Serious; The Justice Gamblers; Chapter 3: Trying the luck (Open to the Justice Gamblers)

It had been some time after the incident of Spa Island. As Karma's wounds were not great, the man had recovered fastly. He was feeling much better and he was in perfect shape to continue his captain duties and lead the Justice Gamblers. For his great victory over the great pirate with the bounty of 30,000,000 Beli, the marine was awarded with a promotion and so he became a Commodore. That was a good step. He was one step closer from the rank of his father. If he received another promotion, he would be a Rear Admiral... Just like his father was.

Also, during that time, all the injured members from the battle against the Centaur Pirates were sent to the basement of Little East Blue. As a result, the ship had very few people on it. At least, as a temporary replacement for the men that had been sent back at the basement, the Headquarters had sent a new guy to the Justice Gamblers. Apparently, the new member of the crew was a member of the longleg tribe and he was supposed to be a martial artist. He seemed to be a quite good soldier. He could be big help for the crew.

As the crew was sailing, Karma was standing on the deck and he was looking around the area. Apparently, in front of him there was an island. It was a very small island that seemed to not be having any people leaving there. Those islands used to be places where pirates anchored their ships and used the islands as basements. As there were not any bystanders, they could hide their loot and rest before rushing into the sea again. The island seemed to be a perfect place for stuff like that and as the time passed, Karma was clinging more and more to stopping at that island to check the place. A few minutes later, as the ship finally approached the island, Karma took a deep breath and said to the helmsman. "Stop at that island... There might be pirates around."

"Yes, sir!" the marine responded and he started moving the ship towards the island. There, he quickly stopped the ship and anchored it. The Justice Gamblers had just landed on the island to search for pirates. Would Karma be lucky enough to have predicted things correctly or not?

Noticing they stopped at some random island, raymond stood up and sighed.''Karma, may I ask why we are stopping at this island?You may be a commodore now but going to famous pirate hideouts and putting your crew in danger..again..is not really a favorable action with the higher ups..Not that you would die with me around, it's just that after the last battle it might be better not to jump right into action again...That said-.''.Raymond looked at a small group of 5 marines just standing around.''Prepare to make a camp, as your commodore commanded I can't just stop him, so prepare to set up a camp..If we do it, we better take the time to do it good.''.The marines saluted and went into the deck, grabbing whatever could help into a long scouting trip.

"Well, I am just checking the island... Abandoned islands like these usual make up perfect hideouts... And so, as it is my duty as a marine, I have to check the place to find out what is going on." Karma responded to the Vice Admiral as he looked at the remaining marines who were setting up the camp. They were placing tents all over the area at the beach so that the crew would be able to rest if needed, while they would be inspecting the place.

As the crew was placing the tents, Karma sighed. He looked for a moment towards the sea, towards the direction of the Little East Blue island. He was travelling for a while and he started missing his home... He could not wait until he would return back at the island. However, he would have to wait a little bit in order to do so. He would have to get the approval of Raymond who would deem him as a capable captain to lead a basement...

After thinking for quite a while, Karma took a deep breath and he said "Now, now... Luis I want you to check the whole area around. Oga, you should stay here to inspect the soldiers as they set up the camp. I am going to have some training...". Then, Karma started walking towards the middle of the island where he could have some training...

Luis found Raymonds lectures quite funny. Admiral nishki used to lead them into all sorts of dangers in battle after battle, but then again, the Admiral was a different case. Luis shrugged as Karma offered him the task, putting out his ciggarette "Yeah, got it.... though, i dont know what you expect to find out here sir...." Luis picked up his rifle to go set up .

Karma was slowly walking towards the middle of the island in order to search for a good place where he would train himself. As he walked, he started remembering things... He started remembering the battles that he had been having with his father while he still was a kid... So much time... So much time had passed... It was years since he last saw his father. However, his father was a well-known Rear Admiral and he was travelling from places to places, doing several missions for the sake of the marines. It was natural for him to not have met him at all. He should be happy that he did not see him, as he was very busy because he was doing his job perfectly. Whenever he missed his father, Karma always thought that thing and his desire to see him was not suppressed...

