A Rocky Relationship

A Lethal Problem
Junk Island.

It was a rather remote and small island located within that got its rather eye catching name from its signature junkyard, which had grown so large that it towered over the rest of the island’s landmarks. Heaps of metal were sprawled across the junkyard and in the middle of all the junk was a humongous factory that stood as the lone building among the sea of scrap metal.

This was known as the Junk Factory that was owned by the Margolo Gang, a notorious criminal gang that had taken up residence on the island and had begun producing special gadgets and weapons through the use of everyday junk. While the profits of the factory were extraordinary, there were also detrimental effects of the large toxic waste being poured out into the nearby ocean as the health of the islanders was beginning to deteriorate due to pollution coming from the factory.

Those that complained about the pollution however were quickly silenced through violence as the Margolo gang’s hired thugs were more than capable of beating up the lowly and weak islanders. The Marines, who the islanders saw as their last hope, had all but turned their backs on them and had been rumored to have made a deal with the Margolo Gang that involved them ignoring the clear atrocities being committed for a slice of the cut.

The situation couldn’t get any more bleak as a young man with a pompadour style haircut stood on top of a small house and glared in the direction of the factory, sheer hatred and contempt in his brown onyx eyes.

“Those bastards won’t get away with this”

Rock; that was the name of this young man dressed in a white overcoat who was the leader of one of the larger gangs on Junk Island and was known as the strongest street fighter around the block. For all his strength however, Rock had a passion for medical knowledge and had even opened up his own clinic near the outskirts of the town where his gang was mostly located.

“Hey Boss!”

Rock’s attention drifted from the factory towards the ground below where a few of his followers were seen carrying a heavily bruised and bloodied man on their shoulders.

Rock jumped down immediately and caught himself before rushing towards the trio with a worried look on his face. He examined the badly roughed up elderly man and noted the injuries across his body, identifying what he would need to patch him up. As for the origin of where these injuries came from, Rock already had an idea as he glanced at his two followers who nodded solemnly, as if they could read his thoughts.

“The damn fool. Trying to take on the Margolo gang by himself, that’s beyond reckless” Rock sighed but said no more as he motioned for the duo to bring him as he led them inside his residence.

Half an hour had passed and Rock had finished tending to the man’s major injuries as the elderly man was bandaged from head to toe and laid on the bed inside the medical room. Outside of a few broken ribs and a fractured nose and jaw, he didn’t have any other serious injuries so he’d make a recovery with enough rest.

“How is he?” One of the two men asked as he approached the bed.

“He’ll live. Whether out of pity or mercy, they let him walk out of there without any permanent injuries but he won’t be moving anytime soon. I’ll let him crash here until he’s feeling better”

“That’s a relief” The man expressed with a sigh and was once again impressed by how skilled their boss was when it came to being a doctor.

Rock placed the first aid kit back onto the table and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms with a serious look.

“Damn it!” Trevor, one of Rock’s followers, punched the wall beside him with a vicious look. “I can’t take this shit anymore! Those bastards get to do whatever the hell they want and we’re supposed to just accept this!?”

“Calm down Trev, you already know there’s nothing we can do” Carter, the other follower in the room voiced with reason as Trevor frowned in his direction.

“I know! I know that already but… it’s just so damn frustrating!”

Rock remained silent but agreed with them as he looked out the window of the room. The Margolo’s were simply too strong for anyone on this island to face off against. They had money, strength, and manpower and above all else; were even secretly being backed by the Marines. What could his little gang do against those kinds of odds? No matter how strong he was, he couldn’t fight an army. He wanted to help the people of this island but he was powerless to do so. He felt even more frustrated than his followers and just as he was thinking of marching into the factory to let loose his anger, a peculiar sight outside the window caught his attention.

“Hey, isn’t that a ship?” Rock said, causing Trevor and Carter to follow his gaze as they approached the window.

“That’s definitely a ship. It even has a jolly roger, a rather flashy one at that” Trevor snarked.

“It’s obviously a pirate crew. It’s been a few weeks since the last time a pirate crew came to visit this island. I’m sure they’re just here to resupply on stocks and check out the new island” Carter theorized.

Rock however, wasn’t on their line of thinking and narrowed his eyes in a hostile manner towards the port where the ship was approaching. He didn’t exactly dislike or hate pirates but the last time he saw a pirate crew, he had watched as they not only ignore the pleads from the desperate islanders, but also go on to support the Margolo Gang and purchase weapons from them. They then proceeded to pillage a few houses and cause even more headaches for the dwellers of this island.

There was no chance in hell Rock was going to let that happen again as he immediately rushed out of the room, causing Trevor and Carter to call out to him.

“Hey, where are you going?! Boss!” Trevor shouted and looked at Carter who had already bolted out of the room to follow their leader as they tried to catch up to him.

“If those Pirates aren’t here to help, then they shouldn’t be here at all!” Rock snarled as he sped towards the port, a fire in his eyes.

