[Arc] [St. Poplar Conquest] [Part 3] The St.Poplar's Fire Incident

Sun Jul 31, 2022 12:36 am

Note:

Round 1:

Castor O. Nox uses [HT] Orochi's Breath on Hornigold
Castor O. Nox uses [LT] Million Works on Hornigold
Castor O. Nox uses UT on Hornigold

Newport uses MT on Hornigold
Jazzy uses MT on Hornigold
Newport uses UT on Hornigold
Jazzy uses UT on Hornigold

Hornigold uses MT on Castor
Hornigold uses LT on Castor
Hornigold uses LT on Castor
Hornigold uses UT on Castor
Hornigold uses UT on Newport
Hornigold uses UT on Jazzy

COMBAT TRACKERS:

PLAYER STATS:

PLAYER RATIOS:

USED 3 TECHNIQUES | 0 TOGGLES | 0 HAKI:

1 TECHNIQUES ACTIVE | 0 TOGGLES | 0 HAKI ACTIVE:

2 TECHNIQUES COOLING DOWN | 0 HAKI COOLING DOWN:

CREW COMPANION STATS:

CREW COMPANION RATIOS:

CREW COMPANION TECHNIQUES USED:

OPPONENT STATS:

OPPONENT RATIOS:

OPPONENT TECHNIQUES USED:

Sun Jul 31, 2022 12:36 am

The member 'Castor O. Nox' has done the following action : Dice Roll

#1 'Reflex Check' : 14, 11

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#2 'Reflex Check' : 10, 20, 15, 11

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#3 'Reflex Check' : 9, 16, 8, 4, 7, 7

Sun Jul 31, 2022 1:28 am

Round 2:

Castor O. Nox uses [HT] Awakened Status on self
Castor O. Nox uses [LT] Drill on Hornigold
Castor O. Nox uses UT on Hornigold

Newport uses MT on Hornigold
Jazzy uses MT on Hornigold
Newport uses UT on Hornigold
Jazzy uses UT on Hornigold

Hornigold uses MT on Castor
Hornigold uses LT on Castor
Hornigold uses LT on Castor
Hornigold uses UT on Castor
Hornigold uses UT on Newport
Hornigold uses UT on Jazzy

COMBAT TRACKERS:

PLAYER STATS:

PLAYER RATIOS:

USED 3 TECHNIQUES | 0 TOGGLES | 0 HAKI:

3 TECHNIQUES ACTIVE | 0 TOGGLES | 0 HAKI ACTIVE:

4 TECHNIQUES COOLING DOWN | 0 HAKI COOLING DOWN:

CREW COMPANION STATS:

CREW COMPANION RATIOS:

CREW COMPANION TECHNIQUES USED:

OPPONENT STATS:

OPPONENT RATIOS:

OPPONENT TECHNIQUES USED:

Sun Jul 31, 2022 1:28 am

The member 'Castor O. Nox' has done the following action : Dice Roll

#1 'Reflex Check' : 20, 3

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#2 'Reflex Check' : 15, 16, 6, 9

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#3 'Reflex Check' : 3, 10, 4, 15, 4, 20

Sun Jul 31, 2022 2:07 am

Round 3:

Castor O. Nox uses [MT] Curse of Orochi on Hornigold
Castor O. Nox uses [LT] Surge on Hornigold
Castor O. Nox uses [LT] Inazuma on Hornigold
Castor O. Nox uses UT on Hornigold

Newport uses MT on Hornigold
Jazzy uses MT on Hornigold
Newport uses UT on Hornigold
Jazzy uses UT on Hornigold

Hornigold uses HT on Castor
Hornigold uses LT on Castor
Hornigold uses UT on Castor
Hornigold uses UT on Newport
Hornigold uses UT on Jazzy

COMBAT TRACKERS:

PLAYER STATS:

PLAYER RATIOS:

USED 4 TECHNIQUES | 0 TOGGLES | 0 HAKI:

4 TECHNIQUES ACTIVE | 0 TOGGLES | 0 HAKI ACTIVE:

4 TECHNIQUES COOLING DOWN | 0 HAKI COOLING DOWN:

CREW COMPANION STATS:

CREW COMPANION RATIOS:

CREW COMPANION TECHNIQUES USED:

OPPONENT STATS:

OPPONENT RATIOS:

OPPONENT TECHNIQUES USED:

Sun Jul 31, 2022 2:07 am

The member 'Castor O. Nox' has done the following action : Dice Roll

#1 'Reflex Check' : 13, 6, 12, 12

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#2 'Reflex Check' : 11, 15, 11, 19

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#3 'Reflex Check' : 11, 14, 9, 4, 13

Sun Jul 31, 2022 7:46 am

Round 4:

Castor O. Nox uses [MT] Enlil's Curse on Hornigold
Castor O. Nox uses [LT] Celestial Barrier on Hornigold
Castor O. Nox uses [LT] Skewer on Hornigold
Castor O. Nox uses UT on Hornigold

Newport uses MT on Hornigold
Jazzy uses MT on Hornigold
Newport uses UT on Hornigold
Jazzy uses UT on Hornigold

Hornigold uses MT on Castor
Hornigold uses LT on Castor
Hornigold uses LT on Castor
Hornigold uses UT on Castor
Hornigold uses UT on Newport
Hornigold uses UT on Jazzy

COMBAT TRACKERS:

PLAYER STATS:

PLAYER RATIOS:

USED 4 TECHNIQUES | 1 TOGGLES | 2 HAKI:

6 TECHNIQUES ACTIVE | 1 TOGGLES | 2 HAKI ACTIVE:

6 TECHNIQUES COOLING DOWN | 0 HAKI COOLING DOWN:

CREW COMPANION STATS:

CREW COMPANION RATIOS:

CREW COMPANION TECHNIQUES USED:

OPPONENT STATS:

OPPONENT RATIOS:

OPPONENT TECHNIQUES USED:

Sun Jul 31, 2022 7:46 am

The member 'Castor O. Nox' has done the following action : Dice Roll

#1 'Reflex Check' : 13, 12, 6, 2

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#2 'Reflex Check' : 4, 18, 4, 5

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#3 'Reflex Check' : 13, 14, 19, 3, 8, 6

Sun Jul 31, 2022 8:33 am

Round 5:

Castor O. Nox uses [MT] Raiju on Hornigold
Castor O. Nox uses [LT] Millon Works on Hornigold
Castor O. Nox uses [LT] Surge on Hornigold
Castor O. Nox uses UT on Hornigold

Newport uses MT on Hornigold
Jazzy uses MT on Hornigold
Newport uses UT on Hornigold
Jazzy uses UT on Hornigold

Hornigold uses MT on Castor
Hornigold uses LT on Castor
Hornigold uses LT on Castor
Hornigold uses UT on Castor
Hornigold uses UT on Newport
Hornigold uses UT on Jazzy

COMBAT TRACKERS:

PLAYER STATS:

PLAYER RATIOS:

USED 4 TECHNIQUES | 1 TOGGLES | 2 HAKI:

5 TECHNIQUES ACTIVE | 1 TOGGLES | 2 HAKI ACTIVE:

8 TECHNIQUES COOLING DOWN | 0 HAKI COOLING DOWN:

CREW COMPANION STATS:

CREW COMPANION RATIOS:

