Returnees

"Who the hell is that?"

Hancock said while looking at Astrid who had appeared on the shore. She was stepping on Shelly's head. Shelly's eyes rolled to the back of her head as she lay motionless on the ground. Hancock's body and clothes had burns all over them but nothing too serious.

"He seems to be on the Bounty Hunter's side..."

She kicked Shelly's head and her body landed on top of Panthera.

"More importantly, I need to see Luffy."

She started running over to Luffy's side and ran past Astrid.

"?!"

She ducked under a kick and spun around. Astrid was looking down on her.

"You dare!"

Hancock stood up and glared at Astrid.

"Wait, Astrid. They're on our side."

Tate spoke.

"They arrived here a-"

"I don't really care about that."

Astrid cut him off.

"I attacked for a different reason."

Astrid and Hancock glared at each other.

"Cough! Cough!"

Hancock's eyes widened when she heard coughs coming from behind her. She turned around to see Luffy coughing as he opened his eyes. She turned her back to Astrid and ran towards him. Astrid watched her as she left.

Ledger popped up at his side wielding a paper sword hardened with Haki. He swung it at Astrid's head. Astrid didn't even blink and back-kicked Ledger. A thud rang out as Ledger blocked the kick with his blade.

"?!"

A force flowed through Ledger's sword and into his body. That force burst out of his back. He coughed up a mouthful of water. He leaped back with a confused expression.

"Why are you confused?"

Astrid turned and faced him.

"Fishman Karate, I'm sure you've heard of it."

He placed his hand on his hip.

"Ledger, let me cut to the chase. I'm your biggest weakest because my move set is especially effective against your devil fruit. So, I'll give you a chance."

He pointed at Ledger.

"Kill yourself. Do that and you won't suffer an excruciating death."

He smiled.

"Aren't I a good person?"

"Are you mocking me?"

"Yes, yes I am. Isn't it obvious from my tone and body language?"

Astrid shook his head.

"Ledger, Ledger. You're already ugly, you can't be stupid too. It's too pitiful."

Ledger's eyes became bloodshot. However, he didn't fly at Astrid in a fit of rage.

(Oh, he's smart. If he had blindly attacked Astrid, he would've lost his life in an instant.)

Tate thought with a small grin.

"Tsk."

Astrid clicked his tongue.

"Why couldn't you act like every other low-level scum and come at me. Do you like living that badly?"

Astrid looked at Ledger from head to toe.

"I don't know why though, when you look like that."

"...You're a really annoying guy huh?"

Ledger started scanning the battlefield.

(Panthera, Shelly, and Niara are down. Since I don't see Gumi yet it's best to say she was taken out as well. That leaves me and the scrubs against everybody here...This is a disaster.)

He then smiled and took to the skies.

"Using his fruit to lighten his body so he can fly, huh?"

Astrid looked at Ledger floating in the air with a calm expression.

"You seem awfully impatient, Astrid. If you had taken your time, you could've killed him."

Tate approached Astrid and asked.

"I saw someone whose existence pisses me off."

Tate saw Astrid glance at Hancock who was helping Luffy sit up.

(Wait, don't tell me he already figured out her identity...Now that I think about it, doesn't he absolutely hate Boa Hancock?!)

Tate thought.

"I wanted to end this quickly because I wasn't in the mood anymore, but I guess this works out for me."

Astrid turned his back to Ledger who was escaping.

"Let's let Supreme Five's Great Leader handle him."

Tate nodded.

"If it's him then there's nothing to worry about."

"Oh, I found Frantz severely injured over there. He was begging for his life, so I patched him up and left him there."

"Then I'll send someone to go treat him."

Tate also turned his back to Ledger.

"Let's leave that guy to Jessie."

Ledger was using the air currents to fly away from the island.

"This operation was a complete failure. I lost my alliance and had to flee."

He spoke with a sigh. He showed no anger, just disappointment.

"Well, at least I know this island exists and its location. I can round up a new crew and attack it again. No, I'll ask Strawhat Luffy. Someone as great as him won't pass up the opportunity to screw the World Government over by killing off so many Bounty Hunters."

He let out a low laugh and spun in the air. He laid on his back as he let the wind carry him.

"Well, aren't you relaxed?"

He opened his eyes to see someone floating in the air just like him. However, this person kicked the air every now and again. Ledger showed no reaction to the sudden appearance. He merely observed him. A lean build, was dressed like those on Bounty Island only in full black, and a blue ponytail peeking out from under his cowboy hat.

"Why didn't you try to sneak attack me?"

"Who wants to win like that? It would be boring."

The boy frowned before smiling a bit.

"Besides, you know I was coming. So it was an obvious trap."

"Oh? I thought the fact I attacked your homeland and killed your brethren would blind you. You have good self-control."

