From afar, Haku wasted no time as he inched closer the ship. Avoiding all lines of sight that could’ve given him away.

Fingers found purchase in crevices of the rocks near the ship as he climbed down like a lizard, seemingly sticking to the surface as he edged closer.

All he was doing, was relying on his finger strength and balance to get him past this.

Slow breath came as he was now within jumping distance of the ship, with no one at the crow's nest.

He held his position like a statue, ignoring the slow-burning sensation as his body hung alongside the rocks and water droplets falling off him.

Motionless, still. Haku kept his breath steady, waiting for a single moment

Then it came, lightning struck across the skies, flashing everything and would’ve revealed himself if he had continued moving.

The moment it returned to darkness, Haku thigh muscles twitched and he leaped across to the ship like a tiger towards the ships mast.

In sync, thunderous noise roared following the lightning's path and echoed multiple times.

Because of that, no other pirates realized the smaller thudding noise on their main mast.

Using the momentum, Haku spun once and then twice as he let go, grabbing onto the riggings then quickly dropped down.
Everything happened in less than a few seconds, and he immediately got to work.

Making a knife hand, it blurred towards a pirate that was about to turned towards him and struck his neck. Right at the artillery to slowed the flow of oxygen. Transitioning to a sharp palm slap to the chin, it sent the force right to the brain and shut the consciousness down.

Arms shot forward and he hugged closely to the pirate, spun and laid him down on the ground in one smooth motion to prevent any noise despite the rain. No need to take the risk.

One down. Haku looked to the next target, moving like a ghost. Aiming to disable all of them before binding them.

Those on the top of the deck on watch, came to a weird realization as a precise blow struck on their neck. Severing their consciousness as they went into the deep embrace of sleep.

Once done on top, Haku looked around as he took a small knife, cut the rigging easily before using it to bind them.

A moment later, he moved towards the deck, and kicked the rudder chain off before moving inside.

—

Once inside, he approached more carefully despite the water dripping off him.

It wasn’t too unusual, but it wouldn’t last long.

Eyes scanned around as he forgo stealth and focused on speed by moving through the narrow passage quickly.

So far, it seemed the skeleton crew was all above and busy.

If luck holds, it’ll just be the hostage only. If not-

Hearing something at the edge of his ears, he moved quickly before reaching the door of the cargo hold.

Pressing his ears and extending his sense, the best he can do was feel that there was someone behind it.

No other choice then. Haku pushed the door slowly at first to prevent any sound. Fingers went to the throwing darts attached to his back and switched to the blunt side first

But once it was free, Haku flung it open in a burst of speed.

Eyes swung around the area and his main attention came to the only man standing in the hold.

Hands shot out as his throwing dart was aimed directly at the neck and Haku closed immediately. Aiming to incapacitate the pirate by tackling him to the ground. Hands already ready to throw another dart if needed.

---

Lordian grit his teeth, the cries of his men audible above the winds. He himself had found his foot snagged in a grass woven snare not far from their boat. His caution had slowed his step, but he was not the only one running into trouble. While it had all the makings of a childish prank, it revealed one important fact: they’d been found. By who was the next question, and it wasn’t one Lordian had an answer for. They hadn’t even made it partway to the town: it was the Crumble Pirate’s biggest failure yet.

As Lordian pressed forward, the shouts subsided. “Men, on meh!” he cried several times against the wind, waiting for the follow up. Only one joined him, and the bearded man wasn’t one of his. Burnet moved forward, swinging his staff out. Lordian met it with his sword, the rain shuddering at the clash. Lordian balked, while Burnet remarked, “Oh, you must be the captain.”

Gritting his teeth, Lordian whipped a pistol out. Burnet twisted his arm, smacking the man in the wrist, weapon dropping from his grip. Lordian pulled back his weapon but Burnet stepped in, jabbing him with an elbow. Stumbling backwards, Lordian was doing all he could to gather his footing before Burnet stabbed his staff forward. He could feel a cracking sound throughout his body as some of his ribs went. He felt the ground leave him as he shot backwards, crashing into a tree. Weapons well out of reach, he tried to get up but his whole body roared against him. In seconds, Burnet had the butt of his quarterstaff against his throat. Scenes flashed through his mind. The flames, the screams, the blood; as his hometown, one not so different from this one, was destroyed. On a ship built from the remaining structures, they’d set out. They hadn’t gotten help when they needed it, so they elected never to help anyone but themselves. A snarled erupted from his throat. “We were onlehy tryin’ to live.”

Burnet rapped him on the head. He didn’t have anything to say back. He didn’t know the depths of the man’s pain he got a brief window into through his last expression before unconsciousness, he just knew that the people of this village were trying to do the very same thing.

---

Coriander only barely saw in through her tears, her attention grabbed when Horace yelled out in shot as a dart struck him in the neck. A flash struck him, tackling him to the ground. His sword clattered down, useless, while his other arm was trapped beneath his body. “Haku!” Coriander cried out, tears flowing.

“Bastard!” Horace cried out, mouth stretched as he pushed the word out with all his might, elongating it as long and loudly as possible. The men on deck stopped what they were doing, if not then they would right after when gunshots started to ring out. Horace had pulled the trigger on the gun stuck under his body, and blood spattered on the wood as a bullet tore through.

---

Morgan and Jack moved from the mansion to the mines, boarding the train to do so. The train ride had been most uneventful, only an hour on the mechanical beast as it spewed black smoke into the air, turning the coal into raw momentum. The train was almost empty, not a lot of people were traversing the island in the dead of night. As the train arrived, punctual as always, the two men embarked towards the mines.The air was thick with smog and in the distance one could hear the sound of the refineries that turned the excellent coal of the island into fuel for the factories. As well as the many workshops using the metals imported from the rest of the blue to create arms, tools and other useful items en masse. The factory district was at it’s core the single most important place on Sunstrider. Which made the shares Sunstone held in the mining companies, as well as the factories all the more important.

Leaving the station Morgan and Jack lit each up a smoke. Morgan opened his cigarette case, adorned by his family crest in gold,and picked out a handrolled cigarette which he pressed against his lips and lit with a flick of his thumb, his nail catching fire as discreetly as possible. Jack finished packing his pipe as he produced matches from his pocket, lighting it by rubbing it against his facial hair as he nursed the pipe before taking deep puffs of tobacco. The duo came across a couple of patrols of Striders as well as a small unit of Marines. 14 men in total between the two groups. They noticed a spat held between the two enforcement bodies about jurisdiction. They were out of Solstone so therefore the Baron had no stake in this match.

“THIS IS CLEARLY MARINE TERRITORY”

“LIKE HELL IT IS, BEAT COP. THIS IS OUR SOIL. STRIDER SOIL.”

“OH YEAH?! WHO YOU CALLING A COP, HUH?! WE’RE MARINES. SOLDIERS, GOD DAMNIT!”

“YEAH, SOLDIERS. THIS SURE AIN’T A WARZONE NOW IS IT, IDIOT. GO FETCH A BONE FOR YOUR WORLD GOVERNMENT MASTERS!”

“YOU WANT ME TO MAKE IT INTO A WARZONE, YOU LITTLE SUN-RASH PISSPOT?!”

As Morgan and Jack walked past, they could hear a brawl erupting behind the two units. The two had little love for either Marine or Strider so they ignored the on goings. However, if even the law enforcement stationed out here couldn’t keep peace between themselves, what hope would the opposing union miners have?

Arriving at the locale of the mine, a foreman noticed their approach and rushed at the two. He was a short and portly man with large cheeks and buck teeth. He was clad in a locomotive-driver's hat that was too big for him, the hat almost as tall as himself at roughly 4 feet, the hat drooping into a semi-circle, like a waxing moon, as he waddled up to the two men.

“Oi! Is it da Baron I spot?!” The man bellowed out and Morgan nodded

“If it ain’t my favorite foreman. How are you doing, Smokey?” The man shook his head
“Not good, not good at all lad. Mine’s a mess. The damn triad’s shut us down nice and proper, they have. Well, we shut ourselves down, but it’s because of their foul stenching tactics. They’re squeezing us for every penny we have. And I fear they’re setting up raiders to steal our shipments when they are supposed to leave the district.”