CREW COMPANION TECHNIQUES USED:

OPPONENT STATS:

OPPONENT RATIOS:

OPPONENT TECHNIQUES USED:

Sun Jul 31, 2022 8:33 am

The member 'Castor O. Nox' has done the following action : Dice Roll

#1 'Reflex Check' : 16, 3, 4, 5

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#2 'Reflex Check' : 13, 19, 10, 6

--------------------------------

#3 'Reflex Check' : 15, 12, 3, 4, 17, 6

Sun Jul 31, 2022 9:19 am

Roji uses Pine Pressure (HT) on himself
Roji uses Timber Drop (LT) on Tito - Hit
Roji uses UT on Tito - Hit

Tito uses LT on Roji - Hit
Tito uses LT on Roji - Hit Critical
Tito uses LT on Roji - Hit
Tito uses UT on Roji - Miss

COMBAT TRACKERS:

PLAYER STATS:

PLAYER RATIOS:

USED 1 TECHNIQUES | 0 TOGGLES | 0 HAKI:

1 TECHNIQUES ACTIVE | 0 TOGGLES | 0 HAKI ACTIVE:

2 TECHNIQUES COOLING DOWN | 0 HAKI COOLING DOWN:

OPPONENT STATS:

OPPONENT RATIOS:

OPPONENT TECHNIQUES USED:

Sun Jul 31, 2022 9:19 am

The member 'Roji' has done the following action : Dice Roll

#1 'Reflex Check' : 13, 5

--------------------------------

#2 'Reflex Check' : 12, 20, 9, 1

Sun Jul 31, 2022 9:28 am

Roji uses Maple Crash (HT) on Tito - Hit
Roji uses Leaf Punch (LT) on Tito - Miss
Roji uses UT on Tito - Hit

Tito uses LT on Roji - Miss
Tito uses LT on Roji - Hit
Tito uses LT on Roji - Hit
Tito uses UT on Roji - Hit

COMBAT TRACKERS:

PLAYER STATS:

PLAYER RATIOS:

USED 1 TECHNIQUES | 0 TOGGLES | 0 HAKI:

1 TECHNIQUES ACTIVE | 0 TOGGLES | 0 HAKI ACTIVE:

2 TECHNIQUES COOLING DOWN | 0 HAKI COOLING DOWN:

OPPONENT STATS:

OPPONENT RATIOS:

OPPONENT TECHNIQUES USED:

Sun Jul 31, 2022 9:28 am

The member 'Roji' has done the following action : Dice Roll

#1 'Reflex Check' : 13, 1, 14

--------------------------------

#2 'Reflex Check' : 1, 11, 17, 13

Sun Jul 31, 2022 9:36 am

Roji uses Tonfa Spinning (MT) on Tito - Miss
Roji uses Timber Drop (LT) on Tito - Hit
Roji use Leaf Kick (LT on Tito - Hit
Roji uses UT on Tito - Hit

Tito uses MT on Roji - Hit - Critical
Tito uses LT on Roji - Hit
Tito uses LT on Roji - Hit
Tito uses UT on Roji - Hit

Tito is knocked out

Opponents RX% is less than 100 so their combo is ignored as they are already defeated

COMBAT TRACKERS:

PLAYER STATS:

PLAYER RATIOS:

USED 1 TECHNIQUES | 0 TOGGLES | 0 HAKI:

1 TECHNIQUES ACTIVE | 0 TOGGLES | 0 HAKI ACTIVE:

2 TECHNIQUES COOLING DOWN | 0 HAKI COOLING DOWN:

OPPONENT STATS:

OPPONENT RATIOS:

OPPONENT TECHNIQUES USED:

Sun Jul 31, 2022 9:36 am

The member 'Roji' has done the following action : Dice Roll

#1 'Reflex Check' : 8, 18, 16, 11

--------------------------------

#2 'Reflex Check' : 20, 19, 11, 8

Sun Jul 31, 2022 12:03 pm

Part II:

[Arc] [St. Poplar Conquest] [Part 3] The St.Poplar's Fire Incident 26e87810

Sanpaku (산빠쿠)

St.Poplar is an island that has elongated periods of Spring. This Spring island hosts several festivals throughout the year, the most unique of them being the Queen of Spring Festival.

Locals and tourists alike are encouraged to wear wooden masks crafted by local artisans. Each mask is symbolic, and this symbolism is explained to their buyers, as each style of the mask represents various roles in the festival's island-wide main event.

As the Sea Train docked in Springfield Station, eager visitors dashed off the train, traveling from surrounding islands on the route - San Faldo, Pucci, and Water 7 to take part in St.Poplar's activities and goodies.

As visitors exit the station, a flyer explaining the festival's origin and tradition is passed off to each passenger. A young girl and her family of three rushed over to a mask stall, brimming in excitement.

The fresh gust of spring air sweeping from the bountiful country sides made its way into the lass's nostrils as she gawked at every mask hung up on the stall. Her parents and siblings lingered in the back, apologizing to the stall owner for the rambunctious child's energy.

However, the owner of the stall always welcomed those who got excited about his works, it truly brought him joy to see his creations be the crux of a sentimental moment.

"Why are they so many animal masks?" The youth inquired.

The cheerful old man wasted no time hopping into lore points, "I'm glad you asked. It has to do with an old folk tale about how this nation was founded." The Oldman reckoned. "Before any of the towns or villages on St.Poplar existed... Even way before the Sea Train or even Kings or Queens - There was an island well endowed with nature's blessings." The old man explained with an emotive tone and hand gestures.

The man's passionate story-telling captivated the four family members almost instantly.

"This island was once called Springfield. Simply because of, its long fields packed with various flora. Herbs, Large Trees, Rare Berries... It was a nature's paradise. To some extent, it still is.

Due to its abundance, many walks of life settle on the island. St.Poplar's famous ale is partly because of the water used from the springs and rivers in the brewing process. Cleanest in all of Paradise." The Old Vendor explained, getting sidetracked as he could see his crowd of four attention span wavering.

Coughing to clear his throat, "Legend has it... A young lady known as Ruth arrived in Springfield sometime long in the past. She was a woman gifted with the ability to speak to animals and plants they say.

Because of it, she often was found frowning... Knowing that the people would often mistreat the crops and fauna to fulfill their cardinal needs." The Old Vendor continued.

"After a while, she taught the people the best places to settle. Proper ways to rear animals and pay respects to their sacrifice as they would see fit. She established a balance between man and nature.

The animals were revered as her council or external compass it's rumored. She was the first Saint - Ruth Saint Poplar. The animal masks represent those 'first' animals who bore witness to her many miracles.

That's why regular spectators who don't wish to be a part of the festival's main game and just wish to watch wear these. They are all animals native to Saint Poplar." The Old Vendor explained.

The young lady's brother chimed in, pointing at the other spooky-looking masks. Some goblins, ghastly faces, or even that of Onis. Pointing at the other themed masks, "What about these oldman? I like em'. They're creepy." The kid declared as he'd pick his nose.

"Michael! That's gross!" The sister exclaimed in disgust. Chasing her around with the extracted nose stone stuck to his finger, the parents would try to separate the two runts. However, the old vendor's explanation would be more than enough to capture their attention.

"They represent the curses of those who disobeyed Saint Ruth's cries. Their spirits never passed on and they ended up being reincarnated as apparitions who aimed to disrupt Saint Poplar from her purpose.

