Snakes...they were sly and they were venomous. Capable of swallowing normal predators whole and sabotaging any unlucky passerby. That was an interesting thought that Kobura had. He held the snake in his hands as it slithered out and onto the ground. He smiled, holding his sword to his side. “Snakes are interesting creatures…”

He walked through the woods and emerged from the tree line into Foosha Village. There he found a strange figure fishing off the docks. His older eyes weren’t waning on him yet, but the figure was someone of strong conviction. A setting sun loomed over the horizon as he gently tugged on the rod, fishing for something a bit larger.

Who was this man? Kobura had never seen him before in actuality. Foosha Village rarely got visitors and only had caravans that passed through every now and then for supplies. Most of their naval traffic was just to dock while the main crew hiked up through Midway Passage to Goa Kingdom. A figure emerged off of a ship--one of a larger category. He held the traits of a fish, while retaining a human form. A fishman?

The fishman gently spoke to the man fishing on the dock as if they were friends. Maybe comrades or partners in hand. Since Kobura didn’t have much else to do, he decided to walk toward the setting sun and introduce himself to the two strangers. His legs felt like jelly as he presented himself awkwardly to the two. One had a rough and cutthroat look to him, his fishing squat was immediately revoked as Kobura pulled up. The fishman loomed over the figure with a closely held eye.

“You got a problem punk?” He spat, finding his evening to be interrupted by some strange business-esque looking fellow. The fisherman stood up and pushed the fishman aside. How ironic it was that he was fishing in front of a fishman, but Kobura was the one being yelled at. “Shajun, calm down. I ain’t gotta’ problem with the kid. So why make a ruckus?” He gave Kobura a glare of neutrality.

Kobura sighed, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be so awkward. I’ve got an eye for this kind of stuff though.” He said, lighting a cigarette. “You two seem to know each other well, the name’s Kobura and you two are?” He asked with a glancing smile before pocketing his cigarette pack and dismissing it into his coat.

“Name’s Kazak, and this big guy here is my First Mate Shajun. He’s got a wallop of a punch I tell ya’.” Kazak said.

A vibrant color of a rainbow appeared as rain had befallen in the distance over the ocean. Something about this moment was pristine and unprecedented to Kobura. There wasn’t a way to put his finger on it, but something about these two vacated the area of all doubt. They were emitting something more grandeur and a dream that was deeply entwined with the sanctums of catastrophe.

Kobura only smiled, “Pirates ehh?” He had a sudden admiration for them, but he wasn’t sure of his path yet. Nor was he a mind-reader, he could only feel the energy that permeated from them like a fragrance of adventure.

Kazak frowned, “How’d ya’ know? You been fallowin’ me?!” He pulled his fish hook out and readied himself for combat. “Shajun, ready yourself! This one’s linked to that man!” He said, referencing someone of unknown origin.

“Woah! Wait--I’m not trying to fight!” He took a few steps back before holding to his sword. “I’ll give you one, but I’m not affiliated with whoever you are talking about! Now let’s all be friends here before this gets messy…” Kobura squinted his eyes.

His eyes were full of zeal and confidence, it was clear this man was no pushover when it came to his swordsmanship. Shajun charged in, not hearing a word of it as his anger boiled over into raw strength. “Hyahhhh!” He sent a punch flying at Kobura with an intense rage that deafened the air around Kobura.

A clang of metal and fist was met as Kobura managed to block the punch with the flat side of his sword. His feet skidded back as dust furled into the air like the mark of battle had been met. It was two on one, and Kobura wasn’t sure of the abilities of these two. He knew that the fishman was physically stronger than him, but the unknown variable of the captain could prove troublesome in this encounter.

A soft wind could be heard through the trees that swayed at the hands of mother nature, the pebbles found rest between the crevices of dirt as the two parties glared at each other with an intense focus that was unrivaled in Foosha Village.

An intense battle was being waged here for no reason at all it seemed, and villagers all around began to recognize the ongoing conflict. A haughty man of twelve foot came out from the bar and grabbed Kazak and Kobura by the head. “You two settle down before I have to put you down you hear?” He said with a twinge of a smile.

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The gathering crowd cheered for the twelve foot tall man, “Yehaa! That’s our man Bull!” His complexion turned sour when a fist of water enveloped his gut and sent him flying into the air, riveting like a plane without pilot until he crashed into the roof of a bar.

“Don’t touch Captain Kazak!” He said, grimacing his large muscles with a furious notion. Kobura had a sudden demeanor about him that glared into the eyes of Kazak. A startling image came to mind and then it was released in a sudden instance amidst the fog that was emanated from nothing itself. From it came the one and only, Snake Eyes Kobura.

