The Strange Pair - Part 2 [Kiwi & Bromo]

[BlacKitten]

Pluto - 31

Upon drowning out the background sound of groaning, Pluto homed in his hearing to monitor the Sparrow Tower, and he took notice of the faint sound of burning flames. All he could speculate here was that Isaac had managed to cause a fire to burn down the greenhouse.

“Hey, you two,” he spoke to the two girls. “Go on ahead and head back to the ship. We’re leaving this place.”

“Alright,” Ara grabbed Rebecca by the hand as they sprinted off into the distance.

As he stood there with silence, watching the two of them leave, his eyes eventually shifted to the side upon hearing a ‘ding’ of an elevator. The unusual ears beneath his hood quickly went away, right before his hand pulled his hood back, revealing his face completely out in the open.

When Kory, lying with painful shallow breaths on the ground, caught a glimpse of the face, he was taken aback at how young this boy must be. Everything he had just encountered just now had been the result of some very young individuals relative to their capabilities. Even for the Grand Line, they were outliers.

Turning his head to the side, Pluto glimpsed upon Isaac stepping out of the building from over a block away as the ex-marine was sprinting in his direction where the port would be located.

“Ah, Isaac. Allow me to introduce you to someone,” the boy said tauntingly before gesturing his hands towards the bloodied, dusty, bruised body of a man in his late twenties lying flat on his back. “This is Kory Hideki! Kory Hideki, meet Isaac,” he reciprocated the gesture in reverse while getting these two to finally meet each other.

“So? How did it go on your end?” He asked the one-eyed solider.

“And, what would you like to do with this person?” said the raven-haired boy in a sadistic tone. He didn't care what happened to Kory, but he presented the beaten second-in-command to the formal navy soldier almost like a gift.

[Lord Bromosalino]

As he exited the lobby of the tower, Isaac traded the smokey air of the fire to the smoke created by the debris. Dust lingered in the air, creating a film of cover that hazed the light that was trying desperately to peek through. Seeing what Pluto had done from inside was completely different from what he was now seeing now that he had come outside. Standing directly under the tower, a shadow loomed overhead. The large steel structure was barely standing as an equally large steel building had crashed directly into its side. It was, in a word, breathtaking. And, for what seemed the umpteenth time this week, Isaac again took a mental note to continue his own investigation into who the mysterious boy really was.

Perhaps even more impressive, however, was the fact that the only injured bodies he saw laying on the street were those wearing the black jackets of the Red Sparrow organization. Yes, people of all colors, shapes, and sizes were running frantically in every direction, unsure of where they should run to. But, as far as he could tell, none of them appeared too badly injured (considering they had just survived two immensely large buildings crashing into each other) and were able to at least run. And run they did, bumping and shoving each other in their frantic panic.

Wiping away the soot and soil that had clung to the glass frame of his watch since he had entered the tower, Isaac could make out the time as being 1815 hours (6:15pm). He had a comfortable forty-five minutes to reach the docks. However, as he oriented himself towards the south end of the island, Isaac was pushed to the side by a group of Sparrows (who had ignored him now that he no longer wore the same black jacket as them). As he caught his footing, he saw that he had been turned around in the mad scramble and caught the view of strange boy named Pluto. The boy was standing tall over another male. Kid hasn't even broke a sweat, remarked Isaac, internally. He had cut down a building and, on top of that, managed to hold off who knows how many Sparrows. He was truly incredible. Rebecca and Ara, however, were nowhere to be seen. And considering how adamant Pluto was that they would stay with him, Isaac was instantly worried about their well being.

