Dirk had survived worse than a mere two bullets before. Technically speaking, the Battler was worse than any number of bullets. However, the Battler had never been hired to kill Dirk - his attacks had always been non-lethal in nature, if only just, and even then, he'd always been healed by her, the other slave with the flesh-moulding ability. This man, who by now was unmistakably a master of the Six Styles, was clearly murderous, and the bullets alone would certainly have been lethal if not for the prisoner's force field deflecting them. A force field that was now dissolved in favour of... more explosions.

Dirk had withdrawn as fast as he could, and the force of the detonations still knocked him over. It was evident how outmatched and useless he'd end up in a straight fight... so, he'd need to figure out a more tactical approach, if he could. Using his prone position to begin crawling, he moved up next to the nearest wall, standing up next to it so as to remain a section of the background compared to the fight proper; his Divine Purpose would normally be more than enough for him to pull out of a fight unnoticed, but in these conditions, he couldn't rely on it perfectly, and any improvement to it was welcome. But, if the Divine Purpose held true, and if Dirk could figure out a way of injuring the Six Styles user without it being blocked or dodged by one of the many abilities the martial art's users acquired as a result, the way the Battler had achieved so frequently in the past, then maybe he could contribute in a decisive fashion... he just needed an opening.

@LokiLeo789 @RyoRyoRyoken @Renny @JmerlRobot @Tmitche23

The only ones who hadn’t made a decisive move at this point were Dirk and Jax, the marksman. So far Zepp didn’t hear the sound of incoming bullets, so he presumed that the sniper couldn’t get a proper bead on him due to the erratic nature of his movements and Zepp’s close range to his allies. Noting this for the moment, the Marine was more intrigued by Xerxes’ counter to his projectile Shigan. “Hm. Well, that’s a little impressive, if a little annoying.” Zepp muttered as Xerxes snapped his fingers. In an instant, Zepp felt the air around his body heat up and in that moment before the explosion went off, he left behind another “Cicada” shell. When Johnny shared information with him on the man’s capabilities, techniques like this hadn’t come up. Meaning that he somehow came up with this during his stay in the Muron. If Zepp were the type to be concerned about that sort of thing, he almost might have been jealous of the versatility of the explosive man’s Devil Fruit ability. ”Looks like I’ll need to take this more seriously.” Zepp thought, eyelids lifting to reveal vibrant crimson eyes as he left more afterimages in his wake. From what Zepp could tell, the target was doing a good job of reading the speed of his movements and reacting accordingly. Or, at least, accordingly enough to try and ignite Zepp in the short instances between his Soru. Glancing over at Bogard, who had managed to avoid getting snapped up by Fadel’s venus flytrap, he saw that the boy had his hand raised towards where the site of where at least one of Xerxes’ detonations had gone off. It was a curious action, since according to the surviving Loguetown marines, the boy manipulated his signature red coat to dispatch them. So, what kind of fruit did the boy possess? And was it the boy who the fruit’s power emanated from or had the coat “eaten” the fruit, with Bogard acting as its handler?

The answer would have to wait, since Xerxes’ barrage of explosions made it more than a little counterproductive to try and combat anyone but him. Zepp waited for Xerxes to snap his fingers once again and made his move as soon as the explosion went off. To ne sure, the Spark Spark Fruit’s wielder had impressive powers of premonition and impressive reflexes in kind. A month of meditation had done mucb to clear the young man’s mind. Had he chosen to pursue the path of “justice”, he could have been a valuable asset to the World Government. Unfortunately, he was an enemy. A slaughterer of thousands who killed without any purpose but the enjoyment of hearing the screams of his victims. Unfortunately, he had the misfortune of meeting Mumyoumaru this day. The moment the rapid expansion of heat and electricity took place, Zepp burst forward with even greater speed than he had before, avoiding the attack and then moving within melee range. ”Shigan: Oren” Mumyoumaru stated loud enough for Xerxes to hear before his hand moved with incredible speed, his attack appearing like one, but actually being many Shigans at a speed which made them seem almost simultaneous. The first two attacks were aimed at the explosive man’s kneecaps, attempting to take out the option of regular locomotion. Two more were aimed at each of his arms at the elbow to disable the limbs for any avenue of fisticuffs. The rest were aimed at Xerxes’ chest, Zepp attempting to strike at the explosive man’s heart and subsequently four more holes in his chest for each ship he destroyed back on Conomi Isles. An imprint of his crimes back then upon what might be a corpse. Or, in the event that he took this attack and somehow survived through willpower or the Red Hoods somehow pulling off a proper rescue, scars to remind him of his second failure here on Drum Island.

