" Move along boys, don't dally. "
" Hey, you, don't slack off, we are not done yet. "
" Dig a deeper hole, Do you think this depth is enough? "
A strange scene was happening on the shores of Gin'iro Island. The former independent pirate crew, the Panthera pirates led by Andretta, the Hachas pirates led by Axe, and the Nimbus Seeders led by Sabine, were hard at work.
They didn't expect their first day under Alexander to be like this. Dirt smeared, they dug trenches while an unbearable stench of corpses wafted from them, even the light drizzle did nothing to mask the smell only adding to their discomfort.
'' Happy now Andretta, I recall you were the most excited to join Captain Alexander. '' Axe swung his axe with annoyance, lifting stretches of sand at a time.
" I WON'T GIVE YOU AN ANSWER UNTIL YOU FINISH THE OLD CONVENTION… Fu Fu… and here you are old friend, digging holes. " Andretta chuckled, she paid him no heed and continued to dig deep with her shovel.
Axe looked at his trusty weapon covered in sand, he felt bitter.
" My Aura… I'm losing my Aura."
He grinded his teeth hard and threw his Axe down.
" I won't be doing this anymore! "
" You better get back to work, even the captain is working hard. "
" I don't care. " He vehemently refused to do any more work.
" Are you sure about that? " Andretta asked, her eyes looking behind his back, a trace of amusement flashed through them.
Axe glared at her " I won't change my mind. "
" Ha ha ha. " Her laughter only added to his anger, he opened his mouth intending to curse her; however, he flinched as a hand suddenly wrapped around his shoulder.
He turned his head a little and saw Alexander by his side, donning a serious expression while staring at the pit he dug.
" Too shallow. " He said without any changes in his facial expression.
Axe swallowed hard then stiffly turned his head staring at the pit.
' Damn it.. had this monster been listening all the time.. "
He felt helpless inside as he held his weapon once more, he swallowed the bitterness he felt and stared seriously at the pit as if it were his biggest enemy.
" How big do you need it to be? " Axe asked somberly.
" Big… very big… enough to bury a hundred people like you…"
Axe felt sweat dripping down his back. He lifted his weapon and struck hard, sending sand flying and shouted.
" Let's make enough space for two hundred! "
" Good… " Alexander languidly replied, then quickly turned around doing his best to suppress the laughter about to escape his lips.
' Hah, this one is a bit unruly. '
He caught Andretta looking at him, barely able to hold her laughter. Alexander winked at her, which she returned with a blush as she licked her lips.
Giving up on the thought of talking to her he looked at the beach, at the two hundred pirates working hard moving corpses and digging holes. He felt satisfied.
' Never knew how much better life gets when you have a big crew. '
He walked along the shore to where two blue reclining sun loungers were placed under a big umbrella.
Once there he raised an eyebrow brow at Salome Hancock's serpent and his serpent Rakyl. They were relaxing on the beach while staring at each other with tongues frolicking.
" I see… snake language… " he nodded to himself then laid down on the chair.
He closed his eyes, taking a small nap.
Fifteen minutes later he opened his eyes to find Hancock sitting beside him staring at his face.
" How are you? " She said, stretching her soft palm to caress his cheeks.
" I feel well. " He smiled and leaned closer to her palm to feel her touch.
She chuckled and stood up "Get up I prepared a meal for you. "
She pointed to the side table where Zhiki could be seen placing dishes on.
Alexander's heart thumped, memories of him sitting for a long time in the toilet flashed through his mind"You didn't have to tire yourself… "
Hancock noticed how strained his expression looked, she lowered her head feeling downcast.
" You don't have to worry like last time, Sabine taught me how to make some simple dishes, you can ask Zhiki how they taste… "
" They're indeed delicious, captain. " Zhiki interjected, he didn't understand the fuss about food as far as he could remember. He always ate scraps, taste didn't matter as long as he could fill his stomach.
Under the guilty stare of Hancock, he steeled his heart and picked up a piece of grilled Sea King meat then took a bite.
" Delicious! " He exclaimed as he took another bite from another plate.
