Azuma Pirate Lord

An injured man laid in a pool of his own blood within a cave, he had black hair with hazel eyes wearing a black and red pirate coat. He was left for dead on a small island as the crew of pirates had left with his loot and ammo leaving nothing but his small ship, that's when he spotted a red ice crystal laying behind a rock. He crawled over to it, hoping it's ice would melt and hydrate him enough to stay alive. He was covered in bruises with his clothes torn and his hat taken by the savage pirates.

He chewed on the ice crystal before swallowing it all. That's When he abruptly lost consciousness...

CHAPTER 1 A New Chance

After an hour of drifting through the empty darkness between life and death, the man  awoke back inside the cave still in pain, though not as much. He rose to his feet still drenched in his own blood. The weak pirate  made his way outside as the pain began to subside. He opened his shirt to see his wounds closing at a fast rate. "How strange, but I don't have time to worry about this right now" His name…was Azuma Kenousa…

Making his way outside, the healed pirate made his way across the beach when he saw a group of men in black suits carrying cargo to a large ship floating near the beach. (Hmmm, without my sword this will be difficult, but if I wait too long I'll miss my chance of taking their ship and getting off this damn island) Azuma noticed two men sitting by a campfire with swords at their side.

The pirate charged in as the group of men spotted him. "The bastard's alive kill him!" The group of thugs fired their pistols right for the pirate as he slid under the coming projectiles. "You all need to work on your aim" The pirate knocked out the three gunmen when the pair of swordsmen dashed right for him.

"Hmph, I may not be good with guns, but swords are another thing" One of his assailants swung his blade right for Azuma's face when it stopped in the man's grasp between his three fingers. "You need to work on your sword skills" Kicking his foe in the ribs, the thugs let go off the blade as it went flying into the air before landing in the pirate's grasp. "Heh, finally I at least have a weapon now"

"Tsssk, you bastard!" The other swordsmen charged right for him attempting to stab him when the skilled pirate easily stopped the coming strike before head-butting the criminal then striking the other in the back of the head.

"There, now to find their captain. A group this big is bound to have someone pulling the strings" taking the 2nd sword from the unconscious goons he turned to the unarmed men asking: "So then, where is your captain" The crew of men stood their shaking in fear when one of them managed to grab a gun that was by one of the knocked-out men and fired a shot straight for Kenousa. With an abrupt movement, he deflected the bullet before sliding his sword back to his side.

"I will ask you all once more…where can I find your captain"

"No need to search for him, the captain is right here" Azuma looked towards the ship to see a tall built man; shirtless with black hair, black tattoos on his body wearing black pants. "I am captain Kazamo, consider it an honor to be killed by someone like me"

"If anyone's going to die…I'd say it'll be you" Azuma pulled out his sword aiming it toward the captain. "So then, are you going to make a move, or should I?"

"Tsk, if you want to die that badly then I won't stand in your way" Kazamo moved at incredible speed, pulling out his blade with a sudden slash, only to be deflected by Azuma's blade just before contact. "Sword slash: Sudden strike" Moving to the side, the pirate unleashed a barrage of sword strikes standing behind the captain with his back to him.

Kazamo froze for a moment before blood gushed from his wounds but managed to remain standing. "Hehe, you're pretty quick aren't you brat? Looks like I'll have to show you who you're dealing with" The man stretched his hand out with his palm aimed at the ground. : "Undead Revival" The crew members ran back onto their ship as a purple mist flowed from his Palm onto the ground with skeletons manifesting all around him.

"Now then, let's see how you fare against my undead horde" The skeletons pulled out their swords surrounding him while the captain watched with a smirk, crossing his arms. The horde of undead unleashed a barrage of sword strikes however, pulling his 2nd sword out, he deflected each attack as sparks flew from his blade with each deflection.

"You must really be underestimating me if you think these bags of bones are going to be able to defeat me" Gripping both his blades He spun as fast as he could, shredding through each one of them, their bones shattering before he came to a stop. The captain watched as his horde of undead cracked apart, falling to pieces all around him.

The tyrant clinched his fist enraged, advancing right for his target before sending a fierce  punch right for the pirate's face. "You piece of shit!" Azuma moved his sword at immense speed before slowly sliding it back into it's sheath Kazamo hit the ground lying dead in the sand. "There, time to take his ship and make my way back to town. I will gather a new crew and hunt down the ones that betrayed me"

Forcing the crew off the ship, the pirate sailed away from the island heading out for the nearest town to form a new crew…

[Flashback]

Azuma stood out on the deck looking out over the open sea when his 2nd in command Saido Oranami walked over to him. Saido had white hair dressed in a black shirt with white pants "Captain what are you doing out here, shouldn't you get some sleep for tomorrow"

"I can't sleep, I want to find something rare, something no other pirate has found before. I Azuma Kenousa will become the next pirate lord"

Few Hours Later...

Their captain laid in a pool of blood with Saito pressing his boot against the injured man's cheek. "Sorry captain, I'm done following your orders, I and the crew agreed that we'll do better without you. I'm taking your crew and ship as my own, enjoy dying alone on this worthless island"

[End Of Flashback]

"Saito you bastard, when we meet again, I won't hesitate to kill you" Making his way to the captain's quarters, Azuma made his way into a large wooden room with a king-sized bed with white sheets and dark-red pillows with a dresser and mirror right above it. "Sigh, now it's time to finally get some shut eye before I reach land tomorrow, after getting betrayed then fighting off that fellow captain, I've gotten really tired"

The pirate soon fell asleep as his ship drifted through the sea...not long after, a small ship came out from the distance, throwing ropes over the large ship and pulled themselves aboard. They were a group of three men and one woman who was their leader. "Alright men, look for any treasure or items of value while I look for the captain of this ship"

The woman had long blue hair wearing a blue hooded cloak. She was tall and had a calm but serious expression as she made her way across the deck towards the captain's quarters. Azuma awoke and could hear footsteps above him up on the front deck. "Ugh. Can't I go a few hours without something interrupting me?" Rubbing his eyes, he got out of bed grabbing his blades, walking over to the door. He opened it to find the area empty. "Hmph, they must all be on the upper-floor"

"Don't move" A female voice uttered behind him. The blue pirate stood behind him wielding a knife to his back as she looked at him with a cold stare. "Hehe, you really think you can beat me with a mere knife? Your stance shows that you have experience killing others with a mere knife-"

The woman cut him off, stabbing him in the back before pulling the blade out dripping blood. "Now lay there and die, you could never beat me, Naiomi the blue assailant" The man turned towards the assailant, kicking her into the captain's quarters as she hit the ground. "Like I said, it'll take more than one mere knife to kill me"

That's when a small knife with a blue handle darted past him piercing his cheek as blood dripped from his cheek before it quickly closed back up. "Sigh, how many times do I have to tell you, a knife won't be enough to kill me" Azuma slowly walked over to the assassin lending his hand out to her, I'm not one to kill those that don't deserve it" She looked at him looking into his hazel eyes as he gave her a calm look.

Her face went red as she blushed standing up. "Just who are you? I know my blade struck your cheek, yet there doesn't seem to be a wound"

"After being marooned on an island by my mutinous crew, I was at the brink of death when I found a crystal I originally was going to use as a water source to keep myself alive. Once I regained consciousness, I somehow gained the ability to regenerate at a fast rate. So if you want to continue our little shuffle then be my guest. But I'll just keep healing until you're out of stamina"

Just then the trio of men appeared behind them with two of them being thin wimps wearing tan clothes aiming pistols at the pirate captain. "Step away from lady Naiomi!" The idiot fired a shot missing Azuma aimed right for their captain when Kenousa quickly pulled out his sword, deflected the bullet before sliding his blade back in it's holder.

"Hmph, watch where you fire dumbass" The blue assassin blushed once more looking at the pirate before pulling out two knifes. "Two of you are nothing but fools, I have no further use for you both aside from Kenzu" In a sudden movement, the two men on both sides of the woman's 2nd in command were struck in the throat by her knifes as they collapsed, dead before they even hit the ground.

"Naiomi, was that really necessary? You know you could've just thrown them overboard" The man responded with a sigh. He wore a black cloak with red eyes and a scar across his left eye along with black hair. "Sometimes you can take things a little far, but you're lucky I have nowhere else to go"

"We both know if you really wanted to leave you would've left by now. So, what's your name...captain? Anyone this strong is surely someone I'm willing to work with so long as I'm 2nd in command" She gave him a seductive smirk standing close to him. Kenousa started at her with a look of suspicion before turning away from her. "If you really want to join my crew then go ahead, but if you try anything...I'll kill you without hesitation"

The woman gave him a pouty face before replying: "Alright fine, it's only fair you wouldn't trust me at first, but I'm sure you'll warm up to me" She leaned on him with a smile before walking past him. "Kenzu, you will be taking orders from Azuma as well from now on, if you have a problem with my decision...I'd be happy to stick you to the wall of the ship" She pulled out a knife between each finger.

