- Hermes was floating on his back on top of a huge lake of lava.
Dammit! Why did Masao has to die?! WHY??!!!
- He yelled at the endless black sky that was facing him.
Shit... The whole reason why I even started this journey was to get my revenge and kill "him", but after all that time.... and after all the stuff I've been through... I fail?! I lose that easily?!
- Suddenly, Apollo's face appeared in the sky.
Apollo: You are too weak...
.... I couldn't protect anyone... Not Masao... Not Niku... Not even Momo... Can I get anymore useless?
Apollo: You need to get stronger...
After all the training I've been through... Haha, such a failure...
- Hermes started sinking in the lava.
I don't think that sinking in lava is a cool death though. I couldn't even drag Apollo with me... What was I thinking?!
Hermes: *open eye* I still wanna live...
???: Oi! Dad, he is finally awake!
- Even though Hermes opened his eye, he couldn't see anything. It took him a while to remember he was actually blind.
Hermes: Ahh.... Hello? Is someone there?
Male Teenager's Voice: Don't worry, you are safe here.
- Hermes tried to move, but he felt pain running through his body. He also felt that his body was wrapped in bandages.
Male Teenager's Voice: Don't move too much! Your wound will re-open.
Hermes: Okay... Where am I? and who in hell is touching my ass?
Male Teenager's Voice: Uhaha, That's nobody. That's just the pillow under your legs.
Hermes: I see... Well, you still didn't answer me, dude. Where am I?
Male Teenager's Voice: You are in my house, of course. I live here with my dad; he is a very kind, old ma...
Hermes: *face fault*I MEAN WHICH ISLAND IS THIS?
Male Teenager's Voice: Oh, you are in Steam Punk Island! An island that is currently being used as a laboratory for various different government experiments. Welcome!
Hermes: Ahhh... Thanks, dude! [Government? Sounds like bad news.] Though... Last time i checked, I was on Oni Island.
Male Teenager's Voice: Yes, indeed. That place was covered in lava and its the most interesting place I've seen a while. Anyway, if the island didn't suddenly appear next to this one, you would have been a goner.
Hermes: Dude... I understand. I just wanna know how was i rescued from the lava dude.
Male Teenager's Voice: Oh! Well, my dad got curious about the island, that man cant hold himself when it comes to scientific discoveries! He went there to explore and found you wounded on top of the mountains.
Hermes: But... the lava dude...
Male Teenager's Voice: Oh! Did I forget to mention that he went there flying on his wheel chair?! Ahaha, excuse me, I am very clumsy with my words.
Hermes: [That dude's way of talking is pissing me off]
Male Teenager's Voice: So he brought you back here and healed you! Your wounds were pretty bad though! What were you doing out there? Huh? Huh?
Hermes: Ehhh, family business. Anyway, thanks a lot dudes!
Male Teenager's Voice: It's okay. My dad is a very kind man! You can ask him for more details yourself!
- Hermes felt pain on his head. He touched his face only to find that it was covered in bandages as well.
Hermes: *alert* By the way, I had some sort of... Robot looking eye. Where did it go dude?
Male Teenager's Voice: Ah, that! Dad is researching it now! He took it apart and is gonna examine it, says its a huge technological find!
Hermes: NANIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII?! BUT I CANT SEE VERY WELL WITHOUT IT!! [Now that i remember, Apollo did damage it in the last battle...]
Male Teenager's Voice: Well, no worries! My dad should have finished it by now! You have been asleep for quite a while, after all! Dad is in the basement, was about to call him out for you!!
Hermes: [That dude's voice is overly excited...] O-okay dude...
- Hermes hears the dude leaving the room.
- Hermes starts to focus, his eye wasnt completely blind so he could make out some of his surrounding. He seemed to be in some kind of room with blue walls and many electronics lying around; that was about all he can make out.
Hermes: *rests his head on the pillow* I cant believe I was about to suicide back there... How pathetic... I still got so much I wanna do...
- Hermes was thinking of Momo and imagining her in different sexy poses.
Old Man's Voice: Ohhh, you are finally awake!
Hermes: Ah! H-hello!
Old Man's Voice: I just fixed your eye for you! I also modified it even further; it is now much more sturdy and has a few more functions added to it!
Hermes: Huh? How is that possible? This thing was made by Vegapunk or something like that... dude.
Old Man's Voice: I see, but the technology itself is old. I was able to modify it a bit! I wish you like it!
Male Teenager's Voice: Dad is super good with that kinda stuff! Trust me!
Hermes: okay... Thanks a lot dudes! You helped me out too much for no reason.
Old man's Voice: Mechahahahaha! It's a pleasure! Examining this eye has been very interesting! Now, if you would just stay still so that I can apply it...
Hermes: [Crap... I almost forgot how much this thing hurts when it's applied to the nerves...]
- The teenager kept hold of Hermes' body to make sure he wont move.
- The old man leaned down and...
Hermes: easy now dude, easy ..... GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
--After a few days--
- In the living room.
Hermes: Wow... This eye's vision feels much more natural after getting used to!