" You did well, Hancock," he said between bites, marvelling at how much she had improved.
" Did Alarin wake up? " He remembered the man he brought with him, he had been sleeping for an entire day.
" He woke up two hours. "
" How is he doing? Is he calm? "
" Well, Daisy told me his situation stabilised he no longer acted shocked like you told me. "
" Hmm.. good news at last.. who's with him? "
" Old Gulam… they had been conversing since he woke up. "
" I see.. let's finish the meal then go and pay him a visit. Zhiki come and join me. "
A half hour later they were inside Perfume Yuda walking the length of the corridor inside the palace.
They ascended to the first floor then knocked on one of the rooms, where Alarin stayed. The two Kuja guards stationed there by Alexander gave them a subtle nod.
" Come in. " Old Gulam's voice sounded behind the door.
Alexander pushed the door and entered with his wife and Zhiki. The first thing that landed on his sight was Old Gulam sitting beside the bed looking at them with red eyes.
On the bed Alarin sat leaning against the headboard, looking at them with a complicated expression. Alexander noted the heavy mood in the chamber as he closed the distance.
" Hello, I'm Alexander. The one who brought you here. " He brought a chair from the side and sat.
" Do you remember me? "
Alarin clenched his fist hard. " I remember… Sorry that I showed an unsightly side of me yesterday. "
" No you don't need to apologise, everyone is bound to suffer should they befall your fate… "
" On the bright side… you endured better than most people would have done. "
Alarin became silent, he felt genuine care from the smile Alexander showed. He became lost in thought then lifted his head and asked.
" The chain, That beast… is it still around? "
" Yes… I subdued it, I don't know how you ended up in that situation but I think that it was merely acting on instinct… "
" I thought about it over the years when I'm not under its powers, when I'm not under the spell of dust of dreams. I can never forgive it, even though the beast wouldn't even know what an apology is… "
He looked at his pale arms, they felt unfamiliar after all those years of staring at just bones and then… he recalled what happened before he came to this island, he clenched his fists so hard that he cut his skin however no blood came out.
" THAT DAMNED ROCKS D. XEBEC AND HIS CREW!! " He suddenly roared, scaring Zhiki who hid behind Hancock, then he looked at everyone in the room.
" Do you know what happened after the news of my devil fruit leaked? "
" I had to endure the manhunt of the Marines for several weeks, and then when I thought I had escaped I fell into another trap, a whole armada hoisting the Rocks flag surrounding me and my few crewmates. "
" Kahkahakaha… " he laughed almost hysterically, Alexander and Hancock stared at him in silence lost in thought, Zhiki finally dared to listen but seemed unnerved, and Old Gulam listened while tears fell from his face.
" Within seconds I fell into Xebec's grasps, my crew slaughtered, save for the undead who became an entertainment to them on the deck. "
Alarin took a deep breath doing his best to calm his raging heart and spoke, his voice hoarse from all the shouting.
" Xebec wanted me to join his crew but I refused. I knew the kind of man he was, a demon wearing human skin… "
" They placed sea stone shackles on me, they starved me, beat me, and some even went as far as to humiliate my dignity… "
" They thought I'd break kakakaka. " he laughed, however, his laughter couldn't hide the tears falling from his eyes.
" My heart grieves for you Alarin.. " Alexander sighed, cruelty and viciousness never changed no matter the world he was in.
There was no honour in such acts, viciousness and cruelty towards the innocents only belonged to the lowest of the low, no matter the status, the titles or the power they held
" I'm sure you do…" Alarin replied then looked outside the window.
" When they saw how I refused… they cut me open from limb to limb, blood trickled down while I screamed in pain as they laughed at my plight… "
" They took me to an island, I could barely see how I arrived. At that time I couldn't even stand straight on my feet… once there they took a knife and opened my wounds once again l… I knew I was about to die and they knew it too, but… "
He shivered as if some harrowing memories flashed in his mind.
" They thought it'd be more amusing to send me off in a different way… Bleeding, they threw me into the island with no strength to stand, then they also threw the uncontrollable undead with me… "
" I was eaten alive… " he said shaking, and his face dripping with sweat as he recalled.
