Explosive Harbor Battle! (Shining Pirates Distraction Group)

[Blushing z0ro]

What a mess. Screaming, people running for safety, children crying. In other words utter chaos. Yet, in matter of minutes all was silent, everyone was hiding in their homes or wherever they could find shelter, only the running footsteps of Leonard Le Clerc, Balder Albans and Kage Mako could be heard. As he ran ahead of the other two Leo remained silent for a while, deep in thought. Why did this have to happen!!? Dragging other people into my own mess, people who can't help themselves. All because I as trying to prove my own strength. Doesn't that make me as bad nobles who abuse their authority? No... it makes me even worse. People acknowledge the authority of Nobles and accept it, or just bare with it. I have no such recognition, to the world I'm just a punk who hopes to make it big. Eh... who the hell am I kidding; I am just a punk that wants to make it big. As Leo kept running his thought kept dwelling on dark thoughts about his own powerlessness. It felt like they had only just left the bar when the three pirates reached the east side of the port. There on the horizon he could see what was coming for him. A battleship.

An entire battleship full of the Empire's soldier was coming at him. How much destruction would it bring to the town? How many lives would be lost because of a small time swordsman who fancied himself a pirate captain? Some might have blamed Kussata instead of Leonard, but the thought did not even cross the captain's mind, because he was after all the captain. It was his duty to take on the sins and mistakes of his crew as his own. He was the one that would bear it all no matter what. Suddenly a loud bang was heard, and shock-wave made the earth tremor as the cannon ball from the Army's ship exploded on impact with the island, a column of smoke, fire and ashes rising from the port building it had hit.

Leo tightened his fists and grit his teeth at sight. "DAMN IT!!! How can they just fire at their citizen!!? How... how am I supposed to pay back those people that will die because of me?" As the young captain was about to hit the bottom of despair in front of his new comrades words of his grandfather came back to him. Two years prior when Whitebeard met his hand Zatoshi, Leonard's grandfather, seemed saddened so the grandson asked why, Zatoshi had never met Whitebeard in his travels so why would he care? To which the wise old man simply said, that it always saddens him to see great men die. Great pirates may be all hated and feared by many, but at the same time they are respected by all, and the same holds true for Marines or any warrior in this world. Once one has taken lives and hurt others it is that person's duty to carry one in honor of the lives lost. This gives strength and resolve which in turn brings about respect.

So it was a new found resolve that the captain raised his head with a sigh. "Why do I always have to think of him when I hit a bad place? Anyway, not the time to wallow in sorrow. Time for some action!" Yes, if Leonard was to keep on going he would just have to get stronger, not only physically but mentally. He would keep on fighting for the sake of those that lost the ability to go on because of his action and for the sake of his comrades, wherever hat leads him. If sacrificing himself on that very day could ensure his comrades future he would do so in a heartbeat, if achieving their dreams required him to claim the treasure waiting at the end of the Grandline, then he would become the king, that is all there was to it.

The ship was now getting close, but had not fired anymore shots, looked like the army was not going to kill innocents after all. Only a few minutes and the fight would begin. "Okay guys, I'm sorry for dragging you into this, but right now we have on job to do: make as much noise as possible and attract all the attraction of the army onto us." He then turned to Balder. "I don't doubt your ability to make a racket but try to keep the music down and the fighting as much as possible alright." Then the captain turned to fishman. "I'm sorry I don't even now your name, but I trust you can hold your own against a few soldiers, at least for a while." It is with a bow that the swordsman finished talking to the two. "I promise I will pay you to back somehow. I swear it on my life. Now let's do this." 

[Quincy]

Balder was buzzing with anticipation! Not only did today have a good old fashion opportunity to rock, but now he was even getting to have a "bar" fight! Sure he was no longer in the bar, and he had already laid out the one punk who stopped his rocking, but those were just details, and like any good rocker, Balder didn't care about the details too much. From what he could tell, the guy from the bar was bringing his gang, and Balder was bringing his gang of fans to school them in a lesson of Rocking 101, and school was in session. 

As the battleship that was carrying all of Balder's "students" neared closer, the guy that had stood up at the bar to defend him started talking to the Jurassic Rocker and the other guy present; a Fishman. While Balder was far from hard of hearing, a few words stood out to him, specifically the words about "keep the music down" and "fighting as much as possible". A hearty laugh was the musician's response to such a suggestion, as he said "You want me to do what I do best huh? Well that's rocking AND wrecking, no middle ground here dude!" Balder clearly wasn't going to listen, but to his defense, it wouldn't be hard to attract the soldiers no matter what he did! He was in his classic Hybrid form, meaning he was huge, scaly and stood out like a sore thumb with his Triceratops features. Couple that with his horribly obnoxious nature, his "talent" with his guitar, which he foolishly calls a bass, and you had yourself the best distraction, plus the original order from the Empire went out for the capture of an Ancient Zoan user would draw even more attention to him. It wasn't like there were two Ancient Zoans that were here on this island, especially now of all times; the chances of which were so astronomically low, that it had to be an impossibility. Besides the few that knew better, that would be exactly what the soldiers were thinking as they came to detain the said criminals, and how nice that they wouldn't to search far for the Ancient Zoan user.

