Chapter 12

10 days later

"Attack this damn pirate!"

"Aye!"

"Aye"

"You have the nerve to fight me, Amir!"

"Hahaha! I sure do!"

Betch ground his teeth as he commanded his subordinate to continue loading the cannons.

"They're running away sir!"

"They won't escape this time! Go, Raul instruct them to load every cannon, we'll sink them below the ocean!"

"Yes, sir!"

*Bang

Cannonball flew all over the sea, as it lands on the water, it creates a shock wave pushing the ship away.

*Bang

The flag of Betch's ship was damaged as the cannonball completely flew straight to it.

"Damn it!"

"Captain we're surrounded!"

"I know! I have my own eyes! F*ck you Amir! You cunning bastard!"

He was caught off guarded as the one who was helping him in the dark suddenly turns his back against him, adding salt to the wound, they've also secretly poisoned his food, his pale complexion made him vomit and somewhat dizzy.

'Is this how a Marine does their work? You bastard, you should've become a pirate than a marine!' Betch curses as he leans on a barrel to support himself.

On the other side, Amir chuckled secretly as 3 days ago they've found that the one helping Betch in the dark was Sharok all along.

And to their surprise, they have also found that Sharok was a complete birdbrain, he was a greedy person with a lack of intellect and can be easily manipulated through money, he completely agreed with Amir's request.

'Come on Betch, you are more than this, what made you think he'll help you? You're a cunning bastard but I'm more cunning than you.'

But there is also a catch to it, after this fight, Amir would report all the evidence that Sharok have done to the higher-ups and strip Sharok's position and the worst that could happen will be imprisonment for a lifetime, he'll be lucky if he was killed on the spot 'What a numb head!'

As Amir's ship is closing the distance of Betch's ship, Amir pulled a sword out of its scabbard, he then readied himself to jump off the ship.

Raul instructed his subordinates to quicken themselves. He grabbed a gun lying on the corner, he loaded the gun with a round shot as he prepares to pull the trigger.

*Boom

The ship crushed together as it made sparked upon contact.

"Attack!"

Amir was the first one to initiate the fight as he jumps out of the cabin landing on the deck of Betch's ship.

Marines and Pirates continue to bombard each other as the sound of gunshots and the clashing of swords echoes through the sea, screams of fallen pirates and marine alike can be heard along with it.

The strong smell of pungent blood and gunpowder permeates the air.

"Argh!"

"Ahhh! My limbs!"

"Noo!"

"Oh no! There's a dick lying there!"

Raul witness all of these as he carries his gun, he pulled the trigger on his gun as it shoots a pirate's shoulder, he heard the pirate scream as he anguishedly holds his shoulder, Raul walked near the pirate as he carefully loaded his gun.

"P-Please let me live, I promise I-I wouldn't do this kind of thing again, Please!"

(A/N: This is scene is very cheesy)

The pirate pleaded to Raul as he crawled back hitting a wooden wall. When Raul saw this he was a little bit convinced, he turned his back on the pirate preparing to let him go but the next scene made him astonished.

The pirate evilly smiles while pulling a knife as he prepares to jump on Raul, the pirate swiftly pushed himself using the wooden wall as momentum to surprise attack, Raul.

"Argh!"

The knife was inserted in Raul's back as blood gushed out from it.

"Kekeke, you think I wouldn't let this opportunity cross by, tsk tsk you're too green to be a Marine, you're already this old but to think you think like a kid kekeke!"

Raul stumbled down as he tried to take the gun lying beside him but before he could do that, the pirate stomps his hand as he kicked the gun away.

"Aren't you Raul? Well, well, well what a surprise! To think that you're still acting so innocent even with 'that' incident

Tsk, Tsk! Let me tell you some clue concerning your family before I completely slit your throat, the one who killed your family is..."

*Bang

"Arghh!"

"What the f*ck are you doing Raul!? Do you think this a game?!"

Amir shoots the pirate's chest as he irritatingly stares at Raul, the pirate made a final glanced at Amir before dying.

