Once an island of knowledge, Ohara was destroyed in the first Buster Call initiated by the World Government. The scholars of Ohara were close to finding out secrets about the past and the World Government and so all the inhabitants on the island were wiped out. All that is left is ruins.
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Posted: Sat Jun 02, 2018 8:51 pm
So season 2 had just kicked off, picking up right where he left off the one eye'd assassin reclined in his horse drawn carriage. He and the rest of his little group of friends were getting wheeled around the island, no intimidation, no foul play, they'd actually paid for the service surprisingly. Now a captain Thaddeus had turned over a new leaf in his life, and began a new chapter aswell, he didn't want to attract too much attention to himself before he put his plan into motion. He knew that the watchful eyes of the government were still firmly fixed on him, even if other things were happening in the world. Sparking a cigar the red headed man would mummble to his crew. "It won't be long now..." it wouldn't be long until they reached their destination. The carriage slowing to a near halt, the old man driving would poke his head into the shade were the rest of the crew were lounging. "This is as far as I can take her." The old man would say, seeming to be a tad bit uneasy. As the band of scoundrels descended from their taxi, they would be met with a seemingly endless ocean view with themselves on the beach. Continuing walking some members of the team would begin to question why exactly they were here, and what significance this place was. "Why the hell are we here?", "What the hell is this place?" the unruly pirates would ask. Silently puffing his cigar Thaddeus would make his way to some sort of pier. Run down and withered away due to erosion the pier was worse for ware, making the mystery of why they were here so much deeper. Poking his long neck underneath the pier Thaddeus would search around. "Damn..." The one eye'd man would curse. "What happened captain?" One man would ask, "There were supposed to be boats here, I thought i had made arrangements for the boats to be here." The bird man would say scowling. If you wanted something done right you had to do it yourself. Looking around once more, he would begin to follow a new trail. One he'd hadn't seen before. Waiting for him were about 5 or 6 lone man boats enough to fit Thaddeus' entire crew. "Ahhh." The red haired man would sigh. "Are you going to tell us what we're doing yet." The crew would ask. "We're going to Ohara..." Thaddeus would say ominously. Ohara? why Ohara what would he possibly want from there. Many men looked confused after the Captain stated his plan. While they probably didn't understand the practicality of a long abandoned long forgotten island like Ohara It was precisely the type of location that sat right underneath the World Government's nose. Thaddeus was preparing on building a huge operation, he needed all the seclusion and privacy that he could manage. With the men understanding what they had to do, they would pack themselves into the row boats and begin sailing out to sea.
A couple of miles or so, and there it was before them. Charred, burned, and desolate. Just the kinda place where you would want to conduct shady business. Porting now, Thaddeus and his gang would begin the long trek across the Oharaian beach. Looking around the wildlife had grown out of control and completely overtaken the island. Most of the building and statues were destroyed here. It wasn't very clear to anyone what exactly had gone down at Ohara but all history told us was that the World Government couldn't save anyone and was forced to destroy the island. Slightly worried Thaddeus wondered if it was some sort of plague that forced the Government to level the island. Honestly it could have been anything. "Keep your eyes open mate. Any manner of bullshit could jump out at us." Thaddeus would say, after hearing a ravenous scream of some sort of animal. For an island that was supposed to be wiped off the map, Ohara was doing pretty good for itself. "Okay guys, I think we found our base of operations." Thaddeus would say out loud. Looking around the dense thicket of a jungle the crew would trek through mud, through swamp, through vines and all manner of foul elements, until finally reaching some sort of collapsed ruin. Most definitely caught in the rampage that happened here on the island. Thaddeus' men would call out to their captain. "Captain look!" Everyone's head would turn to the direction of the ruin. "Okay, who's going first." Thaddeus would utter, looking back to see everyone already angerly glaring at him. "Bastards." Boone would mutter before taking out 2 of his light guns. Now entering the ruin, the doorway was covered in thick hard vines. "Somebody get me a knife." The one eye'd man would say. With a knife in his hand he would attempt to pry and slash the vines away. As he did the door would begin to give way, creeking open.
Entering a long dusty corridor Thaddeus' gang would cautiously proceed. "Becareful boy, this ground aint sturdy." One man would shout out. Going deeper in the ruin they would find some sort of open space. "Okay, let's rest here." Another man would say, with the open space being about 300x300 the men had enough room to really stretch themselves out. Sitting some sort of stone step, Thaddeus would look around the room. "Whadya think this place was?" "I have no ******** clue." He would get back almost immediately. Everyone was completely in the dark when it came to what happened here. However Thaddeus was made of it's existence as he was quite familiar with West Blue. With his men setting up camp in the ruin, Thaddeus would begin to speak. "You all know the plan, we need somewhere to fortify, some where to rest our heads, while it ain't the nicest place in the world... by any standard, this islands got an edge, and it'll keep us on our toes." The bird man would say, flicking his cigar. The island wasn't fully discovered, by any means, Ohara was much bigger then anticipated. For the next couple of Days, the men would separate, some going to get food and water, while the rest held down the fort. It was crucial in order to remain discrete when moving from a mainland island over to Ohara, he didn't want people getting curious or suspicious, trying to snoop around in their business and end up getting killed. It was going to bring in a mass of unwanted attention. So Thaddeus would stress the importance of being discrete at all times. After collecting enough supplies it was up to the men now to explore Ohara to the fullest. Who know was sort of things they could find. Some how, Thaddeus knew this place had to be somewhat valuable, so that contributed to why he wanted to base here. With some Den-Den mushi he could make this some sort of communications station where he could reach his friends from around the world. Smirking the red haired marksmen would shout out. "Continue pushing forward boys!" as he would chop and lob his way through the jungle.
