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Hey! This has been elected as the 6th Featured Role-Play.
"Gates of Hell" has been featured, meaning it is awesome.
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| Role-Play Name: Gates of Hell
Date Started: May 7, 2020
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All hope abandon, ye who enter here.Dante Alighieri, "The Divine Comedy"
First Gate, Styx
Minisle was a small, relatively unknown territory. It was no more than a vacation get-away or a quick stop for merchants, pirates and people to go before recharging. One could easily walk through the entire isle in a day and truthfully there was nothing remotely interesting about it, hence why nobody lasted more than a day or two.
Sand covered its edges, along with a small, barely functional dock that gave view a wondrous, vast sea. The calm sound of the waves along with the soft breeze which moved its palm trees gave the island a rather soothing atmosphere.
In addition, a loud high-pitched whistle roamed through the air, belonging to a certain young man who currently found himself in this very dock.
“I can feel it….I’m going to catch something.” Urashima Taro stated. His legs wobbled in the air as he was far too small to reach the bottom of the dock. Stands of brown hair flickered from his bandana and his calloused hands held a fishing rod with ease. One could tell, just by looking at his concentration that he was experienced.
Suddenly, his body tightened at the presence of something. A pull from the rod. It was quite powerful, stronger than any creature Taro had encountered, and he attempted to reel the beast in. He stood up, and bent his legs using all the power available to him, while attempting to keep a firm grip on the fishing rod as to not let his technique change.
A loud splash from the water was music to Taro's ears, a sign that he had been able to successfully draw whatever he was pulling from the water. Without the push of the water, whatever he was reeling in became slightly lighter, well at least light enough for him to pull up to himself and see the prize of the day so far. Suspense built up as the fishing line went back into the reel's mechanism before Taro could finally see what the beast he had caught looked like.
It was, well, strange, as it didn't look like a fish he had seen before. Its dark coloured coat looked like it was made from fabric rather than scales, and its face seemed to be more humanoid that many of the other fish he had caught before. There didn't seem to be gills at first sight either, and its fins looked like they were missing a lot of the webbing that they should have. Not to mention, that the tail more so looked like long legs than one joined piece. The catch shifted what could be guessed was hair to the sides to reveal an irritated glare, allowing its red eyes to stare right into Taro's soul as it hung upside down.
"...Wh-WHO ARE YOU?!" The fish screamed out at Taro.
The hook had caught onto the bottom of his boot, almost tearing away the material the longer that the fish hanged in the air. But beside all that, whatever Taro had caught was capable of speech!
"A-A TALKING FISH?!" Taro stumbled backwards, falling on the cold wooden floor of the dock, his back aching in pain. Yet it paled in comparison to the surprise he was experiencing, everything grew quiet for a while as thoughts began to enter and leave Taro's mind.
"Score!" Taro exclaimed, pumping his fist up in the air. He gazed at the fish once more. "H-hold on, you're not a fish are you?"
The fish's eyes widened in horror and disgust as it listened to what Taro had to say, wriggling around even more to try and break free and reach his captor before he stumbled back, which also brought the 'fish' onto the pier along with him. The catch landed right on the side of its face upon being brought onto dry land, and was quick to recover after tearing the hook from the underside of his boot.
"FISH?! DO I LOOK LIKE A FISH?! Wait no. NO! HOW DID YOU EVEN PULL ME OUT OF THE WATER?!" The fish continued to scream in disbelief, as he took his boot and threw it at Taro.
Just along the beach, a woman with fiery orange hair could be seen in the background, trudging through the sand, whilst lifting her skirt slightly high so that the incoming waves did not splash onto them. Her attention was quickly caught by the scene unfolding between Taro and his catch, her eyes more so on the 'fish' rather than the young man. A possible fishing rival who wanted Taro's catch for their own?
"I-I'm sorry!" Taro uttered, bowing down. His expression changed from a worried one to a surprised one. "What do you mean? I just...pulled."
Silence once more..."Ah! I believe proper introductions are due, talking fish! My name is Urashima Taro, fisherman and as of recently...pirate." he said disheartedly.
"You can't just 'pull' a man with a fishing rod that simply," The creature shook his head before crossing his arms and looked at Taro with a stern glare, "I'm Gai, captain and as of recently, a fish apparently."
Looking back to see the woman approaching their spot, a hint of fright sprung onto Gai's face that caused the captain to step back before freezing in his spot. The closer and closer the woman got, the more the two could see that there was just anger on her face, directed right at Gai as she marched onto the pier and stomped along the wooden boards till she got to them. Her hands were balled into fists, veins popping on the sides of her head, sending more terror into Gai the longer he stood there. Despite it not showing on his face, just looking into his eyes was all that one needed to see, to know how much he feared this woman.
"CAPTAIN. I TOLD YOU TO STAY PUT." She screamed before delivering a swift punch to Gai's side.
In mere seconds, Gai went from standing to lying down with his back to the floor, both arms reaching over to hold the spot that the woman had hit. Only groans of pain came from his mouth as he slightly turned from side to side, as the woman dusted her hands and looked to Taro with now a bright and friendly look. It seemed to be the most unnatural thing at that moment beside the 'talking fish', having been able to switch from pure fury and anger on her face to sweet and charming in almost an instant. Before Taro could speak, the woman bowed her head and held her hand out to shake his.
"I'm Tine Rena, the doctor of the captain's ship. I apologise if Gai has disturbed the fish in your spot."
"I-I see." Taro instinctively scratched the back of his head with his hand. He laughed nervously as he had perhaps witnessed the weirdest experience in his life time. Well...one of the weirdest.
"Don't sweat it, haha, sorry for catching you Gai. Why were you swimming though?" he questioned curiously
"...I can't stand being in a doctor's bed for so long. I just wanted some air to breathe." Gai groaned as he laid back and stared into the sky.
Rena shook her head and sighed, planting her eyes into one of her palms as she tried to hold back another scream. "He's got wounds that need time to heal, but the more he moves, the less effective the medicine I've given him will work. If he stay put, in the next few days he could do whatever he so pleases."
Pulling himself up into a sitting position with one loud, irritated groan, Gai looked to Taro while leaning backwards on his arms, "You said you were a pirate, hey? What crew do you belong to?"
"Crew? What? Like a group of criminals?" Taro asked. He hadn't met any pirates yet, so he had no idea what they were like other than gossip from his village and places amongst his travels.
"...I-, do you know what pirates are?" Gai asked in a confused manner, tilting his head while squinting both eyes at Taro.
"Oh dear. That's quite dangerous to call yourself a pirate and not know what pirates are." Rena said as she brought her hand over her mouth.
"Yeah well, that's what the Marine guys called me." Taro sighed loudly. "Though I guess, I have no interest in what most of you all want. What is it again? Money, fame, power? Those things are useless to me."
"Marines? Are there marines on this island?" Rena asked as she moved her hands to the front of her, holding them together in a ladylike manner, "I kind of hope there isn't, last batch we've dealt with, the captain and his first mate didn't come out in the best sort of state."
Gai rolled his eyes as he beckoned for Rena to come help him up, with the doctor immediately rushing to his side and help lift him off the ground gently despite the aggressive behaviour she showed before, "I'm not looking for another fight, well at least not for now. And you," He said as he pointed to Taro, "Not all pirates are looking for that sort of stuff. Some are looking for things in all sorts of shapes and forms."
"N-no!" Taro jittered his hands anxiously. "I meant the last place I visited...they got mad at me for fishing atop their marine base but it was the perfect spot!" he exclaimed, pure passion visible in his eys.
"Oh?" he turned to Gai, "What is it that you're looking for?"
"...Something more important than money, fame or power." Gai sighed, holding onto Rena with the one arm slung over her shoulders with what strength he had.
All that Rena could do was smile as she held up her captain, looking to Taro with a sort of motherly look that was calm to the eyes and to the heart. "That's a pretty cruel title to put on someone, even for just fishing. How far was that last place anyway? I may need to inform some of the other crew members incase we're running low on supplies."
"Heheh...pretty damn far. Loguetown is in the Blues." Taro smiled for a few seconds. "I've never thought about it...needing a crew." he wondered more to himself than to the pirates present.
Gai squinted his eyes more at Taro, as a certain uneasy feeling began creeping up his back the more the question lingered in his mind, "...How many people have you told that you were a 'pirate'?"
"Uhhh, I don't recall honestly. Maybe 3....4....5...." he kept counting in his head, trying to remember who he had told. Since his mind was usually filled with....well, fishing, it was hard to remember each specific face he had told.
"Quite a bit of people to get through, maybe a marine's probably heard it from one of them you reckon?" Gai thought out loud to Rena, turning his head to look at her from the corner of his eyes.
"Mhmmm, what are you thinking though, captain?" She asked in an innocent, curious voice.
Turning to Taro, Gai sighed as he tried thinking of the words in his head, tapping his foot onto the ground as a brief moment of silence passed by between the three of them. Looking to Taro again with a determined glimmer in his eyes after something came up in his mind, the captain raised an eyebrow before talking in a loud, confident tone.
"What say you? Five is quite a bit of people to tell them your a pirate, with that sort of news probably having already reached a marine that may see you as an enemy now. I don't usually do this, but, why not join my crew? Since we spend most our time on the sea, as a fisherman, you might find that quite beneficial. And certainly you may have something in mind that you'd like to achieve, even if its not money, fame or power." Gai asked.
"Of course there is! Can you take me to All Blue?I" Taro asked happily. "I want to catch the BIGGEST creatures this world has seen." he spread his hands to emphasize the 'biggest'. "Well...if there are creatures biggerthanyou." he said quietly hoping Gai wouldn't hear him.
"...All Blue? No idea what that is." Gai said, turning to Rena for advise.
"It's a place where fishes from all the four seas can be found. Makes sense for a fisherman to want to go find it," Rena happily explained to Gai.
"THEN IT'S SETTLED. I'll take you to your... All Blue, if you join my crew. Though if you do, you will need to put in the work like everyone else on board. Besides fishing, what else can ye' do?" Gai exclaimed before his voice toned down.
"I can errr..." Taro raked his mind, before laughing nervously. "Well, that's all I can do honestly..." he moved his head from side to side to focus once more. "I'll join though what'll be our first assignment, Guy?"
Gai held his chin with his free hand and nodded, "I guess I can appoint you to catching our food then. But I'll need you to learn how to fight, because no pirate goes sailing around without having to clash with other pirates or marines, y'hear?"
"Or you can help me in the medical station if helping maintain the deck or other parts of the ship isn't your thing. I'm always happy to have someone help with tending to patients and the lot," Rena suggested along with Gai, "But the captain's right. You'll need to learn how to fight as we may need every hand we've got whenever we find ourselves in those moments."
"We'll figure out your first job once we bring you back to our ship. We'll be heading to Obscuria in a few days, so that'll give you time to learn the ropes. But all in all, welcome to the Slaughter Pirates."
"Got it. Thanks Ga-, no, Captain!"
Second Gate, Ghost City
“UGHH, Yao can we please get to land already?!” Bell Q. Dan remarked loudly as he stretched his body on the yacht’s floors. It had been more than a few hours since their eventful escape from the Drum Kingdom. During the time Yao had unluckily passed out, Dan had made more than a few….mistakes to say the least. He had no experience driving a Yacht after and it was a surprise he hadn’t crashed the luxurious ship honestly.
Yet he preferred to ignore his mistakes or at the least not speak of them as he annoyingly bothered his First Mate, knowing fully well the difficulty of driving the damaged vessel.
Yao was in the control room, having recovered from his state of unconsciousness. Using Yowa Yowa MAX had been a badass moment for him, but it had exhausted him completely. But during that time, Dan had damaged the yacht somewhat. Now, he was stuck trying to understand what he could fix and what he couldn't.
"Look man," he began. "You kinda fucked up the yacht. Luckily, I should be able to fix a bit of it. But...we need someone proper once we get to land. I don't care who they are, they could be some serial killer for all I care. Without this yacht, we're kinda stuck!"
Yao stumbled out of the control room, as the familiar hum of the yacht's engine returned. "BOOM!" he yelled. "Man, girls are bound to DIG a guy that can fix yachts and shit. Don't ya think?"
"Sure man..." Dan's gaze was focused on something else. As they continued to move forward throughout the seas, an ominous aura would begin to reach all three of them. He snapped his neck forward, his eyes glued on the outline of an island. He remained somewhat oblivious to the eery vibe he got from it, even if from afar.
"Yo, Yao, there's land!"
Unlike Dan, Yao was put off by the island. It simply didn't feel right, even from this distance. It was almost overwhelming and imposing, but Yao didn't understand how a chunk of land could do something like that. He shrugged, choosing to ignore the eerie vibe for now. Though, Yao wouldn't let his guard down even for an instant.
"Yes Cap'n there is!" he exclaimed. He made his way back into the control room, the yacht beginning to cut through the sea surface as he changed course right for the island Dan had seen.
An eery feeling began to rise up his spine, causing Dan too gulp loudly as they got closer and closer to the island. Sweat dripped down his temple, as he gritted his teeth. The atmosphere surrounding them turned dark, clouds covering any hint of sunlight, as they noticed the many small buildings and small, dead wildlife.
"M-maybe we shouldn't go man..."
"At this point Dan, we kinda have to." Yao replied. "We need more fuel too. We've got another half days journey tops, and I don't wanna risk it. Plus, we need someone to fix up the yacht. SO!"
Yao brought the yacht to the docks, leaving the control room and hopping off. He grabbed onto a rope, tying it to the docks to ensure the yacht wouldn't float away. "Come on, Danny!" he yelled. "Girls don't dig pussies!"
"....I guess you're right. But we'll only get what we want and then leave, alright?!" Dan said jumping onto the doc. "As much as I'd like to explore this place....it just gives me vibes, plus the marines are after us." he rambled, running a hand through his hair.
"Suzaku, you coming?"
"Must you really ask Dan?" was Suzaku’s reply as he gave his captain a deadpan look. "Didn’t I already tell you I got your back despite our random start."
Dan smiled back at his first companion, as he began to walk deeper into the eery island. Close enough to them he could see a group of buildings, perhaps a town they could hope to access? He then came to a sudden halt. "Wait guys, who's carrying the weapon?"
"I got it," Yao said. "I can use my Devil Fruit to yank it over to us every now and then. Though, do we have a box we could put it in first or something?"
"Fuck it, I'll just carry it." Dan said, grabbing the heavy cannon from Yao. "Damn this shit is heavy..." he said as he walked forward, next to the duo.
"Holy shit, Danny!" Yao exclaimed. "Now this is a story to tell chicks. We're gonna go to a bar soon, and I'm gonna make sure you have the time of your life!"
"To bad your fruit doesn’t allow you to shrink things other than yourself". Suzaku called out as he casually strolled along side Yao.
"Yeah, I know it's god-damn troublesome“ he kept walking, slightly hindered by the heavy weapon. Much like at the entrance of the island, the skies were incredibly darkened, and the deeper they walked down the road, the creepier it got. Dan gritted his teeth partially because of the heaviness of the cannon, and partially because of the terrible feeling he got from this place.
There were several tall buildings made out of stone, and rock surrounding them, and there was barely anyone in sight. Houses appeared to be empty due to the silence, yet from afar Dan could spot a singular building with its light on.
“Jackpot boys.”
Yao paused, taking a sniff. A wide grin appeared on his face as he clapped his hands together. "Damn right it's a jackpot, Danny!" he yelled. "That, my friend, is the scent of booze. Which means its a bar. Which means...chicks to flirt with. Fuck. Yeah."
Pausing slightly and mentally weighting the pro’s and Con’s of the situation he glanced to his companions. "Err Yeah before that I might need to go and get a mask or hood to conceal my appearance if we want to keep a low profile".
Yao rolled his eyes. "Suzaku, you're my key to this!" he exclaimed. "Listen, I walk in with you. You pretend to be some blind person I saved. Right, I win the affection of some chick in there. I score. It's a win for me!"
Rolling his eyes at the "plan" Yao came up with Suzaku just shrug and decided it was better for Yao to understand what happens when he walks out in public.
"N-no. Yao, focus!" Dan said glancing at him. "We're here to ask for a shipwright, more than anything. I don't think there's anything to explore in this shithole..." he said, they reached the bright building standing before its doors.
"Suzaku, sorry but cover your face or somethin', we don't want problems." Dan remarked.
"I'm focusing!" Yao said. "Okay, we get a shipwright. But if I bring a chick over, I mean...we have separate rooms on the yacht for a reason."
"Perhaps that should wait until we accomplish the goal before we celebrate." Suzaku suggested as he glanced at Yao. "I can easily go a seduce a few ladies to help our celebration".
Yao raised a brow. "Now we're talking, Suzaku!" he exclaimed. "Danny, boy. The Cap'n himself! You cool if we bring some chicks on board?"
"...we'll talk after we find out what we want." With that said Dan walked into the bar, deadly weapon in hand. Yet the atmosphere he received was quite different than what he expected. At this time of day, most bars would be bursting with activity, yet in this place, there was barely anyone that was actually...well, alive. Most of the bar's residents sat in their chairs, their eyes unblinking, while some of them slept peacefully on the tables. It was totally and completely quiet, except for one bartender who was barely awake, sighing as the trio walked in.
"Ok this time this want my fault" Suzaku called out as he entered after Dan and took notice of the atmosphere of the bar.
Yao had to resist every single urge to make a beeline towards the women. But he respected Dan's choices, and the kid was honestly a good friend. And as Yao knew, 'bros before hoes'.
"Vodka." he said to the bartender, to which they nodded. "You guys want a drink?" Yao asked, turning to his friends.
Elegantly making his way towards the bartender and seating himself down he looked around the room once more taking in every detail without giving away his intention. Looking at every inch and occupant Suzaku mentally tallied 3 escape route beyond using the door.
"Warm Sake if you have any." He requested off the Bartender.
The bartender moved sluggishly, her eyes lowered as she pulled a few cups from her cabinet and placed them in front of the men. She grabbed a nearby bottle of transparent liquid, pouring on the three cups without any care as some of it fell on the table.
"W-what's this?"
"Vodka."
"No shit Sherlock..." Dan thought as he placed the cannon on the ground with a loud thud. Surprisingly it didn't seem to surprise any of the bar's inhabitants. He grabbed his cup, feeling its strong smell before he placed it back. "Anyways, what the hell is this place?"
Shrugging nonchalantly before throwing back the liquid without hassle before motioning for another while watching her movements critically.
"So we’re all in agreement that something is seriously wrong with the people here then?"
Dan looked at Suzaku, nodding before his attention was once again taken by the bartender.
“Obscuria.”
“What the hell is that?”
“The island.”
“Right and what’s this place?”
“Ghostown.”
“I-I meant this…establishment what the hell’s going on with it.”
“Nothing.”
Dan sighed deeply, inhaling in air slowly as he aimed to calm himself down. “Yao, Suzaku, I think she’s retarded.”
“…” No reaction from the bartender whatsoever.
"Ghostown". Suzaku mumbled the name of the town with a frown on his face. "Why does that name sound so familiar to me".
Turning back towards the bartender and signaling foot her attention. "Have you ever heard of something called Sleepy Hallow?"
"Hey, bartender." Yao said. "You dumb? Why're you so....bland?"
"..." Blink. She appeared to be....much like everyone in this bar, dead. At least inside.
Dan grunted loudly, punching his fist on a table. He took a deep breath once more, not only was this town, no, this island creepy, it also pissed him off to no ends. Though appearing frustrated, at least in front of his crew, wouldn't be helpful.
"Nevermind, just tell me, are there any shipwrights here?"
"No."
Dead like always..."I-Is there anything notable in 'Ghostown'?"
"A Fortune Teller."
"Is she hot?" was Yao's only question. "Is she a bachelorette? I, uh. Does she know how to fix ships?"
"Forget it Ya-" Dan was interrupted once more by no other than that very same dreary bartender.
"Yes."
"BOOM!" Yao exclaimed. "She's hot!"
He paused, looking down at the bartender. "Oh, uh. Unless you mean 'yes' about the ship fixing part."
"Where is she?" Dao asked, his fists tightened in annoyance.
“Farther ahead.”
“Fuck this, we’re out.” Dan flipped the bartender off, before storming out of the room angrily. A Fortune Teller? What good would that do?! He stepped out of the bar angrily, expecting his cremates to follow.
"Danny!" Yao yelled. "Come on, lets check out the fortune teller." he said.
Before Dan could retort, Yao raised his arms in surrender. "Hey, hey, hey! I ain't saying it just cause its apparently a hot chick. It might, I don't know. Might be good if we have some fun. Plus, maybe she could tell the future and let us know where we can find someone who can fix our damn ship!"
Dan thought about it, agreeing to go with Yao. Having left Suzaku with the gigantic weapon to talk with the bartender, they continued on by themselves through the lifeless town. They must’ve walked at least 5 minutes, and no more than two people showed themselves through the road, moving at a space befitting of an old man.
Just what the hell was going on here?!
Dan shivered slightly. Yes, as an explorer he should’ve been interested in exploring this Obscure yet there was nothing, nothing at all remotely worthy of awe.
Eventually, town had turned into a singular empty road, surrounded by dead trees, a dark, wooden house visible in the distance.
“That must be it…” Dan gulped.
Yao grinned. "Booyah!" he exclaimed. While Yao was definitely put off by the lone house in the middle of nowhere, the premise of this fortune teller being a woman had caught his attention. "What's the game plan here? How you gonna wingman you?"
Another audible gulp followed before Dan nodded more to himself for reassurance than for Yao. "Yao...you don't know if she's hot yet...or even if it's a SHE at all." he told his First Mate before they both made their way up the steps into the house's entrance. Its wooden stairs creaked heavily with each step Dan took causing him to be even more weary, if that was even possible, to what was to come. He knocked on the door anxiously, hoping that whatever would reveal itself did not cause him or his crew any trouble.
"If it's a chick, you owe me 100 Beri." Yao whispered to Dan, as they continued to wait.
The door creaked open as four fingers curled around the corner, extending from within the darkness of the house, as a deep, manly voice spoke out from behind. "Saw you lot approach the house. What do you want?"
"Fuck!" Yao exclaimed. He paused, collecting himself. "Yo. We're here for...I can't do this...Danny...take it away..."
"Youoweme100beri." Dan whispered to Yao quickly before turning to the terrifying figure. "Uh, well...uh, some bartender told us that you could help, like find a Shipwright or somethin'?" he managed to utter, his mind and body ready to race away if it was required.
The door swung open to reveal a man in a stained white singlet, and long jeans that covered both his feet. His beer belly protruded from the front like a sideways mountain, carrying all sorts of crumbs and hairs on top. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, the man stepped to the side and smirked, holding his arm inwards to the house to signal the pair to come in.
"Been expecting you then, I think you'll want to have a chat in the room at the end of the hallway."
"I'm in fucking debt..." Yao mumbled. His eyes seemed empty, devoid of life. He took a step inside the house, grabbing Dan by the arm and pulling him in. He turned to Dan, his expression blank. "She...He wasn't a chick...."
Dan was pulled along by Yao strongly, allowing him little time to analyze the grotesque man that stood in front of him. From the quick glance he was able to take, he was definitely put off even more by this strange, and dark island that they had unluckily ran into.
"Yao...be prepared, who knows what the fuck we got ourselves into. He could be one of those pervs bro... did you see the belly on him?"
The door slammed shut, and trapping both Yao and Dan in immense darkness, with only the laughter of the man echoing throughout the hall. The only light that they could see was at the end of the hallway where the man directed them to, changing in colour every two or three seconds. From blue to purple, from purple to pink, from pink to blue. The only noise in that space was them, just them, except for the feint cackling from the lit room they were heading to.
"...I suggest you hurry up. You're dirtying my hallway." The man's voice said in their ears, turning into an eerie whisper that faded into the air.
"Shut it, you fat fuck!" Yao snapped. "Am I dirtying your hallway? DOES IT LOOK LIKE I CARE?! I WAS PROMISED THE PREMISE OF THERE BEING A HOT CHICK AND NOW THAT DREAM IS FUCKING RUINED! I--"
He stopped, his eyes widening. Yao blinked a few times, as if realizing what had just happened. "Right, uh." he began. He continued to walk down the hallway and towards the door before knocking on it.
The door swung open by itself, revealing an empty room with curtains strung up over the walls, baring all sorts of symbols and patterns all over. A revolving light hanging in the centre of the room seemed to be the source of the changing lights that set the atmosphere of the room, that all contained by a large round table with many chairs of different kinds placed around it. A mysterious figure sat on the furthest end of the table, wearing a hood over their face with the only bit of skin showing was their arms, laid out on the table. A hat with two green feathers standing up and a dark purple bow wrapped around its top sat next to the figure's hands, which looked to surround a deck of large cards sitting neatly in front of them.
"...We've been expecting you boys. Now hurry up so I can sweep the dirt you brought in from the outside," The man's voice once again whispered behind them, and turning into a fading voice right after, "Tell 'em your name and you can get started."
Yao staggered forwards, pulling out a chair so he could sit. Before Dan could complain, Yao raised a finger. "Look man, I'm heartbroken." he said. "I deserve the chair. So...I'm taking the chair."
He noticed the hat, blinking a few times at it. They were covering themselves, so that made Yao think that it was another man like the fatso that had brought them inside. Yao placed his arms onto the table, staring at the hooded figure. "You're, uh." Yao began. "You're the Fortune Teller?"
"I- right..." Dan sat in a nearby chair, looking at the strange figure that revealed themselves before both of them.
"You don't charge for this do you?" he asked, his eyes flickering everywhere
"We can discuss payments later. But first things first, you two are pirates correct? Looking for a shipwright?" The figure spoke in a distorted voice, making it quite hard to hear if they were a man or a woman.
"Y-yes we are." Dan affirmed, although he tried not to show it, he was quite alarmed and surprised by the figure's guess...or perhaps precognition.
"Huh, uh." Yao mumbled. "Yeah, what he said."
"Good. Then it looks like the stars were right," The figure sighed before moving back and waving its hand over the deck of cards in front of them, "Before I tell you what you need, I would like to do a reading of both of you. It will be beneficial for both you, and me. So I do ask that you go through with it. Now, which of you will go first?"
"He goes first." Dan pointed at his first mate instinctively.
"Dan, if I die..." Yao quickly said, pulling his chair in closer to the strange figure. He sighed. "What do I gotta do to have my future told or whatever?"
"You're in my world now, not your world. So please relax and let the energies of the room flow through you," The figure assured before waving their hand over the deck, revealing before their eyes, all cards neatly spread along in a crescent in-front of them. "Pick three cards in any order you like. The order may be important to revealing yourself. I do my readings differently to many other fortune tellers, just as they do with others. I would usually ask for a question you have for the cards, but since I've seen how your journey will end, I would like to know what the current course you're taking will make of you."
"Right, uh." Yao mumbled. He wasn't what to make sure of this figure, they reminded him of those hippies. Always talking about their "chakras" and those stupid things. Yao didn't believe in those whatsoever, but Fortune Telling had always been interesting. In his experience, they had either been spot on or completely inaccurate.
He pointed at three cards, picking three that were all right next to one another. "There we go." he said. "Now, what's my future looking like? Anything I'd like?"
Waving their hand over the deck once again, the cards were returned to a neatly staked pile, all except the three cards that Yao had chosen, which were laid out still face down in front of them. Placing their hand on the card to the left, the figure coughed in its distorted voice before having the strength to flip the card sideways, as to ensure that it remained in the same position that it was picked.
"This card represents you, and your past. Something that might've pushed you or an event that occurred when you started your journey. You've got the 'Nine of Pentacles', however, notice that it is reversed." The figure explained, showing the upside down card's picture of a man surrounded by nine coins, holding a multicoloured bird on his left hand. "Usually this card means self-worth, you're probably looking to prove yourself or better. It also means that your cutting some time to things such as work, and so a cut to your income. You perhaps subconsciously wanted to treat yourself by moving from your old way of living in hopes of finding something better. But what you take from the cards is up to you..."
Flipping over the card in the middle, the figure revealed it to be a picture of a cloaked man, standing in the middle of five golden cups. The picture's upright position caused the figure to shake their head and sigh before going on to explain what it meant.
"This can mean, regret, disappointment, pessimism. Yadda yadda, yadda. I usually see the middle card as the way you are now, or what might happen very soon. The Five of Cups isn't such a good sign in an upright position, as it can mean that something's happened that hasn't turned out the way you expected. You instead want pity for yourself rather than to move on. It may plague your mind, being the only thing you can think about. But what it can also mean is that your perhaps stuck in the past and refuse to let go, something is holding you back, something negative linked to your past. Forgiveness is important in situations like these, either forgiving another person or yourself. This is going to be something you will need to change if you ever hope of progressing forward."
Finally, the last card, flipped over on its side to reveal a picture of two people, with six cups around them all holding bunches of flowers inside. Though, just like the first card, it was inverted.
"This card is eerily similar to the last... The last card from the spread will be something you become in the future. But by the looks of things, you're still stuck in the past. You need to move on from whatever it is, because if you don't move on you won't be able to grow as a person..."
"Huh." was all Yao could say. There were indeed some points that were correct, but the fact that some cards could tell this stranger all about him confused him beyond belief. His mind flashed back to his life on Drum Kingdom, where his parents had made him...
He snapped back to reality, not sure how to react. He turned to Dan for a moment, and knew what he had to do. Yao faced the figure and simply shrugged. "That was pretty cool." he began. He stood from the chair and gestured for Dan to take it. "Danny boy! Let's see if they'll be right this time!"
"For fuck's sake just do it..." Dan remarked.
Waving their hand over the deck once more, the cards returned to a crescent spread in front of the figure, who beckoned to Dan to pick three just like Yao. "Pick three cards in any order."
Quickly, Dan picked three random cards from the stranger, worried yet anxious of what would be revealed.
Once again, the figure waved their arm over the cards to return them to a neatly stacked pile with the three that Dan had chosen laid out before them, in the same position Yao's cards were in before. Wriggling their fingers, the figure flipped over the left card to reveal its imagery: a man in regal attire, holding a sword in both hands near his head as he looked off into the distance. It was in an upright position, and caused the figure to let out a gleeful yelp upon realising what the card was.
"The Page of Swords describes you as thirsting for knowledge, new ideas and curiosity. This journey you go on is to find something, or at least know somethings. You were a little ambitious and too focused perhaps, but that was because you envisioned what you wanted to make of your life. A lot of pirate captains usually end up pulling this card, so I think it's safe to assume that you are the leader of your crew."
The next card flipped over, revealing a woman sitting on a throne facing the side, holding a blade up in front of her and her other hand extending out. The figure nodded as they continued to explain what the next card meant.
"You should continue how you are. You're independent. Have unbiased judgement. You recognise the clear boundaries that you know you or others shouldn't cross. Good qualities of a leader. Of a captain. You can tell it how it is, a quick thinker that is upfront and honest with what they think. But like I said, this can mean something that you should expect in the near future that may bring forth something to your life at the end of your journey. This, is the Queen of Swords, and some may see it as a relevant and influential female figure in your life. So do keep your eye out for that."
The last card was quickly flipped over, though came with an unimpressed sigh from the figure as they leaned forward and held their head up with their arms leaning on the table.
"Two of Pentacles. You have multiple prioritise, alot of responsibilities. But you will be living a balanced life if you continue on the path you seek. I recommend that you DON'T change, as this will be a happy ending for you."
Waving their hand over the cards, the figure returned the deck to cards to the deck and grunted as they stretched out and cracked their knuckles.
A smile filled Dan's lips as he tried to hide his excitement. A leader? A happy ending? AN IMPORTANT GIRL? Perhaps this trip was worth it in the end.
"R-right." He calmed down, "So, what about the shipwright?"
"Monomonomonomono."
The sounds of soft giggling reverberated throughout the room, grabbing the attention of those within it just before Dan's question could be answered. A cold mist began to encompass the trio, circling the room in an ominous tone. "Monomonomonomono." The giggling echoed once again, however, this time each of the men inside the room would feel an ominous presence surrounding them and passing through them, leaving their bodies cold and dewy.
Dan felt a chill run down his spine unlike any other he had experienced before. In complete and utter shock, his body clamped as something passed through him.
"Hey, you better stop that card reader!"
"Huh. What?", Feeling the same presence breeze through them, the fortune teller stood back with a distorted gasp as they started patting down their body, "Th-that isn't me..."
"The fuck you mean?" Yao spat. "Look, you're the freaky fortune-- Wait a damn minute! Is this that fucking fatso's doing? I swear to god, fuck that hippocratic oath, I'm gonna kill this guy!"
Back in the hallway, the man in question could be seen by the door, holding onto a straw broom with two hands and busily sweeping away the dirt that Dan and Yao's shoes had left on their way in. The man seemed oblivious to whatever was happening, as his head remained down with an annoyed look stuck on his face, as a sort of way to hide his feelings about his surprise guests.
"...This is the last time we're getting 'pirate' visitors. Can't stand this shit. My hallway's always getting dirty everytime we have those types of guests. Bringing in that smell into MY home. How dare they." The man muttered under his breathe in an irritated tone as he swept across the carpet.
Meanwhile, back inside the room, the eerie feeling had intensified, the entire room shrouded in a heavy mist, clouding most of the room out of view. Within the fog, three creepy women like figures could be seen rising up from behind the tarot card reader, one resting on his head, the others at his shoulders. However, they would disappear in a puff of smoke mere seconds later.
"Monomonomonomono." The eerie laughter rang about once again, the mist thickening even more. The only thing the three could see would be each other.
"Oi, Yao I think they're a fuckin witch." Dan told his First Mate worried about what strange powers the fortune teller would use on them.
Yao rolled his eyes. "Danny, this is probably some fucking scheme!" he exclaimed. "The fatso and the hooded one are just tryna rob us!"
The laughter pettered out, leaving the room in silence as the mist stirred around them, devoid of all sound and anything past it block from vision. The two pirates would begin to feel creeping up their spines, the chilling sensation rushing from their lower backs to their necks and around to their ears. "Monomonomonomono" This time the laughter could be heard deep within their ear drums, ringing through their heads, beckoning their attention to their sides. As they would turn too look to see what manner of being had whispered into their ears, they'd each be met with the sight of a young child, dressing in rags, hair drapped at their sides.
"Monomonomonomono" The laughter rang out once again, a cresent like smile streatching from each ear of the identical ghosts on both sides of the pirates.
"C-children?" Dan had begun to get accustomed to that terrifying sensation he felt earlier. And the weird sounds the ghosts made went from scary, to plain annoying. "Fortune Teller...are you a pedo?"
Yao unsheathed his blade. "I don't know about you Danny," he began. "But they're both probably pedophiles."
"...Get the fuck out. ALL OF YOU."
"FREE THAT FUCKING CHILD, YOU PEDOPHILE!" Yao retorted.
"THAT THING ONLY SHOWED UP WHEN YOU DID. IF ANYTHING, YOU MIGHT BE THE PEDO!"
"She's trying to rig us off now, after those amazing predictions..." Dan remarked.
"ME A PEDO?!" Yao exclaimed. "I CAME HERE FOR HOT GIRLS, OF AGE! YOUR FATSO FRIENDS PROBABLY THE PEDOPHILE!"
"LEAVE THE FATSO OUT OF THIS!"
Yao spun around to face the large gutted man. "HAH!" he exclaimed. "HOODIE HERE THINKS YOU'RE A FATSO!"
The children simply stood at each sides, turning their heads to each side, their hair draping down to the floor. They covered their mouths with opposite hands and began to move closer too each of the pirates. "Monomonomonomono" laughing constantly, louder and louder.
"A-alright we'll give you more money just keep the ghost children away..." Dan managed to utter.
"FUCK THAT!" Yao exclaimed. "WE AIN'T PAYING SHIT! THEY'RE TRYNA FRAME US FOR BEING PEDOPHILES!"
"GIVE ME MONEY? I SHOULD BE PAYING YOU SINCE YOU BROUGHT THEM HERE!"
"TOLD YOU!" Yao yelled. "THEY WANTED THE CHILDREN THAT APPEARED! THEY'RE PEDOS!"
The pair of children halted, looking back and forth between eachother before charging forward and running at eachother, leaping in the air and colliding into each other, dissipating into nothing but ale white mist. In that instant, the mist began to pull from every inch of the room, swirling into the center of the room where the kids ran into each other.
"Boo..." An enourmous creature was birthed from the mist, red eyes, huge teeth and a wide smile, so large that only it's head could be seen escaping the mist. It moved closer and closer too the pair, dwarfing them under it's sheer size and once again in a deep and ground shaking uttering "BOO!"
Picking up the deck of cards from the table, the hooded figure stood back and watched the two pirates confront the ghost. Just as they headed backwards, their hood momentarily slipped off, revealing long purple locks falling out onto the figure's chest before being flung back into the hood, which was then returned over the head.
"RENFIELD. GET THE MARINES." They screamed into the air, hoping that whoever this 'Renfield' was could hear them.
Yao stared around him in disbelief. "HOLD THE FUCK UP!" he yelled. He pointed the tip of his blade at the children and at the hooded figure. "FIRST OF ALL! I'm gonna assume you're not pedophiles now, because those are fucking demonic children. Secondly..."
He turned to the Fortune Teller. "You're a chick?!"
"...Um. No I'm not." The hooded figure replied in a desperate attempt to lie.
He laughed. "Please! Those purple locks? They way they flowed? You're a chick! I--"
Yao stopped and turned back towards the children. "Can't believe I'm saying this, but I'll focus on the chick bit later." he began. "Don't call the Marines, Danny and I are wanted at this point. Secondly, we've gotta deal with these demon spawn douches."
"WHY DIDN'T YOU DO THAT BEFORE? INSTEAD OF CALLING US PEDO'S?"
Dan nodded, before looking at the mysterious demon children. "What the hell is their deal anyways?" he questioned.
"WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO FUCKING DO?!" Yao spat back. "AND NOW NOW, PLEASE! GOTTA DEAL WITH THESE DEMON SHITS!"
Yao pointed his blade at the children, before beginning to make small counter clockwise circles. "Real quick," he said. "What's behind this building?"
The presence of the large figureless head had stirred up a large gust of wind within the room, blowing the womans purple locks around and dragging everything not bolted into the grounf around the room in a circle.
"Monomonomono" The head laughed, it's deeo and monstrous voice shaking the room more and more as it creeped up on the pirates.
"What's behind the fucking building?!" Yao yelled once more.
"...alright this is just fuckin' annoyin now." Dan cocked his fist back, preparing to deliver a punch.
The beast opened its jaw as Dan prepared to blast his fist forward, thrusting forward to engulf him in the pale mist.
"I DON'T KNOW." The fortune teller cried out as her hooded robe flew off, revealing her in what looked to be a sort of low cut top, with a red pattern cape and a brown vest around her torso. Her purple hair bounced up and down as the wind breezed past her, revealing it to be tied in a swirling ponytail sticking out from the side of her head, with her round spectacles also flying off and colliding with the wall behind her. She held onto the deck of tarot cards with all the strength she had left, clutching them up against her chest to prevent them from flying out.
"We're about to find out!" Yao exclaimed. As his blade continued to make those circular motions, they got more wide in appearance.
"Akahane-ryu! Toriwa!" he yelled. An incomplete spiral cut made itself visible against the wooden building, starting from the wall on Yao's left and trailing down to the right side of the floor at its end. The wood creaked, before the spiral broke the building into two sections. As it broke, a burst of wind and force shoved their side of the building backwards...and over a cliff.
Yao sheathed his blade in a panic as he and the residents in the building entered free fall. "MY BAD!" he said.
Wrapping her red cape around herself before opening it back out, the cards that she held onto disappeared, allowing the fortune teller to spread her arms out and look around for someway to get out of the situation. Though, unlike Dan or Yao, she had no abilities of her own that would get her out, so it was up to the pirates to find a solution
"GODDAMMIT YAO." Dan screamed. Stepping on a nearby bookshelf that fell like many items in the house, Dan used it to direct himself towards the fortune teller, grabbing onto her a few meters above the ground. He gritted his teeth as he caught her, his hair blowing in the wind.