The Brawlers Are Here
The Brawler Pirates were on a voyage together. Their crew was one with seemingly no goal in mind, as their captain Ryusei Remilia had her mind set on finding strong people to face in battle. There were already a handful of people that shared her mindset, or agreed to come with her for different reasons. To her, they are more like friends that crew members however. As their captain, she wanted to prove to them that they can rely on her if things ever go south.

On their trip, they came across a part of the sea that was littered in trash. Scooping them up revealed that most of it was worthless junk, and thus was tossed back into the sea. They are pirates, and not a clean-up crew. The marine can take care of it for all they care. But the large amount of it was surprising.

"What is up with all this trash? Did a ship get sunk around here? Or maybe someone is littering. Perhaps other pirates? Nah, other pirates would probably keep this trash. But we? We are refined! We got our eyes on bigger things!" Remilia said, as she threw a piece of junk back into the sea that she was inspecting. Afterwards, she pointed at an island in the distance.

"Like that island over there! Everyone, set course! This place better have some good wildlife on there. What do you guys say? Perhaps we can get ourselves on some freshly cooked meat!" She grinned. The thought of getting some meat to eat again was more than enough for her to go on any island. And while is not a picky eater, something other than fish would be more than welcome.

But as they came closer, there were no greens to be seen. All that could be seen was mountains of trash. And those clouds they saw from afar weren't normal either... it all looked so sickly. So the trash they found wasn't from some sunken ship, but from that island. The sight of such a place would make anyone turn back and look for something better. But, no way they were gonna turn back now! Perhaps also some investigation on who is doing this. This seemed to be more than someone's personal garbage dump.

"We are approaching the island, everyone. I know it doesn't look promising now that we know that it is filled with trash, but we are certainly going to find something on there regardless. And even if we have to dig for it. It's a gut feeling. Let's check this place out."

Several minutes later, they finally docked, and Remilia didn't hesitate to jump off. The ground shook as she landed. She raised her hand, to signal to her crew members that they can come with her. It looked like some of the locals wanted to talk with them already.

At the sight of her captain’s signal, Shakti leaped off of the ship and landed beside her Captain as she took in the sight of the town before her. Her curious gaze unconsciously shifted to a disgusted look upon taking in the horrid smell of the island, feeling her lunch try to rise up before she pushed it back down and sighed.

"Gods above, this place smells worse than the alley behind my old bar. I’m gonna need to be sloshed off of my ass or else this smell is gonna get to me." She pinched her nose, preventing the smell from entering as she glanced about with a repulsive look.

"Hopefully, their booze is better than the way this place smells."

A vocal grunt of distress could be heard from behind as Jules inspected the ship after docking "Oy! What's all this then? Bloody Guck!" she shouted, peeling trash from the hull of the ship "let me get my hands on the monster who did this, Ol Brigade ain't a ship to stink and sink!" she grunted once more before standing tall and putting her goggles to her head, moving in more of an angry stomp after the others, her cheeks puffed out and her brow furrowed mad.

Some of the locals were hesitant to approach the visitors that had landed on the island as their last experience with pirates was far from pleasant. A young boy who was ignorant of such matters attempted to run towards them but was pulled away immediately by his mother who shot the group a nervous glance as she backed away with her child.

A short elderly man who walked with a cane steadily approached the group of girls, ignoring the protests from the villagers as he stopped a short distance from Remilia, who he assumed was the leader.

“Excuse our rudeness. I am the mayor of this town and I welcome you to Junk Island. I’m sorry we haven’t been more welcoming to you and your friends but we are just wary of pirates that show up on this island” He explained, still a bit cautious as he sized up the humongous woman.

“May I ask what your intentions are on this island?”

"Wait, you guys actually call this place Junk Island?! I am gonna be real with you; trash isn't exactly the best theme to chose for your island. I hope you are aware that your trash reaches far beyond just your island. Might as well call it the Junk Sea. Because of this, you got trash on our ship! We came here because we were hoping for some wildlife to go and get us something good to eat. This was the closest island, but now that I am on it, it only seems hopeless."

Remilia looked away from the mayor, whom she didn't exactly think of as competent if he let this island become like this. The trouble of having Jules clean up their ship has to be repaid for her somehow. She didn't like all the people staring at them either. It's not like they had any business with them.

"What are you punks staring at, huh?! You got a problem with us? You think we are the problem here, don't we?! Tch... don't you guys DARE to judge me, because we aren't the trash dwellers here. Jules, leave the ship alone for now. We should check this place out some more. We can always get back at it later. Shakti, come with me too."

She walked past the crowd, and even past the mayor with little to no respect. So far, the only opinion she had about these people is that they were trash dwellers who don't care about their own island. Why else would there be so much junk on and around the island?

