Breaking Pirates out of Prison!

[Mr. Moon]

Jan #1

In the end, the three of them agreed on a plan, so the time has come to change words into action. But first of all, there were some preparations they had to make. The one that was the most pressing was arming Lin, because the former pirate was a swordswoman, however, unlike Zasha´s sword, her weapon was confiscated by marines. Fortunately, there were more than enough weapon stores in the city open for business, so after an hour or so she finally managed to find one, that matched her style. Jan paid for the blade, and while Lin was still slightly upset because the original sword was a gift from her father, they could finally head to the city.

To avoid unnecessary attention, Jan took them to the city to visit the usual tourist attraction while always consulting with the map so they would pass through Hammer Street several times during the day. All the spendings were on him, so at least Lin took a few souvenirs, including a small plush cat.

The street itself was truly nothing special. Short and crooked, it was composed of old buildings that were put together from a mixture of stone, wood, and mudbricks, exposed under the cracking plaster. The building themselves were the usual mix of shabby residential buildings that were three to six storeys tall, with one to two storeys tall workshops and smaller houses. As most of the workshops were closed the street itself was mostly empty even during the day, with just few local people walking around. Probably the best place for an ambush was at the beginning of its second half, as the street itself got narrowed in one of its many turns, just in front of an old and closed tannery. Both Jan and Lin could easily find a cover at the beginning and the end of the turn so it was the ideal place for their plan.

To somehow pass the rest of their time, Jan took them to dinner at a good restaurant in the harbour so Zasha wouldn´t stick out that much, after which they split and each one headed in a different direction, so they would arrive at their posts in different slightly different times, before the prison carriage even starts it´s journey.

[Vio]

^{Zasha #1 — Augustus #1}

---

A ramshackle street mostly abandoned save for the occasional residential thoroughfare — the course down which the target would be moving. Chalkydri Zasha’s understanding of the situation was still rather hazy, but despite that she viewed it all with clarity. She had to honour her deals, surely, but that did not mean she had to like it. She’d taken her leave when due time came, parting for a perch that her bookworm associate, Peter, had suggested, and that was where she sat now.

Waiting.

The rooftops offered a sense of respite for the Holy Avenger. Up here, though not too far from the ground, no upper reaches of foreign architecture impeded her vision of the heavens above. Dark eyes took in the sight of a darkened sky, once open blue marred by both the natural inkiness of the dead of night, as well as the more unusual tides of cloud. Down here, such things seemed so different, though none of the overhead structures were like the one Welkin’s Limit existed upon. That much she knew, even if she did not understand the exact science behind it.

The sky’s darkened veil and a chill, dry air only seemed to add to the foreboding aura of this stretch of town, illuminated only by the dim silver rays of moonlight that peered through gaps in the heavens. Not a full moon, but waxing and gibbous, and its weak radiance had little impact upon the glossy sheen of black plumage as she limbered up her wings with rhythmic stretches. Hands clasped one another over the hilt of the sword in her lap, already drawn in preparation with scabbard secured to her back.

“My Lord, I ask of thee: Guide this steel straight to the heart of evil in this, a forsaken world below,” she uttered, so quietly that the words could barely be heard over the movements of her lips. “Guide it as you have done I, your humble messenger, so that these eyes of mine might one day bear witness to a world graced by your rule — a world privileged to bask in your glory. I carry ypon my wings your will, upon my tongue your voice, upon my sword your vengeance…”

^{—— MEANWHILE ——}

“We’re all set, Captain,” stated a Marine, voice painstakingly familiar to the ears of a man bound to a chain as he sat within the dark confines of a wagon. Savoie Augustus, self-proclaimed pirate, had stirred the streets of Loguetown some weeks prior when the World Navy responded to a blaze in a local dive bar. To break up street brawls between drunkards was not an unusual deed for local Seamen, but it had been an odd day indeed when several had been injured by an armed and armoured individual whose temper and ferocity had almost dared to prove too much for a standard patrol.

“Excellent work, Chief Petty Officer Anthony. I thank you again for your diligence,” spoke another — a voice that Augustus’ resentment for was perhaps almost as intense. Why? That soft and obnoxiously respectful voice belonged to the Captain in charge who, twice before, had visited the steam-powered cyborg’s cell. Augustus growled a low growl, causing those who sat around him in the back of the wagon to fidget and cast odd looks in his direction. “I trust in your abilities, but do be cautious around that one. I’ll be on standby via Snail if you need me,” said the Captain. Augustus could practically see the bounce of his brown curls as he offered a courteous nod, despite the men being far outside his vision as the rear doors were closed on them, blotting out all but a minor trickle of moonlight through narrow slats as the wheels began to turn.

^{“It’s no concern, Captain,” Anthony replied:
“If he has no water — then he’s no worry…”}

^{“F*¢< you…”}

---

SPOILER: Click to show

{Post Synopsis:—}
As Zasha waits patiently upon the rooftops and prays in preparation, Augustus awaits the inevitable march towards his execution while seething in anger at the Marines.

