Dante had been a busy man over these last few days. He had inspected every inch and crevice of Water 7 in search of one man or a sign that he existed. He felt like he was back to chasing faith in God or any deity at that. No matter how much effort he put into the manhunt he never was rewarded or even got an answer. But this man Kiretsu was no God. With a singular grain of luck Dante had located a man who was rumored to be a close associate of the man. Being an Underworld Broker he had to have his fair share of people who had done business with him. This lead to the man having loose ends or threads that could lead back to him and no matter how thin these threads were, Dante would follow them to the end of the world if he had to.
It was around midnight and Dante, Verde, and one of his Centurions had stepped off the Arakhne. Tonight was their one shot at getting their next lead on Kiretsu. Dante had his usual things with him and was dressed as he usually was as odd of a sight as it was. His gas mask was on his face, not supplying him with oxygen out the tank, but it could if need be. His two pistols were on his hips, one on the left, the other on the right. His Eye Scope was in one of his pockets and his coat of black titanium Coogi, was draped on his shoulders in a Marine Admiral like fashion. Verde had a single shotgun with him, Cerberus, one of his own creations that Dante no longer used. The Centurion itself was a walking weapon. Dante's latest model of the Gatling Gun was integrated into its arm, unnoticeable until time to use it came. Additionally the 8`6 piece of metal had five individual bags draped over its shoulder gripped tightly in its hand. In these bags were individual pieces of the cyborg Mercy. She was Asher's right hand and certainly very sought after given she was Asher's superior officer during the Reverie incident. Discharged and wanted along with Asher, she'd actually give Dante some head nods and get him on the radar. Not only as a pirate, but maybe even as a contestant for a Shichibukai seat.

"Our contact said he'd meet us at some bar called the Rusted Dagger. You guys shadow me from a nice ways away." Departing the docks, eventually Dante lead the group on their voyage to the bar with Verde and the Centurion trailing nearly a whole block behind him and across the water way on the other side walk. When Dante found the bar he found himself on the outskirts of Water 7 on the opposite side of the island from where the boats were docked. This place seemed to be the impoverished district as the houses were very ran down. Their roofs were made of sheet metal scraps with wooden walls were built one right beside the other making each individual house hard to tell apart from the other. Dante observed all of this from atop a hill that descended into this district of town, a few lanterns and metal trashcan fires illuminating this district allowing him to see this.

He thought it was a bit odd that he was lead to such a place, but couldn't afford to miss this opportunity to meet with one of Kiretsu's former customers. Walking down the stone hill, the waterway that was synonymous with Water 7 had split to venture away from this poor district of the Island.
The water no longer flowing beside him as he walked, he found it to be very silent at night time in Water 7, not even insects buzzed, hummed, or chirped, it was just him, his company, and the few other civilians that dared to walk the streets at night. Now in the network of shanty homes, Dante kept walking looking to make it to the waterfront where this bar was supposedly located. He got looks from bystanders, some of which were huddled around trashcan bound fires, but he didn't mind them. Despite not minding the glances, his guard was up. He wasn't afraid, he had grown up in a place much like this back on Spider Miles, but he felt an ominous energy in the air. Perhaps it was just anxiety kicking in, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to happen. Nonetheless he pushed forward, his companions now following from a generous 45m or so away. Eventually the sound of waves crashing began to bleed into Dante's ears. Louder and louder they grew until he made it to the Water Front and saw nothing but open ocean. Even to his left and right, there was no bar or even any homes.
He stood there in front of a steep cliff that seemed to dare him to jump. He cursed silently to himself until he noticed there was a faint bit of light down near the foot of the cliff. The way it shined told Dante that it was coming from inside the face of the cliff, an odd place for anything, but it was places like these that shady fellows flocked to. He looked around for a conventional way to get down, but saw nothing. No gradually declining hill or cliff face stairs. "Figures."

