Re: [Abandoned] A Fool's Errand

Fri Aug 05, 2022 7:01 pm

“Well I'm here and I'm still alive. Step one complete.” thought Bill as he slowly and painfully got back to his feet.

The gunslinger stumbled out into the open air. As he forced himself out of Emilia's tiny cockpit he lost his balance and flopped out onto her deck like a lazy lover. Being banged around inside her during the crash had taken a lot out of him. His head felt light and his knees felt weak.

“Hey! Volo! Ya really need to recruit a doctor!” he shouted as he pulled himself up by Emilia's railing.

The response he got was a resounding silence. Worriedly Bill looked around for his captain.

“Volo!?” he shouted “Hey Volo! You still alive!?”

Bill turned his head towards the sound of a splash and a sudden sense of panic washed over him. He saw the remnants of a once thick cloud of cigar-like smoke dissipating over the ocean and noticed that large bubbles were forming on the water's wavy surface.

“Oh no! Volo!” shouted Bill as he quickly discarded his clothes until he was wearing nothing but his mask and undies.

Frantically, he dashed across the ship's deck and dove into the deep blue sea. Down he swam. Deeper and deeper until he spied Volo whereupon he practically sighed with relief. He was suddenly thankful for those rescue swimming drills he had been forced to do as a non-powered person back in basic training. Without a moment to spare he quickly grabbed the drowning devil fruit user and drug him back up to the shore.

“Volo! Wake up Volo!” Bill shouted as he tried to wake his captain up to no avail. Volo remained motionless on that rocky shore no matter how loudly Bill shouted.

“Fuck!” cursed Bill. After everything that had happened the last couple of months. The fights. The adventures. The near death experiences. After all of that, he was going to fail his mission because the dumb-ass devil-fruit user had decided to take a dip.

Bill pressed his hands against Volo's chest and began doing compressions just as he had been taught. Volo coughed and gasped a little bit but didn't wake up. His eyes remained glossy and his face a sickly shade of blue.

“This is bad!”

Bill looked around for a second, hoping, praying, for anybody that could help but, of course, there was no one to be found. Even Karl was nowhere in sight. He was going to have to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation he realized. Bill grimaced at the thought but steeled himself to do it.

There was no other option.

He quickly unfastened his mask and tossed it to the side. Then he did the single most difficult thing he had ever had to do for a mission. He pressed his lips against Volo's.

Word count: 467
Total word count: 1587
Group: Karl, Volo

Sat Aug 06, 2022 1:11 am

Sadly, there wasn’t much time for introductions. While the swordswoman was vaguely aware of her allies, it was the first time she heard their names. They were carved into her mind, slashed upon an imaginary slate to be remembered. “Yumiko.” She offered curtly in return. Just Yumiko. A failure was not worthy of any titles.

Despite the best efforts, the group arrived at the meeting late. There was no such thing as ‘a little late’, much less ‘fashionably late’. Nay, they were late and had thus failed their first task. Every pair of eyes felt like a cold blade piercing through the samurai’s soul. Her shoulders slumped beneath the unbearable weight of shame.

This was all her fault...

She had to compensate her allies for this blunder somehow...

Not all was doom and gloom, though. As the briefing commenced, the marine soon found a familiar figure. Her widening eyes gained an odd glimmer, almost reminiscent of tiny stars. A faint smile warmed her usually icy features. Her restless fingers fidgeted with her blade, as if unsure how to properly hold it.

As for the figure who had gotten the samurai’s attention... Why, it was none other than Rear Admiral Nottingham, a fabled warrior and a master of ittoryu! ‘Twas a great honor to be graced by his noble presence. Oh, if only she could cross blades with him on a vast, grassy plain under the silver moon...

The starstruck soldier clung to her superior’s every word. She repeated some of them soundlessly beneath her breath. Justice will prevail, indeed. Utterly lost in the moment, she missed all the other faces around her.

When Chief Fowl mentioned ‘recognizable faces and ability users’, however, Yumiko visibly winced. It felt like a flying slash directed solely at her. And he was absolutely right to do so. She had already blown her cover once... Clutching her sword tightly for safety, she silently swore a solemn vow. She would not wield her powers until permitted...

Even if it were to kill her.

---

Since departing from the briefing, Yumiko had remained deathly silent. Tempered by newly reignited resolve, she had regained her frigid focus. She refused to let the stench of crime and debauchery sway her any longer. Nay, she simply marched closely behind her new captain. ...Exactly three steps behind, to be precise. With her disguise and their height difference, she resembled a tail trailing in the huge man’s wake.

Only when the group abruptly stopped, the swordswoman peered cautiously from behind the mighty man. Her sharp ears twitched at the suspicious conversation. ...Not that one needed exceptional hearing to spy on the loudmouths.

While Sir Moreau... er... engaged the suspects, Yumiko withdrew back into Captain Okirama’s shadow. She was no good with deception. The mere idea made her stomach twist. A silent worry reared its head, as she cast an odd look at the gentleman. His words felt unnervingly genuine...

However, a hunter should blend into their environment, the weasel understood as much... So blend in she would, unseen and unheard. She merely took in their exchange, scrutinizing it carefully. La Crima’s docks... Would be the true hunting grounds.

---

Thankfully, the ferry ride to La Crima proved uneventful. The disguised samurai, for her part, stood insistently at the bow of the ferry. Her keen gaze was focused on the distant port. Beneath that cold gaze, she was slowly honing her focus, scraping a sharpening stone along the blade of her mind. Again, and again, and again.

The Port of La Crima was, somehow, even worse than the Port of Teardrop... Yumiko shuddered at the sheer air of debauchery that clouded the scenery of grimy warehouses. Cold stone, musty wood and freshly spilled blood... The air was thick with it.

It took serious willpower to not do anything... drastic. Along the way, the keen marine swore she saw some poor soul have their money purse snatched, along with their... underwear...? No, she must’ve seen that wrong. No place on earth could be that rotten, right?

As the group reached the heart of the docks, the hunter started acting a little... strange. She crouched down onto all fours, sniffing the salty air feverishly. Her sharp nose trailed close to the dirty path, seeking suspicious scents. Likewise, her sensitive ears twitched at every sound, trying to pick them apart.

One exchange in particular caught her attention...

The samurai followed the trail of distant words, peering cautiously around a corner. Two targets were engaged in a conversation she immediately labeled as suspicious. She couldn’t quite catch all the words however... Not from here. She had to get closer, closer... Her eyes trailed along the scenery, until stopping on the brick wall next to her.

Suddenly, Yumiko spun around. Stepping in front of Stone, she looked up at him and carefully caressed his thick arm. “Captain Okirama, please pardon mine shameful touch, but...” She hesitated briefly, leaving the peculiar whisper to linger uncomfortably. “Would thou mind granting this one the boost?” The questionable tension popped with all the gusto of a soap bubble.

With a weasel’s agility, the lithe woman suddenly scampered up the towering man’s figure in mere three steps. Knee, hip, shoulder. Crouching on his shoulder briefly, coiling like a spring, she suddenly launched herself up onto the rooftop of a nearby warehouse.

Remaining on all fours, Yumiko crawled silently across the roof, akin to a predator stalking its prey. Her keen gaze zeroed in on a rather blocky target. Creeping closer, ever closer, she listened to the exchange carefully. Wait, explosives...? Factories? Rebels?! This needed to be reported immediately!

With a hunter’s quickness, the samurai skittered across the roof. She jumped back down to join her comrades. “Captain.” It was hard to keep her voice hushed with the new information burning hot in her mind. “Explosives, rebels, factories in Carbunkle...” She rattled off rapidly, gesturing at the arguing dock workers.

Even as the Captain went to report the findings, Yumiko would insistently chime in with her take on the situation. Sadly, her version came out a little... broken. In bits and pieces. Even the snail looked twitchy, trying to keep up with her voice and icy expression. It would take some finesse to piece the story together into something presentable.

---

Words: 1045
Total: 2822
Group: Hunting Party
Approximate time frame: Between 8:00 A.M. and 10:20 A.M.

Sat Aug 06, 2022 10:13 am

Port Teardrop | Dexter Eyeland | Jolly Keys

As one of the few Captains under Rear Admiral Nottingham's command for this mission, Stone had met with both the Rear Admiral himself as well as Chief Fowl prior to sailing to the Jolly Keys. This made his group's interruption of the debriefing all that more embarrassing. The Captain's only consolation was that there was still the rest of the day to redeem himself.

His team would not fail again.

That is what the Captain would like to say to himself. Unfortunately, the combination of Chief Fowl's orders and the involvement of Shichibukai left a bad taste in the brown bear’s mouth. How was he to protect himself or his men from monsters like that without his trump card?

The walk back to the docks was much more uneventful than the first time through Port Teardrop. Stone once again saw the same crimes, only with different people committing them. And to think Port Teardrop was one of the more tame settlements in the Jolly Keys. Once Stone and his men were in the vicinity of their ferry, a pair of kind, honest, and hard-working fellows approached the group, Moreau in particular.

Stone’s second-in-command wasted no time in making friends. When the Ensign checked for Stone’s approval the Captain would only shrug as an okay. If the locals could so easily be played for the fools they are, why should Stone pity them at all? Too many people forget that the fine folks on the bottom of the totem pole have ears as well, surely some of the dock workers in both Port Teardrop and La Crima know more than they let on.

Stone felt the cold gaze of a stranger while Moreau made fast friends. Looking through the heavy traffic of the docks, Stone eventually found the culprit. An older-looking man made his disapproval of the disguised marines no secret. In response the Captain glared right back at the senior, daring him to try something.

The undercover marines had a nice, calm reprieve from their duties while on the ferry to La Crima. Once on the boat, Stone ordered everyone to at least try and separate for the time being. But even once the ferry set course to La Crima, Stone was still unable to escape hearing the conversation between Moreau and his new pal.

Moving himself farther away, Stone leaned against the boat's railing. Though, with Stones' size, it was more akin to sitting on the edge of the vessel. A dangerous gamble for someone who could not swim, but a risk taken nonetheless. When the trip neared its end, Stone once again began to feel eyes on him once again. The marine looked high and low but found himself unable to locate ~~his secret admirer~~ the culprit.

La Crima | Dexter Eyeland | Jolly Keys

As his team got off the ferry one by one Stone did a quick head count, and set off to La Crima’s shipyard. The Captain only heard bits and pieces of Moreau’s seemingly endless conversation with the dock worker, but he was thoroughly impressed by the Ensign’s mental stamina. Stone avoided talking to criminals and civilians alike. And when he did, it was usually an interrogation instead of a friendly chat.

