An Old Tale Lives [Roin/Gaz]

[Roin]

The air of Dauntaun was rich with morning dews, the outskirts of the town absent of movement. The morning smokes had just started to gather as the metalworkers set to their business... but one scene was rather different. Some of the townsfolk had gathered to witness quite the sight... specifically the sight of a man quietly playing away on a guitar. The large man was resting against a tree, as he had most of the days, with a jar for tips beside him. It had been a while since his arrival and appearance, but the people were now used to the presence. With a head wrapped in bandages, the man was strumming away without a word, masterful hands darting to and fro. The clink of beri could be heard as coins were dropped inside the jar in passing, the musician finally raising his head to look upward.

Cormad was in bad shape, the bruises and beating from the bar having added up to such a degree that it left him wrapped up almost like a mummy. Bare flesh was a rare sight over most of his form, the wrappings each done up considerably a while ago. The woman who had inspired the flame of a pirate had vanished the night he got the living hell beat out of him... but the Pirate hadn't given up. While recovering, the oldest Morre sibling had set to the idea of earning beri toward buying a ship. The marines had broke up the fighting fast enough, that was sure, and were now ever present in the town again. Stealing a ship might have been possible... but not in his state. As a man dropped another coin in, however, Cormad smirked and stopped playing.

Carefully rising to his feet, briefly using the guitar as a balancing point, Cormad at last stood to his full height. Hiding out like this wasn't his style... and as he carefully pulled away the bandages in front of the small morning traffic, the man's spirit was starting to boil over. The Harmonic Pirates were waiting for him... and so was that girl that had inspired the pirate to stop trying to hide in the shadows.

"Amelia... I won't let the fire you set in me die. I'm going to form my own crew... and take the world by storm!"

Tossing the wrappings from his head toward the ground, it revealed the once-wanted man from so many years ago. Cormad bore a series of scars, a trio of curving and jagged marks around his left eye, to mark the occasion. A bottle thrown at him had done the damage... but the attack had given him the truthful look of the rough sea dog that he was. It was time for the island to be turned upside down... by the Harmonic Ghost himself! Dauntaun... no, this entire Blue was going to learn what it meant to be in the presence of Cormad Morre, the once mighty and uprising pirate from the North Blue!

[Kami-Gaz]

A slender figure was swaying through the streets and back alleys, each step making the shadow sway seemingly further and further to each side. This figure was wearing baggy clothing and as it walked more and more into the light the figures identity was revealed. It was a woman with shoulder length green hair; her face looked delicate and beautiful. It was all a blur to the girl and how she ended up in this condition was hard to remember, just a few days ago, the jester had some real fun; it was as if she was making friends. Then the fight broke out and changed all of that, her mask was broken, and her feminine face was on show to all. She was trying to hide it as much as she could but that was proving harder and harder, and it was there was no way to find a replacement mask on this island.

She had heard a few things about the people who were in the bar that night, mostly that the bartender went back to her job, the red head went off the island, and the large pair and their dog were still a mystery to Erica though. Lastly, the bulky musician who had snapped at Erica was apparently still on the island, though she had neither seen hide nor hair of him since the fight, just like the others. Then again, she had spent those few days virtually hiding away from people in fear of what they might say about her appearance, the girls mind still thought that the God of her homeland would really come for her.

“I need a new mask…” She whispered to herself before she got to a new street where she could hear a guitar being strummed. It made her want to pick up her banjo and play along, just play something to forget everything… sadly she had broken the last strings she had and didn’t have the courage to go and look for more. “I really need a mask…” She said again, completely forgetting that he coxcomb was also gone, the spikey hat that had bells on the end had been missing since that night as well.

As she walked down the street through the shadows and listened to the guitar that was playing the girl got more and more curious, and her curiosity made her a bit bolder. She walked faster and faster until the music stopped and she could only see a large looking fellow who was covered in bandages. He was just shifting and standing up now. Was he the same musician from that night? Was he still pissed at her for the whole interrupting his song thing? She did not know, maybe he would not recognise her? All of these questions ran through her head as the man revealed his face. Erica panicked quickly pulling her banjo from her back and held it as if she would normally, though it looked strange, as her strings had snapped. Her eyes locked onto the man, her figure standing just out of the shadows.

SPOILER: Click to show

i got a muse wall.... when we get rolling this should clear up

[Roin]

Cormad's rather literal "rise from the background" of the small square had left the newly-scarred man to look out over the low-built buildings and stone-paved roads. Carefully putting the guitar to the ground, the trail of his thoughts went to the band he had "borrowed" the instrument from. While it was a decent one, there would be a time to acquire a better version of the acoustic guitar. It was only as, from the shadow of a nearby alley, someone approached that the large man looked over to spot the woman. The result... was Cormad taking a quick "one-two" step to the side just a bit away from her.

"Wh-what's up with you? What's the big idea getting so close!? D-Don't even think about touching me, vile woman! I have work to do a-and can't risk getting into one of my episodes!"

The banjo the woman held looked familiar, despite the oddity of the strings all snapped, but Cormad didn't recognize the face of the person. In a way, this stranger looked almost similar in build to the jester who had interrupted him a few days ago. It was all part of the bar brawl, of course, so he had no hatred for that person... but who was this woman to have taken that strange jester's instrument? All of the line of thought was a good path to examine... but the somewhat fearful look on Cormad's face changed to one of thought as he turned a gaze inward... down the largest street out of the square. It led toward the dock, his destination, but the once-rather vacant road was starting to fill with civilians and the worst thing for the large man.

Among the city's "life vein" street, the stone paved path was littered with carts as hammers and forges set to work outside the factories of Dauntaun. Brick buildings quickly grew to a clatter... but to enforce this amazing industry was the presence of a single man walking among a squad of marines. The garrison's Captain, a tall man with an impressive beard. His strange attire fit better on a desert island, but the tell-tale trademark of the Marine Officers was worn proudly over his shoulders, the man's coat billowing slightly behind him with each step.

"Sir, the reports of pirates in town have dwindled... surely you don't think-" "They're still here. I may be old and lazy... but if the rumors are true we cannot wait around for them to make another scene."

The grizzled voice carried well enough that it soared down the streets to the ears of the pair, though the man was not looking directly their way. The steadily growing numbers of people on the street, even as some parted to make the group's travel unimpeded, made it near impossible to even spot the big bruiser and the unmasked bounty hunter. Even then, Cormad wasn't moving, the big guy squeezing his fists tightly together while his focus remained in the group. Running away was the smart idea... but the worst idea was growing by the moment within the reignited pirate. The one that would make the most grim of tales, regardless of outcome. And it was only in that moment that Cormad spoke up... and made his thinking clear without any intention of it.

"I'm going to kick that guy's ass... and steal a ship from the dock. Dauntaun is going to get turned on its head... perfect chaos to escape and set sail for the Grand Line with..."