Much like in festivals main stage game!" The vendor concluded with a loud shout in his final sentence.

"Game?" The two kids who pulled at each other's cheeks inquired.

"Yes. First. Our lovely Spring Princesses dance from morning to sunset around a bonfire created from the bark of the trees across St.Poplar. Drinking. Singing. Connecting to the spirits of the Saints Poplar, Gantz, and Maria." The Old Vendor explained.

This time the parents chimed in, "You lost me. We only learned of Poplar. Who are Gantz and Maria?" The mother inquired. "And why are they dancing around a bonfire?" The Father who'd also been listening quietly but attentively inquired.

"Bwahaha! I'm glad you picked up on those bits, Mama and Papa." The Old Vendor proclaimed. "Let me continue the folk tale. It'll clear up all your questions. As I said, Saint Poplar was a miracle maker. As news of her seemingly magical feats spread far and wide, she became revered as a Saint and her family name - Ruth/Ruths became the new Royalty in these lands.

However, as she continued to grow her followership into a nation. She'd be continued to be grudged by the apparitions of the fallen who doubted her and couldn't pass on to the next life because of their grudges or so the story goes.

As such, St.Poplar consulted the Mother Oak Trees - similar to those seen around the Town of Saint Maria for guidance. They told her as the legend goes, chop us down once every forty decades from today. Burn our oak in a bonfire and offer the dances of the most talented woman in your land.

This process will purify the evil spirits and allow them to pass over. However, the process won't be complete until one of the maidens delivers a Gooses Egg to a special location on the island - which is where the Holy Cathedral of Saint Poplar sits on top of now.

Apparently, in times in the past, it used to be an altar in a cave they would place the egg inside but who knows - details get lost throughout time. They are even some interpretations where the Egg isn't an egg at all. It's a clump of gold. In others, it's a fox's tail. Changes depending on who you ask." The Old Vendor explained.

The family of four was stunned at the ridiculous tale but everywhere had them, old folk tales too bizarre to believe but at the same time, so strange you couldn't stop listening.

"I have so many questions..." the Mother exclaimed shaking her head from side to side.

"Okay. So they dance around the fire drunk. Take an egg to the church. And then what?" The Father for the sake of his sanity simply inquired, stripping away all the mystique of the story.

"Ohoho. A naysayer I see. Well. That's the end of the game and the winner becomes our new council to the elements or in more modern contexts - Our Queen. Though the monarchy has been abolished here so it's more so the Church that has taken back over the politics here. This is how we select our Mayor.

Of course. All of the ladies have to be well-spoken, vetted, and good at a lot more than dancing or drinking! The winner can even pass off her sovereignty to another - maybe a husband or even a sibling as long as he's qualified in the eyes of the Church.

Hence why we have at least Three Kings of the Spring Festival in the past." The old vendor spouted out the fun fact with a shine of what remained of his piano key-shaped teeth.

"What a fun tale!" The mother exclaimed, opting not to think too logically about it any longer.

The little girl made one last observation before reaching for the mask she wanted. Bored with the logistics of the story, Michael and his sister simply played rock paper scissors as the old man rambled.

"Mister. Why are they more Fox Masks than any other animal here?" The child inquired.

"Ah. Spot on observation. Foxes are almost extinct here on the island... For various reasons but at one point, they could've been seen abundant on St.Poplar.

Legend says that foxes helped the previous Queens in their communications with the Mother Oaks. Also, acted as guardians for the Queens in their future diplomatic ventures offering secrets to the lands here.

That's the third role you can play in the game. Much like the apparitions who disrupt the Princess's journey. The foxes step in to help her along. Of course, it's all in fun. The people who play the spirits usually just heckle at most or throw a few pieces of rotten fruit.

Those who wear the fox masks shield or fight for their honor as it's against the rules for the Princess to fight back against the apparitions directly. She must ask for a Foxes help." The Old Vendor concluded.

Each member of the family looked on in awe at the crazy information divulged to them. Of course, Michael wanted to be a spirit. The young lady, Ashley, opted to be Fox and the parents chose to be animals, and bird masks for the married couple!

Lunar Woods | Saint Maria

The same story that was being conveyed to the visitors was recollected to the members of the Nox Pirates who had been hiding out in his clinic for the last four days by Nox.

"That's it. That's the story of St.Poplar." Nox concluded, sitting by the clinic's window and sipping on a cup of Sake. The Pirate Captain was covered in bandages from head to toe at points but his wounds were almost healed.

The medication that Lucky had prescribed and various other herbal remedies after cleared up the issue of Jazzy's Witches Shade as well.

"I have so many questions," Minerva stated with squinted eyes.

Waving her hands like a teacher's pet yearning for approval, Jazzy shook from side to side exaggeratedly to garner Nox's attention.

"J'ai une question! (I have one question!) Who are Saint Maria and Gantz? You still didn't explain that part?" Jazzy inquired.

"Bwahahaha... That's the part you're clinging onto. It all sounds like horse shit to me." Newport declared, chugging the bottle of Sake directly from the gourd.

"When are they going to leave-teia?" Lucky thought to himself, his peaceful mornings disrupted by the unruly pirate group.

"Ah. Apparently. They were the first children Saint Poplar had." Castor declared in a very anti-climactic manner.

@Roji

Total Word Count: 25,007 | Current Word Count: 1,773

^{Castor'sTracker}

Sun Jul 31, 2022 9:15 pm

Roji woke up just a little after Nox’s retelling of the island's local legend had started. The young man lay on his back, somewhat close to his crewmates. The Envy Sin opened his eyes and stretched his arm out, grabbing a nearby bowl of oranges he had peeled the night before. Eating as quietly as he could, Roji listened in on his captain’s story. It was sad to hear that such an allegedly beautiful country would eventually fall into the hands of the World Government, but the same could be said for so many more islands.

One thing, in particular, stood out to Roji the most. The encouraged wearing of masks on what is presumably the island's most busy day out of the year seemed almost too perfect to be true. Especially given how the crew would be foolish to willingly show their faces after humiliating the marines at G-43. Though his revelation made way for a new dilemma, What mask would be the best for Roji to wear?

Roji pondered this for some time, only directing his full attention to the others when Castor’s story had finished. He let the others ask their questions first before he spoke up himself. “I would be inclined to agree with Newport if we weren’t about to make history for the island ourselves.”

“This folk story gives two more questions for every answer. I am interested in what the locals mean by Saint Poplar being a miracle worker. Now I’m not saying I'm not religious, but miracles in the Grand Line seem rare. Was she a Devil Fruit-Eater perhaps? Talking to trees doesn’t seem that outlandish given the kinds of stuff you and Jazzy can do Captain.”

Fully sitting up now, Roji placed his empty bowl to the side and slowly scanned the vicinity for any stray fruit he hadn’t eaten already. For some reason unknown to Roji, he seemed to be having some serious growing pains as of late. It puzzled the young man, only a few of his cousins and relatives outside of his immediate family had any height on them. Who knows? Maybe if the Envy Sin could get to him alone he would ask the friendly doctor who had been harboring them the last couple of days to take a look.

