A Duel in the Shadow of the Hill [Lynx]

[Konaa]

The old pirate grimaced, taking a deep swig from the flask at his hip before turning a bemused look toward the youth on his doorstep.

"Just from the look on yer face, I think I can tell what this is about...It's been nine years since I metcha, y'know that?"

"...Has it?"

"Feh!  Yeah, yeah, yer real tough, don't care about the small stuff.  Look, kid...I know ye better'n most.  I knew ye'd be ready t'strike out on yer own sooner or later.  Surprised ye didn't cast out years ago, honestly."

"You know I don't like to be in debt to others."

"Whatever debt ye might've had, ye paid it the day we brought justice to that blackheart.  Now...Don't bother sayin' any more.  Neither of us like to dwell on goodbyes - So just go.  This place's too small for the kind of man ye'll grow t'become.  Let an old man take pride in seein' yer wanted poster down the line!  Hahaha!"

* * *

Perhaps it only made sense that he would recall that conversation now - As the first island he'd seen since departing Pirate's Market was finally in sight.  Hunched over in the crow's nest of this rickety brigantine, Shinn's eyes narrowed in on the rapidly approaching landmass.  With a hand on the wooden wall around him, he leaped over and gracefully dropped to the deck below, to the shock of several nearby crewmen.

"Well?" the Captain demanded, a large man with a tricorn hat, a long dark coat, and a curved sabre shoved into his belt.  It was as if he was attempting to scream to the world at all times that he was a pirate.  The significantly younger swordsman eyed him with barely concealed disdain.

"We'll be ashore in about three hours, I'd say.  Santa Barbados is within sight."  he replied, tone whisper quiet compared to the other's brash honking.  The crew around him grinned and laughed, the anticipation of a quick and vicious raid clearly appealing to them.  There were around fifty all told, all fresh and eager scumbags from the Pirate's Market, ready for their first foray into the world of piracy.

One among their number, though, reacted differently.  Shinn strode toward the side of the vessel, taking another leap - this time into one of the rowboats hoisted on the side.  As he began to pull the rope and lower himself down to the water, the captain stormed over toward him and growled out another frank question.  "Just where do you think you're going!?  Aren't you going to attack with us?"

In spite of the larger man's threatening demeanor, Shinn stared him back in the face with little outward emotion, almost seeming completely uninterested.  "I'm going to get a lay of the land first.  And I already told you, our arrangement is not one where you may order me about."

Without further ado, he continued his efforts.  Confused, the Captain was halfway tempted to order his men to attack, but - No, the boy had a reputation for being a skilled fighter back at the Market, and he had no interest in risking casualties mere hours before a raid.  At any rate, he would be useful.

Rowing toward the shore at a rapid pace, Shinn observed Cinna Island grow larger and larger by the moment.  Within a few hours...The first battle of his journey alone would begin.  What interested him wasn't whatever riches the citizens of Santa Barbados held - But who would emerge to stop these pirates from claiming them.

[Fluffy Lynx]

WORD COUNT: 864

TAGGED: @lynx

TAGGED:

The Southern blue. Warmer than where the young Wano woman had come from, certainly. Exactly how she had reached the South Blues was a strange story, a story that she was finding rather difficult to explain with her absolute lack of geographical skills. All that she had ever known before she had been temporarily exiled, was her home, her country, Wano. Stepping off of the merchants boat that she had arrived here with, she turned around and bowed graciously before the merchants. In exchange for protection on their travels thus far, they had allowed Hisui to travel with them, from island to island, giving a subtle pay and food on the endeavour. It had, however, not gotten Hisui any closer to finding that which she lacked. It meant that she had decided upon leaving the group of merchants when they arrived at the next island with proper infrastructure, so catching a boat onwards wouldn't be too difficult. The youngster now found herself at the port of Cinna, her ice-blue eyes scouting the surrounding area. Several of the locals eyes had already directed themselves towards her, as she completely stood out amongst the regular, grey background. First off, Hisui was wearing a unique style of armor. It consisted of two different pieces. The garments were made of delicate silken cloth, with several golden oriental symbols across it. Across the back, written in Kanji, the name of her school was readable to any. Gougan Academy, Wano Country. The cloth was being held tight to her body in several key positions. Around her waist, a red silken ribbon with a bow above her behind, was keepingthe cloth lined so that the second layer could be properly attached. The second layer of armor consisted of samurai plates, guarding mainly her hips, legs and shoulders, allowing her some flexibility in accepting a strike. From the elbows and down, all she wore were a pair of gloves. They were tightened around her wrists, giving her a better grip while maintaining freedom of movement. In short, everything about the girl screamed that she was a warrioress. Naturally, the two wakizashi that were attached to her belt, hanging by the left and right side of her hips respectively, didn't exactly give the impression of her being a farmers girl.

Stepping forwards, away from the boat in her own, calm and collected manner, the military boots were making hollow sounds against the wooden surface. A gentle breeze played with her ponytail, rocking it from side to side. Cinna island, you are currently graced with the pressence of a Wano warrioress!... Walking around the port, she was acquiring herself a little something to eat; Sugared fish. A combination that, within her mind, didn't have the slightest chance of functioning, but in practice, it wasn't half bad. Sitting herself in the warmth of the sun, munching away at her snack while having a glass of water, the calm of the situation was quite pleasant. Out on sea there had been a few negotiations with pirates in the length of her journey. It was a strange world where peoples ambitions lead them to step upon those weaker than themselves. If people wanted to claim riches, status, fame and the like, all of that could be attained honorably. Working hard, any goal could be achieved. Turning your back on the weak would only create a vicious cycle where everyone would steal from everyone. Pirates were scum...