"You got it, Remi. Let's get to moving before I spew my lunch over these guys." Shakti replied, rubbing her shoulders to relieve the stiffness as she walked after her Captain. She personally agreed with Remilia in telling off the people of this "Junk Island". It seemed almost ridiculous how the people of this town were acting towards them when they were living in literal trash.

"Though, it might be an improvement for these guys." She grumbled to herself as a man moved out her way in a hurry.

Jules held her nose through the entire conversation, looking to Remilia "Do we HAVE to stay?" she said, moving along with her captain "Even I know bloody trash when I see it, and I keep spare parts all the time." she sighed "bloody bog o' stench, is what it is"

The elderly man looked rather hurt at the words of the unfamiliar women as he tried to plead with them by stepping once again in front of the large woman.

“Please, we meant you no harm. We apologize for our rude welcome but you see, our last encounter with pirates was far from a pleasant experience and we’re just wary of travelers. Also, please don’t understand that, we don’t choose to live under these filthy conditions by choice. It’s just that…” The mayor hesitated, unable to finish his next choice of words as a loud voice echoed from on top of a nearby house.

“That’s far enough!”

All eyes turned towards the figure of a young man with an odd hairstyle choice wearing a white overcoat standing on the roof of a house as he glared at Remilia and her crewmates.

“You pirates have no business on this island and I won’t tolerate you guys talking shit to the old man!” The mysterious man proclaimed.

“Rock!” The old man yelled as he identified the young man and shook his head “You can’t cause trouble! I Don’t endanger yourself over something like this!”

“Save it old man” Rock jumped down from the roof and landed with a slight tremble in the ground as he approached the group with a nasty glare.

“These people have no idea what kind of shit’s happening on this island and yet they wanna run their mouths and judge us” He sized up the girls standing behind the massive woman first before his eyes finally settled on Remilia.

“If you aren’t here to lend a helping hand then you should pack up your things and leave. We don't need another headache on this island” He stated with a fierce look in his eyes, not intimidated at all by the woman standing before him. She was certainly strong, that much he could tell by her muscles and her dominating figure, but he didn’t care as he wouldn’t tolerate anyone making a mess of this island even further.

Remilia understood if her crew didn't want to stay here. But they came this far and not getting anything of value would've been a total waste of their time. They need to make due with what they can get. Even if this place is just pure trash by the looks of it. But when the mayor got in her way again, she was about to push him away, until the voice of a man appeared all of the sudden. Looks like he must've made a name for himself. But if you asked her, "Rock" isn't exactly a name for a public hero. At least that's what she assumed he was supposed to be, considering everyone's reaction.

He had some guts coming at them like that. Normally she'd like that about a man, but... he wasn't quite her type. Also, that hair really wasn't helping with anything. Remilia didn't move an inch when he approached her and instead stood dead in her tracks. He was picking a fight with her right away, it seemed.

"Lend you a helping hand? What do you mean, you expect US to clean up this trash for you or what?! Do we look like we are here to help you clean up all this stuff? You guys got LITERAL mountains of this stuff! Honestly, i am surprised the marine hasn't showed up yet to do something about this. But these guys are all corrupted bastards, they wouldn't care about the sea getting filled up with trash. Doubt they would get payed to clean up a trashy island like this. But that does make me wonder... why don't you guys ever bother to clean this up, huh? Why don't you tell us, Poodle Man?"

Rock’s eyebrows twitched angrily at the nickname as he scrunched his face and stepped a bit closer.

“Who the hell you calling Poodle Man, you big foot amazon gorilla. Nobody said you had to help us clean the island, that’s not what the issue is. Besides, even if I did tell you what the real problem on this island was, who's to say you could even help? You don’t seem all that tough to me ” Rock challenged with an arrogant look as he rolled up his sleeves and grinned.

“Whadaya say, big girl? You up for a little one on one? Or are those muscles of yours just for show?” He taunted. This was perfect, now he could gauge this pirate’s strength and see if she was as strong as she looked. If she wasn’t, then he’d send both her and her crew off this island.

Veins were visibly bulging out from her head when he insulted her. But, she shouldn't lose her cool again. Not while like this are around, and while her crew is watching. She's better than this, she should've learned from previous encounters with other pirates. She inhaled, and exhaled slowly. The veins dissapearing again as she seemingly calmed down. He did just challenge her. But by the looks of his face, he just wants to test himself.

"Fine. If you want to see just how strong i am, then go for it. I am not going to move, dodge, or attack back. I'd be surprised if you'd even be able to put more than a little dent in me. Hell, if even. But you better watch it, because this is between you and me. Don't attack any of my crew members. Or else i will use you as a mop for my ship and use that greasy hairdo of yours to wax the floors! Do your worst, Poodle Man."

Remilia crossed her arms and just stood there. She actually didn't want to harm him, because she could tell that there was more to this man that she thought. Expecially because he talked about that they would need help. But if it's not cleaning up, then it must be something different, for sure.