"Really? Caria keeps saying I need to learn restraint though."

The boy laughed nervously.

"...So which one of the Supreme Five are you?"

"I thought you wouldn't ask."

The boy pointed at himself with a huge smile.

"I'm the leader of the Supreme Five and the man who will become history's greatest bounty hunter, Jessie Lockhart!"

The boy, Jessie declared with a loud and powerful voice. A small burst of haki emitted from his body and formed waves in the ocean.

"Ah, sorry about that. I can't really control my haki when I talk about my dream.'

He laughed awkwardly.

(Another Conqueror's?)

Ledger smiled.

"Then, did the future greatest bounty hunter come to claim my head?"

"That's right."

(Conqueror's and he can use Cipher Pol's techniques...I wonder what else he has-)

Ledger's thoughts were cut off. Jessie had disappeared from in front of him.

"Wha-?!"

Blood sprayed from his chest as he opened his mouth. Sharp pain assaulted his body.

"I didn't see-"

His words were cut off when he turned around. He found himself looking up the barrel of a gun.

"You couldn't see me, huh?"

Jessie wore a huge grin as he pointed a gun at Ledger's head.

"Don't worry, most people can't follow my movements the first time they face me."

Jessie moved the gun from Ledger's face and vanished and reappeared several meters away. Ledger's eyes widened.

"What? Surprised I can move through the air so freely? If you can do it, why can't I?"

Jessie laughed.

"I merely combined Geppo, Soru, and Paper Arts of the Six Powers of Cipher Pol. If I do this can move just like you do."

"Why did you retract your weapon?"

"Oh, that's what you're shocked about? It's no big deal. I'm just going to give you a chance to make this fight better."

"What?"

Ledger's eye twitched.

"You don't understand? That sucks, Frantz always said I need to make myself easier to understand."

Jessie scratched the side of his head with his gun nozzle.

"Instead of killing you instantly, I'm giving you the chance to adapt to my speed."

Ledger said nothing and took a deep breath. He stretched his hand out and dozens of paper planes flew at Jessie. The planes unfolded and transformed into ships, buildings, and even weapons. They flew at Jessie who manoeuvre through the air to evade them. Ledger popped up in front of him and slashed him with his sword. The sword cut into Jessie's body.

"Not a bad swing."

Jessie held the sword soaked with blood and smiled.

"I'm getting a bit excited."

Ledger silently released a paper plane at Jessie. It transformed into a ship and hit him out of the sky.

"Hahahaha!"

Jessie laughed as the ship forced him towards the ocean. With a flash, the ship was cut to pieces.

"Now that's more like it!"

Jessie started flying up into the air by kicking. Ledger stretched his arms out and paper shuriken appeared in front of him. They blackened with haki before flying down at Jessie. Jessie fired his gun but the bullets merely ricocheted off the shuriken. Jessie continued flying up ready to evade them. However, they unfolded. A massive shadow cast over him as the sky was filled with hundreds of weapons.

"Let's gooo!"

Jessie shouted as he hardened his body. Sparks flew as the weapons clashed with his skin. Ledger lifted his arm overhead. It untangled into long sheets of paper. The paper combined again forming a giant drill. He dove down and thrust the drill at Jessie. The drill clashed with Jessie's arms as he blocked it.

"What a versatile power!"

Jessie laughed. Ledger's body completely untangled minus his drill arm. He turned into paper strips. The strips turned into haki-coated paper swords. They flew at Jessie who was busy blocking the drill from every direction. Jessie looked at the swords and grinned.

His body vanished.

"?!"

Ledger's attacks halted. The drill burst apart and the swords were cut to pieces.

"Ahhh!"

Ledger reformed his body and was bleeding all over.

"How is he so..."

He stopped talking when he saw something appear before him. It was a human-sized Hummingbird.

"....I see. You were a Devil Fruit user."

"That's right."

Jessie's voice came from the hummingbird.

"Hummingbirds are so fast the human eye has a hard time following their movements."

"Add that with the Six Powers and you get a lightning-fast bird."

Jessie nodded in agreement with Ledger.

"Now what if you add Haki to its hyperspeed wings?"

Ledger let out a dry laugh at Jessie's question.

"You get a lightning-fast bird with razor wings aka a fly death machine."

Jessie nodded.

"That's right."

"So I never had a chance?"

"Nope. However, your powers were fun to see."

"Is that so?"

Ledger formed a blade out of paper. Jessie vanished and reappeared behind him.

"....I sent Panthera's and Gumi's crew to attack from the other side of the island. You should look out for them."

"If that's the case, there's nothing to worry about. This Island's Protector will handle them."

"I see."

Blood started seeping out of Ledger's body.

"Let's fight again in hell."

His body burst into slices.

"Thank you, Ledger."

Jessie watched as the shreds fell into the water.

"It was a fun fight."