Shiny in Shivre [Corvun-Hiroto-Leonard]

[Blushing z0ro]

Books bought and now bathroom break. The day was going a bit too slowly for the captain's taste, not that he really minded the downtime but leisurely spending time in a library and shopping in town weren't that advisable to wanted pirates. Granted Hiroto herself wasn't actually wanted, but the thirty five million beri prize on the Leonard's head would be enough to attract more than it's fair share of bounty hunters. A library was far from the best place to fight, lots of confined area where he wouldn't be able to wing his sword properly and the prospect of books and possibly even bookshelf was not very appealing. Looking at the dark wood that made the shelves the swordsman couldn't help but wonder though. Would I be able to cut through this? How hard would it be?

The truth was ever since having recovered from the injuries LeClerc sustained fighting Rhodes, the young pirate felt, different. Nothing was wrong with him however, in fact everything felt... better. When reading the movement of others everything was more clear, the world seemed to move slower than before, no; it was the swordsman that was faster, more agile and with a clearer mind. Dare he consider it? That despite being dragged to the edge of death, being beat so badly he wasn’t even able to move for weeks and having been so utterly helpless against an opponent that was his superior in every way imaginable; that the “Young Lion” grew stronger? Yet that is just how it felt, but Leonard had no illusion regarding his abilities. In the grand scheme of things the black haired youth was nothing but a fly, in world people could create earthquakes, cut battleships in half, freeze over the ocean and who knew what else, a single boy from west blue whose greatest achievement was only surviving a tough fight was just not worth mentioning.

Power… do I need power? Do I want power? This was never something Leo ever really wanted before, but now… things had changed. What happened to the boy who just wanted to travel and experienced the world? Well, he grew up for one. The boy is now in charge of the lives of others, it was his job to get them through the world. But how does one get such power? Training and experience would be the obvious choice, but that can only get you so far. It can even get you ninety-nine percent of the way even. But it’s that 1%, that things some call talent, predisposition or just luck. What could the pirate do to get that little extra? Glancing over some more books he saw one that was titled “Devil Fruits: Fact or Fiction?” Well the swordsman knew the answer to that one. Devil Fruits… could that be the answer? Trying to picture turning himself into an animal or his body turning into paper or something of the like, it was hard to see an advantage to such a thing at that very moment, so the idea was simply discarded for the time being.

The doctor was taking a very long time now and the captain was getting really bored. Screw waiting, it had been more than long enough. After a slightly angry walk towards the women bathroom, the “Young Lion” kicked the door open but was not greeted by shrieks or an angry Hiroto. in fact he was greeted by nothing. No one was in the restroom. Where the hell did she go? Stepping out of the little girl’s room the confused captain looked around to see if there was anyway she could have left unnoticed. The answer quickly presented itself in the form of a backdoor, half-hidden between the shelves in the darker side of the library. Putting his hands on the side of his head the young pirate frustratedly shouted “I really don’t need this right now!”

Why the hell would she just leave like that!? Leonard didn’t think she could have been taken by some ruffians, at least not without making any sound or avoiding notice, so she must have left of her own free will. The timing was just weird, too weird and the captain couldn’t help but feel something was really amiss. Reaching the backdoor, LeClerc tried to open it only to for it to refusing to bulge. Judging by the sound it made when shaken, something had been placed on the outside to block the door. This situation was just getting more fishy by the minute. With yet some more doorkicking action, the pirate got through. The door led into a dark back alley with only a few people around. Said people were reasonably shocked to see someone kicking down doors in the middle of the day, but Leo payed no mind to them and just turned towards the closest individual. A woman in her early thirties that was cleaning a batch of laundry. “Hey did you see a girl with pink hair going somewhere?” The startled and scared woman only shyly pointed in a direction down the alleyway without saying a word. It was with a simple thank you that the swordsman turned it that direction and began to walk down the street at a brisk pace in search of his missing crew member.

[Nasakeshira]

    Alas! A book of interest had finally touched his fingertips, the rustic pages rough and gritty, the cover of the book smut with dust. Pulling out the chained book, Corvun took a deep breath and blew the dust away. The book titled, "The Hidden Birds of Shivre" written Ekek Garuda, clearly a nom de plume, or at the very least he believed it to be so. At the top and bottom of the spine it had chains attached to it a testament to the age of said book. The title page had an emblem, wings extending from a cave that was surrounded by chains, above it words in a different language, "FIDES EST AVIS SENTIT CUM AURORA LUX NOCTE." Corvun whispered the words as he turned the page, an unfamiliar language he continued deeper into the book. Every other page was a translation of the previous page there were three different languages translated, the newest page was of a more modern language and of course the latest. Eyes flitting back and forth he scanned the text, he flipped the page four times and continued reading, and again and again and again. He'd read through half the book and the information he ascertained had confirmed that there was indeed a specialized shop that sold birds of unique natures. The history of the shop had pretty much captured most of the native birds of the island and occasionally captured wild birds that happen to be crossing.

    These birds lived within the depths of Shivre, this place was a large cavern that was kept warm throughout the year by the surrounding hot springs. Bio-luminescent plants simulated the cycles of day and night, rodents and other small game plagued the the lower levels of this grotto. This unique living situation for the birds had lead to interbreeding and the creation of even more unique species, it also has fast forwarded the evolution of some species to compete in this hostile bird saturated environment. As Corvun flipped through the pages his imagination ran wild and he began to wonder what type of birds he might find. He continued to read through the book and found more details about the environment, but he didn't find the location of said emporium. At the very end of the book it said, "the ones who seek faith during the night will find the dusk." He closed the book as puff of smoke erupted from the pages. Sliding the book into the shelf he sighed and looked around. He had been engrossed in said book for quite some time. Sweating he took off his hat and ran his hand through his hair before slapping it back on.

    The sudden shout that echoed throughout the library alerted Corvun that something was up. He looked around and found no sign of Leo or Hiroto, they must have left. Wonder where they went... they're probably fine. I should get some food. Thinking about it now, the last meal he had was in the morning before he left. He left the riddle of the bird nest behind and began his venture into that golden street, food... sake... food... sake... Stomach grumbling he found an inn and pushed his way through the doors.

