Rumble at the archipelago

[thormundsson]

To most passersby the day was proceeding as usual on Shabody Archipelago. The amusement park was full as usual and the docks and the merchants were working hard to earn a living. The lawless sector, groves 11-20, was as usual rive with a myriad of cutthroats and bandits. Most of these worked as hunters for the slave traders that worked the area. But today this part of the Archipelago was interrupted by it's daily business by the arrival of a tall man wearing the attire of a high ranking marine. His yellow coat marking him out amongst the many people that ran around.

Admiral Kizaru was not specifically on any orders to go the the lawless zone nor was he there on official marine business. He was there because one of his suits was in a less then impeccable state and he needed it fixed. There were dozens of lackeys that would run and fetch and cater to him in Mariejoa but he had no interest in such things. This was a special trip to him in any case. He had a contact that ran a small tailoring business in the lawless zone and he was heading there to have his coat fixed. His old friend was a former captain of the marines but had left the service after some unfortunate events. He and Kizaru had trained together and he had kept his contact with him. The man had a special touch when it came to fixing the suits that the Admiral liked so much and so routinely made these trips to visit his old friend and have his clothes fixed.

"aaaahn, where was it again.....?" said the tall admiral slowly to himself as he stood in grove 14, looking around. His face was marred with a slightly idiotic expression and he stood still for several minutes trying to figure out where his old friend had his shop set up. With his memory failing him he decided to ask the at the nearest tavern.

[Deleted]

Arriving at Sabaody was no easy feat when one traveled all the way from Toroa, but when one's parents commanded one to go on a diplomatic trip, one did not easily refuse. Especially not when a meeting was set up with one of the Navy Generals.

Staring daggers left and right Jessamine strode towards her hotel, challenging people to make mock of her rumbled state. Invardly she cursed the storm which had grabbed hold of the ship, causing this disaster to befall her. She had less than an hour before her meeting with the general, and it would not do to show up like this. Her parents would throw a fit if they found out.

Striking past the personal and guards of the hotel she barked orders not to be disturbed until further notice before she dramatically banged the door shut to her room. They knew her and expected her there, and the less time she gave them to observe her state the better. She let out a long breath and set to the impossible task of righting her looks.

When she had freshened up forty minutes later the rest of her luggage had arrived and she wad almost ready to leave when she saw a hole the size of a fist in her trunk. Cautiously she oppened the lid and screamed an ear wrenching key when rats the size of small dogs scampered out. The personal was quick to arrive and drive of the beasts, trying to ensure her well being, but she kept pushing them aside while searching the trunk. All her garments were ruined! She had spents days on those dresses! She almost rolled hysterically on the floor, but remembering the eyes of the watchers she controlled her temper like a proper lady. Fortunately none of her valuables were damaged, only the clothes, though that was bad enough.

"I want all these dresses burned and the entire appartment searched for vermine while I'm away. I don't have time to linger" she said haughtily and stormed off before they could get a look at the tears in her eyes. She had to see the general, personal catastrophy or not, so she just had to suck it up. This was so not the adventure she had hoped it would be. Somehow the splendor of travel seemed greater in books.

[thormundsson]

Every single person in the bar looked up as the tall Admiral entered the room. The man's attire, that of a high ranking marine, did not sit well with the customers and most seemed to try and hide behind their mugs or any other loose object or persons that were near them. Borsalino walked slowly up to the counter and bent over double as he brought his face to the level of the barkeep. The man, who had been washing some things in the sink turned around and went white as he realized that a marine was face to face with him.

"Uuuuum, do you know a Viktor Gray....?" The admiral said in his slow tone, not bothering to mention that he was a tailor or that his place was a coffee house. The bartender seemed to stiff up and tried to stutter out a few words. "thi..thii....this...is a..a...a well run e..ee...establishment, s...sss..sir" He said, his face dripping with sweat as he tried to cough out a sentence. Kizaru raised himself to his full height, looking down on the man and reaching almost to the ceiling of the small bar. "You don't know where he is......that's strange, he's been around here for a whileeeee" he continued on, not even paying the man's stuttering any attention as he scratched his temple with his index finger, his face a mask of surprise.