“That’s a… Stern alligation, Smokey.” Jack interjected. Smokey nodded in agreement as he continued pleading his case to the Baron and the former Ashbringer.

“Aye. But what else can one think when the damn trains heading to Sunstone get jacked, but the ones heading to the triad’s turf remain untouched? Six hijacks in two weeks. Our weekly production is down to a quarter of its normal amount. The stockpiles in our fine city will run empty in a week. We took to striking in order to enforce the triad to send guards onto all trains, as it’s their negotiated responsibility to secure the goods going in both directions, as per section 7B of the trade agreement and the most recent negotiations held two years ago. I have the paper here with me somewhere” He said, tapping the pockets of his overalls till he eventually found a paper, his soot-stained hands had left many prints all over the document.

“I know the paragraph well, Smokey. I wrote it.” Morgan confirmed as Smokey shook his head, coal falling out of his hat. “It gets worse, sir. There are men hired to fight our workers, beating up anyone who doesn’t get back to work. They come here every morning and beat the few our our men who show up, at this rate we won’t be able to return to production for weeks before our men have a chance to recover.”

“The triad is sending goons here?” Jack questioned, and Smokey nodded - and shook his head.

“Yes and no. They are pirates, who we are sure are affiliated with the Triad.”

Morgan rubbed his fingers over the bridge of his nose. This sure wasn’t gonna be fun.

Slamming into the man, Haku brought him down into the ground though that’s when things started to go wrong.

For one, he couldn’t get to silence the man in time so when the shout happened longer than expected, all pretense of stealth went out the window.

Second, despite his superior strength, the man struggles was enough that he couldn’t cowed it down.

Third, was the ringing sound and stinging pain in his left leg.

Hissing through clenched teeth, Haku raised his arms and slammed it down on the throat with a hammer blow. Hearing gurgled sounds, he rained more blows towards the temple of the pirate's head.

Switching around, Haku swiftly moved upwards until he was in the dominant position and finally, he reoriented himself and managed to land to a clean hit that knocked the pirates out.

The body slacked under him, prompting him to stop for a second as he waited for any signs that this was a fake out.

No, no time. Hake swiftly took the mans clothes and tied the arms together tightly, kicked away the sword and smoking pistol.

That’s when he finally looked down to his leg and the red stain formed into a line.

He forced his breathing to be level, and assess it with all the focus. It was bleeding but not deep enough, not any veins nor bones.

Perhaps it was the cold rainwater seeping in, but he shivered more than expected as he tore part of his sleeves and quickly bound the wound. Once done, Haku looked to the sides for the hostage.

“Cori-Are you okay?” He froze for a moment when he recognized who it was and muttered before silencing himself. No need for her to know who it was as he quickly untie her binding.

Haku certainly prayed and thank the heavens above that he decided to investigate the tracks closer. Otherwise, who knows what would’ve happened.

“We need to leave.” If the scream hadn’t alerted the pirates, the gunshot certainly did as he quickly armed himself with more throwing darts and a short knife in hand. He tested his legs and felt it flexed as he ignored the tinge of pain.

Moving forward and taking point, Haku glanced backwards often to check if Coriander was close to him.

This was truly going to be hard, as he prepared himself the moment one of the pirates came down. His hand blurred and a dart slammed into one of their temple head on, leaving them outcold.

He placed himself forward and knife ready to intercept anything, even bullets as his senses extended to the limit.

Haku charged forward and then tossed another few darts as more came in, distracting them or hitting them dead on.

A second later, he was in their ranks and taking them down swiftly.

One punch to disorient, and single slice to the tendons. Not deep enough to cripple permanently but enough for months of healing.

His leg sweeped to the sides, taking one off balance and using his shoulder to charged into them. Forcing the man into another and tumbling the two down as he snapped his foot to their chins.

Don’t stop the flow. He muttered to himself as he moved forward to the next, giving the enemy time to think allows them to regain the pace and overturn it.

So with that Haku continued fighting as he reached the top of the deck, rain splashing and pouring down incessantly that it was like a curtain of water.

He scanned around the place quickly for more threat, seeing if there are any others before motioning for Coriander to follow.

---

Coriander cowered as Horace and Haku scuffled. She’d seen blood before, but it had never been quite like this. With every push and pull of the battle she watched with wide eyes, wincing and flinching as it wore on, until Haku dealt the final blows and disabled the pirate. Binding him before tending to his own wound, Coriander looked between the two, a mixture of relief and dread filling her as she heard footsteps on the ship deck above.

As she was unbound, Haku asked if she was alright, cutting off her name. She gave a nod, words struggling to come to through her lips intact. At first she wondered why he changed the way he addressed her, then she began to wonder why she’d assumed it was Haku. There weren’t many other Marines that she knew of with a similar size and build, and no one in the village was close to her age. Even putting that aside, she knew the answer. It was hope. She wanted to be rescued, and Haku, as distant as he could seem with his innocent misunderstandings and occasionally dodgy answers, was the only one she could think of who could come for her, not that she’d known why. Her hands trembled as they started to leave. She was dry, and the coat was enough for the bowels of the ship. Even though she was as safe as she’d been in the last while, she as still afraid. Holding her hands to try and stop their shaking, she tried to keep her emotions at bay too. She was blessed to have been saved, no matter who or how it happened.

But they weren’t out of the storm yet. As they got close to the exit, the last of the pirates jumped them. Haku dove into the fray while Coriander ducked away, finding cover. She dared not even watch, hoping to be overlooked lest she become a nuisance. A gunshot rang out, matched with the splintering of wood. Coriander let out a shriek. It had already left her mouth when she realized it was a sound she made. Her vision faded, but as the sounds of battle quelled, she came to realize she’d only curled up and shut her eyes tight. It took Haku(?)’s hand on her shoulder to even realize that much. Standing, she nodded as she joined him in their continued escape, rushing down the gangplank and going into the forest. It was some time after they left that Burnet and the Marines would move in, arresting every last one of the Crumble Pirates. Burnet may not have understood what took them out, but they seemed to have a pretty good idea.

The next few minutes were a blur of rain soaked branches and glints of light in the drops. The rushing winds exhausted Coriander by the time the two of them made it back to Tune Town, the town hall building in sight as the storm started to reach its crescendo, light and motion visible through the windows. Turning to her savior, Coriander opened her mouth to offer thanks, but as relief seeped through her, that which she’d been holding back rushed forth. Tears starting to flow, she began to sob, struggling to control herself. Wailing, the first words to come out were not the thanks she knew was necessary, but a cry of, “I was s-so scared! I thought I'd never see anyone ever again!” Horace’s words rang out again. Though they had not come to fruition, they still made her heart ache.

Once the last of pirates was taken down, Haku measured breath seemed to frost over in the cold air as he looked around and weapon raised closely. No mistakes, no chances, and no slip-up was allowed.

A moment of silence passed aside from the last groans and Haku shot back inside before being met with Coriander curled up, with a gentle touch Haku shook her shoulders and quietly.

“It’s alright now. Let’s leave.” Haku said curtly and softly as he held her hand and led the way.

Moving down the gangplank and spying the surroundings, it’ll take too much time to leave while making it back to the town.

Taking a risk, he sheathed his weapon back, turned to Coriander and muttered. “Sorry for this, it’ll be a rough ride but please bear with it.”

Sweeping off her feet into a bridal carry and keeping her head is close to his chest in case of any stray shots from behind. Haku's pace picked up far faster as he sprinted off, nearly skipping across the ground as the woods seemed to blur around her.

With that, the mission was over as Haku eyes spotted some of the pirates had arrested and true enough, he caught sight of Burnet briefly.

While disappointed, Haku nevertheless learned just how difficult things was considering he had everything laid out well but it still nearly failed simply because of one thing he hadn’t expected.

If anything, it simply showed just how green he was.

I’ve a long way to go.

Once they’re close to the town, he finally let Coriander on her own feet and much to his shock since the moment she did, Coriander mind finally caught up and breaks down.

Coming closer, Haku placed a hand on Coriander head.

“There, there. You’re safe now.” Haku consoled her, while not exactly a kid, he found that the gesture always worked. At least for him. “You’re braver than you think.”

“It was also my fault, I wasn’t fast enough.” He trailed behind before looking up to her. “But It’s okay, I’m here.”

