The entrance to Gubo was as magnificent as he had heard. It was a large cave, leading towards the gaping chasm holding the underground city within, more advanced in almost all areas than other islands of similar placement along the Grand Line. True, it was less than adequate for any sort of true adventure, at least he thought so, but it would be lovely to rest at. There was likely no real problems needing resolved here, so his actions were likely to be dismissed, even by the most scrutinizing of officials. No, his reputation for fighting strong enemies, or in some less willing cases, groups of weaker enemies, kept him from being a target of suspicion from the local authorities. Not that many would wish to tangle with a Shichibukai, even one of the less well known ones. Simply put, there were few existences that could reach such a level, thus the title itself became something of a shield. Unfortunately, it also had the side effect of attracting less likeable members of society, forcing Kuro to confront them with plentiful force. No doubt, there would be one of those soon, but for the moment he simply wanted to relax. Rare as it was, he treasured those precious moments where his mind could rest easy. It was easy to see he was something different from the norm, however. His casual avoidance of people, distracted expression, and skilled maneuvering in the crowded paths showed he was more than capable of persisting as he was, without a care in the world. It would be inaccurate to say he was thoughtless during this time, however. His own desires clouded his mind more than anything, though there was this strange sensation that someone from his past was here. He genuinely trusted his instincts on this, though it could not be stressed enough how often they had led him astray.

He breathed a sigh of contentment, the cool night air turning his breath into mist as it passed his lips. The water sources nearby probably helped with that, but given the Grand Line's insanity, it was easily possible it was just how it was. There was no explaining the madness that occurred in the Grand Line's islands, even the most calm island in Paradise was strange. Pausing as he realized he was no long in a crowd, but separate from the streets entirely, overlooking most of the city from a rock, placed just perfectly for him to have a view of the majority of the underground city, as well as a few of the beautiful geographical wonders. Were the place less defensive, he may have enjoyed staying for an extended period. As it was, however, he was simply wandering. He held no desire to head towards the New World again, wanting to learn more about the recent events of Paradise. Besides, until he unlocked his Haki, even his skills would not protect him from the dangers of the New World. There were too many possibilities, and he had no desire to die so young, regardless of his achievements. There were times he thought about it, but the decision never changed, for he simply enjoyed life too much. It could be argued that he was a bit of a coward in that regard, but his willpower was like iron. No doubt, he could become more than he was now, but for the moment, he simply wanted to enjoy the cool misty air, filling his lungs with a precious feeling he could scarce describe. He needed to find an island similar to this, so he could make it his home. Perhaps then he would be able to focus more physically, rather than focusing on the mental forces which enthralled him so.

As he had no way of using Haki, his aura, as many had taken to calling it, would be felt across the city, perhaps even to the world above. He likely would not have attempted to hide even if he were able, for he hated the very idea. Sure, in a life or death scenario he would do it, but the idea bothered him. Rather than the brave warrior he wanted to be, hiding would make him feel more like a coward than he ever had, perhaps due to some strange event in his past, though he could remember none which fit the situation. True, his desires for power had come from weakness, but cowardice? It was possible, he supposed, that his desires were born of a stubborn refusal to ever feel weak again. The blue haired man turned his back on the city, glancing at the area around him. It was a secluded area, not sealed off, but away from the buildings and people crowding around the underground city. It was too far away for normal sight, but someone with a focus on such an ability, or anyone with Observation Haki, would be capable of finding him rather easily. Somehow, he would not mind an interruption, which was quite strange for him.