Raising her legs, folding them underneath her, she was slowly entering a meditative state. Having felt a sense of frustration at the thought of innocent people being pillaged, she knew she needed to refocus to stay in complete balance. However, as the next event transpired, any such refocussing would have to wait. A fisherman had returned to port, speaking of a pirate ship anchored several folds out at sea. Sitting there, as if waiting for something. The fisherman mentioned how it had given him the creeps. To Hisui, this was a massive red-alert. Rising from her position, she stepped down towards the fisherman, clearing her throat to make her pressence known. "You need not fear. A group of pirates would not be foolish enough to attack into the port." Smiling to the man, warmly, it wasn't a fact that she was completely certain of, but the locals should not fear the potential dangers at sea...

Climbing atop one of the massive wooden poles to which the ships were tied when in port, she had a vantage point. Since the earth was relatively round, a vantage point would allow her to see anything moving out on sea relatively early. At the moment, everything seemed to be quiet. The waters were calm, and the horizon had only the sky.. The sky and a very small black dot. Narrowing her eyes and raising an arm to block out the sun, she was trying to confirm exactly what it was. Curious. It seemed to be a rowboat? Awkward, why would a rowboat be out on open sea all by itself? It didn't make much sense to Hisui, and she had become quite curious..

[cremuex]

Santa Barbados was quite the picturesque island and most of it's inhabitants seemed relaxed and laid back, even in the bustling trade port. A white lace parasol slowly spun about as the handle was twirled idly, the owner of such was a tourist, though the white flowing sundress and sandals seemed to fit in perfectly with the other more relaxed inhabitants, the only notable difference being that she wore a white cardigan over her dress. The day seemed like a pleasant one for a walk; the soft cooling breeze from the south blue helping to end off the sticky feeling brought about by the humidity of the island. There was always the threat of rain on Cinna Island, but today was holding up rather well and there were plenty of shops to duck into should the weather change.

She couldn't quite remember if it was her or her traveling partner that suggested that they go to Cinna Island- she had heard of it for it's rather famous sugar cane industry but she had never imagined actually going there. The woman's arm was wrapped around the young bald man's in an almost elegant manner- that is, until she noticed a stall selling famed Cinna Island street treats and realised that they hadn't eaten since breakfast. Her blue eyes begging the photographer to try some new sweets.

"Zen! Would you like some lunch? Or a drink?" She asked in a cheerful soft tone, "I think sweet little Kilmister here would appreciate it too~ She smiled softly at the absolutely adorable rodent that had made itself fast friends among the two person (and now one lemming) crew. She wasn't sure how much sugar cane a lemming was allowed to have, but it was a treat and they were on vacation.

As they got closer to the vendor she noticed that they had some fried sugar cane pulp, inquiring as to how it was made to look so fluffy and cloud like. She handed a note of berri to the vendor, enough to pay for whatever Zenit had a taste for, some drinks and the fried sugar cane pulp. Taking their things on a tray to sit under a shaded umbrella located partially towards the beach, with gorgeous views of the ocean between the palm trees.

It wasn't her dream sweets island, but it was damn close. Before they left she would need to get her hands on some recipes and some of the sugar they had so she could experiment with it herself. She wasn't fond of spices, sour or bitter things, but she wasn't sure if Zenit was and being a cook, it meant that she was eager to please her crew food wise however she could.

The mood of crowd around them seemed to shift, her ears only catching a strain of whatever conversation had alarmed people. Something about pirates and not needing to be afraid. The girl bit her bottom lip and looked at her traveling companion and his lemming. The islands protector, it seemed, was neither with the marines, nor the royal guard based solely upon her dress and speech. She grew up around seafarers, which included pirates, so her response was of less fear then those around her, but she could still sense the tension in the air. One of the members of the crowd whispering to their friend to ask who the hell she was, but the stunned silence made it more audible then they might have originally intended.

[viruswithshoes]

Exploring the world to take interesting photographs had been Zenit Basqiat's dream but it wasn't until he reached Santa Barbados on Cinna Island that he realized his dream would entail things like danger and the unknown. Suddenly the world seemed large and intimidating and he felt like a small kid from Pirate's Market. He was still in his native South Blue and still felt pensive. Part of that was due to leaving Blue Sonja, his sniper rifle back on the ship.

One of those unknowns that cost Zenit a measure of sleep walked radiantly in front of him sampling the local delicacies. It only took one date for Cremuex Levier to convince Zenit to travel with her. Perhaps it was her beauty or the fact that she showed a tiny amount of interest in him but Zenit felt compelled to go lest he waste his youth taking photos for a tabloid magazine.
Still, travelling out to sea seemed like a huge step and one he might not be ready for.
"Zen! Would you like some lunch? Or a drink?"
Suddenly, Zenit's worries were forgotten.

Cremuex was the first person to every refer to Zenit as 'Zen' which he liked. It was a term of endearment, it was what friends did and it felt nice to have a friend. It certainly didn't hurt that Zenit had made an extremely attractive female friend.
With Lemming Kilmister tucked into the pocket of the white button-up shirt Zenit wore over a black tee shirt Zenit sped up a little to match Cremuex's pace. Some of her excitement had rubbed off and he had temporarily forgotten that he was in a strange place with only one gun.
He ordered two grilled eel skewers and one bright red slushy drink which almost crossed the one from very sweet to way too sweet. The eel on the other hand tasted good with just a hint of sweetness but not overdone. The wary sniper had assumed they even loaded down their eel heavily with sugar. It made Zenit wonder if his new friend knew how to make grilled eel but declined to ask. He was already a freeloader on her ship and it seemed the height of rudeness to request something specific to eat.