"Hehe, come now Naiomi, you know your threats have never worked on me like those two dead fools. But fine, orders are orders, makes no difference to me. So long as I get a good meal and some beer I really don't care"

The captain looked at his new crew and smiled crossing his arms. "Alright then, from this day forward you're part of my crew. Our first priority is getting to land and find a way to get supplies. I'm sure there's some food and drink aboard this ship, but probably not enough to travel a far distance. So we need to find the nearest town and plan our next step"

"That won't be an issue, as a traveling assassin, I've managed to get a few maps from other low-rank pirates as well as draw up my own map of each island and country I've discovered or traveled to. With the amount of gold I've saved up from my hunting pirates and sometimes finding gold aboard their ship, getting supplies will be easy. But you owe me" She blew him a kiss before going down the hall over to the 1st mate's cabin to use as her room while Kenzu fell asleep against a large crate down in storage...

After a few hours of sailing, they finally reached Anamoa island, an island that was one entire town in the middle of the ocean. They made their way up to the docks and stepped onto land looking at the active town as citizens were walking in and out of shops.

"Hmm, feels like it's been a while since I've seen such a lively town, hopefully we can find some good resources here"

"We should captain, this town seems like it has plenty of things to sell, maybe you can think about getting yourself new swords while we're here" Azuma looked at her explaining that they should wait till they save up more gold before buying things like weapons and armor. "At the moment we should only use the gold for either food, water or an inn if we plan to stay somewhere or if the worst should happen to our ship"

"Whatever you say captain" Naiomi answered with a smile as they made their way through town looking at all the stores and buildings. Most of the structures were made out of brick with the roads and pathways just being dirt instead of stone pathways as well. The captain spotted a shop selling fruit and vegetables and made his way over to the small wooden shop.

"Hello, I need food for me and my crew, how much would a month's worth of food be?" The merchant hesitated at first looking at the trio standing in front of hm. "I'm sorry sir, but you wouldn't happen to be pirates would you?"

"Yes, why is there a problem?"

"Uh, yes sir, I'm sorry but all pirates spotted are to be arrest on sight and if struggle are to be executed. It's not my decision, but the sea corps general is very harsh, if I pretend I didn't see anything, I could be arrested as well"

Kenzu moved his sword up from it's holder with his thumb preparing to pull it out as he asked: "Should I keep him from telling the sea corps?" Azuma shook his head. "No, I have a better idea" A few minutes later a group of sea corps men came patrolling the area, they wore white suits with the symbol of a blue sun on their torso as their logo.

The merchant waved both hands calling the men over as they approached the trio. "Naiomi, get ready" the pirate whispered as the sea corps stopped in front of them. "I found a pirate!" The merchant called out. The sea corps looked at Azuma who attempted to reach for his sword.

Naiomi and Kenzu hid behind a stack of crates and watched as their captain was shot in the shoulder by one of the officers as blood gushed from his clothing as he staggered back before catching himself gripping his wound. "Let's go pirate" The middle officer ordered. He had blonde hair with green eyes as he forced the man's arms behind his back before leading him towards Anamoa prison.

CHAPTER 2 A unique Prisoner

As the pirate was forced down the hallway, he found himself within a dark-cold stone path with cells on both sides of him. Surprisingly there weren't many prisoners within the cells, most were empty with rust and dirt covering each cell as if they haven't been cleaned in years.

(Hmph, expected a lot more people to be trapped in here, either this town doesn't have much crime...or the citizens are just that scared of the sea corps) He was shoved in a cell before it slammed shut behind him. "Wait here pirate, we'll be back tomorrow for you're punishment" The trio of men laughed with dark smirks on their face before walking away.

Azuma stood within the cold cell as faint light could be seen through the bared windows behind him. Crossing his arms, he looked around attempting to find a way out and save any innocent pirates within the prison. That's when a voice called out to him from the cell beside him.

"Don't both trying to find a way out, the only way out is obviously a key which the guard carries when he makes his way through the hall every 12 hours"

"So what, we wait until the guard returns and steal the key?"

A smirk grew across the stranger's face as he stepped up to the bars with his hands in his pockets. Azuma saw the man had pink hair, blue eyes wearing a white jacket with black jeans with a heart on the left torso and a big heart on the back. With another smirk the young man kicked open the door with a rusty screech.

"How did you get the door open so easily!?"

"Simple...I stole the guard's key hours ago and have just been sitting in here deciding when to leave. I was planning on jumping the guard for fun but then you showed up so might as well change plans and leave now. Heh. It'll still piss him off when he finds out I've escaped. So why did you get thrown in hear?"

Azuma watched as the man walked over to his cell door unlocking it. "Alright pirate, it's time to leave before the warden and his guards return. I'm not sure, but I think unlike his mere guards, the admiral has some super-human ability, if I'm right, taking him on won't be an easy feat, I've seen plenty of guards and citizens scared the moment he arrives. Either they're just cowards, or my assumption is correct... By the way, you can call me Roxie"

The pink-haired man smirked as they made their way through the dark hallway as moonlight flowed through the windows. Opening the door they saw the warden approaching the jail, the man had blonde hair with blue eyes dressed in the same white coat and pants as the guards but with a golden star on his left torso showing his higher rank.

"You both aren't going anywhere, this will only end two ways...either you both will return to your cells or die beneath my heel" Azuma unsheathed his sword while Roxie smirked pulling something out of his pocket. "Let's see just how skilled you are old man" As they stood just outside the jail with the docks off in the distance, the new ally tossed a few small smoke bombs right for their target's feet as the area was engulfed in smoke.

"Heh, let's see what you can do when you can't see!" Roxie quickly pulled out a knife preparing to throw it when a pillar of earth in the form of a hand shot out from the smoke, pinning the young boy against the stone wall of the jail with the hand wrapped around his waist.

"You youths are nothing but fools. I wouldn't be in the position that I am if a mere brat like you could beat me" The smoke cleared as the admiral stood glaring at them with a cold expression. Azuma advanced the sea Corp admiral gripping his blade tightly with Roxie trying once more to throw a knife aimed at their assailant when his left arm morphed into an earth-golem-like arm, blocking the coming projectile as it broke on impact.

"Foolish brats" With a sudden punch, Azuma positioned his blade attempting to block the coming strike, only for his sword to shatter, sending him staggering back, smashing into the stone wall beside Roxie.

"D-damn it! What are we going to do against someone who can manipulate earth!?" The captain fell to his knees with blood dripping from his lip. Taking a deep breath, he could feel his injuries slowly healing as the blood vanished.

"Ah, I see you too have gained some special ability from the mysterious ice crystal. However, healing yourself will only delay the inevitable" Raising his morphed fist towards the weakened pair, earth spikes manifested around his knuckles preparing to attack.

Just then a katana pierced through his chest as blood dripped from the tip. "W-what...!?" The admiral slowly turned his head to see Kenzu thrusting his blade through their attacker before pulling it out with a cold look as the admiral spat out blood, collapsing in the street.

The stone hand crumbled, freeing Roxie while Naiomi and Kenzu walked over to their captain. "Glad to see you're still in one piece captain, it's not easy to defeat a warden, especially one with a super-human ability" Naiomi congratulated.

"I doubt I would've beaten him if it wasn't for Kenzu" The swordsmen shook the blood of his blade before sliding it back to his side. "Tsk, I was just doing my duty of protecting my captain...also if I hadn't saved your ass, I'm sure I wouldn't hear the end of it from Naiomi"

"Well now that that's taken care of, we should leave before more enemies show up"

"But what about our supplies before we leave captain? We still haven't gathered food and drinks yet" Azuma was about to answer her when Roxie walked approached them. "You guys need supplies? Don't worry...let me show you how a true thief does it..."

The crew waited on the ship while Oda D. Roxie walked over to the merchant. "Excuse me sir I'd like to buy a crate of food and some wine"

"Alright sir that'll be 110 gold sir"

"First I'd like to see inside the crate so you're not tricking me" The merchant shrugged turning around to open the crate as the thief smirked, knocking the poor man out by striking him in the side of the neck...

A few minutes later Azuma and the others looked over the ship to see Roxie approaching with multiple creates of supplies as he pushed them on wheels, up the wooden ramp before taking them to the lower deck where they keep storage. "Here's your food and drinks, I thought about it and decided I'm coming with you guys"

Azuma frowned responding: "Why would you come with us? You don't seem like the type to follow orders and those who won't obey my command have no place aboard the ship"

Roxie smiled as the sea breeze brushed across his pink hair. "Heh, true I hate taking orders from those I see as weak or boring...but you seem interesting...you don't care what happens so long as you reach your goal...so we are two of a kind, I will be your thief and make sure we steal the treasure. How's that sound, captain?"

Azuma Kenousa looked at him intensely before letting out a sigh. "Very well Oda D. Roxie, welcome aboard my crew"

"Thank you captain I will do my best to aid you in capturing all the riches this world has to offer. But first, we should name the ship" Kenousa looked at him as if he had said something stupid. "A name? What's the point of naming a mere ship?"

That's when Naiomi spoke up: "Actually captain, it is common to name your ship, especially amongst pirates. If you want to make a name for yourself, coming up with a unique name for your ship and crew is the 1st step for any pirate"

He thought for a moment before responding: "I can't think of a name"

"A name isn't just something you come up with, it has to have a deep meaning behind it that represents the crew. In time it'll come to you" The young thief told him.

CHAPTER 3 The Real Adventure Begins

With supplies and their crew grown, they set out onto the deep sea while Naiomi placed a large blank sheet of paper on a board against the wall in her room as she kept track of where they traveled slowly drawing a map for them to use for easy navigation once they've explored the entire world.

