Seaside System - Chapter 5.1

The distance between the G5 marine base and Punk Hazard was something that could generally be crossed in a few hours by marine battle ship.

Kaden could move much faster than the standard ship when traversing through the air with Geppou.

There were two problems that came with it though that could not be understated.

One, was the simple fact that kicking off the very air itself hard enough to more or less create shock waves of pure force to act as stepping stones across the air was exhausting and actually quite painful after a while.

The second problem was the other simple fact that the New Worlds weather was utterly monstrous. One moment it could be storming with gale force winds and crackling lightning bolts, the next massive cyclones would tear up from the depths of the ocean, only to then be replaced a few minutes later by the sky hailing.

Hailing literal massive glaciers that would make the one that destroyed the titanic weep in envy.

And that wasn't going into the wild life.

Like the utter leviathans that were the Sea Kings that do so loved to just pop up every now and then and take a gander to see if anything worth munching on was passing by.

It made the trip to Punk Hazard, utter hell.

The first half at least.

Because Punk Hazard could not be locked by an Eternal Pose, therefor it was all but impossible for him to get there straight from the G5 marine base.

The Eternal Pose he'd taken to get there, instead directed him straight to Risky Red Island, a marine controlled island that had an extra port built specifically facing straight towards Punk Hazard.

Risky Red Island was an important place for marines to control. It was one of three islands that all newcomers to the New World side of the Grand Line would end up at after surfacing from the Fishman Island.

And out of the three, Risky Red Island was the only one under marine control. The other two were not under marine control at all. They were named Mystoria Island and Raijin Island.

Kaden didn't know anything about Mystoria island himself, but he did know why Raijin island wasn't under marine control. Or anyone's control for that matter.

It was because of the islands unique weather patterns.

Specifically, Raijin island was named that for a reason. Because every moment of every day, the island was struck by thousands of massive bolts of lightning.

It was an island nobody in their right mind would go to, and only the strongest could survive there without special equipment.

'It might not be a bad training spot.' Kaden mused as he walked through the streets of Risky Red Island.

His legs were killing him, and his clothes were still damp from a storm he had to run through in the last leg towards the island, but he'd made it.

He noticed something pretty odd though about the island almost immediately. It wasn't a very big island, but from what little he knew it was an island that usually saw a lot of trade.

There were tons of stalls set up throughout the main streets of the small town atop the island.

But hardly anyone was manning their stalls and their was an almost oppressive weight amongst the people he passed by, shadows on their faces and as a whole full of grim looks.

'Jeez who fucking died?' Kaden grimaced. The place was seriously depressing, and the quicker he moved on the better. Right now, he was just making his way towards the far end of the island where the marine tower on the island was stationed and behind it a small port.

The port facing directly towards Punk Hazard.

He continued on his way towards his destination, and before long found himself approaching a large walled off area, a massive gate constructed in the middle of it and behind it a huge tower rising up into the sky.

"Let me in! I want to see my mother!" a young girl with long brown hair, dressed in a pair of overalls was banging on the gates and calling through the bars of it for some reason.

"She's busy brat!" a gruff male voice bit out from the other side of the gate and as he approached it, Kaden noticed it was a very large man easily over seven feet tall with rippling muscle, tan skin, thin hair and a thin black moustache, "She's entertaining the Vice Admiral right now, she'll be let out when he gets bored of her like the rest, now clear off before I smack you one!"

The little girl flinched back at the mans threatening tone and tears budded in her eyes, "B-b-but-"

"BEAT IT I SAID!" the man smashed his fist against the gate, creating an audible gong said that had the little girl shrieking in fright.

And of course the man was wearing a marine uniform. 'Because why not right?' Kaden rolled his eyes.

Still, what the man said about the little girls mother set alarm bells ringing off in his head. Entertaining the Vice Admiral? Let out when he was bored of her like the rest? And then this huge bastard trying to intimidate a little girl just crying for her mother?