Kuro shifted on his feet, turning back to stare at the chasm containing the city, feeling some sense of pride from the fact that such a place existed. He did not know why he felt proud for someone else's achievement, but he found he did not mind. As he shifted, his clothing took on a small current, his blue cloak blowing open slightly to reveal his strange attire, consisting of a blue sleeveless vest, and black pants, both more fit for a noble than a warrior. Stranger still, the two massive heaps of iron, for they could not be called swords, on his back suggested the exact opposite, even if most would consider the very idea of using two massive weapons at once to be idiotic at best, and suicidal at worst. Perhaps it was not his aura, or renown that made the civilians avoid him, but his strange appearance as either a cocky noble with more strength than brains, or an insane warrior with a strangely stylish taste in clothing. Who could tell, when such a beast of a man walked into a generally peaceful, if environmentally chaotic, area? The Grand Line was known for gathering its fair share of fools and heroes alike, after all. Even now, he was unsure which category fit him. Then again... did one not have to be a fool, to aspire to be a hero? He could no longer tell, everything seemed so distant now, compared to the clear days of his youth. Maybe, instead of just a physical focus, he needed a solid focus of both mental and physical requirements. Haki would be an excellent manner of doing this, but it seemed that he was doomed to wait until he met with someone willing to help him in that regard. Revealing his lack of it to the World Government would be tantamount to resigning as Shichibukai, particularly since he lacked a devil fruit of any kind.

Even without the power of Haki, he felt the need to wait where he was, his instinct telling him the strange rock formation would soon benefit him more than he could know. While it had led him astray before, this time it felt rather different. More than that, he simply had nothing better to do. The clearing would be a nice place for a spar, though, with its distance from the city as well as the flat surface of the area. He could scarcely recall when he last fought someone worth fighting, but it would be a wonderful change of pace if someone challenged him, preferably without him having to resort to targeting anyone. Just a nice spar, something to take his mind and force it into overdrive. It seemed like what he needed. The terrain certainly fit. A fifteen meter circumference flat surface, no stalagmites or stalactites in sight, well lit, smooth enough to not be a hazard with tripping, and rough enough to not be slippery, he certainly lucked out for areas to choose. Soon, he felt, his life would be back on track.

Kitaro had returned to Gubo a changed man. His mind had been turned into a violent torrent of rage that only strange memories from his past had brought him back from. Rather than achievement, rather than any actual even or revelation. It was looking back to something that he believed would never be important again. But he supposed hope in the time he was a slave would be some of the most profound hope that he would ever have. A strange thing to remember, that stuck in his head. The calmness that he experienced now, the tranquility of his place among the world, his aura blending with the rest in both it's strength and existence as another life form. It felt almost strange after that rage he had experienced and the powerful emotional pressure that it had done to him. He had been saved from it by songs...They were more powerful than people had given them credit for and the thoughts of them still stuck in his mind as he walked back into Gubo.

The people of Gubo were different than they had been in most other places that he had been. He felt less out of place here than he had in most other places. It was underground so people were used to those who were here to have already been there...Everyone passed through everyone else without so much as a second glance unless they were a significant presence in the world outside. It was a peaceful place in that respect, peaceful in the way that it was a haven for those who did not want to be in the outside world. Kitaro had even considered staying here for a longer time before heading back toward Dressrosa and his roots. But the business would still be better out there than here and there was the damned bats that were here. If anything could rekindle the rage he had experienced and make him lose his head again, it was those bats and Flounder's absolute waste of space when compared to them.

However, it had it's more peaceful places than others. There were places in any town, any city, any part of civilization that people avoided. Either treacherous or uncivilized. A place where people did not congegrate because there were too many other places. Such a place had been calling to Kitaro, he needed a moment before he went to finish his business here. It was not something that he felt like he could really handle ending in such a total and absolute way in such a direct manner. It had been such a transformative experience, and so unexpected. After he had sent Flounder back to the ship and traveled with him to ensure that he actually made it...Rather than being eaten by Spiders and with a slight hope that he would get a chance to kill some bats on the way back. He had decided to take a walk around Gubo and look for one of those peaceful areas.

He spied a clearing, but with a single man who was standing near it. Staring at a rock formation and clearly lost in thought. His blue hair and more lavish clothing than that of the people of Gubo and their plain underground life garb. Aside from this, he carried a sword on his person, though Kitaro could only see him from behind. Either fate was throwing a curve ball for Kitaro to make a decision about, or he was reading far too much into things now that he was thinking as much as he used to all the time and he was attaching too much importance to simple things. Either way, the rock formation that attracted so much staring and attention may as well be worth taking a glance at himself.