He turned around, realizing that the barkeep couldn't help. "does anyone know where Gray's Tailoring is....hummm?" he said, loudly enough so that every soul in the bar could hear him. He was met by a chorus of shaking heads and the occasional "no/no idea". Most of them seemed to be denying knowledge of the place simply to avoid notification from the admiral. "hummm, that's sooo strange" he said to himself as he exited the bar again. He kept looking around, trying to search for some hints as to where his friend's tailoring parlor was.

[Deleted]

Cursing under her breath Jessamine hurried to the navy quarters where she was supposed to meet the general. She still wasn't sure which of them she was meeting but that was irrelevant, everyone knew the generals, surely she would be able to find him.

Walking through the front door at a dignified pace she stared the clerk in the eyes "I am Jessamine Lovelace, here on behalf of the Lovelace family to see the General" she announced and waited impatiently. The clerk just stared her, looking for all the world like an imbecile. She tapped her foot and wondered what such a person was doing receiving important guest. When he still failed to reply she sighed in exasperation. "Do you have any generals on this island at the moment?" she asked slowly, pronouncing every word clearly "Ye.. Yes miss.. General Kizaru" the official hurried to reply. So this was the man she was supposed to meet. Such a troublesome fellow. All knew of this General's lack of enthusiasm, he would be tough to deal with. She nodded with the best patience she could muster "And where would I find the General at the moment?" her voice was smooth as silk over steel, her tolerance wearing thin. "He is on a personal errand" the Marine replied and seemed to pick himself up as the conversation went along. That was well, it would be disgraceful if the station be manned by cowards and imbeciles. "You don't seem to understand. I have an appointment with the General, he should be expecting me" she said, her voice a little vexed. The clerk regarded her more critically and nodded his head in apologies "The General is not at the station. If you want I could leave.." Jessamine clenched her fist and spoke before he even had a chance to finish "Never mind, I'll go look for him myself" she snapped and whirled around.

Outside she stopped for a gulp of fresh air and tried to clear her head. This was not good, she could not continue to lose her composure like this. Her parents had sent her, expecting results and grace from their daughter, it wouldn't do to throw it all away. If only the journey hadn't worn at her so much. She needed to hurry up and find Kizaru, perhaps rearrange with him tomorrow that she could get her sleep and be ready to deal with him. But where would she look for him now?

[thormundsson]

To passersby it would seem a very strange day in the lawless groves on Shaboady Archipelago. A tall man had been standing still for well over 6 minutes just outside of a bar that was frequented by many a shady person. He just stood there, looking slowly to one side and then to the other, as he wasn't sure what his purpose there was. He wasn't exactly in the way but anyone emerging or entering the bar would most certainly notice the man. But nobody has said so much as a word to the man, most seemingly too afraid to test the man's patience.

"aaaaah, the blue oneeee" The man said at last, very slowly, as if something had dawned on him and he had no reason to hurry, even if he was standing in the most ruthless sector of the groves. He turned a full 90° before he started walking calmly away from the bar and off towards a cluster of houses resting beneath one of the trees. It's massive roots made the walls and even roofs of some of the buildings and despite the bright day outside there were lights lit above every door. Amongst the lawless sector this was one of those places that even the small crooks did not come close to, as it was a haven of bandits and other dangerous folk.

Borsalino hadn't even realized how close he was, until he remembered the blue rooster that always sat atop of one of the roots and jeered at those who came close. The pet of an elderly lade that lived there, gods knew why she chose this place, and had been there since before Viktor quit the marines. He kept his steady pace and anybody who was in the way simply moved, they didn't seem in the mood to pick a fight with the tall man, even if he wasn't wearing his admiral's attire.

The old lady waved a frail hand as he walked past her house, her other never breaking a swipe with her broom as she kept on dusting away the bits of tree and other greenery that had grown between the bricks. "Doing good as always, youngster" she said calmly, obviously not even faced a the sight of a Marine Admiral strolling around this place.