[Dr.Ambs]

It never occurred to Hiroto when they took the back way out. The alley behind the library was not like the ones she had read in book, where there were thugs and robbers scattered along. No, this had people doing laundry. The young doctor didn't even noticed the precaution the woman took to block the door. Instead, she led the purple hair girl out of the alley way and back onto the somewhat crowded streets. It seemed the opposite to Hiroto, the later it got, the more people should be out. Yet here, the later it the less people came out. Was this because of the bandits the cart driver had warned her about?

Exhaling, Hiroto only looked to the woman, "What are your children experiencing?" The doctor asked.

The young woman seemed dazed and confused for only a moment before replying back, "oh, um, their sickness. They've been running a fever and throwing up for a few days. Nothing I can do can lower the fever."

The young doctor only nodded, listening in depth as the woman continued to explain how many children and their ages, how they normally acted before they became sick. Hiroto only smiled a bit, more determined to help this woman. However, the further they got away from the city, more into the forest and up the mountain, Hiroto felt that she should have told Leonard that she was leaving. Hopefully the young captain would forgive her, or at least not be too mad at her.

However her concentration was broken when the rustling of bushes caused the archer to turn. It wasn't long before three large men stepped out, their attire consisted of bulky fur coats and dark pants, yet her eyes noticed the various of weapons on their back. From a thick sword, a mace and even a knife. it caused the medic to hold her hand out, protecting the woman. Where these the bandits that caused havoc on this mountain?

It was not long until a larger man walked into the path way. He dressed with almost a little more 'class' than the others. It was evident that his attire of dark boots and pants, along with a dark red longsleeve with a fur pelt drapped over his shoulder. The dark hair left unruly while the beard was the same. His dark eyes looked to the woman behind the doctor, "Is this the best you could bring back?" the man spoke, taking a step forward, "I asked for a doctor, not a child!"

The hell? blue eyes looked to the woman who was refusing to look at her. Had she just walked into a trap? Damn it. Hiroto took a step back, holding her hands up, "Hey, take it easy. I don't want any trouble here... This woman told me-"

"that her children are sick? Ha. You must be completely stupid to believe such a terrible liar!" The man roared, looking to the three men, "Get her. She must be some kind of medic. She'll do for now until we can get a real one." The man barked to the three men. As they began to come forward, the young archer only took another step back, looking around. They were too far out, even if she ran back to town, what then? Would she risk everyone else life? Would she be so selfish?

It was then that she made the choice. As quickly as she could, her bow and arrow were out, aiming at the first man that came at her. With a quick adjustment, the arrow hit his shoulder, making him drop his weapon. Yet the other two came at her at the same time, hoping that two on one would bring her down. That wasn't entirely true. Just because they came closer doesn't mean they wouldn't get the full effect of the bow or arrow. It was a quick hit with the bow that knocked the knife out of the man's hand before stabbing him with the arrow in the side.

Twisting a bit, she brought her leg up to kick the third man in the knee, sending him crashing into the ground in pain as he held his now broken knee cap. It was all it took for the fourth, hidden man to come up behind her, his arms wrapping around her torso so tightly that the poor medic nearly lost her breath. Gasping, the woman tried to break the lock, "You... jerk! Let go of me!" She screamed, before throwing her head back, smashing into the man's face. It was enough force to make him drop her, her attempt to grab her gun thwarted as she felt a strong kick to her side. As she landed on her side, grunting in pain, it was another strong hand that picked her up from the back of her jacket, throwing her in to the tree.

There was a low hiss as her back slammed down into the ground, her vision starting to become blurry. Great. Just great. Her eyes cast up, seeing four men coming towards her. Turning to her side, she looked over, seeing her bow and gun were far away from her. Before she could even get the strength to move, however, a foot stepped down on her back, crushing her into the snow, the young archer blacking out from the amount of force.

"That's enough that's enough! We don't want her killed, it would be pointless!" The leader spoke, walking over, seeing the medic out cold. "Get her, it'll be late night before we even get to the camp." He barked as her limp body was thrown across the shoulder of one man, his eyes turning to the woman that led her here, "Gone with you now. you're useless to us!" He shouted, before leading the rest of his men up the mountain.

[Blushing z0ro]

Following the alley in the direction that was indicated to him, Leonard found himself once again on one of the more crowded street of Shivre city. Now where did that girl go? There were so many different path she could have taken, follow the path back down towards the city's entrance, into yet another small alleyway, or perhaps up towards the mountain. Tracking people down was never a talent of the captain, back when he was a kid there were few things that brought as much dread as being the one that had to "go seek" in a game of Hide n' Seek.

Noticing a group of kids playing in the street, the swordsman couldn't help but reminisce about his own childhood for a moment. About a time, in an island far away from here, where four kids played with one another all day long, three boys and one girl. Yes, the children playing in that street were almost window to the past, the same games, the same kids, just a different place. I wonder what these guys are doing right now? A wry smile drew itself on the "Young Lion" face. Pretty sure they wouldn't be happy to know what I'm up to at the moment. Shaking his head slowly from side to side as if to shake of the very memory, the black haired youth turned away from the playing children and back to his search for Hiroto.

No real smart way to do this, just going to have to ask around. With his mind made up on his next course of action Leo proceeded to run around the city asking people if they had seen a girl with purple hair anywhere. From the afro wearing baker that threw staled croissants while telling the swordsman to get the hell out his kitchen after the swordsman barged in through the back door, to the incredulous and somewhat terrified kindergarten teacher and her students who had a complete stranger armed with a sword, ask them for information from the window of their ground floor classroom. From north to south and east to west, chasing after even the tiniest bit of information on Hiroto the young man search and search.

Sadly, even after all that running around the city, the pirate captain was no closer to finding his crew's doctor. "Just where has she gone damn it!" the young man couldn't help but shout out. Had she simply been gone for a short while to help someone it would have been fine. However it had been too long now, too long without any sign of the purple haired doctor. Something must have happened to her. That's when LeClerc remembered the old turnip cart driver's warning. "Bandits..." the pirate muttered to himself as he came to the conclusion that Shivre's infamous Rock Dragon  Bandits must have taken his nakama. Well... they picked the wrong guy to mess with, time to go Dragon Hunting. Leonard told himself as he looked at the top of Shivre Mountain where the bandits are said to dwell. With a confidant step and an ice cold gaze, the "Young Lion" made his way towards the forest through which the path to the top of the mountain drew a sinuous line.

