Post by Aromancer on Dec 2, 2019 18:03:58 GMT -5
A short story that explains how Viper Lee became a bounty hunter.
Prologue
“Times up, Kay.” The huge fishman chuckled ominously as he approached the frail man. “The boss wants his money. You better pay up now, if you don’t want your pretty little face broken.” He cracked his scale-covered knuckles.
Kay’s face bleached as he looked up at the intimidating loan shark. That wasn’t a figure of speech; the man in front of him was actually a literal shark. “Listen Tony, I just need a little more time! I’ve got this job lined up, it should pay big divid-”
He was cut off by a huge forearm, as big as his entire torso, bearing a hand that slammed poor Kay into the wall and pinned him there by the throat. A gurgling noise welled up in the back of his throat.
“You know somethin’? You’re real good at makin’ excuses,” the shark-man said with a wide, toothy grin. “Honest-to-God, I’m impressed. Takes a lotta balls to lie to my face.” The hand around Kay’s neck tightened.
“N-no… please… I can…” It took all Kay’s effort to squeeze the words out, but it seemed to have no effect on the clawed, webbed hand around his throat.
“You’re way overdue, Kay,” Tony continued. “The time to pull that job was about two months ago, ya hear? Now, I got three options for ya: either you give me the money -NOW -or you give me our agreed-upon “collateral.”
He let Kay down. The small man gasped for air for a second, before looking up at the monster. “You said there were… three options?” He asked him, not daring to hope.
“The third option is the most fun,” the huge man replied, cracking his neck this time, “involving my hands and your skull. But I didn’t think you’d be that into it.”
Kay let out a nervous laugh. “Yeah… okay. I get it. I’ll go get our… collateral.”
He slumped into the house in shame. He honestly couldn’t believe that he -Viper Kay! -had fallen so low.
“Daddy?” A voice called out from the next room over. A small boy, he couldn’t have been older than four, peeked around the corner at his father. “Is everything okay?”
“Hm? Oh… yeah, pumpkin,” Kay said, his smile uneasy and strained. “Yeah, Daddy’s just got to go get… a present.”
A present? That didn’t sound right. Daddy clearly didn’t like those big men outside. Lee ran up to his father. “You’re giving those bad men a present? I thought you said presents are only for good boys?”
Kay coughed hoarsely, his throat still in pain. “Yeah… but… Daddy got a present from them… and he wasn’t a good enough boy. So… they want something in return.”
“Can’t you just give them their present back?” Lee asked him innocently.
Kay laughed bitterly. “If only it were that simple. But… I spent it all, already.”
God, how could he have been so stupid? He’d been sure that she loved him, that they would be together forever… but as soon as he’d given her every belly he had, she’d run off with a hotter, younger man, leaving him with the kid.
“Listen, Lee: everything will be okay. We’ll give the men their present and they’ll go away, and we’ll… we’ll figure it out from there.” Kay gave what he hoped was a reassuring smile, but what looked more like he was constipated.
“Okay, Daddy…” Lee looked unsure, but his father knew what he was doing. He followed Kay to his bedroom
It wasn’t anything special. Just a small bed opposite a drawer where Kay put his clothes. But there was one thing that would immediately catch the eye of anyone who entered: a sword.
Not just any sword. This sword was emerald green, six feet long, immaculately crafted. It had six barb-like points emanating from the sides, three on each one. It was hauntingly beautiful, and carried an air of majesty about it. It was, without a doubt, the oldest and most valuable thing in Kay’s possession.
He lifted it from its glass coffer, holding it gently, with reverence.
Lee gasped as he looked up at the sword. “Daddy… you’re not giving them THAT, are you?” If there was one thing Daddy prized most in all the world… well, Lee hoped it would be him, but right below him was that sword.
“I don’t have a choice, Lee,” Kay said sadly. “It’s this sword or… or my life.”
He turned to go downstairs when suddenly a crashing noise was heard; Tony had gotten impatient, and entered the house.
“Lee, go hide in Daddy’s closet,” Kay said, turning to approach the massive beast.
The fishman walked up to Kay, his hulking figure having to bend over to fit beneath Kay’s eight-foot ceilings. “Change of plans, Kay,” he said calmly, with a horrible grin. “We’re takin’ everything. The sword, the house, the kid.”
“Wha… no, you can’t be serious!” Kay took a step back in fear. “Not Lee… you can’t take Lee…”
Tony smirked. “Ah, that good ol’ human sentiment. Never much cared for it, meself. Whaddo you care about this kid, anyway? Didn’t his mother abandon you?”
Shameful tears played at the edges of Kay’s vision. “How… how dare you…”
“How dare I?” The man let out a bizarre laugh, as though he were saying “gak” over and over. “HOW DARE I? How dare YOU defy the boss’s wishes? ‘E says he wants the kid, ‘E’s getting the kid! Make for a better slave than you, at any rate! Now, where is the little hairbag?”
Tony easily pushed past Kay, approaching his bedroom… and Lee’s hiding place.
“...No.” The voice was quiet, muted, almost inaudible, but definitive. Tony turned to look at the small man. He was holding the massive emerald blade in front of him.
“No?” He asked, the smile starting to fall from his face.
“You… you can take the house. You can take all my money. You can even take the sword.” Tears now flowed freely from Kay’s face. “But… but you will NEVER… EVER!
“TAKE!
“MY!
“BABY!
“BOY!!!”
With surprising speed, Viper Kay dashed forward, before plunging the sword in his hands deep into the massive fishman’s chest. Tony screamed a horrible, inhuman scream as the blade penetrated his thick, scaley skin, plunging itself into his heart.
Lee dashed out of the closet when he heard the scream, and watched as the mighty fishman fell over, the blade sticking out of his chest. He, too, let out a scream at the sight.
Kay looked on, stunned. Had he really just done that? Impaled this massive monstrosity of a man? He’d never killed anyone before! He stood there for God knows how long, unable to compute the scene right in front of his face. Then he leaned forward… and threw up on the floor.
Oh God, what had he done? He’d killed Tony! The rest of the agency would be out for blood! Not to mention Lee… had he just scarred the poor little boy for life?
They had to get out of there. They had to leave and never come back and go so far that nobody even associated with Tony would ever find them! Standing up decisively, he looked at his son. “Lee,” he said, trying to mask the terror in his voice, “pack your things. We’re leaving.”
Lee was presently staring in awe at the corpse of Tony. Once he’d gotten over the initial shock, he had to admit… that was awesome! His father, his own father, had just run that mean old Tony through! He snapped to attention when he heard Kay speak, obediently rushing off to get his things.
Lee knew enough to know that where they werever going, they’d never come back. And they had to leave in a hurry, so he’d pack light; only the bare essentials. His family history, it always made Daddy happy to tell him their ancestors stories, so that book was going in the backpack… also, of course he had to bring the Marine action figure he’d gotten at that recruitment drive! It was a limited edition!
Lee desperately wanted to be a marine when he grew up. They were so cool, how they captured the most dangerous pirates on the seven seas and threw them in jail! Plus, they looked awesome doing it! If he had to pick a favorite Marine, he’d have to choose…
Oh, but he shouldn’t get distracted. Okay, what else? Probably a pirate figure, so his Marine would have somebody to fight. But who?
Ah, of course! Dracule Mihawk! A pirate feared the world over for his incredible swordplay! He’d be a worthy opponent for sure! If he was being honest with himself, he kind of looked up to Mihawk too, but he was a bad guy, so he really shouldn’t-
“Lee! Come on! We have to go!”
“Coming Daddy!” Oh man, Lee had let himself get so distracted he’d forgotten how much trouble they were in! Quickly, he gathered up a few more toys and his favorite clothes, and ran out to meet with his father. “Where are we going, Daddy?” He asked Kay, who was currently poring over a map of the four seas.
“The East Blue,” he said. “Myriad Island. The Sharks will never find us there.”
And so it was that Viper Kay left for Myriad Island, with nothing but his sword, his son, and a backpack full of toys.
Chapter 1
Ladies and gentlemen, tonight we have a new challenger! Give a warm, fight-club welcome to… VIPER LEE!”
A cheer rang out through the sizeable crowd. For such an illegal activity, the underground fight club sure was a popular venue on Myriad Island. Lee looked out in awe at the crowd, easily over a hundred attendees strong.
Well, more onlookers just meant more money changing hands. And that meant more bank for him. Lee had put quite a lot of dosh on himself; it beat the OTHER means he had of making money.
Even better was how many people he knew would bet AGAINST him. I mean, a sixteen-year-old boy, with a sword longer than he was tall? Who in their right mind would think him capable of victory?
He ignored their boos, their jeers, their “He’s just a kid!”s. He walked into the middle of the arena and pulled his sword out, gritting his teeth and wobbling a little under the weight. On the opposite end of the arena, a huge, hulking man with brass knuckles on moved towards him.
“Word of advice, kiddo,” the man said with a smirk. “Size doesn’t matter; it’s how you use it. That’s a neat sword you get there, but if you can’t swing it, it’s just holding you back!”
“Thanks for the input,” Lee managed with a grunt, “But I think you’ll find I’m a little better with this thing than you think!”
The massive bruiser laughed. “Alright then!” He said. “Let’s have a good fight!” He got into a powerful combat stance, his wide frame sinking into the ground and making him almost immoveable.