Just Outside G-43 | Early Morning

Tito, Guinness, and a few other marine soldiers set off. Officially, they had been told to keep an eye on the citizens in preparation for the day's main event. In truth, Tito had a plan of his own. Georgie had been gone for a couple of days now and none of the higher-ups seemed to care that much. After all, was it worth the trouble to figure out what happened to just one single Seaman Recruit? Most at the base had written off his disappearance as him deserting the Navy. Claiming that Georgie will simply get a bounty when he inevitably shows his face again.

Tito and the others knew better. Georgie was not the kind of guy who would leave like that. His family had a long history of service in the Marines and not one second could be spared to find him. Tito made eye contact with Guinness, who looked like a complete nervous wreck. “You think we’re going to find him right?”

Tito tried his best to show his trademark, confident smile. “Of course I am. None of us would be out here if we thought this was all for nothing!” While Tito’s words might have sounded sincere at face value, he was trying to rally himself just as much as the others.

Word Count:

@Castor O. Nox

Mon Aug 01, 2022 9:26 am

[Arc] [St. Poplar Conquest] [Part 3] The St.Poplar's Fire Incident One-piece-marine

Sanpaku (산빠쿠)

Seven Days Ago on The Wailing Calamity

After escaping the clutches of Rear Admiral Clevis, the severely damaged vessel hovered on the Open Sea. Scanning the Sea Charts he'd purchased on Flevance, Castor plotted their current location based on the route taken from Twin Cape.

"The next island is..." Castor murmured, shifting his finger around the map. Sextant and compass in position, "Seems to be Saint Poplar. Whatever that is." Castor declared. Once the location was derived, Castor appeared before the crew, telling them the next island in the hope someone aboard the vessel was familiar.

As the North Blue natives murmured amongst themselves, Duke used Den Den Mushi to contact some old friends for information. Within a few hours, "It's under the World Government's jurisdiction. They recently erected a brand new marine base there as well.

It was once monarch base but the Government intervened in their internal struggles as a power play." Duke declared, securely nestled in his tin suit.

"I remember St.Poplar. I think it's Spring Island. It also has this strangely designed port. A ship of this size docking there would be noticeable. They'd probably think it's a pirate attack. I suggest we dock somewhere untraditional." Newport chimed in.

Jazzy sat lurking in the shadows, watching her crewmates debate after a disturbing message was delivered to her.

"Our crew's around three hundred and fifty people. However, if we're looking to achieve bigger feats, I'll need more men and a sturdier ship." Nox stated, shifting the focus of the conversation. "At this stage, if all of us disembark at St.Poplar, I'm sure the marines wouldn't sit idly by." Nox concluded.

Seconds later a mischievous smile came over Nox's face, "I think I have a plan." Castor declared with a twinkle in his eye. "We're going on vacation." Nox continued with a wider grin this time.

Castor's plan was overly complex as usual. The crew would abandon the ship, taking the neighboring Sea Train to recruit pirates along its route. Nox would go undercover as a Marine Recruit using Jazzy's new Devil Fruit abilities to piece together his disguise.

Roji opted to appear as a Bounty Hunter since he wasn't a known pirate as yet.

Minerva was dragged into being Jazzy's assistant since Alexi fell asleep during the meeting.

Duke took on the burden of most of this mission, being the liaison between his Underworld Connects for information on the island and helping the remainder of the crew escape via the Sea Train.

Newport was offered as a distraction. After all, he was the Vice Captain, his remaining behind would leave the marines puzzled.

The overall plan was to use the day of the festival to capture the G-43 Base. How many ever members returned of the Nox Pirates would head straight to the base at a location that depended on the layout of the base. Hence Castor goes undercover to spy, obtain the layout and understand the culture of the base.

G-43 Base | Cafeteria

Sitting at the helm of a table noticeable pissed, Base Commander Hornigold shoveled a mountain of food into his mouth, chewing aggressively. Tension was high among the marine camp, they had been searching for four days and had yet to locate the Nox Pirates.

Also, in the chaos with the Crazed Keg Pirates, the Wailing Calamity had disappeared from the harbor even though it was supposed to be under intense surveillance.

On top of that, Joseph marched to Saint Gantz only to find a scarecrow that was styled to resemble Castor hanging in an open field with all of the marine hostages tied together in rope and blindfolds.

Joseph had no motive and all of his prisoners who he could've interrogated had escaped.

On top of that, he had promised the people of St.Poplar an execution after the Festival's Spring Queen had been elected. No one dared approach him in this mood except these four.

Sitting down at the table with their trays of food, the four old crones broke down into laughter on Joseph's face.

"This is his - 'When I find them, I'll kill them.' Oh boy. How much paperwork did we have to fill out when you got that look in your eye." Lucy declared, patting good ol' Hornigold on his back several times.

"Good thing I was here to keep this shit show in line. I won't write my report until you resolve this mess." Lester declared, sipping on a mug of ale. Lucy constantly tried to grapple the man but Lester avoided the woman like the plague.

Eating a massive turkey leg, "Ya'll haven't made up yet? It's been over twenty years already since your divorce." Rocket exclaimed chomping into the slab of cooked meat.

Poking Joseph's cheek, "I can't believe the Mighty Joseph Hornigold has gotten this sloppy. Bwahaha... It's been a pleasure to see the leader of the famed Heavenly Senses fail for once. Priceless." Keid exclaimed, dancing around the man merrily.

Slamming his into the table and shattering it, "I called you lot here to work! If I had a grasp on the situation, I would've done it myself!" Joseph barked.

The group of four broke out into laughter again, meanwhile, the other marine recruits almost caught a heart attack from Hornigold's outburst of rage.

"Relax. Including my men from Enies Lobby, we have about five thousand marines on the island at the moment. That includes two warships, your vessel, and a fully equipped base for land warfare, whatever their plan is. We can respond in real-time." Lester stated.

"I also poked around in the other islands along the Sea Train and found several of Nox's men occupying bars and brothels. I'm not sure why he's garnered a significant force on Pucci. If any of the marked men even step a foot in the station, we'll know ahead of time." Lucy chimed in.

Finishing off the leg piece, mumbling at first with his mouth still full, "We also went hunting his forces on San Faldo. After interrogating a few of them, we found out Nox planned to take the G-43 Base. Of course, I got them locked up in the jailhouse." Rocket declared.

"It seems they plan to blend in with the locals during the festival and take the base but I've already placed a Twenty-Four Hour patrol around the parameter. All of our men are manning the cannons and monitoring the situation at the port." Keid concluded.

Finishing his ale, "Meaning. It's only a matter of time until our men find Nox." Lester concluded. "Then we'll kick the shit out of him ourselves." Lucy declared with a malevolent grin.

"I also gathered information on their potential executives. It seems Nox refers to them as 'Sins'. Based on the Seven Deadly Sin concept from various religious texts." Lester explained, sliding folders to each of the four at the table with compiled profiles of Jazzy, Newport, Duke, and Minerva.

Whistling in awe, "Ex-Cipher Pol? She goes by the name of Jazzy but her government name is Jasmine Ester Kang. Wait wait... As in Kenndey Kang. That marine Rear Admiral who was found shot all of those years ago in his home." Rocket exclaimed.

"I heard that his kid went missing. He must be rolling in his grave knowing his brat became a pirate." Lester chimed in. "Who knows? He was killed by the very same agency she joined for his research. That's what happens to anyone who gets too close to the Void Century-" Lucy stated, stopping herself short due to the sensitive nature around even mentioning that period aloud.

