Post by Kurosaki on Sept 10, 2011 19:41:59 GMT -5
Created by Hana. Remade by Weeks
◊- Grand Steel Flotilla
◊- Society: “Big Steel” “Star Junction” and “Wooden Wonder”
◊- Size of Island: 10 circular Miles
◊- Location: Peace Route, Grand Line
◊- Log Pose Time: Never, See Warnings Below
◊- Climatic Type: Summer
◊- Climate: Grand Steel enjoys tropical weather combined with gentle sea breezes, however it is known to endure forceful hurricanes.
◊- Island Appearance: From appearance on the Horizon it will appear as a square structure with a tall tower in the center, however, as you approached the island you will see that it is Star shaped with a large port at its front.
◊- Flora and Fauna:
◊- Inhabitants:
◊- Prominent Organizations, Groups and Establishments:
◊- Trends:
◊- Town(s)/Village(s)/City or Cities:
◊- Missions:
◊- Island History: The rise of the Government is a bit of a mystery since the 100 years of “unknown history”. However, what we can be sure of is the fact that the first ever activated military unit in the name of the World Government, is the First Fleet. What we know is that at its formation, it was a raiding fleet designed to find and destroy enemy supply lines.
As the Navy grew, the First Fleet became a first response unit, used to strike at the enemy and rout them, letting other sections of the Navy chase them down and destroy them. This created the most battle hardened Fleet in the Navy, with offensive commanders capable of deploying ships and troops to some of the harshest places in the world. Fate or irony seemed destined to break this tradition, as the World Government set about creating its own private supply line through the Grand Line, the last place in the world to tame.
First Fleet formed every ship under its command at Reverse Mountain, with a destination set to Mariejois. The voyage was only to take 3 months, stopping at every island on the Peace Route to negotiate terms of how the route would be operated and contained. However, the fleet came under constant attack by pirates who had begun to set up bases in the confusion of the new world order. This meant that instead of simply stopping to negotiate, every island had to be invaded and cleansed of pirate activity. By the time that had reached Mariejois only three ships had made it through, all of them heavily damaged. Though this certainly was not all that was left of the fleet, it had been scattered and nearly destroyed, but the objective had been secured, and the route was already ferrying supplies through with little to no opposition.
With the fleet unable to carry out any operations, they decided to form again at the center of the line, and drag any ship that was still floating to a point between Jascosta and Coast Nostra. This took a little over 2 months and by the time the Vice Admiral in charge of the fleet arrived, he was astounded by just how damaged his prized fleet was. He realized that it would take years to recover from the Pyrrhic victory. He decided to consolidate his forces indefinitely, advising Marine HQ that he intended to “…form a line of ships so massive that only a fool would try to run the blockade.”
Marine HQ however had little interest in the fleet at that moment, focusing on new objectives and simply writing the fleet off as destroyed. They gave full authority for the Vice Admiral to do as he pleased on the route to keep the flow of supplies moving.
The Vice Admiral did not disappoint. He decided that he would create the first ever permanent base at sea, so massive and destructive, that anyone traveling along the Grand Line would choose another route for fear of being sunk. What he called for had never been attempted however, meaning his engineers had a tall order to fill.
They decided that they would use the materials they had at hand, meaning they would tear down the ships of the First Fleet and rebuild a new base. What they called for, was a Star Fort to be built on top of a bulge on the bottom. This caused to base to become buoyant, so buoyant in fact that the bottom of the bulge was filled with soil in order to maintain an equal amount of ballast. This created a building platform for other things to be built, most notably the HQ section and other large districts. To keep the base from floating away, a massive chain was connected from the bottom of the base to the sea floor. To make sure it can’t be cut, the chain was made unusually large, with one link the size of a Marine Battleship.
Using the remaining 5,000 Marines of First Fleet took 5 years to finish the project, christening it “Grand Steel”, an Ironic name as 90% of it was made of wood, however, Grand Steel seemed much more powerful. What they created impressed the Nobles in Mariejois, who now realized that Piracy on the Route had dropped by 40% simply by its construction. Capitalizing on the project, they gave the go ahead to continue the expansion of not only the base, but the complete restoration of First Fleet, who now at this point only had one ship left, simply to keep it still active.