There was one rule on the Brigade. Sophia is not to be awaken. If the ship is sinking and she is asleep? Then oh well. She wasn't the type of pirate most people were used to sailing with. A powerful woman in her own right...She'd clashed with the captain more times than anyone could count. Over everything. From matching outfits to getting her food too late. So to interrupt her peaceful dreams often meant death.

The captain often said peace and quiet only came when Sophia slept. Not surprising as she dreamed of her brother. Meeting him at the end of the Grand Line and proclaiming herself the Pirate Queen's sword. A world ruled by woman! And in that moment when they'd storm the holy land...What is that smell? Dammit Sakti did you let one rip?! Now of all times?!

Sophia shot up. Her face meeting the reflection before her. "What the fuck is that smell?!" She angrily threw on her clothes. Jumping out of the bed and running to an empty deck. Over the railings of the garbage covered ship, she saw what looked like her beloved crew fighting some Shounen wannabe. With a powerful breath, Sophia launched herself into the air and landed before the captain.

But this wasn't to defend the captain. No. Sophia was pissed the fuck off. This island's stench broke that golden rule. And now she'd make them pay. Sophia wasn't like the captain either. No talking. She found the person who looked like to be in charge...the man in the weird hairstyle and walked menacingly towards him.

Rock found the amazon women's challenge to be rather shocking as it was a tactic he himself employed towards his enemies to crush their hopes of believing they had a chance against him. That said, it went against his code to strike an opponent who didn’t aim to fight back, especially a lady (even if the woman’s physique said otherwise) and he hesitated for a moment.

Before he could dwell on it more, his attention was taken by the arrival of an unfamiliar face as she landed in front of the huge woman and approached him with a vicious glare. He assumed she was part of the group behind her, if her noteworthy bust and aggressive demeanor were any indication, and didn’t drop his guard as he stood there and sized her up.

“You need something, short stuff?” He humored as while the height difference wasn’t as big as the one between himself and the captain, it was still noticeable.

Humor? Without a word, the short-busty woman swung her fist towards the man's stomach with all the force she could muster. And it was a lot. Enough to explain this girl's ranking among the ship. She didn't hold back either. Her body twisting into a devastating hook.

"How dare your stench awaken me!?" She screamed.

Memories of Back Then
The gentle swaying of the ship almost put him to sleep. The captain sat at the head of the helm in a meditative state. His legs crossed and hands in the Chin Mudra. His ebony skin kissed by the warm sunlight, helping him leave his physical body behind.

"Captain Azrael, we are approaching Junk Island. " The voice of his subordinate interrupted his trance. Pulling his conscious back from above. "What are we doing here? I thought this was Captain Gremor's jurisdiction. Are we here to speak to him about the condition of the surrounding sea?."

The captain could tell the man was holding his nose shut by the nasally words. He opened his eyes to a sea of garbage and a stench strong enough to defend itself from intruders. It caused him to gag. He breathed deeply in attempt to regain his composure.

"Does this look like a properly cared for island?" Azrael asked. His voice as soft and low as ever. He remained seated but his fingers intertwined.

"Should we reach out to Captain Gremor? Surely there's an explanation."

"I'm not here to interfere with his job." Now that Azrael was a captain, he equaled that greedy little weasel. He remembered Gremor from his own academy days. That little rat would do anything for a dollar. This island's horrid condition was nowhere near surprising. But even as his superior, making enemies in the Marines only meant jeopardizing one's career down the line. Another captain appearing on his island could head back up to the higher-ups and be seen as Azrael trying to overstep his boundaries.

No. This trip had a different...more personal purpose.

"I'm here to visit an old friend I met during my earlier days as a sailor." Azrael stood up and brushed off his dress pants. His white dress shirt neatly tucked. Several knives were attached to his hip and neatly strapped to his body. On his hip was his favorite dagger, King. "Reach out to Captain Gremor and tell him we are only docking for a day's rest. I'm sure he won't mind showing an old friend some hospitality."

"B-but captain-"

Azrael, floating above the ocean with his two massive wings, turned to his subordinate with a charming smile. One which they grew to learn that everything was going to be alright. He soared over the trash covered sea with a sunken heart. But these islands tend to have some reason for this...Still...the ocean should be respected and cared for. Not treated as a disposal.

Five years ago, Junk Island was a small rest-stop for marines who needed their ship looked at. The shipwrights on this island could turn junk into treasure, hence where they got their name from. And one of the best shipwrights tended to Azrael during one of his earlier expeditions as a lieutenant. His ship had been damaged badly. So badly it would've gotten the poor boy in a lot of trouble with his superiors.

But Mr. Handy managed to repair that little ship to the best it'd ever been. He also taught Azrael everything he knew about naval strategy. Showing him unorthodox ways of using the ship as a weapon. Azrael promised to return...Just the tip's he'd been given earned him even more work as his success rate skyrocketed!

