Its Always Sunny in Weatheria

Sun Rising
He'd heard about these little rundown shops. Restaurants. Blacksmiths. Teashops. They were fronts for the Underworld to do their business and run their operations. They existed towards the end of Paradise and were more prevalent in the New World. So to think he managed to locate one here meant Chateau's next step was in the right direction. Of course, he only accomplished this mainly due to Meredia who still utilized her connections for the crew's benefit. Chateau remembered the night prior when she came into his room.

Although he thought something else was finally about to happen, she bent over and whispered about the future of the crew. They'd made quite the name for themselves. From helping to defeat the Manly Pirates to desecrating several marine groups. They were becoming a force among the Grand Line. Yet, Chateau seemed so fixated on one thing. Over. That's when she brought up something which he hadn't thought of before. Why let somebody control his future? Here he has a chance to truly leave his mark, with a crew of capable warriors? Yeah, they could investigate further when they reached the New World. But why waste this time?

Chateau had a pension for thievery. Meredia pointed that out during their little conversation. If not for his kind spirit, he'd probably already stolen the sun from the sky. Instead of chasing this man, why not do good to this world by stealing from those who work with them? Weaken the foundation. Take the goods from the evil and redistribute it to those in need! A brilliant idea. He awoke with a new desire.

To make the Chateau Pirates the greatest thieves of Paradise.

And this was the job for it. A large job. One which would surely link back to the New World itself. Totally insane. One, which in her experience, could only belong to a big player in the New World. A job so special that potential clients needed to visit a specific shop in order to obtain details.

Chateau entered the shop and sat down. "I'd like a cup of Sweet Tea. Also a menu." Chateau asked while retrieving a gold coin. Meredia gave him this coin prior to his departure. It'd signify his connection to the Underworld and allow him to take such a high profile job. The ebony captain felt the eyes piercing through him, attempting to size him up.

Surely the only rookie to reach 100 million in their first attempt would be recognized on sight. He devoured marines apparently. A boogeyman of the marine's of Paradise who would probably gun him down on sight. Funny, as Chateau wasn't as bad as people made him out to be. But he gained a certain confidence in his actions. A power which let him know that he could do this. That his destiny was in his hands. He would no longer stay weak and allow others to control his fate. So if these scumbags wanted trouble, Chateau had no problem with gaining a bit of experience clearing the trouble. This energy radiated off of him and surely he knew they refused to step forward.

Regardless, Chateau wanted to bring the others with him during this task. But the details of meant that they would have to burden even more danger. He couldn't allow them to for his sake...especially his First Mate and Mori. Chateau hadn't the heart to do it to them. He promised to partake in criminal activity to further his own goals but also to find a way to free them from their pained past. The others still had the chance to live a better life. And so, he remained hardened in his decision.

The old barkeeper pulled out a giant glass and poured the brown tea, chunks of ice clashing against one another. She also bent over and retrieved a book and placed it before Chateau. He opened it and began to flip the pages. His fingers moved as he hoped to find something posted by him. Anything. But to no avail...Regardless, Chateau knew what he was looking for and so pointed to a picture located towards the end of the book. "That one."

"Which?" The old woman looked and widened her eyes in shock. "Are you sure?" She asked while eyeing it carefully. "This one is insane. No one has taken yet because of how crazy is its!"

"Yes."

"Fine. It's your grave. But just know, that there have been leaks of this job throughout Paradise. The marines are watching Weatheria very closely. And I'm pretty sure they've dispatched a few to guard it." The old woman picked up a stamp and slammed it with a thunderous force. "You might get lucky and get some help. But this seems like a suicide mission. A trap meant to bait foolish adventurers such as yourself."

"Well...that wasn't very nice," Chateau said with a grin while rubbing his head.

Sometime after Chateau had arrived and finished his business, a new rookie would arrive on the scene, Brazzers D. Brennan. Brennan had been there for the same reasons as the rookie before him, but for an entirely separate reason. Brennan's knowledge of the underworld was small, only through rumors was he able to acquire the knowledge of this business deal, well that and a little brute force. Nonetheless, Brennan had acquired the location in which he could accept a job, one issued by a Yonko herself. He saw the chance to get seen, even more, than he had already been, he also planned to steal some spoils for himself, on top of the hefty reward he would garner if all went well.

Brennan soon arrived into town, however, he was not alone. He was accompanied by his esteemed and powerful subordinate, Ramman Levi. He would soon approach the location he had been told, an old and traditional bar. Brennan turned to face his fellow crewmate. "Is this the right place? I told you to write it down, you know my memory is bad." Brennan said in his normally loud tone, drawing more than a few glances from the townsfolk as to his presence.

With a sigh of exasperation, Levi reached into her skirt pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. "I'm positive this is the place but, if you want, I'll check for ya." She glanced down at it before looking towards the sign of the bar. She immediately saw that the names were one and the same, making this the correct location. With that confirmed, she let out a small spark of electricity from her hand, setting the paper ablaze. "Yep, this is the place. I've got to admit, I was expecting something more 'functional' for a place." Levi said with a deadpan stare. "So should we head in or what, Brennan?"

"Yea, why not?!" Brennan turned his attention from his crewmate back to the building he stood in front of. He would then burst through the bar doors, turning the heads of all in the room, though none of them dare say anything. Brennan made his way to the bar, planting himself in a seat closest to the bartender who stood, wiping off a mug. behind the counter "Yo, can I get some Rum?" Brennan said to the man after waving him down. "Levi, show the man the coin." Brennan said, addressing his crewmate.

Having followed her carefree captain, Levi sat down beside him and pull out several coins before dropping them on the counter before the bartender. "Get him the rum and grab me a pitcher of lemonade." With a simple nod, the bartender collected her coins and went to grab their orders while Levi decided to glance around the bar to observe the patrons. She was curious to know who would elect to meet up in a bar like this but seemed to be rather vacant. As she finished her observation, the bartender returned with the duo's drinks and pitcher before going back to this business. "I wonder who the hell we are supposed to meet here? You got any ideas of who it could be?"

"Levi...those are the wrong coin," Brenna says as he watched the girl drop money on the counter. "I meant the special coin we stole from that guy," Brennan whispered into his crewmates ears, shifting his eyes, looking at those around him. As Brennan's rum arrived he took a deep swig, while waiting for Levi to show the man the coin.

"Oh yeah, whoops," Levi mumbled as she blushed in embarrassment. Reaching into her skirt pocket once more, she pulled out the correct coin and gave it to the bartender. As the bartender examined over the coin before bending over to retrieve something from the bar, Levi elected to drink her lemonade in a quick manner. By the time she finished her drink, the bartender came back with a book and placed it before the duo.

Brennan downed his rum and slammed the cup down upon the bar counter, once again startling the other patrons within the establishment. Brennan then began flipping through the pages, knowing exactly what he was looking. As he reached a specific page he slammed his hand down abruptly, signaling to the man and Levi he had come to a consensus. "I WANT THIS ONE!" Brennan yelled, startling the bartender and those at the bar counter before turning to his crewmate in a hushed whisper. "That is the correct one right?"

Pouring herself another glass of lemonade, Levi peered over her captain's shoulders to see exactly what he had picked. Reading over his shoulder, her expression slowly shifted from relaxed to shock with a mix of exasperation. Turning her attention towards Brennan, Levi said, "Wait, you were serious about that? I thought you were joking.." Levi now understood why Rook rejected this trip with such ferocity. Nevertheless, it was the correct one going by what he explained on their way here. Levi sighed before giving a nod of confirmation.

"Of course I was serious, you should know this already!" Brennan said to his stunned crewmate. He then turned his attention to the barkeep once again. "I'll take this one, this one right here, under my finger, on this page!" Brennan said, badgering the barkeep as he also had a stunned look on his face.

"A-Are you sure?" The man looked at the boy slightly shocked, almost as if he knew not of the dangers that would befall him if he took that job. "This would be the second one today, w-what is wrong with these kids?" He thought.

"I'm deadly sure, give me the job!" Brennan said to the man, intensity in his eyes.

"A-Alright, it's your funeral." He lifted a stamp from behind the counter and looked over to the page the boy's finger was on, stamping down on the paper next to a previously existing stamp, similar in design but different in color.

"Now that that's done, let's go, Levi, we gotta find a way to get to this place and fast, can't let this money fly by us, lord knows we need it!" Brennan leaped from his stool, landing in front of the door they had previously entered in, motioning Levi to follow behind him as he exited the bar, en route to his ship to tackle their newest endeavors.

"Alright, I'm coming. Don't get your tits in a twist." Downing the rest of the lemonade within the pitcher, Levi followed after her captain. Despite the severity of the job they had taken, she couldn't help but be excited towards what they would encounter on their endeavor.

Infiltrating the Clouds
Chateau sat on the edge of a building which rested at the end of the port. Her information had been correct. The marines were using Weatheria as a portable fortress while guarding it against those foolish enough to embark on this task. As any mobile fortress would need, the marines had to anchor at the port at certain islands in order to refill their supplies.

Chateau counted the immense amount of marines which guarded the port as well as those visible on the island in the sky. The marines were using *** in order to reach the island with the supplies attached to the back in massive baskets.

Why so much protection. The ebony captain pondered. ''Are they expecting a full-on invasion? Who'd be dumb enough to launch their warships against a cloud island...hell, who possesses the resources to launch a full-on invasion on an island on a cloud?''

Although infiltration will be risky...its the best bet compared to a full out war.

Chateau dug into his pocket and retrieved an item. It was an ID sized picture which had a sticky substance on one side beneath a peel. He returned it back to his pocket before leaping into a nearby alleyway. At one point, Chateau hated taking this form due to the way it made him look like a miniature giant. The body of a Gashadokuro fused with the body of a human; resulting in an enlarged skeleton covered in human muscle and skin. But his recent nights spent training to use it offered Chateau a new appreciation of it. So much so that he dreamed of refining it forward.

Goliath

The bony captain grew to two stories, his face becoming skeletal and sunken as if nothing but skin and bone. Meanwhile, his muscles and skin wrapped tightly around the supernatural body of his mythical beast. He quickly latched onto a nearby building while his body vanished into nothingness. He held onto the roof in wait.

"I can't wait to go back to base." A man said as he emerged into the alleyway in hopes of relieving himself. In his hand was a small Den Den Mushi. "I know. I know...Captain said that there's a high chance we might encounter a pirate raid...We've caught a few stragglers off the coast...It seems crazy...But doing this would boost any pirate's career....We can't risk it...O-okay...Love you...Bye."

He stopped in the corner and took quite the time to empty his bladder. After zipping up his pants, he seemed to levitate as Chateau grabbed hold of him with his massive arm. Despite embracing the pirate life, the ebony captain wasn't one for senseless murder. And so he knocked the officer out by suffocating him with his invisible thumb. Chateau returned to normal and landed upon the ground as he quickly reverted to his human form. He approached the officer's unconscious body with a stoic visage.

''100,000,000 bounty on my head. And here I am hoping to just waltz by them.''

Chateau, dressed in a marine uniform, made his way to the port. Of course, those who were familiar with Officer Plankton gave Chateau a weird eye. However, he skillfully maneuvered through crowds to avoid anyone that alerted that mysterious feeling within his stomach. As it became stronger, he knew to change his course so that they would lose sight of his exact features. He waved to colleagues and asked vague questions regarding the growth of their children. But his mind was focused upon the prize at hand. The ships the marines used to get to Weatheria.

"Is this the next shipment?" Chateau asked as he approached a miniature airship filled with boxes.

"Yes it is!" Another marine officer asked.

"I've been ordered to join in the escort of supplies," Chateau responded. ''Please don't be this guys friend. Please don't be this guys friend.'' He found himself begging. He removed an identity card which had his picture next to Officer Plankton's identification.

"Okay. Right this way."

Chateau grabbed the identification and stepped aboard the ship. Surrounded by marines...He knew that beyond this point he was completely alone. Everything would require the utmost care and caution.

Brennan and his companion would be floating on a boat close but still unnoticeable to that of the many marines they would have stationed there. Brennan scoped out the setting, watching as the marines loaded and transported many things up and down from the giant floating cloud in the sky. "Why so many of these marines? They must have some spies in the underworld that tipped them off about this" Brennan though, before turning his attention to his companion in arms.

"Yo Levi, you got any ideas on how to get up there? I only have two and neither are exactly subtle. I can either blast us up there, or we can attack one of the lesser populated ships and hijack it." Brennan said in a slightly hushed tone, despite the fact that there would be no way he could be heard from where he sat in the ocean.

Levi pondered for a moment on their options before replying, "I'm honestly not sure. If I knew how to use the like Amanda does, we could just  our way up there." She had already witnessed the helmsman use said fighting style in the past and was interested in learning it. Thinking once again, she snapped her fingers in realization. "Oh, I could create a bolt of electricity with enough power to where it causes a thunderclap. We can use that noise to hide your explosion to blast us up there." It wasn't the best plan and required specific timing but it was the only thing she could think of at the moment.

"Let's do it, it's our best plan so far," Brennan said loudly and joyfully. He would then bend down, motioning Levi to jump on his back. "Hop on and work your magic!" Brennan said with a slight laugh as he waited for Levi to get on his back and create the diversion.

Levi was unable to control herself as a blush spread across her face at his casual suggestion to hop on to his back. It was a situation she had never been in before and she simply lost her composure. "A-alright but you had better not tell anyone about this or else." Levi said, letting the threat hang in the air. Finally climbing on his back, she made sure she was secure before raising her hands to the sky in a wide-spread motion. Not long after, electricity exuded from her palms before its shape changed to an orb for each hand. "Get ready for the Thunderclap, Brennan." With the warning said, Levi slammed the orbs together like she was clapping her hands. What followed was what appeared to be a lightning bolt shooting into the air before the resonating sound of a thunderclap could be heard following afterward. It would surely mask the sound of Brennan's explosions and distract the Marines who were out on the deck.

As the sound of lightning would resonate throughout the space around him, Brennan would throw his arms back. As he did so a large explosion would appear behind the boy and his companion, leaving behind a lava coated boat as well as what looked like volcanic rock.

The pair would shoot into the air, soaring high above those within the marine ship with intense speeds. They soared beyond the clouds, the visage of Weatheria growing larger and larger within their eyes. They would soon rise a few feet above the island, before descending upon the cloud island known as Weatheria. Brennan would slam down onto the ground, leaving a large cloud of what seemed to be dust where he stood. "You good, Levi!" The young boy said as the dust began to clear revealing the beauties of Weatheria.

"Yeah, I'm fine!" Levi said, dismounting from Brennan's back and allowed herself to take in the surrounding area. Weatheria was honestly nothing like she imagined, appearing as though it was something lifted straight out of a children's book. Turning her attention back to her captain, she questioned with a raised eyebrow, "So, what exactly do we do now?"

Brennan looked around, taking in his surroundings then returning his gaze to his companion. "Simple...WE FUCK SHIT U AND TAKE OVER!" The rookie pirates' eyes glowed with anticipation and fire as he took off into town.

Within the marine airship, various officers could be seen finishing the restoking of food, gunpower and all kinds of supplies that were necessary for their trip. But within one particular box that was brought and placed down by not one but two officers was a vengeful mysterious guest to the trip. Crack "I should have written breakable on the outside, damn." Getting himself out of the box was a lean and somewhat tall man, with medium to long orange hair tied up on a small ponytail, bearing a three-piece black suit with a white shirt, a black hat and the jacket placed over his shoulder on the same style of high ranking marines.

"They don't seem to have heard me." He said moving his big grey eyes from one side of the room to the other. "Now where the fuck are you Plankton." Now fixed on the nearest exit he very quietly begins to move

After a couple of minutes of sneaking his way from room to room, he is surprised at the sight of the clothes of the one he was looking for, but the face of someone he never saw." Well, it seems like I am not the only one hiding. Quickly glancing around Ozma places his eyes and rapidly grabs a loose rock.

"Let's have a talk." He said while very swiftly throwing it toward the imposter's head in an attempt of calling his attention.

Chateau was usually good at feeling these things happening before they did. But the stress of having such a large bounty and being surrounded by marines threw off his senses. Instead, he felt a sudden ping upon his head from a rock which fell to the ground. "What the?" He pondered as he looked to the direction it came. He groaned as this plain-clothed man stood, half emerged from a wooden box. ''Another stowaway? Is he here to collect the reward as well? Dammit. The last thing I need is competition.''

The infamous captain made his way to the box, surely to keep his visage hidden beneath the marine officer's hat. His eyes lowered to avoid suspicion. He approached Ozma with a plain visage. "Do you know what comes with stowawaying on a marine officer's ship?" Chateau ordered.

''Stowawaying?! Really?! That's probably not a fucking word!''

Of course, Chateau's face betrayed his thoughts as it appeared just as calm despite being surrounded by men who would gladly claim his head.

"Don't worry, I am more aware of this situation then you are." Making sure to stay hidden from the eyes of others Ozma continuos. "Now you may be able to fool those idiot officers out there, but I know the face of the one who made me into a criminal." Angrily clenching his fist, Ozma now looking right at Chateau's face. "I don't care if you're a pirate or whatever, all I want to know is where the hell is Plankton?"

Chateau understood this man more than anyone else. His words reminded him or Murasoki Mori, Catherine and Rowing. His new family who sailed beneath his flag because the marines made them into criminals. it pained him deeply. But Chateau hadn't the time or luxury to have a heart to heart moment. "Well, Plankton is back at the port in the alleyway closest to the clocktower." He answered. But before the angered man could contemplate going back, both the impersonator and the man would notice the ship's sudden stop.

"We landed " Chateau groaned.

"Hey Plankton, what're you waiting for? Bring that box over here! Let's get a move on!"

"J-just expecting the supplies!" Chateau replied. He looked to Ozma and back to the marine. And in a panicked fashion, attempted to slam the roof of the cargo upon his head.

"Listen, I know you're pissed off but if you don't blow this for me, I'll help you get your revenge or whatever you want"

"What." Ozama suddenly feeling the wooden roof smashing against his head exclaimed. "Jesus Christ next time give me a heads up." Now with his voice being muffled by the thickness of the wood enveloping him.

"A couple of weeks ago I was just casually living my life as a renown marine Captain." Ozma thought to himself while on this far from the comfortable situation. "And NOW stuck within a small box by a wanted criminal while going to a god knows what sky island." Silently letting out a sigh Ozma tried to regain his composure.

"No worry buddy, everything is going to go fine from this side."

"Everything is clear!" Chateau responded. He went behind the box and began to push it towards the others. However, when he was clear of sight, he diverted the rolling cart to another part of the warehouse where the two could converse without interruption. ''There's enough marines here to stop a small pirate crew...But not enough to divert a full on invasion. What the hell are they playing at?'' Chateau thought to himself. He knew for certain that these small time sailors wouldn't stand a chance against him. But...to underestimate the World Government was to sign one's death warrant. ''Unless they made up for manpower by bringing heavy hitters. I'll have to find a way to reach the controls to this island without alerting anyone. But first...'' The warehouse was obviously a small storage unit dedicated to the marine's sent to protect Weatheria. Chateau opened the lid with a playful smile.

"Sorry about that! I just can't risk messing this up. My name...My real name is Chateau Noir. And I am the captain of the Chateau Pirates."

Getting himself together Ozma calmly adjusts himself onto a sitting position within the box. "Name's Ozma, former Marine Captain, currently a fugitive." Being aware that patrols would most likely happen, he decided for the time being to stay where he is located.

"Soo." Matching Chateau's playful smile with his own. "What business does a rookie pirate like yourself has dressed as a Marine Officer and on this Sky island of everything?"

''A former Marine Captain? How did that happen?'' Chateau thought to himself. There's no time for that.

The captain rubbed his head as he contemplated telling him the truth. But surrounded by marines and by his lonesome, perhaps a temporary truth would be needed. Especially if this man held a vendetta against the marines.

"We're stealing the island." Chateau responded. Some would think it a joke...But his face backed up the truth of this proclamation. "The one who posted this job might have information regarding someone in the Underworld. This is why there are so many marines around...As for the disguise...It'd be easier to accomplish this mission from the inside rather than the outside. I have to find out how to pilot this thing to a certain area within the Calm Belt."

"Steal..." Ozma slightly shocked by the pirate's casual acclamation. "Well can't say I've heard that before, but you better not forget that I saw through your disguise." Suddenly questioning his choice on "alies" quietly muttering it under his breath. "Well, I guess it can't be helped."

Quickly glancing all around him Ozma began to get up from his sitting position. "If you're ok with joining hands with a former marine, I could help you out." He said while raising his right hand and extending it towards Chateau.

Chateau shook his hand while holding his gaze. "I wouldn't mind as well. Though I worry that you might suffer from further ostracism if you're caught." He took a deep breath. "Your career as a marine might end completely. I'm sure you could find a way to turn around now. But by siding with me, you'll associating with a well-known rookie of the seas."

Matching his gaze Ozma very confidently replied. "No need to worry about that, I wouldn't be here if there was a chance of regaining my position." Getting associated with a pirate was something that a couple of weeks ago would have never even crossed Ozma's mind, but now. "I will gladly side with a pirate, anything to make them pay for what they did."

Chateau knew more than anyone how he felt. How quickly one's life could go from perfect to hell in a matter of seconds. And so he began to formulate a plot. One which would keep Ozma safe from the World Government's idiocy. The pain in Ozma's voice. Chateau felt the sincerity radiating from within.

"I'm glad. Now we have to figure out how to move around. I...have a special power from my Devil Fruit...but the size makes it a bit hard to utilize. Is my disguise really that bad?"

"I wouldn't say bad." Ozma said while glancing Chateau up and down. "If you can keep away from high officers eyes, you should do fine." Moving his right hand towards his face and beginning to slightly rub his chin as he ponders the option he has. "I normally would be able to sneak my way around, but I haven't been on this island. Mind telling me about that plan of yours?"

"Plan...So um.." Chateau tapped his chin. "We find the control room and convince them to steer the ship elsewhere. Then we dispose of the marines on this island. I'm not a fan of killing, so I'd prefer a capture and restrain based system."

"Yeah, there is just one little issue." Still making sure that no one notices his presence Ozma replies. "Do you know were this control room is, cause I know how to stay hidden but it's not like we can communicate outside of this room."

