Storytellers: High Flyers On The Backwards Mountain

[Kami-Gaz]

It had been just over a week since the Chocolate Valentine had left Silia Island, the seas were calm, the tropical sun was shining and the daily storms were a great chance for the entire crew to galvanise as they watched the lightning prick the water. Alas, this had come to an end now as the ship was approaching the mouth of the mountain that poked through the cloud, along the side that the crew could see was a riving running to the top. Why this was? No one knew, it was a mystery that had dumbfounded storytellers ages over. The way the water just seemed to shoot upwards had drawn the entirety of the bar staff to the bow of the ship. Each of the girls stood there in amazement as the watched the water.

The captain of the ship was holding his hand to the helm of the ship, overlooking the entire scene, the panicked rush of the sailing team of the crew, the wonder in barmaid team and the delight in anyone else who had managed to poke their heads out from where they were. For the captain, this was all he ever wanted… a crew of people in a somewhat like mind to him to the sense of adventure!

“Listen up!” He bellowed, “On the approach it’s going to get a little rough, so I want everyone to hold onto something!” The golden-haired man continued as he jerked the wheel to the right letting the Valentine swerve with a wave instead of letting it crash into the ship and throwing it off course. The closer they had gotten to the mouth of the uphill torrent the worse the waves had gotten. “To ease these rough times let me tell the tale of a people I met once who thrive being thrown all over!”

Navi vis, clad in his blue and wavy shirt was grinning, his golden eyes locked onto the mouth of the river and his hands moving on their own, correcting the ships course and carving a path through instincts alone. “Deep in the grandline, there is an island! I have already told most of you about this island so I will spare a lot of the major details.” He began as the prow of the ship was caught in the current, then the rest of the ship was quickly sucked in. The captain at this moment let go of the helm and took a step back. “This island is Wrestlemania!” He announced whilst walking forwards past the wheel and to the railing beside it, letting the ship be pulled straight up the current along the side of the mountain proper at an amazing breakneck pace. “This island has five towns, one on each of the corners… and one suspended in the air on nothing but ropes miles away from any land.”

The creaking of the ship subsided and that sound was replaced by the sound of a roaring waterfall, but with one nowhere to be seen. “This town is called Lefrenen and the people who live there are the ballisest bastards I have ever met!” He shouted, standing up straight as he overlooked the entire ship now it had fallen into calm. Lilly had emerged from the bar below and a fish-woman had stepped up from behind to grab the helm and ensure it stayed untampered with.

“The people from this town are called Luchadors and they wrestle in an art form. They sprint from place to place, using their opponents momentum-” The open shirted man noted as he started to walk down the stairs to the main deck. “They wear masks and they are these wrestlers pride. A symbol of who they are and it is a great dishonour to ever be seen with it removed.” Navi mentioned as he spread his arms in the middle of the deck and chuckled. “I, am being hunted by an elite pack of these men and women because I have this.”

The captains hands moved down and pointed to the thick black leather belt that was around his waist and stomach area, it was adorned with golden plates and jewels that embossed the words “Champion of Bob.” The spray of the rushing water below gleamed as much as this belt did in the sunlight. The painted red arches that lined the uphill river stood tall, as if they were greeting the Storyteller crew into this new paradise.

“Why do I tell this story now of all times? Well that is because we are travelling into the ocean that these people reside in. it is as dangerous and deadly as they are and I want you all to be ready.” The captain announced, spinning on his heel to look at everyone present. All of their faces, the girls in their bar maid outfits, Lilly as she leaned against the door and everyone else… “Because I wanted to make sure you all knew how dangerous this was going to be… a good story isn’t easy to find you know, and sometimes they are hard to survive.” He said with a smile.

---

Somewhere in the east blue, a ship had also just entered the mouth of reverse mountain, a smaller vessel filled with robed men, all hiding their masked faces. “We have one shot at this. This is the only time we can predict where he will be and have him cornered easily. Today, we get that belt back.” The one in the brightest red cloak shouted, the golden embroidery on it was superb and very well detailed. “TODAY WE KILL NAVI VIS!” He shouted to the people around him… the fact this was a commercial vessel with some civilians aboard… locked away below deck was none of their concern… this high jacking was necessary to them in this quest to kill.

[York]

How many days had Idol tiredly spent staring at the frame of the bunk bed above him? Whatever number he could come up with was translated as ‘too long’. But try as he might, he couldn’t pull himself out of bed, the encounter with Bison having drawn something out of Idol he hadn’t felt in a long while. Demanding too much of his body after an extended break took a toll, much like someone forgoing exercise for an extended time feeling the repercussions days after getting back into it.