[Kami-Gaz]

‘What’s up with me? Vile woman? … I need my mask… ‘ The jester thought as she watched the man react to her in a bad way, he sounded scared like her presence would poison him for some reason and this genuinely annoyed her. A frown appeared on her face and she took a step forwards to be more in the light, revealing her red leather jacket and brown trousers. She managed to take in the fearful look before it turned to one of thought, and she herself was about to open her mouth and break the silence that was between the pair when a loud grizzled voice stopped her. She recognised the voice she had heard it before on this very island, though she did not have a face to connect it too. This man sounded just as scary as to her as she was to Cormad, his voice was like a devil fruit ability the one thing that could reduce her to a babbling mess.

As the Girls attention shifted back to the large pirate before her she saw something new, something she only saw in him when he was playing his music the other night. Determination. It may have been a bad idea and it may well get him killed but confidence like that was something she could get behind. This is where she piped up. “Chaos is what I practice big man.” She said, pretending her mask was on her face to get past the mental barrier she had. After she said it she had a few seconds where she herself smiled. If he was going to the grand line maybe she could tag along and travel with him, he will need someone to help on his ship even if he is scared of her. “I vill help you make chaos. But as long as you let me come too.” She said to the man before pulling the strings off of her banjo, she wasn’t going to need the old broken ones, not this scratty old thing after this fight. Erica wanted something new.

Then it hit her, she was talking openly without her mask and in some effort to try to hide herself she looked down to her feet. “What is the plan?” she asked, still half empowered by this man’s courage. Maybe he just wanted to feel important or maybe he finally gave into his whims. This was a Man Erica could respect if that was the case, someone she could follow and help. Though her existence may scare him, she would still try to follow him and try to make up for that fact in her own way. There were no real introductions, no polite small talk there was a danger and though the marines or bounty hunters didn’t know who she was she had gotten a bit of a bad reputation around this island for causing trouble and that might end up working against her in most ways.

“Sir I heard there was a suspicious looking woman skulking around the streets down here!” A young voice said barely audible in the loud streets and was nothing compared to the guy that had just spoken and by the sounds of it she was a target too, even though she had no bounty against her. However, through all of this she started to smile, being thought of as a threat was a good thing, it meant she was dangerous, and dangerous was what she wanted to be…. Maybe being a pirate was better than a bounty hunter all along. The streets of Dauntaun were about to see the rebirth of a certain sky person.

[Roin]

Despite the fact his eyes were forward... the declaration and question had snapped Cormad from his thoughts. To the point that he looked toward the woman who had approached... and immediately paled before darting forward.

"G-Get away! Stop standing so close!"

The bruiser barreled forward out of the small square at the end of the path, the stone pavement clacking under each step. Safe to say, the plan was one that hadn't formed quite yet beyond Cormad wanting to get distance. This girl mentioned wanting to help... but the gynophobe had priorities when it came to the abnormal fear. And as the crowd parted to clear the path of the large man, the Marines got more and more of a view of the fearful Harmonic Ghost. It had reached a point that, as the crowd fully parted and allowed the Marines to actually see the pair, the normal Marines all gave gawks and cries of panic at the sight of a ghostly white, muscled man rushing at them head-on.

"W-watch out! That guy is-" "The target!"

The mooks at the head of the group felt the bearded man's hands on their shoulders, firmly gripping two and pushing them out of the way as he rushed forward to meet the challenger. However... the panicking Cormad hadn't been as slow as intended. So, as the beared warrior came forward with coat billowing behind him, the market-like street was filled with a loud crash. Forehead-to-forehead, the two large men had collided with such force that both of them let out the exact same curse before recoiling.

"Damn it, that hurt!"

While the bearded man moved both hands to his forehead, the nearby marines all gawking in utter shock at their leader's mistake, Cormad was taking steps back. As the distance reached ten or so feet, Cormad's right hand on his forehead, the pair both stopped their wincing and standing around... to come face-to-face. The Marine immediately narrowed his eyes... but Cormad's face was one that shocked all the Marines. The man was smirking, hand still covering the upper half of his face. "Heh... not bad... you got a tough head," said Cormad. "That must mean... you won't be easy to bust!"

The people had been moving away from the gathering, moving behind various kiosks, in buildings, and in alleys to get away from the potential warzone that was forming. "Yeah, well you're the one that's causing trouble in my town. If not for you, I'd be getting drunk right now... you must be in allegiance with the woman my subordinate mentioned," said the Marine. "I, Captain Geronimo Yazzie, am here to arrest you and anyone else who's been keeping my town in such a state of-" The man recoiled, the marines around him all letting out gasps. The man had been attacked mid-speech, clearly something the garrison hadn't been expecting, via bundled up cloth. The man staggered back, even as Cormad chuckled from his position.

"If that girl back there is the woman you're after... then you've made a mistake. I might be scared of women... but she ain't so bad! Hell... I just met her and I think I'm going to invite her into my new crew!"

Cormad's sleeves had been torn away, the bandages around his arms covered with something that often remained hidden. Wrapped around both arms were bands, holding the many extra knives of Cormad. Lower down on the forearms, however, were the knives he normally had kept on his hips. Having them there wouldn't have been smart for someone trying to lay low... but now he wasn't worried about that. Gripping the hilts of the weapons, Cormad drew the blades from the forearm sheaths before letting the tools flip from his grasp, spinning through the air and outward from him. But rather than let them fall to the ground, the pirate reached out in a blink to take hold of the spinning weapons, his juggling expertise making it a breeze with the familiar knives.

"I normally use these for cookin'... but you guys aren't worth my fists! I'm gonna cut you all up... and leave you for dead!"

The old man tossed the clothes down as the threat was issued, immediately pointing toward the man. It was clear that their attention was focused solely on Cormad rather than the woman who might have been following along. Perhaps it was a plan... but perhaps it was just how luck played out. Regardless, the street's impending battle exploded as Captain Yazzie made his order.

"Get 'em! We won't let this cocky welp disgrace the name of Dauntaun's Marine detachment!"

[Kami-Gaz]

“Are you scared of me?” She asked so plainly with a blank look on her face as the man shuffled forwards to just get away from her. This harmonic ghost who was talking big about stealing a ship was scared of a girl who barely had any weight to her, and here Erica was worrying about not having a mask. Her question went unanswered however, mainly because the marines had spotted them and without hesitation Cormad and the big captain clashed, butting heads in a show of force, which left them on equal standing.

With them both reeling back a bit from the pain of the head-butt, with that the jester girl slowly shook her head and in time with a small group of marines said “Nobody wins in a head-butt.” As she finished she pulled her banjo up and held it just like the marines were holding their rifles, causing a few of them to question the girls sanity as they shifted their eyes from the main fight to the winged musician and then back to the main fight. “She must be nuts, leave her until last, we gotta help the captain with this one!” One of them announced to the rest as the captain was making his speech, he must have been second in command.

