Faceoff, DEFEAT THE BUTTERFLY CLAN!

[.::Haseo On The Clouds::.]

The wind was dying down as Haseo's ship finally docked onto Bliss Island. It had been a long and annoying ride but it was worth it. For his crew to strive he would need all the money he could get. "Okay Cross, we're here....ready to get the show started for the grand entrance?" Haseo's face was totally serious yet calm and collected. "Well either way, ready or not, we're turning them in alive..." He hissed as he jumped off his ship and began to sprint at the Butterfly Clan terriotory.

At first everything seemed quiet nothing but the laughter of his men. Then came the rustle and the sparkle as his magical butterfly dust signaled that somebody was approaching. "WELL WELL MY DARLINGS IT SEEMS THAT THOSE FOLKS HAVEN'T QUITE UNDERSTOOD OUR O'L MESSAGE!" The head Butterfly laughed as he stood up from his crouched position. "LETS GO TEACH THEM ONE DANDY MESSAGE!"

Haseo couldn't believe his eyes. The area was completely.....uhhhhhh. There were bloody butterflys around the zone and the ship was one giant butterfly with wings and a butterfly head. "Uhhhh....blahhhh....horrible taste....." Haseo puked (DIDN'T ACTUALLY PUKE). Haseo turned to find a group of the clan looking at Haseo and Cross from above. "GRACEFUL DIVING!" They all yelled as they flew at rapid speeds towards Haseo and Cross. They left like fairy dust behind them as they dived. "Blah like I said....horrible taste..." Haseo muttered as he punched one butterfly clan member, knocking them into another one. Then the dust seemed to stick onto Haseo. "What the?" He questioned as the dust exploded..."Owww that hurt..." He muttered again as he appeared unhurt. "Good thing m body is strong....whew it stings..."

[Renegade]

Cross silently follows Haseo off the ship, a bored look in his eyes. Haseo had convinced him to come to the island and help him defeat a man with a bounty on his head. Cross had never really been one for bounty hunting, but he was starting to run out of money and this seemed to be a decently easy way to make some. Adjusting the large sword on his shoulder he looks out over the shore at the man with the butterfly mask on his face. He didn't seem all that tough, but Cross was never on to judge a man by their appearance. Those kinda of thoughts were the kind that got you killed.

Glancing over at Haseo again he tells him with a wide grin, "Let's take these bad boys out nice and quick. That way we can go back and celebrate with some drinks."

His excitement growing with the thought, he pulls his sword down hard on one of the butterfly men with a speed that was incredible for such a large weapon. He then turns and catches the release, breaking the buster sword into two smaller weapons. His arms flexing powerfully, Cross throws on of the swords at another butterfly man as he flies away. As the man drops on the ground dead, he walks over and retrieves the weapon, putting the two sword back together into one. "Well...," he says, grinning at Haseo, "Let's finish this fast, shall we?"

[.::Haseo On The Clouds::.]

Haseo watched with intrest as Cross used his buster blade and finished off some of the weaklings. He couldn't help but laugh as Cross eliminated them. "Wow so we're both quite similar..." Haseo laughed as he drew his own buster sword. In fact the two swords were shockingly similar. "Whoah....is it just me or are our swords like.....alike?" Haseo's face showed some intrest now. Anyways he swung his blade with amazing speed and finished off a diver. He too wielded the blade as if a feather. "Heh alright just one more of these weirdos left eh?" Haseo smiled as he stared at the remaining captain.

"OHHHH WELL WELL THAT WASN'T VERY NICE! YOU JUST WILLYWHACKED MY FELLOW BUTTERFLY FRIENDS! OHHHH THIS MAKES ME MAD....VERY VERY.....MAD!" The captain yelled as he bgean to spin with his sparkling dust and created an exploding tornado. It was huge about the size of Katrina (not really but I'm just saying that it's really big) and it was heading straight for them. The ground was being crushed and burned and the area was.....well destroyed.It was a chaotic mess.

"Crap....I thought he was another weakling....well lets go...."

[Kurosaki]

The Butterfly Captain was a graceful person. As he twirled around, creating more tornados as he went to try to blast away the two that threatened his new found power on this island, he practically seemed to dance. Leaping to the side with a gracefulness of a dancer, he landed on point and then twirled elegantly and came down on his feet again in the second dance position. A crew member of his acted as the crew's special effects person as he ran up behind him and threw some glitter up in the air behind the Captain.

Yes, this was the famed Mariposa. Mariposa and his men had been reaking havok on the calm island of Bliss for weeks now. Mostly they enjoyed themselves by tormenting passerbys and making off with their wallets. No, they weren't the baddest of the bad but they weren't good either.