Even if his desire to see his father was suppressed, though, Karma's desire to train and become a great swordsman to surpass him was not at all. Raymond had shown him a few techniques while they were on the ship, ever since the moment they started sailing together. The technique that really piqued the curiosity of Karma was a technique which allowed Karma to run with great speeds. That Vice Admiral... He had several nice moves under his arsenal. He was a really good instructor, even if his strange and somewhat annoying personality was responsible for having Karma dispatched from the basement of Little East Blue.

"Well... With which should I begin with? The Two Sword Style or that technique?" Karma wondered as he was about to start his training...

Luis set up a outlook after hearing the captains orders. As a sniper, vantage point matters so he needed to stay on the ball. He looked around and finally noticed goats. Luis laughed at himself, seeing goats after a while was a sign of madness but he saw huge goats. Like they were really big. Luis patched his den den mushi to the Captain "Sir... why does this island have such big goats?"

Karma was about to start his training. However, before he could answer to his question and start his training, he received a call from Luis. Apparently, the man was talking about the island, saying that it had some big goats. Karma knew a few things about the island and why it was abandoned, but this was something he never heard. He knew that the island was Goat Island, from a map he had in the ship, and that it was called Goat Island because of the goats that lived on there but he had never heard that the island had big sized goats on it... Plus, he doubted that big sized goats really existed naturally... This was very suspicious. That was either a misunderstand from Karma's part, a lie from Luis' part and if nothing of these was right, then that meant only one thing. Something was going on on the island.

"Tell me where you are, Luis..." Karma said immediately so that he would go towards him and check out what was going on. He immediately sheathed his swords back and he prepared himself to run towards Luis' place in order to see what was going on.

Meanwhile, at Luis' place...

As the man was about to respond to the question of Karma, something unexpected happened. The connection between the two Den Den Mushis was turned off, before Luis could answer to the question of his captain. As soon as the connection was turned off, a man who was hiding behind a tree came out. The man was dressed like a detective and he had yellow hair. On his hand, he was carrying an indigo colored Den Den Mushi. Apparently, it was a rare kind of Den Den Mushis that was used to stop the transmission of other Den Den Mushis around a big area around it.

"I see we have visitors..." the man said as he looked towards Luis with a smile on his face.

Luis was wondering the position of this area. "Near the ship on the ....." Luis felt like this was weird, what was going on that made the captain so worried, but what was even more strange was that the signal was completely cut off. Luis got his rifle and equipment ready. He ran to get some cover. What was going on? He needed to make sure he would survive to return to the ship.

"I also see you have some nice equipment over there... And you wear marine clothes... That may be a clue that you are a marine... Are you not?" the man who cut off the connection said, as he revealed himself to Luis, showing his face completely. That man... He was a quite familiar figure at the islands of the Grand Line... He was a pirate... One of the newest pirates, a well-known one. His Bounty Poster could be seen anywhere in marine basements as well as on the walls of the many towns of the Grand Line.


"So, now... May I ask you a thing? What are you doing here, sir?" Den Den asked with a wondering look on his face and he waited for an answer from the marine. He wanted to find out what he was doing there and he was quite careful with his words to force Luis into answering him at this question rather than letting him make it to himself. Den Den was a quite smart man.

KARMA (SOMEWHERE AROUND THE MIDDLE OF THE ISLAND)

"Damn!" Karma shouted as he realized that the connection was cut off before Luis responded to him. "What happened?" he said with a surprised look on his face and he attempted to call Luis back. No matter how many times he had to try, though, he could not do anything at all. Apparently, he was unable to call him. Something had happened.