"A Briss Kingdom Noble? Duke Titania Stockholm Philip. Underworld Alias Red Devil. According to this record, officially he's just an estranged Noble traveling the world. There's no direct connection between this Tin Man whose on Nox's crew and him. Is this information even credible, why would a former noble become a pirate? Wasn't he like Third in line for the Throne?" Keid inquired.

"The most disturbing one of them all is this Newport cat. Everyone thought he was dead up to a year ago... An Ex Underling of Loha who was disgracefully let go. I heard Loha murdered his wife and kid and then broke every bone in his body. He must have done some foul shit to deserve that." Rocket chimed in.

"Who knows why Pirates do what they do? He's even got a former Three Star Hunter in his ranks. Does this kid just collect the world's most tragic rejects?" Lucy announced.

"Post their pictures across the island. This information was clutch, Lester. I'm not even gonna ask how you got it." Hornigold finally joined in the debriefing.

"I have my sources," Lester stated, adjusting his collar. The five capes that read 'Justice' hung from the chair back as the meeting continued. It wouldn't be long before this information was spread island-wide. Sketches of each pirate were also sent out based on previous reports.

Keid - The Heavenly Sense of Touch:

Rocket - The Heavenly Sense of Taste:

Lester - The Heavenly Sense of Sight :

Lucy - The Heavenly Sense of Hearing:

@Roji

Total Word Count: 26,493 | Current Word Count: 1,486

^{Castor'sTracker}

Mon Aug 01, 2022 8:58 pm

Lunar Woods | March 18th, 1829

The sun had not yet risen by the time Roji woke up. Groggily rubbing the sand out of his eyes, Roji got up and crept out of the crowded clinic. Once the young man was situated outside he scanned the poorly lit surroundings, using the trees as his compass. Now assured that he knew what way he was going, Roji set off in a straight line.

The distance the young man walked was nothing too crazy, perhaps a good fifteen minutes from where Lucky’s clinic was located. But the reward that Roji would give himself for taking the journey was easily worth it. Spotting the hiding place a little off his path, Roji sprinted over and made sure it was still there.

A large, burlap sack was hidden under a pile of branches and leaves. Throwing the camouflage out of the way, Roji picked up the plain bag and opened it up. A variety of freshly stolen fruits were neatly divided inside. The Envy Sin sat alone in the woods for some time, enjoying the spoils of his last raid.

A half hour or so later, Roji first saw the sun make its way above the horizon. Knowing that it was time to head on back to the clinic the young man rehid his stash of produce and left the area. Roji was more wary of being tailed on his way back. He had been worried ever since they started hiding out in the woods about being found, some of the townspeople had to have heard the battle between his crewmates and Newport. Roji had heard the commonfolk rarely entered the Lunar Woods for nonreligious reasons but the Marines were the true worry and the ones really in charge around here.

Roji continued listening to his pessimistic thoughts until he caught something in the corner of his eye. An odd shape was far away to the man’s left. Given the conditions outside it was damn near impossible to get a good look at what exactly it was. All Roji knew was that he wanted nothing to do with it, especially not so close to both the clinic and his food. The Envy Sin picked up the pace and sprinted back to Lucky’s. At least it wouldn’t be lying when he said he went out on a morning run.

Saint Maria | March 19th, 1829

Tito and the others had expanded their search to Saint Maria. The joyful attitude of the locals did little to lift the storm cloud that hung over the soldier’s heads. None of the citizens that the marines had questioned could even remember seeing Georgie. Making their way to the markets, an old-looking merchant flagged Tito down. “You need help with something sir?”

The old fellow raised his voice, and fist into the air. “Why I tell you what! Some crook keeps stealing all my fruit! I have a family to feed!”

Tito looked around the mostly depleted stock of produce the merchant had. “I can see that. Do you have any idea who it could be?”

The merchant shook his head in frustration. “I have no clue. I sit out here all day! Nothing ever gets past me and this still happens!”

The Marine Lieutenant pointed behind him to his buddies. “Well me and the guys will take a look around and see if we can’t find any answers.”

After leaving the man Guinness walked in front of Tito, a look of confusion easily spotted on his face. “Why are we helping this geezer find his fruit? What about Georgie!?”

Tito brushed past his comrade. “You heard him. He sits out there all day. Maybe if we help him he might be inclined to tell us if he saw anything of note.”

Word Count:

@Castor O. Nox

Tue Aug 02, 2022 11:07 am

[Arc] [St. Poplar Conquest] [Part 3] The St.Poplar's Fire Incident 4ba43110

Sanpaku (산빠쿠)

Aboard The Wailing Calamity | Undisclosed Cove | Red Devil's Workshop

Rebuilding his better half as he'd call it, Red Devil scoured his workshop for the parts necessary to rebuild his mechanized tin suit of armor. The conflict with Juice had taught him there was much to be desired in reaching the perfect build as it pertains to combat.

The island was crawling with marines, so Duke left the clinic about two days ago in search of the Wailing Calamity. Not many people knew how he looked in general, and no one could truly connect any of his activities to 'Red Devil' either.

For the next few days, he was just Duke, a paranoid tourist who mucked around with a black umbrella to protect him from the sunlight. Tinkering away, Duke developed a brand new steam engine system for a suit that no longer prioritized Cola but Sea Water as well.

Yet. He knew the primitive technology wouldn't be miles near what was available on Karakuri. For the first time in their life, Duke had been walking around blind, too risky to reach out to the Underworld due to his psychotic episode and unsure about the quality of his second suit.

Climbing into the monstrosity and calibrating certain precise movements, Red Devil had stepped back into his power. The new version of the suit had an oni theme, with two steam pipes on his head, and a medieval helm for the face as opposed to the former Kabuki model.

The suit was a lot more compact as well, it featured the old bulkier build but it was now reinforced on the inside with stronger metals he'd robbed from the Underworld Depot before burning it to the ground.

The Ten Footer walked out of his lab, picking up to massive sub-machine guns he'd engineered to connect to his brand new Steam Water-Cola System. The repairs on the Wailing Calamity had been completed and Zanato was busy snoring away his life, truly upholding the sanctity of the Sloth Sin role.

Hopping off the vessel, Newport began his journey towards Springfield Station.

Pucci | Train Station

The marines surrounded the Sea Train port, vigorously searching all patrons heading towards St.Poplar specifically. However, Nox's men had taken a page of out his book, entering the Sea Train in various waves, each Nox Pirate had acquired full chef outfits and committed to the role of Sous Chef's aiding various food stalls around St.Poplar.

Once on the island, each member would purchase a mask of the animal variety, as it made it easier to traverse the various activities as an observer than any of the roles.

Lunar Woods | Lucky's Clinic

Using the abilities of his Goro Goro No Mi, Nox had picked on the voices of the marines who were swarming the forest.

"It seems the marine search party has arrived in Saint Maria. That's the cue." Castor declared, standing up from his position at the window. "You all know the plan right?" Castor inquired.

Everyone present in the room nodded in agreement.

"I need that base intact. I don't mind a bit of damage but we can't go too wild." Nox reiterated.

All of the members of the crew stared at Nox with judgemental eyes as his abilities were the most destructive of them all.