Balder Albans was more than ready for a scrape, and while he might not have know the entirety of the plan, he knew he simple had to fight hard and rock even harder. Drawing forth his legendary (though only in his mind) Balder Bass, the Dino-man started playing a heavy tune as he yelled at the top of his lungs "I WANNA ROCK!"

[Blushing z0ro]

Great... another whack-job, Leo should be used to them by now, yet crazy and somewhat unstable people seem to be a gift that keeps on giving for the Pirate Captain. First there was Kusatta, who was by most definitions, a paranoid sociopath, and then there was Brandon the odd paper penguin, but in the end the biggest freak was still Leo himself because despite any and all  complains he could make about his friends, he wouldn't trade them for the world.

"Well I guess that will have to do." As the captain dressed in black said that, troops started to disembark and step up the port of the island. Most of them were coming from the center while smaller groups split to the left and right. "You guys take the sides I'll handle the center!" Ordered Leo as he ran towards the mob of soldiers. not knowing exactly how strong the Fishman or the Muscian were it was safest for Leo to take the riskiest position. He was the captain after all.

Before the soldiers were in anywhere near close enough for close combat the captain readied his sword in both hands, the muscles of his back tensing up causing to pull on the fibers of the black sleeveless shirt that Leo was wearing, and opened the hostilities with a surprise long range attack. "Mangestu-Ryuu: Zangetsuha!!!!" The air slash rippled through the space between Leonard and the soldiers cutting down the first row of them. Not fatally but enough to get them out of the way for the rest of the battle.

Some of the men stopped and looked at the pirate. "Hey this guy is the leader! We might get a promotion of we get him!" said one of the soldiers as he must a have remembered the descriptions that were given of the two "terrorist" that attacked Marius. "Just my luck" muttered Leonard to himself as his boots kicked the ground rushing into the fray of enemy soldiers, ready to take them all one if he had to.

What the hell am I doing? What am I? Oh hell why do I care!? I'll do what I gotta do. To those soldiers I'll be a nightmare, a disaster. To my crew I'll be a captain, a leader and a friend. The rest doesn't matter.

[Quincy]

Now it was Balder’s time to fangirl. “An air blade! That’s rockin’!”  he called out eagerly. This new guy was strange but cool by the dino rocker’s book. Now if only he could meet someone that was good with drums… “Wahhh! It’s a monster!” One spectating soldier cried out as his gaze fell upon Balder’s hybrid form. Clearly someone hadn’t been briefed on the situation. However, Balder did stick out like a sore thumb among the cobbled streets and ordered, grid-like buildings. Even without his Devil Fruit’s powers, the rocker was a walking embodiment of rock, or at least that’s how he thought of himself, and naturally seemed to draw people’s attention. It would seem his buddy from the bar was also doing the same as a pack of soldiers made their way towards the stoic samurai. In all fairness, the soldier’s mentality was a simple one: Both opponents looked bad, but Leo was a man and Balder certainly didn’t look like it. Which one would you have tried to attack? Well either way was the wrong decision. Balder wasn’t about to let these goons hurt his friend and certainly wasn’t about to be ignored!

Leo was far closer to the dock than the Jurassic rocker was, which could prove problematic. The small wooden docks which the first enemy ship anchored at was practically buzzing with soldiers filing off the steel ship’s side. Balder could have easily cleared out the ways of incoming soldiers, yet he didn’t want to risk breaking the docks and plummeting into the sea. He had fallen into the ocean once, and if it wasn’t for his radical rocking sensei Oz to save his life, albeit only so the old man could take the downed fool’s wallet, the Dino-man wouldn’t be rocking here today! Balder may not have been the brightest, but even he knew jumping the docks would be a bad idea, yet he had to do something. No true rocker would sit around while his fan was about to be mauled and certainly not the rocker most dedicated to his fan base, the one and only Jurassic Rocker.

Balder looked around to see if he could make his best plan a reality, which just so happened to be throwing something big and heavy. His options certainly were limited in this department as he took in his surroundings. He could have ripped up the road, throwing chunks of bricks at the incoming soldiers, but that would only work so well. “A building? Nahh. Too heavy and overkill, although bringing the house down is my specialty…” Balder rambled loudly, chuckling at his lame joke while danger was very quickly encroaching upon Leo, who was standing his ground. A large smile spread across the Triceratop’s beaked lips, truly looking awkward to anyone. However, Balder liked his smile, it was his after all, and felt a sense of pride surge inside of him at the sight of his brave fan standing before the wave of enemies intent on hurting him. The rocker certainly couldn’t let his fan be hurt, or he wouldn’t be a true rocker at all! Being driven forward by his sense of “morals”, Balder resumed his search for the perfect thing to throw and found it at the corner of the street. Taking hold of the lamppost to his side, Balder easily pulled the now bent and damaged pole from its foundation and with a might shout and swing, he hurled the makeshift weapon towards the docks. “LEO! DUCK DUDE!”