"Ah, Isaac. Allow me to introduce you to someone," stated Pluto, nonchalantly, with almost a sneer of disgust on his face for the foe he was standing over. "This is Kory Hideki! Kory Hideki, meet Isaac," continued the violet eyed boys. His eyes (or in his case, eye) must have appeared shocked at the revelation that the man laid out before them was none other than their primary target, Kory. Bloodied, beaten, and out right decimated, the second in command of the island was helpless and fully at the mercy of Pluto. Pluto, as he had commented earlier, had hardly broken out a sweat and appeared to not have put any effort into whatever fight had occurred here. In fact, by his taunting and faux politeness he was "showing" Kory, Isaac could only guess at the contempt Pluto was currently feeling. But why? He did not appear overtly enthusiastic at the prospect of even joining Isaac in what was very clearly the Marine's quest to disrupt the production of drugs on this island. Did something happen since he had last seen the boy? It must have been the case. As usual, Pluto was an enigma to the former Marine.

"Fine, sorry I took so long," answered Isaac as he had been asked how the events in the grove transpired. This, however, was not time to discuss their individual performances and outcomes. A debrief, though Pluto did not seem the type that would be interested in such an analytical break down of the operation, could wait for another time; a time that they were preferably in a much safer place much further away. "And, what would you like to do with this person?" Recalling the last conversation they had while in the "Trocadero," Isaac wondered if Pluto was testing the older man's morals and ethics. After all, Isaac stated he had no issue with taking another's life in the right context (as it had been inside of the greenhouse).

"You seem to have him under control, doesn't matter to me." Being as truthful as he could be, Isaac would have no issue with whatever Pluto decided. If he allowed Kory to live, that was fine by him. He was a broken man who could most likely not stand under his own power. His strength had been taken away from him and the treasure grove he was commanded to protect was in flames. He was nothing more than a shell of the man he had been even just earlier this morning. If the violet eyed boy decided that killing him was best for the island, then Isaac could hardly disagree. Kory had, after all, played a large part in destroying what should have been a prosperous island. And Isaac had not been a part of this side of the operation, he had not seen what had transpired, and he had not met the man. Pluto would be the one to decide. "Whatever choice you make, make it fast. It's time to go. Where are the girls?"

SPOILER: Click to show

{OC Colors}Saifer - #007299
Pluto - #8452bb
Rebecca - #00fffb
Ara - #ffdcbe
Alec - #dd133c

[BlacKitten]

Pluto - 32

“One-hundred-fifty meters south of here,” he gave a rough approximation of how far Rebecca and Ara were in response to Isaac’s question.

Closing his eyes, Pluto turned around and began walking away with his hands in his pockets. His one-eyed ally seemed indifferent on whether Kory lives, something he had been finding to be quite unusual for someone whose occupation was a marine soldier. In his experience, those single-minded defenders of justice tended to be so opinionated on what is right and wrong. It was strange for a marine to essentially say that whether a man lives or dies made no difference to what is right or wrong.

It’s weird that I find a marine who is easy to work with.

Having viewed the marines as an antagonizing force at this point, he never would have thought about working with someone with such close ties to them. He thought Isaac was a very strange marine for not opposing his actions of slicing a skyscraper, getting ‘children’ involved in this operation, and expressing indifference to killing. Yet, the man made such a big point about keeping the civilians safe, so perhaps the lives of the guilty did not matter at all to him.

Ordinarily, Pluto would share a similar sentiment of indifference about the lives of others. Prior to this, he had harbored no ill-feelings towards the second-in-command despite how terrible of a person he has heard about him. He had felt quite apathetic, but that attitude had changed since then.

Rolling onto his stomach and grunting, Kory struggled to clamber up to his knees and then his feet. His gaze, fueled with rage and frustration, darted like daggers at the boy who was walking away. “You’re leaving just like that!? After everything you did, you’re just leaving!?” He didn’t understand. What was the point of what this destruction and chaos?

“Kory Hideki, you seem to misunderstand,” the boy said calmly without even turning around to look him in the eyes. “I am not the main antagonist here. I was merely playing the role of a distraction – a decoy. The real threat was the one who destroyed the greenhouse in the basement.”

The last statement brought upon a look of disbelief to the man’s visage.

“Your business is no more. You will be dethroned from your high horse, ridiculed by your siblings, and be recognized as a failure.”

