Mission # 37 (Challenger Approaching!) *Open*

[hellcats]

Sitting in his captains cabin, a dim light flickering about as the usual movement of the ship kept Chris awake. He had spent the last few hours going over some papers as he lay in bed. The desk he used no longer had a matching chair, compliments of an accidental misfire from Lorelei. The documents he looked over contained info on the island of Zarzara, the Prima Vista's current destination. He had never been to it before, nor has he ever had reason to. The recent challenge originating from the island was what now had him preparing for battle though. Knowing a little about his target and the area surrounding it was always a preferred option then running in blind.

He had come across it by chance. A rumor had gotten around, about a pirate in the South Blue who was challenging others to battle over some reward. The rumors eventually reached to the men on his ship, and as such to himself. It wasn't the unclear reward that interested Chris so much as the challenge itself. The pirate in question apparently had a 10,000,000 Beri bounty on himself, and the invitations he was sending out were probably done to help increase his fame. This did not sit well with Chris, having learned long ago that even a minor rookie could grow into a powerful foe over time. Chris was ready to deal with the problem before it escalated, earning a reward in the process was simply a convenient perk.

The silver cross imprinted onto Lorelei shone brightly as a warm, wet towel was run across it. Tending to his weapons was a full time job, he could risk the piloting and maintenance of his ship to the men in his command. Making sure that his various instruments of death were kept in functioning order was his task, and his alone. The last time a crew mate tried to touch his Souba without permission, the fool nearly lost his hand. Almos' quick thinking was all that stopped the unfortunate marine from needing a prosthetic.

Cleaning the chamber. Checking and rechecking the loading mechanism. It was all very tedious work, but was also an easy way to pass time. Before he knew it, the ring of a familiar bell echoed on deck. Seemed they had nearly reached land. Swinging his legs off his mattress, he quickly put on his vest and slipped into a pair of black combat boots. Loafers were not a smart choice given the situation. With that he equipped his weapons into all the appropriate places, swung Lorelei over his shoulder and for once in a life time, found the desire to wear his large overbearing marine's coat. Greeting the outside world with a cigarette in hand, he readied himself for the battle to come.

[aiden]

"Oookaaasaaaamaaaaa~" Korosu called from across the ship, shoving his way passed the deckhands to get to the Lt. Commander. He was dressed in a white and pink floral patterned kimono, and his hair was worn up, kept in place with two colored hair sticks. He was even wearing the traditional sandals with it, just so his outfit wouldn't clash and, of course, he smelled of green tea soap. His Shou Men Da Dao was strapped to his back, his kusarigama clung to his hip, and while his emei piercers were not visible, they were hidden in his sleeves as usual.

Reaching the Lt. Commander, Korosu gave a snappy salute, then a waist deep bow. "Okasama, I was just coming to inform you personally." he assured apologetically, as if it were some big crime that their arrival had reached Chris's ear by a bell. Standing, he supressed a gasp, and instantly moved forward to straighten Chris's vest. He then reached up to fix the collar of his coat, murmering about how his "Okasama should always look his best." Backing up, he let out a gasp, blushed, then snapped back to attention. "Officer on Deck!" he shouted, causing the crew to snap to attention, shout "Good morning, Lt. Commander!", then return to their duties.

"We await your orders, sir!" he stated firmly. Inwardly, though, he was freaking out. Oh no! I can't believe I forgot to properly introduce him before I fixed his collar! I don't deserve to be his son! Don't be angry, Okasama, it won't happen again! he pleaded, as if he could somehow communicate to the older Abbot via telepathy, which he couldn't.

[hellcats]

His clothes now seemed to have been fixed, from whatever supposed problems they had been in before. Chris was never one to notice such things, thankfully Korosu was always on top of it. Whether it annoyed Chris or not. "I see your cheery as usual," commenting towards Korosu's upbeat attitude. "Gonna need you to don something a little less," eying over Korosu's choice of attire as he raised an eyebrow, "know what, just put on something that will help you go unseen. Your gonna be pulling some 'hit and run' tactics this time around."

Making his way to the port side of the ship, he watched as the land ahead became closer and the port itself came into view. "Listen up," he shouted to the few crew within earshot. "Me and Korosu aren't gonna be back for a while. "If Almos decides to pull himself out of his lab, let him know hes in charge until I return. Best be ready to take off should anything go wrong as well, we don't know if there's an ambush planned or just how many pirates there are," Several of the crew let out a hauler in response, knowing well that Chris personally didn't care about a formal salute.

