11Entry #003: Betrugus
Age: 38
Affiliations: Baroque Works
Birthday: August 8 (The release date of Frankenstein v.s Baragon, 1965)
Height: 170 cm (5'7)
Favorite food: Human flesh, Roast pork
Least favorite food: Caesar salad
Blood type: A
Epithet: 'Hunter Killer', Mr. 0.5, the Red Beast
Japanese VA: Go Inoue
English VA: Jason Simpson
Inspirations: Baraka, Leatherface, Killer Croc.
Bounty: 77 million beri
Status: Deceased
Overview:
'Hunter Killer' Betrugus is an infamous serial killer that terrorized South Blue years before the start of the series. Born disfigured and outcast, an unfortunate tragedy resulted in the awakening of an ancient horror within him. Operating independently, the Shichibukai Crocodile eventually discovered his whereabouts and coerced him into joining Baroque Works, where he operated as a brutal enforcer tasked with hunting down weak links and defectors. Playing a big part in the invasion of Alabasta, Betrugus eventually clashed with the Straw Hats Kaiju-Zoan user Gian, finally meeting his end after a brutal battle. Despite now departing from the world of the living, his parting words would affect the young pirate from then on out.
Appearance:
Betrugus is a medium height man with tanned skin. His most common attire consists of red leather body armor, leather shorts and twin axes strapped to his back. He was born with disfigurement to his face and head, resulting in a misshapen, oval skull and misplaced ears, one located close to his eyes the other close to the back of his neck. His teeth is filed to sharp points, he generally covers his face with a red balaclava.
Personality:
Betrugus is a sadistic and cannibalistic serial killer. Brutal and efficient, he enjoys hunting his would-be victims and, upon picking his targets, would stalk them for weeks on end before finally delivering the killing blow. Despite his inhuman behavior, Betrugus is not irrational and is capable of in-depth planning to outwit the marines and bounty hunters sent after him. He ensures that he has no pattern in his killings sprees, or leaves no evidence behind that could be traced back to him. It is because of this that he's avoided capture for such a long time. Even so, Betrugus is bloodthirsty and relishes in the chance to kill, offering no mercy or alternatives.
Those who have encountered Mr. 0.5 and lived to tell the tale speak of a killer that seemingly abandoned his humanity, instead acting more akin to a bloodthirsty beast. Indeed, Betrugus often refers to himself as a predator while referring to his victims as "prey". He overall sees other people as nothing more than potential food sources and livestock. This feeling extends to even his own organization, where Crocodile tasks him with hunting down agents no longer useful to him. In his words, "it's just his nature to do so." Others have viewed him as a monster and a vile, inhuman, abomination; Betrugus welcomes those views and cares little about what people sees him as.
"Prey will always be hunted by the Predator, and the Predator exists only to hunt Prey."
His overall behavior mimics that of a predatory animal, using stealth and ambush to take down his victims. If there's a clear gap of strength however, then he's more than willing to attack his victims head on. In the times when his bloodlust and hunger grows to extremes, he is even willing to Fully Transform and devour them fittingly. Despite this, Betrugus is surprisingly organized, as he keeps a well-kept slaughterhouse that is ordered neatly and cleaned appropriately; during the climax of their battle, when Gian's attack sent managed to destroy much of the room, Betrugus is rather enraged by it.
The reason, in his mind, for his violence and murderous tendency however is a will to survive. Betrugus truly sees himself as a hunter, relying on weaker prey to sustain himself. This is something passed on by his dying mother, whose last words were telling him to survive. Growing up in poverty and perhaps being warped by the beast within, he ultimately becomes the cannibalistic killer we see. Even though, when finally confronted with death, Betrugus displays fear and recoils at the thought, unwilling to realize that, as a predator, he's been bested. Even in his final hour, he behaves like a cornered tiger, lashing out with everything just in order to survive.
As a child, Betrugus is much kinder and shares a close relationship with his parents. He often shoulders the responsibility of gathering food and doing chores, despite their unfortunate circumstances. Their deaths served as the final separation between his humanity and bloodlust, and it was from that that he ultimately succumbed to the inner monster.
Like many characters in One Piece with a unique laugh, Betrugus has one of his own: Kihehehehe!
Relationships:
Family/Village:
Betrugus was very close with his mother and father, and the two loved him as any child would. Living in a highly superstitious village, his birth defects prompted the rest of the villagers to vilify him as a demon. The rest of the villagers wished to kill him, but his parents defied that order, facing exile and discrimination in the process. Even so, their love for their child was palpable and evident, thinking nothing about their son's appearance. It was their deaths at the hands of pirates that ultimately begun Betrugus' descent into a cannibal and killer, and upon avenging their deaths the boy set his rage upon the remainders of his village, killing them all. Before her death, the last thing his mother said to him was willing him to Survive.