He didn't bother to communicate what he was doing to Verde or the Centurion before he made his leap, but he knew Verde would never assume he committed suicide given the type of person he was. The salt air brushed against his fram as he descended with open arms like a sky diver assessing how fast he was approaching the water and the bottom of the cliff. The magnetic chainmail kept Coogi fluttering behind him like the cape of a knight that fought for the sake of evil.
Well before he reached the bottom, he released an electro magnetic wave of energy that commanded his coat to safely equip itself onto Dante as one would normally wear a coat. His arms in the armholes of the coat, he then forced the coat closed and tight against his own body, but in a caressing manner, not a crushing or harmful one. He then would slow his own decent towards the ocean by countering his downward force with upward force applied on his titanium coat through the powers of his Devil Fruit. Like this he could achieve a level of flight, but for now he was just using it to gradually slow his decent until he was hovering safely above the ocean and the waves that rammed into the cliffside. What he saw was a cave carved into the cliff near the bottom. It was carved with an incline so when the water rushed in, it would roll down the hill out the cave. Sustaining his hover Dante flew into this excavated cave. Once he was inside and it was safe, he stopped hovering and landed safely on both his feet. The level of seawater present only went up to the soles of his shoes, so he didn't have much to mind. Looking at what lied ahead of him in the lantern lit cave, he saw a sign that hung above a single wooden door. Other than this door the cave was a dead end and the place was pretty specific with it's placement, so he didn't really see the need of the sign over the door, but it was there anyways and it read "The Rusted Dagger".

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Stepping to the door of the bar his boots splashing the shallow water the was beneath his feet, Dante reached out his hand, his ebony jacket parting as he did so and he grasped the door knob. Just as his hand touched the cool metal, the door swung open abruptly. Immediately his eyes flickered up beneath his mask to match the eyes of the much taller male who had opened the door. "Dante?" The man asked to which Dante hesitated to answer. First he tried to glance beyond the man, where he was devoting his ocular attention was hidden due to his mask. While he wanted to scope out the kind of crowd he potentially had to deal with, he couldn't see beyond the broad man. "That would be me." The man nodded then scratched his beard assessing Dante's appearance it seemed. "You smell odd . . . like metal" Dante contemplated on avoiding the question or answering with honesty. He went with his usual route of maneuvering. "Yeah, hiking through a what's basically a scrapyard can do that to you when looking for a bar that's literally bore into the face of a cliff." The man nodded, still placed in the doorway not letting Dante enter. "So uh, are you my contact?" The man shook his head side to side in a sage like fashion. "No I'm not." Dante waited a bit expectantly for the man to steer the conversation to what was to happen next since he knew why Dante was here and was blocking the door way. After a moment of silence Dante figured he had to press even harder. "So are you going to let me in?" At that the man made an astonished motion with his body then nodded to what Dante said. "That would be the smart thing to do wouldn't it . . ." The man turned his attention to over his shoulder for a moment, then turned back to Dante. "So?"
"I guess I'll let you in . . ." With that the man stepped back out the doorway allowing Dante to enter. Upon stepping inside what he saw shocked him, not only was there a fair accumulation of water on the ground from multiple dripping spots in the stone ceiling, but the bar was completely empty save for one man. Despite the strikingly low population level of the bar, it had an energy to it thanks to a single Tone Dial collective that was on a stage playing a jazzy melody. Additionally there were multiple tables and chairs int he bar as if it normally was populated. Beyond this single man there was no one, not even a bartender. With any luck this would be the guy Dante as search for. "So are you my contact?" Dante walked up slowly to the table the guy was at and took a seat on a barrel that was full of God knows what. "I am . . . drinking?" The man held up a bottle slightly tilted ready to pour into an empty cup that was placed specifically for one more guest. Dante nodded and began to take a seat. ""Before you sit, I'd like to see the face of my visitor if you don't mind." The man didn't look up at Dante, just at the cup that he poured alcohol into. With a sigh, Dante grabbed at his mask and pulled it from his bandaged face. The bandages on Dante's face gave the guy quite a laugh, it was funny enough to have the guy reeling back and slapping his knee in fact. "A man of mystery aren't you?! Figures a guy like you would be looking for Kiretsu. I won't pry any further, keep your bandages on." Dante shook his head in disbelief for the type of man he was talking to. Did this guy really know where he could find Kiretsu?

