A Conflict of Interest: Ravens at Large! [Vio/Flame/Gaz]

[Flame]

Having heard his answer to her first question she had thought on it for a few moments. As she had not listened to the conversation that went on between Marlus and the mayor she really could not input much on Marlus' thoughts on the mayor. What he had seemed like or anything, to her he had seemed no different from any other human she met on the streets. He had the usual disdain for her, as most humans had for fishmen. It was stranger instead that the butler had shown none of those biases she found so commonly among men. A welcome strange, that was for sure, but strange none the less.

From what Marlus said, perhaps the mayor was right and was up to no good. If he had suddenly turned oddly defensive, become un-willing to talk. That at least were not things that she had read about what a mayor should be in that book she had picked up. Did he not subscribe to said book? It seemed a good thing to do, the book spoke to the correct way in which one was to lead. Perhaps, at least in any case, if Marlus thought he was hiding something, then she figured Marl would be right. He was in the end a former marine captain, she figured he would have at least some skill in deciphering what exactly people were trying to say. Perhaps? Maybe? Would that be in their job description? The thought suddenly came upon her and quite bemused she laughed at herself. Having recovered and thusly put out her second question only his response awaited her.

At the moment of asking the question Marlus had seemed unsure, he paused, a rather un-leader like trait she really hoped he would stop with. But when he finally answered she was unsure whether she preferred the answer to the less decisive answer. It was quite the line from Marlus and for multiple seconds she stood stunned, trying to grasp what exactly 'fighting for the people' entailed. Well of course she knew what it entailed, but did he really have to say it in such a way. Such a childish, idealistic, and more over stupid way. It was so hilariously those things that her amusement, was quickly bubbling up from within her. The need to laugh out loud accidentally scorning the very words her friend had just said was becoming urgently strong within her. Which meant she needed to give him her answer, the answer that was decided before even his question was asked. Because, in the glimpses of his true quality, his true ability of a leader she had already decided she would follow Marlus. Even if sometimes he did things she did not agree with and said things she really wished she did not have to accept.

Biting her lip, she forced her mouth closed. Pressing her lips hard against each other she would not allow a single giggle or chuckle their try at the outside world. Instead she nodded to Marl's expecting look. The fact that he was staring at her with those purple orbs, that he was looking directly into her own eyes, it had not helped. Unfortunately for Merle, she was never one to keep in her laughter and having nodded to Marl her body would no longer aid her in such futile efforts. She burst into laughter, deep throated laughter that came from the chest. "AHAHAHAHA-FIGHT FOR THE PEOPLE-AHAHAHAHAHA" She sucked in the air which she needed to not die of laughter at this very moment, before breaking into a second bout of uncontrollable giggling. Lack of air and her heaving chest muscles as she laughed cause her to grab at her own body as pain came along with such strong, such hard laughter. It took her nearly a full minute of standing there laughing before Marlus who she dare not look at. And perhaps standing was not completely correct as many times she nearly lost her balance and was oh so close from rolling on the ground. Finally as she tired "OOH HA HA HA OOOH HA HA That was a good one Marl. 'Fight for the people', very .. idealistically embarrassing." The laughter finally subsiding as she winked at Marl. Standing up to her full fight she swiped her hand over her face.

It became at least somewhat serious again though she was unable to wipe that smug grin off of her own face. "But yes, of course I'll help you, no doubt in the world." Turning her gaze from Marl she looked forward to see a crowd emerging before them. At its front, making some sort of speech she immediately recognized the white-haired soldier of revenge. Her gaze souring slightly she walked alongside Marl as they listened to what he had to say. She was very unsure of him, what he had said earlier, to Marl and herself, was not good. It had shown in him a naivety which she did not like. Merle was realistic, but also idealistic, she knew there were certain ways to do things. And knew as well that this boy was definitely not making good choices, not making choices she could ever agree with.

At the least as she listened to him this time he was a better speaker. None of the questionable stuff he had said earlier came up as he spoke. Though perhaps he spoke without enough information, yes there was what they knew, but he did not know it yet. Merle frowned, in her mind he was doing no more than unnecessary rabble rousing. Especially since at the end the crowd responded to him. Which was more surprising than anything else given the usual temperament of the Sedna people towards foreigners. It was then at the end of the speech that in her mind the worst happened. Not the crowd's positive acceptance of his speech, but the fact that the man beside her as the same response. Then Marl started his own speech gathering to him the attention of everyone already there.

All of this left Merle hand on her head laughing at the craziness of the situation that had just come about. A few moments ago they had been 'fighting for the people', now they were starting a revolution. The final straw was pulled as Marlus declared his siding with the white haired spark of the revolution. What luck she had had, by pledging her help to Marl she ended up in a position where she was helping a kid she did not believe was in the right at all. Shouldn't have left that cell She jokingly thought to herself, what a life this was turning out to be.

[Kami-Gaz]

"Quite the speech, Mister Bacon!" A familiar voice called from the crowd, he was back towards the door and take a few steps in his direction. To Kenny it seemed like Mr Marlus Caine had talked to the mayor and made his decision. If he was here and saying Kenny made a good speech it mist of gone well… His ensuing speech confirmed Kenny suspicions, he was not just up for helping in the fight, he was helping to inspire the people. The painter let a smile spread across his face as he hung on the archers words, this was Kenny’s first time being a leader and he was unsure of himself until Marlus stepped in. Sure, his cause may sound childish and a bit irrational but Kenny was after an ultimate prize in this and to him it was life or death. “Like Kenny, I'm going to fight alongside you!”

The crowd around them drowned out any response Kenny could have given to his fellow outsider, it was probably for the best because he didn’t know what to say. Maybe just maybe Marlus saw something in Kenny he could relate too, or even Maybe Marlus Caine saw a younger version of himself in Kenny that just made him click. It was all speculation in his head but it kept him quiet as he mulled over some things in his head, though the look that his fish woman friend was giving off told a different story. She looked like she knew this was a bad idea and maybe it was but the painter was getting desperate to get stronger, he wanted to save his sister at all costs.

“Well said Marlus!” The small girl shouted over the crowd, making them calm down their shouting, her small body producing quite a loud voice. “Now… Let’s get everything set up. Kenny Get your head seen too and then come back with your plan and tell Marlus what is going down and when.” The short girl said In the group, barking orders like she was already the leader of this small inhospitable island. With a small snap of her fingers the girl spun about on her heel and moved her way into the crowd disappearing from sight fairly quickly. She was headed towards the planning table that was in use this the day before.

Kenny Nodded and pulled the hand away from his head and noticed that the blood had started to congeal and get thick enough to scab over, though it might be best if it got disinfected and bandaged first. “Mr Marlus, I kinda was not expecting you to be so willing to help, I thought you would just wander back to the dock and get the first boat out of here this morning when the painting was found…” He said as a short portly man wandered over with a first aid kit and a stool for Kenny to sit on.
“Sit here Ken-boi and I will fix this head u for ya Boi.” He motioned to Kenny after placing the stool down just behind him.

Kenny did as was asked of him and kept his eyes on Marlus the entire time, his face wincing when the wound was cleaned with the alcohol. “I have two plans, but I suppose you could think of a better back up plan… ”The painter said feeling that this outsider was far more competent that he let on. “Tonight at midnight, this main group of people are going to go straight for the front door in an angry mob sort of style, possibly get more of the island residents to tag along when they investigate the noise. The aim of this is to get as much attention on that front door as possible, get all of his militia and him there and focused on the people.” The painter pointed to Marlus then to Merle and back to himself as the bandage was applied around his head.

“We go around the back and through the cellar, with most the guards u at the front we can sweep around the back, I can get the devil fruit away from them and then we can go for the mayor without the general population getting harmed.” Kenny said to the pair that offered their help so recently. They looked like they could handle more and had some experience in them. The day before when Kenny saw them they did have weapons on their persons. Other than that, the plan was sound enough, naive if anything but solid. Kenny had accounted for Axel wanting to take over and that the people were key to that, if any were hurt in taking over it would be on her head. Other than that a small group going through the mansion would be easier to manage than a rabble tearing through and looting it.