Life seemed to get in the way of Zenit's navel-gazing as the people around the port began to murmber and oddly enough he saw what looked like a young girl scurrying up a pole where a ship was moored. A ninja? A squirrel-girl devil fruit user? Part of Zenit was curious enough to ask and equally curious about what she might see from her vantage point.

The coward in Zenit wanted to move away from the danger while the photographer inside of him wanted a clear view of it. Kilmister, the lemming in the his pocket squealed as the photographer part of Zenit Jormungandr Basqiat took over. Using the milky dials inside of his new boots Zenit created a series of temporary steps to quickly reach the top of another pole near the mysterious, possible squirrel girl.
Even if Zenit's boots allowed him the ability to reach high places he did not possess the agility and balance to sit atop a pole. He merely clung to the top for dear life

Before he could think of any sort of small talk to make Zenit zoomed his vision in and took a photograph of a man in a rowboat. Then he slipped a bit and felt it safer to slowly shimmy down.
"It must be a really scary rowboat," he said with a shrug. Panting and aching from the cimb up and down Zenit vowed to leave climbing to squirrels and ninja.

[Konaa]

His arms bent and pulled, the simple motion intimately familiar to him after so many years. In and out, back and forth. The rhythm of rowing a small, fragile boat to the shore was a long-practiced skill for him.  It had always been his preferred role - taking the boat alone or with just a partner, scouting the shores to mark targets and watch guard patrols...Quiet, contemplative time away from the hustle and bustle of the ship served Shinn perfectly.  After all, he'd never considered even half of that crew to be his comrades.  It had been all he could do to hold himself back from striking out at the people who had stolen his pride and his family's blade with it.

Yet here he was now, alive and well - And those who had wronged him could not say the same.  It had given him a new lease on life in many ways.  Without the past to burden him, those unseemly grudges needn't sully the purpose of his blade any further.

It was of course, at least an hour before he put ashore, from the distance he'd started at.  Vaguely, as he heaved the paddles in, Shinn was aware of hushed voices coming from the shoreline.  Raising his head, he saw several Cinnan natives observing him warily.  The young pirate maintained eye contact...And it didn't last long, the men turning their heads away.  He did have a rather intense way of staring at others.

The boat finally came to a bobbing stop by Santa Barbados' wooden pier - Shinn taking a standing leap up onto the platform, to the startled surprise of those around him.  Letting his cloak drape around him and keeping a hand flat on the hilt of his katana, the young swordsman started forward, taking slow deliberate steps toward the rest of the town.

While he certainly had a ragged appearance, there was a sense of composure and dignity about him that the common sea rat simply lacked.  The way he carried himself implied a certain sort of confidence in his ability to use the sword at his hip - a firm stride, posture upright and alert.

Of course, his eyes were moving constantly - he wasn't concealing the fact that he was observing this town and everything he could take in about it.  Shinn regarded Santa Barbados as he proceeded...it was a beautiful place, to be honest.  The green hills of Cinna Island rising above the buildings added to the sense of prosperity, the palm trees adding onto that.  It was the sort of isle one would wish to visit for vacation.

It was certainly livelier than Pirate's Market, or anywhere else he'd been in the past - especially Shinn's native Viktas.  Still, there was little to no reaction on his face himself as he went.  It added to the sense of unease he gave those around him...Someone this quiet and well armed likely meant nothing but trouble.  And yet, he wasn't harassing anyone.  Any hapless Cinnan who stumbled out of his path wasn't even given anything more than an aside glance.

As he stood atop the harbor's outcrop, looking over the piers, it was impossible to miss the buzz in the crowd around him.  Already, the word "pirates" was on the lips of the citizen here.  They must have been spotted on their way inside.  No doubt the captain would be furious to learn of such a thing - After all the painstaking steps he took to make it here and launch a surprise attack on this poorly defended village.

It made little difference to Shinn, though.  Even as they spoke of the very ship he'd come along with, there was no shame or panic upon his face.  Turning about and looking upward on a whim...he spotted a curious figure atop a wooden pole, quite a ways in the air.  A lookout...?  She'd have to have incredible agility to scale such a thing.  There was a different figure - this one a man, on a nearby pole.  He was holding a strange device in his hand - oh, right, a "camera."

Unlike the woman, though, he didn't have the look of a warrior.  Shinn stared up at the dark haired Wano warrior boldly, the hint of a smile appearing on his lips.  Somehow, he doubted she was a native.  No ceremonial guard and not a Marine killing time in this soft posting.  She didn't fit with what he knew about the island at all.

If Shinn had any intention of relaying information back to the crew waiting in the wings, that would absolutely be the first thing he noted.  Unfortunately for them, he'd only agreed to help sail the ship, and attack the island at the same time.  It was their own fault for not understanding that he had little respect for them or their greed.

The treasure he hunted was of a far more elusive nature than any spoils.

Flicking his eyes over toward the interior of the town once more, he noticed a third figure...a blonde woman, sitting under an umbrella just a few feet away from him.  After a moment's deliberation, he took a step toward her and opened his mouth.

