| Role-Play |
| Metrics |
| Role-Play Name: Battle of El Dorado Date Started: May 6, 2018 |
Calm before a Storm[]
Legs had sailed ahead of the remainder of her fleet upon her own flagship, Justice, a massive, island sized fortress on the seas. Despite only being a single ship, it required virtually an army for it to function properly. On board, there were dozens of shipwrights and engineers scurrying around to ensure that it would run at max efficiency, and thousands of men on-board to man the hundreds of cannons and weaponry that constituted it. Still, this was common practice. She would often do damage with her flagship, and then send in her fleet so secure the rest, when she was directly involved. A majority of the time, it was Wolfgang’s job to travel around the world, conquering in her name, but now, he was off doing some great deeds in her name…or maybe not. He was a tad bit uncontrollable. Loveable, but uncontrollable.
Legs sat up from her seat, pulling herself from her slumber. Such was the common practice before a battle. She often ate and napped to conserve her energy. It was a practice she was used to. She learned It as a child on Wano and retained the habit even into her early fifties. She stood up, stepped into her elevator at the end of her office, and waited as she was carried ten stories down onto the deck of the ship, where her executives of the crew waited patiently. She could always pick them out. While a majority of her army ran around desperately preparing for battle, they were seen waiting, smiling, and enjoying the peace before the storm.
She stepped from the elevator, approaching the circle of people that awaited her: Wynn Erin, Jack Frost, Thatch Vincent, Zahara Annabeth, and Draco D. Indiana. “Erin,” Legs begun formally, “I want to thank you for joining us on this expedition today. You’re going to be pivotal to our plans when we reach El Dorado in an hour.” She turned to face the remainder of her executives, smiling as she did so. “Which, I hope you all remember, it to stay on the boat until I signal otherwise. We want to survey things out first, and there is no doubt that they’ve seen us coming. Suggestions, questions, concerns?”
Erin smiled at Legs. "Not a problem at all, I'm happy to disrupt the plans of the World Government. If I recall correctly this is a colony of Marines and World Government employed workers who mine gold for the Celestial Dragons right." He spoke.
"That's what she said to ya isn't it." Thatch sighed, twirling a sleek dagger in his hand. "Money comes out and the Celestial Dragons snatch get their pay to foster their vicious slave cycle again and again." Thatch sighed. He didn't really care about anyone on the island or their reasoning for whatever they were doing. He just wanted some new experimental data.
"Precisely why we're doing all this, kill those World Government bastards and take those shitty Celestial Dragons gold." Erin cheered. He was quite excited for all of this. Getting the government back for all the terrible things they'd done and an island full of terrible people getting shut down all in one blow.
"So Legs, do you really think we need all this for an island? I feel like most of us could take them down on our own. Regardless though I'm just ready to kill something and go back to my lab." Thatch spoke before turning to Annabeth. "How've you been recently, stilling working as hard as ever for the health of our crew?" His tone was much more cheery when speaking to her.
Jack seemed to have been in his own world for a moment. His mind wandering off as if it were a stray boat out at sea. On that boat, were the thoughts and memories of a little loud mouth brat he'd seemingly found himself tagged with more than often. He was, Buster D. Zack, adoptive son of Legs herself.
All Jack could hear in his head was, "You long-braided jackass." Over and over again like a broken record. Normal, one would find themselves annoyed but Jack seemed to have been pleased with it, as just the thought caused him to close his eyes as if it were some sort of good tasting food.
"That damned brat." He thought to himself, pausing to think about all the trials they'd faced together. "You better not die before I can see you again, Zack."
The opening of the elevator was like a signal to snap back to reality. "Erin hasn't been around for that long, Captain Legs," As he spoke, a cold mist left his mouth capable of causing those on the ship to shiver, "And I most certainly choose not to belittle his skills. But, don't you think it's a bit too early to trust him with pivotal duties? Again, this is by no means any disrespect to you, Erin."
A cup of tea at hand, Draco D. Indiana took a ship of it, before speaking, "As powerful together as we all are, Vincent." He mused, eyes closed. "Don't let it get to your head, lad." Another sip. Unlike Legs, Indiana had a different ritual before any battle, and that was to drink just any kind of tea.
He paid no mind at all towards Legs' comment to this Erin lad, after all, Indiana had never been one to warn Legs, he had never been one to feel jealous. Indiana trusted that Legs knew her own matters. For someone who had lived so long with Legs, such as Indiana, he could very well say that words weren't everything.
"Chill a bit, Jack-chan." Indiana opened one eye to glance at his companion, cup close to his mouth as he blew some air into it. "We have built several schemes for this attack, and the important is remembering that we are together in this, hmmmm," Indiana smiled, shrugging slightly. "Though, El Dorado certainly is a nice place! I'm looking forward to delving into it whenever possible."
"Yes, Indiana!" Legs announced, "Not the El Dorado thing, but about the scheme bit. Look, Jack. Thanks for your concern, I expect no less, but Erin is a trusted comrade of Thatch, and if Thatch trust him with his life I trust him with mine. Plus, even if he does betray us, Annabeth will help us out. Her job is to keep us alive after all," Legs joked, laughing following her statement.
Anna sat back, her expression bored. She was of the same mind that they brought far too many for a simple island. She shrugged. "I've been well; busy coordinating health networks and navigating tensions between ethnic/traditional medicine and the practice of more modern remedies. Progress is being made though," Anna responded.
She smirked. "I could always attach you to a tree. You're tall enough to be one anyway."
Legs chuckled at Annabeth's joke. "Yes, I guess that is true. But, let me be serious for like two minutes." Legs scratched her throat to verbalize her transition.
"To clarify, there is no room for failure; I will not tolerate it here. This island is important, moreso than important, it is essential in our empire's success. The gold reservoirs on this place almost dwarf the remaining reservoir of gold we have available in our Empire, and as we continue to grow, we need to acquire more resources. To hire more men, doctors, shipwrights, to maintain our nation, we require more funds, and this one island can supply us enough money to live as Kings and Queens for decades," Legs continued to speak.
"This is an opportunity to depower our enemies and empower ourselves. Do I make myself clear in that failure will have severe repercussions?"
Jack turned his attention to Indiana, who'd been doing his usual tea sipping. At times, his ritual reminded him of woman gossip, but he knew Indiana was far from that gender in both appearance and mindset. "If the Captain states this is okay, then I will 'chill'." Another one of his arctic fogs left his mouth, emphasizing the word "chill".
After his brief exchange with Indiana, Legs spoke and made herself heard among the deck of the ship. Following her declaration, Jack got on one knee and held his head down. Honoring not only her presence but her words. "Yes. I owe you my life, Captain." He responded, thinking back to when she saved him from nearly being imprisoned in Impel Down.
"Would suck to be that tree." Erin laughed, he could understand their weariness. "But as Legs said I'm here to help, taking out the World Government is something I'm always up for." He stated, giving a nod to the rest of the crew. He was excited to get things underway.
"Excellent as always Annabeth." Thatch hummed happily as he turned his attention to Legs. Her words were firm and powerful, befitting of a Yonko such as herself. "Not often that you let me stretch my Legs, this really is important isn't it. I'm assuming no room for failure means my restrictions are gone right Legs?" Thatch laughed aloud, cracking his neck sickeningly. "I'm really excited for this now."
"Indeed, all restrictions are lifted," Legs made clear. "We will fulfill our mission by any means necessary."
Annabeth nods, her bored expression disappearing. "That goes without saying. We're a Yonko led crew; we're not losing to those brats. Not now, not ever," she stated, cracking her fingers.
Marine Emergency Call[]
Within a very large cabin, Solomon laid in a bed searching out the window that gave a circular view of the sea. It had just been less than twenty-four hours since he’d gotten into his scuffle with MuuMuu, one of Legs’ own Yokai. Solomon’s body still ached from the kick he’d taken from the woman and the metal he’d been provided to eat, seemed to have been working slower than usual.
Being bedridden wasn’t really his style and quite frankly it was boring. Though, it ordered, from Roselia and surely getting a pummeling from her was far worse than the battle he’d just fought, or so he’d thought.
Leaping from the bed, he rushed to the door and slowly opened it, trying his best to keep it from making any noises so that it wouldn’t alter anyone. Once it opened wide enough he crept from behind it and slowly made his way towards the deck of the Marine vessel. He looked to the back of the ship he’d been standing on and noticed another Marine ship following behind them. The second ship had a giant following behind it, appear as tho it had been pushing the ship along.
"Oh right!" He thought, slowly beginning to piece things together. “We couldn’t just drag that damn box, it’d take fore-”
"Commodore Gintaka." His name being called cut him from his own thoughts and as he would turn around he’d notice Roselia standing behind him. "I thought I told you, stay in bed." Each word sounded more intimidating than the last and once she finished, she held her fist up and coated it with a layer of lava.
Solomon's eyes began to drift in opposite directions, then he took a deep breath. “I’m the Commodore, you are the Captain. I do, what I want!"
Roselia's eyes widened, she’d been surprised by his statement nonetheless. "Good you know that, now as I said, should you be in bed?” The lava from her fist slowly began to travel along her body.
PURUPURUPURUPURU
Roselia and Solomon looked at each other, both trying to pinpoint the location of the ringing Den Den Mushi.
PURUPURUPURUPURU
PURUPURUPURUPURU
Solomon began to frantically pat his body down. From around the side of a ship, a Marine soldier came running holding a Den Den Mushi in his hand. The snail had long silver hair with a white Den Den Mushi attached to its side. Solomon quickly reached for the snail and picked it up as if he’d known who’d it been.
“Fur, we have a problem…” The voice said without even introducing itself.
After a few minutes, Solomon hung the Den Den Mushi up and let out a deep sigh. "An order from Byakko…" With a deep breath, he continued. "I want you to get on the ship behind and head for Geror Island. I’ll meet you there once I’m done with his orders."
Roselia simply nodded and turned around headed towards the back of the boat. A million thoughts ran through her head, but she knew when the word "Byakko" left his mouth, she knew not to question any of Solomon’s commands.
Lifting his wrist to his mouth, Solomon revealed a small Den Den Mushi. "Calling all nearby Marine forces." His voice more stern and stiff than usual. "This is Commodore Gintaka, turn your ships towards the direction of El Dorado, we have been ordered to head there immediately. Direct orders from Byakko himself!"
At the coast of the island, outside of the temporary base of the Marines about ten Marine soldiers gathered with Solomon and another unidentified Marine soldier stated to his side. A few big names gathered; Ernest, Bambina, Marishi Sol, Peg Nez, Esposito X. Marco, Fairisles Margaret, Ferrothorn Braxton, Riz, and Cigar Rette.
Solomon reached to his side and placed his hand on the shoulder of the man standing next to him. "This here is Captain Gabaldon Guy. He's the man who's in charge of El Dorado. I'll let him give you all a very short debriefing, then we'll go over a strategy."
"As the Commodore stated, I am Guy. Just over an hour ago one of the soldiers here spotted a Pirate ship that flew a flag the entire world knows. It belonged to the Black Widow Pirates. Recently, Legs has been at odds with the King of this city, trying to get her hands on the Goldmine this city houses. We believe Legs' men are on their way here to conqueror El Dorado."
Guy wiped sweat from his forehead and took a deep breath, before continuing on. "If this is true, the manpower we have on this island will not be enough to defend against even two of Legs' commanders."
Solomon surveyed all of the Marine members there, then placed his hand on his chin as though he'd been thinking about something. "I know you've heard this plenty of times, but the Marines formation is looking pretty shitty. We are in a crisis, I'm surprised that we were even able to gather these big names that we did." He looked around the circle but specifically at Ernest who's currently been holding the highest rank.
"Byakko said he'd send reinforcements as soon as possible, but even then it'd take more than twenty-four hours before they'd reach here." Solomon thought back to the fact that while he'd be able to fight, any fatal hit to his abdomen would probably put him out of commission for a while. "We'd be fighting a fight for over twenty-four hours against opponents we have yet to face."
While this meaningless conversation was going on, Nez was down to what really matters. She excitedly scooped samples of the soil into small tubes and capped them before moving to an area with the exact same dirt and doing the same. Various machines and contraptions beeped happily in reaction to her surroundings, and the woman overall appeared to be much more interested in running tests than anything else.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!" A yell filled everyone's ears, as none other than Bambina flexed his muscles out of his signature Kimono, the place shaking alongside him. "Tis' fresh air!" He didn't give much thought to Gabaldon Guy's introduction, he already knew him. Sharing a glance at the scientist Nez, Bambina snickered, mouth thin, such a crazy woman.
"The Yonko again, huh?" Bambina scratched his long beard, one eyebrow cocking up. They seemed to have been too busy nowadays, though, admittedly, some of them seemed to be hanging up on a fourth. "I fought it off with tis' guy las' week 'n all... Payback, it was, the lad that constantly kicks Bigdwun-boy's arse!" As he said so, Bambina cupped his stomach and torso, many sore spots still present from that fight. In truth, he didn't know if he were truly at his peak for El Dorado.
The entire time they two men had been talking, Lieutenant Commander Rette had been trying his best to light a fire to his cigar as secretly as he could. He slowly rolled his hand down the flint wheel of the light but kept falling short of being able to have his light create a strong enough light to give fire to his cigar.
"Shit." He thought to himself, looking to his left and right making sure he didn't become the center of attention. He'd gotten fed up with not being able to light it and nearly wanted to bang his head into the ground he stood on.
Solomon took a slight pause between his words and this was Rette's chance. Cuffing his hands over his nose, mostly trying to hide his lighter and cigar, he let out a powerful sneeze. "Achooo!" His sneeze and the lighter's flicker spark in perfect unison, giving light and sparking the cigar.
He took a large puff of his cigar and held the smoke in for a few seconds, then exhaled and let it all flow out of his mouth. His eyes rolled to the back of his head and he slightly began to rock his body as though he'd been listening to a song. Removing the cigar from his mouth, he then held it in his fingers and began to hunch his shoulders while continuing to rock. "Oooooohhhh, weeeee..." He hummed continuing to dance.
It wasn't long before Rette had begun snapping his fingers while continuing to dance and hum. "Sheeee's my maaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiin thang." By now he'd added swaying left and right into his dance. Even though words were coming out, he managed to keep them low enough so that no one could hear. "She makes me feel alright. She makes my heart siiiiiiiiing."
The Commodore in the center of the circle had his eyes perched on Nez then on Rette. "Okay, two things here. What in the, what is she doing? And second, what was that, Rette? I'm not about to ignore that? Were you, dancing?" Solomon asked, directing his questions to both Nez and Rette.
To those around, Rette would appear as though he'd been in his own little world. "Cloud nine baby.. cloud fuckin' nine." He thought to himself, finally snapping back to reality. "Did ya' say twenty-four damned hours? Got damn, I ain't bring enough wee-.... I ain't bring enough Cigars for this shit. Regardless.."
Just as he'd respond, Bambina let out a screech. "I hope. This idiot. Doesn't blow. My high." He thought to himself.
Nez happily planted a small pencil in the ground to mark a specific position for some future use. She then watched in abject horror as Rette stumbled around and not only snapped her pencil, but scuffed the dirt that she had wished to study. Promptly losing her balance and falling directly onto Bambina in a pressingly dramatic fashion, it didn't take much talent to see that this small group of Marines was quickly falling out of control.
Silently seated a close distance away from her fellow marines with a blank expression on her face Margaret merely continued to watch the interactions of the others finding their varied behaviors to be interesting because dispite the looming threat of the current strongest of the Yonko, the Black Widow herself the majority of the assembled marines acted as they normally would with was rather odd to her.
Allowing her eyes to wonder casually around the room as various strategies began formulating within her mind as well as calculating the possibility of their succession which she estimated was quite low but that is merely due to her not fully knowing the capabilities all everyone present something she swore she would take notice and document during the battle to futhur ensure which marine she would work nest along with her mind briefly drifting to the image of Middwun before she dragged her focus back to the matter at hand.
Idly she wondered if her recent advancement with the Rai Rai no Mi would prove helpful with the upcoming battle that she was positive was only a few hours away. Shaking her head slightly and clenching her fist Margaret shook her thoughts free of those negative emotions knowing full well that they were the result of the nervousness that she desperately attempted to bury.
Vice Admiral Sol had been standing silent, hearing his colleagues and comrades laying out a plan for the incoming siege. With the use of her Logia, she had compressed her height and mass- normally monumental, far exceeding that of the average giant- in a bundle of plasma as tall as the tallest of the present. Her elemental body was floating just a few palms of the ground; her insights were shining almost as bright as a neon lamp under a completely translucent skin. Despite the infernos that her Devil Fruit could normally unleash, her body surface was just as warm as the ambient, not letting leak a single drop of heat. Given how disgraceful the previous ruckus had been, she needed an immense amount of restraint to not lovely correct her subordinates with a flare or two.
Thank God, a single Marine was distancing herself from the noise. Sol recognized Margaret, o young, promising officer, from her fresh face and rigid posture: the young woman was carrying herself with a dignity belying her age and inexperience. Yet Sol saw nervousness behind that composed mask, she could feel the poor girl getting heavier and heavier. That young woman had so much in common with the giant at the beginning of her career: so overwhelmed by the pressure of an enormous burden, but so courageous to stand up despite her fears and doubts. Sol couldn’t help but silently weep proud tears, which translated in two cataracts erupting from her closed eyelids. She floated to Margaret’s without making a sound, then whispered in her ear with a warm, motherly tone.
“Relax, young one. Endeavors of this caliber would terrify many rugged veterans. I promise you: we won’t die here. Nor we will allow the Black Widow to win. As long as our minds are focused, and our hearts are firms, our strength will be multiplied by a hundredfold. We are the Marine, the tools of Justice, the bastion of everything good and innocent… sniff… that exists in the world! … sniff… WE. SHALL. PREVAIL!”. Sol’s emotion brought her to cry again; teas pelted on Margaret like she was under a deluge, drenching her uniform.
Marco turned towards the loud Vice Admiral. He winced as she sobbed uproariously. He began to take account for everyone here, multiple Vice Admirals. As much was expected if they were to deal with a Yonko Crew. As the woman to his left continued crying, he turned towards her. "Ma'am, are you okay?" he asked. "Why are you crying?"
Marco's gesture of kindness threathed to spill forth even more tears from the emotional Vice Admiral, but she managed to keep a bit of composure. She hadn't eaten the Tear-Tear Fruit, she couldn't keep crying forever.
"It's really nothing, t-thank you". She said to Marco. "It's just that looking at disciplined, determined and polite Marines like you and Lt. Commander Margaret. fills my heart with heart with pride and joy. I think is a common reaction when an old person sees youngsters keeping a straight and narrow path. It's quite a rare sight, these days".
Sol greeted Marco with a friendly gesture and a bright smile.
"Are you Captain Marco X. Esposito? My name is Sol, but I am referred as Vice Admiral Natsumi. I am really pleased to meet you and Margaret". She then looked at the mess she made of the junior officer's coat; for the embarassment, she scratched the back of her head. "I... apologize for having tarnished your coat. I shall give you a new one as soon as I can, I promise.
Now please, drag back your attention to the meeting. We have been idling far too much from important matters".
"Everyone." The Vice Admiral, Ernest spoke. He had attempted to maintain a commanding visage, in these trying times, as the highest ranked Marine, he had to maintain a level of authority over his subordinates. This was made especially clear with his encounter with Admiral Fuyuki and Kurama. They commanded a level of respect that was frightening, to say the very least.
"I understand we are all a bit on edge, but that's precisely why we need to discuss our tactics. We have twenty-four hours to protect this place from being fully conquered. We need to find key targets to protect on this island. Captain Gabaldon, what are the most important parts of El Dorado that secure our control over it? We have very little time before an attack reaches these shores."
"I agree." Solomon responded, directing his words at Ernest. Reaching over to grab Nez by the collar, he lifted her from the ground. "Now is not the time for playing and laughter. If you aren't here, with the intentions of possibly losing your life for the sake of the World," He spun Nez around so that she'd face him directly in his eyes. "Then leave, now."
"Failure is not an option and if you feel as though I do not possess the traits necessary to lead this defense, then step forward and test it yourselves." Solomon let there be a moment of silence, still locking his eyes on Nez. For a moment, it would feel as though Nez could feel Solomon's presence being projected over her.
Opening his palm, he allowed Nez to fall back to the ground and fixed his sights onto Guy. "As stated, could you share with us the location of the most important parts of El Dorado. We will head to those locations and split into groups, to guard them accordingly."
That entire time, Commander Braxton seemed to have kept a level head. The entire time, he had his sights locked onto Solomon, as though he'd been admiring him. After all, the Commodore was his elder brother. It had been quite some time since they'd seen each other, about a year to be exact, but he decided to remain quiet and simply went with the flow of everything. Chief Petty Officier Riz stood firm at his side.
Doge squirmed his way through the circle and leaned up against Solomon so that he could whisper into his ear. "Stein has stated he's sending "it"-gr." Removing himself from within the circle, Doge walked back inside of the Marine base.
Bambina felt no ill at Nez falling into him, and merely shrugged it off as he looked at Solomon, "Dun' worry on this, mah' boy!" A smile was thrown his way, "Much like Ernie here has said, we 'eed to checka' on our tactics!"
"And boy, by li'l time, did'ja mean now?" Bambina crossed his arms, his mouth thin, as his haki felt the absurd size of the auras outside of El Dorado, "They 'ready out 'ere, y'all." He pointed to a certain direction, which certainly led to one of the island's chores, he knew they weren't exactly on land, but, even then.
"Since some of us're goin' to the frontlines 'nyway, follow me the good ones, BAHAHAHA!!" Bambina screamed, eyes widening as he ran towards where he had previously pointed at. "I've got some good ole' plan!" They would counter these Pirates before they even begun their attack for sure.
Bambina, Bambina… her savior’s passion and bravado was shining through as awe-inspiring as the day she rescued him. Only her concerns to not flood the presents in a passionate cry prevented the vice admiral to weep even more. Her overflowing emotion had to be reined back a bit, if for the sake of Justice.
“Ernest-san, Bambina-san… just tell where and when I should position myself”. She suggested. “As many of you may remember, I am especially talented in handling mass scale assault because of my size and Logia power. My best position might be on the frontline docks, where I can endure and respond to the enemy fire at its strongest. Do you or Solomon suggest a different strategy”.
Solomon placed his hand on his chin, entering a state of thinking. "No, no. Sol, standing at the frontlines may prove detrimental. Placing all of our firepower at the front is too direct and obvious. But then again..." He looked at Sol up and down, having mental images of MuuMuu as he did.
"She doesn't look like she possesses the same physical strength as MuuMuu. Would it be best to have her position at the center of the city? Or, let her position herself at the dock, where she could easily be tipped into the sea? Even then, if Legs appears at the dock, she'll have the only size comparison to take her on." Solomon's brows lifted as though he'd finally reached a conclusion
"Sol, you hang back here." Solomon's body began to bubble and a silver liquid grew from his side. Soon it'd formed into a metal pillar, then formed itself into a perfect copy of Solomon, even the colors he wore. The clone followed behind Bambina headed for the bay.
"Nez, Sol, and Margeret head for the city. You all are the Protectors of El Dorado. All civilians lives are placed in your hands, protect them at all costs. Rette, Ernest, and Marco head to the bay with Bambina. You all are the "Border Barriers", whoever you meet at the borders are to be kept there. You will not allow a single one of them to breach through. Braxton, Riz, and myself will be guided to the mines where we will wait for anyone there. We are the "Mine Platoon, our goal is to keep whoever comes down trapped. Down there, I'll have the geographical advantage in one way or another."