---

Note: --

---

Chalkydri Zasha | #98817b
Savoie Augustus | #ff3800
Captain Mon Roy | #6fb4eb
CPO Anthony | #efefef

[Mr. Moon]

Jan #2

Hidden at his chosen spot, the writer was silently waiting for the arrival of the prison carriage. He wasn´t very nervous, as in the past he read a lot about these ambushes during a study for one of his books. There the masked hero…Jan paused as he suddenly realized something terrible. He forgot to take a mask! How could he forget something so basic as to conceal his true identity before committing a crime? If he forgot something like that, what else did he forget? Did he doom them all to failure? No, wait that wasn´t the most important thing! If they´ll see his face won´t he be branded criminal as well? He could only imagine, that breaking crew of convinced pirates from Marine´s custody would be considered a serious crime, so how could he forget it?

On a verge of panic, Jan looked around him. Shouldn´t he call it off? Or even better, maybe he should just disappear into the night. Neither Lin nor Zasha could see him from their posts and why should he care about them anyway?

“Well maybe because it was you who pulled that angel into it. Don´t you think that running away would be…I don´t know…cowardly? Hypocritical?”

He tried to reprimand himself, but it didn´t help much. Maybe, maybe he didn´t have to run away completely. Maybe he still had enough time to go and find some mask before…he froze in a place as the sound of heavy military boots accompanied by a riding carriage came from the other side of the street. There was no time, he was doomed. With the feelings of a convict before execution, he waited for them to get closer. There was no going back. He couldn´t run and leave them there and he didn´t have time to get that stupid mask either. All he could do was wait till they approached his point, before walking right in their path.

“This is ambush don´t try to resist.”

He said with shaking voice to the surprised faces of these marines. It took him another second or two to realize, that he could simply tie his shirt around his face instead.

As for the carriage, it was a large wooden box, reinforced with steel on four wheels, that was pulled by pair of horses. Two uniformed marines were in front of it, armed with rifles and cutlasses, two were driving the carriage and three were covering their back.

[Vio]

^{Zasha #2 — Augustus #2}

---

“Is it time already…? Seemed a short trip,” Augustus assessed from within the darkened confines of the wagon. With mild discomfort he rotated his shoulders as much as his shackles would allow, arms weighty from their artificial augmentations and the lack of access to precious fuel. His low voice and motions broke the solemn and mournful silence of his acquaintances, but he certainly didn’t care for the dull look in their eyes as the vehicle slowed to a halt.

“What? Cat got your f*€<ing tongues?” he protested verbally to their reluctance, then — with what energy he cared to muster — elbowed the reinforced timbers behind him. “What’s the hold up, boys? Stopping for tea and crumpets?” His announcement was mostly muffled but still audible, the sound of something hitting the side of the wagon was a clear indication of a call for silence, though seeing who had done it was impossible. Impossible, at least, until they spoke.

^{“Quiet.” It was that one:
“An ambush by one man…?”}

From above, Zasha watched cautiously, taking note of the carriage and its accompaniment. Seven of those ‘Marines’ — as Jan had called them — in blue and white uniforms, drawn along by two four-legged beasts with which she was unfamiliar. Welkin’s Limit lacked such strange fauna, but it was clear to her eyes that they were working animals. The sound of their strangely hardened feet upon the streets of the town was distinct, even as it slowed to a halt at the pull of leather binds held by the hands of one of the men sitting at the vehicle’s front.

Are they aggressive? They seem quick and powerful… The dark-winged angel contemplated as she observed from above, low light making specific details difficult to pinpoint beyond the sphere of warm light cast by lanterns. Her wings closed, as if to shield herself as she perched and gazed down, observing as uniformed men checked the streets and placed anxious hands upon weapons. One of the men at the rear had passed by the wagon, sabre at his hip, and stood to the vehicle’s side as he addressed Peter. Now was her chance.

^{“Sir, if this is a practical joke,” he spoke:
“Then I’m afraid it’s in very bad form–”}

^{“Above…!!”}

“What the hell…?” Dark wings spread wide as Miss Chalkydri descended from her rooftop perch, steel catching the moonlight as she dropped down upon the carriage, landing atop it. The men at the reins were swift to react, one drawing his cutlass as her blade came down but failing to parry the strike properly as he was batted from his position by the side of the blade and onto the back of one of the beasts of burden. The animal panicked and cried, rearing up on hind limbs within its harness and causing the wagon to rock.

^{“She has wings?!”}

^{Schwing…! Anthony’s blade was drawn:
“Alright, no joke. Why is it never easy…?”}

^{“Because you suck a$$…!”}

“Wait… Did he say wings?!” another voice from within the wagon spoke up, much to Mister Savoie’s curiosity after he’d announced his displeasure with the Chief Petty Officer. “It can’t be, can it? That angel…,” he said. Augustus’ eyes found him in the shadows as the wagon buckled — the man who’d been stuck in a state of prayer from the moment the horses had started to move.

^{“Well s#¡+,” he scoffed:
“You believe in angels…?”}

---

SPOILER: Click to show

{Post Synopsis:—}
As the wagon halts, Zasha unleashes an attack while Augustus takes every opportunity to insult Anthony!

---

Note: --

---

Chalkydri Zasha | #98817b
Savoie Augustus | #ff3800
Captain Mon Roy [NPC] | #6fb4eb
CPO Anthony [NPC] | #efefef
Jacob [NPC] | #b06500
Miscellaneous [NPC] | #dddddd | #aaaaaa | #777777 | #444444

[Mr. Moon]

Jan #3

The Marines weren´t taking his ambush attempt very seriously, even going as far as asking if this was some kind of joke. Well, who could blame them? Just a one, unarmed guy who didn´t even bring a proper mask against seven armed marines. He was feeling like a joke himself. For a second, the wanted to agree with him. Say that it was just a stupid joke and walk away, or rather run as fast as he could. But before he could even open his mouth and say something, Zasha jumped from the roof, attacking the men who were riding the prison carriage, sending one of them flying.