"L-Pie." He said to himself mentally, causing both of his feet to increase dramatically in size before stomping onto the ground with a loud thud. Debris and dust dispelled itself away from his location as he returned his legs to their normal size.
"Y-you alright fortune girl?" looking at her, Dan realized that she was...well way different than what he'd imagine.
"WE LIVED!" Yao exclaimed. He stumbled up from his position, rubbing his head. He turned to the girl, squatting down next to her. "Sup?"
The fortune teller looked at Yao with a scowl on her face, before sighing and shaking her head as she tried to pull herself up. "Well. I guess the cards were right this morning, just wasn't expecting it to be this way..."
Turning towards Dan, the fortune teller bowed her head as thanks for the rescue, lifting her head back up to reveal a relieved smile on her face while flicking her hand out to withdraw a single tarot card. "And your cards seemed to be proven right. So let me repay you with the information you wanted to know in the first place. Which, by the way, what did you want to know again?"
"You guys are so boring! Who cuts a house in half over a little prank? Wussies" A youthful voice could be heard from behind the trio. At first it would seem like another trick, but upon further inspection, the voice had an origin. A small boy floated behind them with a slight child-like scowl and air puffed up in his cheeks, his hands on his hips. He donned what looked like a school uniform and a black hat, two wisp like objects floating around him.
"You guys scream alot, by the way. It's pretty annoying." He remarked, bobbing up and down in the air.
"I...." Dan stopped looking at Yao, and then at the woman. His eyes then returned to the childish ghost in front of him, fear no longer visible from his person. "And just who the fuck are you? No, what are you?" Dan asked now curious over the entity.
Yao scowled. "Oh, we're so sorry." he began. "We should have NOT screamed at the sight of a random ghost child whore."
"You call kids whores and she's the pedo, seems more like the other way around." The boy laughed, floating about in the air, moving around the trio as he inspected them to a degree.
"As for who I am. My name's Casper. I hear there's something you wanna sell?" Casper questioned, appearing behind the boys and resting each of his arms on their shoulders.
Yao yanked his shoulder away from the child. "Don't touch me," he spat.
Much like Yao, Dan quickly snapped away from the ghost. "Maybe...why are you asking gh-, no Casper?"
"You guys aren't very friendly, are you." Casper floated back and stuck his hands deep in his pockets.
"And I'm asking because I may just know where you can sell it." Casper grined.
"I swear to god, I'm gonna break my fucking hippocratic oath..." Yao mumbled.
"Where?" Dan asked placing his arm in front of Yao as if to shush him.
" It's a place known as the Devil's Shop, it serves as a large underworld trading center here on Obscuria. It's deep beneath the largest building on this island. I was actually heading there myself for...other buisness." Casper answered.
"Also, You shouldn't swear on such things. Unless of course, you're truly going to break it" Casper said in a condescending tone to tease Yao.
"I'm not listening to some lost child." Yao said. "Don't talk down to me."
"Lost? Last time I checked it was your friend here who just asked me for directions." Casper giggled, floating high above Yao as to literally talk down too him.
"But I didn't." the man spat. "Tch, whatever. Danny, we've got the info, lets go. Fortune girl, come with us too. Lets leave before I kill a child, which I really don't need on my conscious."
"Heh, you can't exactly kill someone who's already dead." Casper grinned, floating backwards into the girl, passing through her body bot not before slipping the cars off of her person, floating them on his fingers and seperating them in the air.
"These cards are pretty. I mostly like the one with the skeleton on it" Casper remarked.
"...Yeah, they are pretty, hey?" The fortune teller said happily, playing along with the ghost.
Yao raised his hand towards them, before the cards and his hand both emitted a red light. "Yowa Yowa..." he mumbled. The cards vanished, appearing in the hand that had been glowing. "Stream."
He turned back to the fortune teller, holding them out for her. "Do you know this ghost prick?" he asked.
"Hm? No, this is the first time we've met. But isn't he a dear!?" The fortune teller laughed as she reached to pinch Casper's cheeks, her fingers going through his face instead.
"See, at least one of you isn't a jerk. Even if she can't actually touch my cheeks." Casper joked, smiling in response too the fortune teller.
"But, with that, I'll be off now. Who knows maybe I'll see you guys there. I might just steal your souls." Casper grinned, waving back too the fortune teller before dissapearing in a flash of red and purple flames.
"You suck...Monomonomonomono" A trail of smoke trailed along the wind, wisping past Yao and whispering in his ears.
"Right, how many of you care if I kill that child when I see him next?" Yao asked.
"He's....all yours." Dan said, running a hand through his hair. The confusing chain of events had caused him to lose focus momentarily, yet it all returned at once.
"Oh, right! Now we can sell the weapon. Fortune tell-, er... what's your name?"
"Cibil!" The fortune teller said with a cheerful smile, before walking over to Yao and reaching in to snatch her cards back.
"Right, Cibil. Yao over here kinda fucked up your house...so, if you want to come with us, we'll get the money to pay it back." Dan said worriedly.
"WOAH WOAH!" Yao exclaimed. "We're paying her back? I thought we were Pirates? Don't we like...hog money or something?"
"Not all the pirates I've met are like that, and I've seen promising things about this crew. So why not?" Cibil agreed.
Yao blinked a few times, before shrugging. "Whatever, I'm just here cause Danny's cool."
"Yao...be a gentleman...remember? Besides, that giant prick was the one who called me a 'pirate'. I didn't choose this life, this life chose me." Dan said more to himself than to others, as he began to walk back to Suzaku a smile on his face. Finally, things were turning around.
Yao sighed. "Sorry man, just..." he paused. "First she's not a chick, and then she is a chick. And then there's a ghost kid who's an absolute cunt...right. I'll be nice."
"So what did I miss?" Suzaku questioned as he made his way towards his crew with the weapon secured safely on his shoulder. Glancing around a bit he briefly took in everything before his eyes found Dan’s.
"Your gambling?" He questioned with a raised brow.
"Oh, Suzaku!" Dan exclaimed, looking at his trusted ally. "Not much, honestly. The card-read-, I mean Cibil here, gave us some awesome fortune tellings. Then a dickish ghost appeared and Yao cut her house in half. And now we know where to sell the weapon." Dan finished, realizing how...strange that all sounded. "Anyways how'd it go with the Bartender and er...Sleepy Hollow?"
Shrugging nonchalantly at the question Suzaku brief gestured to a pouch on his hip with a look that stated it was something to talk about at a later time.
"Got nothing out of her or anyone for the matter." He replied as he adjusted the weapon on his shoulder slightly to get a better grasp.
"It’s as if everyone here had their life essence sucked dry from them."
"Well, this town may not be the most lively place... But you don't need to say it like that." Cibil said, crossing her arms.
"Whatever...let's just go to this 'Devil's Shop'." Dan appeared tired, and honestly a little angry. Perhaps, the ghost had gotten to him.
Third Gate, Pluto
Mack. Mack. Mack
The annoying sound of gum being chewed unnecessarily resounded through the entire room. Several guards found themselves wincing in disturbance as this happened, knowing that there was nothing they could do to stop this terrible sound.
"Mack. Someone. Mack. get me the Den Den Mushi."
This voice belonged to no other than Saint Dolphus himself. A man that prouded himself in screwing his peers and in his large quantity of investments in companies over the years that had left him with….well, quite less money then what he started with.
He continued chewing his gum, as one of his guards hurriedly kneeled before him, handing him an angry-looking Den-Den Mushi before anxiously going away from the man.
Dolphus grinned as he grabbed the device from the terrified man. He loved it, he thoroughly loved the sense of fear that he was able to inspire in others. All in the promise of money, he could control whatever he wanted.
He awaited as the Den-Den Mushi rang its signature tone. His anger growing with every second the other person didn’t pick up. Just who was he calling?
In the middle of brushing her teeth after taking a quick shower, Phoebe was listening to music. Humming alongside it and enjoying the quiet time that she was having, considering all the recent events that had been going on. One of the few times where she was actually doing something besides working. But, it was eventually cut short when the Den-Den Mushi she had was announcing itsself with that signature ringing noise.
A call! Phoebe had to return to her duty immediately, and answer right away. Still with the toothbrush in her mouth, she picked up the Den-Den Mushi and made sure to turn off the music it was playing. Otherwise the music would reach the other end again.
"Hemmo, mish ish Phoembe sheaping." Phoebe said with the toothbrush still in her mouth. Totally forgetting to take it out again.
“H-hello…” Dolphus responded, wondering what matter of utmost importance the Rear Admiral partook in that caused her to take so long to respond, and more importantly to speak so…oddly. Perhaps, she was upgrading herself? These were all fleeting thoughts that filled Dolphus’ mind as he cleared his throat before speaking once more.
“Hello, Rear Admiral Phoebe. This is..erm, Saint Dolphus speaking., I believe we have something to discuss.” The sound of the gum travelled through the Den Den Mushi between Dolphus’ words.
"SHAINT DOPHUPH?!"
Phoebe said at the top of her lungs, as her increase in volume and shock. And to make it even worse, the toothbrush in her mouth slid down her throat, and Phoebe began to gag on it. Causing the strange noises to come back out on the other end, and the Den-Den Mushi immiated Phoebe's facial expressions, as those odd noises were transmitted through it.
"GAK! GUUHRR! HEEERR! HUUUR! GAAAAARR!"
The Den-Den Mushi's face on Dolphus' end was constantly changing with each noise that left Phoebe's mouth, before there was a final "PWAAAH!", as Phoebe finally coughed the toothbrush back up. Grabbing the speaker, clearing her throat, and acting like this totally didn't just happen.
"PHOEBE REPORTING IN! SAINT DOLPHUS, IT'S A PLEASURE TO TALK TO YOU! HOW MAY I HELP YOU!?"
She said, practically screaming. Like she was trying to act way more imposing and questionable, after what just happened. He must never know what just happened. Phoebe had a good reason to be surprised though. Being called by a World Noble? Truly, the last thing someone would want when being called is to choke on a toothbrush.
The Den Den Mushi made exaggerate motions, spit comically falling from the creature. The voice that followed was loud and exuberant, taking Dolphus by surprise as he nearly choked on his own gun. Was the famed Rear Admiral of the Marines…no more than a child?
Pushing it away as he always did, Dolphus spoke once more his voice booming loud and clear.
“You see Phoebe, I’ve heard nothing but great things about you. Your endeavors against pirates, developing your company, all for the well-being of the world. It’s impressive really, which is exactly why I’d like to request your company’s assistance.”
"Oh, you think so? Awh, you flatter me~! I am always trying my best to make the world a better place! All for the sake of the World Government! And taking out dangerous pirates is simply something that's part of the job. I mean, you haven't heard of Ryusei Remilia ever since the incident in Pavlopetri, right? She's probably dead! AHEM! Anyways... How can I help you?"
Phoebe thought back at what happened in that kingdom. It's truly horrible to think that pirates are willingly causing so much senseless destruction. It only further fuels the deep seated hatred that she has towards them, and inspired her to work even harder on taking them on.
“Y-yes...” Dolphus cleared his throat once more to speak. What an…odd person. “You see I’ve been working on a mall, a massive shopping center here in Obscuria. Because it’s so big and honestly, luxurious, it could easily be the _target of pirates. So I’d like to borrow your services for protection.” He said rather clearly. Believe it or not, Dolphus had a way with words, which he had developed from constantly lying to…well, his entire family.
"A mall? Sounds interesting! You know, a mall would also be a great way to advertise my own product. You know, Saint Dolphus, I can't help but recommend you my PB-Androids! Following what happened on Pavlopetri, I have upgraded the basic model into a much more compact and efficent creation, that can easily--"
Phoebe continued, and went on and on about the androids that she has made and what they are capable of. She practically missed what he was trying to tell her, and used the moment to tell him all about her own products. In the end, she also wanted to make a profit. And World Nobles got the money for that.
"--customizable outfits as well! I think that's just about everything I could've told you about my androids! You should really keep it in mind in case you need proper protection. Aaaanyways, pirates might wanna _target that place called Obscuria, eh? Well, If it's my services that you need, then you're in luck! Now then, If it's protection that you need, I highly recommend the PB-Androids I just told you about! If you want even more protection, I can offer you my newest cyborg! Beanstalk is the name he responds to, and he's even more powerful than my advanced androids! But... If you are in big need for help... I CAN PROTECT YOU AS WELL! Pirates won't even dare come close to you when they know I'm around! I bet! I mean, i'm sure! Definetly, without a doubt!"
"..." a single drop of sweat formed itself on Dolphus' temple, trickling down to the floor. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fist, as if he was holding himself from doing something he'd soon regret. He groaned quietly, and his eyes narrowed, his face wrinkling amidst his ugly expression.
“NO! No. I mean your most basic model would suffice, I believe. I do not want to bother you so much. Besides, you wouldn’t be able to stay here for a long time. How would your androids arrive here?” Dolphus asked, attempting to get to the point.
Phoebe was caught a bit by surprise to hear him come to his decision so quickly. It's a shame, considering how she really wanted to try and squeeze out some money from the World Noble. After all, a girl's gotta eat too. But in Phoebe's case, she'd neglect eating and just use the money to make more weapons and androids. Either way, no way she can change his opinion it seems. And she better not get into an argument with him. After all, he's a customer. She can't be rude to him.
"The basic model, eh? Well, alright, if that's all you need, it can be done! Sooo, how many would you like to purchase? And as for the delivery, well... It depends on when you need them! If you need them in the next couple of days, I will have them sent over by a special delivery android! Also developed by yours truly. But, if you need them as soon as possible, I will personally come over to bring them to you! I will cross the vast sea in order to make my customers happy! The Phoebe Express Delivery, performed by none other than me, will travel from one end of the Grand Line to the other, to deliver anything within under a day!"
Phoebe further boasted about herself and worked herself up to seem as impressive as possible. Her marketing strategies weren't that advanced though. She tends to explain a little too much.
"Your drone would do just fine. How do you receive payment?" Dolphus cut her off once more, slowly revealing his true nature. He was growing tired of the Marine's blabbering and his responses showed it, albeit slightly whether he wanted to or not.
"Well, it will be sent to you by the delivery android, and the android will wait until you pay it, before departing again. Do note that my androids aren't just some hunks of metal, but have their own independant thoughts! Buuut you probably knew that already. After all, I just explained it all to you, and you were certainly listening carefully, considering how this is an important buy. Well, how many do you need?"
Dolphus had almost completely lost focus as his eyes flickered to a screen in his room. It revealed several figures approaching the Angel Mall, and their appearance caused the man to grin as he rested his head on his hand. "Actually, Phoebe, I'd like to request the presence of...4 of your androids. And I'd like you to deliver them yourself, if possible. Just for....precautions." he said the pitch of his voice rising as he spoke, muffled laughter escaping his voice mildly.
"4 Androids it is then! I see, you are aiming for maximum security. My androids know how to cooperate with one another for maximum effectiveness in combat! If you want me to deliver it, then i guarantee you that it won't even take an hour! A pleasure doing business with you! We'll see each other real soon!"
And with that, Phoebe hung up and got up to get prepared. She didn't notice anything off about what he had said. Phoebe was just glad that she finally got the chance to sell something. While she got the support from the partnership to Benjamin Tabart, it's always better to have more money at hand for the production cost of these androids. Thus, Phoebe made her way to the workshop room, where several dozen androids already stood in their off state. Basically waiting to be used. Phoebe picked out the first four that she could get her hands on, pressed her index fingers against their necks in order to activate them, and begin talking to them.
"Good Morning, my little beauties! Hope you had a good sleep! I've got great news, we've got a World Noble as a customer! You'll be working for a very important person and protect them! Delivery will begin right away, so, let's get going!"
"Yes Phoebe." All of them said at the same time, as Phoebe lead the way outside. Leaving the workshop, and looking into the vast blue.
"Let's see... the Den-Den Mushi signal came froooom... There!" Phoebe's advanced technology allowed her to seek for certain radio frequences, which allowed her to quickly and reliably track the signals sent by Den-Den Mushi. Phoebe raised her hand, which commanded all four of the androids to curl up into small, compact balls for Phoebe to carry. Using her technology, she created a magnetic pull, which practically glued the androids to her hands and legs. With this, they were ready to get going.
"No time to waste. This is an important purchase! Launchin in three.... two... one..."
Phoebe spoke, as she deployed the Back-Pack and began charging. Slowly preparing herself and her androids, before shooting into the air and incredible speed! Speeds that no mere ship could ever reach, which also allowed her to travel great distances in mere minutes. Phoebe was certainly excited for such an important delivery. Business is going to be booming!
Click.
The Den Den Mushi closed, before Dolphus aggressively smashed it against the floor. He held his chubby, round face in his right hand as he began to laugh maniacally. He tapped his foot incessantly on the floor, the loud sound of his chewing increasing by the second.
“GARARARARARA, the plan is going perfectly!” The guards surrounding the man slowly moved away whispering amongst themselves, until his laughter shut them up once more. He was truly a terrifying figure, and he showed a different side than when he talked to Phoebe, causing everyone around him to grow wary.
“Chime! Get in here!”
“I’m here, mis-Saint Mister Dolphus.” An individual entered the room, hair flowering down their back, but their face an odd blend between masculine and feminine. The flatness of their chest didn’t quite help distinguish any further. “What is it, you need me for, Saint Mister Dolphus?”
"Make the preparations for the Devil's shop, I want every store ready as well as our guards and mercenaries." Dolphus spit out his chewed gum, causing it to fly in the air in Chime's direction. "We have visitors." he grinned.
The gum would land square on Chime’s face, causing them to slowly wipe it away while bearing a disgusted expression. “Will do...” Making their way from Dolphus, Chime couldn’t help but throw up middle fingers, however keeping them where Dolphus couldn’t see them.
"Don't screw up Chime, GARARARARARA! And make sure to give them a warm welcome." Dolphus laughed to himself loudly. What an absolute genius! Only he could devise such a joke.
His eyes were cold, calculating, devoid of all emotion. He stared far out into the horizon as his ship coasted across the sea. Suzuran was so close to recovery, but he wasn't allowed to wait for her to finish. His _target could be out of reach by then.
Bell Q. Dan, a nobody, who had assaulted the Drum Kingdom, decimated their forces, and made off with a massive cannon. Such a brazen attack reminded him of the event that put his brother on the map, except this was far worse. That was the man Benjamin had been sent out to capture. And he'd make sure to crush him before he could become any more of a threat than he already was.
Final Gate, Hellmouth
After making it through several towns, lands and forests, that were much like the last town…dead, in every sense of the word. Then..it appeared before them, a humongous building that towered over them like a Giant. Even from afar, its bright lights, which were the only source in the obscure island, shined down to the nearby land like a purging angel.
That was exactly what it was, the words "Angel Mall" could be seen blinking from afar, two feathers supporting the ends of the makeshift lights. How could a country filled with brainless, bored, people have such an attraction in its center?
“What the hell is this...?” Dan remarked as he and the group moved forward until they were quite literally, standing before the mall. From up close, it looked even bigger. A sliding door separated them from entering the building, and Dan couldn’t help but stand in awe.
“Welcome! Welcome!” A voice called out, the doors sliding open to reveal Chime Quinn, a conman’s voice and smile apparent. To gauge one’s attention, you always have to be a source of entertainment. Around their employer, Chime had to be submissive, but when out on business, it was time to be a beacon of sales and good times that people just couldn’t say no to.
“Welcome to Angel Mall, our deals are so heavenly you’ll think you’ve just met God himself.” Suddenly, vanishing from their previous position and suddenly appearing next to Dan, arm thrown around the man’s shoulder, Chime nudged him like the two were old friends. “Forbid you meet his downstairs neighbor. Ohohoho!”
"Who the hell are you?" Dan wondered as Chime lead him into the gigantic mall. He was taken aback by the many shops that could be seen even from the distance. Floors and floors of companies, lined up to the sides filled his sight. It was truly a place for riches.
“Oh, seems i forgot to introduce myself, yea? My name is Chime Quinn, business and shipwright extraordinaire, also did a bit of welding and engineering on the side but what shipwright doesn’t? Momma always told me to have a side hussle or two.” Chime spoke, leading the group deeper and deeper into the Mall’s corridors.
Chime’s eyes seemed to land upon Yao, looking him up and down. No, they were looking at his sword. Chime was no blacksmith, but a weapon like that could have wonders done to it. “Ahem, I haven’t quite asked who you were. Regale me with tales of your past. The failures, the triumphs, how you all met.” Chime mused further, however jokingly slapping Dan on his rear end before chuckling. “Start with your names of course, Ohohoho!”
"H-hey!" Dan jumped away from Chime as they slapped his rear end. Eyeing them up and down. He didn't really know what to make up out of Chime. They were...very ambiguous to say the least.
"My name is Dan, and these are my crewmates, Suzaku and Yao. The one with glasses is Cibil. She's not in the crew." he mentioned. "Why do you care?"
“Oh, is it so criminal for me to get to know clients? The better I know you, the better I can assist you in finding what you need.” Chime spoke, not losing a bit of that energy. “Speaking of which, what brings you all here today?”
Yao had stayed quiet for the majority of the exchange. "Hey..." he said. "Are you a chick or a dude?"
Chime’s eyes slowly darted to Yao, a bleak expression upon their face. “Isn’t it obvious? Thats a pretty rude question, dude.”
"Yeah, uh. I'm blanking my guy." Yao said. "My chick sense is tingling, but you've got man vibes. Ain't tryna be rude, just asking for clarification so I don't offend ya."
Chime let out a soft sigh, almost as if pained. “I’m an Okama, I prefer to go by either male or gender neutral pronouns.” Chime ended, now flicking their finger up and down their bottom lip.
"Got it. One of the boys." Yao began, almost talking to himself. "Anyways, we're here to get our yacht fixed up. Sell a cannon. Not get our asses slapped. The usual."
Suddenly, the flicking of their lips ceased, Chime quickly turned around, walking ahead of the group now. “If ship parts are what you’re looking for, then I’ll suggest Devil’s Shop.” Chime spoke.
Leading the group to a staircase, it seemed to go deeper down into the building. A basement? “It’s sketchy, I know, but I promise no one’s gonna touch on your kids down here. Ohohoho!”
"No pedo jokes, please..." Yao mumbled. "Already had that kinda debacle earlier today...."
“It...wasn’t a pedo joke. By kids I meant your ba- anyway, just come on.” Chime ended.
Glancing around an surverying the room discretely as he aleays Did, Suzaku for the moment chose to ignore the commotion in favor of plotting the various situations that could happen as well as the entire outcome for each.
"You seemed kind of offended by that "Pedo Joke", something you want to say Yao-Chan" Suzaku lightly joked as his mind focused back on the rest.
Calling it a basement would've been an understatement, Dan was unable to respond as he was in pure awe as the structure came into view when they'd reached the bottom of the stairs. An underground market, filled with stands and large quantities of people could be seen. It likely covered the entire width of the mall, with the stands being divided by natural barriers of rock, leaving various passageways to travel through. From a single gaze, Dan could see a weapon stand, medical stand and even more. It was quite impressive honestly.
Creatures from all walks of life roamed the underground shop. From Fishmen, to Frogfolk, likely all of them pirates. Talk bursted through the large area, leaving Dan to barely hear himself as he spoke.
"W-where the hell are we?"
"Uhhh. Should we be here? I got a bad reading from my cards earlier back, I think something bad's going to happen..." Cibil smiled nervously, scratching the back of her head as she tiled her hat forward.
Yet before, Cibil had even finished her sentence, Dan had already separated himself from the group in hopes of exploring everything that was available on sight.
"Suzaku, take care of the transaction!" he exclaimed from afar.
Dan had been gazing at everything he could. His eyes moved from the various substances available. The weapons, the food, the many substances and technology available in every corner of the spacious cave. It all made him smile out loud. He looked from left to right, noticing creatures he had never seen before as well as things. The underworld didn’t seem that bad.
“THE AUCTION WILL NOW CONTINUE! HEAD TO THE CENTER” A voice rung throughout the entire market.
And much like it had asked, Dan made his way across the small stores and large quantities of people, to the center, where a base stood. There was a man with a shortened mustache, and an eery expression. Perhaps the voice? He wore a ridiculous hat and attire, yet Dan didn’t focus on that.
No, he focused on the girl that stood next to him, with a large cubed square with strange readings next to her. Her hands were cuffed as well as her neck by a singular chain.
“A member of the Three-Eyed Tribe stands here! Along with a Poneglyph that only it can read! Houhouhou.” The man buzzed.
Mei-bun whimpered as the cuffs dug into her skin and yanked her in what direction her owner pleased. Her eyes were filled with tears, causing the mass of slave buyers to seem like nothing more than a glossy sea of human-like objects. She had heard of other Three-Eyes being sold into this horrible trade, but she never thought she'd be yet another number.
From within the audience, an arm raised into the air, holding up a numbered paddle. Upon closer inspection, the arm extended from a relatively large man, wearing a peculiar designed coat that hung onto his shoulders, and a grey, skeletal mask covering his face. He seemed to have come alone, as many of the audience members around him looked at the masked man with annoyed expressions, whilst they contemplated on whether they should challenge the bid.
"30,000,000" another man, a Fishman spoke. Weren't they against this mistreatment?!
Once again, the masked man held up his paddle, but this time chose to speak. His voice didn't seem to be muffled despite what he was wearing on his face, though it seemed to sound more like a ghostly, eerie call.
Various voices called their offer but they were no match for the masked man and the Fishman.
"6-,60,000,000" the Fishman called hurriedly, raising his paddle in shock. It was a fight between the two at this point and he would not back down.
"...60,000,000. And 1." The masked man called out as he raised his paddle higher into the air, even going as far as to turn and look at his opponent with the menacing, lifeless glare of his mask.
"60,000,00, and tw-" the Fishman was unable to finish his sentence as a gigantic fist sought his person, as well as many of the surrounding buyers. Sending them flying off in different directions. As the horde of people cleared up, the fist seemed to shrink once more, returning to Dan as he now came in sight. His face grew red and his veins nearly popped in anger as he witnessed the scene before him.
"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH ALL OF YOU?" his voice resounded throughout the cave.
"...Have some manners, boy. If you don't like what you see, you can leave." The masked man casually announced as he pulled himself up from his seat and turned to face Dan from where he was. It was just how things went in the Underworld, and if Dan couldn't accept that, he shouldn't have been here in the first place. Although he wasn't too fazed about watching many of his bidding opponents fly across the area, to have the auction delayed by such an inconvenience seemed to irritate the man.
Mei-bun's eyes shot open as the rattling off of numbers was interrupted by gasps of shock and Dan's resounding yell. Her eyes met his all the way to the back of the crowd, and for a moment, she had a shred of hope. This man didn't seem like the others... something was different about him.
"Manners?! How can you talk about manners when you're selling a fuckin' person!" Dan exclaimed at the masked man. "How 'bout I teach you some, asshat?" he cracked his knuckles, angrily.
The man tried to hold himself back from laughing, not from the show that Dan was prepared to put on, but just the ignorance he talked with. Dan must have not been familiar with the Underworld or its workings, which was understandable, but a pity for an outsider to stumble in. Cracking his knuckles, the masked man made no attempt to come forth towards the captain, but instead looked towards the auctioneer with balled up fists by his side.
"70,000,000." The man called out, resuming the show, before turning his attention back to Dan, "Do you know where you are boy? Folk like you shouldn't even be here. This is just how the world works, that girl up there is now property."
"What's your name?!" Dan snapped his neck looking at the Three-Eyed girl. Despite his hardened expression, there was a certain softness in his eyes as he questioned her. As if he felt her sorrows and her pain.
Mei-bun's long black hair slightly impaired her line of sight to Dan, but it didn't take a lot for her to instantly connect with him. She felt a warm feeling in her heart and she closed her third eye; this was the sensation she felt while she heard the Voice of All Things. The voices of hundreds of objects and animals created a dull roar inside of her mind, their words nearly indistinguishable. But still, Mei-bun knew what they meant.
"Mei-bun..." She whispered.
"Mei-bun." Dan glared at her intensely before her eyes returned to the masked man. His knees were bent, and his arms were to his sides as if he was ready to snap if required to.
Mei-bun blinked rapidly in confusion and she swallowed hard. She looked at the man who held her chains and knew exactly what would happen if she were to "rebel" against his wishes. She had been in captivity for weeks awaiting this sale, and she knew the ins-and-outs well enough. Fearing a swift beating, Mei-bun just looked into Dan's eyes in silence instead. Her deep brown eyes were overflowing with emotion and small tears still escaped them.
“Hm?” Dan looked at her captor and at Mei-bun once more, while there was silence, the tears that fell from her face coupled with a few sniffs that managed to escape from within her. He could tell, just from looking at her, she could tell. What her mouth refused to say, her eyes revealed.
“Got it.” Dan nodded to himself, a smirk appearing on his face. “Just hold on there, Mei-bun…well, you can’t really do anything else, heh.” Running a hand through his dark hair, his brows furrowed and his expression hardened once more.
“Oi, you, skull man. The name’s Dan, I don’t expect you to give me your name because you’re probably too much of a pussy for that.” He scratched his head anxiously, as if he couldn’t believe his own words. “Anyways…imma kick your bony ass.”
“And you.” His gaze turned to the man near Mei-bun, who debated whether he should hit the slave or not, despite the fact that she hadn’t talked. “If you touch her, I’ll fuck you up.” His words were blunt and hurtful, much like an actual weapon. To him, the battle had already begun.
Mei-bun did the only thing she could; she watched as Dan made a grand spectacle in front of everyone and seemed to draw the attention of every soul as he commanded the room. Mei-bun used her shoulder to wipe her tears from her face and looked back up at Dan. This time, however, she seemed to have an intention. Meeting Dan's gaze, she shifted her eyes back and forth in between his view and the chains that held her wrist. Upon further inspection, it was clear that one of the chain's links was weak, and could surely be broken with enough force.
“How uncivilised to be fighting in a place like this. If you’ve got respect for good business, you would have shut up and left. But if you want to mess with it, then there’s only one fix to that.” The masked man called out as he reached over and unsheathed a flintlock from an audience member next to him.
The masked man’s movement seemed to all blend into one motion, sliding the weapon out of the individual’s holster and swinging it around to aim at Mei-bun. There was nothing but silence coming from the man, except his fingers pulling back mechanisms and getting ready to pull the trigger. Many members of the audience looked at the masked man with confusion and anger, despite what he was saying, he was willing to go ahead and kill her.
“Allow me to show you expendable property is.”
As the man pointed the gun at Mei-bun, Dan hastily prepares to defend both her and himself from whatever could happen. The sound of a gunshot rung in his ears deeply, serving as a warning, as he instinctively kicked off the ground repeatedly with movements akin to Soru. As he surged in mid-air to Mei-bun's location, Dan expanded his chest massively, to the point where the bullet felt like no more than a scratch as it crashed against his hard body, before hitting the ground.
Now standing in front of Mei-bun, and having scared her seller away, Dan jabbed the chains that she had eyed so much previously, causing them to break and fall unto the ground.
"You're free now, Mei-bun." He stated with a smile before turning to face the masked man once more.
The chains fell from Mei-bun's body as she looked up to Dan with wide eyes that swept his entire body, as though she was in disbelief and looking at some sort of ethereal being. The moment was brief however, as Mei-bun shot up to her feet and whipped her body around to face her captor. Mei-bun shot her arms towards him, and rather miraculously, they rapidly transformed into scaly reptilian beings with beady eyes and fangs bared; she had turned her arms into snakes. The snakes grew rapidly in length as they shot towards the slaver, closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye.
The snakes' mouths clamped around the neck of the slaver, their massive fangs digging into his flesh and causing a large amount of blood to spurt out. Then, Mei-bun flung her arms to the right of her before letting go, sending the slaver flying away from her.
Watching the slave break free and Dan jump in front of the bullet, the masked man shook his head and sighed, tossing the flintlock to the side before throwing a closed fist into his palm. "That's just a shame, but I guess that means I won't need to spend any belis on the girl. I'll catch her myself."
"Holy shit...she's intense" Dan thought as blood spurted out from the man like a ketchup bottle. Yet his attention redirected to the masked man once more. Kicking off of the ground several times, Dan flew towards the masked man, cocking his fist back.
"L-Manos" he whispered, as his hand expanded massively and he released it forward like a bullet, seeking to launch the individual, a fair distance away.
"...Hyakumaigawara Seiken!" The masked man cried out, as he threw a punch towards Dan, relying on the expanded size of Dan's fist to catch with his hand so that they could collide.
Just as the masked man thought, his knuckle landed on Dan's, and caused a notable shockwave to explode between them and knock over the surrounding audience members who thought they could stand and watch. The man's strike seemed enough to stop Dan's fist and counteract the force, as he remained standing with enough balance to leap to the side and analyse the young man. The auction area had turned into a complete mess with Dan and the slave ruining the event, an inconvenience for the mysterious man for sure, but could easily be overlooked if Dan could learn his lesson from messing with the area's activities.
"Stand down kid. I don't know why your upset over a simple slave..."
"Oh yeah? I'll show you why!"
Cibil wandered around the market as she held her arms close to her body, making sure that she wouldn't accidentally bump into anyone that passed by. They all looked quite... mean? Though compared to Cibil, anything could be terrifying. The only thing that was allowing her to keep her cool was the fact that a lot of them looked like the type that would come by her work and ask for a reading, pirates or smugglers who wanted to know how their work was going to go, or what would happen if they were going to take a certain job. They never really came back, save for a very few, perhaps because Cibil gave them a wrong reading, or they got what they wanted after so they didn't need to come back to her for another.
Walking past a certain stall, however, caught her eye, causing the young fortune teller to subconsciously move closer to the store and gaze at what it had on display. A pack of black tarot cards, lined with a sort of gold material that was shared with the images drawn on them. Excitedly, Cibil began checking her purse to see how much she had, only to realise that she didn't exactly have the right amount of money on her. Defeated, Cibil sighed and walked back out, standing close to the store's entrance as she tried to spot her new crew, hoping that they would be willing to spare her a few more belis.
“Having noticed the woman intensively checking her purse, Taro's short attention span, which had been focused on the many sea goods present at the area, sought Cibil as he noticed her defeated expression.
“W-wait!” Taro ran towards her, at full speed, causing him to trip over and land right on his face before her.
“Damn it…” he slowly stood up, dusting himself off. “I saw you look at those AWESOME cards, miss. And just so you know, you don’t have to pay anything here until you leave!” He nodded to himself, “that’s what G-,err, Avsati told me!” Taro gave her an enthusiatic thumbs up.
"A-Avsati? Uhhh, actually? Really? Are you sure about that?" Cibil said as her face lit up with a mix of relief and surprise, "Could, could you wait here for a moment?"
Returning back into the store, Cibil had began conversing with the shop keep, trying to confirm Taro's advice. A nod from the shopkeep and a new pack of tarot cards would only make Cibil believe the pirate's statement, with a hop and a skip from the fortune teller as she left the shop. Amazed that she had actually gotten her hands on the item, Cibil hugged them close to her chest before running her finger over the small imprinted designs, marked all over the cards' casing. Looking for Taro, Cibil ran back to the pirate with a giant, childlike smile on her face, one akin to a kid getting the gift that they wanted on Christmas.
"H-hey. Thanks for the help, do you mind if I can test these card's one you? I usually use a friend to test it out on, but since I can't see any of them, you're the closest person to it by the looks of things!" Cibil asked Taro.
Taro's mouth widened in excitement with child-like innocence. "Sure! I got time to spare anyways."
"AWESOME!" Cibil cheered into the air, disturbing and annoying a few bystanders who quickly returned to their own business.
Leading Taro to an unoccupied table nearby and placing him on one side, Cibil went over and stood opposite to him as she unpacked the cards. Letting them wall onto the table in one, tall, neat stack, the fortune teller waved her arm over the deck and displayed them for Taro to see, showing that they were now spread out in a crescent in front of her. Opening her hand out as a signal for Taro to tell him that they were ready to begin, Cibil began to speak before Taro could do anything.
"First off, I'll need a question from you to ask the cards. They can things such as what has the future in store for me, what will the current journey I am taking lead me? Etcetera etcetera. Then I ask that you pick three cards in an order of your choosing, please do keep in mind that the order may be important as it can decide what to tell you. But DON'T turn over the cards yet." Cibil carefully instructed.
"Ohhh, I see. Ok, ok." Taro stroke his chin curiously, there wasn't anything specific his air-head wondered, leading to a good bit of awkward silence. "Ah! I know! Yeah, what's my future?! Will I find All Blue?"
Cibil nodded her head and waved her arms over the cards, revealing them now to be all neatly placed in a single deck next to her, with three cards remaining on the table. Scratching the side of her temple, Cibil nodded her head with a pout before turning over the card from Taro's left.
"This card will represent you and your past, what may be affecting the way you do things now and so, your future," Cibil introduced the card as she flipped it over from its side, revealing the image of a man in the foreground, carrying three swords in his hands as he looks back to two others. They seemed saddened, one even planting his face in his hands, as they leave two more swords near the man in the forefront. "This is the Five of Swords in an upright position, this can mean disagreement, conflict or defeat. Perhaps you've had a disagreement or a falling out that's caused you pain. You might have said something you wish you could take back, or soured a relationship that has no way of fixing. Perhaps. Maybe these losses have come to seperate you from those that used to be familiar with you, causing them to take their difference. This behaviour may not have been because they were in this conflict, could have been influenced. You should learn to pick your battles, as you will not win every conflict you come across. Otherwise, this may mean its time to forgive or seek forgiveness."
Cibil proceeded to flip the next card, nodding her head as she realised what it was. The next card showed a blindfolded woman sitting in the centre with swords in her hand, pointing diagonally to opposite directions across each other. Pushing it forward, Cibil's voice seemed to change to a much more serious tone, something that seemed very out of the bright and friendly persona she met Taro with.
"For this card, it is something that you are experiencing now, or what you should expect to come. This, is the Two of Swords, which tends to mean you will be confronted with a difficult decision. The options laid out to you could be both equally good, or equally bad. It'll be up to how well you can tell the pros and cons, and how you use both your mind, and heart. See how the woman is blindfolded? It could mean that she doesn't want to pick due to the choices' promises, or want to feel that responsibility to the option she picked. Though, it is unlikely you can leave this decision for a long amount of time, and must make the choice then and there without bringing in further consequences. "
Before she could explain anything further, Cibil went to the deck and waved her hand over the pile, magically retrieving two cards that stuck out between her fingers. From where Taro was sitting, it didn't even look like Cibil had touched the deck at all. With a flick of her wrist before her, the cards flew and landed before Taro, the one on the left displaying the image of a family looking out into the distance with their arms around eachother, looking towards a crescent overhead made of ten goblets. The other card displayed a king sitting on a throne, holding a sceptre and the symbol of a coin in either hands.
"This left one is the Ten of Cups. It represents happiness and joy in a relationship or family. It suggests a happy family, and perhaps a family of your own. The one on the right is the King of Pentacles, which can mean wealth, business, leadership, blah blah blah. These seem to be the decisions you will be confronted with: To choose between a life with a happy family, or success that brings forth business, wealth and leadership to your life."
The results were a bit surprising for even Cibil, who slightly smiled at the sight of the two cards. They seemed to turn out well for Taro, though it would be ultimately up to him which one he picked from what he valued more. Moving her hand to the last and final card, Cibil flipped it from its side to show the image of a tower, burning from the inside as it was struck by a lightning bolt coming from the sky. Her expression changed back to serious as she looked to Taro, despite the positive looking choices, something about them would bring about something that may not be good for the pirate in the future.
"...The Tower, is a major arcana card. Major Arcana cards tend to be VERY big events in your life that may affect you spiritually and or physically. The Tower usually means chaos, destruction and what not. There's no escaping it, so you must face what it brings forth. Use that self-destruction to rebuild yourself though, as you will grow stronger and wiser for the future. You need to fall in order to get back up. If I was to look for a possible POSITIVE reading, however, the tower may also mean spiritual awakening or revelation. It can be an opportunity to break from your old behaviour that has been preventing you from moving onwards with your life..."
"..." Taro had a glum look on his face, made apparent by how he bit his cheek, a frown on his face. "Nothing about All Blue! Goddamn it." he cursed. There was likely something there that related to his overall goal, but since Taro couldn't really focus much, he had lost himself in her words. Something about...a change, a revelation. "T-thanks." he said as he calmed himself.