Old Man wearing Dosoki Panda T-shirt: Mechahaha! I am glad you liked it! *sips coffe*
Hermes (Narrator): I spent a couple of days healing with these dudes... Its always good to relax and put back your thoughts together.... They are also an overly nice bunch and they helped me out quite a lot. I gotta say I feel much better now.
Male Teenager: Anyway, you never introduced yourself! Did you forget about giving us your name?!
Hermes: Ahh... aha.... My name is Gold, dude.
Male Teenager: Ah! What a nice name! Well, my name is Ousha, nice meeting you! As for my dad, he is old man Shuuriko!
Shuuriko: *sips coffe* Gold eh? Weird name...
Hermes: Hehe, yea... All my friends say that! Anyways... Thanks a lot for helping me out all that much! But I will have to leave.
[Description: Shuuriko is a very old man who moves around on a wheel chair. He got a huge white beard and mustache. His head, however, is a bit bald. His clothes are a combination of either Cyberpanda or Dosoki Panda brands. He usually talks with his eyes closed. Ousha is a black haired teenager who has a habit of making of making his hair into a small pony tail. He usually wears a white t-shirt covered with a yellow jacket coupled with white pants. Both of Ousha's arms and legs are artificially made(meaning mechanical). He also talks while his eyes closed a lot]
Shuuriko: You sure you wanna leave right now, kid?
Hermes: Well, I got some things I need to catch up to!
- Hermes walks and opens the door out of the house.
- The scene was strange for Hermes. If he ever though of a futuristic city, this was the one. The houses looked more like giant laboratories than anything else. The sky was covered in black smoke puffing out of the factories chimneys. People were all weird looking, most of them seemed to have more than one mechanical part replacing their normal organs and they mostly looked like cyborgs and robots. Some people were even flying around on some strange chairs and machines.
Hermes: *shiny eye* Woow! There is even someone with a modified eye like mine there! Just wow!! And is this design of auto mail similar to Hyde's? And what the hell?! These robots are similar to George!!
Ousha: Oh! You seem quit knowledgeable about auto mails!
Hermes: Yea.. I am into stuff like that... Just a bit though.
Ousha: Then you are going to have a lot of fun here! This is Steam Punk, also called The Land of Cyborgs!!
Hermes: WAAAY COOL! I WANNA SEE MAGNUS' FACE WHEN HE SEES THIS, DUDE!!
Shuuriko: *moving by pressing a button on his wheel chair* Mechahaha, You sound excited about this! *sips coffee*
Hermes: Of course! But... how?! That much technology in one place!!
Shuuriko: As I said, this place is basically a government research facility... Most people here are scientists and test subjects. The citizens also work on auto mails and are mostly mechanics.
Ousha: My dad is one of the best mechanics on this island too!
Hermes: Yeah.. he did an amazing job on my eye... Well, how can I leave from here?
Shuuriko: Leave? Hmmm... *sips coffee from his cup* This island is pretty far into the New World.... People say that Raftel aint far from here...
Hermes: THAT FAR?!
Shuuriko: Yes... I cant imagine where exactly you will be headed from here.
- Hermes takes out the Vivre card Magnus gave him.
Hermes: *sad face* Well, I just need to meet up with someone...
Shuuriko: *sips coffee* Well, around here is pretty dangerous, so if you dont know where you will be heading... you better stay here.
Hermes: That wont work for me dude! I really gotta...
Shuuriko: Ahh! The beauty of coffee! Looks like I am done with that cup! Let me just go and get another one!
Ousha: Oi, Dad! Enough coffee already! Its bad for your health!
Hermes: Ah! allow me, dude! *takes out Leak* Coffee Leak!
- Hermes shot enough amount of coffee to completely fill the cup up.
Hermes: Thats the least thing I could do for all the help you dude have giv...
Ousha & Shuuriko: *eyes popping out* NANNNNNNNNIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII?!!!!!
- After they calmed down, hermes explained he has a Devil Fruit.
Ousha: Oh! How very impressive! Devil Fruits are one of the secrets of science we are trying to understand! Very majestic! I cant tell I've seen so many people with that power before! You created coffee!!
Hermes: I GET IT!
Shuuriko: *sips coffee* hmm... I dont like it though, it way too cold.
- Hermes's finger turns into flames and he uses it to make the coffee hotter.
Hermes: Done!
Shuuriko $ Ousha: *eyes popping out* NANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII??!!!!
Hermes: *sweat drops* Ehehe, it aint that amazing.
Ousha: Are you crazy?! Its awesome!! You have the power to create matter!
Hermes: I guess so dude...
Shuuriko: *sips coffee* This is impressive... After all of our research on alchemy we were never able to create actual matter! To be able to create matter that easily... You are already an alchemist in a way!
Hermes: Alchemy?
Ousha: The Understanding, Decomposition, and Reconstruction of matter! These are the three main branches of alchemy! It is an awesome art!
Shuuriko: This is amazing... You may very well be helpful to us in our research!
Ousha: Dad is a huge alchemy fan! Dad's dream is to be able to uncover the secrets in this world through scientific discoveries and breakthroughs! Isn't that cool? Huh? Huh?
Hermes: [These guys are really weird...]
Shuuriko: Follow me to the basement, son! *sips on coffee*
- Hermes followed the old man and his son back to their living room.