But even in the event that this move would be enough to take Xerxes out of the fight, there were at least four more pirates to deal with on the scene before reinforcements. And with the slight confusion brought by Bogard’s mysterious actions, Zepp would have to proceed with a bit more caution now that the group might not have had to fear Xerxes’ explosions if they got too close and their captain appeared to have some more tricks up his sleeve. At the same time as his barrage of Shigans ended, he jammed his heel into the ground and a pair of Rankyaku “Line” burst forth in the direction of both Fadel and Bogard, the blades of air ripping through the ground and creating a piercing whine as they sailed towards the two young pirates. At this point, all of the pirates here had made their choice. On-the-spot execution was the only option that CP9’s #2, Mumyoumaru, was to pursue. For now, it was a matter of whether he could pull it off before Jackal, or even the mysterious Messenger Bogard and Xerxes had shared a brief exchange about at the beginning of the fight. ”Hm. Now would be a good time for a certain gorilla and scythe-wielding Vice Admiral to show up.” Mumyoumaru remarked aloud, mostly to himself. From his open eyes and the lack of Zepp’s signature painted-on smile, coupled with the drastic tonal shift, it was clear that the one in the middle of the menagerie of criminals wasn’t exactly the man who he was portraying himself as earlier. And, if he had his way, none here would live to tell the tale.

Jax didn't quite know what was happening with the enemy. He was moving all around the place like a shadow, and it seemed like he knew some kind of high level of martial arts. This would have been bad news for anyone if it was a one on one fight, but the crew was together and the prisoner was even helping out.

Jax started taking pot shots in the general direction of the Marine to make him think that he found a good spot and was trying to actually take him out. With the help of the crazed man's explosions the Marine was on the back foot a little and was forced to focus completely on the man causing the most damage. Zepp's attacks seemed to travel invisibly and instantly, that would make them had to counter if he couldn't properly time them.

Just like his captain had some new tricks up his sleeve, so did Jax. He no longer just had guns but reconfigured his gun powder into a form of grenade that would cause wide spread damage so he couldn't use it when his allies were around. He would have to wait for the perfect time to teleport down, grab the man, teleport both of them, place the grenade, and then get out of there. Even then, that wasn't a complete guarantee. He might not have the energy if the battle beforehand is too exhaustive.

Zepp aimed massive attacks toward Xerxes, and then aimed his attention toward Jax's crew members. "You may be fast, but I'm pretty sure I'm faster." Jax felt like trash talking the opponent from this distance was a safer bet than getting in his face. He used his short form teleportation and one of his hands appeared hidden in the bushes near the battle. Jax kept taking pot shots towards the man when Jax saw the man slam his heel into the ground and Jax decided to take a chance. Right at that moment, Jax materialized his hand again right behind Zepp's bag. He took a shot right into the man's back and Jax brought his hand right back to him. Jax needed to find out if he could even do damage to this man with a regular pistol.

@LokiLeo789@Renny@BCtheEntity@JmerlRobot@RyoRyoRyoken

The booming laugh of Anaru shook Adrian's eardrums like a overjoyed man shaking the hand of his new employer. He never wanted to travel with Anaru again, He didn't have the stomach for it, not to mention last time he was off the ground he almost broke his back. After finishing wiping tiny pebbles of brick from his shoulder with the back of his hand, Adrian would turn and tune himself into what was happening. "Lieutenant, are you ok?"

He looked around, the scene was bland and almost dark, if it wasn't for the hole Anaru made it would of been a little darker. It was surprising how the prison could keep itself stable for so many years, however Anaru was proof that the prison was weakening. "So he's more than man, why have you paired me with him. Adrian snapped out of thought quickly and his eyes turned to the corridor on his left. "Something don't seem right, should we go?" He knew Anaru would say yes, something or someone had already lit the furnace in the big man. He heard gunshots from below and in an instant his mood switched. "Hurry."
@NachoBachoPacho
@RyoRyoRyoken
@Ira

Location:

• Drum Island

Interacting:

• @dragonmancer
• @RyoRyoRyoken
• @Renny
• @BCTheEntity
• @Tmitche23
• @JmerlRobot

---

---

Test after test failed to come to light, Zepp was incredibly fast, faster that anything that Rayne or Xerxes had ever seen. Like a blur, Zepp dodged each and every explosion, even maneuvering out of the one that be preemptively created from the movements Rayne predicted, using reflexes that required years of honing and training, impressive. Unfortunately, he was unable to get the man to enter the 2D plan, which was frustrating, he needed to, no, he wanted to understand this mans power. It was in his nature it seemed, flashbacks of a life he knew little of ran through his mind. Rayne had spent years exploring the inner workings of his power, wanting to emulate the Worst Generations intricate Devil Fruit control.

He would show them just how scary his Devil Fruit was.

Zepp's speed was on a whole 'nother level, so much so, than even his mastery of Observation Haki couldn't keep up, but it did its job. Rayne just had to use a different approach. I've been playing defensively for to long.