Azrael took a sharp turn. Landing on the dock would mean trouble. Surely that little rat has guards stationed throughout. He made his way around the approaching island, using his hands to cover his nose with a handkerchief. Having horrible eyesight caused Azrael to sharpen his sense of smell. This horrid stench was like trying to see in a painful blinding! He landed and retracted his wings. The sight of mountains of garbage brought tears to his eyes. These streets, once covered with singing children and gossiping wives, was reduced to being the forgotten relic of an industrial take-over.

"Gremor...what the fuck are you doing?" Azrael spat venomously. Flying throughout the island might garner the wrong attention. He grabbed a nearby cloak and wrapped himself with it. ''The superiors won't do anything about Gremor. Not when he won't allow anyone to come to the island without his notice. He probably cleans up enough just to keep up appearances.''

Azrael made eye contact with a sickly child. He approached and bent over. The child recoiling in fear. "It'll be alright." The captain promised. Pulling out a bag full of Beli. He gave the little girl a generous amount before continuing on his way.

Finding the old man was a bit challenging. But asking around with a bag full of money allowed him to complete what should've taken several hours in half the time. The inhabitants saw the man carried on a stretcher to a nearby house. The house of some local gang. He hadn't the time to waste playing investigator. Locating the house wasn't too hard either.

"Ay! Who da fuck are you?!" A man yelled from atop a nearby pile of trash. A watchtower? Uh oh. His words caused a small group of miscreants to appear in front of him from all over. Some dug through the ground. Others out the trash and a few from the house itself. "State ya business?"

"I'm looking for Mr. Handy. He's an old man." Azrael responded.

"Ain't no old man here punk. Beat it!"

Azrael stepped forward. Something within him...he could see the old man...laying on the bed. Azrael continued onwards to the door.

Swoosh!

A side step to avoid an oncoming bat. Followed by ducking beneath a knife. His body moving gracefully through a barrage of punches and kicks. He guided a leg into the stomach of another gang member. Used his forehead to knock the other unconscious. Azrael jumped and kicked a brash woman in the chest. Palming what he believed to be her boyfriend by the sound of his scream. Punches were met with kicks and kicks with thrust of his elbow. The worst these people could do? Probably dirty his clothes. And for that, he refrained from pulling out his knives. Instead choosing to dispatch the tens of wannabe gangsters.

Click.

Azrael turned the door knob and entered the house. Leaving the injured defenders rubbing their sore bodies. Some even ran for help. Surely to find their leader or something. He made his way through the filthy house and towards the top floor. He gently opened the door to what he presumed used to be a guest room and found him.

Mr. Handy bandaged.

His anger flared for a second. Almost causing him to go out there and deliver divine punishment...Yet something stuck out. The old man's pillow was recently fluffed. And a bowl of warm tea sat at the corner of the bed. Azrael took off his cloak and sat besides the sleeping old man.

I'll wait until you wake up and tell me everything. Azrael thought to himself.

Rock’s eyes widened at the speed of her punch but then took a deep breath as he braced himself, absorbing the impact of the strike towards his gut. He flinched and grit his teeth heavily as the ground trembled from the power behind that punch. He was not expecting the young lady to possess such impressive strength but he was far from done and smirked, reeling his own arm back as he put a significant amount of his strength into his arm.

“Hey, that was one hell of a punch short stuff. However..” He then shot it forward like a rocket and decked the tanned woman in the cheek, returning the blow he had received.

“You’ll have to do better than that” He smiled and took a stance, anticipating a full out brawl between them as his attention was now on the new girl instead of the captain.

Sophia took the punch. The mighty blow causing her face to almost pop off her neck. But those who knew Sophia knew why she took the full brunt of the attack. She wasn't like other warriors. She didn't brace herself. Rarely defended. No. She needed it. She wanted to suffer. It was almost sexual for her. Sophia slowly looked back to Rock. Her face bleeding from the attack.

Yet something seemed different.

Sophie, who only a second ago needed to look up to see Rock, appeared a littler bigger than before. Her muscles more defined...even bigger. Not by much-as expected by the punch of that little runt. She smiled.

"Do it again." Sophia commanded. Swinging her larger leg down in a devastating axe-kick.

“She’s… bigger?” Rock gawked as he saw the woman in front of him grow a little. He blinked his eyes, wondering if he was dreaming for a second but perished that thought quickly enough as her words of “Do it again” rang in his ears like a bell.

She wanted more? What was she, a masochist? Or did she just like fighting that much? Damn, he had just met the chick and was already beginning to like her as he smirked.

“Let's see what your made of” He responded to her axe-kick with a roundhouse kick of his own that he aimed towards her head as the two were on a collision course towards each other.

"God damn it..."

Remilia said under her breath. Sophia was once again causing trouble. She's the closest thing that Remilia had to an annoying younger sister. And while she is quite bothersome, at the same time she is also endearing. But this was going too far now. Sophia insisted on getting hit, as per usual. She was very similar to Remilia in that regard. Except that she did it to strengthen herself with her Devil Fruit Powers, while Remilia did it because she's too tough anyways, but still wants to get tougher. But this has reached a point where it got too much.