Over the course of the next 10 years, the Flotilla was fitted with a specialized dry dock, a communications and observation tower, as well as state of the art laboratories. Yet the Base commander was still not finished, finding himself with a new threat to the security of the route.
Neighbor to Grand Steel is the island of Coast Nostra, who at the time was in the middle of a military coup. Reluctant to send his troopers into battle again, knowing full well that Coast Nostra was a highly trained political power, he decided to call for a group of specialized Marines in order to invade should the need arise and diplomacy with the new power fail. Mariejois gave him the go ahead, and with this new power he formed the 125th Shock Troops, whose sole purpose would be the invasion of islands.
The 125th Shock Troopers came from nearly every place in the world, a rag tag group of highly decorated and specialized soldiers who had a very big problem with authority. Though perhaps not very disciplined in garrison, they are some of the most professional fearsome and efficient soldiers in the entire navy when in battle. They take their work very seriously, realizing that they are always first into the fight should the need arise.
They had their first action on the island of Kabukimono, clearing the island of a secret pirate base. However, they were unhappy to find that HQ had ordered them to clear the island of pirates, only to let a Pirate Lord take over. With a horrible taste in their mouth about the mission, they cursed the current establishment, issuing the current pirate lord a warning. “We don’t mind coming back.”
However, since then the 125th has been deployed all over the world for special missions. They are equipped with some of the best weapons current in the marines, including but not limited to pump action shotguns, revolvers, hand held cannon weaponry, mortars, and even light automatic weapons using clockwork like gears to keep the weapon firing using springs. They use a fire superiority tactic, giving them a distinct edge in any engagement. However, their ranks are also bursting with Haki and Devil Fruit users. Perhaps even a match for any CP organization, they are a useful tool in the Grand Steel’s arsenal.
Currently, the flotilla is currently at the height of its power, with a current garrison of just over 25,000 troops in total, as well as over 500 fully stocked battleships ready for use at a moment’s notice.
Perhaps the greatest threat to any captain approaching the flotilla however, is the constant patrolling of ships around the base. Though these patrol routes are changed constantly, they are always within the 100 mile, 75 mile, 50 mile, 25 mile, 10 mile, 5 mile and 1 mile radius of the base, meaning that any ship that even comes within looking distance of the base will be seen far sooner than it could ever become a threat. These ships stay on the sea’s patrolling for a duration of about 3 months before making port again, shifting soldiers from land to sea to give them a break.
With all of these things acting in unison with each other, the Grand Steel Flotilla is quite possibly the most heavily guarded place on the planet. It is most likely for the bases existence the Piracy on the Peace Route of the Grand Line is almost nonexistent, with the occasional brave captain every now and then. Travelers should always be wary of this floating fortress as it has never once been fired upon, and seen the ship that did leave.
◊- Grand Steel Flotilla
◊- Society: “Big Steel” “Star Junction” and “Wooden Wonder”
◊- Size of Island: 10 circular Miles
◊- Location: Peace Route, Grand Line
◊- Log Pose Time: Never, See Warnings Below
WARNING WARNING WARNING!!!
ANY VESSEL THAT COMES WITHIN 100 MILES OF THE FLOTILLA WILL BE UNABLE TO TURN BACK WITHOUT THE USE OF AN ETERNAL POSE! STRONG MAGNETIC FIELDS WILL MAKE SAILING TO ANYWHERE ELSE IMPOSSIBLE AS YOUR POSE WILL POINT AT THE FLOTILLA! ONCE THERE IT WILL SPIN AND NEVER SET UNTIL OUT OF THE 100 MILE RADIUS!
ANY SHIP BEARING A PIRATE FLAG WILL BE DESTROYED IMMEDIATELY!