“SHUT UP!” shouted the man in fury. Gritting his teeth, he lunged forth with a hardened fist ready to bash the provoker from behind. With whatever ounce of strength left he could muster, he placed it all into this final savage strike. Veins bulged from his face. Blood and sweat trickling down his face. His sunglasses fallen off his eyes. With adrenaline coursing through his body, he ignored the throbbing pain resonating throughout his creaking vessel, pushing past his limit.

Pluto nonchalantly turned around a quarter of the way as the passionate fist collided against his face with a direct hit.

Crack!

With a shocked look, Kory slowly retracted his arm, witnessing the very bones in his hand audibly fractured upon impact. It felt as if he had just punched a steel wall. And on the spot of the boy’s face where he had hit, there was a mysterious shimmering splotch of pitch black that faded away. His opponent didn’t so much as budged, and despite landing an attack on him for the first time, it was his own hand that took damage. Like adding salt to a wound, he realized that after all that effort of trying to close in on the distance that even if he had landed his attack, it would all be for naught.

“You’re not human!” cried out Kory, not even recognizing the boy as even the same species as him. “What kind of a monster are you!?” He had never heard of anyone being able to slice a building, having eyes at the back of his head, and mysteriously blocking his attack with a strange, mysterious phenomenon. He couldn’t even begin to describe how this twenty-year-old was doing his tricks.

“Kory Hideki,” said the raven-haired, violet-eyed boy in a calm tone. “On this island, you are nothing more than a big fish in a small pond.” He clenched his fist which suddenly turned shimmering black. “And throughout the seas, you and I are mere specks.” His composure was wavering with seething hatred as he swung out a backfist which came out as a horizontal streak of blurriness followed by the vanishing body of the second-in-command.

A series of collisions erupted as several layers of gaping holes were formed in alignment in one of the buildings, suggesting that a human-sized projectile had just smashed through multiple layers of walls, entering in one side of the structure and out the other side.

The black coloration faded from Pluto’s hand.

That’s for trying to take my sister hostage.

Although he wasn’t to bother and check, he was confident to bet that the man was no longer in the realm of the living.

“Don’t forget to retrieve your jacket from Rebecca,” he casually reminded Isaac before powerwalking away.

[Lord Bromosalino]

“You’re leaving just like that!? After everything you did, you’re just leaving!?” In response to Isaac's allowance for Pluto to make the ultimate decision himself, the younger, violet eyed boy turned and walked away from his beaten foe. Pluto, like Isaac, seemed indifferent about the fate of the second in command of the Red Sparrows. Kory was beaten. He was done and dusted, whether he lived or not. Regardless of what Pluto chose to do, Kory would never be the same. The Red Sparrow organization would not be the same in the aftermath of what had transpired. Bupae Island, in fact, was forever changed by four strange, and even more strangely connected, individuals. Pluto, too, understood this and therefore left Kory to live, albeit in a beaten, bloody, and disgraced state. This was not mercy, however one perceived the act.

"I am not the main antagonist here," stated Pluto in a calm, nonchalant manner; a clear contrast to the outraged thug. "The real threat was the one who destroyed the greenhouse in the basement." Having the realization of the truth of the attack on the downtown city of Bupae City told to him, Kory's eyes bulged in shock. Could it be? The greenhouse and production of the Fairy Dusk had been tampered with, no destroyed? If that was the case, then the heir to the Hideki's knew of the consequences that would follow. Being left alive was, in fact, not a mercy in the slightest bit. "Your business is no more. You will be dethroned from your high horse, ridiculed by your siblings, and be recognized as a failure."
Adding insult to injury, Pluto said out loud what Kory (and all of the other Hideki siblings) were thinking. While the boy did not intend to take the life of his foe, he, along with Isaac, had taken everything from the white haired enforcer and added a thick layer of mockery on top of it. And it was that mockery that Kory simply could not stand. Years of ruling as top dog brought a certain level of expected respect and fear. And yet this mere child had not only mocked him in combat, but now mocked his future.