“Bl**dy hell, that´s an epic entrance!”

Jan exclaimed as he witnessed her descend, so lost in his thoughts, that he almost missed the Marine that charged him, with his cutlass high in the air.

“Whoooo”

He cried out in surprise, twisting his body to the side to narrowly avoid an imminent death. As the blade passed his body, the writer reached forward, putting his open palm on that man´s side. The marine paused, clearly surprised by such strange behaviour and it almost looked like he will start to laugh, before Jan suddenly accelerated his whole body in whip like fashion, generating powerful pulse of muscular force, that travelled from his stance leg, through hips, torso, shoulder and arm to the marine.

“Gentle Strike”

Suddenly, the officer was knocked back as if kicked by one of their horses, flying through the street, before hitting a wall back first.

“**** they know how to fight, shoot them!”

Yelled one of the remaining marines, however before he or his companions could reach for their pistols another combatant entered the fray. Moving faster than it should be possible for normal human, with almost hypnotic elegance, tall and slender female figure attacked the marines from behind, cutting down one officer with her thin blade, before they realised, she was even there.

Well to be honest, her appearance left Jan speechless too. But not because she appeared but because how she appeared. A bit taller and more slender then he remembered, with feline face and two perked ears on the top of her head, long, flexible tail and spotted fur that was covering half of her body, Lin looked like very cute, yet still incredibly dangerous cross between human and cheetah.

“You are Devil Fruit user?”

He asked in disbelief.

[Vio]

^{Zasha #3 — Augustus #3}

---

As the wagon rocked, Zasha was forced to adjust her footing to keep her position, leaving the one Marine in charge of the reins with an opening, however brief. With a tug of the leather harness and a single sound, the work-beasts seemed to calm down, albeit tapping the street anxiously with their forelegs as their driver reached for a firearm at his side. Wings fluttered as if trying to catch the air, offering stability of their own as the Holy Avenger’s blade was once again swung across, forcing the soldier to duck at the last possible second before he popped his head up again, this time with a pistol pointed directly at her.

^{“Freeze…!”}

Schwip! He saw it, as too did Miss Chalkydri out of the corner of her eye. The flash of steel as something swift moved from the shadows and through the light, striking down one of the squad’s rear-guard. That moment of hesitation was all she needed, however. Her sword thrust forward, hilt twisted in her grasp as she triggered the mechanism within. Even though the initial thrust missed the mark, the returning motions brushed the flat of the weapon’s steel against the Marine’s arm, striking him with an intense heat that forced him to yelp out in pain and send the sidearm tumbling off the vehicle.

^{“It’s red hot,” he hissed:
“What the hell is– …?!”}

“What? You f*¢<s forget how to shoot? Roahahaha~!” Once again, that voice emanated from below, aggressively chiding the Marines and yet somehow enthusiastic about their shortcomings. Indeed, Zasha could not help but wonder who exactly was locked inside — who would be so bold even on their presumed route to an execution? She wasn’t given time to dwell on it, however, as the driver sprang up from his position and lunged at her with his own sword, forcing her to parry. Air shimmered from the heat radiating from her blade as it clashed with cool night air.

“They’ve come to save us,” Jacob stammered, his words starting to stir the rest of the men within the wagon as they muttered amongst themselves. Augustus simply rolled his eyes, himself uncertain of what was going on, if only because he only had sound to go off. The horses, the yelps, the ring of clashing steel — a fight was happening all around him and he was almost itching to join in for the sake of proving a point to Mon Roy and his lackeys. Especially that damnable Chief Petty Officer.

“Hrm… Oi! You out there,” Mister Savoie shouted, trying to project his voice for the interlopers to hear. He didn’t like the concept, but the preachy believer was right on one thing — to escape they needed outside help. And outside help needed inside knowledge. “Watch out for the s#¡+ty swordsman! He’s got a bug!” He could almost see the CPO’s grimace as he yelled those words, but the only actual person who was given a chance to witness such a look was, in fact, Peter.

“We should’ve gagged him,” Anthony sighed as he kept his sabre pointed towards Peter, remaining calmly aware of everything that was going on — the winged woman atop the carriage and the swift assailant from behind. A three-pronged assault meant that this wasn’t just some ordinary assault on a Marine squad, but a planned and thought out operation. His free hand grabbed the small Den Den Mushi from his pocket, which clicked to life. “Captain! CPO Anthony! We’ve got a situation here! Requesting immediate back-up!” Thunder rumbled in the air above, loud enough to silence the response from the Snail’s mouth, but unaccompanied by the flash of lightning.

Silence lingered.

^{“…I f*¢<ing told you!”}

^{“Put a sock in it,” the Chief Petty Officer scolded:
“Now… Focus up! No matter what, we’ll hold them!”}

And with that, Anthony dashed forwards towards Peter, sabre gripped with both hands as he raised it so that the edge of the blade crossed perpendicular to his line of sight. He clearly knew better than to take a reckless swing. What followed was far from reckless. Steel flourished in a twisted arc, raising the sabre’s point as he twisted his grip — a deceptive assault. Such a slash would have come down from a diagonal angle upon his target, but instead seemed to arc upwards…

---

SPOILER: Click to show

{Post Synopsis:—}
Activating her blade, Zasha contends with the Marines on the wagon, while Augustus tries to warn the ambush. Anthony calls for back-up, then launches an attack on Peter!