TRADERS AND CIVILIAN VESSELS PASSING THROUGH THE FLOTILLA WILL BE BOARDED AND SEARCHED UPON CONTACT THEN ESCORTED OUT OF THE AREA UNLESS OFFICIAL PAPERWORK STATES YOUR DESTINATION FOR THE FLOTILLA!
MARINES BELOW THE RANK OF CAPTAIN WILL SUBMIT TO AN IDENTITY CHECK ONCE IN PORT AND MUST WAIT NO LESS THAN 7 DAYS FOR YOUR IDENTITY TO BE VERIFIED!
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
ANY VESSEL THAT COMES WITHIN 100 MILES OF THE FLOTILLA WILL BE UNABLE TO TURN BACK WITHOUT THE USE OF AN ETERNAL POSE! STRONG MAGNETIC FIELDS WILL MAKE SAILING TO ANYWHERE ELSE IMPOSSIBLE AS YOUR POSE WILL POINT AT THE FLOTILLA! ONCE THERE IT WILL SPIN AND NEVER SET UNTIL OUT OF THE 100 MILE RADIUS!
ANY SHIP BEARING A PIRATE FLAG WILL BE DESTROYED IMMEDIATELY!
TRADERS AND CIVILIAN VESSELS PASSING THROUGH THE FLOTILLA WILL BE BOARDED AND SEARCHED UPON CONTACT THEN ESCORTED OUT OF THE AREA UNLESS OFFICIAL PAPERWORK STATES YOUR DESTINATION FOR THE FLOTILLA!
MARINES BELOW THE RANK OF CAPTAIN WILL SUBMIT TO AN IDENTITY CHECK ONCE IN PORT AND MUST WAIT NO LESS THAN 7 DAYS FOR YOUR IDENTITY TO BE VERIFIED!
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
◊- Climatic Type: Summer
◊- Climate: Grand Steel enjoys tropical weather combined with gentle sea breezes, however it is known to endure forceful hurricanes.
◊- Island Appearance: From appearance on the Horizon it will appear as a square structure with a tall tower in the center, however, as you approached the island you will see that it is Star shaped with a large port at its front.
◊- Flora and Fauna:
Though the Grand Steel Flotilla has been officially set on the books of the World Government, it is by all accounts a completely man made structure. As such, almost all of the Flora and Fauna have either been introduced to the island or created there, save for only the creatures living in the sea. However, Grand Steel is home to an agricultural lab where several different species of plants are grown, either for civilian infrastructure projects or World Government private use. Building 5 of the Grand Steel flotilla is home to the Agricultural HQ of the peace route, housing everything from administration to a state of the art Greenhouse. Most notably is a section of this greenhouse that is used to grow special types of trees for creating new vessels. Otherwise however, the Flotilla is only home to your natural sea creatures, everything from large mammals to tiny plankton.
◊- Inhabitants:
The Island is dominated by Navy soldiers, Government agents and home to the entire First Fleet of the Navy, with sections of several other branches having either offices or permanent positions on the massive instillation. It is also home to some top level offenders to the government, who are not related to piracy charges, but instead, political enemies of the World Government. This even includes some top level Revolutionaries and other educated people. Along with this, Steel also has a select few civilians either working as contractors or traders to keep the island moving smoothly. Officers are also permitted to let their families live on Grand Steel, making it home to a little over 300 civilians with no military function.
◊- Prominent Organizations, Groups and Establishments:
First Fleet HQ; First Fleet has a very proud history in the Navy, being the first activated section of the World Government Navy. However, at its formation, the fleet was comprised of smaller vessels. It is one of the few fleets of the Navy to remain in service since its start however, making it one of the oldest military sections of the Navy. Steel Flotilla acts as a base of operations for “The Big One” as they call it, giving it exclusive rights to the man made port and dry-dock at Grand Steel.
