"Dancing and swordplay go hand in hand. Here, allow me to show you."
Personal Information
Name:Vakala Morden
Epithet:Gender:Female
Age:18
Species:Affiliation:Pirate
Profession:Entertainer
Bounty:Dream:Vakala's dream is to see the world in a beautiful light for the first time. However, to truly feel as though she's accomplished this dream, Vakala will have to complete two steps. First, she'll have to rendezvous with the mysterious Skypiean who made her body anew, and properly thank him for saving her life. Second, in order to free her mindscape of nightmares, Vakala must track down and kill Saint Fouquet, the Celestial Dragon that had kept her as a slave and abused her all this time, and whose knife made the cut on her throat that caused her spiral of near-death misfortune to begin with. Only with both of those steps completed can Vakala's dream come to fruition.
Appearance:Standing at 175cm (5' 9"), Vakala is technically taller than the average female, although not to an outstanding degree, and her body has a voluptuous, if all in all bottom-heavy form to it, with a BWH ratio of 29-21-40 if measured in inches and 74-53-102 if measured in centimeters. However, in spite of wielding an amiably thin waistline and what that would suggest, Vakala actually tips the scales at a whopping 122kg (269lbs)! The massive jump in weight is likely due to the Seastone & iron plating that had been installed inside her for her protection. Aside from those curves of hers and her natural tan skin, Vakala's most identifiable features are her ruby red eyes and her shoulder length, faint blonde hair, in which she adorns a single rose to the left side. Her waist, her back, her neck, a minute fraction of an inch above the knees downwards and the entirety of her arms no longer possess skin; in its place is a type of wax that had fused itself with her skin whilst in liquid form, only to take on similar properties and yet feels ever so slightly different to the touch when set.
Personality:Expressionless. Hypnotic lethargy in her voice. A mouth that doesn't move when she speaks. Eyes near as much devoid of life, that only return a cold, blank stare upon meeting her gaze. It really does feel as though Vakala is just a giant life-sized doll as opposed to a proper human being. Perhaps that's all anyone sees in her... or rather, all she sees in herself. Truth be told, this is the heavy chain that despair had wrapped around Vakala's heart; and because of this, Vakala has gotten so used to the darkness all around her that she can't even see the light at the end of the tunnel any more. It's sad, honestly, but those were the cards that were dealt to her in life. That's not something Vakala has the power to change, so it is something that she has learnt to accept.
Vakala does have aspirations though, as well as a dream that provides her reason to live. However, first and foremost, she needs to survive. Every action she takes is based on that prospect of survival, as well as her decisions that regard the people around her. Who to remain loyal to. Who she can trust for the moment. Who she needs to keep her guard up against. She relies heavily on her Observation Haki for all of this, and can't bring herself to put blind faith in a complete stranger who may approach her. That may be the very reason Vakala tends to be so cold and aloof to most everyone at first glance, even though she means no toxicity or ill will as a whole.
Now that she has the means to do combat if need be, Vakala may very well start to develop a sense of justice throughout her journey as a pirate. If she has to fight at all, she'd rather fight honorably, and she'd rather not have to use any dirty tricks if she can help it. She's also a strong believer in the give & take philosophy; as such, she won't be made to steal, and she'll respectfully decline any gifts one may want to bestow upon her, until she can negotiate a way for her to repay such kindness. Vakala will always honor her end of any deal she has agreed to, but she'll expect the very same from the other party. If they decide to neglect that honor on a whim, she can always find a way to make them pay for that transgression, so long as it doesn't threaten her own chances of survival. Vakala may not be an inherently violent person herself, but she has been condition into regarding violence as acceptable punishment for wrongdoing. As such, she'll show no remorse upon killing or maiming an opponent, least of all to those who had proven themselves unjust.
History:Not many people can claim to have been born on the day of a heavy storm. But Vakala Morden is one such person, the sound of rolling thunder burned into her memory of that day. The pregnancy with Vakala had particularly been taxing on her mother, a frail woman who was never fit to reproduce in hindsight. Midway through her pregnancy, the doctors had given Vakala's mother two options; terminate the pregnancy with Vakala right then and there, or die bringing her into the world. Evidently she had chosen the latter.