Azuma stood out in the front of the ship looking out at the sea, his arms crossed as the sea breeze brushed across his face. The moonlight shined over their ship illuminating the sea as it sparkled with small fish flipping out of the water from time to time. He let out a sigh.

"So, this is how you spend your free time? Staring out at the sea like a statue?" The man turned around to see Roxie sitting on the gaff of the ship looking down at him, his hand on his knee casually. "I'm just waiting until we reach our first destination, hopefully we'll find some treasure or at least some weapons, could use something better than this warn out blade I stole from a group of low-rate bandits"

Azuma unsheathed his blade looking at the low-quality blade with a warn-out grip. "I'm sure selling it would only get me a few pieces of silver if that" He slid it back to his side before walking to the back of the main deck. "I'm going to take a nap, wake me up if you see land"

"Aye-aye captain!" Roxie responded playfully, jumping from the gaff onto the main deck as the pink-haired thief walked up the wooden steps, leaning on the galver, also known as the steering wheel of the ship. Meanwhile Azuma walked down the narrow hallway, the small path illuminated with lanterns on the wall as he pasted Naiomi's room where he found her fast asleep. He stood and watched as she slept so calmly before making his way to his own room.

The pirate set his blade up against the wall beside the bed as he carefully laid in his king-size bed with several black pillows and a thick white quilt. As he laid in bed, he looked to see a port that looked out on the sea with a wooden desk and chair in front of it so he could admire it up close. Not long after he fell asleep....

PHANTOM SHINE ARC

Azuma awoke to the glimmer of sunlight flowing through his window as he slowly stood up, his hair a mess as he grabbed his blade and made his way down the passageway when he heard Naiomi in her room. He continued forward before standing in her doorway, only to find her wearing merely a bra and panties.

"Huh? Naiomi looked to see her captain blushing at her with his hand on his torso unsure of what to say. Naiomi blushed before a smile grew across her face as she walked over to him. "Hello captain didn't think you'd stop by my room so suddenly" She stood inches from him with a seductive smile as Just then Roxie walked into the passageway before spotting Naiomi. His face grew red as a little blood ran from his nose.

"Tsk! Can't you see me and the captain are busy!?" In a fit of rage, the assassin quickly pulled out a knife she hid in her panties holding it in one hand before throwing it like a dart right for the man's face. Azuma watched in surprise as the sharp projectile hit the doorframe mere inches from her target as he stood frozen with a nervous smile before backing out slowly closing the door.

"So then, where were we? Azama blushed telling her: "We need to focus on the task at hand Naiomi" She gave him a sad expression before her captain walked outside onto the main deck as an island came into view. "Finally, we've reached our first stop"

"Yea that's what I was gonna tell you before...that happened" Roxie rubbed the back of his head nervously with a smile while Azuma walked over to the front of the ship as they drew closer to the island. A carnival could be seen with a ferries wheel, rides and colorful lights. "Hmmm, I've never been to a carnival before, would like to explore it" Naiomi and the others walked over to him looking out on the island, as Naiomi grew excited.

"I haven't been to a carnival in years! This definitely will be a great stress reliever for our first exploration" Kenzu just stood there crossing his arms with a look of disinterest. Roxie placed his hand on the swordsmen's shoulder commenting: "Come on sword boy, you don't need to act tough all the time, you need to relax from time to time"

They reached the shore as the ship came to a halt. Azuma stepped down upon the new island with his crew following behind. They found themselves standing in a grassy field with a path leading into the forest covered with trees. "Hmph, seems there's only one way through, keep your guard up" Azuma ordered before making his way down the dirt path as the sun was blocked by the many trees shading the path.

They carefully walked through the forest path with Azuma leading the way along with Naiomi following close behind while Roxie walked a few feet behind them with his arms behind his head in boredom. "Sigh, this place better be worth all the traveling, my body's stiff from sitting on that ship all night, I wish we had something to fight, otherwise my skills are going to start getting rusty"

Kenzu trailed behind them watching their backs as his arm rested on his blade in case he needed to use it at a moment's notice. Birds chirped out in the distance with a calm breeze as they finally reached the clearing that led to the entrance of the carnival, they saw a large blue sign that read:

"PHANTOM SHINE PARK"

"Looks like we found it" The crew made their way up to the entrance where a man dressed in a black tux with long purple hair and blue eyes stood at a booth waiting to let them in.

"Welcome all to Phantom shine park, feel free to try all the rides and food we have in store for all who come to explore the park. The fee is one silver piece per admission" Naiomi brushed past Azuma with a smile placing four gold coins on the counter. "This should cover the fee"

"O-oh, I'm sorry but I might not have enough change for this"

"Don't worry about it" She wrapped her arm around Azuma's pulling him past the entrance into the park as they found themselves in a large park with a red paved street, many different rides and attracts for miles. "Alright, me and Azuma are going to go try out some rides, you both can feel free to do what you want till we're done and Roxie, don't do anything stupid"

"What!? Why am I the only one being called out!?"

"Because you're a known thief plus you have the kind of attitude that seems to spell trouble so don't be an idiot or I will personally stick your head on the wall" He looked to see her revealing a concealed knife before hiding it.

"Y-yes ma'am" Roxie answered shaken in fear as his face went red. As she dragged the captain away, Kenzu just stood there with his arm still resting on his blade. "Sigh, it's nice I can finally relax, though a carnival isn't really my thing. Though I'm sure if I just let you go off on your own you probably would do something stupid. Come on, we're going to explore the park for anything of value, plus it would be nice to get some fresh air away from the sea"

"Awww, but I wanted to try out all the rides!" Roxie's arms dropped as he gave the swordsmen a sad expression. The dark-haired man sighed closing his eyes in frustration before telling him: "Fine do what you want, but I'm looking around for a while, better than wasting time on these pointless rides"

Roxie jumped with excitement running to a large Ferris wheel while Kenzu made his way down the long red path, past the spinning teacups and other well-known rides you'd normally see at a carnival. That's when he spotted a large pink fun house with a tall thin man dressed in a black suit with clown paint on his face wearing a top hat. Something about the man felt off but Kenzu proceeded down the path when the clown stopped him. "Wait sir! Certainly you want to try out the house of the phantom before you leave!"

"No thanks, I'm not really into fun houses or anything this place might have to offer. Mainly since I'm not what you would call a social person" The clown placed his hand on the pirate's shoulder, a sudden chill ran down the man's back as he turned towards the strange man gripping his blade glaring at him. "Fine, if going in this fun house will get you to leave me alone then fine. Let's get this over with already"

With a sigh the man made his way through the large dark doorway as he stepped inside. He found himself in a narrow pink hallway with a black and white checkered floor. Venturing deeper, he reached a doorway that led him into a large room with many different flights of stairs warped in random directions as you would expect from a fun house.

"Ugh, I never really was one for mazes" Kenzu chose the stairway in the middle as he began making his way up the white steps, the stairs spiraled until he reached the top finding himself in a large, warped room where a figure made of pure darkness stood before him. It's body swayed around as if it were drunk, it's eyes glowing red.

(What is that thing? It seems too real to be a prop or a man in a costume) Without warning the creature lunged toward him as it's dark hands reached for him. In an abrupt reaction, Kenzu unsheathed his blade in an instant as the entity floated in mid-air motionless past him. before evaporating into particles of darkness. "Sigh, I knew there was something off about this place, I should get out of here before another one of those shadow bastards reappear"

He spun around quickly to go back the other way, only to find the stairwell had vanished with no way back. "Of course, why am I not surprised. Whatever, seems forward is my only option" Kenzu raced down the large pink room when he spotted the same clown that had insisted he'd enter the fun house in the first place.

A smile grew across the clown's face as he placed his hand upon his top hat. "Hehe, I only wanted you to enter the fun house so I can steal your soul and use it to become stronger...I'm weak, but once I absorb enough life essence of the souls of the living, I shall be strong enough to make those who ruined my life pay"

"You're crazy, who would believe that bullshit of a story?" The clown began to sadistically laugh as he smeared the face paint he was wearing, revealing a decayed undead face on one half of his face.

"W-what the hell!? Just what are you!?"

"Hehe, do you believe me now!? For years I've spent trapped in this undead body...the feeling of cold being the only thing I can feel. I should've died, but the bastard revived me using some power to raise the dead into an undead corpse. The man began to cry but no tears could be seen from his shriveled body. "I-I just want to die, I can't stand being in this body...between life and death. Then one day, I found something, a crystal that when consumed gave the person power. Since I wanted to live again, I was given the power to steal the life essence of anyone I came in contact with, from there I've regained my strength over time, siphoning the life of all who enter"

"Who's the one that resurrected you, if he did this to you, he's also the one that can undo it"

"Why would you help me? You have nothing to gain from it, and you're nothing more than a stranger...just submit and let me steal your life essence!" Clinching his fist, the clown lunged at him reaching right for him. Kenzu gripped his katana as he dodged the coming foe before swiftly decapitating his opponent from behind in one swift motion.

The man's head rolled across the tiled floor as it looked up at him. "Shadow art: demon fist!" A colossal fist made of darkness manifested from the ground as it threw a strike right for the swordsmen. Quickly putting his blade up to guard, the fist struck his sword with immense force, sending him staggering across the air before hitting the wall of the room before landing on his stomach dropping his blade.