[Blushing z0ro]

What the!? As Leo turned around, alarmed by Balder's voice, the swordsman saw a a light post flying his direction. Quickly bending his body out of the way the large metal cylinder landed on a group of soldiers before rolling down the street taking out a few more, only to totally avoided later on by those who had had time to see it coming. Well this guy will certainly prove useful if only for his strength rather than his music.

Taking advantage of the surprise of the soldiers, the swordsman pushed forward even more cutting a couple more as fast as he could. They had to create as much of a commotion as possible so that the others could get by unnoticed, that was their only duty at that time. Take out as many soldiers, make noise and wait for a chance to escape. The others would not fail, that much the captain had confidence in. However in the end it all depended on his group to last long enough. Leonard would not stop, he would not give up. the journey of the Shining Pirates had just begun, it would not end here, it would not end now. They were going to leave their mark on the world! Not disappear into oblivion like so many others! The captain would not let that happen. The Shining Pirates will not disappear until all their dreams come true.

To Leonard Le Clerc this wasn't a wish or hope, it was a fact. Those that got in the way of that fact would simply be removed. That was all there was to it.

[Quincy]

“Aww yeah!” the ecstatic Dino-man cheered out at his recent successes. Not only had his little lamp idea worked but it had taken out even more soldiers than he had expected it would. On top of that, the way things were going was just fine with Balder; if there was one thing he could do extremely well, it was make noise and be the center of attention. Sure, the limelight was blinding to those in it, but such is a rocker’s burden to bear for his fans, or at least that’s how Balder theorized it to be. Whether his philosophy was true or not, or even relevant to the fight he found himself in, it was true that Leo and the Jurassic Rocker were the perfect distraction for the other group of “fans” to get their supplies unheeded. While the Triceratops-man was left to his musings about how his other fans were doing, he missed the approach of two new faces to the fray, along with the battleship’s second squad of imperial soldiers.

A thinner man, holding himself in a very stern and uptight manner, gave off airs of nobility as he turned his head to observe the battlefield. “Just two peasants and this much trouble?! Tsk, why do I even bother trusting subordinates to handle something so simple?” The fine dressed officer muttered, subconsciously adjusting the saber attached to his waist. His lieutenant was a giant of a woman, easily towering over the man with a large shield strapped to her back far wider than the twig next to her could ever get. Her wild mane of long copper hair was barely maintained in a sloppy ponytail, yet she had a smile on her face, taking away from her brutish appearance, though only partially. “Target spotted! Engaging!” The massive woman cried out as she charged towards Balder. She had been told the criminal was an Ancient Zoan DF User and that she need only subdue him and take him in for justice. As headstrong as ever, the lady-warrior charged in to the fray, despite the complaints from the polished, aristocratic young man behind her.

Balder was nearly blindsided by the broad swing from the woman’s arm, yet he would gain no reprieve as she then smashed her circular shield down on where the rocker had previously been standing. Fire now flickering in the Dino-man’s eyes as he looked, up surprisingly, at the hulking warrior before him, he only leveled a cry of defiance at the woman, “Come get some! I will show you how I rock!”

[Blushing z0ro]

Amongst the all the fighting a haughty looking higher ranking officer swung his saber at Leo, who only narrowly escaped the sharp steel blade by ducking as it cut the air where the pirate's head once was. Seeing an opening in the other swordsman the captain swung his nodachi at the exposed left shoulder of the officer who escaped the blow by swiftly stepping back out of the reach of the longer sword. It became apparent to both swordsman in the span of a single exchange that both were skilled fighters, much to the annoyance of the noble looking officer, who muttered something about peasants which Leo did not quite hear properly as most sounds were drowned out by canon fire and Balder's bellowing.

The pirate had the advantage of longer reach in this fight but his opponent showed himself to be the faster of the two, it would all be determined by whether or not Leonard could react in time to counter an attack. Neither fighters could afford to waste much time so one would have to do something momentary. The pirate who did not wished to get bogged down and the soldier who wished to end this annoyance of a battle as soon as possible; which one would act first? The soon made itself known. moving with incredible swiftness the noble officer dashed towards Leo with a trusting motion almost too fast for the pirate to react. While it was too late to counter, a quick roll got the nodachi user out of the danger. As soon as he got back on his feet, the pirate slashed behind him at the ankles of the officer managing a small cut. While only a minor injury Leonard knew that this cut just assured his success.

As expected in the subsequent exchange of blows the noble officers movement greatly slowed down. Enough, in fact, for the pirate to overwhelm his opponent with a powerful move. "Mangestu-Ryuu: Kosagetsu!!!" The two slash move dispatched the officer by first disarming him with an upper right to lower left downward slash and cutting across the chest in an upward, bottom right to top left slash. Blood stained the air and the ground near where the two swordsmen were standing.