El Dorado Terror[]
The group of commanders Legs brought along remained in their introductory formation. Legs gave off a simple head not and Jack made his way towards the front of the ship, looking over the railing only to meet his eyes with the sight that was El Dorado, the City of Gold.
Before he did anything else, he closed his eyes and briefly went back to think about Zack and what he'd been possibly doing. "Wait for us, Zack." He thought to himself before preparing for the events about to take place.
After splitting his lips apart, the same mist from the two instances earlier showed itself again. This time, it was much thicker and wider in size. The pores of his skin began to open up and as they did, released a fog just like the one leaking from his mouth. Through mental control, the mist lifted from his body and traveled in front of the ship.
"Cold Front." Those words were like a trigger, increasing the size of the fog in an instant, floating out in the open space in front of the ship.
"It's getting a little chilly out here. Cool moves as always Jack." Thatch laughed as he stepped up to the edge of the ship. He extended a hand as a mass of colorless gas blasted from his body, mixing with the mist. It was a poison he had created to specifically benefit from the existence of Legs. It was poison that caused anyone who inhaled it to become deathly afraid of spiders, their brains changed forever to cause them to panic at the mere mention of them. It threw islands into chaos at the mere mention of a spider and with Legs taking the form of a giant one it could cause heart attacks in some with ease. This was the deadly concoction that the mist was now teeming with. "Erin you're up." Thatch laughed as he stared ahead through the fog, licking his lips.
"I'm on it." Erin replied from above the two. He had been cooling the air in front of the ship as well, helping to stir up a massive blizzard before them. Then with glance the blizzard whipped itself into a frenzy as it grew and began to float forwards towards the island at quite a fast pace. The marines on land would see a wall of mist coming, as tall and wide as the island itself. "So how many of em do you think'll freeze to death?" Erin spoke, grinning at their work.
“If they’re worth anything, none of them,” Legs replied seriously, stepping forward to the edge of her ship as the tsunami of mist, and poison surged across the surface of the ocean, threatening the entirety of the island. Erin, with minimal effort, had accelerated the winds beyond tropical and hurricane level speeds, lifting with it torrents of water that traveled alongside it. El Dorado was threatened with a three-wave attack. The mist that threatened frostbite, the poison that threatened their minds, and the gale force winds that conjured itself into a hurricane. Such was the strength of the Black Widow Pirates; their ability to craft techniques capable of disasters, on par with nature itself was the reason that Legs had named them after Gods themselves, to demonstrate their divine powers, and will. All of this, and Legs herself have even yet to lift a finger. Legs had speculated that the mist would reach the islands within a minute, and rampage across it within less than five, leaving the marines only six minutes to deal with the encroaching problem.
“Once our attack hits, since we aren’t constantly generating this stuff, I predict it’ll run out within five minutes, of arriving. That means, we’ll hit the shore within ten minutes of right now, and while they are weakened from defending themselves against our storm, we will strike. However, we won’t all hit the same side,” Legs informed, “In fact, we’ll be splitting up. I’m not sure if you guys can feel their presence, but I can. They aren’t all together, and to ensure that we penetrate the island and steal its gold, I’m sending us into different entry points.”
She turned to face her commanders. “Thatch, Erin, and Jack Frost, you three will head directly into the city of El Dorado from the sky. Erin, levitate you both far into the clouds, and drop down upon them. Use your Kenbunshoku to pinpoint any survivors.”
“Indiana, and Annabeth, you will all accompany Erin into the sky, but instead you will be dropped off near the mines if possible, Erin. Go straight into the mines and begin extracting the gold. Don’t be peaceful with it. Annabeth can always repair it later with her devil fruit.” Legs smiled deeply. “I’m going for the coast directly, where I sense the brute of the forces….I’ll take them on myself!!”
With nothing else to answer, Indiana nodded and smiled at Legs, clutching his robes. If anything, he would be capable of using his Kenbunshoku to surveil their trip to the mine, and respond to any attack accordingly, alongside Annabeth, he hoped. Rising his left hand, Indiana made it shake slightly, as he could be sending a variety of signals to search for the gold, aside from his own Haki.
"Remember my advice, lads." Indiana winked one last time at some of his companions, before Erin drifted off with him and Annabeth.
The Muggy Coast[]
Having felt these conglomerates of many auras, Bambina had quickly appeared on the outskirts of the island, waiting for any other Marine companion to come up at him.
Marco made his way next to Bambina. He had stayed silent during the whole 'reunion', but he decided to take initiative. He looked forward at the wall of ice. "What's the plan?" he asked no one in specific. "We could pierce through the ice somehow."
"Apologies for the delay." Ernest appeared rapidly, seemingly after using Soru to catch up with his fellow Marines. Despite his old age, Bambina was as fast as ever. "...We are faced with a predicament, indeed." Ernest looked upon the natural disaster that threatened to consume them. "While someone like the Admirals would be able to deal with this by themselves, I unfortunately do not possess that level of power naturally."
Ernest spoke with a modicum of regret, but he did not hold to that lingering feeling for long. His eyes glowed red with Kenbunshoku Haki, and his pupils transformed to reveal a data-scanning apparatus. If he could not beat this threat by himself, then it was a simple matter of relying on his comrades.
"Bambina-sensei, Captain Marco." Ernest referred to both of his comrades, as he began to rapidly heat his own body to somewhat unstable degrees. "We have to defeat this onslaught before us in one attack. I have analyzed its properties and its relative strength, and I believe we can take this by combining our forces." Ernest stated to his comrades, hopefully riling them up to action.
"Bambina-sensei, I require the strongest Rankyaku that you can possibly create. Captain Marco, you will need a particularly powerful, rotating bullet. Bambina-sensei needs to wrap his Rankyaku around the bullet, and I will then empower the wind with scalding flames. When this bullet collides with the strength of this disaster, the explosive heat and impact of the bullet should cause it to prematurely explode, leaving us safe from their primary onslaught." Although Ernest had confidently analyzed the situation and come up with a counter-attack, there was a doubt plaguing him. Was he able to lead his allies to victory? Like those proud Admirals did? At the back of his mind, these thoughts plagued him, but he did his best to put them aside and focus on the fight.
Marco nodded. As always, Vice Admiral Ernest never failed to amaze Marco with his abilities. A calculated assault, and the theory behind everything made sense. It was more than likely that their attack would succeed. He pulled out one of his Glock's, aiming it at a strangely tilted angle. "I'm presuming the bigger the better, so I can fire off a larger bullet." he began. "It'll take some time for me to create it though. Once I fire it, it'll expand to its full size, so let me know once you guys are ready."
This was the Ernest Bambina knew, always doubting himself- No, he had oceans of humility within him. Even with such leadership, charisma, and fighting skill... Ernest still failed to acknowledge his full worth. Yet, Bambina agreed, Ernest had to strive for more and more. Alongside them was Marco, who had been as excited as ever.
If he had an smile on his face, then, Bambina's smile grew even more when Ernest talked to him, "Les' dance, boys!!!" He yelled, teeth showing alongside all his wrinkles. With a jump, Bambina found himself in mid-air, not so high from where the group stood, and rotated his own body, "HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" His form vanished within the spiral as tidal sounds filled the atmosphere. He needed nothing more than Ernest's explanation of it to know what to do.
With the usage of Geppo and Soru, through kicking the air several times within an instant and generating small bursts, Bambina managed to move everywhere through the place. It was as if he had briefly solid after-images. And these kicks of his, all were meant to send more and more air towards where he first jumped, with him still rotating there. As his original form spun violently, Bambina guided the air along with him, generating a cocoon-like Rankyaku around his very being.
Dust flew around the coast and the waves got pushed by Bambina's final rotation, he yelled within it, "AT YER' SIGNAL!" As they were to be done, Bambina had been aiming accurately at the point they set, the point where his attack would merge with Ernest's flames and boost Marco's bullet. "Rankyaku: MAITSUKI!!!" With them doing their part, Bambina's form was back where it was, his leg pushed forward as a moon shaped energy slash came from it. Several shockwaves, in the form of rings, appeared from behind him and the sea waves erupted.
This same moon slash was seemingly peeled from the outside in, as it travelled towards Ernest, forming itself into a spiral slice. Its point travelled at the center, while the tail swung itself around, giving it a rather wide body.
"FIRE IN THE HOLE!" Marco yelled, releasing his bullet. As he had mentioned before, it emerged as the size of a regular bullet, but suddenly increased in size, travelling at the same speed as it normally would. In fact, Marco had increased the speed of it as well. As such, despite being shot at an awkward angle, it shifted into a straight path. The bullet soared forwards at blitzing speeds.
"HAAAAAH!!!!" Ernest exclaimed with all his might, releasing a burst of flames so hot that the heat radiated in the air. He reigned in the flames, spiraling them inwards into a rotating sphere that he shot towards Marco's fired bullet wrapped in Bambina's Rankyaku. "Combination Attack: Howling Hell Hunting!" Ernest shouted the impromptu attack name, believing it deserved one.
The howling bullet soon had a flaming tornado spiraling around it, moving at such velocities that the ocean beneath it began to evaporate in response. It had soon collided with the oncoming poisonous mist, heating up the cold winds with such speed that a tremendous explosion ensued.
The sea in the immediate vicinity began to evaporate, and the explosion caused such a powerful response that the waves had began to roar and rumble, interrupting the path of the ships sailing upon it.
"The first threat has been neutralized, but now the true battle begins." Ernest spoke robotically, reducing his body temperature to stable levels.
Legs’ stood alone upon the deck of her ship as the violent waves rock the Justice side to side in place. “It seems it’s time for me to make my move,” she muttered quietly to herself, moving to the edge of the ship. From her back, Legs’ pulled a sword large enough to reach her chest, a great black sword easily fifteen feet in length; a gift awarded to her by Kogane while visiting her at the red line. It was a remarkably durable sword, one crafted in the image of the Black blade, Yoru, yet crafted with metals and materials far more advanced.
Legs stepped forward with her left foot, pivoting it in front of her body as she swung the blade with her right hand towards the island itself, commanding with it a force that moved the winds themselves. With her iconic strength, the air was compressed into a slash befitting its own class. So much that when it escaped the edge of her sword, it moved with such strength that it split the burning seas into two walls of ferocious ripples, leaving but a single line of hearth in the middle. Without haste, Legs dropped from her ship along the path of sand, and steadily approached the island, putting her sword back onto its holster that rested upon her back.
“Listen to me marines!” her voice echoed throughout the world, “in the divine text of countries forgotten by most men, there is a legend that speaks of a man who liberated his own people and paved a new path for them in the future, quite literally by allowing them to escape their enslavement by splitting the ocean itself so that they could walk across.”
Each stride that she took was slow in action, in that she only took two strides in the time that it would take a normal man to take four or five. Yet, her size dictated that she still covered the same amount of land, for each stride she took was equivalent to three or four people’s worth.
“This man channeled the will of the gods themselves, forged their scriptures, committed their miracles. Are you beginning to understand now? Why I have named my crew after gods themselves?” Legs inquired rhetorically, “I warn you to back away from this fight, to leave this island via the path I have crafted for you. This is my chance to offer you salvation!” Legs’ face tickled into a smirk. “But, you may serve as the guardians to protect this so called free world if you desire. However, take heed…” her smile intensified, “there will only be victory in strength!”
Ernest stood there, witnessing the actions of the Black Widow and hearing her words. For a moment, it felt like he was alone once more. He could remember the words drilled into him as the experiments roared on.
"You are the weapon to fight Devil Fruits. Our secret weapon against the Yonko...and any who stand in the way of the World Government."
For the longest time, Ernest held pride in these words. He felt as if they granted him strength. But he looked upon the approaching Yonko, and his confidence was all but stripped away.
"W-what should I do...?" Ernest cried to himself in his thoughts. His entire body was telling him to run away, as he attempted to analyze the level of his opponent's power and failed to do so.
Looking around, he soon saw the figures of Marco and Bambina. He also saw the island he had to protect. Ernest snapped out of it. No matter the difference between them, Ernest could not run away from his duty.
"..." Ernest gulped, finding it difficult to form words. But he finally spoke. "B-BLACK WIDOW!" Ernest shouted, grabbing her attention. "We, the Marines, do not care for the power of the gods! The gods are but single entities that wield the power to change the world! But we, the Marines, do not back down to your power! For we are people! And united, we will protect our world from your conquest, and mold it into the ideal world for all!"
Ernest declared his intentions, loud and clear. And he looked upon his fellow Marines, hoping he made the right choice.
Marco nodded as the Vice Admiral continued speaking. His words were reassuring, and he was right. If the power of the Gods was to challenge them, they would challenge those powers. Alone, each Marine may have been nothing compared to these Pirates. But together, unified? The Marines stood a chance, and they wouldn't go down easily. They had no choice, but to win.
All the time that Legs directed words at all of them, Bambina felt as if he would be blown away, and yet, he still smiled. He wondered if it was to reassure himself, or maybe the others alongside him. "Look at the size of tha' thing!!!" Even so, no matter how many times Bambina saw Legs in action, excitement always filled his being, she- she walked through the sea itself. Most Devil Fruit users just let themselves be dominated by it.
"IT IS AS ERNIE-BOY HERE SAYS!" Bambina approached the behind of Ernest, a smile into his expression. A small amount of aura had focused on the tip of his right index finger, as he pushed it into Ernest's back, gently yet fast enough to make his arm blurr. This bit of aura had been meshed with the calmness Bambina was having, redirecting this feeling through his use of Life Return and Kami-e.
Bambina had always told Ernest, "Y'got attitude, boy!", "Yer' first obstacle is tah' stop limitin' yourself!" His smile widened at the memories, "Before your body, improve your mind!" And that was why, he had just lent some of his own focus, some of his own patience to Ernest. He needed it, and Bambina had lived and fought alongside him for too much to not know.
"If yer' really strong, mah' boy... you'll make tis' strength yours!" Bambina thought, as he focused back on real life and glanced ownards at Legs. If he died here, at least he hoped that Ernest and Marco carried on, should one survive a battle such as this one, wanted it or not, they would surely grow strong. Bambina had taken a stance, positioning his limbs, all the while his hands blurred over his being, striking several spots.
Skin reddening by the second, Bambina smiled as his muscles flexed out way more than they normally would, and his hair flared up slightly. His pupils vanished, yet, Bambina still retained his mind, for, with liberating the toughest parts of his muscles with Life Return, he had just strengthened his defenses, though not by a large margin in order to preserve his speed.
“Undoubtedly, mankind’s greatest attribute is their ability to derive strength from hope,” Legs begun, speeding up her stride slightly with each word until she was a blur of movement, an afterimage left behind to be consumed by the walls of the sea that collapsed back into place upon her departure. There, she stood upon the beach itself, reappearing before the three marines that sat there in challenge: hesitant, but ready.
“Which is why I will do all in my power to crush that hope….and I’m going to start with the most hopeful of you all,” Legs said, observing the enemy, before pointing directly towards Bambina himself. “You.”
She blinked from her place, reappearing directly in front of Bambina himself; there was no hesitation between her statement and her movement, the only indication of her motion being a trail of sand left behind by her ninjutsu: Body Flicker Technique, and ancient ninjutsu revolving around sliding from place to place to achieve superhuman motion, while retaining stealth.
Lifting her arm into the air, she launched it forward not with the muscles themselves, but using her ability to control her blood flow—like all spiders—accelerating it to the point that her limb exploded forward like a cannon, sparing her the necessary “wind up” time to attack, and instantly allowing her to do so upon arriving. As her arm exploded towards Bambina, the air itself responded, screeching in agony as the speed of her fist churned it into action, generating a vicious draft that acted in conjunction with her limbs, pushing the sands of the beaches away with its spite.
"Bambina-sensei!!!" Ernest shouted with concern, before launching himself towards Legs and Bambina's location using his jet launchers. The attack of the Yonko was near its target, but in the same window of time, Ernest had intercepted them. Despite the world resisting his presence, Ernest had fought back with all of his might. He launched an uppercut from his aerial position, landing square on the Yonko's arm.
But the force was tremendous, and began to weigh down upon him heavily. Like this he'd get caught up in the first attack itself! In an instant, Ernest propelled his engines, releasing flames downwards from the turbines in his arm that proceeded to successfully push the Yonko's attack away from Bambina, allowing them to survive even one more instant.
"O-F emissions activate!" Ernest shouted, releasing aqua blue fumes from his body at a steady and constant rate, moving towards the direction of the Black Widow. They consisted of the hazardous chemical O⁷F³, a constituent of Seastone that partially explained its anti-Devil Fruit properties. It was the only way that Ernest could stall this battle. As much as he'd like to face the Yonko honourably, today was not that day.
"Captain Marco, get into position! Bambina-sensei, back me up!" Ernest commanded, readying himself into combat position.
Marco could feel himself shaking. They were up against a Yonko. Her instant acceleration over was frightening. She couldn't be only human, there was no way. The Vice-Admiral's instructions snapped him back to reality, and Marco ran away. He sprinted, looking for a clear location in where he could properly aim.
Soon he found his location. It was surrounded in plantation, so it would hide him. It was situated at an excellent angle. Eventually, he made his way up there, with every passing second feelings like an eternity. Once he had settled down, he quickly assembled his SR-25 as if it was second nature. He laid down and aimed. The Yonko was fast, but he decided he would first go to slow her down. He aimed straight at her waistline and fired.
If Legs intended to punch the smile out of Bambina's face, though likely not, she would not have succeeded. For, at her sudden attack, his smile became the widest in years. His aura had just barely felt it, and it had felt the attack too late, so late that his body hadn't even mustered a powerful enough response. A response which alone would be enough to get Legs to back down. But, it was not alone anymore.
Part of Bambina's body had flattened, an action possible due to his usage of Kami-e, making it almost seem like it could be a towel against the wind. They were used to dry, to clean, and... rarily enough as the weapon of choice for many housewives and husbands. With enough force behind them, they basically served to slap someone else. Weren't towels supposed to be weak, or were they? "Bahaha!!!" Bambina felt a strange looking man sneeze very far away.
At the same time that Bambina backed away due to Ernest's intervetion, his right arm flew back, distorting slightly, and then it fired. "HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Almost like a super cannon, Bambina slapped the air before him, causing a thick gust of wind to rocket towards Legs, which would offer strict support to Ernest's attack in getting her further away from them. "THIS IS THE OLD DEMON'S FIIIIIST, AHOY!" Bambina straightened his arm and flexed his muscles.
"Damn good reaction time, Ernie!" Bambina kicked the ground several times, arms moving as if he was dancing. The chemical did nothing to him, as he had none of those powers.
The marines had countered her within seconds, and it was then that Legs understood why they were assigned to protect the border, to be the buffer to prevent her from infiltrating the island further. They were fast, quick-reflexed, smart, a plethora of qualities that made them worthy of being the coveted members of the marines, their super soldiers crafted for the New World. They were everything Legs was. Everything she had ever been, and everything she will forever be. Yet, there was a distinct difference between Legs and them, and it was simple; she was better in every way imaginable. When Ernest had responded to her attack, her reflexes triggered into action, her mind viewing the world at computer-like speeds.
See, there were people who talked about her physical prowess, her abilities, but there were few who recognized her mental capacity, and how her Devil Fruit accelerated it. Legs’ brain was supernaturally large, infinitely so, with a nervous system to compensate. She was more creative, quicker-reflexed…perhaps less strategic due to her complacency, but she at least had the ability to be strategic. Thus, the moment that Ernest had moved her arm backwards, her mind spun into action, and she lept backwards away from the android as quickly as she could, stepping backwards from the mist of smog that he had launched, the wind wall that Bambina had launched that surged forward towards her, the bullet that tore through the atmosphere towards her body.
She chuckled as her life became increasingly more threatened; her only retaliation being to write a word into the atmosphere. As she wrote with her finger, a blue energy emerged from her fingertips, and upon being completed, she waved her hand into it, infusing the energy into what seemed to be everything in front of her. A Tsunami of the blue light fell forward, touching everything, and doing exactly as the word itself commanded: reverse.
The chemical gas, the bullet, and the barrage of wind flowed backwards supernaturally, as if gravity had reversed itself towards the marines. It all came rocketing in their direction, yet just as Legs had commanded, the attacks were isolated. The gas traveled towards Ernest, the bullet towards Marco, and the wind back towards Bambina for it was truly reversed. However, Legs refused to simply award them an attack of that caliber. It wouldn’t be enough, not for this level of fighters. They needed more. She wanted to give them more.
Her eyes fell upon the bullet intensely as she pulled her tempered fist alongside her hip, coated within her Busoshoku Haki. It exploded into the sands in front of her like a piston, launching the beach itself towards both Ernest and Bambina, a large-scale attack intended to prevent them from easily dodging it, and to hide herself visibly from sight, as she disappeared behind the wall of sand itself.
"BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" Bambina yelled instead of screaming, as his body got pushed back by the same wind pressure he had sent earlier. He would be capable of stopping it, however, it seemed as if Legs read his mind, "It wouldn't be fun." His eyes, his mouth, they were all wide, as his body ricocheted backwards.
It mattered not, his soul was rumbling, and that made him feel more alive than ever. How to counter all this sound, however?
Rette was able to duck off from the group heading for the coast into an alley between two large buildings. He continued to puff on his cigar while peeking around the corner of the building to see the events occurring at the coast. One big phenom after another, each catching Rette by surprise yet reminding him why he didn't want to be out there.
For a moment he worried for his "comrades" as Legs showed them why she held the title of Yonko. Leaning back on one of the buildings, Rette pulled the cigar out from his mouth and blew smoke out. His eyes were closed, trying his best to not see Legs go to work.
"Damn, I've been here for an hour now. I'm about as lifted as I can be. Maybe I should..." With his eyes still closed, he tapped onto the cigar with his index finger to dump off the ashes. He slowly began to fall into his psyche and there he could see an old man dressed in a Marine coat and a long white beard.
"You useless, behemoth. You'll rather sit here in an alley and smoke.. as opposed to going out there and lending your comrades a hand!?" The old man smashed his cane into the ground, creating a loud echo within Rette's psyche. "I DID NOT TRAIN YOU FOR THIS!"
He replaced his cigar back into his mouth, leaving it there inhaling on it for about twenty seconds. "You damned old man, ya gonna' blow my high ain'tcha."
Rette emerged from the alley walking on air rushing to the coast which he'd met with in nearly no time. His eyes now opened, showing off the redness from what he'd been smoking, he'd made it to the coast in no time only to be meet with his view obscured by a sand wall.
Finally exhaling on the cigar and rubbing on the top of it, Rette released a smoke cloud so dense that the entire area of the atmosphere above Bambina, Ernest, and Marco would instantly become filled by it.
"Halberd X-Slash!" A voice shouted from within the smoke, as a halberd was extended out from the smoke and cut diagonal in two directions creating a large X of blue energy which flew over the trio's heads and collided with the sand wall, cutting it as it did. Seconds after the slashing attack, the Halberd went spinning out over the cloud of smoke whipping up winds around it, clearing up the smoke revealing a turban wearing figure.
The winds that once blew in the southern direction, all stopped turned around gathered among the halberd creating a vortex of air. Swinging the halberd with an overwhelming amount of physical strength, evidence that the muscles the being possessed were not just for show, he launched the vortex at the sand wall with an amazing amount of speed.