"Where do I go to find the Marine base?"  His voice was curt and to the point, with no niceties.  Yet it was oddly soft...There was no real menace to his tone.  As far as Cremuex could likely tell, Shinn was simply asking for directions.

[Fluffy Lynx]

WORD COUNT: 864

TAGGED: @lynx

TAGGED:

Slowly rocking its way across the waves, the little rowboat with a single person was edging its way into the port. Hisui's eyes were locked entirely on this individual, at least for a few moments. Behind her, from another of the poles, she heard a strange clicking sound. Turning her head, without losing her balance what-so-ever, the pair of ice-blue eyes staring directly at the man, who seemed to find it cumbersome to maintain a position like her own. The girl wasn't entirely sure what cameras were or how they functioned. For a moment she just sat there staring, as the other shimmied down. It didn't appear to be some kind of secret weapon, and even if it was, it had been directed at the rowboat and not her. So after giving Zen a deathglare, her attention returned to the man in the rowboat who had now reached port. There were some traits over his appearance that reminded the girl of home, of Wano. Yet, the way he was carrying himself, the way he was approaching the situation and the harbor, was much unlike how she'd have seen her brethren. Biting her lower lip, the way he was carrying himself was like a predator. It was much akin to a condor or vulture flying over a soon-to-be carcass looking for the most delicious strips of meat. Searching for something. It was strange for the girl to really explain if she was to be asked, but her intuition was telling her that there was trouble. A fishing boat spotting a pirate ship, and now a lone rowboat entering port from open sea. It was enough to warrant an investigation, so Hisui stuck to her first assessment when she had seen the rowboat on open waters. Keep an eye out. Grasping the top of the pole with a hand, she silently slid down the pole to land on the wooden docks. The smile which this stranger had given her was, quite frankly, creepy. Resting her hands on either hip, by her weapons, she would slowly stroll towards the outsider. From a distance, she could just barely hear the question that was being posed. 

"Where do I go to find the Marine base?"

Before the blonde woman could really respond to his question, Jade intervened. There were a good five to ten steps between the two individuals as she did so. The tone in which she spoke was direct, but not overly offensive. Afterall, the tiny girl had no real evidence to support the fact that he was here to cause trouble. It was just too fishy, and on her own honor and homeland, she couldn't let something potentially dangerous slide by her hawk eyes. "State your affairs. With pirates out at sea, you arriving from open sea in a rowboat is slightly suspicious. Do that and I may escort you to the marine base myself." Staring the man down, she was clearly walking a fine line between being highly mannered and respectful, but also openly declaring that there was something fishy about the whole situation. It was important for her to also attempt not and get any civillians mixed up in the little exchange. The more she could have this stranger focus on her, if he indeed was a bad guy, could be beneficial down the line. Nodding and smiling to the blonde, Hisui was taking charge of the situation, despite being extremely small compared to most, especially the dockworkers.

[cremuex]

"It must be a really scary rowboat." her bald companion said with a shrug after gradually sliding himself back down the pole that he'd climbed for a better view. She knew that he wasn't the most physical of blokes, but she was still impressed that he'd managed to hold on that well without just falling on his backside. What had struck her curiosity most was that somehow he'd come into possession of milky dials, wondering briefly if he had any other dials or if he wanted to try any of her dials that were in her backpack which she'd left in the Sweets Delight.

"Couldn't get a view?" she asked as she sipped her ice cold drink from it's straw, the decorative umbrella cementing in her mind the holiday vibe. She didn't know what distance his Pasha Pasha no mi powers were limited to, so she automatically assumed that whatever it was was quite a fair distance away, ignoring the murmur of the crowd.

After a while the crowd dispersed itself, some looking deliberately away from a particular individual, which made her take even more notice of them- we're they important to this island? Like how people don't look directly at Celestial Dragons? He yielded a katana, it was possible that he had something to do with the individual that had given Zenit the idea to try to balance on a pole in the first place. He didn't look very impressive, a bit cocky possibly, but truly nothing to fear.

A hushed silence fell as people watched him from their peripherals as they went about their day as casually as they could, though it was noticeable in their movements that they weren't comfortable with the man being there.

"Where do I go to find the Marine base?" the ragged man asked, presumably to her as he stood a few steps away, but still at a respectful distance.

Her face froze, not from the icy drink but from trying to remember if she had any idea where it was. Despite her appearance, she wasn't a local, and hadn't thought to check out any naval bases- just the usual tourist attractions. She had no reason to go to a marine base.

Cremuex was also naive and trusting to a fault; Always eager to help in any way that she could. He hadn't given her any reason to not help them, they hadn't harmed anyone and she wasn't the type of believe that even if he was a pirate that he was bad just from their occupation. She'd met plenty of people that were pirates just to make ends meet or to provide for their family. And who knows, they might have just wanted to visit a friend that was a marine.

She lifted her hand to her mouth, pointing towards a tavern that might be able to better give him directions and was cut off from a feminine voice-

"State your affairs. With pirates out at sea, you arriving from open sea in a rowboat is slightly suspicious. Do that and I may escort you to the marine base myself."

Her eyes followed the sound and saw the individual that had scaled the pole was standing only a few feet to her side. The girls eyes were narrowed on the man, almost as a warning. She'd seen that look before. That tone of voice. Fran had used it whenever she wanted someone to know that they should tread lightly because she had their eye on them. The small girl seemed to fit the protective stoic hero trope quite well. The questions they'd asked sounded like they were some sort of authority- like an officer, something that demanded to be respected.