A single duel amongst a battle, while it felt extensive for the young pirate it was no more than a few exchanges of blows that lasted no more than a few seconds. Yet within those few seconds the rest of the of troops had begun to surround Leo who simply tackled one of the weaker looking soldiers to get out of the precarious position of a surrounded man.

What was the oddest is that even though Leonard was not aware of it at the time, the young pirate was not scared. All there was at that time and on that street battlefield was the present. No obligation, no duty, no dream... only the battle. Zatoshi, Leo's grandfather, often spoke of the strange fact that it was in the most chaotic of places and time that men most often found the truest form of serenity. What a strange irony that was, that within death a suffering true peace could be found. Perhaps that meant that humans were truly savage beings deep down. This would become something Leonard Le Clerc would often ponder. However, this was not the time for thinking. It was the time for battle in it's purest form, all that mattered was the fight, making it last as long as possible and lasting through. So simple, yet so hard. Thus the pirate captain continued to fend off the assault of soldiers amidst the smoke resulting of the canon fire, the constant booming seemingly mirroring his own heartbeat. Or was it the other way around?

[Quincy]

Balder had stayed true to his word; he and the larger woman that had engaged him were exchanging their own definitions of rock and roll. In other words, they were beating the snot out of each other and neither would relent. The female warrior had done a fine job of blocking many of Balder’s crushing blows with her large shield. However, whenever she would attempt to counter-attack Balder, she had to leave herself open as she swung her massive fists. While she could certainly take a hit or two, she was used to her fellow soldiers’ blows, and Balder being a rampaging Zoan was an entirely different level of combat all together. She reveled in the challenge, however, as she continued exchanging heavy punches with a wide grin.

The smile immediately evaporated when the frenzied female laid eyes upon her downed commanding officer. Sure, he had been a rigid snob throughout the entire trip to Nuovo Romano, but a comrade was a comrade.

“Archibald!” the copper haired woman cried out as she hastily shoved Balder away from her to relocate towards the young noble’s body. Despite being sliced across the chest and laying on the ground, still bleeding quite profusely, the slim officer still shot his lieutenant a sour look. “Adriana, this wound is nothing. Don’t forget the objective at hand. Subdue and retrieve at all costs!” young Archibald barked at his subordinate. The titanic woman cared little about her officer’s orders as rage descended over her eyes like a red mist. She bellowed out a cry of outrage and immediately locked-on to the source of her growing fury; Leonard Le Clerc.

Before the she-warrior could vent her frustrations upon the vulnerable samurai, however, her charge was met with another. “Oh no you don’t! No one ignores Balder Albans!” the pseudo rock star yelled out as he met the woman head on with a ‘Balder Dash’. While the musician had thrown all of his force behind the charge, Adriana hardly bent as she stood strong against the driving blow. Her sandal clad heels dug deep into the cobbled streets until she had finally stopped the ‘Jurassic Rocker’ in his rather large tracks.

Now it was her turn. With a bestial growl and bulging arms, Adriana had actually managed to lift the heavy Dino-man, if only slightly, and “deposit” him into an adjacent wall. The brick wall shattered upon the heavy impact, sending dust and debris pluming away from the initial impact zone. Without a moment’s pause, and certainly with the same level of blood thirst as earlier, Adriana walked through the dust cloud that had gathered. However, she would only find herself further frustrated; Leo was nowhere to be seen!

[Blushing z0ro]

A crash, the rumbling sound of broken stone reach Leo's ears. It appeared Balder had been thrown through a wall. Quickly turning around to help his new friend, the pirate could only take a few steps before something passed very close by his head only to explode a few feet away from him. A cannonball had barely missed his head only to blow him back several feet, causing the swordsman to land heavily on his back. Not only had the cannonball left a large hole in the pavement it must have damaged something in one of the adjacent buildings as another explosion came almost immediately after engulfing the building on the right side of the street in flames as all of the steam mechanism broke down from stress gushing out both steam and flames. It was obvious that soon enough the fire would spread to the nearby buildings. Leo had to get out of there fast but he did did not want to abandon Balder, however, the flames and rumble had now completely cut off the captain from the wannabe rock-star. Leo then begun to run towards another street hoping to be able to double back and save his friend.

Running as fast as he could amongst fire, steam and smoke, chased all over by soldiers the young pirate stopped in his tracks as a single man stood in his way. Obviously a soldier, yet quite different from the ones he had fought so far. The man was older, a well trim beard of brown hair covered his tanned face that had the line of a man who had been through a lot over years, both good and bad. The piercing blue eyes of the older soldier stared right at Leonard, not betraying any emotions or intent, his body unmoving arms at his side and large longsword on his back, not like Leo's sword but similar to the sword a knight would wield. The incredible composure of the man showed years of disciplined living and training, the only things that could allow and man to be so calm and still amongst the madness of canon fire and burning buildings.

Still unmoving the man let out his voice, a voice Leo recognized immediately, it was the man to whom he spoke with through the den den mushi. This was the enemy commander. "I take it you must be Leonard Le Clerc." Said the army commander as he crossed his arms across his chest. The very presence of this man made it clear to Leo he had made one huge miscalculation in his plan. Every part of the young man's being told him to run away as fast as he could, this man was someone he could not hope to defeat. Running away from him was certainly possible but if the captain wanted to be able to reach Balder he would have to go through that soldier.