Kitaro approached from behind the man, but at a fair distance just in case. He could not identify the man from behind, but there was something familiar about the blue hair and the style. It made Kitaro wonder if his face would be another memory of his past. He had met very few blue haired people, but one of them had managed to come to a nice position in the world long since they had met in the past. Business was business back then as it was now though, and unique people were the best to talk to. Those who are not unique, are usually the least capable of anything. So, taking up position sitting on a rock a few meters behind him, Kitaro spoke out suddenly addressing him openly. "I knew a man with blue hair once, and a woman though she rests in Saobody for the rest of her days. I believe she found good business though the man I would say found a great deal better business. I wonder if I should maybe dye my own hair to see if I get the same kind of fate in the world of my business." Kitaro was speaking mostly in muse, but expecting the man to turn around and to reveal the familiarity or dispell Kitaro's ideas.

WC: 849
Total: 849

Perhaps there was a reason he was staring towards the city, admiring its ethereal beauty, though he could not name it. Were he honest, he would perhaps say it had the kind of mystical beauty that led him towards adventure, the danger of the location only furthering the natural beauty the city possessed. Even so, he felt distant from it, for the simple fact that he was unable to idealize the concept of a home, having sailed the seas for so long he simply forgot what having a home felt like. True, his boat could be considered his home, faulty as that logic was, but it was hardly what he truly wanted. What few human interactions he had were laced with undertones of fear, loathing, greed, or foolishness, so perhaps his admiration of the city stemmed from some forgotten desire for allies strong enough to stand with him, but not so strong that he would hold them back. To that end, it would seem he was doomed to roam alone, though perhaps it was time he attempted to change his perceptions of strength, not that he really knew what strength was. No, for the moment his only idea of strength was martial prowess, the ability to kill. What other power existed, in his eyes? There was no political power which would save a man from a bullet, no monetary wealth that would avert a catastrophe. For a man who wanted to keep living no matter what, martial power was the obvious choice, and with so few to keep up, was it any wonder his desire for home was forgotten? He had once been called arrogant, but he was never all that prideful, admitting to his weaknesses far more openly than anyone should, even if it were a simple double ploy.

He did not feel the presence behind him, so much as he heard the movements, the very breath from the man. For some reason, he felt a hint of nostalgia, miniscule that it was, as if this man were someone he had interactions with once, but so long ago that his mind could not connect the dots. He turned, only his feet moving, keeping his arms by his sides, in an about-face maneuver that he almost always used in his movements. His neutral expression shifted mildly as he saw the man, Kitaro, if he remembered. Their dealings on Sabaody coming to the forefront of his mind. He was not proud of much of what he did, though he was not ashamed either. He had goals to pursue, at that point, so anything that helped to further his goals was acceptable. Kitaro's voice seemed different now, though for the life of him, Kuro could not describe how. It was not the heavy drag of a depression forced voice, but there was something solid to it, a quality he did not fully understand. Deciding to voice his own memory of the time, Kuro spoke back towards the man, his voice coming out evenly, but not quite monotone. "I recall business dealings with a man of stature above others in the underground. I do not recall the woman, though." It was true, he had no memories of her specifically, only that he had dealt with some woman at the time. Why would he remember such a thing? It was just another moment of business... "Though I would advise against hair dye, your success in your business seems to surpass mine in my business."

It was not untrue, though it would perhaps be considered a stretch by some accounts, as a Shichibukai was quite high on the list of world powers, their influence and strength paramount to the World Government's own power. There were few things that were higher, though only from the eyes of those below, gazing upward. To Kuro, the number was far too high. He shifted onto his left foot, his posture much more relaxed now, though he had to wonder if he could ever look completely natural with those two giant blades on his back. "You did not seem to seek me out intentionally, and I did not expect to see you here. Have you been well?" Normally, Kuro would not bother with pleasantries, however this time he was genuinely curious, given the amount of chaos such a person tended to deal with. He always did enjoy a good story. After his apparent visitor would respond, he would respond as well, speaking of his own reasons for being in this specific area. "I am here for... I suppose a form of training, even if it seems to be fruitless." Ignoring the pun, he shrugged his shoulders, a casual smile on his face, though his eyes seemed sharp, more aware than they should be, focused on something more intensely than should have been possible, at least by average standards.