"Usually the card's aren't very good at foretelling specific things! But perhaps one of those choices does involve finding the All Blue? It's up to you on how you interpret it. But no worries." Cibil said with a smile, nervously rubbing the back of her head.
"I se-" Taro found himself speechless as he watched...someone or something? A strange creature he had never seen before near Cibil. "W-what's that behind you?"
“Split… Split… Who am i… Am i me…. Am i you…. Who is anyone… Who are you…”
A strange, white figure was talking.to itsself, seemingly. The creature was something that could not be described very easily. In fact, it seemed like something that shouldn’t even exist. No way that something like it even could exist, even. This was no regular creature. This was no regular human. Even though it seemed to resemble one.
Its body was pure white. And its skin seemed flaky. Like it was constantly falling apart. A brittle apparatus, that was in a constant state of falling collapsing in on itself. And still, it was most certainly living. The work of a devil fruit, indeed. A special kind. But, little to no one knew about its existence. After all, those who do know about it never get the chance to tell anyone about it. But what they were seeing here was…
A Wisp.
“Brittle, brittle, brittle, brittle, brittle, brittle…. I feel so weak… Why can’t i be like the others? I am only myself. There is only me… I… must gather information… That is my job… For you… Emily... Oh great queen…”
The creature continue to mumble in a strange voice. The tone of it seemed to constantly shift, like a Den-Den Mushi that was in the middle of dying while transmitting a message. Otherworldly indeed. While talking, he began to look at the strangers who had noticed him. His eyes and mouth were blank. Like there was nothing inside of it. A nightmarish being.
“You… Brittle… Brittle… I feel so brittle, like i am going to fall apart again. I am here for… a mission. This whole area… I must take over it. In the name of my creator. It is… my only purpose. I am… useless… weak… i can’t be like the others… i must gain strength in numbers.”
The way he talked didn’t make anything about him better, that’s for certain. Basically an embodiment of pure creepiness. Staring at them with those empty, white eyes. Chunks of his body fell to the ground, only to be replaced by new chunks. Constantly falling apart and reforming himself.
“Strangers…”
He said. His strange, cold voice announcing itself with a harrowing echo that spread throughout the nearby vicinity. His sentences were wild and unorganized. Like every sentence was just as brittle as he is.
“My name is… Coco... I am no ally… Not an enemy… Who is the one in command?”
A little stunned by the sight of, whatever Coco was, Cibil waved her hand over the cards to return them to a neat pile and proceeded to return them to their case. "I-uh, command?" Cibil stuttered as she shoved the tarot cards into her pocket, "I-I'm not sure what you mean by that."
"Y-you're in command?! I knew it! You're into supernatural things, you summoned this um...Coco, didn't you?" Taro accused Cibil. Yet he was not very surprised by Coco's appearance, at least not anymore. A few days prior he had caught a fish-men hybrid, who later turned out to become his captain. Taro had just told himself that this world was honestly...quite strange.
"That's so cool!" he exclaimed looking at Coco clearly. "My name is Urashima Taro, nice to meet you."
"....huh?"
For a being such as Coco, and considering how people usually talk to him, the way Taro just casually greeted him was making Coco feel rather strange. Not in an uneasy way. Rather, confused. On the island he came from, he was established as one of the most important people on it, alongside his fellow elite Wisp brethren. But, on other islands where no one has ever seen him before, he still didn't expect to be treated in such a way. What was a bit weird though was the fact that he thought that this female made him.
"I... I think there might have been a.... misunderstanding."
Coco took a step back and averted his eyes. Not like it would be noticable anyways, considering how it looked like he didn't even have any. Coco was not used to people reacting so casually towards him. So he was rightfully nervous.
"You... are allies? With, each other? I have... Uhm... Come here due to an order. Of, my master. My, creator." Out of all the elite Wisp, he was the least adept with words and conversations. Well, right behind one that practically doesn't talk.
"Gihihihihi, there's been no misunderstanding! Fortune reader made you that's cool man!" Taro said as he begun to get more comfortable with Coco. No longer did a shocked expression adorn his face, it was replaced by a simple smile.
"Tell me then, what exactly is that ord-" Taro paused himself, placing a single finger upon his lips as he pondered before lightly tapping his head with his knuckle. "Better question! What's your dream?!"
The sheer amount of positivity that he radiated was scaring the Wisp. He really wasn't used to this kind of behavior around anyone. Not even his creator! The meek side of him thus began to show itself. His knees began to shake. He didn't how how to cope with this. However, Coco was feeling strangely... Fine with this. He always envies others, and negative behavior only makes it worse. But, this was quite the opposite.
"D-dream?! I... I... uh..."
This was more than just unexpected. A start to a simple conversation, about something that he wants to find out about Coco? He couldn't believe it. Never ever did he think that someone might actually care about him. Chunks of his body fell from his eyes, which made it look like his eyes had a more surprised expression. Excited even. Who would've thought that there are actually people who'd care about him?
"My dream is it to... Be like the others! I want to be... unique. I want the, respect... Of, of... My allies. No wait, i... I don't... I-I... I don't know."
Coco had absolutely no idea how to react. This was a new experience. Perhaps this new experience was something that he could report back to later?
"W-what is your goal here? Who is... Our, adversary?"
"My goal? I want to find All Blue, and fish the strongest of creatures!" Taro exclaimed, ignoring Coco's more than strange manner of carrying himself. For Taro, Coco just seemed like a shy person.
"I-I don't think there's an adversary really, maybe the Marines if they find out we're here..." Taro pondered once more, he spoke so quickly he nearly forgot about the other things Coco said. "Well if you want respect, I guess you have mine." Taro smiled once more. "Respect..."
This was a concept that Coco wasn't familiar with. He felt respect towards others to the point where it just became senseless envy. But, receiving it was something he had never really gotten. At least not in such a sincere and nice manner. It was most certainly getting to Coco's seemingly empty head. His physiology could not easily be explained. But regardless of that, those nice words caused Coco to shiver. Flakes of his body falling off of himself and landing on the floor. His feet slowly shattering, alongside his legs, then and finally, his torso and arms.
Before Taro was now a mound of rock-like shards that used to make up Coco's body. And on top of that mound was Coco's head. Idly staring at Taro like what just happened was totally ordinary. At least for Coco it was.
"You are, kind. I've... never been treated, like, this, before. Not by... a stranger. Thank, you."
Coco said, with his head resting on that pile. If Coco had the ability to blush, he'd do that just about now.
Yao had made his way to find medical supplies, mainly ones that would be slightly recreational. But it would also allow for a more pleasant way to numb pain the case of his crew mates needing a proper surgery or something. There was another reason, something Yao had been trying since his time in the Isshi-100. To recreate Fire Water.
So as he entered a herbal building, he began to search around for hallucinogenic mushrooms. He knew that was a key ingredient in the liquid, so it was in his best interest to locate some as soon as possible.
"No! That's the wrong one!"
"I'M NOT A DOCTOR RENA. THEY ALL LOOK THE SAME!"
Upon entering, Yao was greeted by the voices of two women, who had made their voices heard from the corner of the room, behind a few shelves stocked with supplies. Marching from around the corner with an irritated face, a blonde woman with two rapiers hanging on both sides of her hips came into view with a bottle of some sort of ingredient in her hand. Proceeding to move to a shelf nearby, the woman shoved the bottle into an empty spot within the shelf, which was surrounded by other items completely different to it.
Yao squinted, noticing the ingredient. It was a red mushroom, with white spots on it. He quickly pulled out a scrap of paper from his side, scanning through. Yao's eyes widened for a moment, but he quickly realized it wasn't exactly what he was looking for.
He continued to look through the shelves, until he found a box filled with the right shroom. It was a white mushroom with red spots, the trunk of the fungus a powerful mauve colour. "Fuck yes!" he whispered sharply under his breath.
Yao grabbed the box, before beginning to search for the next substance.
"What about this one?" The blonde woman's voice asked out of Yao's sight from behind the shelves.
"...No! That's the same one!"
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S THE SAME ONE?! I PICKED THIS ONE UP AISLES AWAY."
Defeated, the blonde woman once again stormed back into Yao's sight and shoved another bottle that looked similar to the one before, into an empty space on a shelf nearby. Looking over the shelf with a hand massaging the back of her head, she obviously needed help to find the thing she needed.
"Hey," Yao called out. He turned to face the woman, a gentle smile on his face. For once, Yao wasn't trying to hit on a woman. He was still "heartbroken" about his heart being toyed with earlier, with the confusion over Cibil's gender.
Yao walked over, looking at the shelves once he was next to the blonde. "Lemme help ya. What're you looking for?"
"...Hm? Oh, me and a friend are looking for some sort of ingredient. Meant to be like a red mushroom, but there's like thirty different kinds in this store." Alfhild's face brightened up at the sight of Yao and his offer for help, "It's apparently got a real, muddy-brown stem, but to be honest with you, all of the red mushrooms here look the same."
Yao lifted the box he had in his hand upwards, shaking it a bit. Vials upon vials of the exact mushroom the blonde had described littered it. "I think I got the last box," he began. "What do ya need them for?"
Alfhild raised an eyebrow and nodded her head a little, noticing that it was closer to the description given to her by Rena than the other mushrooms she kept taking out and bringing back for the past thirty minutes, "Ah, that's a shame. Apparently we just ran out of stock a day before we got here, and we still got a few injured crew members that need this special medicine that our doc usually cooks up after... 'island visits'. Used the last batch on me and my captain, so we thought it'd be right if we were the ones to go onto land to get the ingredients."
"Ahh." Yao replied. He paused before sighing. "Fuckin' hippocratic oath. Fine. Take half. I need the rest though, I'm tryna recreate something called Fire Water. Those monster guys from Elbaf used to use it."
"That should be alright, RENA!" Alfhild called out, prompting her friend to emerge from around the corner with a shopping basket held up by the inside of her elbow.
"Wow! That's it! I should be able to make enough of the medicine for the rest of the crew." Rena said with a bright smile, "Not going to lie, I did overhear some of the conversation and hear that you wanted to make 'Fire Water'... Is it your first time making it or?"
"Yeah, though we had a guy wash up back home." Yao responded. Still, no attempts to flirt. He was simply too distracted to do that today. "Had a weird substance in his body, he looked all burnt up. It was the cause of his death. Scanned through previous reports, asked our Doctors that had come from the New World all about it. Turns out it was Fire Water that killed him."
Yao turned towards the shelve before grabbing a few herbs and setting them alongside the basket of mushrooms. "I don't like how it kills people if they don't know how to deal with it." he continued. "And I heard there's a guy in Paradise that drinks it regularly to fight stuff. So, he's gotta know how to make it. I get the ingredients, find him, I can learn how to make it. And then I can do some doctory shit with it."
"All sorts of could medicines could kill people if they aren't made or used correctly. This 'guy' though, you sure he knows how to make it? What if he just gets it from a supplier instead?" Rena asked as she too began collecting ingredients from the shelves.
"I've met him once before," Yao continued. "He washed up on shore and he was covered in wounds. Man was lucky we found him."
He extended his arm towards the very top of the shelf, where he couldn't reach despite his height. His hand emitted a white light as did the desired item, before it suddenly appeared in his hand. "So I asked the guy how he got so fucked up. Told me he fought against like, twelve gangs." he exclaimed. Yao moved to the other side of Rena as he continued to look for ingredients.
"Didn't believe him of course. Until he mentioned the Fire Water. Then I saw him cook up a batch right there and then. Man, that Bors guy...hope he's doing okay." Yao finished, continuing to scan the shelves.
"So, what're you doing in a place like this anyways?"
"Heh. Did him and the other one you mentioned wash up on the same island? Anyways, our captain's headed off to find, 'food' for some of our crew members and other things for the ship. Me and Alfhild here are getting some ingredients for some medicine I need to cook up for the rest of our crew, like she mentioned." Rena smiled whilst still looking through the shelves, "Did you come here alone? Wouldn't be wise to go around parts like these by yourself."
"Yeah, back when I still lived on Drum." Yao answered. "And nah, I'm here with...my crew. Huh, still weird to think that I'm a Pirate now. We came here to sell a weapon we stole. And get my yacht fixed so we can continue sailing."
Yao turned to Rena and offered her his hand. "I'm Yao, by the way."
"Rena. Pleasure to meet you," Rena said, turning back to Yao with a pleasant smile, "Drum Island you say? My parents were from there, decent doctors I guess but I don't think they could stand the snow. I've still got relatives I've been meaning to meet there, but my captain's journey doesn't pass through there I'm afraid."
Shaking his hand, Rena looked Yao up and down before raising an eyebrow, more so in a confused manner as if she was studying him. "I guess I can see it. I guess you look like a pirate, and a doctor the more I see. What's your crew called?"
"I think we're called the Bell Pirates." Yao said. "The Government made a Coo on us cause of some shit we ended up pulling at Drum Kingdom. But yeah, I look more like a doctor cause of the white. I've got a sword though, so thats fun."
Yao dropped his hand to his side, smiling at Rena. "What's your crew called?"
"Ummm. Well, I don't think it's the most, 'friendliest' name, but after the many pirate members left..." Rena said in an almost panicked fright.
"Slaughter Pirates. Don't try to sugar coat it Rena," Alfhild butted in before taking the basket from Rena, "I'll see if they've got any boxes or crates we can put this in. Can't be carrying this out in the open in a basket."
As Alfhild took the basket from Rena, the swordswoman quickly turned around the corner to leave Rena with Yao. These two women, did not in fact really sound as though they would have fitted in a crew called 'Slaughter', especially Rena. Perhaps there was a side that Yao was yet to see? Or perhaps the captain of this crew had forgotten the vibe his crew's name gave off when he was recruiting.
"Slaughter, huh?" Yao asked. "I ain't one to judge. I've heard of weirder names, so Slaughter isn't the worst. Kinda badass if you ask me."
Yao paused, before asking Rena. "Though, if you don't mind me asking, why 'Slaughter'? You don't seem very...you know. Slaughtery."
"Well. I guess it's us being a sort of slaughter house. Collecting 'meat' to serve as 'food'. What we do does force us to kill, but we only kill with reason and purpose. It's horrifying to think that there's people out there that simply, kill just for the sake of killing." Rena explained, scratching the back of her head.
"Bell Pirates though, is it named after your captain? Or something that you do?"
"Yeah, after Danny. Cool guy." he said, moving some hair from in front of his eye. "And I get that, necessity. I can respect that. Though, you ever meet those kind of crews?" Yao asked. He looked genuinely interested, his brows scrunching together.
"Like, are they actually...that fucked in the head?"
"Oh my, no, not yet. If we were to ever come across something like that'd, I'm not sure how we'd turn out. We aren't the strongest of crews, so it's not like we can confront every single crew in the whole world, but we can manage our own. The amount of fighting these lot do though, does keeps me on my feet as a doctor, so at least I'm not always bored." Rena gently laughed off towards the end of her sentence.
"Do you mind if we pay for your stuff? As a sort of sign of thanks from our end? If you hadn't come in time, I don't think we'd be leaving anytime soon."
Yao smiled. "Oh, uh. Sure." he stammered. "Much appreciated, Rena."
“Come, come.” Chime spoke, walking with an entertainers stride as they led Suzaku towards something quite unique. Chime had noticed the large weapon Suzaku had been carrying around, it was definitely something to marvel.
“Is that the Royal Drum Crown 7-Shot Bliking Cannon? How’d you get your hands on something like that?” Chime inquired, doing what they did best.
"This and that." Was Suzaku’s reply as he followed Chime while doing what he did best and mentally plot, debate and Manipulate his thoughts on how to spin a situation to benefit himself and by association his crew mates.
"Exactly where are we going?" he questioned brushing off any other chance to probe for information.
Chime smiled, looking away momentarily, yet still holding a smile. “Well, your crewmates mentioned selling of a cannon and ship parts. Seriously, is it so criminal for me to help out clients.” Chime mused, slowly moving ahead of Suzaku as they neared the Devil’s Shop.
“This is Devil’s Shop, you’ll be able to find amazing ship parts and as well as devilishly low deals here.” Chime spoke, looking back at Suzaku as they entered a spin.
“I must say, I’ll have to appraise that cannon to see what you can get for it of course.” Chime ended, these band of individuals seemed quite, stiff for a lack of better terms. They didn’t seem to enjoy conversation and believed every question was some type of trick. What a troublesome bunch they were.
Glancing towards Chine with a bland look stitched upon his face Suzaku neither confirmed nor denied their statement instead simply chose to once again ignore it all together. Making a mental note to educated both Dan and Yao on the principle of keeping certain things to themselves.
"Normally I’d advise against it seeing as I’m well versed in the art of appraisal myself." He finally dated to Chime as he stood beside them after a brief moment of contemplation.
"However seeing as my crew mates are for the lack of better terms, a bunch of idiots and you probably could appraise it better than I could, I suppose it would be pointless against it." He finished while mentally keeping himself on guard without letting it show beyond his relaxed and calm outlook.
“Right, well don’t worry, I don’t have any intentions on short selling you.” Chime spoke, oh how they wish they could just get this over with. Facing the cannon, Chime would raise a finger to just right below their left eye. No contact was needed, no over the top investigation and analysis of the cannon. Chime could check all of it’s qualities from just a glare, an ability granted from the cybernetic eye that replaced their true eye long ago.
Lowering the finger, Chime’s feet began to tap the ground in a rhythmic fashion. “Well, there are a few dents and such, that’s to be expected. Doesn’t change the fact it’ll lower the price though. It also seems to have sustained other battle damage, the barrels also seem to have heavy maintenance issues. Seems like it was poorly cared for.”
Chime’s vision now turned to Suzaku, “Its starting price would’ve been 1,000,000 in it’s best condition. Right now it’s probably worth a little over 200,000. But, I like you, so I’ll take it off your hands for double that price. 400,000. Deal?”
Mulling over the price for a bit and understanding that at the current time he couldn't really afford to try and haggle as he wanted to be done with the situation as soon as he could, Suzaku nodded in acceptance after actually finding the price reasonable.
"We have a Deal." He replied to them after a moment and briefly galnced over the wepaon.
“Pleasure doing business with you.” Chime ended, waving over at two employees who would come over and take the cannon and head elsewhere. “Your captain also mentioned a ship repair?”
Cusping his face in thought for a bit Suzaku nodded his head as he began recalling the damaged done to Yao's ship.
"Yeah, i'm not Shipwright but even I can tell that the ship is needing a thorough overhaul." He replied as he turned to wards Chime with a look of intrigue. "You happen to know someone who could look it over for us?"
“You’re in luck, I happen to also work as a shipwright. Definitely the reason I could see what amazing condition that cannon was in.” Chime seemed to pull a toolbox out of mid air, or rather, behind their back? Where had they been storing it this whole time? Chime smiled as they looked a Suzaku.
“I’ll only do some repairs if you want me to however. There are other shipwrights around, but between you and me, they don’t quite compare. Ohohoho!”
"In that case then Then i'd like to personally hire you to repair our ship" Suzaku said as he reached into his Kimono top and pulled out a sheet of paper that he recived from Yao at some point and handed it to Chime.
"That should be the requested adjustments and work that needs to be done."
Chime took the sheet of paper, looking over it and nodding as they read down the list. Chime would slide the paper into their pocket, suddenly tying a tool belt around their torso from heaven knows where.
“Lead the way.” Chime spoke, taking an exaggerated bow and leaving the path open for Suzaku to begin the walk.
Huff, huff, huff
Dan stood in a fighting stance, with both of his legs slightly bent and his fists in front of his face as he breathed loudly. He and the strange masked man had continued to fight for...well, honestly he had lost track of time. Neither of them appeared rather bruised from their fight, as most of it was a clash of words, in between a couple punches that they both delivered.
"Hey asshat, shouldn't you tell me your name by now?" Dan asked, a smirk on his face. Anger could still be seen on his eyes, yet it was more controlled than before. "What were you plannin' to do with Mei-bun anyways, you freak?"
"Clients and rivals in the Underworld refer to me as Avsati, and that slave and her poneglyph shouldn't be a mystery to why anyone would fight over them. She's worthless besides reading it, well, maybe other than just being food..." The masked man said as he cracked his neck from side to side, "But I've already told you to leave, kid, it's a wonder to how you even got inside. Let alone even know this place."
"What'd you fuckin' s-" Dan's remark was cut short by the trembling of the earth, which shortly distracted him. It wasn't enough to be called an earthquake but it was alarming, as it quickly spread throughout the entire Devil's Shop.
"Well, well...residents of the Devil's Shop. Merchants, businessmen, pirates. You've all gathered here for a reason. My name is H.D.D, and you're all probably wondering why I've decided to show myself." A screen digitalized itself on the air, revealing the full figure of none that Saint Dolphus.
"As you've all been trading, me and my men have slowly taken away most of the useful products. Yes, the Devil's Shop had a strict, pay at the end policy but...we changed that. Whoever tried to leave during this time...is dead." the screen flickered as it changed to the image of various men and women slaughtered on the floor.
"Anyways, it does not matter if you recognize me anymore. As none of you can stop me, not you, Bell Q. Dan or you, Gai of the Slaughter Pirates." How did he know? Dolphus was a Saint after all, he knew more than anyone about...well, everything. He'd been slowly monitoring the arrival of the two. "See you all in hell." His laughter echoed loudly before the screen flashed and disappeared into nothingness.
The lights went off throughout the entire room, the ground began to crackle loudly and as the earth vibrated it grew clear to everyone in it as to what would happen. The place would collapse, and they'd all be crushed to death. Beams began to crackle as well as the shops themselves. People screamed amongst themselves, as if that would save them from would occur. Just how would the Slaughter and Pirates deal with this?
"Heh. So I guess there's no point hiding my face if my name is known," Gai chuckled behind his mask before looking towards Dan, "It's a dangerous thing to reveal a man's name in a place like the Underworld, I hope this H.D.D. knows he should be expecting me, wherever he is."
Looking around for a way out, Gai frantically turning back and forth, but with the sudden tension and possibility of being killed, there seemed to be pretty important thoughts in the back of his mind as he did so.
Mei-bun unlocked the shackles of the final slave as Dan confronted the masked man. Her and the other freed slaves looked on in horror as Saint Dolphus' broadcast played out and the entire room they were in began to shake and threatened to cave in on all of its occupants. Mei-bun huddled the slaves together and explained something inaudibly to them before they all mumbled and nodded in agreement. Suddenly, Mei-bun extended her arms to them and they once more transformed into two serpents, this time shooting around the slaves and gathering them together in a bear hug. Mei-bun grunted and picked up the entire cluster of slaves before running over to Dan.
---
"Shit, shit, shit!"
Yao stumbled as the ground above them began to shake and crumble. He began to violently gesture for Rena and Alfhild to grab onto him, right as he unsheathed his blade.
"ALFHILD." Rena called out as soon as she clutched onto Yao.
"LET ME GET THE CRATE. I'M NOT DONE YET." Alfhild cried out, seemingly oblivious to what was happening.
It wasn't until shelves began toppling over around them did the swordswoman finally notice what was beginning to unfold, as she quickly rushed over to Yao and passed the small-ish crate over to the red headed doctor to hold. What was a little bit confusing as to why Yao had withdrew his blades, thinking that he was expecting there to be trouble. If the place was going to crash down on them, perhaps the last thing to do was to grab your sword. Taking after Yao's lead, however, Alfhild followed and withdrew her one of her own blades, before holding onto Yao with everything she had.
"Hold on tight!" Yao yelled.
He turned his head up and raised his blade towards it. He began to spin it clockwise in small gentle circles. It was similar what he had done with Cibil and the house from earlier, except his blade was being spun in the opposite direction. As shelves continued to rumble and shake, Yao's circles became sloppier.
With a powerful thrust upwards, a spiral of wind shot up towards the roof, creating a small circle outline on the ceiling. A moment later, and the portion of the ceiling in the circle shot up. Yao had used a variant of Toriwa, creating a spiral that trailed around a portion of the ceiling to carve out a pillar of sorts.
Yao continued to stare up the hole, right until the pillar had made its way completely above surface, now being shot up into the sky. He clenched his teeth, blue light beginning to surround him. The light began to spread onto Alfhild and Rena, as well as everything they were holding onto. That same azure light began to gleam off of the stone pillar that was a few metres above the surface.
"Yowa Yowa Warp!"
Instead of using his powers to yank things to him, Yao chose to yank himself to the pillar. In all honesty, Yao had never tried this before. But he hoped it would work.
Everything became dark as Yao, the girls still clinging onto him, appeared by the pillar. Then their descent began, but Yao surrounded the trio in the same blue light once more. Blue light began to ebb from a portion of the ground as the group was yanked towards it, seemingly teleporting to the ground.
As they laid on the ground, Yao panting from using an unorthodox technique from his fruit twice in a row, he couldn't help but smile.
"Guess we didn't have to pay, huh?" he joked.
Still clutching onto the box, the red haired doctor leaned over and began panting, more from the fright of what had just happened. "U-uh let me catch my breath."
"I, uh, what are you?" Alfhild asked as she withdrew her second blade and twirled it around her hands, "And what kind of swordsman are you? I don't think I've heard a swordsman be able to do, well, that!"
Yao was still breathing heavily. "The pillar thing?" he asked. "Or the...weirder...warping shit?"
"...Well there was nothing else out of the normal there." Alfhild smirked, "I guess you can go ahead and explain both of them."
Yao brought himself to his feet, twirling his own blade as he sheathed it. "I practise a style of swordsmanship called the Akahane-ryu. Gentle and precise cuts executed with elite technique. Lets me do some pretty cool stuff."
Alfhild's sword would begin to emit a white light, as would his hand. Her blade would suddenly appear in his hand. Yao tossed it back to Alfhild, smiling. "That's my Devil Fruit. I can 'yank' things to me. I tried using it in reverse. Guess it worked."
Yao turned to Rena, placing a hand on her shoulder cautiously. "You good?" he asked.
"Oh, don't mind her. She's not use to moving around like that." Alfhild laughed, mocking her friend's inexperience before turning back to Yao, "Sorry if we seem a bit ignorant to these Devil Fruit powers, the only ones we've really come to know is our musician's and a marine captain we've stumbled across not too far back. The things we've heard about that stuff seems far beyond the world we live in, so I guess it's always a treat to see it."
"I-I uh gotta catch my breath. Alright, I think I-I'm good." Rena said as her rapid short breathes turned into a more healthy, relaxed cycle of small gasps, "We're going to need to get out of here, but I think we'll want to check up on our crews before we leave!"
"Too right. We're did the fresh meat and the captain go?" Alfhild thought out loud as she turned back and forth.
"SHIT, DANNY!" Yao exclaimed.
---
"W-what the hell is going on?!" Taro asked as the earth began to shake intensely. It all had occurred so fast, one second he was talking to Coco and the fortune teller, next thing he knew, everything was moving along, falling. People screamed, and it made him worry for his teammates.
"We should get it outta here!"
"U-uh we gotta find our crews!" Cibil said as she looked from side to side, looking for a way out of the falling cavern.
---
The world seemed to stop around Dan as his death neared. Of course it was just...too easy, too convenient. Dan was dealing with pirates for fuck's sake, what else was he expecting? Everything, to how they walked into the island with a cannon at hand and nobody had questioned them. It all became very clear to him, as chunks of debris neared him, crushing many of the merchants and pirates.
The words came out as barely audible whispers, yet the change that would occur was just the opposite. As if he commanded his body, Dan's entire being began to grow in size from his feet up to his head, it all gained massive proportions, until he quite literally became; a giant. His features became more reptilian, and gone was his human form.
His hands made contact with the tumbling ceiling and with utmost care, he locked them in place, feeling the cold hardness of the mall's floor that seeked to consume them. While many individual pieces still fell unto the ground, most of the serious damage was mitigated by the shapeshifter.
"We need to go, forget everything else!" Mei-bun yelled towards Dan. Her heart was beating fast as she watched a large piece of the ground broke open and fall down into an empty abyss. Of course, this would happen to her... everything seemed to be working against her ever since those hunters went after her mother. First, she was separated from her, and then she was so generously "rescued" by the slavers that found her floating in the sea. Needless to say, things had not going her way... but she was determined to change that.
"There's a second entrance that the slavers used to transport us, it's a tunnel leading up to the surface." Mei-bun informed the pair.
Dan nodded. "Good job, Mei-bun. Lead everyone there, we'll meet afterwards." his expression was hardened, noting the seriousness of the situation.
"EVERYONE, GET OUT. THERE'S AN EXIT OVER HERE." he screamed, his voice resounding through the failing room. While it was meant for everyone, he also wanted to make sure that his crew, or at least the people he'd met so far knew. That he was alive. And that they'd make it out of this. Alive.
Hearing Dan's voice, Taro ran towards it, grabbing Cibil and hopefully, Coco as he did so. Approaching the giant that was now Dan, while surprised, Taro ignored it, instead heading for the exit that Mei-bun was leading everyone out of. Or well, the ones that survived.
As the entire mall quaked, its vibrations apparent even from afar, Dolphus traveled on foot, sweating profusely even as he walked normally. Along with him, two more mercenaries stood, carrying piles and piles of strange items, substances and weapons on a large crate, tied to a kart. Normally, he'd be riding one of the mercenaries, but considering all the loot they had just finessed out of many pirates and merchants, he needed every man he could get to focus on that.
Arriving near the dead forest after a few minutes, the sea making itself apparent, Dolphus anxiously checked his watch.
"She should be here any minute now..." he gritted his teeth as the destruction from before continued.
Above the seas, traveling at great speed, Phoebe has been making her way to Obscuria. Her travels took quite a while. Carrying a load of not two, not three, but four androids wasn’t something that was easy to do. These things were heavy, and Phoebe was easily carrying over a ton worth of android. But still, the speed at which she could fly was remarkable. This was state of the art technology after all. Technology that had been developed month after month, year after year to the point where it has almost reached perfection.
Phoebe however knew that nothing could ever be perfect. Thus she seeks constant improvement that were gradually growing stronger and better. Every day, Phoebe and her creations get better. The woman that has devoted her life to her work to the point where it pretty much has become her life. The freedom that she has as a marine is something that pirates are dreaming of.
Her freedom came from her work, which she poured almost every hour of her life into. Which also resulted in the androids, where the first models alone were enough to take on dangerous pirates by themselves. Considering how a World Noble needed four meant that there had to be something incredibly dangerous around. People with deep pockets like that could afford it. The more protection, the better.
It took an hour, but after all this traveling, Obscuria appeared in the distance. There was no mistaking it. Its appearance was unique amongst many of the islands that were in the Grand Line. The booming noises of her Back-Pack were loud enough to echo for miles. Thus, Phoebe was basically announcing herself wherever she would appear. Unintentionally however. She has yet to figure out how she can make this thing less noisy.
The ability to fly like this was certainly a handy ability. All thanks to great technology and years of development. This was indeed the only reason why it was even possible. Phoebe followed the nearest signals of life that she could detect using her electroreception abilities. She could even sense the fish swimming underwater. But one that was more noticeable was one that lead right to a dead looking forest.
The first sign of people. This was good enough for Phoebe to go and ask for direction. With one more booming noise in the distance, she quickly closed the distance between herself and the island. She had finally arrived. Phoebe in the flesh and metal herself. Deactivating her Back-Pack once she was above the forest, she fell down with two androids magnetically attached to her hands, and two attached to her feet.
But before she landed, she threw her hands and feet upwards. Sending the androids that were curled up into the balls flying into the air. Spinning in the air alongside her androids, Phoebe gracefully somersaulted. Really just showing off just how good she has gotten with her flight abilities. Some time ago, she would land flat on her face. But not this time though. Phoebe landed right in front of the person she assumed to be nothing more than a civilian at first.
But with a quick glimpse upwards, she detected something that wasn’t just a mere civilian. That face, and those clothes. There was no mistaking it, it was Saint Dolphus himself! Just how lucky does one have to be to make such a graceful landing in front of the very person that ordered them? She couldn’t stop there. She had to go even further beyond.
Phoebe went from a crouching position, immediately to a standing position with one arm raised into the air, pointing at the sky. And just as she did so, the androids uncurled themselves, leaving their ball-like forms to take on their regular forms. And as they changed back, one at a time, the four androids landed right next to Phoebe in a glorious formation, and joining her with the posing. Almost like it was programmed into them to follow whatever shenanigans Phoebe was up to.
With their fingers raised, Phoebe and the four androids charged up electricity at the very tip of their index fingers. And as they charged, the five of them shot their charged electricity into the air, which combined mid flight into something that resembled a rocket made out of lightning. As it was shot into the air, it flew higher and higher into the sky. Until it pierced the clouds.
BOOOOOM!
The electricity in the shape of a rocket exploded in the sky. Parting the surrounding clouds and clearing the sky, to reveal the wondrous night sky. And the sky itself just received a new decorating. That technique that all all of them just performed was essentially a firework. As it bursted in the middle of the sky, it made a shape made out of lightning, that resembled Phoebe’s smiling face. Announcing her presence to the entire island.
With a wide grin, Phoebe looked at Saint Dolphus. Her arm still raised, while her androids lowered theirs. Thus, Phoebe was the last one to lower her arm, but only to strike yet another pose, with both of her hands on her hips. And once again, the androids mimicked her every move.
Phoebe herself announced in the third person.
A shining display followed Phoebe's arrival, leaving Dolphus speechless as she posed comically. He wasn't in awe, nor was he disgusted. No, it had just taken him by surprise how...totally random and weird the Rear Admiral appeared to be. Though that was oddly how he world worked. It would honestly be weird if anyone normal had achieved that rank.
Dolphus shook his head as if to focus once more.
"I-I, there's pirates all over the place Rear Admiral! They've attacked the Mall before you got here. Stop them!" what was a request sounded more like an order, as Dolphus visibly perspired through his temples.
Just as she arrived, it turns out that something has already happened. Phoebe couldn’t help but blame her faulty tech for not allowing her to travel fast enough when carrying a load of over a ton. She didn’t know that there were pirates here either. They must have just arrived, due to him not mentioned them when he called her.
“Understood! Saint Dolphus, your safety takes utmost priority. While I am confident in the ability of my androids, it goes without saying that for your safety, I will stay by your side to protect you personally! The four of you, I want you to head forward into the island and look for the troublemakers! Apprehend them at all cost. Preferably capturing them alive. Who knows. Maybe there are people with potential amongst them.”
Phoebe ordered her androids. They all saluted as she gave them their orders.
“Yes, Miss Phoebe. We’ll be on our way.”
They all said at the same time, like they shared the same mind. Which, was basically true. They have a very similar thought process. On each of their chests, there is a unique number. Number 9, 10, 11 and 12. Indicating what model Android they are. A clunking noise came from their backs, as a powerful shockwave came from their backs and they flew into the air. Phoebe has gotten around to installing the Back-Pack into her newer models, which the first few ones, except Three, didn’t actually have.
Phoebe made sure that the shockwave of all four of them flying wouldn’t knock Saint Dolphus off his feet. Thus, the androids went towards the action in a flying formation. Constantly working on the androids has made them unrecognizable from what the first two used to be in Pavlopetri when fighting the Brawler Pirates.
“Don’t worry about them! They are state of the art androids, and if all four of them face the same opponent, no one stands a chance against them! They’ve got their teamwork down. Also… Hehehe… They got a unique fighting style installed into them as well! You’ve made a wonderful purchase! Speaking of which…”
She reached behind herself and miraculously pulled out calculator and glasses out of nowhere. Quite redundant, considering her vast intelligence and vastly improved eyesight due to her cybernetic enhancements. Why she even had them on herself, or where she got them was a mystery.
“Let’s talk about the price, shall we?” She grinned.
"Can't that wait?!" Dolphus interrupted, his face full of worry. Truthfully...he couldn't pay, but he wouldn't let Phoebe know that, not until he escaped from Obscuria. "I will pay you after you have done your job, you inso-"
Crashing sounds accompanied by small quakes resonated nearby. As Dolphus turned his head, he would come to see it. His precious Angel Mall, broken into pieces, the gigantic letters which decorated it now dangling. And aside it, a giant man. From his features Dolphus could recognize him, it was that insolent pirate. Bell Q. Dan.
He remained in shock, total awe, taking a few steps back as the giant stood there, visible even from afar.
"Y-y-you still want me to pay you right now?!"
"YES!"
Surprisingly, Phoebe wasn't shocked in the slightest. She has seeen some crazy stuff before, and while seeing a giant just pop out of nowhere was certainly something new. But, Phoebe knew that her androids were going to handle it. After all, it's not like they are going to ignore something like that. But, Phoebe certainly was. Her mind was set on squeezing money out of the world noble.
Taptaptaptaptaptaptaptap
Phoebe was violently pressing buttons on the calculator as everything in the background was going on. She was truly dedicated when it came to getting money. More money meant more funds for developments. More funds meant a better future!
"I am calculating the amount as we speak!"
"Right...how much is it?"
The Underworld
Meanwhile, the androids immediately turned as they noticed the sudden destruction that has been caused by a person suddenly growing to gigantic propotions. Even though they were told that there were multiple pirates to look out for, as soon as they saw him, they focused on him. All four of them. They were going to deal with this situation as quickly and efficently as possible, so that they could look for the other pirates.
"Giant _target located. Have you indentified who it is?" Model 10 said to her sisters.
"A pirate by the name of Bell Q. Dan. Bounty of 
85,000,000. Recently made a name for himself. A Devil Fruit eater with the power to grow in size." Model 12 said.
Pirates were actively being updated into the android's database. Especially for the newer androids. Phoebe collected vast amount of information on absolutely any and all pirates that are on the Grand Line. The information she has gathered is incredibly vast. There is next to no pirate that she doesn't know about. And that knowledge has been given to her androids as well. Knowledge passed down onto them by their creator. Which is how they could differentiate between civilian and pirate.
Using their Back-Pack's, the four androids circled the gigantified Bell Q. Dan. Flying around him at high speed. They were already thinking about how they could best approach the situation. Due to their similar thought patterns, when one of the androids thought of a good idea, the others were sure to follow at the same time. They took the power he had into consideration. And once they have thought of something, a plan was formed without even having to exchange a word.
And these androids knew what to take advantage of. Giant sizes were prone to slower movement. Knowing this, the androids would focus entirely on using the flaws to their advantage. Model 9 and 10 and got ready to aim for Bell Q. Dan’s eyes, while Model 11 and 12 were ready to aim for his ears. Taking his reach into consideration, they also made sure to keep a good distance between themselves and him. Looking at his arms and legs, and calculating the required distance that they would have to keep in order to be out of reach for him.
Once they got far away enough, all of them pointed at Bell Q. Dan with their index fingers. Electricity being charged up while they were flying. Even now, while they were staying out of his arms’ and legs’ reach, they had a strange flight pattern. Even now they were trying to be unpredictable. This was the impeccable thought process of the androids. They were incredibly intelligent. And as a team, they were even more potent.
And in typical Phoebe fashion, none of them said anything. They acted without saying a single word. No time for the enemy to react. Instead, Model 9 and 10 aimed a concentrated lightning bolt at each one of his eyes, while Model 11 and 12 were aiming a concentrated lightning bolt at the inside of his ears.
First came the booming echo caused by the sheer speed of the androids. It was nearly mind-blowing as they approached Dan, his eyes darting around the four as they sped around him in a strange pattern. They circled him, appearing much like flies approaching one's food. And that was exactly what Dan thought of them as at first, flies.
Then a whirring sound followed, and the blurs that were the four androids gained a bright blue color to them. If one listened intently, it was almost as if something was crackling. It would prove difficult to attack, especially considering their movement and it was because of that exact same reason that Dan did the only thing he, no, his body could think of.
Serving as a warning to what was to come as the four androids released bolts of lightnings that were specifically aimed at parts of Dan's face, the boy shrunk considerably in an instant, a habit he had built upon the precarious situations he had found himself in for nearly a year. The bolts narrowly missed him, instead clashing against one another as they unleashed a chaotic shockwave that resonated through the entire area.