Eventually, the giant of a man would feel a sudden touch on his arm, nearly causing the poor soul to jump out of his skin. Luckily, the young captain composed himself right away, if he wasn’t so locked in for the current mission he might have even screamed in terror.

Straining his neck to look down, Stone saw Yumiko. The Captain listened to the ~~swordswoman’s~~ swordsman's strange request. “Boost? I don’t quite understand what yo-”

It seemed that the marine’s answer did not matter all too much. With a quick couple of steps, Yumiko scaled the large man, kicking off his shoulder at the end of her climb. Stone watched in a mix of awe and confusion at what had just happened. The Captain didn’t have too much time to think, however. As soon as she left Yumiko came back with troubling news. Upon the mention of explosives Stone immediately fished out his Transponder Snail. Motioning towards one of the soldiers near him, Stone gave his orders before the Rear Admiral would answer. “Tell Moreau to keep that fool away from us. We can’t afford to lose our cover now.”

“Kaccha”

Stone looked around, ensuring that no one was close enough to gauge what was going to be said. Once a couple of seconds of silence had passed Stone spoke. “Sir, This is Captain Okirama…. The dock workers are talking… about explosives in Carbuncle. We think the… rebels are being supplied… out of one of the factories there.”

Repeatedly cut off by the ~~swordswoman~~ swordsman, It was a mystery of how long the Captain’s patience would stand strong. Stone already lost his temper once today, but his pride required him to keep up his appearance as a respectful, mild-mannered man.

Word Count:

Group:

Approximate Time:

Sat Aug 06, 2022 11:40 am

Susu struggled to drag his friend to the surface. Time was running out for the both of them. His feet kicked and kicked, his tail twirling faster than a propeller, and yet they continued to sink deeper into the sea.

Suddenly, a weight was lifted, and the pair began to ascend upwards. The squirrel's hard-fought effort finally paid off.

With his eyes closed, Susu felt an otherworldy power fill his body, it was working. He was doing. Finally able to repay Volo for what he had done to save him when they first met.

The rodent gasped for air as they breached the surface, smiling as he turned to Volo and opened his eyes.

Hate welled inside of the flying squirrel. A rage that no amount of love could quell as his eyes locked onto the vile creature that was Bill Holiday. Chittering in anger he watched as the cowpoke drug Volo to dry land and began chest compressions.

Susu's heart broke as he watched Bill trying to save their captain, something the squirrel should be thankful for. Something that deep down knew he was wrong to feel anything else.

But, he couldn't shake the hate he had for the man, the burning fire inside of the rodent could not be doused. The darkness that was vengeance knew no bounds and his heart was nothing more than an abyss of loathing anger and hatred.

Swimming to shore, Susu scrambled to Volo's side, putting his revenge on hold as he prayed for Bill to save the smoke boy.

"Mghhmm....mmrrmm..mmmrmmm..." Volo mumbled into Bill's mouth as their lips sealed together. Awkwardly staring at his sniper, who was currently one tongue away from making out with him. Prompting Bill to slowly back away, ensuring no one else was around to ever speak of this moment again.

Susu chittered ecstatically as he hugged Volo's head with all his might. "Hey, pal! Glad you guys are alright!" Nuzzling the squirrel before turning back to the cowpoke. "Sooo..... yeah...." Doing his best to address what had just happened, "I appreciate you being thankful for saving your lives and all, but uhhhh, a fist bump does the trick just fine in the future."

Ah well, doesn't matter....." Mumbling to himself as he stood up," Arrgghhh!" Volo grunted as he stretched real big, "Well, I guess it could be worse.." Mumbling as he began to look over the damage to Emilia from the shoreline.

"I'll be right back!" Billowing back to the ship's deck, Volo disappeared inside of the vessel before returning a few minutes later.

"Soooooo I got good news and bad news, and more good news." Wiping the grease from his hands with a dirty rag. "Goods news is she ain't super broke, should just be some minor fixes assuming I can get the parts."

"Bad news is she's broke..."

"The more good news is I get to go on an adventure to find parts!"

With an excited smile, he made his way back to the shoreline and stared up at the large cliff towering above them. He could fill the butterflies in his stomach beginning to form as he thought about all the possibilities this island held. The thought of barely missing becoming a stain on the rocks never crossed his mind.

Looking over Bill and Susu before him, he sighed confidently before getting ready to set off. "Looks like everyone's accounted for so let's get this sho-.... Wait, where's Karl??!"

WC: 632/2,391/10,000

Sun Aug 07, 2022 5:38 pm

Port Teardrop

Fowl brought new meaning to the words 'if looks could kill,' though Ironsides could hardly blame him. Reasons or not every other marine had made it to the requisite destination on time. Their late arrival was unnacceptable, the fact they were all in the same group made that tardiness a crew wide issue. Add that to the little scuffle Moreau had earlier with command and he could tell they were making a bit of a mess with their higher ups. Part of him wants to stress over it, but he knows that what's done is done and can never be undone; all that was left to do was prove their worth in every moment going forward. With that in mind he was careful to listen to each word of the operation carefully and keep the plan concretely in his head. Can't keep making the captain look bad on their behalf. Before long the group had found luck; a drunk, a boat and a few quick words got them moving pretty quickly towards their goal. While his allies busied themselves with all this Ironsides did his best to seem subtle; there was no need to act if the others had it handled.

On the boat ride to La Crima he simply allowed his mind to wander to the potential danger that lay ahead. A Shichibukai gone rogue and potentially on the island. An island which said shichibukai ran like his illicit trade out of and no doubt who would be surrounded with his own allies. It was the worst possible case scenario. Ironsides was no fool, he knew full well that if he were to end up in direct confrontation with any warlord he'd die. That if the mission failed they would all be dissapeared and the warlord's operation moved before anyone back at HQ was made aware. It was an all or nothing affair. If nothing else the marines had only one advantage, there was almost no one on this island that was innocent. With few or no civilians to worry about the coming battle was gonna be at least that much simpler.

La Crima

Upon reaching La Crima Ironsides would stick with Yumi and Stone as they investigated the ports. It wasn't long before Yumiko hopped up and dissapeared only to return with an update of information that may well change the situation for all of them. He reacted even as Stone spoke heading over to the Moreau and his drunkard compatriot to spin a small story. Thankfully a place like this wasn't shy about their bars and as he reached the pair with a smile he pointed towards one. "Gents I bring a bit of good news, the boss wants to give ya a big thanks for a nice and easy trip over here; he's given me leave to buy ya a pint or two before we gotta get where we're goin, but we might not have much time so chop chop." As he says this he pats both men on the shoulder before leading them towards a not too far away from everyone else but well past earshot of any reasonable man. Upon reaching the bar he leaves Moreau to keep talking to the drunk as he orders a round of large drinks. Two heavily watered down versions for them and what amounted to pure booze for their friend, The less he remembers of this whole day the better.

Spoiler:

Mon Aug 08, 2022 1:55 pm

7:07 AM

Some ways away from Port Teardrop in the west

Saying that the current situation was ideal would be stretching it. There was no way to sugarcoat this... The situation was for the lack of a better word, shit. And given the said situation, perhaps it was best that the ship's doorway managed to shut Karl down by knocking him out.

If it had not been for the knockout, Karl would have screamed his lungs out as the fear of flying would have returned swiftly. All of those days, nay, months of hard work, gone to waste. For Volo's and Bill's sake, and even for Susu's sake, this was not the case, for now, since Karl was not there to experience the full extent of the crash.

On the bright side of all the things bad, the ship was quite well intact. Given its strong metal frame, the flying ship had survived the majority of the exterior damage, at least such that would be very difficult to fix up. The same however could not be said about what was going on inside.

The once cleaned up hallways were once more ruined by different broken glass bottles, the liquid that was in them, and also the unbeknownst containers that still had the ash and cigarette buds in them, courtesy of Volo, the ship's captain.

The falling and the impact had also managed to loosen up even more crates, as well as moved away shelves, drawers, chests... All that could help the crew to be accommodated on this ship. Some of the furniture and crates had gathered at the edge of one of the rooms.

A couple of minutes after the crash, the pile of furniture and crates could be seen, or even heard moving... And then a hand busted out from the pile, followed by the rest of the arm, then shoulders, and then the head, another arm following and so the rest of the body.

Karl was emerging from the pile, with his face covered in blood, with seemingly no sign of the bleeding stopping yet.

Despite the man's injury, he mustered the strength to climb out from the pile and reach down to one of the intact bottles that had survived. Like a bleeding zombie, the man slowly but surely began to limp out from the ship into the unknowingness.

With the weapon in his hand, it shall be put to good use the moment Karl sees his 'captain'... The bottle shall find its way right into Volo's head, as revenge for not listening to him, and for crashing the ship.

[434/2661/10 000]

Group:

Tue Aug 09, 2022 2:40 pm

ff66ff - [Abandoned] A Fool's Errand - Page 2 ObMuotG

Lockjaw (破傷風)

As the applause from the women sitting in the front row of the cafe came flooding in, Sabian fixed his hair like a Disney princess would, strutting towards the ladies' table with a runway model's confidence. Upright. With just a bit of charm.

As the ladies gawked and 'kayaa' at the man's approach, a few stumbles in between the strut ruined the appeal, and by the time he'd made it to the table, all but one particular lady was still interested in the blonde's story.

Reaching out to grab the woman's hand, Sabian gestured his greetings in the form of a kiss. "Fear not my dear ladies, the criminal has been apprehended. I do hope you all enjoy your day." Sabian declared, deepening his voice to sound more manly.

The ladies swooned again temporarily before the cafe owner interjected, wondering who was going to pay for the damages caused and purchases made from the table he was formerly sitting at. Looking over to his shoulder to where Johanna and himself were sitting, a note reading, 'IOU' was left on the tabletop.

Releasing his grip on the madam's hand, Sabian B-Lined it out of the cafe, as he didn't have any pocket money on him. "Damn it, Jojo! Where in the world did she go this time?" Sabian exclaimed, hopping over the counter and exiting the cafe, of course, grabbing a bagel from the display before making a quick escape.

Running into the streets of La Crima, Sabian had two objectives, one, to find out where in the world Johanna disappeared to, and two, to find the Rendevous point for the Revolutionary Army. Scarfing down the doughnut with a quick transformation of his head into that of his Allosaurus form, the dirty blonde began his pursuit.