"Maaaaah, I have some business with Viktor, he's the only man who can work his magic on these suits" The Admiral said calmly, only slowing down the slightest bit to nod at the old woman, his face marred with a smile as he did.

[Deleted]

Finding the admiral proved more difficult than she had imagined. First she tried looking all the placed marines might be, but there was no trace of his characteristic height or yellow suit. Then she stooped so low as to actually ask all the marines she encountered, but none of them seemed to have seen him either.

Apparently the admiral wasn't on any official business, and neither did he seem to have any interest in the other marines, which meant he was probably walking around somewhere alone or with a comrade who weren't in the navy. What in the world would two old men be doing together? Somehow she doubted they would go shopping, and she couldn't imagine Kizaru being the type to visit a bar.

Deep in thought Jessamine began walking around aimlessly among the many tourist, just going with the flow. Before she realized it she had been carried across the mangroves to the big Sabaody Park and her eyes lit up. Not only had she wanted to come here, but why wouldn't an admiral spend time here? Okay, he might be a bit old for amusement parks, but if he'd never visited it before it would definitely be a place he would go!

She moved through the gates with the best dignity she could muster, though she was practically bursting with energy. Everything was so sparkly and.. moving. Everywhere she looked one attraction or another was taking the occupants through whirlwinds and loops. Practically skipping down the street she got in line for the first and best ride she could find. Kizaru could wait five minutes. Perhaps she would even be able to see him from the vantage point.

[thormundsson]

The broken bell above the door had been replaced by the creaking sound of old hinges. As the Admiral opened the door he was met by the faint smell of leather being worked and that distinc smell of fabric that always fills tailor shops. There was only a single light in the front of the store. there were 3 tables and a pot of coffee on a small desk in one corner. The main window through which any guests could look was obviously getting a bit old, there was a crack in one corner and parts of it were smudged. There were signs of light from further inside the building but there was no noise to indicate that anybody was around. The tall Admiral stood there with a simplistic grin for a few moments, his mind wandering back to the days before he reached the rank he now held.

Kizaru had to duck his head as he turned around to keep from knocking the light that was hanging from the ceiling. He heard voices outside, one of them clearly Viktor and the other one he couldn't recognise, but it was clear that the stranger was getting angry and Viktor wasn't too happy with what they were discussing.

"I'm tellin' yah! you need protection from sinister persons and only my gang can provide that. We are only asking for a share of the profits instead, nothing big, really!"

Kizaru smiled as his friend reacted exactly the same way as he expected.

"I have been here longer than you sprouts have been in business and I have never had troubles with bandits. Not even the rookies that come sailing through here worry me in the slightest, now bugger off and leave me alone" He said pretty calmly though there was a tint of anger in his voice and he was obviously not in the mood to be lectured or threatened by some no-name scruff of a mobster. Kizaru could see them through the window on the door, the bandit was heavily built though he wasn't tall enough to come close to Kizaru's height. Viktor was a bit smaller but he had a wiry muscle build to him and Kizaru knew him well enough to know he could flatten the bandit in the blink of an eye.

"Aaaaah, it took you long enooouuugh" Kizaru said as he stepped out the door to meet the two men, bending down as he did to make it through the doorway. Viktor smiled faintly as he noticed his friend whilst the mobster was obviously shocked or annoyed. He looked at Kizaru like he was a nuisance and stepped forward to meet him. "Oi! I'm talking to the man, slanky! whoever you are you need to get gone now!" He said in a rather rude manner and if it wasn't for his calm demeanor Borsalino probably would have ended him right there and then. "You are talking to an Admiral of the Marines, I suggest a different tone in your apology before you run away" Viktor said with a bit of a chuckle. Whilst he was only a year older than Kizaru the age had settled on him more and he already had shades of gray in his hair. A fitting look for a man called Viktor Gray.