As fast, if not faster than Zepp had launched his attack, a chain reaction took place in his body. Electricity arced of his body in droves as he reversed his Friction Layer, reforming it under his skin, creating a build up of static due to the sparks inability to light inside his own body. This build up became massive, creating thunder bolts in his own body. Instead of killing him, or blowing him up, his natural immunity to his Devil Fruits damage, and his control over it, allowed him to absorb it into his muscles. Harnessing the electricity, he energized himself, empowering his body to a point that no one had seen before, increasing his speed to levels that transcend the limits of his body. Within a second his hair, hands and feet was aglow with electric-like aura and his body starts to give off sparks. Rayne had came up with the ability while he was meditating in his solitary cell. It was originally meant to be a counter to Mr. Rock Solid, but in the end, it didn't matter who he used it on. It was only theoretical at the the time, but it seemed to be all plausible in reality. Unfortunately, Rayne could only guess how long he could maintain this form, or what it would do to his body in the end, not to mention his absolute defense was completely gone.

"Raijin Mōdo:

His words overlapping that of the Marine who's technique struck a cord in his heart, he recognized that ability from somewhere. With his enhanced physical and mental attributes using electricity to stimulate his nerves, he leaped over his attack, seemingly teleporting as he did so. With Zepp under him, he adjusted his body in the air so he could better hit his target. Just as Zepp released blades of light from his feet, Rayne's fist rocketed toward his back. It was so fast and forceful, that the sound of cracking whip could be heard as his punch reached for Zepp, sound waves literally running back into his hand and forcing his way through.

God Breaker."

Drum Island

@LokiLeo789 @Ira @Renny @RyoRyoRyoken @CannedBread @JmerlRobot @Tmitche23

Anaru grinned wildly, staring down at the fight below. "Seems as though we have to re-capture Explosion-guy, oh well, this time I came prepared. Anaru was not, in fact prepared, but uh, he thought it sounded cool. Anaru grins at Adrian, and gives him a nod, signalling it was go time. "Did you know, that Gorilla's grip strength is arguably the most terrifying thing about them?" Anaru asked, as his body began to grow hair, his muscle mass expanding, and his arms growing larger and longer. "I intend to show these pirates, just how terrifying it is."

Anaru digs his left hand into the very thick prison wall, each finger impaling the durable thick sheet of stone, he clenches his fist, before ripping a large chunk of stone out of the wall, in the shape of a cone. "This is my spear, the spear that will pierce those pirates, the spear that will strike down the wicked, the spear that's the most.." Anaru leaps down, putting the stone cone infront of him, as he falls, he uses his other hand, to fire his Nail Gun, creating air projectiles to increase his velocity. "ROCK SOLID!" he slams into the ground, 'spear' first, the spear impales the ground, causing it to shake, as Anaru brings his other fist back.

"The nail is in, its time, for the hammer!" Anaru swings his hand down, punching the cone of stone deeper into the ground, as an intense air pressure seems to be unleashed, causing the ground around him, and the pirates, to crack, and shatter, debris being flung in every direction with impressive force, as a dust cloud forms around Anaru, only his glowing red eyes, and hulking frame can be seen. he lets a laugh boom through the air. "You pirates will not escape here, or harm another citizen, why? because, I am here!"

Interacting:

• @BCTheEntity
• @Tmitche23
• @RyoRyoRyoken
• @Renny
• @LokiLEO789
• @Ira
• @NachoBachoPacho

---

Fadel scanned the area quickly and precisely, taking notice of the bullets coming straight at him. He put his hands together, and pulled up making a oval shaped wooden plate, which appeared in front of him, stopping the bullets from making contact with him.

Ugh. Fadel mentally groaned as he saw Bogard being hurled toward his Venus fly trap. He rubbed his forehead and sighed. He then forced the Venus fly trap to snap its mouth shut before it could make contact with Bogard. Fadel took a deep breath and started towards a near by bush. He started to assess this situation.

He thrust his hands on the dirt as a green aura formed around his hands. He then pushed his hands forward so the vines came out in front of him. Fadel gently touched the tip of his vine, feeling it turn black and harden. Instantly, they returned to the ground and pushed towards the Marine. The vines rapidly moved towards the man. Unfortunately, his work was for nothing.

His eyes widened a sickle of blue energy hurled going towards him, Fadel pulled up an oval shaped wooden to block the incoming winds and debris, Although his wood couldn't hold up, he still tried to endure through the incoming whirl winds.

Faster than he could follow though, the escapee was above to Marine, his body glowing with an unusual blue aura. He could barely follow the man with his eyes. In an instant, as tornado like mass came hurtling at the who looked who so familiar. Enough was enough. Within the blink of an eye Fadel slammed his hands into the ground once again, which was unnecessary but made him feel cool.
With a silent rawr, Fadel transformed the the landscape way beyond that of the gorilla man's.