Shuuriko: Ohhhh! I almost forgot! Its time to work, better get into my Cyberpanda t-shirt! Wait for me while i get changed please.
- Shuuriko clicks on a button oh his wheelchair and moves to his room.
Hermes: *sweat drops* Is that really necessary?
Ousha: Haha! Dont worry, thats just how he likes doing things! My dad is a very kind man, also a genius when it comes to electronics!
Hermes: ... Yea... By the way, dude, why do you have metallic limbs?
- Hermes mentioned that Ousha got robotic arms and legs a while ago but hesitated to talk about that.
Ousha: Oh! ... Well, you see. I lost my limbs! *small smile*
Hermes: *face fault* ALL FOUR OF THEM?!!
Ousha: Yeah.... at once too *opens his eyes*
- Hermes saw that Ousha's eyes were dark brown.
- Ousha took out glasses from his pocket and put it on.
Hermes: Ahh... Sorry about that, dude. [So he wears glasses? Why will he wear glasses if he keeps his eyes closed all the time! Or maybe he doesnt wear them because he keeps his eyes closed...]
Ousha: *small smile* Its nothing to worry about! I prefer having metallic limbs really... They are pretty strong!
- Hermes felt that Ousha's usually excited way of speech now toned down.
Hermes: I see... Well, this auto mail looks amazing, dude!
Ousha: Haha! Wait till you see them in action!
Hermes: Though... why is your dad on a wheel chair then if your auto mail technology is that strong?
Shuuriko: *coming out of his room in a brand new Cyberpanda t-shirt that looks expensive while sipping coffee* That's because my injury is much bigger... The problem is with my spinal cord. Its damaged beyond automail repairs...
Hermes: Eh... I see... sorry dude! [So I end landing on an island of crippled people... Cant I ever land on the island of women for a change?]
Shuuriko: Ah, dont worry about it! Now i got a cool wheel chair.
- Shuuriko starts floating thanks to his wheel chair.
Hermes: *shiny eye* SUGGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
- Shuuriko flies down stairs to the basement. Hermes and Ousha follow.
- Shuuriko turns on the lights.
Hermes: .... Is that a basement? -.-'
- The basement was amazing. It actually looked like a huge, underground, research facility! The walls were covered by aluminium. Strange machines were lying everywhere. Huge screens were around activated with the help of a huge Den Den Mushi. A lot of weird materials were sitting on the shelves, some of them even contained in black boxes probably to prevent radiation. There were many tubes filled with different put in an orderly fashion above the tables, some of them had different colored smokes puffing out of them. There was also a large room with glass walls in front of them; Hermes guessed this room must be used for experimentation.
Ousha: Isnt it cool here?! Huh?!
Hermes: Dude... its mind blowing!
Shuuriko: Mechahaha! *sips coffee* This is where i do all of my work! I create and work on auto mails here too.
Hermes: Yeah... But I am pretty sure this kinda o' basement isnt under everybody's house now, or is it?
Shuuriko: No, of course not. We are an exception though.
Ousha: Dad is the lead mechanic in the government project that is being invented on this island! He is allowed to have huge labs if requested. Plus, scientist likes coming here to drink coffee and work in quiet!
Hermes: Ehh, alright! What did you want to show me here, dude?
Shuuriko: Well, Gold, in this place I also work on my alchemy research! I was wondering if you are interested in helping out!
Hermes: Umm... In what way? And I said I was in a hurry to leave!
Shuuriko: I think that it is possible for you to be a full-fledged alchemist thanks to your fruit! What is in it for you? Well, you will learn a very powerful art, of course.
Ousha: *raising his arms up* You will also learn a lot about science!!
Hermes: Soo... I stay here... I can get strong?
Shuuriko: Of course, Gold.
Hermes: *hold up his Vivre Card* [Maybe Magnus and the others will have to wait a bit... After all, this will help me be more useful to them] Alright then... I agree!
Shuuriko & Ousha: *raising arms up* YAAAAAAAAAAAY!
Shuuriko: Ahem! But keep in mind, this might take years to fully master!
Hermes: Tch... I get, old dude! Lets start already!
Shuuriko: Mechahaha, I love that excitement! Very well then... But first, I want to understand more about how do you actually construct matter!
Hermes: Well, I can create anything I touch at least once. Though thanks to these insulator gloves *shows off his gloves* I am able to create stuff with no need to touch it with all of my skin, touching it with the glove is enough which is highly resistant against everything really. Oh, it also lowers the side effects I might get, for example, creating poison in the past would mess my control over my power. However, thanks to the gloves, I can control my powers well without having to worry too much about side effects.
Shuuriko & Ousha: THAT'S SOOOO COOOOLLL!!
Hermes: *sweat drops* I guess... But I can only create a small quantity at a time! I can break through this rule, however, by using Materia Stones.
Shuuriko: Materia Stones! Do you mean the mystic rocks found only at Rocky Paradise Island?!
Hermes: Yea, dude! *takes out one of the Materia Stones out of Shinobi* It removes the limit on my quantity because it somehow powers up my Devil Fruit! All of what I gotta do is apply these to some of my guns and I can shoot a lot of ammo in great speed too, since it powers up my matter production speed!