Lee looked at him for a moment, the sword dragging along the ground. Then, his pained expression suddenly turned into a confident smirk. The man’s eyes grew wide for just a second, before the boy rushed forward with surprising speed.
“What the-” He threw his hands up just in time, stopping a mighty swing inches from his head. The brass knuckles scraped along the blade as Lee followed through, before suddenly disappearing from the brawler’s field of view.
The man suddenly felt a long, thin cut along his back, and he grabbed it, howling in pain. “What the HELL!” He cried out, turning to see Lee standing nonchalantly behind him.
“What’s the matter?” the sixteen-year-old boy asked, idly picking his nose as he watched the man turn to face him. “Having trouble keeping up?”
The man snarled in rage, rushing at the boy with his massive frame. Lee easily ducked out of the way, catching the man’s pants with one of the sword’s barbs and ripping them off as if it were nothing. The stadium erupted in laughter as the larger man’s underwear was exposed for all to see.
He turned once more to face Lee, fuming in impotent rage. “Alright, kid, you’ve had your fun! But now you’re gonna-” his punch was blocked by the surprisingly resilient sword, which Lee had driven into the ground to stop him. Quickly, he pulled it back out and whipped it around his head, delivering another long scratch along the man’s forearm before hooking the blade around his neck.
“You should know that I could kill you at pretty much any time I like,” he informed the large man.
The man looked up and saw Lee’s eyes. For the first time, he realized something. Those were eyes that had seen death… and weren’t averse to seeing it again.
“I… I yield,” the man said, putting his hands up. Blood was running down his arm and his back, and his pants lay on the ground nearby. It was obvious who was the superior combatant.
The stadium erupted in a disbelieving roar. That such a small kid, and a complete newcomer, could so handily best such a mighty combatant? It was incredible!
Lee grinned, and turned to leave the arena and collect his winnings.
“Wait!” The man he’d just beaten was pulling up his pants, but he called out to the boy as he was leaving. “How… how did you do that?”
Viper Lee merely grinned as he replied. “Size doesn’t matter. It’s how you use it.”
***
“Payday,” Lee announced as he arrived home, dropping a hefty sack of bellies on the counter.
Kay looked down at the sack, then sighed. “So, you actually did it.”
“What, deliver the drugs? Yeah dad, every day. It’s the job.”
Kay gave him an annoyed glare and picked up the sack. “Lee, I’ve been trafficking opium for twelve years. You’ve been at it for four.” He dropped the sack again. “You and I both know this is way more than drug money.”
“So what?” Lee asked, shrugging off the sword. “What does it matter how I got it? We’ve finally got some money, don’t we?”
Kay gritted his teeth and approached Lee. “You went to the arena, didn’t you? Let the entire crowd see your sword!”
Lee rolled his eyes at his father. “Yes, and I guarantee you, the Sharks aren’t gonna find out! We’re on the other side of the Grand Line, for crying out loud!”
“You don’t know that!” Kay replied hotly. “This is seriously dangerous! If ANYONE gets word back to the Sharks, our lives could be at risk!”
Lee groaned again. “Whatever, okay? I did it, it’s done, there’s no reason to freak out so much over some old sword!”
“Some old sword???” Kay looked horrified. “This is the Shichishito! It’s one of the most powerful swords in the world!”
“It’s a funky sword that someone painted green!” Lee retorted. “Sure, it looks cool, and you can do some fun tricks with it, but it’s not special!”
“Oh, if only you KNEW how special this sword is!” Kay replied, grabbing the holster off Lee’s back. “We need to hide this now! If anyone sees it around here, we could be in jeopardy!”
“Fine then! I’ll bite!” Lee shot back. “What is so amazing about this sword?”
Kay paused, stunned, as Lee effortlessly ripped the blade out of his hands. “Do… do you really want to know?”
Lee looked at him for a second with a weird face. That was an odd reaction. “Sure. Fine. Whatever. Clearly it’s got you messed up. What’s with the sword?”
Kay nodded slowly, seeming excited about something. “Well, then… I should tell you the legend.”
“Long ago, a blade was forged unlike any the West Blue had seen. It was made of steel, folded one hundred times, and given a special treatment that made it emerald green and nearly unbreakable. This weapon was called the Shichishito, and it was to be gifted to the greatest swordsman in the land.”
Lee rolled his eyes. “Dad, I know how the Shichishito was made. You’ve told me like a hundred times.”
Kay nodded. “But you don’t know the blade’s significance! Legend has it, it was able to defeat one hundred opponents in a single swing. Hundreds of sword fighters, men and women alike, fought for the honor of wielding the Shichishito, but finally, one man rose above the rest: Viper Alpha. As soon as he took the sword in his hand, it was obvious that he was the rightful wielder. Some said that his will was so strong that it made lesser men lose consciousness at the mere sight of him!”
Lee nodded. “Didn’t know the one hundred opponents thing. Somehow I doubt it. Anyway, sounds like Alpha was just really good at knocking people upside the head when they weren’t looking.”
Kay chuckled, something he hadn’t thought he’d do when he found the Shichishito missing this morning. “Oh no, it was his eyes. The legends are very clear: one look into Alpha’s eyes, and you fell unconscious.
“Viper Alpha conquered a large portion of West Blue almost singlehandedly, founding a vast empire that spread over nearly one-tenth of the planet. He had many children, and when he grew old and weary, he passed the sword down to his most skilled son. The empire flourished, and the practice of passing down the sword was continued from father to son.”
This was where the story, as Kay told it to Lee, usually ended. But Lee sensed there was more, and he was proven right as his father continued.
“That was, until one man, Viper Greid, ruined everything. Greid wanted the sword for his own, but his younger brother, Viper Hart, was clearly the superior swordsman. Greid killed Hart in his sleep and took the Shichishito for himself. Legend has it that this action angered the blade, turning it from a weapon of glory and righteousness into a weapon of pain and vengeance.
“Viper Greid had no right to rule, and was in fact a weak, treacherous sort. He lost the faith and trust of his people, who deposed him from the throne. He was still a nobleman, and still held the Shichishito, but he had tainted the family legacy.
“Eventually, Greid passed away, giving the sword to his own most skilled son, but the damage had been done. Every subsequent generation was unworthy of the blade, and fell further and further from grace, until finally… we reach me. And you.”
Lee looked at him in disbelief. “So, the reason you think our life sucks is because you’re not “worthy” of the blade?”
“Absolutely,” Kay replied, causing his son to scoff. “Were I worthy of the blade, I would be a strong warrior, able to stand up for myself. I am not that man. But you, Lee... if anyone can regain our family’s honor and become a warrior worthy of the Shichishito, it’s you.
“Which is why it breaks my heart when you use it so frivolously!” Kay yanked the blade out of Lee’s hand once more, wrapping his arms around it protectively. “You have the strength and skill, but you lack the spirit! You use this ancient, priceless artifact to win cash prizes in public! What a waste!”
Lee rolled his eyes again. “Whatever! All those stories are just that: stories! We had a cool ancestor generations ago! He’s dead now, and we’re stuck with his sword!” He held out his hand to get the sword back. “Come on, you said yourself I’m better for it than you!”
“That may be,” Kay replied, “AFTER you learn some discipline! You will get this back when I think you’re ready!”
“Come ON, dad! We’re making a lot of money with that thing!” Lee whined; he was only sixteen, after all. “Think of how much better our lives could be! Isn’t that a worthy cause?”
“If money is your only concern,” Kay replied, “then get a job! A REAL job, not gambling at the arena!”
“Oh, because drug trafficking is SUCH a good gig!” Lee said sarcastically.
“Then do something else!” Kay threw up his hands in disgust. “You’re sixteen! Go out and look for something! DO something with your life!”
“Shut up! You just don’t get it!” Lee stormed into his room, one of only three in their ramshackle cabin. He curled up on his cot in anger.
Maybe Dad had a point. Maybe he was wasting his talents in this dunghole. Maybe he should look for a job. But there weren’t any above-the-surface jobs he was any good at, or that interested him!
...Except…
Lee looked over at where he’d placed his action figures twelve years ago. They hadn’t moved from their spot in all that time; a life of crime meant you didn’t have much playtime.
He picked up one of the figures and dusted it off. Underneath was that same white coat, that confident smile, that intimidating pose that said “your days are numbered, criminal!”
Yeah. Maybe… he could be a marine!
Chapter 2
“Private Viper, will you PLEASE pay attention!”
Lee had to admit, ever since he’d joined the marines, life had been good. Getting in had been a breeze; sure, he’d had some trouble on the academic portion, but his scores were among the best during the physical exams, and he was welcomed in with open arms.
Kay had been surprised to learn of his ambition to join the marines, but couldn’t be prouder of his son. In the military, he would finally, hopefully, learn discipline, and be worthy of the legendary Shichishito’s true power!
Only problem with the marines was they had this thing about “the chain of command” and “the rules” and it all just wasn’t him. Lee’d had enough of this crap from his Dad back home and his old drug dealer bosses, who he found oddly reminiscent of his new “superiors.”