Pulling into port, Chris' ship was anchored in and dropped its ramp onto the withered dock. Stepping off the ship, he made his way past the dock keeper and towards town. He had no time to bother with trivial talk, his deck hands would pay the man and inform Chris afterward of anything that he needed to know. He walked for a minute or two before pulling over at the realization he was missing something. Dammit, forgot Korosu was still changing, he thought as he picked up his pace again. He had no time to waste on the fashion conscience man. He was a good enough tracker anyways, he would find his way to Chris on his own.

[aiden]

Korosu hid his downtrodden expression untill Chris had turned his attention to other things. He had to change outfits? He had worked so hard to get this look right. Head somewhat drooped, he all but trudged back to his quarters to change his attire.

But what to wear? All he had were his kimonos and his Marine uniform. What wouldn't stand out in this place? After a moment of thought, he snapped his fingers. Rushing out of his quarters, he grabbed the nearest Seaman and dragged him off the ship into the nearest clothing store, while the remainder of the crew pointed and laughed at the unfortunate sailor.

In a matter of minutes, he came back out, followed by the Seaman who was now carrying his clothes. Instead, he was wearing a tannish shirt and pants, with the sand-traversing boots to match. He'd let his hair down, and was wearing one of those nifty desert capes. Even if he had to blend in, it didn't mean he couldn't look good. He looked at the Seaman and smiled. "Now, take those back to my room and continue with your duties. Please don't get them wrinkled, I don't know when I'll have time to iron them." he warned in a sweet voice. The Seaman nodded, and was left to the task while Korosu ran off in the direction Chris had last been seen going in.

It wasn't hard to find him, really, tracking skills or no. The coat made him stick out like a sore thumb. "Okasama~" he called in a sing-song voice as he caught up with the older Abbot. He rounded infront of the man, where he then showed his ability to walk backwards. "Is this allright, Okasama?" he asked, doing a little twirl.

[hellcats]

"Looks fine, though I'm guessing you bought the whole store as well?," experience told him that a single outfit was never enough to satisfy Korosu. Though he had only been walking for a few minutes it seemed the heat was getting the better of him. Pulling his arms out of the sleeves, Chris opted to wear the large Marine coat over his head and shoulders, though it provided little comfort. "We're gonna trek through the sand to reach the capital, from there we can figure out who these fishmen pirates are. Though why fishmen would be hanging out in the middle of a desert I can only imagine.

The walk was tedious, if not for the sun pressing down on they're necks, then for the difficult terrain they had to cross. Sand, and more sand was all they could walk on. It felt as if they were walking in mud, each step being harder then the last. A transport such as a camel would have been preferred, but doing it this way saved money and made them easier targets for any passing bandits. He didn't often try to make his presence know, but at this particular time he would have been gracious to let out his frustrations on an unexpected pirate.

In the distance, a small dot rose. At first it was shapeless blob, mistakable for a hill or even a mirage. As Chris and Korosu moved onward though, a shape began to form. In the distance could be seen a grand wall, constructed perhaps to keep out the sandstorms and roaming bandits. Either way, it spelled salvation for the two wandering marines. "About damn time, I need to drink, crap, and take a nap. Damn the order I do it in," the first thing he had said since the entered the dunes. He had been keeping quiet, trying to conserve energy. He could almost feel the bed beneath his back as they crept closer to the city's wall, then again it could have just been his clothes sticking to him from the sweat. He tried not to dwell on such thoughts.

[aiden]

Korosu smiled widely, falling in a few steps behind and to the left of the older Abbot. "No, Okasama. You said we needed to blend in, and overshopping wouldn't help. Besides, I didn't have time." he almost sounded disapointed, but not too much. He enjoyed these solo missions with his Okasama. He was much more comfortable around Chris. Much more cheerful and himself. "Well, Okasama, you know...The locals dug a canal to the capital city, so it's actually not that hard for a fishman to get there." he stated, backing up as he let that information sink in. He doubted Chris would enjoy knowing that this hike could have been avoided.

The sun was awful, but Korosu found some comfort in the clothes he had bought. Those desert people knew what they were doing when they made their clothing, that was for sure. The weird scarf-cape thing kept his neck safe, and he found that while the clothes made him sweat, they were loose and allowed the air to get in, causing his body to stay at a bearably cool level. Still, he was happy to see the city walls. Not as happy as Chris, though, who began explaining what he was going to do. "Okasama, you didn't bring water?" he asked, almost incredulously, as he held up his standard issue marine flask. Or was Okasama talking about alcohol?

[hellcats]

"I'm fine." spoke the slightly exhausted Chris. He was never one for the heat, be it the middle of summer or in the depths of a sand covered island. "Ill get plenty when we reach the city, I couldn't risk what little supplies we had left before setting out. Allot of our funding is still going into projects for Almos and towards our future goals. Until then, Ill just sweat my balls off when its needed."