125th Shock Troopers; The Peace Route has always been a huge supply line for the Government, meaning that it has to enforce strict laws enabling immense power to keep the route free and clear for ships to move through at all times. Supplies from every blue are distributed to the Navy from this section of the Grand line, meaning it is of absolute importance to keep it safe. The World Government virtually has absolute control of the route, save for a few islands who have managed to keep at least some amount of independence, such as Coast Nostra. However, that balance of power is not always kept perfectly in check, meaning that the Navy must crush any uprising or threat before it can cause any viable damage. The 125th Marine Shock Troop regiment is the answer to that problem. Comprised of some of the best infantry in the world with futuristic weapons ranging from handheld cannons to automatic rifles, the Shock Troopers are able to deploy to any section of the Peace route in 120 hours or less. These men are numbered at only a meager 500, however, they have been recruited from such places as the New World, South Blue, and even ex-pirates. Take note, these troops have absolutely no room for negotiation, and will fire first and always ask questions later.
It is also rumored that CP organization have close tied to the Base, as well as other Special Forces groups. However, 90% of the population are Marines ranking from Seaman to Commodore.
◊- Trends:
Fashion◊- NPCS:
As Marines dominate the base, all Military Personnel are required to be in uniform at all times. Captains and above however are known (as usual) to personalize their attire. Civilians however, more or less dress very conservatively, while still dressing for the warm and humid weather.
Politics
The flotilla is of course only a hub for the Marines along the Peace Route, as such, they are simply a conduit for the World Government. However, on rare occasions, they are known to invite educated civilians from along the Peace Route in order to study at Building 5 research facility. Any infraction is treated with the utmost seriousness however, and Marines at this post know better than to try and bend the rules.
Industry
Though not exactly “Famous” for its shipbuilding, Grand Steel is certainly a hub for experimental shipbuilding. These ships are never viewed by the general public or even the average Marine, and are a close kept secret of the base. In addition, the island is known for its magnetic testing facility, where many researchers have arrived in order to test experiments and new science. However, this as well is kept far from the public, and only a handful of people know what is really going on. Lastly, the extensive testing grounds of the flotilla provide an excellent place to run trials of new weapons systems. The 125th Shock Marines are known to test these new infantry weapons behind closed doors, rumor suggests that they are a new type of handheld cannon or automatic rifle.
Cuisine
You can never go wrong with Navy approved grub. A diet high in carbohydrates and plenty of water is the way to go in the Navy’s eyes, but of course, the food choices can get quite boring. So to keep things fresh, Marines here are known for their “Helmet Stew”, where they take rations, and cook them in a makeshift pot, namely, their helmets. Apparently it’s quite good, as long as your stomach can handle the secret ingredients.
N/A at this time.
◊- Town(s)/Village(s)/City or Cities:
HQ: Sector:◊- Island Map: See Above
HQ, Observation and Communications Tower;
This 300 foot tall tower acts as the central hub of information of the Flotilla itself. The office of the Base commander as well as a communications room is located here, and virtually every section of the base can be seen from is windows spanning around the top of the tower. It is also used as a lighthouse by keeping all lighting lit at all times, even when at night or in bad weather conditions. The only way up conventionally is the use of an elevator that only the top level officers are even allowed near, as such, this is one of the most closely guarded sections of the base, with the only exception being building 1 of the HQ sector.
Building 1;
The first building in the pentagon shaped HQ sector, this building is home to top level research scientists and intelligence analysts. This is the only building that the Base commander has no control of, being only responsible to the Fleet Admiral and rumor speculates the illusive Dr. Vegapunk. Not much is known about this windowless building guarded by Marine Captains or higher, only that it is three stories, acts as a hub for CP agents to transmit information, and has an extensive basement most likely devoted to magnetic testing. This building is the reason that any pose other than and eternal pose will spin near this island.
Building 2;
Building 2 is comprised of all strategic level operations on the Peace Route. Nearly every Captain on the route has an office here when his ship pulls into port, and an extensive team of strategists keep the power balanced towards the Marines on the Peace Route. Perhaps the most important building in the route itself, this places acts as the hub and strategic command of all forces on the route, answering only to Marine HQ in the new world.
