GuestGuest
Mazin Botros
Tue Dec 20, 2016 11:54 pmMazin Botros
Basic Character Information
Starting Bonus: Soar, Phoenix | [Starting Bonus Roll] (Traded for [Jackpot])
First Name: Mazin
Middle Name/Initial: N/A
Last Name: Botros
Epithet: “Water Walking”
Age: 15
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Faction: Pirate
Affiliation:Apollo’s Pompokolin (a.k.a. “Pompoko Pirates”)
Position: Navigator | Martial Artist
Profession:
Navigator: The primary skill Mazin honed under Sinbad. Mazin is capable of reading detailed maps and predicting weather, with a constant eye on wordly affairs to make sure his Captain can make a safe trip.
Actor: During most of his youth, any duties beyond chores that were given to him were along this line. Growing up, he could play the part of a sickeningly sweet child, even though he was anything but, although his abilities are limited in comparison to a master of disguise.
Thief: Mazin’s capabilities for this are very low, as he has not had to rely on thievery to make his living in quite some time. Despite this, he could still probably swipe a key off your standard jailor, though.
Physical Appearance
Height: 4’7” (140 cm)
Weight: 93 lbs (42 kg)
Hair Style: Fairly long – Often braided in the back.
Hair Color: Blue
Eye Color: Blue
Scars: Few “manly scars” of any note, although he does bear light scars on his legs and back from experiments gone wrong.
Clothing and Accessories: Mazin has never been much of one for fashion, but more practicality. Aside from an accessory given to him by his mother, a red jewel, he tends to dress to fit his environment. Of course, if there was any pattern to notice, he really likes the color blue and tan.
Description: As one could note from his statistics, for a young man, he certainly doesn’t look the part. Standing below five feet in height, many in the One Piece universe tower over him, once earning him the epithet “Shorty.”
What’s worse is that while he is muscular for his build – as he once discovered after a prank from his Captain – if one put him in a drag he could actually pass for a girl. When this was used for a covert operation, however, it temporarily gave him a new alias and epithet. Only, when the Marines figured things out and adjusted his bounty accordingly, he apparently gained a supportive reputation among okama...
The Past
Main Traits: Calm, Compassionate, Free-spirited | Clingy, Overly Cautious, Soft-hearted
Likes: Cooking, Swimming (or used to), Music, Adventure, Tea, Taking Pictures, Drawing Sketches, Bugs
Dislikes: Dark Places, Coffee, Summer, Spiders, Being Lost
Hometown: Alubarna
Personality:
Mazin has always been a mild-mannered and calm youth that has a careful, level headed approach to life. He is initially distrusting of others, although despite his experiences he is still caring and empathetic at heart, a fact that he tries to repress. Because of this he can be a bit snarky at times – or depending on the recipient – tsundere.
He is something of a paradox in demeanor, as he is a fairly gentle boy, with a tendency to space out every so often. Yet at other times, in spite of what would be an otherwise mature disposition, he can act like an utter child, for both better and worse. He can be both silly and bratty, wise and devoted. If told there is adventure to be had, even if he said no to it, he’d might fidget excitedly. As such, he is prone to being teased over various subjects with those familiar with him.
Of course, there is also deeper aspect to Mazin due to his upbringing. Just like his mentors, he has a very fine line between friend and foe. The second it is crossed from one side to the other, he can be very amiable or entirely business. He tends not to take anything personally, and will act solely in the interests of whoever he is either working for or defending. In fact, a keen eye would notice he doesn’t tend to have much personal ambition at all, instead acting mostly on loyalty. Anything he views as disloyal is frowned upon, whether it be failure to support one’s subordinates or failure to comply to a trusted superior, which causes a large conflict for him should his “boss” dictate he do something he feels against.
He does, however, have his own goals and values. For one, he treasures memories, and is fiercely adamant on taking care of keepsakes and souvenirs. He’d be the sort to put everything otherwise seen as “worthless” and shove it in a treasure chest, only to let the gold go. Truthfully, for a boy who under the service of two shrewd captains and a mercenary group, he has little financial sense to speak of. It’s there, but rarely does he seem to use it. As for his goals, though, he’d simply like to see and capture many of the world’s best scenic views, possibly document amazing places or adventures he’d been on. He’d also like to uncover what happened to his former family, especially the woman whose last name he still carries. While there may be other desires in his heart, nakama come first.
- History:
- Early Youth:
For as far back as he could remember, Mazin Botros was being passed from the care of one adult to another. Some were very honest people, others not so much. By the age of 6, however, Mazin had fallen into an abusive home, and so he decided he’d had enough. He ran away to join a group of orphans he’d heard referred to as street rats. Sometimes they stole. Sometimes they traded information that came to their ears. In the end, they did what they had to in order to survive together, and as a result, to him they were the first brief family of a sorts that he’d ever had.
