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Turtle Waterways wish you a good trip; And thank you for travelling with us
Topic Started: Sep 6 2009, 07:00 PM (1,697 Views)
Shamma
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no fun
[ *  *  *  * ]
Lucius twitched in his sleep, nostrils sniffing at the ocean air as his body began to wake. The light had finally won its duel with his slumber, taking its foe and slowly drawing the knife across its throat. Sleep did everything to stave off its demise, but eventually the eyes flickered enough to open, the clear blue staring up into a parallel of itself. Then a hasty yawn as the marine entrenched further into a woken state.

"Haaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrr!"

The sky was delightfully clear on this day. He looked to the left and saw that the sea was quite clear too. A good day to be alive, a good day for justice! Lifting his legs into the air, his weight shifting onto his upper back, the boxer sprung forwards with his arms and launched into the air. He hung momentarily, body falling forward till eventually his feet planted nicely against the surface. They then spread apart as Lucius stood upright, each arm held up to the sky with fists clenched.

"What a good day it is!" He bellowed, pausing in the pose briefly. He stood still for a full minute, staring into the space where sky met sea and admiring the similarities of the world above and below. Then he spun around to do the same in the opposite direction, but something inhabited that space.

An island!

"Hey! Hey! Lieutenant! Taka! Get over here, there's land!" He roared, flailing his arms in the air and pointing to the nearby land mass, his enthusiasm halted only by the realisation that this was not the Blade of Justice he stood on. He wasn't sure what it was, casting his eyes down at the greyish-greenish, mucky surface that he stood on. He bent down onto his knees, running a thick finger along it to swipe up a sample of the floor before putting in his mouth.

"...Seaweed?" He questioned the taste, but this was clearly too hard to be seaweed so that sense of identification had failed. Sniffing the air only gave him the raw smell of the salty ocean, touching the mossy surface had simply been chilling. And sound. Well, the ocean was always talking but Lucius could not understand what each wave was saying.

He slumped back onto the mysterious surface that he found himself on, scratching his head with the same finger he had smeared the floor with. Four out the six had failed him. Land could not be a crime so the sense of Justice had failed him. That meant it was all down to his vision!

Launching upwards for the second time and planting his feet in a similar fashion, Lucius gazed about his new surroundings more intently. He ignored the sea and sky for all their splendors, even the murky island in the distance. He was surveying this odd, moving thing which had become his bed. Thinking back it had hardly been that comfy either.

The part he had slept on was quite flat but arched off in every direction just beyond a meter, a slight indent suggesting the structure was made of separate plates. The space between each plate was stuffed full with various aquatic plants but that was unimportant. He deduced he was on some kind of moving dome, a new variety of ship perhaps? Maybe he had forgotten that they had upgraded their ship into this thing. And given it a new head, it looked very reptilian.

And very alive.

"Hmmm....Oh! A turtle!" It struck him like a bolt, the limbs half submerged being a dead giveaway. No such dome ship existed, he was sure. This was in fact a live creature! An ingenious idea by marines, to use the giants of aquatic animals as their new vessels to trick pirates. Lucius was proud to be marine in that moment, wiping away a tear of happiness.

Then he turned serious, a determined grin spread and a directing arm poised and ready. "Ok Private Shellshocker! Head for that island!" Oh the rush of giving commands, the scrawny lieutenant would not mind him docking on the island. By logic, a pirate needed to go to an island to get supplies, so by going to an island they may catch a pirate. And catching a pirate meant the world was a better place. It was perfect really, he didn't have to go below deck and wake his appointed boss. Though it would be good to remember how they got beneath the shell of their turtle boat, the boxer stroking his chin as they set sail for land.

Or not.

"Hey! I said go to the island!" Shouted Lucius, stamping on the shell of the creature to get its attention. The mammoth being did not react, much to the boxers confusion. The thing had no sails and sat its head just above the water, so clearly it required voice commanding to steer it. Unless there was wheel, by logic that would be on the head.

With a slide, Lucius reached the creature neck and ran across its length to reach the top of its head. The giant turtle seemed to be ignorant of the boxer right until he stepped on his destination, its neck twitching and lifting.

With a graceful flick, the giant creature threw Lucius from the top of its skull into the air, the marine stunned as he flew a good distance up before plummeting back down into the big blue he had recently admired. The landing splash was even more spectacular then the throw, Lucius unintentionally pulling a divebomb that would be then envy of any professional, a sure ten winner.

"Oi! What was that for!?" He shouted at the over-sized creature, swallowing a large amount of water as he did so. Swimming was a pass time for any great marine according to his logic, even in the possession of a devil fruit, a marine should at least make the effort to learn. Thus keeping his head above the liquid was not hard once he got his arms going, his attention directed fully at the giant turtle. "Don't make me come over there and teach you a lesson, recruit!" He threatened for good measure, realising the animal vessel idea was floored without authority over the creature. The boxer reckoned a few well aimed punches would solve that. His threats were obviously too much for the 'recruit' though, the giant creature vanishing in a foamy mass of bubbles as it sort the safety of the deep sea.

"Alright recruit, get back here! Enough of this crap!" Lucius bellowed, growing impatient with the now cowardly creature. He floated on the waters surface for a good five minutes, expecting the turtle to rise from its sorry state and beg for forgiveness. No such event happened and eventually Lucius found himself swimming for land without the aid of the giant reptile.
Piper • Pirate • Martial Artist/Weapon Specialist • Hot RocketsBounty: 343,000,000 • SD Earned: 881 • Beli: 259,500,000 • Location: Raijin Island

Jija Juju • Marine • Inventor/Marksman/Scholar/Doctor • FioreRank: Rear Admiral • SD Earned: 579 • Beli: 188,000,000 • Location: Couture Island, Grand Line

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thingymabob
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[ *  *  *  * ]
Stande eyed the document he had been given, sitting in the dimly lit room of the marine vessel. It appeared that his worthless peon of a captain had finally started to see some sense, and realised that Stande was simply not suited to team operations. This was another solo mission. A criminal had been running rampant on Karaoke Island, and, as luck would have it (or rather, the incompetence of intelligence officials), barely anything was known about the fellow, other than the fact he was committing criminal acts.