It'd be his first time meeting with higher-ranking revs since his recruitment, and he had quite a lot on his mind after hearing rumors across the Blues about the army committing atrocious acts with explosives.

No matter how many requests he'd put in for an explanation, they'd simply respond that information was above his official rank. A hero of justice doesn't bomb evil at the risk of innocent people, that wasn't an army he signed up for and he demanded answers. All in time, of course, all in time.

After searching for Jojo for hours upon end, the tune of a familiar whistle called out to him from a distance. Following the tune into a nearby alleyway, a not-so-unfamiliar face appeared.

The sound was a calling card that only Revolutionary would recognize, and the person performing would be none other than a 'runner' for the Army, a brat by the name of Figaro.

"Boss Sabian. You are to report to the Tackling Wale by 10:30 sharp! It's an art gallery!" The kid minstrel Figaro announced in a chipper manner.

"I already informed Lady Jojo of the location - though she seemed preoccupied stuffing her face with La Crima's famous Custard Doughnuts.

The smell alone makes your mouth water-" Figaro explained, with litres of drool trickling from his mouth, only to be interrupted by Sabian putting him in a headlock.

"An art gallery huh? You little brat! Are you sure it's 11:30? You made me late for my last meeting!" Sabian announced the wrong time proudly.

"Lwies wast time I told yous the wright times buts you got it wrong. Yous always gets too excited whens a mission's involved." Figaro stated in a muffled manner, fighting for air in Sabian's headlock.

Releasing the submission, "The Buckling Oyster at 9:30 huh? Got it! Thanks again, Figaro!" Sabian shouted before dashing off.

"Wait! Sabian! I was told to escort you this time! It's the T A C K L I N G W A L E at 10:30! Damnnit! I knew this would happen." Figaro announced with a sigh, losing Sabian in the crowded bustling streets of La Crima.

Sighing, "I better go and tell them he's going to be late." Figaro murmured to himself, sinking back into the alleyway.

@Subarashi @Johanna Freud @Alexi @Pikasso

Team Note:

Word Count: 1,428

^{Sabian'sTracker}

Tue Aug 09, 2022 11:00 pm

Lesser Mink watching had always been an intrinsic pass time in Aya's life outside of Zou. The world was full of so many stories all playing out at once. With her abilities she had a backstage pass to peek into whichever ones she wanted. Cafes were often good for quiet intrigue and subtle dramas, but this crowd had a different atmosphere completely. She didn't know what to expect.

Pikasso wasn't the type to pay much mind to the sort of pageantry this lesser mink was exhibiting. With little more to catch her attention, the runty mink finished her breakfast and left her seat. The empty cup and plate had been carefully slid over to subtly appear in front of the passed-out man across the booth from her. Hopefully he wouldn't mind handling the bill for her. She danced around coffeeshop patrons in a curious hunt for something she admittedly had at first disregarded and lost track of.

A passing glance at the canvas had left her with an empty feeling. She could practically hear the forlorn lamenting of a neglected muse ringing through the air.

The "painting" had been swept aside by the excitement of the defeat of the panty-snatcher, and Aya found a moment to study over it with an inquisitive eye.

Her ears attuned and twitched back toward the sounds of another bought sudden movement. It seemed someone was making a dash towards the door. Aya gave a small nod to herself and looked back to the mostly-bare canvas.

A few seconds passed before she made the connection. Was that the artist dining and dashing? After all that? Aya's gaze flashed towards the abandoned work, then to the door.

"...Damn it."

A little run to return the unfinished piece to its creator couldn't sidetrack her mission that much, right?

That was what she told herself as she snatched up the canvas. She turned it clear as she headed for the door and ducked under the arm of a man holding it open for someone to get back into the open air of the outside world. It seemed she could never enjoy a coffee in a café nowadays without getting caught up in something else.

A keen gaze around the area brought no sign of the lesser mink she was looking for. What it did bring to her attention was an identically-dressed figure... with a fearsome reptilian head... tossing a bagel into his mouth while running off into the distance. People were starting to stir in the coffee shop behind her, upset by the sudden runner dodging the bill. By the time she looked back, she swore she saw the man just as he had been in the café.

Curious.