Amir carried Raul near a wooden wall as he swiftly pulls the knife off of Raul's back, Raul made an aguish cry but soon stopped, Amir then cut a piece of cloth on Raul as he covered Raul's wound.

"Raul! Look at me! Do you think I wouldn't kill you?! You're dragging every one of us to death! You think you're some hero or something?! This is why your family died! They died because of your stupidity!"

"S-Shut up!"

"You're just an idiot who refuses to accept reality, you always rely on blaming yourself to make you alive, you're nothing but an ignorant bitch!"

"Shut up!"

Amir slapped Raul as he stood up, he walked on not caring about a thing.

"Nothing will change Raul, nothing will change.."

Raul limps down as he leaned on the wall, he tilted his head only to see the gun Amir was carrying, he contemplated for a second before reaching it.

"He was right, nothing will change if I'm like this"

- - - - - -

"Haaa!"

Amir sliced a pirate's limb as he charges ahead of them, he continues to swing his sword as the pirate falls on every swing.

"Amir!!!"

"Hahahaha! We met again Betch, you're a total bitch!"

"You cunning bastard, to think you're even using poison!"

"It's called tactics!"

Amir didn't talk again as he runs off to Betch trying to kill him with one swing but to his surprise someone countered him.

*Ding

The sword clashes together as they created sparks.

"What?!"

Amir retreated 2 meters from them as he observes the person standing in front of Betch.

The man was bulky in size, the man's eyes seem like a savage animal preparing to jump at him at any moment.

"Hehehe do you think because you poisoned me I wouldn't counter you? Well, think again! Meet this slave I've just bought, this is one of the rarest slaves that can fight 6 people without exhausting himself!"

Amir observes the man as he prepared himself to fight again, he then chuckled as he didn't think he would use this kind of technique against these people.

When Betch saw that Amir was standing there he thought that he was scared, he then laughed to himself as he managed to outsmart this cunning Marine.

"Kill him!"

The man kicked the ground making some cracks along with it, he then lifts his sword preparing to kill Amir in one breath, but to his surprise, Amir suddenly vanished.

"W-Where here did he go?"

"I'm right here!"

Amir slashed the man's limbs but even with the enhancement of his skills he only managed to cut 2 centimeters deep cut from it.

'What is his skin made of?'

The man aggressively used his hand to smack Amir, Amir crashed on a barrel.

*Boom

"You surprised me there Amir but this man isn't your normal guy, Hahaha!"

Amir saw that the cut on his limbs was slowly recovering.

'What is happening?'

"Are you surprise Amir? Well let me give you an answer, this guy ate something and you can guess what it is hahaha!"

Amir's face suddenly becomes serious as he stared at the man in front of him.

"Don't tell me.."

"Hahaha! Yes, it is what you think it is, a Devil Fruit! [1]"

"N-No way.."

"Now kill him!"

The man carried his sword as he lifts it again but just like what happened earlier, Amir vanishes.

Dirt and debris covered the man as he became confused, he tilted his head to the right and left but he didn't find Amir.

"Where did that guy go again?!"

Amir suddenly arrived at Betch's back as he placed his sword on his neck.

"You move and I'll slice your throat"

"W-What?" Betch was flabbergasted when he saw the sword near his neck.

"Command that man to back down or else!"

"Hahaha! Amir, Amir, Amir you've already poisoned me, do you think I wouldn't command him to kill the both of us?"

"You dare?"

"Hahaha! Ohh I will! Hey! Kill this man and me at any cost and the slave collar on your neck will fall off!"

After hearing what Betch said, the man didn't hesitate to run to where they are preparing to kill them at any cost.

"You are mad!"

"Oh, am I? Hahaha!"

Amir didn't hesitate to slit the throat of Betch before using a Rokushiki skill called Soru [2], this technique is one of the Marines six technique that allows the users to move at extremely high speeds to avoid attacks, as well as to attack at higher speeds and with greater power. 

He learned Soru after becoming a Commander, this was the only technique he mastered before they issued a command to help Raul in capturing or killing the Eyepatch Pirates.