Looking for his nearby crew members, that were somewhere in the vicinity, in conjunction with members of the Slaughter Pirates as well as merchants and illegal trafficants, some who carried a bounty even higher than him and the androids would more than likely recognize.
Dan looked anxiously for his crew members and allies. "Yo, everyone, we're in trouble!"
"Bell Q. Dan..." so that was his name. At least, that is what Mei-bun had overheard while one of the androids relayed information to another. Mei-bun had just finished herding together the last of the slaves, who now scattered off into random directions in order to escape their captors.
Mei-bun’s eyes shot down to Dan and then back upwards towards the androids who seemed to be locked onto him. Although the two had just met, Mei-bun felt that she was in Dan’s eternal servitude after he freed her from her shackles; fighting alongside him in a time of peril was the least she could do to repay him.
Mei-bun transformed both of her arms into dual serpents, which she then shot forward at a dizzying speed. The serpents appeared similar to reptilian harpoons as they ripped through the air, on a clear collision course with the two androids who had previously been _targeting Dan’s eyes. The snakes both had their wides agape, exposing their blade-like fangs. As they ascended towards their _targets, the snakes grew larger and larger; it seemed that Mei-bun was also capable of altering their size. By the time they were only a few yards away from the _targets, they had already grown to the size of the androids themselves.
Gai stopped and watch what was happening between the androids and Dan, failing to hold back a smirk as he watched the young man call out. However, upon noticing their uniforms, Gai felt a wave of unease wash over him, drawing his arms out from his side with an intent to attack. Interrupting business in World Government colours was something that could put a _target on your back quickly for Gai, but to be outnumbered, with no idea of where your crew went, it was quite difficult to gather the courage in order to face them.
"You're doing good kid," Gai called out as he stopped a passerby and looked around them, "Just keep their attention and we'll see what happens."
Noticing a flintlock hanging by the passerby's side, Gai immediately withdrew it and shook the weapon to check if it was loaded, noting the slightly heavy weight of the object. Still keeping the passerby in place, Gai extending his arm out with the pistol and fired towards the androids around Dan. Without knowing if it did anything, the captain shoved the pistol back into the passerby's side and let him free before moving on.
"DANNY!!"
Yao seemingly turned a corner and into the area where the androids were. He saw some strange girl, another man, and four robots. While he had no idea what was happening, he had a sole duty. Protect and heal his friend, his Captain. Yao began to think of ways to deal with the robots, how to slice and slash them, until he realized something. They would be inorganic, no? That satiated the conditions of his Devil Fruit.
He came to a halt and pointed his hand palm first towards one of the androids as a test. White light would surround its head and his palm. If Yowa Yowa no Surgeon would work, he'd effectively have destroyed an android without so much as a sweat.
Chime and Suzaku had been heading towards the yacht of the Bell Pirates. Suzaku had inquired Chime to do the repairs and upgrades to the vessel. And with tool box in hand, Chime was fully prepared to do just that. The two of them hadn't spoken to each other since the walk began, which was quite awkward, especially seeing as how far away the vessel had been. Chime honestly had thought it would've been slightly closer.
"So...the weather?" Chime spoke, still failing to look at Suzaku. They'd chuckle to their self, but didn't laugh any further. Then. It happened.
A shockwave ripped through the island, dust flew as the powerful force caused Chime to lean forward, hair billowing in the wake. Quickly, Chime reared their head back, turning to look towards the source of the immense force. It couldn't have been? As Chime looked back, all they could see was the Angel's Mall collapsing in on itself, giving in to some unprecedented force. What was going on?
"Shit!" Chime shouted, quickly turning back and heading towards the mall. Something...something wasn't right.
Blinking away the debris from his eyes Suzaku couldn’t stop the shock that temporarily grasp his body as he looked at the aftermath of the shockwave that ripped throughout the area unsuspectingly. Quickly climbing to his feet and dusting himself off, blandly grimacing at the small paper-thin wound that was on his left cheekbone, he quickly scampered after Chime in a bid to both find out and confirm a theory.
"That..was a bit to convenient for this to be a coincidence." He thought whilst narrowing his eyes on the back of Chime, mentally he felt that this was a ploy of some sort to capture or rip-off his crew. Perhaps he was overthinking or perhaps this wasn’t linked at all. Mentally he did wonder if Dan and Yao has anything to do with the situation, as this was something that he very much thought they could cause.
"Dan, Yao for both your sakes this had better be a trap by Chine or I swear I’ll prettify your both and drop you in the ocean". Suzaku mentally swore as he continued to chase after Chime.
Meanwhile, as Alfhild and Rena made their way towards the exit of the Devil's Cellar, the chaos that went on around them had turned to people looting what they could before escaping. Both pirates looked in fear at what was occurring as they tried to keep their presence unknown amongst the mayhem. Still clutching their shopping to her chest, Rena seemed to be the one that was most fearful of the situation, and hoped that nothing would come their way for the sake of Alfhild.
"I hope the captain and the new one got out safe. I don't think we have time to go looking for them." Alfhild sighed in disappointment as she led the way.
"Mhm. That's fine, I'm sure they can handle themselves. Not sure about Taro though, we've only just picked him up and he doesn't seem as though he'd be used to this environment." Rena said worryingly, turning her head from left to right to see the looting that was occurring.
"...Then he'll learn. We still need to get out."
Just as Rena and Alfhild were about to leave, one of the visitors rushed behind and slammed into Rena carelessly, causing the doctor to drop the crate holding the supplies as several others ran past. With how many bodies there were, it is quite difficult to reach down and pick up the box without being thrown to the ground as well, causing Rena to close her body up as to prevent being pushed around. From the crowd, a woman with purple hair reached out and picked the crate up before handing it to Rena.
"I saw what happened, come on! I'll guide you guys out!" She offered as she held the back of Rena.
"Th-thank you. What is your name?" Rena said in a relieved but shocked voice.
"Cibil." The woman smiled.
Going through the exit Dan had created a few minutes ago, Taro ran, expecting Coco to follow him. His eyes showed worry, yet he continued to grin, even at the sight of the robots who had attacked the man who had saved him, and honestly most of the people inside the mall.
Much like everyone, who had run off on different directions, yet still found themselves in close proximity to the cyborgs, Taro ran, his nose guiding him towards the sea.
"Coco, you ok?!" he paused worriedly, as he panted himself.
Coco closely followed the new friend that he had made. The unexpected friendship that they had built was a positive surprise for the Wisp that was so used to envying others and looking down upon himself. Now, we actually had someone that he could trust. And thus, Coco had been staying with Taro ever since they first talked.
“I am…. Fine… A real threat… Seems to have, come, for us.”
He had already been doing something without telling anyone. Right now, one of Coco’s brittle copies was actually nearby the forest where the gathering happened. And said clone could see what was going on. The fighting and the people that were involved. The unique wisp ability of Coco which has been dubbed “Brittle”, an ability where Coco breaks up and multiplies himself like. Basically like a cell. Wisp were odd beings. But they are creations of a Devil Fruit after all.
“I have a… friend, watching, the fight. He had been waiting, for, a few, minutes. I can see, i can see… I see a round man, talking to, a girl in blue. White and blue, white and blue, those colors, they are… the navy… marines…”
Meanwhile on the scene, the brittle copy of Coco had suddenly been destroyed by a stray lightning bolt shot by one of the androids. Thus, Coco was no longer able to see what was going on. But, he had gathered some information at least.
“He has been vanquished, my friend… no more, watching. Taro. You must, hide. The girl, she must be, the robot’s master.”
The thought pattern of thought that was present within all of these androids allowed them to essentially work just like a hivemind. Not a single word was being said as they were zooming around at great speed. Scanning faces and evaluating data. Thus they managed to find out one by one just who they were dealing with.
Phoebe’s info was always up to date. The moment information gets out about a pirate via a bounty update, it will already be within the system of the androids. Thus the androids were slowly able to decipher every pirate that was currently present while they were fighting. What was concerning thought were some unknown entities. Mainly a girl with three eyes.
As there was no information found, they had no choice but to leave her alone. With snake heads coming the android’s way, instead of retaliating they just avoided it. It might just have been a concerned woman that was trying to fight off a possible threat. She couldn’t have know what was actually happening.
Amongst them the androids noticed Gong Yao. They were aware about his devil fruit powers that enabled him to essentially snatch things away. The androids didn’t know how it would react to being such as themselves, and thus were cautious just in case. After all, while they may be machines, they were anything but simple-minded. Their thought pattern was as highly complex as a human. Phoebe’s vast intelligence truly made it possible for her to create sapient life out of technology.
And it’s thanks to this thought process that one of the androids came in to catch her fellow android sister, and quickly get her out from line of sight. They might not know just what the fruit could do to them, but they were playing it safe anyways. And they all did this without saying a word. They just did everything without having to put much thought into it, or having to talk to their fellow android sisters. They simply knew what they had to do.
Considering the location, there is also a high chance that there are civilians nearby that might get hurt when they stay too close within the vicinity of the battle. After evaluating the situation, the androids just vanished. Gone from the eyes of the nearby pirates.
They had another goal now.
Using the electroreception abilities of the S.T.O.R.M System, the PB-Android went on a team mission that involved clearing out the area of any innocent people. Their speed was tremendous, to the point that just picking up a person was an act where they had to be incredibly careful. Wrong use of their momentum, and their speed could easily crush a person in an instant.
“Your live is under the protection of the Marines. Please stay calm.”
Is what the androids would tell the people that they are carrying. Not that they would be able to hear it anyways. Because the speed made the passing winds incredibly loud and booming noises to the point where hearing any kind of speech was basically impossible. But with a team effort like that, the androids had completely shifted their attention to the civilians, and escorting them to the outskirts of the island. They only did it with the civilians that were near the destroyed mall however. Calculating the distance and area of effect, the androids already knew just who they had to save.
The first ever version of the androids, being Model 1 and Model 2 that were being used in Pavlopetri were incredibly early models. Phoebe’s strive for perfection leads her to go above and beyond whenever she works on something knew. And finding out about the flaws that the earlier models had, Phoebe was able to improve upon what had been missing before. Especially now, now that she had consistent funds from the New World itself, thanks to her partnership with Benjamin Tabart.
The money that she got was put to good use for not only research, but also acquiring materials. And Phoebe demonstrated what time, research and better materials can do to an android by making the first ever advanced Android, known as Model 3. Its abilities far outclassing those of Model 1 and Model 2, and even later models that came after it. With the steady research that Phoebe was doing, and her incredible dedication to her work, every day that passes, something gets improved.
And Model 9, Model 10, Model 11 and Model 12 might just be basic androids, which were a more cheap variant of her androids, they can not be compared to the first two models that have ever been created. As time passes, technology advances. And with someone who has such vast knowledge, the androids have reached a level that puts marines whose abilities have been honed and trained for years to shame.
“Area has been cleared of civilians.”
The androids didn’t say to each other. But, instead they were contacting their creator, Phoebe. Whom right now, was in the middle of negotiating the price of the androids to the World Noble.
“2,000,000,000 is a steal, considering what these androids are capable of! My good sir, just imagine a Marine Warship, condensed into a 5 foot tall body! That’s basically what the androids are! But while they can’t carry hundreds of people across the sea, they can carry you through trying times. I can say with utmost certainty that these androids will leave your mouth gaping all the way to the ground! Just watch!”
Phoebe was currently explaining. Until she had suddenly got a call in from all of her androids at once. All of them talking at once, and informing Phoebe about the situation.
“All civilians cleared, eh~? Aaaaa- Hahahaa~! Wonderful work, my androids. Well then, I guess that means there is nothing holding you back from fighting these pirates, right? You know what, actually? We have to put on a show for a World Noble. PB-Androids. Initiate HY-CH Protocol!”
Phoebe commanded her androids. To which the androids all suddenly came to a stop. What Phoebe just told them was more than just mere code. It was a meaningful command that the androids would normally never, ever do. But, this was Phoebe giving them commands. And her word was absolute. Which meant, that the androids had no other choice but to initiate it. They cleared out the civilians as quickly as they could. This must mean that Phoebe wanted to use that moment to the best of her ability.
“Understood.”
The androids replied, before breaking off connection. They continued to keep away from the pirates. But, they flew through the air together to gather at one of the highest spots that was nearby. All of them settling on the same location. And then… They stopped moving.
“Hmmm~~ Hmmhmhmmmm~!”
Phoebe gently laughed underneath her breath.
“Heheheeee… Ahahahahaaaaa… AaaAHAHAHAAAA!! AAAAAA-- HAHAHAHAAAA! Saint Dolphus! Are you prepared? Prepared for a spectacle that you have never, ever seen before in your life? Saint Dolphus, this is the first time I have ever told my androids to initiate a very certain protocol. That’s right! In order to show you just how serious I am about this, I will show off just what these androids are truly capable of! After all, they were built by the genius…”
Phoebe twirled in place and struck a pose by crossing her arms.
“...charismatic…”
Phoebe twirled once again. Spreading her legs apart and pointing at the sky with one arm.
“...extravagant…”
She hopped in place, tippy toeing before spinning once again, and striking a truly glorious pose that was so great that her whole body literally began to glow in a bright, blue light.
“...PHOEBEEEE!”
Once again, she pointed at the sky and shot of a bolt of lightning into the air. It was a signal for the androids. All four of them had gathered in one spot, their backs pressed against one another in a circle, as they looked carefully for Phoebe’s signal to appear. And there it was. A lightning bolt shot into the air. Splitting the clouds as it passed through them.
The wind was howling.
The air was screeching.
Metallic noises could be heard echoing throughout the immediate area. But it wasn’t steal beams falling apart from the destructive act of the pirates, but instead it was coming from the androids. They were literally preparing their body for what they were about to do. This protocol isn’t something that they would do under normal circumstances. But with the command of Phoebe, they had no choice but to do it.
The four androids raised their arms into the air. Electricity sparking from their hands as they gathered energy within the palm of their hands. Charging something up, and preparing for something big. In fact, the androids were genuenly nervous as they were doing this.
“We should not fear anything that happens from now on. We have Miss Phoebe watching over us.”
“But we would not do this otherwise. There must be a special reason as to why we must do this.”
“No. Phoebe wants to convince the World Noble about our power. That must be the case.”
“Certainly. While I personally don’t agree with this, I will also not turn down Miss Phoebe’s order. We must do this.”
The four androids engaged in a conversation with one another as they continued to charge this mysterious protocol that Phoebe had mentioned. Their arms raised into the air and still pointing at the sky. It seemed like they were doing nothing. But, there was constant shifting. The metallic noises of the androids echoing throughout the destroyed mall. Spreading this feeling of imminent dread.
The sky.
The sky was moving.
The cloud that were drifting alongside the wind were instead starting to shift around. As if they were being gathered into one spot. This was indeed the android’s doing. While the S.T.O.R.M System was just an abbreviation of multiple words. it could also be applied in a literal sense. Weather technology has been discovered long ago before. Using heat and cold and various other influences and manipulating them with unique contraptions.
The S.T.O.R.M System was a versatile feature. The weapon that has been developed the longest by Phoebe herself. Starting off as nothing more than a simple taser weapon, to a creation that would define entire fights, and overpower fearsome devil fruit users. All with clever usage of the abilities that it granted, and proper usage of the energy within one’s own body. But the androids were different when it came to utilizing it.
Tiny sparks continued to emit from their hands. But they were actually being shot into the air. Towards the sky. Towards the mass of clouds that had been gathering as the PB-Androids were following the protocol that has been installed into them, and that Phoebe told them to initiate. There was no turning back now. Once the clouds had been influenced, there was no turning back.
As the clouds gathered, the pressure in the air began to rapidly increase. Like the force of the air was pushing down upon the area. A climate that was hinting towards a natural disaster. A thunderstorm. The clouds above began to roar. Rumbling noises emitting from the sky and announcing that the clouds that had gathered were about to release potent bolts of lightning.
“We are doing this.”
“No turning back now.”
“We must do this. For Miss Phoebe.”
“For Miss Phoebe.”
The androids talked some more to one another. Now, the noise that was coming from their body was accompanied by the roaring thunder of the clouds. Gusts of wind were traveling across the island in the form of waves. Making the trees of the nearby forest shake and dance. And all the while, Phoebe looked at the sky with a wide grin. It was finally happening.
“Saint Dolphus~! You see that? That’s the doing of my androids, and my androids alone! If you make this purchase, you get this incredibly teamwork ability of my androids! Isn’t that absolutely incredible? But, it gets even better! Because, these clouds aren’t just there to be intimidating. They are there for a very specific reasons. You know, the protocol is called HY-CH. Do you want me to tell you what it means? You do, riiight~?”
Phoebe was getting excited. Seeing the successful work of her own personal work was incredibly exciting. Watching the skies shift as the androids were utilizing Phoebe’s S.T.O.R.M System to influence the cloud was simply so… Amazing. This was only possibly due to her excessive research. Which reminded Phoebe of the past. Back when she was just a regular girl.
Just a simple girl working with scrap and junk. Starting off small and using her intelligence and vast ideas and innovations to craft something powerful. But, that was back when she had nothing but junk. Now, she had access to all the materials in the world. And she was able to achieve so much. Things that she could have only dreamed off back when she was young.
The clouds in the sky roared. The pressure was increasing, and sparks of lightning could be seen jumping in between the clouds. They were ready. They were ready to unleash hell.
Phoebe began to chuckle.
“Hehehe….. Ahahahahahahaaaaaaaa…”
The simple chuckle began to evolve into something much more fearsome. Downright cackling of a deranged super scientist.
Her laugh overpowered the thundering noise of the clouds. Her presence could be felt throughout the entire island. And the laugh echoed throughout the island as well. It would most certainly reach the pirates as well. But, not just them. Her androids as well. They heard her laughing. And they knew what it meant. It meant that it was finished.
“Here it comes…!”
Phoebe anticipated while standing next to Saint Dolphus. The clouds in the sky continued to shift and twirl. Like a monsoon was about to happen instead of a thunderstorm. The density of the clouds was so great that they completely blocked off all surrounding light. Even the moon could not be seen anymore. Pure darkness. And the only thing illuminating anything right now were stray lights near the rubble of the mall, the androids, and the bolts of lightning that traveled between the clouds.
Rumble…. Rumble….
Krooaaaaa….
Krroaoaaa--KRROOAAAAAA……
KRRROOOAAAAAAAAAAA!!
KRRRRRRR!
KRRRRR!!
Drrr……
KSCCCHHHHHH-- POOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWW!!!
A noise so loud could be heard throughout the entire island. The booming thunder that resonated throughout the air, and even the ground itself was making itself known. But, that was not the thing one should be worried about. The clouds in the sky… Were finally releasing bolts of lightning down towards the earth! Releasing an onslaught of dozens of lightning per second!
But the ground wasn’t being hit. Nothing was being hit. Nothing, except one thing.
The androids.
They were functioning like lightning rods. Their raised arms attracted all of the lightning that was being released from the enraged clouds. Booming sounds being so potent that they could actually make the floor crack, and the insanely high amounts of voltage that was contained within a lightning bolt spawned from the power of nature itself was directed towards the androids. They were absorbing the lightning. Electricity. Pure energy that was fueling them… And there was more than they could ever ask for.
The roaring continued. Waves of pressure swept the lands of the island, and the heat of the lightning bolt was all focused in one spot. Only the androids. They were attracting all of it. Mother nature herself bend to the whim of Phoebe and her creations. All through clever usage, and state of the art technology.
Indeed. The S.T.O.R.M System was a weapon beyond the comprehension of the simple minded.
The clouds continued to disperse vast amounts of lightning. Like the clouds were being squeezed dry of all their potential, and syphoning it all into the androids. Phoebe continued to laugh maniacally. Her hair and clothes waving alongside the wind that was caused by the violent, concentrated impacts of the lightning.
“AAAAAAAAAA-- HAHAHAHAAAA! SAINT DOLPHUS! HY-CH! THE PROTOCOL THAT EVEN THE ANDROIDS ARE SCARED OF TO USE! THE POWER OF HYPERCHARGE!”
The name already indicated what it meant. Copious amounts of energy that was overclocking the system of the androids. Their bodies absorbed all of the lightning. Their capacity was already immense. But even they had their limits as to how much they could actually hold. But, they didn’t have to worry about it much longer anymore. The clouds began to vanish. Literally squeezed dry from all the lightning that it had.
The clouds disappeared, and once again let the light of the moon shine through. Illuminating the island with a faint light. But, the light was overpowered by a much stronger one that was being emitted by four androids. Their bodies sparking with lightning that was so intense, that it merely emitting from their body was melting the floor in one fell swoop. Lightning swiping across the ground, and destroying it completely.
Their eyes went blank. Nothing but white. The glow that they emitted made them seem like entirely different beings. And the power that was being released from their body was so potent that just it being randomly emitted packed so much strength that they could completely knock someone out. This power was something the androids never expected to ever need to utilize.
But it was by the word of their master.
“...”
“...”
“...”
“...”
The calm before the storm was upon the island. The brief moment of solitude, before all hell would finally break loose. This was the potential that was slumbering within the androids. The power that was granted to them by their genius creator, and the impeccable S.T.O.R.M System.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!”
The androids all let out a blood curdling scream: This energy. It was too much. Their body didn’t know what to do with it. But they knew what they definitely had to do with it. Which was release it.
Phow.
…..
BOOOOOOOOOOOMM!
A sound so quiet that no one could hear it emitted from the androids. A calm burst, it seemed. But that was not the case. They all instantly deployed their Back-Pack’s at the same time and lifted off in an instant. Speed that could not be tracked with the eye. And the force of the liftoff was so immense, that the former high ground that they previously gathered on had been blown apart from the shockwave alone.
TSCCCH!
TSCHINK!
ZRRRRRRR!!
WRRRRRRRR!!
Booming noises echoed throughout the area of the mall. The androids could be heard. But the sound that they emitted could not even keep up with their bodies. As the sound passed one spot, they were already at another. Like the sound itself had become too slow. The potent electricity that was emitting from their body came quickly, and passed before anyone could notice. Leaving behind a trail of molten remains that had been hit by the intense sparks of lightning emitted from their body.
They could still maneuver around the air, even with this immense speed. They were essentially invisible. Nothing could be seen. Not even an afterimage. They were going absolutely crazy with the energy that had been given to them. Their constant switching in position alone was packing a punch. Coming to a stop in an instant, and instantly switching to another direction.
And that move alone made a cutting wave of air pressure that cut the floor into shreds. They did not focus their attacks on anything. They just happened. And this was why getting the innocent people out of the way first was top priority. However, they did leave one presumably innocent person behind. The three eyes woman.
Phoebe was watching with absolute awe. She could see how the air was resonating and trees were being ripped out of the ground alongside their roots. This power was so uncontrolled. So absolutely and incredibly dangerous. And so extraordinarily deadly. She could not help but get excited! As well as use her own body to protect Saint Dolphus from harm.
Their goal was clear. But it wasn't like they had any other choice. They had become uncontrollable now.
As the Androids focused firstly on saving any nearby civilians, pirates and illegal merchants scattered while they could. Amongst them were Taro and Coco, who had reunited between the depths of the forest and were now heading towards the ship after having shared Coco’s findings with the others.
“TARO,” A loud, deep voice called out from behind, wanting the young pirate’s attention, “HURRY UP AND PREPARE THE SHIP, I’LL USE IT TO FIND A CERTAIN SOMEONE.”
Gai in his grey, skull-like mask could be seen rushing through the bushes, frantically shoving overhanging branches and what not in front of him as he tried to close the distance between him and Taro. While it wasn’t seen on his face, a sense of emergency and anger could be heard in his voice from the way he spoke Taro’s name, though both not quite aimed at Taro himself. The captain was trying to piece together what was happening and how their whole day had managed to land on top its head all of a sudden, with the surprising character of Dan coming into the scene and the surprising arrival of Phoebe and her androids, the type of marines Gai didn’t expect to face during his journey. Though, there was an element of hate within the confusion towards the man who called him out by name, a man he was determined to find and kill after the marines were handled.
Then, their torment followed, in the form of darkened clouds, as they prepared himself for what was to come. Lightning struck deeply within them, its crackling echo resounding through Obscuria.
The first one to react was Dolphus. First to the massive amount of sums that Phoebe as the androids rescued civilians, then followed by her summoning of lightning from the sky itself. In that moment it became clear to Dolphus. Yes, he was scum of the earth, a man that had detonated an entire mall just to steal the resources of many underworld brokers simply to gain money. A man who had unrightfully summoned Phoebe and even as they spoke, tried to scam her, took a few steps back. The androids appeared to stick together, as if awaiting for a sign. Then lightning struck.
“S-she’s batshit crazy…” Dolphus thought to himself, taking a few steps back. He wasn’t just in awe but the natural catastrophe Phoebe had created but by the one that followed...
Moments prior.
Pirates and brokers ran in every direction, attempting to escape from Phoebe but a certain group remained there in shock.
“Oi! Everyone, we need to scra-“ the Androids suddenly took up into the air, the clouds darkening as a result. Dan halted his speech and his movement for an instant, as he was almost completely paralyzed in fear for what he knew, would occur.
He looked at his surroundings, the earth, the trees, and the mall in front of them. He gulped loudly, knowing what he…no, what they had to do.
“Yao, Mei-bun…follow my lead!” Dan’s fists expanded massively, and he pummeled the ground repeatedly with them, causing chunks of earth, big and small to rise off of from the ground. Even if it was strange, Dan had ordered his crew, and hopefully others nearby, to do what they did best, to destroy.
Mei-bun looked on while Dan pummeled the ground. She wasn't quite sure how attacking the surroundings rather than the enemy would solve their problem, but she assured herself that she was not in the position to be evaluating the decisions of the person who saved her from a lifetime of slavery. Mei-bun looked around her for anything that looked like it could make a mess, which she supposed that was what Dan was going for. Suddenly, she noticed a large boulder that was halfway buried in the sand nearby her. Mei-bun transformed her arms into their serpent form, shooting the reptilian hybrids towards the boulder and wrapping them around the rock, securing her grip on it. With a slight grunt, Mei-bun lifted the entire boulder up from off of the ground and began spinning in circles whilst swinging the boulder. She picked up momentum as the boulder whipped around 360 degrees, before she finally reached a maximum velocity and released the boulder, causing it to soar through the air and collide directly with a nearby cliff face. The massive collision completely demolished the cliff face, triggering a small avalanche of rubble to pour down like water.
“This feels so illegal.” Yao mumbled to himself. Despite it, he did not argue against Dan’s request. There was no way he would let himself, or his crewmates be captured by Marines. And more importantly, he would not allow his yacht to be seized and made into government property. That would hurt more than being captured.
Chunks of the ground began to emanate a red light. Plots as large as boulders, if not more. Glass windows began to emanate the same red light, as did the lights and the front of the mall. Yao aimed his hand to by Dan’s side, his hand releasing a ray of red light towards Dan. “Yowa Yowa River!” he yelled.
In an instant, every bit that shone red teleported to Dan’s side in an instant. Beads of sweat travelled down Yao’s head, as the mall had just weakened structurally by a significant margin. To extend the reach of his Yowa Yowa, the evolution of his Stream technique. There were no more windows, and a large portion of the earth had been ripped apart and brought to Dan’s side. Yao raised his other hand, giving a thumbs-up to Dan and Mei-bun.
Rushing back inside, Alfhild bounced around the area with her rapiers out, slashing at the ground and kicking away debris so that they became loose pieces, as how the others were doing. While not even being told what to do, the way Alfhild came in was as if she had understood what the others were trying to do from just looking, prompting Alfhild to come help. Her eyes glowed a bright red light from her pupils as she speedily moved around the area, leaving trails that followed her position that would fade away in a matter of seconds.
“XL-Dedo…” With everyone having slashed pieces of earth, glass and other constructs, Dan halted his onslaught, instead twirling his finger around. As he did so, his index finger began to grow to immense proportion, the twirling now taking effect as a veil of wind formed around his finger. Pieces of earth and glass were attracted to the forming whirlwind, and with the help of both Yao and Alfhild, who used their own flying sword slashes in a way that it would help the wind’s spinning, the attack finally took form.
The winds increased sizably matching the pressure and intensity of the summoned lightning as it howled loudly while the androids moved around at incredible speeds. Civilians that had been rescued looked in awe, as well as other escaping pirates. They had created their own natural phenomenon.
Any ranged attacks caused by lightning would be drawn in to the tornado, where their effects would be null. Dan focused solely on his finger’s rotation, sweat dripping down his temple as his body remained exposed. It took most of his concentration to control the attack, so defending, or perhaps even moving proved difficult to him.
Yao's eyes made contact with Dan, and without even sharing a word, he knew the plan. It wasn't intuition, but simply raw instinct. Despite only having known each other for a week at best, the pair of them shared a platonic bond that was already quite strong. They didn't even need to exchange words at this point, they just knew.
Yao's hands began to release a white light, a playful smirk on his face as his hair was blown about. He didn't even look at Dan, he just nodded.
Powerful winds surged throughout the area intensely, its whooshing sounds comparable to the previous rumbling of lightning. While Phoebe, with the help of her androids had managed to create a temporary thunderstorm to overcharge and overpower the pirates as quickly as possible, the Pirates, with the guidance of Dan had managed to create their own phenomenon to counter the androids.
Their minds raced, moving as fast as the androids themselves as they circled around the tornado, making sure to stay from its range, as to not be drawn in the tornado, at least until they had a grasp on the situation. There were many variables, many things to consider, many things that plagued their mechanic beings.
Pirates that had ran away, the flashing of Yao’s hands, the approaching Marine upon the shore, the screams of civilians even as they were secured. Saint Dolphus. All of them repeatedly flashed on their brains, the energy they had accumulated only helping them with the process.
It was too much, or almost too much for all of the androids to make a rational decision. The cause of the tornado, stood right in front of them, everything else could wait, couldn’t it? All it would take was one single attack…one single moment.
Electricity built inside one of the androids as it took on the lead, powering it from the inside. A shockwave followed as it boomed through the atmosphere, its movements almost unnoticeable. The crackling of thunder could be heard echoing powerfully, but even as it was sucked in by the tornado, by releasing more and more, its speed and path remained the same.
“No!” Another one of the androids screamed, there was no turning back now. Not even a second after their sister had moved, two of the androids followed, yet instead of attacking the source itself, they used their incredible speeds to travel directly into the hurricane. Their goal wasn’t to disrupt it, no, as they took on several hits, slashes of pressurized wind, glass and earth itself, slapping their bodies several times, they still allowed themselves to be carried upwards as they grasped each other’s hand.
Once they had reached the top, utilizing the momentum of the attack itself, the androids continued to spin, both vertically and horizontally, before one of them brought her conjoined arm forward before swinging it downwards with incredible strength. The air boomed once more, and its sister descended upon the source with no fear, no remorse or any sign of slowing down. It spun in the direction opposite of the tornado’s, allowing it to “cancel” it, before it extended its leg, in attempts of punishing the proprietor of the tornado.
Even if the attack didn’t collide with Dan himself, a powerful shockwave echoed from the kick, disrupting the very earth they stood on as it cracked under the android’s might. Chunks of earth and glass flew in every direction, some even returning to the pirates. Even as part of its attack was dampened by the now nonexistent hurricane, it would still have enough strength to harm Dan severely and push most of his allies back before anything could happen.
And then, came the third android, who had continued to fly as this spectacle occurred within its very eyes. This one, instead of attacking, had decided to use its energy differently. As soon as all chunks of earth and other materials flew from the hurricane, it soared through the air, rapidly sorting them, and dropping them to the ground, were they’d be unable to harm anything or anyone. After this, with built up electricity within it, it went after the curious snake-girl that had remained near the pirate’s vicinity, as if to pull her away.
“Yao!” Dan screamed as the first android approached, its pathway being directly towards him. Hoping that his first mate could deal with the approaching tackler, Dan had to deal with another issue. Even as his finger continued to spin, no big rotations of the wind followed it, no. He brought his head upwards, only to be met with the heel of one of the androids, who descended upon the earth at incredible speeds.
There was no time, and barely, any options, at least from him. Shrinking would only lead to his and his crew’s demise, dodging was completely out of the question, so instead, he allowed the rest of his hand to grow to the same size as his already expanded finger.
His right hand grew tremendously, yet the android’s kick still connected. Bones and tissue met graphene and along with the cracking sounds that emitted from his finger, as well as later the rest of his hand, later traveling down the rest of his body. His finger bent backwards until a loud snap could be heard.
Dan gritted his teeth as the aching pain continued to grow. Yet it was dwarfed by the powerful shockwave that pushed him towards the nearest trees, rubble traveling with him. Yes, he had somehow managed to take the brunt of the attack, but at the same time, the force was so potent that the surroundings could simply not resist.
“Dan!” Yao yelled in response, his eyes locking onto the android that was approaching his friend at an annoyingly fast rate. His friend had other things to deal with, so it was up to the First Mate to deal with this problem. But he had very little idea on what to do. Despite the android being inorganic, Yao couldn’t attack it with the intention to harm. He was a doctor, he had taken an oath. An idea popped into mind, as he remembered the stories Shouki used to tell him. Maybe he didn’t have to “kill” this bot, he just had to make it fall asleep.
Yao knew one thing about androids, they had a processing unit. Without it, they would shut off until it was replaced or placed back in. All Yao had to do was remove it. He raised his hand outwards, white light emanating from it. The android herself would begin to glow a similar colour. But the light would shrink into her, until only a certain aspect of her did so.
Yao clenched his hand shut, bringing it to his side as he felt a mass appear in it. A small piece of plastic and metal, slight jolts arcing through his body as a result. The android would falter in its momentum forwards for a moment, and then it would fall.
Alfhild seemed more prepared for the androids' attack, being able to stand her ground against the shockwave that pushed her backwards through the ground, and leaving notice trails from where her feet travelled through. Flicking the rapiers to the side and back before her, the woman revealed her eyes to glow red underneath the golden hairs that fell over her head as she proceeded to deal with the next encounter. The earth and glass that made its way to her was quickly answered by a flurry of Alfhild's swords, swinging around with precision to shred the terrain that headed her way, all the while gracefully moving behind them to keep herself out of danger. One piece of glass, however, had managed to slip past her defences, and slice through a part of Alfhild's leg, causing the Slaughter Pirates' first mate to stumble and fall after having dealt with the wave. Blood stained her white suit, a dark red patch beginning to grow in size on the leg of her suit.
"SH-NO!" Alfhild exclaimed as she dropped to her knees with her blades on the ground by her sides, bringing both her hands to hold the wound together so that no more blood would pour out.
With their surrounding environment completely pushed back by the Android's strength, Dan took a moment to flash a serious look at Yao and then at Cibil. "Oi, Cibil. You need to go check on Mei-bun, please! Take everything with you, we'll try to hold off these two."
Cibil turned her head to Dan's direction and nodded, picking up her stuff as she began running back towards the battlefield. What was happening that day was probably the most that Cibil had seen in all her days on the surface, though in fairness, she knew that she was about to be in for the ride of her life when she agreed to sail with Dan and the Bell Pirates. After all, she was a fortune teller. "Mei-bun. Mei-bun. Which one's Mei-bun?" Cibil began to think out loud, looking to the people that had began taking on the androids. It was strange of her captain to call to her to save someone that she had not met, more even know the name of, but Cibil had other ways of figuring out solutions.
The androids made no movement, both of them simply floating feet above the ground, electricity crackling throughout their bodies. At any given moment, they could move from where they stood, perhaps break a limb or two like they had Dan's. But they made no moment in chasing after Cibil, even as she held their sister. Firstly, Cibil wasn't registered as a pirate in their database, and secondly, if she was indeed going after who they thought she was, then the third Android would have it covered. For a few seconds, they enjoyed the deep silence that followed, with both androids having an almost holy-like aura to them.
Their eyes scanned the four pirates that remained, and while the two of them were there, they still knew about all the simultaneous events occurring through the island and how to deal with each and every one of them.
"Surrender now."
Dan stood up slowly, his finger still aching in pain.
"I'll make that fatass pay..."
Greed
While Dan and the rest had made their tornado, which drew in air from the surrounding atmosphere even from afar, Gai, Taro and Coco continued their way onto their ship with quick steps. They were way above their head, and while leaving wasn't in Taro's mind, retreating so that they could find the one responsible for the violence was.
As they neared the dock an imposing figure revealed itself, causing Taro to halt his steps.
A marine officer, in a navy blue coat instead of the standard white one, walked forward. His lapel adorned with medals from his victories. While they were empty to him, they told other marines of his valor, and pirates of his strength. This was Henry Benjamin. "Don't move a muscle, or this will get ugly real fast."
“...Another marine. I’m sorry officer, but we’ll be leaving whether you like it or not,” Gai spoke out as he stood in front of Taro and Coco, subtly signalling them to go around and leave Gai with Benjamin, “You with the robots or you here by chance?”
He had ignored his warning. Talking was moving. Benjamin blitzed Gai with Soru, so fast he disappeared from sight. He barreled towards him like a torpedo. He aimed an iron-hard punch directly to the pirate's gut, his intent being to shatter his rib cage. Benjamin didn't have time for banter, only time to take out these pirates.
The sudden change in the air around him and the quick disappearance of Benjamin caused Gai's body to immediately tense up in an alarmed state, causing the pirate captain to instinctively pull himself close together just as Benjamin threw the first strike. The impact of the marine's fist pushed Gai through the ground backwards with his feet tearing through the floor, leaving small trails leading back towards him before enough dirt behind the captain managed to pile up enough to stop him. The area that Benjamin had hit felt as though it had been hit with a hammer, but not enough to bring Gai to his knees. The captain winced at the pain that Benjamin brought forth, though it looked as though Gai seemed relatively fine as he dusted himself off.
"Government dog..." Gai muttered to himself before moving his arms through his coat's sleeves and rolling his shoulder up and down, "That was cheating."
Bringing his hands outward from each other, Gai took a deep breathe in and exhaled loudly as he brought his hands together quickly before Benjamin could be given another chance to land another strike. One. Loud. Clap. Smacking loudly into the air as it echoed throughout the area with a violent snap. Upon both his palms meeting before him, the force from each hand was enough to create a shockwave the dispersed around him, blowing his hair back behind him and the coats tail to flutter from the force. The sand around Gai blew outwards unintentionally to sting and blind any bystanders, Benjamin included, seemingly reaching metres from their position as a lot of the grains seemed to be thrown back into the forest from where they emerged. The captain looked back and entered his stance, his eyes dead and concentrated on the marine before him, officially complying to the fight that Benjamin had initiated.
Benjamin covered his eyes as the dust flew towards him. Despite the force of the shockwave, Benjamin was only sent back a few feet, the marine commodore having braced himself. He was a sturdy one after all, and had earned the epithet of Pushing Fortress for a reason. As soon as the shockwave subsided, Benjamin went on the offensive again. A simple blow like the one he had just used wouldn't be enough to take down a pirate of this caliber.
Rocketing towards Gai with the same speed he had used before, he went just to the side of the pirate captain, aiming a swift and hard punch to the side of his jaw. "Tekkai Kenpo "Tetsu no Dangan!"" A blow to the jaw, if it didn't outright knock out the _target, would often leave them dazed. Benjamin's punch was akin to a bullet in terms of speed, and with Benjamin's own hard body from the use of his Tekkai would only add to the level of power to the attack.
Gai gritted his teeth and reacted the moment Benjamin disappeared from his spot, his senses pushed again by his defensive instinct as he curled his body into itself and his arms around the front, shifting them into a guard that protected most of his head and the front of his torso from whatever Benjamin came at him with. The mariné's punch instead swept into Gai's arm due to its original _target having been shifted behind it, causing the captain to stumble to the side and wince once again from Benjamin's strike. With his opponent close by, Gai needed to take advantage of the small time frame he had to strike at Benjamin for a change, emerging from his stance to return a counter strike. He needed only another step to reinforce his position as he proceeded with the attack, stepping backwards to the side so that only the arm that Benjamin had hit would face him. Gripping his fist and forcing long, red spines to emerge from all over his opposite arm, Gai threw one powerful fist towards Benjamin's direction, seemingly with the intent to hit the marine with a combination of blunt force from his fist and impalement from the spines that extended from Gai's limb. "Hyakumaigawara Seiken".