As he had no idea where Luis was, Karma knew that he had no other choice except from running behind at the basement in order to inform the other marines of the crew by himself. And so, while Luis was being confronted by Den Den, Karma was running back towards the basement to give the order to the marines to start searching for Luis and investigate the island to see what happened.

Luis was starting to sweat. He didnt notice this guy standing here. And not to mention he was a famous pirate? Well around 25 mil. As luis remembered the bounty he calmed down. OK well it wasn't too scary. Luis adjusted his sunglasses and picked up bag and rifle "Im Lieutenant Krieg...... and i know who you are Mr Den Den...... what would you be doing in a small remote island like this eh?"

"Why are you using a question to avoid giving me an answer?" Den Den replied with a calm look on his face as he listened to the words of the man, who, instead of replying, asked him what he was doing at the island instead. "I was the one to ask you first, so I am afraid that you will be the one answering my question first. It goes like that. I question, you answer. You question, then, and I answer. Isn't that logical and right?". Den Den seemed to be quite cunning and he was attempting to force Luis into answering him, as well as avoiding answering to Luis.

KARMA

While Luis was talking to Den Den, Karma was running more and more. It would take him some more time to reach the basement. However, he did not have time to lose at all. He should do something quickly... He should reach the basement as fast as possible. And as he was thinking of that, Karma came up with an idea. He actually HAD a way to contact the basement and probably reach Luis, as well, which nobody else had. He could still use his Devil Fruit ability in order to call the marines in the basement. He could replicate his body parts to see others and talk to them... He would have to give some effort, though, in order to do that. It was something new that he was about to try...

With a serious look on his face, Karma stopped moving and he started concentrating. He formed an "X" with his arms in order to start doing so and he stopped moving his body completely. Then, ears, eyes and mouths started sprouting around himself. He had done it... He had developed a new technique. The only thing that he was supposed to do was to direct that technique towards the basement in order to talk to the others about what Luis talked to him about...

Luis shuffled his feet , but remained calm, it was imparative in all operations to remain calm no matter the circumstances. Luis looked to Den den and sighed "Very well, ill tell you, we are here to restock and check out the island, we dont have any other purpose for being here, and since we are marines, we have back up coming for sure to make sure our patrol of this island is in tact. So i would advise you to surrender and maybe, just maybe you might live.." Luis pulled out his ciggarette and lit it with his match. He took a deep breath and puffed slowly, this calmed him down.

"Is there a reason I should surrender? I have not done anything suspicious enough for you to have a reason to catch me... Look at me... I was the one to turn myself to you. If I had done something bad that would make me worthy to catch, it would be obvious for me to hide myself instead of appearing right in front of your eyes and give you the opportunity to catch me... It is that simple, is it not? Look at the evidence... It's clear that I am a man who happens to be at the wrong place, at the wrong time... Is it not?" Den Den said with a smile on his face. Those words... Although they sounded quite right, they also sounded quite ironic... Den Den seemed to be trying to make fun of Luis... Was he such an idiot, or was he very confident over something? There were a few questions that had to be answered...

KARMA

While Luis was speaking to Den Den, Karma kept trying to contact the main camp. As the Den Den Mushis were deactivated because of Den Den's own Den Den Mushi, Karma had no way to contact the camp fast enough to tell them about the report which Luis gave to him. However, he still had a way... He was trying a new technique... He was trying to use his fruit power to contact the camp. By focusing himself a lot to try that new technique, the man started blooming eyes, ears and mouths around the place. Soon enough, those body parts started blooming towards the direction of the basement and half a minute later he finally managed to reach the camp. "Vice Admiral! I have to report some strange events!" Karma's bloomed mouth said and he waited for the answer of his superior advisor.

Luis puffed his cigarette not giving into the taunts from the pirate. Instead Luis laughed as he continued smoking "How about thinking ? Your a wanted pirate, with a bounty poster, i have a duty as a marine to capture you, do you not think things through? Or are you a born idiot, baka" Luis was hoping this guy took the bait.