The mobster was white with terror however, even as the two men exchanged pleasantries. He was looking at Kizaru as if he was a giant dragon that had just decided he like mobsters for lunch. He took a step back, sweat dripping from his nose as he did. "Well I am mighty sorry about all of this and I don't think we'll be bothering you today..." He said as he turned to flee with surprising speed for such a broad man. Kizaru shot Viktor a sideways glance as the man took off. "I think his friends should need an example, riiiiiiight?" Borsalino said in a rhetorical manner as he raised his leg, the lower part of it glowing like the sun itself. "Just make sure you don't blow away another tree, that was too much, my friend" Viktor responded as the duo watched the mobster vanish in a blast that that could be both heard and seen half-way across the Archipelago.

[Deleted]

Jessamine had almost given up on seeing any sign of the admiral from the wheel. To be fair it had been a long shot to begin with, he would have to be really close for her to spot him, and she had know it was unlikely. Yet it had proved a handy excuse to try some of the amusements. As she reclined in the seat and watched the earth move gradually closer a burst of light lit up half the archipelago. It wasn't a lightning strike since they tended to be blue and this light was a rich yellow. She jumped up and pressed her face against the bubble, headless of the danger that it might burst. 1.. 2.. 3.. 4.. The light was coming from the right, only a little way off. She wasn't able to tell exactly how many mangroves were between them, but she was guessing somewhere near ten, perhaps a little less. If she hurried she might be able to catch Kizaru before he disappeared again.

Suddenly antsy she found it hard to sit still as the bubble lowered with extreme slowness. Jumping up and down didn't do any good, so in the end she had to settle for watching the point where the light had come from. When the bubble finally reached the platform it was all she could do not to run right out of there. "Did you have a fun ride miss?" the conductor asked pleasantly as he opened and held the door for her. Biting back her irritation, she gave him the best smile she could muster and curtsied "I had a very pleasant ride, thank you" she said smoothly then blinked "You wouldn't happen to be able to tell me the fastest way to get West of here would you?" Focusing in an attempt to put all her charm behind her words she almost missed the flash of fear passing over the man's face. "I wouldn't go there if I were you miss. The lawless zone is to the west. It's not a place for a young woman" he admonished at gave her a stern look, only partially succeeding in hiding his uneasiness. She suppressed a sigh and an urge to kick him over the shin, trying instead to look meek and chastened "I understand, that would be most horrible indeed" she conceded. "If I were you, I would head due south, there you'll find the various shops" the conductor suggested in a helpful tone. Like she didn't know that already! It was exactly the way she had come. Nodding her thanks she waved and left, not trusting her voice to hide her irritation. This was simply one of those days.

Wandering west proved difficult at first. She had to get out of the big amusement park, but when she finally managed to find the exit she had been turned around and had to ask for directions from a woman who looked more inclined to take her to the police for walking alone than give her directions. In the end she managed to find west though and set out to find the admiral. The lawless mangroves. It wasn't like she was especially pleased about going there, but this was her responsibility, and who knew what the admiral had gotten himself into. If it was anything serious he wouldn't be back in time for her to meet him. Ignoring the voice in the back of her head, which kept insisting that if it was anything serious hers going there was a really bad idea, she picked up her pace and crossed from the thirties mangroves to the twenties.

[thormundsson]

"So how is the red psycho these days, still hunting everything and anything, regardless of weather it deserves it or not?" Gray said in a rhetorical manner. He had never like Sakazuki, even before the incident, and he had never been one to hide his feelings about such matters. "Maaaah, I doubt Sakazuki has changed much in the years you've been gone, my friend, or else he wouldn't have retained his position, riiiiight?" Kizaru answered almost as rhetorically, the two men were not so much having a conversation about the Red Admiral as much as they were voicing their opinions on the matter.

Kizaru took a small sip of the tea that Gray had made for them as he leaned back in the chair that he had pulled for himself. Gray stood behind the counter, working slowly but methodically on the torn jacket. The Admiral couldn't for the life of him remember how it had gotten ripped or damaged. He had worn it during the War but his logia powers usually protected his clothes from any damage. He smiled a bit broader as he realized if must have been one of Marco's or Whitebeard's attacks. Haki had the annoying effect of also hitting the clothes he was wearing.

