Chapter 17 : The First Loss is oddly Refreshing(2)

Ducking into the nearest hallway Naruto peered his head out to observe the shark fishman, as evidenced by his shark-like teeth, but Naruto could not tell his species.

He also had a scar or a mark in the shape of a lightning bolt on the left side of his face and fangs protruding from his lower jaw, similar to his boss. He was somewhat short and rotund in shape, and his hair was arranged in spikes pointing upwards.

He had the number eight tattooed to the left of his neck, and wore a white t-shirt with sky blue sleeves with an orange colored star logo for the Criminal brand, an outrageous store that sold the most expensive clothing brand he ever saw in his life on his chest.

He also wore standard grey pants held up by a belt, and was barefooted.

Naruto couldn't believe what he was seeing, a fishman of all people in a human pirate crew. Due to his previous experiences he figured that to be an impossibility, but his eyes were not deceiving him.

And when the fishman turned his back on him to head off to who knows where the blond saw the shark fin protruding from his back. The blond followed him as discretely as possible, ducking behind corners, and blending in with a large group of pirates whenever he could.

After fifteen minutes the tiger shark fishman found his back pressed against the entrance to the cargo room where he saw the fishman enter. And to his immense shock Naruto saw him chatting it up with three men of various ages.

The first person he was leaning against a wall was a broad-chested muscular tan man around Jinbe's height with a curly black mustache and a dark blue top hat on top of his black curly hair with an earring in each ear.

He was wearing a semi-open dark blue shirt with a white diamond stripe pattern near the top that revealed some of his hairy chest, as well as a cape that matches the color of his shirt and white gloves.

He was also wearing light blue pants with a belt that held two sword sheaths that held two sabers with purple hilts.

The second was a teenager with wavy black hair and childish freckles sitting on a large crate. He wore an yellow open-front shirt, black boots, black knee-length shorts with an eyelet-studded orange belt, and a blue pouch belted around his left leg.

Oddly enough he also wore a short second belt with a large red "A" on the silver buckle over his right hip, but left it unfastened and threaded the free end along the back of his shorts, and a dagger in a green sheath hung at his left hip.

But the coolest thing he was wearing by far was a red beaded necklace and an orange hat with two blue smileys, one frowning and one smiling, and a string of red beads sitting above the rim. Two long orange side straps hung down sides of his hat and met at a large medallion of a bull's skull with orange tassels.

The third was a tall brown-haired man with a pompadour hairstyle, that went to a point at the back of his head, and a black goatee around his chin leaning against the crate. He also had a stitched scar running down his face, around his left eye.

The man was also dressed in a white posh uniform, with calf-long pants, a black belt around his waist, a yellow scarf and black shoes.

The fourth and final person leaning against the other wall was a lean yet muscular, blond-haired man with a rather sleepy look and some stubble around his chin.

He was wearing a simple open purple jacket and a light blue sash adorned with an elaborate golden-yellow belt around his waist.

He had dark gray knee-long pants and black sandals, and on his left leg he was wearing what appears to be some sort of straw decoration. Looking closely Naruto saw that he had Whitebeard's second Jolly Roger that looked like a cross and crescent moon mustache symbol on it.

Almost immediately Naruto broke out into a cold sweat. Just like Whitebeard he felt the sheer power rolling off them, they were a dangerous bunch, and he felt that this would not be a good time to try and talk to them.

So slowly, very slowly the blond backed away until he felt his back hit something solid. Feeling his sweat fall from his head he slowly turned before his eyes bugged out.

Behind him was an extremely tall, very muscular, broad-chested, heavily-armored and dark-skinned man.

He had a long battle-hardened face with a perpetual scowl with black stripe-like patterns for a beard and hairstyle.

His legs are relatively thin in comparison to his muscular arms. He also wore dark armor with red-bolted darl shoulder pads. On his chest he has a green cuirass, whose front and back portions are connected by metal straps that go over both his collarbones.

Around his waist there was a big, elaborated golden belt, worn over what looked like a green skirt with golden decorations near the edge. He also wore what looked like studded, black and gold large-buckled shoes or boots and matching black studded pants.

"Well look who we have here." The giant man's gruff voice said as he grabbed him by his axe and lifted him into the air. "It looks like we got a rat boys!"

"There is no need to over exaggerate Jozu we all felt him coming from a mile away." The pompadour hair-styled man said in a jovial tone.

"Put the boy down and join us old friend, we were about to continue last week's topic." The swordsman continued before pulling out a mug from a nearby rack, reached over to a barrel of and turned the tap letting the alcoholic drink pour out into his mug.

"That one was stupid Vista." The man known as Jozu pointed out.

"The only one who even pulled some sort of prank was Ace here, I find that type of stuff childish, Namur won't even comment about it and Marco only burned a house down by accident."

"Pfft is that all? I bet I could entertain you with all the crap I've done."

Naruto spoke up. Why he did it, he honestly didn't know, but it probably had something to do with his prankster pride that was pretty infamous on Fishman Island.

"Oh really now?" This time it was the teenager named Ace who spoke up. "Now what kind of pranks have you ever done? Was it graffiti or pansing someone?"

A gigantic toothy smile soon came to the blonds face. "No, I single handedly defaced the Royal Knight's armor."

"I call bullshit!"

Namur barked out, surprising the pirates within the room to look at the normally quiet fishman.

"The Royal Knights have been trained to be on constant alert; there is no way a kid like you could even pull that off."

"Well then, pull up a crate I have a story to tell you all…provided gigantor doesn't kill me." Naruto replied with a twinge of nervousness.

_______________________________

there is 8 chapters ahead of the public release in p atreon for only 5$

my p atreon is :

https://www.p atreon.com/Huvnn

or search my name : Huvnn

________________________