Her fried nerves from the storm seemed a million years away now, and with a piqued interest Pikasso gave chase.

~~~

The wild goose hunt seemed to go on for hours. Even if she was quick, she lost sight of the other artist several times and was left to clamber up buildings imperceptibly to get a better vantage. The canvas had been tucked away into her bag to free up her dexterous paws for the climb. Now perched on the roof of a scummy-looking 'abandoned' building, she paused a moment to catch her breath.

So much for not getting side-tracked. Like the barren canvas, Aya couldn't help but want to see more of the picture here.

Just as she was about to cut her losses and give up, her gaze fell to a splash of blonde that seemed to have its own sights set on a shrill twitter echoing through the man-made stone canyons. The mink was a captive to the thrall of mystery. With a few instinctive leaps and sure-footed scramblings, the invisible arboreal panda closed in and settled into a crouch to peek into the alley from the roof above.

Now, wasn't that an interesting thing to overhear? Some sort of meeting at... an art gallery? A place, a time... and a name! The young lesser mink shouted after 'Sabian', and Aya went to follow again.

...Until she realized she had at least enough time to catch a nap before snooping into other people's secret meetings. She knew where to find the pieces of this puzzle when 10:30 rolled around, but for now, she settled happily into the quiet seclusion of the rooftop with her backpack as a pillow. The canvas rested close by, carefully propped up and away from harm.

A little rest sounded like the perfect thing to have her bright-eyed and bushy-tailed to finish this errand and get back to the task at hand!

{769/1,900}

{Sabian ~ Pikasso ~ Subarashi ~ Alexi ~ Johanna}

Wed Aug 10, 2022 12:08 am

Moreau followed the drunken Jerry some ways towards the bar before excusing himself from entry. tented his hand over his forehead, confused with the laissez faire attitude of his compatriot. Alright, I gotta make sure we don’t keep losing people, especially now that our ship is well out of reach. The gentleman thought to himself, perhaps a bit condescendingly.

“Oh how congenial, but we really should be on our…” Ironsides was already well on his way towards the back of the bar. “... way.”

The drunk had hardly made himself useful before throwing a hitch in the Marines’ plan, an unsurprising outcome in retrospect.

Moreau looked back to the bizarre Petty Officer Yumiko and his Captain Stone’s confusing transponder relay. Though he wished that he could chime in and lend his investigations to the report, the integrity of the mission remained paramount to the fledgling professional.

The Ensign cupped his hands and called towards Stone and Yumiko: “We’ll be back in a moment!”

As the tankards of grog clattered to the bartable the sheltered gentleman shivered at their contents; Moreau was hardly a man for beer, let alone watered down swill. The lesser nobleman’s snobbery struck a poor chord in the bar’s occupants.

“Wot you think you’re too good for grog ye posh bitch?!” One of the patrons called over disgruntledly.

Moreau shot the man a defeated glance before looking down distastefully towards his watered down drink and taking a small swig. He was ordered not to use his abilities, and so he would have to maintain a peaceful accord with the vicious denizens of the Keys where possible.

“You know we have more to…” Moreau cut himself off from speaking on mission details. “... there’s more on the itinerary guys.” The undercover Ensign gestured to Jerry and Ironsides expectantly before taking another glug of the drink and standing to exit the building. ‘

“I thought you were hopin’ to make some money here Jerry?” Moreau spoke with an affected local manner of speech.

The slovenly man thought to himself for a moment before looking up to his slick friend. “Ey what can I say?” The man stood up in an exaggerated fashion. “When he’s right, he’s right!”

Moreau leaned down and whispered to Ironsides. "See if you can coax anything out these guys." The gentleman looked to the rough customers around the room. "If you get yourself into trouble the others aren't too far, I think I may have a plan to get us a bit more info."

Moreau and Jerry sauntered on over to the shipyards, passing Stone and Yumiko on their way towards the burly men carrying crates from one of the nearby warehouses. The gentleman seemed to be giving his drunkard minion a pep talk.

“Alright, so here’s what I’m thinking buddy.” Moreau cringed at his affectation before continuing his briefing. “You just march in there and ask for a job! You keep your hands up so they don’t shoot ya, and then you see if you can talk to their boss and get yourself hired.” Jerry appeared visibly distraught at the gentleman’s brash plan. “I know it seems scary, but I think they’ll respect ya if you show some courage.”

After some further cajoling Jerry was persuaded into going along with Moreau’s scheme. The stylish dandy threw his hands far out to the side, and made a bit of commotion as he intruded upon the dockworker’s operations.

“Ey you guys!” The man choked up and shouted out in a performatively macho tone. “Lemme speak to ya boss! I figure eh…” Like an actor on cue, Jerry ashed his cigarette and hocked a loogey. “... I might have a business proposition for ‘im!”

What a perfect interruption. As the Dockworkers surrounded Jerry Moreau made his way towards their cargo.

“An’ Who the fuck are you buddy?” A veteran dockworker spoke from amongst the forming crowd.

Jerry flicked his sunglasses down onto his nose before stretching his expression into a cocky smile. “I’m a resourceful guy old-timer! Give me a chance n’ I’ll blow your minds!” The drunken crook pointed to himself with his thumbs. Some amongst the crowd were a bit impressed with the youngster’s enthusiasm, most were simply annoyed.

Moreau tracked down one of the smaller crates that the men had been hauling, dragging it behind one of the nearby shipping containers.

After a bit of conferring amongst the dockworkers one of them decided to inform the boss of the flashy newcomer. After a couple of minutes the leaf-headed boss strode out from his warehouse, his messenger in tow; Reno was a tall and sturdily built man, his green hair was spiked forwards and resembled a spatulate leaf, his expression a maddened smile, a cigar sat on his teeth alongside his long tongue, the gangster was dressed in a simple green tank-top and black cargo pants, accessorized with seemingly-upscale emerald jewelry. The man flicked his own sunglasses down his nose to show his bulging white eyes.

Moreau looked around before prying open the crate with an ax-hand. Inside the box sat what appeared to be a dozen inordinately large bullets. The curious gentleman picked one of the missiles up and examined it nervously.

“So you’re the guy? Honestly I wasn’t expecting some scrawny little fella.” Reno glared down towards Jerry. “What gives ya the nerve barging in here n’ asking to interrupt my entire operation?!”

Jerry began shaking in his boots, his tough guy persona cracking underneath the pressure of the intimidating gangster’s glare. The 9 foot tall Reno towered above the average-sized Jerry.

“A buddy ‘a mine says he’s got family workin’ with y’all. Figured I’d see about joining up with ya…” Jerry smiled sheepishly and kicked the ground before continuing. “...I might be able to get a couple more guys over here for ya if you’re lookin’.”

Reno furrowed his brow and slid his sunglasses back to his eyes before speaking down to the little man. “You’re lucky we’re hurtin’ for people, kid. I don’t suppose any of these guys of yours are here are they?”

“He should be…” Jerry looked back behind him to find Moreau absent. “... around here somewhere?”

“You gotta be kidding me!” The grinning gangster Grande bellowed, echoing throughout the shipping yard.

A moment of silence passed before the sound of metal clattering to the ground rang throughout the area. Moreau had dropped the casing he was examining, startling at Grande’s shout. Luckily the Marine wasn’t dealing with the completed product, otherwise the impact of the fall could have had catastrophic consequences.

Nonetheless, Reno noticed the sleuth’s mistake and sauntered over to investigate the item, turning the casing in his hands before noticing the nearby crate that it had been looted from.

“Hey boys, looks like we got somebody sneakin’ around the place!” The leaf-head called out to his underlings. “Split up n’ see if you can sniff him out!”

The dockworkers dutifully followed their boss’ commands and began searching the shipping yard. Hearing the men disperse, Moreau scrambled to a nearby box, pulling it over his head to hide in plain sight.

Spoiler:

Wed Aug 10, 2022 3:04 pm

Desperate to be useful, the samurai circled around the captain like a clingy child. She was watching the perimeter, while he was busy. Yes, that was her excuse and she was sticking to it. More than that though... She didn’t want to miss a word from the voice on the other end. Every single time the Rear Admiral spoke, her eyes twinkled with admiration.

However, an odd sight walking past stole the swordwoman’s attention. Sir Moreau...? Sir Drunkard...? Where were they headed? Honestly, the finer details of the devious plan were completely lost on her.

Yumiko’s nose wrinkled with a sting of suspicion. Had they been drinking... during the mission...? A tentative sniff confirmed that they indeed had. Truly Sir Moreau had assumed his undercover role most seriously. She cast a longing look towards the seedy tavern. Perhaps... She too could afford to get more into character as well with a pint or ten...

Fortunately, the call of duty was, for the time being, stronger than the siren song of booze. Quietly, the stealthy woman wandered off. Again. As if to prove she hadn’t learned a thing from the previous incident.

Tailing the men, the silent hunter remained one corner behind in every move. A spark of excitement lingered somewhere in the depths of her mind. Relying on the shadows like this, moving unseen, she felt like a... W-well, that didn’t really matter!

Yumiko showed the embarrassing idea back into the depths where it had come from. She sharpened her nails to tiny claws and quickly scampered up the side of a building. A creaky, old rainspout barely withstood her weight, whining weakly. Peering down from the vantage point, she watched the scene unfold.

As the foul villains marched onto the scene, the weasel woman’s ponytail bristled. Her nails twisted into actual claws, slowly digging into the roof. She held her breath, watching the huge gangster draw closer and closer. Her heartbeat echoed in her ears.

In the nick of time, the clever gentleman hid beneath a box. Careless eyes would glance right over him, lazy hunters would creep right past him. It elicited a relieved sigh from the silent observer. Ah, hiding in plain sight, like a true ninja... Erm, not that she was envious of him in the slightest. Absolutely not.

Still, an animalistic instinct itched inside the hunter’s mind. She desperately wanted to rush the biggest villain and sink her teeth... No. She shook the thought out of her head. Not here, not now. Sir Moreau seemed to have everything under control, for now. Thus she had to do this properly. No more mistakes.

An ally needed help.

With a couple of carefully planned leaps, Yumiko bounced down from her vantage point. A nearby dock worker glanced her way, forcing her to duck behind a large container. Her heart raced. Adrenaline surged. In a blur of motion, she vanished.

Hurrying back to Captain Okirama’s side, the samurai came to a skidding stop right in front of him. Curse these slippery shoes... She promptly dropped to one knee and bowed her head. “Captain...” A hurried whisper hissed past her lips. “Sir Moreau is surrounded and hiding under a box. Suspicious dock workers are searching for him.” As she lifted her head, her icy gaze gleamed with cold determination.

“Thy orders?”

---

Words: 552
Total: 3374
Group: Hunting Party
Approximate time frame: Between 8:00 A.M. and 10:20 A.M.

Fri Aug 12, 2022 11:35 am

Volo waved to Karl with a smile, not recognizing the blood lust emitting from the man as he gripped the bottle to the point the glass almost shattered.

"C'mon, get down here! It's adventure time!" Stars shone in his eyes as he turned back to Bill and Susu, though the pair was nowhere to be found.

"Huh...Where did the-....?!" Cut off by the bottle slicing through his Smokey head.

"Aye! Finally!" Volo snickered as his head reformed, turning to his crewmate. "Let's get going! Susu and Bill already got a head start and I don't want them hogging all the adventure!" Shouting as he pranced in the opposite direction of Port Teardrop.

"Wait...." Mumbling as he came to an about-face. "I'm pretty sure it's this way."

The dynamic duo left the ship as they traveled northeast from the southern coast towards Port Teardrop. Something that took them about two hours on foot, though the pair could have gotten there in no time if Karl hadn't vetoed Volo flying them there.

From there, they arrived at the Port town by following the Mourning River, finding themselves lost in the bustling town.