Building 3; Building 3 is devoted to training and organization of troops on the route and base. Nearly every Marine who works on the route was retrained at this facility in order for them to get up the rigors of keeping the Peace Route secure. This is also a war-game center, where commanders will test their military theories and pit them against others in order to develop new tactics.
Building 4;
Lower on the scale of importance, Building 4 is only lightly protected, with its main role serving as a census center and trade administration. This facility houses pieces of data pertaining to every island’s population, financial situation, import and exports, as well as other information regarding all islands on the route. Any visitor, be it military or civilian will pass through this building at some point to be cleared. All documents must be in order, and once done, the building will give a free Eternal Pose to Coast Nostra.
Building 5;
Housing agricultural research and growth, as well as other civilian related protects concerning industry and infrastructure, this facility is leased by governments of islands along the route. This is to promote Navy cooperation and put forward good relations. Its use however, is questionable, as anything that interests the World Government may be whisked away to building 1 in a moment’s notice. It’s no wonder this building is right across the street from building 1.
To conclude; all buildings in the Pentagon shaped pattern are independent of the other, meaning a special pass must be granted for each of them. Anyone found in one of these buildings without the proper documentation will be arrested immediately and questioned. You may even find yourself in the local prison for some time, if not forever.
Districts: The Flotilla also has around its outer edges districts that are open to all with no security passes needed, although anyone is subject to search and questioning at any time. Civilians will need a visitor’s pass that can be granted at building 4, while soldiers must be in uniform at all times with the proper paperwork. The districts are separated into fifths instead of quarters.
Barracks 5th; Located behind Building 1 this is the district that houses nearly every soldier on the Flotilla, numbering at nearly 10,000 active duty Marines. However, it is also home to Officers and their families, who live in swanky homes close to the HQ sector. It’s little more than a conglomeration of houses, but at the same time, anyone in this district would be a little more than overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of the Marines living there.
Training Grounds 5th; This section of the Base is home to possibly one of the most state of the art training grounds on the Grand Line. Ranges to practice marksmanship, hand to hand combat, artillery and even tactical movement make this one of the premier bases to train virtually in complete secrecy. The tactical movement sector of this district houses a thick Jungle so that Marines may train in harsh conditions even while at sea.
Prison 5th; No Marine base would be complete without it’s brig, but this prison, unlike others around the world holds some of the most Dangerous political adversaries of the World Government. State of the art with many sections of the prison being made of Sea Stone, it is nearly impregnable, save for an entire army. Built to withstand heavy bombardment and survive storms, it takes pride in its ability to keep its prisoners alive, rather than torture them to death. If you end up in this prison, don’t ever expect to get out, as you will not be given a trial. Prisoners kept here are not formally acknowledged, and your family and friends will never know where you are. Interrogation day in and day out is the primary goal of this facility, rather than “correctional behavior”.
Soldiers 5th: This district houses everything a soldier would need after a hard day’s work, with an Officers club, Gym, Bar, Galley, fighting arena, Post Office, Bank and so forth. It is much like a small town, only that most of the services are free of charge for soldiers, save for the bar tab.
Commercial 5th: This district is a free market for valued traders and Hotels for the person who happens to be passing through. For the things a Marine can’t get in the Soldiers district, you can find it here, unless it’s illegal of course. This district is also home to a wonderful garden complete with a fresh water fountain, a marvel of science.
The Walls: The Grand Steel flotilla is, without a doubt, a massive star fort, with everything enclosed in high walls. Every section of the wall is covered in heavy cannon, with wood sections 10 feet thick. It is, at its best impregnable, and at its worst, the world’s largest nuisance. The Star Fort design means that virtually every section can fire at a target without any dead zones, even when they are at the base. However, this wall is significantly bigger, being as tall as the deck of a Marine Battleship. The reason for this of course, is that the Flotilla is made to stop a naval invasion, rather than a land based one. Any crew will find it difficult to even approach the walls without getting pulverized.