The group rumbled violently, all this present being thrown around like ragdoll from the sheer force. Instantly the sound of breaking branches and shifting rocks began, only to grow louder as everyone was thrown into the air by the massive phenomenon going on under them. His allies fell into dense patches of leaves as angry branches grabbed onto marines. All were thrown into the air, riding the beast the he had created.

Soon, all that could be heard was the the wind of the winter island and the massive tree that stood utterly still, a statue in a living museum where no leaf dared to fall. Fadel had created a tree so massive, to trumped the Drum mountains in height and width. It could be seen from milles away at sea, a green, leaving tree with branch's so thick that houses could comfortablely be placed on it. The scrabbling of Fadels feet could be heard on the tree bark as he collapsed to the sound of massive limbs crashing to the ground.

Yggdrasil.

”It seems our inmate has managed to pick up quite a few new tricks somewhere. Perhaps he’s a bit desperate?” Mumyoumaru thought as his attack met air. Through some peculiar mechanism, Xerxes had managed to increase his speed and reactions to a greater degree. How troublesome. So much of what had happened wasn’t in the reports. But such was combat. Not everything could be accounted for on paper. As Xerxes reached his back, Zepp also heard the click of a finger a trigger through the rippling whipcrack of the explosive man’s supersonic punch and the hum of electricity arcing over the surface of Xerxes’ skin. Zepp didn’t even turn around, instead reaching a hand around an snapping his fingers. ”Shigan: Firew-” as a spread shot of air bullets flew out at the snap of his fingers, Zepp felt a sharp pain run through his body as he was starting to be pierced with an innumerable amount of…. Needles? Turning his crimson eyes towards Bogard, he took note that the boy was holding his hand out like he had earlier. However, once the young man attempted to block Zepp’s Rankyaku by sacrificing his metal prosthetic, Zepp’s clothing visibly spiked outwards, starting to pierce him deeper, but apparently straying away from the Marine’s vitals due to a break in the Sunlit Gladiator’s concentration. Zepp’s plan to bounce Jax’s gunfire between his Shigan air bullets to pierce Xerxes’ extended arm was a bust due to his own short concentration break, instead sending the bullet careening off into the distance without a target. Knowing there wasn’t a lot he could do at this point, Zepp took a deep breath. ”Tekkai”

Gritting his teeth and tightening his muscles, Zepp managed to stop the hundreds of spears his clothing had become from skewering the entirety of his insides while also making his exterior incredibly hard at the moment Xerxes’ punch connected. There was a blast of wind as the Captain of the 99th Division was launched off of his feet with extreme speed, but he had managed to block most of the force of the attack’s potential damage to his person. As Zepp was sent flying, he pondered what the heck the Red Hoods’ captain’s ability could be. The power to manipulate fabrics? The idea that the boy might have had to be fought stark naked to avoid becoming a pincushion was an irritating thought. He would have to think more on it later, but it at least confirmed that it was a power Bogard possessed, rather than a property of the coat. ”Ah, the cavalry’s here. I suppose I should lay low now.” Zepp remarked as the whirlwind-like form of Marxo appeared to clash with the souped-up Xerxes. As he once again reverted to his typical appearance as friendly “Zepp Kisaragi” of the 99th, a shadow loomed over his airborne form. It was Anaru….. And he was descending towards him with a rather large cone of stone, apparently unable to see past the makeshift spear as he used his Nail Guns to boost himself into the ground. With a sigh, Zepp poked the tip of the stone spear as it came towards him and melded onto its surface, crawling along it until his two-dimensional form eventually found a cozy hiding place in the furry back of Lieutenant Kahurangi. As a result, the only trace that Zepp was even there was the rather impressive blood trail that stained the snow on the flight Xerxes sent him on. ”I’ll just take a quick breather on Lt. Gorilla for a bit.” he thought as the hulking gorilla man smashed the “Nail” he made and created a wide area of destruction, only to be shown up by the sudden, surging growth of an absolutely massive tree. If Zepp didn’t know better he might have thought that he’d lost the Devil Fruit ability lottery. Kids sure were growing up fast these days.

The situation was becoming less and less fun by the second. Another Marine had shown up, this one with a scythe of some sort; a giant monkey creature fell from the sky with a rock cone and broke the ground and probably a good portion of the prison itself into pieces, sending debris flying everywhere; and then a giant tree was grown by Fadel, drawing everyone up into its branches, either safely or not, with Dirk himself being in the former category. The monkey-person's attack meant he'd taken a rather large rock to the arm, though the damage was fortunately limited to bruising as far as he could tell, and he was now a great distance above the ground, with no reasonable way of getting back down once all was said and done.

At least this let his Divine Purpose function properly. The dense foliage should make Dirk all but invisible so long as he moved to the right places... and that should give him exactly the opportunity he needed to strike, if he could find it. Standing back upright, and taking a look around to get his bearings again, he drew his trusty kitchen knife in his left hand and began silently climbing toward the sound of fighting, hoping that he'd be able to deal out a significant strike sooner rather than later.