---

Note: --

---

Chalkydri Zasha | #98817b
Savoie Augustus | #ff3800
Peter Raskrie (Jan) | #7851a9
Captain Mon Roy [NPC] | #6fb4eb
CPO Anthony [NPC] | #efefef
Jacob [NPC] | #b06500
Miscellaneous [NPC] | #dddddd | #aaaaaa | #777777 | #444444

[Mr. Moon]

Jan #4

Lin, even if she wanted couldn´t answer Jan´s question, as she was immediately attacked by the remaining two marines and while her Devil Fruit was giving her an edge as far as her physical capabilities went, these two were no pushover either and so quickly pushed the cheetah girl into defensive.

“Hey! Don´t you dare to hurt my gi…”

He almost said girlfriend but stopped himself as that world reminded him of the incredible mess their relationship actually was. Avoiding the emotional rollercoaster, he rather focused on the Petty Chief Officer in front of him. A dangerous swordsman as the strange voice hidden in the prison cart was hinting. Voice that didn´t belong to any of the pirates he met on the ship, or in the prison. Was someone else transferred with them? The writer in him immediately pulled him into another world, one filled with all the potential stories the person could inspire. There, Peter couldn´t hear the marine calling for reinforcements, nor the thunder that appeared somewhere above them. He just saw his stories, dozens, if not hundreds of beautiful places and people waiting to be discovered by him. He couldn´t wait to meet the mysterious person, but…

“Whoaaaaa!”

Lost in his imaginary world again, Jan only barely dodged the incoming blade, when his brain finally realised what was going on in the real world around him, earning shallow cut across his torso. The shock caused his primal instincts to take over for a moment and so the writer lashed straight back in an outburst of pure violence. Throwing several furious punches against the officer, each strong enough to send a grown man flying across the street, while simultaneously dodging his counterattacks. There was no art in it, just a pure, unfiltered, near animalistic violence that needed some vent.

[Vio]

^{Zasha #4 — Augustus #4}

---

The CPO’s strike landed, albeit more shallowly than he would have liked. In fact, he was a little surprised it had landed at all, his own confusion providing an opening that his target quickly and fiercely exploited. A barrage of punches flung his way forced him into a defensive, evading the first and the second but taking a third to the chest that knocked him backwards. Boots scraped against the street as he fought to maintain balance and poise, albeit briefly winded from the blow. Still, he maintained his grip on his weapon and readied himself, albeit feeling the impact.

^{“The hell…?” Anthony exhaled:
“Nng! How are you that strong…?”}

Zasha, meanwhile, was already moving her blade yet again, but this time not aiming for the defiant driver whose arm she had seared with the flat of her heated weapon. With some level of strategy and no qualms about letting animals loose, steel arced and severed leather lines that kept the work-beasts tethered to the carriage. A second swing, however, was met with repelling steel. The seared driver had brandished his own weapon against her, metal grinding against hot metal in a one-handed versus two-handed clash that he was destined to lose.

“Cease your resistance,” Miss Chalkydri spoke, strength quickly starting to overwhelm her opponent as he fed his other hand into a sturdier grip. All it did was delay the inevitable, his position costing him valuable poise and stability. “This must be done!” Zealous conviction backing her words, the woman’s blade finally forced the soldier to abandon his position, lest the edge slide from his own and embed itself into his flesh. Over the side he toppled, leaving her alone atop the cart and free to do as needed. With a step onto the driver’s seat, that headed weapon of hers once more cleaved an arc, scorching its way through the last few reins that kept the animals in place before making a curious but necessary decision.

Hisss– Clank! Hot steel gently tapped the rumps of the two animals, no intent to harm present, just to shock. Already agitated despite the best efforts of their handlers, the beasts reared and bucked and screamed their strange calls. Through sheer power, their motions snapped the last few connections they had to the wagon, almost threatening to tip the wagon itself as Zasha fell onto her rear. With one last wrenching noise and the sound of hard feet upon the ground, the two animals burst for freedom, leaving the vehicle itself behind as they stampeded down the street and broke away from the fighting.

“The f*¢< are– Ah! There goes the horses,” Augustus voiced, trying to discern the state of play by the sounds and the feeling of the wagon rocking around. Now it had stilled, little movement save for that generated by the passengers’ own, and the sound of hooves growing distant was a surefire indicator that whoever was atop the cart had made sure to sever all links. “Hey! One of you,” he shouted again, his ears hearing the confused but ever-so-slightly hopeful whispers of the men he shared a cart with. “Get us the hell out of here! ASAP! We haven’t got much time until that curly-haired a$$hole shows up!”