But no more than half a year later, they slipped up, had angered the wrong person: a wealthy merchant on his way to the palace. And as a result, their leader – a young boy no older than fourteen – was taken from their rundown hideout and executed. Some of the boys fought back; Most fled. They splintered into many different parts, with Mazin following a two other boys close to him in age that claimed to know the way to another city, and so they set out into the desert, a dangerous move that almost cost them their lives.
That was, up until someone found them. A company that had a use for a few young children who could fight and sneak around to some degree.
The group was a mercenary group named Orion, a group that Mazin would consider his new family for the next five years of his life. One member of the group, Farah Botros took a liking to him, and over time the Mazin grew to accept her. She was the first person he genuinely called “Mother.” She taught him many things, from how to cook small meals for himself to how to navigate on the seas. As Mazin would later find out, this stemmed from her time as a Pirate Captain, one that had made it as far as the New World.
Stories of crushed crews were not too uncommon within Orion. Even the group’s leader, Julius d’ Amber, had been a Marine known as the “Divine Blade” for his service to a Celestial Dragon until something caused the majority of his crew go their separate ways. What that was Mazin never knew, but there were always rumors on board.
Early on, Mazin hadn’t actually shown much interest in such things, though, which worried the adults in Orion. He eagerly took in the combat training Julius mandated that the children learn, but even smaller skills like how to do chores were merely filed as “things to survive” in his mind. Mazin expected the group to have a serious, militaristic atmosphere at all times and tried to mold himself into such a boy.
Really, the company he was anything but a bunch of stiffs, business aside. They lived life freely, and could drink alongside someone and then fight against them the next day, without worry. One probably wouldn’t expect them to be good with kids, but they’d managed to instill a bit of their moral code and enthusiasm into Mazin and the other children.
It was after some of his training sessions, however, that he saw the deepest insight into their Captain. In a strange way, Mazin and Julius had connected, in part due to the fact that Farah and Julius were together, and that Julius was the closest thing Mazin had to a father. He would often joke that, as a man approaching his mid forties, perhaps he was getting more talkative in his old age. Regardless, these stories greatly influenced Mazin’s perspective. From the good days of being a Marine, to the corruption within, and his take on justice.
“Laws,” Julius once said, “are what keep society from falling into disorder, that which determine punishments to fit a crime, and what guide the settling of disputes. But they should never be absolute. Laws are what decide what forms of oppression are allowed. When laws are elevated above human justice, it removes the notion of personal responsibility. And when that happens, all form of terrible things can be justified. Instead of the law becoming a tool for the people, the people become nothing more than tools for the law, and thus, those with power.”
The eleven year old Mazin could but nod at the words he heard from a man he largely respected. In the man’s eyes, he could see both pain and conviction. Which was why he wasn’t too surprised to find that it all hadn’t been buried behind. Less than a month later, one of Julius’s old acquaintances had found him, and not long after, Julius accepted a job that would put them against one another.“Not even the birds in the sky are at peace. All is struggle, all is a war for dominance. Those who lose, vanish.”
- Intermezzo 1:
- In the end, their ship had arrived at Alabasta once more. Even the other boys Mazin had been recruited alongside had noticed something was off, that many on board felt this was likely to be their final mission, and that they’d resolved to see it through.
The younger members, however, could still had a longer future ahead of them.
Almost all of them fought to stay on board, but Farah in particular would have none of it from Mazin. Knowing it would do no good to try a battle of wills with her, he went along when she and Julius said they would bring him to an old friend of theirs. A man who – according to them – was able to teach him certain skills better than they could, skills that might prove more useful in their service down the line.
The man was a pirate captain named Sinbad. Even Mazin had heard of him in his earlier years. A man who’d at times seen the worst of luck, entire loss of crew, and within the last decade, an incessant series of successes. Incessant due to the ridiculous tales that would spread around, that was.
Worse, he appeared to be even more of a buffoon than Mazin would have thought. This strengthened his resolve all the more. He would stay quiet during the day, but there was no way he was going to let everyone be so selfish. He wouldn’t just let them go off and die on their own.
Later that night, he tried to sneak out of the pirate’s ship. He’d made it all the way to the deck sensing no sign that he’d been spotted, right up until a voice called out to him from above. At first, he tried to ignore it, only for the owner to land in front of him, revealing himself to be none other than the ship’s captain.
Mazin still tried to push past Sinbad, and attacked him after he claimed that Mazin would only hold everyone back.