“So… do you like the plan? Or do you want to hear plan B?” He asked with a nervous smile on his face and his eyes looking on their reactions. At the moment it seemed like Kenny was trying to impress them.

SPOILER: Click to show

Spoiler alert: Plan B is wing it and hope for the best

[Vio]

"Well said, Marlus!" Axel shouted out over the jeers of the crowd, the volume escaping her throat a reminder that big things often came in small packages. Still, the most important thing for Marlus Caine was the fact that he had been accepted into this rebel force so easily, his attempt at finding a compromise having instead given him reason to join the cause. For a moment, he mulled over his own words, in all honesty feeling that his most sincere statements lacked any real weight of meaning. But he, at least, felt a little more confidence welling up within. Conflict was a necessity in this world. That much he understood. That was not to say he liked it, of course, but there was really no other way he could think of. The grimness of his thoughts made sure of that, obscuring the cunning nature he had once possessed and been proud of. Like a fox, he knew what to do and when to do it, but that side of him rarely manifested in recent years. Instead, he had to rely more and more upon gut instinct which, he supposed, was better than being dead in the water.

"I kinda was not expecting you to be so willing to help," Kenny Bacon said to him as a short and stubby man waddled over to tend to the white-haired one's injuries. A simple job for anyone knowledgeable about such wounds, it was just a matter of cleaning it and bandaging it as necessary. With that out of the way, the swordsman would be good to go, his head clearly free of concussion if he was so capable of thinking as freely as he did.

"I've seen a lot of things I don't like, and this is one of them," Mister Caine explained briefly as he met the eyes of the younger man. "But this time, I can act without having to worry about the consequences."

"I have two plans," Kenny continued, proceeding to explain what at first seemed to be a very well thought out idea. The hour of midnight, depending on where you were, was either very heavily guarded or very poorly so. There was no real in between. Well, at least not in the archer's experience. Marine bases typically had several night patrols, especially in more dangerous waters, but other places were not always as well fortified. Sedna itself seemed quite stable and, while there was no doubt in his mind that Baruch would have a few men on guard duty, it was relatively safe to assume that the level of security would be somewhat lax. Incapable of defending against an entire onslaught of people, as the plan seemed to dictate, it would likely leave a good portion of the manor undefended and easy to infiltrate. Clearly this man had a sound head upon his shoulders or, at the very least, had spent long enough on the island to get a good read upon how the mayor functioned.

A Devil Fruit!? Hiding his surprise as best he could, the violet-haired vigilante finally understood exactly what it was that Mister Bacon. That alone explained everything. Devil's Fruits, a source of incredible power for those who dared consume them, or a source of great monetary reward for those who sold them. Allegedly, a single morsel could sell for well into the hundreds of millions of Beri, some more legendary examples being worth even more. It was no wonder that Baruch had suddenly started to act so peculiarly, but still something did not add up quite rightly. If he indeed had an Akuma no Mi hidden within his household, why had he been so casual about the meeting at first? What had Marlus and Merle done to provoke his caution? The immediate assumption that came to mind was that said object was concealed somewhere within the library, but not once did he recall seeing anything that would suggest it was there. No boxes, glass cases, or anything of the sort. Besides, if it had been on display, he would have recognised it immediately. In all honesty, such spectacular things were hard to miss if you knew the two key features - strange colourations and a covering of swirls that resembled miniature whirlpools. No matter how diverse their appearance, every single documented Devil Fruit had those two core aspects of their design.

"Honestly, Kenny? I can't see this working any other way. Especially if we want to avoid unnecessary danger to the people. As long as the distraction holds up in the front, we should be okay, but are you sure just the three of us will be enough? Baruch himself may not be too much of a fighter, but he did comment on his butler - Sebastian - being a swordsman of decent calibre. That and, if he does have a Devil Fruit hidden away, I doubt he's going to hand it over without a fight..." Always the one to worry and fret over minor details, Marlus pondered the possibilities. Devil Fruits were rare in the Blues. On top of that, it was not hard to imagine that any pirate who got wind of such a thing existing would be quick to try and take it for themselves. If the mayor of Sedna was smart enough, which he seemed to be, then he was very likely prepared for such an occurrence. As much as the marksman disliked it, his mind was quick to come to a grim but accurate conclusion, and that was that Kenny was one such pirate.

"Well, regardless, we'll meet you around the back of the manor at midnight..." With that decided, Caine turned about and headed back up the stairs, proceeding back towards his room above the inn in order to retrieve his gear. With a Devil Fruit at stake, his conscience was fighting once more. If this rumour was indeed fact, then was it worth the risk of two people of questionable design obtaining such power? If needed, he could try and destroy it, but doing so would not remove the threat of it being consumed. In the end, it would just regenerate somewhere else, to be consumed be yet another person. That was how they worked, supposedly. There was no true way to destroy them, unlike pirates and other criminals...

SPOILER: Click to show

So, if you guys wanna do a short time skip to get us to the place, then that's fine. It's time we started to get into the meat of this thread!

Marlus Caine (3b003b)
Kenny Bacon (990099)
Axel (ff9999)

[Flame]

Merle stayed quiet through the following conversation. While she did have things she could have said she decided to stay quiet. With her bubbly personality still rather downtrodden by the general mood of the island she was not so amused as usual. This of course especially being not very helped by her own misgivings about the decisions being made. From what she did listen to and pick up she was still heavily concerned about their plan. Having no willingness to enter the conversation and instead content to brood over her issues with the decided steps to meet Kenny and Marlus' end she simply thought quietly to herself.

In her mind what they were doing was a bit much. Are we revolutionaries? The question was asked to herself as Kenny and Marlus agreed on their plan. Even just as revolutionaries, it seemed a little, devilish or maniacal what they were doing. Manipulating the populace to distract government forces, sneaking into someone's house, stealing objects, she sighed, what they were doing was so wrong. Vaguely she knew what object they were stealing, a Devil Fruit. She was surprised that one had found its way all the way back here to the Blues. Users of those fruits were few and far between in the Blues as far as she had seen. They were much more common when she had traveled around the Grand Line, even there it was not that common.

Kenny's interest in the fruit however was understandable. She had heard a lot of crazy things about the powers one could get. Even more so the lengths that people went to obtain these fruits was absurd, she had heard of pirates killing crew-mates for them. So perhaps his need to obtain it was understandable, but in her mind the method was still ehh... Merle of course had no such interest in the fruit. She knew the uselessness of the users in the water, as a fishman she found her underwater abilities rather fun and her life under the water very amusing. She would not give that up, throw away her superior ability to swim just for some random ability. After a moment a thought passed through her mind So the mayor is hiding a devil fruit. Where? The assumption seemed to be in his manor, from their minimal walk through the manor there were oh so many places that he could have hid it within. It was a large manor to search and honestly she did not feel particularly happy that they would have to deal with Sebastian. At least in her mind she had found him rather friendly and nice, fighting him was not something she wished to do.

Passing over such thoughts she caught Marlus' last statement, they would meet again behind the manor at midnight. She followed Marlus back only parting from him as they made it to their rooms, going into her own she gathered up her materials. Given what they were doing it seemed slightly unlikely that they would be coming back to this room in the aftermath of what they planned. The golden-eyed fishwoman sat upon her bed among a pile of her own stuff. Tending to her leg she unwrapped the bandage happy to see that it had basically fully healed. Tentatively she placed weight upon the leg, no jerking pain ran up it, no twitchiness, no itchiness, everything was good. Patting the leg she smiled to herself, the bullet wound to the foot had healed nicely over the course of the last few days. Throwing out the dirtied bandages she placed the rest of her stuff into her sack and took her harpoon in hand. With all they were doing she would likely need it, her trusty weapon to protect her from the enemies she was likely going to make.

It was there with her stuff at the ready that she stayed until the necessary time. Eating salted and dried meats from her reserves of food and sleeping to save up her energy, Merle passed the time.