Despite the openness he seemed to show, Kuro was wary, if only in his mind. He was not in the mood for a fight to the death, even if he would not hesitate. He was also not sure what Kitaro's full abilities were. He was not sure he could deal with this, as he was only here to clear his head, though perhaps the very act of attempting to do so was what caused such a condensed fog to persist blocking his inward sight. As his doubts seemed to flow through his mind, his paranoia clashing with his optimism full force, his eyes became less focused, something that any keen observer would note. It was not unheard of for Kuro to lose focus, but this seemed different, even to him. In a lot of ways, it was like who he was was clashing with who he wanted to be, each conflict between the two resulting in more and more doubt, which only served to block his path towards what he desired, even if just for the moment. Even if only in his head, Kuro was facing more opposition than he ever thought possible, not at all dissimilar to two unstoppable forces impacting each other, each trying to force the other to give, only causing damage to the area where they clashed. Had he known at this time, that his doubts were the real problem with his training, he might have acted vastly different, but he simply had no way of knowing, not yet.

Kitaro regarded the man as he spoke to him. He was a bit surprised to find a pirate that he had done some minor business with so long ago to be standing here. Well, to be true it wasn't necessarily that the pirate he had been doing business with so long ago was standing here before him. It wasn't like Kitaro wasn't aware of the success that he had had since their last encounter. It was part of Kitaro's business to know the business of people who were in powerful positions in the world. People who he could or could not deal with and from those who he considered people to be in on the wheeling and dealing scene in the first place. Ever since their first meeting, it had been worth keeping an eye on this blue haired pirate. Someone whom he took interest in when he became a Shichibukai as well. So it was indeed fate that he would run into him here in Gubo, after such a personally transforming encounter with some bears in the wilderness not so far away. One of which, Kitaro had some pieces of the head of on his person at this very moment, which concerned him due to the nature of how the conversation carried on.

When the man took his joke very literally, taking the idea of luck in their respective fields to actually be something of a conversation topic despite two who had been successful and rose to such positions was...suspicious to say the least. For a man who Kitaro had to assume knew very little about him outside of some potential for knowledge about his success as a slave trader and arms dealer heading from the New World to East Blue, though even that seemed unlikely. No, Kitaro's name was a whisper on the wind compared to the names of Shichibukai to public knowledge and yet this pirate before him was so sure that Kitaro was doing better in his line of work and life than himself. Suspicious indeed.

Regardless of Kitaro's newfound suspicions however, he decided that he would let it pass and carry on with their meeting. He would reveal nothing on his face and nothing in his demeanor about his suspicions or his weariness unless the situation would call for it or put him on the spot. Instead, simply replying as a man who had not seen another man in a long time. Between two whom had not truly been friends, but acquaintances that had never had bad business with one another. As suspicious as it was that the Shichibukai, Kuro, seemed to know of Kitaro's own personal success, it was equally a business potential. As easy as it is to read yourself into what someone is saying, if Kitaro were to read what was said to him about luck and business as Kuro speaking introspectively outward, that would imply that Kitaro could have an opportunity to insert himself in a place where a Shichibukai would owe him a favor or be a future ally. It was not very difficult to see someone who had managed to attain the position of Shichibukai in the world as a potential ally and someone who could be worked with, without much personal risk in the world. They were, after all, a sort of ambitious type naturally. Kitaro himself, of course, being a sort of salesman of ambitions.

Kitaro simply watched as Kuro reasoned out the situation in his own mind and words. Claiming that it was somewhat clear that Kitaro had not sought him out purposefully, and Kuro did have the truth of it here. Kitaro had not decided to come looking for him explicitly or deliberately. He had been brought here in a sort of nostalgia of evolving himself as a person, having been recently gotten caught up in the process to a degree. A result of having his life put in danger against bears, a bigger demon bear, and having an emotional experience unlike any other he had his entire life over involving giant bats and the most pure form of rage. Though this is not what Kitaro responded with when Kuro asked him how he had been doing. This was quickly turning into a potential for opportunity, a business deal, an alliance that could be made. It would not due to explain the details of his emotional and spiritual endeavors on other areas of this island involving demons, bears, bats, and some mixes of the two of them.