"I knew you would try something like this, sadly for you I can just form a new body" Kenzu watched as the body of another shadow entity formed, attaching the clown's head onto it's shoulders as he slowly approached the swordsmen. "Now then...you've given me far more trouble than I would've liked, I can't afford to waste my precious strength on a nobody"

The pirate reached for his weapon when his assailant grabbed him by his throat, beginning to siphon the life from his body. Kenzu's once black hair began growing gray as his face grew wrinkled. "Since you're about to turn to dust, I shall tell you my name...my name is-" Just then a knife flew through the room, piercing the clown's arm, causing him to drop the weakened swordsmen, turning to see Azuma and Naiomi.

"How did you two get inside my funhouse!? Tsk, I guess it doesn't matter, you'll just be more life force for me to consume"

"We'll see about that you chaotic freak, I won't let anything happen to Kenzu!" Pulling out three knifes from her pocket, Naiomi sent them flying straight for the undead's decaying skull as they pierced his cheeks and center of his skull. "Heh, I hope that hurt!"

That's when their target slowly walked towards them, removing the blades from is cracked skull. "I'm sorry my dear...but I no longer feel pain...but I'm sure you still do!" Throwing all three blades, the crew watched as the flying knives were abruptly sent through a small dark rift, teleporting them.

"What the-" Before their captain could react, a rift opened beside his head. "Captain!" The assassin pushed him out of the way just as one of the blades came firing out of the rift before going through another.

"Hehe, Haha! This may actually be fun to watch. Even if you manage to dodge one of them, they'll just be sent through another rift until one of them pierces you!" The undead clown giggled crossing his arms as he watched the madness unfold.

"Damn it, he's saying he can just teleport our own projectiles around us like pinballs until we're hit? Sigh, what a pain" Azuma stood back up when seven rifts manifested around the pair.

"Hehe, which one do you think your precious knifes will come out of? Better react fast or you'll be pierced by your own blades!" The pirates watched each one carefully, waiting... Without warning, all three knifes came out from random rifts, flying straight for them. The pair evaded the coming projectiles as the small blades began to fly in and out of rifts at rapid succession.

"Tssk! Fuck this!" Tired of the same old tactic, Azuma threw both hands out, using himself as a wall when all three projectiles pierced through him all at once, two in his abdomen with the 3rd in his back. Blood began to seep down his body dripping on the floor, his body shaking in pain. "Huff...huff, enough of your little tricks. I've got b-better things to do than waste my time with the likes of a mere undead clown"

A smirk grew on the villain's face as he responded: "Oh really? And just what is so important that you should live?" Azuma slowly lifted his head looking him dead in the eye. "I'm going to become the next pirate lord...and to do that...I need to become stronger. Until that day comes, I won't die"

"HAHAHAHA! A pirate lord!? You can't be serious! You're nothing more than another drop of rain in a vast ocean, what makes you so special!? Pirate lord is a title given only to those who've accomplished great feats as well as made the sea quake with their power. What have you accomplished?" The clown walked up to the captain, staring deep into his eye mere inches from his face.

Just then, each knife piercing the man's body slowly slid out as they hit the ground with a clank. "Hm?" The undead hatter watched as each would began to heal on the pirate's body before completely vanishing as if it was never there to begin with.

"Impossible, you have a magika ability!?" Without a word, Azuma gripped the fiend's rotting skull with his bare hand, crushing it with ease as the figure collapsed to the floor. Naiomi watched in shock, unable to form words of what just happened.

He looked down at the remains of his foe. "I will...become the next pirate lord...weather it takes 10 years or 100, I will overcome any obstacle that stands in my way. Even death won't block my path" Stepping over the remains, Azuma walked over to Kenzu who's gray hair slowly reverted back to it's youthful black hair as he slowly awoke before his captain.

"C-captain Azuma? When did you get here?"

"About a moment ago, you were getting attacked by that sadistic clown, luckily Naiomi managed to draw the monster's attention just before the life was drained from your body" The blue assassin slightly blushed looking away, embarrassed that the captain was giving her credit for saving Kenzu.

With a slight cough the swordsmen slowly got to his feet. "Thank you, Captain, you too Naiomi, I knew I should've gone in this damn funhouse, especially with my gut telling me something with wrong to begin with"

As they made their way outside, Azuma spotted Roxie having fun in the spinning teacups by himself while he and Naiomi walked Kenzu over to a bench that sat along the path of the park. "Sigh, I should give that thief a kick in the ass, but I'll let him enjoy himself for now"

"Are you sure captain Azuma? I could give him a light stab in the back if you wish" Azuma sat beside the swordsmen looking up at Naiomi who gave him a smirk wielding a knife as if ready to throw it right at her own crew member.

"It's fine, we deserve to relax from time to time, but eventually I want to explore the rest of this island, I'm sure if that freak was here, I'm sure there's bound to be more magika users around..."

Chapter 4 Beyond The Park

As the sun began to shine red just below the trees of the island, Azuma finally rose from the bench with Naiomi and Kenzu still at his side as they walked down the stone path to the north part of the park where Roxie was riding the large black and red Ferris wheel.

"Ahhh, this is one of the best days of my life" Roxie told himself as he leaned back in the large pod with his hands behind his head and legs crossed as it made it's way to the top of the wheel before coming to a halt. Azuma stopped in front of the red steel steps of the ride looking up at the pod his crew mate sat in. "Roxie! It's time to move out, I've given you a few hours to enjoy yourself while we on the other hand were attacked by a magika user!"

The pink-haired rouge groaned replying: "Aww come on, can't we relax just a little long!?" Azuma looked Naiomi in the eye who nodded pulling out her knife, tossing it right for the pod holding the crew member. The sharp blade pierced the steel pod, her blade right above the man's head.

Opening his eyes to see a knife just inches from his skull, he let out a gasp as his eyes widened with fear. "ALRIGHT, I'M COMING!" They watched as the scared thief leapt from his pod, running down the support beams before landing in front of them. "Huff, here I am. Now what's so important you had naiomi throw a knife at my head!?"

His captain gave him a serious look. "As much as I want to also relax, Kenzu was attacked by a clown that seemed to possess a magika ability...I'm not sure how rare it is for people to acquire a crystal since I was lucky to be stranded on an island that had some growing, but it's still suspicious some random clown had one.

That's when Kenzu spoke up. "When I was fighting him, he told me he was resurrected by someone and trapped him on this island. It's a long shot, but maybe the one that trapped him here is somewhere on this island. If not, it's all we have to go off of" They turned to Azuma who thought about it for a moment. "You could be right, but why would they stay here? What value does this island have to them? Either there's something on this island we need to find, or whoever trapped him here is long gone and we won't be able to fin him until we have more info"

They made their way to the north end of the park where they reached an exit with a warning sign written: "WARNING: Phantom Forest, enter at own risk" Azuma took a deep breath before passing the sign with his crew following close behind.

"Cap' are you sure it's a good idea to leave the park? The sign clearly says enter at your own risk" Roxie commented a little unsure about exploring the woods. Azuma continued to walk as he replied: "Are you worried something's going to eat you Roxie? I thought you'd be confident like you normally are in these kinds of situations, what's got you so scare all of a sudden?"

Roxie clinched his fist. "I-I'm not scared...I just think we should wait until morning to explore the forest so we can see better"

"Ah, so you're scared of the dark is it? Tell me Roxie...what in this forest could possibly be a threat to us? Kenzu is well enough to use his blade as well as Naiomi's quick reflexes and accuracy with her knives and other weapons. With all that, you shouldn't have a reason to be scared so long as you actually stay with us. Though knowing you, I'm sure you'll do something stupid that gets you lost"

After about an hour of exploring the woods, they began to notice a change around them, the once green trees and grass around them, were now pink cotton candy looking trees with a brown pathway leading forward. They were hesitant to venture deeper, but Azuma knew this was something worth looking into.

Walking down the path, he could tell that what he was walking on wasn't stone, presuming it to be solid chocolate. A parallel line of marshmallows on both sides of the pathways appeared like rails as he spotted a large mansion that was made out of gingerbread. Seeing the house made Azuma stop in his tracks at the sight of it. "What is this, some kind of fairytale? Who builds a house made of candy in the middle of the forest on a random island!?"

Roxie let out an excited cry preparing to run towards it when Azuma gripped him by his collar as he ran in place full of energy. "Look at all that candy! I have to try some!" Meanwhile Kenzu gave him a cold glare crossing his arms. "Sigh, you really are stupid, aren't you? You let your greediness get the better of you instead of wondering why a forest of candy is just sitting here. It could just be a trap for those who get lost. How do you know the candy isn't poisonous or there's some kind of trap set around the house for dimwits like you?"

Roxie looked at his captain with sad eyes hoping to convince him to try the candy. "Tsk, if you want to risk it then be my guest, Kenzu, keep watch over him incase this really is some kind of trap" Azuma tossed the pink-haired pirate towards the house as he landed on his feet racing towards the house filled with excitement while the swordsmen followed behind, his arm close to his sword.

"So, you think it's some kind of trick?" Naiomi questioned standing beside the young captain. He sighed, crossing his arms. "If this really is just a ruse to lure innocent people by dark means, it's best we deal with it to ensure it doesn't happen to anyone else.