Some time later, he was flat on his back, the captain taunting him from above. Finding nothing more that he could do, Mazin shouted his frustrations at Sinbad. Thinking back, it was one of the first times he’d raised his voice at someone. And after he’d let out his worries, how he didn’t want to be left behind, Sinbad bent over him and said, “If they mean so much to you, then you have to see them off with a smile. Like this!”
In spite of the night’s darkness, Sinbad made the strangest smile Mazin had ever seen. No, the darkness actually made it worse.
“You see, you need to make sure that they know how much you want them to come back. And then they’ll fight harder than ever!” Laughing, he then added, “They will be leaving at sunrise, so you can go see them off then.”
Giving Mazin a pat on the head, he then headed down to his quarters.
That morning, Mazin made sure to follow his instructions to the letter. Sinbad sailed off himself hours later, although Mazin never could find any news on what had happened to his family.
- Adventures At Sea:
As it turned out, Sinbad’s tales were not just tales of fancy. Through some unnatural form of luck, the man would always end up in the strangest places, sometimes miraculously passing incredible dangers just on his way to arrive to them, all of which almost always had some form of treasure. And through a twist on that luck, something bad would always happen.
They once landed on an island filled with jewels thought lost to the sea. But the island turned out to be a massive turtle, and they nearly drowned when it decided to submerge underwater. Another time they discovered an island that was said to grow strange fruits many speculated to be Devil Fruits, and a few even were, but many were just strange. Sinbad gifted Mazin and another crew member a couple of the Devil Fruits saying it was one of the "normal" fruits, and at that moment Mazin tasted the worst thing he could possibly imagine. Something that would stay in his memories forever. What’s worse, the power the other fruit apparently held was to grow in size. Only grow, not decrease. The ride home on what was left of their ship was unpleasant, to say the least.
But what was worse was that if some accident didn’t occur, they’d kept running into trouble. Sometimes it was merely in competition to treasure. And if things looked rough? Why, Sinbad would proudly state his favorite saying.
“Mazin, my boy, treasure hunting’s a man’s romance! We can’t stop now!”
And so Mazin saw more use of his training than he ever wanted to, although at first the best he could do was try to defend himself while Sinbad's crew did all the work. If it wasn’t against other Pirates, bounty hunters, or Marines, it was the wildlife itself.
Once, Sinbad shared his goal to view a treasure that “every man dreamed of!” -- an island full of women!
Said island, of course, included many poisonous plants and animals, too. Upon contact, the women sent the greedy men to a nearby island with a similar environment as punishment. Some weeks later, they had somehow barely managed to safely arrive to a port with a few exotic animals in tow.
There was one island in particular, however, that served as a test of not just the crew’s might, but what they stood for. Mazin grew to know Sinbad as a very jovial and free-spirited man, which was why their discovery of Clockwork Island disturbed him so. It was an island filled with brilliant men and women. An island with a set of advanced technologies and materials that seemed to be a thing of wonder at every turn. Gears made out of a special material that somehow conducted electricity, crystals that shined like lanterns at smaller sizes when a button was pressed, and could even store less substantial things such as flames. They even seemed to be developing earlier forms of robotic technologies more advanced at Karakuri Island.
But its people were almost equally robotic. They followed a schedule set for them by the town’s leader for everything they did: working, eating, you name it. Everything they did was overseen by this leader and a host of small hovering robotic “eyes” equipped with surprisingly fast firearms.
All were under an almost hypnotic state, except for one. A man who warned the pirates to leave immediately before they’d been seen. The island, he said, had changed over the last decade or so. When he was a young boy, all its people were orderly, but still had their free will. But now everyone seemed to be under some sort of spell. Still, Sinbad, Mazin, and another of their crew members were curious. They asked more about his life, what drives him to stay. He said that was there was a woman he couldn't stop thinking about. She did not seem to even notice his existence, and was set to marry a man from a nearby town, a man she'd never met or even spoken to, yet he still felt for her. Curious, they pressed on to find out that due to the influence of the Island’s Overseer, she would receive a suggestion to love this man and would genuinely feel it.
Sinbad practically fumed. It was love! Love! He declared. This man loved her and he was going to see them meet one another no matter who got in the way! Mazin (just starting to bloom himself) and his crewmate both nodded furiously.
This was an injustice. And if the World Government who was supposed to be watching the island wouldn’t put it right, they would.
They were not the only ones on the scene, however. Both a Shichibukai and the newly formed New Revolutionary Army were on the scene, for the Island’s “natural wonders” also made for excellent weaponry. As they ventured through the island, they discovered the nearby town where the woman’s would-be husband lived had been nearly leveled due to a previous encounter. Although the NRA stated that they tried to save them, the townspeople were abandoned like lifeless dolls, any information they held in their minds somehow wiped from them.