"I have indeed been quite well in my business, I would not say lucky as I have never in my life experienced an over abundance of luck. Not at casino, not in battle, and not in life. However, I have learned how to make this work for me... Kitaro trailed off here allowing for Kuro a chance to explain himself further. Seeming and speaking in a way that would not turn against conversation or an agreeable nature without revealing too much. A simple personal opinion about luck was always a way to draw conversation to a further point, Kitaro's curiosity piqued due to the claims and the implied situation of the warlord before him. It sort of brought a chuckle to Kitaro's mind and a smile to his face. Being of the Underworld it was not beyond his business to know whether or not the major players had the power of devil fruits and notable feats that they had performed. In the case of the man before him, he was a known swordsman but not regarded as one of the worldi's greatest. Having mentioned a 'fruitless' pursuit of sorts, Kitaro immediately found it easy to assume that he had come in search of finding his own Devil Fruit. But why he would come to a barren wasteland of an island with hardly a plant, tree, or fruit growing anywhere around to find such a thing was beyond Kitaro.

Instead of bringing it up however, Kitaro responded simply. Addressing the training bit and mixing it a bit of his own personal life in that regard to continue the inviting nature of their conversation. It came naturally and easy to him, these thoughts not even crossing his mind. Simply instinct guiding his tongue. "Well, I came here for a bit of business myself and found myself enveloped in what you may call training. This is a harsh place outside of the city, but it is outside of the city that people are able to truly cut loose. My friend, Kuro, you surely seem to remember me and I remember you. I am a man who rarely forgets a face, let alone one who becomes so well known after meeting him. And I am always in a mood to further the position of myself and my friends. Could your mentioning of fruitless training be a suggestion or a question in regard to your future here on Gubo or ambitions as one of the Royal Warlords?"

WC: 1,180
Total: 2,029

The simplicity of the situation struck Kuro as something he had not encountered in years. A meeting with an old... ally? Acquaintance? Well, they were certainly not enemies, so he supposed it was fair to call them allies, given their goals could definitely align, at least if Kitaro had the same goals as any sane human being, not that Kuro could consider his own goals sane in the least. He had a terrible tendency towards the ridiculous and complicated, with it showing in everything he had done so far. One Supernova would have been enough to become a Shichibukai, after all, but Kuro had to bring in two, as well as a Yonko commander, though the latter was by accident. In any case, he felt less like he was talking to a dangerous black market supplier, and more that it was a simple meeting between two colleagues who had not seen each other in years.

Kuro did not stop to think about how his knowledge of Kitaro's success would make him suspicious. To him, it was obvious. The simple reason he believed Kitaro was truly a successful Underworld Broker was because he was still alive. Oh yes, there were those who survived in that business without much success, but Kitaro always struck Kuro more as the person to risk everything rather than maintain the status quo, at least until his goals were reached. There was another reason, however. Kuro, in modest terms, was a shichibukai. A legend to anyone sailing the sea, to the point where only Yonko would face him without fear. Well, not him personally, it was mostly the title that caused it, but the idea remained. For Kitaro to know of Kuro's success, yet still speak to him casually, at complete ease... well, it was not a stretch to imagine Kitaro had hit quite a bit more success than most.

