The Start of a Grand Journey

The Great Age of Pirates…It is corrupted with many people who simply seek wealth, fame, and power. The dying words of the Pirate King, Gold Roger, has set this Age into motion. “You want my treasure?” He said as he was kneeling on the Execution Platform of his hometown, facing millions and millions of people with a giant grin. “If you want it, I’ll let you have it! Look for it! I left all of it at the place!” With these famous words, many people set off to find Roger’s treasure – One Piece – on the forsaken line known as the Grand Line.

“Pirates! Pirates are at the shore! Everyone, take cover!”

A single man ran up the small road of Windmill Village, a small village located on Dawn Island. The residents gave such shocked and terrified looks before quickly rushing into their homes or the nearest building possible and shutting their doors. Silence echoed along the dirt road, only to be shattered by the sound of footsteps. A group of ruffians started to walk along the road, making their way to a bar known as ‘Partys Bar’. With a kick of his leg, the supposive captain of this small pirate gang forces the door open and flying inside the bar, startling and terrifying the customers currently eating at the bar.

“All right now…Everyone, scram!” He shouted as he pulls out a sword.

The people didn’t hesitate as everyone started to rush past the pirates and out of the bar. The captain then walks up to a green haired young woman who flinches as he slams his hand down on the counter.

“W-Welcome…” she finally said with a shaky smile. “What can I d-do for you?”

The captain grinned. “We’ll be needing all of your alcohol...and get us food to feed 10 Sea Kings!"

“O-Of course!” She quickly said, bowing before rushing off into another room. The captain turned to his crew, raising his sword as they all cheered at the thought of a giant feast. A few minutes later, the group of pirates were laughing and cheering, toasting barrel cups and eating like pigs.

At the sound of pirates entering the town of Windfall, a young male got out of his bed. Le grabbed a single black jacket, putting it on and moving his long green hair to the outside of it. He walked outside, looking around as he searched for where they might have gone. "Always go straight to the bar..." he said as he started to walk in that direction.

When he reached the area, he opened the door and someone called out, "Dekka! Its Dekka! He can keep the pirates in line!" The boy walked up to the group, his face serious and stern as he went to the man making the most noise, assuming it was the leader. He moved his arms onto the counter and coldly said, "Pirates have a bad habit of ordering and not paying... I hope you weren't planning on doing the same."

The room had cleared out, it seemed, expect for the green haired boy. Oh, and the man who layed quietly on a large chair set up on the side of the room. Folded hands behind his head cradled icy blue hair in a fleshy pillow, the edge of his white jacket somewhat tumbling over the side to expose his bare abdomen. At the sound of the splintering wood, screaming bar goers, and drunken pirates he was awoken. A single eye opened to the commotion, looking over the gang of thugs.

~Not my problem.........~

He closed his eyes again and drifted one black pants coverd leg over the armrest of the chair, bending the other. Hopefully they'd shut up soon and he could sleep some more. He thought that over and over as he chewed upon the gum in his mouth.

"Huuuuuhhhh?!" The captain turns to the newcomer, a sneer forming on his mouth as he stands up from his seat and walks up to him with his sword at hand. "Listen, punk, I'm in a good mood today...so you better get your puny little ass out of this bar before I make it go for you!" He hissed angerly as he slashes down on the counter next to him, causing the woman to yelp a little as she backs away. Hoots and cheers for a battle rang out through the bar as the man's crew cheered for their captain.

"Excuse me." Said the voice. A pirate blocking the doorway turns, raising an eyebrow to see a young man dressed rather nicely despite this village. He had rather messy, black hair paired with blue eyes. His clothes consist of a white shirt with rather large collars not folded down, a black jacket, black pants, and a simple red tie to finish things off. He blinks as he awaits an answer from the obviously taller pirate.

"The hell do you want? Get out of here!" He spat, shoving the man back and causing him to stumble. As he turned around to see the supposive fight between Dekka and his captain, he was suddenly hit from behind and shot forward, crashing right into the sleeping man. The commotion died away as all the pirates looked at the perpetrator, who merely held a rather thin yet sturdy looking metal staff over his shoulder and his hand hanging off it to balance it as he walked inside. He shot a glance to Dekka before sitting down at a seat next to the captain, taking his unopened drink and started to drink it a little.

Dekka was surprised to say the least to see the blow that the young man had thrown. He closed his eyes lightly after a moment of shock was visible in his expression. After that, he turned back to the counter and lightly said, "Not a bad attack... but were you keeping him in line, or are you with him? My name is Dekka, and I protect the people here."

The pirate landed on the chair, everything motionless for a few passing seconds. Then, his body began to shift, rising up. Two black-clothed feet touched down from underneath him, his body flung out to the right and crashing out through the wall, letting sunlight in with a great burst. Closed eyes blasted open in a highly angered expression.