“But how did you end up getting caught?” Haku asked curiously.

—

Cadog lit up a pipe as he shook his shoulder before taking a sip from an ill-obtained bottle of rum. The scent alone was overpowering as it was fermented haphazardly and no doubt, would’ve laid normal people or even given them ill side-effects from such a strong volume of alcohol.

Phah, taste like water. He tossed the bottle off the ship as his sailors moved around, collecting the unconscious body of the pirates.

It didn’t take long for them to find and destroy the other smaller supplies outposts hidden around the coves. The rain certainly slowed them down but their ship made the trip well enough.

With a little pride as he looked at the pirates being arrested, it seemed that the boy did well. As to be expected, this was the calmest seas out of everything.

He wondered what was taking him so long as he stepped from the pirate ship and onto dryland despite the rain. For an old seadog like him, it was near second nature at this point.

His eyes then spied onto a former member of the Marines, and he tipped his head at Burnet.

“Ah, so you came. How’s the boy?” Cadog didn’t even tried to hid the fact that he specifically assigned Haku here, after all, it would’ve been obvious and judging by Burnet's looks, he too must’ve figured it out.

---

Burnet slipped his hands into his pockets as Cadog joined his side, the two folks watching the Marines go to work. “Didn’t see him, so that probably means he did exactly what he was supposed to.” Letting out a low sigh, he admitted, “It’s been a while since I did anything resembling service, and I gotta say, I don’t miss it.”

---

The moment Haku’s hand touched her head, Coriander’s distress grew mingled with a fair does of shame. Part of it was from Haku taking some of the blame on himself for something he could not have known about or anticipated, but more than that her feelings were directed at herself. Haku wasn’t far of in age yet he was so strong while she was just a foolish child who gotten in over her head for reasons outside of her control. But she was safe now. She’d been saved. She had God, and Haku to thank for that. Crying was not the proper response.

Aggressively wiping her tears, she sniffled and choked it all back as best she could. Once she was mostly collected, she managed to blubber, “I was j-just in the wrong place at the wrong time.” Starting to head to town hall, she had one last plea. “Can you keep quite about this? I don’t want anyone to worry.” She didn’t wait for an answer, she knew her family was worried, and it was up to him and his Marine unit to properly report anything they deemed. Even if it ended up just being for tonight, Coriander wanted it to be her secret. Entering through those large doors, she greeted the others with a smile on her face as the storm rumbled through the town, a roll of thunder echoing through.

---

Forged by fire, Part I

Morgan and Jack moved from the mansion to the mines, boarding the train to do so. The train ride had been most uneventful, only an hour on the mechanical beast as it spewed black smoke into the air, turning the coal into raw momentum. The train was almost empty, not a lot of people were traversing the island in the dead of night. As the train arrived, punctual as always, the two men embarked towards the mines.The air was thick with smog and in the distance one could hear the sound of the refineries that turned the excellent coal of the island into fuel for the factories. As well as the many workshops using the metals imported from the rest of the blue to create arms, tools and other useful items en masse. The factory district was at it’s core the single most important place on Sunstrider. Which made the shares Sunstone held in the mining companies, as well as the factories all the more important.

Leaving the station Morgan and Jack lit each up a smoke. Morgan opened his cigarette case, adorned by his family crest in gold,and picked out a handrolled cigarette which he pressed against his lips and lit with a flick of his thumb, his nail catching fire as discreetly as possible. Jack finished packing his pipe as he produced matches from his pocket, lighting it by rubbing it against his facial hair as he nursed the pipe before taking deep puffs of tobacco. The duo came across a couple of patrols of Striders as well as a small unit of Marines. 14 men in total between the two groups. They noticed a spat held between the two enforcement bodies about jurisdiction. They were out of Solstone so therefore the Baron had no stake in this match.

“THIS IS CLEARLY MARINE TERRITORY”

“LIKE HELL IT IS, BEAT COP. THIS IS OUR SOIL. STRIDER SOIL.”

“OH YEAH?! WHO YOU CALLING A COP, HUH?! WE’RE MARINES. SOLDIERS, GOD DAMNIT!”

“YEAH, SOLDIERS. THIS SURE AIN’T A WARZONE NOW IS IT, IDIOT. GO FETCH A BONE FOR YOUR WORLD GOVERNMENT MASTERS!”

“YOU WANT ME TO MAKE IT INTO A WARZONE, YOU LITTLE SUN-RASH PISSPOT?!”

As Morgan and Jack walked past, they could hear a brawl erupting behind the two units. The two had little love for either Marine or Strider so they ignored the on goings. However, if even the law enforcement stationed out here couldn’t keep peace between themselves, what hope would the opposing union miners have?

Arriving at the locale of the mine, a foreman noticed their approach and rushed at the two. He was a short and portly man with large cheeks and buck teeth. He was clad in a locomotive-driver's hat that was too big for him, the hat almost as tall as himself at roughly 4 feet, the hat drooping into a semi-circle, like a waxing moon, as he waddled up to the two men.

“Oi! Is it da Baron I spot?!” The man bellowed out and Morgan nodded

“If it ain’t my favorite foreman. How are you doing, Smokey?” The man shook his head
“Not good, not good at all lad. Mine’s a mess. The damn triad’s shut us down nice and proper, they have. Well, we shut ourselves down, but it’s because of their foul stenching tactics. They’re squeezing us for every penny we have. And I fear they’re setting up raiders to steal our shipments when they are supposed to leave the district.”

“That’s a… Stern alligation, Smokey.” Jack interjected. Smokey nodded in agreement as he continued pleading his case to the Baron and the former Ashbringer.

“Aye. But what else can one think when the damn trains heading to Sunstone get jacked, but the ones heading to the triad’s turf remain untouched? Six hijacks in two weeks. Our weekly production is down to a quarter of its normal amount. The stockpiles in our fine city will run empty in a week. We took to striking in order to enforce the triad to send guards onto all trains, as it’s their negotiated responsibility to secure the goods going in both directions, as per section 7B of the trade agreement and the most recent negotiations held two years ago. I have the paper here with me somewhere” He said, tapping the pockets of his overalls till he eventually found a paper, his soot-stained hands had left many prints all over the document.

“I know the paragraph well, Smokey. I wrote it.” Morgan confirmed as Smokey shook his head, coal falling out of his hat. “It gets worse, sir. There are men hired to fight our workers, beating up anyone who doesn’t get back to work. They come here every morning and beat the few our our men who show up, at this rate we won’t be able to return to production for weeks before our men have a chance to recover.”

“The triad is sending goons here?” Jack questioned, and Smokey nodded - and shook his head.

“Yes and no. They are pirates, who we are sure are affiliated with the Triad.”

Morgan rubbed his fingers over the bridge of his nose. This sure wasn’t gonna be fun.

Cadog harrumphed before taking another swig of his rum and offered it to Burnet.

“Work like this are tireless and endless, but it’s my seas,” Cadog said as he took a puff from his smoke pipe. “And I’ll be darn before I let a single pirate get their way.”

“But the boy should’ve been here now.” He mentioned off-handedly, wondering what’s taking Haku so long. Was there an unexpected complication?

Thinking on it, perhaps there was. After all, the original plan was Burnet was the last safety net and if he’s here…

Sighing, Cadog twirled the smoke pipe in his hands. “Ach, well, that boy has a long way to go.”

“You should also get back into shape, Burnet. If only for the piece of mind.” He commented with a wave of his hand, peaceful and weak as the seas was. Danger always struck when it’s least expected. “Or an apprentice.”

“Eitherways, the Marines' doors are always open and we certainly could use more recruits.”

—

“...Understood, take care alright.” Haku muttered after seeing Coriander resolve.

He doubt she’ll be fine but if that’s her decision, then he’ll respect it but he wasn’t about to sit back and do nothing if he could help it.

Seeing the whole situation however, he briefly wondered if Coriander was born under an unlucky star to have something like that happen to her at the worse possible moment.

As he see her off and disappearing into the town hall, Haku quickly went back into the forest for an inspection.

There’s no telling if there are any more stragglers, even with the traps and Burnet together.

One question however lingered in his mind as he briefly checked himself.

He had his mask on, his clothing, down to even the sound and hairstyle was at complete odds. Not unless someone from Wano recognized the style.