"Well, that shouldn't be too hard to find." Chateau replied. "Stay here!" He quickly shuffled outside and peeked his head through the door. He noticed an older man dressed in a robe and a pointed hat. "Pss!" Chateau whispered. He beckoned the wizard to follow him back to Ozma.

"My name is Captain Plankton, and I am the Grand Sergeant of the New World's Fifth Division. This here is the grand architect of the World Government." Chateau was a horrible liar. Even a five year old could see though such a tall-tale. But the wizardly dressed man seemed intrigued!

"Captain Plankton, sir!" The old wizard replied.

This is working?! Chateau thought to himself.

"This is the utmost secret mission! As you may be aware, the World Government received word of several pirates coming to steal the island. We're also told that there was an infiltration earlier. So you must keep this secret." His eyes narrowed. "I need you, to tell us how this island is controlled so my colleague here can implant a special device that'll stop it from being stolen!"

"Humm, yes architect." Visually shock by the sudden claim his new allied made Ozma very very frantically switching his attention between the elder man and Chateau. "Unfortunately they forgot to give us the direction soo we really need your help, sir." He said as tears of sweat began to drip from his forehead.

"O-of course!" The old wizard proclaimed. "Right this-"

"But wait!" Chateau interrupted. "If we bring him, the impersonator might think that there's something going on. Especially with this skilled engineer dressed so plainly." Chateau rubbed his chin as he seemed to be in deep thought. "Go fetch him some clothes! Like yours!"

"Y-you're so smart!" The wizardly dressed man exclaimed. He quickly dashed off, surely to retrieve some clothing for Ozma.

"Wow. Sometimes I lie so good I shock myself." Chateau said with a slight laugh. The wizardly dressed man appeared shortly and gave the clothing to Ozma.

"Thank you, fine citizen of the World Government." Chateau responded. "Once he's ready we'll head out."

Holding the clothes given to him by the older gentleman, Ozma stood for a couple of seconds before making any sound. "I'm not putting this on. And I'm definitely not leaving my clothes behind."

Chateau jumped. "What do you mean you're not wearing this?!" He barked. "This fine gentleman probably went out his way to retrieve it! We have to wear so his work wasn't for in vain!"

Ozma let out a slight sigh. "If you want I can help the old man later with my power, but I'm definitely not wearing these clothes." He said while giving them back to Chateau.

"What if I promise to help you put them on!?" Chateau asked sternly. "Why don't we switch, you become Captain Plankton and I'll be the engineer."

Visually confused Ozma blankly stared at Chateau. "What? I know the guy is old but still, you told him you were Plankton, and most of all don't you think people would notice that the Captain looks slightly different?"

"This old man would believe us if the sky was pink! Right old man!?" Chateau asked.

"The sky is pink?" The old man asked questionably. He attempted to turn around but Chateau grabbed him.

"Nonono its a little joke among the Third Division. It just means that's how much justice you have in your heart!" Chateau turned to Ozma. "Though the marine part would be hard. Can't you just put the robe over your clothes?"

"Goddammit, why do you have to be soo persistent." Once again looking at the clothes Ozma get a mental image of himself wearing them. "Yeah why don't you two go ahead and I catch up later?" wink

Grabbing Chateau closer to him he just quietly whispered in his ear. "You go with this guy, I will just sneak behind you and wait till its safe."

Chateau nodded.

"Yes! We must give him privacy while he changes. He will catch up to us!" Chateau looked to the wizardly man and smiled. "Come let us head out!"

"O-of course." The man answered as he started towards the door. Chateau followed, but after sending one last nod to Ozma.

"Well let's see how this goes." Ozma said while throwing the old man clothes at the corner.

Quietly making his way towards the nearest door, Ozma rapidly glances around in search for any marine activity in the vicinity, while still keeping track of his allied direction. "Seems clear." Ozma said while making his way outside and immediately moving towards an alley. "Geppo" He said as he began to rapidly kick the air until he was close enough to grab the roof of the nearest house.

"There you are big boy." He said as his eyes meet the back of Chateau and the old man that seemed to be giving him directions. "Let's make this quick." Lowering his body in order to better keep himself hidden Ozma began to jump from rooftop to rooftop following Chateau.

The citizens of Weatheria were gathered in the plaza, applauding some sort of event. The Marines had been deployed to every corner on the island, after some, hard to ignore information going around. They had gathered a large unit to protect the sky island, yet the unit was led by someone many didn't agree on following.

A young Marine Captain, merely 20 years old. Certainly not a prodigy, but a hard worker. This particular marine captain had attained his rank at age 16, and shortly after joined a special operations unit, serving for four years directly under a Vice Admiral. The young man was Fukushima Kijuro.

With a thud, he slammed a huge round shaped object he was carrying with one hand over his head, as the citizens cheered his accomplishment. Though this was no object, but six criminals, wrapped up in chains, captured single-handedly by Kijuro. These criminals have been attracted by the same information that made the marines gather, a request to capture Weatheria. For such an important mission, yet they send merely a young adult captain?

"Take them to the cell, you have one here, right?...All six of them have bounties between 60 to 80 million on their heads, and that one woman is a devil fruit eater."

"C-Captain! We applaud you for such service! With your leadership, we shall continue to protect Weatheria until we reach the Red Line!"

Kijuro waved his hand and sat on the edge of a fountain. "I don't need your compliments. I feel this was only the first wave. They were...too weak. Barely a warm up...So be alert, soldiers. There are probably some criminals among us trying play as if they were big shots."

From the crowd, a man walked forward, going straight for Kijuro. His shirt ripped open as he transformed...into a sort of primate. Without a doubt, the power of a Zoan Devil Fruit. The primate was about four times the size of an average man, and it easily swatted away the Marines that charged against him. He closed in on Kijuro, who didn't seem to care, as he sipped on a bottle of water.

"Durarararara! You measly marine, you're a kid! Really? Marine HQ must be in a dire situation indeed, to only send a low ranked, little boy as yourself!

Kijuro sighed, as he stood up, with a boring looked observing as the criminal zoan user launched a punch directly at him. A small shockwave was felt, as the ape zoan user's punch was stopped by Kijuro, with only one hand. Irritated, the criminal launched another punch, and another, essentially launching a barrage towards Kijuro, who, with a bored look on his face, dodged every single one.

"Useless. You're trying to make fun of me because of my age, yet you nor the others have managed to push me to exert myself." With his special white gloves on his hands, Kijuro inserted it into one of his uniform's pockets, and pulled out a three sectional staff that he attached together, before closing in at point blank range at his target.

"Demon Staff!"

With a powerful swing, he slammed his staff into the ape's chest, making him pass out almost immediately, while another small shock wave was sent towards whatever stood behind the criminal, as a result of his attack.

He divided his staff again and put it back into his uniform. "That makes seven. Take him as well."

He walked again over to the fountain, and sat on it. From there, in the middle of the plaza, he had a wide area from where he could feel any incoming attack and react accordingly.

"Give every soldier a Kairoseki-net gun. We won't let anyone stupid enough to accept such a job escape. We'll protect Weatheria with all our might!"

"Its that brat from Alabasta!" The ebony captain groaned. "Such a troublesome personality."

Chateau watched from a distance as the young marine easily dispatched those nobody porates. Impressive. But challenging him would waste too much time and possibly cause extensive damage to the surroundings. I'm pretty sure whoever wants this place wants it in One Piece. Chateau thought to himself. He resisted the urge to pay Fukushima back for interrupting his battle in Alabasta, choosing to press onward in an attempt to weave througb marines. The chaotic nature of the marine's devil fruit proved useful in hiding in plain sight.

"Continue onwards." Chateau ordered his guide who went onwards towards the largest building on the island.

Hiding off out of sight another young Marine soldier watched the actions of his superior officer. "God dammit...I need to find my opportunity to show him what I'm made of can't let him out shine me" the mans cocky attitude enraged the boy to no end "same teacher basically the same age yet still he is a damn Captain I'll show him what I got".

"I can sense your presence, Marine," said Kijuro. "Come out, I won't bite."

Kijuro got up from his seat, and ordered a group of Marines to check up on Yin and the Control Room. These soldiers, as he had ordered, had Kairoseki-net guns in order to quickly subdue any suspicious individual. He also ordered the snipers to shoot at his command after reporting anything unusual.

Kijuro stayed there on the plaza, by himself, as if taunting anyone that came to attack, to try and take him on.

"Trigate Edwin, son of that strong Vice Admiral, was it?...I have no proof...but I know, they're here...I can feel it..."

He returned to the fountain and sat again. "I've laid many "mines" and "traps" along the island. These dumb pirates won't take control of this place without either facing our forces or falling for my traps....so, will you keep on stalking, or will you join be of use, "Trigate Edwin?" Kijuro pulled out a table and a chess board. He organized it, and started a game with himself, by moving the white knight piece on the f3 space.

"It's your move...criminal scum"

Edwin was not phased by his presence being known, he knew someone of Kijuro's level could tell he was there. The marine escaped his hiding spot and forced a smile the Captain still annoyed him with his attitude and the way he spoke to him but he had to continue to respect his superiors. "Ah, yes I saw your traps a great strategy...and a nice game of chess I can tell you enjoy a game of strategy" he approached the man and stood tall looking over his shoulder at the board.

"So you know about my father a great man with a ton of power to boot" he attempted to make small talk with Kijuro but something about him annoyed him to his core the word "competition"  seemed to flash in his mind. "You know I've heard quite a bit about you mighty young for a captain wouldn't you say" Edwin's eyes focused on his first move "the first move decides battle that is what my father always told me and I'm sure you know that to. I'm sure the battle field unfolds before you with that one move of the knight am I right?"

"My father and I played for hours into the night so as that I may not stop the first attack but to stop the first attack and counter the one after that and the one after that...I mean no disrespect when I say this but I believe with your first move you have guaranteed failure."

Zheng Yin sat in meditation on the roof of Weatheria's control station, spear resting across her lap. Like many Marines, she had been tapped to help protect the island from anyone who thought they might pull a fast one and attempt to capture it.

The defense force consisted of pretty much everyone who was available,. including several loud mouths.

But while they were galavanting about, Zheng decided it would be most prudent to simply guard the building where the main control room was. After all, in order to steal Weatheria, one would have to take this building first. Otherwise they might hold part of the island, but they would be unable to do anything with it.

It took them some time...But Chateau finally managed to make it to the small town without alerting the guards. To think that stealing an island would be this easy! All he had to do now is get into the control room and convince the old guys to get this thing going. They seem as naive as a child anyway. Probably what comes with old age. Chateau knocked on the door three times before slightly pushing it open. He let the older gentlemen lead him inside, where his eyes scanned the immediate area.

Chateau would no doubt hear the horde of Marine soldiers nearing the building and headed for the control room, per Kijuro's orders.

"Did those idiots just let some random stranger that they didn't know just waltz into the so close to the control room..." Zheng asked herself as she woke up from her meditation-induced nap. She had noticed the man approaching but hadn't quite comprehended him until he had approached the building.

"Why do they not have any common sense..." She grumbled as she stood up, tossing her spear to the ground outside.

She walked over to a pipe on the room, one of the weathwr ball launching tubes that she had requested to be left open. Converting herself into fire, she stepped into it, sliding down the tube into the control room where she reconstituted herself.

"You do realize that you're not allowed in here right?"

"Well yes...but I am the engineer sent by the Weatheria sister island meant to make sure the controls are protected against the oncoming pirates." Chateau lied horribly. However, the dimwitted wizard next to him eagerly shaking his head added some truth to this story. Or as close to truth these idiots would believe. Either way, the skeletal captain stared at the marine in hopes she was another one of these idiots. Hell, he could hear the footsteps raging behind him...this situation becoming deadlier by the minute.

"Weatheria doesn't have a sister island. It would have been in the briefing otherwise..." Zheng pointed out flatly at the transparent attempt at trickery. "Either you think I'm stupid, or you're more idiotic than the average pirate whose been attempting to take this place. For whatever retarded reason that the job was placed for in the first place." Zheng spoke in an almost depressed voice as she pulled her hair back over her head with her left hand. "But now that you're here, which is it going to be, you going to surrender quietly like a smart man? Or am I going to have to burn you until you come to that conclusion?"

Igniting Rivalries
Kijuro tapped the chessboard, and a fiery crackle came from his finger and enveloped the board and the table. "You're kind of a smartass, aren't you?", Kijuro said with an irritated tone. Suddenly, the table and chess board began to make a sort of ticking noise. He grabbed the king chess piece and fiddled with it on his fingers.

"To me...talk is cheap, Lieutenant. You may be the son of a Marine Hero...but that's it. Don't expect me to admire you because of that...Here," he pointed to the chessboard. "This is what I call Gamble Chess. Every piece is now a ticking bomb that may explode at a random time. Care to join me, soldier? We can have a little fun until the scum arrives. My senses tell me those stupid pirates will be here any second now..."

Brennan shot through the town, leaving pools of lava in his wake as he launched himself through the island of Weatheria, in search of the very marines who held the island under their control. He, alongside his crewmate, would soon enter the center of the island, this would supposedly be where the marines were stationed and where Brennan needed to go to complete his task. "C'mon Levi, we got shit to do, we gotta fuck these bitches up as fast as possible and get that fucking money!" Brennan yelled as he now arrived in the center of town, coming face to face with what looked like the Marines main base on the island. "Alright Levi, you ready for this?!" Brennan screamed, looking to his companion for reassurance.

Levi landed beside Brennan as electricity danced around her body before subsiding back into her body. Glancing around the center of the cloud island, she turned her attention back on her captain and gave him a thumbs-up to reassure she was ready. "I'm ready to kick ass and take names, Brennan. Oh, and this island as well, I guess." With that said, she began to stretch her arms before quickly switching to preforming squats without a care.

"Tick...tock..."

Kijuro slowly turned his gaze from Edwin over to the rowdy duo. He watched the path of destruction Brennan left as he shot himself through town.

"It seems the scum came earlier than expected. We couldn't even start our game, Edwin." Kijuro now looked at the two pirates straight in the eyes, while still sitting in the fountain with the table and chess board in front. He picked both a pawn piece and a rook, and balanced them in his hand. "Make sure to evacuate the citizens that haven't done so yet," he said addressing a Marine, and with that, only the four of them remained on the plaza.

"Tick...Tock..."

"No need to stretch, pirate, you'll be nothing more than a pile of ashes soon enough...And Edwin, remember those traps I just told you about?" "Tick..."

With that, the sitting Marine threw the two chess pieces from his hand at incredible speeds towards the pirates, reaching their location in mere moments, signaling the incredible strength the young man possessed. As they closed in, a bright light would shine from below the pirates's feet. The chess pieces would also begin to shine, before..."Tock"

Less than a second later, the ground below, along the chess pieces, would detonate in a powerful, fiery explosion that would leave the pirates little time to react. Blowing them away and burning them if they got caught up in it. Even if the somehow evaded it, the shockwave and debris from the explosion would also threaten to cause some damage.

Had Kijuro rigged the entire plaza? Or just select locations? With no way to know, the pirates, if somehow survived the initial attack, would need to be careful moving around or even attempting to attack. Kijuro was strong, smart, and calculating, yet he didn't consider the pirates to be a threat that needed him to get up from his sitting position to deal with. The gusts from the explosions waved his hair and his jacket, as he took in the marvelous sight of colors his explosions produced for an instant.

"Damn, we didn't even get to make an entrance before this marine asshole started to flap his gums. FUCK IT, I'm making an entrance anyways, C'mon Levi!" Brennan latched onto Levi's hand shortly before the marine man finished his speech, slightly before the enormous explosion that would take place.

As the chess pieces would clatter to the floor before the pair, Brennan would throw his arms back, releasing a large and forceful blast of lava from behind him and his subordinate. They would soar through the air, a large explosion left in their wake as the flew towards the Marines with great speed.

"Time to fuck these bitches up, Levi!" Brennan released Levi to land on her own, flying at the tow marines. His arms would turn a dark grey color, hardening as they began to pour lava from the now forming cracks on his arms. As he approached the opposing duo he would once again throw his arms forward, the force of his movement shooting large masses of lava in their direction as he flew at the both of them his fist cocked back, ready to punch straight into the ground they stood upon, surely breaking the ground and causing a large scale explosion.

Kijuro glared at the pirates who had escaped his initial attack. As he watched as Brennan made his move, quickly closing in, he slapped the chessboard and its pieces into the air, in Brennan's direction. With a snap of his fingers and a tap of his foot, the chessboard and pieces would combust, alongside the floor, in an explosion that created a wall of fire that would push Brennan's masses of lava away, while also matching the explosion he himself directed to the ground. The shock wave would be strong enough to push Brennan and Levi away were they too close.

However, Kijuro moved from his sitting position, as his explosion and Brennan's own on the ground would cause the fountain to crumble. With his left hand in his pocket, now standing beside Edwin, he waved his right arm swiftly in the air, creating dozens of small, shining orbs, "Ticking Bombs", that made their way around the wall of fire and towards Brennan.

"Incinerate!"

Without leaving the pirates even a single moment to react, he would snap his fingers again, and the shining orbs would explode in unison, exploding from both Brennan's right and left side, and Levi if she had landed near him, as to their front the other wall of fire still lingered, separating the pirates from the Marines. Just as he detonated those, he would once again wave his hands, and create dozens of more shinning orbs that would float around the Marine duo. It would be a mistake to underestimate the potency and intensity of Kijuro's explosions, as without taking in consideration the heat produced, if Brennan could somehow shoot lava and cause explosions himself, he would understand that the blasts produced by rapid combustion that were Kijuro's explosions were potent enough to harm one's body if hit directly, or with even the shock waves produced.

Regaining herself as she landed, Levi spotted the "ticking bombs" heading towards her and Brennan. Noticing the distance between her and her captain, she leaped into the air without hesitation, directly towards the explosive projectiles as they rained down. As Levi soared through the air, she twisted her body in an incredible display of flexibility as she managed to barely avoid colliding with them, feeling the heat they exuded on her skin. As she reached the apex of her jump, Levi created a sphere of electricity within her hand and pointed it downwards towards the Marine duo, resulting in multiple beams shooting out at lightning-fast speed from the sphere with the intention of electrocuting them. Even if it didn't hit them directly, they would at least trigger the orbs which were circling the duo.

"Electrolaser Barrage!" Levi cried out before she fell back to the ground, gravity taking its effect on her.

"Ha better than I thought a couple of bombs here a couple of bombs there..." Edwin spoke as his hands appeared to become viscous and fluid like attaching them to the ground "but you're little to destructive don't you think?". The fluid appeared to expand larger and larger until creating a solid puddle around the two and quickly raising into a giant orb around the two as to protect them from explosives and electricity. The young man smirked as he knew the Captain not only endangered their lives with the explosives but also single-handedly protected both "I don't mean to sound cocky but Edwin one and you..."

"ZERO HAHAHAH"

Before Edwin's power had enveloped them, Kijuro had waved his hand, causing the bomb orbs to come together, and block Levi's attack, detonating because of it. Kijuro glared at Edwin, his remarks kept irritating him.

"Hmpf...Don't lump me in with a guy like you. I know my explosion's range, I know what I'm doing. Now, open this gooey shit, or I'll detonate it myself."

Outside the shield, Levi and Brennan would notice some bright colored ripple marks forming in the ground, covering the length of the whole plaza.

"Huh, on the other hand, let's see if this thing is durable enough...INCINERATE!"

From inside, Kijuro snapped his fingers, and a blinding light covered the entirety of the plaza, before detonating in a massive, fiery explosion that encompassed the entirety of it. This was due to Kijuro making almost everything on the vicinity a bomb, hence why he awaited the pirates in such an open location. Earlier he proved that just by tapping the ground, a specified area exploded. This time, he detonated all of it. Aiming to completely wipe out the pirates, as the concrete and even the metal lamp posts were burnt away in the intense heat.

The massive explosion would be felt through the entire island, as the explosion could also be seen from a distance. Even Edwin's shield would fall down before the mighty explosion unless the Marine reinforced it somehow.

"Oh, you son of a-warn me first" Edwin's shield began to waver under the impending force. He quickly threw a flurry of blows at the shield in order to strengthen it with each strike the shield going from a liquid gooey form to hard as iron. "I hope you know I could have made this a bubble for one then I wouldn't have to protect you and myself" the Lt. commander spoke as his arms morphed into the large oobleck creation "Now, let's see how our elements combine".

"ONE FISH TWO FISH BARRAGE!" Edwin screamed as from the outside of the shield several blades of oobleck were launched in many directions quickly becoming solid from the wind pressure and igniting in flames.

"Well damn, you Marines yell alot!" Brennan spoke, leaping into the air, his body now reminiscent of volcanic rock, escaping the explosions wake unscathed. As the floor beneath him would illuminate, Brennan would get a chill down his spine, a feeling that a large attack was to take place in the moments to come.

Brennan would build up a large amount of lava on his arms, coating them in the substance. Seconds later he would shoot his arms forward at Levi, sending a large amount of it her way in a dome-like fashion. As it would encompass the space around above her it would become stiff, almost as if it was hardening. "JUMP INTO IT, LEVI! IT WON'T BURN YOU, JUST GET OFF THE GROUND!" Brennan yelled to his crewmate who the lava would soon encompass, protecting her from the brunt of the marines attacks, also coating himself in a new hardened layer of lava, sure to withstand anything they would throw at him.

Hearing the words of her captain, Levi maneuvered her body in the direction of the hardened dome of lava was. Using it as a makeshift shield, she braced herself for impact, knowing she wouldn't be able to avoid the brunt of the attack as a result of gravity pulling her down. While she could use the dome as a platform to jump higher into the air once more, she had no idea how large of the explosion would be, specifically if it would be able to reach her. Gritting her teeth in annoyance, she wondered how they were going to defeat these two Marines.

Edwin paused and looked through his memory to recognize the pirate's faces. He quickly recognized the captain of the ignition pirates and one of its cremates Ramman Levi. While their first attack was powerful and large Edwin already knew that this was not gonna be such an easy ordeal.