Yeah, that was the other thing. That word, “superiors.” Like they thought they were better than him or something. What, just because they were older and had more medals meant they were better? He just hadn’t had the chances they had, that’s all! He could beat any of these jokers with one hand tied behind his back, WITHOUT the Shichishito!
“Yeah, I know, you’re debriefing us, right? Go in, arrest the perps, no casualties, yadda yadda.” If he’d heard it once, he’d heard it a thousand times. Why couldn’t these stuffy commanders just sit back and let him do his thing?
“And don’t forget, Viper,” the captain said, glaring pointedly at Lee, “you’re part of a unit now! You all work together! So I don’t want to see you going off alone again! Follow protocol, do this by the books!”
“Yes, sir,” Lee said, saluting him reluctantly. He got into formation, his shirt untucked and his hat discarded; it made him look stupid. The captain was clearly angry about this, but it was too late now to do anything about it. They had a criminal to arrest.
“Hey, don’t worry about it, Viper! You’ll be awesome!” A slightly dopey-looking private with red hair gave him a thumbs up.
“Hey, I know that,” he replied with a smirk. “I’m just waiting for the captain to figure it out!”
Naturally, Viper Lee took point. He had a deep understanding of the criminal mindset, and could accurately predict the most likely point of egress. He guided the others to cover the other exits, and then broke in through the window.
“What the hell?” A man, currently making a crystalline drug asked, as Lee burst into the room.
“Hey Hale!” Lee said in a friendly tone, as he held a blade to the man’s neck. “Remember me? You used to whip me if I didn’t make my deliveries on time! Oh, the memories! Say, if you snag me summa that good prison kush, I’ll try to reduce your sentence to ONE execution, instead of two!”
Hale immediately put his arms over his head and stepped back. “Oh… Hey, Lee… don’t suppose I could offer you a discount on my product…?”
“You could, but it wouldn’t do you much good. I’m a marine now; we don’t let scum like you off that easy!” Lee laughed confidently as he approached the man, blade forward.
Hale smirked. “Hey, that’s cool. I just wanted to talk… long enough to do this!” He grabbed a crystal from the shelf behind him, throwing it in Lee’s face. Lee staggered, off-balance, as the world began to spin around him. Whatever was in that stuff was STRONG! He’d have enjoyed himself immensely if the situation wasn’t so dire!
He eventually found his way out of the building, swinging his sword wildly and almost cutting one of the other privates. It seemed as though they’d managed to handle Hale just fine. “Greaworguyzzzz…” he said, attempting to congratulate the team but slurring his words due to the drug. “IthinkImmatatheresofthedayofffffff…”
“Oof, he really gotcha bad, huh?” The redhead from before asked sympathetically.
The captain grunted. “You see? This is what happens when you don’t go by the book! He almost got away!”
“‘Msorrycap’n… Lee replied, wobbling up to the large man with a funny grin on his face. “Anyone evar tellllll you yoooooo have byootiful eyezzzzz?”
“Alright Private,” the Captain said, taking a step back. “You’re clearly unwell. Permission granted to take the rest of the day off.”
“Thankzzzzz…” but Viper Lee was unable to finish that thought, as he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
***
That night, however, he was completely alert. Good thing, too, as he was sneaking out. He cracked open the window in his cabin, looking around before starting to leave, when he heard a knock at the door.
It was the redhead. “Hey, Lee, I just wanted to make sure you’re doing o… were you about to sneak out?”
“Hm? Oh, uh… no, I just wanted some fresh air,” Lee lied.
“Come on, man, I’m not stupid! You do this like once a week! If you go out there, I swear I’m gonna-”
“-Have a fun night?” Lee interrupted, trying to finish his sentence. He extracted a small amount of plant matter from his pockets.
“Woah, where’d you get that?” the redhead asked, amazed, as he looked down at the opiate. “That’s contraband!”
“Swiped it at Hale’s today,” Lee replied with a wink. “They never even checked my pockets. So, here’s the deal: none of this happened, I’m asleep in my room and don’t want to be bothered. Sounds good?”
“Yeah…” the boy said with a dopey chuckle. “Sounds REAL good!”
“Have fun,” Lee said, handing him the kush and closing the door.
“Ah… life is good,” he remarked to himself as he snuck out of the cabin and headed over to his dad’s house.
Granted, he wasn’t actually visiting his dad. He just needed to pick up a change of clothes, a dark cloak to hide his body… and the Shichishito.
Yeah, he knew he wasn’t supposed to, and his father would be disappointed, but the marine bills just weren’t cutting it! Besides, arresting criminals was fine, but he wanted more action, more excitement! And for that, after two years of training in the marine corps, after two years of being told what to do and where to go, you simply had to get away from it all and visit the arena!
“Evening, Becca,” He said, waving nonchalantly to the bouncer. “What’s the word on the street?”
“Viper Lee,” the large woman said, looking down at him. “I thought you were going straight?” She had a big grin on her face.
“Straight as my blade,” he replied. “With some wiggly bits on the sides.”
Becca laughed. “You might actually want to get serious tonight,” she advised. “You’re a real badass, but there’s a pretty tough lady in there. They say she’s got a…” she looked around, then leaned in to whisper in Lee’s ear “...a devil fruit.”
Lee just blew it off. “Come on, Becca, don’t tell me you believe that crap?”
Becca only shrugged. “I believe what I see,” she told him. “And I saw that girl do some crazy shit.”
Lee gave a confident nod. “I’ll watch out for her,” he promised. With that, he walked inside and began placing bets.
Gambling in the arena was an art form. Lee had to make sure he didn’t challenge all the heaviest hitters; that way there might still be some excitement over whether or not he might win; even though he always did. He placed lower bets on easier fights; mostly because most folks knew he would win those without a shadow of a doubt. A rematch with the Skullcrusher ought to make for a good finale… but what was this? A new challenger? A pirate with a pretty hefty bounty on her head; impressive. Looks like her official title was the “bone queen.”
Well, this evening might just be interesting after all.
Chapter 3
As was expected, most of the arena fights were almost insultingly easy. Lee had no trouble at all besting most of his opponents, and he was cleaning up nicely with the bets he made. He hadn’t even had to use the Shichishito, instead relying on a marine-issued katana to subdue his opponents. Only one thing could break his streak now: the mysterious “bone queen” he’d signed up to fight.
Becca had said she was a devil fruit user, hadn’t she? Lee had to admit, he was curious about that. What kind of ability must she have, to be so evocative of the fable?
Well, he was about to find out. The two of them had a fight scheduled now. Lee walked into the arena, holding up his hand and waving to the audience; over the past two years, he’d garnered quite a fanbase in the underground! Once he was done showboating, he turned to look at the other combatant.
The Bone Queen was a small, slight woman, with short black hair and way too much eyeshadow. When her eyes fell upon Lee, her mouth opened in a stupidly wide smile, revealing a mouth full of pointed teeth.
Lee grinned. She was intimidating, but nothing to worry that much about. She hadn’t even brought a weapon! He drew his katana, planning to make short work of this foolish woman.
He dashed forward with his usual blinding speed, hoping to catch her off-guard. She merely watched him, unmoving save to follow his motion. Finally, he swung his blade, targeting her arm; he didn’t want to kill her, after all; that was just bad sportsmanship.
But his swing was stopped before it could reach her body. Out from her arm had sprung a long, white thing, surprisingly hard, to block his strike.
“Is… is that a rib?” He asked, backing up to look at the bone that had blocked his attack.
The woman merely smiled wider. Gritting her teeth in pain, she pulled out the rib, letting out a shriek as though the action was torturous. She now held a long, blade-like rib in her hand.
“Gross… but cool,” Le admitted, as he watched her extract the bone. “Alright, no worries, just need to deal with bone-bitch over here…”
Internally, he was freaking out! Devil fruits were real! And this woman had gotten her hands on one that seemed to give her the ability to pull her own bones out of her body and use them as weapons! He was looking at a fight the likes of which he’d never conceived of before!
He dashed in again, and again his attacks were blocked as bones shot out of the woman’s skin. She made a few strikes with the rib in her hand, and a few more with curiously long fingernails, but luckily Lee was able to block the attacks and even break the rib!
Still, when he pulled back to look at how much damage he’d done, he was… disappointed. The Bone Queen had produced so much bone that it was impossible to land a definitive hit. He gritted his teeth in frustration; how could he get past this impenetrable defense?
Wait. Impenetrable… That was it! He began running around behind the woman, going for her joints. Sure enough, bones began springing up to protect her body; and at the same time, preventing her from moving around too much.
Then, he swung at her face over and over, knowing that she would grow more bone over her eyes to protect them. Sure enough, the Bone Queen soon had a hard shell of bone covering her entire face.
Lee took a step back, smirking confidently. She was immobile, and unable to remove the bone that was blinding her. All there was left to do was find a weak point in her armor… and deliver the final blow.
With a shattering of bone, Bone Queen’s armor was penetrated, and the sword lunged into her chest. Viper Lee felt a little bad; he honestly hadn’t meant for the blow to go so deep. But she should survive. Hopefully. He raised his arm in victory to thunderous applause; he had beaten a devil-fruit user!
One person was clapping slower, and louder, however. Lee turned his head to see who was approaching him inside the arena. His face paled as he looked at the man.
For it was no man. It was a gigantic creature, his hands webbed and muscular, his eyes small and beady, his teeth rough, serrated, and in numbers far greater than they should’ve been.