So how did Coriander even knew it was him right from the get-go? Idly, Haku sniffed himself whether it was the scent that gave it away.

Something to consider. That thought flashed as he quickly made his way to the pirates cove.

—

Just as Cadog finished his words, Haku appeared from the shadows, landing on his knees and head bowed towards Cadog as the shades of trees and rocky outcrops masked him from others.

The latter noticed Burnet still next to him but continued nevertheless, from other perspectives, it was simply Cadog and Burnet having a long conversation.

“Sloppy work, I expected better of you.”

“Apologies, there were…complications. A young girl named Coriander was kidnapped and I had to adjust my plan.” Haku added and raised his head at that, showing his face mask markings. “She’s safe.”

“Hmph, Burnet here had to clean your mess.” Cadog said before his gaze maintained for a moment longer. “You also let them get a shot off? For shame.”

“I have no excuses.” Haku lowered his head in shame at that as the clothing had a thin red line of dried blood. He lost his cool and in the moment, had allowed himself to be grazed.

“Practice your observation more, even in combat. You’re still relying too much on your natural senses.”

“Understood.”

Cadog rummaged underneath his coat, digging for a moment before tossing a small roll of bandage to Haku. The latter caught it without looking.

“Fix yourself up, and take a rest to reflect on your mistake.” Cadog said and moved out, leaving Haku with Burnet for a bit.

“Sorry for troubling you.” Haku replied.

---

Putting his hand up at Cadog’s alcoholic offering, Burnet said, “Peace of mind is all we can hope for.” He didn’t directly respond to Cadog’s remarks, his mind going to Peppermint. He prayed for a world where she didn’t have to fight, but it was a small candle in the darkness. Today showed him that even if it wasn’t very likely, it was far from impossible. They’d been lucky, but they weren’t going to stay lucky in these turbulent times.

---

Shoes and socks squashing as she sloshed her way over to her family, Coriander greeted them with a casual wave.

“Coriander, where the hell have you been?” Marjoram blurted out.

“Language dear,” Hyssop whispered, Rue and Peppermint looking on with wide eyes.

Marjoram bit her lip. “Where the heck have you been? Did Burnet find you?”

“Oh gosh, is he still looking for me?” Coriander gasped as she sat down, removing some of her soaked overclothes. “I’m sorry, I feel asleep at the house!”

Marjoram gawked. “In this storm? You’re amazing, I swear.” Coriander gave a smile as she sheepishly patted the back of her head. “That wasn’t a compliment. And you’re soaked!”

“It’s coming down really hard out there! And I’m starving, what’s there to eat?”

“Ah.” Rue had her mouth open. “You’re crying!”

Coriander gave a blank look, before wiping at her face. “Really? I think it’s just the rain.” She didn’t invite any more suspicion after that. The next couple of hours were full of the light antics she’d always loved and some rather bland rations. And she didn’t want it any other day.

@Pacifista




For the few hours, Haku went and took a break. Cleaning himself and dressing his wounds as he sat in the marines bunk where countless others of the crew rested. Currently he was the few allowed in as he sat in his hammock, swinging with gentle waves.

After a bit, he woke up, get himself cleaned and dressed in the Marine’s cabin boy uniform as he went to perform his duties by cleaning the deck with a mop.

It didn’t take long as he was done, where the vice-captain addressed.

“Hey Haku, we’ll be departing in the evening. The Captain wants you to go and take a look around before we leave,” Then the vice-captain leaned forwards and also added as he passed him some belis secretly. “Also, if you see some tobacco, tea and coffee on offer, help out a buddy and buy them up.”

“Yes, sir.” Haku smiled at that, earning a slap on the shoulders as the vice-captain quickly returned to his duties.

Leaving the ship, he wandered around looking for the items to purchase first. Checking the places that he needs to get what the Vice-captain ordered.

And if he could, check on Coriander as well.

Oh yes, that peppermint girl too. He recalled as he moved to find Burnet quickly.

It didn’t take too long as he finally reached him, unless Coriander or someone he knew appeared in his path.

---

”Ha! Ha! Ha!”

“You don’t have to be so loud you know.”

“But I’m showing my spirit!”

“Trust me kid, I know you’ve got plenty.”

“Hey, it’s Haku!” “Huh? Who’s Haku?” “That girl over there?” “That’s not a girl…”

Turning her head to see, Peppermint lit up when Haku strolled by Burnet’s home. The older man sat on his stoop, a gaggle of kids hanging around and watching their friend go through a routine.

“Was wonderin’ if you were going to show up,” Burnet noted. Peppermint couldn’t contain herself, hopping lightly. “Cori’s out looking for you, probably, but she’ll come back around eventually.” He looked over to his protegee. “Hey shortstuff, you want to show him what you’ve got?” Peppermint nodded hard, losing balance from the bouncing and taking a small tumble before recovering her stance. “Er, don’t let appearances fool you. She can give you a run for your money if you take her lightly. How do you wanna do this?”

@Pacifista




“Good afternoon, Si-Mr. Burnet.” He corrected himself midway, before looking at the young girl Peppermint.

From a glance, she looks off-balanced, but his instinct says she was also much more.

“Well, let’s start simple.” Haku looked around before sighting a short stool for him. He then brought it over at Burnet permission before sitting down on it. “Try lifting the stool up with me on it.”

If Burnet said she can give him a run, then it stands to see at least how strong physically she is first and still fresh. He weighed just below an average adult due to his stature anyways, so it was the perfect test.

Once getting Peppermint strength, he then held his open hands out and nodded to her. “Now, it’s a test of speed. Just strike my open hands, I won’t retaliate or move them too much.”

Letting himself be a sandbag, he strengthened his palms with some Ryuo. Just in case.

---

---

Sleep did not come for Maxwell. Too much was running through his mind to rest enough to fall into a slumber. Anton’s words ran through his head over and over. What choice did Max have? He was too physically weak to fight against Anton let alone any of his men. It made sense that Anton would want his hands on Maxwell, after all being able to speak directly to various animals was likely advantageous for Anton’s trade.

Eventually, though his barred window, Max could see the sun rising. He paced the room like a caged animal. He felt useless, he was useless. If only he had done what he was told and not left. He wouldn’t be in this situation. At least with Brutos he knew what he was getting, Anton was a wild card. Was he as cruel as Brutos made him out to be? Was his politeness the night before only an act to get Maxwell to drop his guard or was Anton actually a better option than the fishman? Only time would tell, he supposed. Little thought was required to make a decision.

It felt like ages before he heard the lock click and the door opened. He looked over to see Anton standing in the open doorway. “So I assume you made the smart decision. Are we doing this the easy way or the hard way?” There was an unsettlingly gentle smile on the older man’s face that made Maxwell shrink backward briefly.

“Easy.” The younger male replied after regaining some of his nerve. Anton’s smile turned from unsettlinging to genuinely happy as Max spoke.

“Perfect, excellent choice. It will make everything so much more pleasant.” He motioned for Maxwell to exit the room. “Let's get you some breakfast, introduce you to some people and get you a change of clothes. We have about a week or so before your Shark friend comes back to the island, so plenty of time to see why working for me is so much better. Not to mention your skill set fits my line of work better anyway.” Anton seemed almost too excited to get started.

After a set of plain clothes was tossed at Maxwell and he had changed into them he was brought to a rather large room. A meeting room of sorts? No, it seemed to be one big dining room. With chairs filled with people Max obviously didn’t know. Anton, who had been excitedly leading the smaller male around, made a huge sweeping motion to the people in the room.

“Maxwell, meet everyone, well, the higher everyone, there are a bunch of lower level nobodies also but these are the important people.” After which Anton motioned to Max, “Everyone this is Maxwell, The Fish’s former greatest asset.” There was a gloating tone behind the man’s voice.

Max looked over the maybe fifteen people in the room, all ranging in age, and what appeared to be background. His eyes looked over every face that was turned to look at him, some with interest, others with disgust, many with something in between.

“I will get to names later for now all you need to know is these are my inner circle. The people who make moves within my operation, from acquisitions, to sales, even rumors since that is a huge trade here. Please take a seat.” Anton motioned to a seat nearest the end of the table where Anton himself clearly sat. Everyone still stared at the two of them as they made their way to the seats.