"As helpful as ever," the lieutenant muttered, well aware that there was no one around to hear his criticism but himself. As it was a solo mission, the vessel was dropping him off on the island, and would return for him a week later. Stande did not anticipate that he would need the full seven days to complete his task, but it was always wise to plan for sudden changes to plans, or unanticipated obstacles.

"Ardgriffe!" There was a bellowing at the door, followed by a sharp rapping on the wood. Closing his eyes as though to try and block out the annoyance, Stande walked over to the door and pulled open. "We've arrived. Time to go and reel in another catch. Whatcha say?"

This was part of what he detested. This easygoing manner; this simplistic outlook on everything; this lack of urgency; this was what annoyed the Lieutenant most about his Captain. Brushing the captain's hand off his shoulder, Stande exited the cabin and made his way to the edge of the boat. However, he couldn't just blow his captain off entirely. As problematic as his leadership was, and as much as Stande hated his style, he was still the commanding officer of the vessel, and Stande's training remained very much rooted in the hierarchical structure of the Navy. Thus, he had to at least acknowledge the comments and give a brief salute before he departed.

"Yes, sir. I shall report back in seven days time." Without giving the other marines on the vessel any time to get into the mushy nonsense, Stande vaulted over the side of the ship with one hand, landing in the shallows of the beach neatly. As soon as his feet had sunk into the sand he darted forward, so that the hem of his trench coat was still dry when he straightened up again, on the beach and out of the water.

Back on the boat, the other marines murmured to each other about the good lieutenant and his inability to establish social connections with others. He really was a problem for their crew, despite being so efficient and effective in his professional work. It had gotten to the point where he was simply a pain to have around. The other members of the crew could not put up with him. And he could not put up with them. There was little future, if any at all, for a solo marine. The captain sighed. After this mission, something would have to be done about Stande's problem, whether the lieutenant liked it or not.

-

Lieutenant Ardgriffe began by exploring the beach. He'd already left the ship behind and wandered off to another bay about ten minutes away. It was a barren place, Karaoke Island, and it was unlikely that he would find many signs of life. To most, this might have been a disappointment, but to Stande, it was an advantage in every way. His search for this one criminal would be easier without irrelevant civilians running around and compounding the search process.

As Stande was exploring the beach, he heard a peculiar sound coming from the sea. Was it... singing? He wasn't sure whether or not he should believe his ears at first, but as he turned towards the source of the sound, he saw a figure floating in the water, slowly approaching the shore. The lone figure could not possibly be the source of the ridiculous song, could it?
Characters
Posted ImageBryce Riddler • Old man • Weapon Specialist/Inventor • BFFsBounty: 0 • SD Earned: 91 • Beli: 4,442,500 • Location: Grand Line - Gesso Island.
Posted ImageHirkane Gearmann • Shipwright • Carpenter/Merchant • Nameless CrewBounty: 3,000,000 • SD Earned: 73 • Beli: 5,000,000 • Location: Nowhere.
Posted ImageStande Ardgriffe • Lieutenant Commander • Marksman/Assassin • Nameless DivisionCommendations: 20 • SD Earned: 114 • Beli: 14,750,000 • Location: Nowhere.

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Shamma
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no fun
[ *  *  *  * ]
"Through storm and snow~!"

The figure was an adept swimmer, its large arms casting aside the great volumes of water with ease, the result creating large whisking bursts of foam as he gathered speed, bringing his legs into action to further the momentum with less glorious, but still admirable splashes.

"Past any obstacal man may know~!"


His head dipped from side to side, breathing in the required air to swim but also maintaining his tune. A song that drove him to being the great swimmer that he was. An old man had sung it when all the kiddies practiced in the pool, he would offer candy afterward and eventually the marines came to take him away. Lucius suspected he was probably secretly a pirate.

"With one great thrust! He launches away~!"


The tune was meeting its climax as the bulky figure of the boxer closed in on the shore, his body riding a well timed wave to keep up his momentum as the shallowness with the water caused trouble for him. His feet swiped across the floor, a signal for his body to arch and plant both hands and feet on the sand.

"The greatest swimmer to grace the bay~!"

He ran forward, with all the athletism of a trained sprinter, lacking in the key ingredient of speed but maintaining the form. His short burst ended abruptly once he was firmly on dry land, knee planting into the floor as he bowed his head and shot his arms out either side, forming a T shape with his crouched body.

"Haaaaaaarrraaaaah!"

The water was chilly though. The great arms of the man wrapped tightly about him, shivering rather pathetically in the minor moments of weakness as his eyes darted about the barren beach, teeth chattering audibly. The freezing display ended as they landed on the single life form on the beach.

"Oh?" He stammered, teeth being clamped together when he was not speaking to prevent the chatter they made."Who're you?" This was purely natural for Lucius. When he saw someone he had to know who they were, but rarely did he ever wait for them to explain themselves. Already his mind was sent racing by the possibilities of the short man in the black coat.

He could be a civilian of this barren wasteland. The island had looked so promising from afar despite the cloud of smog that hung over it. Sure the beaches had appeared barren, and much beyond it desolate but every island had to contain some vague concept of a town. Two buildings would be acceptable, or even desired. With two buildings, Lucius could check one and conclude that it was a safe place to stay thus meaning the people in the other building were most likely pirates and required a beat down of justice.

Speaking of pirates, this man was hardly friendly looking. Shady and giving him an odd look. This man was clearly shocked by the sudden appearance of marine. That meant...