@LokiLeo789 @Renny @RyoRyoRyoken @Tmitche23 @JmerlRobot @NachoBachoPacho @Ira @CannedBread

Location:

• Drum Island

Interacting:

• @dragonmancer
• @RyoRyoRyoken
• @Renny
• @BCTheEntity
• @Tmitche23
• @JmerlRobot
• @Ira
• @NachoBachoPacho

---

---

Rayne's mental and physical faculties were on a whole 'nother level. At this point in time, his mind was taking in information at speeds that would cause a grown mans head to explode. He was moving so fast that the world around him took on a grayish tint, and everyone else looked as if every movement they made was in a tub of molasses. Theoretically speaking, Raijin Modo didn't really increase his speed, it just optimized it so he could move at his peak speed, and surpass it all the time.

It made his nerves react faster to predetermined stimuli (enemy attack intent and his commands). His peak speed was relatively the same. The human nervous system is limited in how fast it can convey signals to other body parts; Raijin Modo allowed his thoughts (or defensive reflexes) to be instantly transmitted at, well, the speed of lightning.
So, it was Rayne's execution/reaction time that had surpassed everyone, not his movement, although that is very refined now too.

This was all theoretical and in his head, but it allowed him to better control this ability, creating rules and guidelines as he went. This coupled with his Observation Haki allowed him to predict, compute, and react to attacks within a fraction of a second, and that he did. Rayne landed on his feet instantly after is much smashed into Zepp, man that guy was fast, that would have crippled him if he wasn't carful. The second Maxro was within a hundred feet of him, he could sense his presence. Rage and satisfaction raced through Rayne like a bullet, oh how they had waited for this day. Despite Xerxes being on the receiving end of the betrayal, they both felt it, Marxo had made two powerful enemies.

"Godspeed."

Marxo's whirlwind attack may have been impossible to follow for others, but in this form, Rayne saw it as a slow moving dust devil. In an instant, Rayne twisted his body counterclockwise to Marxo's clockwise rotation, shifting to the side ever so slightly so he could dodge the blade. Like a snake, his left arm darted out, grabbing the pole the blade and effectively stopping Marxo's rotation in its tracks.

"Rule #2: Don't underestimate the enemy. he seethed as he slammed his palm into the poll. With his enhanced physical ability, broke the scythe in half like it was butter. Grinning, he flipped the blade around and brought it down like a guillotine onto Marxo's neck at blinding speeds. Unfortunately, the ground under him was ripped apart, not just by his old friend Rock Solid, but by the rapid growth of a…tree.

"Crap." Rayne grunted as the blade swiped at chest instead. In an instant, Rayne disappeared, jumping from branch to branch as the the tree grew. Within an instant, Rayne found himself on one of the top branch's, scythe head in hand, breathing heavily. It seemed that Raijin Modo forced him to breath more to energize his muscles, but by no means was he tired, it seemed he could still handle this form.

"Gotta be kidding me, you Red Hoods are full of surprises." he huffed finally, gazing in awe as the young pirates creation.

The Black sailed ship known as the Grim Reaper, home of the Dark Blade Pirates, lead by the twin brothers Sange and Yasha, both of which were famous swordsmen, knew for their impressive combat skills and their swordsman ship, wielding blades made out of the same metal the legendary Mihawk - some 80 years ago, made his fame with. The two stemmed from the Northblue, and the Grim Reaper was a ship housing 20 pirates, all swordsmen of some renow, the total bounty of the crew would go over 250 million bellies, quite the sum, for a crew that just arrived in the grandline. Sange and Yasha, the two twins, had bounties of 100 Million each, but all the posters wanted both of them, for 200 Million, a very impressive mark for bounty hunters.

Or for a Marine Commander, patrolling the maximum security prison this side of the grandline. As the new battleship, Unforgiving Justice, set it's sights on the much smaller ship. The Marine shit fired at the pirate ship, the swordsmen cut the cannon balls in half, returning fire, but eventually, the firepower of the marine ship would win out, demolishing the sails of the Pirate ship, making boarding possible. The Marine ship would board the pirates, and small round spheres - looking like rocks were thrown onto the Reaper's deck, soon, they erupted into thick gas, no, smoke, making it hard to see.

The squad of 15 or so Marines marched onto the ship, donning short-jackets, swords and gas masks under their Marine hats, as they engaged battle with the shaken down foes. Once the Marines had started battle - and tired out the forces of the soldiers on board the Reaper, Sange and Yasha made their appearance, cutting through the smoke, wounding a few Marines. Their attention being drawn to the last man to walk the gangplank from the Marine vessel. He didn't wear a gasmask, he wore the white hat, a blue T-shirt, black gloves, orange wrist-bands going up to his elbows, black jeans with a belt, the belt buckle was marked with "JUSTICE", and matching fine leather shoes. He carried two pistols on his hip, as well as a sheated sword. On his shoulders, the Justice Coat hung, proudly. He smoke didn't bother him, it seemed to instead dance around him.