" You can stop Alarin, there's no point in relieving what's in the past. "
" No, Alexander… they couldn't break me in the past. Do you think their ghosts could break me in the present? " he laughed. Yet, Alexander still noticed the trembling in his arms. He bit his lips, if that was his wish so be it.
" I felt pain, I was eaten alive like prey. I died painfully it was as simple as that… then I woke up as a fleshless being, I panicked and crawled my way far from my once loyal undead like a dog…
''I found the wind vortex, I entered where I met the chain coiled around the Poneglyph which soon turned into another torture that stretched for years, but at least that beast was kind to send me into dreamland once in a while… ''
He exhaled the long breath he had been holding for a while, he still had this habit even though he didn't need to breathe.
'' Captain… I'm sorry I couldn't find you sooner… '' Gulad apologised as he balled his eyes out.
Alarin sighed '' I appreciate your dedication Gulam, but you didn't need to wait for me nor did you need to create a lie that would take the life of many… ''
He had been filled about what happened, moreover, he could spot the unusual increase of the undead over the years with his observation haki.
'' But, Captain… '' Gulam felt like he was that fifteen-year-old kid once again.
'' No buts, Gulam you need to live your life, you're already old… ''
Alexander who had been listening all this while stood up and looked at Alarin
'' I'm glad that you are fine now, but what do you intend to do after this? ''
'' I don't know… it had been too many years, I have nothing to my name… the faces that I once knew are either under the dirt or don't remember me at all. ''
Alexander sighed and patted his shoulder, '' You can stay with us, it's a safe place for you and I could use a man of your expertise. ''
'' I don't want to be a pirate anymore… '' Alarin was quick to refuse even if the one who asked him had the grace of freeing him.
'' We may sail under the name of pirates, but we are far from being that. I'm Iron Fist Alexander and I walk the path of champions. '' He grinned then left.
'' Think about it.. '' He heard him shout. Then he felt a pair of eyes looking at him, it was the woman who had been standing silently behind Alexander all this time.
She was beautiful, he had no other face in his mind to compare her to, but he didn't feel anything as he stared at her, what he had experienced changed him completely.
'' Who are you? '' He asked cautiously.
'' I'm Alexander's wife and the owner of this ship. '' She calmly replied.
'' Thank you for your hospitality.. '' He bowed his head.
On the other hand, Hancock strangely didn't feel uncomfortable around this man, his eyes didn't waver nor did they contain anything else other than a feeling of loss.
She didn't show anything on her face as she spoke.
'' Alexander saved your life, you owe him that… so you better not disappoint his expectations… ''
She didn't wait for his reply and walked directly outside leaving Alarin lost in his thoughts.
Hancock walked outside the palace to the deck where she stopped in place, surprised by the three new captains and the Kuja pirates surrounding Alexander who had a newspaper and a few posters in his hands.
" Captain, your bounty is triple mine. " She heard Andretta say.
" Oh and how much is the bounty of Sabine and Axe? "
" Mine is 190,000,000 berries. " Axe proudly declared.
" He's been doing nothing but bad stuff captain. "
" DON'T BELIEVE HER!! "
"And you Sabine? "
" 160,000,000 berries… I wish I had this much money on my hand… "
" You'll spend it in one day. " Axe retorted.
Lost in their argument, Hancock drew closer to Alexander's side and asked.
" What's happening? "
" Oh Hancock, see for yourself. " He handed her the posters.
She took them from his hand, then her eyes widened. She took a breath and looked at the other paper.
Wanted
Dead or Alive
Alexander 600,000,000 berries
Wanted
Dead or Alive
Boa Hancock 1,659,000,000 berries
" They revoked your Shichibukai title. " He handed her the newspaper. On the front page, the news of her title revocation was displayed. However, the reason for this decision wasn't mentioned at all nor why Alexander had a bounty.
" They wouldn't make a rash decision unless they laid their hands on some information… "
Alexander nodded and pushed himself against the railing.
" Most likely someone spied on us when we were at Sierta Island, if they had witnessed everything that happened then they have a reason to make such a decision."