Corner sections of the walls however, are little more advanced. Each of the 5 corners houses a security checkpoint, armory and medical center. Each of these corners are independent of the other, and can close themselves off with thick steel doors in order to deny the enemy the opportunity to surround the base should they even be able to breach.
Dry-docks and Port Steel:
(Note: I apologize for this not being to scale, but as long as you get the idea you should be fine. Be sure to right click on the picture and open it in a new tab for larger view.)
A marvel of engineering, the Dry docks of the Flotilla grant ships the ability to repair at sea with ease. Using a man made structure that sits below sea level, the water may be pumped out of these spaces in order to build and repair ships. This dry dock as well serves as an experimental facility to build new and improved ships for military use. This also gives these ships a huge area in which to test them in open water without the threat of Pirate attack of civilian interruption. These ships may range from new and improved battleships, to craft that may be the next modern speedboat. Be warned however, that much like Building 1, this is one of the most guarded places in the base, as it also acts as a port for vessels to arrive and enter the flotilla.
Repair and Construction Mooring: As the name suggests, it is used to repair aging vessels and construct new ones that have already been approved for mass production.
Civilian Mooring: All civilian ships will be put to port here and escorted in and out of the Port by a Navy Frigate.
Prototype Mooring: Any experimental ships built or tested at Grand Steele will be kept here under heavy guard. All of these ships use top of the line technology and engineering. There are even some rumors about the Marines building a new mass produce-able Submarine here.
Active Duty Mooring: All ships that do not need repairs or refit that are used by the World Government will be put to port here. This Section of the Port is home to some 300 Marine Battleships at a time, and countless other smaller vessels.
◊- Missions:
Mission #167: Marine Passage (Marine Only)
Description: Marines dock and take a while to explore the Flotilla while they wait for approval to get an Eternal Pose to the Next Island. Warning Marines bellow the rank of Captain have to prove themselves. If you prove yourself worthy enough to the powers that be here then you are allowed to pass. There are many ways to prove yourself. There are security problems due to the size of the place. The walls always needs additional guard volunteers. There is even rumors of an Arena where you can fight for passage by proving yourself a strong arm of the government in the Soldiers District. The only limit to proving yourself worthy to pass is your imagination... Remember if you prove your worth the World Government will hear of this and you'll get 20,000 Beli as a bonus.
Mission #168: Illegal Passage (Anyone who can't lawfully get past.)
Description: Your ship isn't gonna be allowed through and you need to get an Eternal Pose so that you can get to the next island. The mission isn't easy, sneak into the Center and steal an Eternal Pose and loot a very rare weapon from the nearby vault if you are so inclined then cause trouble so the Port is empty enough for you to sail passed with getting blown to bits.
Mission #169: Confiscated Ship
Description: Bad News, someone made a decision for your ship to be made a permanent part of the Flotilla. It's being sailed to The Net to be incorporated where it fits best. You have to head into the vast network of abandoned ships and find where your ship was taken before they weld it to the flotilla and make in never able to sail again. Rumor has it that there are Fishmen hidden in The Net and that if you help them, they'll help you rescue your ship as well as give you 20'000 Beli if you help them in the process.
Mission #170: Prisoners, Gladiators.
Description: Either your reputation as a pirate or your trespassing outside Steel Port have gotten you captured by the marines. To be careful they have clapped Kaeroseki Handcuffs on you. You are now in prison and you must escape. Where will you take your opportunity, on the guards near your cell? In the Arena when you are called to fight? Or do you have some other sneaky plan to escape. Warning, if you fail and are caught you will be put in solitary confinement. On the Plus Side your ship is being held at Port and is being held as evidence. Now if only you could get there. You'll still need the key to your handcuffs and a pose to the next island if you are feeling gutsy. The Reward is your escape, and possibly the pair of Kaeroseki Handcuffs you are wearing.