Springing into action, since they no longer needed to conceal their identities besides the maks on the island, Jazzy was ready to issue the mission outfits for the final raid. Dashing around the room with her foot techniques, the woman transformed everyone's outfits to a similar theme.

Long sleeve jackets with straps for buckles, compliment free-flowing long-cut pants with shiny dyed leather boots that resembled sneakers in some ways. Each member of the crew was given a trademark color.

Example of Our Outfits :

Color Scheme wrote:Castor - Blue
Roji - Green
Newport - Orange
Jazzy - White. Of course.
Minerva - Yellow
Lucky - Purple

Using a scrunchie and tying his hair up into one, Nox hopped through the window of the treehouse. Following to his left and right, Jazzy and Newport huddled at their Captain's rear. Shooting off into the sky using his Logia Abilities, Newport and Jazzy used their Sky Walk to follow.

"Where did you learn that?" Minerva inquired, generally curious.

"In the New World... Stuff like this is entry-level." Newport commented.

Using bursts of lightning to jet through the air, the speed at which the trio was moving would've rendered them invisible to the naked eye. The A-Team was set to arrive at the G-43 Base in one hour.

A Team - Jazzy, Newport, and Nox.

Team B led by Roji was in charge of assisting Duke's contact in becoming Mayor of St.Poplar. The woman with emerald eyes is known as Lady Serpina. The bonfire ceremony was occurring in an open field between Maria and Poplar which was only about an hour away from Lucky's Clinic.

B-Team - Roji, Lucky, Minerva

Once she passed the bonfire round that is, the crew would support her from a distance in their Fox Masks helping her make it to the cathedral's walls. Many of the other ladies had contracted mercenaries and bounty hunters as their security for the second stage.

If they could manage to scare the other competitors into dropping their eggs, they will be immediately eliminated. These three were also the least known members of the crew at the time, well except Minerva whose face along with Castor, Newport, and Jazzy were plastered everywhere.

Team C was led by Red Devil. He ran as a distraction for the mobs of marines at the train station, his job was to allow the foot soldiers of the Nox Pirates into the city. Essentially, breaking down the defenses at the Train Station.

Team D was the incoming Nox Pirates. Once in the city, they will blend into the festival crowds and gradually make their way towards G-43 Base. Using the chaos caused by Team A, they will lead a prison break, freeing the old nobles of St.Poplar and occupying the base's land artillery.

Essentially, using the G-43 Base against Hornigold and his men. The base was a literally fortress and after going over the blueprints with the crew, Roji was supposed to finish up his mission with Serpina and take over the capturing of the base, in a perfect world.

The Base had an Eastern Entrance which was unreachable because it was adjacent to a cliffside and a perilous journey awaited all who wanted to scale it. However, it was also the side of the base where food supplies and the kitchen staff would arrive. Guess who was dressed as a band of traveling chefs?

The Eastern Entrance had a separate path and the delivery cart that traversed this hill would arrive around noon every three days or so. Due to the forces on San Faldo being decimated, the number count of able-bodied Nox Pirates excluding the executives was five hundred.

The only thing the Nox Pirates couldn't account for was the unorthodox marine superiors they were about to encounter.

Keid - The Heavenly Sense of Touch:

Rocket - The Heavenly Sense of Taste:

Lester - The Heavenly Sense of Sight :

Lucy - The Heavenly Sense of Hearing:

@Roji

Total Word Count: 27,657 | Current Word Count: 1,164

^{Castor'sTracker}

Tue Aug 02, 2022 9:43 pm

Roji slowly sat up following Castor’s announcement of the impending marine search. Along with the rest of the executives, he calmly nodded in response to his captain’s question. But Roji’s reaction to Castor’s next words was nowhere near as nonchalant in comparison. It took almost all of Roji’s willpower to not call out Nox and tell him how he should consider following his own orders. But Roji didn't take it personally. The young man knew that reminder was not meant for him. Roji was no killer, at least not for fun, which is more than you can say for certain members of the crew.

That fact is most likely the reason why he was left in charge of Team B. With his mild temperament, he was unlikely to take any risks or shortcuts when working with Lady Serpina, especially considering that some of the crew's heavier hitters like Newport and Jazzy are less likely to pull their punches when going up against the guards of the other contenders during the festival.

The Envy Sin, too busy inspecting his fox mask, just missed Miss Courtier's dash around the clinic. Looking around, everyone's outfits had changed as discussed earlier. Roji, being partial to green inspected his new threads approvingly.

Seeing Castor hop out the window signaled that the plan was now actually starting to go into action. Going out the door Roji ran down the tree and leaped forward once nearing the bottom, landing on his feet so as to not dirty his clothes. By the time Roji was on the ground he just caught a glimpse of Team A flying off towards G-43.

Not wanting to waste any more time Roji set the pace for the moderately long run to the bonfire ceremony’s location. “I know I do not need to remind you guys but just remember, keep it clean once we meet up with Lady Serpina. I have a sneaking suspicion we are already going to rack up a lot of bodies before the day is done anyways.”

Lunar Woods | Thirty Minutes Later

Roji had been doing a lot of running through these woods lately. Now that wasn’t a problem on its own but in a place such as this, it is easy for the seeds of doubt to fully bloom. He knew that he was going in the right direction, he had not made any adjustments to their course since leaving Lucky’s clinic after all. But for some reason, the Envy Sin could not shake the feeling that something was wrong.

Oh, that was it. His growing pains had started shortly after arriving in the Grand Line. At first, Roji had only thought of them as the sore aftermath of battle, but he hadn’t tested himself at all physically until the crew found themselves on this island. Right now Roji had the perfect opportunity to ask a doctor what was going on. “I want to know exactly what is causing it, but I can’t risk throwing people off in the middle of a job. I was put in charge of this for a reason!”

Against Roji’s own wishes, he opted to not bring up his concerns with the good doctor, at least not until the crew was victorious in their takeover of the island.

Town of Saint Maria | Earlier This Morning

Tito and his men had no luck searching the town of Saint Maria for any information, whether relating to the man’s stolen fruit or Georgie's whereabouts. Feeling crushed and dejected, the rag-tag group of marines dragged their feet back to Saint Poplar. Unexpectedly, Tito hears the voice of another Ensign, a hothead by the name of Killian. “Ay, Tito! Come on over here yeah, we got something I think you’d be interested in.”

Tito approached the stocky, red-headed man. “What’s the big idea bro?”

Killian laughed, spilling some of his beer as he moved around. “We're going on a little hunt in the Lunar Woods. Wanna tag along?”

Tito looked back at his buddies and waited for a thumbs up from at least one of them. Unfortunately, ~~or fortunately depending on how you want to look at it,~~ not one of his friends gave their approval. Taking matters into his own hands, Tito answered for the group as a whole. “You know what? We would love to lend a hand. Let’s go fellas!”

Lunar Woods | Forty Minutes After Team B’s Departure

Tito kept an eye out for any associates of the Nox Pirates, not that he expected to see anything out of the ordinary. The Ensign was under the impression that Nox’s crew was already long gone from these woods. Tito knew better than the rabble who spread preposterous rumors around about pirates. No one with a bounty could easily move around St. Poplar in its current state. Considering the damage to all of the pirate ships docked and the guarded Sea Trains it would take a mastermind to fool the Navy.

