Operation Snowblind: Sea-Tigers at Vitkas! (C-Tigers/Vio)

[Djinn]

The Fortress at Vitkas, the main staging grounds for the forces of the World Government in South Blue, foreboding even with the remaining scars it bore from the latest attack it had endured. The icy wind howled across the barren white landscape surrounding the base, the jagged ice of the cliffs surrounding the bay stood like massive sentinels around the narrow bay that fed into the great dock-works the base was famous for. It was a quiet morning, the sun would be up in about fifteen minutes, and the changing of the guard was already underway as those who had been on watch all night were finally about to get some sleep. Everything was calm on throughout the frigid fortress, but not for long...

Beneath the waves, another group had already been up and about for the better part of an hour. Sitting on the floor of the channel leading into the docks, a lone ship lay in wait, The Midnight Tiger was in prime shape and it's crew was working to get it ready for combat. All except for the crew's captain, 'Tyrant Fist' Berk. The Tigershark-man sat in the middle of the deck, staring at the black den den mushi Don Maxwell had given to him. He didn't know what the thing could do, but the Don had said when it started working, it would be time to set the plan in motion. Until then, the captain just watched the little snail and continued to curl one of the barbells he'd grabbed from below deck. On the other hand, the other members of the Sea-Tigers were really busting hump to make sure things were ready to go. After all, this was the first taste of combat the crew would get aboard their new Warship.

"Captain, all guns check out, I made sure we're fully stocked with shells and the special armaments I designed are ready to go as well..." Brandy, the crews gunsmith, had been the first one to wake up. She had the most to prove when it came to the upcoming battle, her weapons could very well make the difference between victory and defeat for her and her nakama. Berk nodded to the crew's resident mermaid, "Good Job, Brandy... Go get some food, I think Peche made some breakfast." The gruff captain had already eaten, instead his eyes gazed up to the quickly illuminating surface of the water. His eyes narrowed, it would be time soon enough.

Meanwhile, down in the galley, Peche was hard at work; "Hey! Wake-up you bastards! Otherwise Moby is gonna eat everything!" The crooked cook was hard at work preparing his favorite breakfast item, Fish-jacks. They were like flap-jacks, but made with fish of course! The perfect way to start the day, though only Moby had bothered waking up to get things started! The Whaleshark-man dwarfed most members of the crew, especially Peche, but the fiery Seahorse chef wasn't about to let him hog all the foot; "Back off! Everyone needs to eat, not just you, fat-ass!" He'd smacked the new crewmember's hand away as it reached for more food. After all, there was Shiomaru, Vanos and Manuke to feed as well. Though if they didn't bother waking up, Peche couldn't care less if they got their food...

At this point, Brandy swam down from above-deck and sat down at one of the stools next to Moby. She looked down at the food, then pushed her plate away in disgust. "That looks fucking gross, do we have any fruit?!" A vein in Peche's forehead popped out at the idea his food was being rejected; "What the fuck?! Fish is the fruit of the sea! Besides, Moby seems to enjoy it and Hollis didn't have any complaints earlier!!" Brandy shook her head, "Whatever, just give me some coffee..." Muttering under his breath, Peche scooped up some coffee out of the brew-bubble he'd set up. It immediately began to mix with the icy sea-water that surrounded the frigid island, creating an interesting bubbling effect as the hot and cold liquids met each other. Brandy sipped some of the coffee quietly, then pulled out a pistol and began cleaning and water-proofing it on the counter.

This also aroused Peche's ire, "Cut that shit out, I just cleaned this counter!" Brandy stuck her tongue out at the irate cook, but before they could come into further conflict, someone walked in from the crew quarters. Peche smirked, "Ok, I know what this one wants..." He pulled out a bowl and a box of some aquatic cereal known as 'Barnacle Bits.'

[Buddy1]

Unbeknownst to most, Shiomaru had been awake for several hours. Like a boy on Christmas Eve, though he slept well he was eager to see the morning. He woke up to the steel-grey ceiling, briefly taking in the new sensation of waking up in a bed. He had never owned a bed, or even had a roof over his head until arriving on the Midnight Tiger. Even his mentor Sama never quite had a home—he lived as a vagrant throughout unclaimed shelters he discovered over his travels on the sea. What he had right now was something he had never felt anything like. He spent a long few minutes soaking in a new home, but his memories of the previous day shook him out of it. He needed to prepare. He leapt out of his bed and started to exercise. Truth be told, over the past few day he felt stronger than ever, and despite some butterflies in his stomach he felt supremely confident. While it was odd working out in such a limited and as of yet unfamiliar space, he did his best to train himself for the day ahead.

Meanwhile, in the reception room of B-2, a man donned the fine silk gi of a sensei, over which he wore a green and purple kariginu robe sat impatiently awaiting an answer to his question. A young marine sat acting as a receptionist, staring at the man as he played with his curly brown hair. His face was deprived of fat, making the shape of his skull obvious to anyone within eyesight, and it was even more obvious as frustration swelled the veins on his forehead. He broke the silence in the room, and shouted at the marine to give him the information he wanted. This yelling man was Keese, a resident and former dojo leader of Karate Island—someone who had a run in with Shiomaru and Sama many years ago. The marine, in turn, coldly put the newcomer in his place. This martial artist came to this base with unfound confidence and asked for information on a particular criminal, assuming that with his strength he could be a great boon for these marines. The marine could quickly tell that this man was working on wrong assumptions. He assured Keese that regardless of what he thought of himself, here he was just an ordinary citizen. The marines of B-2 had no obligation to give him anything—to even speak to him now was generous. They had no shortage of strength. He young marine assumed this man was an experienced thug who wanted to break into bounty hunting, and that in itself was annoying. Unless he wanted to report a crime, the marine demanded that this new visitor leave.

“You punk!” The dojo master Keese grabbed the marine by his shirt and lifted him with one hand, staring into his eyes with unwavering anger—never leaving eye contact with the man he was trying to intimidate. As he held him in the air with one hand, the other reached into his pocket and pulled out a blade. With machine-like efficiency and blazing speed, he scrapped that blade across his head—shaving all his curly hair off his head in one stroke. He then put the marine down. While he could easily beat this man, he truthfully feared being arrested—though he didn’t outwardly show it. Regardless, he wouldn’t clean his hair off the floor. Throughout his life, his curly hair grew abnormally fast, but he felt true warriors should shave their head or else leave themselves with an obvious weakness. To counter this, he always kept a razor blade nearby. He wouldn’t explain any of this to the marine. Instead he picked up an in insulated duffle bag of supplies and walked away. He was looking for a long forgotten acquaintance, and now he knew he’d have to do it alone.

"Oi, Blue Shiomaru reporting in! Ready for anything, right after I eat!" Back on the Midnight Tiger, the blue sharkman was with his crewmates scarfing down fish pancakes. He was always hungry after workout, and it helped that this meal was easy to eat. He competed with Moby for food, and the two found themselves fierce competitors for who could eat the more. They shouted “seconds please,” long before the food was actually gone in anticipation for when the meal would run out. Frustrated, Peche responded snappily that what was on that table was all the two would get. As Shiomaru ate, he had yet to remember his responsibilities for the mission today. The ship was on course for their destination, and for now they’d only need wait to arrive. His pack of navigation supplies were right at his side.

[Vio]

Amidst the snow and the ice, the mountain fortress that was Marine Base B-2 was slowly coming together. The many hands of the men and women who served there having so far managed to rebuild at least a third of what Jack Dancer had destroyed, the South Blue's bastion of hope and justice was a lot more proud in appearance when compared to the sorry state it had been left in. Massive stone walls interlocked with the natural fortifications of Viktas' mountainous terrain, further reinforced by the intricate masonry techniques that had been developed in recent years. Indeed, no expense was to be spared when it came to reviving such a place, the World Navy no doubt wishing to avoid such catastrophic destruction as had been inflicted upon them once before. It was also no surprise that the base had been reinforced not just with brick and iron, but with fresh blood and new equipment. Two new regiments of seamen had arrived recently to help man the base as reconstruction continued, and additional armament had also been forged and transported over recent weeks to further prepare the place.

"Alright, that should do it. You're good to go now!" Of course, traditional equipment and men to use it were not the only things that B-2 had been supplied with. A full unit of seven Cazadors had been stationed here as well, but the most interesting piece of technology that now lived on Viktas was the prototype model of the Pastor series. The Riot Suppression and Law Enforcement unit (test model number ten), more affectionately known as R.E.X, was also receiving some special equipment for its own use. The streamlined but weighty robot currently rested in a rather canine position, limbs tucked against its flanks, as a sanctioned engineering and robotics specialist of the Marines finalised his workings. The artificial entity had been fitted with experimental weaponry, his purpose to be the field test for the future Pastors and their armament, and his latest orders were to run them for a diagnostic and compatibility assessment.

"Affirmative. Shall I Proceed with A Mobility Test?" Remaining perfectly still as 'he' spoke, R.E.X was completely oblivious as to the look oo the unusual additions to his arsenal, entirely incapable of seeing either enhancement at present (and rather unlikely to be able to anyway). The first was a simple enough expansion of his original body, the mechanic having fitting an automated tail of sorts to the robot's rear, adding to the slight tiger-like look of him. Matching the colour scheme of his armour plating, said tail was forged of alternating bands of black and white, tipped with a chrome cut-off piece that would later become relevant. Of course he did not know that, but at least he was capable of 'feeling' the parts that had been added to him - electrical feedback from a robotic part was akin to being able to understand that one had an arm or a leg.