With a deep breath and nonchalant swing Leo placed his sword on his right shoulder, while his scabbard was hanging from his belt all the while regaining his posture. A smile drew itself on the young pirates mug who tried to look as relaxed as he could. It was all bravado, not to intimidate his enemy however, but to encourage himself, he just had to do this. "And I take it you must be the next guy I need to take down." More cocky bravado yet whether the veteran warrior knew what it was or not the captain could not know.

The soldier closed his eyes for an instant, only for him to smile back in turn then open his eyes again. Only this time there was a spark in them, the young pirate standing in front of him had brought forth feelings that he long forgotten, the thrill of a good fight. how long was that kid going to last? Not very was the soldier's estimate; but it was sure as hell better than all the punks he usually gets to fight. "Well at least you have guts kid." the soldier said as his smile turned into a full grin, not a blood-thirsty one but one from a man who was beginning to feel true excitement swell up in heart. Yet, it a grin that brought cold sweats to the young captain, a feeling of dread digging deep into the pit of his stomach. How was he going to get through this? It seemed only a miracle could save Leonard Le Clerc at this point.

[Vio]

Stepping forwards through the modern streets of the town, the Commander scanned the area with blue eyes, taking due note of the state of the buildings around him. Any bad moves and many of them could topple over thanks to the damage dealt by their earlier bombardment. That was something he would have to take into account, but at least he had his men making sure to evacuate any civilians to safer areas of the town, not to mention dispatching several mobile units to hunt down any potential accomplices of their target. Things were shaping up, but still there were other issues that needed to be taken care of.
"Well, well. Speak of the devil." Standing in the middle of the street, the flames and steam and rubble of the assault now littering the environment, the officer's eyes captured the movement of a man moving towards him. Quite simply, he had had enough of these games and the trouble such criminals were causing and was more than willing to end it himself if needed. Now, a young man dressed in black and carrying a sword had made his way into view, and instinct informed him of who it was.

"I take it you must be Leonard Le Clerc." Folding his muscular arms, the Commander's piercing blue hues looked deep into the inky dark eyes of the subject, analysing him thoroughly and paying particular attention to the look in his eyes. He could sense the fear, but despite such nerves the dark-haired individual was still capable of putting on a brave face, and that was something that the soldier admired somewhat. That was the way of the warrior; to be able to banish ones fears in the face of danger. He knew it all too well, for it was the only way to become fearless.
"And I take it you must be the next guy I need to take down." Swinging his sword over and resting it upon his shoulder, the opposing swordsman seemed to show rather casual mannerisms that belied his inner worries. As for the Commander himself, he retained a sturdy stance but could not help but let his stoic expression fade for a moment. The cockiness of Mister Clerc was entertaining to bear witness to, though at the same time it was rather annoying. A smile formed upon his face as he chuckled slightly beneath his breath.

"Well, at least you have guts, kid. But it's too late now. I suppose you know who I am, already, but I'll give you the full introduction, anyway." Unfolding his arms, the Commander turned on the spot, reaching up with one arm and drawing his longsword from his back. Now, on full display, was the Gryphon emblem of the Holy Remunun Empire. Turning back to fully face his adversary, the muscular man spoke once more.
"Commander Marcus Rhodes of the Holy Remunun Empire. I've been placed in charge of this operation, and you and your accomplice are wanted men!" The flash of steel indicated Rhodes' intent towards the opposing swordsman. Leonard Le Clerc was severely outmatched, and both of them knew it, but there was little choice for him now. A small gathering of soldiers approached from behind, ready to dive upon the swordsman, but the Commander raised a bare hand and shook his head slowly. Such a simple action, but all the men stopped, backed off a little and saluted.

"So. Tell me. What's your plan?" Raising his sword and resting the flat of the blade upon his shoulder, Marcus proposed a simple question to the young swordsman...

[Blushing z0ro]

Sweat began to drip down the side of the tired pirates face. This was bad, very bad. Leo realized before that the man who had introduced himself as Marcus Rhodes was stronger than him, but low and behold, it was only once the imposing warrior drew his blade that Leo fully understood the difference in level between him and the army commander. And a simple question came from the Commander. "So. Tell me. What's your plan?" A simple question, yet the young pirate had no idea what to say as he began to look down on the ground dejected.

What was his plan? Constantly run around like a headless chicken? Fight a man he knew perfectly well he could not beat? A few second of silence, yet those few seconds felt like hours to Leo. There were no cannon fire, no explosion, no fire. Just peace. Remembering all he had seen, all he had been taught, all he wanted to do, a simple decision came to the mind of the pirate captain. So simple, so obvious. Raising his head again to look at his enemy straight in the eyes. All fears and doubts were gone from Leonard Le Clerc. All that was left in him was resolve and the sheer will to survive. Whether he could win or not did not matter in the slightest, out on those blue seas only the strong survive.