"HEY, if we try and take these two on at once we could get overwhelmed by their mix of overwhelming attack potency. Electric shocks and that incredible heat could quickly lead to our demise if we take on both at once so I have an idea" Edwin spoke losing his attitude for the captain.

But just as the attitude went away it returned "Hahaha why don't we make a little wager? We weren't able to play that game earlier so how about this we split up and fight each of them individually and then whoever has the best performance like defeat them, capture them, make them retreat, or cause the most damage gets to take all the good credit for this mission."

"And the other well..." the boy looked down at the marine's hands responsible for creating all these massive explosions "well you see what I mean. So how about it got a deal?"

Kijuro smirked, for two reasons. First, this silly Marine, challenging him to a wager. Of course, he had recognized the pirates immediately, though, he didn't mind them too much. He just thought of them as small-time pirates, one of many, like those he had crushed just before. An afterthought. So a wager to take down these nobodies? Laughable.

Secondly, he was, even if he hated to admit it, actually glad the pirates survived the trap he had in place for enemies. He could at least stretch his legs a little. The massive explosion reduced the plaza to rubble, leaving small embers still ignited from the attack. He turned his head at Edwin menacingly, left hand still in pocket, while his coat waved with the breeze.

"Hmm...okay then. I accept."

Kijuro lifted his right foot forward, heading right into Edwin, however, he swiftly vanished, leaving a small gust of wind right in Edwin's face.

"I'll take this one."

With unfathomable speed, thanks to his Soru technique, Kijuro appeared right beside Levi, looking down on her as if she were mere trash. He had his right arm extended, palm open, though he simply stood there.

"You scum did good in evading my mines. Don't worry, there are no more planted, as I used them all on that attack." He closed his open palm into a fist. "Come, show me more of that little light show you can do. Force me to use my other hand."

Several ragged lines ignited brightly on his right hand, similar to those that had appeared on the ground just before the explosion.

"Damn you" Edwin spoke blowing the dust from his face "I gotta catch up". With a geppo kick, he launched over to the other pirate and floated slightly above him "time to test out this new technique GREEN EGGS AND SLAM". The boys left arm suddenly became goopy and then tripled in size and then with a quick flick he slammed the arm down in order to smash his opponent to pieces.

Seeing that Kijuro was directly beside her with the intention of striking her, Levi reacted with the incredible speed as she willed her electricity into her palms, creating an orb for each hand. She then slammed each orb together, resulting in an explosive flash of light being expelled followed by the deafening sound of thunder to act as a way to stun her adversary.

In the midst of the confusion, Levi twisted her body as she focused her electricity directly into her leg with the intention of kicking him directly in the shoulder to spike him down into the ground.

As the fist would come down upon his body, Brennan would cock his arm back and in the process excrete pounds and pounds of lava at high speeds. Instantly his arm would shoot forward, meeting the goopy formation with a large bang as a wave of lava and rock would explode from the boys fist blasting back at the marines body and fist.

Edwin quickly noticed the counter attack and started to morph his offensive blow to a defensive one. His large oobleck arm began to widen until it created a large wide shield protecting him from the heat of the blow. He stood his ground pushing forward with his physical might trying to clash with the man, but within seconds he realized his oobleck can not stay in contact with Brennan for long.

Edwin detached this large mass from himself and jumped back in order to gain some distance. Getting up close in personnel was his area of expertise, but with this guy's abilities that would be no simple task. "Marine Molder: Astronomical Grip" he yelled as he gripped his hands with incredible force and blood began to rush to every muscle in his body pumping himself up and making all his veins pop.

Before Brennan's eyes the boy seemed to multiple in size, but mostly the muscles in his hands were targeted the greatest. With a quick wave of his arm Edwin threw out tons of piles of oobleck sticky traps attached to the ground all around his pirate foe.

"Marine Molder: Shigan Twist" he rose his arm up tensing the muscles in his hand, and before most normal human brains could even tell what was happening his hand closed at incredible speeds forcing air out like bullets. With rapid fire Edwin launched dozens of air bullets at Brennan in several directions to force him into the defensive.

Shocking Explosions
The captain's eyes widened as Levi's reaction speed was something he did not expect. Though, it wasn't something that impressed him, either. Her electrical orbs were slammed together in a blinding flash, and Kijuro would meet them with his own open palm, to counter with his explosion, but her attack wasn't directed at injuring him, it was a ploy to stun him, for her following move was her real intent.

The flash masked Levi's movements, as she swiftly twisted herself in order to connect a strong, electricity imbued kick on his shoulder. Kijuro, however, had enough time to flex his body when her kick would reach merely inches to his body.

"Tekkai!"

Kijuro became something of an immovable wall, not budging one bit from Levi's enhanced kick. The electricity went shocking through his body, yet he remained firm.

"That tickles. You'll need more voltage to make me consider you a threat." He relaxed once again, and turned to face her.

As he talked down to the pirate, his left knee would rise upwards, aiming to strike at Levi's chest, forcing her breath out of her. He swiftly extended his right hand, igniting in a fiery hue, aiming to hit her shoulder with enough force to damage it, and not only that, if it connected, I'd be marked as a "bomb". However, it was also a way to impose a greater danger, and to distract her from his knee strike. If she managed to dodge both, he would follow by twisting his entire body in one foot, while the other charged up and expelled three slicing kicks, his Rankyaku technique, threatening to cut Levi if her reaction to Kijuro would falter even a bit, or if she became distracted by the sudden explosion and the sea of fire above them, the result of Zheng's fight.

When that would occur, Kijuro would smirk, and relish in the idea of the pirate invaders burnt into a crisp.

At the sight of the incoming attacks, Levi reacted as best as she could to what she observed. Noticing the incoming knee towards her chest, she crossed her arms to act as a defense towards the attack, feeling the impressive force behind it. Before she had a moment to dwell on it, she saw his red-hot fist swiftly coming towards her and, without hesitation, allowed him to her in order to place him within an armlock. Keeping his entire arm straight while wrapping her thighs around his head, she kept herself secure as she felt gravity take its effect on her.

Kijuro's eyes followed Levi's every move. He had previously noticed that she was agile and quite quick, and definitely not lacking in the power department. But, as previously, he had managed to analyze and read her moves. After all, Kijuro had vast amounts of experience fighting against incredibly fast and skillful opponents. Being a former member of the Kuroumi, he was tasked with retrieving Government defectors, and this included Marines, and agents that had mastered Rokushiki and had strength that surpassed his own in many cases. But this made him stronger, that, and having a Vice Admiral as a personal trainer. Attaining Captain rank at age 16, it "froze" when he joined the Kuroumi. As such, even as young as he is, his strength and maturity would far surpass that of a Marine Captain.

Needless to say, even as quick as she was, Kijuro had no problem keeping up with her moves, more so, when she closed him in, and attempted to put him in one of the foremost fundamental martial art grapples. However, that, and everything else, had gone according to plan. To have mastered the art of Rokushiki, even a single style, already implied that the user must at least be super human. Yes, in these seas, being super human was the law, but there's a difference when that power is trained and refined properly.

Kijuro's fighting style seemed to change. He was quick, and was blasting them with detonations ever since they arrived, but, suddenly, he decided to take fight more calmly, and close quarters? Levi had attempted to wrap herself in Kijuro's right arm, dodging his fist which was ignited by his powers. As she pulled backwards with the weight of her body, her legs would swiftly close in on Kijuro's neck.

"How naive."

With the momentum of his left hand rising upwards, which until now had been inside his pocket, Kijuro would swat away her right leg with the back of his hand, but just lightly enough so he could prevent her from reaching his neck, but not send it away, for he'd use that same hand to attempt to slide across the part of her leg he hit. As his backhand would hit, it would continue upwards, his fingers would caress her leg, and with a slight momentum increase and twitch of his hand, now mere centimeters above her leg, he’d try to simply close his hand, grabbing her probably around the ankle area. If he'd grip her, he'd use everything he could to hold it in place, even if she fired her electricity, the moment his hand touched her leg, gripped tightly or not, it became a bomb, as the fiery veins would appear on her skin. At the same time this occurred in a swift fashion, Levi pulled Kijuro backwards, and while having the strength to stop her in her tracks, opted for an alternative; on aiding her in her attempt. Even if she managed to dodge her leg in the sudden rising of his left hand, which would be hard to notice given her position, it would matter not.

As his body shifted with her weight, he did not resist, in fact, he lightly hopped into the air with both feet. Yet, his right arm, the one she was wrapped around in, became tense, incredibly so. It wasn't enough for a Tekkai, but enough tension to pull his arm slightly in towards him, pulling her closer as she had done before to him. His fist, still ignited, had spread the fiery lines across his arm. Indeed, in all demonstrations, Kijuro's hand hadn't ignited as it had done in the last two occasions, it had no need to, as those fiery, ragged ignition lines appeared whenever something was about to detonate, not when he created the bombs, as his hand seemed completely normal whenever he waved it to create the "Air ticking bombs." Indeed, Kijuro tried to deceive them. The fact is, the explosions that laid waste to the plaza and targeted the pirates, weren't because he coincidentally had placed mines in the exact same place they stood. Yes, he had set various along the plaza, but, even if he set a bomb somewhere, he had the ability to flow that combustive instability, essentially directing localized explosions. Kijuro led them to believe his hand and his finger snaps were all there was to his ability. The moment she’d grab his arm, she’d definitely feel a piercing, unbearable pain, as Kijuro’s arm sleeve ignited with the same flaming pattern. Indeed, Kijuro’s goal was to detonate his own uniform.

In an instant, before his feet had reached six inches from the ground, he kicked into the air, using the Geppo technique to launch himself, and with the blinding speed of Soru combined the force needed to create Rankyaku, slashing air kicks, Kijuro would begin spinning rapidly in midair horizontally, incredibly so, that it became a blue and yellow blur, having now Levi trapped in the middle of a small, but brutal tornado. Thanks to him already being pulled down by Levi, this momentum aided in beginning the movement, and his arm straight, occupied by Levi, would aid in increasing the force of his spin.

With the piercing heat and spinning force, Levi would need incredible strength to attempt to hold on to his arm. But it didn’t matter if she held, or let loose, as the spin would end up in Kijuro attempting to forcefully expel Levi from his arm, hoping to smash her into the ground with the detonation of his uniform sleeve and the force of his spin. The unstable energy building in his arm would release violently, forcing Levi to take the full brunt of the explosion, even if she hed distanced herself slightly, and if she hadn’t released Kijuro previously, which would’ve been an incredible feat as the spin would’ve probably keep her at the wind vortex’s mercy.

Levi had underestimated the lengths the Marine Captain would go to complete his mission. However, that wasn’t all. What had his left hand done all this time? A simple look at the area around Kijuro would reveal this. The spinning gusts of air Kijuro’s spin created had been ignited, engulfing the area around the duo. A mere “snap” was what it would take, for the air to combust in a massive explosion, directed at Levi, should she be on the ground or having moved away, the spinning vortex of air would follow, igniting along the way, creating a path of utter destruction, protecting Kijuro and blasting Levi should she be caught in it.

Being at point-blank range of his sleeve detonating, while it didn't imply certain death, it definitely meant she'd be knocked out of commission for quite some time, or cause severe injuries. The unstable energy building in his right arm, his uniform sleeve and the ignited vortex, the sheer shock wave would be enough to send one flying several feet with broken bones. One would only imagine what it could mean to take the full brunt of it at point-blank if it came to that.

The explosion of his uniform arm sleeve could've been even deadlier, however, even though he was used to it, plus his ability offered some degree of resistance, Kijuro had to regulate the output on his detonating uniform sleeve, as to not obliterate his right arm. His right sleeve would be burnt off, and his right arm steaming hot and slightly burned, thought nothing that impeded his usage of it. While various moves were seemingly made, Kijuro had done all quite swiftly, all these lasting mere moments in the eyes of any onlooker.

Without a proper grip on Kijuro's neck whilst performing gravity-assisted armlock and the sudden combustion of his arm, Levi was unable to keep herself attached to her opponent when he had unceremoniously slammed her into the ground, feeling the intense burns and hearing the sound of her bones crack as a result of the impact. Coughing up a mixture of blood and saliva, Levi forced herself to look where Kijuro was but found her attention drawn elsewhere. Her eyes widen in panic at the sight before her: a vortex-no, firestorm was collapsing in on her with extreme prejudice.

"Is this it?"

As her brain moved into overdrive, attempting to figure out a way to avoid this unnatural disaster coming towards her and win this fight, she realized what she had to do. Gritting her teeth in frustration, she understood that in order to survive this battle, and progress through the Grand Line, she would have to use her trump card. She didn't like it but this wasn't the time to be stubborn. With a look of determination, Levi drew from the electricity within her. However, instead of expelling it, she internalized it as she made it navigate through her body until the electricity was traveling through her nerves, energizing her mind and body. As this occurred, an aura of electricity surrounded Levi's body as her hair flowed upwards. She could feel her focus and senses being augmented as she observed the firestorm, seeing it slow down from her perspective.

Without a moment of hesitation, Levi moved in a burst of speed as a trail of electricity followed after her, avoiding the disaster which would have surely ended her. Landing on the wall of a nearby destroyed building, her eyes darted around intensely before landing on where Kijuro was at. As she moved once more, she used the various destroyed debris as footstools to maneuver. Upon landing on each debris, she unleashed a projectile of electricity towards Kijuro as they rocketed towards him akin to missiles. She repeated this action seven more times, totaling in eight lightning beams heading towards him at breakneck speeds.

Upon completing said part of her plan, Levi bounced off of the piece of rubble she was on, landing in a position to where she found herself to capable of maneuvering towards Kijuro's backside. Knowing this was her only opportunity, she blitzed towards him as the sound of a sonic boom followed after her. Tensing her arms as she flowed electricity into them, Levi aimed a simultaneous punch towards his back - specifically his spine. Even if he had managed to block the attack, the electricity would flow through his body and temporarily paralyze him as a result of the electricity he been subjugated to earlier within their battle.

As the firestorm encompassed the area, Kijuro's eyes widened with Levi's sudden burst of speed that saved her from a devastating fate. The vortex of fiery wind surrounded him, but Levi was nowhere to be seen. He was surprised, she was slammed into the ground with great force, at minimum she'd have a concussion, yet she still was capable of this? But for how long?

Kijuro closed his eyes and focused his senses. "Focus, focus". He couldn't rely on his eyesight in the middle of the firestorm, so he used a special "sixth sense" he's had for years.

"Where is she?" He began to perceive the plaza, and afterward, three dots appeared in his mind's eye. Two of them were a distance away, probably Edwin and Brennan, but the other one, definitely belonged to Levi. However, a crackling sound made him open his eyes, just in time to see a lightning projectile aimed straight at him. With barely any time to react, he moved in a blur, even a second later and the lightning rod would've hit his shoulder, though it did manage to scrape his uniform.

"Soru!" Kijuro moved to the side, moving out from the fiery vortex, landing on the ground, placing his palm and left knee on it. But there was no time to relax, as another projectile followed, and more. He kept his senses focused, dodging each by moving at near lightning speed himself. However, dodging these attacks enabled Levi to escape Kijuro's gaze, and in a swift and stealthy move, she appeared behind him.

"You're tough." He said as she slammed her fist into his back. With no time for a full-body Tekkai, he instead focused on tensing with great force his back, enabling him to not receive damage from Levi's attack, which would threaten to hit him right on his spine. However, the force of her strike launched him forward, but that wasn't all. His muscles couldn't move properly. He was struggling to even move his arm as he was nearing his landing spot. Focusing all of his strength into his hand, he managed to touch his thumb and middle finger together.

"You bitch"...."snap"

He landed not too far from where he was, with a knee on the floor, and trembling, trying to force his body to move. Paralyzed, he had managed to barely snap his fingers when he was sent flying, and detonate the mine bomb he had placed on his previous position when he placed his palm on the ground. "Better safe than sorry," that's what he always thought, as such, he had a tendency of placing mines and time bombs whenever he could.

With such intense and relentless willpower, Kijuro managed to overpower the paralysis, though only on his left arm. He sat there, knee bent, waiting for the result of Levi falling under a bomb that would detonate under her feet. With his left arm, struggling and trembling still, Kijuro reached into his chest pocket, grabbing something he thought he wouldn't need for these pirates, in case Levi wasn't done for yet.

He cursed himself for falling for such an attack, he should've seen it coming. But, such tricks only worked on him once. He had analyzed and deduced Levi's powers, fighting style and strategies. If she survived unscathed, he had a few ideas what her next course of action would be, and his own.

As Levi landed after striking Kijuro, her ears picked up on the familiar sound of an explosion going off below her. Glancing down, she could see one of Kijuro's landmines being detonated below her and couldn't keep herself from scowling. Even with her enhanced speed and senses, she wouldn't be able to avoid the full brunt of the explosion without allowing her legs to be damaged even further.

Understanding the situation she was in, Levi tensed in preparation as the explosion washed over her body, feeling the intense heat and concussive force rattled throughout her body. She was barely standing in the state she was, feeling the intense pain of burns and blunt force trauma. However, Levi stood tall whilst pushing the smoke to the side, giving her a clear view of Kijuro — the Explosion Marine. Knowing that this was her last shot towards winning the fight, Levi forced her body to move as she ignored the aching and pain resonating throughout it.

As Levi rushed forward with a sonic boom accompanying her, she willed the electricity within her body to follow into her arms. However, she wasn't channeling the standard amount of electricity she was used to using. Instead, she chooses to go all out with a bang as Levi's arms, which already had an aura of electricity around them, was now enshrouded in the very element she wielded — bestowing her with the appearance of a Logia user. The very clouds that they stood on began to blacken in the same vein as a thundercloud as electricity surged throughout the area, unable to be contained within Levi's body.

Levi appeared in front Kijuro in a flash, crouching below him which allowed her to be directly within his blind spot before she leaped upward with the last of her leg strength whilst places both her fists right in front of her target, unleashing the full might of electricity upon him. The results would be a devastating blast angled towards the sky which would consume Kijuro. Unbeknownst to Levi, the maneuver she pulled off was visually similar to the secret seventh of the Rokushiki: the Rokuogan.

As Levi unleashed her final attack, she found her vision blurring and her body growing weaker as she struggled to keep herself conscious but lost the battle. As she began to pass out, standing tall within the position of throwing her attack, she couldn't help but think only one thought. "Looks like this guy wins if he can take this and remain conscious... I hope Captain manages to win his stupid fight."

It seems even though he didn’t underestimate his opponents, he overlooked one aspect of Levi, her sheer relentlessness. It reminded him of his own. He didn’t expect her to take the full brunt of his explosion, and still be standing! Much less, still determined to take him down. That was what separated these pirates from the rest, much to his annoyance.

The air around him began to shift, along with the clouds. Something massive was coming, he could feel it. But, even if her power was outstanding, Kijuro was very calculative, and always picked up on subtle tendencies, even ones others didn’t recognize in themselves. He was a Marine Captain, a rank where he was in charge of leading hundreds of subordinates at a time, ensuring their lives and safety. He needed to be smart, attentive and most of all, he needed to be a leader, to inspire, to pick up on what others didn’t, and this time, he needed to do it for himself, for his allies fighting to the death, and for the success of their mission.

Levi had impressive speed and power, yet she had one flaw. A flaw that given her power, others wouldn’t be able determine, but not Kijuro. Levi always aimed for her target’s blind side, before proceeding with her attack. She had done so when she appeared on his side and struck his shoulder, when she tried to put him in an armlock, and recently, when she attacked him from his back. He needed to be sure, but with that last strike, it was evident. This was her fighting style.

Kijuro was kneeling in that same spot he landed, reaching for something on his uniform with his only mobile arm at the time. But he wasn’t just doing that. Before, he had been almost completely paralyzed by her strikes, essentially, his muscles couldn’t be contracted, they’d been “frozen”. But a Rokushiki user wouldn’t be considered a master if he or she didn’t make alternative usage of his techniques, using them for things other than what they’re supposed to. Kijuro had learned to tense his muscles to such an extent, they’d become harder than Iron, which is the basis of the technique, Tekkai. Yet ever since he landed, he was using the technique to try and recover mobility, stimulating his muscles, his own nervous system, to essentially jump start, to overpower Levi’s electricity surging through his body. Levi’s electrical strikes prevented Kijuro’s own neural signals from getting through how they were supposed to. He knew this, so he was using all he had to overpower this, to allow for his nervous system to get back in order, using the short time he had until Levi’s next attack, gradually tightening his entire body with Tekkai, slowly, but surely regaining control of his body.

The pain was great, but there was no time to focus on that, as Levi sprung forward with incredible speed, and even though he hated to admit it, she had moved faster than his own Soru. As the surge of electricity in the air and around them became evident, crackling the atmosphere itself, Kijuro noticed he had regained movement in his right arm and left leg, as he grasped the air itself with his hand, charging it with his ability. But, he knew another flaming vortex wouldn’t be enough, not against the insane level of electricity Levi was generating.

Before completing her strike, Levi had appeared crouching before him. Feeling there was another intention to her movement, he didn’t strike, as just as he predicted, she leaped into the air, his eyes following her electrified body, as she created a massive and powerful blast of pure energy that was shot straight at him. Barely being able to move and react, Kijuro pulled from the inside of his jacket, the thing he was reaching for before, his metal alloy, Kairoseki tipped “sansetsukon”, the three-sectional staff he used to swiftly defeat those nobody pirates before these rookies arrived. But, he wasn’t aiming to strike Levi with his “Demon Staff”, instead, he straightened it, and pointed it upwards, in the direction of Levi’s attack. The moment I’d make contact with her electricity, he slammed it into the ground, essentially using it as a lightning rod, to hope and redirect the electricity into the ground. However, the moment it made contact, some of the electricity had already coursed through his body, though he tried to prevent his nervous system from going into disarray again by going in and out of Tekkai continuously.

With a “snap”, he’d detonate the air around him, forcing more of the electricity to spread away with the shock wave of the combustion, while also pushing him away, even though he’d receive damage. However, Levi’s blast was so powerful it still made it through, shocking him tremendously, but, surprisingly, this attack also felt like a shock wave, hitting him internally as that technique he’d still yet to learn, but knew of its existence. His lightning rod and blast managed to disperse some of the attack, but as her great power still went through and reached him, even when he was flying away, because of the great scale of it, he would instinctively try something, in order to evolve, and push his ability to his limits, to forcefully “awaken” more of his power.