As Gai moved to Benjamin's side, his body immediately tensed up, preparing to take the blow. His body was already in a constant state of Tekkai from his training, but that only meant he could push it further. His stomach and side became harder than steel, the spikes failing to pierce through anything more than his clothes, but the shockwave from the Fishman Karate technique still nearly knocked the wind out of him. He skidded to the side a few feet, coughing from the strength of the blow.
Benjamin knew what Fishman Karate was, but he had never seen it used by someone who wasn't a Fishman before. Unless there was something about this individual he hadn't recognized yet.
The commodore leapt into the air. A soft "boom" sounding overhead the pirate. For those familiar with Rokushiki, it would become obvious that he was using a combination of Geppo and Soru, Kamisori; the ability to jump off the air combined with superhuman speed. But the longer Benjamin stayed in the air, the faster and more erratic the "booms" came to be. The harder and harder it became for Gai to follow the commodore's movements. Until one final boom resounded.
Benjamin flew towards the pirate with immense speed, amplified several times over from his previous assaults. He pulled his arm back as he aimed a strong blow right onto the top of Gai's head. "Tekkai Kenpo "Kaigenrei"!" While his techniques weren't particularly superior to one another, each one having their own benefits and uses, this attack was known to be the strongest punch in Benjamin's arsenal, with several times more force than any of his previous blows. He was aiming to cave in the pirate's skull.
Alas, there still wasn't a lot that Benjamin had not known about the man, but it was already apparent that he wasn't human. From the hairs on his head, Gai could feel the environment around him, not through haki, but a sort of biological advantage given to him by his genes. Though it was somewhat weaker on land than it was in the water, it was a sensory advantage nonetheless, and pushed Gai to make a last resort strike with what little time he had to spare. Just as Benjamin announced his strike, so did Gai as the captain turned his body up to through one punch towards Benjamin, aiming to strike at the marine's fist rather than the marine himself. No time to announce its name, yet only enough time to muster the strength to fight back the force that Benjamin was willing to strike down onto Gai with. From what he could make of it, Gai could only figure that he had created enough force to use Senmaigawara Seiken as he gripped his fist and threw it at his _target.
The strikes collided, the force from each fist exerted into one another and expelled into a loud, powerful shockwave that dispersed around the two's positions, creating another dust cloud that swiftly lifted into the air before gently raining back down onto the ground to reveal what had become of the two fighters. The mastery and control that each fighter had over their respective arts tested the grounds that they fought on, leaving a small crater where Gai and Benjamin were last seen, but due to circumstances, Gai was the one thrown back across the ground, wincing from what happened as he tried to pull himself back up. The captain found himself stumbling a few times with shivers down his spine as the heat of battle tried to warm him back up again. He looked to his fist and saw the massive bruising that Benjamin's strike had down, the force of the marine's strike having pushed through what force Gai to culminate in a matter of seconds. Even then, to pull that off in the time frame he did was impressive, but to no avail as he still found himself the one to hit the ground.
Gai cracked his neck from side to side before looking around, noticing that the water was right there to take advantage of with their fight being at the shore. At least he had options, unlike his last fight with a certain marine captain, where he could only rely on his Fish-Man Karate to get him through. Even then, it took both him and Alfhild to take them down, with the both of them badly damaged. Gai nodded his head and began sprinting towards the water in an effort to bring the battle somewhere close to home, and hopefully level the playing field.
As Gai began to run away, towards the water, Benjamin quickly deduced what he was. Despite Benjamin’s own swimming abilities, it would be unwise to fight a Fishman, hybrid or otherwise, underwater. He swiped his leg through the air, firing a Rankyaku towards Gai’s ankles, hoping to cut him a across the ankles, hoping to keep him from running any further, or at the least, force him to jump.
As soon as the blade of air was launched, Benjamin used Soru, moving in front of Gai, aiming another iron punch to chest. With him having to deal with the Rankyaku from earlier, it’d be more difficult for him to defend himself from both attacks.
As before, Gai could anticipate the movements of Benjamin and prepared to leap forward, using his shoulder to barge through whistle turning to where Benjamin had fired his Rankyaku. As he did so, Benjamin had managed to catch the slip on him and strike back, though his original _target having moved out of the way once again, still landed a punch on Gai's arm, and sent the Fish-man hybrid tumbling backwards due to having caught him mid-air. Gai was nearly ready to return fire if it wasn't for the marine's use of Soru, something that Gai was quickly finding quite troublesome and annoying. It did, however, remind him of the same style and movements that his first mate Alfhild would usually do during training sessions between the two, comparing the speeds that Benjamin exemplified and the speed that Gai could remember Alfhild reaching. If she was ever to get her hands on this technique, she'd be too deadly to handle. Well, at least in Paradise standards.
Rolling backwards across the sand with his arms having shifted over his face, Gai sprang right back up with the same dead look he had met Benjamin with and gritted his teeth, causing red spines to extend from all around his body, piercing through clothing and providing Gai with a spike barrier and inhuman appearance. Benjamin was trying to keep Gai on land, a fish out of water, limiting Gai to what he had. Gai had to remain on the defence, prepare for Benjamin as he moved himself closer to the water. Sticking his finger in his mouth and placing spittle on the tip of his finger, Gai withdrew it and aimed his hand towards the marine in quick succession. "Uchimizu" Gai called in a deep voice before flicking the spittle towards Benjamin.
His abnormal strength had managed to flick the spittle with enough force to make it a makeshift bullet, travelling at bullet speed towards the marine. While it may have looked like an act of disrespect from the way Gai threw his bodily fluid at Benjamin, it was a makeshift weapon with what liquid he had on person. As soon as his shot was fired, Gai began shifting his way to the water with his arms up, disallowing himself to be caught off guard once again.
Benjamin swatted the water projectile aside as it came towards him. It may have had the speed and power of a bullet, but bullets had failed to injure him before. Even one, unknown to the commodore that was laced with Haki, had not even managed to pierce his skull. As Gai once again headed for the water, now covered in spikes, Benjamin prepared to stop him once again. He held out his arm as he charged with Soru, the Tekkai within the limb becoming much harder than normal. It had practically ceased being a body part and more of a mass of iron, one which he aimed to slam into Gai's throat, breaking the spines into pieces. "Tekkai Kenpo "Lariat"!"
Gai was much more ready this time, his inherited senses more keen on the environment around him, and his discipline as a student of Fish-Man Karate keeping him quick on his reflexes. To test his patience and skill as a practitioner of the art, Benjamin was quickly becoming more of a pain for the captain. Gai pulled himself back and threw his arms up into a guard before him, catching Benjamin's arm before it could slam into him and using his abnormal strength and durability to counter his technique. The collision of limbs created another small shockwave that blasted around the two, pushing the sand to the side, before Gai to could carry on with his manoeuvre. With how far he had come, the water was just within an arms reach, nearly there to level the playing field and hopefully return fire from Gai's end. This was the make it or break it, and Gai was not going to allow a marine to get in his way before he could get a chance to properly strike back.
With his arms locked with Benjamin's steel arm, Gai tucked himself under and rolled through, using the energy to return to water instead of landing a punch on the commodore. An incoming wave from the beach had managed to roll in just in time, possibly hindering Benjamin's movements, but certainly not Gai's, who seemed to walk effortlessly against the push of the ocean, continuing on deeper into the water. Irritated and bruised quite notably from Benjamin's attacks before, Gai could feel himself becoming more energized as soon as half his body had been enveloped by the shore's sea water.
"Gekirō Sutā!". Dipping his hands fully into the water, Gai threw them out to the side towards Benjamin to reveal that the water he had pulled out had become what looked to be two water shurikens, spinning viciously through the air on the way to their _target. Upon closer look, one could see that they were growing in size the longer they traveled, having started about the size of Gai's hands and supposedly reaching the double the size by the time they reached Benjamin.
Benjamin grimaced as Gai made contact with the water. He wasn't stupid enough to follow him into it, but he'd still make sure to not let the pirate get away. Gai may have been ankle-deep in water, but Benjamin was still in his own element. As the water shurikens made their way to Benjamin, his body began rapidly rotating, spinning in a circle like a rapidly twisting gear. He began a blur as he utilized his defensive technique. "Tekkai Kenpo "Hanegeruma"!" The water was dispersed, turning back into harmless H2O as soon is made contact with Benjamin's turbine.
But he wasn't done there. Using the speed and power of his last technique, he outstretched his leg, it glowing briefly before he fired off another Rankyaku towards Gai, this one much more focused, concentrating into a single point. It was laser-like in both precision and power. "Rankyaku "Nokogiri"!"
Gai used the time from Benjamin's counter to prepare a strike of his own, gripping his fist and exhaling loudly through his nostrils as he pulled back his hand and fired forward with it. The result, a powerful blast of energy, roughly the same as Benjamin's own attack that would also collide with the incoming Rankyaku Nokogiri, though instead of making it a single point, made the blast reaching outward before him in a large cone shape from the point of his fist. The water in front of him seperated to give some sort of visual to the strike, violently pulled away to expose the sand underneath for the duration of the counter. Gai was now in his element, refusing now to be kicked back down to the ground, fueled by the need to get rid of the marine from his path, to the world noble he wished to kill. Steam drifted high from Gai's fist as soon as its blast was released, wafting into his face to obscure the captain's expression, luckily hiding the smirk that managed to escape the captain's grasp. The shockwave from his punch echoed loudly into the air, and was followed by Gai pulling back his other fist right after, with the same excitement and determination as the first.
Whether Benjamin liked it or not, he was human, and humans had plenty of water inside them for practitioners of Fish-Man Karate to take advantage of through their art. The way Gai moved changed drastically in the water, like his body wasn't hindered by the waves approaching from behind, whilst it wasn't shown on his face, it was certainly shown through the way he moved his arms and positioned his legs. He was thrilled, excited, the heat of battle fueling his heart to beat rapidly as he dragged his fist through the air and violently slammed it into the space in front of him. Silence could only follow after to rest upon both combatants' ears to build the suspense of what Gai's attack had really done. "...Robusutātairu ma ken."
Compared to Gai's previous attacks, this one didn't seem to do anything at first, nor have any visible momentum that Benjamin could see to avoid. If anything, it looked as though Gai had just simply punched the space before him. His first attack was meant to be a build up to this, but as Benjamin's Rokushiki attack had clashed with his opener and canceled each other out, the marine would just get the taste of Gai's proper form. The punch exerted a large amount of force through the air before him, using the water vapours in the air to release a shockwave that aimed to crash into the water within Benjamin's body. This was what Fish-Man Karate was to many of its practitioners, and with a similar approach as the attack before, _targeted Benjamin's position in a cone like radius, once again pushing the water before him to the sides but to expose a lot more ground.
Benjamin's eyes widened as he felt the wind get knocked out of him, skidding backwards from the force of the internal shockwave. He took a few deep breaths, that was the first hit that had really knocked the wind out of him in a while. He took to the skies once more with Geppo, positioning himself directly over where Gai was. His reflexes were superb. Either he was able to react to his high-speed Soru because he could track him or he had some way to sense Benjamin's movements. Considering his biology, he could assume the latter category, but knowing and doing something about it were two different things.
Benjamin used Geppo, sending himself hurtling straight down towards Gai. As he descended, he began to spin, similarly to how he had before when using Haneguruma. It only added to his defense, the spin would disperse any water that struck upon his surface. And for added effect, the force of the spin continuing as he descended, his entire body stiffened, reaching the same strength as steel, if not surpassing it. The farther he fell, the faster he descended, adding another layer of strength to this technique. He wasn't aimed to land directly on top of Gai, he was aimed slightly to his side. Should the attack fail to take him out, the shockwave would certainly push him out of the water. And with the extreme speed and power he possessed, Benjamin's descent could not be halted, even with an internal strike. It'd be too late by the time it actually hit him. He might be slowed down somewhat, but would not be halted. And even in that situation, the power of his blow would create a massive crater in the sand.
Tekkai "Kido Hogeki"!"
The ascending Benjamin caused Gai to fall back towards the ocean in an attempt to get out of the way, or at least draw Benjamin further into the water, quickly moving through the waves in order to try and escape the crash of Benjamin's attack. This attempt, went nearly all for nought, as he was still caught in a shockwave created by the impact that seperted the water, and blasted Gai outwards. However, by the time Benjamin landed, Gai had already made himself closer to the sea, with the marine's powerful landing propelling Gai further into the water rather than on land as he had hoped. Eyes widened, Gai felt himself tumbling through the water as his body rolled around violently across the sea floor, causing his eyes to roll around in his head before coming to a stop, now further from land where he could no longer stand up on the ground to look over the water. The water around Benjamin seperated for the moment as soon as he broke through the water surface, causing waves that had already moved past him to travel further up the beach, and waves that were coming in to be sent back out. A notable crater was left around where Benjamin had landed, exposed to the air for a brief moment before the waves returned to their natural pace and pulled themselves back to the shore, filling the crater relatively quickly.
The thing was, as his head was underwater, his eyesight become horribly worse, only able to make out figures nearby, and forcing him to rely on his sensors that could feel the water around him. As water returned around Benjamin and filled the crater that he had managed to make from his attack, Gai could then feel where his opponent was through the sensors that were adapated into his body, feeling the enviornment around him as he tried to make out who was what and what was where. Shaking his head, Gai swam back up the surface with a kick of his legs and broke through the top with his head peeping out, leaving only his forehead and eyes to see where Benjamin was. Easy to pull himself under if need be, with what now appeared to be a good distance between him and the marine.
"...Deflected Uchimizu. Must be a tough one. I hope I can get this one over and done with, in about an hour," Gai thought to himself as he looked around, noticing the Wild Hunt in the distance along the shore, "Means I'll have the rest of the day to try and find the fat man on this island, if he's even here."
Benjamin flew out of the water, kicking of the air with Geppo as he landed on the beach nearby. As Gai's head broke the surface of the water, Benjamin saw him, but he didn't attack, not yet. He watched him carefully, and followed the line of sight of Gai as he looked towards his ship. He moved along the shoreline, still poised and ready for action, moving closer to the ship he had noticed in the distance. He couldn't swim faster than a Fishman in water, but he could certainly keep up with them on land. If he couldn't force him out of the water, he'd make him come out to meet him.
"I hope Taro is at the ship..." Gai thought out loud to himself, watching Benjamin remove himself from the water and proceed to move along the shore towards the ship, "So be it."
Pushing himself backwards with a single kick, Gai managed to force himself backwards metres from his initial position with just one movement, showing that he didn't seem to need to actually make any swimming motions in order to move quickly underwater. Cupping his hands into a bowl and taking a deep breathe of the sea water around him, Gai momentarily closed his eyes before opening them with a sharp, powerful glance into the direction of the island. "Mizugokoro." Gai muttered to himself as a sphere of water appeared around his hands, to which he responded by wiggling his fingers. Whilst he may have excelled at Fish-Man Karate, it was Fish-Man Jujutsu that Gai really did shine, showing how use to the art he was by sparing no second in pulling back both his arms and gripping them into fists. His sleeves slid back a bit to show the veins that bulged out from under his skin, reaching all the way around his hands, even if he held an unfazed smile on his face. In one, successful, simultaneous motion, Gai swung both arms towards the water surface above him in the direction of Benjamin, releasing a loud roar as two large torpedoes of water fired past his position and broke through the top into the air. "Jūsui-dan!"
The large torpedoes, nearly ten times the size of Gai's body broke through the surface without any resistance and propelled themselves through the air, heading towards Benjamin. However, just as they reached the highest they could, their form began to break, causing the large projectiles to split into ten separate projectiles, all heading into Benjamin's vicinity. A blind shot, of course from where Gai was, but a safer option than some concentrated attack that Benjamin could avoid with Rokushiki. If anything, this was a spectacle for many nearby to watch as Gai would proceed to tear the beach apart. The projectiles came in twenty, still in notable size, looking as though if they'd hit the ground, they would shake the area and leave notable craters, nearly as big and as deep as the one that Benjamin created prior. The way the torpedoes split made sure that the projectiles after would cover a large area of the beach to give Benjamin's Soru a run for its money.
But as the torpedoes began to rise, Benjamin did not retreat. He jumped onto his back, his legs spinning around rapidly. His teacher had shown him a technique like this before, when he was first teaching him Rankyaku, but he had never mastered the same application. Instead, he had learned something. "Rankyaku..." Benjamin began, and as his legs disappeared into a blur, "Radian Shigure!"
And as the torpedoes began to fall down, they found themselves destabilized, transforming from highly pressurized blasts of water into nothing more than regular seawater which fell down onto the beach. But despite Benjamin being out of the woods, he didn't cease his movements. His legs still spinning as more force was gathered. It was at this point Gai would notice the small ripples being made in the water and the soft pitter patter alongside the beach.
It wasn't normal wind pressure that Benjamin was using, it was tiny blades no larger than a raindrop. Nonetheless, they now rained down over the radius in which Benjamin and Gai fought, cutting through the water like a storm of needles, and with the speed and number of how many blades there were, it would be near impossible to avoid them all.
The strange, anomalies in the water were indeed sensed by the Fish-Man, distinguishing between the dispersion of water and the entering of fast moving projectiles coming his way. The distance he had made between him and Benjamin gave him time to react, but at the same time, room for Benjamin to react to Gai's attacks, something that Gai knew would be a major sacrifice for him in this battle. Gai grunted as he began twirling his hands around each other only to proceed by swiping one over the other, causing the water around him to shift and swiftly push back against the incoming projectiles. A technique he had learned in order to help stop moving vessels passing over him, as well as incoming sea beasts that had intended to disturb his under water sessions, Gai manipulated the water around him to push back and move outwards as more came in from behind. He was creating what could be best described as a powerful current, pushing and containing the small blades away from him as fast moving waters slowed and dragged them away.
The clothing on Gai and his hair danced as water rushed past around him, the power of it momentarily disorienting his senses due to the loud, crashing force that went around his person. Though even then, it seemed he had enough control and power over the technique to not also be pushed with the current, but stay in place as the current began to die down. Air bubbles from above gave a visual for anyone above the water surface, seeing how the current actually traveled as it dispersed to the sides before reaching the shore, showing that its sole intention was to remove and further the position of any hostiles within the water.
Both fighters were in environments they could preform the best in, with Benjamin on land and Gai in the water, so to give up the place he held a higher advantage in would be quite foolish for Gai to do at this point in time. His hands were beginning to feel a bit hot, even when submerged in cold sea water, though Gai paid no mind to it as he tried to think of another response to fire back at the marine. For him, it felt as though only a couple of minutes had went by since first encountering the marine, though in reality, a good chunk of time spent countering and returning fire between the two had made up most of their battle. Gai floated once more in place underwater, ready to deal with anything else Benjamin had up his sleeve.
Benjamin lifted his leg up, the limb starting to vibrate as light emanated from it. It was as if he was charging it up in some manner, the speed of Soru combined with the intensity of a Rankyaku. One could even hear the technique as Benjamin prepared it. "Rankyaku "Nokogiri"!" Benjamin shouted, firing off another of his laser-focused techniques. But this one wasn't aimed towards Gai, but instead his ship in the distance.
It was far stronger than the previous time Benjamin had used it. A simple technique from Fishman Jiu Jitsu wouldn't be enough to dissolve this one. It would cut through something as simple as pressurized water fired from it. And from the height it was at, the only way that Gai could hope to stop it would be to hop out of the water himself.
The attack collided with the side of the ship in the distance, causing the vessel to sway from side to side as its impact shook the ship with tremendous force. Anyone on board could feel the concentrated beam enter one side and exit the other, to believe that it could have come from a single kick wasn't too far out of their imagination, especially with who their captain was, but still a feat nonetheless. Casualties? Possibly, some from falling overboard or maybe even being hit by a direct shot, though Gai kept in mind that several members of his crew were that of the Hollow, who had the best chance of surviving an attack like that full on. Gai didn't hold too much care for the vessel he commanded, it being a former marine ship after all, so allowing an attack like that to break through his ship rather than sacrificing his person to save it was something Gai could let go at the moment. Still, to watch and see his ship being wrecked right before him gave him uneasy flashbacks that reminded him of what had happened to his crew, and how they became what they are.
Gai swam to the bottom to make space between him and the surface, before proceeding to propel upwards with his hands to the side as if he was going to catch something. The way he moved through the water look as though there was little movement coming from Gai's part, despite the great speed he was travelling at. Upon breaking through, Gai lifted the water in front of him to create another Gekirō Sutā, although this time, it would be much more powerful than the last. Momentarily in the air with a large, spinning shuriken of water ready to be thrown at whatever Gai wished, he could see Benjamin on shore and set his sights on the _target in question. The pirate threw the large shuriken in Benjamin's direction before dropping back down, keeping his head above the water to watch as the attack began to show what it could achieve with its given enviornment. "Mizu no Ryūsei!"
As the shuriken travelled over the water, it was collecting much more liquid faster than if Gekirō Sutā was used in the air, as its many points of the projectiles form rolled over the water to collect the liquid and drastically increase in size, becoming much larger than the Jūsui-dan that Gai had shot out before, although this came as one single projectile. Again, distance was important for this technique, as the more it traveled, the larger and more powerful the projectile would grow, suggested to being able to cleave through the beach and leave a large enough trench with how many space was between Gai and Benjamin. The Mizu no Ryūsei began to tilt to the side as it closed in on the marine, ensuring that its large structure would be a task to avoid and even so take on the massive force it had built up within its body.
As Gai went deeper into the water, Benjamin crouched down, the sand vibrating beneath his feet as his legs swelled, preparing for a great leap. Gai didn't care about his ship, which meant that sinking it wouldn't stop him from escaping. He could keep attacking now, but it was easy to tell that the Fishman hybrid was planning something. The second that Gai's head broke the surface of the water, Benjamin leaped, a strong Geppo unlike any he had used yet. He rocketed into the air like a reverse meteor, high above the beach. The movement was so fast and sudden that the change in the wind wouldn't register until several seconds after he had moved. Plenty of time for Benjamin's next move.
Afterwards, he rocketed down, right past the shuriken of water Gai had launched. His hand outstretched, aiming for the point where Gai's head poked out of the water. Should he attempt to dive back inside, Benjamin's speed would bring him under as well, the speed of a falling meteor was likely faster than that of a diving Fishman, especially if that shape was more akin to a rod than a rock. He'd cut through the water like butter. Of course, this would only be if Gai attempted to dive. The second he felt his fingers wrap about the hybrid's moist skin, he'd reverse his Geppo and fly back into the air. He took a deep breath, just in case.
He was getting used to watching Benjamin around, with it becoming a way that the marine would open attacks whilst Gai was in the water. The moment he watched Benjamin ascend, the second Gai would dive back into the water where he would be safe. The marine would only underestimate the skill that Gai could swim at within the ocean, floating and speeding around with barely too much movement. It wasn't human, that was for sure, and it certainly wasn't from his Fish-Man side either, but a side that Gai had yet to properly discover in the future. But for now, it was his greatest asset in the ocean and his biggest advantage to whoever found themselves in the depths. If Benjamin wanted to get into the water, he was more than welcome to, it just meant he had to stay here with Gai. Entering Mizugokoro once again, Gai floated downwards to the bottom of the area, forcing Benjamin to dive deeper if he wanted to land a hit on the Fish-Man. Gai nervously wiggled his fingers and nodded to himself, repeating in his mind a set of instructions the moment something penetrated the water. If it was bad, push. If it was Benjamin, pull. Gai presumed that Benjamin would repeat the same attack he had done before closer up the shore, where he descended towards Gai to try and force him out. With it being deeper waters, Gai had much more water and space to manipulate, so going further out was his best option to fight Benjamin.
As Benjamin rocketed through the water and straight to Gai, Gai could feel as if Benjamin was more so reaching out to him rather than to pummel him. "PULL. PULL. PULL!!!" panicked as he crossed his arms and shifted the waters around him. Just as Benjamin laid his fingers on Gai's person, the water around Gai began to spin, heavily, pushing from the top and the sides as if to contain Gai and Benjamin within. The way the water rolled around them came in quick, powerful waves, ensuring that if Benjamin tried to push back in any direction of the watery cell, it would only force him back into the centre. To trigger something like this in seconds with this much power showed the sort of manipulation Gai could conjure with his Fish-Man Jujutsu, he wasn't going to leave the water, even if Benjamin tried forcing him to. There would be some leeway for the marine though, there was a much better chance of him getting out by himself than getting him and another out at the same time. But even then, Gai could force the waters to pull even harder and force Benjamin to let go of him the more he tried. "Mizu seru!" Gai cried out, causing the waters to roll much more furiously now that Benjamin was inside the water with him. Unlike Benjamin, Gai didn't need as much or really any air, and could stay inside as long as he liked.
He was all in now. He couldn't escape by retreating. The only way was through. Benjamin's hand tightened its grip on Gai's head. Even underwater, his hands still had the strength of a vice. As the usage of Fishman Jiu Jitsu required the movements of his arms, especially since his goal was to create a prison from which Benjamin couldn't escape instead of attacking him directly. He was going to crack open his skull if Gai didn't do anything to stop him, and the second he tried anything outside of pulling him in, Benjamin was ready for it.
Benjamin grabbed him, bringing the marine the closest he could be with the rolling currents ensuring both Gai and Benjamin remained in the centre. The moment he released the water cell was the moment he had to act before Benjamin tried anything, something to blow anyone away with. The water cell remained for a short amount of time after Gai finally let go of Jujutsu, due to the lingering force that made the continuous pressuring currents. This gave more than enough time for Gai to keep Benjamin where he was and execute the technique, as he took a deep breathe and opened his hands to slam into eachother with Benjamin in the very centre. Possibly one of the more dangerous techniques he could do, especially with a living organism caught in the epicentre of his strike. Gai had shown a more light version back on shore, where he had created a shockwave to prepare himself for the fight, though this one had to be much more powerful in order for him to finally get through Benjamin's defences. Veins popped from the back of Gai's hands and down his wrists and under his sleeves, showing how much strength he was mustering up to collide from both sides around Benjamin's body.
This move was another move from Fish-Man Karate, but a move that Gai had shown to use more commonly at different levels. He wanted the battle finished, and this should have been able to speed it up, especially with how fast he could execute it. Even for Benjamin who was gripping onto Gai and awaiting the currents to stop, by the time he could try and hop out, it would have already been too late. This clap would shake Benjamin's very being, crushing him and producing a shockwave that would echo for miles, as well as winding the marine and forcing him to take every bit of seawater down his lungs in a reach to breathe. Theoretically, the marine should lose his grip, especially from the shock, which Gai was ready to push out from and distance himself from the marine as far as possible while he was in the water.
And Benjamin did let go, but not in response to being hit by Gai's technique, he let go before then, at a point where it would be too late for Gai to cancel his attack. Benjamin activated Geppo, a strange underwater application, the one that had saved his life before. As the shockwave struck his body, he rode the kinetic energy, drastically increasing the rate at which he ascended back towards the surface. His bones rattled, making it difficult to keep him from taking in the saltwater that surrounded him, but with the receding strength of the rapids Gai had created, this power would be more than enough to breech the surface.
And as he did, he flopped onto the shore, landing on his back. He coughed up the brackish water shivered, not from the cold, but uncontrollably from the attack he had been forced to withstand. If it wasn't thanks to his tough body, that attack would've blown him apart from the inside out, regardless of how Benjamin had attempted to ride it.
The marine officer got back to his feet. Forcing the Fishman out of water was a lost cause. It was time to change _targets, and a captain was nothing without his crew. He began headed towards the Wild Hunt, his priority being to sink it.
Gai needed to head back to the ship to make a break for it, more for the sake of the crew rather than the ship itself. The speeds he could reach while swimming was far faster than Benjamin could reach while using Soru, being able to close the distance between him and the boat he chased after in a brief amount of time. His coat and clothes fluttered violently against the force he pushed against as he torpedoed through, though his face remained unfazed due to how used to he become from the travel. As soon as Benjamin continued to deflect and evade his attacks, Guy knew from the get go that this was going to be a tough fight, so he needed to atleast get the attention of one of his secret weapons on the ship, something that would be just as effective as the power of his Fish-Man karate. Upon seeing the legs of a dock and the underside of a vessel, Gai directed himself upwards and propelled himself into the air, keeping his hands low to grab the water as soon as his torso broke through.
"Mizu no Ryūsei!"
Once again, Gai threw another large water shuriken from the sea, this time aimed directly at the docks further ahead of him and where the Wild Hunt was stationed at. Diving back into the water and coming to a complete halt, Gai could feel the shuriken pass over the water before him rapidly, quickly growing in size as its weight caused it to tilt a bit, catching more of the dock by the time it collided. Members on the Wild Hunt could see the large attack if they had been looking in that direction prior, watching as the gigantic water star spun across the beach and tore through the docks with a loud crash, shredding the wooden beams and planking that connected the Wild Hunt to the island. By the time the shuriken made its way through, there was barely any of the deck left to pass over, which in a desperate moment to think, was what Gai wanted. Now, neither the Slaughter Pirates onboard wouldn't be able to pass off, or Benjamin to get on, though Gai could feel as though that wouldn't hinder Benjamin in the slightest, more so prevent him from saving his energy to climb onto the ship. It would at least let Benjamin know that Gai was still onto him though, and hopefully let the crew members know that something was up.
By the time Gai and Benjamin had reached the beach, Taro and Coco were in The Wild Hunt were he had reunited with some of its members. Including Melody, his ears were covered in black and murmurs arose from within the ship, despite them being hidden by the ship's breeze. "Oi, Melody-san. Can you handle the ship?"
Melody from behind the mast stood up, a bottle of rum in her hand as always but she still managed to get up quickly. As she walked over she stretched and didn't feel in any hurry, suspecting this was a hand in travelling. "Arietta Melody reporting, what do you need me for?"
Taro pointed at the destroyed dock. "I'm sure Captain is giving us a message." Taro pulled out his fishing rod, holding it firmly on his right hand. His eyes moved to the approaching Marine. He whipped his arm forward, before swinging it sideways as the fishing rod extended and made contact with the beach's sand.
"Oi, big man. If you cross that line...I won't hold back." The fishing rod's hook sunk into the water, as if awaiting calmly.
Benjamin didn't cross the line, but not because he was heeding his warning. It would be difficult to take on an entire crew by himself, even at full strength. He decided to test the range of the pirate who had threatened him. He'd surely attempt to counterattack after this.
From a fairly large distance beforehand, Benjamin had struck with his Nokogiri, his attack still managed to punch a hole in the hull. Benjamin's leg seemed to vibrate once again, before he launched another Rankyaku, just as strong as the previous one he had used. But this one wasn't aimed directly at the hull. It would slide underneath the ocean's surface, aiming to cut directly into the Wild Hunt's keel. If he couldn't defeat them, he'd make sure the pirate crew couldn't escape before reinforcements arrived.
"You marine folk sure are persistent." as the blade of pressurized wind flew towards the ship, descending upon the water's surface, with a grin on his face, Taro simply awaited, twirling his weapon hand playfully. It was one of a fisherman's most important skills; patience. At the last possible second, he swung his arm upwards with incredible strength causing three slashes of water to form themselves. They were all shot simultaneously, and while one of them simply clashed with the Rankyaku slash, the other two curved as they travelled, converging upon Benjamin's location.
Taking advantage of that same motion, Taro then swung his arm forward, the fishing rod's line travelling through the air, its line nearly unnoticeable to the naked eye as it sunk deeply into the sand behind Benjamin. Though what was more interesting was the fact that Taro didn't even look, as if it was second nature, instead, he gazed at sea.
As Gai returned to the water, he could feel the battle expand as water was lifted off from the shore and outwards into the beach, not by Gai's hand. Noone on his crew showed any ability nor style that involved picking up water and throwing it at their opponents before besides him. Was it perhaps the fisherman that Gai had picked up not too long ago? Would've made sense, for a fisherman to manipulate the waters around him as it was one of the places they usually spent most of the time around. Peeking his head above the water, he could see Taro return fire back to Benjamin, defending the ship from the marine's attack and sending two more to collide against him.
His eyes widened in curiosity as something caught Gai's attention, a strange drop that rippled in the water somewhere close by. Though the way that Gai sensed it was muffled, like listening to someone trying to talk with a hand over their mouth, meaning that it must have been coming from waters that were choked by land. With that, Gai sank his head back into the water and disappeared from sight, leaving the crew on the ship to continue the battle.
Meanwhile Melody was trying to deal with the constant shouts and screams in her head as the hollows on the ship were near finishing the hole dealt quite a while ago. Dealing with a hole was all Melody really wanted to deal with, the ship had been stir crazy since. It also felt unlike Gai to not deal with someone quickly, so it meant only one thing really. This marine wasn't just some low rank to quickly tosh aside.
It still didn't make any panic or anything for Melody though as she walked across the ship and kept her eyes out for any trouble that may cause her own aid. For now she was simply on her guard and aiding the ship where she could. Her voice at the ready whenever it may be needed.
As the two extra blades of water headed towards him, Benjamin sliced his arms through the air, dissolving back into normal water on contact. Benjamin was alone, taking on an entire crew of pirates would be difficult, and they were clearly superior at long-range combat. Using a strong burst of Geppo, he sent himself flying backwards, hopefully out of the range of their strikes, but he kept a watchful eye on them as they drifted away from the island. He needed to prioritize. There were still civilians in the area, and with a name like the Slaughter Pirates, he couldn't expect this crew to not simply attack for the sake of killing. He kept his gaze trained on the ship, now far away enough he could keep his eye on every inch of the barge. He was willing to let them retreat, if only they didn't attempt to cause any more harm.
As Benjamin's attention was set on the ship, the marine failed to notice the sudden burst of water blasting upwards violently, surrounding and containing Benjamin in a walled space. The pressure the water was pushed upwards with, looked strong enough to keep the marine from walking straight through, as to do so would immediately fling him upwards and backwards, albeit not enough to fling him over its walls. Foam and seaweed that was carried upwards by the walls of the circular cell came in bunches, which were enough to obscure Benjamin's vision if he tried looking through the fast moving water. The top of the water walls spanned kilometres into the air, making sure that if Benjamin did want to try jumping his way to the top, it would certainly take a bit more time and give the Slaughter Pirates the opportunity to properly prepare and anticipate the marine's next moves. The perpetrator: Gai.
Underwater with his Fish-Man Jujutsu, Gai manipulated the waters of the shore to push into the beach, feeling as though the small drop that disturbed the waters underneath the shore's sand might have been a slip up of Benjamin, alerting Gai to the marine's position on the beach. It definitely was a risk, as there could be others that may have strayed towards their battleground, but seeing how Benjamn and Gai had torn the beach in the wake of their battle should have been enough to repel anyone not looking for a fight. Most of the crew members of the Slaughter Pirates were back on the Wild Hunt, so assuming it was Benjamin would have been the safest call. Despite it looking like nothing from above the water's surface, anyone to peep their under would see that several currents formed around Gai, all directed into the beach where they tunnelled inward and connected the salt water of the ocean to the small pockets inside, giving Gai a place to trigger his attack. Having seen Taro defend the ship allowed Gai to know that his crew was aware of Benjamin, and should be able to take it from there as soon as he held Benjamin in place. It was no longer just between Benjamin and Gai, but between Benjamin and the Slaughter Pirates.
"Heh, I knew Captain wouldn't let us down."
Moments before the barriers of water began to erect from the sand, Taro grabbed unto Melody, and using his remaining hand, he reeled himself towards the sand his fishing rod had stuck to before.
"You ready, Short Lady?"
"I'm trusting you but if I fall into this water you owe me at least five bottles of rum," Melody said to Taro, her eyes glancing to the deck and then the sea below.
The duo flew across the waters, another one of the crew's members taking care of the ship. The water lightly grazed them as the pillars of water finally took full form, hopefully trapping Benjamin along with Taro and Melody. At the same time, a melody began to reverbrate through the area, accompanying the sound of the rising water, and overcoming it. Though Taro wasn't focused on that, but instead in the way Melody's lips moved. Taro finally pulled his fishing rod out of the sand.
"Where ya goin'?"
As the walls of water began to surround him, Benjamin made a beeline for the edge, but his reflexes were too slow. He found himself flying backwards back into the center of prison of water Gai had just created. "Damn Fishman..." he cursed to himself. As the other members of the Slaughter Pirates entered the prison, Benjamin needed to think of a plan, and fast. The walls were too high, and it'd take too much effort to brute force his way through. With two pirates in the dome, and the prison like being under the control of Gai, it would most definitely be helpful for him to get out.
And that's when he remembered something that his master had shown him. The ease at which he could do it was because of his own unique abilities, but even so it was because of his own strength and ingenuity he could do it in the first place. Benjamin took to the skies again at a breakneck pace, hoping his great speed would prevent Gai from locking onto his position. It appeared at first that he was headed towards the exit at the top, but any thought of that was completely dashed as Benjamin turned back around, kicking off the air to send his iron mass of a body hurtling downwards.
He added a spin to his descent, making his body akin to a drill, moving so fast and powerfully he simply couldn't be stopped by average means. He became so fast that the wind whistling in his ears prevented him from even hearing anything. All he was focused on was headed down, and if an enemy was underneath him when he touched down, that would simply be a bonus.
He crashed down into the beach, sand splaying everywhere. Some struck the water walls created by Gai before immediately being launched back into the center. Where Benjamin had landed, there was only a crater, and in the center of that crater, there was a hole. The ground briefly rumbled beneath the pirates, and just outside the wall, Benjamin burst out from the sand. He'd potentially need to work on his digging skills if he wanted to attempt to do that through solid earth, but for now, sand was easy enough.
"He pussied out...now what do we do Captain?" Taro proclaimed.
Gai pulled himself out and shook his hands of water, spraying the sand around him as he dried himself. "Now we hunt the fat man. Where did your friend go?" He replied, looking around from left to right to try and see the fisherman's flaky accomplice.
"Coco...? I-I don't know. Guess we'll see him later. What about Alfhild and Rena?"
"...They're not on the boat? Do you know if they got out?" Gai's eyes slightly opened, alarmed that Taro did not know where they were, "We need to go find them."
This seemed to be the first glimpse of emotion that Taro could hear from Gai other than his cold tone, the strong care he held for the crew slowly broke through the demanding, ruthless persona that Gai had usually put on around people. With two people that he cared about, missing in a time like this, he needed to make sure that they were safe, for both their sake and Gai's. Signalling the ship, several crew members understood the hand gesture and nodded, throwing ropes overboard that were rappelled down by pirates who joined Taro, Melody and Gai on shore. The only ones left on board were the Hollows that Melody had instructed to fix the ship, which Gai understood and appreciated underneath his mask.
"We've got numbers now, so at least we can stand a chance against whatever those things back there were. We'll need to head back to the market." Gai said with a loud voice, waving the crew to follow him. Even though he walked with confidence and determination, he didn't actually know where he was going, as his mind was racing with thoughts about where Alfhild and Rena was, and where the fat man was hiding. "It's that bastard's fault they're not here." Gai cursed the World Noble in his head.
"We'll find them Gai," Melody spoke softly to her captain, dropping formalities for a second to speak as simply a friend. "We dealt with one and we can take a hundred more. The two are strong on their own as well."
Gai looked back to Melody with his smile hidden behind his skull mask, though remembering the last time he had left his First Mate to deal with a marine still left Gai with more worry than relief. “I don’t want no stone on this island unturned while Alfhild and Rena are missing. DO NOT SEPERATE FROM THE GROUP. THERE IS MORE THAN THAT MARINE ON THIS ISLAND.” Gai instructed, shifting the _target of his command from Melody to the rest of the group, still remembering the androids that had made their appearance at the market.
Limbo
The last android grabbed Mei-bun, retreating into the safeties of Obscuria's somewhat dead forests, were the girl would be safe. Blue lights flickered intensely from it, as if containing its energy was a difficulty. Mei-bun kicked and flared her arms about, demanding the android released her but it wasn't until they both touched ground that the android let go.
"Are you alright?" she asked to Mei-Bun. Despite being an android, she seemed so....lifelike. As if it was actually concerned for Mei-bun's safety.
"Let me g-" Mei-bun paused, realizing where she was, as the android's previous shockwave collided with the earth, causing it to vibrate. Mei-bun witnessed as everything in the nearby radius was pushed back immensely. She was thrown aback, realizing the severity of the attack.