"No need to answer!"
He interrupted just second after his question, two thick fingers swiping at each other to resound a loud click. The same hand lowered from the air to a point, a confident grin fixing itself onto the face of Lucius. "For I have already deduced that you are a pirate!"
Piper • Pirate • Martial Artist/Weapon Specialist • Hot RocketsBounty: 343,000,000 • SD Earned: 881 • Beli: 259,500,000 • Location: Raijin Island

Jija Juju • Marine • Inventor/Marksman/Scholar/Doctor • FioreRank: Rear Admiral • SD Earned: 579 • Beli: 188,000,000 • Location: Couture Island, Grand Line

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thingymabob
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[ *  *  *  * ]
Had Stande been a conventional anime character, his jaw would be below his knees, his eyes would have widened and his pupils contracted, upper eyelids closed slightly, and there would be a large drop of sweat on his temple. But, as it was, Stande was the Black Marine, and such things were not befitting of him. Instead, he merely stared coldly at the idiot who had just swum to shore, finding it hard to locate the exact words to use to describe the man who was shivering before him.

The man's sudden question caught Stande by surprise, however, although he tried not to show it. This man... he was so direct. Not to mention rude. In the brief silence that followed the man's question, Stande could practically hear the cogs in the large, brawny man's head clicking as they turned, ever so slowly. Connections were being made, and he seemed to reach a conclusion before Stande could even answer.

Not that he had intended to answer anyway. Turning around and ignoring the man and his incredibly loud voice, Stande began to walk away, but he had only taken one step when he was hailed once again by the bandana-wearing lunatic.

"No need to answer! For I have already deduced that you are a pirate!"

The marine froze, and made no further moves. It almost seemed as though he had just been caught out on something. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he spoke, quietly, but even the wind seemed to die down to allow him to speak.

"And if I am... what do you intend to do about it?"

It was Stande's turn to play guessing games now. What would it matter to this man if he was a pirate? He could not possibly be a marine, could he? No commanding officer would allow his subordinate to masquerade around in that ridiculous get-up. So he was either a civilian, or another pirate. Perhaps he was related to the case Stande had been sent to investigate? It was difficult to tell.
Edited by thingymabob, Sep 8 2009, 04:41 AM.
Characters
Posted ImageBryce Riddler • Old man • Weapon Specialist/Inventor • BFFsBounty: 0 • SD Earned: 91 • Beli: 4,442,500 • Location: Grand Line - Gesso Island.
Posted ImageHirkane Gearmann • Shipwright • Carpenter/Merchant • Nameless CrewBounty: 3,000,000 • SD Earned: 73 • Beli: 5,000,000 • Location: Nowhere.
Posted ImageStande Ardgriffe • Lieutenant Commander • Marksman/Assassin • Nameless DivisionCommendations: 20 • SD Earned: 114 • Beli: 14,750,000 • Location: Nowhere.

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Shamma
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no fun
[ *  *  *  * ]
So that was it. No straight face denial, not even an attempt to hide the truth. Lucius had challenged this creepy pirate in a game of minds and emerged the victor, successfully labeling him not as a civilian but a pirate. Even if the words etched into the back of his jacket read 'Marine' it was a trick, what soldier of justice would wear black when administering righteous fury?! This pirate was mocking the marines, mocking justice, mocking everything the boxer stood for.

This man was criminal.

"I'll beat the crap out of you, that's what you scrawny creep!" Shouted Lucius in response, his grin twitching as he flinched with excitement. Here it was, his first catch since joining the Spearhead Division, this would bring the Lieutenant back on his turtle ship. This was probably all a ploy by Taka, being the masterful strategist he knew of the pirate, the scum, the deadman walking and had sent Lucius to capture him. Sure an order would have been more desirable then a cold water swim, but they had needed to maintain the sense of surprise.

Not that surprise was needed for such a short fellow. The pirate probably had some kind of weapon to make up for his stumped growth and frail limbs, or he was just that awful. But then why would they require the surprise factor. Lucius wised up, this was another test thrown his way. Some people were more then they appeared, perhaps this guy was one of those people? It didn't matter, Lucius still had his sixteen win streak to preserve, the seventeenth would not be a marine for once.

Cracking a single knuckle, Lucius spread his feet, stretching up with his arms before touching the opposite toe with each hand as he stretched down. He performed the simple exercises five times before jogging roughly on the spot. Eventually he was ready.

"All right, pirate. Turn around so I can see the ugly mug I'm about to cave in." He taunted, raising both fists to guard his face in a typical boxing fashion. His foot work was light and jumpy, his eyes keenly watching for any tricks this criminal would likely pull to escape justice.
Piper • Pirate • Martial Artist/Weapon Specialist • Hot RocketsBounty: 343,000,000 • SD Earned: 881 • Beli: 259,500,000 • Location: Raijin Island

Jija Juju • Marine • Inventor/Marksman/Scholar/Doctor • FioreRank: Rear Admiral • SD Earned: 579 • Beli: 188,000,000 • Location: Couture Island, Grand Line

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thingymabob
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[ *  *  *  * ]
"I'll beat the crap out of you, that's what you scrawny creep!"

...

Was this buffoon serious? He might have had the advantage in size, but there was no way he could seriously expect to win against Stande in a scuffle. Unless all this ridiculous nonsense was nothing more than a farce. The report that Stande had been given had mentioned that the particular criminal he was after was reputed to be a deceiver, and many had fallen for his tricks before. Was this one of those acts? Anyone coming up against this man, with his outlandishly purple hair, would not be able to take him seriously, and that gave him an instant advantage in battle if he knew how to exploit it. The lieutenant watched Lucius out of the corner of his eye, silently scoffing at the exercises he was doing. If this had been a real battle, the man would have been shot ten times over already.