"Air Vortex!" The being shouted, as the vortex easily pushed against the sand wall, knocking it way past its original position, and ultimately into the sea. The force was strong enough to even affect the attacks thrown back at the Marine forces, sending them all into the sea along with the sand wall.
Rette slowly fell to the ground and his eyes were still bloodshot red. As he fell, the being remained at his side attack by the smoke of his cigar. He landed on the ground, feet firmly planted as he stood straight up.
"Master, you're a dumb ass." The being spoke, bringing its halberd to its side but still remained battle ready.
This was no regular person, never had this being been seen by any of the three Marine soldiers standing in front of him. It's "skin" was blue and hair was pink, beard long as though it were some sort of pirate: Pinkbeard, he could be called. He did not possess a lower body, as everything from the waist on down was connected to the smoke coming from Rette's cigar. This was the Hoya Hoya no Mi.
Repelling the sand, bringing with him a conglomerate of smoke all helped Legs’ purpose of disappearing into plain sight, to help her as she watched the bullet travel in a specific trajectory. Even if it was repelled, she now had a general idea of whom she was looking for, and her Kenbunshoku Haki helped her secure the exact positioning of the smaller creature.
Without a doubt, he would have sensed her as well, if not seen her blink behind him. Her presence was overwhelming, a literal ceiling of strength that fell upon those beneath her. Legs smiled deeply as she stood behind Marco.
“You were shaking a while ago, weren’t you kiddo? I saw it, with my own eyes. You’re not like the other marines; you’re not stupid, blind.” She paused as she spoke, standing perfectly still as time itself seemed to spare them the moment, as if the world was frozen to allow her conversation to happen. “Did you come out here, to this field, to really fight me or to run, to hide? Did you come out here to prepare yourself for when your teammates are all bloody and worn that you’ll be able to strategically retreat? If so, I have decided that you are worth sparing. Leave this place, and I promise you, I won’t kill you.”
Marco gulped. There was no way, there was no god damn way. The Yonko was behind him before he could blink, what was she? He turned his head towards her, listening to her little spiel. She had a point, he could live to fight another day, it was a generous offer coming from someone like her. But Marco couldn't run away, not like he used to. He took in a deep breath as he rapidly pulled out a Glock, and fired away.
The instant that Marco begun his breath, Legs acted, slowly approaching him as he fired his bullets. Her body flashed from one place to the next as she walked towards him, avoiding his barrage of bullets using her Kenbunshoku alone; his intent was quite easy to sense for a woman of her caliber, not because her Haki was simply superior to most, but because he was afraid. Yes, the fear made him predictable, and predictability was something that Marco couldn’t afford to be. Legs extended her wrist outwards towards Marco, releasing from them streams of webs that simultaneously caught the bullets, and shot towards Marco. As they shot out, their glue-like qualities caught the bullets within them, while also making the attempt to tangle Marco.
Marco cursed as his bullets were trapped. He managed to roll away from the incoming stream of web coming his way. He got to his feet quickly, almost falling back down in the process. He aimed his gun at Legs as he steadily backed up. He searched around, looking for something to make a bullet out of. "Damn it! I gotta find something..." he thought to himself as his eyes moved rapidly from location to location. He settled on a nearby plant. He fired away, the bullet he fired gaining the properties of a plant. As it flew towards Legs, it 'bloomed', releasing a burst of pollen.
Marco knew he couldn't take Legs on in single combat, there was no way. He had to regroup. The pollen, which had expanded to cover the close-by vicinity would be covered in pollen, and would act as a smokescreen. He turned to face the edge of the cliff, the beach near it. Marco cussed as he ran towards it, and jumped off.
“So, that’s the difference between a rookie and an experienced marine,” Legs casually speculated, blinking into existence beside Marco as they both plummeted off the cliff, her fist puckered along her hip. “You see, that plant pollen thing was like crazy smart man. You surrounded me in that stuff to throw off my sense of smell, my kenbunshoku since I was surrounded by little mini living plant eggs and stuff, and like my sense of sight obviously; the only way I found you was because of my Devil Fruit! You know, the organ in my body that lets me sense vibrations in the air and shit!"
Doing so without any wind up, and thereby without any warning, Legs’ fist exploded towards the freefalling Marco, aimed toward his ribcage.
Marco's eyes widened as Legs appeared beside him. Her explanation baffled him, and he cursed as he realized his plan had been foiled. However, as Legs had been talking, Marco had been searching for an escape. Someway to create distance between him and Legs. He was in free fall, there wasn't much material for him to utilize. It seemed as if lady luck was on Marco's side as he noticed inklings of dirt on his palms and his coat. It was barely enough for a bullet. The bullet wasn't meant to harm Legs, Marco was searching for a way to create more distance. The force behind the bullet should push Marco back.
He had barely fired the bullet when Legs' fist shot towards him. The fist grazed his ribs, but it more than enough to send a large amount of pain rushing through him. The Yonko's attacks were nothing to laugh about. However, it was the force of the punch that had given Marco enough of a push to send him towards the actual cliff. He reached out and grabbed a crevice in the cliff. Since he had been falling, abruptly halting his fall in such a way took its tool. More pain rushed through Marco, and he realized he had either tore a muscle or had dislocated his shoulder.
He knew he didn't have much time, and so he began to scheme away.
As Marco launched himself backwards using the force of the bullet, which required the object he shot to remain powerful enough to not be displaced, Legs remained freefalling, watching in delight as the bullet clanged off her hardened exoskeleton like a bullet striking a tank. “Good!” She exclaimed, her eyes lighting up with excitement.
“But don’t think I’ll let you get off that easy!” Simultaneously, Legs pointed her wrist to the cliff itself, releasing from them a stream of silky webs that sat glued to the surface of the rock, and with a small snug of her arm, she lassoed herself onto it feet first with all the might she could possibly conceive. As her feet landed onto it, the cliff’s structure collapsed under her weight and strength, sending pieces of it plummeting towards the lower world like a tattered spire, the very cliff that Marco, himself, was holding onto.
The City of Gold[]
On the top of a clock tower in the middle of the city, Nez stood with a small cage that would normally be seen carrying a small pet of some sort. However, when Nez bent down and unlatched the crate, an assortment of Den Den Mushi slithered out until there were at least ten visible on the clocktower's edge. They lined up single file and Nez went down the line pressing a single button on each of the individual shells. As she did on each one, two miniature wings as well as a small booster shot out from the shell, and the snails quickly became airborne as their jets set off. In her hand, Nez held a small tracking device that showed the movements of her snails whilst simeltaneously relaying information.
"Go my Tsu Tsu Mushi, go!" The woman cheered happily as she watched her inventions soar into the distance.
Atop another building not to far from the clocktower Margaret sat overlooking the various points that could be utilized as vantage, ambush and meeting points, having already established her various traps within the vicinity perfectly acceptable with her Devil Fruit abilities.
Glancing up towards the clocktower where she knew one of her partners for this assignment was currently stationed she used the abilities of her fruit to attempt to sense the bio electrical signal all life forms possesses however upon finding nonshe didn’t recognize she returned her focus to watching all possible entrances and exits for any sign of the Black Widows.
Despite not being at the top of any tower, Sol probably enjoyed the best sight simply by returning to her normal size. Just by standing on her two feet she soared above the highest edifice, painting with her shadow a dark trail which cloaked the city thorough and lambed the sea below. Her massive size meant a massive reach for her senses, a gift she was entrusted with by her lineage; even by that standards, she always thought her eyes of being particularly blessed in that regard.
Sol's eyes were not very pleasing- every-time she stared at a mirror, the monstrous pupils of two drake was the first thing peeking out- but useful for locating things far and wide, and grasping objects big and small. Especially small things, as she could recall in delight the faces of her family and friends from the years of youth when she still used to loom over everyone and everything and didn't have a Logia which helped her to shrink down to human sizes.
Sol enjoyed even greater reaches with her Kenboshoku, which compensated with the deficiencies of her colleagues in that department. Her aura formed a dome stretching miles above her, an invisible aura which enveloped the island and sea and sky above and around her. No living thing would have passed that barrier with her not noticing it. Certainly not any of those of vile pirates, whose mere presence was a big, ugly stain under her sight.
The Big Spider Bitch was stepping on the fray, a bit after her launching strike had been thwarted by the combined efforts of Bambina, Ernest and Marco, and she had cried her fair rivers of tears on some thankfully already empty streets. Getting her so soon did not just trouble the giant: it filled her with worry and rage, so much so that coronas of plasma glimmered and streamed with each of her portentous breaths. Sol couldn't ask for anything but go, fight with her hero and incinerate that filth on her own.
Only her strong sense of disciple refrained the giant for rushing to the shores and deal with Legs herself: the Spider's cronies could potentially strike everywhere, and she dared not to abandon her comrades where they needed the most. Bambina and Ernest were seasoned veterans with immense skills and tons of experience: Peg Nez and Margaret, with all their considerable talent, were not.
And the time of need was maybe closer when it needed to be: some fainting signals were bleeping on Sol’s radar far away from El Dorado above the clouds surrounding the unfunnily ironic name of Justice. It wasn’t much: given Sol’s own proficiency with the art, whoever was hovering above had a very fine control over their aura and killing intent. Not fine enough to entire presence, though. That would be their end.
Vast currents of plasma balled around her hand, piling up more and more till they formed a dragon head with jagged fangs and horns like that of a deer. Its grimace radiated fury as much as light and power, as if dozens of pharoses had concentrated their luminosity in a single point. Then she added her Bosushoku Haki on the mix to pack even more of a wallop. The sight was almost oxymoronic: the dragon had been tinged in black ichor, it was somewhat shining even brighter than before.
“Peg Nez, Margaret, please, take on your protective sunglasses! I wouldn't never forgive myself if your eyes were scarred by so much light… sniff…” She shouted, while crying just a bit at the thought her subordinates were to suffer anything by her hand, if just potentially. She took a step back, her gargantuan legs firm and balanced. With a thrust, she launched her dragon.
“Receive due justice! Great Qirin Punch!”
The beast once the size of Sol’s arms swelled in size to a tremendous degree: a gargantuan Chinese dragon made of plasma suddenly appeared on the battlefield, large enough to gulp houses as they were candies. The dragon's mounth was wide open; rivulets of plasma were raining from its scale, too small to harm the inflict any harm to the city below. In the span of an heartbeat, the fiery beast would reach and gulp the Black Widow Pirates in a mortal furnace, bearing the frightening speed and scorching heat of solar wind itself.
"Looks like we're up and running!" Nez announced, as though there was anyone around her. With the small control pad that she held in her hand, she ordered her Tsu Tsu Mushi to disperse throughout the city with their speakers activated. She then held the pad up to her mouth and pressed a button that broadcast her voice through each of the snails.
"Citizens of El Dorado! My name is Peg Nez, and I am the Science Captain of the Marine forces. The Marines, by the order of the World Government, order a mandatory evacuation of the city limits immediately! Please proceed in an orderly fashion to the south gates and recede into safety as soon as possible!"
High above the island Thatch and Jack floated beside Erin. The three of them using their Kenbunshoku haki to scan the island. Due to his devil fruit Erin could hear the conversations between them quite easily. "Seems that one's a scientist some machines." Erin stated only to be cut off by Thatch.
"Yeah you're out of the loop, I know her. We make it our business to know Marines as subordinates of Legs. Those two are Peg Nez, a marine science captain who's a disgrace to the profession and there's Marishi Sol, user of the Pura Pura no Mi. She's a Vice-Admiral so she can actually do something. Don't know the third one though, probably not big out here yet. Granted most of this shouldn't take long." Thatch spoke. "Jack, Erin freeze the entire town solid, the colder the better." With that Thatch grabbed a device from his pocket and began tinkering with it.
Erin hovered above the two, four balls floating behind him. "You got it." Erin stated. Even from far above the island he could still see the whole town, his eyesight never failed him. He spotted the three and some sort of glowing ball in Sol's hand, though its light would not reach them here. He looked down at the city, filled with sinners and lovers of the government, it made him sick. The very air around the marines and the entire town would begin to shiver and the air temperature began to severely drop. The air became thick and heavy as it became harder to breathe. "Jack help me make this place cease to exist." Erin yelled.
"Tch," Jack barked, "Legs trusts you, I do not. Therefore, do not command me as though you're one of us. Otherwise, El Dorado won't be the only thing I turn into the Arctic." As Jack spoke, a cold fog slithered from his mouth and from his body, just like when they were back on the ship.
At the instant release, both Jack and Erin, despite being above it would still be able to feel the difference between then and now. While on the ship, Jack was forced to have his temperatures at a tolerable level for his captain, but out in the city where she'd been nowhere to be found, he could lower his temperates to levels he'd like.
The fog would begin the travel below, where it's capabilities would truly begin to show. At the moment it'd make contact with any portion of the city below, said contacted thing or being would become instantly froze. The highest building, the clock tower, would be the first to suffer its unavoidable fate. And Nez, who'd decided to make its peak her resting place, would too be frozen had she not made haste. Even then, she'd not be able to fully evade the mist take how high she'd been up. He truly lived up to his alias, Sub-Zero.
It wouldn't take long for the mist to soon hit the city and meet with its citizens, freezing hundreds of people in an instant. Sol seemed to have found a way to counter Jack's cold front, granted the heat generating dragon she'd created. But even that had its limits, as she'd soon find out.
As the two forces of cold combined the plasma dragon charged the upwards at the two, however it didn't even get close to the clouds. As Thatch had said, all they needed to do was freeze everything. As the plasma dispersed, returning to a gaseous state in the newly created sub zero environment. Now with the attack rendered null and the city freezing over, Thatch looked up and congratulated the two. "Jack and Erin you make a fine team, as much as one of you dislikes the other." He teased. "Now Erin if you would." He spoke, once again releasing a mass of Webbed World.
"It's alright, I'm not out to start anything and Jack has the right to distrust me, we've just met." Erin shrugged causing an extremely cold storm wind to carry the poison down into the city as well as further decrease the temperature. The poison would not only crash into the city but as it hit the island it would begin to spread in every direction. Due to it's colorless nature it was impossible to see as well. The whole island was in for a rude awakening.
Nez was met by an overwhelming frost that bit at her skin and caused her to retreat into the clocktower in an attempt for warmth. She knew the handy works that caused this chill almost instantly, through her years of study on Devil Fruits and the fair amount of knowledge she had on the Black Widow Pirates — the Hie Hie no Mi. Luckily for Nez and the rest of the Marine forces, she had known that this chill would come and she was prepared.
Opening her satchel, which held plenty of useful tools, she revealed several small Weather Balls, each that held a small sun inside and radiated a small amount of heat. With the balls in hand, she stepped back out in the freezing cold and leaned over the edge of the clock tower before throwing all of the Weather Balls in Sol's direction.
"Sol, catch!" The young woman yelled from the top of the tower. With the combined efforts of her sun orbs and Sol's Devil Fruit, she hoped that Sol would be able to utilize both to restore some sort of warmth to the area.
Having heeded the instructions giving to her by Vice-Admiral Sol and equipping the protective sunglasses that were handed to her prior to the start of their operation. As she places on the protective eyewear she witnessed the skyline light up in a flurry of colors as a gargantuan Chinese dragon crafted out of the very essence of plasma itself took form before racing upwards to the sky confusing her slightly for the reason of creating a beacon for anyone to see.
As she mentally began to question the Vice-Admiral’s decision her train of thought were halted as she witnessed the plasmic beats be disbursed revealing a trio of individuals two whom she recognized as "Sub-Zero" Jack Frost and the "Death Doctor" Thatch Vincent both who are noted members of the Black Widow pirates however their appearance was not what had her puzzled as she was expecting members of the crew, what had her eyes narrow was the third man one she idly noted as Wynn Erin the son of Vice-Admiral Kurorou and last she was aware former member of the now disbanded Redbeard Pirates.
Quickly putting the pieces together within her mind Margaret hastily transmuted her body into electricity before merging with one of the various metal wires spread through the city, this wire however she knew was attached to the a metal tower right beside Sol, which served as a great idea as she caught sight of them preparing to retaliate which only hasted her choice.
Looking at Peg Nez's red and brittle skin, Sol couldn't help by cry even more. Had she not been distracted by the sudden dissipation of her plasma dragon, she would have noticed more quickly how cold the air was becoming. The poor girl had taken so much cold, before Sol's had started producing waves of plasma to fight the frostbite.
"I am so sorry Nez... sniff.. I wish I had used my power a fraction of second before..." She caught the Weather Balls with soft hazes of plasma, to not let them detonate. Sol didn't need artificial aids to shape suns out of nothing, but an object like that would have resulted useful in this occasion since her enemies had found ways to combat her natural powers.
A gentle puff of plasma coiled around Peg Nez's tower, keeping everything warm and comfy. A much, much bigger cloud of plasma exuded from her giant body. The blazing fluid hovered above the island, covering it in less than an instant. The rigid storm collided against the disk of plasma, resulting in gigantic updrafts of vapor and gas raising and dissipating in the stratosphere. More and more plasma coalesced in this enormous curtain, the mixture was far denser than before, reaching the consistency above that of water; an unimaginable centripetal force was the only thing to avoid her dragon falling on the ground or being dissipated in a jiff like before, a still aching weakness on her part.
Sol could not allow to show any weakness, neither in front of her subordinates and especially in front of her enemies. From the day she had recovered from her captivity under the Cipher Pirate more than thirty years ago, Sol had dedicated every day, almost every moment in training herself, mind and body to fight for the Marine's Justice. Underperforming now meant to delude herself, her mentor, and, most importantly, the civilians below in desperate need of a protector.
"To all the civilians out there!" Sol shouted; her bellow boomed with authority. "Here is Vice Admiral Natsumi: the sun above you is a living demonstration of the power of the Marines. Don’t be afraid; as long as we breath, we Marines will not allow harm to any of you. Just orderly run away and never look at the sky directly and everything will be fine” She wished she had given more special sunglasses to everyone, but the time was a bit short, and even her massive assets had storage limits.
“To the Pirates above..." Sol’s passionate tone turned into burning hatred. "Jack Frost, Wynn Erin and Vincent Thatch". She called her enemies names, one by one. Traitors, murderers, psychopaths, scum. "You have come here seeking death and destruction, with no consideration to the lives of the innocents. I am giving you this one chance: surrender now and face Justice, or fight and face death!"
Predictably, they did not surrender. Plasma continued to build up her disk, getting it ready for Sol’s next offense. Then she screamed in rage: dragon maws made of supersonic fast plasma erupted from the dense mixture, so bright it engulfed everything in a blaze of harsh light, so massive they could have crunched down the whole El Dorado in a single bite. Her attack would have been more than enough to gulp the Pirates in the time of an amen, given the eye-soaring luminosity of it and the sheer speed of plasma, much faster than any wind current found on planet Earth. But in the case their combination of wind and cold had somehow thwarted that attack, Sol had got another surprise for them.
Sol had thrown many of the sunny Weather Balls given by Peg Nez inside the top of dragon’s maw, protected by pressurized layers of non-thermal plasma, so they wouldn’t have burst out from their protective bubbles before reaching the desired altitude. Should the temperature around the Weather Balls cool down on a drastic pace, the invention would instantly decompress and detonate in the resulting updraft clouds of steam. Jack, Erin and Thatch would either be devoured by her dragon’s maw, or, by peeling it down with their wind, being welcomed by a multitude of small, blinding suns exploding in their face with pretty much no time to react. Especially given how Kenbunshoku Haki could have predict direct attacks, but not the erratic flight of Weather Balls thrown into the fluid.
Inside the clocktower, Nez could see through the windows crowds of people that desperately rushed to the southern gates. Through the glassy plasma that surrounded her tower, she watched on as the last of El Dorado's civilians safely evacuated the city through the back, which meant that the Marines would suffer no civilian casualties in this battle.
"Amazing! Surely, no lives will be lost this time..." Nez monologued, looking onwards at the spectacular conflict of powers that emitted amazing glowing auras despite their sheer destructive power. Nez admired Sol greatly for this, but on the inside she hoped that Sol would be able to keep from depleting her energy this intensely for the remainder of the battle.
Pushing against the forces that kept the trio in the air, Jack sent himself flying in the opposite direction of his opponents and comrade. He left the two of them to attend to the woman's attack as he slowly fell to the ground, leaving a trail of ice as he did. Landing on the ground harmlessly another mist formed around his body.
Citizens of El Dorado stood outside their homes. Each one of them, eyeing Jack in one way or another. "GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" One of them shouted, throwing a rock at him.
"The Marines will kill you, Pirate SCUM!" Another one shouted, joining the man earlier in throwing rocks at him. Jack was unfazed though, none of the attacks meant anything to him and in all honesty, no one there could stop him.
This mist seemed to be more focused as it possessed a more direct purpose from the times before. A liquid began to expend from his body and stationed itself around specific areas. His feet up to his thighs instantly became frozen. Then the top portion of his hand all the way up to his elbow. And finally, on his shoulders around the collar of his shirt.
The mist shrouding Jack's body began to drift off around the town, bringing a chill to the city. He opened his palm and ice began to take form in the shape of a large icicle. Jack then made his way towards the two men who'd taken it upon themselves to throw things at him. Nez and Sol were both fools to think that they'd be able to protect each and every one of the citizens of such a large town without Jack making over half of them pay.
Once close to the two men, he held the sickle in the middle of its construct with the two sharp ends touching one of the men's shoulders. Their bodies began to freeze, starting from their shoulders and spreading with haste covering their entire bodies.
"Normally I don't do this." Jack stated, as the ice had fully covered their entire body only leaving their heads unfrozen. "But Legs has ordered it." Simply tapping on their shoulders with the sickle, their frozen bodies shattered into a million pieces, leaving their hands to fall onto the ground for the rest of the town folk to see.
Mist continued to produce from his body and the city grew colder and colder. "Cold Front." He stated, instantly freezing every citizen in the area around him. Not even descriminating between adults and children, they all suffered the same fate.
As soon as Jack moved, so did Erin and Thatch, blasting towards the other side of the city. "Erin." Thatch stated, referring to the attack laughed behind them.
"Yeah I'm aware Thatch." Erin snapped back. He again began continuously cooling air, ice crystals forming as it chilled even further. The cold front once again collided with the dragon as they shot away from it, the air around it dipping lower and lower. The plasma would once again, entirely become gas even the heat within it drained away as the air rapidly cooled. However there was another surprise inside behind them a large explosion shook the sky as the hidden suns within the dragon went off. "Thatch what the hell was that." Erin screamed as he attempted to look back. His face was quickly met with a slap from Thatch, stopping him from staring back.
"Erin we are cool, if you look at that explosion it makes you less cool and makes me look bad. Understand?" Thatch growled
"Umm yeah ok." Erin sighed, unaware if his friend was serious or not. They landed on the other side of the city, opposite of Jack. "So what's the plan in dealing with them Thatch?" Erin spoke, looking at where the three were, still watching them with his haki.
Thatch, who was still tinkering with his device looked up with a smile. "So Sol is going to have to follow Jack, simply because she's the only one of them who can hope to counter him, he's a powerful logia after all. I'm going to go fight that scientist, I wanna see what those inventions of hers are capable of. You'll take on whoever that third person is, shouldn't be too much trouble for ya. He grinned, handing him the device and finally looking up from it. "Use this if you feel like having a real good time." He spoke.