“Impressive work, defeating my right-hand woman!” The man said with a chortle. “You really live up to your reputation… Viper Lee.”
Lee didn’t know the man’s name, but he knew that face well. This was the face of the leader of the Shark Agency; the one his father owed so much money.
This was the boss.
Chapter 4
“You know, for such a skilled young man, you’re not terribly bright.”
The shark-man was wearing a black suit with a red tie, adjusting said tie as he spoke. “There’s a lotta folks out there with the name “Viper.” But there’s only one Shichishito.” He leaned down to face the boy, his grin menacing and deadly. “You’d think you wouldn’t go around cutting up folks with it.”
“True,” Lee said, taking a step back and trying not to reveal just how afraid he was. “But I figure people’d be smart enough not to mess with me if I cut up enough folks.”
The man laughed. “Good point! I gotta admit, you’re not bad with that katana of yours!” He leaned in even closer. “But you and I both know you could do better, eh?” He glanced at the sheath on Lee’s back pointedly.
“Well, okay. Actually you couldn’t, on account of that sword belongs to me.” He shrugged dismissively. “I don’t blame you, of course. Your old man’s the one who ran, and we’ll kill ‘im for it, you can be sure of that! But you were just a little tadpole at the time. So I’ll cut you a deal: I still want what’s rightfully mine, and that’s that sword. You can keep your skin; I won’t even take the sword from you. Just pledge to be my new right hand. My old one… well, she’s in a better place, I’m sure.” He looked over at where the Bone Queen was leaking blood, and spat dismissively before turning back to Lee excitedly. “You’re fresh meat! So, whaddaya say, kid? There might even be a devil fruit in it for you, too!” He gave him a wink.
Lee had been looking up at the shark wordlessly, too terrified to speak. But as he made his offer, he found his voice again. “You… you made the last fourteen years of my life a living hell! You’re saying you want to kill my dad! And you think I’m just gonna… just gonna drop everything and go do your bidding for the rest of my life?”
“Tha’s about the long and short of it, yeah,” the boss replied, shrugging dismissively. “Final offer, take it or leave it. Or I could just kill you and have somebody else figure out the sword. I’m sure it won’t take too long.”
Lee chuckled under his breath, pulling the Shichishito from its sheath. “Yeah, or how’s this for an option: you leave right now and I don’t fillet you alive for all the shit you put my family through!”
The boss looked down and shrugged. “Hey, I tried to be reasonable,” he asserted. “You’re the one who had to make it a whole thing.” With that, he ripped off his shirt, revealing a musclebound form. “Shame to waste such a good fighter, but whaddaya gonna do.”
With that, the two began to clash. The boss’s scaley skin was nearly impossible to penetrate, but Lee was attacking and running around too fast for him to catch. For the most part, they were evenly matched, but Viper Lee had the unfortunate distinction of being the aggressor in this particular fight. That meant that he had to keep up the assault, while the boss just had to stand there and tank it.
The bouncers, meanwhile, had realized that this fight was not in the books, and so rushed out to put a stop to it… before being pushed back by several of the Sharks’ cronies. Nobody was to interrupt this match.
Lee just needed to find a soft spot, a weak point… wait, weren’t shark bones mostly cartilage? Lee turned the blade flat and whacked the boss’s knee from the side. Sure enough, it broke incredibly easily.
Lee almost laughed out loud. Who would’ve thought he’d actually learn something useful in marine training? He’d have to remember to pay more attention in class! He pointed the sword at the boss’s neck. “Ready to surrender?” He asked the man, who had collapsed onto the ground due to his bad knee.
The man looked up at Lee and only chuckled evilly. “Don’t get cocky, kiddo,” he replied, his hand shooting out and grabbing the boy’s left arm. He squeezed his hand impossibly tight, causing Lee to shriek in pain and drop the sword.
A breaking noise rang out, impossibly loud. “Arm for a leg,” the boss said with a hoarse chuckle. “Seems like a fair deal to me.”
But those words didn’t register in Lee’s mind. All that was going through his brain was one thought.
He broke my arm.
He broke my arm.
He broke my arm he broke my arm he broke my arm he broke my arm hebrokemyarmhebrokemyarmhebrokemyarmhebrokemyarmhebrokemyarm!
I am going to kill him.
This was, truth be told, the first time Lee had ever attacked someone with intent to kill. Always before, he’d held back at least somewhat in combat. Even against the Bone Queen, he hadn’t intended to KILL her -he’d just misjudged the strength of her bone defense!
This was different. He was a blur, moving around the boss faster than the eye could follow, delivering a devastating blow, and moving out of the way of any sort of counterattack. He still could draw no blood, but that was a non-issue; he just hit him so hard that the soft organs underneath would be pulverized.
A few fishmen saw their boss getting liquidized from the inside out and rushed in to help him. They were not as tough as their master, however, and were easily disposed of. The bouncers, their path cleared, were too intimidated by Lee’s infuriated assault to try to break up the fight.
Eventually, the boss lay on the ground, too covered in bruises and welts to put up a fight. “Wait! Wait! We’ll leave you alone! My men and I… we’ll never set foot on Myriad Island again! Just let me live!”
Lee, who was standing above him, poised for a final strike, felt himself pause. Could he really do this? Could he really kill somebody, even somebody as despicable as this, in cold blood?
“You’ll stop chasing our family?”
“Yes, yes!” The boss began crawling backwards, not breaking eye contact with the boy. “Your debt is cleared! All good! No need for any more fighting!”
Lee felt his guard lower. “No death, no reparations? Nothing?”
“O-” the man hesitated for a moment, then gave a slightly too-wide, reassuring smile. “Of course not! Nothing!”
Lee felt his grip on the Shichishito tighten almost subconsciously. He’s lying, a voice practically screamed in his head.
“You won’t do everything in your power to ruin our lives indirectly, either?”
“I-” but this time, Lee couldn’t even hear him over the voice in his head. You can’t trust him! You have to kill him now!
And before he knew what he’d done, his right arm shot out from his side, and the Shichishito plunged into the boss’s eye.
Epilogue
Getting kicked out of the Marines had been… embarrassing. But what was a Viper to do? He’d been caught sneaking out against orders to go to an illegal underground fight, and he’d killed two people there! Granted, both had huge bounties and had been involved in numerous criminal operations, but murder was still murder. Lee wouldn’t be prosecuted (as it would look pretty bad for an actively-serving member to be a criminal), but he couldn’t remain a marine.
His CO had been practically giddy with joy when he was discharged, telling everyone he talked to that he “knew that boy had been trouble from the start!” Whatever. Like that old fogey actually knew anything. Well, okay, he did know one thing, and Lee had been sure to thank him for teaching him about shark bones, to the man’s great surprise.
Whatever. Not like he minded much. The marines honestly kinda sucked. Lee wasn’t the sort to follow orders from nimrods with medals. He had to be free, to live his own life! He wasn’t a leader, and he sure as hell wasn’t a follower! He was a lone wolf, independent and strong!
Of course, his father had been extremely disappointed in his failure. He’d been so excited to hear his son was a marine, and now to find out that he’d disobeyed orders yet again? And brought the Shichishito with him? He was more furious than words could describe.
He’d actually attempted to take away the blade for good, saying that clearly Lee would never be worthy of it. Kay would rather just remarry and have another son, hopefully one with more respect for the blade.
Lee had put a stop to this, however. He’d run away from home, taking his things (and the Shichishito) with him. Whatever. He’d become worthy of the blade on his own. His father would learn to deal with it. At least the old man was sleeping better at night, without the threat of the Sharks looming overhead.
Meanwhile, Viper Lee had to find a new career path. The marines weren’t an option, and neither was going back to a life of crime. In fact, this whole ordeal had shown him that maybe Myriad Island wasn’t the best place for him. He stowed away on a ship heading out to sea, hoping to find someplace far away to figure out his calling.
On that ship, he pulled out his action figures once again. He knocked them together for a bit, making sound effects with his mouth and reminiscing about better days. Mihawk had become a much more imposing character since this had been made, and it wasn’t exactly accurate any more; he had a moustache now, for one thing, along with a weird sort of jacket/coat thing. He kinda liked this look better.
Huh. He set the marine figure aside for a second and focused on Mihawk. You know, the jacket wasn’t a bad look at all… maybe he could pull it off? He was only a couple years younger than Mihawk was when this figure was made…
He rooted around in the ship. Looks like it was a transport vessel, carrying clothing to trade elsewhere.
Ah ha! A jacket about his size! It was black, where Mihawk’s was red, but hey, that would just help to distinguish the two.
Lee threw the jacket on, and slung the Shichishito over it. Not a bad look, he thought to himself. Sort of a “reverse-marine” type of thing. And honestly, it gave him an idea…
He could still capture criminals, even if he wasn’t a marine, right? He could go places they couldn’t, do things they weren’t allowed to. The kid knew like nobody else how to get around the underworld from his years of drug trafficking!
Yeah… that’s it! He could be a bounty hunter! Doing what he knew best for a righteous cause! How could anybody fault him for that? He’d be the best damn bounty hunter the world had ever seen!
A cry went out above deck. Somebody was shouting: “Pirates!”