"Indeed. Sounds interesting..." Stande placed his hands in the pockets of his coat, and began to walk away once more. He had no idea who this man was, but it had quickly become apparent that the man was not worth his time. Most likely, the man was a civilian who belonged in a mental hospital, but due to lack of resources, had been confined on this island instead. If he was indeed a pirate, then he would make his attack soon enough, and Stande would deal with it then. However, this man's level of intelligence had already proved to be even below Stande's incredibly low expectations for the pirate race. As for a marine, the idea was laughable. Any marine who pranced about acting like this goofball deserved to be shot. They were a disgrace to the Naval forces. Not to mention, in the one-in-a-gazillion chance that this man was, by some twisted stroke of fate, a marine, he ought to have noticed the words printed on the back of Stande's coat by now.

Apes could read, right?

"All right, pirate. Turn around so I can see the ugly mug I'm about to cave in."

Perhaps they couldn't, then. Stande ignored the taunt, and continued to move away from the man. He had far more important things to do than to play with a trained animal.
Characters
Posted ImageBryce Riddler • Old man • Weapon Specialist/Inventor • BFFsBounty: 0 • SD Earned: 91 • Beli: 4,442,500 • Location: Grand Line - Gesso Island.
Posted ImageHirkane Gearmann • Shipwright • Carpenter/Merchant • Nameless CrewBounty: 3,000,000 • SD Earned: 73 • Beli: 5,000,000 • Location: Nowhere.
Posted ImageStande Ardgriffe • Lieutenant Commander • Marksman/Assassin • Nameless DivisionCommendations: 20 • SD Earned: 114 • Beli: 14,750,000 • Location: Nowhere.

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Shamma
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no fun
[ *  *  *  * ]
The blue eyes watched the walking figure intently, prepared for the sudden twitch, the turn and attack by whichever means. The further this criminal walked away, the more Lucius suspected he was going to use some kind of ranged weapon, like a pebble or a shoe. A lowly pirate tactic. The boxer adjusted himself, prepping to dart one side or even counter by catching the projectile and throwing it back. That'd show him.

But the black coated pirate had walked out of the short throwing distance his puny arms could make. Was this man... running away?!

A true coward then, for all his smart talk. Lucius snickered through his slight anger, pushing his left fist into his right palm and cracking the knuckles again as he dropped from the boxing stance. It presented a problem for Lucius. Unless this man turned to face him, or endangered an innocent, he was bound to his code.

A code that prevented him from striking any man from behind for it was a cheap and dirty handed tactic, even pirates applied despite their grade as the most void and laughable of men. Woman of course couldn't be pirates, they lacked the upper body strength and superior brain, and you should never hit a woman anyway. The code could only be broken to protect an innocent, and this was only as extreme case. If you could stop the innocent from being harmed without breaking the code, you should choose this option instead.

The marine mused on his fathers code, something that had been indoctrinated into him from a young age. It certainly presented problems when dealing with cowards. But Lucius had outwitted this man before, he had deduced his identity as a pirate after all!

He would follow the man. Follow him to the point where the coward could stand it no longer and have to fight him. Then the boxer would make him pay for mocking the marines.

With renewed confidence and an even greater determination, the boxer jogged to shorten the distance between himself and the criminal, before dropping to a similar paced walk once he was no more then five metres behind. The 'Marine' mockery on the mans back was irritating Lucius, but he held his jaw shut and fist by his side.
Edited by Shamma, Sep 9 2009, 04:55 AM.
Piper • Pirate • Martial Artist/Weapon Specialist • Hot RocketsBounty: 343,000,000 • SD Earned: 881 • Beli: 259,500,000 • Location: Raijin Island

Jija Juju • Marine • Inventor/Marksman/Scholar/Doctor • FioreRank: Rear Admiral • SD Earned: 579 • Beli: 188,000,000 • Location: Couture Island, Grand Line

Other Characters
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thingymabob
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Fffffffffffffff
[ *  *  *  * ]
Stande left the beach, crossing the threshold between the sand and the earthen floor of the small clump of vegetation that bordered the beach. He was well aware that he was being followed; the man was not trying particularly hard to hide his presence, and for the meticulously observant lieutenant, it was impossible to not notice his tracker. However, for the moment, he paid it no notice. The strange man with the limited brainpower had yet to interfere with Stande's work, and until then, his life would be safe.

The case file that the marine had received had mentioned something about a rather crazed lunatic who was to be apprehended for murder. How murder was possible on Karaoke Island, considering the lack of living people, was puzzling, but the information rarely lied. Anyone who provided false information was promptly and harshly dealt with. The investigative department was quite thorough in their work, after all, as the efficiency of the Naval forces depended on their accuracy. Wild goose chases all over the four Blues did not help efficiency.

Suddenly, for no reason at all, Stande stopped. Well, considering the uptight Marine never did anything without a reason, that was impossible, but the reason was not immediately apparent. He was just mildly curious to see if the man following him would stop in time, or if his Neanderthalian reflexes would make him crash into his quarry.

A hoarse cough up ahead, and a rundown shack, grabbed the lieutenant's attention, and he immediately darted forward, throwing open the door, if one could really call it as such, to cast his stony eyes down on an elderly man. Immediately the marine's mind began to consider the possibilities. Who was this man? A bystander? A witness? A victim? The criminal himself?

"Are you an inhabitant of this island? Who are you?" He asked the questions harshly, as though this were a criminal interrogation. He hadn't pulled his weapon out and pointed it at the man yet, but from the tone of his voice and the cold glare he was giving the man, he might as well have done so.