"So, are you not being called on any missions these days, seems like after the War you should be out and about" Gray started without looking up from his work. The calmness and quiet air of the shop was so clear he was almost whispering but Kizaru could hear every word. The former marine seemed to squint a bit as he was working on one of the pockets, a few threads loose were getting in his way and it seemed to be frustrating him a bit.

"They have us running all over the place, you knoooooow......but the worst is over as it iiiiiis" Kizaru replied, looking out the window with that, almost, idiotic grin that always marred his face when he was out relaxing. He was getting a bit tired of the endless sailing from island to island, most of the crews he was sent to take out were complete children, barely worth his time or effort but for some reason the World Government demanded the harshest responses to these things. The thought of it almost made him sigh with relief that he had a day off.

They had been chatting for quite some while when there was suddenly a knock on the door. Gray looked up from his work, slightly annoyed that the closed sign he had put up didn't seem to be working. The knock came again, harder this time and accompanied by a voice. "I am looking for Admiral Borsalino, we have intel that he is in this store" The voice came clear through the wood, as if the man was used to calling out his purpose. Gray stretched out his hand to casually pull a string on the wall, it led to the door and opened it up, meant to save time during the busy hours, if those ever came.

There was a young marine in the doorway who seemed remarkably pleased that he had at last found the Admiral. "Sir, I've been looking all over for you, there has been an assignment sent to you from Mariejoa" The man said as he stepped into the store. He saluted and stood at the ready as he waited for Kizaru to move even the slightest.

The tall admiral stood up, standing almost half the man's height again over him as he looked down, beckoning with one hand for the man to continue.

"There is a noble here who is on her way to some meeting, though the details of which are pretty skeptical as it stands, since you were in the neighborhood you have been assigned to escort her for today and make sure she gets around safely....the problem is that she has gone missing, apparently going out to look for you herself and we cannot locate her at this moment" The marine said in a slight state of panic, as if he was terrified of what would happen if a child of one of the world nobles was injured.

"Aaaaaaah, looks like work calls again....I'll come back later for the jacket, good bye my friend, stay safe nooooow" he said, dragging the last syllable as was his habit. With that he strolled out of the place, his mind set to at least locate the noble before he would decide anything else.

[Deleted]

"Eeeeek" with a start Jessamine darted behind the bushes for what must have been the twelfth time since moving into the lawless zone. She watched cautiously as another band of grubby looking men and women went by, laughing and stumbling in a drunk stupor. She couldn't believe how filthy this place was, she had never seen anything like it. She had imagined poor and sickly people, maybe nobles who had lost all their money and were forced to beg. Nothing had prepared her for people who actually enjoyed this way of life, who seemed to enjoy getting drunk and getting into fights. It was insane.

Scurrying along the best she could behind the vegetation she while trying to look everywhere at once, she failed to notice the couple who were stumbling out of the bush behind her before it was too late. "Are you lost girl?" the woman asked in a slurred voices indicating just how intoxicated she was. Jessamine who's heart threatened to jump out of her throat stumbled backwards out of the bushes and sat down in the middle of the road. "No I.. I'm just looking for someone I know" she stuttered. "Girl doesn't look like she belongs here" the guys crooned and walked closer "maybe this friend of hers would have a little something for someone who brought this little peach back" Scared out of her mind Jessamine was uncomfortably aware of all the onlookers who might have heard the guy and could decide they wanted a piece of the cake as well. Never mind that there wasn't any cake to be had in the first place. She doubted anyone was even looking for her, let alone that anyone would be willing to pay. This was bad, coming here had been a huge mistake. She had no idea how she was going to get herself out of this pinch. Her mind hardly registered what was going on around her, but when the volume suddenly picked up her focus returned. It seemed she hadn't been wrong, some new guys wanted in on it, and the first guy didn't seem inclined to let them. Listening with every muscle taught like a bowstring she found herself actually wishing for a fight for the first time in her life. Odd how such brutally could seem a blessing.