"SHUT UP!" With all of the anger that was festering inside of him, Kory shouted, his yells drowning over the calm, quieter voice of Pluto. Letting his rage pour out, the beaten man managed to stand to his feet; something which impressed Isaac. After all, he certainly did not looks as if he could walk unassisted, much less continue to fight. Yet, he did. Veins bulging and looking as if they were to burst, the humiliated man clenched his entire body, his teeth audibly grinding as he struggled, though he failed, to maintain any sense of composure. Mustering the last of bit of his failing strength, Kory abandoned all sense and tact, lunging directly towards the strange Pluto, determined to strike the man down.

CRACK!

And yet, it was Kory, not Pluto, who had been hurt in that final attack. Not because Pluto had managed to strike his charging foe first. Though Isaac was not close enough to Pluto to make out exactly what had happened, it was undeniable that Kory was hurt. "What kind of a monster are you!?" And though Isaac, by this point, knew that Pluto was something special, he too did not understand what had just happened as he too shared in Kory's sentiments about the boy. Raising a fist, Pluto responded in the same mocking, calm manner that he had been speaking in; almost as if he had not even notice that he had been "struck" by Kory. "On this island, you are nothing more than a big fish in a small pond. And throughout the seas, you and I are mere specks." It was then that Isaac saw what Pluto was truly capable of. His fist had turned the color of pitch black and even shimmered despite the fact that a large dust cloud, which had been caused by the mayhem, still lingered over the city and blocked out a majority of the sunlight. Haki!

Literally translated as ambition, Haki was something that Isaac had seen from a distance often while working with higher ranked Marines but was incapable of utilizing himself. From what little he truly understood of the mysterious power, it was an ability that all beings were said to be capable of but few were able to awaken. And Pluto seemed to be one of those special beings. Coating his arm in the devastatingly powerful Armament Haki, Pluto's attack would be magnified to unimaginable heights; something that Kory was about to experience first hand. Pulling his arm back, Pluto struck Kory across the face with a backhand, sending the man flying through the building; a final insult to the second most important figure on the island. He had not given Kory the final courtesy of treating him as a real combatant, slapping him as a parent might when disciplining a child. It was as if Pluto was stating that he was his superior in every way and that the gap between them was unfathomable.

"Don’t forget to retrieve your jacket from Rebecca," reminded Pluto as he allowed the Haki fall from his arm, turning to leave the city. And though Isaac wanted to ask Pluto how he was, at such a young age, able to manifest, control, and effectively use the power of ambition, it did not, at least to Isaac, appear that Pluto would be willing to engage in that conversation. After all, Pluto was not the most open of characters in Isaac's short experience since meeting the strange trio. "Right, lets go then." Leaving the destroyed plaza behind, the two men moved quickly through the rubble and still frantic populace of Bupae. The dock was only a short, brisk distance away and Isaac was confident that both his means of escape as well as the group's vessel they had arrived on would still be at the port. However, this was not the time to relax; there was, after all, no reason to linger on the island. And so, the two moved quietly, leaving Isaac to simply ponder his next move once he left this island. He couldn't help but wonder what Pluto, Ara, and Rebecca would go onto accomplish; though he imagined that their paths would undoubtedly cross once more.

SPOILER: Click to show

{OC Colors}Saifer - #007299
Pluto - #8452bb
Rebecca - #00fffb
Ara - #ffdcbe
Kory - #881101

[BlacKitten]

Pluto - 33

Both Ara and Rebecca made it to the docks safely without any obstacles. As they turned back, even from where they stood, the scene of the Sparrow Tower being struck by a leaning skyscraper remained as a symbol of the fall of the Red Sparrow Trading Company. No matter where one may stand in Bupae City, everyone outside who looked at their landmark would notice it, including a certain individual.

In the northern side of the city, an adolescent man stood on top of a branch. He wore a dark-red jacket and a pair of black pants. White bandages wrapped around his neck and right wrist. He had a very skinny build, standing five feet and ten inches tall. With strands of black hair dangling over his forehead, his hooded face had a distinctive black gas mask with a red circular lens over his left eye while his right eye remained visible. Red pupils stared into the distance in disbelief. “What… could have done this?” He uttered with a distorted voice, referring to the sight of a skyscraper which appeared to have been sliced diagonally as if a colossal-sized blade had swung by.

