A mind clouded with repressed anger that longs to be released. It wasn't just a year of frustrations. It was a lifetime of regrets. An atomic bomb on the loose with one objective in mind; that was Bartholomew Kuma.
WHOOOSH!
His silhouette travelled across the clouds with tears in his eyes, faster than sound, he longed for his beloved's presence before the tears hit the faraway blue sea. If there was anyone in this world who suffered under the celestial dragons, it was precisely this fellow.
If there was somebody with the true birthright to end the celestial dragon's regime, it was this giant.
A childhood of slavery, born to a sweet mother and father. Upon descending into this world from the heavens, it was decreed that he was a member of the same race as his father the buccaneers.
That had been his only curse, but what a heavy one. The buccaneers were for the celestial dragons like bees for the wasps, prey.
His parents were plundered by a wicked owner, his mother died by a disease, and his father was shot by their owner for being too 'noisy' while desperately trying to place hope in the then-boy's heart.
All he could do was smile while life took everything away, every single goddamn thing. Even the person who had finally brought peace to his life, even the only woman he had truly loved.
Taken away by the celestial dragons, made into someone else's wife. There was no worse torment or humiliation, no mercy from life for this wicked one.
'My father used to say Nika would one day manifest… I tried to make the world a better place in his absence'.
Joining the revolution, freeing small kingdoms and fighting for the safety of citizens, taking away their pain and making it his own. All of that...
'FOR WHAT?!'
In his flight, he extended his arms forward amidst flight and a gigantic paw-like transparent ball formed in between, it increased in size.
BOOM...BOOM...BOOM...BOOM.
BOOM...BOOM...BOOM...BOOM.
'He may have manifested for others... but Nika never manifested for me…', As tears coursed down his eyes, he recalled Ali's words, 'A coward… a f*cking coward, that's what I am!'
CHAAA!!
BOOMMM!!!!
His barrage of bloodthirst was abruptly cancelled when a lightning strike fell on the gigantic balloon and made it explode, sending him flying away until his body came to a stop as if under the influence of a third party.
BOOMM!
A flash of thunder manifested in front of him, materialising into a body that grasped him by the head.
RUMBLE!!
"Listen and listen well, big man. I get your pain but I won't be putting my whole life and my family at risk for you! I'm here to help that girl but just me coming to Marie Geoise could start a war of mutual destruction between me and the world government. I'd rather they don't know I'm here if I can help it so you better not be thinking of using Ursus Shock to destroy everything -maybe even Ginny included- and expose us, huh?!"
"..."
The anger dissipated with an abrupt and swift fear, Kuma didn't even know how Veyron was aware of his secret technique.
"That was indeed the wrong judgement, Kuma"
Dragon's waving green cloak materialised mid-air and a few seconds later, Ali's fluttering fur coat did too. They were still a few miles away from Marie Geoise.
"Kuma… listen to reason. Just the four of us against Marie Geoise… we can't cause a commotion".
Veyron released him and allowed his body to levitate as his powers allowed him to 'jump' not to 'fly'.
Kuma released a few deep breaths and his killing intent receded but not his anger.
"So what's the plan?" He then asked.
Dragon's eyes fixed on the distance where Marie Geoise was barely discernible amidst the clouds.
"The plan is to go undercover. Veyron is our backup... preferably he won't be involved in the operation, but if we are exposed and overwhelmed, we will be counting on you" Dragon stated and Veyron nodded with crossed arms, he wasn't really in the mood for fighting, he hadn't even taken Kokutou Youbi with himself in the rush of the moment, the sword was still in Alubarna, with Robin.
"Ali and I will look for Ginny beneath the shadows. Marie Geoise is not small so we may have to 'ask' some people kindly".
"You can leave that to me~ I'll make sure to extract all the valuable information" Ali grinned.
"What about me!? I can go undercover as well!"
Everyone looked at the gigantic Kuma with a face of 'AAre you for real?'.
"You're going to be spotted the moment you arrive, your feelings are overflowing. You stay with Veyron, Kuma. If we trigger any alarms or engage in combat, you can join right away, until then… keep your emotions in check. All of the knights have the most advanced Observation Haki. They're spread across all of Marie Geoise and we're yet unaware of their lineup".
"There are no longer nine. My mom abandoned their ranks as the 2nd Knight and Donquixote Cervantes, the 7th Knight, should be dead. Also, the 8th Knight, Dumas de Montecristo should still be severely injured…"
Veyron added some updated information after the raid in Onigashima.
"You fought the knights in Onigashima?"
"I had some friends with me, it was a blast".
"I imagine..."
"Then we will stay within the perimeter".
RUMBLE!
Veyron extended his arms forward and released a wave with his psychokinesis that enveloped both him and Kuma.
In front of Dragon and Ali's shocked eyes, both of them began to disappear from the naked eye, although their presence was still there.
"You can become invisible..."
"I don't like using this technique, it has a lot of flaws subject to atmospheric changes and other people's techniques. Someone with a very advanced Observation Haki would be able to see through it. But it is better to use this than nothing" Veyron explained while Ali whistled.
"Very well, take these… these small den den mushi serve as communicators. Kuma, once we find them we will tell you the exact location, you come and send her straight to Baltigo, you got that?".
"I won't fail her again".
With each one aware of their tasks, Ali and Dragon disappeared yet again, rushing like gusts into Marie Geoise, the territory of sin and disease.
**
**
WHOOOSH!
A gust of sand was the first to arrive on top of a rooftop, the mere scent of the air repulsed her and the noise of playing kids was very illusory, it portrayed the sight of innocence for those blindfolded when in reality... what happened was nothing short of inhuman.
Rocks D. Ali looked at her surroundings with a clear disgruntled expression. If she couldn't take revenge there was little meaning to being here.
'All I hoped was to turn this place into rubble and yet... I have to limit myself to killing a single individual. He deserves death, but you all do too... bastards'.
Men, women, children... after the slaves met freedom, no one in this disgusting place should be sparred, or so she believed.
Downstairs she saw the image of a few kids all wearing what looked like space suits with bubbles on their heads, bullying their slaves in some sort of competition to see who hit them harder. The women, prettier than any... were all naked and walked like dogs, the men were all the more bruised and from their eyes cascaded soundless tears.
RUMBLE!
Next to her appeared Dragon who placed his hand on her shoulder.
"Focus… repress it or we will be in trouble".
She had a small sand tornado in her hand already. Ready to release it and slaughter every single one of them, freeing this world from that filth. But doing so meant going against his orders.
'Not yet'.
"If there had been a knight nearby, we would have been exposed" Dragon uttered, his gaze firmly locked on the injustices happening down there, the ones that fueled his desire for revolution.
'I already knew what to expect... but the sight never becomes less unnerving' He sighed with gritted teeth.
It took her a while to breathe properly and stand up with her coat waving ever so slightly, refusing to regard those streets as bereft of humanity. But she couldn't, they were here precisely to look for someone.
"What are we going to do?"
"Divide and Conquer..."
Dragon showed her Ginny's wanted poster from a year ago.
"We go, we look, we leave if we don't find her. Simple as that. If you want to ask questions, do so, just make sure to not expose yourself..."
With simple words Dragon disappeared, leaving her to her design... but she could feel a gaze firmly locked on her, it was Veyron who was inspecting her every move from so far away that she couldn't believe his senses could spread that far and be so acute.
"No worries, master... I won't cause trouble".
She groaned and disappeared as well... her first destination, the house underneath. She needed to find that pink-haired girl, but more importantly... she needed to find the man she had to kill.
'I'll go to the red port, then work my way back... the same trail'.