Kitaro's mention of luck was amusing as well, it seemed they were in a similar boat, though Kuro would admit that he had been lucky in some of his meetings, everything afterwards was not born of luck, but of Will. Of course most could not realize the difference, or even the meaning, but Kuro had been trying to break himself of that habit for years now, blaming his success on luck, that is. Still, it was fortunate that Kitaro seemed just as successful, and not out of luck. Unfortunate as it was, Kuro was not a presence that could sneak by easily, due both to his unique appearance, and his title. While blue hair was far from the strangest hair color, it was not common enough to be forgotten easily. A shichibukai, though... they could not usually be trusted for any underworld dealings. Black markets, slave traders, none of them could ever trust what they saw as a dog of the government. How could they? Shichibukai made their living by fucking with other pirates, and quite a few had been known to take down underworld organizations for their own reasons, be it money, revenge, or simple fun. Pirates, at the very least, could be expect to work towards One Piece, or at least getting their names out. Yonko were usually protective of their crews, or so personally invested in their own dealings they were not a threat unless threatened. Marines could use the black market for their own ends as well, usually for extra weaponry, information, or less common items that they did not have the rank for. Shichibukai? No one had a single clue what went on in their heads. Their actions seemed random and frequently insane, contradicting each other in a crazy mess of madness. The problem was that Shichibukai, unlike most others, could not be thought of as a group and still make sense. Shichibukai were simply pirates who stood out enough to become what they were. They did not act out of a group ideology, but on personal ones. Most Shichibukai were so personally invested that they would only have others work under them, or die, which had caused a great deal of strife for underworld organizations that chose to deal with them.


"Luck... hm, well I could say that my luck has been good, but that may be a lie. Truth is, I am experiencing some trouble in terms of luck." Admitting that was a risk, but it made it clear that Kuro wanted something from Kitaro, though Kitaro had never seemed the type to attack for no reason, perceived weakness or not, and Kuro did not believe he had ever done anything that would set the man off either. They were both on uneven ground, so to speak. Being enemies would benefit neither of them, but being allies? They could both support each other, likely doubling any potential gains they made while allied. Besides, having a personal relationship with a powerful underworld broker sounded just too interesting to pass up. He was always a power-hungry man, after all...

Kitaro's suggestion was almost spot on, though not originally intended in such a way. Still, Kuro had to give that silver tongue of his credit, were he not studious in regards to wordplay, he would have been convinced as easily as that, though given it was his idea, he had little concern for dealing with that. "I prefer to speak simply, but yes, I would call it a suggestion, though your words gave me a better idea." All he absolutely knew about Kitaro, given the man could no doubt be lying about everything else, was that he had traded a slave once, and that he was interested in Kuro's own business. The bit where he called him friend made that clear, especially using his name afterwards. Kitaro was as good at manipulation as any businessman should be, but there was more than that in his words. It was not a simple self-promotion, but a desire for business partnership. Despite the risks, Kitaro wanted to enter, at the very least, a business alliance with Kuro, no doubt using his fame and alliance with the marines to acquire certain items, but Kuro could offer him one better, should his greed outweigh his pride, though that was for later. There were, after all, too many factors that may be involved with that idea.


"I wonder, in your dealings, if they have remained the same over the years, have you recently dealt with any slaves with devil fruits?" It may have seemed like a cunning plan, but in all honesty, it was just an easier way to suggest such a thing. People with devil fruits were far easier to find than actual devil fruits, after all. Some crews had a quarter of their crew with devil fruits, yet only ever found one, even after two years at sea in the Grand Line. Of course, were his intentions to find a devil fruit to fail, he would be able to simply head back towards the new world, and locate one there. "If you are unsure, I would not mind going to check."

Kitaro regarded Kuro cooly, he was one who did not do many dealings on the underbelly of society, that much was certain. He was a man who kept himself in the frontal vision of himself and the world. Meanwhile, Kitaro kept himself not only involved in the circles of what would be considered the Underworld and outside of the view of common people but also considered himself to be under that view as well. When trying to see himself from the outside Kitaro did his best to only perform acts that would make him seen as a background or partially invovled figure. He enjoyed being anonymous, he enjoyed being successful, and it was hard to be successful in a world where his very business was considered illegal if he enjoyed life on the forefront of fame and fortune. The only problem was that lately he was sort of setting himself up to be on the lower end of the fortune spectrum, sort of the thing that he had learned and decided would be the means to achieve power in his own right. A conundrum, that brought him once more back to the Shichibukai before him. Such people were like magnets for money and fame and they were quite free to interact however they chose, a Shichibukai could be a slaver provided he never ran into the right kind of marines to bring them in for it...