Mad Science[]
The horror that Nez witnessed in the distance was completely unlike anything she'd seen before. Never has she seen pirates going out of their way to murder innocent civilians indiscriminately... unless they really wanted something they had. But to Nez, she thought that no amount of gold could drive someone to commit mass homicide.
Only a small gasp leaked from her body before she stormed down the steps of the clocktower. She clutched her bag tightly to her, which contained the small amount of sunny Weather Balls that she had not given to Sol prior. If she could somehow group the frozen citizens closer together, surely her modified Weather Balls would burn hot enough to melt their icy prisons.
A million thoughts ran through Nez's mind as she burst through the clocktower doors and ran down the street, keeping her rapid pace despite the bone-chilling frost that was settling on the town. Her aspirations seemed to warm her as she sped down the narrow streets to reach the civilians that had become targets in this battle.
Nez would round the corner to find something truly terrifying, two of the three that were attacking the stood before her, Thatch Vincent and Wynn Erin. "Yo what's up." Thatch spoke waving to Peg. Erin on the other hand prepared himself as the area around them distorted and a warped as he narrowed his eyes. However Thatch help up a hand. "Mine Erin, mine. There's another person here, go find them and do something about with em." Thatch spoke, and Erin replied with only a nod, disappearing from sight as he became the air itself.
"Alrighty now that he's gone we can get down to business I suppose." Thatch laughed, a grin plastered on his immaculate face. "Peg Nez, Marine Scientist and creator of O⁷F³, what are you doing on this island." Thatch paused, looking down and slamming his bare hands through the cobbled road, sending stones flying into the air, clattering loudly to the ground around his as he withdrew his hands from the hole. He opened them revealing the dirt that they below the streets. "What are you doing defending this joyless land, paved by slaves to feed the nobel's insatiable lust for death and destruction?" He asked, letting the dirt fall back to the ground.
Nez's body went into shock as she rounded the corner and was met face to face with an enemy combatant; she hadn't expected to fight, but as Thatch's monologue continued, she became more and more ready. She shifted her hands downward and shoved them in her pockets almost non-chalantly... but on the inside, she was clenching her fists tightly as she thought of an plan.
"Well, you are seem to know the basics of me." Nez said, an almost genuine hint of surprise in her voice. "But you tell me, nameless pirate, how much better you are than the World Nobles by invading a peaceful island, killing its civilians, and stripping it of its resources? Doesn't that seem just a little hypocritical to you?" Nez's tone became sharper and sharper and she visibly readied herself for combat by slowly unsheathing a simple plastic ruler from her pocket.
"Oh that's rich." Thatch laughed, glaring at Nez. "You really don't know what this island is do you." He continued, watching her with his will. "This island acts as a gold mine used to line the pockets of the Celestial Dragons with even more wealth. Everyone here works for them in a way, helping to perpetuate the violence throughout the seas. For anyone witha decent moral compass they'd want this island wiped from the ocean." He cracked his neck and let out a steady breath. "However none of that shit really matters to me, I'd kill them all regardless of who they were or what they did." He continued as he ran his right hand through his bangs, tossing his scarlet hair through the air in a dramatic fashion. "I suppose Legs doesn't let me out to play much, too many corpses and the island usually sinks." His gaze was manic, "Tell the devil I wan't my fiddle back." He sighed as the two buildings beside Nez exploded into a deep blue liquid that cascaded towards her a extreme speeds.
Nez, rather unexpectedly, stood in the exact same spot that she had before, with a single noticeable different. Every part of her from her head down to her toes was coated with a shade of black so dark it appeared as though Nez was a shadowy black mass; only the metallic sheen gave it away as been Busoshoku Haki, Nez's primary defense style. "I did not come here to fight, if we're being honest. But I will do whatever necessary to make sure that scum like you never deface this island again."
Following this, Nez did something rather strange. She began kicking the air in front of her at a dizzying speed, making her leg look like nothing more than a blur. It appeared that the immense heat that generated from the friction set her leg ablaze. Thatch had little time to react be Nez launched towards him, leaving a small circle of burnt stone from where she once stood.
The waves of deep blue poison cascaded over Nez, enveloping her haki coated body in it as she stood there and took it. This was a poison Thatch referred to as Leviathan. A dastardly brew that rewrote the minds of those that it touched. Rendering them completely subservient to Thatch himself. That poison was currently cascading around Nez, touching every part of her and attempting to enter her through her eyes, ears, mouth and nose. Were one simple place on her not entirely coated in haki it would prove to be her undoing. As she finally attempted to move in the water-like poison, it attempted to restrain her. Moving against her own moments she would find it much like working against a current. There was no way she could move fast enough as the poison surged against her every movement.
"Having fun?" Thatch spoke, of course she wouldn't be able to hear him, within the dome that enveloped her. Even now parts of the street warped into more poison that just added to the mix. Were Thatch to introduce his own haki to the mix it would be over. However for now the posion simply surged on, attempting to force Nez's arms and legs to be locked in place with the overwhelming force of the thick poison that surrounded her.
For a second, it seemed that the poison had completely engulfed Nez. It wasn't until one of Nez's arms erupted from the sphere of poison that surrounded her. In her clenched hand, Nez held a small vial filled with a glossy white liquid. In a stroke of what she hoped to be luck, Nez threw the glass vial blindly in Thatch's direction and hoped for it to make contact with him. As the vial left her hand, she could feel her mind becoming foggy as Thatch's poison overtook her.
Thatch grinned at her last minute attempt to attack him but though her throw was close it would never hit. Blue liquid burst forth from the ground and surrounded the vial, keeping it contained but intact. Thatch then sealed it inside an airtight container. "Folks at the lab will have a field day with you." He grinned as he looked over to Peg. The poison around her had subsided but Leviathan had taken hold, coursing through Peg's mind and re writing it to bend to Thatch's every command. However she wouldn't know it had done its job and subsided, the only trace being anything he commanded, she would do. Thatch decided to leave her there. She'd probably think she just woke up from a bad dream. However she was now a sleeper for the Widows, a dangerous one at that. As Thatch walked away from the area the poison all but vanished. Leaving a dented street and an unconscious woman as the only remnants of the battle.
Roars of Fire and Ice[]
That could not continue. Not the senseless, barbaric waste of civilians, butchered and kept frozen by that monstrous Jack like they were mere games. Not when Sol could do something to prevent it. The massive cold storm had her skin flush and shiver for a little while but was soon replaced by an immense heat. Sol’s outrage for the massacre had triggered her Logia powers, her flames burned stronger as her rage was raising.
With the help of her Kenbunshoku and strong sight, the Demon giant pinpointed the pirate and mayhem he was causing. The plasma disk she had generated in the air to protect the city from the cold attack began to move and twist, repositioning itself around the districts objects of Jack's rampage. The entire zone became encased by thick, bright walls, columns so high they looked like a glowing mountain. With that and the help of the rest of plasma, the cold storm was quarantined, preventing it from reaping other poor souls.
From those awe-inspiring walls of plasma, Sol's emerged in all her fury and glory, right in front of Jack. Compared to her towering self, the man was but a speck, standing even shorter than her ankle. Sol's form was shimmering; whirls of rotating plasma were streaming around her body, creating a form fitting body armor in perpetual motion: a defense Jack couldn't have dissipated just with a cold breeze, as bone-chilling his freezing powers were. To complement it, her arms became enclosed with her signature dragons fist, taken the forms of two massive gauntlets, yet weightless for the Vice Admiral.
"Y'know..." Sol almost whispered, her tone was cold, despite her breath fuming flames hotter than fire itself. "If you just give up, I would grant you a relatively swift and painless death. Just melting into nothingness. Not the slow, grueling roasting you deserves for your crimes..."
The walls, or at least parts of it, from Jack's perspective began to shrink down on him. Closer and closer, until both were found in center of a cyclone. Both fighters were Logia masters, capable of annihilating opponents and rewriting landscapes with their mere presence; that was a match between Sol’s bright fire against his freezing ice, and between the Vice Admiral’s will against that of the pirate. The cold exuded by Jack and heat coming from Sol collided together in a portentous updraft current, steam rising upwards inside the ring which depleted it of his oxygen on a worrying pace.
Sol's right hand, while encased in her draconic gauntlet, morphed in its plasma state; it waved with the unnatural speed of fluid. The fist, coated in bright flames and Haki, positioned itself right in front of Jack, in an odd mixture of an uppercut and a lowered trust, coming like a stampede of a creature even bigger and faster than an elephant. Sol really wanted to just squash Jack underfoot but couldn't risk to obliterate half or probably much more of El Dorado with a (justly) enraged stomp. Instead, she delivered a punch for the ages.
Nothing. No sound. No sight. No care. Jack stood there. Before the walls would be made to enclose Jack, his body broke down into snowflakes spreading throughout the boundaries of the enclosed area but altering the temperature in the area at which he'd formerly been positioned to create a solidified ice sculpture clone of himself.
As she'd attacked the ice sculpture, Jack's body would begin to form a distance away. His expression was still blank. With his back turned his body broke back down into microscopic snowflakes spreading through the air vacaying the area.
Like a parasite, the body sculpture managed to infect the fiery gauntlet; plasma regressed into steam for a bit, before Sol's aura fleshed it out again. Had Jack continuously directed his own strength against her armor, that would have been dissipated. She bit her lips in anger: those black widow pirates were scary and crafty opponents. No doubt her crew had reached the status as the most feared Yonko.
With the help of her Kenbunshoku, Sol managed to spot again what happened to Jack. His body had been broken in a myriad of minuscules snowflakes, fleeing from her plasma ring through upward current. Such parallel position switching was a standard technique for Logia masters, if performed with great proficiency.
Sol's instinct was to follow her opponent through; breaking down her body in streams of plasma and following the cold particles before overwhelming with her solar fire. But more urgent matter required her full attention. The auras all over the island were marred with panic and conflict, even beyond what a siege of this level could entail. Her Marines friend were those in greater peril: poor Peg Nez had succumbed against Thatch, left unconscious, but fine. Solomon was struggling against both Indiana and Annabeth: his power was dwindling, yet still towering, no surprise given the young Marine immense talent and powerful Logia Fruit.
Of her friend's aura, one was pulsing frantically, fearing an imminent. It was poor Marco, the polite young Marine who was gentle with Sol's inelegant sobbing just few hours before. Sol's heart sank when she traced back the cause of his distress: Daddy L. Legs herself had came to battle him. A monstrous spider trying to submit and eat a defenseless flea.
The giant couldn't know if she was angrier or more worried. But one thing was certain: she had no time to dedicate to Jack any longer. If he had ever the guts to step again on El Dorado, she would have found the Vice Admiral stopping his assaults over and over, her fire matching his ice. Sol's body glowed: her daunting physical form stretched and bent in a mass of incommensurately bright fire. A tornado of flames, which trailed to reach Legs. To prevent her to reap other young lives.
Underground Mine[]
Finally, the underground team had reached the mine. Solomon's eyes sparkled as they came into immediate contact with all the gold around. He looked to his left, there was gold. To his right, there was gold. Then in the distance, even more than before. The last time he'd seen that much gold in a single spot, was back when he'd been living in Mariejois with his father.
He walked over to the wall of gold and placed his hand on it. As he pulled away from it, the gold seemed to have stuck to his palm in a jelly-like state. Bring his palm to his mouth, he dropped the jelly gold into his mouth and sucked it up as though it was a suffer plate of spaghetti.
Normally eating gold, was like inhumane and most certainly not something you'd see every day. Yet, Solomon stood here talking palms of it into his mouth as if it were a normal meal. Had he been so in tune with being a World Noble, that he'd grown fond of the luxury that is gold that he wanted to be one with it?
He turned to Braxton who'd been standing not too far away from him. "Seems they haven't found the mine yet. It's been some time, how's ma?"
Braxton folded his arms and leaned against the mine's wall, closed his eyes then lowered his head. "I haven't been talking to her much after joining the Marines myself, but last I heard she was fine. The Yggdrasil Kingdom is as prosperous as ever. We haven't heard from you since your promotion to Commodore."
"I know, I know. After the promotion, Fleet-Admiral Byakko stationed me on Cape Island. I was there about a year, driving off pirates. Haven't even had much time to talk to dad either." Solomon reached for the wall again, pulling on more of the gold and smashed it into his arm. "Even then, that's not much of an excuse."
There was a moment of silence before Braxton had finally chosen to break it. "Yeah, she'd been asking me if I'd heard from you at any point during my time in the Marines. I just kept telling her you were busy It's been a year since you'd heard from her and five more since you'd seen her."
Solomon quickly lifted his head, looking to the ceiling above. "Something's coming." He stated.
Outside the mines Erin lowered Annabeth and Indiana to the ground. "Alright you two good luck. Mine could have some stragglers but you should be fine." He quickly tossed a canister to Annabeth. "Thatch said to keep that on you, don't know why but good luck with whatever it is." Erin spoke as he shot back into the sky, disappearing from view.
Landing swiftly with both feet and his knees bent, Indiana cleaned some dirt from his clothes and shot a thumbs-up at Erin. After he had been gone, Indiana released a sigh he didn't know he was holding. "Cap'n knows what she's doing, she knows, she knows..." Indiana said, though, it seemed to be more to himself, as he took out a small notebook from his jacket's pocket.
The notebook contained a half-detailed map, which was actually a separate paper from the other pages. Indiana turned at Annabeth, "I had found this unfinished map from the Libraries in Wano... it would serve to guide us," He looked ahead, eyes narrowing as a sweat went down his face, "But, I'm sure you can feel that our opponents are up ahead." Vines appeared from his shoulders and his legs, some of them hovering slightly above the ground.
Anna landed on the ground next, a small crunch emitting as her feet pressed against the floor. Catching the canister shortly after it was tossed, the woman smiled to herself before putting it away. She turned to a mumbling Indiana who was busy reassuring himself. "Have some confidence Indy, this is Legs that we're talking about here. There's a reason why she's a Yonko," she responded before straightening. The woman began walking forward before nodding.
"Of course they are. I would have been surprised and disappointed if no adversaries were here. Though it would have made the logistics easier..oh well. Let's see what surprises they have in store."
With that, she entered the mouth of the mine.
To Anne's dismay, upon entering, she'd instantly be met by Solomon, Braxton, and Riz. Braxton continued his same pose from earlier, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and head down. Yet at the same time, he remained completely aware of his surroundings granted his Kenbunshoku Haki.
"Draco D. Indiana and... possibly his student." Solomon joked, despite right now not being the time for that. It seemed, just a thirty minutes ago he'd been flopping between his plans and now he stood in the mine confident enough to be making jokes. "I could smell you before you even got here, old man."
Solomon placed his left foot out in front then brought it back and places his right one out. He brought his right foot back then brought out his left. He continued this pattern the entire time and as he did, he swung his arms out and twisted his body. To those around, he'd appear as though he'd been dancing, but there was much more to it.
This was Solomon's unique fighting style: Capoeira. "Braxton, you worry about the girl." Solomon took and deep breath between his movements and each time he brought his foot back, he exhaled. His body became cloaked in a liquid.
"I apologize for not being able to sit down and learn the details of the situation, Indiana. But you're here in my people's treasure grove and I can't let you just waltz in here like that. So please, Indiana, have this dance with me."
Braxton pushed himself from the wall, he'd finally lifted his head after all that time of being silent. The gaze of his blood red eyes, pierced into the soul of Annabeth whether she knew it or not. He wagged his finger at Riz, basically signaling him to not move, justifying that he could handle this on his own.
"Fine then." Riz responded, throwing his hand up heading deeper into the tunnel and disappearing into the shadows.
Eyes perking up, Indiana smiled at Solomon, "It seems your Observation is keen, lad." He mused, despite being faced with three marines, and not three he hadn't heard about. There was almost nothing he hadn't heard about. "Who would think that you all would be here so soon," Indiana opened his arms, hands gesturing, he knew Solomon wasn't just like much of the other Commodores.
"Worry not," He replied simply, a frown into his face as it observed Solomon's movements, "I see, I see." Indiana's eyes shone red and all of a sudden, various vines burst from the ground, since they had travelled through his legs earlier. These vines, however, appeared more around the figure of Riz, wrapping themselves as a circle around him, "Don't go, lad, that'd be troublesome." Indiana smiled as the appendages supposedly managed to cage Riz in.
Even so, he had not taken his eyes off Solomon, and summoned several thorny vines around both of his hands. "I wonder how this exotic dance of yours-" While his eyes were still red, the vines formed themselves into gloves around his hands, "-Will fare against this." With almost no preparation time, Indiana had started a devastating chain of punches against Solomon, his arms moving so fast they seemed to be many. "Bain Bain no GATLING!!" Due to the extension of these vines, Indiana had an even large range, almost as if his arms were stretching.
Indeed she would be disappointed to find not one, but three Marines waiting. She had anticipated company, and was both pleasantly surprised and mildly annoyed to see they were high ranking Marines. It appeared things would take longer than expected.
Annabeth stared at the man in question as he rose from the wall to meet her gaze. "My, my what chilling eyes you have," was her response as she moved forward. Her pace was unhurried yet focused, ignoring Solomon's belittling and teasing nature. Nevertheless, she remained aware of Indiana going on the offensive.
"Let's get started shall we? Neither of us have all day."
Jungle Metal[]
Solomon continued his dancing movements, swaying and weaving with each movement he made. It wasn't long before Indiana had made his first move. To post, Indiana would appear as though he'd grown more hands, but Solomon was no simple fool. He'd trained under one of the greatest martial artists in their era and there was nearly nothing he hadn't seen before.
Fast punches that appeared as though one would have magically grown more arms, Kurama had displayed this plenty of times. It was through his trained eyes and mastery over Kenbunshoku Haki, that he'd be able to follow Indiana's owns hands easily. Again, still in the motion of his unique Capoeira fighting style, he was able to dodge Indiana's attacks with no sweat.
Continuing to follow the man's hands through his haki, Solomon held his forearms up to his side and at the exact moment of his exhale he'd pushed his forearms out to break Indiana's attack and possibly even his posture granted the force placed into the push. A trick of attacking based on the breathes one takes, stolen straight out of Vice-Admiral Grave Eldric's book.
All in a single motion, Solomon leaned over to his side, tilting his body as though he possessed no backbone or spine and landing on the palm of his hand assuming a handstand position, simply exhibiting the immense amount of control over his body he possessed. Normally the human body would be too much for one to lift with a single hand or even maintain balanced on, but Solomon with his intense training could do so without breaking a sweat. Especially since it was a part of his unique fighting style.
With his legs now over the rest of his body, he kicked, unleashing a blade of compressed wind which hurled itself towards Indiana; Rankyaku.
Riz on the other hand, while going along his path would find himself caught by Indiana's trap. Unlike Solomon and Braxton who'd prepared themselves for this, Riz was much more carefree and that trait led to his ultimate capture.
"Damn." He mumbled under his breath, as upon capture the thorns of the vines would cut into his skin creating wounds small, but big enough to allow blood to leak out. "Sorry, Indiana-bi." Riz spoke, tightening his fist so that the thorns would sink deeper into his skin causing more blood to leak out. "But this is my thing..."
Riz's blood trail began to change. Rather than fall down due to gravity and positioning, it began to slide upwards gathering together in multiple spots all over his body. The blood began to take on a form, solidifying into miniatures blades all over his body, then extending outwards to cut up the vines attempting to free himself.
The workings of Riz's unusual power, the Chi Chi no Mi. A paramecia devil fruit, giving one the ability to control and solidify their blood in a matter of useful ways in combat.
It was just as he thought, Indiana deemed with slightly widened eyes, Solomon wasn't a mere Commodore, at least, not anymore. Those kind of movements executed by him, they were gracious and gentle enough to put a normal person into a trance... a normal person, indeed. Indiana had his Kenbunshoku activated even before the fight started, his eyes could easily see the trajectory of Solomon's movements, yet, he didn't change his own attack, because then Solomon broke that flow with his arms. It also meant that he focused solely on Solomon for that period.
Arms which touched the thorns on Indiana's extended arms. Earlier on, he had made sure to not long encase his arms in long vines, but, ones filled with these thick spikes. Although not the most durable, they came in contact with Solomon's bare arms, the latter having used quite some speed in his movements, which only contributed to the damage. Nevertheless, Indiana's arms had been forced open, but, their wideness didn't persist, as he simply sprouted the vines off from his arms and his legs stood planted against the ground.
In that same period that Indiana took to recover and create more vines, Solomon had managed to fire another attack of his, "You don't," With a possible delay, Indiana assumed, due to the damage on his arms. Forearms now bulky due to the amount of vines around them, Indiana made even thicker thorns sprout from everywhere in his new fists, as the Rankyaku came for him.
Indiana spat some saliva, legs firm against the ground as his body tensed, "Kaku Bain!!" With a shockwave, he performed a double slide punch from the inside to outside, arms blurring and clashing against the attack's center. That action by itself generated a burst of a sound and the wind ressonated within the entire mine, making dust fall from the ceiling. With the thorns and motion of Indiana's arms, the Rankyaku would find itself vanishing from its center point and replaced by several other cutting slashes generated through the pressure of Indiana's attack.
Solomon watched as his attack amounted to nothing, not that he expected much since the man he'd been facing had more years of combat experience than himself. Surely it wouldn't take Indiana to do much to counter his attack. While still, on one hand, he bent his elbow and then pushed himself up to dodge the oncoming blades.
Honestly, Solomon could have avoided such extra moves, as there was a possibility that he could have taken the hits dead on, granted he'd had his body coated in the forces of his haki. Regardless, Solomon did not let that become what he leaned on. Instead, he chose to use it as a last resort, hoping to still be able to dodge attacks through his acrobatic capabilities.
While falling down to the ground, Solomon landed on his back, but more specifically his collarbone. With a simple grunt, Solomon's body went spinning as though he were a top from a children's game or a sidewalk street dancer attempting to collect money. Extending his legs out along with holding his elbows out, he would appear to be mimicking to form a helicopter.
"Rankyaku: Jiten Sue." Numerous wind blades were released from his body in an instant. All traveling from his legs and his elbows. As they were released they reached the center point between Solomon and Indiana and gathered together. It wouldn't take long before they'd formed into a tornado of wind and wind blades. Without any need to guide it, the tornado of wind blades traveled towards Indiana, seeking to encase and cut him.
"Such an odd style," Indiana remarked with a smirk, red eyes still keen on Solomon's movements. Had it been a mixture between some sort of martial art and dancing? Analyzing those aspects of it would certainly allow Indiana to trace back the movements' style and deduce which civilization- "Huh?" His mind snapped back to Solomon, who had just entered a weird position.
Indiana's eyebrows cocked up as Solomon began to spin, with him assuming it to be a shower of energy slashes. But, then, his eyes widened once again as his Kenbunshoku showed it all, showed that this was not a simple rankyaku shower. The ensuing tornado, as fearsome as it was, however, travelled through the ground.
Indiana's feet hadn't left the ground ever since the fight started, which allowed for several vines to travel underground... "Shima Bainyurashi!!!" He suddenly yelled, mouth wide, as several vines ruptured across the large area they stood in, rocks flying and erupting, while the vines swung around violently. Such an action would cause the tornado to lose its balance and dissipate, as rocks travelled like bullets through the place and the vines whipped everything.
Solomon watched yet again as his technique amounted to nothing against Indiana. The man was a trained veteran, he'd seen all a battle had to offer whether it was through training or on a war ground. When it came down to pure combat, Solomon was but an infant compared to the man.