"Hm? Go ahead! It's your body, not mine." His request respected and accepted in a rather unusual way, it was only out of a strange sense of curiosity that the mechanised Marine did not decide to reply with an unintentionally snarky or stupid comment. His engines purring a little louder as his body booted up, it only took a matter of seconds for the canid creation to stand up upon his own four feet, taking a tad longer to make the necessary adjustments to balance out the additional weight he now carried. Oddly enough, that extra burden was not much of an issue at all, barely adding more than ten pounds to his to considerably hefty form. The price of being forged of steel was that you tended to weigh quite a lot and, even with lighter materials used, he was still a couple of hundred pounds short of a short ton.

"My Body..." Failing to finish his sentence at first due to the new information and feedback he was receiving, R.E.X simply opted into some basic tests, though perhaps he was also lingering on the words spoken to him by his mechanic? Regardless, the law enforcement unit was already understanding a great deal about his new armament, steadily swinging his tail from left to right. In its presently contracted state, the artificial appendage had little flexibility, the numerous motors that it contained being partially locked to as to prevent breakage. It had some give to it, but the synthetic soldier was incapable of swinging it far enough for his optical sensors to see.

The other addition was far more interesting, however, and it was that which drew the majority of its owner's processing power. Extending from his back, connected to a special arm that allowed for adjustment and stability, was a rifle-like weapon approximately three feet in length. Primarily black in colouration, though with a few white and chrome pieces, this new attachment was designed with riot control and target suppression duties in mind. The exact specifications of it were a mystery to its bearer, but the feedback received from it was all the data he currently needed. A live test would come about in ample time, especially with the rather regular training regimes of B-2 with which the robot practiced.

"Mobility Test Complete. I am Fully Operational," R.E.X recited, his systems already accustomed to the baser functions and procedures necessary for controlling this new equipment. Of course, there was something else that the engineer had noticed recently, and that was regarding the robot's speech patterns. Typically, the artificial intelligence spoke with brief but noticeable pauses between words, defining each and every one of them as he went. But recently his vocal and communicative abilities were becoming better, his most recent sentences and statements showing instances of more fluid speech and transitions, especially between the shorter words. Like any human, the development of speech and other methods of communication was key, but for a robot it was something much more intriguing to witness...

[Djinn]

Everything was calm, then it happened. One small noise that would set everything to come into motion; "Beriberiberiberiberi Beriberiberiberiberi." Hearing the black snail next to him buzz to life, Berk pushed the button on top of it and it began to chime out the message it had intercepted; "This is Sheriff Wraith of Yeste Island, calling Marine Base B-2. We've just spotted a crew of pirates making landfall here, requesting assistance as soon as possible. It appears to be the 40 Thieves." The snail fell quiet for a moment, then a reply came; "Roger that, we'll dispatch a ship out there to assist you. Just try and keep the citizens away from those criminals. Over and Out." As the Den Den Mushi fell quiet again, the Tigershark-man grinned, everything was going according to plan.

It had all been laid out about a week ago by Don Maxwell of the Pirate's Market Syndicate, a plan to get revenge on the Marines for their cowardly raid on the Marketplace. Even now, Pirate Crews were landing on islands throughout South Blue to raid and pillage to their hearts content. The Marines would obviously send out forces to protect the people, ensnaring themselves in the trap that had been laid out for them. Even now, the combined forces of the Syndicate and Queen Olimpia's Armada were approaching the Silver Isles to reduce the base there to rubble. They would be unable to relieve the islanders near them, only drawing out the men of B-2 all the more, drawing them out into a deadly blockade. Berk and his crew had been ordered to blockade the Marines honor guard at B-2. There would be no relief for the people of South Blue, the Marines would be humiliated and everyone would be reminded that the Pirate's Market Syndicate was not to be fucked with.

Berk stood up, bellowing out to his crew below decks; "Oi! It's time, let's get ready!" The pirate Captain strode over to the stairway to below deck and casually tossed the bar-bell he'd been using down the stairs before going back to the side-rails and seizing his anchor. The heavy iron object was familiar in his hands, it almost felt like a part of him. He wrapped the metal chain around his fore-arm before firmly holstering the massive weapon in the harness on his back. Cracking his knuckles, Berk looked up to the light filtering down through the waters above; "I'm coming for you, you bastards..."  He and his crew would be tested today like no other, he for one was ready.

In the base's sheltered harbor, a Marine cruiser was being prepared to disembark for Yeste Island. When the call for help came in, the crew was scrambled into action had made the ship ready in record time. Striding down the dock towards the vessel he'd been assigned to command for this relief mission, Commodore Futsuka Yoi was quiet calm. He walked up the gangplank and saluted his subordinates, "Very well, people need our help, let's go!" The men under him eagerly complied and unfurled the sails of the medium sized vessel, they began to sail towards their mission, unaware of what lay in wait for them.

[Quincy]

A low groan was the first indication that someone was stirring to life in the crew quarters of the Midnight Tiger. What followed was a heavy thud from the shifting of sheets, which resulted in a hungover Eel-man sprawled across the floor. It was very rare that Vanos had hangovers, but he had to give credit to the reason for his banging temples; Moby could certainly drink with the best of them. While he would never admit it, Vanos had begun to be outpaced by the hefty bloke during their drinking contest last night. Not one to go out like a punk, the Eel-man continued to throw his head back and do other tricks he had learned from his alcohol binge on Karate Island. In the end, however, both of the Sea Tigers were babbling incoherent idiots, though if his foggy memory was correct, Moby had passed out first between the two of them. Despite this bit of information, however, the hungover first mate was in no mood to gloat.

While the barrack floors of the Midnight Tiger were hardly comfy, Vanos was certain he would have slipped back into a deep sleep had it not been for a wafting smell of fish and batter that perked the Fishman up as much has his groggy form would allow. His mouth watered at the prospect of food, yet the chill that ran up his spine demanded his immediate attention. The ship was freezing. the Sea Tiger hurriedly shuffled about to cloth himself, grabbing last a new leather jacket lined with wool. His classic one had seen one too many battles, and while Vanos didn't care about the torn look of the jacket, he did not wish for its final day to ever come; no one would destroy the jacket his mum had given him. 

Zipping up his leather jacket, the Eel-man was flabbergasted at the colder-than-usual water that surrounded him. Confused, but happy to be no longer shivering, the first mate did an odd mixture of strolling and swimming to the galley, eager to ease his stomach of its perpetual hunger. His mind fixated on the smell that had stirred him fully awake, and kept him from simply rolling back into bed, Vanos missed the obvious indicators that the crew had arrived at their destination; the frigid waters, lack of commonplace commotion from the crew, and no one still in bed when he awoke (although, he didn't particularly care due to the first two reasons) were all missed on the headache-ridden Fishman.

Daft as he was in his current state, the absence of all the crew members, or food for that matter, was something he didn't miss. Scanning the room for so much as a crumb was fruitless, not entirely to his surprise as he had grown used to Moby and Shio's eating contests. The only edible substance the Eel-man could find was a bubble of black liquid. That scared him more than it should have. Everyone had learned quickly of Manuke's trickster disposition, but none of them fully understood just how bad it was until they had a ship; Vanos still had the occasional nightmare of what Manuke had done to him once after he had finished washing up.

Deciding he would see the Squid-man's corpse somewhere if he so much as touched Brandy's precious brew-bubble, the Fishman took his chances on the black brew known as coffee. While it was hardly a substantial impact on his appetite, he had to admit it was not bad; A little too bitter and hot for his tastes, but not bad. Vanos finished his first cup with ease when he realized an unexpected boon from the beverage: his hangover was being remedied. Barely, but still enough for him to pour another cup. Throwing back the coffee this time in one gulp, he found it yet again lessened the banging of his head, even if the taste wasn't improving much. 

Before long, Vanos was far more anxious than he had been when he had woken up today, but he had woken up enough to notice they had arrived at Vitkas, and if they were at the Marine base, that meant only one thing. Swiftly climbing to the ship's deck, he was greeted by the majority of the crew, ready for what was about to occur. Staring at Berk with an eager grin, Vanos called out to the hulking Fishman, "Mornin' Capt'n." Recieving a solemn nod, the first mate shouted out, "I'm ready to bash some buggers 'eads in!"

[Buddy1]

“Yeah, ready!” Blue Shiomaru shouted in food-muffled words. He was eager to eat, but also eager to start the mission. He stuffed as much food as he could in his mouth, then jumped from the table. He took his bag of navigational tools with him without thought. They were useless now that the ship has already sailed to its intended course, but he had kept them by his side the entire journey. He didn’t feel like parting with them now. He ran around the ship—still now quite used to his surroundings—to search for an exit. After feeling around the steel walls for a moment, he found one of this vessel’s many exit ports.