Regardless, it was when he began to speak about his own lack of luck and fortunes that Kitaro paid the most attention. A Shichibukai that was in need of assistance in any way was some ground to build an alliance or more upon, or at least get some favors that are worth more than money in this world. Provided the right time and the right place...Regardless, it was clear that Kuro was describing himself as being down on his luck and as a result he was looking for the answers not amongst his fellow pirates or from the World Government. His fellow pirates would probably despise him for being a dog of the marines, his fellow World Government agents not trusting of him and looking for weaknesses to take advantage for his being a pirate at the end of the day. Kitaro ended the line of thought as Kuro continued his speaking, with the idea that he really had no one else to turn to aside from those who were as wholly unaffiliated with both sides of the typical power struggle as possible. It just posed a clear risk to Kitaro to deal with someone who was viewed in the negative on both sides of his largest monetary and business opportunities.

Kitaro always kept a friendly demeanor in regard to others as long as he could. He found it counter productive as well as bad for business to begin conflicts. Fighting with people was just a difficult thing that caused problems. More often than not it could be avoided and even when it couldn't be, leaving was usually a better option. Fighting was a risky and messy business of course, and if you create enemies for yourself it could only serve to cause you problems later down the line. The goal of any good Underworld Broker was, of course, to be everyone's friend that took their money. 

It didn't take Kuro long of Kitaro's baiting conversationalism to bring himself around to speaking his mind though, it was a fair offer and it was basically laid to Kuro if he wanted to bring up his problems or not. He had already come so far as to reveal that he had them, and it was only going to be leaving a loose end if he had just simply left after saying such a thing. Kitaro was just bringing it forward.  Bringing the conversation itself forward actually and it produced fruit fairly quickly. Kuro quickly brought out his search, as he had subconsciously revealed in his previous statements. With fruit on the mind, saying something like "fruitless" was inevitable besides. It just took someone who knew people and who knew how to deal with them to truly notice or bring something like that to the forefront of conversation. Now it was direct, now it was to be revealed or Kuro would have no choice but to leave having already revealed the information that he had been skulking about for. From Kitaro, it was just another simple play at the game of words, but he considered his own moves through conversation while he listened to everything that Kuro had to say.

When he asked if Kitaro had ever encountered slaves with Devil Fruits it was a pretty simple thing to guess the rest of the conversation from there. It was a good way to earn a favor for sure, but Devil Fruits were worth plenty of money and could be afforded from a variety of places. So, Kitaro simply smiled wider and waited for Kuro to finish speaking, offering to check his stock of slaves for Devil Fruit, but there was no need. Ktiaro was a bit low on slaves at the moment anyway and to keep his flesh market going, he needed everyone to believe that he always had plenty. It was simply going too far. "Friend, I know your search." Kitaro stated boldly, he was hoping to cut to the chase and either shock and awe the Warlord that heh met to full get on board with the idea and future plans of Kitaro or not. "I have encountered plenty of slaves in my time who had eaten Devil Fruits. Some even had been force fed the fruits from the Government itself. I can take you to the place that the trading of slaves and the business of Devil Fruits is the most common on this side of the world, and perhaps into the New World beyond even that. I will leave it up to you to follow me or not however, who am I to force a Warlord to act. I need only drop this bag off in town and I will be headed over to the docks. I am making my way to Saobody no less, and if you meet with me at my ship, I will take you with me for my dealings. Perhaps we can find you what you're looking for." With that, Kitaro hopped down from the rock he had taken up sitting on and hefted his bag with a bear's head inside. Or two pieces of a bear's head at least. He began to walk toward town, certain that the Shichibukai he had found, Kuro the blue hair, would meet up with him at the docks shortly after.