Beneath where he stood were two of his subordinates on ground level, looking into the distance with the same shocked expression. “Ao, what do we do?”

Ao Hayate, The Bomber of Bupae, had been the leader of the Resistance Group, combating the Red Sparrows for two years now. Ever since he was young, parents had lost everything as they sold their restaurant to the Red Sparrow Trading Company. They had lived in poverty with no money. His father worked for the Trading Company, but eventually both of his parents became addicted. His parents were only some of many who were killed by the lawless city that had been corrupted; Ao was only ten years old at the time. Being one of the few who never became addicted, he grew up in the streets, studied combat, and committed his life to taking down the Red Sparrow Organization.

For two years, he had fought, yet in a mere day, someone out there had accomplished what he had sought to do.

“We investigate,” he answered.

As they usually hid in the jungles to hide from the enforcers, Ao and his two subordinates headed inland to find clues what had transpired. He could only suspect that whatever he finds would only be good news. From a distance, he held up a telescope to his right eye, noticing the panic and chaos of the Red Sparrows near the center of the city. On the street, he saw a blooded corpse that had been blasted through a building from one end to the other as indicated by gaping holes in the series of walls. He could hardly recognize the identity of the body had it not been for that white hair. “Seriously? Kory Hideki… is he dead?”

Strange. As an expert in explosives, he could tell the destruction were not a result of chemicals or gunpowder being at play. The damage was unnaturally pure as if done by natural strength alone.

“Who did this?” Ao lowered his telescope. Was this a dream? Had he just woken up from a nightmare? Was this it? Were the decade long years of hell finally over?
No one in Bupae Island was capable of this. It had to be an outside force. As he turned his attention towards the port, there weren’t many ships that screamed out to him that a military force had arrived. There were no armies or invading pirate crews as one might expect to combat a militia.

He ran.

He must know.

He had to know. He ran as fast as he could towards Bupae Port. He had to meet whoever did this.

Bupae Port…

Pluto and Isaac were the last to arrive.

Rebecca, with a marine jacket neatly folded in her arms, run up to them and offered to return the jacket back to the ex-marine. “Here you go!” She said in an upbeat voice.

Ara, holding her spear in one hand, went to stand next to Pluto. “What are we going to do now?” she asked him. They had originally arrived here to keep a low profile from the World Government and to restock on supplies. Instead, they had the misfortunate to meet formal member of the navy, committed theft to restock, and ruined an oppressive organization which had governed this city into a dystopia.

Before he could respond, Pluto turned around with his eyes glaring into the far distance as a skinny figure in a gas mask was sprinting desperately towards them.

“Wait!” The adolescent was wheezing and panting as he closed in the distance in a pitiful manner. He was clearly a resident of this island to be somewhat malnourished, someone without a lot more muscles and was never known for being physically strong.

Ao, who locked sights onto the man with the marine jacket, collapsed onto his knees in front of Isaac. He continued to pant heavily as if he just ran a marathon to get here, but in truth, he simply wasn’t very athletic. He had to rely mainly on his wits and tactics to get as far as he did. “You’re… a marine, right?” he asked with a heavy breath in between his rushed words. He couldn’t understand why the marines would bother to aid an island that wasn’t even part of the World Government. “Are you the one…,” he pointed towards the Sparrow Tower, “who did that?” He wanted to know who his hero was. He wanted to know who to thank.

Meanwhile, Pluto shifted his attention towards his little sister, “Hey, could you start making dinner?”

“Okay!” Rebecca nodded, heading towards the simplistic-looking ship that the trio had been voyaging in.

---

Ao Hayate - # a1abe0

[Lord Bromosalino]

"Here you go!" Ginger hands held the white strewn jacket to the not so ginger, calloused hands of Isaac. Neatly folded along its creases, it was clear that the teenager had taken great care of the treasured possession she had been entrusted with. And the enthusiasm that Rebecca took in returning the military jacket back to its rightful owner only made Isaac that much more fond of the little one. She really does remind me of Caroline, reminisced the one eyed Marine as he slipped his arms through the sleeves of the coat, letting the proud symbol drape his shoulders once more. The outgoing, bubbling personality that had often been called a drop of sunshine was present in not only his former Warrant Officer and "sister" but in Rebecca as well. It did Isaac well to see young ones still full of life, vigor, and excitement and not at all worn down by the harsh realities that often came with experience.