“I’m going to be the first one out!” He flatly shouted to the rest of the crew as he jumped though, leaving the ship and entering the sea. Freezing waters served as a harsh reminder of just how cold these waters were. Ice was commonplace everywhere you looked—what didn’t float above also caked the rocky floor below. The icy water glowed luminous pale blue—everything was dead and quiet for miles. However, such cold was expected, and it was hardly the first time Shiomaru had traveled a winter sea. Fast movement would keep his body warm—not that he planned on staying still even if the seas were warmer. He darted forward to the target location, unhindered by the sea. Every ocean in this sea was his home, no matter how harsh.

The pirate navigator reached the scene instantly, viewing a ship depart from a good distance below the sea. The ice tunnel accessing the island was wide open, narrow enough for only one ship to pass. It needed to be stopped. The young pirate glided through the water, observing the ship. It was a sturdy wood ship. It seemed strong, but for what was about to happen, not nearly strong enough. Shiomaru observed the quiet waters. Knowing the battle about to occur here, it seemed surreal how defenseless this ship was now. He had very little sense of how rare his species was in this part of the world, and because of this he couldn’t imagine why these people would neglect to defend themselves underwater. Still he knew what he had to do, and had little time to act. He made his way to the ships rudder. Placing his hands firmly on it, he felt it to gain a sense of its constitution. It was strong wood, but no match for shark teeth with strength comparable to steel. With one mighty bite, he chomped into that rudder, crushing it beyond repair in seconds. Then, with one good kick he separated its remains from the ship. Without resistance, a vital part of this vessel was good and sinking to the ocean floor. Silence reined, leaving the young sharkman to wonder how long it would take the crew to notice. He felt the side of the ship, imagining how easily he could break though the hull of this defenseless ship right now. He opted not too—opting to hold off for the rest of his crew. He’d stop this ship another way until they could catch up and finish the job.

On the deck of this ship, the crew was startled by the slight rock in the ship caused by the loss of their rudder. Most noticed nothing, unable to imagine what caused it or what was happening. Only the man driving the ship could feel a difference, and he’d be unable to speak before it was too late. A young blue sharkamn burst from the water, sending up a massive surge of water with him. Freezing water cascaded from the sky, splashing the marines. On the very front of that ship, Blue Shiomaru stood on the railing, perfectly balanced and sternly resolute.

“Oi, marines of B-2! Today, the Sea-Tiger pirates challenge all of you! Do you accept?” No one had asked him to do this, rather the young navigator put his own spin on this part of the plan. All his life he had been obsessed with athletics, and the heroic pirates of Sama’s stories, and both had the same thing in common—to never back down from a challenge. Every competition had its active players, and only when a challenge was accepted would the game begin. When challenged, no matter how harsh the battle become he wouldn’t back down, and he expected the same from these marines. He awaited their answer, also hoping his sudden appearance would encourage these marines to stop their ship.

“Oi, pirate. What the hell are you doing here?” The first man to answer was this ship’s commander, Futsuka Yoi, speaking in a loud voice while leaning on the other side of the ship. Unlike the rest of his now tense crew, he lied against the railing trying to relax. In fact, he was sipping from a jug of his favorite drink. He looked into it, outwardly in a daze, but internally overviewing the situation in his head.

“We’re on our way to stop pirate attack. Funny thing another crew would choose now to attack. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?” Sloppily standing up, he walked toward the front of the ship, awaiting his answers. A lone pirate appearing in the middle of nowhere, much less a fishman, was too suspicious. He wanted more information. He observed the sharkman nervously look away—clearly he didn’t want to expunge any information but lacked the wherewithal to lie.

“That doesn’t matter! Answer my question first! Do you accept?” Shiomaru looked toward the marine crew. Futsuka Yoi made his answer clear. He explained that he didn’t know why this fishman was here, but at the end of the day it didn’t matter which pirates they fought—they’d get to all of them in time. He ordered his men to attack, and as they charged forward he slyly stated “of course we accept.” With these words, Shiomaru jumped into the fight. He kicked the closest marine in the face, breaking their jaw and splattering his blood on the deck of that ship.

[Djinn]

Everyone was in position, and it looked like Shiomaru had already gotten things going. "Heh, he always was a gung ho bastard..." Grinning, Berk pulled his anchor free from it's harness and moved to the bow of the ship. Brandy was standing by in the gunner's seat of the turret, she chambered a pair of shells for good measure before giving her Captain the ready signal. "Brandy, hold those cannons as a last resort, I have a different idea. Moby, Peche, Vanos... Let's go." As his nakama moved around him, Berk pushed off of the deck and rose into the frigid waters. With a casual kick of his feet, he began his approach towards the ship's silhouette. The others followed suit, just behind their leader. "Alright, just like we practiced, stay close behind me and try not to hit the ship!" The Sea-Tigers affirmed their understanding with a nod, then they all broke into a frenzied pace, the act of them swimming churning and roiling the water behind them as they shot like a salvo of torpedoes towards the surface. The shadow of the ship grew larger and larger until they shot along right next to it, hugging the curve of their foe's hull before erupting from the water with a battle-cry that doubled as the name of their tag-team technique, one strong enough to turn the very sea against their foes; "AKA-NAMI!" Surging forth from the frozen water, the fish-men were flung into the air like a school of flying fish, pulling the water around them with them as a massive wave!

The Marines on the deck of the ship were all left with their mouths agape, to see such a huge freak wave spring up in the relatively sheltered canal that led to their harbor was completely unexpected. The fact that this wave was as tall as the sails and rigging of their ship sent a shiver down the spine of all but the most courageous on board. The ship was already beginning to list hard to starboard as the attack loomed above them, but then it reached it's apex and began to drop back down! Commodore Yoi saw what was coming and grabbed a hold of the ropes wrapped around the center mast, he'd need to keep his grip if he was going to be any help to his men. From inside the wave, Berk hooted with a battle-spawned glee, this would be the moment he finally paid back the Marines for leaving him in chains as a child, it was time to pay the world back with every ounce of misery he'd endured...

The wave crashed down, pounding the deck so hard it caused the ship to bob downwards in the water even as it swept all but the most stout defenders from their precious ship and threw them into the freezing waters that churned around them. The titanic wave also pitched and finally toppled the Marine ship, knocking it over with a huge splash. The ship sat there, crippled and sinking, it's progress to the bottom of the canal halted only by the huge air-bubble that had been created below deck. It bobbed there even as people from inside the base noticed the calamity unfolding at sea. As their worried words began to spread across the fortress, there was more cause for apprehension among the men trying not to freeze in the sea below. After the ship had been turned almost upside down, the pirates seemed to hold all the cards. Still maintaining his grip despite the long odds of it all, Futsuka Yoi was still above water though his predicament couldn't get much worse. Even as the wave had swept away his men, it had deposited the various gyojin who'd been responsible for bringing it to bear across the deck. He was surrounded, suspended over his natural weakness, but he wouldn't give in to hopelessness so easily...

Swinging himself up onto the mast of the now sinking ship, the Marine Officer looked out to his men struggling to stay afloat in the waves; "Men, get back to base, I'll take care of this. You Pirates, I'll be your opponent here." He checked the location of the Fishmen all around him: Shiomaru was still near the bow of the ship though he'd had to re-adjust his footing when the whole ship was turned over, Peche was firmly planted on the uppermost side rail of the ship hoisting his K-17 rifle overhead menacingly, Vanos sat casually towards the stern of the ship straddling the rear railing, Moby had landed in the crow's nest and now climbed out of it to confront this remaining human, Berk on the other hand had completely overshot the deck and had been thrown into the water. The Tigershark-man grinned, that had been the first time they'd ever used 'Aka Nami' and it had worked like a charm, that wave had to have been forty feet tall! Now he saw something else that made him smile even as it peaked his blood-lust. The shapes of people swimming away from the ship, easy pickings.

Quickly outpacing them, Berk placed himself in between them and the safety of shore, then began the technique that would spell their doom; "Gravity Maelstrom!" Swinging his anchor overhead, the chopping mass of iron began to swirl and stir the sea, kicking up a whirlpool! This quickly swept up the struggling Marines and dragged them down to an icy grave. The sea around him was littered with struggling bodies as well as though who'd already succumbed to the freezing sea. Letting the vortex die down, Berk began to swim back towards the ship in order to back up his subordinates. It was a good thing too, since the battle aboard the Marine vessel had already begun!

"Eat lead, motherfucker!" Peche let loose with his K-17, spraying a series of hot shots at Yoi who sprang backwards along the mast to avoid being shot. He had moved right into Moby's clutches. The Whale-sharkman swung out with a wild roundhouse kick; "Now I got ya! Gohyakugawara Mawashigeri!" Unfortunately for Moby, the Commodore wasn't one to be hit by so obvious an attack. Dropping down onto all fours, Yoi swept Moby's feet out from under him and with another kick he sent the hulking Fish-man flying into the water! The lone human adjusted his glasses even as he regained his footing; "Hmmm, maybe you lot aren't so strong... I might not even need to use my ability after all." Things were starting to heat up on the frigid sea, that much was certain!

SPOILER: Click to show

Techs Used:

Aka Nami (Red Wave): By swimming up from the depths in unison, two or more members of the Sea-Tiger Pirates can create a wave to carry them through the air and crashing down on their opponents. This feat requires at least two members to create a 20 foot wave, each additional Sea-Tiger that participates adds another 10 feet onto the wave. This technique requires deep water to work, so it cannot be used in a shallow source of water under 10 feet, so the shallow shoals of a beach would be a no go, also if used in a smaller body of water (only 10-15 feet) its power is limited by the amount of water it has to draw from.



