I remembered, when on the island that grandpa owned I had asked my father why he almost never used his conqueror's Haki. His answer resonated with me to this day.

He had said, " Conqueror's Haki is the most wild of the three aspects of the self, it is the most uncontrollable. It is precisely for this reason that barely anyone ever awakens it. Even those who awaken it often don't master it.

Heck even I, have a minimalistic control over the d.a.m.n thing. I might be head and shoulders over everyone of my generation with regards to the other two, but my mastery of Conqueror's Haki can be barely said to be at the level of old whitebeard.

This type of power is rare, feral and savage. It is almost a.s.sured that someone who overuses this type of Haki will at some point get so high on it that they consider themselves to be G.o.ds! You might be strong, brat, but know this no one is unbeatable!"

As I took in the sight behind me, his words could not help but enter my mind.

With a sigh I walked through the veil that divided the outer and the inner circle, this entire island confused me so much. I mean, after Tiamat had told me that the island lived, my mind was already blown. But after that I had noticed something.

There were no serpent tracks that existed within the outer circle, but as soon as I entered the inner circle, there they were. Staring challengingly at my face.

Somehow those snakes entered here but not there, and that confounded me.

Was Tiamat lying when he said the monstrous Yuda was asleep? How else would this be explained.

With a deep glance around me I gave up on trying to understand it. And with a renewed vigor ran through the empty streets heading towards the center of the island…

*******

Fawkes grimaced as he walked the corner. A part of him went out to his travelling companion, but another more rational bit wanted to do nothing but clock the f.u.c.ker on his head and drag him through the pristine halls.

The man did not shut up!

Over the course of his stay on the island, Fawkes had already gotten an inkling to how talkative the man was, but only now did he realize that what he had seen was only the tip of the iceberg! Half the things he said didn't even make sense for G.o.d's sake!

Like what was a pac.h.i.n.ko machine whose slots were filled with different colored and structured monsters? What was a tactical pencil, and what the f.u.c.k was a sensitive d.i.l.d.o?!

With a final sigh he rounded on his compatriot, "Rein, I know that you are nervous, but if I hear another bit of information out of your mouth that does not relate to the route we're headed in, I swear to G.o.d I shall make you eat the wall!" He snapped in an uncharacteristic show of anger.

Fawkes was always the man on the crew that was the most calm, him and the captain seemed to have descended from icicles with the level of calm that they displayed, so for Fawkes to have snapped, especially at someone he knew was not a part of his crew startled Rein.

At first a flare of anger had shot through his stomach,' I mean it wasn't like I wanted to get into this situation!' he wanted to yell. But then he got a look at Fawkes' face and he shut up.

Though he covered it well, his façade had long begin to crack, his ever present grin had evaporated and his gentlemanly aura had disappeared.

Fawkes was genuinely shaken. True he had had a sad past, there had been many situations where he had been placed in danger. Heck Doflamingo had been more of a nerve wrecker than this island was, at least in its intimidation factor.

But that wasn't it, Fawkes had been involved, actively in all those situations. Though often his decision hadn't mattered, at least he had been allowed to make them. For a man that was raised on the concepts of Freedom, being kidnapped didn't sit well with him.

Being used as a tool, struck him with an uncomfortable feeling, and being strung up like some kind of piñata had him cursing mentally. This was the most mental stress that he had felt since the departure of his father!

To top it all off he had to babysit someone that he hadn't even known for too long, as he was the only source of 'hold it together we have a job to do' that he could find taxed him more than having to deal with Sorren ninjing into the s.h.i.+p's kitchens to steel food.

Rein took this all in, and for possibly one of the few times in his life felt tongue tied. His time on the s.h.i.+p had been quite taxing, if he was asked by someone about it, he would yell every synonym of 'h.e.l.l' all the while hastily backing away and praying to G.o.d, but it had begun to grow on him.

Especially as he was aware of the alternative, I mean, he would choose h.e.l.l to solitude any day right?

Through his time on the s.h.i.+p, he had met so many unique people, where he was from, children ran through streets in joy or sat cooped up in a tower Repunzel style trying to learn all their parents threw their way.

Here, he had seen children be doctors, actually caring for patients with a level of professionalism that would have been lauded in anywhere but Drum.