In the blink of an eye, Remilia got in between them. Despite how large and bulky she was, she was considerably fast. Taking the hit of both of their attacks. Her tough muscles completely absorbing the attacks like it was nothing. She's had numerous encounters before, even before she had a crew of this size, that had toughened her up even more. A handsome man with an eyepatch and an excentric yet charming lanky guy were the first to come to mind that helped her shape her up into a more proper and powerful pirate. As well as show her just how powerful people out here were, which inspired her to toughen up even further.

"CUT IT OUT, RIGHT NOW!"

She yelled at the top of her lungs. Her screams were so loud and powerful that the ground shook and powerful gusts of wind emitted from her. Like the sheer pressure of it was too immense. She then picked up both of them by the collar like misbehaving children, and putting them back down far appart from another.

"This was supposed to be something between me and him! You should've stayed in bed, Sophia! Bad girl! As for you, Poddle Man, i did tell you not to attack my crew! You've got some nerve for someone who looks like he styled a dog that died on his head into his hair! Is grease clogging up your ear or something?! Tch... this test of yours is over. You hit me, and you didn't hurt me. Now tell me what your problem is."

Remilia stayed surprisingly upfront. She could just go berserk and beat this guy up for hurting one of her beloved crew members. A girl that gets stronger when she gets hurt and a captain who doesn't like her crew getting hurt is one hell of a dangerous combo. Hitting Sophia means double the pain. But, Remilia could tell that Rock might not even be the true enemy here.

Her leg hurt from slamming against Remilia. There was a reason that the curvaceous beauty was the captain. But rather than argue, Sophie growled and took her place besides the captain.

"How can I sleep when this guy is stinking up the ship." She spat. Crossing her arms as she slowly shrunk back to her normal size. "His problem is he doesn't know how to take a proper shower and clean up."

Rock was stunned after his attempt at kicking the short tanned girl had resulted in the amazon woman absorbing his kick with little to no effort as he narrowed his eyes at her, analyzing her.

“''I wasn’t holding back with that kick either… she’s strong. Very strong"'' He hadn’t met anyone yet who could shrug off an attack from him in such a casual manner and he couldn’t say he disliked that as he had begun to respect the muscular woman.

That respect however turned into irritation when both her and her subordinate started bad mouthing his pompadour hair..

“Watch it. Only a real man can pull off this hairstyle” He boasted before sighing. “But you did win our wager so I guess I’ll fill you in on what’s happening. You might actually be what we’ve been waiting for all this time” He then turned to the younger girl with an annoyed look at the jab at his supposed “smell”.

“The smell isn’t coming from me you idiot. It’s from the junk on the island. The trash that’s been built up thanks to the factory is what’s causing the disgusting smell” He explained before turning around and pointed in a certain direction.

“Follow me, I’ll explain at my house”

Just as he was about to leave however, two of his gang members had run out from the crowd.

“Boss! We’ve got a big problem!” One of the men proclaimed with a worried face.

Rock raised his eyebrow. “What’s the problem?”

“Some random guy showed up at your house and started beating up our boys! You’ve gotta come back quick!”

A look of anger and fury appeared on Rock’s face, one very similiar to the look Remilia had made when she watched as her comrade was hurt, and his fists trembled before he sent a murderous look over in the direction of his house.

“Not on my fucking watch”

That was all he said as he hit the ground running, sprinting off in the direction of his house as his followers gave chase.

With the little "battle" finally over, they could get down to business. And it looked like there was indeed more to this trashy situation than expected. Some sort of factory, as he had just told them. But if it's a factory, it's not exactly hidden. No protests? No one trying to stop them? There must be someone bigger behind all this then. Remilia shouldn't have been so judgemental right away. She really needs to learn some manners. But then again, it's not like she had to mind her manners for anyone. She's a pirate for crying out loud!

And it looked like that Poodle Man's buddies got into some trouble. Some guy just appearing and beating them up? Sheesh, seemed like that the Brawler Pirates were going to be the least of their worries after all. To think that he tried to test their strength, and how Sophia just had to get herself into trouble again.

"Huh, guess your buddies couldn't look out for themselves. If only you hadn't come across us and actually stayed with them instead of trying to pick a fight."

Remilia taunted him as he made a run for it. Nontheless, she followed add a casual pace. Looking over at her crew members.

"Shame we got dragged into this. I promise you, if this whole ordeal turns out to be worthless for us, we'll just turn around and head back out on the sea. I honestly didn't want to go too quickly because who knows what we might find on here. Another man's trash is another man's treasure, after all. Or maybe we can get some coin out of the folk living here."

Sophia growled and followed her captain. She didn't want to get involved with this junk island. But...she couldn't leave her captain behind to fight.