In the present day, Betrugus still remembers his parents, but his focus was merely on his mother's last message, the memories of their love forgotten, and only uses that as motivation for his continuous murders. He ultimately does not hate the villagers that has shown prejudice against him, and sees them like prey just as he would have anyone else.
Baroque Works:
Betrugus works as the enforcer of Baroque Works and an independent agent, unlike the rest of the organization's partner system. He is tasked with eliminating agents that has served their use to Crocodile, and relishes in the opportunity to do so. The rest of the organization's lesser numbers all display openly display great fear as a result, and even the higher ranked agents are cautious in his presence. Some are so horrified of the idea of him coming after them that they would rather be punished by Crocodile as a result, so said punishment usually involves sending the killer after them anyway.
According to Nefeltari Vivi, Mr. 0.5 has had partners in the past, but they've all met their demise at his hands shortly after. Even Crocodile realizes that he'd rather not waste resources and replacements, thus giving him the status as a singular number. Betrugus does not care about the organization he serves under, and sees them as food and prey. When Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine were sentenced by the Boss to death, Betrugus brutally killed them and only thought of what kind of a meal they would make.
Crocodile:
Betrugus met the Shichibukai 3 years before the series began, when word of his killings reached the pirate. Originally, Betrugus thought little of the Shichibukai and dismissed his request of joining his organization, unaware of his power. Crocodile responded by soundly defeating the killer before coercing him to become a part of Baroque Works. Despite the defeat, Betrugus did not hold a grudge against the pirate and adapted well in the criminal organization. Their relationship remains professional and Crocodile sees him as a useful and powerful asset, while Betrugus sees his boss as a benefactor and potentially a prey item he'd one day overcome.
Even with his use, Crocodile remains contemptuous of the killer just as he would with most others in his Organization, even disgusted by him when the killer unleashes his cannibalistic side. When Crocodile realized that Betrugus had died during his battle with Gian he was disappointed in losing a valuable asset, but ultimately thought little else about it.
Crocodile also seems to know a bit of the Kaiju-Zoans, this being the main reason he sought to recruit him.
Alabasta:
Because of his involvement in Crocodile's plan, Betrugus is an enemy to Alabasta as a whole. The Royal family has also just as much reason to hate him as they do Crocodile; he would periodically hunt the country's citizens in his Full Transformation, though they'd probably hadn't made the distinction yet. Betrugus has no problems slaughtering any Alabastan soldiers that gets in his way during the attack on Alubarna, and he didn't hesitate when facing off against both Kohza and Chaka during the battle.
Vivi and Ingaram, during their time undercover, witnessed the killer's brutality first hand. The incident was traumatic to the princess for weeks, and making her realize just how important her mission was.
Straw Hat Pirates:
As a member of Baroque Works, Betrugus was an enemy to the Straw Hats. Though not all of them met him, they are all aware of the threat he posed.
Gian:
Being an opposing Kaiju-Zoan users, Gian was horrified to find the killer's attitude and penchant for cannibalism. He views the killer as someone who's forsaken humanity for power. Betrugus on his end sees the power of the Goji-Goji no Mi wasted on Gian, and thought of the pirate as a fool and someone doomed to succumb to him. During their battle Betrugus displayed increased brutality, mocking and goading him, calling him wasted potential.
Despite this, he does recognize the potential of the Kaiju-Zoan Gian possesses, and even understands that if Gian decides to further hone in those skills, his threat level could be catastrophic for the world. In his parting words to the man, Betrugus issued a final warning on how the secrets of his Kaiju-Zoan were just beginning, leaving the pirate scrambling to understand what he meant.
Nico Robin:
Betrugus has heard of Robin's reputation even before joining Baroque Works. At some point during their employment, Robin discovered more about the origins of Kaiju-Zoans and revealed them to him. Betrugus thought little of the knowledge, but did recognize there to be some truth to it; his own prior research into his own Devil Fruit seemed to tie into some of it. In general, Betrugus does not care much for Robin, viewing her as potential prey just as he would anyone else.
Powers and Abilities:
As a high-ranking officer in Baroque Works, Betrugus had authority over all lower ranking members, though he usually prefers to act solo. His reputation is high within Baroque Works, with many agents fearing his identity. He is known well enough to the Marines that they recognize him as a deadly threat.
A long time serial killer well versed in killing his targets, Betrugus is a deadly combatant. He has shown to be a careful planner when it comes to exacting his kills, often waiting days or weeks at a time before he strikes next. This cunning translate into battle as well, with the killer using a mix of his Kaiju-Zoan abilities as well as power to disorientate his foes before delivering the killing blow.