Her ice blue eyes then met Cremuex's own bright baby blues and gave her a curt nod, her smile spoke something of a kind calmness, not unfriendly and definitely held no threat to her. It was almost a stark juxtaposition between the look that the man received. She couldn't help but smile back under the assumed protection of the much younger warrior. Something about them reminded her of a tornado- fierce, dangerous, but calm and directed at it's center.

Her lips made a small 'bop' sound as she closed her slightly agape jaw. She could feel the tension but she couldn't figure out if it was safer to stay and defuse any possible situation, or if she should follow the sniper's well practiced tactic of getting the hell out of there. Still, she didn't have her backpack or her dials, not bringing anything besides her wallet for their midday walk. Her eyes scanned for a shiny head and found it quickly, most of the towns folk taking the hint to move inside and as far away as they could, like some stand off in an old western. She rolled her shoulders back in a shrug. She didn't know what she was doing and moving after someone had just spoken to her seemed like it would draw more attention to her. At least Zen and Lemming Kilmister were safe, and that was a relief.

[viruswithshoes]

If there was a sexy way to slide down a pole Zenit had not found it and doubted its' very existence. He landed with a thud which jostled the lemming in his pocket who squeaked in annoyance. Zenit himself squeaked from his landing, though he hoped it was inaudible as it was less cute than what emanated from his pet lemming, Kilmister.
"Couldn't get a view?"
When Cremuex put it that way Zenit felt like he could have put more effort into staying on the pole like the nina/squirrel girl had. It was an old story, he was only bold enough to get himself into trouble but not enough to take any advantage.
"N-no. Bad...lighting," he said, grabbing at any errant excuse to cover up his lack of skill in photography, the one thing he was supposed to be good at.

The self-inflicted disappointment soon turned to exasperation when the man from the boat came into a view that didn't require devil fruit-boosted sight. The bald photographer's exasperation was due to the woman he was starting to consider his friend and possible Captain going out of her way to be friendly and helpful to a total stranger.
Typically, Zenit didn't care if someone talked to strangers and became embroiled in their affairs. Typically, he didn't rely on these people for transportation and food.

"State your affairs. With pirates out at sea, you arriving from open sea in a rowboat is slightly suspicious. Do that and I may escort you to the marine base myself."
Zenit immediately liked this young lady and not only because he got used to looking up at people, having to look down was a quite a novelty. With a blink he immediately took a mental photograph of the girl with the two wakizashi as a reminder of someone who saved him a little bit of hassle. He didn't intend on learning her name but her image would live in his memory forever.
"Well, looks like everything is fine here, Miss Crem. Let's go see if they have tiny straw hats for Kilmister."

The lemming in question squeaked as it did when it sensed trepidation in Zenit which made him wish he had turned the former pirate pet in for it's twenty beri bounty. Maybe mice made better companions than lemmings.
Zenit leaned toward the pretty, blonde woman who seemed compelled to help despite the trouble it might cause.
"The ninja squirrel can handle it and I learned that it's best to avoid Marines and people looking for Marines. It can only be something bad, right?"

[Konaa]

What a passive individual.  Truth be told, Shinn bore Cremuex no ill will, and there was a continued lack of hostility in his posture and expression as he waited for her answer.  At a glance, though, he started to wonder if it was the right idea asking someone clearly not native to the place.  Like him, she was evidently a stranger to these parts.  Unsurprisingly, she seemed to be about to direct him to some place where he could find directions.

That was when things finally got interesting.

The woman keeping a close vigil over the harbor had approached him from the side.  Cocking his head over in her direction, the blonde was more or less forgotten as he turned to face her, seeming a little more...energized by the confrontation of a clear warrior.  Even so, this time he did not smile, his gaze standoffish and challenging.

"My affairs are my own.  I don't care to tell you." he replied simply, moving a hand to rest on the hilt of his sword with no sense of subtlety whatsoever.  His eyes met hers unblinkingly.  Her fighting style was evidently different from his, but there was an air of experience around her.  Promising.

Of course, the ship had already been spotted...What a rank amateur that captain was.  This expedition likely wouldn't end well for any of that half baked crew.  What an interesting challenge this could turn out to be.  Most people should feel some sense of dread at the prospect of discovery - Shinn was vaguely aware that something was very, very wrong with him...to feel such a shiver, not of fear, but of anticipation at the prospect of a one sided clash.

After all, what was the purpose of life if you didn't continue to challenge yourself?  A half-baked challenge was only an insult to everyone involved.

"I don't have any interest in that ship.  Their goals and mine are concluded.  But - " Here that smile appeared again, his hand tightening on the hilt of his sword.

"I'm a pirate, alright.  If you have a problem with that, I expect you know how to settle this."

A stunned silence surrounded the area - any onlookers still present lost their courage at such a blatant, hostile challenge.  They began to shuffle away, and not slowly.  Pretty soon there was a wide berth with the two warriors facing off.  All the better.  The spectators would've just gotten in the way.

Preemptively, Shinn's hand twitched upward, the first inch of his blade emerging from its scabbard.  Eyes dead on the woman across from him, he seemed fully ready to clash with her before her response had even come, as if this had been all he wanted.  The air was thick with tension...

Before a sharp, growing whistling cut through it.