"What's my plan eh? Well I can't say I have one anymore. All I know is that I'm getting out of here and am taking my friends with me! If that means I have to kick your ass good. If that means if have to have you kick my ass so be it. All I know is that I will survive somehow." Leo's smile had returned to his face, but this time it was not a fake one, it was genuine. The thrill of battle had returned to him and all fears and insecurities had gone. He would accept his fate whatever it was, he made the choice to be a pirate, all his action were his own decisions he would live with the consequences, That was the key part, he would LIVE. How he knew this, the swordsman had no idea but he was sure of it, he would not die today.

The heat of the fire that had spread to various buildings was causing the air to shimmer, giving an eery atmosphere to battlefield, embers dancing around like taunting fairies. The cannon fire had stopped and a small group of soldiers had gathered behind Leo preventing any kind of escape. Even if he had tried to go through the lower ranking soldiers the Commander would have had not issue with catching up to the pirate. Not only that but the young man in black was getting pretty tired of all the running and fighting while the Army Officer was in perfect condition. This was really not the most ideal of situations.

Swiftly sheathing his sword Leo dashed as quickly as he could towards the Rhodes hoping to catch him by surprise yet not sincerely believing he could do such a thing. As he closed into his attack rang Leonard drew his sword at blinding speed. "MANGETSU-RYUU BATTOU-JUSTSU: KAMINARI!!!" Aiming the full power of the slash at soldiers neck. Here goes nothing.

[Vio]

Blue eyes remained focused upon the likes of Leonard le Clerc, observing his every action with appropriate parts caution and fearlessness. Marcus Rhodes had seen many a swordsman in his life time, and the youth before him did not exactly break the standards. The blade resting over his shoulder, however, was something quite unique; a nodachi, most likely, considering that its total length was almost as great as the boy who wielded it. But, the most interesting fact about said single-edged blade was the unusual straightness it possessed, characteristic of double-edged swords such as the Commander's own 'Lion Tamer' rather than having the gentle slicing curve of more traditional sabres. What effect that had upon it was currently unknown, but it was unlikely that it would be too awkward to deal with.
Take your time... Eyes never faltering, Marcus took in every subtle detail he could as he observed the youngster. The shimmer of sweat upon his brow, the way he looked down to the earth at his feet, these were all things that he had seen before in many a circumstance. By this point, most gave in, but some would react in desperation. Which was Leonard going to choose? The cowardly route? Or the honourable one? Sometimes the line between the two was heavily blurred, however. Seconds passed, and the Remunun Officer did nothing but look on with a subtle smile.

"What's my plan, eh?" Raising his head once more, Mister Clerc spoke clearly. Any traces of nerves or confusion having been purged by the flames of determination as inky hues of the night clashed like swords with the crystal blues of day. This was even less common amongst the outmatched. Those who spoke by this point only did so out of confusion, no clear plan in their head. Mindless babble with no true intentions behind it. However, Leonard's voice seemed crisp and full of calm intent, honed like the very swords with which they were about to clash.

"Well, I can't say I have one any more. All I know is that I'm getting out of here and am taking my friends with me! If that means I have to kick your ass, good. If that means I have to have you kick my ass, so be it..." A smile had replaced the once worried look upon the opposing swordsman's face. A smile not to dissimilar from the one that Commander Rhodes had been bearing, and for just a moment it wiped the smirk of the soldier's face.
"All I know is that I will survive, somehow." Rhodes recognised that smile all too well, and soon his own natural grin had returned in response to the words of the bladesman in black. The flames of nearby buildings hissed and crackled, cheering for blood like the spectators in the coliseum. Marcus always loved to compete every once in a while, honing his skills and testing his mettle against the best it had to offer, but always coming out on top. Surprisingly, of the many scars that covered his body, so few had been obtained from warfare. Indeed, the coliseum often provided more of a challenge to the Commander than any enemy soldier did in the field. He was, for some reason, hoping that this one would act more like a fellow gladiator than an enemy trooper.

"That's more like it, Lion Cub!" The shimmer of embers around them, the heat filling the air, it was as if the thrill of battle itself had set the ground beneath them on fire, and it was Leonard le Clerc who made the first move. Sheathing his sword, the 'Lion Cub' - which the Commander had now nicknamed him - dashed forwards at speed, possibly in an attempt to catch the Commander off guard. Like that was going to work. Still, Rhodes had to admit that his speed was impressive, the swordsman definitely possessing potential.

"Mangetsu-Ryuu. Battou-Jutsu: Kaminari!" Unsheathing his blade with such speed, Marcus' foe released a horizontal swing of his blade, killing intent present as he aimed so obviously for the neck. A desperate manoeuvre, to be sure, but performed with such a level of skill. Still, it was predictable, and with a quick swing of his own blade, the Remunun Officer blocked the attack with the flat of his own weapon, gaze never once departing from the dark eyes of his opponent.
"Not bad. But, not good enough. Half Circle!" Deflecting Leonard's attack with such ease, his own stance never even having shifted while defending against the blow, the Commander swung his longsword in a wide arc. The force of the swing so mighty it ripped through the air, casting out a biting arc of wind that cleaved through the air.