Slowing down his spinning so that he could get a better view of his surrounds, Solomon found himself bombarded by flying rocks and wailing vines. Without much time to react on, Solomon decided to speed up his spinning still coating himself in the Kaito from earlier deflecting the rocks and vines from making contact with himself.
Pushing down with his arm, he flipped himself to his feet and began moving his arms in a blocking motion. Knocking vines and rocks away as he did. "Indiana, it's been a while since I've been able to dance a great dance! But just a few hours ago, I fought a great battle with the Yokai of your crew."
Despite smirking, Indiana let a sigh escape his mouth, it seemed this would lead them nowhere. Yes, it seemed. Wanted it or not, the Black Widow Pirates had to finish this fight as early as possible, they sure didn't know about the reinforcements coming, however, they were in the middle of a conflict against the Xros Pirates.
Nevertheless, Indiana couldn't help to be mesmerized by Solomon's movements and defenses against his attacks. "Huh?" His brows quirked at the mention of Yokai, but, whom? Who of the Yokai had he fought? And to be alive- One of their members had been killed?! Indiana gritted his teeth, that couldn't be, the Yokai were one of the main fighting forces- But, then again, Solomon was no mere Commodore anymore...
Even then, Indiana hadn't backed away from proceeding with his original plan... to take advantage of the many underground tunnels at El Dorado, through his many vines. Those vines would indeed seek and explore through them, securing other different places, so that hidden members of the Black Widows could go unnoticed or escape through them.
And, not amongst these members, Legs, Jack, Vincent, only one had already taken the route. The one who had prepared Indiana's tea back at the ship, and had stood "unconscious" until that moment. Cupping the air in front of his mouth, Indiana yelled, "Spandex!!" A flying web came from one of the fissures in the ground towards the crossed arms of Solomon.
Should it land, a figure would emerge from the ground as well, hopping back several meters as the silk came from his hands. A thin man, he had a spandex suit covering most of his body. Such action, would be enough to pull Solomon towards Indiana, who had prepared a buso punch to hit the man in the jaw, its pre-effects producing a gust of wind.
"Hey hey!" The figure called with a smile, his shaggy black hair framing against his face and blue eyes, while his eyes sharpened.
The Doc's Call[]
Choosing to ignore her words, Braxton felt that engaging in battles was all he needed to do. Talking with the opponent wasn't his style, it was moreso something his elder brother Solomon enjoyed. In fact, the general idea of Solomon taking on Indiana as opposed to Annabeth caught the commander off guard. Solomon was usually the type to try and hit on any girl, so long as her face and figure matched his standards. But now he chose to opt for the man over the woman.
Had he realized that on the battlefront, lust was just an obstacle to obscure his sight? Regardless, Braxton didn't dwell on it for too long. He had other things on his mind.. Things much more important than Solomon or any of his stupid fantasies.
The mine would suddenly become cold, yet no one had any idea of what had been going on. Despite showing no physical effects even Solomon was a bit lost, yet kept his head on straight to the opponent he'd been facing. But then, he'd came to the conclusion that it was the power of Jack Frost, member of the Black Widow Pirates who's also accompanied Legs in their attack of El Dorado.
Back to the situation at hand, Braxton had held his hand up and pushed against the atmosphere releasing a thrust of compressed air. Had Annabeth decided to be a saint and take his attack, she'd find whatever portion of her body was hit crushed by the force.
The faint traces of an amused smirk arose; so he wasn't the talking type. That meant peace and quiet, which allowed her to focus. Despite being crew mates with him for years, the cold that Anna felt still sent a chill through her spine. One that reminded her of comrades' strength.
She tuned into her own battle, a wry smile plastered on her face; Anna didn't become who she was by being saintly. It clicked as she moved, evading the blast while sliding forward. Part of her noted his technique; perhaps she would learn that for herself one day.
Braxton honestly didn't want to drag things out. He had... other things to attend to, so he wanted this to be over as quickly as possible. His body instantly became shrouded in a black coating, a testament to his mastery over Busoshoku Haki.
Again, like before, he held his palm out and released another one of his pressurized air punches. Yet, this was not all. Following the first, he'd launched another, then another, then another, until finally there were at least twenty compressed air punches hurling right for Annabeth.
Much like his brother, who'd been prepared and on his toes courtesy of Kenbunshoku Haki, Braxton's was activated as well. Even if he had an ulterior motive.
This was troublesome. She knew from the previous punches that trying to tank one would be disadvantageous. Which meant playing the game. At least for a little while anyway. Her slide turned into a somersault as she moved to langkah. With each step, she sank parallel to the ground in crawling tiger formation, focusing on accurate evasion of the numerous punches by using timely bursts of Kenbunshoku.
Once she bore down on his person, she made the switch, swinging into horse stance while aiming for his blindside with a blackened fist as the substance slid down her frame. Two could play at the Haki game.
Braxton's sensory haki was at its all-time peak, Annabeth may have thought it was his blindside, but with his haki currently, he possessed no blindsides. Despite this being the case he didn't move at all. Her fist came crashing at his side and the fact that it had been infused by haki made it all the more deadly.
Upon contact, Annabeth's punch created its own soft wind gust. Braxton was firm, he budged not one inch and simply looked to Annabeth. His entire had been coated in the black armor he'd covered himself in earlier. In one swooping motion, Braxton grabbed ahold of Annabeth's hand swung her over himself and slammed her into the ground with a tremendous amount of force.
She swung back up immediately, cracking her neck as she danced lightly on her feet. It seemed using Buso had been a good idea; otherwise that body slam could have done some tremendous damage. The doctor made a note that Brax made no move to stop her attack; it seemed he was confident.
Anna winced a bit, ranging out her Kenbunshoku once more as she started circling.
Dirty Blood[]
CLICK THIS BEFORE YOU READ AND LISTEN TO IT AS YOU READ.
Solomon's cloak of haki vanished, as he'd seemingly reached his time limit. Again, he was still exhausted from his battle against MuuMuu and the gold he'd eaten earlier was nothing more than a temporary boost. This was part of the reason he'd decided to take the mines as his location of protection due to the benefits he'd get from it.
Lifting his leg up and kicking it at the web thrown his way, Solomon sent off two wind blades with just one kick, both cross each other in the "X" shape attempting to cut it and deteriorate its path. Lowering his leg so that he could stand straight back up, his eyes met with another individual.
He wanted to drag this out more, but it seemed as though Indiana had a plan to counter him doing so. "A kid?" He thought to himself, opening his hand and having a sword be forged from a chunk of gold that had appeared. Kid or not, he was summoned by Indiana, therefore, making him his enemy.
With his sword up, he leaped into the air and ran at the boy using both Geppo and Soru to create afterimages of himself in each step he made. He slashed at the boy with incredible amounts of speed, hoping to land his linear blow to see what the results would be.
Just before Solomon could land his slashing attack though, Braxton disappeared from in front of Annabeth and reappear at his brother’s side, in a literally instant, quicker than even an eye blink. With his fist cocked back and coated in the black armor of his haki, he thrust forward with a tremendous amount of force smashing into Solomon’s right cheek, sending him crashing into the nearby wall.
Braxton stood there for a moment and switched his view between Solomon, Indiana, and Annabeth in that exact order then circling back to Solomon. He spoke not a word and only watching his elder brother slowly stand back to his feet.
“What the hell, Braxton?!” Solomon questioned in shouts, piercing his gaze into Braxton’s soul. “What are you doing?”
Braxton snapped his finger and suddenly Annabeth would finger herself trapped in a sphere that only held her person. “I’m sorry, Solomon, but I couldn’t hold out on that act for too much longer. I don't have much time, anyway.” Braxton’s black armor began to slowly disappear from his body as he turned his neck cracking it. “Draco D. Indiana. Do not move, I am no longer your enemy from this point forward. Annabeth is in no harm either. Once I am done, I will free her.”
“What the hell do you mean, ‘I am no longer your enemy’. Braxton, right now isn’t the time to play. We have to protect this City’s gold from these damned Pirates!” The Commodore couldn’t quite wrap his finger around the current situation, Braxton just hadn’t been giving him enough information to go on.
“You see, that’s actually why I am not Indiana’s enemy. Tell me, Solomon, just who’s gold is this?”
“That has nothing to do wit-”
“I SAID TELL ME WHO’S GOLD IT IS!!” Braxton’s roar was thunderous as natural as the sound of lightning itself, capable of cutting his elder brother off easily.
“This gold belongs to the World Nobles.” Solomon answered, but felt as though that wasn’t all he needed to say. “That has nothing to do with the situation, I want to know why you stopped me from attacking India-.”
Braxton lifted his hand up, signaling Solomon to quiet himself. “It has everything to do with this situation. Your answer has just told you why we I am no longer an enemy of the Black Widow Pirates.”
“You can’t be serious Braxton! What has brung change to you? Aren’t Pirates your natural enemy as a World Noble or Prince of the Yggdrasil Kingdom?!” Many thoughts ran through Solomon’s head. His younger brother had just declared he was no longer an enemy of his enemy.
“Maybe you’ve forgotten, Solomon. But, I no longer hold the status of a World Noble. When our mother decided to rule over the Yggdrasil Kingdom, our World Noble status was revoked. At any point, did you think it was weird that you hadn’t seen any of your siblings until you were actually old enough to explore for yourself?” Braxton took a pause to gather himself. “That’s because Marlon cut all ties with mother and the rest of us. To you, he’s the greatest father who treats his son with utter love. You’ve never once had to question him because he’s always there we you needed him. Well, let me enlighten you, Solomon.”
Lost for words, Solomon stood still. The same with Indiana who’d been watching and listening as everything had unfolded. ”What does he mean, enlighten?” Solomon thought to himself but chose not to speak out loud.
“Three years ago, the Kingdom was attacked by a Pirate Crew. It was utterly destroyed by this crew, they trashed everything. Queen Ferrothorn, our mother, tried her best to reach out the people at Mariejois more specifically, our father. Do you know what he told us? He told us, there was nothing he could do for us. He told us, as far as the rest of the World Nobles were concerned, we were no longer his family.”
Braxton gave off a sly chuckle. “Do you know how that made her feel? She was the queen, of a country and couldn’t even help her people. She didn’t even ask to have an admiral sent there to help fend, all she asked for was the funds to help get the country back on its feet and he told her, we weren’t even his family anymore."
The Commander sighed, "Mother had no problem with this fate and even our brother and sister, Mars and Olivia, decided to just brush it off, and she wrote it as we were the ones who decided to leave Mariejois so it’s our problem. But not me. How could you leave your wife and children down to hit rock bottom and not even give it a second thought.”
"That's when it dawned on me, Solomon. That when things began adding up. The Revolutionary Army's purpose is to stand against the World Nobles for the people." Braxton took a deep breath before continuing, "This world, everything that happens and all of its events... In one way shape or form, the World Nobles are involved. So I'll take that which they are involved in..."
With the clench of his fist, a dark glare was given birth. "... and I'll crush it with my own two hands. I won't follow any more of this "justice", facade you all have people hypnotized by."
"Brax, you aren't making any sense. You know how the World Nobles are, there's gotta' be something more to this!" Solomon shouted, his own face gloomy compared to Braxton's.
In the distance, the sound of a rolling cart could be heard. Riz would emerge from the dark depths of the mine pushing a wheelbarrow. "El Dorado has been on my list for quite some time, you see. After my informant within the Black Widow Pirates told me Legs would be coming here soon, I made sure to place myself in the are and knew that you would be the first Kurama would call. I also know about your scuffle a few days ago with that Yokai you mentioned earlier, I honestly thought you wouldn't make it out of that alive."
Riz finally reached Braxton's side revealing the contents of the wheelbarrow; melted gold rested in the stomach of the wheelbarrow, obviously the work of Riz. "Er, Braxton-sama. I couldn't get yer' more gold cause of ye' limit o' time." Riz scratched through his red hair, trying to apologize as best he could. "But it'll be 'nough to get tha' thingie majigger'."
"Riz! You're in on this too!" Solomon's face went from pale white to blood red, the color signifying the rage emotion he felt deep down inside. "Brother or not, if you stand against the World Nobles or the Marines to aid Pirates, then I will kill the both of you." Lunging forward, Solomon lifted his blade aiming at Braxton's neck.
His younger brother wagged his finger. "Lag." He stated a single word and at the moment he did, Solomon skipped from one where was currently, all the way to the other side of the mine where he'd crash right into the golden wall. As he hit the wall, the force was enough to cause Solomon to let go of his blade.
"You can not hit me, Solomon. Especially not in a space as cramped as this. He pointed his finger at Solomon and suddenly, the man's body was entrapped in a sphere much like Annabeth's own.
Walking over to Solomon's dropped sword, Braxton lifted the blade and admired its make. "Indiana, this is by no means a declaration of allying myself with the Black Widow Pirates. However, I do not deem you as my enemy and will not make you my enemy. That informant that's in the Black Widows is not the one who once lived in my kingdom, but another."
He stood near Solomon's trapped body and pointed the tip of the blade at Solomon's side. "However, tell Jack Frost, that he's innocent. He'll know what I mean." Thrusting the blade forward, Braxton stabbed at Solomon's ribcage, pushing the blade deeper and deeper into the man's side. The sphere disappeared around both Solomon and Annabeth and he threw the blade down to Solomon's side, turning his back to head to the entrance of the mine with Riz following behind him.
Solomon fell to the ground, he gripped his side, groaning in pain from the pierced he'd taken. "Y-you, you have devil fruit powers now? What is your.." Solomon's side leaked of blood and he reached to his fallen sword and turned it into malleable metal and stuff it into his whole as though he'd been trying to stop a leak at home. "What is your ability?"
"Oh, that's right, you don't know, do you. Olivia, Mars, and I all have devil fruit abilities now." A mental image of a brown-skinned man with black spiky hair came to Braxton's mind. "Mars ate the Gen Gen no Mi, it grants him the ability to manipulate gravity. Olivia..." An image of a petite dark-skinned woman came to his mind.
"She ate the Neko Neko no Mi, Model: Black Panther. And myself, well, I like to think of my fruit as the power to "Alter Reality". To tell you what it does would leave me at a huge disadvantage since out of the three of us I am your only enemy."
Braxton and Riz had reached the outside of the mine by now and he'd called out one last time to Solomon. "We will meet again, Solomon. And by that time, I will have found a way to get into the Holy City of Mariejois. Before that, ask him is there anything he'd like to tell you. He has secrets that dwarf your imagination."
"Wait!" Solomon shouted, but the two had disappeared into thin air. He was in intense pain and had to deal with a lot emotionally. But, for now, it would have to wait. In front of him, he still had three opponents who're objective is to take over the mine. "Right now isn't the time to think to much about it." He thought, slowly standing to his feet with the support of the wall.
"For now..." His hair began to stand up as though he'd been electrocuted. His facial expression changed from painful to chaotic and his senses were all set on the trio of pirates in front of him.
"Woah, woah!" The aforementioned kid bellowed with a smile at Solomon's advance on him, yet, his eyes widened when the other Marine suddenly jumped in-between. Only then, his eyes shone, "Awesome!!" He bounced his fists up and down, "Was this supposed to happen?" He turned towards Indiana, who had let a sweat run down his expression.
After a second, Indiana took only a glance at the boy, he couldn't fully diverge his attention, "Allar D. Daniel..." Oh shit, his full name used. "I don't have a script, I couldn't know!!" Indiana snarled.
"Well, you got pretty good Kenbun- Ow!!" Daniel rubbed the back of his head after Indiana's swift punch. The enemies continued to talk, yet, he couldn't keep his attention on them, "Did- Did I still do any good?" Daniel gazed side-ways at the old man.
Indiana rolled his eyes, "No!" Another punch and another grunt, "He kicked the web away!" He gestured furiously for Solomon, who had been talking with Braxton and that other Marine. "Not that it matters much." It was when their talk had been directed at him all of a sudden, what had been all that about World Nobles? Indiana knew of some Nobles becoming Marines... but, that had been quite the long story, even without details. His eyes narrowed as Braxton continued to speak.
Should this Marine really be trusted? Indiana's eyes flashed their fiercest shade of red yet, as the thoughts and emotions of only Braxton filled his mind, he still had ways to improve his Haki, but, even so, it was amongst the Widows' greatest. This man really carried genuineness within his words, but, "Daniel, go to the city of El Dorado," Indiana muttered.
"Huh?!" Daniel's mouth went open, "But, I was supposed to help here!" He held his arms out, the borders of his eyebrows rising. What had been called for then?
Rubbing his temples briefly, Indiana closed his eyes and sighed, "Just go and lay the message!!!" He snapped at Daniel, saliva flying out, as the latter clicked his teeth and vanished in a small shockwave. Indiana turned back at the men before him and walked over at a grunting Solomon, guard still high.
"I see that you're still not down..." Indiana glared at the sparkling Solomon, while several vines oozed from his body and encased some of it with themselves. "I'm sorry a family member of yours had to turn on you like that," His hat shadowed his eyes for a brief moment, yet his haki went back to Solomon, awaiting his next move.
It was a not a good look for a Black Widow commander to be caught so easily. Granted, she didn't have the same affinity for combat as her peers but still. Anna ultimately comforted herself with seeing Solomon trapped in sphere of the same design.
Going nowhere fast, she listened closely as Braxton gave the barest description of his abilities. She documented the placement switch he utilized on his brother as well as the sphere that she was currently encased in. For one who was worried about putting himself at a disadvantage, his ability appeared flush with power.
When the sphere disappeared, she dropped to her feet before standing once more. With Braxton and Riz long gone, it meant that it was a game of two on one. Though it was a far more volatile situation; one didn't have to be a genius to see Solomon was livid.
An Urgent Message[]
Finished with his own fight Thatch moved swiftly through the city, echoes of war raging behind him. As he charged towards the gold mines he spotted a familiar figure in the sky. None other than Allar D. Daniel, swinging through the damn sky. "Come here" Thatch quickly projected a message to the boy, using his kenbunshoku haki. He stared up to the child waving him down towards the ground. If he was dashing back here on his own, either Indiana was done or something had happened.
With a gasp, as due to his instinct he pulled his webs, Daniel lowered his trajectory and crashed against some trash cans, "DAMN!" He instantly recovered and smiled, fists touching his hips, "Oh, it's ya', sup' Vincent," Daniel called at the man and walked slowly across the golden street, "Indiana-jii has instructed me to contact Jack!"
Thatch chucked at his antics. Youth was such a fun time, he'd make a drug for that one day. "A message for Jack huh?" Thatch turned back to see an explosion in the distance. "Yeah he's fighting a plasma giant or something, I'm pretty sure you'll simultaneously burn and freeze to death if you go over there, not to mention become a liability." He looked down at the kid. "Relay it to me, why don't ya."
"Aaaah, scary Marines!" Daniel watched just like Thatch did, the side of his face flashing, "...Lovely!" Then, he turned back to Vincent, "Oh, well, it's not to be told to you." A shrug, "Because, it was from another person to Indiana-jii to Me to Jack-" Daniel paused, "Yeah!" Hopefully that made sense.
Thatch stared at him quizzically. "Look Daniel we're in a warzone, this ain't the time to be going so and so can't know that. If this is something that is in any way influencing the way this battle plays out, and I'm assuming it is, you better tell me right now." Kids these days.
"No man, believe it," Daniel clicked his teeth and waved his hands around, was it that hard to understand? "This Braxton dude just told Indie-jii to piss off and be like-" He adopted some kind of weird posture, slanting his eyes and pouting, "Ahem, Tell Jaku Furosuto, that he's innocent, like this!"
"Braxton sounds familiar. Who else was there Daniel? Any last names?" Thatch spoke, ideas clicking in his head. He wanted everything clear before he entered that mine.
Daniel looked at nowhere for a bit, still smiling, "Nope! I didn't know anyone there, this dude who called himself Braxton just pronnounced himself to Indie-jii!" He gave a thumbs-up at Vincent, he should hurry, why was there insistence?
"Sounds like an upstanding fellow, very well then." Thatch spoke, glaring ahead. "If you can't reach Jack, contact Erin and he'll send the message through." Braxton, it wasn't a common name, he'd defiantly heard it before. "Now go deliver that message and don't die or else." Thatch shouted to the kid as he continued onwards towards the mines.
"Thatch" a voice spoke, causing him to whirl around, coming face to face with his friend, Erin.
"What?" Thatch replied, raising an eyebrow at him. "You kill that Marine?"
"No I didn't she ran off right as our fight was beginning, speaking of running off it seems Jack abandoned his fight with Sol." Erin informed him.
"What. What the fuck. Why the hell would he do that?" Thatch yelled. "His devil fruit was literally a hard counter to hers, plasma can't fight the infinite cold, hell it can't fight the temperatures you can make the air. What the fuck is going on with that guy?" Thatch was seriously questioning Jack's mind. "Shoulda just stuck to the damn plan. Never mind that though, hear anything about a Braxton?"
"Ferrothorn Braxton? Yeah he's here with his brother Solomon, betrayed him in the mines." Erin replied nonchalantly.
"So it's true then, anywhere there's air you got ears." Thatch grinned. "This is an interesting development though, maybe their presence has something to do with Jack fucking off like that. Oh well, we'll deal with that later. How's Legs doing?"
"Just fine, she's handling them all very expertly."
"Of course she is, there isn't much to worry about besides Vice Admiral Ernest, Sol, and Bambina. He trained you right?"
"It was a combination of him, Valentine, and my father." Erin replied.
"Bunch a powerhouses, shame you turned out so weak." Thatch joked, causing Erin to glare at him. "Oh whatever, if you're done pouting I'm putting an end to this area." Thatch spoke and with a gesture of his hand the town exploded into poison. Houses, roads, streetlights, all converted to a whirling mass of purple that spread through the whole town at once. Every civilian coated, all suffering in agony as they fell to the ground in immense pain. In mere moments the once massive thriving mining town was reduced to rubble and poison. It was a modified form of Hydra, a poison Magellan made famous back in his day. With another motion the ambient Webbed World that the Marines had failed to get rid of seeped outwards, extending towards every end of the island. "We're going to the mines now Erin." He spoke as he continued to move forwards.
Time Only Matters[]
Regardless of how carefree he looked in front of his opponents, deep down inside he couldn't help but think about the events that had just unfolded. Braxton had stabbed one of Solomon's organs and it was very painful. The only thing that kept it from bleeding was the metal he'd placed there as a temporary bandage.
Solomon smashed his hands together to create a clap and the mine began to quake. At first, it was subtle then it became very violent as though it were a natural earthquake of the sorts. Dust began to fall from the ceiling of the mine and the ground would begin to crack.
"Excuse the drama, Indiana. But due to recent events, our dance will have to be taken to a different stage." With the ground continuing to shake, Solomon's hair had fully begun to stand up -- it was that time again. The gold around the mine began a liquid substance falling off of the walls and sliding on the floor to create a floor of liquid gold.
Reactivating Busoshoku, Annabeth formed a thin layer across her nearly entire frame with the exception of a foot. She remained wary of the falling liquid gold, along with the shaking mine, moving as the ground cracked then was submerged in a golden floor. The woman then tapped the liquid gold floor, causing it to move away, revealing the mine floor in her immediate surroundings. Watching his hair rise, she had a feeling things would take an interesting turn shortly.
