Chapter 24- The Rouge and the Demon

"You sure thats a samurai?", Joe asked, "he's got red and black robes".

"Well his hair is that samurai look, and he got two katanas." Said Ray.

"Yea but look at Zoro, he has three swords and he's not a samurai." Joe sharply replied

""Whatever purple-puss."

"WHAT YOU CALL ME TIN-MAN?!?"

Joe and Ray continue to bicker.

"WOULD YOU BOTH SHUT UP! It really doesn't matter, plus if he tries anything we got the advantage in numbers, let him on", I said. We slow the boat down to let the two on board.

"Thank you.. you are the first boat we have seen in three days... I apologize but do you have any food to spare us?" The samurai asks. The other man timidly nods.

"Of course! But only is you answer this question!" Ray said.

"Is this necessary Ray", I asked.

"Of course it is! So are you a samurai or not?"

"Is that suppose to be a serious question?" The samurai sarcastically says.

"That ends that debate." Joe says snarky.

"I will get you guys some food and water." Ray sighs.

"So samurai, whats your name, yours too kid", i asked.

"I am Wessex, and this is Phantom, he doesn't talk much because, well we don't like to talk about it. But I am protecting him from my clan and Hawkeye Jr" Wessex explained.

"Hawkeye Jr.?" Lizard asks.

"Yea, or so he says he is. He looks like him and he has a similar black sword." Said Wessex, "He's all bark and no bite, can barely hold up the sword. He's following us, he's trying to beat me in a duel to prove he's the best swordsman, I apologize if he comes here and causes trouble."

"Don't worry we can handle that brat." I said.

Everyone chuckles. We starts talking and Roy bring out food.

"This food is amazing! Either that or its just not eating for three days." Wessex said.

"I agree, this is delicious." Phantom said softly.

Everyone looks at him shocked.

"It's about time you talked to them, I told you that they weren't bad people when they let us on their ship." Said Wessex. "Now, you probably want to know why we were on that boat, let me start at the beginning. You know my name, I descend from a line of legendary samurai, some say the founders of all the samurai clans. I carry two black steel swords that my great great grandfather used, the founder of my clan. One with an ice like pattern and the other with a fire like pattern on the blades. They are said to have special powers to them, but I have not discovered then yet."

"So why are you here? Wouldn't you be at the clan now?" Aeon asks, "also when you are felling better, I'd like to test your skills out".

"Hmph, I will take you up on that, and I should be, I should be training recruits and prodigies. But about a week ago my samurai clan was charged to eliminate all pirates and enemies on an island. Turns out they were already dead, along with everyone on that island, except for phantom crouched in the middle of a burning house, without and injuries. My brethren wanted to kill him, they assumed he was to blame, but he wasn't a killer, I could see it in his eyes. We took him back to our base and our elders debated. They decided to kill him but I intervened against the decision, the council was furious, they told me to move or else and that my ancestors were disappointed. But I stayed and protected him, this only worsened everything. It made where they labeled me as a rouge and gave me this gi to show the world."

"Thats pretty intense for siding with an innocent man." Lizard states

"Yea, but the clan has very strict policies." Replied Wessex.

"I am not innocent." Phantom softly says. "I... I did kill everyone on that island... including all of my family and friends.."

Everyone looks shocked at him, and stares in silence for a few minutes.

"I know it comes to shock, a man in ragged clothes destroyed and killed an entire island. You're thinking how, but its simple, and terrifying. I possess the devil fruit."

"The devil fruit? You mean a devil fruit?" I asked.

Phantom shakes his head, "No, I have the devil fruit, one of the first zoan fruits. The devil-devil fruit."

"What?!" Wessex looked stunned. "You have that fruit?!?"

"What is it? Its just a zoan fruit." Ray dim-wittingly said.

"No it's not. Its one of the first zoan fruits found and the full beast form is uncontrollable.... Phantom did you go full beast mode, full demon mode?.." Wessex asked.

Phantom nods

"No one has ever seen it in full mode... or never lived to tell the tale, only man-beast mode, where he can control who he kills but its terrifying, as so the legends say."

"I HAVE FINALLY FOUND YOU!!! NOW I WILL SHOW YOU THE POWER OF MY BLACK SWORD!"

We all look towards the front of the ship and see a man pointing his sword at Wessex.

"Hmph, so your back for a rematch bastard."