Without a mother figure to call her own, Vakala spent the vast majority of her life neglected. Her father would spend time out working until very late at night, only to come home drunk, with women or both, and leave early in the morning again. Still, Vakala's father did take the small amount of time he had at home not sleeping to take the girl aside, feed her and quench her thirst for the day, and walk her through what she was allowed to do for the day and what she wasn't. But even then, it was rare for it to take more than ten minutes to relay all these instructions to her and ensure she understood them, and then Vakala would be left all alone again. One night, Vakala woke to an argument that her father had with a dancer he was responsible for managing, which had got physical when she came to investigate. It was here that Vakala finally came to realize the stress her father was under, coming to the conclusion that she was little more than a burden. Unable to bear the gravity of that epiphany, Vakala spent the next day crying in depression.
Vakala had since taught herself how to dance in an alluring manner, in hopes that, once she went through puberty and her assets developed, she could start bringing in some money for herself and her father. Her training had paid off, and she became the star of the show, much to the other dancers' ire. Some of them had tried to demoralize her just because they were jealous of her success, but nothing they said could ever phase her, which would frustrate them even more. Thus, Vakala remained an outcast, with no true place to belong. But it was a step in the right direction if nothing else, so she persevered through her suffering.
Life would ultimately turn for the worse for Vakala, however, upon the arrival of a Celestial Dragon known as Saint Fouquet. Out of all the dancers that danced for him in the quaint little plaza of the town oasis he just happened to make a stop in during his vacation in the West Blue, Vakala was the one that managed to catch Saint Fouquet's attention. Saint Fouquet approached Vakala's father, they made negotiations, and then seconds later, Vakala was officially sold off as a new slave to Saint Fouquet for a cool 1,000,000 Beri. That was the beginning of what would almost be her end, but alas, it didn't stop there. From the moment she boarded Saint Fouquet's personal ship, Vakala was subject to even more conditioning, forced to endure and adapt to Saint Fouquet's cruel and unusual punishment.
The final straw came in the form of Vakala feeling crushed under Saint Fouquet's weight when he'd pinned her down and forced himself on top of her in a sexual manner. Not liking what that might've implied when she told him this, Saint Fouquet pulled out a collapsible knife that he had in one leg pocket and pressed it against Vakala's throat, daring her to "mock him for his obesity again and see what happens". Vakala only had one chance to get out of that deadly situation, and it had presented itself in the form of Saint Fouquet's negligence; while he was careful enough to maintain the pin he had on her arms, he ironically never considered to lock down Vakala's legs. With those free legs and all the might she could summon, Vakala shoved Saint Fouquet off of her, before bolting out into the front deck of the ship and diving into the sea with reckless abandon. It was safe to say that Saint Fouquet was stunned, unable to bring himself to act until long after Vakala vanished from his sight. All he could do was request an investigation from a Marine Admiral.
It would be a surprising thing that Vakala was found alive at all, never mind in the state she in. Her throat had looked to be slashed, most likely because Saint Fouquet put so much pressure on the knife hand that any movement on Vakala's end would make the knife cut into it anyway, and her arms and legs seemed to have been ripped off from her and eaten by Sea Kings that were native to that specific ocean she was ultimately found in. She'd lost consciousness completely, surrounded by a pool of her own blood and left to die afloat.
A hooded stranger of Skypiean origin had found Vakala in this state. He took one look at Saint Fouquet's ship and the Marines that were onboard at the time, before collecting Vakala's body and driving off in his Waver. This stranger had taken Vakala to a warehouse in South Port in which he had access to, set her body down on a table in its basement and set to work on stabilizing her and making her into a cyborg. This took nigh on a full month to complete, all that time in which Vakala remained completely unconscious. His job done, the Skypiean faded into the shadows, but not before leaving a manifesto at Vakala's side, with details of all the modifications he made on Vakala's body and how they worked, and some matches to burn it with after she was done reading it as instructed.