The battle with the rotund man, as fuzzy as it was, was proof that Idol was on the right track. No one on this ship would be able to look at him like he was some sort of ranked amateur. Then again, with all the new people Navi had brought on, they probably wouldn’t look at him with any clue as to who or what he was. Aside from the vague faces that would arrive to bring him meals every now and again, he wasn’t sure the new members even knew who he was.

Hopefully nobody tried to explain it to them, knowing the original peanut gallery of Storytellers, they’d probably add an annoying twist to his profession to make him sound like less of a credible fighter. Maybe call him an underwear model, or an actor playing a professional wrestler, looking to Navi for inspiration. If he were to hear any absurd stories, he’d have them.

Idol sat up, quietly groaning about the pain in his back, shoulders, head, and right leg. Reaching down into his bag, he withdrew a pair of trunks and slid them on. “If they hear something about me…” he paused and rubbed his temples, “they should hear it firsthand, dammit.”

Digging through his bag further, he withdrew his WBCW Junior Heavyweight Championship belt. Grabbing the bunk above him and pulling himself up, Idol wrapped the belt around his waist and hobbled to the stairs leading to the bar. “If I’m gonna introduce myself, I’m going to do it right” he thought, imagining a speech in his head.

Crawling up the stairs to save time, Idol craned his neck to look through the heads peering out the door. They appeared to be sailing towards a mountain. Oh, lovely. Unable to find the strength to stand or scream, the wrestler crawled towards the door, hoping to all heavenly deities he could recall that the leader hadn’t lost his mind. From the peering heads, Idol spotted what appeared to be Navi. Recognizing him by his blonde hair, jovial ramblings, colorful shirt, and… ornate… belt…

Before anyone could see him, Idol surreptitiously crawled backwards, back down the stairs, and back into bed, carelessly dropping his belt into his bag of clothes. “Way to make me look like a geek.” He thought, shutting his eyes and going back to sleep. The last thing he needed was anyone on board guessing that he was, in any way, paying homage to that dumb jerk. “I’ll introduce myself in heaven” he jokingly thought, “He won’t be there to get in my way.”

[Greil9]

Despite having some weird things happen during his two years of traveling, Kenro had to admit this one might have taken the number one spot for the time being. Somehow the ship he had chosen to travel on was taken over by masked wrestlers looking to get revenge on someone for taking a belt from them. Just going through that concept in his head made the traveler shake his head a bit. 

Though no matter how absurd, the situation was still one that needed resolving. If they were out to kill someone for such a petty reason, he couldn't be certain the crew and passengers would be let go afterwards or even be safe from any potential crossfire. Though taking them head-on before things got to that wasn't really an option. No matter how skilled he considered himself, these people seemed like they were trained too and would overwhelm him easily with superior numbers.

First thing he'd need some help from the crew of the ship if he wanted to try pulling this off. The fact that he and the regular crew were allowed to stay on board seemed to indicate the wrestlers inability to steer a ship. All the luckier for him. Carrying around the heavy stacks of rope, Kenro tried to pass by the ships actual captain, trying to get any ideas on how to handle them. "Hey, any way you can maneuver in a way to get at least a few off-board? I'm pretty confident in my fighting skills so if the odds are more even, I might be able to free us."

The mans concerns didn't seem alleviated by the possibility. Though he still seemed like the most level-headed one in the crew with the kind of commanding presence one expected of a leader, despite only seeming a year or two older than the average member of his crew. Maybe it was the granted by the rather sizable and well-kept facial hair, or the fact that his build was even a bit broader than Kenro's own.  "Lad, I don't know if that's smart. These cravens clearly have no trouble killing, might make an example of you if you try something. Keep working and hopefully they let us go once they get to their target."

It seemed like the traveler was on his own with this. And on his own, he was clueless. His approach had rarely been all that well thought out at any point in his life. All he could do was just leave it to lady luck and wait for her blessings. After all, he rolled all sixes on three dice when deciding on this ship. Something good was bound to be waiting. Until then, he'd just keep working like nothing was wrong.

[Kami-Gaz]

Questions were being asked all round, the mass of people that were on the deck and not working to keep the ship going were staring at the captain with a tilt to their looks. His speech, the story he told them was it designed to inspire fear or push them to new limits? The first person to ask a question was a black-haired curly woman wearing a serving apron and dark clothes, her figure slim but firm and her height similar to the captains. “Uhh, captain… we are going up a mountain on a ship… is this meant to weird us out more or less?” She asked in a dull voice, sounding bored with all of this.

“Good question Pesha, it was meant to inspire you!” The captain replied as he walked forwards and leaned against the railing of the ship at the bow. The grin on his face only growing as the top of the mountain came into full view and the sound of a roaring waterfall overtook the sounds of people mumbles and murmurs.