Sitting on the barrel, he tucked the gas mask in the confines of his coat, then tugged at the bandages around his mouth. This loosened them and exposed his mouth enough to let him drink what the man had poured for him. "Some nasty burns under there huh? Hope the drippings don't irritate em." Dante's burns were all healed, but the flesh was still scarred horribly, so while the water dripping and soaking through the bandages didn't irritate his burns he did like to keep his disfigured face hidden from sight. "Enough about how unappealing I am to the eyes. Lets talk about Kiretsu. How can I find him?" He put his cup down, the container emptied in one chug. Dante was admittedly quite the alcoholic and he hadn't drank in awhile because of the medicine he was taking to recover from the accident. The man laughed again and poured Dante more alcohol while he did so. He was noticeably drunk already. Dante could tell by seeing how red in the face the man was. "First you have to tell me why you're interested in seeing him." The doorman coughed randomly which caused Dante to turn over his shoulder and look at him. His eyes were trained loyally on the door however. Turning back to the drunk, he eye balled his cup before responding. "You're a curious man aren't you. First my face now my intentions. I'm not looking to fight or dethrone him or anything like that. Just need him to witness something it is I intend to do." The drunk nodded while swaying side to side to the rhythm of the music playing, his eyes were closed in bliss the whole time. "And what exactly is that?" His eyes opened as he reached for the bottle and took a swig out of it before putting it back done. Dante sighed at the question that pried even deeper into his plans. He was never the type to disclose much, so this was very irritating to him and the sigh he released communicated just that. The sigh also got a rise out of the drunk as he laughed hysterically at Dante's expression when he sighed as did the doorman albeit it was a single note chuckle. Turning to look at the brute, Dante saw he hadn't even stopped looking at the door.

"I captured someone who the government would rather want dead. So I plan on executing this person in front of Kiretsu so he can take note of the deed. Simple as that." The drunk squinted one eye and scratched his head at hearing this. "Why not just turn the person in or kill them in front of the government. Why someone as elusive as Kiretsu?" Dante had reached the end of his rope with this question. "I met you so I could learn how to track down this man, not to have someone inspecting and questioning my plans. Can you help me or not?" Not one to erupt vocally, Dante still let his impatience be known with the tone in which he spoke. At this the man put up his hands in a defensive manner. "Easy easy!" When he said this the doorman stood up quickly causing his chair to audibly splash some of the water on the ground, causing Dante to turn his attention towards him. "We don't want any problems from you!" The man shouted as he rushed at Dante, hunched down to tackle him as Dante stood in preparation to act accordingly. "I'm not trying to cause any problems!" Trying to activate his Devil Fruit powers, he found that while he didn't feel drained or exhausted as he was told he would, the seawater drippings that had accumulated on the floor submerged enough of his feet to negate his powers. "Fuck." He took the hit to the stomach and was carried a few feet before being tossed an additional distance. He crashed painfully into a table and a chair. Finding himself fully submerged in seawater, since he was laid out, he was unable to move and drowning. All he could do was lay there and wait for the approaching man to do what he wanted with him. Standing there above Dante's limp body, he reached down and tried to grab Dante's coat but got his hand sliced by the small filings of Titanium. He reeled back reflexively and shook his hand in pain. Holding his breath the best he could, he hoped that something would happen to grant him mobility again. I knew eating this fruit was a bad idea. I'm laying on the ground like a cripple about to die. He cursed Verde in his head as well for convincing him that eating the fruit was a good idea. It wasn't until the drunk man walked over that Dante began to focus back on what was happening around him. "Seems like he's a Devil Fruit user . . . either that or you broke his spine! Hahahaha!" He laughed hysterically again and even crouched down and waved his hand in front of Dante's face in a mocking fashion knowing he couldn't move. "Are we going to let him lay here until he drowns?" The doorman looked to the drunk who put a thoughtful face on and a hand to his chin. "Hmmmm . . . no, I want to ask him more questions. Help him up." The doorman nodded and grabbed Dante painfully by the neck to lift his body out the water. There he dangled in the air like a freshly caught fish until he felt control of his body return to him. When it did he lifted his hands and grasped the doorman's own hands and pulled them off of his neck. Free from the giant's grasp he landed on his two feet and rubbed his probably bruised neck. "Fuck he said help me up, now choke me to death." The doorman rubbed his wrist that Dante had squeezed on, his hand still bleeding as well. "Sorry."

