Sun shined from high up above. Hornigolds eyes drifting open and close slowly…He was fading to a from consciousness. Pain wracked his body, he could feel that his hands were gone. His stamina, and Haki depleted. He'd spread himself so thin through the battle, and the take over that sleep evaded him constantly. It left him weak. Susceptible…
Beatable
And he had been beaten by a little shit like…Him…
Shadows loomed over Hornigold, casting him in shade. The Leviathan Marines stood over him as in the background, cannons firing reported around. Soon voices began to funnel into his ears as he began to focus
"What do we do with them Sir?" Garrick asked into a long Range Den Den to Fleet Admiral Muromachi. "The Elders have deemed his crimes severe enough that he is to be labeled as dead. I agree with this assessment. His trial shall be expedited and be as swift as possible. He'll be taken to Styx to rot in its lowest levels."
"I've already spread the word of the defeat to the Elders and the proper sources for his death to be disseminated through the media. Congratulations on your victory, Captain Garrick."
"I-" He was about to correct the man "Yessir."
Now…
"H-Hornigold…" Leroy's fist tightened. Teeth grit, but then, loosened. "I'm a bit disappointed i didn't actually kill you. But I guess if you ended up here…"
He cocked a smirk. Hornigold did the same, the chains that wrapped around the stubs of his wrist clanking "Guess you weren't as strong as you thought, Red Sash?" He attempted to chastise the Captain
"You're still here ain't ya? Means I won no mater what…" He strode forward. The others looking on as the two clearly showed familiarity. "Red…Red Sash…How do you know Hornigold?" Bonney Asked.
"There'd been rumors…" Diva said beneath her voice "I could tell you myself they're true…My memories fuzzy…That Friend of his has a hell of a kick" He referred to Noir, remembering fuzzy memories of seeing shockwaves in the distance. He had figured it must've been Leroy given the time frame of the fight and the reappearance of the Captain during the war…
It told Mar-Syl one thing. Leroy was capable.
"No…Don't tell me…" Bonney grit his teeth. "Don't tell me this Shidiot Is the reason one of the Royal Marshals was labeled dead and is now in the deepest part of the worlds most dangerous and powerful prison?!" He straightened his arms in anger. Balling his fist
"God I wish It weren't true…" Hornigold said. "But this does beg the question…Why are you here Red Sash?" Hornigold tilted his back slightly. Now showing that in the year and a half sense he'd been arrested. There was more than enough facial hair on his face. A nice scruff. But not thick and long like Leroys Grandfathers would be after a year and a half of not shaving. Or his own.
Even now Leroy could feel a bit of scruff on his face from not shaving the past week
"Azar. Eudora D. Azar. He's down here? Loud, bit of an asshole. Kinda like me but not as cool? But he'll tell you he's cooler?" He said with sarcasm. It was more sarcasm than he would've used the last time he spoke to Azar. A Testament to even now how much he was changing
"Ah ha ha ha!" Hornigold gave a laugh that Leroy hadn't hear in what felt like a life time. That shrill, low baritone, flat laugh that he had heard when he was out in the sands of Arabasta fighting for his life for truly the first time… "Azar? Well. Do I have news for you!"
He moves to the side to show the chains behind him…Were empty. "I was rooming with dear Red Beards 2nd Division Commander, until news came through that you'd been arrested! And while you were on that ship here, he was being shipped out, and his execution was pushed forward-"
"Today. 12 Pm Sharp. High Noon. I find that poetic that your brother dies at the same time you defeated me. I'll take that as a bit of Karmic Justice!"
Suddenly, Leroy Leapt forward! And his arms grabbed the bars, and with astonishing strength tore them from their hinges and hurled it through the air with such strength it embedded itself nearly completely into the the far wall that was free of cells
"If you're lying I'll make sure I fucking kill you this time! Cuz it sound like youre ready to fucking die!" He said growing larger, and larger with each syllable, and within moments he reached Eye level with the 8'2 man. His gum gum fruit had caused him to suddenly shift his fully body size be as if he was naturally the same height
But it didn't last…As a puff of visible CO2 Expelled from his mouth just as if he'd used gear 3. Shrinking himself back to his normal height.
"Point Taken." Hornigold Rose his hands. He knew full well that if Leroy had been active for the same time he'd been in prison, where he lacked training and constant honing of his skills, that he'd be able to fully take on and beat him handedly. Even if he used his rudimentary Haki.
"That was a wise choice Hornigold." Rhico said next to the two, watching it all unfold. His face bloody and beaten, but he couldn't help but smile at seeing Hornigold be put in his place "Who're you?" Leroy asked.
"You a former Marshal Too? Do they buddy you guys up to reminisce over how you failed to like boots clean enough?" He insulted Rhico directly. But unlike any other Marshal. Rhico didn't become enraged
"No. Just to talk about the ones we neck got to clean."
Leroy couldn't help but smile "Tch…Yeah, Right. Whats your name." He asked walking over to him and tearing the chains from the walls. Seemed like they were keeping him here on good will he wasn't going to break out. Made sense, if he even tried, a fleet of Marines would be on him in moments
Leroy extended a hand to the Fishman and helped him to his staggeringly tall stature. "Thank you." He said rubbing his wrists
"What about me?" Hornigold ask, lifting his hands up. But all around very much hesitated to do anything. Leroy looked from the Ex-Marshal, to Diva and the others. "We could use all the man power we could get if we're…Besides…I remember plenty from when Hornigold was younger that I could blackmail him with…" She said leaning forward. And surprisingly…A blush crossed Hornigold's cheeks!
"You wouldn't dare!"
"Oh I dare. What first should I talk about? How you used to be a-"
"Okay! Okay! I get it!" Hornigold cut her off "I'll help. Besides…I rather help pirates than Marines when I'm not getting anything out of it. If I have even a chance to halt a marine victory, I'll do it. Irritates me to no end knowing right now they're so close…"
"Attaboy~" Diva cooed as she released Hornigold from his chains with a key she'd taken from one of the guards in Violence
"Ah…Much better…" He said as he flexed his arms, and the muscles at where wrists used to sit flexing. And then, shifting to gold, and growing into those same gauntlets from before. But now, only from the wrist up as opposed to his 'Battle ready' gauntlets.
"So what now?" Leroy asked. "We're surrounded by Marine Ships. No way we'll be able to surface. And that Vessel doesn't have enough space for all of us…At least for long distances.
"And those transports probably have limited fuel to only last around the immediate vicinity of the prisons waters. So doubt they'll take us to Marine Ford…"
"Could just take the Sub up, crash into one of the upper levels. And work our way up to the top again, from there steal a ship, and heady through the currents to Ingens…" Hornigold noticeably used the proper term for Marineford. 'Ingens Fortaleza'
"Maybe a piece of shit can be useful." Leroy sarcastically snapped. "Alright. Lets go and do this!"
Leroy said. Slamming his hand into his own palm! Ready to get going!