^{“Who are you,” the dark-winged angel asked:
“Who speaks such vulgar words…?”}

^{“Me? Roahahahaa~! Glad you asked! I’m–”}

“Some good-for-nothing self-proclaimed pirate who doesn’t know when to keep his mouth shut, that’s who,” the Chief Petty Officer spoke — practically shouted — as he switched his focus between the unassuming man that had just punched him incredibly hard, the angelic figure who was standing herself up again atop the transport, and the absurdly fast figure that was giving the rear guard a run for their money. No, he needed to prioritise the man first, a good punch could do some serious damage if he wasn’t careful…

---

SPOILER: Click to show

{Post Synopsis:—}
As Zasha manages to loose the horses, Anthony endures a hit from Peter, but treats him with caution. Augustus tries to make his presence known, but is shut down!

---

Note: --

---

Chalkydri Zasha | #98817b
Savoie Augustus | #ff3800
Peter Raskrie (Jan) | #7851a9
Captain Mon Roy [NPC] | #6fb4eb
CPO Anthony [NPC] | #efefef
Jacob [NPC] | #b06500
Miscellaneous [NPC] | #dddddd | #aaaaaa | #777777 | #444444

[Mr. Moon]

Jan #5

The swordsman was good. Deflecting several of his strikes before one found its way inside his guard, forcing the Chief Petty Officer several steps back. Jan paused, almost as if he was ashamed of his previous behavior.
"Aaaaah, I am sorry for that, but man you startled me!"
He quickly shifted the blame for his outburst on the Marine, his left hand carefully touching the wound he left him.
"Ouc…it hurts, and when I finally healed from everything these pirates did to me!"
He raised his voice so the pirates in question would hear him loud and clear, before focusing his attention back on the Marine in front of him, who was asking about the source of his strength.
"Yeah, that's a very good question, but better suited for my father really. As far as I know, this freakish body runs in our family, but why…"
He shrugged.
"he never told me. My favorite theory is that we are some escaped World Government experiment or something."
As the writer finished his sentence, he suddenly charged against the marine, with an overdramatic war cry and no defense whatsoever. His goal was to lure the marine into an attack, before dropping to the ground on one leg, spinning around his axis to unleash a powerful sweeping kick, capable of sending people flying.
"Lake Trigram Palm: Ripple!"

---

Meanwhile, the two marines managed to corner Lin, pushing her to the wall of a nearby building so she wouldn't have enough space for her favorite footwork.
"Alright, alright, you got me, I surrender."
She smiled, raising her hands while transforming back into her human form.
"Oh really? Then drop your…"
Both the marines paused, jaw dropped, blushing so hard that they almost set their own uniforms on fire.
Before they could come back to their senses, Lin transformed into her cheetah form. Sword holding in her mouth, she squeezed between the two marines, changing again, this time into her half-beast form, spinning her body into a powerful slash that cut one of the marines from behind, just before her back hit the ground.

---

SPOILER: Click to show

{Lake Trigram Palm: Ripple}
Advanced version of the previous technique. Putting more strength into his movement, Jan can build enough momentum during his sweeping kick, that he can now not only knock the people around him off their feet but also send them flying with great force.

[Vio]

^{Zasha #5 — Augustus #5}

---

“As far as I know, this freakish body runs in our family,” the writer had said. Curious words that Anthony’s eyes narrowed at. How could somebody not know where their strength came from? It wasn’t something that bloodline alone could bestow, but something one had to train themselves for over years and years. “My favourite theory is that we are some escaped World Government experiment,” he added, saving the CPO no room for verbal rebuttal as he charged forth with ferocious abandon.

…! The Petty Officer’s reactions were swift, but even he wasn’t entirely prepared for the zealous attack Jan unleashed. Once again, his blade moved in an unusual arc, seeming to aim upwards before flexing into a downward slash. It was the perfect intercepting manoeuvre, circular and covering all possible angles as he sliced down to try and cleave the martial artist. Or, it would have been had the attack not gone unexpectedly lower, catching his forward leg and knocking him into an airborne tumble.

“F*¢< me for trying to introduce myself,” Augustus grumbled, the eyes of fellow prisoners within the wagon trying to make out his presence as he balled himself up a bit and muttered incomprehensible ire amid a string of slurs. One of them croaked a little, attempting to muster some semblance of sympathy for a fellow cellmate, but decided against it when the wagon rocked again and the sound of something metallic struck the doors. “Hrm… If you’re trying to open it, just lift the bar…!”

Clank! Outside, Chalkydri Zasha had indeed descended from atop the cart, now standing at its rear where the reinforced doors were kept shut tight. But despite the calls from within, it wasn’t that simple: A cast iron bar kept the doors firmly barricaded, it was true, but an additional lock had been added to prevent it from being knocked loose by rough movements. Without a key, her best option had been to strike at it with her sword, steel still heated, but the heavy lock was holding up well against both heat and strength.

“H– Hey! Stop that,” yelled one Marine — the man she had batted from the cart first — as he rushed her from one side. From the other, the cart’s driver rolled into a fighting position, having also recovered from his fall. “Don’t let her break the lock!” The Holy Avenger swung again, aiming for the lock still as the guards rushed her, only to be caught entirely unawares by the sudden and forceful flap of dark wings. Both men were slammed into the wagon’s rear with force, knocking the driver out as his head bounced off the corner of the door, and the second slumped to the ground in a daze.

Clang! A third swing struck the lock, Zasha’s steel causing it to finally break as heated metal started to bend out of position. And with that, the sound of the bar holding the door shut moving could be heard from within, much to the amazement of its prisoners. Mister Savoie’s head raised, brow furrowed in surprise as the darkness of the door moved from various impacts and exertions. The sound of the barricade hitting the street was loud and audible as the doors started to part.