"Ohhhh! I don't like mean-hearted people! Why can't we all just get along? We can dance to the moonlight! Yes, my fellow butterflies, show them the wonders of your beauty!" announced the Captain with a flourish of his arms his eyes twinkling behind the purple butterfly mask. "Ohhhh! If... If only my mother had thought of life the same way! Yes, I must spread the wonders of the butterfly clan around this blissful island!"

Then the serious look came. Another flourish of his arms and Mariposa pointed directly at Haseo with narrowed eyes.

"You who thinks only of violence and not the wonders of life will be punished!" Of course, Mariposa neglected the fact that he and his men were all theives that disrupted the peace on the island on a regular basis. Somehow, did these men think of themselves as Robin Hood-like characters? There seemed to be more going on to this story than had been evident on the surface.

[.::Haseo On The Clouds::.]

Haseo gave no reply as the butterfly captain danced like a silly little sissy. He didn't even twitch when he had called Haseo a "life hater". He merely placed his blade back behind his back and stood with his arms crossed. This bounty was essential to his own crew's survival, So far he had a small bounty, going up against a person with at least 10,000 single-handedly was a bit crazy....but nobody knew Haseo yet. "You see Mariposa....unlike you....I don't daydream everyday with beauty and stupid ideals of sillyness...." Haseo finally responded coldly as he stared Mariposa down. Yes this was Haseo.....when in battle he was cruel and superior. "I care for the well-being of my nakama......and you who calls me a life hater....you have no idea!" Haseo momentarily lost his control as he pounded the ground with his fist.

The earth rumbled as the rocks were sucked in by Mariposa's glittery tornado. The rocks began to tumble and fly around Mariposa as they were carried by his sheer power and the wind. Then he charged. "GANE GANE NO.......RAPID ASSAULT!" Haseo yelled out as he sent a barrage of super quick powerful fists, poundinjg at the rocks to fly at Mariposa. Yet the rocks were not his only target, the fists were also aimed directly at Mariposa himself.

Then he spun his body and jumped into the air directly above Mariposa, just out of the tornado's reach, and then crashed down with his most powerful move, "GANE GANE NO RIPPING!" Haseo roared as he spun and his body was like a sharp metal, he now had metal claws and he was spinning rapidly falling straight for Mariposa. "Your mine!"

[Kurosaki]

Mariposa practically growled at Haseo. What did this man know about beauty and ideals? If only he knew what Mariposa had been through he wouldn't be so proud of himself for his cruel and cold ways of going about things. Why was this person even here? To gain money for his nakama? Mariposa could actually laugh at that. His nakama were probably strong men and women capable of manual labor. Or at the very least, capable of normal lives.

Mariposa's mother on the other hand...

"Mari... That butterfly... Is so beautiful..." said an older lady as she stared blankly out the window from a limp state sitting in a chair. Mariposa, then without his mask looking like a normal everday worker, looked up and turned toward the window with a shocked look on his face. His mother hadn't spoken at all in over a year and then suddenly, she was speaking!

"Where, where do you see it?" Mariposa questioned as tears sprung to his eyes. Those black orbs searched the window but he didn't see the butterfly.

"It's so beautiful flying above the meadow like that... I wish I could fly with it, Mari."

Mariposa felt horror strike him. They were looking out at a very desolate looking yard. Nothing grew there and there was nothing special about it, let alone a meadow. Since he saw no butterfly his mother was seeing something that was not there.

"Yes... Yes, it is beautiful, mother." Mariposa turned to her and hugged her gently, tears streaming down his eyes as he did so.

"Oh, I have an idea," Mariposa responded coldly before rocks were picked up from the ground and sent in his direction. Shifting quickly, Mariposa narrowly avoided being crushed by the heavy rocks that were caught up in his tornado. As he landed, however, Haseo took that opportunity to come charging at him with a rapid assault using his fists.

The barrage landed because the butterfly man didn't have a chance to protect himself. Letting out a cry of pain with each blow, the clan leader then only barely managed to get pulled out of the way of Haseo's finishing move by one of his followers at the last minute.

"T-thank you, Chou," Mariposa stammered, sweaty and a little freaked out that he had almost met his end by this man that seemed to fixed in killing him though he knew nothing about him. A bounty hunter like this man could never understand what Mariposa was about, could he?

Turning back around, Mariposa faced him again.

"Ohhhhh, alright, I can see that you are a man that doesn't give up until he gets what he wants! Even though that isn't neccessarily what he needs out of life~! Well, I give you my word I will face you in a one on one fight. If you win you may happily turn me in for my bounty. However, my condition is this... You must not touch my men and let them all go free!"

There was an uproar from all thirty of the butterfly clan members.

"Ohhh, no, no! Don't fret. I must do this for you. Not only that, but who should take care of my dear Mother if we should all fall? Go! See to it that her life continues to be full of pure bliss because of you, my darlings!" Mariposa ordered before then turning toward Haseo. "Do you accept my dandy condition?"