Afterwards, the two groups were attacked by robots, although they quickly dispatched the opponents. In turn, the Overseer rose the entire center of the island, as if it were some sort of ship capable of flying up into the sky. Over a hundred of robots then began to pour out of what was undoubtedly the Overseer’s hideout. At first, it seemed like the best they could do was hold out, but they received reinforcements from two sources. One was a group in the NRA under a man who Sinbad identified as the "Black Mage", Bach Garland.
Another crew of pirates stormed in, however, , which was when Sinbad also revealed that he had nearby back-up of his own that he called to the island to do some business with. Together, they held out against the onslaught, and then the respective groups decided to have their five strongest members march in and strike back. Although, after they broke in an incident occurred with a machine that was supposed to lead up hideout. An object called an elevator apparently broke when Mazin walked on it with his Devil Fruit power active, so they had to fight their way upstairs, where his crewmate stayed to keep another horde of robots occupied.
Sections of the area were blown up. Others held dangerous foes, all of which leading to something more. They called themselves "Enforcers" and were apparently serving under a rich employer, although at the time Mazin and the "Black Mage" just focused on fighting them to let Sinbad and his friend up to the higher levels. Mazin later met up with the latter and found Sinbad face to face with the Overseer and the “Enforcers” apparent client.
The tables had turned. Working together, Mazin, Sinbad, and his friend defeated the Shichibukai while Bach arrived just in time to prevent his escape after tying up the Enforcers. While Sinbad’s friend gathered a hefty amount of evidence that resulted in the Shichibukai’s arrest, Mazin decided to leave a recording for both the Marines and any future “Overseer” about what he’d do if he saw more people brainwashed.
- Intermezzo 2:
Afterwards, things seemed to die down for a bit. A large portion of the island's population seemed to return to normal, as if awakening from a long dream. Sinbad decided to settle his business at a later date with his friend, a woman Mazin found out was named Laurel O’ Halloran. They were to meet at the Sky Islands to sell a confirmed Devil Fruit Sinbad had yet to find a buyer for.
The lands themselves amazed Mazin. Which was why he suspected nothing when Sinbad called him over to the side of the ship to act as the negotiator. Seconds later, he felt a boot launch him onto Laurel's ship, just barely managed to keep hold of the fruit in his hands.
The only thing that had crossed his mind was “Why?” when Sinbad gave him a big grin.
"Don't worry, boyo, we'll be meeting again! For now I'll be leaving you in her care to learn about the real world! Here's lesson two: Try to avoid debts!"
And just like that, Sinbad laughed as he sailed off, leaving Mazin with a woman he barely knew. To learn...what exactly? For awhile, Mazin wasn't sure. But he knew one thing, that for whatever trouble Sinbad caused him, this was probably going to be a lot worse...
Gray
[tracker=/t131-tracker-gray-starks#504]
Name : Gray
Epithet : "The Conqueror"; "Black Fist"
Age : 49
Height : 10'2" (310 cm)
Weight : 1043 lbs (473 kg)
Species : Cyborg Human
Faction : Pirate
World Position : Lurking Legend (Former Yonkou)
Crew : Black Fist Pirates (Destroyed)
Ship : Sangria's Vane (Destroyed)
Crew Role : Captain (Former)
Devil Fruit : Pressure-Pressure Fruit
Bounty : [ber=r] 5,000,000,000
EXP Bonus : +0.20 (to all allies)
Income Bonus : +0.20
Shop Discount : -30%
Balance : [bel] 25,000,000,000
[[strollingdeath]][[baneoftheweak]][[riseandshine]][[childofdestiny]][[freakofnature]]
[[punchoutguru]][[dulcetvirtuoso]]
[[improviseadaptovercome]]
Posts : 3883
Re: Mazin Botros
Wed Dec 21, 2016 9:30 amSimply awesome! You put quite a lot of work into this, and it was worth it. An excellent read from start to finish. If you're ready for me to approve this, just say the word. However, I did have one suggestion. If you'd like to name the NRA leader that fought beside you, I'd suggest Bach "Black Mage" Garland for this particular past event. As for the Shichibukai, his arrest is fine, and we can assume that his arrest led to the open spot in the Shichibukai ranks that was later filled by Cobalt.
Edit: For affiliation, you would place your crew's name there. Do you not yet know what Laurel plans to call her crew?
Second Edit: Laurel's crew is supposedly named "Apollo’s Pompokolin (a.k.a. “Pompoko Pirates”)".