'…Who even is the Vice Admiral stationed here?' Kaden thought, stopping and just staring at the debacle.

His fists were clenched without him even noticing it, and the urge was there to call this bastard out.

But, he couldn't.

He couldn't take on a Vice Admiral, not yet. Doing so, was suicide. He had no choice but to keep his mouth shut.

If he wanted to do something about it, it was smarter just to continue on his way and come back later when he had the strength to actually do something.

So he should keep quiet and not do a damn thing, because that was the smart move. The only move really.

…So why were his legs carrying him forward?

"What's the problem here?" Kaden's mouth moved before his brain as he approached the gate.

The eyes of the massive marine behind the gate and the little girl roved over to him, "None of your business, brat," the marine behind the gate spat, "This little annoyance is interfering with official marine business. You should leave before you get caught up in those as well."

There was a definite threat in the mans voice.

Kaden resisted the urge to let his temper get the better of him and kick the gate off its hinges and crush him beneath it.

"That's funny, because I was under the impression that marine business was my business," Kaden said, raising an eyebrow at the man as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his ID card, his shiny new ID card that queer ass annoyance dropped on him after his promotion went through and showed off not only his identity, but his current rank, "What with me being a marine commander and all that."

It had only been like two hours max since he left the G5 marine base behind, it would be a while before they clocked on to him being missing and all that, so he could afford to flex his rank for a little bit before any rights it gave him were yoinked with the wanted poster he was going to get.

The little girl gasped, while the huge man behind the gate had his eyes widen in shock, "A little brat like you….is higher ranked than me!?" he sputtered.

As of today, yes.

He didn't need to know that.

Besides, his tone freaking pissed Kaden off, "The fuck did you just call me?" Kaden bit out, his temper getting the better of him. Usually he'd be better at holding it, especially in a situation like this, but after what he'd just saw, and now this? It was a bit…hard.

"Ah…eh….!?" The marine behind behind the gate stalled as he realised what he just said, "Apologies Commander! I was just shocked one so young looking is such a high rank! I didn't mean anything by it!" he hurriedly apologized, bowing at the waist.

Yet was unable to hide his gritted teeth.

Kaden wanted to break his face in.

He didn't though. Because attacking the marines here would just have the Vice Admiral whoever it was, coming to kick his ass.

"Whatever, just explain what the hell is going on here." Kaden demanded. Hopefully, he could sort all this out without things escalating all that much and he wouldn't fuck himself over trying to help out this little girl.

"It's nothing special sir!" the marine behind the gate hurried to explain, "Vice Admiral Graydle was assigned here just last month after exemplary service for the Celestial Dragons themselves and the people here are just showing off their thanks to him for his great service!"

What a complete and utter load of bullshit.

The second the idiot mentioned serving the Celestial Dragons directly as if it were some kind of big accomplishment, Kaden already understood what was going on.

"Liar!" the little girl shouted, "That disgusting guy is forcing any girl he likes the look of to do whatever he wants and takes whatever he wants from anyone on the island! You marines are pathetic!"

Basically, this Vice Admiral Graydle was acting like a tyrant ruling over the island like a king and had been raping whatever woman caught his eye and this time, it was this little girls mother.

The marine behind the gate shot up with a snarl on his lips, "As is our right for protecting you useless weaklings!" he shouted, "Thanks to the power of Vice Admiral Graydle's metal metal devil fruit you've suffered no pirates managing anything since we got here, unlike the fool that was here before him and got killed off! It's only right you leeches that live under the protection of our glorious flag provide reparations! That is why uurk!?"

The marine who had been in the process of lambasting the little girl, suddenly stopped, his eyes wide with disbelief.

And blood bubbling between his lips.

The gate that was separating the three of them groaned audible as it split apart diagonally.

As did the marine himself, split from shoulder to waist, the top half of his torso sliding to fall to the ground, his organs splashing out atop the earth.