The high walls were a sight, at first it seemed they were close, only to find the city was still another fifteen minutes away by foot, yet the city already seemed massive from where they stood. Though he figured that's what one had to do when fitting an entire nation into one part of an island. Looking over his shoulder I stared at Korosu through the corner of his overhanging coat. "Either I'm starting to see things, or theres a giant spaghetti noodle chasing after us."

Within the next moment a large burst of sand erupted in the distance like a fountain. The gaping maw of what seemed to be a giant snake or worm crowned out of the sand dune. "What the hell is that," moaned Chris in a halfhearted shout. Drawing Lorelei over his shoulder he hung it at his side as the marine coat fell from his back. "Is that supposed to be a Seaking of the sand or something equally ridiculous," he mumbled, sluggishly stammering forward with weapon in hand. The heat and lack of water was wearing on him, and he found himself too tired to care for posture as he lazily aimed down his sight at the creature and made several 'Bang' noises childishly.

[aiden]

Korosu looked up to Chris, then off to the..thing that just burst from the ground. "Umm, Okasama...Maybe you should..." He looked back to Chris, only to see him making childish noises. Had the heat really gotten to him that badly? "...I will deal with it at once, Okasama." he stated, stepping forward.

Korosu stared hard at his target, then closed his eyes to take a deep breath. Exhaling, he opened his eyes, and broke into a run, his body held low to the ground. He loosened the kusarigama at his side as he and the worm beast came close to their collision.

Jumping up, he threw the kama(sickle) end at the worm, the blade digging into his flesh. Using the inertia of his jump and the chain as a rope, he swung up onto the worms back, yanking his kama from it's flesh, though it probably wasn't even deep enough to do anything. runnling up its back, he again plunged the kama into the beast, and jumped down. Repeating his earlier actions, he looped around the beast, back onto its back. Grabbing the kama yet again, he wrapped the chains around his hands and pulled back hard, as if trying to stop a running horse.

[hellcats]

A sound not meant for mortal ears resounded throughout the desert. The wave let off by such a howl as enough to shift Chris back slightly as he tried to remain balanced in the shifting sand below him. The piercing cries came in large waves, kicking up bursts of sand, spreading outward from the point of origin. It was painful to hear, let alone the way it shook through his body. What in the four blues was the creature doing?

Though the sound made his body tremble, it succeeded in snapping Chris out of his stupor. Anger quickly replaced confusion as he took off towards the large serpent like creature. He could see Korosu above it, whatever he was trying to do it didn't seem to be working very well. With a swift draw of his souba send an air wave colliding into the beast, with little to no effect in return. It seemed he would have to use his blade directly, the creatures fatty hide was simply too thick.

As he got closer, he could see the chains of Korosu's kama looped around its upper section, it looked like something out of a cartoon as his partner rode atop it, trying not to be thrown off from its thrashing. The worms size, equaling that of most any Seaking, wasn't its only intimidating attribute. Its large gaping maw, which exuded what looked to be thick transparent mucus was drooling as attempted in vain to swing back and eat Korosu. Chris wasn't worried so much about the large suction cup looking mouth, but of the tar like mucus is spewed. He could certainly cut his way out, but if he was caught in that substance, it would be another story all together.

His movement was nearly untraceable to the average person, such was the nature of his fighting style. The speed was blinding, so much so that Lorelei stood fast in its aimed position towards the drooling beast from only a moment ago. The sand thrusting outward from where he stopped, the clouds created by the worm parting violently. Two large streaks ran across the beasts side as Chris sheathed his Souba, now standing behind the worm, over forty feet from his original position. Though it was an exceptional attack, it wasn't something Chris could do with ease. His arms and legs were shaking slightly, the pain of nearly tearing the muscles in his arms from the movement was unbearable. He would need to learn to master his drawing speed before attempting such things often.

[aiden]

Korosu found himself in a predicament. The worm's thrashing was more fierce than he had first predicted. And that tar-like saliva made it impossible to fight head on. This fight needed to be ended, and quickly. But how could he, when he was too busy hanging on for his life?

The worm let out a screeching noise, and Korosu looked down two see two parallel slash marks in its side. Having been given an opportunity, he took both ends of the chain in his right hand, and with his left, unsheathed his Guan Men Da Dao. Taking the large blade in both hands as well as the chain, he drove it into the beasts back. Holding onto the blade, he reeled in his chain sickle and hastily tucked it back away. Taking the blade in both hands, he gripped it, braced himself, and pushed forward. The dao easily cut through the wormy flesh, and as he reached the tip of the head, he brought it out with an upwards slash, using the momentum to help him jump up and back. He figured the worm was blind, so it shouldn't be able to catch him in mid air.