"Answer me."
Characters
Posted ImageBryce Riddler • Old man • Weapon Specialist/Inventor • BFFsBounty: 0 • SD Earned: 91 • Beli: 4,442,500 • Location: Grand Line - Gesso Island.
Posted ImageHirkane Gearmann • Shipwright • Carpenter/Merchant • Nameless CrewBounty: 3,000,000 • SD Earned: 73 • Beli: 5,000,000 • Location: Nowhere.
Posted ImageStande Ardgriffe • Lieutenant Commander • Marksman/Assassin • Nameless DivisionCommendations: 20 • SD Earned: 114 • Beli: 14,750,000 • Location: Nowhere.

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Shamma
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no fun
[ *  *  *  * ]
With the door to his home bursting open, the old inhabitant couldn't be more in shock. "I'm not in the frame!" He yelled, leaning back into his chair with arms covering his head. The elderly individual went into his fetal position till the cold words of Stande rang clear in his ears, a lack of a certain easing his fast ticking heart.

He made the surprise all the more obvious as he recovered, one hand grasping his chest weakly as he panted. His mouth was gaping as he stared to the black coated marine wide eyed, not answering his questions but instead looking around the man at the open doorway. He spotted the larger accompanying man catching up with a light jog, but still in the open.

"Get out of the picture! Quickly!" He yelled as loud as his gasping lungs would permit, his free arm waving frantically.

Lucius heard nothing of the mans warning, the boxer concerned only with the pirate who had just burst into a house without knocking. The criminal was attempting a robbery right under his nose! The cheek of it! He let out a resounding growl, it was nearly as sneaky as the sudden stop trick he had attempted. Of course, Lucius was not going to fall for that one ever again. Not after that time.

His purple hair began to flail wildly into the air as Lucius hit his 'lightspeed', a full pelt run from a man who was not particularly quick on his feet. Innocents possessions needed to be saved, or even an innocent if a resident resided within the hut. He could see no way to avoid breaking the code..., he would strike this Marine mocking pirate in the back of the head and be done with it.

Or would've, if the ground had not shuddered suddenly, earth shrapnel scattering across his field of view as an invisible shock-wave sent him tumbling. That and the thunderous noise accompanying.

Momentarily confused as he slid to a halt on his side, Lucius stammered some late yell of surprise as he began to catch up on events. A dusty crater had appeared. He was certain it had not been their before. Maybe it was the source of the shock-wave? But what could cause such a phenomenon? Perhaps a falling star? Lucius made a wish.

A second ear splitting clatter occurred soon after, the ground blasting upwards as a great force struck it, just meters off the previous crater. A thick arm shielded his head as the dust wave flared past, Lucius' mind clicking. A distant boom had sounded prior to the eruption, an all to familiar sound but who used cannons on land?! There were no ships in view...

The third warning was enough to send Lucius scrambling for the small shack on all fours, his back pressing against it as though the flimsy building were the ultimate cover to oppose cannon fire. He breathed in deeply, not daring to peek an eye around the corner should the shooter suddenly develop the ability to aim and nail him between the eyes with a cannon ball. This situation reminded him of a lesson his father had taught him; the situation where brains were needed over brawn. Words were his ranged weapons, not his fists!

"Hey! Quit shooting!" Lucius opened his diplomatic talks with a direct, bellowing approach; like he did with most situations. It seemed to be effective, no shots following up the initial three; but the old resident knew better.

His withered hands fumbling together, his whole body had visibly shuddered after the trio of explosions, holding more fear for the cannon fire then the marine's cold, interrogating stare. "He'll only fire if he can see us, yes, yes! If we stay here then he won't mind...he'll go away..yes!" He mumbled to himself, refraining from making eye contact with Stande.
Piper • Pirate • Martial Artist/Weapon Specialist • Hot RocketsBounty: 343,000,000 • SD Earned: 881 • Beli: 259,500,000 • Location: Raijin Island

Jija Juju • Marine • Inventor/Marksman/Scholar/Doctor • FioreRank: Rear Admiral • SD Earned: 579 • Beli: 188,000,000 • Location: Couture Island, Grand Line

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thingymabob
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[ *  *  *  * ]
Frame? What frame? The old fool was blabbering nonsense. Perhaps the years of solitude had caused some significant neurodegeneration, leading to some form of dementia. However, it seemed that the man had mistaken Stande for someone else. The true criminal, perhaps? Such an entity was likely to be an object of fear, and a pathetic old man such as the one curled up on the chair seemed like he would be very much afraid of just about anything.

He screamed out further gobbledygook, which Stande ignored. The marine lieutenant was not well accustomed to having people who took no notice of what he said, nor was he accustomed to having people who feared something more than they feared him. His reputation as one of most ruthless marines in the regiment often preceded him, and he had been met by many a fearful glance before. The idea that this old man was not mortally terrified of him as he ought to be was both foreign and unnerving to Stande.

The marine took a step forward, about to give the old man something to make him speak some intelligble words, and to teach him who he ought to fear, but a loud explosion behind him startled the marine, and he whirled around, crouching as he did so. A large crater had just been blasted in the ground, and the dust was still settling. The shockwave from the explosion blew dust into the shack, and the flimsy door that Stande had burst through a moment ago looked as though it wouldn't last much longer.

With the second blast, the door could not take any more, and was ripped from its hinges. Stande put up his hand to shield his eyes from the oncoming wave of dust that the new explosion had lifted into the air. Emerging from the dust cloud, however he could see the poorly selected purple wig of the singing gorilla who had been tailing him. It was a shame that he had not been caught in an explosion.

After a third cannon shot, the brawny animal called out loudly, although his words were no more helpful than the ancient man's had been. It was a real facepalm moment, but, being Stande, the lieutenant simply looked on disapprovingly. Even for a pirate, this man had a rather poor brain. It was almost worrying. His parents must have dropped him on his head a fair few times to achieve this result - too many to be purely accidental.