That's when Roxie's cries could be heard a few meters away. The pair shot up towards the house, only to see one of the windows open like a mouth as a tounge-like thing shot out from the stretched window, grabbing the poor thief by the neck as it wrapped around his throat before yanking him inside.

ROXIE!" The trio cried as the window reverted back to normal as if it had a mind of it's own. Azuma and Naiomi rushed over to the swordsmen who gripped his katana, preparing to slice through the wall of gingerbread. "Kenzu what happened!?"

"I'm sorry captain, one second the idiot was in front of me, the next he was getting pulled inside before I could sever whatever grabbed him. Don't worry...I doubt a mere gingerbread mansion is strong enough to withstand a strike from my blade" With a firm grip of his blade, Kenzu unleashed a sudden slash across the left side of the mansion as the wall began to crack before crumbling to the ground.

As the dust-like sugar faded, they could see a large library with a gingerbread floor, licorice pillars and marshmallow furniture. The trio cautiously stepped inside, examining the candy-filled room with both surprise and disbelief.

Walking over to one of the gingerbread bookcases, Azuma pulled out what he expected to be a fake book made of candy, only for it to be a real book. "Huh? Seems this book is real, which means all these books must be real unlike most of this house. Though, if there's real books here, that must mean someone actually lives here. We need to find Roxie and the bastard that took him"

"Yes sir!" Naiomi responded as they searched the library for any secret pathways or clues on where Roxie could've been taken. Kenzu walked out of the library, finding himself in a large lobby where the floor was solid chocolate, stairs in the center of the room leading to the 2nd floor which were made of white chocolate with licorice as the railing.

"Hmm, I guess I'll check the 2nd floor while Azuma and Naiomi search the library" As he walked up the stairs, he thought he heard something just up ahead. The swordsmen walked slowly up the stairs, quietly unsheathing his blade as he reached the 2nd-floor corridor. He started closely at the dark-chocolate hallway with rows of doors aligning the hall with candy cane doorframes.

That's when high-pitched giggles could be heard from behind the doors. Kenzu took a step forward when the doors slowly creaked open all at once before him. Kenzu grew unease when a small figure slowly leaned it's head out the door, it was a small gingerbread man with a creepy smile on it's face. It let out high-pitched giggles standing motionless before the man.

That's when more and more laughter could be heard as a gingerbread man stuck it's head out of each doorway looking right at him as if from a horror movie. "W-what the hell is going on here!?" That's when a horde of them began charging towards him like gremlins as they let out sadistic laughter.

Kenzu could feel himself slowly backing away before he realized what he was up against. "T-these are just gingerbread men...cookies, I'm a trained bounty hunter! Tsssk, stay back!" Gripping his sword with both hands, Kenzu brought his blade down with one abrupt slash. He watched as a fierce wave of force pierced right through the center of the horde, slicing the demonic cookies to pieces as half of them hit the floor.

"Sigh...that's right, you pipsqueaks are nothing to a trained bounty hunter like me" The horde stopped as they circled around all the broke figures lying on the floor. That's when they all began to pile on top of each other, there once high-pitched laughter began to become a deep-tone laughter as the small cookies merged into a 7-foot-sized gingerbread man.

"W-what the hell!? G-get back!" Sweat tripped down the bounty hunter's face as he sent a barrage of fierce sword strikes right for the merged entity, only to watch as it's wounds quickly healed as if it was made from soft dough, each slice slowly closing back up. "TSSSSSK!" Unable to think of a way to stop the tall laughing figure, Kenzu leapt from the railing, landing in the grass where he rushed back into the lobby.

"Captain! We have a problem! Some gingerbread golem is upstairs and is making it's way down here! I've tried cutting it to pieces, but it seems to have no effect on it!"

Azuma gave him a confused look before responding: "This isn't like you to make jokes Kenzu, but we don't have time for this, we need to find-" Just then the large gingerbread man smashed through the doorway staring right at them with it's creepy red eyes and frosting smile as it continued to laugh with it's deep voice.

"This day just gets weirder and weirder. Naiomi, Kenzu get out of the way, I'll deal with this large bastard" His crew members nodded as they ran past the large candy brute. "Alright, bring it on you candy bastard" It looked him in the eyes before charging right for him, it's feet stomping with every step. Azuma dashed forward, throwing a punch right to his target's face as he struck the right gumdrop eye of the creature.

It let out a deep bellow stepping back as it placed it hand to it's eye before smacking Azuma across the room, causing him to impact one of the book frames, causing it to break as dozens of books hit the ground. "Sigh, you're a tough bastard, aren't you? Well, if I can't break you...then let's try this!"

Advancing towards his foe once more, Azuma gripped the gumdrop eyes on the gingerbread man's face, taking them away before jumping back. (Hmmm, if this works, it won't be able to see me anymore. Though it could've just been for show and I took these for nothing. But at this point, nothing would surprise me)

Closing his fist to hide the eyes, he looked up at the creature who began to let out loud cries of despair as it's once smile turned to a frown as it proceeded to flail it's hands around, smashing the library in an attempt to reclaim it's gumdrop eyes.

(Hmm, if it actually does need these to see...does this mean it also has internal organs as well?) Placing the gumdrop eyes in his pocket, he snuck up on the raging monster, throwing a punch right for the creature's back as he punched right through it's gingerbread skin.

"Hmph!?" That's when he realized his fist was stuck inside it's back. "D-damn it...I-I can't free my hand!" The gingerbread began to slowly travel up his armor as he was pulled inside the golem...

Meanwhile Kenzu and Naiomi searched the house for any sign of Roxie, only to find nothing but empty rooms. As they raced down the stairs, they came to a halt at the sight of a tall buff man with pink hair, red eyes wearing a white cloak and black pants. "Hello...I see you're looking for something...allow me to help you both"

Before the pair could react, the figure shot his arm out right for them, his arm becoming pink taffy as his fist struck the pair across the face knocking them out...

Kenzu and Naiomi awoke chained to the wall in a large basement where they spotted the same man standing before them along with the giant gingerbread at his side. "Ah, I see you're both awake. Welcome trespassers to my hidden lab where I bring those stupid enough to trespass on my property"

The pair struggled to free themselves from the tight chains but in the end was in vain. "Hehe, try all you like, but you all have no chance of escaping from here. I suppose you're wondering why I bring trespassers down here...torture? Imprisonment? Or perhaps I just kill them for the fun of it? Well, you'd be wrong. The reason I've brought you all down here...is because years ago, I discovered something that would change the world...Magika crystal creation"

The pair's eyes widened at his words. "Magika....creation? No...it's not possible, no one can just create crystals, it takes time" Kenzu commented as both looked at him as if he were insane. He slowly walked up to them, looking the bound swordsmen dead in the eye. "You're right, it does take time...but that's only if they're created naturally like plants or oxygen. How are magika crystals created? From a buildup of natural energy that then condenses into one spot until a crystal grows in that area like a tree or fruit. That's when I realized...life itself is a natural form of energy. So, I thought if I can drain the human body of it's life energy, I then could condense their life essence and replicate the creation process of the magika crystal!"

Naiomi continued to struggle. "Just how do you expect to drain the energy from us? Something like that just sounds like a psycho's fantasy"

"Oh really? Have you heard of spiritual energy? It's the physical manifestation of one's own life force that can be used to enhance one's own capabilities as well as supernatural abilities. Allow me to demonstrate"

The pair watched as the tall gingerbread man opened it's stomach, revealing Roxie in the center, his arms and legs bound by the thick dough of the entity. Standing before the unconscious pirate. The man placed his left palm against Roxie's face while opening his right to reveal a gumball. "Now watch, as I siphon his spiritual life force from his very body and transfer it to this mere gumball"

"NO STOP YOU BASTARD!" The blue assassin cried out as she struggled with all her might to free herself from the chains. "Don't worry my dear, it won't hurt him, he'll just grow weaker until his heart stops. Like one dying in their sleep" A purple aura began to transfer from Roxie's face as the gumball began to emit a purple aura as well.

"Behold, thanks to my magika ability to turn myself as well as non-living things into candy, I can transfer his spiritual energy into this gumball thereby condensing natural energy into one location ergo replicating the process of crystal creation. To you both it might not make sense, but to one who's spent years alone in these woods...one only has time to think and study. I had come to this island many years ago...back when I was a mere boy. I loved phantom Shine park, the rides, the people...but after awhile, I grew bored, I wanted to explore the rest of the island much like you. But sadly, it wasn't long before I grew lost in the endless forest. Days soon became months as the only source of food were fruit and berries that I'd find on rare occasions. As the food grew slim, I thought I'd be finished, however...as I was struggling to survive in these woods, I saw it...a pink crystal...sticking out of the ground like a plant"

Another gingerbread man entered the room as the man continued. "With no other option, I ate the crystal thinking it was ice. At the time I had no knowledge of magika crystals and their existence. But after awaking hours later, I realized whatever I touched would turn to candy. The grass would become cotton candy, the trees turned to lollipops. My need for food must've manifested that crystal to insure my survival. So as the weeks passed by, I used my new magika ability to keep me alive, using the food to feed myself as well as transform the environment into my own personal wonderland. I'm sure you're wondering how I've managed to stay sane after all these years...about a year into my isolation, I decided to make these gingerbread men as both guards and friends to talk to...but I soon realized, they were sentient...they could react and respond to me as if alive"

Just then the gingerbread man that had just entered suddenly crashed apart as Azuma jumped out before the assailant. "What!?" The pink-haired pirate was caught off guard as Azuma pierced his blade straight through his target's chest.