Max noted that none of the people in these seats were the men who had gathered him. He wanted to relax but he couldn’t. His thoughts kept going to potential outs and how Brutus would react when he got back. Not to mention he still wasn’t sure this nice guy version of Anton was the real one. Nobody got to the spot he was by being nice. But for now he would wait, there would be a time to worry about all that later. For now he would listen, gather information, and wait. All things he was very good at.

---

The shift from tourist trap to the more serious buildings of the temple district of Phoenix Beach had the normally bouncy Rico left with a stiffer gait as he walked in step behind. The open spaces were more dominated by heavy stone buildings, sun let onto the roads in part by large glass windows and apses, one or two workers rappelling up and down with water and rags to wipe them down. Colored banners were string from point to point, each slightly transparent and casting their tinted shade down. Rico may or may not have bumped into his guide a couple times while his sights were on the skies, not even noticing the waterways running by the walkways under small bridges.

Soon they crossed a small park with a number of benches, a few men in bright suits or other formal wear enjoying a lunch break. Going up a huge stairway to the large temple, though the stone of the interior was only one color, the furnishings were no less vibrant than the outside. Potted plants dotted the halls, almost making the inside feel more like an outside then the path Rico just walked. They reached a large door, his guide poking his head in and calling. “Bossmans, I brought the kid.” Stepping back, he threw the door open, allowing Rico to step in.

Walking inside the mostly empty room of the lower temple, ornately detailed, the bronze, copper and gold melting together into wonderful shapes, each screaming of the richest, both in money and in culture that stood at the rood of this proud kingdom. A man sat on a chair in the back of the room, built almost as a throne, yet also like an altar. It was up a few steps of stairs. It was clear it wasn’t built for a king, but rather for a spiritual leader, like a priest, a place to preach.

“Come on in, my young boy. Confess your sins, be cleansed in the divine fire of the sun’s ever loving grace.” the man in the seat spoke, his voice booming, almost larger than life. For a couple of seconds, his voice hung in the air, until a mad cackling would replace it “FIFIFIFIFIFIFIFIFIFI Could you IMAGINE?! If I sounded like that?! WOW, what a stuck up he is, that brother of mine!” He leapt out of the chair, suddenly sliding down the short railing, appearing next to Rico, and then suddenly, also appearing on the other side, and once Rico looked back up at the seat, there he was, still sitting. The guard who had let Rico in put a palm to his face. “Ah, shit. Boss is out. Every time.” He said, as one of the triplets, waved him off. The door closed. Leaving the four men alone. Rico’s eyes glanced between the three Trenders, mouth agape.

“I have a business proposition for you, I believe. But, before I can bring my offer to your proverbial table. You are a pirate, yes? One who goes against the law, breaks the natural order of things? Do you believe in pillaging? Stealing? Killing? OOhhh, so exciting!” one of them talked, as the other one on his side spun, gleefully, the jewelry that adorned their hands became seemingly ever more apparent, as if the golden rings, chains, bracelets and so on were blooming out of their bodies.

“Pirates value very little in this world. But as you can see, I have that which all pirates value, gold. In order to be paid handsomely, well, I only ask one thing of you…” He cooed from up in the seat, as he stood up.

“I am so fucking confused right now.”

“Dodge!” All three shouted in unison, as all three of them produced knives from their sleeves, the two on his side cutting down at him, and the one above throwing one knife, yet three knives came at Rico. Gritting his teeth, he caught the two incoming arms. “Do I have to?” Rico’s last words were marked by his exertion as he used the two arms of the Trenders to hoist himself up, knives stabbing into the ground where he stood. Landing back down, he raised his pointer fingers, each of them transformed into a small firework, fizzing as it was ready to fire off. “Because I really don’t have to.” The two twins caught one knife each, the third landing in front of Rico’s foot.

Fenix on the top started snickering as the boy parried his attacks, his two triples did the same. “FIFIFIFI My oh MY do you have some moves, young man! I heard you beat up those filthy, ugly, stinky Triad bastards who were trying to set up on our turf earlier today. Well done. Are you truly a pirate? Or a mere mercenary? A hitman? You here on a whack job?” He was clearly excited at the prospect, pondering Rico’s intentions, sizing the pirate up.

Jabbing his thumb at his own chest, Rico boasted, “I’m Rico, Captain of the Inferno Pirates! We don’t have a ship yet, and my one crewmate…nevermind.”

“I’m a businessman, myself. And business, well, it’s all about rolling with the punches.” The one on Rico’s side spoke, pulling the knife out of the floor, and putting it back into a sheet under his suit jacket. The other one did the same, while also making sure to comb his hair.

“And I believe you seem perfectly fit for dealing some punches. I have a job for someone with your talents, in this cut throat world of shady dealings and illegitimate claims. Ensuring business goes smoothly is all about safeguarding investments, and that’s exactly what I need you to do for me. Secure an investment I have made.” The one who was currently combing his hair spoke, the other two once again started giggling. “FIFIFIFI”

Rico crossed his arms, bowing his head as his face focused in thought. His face flitted between frustration, pain, and regret, before he pointed a finger out. “Maybe! I’m wacky but I’m not gonna whack anyone. And I want safe passage to Shuffle Island in exchange, I won’t take anything less. But if you put words that are too small to read on your contract I’m gonna punch you in the face, cool?”

“He’s gonna punch me in the face? You guys hear this? FIFIFIFI” The one on his side cackled, the other two joining. “Doesn’t even want money, huh? Just safe passage? Yeah, I’ll get you onto a cargo ship, no problem. You like fine silks, kid?” Fenix, now sitting back at the altar spoke. “Inferno Pirates… No crew and no ship? That’s certainly a gutsy move. You know what. Screw the cargo ship. I’ll secure your very own vessel if you do my bidding-”

“It is after all a very important job.” The other one spoke, the third one drafting something, turned around with a quill and a piece of paper.

“There’s been several attempts on a very important individual's life on this island. Our dear, dear prince Aztec has been the victim of professional killers, so far, he’s barely managed to stay alive. But, the rascal uses his regal authority to prevent any of us statesmen from officially policing his safety. Hands are tied, he’s gonna get killed by one of the many, many assassins that are coming for him. Unless you, young Rico, decide to save him.” As he finished speaking, the one to Rico’s side that had been writing on a paper, which he had curled up four or five of into balls and tossed aside while cursing and chuckling under his breath. Finally, he turned around, a grin on his face.

“Here’s a suitable contract, Pirate.”, he had written in as big letters as possible ‘Rico save Prince, Rico Get passage & boat. Signed ___ Signed Chairman Fenix’, his finger tapped where Rico was supposed to sign his signature.

The young man glanced it over. “If you screw me over I’m gonna get my good buddy Wicc and we’re going to have problems Mr. Man, Mann, and Manny.” Through the bellyaching Rico took the quill and roughly scrawled his name down. “That’s the second prince I’ll meet this week! What now?”

“We’re the Fenix Triplets, by the way. We run this city, and make sure things go smoothly, no business that goes awry. Your job is to ensure that well, our investments in prince Aztec do not go to waste. I’ve received information that he is around on Phoenix Beach, but knowing him, he’ll travel all over the island, you shall have to find him. He’s easy to spot. Just follow the sound of chaos.” Fenix spoke, his two twins were nowhere to be seen anymore, only the guy remaining in the seat. Rico, eyes wide again, looked to where the other two were, not spotting anything close to any of the exits.

Scratching his head, he remarked, “Well, that’s annoying but I’ll figure it out. I’m loud and obnoxious so if you need to find me you’ll figure it out. Later!” With a wave of his hand, Rico retraced his steps, getting outside in short order and letting out a long sigh. “Man, is anyone in this town normal? [Rico, Captain of the Inferno Pirates, Local Weirdo]

---

---

Annabelle figured spending the next day hiding out in her hotel room was the best course of action. She had opened her window to let Jazz come and go as he pleased, though the bird seemed content to remain in the room with her, excluding a few quick trips to the drop off spot where she was to get paid to deliver the payment that had been left for her from her job the day before. She very carefully counted the money she had been paid making sure it was all there, a sense of relief when she finished counting and it was all there plus a little extra for a “clean job”. She was a step closer to where she thought she would need to be if she were to hire the number of men she was convinced she needed to take out The Tyrant. She was sure more jobs would be coming her way. This place seemed to have its own issues and political struggles. Underhanded politicians were her favorite clients. Quick to pay to get their problems out of their way by any means that would keep their hands the cleanest.