"Perhaps we should go back to the ruin base." One scared man would say, while the island had long since been abandoned the island remained active, reclaimed by all manner of beasts that lurk around hiding behind the dense thicket. "Buck up son. We're almost to the end of it." Another older man would say telling the boy to fall back in line. Coming through some sort of clearing, Thaddeus' expedition team would come across some sort of massive burned stump. It was nearly the size of a mountain, or atleast it used to be at one point. "Whadya make of that?" A man would say, pointing over to the stub. "How the ******** should I know?" another man would answer back, nobody had any idea about what this place was. It was at this moment when the elderly one reemerged at the front of the group. "We're going to have to find out boys." The man would say, "But before that..." Taking out the map Thaddeus had given him, he would begin to mark their location. "How about we mark where the hell we are, I'm god damn sick of getting lost." The old man would say causing a bit of laughter to spark amongst the group.
Mean while the other set of the team were gather supplies with a total budge of over a million beli, funding the expedition wouldn't be too hard, the men had already gathered food and water, and to save costs they could boil water on the island, and hunt the animals too. However getting weapons and ammunition was an entirely different story. Thaddeus' crew needed a weapons guy someone or some way to get a discounted price, the cost of steel was several times the cost of any food or drink, quality weapons could run you up into the tens of thousands of dollars and while yes Thaddeus did think he and his gang were well worth the price, he didn't want to take such a big hit to his wallet so early in the game. So not only did he tell the men to find and gather what ever weapons he could. On the side he and his men were thinking about ways in order to get an army's worth of ammunition and guns without attracting too much attention from the local marines. Thinking and thinking, that's when it hit him. The assassin's guild. They generally had everything that Thaddeus and his crew could ever need. Guns with bullets, Knives and Daggers, Swords, Poisons. From there Thaddeus and his gang could stand on their own 2 feet for a while, they could at least properly fend off most attackers and even give some pesty marines a run for their money. But how would he successfully rob one of the most dangerous places in West Blue? That my friends was a 100,000 dollar question. Reclining in the excavated dusty ruin, Thaddeus would sit be near a candle light, plotting on his next move from very literally the shadows. While his base of operations wasn't every nice, or pleasant to be in, it was far from the watchful eyes of anyone in particular. Just the way he liked it. Secrecy and security, Thaddeus would begin to weight out all his options for this particular scheme, He knew one thing there was no better target, no way around it. The Assassin's guild was know for their ruthless killings and swift work, Thaddeus would easily lose his entire crew if he forced them to tag along for this one. And just the same Thadedus could easily be overpowered by foes inside of the underwater fortress. But you know what... The assassin's guild made a much better base of operations then this old dump. As much as he liked the secrecy there wasn't much of anything here to salvage, whatever happened on the island nearly destroyed the foundation of the very island it's self, and permanently damaged the agriculture of the area. However that didn't mean the island was of no use to him, It was still plausibly far out of the radar of any law enforcement agency, any pirates or vagabonds that would try and interfere with his business. Here Thaddeus could set up a secret communications network, where he could get the drop on events happening around the globe in real time, then relay them back to his piers out in the field. Clasping his hands together Thaddeus knew that he'd made the best use of his circumstance and was now ready to call all of his men together, for he would most definitely need an all hands on deck effort for their next big objective. Bringing a cigar to the candle he was holding the ginger man would laugh ominously before disappearing with the candle light into the darkness of the ruin.
[Conquer: Ohara ruins 2,004/2,000]
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Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2018 8:40 pm
Nephele "The bird of Hermes"
Ohara had once been a quaint island of archaeologists, a green little plot of land floating peacefully in West Blue. The place used to have a beautiful tree, full of life and information, known as the Tree of Knowledge which housed a library in its trunk. The ruins of small, humble houses lined the base of what was left of that tree. What had reduced this place to such ruin? What could leave a place of learning in such disrepair? It was the heinous actions of the World Government and the marines. No one alive today knows why a buster call was aimed towards this tranquil little island, but there were rumors that are still very much abound that the inhabitants were close to uncovering something big. Real big. Like world changing huge! Maybe even something about one of the ancient weapons.. but now the world would never know. The only evidence that remained was likely ash or taken back by nature. Overgrowth covered every inch of this place, choking vines hanging over the remnants of someone's living quarters. There were still what was left of meals placed or knocked over on tables of some hovels.
Nephele found herself here for simple reasons. To explore. Who knows what she could find in the long abandoned ruins of some destroyed civilization. Maybe she could find treasure. Maybe she was looking for any convicts trying to hide from the law on a desolate island. Either way, Nephele trudged through the undergrowth, her sandaled feet treading on the emerald thrones of beetles and mice. Twigs snapped beneath her fairly substantial weight. She was not a small woman by far, standing at nearly six-and-one in height. Though she was not of substantial breadth, her body was toned and muscular. The sheen of fresh sweat glinted in the sunlight that manages to penetrate the forest's canopy, her ragged breaths barely audible over the distant whooping of some sort of primate. It was a hot, muggy day and though being Kuja and being used to the heat, the trek from the edge of the island had been fairly large and arduous. She didn't expect to find anyone else out here, not so deep into a forgotten place such as this. But there was evidence that someone had recently been here and had in fact staked a claim on the land. Who ever they were had not been here in some time though.