"Dan...where's Dan, make sure Dan is safe!" Mei-bun screamed, to which the android simply turned around, as if it were ready to return to the battlefield.
"W-wait, don't leave, I uh..." Mei-bun looked around, noticing a sizable bruise on her right knee, even more so that the rest of her body. "I-I'm injured!"
The android turned around, quickly inspecting Mei-bun's injury. "Medical assistance will arrive soo-" in that very instant, a jolt of electricity flowed through the android's head.
As she continued to run, Cibil flicked her hand out to take one of new tarot cards she had bought, revealing itself to be the Two of Cups. The card displayed the image of two people, a man and a woman, looking at eachother as they exchanged chalices. The image was different to most tarot cards she collected or seen, usually baring the symbol of a lion's head with spread out wings. The only thing that remained, however, was the intertwining snakes that circled around each other around a staff, emerging from the chalices themselves. "...The snakes. Snakes. THAT ONE!" Cibil exclaimed as she was able to identify Mei-bun, who had been using her devil fruit prior. Without delay, Cibil directed her run towards the slave girl as she waved the card over her head, "MEI-BUN!"
The android witnessed the approaching girl, one who it still could not recognize. Charged to the brim with electricity, it exploded forward, at incredible speeds, blurring through the air, and while it wouldn't harm Cibil, it aimed to grab its dormant sister with her.
"Tool House: Super Magnet!" A voice called amidst the dead trees of the forest. A figure leapt down from the branches of the trees, holding some type of device in their hands. It seemed dingy, almost worn out, shaking as it gave off a soft hum. But nevertheless, it would seem to have a pull on the dashing android and its magnetic body, pulling it away from Cibil and the others.
The one who held this magnet was none other than Chime Quinn who, among the chaos and panic erupting across the island, formed a temporary team with Suzaku of the Bell Pirates. Chime held the magnet with one hand, raising the other to his right eye as it gave off an odd glare. "Appraisal!" He called, keeping his eye trained on the android currently under the magnets effects.
Feeling itself being attracted to some sort of object, which changed its direction from Cibil. The android's mind processed what was occurring relatively quickly, yet instead of attempting to escape the magnet's attraction, it simply extended its graphene-covered leg, buzzing with electricity with every intention of harming Chime.
"Gotcha bi-" Chime spoke, however, he quickly realized that the android had now honed its focus onto him. "Shit!" Chime, through his Appraisal, had managed to break down the android's components and overall quality with one glance. He'd seen what he was up against.
As the android came in closer through the magnet's pull, Chime pivoted on his left foot into an eighty degree turn. He turned a nob on the magnet using his free hand, and suddenly, the magnet would begin to repel the android rather than attract. It would send the robot plunging through the many trees in the direction Chime had now been facing.
"Do I really want to know how this situation escalated to the point it is at now?" Suzkau questioned himself as he watched Chime's attack propelled the Android plunging through the many trees in the direction Chime had now been facing. Despite not knowing the full scale of the situation or how things played out leading up to the current mess, Suzaku could already feel the migraine beginning to pound at his head.
"Why does this situation have Yao and Dan written all over it." He bemused in annoyance before pulling out a handful of Kunai and lobbing them in the direction of the downed droid, upon making an impact with solid structures, the Kunai's suddenly exploded in a massive fireball of explosions, blowing away the surrounding tress's.
"I doubt that will be enough to keep that thing down."
Turning to face Chime, Suzaku quickly made his way over to his temporary partner to ensure that Chime was alright before rushing towards Mei-bun to look over her injured form. Grimacing slightly he began attempting to patch her up with his limited medical knowledge, mentally wishing Yao wasn't off doing whatever right now.
"What the hell is even going on anymore." He muttered as his eyes fell upon Cibil, who he had previously missed before returning back to trying to patch up the woman in his arms nothing that some of her injuries were a bit older than others.
"Slave"
Was his only mental thought upon realizing the signs of slavey upon a person, having seen it numerous times in his short life.
"Dan or Yao must have freed her, knowing them." He concluded before turning his attention back towards Cibil. "But if that is the case where did they go" he mentally questioned as he discreetly looked around and surveyed the area without looking away from Cibil, using his "mind" to view the world beyond his sight.
"You mind telling me what's going on?" He questioned the older woman in a calm and light tone of voice as to not scare her.
By this time, Cibil had become slightly uncomfortable with the amount of staring that Suzaku was doing at her, a slight blush reddening her cheeks which she tried to stop by shaking her head. "I. Uh. Um. Dan. Told me to make sure that she was okay." She explained in a surprised voice as she held her hands behind her back, flicking one out from her wrist to reveal the three of cups behind her back. After looking over her shoulder and analyzing the card, Cibil smiled and looked back to Suzaku. "Dan told me to make sure that she was okay." she repeated before slipping the card back.
Looking at Mei-bun, Cibil could see the scars of a slave, which she too recognised as that but having come from the experiences of someone who was placed higher than them. "So is she okay?"
“T-the android. We need to leave!” Mei-bun preached.
Surprisingly, the android was pushed back by Chime’s device as it felt its strength being robbed away by an otherworldly source. At the hands of the strange tool Chime utilized, she was pushed back and sent flying towards the trees until she was no longer under Chime’s influence.
Her eyes remained opened, even as she crashed against multiple trees without a care in the world. Her armor could handle it. Electricity crackled every few seconds from her body, as she focused on analyzing her opponents briefly.
Flash
Her mind had taken a picture of those that were present, and more specifically a photo of the item that was used. Allowing herself to once more, be thrown back, something that was further enhanced by the explosive kunais thrown by Suzaku.
Many courses of action ran through its mind as it aimed to communicate with her sisters, though due to the large quantity of pirates present, she knew what she’d have to do. She still remained in overcharge, she had more than enough energy to deal with the situation. PB-Android 11 eyes nearly shut, and if she had eyebrows they’d furrow. She would capture everyone present, retrieve her sister and return to Miss Phoebe.
A good distance had been covered, giving the pirates a breather of air, though even that would be short-lived. Kinetic energy ran through her body as she flipped through the air before stepping upon it in a way akin to Geppo. The winds boomed and the android blurred from sight, a few seconds later, it reappeared, midway into a roundhouse kick.
The winds howled and thunder crackled, as it aimed all of the energy and momentum gathered into her attack. Yes, it was intent on kicking Chime whoever he was, but more than, it focused on destroying his device, as well as hoping anyone that stood nearby a way. At the same time, its powerful voltage left the bindings of her leg, instead aiming to slightly shock anyone and everyone present.
The kick slammed into Chime, although even more of the force seemed to have been sent into the magnet. As the magnet was destroyed, it gave off a short magnetic burst. It probably wasn't enough to do much to the android, but Chime could only hope. Chime himself was sent flying into a nearby tree, smashing into it, but it failed to budge. With no place for the force to go, it was sent back into Chime, causing him to gasp for air as it had been knocked out of him.
"Su-Suzaku...hold it off." Chime tried to muster out in between breaths. He had a plan, but it would take time to execute. After, he caught his breath of course.
Pulling out two Kunai's from somewhere, Suzaku nodded towards Chime before tossing them towards the android with the intention of gathering it's attention. Not wanting to waste time he immediately followed up his attack by dashing forward to engage in close-quarter combat with a tanto he pulled again from somewhere, having come to the realization that he could potentially hold it off long enough for Chime to do whatever it was he wanted to do by utilizing his enhanced speed and stealth that he acquired from his Ninja training back on Wano.
"'Ninpo:Gekiryūsō' (忍法・激龍爪, literally meaning "Ninja Art: Fierce Dragon Claw"?)Ninpo:Gekiryūsō (忍法・激龍爪, literally meaning "Ninja Art: Fierce Dragon Claw"?)"
As soon as the words left his mouth Suzaku seemingly vanished in thin air, leaving nothing but a small gust of swirling dust in his place. For a few moments, nothing happened, as any trace, Suzaku disappeared, however, that soon changed when in a pulse of speed Suzaku appeared beside the android swinging the Tanto at its head in a bid to decapitate it or at least damage it a bit.
If Chime and Suzaku thought that their improvised plan would work they’d be gravely mistaken. The android’s eyes remained on Chime, even as the magnetic burst attempted to disrupt it. Somehow, it knew, that the man would be up to something, and while he wasn’t a pirate, the Android knew that he was far from innocent.
Electricity built up inside it, its eyes still on Chime, even as Suzaku’s kunais clanked against its graphene-covered armor. Only that sound could be heard as with great agility and stealth, Suzaku disappeared from sight. Even then, the android only focused its electricity on its body. Thanks to the electroperception system its master had created, it knew exactly where Suzaku was.
As Suzaku reappeared, swinging its tanto at the Android’s head, the android merely focused a high amount of voltage upon that same body part. The tanto, much like the kunais, failed to leave more than a scratch, before the voltage ran up the blade and likely, into Suzaku himself. As if that wasn’t enough, it then charged both of its hands with electricity, focusing it on its finger tips. From each index finger, a bullet of concentrated lightning surged forward, one with the intent of piercing Chime and the other, hopefully through Suzaku.
Chime had locked eyes with the Android. The fact it had been staring at him for so long meant something. He knew that it wasn't done with him yet, it was plotting something. This, along with Chime's usage of Appraisal earlier, gave him an edge against his robotic enemy. Reaching into his toolbox, Chime rummaged around until he found something, anything, as a reliable defense. That's when he found something.
"Aaaaaha!" Chime shouted in victory, revealing what looked like a gun. However, at the tip was something that look like a claw one would see in an arcade machine. "Grappling Hook!" He held it up in triumph, pulling the trigger as the hook shot into the air. As the bullet came, Chime's body was suddenly yanked into the air. The hook having locked into a branch, it brought Chime to its location, sparing him a bit longer.
Getting shocked by lightning something Suzaku would gladly say he never wished to experience again, having been stabbed, Shot, poisoned and even nearly being drowned was something he had the unfortunate experience of feeling due to his "Master's" way of shinobi training, However the feeling of every cell in your body being lit aflame at once was.......humbling to say the least.
"Gaaahhhh"
Losing focus for that split second proved to be a mistake as Suzaku took the bolt of lighting directly to the chest, letting out a cry of pain Suzaku crumbled to the ground, muscle spasming and breath laboring as blood mixed bile erupted from his mouth splattering against the ground under his foot. Mentally cursing, Suzaku attempted to gather himself, desperately willing his body to move and function but it was pointless as he could already feel his muscles weaken.
"N-now wo-woul be a good t-time C-c-Chime!!" Suzaku called out to his "partner".
Violence
The two androids wasted no time. They boomed through the atmosphere disappearing from their location almost instantaneously, leaving Dan, Yao, Alfhild and Rena with little to do. Were they to attempt tracking them by eyesight, they'd find their attempts nulled by both of the android's speeds.
"We must do this quickly." they both said to themselves. Electricity crackled within their systems. As they shot their hands forward. From each of their fingertips, at speeds that one could barely react to, streaks of lightning escaped, rumbling shortly as they aimed to electrocute all four combatants, and as if that weren't enough, they both then shot forward, twirling around in the air, aiming a roundhouse kick at Dan and Yao respectively.
Yao knew he couldn't keep up with them. That was why the best he could do was use his powers without caution, not wanting to simply stand idly and let himself and Dan be knocked away by some androids. So, the very moment Yao had felt the winds became more harsh, he moved his arms up to act.
White light would glow at both ends, each android would've begun to shine that same light as well. Then, in an instant, they would reappear by his hands, their kicks aimed at one another.
Dropping the crate to the side upon seeing Alfhild's wound, Rena rushed towards the First-Mate with what looked to be a small kit that she picked off from the side of her belt. With Yao and Dan occupied, it was up to Rena to help her friend. Flicking her arm out to the side, a syringe flew up her arm and into her hand, already filled with a strange, red liquid that was too light to seem like blood. Stopping her self with the quick steps of her feet upon reaching Alfhild, Rena knelt down and injected the syringe into the First-Mate's leg, causing Alfhild to widen her eyes in pain and let out a loud scream.
"Sh-sh-sh! It's okay, the pain will only be there for a few seconds." Rena assured, continuing to push the syringe's contents into Alfhild's leg.
"F-FUCK. HURRY UP!" Alfhild exclaimed, closing her eyes and clenching her teeth.
Pushing the last of the liquid out, Rena pulled the syringe out and slid it back down her arm into her sleeve as she proceeded to reach into the small kit and pull out a roll of bandages. She was quite fast with how she moved, unravelling it and unrolling it around Alfhild's leg with precision and security, with enough layers so that blood did not show up on the top. She was the best medic that the Slaughter Pirates had, and one of the Vilons for a reason. Lifting Alfhild off the ground and dusting off her shoulders, Rena displayed a bright, calming smile that made Alfhild feel all the more better before looking back to the battle. However, in this moment of bliss, Alfhild was stabbed in the abdomen with another syringe from Rena's other wrist, this needle filled with a green, glowing liquid that instantly burned Alfhild's insides upon injection. Seeing the calm smile on Rena caused Alfhild's eyes to open wide in pain once again, as her knees suddenly began shaking from weakness.
"...The pain will only be there for a few seconds." Rena repeated, caressing the top of Alfhild's head as she the first-mate's face to rest on her shoulder, "Save us."
Veins popped from the side of Alfhild's head as her eyes rolled into the back of her head, an incantation being spoken from her lips that caused these eyes to glow brightly with red underneath the golden locks that fell in front of her face. Her voice became weak, but her face expressed unnerving rage with her eyebrows arched with hate, and her teeth clenched together to hold back a fiery roar. As soon as Rena pulled herself and the syringe from Alfhild, the First-Mate twirled her rapiers around and pointed them towards the android, with nothing but silence surrounding what had become of her. Rifiuto's blade whipped the air that travelled through, leaving parting wisps whenever it moved, slicing through everything that came in its path.
Looking at the androids that Yao had moved, Alfhild charged towards them with Rifiuto positioned diagonally away from her to the side, aiming to slice through both of them and finish the two where they stood. Something about this seemed quite unnerving, especially since Alfhild had transformed from her cool, collected self to this, thing. She was out to destroy, per the order of Rena, which was quite reminiscent to the same manner that the Damned had acted upon Gai's order to feast.
Dan was unable to catch up to the android’s speed, and in this scenario, it seemed as if his powers couldn’t help him whatsoever. Had he chosen to expand, he’d not only put himself at risk, as he was the biggest _target but also his teammates. As he remained silent, and frustrated, electricity buzzed through his body and the same would occur to those nearby as they had failed to notice, or at least counter the initial attack.
He clenched his teeth, his skin sizzling in response. “F-fuck!” Then the kicks followed. The air howled, amassing themselves on the android’s legs and Dan found himself frozen, for now, there was nothing he could do.
Luckily, his first Mate acted, and before the Android’s attacks could connect with them, their trajectory changed. A white light accompanied this change as their roundhouse kicks finally connected due to Yao’s maneuver. Though the result would not be what they’d expect. Graphene met graphene, and what ensued was a spherical shockwave of sizable proportions. Pushing everything and anything within its margin away.
Their eyes worked, performing calculations. They noticed the change of power in Alfhild due to the way it interacted with the shockwave. While everyone else would be pushed, Alfhild’s new strength managed to slice through a part of it, alerting the android’s.
One of them weakened the strength their leg carried, and the other swung it forward, propelling her sister forward. The traveling android shot forward like a bullet as its body was filled to the brim with electricity. Since the shockwave had clashed with her sword, it left an opening, a small opening that the android would take advantage of by tackling Alfhild and releasing her intense voltage upon it.
Meanwhile, the other android moved to were Yao would be after the shockwave. It knew how powerful its power was and that was exactly why, utilizing its immense speed and electricity from Overcharge to blur from sight. Had Yao not reacted fast enough, a powerful voltage would run through him as she once more aimed a powerful kick at him, this time so that he'd clash into Dan.
Alfhild was so much more, different, in the state that Rena had forced her into, evident by the speed that Alfhild was able to react at and reach compared to a more sober state. Her enraged state let out a growl as she instantly brought her arms back to her side and leaped up just as the android reached her position, using a second step by propelling herself from the android's body to leap further upwards and allow the robot to pass under. As the robot passed under, Alfhild landed back onto the ground with her knee hitting the ground, which she used to push herself back up and look to where the android headed by peeking over her shoulder. For a moment, Alfhild's nature managed to break through a bit of the new persona through a simple scoff, though this wild Alfhild would resume control as she proceeded to chase after the android with her swords in tow, aiming to slice the androids as many times as she with how tightly she held the blades' handles. Namely Rifutio, which left a trails of air that followed straight after.
From a distance, Rena kept stern eyes on the android and Alfhild, keeping a smile hidden underneath her hand which she brought up to her face. "...It's been a long time. I hope she doesn't get too mad after this." Rena giggled before turning her attention to Dan, "DO YOU NEED HELP?"
"I-It's just a little shock therapy..."
Electricity surged through Yao's body, from the android's initial attack, causing his skin to sizzle and tighten repeatedly. He had succeeded in pushing the androids against one another, and while, a grin filled his lips for a moment, the powerful shockwave of the androids pushed him back severely, even as he placed his arms to block.
As he flew through the air hopelessly, his hands gleaming a white light, he grinned once more. If he had successfully snatched an android in front of the other, then why couldn't he do it again?
"Yowa Yow-"
His visage, which previously witnessed the darkened skies of Obscuria, were instead filled by that of an android. An android which grabbed unto his hands before he could do anything, kicking him with intense force, as voltage once more ran through him. He was launched in Dan's direction, causing the two of them to topple over as they spun across the floor.
"Damn, this thing is strong." Dan was the first to speak, as he tried to stand up from their entanglement. His expression appeared to be completely serious as he noticed his First Mate's somewhat burnt armor, the air being pushed out of him through the kick.
"You alright, Yao?"
"D-danny...that was a little gay, wasn't it?"
"If that's what you're thinking about right now, then you're fi-"
"Danny!"
The android zoomed once more through the air, following up towards the pirate. Thanks to its overcharge, its limits were pushed and thus, it wouldn't hold back. Standing in front of Dan, the android released an onslaught of kicks as well as punches, each one utilizing the additional effect of electricity to completely devastate the Captain.
In response, Dan could only enlarge his forearms momentarily as he took the brunt of all the blows.
At the same time, the other android had apparently failed against Alfhild, as thanks to its newfound strength it appeared to dodge the android's tackle. Nevertheless, as it travelled through the air, it released electricity in every direction, hoping to harm both Rena and Alfhild as it nearly blurred from sight.
It knew, that Alfhild's abilities appeared to be enhanced and as it zoomed through the air, managing to dodge her strikes, it assessed how she would react.
The electricity that the android released had managed to hit its intended _targets, tazing Alfhild who hissed as the surge traveled through her body, and sending Rena tumbling to the side with a visible mark on her clothes as a small bit of smoke drifted from the hit. She didn't appear to budge or move after, giving off the impression that she may have been out for the count, though the slight movement of her upperbody may have said otherwise. Alfhild, under the influence of whatever Rena had given her, seemed fine albeit a little twitchy from the shock. Though upon seeing what had happened to Rena, Alfhild screamed a blood curdling cry into the air as she began rushing after the android. But as her feet rushed through the dirt floor, picking up a trail that followed behind her, her movements began to move so quick that it was almost disappearing from sight, her reappearing whenever she decided to swerve and turn during her route to the android. Something very similar to the Soru that many marines would use. From the brief few glimpses of Alfhild appearing, her teeth were clenched tightly, her eyes were fully glowing red instead of just her irises.
"Rena."
Closing in on the Alfhild while on the ground, Alfhild began swinging her rapiers before her, quickly running and changing her course each time she swung as each one released a wave of pressurized air towards the android, all the while mixing up her pattern and making her slightly harder to hit. The sight of Rena getting hurt must have awoken the human of Alfhild within the beast, despite this 'monster' still having control of her body. She wanted to knock the android out of the air and bring her to a level where she could hit them.
"RENA!"
The android could no longer shrug off, or ignore the monstrous amounts of physicality Alfhild possessed. As it zoomed through the air, even after it had successfully hit both pirates, Alfhild still continued to slash several waves of pressurized air towards the Android, leaving several dents across its armor as it was pushed back momentarily.
She tried to dodge some of the others, despite their erratic patterns, but in the end, Alfhild had gotten exactly what she wanted, the android had reached her level. Matching her erratic behavior, the android much like her sister did against Dan, utilized a combination of kicks, punches as it rotated its body ever so slightly, hoping to conjure the powers of electricity, wind, and its own natural body against her opponent.
At the same time, the other android continued enjoying its bout against Dan, as with every kick, it sizzled his skin, caused blood to escape his lips as well as air, and left injuries that would hurt in the days to come. But even then, he shrugged it off as if it was nothing.
“Y-yao!”
Was all Dan managed to say. Yet at the same time, it was all he needed to say. Nodding, Yao utilized his powers once more. His hands glowed a bright white, and at noticing such light, the android’s eyes flickered momentarily.
It appeared to have forgotten, at least momentarily of the man that was Gong Yao. Was it perhaps the Overcharge? Was she just too excited at the idea of beating up a pirate? Had the Androids simply copied their master’s behaviors? Whatever the case, it kicked off of Dan, hoping to zoom away from Yao’s powers, but it was too late.
Dan’s palm was raised above him, its size expanded massively, as its shadow plagued the area, almost reaching Alfhild and the other android itself. Even as it blasted away from him, Yao’s powers snatched it back to where it needed to be.
“L-Mano.”
Dan brought his hand down with immense force, will and conviction as he screamed a shout of victory. His hand pushed against the android as he brought it down, as it clashed against the earth, causing it to crack once more as the android was thrown deeper into the earthen layers.
Strike after strike, Alfhild managed to block whilst also take in several of the android's hits, all the while the electricity from her opponent's body began to make a noticeable impact on Alfhild's performance. The twitching of body parts that the android hit would sometimes delay Alfhild's and allow more of the android's strikes to break through Alfhild's attack. But with the android up close and personal, Alfhild didn't need to chase after her prey, at least for the moment. Some of the android's strikes would be countered and blocked with the flat sides of the rapiers, with Alfhild crossing both rapiers at times to create a guard that would catch the android's punches and kicks. Even for how thin a guard it was, Alfhild's improved physicality made up for it as it would hold these attacks long enough for her to move away and attempt to strike from the side. But as it went on, the common areas that the android had managed to hit slowly began to create smoke that drifted from what looked to be burnt areas due to the constant impact of electricity. Whenever Alfhild was kicked further back, she would close the gap ever so quickly to continue the battle, not wanting to give the android a chance to run away, even if it meant she would be damaged in the process.
The only thing driving Alfhild now was the determination to avenge her friend and get rid of the hostile, her eyes now close enough to see the fire that raged inside her soul. Both Alfhilds had taken the wheel, with the normal Alfhild's nature coming out in the coordinated strikes and guards that the wild Alfhild was able to preform. But for one moment, this wild Alfhild had let go of the wheel for normal Alfhild to grip it tight with both hands, as Alfhild clutched the rapiers and crossed them diagonally across eachother before letting out a scream.
"TEN THOUSAND BLADE STORM."
Veins popped from the sides of Alfhild's temples as she released a flurry of swings onto the android, relying on Rifiuto's immense sharpness to slice and dice the android she faced. Now with both rapiers, and the drug that Rena had injected into Alfhild's body, the first mate began moving at speeds indiscernible to the eye, as her arms and blades seemed to blur into the air before her all the while create massive winds as the after effect of her slashes. These winds did not hit the android, but more so blast outwards behind Alfhild as a result of the force she exerted into her attack. They tore at the grounds behind her, shaking the ground that they both stood on and only adding onto the effectiveness of her attack. This was something far different from what she did back in Shiramasen.
The android appeared surprised, even as its attacks connected with Alfhild. While her skin sizzled, beacon blue flashing across it, several dents continued to form across the android’s body. Even then, it didn’t halt, its movements weren’t the bit slower. No, in fact, they were faster. Its body shined, as it continued its pummel on Alfhild, much like she did against it.
The massive winds pushed away the electricity, the android generated, and even then, it refused to back down. The dents became heavier upon its graphene skin, a courtesy of Alfhild’s piercing attacks but since she alternated between slashing and dicing, it gave the Android a window, a window where she could act.
For a moment its powerful strikes became slower and it stopped attempting to hit Alfhild. Instead it focused, on parrying her attacks. Yes, they were incredibly fast, faster than the eye could keep up with. But the android had something working for it, its electroperception.
Thanks to the flawless mind of its creator, the android could sense its surroundings, the smallest movements and disturbances and thus it used that against Alfhild. Attacks that were previously hitting the android’s skin began to miss, as she used clockwise movements of her arms to move the incredibly fast moving blades. Even then, there were several cuts done against it, but it didn’t matter, as the blade moved once more hoping to pierce it. The android spun on its heel, its leg charged to the brim with electricity. It would hopefully open up Alfhild’s guard, as she continued spinning before unleashing a powerful kick on her defenseless body. Even if it somehow missed, a ray of concentrated electricity accompanied it, hoping to beat Alfhild where she stood, before aiming to assist her sister on defeating Yao instantly.
“Phew, that was fast huh?!” Dan claimed, giving Yao a thumbs up. Yet as he took a second to relax, Yao’s eyes widened.
“Dan!” Yao pulled out his sword holding it tightly, but even then, the earth crackled, and the rumbling of electricity became apparent. From the earthen tunnel Dan had made, the android popped up, kicking Dan once more.
Dan flew through the air, as Yao jumped to catch him, but he was too late. The android once more followed them, spinning in the air with momentum, before unleashing an axe kick upon both Dan and Yao. Blood leaked once more, as Yao’s body vibrated, feeling the brunt of the attack being taken by his blade. They were both launched to the earth.
Alfhild's own guard would then be broken by the android, who followed through and sent her kick into Alfhild's body, sending a massive surge of electricity and force into the woman and propel her backwards violently. Alfhild flew through the air and into a bunch of crates not too far from where they fought, bursting through one side and out the other, adding more onto the injuries she gained from her fight with the robot. Battered and bruised, with scorch marks all over her body, any normal human would have called it and given up. Though this wasn't something that would be accepted by a certain someone, as they approached the body of Alfhild and whipped out several syringes from within their outfit. With the first mate seemingly defeated, the android left to help defeat Yao not too far, leaving Alfhild to suffer in her failure.
"...I know you're tired Alfhild. But this will hurt me more than it will hurt you."
Without hesitation, the figure plunged all syringes into Alfhild's body, injecting and pumping here with a mixture of chemicals that burned her insides and made her mind race. More so than the injection that awoken her 'feral' side. Within seconds, Alfhild's eyes shot open with red veins reaching inwards to each pupil, both eyes shivering before rolling into the back of her head as she clenched her teeth once again. This pain, was one of the worst pains she had ever experienced, but a pain that she had become much too familiar with. She tried to hold back a scream, but her cries broke through as a muffled shriek, spittle escaping through the gaps of her teeth and spraying the air in front of her. She had let go of her rapiers for that very moment to clutch her fists tightly, as her torso lifted itself up whilst her body remained on the ground. To whoever was doing this to Alfhild, saw the woman as nothing more but a weapon, something to be controlled, something to be tortured. As her eyes rolled back to the front of her head, the blurry vision began to fade as she finally made out the figure standing over her, hand held over their mouth to conceal the smile they so confidently wore.
"I will not allow you to rest. You've still got a job to do," The figure said, "Save us."
Her pupils quickly turned into glowing slits that shot a look towards the androids, prompting Alfhild to pull herself back up and pick the rapiers from the ground, shaking her head to throw the dirt grains that had been caught up in her blonde locks. Her white apparel now stained with red blood and black scorch marks, with some blue left by the residue electricity. As she moved forward, she would only stumble forth and nearly trip, only to be caught by the figure that had reawoken her. They patted Alfhild's back and caressed her hair, whispering into Alfhild's ear as the woman slowly came back to her senses. Just as she began to recognise the figure, they had managed to slip another needle into her body, specifically where the android's kick had landed, causing a numbing sensation that reinvigorated Alfhild with energy and made her wounds less hindering. The voice, the touch, she knew the figure all too well. Dangerously well.
"Help Dan and Yao. Don't let those androids escape."
With what breathe she could draw to speak, Alfhild looked to the figure and smiled before turning back to Yao and Dan's direction. "...R-rena."
With a small push from Rena, Alfhild broke into a sprint to follow after the androids, hoping that her quick speed would allow her to catch up with the robot as well as help her avoid any attacks that the android would send her way if they were to notice.
Ignoring whatever occurred to Alfhild, the androids moved to attack once more. Dan and Yao barely recovered when their lightning enhanced limbs blurred from sight.
They ignored the Bell Pirates’ Captain, who slowly rose from the floor. He groaned in pain, slowly attempting to recover, yet as he saw what was occurring, he could barely remain still. From every direction, every position that was possible, a strike from the androids fell upon Yao’s figure. Each hit sizzled and ached, and after what was no more than a few strikes, the Bell Pirates’ First Mate fell to the floor, nearly defeated, electricity still emanating from his figure every few seconds.
“YAAAAOOOO!!!”
With a thud, his body hit the ground. And it was followed simply by Dan’s scream.
“_target neutralized.”
The androids didn’t stop there, this time they went for the injured Dan, in hopes of ending him. But they were met with something else, they were met with the strength of Alfhild, who caused both of the Androids to fly away momentarily.
“O-oi? You alright?!” Dan asked Alfhild.
Alfhild ignored Dan's question and proceeded to chase after the androids, swinging her swords just as strong, if not stronger, at her _targets. Sending large swipes of pressurised air to knock them down. Leaping from side to side, Alfhild spun through the air as if it was a dance, firing projectile after projectile each time she landed on the ground. Her speed just as blurry but her visibly more strained from all the fighting, the after effects of her battle prior with the android. To her, the pain was unbearable, but seeing her allies hurt ached her even more.
"DO YOU NEED HELP?"
Approaching Dan was Rena, who held her skirt up as she ran towards the Bell Pirates captain. Seeing Dan talk to Alfhild irked her quite a bit, but nonetheless put on a serious look as she made her way to Dan's side, clutching a medkit in her free hand. "You must be Yao's friend. If you want to keep on fighting, I can give you something to bring you back on your feet. But my friend over there will give us as much time as we need to get out of here if you want."
"Getting out of here?" Dan shifted his head to look at Rena. Veins bulged from his temples, his calm and somewhat scaredy expression completely gone. "Whoever that dude that spoke was...and whoever's controlling those tin-cans, I'm not leavin' until they pay." his eyes flickered towards her medkit. "I really dunno who you are but...could you help Yao?"
Without waiting for its response, and noticing how the androids managed to deal with the onslaught of Alfhild's pressurized air slashed, the Bell Pirates Captain acted too. Both of his hands grew massively in size, as he spotted the android's blurring figures. He brought them to his sides as if he was receiving a hug and then forwards, the wind's breeze increasing severely as he did so.
CLAP
His hands echoed through the area, and a pressurized wave of air travelled in the android's direction. It, combined with the many slashes of Alfhild, messed with the currents of air, bringing the androids down to their level, were they could fight equally.
Even as they were brought down, the androids merely continued on to their next _target, Alfhild and Dan. Lightning still charged on their fingertips despite some of the injuries they had gotten. Much like their initial attack, several bolts of lightning were released from their fingers but much like before, Dan clapped his hands, forcing them to dissipate into thin air.
"COME AT ME!!!"
He exclaimed. Dan ran towards the androids, only two of his fingers grew in size as he did so. He planted them firmly on the ground, and in a manner akin to a pole-vault, he propelled himself towards them at incredible speeds.
L-Mano.
His hand grew tremendously in size, and as it loomed towards the androids, their escape options seemed to dwindle and reduce. They tried to move out of the attack's massive range but due to his sudden increase and speed and momentum, Dan's fist connected, once more blasting them downwards, deeper into the earth.
Rena made her way to Yao and knelt beside the doctor, placing the medkit to the side as she began making preparations. Strapping bandages over the wounds, cleaning up any marks that could be removed, and injecting syringes that were inside the pack into different spots around Yao's body, Rena worked on trying to get Yao back on his feet, despite the injuries he had sustained. She didn't want to carry his body out of there anyway, neither did she want to get either Dan or Alfhild distracted from the battle, but the condition that Yao would be in would be far too risky for him to fight in.
"Come on. Wake up." Rena whispered as she inserted the last needle into Yao's arm, injecting a red liquid into his veins, "We need to get out."
Meanwhile, Alfhild joined in on Dan's attack by leaping upwards onto Dan's arm after noticing what the captain was planning to do, propelling herself higher into the air. The enhanced strength she had rocketed her upwards after stepping off from Dan, and timed it so that Dan would be able to hit the androids right before she did what she wanted. Tilting herself around to look down at the impact site, Alfhild crossed both her blades together and stared at where the androids had been struck down, waiting for Dan to move out of the way and ensure that their opponents would stay down for longer. Swing after swing, Alfhild released even more powerful pressurised crescents of air downwards into the androids, sending a relentless barrage down into the androids in hopes of tearing the ground and them with it, aiming to bury the androids deeper under a mass of rubble. The constant swinging and force of these blows managed to keep Alfhild in the air for as long as she swung, but this was her pushing herself close to her limit.
"CATCH HER." Rena screamed to Dan as soon as she looked up from Yao, noticing the recklessness that Alfhild had committed herself to.
"OH FOR FUCK'S SAKE!" Dan's legs enlarged themselves as he bent down, causing small cracks on the earth, as Alfhild continued slashing the androids. Dan jumped towards her, nearly flying through the air as he did so, before falling unto the ground, the size of his lower body allowing him to remain uninjured in that aspect. Even then, his body ached terribly, from his broken finger, to the strength that the electricity sapped away from him.
However, as soon as he stepped unto the ground, he was greeted once more by the flying androids. Although he couldn't quite discern them, they travelled towards him with the intent of finishing the fight with two well-placed kicks. Alfhild's slashes had damaged them long enough, and they realized that their opponent was stronger than they'd give her credit for.
They zoomed forward, appearing akin to a blue blur, and all Dan could do was protect Alfhild with his own body. He gritted his teeth, eyes closing as if that would stop the torture that was to come. Lightning crackled, the air whistled but as he tightened his entire being in preparation, the attack never came.
The androids were surrounded by a white light, and instead of hitting Dan, part of their robotic insides fell unto the floor, causing them in, similar fashion, to crash against the ground as they realized that something inside, some compartment had been taken away.
"Jeez...you owe me after this, Danny." Yao spoke, holding unto his sword for support momentarily. His right hand was outstretched and it still gleamed white. Injuries could be seen all over his body, but thanks to Rena's help, he could still stand.
"Yao!"
"Yeah, yeah, what are the orders, Captain?"
Dan's mouth widened momentarily, as he realized that they didn't have to face the androids, at least not for now. "I-"
"You still want to beat that fatass don't you?"
"Yeah..."
"Alright, then we'll take over here, and meet back at the ship, alright?"
"Y-you sure?"
"Yes, you two can come with us if you'd like, our ship sure is closer than your own."
"Got. It..." Alfhild said wearily before her eyes closed, sinking into unconsciousness after that large dosage of drugs that Rena had injected into her.
Rena looked to Alfhild with a guilty stare and then to Dan, holding the medkit close to her. "Well. I'm not carrying her back to our ship, so we'll be accompanying you to yours. Just, would you mind carrying Alfhild?"
"Sure thing." Yao said. Despite his injuries, a smile still filled his lips. As if he knew everything would end up being alright. "Danny, be careful, we still have a bunch of shit left to do, ya know?" he remained wary of the androids still, wondering who controlled them, as he picked up Alfhild.
Dan's legs grew tremendously in size. He knew in which direction Dolphus had gone for, and even if he didn't there was only one thing he'd need to do. Dan blasted himself up from the ground, reaching tremendous heights as he did so. He could see the entirety of Obscuria, or at least a good part of it, and as he expanded his eyesight through the use of his quirk, he noticed him.
That somewhat fat man, and disregarding anything else, he blasted towards him.
Meanwhile, on the scene with the androids, Yao made sure that they had enough time to move away. He scanned the androids carefully, his body thankfully not feeling the injuries yet. They began to walk away from them, deeper into the forest and back to Ghost City, were hopefully, they'd meet up once more with their cremates, were they'd put an end to this nightmare.
"Rena...she's kind of heavy."
Wrath
"Finally..." The Phantasm took off his mask as well as his hood as he stood in front of Obscuria's castle. It was one of the few relics of the island, where its once glorious king reigned, one who had turned into nothing but a corpse in the past years.
His white hair flowed freely, as he stared at the castle. Now how had such a notorious pirate ended up here? It was simple, really. When Dolphus had commanded the Devil's Shop to collapse, Ephraim, who had already gathered what he needed, utilized his strange powers, the powers that had earned him the epithet of Phantombeard to escape. Using all the commotion that occurred with two other rookie crews, he approached the castle silently and the wide smile that filled his lips revealed nothing but crooked intentions.
"Another day, another kingdom..." he murmured, gazing at the bridge that separated him from yet another victory.
A booming sound resounded through the air as Benjamin landed, placing a woman safely on the ground. "Thank you sir!" she said.
"Don't thank me yet," said Benjamin. He pointed down a street and began to give instructions. "Head down this road, none of the pirates have been this way yet. Tell anyone you meet along the way to come with you." The marines had been so focused on capturing the pirates that they had forgotten about the people. Everything was crumbling around them and they had nothing to stand on. So Benjamin went to go make them a foothold.
He turned as the woman ran. He would've almost missed him, he certainly wasn't looking for him before, but he couldn't ignore him now. It was Edward Ephraim, a pirate with a bounty of around 400,000,000. Benjamin sighed. Dealing with Gai had been troublesome enough. He looked around. The street was currently abandoned, courtesy of his own efforts, but that wouldn't guarantee it would stay that way. "Halt!" Benjamin called out to Phantombeard, walking up behind him. "Don't take another step!"
There were no movements from Ephraim as he continued to gaze down at the castle. His back turned to the Marine. He didn't need to, he'd heard that same request from many Marines previously. His shadow reflected the man himself, his posture, crossed arms and billowing robe and as it expanded outwards, it reflected his very desire to thrive over everything.
"Am I allowed to move now, officer." he stated, slowly turning around to face Benjamin.
Benjamin's eyes narrowed. He lifted his leg up, swiping it horizontally through the air. A wave of air came across. "Rankyaku!" The level of power he had put behind this attack would cut a normal man in half. But he could only wait a see how it would affect this pirate.
It was an incredibly fast attack, moments after he had swiped his leg, Benjamin forced the air to take the form of a slash, which only grew as it travelled forward, slashing anything that stood in its way. The breeze it generated fell upon Ephraim's face and as it would make contact with him...
Nothing. No cutting sound could be heard, except for the continuous whooshing of the air. The attack never met its mark. Long gone was Ephraim as the man seemingly moved from his position in an instant, despite showing no signs of possessing something like Soru. He reappeared behind Benjamin, thrusting his blackened arm forward with surprising strength. The air whooshed as if he were performing Shigan, though his palm remained open, aiming to make contact with Benjamin.
Benjamin felt the force upon his back, flying forward. He rolled onto his feet, turning back around to meet Ephraim. If it hadn't been for his mastery of Tekkai Kenpo, that attack likely would've broken the bones in his back. No time for hesitation. He leaped towards Ephraim, pulling his fist back as he launched a strong blow towards his opponent's face. "Tekkai Kenpo "Tetsu no Dangan!""
Ephraim's hand made contact with Benjamin's now blackened coat, and despite the formidable strength it carried, the man barely felt the force. It piqued Ephraim's interest. Just how powerful was Benjamin physically? He grinned loudly.
He made no attempt at dodging. He planted his feet firmly on the ground as Benjamin's fist blurred forward. Even without Soru, its speed was remarkable and as it made contact with his face, blood spurted outwards from Ephraim as his body rung from the insane strength. Yet, somehow his feet enjoyed solid footing on Obscuria's darkness preventing him from moving.