"Uhhh...uh, Captain? You seein' this?" one of the pirates spoke out, hoping someone, anyone was looking.

"You made me......."

A full exhale was followed by an earth-shaking roar from the pale lips of the formerly sleeping man.

"SWALLOW MY GUM!!!!!!"

He back kicked with his left leg, cracking the wooden frame of the chair and almost turning it inside out as it dented the frame of the room behind it. The man's wild eyes looked between the pirates as if demanding an explanation.

The man said nothing as he put sdown the bottle of alcohol in front of an obviously pissed off pirate. He looked at Dekka, then to the crazy guy who just threw one of his men out of the window before looking down on the third man who came in. Gripping his sword tightly, he raises it, shouting "YOU COCKY SON OF A BITCH!" before sending it down and slicing him in half. He grinned sadistically as he moved his sword out from him, then paused.

"Makino, could I have the usual?"

The pirate widen his eyes as he saw the man he just cut in half sitting next to the seat he just destroyed. He looked and saw that what he cut was nothing more than some black substance which faded away. Makino quickly nods before running out of the bar and into the kitchen for safety as well as preparing the meal the man had requested. He stood up, staring at the captain who backed away. After a moment of hesitation, he points his sword at him.

"G-Get them, boys!" he shouted as the pirates started to assault Dekka and the blue haired man.

One of the pirates came at Dekka, swinging a blade downward only to have it stop directly at his back. He closed lightly before turning around and grabbing the sword by the blade. He clenched his hand into a fist as it started to change into a shiny crystal-like substance. "It takes more than that to harm me..." he said uncaring as the fist went directly into the man's face, causing him to fly backwards with blood dripping from his nose.

The man turned to the other one next to him and lightly said, "It looks as though I'm not the only one with abilities. However..." He moved his arm up and a sword slashed directly into it, only to fall short of the arm and snapping in half. "Your methods cause too much damage to the area. I can't approve of them."

The blue-haired man let out a mighty growl just as four more pirates charged on his position. The first attempted to slice his veritically with his cutlass. The man ducked, sword sailing overhead, before leaping into the air and placing a knee right under the first pirate's jaw. Cracking bones could be heard as he flipped twice in the air, slamming into the ceiling and being held there by two pieces of broken wood whcih slowly began to break. A left-footed roundhouse kick sent another sailing away over an entire row of tables and into the ground, feet sticking up from splintered boards and dirt. The third attack as a straight stab with a dagger to which the blue-haired man simply grabbed his wrist, side-stepped, and kicked his shin. The shin seemed to implode with the force and bent in the opposite direction, the man going into a rapid series of frontflips that suspended him in mid-air it seemed. The fourth pirate could only watch as the blue-haired man redirected his leg without ever putting it back on the ground and delivered a kick, sending the human buzzsaw into him, laying out both attacks.

He passed his gaze through the bar, seeing the other fighters but not hearing their words. It was a mix of being muted by anger, the noise in the bar, and the fact that he really didn't care what they had to say. The tops boards finally broke sending the first pirate falling down......only to get caught by his shirt and sent flying at another group of pirates.

The captain backed away as he saw his men being beaten up so easily

"I hope you're not directing that statement to me." The black haired man said as he stood up. "If you're going to pick a fight with someone, you might as well go after that ruffian over there."

A vein appeared on the pirate's forehead as he raises his sword and slashes down at the man, only to be stopped by his staff. For some reason, he couldn't cut through it and he paled. A shrimp who looks as weak as a twig was not only able to blast one of his men, but he was also able to block his sword with a pole that was as thick as a piece of string!

"Now then, I think you've overstayed your welcome in this village." the man said as he pushes the sword away from him. Without missing a beat, he swings his staff over and nails the pirate on his head, then swings it around to hit it again before thrusting it to his stomach and causing him to fly straight out the door, landing on the dirt passed out.

Dekka looked at the man's ability and skill with his pole before turning to a member of his crew. He moved his arm back, swinging it outward as it transformed again and sent the man flying as well. He raised his voice from there, yelling out, "Your captain is defeated! Leave this place before the same happens to all of you!" He had assumed the man that was thrown out of bar with a pole was the captain as his command had begun all the mayhem.

The few remaining pirates that weren't beaten up started to rush out of the bar, picking up their fallen comrades and their unconscious captain before fleeing back to the shore - all expect the poor few souls who were unable to escape the blue haired man's grasp.

"Here you go!" The woman returns with a bowl of noodles and chopsticks, placing it on the sturdier side of the counter as she smiles. "I almost didn't recognize you, Zero."

'Zero' nearly fell over as he walks up to the counter and sits down with a rather irritated face. "Zeiro." he corrected as he broke apart the chopsticks. "When are you going to say my name correctly, Makino?"