- Hermes, to show off, turns half of his arm into ice. (The arm that was holding the Materia Stone.
Shuuriko & Ousha: *eyes popping out* AWESOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMEE!!
Hermes: *face fault* WILL YOU STOP GETTING SURPRISED EVERYTIME!
Ousha: *on the ground* Oh! Dad, I am gonna faint from excitement!!
Shuuriko: *worried* Try to hold it in, son!
Hermes: *shark teeth* THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU DUDES!
- Hermes returns the Materia Stone back inside his Shinobi.
Hermes: *sigh* Anyway, thats about it.
Shuuriko: This is impressive indeed. *sips on coffee* You already got the construction part down, the hardest part of alchemy. You still need the most important part though...
Hermes: And that is?
Shuuriko: Understanding, of course. You will spend your time here studying alchemy and science... It might take a while but...
Hermes: STUDYING?! ARE YOU MAD?!
Shuuriko: Its the only was you can improve your powers... Gold. You need to be patient, i will also give you several lessons to help you progress.
Hermes: [That sounds like such a pain... But guess i got no other choice] ... Fine then. Teach me, Old dude Shuuriko.
--After a few months--
Narrator: Hermes studied hard in order to master the art of alchemy in these few months. He grew closer to the people who welcomed him to their house without knowing who he really is...
Hermes: *sitting behind a pile of books* Gaaahhhhh, duuuuudes!! I am no good at studying!!
- Flips the pile of books.
Shuuriko: *floating in carrying dinner for Hermes* Gold, you need to "understand"... Its the toughest part for you but... It will be very fruitful, I promise!
Hermes: -.- I am tired dude.... I cant see how will this make me any stronger! It says here that i need to draw circles and shit... I dont need that to create matter!
Shuuriko: I know. But you can implement the knowledge you will get here to your fighting style... Just be patient, Gold. By the way *looking at Hermes' face* I am sure your face should have recovered by now, why dont you remove your bandages already?
Hermes: Ack! B-but it still hurts! Dude, I dunno what's wrong! Plus, I feel more comfortable with them... hehe...
Shuuriko: *sips coffee* I see.
Hermes: By the way, my wounds were pretty bad, its impressive you were able to fix me up.
Shuuriko: Oh, it wasnt me who healed you. My son Ousha is the best medic on this island. *sips coffee*
Hermes: Huh? Seriously? He didn't look it at all...
Shuuriko: Mechahaha! He is a kind kid! I am sure you will love him!
Hermes: *sweat drops* I know him fairly well by now, thanks.
Shuuriko: Well, I say you were luck I found ya. If it wasnt for that smoke I would have never figured your location.
Hermes: Smoke?
Shuuriko: Yeah, there was some huge flames next to your body. The flames spouted out the smoke that marked your location for me. *sips coffee*
Hermes: *remembers throwing up oil then setting it on fire to escape his dad* Oh yea... Wow... Never knew that would save my life...
Shuuriko: I grabbed you on my flying wheelchair... then Ousha nursed you back to health. Now enough talk! *hands Hermes his food* Get studying!
Hermes: But but but D:
Shuuriko: No buts!
Hermes: I wanna do something new! I have been reading books for months dude!
Shuuriko: Maybe I will let you on some of the top secret materials we keep in our labs *sips coffee*
Hermes: *shiny eyes* SOUNDS AWESOME!
Shuuriko: Only if you proved you are learning your lessons.... maybe by showing this off against Ousha.
Hermes: Huh? Sure... Never knew Ousha could fight though.
Shuuriko: Well, lets arrange that tomorrow! For now, keep studying Gold! I am betting on you to bring me the scientific discovery I've been waiting for!
Hermes: ... Alright.
--The Next Morning--
Narrator: Hermes, Ousha and Shuuriko are standing on the rooftop of one of the labs.
Ousha: I am really excited about this! Fighting someone who can construct matter like that should be an amazing experience! I honestly cant wait to see what you can do!
Shuuriko: As agreed, if you proved you've been learning your stuff about matter, I will show you some secret stuff here. Might as well upgrade your guns to give ya a push!
Hermes: Ummm... Sounds fair!
Shuuriiko: I do warn ya that Ousha is not a weak individual. Now... Ready, set, Go!
Hermes: Ppffftt... Ahh, good one! You should have seen your face dude! Sounded so serious! Ahaha, you are a one funny old dude, I gotta give ya that! Oush isnot weak.... pffffffft...
- Suddenly, A strong punch hit Hermes right on the stomach and sent him flying to the ground.
Hermes: *spitting* Gaahh... what the hell...
- Ousha stretches his mechanical arm toward Hermes, aiming for another punch.
- Hermes jumps.
- The punch hits the ground and destroys a huge chunk of it.
- The other mechanical arm stretches and grabs Hermes feet.
- It slams Hermes on the ground.
Hermes: *trying to stand up, the arms were made of steel and his body was still a bit damaged from his fight with his father, making him suffer much more damage* Gnngh... Dude... how?
Ousha: My mechanical parts can stretch up to 10 meters long!
- Hermes mentions that the arms stretch thanks to some kind of spring like mechanism attacked to it.