Lee smirked. What a fortunate happenstance!
Time to make his debut!
Prologue
“Times up, Kay.” The huge fishman chuckled ominously as he approached the frail man. “The boss wants his money. You better pay up now, if you don’t want your pretty little face broken.” He cracked his scale-covered knuckles.
Kay’s face bleached as he looked up at the intimidating loan shark. That wasn’t a figure of speech; the man in front of him was actually a literal shark. “Listen Tony, I just need a little more time! I’ve got this job lined up, it should pay big divid-”
He was cut off by a huge forearm, as big as his entire torso, bearing a hand that slammed poor Kay into the wall and pinned him there by the throat. A gurgling noise welled up in the back of his throat.
“You know somethin’? You’re real good at makin’ excuses,” the shark-man said with a wide, toothy grin. “Honest-to-God, I’m impressed. Takes a lotta balls to lie to my face.” The hand around Kay’s neck tightened.
“N-no… please… I can…” It took all Kay’s effort to squeeze the words out, but it seemed to have no effect on the clawed, webbed hand around his throat.
“You’re way overdue, Kay,” Tony continued. “The time to pull that job was about two months ago, ya hear? Now, I got three options for ya: either you give me the money -NOW -or you give me our agreed-upon “collateral.”
He let Kay down. The small man gasped for air for a second, before looking up at the monster. “You said there were… three options?” He asked him, not daring to hope.
“The third option is the most fun,” the huge man replied, cracking his neck this time, “involving my hands and your skull. But I didn’t think you’d be that into it.”
Kay let out a nervous laugh. “Yeah… okay. I get it. I’ll go get our… collateral.”
He slumped into the house in shame. He honestly couldn’t believe that he -Viper Kay! -had fallen so low.
“Daddy?” A voice called out from the next room over. A small boy, he couldn’t have been older than four, peeked around the corner at his father. “Is everything okay?”
“Hm? Oh… yeah, pumpkin,” Kay said, his smile uneasy and strained. “Yeah, Daddy’s just got to go get… a present.”
A present? That didn’t sound right. Daddy clearly didn’t like those big men outside. Lee ran up to his father. “You’re giving those bad men a present? I thought you said presents are only for good boys?”
Kay coughed hoarsely, his throat still in pain. “Yeah… but… Daddy got a present from them… and he wasn’t a good enough boy. So… they want something in return.”
“Can’t you just give them their present back?” Lee asked him innocently.
Kay laughed bitterly. “If only it were that simple. But… I spent it all, already.”
God, how could he have been so stupid? He’d been sure that she loved him, that they would be together forever… but as soon as he’d given her every belly he had, she’d run off with a hotter, younger man, leaving him with the kid.
“Listen, Lee: everything will be okay. We’ll give the men their present and they’ll go away, and we’ll… we’ll figure it out from there.” Kay gave what he hoped was a reassuring smile, but what looked more like he was constipated.
“Okay, Daddy…” Lee looked unsure, but his father knew what he was doing. He followed Kay to his bedroom
It wasn’t anything special. Just a small bed opposite a drawer where Kay put his clothes. But there was one thing that would immediately catch the eye of anyone who entered: a sword.
Not just any sword. This sword was emerald green, six feet long, immaculately crafted. It had six barb-like points emanating from the sides, three on each one. It was hauntingly beautiful, and carried an air of majesty about it. It was, without a doubt, the oldest and most valuable thing in Kay’s possession.
He lifted it from its glass coffer, holding it gently, with reverence.
Lee gasped as he looked up at the sword. “Daddy… you’re not giving them THAT, are you?” If there was one thing Daddy prized most in all the world… well, Lee hoped it would be him, but right below him was that sword.
“I don’t have a choice, Lee,” Kay said sadly. “It’s this sword or… or my life.”
He turned to go downstairs when suddenly a crashing noise was heard; Tony had gotten impatient, and entered the house.
“Lee, go hide in Daddy’s closet,” Kay said, turning to approach the massive beast.
The fishman walked up to Kay, his hulking figure having to bend over to fit beneath Kay’s eight-foot ceilings. “Change of plans, Kay,” he said calmly, with a horrible grin. “We’re takin’ everything. The sword, the house, the kid.”
“Wha… no, you can’t be serious!” Kay took a step back in fear. “Not Lee… you can’t take Lee…”
Tony smirked. “Ah, that good ol’ human sentiment. Never much cared for it, meself. Whaddo you care about this kid, anyway? Didn’t his mother abandon you?”
Shameful tears played at the edges of Kay’s vision. “How… how dare you…”
“How dare I?” The man let out a bizarre laugh, as though he were saying “gak” over and over. “HOW DARE I? How dare YOU defy the boss’s wishes? ‘E says he wants the kid, ‘E’s getting the kid! Make for a better slave than you, at any rate! Now, where is the little hairbag?”
Tony easily pushed past Kay, approaching his bedroom… and Lee’s hiding place.
“...No.” The voice was quiet, muted, almost inaudible, but definitive. Tony turned to look at the small man. He was holding the massive emerald blade in front of him.
“No?” He asked, the smile starting to fall from his face.
“You… you can take the house. You can take all my money. You can even take the sword.” Tears now flowed freely from Kay’s face. “But… but you will NEVER… EVER!
“TAKE!
“MY!
“BABY!
“BOY!!!”
With surprising speed, Viper Kay dashed forward, before plunging the sword in his hands deep into the massive fishman’s chest. Tony screamed a horrible, inhuman scream as the blade penetrated his thick, scaley skin, plunging itself into his heart.
Lee dashed out of the closet when he heard the scream, and watched as the mighty fishman fell over, the blade sticking out of his chest. He, too, let out a scream at the sight.
Kay looked on, stunned. Had he really just done that? Impaled this massive monstrosity of a man? He’d never killed anyone before! He stood there for God knows how long, unable to compute the scene right in front of his face. Then he leaned forward… and threw up on the floor.
Oh God, what had he done? He’d killed Tony! The rest of the agency would be out for blood! Not to mention Lee… had he just scarred the poor little boy for life?
They had to get out of there. They had to leave and never come back and go so far that nobody even associated with Tony would ever find them! Standing up decisively, he looked at his son. “Lee,” he said, trying to mask the terror in his voice, “pack your things. We’re leaving.”
Lee was presently staring in awe at the corpse of Tony. Once he’d gotten over the initial shock, he had to admit… that was awesome! His father, his own father, had just run that mean old Tony through! He snapped to attention when he heard Kay speak, obediently rushing off to get his things.
Lee knew enough to know that where they werever going, they’d never come back. And they had to leave in a hurry, so he’d pack light; only the bare essentials. His family history, it always made Daddy happy to tell him their ancestors stories, so that book was going in the backpack… also, of course he had to bring the Marine action figure he’d gotten at that recruitment drive! It was a limited edition!
Lee desperately wanted to be a marine when he grew up. They were so cool, how they captured the most dangerous pirates on the seven seas and threw them in jail! Plus, they looked awesome doing it! If he had to pick a favorite Marine, he’d have to choose…
Oh, but he shouldn’t get distracted. Okay, what else? Probably a pirate figure, so his Marine would have somebody to fight. But who?
Ah, of course! Dracule Mihawk! A pirate feared the world over for his incredible swordplay! He’d be a worthy opponent for sure! If he was being honest with himself, he kind of looked up to Mihawk too, but he was a bad guy, so he really shouldn’t-
“Lee! Come on! We have to go!”
“Coming Daddy!” Oh man, Lee had let himself get so distracted he’d forgotten how much trouble they were in! Quickly, he gathered up a few more toys and his favorite clothes, and ran out to meet with his father. “Where are we going, Daddy?” He asked Kay, who was currently poring over a map of the four seas.
“The East Blue,” he said. “Myriad Island. The Sharks will never find us there.”
And so it was that Viper Kay left for Myriad Island, with nothing but his sword, his son, and a backpack full of toys.
Chapter 1
Ladies and gentlemen, tonight we have a new challenger! Give a warm, fight-club welcome to… VIPER LEE!”
A cheer rang out through the sizeable crowd. For such an illegal activity, the underground fight club sure was a popular venue on Myriad Island. Lee looked out in awe at the crowd, easily over a hundred attendees strong.
Well, more onlookers just meant more money changing hands. And that meant more bank for him. Lee had put quite a lot of dosh on himself; it beat the OTHER means he had of making money.
Even better was how many people he knew would bet AGAINST him. I mean, a sixteen-year-old boy, with a sword longer than he was tall? Who in their right mind would think him capable of victory?
He ignored their boos, their jeers, their “He’s just a kid!”s. He walked into the middle of the arena and pulled his sword out, gritting his teeth and wobbling a little under the weight. On the opposite end of the arena, a huge, hulking man with brass knuckles on moved towards him.
“Word of advice, kiddo,” the man said with a smirk. “Size doesn’t matter; it’s how you use it. That’s a neat sword you get there, but if you can’t swing it, it’s just holding you back!”
“Thanks for the input,” Lee managed with a grunt, “But I think you’ll find I’m a little better with this thing than you think!”
The massive bruiser laughed. “Alright then!” He said. “Let’s have a good fight!” He got into a powerful combat stance, his wide frame sinking into the ground and making him almost immoveable.