Makino giggled as Zeiro started to eat. "When you stop taking it so seriously!" she simply said wht a smile as she turns to Dekka. "Would you like some too, Dekka?"

Dekka sat down with a light sigh and said, "Yeah, thanks Makino..." He turned to Zeiro from there, unable to grasp what the man had done. He knew little about the outside world, only that this person had done what he thought only he could do. "Zeiro, you seem to know Makino well enough, but I've never seen you here before. Just who are you?"

Zeiro continued to finish eating the noodles that were currently in his mouth, swallowing as he places the chopsticks on top of the bowl and turns to Dekka. "I'm just a simple nobleman who use to come here now and then when I was younger." he stated with a few blank blinks. "This is the first time I've been back for years."

"Here you go!" Makino said happily, putting down a bowl of noodles and chopsticks for Dekka. "Just the way you like it!"

"And what about you? I'm curious to know who you are exactly as well, Mr. Dekka." He leans his head against his hand. "By any chance, did you eat a Devil Fruit?"

Dekka closed his eyes lightly as he took the bowl in hand. He started to eat as he turned to the man. He stopped long enough to speak. "I've been here for a few months protecting this place," he said lightly. "I had nothing before I came here, but they were so kind to me. I do what I can to repay them now. As for the Devil Fruit, I have no idea what that is. One day, out of hunger, I ate a strange looking fruit I had never seen before. After that, I could change my body into a diamond-like rock. I came here to escape people who wanted the diamonds for money." As he spoke, he placed the bowl to his lips, drinking the rest of it down to finish. He had been quite hungry.

"The people in this village are very kind indeed..." he muttered as he went back to eating. "I might be wrong, but the Devil Fruit you ate might be the Dia-Dia Fruit - a fruit that allows your body to turn into diamond." He turns to Dekka. "I bet it tasted horrible. You know, you could always use the fragments that come off of your body and exchange them for money."

Dekka shook his head lightly and simply said, "Trading a part of my body for money? I wouldn't do something like that. At least not for myself." He looked at his arm, seeing diamond form onto it and then change back into skin. "Besides, I don't know what doing it for too long would do to my body. Rather not take the risk." He then turned to the man and said, "You seem to know a lot about it. What's your connection to this fruit?"

Zeiro chuckled as he lifted the bowl and drank the soup before putting it back down. "Relax, I was just kidding...although I don't think keeping your body diamond for long will do any damage to you." he said. "As for the fruit, I've seen another person with the same type. Big guy he was."

"I see... so there's more than one," he said as his eyes closed again. He seemed to be deep in thought. "So, did you come back to this place for memories, or do you have a reason to be here? You don't seem the type of guy to waste time."

"Curious, aren't you?" Zeiro straightened his shirt's collar as he got up, digging into his breast pocket of his black jacket. "I just thought I'd stop by and see an old friend...but apparently, he's already departed to become a pirate. We dared each other to go find One Piece and I'm not the type of guy who breaks their promises...even if it's against my own will." Soon, he pulled out a wad of money and placed it on the table. "Sorry for the damage, Makino. I hope this will be enough to fix it."

"Oh, no problem, Zero!" she said with a chuckle. "You didn't have to do this, you know."

Dekka closed his eyes lightly and said, "In other words, you're a pirate too..." He stood up lightly and placed a few coins on the table. "I hope that's enough to cover the food. If not, you know where I live. I'm gonna walk around the town, make sure those guys actually left..." He started to walk to the door, then turned back to Zeiro and said, "If you turn out to be a pirate like those guys, I'll do whatever it takes to protect this town."

Zeiro twitched as Makino purposely said his name wrong again before following Dekka out the door. "Don't get me wrong, I have no intention of hurting this village." He said as he managed to catch up to him. "Do you mind if I walk with you? I really have nothing else to do right now."

Dekka was reluctant, but simply sighed lightly and continued to walk. "Don't you have other things you could be doing?" he said lightly. "If you want to be a pirate, you need things like a crew and a ship. You won't find those things following...." he stopped there as a thought crossed his mind. "I hope you went thinking of asking me to join your crew."

"I never said I was going to be a pirate." Zeiro simply stated as he walked alongside the green haired man. "All I said was I am going to find One Piece before my friend. Must I really consider myself a pirate to accomplish this goal?" He looks up to the road ahead of them. "I already have a small ship I've been sailing with in my travels...so taht's a start. If you really want to join me, I don't mind, but I won't force you. In fact, I'll be leaving in about two days anyways."

Dekka sighed lightly at the man's words, lifting his finger as he said to the man, "First of all, if you want to find One Piece, then yes you are a pirate. Even I know the one capable of finding that treasure has the merit to being the Pirate King. Would a non-pirate really go so far as to gain such a title? Second, if you leave in two days, that's more than enough time for you to find someone else. That one man at the bar seemed strong enough. Just go find him."