Description: Marines dock and take a while to explore the Flotilla while they wait for approval to get an Eternal Pose to the Next Island. Warning Marines bellow the rank of Captain have to prove themselves. If you prove yourself worthy enough to the powers that be here then you are allowed to pass. There are many ways to prove yourself. There are security problems due to the size of the place. The walls always needs additional guard volunteers. There is even rumors of an Arena where you can fight for passage by proving yourself a strong arm of the government in the Soldiers District. The only limit to proving yourself worthy to pass is your imagination... Remember if you prove your worth the World Government will hear of this and you'll get 20,000 Beli as a bonus.
Mission #168: Illegal Passage (Anyone who can't lawfully get past.)
Description: Your ship isn't gonna be allowed through and you need to get an Eternal Pose so that you can get to the next island. The mission isn't easy, sneak into the Center and steal an Eternal Pose and loot a very rare weapon from the nearby vault if you are so inclined then cause trouble so the Port is empty enough for you to sail passed with getting blown to bits.
Mission #169: Confiscated Ship
Description: Bad News, someone made a decision for your ship to be made a permanent part of the Flotilla. It's being sailed to The Net to be incorporated where it fits best. You have to head into the vast network of abandoned ships and find where your ship was taken before they weld it to the flotilla and make in never able to sail again. Rumor has it that there are Fishmen hidden in The Net and that if you help them, they'll help you rescue your ship as well as give you 20'000 Beli if you help them in the process.
Mission #170: Prisoners, Gladiators.
Description: Either your reputation as a pirate or your trespassing outside Steel Port have gotten you captured by the marines. To be careful they have clapped Kaeroseki Handcuffs on you. You are now in prison and you must escape. Where will you take your opportunity, on the guards near your cell? In the Arena when you are called to fight? Or do you have some other sneaky plan to escape. Warning, if you fail and are caught you will be put in solitary confinement. On the Plus Side your ship is being held at Port and is being held as evidence. Now if only you could get there. You'll still need the key to your handcuffs and a pose to the next island if you are feeling gutsy. The Reward is your escape, and possibly the pair of Kaeroseki Handcuffs you are wearing.
◊- Island History: The rise of the Government is a bit of a mystery since the 100 years of “unknown history”. However, what we can be sure of is the fact that the first ever activated military unit in the name of the World Government, is the First Fleet. What we know is that at its formation, it was a raiding fleet designed to find and destroy enemy supply lines.
As the Navy grew, the First Fleet became a first response unit, used to strike at the enemy and rout them, letting other sections of the Navy chase them down and destroy them. This created the most battle hardened Fleet in the Navy, with offensive commanders capable of deploying ships and troops to some of the harshest places in the world. Fate or irony seemed destined to break this tradition, as the World Government set about creating its own private supply line through the Grand Line, the last place in the world to tame.
First Fleet formed every ship under its command at Reverse Mountain, with a destination set to Mariejois. The voyage was only to take 3 months, stopping at every island on the Peace Route to negotiate terms of how the route would be operated and contained. However, the fleet came under constant attack by pirates who had begun to set up bases in the confusion of the new world order. This meant that instead of simply stopping to negotiate, every island had to be invaded and cleansed of pirate activity. By the time that had reached Mariejois only three ships had made it through, all of them heavily damaged. Though this certainly was not all that was left of the fleet, it had been scattered and nearly destroyed, but the objective had been secured, and the route was already ferrying supplies through with little to no opposition.
With the fleet unable to carry out any operations, they decided to form again at the center of the line, and drag any ship that was still floating to a point between Jascosta and Coast Nostra. This took a little over 2 months and by the time the Vice Admiral in charge of the fleet arrived, he was astounded by just how damaged his prized fleet was. He realized that it would take years to recover from the Pyrrhic victory. He decided to consolidate his forces indefinitely, advising Marine HQ that he intended to “…form a line of ships so massive that only a fool would try to run the blockade.”
Marine HQ however had little interest in the fleet at that moment, focusing on new objectives and simply writing the fleet off as destroyed. They gave full authority for the Vice Admiral to do as he pleased on the route to keep the flow of supplies moving.