Each step he took on the plank, his posture powerful, his aura ooze of authority and strength, a confident grin on his tanned face under the white cap, masking half his face. He walked down on the plank. "Commander!" One of the Marines shouted, through the smoke, Sange and Yasha struggling breathing through the smoke that seemed to have gotten thicker. Sange and Yasha dashed at the commander, though their bodies in pain from the few minutes of fighting in the thick smoke, they slashed - one high and one low "TWIN BLADE ASSAULT!" The two roared, as their blades cut clean through the Marine.

The Marine's hands grabbed their faces, as he pushed both of them forward, his legs vanishing in a blast of smoke, the rocket boost sent the three bodies flying, until one of them stopped, the other two flying into the railing with a lot of force. "Shit, Yash. Logia.." Sange said as he panted, his ribs cracked from the impact, as he crawled back onto his feet.

Yasha nodded, his black hair clashing against his brother's white. "Come on now, that old man did tell us that hitting those kind of devil-spawn is just a matter of focusing our spirit.." He said, brining up his blade - Slash. His brother nodded. "Yeah, let's do it. If we work together, there's nothing we can't do. No punk-ass Marine's gonna stop us from taking on the Grandline." Sange grinned, his hand fastening around the grip of his blade - Gash.

"MAIMING CUT!"

"LIMBSPLITTING CLEAVE!" The two brothers shouted, as they came at the Marine, their hearts full of zeal, their minds focused, like lasers, the Marine... Yawning. In the next instant, the Marine had his hands resting on their chests, as the two fell to their knees, blood pouring out of their mouths.

The battle between the Marine soldiers, and the Pirates had been resolved, a few wounded Marines, and all of the pirates had been captured. "Commander, what do we do with them?!" Petty Officer, 'Mad Dog' Maximilian, asked, as Johnny smiled. "What we do to all pirates." He said, as he pulled out his two pistols, aiming them at the heads of the pirates. Sange looked at Yasha, and sighed, then he looked up at Johnny, his entire body aching. "Who are you guys?" He asked - he had never seen Marines fight with this much fury, this much rage, or this much passion.

"We're the 99th Division."

And then the two shots were heard, followed by 20 rifle shots. The Dark Blade pirates were no more.

Boarding their ship again, Johnny sported the two twin swords, slung over his shoulder, his men boarded the ship before him, tending to the wounds. "We're gonna scrub the grandline clean of Pirate filth." John explained, with a grin. "You guys remember the deal? Today marks the one month-mark since our defeat, and we came back from the ashses. Stronger than before." As he spoke, he waved at his crew to fire the cannons, sinking the Grim Reaper vessel.

Sound of an earthquake erupted from the Drum Mountain, as a giant tree sprouted on the moutain side.

"What the fuck" the entire crew of the 99th Division, whom were guarding the Island said in unison, Johnny included, before he regained his composure. "Well.. I'm gonna take a wild stab in the dark, that this, on that shithead's execution-day wasn't a coincidence. We're doing messing with the small fries. We got prisoners to capture." Johnny said, as the vessel set sail for Drum Island.

JACKAL VENTMAW

Location:
Prison

Interacting with:
@LokiLeo789

I would be dazed in thought as the cell became free of its lock, I could easily escape now however confinement had done its work on my attention span. It took me perhaps 10 minutes to awaken from my lack-of-attention state and by then most of the prisoners, Xerxes, the stranger that freed me had left, with all of the guards focusing on them rather then the unnoticeable who stayed behind. As I made my way out of what remained of the hallways, the sounds of battle grew louder. Amidst the blazing shouts, explosions, screams of soldiers, battlecries, sword clashes, and gunshots, I could hear Xerxes and his devil fruit at work clear as day.

Being out of commission longer then my fellow crew mate, the only one who remained of the sunny massacre pirates other then myself, I decided to join alongside him blindly as I had no other one to follow or serve at the moment, let alone what I would do after I escape. Transforming into my massive reptilian form I would leap through the wall and ceiling, reaching the sky as I let out a terrifyingly monstrous roar before landing near by Xerxes Battlegrounds with a debris filled landing and a loud thud. I had entered the fray blindly at aside from Xerxes I was unaware of the exact presences of friends and foes within the area, it could have been likely I landed on an ally or two. Nonetheless I would roar again as the sense of freedom tethered within me a sudden lust for vengeful destruction, flames erupting from my entire body and enlarging the crater I made on the tree branch below me. It was surprising how the branch didnt give way.