Oga sit at the corner of the ship, since he know no one yet. He try to talk with some marine but didn't get along well with any of them. Luis and Karma seem like a friendly guy after all so he think he'll do fine. He heard the Captain's order, and give a slight grin when they're talking about docking at the island. His excitement increase even more when the Vice Admiral said that, they might be some dangerous pirate there.

The ship finally dock as he step outside. He's quite tall to other, but short to his tribe. He got a long leg, but kinda short body. Well, he didn't mind it at all. "Alright. I'll try my best to ensure the safety of the marine." said Oga with enthusiasm. His first order was out and he will try his best to complete the order, he's a man on his word.

Some time later, he heard a voice shouting at them. He's familiar with the voice as he turn back. He's shock the moment he turn back to see a mouth talking. "The hell is that?" he said with a shocking voice. He calm himself as he try to think about it. The voice is Karma's. "Oh...Karma-Sama is a fruit user after all." he take a deep breath in relief. But then, he become worry again because the voice sound like danger. "Strange Event..?" he said with a confusing voice.

"Oh, I forgot that..." Den Den said with a grin on his face. "That bounty... It is so irrelevant and useless that I always forget about it... Up until now, it has not caused me any problems at all. Could this time be the time in which it would bring me up some problems?" he continued saying ironically to Luis, as he moved his hand to his pockets in order pick up something... It seemed that he was preparing for something...

KARMA

"Oga, is that you?" Karma said with a serious voice to Oga who seemed to be the one who replied at him, instead. Apparently, it seemed that the Vice Admiral was busy and that Oga was the one to respond. Even if he would not report to the Vice Admiral, Karma had the chance to inform his subordinates about the strange thing that Luis spotted on the island. He said quickly "Listen carefully, Oga... Luis reported to me a few minutes earlier and he said that he tracked some big sized goats and before I gave him any commands, our connection was coincidentally disabled... Those goats are something that is abnormal for this island, not to mention the coincidence with the Mushis that were shut off and couldn't work... Something fishy is going on here. I want you and the other 10 soldiers to move towards Luis' direction and see what is going on there. I am on my way towards the camp. Now, move!". Karma was in a rush. He had a very bad feeling... He came to the island to investigate it and he actually got to find out that something strange was going on on the island... And luck, apparently, used to always be by his side...

Oga listen to Karma full word as it seem dangerous. It seem that Luis is in danger, a very dangerous situtation. However, his speed is very good, since he's a longleg and he spent many many years training his speed. "The training, really worth it.." murmured Oga. He turn to all the marine "Ya heard that Marine!?! 10 of you come with me!! And, do you guy know the direction where Luis just gone to?" said Oga. All the marine slaute. Yes Sir! We knew! replied all the marine. "Ok then. Let's go! Run with your full speed, and catch up with me. My speed is very fast, so i'll be there before you!" said Oga as he run toward where Luis just go. His speed is really good, indeed. "But sir!! Where you are heading is not where Luis just go--!" shouted one of the marine. But it's too late, Oga already run to the wrong direction. "I'll go and retrieve him! You guy go ahead!" said one of the marine as he start to run toward Oga's way. The other 9 marine run to where Luis is.

[OOC: He's just confuse. It's not like he have no sense in direction like Zoro. Just confuse XD]

Luis simply remained still while looking at den den "A bounty stays with you for life... it means you have done something wrong and are required to be brought to justice, dont think so bad of it, im sure the cells in Impel Down will keep you comfy, or the cells in the tower of angels in the New World perhaps? I heard that place is a true hell....."