The Vice Admiral did not disappoint. He decided that he would create the first ever permanent base at sea, so massive and destructive, that anyone traveling along the Grand Line would choose another route for fear of being sunk. What he called for had never been attempted however, meaning his engineers had a tall order to fill.
They decided that they would use the materials they had at hand, meaning they would tear down the ships of the First Fleet and rebuild a new base. What they called for, was a Star Fort to be built on top of a bulge on the bottom. This caused to base to become buoyant, so buoyant in fact that the bottom of the bulge was filled with soil in order to maintain an equal amount of ballast. This created a building platform for other things to be built, most notably the HQ section and other large districts. To keep the base from floating away, a massive chain was connected from the bottom of the base to the sea floor. To make sure it can’t be cut, the chain was made unusually large, with one link the size of a Marine Battleship.
Using the remaining 5,000 Marines of First Fleet took 5 years to finish the project, christening it “Grand Steel”, an Ironic name as 90% of it was made of wood, however, Grand Steel seemed much more powerful. What they created impressed the Nobles in Mariejois, who now realized that Piracy on the Route had dropped by 40% simply by its construction. Capitalizing on the project, they gave the go ahead to continue the expansion of not only the base, but the complete restoration of First Fleet, who now at this point only had one ship left, simply to keep it still active.
Over the course of the next 10 years, the Flotilla was fitted with a specialized dry dock, a communications and observation tower, as well as state of the art laboratories. Yet the Base commander was still not finished, finding himself with a new threat to the security of the route.
Neighbor to Grand Steel is the island of Coast Nostra, who at the time was in the middle of a military coup. Reluctant to send his troopers into battle again, knowing full well that Coast Nostra was a highly trained political power, he decided to call for a group of specialized Marines in order to invade should the need arise and diplomacy with the new power fail. Mariejois gave him the go ahead, and with this new power he formed the 125th Shock Troops, whose sole purpose would be the invasion of islands.
The 125th Shock Troopers came from nearly every place in the world, a rag tag group of highly decorated and specialized soldiers who had a very big problem with authority. Though perhaps not very disciplined in garrison, they are some of the most professional fearsome and efficient soldiers in the entire navy when in battle. They take their work very seriously, realizing that they are always first into the fight should the need arise.
They had their first action on the island of Kabukimono, clearing the island of a secret pirate base. However, they were unhappy to find that HQ had ordered them to clear the island of pirates, only to let a Pirate Lord take over. With a horrible taste in their mouth about the mission, they cursed the current establishment, issuing the current pirate lord a warning. “We don’t mind coming back.”
However, since then the 125th has been deployed all over the world for special missions. They are equipped with some of the best weapons current in the marines, including but not limited to pump action shotguns, revolvers, hand held cannon weaponry, mortars, and even light automatic weapons using clockwork like gears to keep the weapon firing using springs. They use a fire superiority tactic, giving them a distinct edge in any engagement. However, their ranks are also bursting with Haki and Devil Fruit users. Perhaps even a match for any CP organization, they are a useful tool in the Grand Steel’s arsenal.
Currently, the flotilla is currently at the height of its power, with a current garrison of just over 25,000 troops in total, as well as over 500 fully stocked battleships ready for use at a moment’s notice.
Perhaps the greatest threat to any captain approaching the flotilla however, is the constant patrolling of ships around the base. Though these patrol routes are changed constantly, they are always within the 100 mile, 75 mile, 50 mile, 25 mile, 10 mile, 5 mile and 1 mile radius of the base, meaning that any ship that even comes within looking distance of the base will be seen far sooner than it could ever become a threat. These ships stay on the sea’s patrolling for a duration of about 3 months before making port again, shifting soldiers from land to sea to give them a break.
With all of these things acting in unison with each other, the Grand Steel Flotilla is quite possibly the most heavily guarded place on the planet. It is most likely for the bases existence the Piracy on the Peace Route of the Grand Line is almost nonexistent, with the occasional brave captain every now and then. Travelers should always be wary of this floating fortress as it has never once been fired upon, and seen the ship that did leave.