Location:

• Drum Island

Interacting:

• @dragonmancer
• @Ira

---

---

Rayne turned to Marxo the expression of utter hatred and disgust. In a snap his whole demeanor changed, all emotions he found useless or degrading were hidden deep within the flesh of his soul, heavily suppressed by the hatred he felt for Marxo. Xerxes sailed for 4 years with that man, only to be back stabbed in seconds. For once, both Rayne and Xerxes experienced a singularity, and uncanny understanding of one another, and merged into one entity. A nameless human. Both souls lived as one, for this moment, and it provided him with the drive, the strength, the fuel to rip Marxo, piece be piece.

He was a single-minded creature that would stop at nothing to rip Marxo and all those interfering apart. He had entered a state of mind that allowed to him channel his strength and concentration for the sole purpose of slaying his opponent. No amount of running, pleading, or fighting was capable of stopping him, he was going to savor the taste of Marxo's blood.

"Stay out of this Jackal." 'they' asserted, his voice changing. In an instant, Jackal would lose sight of him, in reality, he was looking at an after image. With each step he took, another image appeared stationary.

"Gods Rhythmic Echo."

There was a total absence of noise during the movement, and multiple phantoms appeared behind him. Maxro immediately went on the attack, going at a speed that 'they' followed easily with his very eyes. He then produced two after images, one performing an attack, before another began to throw black pinches in all directions. In the end, Marxo played himself, furiously attacking an after image, funny how what worked, he had no need to dodge or counter, he just walked away.

"I'm going to kill you Marxo." 'they' called coldly, killing intent wafting through the air so thick that it could be cut. His voice became an overlapping conglomerate of both Rayne's and Xerxes' voices in unison. The smoke produced by Marxo attack hitting wood hid their fight, but 'they' could see just fine. Before Marxo could throw another punch, 'they' appeared, smoke hiding his face, but his crimson eyes aglow. This was the real one.

"I warned you." 'they' whispered. Before one could comprehend, 'they're' hand darted out, seemingly teleporting to try and grab at Marxo's black wrist. Unfortunately, they weren't finished there, instantaneously, 'they' launched a devastating kick towards Marxo's abdomen with enough force to throw him hundreds of feet away, landing him crumpling into the vertical mountain side, despite the Haki, which would protect him from most of the damage.

Dan Gritt, man on a mission, man with a goal, man with a sparkle in his eyes.. man with... a hungering pang in his stomach. Dan had been in the tavern for a few days now, waiting for a new ship to pass by that he could hitch a ride on. He was sitting near the bar, observing the area, but knowing in his head that he wasn't going to see anything interesting. Most people in the tavern, he'd seen them a few times now, and none of them were pirates or marines that could give him a ride. A ride without realizing it.

His hand fluttered towards the nearby cup of tea, grabbing it tightly and raising it to his mouth while his other hand rested on his face. What a boring place this was. Just when he was about to give up and go to the docks to check for some new arrivals, he heard the door creak open. Turning around, he noticed two women entering the tavern. Both of them were barely covered. Does nobody know modesty anymore? While most men would've been hounded to see these two fine specimens entering the tavern, Dan only seemed to care for the fact that they were obviously not just normal people. Did they arrive by boat? Were they his ride out of here?

A single drop of sweat appeared near his temple, slowly budging it's way down his face, as he realized the severeness of the task, but also the impending difficulties he'd have in fitting in with this crew. They looked.. dangerous. He got up, and walked closer to a window, pretending to be looking out of it. From the corner of his eyes, he looked around the tavern, taking extreme notice of the window covers, the single drop of sweat having multiplied into two now, and dripping down even further. Looking down slightly, he swallowed whatever spit he could muster in his mouth, his mouth going dry with anxiety.

“Only one shot.. I got one shot.” the man mumbled to himself, out of earshot of most people. He looked to the side, and rapidly spun around on his feet, grabbing the white window cover in the process. In one single movement he rapidly twirled it around his waist and tied it down, showcasing his art of being mundane and non-assuming. Now that his makeshift apron was tied down, he quickly glanced around the tavern to see if anyone had spotted them, but it seemed like everyone had been preoccupied staring at the shark-lady's bossom and her friend's bossom.

His disguise as a waiter was now in place. Mission goal 1; blend in, success. He glanced at the shark lady and her friend, and made a note of the woman that was serving them. This would be easiest if I could.. get closer and discover where their boat is. He turned around and walked into the kitchen, marching past the bartender as if he belonged here. Nobody seemed to give enough of a damn. He walked right in there, and grabbed a random plate that had a big, juicy piece of meat on it. Would anyone mind if this went missing?

Probably, yes.

Did Dan care?

Not really, no.

He held the plate up high like he'd seen some of the other waiters do, and walked out again, going to the table that the waitress was currently 'serving'. It seemed like she was fulfilling some kind of fangirl function rather than that of a waitress, but Dan was about to set her straight. “Excuse me,” he mumbled when he approached, stepping towards Tabitha, and forcing her to step aside. He looked her dead in the eyes, when he uttered the next phrase. “Boss said that you can take the rest of the day off.”

