Post by EriChar on Apr 24, 2013 12:13:26 GMT -5
Name of Base: ‘B-4’
Size of Base: Large
Location: Illusia, West Blue
Base Appearance: With Illusia being a long-time member nation of the World Government, the Marine Base that was built on the island resembled that age; looking like a large, white castle. Originally coloured largely a light, stone grey with red roofs, the building was overhauled when handed over to the Marines to reflect its new ownership, decorated now with white walls and towers, with the tiles of the pointed spires being replaced with those of a rich, Marine blue. Largely circular in design, the base is built in rising, round sections, with thick and tough outer walls protecting each from ground assault, as the more important inner sections sit at the highest point of the base, as a majestic castle watching over all of Illusia and the waters around.
However, recently, the base has received something of an image change; following a particularly devastating assault from Pirates, many of the original buildings and pieces of architecture were damaged, and while Marine artisans have tried to restore what they could to its ‘former glory’, the base now has a distinct contrast between its structures. With some constructions having been damaged beyond repair, the base now has an interesting visual mix of both ‘old’ and ‘new’, with more modern architecture and designs mixing with the traditional buildings of the past.
Base Armaments:Heavy Cannon Emplacement X 50
Mobile Cannon X 75
Gun Turret X 200
Stationed Vessels:Battleship X8
Destroyer X 20
Scouting Craft X 20
Manpower: Standing Marines 15,000Key Personnel:
Captain Arashi Kanna (B-4 and Overall West Blue Commander)
Captain Célestine Galli-Marié (Battleship Captain)
Lt. (Junior Grade) Cadell Maddox (Combat Team Lead Officer)
Vice Admiral (Retired) Kamida Shusuke (Chief Instructor)
Marines Enlisted:
MCPO Edison Allbright
MCPO Abigail O’Neil
Prominent Assigned Groups:
None at present.
Base History:
Inherited from the kingdom as part of their agreement when joining the World Government, this Marine base has a heritage of several hundred years, originally serving as the island’s principle headquarters for their own army and guard, it retains much of its original appearance, though over time some refits and improvements have been made. Not just a ‘base’ in terms of strategic importance and military might, ‘B-4’ plays a key role in the Marine vision of West Blue due to the fact that it is the principle site for Marine training in that quarter of the world. All recruits from West Blue would have their basic training undertaken here, making the location a familiar sight for any Marine who has enlisted within the region. Currently, the role of ‘Chief Instructor’ lies on the shoulders of a retired Vice Admiral from the country known as ‘Wano’; Kamida Shusuke. To his credit, the training he has offered had been almost universally lauded, as Marines from West Blue under his tenure have often been regarded as the ‘finest of the generation’.
For many years, the ‘Illusia Base’, in recent times renamed ‘B-4’, had served as a shining example of Justice and World Government power in all of West Blue. This reputation is perhaps why, because of the high position of esteem that it stood in, that ‘B-4’ was destined to eventually have a great fall.
Only a matter of months after the paramount battle at Marineford which saw the death of Edward ‘Whitebeard’ Newgate, and the Pirate King’s son, Portgas D. Ace’s demise, a certain incident occurred at the Grand Line base of G-6 in the Lanza Island chain. A secret, and highly powerful Marine Prototype ‘Super Battleship’, designed to succeed the current line of battleships, was stolen in a rather sensational manner by a pirate by the name of ‘Souyo Arashio’. After disappearing off the grid for several weeks, likely to heal wounds from the fierce battle at the G-6 base, Arashio and his stolen warship reappeared, seemingly intent on taking the Illusian Marine Base as a statement of intent to the Marines and World Government as a whole. Catching the staff of the location off guard, thanks to arriving in what appeared to be a Marine Vessel, the offensive launched quickly overwhelmed what resistance could be offered by the base once taken by surprise, and caused catastrophic damage to B-4 in only a matter of minutes.
With their backs against the wall, it was the unlikely union between the remnants of the Illusian defence, and reinforcements hot on the trail of the stolen ship since Lanza that managed to ensure that the reputation of the Marines was not permanently tarnished with loss, led by the renowned Commodore Smoker. Having encountered Arashio before at ‘G-6’, the forces of the ‘White Hunter’ were still outmanned and outgunned by the super battleship, but managed to defeat and disable the craft thanks to a risky ploy by the veteran marine. Using himself as the decoy to draw the eye of the pirate, the reinforcment’s linked up with their allies on land and stormed the ship, taking advantage of a minor flaw in the vessels design to critically damage both it and its engines. After a fierce battle, the pirate forces were subdued, and peace was restored to Illusia.
However, much damage had been done in the attack, and ‘B-4’ needed to be repaired. With several of the original structures having been damaged ‘beyond repair’, decisions have been made to replace these lost buildings with newer, more modern creations, which have been met with a split of opinion on those who appreciate the bases aesthetic values. Alongside this change in visual appearance, the bases armament has also been overhauled, making it perhaps the most fiercely armed Marine base in all of the Blue Seas, as its defences have been augmented in order to protect the base from assaults ever being so devastating toward it again. This is largely thanks to the new ‘vision’ of the succeeding Fleet Admiral, Sakazuki, who had successfully managed to grant unprecedented levels of funding and armaments for Marine forces, which were redirected to many bases around the world, B-4 included, to help the Marines stand tall and stronger than ever before. Currently, Captain Arashi Kanna serves as the base commander, overseeing all Marine efforts in West Blue and reporting directly to the Admirals at Headquarters.