~~Dat #TimeSkip~~

Multiple hours later Merle found herself in a narrow alleyway. She was following behind Marl who walked ahead of her. Her misgivings were not gone but she had told Marl that she would follow him in this and she at least was going to keep to her word. She owed him at least that much. This was the second way to the Mayor's manor. As all rich neighborhoods did, there was a second entrance for servants to move in and out unseen by the eyes of the affluent. The pair walked upon said path, their approach masked by the darkness of the midnight hour. In the shadows as they pushed onwards Merle thought of something rather amusing. Giggling slightly she thought to fill Marlus in as they finally found themselves standing behind the mayor's manor.

Given the sudden gravity of the situation she did not bring it up. Instead the simple thought of If that girl saw Marlus and me back here she'd have a riot. Continued to make her giggle, though the sound of that giggling started to be overcome by a new sound coming from across the wall. She could hear it, the riot sprung earlier was now marching on the front of the Mayor's manor. The stomp of steps, the yells of citizens all of them echoed through the night. From the back it could still be heard. Even though a large wall, likely stone rose up to split them away from it. Only a small door was visible upon the wall, a servant's entrance, made of wood and not looking so sturdy. It seemed rather odd that this would be the only barrier between them and entrance into the grounds themselves. Looking around she still saw no sign of the other members of this foolhardy plans. Looking to Marlus she asked "So shall we wait, or would you like to try at our entrance now?"

[Kami-Gaz]

With the confirmation of Kenny’s plan, he would offer a confident nod, hoping the uncontrollable variables would fall in their favour. Marlus did bring up a good point, Sebastian, the mayors swordsman butler. Kenny had heard of him a few times and saw him running some errands in the markets and docks, but never saw him fight. Well Sedna rarely got any outsiders that caused trouble that was aimed at the mayor, the most recent incident left the local precinct in ruins and many buildings damaged along Baker Street. The butler was the only major issue, the other guards the small group could avoid or takeout without any issue. Kenny had planned for doing this himself, the extra back up of people who seemed like they knew what they were doing was a great comfort to him, he may not have to call on his plan B.

“Alright, I will see you after I brief Axel and the angry mob leaders.” He jested, trying to relieve his nerves of the situation. It could go horribly wrong and he would let Axel down, after she had helped him so much Kenny had to repay the favour and that was done by keeping the general public out of harms way. The tattooed pirate looked between Marlus and Merle before looking towards Axel; this was the last time he could make some preparations. “I’m going to make sure the key we swiped for the servants entrance is in my pouch…” He said as the others all split off to go and prepare themselves.






“I’m late Axel, just take the people, make a noise, and get to the front of the mansion… Do whatever you can to keep the mayor there… If he leaves, you know what plan B is. I just hope the butler is there too, it will make our job inside that much easier.” Kenny said as he stood up from sitting at the bar, his pouches strapped to his waist and his kattana in its sheathe that was clipped to his left hand side. The white hair of his was scuffled and messed up from where he ran his fingers through it just moments ago. “When we get the fruit I either bag it… if we are in trouble eat it and use it… That was always my goal in the first place.” He said honestly to the girl who was pouring herself a shot of whiskey to calm her nerves.

“Yeah, go, don’t keep Marlus waiting!” She shouted as she kicked the tall man in the shin and used her now free hand to push him back out of the door, before herself picking up some things and going to stand on the bar, ready to make her initial speech that would get her people ready to go and march to the mansions front.

Kenny Bacon was out of the door and missed the speech, he had started to run from the cove and out into the dimly lit town. He had to get around of the back of the mansion and preferably not be seen on the way, though Kenny was an individual who stood out and people on Sedna were a nosey bunch. To get there Kenny would have to rush and go through the back alleys most of the way. Barely making it minutes after the other pair Kenny would get close to them and be panting from all of the rushing that he had to do.

"So shall we wait, or would you like to try at our entrance now?" Kenny heard from the fishwoman as he approached the pair of outsiders, panting and gently jogging down the alleyway. His footsteps making minimum noise but still quietly echoed in the darkness.

“I’m here… Sorry I was caught up getting some things ready; I don’t expect us to be on the island long after this.” The painter wheezed out, placing his hand on the wall besides Marlus he would start to try and get his breath back. Running long distances is what Kenny could do, doing it in a fast manner to make it across the town island was still quite a feat. It took a few long deep breaths but his form slowly returned and his right hand slipped into the pouch that was on his waist, momentarily rummaging until a key was pulled out. “This should open the door… Who wants to take the lead?” He asked whilst carefully outstretching his arm and dangling the key between the pair, hoping himself that possibly one of these two would have more experience with breaking and entering that he did.

[Vio]

"So shall we wait, or...?" The words of Merle Tali were almost lost to him, the hawkish green eyes of Marlus Caine being so heavily focused on the surroundings, making sure nobody untoward might hinder this operation. Conflicted as he was, as different as the circumstances may have seemed, the now was startlingly familiar to him. Standing there at the back entrance of Mayor Baruch's manor, a stone wall acting as a blockade that seemed to span the entirety of the grounds, he could not help but recall similar covert operations he had been a part of in the past. Times when he was with the Marines, dispatched with small units of men - less than a dozen strong - in order to infiltrate pirate strongholds and other fortifications that may have been part of the Revolutionary movement. Such times were always stressful and filled with uncertainty, every little detail having to be scoped out before the World Navy would dare make a move, by which time it was possible that it may already have been too late. But, aside from the obvious difference in allegiances, this situation had a key difference. There had been no real opportunity to scout ahead. A few things were known, yes, but the manor itself was an unknown quantity. The two travellers had perhaps seen a mere fraction of the building's interior.

"Who wants to take the lead?" Finally having arrived and caught his breath, Kenny Bacon extracted a key and held it in front of them, informing them of the possibilities. Ideally, the triumvirate would have been ready for this, but the fact of the matter was that none of them were truly prepared. That much was easy to tell, even as the archer looked to the eyes of the swordswoman, and then to those of Miss Tali. At first, he was tempted to take the key and try the lock, but another thought was quick to spring to mind. What, pray tell, was actually beyond the wall? For all they knew, the mayor may have been expecting what was about to go down, having prepared an appropriate guard all around the house. He had the backing of the militia, after all. Though their numbers were small, they were still trained well enough to cope with large mobs of angry people. Axel's efforts would only keep them occupied for so long.

"Hold on. The last thing I want to do is charge in blind," Mister Caine whispered, drawing the bow from upon his back in preparation. Hopefully, he would not need to take out an arrow from his quiver, either. Stepping back, he raised his head and tried to discern the distance between the foot and top of the perimeter wall. Quite the jump was needed, but it was well within his ability. Just to be certain, he mentally measured the distance once again, making sure that the night and moonlight were not trying to deceive him. Then, without warning, he propelled himself towards the sky in one swift leap. The nightly air of Sedna was cold, rivaling the bitter nights of the Pikt Archipelago through which he had once served, and it bit against his face and whistled quietly in his ears as he ascended the first two thirds of the wall with ease. It was likely that his Fishwoman company could achieve similar heights if she put all her strength into it, such was the might of her kind, but one thing that the ex-Marine knew she was incapable of was what followed.

Training don't fail me now... His initial leap incapable of reaching the peak of the wall, Marlus instead revealed a technique that had likely never been seen before here on Sedna. The Rokushiki technique known as Geppou. Folding his right leg tightly, muscles coiling like springs, he unleashed a powerful kick down towards the ground as he reached the peak of his jump. So fast and forceful it was that the air beneath his foot rippled slightly as it compressed, sending the man flying yet further into the air, far enough for him to reach the top of the wall with relative ease. Landing upon the top, allowing his knees to bend and lowering his stance into a low crouch, he started to scan the grounds beneath for signs of trouble. There was nothing much beyond the wall, the house itself just a little further in, but the majority of the grounds were split into two sections. Beyond the servants' entrance was a pathway that led towards the side of the manor, granting access to what was likely the servants' quarters.