Gravity Maelstrom: An aquatic variant of Berk's Gravity Twister. Can be used to create temporary whirlpools. The size of the whirlpool depends on the depth it's used at, with it's maximum size achieved at about forty feet



Used by Moby:


Gohyakugawara Mawashigeri (500 tile roundhouse kick)-A powerful roundhouse kick that can be delivered to an opponent to send them flying. This kick is powerful enough to break bones and potentially kill someone outright. It is also capable of breaking though walls of solid steel with relative ease and even destroy large objects. It is said to have the power to break 500 tiles.

[Vio]

The call came in quickly, but the response team of Marine Base B-2 were faster still. Within a matter of a half hour, a small battleship had already been prepped and armed in preparation for its mission, none other than Commodore Futsuka Yoi taking charge. After all, when would he not capitalise upon an opportunity to live up to his title as a hero? But such things were of no concern to R.E.X. Indeed, the artificial intelligence was far more concerned with adjusting to the new pieces of armament that had been fitted to his chassis. Simple mechanical feedback was one thing, but he could not help but feel curious as to how such modifications would perform when it came to his duties. Curiosity, as humans had said, was responsible for the death of many a feline organism. That had to make one wonder just what kind of definition humans applied to the word, because it certainly did not match up with anything in his data banks. Regardless, the quadrupedal creation was now in the midst of a routine patrol route, allowed decent freedom of the reforming fortress at which he had been stationed.

Recent Enhancements Respond to Changes in Threat Level... Assessing the feedback he was receiving from the upgrades as he meandered through the wide halls of the base, the canid contraption was able to identify and understand the purposes of such additions as he progressed. Information had not been provided to him as one might have expected, the engineer himself having not told him of much in regards to what was being fitted, but he supposed that was all par for the course. To have the gift of learning came with its ups and downs - another human saying which at least made some degree of sense. And so it seemed that his mysterious creator had left him the chance to learn as he saw fit, taking in data and analysing every bit of it in search of flaws. Unfortunately, live testing of his new gear would have to wait until the morrow, the morning providing him with plenty of opportunities to get used to such things. But it seemed that the chance for testing was to come about sooner than expected.

"Attention! All personnel to their stations! ASAP! The Sea-Tiger Pirates have attacked the Commodore's relief unit!" The sound of sirens blaring suddenly swept through the mountain bastion, Den Den Mushi announcements coming from every direction and delivering the surprising news to every soldier, officer and weapon in the facility. After the infamous Jack Dancer had practically annihilated the base, B-2 constantly found itself under threat from increasingly stronger groups and organisations. Considered an easy target despite the power of its charge, it was unsurprising that yet another notorious pirate crew had decided to make their move. But these were at least a little smarter than the average gung-ho rabble that had tried in recent months. These 'Sea-Tiger Pirates', as they were known, had attacked a more vulnerable piece of the base. Unexpectedly, too.

"Affirmative!" Hearing the call to arms, a signal programmed into the very core of his protocols, R.E.X was as quick to respond as any soldier. Though not a device built for brutal and bloody combat, there was no denying that his armour and armament were enough for him to hold his own against some of the South Blue's toughest opponents. Simple swordplay or glancing shots from flintlocks were not enough to penetrate the light steel carapace he wore, its colours gleaming white with black markings that give him an almost tiger-like look, meaning that only the skilled and the strong could feasibly inflict meaningful damage upon his design. Built with riot suppression and law enforcement in mind, the Marine machine was more than prepared to lend a helping hand in this upcoming battle, despite having no real idea of what he was to be up against...

-~-~-~-~-~-

"And here I thought it'd just be another easy mission. But it looks as if I've got bigger fish to fry," Commodore Yoi muttered to himself, taking a moment to analyse his surroundings with some degree of caution. A Devil Fruit user he was, that in itself was no real secret to anyone in the know in the South Blue, and the increasing risk of the water's grasp only served to put him on edge. However, current demonstrations of strength and skill by the Sea-Tigers seemed to lack in threatening potential. Whether it be a simple matter of dodging poorly aimed bullets or replying to a predictable kick, it seemed the skills of the 'Chessmaster' were vastly superior, even without the use of his Sake Sake no Mi. But to rest easy? That privilege was currently denied from him, his knowledge of this vicious crew more than enough to assure him that more sharks lurked in the waters.

"So what's your plan, eh?" Mister Futsuka called out to the bitter tides that swirled around him, keeping a wary brown eye focused in the direction from which the previous barrage of bullets had come. Instinct told him that he was surrounded, even without having to look about, the exact numbers of the pirate crew still unknown to him. Supposedly, it consisted of less than a dozen members, but that fact alone was not to bring about underestimation. These were Fishmen, powerful examples of a sapient race whose raw physical power could reach up to ten times that of an average human. And that strength was only amplified as long as they remained in the water which, as previously revealed, was something they could manipulate to their own benefit. Wits about him, aware that a hefty portion of his unit had just been wiped out or left at the mercy of the frigid depths, the CO chose to tread carefully. "Take out a battleship and prove a point about Fishman supremacy...?"

SPOILER: Click to show

Alright, so, I decided to breathe some much-needed life into this thread! Also, Djinn offered me the option of NPCing the Commodore a little to help out!

R.E.X (00ffaa)
Commodore Futsuka Yoi (aa0000)

[Quincy]

“Oi!” Vanos yelled out in response to the Commodore with the good taste in shades, “Me heads bangin’ so could ya quit yellin’.” Leaping from the railings he was previously seated at, the Eel-man landed easily on the mast across from Yoi. All the Sea Tiger wanted was to ease his hangover. It wasn’t as if his mates couldn’t finish the job without him. Despite being peeved that the Marine mutt was barking a tad too loud, the final comment wasn’t missed by the Fishman. “Fishman supremacy… What a load of shite! Y’all Marine bastards could be Fishmen and I’d still have beef. Sure, we’re strong and right fit in the seas, but that’s not why were ‘ere.”


The Commodore considered his present options. He was standing above the one acquired weakness of all Devil Fruit users, with who knows how many Tigers waiting to strike. The sturdy mast of his wrecked battleship was his one safeguard from the icy oblivion below, and all that stood before him was a few Fishmen rookies. Deciding he needed more information about his present opponent, as a headache wasn’t exactly the ideal advantage, he pressed more questions. “Then why is your crew here?” Vanos pondered the question. He chose the first thought that popped in his head. “Captain’s orders mate.”


Futsuka wasn’t elated over the answer he was given, and it was clear from the answer that he was talking to the wrong man. He needed to speak to the leader of this group of renegades. Sighing loudly, the Marine commodore rubbed his neck and decided he could relax a bit. “Don’t suppose I could just chat with your captain then?” A smirk found its way upon the Eel-man’s face. “I’d imagine the first mate’d be fine, eh? Ol’ Berky’s a bit busy thrashin your gents.” Vanos was a bit surprised the Marine wasn’t barking about an empty “justice” and how he was low-life scum. It was refreshing, for once. However, the Sea Tigers came here to do a job, and not one of them would slouch on what needed to be done.


“Word on the street is you’re the ‘first mate’ of sorts for this pack of dogs, aye? Don’t suppose you know what happens next then?” The Eel-man was certainly biting off more than he could chew, but all it would take is one tumble into the waters below and that would be the end of Yoi. The Commodore was hoping to prolong the talking until he could get some Marine assistance and level the playing field to his favor, but he supposed he would just have to persevere. Hell, maybe these Fishman already used their ace-in-the-hole, the massive wave that put him in his current predicament.


Futsuka decided to test the tiger cub before him. “Alright, you and me, right now. Come at me!” Vanos cracked his knuckles, his claws making a slight scrapping sound as he locked his fingers together. He rushed forward, electricity instinctively surging to his palm. Yoi relaxed at the attack, already predicting the shocking fist that was to be thrown. As the Eel-man swung, the Commodore deftly caught the deadly strike just inches away from his heart. “That won’t stop me bloke! Shocking Edge!” The lightning surged forth and struck Futsuka square in the chest. While a lesser man would be blasted back, heart crashing from the sudden shock, the 'Marine Hero' proved his namesake, staggering back only slightly from the mighty strike. The Commodore’s face, instead of contorting with rage, looked blankly at Vanos. “That it? Too bad. Sake Sake no Shotto.” The Sea Tiger’s face lit up with surprise as Yoi’s arm pulled back and began to morph into a surging clear liquid. The Marine slammed the thick blast of alcohol into the Fishman’s face, who felt the impact wholeheartedly as he struggled to stand firm.


However, the ‘Chessmaster’ could have never predicted what would have happened next. Not only had the enemy first mate taken the punch better than he anticipated, the ‘Sea Wolf’ was actually grinning with glee. Had he struck the pirate too hard, or perhaps made him brain dead? An elated Vanos spoke out to counter his thoughts. “Booze! That’s fuckin’ excellent mate! And it’s doin’ wonders on me bangin’ ‘ead.” Despite his face being soaked with alcohol in the frigid air that surrounds Vitkas and the B-2 base, the Eel-man readied himself for a difficult fight. “Got anything else to drink?”