"Hey look!" Volo shouted as he pointed to a doctor's sign hanging from a building. "Oi, Karl, maybe they can patch up that noggin of yours."

The bell chimed as the door swung open to let the young men in, and their eyes greeted with the site of a beautiful young woman. Towering over the both of them, she had legs that seemed longer than the mourning river itself. With the matching curves included.

Leaning over to the counter, a hushed conversation was had with a receptionist that sat behind the desk. As big blue eyes as deep as the ocean and decorated with big thick eyelashes scanned the duo from head to toe.

Then, he spoke, "How can I help you, fellas...?" The deep harsh voice sounded like a giant of a man who smoked a carton a day for forty years.

Volo stood in shock for a moment, unable to respond as he just pointed his finger at Karl's bleeding head. The visible gash from eyebrow to hairline looks less pleasant than it did a few hours ago.

"Hmmm..." He grunted, gripping Karl's chin with the force of a gorilla as he leaned in close to the wound. "My diagnosis!"

"Yes sir!" The receptionist shouted as sprung to the ready with a clipboard and pen.

"Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnddddddddddddddd.....!!!" Accentuating the word by extending it and following up with a dramatic pause and pose. A pose that clearly showed how much of a man he was in the small thong-style hammock he wore as bottoms. "You seem to have a cut on your forehead, my dear boy!"

"My, my, of course!" The woman exclaimed, "How could I have missed it..?!"

"Hmph... Simple, my dear...." Posing arrogantly, "It takes many years to be a genius physician like myself....~!"

"I am not worthy....!" Sobbing as she spoke.

"Tilda!" The doctor shouted, placing both hands on her shoulders and looking at her intensely in the eyes. "You are in the great springtime of your youth! Now is the time to practice, to learn, to live, and of course, TO LOVE!!! NOW, YOU MUST TRAIN HARDER THAN YOU EVER HAVE!!" Finishing his statement by cracking her jaw with a straight right, sending the girl flying into the wall.

"Waaaah???!" Volo exclaimed in fear, his body still unable to move from the overall shock of the situation.

"I WILL NOT WASTE MY SPRINGTIME, MASTER DOLPHIN SENSEI, SIR!! THANK YOU!" She shouted, springing up from the rubble as if nothing happened, still sobbing with every word.

"YES, MY SWEET TILDA!!" Embracing the girl with a deep hug, "YES! LIVE YOUR SPRINGTIME TO THE FULLEST!!"

Volo was shaking in his boots as he took a slow step backward to the door every second, leaning in towards Karl as he did so. "Sooooo uh.... Good luck, buddy! Catch ya later...!" Jetting out of the door in a cloud of smoke, leaving Karl in the care of the tall trap and his assistant.

The pi(lot)rate put as much distance between himself and that place as he could, speed walking down the street as he knifed his way through the crowds. "I'm sure Karl will be fine.... Yeah, fiiiinnnneeee." Mumbling to himself, stretching out with a yawn.

"So now where do I go...?" Standing at the corner of a major intersection, he watched as crowds of people passed by in every direction. He wandered over to the building wall and stood up on a nearby box to see over the shifting mass of bodies.

Adjacent to where he was, he observed a woman speaking with a ghostly pale man with scars covering his face. And though it was hard to pick them out over the crowd noise, he did overhear a bit about a local shop specializing in machine parts.

"Perfect!" Snickering as he hopped down off the box and began tailing the man and woman heading towards Bell's Gears and Grease.

WC: 841/3,232/10,000

Fri Aug 12, 2022 11:40 pm

The self-proclaimed superstar muttered unintelligently to herself as she moved swiftly through the brightly lit streets of her former stomping grounds. If it weren’t for Castor, the newly dubbed “pirate” would have never returned to this godforsaken place willingly. Not that she could entirely pin the blame on him considering the fact that the ship had been running low on some of its main supplies for a while now. That, and he was nowhere near the contemptible island she was currently on.

Regardless, the undercover bounty hunter sighed heavily as she turned the corner and moved away from the main road. Nostalgia was not something she was currently quite fond of feeling considering her history with the place. Yet, try as she might, her bitter feelings resurfaced every time she saw a Marine walking in her line of sight. Not that it mattered much as, aside from the few months she had been stationed there, she had not spent much time in it for many people to immediately recognize her.

However, considering her good looks and unforgettable charm, she was quite sure someone eventually would. Not to mention that her modeling career had taken off ever since Jazzy had taken her under her wing back in Flevance. Therefore, it was simply a matter of when and, yet, for the first time in her glamor-filled life, Alexi was not looking forward to it. Moreso if the eventual recognition would come from the very same Marines that had tormented her during the start of her career. Not that she would ever admit to them having played a part in her decision to leave the Marines indefinitely.

Thankfully, night had already fallen upon the island which meant that less people would be roaming its peaceful streets. This, in turn, gave the awe-inspiring bounty hunter an idea. If the island was as peaceful as it had always been, would there not be more opportunities for bounty hunting work? Surely she could kill some time before she made her way to La Crima or, perhaps, even after her work there had been completed. She doubted these nobodies even had the capacity to voyage outside of the island.

With that thought in mind, she made her way towards the island’s largest bounty board located near the strip of dress shops she used to frequent. By this time, they would be closed which gave her ample time to go out and explore without needing to scurry about. However, as she neared her destination, she came to realize a large crowd of mainly women had gathered all around the board and its surrounding area.

At the sight of this, Alexi’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she slowed to a complete stop outside of their group. Surely all of these women had not all gathered here to check out the bounty board, had they? If so, did this mean she was in the wrong field? Was this the universe’s way of letting her know that she needed to change her career path once more? Or, perhaps, it was attempting to show her that, through it all, the world would never truly know of her greatness?

Alexi shook her head vigorously. No! There was no way that she could accept this considering how much she had sacrificed to get to this point. Not only had she infiltrated Castor’s crew as one of his confidants but she was very close to acquiring his bounty. A bounty that would make her rich beyond her wildest dreams with recognition that would last generations. If that didn’t show the world and these lowly women how superior she was to them, then she didn’t know what would.

Her confidence now soaring sky high, Alexi wiggled her way through the crowd towards the center of the circle. Once there, she turned her focus towards the board as she ignored the women surrounding her. Had she paid attention, she would have heard the raven-haired woman’s remarks along with her drunken companion’s remarks. Unfortunately, she continued to remain completely oblivious to those around her.

As she studied the board, she was quick to note that many of the posters seemed to claim La Crima as their main location. What truly caught her attention, however, was the one with an incredibly high bounty. Not only was she already on her way there but the payout was good, too. Having found the perfect target, she was just about to grab the poster when a voice broke her out of her reverie.

“If you want, you can join us,” The black-haired woman said as she directed herself towards Alexi. “We have a ship that can fit a lot more people on it.” Alexi blinked in confusion. Did she know her? Surely they had never spoken to her before. Yet, Alexi’s unspoken question would soon get an answer. “You seem to be eyeing the same bounty that we are.” They were? Alexi looked at the woman then back at the board. Did this mean they had to share the bounty?

Alexi remained silent as she barely thought over the offer. Surely they were joking about going after the same bounty. There were many women already surrounding it which meant that there was not much in it for her. However, another thought soon struck her like a ray of sunshine. Did these women already realize how great she was? Surely they wouldn’t have asked if they didn’t realize how much of a big shot she was.

Her silence, on the other hand, seemed to work in her favor. “...we can split the share in your favor, we aren’t interested in the money.” Alexi nearly jumped from her spot. “Nice to meet you, Hifune,” This was too good an offer to pass up. “My name’s Alexi! It’ll be an honor working with me. What do you have in mind?”

4:00am - Next Day

Alexi yawned lazily as the raven-haired woman walked her to an unknown location. Had she been anywhere else, Alexi, perhaps, would have been considered. However, danger was the last thing in her mind considering how sleep deprived she was. “How are you feeling?” Alexi barely managed to hear what Hifune had to say.

However, before she could reply, one of the women she had met previously followed after them down the ramp along with a younger one clinging to her back. Yet, contrary to how the sleepy bounty hunter was feeling, the smaller woman was full of energy and vigor. “Good morning, ladies…” The pink-haired woman announced to the rest before looking at her. “Hmm.. I do not recall seeing this one…” Alexi tilted her head in utmost confusion. Was she their leader?

Alexi looked at Hifune in a questioning glance. Did this mean that the pink-haired woman ranked higher above the rest of the group? “-nact justice on this isle of absolute… villainy. Onward, Yuki!” Alexi watched as the pair left in no less confusion than before. Yet, in the end, it didn’t matter what was going on considering she would have nothing to do with their group after their little contract ended. However, it seemed Hifune believed it necessary to give her an explanation before continuing their earlier discussion.

Before Hifune could get another word in, an unfamiliar voice filled them in with the details of their bounty. “His name is Growl R. Huntsly,” That much was gathered from his poster but it didn’t really give them information as to why the high bounty. “-went rogue and started to do things on his own methodology.” Alexi nodded in feigned agreement.

“-ade many foes, but he is an idiot.” Alexi clicked her tongue. She knew a thing or two about those kinds of people. It never ended well for them but it didn’t mean they were incompetent. It simply meant that the more they evaded capture, the more bounty they accumulated. “-nothing to offer those who could protect you….”

Alexi sighed as an attempt to stifle her yawn. “Any information on his followers? Surely a man like that couldn’t have evaded capture by himself.” Either that or his career change was recent enough to allow him to sneak by both the Revolutionaries and Marines. “What makes you so sure he’s not backed by someone here?”

1.375 / 1.375 / 10.000

Sat Aug 13, 2022 3:30 pm

By the time Skarlet had left the room, the bellhop had already disappeared completely from her line of sight. While she could have easily tracked him down, the little pest was not worth her time. Not only was he an insignificant worm that had been unknowingly roped into the mind games of her editor, but she also needed to keep a low profile in La Crima.

However, the fact still remained that she would need to deal with the man at a later time. Clearly he was taking too many liberties which was beginning to piss the mafiosa off. Unfortunately for him, Mike had no idea what he was getting roped into and, yet, there was no excuse for him to do as he pleased. Especially when it was beginning to affect her livelihood.

Finally unclenching her fist, the rose-scented letter crackled softly in her palm as the built up pressure released from its tightened hold. With an irritated sigh, Ebony uncrumpled it fully to reread the contents of the letter. Surely, her editor wasn’t dim-witted enough to write this brainless piece of script.

“Skarlet! My favorite girl <3

I hope this letter finds you well.

The room was booked exactly how I thought you would like it. I look forward to the inspiration that’ll surely come into fruition with your… ‘plus one.’

Mike.”

Almost immediately, she shoved the letter into her back pocket as she stormed down the empty corridor. Fresh air was definitely what she needed now before her fury boiled over. Otherwise, her plans would come to a crashing close if she so much as delved into her arising bloodthirst. Although that was much easier said than done.