That's when the man began to laugh. "Hehe, you really think it would be that easy? One quick stab of my heart and I'd be dead...that is what you were thinking wasn't it? I'm afraid this vessel is nothing more than a form I created out of candy, why else would I be in such Prestine shape from only eating sweets?"

Azuma backflipped away from the target as a pink substance seeped out from his stab wound. "Hmph, so you're saying most of your body is nothing more than transfigured candy made to look human, is that it? Well then...seems I'll just have to strike you until I find your real organs, I know underneath that facade of a body, there's vital organs that are weak to a blade's strike"

The young captain aimed his blade towards the psychopath, a determined look in his eyes as he gripped his blade tightly. "Are you sure you want to continue this little scuffle of ours? I already have one of your friends right here" He held out the small pink gumball as Roxie's purple aura flowed around it.

That's when Azuma had an idea, a slight smirk grew across his face as he lowered his blade. "I have a better idea, how about we make a bet, if you win...I'll let you absorb my spiritual energy without resistance"

"Oh? What an interesting bargain, you've piqued my interest, continue"

"I wager I can strike a vital organ in this next attack" His opponent grinned opening both arms out, leaving himself wide open to an attack. "Go on then, if you miss, your spirit energy shall contribute to the creation of a new breed of magika crystals!"

Gripping his sword with both hands, Azuma dashed forward, piercing his blade right into the leg of the candy man. Both blood and pink goo splattered to the ground as the pirate's eyes widened in shock. "Im-impossible...h-how did you know where m-my vital organs were!?" He shook in pain before falling to one knee before Azuma who looked down at him with a serious expression.

"The first time I struck, I could feel your heartbeat in a lower part of your body, so I knew it had to be either in your leg or feet. Aside from that, I just got lucky not piercing your heart but rather a kidney...Now then...return Roxie's energy back to his body, unless you'd rather I pierce your heart this time"

Asuma aimed his blade towards the man's right leg with a cold look in his eyes. Clinching his teeth, the candy man dropped the gumball as the purple aura flowed back to Roxie's motionless body. All watched as the thief opened his eyes, his vision returning. "W-what happened? Just a moment ago I saw some kind of light off in the distance of a dark void.

"Now, release my crewmates from their chains" The pink-haired pirate lowed his head as the pirates were free from their traps as they stood before the defeated villain.

"We should hurry and kill him here, someone this sadistic and heartless has no right roaming freely" Roxie snapped angrily towards the wounded pirate. Azuma put a hand up signaling him to calm down. "That won't be necessary Oda, I think I have a better idea" Crouching down before the bleeding foe. Azuma asked: "What is life to you? Just a source of energy used to create power? Or something precious? Something needed to be protected at any cost?"

All watched as tears of red candy syrup began running down the man's face as he struggled to hold back his sorrow. "I...I'm sorry Azuma, being isolated from society for so long has made me forget the importance of life...for years I hated the outside world as if they abanded me, but with the creation of my gingerbread guards, I thought they could fill the gap inside me, but like me...they were nothing but hollow creatures just following my orders like mindless drones. I'm sorry for hurting your friends and understand if you never forgive me"

That's when he felt a hand on his shoulder. "What is your name?" The man looked up to see Azuma kneeling before him with a smile on his face. The fellow pirate answered: Kiozen...Kiozen Kiyoko" The pirate captain smiled responding: "Why don't you come with us Kiozen? Away from phantom shine island, away from this hollow and isolated place? We'll travel the world together, seeing new lands and meeting new people, both friend and foe. With your candy abilities, I'm sure you'll be a great addition to the team"

"WHAAAT!?" The others cried out in shock. Roxie clinched his fist pointing at Kiozen. "You really want to bring that heartless psycho with us!? What if he tries to kill us again!?"

That's when Azuma stood up, glaring at his crewmate with his back still turned to him. "Do you have a problem with my decision as captain Oda? If so, say it, I won't leave him here to wallow in loneliness. I can tell he's not a heartless monster unlike the others we've faced before, he's just broken...feeling rejected by this world. I know what it's like...to be rejected by those around you...left for dead as you feel the end drawing near. So I ask you again Roxie...do you have something to say?"

Kenzu and Naiomi stood and watched as Roxie clinched his fist in frustration before looking away. "No captain..."

CHAPTER 5 : Stardust Island

After saying goodbye to phantom shine park, the crew set sail, making their way towards an island not far from them. "It's called Stardust Island, I've read about it through books I've found as well as using my gingerbread men to spy on the people within phantom shine park. Unlike what you've all seen, I'm capable of creating small gingerbread men I can use to spy and scout large areas"

"Hmm, that can come in handy, so then...what exactly do you know about this, stardust island?" The candy man thought for a moment before responding: "I've heard those looking to become rich, or those already wealthy come to this island, to stardust casino, one of the most popular casinos in the world"

Docking on the shore of Stardust Island, the crew could see a large town before them with a large casino in the center as lights and music blared off in the distance. "Hmph, they really want tourists to know there's a casino here, don't they?" Azuma commented before descending off the ship onto the sandy beach of stardust.

The others jumped down behind him beside Kiozen who jumped off the ship, shooting pink taffy from his pale palm, pulling himself onto the beach. The captain carefully surveyed the area before approaching a flight of stone steps that led from the beach up to the streets of the town. "Let's go check out the stardust casino, perhaps we can gather some interesting info from the people inside"

"Maybe even earn us some gold!" Roxie gleamed in excitement, his eyes lighting up as he smiled. "Sigh, try not to draw attention to us Oda, I know you're excited, but also know you have a habit of stealing items of interest. Try not to do anything stupid...Kenzu, you'll be the one to watch Roxie while Naiomi and I search the area for anything of interest"

"What should I do captain Azuma?" The pink-haired pirate questioned with his hand over his chest in a respectful manner. Azuma stopped turning his head to the side responding: "Use your magika abilities to gather info on the people of the casino. Places like these tend to have vital information we could use"

"Y-yes Azuma" They continued towards the casino as some of the civilians took notice of the pirate and his crew walking through the streets. They reached the large golden building. The casino was a large four-floor building made of solid gold with the name: STARDUST CASINO" written in red letters on the center floor of the structure.

"Hmmm, strange how a plane looking town like this one has such a high-quality casino in the middle of town" Azuma and his crew walked through the golden doorway to find red carpet floors and black walls in the large lobby. The main lobby was filled with slot machines and a bar in each corner of the room, with many customers indulging in all the casino had to offer. Many of the people within the lobby seemed to be from different parts of the world, some poor and others average. "Strange, there's no sign of anyone wealthy in the main lobby, then again...they could just be in some kind of VIP area for those with more money. Alright, Kiozen, go and see what you can find and Roxie...I swear if you do something stupid"

Oda put his hands up backing up. "Yea, yea I get it, I won't steal anything while we're here" With that, Roxie rushed to check out all the many kinds of games with Kenzu following him, his hands folded and an annoyed look on his face. Meanwhile Naiomi followed close behind Azuma as he walked past the lobby, spotting a corridor leading deeper into the casino.

As the pair walked through the large hallway, a figure watched them from a distance, they had long black hair covering one eye wearing a brown poncho with black pants with a gun at his waist. He watched them carefully before tailing them through the long corridor...

"So, captain...we haven't been alone in a while, after all this is over, we should have some fun in your private quarters hehe" Naiomi blushed smiling seductively at her captain. Azuma looked in her direction with a serious face before responding: "We'll see Naiomi, 1st we need to gather some info from this place and hope we find something of use. My gut tells me many important people come to stardust island which means there's plenty of secrets some are hiding within these walls"

As they reached the end of the hall, Azuma saw a red door with the letters: "VIP" written above it in pink lights. Just as he proceeded towards the door, a male voice called out: Stop right there pirate...or should I say Azuma Kenousa...the sea Corp has placed a bounty on you as well as the girl beside you, I believe her name is Naiomi, also known as the blue assassin. Heh, what fun it'll be to reap the bounty of such an infamous assassin such as you Naiomi"

Slowly lifting his hands up, Azuma carefully turned to face the man that had been tailing them. "Just who are you then?" The bounty hunter stared deep into the pirate's eyes, his pistol aimed right for his target's chest. "My name is of no importance, you both will be dead in mere moments. Be careful about your next action, one wrong move and I'll shoot right through you...filthy pirate"

That's when Azuma slowly approached him, keeping his hands up as he took each step forward until they stood mere inches from one another, the bounty hunter's firearm now pressed against his abdomen. "You seem very confident in yourself, but do you actually have the guts to pull the trigger in point blank range?"

Naiomi watched in unease as both men continued to stare one another down. Without warning, the dark-haired hunter fired off a single shot straight through his target's chest, blood staining the carpet as the bullet went straight through Azuma's body. Many in the casino began to run in fear as Naiomi watched in shock, her captain collapsed before her in a pool of blood.