^{“Holy s#¡+, man,” he exhaled:
“You weren’t f*¢<ing joking…”}

^{—— MEANWHILE ——}

Horse hooves thundered upon the streets, echoing loud in the night. More Marines on the march, but their charge was something greater. Eyes sharp in the waning moonlight as the dark clouds continued to dampen the sky’s usual beauty, sword at his hip, he led the charge with calm breath and focused resolve that spoke of elegance. Brown curls bounced and billowed, cool air on his face as he rode a white horse along the main, now sparsely occupied streets of Loguetown.

^{“Captain,” one of the men bellowed:
“Do we know the situation, Sir?”}

A silence lingered.

“Chief Petty Officer Anthony has demonstrated exceptional martial and leadership qualities, as well as incredible resolve against difficult opposition,” Mon Roy answered, voice soft and soothing as he looked to the pitch black skies. “For him to request assistance in such a rushed manner means that he has already assessed his opponents’ strengths and deemed himself unable to secure a victory. And that,” the Captain clarified, lips curling into a frown, “means his opponents are not to be underestimated. An outside force with inside knowledge has intercepted them, and I’ll be damned if I allow them to succeed…!”

---

SPOILER: Click to show

{Post Synopsis:—}
As Peter and Anthony’s mixed clash continues, Augustus grumbles and Zasha manages to break open the cart! Meanwhile, Mon Roy fast approaches!

---

Note: --

---

Chalkydri Zasha | #98817b
Savoie Augustus | #ff3800
Peter Raskrie (Jan) | #7851a9
Captain Mon Roy [NPC] | #6fb4eb
CPO Anthony [NPC] | #efefef
Jacob [NPC] | #b06500
Miscellaneous [NPC] | #dddddd | #aaaaaa | #777777 | #444444

[Mr. Moon]

Jan #6

It was a very close call, but in the end, it worked as intended. The descending blade stopped just a few inches away from his left shoulder when the Petty Officer´s feet were swept from the ground and their owner was sent flying away.

Proud of his achievement, he raised up to his feet, only to see a female cheetah sprinting towards him with an angry marine giving a chase.

“Stop right there you cheating b*tch!”

He yelled furiously, but Lin ignored him and quickly hid herself behind her boyfriend, carefully looking from behind his legs toward the charging marine.

“You have to be kidding me!”

The writer cursed, for himself, lunging forward, as the marine raised his sword for a two-handed vertical slash. Raising one of his own arms to a defense, Jan caught his wrists, before the attack could gather enough momentum while reaching towards his chest with his other hand. Only when he got within an inch from his target did he accelerate his whole body into a whip-like push.

“Pressing Strike!”

The Marine paused for a second before he collapsed to the ground with a large circular pressure mark on his chest, where the shock wave created by Jan´s attack penetrated deep inside of his body.

Careful as if she was a real cat, Lin walked towards her fallen pursuer and poked him with her paw, before transforming back into her human form, jumping around Jan´s neck.

“My hero!”

She purred, ignoring the painful grimace her boyfriend did when she hit the fresh wound on his chest.

“Come on, don´t tell me you wouldn´t be able to handle him on your own.”

He muttered grumpily earning probably faked sniff from the cheetah girl.

“He was scary…”

She muttered, before realizing that the doors to the prison wagon are now open.

“Dad! Guys!”

She screamed with visible happiness, running towards them to hug her father.

And while the reunion was indeed touching, Jan couldn´t just find the mood needed to really appreciate it, at least not now.

“Yes, yes, very touching but these guys already called the reinforcements, so we should probably disappear before they´ll get here.”

He growled, nervously looking at both ends of the street as if he was expecting small army of Marines to appear every second.

[Vio]

^{Zasha #6 — Augustus #6}

---

“Thank you, my lady!” Jacob sobbed, tumbling from the back of the wagon as Chalkydri Zasha stepped back to create room. A familiar wreck of a man who had all but surrendered himself to the idea of a higher power and firmly believed she was God’s messenger. A disparity in beliefs hadn’t created a need for her to correct him. Why would she when that was her exact purpose? Regardless, many of the men who spilled from the back of the cart were at least somewhat familiar faces who greeted her with odd looks of recognition, all save for one.

“I do not recognise you, sir,” she spoke with a soft but curious smile, spying the last man to emerge from the shadows of the wagon—a hulking figure substantially more than two metres in height. Compared to everyone and everything she had seen here in the world below, he was an anomaly. Where the other men had been stripped of all armaments as she had at the point of arrest, he was—for some reason—clad in a bizarre suit of armour the likes of which she had never seen. Dark wood, polished orange-yellow metal, silvery grey steel, and near nearly black and scaly segments all joined together to form something otherworldly.

“Yeah, well,” he replied coarsely as he lowered himself from the cart with an audible slam to the ground as heavy boots landed. His actions were sluggish, impeded not only by the fact he and the others were still manacled and shackled together by a length of chain, but also by the lack of a crucial element in his system. Eyes—one blue and one green—took a moment to observe the divine figure. “I wasn’t expecting a f*¢<ing angel to come and break me and the boys out, either,” Mister Savoie grunted as Lin approached and hugged the other mammoth of a man amidst their ranks.