Nephele followed the trail of the previous explorers, coming to a dusty ruin. Just standing at the threshold of that dark portal filled her small nostrils with the stench of decay and must. Someone, or something, had died further down. Hopefully a very very long time ago. This would be the perfect place for a monster den, she mused as she cocked her hip to the side and peered further into the dark. "Hmmph. boreí na dei eláchista káti. (Can barely see a thing.)" Her husky voice echoed off the moldy stone walls and back to her. A slight smirk crossed those pearly, pierced lips. The woman liked the sound of her own voice. Crack-crack crack-crack! Her knuckles popped as she interlocked her fingers and stretched her arms away from her. "kalá, tóra í poté (Well, its now or never)." She exhaled slowly, the hot breath visible in the damp air of the desecrated ruin. Her first step resounded off the walls, travelling deep deep down into the ancient tomb.
[ There it was, him being scolded again. Made to get up from the comfort of his own home, and go find someone to take care of him. “Find a good wife, since I can’t take care of you forever!” she says, “You can just find a lover if you go out and apply yourself!” she says! Bah. The delinquent-dressed man steps foot onto the fabled island of knowledge, hoisting a metal bat over his shoulder. His judgemental eyes bounce back and forth, taking in the scenery. He had heard the place was ruined, but not to this degree. Whatever went down here left all signs of civilization fallen to the plant-life. Taken over and assimilated into an impending forest. Large holes filled with water can be found just about everywhere, hollowed out by man’s disturbance, yet filled with beautifully clear water, and countless books. As the man stares down into one such pool, he sucks his teeth, hoping the aim of his journey isn’t outside his reach down there. Yes, for his reason to coming all the way out here is clear.
If this island is as knowledgeable as they say, then surely it’d have that legendary novel, right? That powerful book said give its reader absolute knowledge over love. If he can find it here, then maybe, just maybe, he can break his lonely streak! Even someone with a face like his could find a mate to love in this world! The thought alone makes him crouch in cheer, already imagining what kinds of fun things he could be doing with a partner! “Dates, training, staying up watching the stars at night… A-And dare I say it… Even a k-k-k-kiss! Even a kiss might not be out of the question!” His face flushes with blush, unable to contain his innocent goals. But those same thoughts is more than enough to drive him on. He stands up tall, looking down at the pool of water again and all the books resting in the watery grave. With a straight faced nod, he turns away and heads deeper in. His course was not straight or directed. The man merely moves about and makes turns at his whim, following his gut instincts on where to go next.
For him, everything would turn out fine as long as he reaches his goal. Yet while traversing the remains of a building, he notices a stack of dusty books encased by overgrowth sitting in a corner. Getting a bit excited, he trots over, but the moment he gets about halfway there his foot busts through the fragile wood beneath, and in the next moment his entirety is falling down a hole. “Uwaaaaaaaaaah!” he screams out in surprise. It takes him a few seconds, but he finally crashes down onto some substance. With a sigh, he sits himself up and shakes his head, wincing as he tries to get a grasp of his location. In the end, he finds himself in a rather dark cavern, partially lit up by growing plantlife protruding the walls and corners. Some strange breed of flower and mushroom. With his free hand he grabs his head and groans. “Damn. Never expected there to be trap doors sittin’ around like that. What a blunder.” After recollecting himself, he stands himself up, getting a good grip on his bat again.
He looks up to the ceiling, but doesn’t see any kind of light coming down, which means he fell really far. And beneath him is a bed of strange flowers, faintly glowing, and giving off strange shimmering particles anything contact is made. “Such a freaky place. I better figure out a way out of here. This place is givin’ me the creeps.” With that he moves forward, stepping through the flowers until he reaches a patch of dirt, leading to a large cavernous entryway. Doubtful eyes glare at the darkness of the cavern, because the more he stares, the worse this nagging bad feeling becomes. With a sigh, he moves onwards. Yet in the distance, a horrible howl echoes through the chambers. ]
A shiver ran up Nephele's spine as she explored the ancient dungeon. Someone's, or something's, scream echoed off the walls from the darkness. "Uwaaaaaaaaah!" The chilling wail cry swept through the dusty rooms, freezing Nephele to the bone. It was followed by a resounding crash, leading the amazon to believe that whatever made the noise must be some massive, furious beast. Slowly she crept forward now cautious of whatever monster had made that terrifying noise. Maybe she should just leave. Strong, pale fingers dug into crumbling stone as the crimson-haired woman turned a corner. The rock was old and in disrepair. The plant life and moisture eroding it over the years and making it brittle. The clay dust stuck to her fingers as Nephele pulled herself up a step and around the intersection. She flicked her fingers, rubbing them against her thigh to rid herself of the moldy feeling that came with the dirt.