After spending some time in her room she found herself quickly growing bored, it seemed staying hidden was only something she could manage for a few hours before she got antsy, especially considering she had spent several hours yesterday already sitting in one place staring down the barrel of her riffle which was now hidden under her bed with the rest of her gear. Stretching as she stood up she headed to the lower part of the Inn she was staying in to ask the closet employee where she might find something interesting to do. As she kind of expected she was pointed toward the various tourist things in Phoenix Beach. She had intended on avoiding the more touristy things on the island but decided it was better than nothing. Plus it might be a little suspicious if she didn’t at least check out that part of the island, after all, it was her first time here.

One trip to Phoenix Beach later she found herself in the midst of various tourist traps designed to get people to spend money. If the red head was going to fit in she would have to spend at least a little but she still needed to be careful. Other than the festival a few weeks ago she hadn’t really done anything fun and let loose, not that she was the “let loose” type of person.

Eventually Annabelle found herself in front of a street food vendor, her stomach growling as she realized she hadn’t eaten yet that day. She has been so focused on other things and she had forgotten to eat a proper meal. So she got herself a variety of finger foods and found herself strolling the streets aimlessly. The streets were still decently crowded, which she wasn’t all that surprised by.

Annabelle heard a familiar caw in a tree near her. She turned her head to see Jazz perched on a branch staring at her. She looked from the bird to the meat on a stick she had, then back to the bird. “Get your own.” She muttered as the bird cawed at her once more. “Shoo, go get your own food.” She swatted the air in the direction the bird was perched, getting a few looks from the people near her. She pointedly put the rest of the food in her mouth and walked away. Jazz cawed at her once more and then she heard the sound of wings flapping. Annabelle knew the bird wouldn’t go far but she did hope that he would keep his distance. She didn’t need to be spotted with this very distinct bird at the moment. Not when marines and who knows who else saw him the other night at the incident at the docks was likely still searching for the bird’s companion. Better safe than sorry. So she continued her wandering aimlessly. This was at least better than being holed up in her room the rest of the day, and tomorrow she hoped she would have significantly more money comming her way. The prospect of more jobs made her smirk a little as she walked.

@Pacifista




As Peppermint held up her fists, expression focused, Burnet’s jaw dropped. Unable to perceive Haku’s haki, he feared that the prior test hadn’t quite established Peppermints upper limits. Even aside from their skirmishes, he’d seen the door to Tacet City that she’d deflected on her own. Worse yet, Burnet had been teaching Peppermint proper punching form, and while she was still a novice, she wasn’t without experience either. Without an ounce of malice behind it, her fist launched forward.

Here it comes. Haku readied, and adjusted his balance to one side out of habit in taking hits.

And outright felt his hand blasted to the sides so fast from impact that he rolled backwards into the ground twice to bleed off the momentum before rolling back to his feet. Burnet had shot up, and the onlookers gaped while Peppermint held up her hands, fearful. Haku’s eyes wide and shocked as he looked at Peppermint. Testing his hands by rapidly clutching and unclutching it revealed it was numb.

He shared a glance to Burnet and realized just how strong she was.

“Apologies, I took it lightly.”

Dropping all previously held notions, he took it much more seriously as he took a lower stance and hands raised, haki coating his arms fully.

“Please, continue.” Haku quietly said, much more prepared this time.

Peppermint raised her fists, but they trembled lightly, but then she met Haku’s eyes, taking in his resolve and gaining her own. Planting her feet, she gave another blow.

This time, he shifted in tandem at the point of blow. Absorbing all the blow and dispersing it. Yet he can still feel the impact down to his bones, experience and intuition allowing him to start taking most blows.

On and on, he took it until he finally called it.

“Alright, I understand now.” He shook both hands, feeling slightly numb in his arms. Feeling sweat falling down his forehead. “I can see the potential, she’s certainly above average.” A look of befuddlement crossed Burnet’s face before fading.

For Wano standards, even he wasn’t that strong at her age. If she was to become a marine, it’ll be a great way for her to reach her potential.

“Captain Cadog will like to see her, she might even be sent to Central and trained there.” He added, more for Burnet than Peppermint. “But she’ll be going alone.”

A mix of emotions passed over Peppermint’s face. Joy, anxiety, excitement, fear, sadness. As she processed, there was an outcry from the sidelines. “What?” “She’s gonna leave?” “I don’t want Peppermint to leave!”

Cassia began to cry but Burnet raised a hand, silencing them (mostly). Putting a hand on Peppermint’s shoulder, she started to calm down.
“Hey! What’s happin-” came a voice from the path. Coriander stopped as she felt the gravity of the situation.
“Glad to hear your opinion before we see Cadog. It’s a big decision though, so I hope you don’t mind a little wait before she makes her choice.”

“Of course, I understand.” He said before looking at Peppermint. “I too, left my hometown behind. Far away.”

“It’s scary and lonely. And also asked to do things we’ll never like.” Haku continued before squatting down to Peppermint level, letting her know the reality of what she’ll face. Nevermind the rigorous training, chance of dying and immense dangers of the sea. “But that’s the life of a Marine.”

“If you really want to become a Marine, you have time. Don’t worry, and just think on it. Mr. Burnet is more than willing to help.” He ended before patting her head gently before standing up. “You’re a lot further than me at your age.” Peppermint had a pensive look, but gave a slow bow of her head.

Haku gave Burnet one last nod before noticing Coriander standing there awkwardly, just the person he was looking for.

“Hey, Mr. Burnet wanted me to check Peppermint potential. She got plenty of it.” He laughed before showing his hand before moving alongside her. “But the rest is up to her.”

“And…How are you?” Haku asked, this one being more personal.

Coriander looked back to the others, Peppermint going back to the other kids, before turning her focus on Haku. “Everything’s calmed down now that the storm is gone, so I’ve been good.” Bowing her stance slightly, she bounced a few steps to the side, shifting her stance a bit so that she was facing away from everyone but Haku. A bright smile beamed from her face. She mouthed the words, but no sound came out. Thanks. To. You. Leaving it at that, she gave another grin before bounding off, a spring in her step.

“...Very well.” Haku said with his own bow. “We’ll be departing soon.”

He looked at Coriander for a long moment, feeling a slight tug on his heart. A moment of hesitation came as he dragged his feet but continued onwards away.

His eyes also lingered on Peppermint and patted her head before leaving. Hands waving at the children without turning his back. “Do your best.”

So that’s how people with childhood friends are. His mind searched back for someone liked that before reaching a blank.

Right, he was the direct family and heir. Only servants and warriors was assigned to look after him.

Back then, he was fine with it but now…

It was so precious.

He shared one last look with Mr. Burnet and nodded. “Stay safe and thank you.”

The journey back didn’t take long, and after passing the items to the quartermaster alongside all requested item. Their ship, Kirin, unfurl itself and readied for its sail.

“Alright you sea dogs! Set course and full speed!”

“Aye captain!” As one, the crew roared as Haku moved along everyone to catch the wind in their sails. A pleasant after the storm passed.

Even as he held down everything in place. His eyes went to look at the Island, hoping to catch her once more.

For everything.

The Kirin cut through the seas, sending the waves splashing back as its crew moved to the next destination.

---

Fog filled the air, thick like foam, so dense one couldn’t see an inch through it. Only two things crested through it: one was beams of light, reflecting through the water droplets to create an even glow in the dawnlight. The other was the Babylon, a ship of dark gray wood, its sails as deep black. A lone man stood at the prow of the ship behind the figurehead, the angry horse’s mane sculpted like the flames of a Nightmare. A dark coat with gold tassel hung from his shoulders, the reddish-tan skin of his crossed arms poking through. Mid length black hair fluttered in the wind. Behind him, two dozen men were readying themselves for battle, the tension high. Even in the utter lack of visibility, they moved with no hesitation and made no errors, possessing sight beyond sight.

“One minute until the descent, everyone!”