That sound was familiar to him.  Instinctively, he leaped backward, an explosion rocking the ground just a few yards away from where the two were standing.  Another shrill whistle - jerking his head to the side, he saw several black shapes hurtling towards the island.  The ship was in full mast, careening toward Cinna Island as fast as the wind could take her, the greed-filled cries of the pirates already echoing across the open water.

Whereas before the scene was tense and slow - now, chaos ruled.  The natives of the town reacted much as one might expect, with panic and screams resounding everywhere.  It was too late to stop this now.

[Fluffy Lynx]

WORD COUNT: 864

TAGGED: @lynx

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Standing there cautiously, the girl wasn't even currently holding onto the hilts of her weapons. In fact, there was nothing threathening about her demeanor. The way that she was approaching him was out of complete professionalism, and with the clear intention of keeping everything calm and collected. There wasn't a single reason for her to attempt and pick a fight. In fact, for the most part, the girl loathed being forced to draw her weapons, since that was the ultimate sign that diplomatic attempts had ceased. Diplomacy was the girls favored weapon in most circumstances. When things got messy however, Jade certainly wasn't opposed to taking a more direct approach. The other was staring her down as if he was inspecting his coming meal. The way he was posturing himself, holding onto the hilt of his blade. There was no doubt about it, he was preparing himself for offense. Yet what met him wasn't the eyes of prey. There wasn't a single shred of fear within the young teenager. Instead he faced an icecold stare, as her own hands slowly found way down to her dual wakizashi. In a tone that spoke to her of arrogance and confidence, the other declared that he had no intentions of sharing his motivations for being there. This reponse caused her fingers to tighten their grip around the hilt. Slowly her feet positioned themselves to let her effortlessly enter a stance. Bent slightly forwards to allow the widest possible draw - and the quickest. The air between them was definitely tense, yet it had no bearing on her. The girls breath was calm, short and cold. It seemed at any moment that she was capable of holding her breath to unleash a furious and vicious attack. The moment that her wrist started to move however, she got distracted. A whistling sound cut through the air, as she could identify it getting closer. The other leapt backwards, and Jade was aiming to pursue. The cannonball however struck down into the ground immediately between the two of them. Holding her arms in front of her face, she was forced to retreat, as dirt and stone was thrown in every which direction. For a moment it would've likely seemed as if she had been struck, but soon she found herself besides the two civilians. There was dirt and small stones littered across her cloth, as she brushed herself off, watching her new enemy running off into the distance. There was absolutely no way that she could allow him to freely rampage. At the same time, she didn't feel like she could leave these two civilians on their own.

"I intend to apprehend the criminal. If you two wish to stay safe, I suggest you follow me to the best of your ability. Otherwise I cannot guarantee your safety."

With the message conveyed, the little shinobi girl started her forwards movement, following the steps left behind by her opponent. Despite the fact that he had made some distance between them, she was more than capable of tracking him a small distance. Blades at the ready, she was going to teach him a harsh lesson about piracy. Preferably she could leave him alive, maybe claim his bounty, as she handed him over to the local authorities. As far as she could tell, she wouldn't need to eliminate him. He simply didn't seem dangerous enough to warrant such extreme measures.

[cremuex]

She was completely distracted for a few moments at the prospect of going shopping for miniatures hats for the little rodent. Her face beaming with childish glee as she jumped up from her chair to fawn over the photographer's charming little pet, which gave a anxious squeak. She thought it was adorable how the two interacted, almost as though they mirrored each other or reflected each other feelings. Though seeing Zenit nervous wasn't exactly a rare occurrence and it seemed to almost be one of his default states.

She raised an eyebrow as to where 'squirrel' had come from, but she supposed that the rest was true. While she didn't have a problem with marines, or those seeking them, she couldn't help but feel there was a reason behind Zenit's decision to stay out of it.

The tension only seemed to increase when the man made it clear that he had no interest in explaining himself to a stranger, though his words betrayed him when he stated that he had concluded his business with them, and that he was a pirate. This alone wasn't concerning, there were plenty of pirates out in the world, what DID bother her though, was his eagerness to draw a weapon and the look that he gave the young warrior.

A ringing cut through the air as something hurtled from the ocean, the crew of the larger ship that the stranger had come from deciding to make it's presence known, though less dramatically than their captain may have hoped for, as most of the civilians had already gone about locking themselves inside for their own protection, hoping that whatever would be raided would spare them their lives. As the cannonball made impact with the pavement it blew up a screen of dust, broken pieces of stone flicking up at them from the small crater left behind. The dirt was slow to settle and before her stood the silhouette of their protector, standing strong and tall, ice blue eyes piercing through the dust and locked onto her target.

The ninja lass brushed herself free of the fragments of earth that carelessly found themselves upon her clothes and armor, only appearing even more amazing with how cool, calm and collected they were. She shot a look to her bald companion, at least his goggles would have protected him from any stray fragments that were kicked up. She was obviously in awe of the others power and obviously wanted to follow her, if not for temporary protection, then just to see her continue to be an incredible fighter.

Crem grabbed onto Zenit's arm, urging him to go with her and follow the warrior lass. Surely he wouldn't turn down safety.

"Are you ok to run Zen? We should probably get out of here before more people land." Her demure behavior returning. No matter what was to happen, savior or not, she was sticking by his side, even if the other girl was much more impressive.

[viruswithshoes]

At that moment in time cannon fire ceased to be an abstract concept to Zenit Basqiat. While the force of the impact merely left him horizontal with some sand in his face and a ringing in his ears, the ball of iron's potential was not lost on him.