Hmm? Was that someone's voice? Nephele pauses at the bottom of a set of stairs, one hand to her ear as she stopped to listen. It was almost deathly silent save for the sound of her soft breath. There it was again. "..givin' me the creeps." Echoed from farther down the hall to her left. Down here, the plant life was much different. With little sunlight, the flora appeared to have taken on a more carnivorous nature. They had leafs that glowed faintly in the dark, shimmering particles rising whenever an unfortunate insect decided to land on the stick sap-soaked fronds. She walked through the patch of killer flowers un-accosted, glowing motes rising up behind her like lightning bugs. Feet eventually stamped against sodden earth, bare of any plant-life. With a slight exhale Nephele knelt down and expected the damp dirt. Pinching the wet grains between thumb and forefinger and rolling them, Nephele breathed in the scent of the black earth. It was grave-dirt. Saturated with decaying animal and plant matter and powdered with crushed bone. The smell was acrid, almost acidic, with the barest hint of death. Something made its den nearby, something that howled in the distance.
Nephele narrowed her eyes as she stood and let the dirt fall from her hands. There was someone else down here, but there was also something and it could very well be hunting her and the stranger. Her sandalled feet stamped on the decaying earth as she walked through a cavernous entryway and into the next room. There was signs that someone had recently been here, disturbed earth and tracks. Hmmm. Carmine hues scanned the room slowly, there was another entrance opposite of her and a path leading right as well as several trails leading in that direction. The hairs raised on the back of her neck as she looked at the second pair of much larger prints. At this point she didn't dare make a single noise. Instead opting to follow the first set of foot-prints. It was several minutes of bumbling through the pitched darkness when BAM! She would run smack into a muscular back! "Och! Ti?! Poios einai ekei? (Ouch! What?! Who is there?)" She cried out in the darkness as she fell backwards onto her plush rump, raising her arms in a defensive posture instinctively.
[ The darkness creeps long and ominously. With its embrace shrouding his entirely the man moves forward. Unlike the other person treading lightly through the darkness, he does not show such restraint or caution. He casually marches forth in the typical delinquent walk, tapping his bat over his shoulder with upturned eyebrows as if trying to come off as threatening. A simple whistling exits his funneled lips as he goes on, steady to his own beat. Every now and then he’d turn his attention to some strange flora and fauna, some looking a lot more ominous than others. But no matter. Since, for him, all of these mysterious objects and unknowns serve nothing before his main goal; the book of lover’s salvation. “Gonna getcha, gonna gonna getcha. Gonna get that book! Gonna find some love, gonna get the girl! Yessir, yeppers, yup!” he repeats every so often in his bounciness. Yet, despite having thrown caution to the wind, even he tenses up when a chill runs up his spine.
Where he once moved to take a step, his body pauses, right foot hovering above the ground patiently. Then slowly, ever so slowly, does it drawback to stand aside the other. “Huh? Th’heck was that?” he questions, glancing around through his peripheral. With a huff, he narrows his eyes and slowly lowers his bat from his shoulder, letting it rest by his side now, grip tightening more than ever. He can tell. Maybe not what, how many, or where, but he knows for a fact something is here. Unbeknownst to him, he’d have a better idea had he taken the time to look down, and see the giant footstep he’s standing in. After several more second of patience focus, he starts to slowly tread forth again, this time cautiously. He makes it so far, checking various empty cavernous rooms to no avail, and finally after making it to what appears to be a fork in the road, he stops out of curiosity, wonder which path would lead him to victory. Only to have something smack into him from behind!
The sudden collision forces his reactive instincts, making him spin his bat while spreading his legs into stance, and spinning around with one powerful swing. Then BAM, his bat meets a massive clawed hand, one aiming at his exposed self. He struggles against the force, veins popping up along his forehead, right as his eyes come into contact with the woman sitting beneath the struggling. “A b-babe?! Here?! No, wait, tea?! Whaddid ya say?!” he hollars before he and his bat are scooped off his feet and launched into a nearby wall. He sits there, embedded for a second before his weight tilts him forward, and he falls onto his face with a bit of debris joining him for the drop. “Owww… that friggin smarts…” he groans, using a hand to slowly sit himself up. “Don’t just sit there! Behind ya!” he yells as the creature shrouded in darkness screeches out in triumph. Four yellow beady eyes lock onto the woman now as the creature steps back into the dark, preparing another assault. It’s toying with them... ]
The back that Nephele ran into belonged a rather muscular man. This man looked like a gangster out of some old Japanese flick, with the stereotypical garb and a metal bat that he swung around haphazardly. Nearly clocking Nephele in the head with a powerful swing, the amazonian had ducked beneath the careless strike not realizing that the blow had been for something stalking up close behind her. "Babe?! I am a proud warrio-" Her retort is cut short as the man is literally lifted off of his feet and lodged into a crumbling wall! BAM! The rocks crumble around him as he falls forward onto his face. Nephele was already turning to face the attacker at this point, her gleaming armor sparkling in the darkness as it catches a stray beam of light with dust motes dancing on its bridge. The whole place becomes the cosmos for a second, glinting rocks and floating particles reflecting the golden sheen as Nephele gracefully spins on the ball of her sandalled foot. Her other leg was tucked in against her thigh as she brought it high, extending it as a pale & golden blur. KRACK! The armor on her shin met with bone as her kick smashed into one of the monster's flaxen eyes. That foot is quickly snatched up by a claw, yanking Nephele off of her feet and dragging her into the darkness! "Gamó! Tha se skotóso! Tha se skotóso, to péos sou na souḯzei ton póno tis pórnis enós maïmoú!" A string of curses too profane to translate resounds off the walls accompanied by the pained growls of a cat-like creature! Nephele was locked in with this monster, a creature with the face of a baboon, the a** of a tiger, and the tail of a snake. It was gurgling ferociously as her arms wrapped around its corded neck and squeezed, all the while its claws were digging into her armored legs. The sickle-like daggers managed to pierce flesh on several unprotected or bare patches of skin, the long red-ribbons welting almost immediately as crimson rivulets sped down her pale legs and soaked into the fabric wrapped around her calves. But still, she held on, determined to wring the life from the creature. "W-what are you doing?! Help!" Her husky voice scolded the man with the bat as she pulled her noose tighter.