Edit: For affiliation, you would place your crew's name there. Do you not yet know what Laurel plans to call her crew?
Second Edit: Laurel's crew is supposedly named "Apollo’s Pompokolin (a.k.a. “Pompoko Pirates”)".
- GuestGuest
Re: Mazin Botros
Thu Dec 22, 2016 12:34 amThank you very much! To be honest I'd forgotten to fill out the affiliation tab, though, sorry. xD
Edited in so that Laurel and Bach's combined arrival turned the tides of the initial battle. Helps to have a name since I can also put him in for the confrontation as the person responsible for securing the exits if that's alright. Unless anything catches your eye I'm good.
Edited in so that Laurel and Bach's combined arrival turned the tides of the initial battle. Helps to have a name since I can also put him in for the confrontation as the person responsible for securing the exits if that's alright. Unless anything catches your eye I'm good.
- Gray
[tracker=/t131-tracker-gray-starks#504]
Name : Gray
Epithet : "The Conqueror"; "Black Fist"
Age : 49
Height : 10'2" (310 cm)
Weight : 1043 lbs (473 kg)
Species : Cyborg Human
Faction : Pirate
World Position : Lurking Legend (Former Yonkou)
Crew : Black Fist Pirates (Destroyed)
Ship : Sangria's Vane (Destroyed)
Crew Role : Captain (Former)
Devil Fruit : Pressure-Pressure Fruit
Bounty : [ber=r] 5,000,000,000
EXP Bonus : +0.20 (to all allies)
Income Bonus : +0.20
Shop Discount : -30%
Balance : [bel] 25,000,000,000
[[strollingdeath]][[baneoftheweak]][[riseandshine]][[childofdestiny]][[freakofnature]]
[[punchoutguru]][[dulcetvirtuoso]]
[[improviseadaptovercome]]
Posts : 3883
Re: Mazin Botros
Thu Dec 22, 2016 5:07 amSweet, this is ready to have my seal of approval.
Mazin wrote:Mazin Botros
Basic Character Information
Starting Bonus: Soar, Phoenix | [Starting Bonus Roll] (Traded for [Jackpot])
First Name: Mazin
Middle Name/Initial: N/A
Last Name: Botros
Epithet: “Water Walking”
Age: 15
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Faction: Pirate
Affiliation:Apollo’s Pompokolin (a.k.a. “Pompoko Pirates”)
Position: Navigator | Martial Artist
Profession:
Navigator: The primary skill Mazin honed under Sinbad. Mazin is capable of reading detailed maps and predicting weather, with a constant eye on wordly affairs to make sure his Captain can make a safe trip.
Actor: During most of his youth, any duties beyond chores that were given to him were along this line. Growing up, he could play the part of a sickeningly sweet child, even though he was anything but, although his abilities are limited in comparison to a master of disguise.
Thief: Mazin’s capabilities for this are very low, as he has not had to rely on thievery to make his living in quite some time. Despite this, he could still probably swipe a key off your standard jailor, though.
Physical Appearance
Height: 4’7” (140 cm)
Weight: 93 lbs (42 kg)
Hair Style: Fairly long – Often braided in the back.
Hair Color: Blue
Eye Color: Blue
Scars: Few “manly scars” of any note, although he does bear light scars on his legs and back from experiments gone wrong.
Clothing and Accessories: Mazin has never been much of one for fashion, but more practicality. Aside from an accessory given to him by his mother, a red jewel, he tends to dress to fit his environment. Of course, if there was any pattern to notice, he really likes the color blue and tan.
Description: As one could note from his statistics, for a young man, he certainly doesn’t look the part. Standing below five feet in height, many in the One Piece universe tower over him, once earning him the epithet “Shorty.”
What’s worse is that while he is muscular for his build – as he once discovered after a prank from his Captain – if one put him in a drag he could actually pass for a girl. When this was used for a covert operation, however, it temporarily gave him a new alias and epithet. Only, when the Marines figured things out and adjusted his bounty accordingly, he apparently gained a supportive reputation among okama...
The Past
Main Traits: Calm, Compassionate, Free-spirited | Clingy, Overly Cautious, Soft-hearted
Likes: Cooking, Swimming (or used to), Music, Adventure, Tea, Taking Pictures, Drawing Sketches, Bugs
Dislikes: Dark Places, Coffee, Summer, Spiders, Being Lost
Hometown: Alubarna
Personality:
Mazin has always been a mild-mannered and calm youth that has a careful, level headed approach to life. He is initially distrusting of others, although despite his experiences he is still caring and empathetic at heart, a fact that he tries to repress. Because of this he can be a bit snarky at times – or depending on the recipient – tsundere.