Who could possibly be stupid enough to hide in plain sigh-

Tito stepped around a tree, tripping over a small collection of branches and shrubbery. In his annoyance the soldier ripped apart the safety hazard, revealing a burlap bag underneath. His curiosity thoroughly peaked, Tito opened up the sack and could not believe his eyes. It contained a sizable amount of fruit, all of which matched what the old merchant had reported stolen. Part of his charisma returned to him, and Tito looked for Guinness to share the news.

“Hey Guinness, Check this out!”

“Hey Tito, Check this out.”

Startled by the two of them speaking at the same time Tito made his way over to Guinness. As he got closer the Ensign’s heart sank into his stomach. Lying on the ground was someone who Tito had never expected to find in these woods.

Word Count:

@Castor O. Nox

Wed Aug 03, 2022 3:52 pm

Sanpaku (산빠쿠)

Five minutes away from the G-43 Base, the trio approached like three air crafts getting ready to dock into a port. The landing ground was the G-43 Yard, where all the drills for the trainees occurred. The locals and tourists on the island looked at the three UFOs' approach as a phenomena from a distance, thinking it was a part of the festival's events.

Alarms across the base sounded as lookouts atop the watch towers spotted the incoming pirates, and issued a code 'Red' on all stations. Hornigold and the other Heavenly Senses exited the base to analyze the situation at hand.

Heading towards the roof, the five members watched via binoculars as the three upstarts approached rapidly.

"Wow. I never thought they'd be stupid enough to approach the base head-on." Lucy exclaimed, opening her mouth in immense disbelief.

"At least they got guts. I'll give them that." Rocket declared, transforming into his hybrid Zoan form.

"Whose going to bring them the bad news they are brutally outnumbered?" Keid exclaimed, setting his arm ablaze.

"Tch. Raise the base's shields." Hornigold commanded.

The G-43 Base was unique. It had a dome fixture built on the outskirts of its outer wall that acted as a 'shell' that permitted cannon fire to be returned through the noticeable gaps in the encasement. Once the shell closed it was virtually impenetrable.

"Shit. They're trying to block us out!" Newport shouted.

"We talked about this. I'll handle it." Nox responded. As the final segment of the dome enclosed, Castor rose his hands to the heavens and displayed his might.

"Heaven's Kata - Divine Pillar," Castor announced calmly. Firing off a sphere towards the skies, instantly a giant cylinder of lightning blasted through the shield's defenses. Leaving the sides of the base covered but the peak opened for aerial entry.

Manning the usable canons, the marines aimed the skyborne threats and opened fire. About five or so cannonballs approach the trio as they were a few meters from sneaking through the fissure in the dome's top.

"J'ai cet amour." (I got these lovies) Jazzy declared pulling ahead of the pack. "Rankyaku! Diva's Kiss!" Jazzy shouted. Firing a compressed gust of wind from her feet by flipping her body in mid-air, the whip-like wind intercepted the explosives, creating a cloud of smog as a result of the collision.

Descending toward the marine base's drill section facilities, a platoon of marines - around five hundred men or so surrounded Nox and his two executives. In almost an instant, Nox rendered every single soldier their present, unconscious with his Kingly Haki.

The disbursed wave caused the dirt from the drill field to kick up, leaving a plateau of bodies for the Pride, Greed, and Gluttony to step across. Five gusts of wind surrounded the group in a hailstorm, and the figures of the Five Heavenly Senses' ominous energy altered the air around the trio, making it harder for everyone present to breathe.

Tension.

"You have to be out of your mind like the rumors said to invade a naval base, brat." Hornigold declared as the veins in his face bulged.

"Gashi Gashi... Nothing ventured. Nothing gained. This is just another piece to the world I'm trying to build." Nox declared.

"World? Humor me scum. What kind of world is that?" Hornigold responded.

"I'll let you know when I figure it all out. First. I need the affluence. Joseph Hornigold. I, Stain B. Pollux... Also known as Castor O. Nox will now be taking command of this base.

I know my first introduction was as a subordinate but I hope in time, you'll see it my way. After all. Sabal and Jimmy seemed to fit in with the program quite nicely." Nox revealed with a malevolent smirk.

Releasing his Conqueror's Haki, "Your dead, kid! I'll rip those cocky little eyes out of your socket." Joseph barked.

"Gashi Gashi Gashi... You're free to try." Nox responded, encasing himself in lightning.

Keid - The Heavenly Sense of Touch:

Rocket - The Heavenly Sense of Taste:

Lester - The Heavenly Sense of Sight :

Lucy - The Heavenly Sense of Hearing:

@Roji

Total Word Count: 28,311 | Current Word Count: 654

^{Castor'sTracker}

Wed Aug 03, 2022 10:15 pm

Edge of Lunar Woods | March 19th, 1829

Team B was making good time towards the edge of the woods. The endless rows and columns of trees seemed to be thinning, though Roji’s blurry vision from the speed they were running at was no help in figuring out how close they truly were to their goal. Over the sounds of his team’s own steps, Roji could hear another group of people in the distance, the sound was much more pronounced when compared to himself and his compatriots. It sounded quite similar to the bison that his father kept near the old manor.

Though that didn’t make much sense, given his captain’s retelling of the island's history, St. Poplar was not quite the wildlife reserve it used to be, especially after the World Government’s takeover. Building a base like G-43 is not cheap in the slightest, but given St. Poplars location on the Sea Train Route, it could only be expected for the Marines to pull out all the stops to combat crime so close to beacons of justice like Enies Lobby.

Unfortunately, another beacon of justice was very close to the Envy Sin. As the team of pirates hopped out of the woodwork, they were greeted by a large platoon of marines. The officers and a few other soldiers all sat on horseback in the large field bordering the Lunar Woods. In the distance, Roji could see a few stragglers understandably unable to keep up with the marathon-ready stallions.

The young man only recognized two of the three officers. Flanking the apparent leader was Tito and Guinness. Tito in particular had a sour expression on his face. His attitude was unlike any Roji had ever seen from the Ensign. The two men stared each other down. Roji’s cover was assuredly blown. Minerva’s face had been plastered on every wall in St. Poplar, and Roji sure as hell wouldn’t be able to talk his way out of this one. But that still wouldn’t stop him from trying.

Lifting up his hand to speak, Roji cleared his throat. “Excuse me my good sirs I thin-”

Tito cut him off, unable to sit in silence any longer. “Reeves, you were with them this entire time!? I should have known better than to trust you, I’m guessing you did that to poor Georgie too huh!?”

Perplexed, Roji dropped all pretense and tried a different angle. “Don’t call me Reeves anymore Tito. And so what if I fought Georgie, he’s still alive! Who cares, he’ll be fine.”

Guinness, on the verge of tears, confronted Roji. “Tell that to the dead body we found in those woods.”

Roji felt as if his heartbeat was inside of his ears. It couldn’t be true, could it? Roji was sure he saw Georgie escape after their fight. Surely the marines were only trying to throw him off before he was killed himself. Yes, that must be it. Anticipating the unavoidable fight, Roji inched his fingers closer to his tonfa.

Without warning, Roji pounced towards Tito and his steed. A strong right shoulder slammed into the Ensign’s ribcage, sending both men off of the horse. Now on equal footing, Roij spun his tonfa and charged Tito. Closing his eyes in fear, Roji swung wildly. To his surprise, some of his attacks were hitting the purple-haired Ensign. The Envy Sin watched himself trade blows with the marine officer. Almost on instinct, the tonfa-wielding pirate was also dodging Tito’s hooks and jabs.