Combat Information
Haki Prowess:Observation: B
Armament: A
Conqueror's: D
Combat Role:Swordsman
Fighting Style:True Four Sword Style: Much like the original Four Sword Style, True Four Sword Style specializes in overwhelming singular opponents, and is at its most effective when the practitioner (Vakala in this case) is on the offensive. However, due to
actually having four swords to defend with if need be, being forced on the backfoot isn't nearly as crippling, as there are plenty of techniques that can be used as a means of recovery. True Four Sword Style can only be used by cyborgs as far as practicality is concerned, since while the human hand is perfectly designed for the use of a sword, the human foot is not. There are also more than a few sub-divisions to the True Four Sword Style as well, since not all four swords are used at the same time most of the time.
- The Ranked Sword Style Sub-Divisions: These indicate which single one of the four swords the practitioner is using, and are effectively One Sword Style techniques that are slightly more telegraphic in nature. First Sword Style uses the sword in the left hand. Second Sword Style uses the sword in the right hand. Third Sword Style uses the sword that takes the place of the practitioner's right leg, and Fourth Sword Style uses the one that takes the place of the left.
- The Dual Sword Style Sub-Divisions: A total of 6 different Sword Style sub-divisions are dedicated for all the different ways the practitioner can use two of the four swords at once. There is Arm Sword Style which uses the swords in both the practitioner's hands. Leg Sword Style does the same for the swords that takes the place of the legs. Left Sword Style uses the swords on the left side of the practitioner's body, and Right Sword Style uses the swords on the right side. The most interesting sub-divisions are Odd Sword Style, which uses the left-hand and right-leg swords, and Even Sword Style which uses the right-hand and left-leg swords.
- The Negare Sword Style Sub-Divisions: Much like First Sword Style, Second Sword Style, Third Sword Style and Fourth Sword Style, Negare First Sword Style, Negare Second Sword Style, Negare Third Sword Style and Negare Fourth Sword Style specifically reference the left hand, right hand, right leg and left leg respectively. However, these four sub-divisions of the True Four Sword Style have a unique correlation with the referenced sword. That is to say, it's not that referenced sword that drives the offensive presence behind a technique of those sub-divisions, but the other three! In truth, the referenced sword is either denied activity for the technique outright in this scenario, or its contribution takes on a supportive function; primarily in the form of anchoring the practitioner while the technique itself is being conducted.
Equipment:- Hatoshika - Nodachi
The Hatoshika is a golden Nodachi that has been equipped with a powerful Thunder Dial, which is capable of sending several million volts through the blade itself once triggered. It comes out from Vakala's left arm extension when withdrawn, and is holstered inside the left side of her body. In a pinch, Vakala can always use the Hatoshika as a lightning rod against electric attacks, as its Thunder Dial will store the electricity inside it before it can surge through the rest of her body.
- Nodokana - Nodachi
The Nodokana gives off an emerald sheen as opposed to a golden one from the Hatoshika, a similar type of sword. It comes out from Vakala's right arm extension when withdrawn, and is holstered inside the right side of her body. Unlike the Hatoshika or the two Twilight Jackhammers, the Nodokana doesn't come with an equipped Dial of any sort. Instead, everything about the Nodokana's construction, from its hilt to the blade itself, had been made from 100% pure Seastone. As such, Devil Fruit users that so much as make the slightest amount of contact with the Nodokana (never mind get struck by it) will not only have their powers nullifed, but their stamina will be completely drained from them as well, to the point that they can't move a muscle.
- Twilight Jackhammers - Urumi
The Twilight Jackhammers are both very unique Urumi that are held securely from inside Vakala's thighs and pelvis, and give off a diamond sheen. They initially take the form of oddly flexible broadswords, but that is just an outer shell; the real "blade" itself is in truth a thin steel whip with a fine point at the very tip, and in battle, its functionality is akin to that of a rapier. Vakala can transform either Twilight Jackhammer from broadsword form, where they prove effective as all-rounder swords but are somewhat heavy, to rapier form for lighter movement and concentrated thrusting power at the cost of the ability to slash, and back again at will. This is all thanks to a Magnet Dial that runs down the blade of each one, and stores a powerful magnetic field that can be deactivated and reactivated to discard the outer shells and reform them respectively. The Twilight Jackhammers also come equipped with a Flash Dial for blinding Vakala's opponents, but she'd rather not have to activate them unless as a last resort.
