A few miles outside the Kingdom of Alubarna, Alabasta
The cold chill of the night time desert was seemingly nonexistant to the Coated Pirates as they marched through the desert, closing in on the Kingdom of Alubarna.
The Captain of this notorious pirate crew stomped through the sands, growling and fuming, Frank's skin red with anger.
Frank huffed and puffed violently with each stomp. The crew knew more than well Frank needed to calm himself soon, but no one dare try him.
"Filthy rats... traitors!!! Disrespectful, two-timing, double-crossing, back-stabbing TRASH!!!!!" Frank yelled, thinking of Frank G Sr, Yamashiro and Yugami.
The only ones left of the Coated Pirates main crew were Frank, Branch, Misuta, Rationingu, Seyia, and Renji.
Thanks to Yamashiro's information, the Coated Pirates were ambushed at the Island of Glumburg while they recovered from the assault on Whole Cake Island.
CPN had destroyed the Coated Pirates main ship, killing everyone on board, while Frank and his top subordinates escaped on a decoy ship.
"I'll rip his fucking head off his god damn shoulders... I promise you." Frank hissed.
"SEIYA!!!! Anyone following us?!" Frank yelled.
Seiya used his new enhanced vision to see all the way to the coast of Nanohana.
"No sir! Not a sight of any Marine ships anywhere around the port." Seiya said.
Branch looked back at Seiya.
"That's... not odd?" Branch asked, "They know where we're going..."
"Hell yeah that's odd.. they've cornered us back to back to back to back... now all of a sudden they stop following us?" Misuta asked.
"They must be prepccupied with something.. or somone.." Branch suggested.
Renji looked at Misuta.
"Misuta." Renji said.
Misuta flinched with nervousness.
"Y-Yeah?" Misuta asked.
"I honestly thought by now you would have been killed by our enemies or even me. But.. you've shown even more heart than those two rats." Renji looked at the other Coated Pirates, then back at Misuta.
"We genuinely appreciate it.. I appreciate it." Renji said.
Misuta was filled with shock.
"This guy is usually cold to the bone!.. Giving me praises? Me?" Misuta thought.
"Um... thanks man... it's nothing." Misuta said.
"All this loyalty to us and we still know next to nothing about you.." Branch said.
Seiya continued to walk backwards, watching for threats with a golden energy bow at the ready.
Frank spoke unexpectedly.
"I've been curious about you as well boy. Since we met." Frank said.
Misuta looked at Frank.
"Those ice powers areclearly not devil fruit powers as someone already owns those abilities. Where does your power come from?" Branch asked.
"You have followed Captain Frank without question since he helped us escape Impel Down and you put your life on the line against Big Mom's forces. At the prison, I asked you what your game was to which you replied, "No games here." But that can't be true. I find it hard to believe a man would risk his life to this extent for someone he's never met before." Renji said.
Misuta stared at the two then looked at Rationingu who stared back, then at Seiya who took a quick look back, then at Frank, who watched him out the corner of his eye.
Misuta sighed.
"Alright alright... but it ain't some long drawn out sad story or anything like that.. I've stayed with you guys so long cause.. well.. when this is all said and done.. I know you can help me with finding someone." Misuta said.
The crew became confused.
"Who?" Branch asked, "Let me explain something to you.. you're a member of the crew by word of the Captain, but the Captain doesn't just go picking up random beefs behind our crew. The world wants us dead, you understand? We have far important enemies to worry about."
"So-So you guys don't know Cyclone then?" Misuta asked.
Frank stopped in his tracks, looking straight ahead.
The rest of the crew looked at Frank, then Misuta.
"What the hell kind of business do you have with him?" Renji asked.
Misuta got nervous, waving his hands in front of his face.
"No no it's not like that! I'm a bounty hunter where I'm from! I chased Cyclone here from York New City after he murdered the mayor of the city!" Misuta said, "A few years ago some Marines tried to arrest me at some place called "Sabaody Archipelago" after I refused to identify myself and they attacked me so I killed em'.. they sent some powerful people after me later and locked me up in that prison. That at least covers how I ended up there." Misuta explained.
"I heard some crazy fight between a man matching Cyclone's description and "The Coated Pirates" happened there but I got arrested before I could find out anything. When I saw Frank in the prison.. the Captain of that crew.. I knew it was the best chance I had at finally getting my hands on this guy." Misuta said.
"Must be some bounty on his head for you to go this far." Brach said.
Misuta looked to the side, gritting his teeth.
"He-He killed my brother too.. so this is personal.. fuck the bounty honestly..." Misuta said.
Frank continued to stare into the distance, seemingly thinking of someone.
"..York New City?.. I've never heard of such a place." Renji said.
Seiya and Rationingu were just as confused.
"Where is that?" Renji asked.
Misuta shook his head.
"Far from here that's for sure... I've been tracking the guy for years now." Misuta said.
Frank continued to stare ahead.
"You know what's really weird about you guys never having heard of York New City?" Misuta asked.
"Enlighten us." Branch said.
"The four blues, the Grand Line, even that prison.. none of it exists on our atlases." Misuta said.
"I had to put one section of your map over mine and.. it was a perfect fit.. like it was all connected before.. I don't know dude.. it's strange." Misuta said.
The Coated Pirates were shocked, thinking about the Shinobi World.
"The Shinobi World, the place we are going to.. isn't on ours either.." Renji said, looking away.
