Gajeel/Part II

Black Steel Gajeel (黒鉄・ガジル Kurogane Gajiru) is one of the main protoganists of Grandline: Shinsekai. He is one of the Harbingers and the former captain of the reborn Iron Soul Pirates, now a member of the Red Wing Pirates once more.

Background (Part I)
Gajeel was born as the son of Pirate Lord Black Blood Graud. He was raised by a band of petty thieves, who raised Gajeel into a cruel and sadistic pirate who would eventually start the Iron Soul Pirates in order to take over the South Blue. This would lead Gajeel to ally himself Tsubasa, and agree to capture a man named Squall.

These events would lead Gajeel on a collision course against Clive and his Red Wing Pirate crew. Gajeel would suffer his first ever defeat to Rainbow Romeo, leading to disbandment of his crew. Not long after, Clive saved Gajeel from drowning and offered him a chance at redemption. Now informed that his partner had been kidnapped by Tsubasa, Gajeel agrees to join the Red Wing Pirates in order to get even with Tsubasa.

Gajeel would continue to be a central member of the crew throughout the rest of their adventures together. They transformed Gajeel into a much kidner and honorable person, who respected and cared for the lives of his crew mates. Gajeel fought with the Red Wing Pirates until their final battle with Tsubasa ended with the death of their beloved Captain. After that, the crew separated and Gajeel returned to the south blue where he would reforge his Iron Soul Pirates on Bolide Island.

Physical Description
Gajeel retains most of his physical features from the pre-timeskip era. He is a tall and muscular man with long black hair and piercing green eyes. His hair is worn in a slightly different style because Gajeel has now donned a new look, now prominently featuring headbands. His hair is parted up front into two separate bangs while the rest of his hair drapes down onto his back.

Gajeel retains his many piercings and studs, but sports an almost entirely new outfit including his now signature headband and leather jacket. Although he still wears baggy pants that tuck into his steel boots and his studded, finger-less gloves. Although his choice of attire does vary from time to time.

Personality and Relationships
Even after the two year time lapse, Gajeel is virtually the exact same fun loving individual he has always been. Although he has matured and has showed a brotherly attachment to his Red-Wing crew mates that wasn't originally there when he was an Iron Soul Pirate. He has matured into a leadership figure and is infamous among pirates. His maturity has not erased his trademark arrogance, not in the least. In fact, he may be more arrogant then ever before. Gajeel retains his trademark laugh and his love for music although he has completely lost his sadistic side.

Gajeel's powers have increased ten fold and his ego along with them. Still believing he is invincible, Gajeel will leave himself open to attacks with his arms spread, talk and even mock opponents during battle. Although now he has a certain respect for the abilities of his opponents and does not underestimate anyone. Gajeel's personality around his crew mates is his true, fun loving, goofy personality, loving his crew as his closely knit family. Gajeel has great admiration for his crew mates and will protect them, even at the cost of his own life.

Powers and Abilities
Despite already being a fearsome combatant, Gajeel's powers have grown ten fold over the course of the four year time-skip. He is a smarter fighter as well as a more physically imposing combatant. His devil fruit abilities especially, have improved leaps and bounds. Gajeel is now a master of using Iron Sand to his advantage, greatly increasing his number of techniques, as well as improving his speed and defense, making him not only invulnerable to most attacks, but intangible as well. He has also mastered Busoshoku Haki, adding to his already incredible defensive power.

Physical Prowess
Now entering his physical prime, Gajeel has become even faster, stronger and more agile in the recent years. He retains his brutal style of fighting, rather then employing any certain style of martial arts. Gajeel has enough strength to lift the gigantic metallic Nidhogg without the use of his devil fruit. Enough speed and agility to evade bullets and cannon fire at point blank range, if he decides to evade at all. The most prominent feature of Gajeel's prowess remains his defense and endurance. At this point in his life, it is nearly impossible for an average combatant to injure Gajeel. Even without the use of his Iron Scales, Gajeel can take withstand the full force of cannon fire, point blank explosions and sharp weapon strikes without taking so much as a scratch.

Devil Fruit
Main Article: Tetsu Tetsu no Mi 

Gajeel consumed the Tetsu Tetsu no Mi, a logia type devil fruit that allows his to transform his body into iron, as well as manipulate magnetism. Most of Gajeel's common attacks involve him transform parts of his body into iron crafted weapons. His more advance techniques involve the use of Iron Sand. By molding Iron Sand, Gajeel can create gigantic iron crafted weapons separate from his own body in order to use them in battle.

Haki
Gajeel seems to have also mastered Busoshoku Haki to a extremely high extent, which has been shown to darken his body (or parts of it) and harden it. This is first shown being used when he defeated Vilan with only a few strikes after activating his haki. He is able to use it in conjunction with his Iron techniques, greatly increasing their hardness, which greatly improves his attack and defensive power.

History
After Clive's death Gajeel and Ruri went to a new remote Island in order to reforge the Iron Soul Pirates. They ended up at Bolide Island, and after only one year, they successfully reformed the crew and claimed the Island for their own.

Red Legacy Arc
Four years after the Red Wing  Pirates disbandment several young pirates arrive on Bolide Island searching for Gajeel. They are followed by three assassins from the Syndicate. After infultrating the bar that acts as a front for the Iron Soul Pirates, the Syndicate attacks. The young pirates who lead them there are searching for Gajeel so they can recruit him back into the Red Wing Pirates.

Gajeel arrives during the chaos and quickly dispatches the assassin; Slasher. Afterwards Gajeel hears of an impending Marine attack. He takes his ship and the young pirates with him to stop the Marines. Captain Rift of the Marines reveals a new weapon, a gigantic metal weapon called the Niddhog. Gajeel teams up with the young Pirates: Wonder Entei and Lupe to fight the gigantic Machine. They struggle mightly to beign the brawl, but after deciding to work together, they overpower the Machine and damage it, forcing Rift to retreat.

After having their hideout compromised, and their ship destroyed by Niddhogg the Iron Soul Pirates decide to go into hiding and regroup. Gajeel decides he will join the Red Wing Pirates only on the condition they recruit a new captain. Gajeel leads them all the way back to Port Town in the East Blue. There they locate Cameron L. Romeo, Gajeel's friend and former crewmate. He tries to convince Romeo to return to the Red Wing Pirates, but Romeo is hesitant. The reunion is short lived because the Macbeth Pirates arrive to eliminate the Red Wing Pirates for good.