Approaching the man at the prow, another man scratched at his short gold hair, deep tan skin, and the collar of his black leather shirt raised like the hairs on the back of his neck. “Well Cap, any last words to the crew?” said the man with a star shaped piercing in his ear. [Benjamin “Belze” Morningstar, Helmsman of the Abyssal Call]

He was met with a smile. “You know I’ve always been more partial to action over words. Or thinking.” Ben didn’t laugh. The captain’s smile faded. “What, you’re worried? It’s not like we can turn back now and leave Hamel and John high and dry.”

Ben was silent for a moment, before holding his hand up. “You know I’m with you to the end, Captain. Just sad that we might be putting down another ship after we lost the Breeze.” A second later, he gave his hand a wave, and the ship lurched, pointing down, the vessel breaking from the fog, flecks of condensation spraying about, turning to ice in the altitude. The ship appeared above the land of green, trees and grass spread amongst the pure white buildings. But the ship hurtled towards the largest point of note: a massive castle spires serving as the highest constructions in the world. The roads of the city reached to the end of the red landmass, where they gave way to sheer cliffs, only white visible below, blue seas of the lower world too distant to view with one’s eyes for all the air in between.

---

Pangea Castle, Marie Geoise, Red Line – 18 years ago

---

It was a thunder unheard of at the capital of the world, as the Babylon smashed into the highest tower. From all about, slave and God alike were matched as they looked at the unprecedented sight in fear and awe. While slaves wanted to run in fear, the Heavenly Dragons were more like turkeys, unable to even comprehend the happening, their bulbous jaws hung open. But the storm was only beginning. From above the castle, a dark dot descended, a ball and chain behind him. A metal iron ball expanded, its two spikes resembling horns, a jagged jaw open like fangs, two cute round eyes finishing out the face. Air wavering around it, the ball grew beyond the size of even the Abyssal Call flagship. Two horns jutting out of his head and bending to the sky at a right angle, Avalon Duskar glowered as he dropped his weapon, made legend by his own hand, the Death Ball, its maw aiming to devour the great castle. From below, a white dot rocketed upwards, a cutlass coming to bear as the Death Ball made it’s descent. Templar Grand Master Fargos was the first to meet the Devil head on, his blade clashing, Death Ball going wide, smashing into one of the more minor towers and hurtling through the dozen floors between the tip and the foundations in the Red Line. The quake finally put fear into the hearts of the of the Gods, the men and women rallying their defenses and seeking safety, as the rest of the Call began their raid in full.

Fargos, using the chain links of the Death Ball like footholds, kicked himself upwards, his blade reflecting his own long, pale indigo hair and wrinkled face on one side while the other revealed the Devil’s angular features and furrowed brow. The blade seemed to crackle in the air as it made to bite into Avalon’s flesh, but it never made it. Avalon’s fist met Fargos’ cheek, the shape of his face twisting as he was launched, blasting a man sized hole into the castle.

Avalon’s feet reached the roof with a crash. Flicking his wrist, his ball and chain started to shrink in size, though by the time he pulled it back into his hand it was still the size of a wagon. Weapon in one hand, he jabbed his other at the highest window of Pangea Castle, finger stabbing into the heart of Marie Geoise itself. He opened his mouth, and roared words that would echo forevermore:

---

“Tell me, Elders! World Nobles! What are you hiding!? What is in this world you’re looking down on that you’re so afraid of!?” Coriander spoke in a raspy tone, arms raised to the top of the tent, hands twisted like the claws of the Devil. Lowering her gaze to the enraptured children in bedclothes, sitting atop sleeping bags, she turned her claws and fangs on them, cackling.

---

Tent on the Outskirts of Tune Town, Melody Island – Present Day

---

Coriander lunged, the kids screaming and scrambling out of the way. Cassia, small and stuck in the middle, didn’t make it, Coriander’s hands finding his soft sides, forcing him into fits of laughter in her Devilish Tickle Assault of Marie Geobliques.

“No! Stopitstopitstopitahahahaha!” Cassia giggled. Trying to scramble away from Coriander, he begged, “Help me!”

Coriander’s assault stopped as Peppermint slipped in behind her, looping her arms underneath her shoulders and stepping back. Coriander might as well have been strung up from a mainmast, for all her ability to pull herself free. Sorrel, Verbena, and Rue approached, vile grins upon their faces. “No! Not fair, you’re ganging up on me-Bwewheeheeheeheehee, heeheeheEHEEHEE AUGH STOPT AHEEHEE!” The battle was long, but eventually, like all conflicts, it came to an end, the low light from the small lantern strung to the top of the tent near a gap for exhaust stopping its rocking motion.

Their tent a short ways from the town, a bit further out from the church and Ryu Burnet’s home, the kids had all the peace and quiet they’d wanted (and so did the parents). A light breeze was more than enough to keep the kids snug in their bedding rather than wander in the dark, and they were more than happy to play in what ways they could in the cramped space. Through the darkness outside it honestly felt like they were alone in the world.

Everyone slumped back into their spots, catching their breath in the post-war, Coriander went to a paper sack, pulling out pre-sliced loaf of banana bread from her home. “This is the last one, so we’re going to brush our teeth and go to bed soon!”

“Boooooo,” Sorrel moped.

“Tell us more about the Devil!” Rue demanded, taking her chunk of bread.

Cassia whined, “He’s scary…”

“Yeah that’s why he’s cool!” Rue insisted.

“Plus he’s dead,” Verbena insisted.

Cassia shook his head. “No! Coriander and Mother Basil talk about him all the time.” His innocent comment was met with a couple giggles, the reaction clearly flustering him.

Coriander was given pause. “Oh, yeah that is confusing.” Taking a bite, she waiting until she swallowed before she answered. “He’s a pirate right? And pirates are thieves. He stole the name ‘The Devil’ from the Devil, but he’s a human! The worst human ever. But the Devil Devil is like, the worst ever. Like all the evil ever. Does that make sense?” Cassia stared, before shaking his head. “I’ll ask Mother Basil about it later...but don’t let that make you think Avalon isn’t a big deal. God and the Devil don’t physically exist in the world, and they influence it through people. Avalon didn’t have faith, so he became an avatar of the Devil himself, and struck against the Gods.” She raised her hand, floating it along as she mimed the Babylon’s airborne voyage. “He came from above Marie Geoise, putting himself above the Heavenly Dragons, even though he never listened to God himself. That’s why no one answered him when he asked his question. God speaks to you through your faith, so they had nothing to say to the faithless. But his anger tore Marie Geoise asunder. When not even the Heavenly Dragons are safe, no one is. The three Admirals all died or left the Marines after. Hundreds of battleships sailed in and so many didn’t even return. The Templars fought their hardest but still lost a lot of men. The Cardinals were non-combatants and even they got caught in the crossfire. We’re still feeling the effects to this very day. If not for the traitor, he might have even succeeded.” Coriander paused, the reality starting to dawn on her and her alone, as the kids merely watched on, sensing the gravity more through her tone than their understanding. “He struck against the Gods and nearly won, ruining the capital of the world and earning the highest bounty in history. It was the worst thing to ever happen.”

After Coriander finished, nothing moved, bread going uneaten as the kids tried to process her claim. Even she was left contemplating that, taking another bite of her bread.

Sorrel admitted, “Wow, I kinda thought having to go to church was dumb, but you’re actually pretty important, Coriander.”

Cheeks flushing a bit, mouth still full of banana bread, Coriander scratched the back of her head with a sheepish look.

Verbena noted, “My dad talks about the Devil’s Legion a lot though, they keep coming up in the newspaper.”

Peppermint cried, “Those guys are the worst!” Standing up, she punched a fist out in a quick bout of shadowboxing. “If they’re still around when I’m a Marine they better watch out!”

Eyes flashing as they watched for anyone unaware moving in Peppermint’s path, Coriander agreed “You’re telling me!”

A Humid Day of Melody:

Roaring Devils, Silent Dragons

---

Luna ran and ran and ran. She knew her father told her to find her mother, but with the chaos of the warzone the city had turned into and the fact that she knew her mother would be in the thick of it, just like her father, the young half-Mink had no idea where to go. Still, she ran as hard as she could, stopping only to hide from Marine soldiers as they ran past. During those times, she curled up as tightly as she could and covered her ears to block out the screams and cries for mercy as they were cut short by the advancing military. When she ran, she did her best to block it out, but there was only so much she could do.