[Buddy1]

When Aka Nami came crashing onto the marine deck, Shiomaru was washed away with the rest of the marines. However, while the rest were swept away, the young sharkman instinctively started a game. Within this new mass of water he did was came natural, and swam against it. He raced through flooding water, avoiding submerged marine and Sea Tiger alike. This lasted only seconds, but it was the kind of exhilaration that made time stand still. So much so that Shiomaru lost himself, and when the water flooded over the deck he went flying with it. Still, he could jump back onto the now sideways ship within seconds. Just as Commodore Yoi finished attacking Vanos, he had arrived on the deck again. The cold of the water soaking his body fought with the heat surging within his veins.

“Ahhhhhhh! That was so cool! I wish I was part of that Aka Nami!” Shiomaru pointed at the only challenger left on the ship, and rushed towards him. He wanted to tackle the Marine Commodore, but instead his target would step aside. A blue right punch was easily leaned away from, and a follow up left hook was blocked.

“I don’t suppose you want to talk now? Did your captain let you know why you’re doing this?” Futsuka Yoi taunted as he threw a soft punch, easily dodged, trying to keep his next challenger in shape to answer. He keenly kept his attention divided—a logical strategy learned from many harsh brawls during his marine career. Fighting one man in a brawl could mean painful death, so he sought to have nothing pin him down. It had paid off so far, because another hulking fishman had crawled out of the sea.

“Why? Cause I’m a pirate and you’re a marine!” In spite of Yoi’s regretful groan to his answer, Shiomaru pushed himself harder and harder. As each fist flew out, only to be dodged, he couldn’t help but notice how relaxed his marine opponent was. This morning, he felt more powerful than ever, but this marine was clearly stronger then him. A second of despair gave birth to joyous exhilaration. For all his training, this man proved he had room to improve. He was having more fun than before, which was only paused for a second when the marine clotheslined him across the chest. His back slammed into hard ship's surface.

“I can’t believe I’d hear such a naïve answer! Your kind don’t last long on this sea!” Yoi dropped his foot on the sharkman’s chest and aimed his hand at his face. In only a second he contemplated the consequences of killing one of these pirates so early in the fight. One might think it’d be the obvious move, but would their resulting anger make this fight harder, or break their will? He simply needed to survive long enough to last for reinforcements, and this fight would be won by the marines. It was a risk, sure, but then again this highly energetic pirate annoyed him. After considering the much more bothersome alternatives, he decided it’d be less of a hassle to kill him.

“Sake Sake no Chappun…” As Yoi formed an alcoholic bullet out of his hand, a much larger arm flew overhead. The nearly 10 foot tall Whale Sharkman assaulted him. With a sigh, regretting he took too long to act, he jumped away from Shiomaru and into a safe position.

“Could your crew relax? I think your First Mate gave me a heart attack.” Smugly joking, he held his hand over his heart. Of course we was healthy enough to fight, though still annoyed by his situation. These pirates weren’t giving him a moment to rest.

“Hehehe…no way!” Shiomaru jumped back up, eager to start the fight again. That is, until he thought of a new angle of attack. He could see this man was strong in a hand-to-hand fight, sure, but being surrounded by the sea meant he was surrounded by an arsenal of his choosing.

“Hey marine, you know that attack the crew did earlier? Well, I can do something close to that all by myself! Ya want to see it?” The eager sharkman taunted the marine, wishing to see how he’d respond. A blue eye darted towards the sea, and the marine picked up on this too. He ran off the remains of the ship, and the marine cut him off. Suddenly more desperate then before, Yoi surged forward using his "Sake Sake no Shotto" technique to push himself ahead. Following up on that burst of speed, Yoi grabbed Shiomaru by the neck.

“Interesting idea, but I have no reason to let you do it!” The marine’s hand shifted into alcohol again, but Moby attacked again. However, this time the overhead punch was caught--reforming to normal mid-motion. Yoi grimaced with annoyance. These pirates weren’t giving him a moment to rest, and he hated it. He’d slow them down with one moment of effort. He pulled Moby over his shoulder with one arm, while his other tossed Shiomaru above water mast. The small sharkman went crashing into that mast, while the giant Moby bounced off the side of the ship and into the sea. While they hurt, Yoi couldn't see how these pirates still were eager to fight. The blue sharkman in particular was having the time of his life, and a knock here and there wouldn't ruin that!

Technique's in use (from Yoi)

SPOILER: Click to show

-Sake Sake no Chappun (し吹く) (Alcohol Alcohol Splash)
In a manner similar to how fishmen would project water like a bullet with their ‘Uchimizu’ technique, Yoi gathers a small amount of sake on the palm of his hand and throws it at their target, using his control of alcohol to achieve the same effect.

-Sake Sake no Shotto (ショット) (Alcohol Alcohol Shot)
Pulling his arm back, Yoi throws a strong punch at at target, but as he does so, he transforms his arm into a thick jet of alcohol, spraying his target like an exploding fire hydrant with the force to knock even a large man off their feet. The name comes from the fact that it knocks you down, like you were a falling drunk.

[Djinn]

The battle between Commodore Yoi and the Fishmen had a large audience. The men of B-2 watched with baited breath, many of them had been on patrol or guard duty when the attack began, now all they could do was watch and put their faith in 'the Chessmaster.' From the tallest battlements the fortresses's commander, Vice-Admiral Mozambia, was watching this disgraceful ambush with a mixture of worry for his subordinates and disgust at the brazen group of dogs who would dare employ such dishonorable tactics. His face was clenched into a stern grimace as if he'd just swallowed some bitter medicine. Far below, another member of the arctic garrison was also watching the hero's struggle, a youthful fellow with a shock of golden hair atop his head and his face was frozen in a fierce look of defiance: Ensign Shoutei Soushi. He tapped the hilt of his sword impatiently, his lone arm needing to be occupied with something as the relief craft was prepared. The marines behind him were working as hard as they could to launch the second vessel to save anyone who was still alive out there.

There was another observer, his dark brown head emerged from the frigid chop, the battle was going well and that gave 'Tyrant Fist' Berk a chance to prepare for another attack. He saw that despite their best efforts to clear the ship, one of the humans had managed to make a stand even on a cap-sized ship. That didn't matter much, since he'd soon be having to defend himself in the water. Letting out about 10 feet of chain, the Tigershark-man curled up his body into something akin to a runner's stance, every sinew of his body was tensed in anticipation of what came next; "Depth Surge!" The Sea-Tiger Captain pushed off with all four of his brawny limbs at once, sending himself veritably shooting through the water like a torpedo. The anchor created a bit of drag, but it was nothing an adult Fishman couldn't handle. The ship quickly rushed to the forefront of his vision, icy water rushing all around him, but as he neared a collision with the large vessel he veered to the right. Just barely swimming under the mast, Berk now tightened his grip on the chain that tethered him to his weapon; "Gravity Stingray!" The iron mass hooked into the sturdy timber of the mast and splintered it like a pencil, the force of the impact tore the mast away from the deck and only accelerated the capsizing of the destroyer. This attack had another side effect, it snatched away the little footing Commodore Yoi had been counting on; sending him into the water along with Vanos and Shiomaru. Peche was forced to jump from his perch on the railing back into the frosty drink, but he saw a chance to do something bad-ass and took it, swimming towards the crows nest with wicked glee.

Berk swam back around, gathering up the length of loose chain to pull his anchor towards his waiting hand. Once he had his weapon back, it was time to deal with this defiant Marine. The bastard was sinking like a stone, Berk had expected the water to leave him defenseless but this was ridiculous! The bounty-head swam up and grabbed Yoi by the neck, swimming back towards the surface even as Moby emerged from within the bowels of the capsized wreck. He broke the surface and slammed the point of his anchor into the hull of the inverted vessel, using it like a climber uses an ice pick to pull himself up. Looping a length of chain around Yoi's neck, Berk dangled him in the cold waters like a fisherman might do a prized trout. This guy didn't look like the regular grunts you normally see fighting for the marines, he was probably important and he was about to be made an example of...

Berk yelled out to the onlooking marines, taunting them; "You dumb bastards! Who goes to sea when they can't swim?! You can stay in there and rot for all I care, but remember this: THE SEAS BELONG TO US!!!" In his weakened state, Futsuka Yoi couldn't manage a word, but he heard the booming baritone rattling in his ear. Peche swam back up and threw something to Berk, it was a white cloth with a blue symbol on it. The men of B-2 watched in abject horror as something unthinkable happened right before their eyes. Berk took the swath of white, then he grinned; Peche was smirking as well; "Ey boss, I remember you'se didn't come down for breakfast... You gotta be hungry, right?" Now laughing, the Shark-man knew exactly what he had to do; "Fuck the world!" He held up the banner, the world government's flag, then tore it to shreds as he devoured the whole tabbard like a wild beast! His assembled Nakama laughed and cheered as they bobbed in the water, this first raid had been a resounding success!

The Marines couldn't believe their eyes, who the hell were these guys?! At the top of the mountain, a looking glass fell to the floor as Mozambia stormed into his office and snatched up the den den mushi that was connected to the bases's speaker system. "All hands, these dogs have just declared war on our government! Let us not weep for those who have just given everything to uphold justice today, they are heroes. Let us avenge them! All gun batteries, full barrage! Kill every one of these Pirates!" The heavy cannon emplacements were the first to begin to swivel around into firing position, even as Mozambia began to walk inside towards the war room followed by his aides. It didn't take a genius to put two and two together; there was something larger than ambush going on here. The vice-admiral sat down at the war room's round table, which currently stood empty save for himself. Loosening his tie, the top officer in South Blue dictated a message to his one of his assistants; "Send word to the Silver Isles base, we'll need them to relieve Yeste Island from the depredations of the 40 Thieves while we sort this mess out." The younger marine nodded and saluted; "Right away, sir!"