The argument seemed to last for hours though in reality it could only have been a quarter that. The fighting seemed to attract a crowd and the crowd seemed to attract even more people, and all the while the number of people who were discussing her fate seemed to grow. It might not have been the most lady-like thing to do, but no one was paying attention the the girl sitting in the dirt, and she was sick and tired of waiting like this, so she picked up a rock, bend around a heavy fellow standing to her right, and threw it in the face of another guy. For a second everything seemed to freeze and she was terrified they might have seen her do it. She didn't even dare think about what they might do to her then. She need not have worried though, with a scream the guy she had hit flung himself at the other man with ferocity, and the spark finally ignited. Everywhere people threw themselves at each other in a big chaos. Diving left and right, trying not to get trampled, Jessamine fled as fast as she could. She was knocked to the ground, pushed around and even hit a couple of times. She didn't doubt she would be yellow and blue by the morning but that hardly mattered at the moment. All she could think about was getting to safety.

Throwing herself behind a battered house she was finally out of harms way. Her dress was torn to rags, her hair resembled a bird's nest more than anything and she was sore all over. Yet she threw herself on the ground and laughed out of sheer relief. Adrenaline was pumping through her body and every sound was drowned by the thunderous noise of the battle. So she laughed and kept on laughing like a madman. She probably would have stayed there if her survival instinct didn't tell her that moving away from the scene would be a good idea. So still giggling and with a body almost t shaky to stand she moved along behind the row of houses.

[thormundsson]

The sun didn't even manage to get entirely through to the thick tree-tops of the giant mangroves that enveloped the sector that the Admiral had to search in. The shades were nice and cool compared to the heat that boiled up in the places where the sun did get through.

"You had better run back to the base and use the den den to send me any information you receive, if we let a world noble die out here the HQ will have us work to death you knoooow" Kizaru said as he turned to the young marine aide that had come to fetch him, the man standing at attention and saluting before running away. The admiral watched the man run off in the distance and go about his business. It took him a few fleeting moments before he realized that he didn't have any den den mushi with him. He had that idiotic grin that usually marred his face on for almost a minute before he spoke.

"Aaaaah, oh well, he'll find a way to fix that, riiiiight" The admiral said as he started turning his head and trying to realize where he should head. He kept thinking, where would a noble go in her time off or at least if she was trying to find him. He hadn't really told anybody where he was going, only 2 individuals at the HQ knew where he was and he was mostly certain they would never tell anybody.

He was contemplating what should be done when he heard a huge roar off in the distance. It sounded like a huge mob was either fighting or having a huge dance or something, he wasn't quite sure what but he figured they could have seen the girl. It was at least worth a check. He raised his hands, forming a sort of ball of light in his hands, sending a ray of light off to the nearest tree to bounce off towards the earth. Then he flashed away, leaving only a bit of light particles in his wake.

The huge mob of fighters seemed to be pretty occupied with their fight but even the most rowdy of them seemed to have noticed teh ray of light heading for them. When the admiral appeared in their midst they turned to him, with a look that spoke of fear beyond any reason. "Can you tell me if there's been a girl walking around here, she would be well dressed and all, you've seen her, riiiiiight?!

"AAAAAAARGH!!!! WHAT THE HELL IS AN ADMIRAL DOING HERE" Came a horrible scream as the men started running away. They split up, running like they had seen the very gates of hell.

"Sooo rude to ignore meeee..." he said slowly before jumping high into the air. "Yasakani no magatama!" he shouted as a rain of light emerged from his hands, showering the bandits and pirates with a hail of light, blasting them apart and leaving a crater in the ground the size of a battleship. He landed in the smoking ruins of the place, taking a quick glance around as he surveyed the damage done.

"Nooow, I wonder where that girl iiiiiis?" He said rhetorically to himself, still looking around.