[ With debris about his back, and metal bat in hand, Sorei fights to stand himself back up. He makes use of his weapon as a sort of crutch, and peers into the dark at the struggle of two forces. But what he sees shocks him to no end. “O-Oi… Does she have that thing in a chokehold?!” he barks in surprise, not expecting that kind of result. Normally, this should be where the woman is backed up against the wall in terror, waiting for him to slide in with a cool catchphrase, and beat the monster...right?! It’s only when the red head calls for assistance does his mind snap back in place. “Ah?! Oh, right!” he replies, dashing forward into a sliding halt.
The grip on his bat tightens and his muscles flex as he swings forward with all his strength, aiming for the strange creature’s face. “PISS OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOFF!” His voice resounds with fury and vigor, unyielding to the intimidating presence of the devilish fiend. With one blow, a ripple slides through its body, causing blood to spurt out the serpentine tail on its backside. Though it shudders for a few moments, between the attack, and the woman’s powerful chokehold, it eventually stops moving. Claw hang loosely now, no longer embedded in the stranger’s leg. Whatever it was, it’s definitely dead now. Rather, hopefully it is. After confirming the fruits of his labor, Sorei confidently exhales while hoisting his proud steel over his shoulder. “That’s for tossin’ me like a ragdoll! Idiooooot! You wanna go again, then get up! I’ll take ya on!” he preaches confidently, having dropped down into a yankee sitting position with his free arm resting over a knee.
After receiving no reply, he lets out a sigh and rubs the back of his head lightly. “So hey. You alright there, lady? Thing did a number on your leg there, y’know.” He says… while completely turned in the opposite direction of the lady. Rather, somehow he managed to make space between them. And if one paid close attention, he’s definitely avoiding eye contact. ]
With a resounding blow and a satisfying crunch, a ripple runs from the tip of the creature's snout to the end of its tail. It is only a few seconds later before it goes limp in Nephele's arm and becomes nothing but dead weight. The claws no longer dug into her legs, but blood was still welling in the long, thin cuts. With a swift kick she confirmed what she already believed, this abominable creature was no longer breathing. "Whew.." The woman breathed out, a soft exhale as she pulled a loose lock of hair back and away from her sweaty brow. Small beads of moisture rolled off of her skin and mixed with the blood that slowly trickled down her leg as she stepped forward a little into the light to get a better look at her "savior". Too bad he was turned away! Not that she could complain, it was a bit embarrassing to meet a new person. Her face had already adopted a mask of "resting b***h face" as she started to readjust her clothing and armor. "Yeah. Thanks." The reply was soft and curt, though not because she was trying to be especially rude. Nephele wasn't good with new people. Instead of trying to push the issue further, she begins bandaging her legs, wrapping layers of stripped cloth and pulling them tight around the wounds. "Mmmph!" A grunt escapes the woman and passes over the walls as one bandage is pulled especially tight around the tender flesh. "So. Hey. Who are you?"
[ As he sits there, listening to the woman tightening the bandages around her wound, he looks over his shoulder with a rather serious expression out of genuine concern. Though he can’t rightfully look her in the eyes, he can’t wouldn’t sit back and do nothing if he wounds were any more dire than they look. But luckily, they appear to be okay, more or less. Just need a Doctor’s kiss somewhere down the line. He hurriedly turns back away when he’s met with her question, however. After that he’d stand himself up and dust off his pants a bit to knock away any lingering rocks or dirt. “Ain’t it proper manners to introduce yourself first?” he’d tease a bit before, clearly, collecting himself and finally managing to turn around. Though not looking directly into the woman’s eyes, he hoists his bat over his shoulder while pressing his other thumb into his chest.
“Name’s Sorei. Don’t know the last name, so just Sorei is fine. And you?” Somehow or another, be it pure curiosity or clumsiness, he gets a passing glance at her face and goes into a shocked sweat. Is she pissed off?! Is it because he took too long to recover?! She looks angry! No, she’s definitely mad! Rather, who makes that kind of expression to someone you just met?! He flinches a bit, but manages to collect himself, though now his head is turned away again. ]
s**t! She asked for his name first and hadn't given her own! Damnit! Stupid Stupid Nephele! She smacks her hand against her forehead several times after being chided but quickly hides it as he turns to face her, immediately returning to the glaring mask that she wore when she was red-faced. Damn it! He was cute. A slight twitch of her brow was the only thing that would give her away as she shifted her weight to one leg and placed a hand on her belt. "Nephele To Poulí tis Ermís. Just call me Nephele." Her eyes travel down to his feet and back up to his face, lingering on the chrome bat slung over his muscular shoulder. The object had spatterings of gore on its shaft, and bits of fur that clung to the broad head. "Sorry. Want to get out of here? Go somewhere nicer than this?" A slender thumb flicked over one gilded shoulder as she motioned behind her with her hand. The bandages on her legs were stained nearly red now, but the circular spots that had spread across the white cloth didn't seem to be getting any larger. Maybe she had stopped bleeding. It certainly appeared so. Were the muscles on her legs flexed?