" Yes, I agree. "
" Are you angry? " He held her hand and asked.
Hancock shook her head. " I expected something like this would happen. I made use of their title when I was young to protect Amazon Lily but now… "
She touched Alexander's cheeks and blushed " I doubt they'd try anything with Amazon Lily under our protection."
Alexander felt his body heat up as he grinned " And if they do? "
She came closer to his ear and whispered.
" We'll crush them. "
_____________________________
Three days later, everyone was preparing to set off once again.
The fleet comprised six big ships and about two hundred pirates.
Alexander was sitting on a table on the upper floor of Perfume Yuda. In front of him were two den den mushi, one was white a gift from Sabo used to counter the black den den mushi spying and another was a normal den den mushi.
He had been sitting like this for close to two hours. He found that he missed numerous calls from Sabo hence he couldn't help but feel worried.
Pruprupru, pruprupru, pruprupru
Suddenly the snail rang, Alexander sprang to his feet and picked up the transmitter that magically donned blonde hair.
" SABO! "
" Alexander-san… I'm glad that you finally picked up. " He sighed in relief once he heard Sabo's voice.
" I'm sorry but I have been busy on Gin'iro Island. "
" I take it that you succeed in finding the weapon. "
" Yes, I did and it's a powerful weapon indeed. "
" That's good. " Sabo replied, but Alexander heard some shouting coming from the side of Sabo.
" What's happening on your side? "
Sabo took a moment, shouting some orders and then replied. " Look Alexander-san I'd love to chat with you but I need your help.. "
" What do you need? " Alexander immediately replied, he noticed something off about the tone of Sabo and the background noise.
" Three days ago we departed from Sierta Island with three ships carrying the people you rescued… however we fell under the Marines ambush and barely escaped. "
Alexander narrowed his eyes as he leaned closer to the table.
" And where are you now? "
" We're heading in the direction of Gin'iro island with the Marines hot in our pursuit, we jammed their den den mushi signal so, for now, we're safe from any other reinforcement.. "
Alexander thought about it for a moment then asked.
" Where are you now? "
" We are three days away from Gin'iro island. "
" Alright, I'll depart immediately and meet you halfway beside Renna's deserted Island. "
" Thank you Alexander-san. "
" Don't mention it, protect yourselves well and call me if anything happens. "
" Will do Alexander-san. "
Alexander got up as soon as the call ended, he jumped down the deck from the window then immediately shouted.
" PREPARE TO SET SAIL WITHIN AN HOUR! "
______________________________
Inside his room, Alexander sat on his bed facing him was Rakyl in its snake form.
Alexander exhaled and closed his eyes, in his mind images of his old friend and his homeland Jarburg settled. His reminiscing got ahold of him, he couldn't resist the desire to see his old friend's face and his homeland one more time.
" Begin. " He said.
Rakyl seemingly understood what he wanted. The snake lifted its body and exhaled fine silver dust that was soon inhaled by Alexander.
WHOOSH
Alexander's perception of reality changed in an instant, however, his eyes constricted as he found himself in a situation that defied his understanding.
He was floating within a sea of stars, waves upon gigantic waves of gold-like energy clashed against a purple river that stretched as far as his eyes could see. He felt insignificant before his eyes stars were extinguished every time these gigantic energies clashed.
*WHOSH*
Before he could lose his sanity at what he was witnessing, a part of the gold-like energy broke out, in a blink of an eye it enveloped him and then disappeared as fast as it came.
*Thud*
Alexander felt himself land on hard ground, he stood up as soon as the energy vanished. He lifted his head then he had to suck a deep breath. He was on an ashen white land above him, the starry sky was visible with all of its glory, and several planets appeared orbiting the skies.
'' Alexander. '' a familiar voice he hadn't heard in years called to him.
He spun around and once he saw who was behind him his eyes couldn't help but widen.
'' Rake! '' He shouted and rushed hugging the man he hadn't seen for a long time.
Rake, on the other hand smiled he let his old friend hug him as he pleased.
'' I can't believe I dreamt of you first. '' Alexander's eyes reddened as he tightened his hug.