---

On a Marine ship sailing through the Grand Line, three officers looked at the newest issues of bounty posters, the woman lowered her head feeling a mix of sadness and anger, the first man punched the wall of the cabin in anger, cursing the name on the poster, the third officer however remained perfectly still, showing no emotions. "So that's what you wanted... Leo?"

[Nasakeshira]

    The clocks ticked slowly, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, the last minutes of twilight had stretched its arms and legs curled up to sleep. The store window that reflected Corvun's face fogged up as he exhaled, the clocks disappearing between the now opaque glass he looked towards the sky. The sun was waning and the beginning of twilight was near, from his simple observations Corvun surmised that the cold would soon intensify as the sun disappeared. An ominous feeling had stopped the young man's search for food and he had stopped in front of this particular shop, a watchmaker's place, closed for the rest of the night no doubt. Again the feeling that nipped at his gloved hands was ominous, the raven that coursed through his veins, the raven with whom he shared his body circled overhead and cawed. The damned birds are overly superstitious if anyone asked Corvun. The feeling cited a response similar to a snicker, he dismissed the feeling as just the cold and he turned his head from the sky to the road that he had wandered down. Sake, food, where to acquire? The words pulsated through his head as he turned the corner, ah! The sensation of warm air blasted him as a street a bit more crowded had appeared in front of him. The same festive street that he had passed earlier with the other two people, which he now wondered what had happened to them. Approaching the nearest street vendor he quickly ordered currywurst a la chuanr and rice cakes. He traded beri from his inner pocket for the food.

    The wurst and the rice cakes were quickly scarfed down in a leisurely fashion, the warm food quickly warmed up his belly. Time for a drink, as a result of the warm food he was ultimately comfortable and back to his regular self. This was evident by the fact that he lazily waltzed down the street and searched for a good place to go for a drink. He was surveying his options when a woman ran into him she gripped Corvun's jacket with tears in her eyes, apparently she had ran into different people and begged them to help her. She had done a terrible thing by selling out a girl with purple hair to some bandits, and that bandits had been in the city. Few gave her any mind but to the own who owned the epithet "Black Feather", a girl with purple hair had rung a particular bell in his mind. Mentally he sighed, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. "Where did this all happen?" He nodded as words streamed out of her mouth like a waterfall, "behind the library?" After confirming her appearance he sighed visibly.

    Nightfall would soon be upon the town and he calmly prepared himself. He diverted his attention to acquiring gear for the night, the bandits being familiar with the land would probably make the trek to their camp quickly while it could take a while for Corvun to track them down. "A bodyguard? His skills mustn't be all that great if he can't even protect a single girl," he muttered in regard to Leonard, with a rather large backpack of camping gear. He stopped for a second and spoke aloud to himself, "why the hell am I even bothering to save a girl I hardly know. I should just put this pack down and go find a hot spring or an inn or something." For a moment he contemplated not saving the girl, "grr... damn you."

    He sighed, his conscience had taken the from of the Raven that he shared his body with. The "Black Feather" argued that arguing with a fake raven that existed solely within the realm of his imagination was a waste of time, but as your mind so often does speaks to you, loudly, so loud that you can't ignore it. The raven spoke imploring that he truly wanted to save this girl, "the truth of the matter is that you seek redemption. Your self inflicted crucible is a result of your despair and the guilt you feel for letting Isaac die on Tequila Wolf."

I know.

"I merely sense the fire and let you know that it exists."

Shut up already.

"It's your own self damning mindset that seeks the heat of battle. Plus doesn't your goal of becoming a Bushin compel you to seek battle?"

I'm already marching aren't I? The ended his contemplation with a resolute grunt after he re-adjusted his swords and backpack.

    "You are indeed." Corvun's conscience fell silent and all he heard was his boots displacing loose rocks and patting the dirt ridden ground. The inner conversation was silenced and his mind clear. Clearer than it has been for a long time. In this moment he didn't feel the terror, he didn't feel despair, he didn't fear the claws that constantly nabbed and reached for his mind trying to drag him into his own self made hell.

    The light was dying quickly and the "Black Feather" had severely miscalculated how fast the darkness would close upon him. With little time left the man on a journey to save a young woman fought against time to collect fire wood.

[Dr.Ambs]

The sun had set for a good amount of time before the group of thugs had entered their camp. Bard, the leader of their band of bandits, cast his eyes around the camp. Most of his men had come down with some type of sickness. It was worst than the common cold or flu. In the past, they had dealt with the flu and cold. No, these had large red bumps with the signs. Not only that, but the men were hacking up blood like it was mucus. He had lost a total of twenty men since this disease had broken out two weeks ago. Finally having to break, Bard made it his first priority to get the men a doctor.

Glancing back to the man the held the unconscious medic he motion his head. "Take the woman to a secluded tent. Search her for weapons and then tie her up. When she wakes up, let me know. She'll have no reason to say no." The large man ordered before heading to his own tent. At night, the weather changed drastically. Usually with the sun out to shine, the weather seemed like a nice late fall day. However, when the sun set, Shivre turned into the kind of weather one would expect in a North Blue island. Cold. Freezing. Those who didn't bundle up had to worry about frost bite or worst, hypothermia. Of course, it wasn't just the cold that could hurt people. There were also the mountain wolves that became more active at night. If this woman did have anyone looking for her, they had little chance of succeeding.

=======

It was the cold that brought her back to her senses. Her eyes opened quickly, meeting darkness. However, the young medic felt her own body shiver. Where was she? Moving her hands, she realized that they were bound behind her. It caused Hiroto to start to panic, before realizing what had happened. Those damn bandits. Growling more to herself, the medic struggled a bit before making herself sit up from the cold ground.