Hmm... The other side of the grounds was some type of garden, if you could really call it that. A small patch of green grass bordered by stone paving slabs and a stone water feature that resembled a mermaid were the most obvious aspects of it, save for a few wooden chairs, but the place itself looked deeply in need of some care. Compared to the interior of the mansion, the garden looked shabby, but it appeared it had some care every once in a while. The fact that the grass was alive was a start, most of the greenery of the island being in poor condition outside of the small woodland further north, but the fountain was dry and worn by years of frosts and thaws. Poorly designed, or perhaps of foreign origin. At the far end, the violet-haired vigilante spied the wooden doors leading to the cellar area, which was where they planned to enter the manor through.

"It's all clear," he called down to his comrades, hearing the sounds of rebellious shouting beginning to grow a lot louder as stray voices seemed to ask for order. The militia, most likely. Nodding down to Kenny and Merle, he hopped down on the other side of the wall and moved swiftly to the servants' entrance, ready to work the lock in case the key turned out to be a dud. Sure, he was no lockpicker, but an arrow could serve numerous uses...

SPOILER: Click to show

Feel free to open the door as seen fit, then we'll move!

Merle (00ffaa)

[Flame]

Merle's eyebrow was raised as the voice from behind her noted that Marl's co-conspirators were here fashionably late. He sounded tired, wheezing and panting, it appeared he was quite aware of his tardiness. As she turned over to look at him she noted his hand was rummaging through a pouch producing finally a key. He then claimed that it would open the wooden door set in front of them. If that was the case she had so many questions about how he came by such a key. She doubted such an item would be so easy to come by given that this was the mayor's personal residence. Vaguely aware of the irony of questioning such things as they were about to break into said residence, Merle threw aside such thoughts for the time being. Holding back her need to laugh from such thoughts she swung her hand out and swiped the key from Kenny's grasp. If this was in fact the key, then she figured she might properly return it to the butler later.

As she moved toward the wooden door she was halted by Marlus. His concern, them going in blind and springing some trap or the like. Not the fact they were doing something obviously illegal, Merle's eyes rolled though it seemed no one noticed in the darkness of the night. Then Marl was off, her purple-haired captain doing something insane as he launched himself into the air. His jump not nearly getting him to the top of the wall Merle laughed assuming he would simply fall back down. Made sense, with gravity and all, this was not the ocean where one could just swim around defying gravity left and right. Guess he'll just ... her thought was stopped as she watched him jump once again. As he had begun to start falling back his foot moved swiftly and he seemed to jump off the air itself. Flying higher into the air he approached the crest of the wall and only seconds later there he was. Jumping off the air, defying gravity, Ok then

She was bemused as she stood there looking up at the wall Marlus had just climbed. A few seconds after that Marl called down to them giving her the all clear to try and unlock the door. Taking the key in hand she came up to the door and jostled the key in the hole. No reaction, trying a little harder she pushed the key in and gave it a swift turn. Nothing, the door's lock was not connecting with this. "Doesn't work. Ah well, we just need to get in right ..." She muttered to herself. The other option seemed clear enough for her as she removed the key from the door, its metal hinges were a little out of shape after her brutal use of it. Tucking it in her hand Merle pulled her right hand back. "Hyakumaigawara Seiken" Her voice was quiet but there as her hand flung forward smashing into the wooden door breaking a hole in the door next to the lock. Sticking her hand through the hole she fumbled about a bit for a second. Smiling to herself as her nimble hands found the locking mechanism on the other side.

A few moments later the door swung open cleanly, swinging back on its hinges to allow free entry into the rear of the manor. Looking at her handiwork Merle frowned slightly, she felt a little bad for doing this. Turning her attention elsewhere she noted that Marlus was standing before her. Apparently he was ready to open the door if it needed to be opened. Perhaps she should've waited, chuckling slightly to herself she waved at her purple-haired friend. "Made it in Marl." Merle said softly giving him a wide smile while walking past him to take a look at the backyard of the manor.

It was a sort of sad sight, though she was not completely sure if she just couldn't tell due to the darkness. But at least in comparison to how she remembered the front it felt rather lackluster. The pale pathway illuminated in the darkness ran off to the side to a small building which she could only assume were the servant quarters. The other ran through a garden, pale grass, and cracked stone pavements were hardly very commendable. It seemed at least even in the darkness that this garden had not been touched in quite a while and was becoming a mess. At the far side against the manor she was a pair of doors slanted seeming to head beneath the building itself, a cellar. Vaguely she remembered that they were planning to head in through that. Or at least she thought as much.

"Well lead on." She offered not really wanting to be the front of this. She was still uncertain, but figuring she should follow through on her promise she would go along with it. Her mind was still floating on the thought of meeting Sebastian, given what was happening she might have to fight him, not something she wanted.

[Kami-Gaz]

There was not much time between Kenny presenting the key to it being taken from his hand and put in the door, but in that time Marlus had scaled the wall in a magnificent fashion and left the painter in some sort of awe. This was certainly a fun way to check if the coast was clear, it may be a bit flashy, but it defiantly got the job done. The pair was working in unison and it was a good thing, if they were not working as a team there was a good chance they would be caught. "Doesn't work. Ah well, we just need to get in right ..." The fish woman said after trying Kenny’s key in the door, well it wasn’t this door, it could be the cellar key though. He thought as he followed the fish woman and placed his back to the mansions outer wall.

Well if the key did not work it was either time to do what Marlus has and climb up the wall, or break the door down… before Kenny even got the chance to act Merle had done the latter in a smooth single strike that only broke the lock off. "Hyakumaigawara Seiken" She announced in a quiet voice that only the immediate area could hear, followed up by the sound of wood breaking. Kenny watched as she broke through and quickly made the door swing open. “Have they done things like this before?” He questioned himself quietly.

Within seconds the pair had made their way into the gardens, the dark boring gardens, this place was Sedna so of course the gardens were dark and dank. Though this darkness was the perfect cover for them as they made their way towards the back of the house, it would make seeing them very hard… if there were any guards on duty around the back. However, that was unlikely with the large mass of civilians that had congregated on the mansions doorstep. If the group strained their ears, they would be able to hear the distant shouts of the mass and the mayor trying to calm the situation, that explained why there seemed to be no guards around here.

Among the miss mash of voices there was one booming deep voice that seemed to rock the entire island. “GIVE US OUR MONEY BACK!” The entire situation lead Kenny to smile as he took the lead from where Merle had left off, that key she snagged from his hand was most likely for one of the many doors inside.

“I got this.” The painter whispered to the pair as he crouched down near the slanted door, the wood on it was old and mouldy, and the lock itself was rusted, it was easy to break into. The painter drew his sword and in one swift move made a diagonal cut in the wood. “Canvas Cutter” He quietly breathed before forcing all of his power into a kick that was aimed on the metal lock. As his foot impacted with the metal lock there was a crunching sound as the rusted screws that held it in place snapped and the lock fell out allowing the cut wooden door to fall to pits and fall down the darkened stair way.

To Kenny there was a moment of joy, he had done what he said he was going to do, but by a bit too much. The look on the painter pirates face went from cocky grin to I just made a mistake in a matter of seconds. His body lost its balance as he fell down the now uncovered hole, down the stairs further and further down. Each time his body impacted the floor there was a small thudding sound and the muffled sound of the idiots voice “Ow…. Ow…. Ow…”

He finally hit the bottom in a mass of splinters and rusted metal, a small “I’m okay.” Wheezed from his mouth before he left his head to fall back. It might be best to have a few moments of rest, let the others catch up. It might be better if the others took the lead. As he lay there, he shifted his right arm and his sword scraped along the ground until it was stuck and caught on something. ‘It must be wine; there is nothing else it could be in an old cellar like this.’ Thought the painter as he groaned whilst trying to sit up properly, he was going to be sore in the morning. “I don’t think anyone noticed us… that’s good.” Kenny whispered again as he looked around the pitch-black room barely able to make out the shapes of the casks of wine and the barrels of ale.

