The door opened, light and mist pouring through as the crowd’s roar was aleady appearent.  He knew what happened to Bighead, the man that supposed to be his trump card, now removing any chances Isaac had to vanish into the crowd like he planned.  The crowd continued to amp as he remained inside, Sasayaki still on his back, peaking through see what challenge was ahead, nodding to confirm that the man was as predictable as they assumed.  “Play it,” he instructed, taking one last moment to compose himself before the show began.

	https://youtu.be/0vRbxtTCY50

	Isaac strutted through the mist as the song blared behind him, his arms slightly raised to his side, beckoning challengers as he approached the ring.  It was your classic three roped wrestling area, posts made from pure seastone, and a mat that looked as springy as he remembered.  The other contestants lacked his flair, nervously waiting on the side of the ring, likely due to the behemoth of man that remained across from them.  Regardless, Isaac couldn’t let such men intimidate his only chance to get off this island.  He hopped up to the stage, pumping up his arms and Sasayaki dance around him to the aggressive beat, jumping on the post and putting his hand on his ear to the audience, causing an uproar of cheers and boos.  “I can’t hear youuuuu.” he yelled, repeating the action, causing an uproar, and forcing the behemoth, the clear favorite to cross his arms.

	“If you’re done, Isaac, I’d like to explain the game for those who might want to survive it, if that is alright with you,” GM interjected, just as much of a dick as he remembered.

	“Give ‘em hell, boy,” Bighead yelled from the background, forcing a stern lookback from GM.

	GM appeared high on the projectors, “Welcome to the ring, a game usually reserved for late round combat, but fitting, considering new games I have cooked up for this show.”  He paused for the crowd, losing their minds for the idea of new games.  “And for the first time ever, all of you at home can den den in with your reactions, just transmit to the number below and #greatpirategames.”

	A new bar appeared on the bottom of the screen, messages from the home audience scrolling below, and a section for a poll appearing.  “What does it say?” Sasayaki whined, “Do they love us?”

	“The ring is an 8-man free for all, winning by knockout or ring out, with the top competitor moving on to the next game without question, spinning the gold wheel for an advantage in the next round, and the other top contenders spinning the silver and bronze wheels for penalties.  For the rest of you, judgement will be decided after the match, so remain quiet until it is past.  The only rule to this game, is no weapons are allowed, which means Sasayaki, you advance as the third-place contestant by default,” He taped his sign to the ground and Sasayaki vanished, his waist suddenly feeling naked, her distinct frequency gone, making the world quiet again.

	GM vanished from the projector, and a referee appeared at the center of the ring, as was customary in this classic, beckoning the other contestants to the ring.  “Alright, you know the rules.  Keep it clean, keep it fun, and most importantly, keep it in the ring.  If I see any foul play, I’ll throw you out of this ring faster than you can ‘Spin the wheel,’ got it?”  The contestents nodded, each taking a spot in the ring, nerves building, crashing into violence as the bell rang.

	“Showtime,” Isaac remarked, gingerly hopping up to the post without Sasayaki’s added weight.  One of the smaller contestents saw the opportunity for a quick ring out, charging him dead on.  The man rushed with a blunted shoulder, but he was too predictable, Isaac front flipping over his head and rushing his body against the seastone, stunning him.  He took a quick glance at the crowd, raising his arms and in innocence before sliding him under the ropes with low spin grab.  The man vanished before hitting the ground, appearing in one of six seats around the ring; GM had never intended for more than two to advance.

	Another man was run out by the behemoth, his overgrown arms lifting his prey and chucking him against the barrier, the crowd reeling back at the collision, only to celebrate as the unconscious man slid down and vanished to another seat.  It had looked like her would get another victory, but as grabbed for the next victim, a tall woman with hair down to the floor, her body broke apart into an array of noodles, reforming behind him and rushing to the opposite side of the ring.  He peaked back, annoyed, but it didn’t really matter what order the enemy fell, only that they did.  His gaze was now on Isaac, “You’re next, enemy.”

	[i]Me?[/i] he pointed, realizing that this was a match he win without Sasayaki, but not one he could ignore.  In the pirate game, when more than one contestant could move on, the game became more than just surviving the round, it became a chess match, eliminating people who you thought could hurt your game most in the future, and if the brute could survive to face one of his new companions, there was no telling what kind of brutality they would suffer.  “Well, stud,” he teased, “what are you waiting for?  Lay it on me big guy.”

	The man charged forward, wildly swinging for a feel of human flesh, but much too slow for his prey.  Isaac may nit have much of an offensive without his weapon, but he had honed his observation haki to level that made it easy to predict such simplistic movements.  Left, right, from above, from above by slightly left, he saw each attack come at him over and over, yet it did not slow down the man, continuing his assault and Isaac easily leaped back on over each attempt.  “Stay still,” the aggressor yelled, his anger reaching its peak as Isaac jumped onto his arm, the head, the testing his stability with a kick to spine, the crowd now laughing at the brute.

	“Hey hunter,” the devil fruit user yelled, facing he own challenge with a man that was well versed in the government’s martial arts, display his iron body with pride.  “You figure out a way to clean up that monster and I’ll take care of these other small fry.  We can roshambo for placement after that.