Lee looked at him for a moment, the sword dragging along the ground. Then, his pained expression suddenly turned into a confident smirk. The man’s eyes grew wide for just a second, before the boy rushed forward with surprising speed.
“What the-” He threw his hands up just in time, stopping a mighty swing inches from his head. The brass knuckles scraped along the blade as Lee followed through, before suddenly disappearing from the brawler’s field of view.
The man suddenly felt a long, thin cut along his back, and he grabbed it, howling in pain. “What the HELL!” He cried out, turning to see Lee standing nonchalantly behind him.
“What’s the matter?” the sixteen-year-old boy asked, idly picking his nose as he watched the man turn to face him. “Having trouble keeping up?”
The man snarled in rage, rushing at the boy with his massive frame. Lee easily ducked out of the way, catching the man’s pants with one of the sword’s barbs and ripping them off as if it were nothing. The stadium erupted in laughter as the larger man’s underwear was exposed for all to see.
He turned once more to face Lee, fuming in impotent rage. “Alright, kid, you’ve had your fun! But now you’re gonna-” his punch was blocked by the surprisingly resilient sword, which Lee had driven into the ground to stop him. Quickly, he pulled it back out and whipped it around his head, delivering another long scratch along the man’s forearm before hooking the blade around his neck.
“You should know that I could kill you at pretty much any time I like,” he informed the large man.
The man looked up and saw Lee’s eyes. For the first time, he realized something. Those were eyes that had seen death… and weren’t averse to seeing it again.
“I… I yield,” the man said, putting his hands up. Blood was running down his arm and his back, and his pants lay on the ground nearby. It was obvious who was the superior combatant.
The stadium erupted in a disbelieving roar. That such a small kid, and a complete newcomer, could so handily best such a mighty combatant? It was incredible!
Lee grinned, and turned to leave the arena and collect his winnings.
“Wait!” The man he’d just beaten was pulling up his pants, but he called out to the boy as he was leaving. “How… how did you do that?”
Viper Lee merely grinned as he replied. “Size doesn’t matter. It’s how you use it.”
***
“Payday,” Lee announced as he arrived home, dropping a hefty sack of bellies on the counter.
Kay looked down at the sack, then sighed. “So, you actually did it.”
“What, deliver the drugs? Yeah dad, every day. It’s the job.”
Kay gave him an annoyed glare and picked up the sack. “Lee, I’ve been trafficking opium for twelve years. You’ve been at it for four.” He dropped the sack again. “You and I both know this is way more than drug money.”
“So what?” Lee asked, shrugging off the sword. “What does it matter how I got it? We’ve finally got some money, don’t we?”
Kay gritted his teeth and approached Lee. “You went to the arena, didn’t you? Let the entire crowd see your sword!”
Lee rolled his eyes at his father. “Yes, and I guarantee you, the Sharks aren’t gonna find out! We’re on the other side of the Grand Line, for crying out loud!”
“You don’t know that!” Kay replied hotly. “This is seriously dangerous! If ANYONE gets word back to the Sharks, our lives could be at risk!”
Lee groaned again. “Whatever, okay? I did it, it’s done, there’s no reason to freak out so much over some old sword!”
“Some old sword???” Kay looked horrified. “This is the Shichishito! It’s one of the most powerful swords in the world!”
“It’s a funky sword that someone painted green!” Lee retorted. “Sure, it looks cool, and you can do some fun tricks with it, but it’s not special!”
“Oh, if only you KNEW how special this sword is!” Kay replied, grabbing the holster off Lee’s back. “We need to hide this now! If anyone sees it around here, we could be in jeopardy!”
“Fine then! I’ll bite!” Lee shot back. “What is so amazing about this sword?”
Kay paused, stunned, as Lee effortlessly ripped the blade out of his hands. “Do… do you really want to know?”
Lee looked at him for a second with a weird face. That was an odd reaction. “Sure. Fine. Whatever. Clearly it’s got you messed up. What’s with the sword?”
Kay nodded slowly, seeming excited about something. “Well, then… I should tell you the legend.”
“Long ago, a blade was forged unlike any the West Blue had seen. It was made of steel, folded one hundred times, and given a special treatment that made it emerald green and nearly unbreakable. This weapon was called the Shichishito, and it was to be gifted to the greatest swordsman in the land.”
Lee rolled his eyes. “Dad, I know how the Shichishito was made. You’ve told me like a hundred times.”
Kay nodded. “But you don’t know the blade’s significance! Legend has it, it was able to defeat one hundred opponents in a single swing. Hundreds of sword fighters, men and women alike, fought for the honor of wielding the Shichishito, but finally, one man rose above the rest: Viper Alpha. As soon as he took the sword in his hand, it was obvious that he was the rightful wielder. Some said that his will was so strong that it made lesser men lose consciousness at the mere sight of him!”
Lee nodded. “Didn’t know the one hundred opponents thing. Somehow I doubt it. Anyway, sounds like Alpha was just really good at knocking people upside the head when they weren’t looking.”
Kay chuckled, something he hadn’t thought he’d do when he found the Shichishito missing this morning. “Oh no, it was his eyes. The legends are very clear: one look into Alpha’s eyes, and you fell unconscious.
“Viper Alpha conquered a large portion of West Blue almost singlehandedly, founding a vast empire that spread over nearly one-tenth of the planet. He had many children, and when he grew old and weary, he passed the sword down to his most skilled son. The empire flourished, and the practice of passing down the sword was continued from father to son.”
This was where the story, as Kay told it to Lee, usually ended. But Lee sensed there was more, and he was proven right as his father continued.
“That was, until one man, Viper Greid, ruined everything. Greid wanted the sword for his own, but his younger brother, Viper Hart, was clearly the superior swordsman. Greid killed Hart in his sleep and took the Shichishito for himself. Legend has it that this action angered the blade, turning it from a weapon of glory and righteousness into a weapon of pain and vengeance.
“Viper Greid had no right to rule, and was in fact a weak, treacherous sort. He lost the faith and trust of his people, who deposed him from the throne. He was still a nobleman, and still held the Shichishito, but he had tainted the family legacy.
“Eventually, Greid passed away, giving the sword to his own most skilled son, but the damage had been done. Every subsequent generation was unworthy of the blade, and fell further and further from grace, until finally… we reach me. And you.”
Lee looked at him in disbelief. “So, the reason you think our life sucks is because you’re not “worthy” of the blade?”
“Absolutely,” Kay replied, causing his son to scoff. “Were I worthy of the blade, I would be a strong warrior, able to stand up for myself. I am not that man. But you, Lee... if anyone can regain our family’s honor and become a warrior worthy of the Shichishito, it’s you.
“Which is why it breaks my heart when you use it so frivolously!” Kay yanked the blade out of Lee’s hand once more, wrapping his arms around it protectively. “You have the strength and skill, but you lack the spirit! You use this ancient, priceless artifact to win cash prizes in public! What a waste!”
Lee rolled his eyes again. “Whatever! All those stories are just that: stories! We had a cool ancestor generations ago! He’s dead now, and we’re stuck with his sword!” He held out his hand to get the sword back. “Come on, you said yourself I’m better for it than you!”
“That may be,” Kay replied, “AFTER you learn some discipline! You will get this back when I think you’re ready!”
“Come ON, dad! We’re making a lot of money with that thing!” Lee whined; he was only sixteen, after all. “Think of how much better our lives could be! Isn’t that a worthy cause?”
“If money is your only concern,” Kay replied, “then get a job! A REAL job, not gambling at the arena!”
“Oh, because drug trafficking is SUCH a good gig!” Lee said sarcastically.
“Then do something else!” Kay threw up his hands in disgust. “You’re sixteen! Go out and look for something! DO something with your life!”
“Shut up! You just don’t get it!” Lee stormed into his room, one of only three in their ramshackle cabin. He curled up on his cot in anger.
Maybe Dad had a point. Maybe he was wasting his talents in this dunghole. Maybe he should look for a job. But there weren’t any above-the-surface jobs he was any good at, or that interested him!
...Except…
Lee looked over at where he’d placed his action figures twelve years ago. They hadn’t moved from their spot in all that time; a life of crime meant you didn’t have much playtime.
He picked up one of the figures and dusted it off. Underneath was that same white coat, that confident smile, that intimidating pose that said “your days are numbered, criminal!”
Yeah. Maybe… he could be a marine!
Chapter 2
“Private Viper, will you PLEASE pay attention!”
Lee had to admit, ever since he’d joined the marines, life had been good. Getting in had been a breeze; sure, he’d had some trouble on the academic portion, but his scores were among the best during the physical exams, and he was welcomed in with open arms.
Kay had been surprised to learn of his ambition to join the marines, but couldn’t be prouder of his son. In the military, he would finally, hopefully, learn discipline, and be worthy of the legendary Shichishito’s true power!
Only problem with the marines was they had this thing about “the chain of command” and “the rules” and it all just wasn’t him. Lee’d had enough of this crap from his Dad back home and his old drug dealer bosses, who he found oddly reminiscent of his new “superiors.”
Yeah, that was the other thing. That word, “superiors.” Like they thought they were better than him or something. What, just because they were older and had more medals meant they were better? He just hadn’t had the chances they had, that’s all! He could beat any of these jokers with one hand tied behind his back, WITHOUT the Shichishito!