"Oho!" Indiana beamed, eyes blinking at the new abilities Solomon was demonstrating, "Logias truly are the scariest." Even if he was a modest person, Indiana certainly wouldn't hold back compliments when he deemed fit. Yet, it seemed Solomon forgot about the many gigantic vines that had settled upon the structure of the mine, they weren't there solely for securing a path for the place. The gold was in liquid form, for then, thus, it wouldn't hinder them initially, as they moved frantically upon Indiana's command.
Some vines ripped through the earth, taking advantage of the earthquake caused by Solomon, to further cause damage and divide the entire mine into sections. Even more rumbling filled their ears, "This is the true Shima Bainyurashi!" Cracks appeared in the walls, the vines constricting them. Indiana wasn't a full frontal fighter, so, he made sure that all his attacks carried several consequences with them. Afterwards, the rumbling filled the entire city.
Some other tendrils pressed themselves together, trying to keeping the gold from sipping into their room, as well as pulling the structure together. While, as stated beforehand, the rest pushed the entire mine away, prompting the room they stood in to burst off and make the ground around it cave in.
For then, Solomon would be quite distant from the gold he was controlling and their room would be visible enough in the outside, the sun shining over it and dust covering the nearby city block.
Thatch caught his footing as the area around him shook multiple times as he and Erin neared the mine. "What are they doing in there?" He was met with a shrug from Erin who was floating beside him. It was then at the earth erupted and from it a mass came forth with Indiana, Annabeth and Solomon all standing upon it. "Take us there." He shouted, his mouth curling into a grin.
As the mass stopped moving Erin and Thatch appeared, floating behind Indiana and Annabeth. "Shows over in the town so we decided to pop in and say hello." Erin spoke.
"Yeah it wasn't much so now we're gonna wrap this up too." Thatch spoke. Extending his hands as a wave of sleeping gas shot from it, Erin's wind warping it to swarm around Solomon, aiming to put his lights out quite quickly.
Solomon began to pant heavily, not because he had been wounded by any of his opponents, but simply because he truly couldn't keep up with the current situation. Just under four hours ago, Solomon took on a commanding officer of the Black Widows Pirate, one whose power was justified not only by her size but in her combat abilities as well. His fatigue finally began to show.
Sweat droplets slowly inched down the side of his face. His breathing was heavy too... he was truly at his peak but used the earthquake as a facade to hide it from his opponents. The mine seemed to have been moving all thanks to the efforts of his mini earthquake and Indiana's own devil fruit abilities.
A deep breath. Silence. The liquid ooze from his Busoshoku Kaito began to grow exponentially in size. Just like that time, it slowly began to take the size of a fox destroying everything that was in its immediate path. The area that was known as "underground" was no longer than. The ground that was the "ceiling" of the room, began to collapse over the Black Widow Pirates. The force of the earthquake multiplied by at least three. It would be hard for them to stand firmly without shaking due to the collapsing mine.
Kaito's mouth opened and Solomon placed his hand out in front of him. He looked down to the now four-man group, two of which managed to join the fray as his Kaito took its form. "I don't have much longer." He thought to himself. A chunk of metal began to generate just outside of Kaito's mouth, right at the peak of his nose.
"Indiana and the mariachi band..." He'd spoken out loud, his voice still the same with a bit more umph so that everyone could hear him. He also deepened it so that he could avoid showing any sign of his weakness to the opponent. "I'll have to show you just how much the strength of the Marines have grown since your departure."
As he talked the chunk of metal continued to grow in size and once it reached its required size. Solomon smashed his hands together once more and the gold from the removed piece of the mine courtesy of Indiana, instantly transformed into liquid form, along with what was left in the underground mine. The liquid slithered from the chunk of earth and banded together like a pool of water in midair.
Mental control was all Solomon needed to guide this pool of gold. The liquid shifted from mind air and assimilated itself into the sphere or metal created by Solomon. Instructing his Kaito through mental command, the Kitsune stood on its hind legs. A spike formed from the metallic sphere extending out and aiming for Solomon as though it were going to pierce him.
Just before stabbing through him, the spiked stopped in front of Solomon's open palm. Pushing his arm into it intentionally, the spike stabbed his palm. He pulled away from the spike and stomped his foot onto the tongue of Kaito as the fox mimicked its master's moves.
The metal sphere shot up in the air broke apart into mini spheres and headed in various different directions. However, there was one that took a specific route; the coast of El Dorado and the location of the Legs and the fending Marines.
Kaito withered into thin air and Solomon's body began to fall to the ground like a lone leaf in the wind. His body crashed into the ground creating a mini crater as though a meteor collided with the earth. As the view fixated itself to look inside of the crater, Solomon's body was there laid out.
His vision was blurry and he could see a flickering light in his eyes. Had he been on the brink of death? Was he about to make his way to the light? These were the many thoughts passing through an exhausted Solomon's mind as he tried to get a grasp of himself.
"Well..." He mumbled to himself, still fighting and clinging to his consciousness. "At least I managed to separate the gold." He ended before finally passing out.
Indiana paid no mind at the newcomers in the form of Vincent and Erin, instead, eyeing Solomon's figure with uttermost seriousness. His hand snatched towards Solomon's shirt, Indiana aimed to raise him into the air by holding to his collar, whilst he looked into the Marines' eyes.
"You have won, lad..." Indiana started, wetting his lips briefly to continue, "However, I'm not forgetting what you told me earlier. About that fight, that is," Should any of the newcomers even try anything, Indiana had waved a hand at them, gesturing that his sole actions were necessary.
Through some mean, Solomon managed to regain his consciousness. Had it been through his immense willpower of wanting to see this to the end? Or had he simply been hallucinating this entire situation? Regardless he faintly called back out to Indiana. "The war is starting soon, Indiana." He stated, gripping the man's wrist with all of his might.
The sound of squashing could be heard in the distance and as the seconds past the sound kept getting closer and closer. The sound of running wind could be heard next and the temperature in the area would suddenly rise to extreme heights.
Near Indiana, just a few feet away, lava orbs -- no, fists of magma were sent hurling at Indiana in a barrage, about four in total.
Never Attack a Fox's Ward[]
Landing to the ground was the source of those fists, Chartinger Roselia, taking her place near her superior's side as she rushed to his protection. Given Indiana's power, one could say he would not succumb to such a thing, and would likely engage in a swift counterattack toward both Solomon and the newcomer. But perhaps what happened next would make him rethink such a thing.
"Honestly..."
Where the ground was lit with the flames of the magma fists that struck near Indiana, an invisible force seemed to smash through them and carry the fires with them in the form of a rushing torrent. At first, it appeared as though it were a follow-up attack meant to bash into Indiana even more, but that flowing rush of flames appeared to shift and shape themselves, curling around into a whirlwind of heat as it set the entire battlefield aflame. It wasn't immediately clear what had transpired, but in truth, it was the act of Haki; a powerfully transmitted rush of Haki that grabbed hold of those flames and provided them direction and form. Such a thing was possible only by one frighteningly powerful individual.
"...forcing your Fleet Admiral to enter the battlefield."
A lone figure was seen in the backdrop of the flame curtain that had just been created, stepping closer towards the epicenter as the flames parted to allow him entrance. He made no gesture, no move to do so; it was as if the fire itself bowed to this man's presence. As if they knew better than to obstruct his path. Once they parted, the man's identity was more clear; one could not mistaken that flowing silver hair, both of a brilliant sheen yet one harboring the ash grey of decaying leaves, as it fluttered about, and that menacing smile that hid those vicious proverbial fangs.
The Fleet Admiral himself stepped onto this land consumed with conflagration.
"What a pitiful bunch of marine soldiers." Kurama looked out towards Solomon, immediately addressing him. "Though, I suppose, given the circumstances, I will commend you for lasting as long as you did, my dear student. I will forestall punishment for now." And after speaking, Kurama set his sights upon Indiana. "And you. If you want to keep that hand, I'd recommend taking it off of my student."
If Indiana knew how to react at all of the events unfolding before him, he had certainly forgotten it. His vines provided coverage for many of the molten rockets that flew at him, but, they soon became dust, though, even so, their conjoint form and the fact of there not being many attacks, allowed Indiana to come out unscathed from it. And, as unexpected, he just stood there, not coming out with any counterattack.
Yet, his grip on Solomon's shirt didn't soften any bit... at least for that moment. It was then that the flames revealed yet another figure, a figure of unfathomable aura. If Indiana was already immobile- He stopped moving even more.
Then, though, his head whipped at the newcomer, "I only heard stories." Indiana mused, eyes glinting due to the fire, "Byakko-san." Shortly after, he lowered Solomon gently upon the ground, "Don't mistake it, I was going to ask him about the gold, not kill him." His hand was left hanging and visibly trembled. Indiana took a single step to face the newcomers.
"Roselia."
Only a single utterance was enough to convey his intentions, as Kurama requested of her to go retrieve Solomon from within the enemy's vicinity as the Fleet Admiral stared him down. As she approached the injured soldier, picking him up slowly into her arms, she'd back away at a distance as Kurama stepped forward; matching Indiana's own motion forward. With a light smile, the leader of the marines waved his arm toward the side, a shadowy aura surrounding his figure as it expanded outwards; rippling out like the waves of an ocean as they seemed to go on forever. With the way this pulse behaved, it wasn't impossible to think it might envelop the entirety of the land, alerting all to the presence of the monster that had just touched ground here.
Within the air behind the Fleet Admiral, several shifts in air pressure began to take form, paths of wind being drawn as the black aura coalesced and took on physical shapes of katanas. Blades upon blades of Haki manifested into the air, all of them aimed directly at Indiana, yet none moved an inch from their starting spot. The appearance of these swords from afar was as if they had taken on a formation resembling a wall, made of nothing but Haki weapons that sought to shred asunder anything that remained within their path.
"In spite of appearances, I have no intention of doing battle here today. Especially not with someone that I care not to even remember their name. But what I do know is that you are a pirate associated with the Yonko Daddy L. Legs." Kurama remarked, dropping his arms down at his side as the Haki blades remained stationary. "I will allow you to leave here unscathed, provided you pass along a message to your Captain for me."
Kurama's lips curled into a subtle smile, yet his expression was truly a menacing sight to behold. "She should be more wary of where she weaves her web. She could be treading on a very dangerous predator's territory, one she has no chance of escaping from with her life." he remarked.
As the magma and fire flew at him Erin manipulated the air, forcibly changing the trajectory of the attacks to send them flying away from the four. It was then that "he" appeared. Erin knew him well from his time in the Marines, a man that knew him and his father very well, Fleet Admiral Kurama. Erin shook as he attempted to keep his composure. His vision slightly blurring as he felt Kurama's presence. "Th-Thatch we have to.."
"Shut your mouth Erin." Thatch spoke, his gaze not moving from Kurama. He had taken the blow much better than the rest of them, having been exposed to Haoshoku Haki numerous times during one of his more dangerous experiments with Legs. He could still feel the presence of the monster but he was capable of showing no physical signs of it. Their current party could probably deal with his entourage, but not the fleet admiral himself, you'd need at least a Yonko for that. "Very well." Thatch replied to his message. "Is there anything else you'd like us to pass on to her or will that be all Byakko?" Thatch spoke respectfully. He knew better than to act out in front of Kurama of all people. He was displeased that the situation had come to this but he'd much rather they left without starting a fight.
Raising his hand, and then making a subtle gesture downwards, the blades appeared to dwindle in number; thinning the threat, so to speak, even though numerous blades remained. It was an action showing that Kurama respected them for responding to him in a civil and polite manner, rather than how most brutish pirates were known to behave, and in return, pulled back some of his strength to also demonstrate a level of conscious courtesy.
"Contrary to our difference in position, I do not harbor hatred toward any of you pirates. I have never believed in the notions of good and evil, nor that of 'Absolute Justice' as my predecessor once did. Marines, pirates, revolutionaries... We all strive to fight for our souls. For our own justice. That is admirable, no matter the side. But I do believe in what 'does work' and what 'does not work'. And though I respect that you all fight to uphold your own justice, it is the wrong path. It is not the answer needed for this world." Kurama explained, shutting his eyes for a moment as he continued. "But now is not the time to show it to you all. When that day comes, it will be in front of the entire world..." Kurama's eyes slowly opened into a narrow shape. "...that those ideas of old will be crushed to nothingness."
Raising his hand, gesturing out towards the pirates he was speaking to, the Fleet Admiral continued to voice his thoughts. "You asked me if I had more to pass on to your Captain, and yes, I do have one other thing I want you to tell her. Something I want you to tell her and all of her crewmates as well, if you would." Kurama said, forming a rather gentle smile. "People are a resource. I don't want to kill any more than I have to. I feel this way towards all people, even among pirates and outlaws. And so, if your Captain cares for your welbeing, genuinely loves her own crew, then she should consider my offer well. It is an open-ended offer, she can accept it at any time. She can surrender herself to me, her territory to the marines, and all of her people will be pardoned. Every last one of them, even down to her cabin boys; their bounties rescinded, a chance at peace for each of them. Her territories will become Marine protectorates, and in lieu of her charge, I will split the territory and give dominion over them to each of her Commanders. This is the 'answer' I envision, a world where all of us work together towards peace. If your Captain Legs cares more about being in control and only herself, even sending her own crewmates to their premature deaths just to protect such shallow self-interests, I would question why her crew would swear loyalty to such a selfish person." Kurama stated, taking a slow breath inwards as he simply expressed a smile, before turning away, showing his back as he stepped away from the battlefield.
"Anyways, that's all. Be sure to pass that along, especially my offer to all of her Commanders as well." he'd say, raising his left hand upwards as he walked, signaling a farewell, but also to make those Haki blades of his vanish once enough distance was put between him and them.
Thatch nodded to the Fleet Admiral, it was clear that his respect was met with Kurama's own. He stood in silence listening to the Fleet Admiral. His position was interesting to say the least. And while Thatch doubted the truth in his bargain it was interesting that he'd propose it. "I appreciate the honesty. I don't exactly hate you all either." Thatch laughed lightly. "I doubt anyone will take to your offer, especially Legs herself. Nevertheless though I'll relay it to her." He spoke giving a small nod. "I hope Solomon appreciates you coming out here for him." With that the communications ceased and Thatch awaited Kurama's departure.
Sun and Silk[]
Sol found both her dear subordinate and mortal enemy on the edge of a stumbling cliff, hanging over the sea. Poor Marco had lost any safe grip: his rocky basement had been shattered with a single step of Legs, rocks falling over the Marine like he was under an avalanche.
“Marco!” Sol cried out. Her hand was quick to reach the young marine; her essence morphed from plasma to flesh to a mixture of the two, so to welcome the young Marine with her soft flesh.
“Marco, I was… so worried about… you!.. sniff..” She cried rivers, embracing the younger marine in her bosom, hoping that provide as comfort as she could to a brave, yet experienced soldier who had just faced one of the worst monsters of his age.
Then Sol stared in the face of said monster. So cruel, so cocksure. So confident in her strength that she believed himself to be a god. Just looking at her nonchalant smile could make Sol’s very being boil and crackle. Plasma swelled over from her frame, shaped mountain of towering fire. Compared to spider queen, Sol resembled a sun rising from a volcano, her presence casting mountains of light and darkness over the island.
“Stay calm, Marco”. She said with a resolute, authoritative tone. A little cloud of cold plasma transported Marco, to shelter him as far away from the battle as possible. “I will deal with the Spider-bitch by myself. Promising youth like you can’t be bothered dying by the hands of bloodthirsty hags”.
Bright fumes rushed from her body, coiling around the silky rope Legs was using to keep herself anchored. To fire it with chirurgic precision until it broke down. Such small fire was followed by a massive wave of plasma, coming from Sol’s mouth. A scorching stream large enough to devour the cliff where Legs was standing along with acres of grounds, hot enough to turn the sand nearby into glass just by proximity.
Legs web melted quickly from the edge, becoming soft, mushy, and pool like as it dripped into the sea beneath, resulting in Legs temporarily losing her grip from the plummeting boulders. There was a tinge of surprise made visible on her visage; she was so infused her own battle that she had completely failed to observe the horned woman. Still, her eyes narrowed in as she watched her rush in to save her falling comrade; the horns set upon her head, Legs had seen the same horns in her own soldier, Lord MuuMuu. Yet, her view of the woman was covered by a tsunami of plasma, a substance not that Legs was not only unfamiliar with, but something fast and quick. It tore through the atmosphere, turning the sands of the desert into glass itself, melting the boulders into orbs of lava, and scorching the grass into a dusty prairie. There was no time for her to contemplate its origin or speculate about its capabilities; it was fast and hot, all she needed to know.
Legs threw her arm out forward before her body, closing her eyes as she mentally weaved a conception in the world; the word shield. As the wave of plasma approached steadily, the air itself manifested as a force to stop it, and only feet before it reached Legs, it ceased in place, its heat, its substance. With her other free hand, Legs shot her web towards the beach shore, lassoing herself onto solid land to prevent her descent into the sea. Then, as she snapped her fingers, the shield of air ceased, allowing the tsunami to fall onto the sea itself, leaving nothing but a dust bowl of charred sand in the stead of the water that bubbled into oblivion. There was a tinge of excitement let on Legs’ own face.
“You!” Legs called out, “You are interesting! That stuff you have, I don’t know what it is, but I could use an ability like that in my ranks. What do you say? Why don’t you join my crew? We always have room for more Giants! I have one in my crew right now; you might know her, Lord MuuMuu! She’s a giant with horns, just like you.”
"Vice Admiral Sol!" The voice of Ernest appeared, as he appeared in the midst of the battle between Sol and Legs. It was an intense conflict, but Ernest would not back down. "I apologize for nearly allowing Captain Marco to be killed...It was a slip of judgement and lack of ability." Ernest apologized for his lack of ability, but bowed, before taking a fighting stance. "I will not make the same mistake now!"
Ernest took one of the blades that perched upon his back, and pulled it out of his body. The sudden impact suddenly caused a huge amount of electrical energy to well within his body, causing his surroundings to become filled with a brief tinge of flowing electricity. "Limiter Release: 8.3%!" Ernest announced, as he held the blade in his hand.
He had heard the declaration of Daddy L. Legs, and would not take it! He dashed off at an even greater speed than before, reaching the Yonko's vicinity in nearly no time as her barrier had dissipated. "We are proud Marines, don't you dare think you can recruit us to your cause!" Channeling powerful, compressed flames into his blade, the Vice Admiral launched a flurry of flying slashes towards the Yonko, all with flames that sought to scorch the air itself and burn through the powerful Pirate.
There was still too much time remaining, and Ernest was unaware of how the other factions had been holding up. If Vice Admiral Sol was here, that was a good indication, however...he simply did not know. "As much of an honor it is to die on the battlefield, I...do not want to die here!" Ernest's thoughts roared within him, as he took a defensive stance, turning off his emissions to ensure his comrade was not caught up in them.
All of a sudden, the ground cracked beneath all of them, causing rumble and shaking throughout the entire area, "BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!" Bambina burst like a rocket from the floor, his body rotated like a pinwheel, generating myriads of Rankyaku, which seemed to converge in several large slashes. These slashes flew around Ernest in such a way that all of his weak spots, at least the ones that Bambina knew, had been covered.
"I lost quite som' fun, aye!!!" Bambina barked with a smile, feet crashing against the rocky ground as he took a glance of everyone around. His mouth went into a pout, "Ooooo, 'ven Sol is 'ere!" Bambina grinned at her.
"Bambina-samaaa!! I am so relieved to see you again... sniff.." Sol wept with joy, her tears giving back to the sea the precious salty water she had taken away with her fire breath. She had felt from her aura reading that her benefactor hadn't accused significant damage, but seeing him alive and kicking with his vibrant smile plastered on his face was entire different kind of joy. With Bambina's upbeat determination on their side, the giantess' confidence reached surmountable heights. Even taking down a Yonko, a monster entire countries would bow in fear at the mere mention of, seemed not only possible, but even fun.
Sol's arms begun to soften and stretch, elongating in a dough of pure plasma. They embraced the trio in a makeshift ring; one similar to the arena she created to contain Jack in her brief scuffle. But this time there was no way out: this structure was an enduring part of her, closing everyone in an impenetrable dome of plasma fluxes streaming in and out from her body. Her gargantuan head peeked in the plasma bubble; it was the only part of her body the contestants could see of her amidst the overpowering glow.
Despite its breathtaking luminosity, such attack did not carry the same amount of heat that turned vast portions of the island in a scorched, glassy savanna. Well, it did looked less hot only because Sol had covered the outer layers of her barrier with non-thermal plasma. In essence, her barrier worked like a pie or an anti-mosquito lamp: comforting, even luring on the outside, yet hellishly hot on the inside. Anything encountering its burning heart wouldn't even have the time to ignite before turning into ash and then down to its basic particles.
"There is no need for apologies, Ernest-san". She addressed her companion's concerns as he was breaking off from his fetters. "Marco is safe now, and civilians casualties had been kept to a minimum. Now it matters only to deal with this plague. We have isolated the contagion: let's put everything on the table and eradicate it once and for all".
Sol's anger turned her drake-like pupil in the eyes of a fuming monster; if her glare could carry heat proportional to the hatred conveyed, it would make the plasma she had mastery over look like fresh water. How could that horrible woman have the galls to propose a servant of true Justice to betray her comrades, her people and her ideals to join a gang of thieves and cowardly butchers? The news of some giant as large as she was- one of the very few in the world, from what she could recall, maybe the last survivor from her wretched clan- sparked some interest in the Marine, but only mildly. Sol's true family had been the Marines first and foremost: her monstrous heritage mattered to the woman only as a pillar to support the World Government peace, to fight for to those who are powerless to defend themselves.
Sol spitted white pellets, projectiles made of stellar substance. There was a rain of them, aimed not to strike the tyrant directly, but to join the attacks of her comrades, imbuing them with solar heat. The wind strikes turning in blades of merciless light, their cutting powers increased exponentially as with their temperature.
The culmination of the marine’s attack molded into a beautiful blaze of scorching flames and plasma; Ernest’s flames, enhanced by the torrid heat of the plasma rain, Bambina’s protective sickles of wind and might reinforced by Sol’s will, contained within the giant’s protective barrier preventing her from escaping. Despite this, Legs’ visage contorted in what seemed to be mild disappointment, if not true indifference as her eyes fell upon Ernest and his attack. She extended her arm outwards, showering her limb, shielded by a dense exoskeleton, in a heavy layer of Busoshoku Haki that blackened her complexion except for the blue glow that emanated from the inside of her palms. She snapped her hand onto every flame sword that churned in her direction, encapsulating the flames and plasmatic heat within the palm of her hand as if it was nothing. “I wasn’t fucking talking to you,” Legs suddenly spoke, her voice echoing throughout the barrier.
As she did, she lifted her sword from her back, infecting the sword with the same flames that had been launched towards her earlier. Having been enchanted by her sorcery to serve as a coating of some sort, creating a hand and blade enveloped in plasmatic fire protected only by her tank-like exoskeleton and superior Busoshoku Haki, Legs ferociously swung her sword towards Ernest, crafting with it a blade of wind that took the same shape as her own sword.
The wind churned into the earth beneath them as it made its way to Ernest, the sheer strength of her swing manifesting a slice nearly triple her size in height, that also became infected with her coat of flames, that spread the flame to everything it touched as it split open the earth itself, sending a sea of flames from a measly swing that would continue to spread like a disease to anything it touched until Legs herself commanded it otherwise, hoping to use the barrier to her advantage.