[.::Haseo On The Clouds::.]

Haseo's expression slowly changed when he saw the look in Mariposa's eyes, he couldn't help but let his cruek expression fall. As a person Haseo was a nice guy, in battle he completely changed into a non-human being.....maybe that was what got him his bounty....either way maybe just this once....he should drop it. "Okay then Mariposa!" Haseo suddenly yelled out as he watched Mariposa's crew begin to leave. "I accept your DANDY condition....but I have a better idea.....how would you like to join my crew....after I turn you in? I'll turn you in and I'll break you out. Those are the conditions if I win." Haseo yelled out as he finally withdrew his buster sword.....his famed Executioners Blade.....it was a great honor to even witness it in action.

"Here we go!" Haseo roared before Mariposa could answer. He jumped into the air and threw his blade downwards, heading straight for Mariposa's chest, and even if he did dodge, the blade would retaliate like a bommerang and slice at his legs if he jumped foward, backwards, or sideways. His only options would be to counter or to jump up. Then haseo would crash down with his fist which was now in the shape of a giant metal ball. He swung down with strength just enough to ALMOST knock Mariposa straight out. "HERE!"

[Kurosaki]

Standing determindedly, Mariposa prepared himself to die. Yes, for if he died this man would get the beri he so desperately craved. Wasn't that all that he wanted out of this fight? The beri? He cared not for Mariposa's position he was sure. That was why... That was why Mariposa didn't like people like this man. How could they just concern themselves with their prescious beri and ignore the beautiful things in life! It was why he had decided to relieve people of their beri in the first place and had started the Butterfly Clan.

The stranger, Haseo, then yelled out suddenly to him, accepting the conditions but adding one of his own. If Haseo won he offered Mariposa a place on the crew after he turned him in. The masked man looked shocked. How could he join a crew if he was in jail? The man added that he would bust him out after getting the beri reward. Those were the conditions.

"Fine," Mariposa consented but Haseo was already on the move. He withdrew a sword, leaped upward into the air, and then threw the blade downward at Mariposa. As it came crashing down Mariposa leaped to the side. His eyes behind the mask, however, widened dangerously as the blade then unexpectedly twisted its position and came at him again to slash at his legs.

With only one option left to him, Mariposa leaped upward. He, however, didn't see Haseo coming straight downward at him with his giant fist. The blow was amazingly strong. Mariposa crashed back to the ground, his body leaving indentations in the walkway where he landed. With a groan he realized that he had indeed lost or was very close to losing. His vision danced before his eyes.

"Y-you've probably already won, but I can't go out without a dandy finish...," Mariposa said, his voice almost inaudible. His last act before he fell unconscious was to unleash some of the dust that all of his clan members had into the area. It was the dust that had stung Haseo earlier. It settled on everything in the surrounding area and plummed upward and threatened to engulf Haseo...

[.::Haseo On The Clouds::.]

Haseo's eyes did not change when he realized that there was an incredible amount of the exploding dust in the area, but he did silently curse to himself as the dust began to gather and engulf the area, ready to create one giant explosion. Haseo did not hesitate as he punded the earth with his powerful fists. The ironic thing about Haseo was, the fact that he did not physically appear to be very powerful, but when he showed his strength....it was an incredible sight to behold. As Haseo pounded the ground, a decent amount of earth was crushed and Haseo dug a hole into the ground, piling the very heave rocks (not very heavy to him on top of him to shiled himself from the blast....then he noticed Mariposa.....

Mariposa was in no condition to defend himself against the monstrous attack, he would be engulfed and most likely killed off by his own attack. Haseo had noticed the sadness in Mariposa's eyes earlier...and he knew that if Mariposa died now...there would be an unreached dream, lonely and unfufilled as the dream would die with it's once alive chaser. Haseo removed the rocks and quickly grabbed Mariposa from his pounded state...and then piled the rocjs once more.

Haseo was shielding Mariposa's body with not only the rocks, but his own body as well. Haseo looked into Mariposa's eyes and then spoke....gently.....kindly..... "If you have a dream to fufill...what a waste it would be for you to die. You are NOT dying here...because of you do....your life's goal will die with you..." And with those words....the dust exploded in one gigantic explosion of destruction....and then....things went wild....

[Kurosaki]

It was beautiful. Mariposa couldn't see it as the beautiful sparklying dust set out to do its work, however. The dust Mariposa had used before was made to irritate peoples eyes, skin, and create poison effects in the person that could last for a while and even be fatal unless treated. That had been the first type of dust. The second type, however, was a reactive chemical that when exposed to certain elements would ignite (apparently... I thought the dust stuff was just a poison? =( )

Because of Mariposa's unconscious state, he could not defend himself against his final act. His men that had retreated watched from some distance as the plum of dust came up from the ground where they had last left their leader. Knowing what it meant, they all weaped for the death of their dandy leader. However, they started cheering the next second.

