Eustass Pirates and Crocodile's Alliance

"Yooo, Smoker! Why don't you step aside and let me take Crocodile before anyone getting hurt" Kai declared with a jovial manner as the Victoria Punk stopped next to Smoker's ship.

Smoker's expression darkened at Kai's words, but he remained unfazed. Exhaling smoke, he retorted, "Cut the crap. We both know that's not going to happen…'Red Demon' Eustass Kai"

Kai looked disappointed at Smoker's response but he knew that he was a stubborn man and that he was not going to simply let him do what he want without resistance.

"I guess we'll have to do this the hard way" Kai cracked his knuckles and neck muscles, and with a grin he shouted orders "Kick their ass!!!!"

"HAAAA!!!!" Everyone replied in unison before they jump to the enemy ship.

"Your orders Smoker-san!" Tashigi asked while unsheathing her katana.

"Make sure the prisoners don't escape" He clenched his fist while watching the Eustass Pirates land on his ship "You bastards are overestimating your strength!"

Smoker rolled his fist back and shot a cloud of dense smoke from his arms to blast Kai and his crew.

"White Blow!!"

"Cloud or smoke, let's see which one is stronger!" Kai proceeded to strike back Smoker by shooting a large dense cloud in the shape of a fist.

BAAAM!!! The two attacks connected with each other and the force of the impact sent a small shockwave rippling through the air.

"So you're the Logia user...then the one with magnetic powers must be 'Captain' Kid..." Smoker remarked, glancing to his side.

Kid stood at the middle, his hands crackling with magnetic energy before he attracted all the metal scraps and weapons in the ship towards him.

"GYAAAH!!" The weaker marines struggled to keep their weapons, and the ones who kept hold of theirs went flying towards Kid.

"Thanks for the metals..." Kid grinned wickedly as he made a large metal arm of them before he swung it back, sending the marines who came flying with their weapons away into the ocean "...However, I don't need you fools!"

He then turned to the rest of the soldiers and leaped into the air, swinging his giant metal arm down and successfully smashing down several of them.

Tashigi looked furious upon witnessing that and proceeded to dash towards him "You bastard!" She grasped her katana with both hands and attacked him from behind.

However Kid sensed her approaching with his Haki and gracefully sidestepped, avoiding her blade by a few inches before he grabbed it with his metal arm and pulled her closer to him.

"That's not nice, attacking someone from behind" Kid grabbed her by the neck while squeezing it and lifted her up.

Saga who was fighting beside Kid, glanced at them before he looked shocked when he saw Tashigi's face "...Kuina...?!"

Saga remembered Kuina who used to train in the same dojo as him and Zoro when they were children.

"You know her?" Killer asked as he landed beside him.

'She just looks a little like her, and that girl was a beast, even Zoro couldn't beat her…There is no way that weakling is her, and I clearly remember attending her funeral as well' Saga thought before he shook his head and focused back on the battle "She just looks awfully familiar, I've mistaken her to someone I used to know"

"Tashigi!!" Smoker looked very worried about his subordinate's well being. But Kai left him no chance to think about helping her as he proceeded to attack him again.

"Demolishing Wind!!" Kai aimed his cloud right palm at Smoker and released a large and compressed crescent wind blade towards him.

Although the attack wasn't gonna hurt Smoker, but it forced him to keep his focus on Kai.

The wind blade passed through Smoker without hurting him before his body went back to its original form. The blade ended up destroying the ship's mizen mast.

"White Snake!!" Smoker launched a long snake of dense smoke from his hand that followed Kai and tried to grab and hit him.

"As expected, it did not work because of your Logia body" Smoker narrowed his eyes while frowning after his attack failed to do any damage whatsoever.

"Kai!!" Bonney shouted from behind before throwing the sea stone spear to him. 

Kai swiftly grabbed it with his right hand and proceeded to use it against Smoker since the latter is also a Logia user.

With a powerful thrust, Kai pointed the sharp end of the spear at Smoker's chest, aiming to stab him.

FWOOSH!! Though Smoker was a Logia but his instincts screamed at him to dodge, and he did at the last second, jumping to the side.

When he got a closer look at the tip of the spear he recognized it as sea stone "Is that a sea stone weapon? Bastard where did you get that?!"

Sea stone is known to be very rare and expensive, even the marines don't use it in excess.

"You're pretty smart for dodging that" Kai said, quickly turning towards Smoker again. The latter clenched his jitte that also has sea stone at the tip of it and proceeded to strike Kai in response.

SWOOSH!! Kai easily evaded the attack with his Haki and using Soru, he disappeared and reappears again behind Smoker in the blink of an eye.

The latter was startled and couldn't see nor keep up with Kai because of his incredible speed.

Kai wasted no time and stabbed smoker on the right leg, forcing him down on his knees while letting the sea stone drain his power.

He then unsheathed his sword 'Shichiseiken' and pointed it at Smoker's neck.

"We could've avoided this if you just calmly stepped aside..." Kai wasn't planning to kill him, even though Smoker's Logia fruit might be tempting to take but it's not worth having an Admiral chasing after them.