Extending his left arm forward, as he was being flown back by both the electrical blast and his detonation, he willingly inserted his left hand into the full brunt of the electrical blast, to test a theory of his. If he could “grasp” and detonate something as intangible as “air”, couldn’t he do the same to electricity, with it being already a current of energy composed of charged particles?

“I need to erase this attack. I NEED to." he thought. "I MUST must survive! I MUST complete this mission!...Osiris-sama...I have to use IT!”...A technique Osiris forbade him usage of.

He’d done no less than put his life on the line in this battle, and he felt something awaken on his inside as he pushed his body to it’s utmost limits. This was no time to hold anything back, if he did, he would certainly die. Instead of the usual fiery lines appearing on things he ignited, from his hand, a massive burst of purple, lightning shaped lines sprung forward, encompassing and penetrating Levi’s blast, and the area around him, buildings, and even the ground. Combined with Levi’s lightning, it seemed as if reality itself was being warped at the mercy of both fighter’s powers. Instead of snapping his fingers, Kijuro closed his left hand into a fist with great force, grasping the unknown energy he was releasing, as the purple lighting lit intensely, it began being forced together into a sphere, dragging along whatever it had touched and pierced through. The ground, electricity, buildings, debree, air, everything it touched was being pushed together into the purple energy sphere, releasing an incredible surge of power, until suddenly, a blinding explosion occurred on its inside, one so devastating that would completely erase from existence whatever was unfortunate enough to be trapped inside. "KILLER...QUEEN!"

Kijuro was nothing short of surprised at the effects of this power, born out his his sheer determination to survive and to "erase" something. He had used this power once before, however, in an attempt to consume and detonate Osiris’s own chemical fire, but had passed out before witnessing the results of his ability. His eyes widened, as he flew through the air, having his left arm completely paralyzed and burnt, he still managed to tense the rest of his body, though not close enough to reach a full Tekkai, as he was slammed with great force into a building, spewing a mixture of blood and saliva, though thanks to his less than half Tekkai, managed to protect his vitals from further damage.

“A...AAgh...d...damn! UUUUHG!!”

Kijuro’s body sunk deep into a building, breaking through its walls, and into the other side with great force...

After a few seconds, his blurry vision focused on the sky, still darkened. The smell of burning and dust reached him. He had passed out for what felt like hours, when in truth, it would’ve been less than a minute. He laid on the ground, arms and legs extended, as he took several deep breaths, the pain becoming evident through his body, though it seemed most of the paralysis was gone, only piercing pain remained. His left arm was useless for the time being, though, and his right one, while movable, was still slightly damaged by his exploding sleeve earlier. He moved his head to the side, and to the other. For whatever reason, mostly because he survived, because he was alive, he chuckled to himself.

“Tikakakakaka!”....

“EDWIN!!! YOU BETTER NOT FUCKING LOSE! GODDAMNIT!!!!!!!!!”

Seaman Erupting
“Cute!” Brennan remarked as the air bullets were sent blasting at him from the enlarged marine. As the site bullets flew at high speeds through the air Brennan’s body would once again harden, turning to stone in a instant as he readied himself to take the brunt of the attack. As a few bullets collided with him and the rest flew past him he took the brunt of the attack, bracing himself after every hit until the air bullets were no more.

Brennan pumped his fist back and his chest forward, sending a wave of dust flying off of him as he stared the marine dead in his eyes, unscathed from the man’s efforts. “Try hardenext time, Bitch!” Brennan cursed to the man, as lava would begin to spill from ever rock turned pore on his body, all converging to his hands as he locked them together, leaving no cracks in his hands as lava would be compressing into his palms as he struggled to keep it compressed in his hands. He stood in a semi squat, eyes focused on his hand, a plan surely brewing, only leaving the marine to react.

Edwin stopped in his tracks and observed the situation, his attacks from afar would not be enough to break his shell and getting up close and personnel would be dangerous with that ability of his. "Damn if only I could handle my haki then I could finish this a bit easier, but I guess I just have to come up with a plan" he was whispering and muttering to himself as he attempted to see his opponents next move.

"Hmm...like a chess game I must see your next move and the move after that and parry both perfectly" he noticed that perhaps his best choice would not be to escape as most would do when getting close to such a volatile substance, but to get up close and personnel to throw his enemy off.

"HEY, what do you call a smug jackass pirate who walks in here trying to attack THE NEXT MARINE ADMIRAL...a dead man" with a powerful push off the ground and several speedy geppo kicks Edwin launched himself right in front of Brennan "WOCKET WALLOP" with a snap of his fingers the oobleck traps he layed earlier sprung to life and began to surround Brennan and go in to smother and trap him.

"GREEN EGGS AND SLAM" Edwin's legs appeared to triple in size as they turned into a viscous green liquid and he sent it down on the pirate like a mighty hammer to crush him.

Brennan felt a chill down his back before the boy appeared before him, he felt the boys intent to attack. On instinct the hairs on the back of his neck jumped up as the boy appeared before him the traps setting off around him, the reason for this was unknown to Brennan at the time, but it mattered little in the face of attack.

Brennan would open a small crack in his finger and in the blink of an eye a compressed beam of lava would shoot at incredibly high speeds at the attacking marine, the residual lava on his body burning away at the traps that would spring to action and launch to his body. In the midst of attack the marine Brennan would open his hand even wider, not only splashing at the boy to the front of him, but to the terrain around him, burning away at the residual traps and lacing the ground in lava around them.

“CHECKMATE, BITCH!!“ Brennan screamed, surrounded by lava and scorched goop from the marine captain

"Hot hot HOT" Edwin moved his massive leg to take the brunt of the attack. His oobleck was powerful, but lacked the ability to handle the intense heat of the lava. Before the lava could consume his body Edwin used it as a launch to get himself high into the air. He maintained his flight with one leg, but the other was in poor condition as the lava was not compeltly negated as some of his attacked his foot burning away at the flesh. "God this guy I can't touch him, and long range attacks don't work on that shell of his sooooooo" he contemplated as he came to a conclusion on how to better counter the tremendous heat of his ability.

"CHECKMATE MY ASS YOUR KING IS WIDE OPEN" Edwin's hands erupted in goo as they began to morph a massive creation. He had yet to create a creation of this size, but no better time than the present. He extinguished his flaming foot and began to use powerful kicks to increase his speed as he dive bombed on the pirate below.

"Your Pompeii looking ass is about to be laid dormant PERMANENTLY" the oobleck became a wide dome covering Brennan in order to contain him. Edwin began pushing his fruit into over drive as he continued to pile more and more of the non-Newtonian substance to encase Brennan for good.

Once the oobleck was thick enough to become a temporarily tomb for the man Edwin began bashing on it with incredible speed. He meant to strike the dome with such force that not only would it increase the durability of the prison, but also send shock waves through it to damage Brennan.

“Okay, now your pissing me the fuck OFF!” Brennan screamed, slinging his arms back as the burnt marine soared into the air. He would push his arms back with incredible force, triggering a large explosion in his hands, sending him blasting up to the airborne marine, leaving even more lava on the ground in his scorched wake.

As he approached the marine he would see the dome of white fluid begin to form, so large that the marine may overlook Brennen’s now airborne in position, the dome blocking his sight, as the dome crashed down on him Brennan would blast himself to the side, however not out of the way of the attack. The large mass of fluid would skim down his side as he shot to the right, luckily he moved fast enough to stay enough out of the way of any sustainable damage. Now floating in the air above the marine, Brennan would shoot himself down after the marine, as he mad his descent he would shoot his arms down at the marine captain, once again building up mass amounts of lava in his hand, aimed right at his enemies back.

“HOW’S THIS FOR A CHECKMATE, BITCH?!” Brennan screamed as a large wave of lava and rock would shoot from Brennan’s arms at the boy below him at incredible speeds.

"GOD you are one obnoxious little prick. I'm fairly sure you don't even know what checkmate means" Edwin was fed up this guy was pissing him off, and without his haki his ability was really starting to get on his nerves so he thought "screw my devil fruit, screw Marine Molder, and most importantly go fuck yourself it's time to show off my "Brute" genetics".

In one clean movement Edwin tore the clothes from his torso showing his pumped muscular body. "Wait, why did I just rip my shirt off for no reason? OH NO IT IS GENETIC" there was no time to think about how his father's mannerism had rubbed off on him as he had to narrowly dodge the lava and rock.

The lava was coming down fast so Edwin had little time to side jump away from the boiling liquid rock. While he avoided the full power of the blow part of it made contact with the left side of his stomach. He bit his lip as he needed to keep his composure, but the heat was almost unbearable as his burned deep into his muscle and skin. The oobleck shield stood little chance against to powerful substance as it melted away. He was in pain but he used this pain as a flame for power as endorphins filled every part of his being.

His pushed against the ground launching him towards Brennan like a rocket. He ignored his devil fruit and his techniques for the moment and decided to focus on his greatest weapon, his pure raw strength. The muscles in his arm tensed the bicep, tricep, forearm, and tendeds all popping against the skin as he reeled his right fist back building his potential force.

"OBSIDIAN FIST" Edwin screamed as his fist launched forward aiming right at Brennan's face the force behind it seeming to weigh a metric ton as it speed into the pirate.

Just as he had felt before Brennan felt a a feeling run down his spine. He felt the marines intentions as he shot into the air and knew he had to react fast or risk major injury. As the marine sources into the air at high speeds, Brennan would once again coat his body in rock, jerking his head to the side as the marine launched and all too powerful ouch at his face. He would barely dodge as the ouch would scrape at his face, leaving behind a bruise and scrapes hidden beneath the rock coating his face, the course texture of the rock sure to leave a mark on the marines hand.

Brennan would use the marines momentum against him, as the fist so raced past his face and the marine would move closer, Brennan would aim both of his arms at the boys torso, both in a fist. In an instant he would slam his fists forward into the boys body with immense force, followed by a burst of lava and rock, the attack being extremely deadly due to the marines non fluid and durable form. “FUCK WHAT IT MEANS, IT SOUNDS NICE!” Brennan screamed in accordance to his attack, aimed at the marines fit and sculpted torso.

"HIIIIIIIT ME" Edwin now with burning wounds and a drain on energy had little chance of moving out of the way so his only choice was to stand still and take the full power of the blow. "TEKKAI" he screamed as his abdominal became hard are as stone, and the rock smashed into his skin pushing him back quite a distance.

The blow certainly did knock some sense into the boy, but Edwin's will to win drove him past the point of no return. His physical power was not nearly at its peak so he had to rely on his devil fruit for the main bulk of his attack potency. His arms appeared to elongate as they turned a bright green and his body began to sway.

Suddenly his arms began spinning around as if he was winding up for a big attack, but with a massive heave the arms turned completley goopy and launched from the marine's body towards the pirate. The projectiles shot out like bullets solidifying as the air pressure forced the liquid into a more durable form.

The burning had yet to be fully extinguished as Edwin had to put out the fire eating away at his torso. "Some times to get to the king you gotta sacrifice a few pawns" he spoke as a new arm sprouted out and grasped his wound.

“Ayo! Can’t you just fucking die already!?” Brennan screamed at the spinning marine. As the marine began I spin, Brennan would shoot himself higher into the air, sending even more lava to the ground as he soared just above the spinning marine.

As the marine was still mid spin, Brennan would begin to spin as well, pouring lava out around him as it would create almost a veil of lava and rock around him as he began to descend upon the twirling marine, his fist coated in rock once again. As he reached the space just above he would cock his fist back before launching it at intense speeds at the marine, using the speed of his spin to amplify its strength, the lava pouring down around the marine, stopping him from dodging the attack as easily and losing his chances of leaving the attack unscathed. “I DON’T HAVE TIME TO PLAY WITH YOU, YOU HUMAN SPERM LOOKIN’ PIECE OF SHIT, I HAVE TO HELP LEVI!!” Brennan screamed as his fist would be aimed directly at Edwins head and body as he spun below him.

"Gotta stay on my feet. I can't back down" Edwin kept relaying in his head the words instilled to him from his father. Even thought the burning was pushing his body and he was not at his full strength he still needed to be like his father, the man who stood up to the bastards of piratry and of the revolution till he spit blood everywhere. Before he could reel back his fist to retaliate against the blow he remembered he isn't suppose to be like his father he is suppose to be better.

"I can't become the marine admiral if I let my body get too destroyed, and I can't become admiral if I can't learn to depend on others...FUCK YOU" Edwin finally understood a new way he could use his abilities he had been going so far on the offensive that he forgot that the defense is just as important. "SNEETCHES SUIT SURPRISE" once more oobleck surounded Edwin but this time instead of becoming a devastating blow the oobleck shaped around his body into a suit of armor though its design was quite cartoony with a extremely long nose and a giant belly where a tight sharp abdominal reign should be.

The armor was massive, but did take a lot out of Edwin but it was worth it in order for him to use it to at least gain a little time to rest. When Brennan's fist made contact with the liquid substance it hardened and once more sent Edwin flying just as he planned. "KIJURO...god I really don't want to say this...I NEED YOUR HELP GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE"

“OH HELL NAH, FUCK YOU, YOU PUSSY ASS BITCH! THIS A ONE ON ONE, Y’ALL NOT ABOUT TO JUMP ME!!! HELL NOOO!!!” Brennan cried out in pure anger. Brennan would begin to pure our immense amounts of lava, to the extent that some began to pour from his eyes and ears, it would begin rapidly cooling as he made his descent to the ground above Edwin’s giant shell of liquid. Brennan’s fists and arms would being to grow in size as the layers of lava would build up more and more on his body.

After his arms grew to enormous sizes the boy would blast himself down to the hunk of white fluid at incredible and bursting speeds, coupling the few things he picked up from Blaze Amanda’s use of Geppo to speed his descent. He would near istantly reach the marine trapped in his white armor, without a second thought Brennan would begin to release a bombardment of punches at the armor, not only burning it, but speeding its descent to the immense hole that would have now formed below it due to the immense damage the cloud layer of ground would have taken.

“YOU BETTER HOPE YOU FLOAT, BITCH!” Brennan would scream at the marine, because if his attacks had succeeded Edwin would be blasted towards the ocean in a burning hunk of fluid, with himself burning within it.

"God you're a dumbass" Edwin exclaimed as his suit jumped to life surrounding and ensnearing Brennan. This was of course not meant to be a permament trap as the marine now with a bit of strength back kicked the oobleck ball in hopes of making some space between him and the pirate. "Just a child who was granted some power you really are one poor excuse for a fighter" he was boosted with an intense feeling of superiorty, but was instantlly brought to earth by the thought that his body was being launched towards the ocean below.

"Kijuro better not be slacking off the pretentious prick" his anger spiked as he now had to return to his geppo kicks to maintain flight, but the feeling of pain that surged when his wounded foot striked the air was less than appealing.

“Oh I’m a poor excuse of a fighter, but your begging for your rival to help you fight a kid!” Brennan shouted from the white liquid dome he was encased in, before burning his way through the casting and releasing himself to do the marine struggling to avoid his plummet to the ocean below.

Brennan would then blast himself in the direction of the marine, moving at explosive speeds with his arms slung back behind his body shooting out a wave of lava as he propelled himself forward. Moments later he would arrive to the back of the marine, coating his leg in a rock layer, secreting lava from its cracks as he aimed it at the marines blind spot. Brennan would cause and eruption on the back of his leg as he spun around in the air, dramatically increasing the strength of his kick as he aimed his leg directly at the marines head with astonishing speed, hidden from his immediate view. Brennan said nothing as he let out a deep exhale of steam and smoke from his nose, pushing his body into overdrive, ultimately aiming to kill the marine or severely injure him.

"Haa...haa..." Kijuro continued to lie down on the ground, concentrating his breathing and focusing on his injuries. He closed his eyes, and envisioned the small island. In the near distance, he saw two dots, surely belonging to Brennan and Edwin. Further, there were three more. However, one of these was severely dimmer than the rest, and he knew who this presence belonged to, his comrade, Captain Zheng Yin. Near her, other two presences stood, however, he couldn't decipher who they belonged to, but he knew, he had met them before.

"Could this mean, the Captain lost? Yin, actually lost?!?... Damnit! I wasted too much time!" Kijuro exclaimed to himself, as he smashed his right fist into the ground, leaving sparks and a glow underneath it that spread away.

As he prepared to stand up, and make way to those three presences, an annoying, loud voice cried his name. The building itself trembled at such a banshee-like scream.

"That idiot"... For a second, Kijuro thought of ignoring his new rival, as Yin's predicament worried him. However, if she was actually taken down by these two individuals, with the injuries he had sustained, he could run into trouble clashing against them.

Kijuro stood up, and took a deep breath. Squatting down, his boots became ignited, and exploded outwards in a small burst, leaving him barefoot. From his feet, the ignition lines spread to the ground, as Kijuro jumped forward fiercely, aided by his explosive strength and the detonating ground, going through the building in front, through the wall craters caused by himself moments prior.

He landed on the spot where the unconscious Levi also lied down. His intention was merely to pick up his staff, however, a plan concocted in his mind. He neared Levi, and tapped her forehead.

He then made way to Brennan's and Edwin's location, as the duo fought in midair. With each step, Kijuro's feet glowed with his ignition lines, which then spread through the cloudy ground.

After a few seconds walking forward, he squatted once more, and burst upwards with a powerful leap, and continued his ascent with the aid of his Geppo.

As he reached the fight, combining his Geppo with Soru's speed, he would arrive just in time to witness Brennan aiming a lava enhanced kick towards Edwin. He stopped in midair, Kijuro twisted his body, and launched four slicing, Rankyaku attacks towards Brennan's side, with enough strength to probably cause him injury if he took them head on.

After he launched the attack, Kijuro would keep himself afloat, using Geppo, and holding his staff in his right arm. He would've finished the attack and lift said arm, straightening it in front of him, as he held the staff, and at the same time, with that same hand, he would touch his middle finger with his thumb, as if beginning a "snapping" motion.

As the air blades travelled towards Brennan, Kijuro would address the pirate.

"Stop this at once!!!!!", He exclaimed at Brennan. "Retaliate. Make a sudden move. Any, funny, business, ANYTHING I DEEM UNNECESSARY...and your comrade will be nothing but a pile of guts and blood..."

Kijuro would stare intently at Brennan. Wondering if such an announcement would cause the pirate to take the blades head on or dodge.

He continued.

"As it stands, your subordinates's life is in my hands. A few minutes ago, she was implanted with some of my bombs...which, I reinforced just moments ago. Meaning that, I spread my power deeper into her body...The moment I snap my fingers, her already worn out and injured body, which, probably also has internal bleeding, will be subjected to an even stronger explosion than the one I used on the plaza when you two arrived...my bombs get stronger the longer they spent charging."

Kijuro's eyes turned cold, without a doubt, Brennan would feel...he was not bluffing. "Hear me out...surrender and leave at once. Follow the instructions I will give you, and you, and your electric friend may live to fight another day, pirate..."

As the explosive marine approached something clicked in Brennan’s senses, he sensed the man approaching and foresaw his attack in flashes, his senses had heightened as the boy came at him with the intent to injure, for a moment he even felt the presences of those around him, including those nowhere near him. Despite this odd feeling Brennan had no time at all to ponder on it, it was time for action.

As the four blades of wind flew at him, Brennan would pivot his foot, rather than aiming to smash his foot into Edwin’s head, he aimed to good his foot around his neck, kicking him into the attacks and scalding his neck in the process.

If successful the boy would be used as a body bag to block the attack and ensure Brennan’s safety, all while taking out one of his opponents, hopefully for good. Then, Brennan would aim his attention at the new incoming challenger as he began to spout words at him, clearly in a weakened state.

As Kijuro spoke Brenna would stare at him blankly for a moment as he stayed afloat using his devil fruit abilities. His eyes went dark and his eyebrows curled, he bit his lip till it began to bleed, could you believe it? This man had the gall to threaten Brennan with his crewmates, one of his most beloved at that.

“HOW FUCKING DARE YOU!” A deep rumble shook from Brennan’s mouth, a counterpart to Brennan’s usual high pitched rambles, sure to strike fear into those around him. As Brennan stared the marine down heat could be felt emanating throughout the space, it wasn’t clear if it was Brennan’s devil fruit or, something else. The space would become heavier as the shrouded force would spread from Brennan as he seethed in pure and utter anger, without wasting a moment more, Brennan snapped.

Brennan shot forward at the marine, moving in the blink of an eye, disappearing from where he once stood and appearing before Kijuro, it wasn’t clear if this was Soru or the sheer anger fueled speed Brennan was able to utilize in such a moment. Brennan would begin to pour lava from every pore in his body, even leaking from his eyes like tears, coating his entire body in the scalding liquid. Brennan would grab the marine, spilling waves and waves of Lava onto his already pained body as his arms became rock like in texture, crushing the boys arms with such force, no normal or enhanced person would leave unscathed, he would then rip down on the boys arms, aiming to rip them off with the sheer force aided by his anger towards the man, even if the arms would remain attached, they would surely be mangled.

Brennan was still steaming in rage, he would coat his head in rock as well before going to bash his own into Kijuro’s with crushing force, before pulling it back to smash into it again and again, his anger still unquenched, if those boys were unlucky enough to lose there, Brennan would surely take their lives in the most painfully ways imaginable.

As the lava figure began to erupt towards Edwin a familiar force took hold of his body. Brennan's movements went from off the wall, ballistic, unpredictable, and stupid to understandable. His body swung into action as he lifted his arms up into a cross arcoss his neck solidifying and resisting the force of the blow, but he was unable to save himself from being put into the powerful wind blades. "Three steps ahead..." the marine thought as the rokushiki technique cornered him.

Edwin managed to jump and twist himself between two of the blades like a ballerina in a perfects dance, but as for the others he had no time to move so he guided his arms perfectly timing their transformation from one state of matter to the other. The blades sliced through like butter, but stopped a couple centimeters in as the hardened substance became too great to go further.

