Name: Ricardo “The Iron Bull” Borja
Age: 28
Starting Location/Current Location: West Blue
Personality: Ricardo is a person who can truly be described as larger than life in a lot of respects and his personality is no different; loud, exuberant and with a cheerfulness that could fill a room, the eldest son of the Borja family often find himself the centre of attention. His noble upbringing grants him a certain bearing and poise, a refinement and awareness of social etiquette that many others in the marines lack, leading to Ricardo having something of a gentlemanly disposition.
As far as Ricardo is concerned there are few things in life as important, or which bear as much weight, as duty; duty to one’s family first and foremost, but also to oneself and to society as a whole. “Those who have the ability to do good have the responsibility to do so”; these are the words Ricardo’s father taught him as a child, the same words that have been passed down his family for generations, the words by with he lives. He owes it to his family to live up to their legacy, he owes it to himself to reach his fullest potential and he owes it to society to make use of the gifts he has been given, whether they be physical, intellectual or socially, to make the world a better place.
Pride is Ricardo’s biggest failing, though rarely is it personal pride. Pride in his family, pride in the marines, pride in those things bigger than himself that he serves; this pride blinds him to the failings of others at times, covering his eyes with a rosy tint that prevents him from seeing what is so blindingly obvious to others. He can be, at times, a bit dense.
Dream/Goal: Ricardo is not much of a dreamer; he has no real hatred for pirates in principle, so he doesn’t wish for a word without them, not does he have any grand ambitions like becoming Fleet Admiral or even a hero. No one individual has earned enough of his ire for him to want to see them fall or seek revenge against them, nor has he met anyone special enough for him to dedicate his life to.
His goals are to perform his duty admirably and honourably, to protect the people of the world from those who would do them harm, to make his family proud of the son they have raised and to keep his crew safe in his pursuit of all of that. In the future, maybe finding a wife and settling down would be nice, but anything beyond his current duties is something not worth wondering over at the moment.
History: The eldest son of the Borja family, a minor noble family that has lived in West Blue for generations and whose family crest is a shining sun, Ricardo was taught from a young age that their privilege came with a responsibility; because they were more fortunate than others and in a better position to make positive change in the world, it was their duty not to misuse that power for their own gain, but instead to use it for the betterment of society.
These lessons might sound like a romantic fantasy to some, and in reality the Borja family probably didn’t live up to their own lofty ideals most of the time, but young Ricardo took those teaching to heart. As a boy he thought a lot about what he could do that would make a difference, but as a child there wasn’t much he could think of due to his limited knowledge of the world; all he knew was that he wanted to do something big. Although his family probably only meant to teach him to live his life considerately and without falling into corruption or vice, perhaps donate to charity or organise events, young Ricardo set his sights higher than that.
As Ricardo grew older it became increasingly obvious that he was going to be blessed with abnormal size and strength, being taller and broader than his peers and already as strong as a grown man by the age of 13. As he came to this realisation it became clearer that whatever path Ricardo eventually took would involve using his strength to help people; this idea was further cemented in his mind the first time he saw the marines in action, witnessing a fight between a small pirate crew and a detachment of marines at the port of his home town. From that day he made it his mission to join the marines and protect people.
At the age of 18 Ricardo enlisted at the 80th Branch Marine Base in West Blue, signing up as a simple cadet despite his background. Since then he has patrolled the waters of West Blue, working his way up the ranks until he became a lieutenant and was given command of his own boat and crew; for his brute strength and straight forward approach to combat he has earned the moniker “Iron Bull”.
Crew: As an officer in the marines Ricardo has a small crew of 20 capable men and women, including a Sergeant, under his command.
Ship: A small galley, large enough for a crew of his size and fit for purpose. It is well maintained and in kept in near pristine condition; aside from a figurehead in the shape of a bull’s head it is indistinguishable from any other unadorned marine vessel.
Specialty/Profession: A lieutenant in the marines, Ricardo’s main role is to lead and inspire his crew while also acting as the vanguard in any combat they may enter.
Rank: Lieutenant
Fighting Style: An all-out offensive assault is the only way Ricardo knows how to fight and it has served him well so far. Utilising his large and powerful body he rushes towards his opponents and crushes them, using a fighting style that is more brute strength than technique. When attacking he strikes with either his fists, arms or shoulders for the most part but there is not a single part of his body that he won’t use to defeat his opponent.
His bulky form is able to withstand a large amount of punishment and he has a high pain tolerance and a stubborn disposition, allowing him to power through his opponent’s attacks to deliver his own.
Weapons: His body
Devil Fruit: None
Items: His uniform and a few personal effects from home are all that Ricardo possesses at the moment, photos of his family and such. The marines provide anything else he might need.
Color:
My lineage shines as brightly as the sun. Did you expect anything else?
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