New to Old[]
Vincent had really delayed him a lot, yet, Daniel bore a smile on his expression still, that old man wouldn't affect him anywho. He swung through the island's forest with his webs, snatching one after the other through the trees and moving around rather quickly. Jack wasn't in the city, and with all the rumbling, Daniel decided to search.
Then again, his spider senses were whispering about a snowball man being in a ship by the beach. Beach which he soon reached, his body doing various turns upside-down.
Feet landing against the sand, Daniel whipped his head around, the breeze hitting against his hair nicely. His eyes widened, a ship was soon found some distance from the coast, "JACK-SAAAAAAAN!!" Daniel yelled, arms going up and down as he ran frantically.
Not too long before, Jack had just reached the deck of the Black Widows Pirates' main ship, a beautiful sight to hold most certainly. He took his post on the deck, creating a chair out of solid ice, but the seat portion was made of soft crushed ice.
Unlike the rest of the Black Widow Pirates, Jack's battle ended rather quickly. Hell, for Jack it wasn't even a battle. A giant, with power intended for countering his own, he had no intentions in a drawn-out fight of the such. Especially when this entire situation was meant for nothing a facade.
As he slowly began to rest his eyes, he could hear flails in the distance: someone calling his name, voice a squeaky as could be. A teen boy, dressed in a spandex-like some protagonist in a cheesy hero film, had been approaching the ship with haste.
"Stop your shouting, Daniel." He responded, his words seemingly traveling alongside the wind. Jack was still dressed in his Winter Knight armor, but upon closer inspection, one would notice there had been cracks in the armor as some of it had been chipped away.
"Right right!" Daniel laughed, stopping just where the sand bordered completely with the water, he could also hear Jack's words easily. His smile was there, the wind passing along as they stared at each other, "How've you been keeping?!" Daniel yelled once again, putting both hands in front of his mouth.
"I got a message for you, uncle!!" Daniel continued, jumping around as if it would help his screams to reach Jack. Suddenly, however, Daniel glanced at both his sides briefly and left only one hand in front of his mouth, whispering, "It's secret stufffffff~" Almost like a hiss.
Without moving a muscle, not that he could anyway, Jack called out to Daniel once more. "Daniel didn't I address your shouting just now." While he hadn't been shouting in the same obnoxious sense as Daniel, his voice was loud nonetheless adding a bit of hypocrisy to what he'd just told the boy.
Despite Daniel young mind or childishness he'd never been the type to lie and had been reliable when relaying a message. And if it were secret, then it meant that this message had been most certainly for Jack and his ears only. Letting out a sigh, a cold mist traveled with it, creating a frozen path in the sea for Daniel to take so that he could climb aboard the ship.
Just moments after, Jack's senses began to tingle which forced him to actually open his eyes for the first time since he'd reached the ship. "It's him..."
At the loudness of Jack's voice, Daniel only smirked and took a step forward, "OW!" He jumped back with a roll. "This is freezing, man!!" His lips curved down, no way his spider body would handle that.
With another smirk, an idea came to Daniel's mind, and he sprouted two large webs from his wrists, launching himself towards the ship, instead of walking, "AYOOOOOOOOOOO!" He continued to shout, even then. Rapidly reaching where Jack was, Daniel fired another web and glided through the air itself, then landing with a soft thud against the ship.
"Hey!" Daniel waved at Jack, smile still present, "Basically..." His arms opened wide, "This dude named Braxton told Indiana-jiji to tell you-" Daniel coughed and his hair flared up, eyes sharpening, "Tell Jack Frost, that he is innocent." A smug expression was kept as he said so. Suddenly, Daniel was back to normal.
"Tell Jack Frost, that he is innocent." This sentence echoed in Jack's head. "He is innocent... innocent... innocent." Very specific words Jack heard once before. To those who'd hear them, they were words to justify the innocence for a crime one hadn't committed. Right now, it was no different but had a bit more of a code-like meaning to them.
A few years back, prior to choosing the life of piracy, Jack was framed for a great crime he did not commit. He was accused of stealing a national treasure belonging to the Yggdrasil Kingdom. The details were plentiful, but this incident resulted in the pirate's inability to no longer serve as the commander of the Royal Army, but no longer live on Yggdrasil... without trying to be killed of course.
Jack instantly got a flashback, him running through the Yggdrasil's backwater streets and the Royal Army soldiers chasing him in a hot pursuit:
"Get him, don't let him escape!" A man holding pistol, firing off a shot at a running man shouted.
"Jack, you are under arrest, surrender to the army of the Yggdrasil Kingdom and you will be spared your life at the very least." A man dressed in the royal army uniform held his hand up, with some sort of pen in it. Scribbling in the air ink filled the atmosphere, appearing behind the man, falling over the troops chasing the man. "Get out of here, Jack." The masked man stated, tricking the soldiers into believing he'd truly been out to arrest Jack.
Jack nodded his head, face filled with sweat and responded, "Thank you."
Making his way towards the border of the Kingdom, a man of white-hair and dark-skin complexion, standing at about five foot ten, stood at the coast arms folded and near a small motorboat. "I know you didn't take it, Jack. I will find it and I will prove your innocence. The young man stated, holding his hand out for Jack to enter the boat for a clean escape.
"Braxton..." He mumbled, running right past the dark-skinned man and leaping onto the boat, sailing off into the distance.
"Does that mean you found it, Braxton?"
Jack stood to his feet and approached Daniel, bowing to one knee and placing his hand on Daniel's shoulder, looking at the boy face-to-face as though he were about to have a heart to heart conversation. "Give me the details of the entire Braxton situation, Danny."
Only a smile stood on Daniel's face, as he switched on standing either on his feet's front or back, body going forth and backwards. "Is he rating how good my impression was?" He thought, despite the happy expression, "Nah, he's probably solving it, yeah!" Daniel silently snickered.
At the contact, Daniel was snapped out of his pondering, eyes darting towards Jack's close figure, "Details- Oh!" He bumped his fist against his palm and gathered some air. "Do you want the cool version or the short version- Nevermind!" Daniel figured that Jack was probably tired of enrolling.
"Basically, we were fighting these tanned dudes, at least when I came in, the dude that told Indi-jiji to lay out the message was Braxton and he suddenly attacked the other tan dude and they began to discuss like WHAT U DOIN-" Daniel took a breath, tongue falling out of his mouth, "-There was some kingdom has been destroyed topic and how they weren't Nobles or something! Braxton said they were enemies, but he was not the Black Widows' allies, then, Braxton was like WE GOT FRUITS BRO and the other man was shocked." Another long breath, "Then he left." Daniel shot a thumbs up.
Holding his breath and widening his eyes, Jack tightened the grip he had on Daniel's shoulders. "So that means he found it then. Even I get chills down my back knowing he's found it." He began shaking the boy's entire upper body as though he were a broken toy. His voice was truly filled with concern, but at the same time, he wasn't.
"Tell me, Danny. Did Braxton show any use of his devil fruit power?" Jack's concern truly shined in this question, as hisfacial expression hada complete makeover.
"WOAH!" Daniel mused, his eyes looking at nowhere as Jack shook him, similarly, his smile was also wide. "He did, actually!" He rose one finger up, expression still comical.
If he had to be honest, Daniel found the ability quite weird, having seen only one bit of its usage. Even then, he had to tell Jack, "He made this other dude fly into a wall by saying Lag, he seemed to have done something before, though?" Daniel truly wondered how the hell that had worked.
"Lag." Jack mumbled. "Danny-boy!" In a single movement, he lifted Daniel from his feet just by gripping the boy's shoulders. His mind was foggy, yet only focused on the situation Daniel tried his hand at explaining. While he didn't give him as much information as he'd wished, Daniel gave him more than enough for him to deduce the current situation.
Frantically speaking, "Where are Braxton and Solomon right now?!" Shaking the boy like an old-fashioned snowglobe, yet the boy was still lifted from his feet. "I need to speak with Braxton, as soon as possible!"
"WOAH!" Another one, Daniel mused again, he felt light and responded to the nickname, "Jack-chan!" Of course, he was accostumed to these spurrs that Jack simply had, maybe Daniel should present him a Therapist sometime.
Now that was new, "Where they are...?" Daniel wondered it too, he recalled all of it, but, didn't exactly pay attention to where they went to. "Well, they went nin-nin when they reached the entrance of the mine..." Daniel looked upwards and crossed his arms, still held mid-air by Jack, "As for Solomon... is that the other tan dude?" Right, that Braxton person referred to him as such, "He stood there fighting Indi-jiji!"
"Braxton," He thought. "You're really gonna do it, aren't you?" Turning around to head for his seat on the ship, the ice armor around his body began to melt away. "Truly this world will be shaken."
As Jack stopped moving him, Daniel stood on his legs, still smiling, although he doozed away, "Mine is already being shaken!" Daniel did a peace-V sign while clumsily stepping to his quarters.
Spider in a Fox's Web[]
"Haah, haah, haah." Ernest panted, as burns chipped away at all of his body. Even as he released another limiter to endure the blow by the Yonko, he found himself simply inadequate compared to her massive power. Not only that, he had noticed the Fleet Admiral had briefly made an appearance on the island. "Fleet Admiral...?" The Vice Admiral whispered. But if he had appeared, why was he not here yet? It wasn't possible that he was going to abandon them...was it?
Once again, he looked back towards the Yonko before him and focused. If Ernest had sensed the Fleet Admiral's presence, the Yonko would no doubt feel it too. It was only a matter of time before the biggest powers in the world would clash in this instant.
Meanwhile, the martial artist known as Bambina laid in a similar situation to Ernest... though, he was atop a carpet of his own blood, face against the ground. Not a single bed of his large mane moved, not a single inch of his flesh either. A few meters away from Ernest, to the right, was where he stood.
In the face of a Yonko, even the mightiest of combinations rendered death- "FLEET ADMIRAL?!" Bambina's head shot up, eyes wide as his lips curved down, "OH MY GOOOOOOD!!!" He glanced to Ernest, after all, his Haki was exhausted from the fight with Legs.
Just then four figures appeared on the ground before Legs, whisked there by the wind itself. Indiana and Annabeth stood with Erin floating next to them while Thatch stepped forwards. "Seems you cleaned up nicely." He laughed as he scanned the bodies. "Geez, Ernest and Bambina, wow you're really hitting those ship goals today." Thatch grinned. "So basically the rest of the island is cleaned, A marine known as Solomon shot what we believe to be gold spheres into the air, Erin is working on sending those back to the ship. And then Kurama showed up to save Solomon." Thatch continued, fiddling with a canister he pulled form his belt. "Quite lucky that Solomon getting his "Dad" to save him from us. Anyways Kurama said to watch where you step but poetically. He's clearly not happy with you." He spun the head of the canister a couple times as it began to click and whir. "He also said that if you give up we'll all be pardoned, except you I think. We can leave now though, this island is good as gone. I've already let Isshin know we're done, he's getting ready." Thatch turned and handed the device to Erin. "When I say go, fire."
“Kurama is here, huh?” Legs purpled under her breath, her eyes glancing off into the distance like a child gazing into the stars, as if she awaited the fleet admiral’s arrival. He had to know she was here, just as she had sensed his presence when he magically stepped onto the island. It was why she rushed her battle into completion, so that she would be ready when he did arrive. “It’s been such a long time since he’s paid me a visit too. Almost too long,” she continued, a genuine smile laid comfortably from her cheeks, her mind completely taken from her current scenario. Legs’ eyes fell upon the marines, focused momentarily on Ernest.
“So young, yet so powerful. I look forward to the day where you become something truly great. When that happens, I want you to come find me.” Her eyes slid towards the giantess Sol. “You as well. We’ll battle again, and next time, when I win, you will both join my crew. I need strong willed souls to continue existing within my new world. But for now, you three need to retreat immediately. You’re surely powerful, but what is about to commence is an entirely different animal. As you are, you’ll only get in Kurama’s way.” From her inner pocket, Legs pulled out a device akin to a number pad, and seemingly input a code of some sort before putting it back. “You guys should probably head out too Thatch and enjoy the fireworks that are going to ensue. Well, that’s unless he’s changed somewhat and likes to talk instead fight. But, knowing Kurama I doubt that’s the case.”
A metal carrier of some sort, matching Legs in height, slammed onto the beaches of the El Dorado, having plummeted onto the earth from the sky itself. It was a miniature carrier that typically rested aboard the decks of Justice, a carrier that Mathison Fischer himself devised and dubbed VERONICA-L. Within it, it held various weapons and armors custom made for Legs by her Shipwright, someone she proclaimed the smartest, and most experienced inventor in the entire world. It was a power that he came to her with nearly thirty years ago, and even then, it was strong and useful. However, Legs had made it her mission to amplify such strength, to craft someone whose skill would be unparalleled by any other. Thus, Fischer allowed her to take 80 years of his lifespan—years that his Hobi Hobi no Mi prevented him from even using—to craft him an amulet that would take his power and multiply it eighty-fold. It was why the scope of his creations, the speed at which he could manifest them, the strength at which he could create was beyond human imagination. Because regardless of how powerful any user of that fruit could have ever been, they would have never been capable of benefitting from such an amplification. That trait was why Legs a powerful ruler; she could take potential and guarantee that it would manifest into true strength. Fischer was just one example, and his example was a powerful one; he simply was the greatest user of the Hobi Hobi no Mi to have ever existed, and the greatest there would ever be.
Legs returned her earlier sword to the shelves within VERONICA-L carefully, making sure not to knock any of her other weapons over in her mobile armory. Within moment, she pulled from the shelves a rather gigantic greatswords nearly twice her size, and a Great shield nearly the size of her body, lifting both objects with extreme ease as if flinging around mere toys despite it being obvious from their size alone that they were both several tons in weight. As she collected her devices, VERONICA-L, just as quickly as it landed upon the island, it rocketed back into the air, presumably towards her ship leaving Legs with her greatsword in her right, and her great shield in her left.
“Oh, advice for you marines!” Legs announced suddenly. “Always be prepared for a fight. Nothing beats preparation, no matter how strong you are. That’s rule one for you! Learn from that. Now, go on before Kurama gets here. I want him to fight without having to protect you kids.”
Ernest gulped. The ballpark that Fleet Admiral Kurama and the Yonko Daddy L. Legs played upon was a very different level to his own. A vivid memory played back in Ernest's memory. It was when Ernest was but a mere child, drowned in the slavery of the underworld. Kurama, as a beacon of light, showed up before them as a Marine Admiral. What Ernest thought would be his savior, was in fact, a guide to his own strength. Granting weapons to every one of the children that were forced into slavery, that man spoke with the same impact that he did today. "Children. Do you want to escape from here? Then pick up that weapon, and charge. You'll only be able to be free if you take that freedom for yourself. Be strong, children, and no dirty man will steal you again. Got that?"
Flashing back to the present, Ernest told both of his comrades. "We should go. Fleet Admiral Kurama shouldn't have any liabilities when facing a Yonko." Despite stepping back, he keenly heard the praise of the Yonko. He didn't know what it was, but he felt an oddly similar charisma radiating from the Pirate before him. However...there was definitely a difference in intensity. Perhaps the burdens they bore were too different, after all.
Legs advice was met with a mournful sneer from the giantess. Sol was resting a bit, standing tall on the shores nearby on the shores nearby, to not any weakness in front of the Yonko, not even in defeat. Of her beaten colleagues, she was the one accusing the least amount of damages; just few bruises on her arms, a testament of her terrific constitution and mastery of her Logia powers. Sol felt her body could continue to fight forever: she wanted it, lusted for fighting forever. Vomiting and balling more and more plasma until the Spider-bitch was no more, wiping out that condescending smile from her face and her crew from the face of Earth...
But those were only foolish desires, dictated by rage rather than sensibility. She might have been able to fight Legs, she might have been able to defend her comrades; she couldn't do both at the same time, not with the same effectiveness. Or maybe neither of those, maybe the Empress was completely out her league as she had nonchalantly remarked. Sol had to be stronger, or more skilled perhaps... she didn't know, her head was a maelstrom of ugly feelings and seething anger. Her stomach ached, her face turned pale and livid. Sol’s body was standing strong, yet her pride was in shamble.
"We'll be prepared Legs, I promise. I am going to train day and night, till my bones break, my muscle tear down and my body collapses; I'll become strong, stronger that you can ever imagine. I'll grow stronger than you! Stronger than any of you Yonko!"
Sol began weeping: not the comedic, tender sobbing she was used to when she was happy for other people's joy or worried for their safety, but a broken cry of pure anguish, hatred and humiliation. Those tears dripped from a deeper place of her heart, and her past. The horrendous years of her childhood and adolescence, when cruel men were keeping her like a leashed animal, broken and tortured every day, feeding her on entire villages of screaming civilians.
Heroic Marines saved her from that fate: they gave her a sense of purpose, a way to use her unnatural strength and size at the service of the world and its inhabitant, not the cruel whims of delusional dictators. For all the training Sol endured, the years spent honing her mind and body to perfection, a woman had just come and made a fool of her powers, her effort, her ideals. Just as the Cipher Pirates once did when she was a kid.
"Mark my words, Spider-witch. If Byakko-sama doesn’t kill you today, I will. I swear to God I won't rest until I'll have you pay for each of the innocent lives your cronies had reaped today. El Dorado… sniff.. will be avenged!”
Sol stopped her threats, her cries made her throat hoarse, and begun another conversation, all done in place and time where tangible reality is not manifested. Her mind flew to the Fleet Admiral, whose presence and willpower radiated through the broken island and far beyond. His mastery of Haki, almost a myth within the Marine circles, transcended the normal boundaries of reality: time, space and the barriers separating one mind and soul from the time. Sol's spiritual flame approached that of the Fleet Admiral, the two lights had their tips touching each other; thoughts and feelings- on Sol’s part, at least, given her tumultuous emotional state, weaved together.
“Fleet Admiral Byakko-sama, here is Vice Admiral-Natsumi ”.She said, in the tongue of minds." I’ve got Daddy L. Legs and her mooks in front of me; she has noticed your aura and is eager engage a fight with you. Because of that, the entire El Dorado is in a state of great peril. Vice-Admiral Ernest and Commodore-Bambina are alive and in no critical condition, yet they can’t keep fighting. I am still able to use my powers, though: with my Logia, I can create clouds of plasma large enough to host all the Marines present here and bring them away from danger." Her body responded sweating a cloud of cold, comfy plasma, growing more massive by the seconds.
"Byakko-sama… please, make good use of me. I wish I could do more for the Marines, with all my heart. Give me your orders".
"Alright I'm getting out of here." Thatch stated, finishing injecting a syringe into Legs. "There ya go, immunity to that bomb." He continued as he stepped away. "Indiana, Annabeth. Erin will get you back whenever you're ready. I'd recommend leaving soon though. "Have fun here Legs. I'll see you on the ship." Thatch finished as a shadow descended from the sky.
A very tall figure crashed into the ground. He was tall and coated in a very odd armor. A large blade was slung over his shoulder. "Are you ready to leave master?" It spoke extending a hand as a seat formed on it.
"Yes I am Darwin. Lets go" He replied, sitting on the seat as the armored man blasted off into the sky. His legs shooting him off at speeds that challenged the eye.
"I'd head out now, but then I wouldn't be doing my job properly know would I? I'm the crew's doctor, which means I stay by the Captain's side. When she returns so will I. I look forward to seeing you back on the ship though," was Annabeth's response, yet she wondered if her presence would be more a hindrance then a help. She had no doubt that staying would mean the chance of her being used against her captain or targeted. Perhaps it would be better to leave so Legs could fight unencumbered.
"Fleet Admiral Kurama... shouldn't have any liabilities, huh...?"
Ernest thought back to his statement. Were they even liabilities to the Fleet Admiral? Would Kurama have taken their lives into account anyways? A Yonko stood before them; stood on the same island as the Fleet Admiral. Would he consider risking the lives of his men worthwhile if it meant taking out a Yonko with them? He could be back on his ship right now, approaching from the ocean, and launching a full scale attack to wipe his men out with the Yonko, so long as it meant taking her out too. Was Kurama a man who was willing to kill as many people as it would take so long as the Yonko was one of them?
And then there was Legs' words. Even though they were enemies, she seemed to genuinely care. She even seemed to want to take them with her as her own crew. While Kurama looked at them as mere weapons, Legs seemed to see her people as family. How far could Ernest really go... working for someone who saw him as nothing more than a tool to wage war with? It was a conflict that was etched onto Ernest's face as he took in a deep breath and stared out toward the Yonko.
Taking slow steps forward, Ernest did not retreat, but instead walked in the direction of Legs. "Yonko Legs. What you said was untrue. We would not be in Fleet Admiral Kurama's way... I believe we would not even be a consideration on his path to take you out. He would even be willing to take this whole island down with us if it meant he'd be able to put an end to you... and quite frankly, logically speaking, this is not a man I would want to follow..."
Ernest stood naught but a couple steps away from Legs now, standing before her a beaten and weakened man after that tremendous fight, lacking the strength to deliver any sort of actual offense now. He lay bare his soul before her as he stared up towards her as one would an equal. "You said you needed strong souls to help you create a new world. You said... I could become something truly great. And I believe I could if I learned while under your care. Are those words... genuine? Did you truly mean them?"
He'd raise his hand upwards toward the Yonko, as if to offer himself to her. "If those words were truly your honest thoughts... Would you accept me, as one of your own?" Ernest requested.
“Why of course,” Legs responded casually, slamming her blade into the earth to free up her hand. She extended it out towards Ernest, a smile glowing upon her face. “I hardly ever hide my true intentions. For what reason would I do that for? Who is there in this world that can actively restrict my freedom, my desires. Let it be known, there is a place for all beings in my crew, and in my new world. There will be no concept of winners or losers, no malice or hatred, pain or suffering. There will only be greatness and prosperity. If this is a world that you are interested in, then come and be apart of it.”
Ernest's face was one of a man that sought justice, whatever the means, extending his hand toward Leg's own as though he saw the light of justice within her. Perhaps even Legs herself saw this same light within the young Ernest, one that could help her in the pursuit of her dream. Lights of hope and potential friendship that would burn even brighter when they join together. But the problem with light is that it can both illuminate and also blind. And also, just as quickly as those lights often appear...
"You're such a kind-hearted woman, Legs."
...they can shatter like glass.
After Ernest's remark, that noble face twisted itself into a malicious wide grin as he looked upon Legs with a sadistic expression. The very next instant, without so much as a gesture to signal the action, several black katana took form in the air surrounding the Yonko; arranged in a formation that looked like they were going to pierce her from every conceivable angle that could be registered as an opening. Even if one didn't look at them, simply sensing them as they appeared was enough to determine their composition: they were made of Haki. But not just normal Haki, the sheer density and power emanating from them could not be mistaken. Without missing a beat, just as quickly as they appeared, they moved with frightening speed to pierce through their target with extreme malice.
Regardless of how Legs responded to this, "Ernest" backed away a couple feet with a sudden kick-off, standing tall as he looked toward the result of his assault. That malignant yet now subtle and composed smile remained upon the marine's face as a subtle glow shimmered off of his body. Like that of glass, cracks began to appear along his physical body, breaking apart and fluttering away in the breeze; shattering to reveal that "Ernest" was in fact someone else. That black kimono, the white Admiral jacket adorning his shoulders, that long hair, and of course, that cold smirk...