He flashed through the wall as he dodges the man's attack, he then tried to pierce the man's back with his sword before jumping away from him.

The man made a loud cry before looking at Amir with red eyes, black fur suddenly grows on his body as his body suddenly doubles in size, his clothes were torn as the only thing that was there was a short covering his private parts.

"Roarr!!"

Everyone in the ship was suddenly startled before tilting their head on the Captain's cabin, they saw a black figure standing upright.

"Isn't that where our Captain is?"

"Commander is there!"

The creature punches its chest as he loudly growls, Raul can see that man turned into an animal, to be precise it's an ape.

The ape clenched its hand before punching into Amir, just because it turned big doesn't mean it was slow, the punch was completely fast, and to make it worst that punch could instantly kill Amir.

Thankfully Amir learned Soru or he'll never see the world again, he swiftly moves from the side, taking this opportunity, he clenched his hands on the handle of his sword as he rushed to the ape.

Amir jumps off the ape's hand before attempting to pierce its eye, the ape realized the danger coming so it uses its other hand to defend its eye. Amir's sword pierced the ape's hand, he tried to pull his sword but it was stuck in the ape's hand.

The ape slapped Amir making him crashed on the wall.

*Boom

The wall cracked like a spider's web as smoke covered everything, Amir coughed up a mouthful of blood before lifting his head to look at the big shadow coming closer in his direction.

The ape pulled the sword out of its hand before it throws in the corner then it started to walk closer to Amir.

'If only I knew'

When the ape was closing to him, he heard a scream coming from the ape's direction before seeing the ape suddenly fall.

'W-What?'

He saw a large cannonball rolling on the corner with blood covering it, the shot was a complete headshot!

'What happened?'

Amir tilted his head to observe the situation and only to see that the ape was still alive and was preparing to get up, Amir abruptly looks for his sword that the ape throws away and soon saw it, the sword was 4 feet away from him.

He slowly crawled to it in an attempt to reach the sword, his hand was slowly closing the sword...

'Got it!'

He uses the sword like a cane to slowly stabilize himself, he slowly walks closer to the ape who's trying to get itself up.

As he is one step closer to outstretched the ape, the ape suddenly uses its hand to sweep Amir away. Even with the difficulty to lift itself it still has the enhanced ability to feel the thing happening from its surrounding even though the cannonball was unexpected.

Amir was swiped from the side as he slammed on the piled-up barrels, he can't fight anymore even with the constant training in the Marine camp, fighting a devil fruit user was too much for him, the enemy is an all-rounded fighter it's strong, agile, and has a fast regeneration ability.

When he's about to close his eyes he saw a man walking closer to him, he recognized him at first glance.

"W-What are you doing here? Inform everyone to retreat before that thing regains itself!"

"What you said made me open my eyes and because of that I've opened something inside me, the ability to read something"

"Why do I care about that Raul?"

Raul shook his head before taking Amir's sword before walking near the ape, his wound was still fresh but he realized that it wasn't very serious, the only problem is that every time he moves blood flows from it.

He walks near the ape as he grips the sword. Realizing that someone is coming again, the ape moves its hand to sweep that person but to its dismay, it didn't felt anything.

To Amir's view, he saw that Raul suddenly tilts his head from the ape's hand before walking as nothing happened.

Amir gaped his mouth when he saw this, 'This.. What is happening?'

When Raul arrived near the ape, the ape swings its hand to try and strike the person standing near him but again, nothing happened.

Raul saw everything in slow-mo, he dodges from the side while lifting the sword, he jumps off to the ape's head as he attempted to kill it in one go.

Raul inserted the sword on the ape's head but the skull was too tough, he tried his best to push the sword in the ape's head. The ape continues to squirm before slowly stopping, it made its last cry before dying.

"Y-You've killed it?"

Raul turned his head to Amir before slowly losing consciousness.

[1] Devil Fruit- are mystical and mysterious fruits found throughout the world that, when consumed, grant the eater a special super-human power, at the cost of the eater's ability to swim.

[2] Rokushiki is the main style of combat for the World Government's secret agents, but some Marines have also demonstrated its usage.