[Vio]

Apparently the key to the back of the mansion was in fact a dud, as proven to the likes of Marlus Caine when a familiar turquoise arm was plunged clean through the timbers, webbed fingers reaching around to prise the iron bolt of lock from its catches. There was no denying that the strength of a Fishman - or Fishwoman, in this case - was impeccable. However, it was also rather excessive, given the circumstances. Was destruction of property really worth the time? The answer in the archer's mind was 'no', especially given the apparent simplicity of the lock. If anything, he had expected a slightly more intricate mechanism, but all he could do was eye the smiling Merle with a raised brow and uncertain look as she pushed the door open and stepped within the confines of the manor grounds.

"Well, lead on," Miss Tali added.

"A- Alright, follow me..." A tad anxious, perhaps due to a stark sense of foreboding that seemed to emanate from the manor's stone walls, the ex-Marine stepped forwards through the derelict garden with his companions in tow. The lack of guardsmen was disturbing still, but the endless jabbering from beyond the house assured him that most of the mayor's militia were on that side, trying to tame the rabble that was Axel and her followers. Really, he did not know what to expect from such a force, well aware that islands such as Sedna were often prepared with their own private military and police force. One one hand, such an organisation would always be a benefit to the countries not policed by the World Government, a testament to their freedom and independence. However, the other side of the coin was one which Marlus agreed with just as much. Corrupt leadership and tyranny was far easier to maintain when every major force in the country was under your control, something unlikely to happen when a global law enforcement was in charge.

Then again, there was the issue of the World Government itself, and Mister Caine found himself mentally caught between a rock and a hard place when it came to picking sides. For the people. That was how he wanted to act, but yet both Baruch and the government used that same principle to justify their tyranny. Was that really the best choice of action to take? With a gentle sigh, he reminded himself that now was not the best time to question the points of his moral compass, a decision already made. Hopefully, he told himself, he would be able to live the rest of his life without having to worry about such things as right and wrong in the eyes of the people.

"I got this," Kenny whispered confidently, stepping between the two and squatting before the slanted entrance to the cellar. "Canvas Cutter!"

Some sort of flying slash!? Stepping back somewhat as Mister Bacon drew his sword, the bowman watched with hawkish hues as the silvery blade sliced clean through the mould-laden doors. Hardly what he had expected to see, but effective nonetheless. Indeed, the former Captain had seen and fought numerous swordsmen in his time serving. While many were simple pirates with little discipline to back their blade, others had achieved something referred to as Hakairyoku - the Power of Destruction - which allowed for bizarre and otherworldly demonstrations of skill. Flying slash attacks were one of the most common examples of such an ability; a swordsman slicing with such speed, strength and precision that they could project a cutting blade through the air itself. Of course, such powers as these were not limited to only those who could use a sword, but they were the most common users.

"I think that could have gone better," Caine muttered to Merle as he watched the swordsman plummet down into the darkened confines of the cellar. The mouldy door had completely crumbled, the combined actions of cutting and kicking causing it to fall almost entirely from its hinges, but in doing so it had caused Kenny's own balance to fail. Between his previous head injury and the multitude of bruises and scrapes that he had likely just suffered from, it was already rather obvious that this white-haired wanderer was a tad accident prone. Cocky, perhaps, but accident prone all the same.

"I'm okay!" Reassuring sounds coming from the musty underground chamber, Marlus proceeded to creep down the rather steep stairway in the wake of Bacon's unintentional roll, the young man's silhouettes sprawled awkwardly upon the stone floor below. The trickle of ambient light from without barely piercing the dank atmosphere within, even someone with such sharp vision as an experienced archer struggled to make out much more than the simplest of details. Casks of ale and a selection of wine bottles of various volumes littered the place, arranged in some unseen order and kept cool by the dark climes. Even in the height of a Sednan summer (which probably was not that hot compared to Jreum), this place would remain cool and constant, preserving the multitude of rich alcohols that were kept here. The scent of so many a beverage was rather intense, the sweeter fragrances of white and rosé tangled up inside pungent clouds of whiskey tang and heavy sake. Though he did partake of a drink every once in a while, the marksman could hardly call himself a connoisseur, covering his nose slightly with his right hand while he clutched his bow in the left.

"They're probably all towards the front of the house. But, I can't help but feel like this is too easy," the violet-haired vigilante commented as he navigated around Kenny and started progressing deeper into the wine cellar. The obscuring darkness was playing tricks upon the senses, as expected, forcing him to put out an arm in order to feel for his surroundings. Cold stone walls and wooden wine racks were commonplace, and it took about a minute of careful searching to find what was sure to be the door leading back out of the cellar and into the main building. A simple wooden door with an iron handle which, when tried, refused to budge. Yet another lock, he discovered as his fingers brushed over the key hole beneath.

"Hrm... Locked. Have you still got that key?" Marlus asked, turning to look at the silhouettes of his comrades, barely distinguishable in the shadows save for the difference in physique. He gave them both a funny look, silently noting that he was the only one of the three who had yet to make a noise in this supposedly covert infiltration. Busting down this door was probably the worst thing to do, and he was quick to voice his opinion on the matter. "Somehow I don't think we'll get away with smashing this one..."

SPOILER: Click to show

Flame, you're free to either have Merle open the door, or just have her give the key to Marlus and NPC him opening it. I think for now it will be all quiet within the manor, but we should probably progress through the kitchen or something. Soon we'll each have opponents to take on.

[Flame]

Passing through the gardens of the back the small raiding group made their way to the edge of the large stone mansion. Coming before a moldy pair of doors heading towards what seemed to be basement or something the group came to a pause. The pause before these doors was only momentary as the odd white-haired kid was moved to action as he proclaimed that he would take care of the obstacle before them. Standing back Merle watched as he swung his sword down upon the wooden front going diagonally across it. The door did not seem to falter from this alone but Merle quickly not iced he was not done.

Stepping forward the boy slammed his foot upon the metal lock. There was an audible crunch as the pair of doors fell away, unhinged from each other, though that was not the main takeaway. As Merle had to gather her strength to not bowl over in laughter because the boy's footing seemed to go with the doors. Tumbling forward she watched as he disappeared along with the doors down into the passageway. An act that was made only funnier by the echoing thuds that could be heard as she could only assume he slammed into stair after stair on his way to the bottom. The soft voice of Marlus next to her expressed a simple sentiment. One that nearly took Merle over the edge as she walked up towards the entrance-way. With one hand over her mouth she answered in her own muffled words "Idiot getting his due." If not for her hand in the way it would have revealed a wide grin upon her face. Letting out a small giggle she heard the boy's voice calling back up from the cavern.

He was fine, apparently, well she'd be able to see about that later. Not that it mattered all too much, if he was speaking he was likely fine. Allowing Marlus to go first she followed him down the stairway. The steps were tall and lacking in distance from one to the next such that Merle kept one eye upon her feet at all times to make sure she did not cause some sort of mishap. After the steep descent the little light trickling in after them gave way to silhouettes down inside the cave they found themselves in at the bottom. It was slightly damp down here, but it was also cool, a nice coolness which made it fairly pleasant to stand around in here. Well it would have been if it had been brighter. Following the dimly lit body of her captain through the darkness she circled past Kenny and delved deeper into the darkness.

The pungent smell of alcohol filled her nostrils but she did not let it distract her from the task at hand. Having made her own dent in this estate she wished to make this part go as fast as possible. As Marl came upon yet another door she heard the slight jingle as he tried to force the door open. Obviously without any luck and he turned back to her. With her golden eyes illuminated in the shadows Marl asked whether she still had the key. Of course she did, what kind of question was that in the first place. Marl's quick comment about how he did not think they would be able to smash through the door was slightly amusing. And she responded in turn "You'll never know if we don't try." She winked even though it would be hard to notice such an action and strode past Marlus to find herself standing directly before the door.