DEN DEN (With Luis)

"Impel Down, huh? The way this prison has turned, I would say that Impel Down would be the perfect place for a guy like me to escape..." Den Den commented as he looked at his enemy with a smile on his face. "A guy like me can easily escape from that prison... Do you know why? I will tell you. I will get to understand every single person at the place, I will get to learn how to get out of there, easily... I can read through the minds of others... I can see the truth behind them... And I can see that in this place, which is full of trees, it will be very easy for me to escape from a sniper like you." Den Den continued saying as he turned his back to the man. "However, I don't see a reason in doing so...". Then, he raised his voice and turned towards Luis again "AS I WILL DEFEAT YOU!" Den Den said and he turned towards Luis again while pointing with his index finger. He was about to start a battle against the man.

KARMA

Seeing that Oga, at least, listened to him, Karma stopped using his technique and prepared himself to run towards Luis' direction, as well. The eyes that had appeared all around the area disappeared and the man could start moving again so that he would get to Luis and find him. It would take him quite a while to do so, but that was the only thing he could do at the moment... Replicating a body part like his eye, his mouth or his ear was quite easy, but he could not replicate his arms to assist Luis, if he was in danger... At least with his current level of mastery over his fruit. As a result, the man kept running and running and he hoped to reach his subordinate to assist him.

---

Meanwhile, at Oga's place... As the man run towards another direction, he was getting separated from the rest of the marine crew and he was getting lost... However, that was not the only thing that went on. Apparently, something else, more fishy was happening. As he run in the small forest of goat island, all alone, with the marine soldier who was following him being unable to reach him, Oga was forced to stop as he was surrounded by three big sized goats. Those goats had an abnormal size and they looked quite powerful, as well as dangerous. Above these goats, a man was standing. The man wore a fur made of a goat's fur and below it he wore a white suit with a black tie. He wore white glasses on his eyes and he wore two fake horns on his head. His hair were grey and he had a small scar on his left cheek.


"Where are you running, longleg?" Ball said with a smirk on his face, as he looked at him. "Are you afraid of goats? Tahahahahahahaha!".

Luis puffed his ciggarette, he didnt know if this guy was some sort of clown or what, ever since Maximillion, no one had escaped Impel Down. Mainly because the warden was pissed off at the events which had occured and took more security precautions. Most of the high level prisoners were moved anyway so it another factor. Luis breathed in "No one has escaped the Tower of Angels yet... maybe i should put you in there......... but either way, you talk way too much dude....." Luis had one hand on his rifle while smoking his cigarette , he needed to find a good vantage point.

Oga stop as somethng humongous block his way. "Woah! Is that an elephant!? No! Not an elephant, this one is furry. Maybe a bear! No! Bear are brown!!" said Oga staring at the goat. "Luis-San is not somewhere around here. But i'm sure, he went this way. Let get back..." he murmured as he turn back trying to run away but the goat behind him block his way. He hears a voice coming so he turn his face to where the voice come from. He look at the man and tilt his head in confusion. "Damn! Some Freaking "Nerd" appeared!" he said. He try to look for Luis but thing have gone weird all of the sudden. "Goat..? Oh, i get it now. So this thing are goat. Thanks for telling me. Oh, and you said it wrong there. You want to say "ghost", right? Not goat." said Oga as he start to laugh.

DEN DEN (With Luis)

"Tower of Angels, huh? I suppose this is a place in the New World, right? Interesting... Very interesting... The might of the Clue Pirates shall reach the New World that fast... It's quite enjoying... Who would believe that when me, Ball and Heracles started this crew we could end up in a prison in the New World. However, saying that I should be sent there means one thing... I am valued as a New World pirate... And I doubt that a marine like you can beat a pirate like me... In fact, I believe that you have just admitted your future defeat on my hands... By saying that I am going to be sent to a prison in the New World, you ranked me as a New World pirate, a pirate that somebody like you will never defeat. Am I wrong, Krieg? Or should I say... Luis?" were the words of Den Den. Just like Luis said, he was a very talkative guy... And on top of that, he was a quite creepy one as he knew many strange things that most pirates did not know. "Anyway... Shall we start?" the man commented and he placed his hands inside his pockets, prepared to engage in combat with the marine.