^{“Yes, yes, very touching,” Peter spoke:
“…We should probably disappear…”}

“Easier said than done,” announced Captain Wu, small tears in the corners of his eyes as he reunited with his daughter as he gestured towards the binds of he and his crew. “Anyone got the key to these? It’ll be faster than breaking them one by one. If I had my hammers…” Augustus, too, raised his arms and rattled the manacles about his partly mechanised wrists as a couple of Wu’s men put their feet forwards to identify the chain. The Marines had been cautious about this operation, rightfully so, as at least two of the prisoners’ ranks included potential powerhouses.

^{“U– Ugh… You lot,” CPO Anthony groaned:
“…Aren’t going anywhere! Am I clear?”}

Thunder rumbled, distant rain drumming hard upon the rooftops.

“Put a sock in it, b¡+¢#,” the cyborg growled mockingly, drawing the officer’s eyes to that familiar auburn mane as he steadied his footing. “Careful. This a$$ is tougher than he looks. Took some of my stronger hits and still had enough in the tank to knock me out cold in one hit,” he grumbled, unsure of which of their saviours had been the one to butt heads with him, but issuing a warning all the same as the Chief Petty Officer readied his blade once more and at least a couple of the Marine entourage managed to recover and regroup. “I see a little problem here, bud! You all look like s#¡+, the rain’s coming, and we’ve got the power of God,” he gestured to Zasha, and then to Jan, “and– F*¢<ing… Unassuming Gentlemen on our side…!”

^{“Well, that’s a shame,” the soldier answered:
“Because I don’t hear any rain… That sounds like–”}

^{“Horses…?!”}

More of those beasts…? Senses alert to the rapidly rising volume of what she, too, had believed to be the descent of water from the heavens, Miss Chalkydri about faced with blade raised as the sound became more thunderous. Well over a dozen, if not more, of those iron-toed animals filled surrounding streets and were accompanied by the shouts of wingless men. Zasha wasted no time in at least trying, sword suddenly and swiftly arcing into a downward strike against the chain that bound the ankles of the two largest men, but failing to do more than chip the outside of a link…

---

SPOILER: Click to show

{Post Synopsis:—}
With the men freed but not yet unchained, the rescuers try to escape, but find themselves at a severe disadvantage!

---

Note: --

---

Chalkydri Zasha | #98817b
Savoie Augustus | #ff3800
Peter Raskrie (Jan) | #7851a9
Captain Mon Roy [NPC] | #6fb4eb
CPO Anthony [NPC] | #efefef
Wu [NPC] | #8a0303
Jacob [NPC] | #b06500
Miscellaneous [NPC] | #dddddd | #aaaaaa | #777777 | #444444

[Mr. Moon]

Jan #7

The writer was watching the line of pirates going out of the prison cart one by one, chained together with heavy steel chains that would make any attempt for an escape much harder. Well, it wasn´t the only surprise the marines prepared for them, as besides captain Wu and his men there was another prisoner. Strange and rather expressive man who, despite the fact he was a prisoner was wearing a strange suit of armor composed of various pieces of metal and wood.

Picking the writer´s interest, Jan took a much closer look at this fellow trying to remember every detail of his armor and behavior so he could use him as an inspiration for one of his future characters.

“Yeah, let´s search the marines, one of them has to…”

One of the pirates answered to his captain´s inquiry about the keys, only to be interrupted by the CPO, who proved to be much sturdier than Jan expected.

He listened to the exchange between the armored individual and the CPO, following Augustus´s line of thought, cursing under his breath when she realized what was the strange clapping sound he was hearing for a while already.

Horse hooves! Did the marines manage to dispatch the reinforcements so soon? If that was the case they had to disappear as soon as possible, but quick escape was impossible with these pirates still in the chains. Running away was an option or would be if not for Lin and the fact she would never abandon her father like this!

All these contradicting thoughts and impulses were hitting each other until suddenly, there was complete silence as the amount of stress and adrenaline knocked out the part of his civilized self that was usually keeping his…inheritance in check.

“Hey marine…”

The writer addressed the CPO, his voice rougher to the point it sounded like a voice of a stranger even to him.

“do you remember when I told you this freakish body runs in my family? Well, I kind of forget to mention one small detail. There is a demon living in every one of us, so do yourself a favour and give me the keys. I won´t be asking twice.”

[Vio]

^{Zasha #7 — Augustus #7}

---

“Hey, Marine,” Mister Raskrie spoke up. Something about his voice had changed in the words he uttered, enough so that when Zasha heard them, she could not help but give a cautious glare to the writer. “There is a demon living in every one of us,” were not the words she had expected to hear, though there was no time for her to address this of her own accord. It unsettled her, unbridled the trust she had built up for this man whose intentions had so far seemed noble, if rebellious.

Has he… used me? Two and two added together to make five, Miss Chalkydri taking an extra step in her processing of the man’s words as she tried to break the chain one more time, but to no avail. The heat of her sword just wasn’t enough to do anything more than warm the metal, strength and steel not enough to sever the links. But why was she doing this? A part of her doubted the words, taking it as a threat or a metaphor, while another seemed to want to take it literally. It did not help Peter’s case that she knew he had connections to that Devil’s Advocate—it didn’t help her conflict.