WC: 1,120
Total: 3,149

[Exit to Docks/Leaving for Saobody]

There were dozens of reasons neither Kuro nor Kitaro should trust each other. Simply put, a government aligned pirate and a selfish underworld exploiter should not be able to get along even in the most commonplace dealings. It would be ridiculous to assume any meeting of two figures such as this would pan out well, and without bloodshed. It was common that one of the two would immediately try to kill the other, often the Shichibukai starting the fight. In this instance, what made everything different was not that Kuro was especially moral or unique. He was equally as power hungry as the next Shichibukai. The issue was that Kuro did not crave political or organizational power, he craved personal power. What power mattered if you could not always have it with you? To Kuro, the answer was none. For no power mattered if you were alone and  Kuro  was  always alone. Perhaps in time that would change, but for now Kuro was simply the one-man-crew who made his way by carving a path in whatever he could. It would not do for him to get sentimental, he believed. Being vulnerable, especially for him, was not going to help him in any situation, which was why he so often ignored his own problems and simply moved forward however he could. Anything else and he was just wasting time.

Kitaro had shown himself to be many things in the breif conversation. He was obviously a skilled speaker, though Kuro did have suspicions before this point. It was not as though he expected any underworld broker to be an idiot, but Kitaro was something very dangerous. He could handle physical threats, or even mental threats, his soul being so solid he doubted anything but himself could truly stood him now. Granted, that was supposing whatever physical threat he met could be matched by his own skill and power. No, what made Kitaro dangerous was that he could see more than others, and abuse it viciously. Kuro had only meant to show a certain desperation to Kitaro, but he picked up on it far more than anyone else would have. Had Kitaro disagreed, Kuro would be in deep shit simply dealing with the military afterwards. Kitaro now had a sliver of power over Kuro, and it would only be matched by physical might should the two come to blows. It was easier to train his body than his mind, though Kuro was starting to wonder about that. He always had been a fast learner, after all.

Actually, that was a major concern of his towards the World government. Their silly war with pirates made everyone put anything not dealing with pirate activity on the back burner, which enabled dozens of island nations to fail their citizens, part of what had caused Kuro several problems early on in life, though not many understood or knew that. As Kitaro offered for Kuro to follow, he nodded, knowing, or at least having an idea, where they would be going. "Yeah, I'll meet you at the docks." He adopted a much more relaxed tone now, though part of it was subconscious. The majority of his nerves were settled now that Kitaro agreed. Simply put had Kitaro refused Kuro would be in trouble. "I have a stop to make, first, however." He needed to find a shop, one which sold... masks. Or disguises of some sort. He needed it strictly of the radar as well, so that he could run around freely even hen doing less legal things, as the Government was no doubt looking for a reason to fire him. He had not done anything since his appointment as Shichibukai, at least nothing He would consider noteworthy.

Of course, he never stopped to consider what he did as anything other than what was expected as the minimum, due much less to his idea of normal being skewed, and much more because of his withered self-image and lack of confidence. It was something that had plagued him in many forms, that he perceived as being done with, but as with many others, Kuro could not see his lack of confidence as a problem because he genuinely believed he was worse than he was, in everything. It could never be said enough that Kuro was a Shichibukai, but it was not the fame that caused him problems. It was his ideals of what power truly meant, and his own judgements for himself being based on those he had seen, those in particular often being the very best in their fields. His access to such sights was what caused him to compare himself to those in higher places, though in the same way, it was a great motivator, forcing Kuro to push himself more than he ever had, each day. 

Still, despite his love for his position, he needed an alias that could get away with having slaves, and possibly even murdering a Celestial Dragons. Not because he planned on it, he just was pretty sure if he met one, he would not be able to restrain himself from "accidentally" letting them die... probably by his own blade. It was not even the slavery that caused him to hate them, they just looked so inhuman that they were not worth letting live. He let several monsters live because they were not worth the effort to kill, but Celestial Dragons were something else, having a distinct terribly hideous appearance to match their self-righteous behavior. Ah yes, that was the real reason. They believed they were doing the right thing, simply because of how they were born from a bunch of fearful idiots. Kuro decided then, he should definitely deal with that as he did everything else. He would carve a path through Mariejois and the Redline itself.

{Exit/ Leaving for Saobody.}