	He peaked over while she was getting set up.  “That’s a deal noodle, but I am going to need something from you first,” he smiled.

	“Already planning it,” she smiled, clearly a fan of the events.

	“Hey ugly,” Isaac yelled, the man fully turned.  “I bet you hit like a skypean,” he smirked, crossing his arms and fluttering them prominently.

	The brute roared to the sky, his pride now at stake while a commotion continued behind him “You know,” he rumbled, “There isn’t any rule against killing, and it would be so easy.”

	“Just like your mother, big guy.”  The crowd was roused, with mother insults hitting particularly hard in the pirate community.

	He huffed, clearly ready to kill.  “Take it back,” he demanded.  “My mother was a saint, and NO ONE talks bad about her.”

	Isaac shot a glace at the crowd, biding his time, the continued he smirk to the man.  “She certainly isn’t one now, if I you what I mean.”  His hands cupped and inviable shape at his check then slowly moved it down to his waist as he raised his brow.  “Don’t worry,” he assured him.  “I was gentle.”

	“Enough,” he yelled, finally where he needed him to be, charging at Isaac with a blind rage.  Isaac waited, seeing large fist come from him, seeing what would happen if dodged a moment to late, yet still finding the patients to hold back until the fist was nearly on him.  The crowd gasped as he vanished to the side, the brute’s heavy fist hitting the referee with its full force, sending the unfortunate mediator out of the ring and into the barrier.  He remained still for a moment after hitting the ground, the brute just standing there in awe.

	Noodle was true to her word, luring the target where he needed to be, then sweeping up the remaining contestants as they were distracted by the commotion.  The referee finally found his feet, pulling a red card out of his pocket, a red X appearing in the sky, and the wheeling, transformed into a much darker version, started to spin.  “Hitting the judge is an automatic disqualification, and entitles you to the death wheel.”

	It was a scary name, but not all options of the death wheel were fatal, yet they did tend to be harsher, with an alarmingly larger number of punishments over forgiveness.  Isaac almost felt bad for what he had done, but the games were all about survive, a concept he and noodle understood.  He was happy to work with the women, but knew that he may have to fight her in an upcoming round.  Still, he too was a person of his words, meeting her in the center of the ring for a showdown unlike any other previously seen in the games.  “Judge, can I get some music over here?”

	The man stepped onto the stage, realizing what was to happen.  He made a motion to the sky, and had the show shake hands, the girl’s grip unsurprisingly flimsy.  “Alright,” the judge started, if this is how it goes down, is going to be the best out of three, same time released, haki disabled.  Agreed?”

	The two looked at each other, the woman smiling at the rule mod, knowing Isaac fully intended to use his observation to win.  “Agreed,” he sighed, his senses dulling as the new rule overtook the ring, music staring in the stands.

	https://youtu.be/Y1PRiUcIJMI

	Their eyes locked, the crowd cheering ferociously as one hand laid flat, the other motioning.  The hands moved to the words, the first round released, widening Isaac’s eyes.  “Scissors beats paper!  Isaac score the first blow!”

	Isaac pulled back, celebrating his point with a breakdown for the crowd, slinking to the ground with a crisp wave move that hadn’t been used since before his time.  “Sounds easy”

	They met again, hands motioning vigorous, this time the woman pulling back.  “Rock beats scissors, Penne strikes back!”

	The woman did a dance of her own, her body turning to noodles and twisting in a pasta tornado, before coming back.  “Was there any other pastabilitiy?”

	“Alright,” the referee announced, “this is for the win, and for an advantage in the next round.  Get those fists ready!”  The crowd stood in their seats; hands pressed against the barrier as their hands motioned.  He gave the girl a final glance before releasing his choice, the crowd gasping before he could even look down.  Isaac had thrown scissors, never doubting that the noodle could predict it, knowing it was her one weakness, but looking down in awe as a lone rock stood before him.  Isaac, had lost.  Penne lit up, wrapping him in her flimsy embrace before doing a lap around the ring, the crowd cheering for her as her advantage wheel spun.  ‘Skip a round,’ the wheel read, drawing in instant envy, but a warm smile, knowing he wouldn’t have to face her ability anytime soon.  “No hard feeling hunter,” she called out before GM appeared on screen to announce her victory and send her off with a tap of the hammer.

	“Well now, Isaac, it seems you will be moving on, but with a penalty, shall we see what that is?” he asked the crowd, now on its feet, yet GM wasn’t happy one bit.  In the time since the silver penalty wheel appeared, the crowd had started chanting “hunter,” his gifted pirate games name.

	Isaac raised his hands to the crowd, taking in the praise from a well-done show, then lowered them, the crowd becoming silent as they took his side.  “You know, George,” he started, the name piercing through the projector, “I love these games, these people too much to take an advantage.”  The crowd riled up again, calming down with another raise and lowing of the hands.  “So, I say,” he paused.  “Bring on that wheel baby!”

	The crowd lost it as the silver penalty ring started spinning, lasting for what seemed like forever, then finally landing on what would be his trial within the trial, the GM reading happily, “Sudden death,” the worst of the silver wheel penalties, the crowd stirring with the same emotions as Isaac, although he would never show it.