Ebony let out a tired sigh as she raked her fingers through her platinum white hair. Perhaps, instead, she needed to change her course of action and go back into her insufferable room. Not to relax but to discuss things over with Adonis. After all, in her rage, she had left him abandoned there which may have left him questioning her actions.

However, it didn’t take long for her to ignore those thoughts. Surely he wasn’t the type of person to misunderstand. In fact, he was quite a sensible man which was one of the reasons she had chosen him as her right hand man in the first place. Adonis had to know there was an explanation for everything. Therefore, there was nothing to discuss with him about the mishap.

With an irritable click of her tongue, Ebony slowed her walk, turned swiftly around, and made her way back to the cursed room. Despite not needing to give him an explanation, the mafiosa still needed to go over their mission in La Crima. They were clearly not there for leisure which meant that preparations still needed to be out underway.

Furthermore, she had taken him there without a proper explanation as to their purpose there. Not only was it to avoid the potential rumors of her voyage, Ebony also wished to distance herself from Curtis as much as she could. It wouldn’t be much considering who had sent her to La Crima but it was enough where he wouldn’t be able to track them both down.

Nearing the doors of the dreaded room, she gave it two light taps before entering. Even then, she didn’t wait for his response as she made her way in. After all, what could Adonis be doing only minutes after she had exited? As expected, the door was unlocked and soon, after a short and sweet talk later on with the receptionist, they’d be in another room within the hour.

Unfortunately, as her eyes took in the wretched sight of the room once more, she’d quickly come to realize that their luggage had been carefully unpacked and placed where appropriate. The original clutter of suitcases were now packed neatly in the corner and their miscellaneous items were placed skillfully in their respective drawers.

She turned towards Adonis as her eyes narrowed in a mixture of annoyance and exasperation. “You’re fine with this room?” She asked as the corner of her lips curved downwards into a slight frown. “I also see that you unpacked…” Ebony bit back a sigh. Perhaps, Adonis was making the effort of working around their predicament.

Surely this was something she needed to praise him for. Even if it was entirely inconvenient for her. “Thank you.” Ebony muttered more to herself than to him. Now they needed to get down to business and clue him in as to why they were there. They could map out the room at a later time although it was originally booked more for convenience than necessity.

However, thanks to her editor, the mafiosa doubted they’d have any use for it now. Although, thinking of it now, it could provide a cover for her if anyone caught wind of her presence on the island. Surely no one would ever think of her staying in such a place. Especially with one who’s decor made her skin crawl.

Moving towards one of her suitcases, she opened it up and, reaching in to unlock a secret compartment, pulled out a notice she had received from her uncle. Handing it over to Adonis, she’d let him look it over before explaining its contents. Not that she’d have to wait long considering that, to most, it was simply a string of random symbols. On the other hand, if he managed to read it, she surely would be impressed.

-1°

⊐⇵⤦ / ⤤⊏⇙ / ⤣ / ⤦ 2」⊓ / L↑ / ☐⇖ / ⤦∨⇖ / ⤤ / 」⊐ / ⊏⊓< / ㄱ2」⋀

⇗⊏⇵ // ⊓⇙→ / ↑ / ⤥→⊐ / ⇖ / ⤤ / ⇗⊓」 / ⊓⇙ / ↑ / ⇙⇵⤣⊓

⤥⊐ㄱ / 」 / ↑∨⇙ / ↑⇵ / 2」 / ∨⊓ / ↓

- ⤥⇵∨ -

“Decoded Message”:

After a moment, Ebony took the chance to speak. “It seems like there’s a major deal going on in La Crima.” As to how she knew, only La Crima had this kind of action just waiting to happen. “We’ll need to get in touch with Antonio since we don’t want Curtis breathing down our backs.”

Prior to their voyage, Ebony had already sent him a letter through Julian but she still hadn’t heard back from him. She doubted there to be any reason for foul play but one could never be too careful. Although, without a doubt, the Jolly Keys seemed to be a great stomping ground for rogue mafiosos and other scum.

Her focus returned to Adonis. “Unless you have any other ideas?” If all else failed, Guillermo was still an asset to her. Still, she was against using him unless the need arose. He was still much too green for this type of assignment. What they needed was information and only those who had been in this field long enough were of any use to them now.

1.117| 2.207| 10.000

Tue Aug 16, 2022 4:05 pm

Subarashi found himself completely enamored with successfully pulling off today's bounty grab. Not because anything about the ordeal came across as being particularly special. But rather due to the fact that even he could understand just how rare the opportunity was to capture a bounty from someone within a pirate stronghold. Such opportunities rarely presented themselves to bounty hunters. And often their contributions to these tasks went largely under the radar. But if he planned to become a hunter of note, he had to make a change one way or another.

Granted, he didn't personally put a lot of stock into the opportunity beyond it merely justifying having more cash flow to spend on his lovely ladies. It was undoubtedly all the motivation he needed personally. His ladies, however, wanted to improve their circumstances as well. Often it fell to the women to keep everything running smoothly.

As he clung to Yuki, he steered her as he would a horse. Making sure that he paid attention to the various colorful persons that were all around him in so many different directions.

He did this not because he cared about capturing the bounty that he barely paid attention to… but rather because he wanted to find the perfect location to set up his concert. There were many persons here that he figured would pay a pretty penny to see him shake his little tush and that made him see berris.

Perhaps his greed was the only thing keeping him going these days, but there was no way that he’d ever realize that. Because he lived his life in a manner that was complete without any rhyme or reason. He just… did whatever and it always worked out for him.

Hifune on the other hand wanted nothing more than for this operation to end with Subarashi's best interests in mind. However, she was more than aware that things were not going to be simple here, especially given the fact that the target was someone who had given plenty of hunters trouble in the past.

Mind you, not in terms of their combat prowess. But in terms of their slippery nature.

The fact that Alexi seemed to bring up a question she had no answer to only added to that air of uncertainty. Hifune would bring her hand up, cupping her own chin before speaking with confidence. Even if she lacked information, it was half the job to figure out half of these things regardless.

The hunting part of being a Bounty Hunter required a modicum of investigative skills.

“You are correct, we have no idea if he is backed by anyone here or not. As for his followers, we aren’t sure if he has any or not either. We will need to investigate his whereabouts without letting him catch on that we are on his heels.”

In fact, there was no guarantee he was even on this island still either. But she doubted he’d leave such a safe haven to chance it at sea. Especially when his bounty was much higher than what was safe for a man of his caliber.

Without any hesitation, however, Kiyomi piped up in her own certainty. She often kept the information to herself, and that was one of the reasons that the Berri Bordello was not yet a well-oiled machine. Or anything to write home about for that matter.

“I would imagine that he has some followers of his own. They might have some sort of identifier that makes it clear they are affiliated with one another. Depends on how sophisticated his operation manages to be.” Though there was a high chance that he lacked followers and was merely using forces given to him by his benefactor. There was no way of knowing right now.

“But if he does have a benefactor somewhere here on the island the best way to gain that information would be to go to somewhere that is populated with the sorts of people who have looser lips. So we should start our investigation at one of the large taverns nearby. Use our natural advantages to pry information out of those who are just intoxicated enough to let their guard down.”

She had no issues using her womanly wiles to get what she needed, especially if it led to another capture. Whether or not they brought this target alive mattered little to Kiyomi.

She cared more about the process than the end result. So long as it was an effective route.

“Hmm… I suppose that makes sense. We could split up and hit multiple taverns, there are more than enough women in the Bordello to hit many different locations all at once. Alexi and I can investigate one of the buildings further in.”

Hifune wasn’t going to argue about strategies so long as they got to work quickly and effectively.

“That is of course unless you have another idea, Alexi?” Kiyomi rose an eyebrow. Running around without any solid leads & information made creating plans a bitch.

Growl R. Huntsly

Sabian -> Emmy -> Subarashi -> Alexi -> Pikasso

{ 834 | 2000 | 10000 }

sucré @ gs

Fri Aug 19, 2022 10:11 pm

April 1, 1829, ~10:30 A.M.

Somewhere in Port Teardrop...

The ruckus of bottles breaking and furniture fracturing surged out of a dingy establishment. The building's rotten wooden walls were ridden with moss, cracks, and flakes of ugly green paint. A jagged board dangled near its wrecked swinging doors. Only someone fluent in gibberish could read the scribbles on the makeshift sign.

A roughneck filthier than sin crashed out of a window and plunged into the mud. One would be right to assume the window had never seen better days. Possibly the man too.

Inside, a gang of ten undercover marines led by an impatient rear admiral thrashed countless regulars of the dirty bar.

[npc=navy] "I don't think these dregs know what they had for breakfast this morning, let alone the answers we're looking for," [/npc] admitted the rear admiral as he let go of a half-conscious drunkard beaten to a pulp. The marine snatched a bar towel and wiped his bloodied fists.

[npc=navy]"You shouldn't judge a book by its cover,"[/npc] said one of his subordinates before remembering to add [npc=navy]"sir"[/npc].

[npc=navy] "Do you not see this place? It was begging to be investigated. No decent person would ever step foot in here." [/npc] Rear Admiral Bradley Nottingham grumped as he tried to justify his decision.

[npc=navy] "Doesn't that make us indecent too, then?" [/npc] Argued the subordinate. [npc=navy]"Sir."[/npc]

With no rebuttals in hand, Bradley hung his head in defeat. The marine ensign allowed herself a victorious smile only for a blink of an eye.

Just as they were about to rescind their patronage from the nameless pub, a transponder snail sang the song of its people. The song ended with an abrupt "kaccha" when the rear admiral answered the call.

[npc=navy]"This is Nottingham," [/npc] he said as he stepped through the swinging doors. The last hinge finally gave out on one of the two doors. Bradley side-stepped the falling mass of splinters with ease.

Stone Okirama wrote:[plyr=navy]"Sir, This is Captain Okirama…. The dock workers are talking… about explosives in Carbuncle. We think the… rebels are being supplied… out of one of the factories there."[/plyr]

Bradley nodded to his gang of marines as the snail mimicked Captain Okirama. [npc=navy]"Carbuncle, huh? Looks like we'll have to sail to Sinister Eyeland. I'm told the gnarly reefs in the Bay of Spectacles can sink ships if you don't know the tide schedules and which currents to follow. Lucky for us, we have a genius helmswoman to take us there."[/npc] He smiled fondly. [npc=navy]"After all, if it weren't for Wyre, we might not have made it out of that hurricane intact."[/npc]

With his head on a swivel, Bradley scanned their surroundings. When he was satisfied with their privacy, he continued. [npc=navy]"I'll have new orders for the others in a bit. In the meantime, find us a ship we can sail through the rough waters leading to that island. Something nimble and sturdy."[/npc]

[npc=navy]"Oh, and Okirama..."[/npc] Bradley smiled proudly. The transponder snail on the other end of the call reflected the same pride.

[npc=navy]"...Keep up the good work."[/npc]

Somewhere in Carbuncle...

The endless din of heavy machines rang through a dreary chamber. A single lamp lit a desk cluttered with circuitry and a farm of black transponder snails.

Many of the tiny creatures talked over each other with different voices. Some spoke of shady businesses, while others spoke of mundane trivialities. But, one snail caught the ear of the keen listener who rested there with his feet up on the desk.

[npc=navy]"All units, this is Nottingham. Rendezvous at the La Crima docks by 1230 hours."[/npc]

The eavesdropper brought his ear closer to the snail with each of the message's three repetitions. Two miniature trumpets—one on each ear—aided his hearing. He growled as his greying head crept out of the shadow and into the lamplight.