The darkness hindered her eyesight, but from a small sliver of light shining from the tent, she concluded she had to be at the bandits hideaway from the top of the mountain. It would explain why she was bound and freezing. struggling a bit more, the young doctor was able to push herself to her feet, slowly moving around the small tent. Quietly peeking through the crack in the tent, she could see there was a guard at the tent, possibly to prevent her from escaping. She could see that her tent wasn't the only one around. There were more of them scattered around. She was in the middle of the camp.

However, when the man stood and started to head his way back to the tent, she pushed herself back, laying the exact same way she had woken up. Keeping her eyes shut, she could hear the man walk up to her, nudging her with his foot before muttering under his breath and going back outside. Were they waiting for her to wake up? Sitting up again, Hiroto realized how much trouble she was in. She was stuck at the top of the mountain without her weapons and in the middle of a bandit camp. How in the world was she going to be able to pull this one off? Did Leonard know she was missing? What if he thought she had just left the crew? Would he go looking for her then?

The purple haired girl growled to herself. She was in this alone, as far as she knew. She was going to have to get herself out of this. But the real question came in to play, how?

[Blushing z0ro]

As the sunset began to completely vanish under the horizon, only a few red rays of light illuminated the dark coniferous forest that separated the top of Shivre Mountain with it's one and only city. As he walked up the singular path that pierced through the woodland, Leonard wondered what possible reason the bandits could have for taking Hiroto. The young doctor didn't have any valuable with her, nor did she looked like she would. The swordsman entertained the idea that perhaps the bandits knew of her affiliation with one of the most wanted criminals in the North Blue, that is to say Leo himself or the "Young Lion" as the Marine decided to call him, but that seemed very unlikely as Hiroto had managed to remain unknown to the Marines, well that or her father pulled some strings to have her remain anonymous, and even if the bandits had somehow been aware of the fact she was a member of the Shining Pirates, what possible reason would they have for picking a fight them? Perhaps they wanted to make a bigger name for themselves, but that seemed unlikely from what the Pirate Captain had heard about the Rock Dragon Bandits, as they liked to call themselves. They were a group outcasts from both Shivre and a few neighboring islands. Usually they were little more than a nuisance but recently their leader, a seventeen year old kid name Bastian, has been sending more raids down the mountain, no one really knew why though. In the end no real explanation came to the swordsman as to the reason his nakama was taken. No choice but to go up and get some answers the "old fashioned way."

The further up LeClerc got, the stranger the surrounding calmness seemed. You would think these bandits would try to stop people going up towards their hideout, but the black haired young man had yet to encounter any kind of roadblock or ambush. Maybe the bandits were so used to everyone being scared of them, they actually believed any kind of security was pointless? Even if their leader was young that just seemed odd. Something didn't sit right with Leonard, there was just something wrong about this all situation; and all of his suspicions were only aggravated when right out of a bend in the path, the pirate finally encountered a bandit.

"STAHP IT RIGHT 'ERE" said the huge bandit. The man was more the shape of a ball than an actual man; round head, round belly, even his arms and legs looked a little "too" round. It was almost comical really, this sphere of man, sitting alone at some makeshift table, with only empty chairs, a bottle of rum and a slightly out of date newspaper for company. However the "Young Lion" was not in the mood to laugh, or even find any humour in the man's situation, he simply kept on walking. The round man did scamper to his feet and fumbled around trying to find his wooden club while tryin, and failing, to look menacing. "I TALD YA TA STAHP! WHA DA YA THINK YA A-" but as the man was about to finish his sentence, despite a seemingly strong speech impediment that apparently prevented him from pronouncing any form of and "O" sound, the "Ball Bandit" took a quick look at the two weeks old newspaper he was using earlier for reading practice. More precisely he was looking at the bounty posters that came with newspaper. Of all the bounties released in the few weeks prior, one in particular stood out. The picture of a young man with black hair, carrying a longsword and wanted for what seemed like an unimaginably large fortune to the bandit. That's when the round bandit realized it was that very person that was standing in front of him, and that is when the round bandit froze, unable to think anymore.

"I'm going to ask you a single question you ball shaped buffoon. Did some of your Bandit buddies kidnap a girl with purple hair, earlier today?" Yet the bandit remained unresponsive, too scared and confused as to why a wanted pirate was coming at him to be able to formulate an answer. Continuing to walk towards the bandit Leonard put his right hand on the handle of his sword, at which point the "Ball Bandit" began to regain his senses and spoke. "Y-YEA! DEY BRAGHT AN' UP EAR'IER!" "Why?" Quickly asked the swordsman as he was getting very close to the bandit. "I-I DUNNA! NA WAN DELLS ME 'NITHING" At which point the pirate swung is sword and the bandit fell to the ground. "Wrong answer fatty." Said the "Young Lion" as he rested the unsoiled blade of his sword on his right shoulder while holding on to the sheath in his left hand. He didn't even need to cut the round man, a simple hit on the head with the back of the blade was enough to take him out.

LeClerc began to continue to walk up the path but after a few steps he noticed something moving behind him. "Whoever it is you better come out, I'm not in the mood for games right now." The Pirate didn't even turn around to look who or what might be coming after him. Whether it was friend or foe, there was no time to play. It was the captain's duty to take care of his crew and Leo would be damned before he let anyone hurt his nakama. So it was in whoever was nearby's interest to come out and not waste the black haired swordsman's time anymore than the wannabe guard that was the "Ball Bandit" already had.

[Nasakeshira]

    Corvun had spent the majority of the remaining twilight gathering firewood, which was relatively easy to come by in a place that saw little snow or rain. It wasn't long before he'd collected a decently sized bundle. The next part was finding a good place to camp, it wasn't a lack of food or water that killed most unsuspecting campers it was exposure to the elements that left them weak. At least that's what he read in a book while being a faithful Raven companion sitting on the shoulder of merchant vessel's captain. An interesting thing to note, merchant's read a lot, but it's none of the fun stuff. He'd spent a lot of time stowing away as a fully fledged animal member of many crews. One time a pirate crew who had almost starved to death had tried to catch and fry him up while asleep. Corvun's mind kept venturing down tangents while searching in the cold and dark for a place to set up camp. His mind broke from the tangents and slowly began to focus. A loud blubbering idiot who couldn't seem to pronounce the letter "o" was speaking to someone. He squinted through the dark trying to spot the source of the disturbance, slowly he walked forward trying to get a better view of the one who had approached the one with a speech impediment. Like usual things with a lack of visual information when you possess knowledge that a mountain is bandit-infested and with the cover of darkness, everyone looked like a bandit.