The green haired girl looked over to the captain as she was mentioned, it would seem her skulking about had gotten their attention alright, with a slight curl to her lips she listened to more of the speech and then it was stopped suddenly. Cormad had done something to interrupt it and it left everyone flabbergasted. Though it may have been hilarious to watch Erica didn’t grin for long, the big man she was offering her help to piped up now. ‘Wait I’m not bad? They made a mistake thinking I was bad?’ The banjo she had pointed to the lieutenant was now aiming somewhere that was other than his head, somewhere that would cause a lot more problems than just being dead. ‘fine invite me to this crew, I’ll just liven your boringness up.’ She thought

The last threat was made and the captain was making his order as Erica moved her banjo to the captain, though she got a gut feeling, leave him to Cormad and keep the little guys out of their fight. “Nuts? Non, Crazy? Yes~” She finally replied to the second in command as in one swift movement she pointed her banjo back to the him and pulled the trigger. There was an immediate Thonking sound that was followed by a little click, the hidden repeating crossbow had fired and shot a bolt directly into the man’s private area. The very high pitched scream was initiation of this fight. “E’cuse moi Captain… I just embarrassed your little detachment~.” She sang as she quickly shifted her aim to another mook, who quickly shielded his manhood, only for the crossbow bolt to slam into his right shoulder and knock him flat on the floor.

The jester turned her head to Cormad as she fired a short volley of bolts into the small crowd of marines that appeared with the captain. “You take Ze big man, I get these small ones?” She asked before leaping backwards to avoid a lone sword wielding marine, his eyes were trained on her and he seemed focused to get this girl. “Non, didn’t you know it’s bad luck to attack an angel?” she asked before spinning around and flashing her wings, albeit small ones, off to the marines. She then stopped her spin and then jumped up into the air to avoid a very telegraphed sweep attack.

A large smile crept onto the girls face as she thought of ways to fight and have fun, something she has not really done in a long time now and the best thing about it is she forgot that she needed a mask. She was happily jumping around dodging and returning fire without a care in the world, other than the one to make sure Mr Harmonica was okay.

[Roin]

[Long live the Grim Tale's chaos !]

Even as the first strikes of the fight cut through the air, the woman's voice carrying to Cormad as the grunts started forward to meet their attackers... the large fighter wasn't moving. Locking eyes with the large man who had identified himsel as Yazzie, the Harmonic Ghost simply spun his right blade, stopping once it was held in an icepick-style.

"Sounds fun... I'll make sure he learns what it's like to fight a Morre!"

The Marine reached back to grab his sword, narrowing his eyes at the brawler. The atmosphere seemed to grow tense as the two large and imposing men made eye-contact. And it was then, in that flash of a moment, as the grunts were spilling forward down the street and the people were going into a yell and trying to find cover, that the large man lowered his stance forward, much like a runner. Quickly turning the left blade over, it was at this moment that Yazzie recognized the attack's intent, the Marine drawing his sword and starting forward toward Cormad. Erika and the grunts would catch the motion, but it'd be tricky to follow it in the next moment as the stone cracked lightly under his feet with immense tension. Veins bristled on his face as the man's strength rushed to accommodate the technique. Because in that split moment, the cook readied a skill that hadn't seen proper use in years.

"Rokkin... rēsukatto!"

From still one moment to running speeds the next, Cormad practically fired himself forward and into the mass of mooks even as bolts flew into the crowd. But unlike the traditional variant, Cormad was rolling mid-flight, bringing the knives outward as he soared between the crowd with precise accuracy. One of them looked down just as Cormad came out of the turn, the bruiser's passing him a smirk before swinging one of the knives. A spray of blood followed the arc even as he passed, the man's right ankle cut open. Another splash and a second spray followed as two more men were cut in the arm and the other the shoulder. But halfway through the impressive "launch" of the man, a single presence seemed to move just as fast. This presence was the Captain, his sword still sheathed but his knee angled forward just as Cormad rolled to face him.

"Yahtzee Knee!"

The man's angled knee crashed not once, not twice, but three times into Cormad's gut before the flying knife-man could react, Cormad's teeth clenching shut from pain alone. How long it had been since he'd last truly fought was not clear... but what kind of monster could unleash damage like this? The idea reminded Cormad that at one time, he'd been stronger... and that the technique he used could mirror some of the techniques his mother had used back when serving the Marines. Regardless, the thought was broken as Cormad took a ninety-degree flight change, barreling through the air and into a nearby wall with a resounding crash. Size and force would have normally given the wall a crack, he was sure, but this wall was made of wood... and the result sent Cormad straight through it and into someone's house.

Rolling across the ground for only a moment, Cormad could feel splinters in his shirt and the pain of bruises forming. It was as he neared the opposite wall of the dining room he'd so rudely been thrown into that the man regained his footing and stopped the wild tumble. Looking to his sides, the dining table and fine china had somehow remained perfectly untouched despite the horrible intrusion. A small smirk came to the man's face despite the feelings of doubt and pain. But that smirk vanished as he heard a whistling, turning his gaze toward the hole he'd formed only moments ago. The marine Captain was walking toward it, whistling with his eyes narrowed on Cormad. The fighting of the mooks and Erika would no doubt be escalating as rifles and swords alike were aimed her way with the devastating scene... but Cormad didn't have time to worry for the woman.

"Not bad... hard to believe you took that beating without passing out! Maybe you'll make this worth my time!"

The man's statement was one that resounded well with the once-mighty Captain of the Harmonic Pirates. This man's presence was similar to the one the large woman from the tavern had given off... but unlike her, he clearly was enjoying the chance to fight within the town. It was a sense of recklessness that worried Cormad for a single reason. It meant the nice plates and arrangement of the room was going to be ruined... and he'd be responsible. So now, with this in mind, Cormad carefully lowered his position to a runner's stance once more with a laugh from the Marine.

"The same move won't work! You're not nearly-" "Rokkinrēsukatto"

Unlike the first time, as Cormad fired himself forward, there was a significant difference that the boasting Marine noticed. And one that reflected on the room's furniture shaking from the launch of the man. Unlike before with the rotation... Cormad had launced at a speed to match a sprinting lunatic, sailing directly at the exit-hole. Surprised, Yazzie had enough time to turn... but not enough to dodge one of the man's sweeping cuts, Cormad passing fast enough that as he landed outside and in the street and the crashing of furniture falling over and dining utensils no doubt being scattered and shattered, a single trail of blood followed along behind him, the man's chef knives coated in the thick red substance. Carefully standing up straight and turning to face the old geezer, Cormad met his gaze once more with a scowl.

"I don't care who you are, pal... just know that I'm not going to let you or anyone else keep me down again. I might be scared of women... but I refuse to let my friends wait any longer. If that means I got to fight you... no matter how fast or strong you are... I'm going to beat you to a damn pulp!"

The Marine took a moment to hear him out, finally smirking and grabbing his sword's hilt once again with his cut arm. It hadn't been more than a minor cut, obviously, as the man slowly drew his blade. There was no way to know what the Marines were doing in their efforts to detain Erika as the two no doubt negated the idea of intervening. There were no shots flying their way, there was no one reinforcing either for the moment. It was clear that in the now civilian-abandoned street that the fight was going to get serious very early in.