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Still rubbing his neck with one hand, Dante walked behind the drunk to their table. Taking his seat as the drunk did, Dante spat over his shoulder into the accumulation of sea water on the ground. "What else do you want to ask me, so we can get this over with?" The man chuckled at the fact Dante was dripping wet as he nodded. "My last question will beeeeee. Who is it that you captured?" Dante was really starting to hate this guy. He truly was paying the price for what it was that he wanted. Opening his mouth to speak he was cut off. "And don't think about lying. I may be drunk, but I can tell when a person is lying. I've survived in the Black Market for longer than you've been alive." The man gave a toothy smile to Dante who then took a moment to reconsider his words, for what he was about to do was undoubtedly lie. "If you heard what went down at the Reverie not too long ago." The drunk nodded, his eyes closed again as he swayed to the music. "Then you know that Asher Kringle is a highly sought after individual. The man's eyes opened wide and the doorman turned to face Dante who waved away their suggestive glances. "I don't have Asher Kringle, but his commanding officer who was also present at the Reverie. I figure she's worth a pretty penny." The drunk closed his mouth and gave a nod. "Well . . . that answers all of my questions . . . not all of them, but all I care to ask hehe." He reached into his pocket and withdrew a small slip of paper that was folded into a neat square. "Kiretsu runs this auction house. It's in the heart of the town and fronts as a restaurant called the Black Pearl . Ask for Brenda to be your waiter and tell her Satoshi sent you. When you see Kiretsu give him this paper." Dante began to open the paper, but the drunk thrusted out his hand stopping him. "Don't . . . that's a message from me to Kiretsu, it doesn't regard you. I'm simply using you as a messenger. You scratch my back, I scratch yours." Dante nodded. His heart pounding hard in his chest with anticipation. It was all within his reach now. "Understood." "And I mean it, Kiretsu will be able to tell if you read it or not. Sheesh, even if he suspects you read it, he'd probably kill you. So keep the crease tight and don't even let it slightly open." Dante nodded as he stood up from the barrel. Grabbing the bottle the man was drinking from he took a long sip then dug in his coat to retrieve his mask. "I appreciate the help Satoshi." The doorman's eyes slid over to watch Dante as he fixated his mask on his face and the drunk began to cackle for whatever reason. "Make haste, the place closes in about two hours and it's a one hour walk." With that Dante departed. The message was in his pocket secure and he was back outside the Rusted Dagger.

"He was an odd one." The doorman stood up and walked over to the barrel Dante was sitting while the drunk poured himself a drink. Dante was already out the establishment and flying up the cliff face the same way he came in. "He seems pretty promising to me. He knows what he wants and how to go about getting it." The doorman shrugged as he watched the drunk pour the alcohol. "What message are you sending to Kiretsu anyways Satoshi?" The doorman, Satoshi the actual contact Dante was meeting with, shook his head side to side. "It doesn't say anything. I just figured I'd give a gust of wind under a new pirates wings." The drunk cackled and they clinked glasses for Dante to have good luck before chugging their drinks.

Back on the outside, Dante had flew  back up the cliff to see Verde sitting down and Centurion with the bags still, standing. Both were waiting for him, but Verde was noticeably impatient. "So?" He raised both his arms in a shrugging and questioning manner. "I found him. We're going to meet him now actually." Verde stood up by pressing off his own legs. "We're going to meet the contact?" Dante began walking forward, moving right in between Verde and the Centurion which didn't hesitate to follow Dante. "No, I just met with him." He stopped and turned to face Verde, the Centurion stopped too. "What you think I went for a midnight swim? Oh, by the way I almost drowned in ankle deep water thanks to eat this fruit. That was fun." Verde pouted out a lip and nodded being satisfied with what he heard. "Hearing that you almost died made the wait worthwhile. So where we headed?" Dante shook his head and laughed, Verde was now walking to catch up as Dante had began to walk again as did the Centurion. "A restaurant called the Black Pearl."

[Exit]

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