He is something of a paradox in demeanor, as he is a fairly gentle boy, with a tendency to space out every so often. Yet at other times, in spite of what would be an otherwise mature disposition, he can act like an utter child, for both better and worse. He can be both silly and bratty, wise and devoted. If told there is adventure to be had, even if he said no to it, he’d might fidget excitedly. As such, he is prone to being teased over various subjects with those familiar with him.
Of course, there is also deeper aspect to Mazin due to his upbringing. Just like his mentors, he has a very fine line between friend and foe. The second it is crossed from one side to the other, he can be very amiable or entirely business. He tends not to take anything personally, and will act solely in the interests of whoever he is either working for or defending. In fact, a keen eye would notice he doesn’t tend to have much personal ambition at all, instead acting mostly on loyalty. Anything he views as disloyal is frowned upon, whether it be failure to support one’s subordinates or failure to comply to a trusted superior, which causes a large conflict for him should his “boss” dictate he do something he feels against.
He does, however, have his own goals and values. For one, he treasures memories, and is fiercely adamant on taking care of keepsakes and souvenirs. He’d be the sort to put everything otherwise seen as “worthless” and shove it in a treasure chest, only to let the gold go. Truthfully, for a boy who under the service of two shrewd captains and a mercenary group, he has little financial sense to speak of. It’s there, but rarely does he seem to use it. As for his goals, though, he’d simply like to see and capture many of the world’s best scenic views, possibly document amazing places or adventures he’d been on. He’d also like to uncover what happened to his former family, especially the woman whose last name he still carries. While there may be other desires in his heart, nakama come first.
- History:
- Early Youth:
For as far back as he could remember, Mazin Botros was being passed from the care of one adult to another. Some were very honest people, others not so much. By the age of 6, however, Mazin had fallen into an abusive home, and so he decided he’d had enough. He ran away to join a group of orphans he’d heard referred to as street rats. Sometimes they stole. Sometimes they traded information that came to their ears. In the end, they did what they had to in order to survive together, and as a result, to him they were the first brief family of a sorts that he’d ever had.
But no more than half a year later, they slipped up, had angered the wrong person: a wealthy merchant on his way to the palace. And as a result, their leader – a young boy no older than fourteen – was taken from their rundown hideout and executed. Some of the boys fought back; Most fled. They splintered into many different parts, with Mazin following a two other boys close to him in age that claimed to know the way to another city, and so they set out into the desert, a dangerous move that almost cost them their lives.
That was, up until someone found them. A company that had a use for a few young children who could fight and sneak around to some degree.
The group was a mercenary group named Orion, a group that Mazin would consider his new family for the next five years of his life. One member of the group, Farah Botros took a liking to him, and over time the Mazin grew to accept her. She was the first person he genuinely called “Mother.” She taught him many things, from how to cook small meals for himself to how to navigate on the seas. As Mazin would later find out, this stemmed from her time as a Pirate Captain, one that had made it as far as the New World.
Stories of crushed crews were not too uncommon within Orion. Even the group’s leader, Julius d’ Amber, had been a Marine known as the “Divine Blade” for his service to a Celestial Dragon until something caused the majority of his crew go their separate ways. What that was Mazin never knew, but there were always rumors on board.
Early on, Mazin hadn’t actually shown much interest in such things, though, which worried the adults in Orion. He eagerly took in the combat training Julius mandated that the children learn, but even smaller skills like how to do chores were merely filed as “things to survive” in his mind. Mazin expected the group to have a serious, militaristic atmosphere at all times and tried to mold himself into such a boy.
Really, the company he was anything but a bunch of stiffs, business aside. They lived life freely, and could drink alongside someone and then fight against them the next day, without worry. One probably wouldn’t expect them to be good with kids, but they’d managed to instill a bit of their moral code and enthusiasm into Mazin and the other children.
It was after some of his training sessions, however, that he saw the deepest insight into their Captain. In a strange way, Mazin and Julius had connected, in part due to the fact that Farah and Julius were together, and that Julius was the closest thing Mazin had to a father. He would often joke that, as a man approaching his mid forties, perhaps he was getting more talkative in his old age. Regardless, these stories greatly influenced Mazin’s perspective. From the good days of being a Marine, to the corruption within, and his take on justice.
“Laws,” Julius once said, “are what keep society from falling into disorder, that which determine punishments to fit a crime, and what guide the settling of disputes. But they should never be absolute. Laws are what decide what forms of oppression are allowed. When laws are elevated above human justice, it removes the notion of personal responsibility. And when that happens, all form of terrible things can be justified. Instead of the law becoming a tool for the people, the people become nothing more than tools for the law, and thus, those with power.”