It didn't take a genius to know what was about to happen, especially when you'd just heard the orders reverberating through the base. The first booming report of a heavy gun was clearly audible even from a distance, it was time to go back to the ship. Berk dove into the water even as the first shell slammed into the hull of the destroyer with a large explosion! Water was now coursing into the wreck, sending it to the bottom at a hurried pace. When he jumped into the water, the tension on the anchor's chain went slack and Yoi's limp body slipped free of the make-shift noose. He slipped under the waves to his certain doom even as the gyojin swam back down to the Midnight Tiger.  He touched down onto the deck of the ship, but when he looked up he could see they weren't in the clear yet, there were plenty of shells crashing down into the water from the bases's numerous batteries. The destroyer they had had a hand in sinking was plummeting down towards the Midnight Tiger, it seemed unlikely that the smaller craft would hold up after having a larger ship dropped on it!

Back down on the docks, the marines had stopped prepping the rescue boat for launch, it would be impossible to save anyone with such a fierce bombardment going on. Some of the seamen were lamenting, giving up hope at the sight of so many of their brothers in arms laid low, but there was one man who wasn't ready to give up; "Hey, hold my sword." Shoutei Soushi pulled his sheathed blade from his belt and tossed it casually to the nearest recruit. He took off his coat and dove head-first into the icy water ahead of him. As he swam quickly away from the shore, the men under him shouted out; "Shoutei-san! What are you doing?!" The confident youth shouted back to them over his shoulder; "I'm going to get Yoi-sama! He's a devil's fruit user, I can't just let him drown!" Was it a suicide mission? Probably, but that wouldn't stop Soushi.

SPOILER: Click to show

Depth Surge: Only usable when submerged (preferably in a large body of water). Berk pushes against the water around him with all four of his limbs, launching him with all of his considerable strength forwards in a blurred mass of bubbles at high speed!

Gravity Stingray: Swimming with all of his innate Fishman speed, Berk trails his anchor behind him and drags it through the water. Cutting close to either a water bound opponent or a ship, Berk hooks them with the pointed curves of his anchor. In most cases this furious attack is enough to impale someone, or tear a long gash through a ships hull. *Impalement only on NPCs or willing PCs*

[Quincy]

The atmosphere was rapturous as Berk took a bite out of justice. Vanos couldn’t help but have a rather large grin plastered across his face. After all this time, he was never more proud to be a Sea Tiger than right now. As he scanned around him, the other floating Fishmen felt the exact same; no hesitation over what had just happened, nor any fear over what was to come. The Eel-man snickered as he recalled how a simple stop in a meat pie shop had set him down this path of retribution. His life had been littered with hardships brought on by the Marines, and while he himself realized he wasn’t an innocent undeserving of punishment, he knew his mother was. His beloved mum, who had to suffer for his crimes, and his mates, mercilessly hunted down to the last man, were all taken from him because of “justice”. So it came as no surprise that when Berk shouted “Fuck the world!” that Vanos joined in. “And fuck the bloody Marine’s so-called justice!”

The explosion of cannon fire and the creaking of the battleship the Sea Tigers had just decimated were the fanfare to follow the Eel-man’s shout. Soon after the seas were littered with explosions and seawater spraying everywhere. Like the rest of his crew, Vanos dived below the waves to avoid the cannon fire that was unbearably close at times, yet another obstacle arose; the battleship above was sinking right on top of the crew. ‘A tad annoyin’, but I can outswim it easy.’ He thought, and he was right, any Fishman could outswim a sinking hull. However, the first mate quickly realized his skin wasn’t the only one at risk; right below the battleship sat the Midnight Tiger! Furthermore, the Eel-man realized quickly that others had taken notice. Brandy, who had opted to stay out of the assault and on the ship to make preparations, was readily arming one of the bombards on deck. The impact of the two vessels wouldn’t end well for the Sea Tigers. Vanos rushed towards the cranky mermaid, knowing full well that she would know what to do and, unfortunately, that she wouldn’t be able to simply blast the ship apart with a bombard. “Oi lass! Hold your fire!” he called out, which was met with a “Are you crazy!” and a shot from the bombard. The slug had ripped a massive hole in the deck, which only quickened the sinking battleship!

Safely on board, Vanos was irate. “Why the ‘ell did you do that?! Now the damn ship is comin’ even faster!” Brandy, realizing she had made a mistake yet was too prideful to admit so, simply hollered back “What else was I supposed to do? We can’t move the ship unless you want every Marine on that damn rock to know where we are!” That would certainly be a problem. Retorting, Vanos pointed out that the ship would still crush the Midnight Tiger, as a whole or as a pile of lumber. Considering his point, Brandy pondered. “Maybe… Maybe it wouldn’t crush us? Hollis would know. Though having a ship on top of us is no good either.” The two Tigers were running out of ideas and time as the looming wreckage approached. Finally, Vanos thought of a plan, though it was a long shot. “Brandy, go snag Hollis! We’ll need everyone for this one. We can stop that ship!” The merlass sat confused by the Eel-man’s claim. “If we can’t blast it, or avoid it, how are we gonna stop it?” A smirk came across the first mate’s face, conveying confidence when even he wasn’t so sure about the success of his own idea. “We are gonna stop it like a true Sea Tiger and make Ol’ Berky proud. We are gonna stop it with the same strength that would defy this fucked world!”

Before Brandy could protest to his ridiculous idea, Vanos was ripping through the water towards his nakama, intent on passing along the word. His plan needed one last thing to be complete. “Oi!” Vanos called out as he closed the distance between his crew and himself. “We can stop this ship from bustin’ up the Midnight Tiger. We take the bloody mast, plug it in the hole that Brandy blasted for us, then set it nice and easy on the sea floor over the ship. It’ll act like an umbrella against all this cannonball rain too!” He waited for the plan to sink in before continuing, and with no immediate objections, continued. “Right, so Shio mate, you’re the fastest of us. Berk, Peche, Moby and I’ll hold the line ‘ere as best we can. We need the mast, and we need the fastest Mako in all of the Blues, lad!” No matter what, the Sea Tiger’s would be victorious in their siege of Viktas, and neither cold, cannon fire, or a sinking battleship would stop them.

[Buddy1]

Shiomaru let out a raucous cheer upon seeing Berk incapacitate Commodore Yoi, and that cheering would amplify with what Berk did next. The young navigator’s eyes lit up as Berk destroyed that flag. He knew great things were in store for this crew, but he never expected them to make this bold of a move so soon! He was happy to see it, and the crew shared the sentiment. He wished Sama could see him now.

The crew dove into the sea, their departure serenaded by volley after volley of cannonfire. A return barrage from the Midnight Tiger started the chain event that forced Vanos to share his plan with Shiomaru. Trying to pry his eyes from the massive sinking vessel, the young sharkman let these glorious words sink into his head. A jolt of lighting coursed through his spine.

“Yeah!” Despite being underwater, one could see his hair standing on end. With a deep breath, and an instinctual breath from the gills on his neck, he shouted into the sea and darted towards that mast. If the crew needed that thing, then he eagerly wanted to get it. Like Vanos predicted, he moved through the sea like a bullet, ducking and weaving between sea-bound cannon fire and debris alike. Within seconds he reached the mast, grabbing it between his chest and arms. Yet the marine’s barrage continued. The cold seas suddenly boiled with burning metal. Though the fast swimmer could easily dodge it, dodging with a giant piece of wood in your arms was something different. A stray cannonball struck the mast, knocking it out of his arms and throwing it down towards the sea floor.

“Dammit!” Shiomaru was frustrated, but determined. He instinctively understood the short timetable he was acting under, and that ship was still sinking. Without a moment of hesitation, one strong stroke of his arms pushed him back into full swimming speed. He darted for that mast again. In light of situation, the whole crew leapt into action to help however they could. Captain Berk, armed with his sturdy anchor, jumped in the path of Shiomaru and the barrage of cannon fire. With a mighty roar he swung his anchor, knocking aside cannonballs to provide as much cover as possible—even if he couldn’t possibly stop it all. Vanos, Moby, and even Peche meanwhile, unable to block cannons, did the only thing they could—they’d push the ship. With a strained groan audible even in this underwater battlefield, they pushed against the sinking ship with all their strength, trying to slow it down as much as they could. Brandy swam to the Midnight Tiger, seeking to get the help of Holis with this ship. The crew waited on that mast arrive.

From above the sea, Keese had watched the end of battle through binoculars. He stopped pulling his wagon of supplies, having just left base reception a short while ago. He had planned to drown his frustrations in booze, then plan his next move, but he had seen the last thing he expected. A group of fishmen had attacked a marine ship, and he had recognized the blue sharkman. He was bewildered, racking his brain for reasons to why things had turned out this way. The coincidence was extraordinary, seemingly impossible, and this assault was insane. His bewilderment faded when a new idea entered his head. He pulled out a stack of bounty posters, and sorted through them until he found the one belonging to Blue Shiomaru. He had forgotten him until a few weeks ago, but now the feeling of rapping his knuckles over the boy’s skull resurged in his memories. He saw an opportunity, and hungered for gold. The idiot child who challenged him so many years ago, only to lose horribly, was now somehow worth 15 million berry. Memories came flooding back into his mind.