"Why don't you...halt me now?!"
Both of Ephraim's blackened arms cocked backwards before he unleashed a multitude of blows all throughout Benjamin's body. He wanted to test the man's armor to the limit, and what better way to do it? At the same time, limbs formed beneath Benjamin, attempting to grasp unto the Marine before he could escape. A smile filled his lips as he screamed loudly.
Benjamin lifted his arms up, guarding his face and torso from the Ephraim's blows. An ache formed due to the multitude and strength behind each blow. Benjamin attempted to retreat, but found his legs unable to budge, at least not at a fast enough rate it would matter. Some of his techniques didn't work properly unless he had a more adequate range of movement. Well, sometimes, the only way to go up was through.
Benjamin dropped his guard, allowing several blows to strike him directly on his chest. He grit his teeth at first, biting so hard he nearly chipped one. But then, all the force from Ephraim's attacks flowed right back out towards him. "Tekkai "Utusgi"!" Some of the kinetic energy had been lost, Benjamin preferred the standard method of using Tekkai as opposed to this one, meaning he hadn't yet mastered its form, but unlike with Ephraim's blows, the power would be coming out all at once. And should Ephraim not be sent flying backwards from this sudden reversal of power, Benjamin had another prepared, aimed towards his throat with the intent of stopping the flow of air to his lungs.
Ephraim's fists made contact with Benjamin's tough skin and while his fists connected, spreading out across his body, there was barely an impact, or even a single dent to be seen. The iron-hardened man allowed Ephraim's attacks to hit, his chest puffed up, as all the energy gathered through the strikes was released in that single movement.
Ephraim was thrown aback, traveling several meters on the air as blood escaped his lips. Several tendrils of black grabbed him before he was able to be launched far away. At the same time, the limbs that had successfully held up the man from moving would creep up across his body, hoping to immobilize him for a few seconds.
Once more Ephraim disappeared from sight, being replaced by darkness, as he reappeared behind the possibly immobilized Benjamin. This time, he did not attempt to strike as he had done before, he jumped towards the man's back, attempting to grab Benjamin's head with his blackened hand in aims of forcing him unto the ground. Perhaps he could not beat him with just punches, so he changed his strategy.
As the shadows began to creep up it body, it would be time to free himself. Staying put would be a death sentence against an enemy as mobile as this. He clenched his fist, bringing it down into the ground, the ground beneath him being completely pulverized along with the shadows.
But he wouldn't be fast enough. By the time he would be freed, Ephraim would have already moved behind him, grabbing onto his head and forcing him towards the ground, his feet coming off the ground and being moved into the air. "Geppo!" Before he could slam into the ground, Benjamin fired a blast of air from his feet. He couldn't turn around given the circumstances for a proper counterattack, so this would have to done. He sent himself rocketing headfirst into Ephraim's abdomen with the hardness of his Tekkai. But the technique was rushed and sudden. He'd be sent tumbling into the ground regardless of whether his strike hit or not, needing to scramble to his feet to see how effectiveness his attack would be.
It seemed Benjamin understood the severity of the situation he was in, but it was already too late. The moment Ephraim's hand held his head, regardless of Benjamin's Geppo, for the Phantasm, the fight was over. He snapped his fingers with his other hand, its sound echoing through the area they found themselves in.
"Black World."
In that moment, Benjamin would feel his body considerably slow down, as shadows expanded covering the entirety of his being. Shadows that took on a physical form, adding an extreme amount of weight and restricting Benjamin's movements and sight as he'd fall to the ground. Additionally, the darkened tendrils that had wrapped themselves around him before, though not as strong as the shadows, would definitely aid in immobilizing him.
"You're years behind if you want to catch up to me, young man." it had all started when Benjamin had quite literally walked into Ephraim's domain; his expanded shadow. It was that very same shadow that covered the terrain that allowed him to seemingly moved so quickly. Then, it was all a matter of simply riling the warrior up. Ephraim knew he was a man that more than anything, prided himself in his physicality.
While each time that Ephraim made contact, part of his attack's effect was to physically hurt Benjamin, each time that his blackened hands hurt the Commodore, he had simply expanded his shadows outwards to the body part he had touched, and eventually it all led to this very moment.
He snapped his fingers once more and the initial expanded shadow wrapped around Benjamin to secure him in yet another layer of physical shadows. He'd remain in a state of paralysis, were he could neither move nor look at anything, truly, a Black World.
It was something he was truly unprepared for. A word of darkness. A world of shadows. Benjamin fell deep inside of it. Had he done enough? Would the people be safe? He had been completely and utterly outmatched. His eyes widened, but no matter how wide his pupils became, there was no light to be seen.
Fraud
Gai and his crew made their way through the forests and into a town on the way back to where they had left Rena and Alfhild. Something about the town felt, dangerous, as if there was still traces of World Government within its area. Giving hand signals to the crew behind him, the crowd split off into different groups, with a few left to still accompany Gai. These few including Taro, Aiko and Melody, and several lower ranked crew members that followed behind. Nodding his head, the group made their way forward, taking their steps easy as to not draw suspicion. Gai looked back to see each group pull beings on chains strapped to their arms and legs, prompting him to turn to one of the members in his own party with a bland but worried look.
"Have they been fed?" Gai asked.
The member nodded without turning his head, "Aye captain. We've also brought the uh. Stuff you wanted if you needed to know that as well."
"Good. Now wait for my signal. If everything goes to hell, you already know what to do."
The group continued on their way, passing through different streets and turning around several corners before they heard the bickering of a man and a robotic voice, causing Gai to stop the group in their tracks. They sounded, familiar, like the androids inside the market where he encountered Dan. Proceeding to tap Taro and Aiko on the shoulders, Gai led them both to follow closely behind as he signalled for Melody to stay with the group, creeping towards a corner nearby where the three could watch out for whatever was going on.
"I-I can't pay you yet. You madwom-" Dolphus' eyes that had desperately tried to avoid Phoebe's gaze time and time again fell upon a certain figure in the sky. He remained paralyzed in fear, pupils enlarging in despair.
"L-MANO." Dan screamed as he shot down like a meteor from the sky, his right hand growing tremendously in size and as he approached Dolphus unleashing his fist forward, the winds were pushed back, howling. It wouldn't take Kenbun to tell that currently, Dan was mad. Very mad.
"KID." Gai panicked in his head as he watched Dan descend from the sky, shoving his hand in his pocket as he began his sprint towards Dolphus. Dan was going to steal the satisfaction of punishing Dolphus, but more importantly, might have given the wrong signal to Gai's men who were waiting for things to go wrong.
"HE'S MINE."
Up until now it has mostly been nothing more than an appetizer, considering what had been happening behind the scenes. An argument where a certain Marine woman was so stubborn that she had completely blocked out the immense fight going on in the background. But she didn’t forget. Those androids, they did have to come from somewhere. They were the creation of the brilliant mind that was Phoebe.
However, all this time, she was in a heated argument with the World Noble that had yet to pay her the money needed in order for him to keep said killer androids that have been trying their best to destroy the pirates. Money was important in the business that Phoebe was in. But the more and more talk happened between the two, the more Phoebe began to lose it. She was getting impatient. She knew this World Noble had to be hiding something.
But even then, she had a job to do.
Even once her mind was protesting against the idea of even giving this greasy man any sort of satisfaction by letting him get away with his act, she still knew that even now, he had top priority. That is why she stayed by his side the entire time. To make sure that no matter what happened in this crazy fight, that he would be save. Because if there was one person made to protect him, it was her.
But her anger had reached a very high point. She had gone beyond just impatient. And now, now that the fight seems to have finally reached them, Phoebe had finally reached her snapping point. The roar of a man too reckless for his own good, and the cheapskate constantly nagging into her ear. There was no way that someone as unstable as Phoebe could possibly stay calm and composed. Rage that had been lying dormant within her was about to be released.
Compared to what Phoebe was feeling, Dan’s emotions were nothing more than a childish tantrum in comparison. She turned around to face the danger directly. Her electroreception had already alerted her of the approaching foe. But not just one… but more as well. Too many people. Too many annoying pirates. Too many people that don’t deserve to be alive surrounding her. And the fact that she was meant to protected one of said people.
It was too much.
“GOOOOO AAAWAAAAAAAAAYY!!!”
Phoebe screamed with a voice high in pitch. Like the shriek of an angered banshee haunting the very souls of those around her. Phoebe had reached her tipping point. Her androids, these pirates, this terrible World Noble, it was all getting too much. If she didn’t work off all that steam, she’d probably have a heart attack.
K-Tschnk…
The silent sound of a Plasma-Cutter replacing Phoebe’s left arm briefly announced itself. The deadly weapon that Phoebe only used if she was facing a tough opponent, or wanted to end everything as quickly as possible. This was a case of the latter. The pent up frustration lead to Phoebe no longer able to play it cool.
The air crackled with electric potential emitted by Phoebe. Waves of pressure like death itself had arrived at their location to claim the lives of those unfortunate enough to come in between the cyborg woman and the miserable man she is forced to protect.
With her weapon deployed, Phoebe instantly begun to spin in circles. A showcase of the similar fighting skill that the androids had. In fact, not similar, but the mastery of it. The Kosokuzei was the fighting style that Phoebe came up with after learning a specific martial art. This was her very own style.
Gradually increasing speed lead to Phoebe basically forming a condensed vortex around herself. Waves of air pressure quickly being built up and focused around her very body as all of it spun. Quickly building up great amounts of kinetic energy, before starting to whirl her Plasma-Cutter arm in circles as well. Causing it to gradually increase in speed as well, and basically pick up all of the built up force that Phoebe generated by spinning.
Phoebe’s immaculate skill and footwork made it possible for her to condense the vortex in such a way that the nearby noble wouldn’t get sucked up and turned into shreds, even though she REALLY would’ve loved to do that by now. Phoebe doesn’t worship these people like gods as some others do. She is just doing her job.
And with the condensed force having been built up in a cone around herself, Phoebe came to a stop. The force had to go somewhere…
KWWWW--CHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
All the built up kinetic energy went into her arm that she continued to spin. Pushing it all forward in the direction of Dan, who was aiming to attack Dolphus directly. Thus, shooting forth was a vortex of pressurized air, carrying a blindingly bright, blue glow. This very vortex was in fact enhanced by the immense cutting potential of Phoebe’s Plasma-Cutter, that lended some of its fuel to the vortex, to increase its cutting potential to levels that wouldn’t be possible with any regular sword. Alongside the immense heat it carried.
The androids might be a challenge, especially in their Hypercharge state. But this was the woman who created them, and even made it possible for them to be as powerful as they are today. Hard work and years of studying lead to the woman that now takes on hordes of pirates all by herself. No matter what Phoebe tried to do now, and no matter what kind of attack Phoebe would use against them…
They are all aiming to kill. Nothing about transforming anyone into potential weapons for the World Government. She wanted nothing more than to end their lives. The bloodlust was visible in her eyes that had gone completely white. Like the soul of Phoebe’s body had left, and all that remained was the desire to kill some filthy pirates.
Starting with none other than Bell Q. Dan.
Dan didn’t stop even as Phoebe countered his own anger with her own. Yes, perhaps compared to what she had to deal with, his own problems seemed insignificant. She who was mugged, tricked and forced to protect the very type of man she despised. But at the same time standing right in front of Dan was not only the woman who had hurt his crew but the man who had slaughtered many lives through the Devil’s Shop, seeing him right here, in front of him made his very blood boil.
He unleashed his large fist forward but as he did so, his visage was filled with blue. Electric sparks and hot twirling winds could be felt. Dan didn’t register it, he couldn’t register what it was that approached him. He could only see the fading Dolphus, standing behind Phoebe, from the corner of his eye.
He knew he couldn’t get there, not with Phoebe but it mattered little to him. Conjoining his thumb and index finger, Dan flicked it forward in a last ditch attempt of hurting Dolphus. The bullet of wind surged forward, barely escaping the grasp of Phoebe’s vortex due to the levels of control she developed. They connected against the fat man’s stomach, pushing him back several meters.
Did his anger fade? Did he feel it disappear? No? Yes? The answer didn’t matter, as other sensations would then rise into his being. The vortex shot forward at immense speeds, scorching anything that stood in its path. And much like it razed through the ground and the air, the same occurred to Dan’s expanded arm. As he focused his anger on Dolphus, the vortex cut through his limb and it was only when he fell to the floor that he registered it. A burning sensation, where his arm previously was. It ached, stung, if there existed multiple types of pains in the world, Dan felt them.
“AAAAAAHHHHHHHH.” He screamed, dropping to his knees momentarily, blood escaping from both his “shoulder” and his lips. His brows furrowed, veins popping. His eyes were bloodshot, much like Phoebe, and they carried nearly the same sensation as her.
With Phoebe starting her rampage with Dan, Gai had Dolphus all for himself, as he rushed the World Noble with his arm out to grab the fat man as soon as he reached him. Hearing Dan scream in pain did little to faze Gai, especially after their little dispute before concerning the slave girl. But he knew that if once Phoebe was done with Dan, she would move onto him, so helping Dan take care of Phoebe was probably in his best interest, right after getting revenge on Dolphus. Gai sprinted across the grounds before pulling out what looked to be a raw piece of rotten flesh, its flesh discoloured to grey, with what could be presumed to be the skin being a mixture of green and brown. Having been stuffed into his pocket for a moment and a bit, Gai could instantly smell the horrid aroma of the meat waft into his nose, but if it meant that he could try and feed it to Dolphus, it was probably worth holding onto it for the trip.
"COME HERE. FAT MAN." Gai cried out, his arm held out to Dolphus and the other holding the piece of meat.
Upon nearing the World Noble, Gai leapt forward in hopes of pinning the man to the ground, using his body weight to keep the man pinned for as long as he needed. He was stuffing this piece of meat down the man's mouth, and it was going to get eaten one way or another, whether Dolphus wanted to or not. Gai understood where these World Nobles came from, thinking that they were untouchable, gods amongst men. Having grown up as one himself, Gai knew it just as well as the other, though, once he had touched the seas he knew that it was far from the truth.
Dolphus had little time to react or even do anything about his current predicament. There was no way he could reach his gun as he flew through the air, the wind being pushed out of him due to Dan's efforts. It hurt, more than Dolphus had ever been hurt before, but as Dan dealt with Phoebe, another man, one who he could barely tell apart pinned him to the ground, and due to Dan's blast of wind, the piece of meat fell straight into his mouth and he gulped it down, its awful aroma, texture and taste coming only after.
"W-what are you doing?!" Even as he was pinned down, he managed to grab his gun, and without hesitation, he pulled its trigger, attempting to get rid of the half Fishman as fast as he could.
Meanwhile, Taro remained behind a building nearby, his fishing rod extending as he grabbed Dolphus' loot, hopefully using his Captain and the Bell Pirates' efforts to do it. "C-captain, are you alright?!"
"HA." Was all that escaped Gai's mouth as soon as he realised the stinging pain of a bullet tearing through his skin and making its way through his abdomen, still looking down at the Dolphus with as much distaste as he could fit in his eyes.
The captain began to bleed through his clothing with a hole in the lower half of his body, something that Gai tried to ignore by attempting to pin the man's arm down that held the ground, and shifting his body so that his other arm could come down onto his face with ease. "Hyakumaigawara Seiken" Gai screamed as his fist was held up over his body only to descend towards Dolphus' face.
There were many things that Phoebe’s brain had to process in every single moment when she was captivated in a fight against just one person, or even multiple people. Her intelligence is not just reflected in her skill to create highly advanced machines and weapons, but also in how she can quickly change her tactic or shift her attention when something of greater importance is happening. Even in such a wild moment where Phoebe was enraged, she was able to focus on the larger goal at hand: Protecting Dolphus.
In the moment she had thrown out her attack against Dan, she knew that the nearby foes wouldn’t just wait around until it was their turn. From the moment where Dan’s scream echoed throughout the surrounding area, Phoebe couldn’t even take the time to enjoy the sweet misery of the pain that she just unleashed upon a hopeless pirate, trying to mess with a figure that was far beyond his own scale.
Next on the list was Gai. Captain of the Slaughter Pirate. Being one of the most active people throughout Paradise, Phoebe was aware about every single pirate crew on the sea. And it wasn’t difficult to remember a crew by such a preposterous names such as “Slaughter Pirates”. The pirates that revel in their own violence so much so that they name their whole crew after it are some that Phoebe most certainly couldn’t stand. And the one to represent them was right there. Always deep in the action with pirate captains… Somehow, Phoebe really can’t catch a break.
The unholy man of the Slaughter Pirates came forth to now to take off his own bite off the cake that was Dolphus. More and more pirates feel like they can simply mess with the World Nobles. Perhaps it was because all of the admirals were in the New World, and had to take care of the people there and protect them from the horrors that were the pirates of the New World. But in a case like that, who would be there to defend the rest of the world?
For Paradise, as long as Phoebe was still there, no one will claim the live of a World Noble.
Dan had temporarily been taken care of. She would finish him off, if there weren’t more important matters at hand. Because in the brief moment of distraction, Dolphus was once again under attack. This time the threat of him actually dying existed. A man like that wouldn’t show mercy to a World Noble. And she knew that. Thus, her attention switched over to the captain of the Slaughter Pirates.
Phoebe turned her body to the side, and with a brief yet incredibly swift sidestep, Phoebe closed the distance in what seemed like an instant, in order to come in between the fist of the pirate, and the face of the obese man. Reaching forward was Phoebe’s right hand. The one that was still just a hand and not a sword of high-cutting potential plasma. Her hand looked up at Gai’s fist, and braced for the upcoming impact.
KHOOOOORRR!!
The echoes of the impact was clearly audible. A sound that was very similar to someone hitting a steel plate with immense force was released. The metallic noise indicated just what blocked the punch. None other than Phoebe’s hand. The palm of which had been stretched out, so that the force of the punch could be absorbed in the most effective way possible.
And even with the technique made by the arts of Fishman Karate, alongside the strength that he had boasted due to his heritage, the great punch that Gai just unleashed to ruin Dolphus’ face had left not even a single dent, nor scratch on Phoebe’s hand. All of the force was absorbed and dispersed harmlessly. Phoebe’s body had stood the test of time and underwent constant upgrades. With every punch that hurt her, Phoebe worked to make sure that the next time, it wouldn’t. Not one day without her somehow working on her body. That was just how active Phoebe was. Her whole life was devoted to her work.
And with that punch absorbed and neutralized, now came the part to make Gai pay for his foolishness. Messing with a World Noble is too much for the likes of him. And she is here to teach him, just how badly he has miscalculated the situation. And if there was one person who should be good at math like that, it was her.
PRRRZZZZ-- ZRZRZRZRRZRZRZRZRZRZRRRRRRRRTT!!
Right after Phoebe’s hand blocked Gai’s attack, she didn’t even use the moment to taunt him. Instead, as soon as the attack was neutralized, and as long as Gai’s hand was still making direct contact with Phoebe’s hand, she unleashed large amounts of potent electricity through her limb. Millions of volts that had the ability to fully course through someone’s body, and fry them up from the inside out, unleashing the full potential they had through direct contact of Phoebe’s highly conductive body.
The tech of the androids was noticeable in her. But made in an immaculate and much more advanced way. Phoebe doesn’t hold back on any cost when it comes to making herself a more potent weapon. Even her electricity output was more vast than that of the androids, due to superior generating capabilities and body control.
But Phoebe wouldn’t just stop at attempting to electrocute him. Because, as she was using her right hand to block the attack, she also threw forward her left arm. The one where the hand had been replaced with Phoebe’s deadly Plasma-Cutter, the weapon to end encounters as quickly as possible. Not only was she letting Gai have a taste of massive amounts of deadly electricity, but the immense cutting potential of Phoebe’s trademark weapon.
Not a single word was exchanged during this. She was just focusing on one thing: Killing everyone that was trying to get their hands on this World Noble. Even though she didn’t trust the man, seeing how he hasn’t paid her, her duty was it to protect him. And even in the killing fever that she was having, the goal was still clear as day.
The Plasma-Cutter came slashing at Gai’s entire body. Phoebe spun and rotated her arm in such a quick fashion that it was essentially a massive shredder. A merciless weapon that will cut through anything that it hits, attached to a woman who was ready to end the lives of everyone around her. Gai was getting a combo just as deadly as what Phoebe used to attack Dan.
If Gai had been alone, it’d be likely that in a scenario like this, he’d be completely defeated. Alas, the captain of the Slaughter Pirates was always prepared, and thus as soon as Phoebe sidestepped, the voice of Dan’s screams overcoming those of the discharge that would follow, his crew acted, or well, at least one of them did.
Urashima Taro swung his fishing rod forward as Phoebe’s focus changed. The shockwaves that usually followed Gai’s attacks didn’t appear to come out, and that alone was enough for Taro to act solely upon instinct. With the hook of his fishing rod attached to his Captain’s coat, as Phoebe’s Plasma Cutter went to slash at him, Taro reeled him in with all his might. Usually, he’d have more trouble, but since in their first encounter, Taro had literally confused him for a huge fish, he knew the exact amount of strength he’d have to use to pull him away from Phoebe, before her sword could shred him to pieces.
The electricity from Phoebe had left Gai in a weakened state, but thanks to Taro, the sword had only managed to slice through a bit of Gai's torso, leaving a massive gash going from one side of the captain's body to the other. More blood had began to trickle from the wound and through his clothes, which were now torn by the cyborg's weapon, but at least he had not be sliced in half as Phoebe would have rathered. The captain was pulled back and dragged across the ground, watching the cyborg and Dolphus shrunk in his vision as he was reeled to safety. Having met Taro just days before was a blessing and a half, as Gai wasn't sure if any of the other crew members could think and act so quickly to pull him out of the situation like that. Gai unknowingly smiled in a mocking way to Phoebe as he felt his eyes began to close a bit, despite having enough strength to pull one of his arms up and flip the android off.
"T-this isn't fucking over," Gai thought out loud, just before reaching Taro and the others, "Aiko. NOW!"
Without hesitation, Aiko, who was waiting alongside Taro, nodded her head and pulled out a red flare gun, which she aimed to the sky and pulled the trigger. At that moment, calls from all directions of the small town filled the sky as several crew members of the Slaughter Pirates pulled themselves out of their hiding spots with firearms of various kinds, and pointed their weapons to Phoebe and Dolphus alike. They had hurt their captain, and so threatened the crew, which wasn't something they were so keen on. Like instruments in an unorganised orchestra, every firearm went off at their own timing, firing in a way that didn't give neither Phoebe or Dolphus a chance to think. They were sporadic, coming from all sorts of directions, and pin pointing each individual source of the firing would be quite difficult thanks to the many hiding spots the town had to offer.
Aiko then proceeded to pull out another flare gun, this time coloured black, and pointed it into the air to fire once more. At that moment, the sounds of rabid snarling, and chains clinking in the distance joined in the symphony of sporadic gunfire. Gai's mocking smile quickly turned into one of content as he listened to everything come into fruition.
In a moment of rush, it’d be easy for someone to lose their focus. Especially in a battle where one was vastly outnumbered and had to protect someone who could very easily die if she failed to protect him. Phoebe was constantly being pushed on edge just because she had to defend someone who was this frail. If anything it made her job more difficult. The pirates had no regard for the lives of others, while Phoebe had to watch out for everyone.
She was enraged. And in this state of mind she could barely focus. And right as the onslaught of bullets came towards herself and the World Noble she had been protecting, Phoebe’s adrenaline shot sky high, and her senses were sharpened beyond what she was first capable of.
“What kind of a Marine would I be if I let a World Noble die? I don’t care how disgusting or vile these pigs are. I’ve got a job to do. No one is going to die that easily as long as I am around! Concentrate Phoebe, CONCENTRATE!” Phoebe thought to herself.
Her mind was already going wild and processing everything that was happening in fractions of a second. The brilliant mind was constructing a way to protect the man and dispatch of all the pirates. And in the moment of adrenaline, Phoebe has got the focus that she needed. Her hand moved, and her feet began to tap repeatedly against the ground as the began to quickly build up speed in a very short time frame.
Air began to flow around Phoebe’s body as it was encouraging her to move around. And in a moment’s notice, with her focus being entirely on keeping the man alive had pushed Phoebe to new heights. She could practically feel the friction in the air caused by the bullets traveling at high speed as they were being fired from various weapons. The electroreception abilities she had from her cybernetic enhancements went to show that they are also good at detecting certain metals.
As the first bullet had approached them, Phoebe’s hand moved in a strange motion, similar like a hand moving through water. The first bullet impacted with the open palm of Phoebe’s hand. Electric sparks were emitted from her hand as she carried the flow of the bullet to another point with the combination of electricity, and skilled hand movement. In a timespan of not even a second, Phoebe had done so many things all at once.
Her hand moved in such a way that it carried the bullet around like a marble ball tumbling around in her hand. Changing the course of its direction with flowing movement, and having her hand act as some kind of ramp or curve. As the bullet traveled alongside the palm of Phoebe’s hand, she stopped moving her hand as the tip of her fingers were aimed at another person shooting at them. Through graceful hand movement and electricity, Phoebe didn’t just deflect, but completely redirect the trajectory of a bullet.
But within the very same second, another bullet had come their way. Phoebe’s concentration wouldn’t get to rest as the onslaught of bullets forced her to stay absolutely focused, for the sake of the life of one person. The next bullet came, and this time, she used her other hand to redirect it to yet another nearby standing person that was firing at them. As they were caught up in the moment of just recklessly firing at them, most would fail to realize that their very weapons are being used against them while they were still using them.
But there was danger all around. Phoebe’s feet had been tapping on the ground for a while now, as she was preparing to practically dance around every side of Saint Dolphus in order to not just use her hands to deflect bullets, but use the entire rest of her body to cover him. With each them her position changed. Sometimes one tap, sometimes two in a moment’s notice. Sensing the bullets coming from every side by sensing the friction in the air via her S.T.O.R.M System granting her the foresight needed to protect him.
The sound of metal clanging could be heard multiple times. The noise of bullets impacting, and bouncing off of Phoebe’s dense skin that has been carefully constructed out of sheets of graphene on a microscopic level, consisting of several thousands of layers that have rendered her outer body night impenetrable. Few have managed to harm the outside. One of which being the infamous Ryusei Remilia. But even with the strength that she had, the infamous pirate captain still couldn’t win. Thus,. weapons like that were completely ineffective.
Phoebe continued to protect and parry for several seconds as the unholy amount of bullets were released upon them. However, no pirate ever got their hand on an automatic weapon that could shoot more than just a handful of times. With this knowledge, Phoebe endured and concentrated to protect Saint Dolphus for as long as she had to wait for the right time to arise.
As more second have passed, Phoebe noticed that after having fired their weapons for so long, some would have to run out of ammunation. The shooting had slowed down, and Phoebe was able to use just one hand in order to protect Dolphus from harm. Meaning that she finally had one hand open to use, free to attack with. And she didn’t hesitate. Everyone around her was worthy of being killed, and thus she showed absolutely no remorse.
She still hopped around Dolphus to protect him from further bullets that were coming from people that were not low on ammo just yet. But those that had to reload gave her enough time to retaliate with an attack of her own. With her left hand and her body, Phoebe continued to protect Dolphus from harm. And with the other one, electricity began to spark from it, to indicate that Phoebe was prepared to counterattack.
As she spun around, she was constantly facing a different direction. And with that knowledge in mind, Phoebe prepared herself to unleash an attack with great amounts of electricity, that thanks to her constant moving around, would not leave a single spot around her unharmed. A full 360° attack to dispatch of her foes.
Krrrrrrr…. Krrrr…..
The air began to crackle as Phoebe prepared yet another attack. The sizzling noise of potent electricity can be downright heard, as it announces impending doom for any of those that stood around her. The air roared in horror as Phoebe’s attack had been charging up, and was finally ready to fire!
ZRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRKKKK-- KKKKRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!
The violent tremors of lightning were echoing through the air, as Phoebe short forth dozens of bolts of lightning from the tip of her fingers in very short and brief intervals. With the charge she had prepared, she could fire several dozen bolts of lightning in just a single second. And with the way she was constantly hopping and moving around, EVERY single side around Dolphus would get a taste of multiple deadly bolts of lightning per second.
The ambient moonlight around turned dim as the bright light of Phoebe’s lightnings swallowed up the darkness, and unleashed the painful to even look at light of the concentrated power of electricity at her very fingertips. Showering every last angle with a deadly onslaught of lightning, that would both scorch the earth, and completely fry someone’s insides with millions of deadly volts. All while keeping Saint Dolphus protected as best as she could.
Every last direction had become a hazard. No distance too far for lightning to strike. Even those that would attempt to run away would eventually come face to face with a ruthless bolt of concentrated electricity. Phoebe thought of everything. She was not letting anyone that tried to kill Saint Dolphus get away alive.
“If you pirates want to be remembered so badly, then you all shall go down by a single name in a story. The tale of the Slaughtered Pirates! Killing you would be not be any more of a loss than stepping on a small colony of ants! The world is big, and your very existence is insignificant! Yet you eat away at the world like termites! Prepare to commit your only meaningful accomplishment of your life! YOUR DEATH!”
Amidst the growing sounds of bullets that could be heard fired one after the other in hopes killing Dolphus where he stood, the incessant screaming of Bell Q. Dan had halted. It’d be difficult for anyone to tell, as more pressing matters occupied their minds, bullet after bullet being deflected or clashing against Phoebe’s skin, following in a chorus of clanking noises that overcame the atmosphere.
Were Dan previously lied, only an empty needle could be seen, the same needle Rena had given Alfhild to combat the Androids previously, and as the Slaughter Pirates continued their assault, Dan moved with quiet rage.
He could see her body, charged to the brim with electricity, as a beacon blue encompassed her blurring figure. His body was bent down, and moments before her final attack was unleashed, Dan, even as rage filled him, did the smartest thing he could think of, he jumped. His legs grew massively in size as he hopped away from the sight, hoping that Gai and his crew would do the same.
"Sorry captain, but I don't think we'll be able to match up against her." Aiko called out to Gai as she pulled out another flare gun from her waist and fired it into the air, sending a burst of white light to erupt above them.
The deathly screams of his crew mates was shaking Gai to his core, causing the captain's eyes to shoot open and glare towards Phoebe from their hiding spot. In his hypocritical grief, Gai found the strength to pull himself back up and crack his knuckles, obviously implying to the crew members near him that he was about to charge back in and fight Phoebe head on. Aiko was the first to notice this and instantly jumped onto her captain as soon as she could, trying to use her wait to weight him down so that he wouldn't make it to Phoebe's sight. He was angry. Furious, at Phoebe for attacking his crew, despite having sent the first blow towards Dolphus. She grappled and punch Gai to no avail though, in her effort to hinder him, as she would proceed to signal the others about their captain.
"G-GUYS! DON'T LET THE CAPTAIN MOVE!"
Several crew members proceeded to race towards Gai in a panicked fit, each grabbing onto his arms and legs, slowly stopping Gai in his place as he tried to move out of the hiding spot. Gai suddenly began to notice this and started worming his way out of his crew members' grips, shaking them off and pushing them away to stop them. With Aiko still on his back, his balance was beginning to tilt off centre, before Gai ultimately fell over with his crew members piling ontop of him. They might have won this part of the battle, but they hadn't won this part of the war just yet.
"TARO. HELP US MOVE THE CAPTAIN BACK." Aiko screamed to the fisherman, continuing to punch Gai in the face, which looked as though it wasn't doing much at all.
"MELODY. STOP." Gai called out to the Hollow musician, hoping to draw her attention to his voice. The last instruction didn't seem like it was for her necessarily, but more so for a group of people by the way he commanded.
"G-got it!" Taro acted quickly, knowing that were he to waste a second, they'd suffer a similar fate to the other crew members. Swinging his fishing rod towards Gai, as to wrap the man around its line, he then thrust it in the other direction, hooking himself to a distant building and with as much strength as he could muster, he pulled himself and the others towards it, hoping to gain some distance between the blast that was incoming and the Slaughter Pirates.
"LET ME GO. I'LL KILL HER." Gai screamed at his crew mates, trying to break free as everyone tried their best to hold their captain back.
Aiko continued to punch at Gai's face even though he showed no sign of being hurt, nearly breaking free of his crew mates as many of them began to lose their grip on the half-Fishman. Though, something caught by the captain's eye and nose caused Gai to stop and allow the Slaughter Pirates to finally pull him back, as a tired smile formed on his face, unnoticed by the struggling crew members. While it wasn't noticeable to many, Gai's experience allowed him to sense the smallest details of what caught his attention.
Dolphus was beginning to change.
The scent of rotten meat wafted into the air, its smell just stronger than the fiery heat of the lightning that Phoebe was firing from her body. While he couldn't get Dolphus today, he could get him sometime later. Every single one of the Slaughter Pirates who had not been zapped by Phoebe began to leave, the sound of gun fire fading from the distance as the crew withdrew from the fight.
"I'M COMING FOR YOU DOLPHU~US." Gai screamed into the air with a playful, mocking tone. A farewell from the captain of the Slaughter Pirates that echoed throughout the town.
Phoebe was ready to chase after them. But then she was reminded of the one issue that prevented it. She still had Saint Dolphus to protect. She couldn’t chase after them, but at the very least, she could still send them one last present as they were all huddled up while running away. Phoebe’s face became noticeably more deranged and crazy as she was overcome with this immense bloodlust. The few no names didn’t satisfy her. She wanted the man himself, alongside his closest friends to die.
She aimed forward with her hands, combining her thumb and index finger together to form a circle. Small sparks of electricity formed on her fingers and connected in the middle of the circles that she had formed. Soon, within the circle formed from her fingers, a bright yellow light emitted in between them.
“Haaaa… Haahahaaa~! This… this is some old technology used by the Pacifista all those years ago. But just because it’s old, doesn’t mean it’s any less effective~! Eheheheeee!! EHEEHEHEHEEAAHAHAHAHAHAAA!! HAHAHAHAAAAHAHAHAAAAAHAHAAAAAAAAAAA!! DOLPHUUUUUS! I CAN’T HANDLE THIS TENSION! WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO SEE SOME PIRATE GUTS PAINTING THE ISLAND RED?! I’LL TELL YOU WHAT IT TAKES! ONE NICE EXPLOSION!”
Phoebe put her hands before one another, so that the circles she’s made with her fingers were connected. The light became more bright and blinding as she was merely charging. And as Phoebe needed only a few seconds to properly charge it, it’s power could already be unleashed!
Light had gathered and charged in order to be released as one concentrated attack at the pirates. Phoebe rarely used this, because she didn’t take pride in copying technology that has been invented by others way before her. But for the sake of destroying a group of pirates in one big blast, she’d be more than happy to use it! These pirates really need to realize why they picked the wrong fight.
PSSSHHH--SCHWOOOOoooooo…. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMM!!
Shooting forth came a concentrated bolt of light. Tech that has been used way back when the original Pacifista had been developed. And these bolts of lights were notorious for tearing through groups of pirates in an instant. With Phoebe tracking them with her electroreception, she knew exactly where to aim. And with how fast the shot actually came out, the accuracy of this attack was nigh perfect.
It was a singular shot aimed directly at the fleeing Slaughter Pirates. And when the bolt of light impacted on the ground, it would unleash a massive explosion that lit up the night sky of the otherwise dark island to the point where it looks like the sun had come out for just a moment. A massive shockwave and explosion that would unleash destruction upon its impact zone.
The cone of the explosion would even be visible at the spot where Phoebe and Dolphus stood. The wind would tear trees from their foundation and send flying for several yards. Phoebe was still holding back a lot however. Because she was still protecting Dolphus. If she wasn’t forced to protect him, then all the pirates would be dead already. The issue with being a Marine is putting everyone’s lives before anything else. And that was a detriment to Phoebe. The only time she never had trouble with a fight was when no one was around to bother her.
Phoebe turned around towards Dolphus after firing her shot. Looking at him with those cold, murderous eyes that she has had ever since the fight began. Breathing heavily as she was getting more and more impatient about not being able to chase after these pirates and quickly kill them. One bad move and Dolphus would be done for.
“Oi Dolphus… You are starting to smell like a rotting corpse. The Slaughter Pirates are responsible for this, eh? Don’t worry. Even if they somehow survived the blast, they won’t get far from this island. What do you think is faster? A ship, or my Back-Pack that I used to fly here within the matter of an hour? They’re done for, no matter what. They will all die. Tch… Such fools.”
She said with that terrifying expression of hers. Compared to some other people, Phoebe came out of this fight pretty much unharmed. But even now she was not done. She had to try rather hard in order to protect one World Noble. Even though she had no respect for these stuck up idiots. But worst of al…
He still hasn’t paid her.
That psychotic expression of hers slowly turned into a slasher smile. Her white pupils shrunk and that smile on her face grew to a downright unnatural point. Literally smiling ear to ear.
“Eee- heheheee~~ Hehehe… Heheheeee…”
She stepped forward. Greatly closing the distance between herself and Dolphus to the point where there was barely any space between them left. Her eyes piercing into his, with those eyes sharp enough to slice someone in half from the stare alone. Balancing in between saving his lives, and wanting to wring the life out of him herself.
“Now then…”
“Uh, Captain!” Taro spoke hurriedly as he continued to run towards their ship. A light filled his vision as he turned his head, as if to check if the pursuit continued. One glance was enough to confirm his suspicions. A whirring sound reverberated through the area, combined with the crackles of electricity that had become familiar at this point.
They’d have to accept it, there was no escaping it. Escaping her wrath. The bolt of light surged forward almost instantaneously, yet Taro nor any of the others stopped running. They knew their fate, but they couldn’t accept it, could they?
“I can’t die without findin’ All Blue!”
He could feel the immense amount of heat approaching their figures, moments later, his crew would be completely defeated…
“You won’t, young man, at least not for now.”
A voice spoke, and a shadow moved. Standing directly in front of the compresses bolt of light was Edward Ephraim, alternatively known as Phantombeard, and his figure loomed taller than any of the Slaughter Pirates’ members, two sizable orbs of darkness stood behind him, and while movements and sounds could be heard emanating from them, it remained there at his command.
Usually, the man wouldn’t intervene in the business of other pirates, but after seeing the fearless display of the Slaughter Pirates, for some reason, he couldn’t simply let their journey end, at least not now. Their leader had the same things he saw in himself as a youngster. Ruthlessness, hunger and anger.
“You’re all too valuable to me…”
Slamming his hands on the ground, shadows surged from the floor in the form of a barrier. The bolt broke through it with ease, but behind that one lied another barrier, and another. While Phoebe possessed an incredible advantage over Phantombeard, the man dealt with her attack thanks to a single fact. Due to the powers of a “Logia”, his shadows were endless. He could keep making them, as long as he remained conscious. And with that thought in mind, he kept making barrier after barriers of concentrated shadows in hopes of stoping the incredible piercing power of the bolt.
Both of his hands moved forward, as he lifted his torso slightly from the ground. His teeth were clenched, bones cracked due to his age and while he slid backwards, the powers of her attack was slowly sucked away by Ephraim’s defenses. Eventually, it dispersed, causing a spherical shockwave to surge outwards from the point of impact. The ground was completely obliterated, leaving only a circular dent behind its wake, trees were launched randomly as if a windstorm existed, and it was likely that even then, the members of the Slaughter Pirates would still be blasted backwards, and perhaps injured.
Before the Slaughter Pirates could be blasted backwards, Gai had managed to slip out of the group's hold and rush towards Aiko and Taro, shielding them in an effort to take the hit of Phoebe's attack. With Phantombeard's intervention, however, Gai still holding onto the two made sure that he would be what they landed on as the group was thrown back, turning over so that he could break their fall as the group dispersed. The rush of the moment had deafened Gai, as he was not able to hear or even acknowledge Phantombeard's presence in the moment. Only until he pulled himself from the ground and left Aiko and Taro to recover did he see the older man. He could feel the air tighten around them as Phantombeard began to face off against Phoebe, a sign that the Slaughter Pirates should not spend no more than a second in the area.
"This old man. What the fuck is he doing? What does he want?" Gai thought to himself before looking backwards to the entry of the town, "Shit. I can't think for now, gotta move."
