right towards the hapless girl.

Izuku snapped up his hand, pointing his finger like a gun, then snapped it back. The air distorted in front of it, as a bolt of pressurized air leapt forward and slammed into Bill like a cannon shot. Bill screamed as he was flung into the air, out over the docks, landing with a splash in the harbour, right by his ruined ship.

He did not rise. There was no way he could; not with a Devil Fruit.

Izou stared at Izuku, his blood running cold. This was not the Izuku he had remembered. He would not have condemned a man to death so lightly.

"You just had to open your mouth…idiot." Izuku muttered, as the fury faded from his eyes, and his glower softened. There was regret in his eyes now; a regret Izou knew only too well.

"Hey," he said, turning to Izou. "You aren't hurt are you?"

His eyes were suddenly gentle, benevolent.Thiswas the Izuku he remembered, the Izuku he had despised, and hated, and tried to kill.

Yet there he was, stepping forward and offering a hand; just trying to help someone in need.

Had he forgotten? Did he not recognize who was kneeling before him?

"Mr. Izou~!" Linda threw herself at him, clamping her arms around his neck.

"Linda! Izou!" Then it was Elizabeth's turn, wrapping her arms around both of them. "Thank goodness!"

For a moment, Izuku looked confused. Then the warmth vanished from his eyes, and the look of mild bewilderment twisted into a scowl; as he realised just who he had saved.

Izou stared back at him, even as guilt crushed his heart.

But Izuku didn't move. He didn't even speak.

"Izuku?" Elizabeth looked up at the young hero, eyes bright. "You're the one who helped our town after the storm right? Thank you so much!"

Izuku took a long deep breath, and turned away.

"Bastard!" It was Peseta, his disembodied head snarling with rage, as his headless body levelled its cannons. "I'm taking you all-!"

Izou's arm snapped up his pistol and fired; blowing Peseta's brains out. Elizabeth clutched Linda to her, shielding her eyes from the horror; as Peseta's headless body toppled over.

Izou turned to Izuku. The youth was staring at him, as if he wasn't quite sure what he was looking at.

"You…came back," he said, knowing he sounded ridiculous.

"Yeah, I did," replied Izuku.

"Izou! Midoriya!" It was Derby, hurrying down Main Street towards them. Herzla was just behind him, somehow managing to keep up.

"Herzla!" cried Izou, appalled. "You shouldn't have run!"

"I may be old, but I can run when I need to!" gasped Herzla as came to a stop.

"I called Whitebeard! Marco's on the way! They're an hour out!" Derby was gasping almost as badly as Herzla. "Midoriya?! You saved us!"

"Mr Derby," Izuku greeted the older man. "Is everyone okay?"

"From what I can gather no one got hurt too badly, thank goodness." Derby sighed in relief. Izou heard footsteps approaching, and looked to see two figures striding along the seafront from the shipyard. One was an old man with a bald head, dressed in brown robes; the other was a young woman with pink hair, clad in a skimpy white dress.

"Drona! Reiju!" Izuku called out to them. "Did you get them all?"

"I knocked out the group at the shipyard," replied the old man. "The guards are alive, but the pirates hurt them quite badly. Some townsfolk are attending to them."

"I took down the stragglers," added the woman. "I left the bodies in the street."

"None on my end, aside from that one," replied the young man with the sword, pointing at the corpse of Peseta. Izou blinked, and realised that he knew that face. It was Trafalgar Law, from the paper; the destroyer of Germa.

So Izuku and Yamato had been there too. They had helped Law and his Heart Pirates defeat the Germa-66, and destroy an entire Marine fleet.

Was that why he looked like that? Had he lost something in that battle? Or someone?

Where was Yamato?

"Izuku…" the name came out as a croak. "What…happened? Is Yamato okay?"

He instantly wished he hadn't said it, as those cold green eyes fixed on him again. Izuku glowered, teeth bared, radiating a malice that should not have come from a heart like his.

But Izou was not afraid. All he felt was shame, and weariness.

"I'm going to see if any got away," Izuku said, turning and walking away.

"And then what?" Law asked, looking after him with questioning eyes. Izuku paused.

"Reiju." The girl looked up as the boy faced away from them.

"Will you… make it painless?"

"Yes." Reiju nodded. Izuku sighed lightly.

"Right then …"

And he flew off.

"I can see the sub coming," said Reiju sullenly. Izou looked, and there was indeed some kind of ship; just visible on the water in the light from the town.

"My thanks to you all," declared Derby. "You're Izuku's friends, right?"

"We are," replied Law plainly. Derby looked from one to the other.

"Then…you fought with Law in the North Blue?"

"Yes. We did."

Izou lowered his head. He felt sick to the depths of his soul. The boy he had known, andhated,had changed; and not for the better.

What had happened to him?

Big thanks to Juubi-K for writing this up and for IKnowNothing and WildJoker000's editing.

So yeah, we are back in Melville, Izuku's going on little eats and sleep. No Vestiges to talk to. The Yamato situation? Yeah, he's not doing well and his patience is wearing thin. The moment that anklebiter pirate spoke the words, Izuku followed through on what Thatch told him.

Also if anyone seen Fairy Tail, remember that glare Mirajane gave to Laxus at the beginning of the series? Same deal with Izuku realizing "Oh wait he's Izo-oh fuck he is Izou, the fucker." He svaed him yes, but he hasn't forgotten what Izou did.

But, Pops is on the way.

But yeah major developments in canon OP. I can say that the next... 4 chapters have been writtenoutlined so hopefully what we cook, Oda doesn't make us crash. I have faith but still.

Hope you all enjoyed.