His mother, a former Marine, once answered his question about cannon fire in gruesome detail. How some of the lucky recipients of a cannon volley were instantly turned into a red paste while the less fortunate suffered in agony from shrapnel or merely the ball rolling over their foot. Strong people could swat cannon balls away like they were fatigued mosquitoes but Zenit knew that he was the type of person who would probably faint in the presence of such a person. He wanted to run. Desperately.
Luckily, his captain and friend Cremuex was better at processing danger than her sharpshooting subordinate and grabbed him by the arm.
"Are you ok to run Zen? We should probably get out of here before more people land."

Running was something Zenit was more than okay with, it had just become his raison d'etre. He checked his pocket for his pet lemming and double-checked to see if the arm the pretty blonde Captain had grabbed him with was still attached to a torso.
The fact that those thoughts were secondary filled Zenit with some shame but not much. He kept pace with Cremuex while holding her arm in something of a three-legged-man race of fear.

Zenit spied Jade out of the corner of his watering eye and noticed that she ran towards danger while others ran away. As a man who required such people in his life in order to stay alive Zenit knew a protector when he saw one. People like that were tricky, according to his experience, they were either ones to stay close to or far away from. He often depended on the protection of strangers but wasn't so naive to think such people survived long.

More cannon fire erupted prompting further grim scenarios in Zenit's head like surviving as only a torso forcing Kilmister to become his arms and legs. It seemed like a lot of put on one tiny lemming. Then he wondered who Cremuex would find to accompany her and the thought of her sailing with some other man upset him more than the prospect of whittling his own wooden limbs using only his teeth. He imagined a taller, better looking sniper who didn't panic under canon fire.

A feeling in Zenit's gut told him that the pirates would be coming ashore soon. He didn't bother to zoom his vision towards the ship to back up this fear because his pessimism had never failed him before. He wished he had his rifle. He wished his older brother was around to take care of these pirates with the slightly annoyed expression we wore almost constantly. Mostly, Zenit wished he himself were both braver and stronger than he was.

The canon fire had indeed stopped which made Zenit ponder what was the worse death. Death by cannonball or death by pirate. When he zoomed in his vision to take a photo of the pirate ship he noticed several boats being lowered and wondered if being slashed with a cutlass hurt more or worse than being shot with an impact round or stabbed with a stiletto.

He gripped the hand of his Captain and kept running despite his aching muscles and burning lungs.

[cremuex]

Canon fire drastically changed whatever thoughts she previously had on this particular bunch of pirates; Any innocence they might have been able to plea of just wanting to resupply or take some r&r from a long voyage was clearly not their intention. Stocking up on food and alcohol didn't require catapulting heavy lead balls at a civilian township. It didn't take longer than a second for her to change her position to being a little more than pissed at them as her mind busied itself with whatever strategies would help her adapt to the situation at hand.

While the pirates were obviously the biggest problem, her concern was more on the ballistics that could tear apart houses and possibly kill whoever was inside. Common folk that were just trying to make their way through life were stuck cowering behind locked doors reinforced with furniture, huddled together with make shift weapons and children crying and screaming into their parents arms. An unnecessary loss of life was one of the few things that could actually make her act in a more volatile manner.

There was a marine base on the island and surely they would show up to defend the people and fight back the ravenous pirates. Even if she had one of her dendens it would do her no good without a number to get in contact with the navy. All they could hope for is that the canon fire was loud enough to garner the attention of whatever force was on the island.

While the swordswoman was intent on following this one individual pirate, she couldn't help but think she could be of more use to gather reinforcements that were trained in how to deal with marauders. The warrior was a much swifter runner than herself and a few meters distanced the two tourists from the young teen.

An intersection met the trio in pursuit and Cremuex had long lost sight of the man they had met on the beach and was only following Jade at this point. She couldn't help but sense that they'd slipped away, though she could have just been waiting for the other two to catch up.

"Hey! We know they're looking for the marine base, and you said you know where that is- We might be able to cut them off if we go directly there." She advised with only a slight pause, showing that while she wasn't as exhausted as the photographer that had held onto her as they ran for dear life. She looked over at the bald man that was panting for breath.

He'd made it quite clear that he didn't like marines, or those that would associate with them, but a platoon of marines wouldn't go unwanted, and if it was a trick to get them to lead the pirate to the base they would still have numbers on their side- not to mention weapons. Even if she could protect the both of them, she couldn't protect the entire town, or the island for that matter.

"They could also alert the royal guard. Even if the classes are separate, they still need people to work the fields. We have to get help, there's no way you can do this all on your own." It wasn't that she doubted the girl, or her abilities, it was more that it was too much of a burden to put on someone, much less a stranger that they'd just met- well, technically they hadn't even met yet. In all the excitement introductions seemed to have slipped away.

The sound in the air had changed, almost growing more warm as the noise changed for sobbing and screams to hearty laughter and menacing shouts that could only be taken as threats to rip the place apart for all it was worth. She didn't need to look behind her at the beach to know that they'd already arrived. Time seemed to have moved a lot quicker when they were running after the lone stranger. He said that his business with them was concluded, but something told her that the dual sword wielder had reason to doubt this. It was entirely possible that she was after them for more information, but the time for that had vanished before it came to bare fruit.

Another whistling sound and the cracking of wood as one of the shore front stores exploded outward. Her features were stunned into a blank expression and only her eyes held what could be considered the first hint of fear in her demeanor. The ship had crew in the town and they were still opening fire. They didn't care if some of their own died. They didn't care.