"You might actually be worth venturing out from the bar to fight. Very well... I'll use my sword on you. Your friend should finish with those buffoons in time to watch me stop you with a single swing. Afterwards... hell, maybe I'll drink to your life behind bars if you survive!"

[Kami-Gaz]

The sounds shouting and laughing could be heard echoing around the alleyways of this industrial town. A green haired girl was doing the laughing whilst a group of six marines chased her through the cramped streets that were littered with obstacles. However, the small green haired woman had no issue leaping over them with her lightweight sky person body, in fact she was enjoying the whole fiasco. “Shoot her! If we can’t take her in alive Shoot her!“ One of them finally snapped as they ran into a trash bin and fired his gun at the girl, only for her to duck under the bullet as she slid under table. As she came up in one smooth motion, she would pull her banjo to be pointed at the man and pulled the trigger, firing a single bolt out of the hidden crossbow that was in it. The sound of it firing was as simple as always “Thonk” Followed by a small click of the next bolt being ready to fire.

As the point man of the Marines hit the floor with a bolt sticking out of his chest the others quickly ran over the body, their target being too dangerous to lose or to leave more than one man behind. “Come and catch me Vearth Men~” She sang in her dangerous tones, trying to antagonise them into making more stupid decisions. She turned around and started to run down the alleyway again using her free hand that was not holding the banjo to pull down boxes and bins to make obstacles for her pursuers. Erica rounded a corner and headed back out for the main streets, running as fast as she could so she could set up a small trap.

Once the marines made it to the streets they set off looking for their target, after losing sight of her they were in a rush and only quickly scanned the area not seeing the girl until the first bolt was released into a Marines shoulder making him fall back into the rest of his small squad. Distracting them whilst Erica moved to the side and shot again and kept shooting volley of bolts into them all “Un baril de rires!” She announced just after firing for a few solid seconds only stopping when her banjo made a new clicking sound, something she rarely herd. She was out of ammo, but it was okay the marines that were chasing her were all on the floor either dead, dying or knocked out. Quickly looking over the bodies of the marines that were chasing her Erica would sigh in relief before giggling childishly. After a second she could her them groaning in pain as the ones that could move tried and realised it hurt far too much. That was her sign to move on and find the big boss.

The girl had moved around the corner and could hear the sounds of two big men fighting nearby, that was a good thing in her mind, it meant that the big boss was not dead yet. The winged jester would sigh knowing that now she was out of ammo and the only use this banjo had now was to be used as a weapon. ”Damned thing, always breaking…” She said whilst pressing her back to the wall and sliding down it to take a small break whilst she took out the important parts of her weapon. The first thing to come out was a small shell which she quickly put in her jacket pocket, the next was a sickle that was hidden in the banjo, she placed this through her belt look to keep it close for now. Being slid out of the top now was a pair of shells that were also quickly stored in various pockets around Erica’s clothing. “Ready” She said after a drawn out sigh.

Once her banjo was disarmed the girl stood up and with said broken instrument she ran off towards the sounds of fighting, not knowing what shape either of the combatants would be, but if it was anything like she expected they would both be going strong. It took seconds for Erica to pinpoint where Cormad and the marine were and get there just as he was finishing his last little speech. ’A perfect time to tell him his men are disabled.’ Erica thought before grinning.

"You might actually be worth venturing out from the bar to fight. Very well... I'll use my sword on you. Your friend should finish with those buffoons in time to watch me stop you with a single swing. Afterwards... hell, maybe I'll drink to your life behind bars if you survive!"

“And same to you!” Erica shouted after her run up, leaping into the air and swinging the hollow wooden banjo down onto the Marines head making it smack on top of his head, smashing the banjo and sending splinters everywhere. When Erica landed, she tumbled forwards in a roll to kill her momentum and turned around. “I ran out of Ammo…” She said quietly more for Cormad to hear than the big Marine, the sickle was still in her belt look and all the dials were in her pockets so she could improvise for now, if it was needed that was.

[Roin]

The explosive seen of Sky Woman versus Unfortunate Marines had been missed, but the sight of the strange woman appearing made it clear who had been the victor. The only part that he hadn't expect was for her to intervene, flying in and smashing the instrument over the old man's head. The man, to his credit, took the blow well enough that he only stagged to the side, cursing loudly as the splinters passed through the air. It wasn't so much as time slowing down, but that Cormad's adrenaline at the excitement of this fight was skyrocketing. Facing someone who gave him a challenge, a threat that seemed ready to knock him from his feet with a single blow...

This... getting to fight... this is life!

Cormad leaped forward in this moment, his expression going from one of a seasoned fighter to one of a madman enjoying himself among the slaughter house. It had been years ago that the Harmonic Pirates had to lose their cherished leader so Cormad could recover. Years of being weak, years of medicines and pitiful looks, and years of agony losing the only thing next to family in his book. The oldest of the Morre... for the first time truly felt alive as the Marine's eyes turned to gaze through the splintering mess, his blade in the right hand. To face a foe that looked down on him, someone who thought Cormad had to be just some damn factor... that was the most grim of tales he could imagine. Mid-leap, Cormad threw his left-hand's knife, the blade sailing at the man as Cormad raised the right hand high, the knife poised to drop down like a horror story murderer.

Kurashikku-Zashi!

The man's eyes fixed on the target he wanted, Captain Yazzie's right shoulder, Cormad imagined his blade sinking into the bastard's shoulder. The one job he had was to land this strike, no matter what happened afterward. Sparks flew as the Marine's sword deflected the first knife, the blade shattering from the sheer force the speedy block carried. It was a good sign to Cormad that even with this sort of attack, it was likely to backfire... but his aim remained fixed to the man's shoulder. The Harmonic Ghost's strongest attack... it was one he rarely brought out so early but this man was worth his full-powered strike. The Marine started to back-up, the effort behind it sloppy as he raised the sword to counter-strike.

Good... a blow for a blow. I like it!

As all of this happened in a very short moment, the streets at last began to speed up around Cormad, the adrenaline and enhanced perception of any trained warrior at last fading. It had been a fast and deliberate move, one that Erica could witness without any effort, but to the two men it had lasted a good deal of time. The clash, however, was fierce for both men as blood spilled into the air around them as they both struck true. Yazzie winced as his blade cut down and cross Cormad's body diagonally, the cut thin due to swapping from block to swing with such a poor motion... but he didn't wince because he missed. The man winced because the knife drove into his shoulder had hit... and Cormad's eyes made it clear the pain he felt was worth what was about to happen.

"Got ya!" "Damn i-!"