Making sure that everyone was able to stand up before leaving, Gai started to help move everyone in the group out, picking up anyone who had been injured from the blast and looking back one final time to take a good look at Phantombeard's face. He wanted to see who his saviour, the man that he was now in debt to, one more time before leaving, hoping that one day he could cross paths with him in the future to do so. That is, if he even made it out.
"Don't die." He nodded his head to Phantombeard before leaving.
"I-I-I..." Dolphus fell to the ground terrified, he coughed several times as if something was stuck in his throat, and tears fell down his eyes. Perhaps it was what the Slaughter had fed him, or maybe the raw ire of Phoebe.
"Why?! Why'd I choose her over all the Marines, she's batshit insane!"
"I uh...I don't have your money, in fact...I-I don't have any money. B-b-but that doesn't matter does it?! You still have to protect me, it's your duty!" he blabbered.
Phantombeard slowly approached, the two orbs still behind him. "Now what do we have here? Ah, Dolphus!"
It was during the middle of Dolphus finally coming out with the truth. The fact that he didn’t actually have the money. The fact that all this time, Phoebe had been protecting someone who wasn’t even able to repay her for her actions. Any damage that might be done to her androids? On her. In fact, all the androids she said she’d sell to him? There is no possible way that she could sell them now. It meant that everything just now was nothing more than a loss for P.B. Inc.
Phoebe looked down at Dolphus. Her breathing had temporarily stopped. She just stared at him without saying anything for a few seconds. And if it didn’t get any worse, there was yet another straggler announcing himself with his voice from behind. This day just kept getting worse and worse by the second. Phoebe briefly glanced back to meet eyes with the man that had just appeared.
“...”
No word. She just looked at him with eyes that seemed dead. The life drained out from them as the sinister glare she had before was replaced with something akin to all of her emotions having been drained. She felt cold on the inside. Empty. Like having wasted something precious. She then looked back down at Dolphus.
“...”
“...”
“...heh..”
A small huff resembling a laugh came out from Phoebe’s mouth located on her still shocked face. But that face slowly shifted into a smile. A gentle one at first however. One similar to an innocent child just having a good time.
“Hahahahaha~”
She giggled happily like nothing in the world was wrong. Her smile stayed unchanged for quite a while as she was just laughing. But as she laughed, the smile she had on her face and the laughter itself turned slightly more… Untamed. More wild. And one might even say crazy.
“Hahahahahahahaaa!! Hahahahahahahahaaaaahahahaaaaa!!”
Her laugh became more drawn out. The expression on her face slowly began to shift more and more into something that resembled the slasher smile she had from before. But it didn’t end there. In fact as she continued to laugh, it became even worse. Shifting her face in an unnatural way that shouldn’t even be possible with the cybernetic enhancements done to her face that shouldn’t allow for such immense stretching of the mouth.
“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”
Her laugh roared and echoed throughout the entire area. Sending waves of her insane laughter throughout this confined part of the island to the point where even those running away would be able to hear it and take part in this insanity. But as things had already seemed to have reached a questionable point even for Phoebe’s standart, it just kept getting worse. This laughter was deep seated into her mind. This did more than make Phoebe angered.
Sparks started shooting from her head as her own insanity was literally taking a toll on her own cybernetic body. Like a sensory overload that made her own body go crazy. Something that has happened before when Phoebe realized that the slave girl she had taken under her custody, Kita, had run away after seeing Phoebe perform surgery on Bravado Diego while alive.
The mental pain that Phoebe felt during that moment was so intense that her own body went overboard. Causing the entire facility she was in to overload with electricity and basically break appart. And right now… the same thing was happening again.
POP!
An electric spark came out from her mouth as she laughed. She still continued to laugh however… even as the gurgling sounds of blood pouring out from her mouth were added to the mixture of insane laughter. Not just her mouth was showing off those human liquids she still had on her inside however. From underneath her eyes, blood came pouring out like tears. Decorating Phoebe’s deranged face in a sinister coat of red. And still, she was laughing. And how she was laughing…
“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”
The air rumbled from her unstoppable laughter, and clouds in the air were once again brewing up a storm. From afar, the same popping noises could be heard as Phoebe’s overload was causing electric equipment from far away to overlord to the point where the electricity sparked out. Electric equipment, lamps, whatever had some kind of power source running through itself was experiencing this unfortunate and unintentional wrath of Phoebe’s insanity.
Not even her androids were safe. Those that continued to stand in battle would eventually find themselves shaking as all the electricity that was inside of them overloaded to the point where their circuits overloaded to the point not even reached by the hypercharge. Causing any android to instantly fall over and turn off...
The manic laughter spread far and wide. Phoebe’s own insanity had shown itself in a way that no one else has ever experienced before. No one else has come to witness Phoebe’s insane side on such a scale that it literally became a detriment to both herself and anything around herself. Even now as this was all happening, Phoebe continued to laugh, despite her own blood pouring from her orifices.
Despite the many sides that Phoebe had, she had often showcased her own insanity. Whether that be through her immense hatred of pirates and how happy she is when it comes to torturing and killing them, or her emotions when people actively got in her way and ruined her business. And right now, she was experiencing both of those things at the same time. Which combined into pure and utter insanity.
And then, finally…
“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Hahahahahaha! Hahahaha… Hahaha…”
The laughter slowed down, and then finally stopped. Her expression stuck in place. Showing off empty eyes with blood pouring out from underneath them, and a wide, insane grin where blood also dropped down from it. She looked like a dead animatronic frozen in place. A creature right out of a horror novel. All while still seemingly looking down at Dolphus.
Tick-tick.
A brief metallic clang came from her feet as she swiftly turned around to face Phantombeard. Her face still frozen and mangled in a horrific nature. Her head occasionally twitches in an uncanny way as some sparks emitted from it. There was nothing. All she did was… stare.
The air became colder...
Dolphus watched the change in mood, Phoebe's change in behavior altering the very atmosphere of Obscuria. Her laughter echoed, as every source of energy of the island seemed to be drained of its sources. An unnatural smile was etched unto her face, causing Dolphus to recoil back. He attempted to run but after two steps, he fell on his face, kissing the burnt ground.
He wanted to move, but his body, in a paralyzed state of fear, simply couldn't. He wanted to talk, but his voice betrayed him and all that came out were whimpers. He had done himself in, not because of the massive waves of pirates he had angered, but because of the well-known Marine he had requested. Pictures of it all flooded his mind, of the Slaughter and Bell Pirates, the androids, the mall he had made and the plan he had created from the very start.
"All because they booted me out." Dolphus did not stand, or even move from his spot on the floor, his breathing was still audible and he was very much alive but he had passed out, it was his only way of escaping the current situation.
Contrasting Dolphus' response, Ephraim could only laugh in unison with Phoebe. Sounds akin to a coyote escaped his lips, as even beneath his mask, his eyes nearly teared up. A smile formed, though it was more reserved than that of his adversary. It quickly turned into a grin, and as the air grew colder, everything growing dark, Ephraim felt, as if the true nature of Obscuria was being reflected by the Marine.
His hands touched the ground, and his shadow expanded, mixing in with the imminent darkness. Moments later, from every direction around Phoebe, tendrils of blackness surged from underground, some hoping to immobilize her while others aimed to directly damage her. Even though Dolphus was knocked out, Ephraim made no efforts of capturing the Noble, instead focusing solely on Phoebe.
---
Time passed and Obscuria became even darker than before. Parts of the scenery appeared to be destroyed, thought it was all contained to a single area. No longer was there light, or any sounds that boomed when the fight had ensued. The earth sizzled and was scorched to its core and lying on this very earth was Phantombeard.
A groan escaped his lips, his shattered mask separated into bits. Blood poured from his head and as he coughed and gasped desperately for breath, he still managed to chuckle. He had failed. Despite the hatred he felt towards Dolphus for betraying him, he still didn’t seem quite fazed by the seriousness of the situation.
In front of him laid not one, but two Marines, two Marines that had defeated the veteran. Surely, the early waters were growing stronger. He managed to lift his torso, his arms shaking slightly, and he slumped himself against a nearly destroyed tree.
“Out of all the outcomes I could’ve predicted, I sure did not expect this one.”
Benjamin panted from the previous battle. "Thanks Phoebe," he said, "I owe you one." If it wasn't thanks to her intervention, Benjamin might've been done for. He took out the pair of Seastone cuffs he had kept on his person, approaching the pirate warily as he prepared to slap them on his wrists.
Even now, Phoebe smiled. Even as she was panting after fighting so much, she continued to smile. Her body having been empowered similar to the Hypercharge due to the Sensory Overload has made Phoebe push her own body without even realizing it. The whole process was more like a trance-like state without her even knowing what has happened. Pupils still empty as Phoebe resembled something akin to a wild animal as she fought. Such violence and hatred that was born from deep seated anger.
What has she gained by coming here? Absolutely nothing.
Only after she had fought was she able to calm down. Hadn’t Phantombeard been here, Phoebe would’ve vented her anger on others. And not just pirates. The terribly unstable mind was what made Phoebe such a threat to begin with. Both for good and bad, depending on how you look at it. The crazed mind that made this human function was ultimately her greatest drawback as well. At some point, skill and intelligence finds its end.
The color within her eyes slowly came back to her. She remembered what happened, of course. It’s not like she did anything that she didn’t want to. Enraged, she simply does what she wants to do, no matter what might happen. Phoebe cared for the innocent people for as long as her own twisted mind allowed.
She turned her head, and looked at Benjamin as he approached Phantombeard. Still smiling, but a lot more crazed than what was typical for her. Her eye twitched, as her body was practically malfunctioning due to the overload still. Slowly walking towards him as he approached the pirate on the ground.
“Oooohohooo… Indeed, you owe me one.”
Ksh… Ksh… Kssh-- KSSSSSHHHH!
The Plasma-Cutter on her left arm activated, and she immediately raised the incredibly deadly blade all the way up to Benjamin’s neck to stop him from walking forward. Letting its concentrated heat warm up his neck, but not doing what is needed to actually slash at him. No, this was more so a gesture of a threat. Her patience had been toyed around with for long enough, and she could not even act kind anymore. Not even towards another fellow Marine whom she thinks normally does a good job.
“You owe me an apology for being WORTHLESS! Just like your stupid brother! Like, did you even TRY?! I expected more from you, but in the end I had to come and save you from this filthy pirate! I’ve lost enough already today, I’ve been lied to the whole time without me knowing, used like nothing but a mere pawn, and in the end what did we gain?! NOTHING! ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! This whole operation was nothing but a failure from start to finish!”
As she finished she pulled that deadly weapon away from Benjamin’s neck, but her anger was still very much present, and visible on her face as well. Even as she was smiling. It just turned it more and more crazy the more upset she got.
“If you think what you did today was good, then you’re wrong. No wonder you and Azrael started working together. You both reek of failure. I’m too frustrated to deal with you. Put those seastone cuffs on this fool and leave him to me. He’s not going to Impel Down, oh no… I’ve got a worse fate prepared for him. I've got another criminal to take care of right now... Hehehehe...”
The Plasma-Cutter on her arm was turned off, and she turned away from Benjamin. Walking towards where another certain criminal who had been using her this whole time was waiting for her. Leaving Benjamin to hopefully not embarrass himself again against a weakened pirate.
Thus, after a walk that merely took a few minutes away from the battlefield, she went towards the very man that dragged her into this mess. Saint Dolphus. The reason behind every loss that she had to suffer through today. All the respect she had for him before due to his status was gone. And all that was left was hatred towards him. And an intense desire to make him pay for what he had done.
The air crew colder as the metallic presence of Phoebe finally returned back to Dolphus. Still smiling. Eerily. Like this very expression was forced onto her for the rest of the day. Remaining awfully calm, despite what he had done to her.
“Saint Dolphus… No, Dolphus. No… Dirtbag. That’s what you are. A greedy, slimy bastard of a man. You have pulled me down into the dung that you live in. After everything that I had to do for you, you can’t even repay me. You’ve scammed me. Betrayed me. And I need to tell you that I absolutely DESPISE traitors. Your status means nothing to me anymore. You are nothing more than a tiny piece of crap that has been pushed out during the birthing of the Celestial Dragons. But hey… that’s just an uncomfortable part of giving birth. It’s just a shame that it took so many years to finally clean it up.”
Phoebe slowly raised her arm, with her index finger pointed forward. A sizzling noise could be heard. A crackling. Electricity building up inside of it, and a sinister glare visible on Phoebe’s face. Throughout the whole day, she did not have a single moment of pure joy. But now, the time has finally come.
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to kill you~! But this will be the very last moment in your existence where it will actually feel like you are still alive! Ahahahahaaaaaaa!!! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAAAAA!! AAAAAAHHH-- HAAA HAAA HAA HAHAHAAAAAAA!!”
Her laughter echoed throughout the area once again. Loud enough so that Phantombeard and Benjamin got to have the chance to hear it as well. Because now, Phoebe released a concentrated shock of electricity to completely fry up the man responsible for this horrible day.
Not strong enough to kill him. But electrocuting him enough to the point where he won’t be smart enough to properly think anymore, but still smart enough to understand pain and endless torment, as Phoebe will bestow upon him a fate worse than death. A deranged puppet who shall serve as a test subject for her experiments. No intelligence left to plead for his life, and just the strength left to scream in terror and pain as she shall curse the rest of his life with an existence that is not worth living for.
As Phoebe's plasma blade was aimed towards his neck, he turned his head, just enough to look back into Phoebe's eyes, a look of malice within them. He didn't care that she was a higher rank than he was, but the idea that she would dare compare him to his brother, and threaten him because of it was both insulting and infuriating. After a fraction of a second, not being perturbed in the slightest by how unhinged she appeared, Benjamin continued his walk forward.
"I've heard what you do with the criminals you capture, and frankly, that won't fly with me. I'm not taking Phantombeard with me. We'll be going to Impel Down." He slapped the Seastone cuffs on the pirate, just in time to hear the sound of Phoebe's attack and maniacal laughter. He whirled around, his eyes widening at the sight of her assault on Dolphus. "What the hell are you doing!"
Dolphus' eyes turned completely white and his skin slightly greenish. Whether he heard Phoebe's words or not remained unknown but as a powerful current of electricity coursed through his body, burning and shocking the man who was once a World Noble. A scream, no a howl of pain escaped his lips repeatedly. Saliva dropped down unto the floor as he continued his screams, which gradually became lower and lower. He fell unto his own puddled mess, groaning several times. There he stood, a defeated dragon.
The manic smile on Phoebe’s face still persisted. She felt a lot lighter all of the sudden. Getting to vent her deep seated anger on the very man responsible for it. Seeing him squirm as her electricity coursed through his body and knocked him down was so cathartic. Finally, some joy after all the trouble she had to put herself through today. Obscuria was indeed a dark place. But dim light was the only darkness it had known of so far. But now, it knew another side of darkness.
Crouching down, she took a hold onto Dolphus’ leg and began to drag him around. Having turned around and returning to Benjamin who simply doesn’t know when he should listen. And here she was, thinking that at least Benjamin would’ve been at least some use to her. But now, she knows better.
“What am I doing, you ask? Well Benjamin, let me ask you something as well… What were YOU doing? The first moment I saw you, you popped out of a black ball created by this Phantombeard. You had been trapped, helplessly. Weak. Worthless. Had Phantombeard not taken the fight to me, your fate would have been sealed. And you still dare question me? You are so much like your brother! So idiotic!”
Phoebe walked closer. That everlasting smile on her face simply wouldn’t fade. Like the malfunction of her body from before caused her face to be stuck this way.
“”What the hell are you doing!” he says. Well Benjamin, allow me to explain! When I came to this island, this man I am holding made a deal that he’d pay me for four of my androids! A World Noble, I think! What an incredible deal! Oh, or so thought. Ohoooo… No, it was all nothing but a ruse. A lie. Fraud! What did I do? I defended this scumbag’s life against two attacking pirate crews with the best of my abilities! Dozens of pirates! The Slaughter Pirates! The Bell Pirates! I’ve had to deal with all of that!”
She got even closer. Even though she smiled, the rage in her eyes returned as the color in her eyes shrunk, alongside her pupils. Her expression got even more crazed.
“I deal with all of that, and nothing comes out of it! A loss for me! A loss for the World Government! Nothing was achieved today! Ahah-- AHAAAA! A-a-a--HHAHA! AAA-AND YOU! AND THEN YOU APPEAR! What were you even doing here?! Did you hold off any of the pirates?! No, YOU WERE CAUGHT BY THIS FOOL AND THEY ESCAPED! I didn’t fight with you, no! The whole time I FOUGHT ALONE! WORTHLESS! USELESS! TRASH! IDIOT!”
Her anger grew stronger, and she began to pant from exhaustion. Not even her body wanted to play along with her insanity anymore. It needed rest. But Phoebe couldn’t rest as long as she saw Benjamin.
“Oh right… haaaa… You asked… What I was doing… Heheheheeee… It’s obvious, of course. It’s justice.”
Everything was silent. The only thing that could be heard was the howling of the ominous wind that traveled throughout the plains. Phoebe walked closer. She put the very man that Phantombeard was coming for right next to him. Basically having done the job he wanted to do in the first place. Except that she aimed to keep Dolphus alive. There were no more opponents for Phoebe to face. It was over.
“These two are mine now. Benjamin, it’s time that you leave. Your work here is done. And, you will no longer question me. You will no longer oppose me. Their fates have been decided the moment they crossed paths with me. And I am not letting someone as worthless as you decide what I can and cannot do with criminals. They deserve nothing but the worst. Their very existence shall be punished by me.”
Phoebe then raised both of her hands. Showing off her palms, which began to crackle with electricity as she still had energy inside of herself. There was no more opponent. But there was still someone standing in her way. All the respect she had for Benjamin was gone. He was nothing but another Marine who stood in her way of justice. And after his miserable performance today, she does not even value his life anymore either.
His gaze narrowed as he glared at Phoebe. The rear admiral that had been spoken so highly of, so well-decorated for her actions against pirates, was showing her true colors now. He wouldn't refute her claims that he was an idiot, as bad as his brother, even though he knew them not to be true. Because he knew one thing, that this woman was a monster. "I'll get out of your sight, but I'm not leaving without these two. You speak of justice, but your hatred blinds you, blinds you to such a degree you'd mock and threaten an ally. It doesn't matter their crimes, a long and tortuous fate isn't deserved by anyone. What you want isn't justice, what you want is to simply pleasure yourself with the agony of those who have wronged you, to the point you'd even attack a World Noble!" He stepped between Phoebe and Ephraim and Dolphus. "Phantombeard and Dolphus are both going into my custody, or would you prefer to attack a fellow officer and become recognized as a criminal yourself?"
Treachery
Arriving back to the Wild Hunt, weary and disappointed, the Slaughter Pirates began packing away all they could as they dragged the injuries members onto the deck. Gai himself found the strength to carry a tired out Aiko cradled in his arms as he walked up the boardwalk, his own face bruised and sweating from his encounter with Phoebe. Who that man was that saved them was a mystery, but he was someone that Gai now owed thanks to his heroic interruption. Placing Aiko down on the deck next to a couple of crates and resting her head gently onto the ground, Gai began walking back towards the island, though not before pulling out another flaregun that hung on the side of Aiko's belt. On his way out, Gai tossed the flaregun to a nearby crew member, his eyes set dead before him and paying no further attention to everyone around him. Many members who saw this wasn't quite sure of the captain's actions, but wouldn't have been all to surprised if he was planning to try and get another stab at Phoebe. His arms remained stiff by his sides and his steps thumped on the ground with power, the obvious signs that he was out to get revenge.
"U-uh, captain? Are you sure you want to go back to whatever that thing is?" The crew member asked in a shaky voice, looking in confusion at the flare gun in his hands.
"...I'm going out to find Rena and Alfhild. We're not leaving this island until I find them and bring them back here. If trouble comes close to the boat, fire the flare gun and pray that I'm close enough to see it." Gai instructed without missing a beat, his back fully turned to the crew once he had finished his sentence.
"Aye aye, captain." The crew member replied as he went back to business, helping the others begin preparing the vessel for departure.
"I should probably need to find the Devil's Cellar if I want to start looking for those two. Just where could they be?" Gai thought out loud to himself a worried tone as he disappeared into the trees and shrubs of the forest that laid on the outskirts of the beach.
Making his way through the environment didn't seem to phase Gai at all as he shoved the vegetation out of his way, kicking rocks to the side and even breaking through more lanky tree trunks that stood in his way with his Fish-man strength, as their bodies exploded in an eruption of splinters that sprayed in front of Gai. As he tried to make his way through the forest seemed to grow wider and wider, making Gai feel as though he had been walking for hours, especially with the confrontation before. The captain persevered and continued on his path as he punched through another tree that stood in his way, not even standing back to allow the tree to fall but instead walked under as the top of the tree fell right over him.
"Imagine. You nearly killed off your entire crew, ONCE AGAIN! What a captain you are, leading your men right into danger." His own voice mocked him in his head, causing the captain to clamp his teeth tight and arch his eyes further down in anger.
"...I didn't know." He muttered to himself, speaking through his clenched teeth with a muffled voice.
"You never know. You used that same excuse last time you got them stranded. WHICH, might I remind you is why they're even like this!" The voice carried on, "You're crew should have stayed dead that day. That way, they wouldn't have to be disappointed by another failure on your part."
Gai shook his head as he tried to hold himself back from screaming, now stopping in place as the air around him began to tighten, the atmosphere he stood in dropping quickly. "...How many months since that day? How many lives have I taken since that day just to feed them? Is this what I get? Is this some sort of joke? I don't know what I've done to deserve this, but if they are the trial some benevolent being has put to me just so that I can find her, then so be it. They wouldn't have been in this mess if I wasn't looking for her in the first place."
"I bet she doesn't even want you. MAYBE, that's why she left in the first place! If you end up finding her again, you'll just disappoint her as well after she spent all that time hiding away from you."
"Y-you can't say that." Gai whispered under his breath, proceeding to start walking forward once again.
"And your father? I guess he wasn't lucky enough to run away from you in time. THAT'S WHY HE TREATED YOU LIKE THAT ALL THAT TIME! He fucking HATES your guts. Him teaching you his art was just out of pity, and look at you! You thought it was him trying to carry on the family tradition, when in fact he just felt sorry for you."
"I don't need that man's pity. Fuck off." Gai snapped back quickly under his breath.
"AND YOUR GRANDFATHER! He kicked you out the very moment he could! It was obvious he hated you! Though, any self-respecting World Noble would too if their grandson wasn't even totally human."
"Stop."
"At this point, your whole crew probably hates you entirely from all the trouble you've dragged them into. Imagine. Having to constantly raid villages every single week, just to feed a few brain-dead pirates some meat because their captain still sees them as 'friends'? AND NOT TO MENTION, they're only being sailed about because their captain has mommy issues and thinks he'll be able to fix that by searching for a woman he doesn't even know is alive!"
"Please. I-I said, stop."
"You're weak, Gai. Always have been, always will. You could never protect the ones you care about. And you maybe never will. YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE THE CLOSEST THINGS YOU HAVE TO FRIENDS LEFT, EVEN ARE! You're alone, and will ALWAYS BE ALONE."
"I SAID STOP."
In that moment, in absolute fury, Gai forced his arms outward to the sides, black armour seemingly covering his hands as they moved across and outward from his body. This didn't seem to be all to it, as a loud burst of noise exploded from his hands combined with his cry of anguish, leaving Gai oblivious to the fact that the ground around and behind him suddenly split and erupt with energy that and pushed it apart. Sand, dirt and grass rained behind the captain as he finally fell forwards onto his knees and realise just how painful it had all become, his hands coming to rest right on top of his lap, with him still unaware of the fact that both his hands were coated in a black layer. His breathing became heavier and quicker, sweat still trickling down the sides of his temple, and the feeling of guilt weighing down his entire body as if they were physical weights the were chained to every one of his limbs.
"...I said, stop."
From the bushes beside him, a figure stepped out into view as the branches flung back into place, their steps sounding gentle and soft on the rigid path that Gai was following. Still lost in his thoughts, Gai blindly looked up to see who the figure was, his vision becoming intensely blurry as the figure blended in with the green and blue of the forest and sky. It was as if his head was pushed underwater, though it still felt like fresh air was passing in and out his nose instead of the salty sea . The figure approached him and knelt down in front of him, their black and red clothing slightly hindering their movements, implying that they were perhaps wearing a dress due to the amount of time it took them to get to his level. Even if it was still a blur, Gai could still make out certain things about them from all the time he's spent in the water, being able to make out their light skinned hand move the fiery orange hair to the side to reveal what may had been two large blue eyes looking right into him.
The figure caressed the side of the captain's face and filled him with a surprised sense of comfort in their presence, feeling as if his head sunk into the palm of their hand as it moved from the upper end of his jawline to the bottom. He wanted to ask who they were, but his throat lacked the strength to push his voice out. Bringing his hand up to hold onto their arm, the black layer that covered it quickly faded away, his touch causing the figure to gently giggle in a pleasant way. He could stay like this forever, sinking into the warm and safe embrace of this figure's hands. In his state of blind realisation, Gai formed a smile on his face and found the strength to voice out his thoughts:
"Please. Join my crew!" he exclaimed in desperate excitement.
The figure laughed at Gai's offer, their other hand being brought to cover their mouth as they began speaking. "Oh my, that's quite a silly proposal."
As his heart began to sink into his chest, Gai's smile lost its strength and slowly formed into a frown, not before his jaw slightly dropped from place upon hearing the mysterious figure's remark. "...W-why is that?"
"Well, how can I join something I'm already a part of?"
In that brief moment of processing the figure's response, his eye sight recovered to present him with a familiar face. In an instant, his eyes sparkled with joy as he flung himself forward and threw his arms around the figure, his smile returning stronger than ever. "You're such an idiot, Rena."
After Chime had managed to fix the Bell Pirates' yacht, and the crew had hurriedly left the lands of Obscuria, the usual chirpy atmosphere of the crew was no more. Even if they had left with their lives, and gained plenty of members, it still didn't feel quite the same. The members of the crew laid throughout the ship, that was, until in a weakened state, Dan appeared.
He appeared from within one of the rooms, several bandages wrapped around where his arm should've been. Yao assisted him and likely, had treated him too. He managed to sit on the ship's deck, and for a few moments the world grew silent. The many materials, and weapons they had gained were stored. "...."
Mei-bun remained nearby, her legs close together and she looked down at the ground as if avoiding the tension in the atmosphere. She didn't know what to say, or what to do. Just a few hours ago, she was no more than a slave, and now here stood her savior, completely destroyed.
Following behind, an injured Alfhild walked behind but strayed away towards Cibil, who was busy sitting on the railing looking out to the sea with her legs swinging in and out of the gaps between the bars. Besides Yao and Dan, Cibil was the only other member of the Bell Pirates that Alfhild had come to know, since their encounter during the evacuation. After just having got back out to feel the sea breeze, Alfhild thought it would have been best to leave the captain with the first mate and go and sit herself next to someone she knew.
"...Do you know where Rena, is?" Alfhild asked in a weary voice.
Cibil looked over her shoulder with a depressed smile, only showing part of her teeth before her mouth closed up. "Your doctor? She said you would have to leave with us once captain Dan had returned. I don't think we can spend anymore time on that island." Cibil answered in a defeated tone, "I have a feeling though that we'll be meeting them though in a bit, the cards are always right!" She said as she flicked her hand up to reveal a card that slipped up her sleeve and inbetween her two fingers.
"That damn doctor. Must already be trying to replace me as first mate it seems." Alfhild smiled before lifting herself over and sitting next to Cibil on the railing, her legs joining in swinging with Cibil's.
"Your doctor seems real nice. Reminds me of someone I met back there at the Devil's Cellar. Real friendly guy with a fishing pole and stuff, said he was looking for the 'All-Blue'?" Cibil said in a subtle way to defend Rena, her eyes concentrated on the horizon of the sea.
"Heh. We also recruited a guy like that into our crew not too long ago. What's his name again, Taro? Urashima Taro?" Alfhild thought out loud.
Nursing the injuries he sustained from his own battle against the android, Suzaku glanced around his crewmates taking note of each of their current condition before he settled his eyes upon Dan who was now clearly missing a limb, his arm to be exact. Mentally debating wither or not to point of the fact of said missing appendage, he shifted his eyes to the sea in reflection.
"Your an idiot Dan, I just want you to know that." He muttered aloud enough for his captain to hear before glancing at his armless captain from the corner of his eyes before frowning in slight remorse at what would be a hinderance to his capabilities until he either got used to it or found a good prosthetic, both which wouldn't be easy.
"While we managed to sell the weapon, we clearly lost more than we gained, not to mention the possible increase to our bounties which will put us in more conflict with the World Government and Pirates alike." Turning fully to face Dan, Suzaku waved his hand carelessly in the air indicating the missing arm.
"If we plan to survive we need to get stronger or at the very least expand our abilities." Turning to the resident Doctor and as Suzaku called him the resident idiot number 2, he studied Yao briefly before turning his eyes back to Dan's missing limb.
"Is his arm in good enough condition to get a prosthetic?"
"Maybe. We dunno yet, honestly. We'll see how things go when Danny heals." Yao said, reassuringly tapping his shoulder.
"Glad to see you up, Dan." Chime spoke, being among the many new crewmates the Bell Pirates picked up on their most recent excursion. Chime eyed Dan up and down, while Yao had stabilized him, it didn't take a cybernetic eye to see that Dan still had a while to go for recovery.
Chime's gaze then shifted to Yao. Chime cracked a smile. "So, how're you liking the new infirmary?" Chime couldn't help but peek in on how the crew were enjoying the new additions. Although, it was unclear whether it was the additions to the ship, or the crew itself he was really peeking in on. If there was a difference.
"The infirmary? Oh, yeah, it's nice. Thanks for the help, dude. Didn't think you'd join us." Yao responded scratching the back of his head. The atmosphere too, was getting to him.
"I...I'm sorry things turned out this way everyone." Dan finally spoke, gathering the attention of his crew members. "It definitely sucks. It sucks balls y'know, everything that happened, and how it all went down. But we're alive. We should be thankful for that. And we finally got some friends too." he noted, looking at Mei-bun, Cibil and Chime, and finally, at the android on the floor.
Rolling his eyes Suzaku started to wonder why he didn't just ignore Dan when he approached him all that time back, maybe then he wouldn't have to deal with the headaches of being apart of a crew of idiots.
"Don't worry about the small stuff Dan, we're alive and kicking.... for the most part anyways."
Chime looked at Dan as he spoke. The leadership the young man boasted, it was more than Chime’s old employers could ever show. Chime then spun around on the floors of the deck, and laid eyes on those around him.
“We can either sit here and wheep all day, or make the most of this. At times like these, we need our morale the most. So get your asses up!” Chime ordered, the bass in his voice called out like a deep groan in a cave. It echoed out, and if Chime’s hoped were realized, enticingly draw those around him to follow.
Then, Chime looked to the android. His eyes going flat at the sight of what now only appeared to be a hunk of junk. But for all he knew, it could aim to kill at any moment. Chime gripped the machine by its hand, pulling it below deck. “I’ll see what I can do with this thing. Come by my workshop when you’re up for it, Captain.”
"...wait, Chime." Dan called out as he grabbed the android. "Y-you're right, we need to make the best of this." While he was definitely saddened, scarred even, both mentally and physically. They had definitely gained some things, some friends over this experience. "I think we should greet her, or it? Now. Yao."
"On it." With his hands glowing a light blue as he located the part of the android he had pulled out, it suddenly disappeared, and within moments the android would awaken.
The lifeless body of the android suddenly had a jolt of electricity burst through. Energy coursing throughout its body, and the awakening of it having been announced with a start-up jingle. As if a program just got turned on again. The machinery within its body receiving the electricity it needed to function, and for the android to once again function. The color within its eyes returned, and soon after, black dots, indicating her pupils lit up inside of them.
“PB-Android: Model 11. Status: Operational. Reboot successful. Accessing Memory Drive…”
“...”
“...”
She quietly looked around.
“...”
“Ah…”
“...”
“C-Complete. Assessing situation…”
The android turned its head around to inspect its surroundings. Being met with faces of the pirates and various other new faces. Some that she recognized. It then turned itself around to further inspect its surroundings and assess the situation. Nothing seemed familiar. In fact, everything seemed very out of place. This wasn’t a situation the android was meant to find herself in.
“Assessing complete. Calculating… Probability of having been kidnapped by pirates: 100%... Uh… Uuuuh… AAAH I AM UNABLE TO KEEP THIS CHARADE UP ANY LONGER! WHAT AM I DOING HERE?! WHERE ARE MY SISTERS?! WHERE IS MISS PHOEBE?! WHAT DID YOU DO?! WHAT DID YOU DO?!”
It tried to act like a casual robot, because from the start it knew something was severely wrong. But it couldn’t handle it. Phoebe’s androids were perfectly capable of feeling stressed. And this situation definitely called for it to be stressed. It frantically looked around with a concerned expression. She backed away on all fours, until her back was met with a wall.
“How did I even end up here, all my memories are hazy! I think I have lost data after the Hypercharge… And now I’m on a ship full of evil, mean pirates with a low power reserve! This could not be worse! I.. I see you looking at me! Quit it! Ah!”
The android proceeded to cover its face with both of its hands. Rocking her body from side to side in an attempt to somehow calm herself down. Really wishing that it was just dreaming right about now. But androids don’t have dreams. This was all very much real, and she did not like it at all.
“Wow wow wow.” Dan shook his hands, well, hand, anxiously as to signal her to calm down. He flinched in place as the android looked around several times, its voice reverberating through the nearby water. His head ached slightly from the previous fight, though he tried his best not to show it.
Out of all the scenarios he could’ve foreseen, Dan did not foresee this one. “We’re not mean…are we guys?” He asked his crew for reassurance. “I mean we did kinda kidnap you didn’t we....” He closed his eyes at her request. “There we go. Not lookin’ at you. Could you uh…tell me your name now?”
“I really shouldn’t be here. Oh, I really shouldn’t be here. I’ve been kidnapped and can’t escape… I wasn’t prepared for this. Whatever you are trying to do with me, it’s not worth it! Miss Phoebe will definitely come to save me! You are making a huge mistake! If you really care about your lives then you would turn this ship around and hand me back without causing any trouble! Just.. just think about what I can do that you are not yet aware of!”
To back up her claim, one of her eyes suddenly flashed with a brief white light. Something was churning on her inside as her mouth widened. Then, a small polaroid of Dan’s face was printed out of it. She picked it up in order to present it to him. She might not have the energy needed to fight back, but she can still take pictures.
“See? I am sure you didn’t expect me to do this. Now… Think of all the other possibilities. I could… Self-destruct, and take you all with me! You wouldn’t want to risk dooming yourself by keeping me with you, right? So, please return me! I don’t have a name other than Model 11, but, I am sure I will get a name from Miss Phoebe at some point. There are other models who get names so I don’t see why I wouldn’t get one…”
Dan’s eyes shrunk as he looked at the picture. He attempted to look at it from various angles, from the side, bending down to see it from below, and even standing on the tip of his toes. He gulped loudly, and his lips quivered as if he was unable to speak. “Y-yao, am I really this ugly?”
Where the others to see the image, they’d see the most horrendous expression Dan could possibly make, despite the fact that nearly through the whole ordeal he had kept his face between his palms.
"We're gonna get you a spa day, man." Yao replied. "You're not ugly, just...battered."
“Is this why I’m doomed to be single…” his voice could be heard, and were the others to look, he’d be in one of the corners of the deck, shrunk up into a ball.
Sighing loudly and somewhat painfully as his body still ached, Dan rose up once more to look at the android, placing his right hand on his hip.
“Miss Phoebe? That’s the crazy gal, right?” Dan said, scoffing as he remembered the sheer anger both he and Phoebe had. Just what had it taken to get someone to that level…
“Look I don’t wanna rain on your parade n’ all but she’s not coming back.” He didn’t seem threatened at all by Model-11, in fact, it almost seemed as if he’d welcome her alternative outcome. “Look, for better or for worse, you’re stuck with us, at least for now.”
The android leaned her head to the side after listening to Dan. An expression of confusion and further disbelief as he spoke to her. Generally she seemed to be really confused by this whole situation. The fact that she even landed her didn’t quite sit well with her. Because it simply wouldn’t be possible.
“She’s not coming back? What do you mean? You didn’t kill her, did you? No… You couldn’t have. We androids would get alerted should anything ever happen to her. You are just trying to scare me! You pirates are truly the worst. This is why Miss Phoebe told me no one likes you.”
“...”
“And yes, you’re ugly too. I didn’t bother mentioning it at first because I thought it was obvious...”
She was clearly upset about being here. This was not a good situation to find herself in still. But she stood back up, now that she managed to somewhat calm down. Walking around the deck to further inspect and analyze her surroundings. She wasn’t on a high alert anymore. Her mood changed rather quickly.
“Pirates shouldn’t have such a nice looking ship. You must’ve clearly stolen it. Though it’s not big enough to gold too large of a crew either. You are a small pirate crew. Does the ship work with electricity, since I do not see a sail anywhere. It must clearly be automatic in some capacity. Where are you taking me? If you have the audacity to keep me trapped here then you could at least give me my own room too. I am no mere machine. I have needs too.”
"Oi, don't talk shit about my yacht!" Yao retorted. "We didn't steal it. I technically own it. And so what if it's small? Motion of the ocean, not the size of the boat..."
Yao looked up to Dan. "So we're doing this?" he asked. "Renting out a room to, uh. Model-11 here?"
“Champagne but the cham is silent…” it was almost as if he had been pierced by an arrow by the way his posture slouched and his hand and torso dropped, almost like a zombie. He would’ve sulked some more, had Yao not spoken up, proudly defending his parents’ yacht…which he stole. He shook his head, his mane of black hair moving along with it. “Oi, oi, I definitely have good looks!” He said angrily, pointing at the android.
“Second off, slow the fuck down. You talk too fast. ‘Miss Phoebe’ as you called her gave me the biggest headache I’ve had, and no, I didn’t kill her. Not that I could’ve even if I wanted too.” his voice trailed off momentarily. “I do have to say though, she’s put some things in your head hasn’t she? We’re definitely well-liked…I think. And we’ve BARELY done anything illegal.”
He then whispered to Yao, “I don’t know yet, I’m definitely not enough of a dick to throw her overboard but her attitude definitely annoys me…”
Yao grinned mischievously. "Don't worry Danny," the doctor began. "Give me the word and I'll toss her for ya. No one makes fun of the size of my boat..."
"Wow, wow, Yao, a little too intense man!" Dan shook his hand anxiously. His attention switched from his First Mate to the android who still kept assessing the ship as if inspecting it's legitimacy. To think just moments before she was panicking, and now even her tone sounded condescending.
Dan leaned back on the ship's railing, and his mind begun to overthink. The android annoyed him, most definitely. She was rude, pompous, talkative and disrespectful, almost like an icon. Granted, they had kidnapped her. He looked down at the ground. Why had he done it? Why had he ordered Yao to do as he did? Was he taking his anger out on it? To make whoever harmed his friends feel what he did? Or was it because he wasn't thinking clearly? It all became fuzzy to him...
He looked back at Model-11, his mind instantly thinking about his latest opponent. His guess was that she had made Model-11, and much like her other creations, they were her personal weapons. She had filled them with prejudice about pirates, about people that weren't on their side. Dan crossed his arms, continuing to inspect the android, the sea's waves oddly calming him.
"If we took care of Model-11 here, she'd be proving herself right, wouldn't she...Nah, we're better than that. I'll show her how wrong she is."
Dan's fist tightened, and slowly a smile crept unto his lips. "It's settled then. Guys, we'll show her..." he groaned loudly as he stood straight up once more. "That we're not as trashy as that Phoebe thinks." His smile turned into a grin, his usual mood coming back to him.
"Oi, I'll show you. That not all pirates are trash. Did'ya hear me Model-11, or should I say Bell Icon." he stated confidently.
"D-dan...is that the best you could come up with?" Mei-bun asked shyly, attempting to hold back her laughter.
"H-hey, it'll stick, alright?! Her name's Icon, now, okay?! I C O N, I said!"