Placing his hand tenderly atop her head (as he had often done to show affection to Caroline), Isaac thanked her for taking such good care of his jacket. "Thank you Rebecca, I owe you one." Looking over both Rebecca and Ara, Isaac could not help but notice that they seemed well which was quite the feat considering what had transpired. After all, if they were to be by Pluto's side during the entirety of the operation, then they too could have very well been caught up in the hordes of rushing Sparrows that rushed to investigate what had happened. Neither were injured or even exhausted in the slightest. Yet, evident by the fact that Ara was armed with a weapon, it was obvious that they (or at the very least Ara) had taken part in whatever skirmishes had occurred. And considering their relationship of sister and lover, respectively, Isaac would not be shocked in the slightest if Rebecca and Ara were much more capable than their fair and petite figures suggested. "You both seem well, I'm glad to see neither of you were hurt."

Now that there was space between themselves and the main portion of the island and populace, Isaac could finally take a moment to consider his next move. He had certainly not planned in overthrowing the government of an island when he had set off on his sabbatical from the Marines six months ago, he also knew he could not sit idly by. And though his original plan was to visit as many islands, cultures, and peoples as he could in his journey, he also knew deep down that the fight for Bupae's freedom was not over; at least not until the head, James Hideki, was dealt with. And if that was the case, then it was obvious to him that he would have to travel to the Saboady Archipelagos before word could reach the patron of the Hideki family. And as he had contemplated that thought for the last few moments as he and Pluto ran back to the docks, he also knew that he could not ask the three of his temporary partners to join him.

There were several reasons for this. Though Pluto was more than capable in every facet, Isaac still felt more than uneasy at the thought of Rebecca and Ara being caught up in such a dangerous prospect. They were nothing more than children in his eyes, with Rebecca being still a very young teenager. And from what he had gathered during his time on Bupae, James was an all together different monster than the different Sparrows and was truly in a class of his own. Furthermore, Pluto had made it quite clear that he had no intention of sticking his neck out and becoming noticed by Isaac's former coworkers and the powers to be. And the fact that his name had not come up on any wanted poster, bounty, lookout, or report was a testament to the boy's dedication to staying an invisible ghost that was a complete enigma to the rest of the world.

Yet, despite all of that, Isaac at the very least felt that he was still responsible, if even in the slightest, for their well being. After all, he had almost coerced Pluto into the conflict on Bupae. And though Pluto was more than able to look after his little family, Isaac wanted to be sure they would be alright without him (though Pluto's strength certainly outweighed Isaac's). At the core of who he was, Isaac was still a Marine who had a natural disposition for others and need to ensure that those around him were safe, taken care of, and ultimately free. "So what will you all do? I imagine you'll be wanting to get as far away from this island and the Sparrows as possible." If their intention was to truly stay off of the World's Government, then staying inside of the Grand Line was ill advised. It would be best for the trio to leave for one of the safer Blues. The further they continued in the Grand Line, whatever their ultimate goal, the more the chances of them being recognized or identified would be. "I'm going to Sabaody to finish the fight. That's where James is," continued Isaac, in spite of the group's response. "Bupae will never truly be free until the threat of the Hideki's is gone for good." Extending an arm out to Pluto, Isaac thanked the vastly different boy for his efforts in the only way he knew how. He was never quite good at making goodbye speeches. Besides, among men, a handshake was more than enough; it was an understanding between the two parties that seemed to be missing among their counterparts.

