"Onigumo!" Blaize clenched his fist. Provocation, a naked and deliberate provocation against him.
Without a doubt, his unit was requested to be here by Onigumo but only now Blaize understood his intention. As an officer under Sakazuki, he definitely knows he has a soft spot for slaves.
Still, he requested Blaize for this simple operation which can be accomplished by a few Marine soldiers. There's no need for him to be here! Onigumo did it on purpose.
Onigumo glanced over, his expression carried a hint of sarcasm. As Blaize guessed, he did it with a bad intention in his mind.
He's a believer in absolute justice and he wants everything to be through. So he doesn't like Blaize's way of doing things and what he did.
He got wind of some information recently, regarding the escape of Sun pirates. Though Blaize had the strength to catch them, he let them go.
And, he was present at the Headquarters when the conflict between him and Vice-Admiral Sakazuki happened. That's what annoyed him greatly.
Onigumo has great respect and admiration for Sakazuki, who's a next-in-line Admiral candidate. If nothing goes wrong, he will become an Admiral in a year or two. But what happened that day considerably damaged Sakazuki's reputation.
As a firm believer of Absolute justice and supporter of Sakazuki, he can't overlook this matter. He wanted to teach Blaize a lesson.
Soon, he collected the information about him and planned this thing. His plan is simple: incite Blaize's emotions and make him attack.
Once Blaize strikes against him, he can show him hell and he has countless ways to make that happen with his Rear Admiral position.
'Trying to bring me down with mere parlor tricks?' Blaize guessed what Onigumo was thinking since it comes to this point, he doesn't need to hold back.
He's the one who came out of his way to trouble him. Whatever happens next can't be blamed on him.
"You two stay here and look after others. Keep this in mind, whatever happens next you guys aren't allowed to come and support me.
Understand?" Blaize looked at Regis and Jotto.
"Captain Blaize, what do you plan on doing?" A bad premonition struck Regis.
Without replying, Blaize jumped in the air and flew towards the Merchant ship. In the merchant ship, fifty-some civilians with hoof marks were apprehended by the Marine soldiers.
Landing before the escaped World Nobel slaves, Blaize stopped the Marine soldiers who were apprehending the people.
"What are you all doing?" Blaize nonchalantly asked.
A Marine officer recognized his rank by his clothing and replied, "Sir, we are arresting the escaped criminals."
Blaize nodded his head and asked, "Where are the criminals?"
The Marine officer was stumped for words while he thought in his head, 'aren't they right before us?'
"Where?" Blaize asked again in a vehement tone.
The Marine officer couldn't voice his words, frightened by Blaize's cold stare. "Captain, I am just following the orders!"
"Captain Blaize, why are you interfering in the operation of arresting the criminals?" Onigumo arrived before him and asked smoking a cigarette.
Like in the original series, Onigumo is a tall man with a cold face and semi-closed eyes. He had long brown hair and wore an ancient war helmet with a small, traditional Japanese dragon on it, and a long red plume hanging from it.
Under his Marine coat, he wore a double-breasted gray suit over a dark green shirt with a silver tie.
"I don't care what you do but if you don't give me a reason for trying to arrest these innocent people, I will hit you!" Blaize gazed at Onigumo.
His words stupefied Marine soldiers onboard, Onigumo, and World Noble slaves alike. The slaves couldn't find the reason why a marine is opposing another one for them.
'Isn't Marines and the World government are on the same side?' They all thought.
"Can't you see the hoof mark on their bodies, they are criminals wanted by the World Government?" A Marine captain under Onigumo's command scowled.
But the next second, he was blasted off the ship by Blaize's kick and dropped on the sea.
"I'm asking what kind of crime they committed?" Blaize stared at Onigumo as if he's going to hit him next.
The Marine onboard didn't know what to do when facing two superior ranking officers fighting each other. They simply remained silent and watched.
As for the slaves, they looked at Blaize gratefully. They know this Marine young man is here to support them, it stirred their hearts.
"Did you know what you just did? You attacked a fellow Marine officer which is punishable by the Marines code of justice." Onigumo calmly talked, as for the Marine Captain he didn't even look.
In the Enies Lobby arc, when a soldier questioned his order of destroying a fellow Buster Call ship Onigumo shoot him in cold blood. This is the type of person he is. A kind Blaize dislikes the most.
"If you surrender now and accept your crime—" Before Onigumo could finish his sentence, a fist hit his face.
Onigumo couldn't even react before he was punched squarely on the face. 'I was punched in the face, but how?'
Rising to his feet with a bloodied nose, he looked at Blaize in shock. 'How did he hit me? Even my Observation Haki failed to sense his attack? He's strong!'
Yes, Onigumo recently learned Haki. Though he's only been practicing it for three months, he can easily crush someone who doesn't know how to use Haki.
He thought he can effortlessly subdue Blaize with his strength but he was greatly mistaken. 'When did he become so strong?'
Of course, Blaize wasn't this strong six months back but now, he is. Even if he doesn't know Haki, he can make up for it with his heat sense and Tekkai.
It won't be effective against skillful Haki users but against inexperienced Onigumo, it's more than enough.
Blaize didn't wait, he attacked again. This time Onigumo was prepared, he utilized his observation Haki to the max and predicted Blaize's next move.
But Blaize's 'Soru' was faster, Onigumo's sensed his attack, and before he could dodge, a fist hit his face once again.
"I am going to hit you till you give me the proper reason, so you better prepare a valid one!"
The surrounding marines watched the confrontation with their mouths wide open. They couldn't believe their eyes, Rear Admiral Onigumo was getting beaten by a marine two rank lower than him.
On the other side, Regis and Jotto watched the dispute between two marines through the telescope. Regis muttered, "Captain really punched him?"
"Regis, what should we do? Attacking a fellow marine is a crime and Captain Blaize even hit a superior-ranking officer. Our unit is done for!" Jotto tensely paced in the deck.
--
For Advanced chapters, Check out my P.A.T.R.E.O.N page. I have '30 Plus' advance chapters there.
Patre on.com/FanficMortal