The eleven year old Mazin could but nod at the words he heard from a man he largely respected. In the man’s eyes, he could see both pain and conviction. Which was why he wasn’t too surprised to find that it all hadn’t been buried behind. Less than a month later, one of Julius’s old acquaintances had found him, and not long after, Julius accepted a job that would put them against one another.“Not even the birds in the sky are at peace. All is struggle, all is a war for dominance. Those who lose, vanish.”
- Intermezzo 1:
The younger members, however, could still had a longer future ahead of them.
Almost all of them fought to stay on board, but Farah in particular would have none of it from Mazin. Knowing it would do no good to try a battle of wills with her, he went along when she and Julius said they would bring him to an old friend of theirs. A man who – according to them – was able to teach him certain skills better than they could, skills that might prove more useful in their service down the line.
The man was a pirate captain named Sinbad. Even Mazin had heard of him in his earlier years. A man who’d at times seen the worst of luck, entire loss of crew, and within the last decade, an incessant series of successes. Incessant due to the ridiculous tales that would spread around, that was.
Worse, he appeared to be even more of a buffoon than Mazin would have thought. This strengthened his resolve all the more. He would stay quiet during the day, but there was no way he was going to let everyone be so selfish. He wouldn’t just let them go off and die on their own.
Later that night, he tried to sneak out of the pirate’s ship. He’d made it all the way to the deck sensing no sign that he’d been spotted, right up until a voice called out to him from above. At first, he tried to ignore it, only for the owner to land in front of him, revealing himself to be none other than the ship’s captain.
Mazin still tried to push past Sinbad, and attacked him after he claimed that Mazin would only hold everyone back.
Some time later, he was flat on his back, the captain taunting him from above. Finding nothing more that he could do, Mazin shouted his frustrations at Sinbad. Thinking back, it was one of the first times he’d raised his voice at someone. And after he’d let out his worries, how he didn’t want to be left behind, Sinbad bent over him and said, “If they mean so much to you, then you have to see them off with a smile. Like this!”
In spite of the night’s darkness, Sinbad made the strangest smile Mazin had ever seen. No, the darkness actually made it worse.
“You see, you need to make sure that they know how much you want them to come back. And then they’ll fight harder than ever!” Laughing, he then added, “They will be leaving at sunrise, so you can go see them off then.”
Giving Mazin a pat on the head, he then headed down to his quarters.
That morning, Mazin made sure to follow his instructions to the letter. Sinbad sailed off himself hours later, although Mazin never could find any news on what had happened to his family.
- Adventures At Sea:
As it turned out, Sinbad’s tales were not just tales of fancy. Through some unnatural form of luck, the man would always end up in the strangest places, sometimes miraculously passing incredible dangers just on his way to arrive to them, all of which almost always had some form of treasure. And through a twist on that luck, something bad would always happen.
They once landed on an island filled with jewels thought lost to the sea. But the island turned out to be a massive turtle, and they nearly drowned when it decided to submerge underwater. Another time they discovered an island that was said to grow strange fruits many speculated to be Devil Fruits, and a few even were, but many were just strange. Sinbad gifted Mazin and another crew member a couple of the Devil Fruits saying it was one of the "normal" fruits, and at that moment Mazin tasted the worst thing he could possibly imagine. Something that would stay in his memories forever. What’s worse, the power the other fruit apparently held was to grow in size. Only grow, not decrease. The ride home on what was left of their ship was unpleasant, to say the least.
But what was worse was that if some accident didn’t occur, they’d kept running into trouble. Sometimes it was merely in competition to treasure. And if things looked rough? Why, Sinbad would proudly state his favorite saying.
“Mazin, my boy, treasure hunting’s a man’s romance! We can’t stop now!”
And so Mazin saw more use of his training than he ever wanted to, although at first the best he could do was try to defend himself while Sinbad's crew did all the work. If it wasn’t against other Pirates, bounty hunters, or Marines, it was the wildlife itself.
Once, Sinbad shared his goal to view a treasure that “every man dreamed of!” -- an island full of women!
Said island, of course, included many poisonous plants and animals, too. Upon contact, the women sent the greedy men to a nearby island with a similar environment as punishment. Some weeks later, they had somehow barely managed to safely arrive to a port with a few exotic animals in tow.
There was one island in particular, however, that served as a test of not just the crew’s might, but what they stood for. Mazin grew to know Sinbad as a very jovial and free-spirited man, which was why their discovery of Clockwork Island disturbed him so. It was an island filled with brilliant men and women. An island with a set of advanced technologies and materials that seemed to be a thing of wonder at every turn. Gears made out of a special material that somehow conducted electricity, crystals that shined like lanterns at smaller sizes when a button was pressed, and could even store less substantial things such as flames. They even seemed to be developing earlier forms of robotic technologies more advanced at Karakuri Island.