    Thump! The sound was muted but easily heard in the silence of the forest, it was a single blow to a fleshy piece of something. The man doing the thumping noticed Corvun's presence, not like he was trying to hide it anyways. The opposing swordsman's voice filled the void of silence, but after hearing the caw and crowing of a raven for the a majority of the night, things begin to sound the same when you hear too much of something, Corvun thought. Further assessing the situation he noted that from the mood of his voice he sounded slightly irritated and annoyed, yet despite the tone of his voice he emitted a strong aura, an aura similar to that of a lion protecting its pride, it was strong and strength excited the warrior. Like a moth drawn to a flame, Corvun was drawn to strong enemies. The raven was right, there was someone strong amongst the bandits. He'd dropped the firewood he'd been collecting, the sound of dry wood clattering to the floor.

    Stepping forward, Corvun nonchalantly approached Leo. Releasing the straps from his back he dropped his backpack to the floor. "no games?" A deep breath in, a deep breath out, "and here I thought that ban- achoo!" He sneezed, it kind of ruined his chance for a snarky comeback so he stopped his sentence there. Although he lost his chance to sound cool he maintained composure, every move deliberate, eliminating as many unnecessary movements from his usual lax roundabout ways. Triceps contracting, bicep relaxing, his rhomboideus major and minor muscles working in unison with his deltoids, trapezius, and teres muscles to reach for his sword. As each individual muscle moved he was working on a stratagem. His biceps tensed and his back muscles responded to pull his rapier, Huginn from it's wooden sheathe. Corvun drew his sword, the sound of metal scraping against the wooden sheathe seemed to reverberate, almost symbolically, in the silence of the forest.

    The night before a new moon always made for a dramatic fight. The finely maintained blade shone in the sliver of light the waning crescent gifted this dark forest. Corvun shifted his sen katana's sheathe so it was snug around his back. The opposing swordsman figured it'd be best to test the "Young Lion's" sword with Hijitoryu before committing to using any other style. I'll let him make the first move, absorb his timing and adjust mid-fight and see where I go from there.

[Dr.Ambs]

All the possibilities that ran through Hiroto's head all ended up with the same conclusion. Even if she made a mad dash to the town, she had no weapons. Even if she tried to stay, she had no weapons. If she dashed with no weapons, she had the possibility of dying from the cold or bandits. Staying at the camp had the possibility of dying from the bandits as well. What was the young medic suppose to do? She had left her medical supplies and everything else at the library with Leonard, the bandits had stripped her of weapons and she was on the cold hard ground with her hands tied. So she was stuck here, alone, in the middle of nowhere. Just flippin' great.

If I make a break for it, I'm more likely to die from the cold... why do these bandits even want me?

Perhaps that was what was killing her the most. She knew they wanted a doctor, but why? Did they just need a doctor for the hell of it? Or was something really wrong up here? The questions seemed to float through her head until she felt the cold air become stronger.

"Oi! You're finally up! Good!" A voice spoke, making Hiroto turn to see a bandit. Before the young girl could act, her body was hauled up to her feet, being half dragged, half walked outside. She could only grunt as the cold air felt like knives on her skin. Her eyes scattered around as she saw some of the men looking at her, waiting for her to do something, soli for them to have a reason to attack her. The young medic could only growl, seeing the small fires lighting pathways. Unlike the tent she had been staying in, these seemed to be more sturdy homes, wooden. No wonder they were a bit warmer then.

Her blue eyes saw the slightly larger, more decorative wooden house ahead of her, seeing as she was being pulled there she could only assume that was the leaders tent. When she was finally half thrown in the house, her eyes narrowed as she saw the man that had taken her standing near a table. However, her eyes caught the figure standing next to him. It was a kid. Hell, he had to be younger than herself.

"You were right Bard, she is young. This was the only doctor that woman could get?" He spoke, looking at the larger man. The teenager had to be around Hiroto's age, a bit younger. His shaggy black hair seemed to be slicked back, while his blue eyes bore into the young doctors.

"That was the only foolish one to get." Bard spoke, "Bastian, it's our only chance right now. I'll send for a few more to find a more suitable doctor." The older man gestured, before looking at the doctor, "She'll have to do."

"I suppose for now she will have to." He spoke, before sitting down at the table, "What's the young doctors name?" Bastian, the teenager asked. However, Hiroto refused to answer, only glaring at him.

"Oi! When our leader asks a question, you answer him!" Bard growled to her, grabbing her arm, yanking her forward, "Your name!" He shouted to her. However, the medic refused. Instead, she spit in the mans face, before moving her foot, slamming into the man's knee cap. It sent Bard to his arse. It was the chance Hiroto wanted. Turning around, she set to run before she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder, causing her to scream out in pain, hitting her knees.

"So you're not a mute." Bastian spoke, walking over to the medic, pulling his dagger from her shoulder. "That's good. Still, refusing to answer and hurting my man is something I won't tolerate." He scolded, causing the woman to stand up, "Now tell me. We can do this the hard way or the easy way. You tell me your name, and you heal my men, and we'll get along just fine." The leader spoke to the medic, smiling almost friendly to her.

Despite the pain, Hiroto continued to glare at the leader. Heal their men? No way. She was a medic for the Shining Pirates, not bandits. Wincing a bit, the purple haired girl could feel the blood seeping from the wound, cascading down her back and drenching her clothing. Yet Hiroto concluded that if she didn't heal her own wounds, in this could, it could cause something awful. As Bastian waited for an answer, the medic made up her mind; She would fight this one. "Go to hell." She hissed out.

Bastian chuckled a bit, before letting the medic hit the ground, "That was not the answer I was looking for."