The knife's point of impact gave a visible pulse, the force behind it made clear as the right foot of the Marine cracked the paved street beneath him. The sword arm went limp, just as Yazzie brought a wild roundhouse kick to Cormad's waist, sending the North Blue man flying past Erica and down the street. The Marine was no longer holding back, obvious as Cormad smashed through multiple carts on his flying voyage, the destruction path only enhanced by his size. The man cursed and turned to face both Erica and the still rolling Cormad, reaching to the ground with his left arm and recovering the blade.

"Like hell you get away now! Marines, Pirates on the island! Mobilize now!"

While the man had chosen to play games with the two, Cormad coming to a stop as Yazzie lifted his injured arm to bring a whistle to his lips. The large knife-wielding man was slumped over in a pile of debris as the shrill whistle carried across the town's streets and roof tops. Erica and the equally foolish man were now in a gambit, a race against time. They had to escape the island and the now royally pissed off Captain, the man taking cautious steps toward the woman with his sword in one hand and the other holding the whistle up. With a knife in his shoulder and the blood of Cormad on him, it was clear that the man wasn't going to take chances with the duo anymore. The lazy, grizzled drunk was finally ready to attend to the threat on Dauntaun.

[Kami-Gaz]

The curses and minor stumbles of the large Marine filled the sky girl with confidence as she reached down and pulled her sickle free from the belt loop. This might be a fight she could get involved in, well she thought so at least. Her thoughts of joining the fight were smashed when Cormad charged the fellow and attacked him. The movements were quick and what may have seemed like an eternity between the two large gentlemen happened in seconds for the sickle wielding girl. By the end of their entire brawl Erica was stood some distance away from Cormad who had been flung quite a distance. This was bad, really bad, Cormad got cocky and she was now an accessory to his piracy. The girl watched as a whistle was brought to his lips and the orders were given.

"Like hell you get away now! Marines, Pirates on the island! Mobilize now!"

He bellowed out before blowing the whistle. The shaking in the girls boots suddenly stopped as she pulled the dagger from her belt and threw it at the captain hoping those precious seconds of him being distracted were enough for her to get to Cormad. After the throw she turned on her heel and put all her strength into running at the downed man. ”Ohkay, Big guy, we have got to go!” She shouted as she ran. The sounds of marines forming up and charging to the locations from all directions building and the threat of impending doom that was about to come in the shape of a larger man swinging his larger sword down her back.

At this point her adrenaline started to get pumping around her body and it pushed her enough to get her to the downed ally. Quickly she dropped to her knees and started to pull the wooden debris off of him until she found a bucket that two small holes in it. With a small flash of brilliance she placed it next to her and would start to check and see if Cormad was okay. “Hey, Big guy? We gotta go, if he hits us with that sword we are done.” She said pulling more wooden debris from him and throwing it towards him. The backup he ordered was arriving from behind the captain meaning there was an Alley way or two the pair could use to escape.

As the captain got closer to make his attack that would finish the pair off Erica would pull the breath dials out of her buckets and push them into the bucket until they were suck with their activation buttons poking out of the small holes. Then she found and intact melon that Cormad had not squished on his travels through the sky. She quickly loaded it into the bucket and pointed it at the captain. “Stop! I’ll shoot!” She warned, knowing full well he would slice the melon up before it even got close to him, the best she was hoping or was he would at least get some of the juice in his eyes giving the pair time to run.

Then like she warned she shot, she pressed her fingers against the buttons and fired the melon out of the make shift bucket launcher at quite some speed. The melon was also heading straight for the marines face with out signs of slowing down, but Erica was not looking she was looking for more ammo, another melon. Something to shoot that would just give them more time!

[Vio]

There were many things to be said about the streets of Dauntaun, the hustle and bustle of its prosperous forgeries a comforting backdrop for the likes of a blacksmith. But if there was one thing that Hector Wayland – or any Wayland for that matter – enjoyed more than bashing hot iron and steel with a heavy hammer, it was participating in a good old brawl. Unfortunately, the island itself had denied the giant of a man the opportunity to flex his mighty muscles in such a way, but that did not bother him all that much. Instead, he had made use of his superhuman strength to help out the people, carrying lumber and iron around the town and generally having a good time volunteering in the forges. That was not to say he hadn’t caused a little bit of a ruckus every once in a while, for when you stood at nearly eleven feet tall and had an exceptionally muscular physique, doors and similarly narrow passages posed a bit of a problem. Actually, the reason he had done his work voluntarily for the most part was to make up for the damage his size had afflicted upon the town.

“Huh? Weihehei… Helen, Wilk? You heard that?” the behemoth of a blacksmith asked, chuckling in anticipation as the sounds of shouts and a high-pitched whistle filled his ears. Just a hundred or so yards away, the conflict between pirates and Marines had escalated to an all new level, but this was the first that the formidable family had heard of such issues. Hopefully, it would not be the last.

“Sure did, pops!”

“Rowff!”

“Then let’s not keep ‘em waitin’, eh?” Within a matter of seconds after hearing the shrill cry of a warden’s whistle, the titanic triad had turned from a slow and steady walking pace to a full-throttle dash down the nearest alley. Leading the charge, a broad smile upon his bearded visage, Hector’s stampede was indeed a formidable sight to behold for anyone actually paying attention. Much of the nearby street had been evacuated in the panic, the scene of wreckage now meeting the mammoth man’s gaze as great strides carried him across the cobblestones. In his wake, child and pet did run, the young Miss Wayland’s bronzed face finally displaying that trademark white smile for which the family was perhaps best known in battle. Not that many knew about that, of course, though the family itself stemmed back through generations of mighty warriors of both human and giant-kind.

A melon…? Finally starting to exit the alley through which his sense of excitement had carried him, the first thing to really greet the metalworker’s dark and beady eyes was none other than a flying fruit. A melon of decent proportion, easily as large as a normal man’s head, sailed across the street from the mouth of a bucket and towards another impressive looking individual. Unfortunately, and Hector was rather sure that his own daughter knew this from experience, even the mightiest of melons would fall to the timed swing of a sword. And the charging terror did just that, flicking his blade through the air and slicing the morsel clean in two. A mere fruit was not going to stop the Marines…? Oh, the irony of that statement.

Still! The clearly enraged enforcer of the law continued to race forwards, his prey finally identified by the intruding party whose presence had yet to be detected. It was hard to understand how people could miss such a monstrous man as Mister Wayland, but in this case, the horrors – or hilarity – of battle were generating a great deal of tunnel vision. And tunnel hearing, apparently, as nobody had reacted to his heavy footfalls. As the officer bore down upon what appeared to be a semi-conscious man and a bucket-wielding woman, he raised his sword into the air and readied a mighty blow, steel cutting through the rich air of the industrial isle and ready to slice the ‘wicked pirates’ in two as he had done so with the melon.