[npc=pirt]"Oh, this is just fuckin' great... if I know what they mean!"[/npc]

At the Tackling Whale in La Crima...

[npc=revo]"That airhead is late,"[/npc] a skinhead shorty complained as he sipped tea from a cracked saucer.

A young lad strummed a lute and defended himself. [npc=revo]"I made doubly sure Boss Sabian knew where we were meeting."[/npc]

[npc=revo]"It's not your fault he's an idjit, Figaro. And stop calling him 'Boss'. He's nobody's boss. He's just a fool who thinks too highly of himself,"[/npc] the hairless man declared.

[npc=revo]"Ah doonno wye joo broad im wid uz,"[/npc] grumbled their fish-man companion.

[npc=revo]"I brought him because of his ability. But, the ability is useless if he's not around to use it."[/npc] The baldy sighed. [npc=revo]"Let's just hope we don't need him to."[/npc]

A brief moment of quiet tea later, a chubby old fellow wearing a thick monocle, a gold-trimmed peacoat, and a chequered cravat approached the group of disgruntled rebels.

[npc=pirt]"Good morning, gentlemen! Please pardon my tardiness. I trust I did not keep you waiting too long."[/npc] He lifted his tricorne off his balding head as he stood beside them. His greeting was as jovial and pink as his clean-shaven face.

[npc=pirt]"I am Nesbit Langhorne, but, many fine people of these islands call me 'Three-Eyes'; on account of my monocle, you see?"[/npc] He adjusted the lens to accent his point. [npc=pirt]"Not particularly clever, I must admit. But, I suspect you must understand how I feel, Commander Ta'al Gotli,"[/npc] he said smugly as he looked down at the cue ball of the NRA.

[npc=revo]"If I ever find out who first started calling me 'Meat Torpedo', I'll torpedo him to pieces. But, we didn't come here to trade names, Langhorne. I know who you are. I'm here to ask some questions you may not like,"[/npc] the cue ball squeaked.

The air grew heavy in the tea shop. The handful of other customers promptly abandoned their breakfasts and hurried to the exit while the shop owner retreated to the kitchen.

Nesbit smiled. One of his followers pulled a chair from another table and provided a seat for him at Gotli's. The fat man sat with a thud.

[npc=pirt]"Indeed? Please indulge yourself with your inquiries, then, Commander."[/npc] He fished a notepad from his coat and scribbled on it with his fingertip. His gaze never scrolled down to peek at his notes. Perhaps it didn't need to.

[npc=revo]"There was a bombing in Bleue Fontaine,"[/npc] Gotli said.

[npc=pirt]"Ah, yes. Such mischief so near us tends to attract unwelcome attention. But, if the newshounds are to be believed, that was a deed of your comrades."[/npc] Nesbit continued to write blindly.

[npc=revo]"The news lied,"[/npc] Gotli insisted. [npc=revo]"Someone used our signature explosives to bomb the World Government embassy in Briss and framed us for it."[/npc]

Nesbit paused and rubbed a sentence away with his thumb as if it were never there. Gotli watched Nesbit's unique writing ability intently.

[npc=pirt]"It appears then that the New Revolutionary Army is in the market for stronger locks for its storehouses."[/npc] Nesbit turned a page and resumed writing with his fingertip.

Gotli leaned forward with a fist on the table. Nesbit's followers reached for their swords only to be halted by their boss' raised pencil-finger.

[npc=revo]"At first, that's exactly what we thought,"[/npc] Gotli admitted as he sank back into his chair. [npc=revo]"But, after a thorough audit, we realized it's not our stores that need new locks. All of our explosives were accounted for."[/npc]

[npc=pirt]"My dear Commander Ta'al, I sincerely hope you are not insinuating something scandalous on our part."[/npc]

Gotli remained silent with a determined glare. The other two revolutionaries grimaced also.

[npc=pirt]"You wound me, sir,"[/npc] Nesbit said dramatically. [npc=pirt]"Our arrangement was made in good faith, and good faith I intend to keep."[/npc]

[npc=revo]"Like you said, with Briss being as close as it is to these islands, you can't say this doesn't look fishier than my friend here."[/npc] Gotli grunted while nudging his head towards the fish-man.

[npc=pirt]"While this may be true, that point only argues in our favour. For us to conduct such horseplay so close to home would be nothing short of imbecilic,"[/npc] Nesbit argued with a chuckle. [npc=pirt]"We would never--"[/npc]

A ringing baby transponder snail interrupted him.

[npc=pirt]"Excuse me for a moment, gentlemen,"[/npc] said Nesbit before he retrieved the noisy snail from his coat and answered.

[npc=pirt]"Good morning, Mr. Audi. I hope your interruption to our conference is not for trifles."[/npc] Nesbit spoke into the snail with his eyes fixed on the revolutionaries. Gotli tapped his foot, making no effort to mask his annoyed frown.

[npc=pirt]"It's big fuckin' news, boss... if you know what I mean. I was sniffin' some calls... if you know how I mean, and I heard a big shot's name."[/npc]

[npc=pirt]"Well? Don't keep us waiting for the curtains to rise. Do tell us which celebrity you're talking about? As it happens, I already have the honour of being in the presence of two,"[/npc] Nesbit said with a grin.

[npc=pirt]"It's Bradley fuckin' Nottingham. Fuckin' Nine Grain... if you know who I mean."[/npc] The revolutionaries looked at each other tensely. A sparkling bead of sweat rolled down Nesbit's forehead. It hugged the outline of his monocle and dropped down his red cheek.

[npc=pirt]"He's havin' some sort of titillating rendezvous at the La Crima docks... if you know where I mean,"[/npc] Audi added. [npc=pirt]"Said it's at 1230 hours... if you know when I mean."[/npc]

Nesbit loosened his cravat before equipping his jolly smile again. [npc=pirt]"As you are aware, we are in La Crima at the moment also. I had received reports of dubious individuals nosing around the port, but, I failed to anticipate the gravity of the situation. Perhaps we will adjourn our parley to Carbuncle if our guests are amenable."[/npc] Nesbit glanced at the rebels with a subtle head tilt.

Gotli rubbed his shiny scalp and agreed.

Nesbit put away his notepad and set the snail on the table. He then closed his left fist around his writing finger and started to twist. The sound it made was akin to wood being shaved.

[npc=pirt]"Very well. Mr. Audi, please make preparations for some company. Instruct Mr. Brow to give Rear Admiral Nottingham and any of his ancillaries a jolly welcome at the docks. And while I have you relaying instructions, sequester the service of Mrs. Bell and her wonder boy again. The storm was not kind to the acid pumps. The sooner they can work their magic, the better. I expect to see them there this afternoon at the latest,"[/npc] he commanded before bidding farewell to Mr. Audi.

Nesbit fluffed his coat after returning the snail back into its folds. He twisted his tricorne and hurled himself off the chair, bowing to his guests. [npc=pirt]"Commanders, let us betake ourselves to Carbuncle. We will let my esteemed colleague, Mr. 'Gurdy' Brow, tend to our marine friends."[/npc]

[npc=revo]"Wye doo dey gall im Guddy Bow?"[/npc] The fish-man commander asked.

[npc=pirt]"If you are asking why they call him 'Gurdy' Brow, Commander Bracken, it is because the man has only one brow, and he loves to play his hurdy-gurdy."[/npc] The revolutionaries couldn't help but giggle. The rotund businessman sighed.

[npc=pirt]"There are no limits to a sailor's imagination."[/npc]

As they left the Tackling Whale, Gotli whispered new orders to his trusted runner. [npc=revo]"Listen carefully, Figaro. I need you to find Sabian and poke around at the La Crima docks. Whatever you do, do not get caught. We just need to find out why the marines are here at the same time as us. I doubt it's a coincidence."[/npc]

Figaro pouted. [npc=revo]"Why do I have to take Bo-- Sabian? Isn't he just gonna stir up trouble?"[/npc]

Gotli nodded. [npc=revo]"That's right, but if things do happen to go south, you'll need his trouble-making talents. Besides, I trust you to keep him from digging himself into a hole."[/npc] Gotli continued with a cheeky grin, [npc=revo]"Also, once you find out what's going on there, bring Sabian to Carbuncle. I'm sure you'll figure out a way to get there somehow."[/npc]

Figaro whined, but Gotli shooed him with his new missive before their hosts noticed his protests.

[npc=pirt]"Come now, sirs, let us hurry. Today is a fine day for an excursion through our factories. It is an excellent opportunity to see our employees hard at work, and you may even get the privilege of meeting our benefactor. He happens to be a more infamous celebrity than even the two of you!"[/npc]

Gotli and a small group of his compatriots followed Nesbit's troop towards Sinister Eyeland.

April 1, 1829, ~11:30 A.M.

Docks of La Crima...

The screeching racket of an instrument long past its lifespan spoiled the morning of sailors near the busy docks of La Crima. A tone-deaf voice as hoarse as a raven began to sing.

[npc=pirt]"The day is young,
But fools have sprung.
Outta the fouled storm,
Comes out a blue swarm."[/npc]

The pitch changed abruptly.

[npc=pirt]"Fear not, dear sailors,
I'll kill all the jailers.
Face me if you dare,
There's no one I will spare."[/npc]

Nearly two-hundred armed pirates assembled around the cacophony wrought by their single-browed leader and his hurdy-gurdy. Every one of them had their ears plugged with subtle cotton balls.

The troubadour squawked while cranking his instrument.

[npc=pirt]"Step outta your hidey holes ya filthy blues,
For we've brought our crews,
Over on this pier,
To fuck your day up and cheer."[/npc]

It seemed the bard had run out of rhymes for the time being. His flunkies thanked their lucky stars as they began their hunt for the disguised marines. Meanwhile, "Gurdy" Brow continued turning the crank and playing ear-shredding tunes. A ravenous scowl tortured his half-burnt face as he waited for his enemies to reveal themselves.

Notes:

Sun Aug 21, 2022 3:55 pm

Stone stared down at the transponder snail as it relayed Rear Admiral Nottingham’s voice and orders. Reacting to the praise that his commanding officer gave him, Stone smiled, his sense of justice reigniting itself with newfound vigor he had not felt since the Kodiak first enlisted all those months ago back in the North Blue.

Speaking clearly and with conviction, Stone acknowledged the orders given to him. “Leave it to me, sir! I shall procure a suitable vessel for the journey in no time!”

“Kaccha”

In the short time that it took Stone to put the snail away, Yumiko had already come to a stop in front of him. His neutral expression remained on his face until the mention of Moreau’s current predicament. Sighing, the captain tried to rack his brain on what his next course of action should be. Luckily, Stone’s right-hand man was quick enough mentally and on his feet to remain undetected for the time being. Something Stone could not confidently say for himself if the situation was reversed.

Still looking towards Yumiko, the bear-man responded to her question. “Go back and keep watch on the situation. If things start to go south we are gonna get the jump on these guys before they can hurt Moreau.”

Once Yumiko had left again the Captain took it upon himself to play this extra safe. Clapping his hands together, Stone called the remaining soldiers who were not already in his vicinity to him. Once everyone was present Stone received his axe from one of the soldiers. Satisfied with having his weapon back in his possession, Stone divided up his men into groups. One group for each of the few obvious ways to sneak into the shipping yard.

After that was done only a few of the men were left. The once large area that the soldiers gathered in was now a small huddle. “You guys search these docks some more, We need a ship to reach Carbuncle before the Rear Admiral gets here.”

Turning over to Ironsides, Stone placed a large hand on his comrade's shoulder. “Ironsides, You took some initiative when we tracked down Yumiko so I won’t give you any concrete orders. If you wanna sneak in, stand guard outside, or go with the others to find a boat. It won’t bother me any. Do what you think is right.”

Stone left the doctor there to make his decision. Now standing much closer to the front of the shipping yard, Stone rested his axe on his shoulder, ready for anything and everything to go wrong.

And things did go wrong. Hidden behind one of the large containers of the shipping yard, a soldier was bumped into his friend, who was then bumped into his friend, until the final soldier of the group stumbled forward, causing a stray empty bottle to shatter on the ground below.

Two dock workers tilted their heads over to the noise, and then to each other. “You go see what that was.”

The second worker shook his head adamantly. “Hell no! No way I’m going over there!”

Giving his coworker a quick shove in the back the nervous dock worker offered some words of encouragement. “It’s probably just a mouse anyways bro, nothing to worry about.”

Creeping forward, the dock worker wiped the beads of sweat that were rapidly forming on his forehead. But all of his worries appeared to be for nothing, when the worker checked the area he found no one, mouse or man.