After all, Aokiji consider him a close friend.

Smoker tried to get up and fight back but Kai used his ability to channel lightning into his spear and shocked Smoker for a few seconds until he collapsed on the ground.

"Huff...Huff...Why are you helping Crocodile, demon? The last time I checked you nor your crew members have any business or a relationship with him" Smoker asked, he was face down on the ground and breathing with difficulty.

Kai stepped on Smoker's injured leg, making him yelp in pain "What I am doing is of no business to you...If you stay calm no one will get hurt"

"Smoker-san!!!" Tashigi yelled at his direction, she kicked Kid in the face while trying to break free from his hand.

The latter glared at her before slamming her body on the floor so hard that she almost lost her conscious.

"Try that shit again and I'll break your leg!" Kid growled.

"Forget about whatever you think you're doing, that guy is untamable beast" Smoker mentioned.

"Just mind your business smokey boy, and be grateful that I haven't killed you yet" Kai turned to Wyper's direction, the Shandian warrior looked unscathed and he was leaning on a mast while smoking a cigarette "can you hold him down for a minute while I go see the prisoners?"

"Sure" Wyper nodded, he was still wearing his Shooter with sea stone in them so he could hold down Smoker in case he tries to do anything.

Kai proceeded to go down to the brig where they are locking away Crocodile and his subordinates.

Upon entering and standing before Crocodile's cell, the latter chuckled, fixing a gaze upon him.

"Ku-ah-ah-ah-ah!..."

"...Well this is a surprise, you're the last one I expected to be behind this attack"

With hands in his pockets, Kai calmly stood in front of Crocodile's cell "I have an offer for you, Crocodile" he said, maintaining eye contact with the once Warlord of The Sea, now chained and shackled alongside his subordinates.

"I presume that you managed to defeat Smoker and his crew" Crocodile grinned wickedly, curious about Kai's reasons of doing this "hahaha...an offer? What is it that you think it's worth going into all of this trouble for?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary, but I'll be straight forward. I want to make an alliance with you" Kai stated, his expression and tone dead serious.

Crocodile seemed very surprised about that answer "Why would you want to do that?-No...Why do you think I would want to be your ally? A brat who just started sailing, maybe if you get on your knees and beg I might consider having you as a subordinate"

"Kahahaha! You're pretty cocky for someone locked up behind the bars and waiting to be to transport to Impel Down" Kai laughed at Crocodile's response, he expected him to say something like that "Do you want to rot there and smell Magellan's shit for the rest of your life?..."

"…if you can break out now, I doubt you'll play it small here in Paradise anymore, you don't strike me as the kind of man who would do that. You're an ambitious one, like me and I need people like you to back me up in the New World"

Crocodile was certainly impressed by Kai's confidence, but he still wasn't sure if allying with a rookie pirate is worth it.

The sound of moving chains became louder as Crocodile rose from his place and approached the cell iron bars, he looked at Kai with curiosity "And what do you know?"

"I know a lot…I know that you still want it, the ancient weapon Pluton, not only that, but you also want to build your own empire with the help of that, right? Well, it's you're lucky day! You can try that again if I release you, and I also might have some clues that can help you"

'How did he find out about my plan?!' Crocodile's eyes widened in shock when heard that "You little punk, how do you know about that? Its existence and location is only known through the Poneglyphs, and as far as I know there is only one person left who can read them"

Kai casually swiped his pinky over his ear, smirking. "I have my sources…So, what do you say? If you help me become the King of Pirates, I'll help you build your empire!"

"…" 

"Do I have a choice?"

"I'll release you either way, after all how can you trust me and for me to trust you if our alliance is built on a choice that you are forced to make?" Kai said before he looked around the place for the keys to open the cell and shackles, and once he found them, he proceeded to set free Crocodile and all of his subordinates.

*Footstep*-*Footstep* Crocodile slowly walked out of his cell, stretching his legs and arms before he turned to Kai and smiled.

"Alright, you've got my interest…I'll give you a chance since you saved me"

"You won't regret it" Kai said.

"…"

"Can we trust him?" Daz Bonez asked.

"We got nothing to lose"

Crocodile and the rest proceeded to change their clothes. But just as they finished with that, the ship trembled under an unexpected impact again.

"Reinforcements?" Crocodile assumed.

"Most likely" Kai and Crocodile went back up to the ship's deck after that "Kid, what do we have?!"

"More Marine Warships are approaching us!" Kid remarked.

"They are quick! let's go back to the ship and leave, we're done here!"

"Crocodile!…Aghh!" Smoker muttered while still lying down on the ground.

Crocodile shot him a mocking grin before he spoke "Looks like the situation has flipped now, Smoker…Thank's for taking care of me the past few days, I'll make sure to pay you back if we ever meet again in the future" he said sarcastically.

"Screw you!"

"Ku-ah-ah-ah-ah!!"

Kai, Crocodile and the rest of their crews boarded the Victoria Punk afterwards.