The cannonfire stopped, but for different reasons. The old man seemed to elaborate, this time making slightly more sense. However, he had still not explained in enough detail to satisfy Stande, and the marine swept down upon the unfortunate man, who was still visibly shaken. "It would be wise to start explaining. What do you know about that?"
Characters
Posted ImageBryce Riddler • Old man • Weapon Specialist/Inventor • BFFsBounty: 0 • SD Earned: 91 • Beli: 4,442,500 • Location: Grand Line - Gesso Island.
Posted ImageHirkane Gearmann • Shipwright • Carpenter/Merchant • Nameless CrewBounty: 3,000,000 • SD Earned: 73 • Beli: 5,000,000 • Location: Nowhere.
Posted ImageStande Ardgriffe • Lieutenant Commander • Marksman/Assassin • Nameless DivisionCommendations: 20 • SD Earned: 114 • Beli: 14,750,000 • Location: Nowhere.

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Shamma
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no fun
[ *  *  *  * ]
"Eeh?!" The old man snapped from his mindless babble, his mind apparently only just noticing Stande's persisting presence. And the marine was much younger then he, taller and probably more powerful. But he was not the artist, not that lanky man with his ridiculous mustache and cruel chipping teeth. No peg leg to kick him with or paint his face in comic fashion. Just a man in a black jacket.

His breathing slowed as the beady eyes twitched from one end of the shack to the other, ears visibly perking up to sense any cannon fire. Nothing. Just bliss.

"Just stay inside...or out of sight!" The aged veteran began to be more flamboyant in these movements, arms pointing to the floor inside and forming a box. The stern gaze of his visitor was unnerving though and these actions ceased upon sensing disapproval. "If we ruin the picture too much, he'll just blow up the house! My house! I built this twenty-seven years ago! With my own blood and swe-..." The tale ended as the weary mind flickered to silence, reminiscing as the cruel words of his tormentor echoed. "He doesn't need a house, its just a detail, a smoking pit is easier to paint..."

-

The old mans words weren't reaching the purple haired boxer outside. Like many of his delayed reactions, his ears had only just noticed the ringing sensation of being near three loud booms and thus decided to act normally by being void of all sound. Of course, this meant Lucius couldn't hear himself think, as thinking consisted of speaking out loud in such dangerous situations, he was shouting quite loudly from his cover. It helped to remember facts.

"Three shots. One cannon. No fire now. Check. Right. Got to determine cannon source and then return fire. Perhaps with fired cannonballs. Bastard wouldn't see it coming." A brilliant idea, he commended himself with a stroke of chin and a victors smile. The satisfaction with his own brain power ended with a brisk nod as he stepped from his wall cover, but wait!

"Cannon fire stopped when under cover. Retrieving cannonballs would induce fire. A problem in plan!" He was quite ready to ignore the other details, the proposed projectiles most likely damaged and heated, not to mention buried deeply in their designated craters.

"Right. Might need short run towards target after finding. Missed three times. Out of three. That's...." He raised a meaty thumb to the side of his forehead, rubbing it as he tried to estimate the value.One hand came out to assist in determining a fraction, quite how was only obvious to Lucius as he counted the four fingers and thumb over and over. He never had liked maths, it was a bothersome subject that had little value to prevailing justice. Yet strategists and inventors seemed to find some use for it beyond buying food and match tickets. "A 50/50. Ok." He would risk it. He was certain of his figures.

Mustering all the stealth he had learned in his life, Lucius stooped low to grasp one of the shrapnel pebbles lying neatly on the ground. Gripping the chosen device, he flung it neatly over the opposing side of the shack, a move that would surely draw away the cannoneer with its movement and noise. In the same fluid motion, he peeked out from his side of the shack, trying to spy the shooter from his distance.

He had to pause and shield his eyes to get a good look.

Three objects on the hill, one twitched urging the boxer back behind his wall. One object had been short, the other was medium and had moved, the last was taller but not by much. "Perhaps a trio of people...wait, one is a cannon, of course! Then two people and a cannon." It sounded like an awful sitcom, but it was the situation. How best to tackle it?

The ground burst open with a roar again, just off the three existing craters. The boxer reacted as best as he could, stopping, dropping and rolling as his arms wildly covered his head. The shock wave ended, it had been lighter then the first three and peeking an eye out the boxer noticed why. It was even further away then the last three, the shooters aim was truly awful! Perhaps charging him would be a good idea...

-

The distress of more cannon fire broke the frail mans willingness to discuss the artist, the shakes starting at a more violent rate as he retreated onto his seat and curled up as small as he could. "Why is he firing, why would he...! We're inside!" The mumbling began again, Stande vanishing out of his world of worry for now.
Piper • Pirate • Martial Artist/Weapon Specialist • Hot RocketsBounty: 343,000,000 • SD Earned: 881 • Beli: 259,500,000 • Location: Raijin Island

Jija Juju • Marine • Inventor/Marksman/Scholar/Doctor • FioreRank: Rear Admiral • SD Earned: 579 • Beli: 188,000,000 • Location: Couture Island, Grand Line

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thingymabob
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Fffffffffffffff
[ *  *  *  * ]
The man was still speaking nonsense. All this talk of paintings and frames. Stande could not care less about his pathetic little hovel that had miraculously withstood the elements for twenty-seven years. What a pain those 27 years must have been to endure through. "If you are not going to speak in any coherent fashion, then just don't speak at all." The marine lieutenant withdrew his revolver, but instead of firing, he simply slammed it against the old man's temple. That would perhaps be enough to shut him up.

All that talk about paintings, and a mysterious artist, and explosions. Perhaps it hadn't been as nonsensical as it seemed. Having silenced the old man and his ramblings, Stande found it easier to think. According to the old man, the cannon shots were related to this 'picture', this non-existent work of art that someone was working on. However, the idea of using cannons to paint the picture was absurd. Such a thing was not art in any way, shape or form. What was the cannon-operator's objective, then? He wasn't simply firing to obliterate lives either, else he would have laid waste to the shanty already. Was there method to his madness? That was what Stande wanted to find out. However, he wasn't stupid enough to let himself be the bait who would test the waters. No, why should he endanger his own life when there was someone dull enough to fit the bill, right in front of him?