"You expected that weak ass attack to kill the opponent HAHAHAHAH" is what Edwin would have said if it was the right time and place. He could see it was "Marine Molder: Astronomical Grip" he wasted no time using his reviving strength to pump up his body and finger strength. "Marine Molder: Shigan Twist" with a quick and sudden grip the air in his palm launched out searching for the back of Brennan's head hoping for a quick K.O.

"Didn't you hear him dumbass this is an ultimatum don't let that dense brain of yours cloud your perception. Unless your friend really means that little to you"

Through the Fire and Flames
Someone to finally see through his genius ruse. Which meant that now came the time he hoped to avoid. Confrontation meant fighting. Which often caused his blood to boil in excitement. But this island was way to small for him to go all out. Delivering it to whoever wanted it meant they wanted it in one piece. Even by the sounds of the explosion outside, Chateau knew he needed to get done with this and then see what the hell transpired outside. And so he looked to the woman and sighed.

"I don't want to hurt you. Please leave...I'll be taking this island now." He took the hat off, revealing his chocolatey skin and golden eyes. Eyes which recently graced the waters of paradise as a scourge.

"Hey, another Wairen, neat." Zheng will chuckle with a bit of a nostalgic look in her eyes. "What's next, you'll have a hot blond marine captain captive on your ship held by your blind younger sister who looks like a stripper?" she'll start laughing a moment at the thought before her grin turned far more malicious. "Hurt me if you can, but you won't be taking this island anywhere."

"What?" Chateau asked. Who'd be dumb enough to kidnap a marine captive...actually...that would've been a great idea in this situation. Regardless, she offered the first move and so came the time for him to strike. But something radiated from her. She wasn't the run of the mill marine. He dashed towards the woman with impressive speed, leaping into the air and sending down a kick to her shoulder blade. A move he learned recently from watching his guardian practice.

"A jump kick, seriously?" Zheng asked with an expression of frank boredom as she just kind of stared at the charging pirate. "Over a hundred million Belli bounty and you lead off with a bloody jump kick."

Zheng didn't even bother trying to fight back against this attack. Sidestepping towards the leg, she slapped it aside, letting the pirate sail past her. "All right seriously, do something more worthy of your position this time, or this is going to get boring fast."

"Sorry about that. I'd hate to bore you Madame."

Of course she would be able to avoid his kick, as Chateau was still new to an actual fighting style. ''Sera Phim. I'm going to reach a level of power worthy of being your rival!'' He thought to himself as he entered his hybrid state. In an instant, his body reached that of two stories as his skeleton expanded. Yet he retained his human features which made him into something of a deformed miniature giant. His face appeared sunken in some regions, as if the skin itself hung loosely from his skull.

Chateau used the space he gained to launch another roundhouse kick. This one strong enough that the resulting gust of wind knocked the marines back.

"That Idiot..." Zheng growled as the man in front of her started growing, crashing through the roof of the two-story building.

"ARE YOU TRYING TO DESTROY THE AREA?!?!?!" She yelled as he reached his full height.

Then Zheng noticed the movement from the giant's leg. She quickly realized just how bad this was. If he kicked her from her current position, this room would cease to exist in short order. Not only would that render this area severely damaged until emergency repairs were enacted. But it would also kill all the idiot wizards that were currently freaking out around her.

Embers licked out from beneath her feet, scorching the tile beneath her as she crouched down low to the floor.

Flames wreathed her form as she ascended on a pillar of blistering fire, drawing Chateau's attention and attack straight to her as she crossed her arms in preparation.

"Tekkai!" She announced as the giant's leg struck her head-on. The crack of the impact reverberated across the island as bone struck Zheng's body of iron.

She resisted the force but for a moment before it dislodged her, launching her across the island like a shooting star. Flames billowed out from her back as jets of fire worked to arrest her momentum.

As she finally stopped near the edge of the island, Zheng raised one of her bruised arms above her head. Flame coalesced, forming an orb of crimson before it elongated, the fire taking the shape of a three-pronged spear easily five times Zheng's height.

Zheng drew her arm back as the grass beneath her caught under the Spears withering heat.

Her arm surged forward, throwing the spear with a boom of air as she intended to run the pirate right through with it.

"Nenshou-eda: Kajiki!"

The second Logia in several months. The chaos of the Grand Line. First he fought against a brat of lava. And now, it seemed that Chateau stood against a woman of fire. But she was different from that dastardly pirate. Her previous strike managed to pierce through his flesh and collide with bone. Perhaps this attributed to him seeing the danger she possessed. He couldn't take her lightly like he'd done the others. Chateau knew he needed to access the full power of this form.

She can cover all ranges. Chateau thought to himself. The spear's sudden emergence moved faster than he'd expected. He could only do one thing. He shifted to his human form, using its small stature to weave through the spear's trajectory. However, one of the prongs had already left a searing gash against his shoulder. Burning through his flesh.

"Fuck!" Chateau spat venomously. But...something from the intense pain ignited a flame within him. He started to enjoy this. He landed and immediately returned to his Goliath form. "Not too bad lady. But I don't have all day!" He called out. His thundering voice booming across the island. He charged at the woman, leaping into the air and attempting to slam his huge wrist upon her body.

Zheng watched her spear disappear over the horizon, her attack having been aimed so that even if it had missed there wouldn't be any collateral damage. It would simply flash over the island, causing nothing more than minor burns to those unfortunate enough to be in sight of it. The collateral damage of it was acceptable.

Zheng's feet finally hit the ground, the marine bending her knees to absorb the impact as she landed. Her attack hadn't downed the pirate, but there was no way he would just sit by when she had made it painfully apparent that fighting anything but close range wouldn't end well for him. And close range was where she was the strongest.

She held her right arm out as she continued crouching, palm raised upwards. Patches of her skin were alight, resplendent in the heat of her fire and flames. Streams of liquid fire poured from her, filling her hand again and again as she compressed down the flames, again and again, drawing her heat in to make the flames hotter and hotter. Red turned to orange, and orange turned to yellow as she cranked up the heat, ready to try and incinerate this pirate with a single shot.

Zheng jumped as Chateau brought his hand, aiming almost straight up towards the pirate as she seemingly ignored his attack. Which she effectively was.

The giant's fist crashed down on the marine's left side, meeting no resistance as it cleaved Zheng's body in two.

For most, this would be a fatal injury, but to any watching at this moment, they wouldn't see the blood and guts that would be expected, but instead, all they would see is fire. Zheng's body, mind, and soul were all but flames, and flames cared naught about the fists of even giants.

Raising her flaming palm higher, she brought her explosive gift to bare upon the giant pirate, the flames coalesced in her palm leaping and jumping for a release. A release they got when Zheng let go of their containment. A wall of flames emitted from her palm, scorching the air in a massive pillar of fire as the marine attempted to incinerate her opponent in a single strike.

"Eikoudan!"

It was at that moment that Chateau understood what the legends meant by the Logia invincibility. His hand met intense heat. As if slamming down upon fire itself. And for a split second, he realized that he'd actually cleaved into fire itself. What should've been bifurcation came a slam into an explosion of fire. Logia users weren't invincible because they were durable. No. They could transform into the element itself and allow attacks to phase through them!

A troublesome situation. Which followed an even more dangerous predicament He could only do one thing. In that instant, Chateau reverted to his human form and quickly localized a full transformation towards his right arm. Selective full-beast transformations was a skill that few possessed. Meredia told him that only those who traversed the New World ever gained enough experience to do so. It was for this reason that his skills only allowed for one area at a time. And even keeping a particular portion transformed felt as if holding his breath. He had a small window of opportunity to do so.

Still, the massive arm shot out and latched onto the cloud which served as the ground. He quickly used it to pull himself out of the way of the wall of fire, his leg suffering from serious burns. This was turning into a battle much different from the one against Graham Bell. They got the drop on him and Chateau's own pride held him back. But this woman...she possessed a power which he'd yet ever encounter.

A Full-Beast Transformation will destroy this island...Shit.

The greatest strength of his power often served as its biggest weakness. He needed to think of something and quick. If I go invisible, she'll just remain intangible until the moment is clear. Chateau thought to himself. I need to see if I can out pace her!

Grand Pas!

Suddenly, Chateau's leg exploded into that of a gigantic skeleton's before reverting back to normal. The sudden expansion lead to Chateau soaring towards Zheng where he quickly transformed into his Goliath form. He swung his two story body down in an axe kick, hoping that the sudden growth would catch her off guard.

Funnily enough, it wouldn't be Zheng's skill or durability that protected her from Chateau's attack, but her inexperience.

Zheng Yin at this point in time had only had her devil fruit for a couple of months now. While her previous knowledge from the Gogyo Shiroza-ryu allowed her quite easily pick up her control over her devil fruit, it didn't help in one crucial aspect.

Zheng had trouble reforming whenever her body becomes disrupted. She rarely used her Logia form when fighting because of it.

Chateau's kick blew her body apart with little effort, disrupting her efforts to regain her original shape.

The giant's attack passed right through her again, leaving only her right arm intact. But one arm was all she needed.

Zheng's flames whipped around as she pointed towards the rapidly descending giant, another orb of fire forming in her hands as she hastily prepared her attack.

"Akai ame!" She announced as bolts of fire ripped from the orb, the flaming Spears chasing Chateau as he hit the earth below. While they lacked the oomph of her last attacks, she figured several hundred bullets of flame would be something Chateau couldn't ignore. And while he was playing with those, she began to reform herself once more.

The biggest weakness of his power was the abnormal size. While it allowed him to blaze through countless militia, it also made him a gigantic target to enemies like the marine before him. And such, he reverted back to his human and held his hand upward in an open palm. It became a massive skeletal hand which managed to collide against the oncoming flaming projectiles. Despite the explosions leaving nothing upon the chalky bone of his boney limb, the force was more than enough to send Chateau soaring back.

After learning to accept his hybrid form, Chateau understood why it was crucial for him to exploit it. For, in retaining his localized transformation, Chateau couldn't invoke it upon the other part of his body. Thus having to choose between slamming against the buildings or taking a face full of fire. While his massive skeletal hand protected him against the flaming onslaught of apocalyptic explosions, he was sent soaring through several buildings.

At one point in his life that should have killed him. But the continuous battles he underwent. Endless injuries. And new scars created a more resilient form. He stood up and brushed himself off. The pain ignored by a desire to succeed in this job. He cracked his neck and started forward once more. Each stepped screamed bruises and fractures. But he needed to end this.

Especially after that conversation.

Having stayed in the shadows, for the last couple of minutes, Ozma has kept a very close eye to the fight between the fire marine and the skeleton pirate. "Why did it have to be Yin? It could have been any stupid captain, even a commodore but her." Watching as his partner get thrown around everywhere, Ozma begins attempting to come up with a way of stoping the fire logia. "Maybe I could try that thing." Looking down at his hand, Ozma firmly clenched it. "You're gonna owe me one." Rapidly running to the edge of the roof, Ozma waited for the time to strike.

Zheng slammed into the ground, forged anew by the flames. Flames scorched the crumbling earth beneath her, rivers of fire seeping through the cracks below. Back against the open skies, Zheng turned to face the pirate as he picked himself out of the building.

"Damn he's durable." She commented to herself. Chateau had been holding up to her flames pretty well so far, something that usually didn't happen. Sayyid had gone down to her first real strike using them. While this man had been pierced multiple times by her fire and yet still stood. She needed to put him down soon before he tried something tricky.

Nearly thirty marines began moving into the square to support their captain. The lead of them carrying her great Guan Dao.

"Captain, CATCH!" The man yelled as he slung the weapon with all his strength, the weapon spinning right into her grasp.

"Now get out of here." The Suzaku of a woman ordered. "This man is beyond you."

"But Captain."

"GO!" she yelled as she began to spin the weapon over her head.

Wisps of flame twirled from the weapon, growing and growing as waves of fire swirled over the woman.

"Kyoku Nijuyon: Kusabana-Muchi!" She announced as the wave of flame collapsed down, a ribbon of molten sky tried to the blade of her heirloom weapon.

She cracked her whip, the ground beside her shattering and igniting under the explosive force.

Zheng thrust her spear, cracking it towards the pirate, again and again, the whip twisting and turning as it raced towards him like a creeping vine. Fire and flames echoed off its form, booming eruptions marring its passage as it arced around the buildings, a line of explosions sweeping through space as it aimed to come down right on top of the Wairen she faced.

He had half a mind to jump into the air. But doing so would, even using his own Grand Pas technique, would rob the pirate of his control. And in this situation, against a warrior of her power, he'd need to remain in control of his body. Getting caught in midair without a method of maneuverability would be detrimental to him. Luckily his other form possessed the durability to withstand her flames. However, the sheer size of a full transformation would cause even more damage and attract too much attention. And the flesh of his Goliath form would transfer once he completed reversion. He needed to access that form as much as possible.

Chateau took a deep breath. His hand transformed into its Gashadokuro form. He had a plan. One which he developed when fighting that Lava bastard back on Banero. Logia users needed to transform. That was key to his success. The Skeleton Pirate just needed to figure something out for this to work. The gigantic hand was enough to repel the arcing whip. Each one pushing him backwards. He couldn't change the localized area for the time between the deactivation and activation, albeit a second, could grant Zheng the chance to end this battle. The flames which danced passed his massive appendage was already causing extensive damage to his skin. But through the sparks and ambers, a devious smile formed on his visage. He was enjoying this!

Chateau leapt backwards in hopes of gaining distance. Each step bringing him closer to the buildings nearby.

"Oh no, you don't." Zheng cursed to herself as the pirate began his retreat towards the town. She shifted her grip on the spear, the pattern of her dancing whip changing as she twirled her weapon even faster. The flaming rope lengthened, becoming longer and more solid as the ground around her began to melt under the concentrated heat twirling above her head.

The spear flashed down, zheng drawing a burning arc through the sky as the whip cracked, the molten weapon arcing up and over, flashing towards the retreating pirate's skeletal arm. But unlike last time, explosions of sound and flames didn't follow it. If Chateau assumed this attack was like any other and blocked, he'd quickly find the difference as the burning whip wrapped itself around his arm as solidly as any armament of leather and steel.

Zheng ripped backwards upon her weapon, cracking the air again as she pulled with all of her strength to hold the pirate back from his retreat even as the ground beneath her feet shattered even more as she attempted to reel the pirate back in. She wasn't going to let this fight get into the town proper, not a chance in hell she was going to allow that.

And that it did, for the flaming whip wrapped around his skeletal arm with a certain tightness. He tried to tug away but the whip seemed to grow stronger with force.

"Dammit you old lady!" He screamed as he continued to struggle. "I swear to everything holy if you burn my blazer I will murder you!" But throughout his threats, Chateau mind continued to analyze the situation. He needed to defeat her. Not just to complete the biggest heist of Paradise but also to prove something to himself. Invincible. Intangible. Turning into the element. These words continued to recycle themselves within his psyche. He used her focus upon ensnaring as a cover. Something was coming. The answer becoming clearer with each thought.

"Why are you fighting so hard for this island?" Chateau asked.

Despite the young man in front of her stopping his reckless march into the city, Zheng kept a tight grip on her spear as he began to talk. "It's my job, Wairen. I was asked by the Marines to stop this island from being stolen, and that's what I intend to do." She said in a haughty tone. "So why don't you just surrender now and we can get this over with and the people of this island can go about their lives as normal?"

"You always do what you're told?" Chateau spat. "That's no different from slavery!" That word. One which marked a sad period of time. But if not for those years, he would have never acquired this blessed power. And never met the man who taught him to shape his own destiny. "Either way, I won't be able to surrender. This island is crucial in my plan!" Chateau barked. ''Her power is similar to mine. Large. All encompassing but easy to cause unintended collateral. For this plan to work, I need to limit her range.'' The massive skeletal arm reverted back to his human form, allowing him to literally slip through the massive fire whip. He needed but a second for this tactic to work.

Grand Pas

His leg suddenly became that of a ninety foot giant, except devoid of all form of flesh. The growth of the massive skeletal appendage launched Chateau away from the woman and towards the town. However, he seemed to have overshot and would have surely found himself soaring off the island itself. As one of the only Zoan users to practice the art of partial transformation, the ebony captain needed to focus on mitigating the speed between deactivating one limb and localizing another. He'd heard stories of famous pirates who could freely transform their body parts and even access the mystical power of their Devil Fruits without invoking transformation. Chateau spent countless nights attempting to do so. But so far there existed a minute gap between his transformations. Still, it was this small window of time which would allow him to burst backwards into town.

His arm transformed once more and grasped a sturdy metallic structure. Using it as an anchor to pull himself back into the town itself. He knew that the woman would follow him here. A key to assuring the success of this plan.

"I really should have just shot him when he transformed..." Zheng cursed to herself as she began to walk forward. The ground beneath her cracked and crumbled, having been heavily weakened from her antics on the very edge of the island. The section she had been standing on finally failed as it crumbled into the sea below.

The woman stretched her shoulders for a moment as she considered her options. "The Wairen isn't going to come back here again unless he's dumber than I give him credit for, so that strategy isn't going to work. So I guess I'll have to track him down again. Though if he keeps running like a coward, that'll be a problem." She commented to no one in particular as she continued her steady tread towards town.

"I guess I'll just have to stop him from running again."

Zheng pulled her arm back as she threw her spear into the building on the other end of the clearing, the weapon's head sticking cleanly into the stonework with a meaty thud. While crass, this gave her two hands to work with.

The marine brought both hands so their palms were facing upwards, embers dancing across her hands as fire licked its way up her body. She raised both hands towards the sky as the embers smouldered and intensified, thousands of balls of flames orbiting about her as she continued her walk. Balls that grew and grew as the sky above her burned.

"Kyoku Nijuni: Hoshi no Kōto," she announced to the heavens as the rain of fire burst upwards to the sky.

For a moment, it almost looked as if the woman had gone made, her swarm of stars streaking across the sky to burn down this island in the clouds. But Zheng had far too much control for that. As they began to rain across the city, not a single building burned and not a single explosion rang. Zheng had controlled the creation of her flames, giving them almost a buoyant force to them. The rain of flames hung in the air, suspended roughly thirty feet above the island, a coat of flaming stars separating the sky and earth.

"Let's see him leap about now." Yin grinned almost evilly as she gripped her spear, pulling it from the molten stone with nary a whisper.

The woman wreathed in flames was done playing, it was time for her to start the cremation.

Chateau had escaped into a building when he realized that the flames seemed to only aim for him outside. A classic move to remove his maneuverability. Not only that, she'd managed to transform Chateau into a prisoner. Each time he leapt from a window and into another town, the fiery blast collided with the ground below. Sending outward a massive explosion. One of which sent him soaring through a wall within the house he occupied. Chateau crawled up and leaned against a wall. He needed to think of a way to realize his plan. She'd just made it harder after all.

I'll die if I go outside. Chateau thought to himself. ''Goliath is too human. And Colossuses is too large.'' He took a deep breath and sighed. ''At least she doesn't know where I am...Maybe...No...If I reveal that then so long to that plan. I need to save it...its my only hope. I just need a distraction. Maybe if I can find one of those famous weather balls.'' Chateau's eyes scanned the outside area as he peaked over a ledge. They had to be somewhere.

"Soru" Atop one of the closest buildings near Zheng, where Ozam previously stood now there was nothing left but a small cloud of dust. "Good thing you trust so much in those damn Marines." Swiftly at extremely high speeds, thanks to his knowledge of Soru, Ozma moved from rooftop to rooftop, until he reached his goal. To those watching the battle on a ground level, it would appear that Chateau had just disappeared from the time being, but thanks to his highpoint view, Ozma was able to somehow keep track of his partner's location, having no only reached his current building but also entered in order to contact him.

"We don't have much time." Now standing in front of Chateau, it could clearly be seen that Ozma was visually upset at everything revolving the woman stoping them. "When the time comes I will give you an opening." Eyes burning with intent. "Don't hesitate, big boy."

"Um...Name's captain Chateau!" Chateau groaned. Usually, he wouldn't just trust the random people he encountered during these trips. But...something in this man's eyes was different. Chateau could feel the hatred radiated from the man's soul. The anger which burned brighter than the flames this woman spewed. Chateau knew this man wanted nothing more than revenge against those who wronged him. And so he approached Ozma and brought his head close to his, whispering something into his ears. Chateau pulled back.

"That is our only chance of defeating her. I was looking for those Weather Balls I've read so much about...But if you have another way to accomplish the setup, I'll go for it immediately. I'm trusting in you though."

Chateau smiled and looked to the window. "Anyway, let's get this show started." Without confirmation, the ebony captain leapt out the window and landed on the ground.

"Hey marine! I'm over here." Chateau screamed. "This is taking way too long. Why don't we finish it."

"Kyoku Sanjūgo: Hiyake Shita Tsubasa," Zheng uttered to herself when she heard the pirate's challenge. Flames began ushering from her form, cascading off of her back as orbs of flame began to form six pale orbs, three to each of her sides. The flames twisted and turned, the orbs growing with every second until each was the size of Zheng's head. Lines of fire slithered from the orbs, waving around behind her like spectral wings. Then a seventh orb formed, larger than the others, it formed right behind the young woman, silhouetting her from the inferno to her back even as the area around her began to wilt from the heat.

"This is almost certainly a trap," The Marine noted. "I should just ignore him, but now that he called me out... No, I'll just have to end this before he can spring whatever trap he has planned." She resolved before she continued her movement towards the noise.

Zheng rounded the corner, seeing the pirate standing in the middle of this long deserted street.

"Finally you stop running Wairen..." Zheng taunted out to the young man. "I was beginning to think you had ditched me. Now wouldn't that be rude."

"But yes, let's finish it." She stated as she lowered herself into her stance, "And don't expect any mercy from me, Wairen. I already gave you your chance."

"Kyoku Ichi..." She grunted as the muscles in her legs tensed with an almost inhuman strain as the flames once again broke free of her form. Then she moved.

To Chateau, Zheng would seem to almost dissolve into flames, leaving nought but the large orb of flames where she once stood.

"Shunpo!" Zheng yelled from behind the pirate as her spear was pulled back to strike. Gouts of flame flashed across the ground from her old position as lines of flames marked the wall to denote the page. Each one represented a place where her foot touched the ground, a dozen steps she took in an instant to make it behind Chateau marked in yellow flame.