"This is very intriguing information..." Branch said, glancing at Frank.
Misuta was now shocked.
"Wh-What? What's up with all these different places being blocked off?" Misuta asked.
"We don't know, and we don't care. The only reason we even know about the Shinobi is because of Psycho and Cyclone." Renji said, "But.. according to you.. we have also been shut out of a bigger picture just as the Shinobi have." Renji said.
"Someone.. is blocking out sections of the world from people? Who the hell even makes those types of decisions?" Misuta asked.
Branch's eye twitched but continued to smile as always.
"The Government. The same faction that runs Cipher Pol Negative." Branch said, "..The same faction that rat works for.."
Misuta looked away.
"Yeah.. I get it now.." Misuta said.
"The smaller the territory the easier it is to extend the arm of control. It's not that complicated." Reni said, looking at Frank, then back at Misuta, thinking of his ice powers.
"But it does leave us out the blue on what other kinds of power there are out there.." Renji said.
Misuta sighed again.
"You got that right.. devil fruits, haki? I can only imagine the look on the faces of the guys back home when they hear about all this.." Misuta said.
"And exactly what kind of power do you use?" Branch asked.
The kingdom of Alubarna slowly got closer and closer.
"Where I'm from people use the life energy called "nen" basically using our inner life force as an external force of all sorts. Limitless probably. There are all sorts of crazy people out there who can do crazy things.. and Cyclone is one of them. He's-He's a prodigy." Misuta said.
Frank was silent.
Renji looked away with anger.
"Hmm.. it makes more sense now how he and Psycho did so well against us.. they were using powers we've never even seen before, let alone heard of." Branch said."
"Well, I never heard of Psycho, but Cyclone's a nasty one for sure. He's going down when this is over." Misuta said.
Frank looked back out the corner of his eye as the crew finally reached the steps outside the Kingdom.
Frank and the others looked up the steps that led to the Kingdom.
"Things are a little too quiet don't you think?" Branch asked."
"Of course." Renji said, "Be on guard."
"Weird.. I don't see anyone in the Kingdom.." Seiya said.
Everyone became surprised except Frank.
"You don't see anyone? Nobody at all?" Branch asked.
Rationingu looked around.
Seiya shook his head slowly.
"They know war is coming." Frank said, "This is the Kingdom who reached out to the Shinobi in the first place, so it makes sense they'd know their Kingdom would be a potential battleground eventually."
The crew looked at Frank then back to the Kingdom.
Frank began to walk up the steps.
"Come on! We need to get to the castle and secure a map! I refuse to enter foreign territory without one!" Frank yelled.
Frank looked back at Seiya.
"You positive you don't see a soul Seiya?!" Frank asked.
Seiya nodded confidently.
"There is no one in the Kingdom Captain! I'm positive." Seiya said.
Frank smiled, finally taking a second to admire Seiya's new form.
"Whew! With a form like that I trust you even more with my life my friend!! Let's not waste another second!" Frank said.
The crew then walked up the steps leading to the Kingdom.
The crew made it about half way when someone shouted.
EARTH RELEASE: SANDWHICH TECHNIQUE!!!" A burly voice yelled as two gargantuan half spheres emerged from each side of the Kingdom steps.
"What the hell?!" Branch yelled, turning into a tree monster.
Renji grit his teeth, backing against Frank, Seiya looked around with shock, Rationingu tried to blast one side with lightning to no avail, Misuta's ice couldn't freeze the giant rock fast enough.
"F-FUCK!!! IT'LL SQUISH US!!!" Misuta yelled.
"These bastars must have concealed their energy somehow!!" Seiya yelled with fear.
Frank's eye shone red as his face was hidden by shadow, except for his big smile.
Frank squatted and crossed his arms, at the same time gathering massive amounts of tremor energy im his fists mixed with conquerors haki.
"RAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" Frank yelled, blasting his fists into the air and sending massive shockwaves that destroyed the massive rock structures.
Kitsuchi gasped.
"Wh-What power!! But we were warned about their strength!! DEATH will not enter the Shinobi World!!!" Kitsuchi yelled.
Seiya's eyes widened.
"They think we're DEATH members!" Seiya said.
"Are these who I think they are Captain?" Renji asked, dead serious.
Frank stared at the Kingdom, filled with rage.
"Shinobi.." Frank said.
Branch looked up at the stone shinobi gathering at the entrance of the Kingdom.
"Ohhhh what fun!" Branch laughed.
Misuta breathed in and out heavily.
"What the fuck is going on?...!" Misuta stressed.
Rationingu grit his teeth and loaded up a lightning strike before a sound could be heard..
sssssssssssssssssssss...
A loud sizzling sound could be heard all around the pirates as they looked down to see the steps littered with paper bombs.
"Wh-What are these?!" Misuta yelled.
"Some kind of paper bombs?! Just what kind of tools do the shinobi utilize?!" Branch yelled.
"SHUT UP AND JUMP!!!" Renji yelled.
KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!!!!
An entire half of the Kingdom steps were blown away by the paper bombs with the Coated pirates no where in sight.
Kitsuchi stared down at the destroyed steps.
"DEATH will NOT enter this Kingdom!!" Kitsuchi yelled as Cloud, Mist, Leaf, Sand, and Stone shinobi gathered next to him.
ALLIED SHINOBI FORCES - DEFENSE TEAM A