"You...YOU BASTARD! THAT WAS MY CAPTAIN!" The blue haired assassin was thrown into a fierce rage as a blue aura illuminated her body. You'll-YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!" Pulling out a dozen knives, Naiomi threw them right for the assailant. Reacting quickly, the trained hunter threw his upper body back, dodging nearly every sharp projectile beside one as it pierced his left shoulder.

He rose to his feet gripping the bleeding shoulder with a slight smirk. "Heh, impressive...I-I didn't think you'd be capable of Seinshin, though I can't use it myself, I'm told it takes a lot of spiritual concentration to use"

Naiomi remained silent, still consumed by rage. That's when a leg shot up, kicking the pistol into the air as Azuma jumped up, catching the firearm in one hand, aiming it right for the attacker. "Hmph, I'm not sure just what seinshin is, but I'll have to look into it, thanks" With a smirk Azuma fired a single shot into the bounty hunter's chest as blood dripped from the wound.

"W-what!? B-but I thought you were dead!?"

"I was just pretending to bleed out. Seems you didn't know I was a magika user did you?" With a final shot, the pirate attempted to kill their opponent when a tree branch sprouted up from the red carpet, stopping the projectiles.

Breathing heavily, the man commented: "About time Kimosu" With a slight laugh he fell back when a tree monster came up out of the ground as if phasing through the ground. The creature looked like a humanoid tree with wood for skin but had arms and legs. It's eyes were black with a faint purple glow in the center.

It spoke in a deep male voice: "You both won't escape the phantom shade, the ocean's most skilled bounty hunter trio!" Suddenly it unleashed long thin branches right for them, attempting to subdue the pair.

Naiomi, now more under control, watched as Azuma unsheathed his blade, slicing through each branch that came his way, shrapnel of wood flying past her as he continuously sliced through each moving branch. (I-I need to help him before he runs out of energy!) Taking a deep breath, Naiomi jumped over the relentless branches, throwing a punch right for Kimosu's head.

"Hmph, you should know trees don't feel pain assassin, you just made it easier for me to capture you" With his ally in one hand, the entity used his other to send sharp tree branches up from the ground, trapping the young assassin within a cage of tree branches. "Stay there, I just need to deal with your captain and this little hunt will be over"

Just then, a pink gumball flew over Kimosu's shoulder, landing just past his feet. "Hm?" In a burst of pink goo, the gumball burst, covering him in sticky gum. He could feel the weight growing heavier as he struggled to even move. "Mph!? Is this gum!? Where did it come from!?"

"Don't bother struggling, the longer my gum is attached to something, the thicker and sticker it becomes, I'd suggest you admit defeat before you embarrass yourself" Azuma looked past the large blob of gum to see Kiozen walking up to them with a smirk, placing his hand on the column of pink goo.

"Sigh, nice timing Kiozen, didn't think I could back his damn branches any longer"

"No worries captain, it's the crew's job to support their captain anyway they can" That's when Azuma realized... "Wait, that tree monster said the phantom shade was a trio, if that's true...than where is their third member? You don't think they could've found Roxie and Kenzu 1st could you!?"

Meanwhile...

Roxie sat at a poker table playing against a random player while Kenzu stood and watched in the corner, his arm resting on his blade with a bored expression on his face. That's when the pink-haired man threw his deck down shouting: "Full house baby! Look like I win!" He pulled his opponent's chips towards him to add to his own when the man gripped his hand commenting: "Wait...how about we have one last match, winner take all?"

"You want to go again!? Fine by me! But you'll have to get more chips to bet against!" That's when the man lifted his head, he had a black bowler hat with black hair, green eyes dressed in a black vest, red long-sleeve under shirt and black pants. "Oh, don't worry...I have plenty of money"

The abrupt change in tone caused Kenzu to turn and see the man quickly reaching for something under the table. (Shit!) Without wasting time, the swordsmen unsheathed his blade, dashing right for his crewmate. Knocking Oda out of his seat, Kenzu deflected the assailant's quick shot as the bullet ricocheted off his blade hitting the ceiling.

"I knew you would come here...Amizaki" Roxie rose to his feet exclaiming: "Wait, you know this guy Kenzu!?" A smirk grew across the man's face as he rose to his feet.

"Yeah Kenzu, do you know me?" Gripping the tip of his hat, the assailant threw it right for the swordsmen as blades abruptly came out from the outline of the cap. "Tsk!" Gripping his blade with both hands, Kenzu blocked the incoming projectile. It's blades sent sparks across the room as it drilled against the pirate's katana.

"Seems you're still as quick as ever, which is why I've been wondering...why did you join a pirate? I thought you hated pirates? Or perhaps...have you changed your mind?" Amizaki pulled out a pistol aiming it right at Kenzu's head from the other side of the table. "Hmph...I guess it really doesn't matter, you're no longer the bounty hunter I once knew, and I have my orders to kill the pirate known as Azuma as well as his crew. Such a shame...I would've loved to see you again under different circumstances. How cruel fate can be"

As the assailant prepared to fire, the swordsmen kicked off from the poker table, causing the spiraling hat to go flying into the wall past him. "So, this is how you treat your old boyfriends Amizaki? As normal trash ready to be killed? Here I thought you actually cared about me, we were the perfect duo, your quick shots and my master swordsmanship. Did that mean nothing to you? Or perhaps...you were just faking the feeling you had for me"

The once calm and focused gunman began to shake as sweat ran down the side of his face. Roxie was confused for a moment before piecing everything to gather. "Wait! Are-are you saying this creep is your ex-boyfriend!?"

His crewmate nodded. "This is Amizaki Yukoda, both my former partner when I was a part of the phantom shade, as well as my boyfriend at the time. He was the 1st one to see the world the way I do, we didn't care about who we killed or how it was done, all we cared about was payment, using the money to make life...a little less depressing. But as time went, the phantom shade partnered with the sea corp and focused strictly on killing pirates. As much as I hated pirates, many of those we killed didn't seem as heartless as the admirals made them out to be. That's when I decided to turn my back not only on the corporation, but also on the phantom shade as well"

That's when Roxie was surprised to see Amizaki beginning to cry, his body shaking as tears ran down his face. His hand holding his firearm shook rapidly to the point he couldn't aim properly. That's when he finally dropped his weapon, looking at the ground in sorrow. "I can't do this Kenzu...not to you...Please tell me...why....WHY DIDN'T YOU LET ME COME WITH YOU!"

Once more the bounty hunter broke into tears as he fell to his knees with Azuma and the others running up to them at that moment. Kenzu's once uncaring expression then became one of surprise as his eyes widened towards the crying man at his feet.

"Y-you told me not to follow you...you said it was better if I stayed with them...WELL LOOK WHERE THAT LED! IT STILL BROUGHT ME TO THIS MOMENT WHERE I HAD TO EITHER KILL YOU OR BE HUNTED BY THE SEA CORP AS IF I WAS A PIRATE TOO!"

To everyone's surprise, Kenzu knelt before the sobbing man, placing his hand upon his shoulder. "Look Amizaki...at the time I was sure staying away from me and moving on was the best action, forgetting about me...forgetting about all the pain I caused you. But, I can see that was the wrong thing to do...all I did was cause even greater pain to you and I'm sorry. This time, you can come with me if you want, that is...if captain will allow it"

Amizaki looked up at him, his face red with dried tears as Azuma looked at him with slight distrust. "Sigh...I don't trust you, especially if you work for the sea corp, but if Kenzu is willing to keep an eye on you, then fine...we'll need to search for a bigger ship in the meantime, we don't have enough space for anymore crewmates even if each crewmate slept two per room. Our only choice is to stay here for a while and try and gather enough gold for a bigger and more pristine ship"

"T-thank you Azuma" He thanked still on his knees. Just then the ground began to shake beneath them. Rushing back into the hall, the crew watched as Kiozen's gum incasing Kimosu began to Strech as sharp branches began tearing through his gooey prison.

"He's using his branches to free himself, we have maybe a few seconds before he frees himself captain" Kiozen warned him. Azuma frowned pulling out his blade once more as his crew prepared for round two. That's when the gum finally tore open, falling to the ground with Kimosu standing before them still holding his leader in one hand.

"It'll take more than mere gum to contain me! My magika crystal gives me the ability to manipulate nature itself!" Noticing Amizaki amongst the squad of pirates, he gave him a cold look. "Hmph, I never thought you'd be stupid enough to betray the phantom shade, just like-" He then spotted Kenzu standing beside him. "Ah, I get it now, you're so obsessed with Kenzu, you'll throw your own life away to be with him...is that it?"

Amizaki clinched his fist, his once anxious demeanor abruptly changed as he quickly aimed his pistol towards his former squad member. "Shut up! I once thought we were doing the right thing, keeping the world safe from heartless pirates who were a threat to the innocent...but now, I can see that Kenzu was right, the phantom shade aren't the heroic hunters I once thought they were, we're nothing more than ruthless killers, willing to end the lives of those who won't stand in line of the sea corp's view of the world. As far as I'm concerned...you and the sea corp can go to hell!"

Without warning Amizaki fired off each bullet from his magazine until he was out. Roxie and Kenzu watched in shock while Azuma and Naiomi stood silently with serious expressions on their faces.

That's when Kimosu began to let out deep utters of laughter. "Hehe, you fool, you really are a fool if you think mere bullets were enough to kill me! You've learned nothing after all these years have you!?" In one abrupt attack, Kimosu transformed his right hand into a large spear-like weapon, launching it right for Azuma, attempting to kill their captain in a single attack.