Hermes: Alright alright. I underestimated you a bit dude. But I still didnt fight! 100 Fire Shot! ...and 100 Shuriken Shot! Combo: Fire Ninja!! (Hermes shoots flame bullets from his Red Gun and shoots shurikens from his Shinobi. The combination is a huge number of flaming shurikens shot at amazing speed)
- Ousha places his arms in front of his face to protect himself from the barrage. And it was working since he was effectively blocking the flaming shurikens.
Ousha: This is awesome!
- One of the shurikens in the barrage exploded upon impact with Ousha's arms. The explosion pushed Ousha back and make him lose his balance.
Shuuriko *watching closely* (I see, so he shot a trick bullet in the middle of the barrage to throw Ousha off guard...)
Ousha: Ahh, what was that?!
- Ousha realizes that Hermes has disappeared.
- Suddenly, Ousha felt something touching his head from behind.
Hermes: *standing behind Ousha with his gun aimed at Ousha's head* Dont get ahead of yourself though... Or you will get shot in the face!
Ousha: That was really awesome! How did you move that fast! Are you a ninja?! Cool!
Hermes: Seriously, shut up or I will push the trigger... (I've been wanting to do that for a while)
- Ousha's mechanical legs suddenly stretched, elevating Ousha a great distance upwards.
Hermes: *pushed back* Woaah...
- Ousha then stretched his arms from above and delivered a powerful punch to Hermes' face.
Ousha: Still though... I think I am stronger!
- After a small circle opened up on his hands, some sort of lens appeared on Ousha's palms.
- Ousha started shooting some sort of blue beams from his palms at Hermes.
Hermes: WHAT?! Hermes!
- Hermes dodges the blue beams.
- The blue beams explode upon impact on the ground.
Hermes: Big Shot! (shoots a bullet in the size of a cannonball from his Big Gun)
- Ousha's knee cap (on his right leg) turns into an axe and slashes the bullet in half.
- Ousha then stretches his left leg and delivers a kick towards Hermes.
- Hermes tries to block with Big Gun but Big Gun is sent flying out of his arms thanks to the kick.
- Suddenly, Ousha's feet releases spikes that would have pierced through hermes body if he hadnt jumped back at the last second.
Hermes: *cut on his cheeks* Huff... Damn, he is much better than I though.
- Ousha's left kneecap turns into a mini canon and shoots a small canon ball at Hermes.
- Hermes destroys the canonball with his a haki bullet before it even reaches him.
Hermes: *face fault* WHY IN HELL ARE YOU COVERED IN WEAPONS?!
- Ousha's stretches both of his arms.
- Hermes starts dodging the arms in extreme speed as they follow him.
- He walks on top of one of the arms. The other one tries to knock him off but He jumps before hand. The first arm tries to grab him from behind but he jumps away.
- Mini Machine guns came out of Ousha's shoulders. They started firing at Hermes like crazy.
Ousha: Come on Gold! you can do better! you have to if you wanna learn the secret stuff.
Hermes: *running between the bullets and the arms* YOU ARE TRYING TO KILL ME ARENT YOU?!
- Ousha also starts shooting the blue beams from his palms.
- Hermes was dodging all that at top speed. The motion was so fast and fluid. (imagine the animation in a similar way to Sanji vs Binz :P)
- Hermes jumps high up.
Hermes: *pant* About damn time... Scan Complete!
Shuuriko: (So he was trying to buy time until his eye scans Ousha for weak points, huh?)
Hermes: its been fun Ousha! Sorry for what I am about to do...
Ousha: IT SOUNDS EXCITING!
- Ousha's mechanical arms follows Hermes.
Hermes: Water Leak! (Hermes can create water as long as its not sea water)
- The water rained on Ousha's mechanical arms, causing them to rust a bit.
Ousha: *movement slowing down* Ah! What the...!
Hermes: *pointing Red Gun in front of him in a cool way* ... and Electric Shot! Combo: Thunderbolt!!
- The electric bullet falls on Ousha's metallic, water-soaked arms. The electric wave travels through Ousha's entire body.
Ousha: GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!
- Ousha collapses on the ground.
Hermes: *lands to the ground* Sorry.. I did use a weak volt... AND THERE WAS NO NEED TO OVER REACT TO THE DAMAGE LIKE THAT!
Shuuriko: Mechahahahahahahaha!!
Hermes: *face fault* YOU ARE PRETTY SADISTIC REACTING TO YOUR SON'S SUFFERING LIKE THAT!!
Shuuriko: Dont worry, dont worry. *claps and sips coffee* Ousha is much tougher than to get killed by that.
Hermes: [He is not...]
Shuuriko: But Gold... That was a good fight and all... but I didnt see what you have learned at all. These type of attacks are things that you could have used even before learning about alchemy.
Hermes: But but but D:
Shuuriko: I do like your style though! Alright, I will show you the secret stuff.... and upgrade your guns *sips coffee*
Hermes: YOSSHH!
--Back to Shuuriko's House--
Ousha: *lieing on bed* Ahhh... My metallic parts got all rusty! I can hardly move now!
Shuuriko: I will take a look at them for you, son. But first.... Gold...
Hermes: Yup?
Shuuriko: Even though I said I would show you... I never said I would let you touch anything.