“I’m Snake Eyes Kobura, and I ate the Hebi Hebi no mi, Model: King Cobra! My sszwordsmanship is unrivaled with this ssstrength, if you can defeat me in this form...I’ll let you do what you want with me. Though I still have no idea what I’m being accuszzed of…”

Kobura said, slithering forward with the power of the King Cobra on his side. He held the sword with his mouth and dove forward to impale the fishman. The fishman barely had time to react, but was still able to get out of the deadly scenario with the help of his captain. A clang of metal against metal ricocheted throughout Foosha Village.

A hook blade versus a sword, the idea was incredulous, but Kazak was holding his own against the snake with a shaky arm. “What a strange but incredible power! I’ll take ya’ down!” He deflected the sword and kicked Kobura in the side where Shajun began to beat the snob out of him. He flew into a distant building. Time was of the essence, and Kobura was running out.

Shajun jumped after the retreated Kobura, and delivered a deadly attack to his chest, “Geyser uppercut!” He said as a large stream of water was accompanied with the fist. Kobura immediately deflated back to his original form. He kicked Shajun back and gave him a look of seriousness that caught Shajun’s eye.

“I don’t want to fight you two! I am not associated with anyone and I just wanted to get to know you two, but here we are...fighting for nothing whatsoever. I can’t stand men who can’t reason.” He said, lighting a cigarette and turning his back on the two. He had no intentions of being around them if they were just going to assault him endlessly.

Kazak raised an eyebrow and put away his hook blade, “That ain’t exactly quitter talk, but it sure doesn’t seem like a lie. Sorry about the misunderstanding…” He said, scratching his head before telling Shajun to come back over to the dock. Kobura walked away with a fury in his eye.

As he was walking away, Kazak said something that would change him forever. “You know you’re not that bad of a fighter. We could use you on the sea partner, I don’t like guttin’ a fellow that can be useful. Do you wanna go on an adventure?” He asked, as the sun had finally peaked at the horizon.

Kobura turned around with his mouth half agape as the cigarette fell from grace. Had this man switched gears that fast? In what instance was this kind of thing logical? “Are you freakin’ crazy?!” He yelled at Kazak.

Shajun furled a vein in his forehead with his arms crossed. Kazak smiled mischievously, “We’re crazy but I’ve seen insane and that’s what I’m trying to destroy. Revenge is in the air and I need you to lend me your strength Kobura. I know it’s sudden and that we were just fighting...but I have this feeling about you that is special and unique ya’ know?” He said without a second thought.

This proposition brought many questions to the table? What was he leaving behind and what price would he pay for turning pirate? Not many people ever escaped the grasp of the marines and that was enough to make a man tremble in fear. Another fact was that he was one of the mythical devil fruit users, which made him already a criminal in some regard.

There was nothing here for him...except Muu. That was all that was here for him. He thought deeply about it before looking up to the two in a patient tone of voice, “I’ll join on one condition.” He held up his finger.

“And that condition might be?” Shajun asked.

“That you are able to convince Muu to join the crew. It won’t be easy, but it will be well worth your time. If you are unable to convince her, then you were never befitting of the title of captain over me in the first place.” Kobura said with a firm resolution in his heart, it burned like a volcano waiting to rupture as he waited for their answer.

They turned to one another and spoke quietly before Kazak turned to face Kobura. “I guess we have a deal. Now take me to this Muu woman and we shall get’n to it!” He said, his voice a bit raspy from his own dehydration.

He waved for them to follow him, as they led themselves into a distant house where things were beginning to rot from old age. The wood was creaking and the stench of leftover food soiled the air. There was a smell of oysters clogging the nostrils of the men as they walloped down to the final room.

A throne of oysters as a woman sat rigidly upon its crest as she fed herself an endless amount of the critter. “What’s this? Muu doesn’t like visitors Kobura!” She yelled softly before receding into a pile of oysters to where she could not be seen.

Kazak’s face grew pale along with Shajun’s. This was an unexpected outcome that they hadn’t really predicted. How were they going to convince this oyster-loving girl to ever leave her heavenly palace? It was simply not feasible and not worth Kazak’s time, but Kazak struggled through it as if it were not an adversity. He placed his hand on Kobura’s shoulder.

“If I can’t find value in her, she needs to find a use in her own ways....but I’ll do my best as your captain. Now let me go handle this…” He said with a grin, before removing himself from the group to consult Muu. Her black hairs stuck out under the oysters. Kazak knelt down and smiled, “Muu, can you hear me?” He paused.

“I want you to join my crew!”