“Filthy pirates! I’ll end you here and now- What!?” As Captain Yazzie bolted forwards and swung down, his sword’s path was interrupted by something rather hefty and hard, and it was pretty obvious that it was not a melon. Yes, the melon will always be relevant. What his sabre had collided with was in fact a table; a large, round table approximately six feet in diameter, with iron rim and boss. It took him a few seconds, to be honest, but it seemed that the formidable foe finally factored in the possibility that this was a shield, not a table. And, as Hector chuckled from behind it, his suspicions were confirmed. In one mighty leap, the mighty marauder had managed to place himself between the fallen fighter and his angst-filled adversary, the great shield known as ‘Obrońca’ absorbing much of the force. Beneath Hector’s heels, the ground cracked a little, having taken the brunt of his landing as well as the Captain’s strike.

“Weiheheheeeei! You’ve got some kick, ‘aven’t you?” the quarter-giant quipped, the muscles of his right arm bulging as he pushed back against the attack. Whether or not he was strong enough to shrug off such blows as Yazzie could dish out remained to be seen, especially given that this man had sent another fellow of impressive stature flying across the street just moments before. Where was the fun in a fair fight, though? That feeling of accomplishment after overcoming insurmountable odds – there was nothing quite as satisfying as that.

“Who the hell are you!?” yelled the Captain, finally withdrawing his blade and taking a short step backwards. His face was red; as too was his blood-soaked shoulder, but even with one arm it was obvious that this man was a formidable fighter. An opponent who could put up such a fight even when injured? This was practically a dream come true!

SPOILER: Click to show

It's a little hard to just hop into a thread like this, even after reading it over twice. I guess it's a matter of getting into the flow of things.

Hector Wayland (012345)
Helen Wayland (ffcc22)
Wilk (aaaaaa)
Captain Yazzie (abcdef)

[Roin]

Melons... why was Cormad thinking of melons? The man had been sent flying through a few carts and quite some way down the road, a lot of his body hurting like hell. Part of him wished he hadn't removed the bandages as they might have actually kept him in somewhat decent shape after such a hit... but it was only as a loud collision sounded that the man snapped from his temporary unconscious state. His eyes opened first, spotting the melons nearby in the last cart of his flight plan. Thankfully, it wasn't a dream that held truth... after all, it could have been about-

"Wh-wh-what are y-you doing, wo-woman!?"

Cormad had paled greatly, his gynophobia skyrocketing at the proximity to Erica. The strange woman had come to his help, little did he know, but it didn't stop his fears from coming back. Flashbacks of all the women of the Queendom trying to enslave him, chasing him relentlessly like some prized fox in a hunt, were going through his head. Before he could back away entirely, however, his eyes caught sight of a familiar sight. A large man with a shield had come to their rescue, it seemed... but the ground under him had cracked and Yazzie's blade had been stopped. The idea that he had been protected by the buffoon who broke the door from the other night was insulting... almost turning his stomach as much as being in such close proximity to a woman. But as Cormad turned over, his muscles screaming for the man to not pull himself from the rubble and to rest, the Harmonic Ghost did just the opposite. With a strong sweep of his left arm, the remaining debris flew free and crashed into a nearby building, the North Blue man rolling to the side before rising to one knee. The truth was that the motion had been to move away from Erica, but it was also to allow him to see the clash well.

The sensation of adrenaline was one thing, but Cormad had been rather brutally sent flying. Not to mention he had lost the knife he attacked with, the weapon still wedged in the bloody shoulder of the man. The odd-laughing guy between them and the enraged and wounded Captain was one thing... but if the guy's bit of show from the other night was a way to look at it, the threat of the Captain would be far greater than anything the large man could dish out. Of course, he hadn't gone all out nor had the other guy in that bar scuffle. To be honest, Cormad hadn't even truly caught more than glimpses of the big man before suffering his face's new scar. However, before Cormad could rush into the fray to help the man, the man had to rearm himself. But he didn't reach to the weaponry on his shoulder... Cormad reached to the harmonica hanging from his chain necklace. With a tug, the instrument detached one end of the chain to come free. It had been ages since he used his prized weapon and instrument as the prior... but now was better than any.

"Banjo Girl, find us a way out of here! Big man, keep doing what you're doing!"

Spinning the harmonica a single time in his grip, the instrument made its conversion with a series of clicks. The first signaled the blade unhinging, the next the deployment spring getting pressed against, and the third and fourth coming a moment later as the blade slung free and locked into place. Very quickly, the square-shaped knife had been brought out and readied, but he was far from done. Dashing to the right side, looking goofy as he practically circled the female presence of Erica, Cormad at last got an angle to see beyond the table-shield and the target stuck in a clash with it. The Captain's gaze looked his way, but the man was still deciding on how to handle the large man's intrusion before going after the pirates that had injured him. And as he spun his weapon, Cormad planned to aid Hector in besting the bastard.

"Burūsuborē!"

All for bringing out a lot of his arsenal, the man raised the weapon to his upper left, halting the spin and making the slash. But it was no normal slash, of course, as the harmonica "sang" its tune and a blade of air formed. The blade traveled through the air, racing along and no doubt intended to bypass the giant's block and crash into the Captain. Cormad, however, felt a heavy weight tug at him as he finished the attack. The weight wasn't an attack or anything, but the soreness trying to drag him to the ground. The footsteps and calls of other Marines was growing louder and closer, the rather ravaged market street and scene of battle no doubt a clear location for the group's whereabouts. While fighting the injured Captain might have been possible for all of them... doing so with the island's garrison on their back would be near impossible. They would need to start running and soon, to perhaps make their way for a dock or a place to lay-low. They had the power to punch their way to the docks, perhaps, but the injury the Captain suffered was by far the worst of the fighting so far... so if they could buy time the Marines would logically have to tend to him. The idea of withdrawing and escaping was, in that manner, more opportunistic to the escaping of the island. But... beating the man was equally damaging to the island's efforts and far more rewarding for bringing back the demonized Harmonic Ghost of the North Blue.

SPOILER: Click to show

Edit: So, I will leave it up to you bums on the path we take. We can either choose to take on the Captain and risk the capture of the bunch... or we could try to escape and set-up a more "prepared" battle to escape the dock. I leave it to you, mighty bums!

[Kami-Gaz]

‘I need more melons!’ the girl thought as the impending doom of the marines sword was being swung in her direction, the melon she had fired didn’t stop him for long as the sword was back after slicing the propelled fruit ready to deliver a killing blow to Erica. Taking in a deep breath Erica pushed her feet back to try and avoid being struck by the sword as she closed her eyes and put the bucket in front of her face to try and protect it. In these short moments the girl who came from the sky saw her life flash before her eyes, the terrible years serving a horrible tyrant as his jester and the hard times she has had afterwards, all of them that led up to this moment.

Then the unmistakable sound of a sword hitting a solid object rang through the jesters ears, was she safe? She felt no pain, nor blood. Her hand descended away from her face and she opened her eyes to see a familiar sight… the back of a very large man, and it was a back she had seen before. This was not the first time it had been between her and someone who was wanting her head. Back in the bar during the fight that erupted then, this very person protected Erica, or more like Erica hid behind him to avoid being hit. “We….We are alive? A way out? Got you!” She responded to Cormad who had given the order to find an evacuation route, most presumably to the docks where they could commandeer a ship and escape this crazy island and its dangerous marine guardian.