With newfound confidence, Roji upped the speed of his attacks. Not a fan of battles of attrition, Roji sought to end this conflict quickly while he still had the momentum. Weaving a powerful uppercut from Tito, Roji jumped up into the air and spun 360°. The Envy Signs foot connected right into Tito’s face, sending him rocketing into one of the large oak trees of the Lunar Woods.

But moments like that happened again and again. Something seemed to be driving Tito to see this battle through to the end. Try as the Ensign may, the gap between him and Roji grew even larger. The marine’s hits began to land less and less, while he slowly lost the skill and energy to defend himself from the pirate.

After what Roji guessed to be ten minutes, he too had switched to fighting with his bare hands. Easily catching a sloppily thrown punch from Tito, Roji punched the soldier in the stomach. When the Ensign fell to his knees Roji looked down on the man, his words dripping with venom. “I don’t know what you are trying to accomplish anymore. You want to throw your life away? Find someone else to do it!”

Tito said something in response, but his voice was too faint for Roji to understand any of it. Looking behind him, Roji saw the remnants of the marine search party being taken care of by the combined might of Minerva and Lucky.

Looking at the nearby horses an idea struck Roji like he was a lightning rod during a harsh storm.

Grinning in approval of his own scheme, Roji spoke to his team while gathering the now ownerless horses. “Let’s bring these to Lady Serpina for her race.”

Word Count:

@Castor O. Nox

Fri Aug 05, 2022 3:00 pm

Sanpaku (산빠쿠)

"While you lot stand around gawking at each other - I'll hop right in," Keid shouted, transforming into his Logia element, conjuring a tornado of fire to spiral around his person heading towards Castor's position.

Lunging out of the way, Hornigold escaped effortlessly to let the hot head blow off some steam. Molding the flames into that of a gigantic fist, the man shot his arm forward to deliver a right hook.

Though, with the size of an incoming attack, it'd be similar to watching a falling flaming tree crush a small deer.

"Gashi Gashi... First-time Logia user I see." Castor commented, noticing the man hadn't embedded his element with any Busoshoku Haki. Coating Zaigo in a sheen of black armament, the Three-Eyed Man released an electrified gust of air from a single slash of his blade.

The compressed force from Castor's slash cut the man's fiery fists into two, reverting his body to a tangible state, and cutting open his arm in one single motion. Flickering away in an instant, Nox coated his sandals in Haki as well, reappearing inches away from Kid's position in a broken circular formation.

Attempting to slam his foot into the six-foot man's midsection, the half-Fishman quickly intercepted the strike with a cross block. As both warriors' Haki's clashed, the Raptor-Man opened his Haki-coated teeth to rip away at a stalemated Castor, locking Nox into a strategic flank.

"Soru," Jazzy murmured, dashing gallantly to the aid of her Captain. At point-blank range, she'd empty six shots at the dinosaur's person. Two of which made contact, retreating instantly, the dinosaur's leaping abilities aided in escaping the lead shower.

Reloading her pistol, the woman dressed in her white jacket blew at the smoke gun with a quaint pucker of her lips. Staggering a bit, Rocket began to revert to his human form, as opposed to his Hybrid State.

"You bitch! Are those bullets poisonous?" Rocket shouted, his vision incredibly blurry. Clutching his right leg, in which the bullets shells were wedged in.

Smirking, "I've been told I tend to put a spell or two on a few men." Jazzy responded cryptically, refusing to answer the marine supporter directly.

Entering the melee, the brunette Lucy, similarly spun her fortified figure that a ballerina would across a performance stage. Slamming her long luscious legs in the form of a kick against Jazzy's back, the woman sent the assassin racking backward against the ground.

"Tekkai. Steel Lady's Pirouette! - Soru" Lucy exclaimed, immediately pursuing the designer in her reclining motion backward. Intercepting the women's course, Newport wrapped his hand across the side of the woman's face, grappling it tightly.

Using his body weight and blackened Haki hands, he'd smush the woman into the ground, akin to a house fly being squashed mid-flight. Further adding to the damage, Newport would transform into his Full Zoan Form, as a Stegosaurus.

It'd be the first time he revealed his Devil Fruit abilities in front of Castor.

"I'm about to get serious kid. Stop fucking around and off that clown!" Newport barked in a momentous manner, his voice rocking the immediate area.

"Gashi Gashi Gashi... You love your secrets, don't you old man." Castor declared, retracting his kick to break the stalemate. Gripping both hands on Zaigo, "Tell me. What's your name fire user?" Castor inquired.

"Keid Dacosta. Former Marine Captain. One of the Former G-5's Famed Heavenly Senses - Touch. I gained that title for my unique ability to rip people apart with my bare hands." Keid explained.

"Heavenly Senses? Never heard of them. You're strong. If you had more time to master that fruit... I would've struggled." Castor declared, inhaling deeply.

"Oh. You think I only rely on this fruit to survive. I'm also a master of Rokushiki and my Haki is unrivaled. Don't get ahead of yourself kid." Keid declared confidently, sealing the wounds on his injured arms with flames.

"You've already been cut by Zaigo. You won't have much longer with this world." Nox declared smirking. The curse of Zaigo had already begun to take effect, purple miasma began to ooze from Keid's body, seemingly melting his flesh, causing it to rot and decay.

In a flicker, Castor released a burst of lightning in the form of a bird. The blast of lightning, consisting of over a hundred million bolts of electricity caught the panicking Logia user off guard, cooking him alive.

"No matter how good your sense of touch is. Doesn't matter if I singe your nerves like crispy bacon." Nox concluded. Enraged, Hornigold sucker punched Castor into the field exercise barricades, used for climbing drills.

The intense punch sent the Block Buster spiraling in a projectile-like manner, loosening a few teeth in his jaw.

Springfield Station | Poplar Captial

The barricade of marines who awaited all incoming visitors for a spot search was met at their rear with a very unpleasant surprise.

Stumbling from the alley, running for his dare life to inform the other marines. The gunned-down marines body fell into the crowd of tourists, causing a panicked woman to screech out in horror.

With every step, the tin man's march caused the earth to cry out in a noticeable thud. Carrying large multi-barrelled firearms, Duke transformed his legs into the wheels of a tank and dashed into the open street, causing civilians to scatter at the sight of him.

"Goodday Mr./Misses Marines. I'm sorry by my young chaps might get off at any moment. I'm going to need you to - scoot out the way and let the lads come home!" Red Devil announced in the manner a professional Broadway actor would.

Before the marines could've circled to return fire, Duke sprayed the barricade of marine personnel with an onslaught of lead shells.

The buck shots ripped apart the bodies of the marines and wooden barricades assembled, killing a few civilians in collateral, and causing everyone around the station to frantically escape in terror.

Keid - The Heavenly Sense of Touch:

Rocket - The Heavenly Sense of Taste:

Lester - The Heavenly Sense of Sight :

Lucy - The Heavenly Sense of Hearing:

@Roji

Total Word Count: 29,297 | Current Word Count: 998

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[Arc] [St. Poplar Conquest] [Part 3] The St.Poplar's Fire Incident