Then the realization hit her, jarring her out of her paralysis. Anything worth fighting for, one day or another, requires fighting for.

She didn't have any of her dials, or her net, or anything resembling a weapon, but she would be damned if she wasn't going to fight her hardest for Zenit. This stranger was taking up arms to protect them, the least she could do was support them.

[Konaa]

For such a sudden attack, the Marine response was impressive. Already, the ringing of an alarm from the base over the town's hill was echoing down toward the docks. Shinn's keen hearing picked it up, at the very least, using it as a guiding force for leading him out of the haze of smoke that the cannonfire had picked up.

Coughing slightly, he emerged into the sunlight once more, looking out over the chaos of the scene. Why they had chosen to attack already was beyond him. Granted, it wasn't altogether surprising. That captain and his men hadn't exactly struck him as the most patient of sorts. They were motivated by greed and a desire to end their effort as quickly as possible. What a farce.

Calmly, he strode forward as the whir and den of the melee started to reach up past the beach into the streets of the city. Panicking, a local man fell over backward only a few yards ahead, shuffling back on hands and feet as one of the rogues from the ship leered menacingly, raising her cutlass. His screams of mercy were not going to illicit anything from the scoundrel, that much was clear.

Shinn's steps were soft, but his speed wasn't anything to laugh at. In what seemed like only a few moments, he had closed the gap between him and the pirate, blade drawn and catching the other's cutlass in a lock. Staring, the woman growled with shock and confusion at the sight of the one in her way.

"You!? But you're on our side!"

Calmly gripping the hilt, Shinn's cold gray eyes met her in response, contempt and bloodlust shining through.  It was the sort of look that could chill one to the bone.  It was utterly lacking in mercy, much the same as how she had been observing her quarry but a moment earlier.  It wasn't as if they were particularly different when it came to the willingness to inflict harm on others.

The difference was of motivation.

With a sudden and lightning quick move, Shinn's hand shifted its grip, a sudden influx of strength smashing the other blade out of the way.  With a dawning inevitability that almost seemed in slow motion to victim and assailant alike, the katana descended downward.  The force used was kicking up the wind - it almost seemed to howl around them.

"Minuano!"

A straight cut - from shoulder to hip.  The pirate collapsed with a gurgling, wordless cry, collapsing into the ground with no fight left in her.  A few moments of silence passed, Shinn's head turning about to view the still cowering civilian who was slowly rising to his feet.  He froze once more under the young swordsman's stare.

"No chance you were feigning weakness?"

With a whimpering shout, the man turned tail and stumbled away as fast as his trembling legs could take him, away from the chaos of the battle.  With a sigh, Shinn watched him go for a moment, before turning his head back toward the beach.

Almost certainly right at the pursuing Wano woman and her helpers.  It wasn't as if he'd gone particularly far.  They might well have witnessed the "duel," if you could call it that.

[viruswithshoes]

Zenit was almost positive that he would spend the rest of his life putting up with the ringing in his ears that currently plagued him. "The Tinnitus Terror" he could imagine cruel children naming him behind his back, a nickname he'd never clearly hear from all the ringing taking place in his ears. Other cruel names came to mind. "Zenitus. Fearless Earless. The Guy Who Needed Some Sort of Cone To Hear Stuff."
He assumed that his future bullies would be more clever than he was.

He felt the muscles in Cremuex's arm tighten which managed to increase his fear to an even greater degree. In the language of muscles it said something about sudden determination. He'd felt it before while clinging to his big brother who fought most of his battles for him growing up. Though he assumed that his new Captain's close quarter combat skills surpassed his own there was a part of him that suddenly was not okay with her fighting alone. Perhaps he was smitten, perhaps her blonde hair, blue eyes and fair skin reminded him of his older brother but despite his aching muscles and burning lungs he picked up his pace and for some reason that eluded him pulled his revolver from his shoulder holster. He held his precious firearm by the barrel and pointed the handle to Cremuex. This would mark her as the first person other than Zenit's mother, Sarin Basqiat, to hold his precious Gin Hime with his permission.
"Be nice to her. She's a princess. She has six rounds," he tried to shout over the chaos.

Zenit was now left with only a stiletto, an impact dial and a pair of boots that created small clouds to walk upon, none of which he was entirely comfortable with using to defend himself. Using his boots to climb a pole had been challenging enough.

The bald photographer was looking to everywhere except for where the most danger was. He found himself ripped from Cremuex's touch and eating sand when a pirate with brown teeth and a four-pronged beard tackled him from behind. Zenit beat himself up mentally before the man could do so physically. The physical beating came half a second later with the first of several punches to Zenit's face.

His round sunglasses were now just elastic straps around his ears and shards of dark glass embedded in his cheeks, exposing his black, lens-like eyes. His father likened them to the eyes of a shark or a vicious sea serpent but meant that in the most complimentary manner, as Croin Basqiat did when he compared anyone or anything to a sea creature. That exposure of his one of Zenit's least favorite attributes momentarily made him forget that he was currently being punched into oblivion and stuck out his left hand which sported an impact dial strapped to the palm. That was one punch that Zenit didn't feel.

He desperately extended his left arm to activate the impact dial and deliver the same kinetic force of that punch into the bearded pirate's throat but couldn't reach. What should have been a fight ending blow ended up an angry pirate choking for a short time instead of an unconscious one.

His face wet with blood and tears, Zenit pleaded for Cremuex.
"Run! Um, you know...please."