His main weapons are two hand axes, which he uses with terrifying precision and power. His strength is great enough to overpower multiple armed guards, and upon Partially Transforming was easily able to overwhelm Chaka and Kohza, two powerful warriors that led the Royal Guard and Rebel army of Alabasta respectively. During his battle with Gian, Mr. 0.5 displayed vicious cunning, using the desert terrain and his burrowing ability to his full advantage to mutilate Gian, at times grievously wounding him.
Devil Fruit:
A consumer of the rare and legendary Kaiju-Zoan fruit, Betrugus ate the Ragon-Ragon no Mi, giving him the form and abilities of a mythical Kaiju that Gian would later find out to be named Baragon. The fruit gives him a solid boost in power and speed, as well as resilience, heightening his already potent power.
The most immediate strength of the fruit is the myriad of abilities granted. Accessing all the abilities of the Kaiju of old, Betrugus can use any of its abilities regardless of his current form, though further transformations will naturally enhance them.
The most notable ability the fruit offers is its burrowing ability. Betrugus is able to tunnel in soil and sand with ease. Very adept at using this to its full advantage, Betrugus often uses it to mount surprise attacks from behind, or dragging his victims underground to finish them off. While underground, he's able to sense vibrations that those on the surface makes and pinpoint where his targets are. When Partially or Fully Transformed, Betrugus can even create miniature sandstorms while underground.
The fruit also grants him the ability to use his Kaiju's heat breath, a wave of fire expelled from the mouth. A capable projectile, it fires faster than Gian's own Atom Ray, though has slightly less power.
However, the biggest advantage this fruit grants is user are the two Transformations. Betrugus is able to Partial and Fully Transfrom like any Kaiju-Zoan user. In his Partial Transformation, his form becomes a mix of a human's and his Kaiju's. His power and speed are greatly increased, and he's able to easily overpower multiple armed guards.
When he Fully Transforms, Betrugus takes on the full form of Baragon, a great horned beast. Here, his power reaches destructive levels, easily able to take on entire armies at once and destroy city walls.
Because he picks up vibrations while underground, Betrugus can only sense people above ground when they are moving. Standing still and making no movements will force Betrugus to use a blind strike if he is to attack, though the killer has remedied this by using Aura to sense a few individuals. Other than that, Betrugus has the standard Devil Fruit weaknesses.
Aura:
It is revealed that Kaiju are able to harness a form of life energy called Aura. Kaiju-Zoan users are also capable of using them as a result, though it requires training and focus. Betrugus at the very least is versed in Aura, and is able to use the sensory portion to detect the Aura of other living things, greatly assisting him while underground. He's also shown on at least one occasion shown to use it to enhance his attacks and give them more power. It's fair to say that, had he not met his demise, his mastery over Aura would surely increase.
Signature moves:
Lava Pulse: Betrugus fires his heat breath, burning his opponents. First used in chapter 32, but remained unnamed until chapter 38.
Desert Tunneling Drill: Used in his Partial Transformation, Betrugus shoots out from beneath the ground in an attempt to impale his target with his horn. A deadly surprise attack, especially for those who can't detect him. First used in chapter 39.
Desert Shred Assault: under the guise of a sandstorm or anything else that obscures vision, either by himself or with the help of something else, Betrugus strikes his target multiple times, opening up grievous wounds. First used in Chapter 38.
Desert Torpedo Drill: Similar to Desert Shred Assault, but used in his Full Transformation. Betrugus also surrounds his body with Aura, increasing its power first used in chapter 42.
Desert Evisceration: A more grand-scale of his Desert Shred Assault used in his Full Transformation. This is Betrugus' strongest attack. Easily capable of wiping out entire armies, or ripping apart a Full Transformation.
Legacy:
Betrugus' final words had a profound effect on Gian, making him truly question for the first time on whether or not his own Kaiju-Zoan had a deeper meaning to it. Even Robin does not know the true revelation of what she told him. In the end, Betrugus' final words were the first steps on making Gian realize that there could be deeper secrets to Kaiju-Zoans.
The Ragon-Ragon no Mi returned to circulation after his death, and was discovered by Pell and Kohza while they toured the country on a mission after the events of Alabasta. It currently kept in the Palace Vaults, where they're debating on what to do with it. It is later revealed to us that the Kaiju whose form is granted by the Fruit is that of Baragon, a creation of Bagan the Progenitor of Kaiju, and the Elemental Beast of Earth.
Trivia:
Betrugus was originally supposed to survive after the Alabasta Arc and reappear at Marineford. However KP360 thought that, with his plans, there will be too many Kaiju-Zoans to focus on. The Fruit is currently in the possession of the Alabasta Royal Family and time will tell what happens to it.
Betrugus' real life ethnicity would be Moroccan.
Had he never became a serial killer, Betrugus would be a butcher with his own shop.
Betrugus' hobby is making gourmet food with the people he's killed.
Next Entry: A short story, so look forward to that!