- False Limb Casings - Sheath
It should be noted that Vakala's arms and legs aren't real. In fact, aside from aesthetic purposes, they serve to keep the four swords she has access to hidden from plain sight, whether they sheath them directly in the case of the leg casings and the Urumi, or simply prevent the tips of the blade from being exposed in the case of the arm casings and the nodachi. Each of these casings are made of iron, and covered in a special wax that takes on skin-like properties when set. The arm and leg casings also each house a multitude of Heat Dials that may trigger when a certain pressure level is reached, quickly heating the metal surfaces to 275oC (527oF). This temperature also just so happens to be the melting point of the special wax that encases them, scalding the skin of any fool that touched Vakala at that time, and exposing the iron underneath. The more pressure is applied, the greater the chance of the Heat Dials triggering. When Vakala holds her arm casings out towards the sky in a certain fashion, both they are her leg casings are automatically jettisoned from her body, and her true arm extensions pop out from their respective sides of her body with a nodachi in tow. Vakala's Urumi are also exposed at this stage.
- Water-Dial-Powered Arm Extensions - Combat Mechanism
Although they're called "arm extensions", these contraptions are in truth housed along their respective sides of Vakala's central body area, and directly sheath their respective nodachi to prevent them from scratching her central organs from the inside when not in use. Once she assumes her combat stance and the arm casings are jettisoned, the arm extensions inside propel themselves out automatically to take their place and withdraw a nodachi alongside them. The arm extensions are powered by Water Dials that fill and absorb water from a myriad of pipes that run along the insides of them. As a result, Vakala can swing these arm extensions, and the nodachi they hold inside, at insane speeds. The hilts of the nodachi are held extremely securely inside the arm extensions themselves, allowing Vakala to put more power into each with one arm than most swordsmen can with two hands.
- Breath Dial Network - Utility Equipment
Vakala has a total of 15 Breath Dials that allow her to fly for a limited amount of time to pursue or escape from enemies faster than one can run. This makes up for her inability to attack from range, by allowing her to engage enemies at close quarters regardless of the terrain that separates them. The mysterious Skypiean's manifesto states that up to 3 of the 15 Breath Dials installed inside Vakala could've been replaced with Jet Dials for a superior burst in acceleration had he had any of them on hand at the time.
- Radio Dial - Utility Equipment
Just behind Vakala's lungs sits a Radio Dial, which takes over the role of communication since Vakala can no longer physically speak. This Radio Dial had been tuned to play the recordings stored inside it using the voice that Vakala used to have, but since that voice had been synthetically generated, those who hear it get an artificial sense from it, similarly as they would if she were to talk through a Transponder Snail. Still, it's better than Vakala not having any source of verbal communication at all, especially when vital information needs to be relayed from her to her captain... and perhaps a few others in her crew.
- Special Wax Formula - Utility Equipment
Written on the final page of the mysterious Skypiean's manifesto that he'd written for Vakala before he left is the formula for the special wax that covers her arm and leg casings, among other areas of her body. Provided she has the necessary ingredients, following this formula and its instructions to the letter lets Vakala recreate the wax on its liquid form, allowing her to baste it onto an area that needs replacing before letting it set. Overall, this formula is of medium importance to Vakala; enough so that it's decidedly worth keeping, but not so much that concern for it getting in "the wrong hands" is warrant. Given a modicum of trust, anyone is welcome to take the formula from Vakala to read at their leisure. Since she typically keeps it folded up in between her outfit top and the left or right breast itself, however, how Vakala can say such a thing with a straight face is anyone's guess.