[ He squints as the woman expresses her name, since it’s one he’s never heard before. Rather, what language is that she’s been speaking since before?! Attempts are made to try and repeat the name in his head, but it just comes out wrong. And so, in the end, he chooses to take her advice and stick with Nephele. Well, after saying it in his head a time or two he’s forced to smile. “Cute.” he lets slip out, quickly covering his mouth, hoping to the gods above she didn’t hear that. In the end the woman, clearly more composed than him, offers to get out of this place and somewhere nicer. Normally, he’d freak out wondering if this were some sort of date invitation, but this time he turns his head to the dark corridors of the cavern. Just can’t get his mind off of that book. If he had it, in a time like this, he could definitely win over this woman!
The gangster stays silent for a few seconds, pondering on if he should go or not, but the moment Nephele mentions grabbing a bite to eat, he nods at the darkness. Silently vowing to return for the book one day. For now, there’s no way he can leave an injured woman alone here, and she even wants to hang out! This is the first time a woman has offered to be around him! Rather, this is the first time a human being other than his little sister has done such a thing! Sorei turns back to Nephele and rubs the back of his head, glancing at the wound on her leg. “S-Sure, if you don’t mind hangin’ out with a guy like me. I could go for a bite anyways. Plus…” he says, pointing his bat at her leg. “We should get that looked at for ya. It’ll suck if it gets infected.” As he finishes speaking, he notices the gore set on the ends of the metal weapon and progressively gets disgusted. “Gross! Tha heck is this?!” he yells out, swinging the weapon to the side so that the remnants of that creature can fling away. But the moment he does so, the faint grumbling and snarls of creatures in the dark can be heard off in the distance. “...Yeah, lets book it. Need a ride?” He’d offer his back if the woman isn’t up to running, but otherwise, they’d need to get out of there, and fast. ]
"This seems like a good place to stop" An intrigued and gentle phrase spoken within the desolate surroundings. A place long since forgotten. Torn from history. But only a select group truly knew what occurred here. And she being one of them. The stories and descriptions couldnt compare to what she viewed, as she stood within the ruins. Hands touched aged old buildings which she could invison standing so proud and tall once upon a time. Events like this. A simple mind couldn't fathom it. That actual destructive powers and devices could eradicate with such force. Those things resided out there. To cause such turmoil? Yes apparently. Though she herself hadn't seen anything like it within her own blue hued ords. Only her mind could paint the picture as stories were weaved during her younger years. But today, well now. She would be able to see such locations and perceive her own opinions. "That isn't to say I dont believe Grandma Shani's stories of course...." She would tell herself outloud as feet would take her along a crumbled wall. A small smile upon her face as she thought about the elder woman. Even now she could hear here voice. Speaking about this very place. She hadn't been here when the tragic event took place. But enough was recoreded in the Revelutionary Armies records for her to give an enough detailed tale.
Upon her stroll, the girl would find a secluded spot. Nicely shaded from the beaming sun and out of any prying eyes. If there had been any. Well, aside from the small animals that still inhabited the area. Despite the devesation numerous years ago, Luna figured life would find its way back here. Mother nature wasn't a force to give up. Taking a seat underneath a tree, the girl would exhale and throw her arms behind her head. Blue eyes shinned with amazement as her mind drew in her current experience. "This truely was a good idea" Coming here. Venturing out on her own. There wasn't anything more thrilling. Well so far. And hopefully even more would follow.
From what she had understood, most left the nest at a certain age to find themsrelves. To see the world. Or whatever goal or aspiration they had deep seeded within themselves to explore. And she. Well, she wasn't any different. Though caution was thrown out there when ever it came up. But with her grandmother in her corner, It was surely easy to convince her father. "As long as you keep in touch. And dont hesitate to call me. Dont do anything too-" She shook her head, ushering the rest from her thoughts. She wouldn't allow it to sullen her current mood. "He's just being over protective as usual." He himself, had done the same at her age. Even his sister, though given their circumstances which were different than her own. But still, as grandma Shani would say, "A father will ALWAYS worry about his children. Especailly his baby girl"
An exaggerated sigh would leave her lips as she brought her arms down to her lap. A head lowered , before she ran her hand through her strawberry blonde locks. Shaking it off, she would eye the sky through the tree line and smile. "It'll be alright" There was no helping it now. She was far from home. On her own. "No going back now" Definitely not.
But where to next? Standing in the very place where an actual Buster Call was initiated. Well, it gave one a certain feeling. "I wonder if this is how she felt. On that day....", she whispered lightly. Probably not. Nothing could probably compare to actually standing in that very moment as everything was destroyed around you. To physically see it. Luna could only imagine. And guess the emotions running in that moment. And as she pondered, her thoughts would go to that day where she had been told the story.