Turning around, the dock worker happily informed his friend of the good news. “Hey! You really were right, nothing’s even over h-”

A swift pistol whip to the back of the head silenced the dock worker. Immediately following the knockout hit, the second dock worker frantically reached for his own flintlock, only to be shot directly after. The gunshot signaled the rest of the marines to pour into the shipping yard, creating an even bigger standoff.

Stone, like the majority of the marines under his command, rushed to the scene. The Kodiak charged into the shipping yard, toppling over two guards in the process. Once he believed himself to have properly inserted himself into the situation, the captain shouted at the dock workers that now surrounded him. “What is the meaning of this!? Which one of you is the leader here!?”

Word Count:

RP Group:

Approximate Time:

Mon Aug 22, 2022 1:19 pm

It didn't take too long for the pair to find the place. Amadeus had to admit, Eloise had managed to get some pretty good directions. It was actually kind of impressive, considering what sort of place this was. Well, it simply allowed Amadeus to focus on other things as Eloise led the way. Particularly looking out for any potential threats. Fortunately, as they traveled they weren't accosted by anyone. The sight of the scarred man probably helped with that. And yet, Amadeus couldn't entirely shake the feeling that they were being followed. It kept him on edge throughout the walk, though he hid it behind a mask of indifference.

Soon enough, they arrived. Gears and Grease. Amadeus wasn't entirely sure what to expect from a place like this. Sure, he had to buy hardware in the past yo repair himself, but it was always from various odd shops and the like. Nowhere actually dedicated to machines like this.

Eloise stepped inside, followed by the cyborg bounty hunter. The pair instantly spotted the old woman at the counter, talking to a young boy. Amadeus kept back as Eloise approached. Best to let the non threatening, friendly woman handle the talking. "Hello!" she said, giving a friendly smile, "We're interested in some, um..." she paused for a moment. How exactly do you say you want parts for a cyborg? "Some, um, specialty parts."

Post Word Count: 231
Total Word Count: 1,253

Thu Aug 25, 2022 8:38 am

~7:30 AM

Just outside the crashed Emilia

The thrown bottle was not the only item that was used to reach Volo. On his prolonged way outside the crashed ship, Karl's hands went towards multiple items that were all used for the same 'killing' intention.

Stools, chairs, other bottles, be they intact or shattered into a rose, heck at one point even the donut used to rescue people from the water was used. No fair weighted item was spared to hit Volo right in the head or body. Fortunately for Volo, Karl was not using Haki, more specifically, he was not proficient enough in it, to reach him, and he could simply keep walking like the bad smoke he is.

With Karl's aching body combined with his injured head and the fact that he kept throwing what he could reach his hand towards, the speed at which he got out of the ship was slower. The same speed with the same actions carried over to the trip away from Emilia and towards the closest city or village.

Karl was categorically against being flown over to the closest city... And who could blame him? His trust in flying went down faster than any rollercoaster in the existence. That left the only other way... Walk.

~9:30 AM

Port Teardrop

The trip up to the bustling port town following the Mourning river was nothing but slow, full of Karl following Volo with the similar 'killing' intent as he had back down on the ship crash site. Karl's thoughts about the situation had not gotten better. As a matter of fact, whenever he found some rock in his reach or even a stick, it was thrown at Volo.

Karl had however toned down his intent to kill Volo when they had reached closer to the bustling port town. There was no need to attract any more attention to them than he already was with his bleeding head and face covered with blood.

First things first, they had to find a place where they could patch Karl up, or at least find the supplies so he could do it himself if need be. Luckily enough Volo chose to be helpful and managed to find a spot where they did just that. The doctor's office.

Upon entering the office via the door with a chiming bell, they were greeted by the tall, curvy, and on top of that, a rather beautiful looking woman... A doctor? Nurse? It was hard to say considering how she was dressing.

When she stood up and leaned over the table to look at Volo and Karl, both of them seemed to have the same reaction. A face full of surprise as the beautiful and tall woman's big blue eyes pierced their very soul. It was hard to say if it was the eyes that made the two swallow their tongues, or the beauty of the woman... Or her height.

The 'knock out' of words came when the woman spoke... At that point, could they call her... Her?

The woman, or a man, sounded rough as if he or she was a chain-smoker perhaps? Karl had seen the kind before, the chain smokers. Before he could get any word out, Volo had already told what they were there for, if it was not already so obvious...

Taking into count the reaction of the very energetic doctor and assistant that the doctor had called assistant... To them, his injury was not obvious.

[plyr=pirt]"Yeah no shit my head is cut open. Volo, where the hell did you take me? Volo... Volo? Son of a...!"[/plyr]

While the energetic receptionist and doctors duo was busy bustling about, kicking and punching themselves, speaking about something relating to the whole springtime of youth thing, Volo had taken the moment to get out, leaving him with a quick goodbye.

Karl was now at the mercy of the doctor and his assistant known as Tilda. The energetic duo injected their springtime of youth mentality into action.

"Tilda! Fetch me the alcohol, scissors, bandages, and towel! We have an operation to do!"

"YES SIR!"

The energetic duo began patching Karl up the moment Tilda had brought all the necessary equipment. The final result was Karl having a white turban made out of bandages covering his hair and the cut open wound.

"Excellent work my young apprentice! I am so proud of you!"

"DOCTOR SENSEI!"

The duo shared a happy proud hug, with both having big crocodile tears running down their eyes. This craziness was already starting to wear Karl down and he had to use this moment of their distraction and make his grand escape, just like the ever so 'helpful' Volo did.

He took a quick leave through the door. When the bell chimed, a quick thank you left his lips, and off Karl went, out onto the bustling streets of Port town... Into the unknowingness.

~10:15 AM

Port Teardrop, Karl had left the doctors office

[828/3489/10 000]

Group:

Sun Aug 28, 2022 10:21 pm

Snooping Further

As the smugglers scattered amongst the shipping yard Moreau sidled along the walls in his makeshift hide, occasionally peeking his eyes out from under the box. Contorted into an unusual shape the uncomfortable Ensign reached for the mini transponder that had been afforded to him.

The hurried footsteps of the dockworkers running past his hiding place sent the meek Ensign into shock, he was just barely able to suppress the urge to scream. Moreau was stuck between a rock and a hard place. After waiting a moment the man peeked out from under the box and poked his head around the corner of the nearby shipping container.

The hulking green-haired underboss walked purposefully towards the warehouse, something was off about the man’s gait, as though he were some manner of lycanthrope transforming into its true form. In moments Grande was gone, off to investigate the commotion that his “supervisor” had come to investigate. Moreau’s eyes widened as he realized that the gangster was likely headed toward his comrades.

Moreau threw the box fully from his shoulders and raised the snail to his ear, attempting to page stone. Not realizing the line was busy the gentleman spoke a few words before noticing the static on the other end of the transponder:

“Captain, I couldn’t turn up anything but shells from this cargo, I don’t think they’re storing any of the volatile material here, Stone? Stone!” Moreau hushedly growled into his transponder.

It is unfortunate that this moment had to be the one in which the Marine was spotted, caught offguard on his transponder by one of his pursuers. As a silver lining: it was only Jerry, come to grab the extra manpower he’d promised his new employer.

“Hey, buddy! Seems like something weird is goin’ on, but I’m sure the boss won't mind a couple of extra hands. If we figure out who’s prowling around the place he’ll have no choice but to bring us on!”

Moreau stared for a moment before blinking slowly. Apparently, his cover hadn’t been blown quite yet. “Uh, sure Jerry…” A wicked idea crossed the gentleman’s mind. “...I’d guess if anybody was sneakin’ around the place they’d head straight for the warehouse.”

And with that and a bit of chit-chat along the way the infiltrator was really en route for the warehouse. The duo was lucky enough to dart through the pathway without being arrested by any of the sleuthing smugglers, it seems that something on the yard’s complex had caught their attention.

Once inside the building Moreau made quick work of Jerry, rendering him unconscious with a chop to the back of the neck before shoving him into a closet. With the commotion outside the fledgling Marine might be able to get more intel for the mission, if Moreau heard his allies call for backup he could likely respond from the roof.

Procession of the Damned

Coalescing like a swarm of ants Gurdy’s legions flooded into the shipyard, quickly overtaking the entrance of the complex; the area that had served as the staging ground for the Marine’s infiltration had turned into a raucous warzone at the hands of the lyrical lunatic leading it all.

[npc=pirt]“Come on out o’ Captain Stone!
Then I’ll break you bone by bone!
Ain’t no Admiral here to save ya!
All a’ you better say yer prayers!”[/npc]

Audi had overheard more than just one voice when he’d eavesdropped on Stone’s call, and had informed Gurdy appropriately, with this knowledge he launched into his second verse.

[npc=pirt]“Lady justice should be blind!
What'll you do with what you find!
I won’t care when I hear you cry!
I just might have to take out yer eyes!”[/npc]

Gurdy’s taunting din rang and bounced about the shipping containers like a foul amplifier, the drone of his bizarre instrument filling the air with an oppressive monotone dirge. It wouldn’t be long before his pirates swarmed the entire complex, his underlings were emboldened by his discordant rhymes and weird music.

Meanwhile, Grinning Grande walked in on a private conversation at just the right time. Overhearing Stone’s interrogation the man looked down and listened with an aloof expression before commenting down to the man.

“So are you guys are really looking for the big boss?” The frog-like man snapped a fly out of the air with his elongated tongue, his hybrid zoan transformation had completed. “Don’t you ever stop to wonder if you’re getting yourself into more trouble than it’s worth?” Reno spoke with a condescending grin stretched across his face.

“Grinning” Reno Grande, eater of the Kero Kero no Mi: Model- Poison Dart Frog stood between the Marines and escape from Gurdy and his horde of pirates, “Looks like you guys are out of good options.” The hulking frog-man secreted a glob of poison from his splotched blue skin, slapping it between his webbed fingers and coating his hands in the poison. “Gurdy’ll be here soon enough, in the meantime, I’ll keep you occupied!”

Spoiler:

Mon Aug 29, 2022 5:48 am

ROUND 1
Yumiko uses:
[MT] "Have at thee!" on herself
[LT] Weasel's Tail on "Gurdy" Brow
[LT] Storm Chaser on "Gurdy" Brow
[UT] on "Gurdy" Brow

"Gurdy" Brow uses:
[MT] on Yumiko
[LT] on Yumiko
[LT] on Yumiko
[UT] on Yumiko

---

COMBAT TRACKERS:

Mon Aug 29, 2022 5:48 am

The member 'Yumiko' has done the following action : Dice Roll

#1 'Reflex Check' : 1, 20, 14

--------------------------------

#2 'Reflex Check' : 6, 7, 15, 4

Mon Aug 29, 2022 6:06 am

ROUND 2
Yumiko uses:
[MT] Tempest Dance on "Gurdy" Brow
[LT] Gale Warning on "Gurdy" Brow
[LT] Sickle Wind on "Gurdy" Brow
[UT] on "Gurdy" Brow

"Gurdy" Brow uses:
[MT] on Yumiko
[LT] on Yumiko
[LT] on Yumiko
[UT] on Yumiko

---

COMBAT TRACKERS:

Mon Aug 29, 2022 6:06 am

The member 'Yumiko' has done the following action : Dice Roll

#1 'Reflex Check' : 1, 14, 4, 7

--------------------------------

#2 'Reflex Check' : 17, 2, 4, 12

Mon Aug 29, 2022 6:20 am

ROUND 3
Yumiko uses:
[Toggle] Mythical Form
[Haki] Busoshoku
[HT] Weasel's Claws on "Gurdy" Brow
[LT] Last Resort on "Gurdy" Brow
[UT] on "Gurdy" Brow

"Gurdy" Brow uses:
[HT] on Yumiko
[LT] on Yumiko
[UT] on Yumiko

BOSS DEFEATED

---

COMBAT TRACKERS:

Mon Aug 29, 2022 6:20 am

The member 'Yumiko' has done the following action : Dice Roll

#1 'Reflex Check' : 13, 18, 1

--------------------------------

#2 'Reflex Check' : 19, 15, 1

[Abandoned] A Fool's Errand