An Unexpected Alliance
On a nearby Marine Warship, a man dressed in a snazzy business suit was devouring a rich and expensive meal at his fancy table before the Den-Den mushi on the table began to ring. He frowned before he answered it, already knowing who it was from.

“I already told you not to disturb me during my meals”

“I thought it would be important to call ahead and let you know of a certain development that’s happened on the island”

Gremor, the Marine Captain in charge of Junk Island, frowned when he listened to his partner on the other end and put the fork in his hand down.

“Go on”

“''It seems a Marine Captain has come to this island and has already stepped foot on the island. Apparently, he has an acquaintance on living here and is searching for him''”

Gremor furrowed his brow, already going through every captain ranked Marine he knew that would have any connections to this island. He eliminated more than a dozen until it was narrowed down to one particular eye sore he remembered.

“Azrael….” Gremor growled under his breath, his mood plummeting at the news. That pest was such an pain in the ass and Gremor knew the man had a penchant for sticking his nose into things that weren’t his problem.

“''I do hope that this Marine is only here to check up on his supposed friend. It’d be quite ... troublesome if he were to do anything that would ruin our business here''”

“Worry not” Gremor reassured. “Azrael doesn’t have the authority to overrule my decisions. As long as we clean up the island enough for it to be serviceable, no one from HQ will take his word over mine. I’ve already bribed some higher ups so it shouldn’t be an issue getting them to postpone the check up”

“''I’m glad to hear that. Oh, there’s also another development I heard about near the port. Apparently some pirates showed up on the island and got into an altercation with that gang leader who has a clinic in the South District''”

Gremor raised his eyebrow. Was that really something worth reporting? Pirates visited every so often and every one of them were pitifully easy to sway with money, women, and some weapons.

“I’m sure your side can take care of that. Just offer the same hospitality to those simple minded pirates and the problem will go away by itself. Leave that wannabe punk to his own devices, he’s powerless to do anything” Gremor laughed mockingly.

“''You got it. Heh, I’ll see you soon partner''”

The Den- Den Mushi cut off as Gremor laid back in his seat and sighed, still thinking of Azrael’s sudden appearance on the island. That was actually a bigger issue than he let on as he began thinking of ways to get him off this island as quickly as possible.

The journey back to the clinic was a short one as Rock’s determination carried him through the streets and he arrived at the front gate rather quickly, eyes widening when he saw a few of his guys and girls on the floor clutching various parts of their bodies.

“What the hell happened here?” Rock asked no one in particular as he walked forward, alerting everyone’s attention as they were beyond glad their leader had come back.

“Boss!”

“Thank goodness, the Boss is here!”

“Hell yeah! That bastard’s done it now!”

Cheers erupted from around the house but Rock ignored them and bent down towards an injured young woman who was clutching her chest.

“Gina, who did this?”

The woman called Gina pointed to the clinic and spat on the floor.

“Some punk came here and started asking around for some old man. We thought he might be working for Margolo so we tried to block his away but he was too strong. Damn, that asshole kicks really hard…” She cursed and rubbed her aching chest as Rock reached into his pocket and pulled out a small container.

He opened it and dipped his fingers inside the creamy substance before rubbing it on the girl’s bruised chest area, careful to keep his hands strictly above her breasts as the woman blushed a bit and looked down.

When he was finished tending to her wound, he placed the container in her hand and stood up.

“You should be fine. Use that on the others who are injured, it should take care of their bruises. Tell everyone else to stay back, I’ll handle this”

“G-Got it…” Gina’s admiration for her boss grew but she snapped out of her daydream and rushed to tend to her bruised comrades.

After watching her leave to tend to the others, he focused his attention back onto the house and removed the coat he was wearing, tossing it to the side as his muscular torso was revealed and he took a deep breath before shouting with all his might.

“WHOEVER’S IN THERE, YOU BETTER GET YOUR BUTT OUT HERE BEFORE I COME IN THERE AND BEAT YOUR ASS!” He shouted with all his strength as a few of his followers closed their ears at the man’s thunderous voice. Rock was steaming and ready to brawl once more as he crossed his arms and awaited whatever fool had dared to hurt his friends to come out.

The door slowly opened. Revealing a brown skinned man. Neatly dressed in a dress shirt and pants. In his hand was a cup of tea which he sipped as his lips pulled a cigar to the side. Azrael's sharp eyes looked at Rock.

"Can you keep it down? Mr. Handy is sleeping upstairs." He asked politely. Opening the door fully, standing face to face to Rock.

The appearance of this new unfamiliar challenger confused the battle ready Rock as he looked at him from top to bottom. Rock’s memory was second to none and he’d never forget a face, especially one as unique as the man standing before him and yet despite searching through his most recent memories, he was pretty sure he had never met or even heard of this man before.

Well, that wasn’t really what was important here and Rock narrowed his eyes and pointed at him.