- Seastone Armor - Armor
Seastone plates can be found all over Vakala's body, primarily under her skin, for added protection against all types of attacks. No two plates are the same, and they come with various design features in mind. The most atypical Seastone plate can be found underneath the skin of Vakala's upper chest, which has been placed there to protect her lungs and heart. The larger plate under the skin on her back has various slits in places that would otherwise stop air from being blown out of the Breath Dials installed there, but they've been angled in a way that even daggers can't get inside them easily. The Seastone plate around her neck is slightly thicker at the back than it is at the front, which is also where it undoes from. A Seastone dome plate takes the place of the top of Vakala's skull, which had carefully been chipped away at and removed so she wouldn't take brain damage during the process. It also comes with slightly raised eyes sockets, just enough so as to prevent her eyes from taking damage unless they're directly attacked, and a foam layer on the inside to protect against concussions. The most unique piece of Seastone armor, however, can be found around Vakala's lower waist. This is not a plate, but instead a malleable mesh of Seastone that expands as her womb would during pregnancy. A plate of Seastone would comprise Vakala's body if an embryo were to grow inside her at that time due to its inability to compress, which could put its and her own life in danger very easily, whereas this type of mesh does not present such a risk. Like the Seastone dome plate at the top of her head, the Seastone mesh around Vakala's lower waist also comes with a layer of foam for added protection against blunt force transference. It's evident that the mysterious Skypiean had went the whole nine yards and thought of everything when designing all this armor for Vakala.
Techniques:- Second Sword Style: Cannon Slash
- Arm Sword Style: Windmill Guillotine
- Odd Sword Style: Gravity Uppercut
- Negare Third Sword Style: Steel Hurricane
- True Four Sword Style: Crucifix That Cuts Deep
Miscellaneous Information
Main Theme Song:Battle Theme Song:Ideal Voice Actresses:Jeannie Tirado (En)/Reina Ueda (Jp)
Tidbits of Trivia:- Vakala is often seen in dancer outfits that always leave the arms and navel area exposed. Since the vast majority of them also consistently show excessive cleavage, thigh-side slits in any skirts, the bottom dressing itself being worryingly short or even any combination of the three, it's obvious that Vakala doesn't care how provocative an outfit will look on her in the slightest; she'll still wear it anyway because that's what she in fact had been wearing for the past 12 years of her life.
- She also doesn't care about a woman's sense of modesty. Even if all she has left are the clothes on her back, Vakala won't hesitate to take them off and offer them up for the barter of an item that'll be more important to her in the long run, such as food or water. Vakala has no reason to be ashamed of her body, and won't be phased in the slightest should her clothes be slashed to shreds in battle or start to slip a little much during her performances. She'll never know if she has the time it would take to fix her outfit up, so she'd rather keep going regardless of the state it's in, and pretend as though she didn't notice anything happened to it.
- Due to her upbringing, Vakala has no source of education and almost certainly little wealth. Still, she does what she can to get by, and tries to be smart about the spending of the very few Beri she earns through her dancing performances. As such, Vakala will quickly learn to despise scammers as much as she does thieves. If she's skeptical of an item's price, she won't stop haggling until she can get it down to a price she can afford. The first thing Vakala may need to get, should she get a chance, is a purse to store important documents and items in. Then again, there are merits to not having any apparent possessions on one's person; mainly not being targeted by thieves.
- Underneath the Seastone circlet (and the layer of the special wax over top of it) is Vakala's windpipe as directly accessible... as well as the scar across it. The scar has been treated to prevent infection from spreading, but no attempt to reseal it is readily apparent. This indicates that the damage done to Vakala's throat from her being under Saint Fouquet's knife is completely irreparable.
- Thanks to her self-teachings as a dancer, Vakala is able to strike with elegance and grace despite not having any experience in swordplay as a whole. However, she has a tendency to sacrifice power behind certain swings, leaving those she assails to survive what would be a lethal blow if executed by any other swordsman. Vakala will likely need to find a veteran who is willing to teach her the way of the sword very soon, preferably before she involves herself in any major battles.
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