And it was only then Kaden realised, his leg was raised.

He'd fired off a blinding fast kick before he even realised what he was doing and split not just the gate, but the marine himself with a Rankyaku.

The girl shrieked, "You….you killed him!" she uttered, staring with his wide in absolute horror.

Yes…yes he did.

Kaden stared at the corpse blankly. He had memories of brutally murdering and torturing people, but this was the first person he had personally killed himself since he got here.

"You should go home kid, this isn't going to be pretty." he said to the girl blandly as he dropped the sack he was carrying over his shoulder and fished inside it.

A moment later, his hand came out with a book in hand. He'd specifically grabbed this from the library in the G5 base.

A devil fruit encyclopedia.

Generally something that contained the basics capabilities of devil fruits that the marines had encountered and put together profiles on, including the what type of fruit they came from.

And what they would reincarnate into as well.

"What….what are you going to do?" the little girl fearfully asked him as he opened the book and began flipping through it almost robotically.

…Kaden honestly didn't know. His mind was a rush. He was kicking himself right now for his dumb hasty actions, but at the same time, he couldn't dwell on it, what was done, was done.

He didn't know what part of it all set him off. The guys attitude, the fact this Vice Admiral was a proud server of the Celestial Dragons, or just his flat out absolutely disgusting tyrannical actions.

This was why he should have just ignored everything and continued on his way, but no, instinct had carried him to this situation.

God damn his bleeding heart.

"I'm just gonna do my duty as a marine, and uphold justice," Kaden gave the girl a forced, bitter smile, "Now go, I'll do something about your mother."

She bit her lip, before nodding and running off.

His heart was thundering in his chest, and fear threatened to overwhelm him as she disappeared around the corner of a building and out of sight.

He was going to be fighting a fucking Vice Admiral! One with a devil fruit at that!

'One with a logia it seems.' Kaden swallowed as he finally found the page in the book that listed the Metal Metal fruit and quickly began reading through it searching for any known weaknesses.

There was none besides the typical weakness attributed to all devil fruits. Just his luck.

Reading it over….it was apparently a logia devil fruit that allowed the user to turn into and create liquid metal. Liquid metal that could be hardened to beyond the durability of steel and shaped as the user pleased. The user also apparently had a limited telekinetic control over objects they made from their metal. And on top of that, it bestowed upon them the ability to superheat their metal like a forge.

It wasn't exactly the Light Light fruit or the Lightning Lightning fruit, but it was definitely not far behind and was up there as a very high tier fruit. And there was a little note listing it as the superior devil fruit between it and both the Chain Chain fruit and the Smelt Smelt fruit.

"Fuck…" Kaden cursed.

He didn't stand a fucking chance against a guy like that. His haki was way too damn limited to hit him enough. He hadn't had the chance to see about adding the sea stone he'd yoinked onto a weapon at this point either, he'd been waiting to get his hands on better weapons than the ones he had.

'I should run.' he thought, staring at the entry for the devil fruit in the book in his hand. Nobody seemed to have noticed anything yet, beyond the little girl.

He could just launch himself into the air right now and get the fuck away from here with Geppou and continue on and head to Punk Hazard.

The only upside at all to this situation, was that the fruit the metal metal fruit would reincarnate into was known. A bananna apparently.

So if he could pull off the impossible here and kill this guy, he could easily get his hands on a Logia devil fruit.

…He really should just run and leave this situation behind. He could easily get a copy of one of the most powerful fruits in existence, train with it and come back later to deal with this guy.

On top of that he could easily get his hands on another useful zoan in the Axolotl fruit as well. There was literally two amazing devil fruits just up for grabs just like an hours run through the sky away.

He didn't need to do this. The path was laid out for him to overcome his inherited problems and gain the might he needed to have the right to do as he pleased.

He was golden.

His hand reached out for the sack on the ground beside him.

Yet, he did not lift it.

His hand went inside it and wrapped around something jagged and sharp.