Normally Shunpo alone wasn't this fast, merely being her using the flame from her feet to add force to each of her steps, increasing her agility immensely. But Hiyake no Tsubasa also increased her speed, the tendrils of flames acting as jets to push her speed to the limit.

A fire erupted from the butt of her spear as she shot it forward with her right hand, the burning weapon aiming to run the captain right through with a jet-propelled strike.

Even as her right hand pushed forward, her left pulled down as she used her power to move some of the orbs above. All of the flaming mines from above this street shot down, impacting the ground with a rolling line of explosions that would engulf the pair from both sides as Zheng turned the entire street into a withering inferno, the buildings around the pair catching on fire from what she considered to be acceptable collateral damage. After all, a couple of burned homes was better than a lifetime of slavery to the pirates. And all the wizards had already long since retreated from this section of the island.

She was serious. And with this kind of firepower, the makeshift duo needed to finish this as soon as possible. Everything had been laid out upon the table with this last move...or almost everything. Now, Chateau and Ozma faced no other choice than to pick up the cards and play their hand.

The difference in speed between the ebony captain and the marine was as vast as the ocean below. He hadn't the time to react properly. No hope to evade or even prepare a sturdy defence against the woman. Chateau came to a quick realization that he possessed no other option than to use that form. But he also feared the durability of the clouds below him. Especially with the rampaging explosions. However, his body reacted just as any warrior would. He couldn't just let Ozma face this blazing storm alone. No. This man decided to fight by his side.

Colossus.

Rare was it that Chateau entered his Full Beast form. An immense being without a shred of flesh. A gigantic skeleton which towered upon the island. He watched as his view grew above the woman's inferno, his empty eye sockets peering to the other battle across the island. This island was not ready for a giant for he felt it buckle under his weight. Chateau would've reacted if not for him focusing on not sinking Weatheria. His left hand immediately grabbed Ozma, wrapping him in his bone claws in order to protect him from the heat. The spear clashed against the ribcage, causing the giant skeleton to stumble backwards. His left hand flailing open in an upward arc as Chateau started to fall. His massive size enough to almost knock him off the island itself

He possessed durability which could resist the greatest of swordsmen. But...his body was still made of bone. And such, the continuous, intense heat revealed a weakness to his devil fruit which he hadn't encountered before. His bones started cracking from the seemingly never-ending firepower that this woman unleashed upon him. And although he felt not a thing, the rampaging heat weakened the bonds within his skeletal body. As the inferno ended, the gigantic skeleton disappeared from sight just as fast as it came. Only his right arm remained transformed in an attempt to hide his only chance of victory.

Chateau kneeled bloody. His body burnt and bruised. He would've surely suffered a fate worse than death if not for his timely transformation. Chateau heaved with a hearty grin. This was fun. He enjoyed this battle more than any other and the thought of solidifying this victory kept him going. He needed to win this. He was going to. The preparation for his plan already prepared.

"Quite...the attack," Chateau said with a devilish grin. "Come on and finish me." He goaded. "But be careful...I can transform much faster than you can attack."

"Thank you..." Zheng responded with an equally malicious grin as her hands kept burning. "Your defence is fantastic, the last Wairen went down to the first burn. So how about this, you stand back up after this one, I won't dodge your next. How does that sound?" She boasted with her challenge. "After all, transforming is your only way of stopping this one."

"You ready Wairen?" She asked as blue sparks burned from her knuckles. Zheng tossed her spear behind her as she settled into her stance.

"Ryū..." The marine announced as she drew her hands back, her well-defined biceps straining against the fabric of her shirt, ripping the garment to the shoulder as she drew forth all of her strength. Her fists clenched, the veins in her forearms bulging under the strain even as the ground cracked beneath her feet. This technique required strength, the raw power of the user's muscles concentrating the heat to its utmost limits. And strength Zheng had in spades.

"Tora..." She continued as her form started to come apart in flames, rivers of molten fire engulfing her hands as she drew forth her inner flame to its utter limit. Her hands pulled back even further as she brought them away from her side. Flames sputtered around the street, drawing towards the two flaming hands as they twisted away from the burning woman.

"MON!" Zheng yelled as she pushed those burning fists forward. The world almost seemed to slow down for a moment as the flames on her fist burned ever brighter, two stars burning against the sky around them as their chaotic flames started to arc together. Flames danced between them, the jumping around and through these burning stars as the flames became one. One burning star raging at the pirate in front of her.

Zheng's legs tensed, ready to make sure this attack connected straight on if the youth in front of her transformed or attempted to evade.

As her fists reached their apex, all hell broke loose as the roaring flames ushered forth. The ground shattered under the passage of the flames as the buildings around them crackled and crumbled underneath the heat of her flaring strike. A chaotic whirlwind of flames erupted forth, the countercurrents of fire clashing and mixing each other even as they burned ever hotter. A twister of such magnitude and power that the wind from the blast only drew more kindling into the flames as the burning buildings around her were sucked in. After all, all was but fuel for her strongest blast. A blast that would rip a path towards the edge of the island and beyond, scorching the clouds across the horizon under its immense heat. Only Zheng tilting the attack slightly upwards would prevent even greater damage from its passing.

"Survive that..." The marine said with an exhausted grin as her muscles finally relaxed, her hands shaking from the strain of performing Ryu-Tora Mon even as the flames were only just beginning to fade. While her fruit helped her in forming a technique like this one, every move that Yin had utilized so far was originally a physical art. A physical art that even for such simple movements could push the user to exhaustion. But if that was what it took, then so be it.

"Survive that..."

"Transforming is my only way to survive this." Chateau considered today a blessing in an extremely hot and painful disguise. For he discovered a major weakness in a power which he once thought was absolute. He still felt the intensity from the blast even in a state comprised of nothing more than bone. Fire. Continuous exposure weakened his skeletal composition. He needed to avoid such attacks. This was also worsened by the fact that she possessed greater firepower. He wouldn't be able to survive such an attack even if he performed a full transformation. But Chateau had a better idea. This warrior suffered from hubris. And so, as she charged up this destructive beam of pain and suffering, Chateau prepared to push his body further. Using her hubristic ramblings as a chance to prepare his evasion tactic. His right arm returning back to its normal state.

Grand Pas

His left leg expanded into that of a skeletal monster's. Its humongous size launching the ebony captain high into the air. High enough to evade the fiery blast by the skin of his teeth, of course his leg reverting back to normal as the blast races pass him. He couldn't win this battle of firepower. But that didn't matter. He didn't need to. Chateau only had one chance to make this work and this was the time. And so, as the hellish blast disappeared into the sunset, taking almost half the island with it, Chateau landed in his Goliath state. A miniature giant covered in deep wounds. The two story wild man made a raging dash towards Zheng. His massive leg-span allowing him to cover the distance in a flash.

"You said you wouldn't dodge this!" Chateau screamed as he lunged at Zheng.

Felling his body trashing everywhere, and increases of heat within the grip of Chateau's colossal skeleton, Ozma knew that the time was coming. Suddenly being released from the formers hold, he found himself mid-air watching the burning battlefield. "Damn that girl has some firepower."

Quickly analyzing the area, Ozma was able to just catch his partner dodging another fierce attack, as found himself beginning to lose air and fall right towards where the marine was located currently. "It's my turn now buddy. Geppo" He muttered to himself right as his body began to gain speed towards the marine with every step he took.

Having stayed hidden for the majority of the conflict, Ozma was now mere inches away from Zheng. Hands extended towards her, he would do everything in his power to grab a hold of her, and at the mere feeling of a change on her body, Ozma would immediately use his power. Hidden until now, Ozma was in fact a Devil Fruit user, possessing the Regression Fruit which in this situation would be the perfect trump card against a logia, giving him the chance of keeping his target physical even if for mere seconds.

Zheng raised her shaking arms in front of her, bringing them between her and the charging giant. Her body was heavily weakened by the strain of her last move, and it would take her a few moments before she could move properly once more. But even so she stood firm as her burning wings flapped around behind her

"Tekkai." She announced, strengthening her defense in what looked like a futile effort. Her tekkai was partially broken through when she was still at one hundred percent, and she was nowhere near that now. Not that it mattered though. All this man would strike was flame no matter how hard he tried.

"Give it everything you got Chateau!" She taunted, "This is your one shot to bring me down."

That being said, even though zheng didn't plan on moving from this spot, that didn't mean she was going to do nothing while the giant charged at her.

As Chateau came in close, her wings began to move, the thousand flaming tendrils lashing out and around the pirate in an attempt to hold him still.

All to spring her trap.

The flaming orb she had left behind at the end of the street had hung still, indifferent to the Carnage around it. But it began deforming and elongating under the fiery woman's influence.

"Shichishitō." She muttered as the sphere flattened and elongated into a flaming sword of myth. As her wings worked to make sure the pirate had no choice but to follow through with his attack, the burning sword shot forward, seven branches slicing through the ground and air as it spiralled through the sky to burn the pirate through.

"Seven-Branched Sword..."

Seemingly unnoticed by the marine, Ozma was able to reach her safely. Arms extended he was able to graps onto her shoulders, performing some sort of handstand, Ozma would begin to feel his hands burn from the intense heat emanating from Zheng. "Game Over honey." And as those words left his mouth, his power was activated right as his partner was reaching the climax of his charge.

It was in a split second that Chateau's skeletal face twisted into a grin. Of course he hadn't forgotten about the giant orb floating menacingly behind Zheng. And a woman this powerful wouldn't use that lame excuse as an attack as a triumph card. No. She was too smart. She wanted Chateau to avoid that attack, and in false confidence, lower his guard and take advantage of her previous boasting. And with such a linear trap, unable to dodge either to the left or right, lest risk instantaneous cremation from her hellish wings, a normal pirate would have no other choice but to let her burning blade run them through in a feeble attempt to attack.

But It was for this reason that Chateau hadn't used Grand Pas, a technique with greater speed, to cover the distance between them. Chateau created a larger target for her attack by transforming into his Goliath form.

Poof.

Just before the sword was to pierce him, the two story giant was once more a 5'11 chocolate skinned human. And the center of his back, which it was aimed, existed several feet above him. He wielded a power similar to Zheng. The ability to transform between forms. However, his power possessed greater versatility. Shifting between nine stories, two stories and five feet made hitting him extremely difficult. And so, while she aimed for the back of a two story giant, that being no longer existed.

It was this similarity between the two of them which allowed Chateau to formulate such a plan. Logia. The invincibility which stemmed from an ungodly ability to turn into an element and back quicker than a moments notice. Throughout this entire ordeal, Chateau tried to strike her quicker than she could transform to no avail. Each attack voided by her becoming a plume of fire and countering without hesitation. Fighting against these logia powers seem damn near impossible. This battle brought back memories of his clashes against the cloud bastard back on Gaia. But something stuck out during this fight particularly.

Unlike Kobe, Chateau managed to kick her through the town at the beginning of this match. Something which she managed to avoid through some special technique of her marine training. And throughout this battle, she managed to not only wield a spear, but also shift through a form harder than steel.

‘’Turn into fire.’’

It was a theory Chateau tested out throughout his battle. He continued to striking her in an attempt to check her transformation speed. There existed no one on this island with a better understanding of her power than him. A zoan user whose entire life revolved around localizing his normally destructive transformation.

She existed as a human which could turn into fire. Just as he was a human that could transform into a Gashadokuro. Chateau just needed to beat out her transformation speed. Which of course proved impossible. She’d managed to intwine her fruit’s transformative powers deeply into her subconscious reflexes. Something Chateau had been working on for several years.

Also that technique would surely provide enough defensive power to protect against his planned attack. He needed to find a way to bypass two transformations. She was the epitome of invincibility.

But what if there wasn’t anything to react to? A subconscious transformation based upon reflex was fast, as shown by his, and nearly instantaneous, as evident by Zheng. But it still required external stimuli. That question. It validated Chateau as one of the only pirates of the Grandline capable of standing before her.

So as Chateau dashed towards her, he raised his hand at the marine and thrusted his fingers at her. Suddenly his middle and index finger vanished. No danger. Nothing.

An invisible piercing force soaring through the space which Zheng, and by extension Ozma, occupied. A force the size of two fingers which belonged to a ninety foot giant.

A key component of his transformation was the fact that it carried the momentum of his original strike which was amplified by the immense weight of his Gashadokuro form. And the smallest parts of his body easily covered several feet at least. Transforming it into a deadly spear capable of piercing all before it. But this time, he kept it invisible. A power he attempted to keep hidden from Zheng. All an effort to force her to misjudge the intensity of this attack. The thrust becoming a powerful puncturing force. These two makeshift spears aimed at the marines chest.

"Damn... Not bad..." Zheng uttered through shattered lungs as she looked at the two bone constructs pierced into her chest.

Her tekkai had held for but a moment, and that was the only reason she hadn't been cleaved in twain by the force of the strike. Her broken arms hung uselessly by her side, having been forced apart by the fingers even as she had been thrown backwards by the force of the blow.

But in the end it didn't really matter. Tekkai was a fantastic defense, but it made her unable to react to the world around her. It was simply too big of a price to pay.

But even despite that, zheng still had one more thing she had to do before her consciousness faded entirely.

Those two broken arms raised to the sky as her tendrils of wings slowly drifted down. Zheng focused on pushing away the thousands of burning stars coating the the sky before they could fall on the island.

The burning woman fell over backwards as her consciousness left her, an almost peaceful look on her face as all hell broke loose.

For a brief instant, Weatheria sat in an ocean of flames as the thousands of starts detonated at once, their flames no longer contained by the marine's powers.

And at the same time, one more inferno was drawn as the wings of flames that drifted down around the pirate captain who had brought her down also detonated, almost as if each and every one of them intended to avenge their master. All one hundred of them.

Winners Circle
He could feel her life slipping away. Especially with her organs wrapped around his fingers. He'd done it. Chateau accomplished something few pirates of Paradise could. He had defeated a logia fruit user. Of course with the help of the magnificent Ozma who'd he just met. Chateau felt Ozma's power at work, whatever that power was.

This man needed to join this crew!

But that would be impossible if cremated. so Chateau decided to return the favor. Despite the discovery of a new weakness, the skeletal captain moved without the slightest hesistation. He took his Colossus form, the massive skeleton appearing in but an instant, and launched himself at Ozma with an open maw. He bit down after the ex-marine was within the confines of his jaw. Meeping the newly adopted ally safe within his nigh-indestructible skull.

His skeletal body took the brunt of the explosions and flames. The destruction enough to break through several of his bones completely. The skeletal body reverted back into a human once the apocalyptic scene concluded. Ozma was spat out midway through.

The ebony captain, burned, bruise and wounded looked down to the unconscious Zheng with a grand smile. He'd done it. But there was something else stuck to his psyche. He turned to Ozma.

"I cant't thank you enough for your help..." Chateau said with a warm grin. "But we aren't in the clear yet. We need to get this island going to the drop off spot." The warrior approached the marine and kneeled over.

"Theres another pirate here, a rookie like myself. And his crew is currently engaging another marine captain." Chateau thought back to his brief skirmish against the famed Kijuro. The captain surely stood a chance against him after all the growth he'd overwent over the pass month. But...Chateau had seen better days. Hell, each step reminded him of the numerous broken bones within him. His burns and wounds smelt of burnt flesh. He needed medical attention immediately.

"Ozma, do you know where the marines would keep medical supplies? For the captain and I. I don't want her dying off after such an amazing battle. We need to both become stronger and do this again! Plus, she is crucial in my plan to get the rest of the marines off the island."

Smacked, launched, burned, pierce and now out of everything Ozma thought could happen during his day, eaten alive by a giant skeleton, and soon after spit out. During the course of several minutes, a specific set of words kept repeating in his head. "Fuck my life."

Stretch out on the floor, looking at the sky rethinking his life choices, Ozma calmly turned to Chateau. "Just try to find some seastone cuffs, for our friend over here and sit down." Slowly shifting to a sitting position, he stretched out his right arm and grabbed Zheng's. "I will stabilize her for now."

Chateau was confused. But he figured that this captain would have a pair on her. After all, they delt with devil fruit users all the time. He even saw the other captain use them against the previous group of pirates which appeared earlier. And so he dug into her pockets and retrieved the mentioned cuffs. He carefully placed them on the captain and stepped back.

"Now just sit your ass down, and pray no one else cames this way for a while." Closing his eyes, Ozma began to slowly use his powers. Having only shown his power in brief instances and quick effect, up until now, the real power of his fruit was shown when used during a long period of time. After a couple of minutes of silence. "Done." Sweat dripping down his face, Ozma was visually exhausted. "Now get over here Big boy, it's your turn."

Chateau was amazed! It appeared as if Ozma became the god of time himself and took a stand against the god of death. No way Chateau could let this man slip from his grasp. But the captain's eye also allowed him to see how exhausted he was. And so he approached Ozma and pressed his hand upon his shoulder.

"You've done more than enough." His voice radiating warmness and gratitude. "Leave her to me," Chateau dug into his pocket and retrieved a slip of paper. On it, the coordinates to where the island was to be dropped off. "Head to the control room, grab one of those wizards and get this thing going. Worst comes to worst, she'll serve as a powerful stalling device."

"Yeah, yeah." Slowly getting himself up, Ozma just slowly moved away from Zheng. "Let's get moving towards the control room, pretty sure you two did a number on it." Now on a greatly reduced scale and speed, Ozma began utilizing his ability on both him and Chateau. As Chateau would look down at himself, all of his wounds would seem as if healing themselves slowly, but just physically as the pain and tiredness would still remain due to this not being a heal but rather a regression in time.

Chateau smiled at the effort. At least he wouldn't have to worry about succumbing to a random death thanks to Ozma's efforts. Ozma brought up a valid point though...the control room! He'd hoped that it survived the hellish battle which took place. Perhaps he should go with Ozma.

"Yeah, that's a better plan. Lets go." Chateau exploded into Goliath. The two story giant reached down and lifted Ozma onto his shoulder before grabbing Zheng with his free hand. His body vanished. Leaving Ozma floating twenty feet above the ground. This way, any of the other marines wouldn't notice a massive wild man running across the island. Chateau darted across the clouds, leaping massive distances in hopes of reaching the destination quicker.

The miniature giant seemingly glided into existence as the trio approached the nearly untouched building. Chateau lifted Ozma off his shoulder and placed him softly upon the ground. He then reverted, leaving Zheng hanging upon his shoulder. She can come back to her spear some other time.

He guided Ozma into the room. A wizard dressed man hid in the corner.

"I-isn't that the c-" He stumbled.

"Sorry, she tripped and fell!" Chateau said with a nice smile.

"Will she be okay!?"

"No! She fell upon a deadly bushel of flowers! She only has so long to live unless we can get her to these coordinates." Chateau took out a pen and wrote down the coordinates upon a piece of paper.

The wizard jumped to action! He moved with a swift wind, pressing different buttons and pulling levers. Suddenly the island would jump into action. Moving towards the Calm Belt, one of the only modes of transportation able to do so.

"We're almost there." Chateau addressed Ozma.

"I really have no idea where we going." Tired, laying on the ground next to a wall Ozma finished the last minutes of recovery both he and Chateau needed. "But well, it seems like our little adventure is reaching its' end."

"Don't be like that!" Chateau said with a giant grin. "After this, our adventure is set to begin." He placed Zheng on the ground with a soft touch before leaning on a machine. "You see, this will probably be the greatest heist of this year. The Chateau Pirates and that little brat's ragtag gang team up and best some of the marine's strongest, to steal an entire island and beat someone who consumed one of the greatest logia powers!" The ebony captain chuckled.

"We'll be wanted by everyone. And that's why I need you to join my crew. So we can grow stronger and achieve our dreams! As for our next step, we're going near Amazon Lily. The legendary land of woman warriors! God I could use a vacation there..." Chateau giggled.

"Join you?" Ozma thought to himself for a couple of moments before saying anything. "Hm, dreams." Smile on his face, Ozma slowly closed his eyes and begin to rest. "Guess I need to make up some new dreams."

A smoky, steaming blur...that was what Kijuro saw as the angered pirate closed in on him. Fast, astonishingly so. He certainly didn't expect that. However, Levi was much faster.

Kijuro reacted to Brennan's move, the pirate seemed to care so much for his crewmate he succumbed to his anger,and burst forward to attack, as the marine's warning was taken as an empty threat. But Kijuro would make the pirate regret it.

The moment Brennan exclaimed in anger, and used his sheer power to appear in front of Kijuro, the marine merely needed to complete a snapping of his fingers, which were already touching each other, to pulverize Brennan's comrade. However, several factors prevented him taking action, of something that would normally take him a millisecond.

The steaming air around them made it a bit harder to breathe, coupled with Brennan's burst of speed, made Kijuro react instinctively, in order to protect his severely injured body. The marine twisted his body, and disengaged his use of Geppo for a moment, letting himself fall slightly as Brennan aimed for his arms. However, his shattered left arm was caught in the pirate's grip, as searing pain followed, as the pirate used his strength to try and rip the arm off.

"FUCK!"

At the moment of contact, Kijuro, now dangling slightly below Brennan himself, thrusted his Kairoseki tipped staff at the pirate's gut with great force, aiming to injure him, as the staff's tip would bypass his devil fruit and hit the boy in his true body. If Brennan dodged, Kijuro would use the same rotational force he was using to free himself from Brennan's grip, and separate the staff into three sections, and swing it to Brenna's direction, still aiming to strike him with the force normally applied to his "Shigan" technique.

As he pulled his arm from Brennan's grip, given the fact his muscles were severely weakened, Kijuro's left arm now was both burned and his shoulder tendons completely broken. His arm dangling as he fell downwards, Kijuro would once again join his middle finger and thumb together, slightly moving them, as if almost completing the snapping motion. A bright light would shine in the distance, one Brennan would be familiar with, as it was the brief shining light before something combusted by Kijuro's powers.

"You're relentless, pirate. Admirable! However! You should reconsider, and leave!" exclaimed Kijuro after falling down a distance, and using geppo to float again. He spat a bit of blood, as he glared at Brennan once more.