“Yeah, I know, you’re debriefing us, right? Go in, arrest the perps, no casualties, yadda yadda.” If he’d heard it once, he’d heard it a thousand times. Why couldn’t these stuffy commanders just sit back and let him do his thing?
“And don’t forget, Viper,” the captain said, glaring pointedly at Lee, “you’re part of a unit now! You all work together! So I don’t want to see you going off alone again! Follow protocol, do this by the books!”
“Yes, sir,” Lee said, saluting him reluctantly. He got into formation, his shirt untucked and his hat discarded; it made him look stupid. The captain was clearly angry about this, but it was too late now to do anything about it. They had a criminal to arrest.
“Hey, don’t worry about it, Viper! You’ll be awesome!” A slightly dopey-looking private with red hair gave him a thumbs up.
“Hey, I know that,” he replied with a smirk. “I’m just waiting for the captain to figure it out!”
Naturally, Viper Lee took point. He had a deep understanding of the criminal mindset, and could accurately predict the most likely point of egress. He guided the others to cover the other exits, and then broke in through the window.
“What the hell?” A man, currently making a crystalline drug asked, as Lee burst into the room.
“Hey Hale!” Lee said in a friendly tone, as he held a blade to the man’s neck. “Remember me? You used to whip me if I didn’t make my deliveries on time! Oh, the memories! Say, if you snag me summa that good prison kush, I’ll try to reduce your sentence to ONE execution, instead of two!”
Hale immediately put his arms over his head and stepped back. “Oh… Hey, Lee… don’t suppose I could offer you a discount on my product…?”
“You could, but it wouldn’t do you much good. I’m a marine now; we don’t let scum like you off that easy!” Lee laughed confidently as he approached the man, blade forward.
Hale smirked. “Hey, that’s cool. I just wanted to talk… long enough to do this!” He grabbed a crystal from the shelf behind him, throwing it in Lee’s face. Lee staggered, off-balance, as the world began to spin around him. Whatever was in that stuff was STRONG! He’d have enjoyed himself immensely if the situation wasn’t so dire!
He eventually found his way out of the building, swinging his sword wildly and almost cutting one of the other privates. It seemed as though they’d managed to handle Hale just fine. “Greaworguyzzzz…” he said, attempting to congratulate the team but slurring his words due to the drug. “IthinkImmatatheresofthedayofffffff…”
“Oof, he really gotcha bad, huh?” The redhead from before asked sympathetically.
The captain grunted. “You see? This is what happens when you don’t go by the book! He almost got away!”
“‘Msorrycap’n… Lee replied, wobbling up to the large man with a funny grin on his face. “Anyone evar tellllll you yoooooo have byootiful eyezzzzz?”
“Alright Private,” the Captain said, taking a step back. “You’re clearly unwell. Permission granted to take the rest of the day off.”
“Thankzzzzz…” but Viper Lee was unable to finish that thought, as he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
***
That night, however, he was completely alert. Good thing, too, as he was sneaking out. He cracked open the window in his cabin, looking around before starting to leave, when he heard a knock at the door.
It was the redhead. “Hey, Lee, I just wanted to make sure you’re doing o… were you about to sneak out?”
“Hm? Oh, uh… no, I just wanted some fresh air,” Lee lied.
“Come on, man, I’m not stupid! You do this like once a week! If you go out there, I swear I’m gonna-”
“-Have a fun night?” Lee interrupted, trying to finish his sentence. He extracted a small amount of plant matter from his pockets.
“Woah, where’d you get that?” the redhead asked, amazed, as he looked down at the opiate. “That’s contraband!”
“Swiped it at Hale’s today,” Lee replied with a wink. “They never even checked my pockets. So, here’s the deal: none of this happened, I’m asleep in my room and don’t want to be bothered. Sounds good?”
“Yeah…” the boy said with a dopey chuckle. “Sounds REAL good!”
“Have fun,” Lee said, handing him the kush and closing the door.
“Ah… life is good,” he remarked to himself as he snuck out of the cabin and headed over to his dad’s house.
Granted, he wasn’t actually visiting his dad. He just needed to pick up a change of clothes, a dark cloak to hide his body… and the Shichishito.
Yeah, he knew he wasn’t supposed to, and his father would be disappointed, but the marine bills just weren’t cutting it! Besides, arresting criminals was fine, but he wanted more action, more excitement! And for that, after two years of training in the marine corps, after two years of being told what to do and where to go, you simply had to get away from it all and visit the arena!
“Evening, Becca,” He said, waving nonchalantly to the bouncer. “What’s the word on the street?”
“Viper Lee,” the large woman said, looking down at him. “I thought you were going straight?” She had a big grin on her face.
“Straight as my blade,” he replied. “With some wiggly bits on the sides.”
Becca laughed. “You might actually want to get serious tonight,” she advised. “You’re a real badass, but there’s a pretty tough lady in there. They say she’s got a…” she looked around, then leaned in to whisper in Lee’s ear “...a devil fruit.”
Lee just blew it off. “Come on, Becca, don’t tell me you believe that crap?”
Becca only shrugged. “I believe what I see,” she told him. “And I saw that girl do some crazy shit.”
Lee gave a confident nod. “I’ll watch out for her,” he promised. With that, he walked inside and began placing bets.
Gambling in the arena was an art form. Lee had to make sure he didn’t challenge all the heaviest hitters; that way there might still be some excitement over whether or not he might win; even though he always did. He placed lower bets on easier fights; mostly because most folks knew he would win those without a shadow of a doubt. A rematch with the Skullcrusher ought to make for a good finale… but what was this? A new challenger? A pirate with a pretty hefty bounty on her head; impressive. Looks like her official title was the “bone queen.”
Well, this evening might just be interesting after all.
Chapter 3
As was expected, most of the arena fights were almost insultingly easy. Lee had no trouble at all besting most of his opponents, and he was cleaning up nicely with the bets he made. He hadn’t even had to use the Shichishito, instead relying on a marine-issued katana to subdue his opponents. Only one thing could break his streak now: the mysterious “bone queen” he’d signed up to fight.
Becca had said she was a devil fruit user, hadn’t she? Lee had to admit, he was curious about that. What kind of ability must she have, to be so evocative of the fable?
Well, he was about to find out. The two of them had a fight scheduled now. Lee walked into the arena, holding up his hand and waving to the audience; over the past two years, he’d garnered quite a fanbase in the underground! Once he was done showboating, he turned to look at the other combatant.
The Bone Queen was a small, slight woman, with short black hair and way too much eyeshadow. When her eyes fell upon Lee, her mouth opened in a stupidly wide smile, revealing a mouth full of pointed teeth.
Lee grinned. She was intimidating, but nothing to worry that much about. She hadn’t even brought a weapon! He drew his katana, planning to make short work of this foolish woman.
He dashed forward with his usual blinding speed, hoping to catch her off-guard. She merely watched him, unmoving save to follow his motion. Finally, he swung his blade, targeting her arm; he didn’t want to kill her, after all; that was just bad sportsmanship.
But his swing was stopped before it could reach her body. Out from her arm had sprung a long, white thing, surprisingly hard, to block his strike.
“Is… is that a rib?” He asked, backing up to look at the bone that had blocked his attack.
The woman merely smiled wider. Gritting her teeth in pain, she pulled out the rib, letting out a shriek as though the action was torturous. She now held a long, blade-like rib in her hand.
“Gross… but cool,” Le admitted, as he watched her extract the bone. “Alright, no worries, just need to deal with bone-bitch over here…”
Internally, he was freaking out! Devil fruits were real! And this woman had gotten her hands on one that seemed to give her the ability to pull her own bones out of her body and use them as weapons! He was looking at a fight the likes of which he’d never conceived of before!
He dashed in again, and again his attacks were blocked as bones shot out of the woman’s skin. She made a few strikes with the rib in her hand, and a few more with curiously long fingernails, but luckily Lee was able to block the attacks and even break the rib!
Still, when he pulled back to look at how much damage he’d done, he was… disappointed. The Bone Queen had produced so much bone that it was impossible to land a definitive hit. He gritted his teeth in frustration; how could he get past this impenetrable defense?
Wait. Impenetrable… That was it! He began running around behind the woman, going for her joints. Sure enough, bones began springing up to protect her body; and at the same time, preventing her from moving around too much.
Then, he swung at her face over and over, knowing that she would grow more bone over her eyes to protect them. Sure enough, the Bone Queen soon had a hard shell of bone covering her entire face.
Lee took a step back, smirking confidently. She was immobile, and unable to remove the bone that was blinding her. All there was left to do was find a weak point in her armor… and deliver the final blow.
With a shattering of bone, Bone Queen’s armor was penetrated, and the sword lunged into her chest. Viper Lee felt a little bad; he honestly hadn’t meant for the blow to go so deep. But she should survive. Hopefully. He raised his arm in victory to thunderous applause; he had beaten a devil-fruit user!
One person was clapping slower, and louder, however. Lee turned his head to see who was approaching him inside the arena. His face paled as he looked at the man.
For it was no man. It was a gigantic creature, his hands webbed and muscular, his eyes small and beady, his teeth rough, serrated, and in numbers far greater than they should’ve been.