[Blushing z0ro]

Lion Cub? That's not the kind of name calling that Leonard expected. Bastard, filthy pirate, these made sense but Lion Cub? It felt more insulting than anything else. Yet it was strangely accurate, to the veteran warrior Leo was naught more than a child flailing and throwing tantrum, a child whose name meant Lion. As the young man's sword was flying towards Rhodes' neck it was met with the flat of the warrior's longsword. As they the two swordsmen eyes locked on each other they both saw the same thing. The thrill of battle in the enemy's eyes and a smile of exhilaration on each others face.

The cracking of the fire was becoming like a music, a song of war to which the embers danced like crazed fiery wraiths. The smell of burning wood and hating metal overwhelming that of the nearby sea. The glow of the fire melting into the redness of a sun that had begun to set all the while illuminating a the part of the sky that were still blue yet darkened by the towering smoke from the raging fire. Regardless of the magnitude of the scenery they were a part of the swordsmen were oblivious to their environment, all that existed to them at that time was each other and the battle. The peace amongst the chaos of war that separated warriors from the rest of men and women. The chaos that separated men from cowards and animals.

"Not bad. But, not good enough. Half Circle!" The powerful slash of the veteran send Leo flying back a few feet after barely managing to block the brunt of the attack. Just barely landing on his feet the young bladesman reciprocated with his own flying slash. "ZANGETSUHA!" Not really expecting the slash to be any good, it was only to give himself the opening to close in again. Which the pirate captain did as fast as he could.

It was the most basic method when fighting someone stronger. Keep observing them, learn how they move and react to your attack. Then if you can last long enough to find an opening, use it. True enough if the difference was to great such a method wouldn't work. No matter how much he tried Leo never managed to land even a single blow on his grandfather in all his years of training. But old Zatoshi was by any and all definition a monster, a man who had braved the Grand Line and live to tell the tell. Well, the man was actually from the Grand Line so it wasn't like he started from the beginning. Still the old man was the strongest person Leo knew and there was no doubt in the young man's mind that his grandfather would be able to take out that soldier effortlessly.

However such a feat was completely out of the reach of the young pirate in black. Having closed the distance and raising his blade in air Leonard threw in a little more cocky banter at his opponent. "So do you always give cute nicknames to your opponents? I really think you should wait for the third date before doing that." His sword now high above his head and his left foot forward Leo tensed the muscles in his back to draw in as much power as he could, Then with a step forward with his right foot the "Lion cub" Swung down his sword with all his might. "SHISHIGETSUGA!" In terms of sheer power this was the best Leo had. how would the veteran soldier handle this? Will it be deflected as easily as the previous attack or will it have any effect at all? It was time to find out.

[Vio]

The forceful gale unleashed easily sent the swordsman in black reeling away from Marcus Rhodes, but the Commander was well aware of the quick defensive manoeuvre that his adversary had made. Honestly, such reactions had saved the kid's life from what could easily have been a fatal blow, the steel of both blades meeting and singing to one another for just a moment. Still, the difference in power between the two was obvious, but he knew that Leonard le Clerc showed a great deal of potential, even more so when he managed to land on his feet and recover so quickly. Many a man had fallen to such a simple move, sheer power shattering any hopes of defence, but not this one.
"Zangetsuha!" Recovering quickly, the rival swordsman unleashed his own wild swing, the lengthy blade slicing the air so cleanly with a whistle that it cast out its own air blade. Yet another air cutting technique. Rhodes had seen many, both of his own design and of others'. It was a simple technique to use, but not so easy to master. The likes of the bladesman in black, however, was still in those early stages, and as the howling edge arced through the air, the Remunun Officer dodged it so easily by stepping to the side.

Predictable. Thought Marcus, taking note of the wild and uncontrolled way in which the 'Lion Cub' had unleashed his attack. It was just a desperate attempt at distracting him. A desperate attempt at creating an opening in order to gain some advantage over an opponent several times stronger than himself. Honestly, this was like bringing a knife to a gunfight, and it was obvious in the way he was acting that his opponent knew it. Still, the attack had done its job to an extent, Leonard now having closed quite a considerable distance already. It was not going to help, however, though the soldier was most surprised by the snark and humour of the following comment.
"So, do you always give cute nicknames to your opponents? I really think you should wait for the third date before doing that." Sword raised high above his head, the cheeky cub seemed to wind himself up for a moment as he spoke, bringing the elongated blade down with such might while unleashing the closest thing he could to a battle cry: Shishigetsuga. The Lion Moon Fang. It seemed one of the more powerful skills in the arsenal of the little lion, but the Remunun was more than willing to test the youth's bite, provoking a slight chuckle.