The small winged woman scrambled to her feet and found a melon to load her improvised weapon with, at most, it could knock a marine or two out at best…. Nevertheless, that was enough to get her hand on one of their rifles and use it against them. Once the fruit was loaded into the bucket Erica looked around quickly, hearing footsteps coming from all directions, the marines were fired up and this was far more than a single quad she could ambush like she did last time. It was not long before the girl spotted a quiet alleyway they could go down, though the larger of this misfit group may have trouble squeezing in to it.

“Hey Big laughing guy! You think you can throw the Marine away for a bit?” Erica asked, generally unsure if he could or not. The winged woman headed towards the alley and quickly looked down it, it was wide enough to fit the giant like man, but it would be a fair squeeze for him. Marines were now surrounding the group and taking aim at them with their rifles, all awaiting the orders of their captain to fire. “Zhis way!” she shouted before pressing the button on her makeshift melon launcher and sent a melon flying into the marine that was closest to her. The poor recruit took the full force of the fruit impacting into his face, knocking him back into a group of his buddies, which triggered domino effect.

Recruit after recruit stumbled backwards as their friends stumbled into them, in some cases the marine fell down all together; this was the perfect time to escape. The marine who had been hit by the melon threw his rifle up into the air and towards his targets. The angelic trickster saw this as an opportunity to get a better weapon; she plunged her hand into the bucket and pulled the dials out in one swift movement. Once they were safely out of bucket, she threw it into the crowd of tumbling marines, with a giant grin on her face. She was enjoying it, just like she enjoyed the bar fight from the other night, even if she had a a little freak out over the oversized bar maid being a devil fruit eater.

The rifle was caught by its stock in Erica’s free hand and was quickly heading to the alleyway. The woman was quickly stuffing the Dials back into her pockets for safekeeping as she turned around to cover her new friends. If they decided to follow her and escape to the port Erica would lead, if not she already spotted a route to the rooftops, a place she had the advantage whilst shooting.

SPOILER: Click to show

Vio you can choose to fight or take flight, sorry it took long. Between going away and muse issues, this isnt the best post.

[Vio]

“Weihehehei! Who am I, eh? Just an honest blacksmith lookin’ for a challenge!” As imposing a figure as Captain Yazzie was, the formidable bulk of Hector Wayland was just as incredible, his muscles alive with strength tempered like the finest steel. The fact that he had so easily absorbed the brunt of the drunkard’s attack was testament to the kind of strength and endurance bestowed upon him by his Giant blood, but even then it was his profession and his purpose that had driven him to refine such raw power. Whether or not his might would be able to withstand further assault from this formidable foe was yet to be seen, but it was certainly on the list of things to do today!

“Keep doing what you’re doing!” yelled the familiar voice of the tall fellow behind him, a man who Hector could have sworn he had seen not too long ago. Was he one of the people in that bar he had visited? Possibly. Recognition, however, did not at all matter to him. What mattered was the fact that he was getting a fight worthy of his attentions – a contest of iron will playing out between two men, and soon the odds would be stacked in favour of his enemy. Just the distant sounds of Marines mobilising was enough to get the man’s blood pumping, the mere concept of a decidedly chaotic brawl teasing his senses. A mash of blows exchanged as the thrill of the fight as you struggled on and persevered; all features of a good old fashioned brawl which only a Wayland could find comfort within.

“You don’t need to tell me that! Weihei!” Throwing himself forwards to meet the Captain once more, the behemoth of a blacksmith’s shield clashed again with the sword that his opponent wielded one-handed. Once more did they test their strength against one another in a bone-crunching contest of brute force and determination – Yazzie’s lust for vengeance was being pitted against Hector’s hunger for a good fight. Neither gave an inch, neither could take a mile, and it was only the sound of a harmonica’s sorrowful wailing that interrupted the two men’s reversed tug of war. From his flank, a shimmering sliver of slicing air sailed past, skirting the edge of his shield just as his opponent pushed his defences away. From the trill of the harmonica to the whistle of the wind blade, the orchestral attack was finished off by the sounds of cutting flesh and a pained growl. Body sliced by the unnatural projectile, the opposing swordsman stumbled backwards, bloodied yet further by the assaults he had so far sustained.

“A flyin’ slash, eh? Now isn’t that somethin’!” Enthralled by the fight so far, it was no wonder that Mister Wayland practically ignored much of anything else taking place around him, dark brown eyes caring little for anything but the form of his new found opponent. By now, however, the forces of the law were starting to gather around and muster their strength, but even they seemed to falter and act as little more than a backdrop for the two warring warriors.

“You had your chance, ‘blacksmith’,” Yazzie growled angrily, “but there’s a pirate over there that I need to take care of. I won’t mind going through you first. In fact, I might actually enjoy this!”

“Weihehehehei! I wouldn’t want it any other way!” His smile wider than ever now that this formidable foe had recognised his strength in some way, the mammoth metalworker was quick to throw himself forward into the waiting jaws of his enemy, and Yazzie did the same. How many times the two men clashed was not worth counting, for each devastating sword strike that Hector blocked sent shivers through his body, cracking the ground beneath his heels as he endured. It was no secret that this foe was well above him in terms of physical skill, but when it came to brutish strength, there was no discernible victor. This contest was a matter of who endured the longest, but the corrupt Captain was giving the smith no chance to launch a counterattack. Once, twice, thrice did the sword smash into the sturdy body of the mighty shield ‘Obrońca’, and each hit had the same effect, forcing him back little by little as he tried to resist the commendable crushing force. Every bone in his body buckled and groaned, every muscle rippled and bulged. This was the burning sensation of a brawl like no other, against an adversary who may just have been able to fell him.

But by the time the fourth blow came, Yazzie’s strength had diminished.

“What’s the matter? Runnin’ out of steam?” the bronzed blacksmith chuckled, immediately noticing the drop in strength that had come about from the last attack, sword bouncing harmlessly against his shield. Yes, the man was fighting with only one arm – not to mention a few pretty serious and substantial injuries – but was that only now starting to wear upon him? Up until this point, his raw might had practically been earth-shattering, with even Hector now panting to try and muster up some more energy. The beating he had just sustained, even if not a single strike had actually made it past his armament, had burned away a lot of his energy in a very short space of time. Luck would have it that he thrived in the fight, but even then there was a limit to how much he could endure – and to how much his shield could endure.

“Ugh! I hate it when Pops gets all the fun,” Helen moped, so far having not had a chance to participate in the fight. Much like her father, she had longed for a great brawl to take place, but much in the way of chaos had eluded her, too. Right now, she stood beside the large Lapphund – Wilk – as they skirted the edge of the makeshift arena, keeping a wary eye out for signs of a clash in which she too could test both mettle and metal. So far, there was none. In a single and rather pathetic excuse for an attack, the short woman with the strange accent from the bar had managed to disrupt the mobilising forces of the Marines. Any sense of satisfaction she thought she might have attained through fighting outnumbered had quickly been stolen away from her at such a sight, a platoon of ‘well-trained soldiers’ proving that even the most meagre of things could demolish the unprepared.