Ahead of the chocolate valentine was the summit of this backwards mountain where 4 uphill torrents crashed into each other to create an explosion of water and refracted and reflected colours as the spray caught the light. “Welcome to the Grandline!” The storyteller bellowed over the sound of crashing waters, the ship he was standing on coming to the edge of this and getting some air.

Simultaneously coming from the rapids that were the east blue was a smaller boat, one that had a lot more speed and a lot less weight also reached the tip where the waterfalls met. It had reached that point with such a speed that it flew other the chocolate coloured ship that was below it. At this moment, each one of the cloaked and masked men leapt over the aide rails. The last one to go looked to one of the crew… one that was moving differently, on his own. The one he overheard whispering to the captain about fighting back and with a heavy boot kicked at him to force the poor soul over the edge and onto the boat below, if he wanted to fight… now was his time.

With a colossal crash the ship that had flown above the Storytellers’ had impacted with the mountain on the opposite side and was breaking apart as it skidded down the red rocks. Navi’s eyes were wide as it all happened and in slow motion he saw the raining Luchadors as they pulled back their hoods and went to grapple his crew. They found him… here of all places… HOW? WHY?! He asked himself in his head as his body shifted away from one of their grabs and lashed back with a quick punch to his nose. “It’s the Luchador! They found me!” He shouted out as the Valentine landed in the water below and violently shook as it was quickly shot down the white rapids that lead to the grand line.

“Get them off of our ship!” The blond shouted out before moving closer to the mast looking around at the chaos that had erupted. “Lilly! Get your gun!”
“On it!” A small woman, already halfway down the stairs to the kitchen.
“Some one wake Adrian up!” The golden haired fighter ordered as he caught a bare chested man in a white mask covered in fire patterns.
“On it!” One of the men shouted following the midget gunner down the stairs through the kitchen to the wrestlers room.
“Navi Vis, I am here to kill y-” The man being held at arms reach said before he was tossed over the side of the ship by his captor. The screaming stopped with a splash.

“I know that!” Navi retorted as he turned around to see which of his crew were struggling in their fight… “Anyone who is in a luchador mask needs to be thrown overboard! They only accept defeat in a ring out!” Navi bellowed as the a man in a green mask latched himself to the storyteller, pinning both arms behind the goateed mans back.

“Boss, I’ve pinned him. I need a count down!” A strangely feminine voice announced as she held the man who was actually struggling to pull his arms free.

[York]

With his head nestled deep into his warm, fragrant pillow, Idol slowly drifted back to sleep, as images of himself on a giant bed surrounded by championship belts began to form in his head. Rather, he would’ve had there not been an absurdly loud roar of water crashing around mere yards from him. There was no way he was going to fall asleep with this much turbulence going on.

But the turbulence alone didn’t stop Idol from sleeping. Within seconds, Idol was bumping up and down on his bed, clutching his sides for dear life from the roughness of the seas. At some point, the ship must’ve gone airborne, as Idol was suddenly lifted off of the bed, before crashing back into it and bouncing out onto the floor. Luckily breaking his fall was a bag full of tights and a metal championship belt.

What in the hell was going on upstairs? Surely they couldn’t have gone up the mountain. That had all sorts of physical impossibilities attached it. Pushing himself to his knees, Idol rubbed his bleeding forehead. They certainly weren’t in heaven, not if this pain was any proof.

Unbeknownst to Idol though, business was just picking up, and this fall from his bed was just the start of it. Lilly bound down the stairs and ran past Idol’s bed, not with a playful skip but with a more serious stride.

“Up an’ at em, Adrian!” she called. “There’s trouble upstairs!”

“Wha?” he tiredly asked, somewhat confused as he pulled himself to his feet with help from the bed frame. “What kinda trouble?” He mustn’t have been loud enough, because Lilly didn’t answer back. Was he really that weak since his last fight? Had his voice gone?

Another figure followed down the stairs. Idol recognized this as one of the fellas who would bring him food every now and again. A cook maybe? He knelt before Idol, a look of desperation in his eyes. “Mr. Adrian, we need you upstairs” he said, clutching Idol’s hand in his own. “The captain called for your help. We need you to repeat your performance with Bison.”

Maybe it was something in his eyes, or the way he called him Mister, or even the idea that Navi convinced this guy that Idol would be helpful that just rubbed Idol the right way. A fire in his stomach ignited as he looked into the mans honest eyes. The pain and fatigue in the wrestler’s body took a backseat as Idol ignored the tightness in his back stood to his full height.

Taking a deep breath and giving a quick nod, Idol ran past the gentleman to get in on the action, he’d have to get his name later. Sprinting up the stairs three steps at a time, he charged through the kitchen and towards the door. He slowed to a stop as he got to the door, the weakness plaguing him having reared it's ugly head. He shook his head in frustration.