Several times, she had thought about looking at the full moon, but each time, she forced herself to keep her eyes forward. Her father had trained her, of course, but not only did using it always exhaust her, she was also aware that she had trouble controlling herself. The chance of hurting someone who didn’t deserve it scared her too much. Besides, while she might have been able to take on the rank and file, even she knew she’d be helpless against anyone stronger.

Suddenly, her foot caught on a cracked piece of cobblestone and she fell forward with a yelp, but she didn’t get up right away. The pain of her scraped hands and knees, the sounds of people in far worse pain, the thought that she was losing her family and home…it was too much. The young princess couldn’t stop the wracking sobs that came over her. A couple of hours ago, she was sitting on her father’s lap, listening to stories in the tavern, something she would give absolutely anything to go back to.

Unfortunately, her cries drew the attention of a pair of nearby Marines. Luna’s ear twitched at the sound of their approaching footsteps and she quickly rolled onto her back, scrambling back against the wall of the house next to her. They looked down at her, their rifles in hand. One of them leaned closer to get a better look and muttered, “I’ll be damned. I think this is that Nox brat we’re supposed to be on the lookout for. What’s she doing out here without protection?”

“Who cares?” the other asked. “Let’s take care of her before someone catches up to us.”

The first chuckled and stepped closer, crouching in front of Luna. He took her chin in his hand and turned her head as he suggested, “Now, hang on a second. I’ve heard about this place in the Sabaody Archipelago. We could talk to the captain, take her over there, maybe make a pretty Berry or two. How about–”

The rest of his suggestion never came. Quieter than a whisper, a figure clad in black appeared between the two marines and drove their dagger into the back of the kneeling sailor, between his ribs and directly into his heart. Before the second marine could react, shocked at the sight of the stranger suddenly appearing in front of him, the figure pulled their dagger out of the first and into the throat of the second, their long black braid trailing behind them. Withdrawing it just as quickly, they slowly turned toward Luna, who started to feel her hopes rise.

The figure standing in front of her was a Sicarius, clad in a black bodysuit and silver mask. Under the direct command of Luna’s family, Sicarii were normally called in when the Empire needed a scalpel rather than the hammer of the Legion. As the shadow of the Empire, Sicarii were primarily trained in stealth, espionage, sabotage, and assassination, talents no one would openly admit to having, yet were truthfully indispensable for an empire the size of Nychthemeron.

The Sicarius turned toward Luna, returning their dagger to the sheathe fastened to their thigh, and approached the young princess. Luna was about to move toward the figure, but stopped, her father’s parting words ringing in her head: “Find your mother, don’t trust any soldier or Sicarius.” As the Sicarius knelt before her, Luna slowly rose to her feet, pressing her back against the wall. The Sicarius smiled behind their mask, their silver eyes glittering, and said in a voice very familiar to the young girl, “It’s okay, Luna. You’re safe, now.”

She pulled the mask down to reveal the face of Aurora Nox, her mother.

---

”Mama…” Luna mumbled in her sleep before her eyes fluttered open as the creaking and rocking of the ship greeted her. She rubbed her eyes, then winced as her aches and pains made themselves known. She slowly sat up and turned to look out of a nearby porthole as the late evening sun shone through. The ship had drifted away from the island, most likely to keep the golems from attempting to board again, but remained close enough to keep an eye on the shore.

Luna rose from her bunk and ran her fingers through her hair as she tried to shake off the memories that plagued her sleep. Images of her mother, her smiling face followed by her bloodied body, flashed through her mind and she quickly forced them out of her mind. Instead, she forced herself to focus on what she and her crew were going to do next as she made to go above deck.

While the rest of the crew hurried to and fro on the deck, repairing damage created by the golems and clearing any leftover clay, she found Rufus and the others, along with Josiah, standing around a table brought up from below deck, pouring over a map of the island. Seeing Luna approach, Galen smirked and teased, “Well, the princess decides to grace us with her presence, after all.”

“If that’s how it’s gonna be, I can go back down. Wouldn’t mind some more shuteye,” Luna replied with a chuckle as she joined her friends. “What’s going on?”

“I sent my men back into town to check things out,” Josiah replied, “and from the looks of it, it seems like Low called his men and golems back to the governor’s mansion. Seems like he’s expecting us to go after him, so he’s shoring up his defenses.”

“So, a frontal assault is out of the question,” Rufus added. “We can charge headfirst into the fight, but his men and golems will put us down before we can get within a stone’s throw. The governor’s mansion should have escape tunnels in case of attack, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Low already knows about them. We can assume they’re no good, either.”

“Could try sneaking in,” Galen suggested. “There’s gotta be a broken window or a hole some of us could sneak in through. It doesn’t look like they’ve taken very good care of the place.”

Josiah was already shaking his head. “No good. I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s like wherever Low has his clay, he knows what’s going on. My men say that he’s got his clay all over the place and I can only assume that the inside has even more, so he’d know we’re coming long before we get close.”

It was then that Luna got an idea. “I could probably get in there,” she said. When everyone glanced at her, she continued, “I don’t know if you guys forgot, but the Noxes ran the Sicarius Organization. I’ve got the training, I can get in there. I’d just need you guys to run a distraction. And I’d probably have to do it alone.”

“I don’t know,” Rufus said, “that sounds too dangerous. Having a small team sneak in is bad enough, but making you go in by yourself ?”

Galen sighed and replied, “It is our best shot, though. Most I know about the Sicarii are the stories. If any of them are true, then she’s the only one who can get in. And we all know she can handle herself if things go sideways.”

Rufus was quiet for a long while. He knew they were right, but he couldn’t ignore the bad feeling that was gnawing at his gut. With a sigh, however, he relented. “Alright. If it really is our only option, then there’s no other choice. We’re gonna have to work out one hell of a plan, though.”

---

“What does chaos sound like anyway?” Pocketing a stray peanut into its cheek pouch, the squirrel scampered up the tree out of sight. “Well you’re no help!”

Stopping along the well tread and busy footpaths of Phoenix Beach, Rico started to stray from the busy areas and their merriment and revelry. “Chaos, chaos, chaos...if only Wicc were here, he was a smarty guy.” In his walk he ran into a few folk, and asked for their thoughts.

“Chaos is discord, so it’d be like banging your hands on a piano,” said an older gent.

“Prolly violence, like a fight. Got some money?” a homeless fellow had to say. Rico didn’t need to save his money any more so he gave him a few coins and one of the strawberry flavored candies.

“Well, screaming is a good indicator. I suppose it’s our job to follow the sounds of chaos,” said a Sootstrider. And that gave Rico quite the idea, the boy lighting up.

About 10 minutes later, the Sootstriders were involved in an incident, several of them being called to a tree in between a few of the complexes, some bystanders leaning out of windows to keep tabs on what was going on. Trapped in the tree was an old lady, the woman howling in fear. As they circled about, trying to climb the trunk, a red and green flash hopped in, scooping up the old lady in a flash, carefully dropping down with a cry of, “I’ve gotcha!” Once on the ground, Rico helped her onto a bench, her legs still trembling.

“What are you doing, that was dangerous!”

“Don’t worry guys, I had it, this kind of thing happens all the time.”

“...I don’t think that's true.”

“Sure! You wanted to feel young again, right?” Rico asked. The lady beamed, Rico’s kind understanding like a ray of light in the darkness of black uniformed Sootstriders admonishing her for adding some chaos to their day. She grinned, reaching up to grab his cheek. Rico held it at bay, clarifying, “Okaaaay, but you only get one! Ow.” Rico took the pinch in stride, doing a hard candy exchange before the crowd dispersed.

Finding the Sootstrider from before, Rico asked, “Mind if I pal around with you guys for a bit? I’m looking for, uh, the sound of chaos. Mister...Phenix? Fenix? Phonics? Mister Fred put me on a job to bodyguard the Prince since some guys are comin’ to kill him dead.”

The Sootstrider went pale. “The Trenders? You? That fits with what we've been told recently, but you don’t need to go searching. We know where he is since we’ve been keeping watch at a distance, but engage at your own risk. He’s bound to be more dangerous than any assassin that comes after him.”

Rico held up a hand, unfurling his fingers to reveal a hard candy lodged between each one. “I have a way with people.”