Of them all however, the one that Rein had truly come to like had been the man in front of him. The invulnerable Fawkes!

The man always had a smile on his face, he had been the idol of a true and tested older brother! Never too overbearing, always kind.. Now that man, had been reduced to a fidgety figure. It wasn't a huge fall by any measure, but it was who it had happened to that truly metaphorically slapped Rein across the face and forced him to sober up.

With a nod of understanding he went quite. Shooting a look over Fawkes' shoulders he exhaled softly.

Then with a swift pat on Fawkes' shoulders he led him forward. He might not be strong, but he was the one that had the map memorized.

As they navigated the maze before them, they felt a slight tremor in the walls. A primeval string of dread settled in the pit of Rein's stomach as he looked back, confirming with his ally that he too had felt it.

With a quick nod the two hurried forward, a pace more brisk than it had been. Rein still shot looks past the corners and skulked near the walls, but he hurried up. Putting his all to getting out of the horror house that they had landed in.

As they moved farther away Fawkes' face began to clear. The paleness of it all receded as he got his bearings.

Unfortunately however, the calm that he had begun to gather abandoned him, s.h.i.+fting away hastily as he looked at the stream of blood before him. A corpse could be seen on the floor spread eagled, an old face, with wrinkles that covered most of the eyes.

The face was a parchment white, and what little could be seen of the grey clouded eyes stared out with an equal amount of disbelief.

The wrinkled robes matted darkly at the figure's chest, a dark red cavity. It looked like it had been done with a kitchen knife, but nonetheless the corpse still managed to spook the duo.

And as they heard a clatter of footsteps begin to echo from the periphery of their hearing the duo could not help but stiffen..

*******

"f.u.c.k f.u.c.k f.u.c.k f.u.c.k!!" Terrick growled out as he ran for his life. The deranged hag that followed him still cackling away as she trudged after him.

The scent that had caused for his allies to fall unconscious was now so repugnant that it caused even the high priestess that had followed him so far, to slow.

Her steps had begin to falter a while back and an unnatural amount of sweat pooled over her forehead as she attempted to resist the onset of the fumes.

Terrick had so far been quite unharmed save for a small gash on his arm that had refused to stop itching, from a time that he had attempted to attack the hippie only to end up being stabbed as a calming aroma had suddenly warped his sense of danger, only his quick instincts had spared him from any further damage.

So here he was, the a.s.sa.s.sin in the crew of one of the strongest guys of the generation running away from an inexperienced p.r.i.c.k with an ego problem.

"Devil fruits are bulls.h.i.+t!"

"My word, how does she have this much stamina!" The high priestess bit out as the conscious duo finally burst past the spot from where the High priestess' quarters began.

"O teacher, where are you going~?" Merla bit out her token bad person line, before grinning as if to pose for a camera.

"Stupid edgy f.u.c.k b.u.m!" Terrick yelled out as he threw a needle behind his back, at this point both his verbal a.r.s.enal and his f.a.n.n.y pack had begun to run on empty, the only things in there were a few pairs of bandages a few threads of metallic threads that he did not have time to set up.

"Oi semi naked lady, any plans?" He called out to the high priestess as he pulled her along running through the inclined flooring that would led them to the floor below.

Here on the island the people seemed allergic to both stairs and clean air!

"What makes your ruffian brain feel that I have a clue!" She snapped back in a frigid and clipped tone. "Till a few hours ago that young girl was my student, now she's turned into a proto mental asylum patient!" She finished as she turned the corner with me.

As they did, who were to come into their eyes, if not two other b.u.ms that were supposed to be a long way off into the pipes by now!

"Oi you lot! What are you doing here? Run!" He snapped out jolting the sh.e.l.l shocked duo into a maddened sprint.

"Out of curiosity, what are we running from?" Fawkes inquired with strained civility.

"Stop running from me teacher!~" The terrifying young women called out as she too run pa.s.sed the corner.

"that now run!" Terrick snapped as a renewed stench filled the room.

The high priestess was quick enough to stab them in the shoulder with the dagger, thus keeping them temporarily conscious, and thus they ran. A mad dash. A temple run..... Dun dun dun