However, before Isaac could make way towards "The Little Cissonius," the merchant ship he had entered the island on, Pluto's gaze directed him towards a strange looking boy running as quickly as he could towards the group. Was this another enemy? It was possible that Isaac and Pluto had been seen running towards the docks despite the chaos and confusion. But as the figure drew near, the lack of a Red Sparrow insignia on any of his clothing made it seem unlikely that the gas mask wearing boy was an enemy of theirs. Huffing and puffing from his exhaustion, the boy was only just barely able to get out his question. "You’re… a marine, right?" Pointing to the white coat Isaac was wearing, and specifically to the proud blue seagull on his back, the former Marine simply nodded. He did not know who this boy was, and out of respect for the trio of Pluto, Ara, and Rebecca, he preferred to not make small talk with this strange boy before him. However, the fact that he was wearing a Marine officer's jacket in and of itself was quite the giveaway. "Are you the one...who did that?" Still in a hunched over position from his state of exhaustion and due to a shortness of breath, the boy pointed to the destruction in the middle of the island.

With nothing more than a wink, Isaac turned to board the vessel that was waiting for him to make its departure and simply told the boy the truth.

"No."

SPOILER: Click to show

{OC Spoiler}Saifer - #007299
Pluto - #8452bb
Rebecca - #00fffb
Ara - #ffdcbe
Ao - #a1abe0

[BlacKitten]

Pluto - 34

“For a long time,” Pluto began speaking in response to Isaac’s inquiry on what the trio planned to do next. “We’ve been financially supported through bounty hunting. Each capture allows us to sustain ourselves for quite some time. It might be time to get some cash.” What he said was true, but it also served to help dispel any suspicions that the man has on them. He originated from the North Blue and have inadvertently taken down his first wanted criminal there. Originally, he took down a hostile pirate captain through self-preservation, but eventually, he began taking down wanted criminals one by one until he amassed a huge amount of money to support themselves throughout their voyages.

Most criminals with a bounty might as well be walking bags of gold for him to casually claim. Since none of the trio had a bounty themselves, they could hand in their captured prey without restriction.

“If you’re going after James Hideki, you better get stronger in the meantime,” said the boy as a last note before heading off towards his own ship. He imagined that even Kory would be a challenge for Isaac and that the James, the father of Kory, would be on a completely different league. A voyage to Sabaody from here would take a long time, long enough for one to level up in their skills.

…

“What?” Ao was perplexed by the marine soldier’s blunt response. The only remaining members who appeared to be outsiders were three children who were notably much younger than the soldier, but it couldn’t be them. Yet all these outsiders were right about to leave at the convenient time of when the Red Sparrows have just been taken down.

As a last-ditch effort, he called out to the boy who was draped in a dull, grey cloak, “Wait! Do you know anything about who took down the Kory Hideki? Or that tower over there?”

“Black Wing did this,” responded Pluto as he continued walking off.

“Black Wing?” Ao repeated the term quizzically.

“Yes, the underworld refers to him as Black Wing. Some say he’s an assassin. Perhaps Kory Hideki was just another victim of his.” The epithet, Black Wing, was real, a term that had lingered around for quite some time, but no one could properly identify them. Some pirates may have heard of the name as with some marines. Wherever that name goes, there would be a trail of death.

The masked boy sharpened his glare in suspicion, “How do you know this?”

“Look again,” Pluto pointed towards the leaning skyscraper. “What do you think caused that?” he asked.

No ordinary weapon could lead to such devastation in Ao’s mind. Even the most destructive kind such as explosives of a massive cannons from warships would form such a unique mark. “A sword?” He said uncertainly, imagining a very skilled swordsman – perhaps a giant wielding a massive blade as such species exist on this island.

“No. If it were a sword, a single slice would be sufficient. But that building had been divided into six pieces through five separate cut points. A sword didn’t do that. That was done by five claws from a single hand.”

“Claws?” As Ao squinted, he could certainly imagine a massive monster slashing the structure with claws. The shape would add up, but he couldn’t imagine the sort of creature that could cause it. He was starting to imagine that whoever caused this wasn’t human but rather a creature. “So, a creature did it?” A creature with black wings and claws?

“Maybe,” the violet-eyed boy left the truth-seeking one with some food for thought.