Hermes: Huh? WHY?! ITS A TOTAL WASTE IF I CANT TOUCH ANY MATERIALS!
Shuuriko: Well, *sips coffee* If you touch anything, I cant garuntee that you will live.
Hermes: But I got my insulator gloves on!
Shuuriko: These wont help against radioactive elements or anything we are gonna see. Just to get in that lab you need to be geared up in a special suit. Even then, you still cant touch most of the materials there.
Hermes: [But whats the point in seeing them if I cannot touch them!] Well, my body got much stronger against stuff like that thanks to my powers... I will just touch some of the materials with a small part of my skin.
Shuuriko: That's madness!
Hermes: TRUST ME, DUDE! I GOT THIS!
Shuuriko: ... *sips coffee* Dont say I didnt warn ya. Even if you survived that, kid, your life span will be damaged... You still wanna go?
Hermes: *nervous* O-of course I do! [That fight with my father showed me how weak I am... If I am ever going to defeat him I need something more powerful... Way more powerful]
Shuuriko: Fine then, let me get my Cyberpanda T-shirt before we go. *floats away on his wheelchair*
Hermes: I am coming with! *follows*
Ousha: ... I really wanna scratch my nose.....
--After Many Months--
Narrator: A lot of time has passed, but time didnt matter for Hermes. He was sure that at least one year has passed since he has been studying in Steam Punk, but he wasn't really sure of the exact time. Though he hated it at first, Hermes got accustomed to reading books and studying as his knowledge started to grow. He dived deep into the art of Alchemy and learned many things.
- Hermes was on the roof of one of the laboratories. A giant book rested on his lab as he was watching a panda-looking cyborg in the distance; the panda was running between a huge crowd.
Hermes: Ack! Lost my attention there for a second! *returns to his book* Let's see here.... "Equivalent Exchange... If you want to get something you need to give up something in return... Yata yata...."
Narrator: During his time in Steam Punk, Hermes studied Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Alchemy, and Mathematics. Even though he didnt excel in any of his studies, it was noteworthy that he was really good in Chemistry.
Hermes: Hmm.. That part sounds easy, guess i should skip it. *flips pages* Hmm... That one sounds too complicated... *flips pages* ... Hmmm... I dunno why, but that part just isnt making sense for me *flips pages* Oh! Already done with that book! Better go get another one!
- Hermes jumped off the roof and dashed to Shuuriko's house. He went into the basement and started searching for a book.
Hermes: Seriously, by the time I am done here I will be turned into frickin' NWW... Books and stuff, the hell with that. Now where was it again?
- Going through the many shelves in Shuuriko's laboratory, Hermes was reminded that this laboratory was one of the biggest in the entire island.
Hermes: That old dude just hid it from me, didnt he?
- Suddenly, Hermes trips in some papers that were lying on the ground.
Hermes: Aww... Ehh, is that what I am searching for?
- Hermes had a look at the pages he just tripped in.... and it left him petrified.
Hermes: *shocked* .... W..What the hell is this?!!
- Hermes' eyes widened and he was unable to move for a few seconds.....
Dad's dream is to be able to uncover the secrets in this world through scientific discoveries and breakthroughs!
Hermes: *disgusted* That's... That's not a scientific breakthrough....
Shuuriko: Oh! Gold-san. I was just searching for you... Brought you dinner.
Hermes: [These dudes... They were very friendly to me... They took care of me and healed me and trained me... Gave me shelter, fed me.... They... They were like my family here.... They...]
Shuuriko: Ohhhhhhhhhhhh... Something wrong, Hermes?
Hermes: *turns to Shurriko, his eyes were darkened* ... Why?
Shuuriko: Huh?
Hermes: *eyes get revealed, they were filled with rage* WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO YOUR OWN SON?!!!
Shuuriko: ............................
Hermes: ANSWER ME!
Shuuriko: ...................... So... You knew.
Hermes: *tossing the pages he was holding to the ground* Not only that.... You... are the lead mechanic.... You are... creating a new government weapon!
Shuuriko: ..........................
Hermes: WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION! THE GOVERNMENT WANT WEAPONS THAT SURPASS EVEN THE ANCIENT WEAPONS AND YOU ARE CREATING THEM! ARE THESE THE DISCOVERIES YOU ARE SEARCHING FOR? IS THAT'S HOW YOU ARE GONNA REVEAL THE WORLD'S SECRETS? BY CREATING WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION? BY USING YOUR SON AS A TEST SUBJECT??!!!!
Shuuriko: ................ Mecha...Mecha.... Mechahahahahahahahahahahaha!
Hermes: You...
Shuuriko: *opens his usually closed eyes* Gold... I cant see why you are so pissed about this, son.
Hermes: .... Dont you know what these weapons will do?
Shuuriko: You are being naive... *sips coffee* Its my job here as a Lead Mechanic to create those weapons. Which by the way is top secret and I would appreciate it if you didnt tell anybody.
Hermes: .... Is the government planning to make some sort of an eradication? Like the one that happened in the Void Century?
Shuuriko: Gold... You need to calm down. *guns come out of Shuuriko's wheelchair* after all, we dont want to make too much fuss about this.
Hermes: Gnhh!