Jingling the key she had taken from the painter kid earlier she brought it to the lock. After a little jostling due to it being hard to get key to the lock in the dark she made the connection and the key slid into place with ease. With a quick twist of the wrist followed by a pull the door swung open. A breath of fresher air came with it, less damp it flowed for a few moments before coming to an equilibrium. Light descended down illuminating a stairway which was much less steep compared to the one she had just gone down. Instead it rose up slowly towards yet another door on the far end. Momentarily the thought of how they obtained this key passed through her mind but she threw that thought aside and began her ascent. "Lets get this over with."

[Kami-Gaz]

Kenny has had a few run ins with bad luck today, first his head injury and now after the stairs he felt like everything could only go up now, if only he remembered his past experiences in gambling. The young man would now softly groan as he stood himself off and replaced his sword back into it’s scabbard, as he did the clearly more advanced leader of this operation went ahead to check the door. By this time the painters eyes had adjusted more to the dimly lit area and he could make out more of the shapes he had to avoid whilst following Merle to the door. After she pushed the key in and turned it. When it opened a wave of light illuminated the small infiltration group once their eyes were adjusted Kenny would slowly push forwards.

“Now if I remember what Axel told me we have to go through the kitchen… At this time the staff should not be in. If we go left there is a stair case that will take us up to the floor the library is on.” He said, more talking to himself so he remembered the route that was given to him, how Axel knew this information he didn’t know but it was certainly helpful. If he were to take a wild guess Kenny would think that Axel used o be a maid here and that’s how she got the key, and the layout of the mansion. As the painter crept up the stairs making as little noise as possible he would look back. “Let’s hope their distraction is working.” He again said to himself, something to keep his confidence up now. This was not the first time he had snuck into a building to steal something, but it was the first time it was heavily guarded and he could be killed.

Kenny did not wait for the conformation to go ahead and open the door, he instead crept up the illuminated staircase and opened it just a crack to see if anyone was in. A quick scan of the room revealed in fact everyone was gone, either home or to watch the protests out front to see how the mayor dealt with them this time. Once he felt that the coast was clear he pushed the door open and took a few steps forwards. “Right, this is good. The path upstairs should be cleared now.” He whispered before creeping to the left of the ornate kitchen, around a middle island that was all clean and pristine. This kitchen was probably worth more than some of the houses on the lower end of the docks. Their footprints, the footprints that were made by their feet from the mud that they got from running over the grass, were the things only dirtied the black and white checker pattern floor.

Through the next heavy wooden door was a small hallway that turned round a corner to the right and lead to a set of stairs on the left, just like Axel said and after a quick check for guards just like the last open the painter smiled “Yeah, Axel lead us the right way…” He said whilst walking towards and up the staircase, carefully stepping as he went to avoid making any more noise than was necessary. After rising two stories, Kenny would stop and look down the hallway. “Okay, which one is the library?” He asked himself as he tried to remember what Axel said. “Third door on the right.” He said answering his own question. At this point sounds of people shouting could be heard, though they were too muffled to make out who was saying what.

“Hey O’Brian! I’m going to get some popcorn!” A new voice seemed to bellow from very close to the intruders, as if it was shouting to the opposite end of the mansion to his fellow guard. So it wasn’t totally clear but these guards seemed way to relaxed in the face of a potential riot right outside the mansion they were meant to guard. Quickly heavy footsteps were heard coming towards the group, he was going to take the most direct route to the kitchen. With a quick peek Kenny saw a foot poke out from a side corridor just a little bit ahead. “Crap back to the walls, I’ll get this.” He said before shifting and putting his back to the wall on the left hand side of the entrance to the library floor the painter waited.

The tattooed pirates plan was simple, trip the big guy over and let his weight and gravity do the rest. Thud, Thud, Thud. Each foot fall was louder than the last, it indicated a lot of weight on this man, how he was allowed to be a body guard Kenny didn’t know. This plan was going to end in one of two ways. Way one, Kenny trips the guard and pushes him down the stairs and the guard falls to the bottom and either dies or at worst knocked unconscious. Way two, The guard falls and makes a racket or doesn’t budge when Kenny trips him, this is bad and would alert the entire mansion.

Luckily for Kenny the former of the outcomes happened, as the guard stepped fully into the stairway Kenny threw his leg out between his and used his left hand to push him down. With a look of horror in his eyes the guard looked at the group and fell, first hitting his head on a step and getting knocked out cold instantly. Then he continued to tumble down the spiral stairs with sounds of thuds and banging and at the end a crack as he bashed his way into a statue that was opposite the entrance to the stairway on the ground floor. A short pause followed this big gamble that Kenny had made before he let out a long sigh “That actually worked…” he said before looking out to see that the coast was cleared. Without hesitation this time he quietly move forwards and stopped outside of the Library door, ready for the others to go in with him and find the devil fruit.

SPOILER: Click to show

(Okay so im adding a simple map of the library levels layout and the path the big guy took to the stairway. This is what the group can see from the stairway, the mansion is probably way more intricate that this.)  

[Vio]

Cellar door swinging open before them, Marlus Caine could not help but swallow silently, well aware that they were now truly stepping into enemy territory. The thought of trespassing alone was a tad unnerving to him, something he thought he’d never need to do again now that he had left the law to chase after his shadow, but such nuances were nothing compared to the worries of what lay beyond. While much of the Sednan militia stood outside, redoubling their efforts to try and tame the rebellious mobs headed by Axel and her group, the archer severely doubted that a man such as Baruch would go without guards patrolling the halls of his manor. Luck would have it that they had not yet encountered such foes, though was it really worth worrying about when his own martial prowess likely outdid that of the militia’s captain? Regardless, they advanced stealthily up the staircase and – Kenny Bacon leading the way – entered the establishment’s kitchen.

“I’m just glad Axel was kind enough to give you directions. We’ve only seen a fraction of this place,” Marlus spoke softly, his words somewhere between a gentle talk and a whisper, masking any echoes that his tone may have generated. Everything about his movements and actions right now were disciplined and refined; each step near enough silent when compared to the footsteps of his companions, each breath matching the rhythm of his steps. Indeed, there was no doubt that the ex-Marine was a far stealthier character than either the painter pirate or the Fishwoman, but the ability to move swiftly and without sound came with the territory of being an archer. Even upon the tiled floor of the kitchen, his light footfalls barely made a sound, and the same applied as they started to move up the stairwell beyond.

I think I have a better idea of where we are now, Mister Caine told himself, hawkish hues quickly taking in the surroundings as they reached a more familiar floor. This was where Baruch’s butler, Sebastian, had escorted them through and into the library to meet with the mayor. The firm carpets, lined on either side by polished tile-work that separated them from the beautifully decorated walls alive with portraits and ornaments, and the exquisite brass chandeliers that hung on the ceiling; all signs of wealth and extravagance. Even in the dimmer lighting of the night, much of the hall illuminated only by the oil lamps that lined the walls, the mansion looked as if more money had been put into it than was needed to build a dozen town halls. It was easier for him to see the disparity between the rich and the poor now, the divide that was rapidly growing across the community of Sedna.

“I’ll get this!” Kenny told them, gesturing for Merle and Marlus to press themselves against the walls as he did, but already the violet-haired vigilante had his bow and arrow drawn and ready. Still, his conscience called to him in the night, the prospect of killing a man of relative innocence more than enough to deter his arm from drawing back the string as a rather beefy security guard thundered closer and closer. And, just as the guard’s form came into view, the tattooed one tripped him. It was quite surprising how a man’s momentum could persist for so long, the guard tumbling forwards and proceeding to roll through the doorway and down the stairs to the kitchen, the sound of which was certainly not too dissimilar from his lumbering steps. Still, he could not help but wince a little with each distinctive ‘thonk’ of the man’s skull.