Stande stood in the doorway of the hut, taking care not to come out from the protection of its covering, looking for the purple-haired ape. He noticed the man, huddled on the ground, shouting to himself. His flow, or lack of flow, rather, of logic was even more pathetic than the drivel that the old man had spouted! And the old man could lean on the excuse of dementia to justify his nonsense. This creature only had his under-evolved brain to blame. He threw something, and shortly after that another trio of cannon shots were fired.

The old man shrieked again, and Stande's patience reached its end. Without even looking, he held the revolver over his shoulder and fired twice, the bullets piercing the shoddy tin wall of the shack, an inch on either side away from the man's head. There was no need to reiterate his message in words. Now, back to the gorilla and the 'painting'.

"Make yourself useful," Stande muttered as he raised his revolver and fired a few shots, not aiming to hit Lucius, but to make him move from his position and into the middle of the clearing, where the first few cannonballs had exploded. Hopefully his nervous system had evolved past the point where he had developed reflexes and jumped at sudden sounds and bullet fire.
Characters
Posted ImageBryce Riddler • Old man • Weapon Specialist/Inventor • BFFsBounty: 0 • SD Earned: 91 • Beli: 4,442,500 • Location: Grand Line - Gesso Island.
Posted ImageHirkane Gearmann • Shipwright • Carpenter/Merchant • Nameless CrewBounty: 3,000,000 • SD Earned: 73 • Beli: 5,000,000 • Location: Nowhere.
Posted ImageStande Ardgriffe • Lieutenant Commander • Marksman/Assassin • Nameless DivisionCommendations: 20 • SD Earned: 114 • Beli: 14,750,000 • Location: Nowhere.

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Shamma
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no fun
[ *  *  *  * ]
"Eh?" Wondered the boxer out loud as the black coated pirate emerged from the shack. Make himself useful? He had been the one outside investigating this strange cannoneer. In fact, he still owed the man a fist to the face if his memory was correct; and of course, it was! Cracking his left knuckle, a grin spread on his face for a second but hesitated in surprise when the man revealed the large pistol he had kept hidden. So those were the smaller cannon noises from earlier? He had assumed the man on the hill had downgraded.

With a certain grace expected from his top heavy frame, Lucius looped to his side, twirling on his toes away from the first few shots. He had no clue his assailant was aiming to miss, the boxer simply having the confidence that he could dodge bullets with ease. Several side steps as the floor burst about his feet, his purple hair fluttered uncontrollably with the swift movements, only once or twice did he seem to lose his footing, his weight forcing an awkward balancing act with his arms. Walking on the flat plain seemed like walking on a tight rope at times.

Spiralling out of his theatrics, Lucius raised his fists before his face, prancing from side to side on his toes as he prepared for whatever the pirate attempted next... if he fired again he would catch them and hurl them back! But something wasn't right.

Dropping his stance by a fraction, Lucius' eyes flickered about as he noticed his eccentric evasion had sent him away from the shack and out over next to th- craters?! The pair of blue eyes darted towards the hill which was just in view from his angle, one of the two figures was next to the shorter.

The blues widened.

The boxer initiated his ridiculous sprint once more, much like he had done when exiting the water previous, but instead of a back drop of sea blue waves, the very earth erupted behind him. The resulting shock wave was enough to send Lucius into a diving finish, the muscular man landing flat on his front and sliding a short distance across the ground.

"Mmmmphmmf." He mumbled, face planted into the floor. With a tug he freed his features, shaking his head from side to side to be rid of the dirt. Peering to the side, he remembered the black jacket pirate was still present and pushed himself to his feet with a thrust of his large arms.

Crossing his arms and staring the man in the face, he pretended as if nothing had happened despite his dusty front. The persistent cannon fire from the hill was limiting the battleground, and Lucius required room to perform his bullet dodging arts. Moving at such speed was dangerous in enclosed spaces!

"Truce." Was his short term solution, pulling out his tucked hand to gesture for a manly handshake. The man on the hill was clearly the greater villain here, denying the two of them their epic showdown which would ultimately lead to his promotion! The boxer phased into a slight glory daydream whilst his hand remained open for the shake.
Piper • Pirate • Martial Artist/Weapon Specialist • Hot RocketsBounty: 343,000,000 • SD Earned: 881 • Beli: 259,500,000 • Location: Raijin Island

Jija Juju • Marine • Inventor/Marksman/Scholar/Doctor • FioreRank: Rear Admiral • SD Earned: 579 • Beli: 188,000,000 • Location: Couture Island, Grand Line

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thingymabob
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Fffffffffffffff
[ *  *  *  * ]
Stande watched with a grim satisfaction as the well-built but exceedingly awkward ape staggered out into the middle of the clearing. As he was watching, Stande seemed to notice something. This clearing. If one took a bit of liberty with their imagination, the boundaries of the flat space, as formed by the trees, and the run-down buildings, was something akin to a rectangle. And frames were usually rectangular in shape. Could this have been the 'frame' the old codger had been deliriously yapping about? Perhaps it had not been delirium, then.

As Lucius looked at him with a triumphant smirk on his face, apparently proud that he had done something that Stande had coerced him into doing. Rather like a trained chimpanzee... Those supposedly intelligent apes could be trained to do all manner of things, from riding a bicycle, to brushing their teeth, to even doing some simple mathematics. Perhaps that comparison was a bit too flawed, then. A chimpanzee's brainpower was considerably higher.