Shuuriko: I have no idea why you are that angry.
Hermes: [He... is pointing his weapons at me...]
Shuuriko: After I invited you here and took care of you. I mean, i imagine its a bit hard to believe what you just saw but... You dont have anything to do with this. It will not affect you in any way.
Hermes: Is it a pirates eradication? What could the government be possibly thinking? Dude, I...
Shuuriko: I never knew you would make so much fuss about it... If I did I would have hid these blueprints in harder places.
Hermes: ... But... your son... Ousha!
Shuuriko: Ousha had no need for his limps; he was more than happy to get these new powerful limbs of his. Plus, at the time I had nobody to experiment on. It was a bleak time in life for me... When my wife died and I was left with a small child.... It was pretty crazy.
Hermes: I still dont understand... Your son...
Shuuriko: I had to do it... Thats why the government took me in as a Lead Mechanic and assigned me this job. The work I did on that automail was pretty impressive.
Hermes: You ripped out your son's arms and legs...
Shuuriko: Trust me, kid... It was pretty hard on me. I would have tried it on my self if I wasnt going to be unable to use my arms...
Hermes: So now you create weapons for profit... And for a second I really thought that you were trying to uncover this world's secrets.
Shuuriko: My son was too young to work... and I was on a wheelchair thanks to one of my older experiments I performed on my self... How do you expect us to earn any money or work? Now I can buy all the Dosoki Panda T-shirts I need and stuff... Also got a pretty cool lab.
Hermes: I don't know if I want to keep on working with you dude...
Shuuriko: I am afraid you got no choice... *mechanical arms come out of the wheelchair and block the exit* After all, Mars needs Alchemy to function....
Hermes: You... You was going to try and use my powers... for your damned weapons.
Shuuriko: Yes, pretty much. Dont make it sound like I am a bad guy though. Mechahaha *sips coffee*
Hermes: What about all that talk... about world secrets and scientific discoveries?
Shuuriko: Cant you see? With Alchemy, everything can be explained... With the power of science that we have.... We already know everything.... With these new weapons... The whole world will open itself for us. We will be able to achieve anything....
Hermes: You are crazy.
Shuuriko: Mechahaha... I really wished that you would understand.
Hermes: So that's why you were giving me all this overly good hospitality, huh?
Shuuriko: Gold... We can erase pirates with the new weapons... The World Government will have some majestic powers.... We will travel to the moon... Use Alchemy... A world will be reborn with the power of science.
Hermes: I see..... *takes out a gun* I thank you then... for upgrading my guns... and for teaching me all that stuff.
Shuuriko: I didnt want it to get to this.... Gold. Why are you going to fight? We are on the same side here! We both want Alchemy and we both wanna know more! We are working together... Why will you turn against us now?
Hermes: *points his gun upwards* Well, because.... I am a pirate dude.
Shuuriko: A pirate... eh? Mechahaha.... I thought as much...
Hermes: Smoke Shot!
- Hermes shot a smoke bullet that hid him from sight.
- Shuuriko started shooting at the smoke screen that hid Hermes from the several guns he had attached to his chair.
Hermes: Big Burst Bomb Shot!
- Hermes shot a canonball sized bullet at the ceiling. The bullet made a huge explosion that opened up a hole in the ceiling.
Hermes: Hermes!
- Hermes released his pantheon powers and escaped the laboratory out of the hole he opened up.
- Shuuriko's chair started flying by the help of some kind of jet mechanic attached to its back. Shuuriko followed Hermes.
- Hermes escaped out of Shuuriko's house and started thinking of an escape route.
Hermes: [How in hell can I leave here?]
- Suddenly, a mechanical arm rammed against Hermes back, sending him flying.
Hermes: falling on the ground* Gnnghhh.... Ousha!
Ousha: Sorry, Gold-san! But it's father's orders!
Hermes: That man literally removed all of your limbs!
Ousha: *his usual smile fading* I know... Its better this way though!
Hermes: WHAT KIND OF FATHER DOES THIS?!
- Hermes eyes widened as he was remembered of his own dad.
Ousha: ... Sorry... Gold-san...
- Ousha shot a blue beam at Hermes from his palms.
- Hermes jumped on a building and escaped the attack; he then continued jumping on buildings in order to escape.
- Suddenly, small rockets destroyed the top of the building Hermes was standing on. Hermes lost his footage and fell off, only to be slammed by several mechanical arms before he reached the ground.
Shuuriko: *restraining Hermes with some of the mechanical arms that came out of his chair* Now you are going to disturb our peaceful city? *sips coffee*
Hermes: What kind of peace is that?!
- Hermes spat on the mechanical arms. The spit he produced was fused with electricity that ran through the arms all the way to Shuuriko.
- Both Hermes and Shuuriko were zapped by the electric current.
- The current stunned Shuuriko for a while and forced him to release Hermes.
- Hermes fell to the ground, a piece of white paper fell next to him.
Hermes: *pant* Oh yea... That's the Vivre Card.... *eyes widen* Its...
- Hermes started to mention the Vivre Card movement was a bit different.
Hermes: *smile* ... Nakama.
- Hermes grabbed the Vivre card and jumped on top a high building; he pointed his gun at the sky and shot.