“Is that so?” Anthony’s question oozed about as much sarcasm as it did caution. “Well, I’ve seen my fair share of demons, but I’m going to be honest with you. Something about you does scare me,” he added, one hand pulling an iron ring with a few keys upon it from his pocket and twirling them around his index for a second before they fell suddenly into his open palm, fingers clenching around them. “And I think that means I have to make a stand, either way.” The Chief Petty Officer’s fingers squeezed tight around the keys, muscles of his arm bulging at the exertion before throwing the now bent ring and attachments to the floor near the chained pirates.

“Okay. Seriously? What the f*¢<…” Savoie Augustus stared at the CPO for a moment, visibly displeased by the situation. “You could have at least held onto them! Or even swallowed them so we’d have to cut you open to get them!”

^“…”

^{“Swallow– What? No!” Anthony yelled back:
“What am I to you? Some cheesy comic villain?!”}

“You’re already halfway f*¢<ing there with that s#¡+ty ‘fair share of demons’ line you just pulled out your a$$!” Temper rising as he yelled at the Marine, much to the confusion of both the pirates he was chained to and the other Marines who were watching the exchange, Augustus had actually failed to realise one thing. Indeed, it was only the audible click of the lock binding his ankle that drew his gaze down to furled wings of black as Zasha withdrew from him. The shackle about his leg fell away as she silently moved to the next pirate in line. One of the other Marines seemed rather surprised.

^{“Wh– How…?”}

“Oh, s#¡+!” the steam-powered cyborg exclaimed, taking a moment to lethargically flex his now free leg. A shame his arms were still manacled, but he had to admit that the angel’s idea was the logical one. If she could remove the binding between them, at the very least they could split up and maximise their chances of escape. Being able to fight back was still rather useless if you were all linked together like a line of dominos ready to drop.

^{“She just bent it back into shape,” the Marine nodded:
“It’s not going to matter, anyway: My apologies, Captain!”}

“It’s fine, Chief Petty Officer. You made the right call and have held up valiantly despite the odds. Once more, I must commend you,” said a voice—one that drew the eyes of both Augustus and Zasha to the source. Familiarity and curiosity. A suited man of an impeccable height of three metres, dwarfing the likes of Augustus despite being of a sleeker frame, though certainly not feeble. Olive eyes observed the scene before him, brown curls bobbing beneath his bicorne hat as he assessed would-be threats, a hand upon the hilt of an estoc ready to be drawn from behind his shoulder.

Thunder growled again. All horses had halted, fresh Marines beginning to file in through the streets with weapons at the ready.

“For those of you not already aware,” he continued, briefly meeting the eye of Augustus as the cyborg growled beneath his breath. His words almost demanded silence, how softly they were spoken, and they sure as hell got it as even the weather seemed to wait patiently for him to finish. “I am Captain Mon Roy, commanding officer of all Marines based at the Polestar Islands. Would you care to introduce yourselves…?”

---

SPOILER: Click to show

{Post Synopsis:—}
As Zasha contemplates possible betrayal by Peter, Augustus rants at Anthony for his actions. However, soon after, Mon Roy arrives!

---

Note: --

---

Chalkydri Zasha | #98817b
Savoie Augustus | #ff3800
Peter Raskrie (Jan) | #7851a9
Captain Mon Roy [NPC] | #6fb4eb
CPO Anthony [NPC] | #efefef
Wu [NPC] | #8a0303
Jacob [NPC] | #b06500
Miscellaneous [NPC] | #dddddd | #aaaaaa | #777777 | #444444

[Mr. Moon]

Jan #8

Bloodlust, such a rare and uncharacteristic emotion for the young writer. Yet there he was, driven into a corner by a pair of cute eyes on one side and a determined marine on the other one, Jan decided that he can simply ride its way and see what happens.
With all the adrenaline pumped into his bloodstream he couldn't really focus on anything but the marine in front of him, ignoring the way Zasha reacted to his previous proclamation. What he however couldn't miss was the moment when the CPO reached for his keys and bent them before throwing them toward the prisoners.
"No, the keys!"
Lin cried out, her desperate voice pushing Jan even further into his pit of rage.
"Your choice, now don't blame me for what comes next."
Jan growled, his threat barely audible given the exchange between Anthony and Augustus, getting ready to jump straight at him. However before he could move, two things happened. One, Zasha bent these keys back into their original state, making him feel like a total I*iot for not realizing it himself and second, the local marine captain arrived.
"I am dead…"
Was the response that nearly escaped his lips when the newly arrived officer introduced himself and demanded the same from them.
As a storyteller, Jan studies some exploits of the more famous captains and so he knew that while alone this man was probably a real powerhouse more dangerous than a whole squad of armed soldiers. In other words, he was done, dead, his life will, and because he couldn't say no to a pretty girl with big pleading eyes that helped to kidnap him in the first place.
He wanted to run while screaming like a lunatic hoping that these marines would be too busy capturing the remaining people to bother with him.
Yet he didn't, because even now he felt Lin's eyes on his back. She was kneeling there next to her father, up until now trying to pick his lock with the tip of her sword, now watching him almost as if he was some kind of mythical hero that would save her. He knew he wouldn't be able to desert her, when she was putting so much can't on him and so he stood his ground, looking Mon Roy directly in his eyes.
"The guy who will kick your a*s, if you won't let my girlfriend and her family go!"
Without turning his eyes away from the enemy he added.
"Angel girl, unlock their chains and all of you get the h*ll out of here. Me and this weirdo"
He nodded toward Augustus
"Will keep them busy."