"There is a way to protect your friend from being blown to bits, but this is your final warning!" Kijuro looked down below, feeling the ignition lines he had spread earlier. "The island...or the pirate. If I detonate one, I won't have enough strength to blow up the other...I MUST CHOOSE..." Kijuro thought to himself, as he usually did, planning several moves ahead.

"Blow the pirate, eliminate a future dangerous threat, and possible have a chance to take this one out because of his reckless anger. Blow the island, and risk getting sent to prison, but complete the mission. I doubt any of this fools can sustain themselves in midair, except this one..."

His eyes shifted to the control room in the distance. "Edwin could possibly rescue Yin in midair, but...for how long? Her situation worries me...How long until our bodies give up on us? Damnit! We should've brought at least one more combatant!...NO...Losing is not an option."

Returning his gaze to Brennan, after an internal monologue that lasted less than a second in real time. "Well? Will you continue fighting and risk losing the island and your friend, or pack your shit and leave, and we settle this some other time? Every second, my bombs charge up stronger, pirate..."

Kijuro looked in the distance, towards that direction. "Come out now! This concerns whoever you are too!!!"

As the staff came at Brennan, he would use his remaining arm to grab it, steering clear of the Kairoseki tip, but stopping it just short of his body, crushing it under the intense pressure and heat within his rock and lava coated hands.

“Who would I be if I surrendered, huh?! I came here to capture this island with Levi, and I plan to leave with her the same way! She put her all into fighting you, FOR ME, she even risked death to help ME, so even if I have to carry her dead in my arms, we’re leaving here together, WITH AN ISLAND!” Brennan said, the rage in his eyes growing in intensity, he teeth seething in anger as he contemplated what to do to Kijuro as he fell to the ground. Earlier Emotion. Spirit. These things were intertwined with one another. Escoffier Ramsay often said that there existed those who could read through the lens of the soul with a simple glance. A mysterious power which bridged the concepts of one's soul with that of their passion. This enigmatic energy existed within all living creatures. Or so Chateau's teacher would often tell him. Ever since the young captain was a child, he could feel the minute alterations in those around him. It helped him serve them with a genuine warmth often unseen upon the seas. But the continuous battles which brought him near death seemed to sharpen this sense.

For he felt the pain of the kid he'd once clashed against. A powerful shriek within his own heart which drew him to them. Followed by the sudden appearance of another powerful spirit. As much as Chateau wanted to make sure that this island remained on course, he needed to quickly gain control of the situation. Standing by and allowing them to fight would surely lead to further conflict. In fact, if the kid's lost would mean an even further disadvantage. Chateau knew he needed to seize the reigns of this chaotic mission. Luckily, his newfound companion had healed him enough that he could enter another battle Plus, Chateau recently acquired an even greater bargaining chip in this miniature war.

He enjoyed their battle thoroughly. No one has ever discovered a weakness of his power. Hell, he thought his bones were absolutely unbreakable. But through the fiery passion of her own spirit, she managed to do something once thought impossible. He definitely wanted the two of them to grow alongside one another. Continuously clashing to test their strength. Was this what it meant to finally find a worthy rival? Wasn't this the purpose of Escoffier giving Chateau a new life? Finally he understood the words of Meredia. The meaning of ambition. He wanted to become stronger. Cause he knew she would start training the second she'd awaken.

And so, Chateau went to a nearby scrapbook and ripped out a paper. He stole a pen from the fake wizard and scribbled something on the note before folding it up and placing it in Zheng's jacket.

"Keep this place safe. I need to get back out there before we lose the headwind." Chateau said to Ozma. "Remember, we have dreams that are connected now." The ebony captain's left arm transformed into it's Gashadokuro form and grabbed Zheng in its massive grasp. He nodded to Ozma before exiting the building.

"Your senses are quite impressive, Monsieur." The source of the silky voice revealed itself. The man who Kijuro managed to sense despite the chaos going on around him."Though I figured I should've went invisible. It's nice seeing you again, Monsieur. I believe you're owed for our previous battle."

Chateau Noir. A man who, despite the fiery battle which took place not too long ago, seemed more intact than the men before him. His left arm that of a gigantic skeletal giant's. ANd in the grasp of the deathly hand was the nigh-lifeless body of the famous Marine warrior knwon as Zheng Yin. The consumer of the powerful and legendary. Her hands were bound by her own Kairoseki cuffs wrapped tightly around her wrist. Chateau's thumb was pressed gently against the woman's neck.

"The same question could be asked to you, Monsieur." Chateau addressed Kijuro with a confidence far from their initial engagement upon Alabasta. His voice filled with the power of a pirate who managed to defeat an opponent such as Zheng "Blow up this island and I will snap her neck. The World Government loses an island which has done nothing for it and a mighty warrior considered one of the strongest officers of the seas. And believe me, I will survive your explosions. I've done so before." Chateau smirked. "Even someone as hotheaded as you will understand the predicament you're in."

He looked to Levi with a saddened expression. Such a beautiful creature unrightfully defeated. But she didn't belong to his crew.

"Hey Ignition Brat," said with a slight smirk. "How can you expect to catch up to me when one of your strongest member's was so easily defeated?" A slight tease. For Chateau knew far what it meant for one to lose members of their crew.

Brennan smirked slightly back, his eyes still filled with rage, making him look all the more crazed as he looked up to Chateau. “Save the jokes for after we kill these two, I can’t come up with a good comeback right now!” Brennan said to Chateau, the lava that coated his body would solidify into his normal body in every part of him but his arms, as they still dripped with Lava.

Brennan had ignored the rest of Chateau’s speech, all he could think of was Levi’s well being and inflicting as much pain as he could to those who hurt her. “Watch the sperm sac over there for a minute, Shiteau, I need to have a word with Kijuro!” Brennan said to Chateau as he shot himself over to the marine as he was descending to the floor below him. Brennan would cock his lava coated arms back as he blasted to Kijuro, his eyes set dead on him and nothing else.

Brennan then stopped abruptly, near directly in front of Kijuro, moving with the momentum as he swung his arms forward, a wave of lava exploding towards the marines face and body with intense and crushing speeds, Brennan taking advantage of his injury to hopefully take him out once and for all, avenging Levi and Claiming the island so long as Edwin put up little fight.

Anger fueled the pirate's actions. The determination to steal an island for some supposed prize would even mean that he'd allow his comrade to die? Well, part of Kijuro did understand him.

Somehow the kid's senses were acute enough to enable him to dodge the staff incoming in an unpredictable fashion, evading the kairoseki tip, as a devil fruit user might've "felt" the aura it emanated. But...grabbing the staff itself? And applying force to it? This was...unexpected...but...unexpected in Kijuro's favor. It was the least possible option, yet, somehow, somewhere, there was someone praying for their victory. He smirked.

As he descended, the sudden appearance of that little mice that had escaped him before triggered him slightly. "So it was you..."A vein clenched on Kijuro's forehead, as the "nobody" he had met on Alabasta, and escaped because of some interference, had risen to become a major threat. Who could've known that such a normal looking fellow could've devoured a fellow marine, as if he was some sort of demon. He had gathered a small group of troublesome outlaws, and had caused major disturbance wherever they went.

And now, to top it all off...he was holding Yin hostage? THE ZHENG YIN? How...in the name of the Four Blues could this low life defeat such a mighty soldier? No...there must've been some trickery involved. There was no way Yin would lose in a one on one fight, not here in this side of the Grand Line at least. Anger tried to consume him, but he knew better than to succumb to it.

As he was descending, he heard Chateau's proposal. He heard the determination on his voice, a determination he, himself always spoke with. While Brennan addressed Chateau, Kijuro parted his fingers. Levi, who had been shining with Kijuro's "ignition lines" all over her body, returned to her normal state. Though, it didn't mean she was in the clear yet. She was still in Kijuro's range, and until either one of several conditions were met, she'd still be a bomb ready to detonate at any minute. Kijuro was ready to tell Brennan how to fulfill one of these conditions if he surrendered, but the hot headed brat just aimed for the most obvious one....killing him.

"I'll answer your proposal, bone bastard, but...let me get this annoying freak of my neck!" Kijuro exclaimed as Brennan sprung forward, bursting lava from his arms to propel him near Kijuro. "to blow up the entire island would be tough, but...THIS...I can manage!

As Brennan closed in and put his hands in front of him, bursting a wave of lava, he'd find something strange going on with his arm. It began to glow...fiery lines, a color red more intense than his lava. Indeed, Brennan's arm had been charged as a bomb.

When would it have been? A mere moment before, when Brennan angrily and boldly grabbed and crushed Kijuro's staff. In truth, him grabbing the staff the way he least thought Brennan would act, but it was perfect. Even if when the ignition lines spread from a charged object, the slight burn would be felt, Brenann's lava and rock coated arms would've numbed this feeling probably, enabling Kijuro to enable his power spread. But instead of spreading further into Brennan's arm, in such a short time wouldn't cause that much damage on a lava kid, unless...Kijuro focused on his power going deeper, instead of further and spreading.

Brennan's hand would suddenly feel a sudden shock, followed by an intense and powerful combustion right on his hand. Even if his hands were covered by his lava and rock, the combustion would've occurred from underneath, surely blasting his real body. Kijuro's powers combusted whatever it covered within itself, making lava, air, skin or tissue explode. As he concentrated his powers in one spot, this combustion would probably be enough to critically injure Brennan's real hand, and the shock wave it produced would've shook his arm, and his body violently.

Still, even if it was effective, the lava would've still spread downwards and everywhere. Finally landing on the ground, Kijuro spinned in place the moment he landed, and launched two large and powerful Rankyaku air slashes, slicing the incoming lava with the vacuum blades, as he gritted his teeth briefly from pain, but quickly recovered his composure.

As he stood there, he awaited Brennan's next actions, while also keeping his senses focused on Chateau. "Consider this my repayment for what you did to my arm."

"Enough." Chateau ordered. His roar echoing to the brat and marine scuffling before him.

In the far distance, a flock of geese were making their way through the natural flight pattern ingrained in their mindset. They were to fly the journey that many of their ancestors flown before. That is until they felt their feathers started to rise. An instinctual fear which existed deep inside their subconscious mind. Shivers. Bumps. An understanding that the direction towards the island atop the cloud before them was not where they were meant to go. Just as the schools of fish below, the birds quickly altered their subconscious directions. Breaking from the flock in numerous directions in a frightened attempt to avoid the island.

"Ignition brat, there's more than one way to win a battle." Chateau offered this piece of advice to his fellow rookie. A voice of one who would serve as a guide. Filled with a refined yet relaxed confidence. Even in the face of danger. "Tend to the girl and make sure you guys are alright. If you continue fighting, I will knock you off this island myself!"

"Marine, this little scuffle is over. The fate of this woman lies in your next decision. Call off your men and leave this island." His grip tightened around Zheng Yin. "If you do so, I will tend to the Ignition brats and leave this woman in the hands of the nearest island."

Chateau took a deep breath.

"I know you can have an explosive personality, Monsieur. But my time on the seas have shown me the best decisions come with time."

“FUCK OFF, SHITEAU!” Brennan screamed to the man, his anger still flooding through his mind, unable to see reason and only aiming to kill the man before him. As his lava coated arm would implode it would simply splash lava all over the place, dome aimed at Kijuro, some at Chateau and Zheng would would lie within his arms. Brennan’s arm would reform quickly, a mix of lava and rock as he formed a hand to grab at Kijuro, aiming to scale and crush the boy, still ignoring Chateau, though a quick gaze over to Levi’s lifeless body would take Brennan’s attention a bit, however, he still aimed his attack at the marine. “Don’t worry, Levi, I’ll get to you soon” Brennan thought to himself, his heart breaking for the girl he considered his first mate, and all his anger still aimed at Kijuro.

Chateau needed to stop the brat from fucking up his plan further. But getting too close to Kijuro would pose a threat in itself. After all the burning and scarring. After overcoming one obstacle there stood another. It was enough to drive Chateau mad. He watched as the birds soared away, seemingly fleeing in fear of something greater than themselves. "Ignition brat!" Chateau roared. His body moving on instinct. His free arm rose as he pointed his fingers towards Brennan. A flick. Yet his middle finger exploded into its Gashadokuro form midway. What was once a flick from a human hand quickly became one from a gigantic skeletal finger.

Doigt: Accueil

For the first time in his life, Chateau was able to selectively transform more than one part of his body into their Full-Beast variant. The gigantic skeletal arm which held onto Zheng and his finger midway through a flick. Sending forth a large crescent blade of pressurized, compressed wind. A blade meant to send Brennan soaring back as he would attempt to attack Kijuro.

"Understand something, Ignition Brat. We are not under the same flag. I will kill you myself if you interfere with this heist." Chateau almost didn't recognize himself as he spoke to the man before him. But it felt good. Better than he'd ever felt before. For the first time, Chateau felt in complete control of a situation which was bigger than him. He started to understand freedom.

"Go to her before I decide to let him take you both!"

Brennan would stop in his pursuit against Kijuro, his senses piqued as Chateau would attack from the rear, flashing a blurry image of a large blade flying towards his back. Despite his bodies warning to the attack, he had little time to dodge, or counter, so he did the only thing he could, he let it hit him. As the blade flew towards Brennan, his midsection became fluid and red, going from solid body to the viscous and hot liquid it once was. The blade would slash through his body as incredible speeds, setting ablaze as it flew through his body at Kijuro behind him.

At this point, Brennan’s attention was taken of the marine before him, and put on the ebony pirate who was once behind him before Brennan turned around, his eyes darting straight to him, seemingly unaffected by the same force the birds were.

“Cut the cocky shit, Bone Bitch! Fuck you flag too, remember, you’re not indestructible!” Brennan remarked, his body returning to normal, barring his arms who would send out continuous blasts, keeping him afloat. Brennan made eye contact with the man for a moment, his anger slightly quenching at the sight of his rival of sorts. For a moment he thought of aiming his attacks at Kijuro once again, or even at Chateau, but, he knew it would do no good as his beloved crewmate lied unconscious on the ground floor. “Threaten me again and this island will end up just like Banaro.” Brennan said to Chateau before blasting his way to were Levi lied on the ground, kneeling to the floor to lift her up in his arm.

His feet would then take on the same fluid form his midsection had prior, blasting the two back into the air, this time much calmer as he took a spot to the side of Chateau, his eyes still on Kijuro and his body still ready to react to Edwin’s efforts, he was even weary of Chateau, but alas, he stood still, warming Levi with some slight heat as she lied motionless in his arms.

Time slowed down for the Marine, as memories of his training sessions with Trigate Terrin and Hale Osiris flooded his mind. Everything seemed to dissipate around him, however, his senses were more acute than ever, only "glowing voices" remained. He simply side stepped using Soru to evade the spewing dome of magma on his way.

"Never give in to a pirate's demands! However, your comrades's life come first!" The voice of Terrin resonated on his head. "Protecting civilians and your fellow comrades is priority, then burn the pirates into oblivion if they don't surrender," Hale Osiris's voice followed after. For what seems like forever, Kijuro argued with his own thoughts, however, it was merely a slight hesitation, no, a confirmation, as his course of action had been the same as from the start.

Turning his back to Chateau, now finally free from Brennan's relentless attack, Kijuro started walking away. Waving his hand directed at Edwin, he motioned him to stop whatever he had planned. "Shirtless punk, let's go. We're done here."

Without looking back, he continued his advance for a couple of steps, until stopping suddenly, turning his head to glare intensely at Chateau from over his shoulder. "While I don't trust the word of a pirate, I expect you keep yours and return the Captain safe."

Now directing his voice to Brennan in the distance. "Live in fear of the unknown, of never knowing whether your comrade there will stay as a bomb ready to detonate when you least expect it, if the power will remain dormant until she faces me once more, or if my power will actually wear off. You'll get your answer one day..."

In a blur and a gust of wind, Kijuro vanished from view, surely with Edwin following behind.

Chateau fell to his backside. He'd thought that this would've taken an ugly turn for the worst. He hated playing the bad guy. Even as a pirate and master thief, the ebony captain enjoyed making friends. His body reverted back to his human form after he laid Zheng down next to him. Of course Chateau would keep his word. Not for Kijuro's satisfaction. Not for the satisfaction of the World Government. No. Chateau wanted to continue his growth. And she brought something out of the depths of Chateau's soul.

"Gachichichichichi!" A laughter of insanity! But one of success. Still, he had an angry rookie not more than several paces from him. This wasn't the time for him to let up. After all, the Ignition brat was a logia just like the captain by his side. Chateau looked to Brennan with a slight smirk.

"You're still young and edgy and that's fine. But you should learn when it's time to make enemies. And when you need to make friends." He said warmly. "Anyone else would've betrayed you and turned an already bad situation into hell." He needed to secure a truce. This island can not take much more damage. Less risk diving straight into the ocean. "I doubt you could take on two marine captains AND a super rookie." Chateau chuckled.

"Anyway," Chateau stood and leapt down, Zheng hanging by his shoulder. He landed next to Brennan and Levi. "Why don't we get her all healed up and take this island to the drop off location. My first mate should be nearby."

Brennan listened to Chateau’s words, giving little response past a single “tch!”. Brennan was angered by how things played out, but alas, the battle was one and his friend was alive to see another battle, they simply had to deliver the island and notoriety and riches would be on the other side for them.

“Yea, let’s. After all that fighting I need a nice hot meal and my ass needs a date with the toilet, I’ve had the shits since I got here!” Brennan remarked, letting out a slight laugh before holding one hand to the back of his head, on hand still holding Levi safely. “At least I know Levi’s gonna be happy, she might finally get a new bathroom and room on the boat, we’ve got a lot of shit to fix with this money, how bout you, Shiteau?” Brennan asked Chateau, walking off in the presumed direction of the control room, simply aiming to get this over with.

Chateau grimaced at young pirate's crudeness. But sighed after realizing that everyone walked their own life. "I'm going to use this to officially establish what my flag is for. And to give my crew some better weapons so we can survive the New World." Chateau smirked. "The island should be arriving soon hopefully."

One Day Delivery
The island of Weatheria was battered and bruised. Filled with wounded soldiers and corpses of both the island's inhabitants and defenders. A silent cloud of destruction and accumulated knowledge. But this massive behemoth of a cloud slowly approached the Calm Belt. Soaring above the dangerous Sea King filled seas. Casting a slowly approaching, ominous shadow upon the sapphire waves.

Chateau watched as Ozma finished administering his own healing to the wounded Levi. She was stable and should be snapping back into conscious any second now. The ebony captain found himself leaning against a wall. Watching the Ignition Brat with his own crew. He'd dropped off Zheng Yin several islands ago at a nearby Marine headquarters. A dangerous task for anyone without his stealthy abilities.

Surely the Ignition Pirates and Chateau Pirates would become even bigger fiends of the Grand Line. Names spreading farther and wider after the supposed darkness they sowed upon the world. Chateau didn't care. He felt himself become stronger with each battle and welcomed the challenges. He looked to his empty arm and smirked. An idea for him to remember the conquering of this island.

"We are here." The wizard dressed geezer mumbled. Chateau looked to Brennan and the others and nodded.

"Let's go meet our buyers!" A cheerful glee as he dashed outside. The island slowly descending upon the land.

“Woohoo!” Brennan cheered in glee, leaping from where he sat, overlooking the same seas he knew deep in his chest he would soon conquer. Brennan made his way to where Levi would lie resting, bouncing with glee as he lobbed her onto his back, increasing the warmth of his body as a means to wake her up comfortably and ease her sore body. “WAKE UP LEVI, WE’S BOUT TO BE RICH!” Brennan yelled, sure to drag Levi from her rest, coupled with the warmth of his body.

Brennan leaped from the control room, falling to the ground faster than Chateau, speeding down past him. As he nearly slammed to the floor, an explosion would blast from his feet as he spun in a circle to land properly, squaring as he slammed down upon the ground below him. “Let’s get a move on, I can just smell the green and infamy from here!” Brennan remarked gleefully, a nice pep in his step as he bounced to the set meeting point

Levi awoke with a loud groan, feeling the sudden movement of Brennan as he rushed to the meeting spot. "Brennan, I'm not in the mood to hear this bullshit," Levi exclaimed in a tired voice, placing a hand on her head to alleviate her headache. She winced in pain, having clearly not recovered from her battle against Kijuro and activated her electricity in order to accelerate the healing of her cells, resulting in her wounds being non-existent.

"So, do we know who the hell wants this island? I hope they don't mind the dead people on it." Levi said in a nonchalant tone.

"No," Chateau answered. He looked to Levi with a warm smile and a slight nod. "The contract just said a New World Pirate. But what pirate would be crazy enough to want this island and offer this much of a reward?"

Chateau sighed. "For all, we know this could be a trap. Which means be on your guard."

“Wow, she gets a smile, but I don’t, it because she’s a girl ain’t it.” Brennan said in a joking tone, smiling mischievously at Chateau as the walked to the meeting point.

“Whoever wanted this shit hole better still payout, we could’ve died over this place. I want my money.” Brennan remarked, holding Levi on his back a little tighter as he got on guard, hoping this wasn’t a trap and that they could get their money, despite the destruction and death they caused.

"Well seeing as this mysterious buyer is from the New World, we might have to focus on surviving some more." Chateau sighed. He felt the island halt after a slowed descent. It rested quite a distance above the Calm Belt's ocean. An island just above the sea. The misfit gang of pirates walked to the edge of Weatheria in waits of the buyer.

"And if this was just a joke posting, then I call dibs on the island."

"Of course it wasn't a joke," a voice radiated from within the forest of the small island that rested within towards the edge of the Calm belt. The trees were massive, towering over the paradise pirates like skyscrapers. Two men peeked out from the forest, their weapons drawn as they approached the paradise pirates. As they reached halfway, they turned around, making a signal with their hand.

Then, Akemi emerged from the forest. Had this island not been known as Treasure Oak Island, renown for its prodigious supply of timber due to the sheer stature of its trees, her 120-foot frame would have been completely revealed. However, it was for this reason that the Black Widow Pirates chose to use this island as the meeting exchange, all the while their forces engaged the marines on Amazon Lily.

To the pirates, it was clear that Akemi was a politician, as opposed to a warrior. She looked down upon them, sliding her red-framed glasses closer onto her eyes as they slipped down her nose slightly.