KARMA (Somewhere in the small forest)

"Damn it... Move, Karma, move!" Karma said as he run faster and faster... He was giving his best in order to move towards Luis... However, it seemed that the man was very far... No matter how fast Karma was running, Karma seemed to be unable to reach him. He was at a far spot... It would take him some more time for him to reach him... "Luis... Be careful..." Karma thought, as he kept running.

MR. BALL (With Oga)

Mr. Ball sighed as he looked at Oga... That longleg... Was he really that dump or did he act like that? His behavior was quite strange... At first, he was speaking a few strange words about the goats, paralleling them with elephants and bears... Then, as soon as he listened to Ball's words, he realized that they were goats and then he made a terrible joke... He asked Mr. Ball whether he wanted to say "Ghost" and not "Goat". He was clearly confusing and annoying Mr. Ball with his personality...

"Hey! Can you not understand?! I said GOAT! NO GHOST! GOAT! Got it memorized? G-O-A-T! GOAT!". Despite his nerdy look, Mr. Ball was a quite hot-tempered person... He could not hold his nerves and he would instantly yell at people which would not understand a thing and would get on his nerves.

Luis finally put out his cigarette and then whipped his rifle out, he fired a quick shot meant to take the view away from him, the shot would whiz past the upper lower chin of den den, this gave a brief moment for Luis to dash away, either way Luis dashed and slid across the terrain. "How the fuck does this moron know my name?"

Oga turn his head back and raise his hand up as Ball shouted toward him. "Ok...ok...i get it now. No need to said it too loud." said Oga as he step back alittle. Who would have afraid of goat? Well..goat can be scary sometime but it seem like a weird question. "Hey one question, are you an idiot?" asked Oga with curiousness. He doesn't know that he might harm the guy's feeling and might make him lost his temper. That can't be help after all, he's talkative guy. "Oh, and, have you see my friend? Another marine! I don't know how to describe his look. I'm bad at describing, but actually if you see one, he's my friend." asked Oga for some information about Luis.

DEN DEN (With Luis)

"Kami-E: Slime!" Den Den said as his head took a strange shape and the bullet passed right next to his chin without hitting him and without causing any damage to him at all. "Do you really believe that a sniper like you can deal with a superhuman like me? It's like forcing an ant to battle a lion! Haha!" Den Den remarked as he took his previous stance. He had his arms kept inside his pockets and he was looking at his enemy with the same smile on his face as before. Seconds later, he started rushing towards him fast... He started running with great speed and in around 3 seconds, he got in front of him. He raised his leg upwards and he attempted to strike Luis with his heel at his hand, in order to cause damage to his hand and make it difficult for him to wield his rifle anymore. As he did so, he said "Detective Heel.". It was a powerful kick that could break Luis' hand, if it hit.

KARMA

While Karma was running, he stopped for a brief second in order to take a breath... He was starting getting tired. This constant run all the time made him feel some fatigue, although it was not a big deal. He wanted to take a breath in order to relax and regain his strength. He fell on the ground and looked upwards. He looked at the sky... A few birds were flying very fast, as if they wanted to avoid something. At first, he could only listen to those birds. However, after the birds left, he started listening to another sound... There were a few people nearby and they seemed to be talking to each other. Who were those people and what were they talking about? A new question was created... Goat Island, the small island without habitats and only goats proved to be a very populated place, after all.

MR. BALL (With Oga)

"JUST SHUT UP!" Mr. Ball said, clearly losing his temper for a second as he listened to Oga's words. While speaking, the man grabbed a spear out of his fur and he showed it to the man. The annoying longleg had made him lose his temper for good. He was about to start a battle against the man. "GOATS! ATTACK HIM!" Mr. Ball said and two of the big sized goats moved towards Oga and attempted to stomp him and smash him with their legs. Oga did not seem to be the only one with a strange personality. Mr. Ball had a very strange personality, as well.