No he didn't. This was a lie. Tabitha looked at him rather weird, and for a moment it felt like she saw through the disguise, but then she simply smiled and nodded. Dan turned his face towards Samehana, looking her in the eyes. His expression lacked any emotion - not because he was an emotionless killer like some character from a saga that knew no fear, no, because he was genuinely unemotive. “This is on the house. The boss likes women 'like you'. I present you with a juicy steak, produced by the finest cows from this region. It's paired with a nice, rich sauce made from a mixture of basil and a fine mix of fruits. It's a light blend, designed to accentuate the steaks and not overpower it.”

That was all bullshit too. Frankly, if Dan knew that Samehana was a cook, he might've picked a different approach. Now, it was just a gamble as to whether they could discern that Dan wasn't really a waiter. “Ahem. The boss asked where we might find your ship, as we would like to offer a fine meal to your captain too. I could deliver it, right now, if such are your wishes, my lady shark, and my lady.. my lady blonde.” Was it customary to address pirates as my lady? No? Perhaps they would enjoy the special attention they received from Dan, though having known pirates before, it was more likely that they'd laugh at Dan and then slit his throat.

This was, most definitely, the most dangerous ship he'd attempt to board, in his lifetime.

This is not how Jax thought this day would go. At worst he thought it would just be a smash and grab, but no. There had to be these crazy marines showing up with powers that were way more than he had. Which means he had to resort on using his brilliant tactics...he's doomed. Or at least he thought he was until he saw a gorilla flying through the air and hammer what seemed like a giant nail into the ground. That gave him an idea.

If the gorilla wanted to fly so much, why shouldn't Jax make his dreams come true? Anaru also seemed to talk to much and was rather braggadocios when he proclaimed that the pirates won't escape because he was there. Not because of any of the other marines, but because a talking gorilla was here to save the day. Jax appeared behind Anaru, held on to him and teleported all the way up into the sky. He then used his short form teleportation to move his hands all around the gorilla and fired as many shots as he could before getting out of there. He went back to his vantage point to continue to view the battle.

If he had any other openings to do this to any of the enemies, it might be able to give his allies a much needed rest at least for a short amount of time. The man with the scythe and Zepp might be harder to take out with this plan, but if he was able to catch them be surprise it might just work. He also had his secret weapon still available for some high level destruction if that's what it had to come to.

@Renny@RyoRyoRyoken@Lokileo789@BCTheEntity@JmerlRobot@Ira@NachoBachoPacho@dragonmancer

"Hah? Eh..." Freya muttered, put on the spot. Turning to Tabitha, she began, "Well...for starters, try not to die. You won't be able to turn in any bounties that way. And peaking of turning in bounties: get your paperwork sorted out. Nothing worse than when a bounty hunter can't get their earnings immediately: it just gets everyone tired and frustrated pretty. And for that matter never go to Patrol Divisions and think you'll get your money then and there. They don't have enough money for bounties: find a bounty office or Marine Base. Patrol Divisions can get you a voucher which you can redeem elsewhere though, and they'll hold the prisoner, but if you need the cash as soon as possible then don't go whining abo-"

Before she could finish her sudden ranting, Tabitha was shooed away, some other waiter entering the scene, offering them a steak that sounded...admittedly nice, but then again...

"Hah? That sounds like a bribe." Freya realized a bit too late that she wasn't quite right: she wasn't a Marine any more, so there wasn't much point in that. Still, weren't they the customers? Well, I don't really want steak right now..." Finally picking up her menu, her mind throbbed as she tried to wrap her head around the exact request. Something about their captain but he actually wasn't even at the ship? Eyeing a garlic butter salmon with a side of spinach salad, Freya waved her hand, pushing the task of talking to this guy on to Samehana.

@RyoRyoRyoken@Buddha

Drum Island
@Tmitche23

Anaru was expecting an intense fight, that was for sure, but he wasn't expecting giant trees, and teleporting pirates, that was new, and the fact that he was now in the air, getting shot at, while the teleporting pirate escaped, that was also new, and bad, very bad. but that's alright, Anaru had been wanting to test his new ability for a bit, so why not now? Anaru's body tenses up, as his gorilla hair spirals out, and he appears to get absolutely decimated by the gunfire, except in reality, his hair wrapped around the bullets, catching them before they pierced his body.

Anaru fell from the sky, and fast, laughing while he did so. "Your power is quite impressive, you could have been such an asset to the Marines, it is a shame you chose a path of evil. Anaru said to the teleporting pirate, he didn't really know where he was, but that was cool, he didn't need to know too much.

Anaru hit the ground, or uh, tree, with great force, shaking the branches, as he looked around, pondering about what he should do next, and then it hit him. with great force, Anaru grabbed onto a large branch, that could fit several houses on it, bulked up his form with life return, and ripped it off, holding it as if it were some type of club, and laughing like a mad man.