- The bullet exploded in the sky, releasing a huge wave of gold dust that took the shape of a pair of huge golden wings.
Hermes: Gold Wings Shot!
Shuuriko: *takes out a small Den Den Mushi from his pocket and starts yelling at it* All citizens of Steam Punk! A pirate has snuck himslef between our ranks! Repeat! A pirate is on the loose on this government facility and is trying to cause havoc! He is carrying a huge gun and is currently on top of Lab 24, You cant miss him! Every civilian with the ability to fight should capture on the spot!
Hermes: Ahh... I am pretty sure normal citizens wont be that big of a deal, dude. Ahaha!
- Suddenly, a group of 3 cyborgs appeared in front of Hermes. One of them, who had a metallic axe instead of a right hand, slashed at Hermes.
- Hermes ducked then dodged backwards.
- Another one of the cyborgs, who had a machine gun instead of a left hand, started firing countless bullets at Hermes.
- Hermes tried to jump away but a few bullets pierced through his legs.
Hermes: *lands on the ground(since they were fighting a top of a building)* Gaah! My feet!
- Hermes falls to his knees.
- One of the cyborgs shot a canonball at Hermes.
- Hermes destroyed a canonball with his own haki bullet.
Hermes: Shit.. the entire city is after me and...
- Before Hermes can continue, he was punched with a metallic arm from a fourth cyborg on the streets.
- A huge number of cyborgs now gathered around Hermes; they were all equipped with different types of advanced weaponary.
Black Cyborg With Metallic Arm: That's the pirate Shuuriko-san was talking about, I tell ya! Get him everybody!
Hermes: Dark Cloud! (By fusing different gases together, Hermes is able to shoot a huge amount of black smoke that takes the form of a cloud)
- The cloud hid Hermes from view.
- The cyborgs all jumped into the cloud to try and catch him before he escapes.
Hermes: *appearing above the cloud with his gun pointed at it* Electric Shot!
- Once the bullet hit the cloud, the cloud released a thunder burst that electrified everyone inside of it.
Hermes: *starts running, but with effort* I dont like doing this... But I had no choice...
Ousha: *stands in the way of Hermes* Stop this! You cant escape this island, Gold!
Hermes: Get out of the way dude! *pant*
Ousha: Listen to us Gold! It doesnt have to be this way!
Hermes: ... I never liked the government actions though... Staying here means that I support it....
Ousha: What's wrong with...
- Hermes jumped away just before a bullet could hit him in the back. (Observation haki warned him)
Hermes: *turning to his back* ... Sly old dude...
Ousha: Mechahaha.... You are pretty good, Gold... hehe, guess I taught you well.
Hermes: You do know that I have enough power now... You cant stop me...
- Shuuriko's arms started chasing Hermes.
- Hermes was dodging with ease.
Hermes: I dont wanna do this!
- Suddenly, an arm grabbed Hermes' leg.
Hermes: *eyes widen* What?! ... Ousha!
Ousha: YOU FORGOT I WAS STANDIN THERE DIDN'T YOU!
Hermes: Shit... I let my guard down...
Shuuriko: *clicks on a button on his wheel chair and sips coffee* You dont think that we already planned how to stop you if you ever defied us? We know how your powers work fairly well and can stop it.
- A firearm attached to the chair shot a bullet at Hermes.
- The bullet went through Hermes' rips. Once it passed through, Hermes started feeling all weak.
Hermes: Gnnnghh... Is that...
Shuuriko: *sips coffee* Sea Prism... The Government supplies us with large quantities of it since we use if for our weapons.
- Hermes collapsed to the ground.
Hermes: Dammit... Dude...
Shuuriko: Dont worry though, we wont kill you. We will keep you for our experiments... Much better than sending you to Impel Down, don't you think.
Hermes: Dammit... Dammit... How long... Will I stay this WEAK!!!
- Suddenly, Ousha's stretched mechanical arm, which was holding Hermes in place, was cut in half.
Ousha: WHAT?!
Shuuriko: Hm?!
Hermes: *eyes widen* ....
????: Been a while.
Hermes: *small smile* About damn time...
Ousha: *shocked* How did that happen?
Shuuriko: *shocked* Who are these people?
Hermes: *looks up* I MISSED YOU DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUDESS!
- The Espadas were all standing side by side on top of a huge building, with Mangus in the middle.
- Every member of the Espadas was standing there with their arms crossed, they were looking at Hermes with small smiles on their faces.
- Magnus, Marimo, Milky, Anarky, Sun, Souji, Sher, Ray, and NWW. They were standing there epicly... Though they seem to have changed a bit, they just as Hermes remembered them.
- Hermes believed in his crew. He knew they were coming and he couldnt be happier they arrived when they did.
Magnus: *huge grin* Teehehehee! I knew we would meet again!
Hermes: Yup... But ya know... this isnt the time for teary eyes, dude!
Shuuriko: *shaking* [That's... his crew?! T-their will power alone is making me shake!! How fearsome!]
Hermes: You see... I got a request
Magnus: A request already?!
Hermes: *grins* ... Let's bring this island down!!
Magnus: *huge grin* That's the plan!
--TO BE CONTINUED--