“Impressive work, defeating my right-hand woman!” The man said with a chortle. “You really live up to your reputation… Viper Lee.”
Lee didn’t know the man’s name, but he knew that face well. This was the face of the leader of the Shark Agency; the one his father owed so much money.
This was the boss.
Chapter 4
“You know, for such a skilled young man, you’re not terribly bright.”
The shark-man was wearing a black suit with a red tie, adjusting said tie as he spoke. “There’s a lotta folks out there with the name “Viper.” But there’s only one Shichishito.” He leaned down to face the boy, his grin menacing and deadly. “You’d think you wouldn’t go around cutting up folks with it.”
“True,” Lee said, taking a step back and trying not to reveal just how afraid he was. “But I figure people’d be smart enough not to mess with me if I cut up enough folks.”
The man laughed. “Good point! I gotta admit, you’re not bad with that katana of yours!” He leaned in even closer. “But you and I both know you could do better, eh?” He glanced at the sheath on Lee’s back pointedly.
“Well, okay. Actually you couldn’t, on account of that sword belongs to me.” He shrugged dismissively. “I don’t blame you, of course. Your old man’s the one who ran, and we’ll kill ‘im for it, you can be sure of that! But you were just a little tadpole at the time. So I’ll cut you a deal: I still want what’s rightfully mine, and that’s that sword. You can keep your skin; I won’t even take the sword from you. Just pledge to be my new right hand. My old one… well, she’s in a better place, I’m sure.” He looked over at where the Bone Queen was leaking blood, and spat dismissively before turning back to Lee excitedly. “You’re fresh meat! So, whaddaya say, kid? There might even be a devil fruit in it for you, too!” He gave him a wink.
Lee had been looking up at the shark wordlessly, too terrified to speak. But as he made his offer, he found his voice again. “You… you made the last fourteen years of my life a living hell! You’re saying you want to kill my dad! And you think I’m just gonna… just gonna drop everything and go do your bidding for the rest of my life?”
“Tha’s about the long and short of it, yeah,” the boss replied, shrugging dismissively. “Final offer, take it or leave it. Or I could just kill you and have somebody else figure out the sword. I’m sure it won’t take too long.”
Lee chuckled under his breath, pulling the Shichishito from its sheath. “Yeah, or how’s this for an option: you leave right now and I don’t fillet you alive for all the shit you put my family through!”
The boss looked down and shrugged. “Hey, I tried to be reasonable,” he asserted. “You’re the one who had to make it a whole thing.” With that, he ripped off his shirt, revealing a musclebound form. “Shame to waste such a good fighter, but whaddaya gonna do.”
With that, the two began to clash. The boss’s scaley skin was nearly impossible to penetrate, but Lee was attacking and running around too fast for him to catch. For the most part, they were evenly matched, but Viper Lee had the unfortunate distinction of being the aggressor in this particular fight. That meant that he had to keep up the assault, while the boss just had to stand there and tank it.
The bouncers, meanwhile, had realized that this fight was not in the books, and so rushed out to put a stop to it… before being pushed back by several of the Sharks’ cronies. Nobody was to interrupt this match.
Lee just needed to find a soft spot, a weak point… wait, weren’t shark bones mostly cartilage? Lee turned the blade flat and whacked the boss’s knee from the side. Sure enough, it broke incredibly easily.
Lee almost laughed out loud. Who would’ve thought he’d actually learn something useful in marine training? He’d have to remember to pay more attention in class! He pointed the sword at the boss’s neck. “Ready to surrender?” He asked the man, who had collapsed onto the ground due to his bad knee.
The man looked up at Lee and only chuckled evilly. “Don’t get cocky, kiddo,” he replied, his hand shooting out and grabbing the boy’s left arm. He squeezed his hand impossibly tight, causing Lee to shriek in pain and drop the sword.
A breaking noise rang out, impossibly loud. “Arm for a leg,” the boss said with a hoarse chuckle. “Seems like a fair deal to me.”
But those words didn’t register in Lee’s mind. All that was going through his brain was one thought.
He broke my arm.
He broke my arm.
He broke my arm he broke my arm he broke my arm he broke my arm hebrokemyarmhebrokemyarmhebrokemyarmhebrokemyarmhebrokemyarm!
I am going to kill him.
This was, truth be told, the first time Lee had ever attacked someone with intent to kill. Always before, he’d held back at least somewhat in combat. Even against the Bone Queen, he hadn’t intended to KILL her -he’d just misjudged the strength of her bone defense!
This was different. He was a blur, moving around the boss faster than the eye could follow, delivering a devastating blow, and moving out of the way of any sort of counterattack. He still could draw no blood, but that was a non-issue; he just hit him so hard that the soft organs underneath would be pulverized.
A few fishmen saw their boss getting liquidized from the inside out and rushed in to help him. They were not as tough as their master, however, and were easily disposed of. The bouncers, their path cleared, were too intimidated by Lee’s infuriated assault to try to break up the fight.
Eventually, the boss lay on the ground, too covered in bruises and welts to put up a fight. “Wait! Wait! We’ll leave you alone! My men and I… we’ll never set foot on Myriad Island again! Just let me live!”
Lee, who was standing above him, poised for a final strike, felt himself pause. Could he really do this? Could he really kill somebody, even somebody as despicable as this, in cold blood?
“You’ll stop chasing our family?”
“Yes, yes!” The boss began crawling backwards, not breaking eye contact with the boy. “Your debt is cleared! All good! No need for any more fighting!”
Lee felt his guard lower. “No death, no reparations? Nothing?”
“O-” the man hesitated for a moment, then gave a slightly too-wide, reassuring smile. “Of course not! Nothing!”
Lee felt his grip on the Shichishito tighten almost subconsciously. He’s lying, a voice practically screamed in his head.
“You won’t do everything in your power to ruin our lives indirectly, either?”
“I-” but this time, Lee couldn’t even hear him over the voice in his head. You can’t trust him! You have to kill him now!
And before he knew what he’d done, his right arm shot out from his side, and the Shichishito plunged into the boss’s eye.
Epilogue
Getting kicked out of the Marines had been… embarrassing. But what was a Viper to do? He’d been caught sneaking out against orders to go to an illegal underground fight, and he’d killed two people there! Granted, both had huge bounties and had been involved in numerous criminal operations, but murder was still murder. Lee wouldn’t be prosecuted (as it would look pretty bad for an actively-serving member to be a criminal), but he couldn’t remain a marine.
His CO had been practically giddy with joy when he was discharged, telling everyone he talked to that he “knew that boy had been trouble from the start!” Whatever. Like that old fogey actually knew anything. Well, okay, he did know one thing, and Lee had been sure to thank him for teaching him about shark bones, to the man’s great surprise.
Whatever. Not like he minded much. The marines honestly kinda sucked. Lee wasn’t the sort to follow orders from nimrods with medals. He had to be free, to live his own life! He wasn’t a leader, and he sure as hell wasn’t a follower! He was a lone wolf, independent and strong!
Of course, his father had been extremely disappointed in his failure. He’d been so excited to hear his son was a marine, and now to find out that he’d disobeyed orders yet again? And brought the Shichishito with him? He was more furious than words could describe.
He’d actually attempted to take away the blade for good, saying that clearly Lee would never be worthy of it. Kay would rather just remarry and have another son, hopefully one with more respect for the blade.
Lee had put a stop to this, however. He’d run away from home, taking his things (and the Shichishito) with him. Whatever. He’d become worthy of the blade on his own. His father would learn to deal with it. At least the old man was sleeping better at night, without the threat of the Sharks looming overhead.
Meanwhile, Viper Lee had to find a new career path. The marines weren’t an option, and neither was going back to a life of crime. In fact, this whole ordeal had shown him that maybe Myriad Island wasn’t the best place for him. He stowed away on a ship heading out to sea, hoping to find someplace far away to figure out his calling.
On that ship, he pulled out his action figures once again. He knocked them together for a bit, making sound effects with his mouth and reminiscing about better days. Mihawk had become a much more imposing character since this had been made, and it wasn’t exactly accurate any more; he had a moustache now, for one thing, along with a weird sort of jacket/coat thing. He kinda liked this look better.
Huh. He set the marine figure aside for a second and focused on Mihawk. You know, the jacket wasn’t a bad look at all… maybe he could pull it off? He was only a couple years younger than Mihawk was when this figure was made…
He rooted around in the ship. Looks like it was a transport vessel, carrying clothing to trade elsewhere.
Ah ha! A jacket about his size! It was black, where Mihawk’s was red, but hey, that would just help to distinguish the two.
Lee threw the jacket on, and slung the Shichishito over it. Not a bad look, he thought to himself. Sort of a “reverse-marine” type of thing. And honestly, it gave him an idea…
He could still capture criminals, even if he wasn’t a marine, right? He could go places they couldn’t, do things they weren’t allowed to. The kid knew like nobody else how to get around the underworld from his years of drug trafficking!
Yeah… that’s it! He could be a bounty hunter! Doing what he knew best for a righteous cause! How could anybody fault him for that? He’d be the best damn bounty hunter the world had ever seen!
A cry went out above deck. Somebody was shouting: “Pirates!”
Lee smirked. What a fortunate happenstance!
Time to make his debut!