“On the count of three,” Caine whispered as the triumvirate arrived at their destination, pressing himself against the beautiful wooden doors of the library. It took only half a second for him to notice, however, that the doors themselves were slightly ajar. Not enough to be seen from afar, but just a slightly uneven spacing between the two halves. “One… Two…”

“Three!” With a jolt, the bowman in black forced the doors open steadily with his shoulder and back, pivoting about on his heel as he stepped inside and allowing his arms to draw back the bow. The steel tip of an arrow trained ahead of him, he quickly scoped the room to the best of his ability, pale green eyes taking in as much as they could with every fleeting glance. But, much to his surprise, the room seemed entirely empty. Tension kept his arrow notched and ready to be loosed, the scratching fear that someone could still be lurking within this dimly lit room teasing his nerves as he crept forward, offering passage to his company so that they too may have joined him. The towering mahogany shelves, lined still with books so neatly ordered, were exactly as he and Miss Tali had left them not all that long ago. Listening, watching and waiting, he wondered, but soon the still silence was broken by two voices – familiar and unfamiliar alike.

“As you wish, Sir,” uttered the voice of Sebastian lurking somewhere beyond the shelves. “Mister Barrows, it appears the Mayor would like a word with us in private.”

“That’s Captain Barrows, now, Sebastian!” barked an altogether rougher voice, its body also hidden behind row and row of novels and encyclopedias. It was a deeper voice, a tad lighter and harsher than the smooth rumble of a baritone, and seemed to drip with sizzling aggression cast from the tip of the tongue.

“Mm,” the butler affirmed with a hum, “so I see. But, I believe we both know who the real ‘Captain’ is, no?”

“Tch! Alright, you made your point. Let’s get going already!” Whoever this Barrows was, it was clear that he and Sebastian were not exactly on good terms. Either that or the former was just not a very friendly man, which made a lot more sense considering the hospitality and kindness they had received from the latter prior. Still, as Marlus took the lead and slipped around one of the library shelves, his eyes soon caught the strangest sight. What sight would be so strange as to confuse a veteran soldier? Why, the sight of absolutely nothing. Arms visibly slackened as he stepped out from behind cover, eyes searching for signs of Barrows and Sebastian, but aside from the fading ‘ker-clunk’ of what sounded like a large locking mechanism, there was nothing but the ghosts of their voices to say that they had even been here.

They vanished…? But I could’ve sworn they were standing right around here. There’s no echo, either, far too much furnishing for their voices to reverberate… Mind struggling somewhat to reason with this illusion, the meticulous marksman quickly swept the library for traces of interaction, recalling the location of the seating at which he and the mayor had discussed business. But there was nothing, the seats looking undisturbed and not even the slight scent of Sebastian’s finest tea lingering in the air. Confused, he looked back to Merle and Kenny, hoping that one of them knew something useful about this room.

“I’ll assume that Barrows is the head of the militia, but,” he began to tell them, “they were right here…?”

SPOILER: Click to show

Now, for the moment Flame's been waiting for! If Merle would be so kind as to open the 'door' for us? Beyond that, I think there's like another spiral staircase leading down into an underground bunker of sorts, which is where the fight begins!

Marlus Caine (3b003b)
Kenny Bacon (990099)
Sebastian, the Butler (aa0000)
Captain Barrows (00aaaa)

[Flame]

Their small group moved as quickly as possible up the stairs heading to the door at the top. Leading straight through it they entered a kitchen, white and tiled with clean and sparkling counter-top it was a thing of beauty. At least for a foodie like her this was something of actual interest, after breaking and entering the thought of taking some of the items from it was slightly tempting. So as the group headed for the other end of the kitchen to go into the manor she tarried momentarily. Her eyes rolled hungrily over the different utensils laid out nicely, the spices in rows contained by glass jars, everything. Greedily she looked at them, her arm raised and reached out for a single jar. What are you doing? The voice rang out inside of her and she hesitated.

Stealing was a small cry from breaking and entering, it would not be much of a difference but still she hesitated. Frowning she turned away from the spice racks and rejoined the group as they passed through the kitchen doors and into the hallways of the manor. Merle laughed at herself slightly as they entered into a hallway which was alike enough to the others she had been in. Her small problems including her moral compass were so sad, that she found herself if only slightly amused by it. Thus the giggle, one she bit down on her lip to try and stop, given the situation. Throwing such thoughts to the back of her mind she followed the group as they walked down hallways ornately decorated from floor to ceiling. It was that same odd patterns as before, for which she paid little attention and moved on. Their small raiding group continued onward, slowly as it was checking for any guards or the like that could be patrolling the area. Coming to a stairway they climbed it quickly, up one then two flights of stairs and out into another hallway.

This one was even more familiar, the patterns plastered upon the floor, the tapestries upon the wall they all felt very familiar. Like she had seen them before, Probably because you HAVE seen them before her own sarcastic conscience prodded her causing her to bite her lip again amused by her own inner bickering. In the end their journey ended up being rather uneventful save for a single guard that was quickly dispatched by a foot causing him to fall head over heels and get his reward, a bonk to the head that knocked him out for good. In the end she found herself among them standing before the door to the library she had been in earlier today. On the other side was supposedly where the fruit would be found. There was a count, quietly as the group stood before the door. Marl counted down and then they sprung open the door and burst into the library.

In the dim lighting the shelves upon shelves of books loomed over them. They almost seemed to lean forward as if to spill all their contents upon the invaders. The room as she could see it was empty, nothing moved, nothing stirred. That was it should have been empty, but suddenly voices appeared. Somewhere from within the walls of the library a pair of voices could be heard speaking to each other. The first the familiar voice of the butler from before, the second one she vaguely thought sounded familiar but she did not recognize. But there was no one to be seen within the confines of the library. The confused voice of Marl spoke as he said out loud what likely everyone was thinking. They were here right? Merle wracked her brain as she walked about the library. How could they disappear? As far as she could tell there was no other entrances or exits to this library. The enclosed room had only one passageway and they had come through it. So where could these men be?

Pacing about she walked past familiar bookshelves If they disappeared then there must be a hidden door. The thought crossed her mind as she paced around, wondering what sort of hidden door it could be. She knew nothing of trap doors or hidden doors, had not read nor seen anything that even had to do with them. So her search was aimless, it was laughable how useless she was as she tried to find this hidden entrance. Getting bored she remembered the book she had tried to obtain before. What was it called? Merle walked around until she found the same title as before. Reaching up for it she grabbed the top and pulled upon it. Even harder than she had before she pulled on it. Without anyone really watching her he figured couldn't hurt, besides the book was useless if it was stuck there. She was doing them a favor. Putting that might which all fishman took for granted into use she yanked at it.

SNAP!

The sound of something snapping turned and the book swung down still locked onto the bookshelf but now sitting sideways. The sudden acceleration caused Merle to lose her grip and she fell down. At the same time she felt the ground beneath her move. Her eyes spun slightly or more the ground beneath her spun and suddenly she found herself staring at the same bookshelf just even more dimly lit than before. Actually it was only the one section that was before it. On either side dark stone walls only lit by what was likely torches were somewhat visible. Picking herself up she turned around coming face to face with the torch she thought she would find a staircase spiraling down behind her. Looking around she headed back to the bookshelf finding the whole situation rather odd and yet also slightly amusing. Cupping her hands around her mouth she yelled at the doorway. "FOUND THE TRAP DOOR!"

[Kami-Gaz]

‘Nearly there… hopefully this is unguarded.’ Kenny thought as he followed Marlus through the door into the library, a large dimly lit room that was filed with books and had two voices echoing around it. The painter pirate splintered off to the side away from the others to investigate like they did, to look for a door or something that would lead them to where this devil fruit was. In his mind he did not have too long, Axel’s distraction could only last for so long before the mayor dispersed it or everything got violent. The latter option was something that Kenny hoped would ever happen.

As the painter inspected the bookshelves, he started to recognise some of the books that were there. ‘Magical Beasts and Where To Find Them, The Grand Line Addition.’ This was a volume that the painter had not read before; it was strange to look at the book on this dusty old shelf, it was as if he just remembered all of the good parts of his child hood at once. The nostalgic feeling he had was overwhelming and Kenny instantly brought his hand up and pulled the book free from its dusty lodgings and opened it. After a few seconds of skimming the front and back he opened the cover to read whom the author credited his work too. His eyes stopped at the bottom of the page, and re read over and over again the one thing that made the young Kennith Backman want to explore the world. ‘And lastly thank you to my dear friends the Backman Family for protecting me as I traveled to all of these wondrous places’. When this book was published years and years ago, a long time before Kenny’s generation his family helped the writer of this book series one mister Henry Percival Otter Or H.P.Otter as his pen name dictated.