"Rererere... It's not about how loudly you roar, Lion Cub," Raising his own blade so quickly, with only one hand upon it he allowed the two iron fangs to meet once more, their sweet song the perfect accompaniment to their dance of death. The force of the blow resonating through the blades, it was clear to the Colossus that there was a lot more focus and ferocity behind this single strike. It was never easy to explain it, for it was something that a swordsman could only understand when they experienced it for themselves, but he could feel his opponent's very will contending with his own. The sword was an extension of its wielder through which all intentions travelled, both their own and their opponents.
"It's about how much your roar means!" Repelling the cub's blade again with such ease, the Commander had to admit one thing to his opponent. That last blow was impressive. Sure, Rhodes had faced much stronger opponents in his time, but experience had taught him many things about attacks. No matter how much force you put behind an attack, it could easily be defended against if the defender was wise to it. But an attack reinforced with intent was much harder to fight against. The nickname he had given to Le Clerc was much more fitting than he had first realised.

"I'll admit it. You've got quite the bite! But you've got a long way to go until you can slice through steel!" Raising the 'Lion Tamer' over his head, Rhodes spoke harshly towards his opponent. If there was one thing he liked to see, it was potential, but one thing he did not like seeing was people such as Leonard wasting theirs. So far, the cub had failed to break through his defences, the Commander having yet to move his feet from their position, firmly rooted to the ground like a majestic oak. Or, at least, he had thought so. Neither would have noticed it, but that last attack had actually pushed the soldier back about half an inch.
"Ploughman." Bringing his blade down with force, the steel fang crashed into the ground, casting forth a vertical wave of air that rippled wildly like the heat haze of the flames around them. Perhaps not as fast as the previous wave that the 'Lion Cub' had unleashed, this attack was backed by an immense amount of power, travelling across the ground and literally parting the dirt and debris that rested upon the ground, swatting them aside like the spitting embers. Straight towards his opponent it travelled, a direct hit easily capable of cracking bones...

[Blushing z0ro]

How much my roar means? What the hell was that guy talking about? Leonard did not understand what Rhodes meant with those words. As the two swords collided with a ringing of the cold steel like the cry of two metallic beasts or what some would call the song of joy of the two blades fulfilling their true purposes.

Marcus Rhodes effortlessly thwarted the young bladesman in black's blow, like it was nothing but the flailing of child. With each blow it became more obvious that Leo would not be able to defeat the enemy commander and his superior technique. Yet, this fact downing on him did not bring down his fighting spirit, in fact it did just the opposite. This thrill, this blood-lust, this is why people fight. Not for cause or country, not even for love or family. People fight because they can't help loving it. The uncertainty of one's survival, putting your life on the line with every move and every decision, it was both the most exhilarating and most peaceful of thing. But all this ended abruptly from one blow and a single word from the older soldier. "Ploughman."

What power, the attack shattered the pavement sending small debris flying. Leo only managed to block at the very last second but that didn't do the young man much good. His arms were knocked out of the way by the force of the Veteran's brutal technique and the pirate was knocked off his feet and propelled backwards crashing into the stone wall of one of the nearby burning buildings as if he was naught more than a rag-doll being tossed about by a child that was done playing with it. As the back of Leo's head hit the wall, everything went black, no more fighting, no more fire, no nothing.

How long did Leonard just stood there half encased inside the wall, as the stone, hot from the fire yet not enough to burn, warmed his skin? Not long presumably, but the young man was only half conscious at that point. As his mind drifted between dream and reality the pirate heard a voice. Was it a hallucination or a memory? He wasn't quite sure but he definitely heard the voice of his grandfather. "You must always be careful Leo, while you tend to be calm and collected, deep down you do not have the material to be a stoic warrior." The stern voice said. "What do you mean that I'll just go berserk in fights?" Leo's voice responded even though the young pirates lips did not move still half conscious as some of the soldiers began to approach him. "Not quite but not completely wrong. You enjoy fighting too much and as a child you use to throw extreme tantrums. You have deep seated rage, especially since your father left this world. All this making you dangerous. Rage, blood-lust, thirst for power, these are the things that led people on the Path of Carnage (Shura no Michi)."

One of the soldier examined the unmoving pirate, wanting to ascertain the young man was not a threat any more. Feeling the presence so close to him, Leonard reacted instinctively, tightening his hand on the grip of his sword, he had only been loosely holding on until now, slashed the soldier across the chest letting blood taint the air ans the soldier fall to the ground knocked out by the force of the surprisingly fast swing.

There was no pain, a good few bones were broken, muscles pulled and thorn; but there was no pain. One could say Leonard was in an altered state of mind. All there was was the fight, no comrades, no duty, no dream, only the fight, only destruction. Whether they were aware of it or not the few soldiers that had gathered stepped back quite a distance due to the blood-lust emanating from the swordsman. Yet none of it was aimed at them, it was all for one person, Marcus Rhodes.

Dashing towards his enemy and closing the distance in the blink of an eye. Jumping just before the old warrior got into range, the semi-conscious Leo swung down his sword in an arc that seemed to draw a crescent moon. That was the kogetsusen, but the name wasn't called out it was only the natural movement of a wounded beast fighting tooth and nails for survival. Survival and pleasure.