But its people were almost equally robotic. They followed a schedule set for them by the town’s leader for everything they did: working, eating, you name it. Everything they did was overseen by this leader and a host of small hovering robotic “eyes” equipped with surprisingly fast firearms.
All were under an almost hypnotic state, except for one. A man who warned the pirates to leave immediately before they’d been seen. The island, he said, had changed over the last decade or so. When he was a young boy, all its people were orderly, but still had their free will. But now everyone seemed to be under some sort of spell. Still, Sinbad, Mazin, and another of their crew members were curious. They asked more about his life, what drives him to stay. He said that was there was a woman he couldn't stop thinking about. She did not seem to even notice his existence, and was set to marry a man from a nearby town, a man she'd never met or even spoken to, yet he still felt for her. Curious, they pressed on to find out that due to the influence of the Island’s Overseer, she would receive a suggestion to love this man and would genuinely feel it.
Sinbad practically fumed. It was love! Love! He declared. This man loved her and he was going to see them meet one another no matter who got in the way! Mazin (just starting to bloom himself) and his crewmate both nodded furiously.
This was an injustice. And if the World Government who was supposed to be watching the island wouldn’t put it right, they would.
They were not the only ones on the scene, however. Both a Shichibukai and the newly formed New Revolutionary Army were on the scene, for the Island’s “natural wonders” also made for excellent weaponry. As they ventured through the island, they discovered the nearby town where the woman’s would-be husband lived had been nearly leveled due to a previous encounter. Although the NRA stated that they tried to save them, the townspeople were abandoned like lifeless dolls, any information they held in their minds somehow wiped from them.
Afterwards, the two groups were attacked by robots, although they quickly dispatched the opponents. In turn, the Overseer rose the entire center of the island, as if it were some sort of ship capable of flying up into the sky. Over a hundred of robots then began to pour out of what was undoubtedly the Overseer’s hideout. At first, it seemed like the best they could do was hold out, but they received reinforcements from two sources. One was a group in the NRA under a man who Sinbad identified as the "Black Mage", Bach Garland.
Another crew of pirates stormed in, however, , which was when Sinbad also revealed that he had nearby back-up of his own that he called to the island to do some business with. Together, they held out against the onslaught, and then the respective groups decided to have their five strongest members march in and strike back. Although, after they broke in an incident occurred with a machine that was supposed to lead up hideout. An object called an elevator apparently broke when Mazin walked on it with his Devil Fruit power active, so they had to fight their way upstairs, where his crewmate stayed to keep another horde of robots occupied.
Sections of the area were blown up. Others held dangerous foes, all of which leading to something more. They called themselves "Enforcers" and were apparently serving under a rich employer, although at the time Mazin and the "Black Mage" just focused on fighting them to let Sinbad and his friend up to the higher levels. Mazin later met up with the latter and found Sinbad face to face with the Overseer and the “Enforcers” apparent client.
The tables had turned. Working together, Mazin, Sinbad, and his friend defeated the Shichibukai while Bach arrived just in time to prevent his escape after tying up the Enforcers. While Sinbad’s friend gathered a hefty amount of evidence that resulted in the Shichibukai’s arrest, Mazin decided to leave a recording for both the Marines and any future “Overseer” about what he’d do if he saw more people brainwashed.
- Intermezzo 2:
Afterwards, things seemed to die down for a bit. A large portion of the island's population seemed to return to normal, as if awakening from a long dream. Sinbad decided to settle his business at a later date with his friend, a woman Mazin found out was named Laurel O’ Halloran. They were to meet at the Sky Islands to sell a confirmed Devil Fruit Sinbad had yet to find a buyer for.
The lands themselves amazed Mazin. Which was why he suspected nothing when Sinbad called him over to the side of the ship to act as the negotiator. Seconds later, he felt a boot launch him onto Laurel's ship, just barely managed to keep hold of the fruit in his hands.
The only thing that had crossed his mind was “Why?” when Sinbad gave him a big grin.
"Don't worry, boyo, we'll be meeting again! For now I'll be leaving you in her care to learn about the real world! Here's lesson two: Try to avoid debts!"
And just like that, Sinbad laughed as he sailed off, leaving Mazin with a woman he barely knew. To learn...what exactly? For awhile, Mazin wasn't sure. But he knew one thing, that for whatever trouble Sinbad caused him, this was probably going to be a lot worse...
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