“This is my house punk and I’ll yell as much as I damn want too. I don’t know who you are or what you want with the old man upstairs but I can’t let you walk away with hurting my crew the way you did. So put em up, I’m gonna teach you some manners” Rock declared as he took a stance and readied himself for another brawl. He didn’t underestimate this one like he did the amazon or her friends; he could tell immediately this guy was no pushover, if it wasn’t already obvious by how easily he dispatched his crew.

Today was just one thing after another and Rock wondered if he had been cursed with how crazy of a day he was having.

"Wait. Wait. Wait." Azrael said with a playful smile. "If you're the one who saved Mr. Handy. Thank you." He bowed slightly before rising back up to Rock's gaze. Seemingly ignoring the attempts at starting another fight. Although several years his senior, the poodle-headed man didn't feel too much of a dangerous threat. Not because of his power...No. The man's heart was different from the usual gangs that one encountered on these kind of islands.

"I used to visit this island as a sailor. And that old man upstairs saved my ass once." Azrael chuckled. "Though I'm disappointed in what you guys did with this island. It used to be an oasis for shipwrights."

“Mr Handy?” Rock repeated, his guard lowering as the man’s politeness and lack of aggressiveness worked on calming the gang leader down. “Your talking about the old man right? I knew he was a shipwright but I had no idea that you knew him personally”

Rock shoved both his hands into his pockets and walked a bit closer as he kept his gaze on the unfamiliar man who didn’t seem to have any malicious intentions. Perhaps there was a reason he attacked his crew? Whatever it was, it better have been a damn good one as he was at least willing to hear him out.

At the mention of the oasis this island used to be, Rock frowned.

“If you want to blame anyone, blame that blasted Margolo and his group of hired thugs who run this island now. They’re the ones who are behind the shit infested crap hole you see today” Rock admitted with hidden fury behind his eyes but calmed down as he stopped in front of the unfamiliar man.

“I’m Rock by the way. I’m the leader of these guys that you treated so well” He spat sarcastically and inclined his head.

“You got a name?”

"My name is Azrael." The marine captain started. But he knew where that line of questioning lead. And the last thing he needed was for a bunch of punks to run around spewing about a marine captain on the island. So he quickly latched onto the subject that mattered the most.

"Hired thugs? Hard to believe some no-named gang managed to turn this entire island into a junk heap." Azrael said with a slight ponder. "Isn't there a marine captain in charge of this island? The World Government would be upset with the way this island turned out under his watch."

Azrael? He had never heard of someone like that before. Aw well, not like it mattered.

“You must not be from this island if you think they’re small time. Sure, they’re nobodies to the world outside this island but in this town, they run this place as if they’re royalty”

He spat on the floor with disgust as Azrael mentioned the Marine captain.

“Oh that pansy? I think he was called Grem something but I couldn’t care to remember the name of some btich who sold us out. I don’t know all the details but I’ve heard he struck a deal with Margolo and lets all the shit that happens here fly by on his radar. So much for the Marines being saviors” He muttered under his breath, unaware that the man he was currently talking too was in fact a Marine.

Noticing the sound of footsteps, Rock turned to see the amazon and her crew finally catching up as they arrived near the front gate.

“I’ve seen grandma’s run faster than you slugs. What were you guys doing?” He questioned.

"Excuse me, we were watching our step so i wouldn't slip on the grease traps coming from your hair that you were leaving behind. That's your home? I wouldn't have been able to tell, honestly. And who are you even talking to the whole time? I've only overheard some words from afar. Dropping some odd, new names there. Could've told us about this sooner before bringing us to your little home here. Are you having some issues with your..."

As Remilia got closer, she got a peek at the person whom Rock was actually talking to. And when she saw him, she was stunned for a moment. Her awful habit was once again showing itsself.

"...boyfriend...."

The tough woman was slowly melting away, and she averted her gaze and pulled down her cap to obscure her face. A wavy, nervous looking mouth being the only thing from her face that was still revealed. She cleared her throat and tried to pretend like that she didn't say everything out loud just now.

"Ah... hello..."

Azrael looked beyond Rock to the newcomers. More gang members? But that didn't matter. The fact this lowlife knew what little of Gremor's name meant Azrael's worst fear came true. There had been countless stories of marines who used their power for selfish gain. Conspiring with pirates. Allowing the unholy to run amok. And due to the vast power and reach of the World Government, the poor people who suffered didn't stand a chance against the oppression.

He took a deep breath and pulled from the cigar. This got a little bit more complicated. I could go back and file an official report...but that'd take weeks...even months once that weasel gets word of it. That little rat would do everything in his power to hide all this madness. Besides, I'm sure he got more connections up higher in the food chain.

Azrael, so deep in thought, failed to notice the greetings from the woman.

Sophia appeared after the captain. "Whose this chump?" She asked brashly. "And why doesn't it shock me that you live in such a trash heap?"