[Blushing z0ro]

Him huh? Leonard was somewhat surprised to see Corvun here, did the red haired swordsman followed the pirate captain here? Perhaps he truly was a bandit, in that case maybe he was the one that dragged Hiroto all the way up here? The mere thought brought up anger from the bottom of the black haired youth's guts; she showed nothing but kindness and care to weird swordsman that had been sleeping on his horse and that's how he repaid her? All the muscles in the "Young Lion"'s back tensed. Still, something was off, from the very the moment LeClerc first met the other swordsman he couldn't shake the feeling he had seen his face before, but there was no way he could have known the face of a bandit having never been on Shivre Mountain before. So where did he know him from? The pirate slowly breathed in and out, calming himself. Fighting now would just be wasting time especially if it was for nothing or a case of mistaken identity. If only the Nodachi user could recall where he had seen the other man's face! Then, as if the heavens themselves had answered Leo's prayers, a light gust of wind breezed through the woods and mountain trail again; from that gust of wind the light flutter of paper could be heard. Glancing in the direction of the sound of paper the swordsman in the heavy black winter jacket saw the pages of the newspaper the now unconscious "Ball-Bandit" had been reading earlier move with the wind, and underneath them the bounty posters that came with it. That's when Leonard finally remembered, and with the remembrance, the certitude the man in front of him wasn't a bandit.

Relaxing his body and face, the "Young Lion" chuckled a little. "I remember who you are now." He said with a smile while looking straight in Corvun's eyes. Not even looking away from the red head for a split second, Leo swung his sword downward to his left with his right hand, sending a ripple through the air cutting the table where the newspaper and bounty posters were resting. The table was cut and feel under the force of the slash, while the posters and newspaper began to fly around the path, gliding on the air currents. As the various papers landed on the ground two particular ones landed side up right between the two men. Two posters showing the very faces of the men standing either side of them. Sheathing his sword and putting it to rest rest on his right shoulder with a spinning motion LeClerc spoke again, still not looking away from the other man's eyes. "Pleased to meet you, "Black Feather" Corvun R. Drayel."

Leonard did not wait for the other man's response, truly he didn't need to, the two men seemed to have a natural understanding of one another. "I guess I should properly introduce myself now, shouldn't I?" said the "Young Lion" almost sarcastically. "Captain of the Shining Pirates, Leonard LeClerc, currently wanted for thirty-five million beris. The girl that was with me earlier is a member of my crew and was taken by the bandits and I'm going to get her back now. You can just go if you want or you can help me out it's up to you, but I could certainly use a hand from someone like you." LeClerc just turned away from Drayel, whether the red haired followed him did not matter in the end, Leo would do whatever it takes to get his nakama back, if he had to do it alone, so be it, if had help, that was good too. The black haired swordsman again proceeded with his trek up the mountain towards the Rock Dragon Bandit's hideout as the final rays of the setting sun disappeared under the horizon. Just wait for me Hiroto, I'm coming for you! thought the young man as looked towards the summit where his friend was waiting for him.

[Nasakeshira]

    When it was all said and done Corvun was pretty disappointed, he sheathed his blade and followed the Captain of the Shining Pirates. Stupid bird, he thought to himself. He had more than one reason to be disappointed: the first was that the setting was perfect for a fight. A fight so perfect it would be re-told in poems and as a fabled tale of a lion and a raven who fought on top of a mountain. One to entertain the kids for centuries, after all, a man's legacy is the most important thing to leave behind. The second was that he'd, of course, hyped and excited himself for no reason at all. "A good fight is stronger than any drink," he muttered to himself. Sighing he thought about what he had called him, Black Feather, he liked it. I should introduce myself with that.

    The Captain had begun hiking up the mountain after their brief interaction, he posed to him the question of leaving or helping. I mean it was too late to turn back now, and it was true the mission he'd taken upon himself was time sensitive. As a matter of fact, he never questioned why they took her. When the thought crossed the pirate's mind he began pondering the reason why they would take such a girl, I mean sure she was cute and what not, but kidnap worthy? I think not. He scratched his head still confused by this whole situation, still he stayed three steps behind Leo as they hiked up the mountain. His mind continued trying to figure it out, did she not mention something about her father and a bodyguard, so she has rich parents. Wait, that was a lie, right? Is it this bandit and pirate rivalry or hating each other thing? Natural enemies? No, I doubt it's for a reason as dumb as that. Reaching no satisfactory conclusion to this whole situation, he decided to ask Leo, "so why would they want a member of your crew?"

    This whole island had ruined his character: first being forced to work to repay his debt, then tediously traversing a rocky mountain path, thirdly searching for a pet shop that may or may not exist, and now he's hiking at the latest of hours to help a girl he didn't even really know. Even sleep had become a cause of unrest and discomfort. Days of moping and relaxation seemed to have existed in another life, he missed those unimportant days of normalcy. He'd once claimed that his lax personality once served as a defense against the needless work that so many others endeavored in their daily lives, but now he had reverted to doing some of the same needless work. As these thoughts crossed the mind of Corvun he wondered if he'd become normal. On the verge of breaking the fourth wall to ask the audience if he was still the same lax soul that he once was, they saw the first fiery rays of a campfire. Before they continued further he'd promised himself a vacation, maybe somewhere with some Vitamin D. 

[Dr.Ambs]

The Bandit's hideout was full of noises tonight. There were many that were sick, hacking and sneezing, moaning and groaning. Those who were sick complained of aches, their head pounding, their stomachs curling in pain. The men talked. Who would be next to catch the sickness, would there be any relief? What was Bastian doing? What was he waiting for? They needed a medic. The scrawny girl they had seen being brought in couldn't be the medic they needed was it? From the meeting hall, they could hear the grunts and small screams that the girl produced. There were banging of chairs and the table, yelling, a few words exchanged that no one cold make out. What was going on?

"If you would just cooperate, this wouldn't be happening to you." The young leader spoke, looking down at the injured medic. The leader had done a good number on her. Her shoulder soaked in blood, a busted lip and nose, he was sure that by morning she would show signs of bruises on her body. "Why don't you just join us? We could use a stubborn woman like you."