Before the pirate could react, he felt someone push him out of the way just before the attack could connect. "What!?" Looking behind him, all saw to their horror Amizaki, pinned against the wall of the corridor, blood splattered across the wall as the man shook in pain, the spear pierced straight through his chest.

Kenzu was in utter shock at the sight of his once lover, now dying before him. That's when he began to speak in a weak tone: "I-I'm sorry I didn't go with you Kenzu...I-I hoped it won't end this way, though...I'm glad, as my last noble act, I was able to give up my life for your captain. I-I will forever love you...Kenzu" A tear of blood ran down his cheek before dropping to the floor as the man became motionless.

"Hmph, I was aiming for their bloody captain, but, one less pest to deal with I guess" Kimosu's words caused the grieving swordsmen to snap as a red aura began to flow around the outline of his body.

"You bastard...how dare you kill the only one I ever loved and then act as though he was nothing more than mere trash" Slowly turning to face their assailant, Kenzu gripped his katana closing his eyes. The vibrant red flow of energy growing stronger. The crew watched as Kenzu vanished in a flash of light, a single tear floating in midair where he once stood.

"Huh! Where did he go!?" Kimosu pulled his extended arm back to him just as a slash of red light pierced across his chest. He could hear Kenzu's voice as the swordsmen moved past him at immense speed. "In this world, those with no heart...have no place"

The wooden entity gripped the gaping wound in his chest. (Impossible, I can feel the cut from his blade! But how!?) "TSK! YOU WON'T KILL ONE WHO HAS THE POWER OF NATURE!" Turning around he saw Kenzu standing behind him, the swordsmen's back to him. "TSK! DON'T YOU TAUNT ME!" In a fit of rage, Kimosu threw both hands out, firing a barrage of thorns straight for him.

Just as the thorns were mere inches from Kenzu, the swordsmen vanished in a flash of red light, advancing towards his opponent as if the thorns moved in slow motion. Gripping his katana firmly, Kenzu prepared to land the finishing blow. "Form number 24...spirit isolation"

Unleashing a blitz of sword strikes infused with this newfound energy, Kenzu slowly sheathed his blade, his back towards his opponent as red slashes began appearing all over the tree entity. "WHAT!? WHAT IS THIS!" With each slash, Kimosu's body began to break apart as he was reduced to ash.

The entire crew, even Azuma was shaken by Kenzu's immense power. "W-what the hell was that!?" Roxie cried out in a frightful tone. That's when their captain had a realization...he thought back to when he had been shot and Naiomi went into a blind rage, she also was engulfed in a light of pure energy that seemed to boost her speed and power.

"I'll have to look into this at some point, but for now...are you alright Kenzu?" Azuma walked over to the swordsmen, the red aura completely gone. His crewmate was silent for a moment, looking at the floor and facing away from the others.

"I'm-I'm fine...can I please just have a few minutes to myself captain?"

"Sure, we'll wait outside so you can have some time to yourself" Azuma motioned the others outside while Kenzu walked over to his lover's lifeless body still up against the blood-covered wall. That's when he suddenly burst into tears. Falling to his knees, Kenzu looked up at his fallen lover.

"I'm sorry I couldn't save you Amizaki...I always worried more about getting my next bounty done rather than enjoying the time I had with those around me" Gripping the floor tightly, Kenzu took a deep breath. "I won't make the same mistake twice...Azuma and the others are my 2nd chance at enjoying life. I'll do my best to make the best of it. Thanks...Amizaki"

After standing outside for a few minutes, the crew watched as the casino doors opened behind them. They looked to see Kenzu carrying his fallen lover's body in his arms. "I want to bury him on the beach, will any of you help me?"

"Yes, we will do what we can to help" Azuma answered before looking at the others who nodded aside from Roxie who was unsure what to say at this point. They carefully made their way down to the beach as the sun began to set. After about half an hour of digging a hole, Kenzu carefully placed Amizaki inside before the others began filling the hole...

That's when Kiozen realized they had forgotten something. Quickly going inside the now destroyed casino lobby, He found the phantom shade's leader who had just regained consciousness. Before he realized what was going on, Kiozen fired a string of pink taffy from his palm, wrapping it around the disoriented bounty hunter's torso keeping his arms pinned behind his back. "We almost forgot about you"

Dragging him out by his collar, Kiozen called out: "Captain! What should I do with this one!?" The crew turned to see the leader of the phantom shade in the candy man's grasp, struggling to break free. The moment Kenzu recognized him, he gripped his blade with a frown.

"Captain, please give me permission to end his worthless life, he's the boss of the phantom shade, he could've prevented this whole thing!" Azuma saw the pure hatred in his crewmate's eyes, the lust for revenge boiling within him.

"Wait...I want to speak with him before I decide what action to take. Don't forget, they'll probably look for someone to blame for the destruction of stardust casino, it's best to have him take the fall for this since he ordered the attack in the 1st place"

Approaching the struggling bounty hunter with Kiozen gripping his collar tightly from behind, Azuma ordered his crew member to uncover the man's mouth so he could speak to him. The pink-haired pirate removed the taffy covering the man's mouth as the assailant finally caught his breath.

"You bastards! What do you do with Amizaki and Kimosu!?" The pirate glared down at him before slapping him across the face. "Shut up...they're already dead. If you hadn't been such an idiot, I'm sure they'd still be alive. Kimosu killed Amizaki after the man found out Kenzu was with us, ultimately causing Kenzu to kill the creature in a blind rage"

"K-kenzu, Kenzu is here?" His vision coming back into focus, he saw the dark-haired swordsmen glaring at him, his red eyes staring him down. "Kenzu!? Please, help me! We're best friends...aren't we?"

"S-shut up Jin...the man you once were is gone, the person I once called a friend is nothing more than a memory. I may have formed the phantom shade with you all those years ago, but that means nothing to me anymore"

"Wait, you formed the phantom shade with this bastard?" Azuma asked curiously. The swordsmen sighed with a nod crossing his arms. "It was about five years ago...I had already trained as a lone bounty hunter. However, I and others like me could tell there were more and more bounties being placed on pirates, some with impressive power. It soon got to the point where I couldn't defeat or capture the higher ranked pirates alone, I then resorted to forming the phantom shade with Jin in hopes of evening the odds against the growing bounties of strong pirates"

All listened as he went on. "Jin and I formed the duo and began taking down many of the B and A rank threats that came through our bounties. Though...as time went on and we found Kimosu and Amizaki, it felt as though something changed in Jin...he became more about wiping out pirates and earning money rath than ridding the world of the evil ones. The final straw was when he joined the sea corp, he didn't care if the pirate was evil or even had a bounty, he treated all pirates as trash or criminals. Once I saw what kind of monster he'd become, I left the squad"

"That's because pirates are nothing more than criminals who steal and kill those that get in their way!" Jin shouted back. Before Kenzu could respond, Azuma put his hand up motioning him to hold on. "So...you say those who steal and kill are presumed pirates in your eyes correct? Well then...what about the sea corp? They order the deaths of those who are innocent just for looking like a pirate, then steal their gold and either keep it or use it to pay men like you to do the same. Both sides seem to steal and kill a fair amount...so tell me...what's the different between the corp and us pirates?"

Jin stood there trying to answer but was unable to think of an answer. Azuma smirked walking around him with his hand on his hip. "That's right...you're beginning to realize that you, as well as the sea corp are nothing more than hypocrites....Using any excuse you can to either kill or earn gold.

The man's eyes widened as his irises began to shake from the realization. "N-no...all those pirates me and my men killed...t-they were criminals...weren't they!?"

"Some probably were...but the real question is...how many of them weren't...how many of them were just innocent people that were killed by your hand?" Azuma's words echoed through the bounty hunter's head as he finally snapped, letting out a cry of despair. The world around him seemed to shake as he began to lose his sanity.

"We're done here, Kiozen, pin him somewhere in the casino so they have someone to blame for all this, we should leave before we're the ones they assume did this"

"Yes Azuma" Kiozen dragged the mentally broken man back inside, setting him on the carpeted floor, binding his arms and legs to the floor with his strong taffy. As the pirate left him all alone, Jin shook anxiously on the floor as he began to lose his grip of reality.

"N-no, I'm not a monster...I-I was trying to save this world from pirates!" He closed his eyes trying to calm down. But, that's when he heard a weak man's voice: "You're a monster" Still shaking he opened his eyes, finding himself sitting on the red carpet, but within what looked like an endless void of darkness. As time went on, he began to hear the whispers of all the innocent people he had killed over the years.

(I-I didn't know...I-I'm sorry) Tears ran down his eyes as he held himself in fear. "Please...I don't want to die..." That's when a dark figure stepped out from the darkness in front of him, it wore a black hooded cloak like the grim reaper as it walked towards him in silence. Jin could feel the room growing colder as the entity came closer. "P-please...not like this" He uttered in fear.

The hooded figure stopped inches from his shaking body, the room so cold, he could easily see his breath. Now shivering and anxious, Jin could only watch as the faceless entity revealed it's boney hand, raising it up towards the frightened man's face. That's when his soul began to get pulled from his body as blue light began to flow out of him, into the creature's hand until the light finally left his eyes...

CHAPTER 6 Preparation For Their Next Sail