Flashback
Files. Files. And more files. So many files. It seemed to always amaze her each and every time she entered this place. The Archives. As large as a library. Containing massive amounts of information. From previous pirates throughout the decades. As well as information on just about anything. Especially if it benefited the cause. Though today, would be the day that Luna had agreed to aid her grandmother in maintaining it. Seeing as she was the only one who did so. According from the old woman’s mouth herself. Though it was a seemingly tedious and overwhelming task. Luna showed no real dislike for it. It only meant she could spend more time with her grandmother. And as well get a few more stories out of her. It was one of the things the old woman was known for. Aside from her still amazing musical talents. She could still hold a note and a tune, which would captivate any audience.
For now, Luna would tend to a few lose papers scattered upon a table, while her grandmother was placing old books away. And instructing a few others who had been given the dreadful task in helping. Now dread filled their faces as they were put to work. Luna would only smirk, before eying the papers. Upon closer inspection, she had discovered them to be old wanted posters. Pirates of the past. Some who were still relevant in this day and age. It was amazing to take a gander at. Until one in particular caught her eyes. “Its….” Her grandmother would be upon her now. Standing behind; peering over her shoulder. “Ah, yes. Your aunt Liadan” A wanted poster from years ago. A bounty of 1,100,999,000. A press of her lips as air was blown over the parchment to see of the bounty she was seeing was factual. And not a misread due to dust. Never had she knew her aunt held such an amount. “Seriously!? That’s crazy!” she shouted in amazement. Her grandmother would just laugh, as she rounded the table before taking the poster into her own hands. “Aye, aint it. Liadan was….quite the handful back then” Though the picture on the poster held so much more than that. And Luna could tell. It was the first time she had ever seen her auntie Lia hold such an expression. It was pure painful. “When was this photo taken granny Shani?” Picking up on the tone, Shani gave a deep sigh, recalling that time. “Well, child. It was a tough one. Especially for my dear Liadan”
Though she could have gotten straight to the point, she decided to start from the beginning.
The scene set upon GrandLine waters. Having arrived a number of day from recent ventures from the New World. On the sea, was where Liadan enjoyed being the most. Yes, she was a ruler of a Kingdom. Given the deep seeded roots of the Lysistrata clan, but nothing compared to the many adventures held on the water. And despite not having a crew of her own, her Fortress Goons were more than enough. But on a particular evening. As most had gone to sleep. And others resided awake to keep watch and indulge in Rum and conversation. Liadan did as well, until….
[ Den Den Ringing ]
The good laughs would halt, as a somewhat familiar sound echoed the deck. Eyes shifted to land on a snail that many of them had come to recognize. It wasn’t often that it would ring. Given the user on the other end. But whenever it did ring, they could all see the twinkle in her visible eye. Despite a scattered family, Liadan held no ill will. No family was perfect and regardless of the flaws, she cared for them all. Even the one who held the highest of positions. Leo Ojjisan.
“A GOROSEI!” Luna would bellow in pure shock, before being shushed by the others who resided in the Archives. They too had been drawn into the story and wished for its continuance. Granny Shani would laugh before going on. Though not before nodding to confirm. “Aye…..”
To her feet, she would answer the snail. “Ojjisan! How nice of you to call~” A smirk on her lips as she listened for a response. Though the only thing she would hear would be panting. A brow would raise, before another teased fill remark escaped. And of course, it would annoy the old man, causing him to shout through his pain. “ENOUGH GIRL! -cough, cough, cough” Worry on her brow, she would speak her concern. Was everything alright? What was going on? Questions littered the line, but he would ignore them. A heavy sigh, before he would smirk. But of course, it wouldn’t be seen. “These old fools have had enough and have decided to end me. They’ve…. lost their senses and-“Cut off, she could hear a loud groan, which would cause her to cry out. Her Goons would turn and stand on alert. Wondering what was wrong. But her words would cease as another spoke. “As he has said. We will sit by no longer, as he covers up your crimes. To stand by as you damn Lysistrata’s make a mockery of us. It shall not go on any longer. I must admit your knowledge on so many would have been beneficial to us, but we have agreed to wipe you all out instead. Its more convenient that way.” Ignoring the nonsense, she instead would shout. Demanding the release of her grandfather. But to no avail. One last smart remark from Leo, before words of warmth and love were sent through the snail device. “Foolish girl. You’ve caused your grandpa so much trouble. But…. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Stay strong, my little Lia” A scream for him would resonate, before his last breath. Constantly calling out, though no replay. Only the other Gorosei before the line goes dead. “This is the beginning of the end, Lysistrata” Silence would befall the ship and upon Liadan.
Eyes were wide from the tale. Luna was no exception. She knew her family had all types of characters. Individuals who had their hands in just about everything. Piracy. Law enforcement. Even royalty. Their livelihoods and adventures. Their stories alone were nothing but pure amazement in her eyes. But this. This was truly nerve racking. “So, what happened after?” Luna would ask, as the others nodded, wishing for the tale to go on. “Well, Liadan would go back to Alabasta and give up her seat as Queen. I believe your father came in sometime after that and ruled for a while, before leaving as well. But after giving it up, she went to Sabaody”
Her ship would sail and dock within Sabaody. And singly she would walk. Draped in her Skypiean hooded cloak. Easily making her way through, without much notice. Her travels though, would take her to the Marine Base stationed there. Guards posted would be dealt with swiftly. And easily she would enter. But instead of sneaking in, she walked with no fear right into the center. Noticed, alarms would sound and many would scatter to her position. Guns drawn and threats made. Easily she lowered her hood, showing just who had entered their base so easily. Of course, this wasn’t a base heavily secured. Or even that much important. But a base none the less. And given her bounty, this act wouldn’t go unnoticed. “A message for your damn Gorosei’s. I’m coming for you” Ports in her cloak would open. And many would watch; curious as to what was transpiring. As far as they knew, Liadan hadn’t held any devil fruit abilities. There hadn’t been any record of her using anything but her firearms. Well, they were in for a very rude awakening. Shots fired from the massive amounts of ports that opened and before anyone could act, the base blew up. Fires all around. Structures collapsing; the place ablaze. Instead of handling the threat. Those able bodied assisted in putting out the flames and those who laid unconscious or worse. Liadan however disappeared. And in enough time before an Admiral showed. Her declaration was heard. Loud and clear.