"Welcome," Akemi replied stoically. "I see that you managed to accomplish the task at hand."

“Of course we did, but the only task I wanna accomplish is capturing your love,” Brennan spoke softly, holding his hand out to the woman in adornment, dropping to one knee, dwarfed by the sheer height of the giant woman before him.

“I love a woman of knowledge, with your brains and my immense brawn, we will be the strongest couple to grace the seas!” Brennan rejoiced, flexing his arms as he spoke, staring at the giant woman, starry-eyed and blind by her stunning looks

Levi looked at Brennan with an annoyed look, a scowl spreading across her face. His constant flirting with nearly every single attractive female was quite tiresome. As she watched him flirt with Akemi, a thought manifested within her mind as she realized her captain had never flirted with her. Instinctively, she wrapped her arm around Brennan's neck with the intention of chocking him out while she crossing her legs around his torso, securing herself in place.

"Shhhh. Just accept your fate, Romeo." Levi whispered in his ear.

“ACKKK!” Brennan cries out, choking as Levi wrapped around his neck and body, causing him to fall to both knees, pulling at Levi’s arms, aiming to loosen her deadly grip. “H-help m-me!” Brennan screamed in a low and breathless tone, grabbing out to Chateau and Akemi, hoping one of them would help him. “I-if you l-let me go, I-I’ll make s-sure you get a s-suite to yourself on the ship with the m-m-money...” Brennan strained, aiming to bribe Levi into submission, the world around him getting blurry.

Akemi's face didn't change.

"If you are all finished, I can relay the message that my Empress has assigned me to give."

"Yeah, I'm done with the flirt. You can go ahead." Levi said, allowing Brennan to breathe by letting go of his neck. She hopped off of his back and stood beside him. "I'll be taking that suite, by the way." She informed her captain, smirking.

Tch, suite my ass.” Brennan mumbled under his breath, rubbing his neck as he stood back to his feet, air rushing back into his lungs. He turned his attention back to the giant woman standing before them. “So, what’s this message your empress has for us?” Brennan remarked, still rubbing his neck as he looked directly up at the woman, now standing to Levi’s side.

Akemi nodded, signaling one of her escorts to step forward. He pulled out a dial from his pocket.

"This is a dial. The message relayed is in this, so listen and look attentively. If you don't, you might miss something, and there's no way for us to repeat it. Understood?"

“Gotcha! I’m all ears!” Brennan spoke, thinking into the future riches he would have.

Chateau nodded. Was he to hear the voice of the infamous pirate Empress?! One who ruled an entire country by her lonesome! He felt a bit bad that the others would not witness such a rare occurrence with him.

The man pressed the dial, triggering an immense, blinding light that exploded forth, disorienting the sight of anyone that laid eyes on it.

When it came to, the entire surrounding of the island had changed into a deep mist, obscuring the world around them. The only thing visible to the pirates were eachother, and a large shadow that peered through the mist like light.

"Welcome!" the voice cheerfully spoke, pushing the mist away from its being, revealing Legs, the current Yonko and ruler of Wano Country. There she stood, clad in her white, decorative toga that she always wore, as her long, light blue hair gently flapped in the breeze.

"You three are amazing, you know! Tell me, young pirates. Your names!?"

“I’m Brazzers D. Brennan, not to toot my own horn, but, you MAY have heard of my parents Stron...wait. Name?! What’chu need my name for, I want my MONEY!” Brennan said crassly, darting his eyes around a bit than back to the mist created woman, his tone changing drastically as he spoke, to focused on his impending riches to realize who stood before him and what exactly it meant.

Legs looked down at Brennan, her gentle smile still resting carelessly upon her visage.

"Ah, I see. You're one of those type of pirates. Well then, off you go," Legs said, flicking her hand dismissively, watching as the clouds enthralled themselves around Brennan's frame, suffocating his body with their presence before dispersing into the air, leaving nothing remaining; not even Brennan's body.

Just like that he had been whisked away, with nothing more than a simple gesture.

"When I ask a question, I expect to be answered....and nothing more."

Levi's eyes widen in surprise at the sight of Brennan vanishing into the clouds. She nearly screamed but managed to compose herself, being able to come to the conclusion that her captain was still alive. This wasn't how Levi wanted to met one of her idols but she would adapt to the situation. She couldn't afford to show fear before someone she wanted to be like.

"I-i apologize for the actions of my captain, Mrs. Legs. I'm Ramman Levi of the Ignition Pirates." Levi introduced herself, cursing internally at her stuttering.

Chateau was quiet the entire time. A strange occurrence for one known for speaking whatever came to his mind. But the flags which adorned the men...he recognized their owner from a hundred miles away. As a prodigy of the world's famous Ramsay Escoffier, the ebony captain of the Chateau Pirates met people from across the oocean. From famous sailors to marines who captured the most vile criminals. And they spoke a thousand and one tales while indulging in their nightly debauchery. However, one particular story from the New World seemed to repeat itself from different mouths.

The four emperors. A spider. A monk. An Angel and a Dragon.

And there before him stood the Empress Spider. And in truth to her magnificence, she whisked away the logia brat in but a second. Chateau was frozen. A woman whose might was enough to conquer entire seas! It made sense that only someone as powerful as her would request an island be captured in her name. Only someone with such an obscene power would see that inquiry as possible! And there was Brennan basically tossing all of their lives into the open flame.

"Ignition brat..." Chateau grumbled. "My name is Chateau Noir, captain of the Chateau Pirates." The ebony captain spoke with a certain calmness. An understanding that if this was his time, she could make sure of it with nothing but a blink of her eye. It was a silent acceptance of death. But he radiated something deep within his stomach. His body calling upon the mysterious blessing it'd inherited. The animals around him scurried away. Seemingly burrowing deeper and deeper.

Worst comes to worst...I can at least get her out of here.

Although Levi and Chateau sailed different flags, Xenia meant the safety of his guest. And once he conquered Weatheria and scared off the marine's, Levi became a guest beneath his flag.

Legs clapped her hands together. "Wonderful! I love both of your names! I even like that boy's Brennan's, but knowing his father....Yeah, it makes complete sense why he's like that," she continued, rambling about things that these pirates neither knew or cared about.

"Anyway, welcome to my little world here! It's a world of illusions. It's how I speak with people far away you know," she revealed. "So, don't worry, Brennan is just trapped in another part of my illusion. It wouldn't be becoming of an Empress to kill a subject so powerful for something as small as speaking out of turn. However, he must know that he's wrong. You two understand, right? Good!"

Legs didn't give them any time to reply.

"So, in reality, the people who presented that dial to you have your money. 100,000,000 for each of you! Make sure to spend it wisely! Something like...." Legs put her hand on her cheek thoughtfully. "Toothpaste! Healthy foods! That kind of stuff. Taking care of your body is super important, okay?"

Chateau was utterly shocked. This woman did not seem like the monstrous demoness who conquered a majority of the New World. The one being on this planet closest to achieving One Piece. Yet something radiating from her added fuel to his own ambition. This next move could mean the end of his journey. But Chateau wouldn't sit there idly by. No. He needed to seize this moment.

That's right...Throughout these journeys. Chateau forgot what brought him to the seas in the first place. The countless battles were something he hoped to never forget. And the moments with his dearest crew became gold within his heart. But Meredia was right. Chateau sailed not just for himself anymore...Fate brought them all together and they shared a common enemy. The world which brought them into the darkness in the first place. And now, stood one who possessed the tightest grasp within it. Chateau needed to take advantage of this. For Mori. Rowing. Ozma. Catherine and Minuit.

"I thank you for the kind advice," Chateau started. Lowered eyes mingling with a calm voice to create the aura of one accustomed to danger. "and forgive me for making another request. But I must ask that you let Over and Yeomra know that I am coming for them. And I will personally be the downfall of the Underworld myself!"

Legs blinked. "Oh, Kumomomomomomomo!"

She snapped her fingers, manifesting two massive silhouettes that towered over Chateau and Levi.

"These are the titans that you're up against, Chateau! These massive beings of men. And here you are, small, inexperienced...weak. Right now, as you are, you are no match for either one of these two beings who are...."

Legs snapped her fingers again, manifesting a mountain that towered over everyone above them, encapsulating Chateau, Legs, and Levi in its shadow.

"Nothing but specs of dust in the greater scheme that we refer to as the Underworld. What do you hope to accomplish targeting such an immense organization, Chateau?"

The average pirate would have coward in fear. But mountains...Mountains exist to be climbed. Throughout the seas upon which Chateau sailed, there existed few who was capable of dwarfing the pirate. From island to island, the ebony gentleman found himself limited by his true strength. Forced to hold back in order to refrain from causing too much damage to those around him. He needed titans. Finally there existed people that would allow him to give his all without having to hold back. The thought of it caused his stomach to burn. A fiery sensation. A gigantic skeleton appeared where the ebony captain once stood. A Gashadokuro. A being of immense size and power which dwarfed Levi and almost met the mighty Yonko at eye-level.

"I plan on freeing the people who've suffered from the chaos of this world." A mighty swing towards the first silhouette. "Protecting those closest to me." Another, backhanded swipe to its neck. "And most importantly, finally meeting someone capable of standing against me!"

A powerful voice boomed from the skull's maw. His devoid eye sockets filled to the brim with ambition and passion. Nothing holding him back but the seas before him. Even if the empress struck him down, Chateau would stand up and continue onwards. Just as he raised him too.

Each blow that he dealt to the silhouette's reverberated throughout the misty world, as the very force of his strikes seemed to carry something deeper within them. In a world of illusions, the psyche was the most powerful thing. For Legs, she loved to communicate in her false worlds, for they allowed her insight into a person. Far more insight than she could ever achieve had it not been possible.

She smirked.

"To think another conqueror would emerge in Paradise," Legs mumbled. "Yes, Chateau. I can see your fate very clearly. However, you must be wary as you tread your path. It's dangerous and riddle with obstacles. Obstacles that your fist may not always allow you to pass."

She walked closer towards him. "For instance, you may think that right now, in that form, your powers are absolute. But, sometimes all it takes is one small spark," Legs continued, snapping her fingers, conjuring a room of flames in the wake of the mist; flames that burned and rampaged so wildly and with such heat that they scorched the sandy ground into glass, and glowed not yellow, but a deep blue.

"To send your entire world into flames."

Chateau stood still. Unafraid of the flames consuming him. The flames within him burned brighter than those raging before the massive skeleton. Was this hardheadedness? Stubbornness? People often said that he possessed a snappy spirit. A determined yet reliable soul that wouldn't fall until the job was done. And so he looked forward. Even in a face devoid of life, one saw the future of the Underworld in his deathly visage. "Regardless if my powers are absolute or not, I will continue forward. Even if I am reduced into ash...Then my spirit will continue in my wake." Chateau spoke confidently. "I might not be strong enough right now...But I will find a way. I'll always find a way." "Though I thank you for your kind advice, Madame Empress." He was a gentleman after all.

Leg nodded. "Of course Chateau, but I didn't mean you," she replied, pointing towards Levi.

"What will she do? You are immune to the flames of the world, but what do you do about those behind you, who aren't?"

Levi stood there, eyes widened in surprise at the question. Such a simple question with a deep meaning and it wasn’t even directed towards her but towards someone else as if she was within their shadow. "He doesn’t need to do shit! I’ll snuff out whatever the world throws at me or my captain! If the world breaks my bones, I’ll force ‘em back in place! If it tries to wipe me from existence, I’ll defy it!" She glared at Legs as her eyes turned an electric blue. "Nothing is gonna stop me! No matter what! Not even you!"

"Ah yes," Legs replied. "Let's test it out then," she continued, flicking her wrist towards Levi.

The flames moved closer inwards, completely consuming the bodies of the two pirates, bringing with it a wave of scorching heat.

As the roaring flames washed over her body, Levi could feel the intense heat. It made her want to scream to the heavens in pain but she kept her mouth shut in pure defiance. She could have used her Devil Fruit to counter the fire but she didn’t. No, this was to prove a point and goddamn it, she was going to do so.

Gritting her teeth in pain, Levi walked forward towards Legs. Each step resulted in a pulse of pain and intense heat to shoot through her body, nearly forcing her to the ground. She didn’t stop however as she arrived in front of Legs, her mouth dripping with blood as she had unknowingly bit her lip to keep herself from screaming and stared into the eyes of the Yonko, unyielding and determined with her arms crossed.

No matter what the world threw at her, she would stand in defiance.

Legs looked at Chateau.

"Take a look here, Chateau. Look at her," she said, pointing towards Levi. "She arrived to me, bloody and bruised, her flesh on fire, while you sit their idle and comfortable. This is the cruel truth of our world. You see it now, don't you?"

Brennan did not deserve this woman. And no other instant made it clearer than now. Chatea was frozen by the flames. And although they did not hurt, he saw the pain they brought the young girl. This was the story of his life. Immune to pain. Unfeeling. Explosions. Falls. Stabbings. Slammed against rocks, through trees, and even thrown into a lake of lave. And nothing but the suffering from those around him. It tired him. It burned him hotter than any of the flames around the duo. Chateau needed to do something. Anything. By Xenia. By the rules which protected his own heart! The Skeleton Captain needed to do something.

And he did.

The massive ninety foot skeleton moved on instinct. A slight jump in order to land the strongest punch his body could muster. Aiming to slam his fist across the woman's face. A force so strong that it sent waves from the surrounding island. A giant fighting an even bigger giant. This would surely get him killed...But at least Levi can escape.

"I'll just become strong enough for them to continue living!"

Legs sighed, shaking her head in disagreement as Chateau charged towards her, hurling his fist directly to her immense frame.

"Wrong, Chateau."

As his enormous skeleton reached her body, it simply phased through her body as if she wasn't there. However, she felt there. Her presence, her aura...As Chateau fell through her body, the full brute of her spirit seemed to exist. So, why couldn't he touch her? Was she that far out of his reach? Was she simply that untouchable? The woman closest to the One Piece?!

The moment that Chateau passed through her intangible body, Legs lifted her arm into the air, conjuring her Saisho, a blade blackened by the spirit. It took no time for her arm to fall downwards, slashing downwards across Chateau's bony, back.

For a man who could feel no pain, a slash such as that wouldn't have even bothered him, but there was something unusual about this attack. The moment that it struck his back, it was felt. For Chateau, there was a feeling of blood gushing down his frame, as if his human form was smitten by a powerful blade.

"Tell me Chateau, do you feel that?"

Chateau groaned. His body aching in a pain which he hadn't felt in so long. First that marine now her?! How many people existed capable of bypassing his once thought impregnable defense. The pain ravaged him. His eyes looked to the burning girl and then back to the now enormous giant.

"I don't...feel...anything..." He lied. A horrible liar he was for tears began swelling in his eyes. Chateau stood back up and looked to the unimaginable Yonko. The young gentleman felt the ocean above him the second he phased through her body. The sky above shaped into a curvaceous goddess. To think such a being existed in this world...it excited him...It painted the picture of what was possible for him to become.

"I'm not done with you." Chateau growled. Once more Chateau erupted towards her. This time in an attempt to tackle her to the ground. However, like Zheng, Chateau needed to formulate another plan. There will always be mountains to climb. Massive obstacles to surpass. And so survival in this world meant to utilize all the weapons in one's arsenal. Including one's intelligence. Even though they were surrounded by extremely thick mist, Chateau and Levi hadn't moved from their previous position. He noticed this from the steps in the sand in the distance. Which meant that the woman should be there!

And so, the flaming skeleton trampled past the even larger giant and launched himself to where he figured the glasses wearing messenger was. His arm wrapping around her neck as he attempted to tighten it against her windpipe. A desperate action. But a plan which could mean life or death.

"You're a generous Empress." Chateau began. His voice booming in the mist. "Like you said, protect those around you. Let the girl go and do whatever you need with me." Chateau grumbled through the horrible pain of his spiritual wound.

Legs smirked. "Ah, so you're not as stupid as I thought you were, Chateau! You're quite clever..I reward intelligence, Chateau. The notion of doing all that you can to protect those precious to you; that's admirable."

She squinted, taking steps towards Chateau.

Then, there was nothing. Like that, the world around him had dissipated into an endless void, a nebula of some sort compromised of nothing but empty space.

Chateau's body floated carelessly through it, having been shifted back into his human form. As he glanced around, looking to see the world, Legs appeared before him, matching his human-form in stature.

Her light blue eyes approached his own, as her face drew closer to his. "Yes, now I understand. You have inherited some powerful powers. However," she said, shifting behind him, "you are still inexperienced. You can't see through your own destiny."

She shifted back in front of him. "I can see through your destiny very clearly though. So, beware Chateau. Otherwise you'll lose...everything."

When Chateau blinked, he and Levi would awaken to the island that they arrived at, with nothing but a briefcase that rested against the ground. The earlier representatives of Legs had completely disappeared, and the dial that they used was broken into pieces among the sand. It had seemed they returned to the real world, but Chateau was brought with a present of some sort.

Blood gushed out his back, where he was smitten by Legs' powerful blade.

Familiar Reunion
Brennan was engulfed in a strong mist, suffocated once again before being dropped in a room made entirely of mist, he took a large breath as he looked around confused, no Levi, no Chateau, and no giants.

“So, am I still getting my money or...” Brennan remarked, looking around as he rubbed his neck, a nostalgic feeling rushing through his mind for a moment as the teal colored hair of the woman who sent him waved through his mind, carrying a memory with it, in his sights, but still just out of his grasp.

Appearing through the mist was the Yonko, Legs, but this time, she had taken a much smaller form. Instead, she was approximately six feet tall.

As she walked through the mist, she took each step frustratingly, her fist clenched as she approached Brennan before she finally stopped, stomping ferociously.

"Is this how you're going to be, Brennan?" Legs inquired. "You're going to get yourself killed you know!?"

“Who are you to tell me how to act?! You asked me my name, so what’s yours!?” Brennan remarked, squinting at Legs as he tried to pick through his memories, something about the woman gave him an overwrought feeling of nostalgia, however, not exactly the food kind.

Legs face palmed. "My name is Fukuoka Koyuki," she replied. "Also known throughout the world as Black Widow, Titanboa, the War Goddess or as Daddy L. Legs. I'm a Yonko, Brennan. Is that ringing any bells yet?"

“Oh...OHHHHHH...wait...YOU BITCH!” Brennan’s memories shot back into his head all at one time, every lesson his aunt taught him, every year he cried over the death of his parents, all smashed into his head at once, each one of his parent allied themselves with her and that bitch Buster D. Amaka, leading to both of there deaths, however, Brennan knew he couldn’t get angry, after all, he stood before a Yonko, so no matter how he felt, he had to hear her out. “So, you knew my parents then, huh?” Brennan said in a flat tone.

Legs grimaced, snapping her fingers as an immense wave of gravity slammed over Brennan's body, intent on sending him face first into the floor.

Brennan’s body was sent to the ground, slowly but surely crumbling limb by limb under the intense strength of the Yonko before him, however, he was still determined as ever to stand his ground. Brennan lies on the floor, a vein popping from his head as he attempted to force his body back up. “So is this what you did to my father when he spoke out of line, is this how he died?!” Brennan spoke deeply, his body inching up in sheer willpower and anger, soon, his chest would rise nearly and inch from the floor, to soon be followed by his chest as he fought to rise from the ground and refused to lie beneath her feet.

"Child," Legs begun, "I had nothing to do with your father's death. Rico was one of the most accomplished pirates of his generation, and a great friend of mine. Don't you ever," she continued, increasing the strength of her assault, "accuse me of murdering those dear to me again."

“If he was so dear to you, why’d you let him die?!” Brennan screamed, his body beginning to rise at a fast pace, the vein in his head almost bursting from the strength he was exerting. He would soon stand to his feet, back hunched and his teeth gritting. “What kinda Yonko lets someone so dear to them die like that, and to ally yourself with the killer of his wife is even worse!” Brennan yelled as he straightened his back, a wave would being to flush through the space around them as he stood, the mist settling as it did so, this was the doing of Brennan, his will and strength, all his feelings, spread around him in an aura, this phenomenon would have been unknown to Brennan, but, Legs may have known it all to well.

Legs paused, blinking in disbelief as the wave of utter power rushed over her frame.

"D-Don't tell me he has it too!?" Legs inquired, mumbling to herself. To have thought that Rico's child would have felt so strongly about him to manifest his strength right here; Legs would have been a fool to ignore these feelings.

She snapped her fingers, dissipating the force that held down Brennan.

"Stand, Brennan. You're right. I did fail Rico. I was the one who let him die," Legs repeated. "Because I wasn't strong enough. I wasn't fast enough, or smart enough to prevent him from dying. If I am to be a Queen, how can I allow my precious family to die. Hm?" Legs inquired rhetorically. "It's because I've become far too careless in this cruel world. In order to save those precious to me, I must become the woman that I once was. But, she was cruel and ambitious."

Legs paused. "And, I don't want to be that anymore. Because of my selfishness, your father passed....Because, I don't want to go back to being Koyuki. Therefore, take every shot at me, Brennan. I'll take the force of your punches. I'll carry the burden of your hatred on my back."

Brennn stood shocked by Leg’s words, something about her words struck a cord, it’s plucked a string in Brennan’s heart, but not only that, it made him realize just how many people were effected by the death of his parents. His entire life he was told nobody cared about him or his parents, that their lives were just fodder in the grand scheme of the great seas he wished to conquer, but in this very moment, he realized just how wrong he was, he could throw a punch at Legs, allow here to bear his hatred, but why leave one more scorned soul when he can heal two.

Brennan let out a deep sigh, still standing, but resting his body as it was able to move freely up and down with every breath her took. He then locked eyes with Legs, their feeling for Rico exchanges in a sense, just in that short moment Brennan understood how much pain she bore, losing comrade after comrade over the years, he saw no point in putting salt into her many open wounds. “Let’s heal together.” Brennan spoke softly, a determined and strong willed look in his eyes, holding his hand out to the Yonko, aiming to squash what they could in the moment. This was odd for Brennan, usually he would’ve taken her up on her offer, but something said declining it would mean so much more, he was now determined to show one more person that he can and will conquer the seas, and that he was strong enough to do it, even though his parents failed.