"When hell freezes over." The medic replied back. Hiroto grunted in pain. She was sure she had a few broken ribs, it explained why moving just a bit hurt. This man was doing a number on her. "If you're so happy about my stubbornness, just wait until you untie me." The pup growled. She was just being used as a punching back. However, Hiroto had morals, she would not heal those who caused destruction and pain for the sake of enjoyment. Leonard, Kusatta, Brandon, Hikaru, they were all different. They didn't attack anyone for their own benefit. It was all self defense. Those were people she would heal. Those were people she wouldn't betray.

Her thoughts were interrupted by another kick to her side, causing her to yelp in pain. However, before Bastian could deliver another kick, there was another man that busted through the door. "Bastian, we have trouble!"

The teenager stopped in mid kick, looking to the man,"I asked not to be bothered. This better be important." The young teen asked, almost glaring at his man.

"It is important. We got Leonard LeCler, the Young Lion headed out way! He was askin one of the guard if we took a girl, and why! He's looking to take her!"

Bastian was quiet for a moment. Young Lion Leonard LeCler. That was one of the newest, highest bounty that had been released in the following weeks. It was news to him that such a pirate was on this island, let alone looking for this woman. The teenager glanced at the medic. Was she his girl? Or was she part of his crew? Regardless, this girl meant something to the pirate. It only caused a sickening smile to come to his face. Bastian had been itching to fight, now he had an opportunity. "Very well, prepare a welcome party for him. However, let him make it to this hut. I'm sure he wants to see this girl in mint condition."

With that, the man left, preparing what little abled men were ready. The leader on the other hand, looked to Hiroto, before picking her up by one arm. "You, what's your connection to this man? hm? What would a scrawny girl like yourself have anything to do with pirates? Especially a dangerous one such as Young Lion?" However the girl didn't answer him, causing Bastian to simple drag her outside, making her sit on the steps with him. "Truthfully, I wouldn't get your hopes up. The mountain belongs to us, to the wolves. Even if he does get through the cold and wolves, he'll be exhausted and sorely outmatched."

Hiroto only looked forward, gritting her teeth. So Leonard had found out she had been taken? He was on his way to find her, to rescue her? Did he bring the others? He couldn't really come by himself to save her would he? He couldn't be that stupid could he?

As the thoughts raced through her head, the cold started to take her over, causing her body to shiver. No. She had faith in her captain. Leonard was stronger than he looked. After all, he had moved sooner than she expected from the battle. He was strong. He would set out and accomplish anything he set his mind to, that why she had faith and followed him.

Just make it in one piece Leo, I'll murder you if you don't.

[Blushing z0ro]

Corvun just had to ask that question. Why would the bandits take her? Leonard had been asking himself that question from the start but no good answer came to him. There was no point in lying to the red haired man about this, so the pirate captain simply replied truthfully. "I truly don't have a clue. But it doesn't really matter, I'm going to get her back and if they get in my way they'll be in for a world of hurt." Said the "Young Lion" as he kept on walking up the twisting mountain path, not looking back towards his interlocutor.

The air was getting colder with each step up the mountain and soon enough the last rays of the setting sun gave way to night taking away any semblance of warmth away from the air. Who in their right mind would decide to live up here? Granted the cold was probably enough to scare away most people and the bandit would likely prefer to be left to their own devices rather than having to deal with people going up to their encampment. Regardless of all that Leo did not enjoy that cold weather, hopefully the Grand Line would be warmer. Well... the swordsman knew the islands of the Grand Line could be of just about any climate, but one could hope that most of the islands the Shining Pirates will encounter would be warm. That wasn't too much to ask was it?

Regardless of the temperature the black haired swordsman pressed on, eventually reaching the sight of camp fire lights dancing over the final turn of the mountain path. A group of five bandits were sitting around the fire eating some stew and drinking some alcohol. Behind them a large wooden gate stood at the end of the road, a tall wooden palisade most likely walling a larger encampment within. As the pirates slowly walked closer the bandits that had been "guarding" the gate finally took notice of the intruders. "Oy! Somebody's here!" "Shit! Must be the guy the scouts reported, that "Whatever Lion" pirate dude!" Taking notice of what the men mentioned Leonard couldn't help but wonder when those scouts had seen him. Tch, guess I need more training if I can't even notice some bandits spying on me. Well no use crying over spilled milk.

Leonard began to slowly draw his sword while getting ever closer to the camp fire. "Now... is the girl some of your people kidnapped earlier in there?" The voice of the swordsman betrayed no emotions, it was calm and monotonous, his eyes hidden by the darkness betrayed nothing and yet, a certain pressure could be felt, like the one of a beast about to go for the kill but whether or not the bandits actually felt it consciously or otherwise no one could know. "So what if she is?" Asked the largest of the lot, a tall bulky man seemingly made of only muscle who rested a large war hammer on his shoulder. Before the tall man could even react Leo took a long step forward towards the hulking bandit and swung down his sword with all the power he could. A quiet, almost inaudible "swish" resonated in the air as the blade came down and before it could even finish it's arc through the air blood had begun to spray from the wound on the bandits chest and tainted the hard ground red quickly followed by the bandit himself along with his war hammer.

Remaining in position knees bent and half crouched over the nodachi, looking like an immovable statue after swinging his blade and felling the tall bandit.  "If she is here I'm going to get to her and get through those in my way." As he spoke the "Young Lion" looked up at the remaining four bandits, the light of the fire revealing the eyes of the swordsman, eyes that showed only pure determination. The bandit that had been standing further back could not help but take a small step back. This small step was all Leo needed as an opening. Dashing and jumping over the flames of the fire, the pirate captain cut down yet another of the bandits.

Now standing right in front of the gates of the camp with three bandits behind him, LeClerc evaluated the thickness of the gate and strength of the wood. Yeah... I should be able to do it. A simple thought and with two powerful diagonal cuts the blade of the "Young Lion" passed through the wooden gate. It was then with a simple kick that the doors came crashing down into four triangular pieces. Taking a few steps inside the camp under the eyes of all the Rock Dragon Bandits, Leo placed his sword on his own right shoulder while holding onto the sheath in his left. "I'll go on ahead. You take care of the small fries" The black haired pirates told his red haired companion. Leonard just did not want to waste any more time and so he made a run for the centre of the encampment. Just a little longer Hiroto, I'll be right here.