“Whatever, we should probably get goin’, Wilk…”

“Rowf! Rowf!”

“Oi, You two! You should get out of here before more of the goon squad show up!” the tall teenager shouted out, bouncing her behemoth of a blade gently against her back as she did so. With no fight to entertain her – at least not without cramping her father’s style – there was little that the lass could do other than act as something of a guiding light for the two who had gotten into this mess in the first place…

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}

(012345)
Helen Wayland (ffcc22)
Wilk (aaaaaa)
Yazzie (abcdef)
Cormad Morre (e61919)

[/ul][/spoiler][/div][/font][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[Roin]

The success of his strike, the harmonica fighting pirate somewhat exhausted from his own injuries acting up again, wasn't very long lived. The soreness and wounds from earlier once again were stinging with the pain from the fast movements and force required to make his technique. The reminder, along with the sight of Yazzie going toe-to-toe with the behemoth, was enough to make it painfully clear that they needed to fall back. The sound of fighting behind and to the side of him made it clear that the strange-speaking woman who had tried to keep him safe before was in combat... and the sight ahead of the now rather moderately injured Yazzie remaining more or less a bastion.

The call of throwing the Marine away, the sound of Marines crashing into one another, and the sound of bonking and dings made it clear the bigger fight was going on behind him. Turning to face the group that Erica had, more or less, beaten with a melon and bucket, the agile acrobat's efforts weren't enough to slip the entire guard. Even with the teenager nearby to keep an eye out for prospective fights and worthy battles, the Marines were getting up in an attempt to continue the fight. And one unfortunate Seaman got up and was charging Cormad with a single axe, letting out a yell.

The first slash missed as Cormad, even in his wounded state, ducked and dodged to the right, the heavy weapon swinging downward cutting only air. The man seemed shocked, panicking before raising it up and to the side and aiming a hacking blow for the Harmonic man's side. The cling-cling of steel on steel sounded, the man's fear growing as he looked to see what on earth could have happened. Just as Cormad planted his right foot in the dirt and finished "rolling" through the dodge, the Marine saw the ring of knives that he had impacted, immediately streaming tears even before the blow hit. With a rising thrust-like palm jab, the Harmonic Ghost's palm crashed into the man's jaw with enough force to send him barreling upward and backward, smashing into the recovering posse and bringing them all down to the ground in a similar domino fashion.

"Tch. Small fry... you're nowhere near as terrifying as a wo-"

"Oi, you two! You should get out of here before more of the goon squad show up!"

"Who the hell is bossing me- aAAH! J-just keep your distance and don't try to touch me! I-I'm going!"

The gynophobe's fear had, of course, kicked in mid-sentence. While he hadn't been startled by the presence of Helen, the teenager's proximity getting closer from the dodge was enough to invoke his fear. With swear beading his forehead more from worry than the wounds and pain he was in, the broad-shouldered pirate turned and fixed his eyes on the direction that Erica had called from a moment before. The woman had moved, requiring a bit of time to spot her, but at last he spotted the same alleyway she was rushing down. The idea of chasing after a woman... was not one he was fond of, but the idea of getting even for all those years of being chased was one humorous enough to keep the pirate from being unreasonable. With the same practiced motion to stow the square knife's blade, Cormad quickly set to returning the blade to its proper place on his necklace and linking the chain. At last ready to move, the man's gaze fell toward Hector, the brute's battle seeming to be waning as both the behemoth with a shield and the aggressor seemed to be nearing their endurance's end.

"This isn't the last you'll hear of us, Captain! Remember my name well! I am Cormad Morre, the Harmonic Ghost! Captain of the Harmonic Pi-... no... Ex-Captain of the Harmonic Pirates and Captain of the Grim-Tale Pirates! I'm going to escape this island and turn the world on it's ass, just as I should have all those years ago! My crew is already this strong, wait until we take to the Grand Line!"

The Marines nearby all seemed to hesitate, as if they were trying to recall the name... but as Cormad turned and started to run down the alleyway to keep up with Erica, the scene between the two fighters grew more tense. The weakening of Yazzie's clashing force was one sign that he had been distracted... but the man at last scoffed and pushed the shield with a blow of his own. The result parted him from the eternal lock with a good bit of distance, looking beyond Hector to the alley that the duo had vanished behind. Recognition of the man's name was clear... but it was as Yazzie looked back toward Hector that the swordsman's posture seemed to change, lowering the blade with a scowl. There was no way for him to be aware that Cormad had made the name up on the spot and had strung his companions in rather unwittingly... but he still seemed rather upset at the unfolding of events.

"I'll concede... only... because of my wounds. But you should know... that man you protected is a criminal. And joining his crew... was the worst mistake you could ever make. I will let you escape... but only because... of the wounds he inflicted on me prior. Know that you won't make it off this island, however... I assure you of that."

As if on cue, the Marine turned and began to walk toward one of the few carts that hadn't been destroyed in his previous attacks. With a grumble, the man swung his sword and cleaved through the wood almost effortlessly, the wheeled object splitting and sliding apart. Bottle after bottle, jug after jug, various alcoholic beverages began to pour out from the cart. Some had been cut cleanly by the slash, others were breaking as they fell... but after a moment, the tougher bottles and containers began to fall and roll out. Turning and sitting down with his back to the cart, the man wasn't worried of getting attacked... the shock of his actions alone would have earned him mercy from most foes. But as he grabbed one of the bottles and lifted it, he motioned toward the alley with a grumble, not even paying the fellow warrior a look.

"Better get going, with that strange laugh... my men will eventually get up and try to fight you. I doubt they'd be worth the effort... and I'd rather not have to file even more paperwork for their injuries. You should... be able to easy outrun - glugglugglug - ... ah, that's the spot."

The wounded man released his sword, reaching upward and toward the cooking utensil that remained embedded in his shoulder. With a swig of the drink, the man pulled it out with enough force that the object went spinning and sailing across the street and into another merchant's cart. The strength behind the man had grown, or he wasn't holding back anymore it seemed, but the atmosphere was clear. The fighting spirit of the old-timer was gone for now. The determination to capture the pirates was outweighed by the damage he'd suffered, the exhaustion of his encounter with the shieldbearer, and of course his old-age. The drinking man had, clearly, had enough for the moment and only wanted to drink... but the fact was that the man's call had the presence of Marines looming ever closer, no telling how many officers it might bring with it. And with the duo taking off down the alleyway... the initial combat zone was likely to not be a very fair battle, even if the group of Marines nearby had the courage to make a move. The group, after the devastating strike that dropped one of their boys out cold and the melon-bucket combo, were reasonably hesitating and waiting to see what the pair and their hound would do.