"Life is beautiful but death is only the beginning as Mariposa would say, men!" cried one of the butterflies as he cheered. Tears still stung his eyes and his face was still red from crying. He looked like he was struggling to hold more tears back but his will power was strong for the sake of his fallen leader.

"YES!" agreed all of the other remaining Butterfly Clan Members. They weren't Butterfly Clan Members any longer, however. All of them removed their masks in unision. Their leader was gone now and they would always remember what he had said. But since Mariposa had sacrificed himself to protect the others they could no longer be a Clan in order to be safe from more harms way.

Meanwhile, Haseo's act of shielding Mariposa from his certain death went unknown by the ex-clan members. Mariposa himself lay almost peacefully on the other side of Haseo's protective frame plus the rocks he had built up to shield them. The explosion was deafening and could be heard all around the blissful island...

(Btw, sorry I made so many extra clan members. I realize the bounty said there were only ten... So, I'll say you defeated ten already and the other thirty weren't part of the requirement to beat. Now get Mariposa to a jail. )

[.::Haseo On The Clouds::.]

The bright and powerful explosion echoed and traveled far as Haseo tried his best to block out the bright light and the heat. The rocks were doing great with their jobs of protection and his body was a great shield for Mariposa, but his skin began to conduct the heat and any longer and he would personally scorch and burn Mariposa himself. He quickly let go of Mariposa as the dust died off as then politely lifted Mariposa onto his shoulder. The marine base nearby would be within distance, it would take only a few hours.

A few hours later

It had become dark when Haseo reached the base of the marines. His shoulder had not become tired from Mariposa because his muscles were well developed, so he did not complain once in the entire trip. By the time he had entered, Haseo was already wearing a mask and reported into the office. There he layed Mariposa where the marines checked him for identification and if he truely had a bounty on his head. When they nodded they gave Haseo the money and he began to leave.

Several minutes later

There was a silent cry as Haseo quickly dealt with the marines silently as he stood by Mariposa's cell, a few alarms went off as he yanked the cell apart with his hands and unlocked the second layer with the keys. As he did so, he had heard over the intercom that the marines were taking action. [glow=red,2,300]"ALL AVAILABLE PREPARE FOR COMBAT AND STANBY! ATTACK ON
SIGHT! SOLID STEEL HASEO IS LOOSE!"[/glow]

With those words Haseo bounded for the escape exits. When he was meeted by the entire marine squadrons, he immediately changed his arm into somewhat of a shield and literally bulldozed his way through. With Mariposa with him, things would become complicated.

Haseo jumped and slammed into the center of the marines, then he tossed Mariposa into the air and landed in a handstad where he jump kicked a marine and pounded another with a backhand fist to the lungs. Then he catched Mariposa and with one hand sent a marine flying the opposite direction of the exit. By the time he had made it to the exit leading outside, the entire base was literally down. No marines remained for active duty for all of the had been taken care of.

"Well Mariposa....how are you feeling? How about my offer? Will you join or go solo?"

[Kurosaki]

When Mariposa came to his senses again he found himself laying down on a thinly padded bed behind bars. Two Marines stood guard outside of his cell. Moving his hands upward, he realized that they were still free. They hadn't hand cuffed him probably because he wasn't a Devil Fruit user. Why waste the cuffs when the bars would probably be enough to hold him?

Mariposa sighed and rubbed his nose absentmindedly. That's when he discovered his mask missing. They had taken it! Outrage immediately formed on his face. That was a sign of his identity now.

Just then a figure took down the Marines outside of Mariposa's cell. Eyes widening, Mariposa at first didn't know what was going on. Alarms began to ring inside of the Marine Base and the sounds of heavy footsteps could be heard as more Marines rushed to the holding cells.

"You actually came," Mariposa breathed with a shocked look. He stood up and then followed Haseo toward the escape exits as fast as he could run. Haseo used his metal morphing abilities to literally bulldoze his way through the Marines. Meanwhile, Mariposa tried his best as well and managed to twist his way through a group of Marines and then spin around. The force of the air currents caused them to smash into the nearby hall walls and fall unconscious.

However, even though he was doing a portion of the work, Haseo seemed to be having the most fun. He even tossed the Butterfly Clan Leader into the air at one point to keep him out of the way of the Marines. Mariposa landed in his grasp with a dizzy look on his face. What had that been about?

When all the Marines had finally been taken out with the two of them working together, Haseo addressed Mariposa and asked him what his plans were. Would he go with Haseo or go solo from here?

"It's a dandy offer! Ohhh! And you did do me a wonderful service. But I cannot join you," Mariposa said regretably.

(Um, it might take me some time to make the profile so I didn't want to bog you guys down. =( )