Using his hand to close the cover of the book Kenny moved it behind him, slipping it into his trousers waistline, and then pulled his t-shirt over it. If he was going to go to the grand line in his life, it was best to keep this book in hand. It was the only one he had never read, so it would make a good thing to have on when he was on a ferry between islands to kill his boredom.

As Kenny moved to carry on inspecting his side of the library he started to recognise some of the books that were on these dusty old shelves. The people who lived in this mansion did not use this library much for reading… more for showing off to guests. There were a few spots where the dust was less visible, proof that at least some of the books had been read in recent years. The painter pirate stopped and spun his head around when he heard a loud snapping sound coming from where Merle headed, it was loud enough to echo in the room and made Kenny grab for his sword. Then a call came from the fish woman similar to the one that he had made not too long ago.

"FOUND THE TRAP DOOR!"

If that didn’t alert the enemy that was just sneaking around back there then there was something seriously wrong with them and in Kenny’s mind that meant they had even more reason to steal the devil fruit from them. The only issue in his mind now was does he backstab his current companions and eat the fruit at the first chance or run away with it and leave this island to its own devices and see if everything will sort itself out… Shaking his head the painter walked over to where he heard Merle’s shout and inspected the bookshelf to see if he could get through just as she did. “Good find… ” Kenny muttered to himself as he found the book that was in a snapped down position, “I think you broke the lock on it…” He said before pushing the bookshelf in question from an angle to make the shelf and a small area around it shift to make a small space that he could slip through.

Once the painter was on the other side he looked to the fish woman and put his hand up for a high five as he waited for the archer Marl to follow him and then lead on into the unknown.

[Vio]

Of all the times he had been forced to think on his feet, this particular occasion was perhaps the most puzzling for Marlus Caine. He knew, both from his previous visit and a quick assessment, that there was only one door leading in and out of the library. And yet, despite him and his partners entering from that direction, Sebastian and Barrows had vanished entirely. Carefully, he scanned the aisles of the room, ever-watchful in case there was a hidden door or something through which they had escaped. But while his mind was on the right track, his assumption as to where the passageway was hidden was quite far off. Experience with tunnels and such on scouting operations led him to check the carpets, pushing them with the toes of his footwear to try and find traces of a concealed trapdoor – an opening of some sort that led below.

What was that…? The sound of something snapping and shifting catching his ears, the bowman darted around the corner of the one aisle, arrow notched and bow half-drawn as he allowed his hawkish hues to analyse the situation. Through some mysterious means, something had moved, and only moments after did the call from his comrade identify the source. Unfortunately, Merle’s shout – whilst muffled – was still audible on this side of the wall, and Marlus could not help but furrow his brow at the possibility of the enemy picking up on such a signal. Already were the three of them risking a great deal by trespassing in Baruch’s manor, but uncovering what was supposedly some sort of secret passageway was only going to worsen the wrath of the portly tyrant.

“I think you broke the lock on it,” Mister Bacon announced more calmly, pressing him shoulder against a particular shelving unit and pushing it open. On an axis the shelves of books did turn, revealing a passageway behind them; the kind of elusive trickery one would expect from a detective novel, not a real life mayor. But, then again, even lands such as the Pikt Archipelago held stranger things. Following his associates with quiet steps, the marksman scanned the shelves with due care as he slipped through the opening that Kenny had made for them. On the other side, a brick passageway and stairwell led down into the gloom, illuminated only by the flickering amber flames of small oil-fuelled torches secured to the walls by iron rungs. Yet despite the sinister and ancient feel, the air smelt surprisingly fresh and sweet.

“This is like something out of a book. Good work in finding this one, Merle,” Mister Caine congratulated with a fleeting smile. He would have offered more in thanksgiving were it not for the fact that he felt somewhat nervous. Much of his senses were devoted to the road ahead, eyes and ears searching for sight of fleeting shadow and the sounds of their enemies’ voices or footsteps. With a quick signal of his hand to follow, he advanced beyond his compatriots, paying little mind to Kenny’s attempt at celebration and advancing into the hazy shades of what was to come. The passage was easily wide enough for him to walk down, though the wings of his bow had to be held somewhat vertically to avoid scraping the stonework. Still, four feet was a decent width for such a structure, even if it was not quite spacious enough to allow two to walk down side by side.

“Keep your guards up and your wits about you,” he whispered back as he reached what he thought to be the halfway mark. “I’m not quite sure what kinds of things to expect from the mayor right now, especially after seeing this…”

To tell the truth, it’s not Baruch I’m worried about; it’s Sebastian and Barrows that really concern me… Though he kept his qualms to himself, the ex-Marine was becoming increasingly more wary of every step he took, practically assessing every stone step of the spiral staircase before he truly set foot upon it. If a revolving bookshelf was anything to go by, then the chances of a trick step were not too fat-fetched. Fortunately, as they neared the foot of the stairwell, it seemed as if such preposterous precautions had not been partaken of. But it was at this point that revelations abound came sailing in from the shadows.

Tightening the draw of his ebony bow, Marlus quickly scanned the area before him. It was some sort of bunker – one of decent size – adorned with various bits and bobs, treasures and all sorts of other tokens of the past. In the chamber’s centre, a hefty wooden pillar that resembled a cut of the mast of a great galleon supported the stone ceiling and numerous wooden rafters above. Though the room itself was no more than fourteen feet from floor to ceiling, it seemed a great deal larger, though again he thought it to be an optical illusion generated from the light phenomena. Shadows were cast across the walls, forged from the warm glow of burning oil lanterns supported upon pedestals of stone and timber. Casks, crates and containers alike were scattered around – most seemed empty at first glance, though a handful stored what looked to be rusted rifles and cutlasses.

“Are you sure you sure you wish to proceed with this, sir?” Sebastian’s voice was the first to grace the ears of the violet-haired vigilante, but the state of the room and its echoes made it difficult to pinpoint the butler’s location through hearing alone. It did seem to be coming from the other side, however. Silently, Marlus crept forwards; positioning himself beside a stack of old crates that had been eaten away by damp and rot, and using his range of vision to scan the dancing shadows. Most were static, only seeming to move by virtue of flickering flame, disturbed by the slow flow of cooler air that crept in from behind them.

“Of course, Sebastian,” Baruch grumbled more loudly, “I’ve been waiting far too long to get my hands on one of these!”

“Boy, I missed the old days!” Captain Barrows piped up cheerily, revealing his presence, too.

Looking back to Merle and Kenny, Caine once more gestured for them to follow him before moving around the various obstacles, keeping a watchful eye out for the exact locations of Baruch and his men. Honestly, this place reminded him a lot of the Crystal Floor Ruins – a network of ancient tunnels carved out centuries ago by the people of the Pikt Archipelago, but long since forgotten. That place was a labyrinth of strange tunnels, where light played tricks on the eyes, but at least in here he did not have to worry about savage animals whose hide was as tough as rock. There were only three beasts here to worry about, and they were of human flesh and blood.

“Well, well,” the mayor growled again, this time even louder and startlingly closer, “I was right to be suspicious! Trespassing is a crime here on Sedna, Mister Caine, and I do not take kindly to intruders! Sebastian! Barrows!”

“Yes, sir.”

“Right, Captain!”

“Captain…?” No sooner had the mayor given the word than he had revealed himself, standing atop a wooden stage of sorts which bore a strange resemblance to the deck of a ship. Beside him stood his associates, the former now holding an ornate steel sword and the other a very heavy wide-barrelled rifle, but it was in Baruch’s hands that the most frightening sight was held. Those spiral patterns were all too familiar…

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}

(3b003b)
Kenny Bacon (990099)
Baruch (aaaa00)
Sebastian (aa0000)
Barrows (00aaaa)

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