'' Huh? '' Alexander exclaimed, he touched Rake's left arm, he wore a long-sleeved black golden robe, but the thing that made him surprised was his friend's left arm, there was nothing inside his sleeve.
'' Why is your left arm gone? Did something happen to the dream? ''
'' This isn't merely a simple dream, Alexander. "
Alexander took a moment to understand his friend's words then his eyes widened as he took a few steps back, he felt something was wrong very wrong.
'' What do you mean? '' He asked.
'' You called upon me Alexander, there are less than five in existence who know my name, and none who wished to dream about me… what you are seeing is reality, I pulled you out of the dream you were after, Some vermins were after you as they sensed my blessing inside you. '' Rake calmly replied.
'' Then is this real you? '' Alexander asked incredulously, he couldn't believe it, everything happened so suddenly.
'' What do you think O'Great warrior Alexander? '' Rake chuckled.
'' It's really you.. ''Alexander's voice quivered, he took a few steps forward and once again enveloped his friend in a hug.
'' I missed you friend, it has been eighteen years since I saw you. '' Tears fell down his eyes, as he continued.
'' I was reborn anew Rake, how did you know it was me? ''
Rake patted his friend with his free arm and spoke. '' I know I was the one who made this happen… ''
Alexander took a deep breath and then broke the hug as he smiled.
'' I always had a hunch that somehow this was related to you. ''
'' But what happened to your Arm? ''
'' Ah, this… '' Rake said while tracing where his arm used to be.
'' The stars are a dangerous place Alexader. For you it may have been a short eighteen years but for me… I lost count. ''
'' You shouldn't have sought me, Alexander, too many eyes and enemies surround me, waiting to swallow me whole. And you who bear my blessings, are like a beacon in the dark for those entities, they smelled my powers on you like hungry wolves, if I were a bit late you'd have been done for… '' Rake looked at Alexander then said gravely.
What he had said made the smile on Alexander's face crumble a little by little, until he couldn't raise his head, this time he might've made a big mistake.
'' Born a new and yet I remain this foolish… '' He murmured.
Rake noticed how his friend felt, he wanted him to know how dangerous it was not for him, but for Alexander, he didn't want him to lose his life for such mistakes. He patted Alexander on the shoulder and smiled.
'' The danger has passed, don't blame yourself you had no idea, but I fear that your time here must end soon, you don't belong here in the end. '' He said while moving around Alexander examining him.
'' Hmm my blessing at that time was indeed a bit weak, I can't send you just like this when a malformed star is heading your way… ''
'' WHAT DID YOU SAY!! '' Alexander shouted, he remembered those abominations, tens of meters long of utter destruction and chaos.
'' Oh did I frighten you. '' Rake chuckled '' Don't worry I'm sure you can handle it.''
'' However you must go, I've erased your traces, but in that split moment, they were still able to send Malformed Star to take care of you… it'll arrive soon at where you are, but I still tweaked a bit with casualty.. when you kill that void being you'll receive a gift I attached to it. ''
Rake lifted a hand and pointed with his finger. Golden light surged from his being into his finger to finally condense into a droplet of gold.
'' Rake wai- '' Alexander wanted to at least say goodbye, but his friend suddenly struck his chest with his finger, without being able to react, the droplet of gold entered Alexander's chest and then sped along his veins. He felt like he was burning from the inside as a set of golden veins spread inside his body.
'' AHH. '' He screamed as intense pain assaulted his senses.
'' One day we'll meet again. '' He heard his friend's words before he fell into darkness.
Rake stood there watching for a few seconds before opening his mouth.
'' GOOD BYE. '' It was a loud deafening voice as if thousands upon thousands were speaking at once, then without warning, Rake's body turned to gold and grew bigger and bigger into enormous proportions, he wasn't recognizable anymore.
He became something that defied understanding, something incomprehensible, and if Alexander were to lay his eyes on him now, he'd go insane…
Hi, some of you might notice some mistakes here and there, I do my best to edit but I don't have much time; I work and study at the same time, so I apologise beforehand.