“Damn. Auntie Lia is boss” Luna would comment and the others would nod in agreement. But Grandma Shani would sigh. Her expression stern and upsetting. “It was put into the papers. A leak, before the issue was recalled. Trying to clean up the mass hysteria Liadan had created. But it was already far too late. Many had heard and seen the headlines. Especially those who held alliances with her” Most who cared for her came to her aid. Agreed to help, but as well gave their opinions. To seek revenge in this manner. It was foolish. But the look in her eyes. There was no stopping her. She had made her choice, the moment she stepped foot inside that Marine Base. “Plans would be put into motion and the day would come….”
At the designated Island, she and her alliance would go head to head with Marines of all ranks, shapes and sizes. The heads of the Gorosei’s responsible for her grandfather’s early passing wouldn’t be given, but many casualties laid at her feet. Liadan fought with hate in her heart. More than usual. She exhausted herself and despite the wounds incurred, she walked forward. Not stopping until the Gorosei were extinguished. The Marines themselves sustained much loss. Unaware of the bonds Liadan’s alliance held with one another. This was a pure showing of the influence this Lysistrata held upon the sea. But before giving up, they called in their last resort.
“A Buster Call”
Luna’s eyes; as well as the others, would go wide with shock and fright. The information on the Buster Call was hardly ever expressed. Plus, the tales of them being used were very very few. But were recorded within the very archive in which they stood. Shani herself knew of it. She had witnessed it. Despite Liadan’s pirate alliances, a few generals from the Revolutionary Army came to their aid. And Shani was right alongside them. The call was made. Alarms went off and Marines began to scatter to their boats. Information would be shared amongst the pirates, thanks to the received intel gathered by the revolutionaries. Evacuations were put into motion, but Liadan. She wouldn’t budge. She shouted to the heavens. Cursing the Gorosei’s names. She wanted answers. She wanted retribution. “The number of firearms; the cannonballs. The loud explosions. The gunfire that she had released with her devil fruit abilities could have been compared to a semi buster call. She stood exhausted and in harm’s way” Shani’s words shook as she recalled that intense moment. She stood upon the deck of her ship. Being held back by her crew who wouldn’t allow her off. It wasn’t safe. But her daughter was in danger and no parent in the world wanted to see their child in such pain. Nor in harm’s way. Luna would rise form her seat and take her grandmothers hands in her own. Comforting her. Shani rose her gaze and smiled at her grandchild. So much she resembled Liadan. She even held her interest in firearms. It was like she was getting a second chance. But before allowing herself to fall into pure parental bliss, she continued with her story. “So, what happened to Auntie Liadan?”
It wasn’t certain at first. From her own angle, she couldn’t see. Shani saw nothing, until the island went in a fiery blast. The sea’s rumbled. The waves rose and fell. Ships were taken far out to sea, before eventually deserting the area. The Marines would depart; as well as the pirates. Though a few remained in hopes of finding Liadan. Only a few knew what happened but the world wouldn’t know until almost a year later. “She resurfaced. Only to announce her existence and the continuance of the Lysistrata Line. Of course, this annoyed the Government greatly, but what made it worse was….” It would be then that Luna grew anxious. She knew the answer and just like a giddy child she jumped up and down with joy. Her lips parted to speak the answer, but another would blurt it out before she was given the chance. “Her marriage to Lerry Lee, right?” Luna would put on a saddened face, before glaring at the male. He would tense, before trying to force an apologetic smile. Rubbing the back of his messy short hair. Grandma Shani would chuckle, before nodding. “Aye”
With fires blazing around her. And people evacuating, Liadan remained. She would leave until she got what she wanted. She had to. But no one would remain. She stood. Tired and angry. Tears knocked on the doors, but would be forced back time and time again. She hadn’t shed a tear since hearing her grandfather’s last words of the Den Den, which was the leading cause of her rash actions. True she was hurting, but she was only hurting herself, the more she remained in this condition. But just as it seemed hopeless, she would be saved. Against her will of course. But the one to scoop her up before the obliteration of the island would be none other than Lerry. It would take some time for her to recover and finally release all that frustration and sadness. In his presence and his embrace, she cried. The once feisty and independent gun totter showed her vulnerability and in front of the one she held love for even after all this time apart.
“And of course, you all know she had children. My precious grandchildren” Shani would say with joy. Luna would laugh and the other would smile. For now, the Government has kept themselves at bay. Building their ranks. And voiding any tussle with Liadan. But one can never be too cautious.
With the memory faded, the girl would rise and stretch her arms over her head. Removing any kinks, she would decide to head off elsewhere. There was more to explore after all. [[ exit ]]
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