---

"Keep your back straight!"

Four years ago on Karate Island, Keese stood at the back of his dojo, yelling at his students. He stood in front of a case full of his awards and trophies. He watched his young students practice and spar in his newly refurbished dojo. To his students he was known as a patient man, dedicated to his work, though somewhat overpriced as an instructor. But today would bring out a new side of him.

“Hey! I’m challenging this dojo. Fight me!” A twelve year old, lithe bodied blue sharkman shouted into the dojo. The students had heard of Shiomaru’s reputation—he had done this many times over the years. Being a few years older and much taller, then opted to ignore the challenge and continue to practice. They weren’t his friend, but felt no ill will towards the boy. Their sensei, Keese, didn’t share their sentiment. Keese was a strategically minded man, patient when a clear goal was in sight, and dedicated when there was a clear reward in sight. He couldn’t understand what this newcomer’s goal was, and that riled him. He was also competitive, and hated seeing his students back down.

“What in the world are you doing? Beat him down!” He demanded his students fight, but they refused. They calmly explained how they had nothing to gain from it, but this only made their sensei angrier. Shiomaru unwittingly added fuel to the fire. Not seeing a willing challenger in sight, he jumped towards the biggest opponent in the room. He’d challenge the master. The room went silent. The residing dojo master took a few minutes to think over the consequences. He knew you’d normally never punch a child. He didn’t mind hurting someone, but he cared deeply for what the town thought of him—his business depended on it. Yet this young sharkman was a different case. He wasn’t a citizen of the island, nor a human. He didn’t understand the boy’s point or purpose in doing this, and that annoyed him in a way that he hadn’t experienced for years. He assumed this was an act of disrespect against a seasoned, professional martial artist. He wouldn’t stand for it.

“You punk!” Before Shiomaru could react, he punched the boy in the head. Blood and teeth flew out, but the boy fishman wasn’t knocked out. He flew backwards, landed on his feet, and charged again. He threw a punch, but Keese caught it as he was throwing it. Another punch was caught before Shiomaru could even lift his arm. He drove his forehead into the boy’s head—drawing more blood. His students scattered away to watch. The bleeding sharkman tried to pull himself away, but couldn’t. He lifted him by the arms and threw the boy through the doorway and into the street. With piercing eyes drawn on his opponent, he methodically walked into the street. He observed the boy pulled himself back up.

“Thanks, this is exactly what I needed!” Shiomaru was hurt, but grateful. He could tell that Keese was strong, and wasn’t holding back—something most fighters hadn’t done in the past. He mistook this lack of mercy for respect.

“If I don’t challenge myself, my dream won’t come true! I need to take on opponents like you if I want to become stronger! Just like those pirates Sama told me about!” Shiomaru rose his arms again, waiting for an attack. He saw veins pop out of Keese’s head. Rage overtook him. In the middle of the street, he charged forward and pummeled the boy.

“You punk! Don’t talk about this fight like you’ll move onto something greater! I’m stronger than that punk Sama could ever be!” He took the boy’s words as an insult. He mercilessly beat down Shiomaru, horrifying the locals. He wouldn’t stop until a local patrolman interfered. Regardless of Shiomaru’s status on the island, Keese was causing a scene. For that reason, he was arrested, and boy fishman was sent to a nearby hospital.

That wasn’t the end of it. Months later the two would clash again. It was an encounter that Keese didn’t like to remember. Shiomaru sought him out again as soon as he was capable. He didn’t remember the situation clearly. He recalled the boy complaining to him about Sama, and attacking him. He tried to ignore it, hoping not to get arrested again. But Shiomaru wouldn’t leave him alone, and the same thing happened again. He gave into his anger, and he pummeled the boy again. However, this time an adult fishman interfered—who he assumed was Sama. He beat them both down, however Sama somehow stunned him with one quick attack. They escaped, and he was arrested again by patrolling police.

---

“Funny, that boy wasn’t even the criminal I sought here today…”

Keese shook his head, trying to shake bad memories from his head. He watched the marines fire into the sea. He looked over his bounty posters, holding them over the ongoing battle. He had never felt so anxious in his life. The power of this marine base was overwhelming—he couldn’t imagine what these pirates were doing here. However, they had assumed they escaped into the sea just now. If they were smart, then exploiting their swimming prowess would be the only way they could survive. If he wanted that bounty, he needed luck—yet finding Shiomaru even now was a huge stroke of luck. What happened next was up to fate. He picked up his wagon and headed back to his camp. He’d plan out his next move.

Under the sea, Shiomaru furiously swam through the cannonade, racking his brain for a way to pull that mast safely though the barrage. His eyes darted through the area—a common instinctual act he did while swimming. He saw his crew fighting, and felt the pressure mounting. His heart raced, and he seemingly swam faster every second. Reaching the mast was no problem, but he needed to bring it to the ship. Rage and frustration surged through his body.

“Dammit…there’s no way a Sea Tiger’s going to die in the ocean!” Shiomaru shouted through the sea, floating by the mast. Cannon fire drew closer and closer. His blood and the sea water boiled. He cupped his hands, aimed for above the sinking battleship.

“Stop shooting us for a second! Rapa Thunder!” A torrent of water surged forward, flying above the battleship. In this sea of metal and fire, it was only one attack among hundreds, but Shiomaru only needed it to do one thing. Cannonfire collided with the torrent sideways, causing them to explode as they crashed together. Now, that torrent created a one-second pathway to the ship.

“Raaa!” Shiomaru grabbed the mast between his chest and arms and kicked himself forward as fast as he could. He held nothing back, surging through the sea like a rocket. The mast crashed into the hole, shaking the entire ship violently. Every Sea Tiger swam into place. Berk stopped his defense against the barrage, and swam to his crew. Holis and Brandy arrived to push the ship into place. After a few seconds of dizzy floating, Shiomaru swam into place too.

“’Bout damn time!” Peche complained to Shiomaru, his muscles bulging out as he pushed against that ship as hard as he could. None questioned his contribution to this lift, if the small fishman contributed anything at all, and instead started to push. Every pirate there positioned themselves under the ship, pushing it over the Midnight Tiger. It crashed into the sea floor—with the mast holding it up. Suddenly safe from the barrage, the united crew cheered.

Tech in use:

 Rapa Thunder: If Shiomaru is nearby a sizable amount of water, he can cup it, pull both his arms back, and throw the water forward with both hands for a devastating, explosive attack. A cylindrical torrent of water surges forward about 50 feet, striking with the power of a cannon.

[Djinn]

In an incredible turn of events, the Sea Tigers had managed to prop the sinking ship up like a massive umbrella, but they still weren't in the clear yet. Brandy emerged from below decks followed by Hollis, the crew's shipwright, who was shocked to see the ship he'd built in such a perilous situation. He wasted no time, grabbing a hammer and a nearby piece of debris he set to work strengthening the mast-turned-support; "If we suffer any strong impacts before we deploy ms. Brandy's new weapons, we're all done for!" He spoke of the two large nets floating alongside of the Midnight Tiger: both were filled with buoyant spiked metal orbs. At the speed Hollis threw himself into securing the suspended ship he had a framework done within minutes, but he was still working on it long after the rest of the crew went back to the ship to await the Marine's next move.