The darkly-clad marine simply stared back at Lucius with a piercing, icy glare, waiting to see the ground beneath him explode, and half-wishing that a severed head, and a few bloodied appendages, would land in the dust around him. His wish came half-true. However, the Neanderthal had apparently learnt to associate past triggers with special events, and had miraculously managed to anticipate the cannon fire that soon came. The only result was that he was blasted off his feet and slid through the dust for a few metres. How disappointing...

The animal also possessed the recovery abilities of a subhuman primate, however, and soon got up, although his lack of a functional brain prevented him from realising the need to dust himself off. He ambled towards Stande, arms crossed in a spectacular manoeuvre that Stande hypothesised had taken some three weeks to master. He stopped right in front of Stande, and after a few seconds of searching his limited vocabulary pool, seemed to find the word he wanted.

"Truce."

Stande was impressed. No hand gestures required.

He ignored the outstretched hand. It was nothing personal. Even if this gorilla had been someone of reasonable intelligence, his handshake would have been rejected. Stande wasn't a handshake type of guy. "Just don't get in my way," he threatened, impassively, as he turned towards the direction of the cannonfire. If the gorilla was content to leave him along, then Stande wasn't going to rile him up. Game-hunting wasn't Stande's sport, anyway. It was too barbaric for his liking.

Stande lowered his weapon, keeping it out as he ran towards the cannon on the hill, taking care to stay under the cover of the trees. If the gorilla thought that he would be able to follow, then he was welcome to try. The more he stumbled about and attracted the attention of the cannonmaster, the easier it would be for Stande to descend upon them and remove the threat.
Characters
Posted ImageBryce Riddler • Old man • Weapon Specialist/Inventor • BFFsBounty: 0 • SD Earned: 91 • Beli: 4,442,500 • Location: Grand Line - Gesso Island.
Posted ImageHirkane Gearmann • Shipwright • Carpenter/Merchant • Nameless CrewBounty: 3,000,000 • SD Earned: 73 • Beli: 5,000,000 • Location: Nowhere.
Posted ImageStande Ardgriffe • Lieutenant Commander • Marksman/Assassin • Nameless DivisionCommendations: 20 • SD Earned: 114 • Beli: 14,750,000 • Location: Nowhere.

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Shamma
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no fun
[ *  *  *  * ]
The meaty hand was left hanging as the black coated pirate spun away, his words most rude and almost... mocking! Again, even in alliance he would not meet Lucius eye to eye. Perhaps he was afraid that he would see his own shortcomings by squaring up to the larger man? Then that was a reason.

But it gave no reason for poor teamwork. Off ran the gunslinger before Lucius could so much as deny him with words, let alone stop him with a physical presence. Leaving his mouth gaping, the boxer unfolded his arms and planted an open palm against the flimsy shack. The structure creaked a bit, Lucius lessening his force in case the structure collapsed and destroyed the valuables inside. That would be a criminal act.

Mustering his brain power once more, Lucius considered his options; to stay or run out the left or right side of the shack. Which would make up for the deficit of teamwork the pirate had created, was making a truce with a pirate the correct path to take in the first place? Where was the whimpering coming from?

---

"Vhat is zis?" Questioned the figure between the cannon and stand. His fingers quivered about the brush as he fumbled for the handkerchief about his sleeve. Pulling the fabric to his brow, he dabbed at the growing sweat drops, a visible vein pulsing at the sight. Another defiler of his art? When would they stop?!

With routine movements, the artist pivoted on his artificial foot using a combination of his functioning leg and crutch to reached the small cannon. He was no marksman, not like the Marine approaching him but the Marine did not have a cannon. He did, and with a nudging of his crutch aimed the large weapon in the general direction of Stande. He was certain this was not the old hermit nor the bumbling idiot who had been visiting. No, this new tress passer was likely one of those art destroyers; a critic!

With care, his painting hand opened the small hatch on the top of the cannon, dropping a metallic ball down into the device; a small schematic that made firing much easier with his disabilities. This critic was fast, most certainly. It was good thing he had finished painting the area he ran into a few weeks ago; a crater and splattered remains wouldn't spoil his work there. The brush wielding hand tugged at a small rope, a chain reaction sparking a flint to set the gunpowder alight and...

---

Boom.

Lucius emerged from his thoughts, crouching on the floor and covering his head instinctively. When the floor did explode around him, he got up, pretending to have not been spooked by anyone, couldn't show weakness in front of a pirat-...

He had run off, the boxer recalled and turned to face the shack. That as it, left or boom? Lucius flinched at a second explosion, though rather then go into a fetal position; his head looked to either side in rapid succession, a small sigh of relief for his intact body. No, going left and following the pirate would get him shot at and having gone right in the past had also got him shot at.

Or was it his right, or the cannon's right?

The boxer attempted to figure out this conundrum, making the 'L' shape with his left hand to confirm his beliefs. Figuring out how a cannon could determine its left from right was another matter altogether. So either option was out of bounds and he lacked a spade. That meant he would scale the shack.

"A brilliant idea." He mused out loud, pulling his favoured self-impressing genius pose; a stroked chin and proud grin. Reaching up over the closed doorway, Lucius began to scrambling process of climbing on top of the shack; his arms doing most of the work by hauling up his twitching body. His legs squirmed the most, drumming against the shed as they tried to gain a nonexistent perch.

On the final haul, he rolled onto the rooftop, much to the displeasure of the old man beneath. He started shouting, fearing that his home was about to collapse but Lucius could barely hear him over the explosions as he attempted to grasp whether the black coated man had been blown to pieces for his poor teamwork or not.
Piper • Pirate • Martial Artist/Weapon Specialist • Hot RocketsBounty: 343,000,000 • SD Earned: 881 • Beli: 259,500,000 • Location: Raijin Island

Jija Juju • Marine • Inventor/Marksman/Scholar/Doctor • FioreRank: Rear Admiral • SD Earned: 579 • Beli: 188,000,000 • Location: Couture Island, Grand Line

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