[Nasakeshira]

    The mild inclination of the mountain had made Corvun break out into a little sweat. The sweat dripped from his forehead and down his face and his neck into his shirt, he took off his hat and ran a hand through his hair. His sweaty uncovered hair made him shiver at first before a flitting moment of euphoria graced his body. The cold was much more pleasant than that of Tequila Wolf, as there are no harsh winds to oppress his climb. No frozen pieces of hail and snow to tear his skin and flesh asunder while he climbed onward. No, in fact, this island is quite pleasant. During that ordeal, he had learned and obtained knowledge of large-scale strategy, and the tactics to employ those strategies, but that was when they could choose the time and place. Now it was a mission that needs to reach a conclusion in a timely fashion. Corvun's original plan was to attack at sunrise, but that plan went out the door as Leo pressed onward. Surmising that without information on the personality of the leader and the reasoning for why he took her they must move forward in haste. As a result of this conclusion, the backpacked man took a moment to drop his camping gear behind a tree so it wouldn't roll down the mountain. 

    The Captain never stopped moving, and Corvun made no effort to close the distance. It was not long after dropping his pack that they arrived at the camp. Five of them, one meathead, two regular bandits. Leonard slowly approached the mass of muscle, before dashing inside Mr. Warhammer's reach and vertically slashing him. He painted the entrance of the camp with blood; the hammer-wielding man didn't have time to fall to the ground before Leonard pounced on another one before opening the gates. "Show off." Unsheathing Huginn, he scratched the back of his head with his free hand and spoke to them, "I don't enjoy bullying weaklings. So would you please stand down?" They gripped their weapons tighter, two wood chopping axes and a swordsman wielding a cutlass. 

    "I have become your death incarnate. Know that your stubbornness is the reason your soul will grace the afterlife before your time." Huginn, the red reaper danced, and like a performance from Orpheus, captured the heart of the first bandit that wielded a woodsman's ax. The first blow was faster than the bandits expected. The second blow came when the other two decided to counter attack. The one to the right had to step over the large man Leonard had deposed of earlier that would cause him to enter the range of his blade by at the very least 0.93 seconds. The next one would reach him in precisely 0.65 seconds. With timing accounted for he cleaved his blade left to right with a slight diagonal inclination. He only used the sharp tip of his rapier to disembowel the Swordsman and in the same motion as his blade climbed into the air; impaled the throat of the second woodsman. 

    The Swordsman Bandit's momentum carried him forward on the slicked up bloodied dirt floor. The bandit panicked as his bowels escaped through the fiery entrance that Corvun created. He tried to shove everything back in but alas it was to no avail. It wasn't long before he passed out and died. At the same time the weight of the impaled man slid down Corvun's blade, his ax was still held high ready to strike, but he lacked the strength to swing as blood gurgled in his throat. For a moment, he stood there and stared at Corvun's purple eyes. Corvun stared back they were the same eyes that looked at him from a tortured past. They questioned him, "why?", and begged him for a few more moments of life.The light left the eyes of the bandit, and his legs went limp. Lowering his blade, he lay the body on the floor. "Three more souls."

[Dr.Ambs]

As the sun set, Hiroto could feel what little warmth she had disappeared. This weather was not her forte. Being a native of the West, there summers and springs were longer than the winter. Even then, the winters weren't as rough and dangerous as the North Blue Islands. Yet what concerned her the most were her wounds. With the blood from her shoulder, the other blood that dripped from her mouth and nose, the medic knew that with the liquid she had the grave danger of frostbite. With the cold temperatures that came with night her exposed blood could freeze and that would not be good for her own skin.

Hiroto could only shiver a bit, wishing she could hold herself together for warmth. Her eyes looked over to Bastian, seeing the young man lost in thought, his eyes looking forward. The young medic could only look down at the ground, exhaling as she started to shiver. Would Leonard come in time to save her? Or would the cold kill her before her wounds? It only caused the purple haired girl to shake her head, no, Leonard would come. He had told them all before hadn't they? Anyone who hurt his crew was in a world of hurt. She just had to trust her captain. With new found determination, her blue eyes stared forward, to the next campfire, Leo would be here soon.

The young leader, on the other hand, stood to the ready. His hands were cast in his pockets, waiting young LeClerc. Well, this Young Lion was probably older than himself. However, his mind was miles from the present. Bastian thought back to the two weeks ago, when this outbreak started, to when the last raid... to their new discovery. There were few and far things in between that kept his interested. However, this new discovery, this devil fruit they had stumbled on, caught it. After the last raid on pirates, they had discovered the strange fruit. It's burnt color and strange design had made the young teenager to bring the fruit back to camp. It was a move that his men didn't agree on. They thought it was cursed.

Truthfully it was, the Devil Fruit was a cursed fruit that made it so people couldn't swim, but gave the an extraordinary power. The second catch though, was that the user didn't get to choose the power, that was completely random. Yet it still asked a lot of questions to the young leader. he wanted to sell it, he could get a pretty penny off the black market for this fruit, a lot of people would want this. Yet his own people told him not to sell it. It was cursed, if they just pawned it off, they would have a curse much worst fall upon them. So what was this sickness going around then? What was that? A picnic?

His eyes snapped up as he heard yelling, the sound of his gate falling. That was him. His prey had come willingly to him. "I want men up and ready!" He barked, taking a few steps forward, his eyes adjusting to the dim light, Where was the man that had such a high bounty? "Show yourself, Young Lion Leonard LeClerc." Bastian called out. His hand resting on one of his daggers. "I don't know why particularly you're here, why you're calling upon causing up a stir, but, I'm going to ask you to leave."

Hiroto looked up, seeing Bastian standing in the light, but where was Leonard? Standing up a bit, the purple haired girl only winced in pain. Her ribs and shoulder, the pain shooting through her. "Leonard!" She shouted out, "Leonard, I'm sorry! I didn't mean for this to happen! I just thought... this woman really needed me, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to drag you out here!" She shouted trying to make the figure out in the darkness. "I'm sorry Leonard!"