It was Fleet Admiral Kurama who stood before the Yonko.
"Always be prepared for a fight. Nothing beats preparation. Those were your words, right, Legs? It was nice of you to impart some wisdom onto my precious subordinates like that." the Fleet Admiral mused, looking upon his pirate enemy with his usual confident expression.
“Oh, I see,” Legs mumbled softly, standing in place as the world around her spun into action.
However, for her, there was all but a fraught silence as her mind processed the details of the events: Ernest’s words, the hatred of every sword that blinked into the world like magic. Her extended hand begun glowing immediately, a ghastly blue energy pulsing outward into the world around, like a brain giving signals to the body. There was a rhythm to it, a familiar rhythm akin to a dying heartbeat. It made sense. The fuel for her strength was life itself, life that was consumed to make her commands reality. Thus, like the brain, the world responded to the signals it received, forcefully obeying the commands of the Yonko: crush.
The air around the Haki blades contorted into an almost-invisible force of strength, condensing into a maelstrom of might that contested the movements and very existence of the swords around her. As they surged towards her, their speed drawing force auras of kinetic energy, they clashed with the wind, tearing through the atmosphere like a knife through meat. The winds screeched, howling in agony and misery as its collective body was torn and ripped through, though with every advance the blades drew slower, and slower. Legs released another pulse, another surge of energy to empower her defense, and then another one. Then suddenly, the air mustered the power necessary to stop them, and then the strength to destroy them. The clash of powers spun the world into action, the sheer force of the stationary Haki blades withstanding the force of the world rebuking the earth itself, crafting craters, fissures, and trenches that transformed this one beautiful land into an ancient battlefield.
Legs hand retreated to the hilt of her ground-sheathed blade, and with a single motion she pulled it from the earth itself, the force and stress of both its removal and her stand against Kurama’s Haki forcing the fissures wider and wider, until they eventually split. The island trembled in fear of its own destruction as the cliff above them collapsed into the ocean itself. Legs stood their idly, a confident smirk plastered upon her visage as her eyes fell upon Kurama’s frame.
“So, it seems that you’ve finally joined me. This, in all honesty, is a pleasure. The last time I met with an Admiral, he called me all sort of names. I’m glad one of you seem to appreciate my teachings,” Legs spoke, a hint of sarcasm glued to her tone. “Allow me to express my gratitude.”
Her arm exploded upwards like a rocket with almost no slightest hint of its direction until it simply did, and upon reaching its peak, it exploded downwards equally as fast. Her muscles tensed in the second motion, the sheer strength of them rebuking the air to respond, generating gusts of wind that were forcefully pushed away from arm in its response, taking the shape of the slice itself, only hundreds if not thousands of feet taller. As it traveled towards Kurama, it tore across the island, reaching such a depth that it forced the island crackled island into a split. In its response, the magma spewed onto the surface like air within a geyser behind the slice. Legs eyes lit into excitement, sending another slice towards Kurama, and then another one, each one carrying winds that simply dug further into the air, and that captured the magma to use in its assault of Kurama. Yet with each magma slice that traveled that touched the earth as it passed over it, the heat simply transformed the rock into more of the molten substance, gathering more momentum as it traveled, and more heat until after her fourth slice, Legs was slicing oceans of Lava in Kurama's direction.
"That's it. Come at me!"
Kurama's grin remained, yet instead of one filled with malice, his expression was glowing with a sheer sense of thrill. The first slash was inconsequential; simply raising his arm to project a wall of Haki sufficed to block it with little difficulty. But the true fight started soon after, strike after strike, reinforced by the risen magma that was carried by her attacks. From that second attack, Kurama knew simply trying to ward it off with a raised hand wasn't going to work against a Yonko like Legs. Beyond that, how would it look for the Fleet Admiral to remain only on defense against a leader among all pirates? Such a thing could not be tolerated by Kurama's pride.
The left hand was the shield, the right hand, his blade. Relying on his left to hold up a Haki wall whenever he lifted it up, he'd swipe his right arm in all manner of direction, sending concentrated bursts of his powerful Busoshoku Haki to counteract Legs' magma-infused strikes. Kurama was known for having particularly, and abnormally, dense Haki. While for most others, their emitted Haki was invisible to the eye, Kurama's was so dense, its black coloration manifested even without a medium to imbue within. For the Fleet Admiral, it was like a cloak of darkness that adorned his existence, and acted upon his will to fight off any threat to his person. The scene itself was simply marvelous: eruptions of red and black, magma and dense willpower, scattering to the skies, shattering the ground with every clash, and even forcing waves to build up in the oceanic backdrop of their battlefield, reaching even tsunami levels before very long. Marvelous indeed, yet... it was the epitome of destruction itself, as though the gods themselves were descending on this poor unfortunate island. Amidst the chaos, the Fleet Admiral spoke out, addressing the Yonko.
"Legs...! There's something I wanna clarify!"
"As you are, you’ll only get in Kurama’s way."
"Now, go on before Kurama gets here. I want him to fight without having to protect you kids."
Kurama's grin only widened in remembrance of Legs' words from earlier.
"In my way? Without having to protect those kids? It's the opposite! I couldn't call myself the Fleet Admiral... if I let even one enemy get past me! There is no need for them to run, because no marine will fall here today!" he declared with an indomitable spirit. Kurama never once told his marines to leave the battlefield, no matter how dangerous it became. Not because he did not care about them, but because he knew, there was no greater safeguard than himself. He would not let a single one of his people die. Against that conviction, it mattered not who faced him. The Revolutionary Army, the Yonko; even if God himself were to stand in his way, God would be cut down. Without even a single marine casualty.
During those intense clashes, Kurama was not simply consumed with dealing blow after blow, but also watching — observing — Legs' movements in every regard. The motion of her muscles, her breathing, her grip; everything was captured by the Fleet Admiral's impeccable Kenbunshoku Haki with every moment of their battle. He was patient and waited for his moment. No matter how strong and how fast, Legs was still a physical being; speed had to be built up, power had to developed, those swings needed to be made one after another. One would breathe in during the retraction of the arm, exhale at the moment of the strike, and rinse and repeat, but in between those moments of rise and fall, that would be Kurama's moment to strike.
So he waited. Kenbunshoku picked it all up. Her breathing was linked to everything. When she inhaled, exhaled, and so on, until Kurama picked his moment. That instant that she would exhale, and began the process to inhale again to build up the next swing, that would be the brief window of opportunity. Once one of the attacks came, Kurama did not shield himself; he'd allow the brunt of the attack to make it through as he opted instead to dodge. Unfortunately, he could not ward all of it off, as enough of the attack slipped through to deal a considerable cut to the Fleet Admiral's shoulder, slicing apart his kimono and rendering a bloody wound onto his arm. But that was fine. Kurama would not be hindered by a single injury. But the reward was allowing him to strike in that moment that Legs had finished her exhale and attack, and began to inhale to prepare for the next one.
Raising his right hand, Kurama summoned forth another storm of black Haki blades, moving immediately after their formation at lightning speeds, piercing the chaotic airs of their battlefield as they sought to take down Legs in one fell swoop. Of course, even though he had confidence in this maneuver, Kurama was not one to risk everything on a gamble. Once he launched the attack, he summoned one more blade of Haki to his right hand, gripping the handle as he burst forward with Soru, accelerating toward Legs with the intent of slashing her in twain.
There was a rhythm in battle that Kurama had come to understand. In fact, Legs would have argued it was perhaps his greatest display of his intellect if not the only display of his intellect. His ability to detect that rhythm through series of breaths, and movements was coveted by all martial artist across the world, for with that understanding he could choose to push, to stall, or disrupt the tempo of the fight. It was why he attacked when he did, between beat one and beat two, in the middle of the rise and the fall. It was all to disrupt her tempo, and to interject his own into the battle to turn the tides of attack.
“Impressive!!! B-But” Legs mustered through series of grunts and shrieks as she exhaled her last bits of air as sound. “It’s more to me than just what you see!” Three unhesitant pair of arms sprouted along her sides, immediately springing into action as they essentially poofed into existence like the enchantments they cast upon their emergence. The air, as it did before, stiffened, yet this time it became a dark, black hue of metal as her Busoshoku Haki was additionally enchanted into it. The Haki blades and the Buso-enhanced air clashed violently, the two wills of greater warriors sparking distortions in the very fabrics of space and time. There was a fraught silence that caught the air; the same quiet that preceded a King’s verdict during a capital trial, or the same quiet of two armies that stood at opposite ends of the valley before the charge. But then, it collapsed, the air cracking like a dropped mirror, breaking the holy quiet. The world spun into action.
The air spun into a tornado of fury, power, and strength reverberating with a beautiful blue light of clashing Haki that surged into the clouds that hovered above, splitting the heavens themselves into halves. Yet then, Kurama had charged towards her amid this, surprising her briefly. His first jab was close, and she had barely dodged it in time. However, the sheer strength of his jab surged the wind towards her, slicing through her rough exoskeleton into her cheek, leaving a small, but deep cut along her visage. The second slice was towards her body. She ferociously slammed her shield to counter the blade, enshrouding it with her own haki yet again, causing a second clash between their tremendous spirits. The island that was behind her absorbed a force of the blow as Legs stood her own ground, but unlike her, it couldn’t withstand its power. The portion of sand, rock, plant and trees fell off behind her, becoming pebbles in the vast ocean. The homes that rested along the beaches, the bountiful nature, the gold deep in the cresses of the earth; lost forever. Around them, the Haki blades, the enchanted plus buso-enhanced air stalemated into sprinkles of dust, while a heavy rain dripped from their battle-made thunderclouds.
Meanwhile, amid this, Kurama and Legs both stood in stalemate, his sword stacked against her shield.
“It doesn’t look like El Dorado can take another blow from either of us,” Legs comfortably announced, as if chatting in the middle of their battle was something they simply did. “I guess that means we’ll have to return to our ships it seems. Those tsunamis are bound to come crashing here, and if I swing my sword one more time……” Legs smiled. “I’ll trust you with your marine’s safety. But you better make damn sure they get home safely. After all, I’m planning on stealing at least 2 of them for myself later.” With her free arm, Legs lifted her blade into the air, and swiped downwards, fueling its durability and range with her Busoshoku Haki, churning the wind around it into action, and causing the earth to tremble in fear.
"Heh."
Without a doubt, the opponent before him was strong. Plain and simple. Kurama could feel the weight behind her strength, her ideals, her aspirations -- her very soul -- pressing down on him as he held back her shield. Legs was indeed a woman that wore her heart on her sleeve, in one way or another. And it manifested itself in her attack and defense; even blocking Kurama's blade felt like something he himself had to simultaneously defend against. But it was the same for Kurama too. Sheer power born from both a trained body and an divine-like willpower was carried with every sword swing, even more so in this very instance. One would only have to look at the sights around the two fighters to see what resulted from these two monstrous powers going at it. As much as the Fleet Admiral hated to agree with an enemy like this, he as well knew continuing this would only cause unnecessary damage and, even more so, the unfortunate loss of life. Even so...
"Who do you think you're giving orders to, Legs?!" Kurama responded with a brief but resonating howl, the entire vicinity around him shimmering with light as he noticed the descending of her blade coming down to crush him. It almost seemed like he teleported in the next instant; the very motion of his body would seem unnatural to most onlookers, as if the movement shouldn't be possible by anybody who had to first register the thought of dodging before their body could actually move. In fact, in the wake of his movement, a short spectral flash appeared and disappeared within the same instant. But that initial indication of Haki was not only for a means of avoidance, but appeared to also function as a means of defense, given the windstorm Legs had churned from the sheer motion of her sword; all to avoid accidental injury while he dodged the true threat. Once that blade came down far enough, Kurama had immediately launched off his foot and landed the other heel onto the blunt edge of the greatsword in order to force it to hit the ground; standing on one foot upon the blade at the same time. Of course, even if the back edge was also sharp, Kurama would likely have channeled Busoshoku Haki to his feet to avoid being cut, but also to prepare for his next move.
Almost suddenly, after standing upon the sword and crossing looks with the Yonko -- even grinning a brief instant -- Kurama launched himself off the sword once more. His glare lit up with a flash of silver, and suddenly, it appeared as though the air itself began to distort, twisting about as the wind began to follow. Bursts of invisible force manifested, tunneling their way towards Legs in great rush and amount, almost as if an entire unseen battalion had suddenly warped into being, lunging their spears and swords all at the Yonko in great haste.
Using that moment, whether it served to actually wound the Yonko or confuse her momentarily, Kurama took whatever time he could to garner enough of a distance away from her. Not to retreat, but to prepare for his next attack. One he would use to reinforce his point.
"Make no mistake, Yonko." With whatever time his little maneuver would buy him, Kurama rose his right arm up toward the heavens straight out, fingers extended as if to grasp something overhead, as wisps of darkness fluttered from his body. Like oily shadows, they permeated around his body before lunging out toward the skies where he gestured, though disappeared moments later. It seemed as though the air was once more distorting in the skies above, but the effect was on another level entirely. "This is not a negotiation. Nor a friendly discussion. If you want to leave so badly, then do so with your tail between your legs." Some sort of substance manifested overhead, as black as the wisps that were surrounding Kurama only a second earlier. It warped itself into being, forming into the shape of a sword, much like the other blades Kurama had forged with a mere gesture before, but...
"If you won't concede..."
That sword looked like one that could be wielded only by a god. One should not be mistaken, the blade itself was no different from the others the Fleet Admiral created, but the sheer size of it was overwhelming. It blocked the sun's light, as if night had come hours early, and resembled a warship in the form of a bladed weapon. From miles away, one could even say that the sword was the island's equal, as though the entire land of El Dorado could be wiped out if that sword were to touch ground. It was as if... the heavens and the earth were about to be connected, if only to share in their mutual destruction.
"...then disappear. Along with your people."
Yanking his hand downwards, the massive blade of Haki began its devastating descent. The winds swirled around it as it moved, the clouds were brushed off from its path, and the sound of its fall was enough to create thunderous shockwaves that resonated throughout the battlefield. The warship-like blade's target appeared to be Legs herself, though its true purpose was likely to cut off her and Kurama from one another, as if he were telling her to leave from his territory at once. It was hard to say if it were actually enough to deal any serious injury to the Yonko, it was Legs after all, but without a doubt, the aftermath of that blade hitting ground would not only put whomever remained from her own people but would have an effect on the waters nearby, making safe passage off the island very unlikely.
In the meantime, Kurama fret not for the safety of his own men; his keen Kenbunshoku remained vigilante, keeping an eye on every single one of his allies just as much as he did his enemies, the only difference being that the Fleet Admiral kept active his Haoshoku Haki, if only to utilize his spirit to ward off any potential threat that might befall his subordinates due to his actions.
“Oh Kurama! You make me so happy!” Legs exclaimed, her voice hissed with excitement as she threw all her arms up into the air like a man amidst a celebration. “Haha, only you! Not that Ravinger, not that Ralph! Only you can bring me the excitement of combat! Which is why…no one will forget what happened here today! Not you, not me, not the people!”
Immediately, she slammed her massive palms into the earth around her, releasing deep into the crevasses of the hearth her gooey, golden spider silk that poured from the pores of her hands. At first, the earth did not, but soon it began to move, and respond, uprooting entirely as if flooded by an ocean of liquid. Then, it became unable to withstand the sheer amount of spider, and as it split from the pressure, the silk was forced into the air; tens to hundreds of columns forced into the stratosphere.
As they reached the heavens themselves, the silk, almost as Legs’ command, began falling outwards like a net of gold. It fell like comets across El Dorado, blanketing the island in an intricate web of beautiful golden silk. The net was orchestrated like a mural, a beautiful sparkling tapestry indicating both Kurama’s and Legs’ battle, their frames imprinted in the web. Yet, that was hardly its own purpose; Legs touched the columns, her hand tensing as she channeled her haki into it, turning the silk into a black, golden armor, until all of it was blackened permanently by her will.
Kurama’s Haki blade struck against the net, the collide of Haki pulsating the ocean itself, crafting tsunamis and rogue waves that would come to devour the islands around El Dorado for all of eternity. The web was successful in absorbing the blow of the blade, its strength and elasticity reinforced by Legs’ Busoshoku Haki. Yet, there was a distinct pressure emanating above El Dorado, a constant pressure almost that forced the ocean around the island to retreat. The clouds fell onto El Dorado all at once, currents of water rushing onto the surface as if a lake fell from the sky.
This was the pressure of their Haki; an island size sword, captured and forever held on the sky by an island sized web with a man and woman detailed in its form. However, there would always be this pressure, the waves would always churn, sparks and orbs of blue, kinetic energy and bolts of black lightning would forever enshroud the island of El Dorado, inciting hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes even. It was an eternal clash of the Haki of true kings that would forever change El Dorado, and the islands around them. Yet, such was simply it. There was no true effort in this act of creation; Gods hardly ever needed it. On the crushed earth, ruminating in the gravitational force of their Haki’s clash, Legs and Kurama stood at one another, their bodies unaffected by the physical pressure that their will’s discharged, resting in the dark shadow of their attack, upon the nearly pitch-black surface of Dorado. Legs smiled grew wider, the whiteness of her teeth barely illuminating the area around her. She looked up at the large pillar of hardened spider silk, sheathed her sword and blade upon her back and side, and scampered up the net like a spider that laid a trap, leaving Dorado’s presence. She reached the top, sliding between the small openings.
“Goodbye, Kurama…” Legs whispered, before exploding off the surface of the net like a child on a trampoline, projecting herself towards the Justice that bobbed and rocked from the tsunami and rogue waves devouring the world around them. The boat was miles away from Dorado, yet, as Legs soared throughout the air, the entirety of the blade not even visible as it stretched into the stratosphere. She landed upon the surface of her ship, nearly sending it tipping forward from her strength, and looked back at once again at the maelstrom of phenomenon that they had created; the tsunamis and rogue waves, the hurricanes, the untampered storms, the orbs of blue energy and electricity, the sheer gravity that forced the island lower than the ocean itself. The ocean was constantly violently as it attempted to swallow the island, yet it was rebuked and still, endlessly rushing as the same pressure that forced El Dorado below sea level protected it from being eaten by repudiating the same tides.
“I’m slightly annoyed that it had to end so quickly,” Legs spoke. “But If the island was that weak in the first place, I guess it’s not needed. It couldn’t even withstand a fraction of Kurama and my power.” She turned to face her crewmates who waited on the deck. “Let’s get moving back to Wano. We’ll call this mission suspended.”
In the aftermath of such devastation, Kurama merely stood silent as he tilted his head up toward where Legs launched herself up toward the skies. The vast winds did little more than make his black kimono and white marine jacket flutter about in the breeze. As the waters continued to swallow up the island, the marines that still stood there, some of them at least, appeared to be in a panic.
"F-Fleet Admiral...!"
"Yeah."
Kurama closed his eyes once the Yonko and her people were beginning to fade from view. He had more important things to worry about, right now. With the island itself capsizing, he moved to make sure his men weren't swallowed up in the destruction. Using the same gesture as before, the Fleet Admiral once more called a large-scale blade of Haki; albeit, this was far smaller in size to the one he used beforehand, being large enough just so he could provide momentary transport. Advising his subordinates to board atop the Haki construct, he managed to levitate them up above the waters as he created more and more distance.
But that wouldn't last for long. Kurama could provide himself transport even allowing for flight in some cases, but with this many people, on a construct this large, it wouldn't be possible to carry them all away. Of course, in truth, the Fleet Admiral didn't intend to escape through his own efforts. Kurama looked toward the skies, as a large shadow began to take form, hidden by many of the wayward clouds. Though the sight was obscured, Kurama knew immediately what he was seeing, even belaying a brief smirk as he crossed his arms.
"About damn time, Quill."
From the clouds, a rather odd figure approached. It was by no means a human, but it was not a traditional airship either...As it came into view, the Marines below could see the shape of a pencil seep through. A pure white pencil, with a black tip, that had the wings, wheels and other parts that were the norm for any airship. Swooping and diving through the webs erected by the Black Widow, the airship seemingly accelerated beyond control, and crashed directly into the Fleet Admiral, whose exaggerated reaction caused him to soar through the sky ever-so-slowly in "pain." Despite this, the airship seemingly hovered perfectly without any damages afterwards.
"Ah, sorry Kurama-pen. Large objects in the sky made it tricky for me to fly." The pilot spoke with a deadpan expression. His name was Quill Pencilio, a student of the Fleet Admiral, and a Marine Commodore. "Hello everyone, please climb on board. Your Fleet Admiral knows how to follow along, I think." Quill asked the Marines before him, entirely ignoring the Fleet Admiral's "peril."
Ernest had just witnessed the cataclysmic battle between Daddy L. Legs and Kurama, and was momentarily paralyzed from the shock. Their willpower saturated the land and forced Ernest into fright, before Quill's voice finally snapped him back into reality. "U-uh...yes..." Ernest stuttered, slowly moving towards the airship on the blade of Haki that his Fleet Admiral had created. He looked towards the crying figure of Sol, but couldn't figure out the words to comfort her. After all, within himself, he was probably feeling the very same emotions.
"Oi, hurry it up."
"...Wait..."
"Quill..."
"Right there is fine..."
"That's close enough..."
"Too close...!!"
"QUIIIIIILL!!"
The resounding yell of the Fleet Admiral filled the air as he went soaring up into the skies due to Quill's ship and his "crash landing", sending Kurama flying like one of their cannonballs. At the rate he was moving, the curvature of his descent, he was gonna land right in the middle of the ocean; not too good a scenario for a Devil Fruit user. Though, despite his sudden outburst, Kurama didn't seem all too concerned with the situation, wordlessly summoning forth a blade of Haki down the path he was falling, enabling him to extend his leg out and subsequently kick off from the sword; letting the blade itself fade away as he changed the course of his movement, launching himself in the direction of the pen ship.
Once he got close, he gripped the side of the construct and began climbing slowly until he got to the top 'deck'. His face was riddled with a mild annoyance, stepping further inwards until he spotted Quill. "Oi, Quill. What was that all about? That was an accident, that was an accident, right?" he asked, putting emphasis on his remark as he glared at his subordinate.
Quill sighed in response to Kurama getting on the ship so quickly. "Purely an accident, Kurama-pen. I was just sooooo shocked by your fight with Daddy L. Legs that I lost control over my course." The Commodore responded with very little enthusiasm in his voice, before he whispered under his breath. "I wish fighting a Yonko would actually exhaust you a bit more though, Kurama-pen." As he said so, he maneuvered the vehicle to swoop in and out of the large webs that permeated the atmosphere, before finally reaching a sizable distance away from the island on his ship.
"That's that. The Battle of El Dorado ended with a stalemate." Briefly looking back towards his battered comrades in the Marines, the reporter spoke, with a touch of surprising seriousness. "Congratulations, Marine-penpai's," Quill began to articulate with a refined tone, "You have successfully prevented an economic asset to fall into our enemy's hands, and have lived to fight another day after facing the Yonko. Keep your losses as a lesson to keep growing further, for we are the seafarers with the greatest resolve to fight. May justice be with you."
As he ended his uncharacteristic congratulations, Quill returned to his deadpan expression. "Yep, that sounds like a good way to end today's report." He then sighed, "I have a lot of writing to do..." While sighing, he continued to fly the ship towards Marine headquarters, where his allies would recuperate, and learn exactly how they should grow stronger from this fearsome battle.
Fin.