Peche had made some kelp burritos for everyone while they sat around on deck. The sounds of bombs exploding across the floor of the bay formed a near constant racket similar to a factory. Brandy was annoyed; "Why the hell don't they send out another ship? We're getting no where fast!" Berk was wolfing down his burrito, but spoke with a mouthful of food; "Miff uff baht be fanfed (This is what we wanted.)" He swallowed, and continued to explain Don Maxwell's plan; "We just need to hold them were they are. The Queen's fleet and the Pirate Armada should be thrashing the rest of the blue pretty hard by now. Trust me, as long as those bastards in that fort stay there we have nothing to worry about." The pirates had another hearty laugh before Berk noticed something was missing; "Hey, where the hell is Manuke?!" He hadn't been around all morning, it was strange for the Octopus swordsman to miss a battle, much less one of this magnitude. Moby had also devoured his burrito, as well as those Peche had made for Manuke and Hollis, he stood up and stretched; "Last I saw, he was in bed... Maybe he's sick or something? He was a weird color, I guess I'll go check on him." As the helmsman went to check on his eight armed comrade, their Captain took another swig of rum to help him ignore the din of the bombardment.
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Miles away from the seabed, in the war-room at the summit of B-2, Vice Admiral Mozambia was uneasy. He was reviewing possible tactical responses to the situation they'd been forced into. He had been joined by Commanders Asama Icarus and Sora Fukudu, both experienced leaders in their own right, but none of them could see a way to resolve this conflict without massive Marine casualties. His twin spears resting against the back of his chair, the fiery officer Fukudu hadn't finished his say; "Mozambia-sama! We lost one ship, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't send more! We'll lose men, but we'll run these damn Fish through! Just let me take the battleships, they hold more men. I'm damn well tired of sitting around, let me lead the assault!" He had stood up and balled up a fist, but the hot-headed commander was quickly cut off by his peer; "While it would provide a good challenge for our men, I see no reason to put so many in danger. Our current strategy is more prudent." The scarred man who spoke up was 'Stone Phoenix' Asama Icarus, a more discerning and level headed officer. Mozambia had taken note of both of his men's plans, he sat in his chair quietly for a moment and weighed all of his options. Around the table, the junior officers who had been called into the meeting sat taken aback by the fiery exchange between their senior staff. Mozambia cleared his throat and everyone quickly shut up to hear what the supreme commander of South Blue would say... But right before he could issue his judgement, the door burst open and a breathless messenger ran into the room, stopping short of the Vice-Admiral and adopting the traditional salute; "An urgent message from the Silver Isles Base, sir!" Mozambia waved the seaman over and hastely read the message. Folding the paper, the commanding officer handed the note to Icarus. The stone faced soldier read the note aloud; "Urgent. Facing overwhelming naval forces of an unknown origin as well as a large sortie of pirates. Completely surrounded and incurring large amounts of collateral damage to the towns of the Silver Islands. Unable to relieve Yeste Island. Have received numerous calls for assistance from surrounding Islands. We require assistance as soon as possible." The whole room went silent, the scope of what they were dealing with finally hit home with everyone present. Mozambia had arched his fingers and was clearly considering what to do about this. He stood up, pulling out a pen to aid in his pointing to  the map of the island that had been stretched across the table. "Alright, it's become clear we can no longer sit back and simply bombard these Pirates back to the stone age. People out there are under attack, and we need to relieve them as quickly as we can. Our major problem remains the need to go one at a time down the ice trench to reach the open ocean, this would allow the Pirate's lying in wait to ambush our ships with their tidal wave technique and it would take very little effort to block the pass." He cleared his throat again before continuing; "We can take this advantage away from the enemy simply enough, though it will take time, we'll simply turn our high calibre cannons on the edges of the ice-path to widen it! We'll be able to fan our ships out and make their wave attack useless, then once our ships have made it to the open seas they'll spread out to combat the pirate menace across the rest of the blue." He placed his hands on the edges of the ice-trench to show what it would look like after it was widened; "Our first wave of ships will be our Ice-Breakers, they should be able to bust through any loose ice we create with our cannons and they should be hard to sink with a mere wave..." All the junior officers nodded in agreement and murmured their approval, but Sora Fukudu wasn't so easily swayed; "How long will this plan take?" Mozambia looked up from the map; "I plan on everyone setting sail at sunrise tommorrow. 0400 hours." The fiery spear-wielder spoke his mind; "Sir! There are people in danger right now! We can't just wait all night, we need to do something!" The Vice-Admiral nodded; "You're right, so we'll try something the pirates won't be able to stop, something they won't see coming... Our men are some of the strongest cold-weather troops in the Navy, so we'll take advantage of that. We'll take one of our destroyers and set 500 troops to the task of portaging her to the other side of the island. I'm going to put you in charge of this, Commander Fukudu. Once you reach the other side of the island, you and the crew will launch from there and set out to aid Yeste Island first. Once you're done there, you're free to branch out from there. Everyone is dismissed." Everyone nodded and moved to begin preparations for the various operations that had been laid out before them.

Moving from the war-room to his private office, Mozambia continued to brood over what would come of his decisions. There was little doubt that these operations would send men to their deaths, but would it be enough to uphold the cause of justice? The small snail on his desk began to buzz and rattle, he quickly reached over and grabbed it; "What is it?" The den den mushi spoke with the voice of the base's head medical officer, Albert Arm, and he sounded excited; "Vice-Admiral Mozambia, Sir! Ensign Shoutei has just burst into the infirmary with Commodore Yoi! Both of them are in bad condition from prolonged exposure to the freezing water, but they're both alive!" Mozambia smiled, this was the first good news he'd heard all day; "Thank you, Dr. Arm! Make sure both of them are given the best treatment we can muster! What about the rest of the men who were on board the Commodore's Ship?" The phone snail was hesitant to answer; "There haven't been very many of them recovered, sir. We're doing everything we can for those who've made it back." Mozambia nodded; "Alright, keep up the good work." The snail hung up, leaving the Vice-Admiral alone with his thoughts.
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Meanwhile, back on the Midnight Tiger, Berk had fallen asleep on top of the black Den Den Mushi he'd been given by Don Maxwell, drowning out it's intercepted messages. He still clung to the empty bottle of rum he'd drank before falling asleep. Hollis had completed his improvements on the supports holding up the crew's makeshift umbrella, and saw his Captain already napping. The kind-hearted Snakehead-man draped a blanket over the drunken Tigershark-man before going down to the galley to look for something to eat. Today had just begun, and there was so much more to be done.

[Quincy]

While safe under their ship-turned-shield, the constant prattle of cannon fire was wearing for the Tigers. Brandy had retired herself into the Midnight Tiger’s depths, shouting between groans of a killer headache and “no damn peace and quiet!” Berk, in his typical style, broke out food and booze to commemorate the pirate’s victory. While the crew was proud of the work they had accomplished working together to stop a sinking battleship with their combined strength, most of them found it a tad bit difficult to relax entirely with the constant artillery barrage. Vanos had no trouble at all relaxing with the ever-present background noise, finding it akin to the calm one feels from a thunderstorm while indoors or attempting to sleep. However, his mind was elsewhere. This did not keep the Eel-man from engaging in a drinking rematch between Moby, who had nearly snagged the first mate’s kelp burrito out from under his nose. Yet, as he threw more drinks back to the relief of his nearly faded hangover, some things had troubled him. Chiefly, neither he, prior to the sinking battleship drawing the crew’s utmost attention, nor Shio, as the Mako was retrieving the mast, had seen Commodore Yoi’s sunken self.

‘It wasn’t like the bloke could just rear up and piss off back to shore.’ Vanos may not be a genius, but everyone knew about Devil Fruits and the fruits one critical universal weakness. Even just throwing a punch or two at the guy could tell the Eel-man he was no joke. Nevertheless, the Sea Tiger was more curious about where Yoi had gone! It was impossible for a Marine to dive in, avoid friendly fire, and slip past a group of Fishmen (in water no less) to save a downed ally and return to shore. At least Vanos hoped so. He was no coward, nor was he weak, yet he had been in enough brawls to know when to piss off, and no amount of animosity towards the Marines would see him through a fight with anyone ranked higher than Yoi.

Being pulled back to reality, Moby gave a hearty shout as he finished a third and final bottle of rum, much to the Eel-man’s dismay. The whale shark was already a good bit buzzed, yet it left little for his opponent to drink. Sure, they could snoop around and find Berk’s stash of rum, but both Fishmen quickly abandoned the idea once they realized the staggering consequences. With a sigh, Vanos rose from his seated position. “Oi, I’m gonna search for some more booze. Peche might ‘ave a few bottles tucked away. Don’t ya think this is over, mate!” A quick search of the galley had revealed the cook did indeed have a few things to drink, yet the first mate only swiped a bottle or two of the good stuff, leaving the wine and sherry in its place. Despite his eagerness to drink Moby under the table yet again, Vanos could help but check on something else that had been bothering him.

Manuke was indeed under the weather. The generally radical Squid-man was an entirely different color than what he normally was. If the high fever and practically flooding runny nose didn’t make it obvious enough, his raspy and weak voice sealed the deal. However, no matter how terrible the swordsman felt, banter was one thing he couldn’t pass up. “So I have you to blame for not waking me up, huh Vanos? It’s not like I needed anymore beauty sleep.” Manuke joked, to which Vanos followed suit. “Me? Wake you up!? Ha! You’d be more likely get Moby’s leftovers before I am the first crewmate to wake up.” A few laughs were exchanged between the Fishmen before the first mate took his leave, informing his crewmate of what all had transpired and, most importantly, of the crew’s victory over the Marines this day. Vanos, however, hardly felt like they had won today. They had simply weathered the beginning of a massive thunderstorm.

---

The Marines continual shelling made for an uneasy night for both sides, yet only the Marines knew they would not receive sleep's reprieve. The B-2 troops had just found themselves trading in a terrible day for an abysmal night. While drinks were poured, no one felt any cause for celebration. The body count from the fight today had finally come in and, both from the initial attack on Yoi’s battleship to every type of relief ship sent out to its inevitable watery grave, many realized the hopelessness of their situation. Their entire Blue was being ravaged by pirates, with civilian and Marine casualties from the other bases mounting every hour. The Den-Den Mushi’s became their own chaotic orchestra of rings, calls and dialogue urging for immediate aid, though every soldier in the base knew they were powerless at the moment. The only rays of hope for the many marines trapped on Vitkas was Mozambia’s unwavering calm during and after such a disaster had befallen, his complete confidence in the success of his stealthy portaging strategy, and the successful rescue of Commodore Yoi, though Dr. Arm had stressed that Yoi would be in critical condition for some time. Regardless, not even Mozambia could help it if the constant barrage of cannon fire and the exhaustive work both during the day and at night was sapping away his troop’s morale. The Vice Admiral needed the passage widened before he could begin to stand a chance at saving the day; and if is his plan worked, they would have their catalyst for victory.