There would be time to rest and relax later. That comfy bed wasn’t going anywhere and neither were his injuries. As for right now, there was trouble afoot, and the Storytellers needed Adrian Idol to work his magic.

"It's Showtime!" he cried as he burst through the door.

Through the door, he saw the sprinkle of colored masks fill the deck area. All around him were masked fighters, jumping and flying to deliver masterful, perfectly timed attacks. Idol’s eyes were drawn to Navi Vis near the mast, seeming to be in trouble. The situation seemed all too perfect, and Idol was not about to waste it.

Running towards the assailant, Idol leapt forward and drove his knee forward for an Idol Killer knee, aimed right at the center of the mask. But a person does not earn the title of luchador for looks and attacks alone. Reflexes had to constantly be on point. Releasing the grip on Navi, he brought up a hand to catch Idol’s knee, using the shorter blonde’s momentum to roll backwards.

Off of Navi they rolled, both forcing the roll to continue so neither lay below the other. In a match, getting caught under the opponent was a proper death sentence. The green mask won out in the battle, sitting on Idol’s back and pulling at his hurt leg back to touch his head. Had the fire in his belly never been born, this would have marked the end of him this fight. But Idol was not about to give up on this day. Pushing up, he created enough space between his stomach and the floor to roll through again, getting his opponent in the perfect position below him for…

The Idol Crusher!

A jumping, double foot stomp to the stomach. Not quite satisfied with just winding the opponent, he followed through with a second Idol Crusher to the masked face, dropping to the side due to the face’s imperfect landing surface. Idol lay on the deck, searching for the strength to stand up again. Slowly, he rolled to his side and onto his feet, but roared when he stood tall, flexing every muscle in his upper body. In more of a stumble than anything else, he approached another luchadore to continue the assault.

[Greil9]

Flying over the larger vessel that just a moment ago ahead of them, Kenro was focused on watching the masked men go overboard. Whoever their target was, it seemed like he was on-board the ship below them. While this cleared their first problem, the wrestlers still had murderous intentions so the traveler wasn't quite sure what to do. With his attention focused solely on the masked men, he had completely failed to notice the captain get behind him, booting Kenro off the flying vessel with more strength than one would have expected.

While the landing was about to come face first, Kenro was fast enough to react by grabbing the staff off his back and pointing it at the deck, ensuring he had some leverage to turn himself around and land on his feet. Now finding himself on a considerably larger ship, he had to take a moment to consider the situation. Especially how it seemed to actually be an improvement. "Well, seems things worked out nonetheless. The weird wrestlers are off the ship and people are safe, I just gotta help whoever that Navi Vis is and my day is good. Guess luck is on my side once... wait, the bastard didn't pay me yet! hat an asshole, bet he kicked me off just to avoid paying me. If we ever meet again, I'm taking double what he owes me."

While he'd have loved to run back to the ship he served on and demand what was owed to him, the masked wrestlers were a more urgent business. They didn't seem to mind who they'd attack on the ship, as one was already coming at Kenro. Though seeing as he was the only one with a weapon, he took advantage of his superior reach by weaving his staff back and forth. The swift jabs weren't too powerful, but they were fast enough that at least half the blows connected. While the wrestler eventually tried to push past the strikes to get up close, Kenro swiftly adapted his strategy. Instead he began to slowly back away, whirling his staff from side to side to leave no openings to approach and just planning to take his blows where he could to wear his opponent down. Battles of attrition were his specialty after all.

However a faster solution was proposed to the entire crew by the man who seemed to be this vessels captain. He wasn't quite sure why they'd be so discouraged by being tossed overboard, but wasn't about to turn down a quick means of ending the fight. Maybe the rapid downwards flow would have killed a normal man, but considering their leap down from the ship they were on previously these men were anything but normal. Stopping the spinning, he simply pointed the staff at his opponent. Just as he presumed, the man came to grab his staff and try to pull away the weapon. However this proved a more difficult task as suddenly the travelers grip was solid as steel. Instead he was the one to lift the luchadore off the ground, quickly swinging the masked man over himself in a single motion and towards the edge of the ship, flinging him over the railings. 

With the most immediate threat towards himself handled, Kenro felt it was the best time to make acquaintances with the crew and ensure he was at least somewhat welcome. At the very least hoping they'd offer him a ride to the next port for some assistance. Keeping his eye on the masked men, he swiftly backed towards the man who was yelling out orders earlier, earlier identified to be Navi Vis by one of their opponents. Just barely turning his eyes to the man, the traveler asked "Hey, mind if I join in on this? I'd rather they not kill anyone, plus I got some serious stress to work out after getting stiffed on my paycheck."