[Saga] [Black Drum Island Conquest] The Bottom Line

Their travels were quiet and rather uneventful, which allowed the crew to rest in shifts. Shortly before the ship should reach its destination, it was Noah’s time to rest, but he soon got active shortly before the ship docked. When the Fishing Port started to stretch over the horizon, the buzzing of the town quickly disturbed the quietness present on board. Townspeople walked the streets enjoying the night, music echoed through the streets, while different lights made orientation easier, and the scent of caught fish mixed with the cooking of different food stalls.

Noah just wished to shout commands, signalling the crew to properly dock their vessel, when three hooded figures stepped onboard. Without wasting any words, they unsheathed their swords. Sabian was the first operative to properly process the situation, managing to immediately take one of the hooded figures out. "All hands on deck, we’re under attack!", shouted Noah, before he moved himself.

The redhead heard movements coming from below but did his best not to waste any time. In the few seconds this skirmish lasted, enough had happened already. Sabian might have managed to send one of the attackers flying, but one of those returned the favour, tranquillizing the blonde. Before the teen managed to close the distance, the bulkier of the figures proceeded to kidnap Sabian. Without hesitation, they started to flee.

"Oh no you won’t!" Noah leapt forward, managed to close the gap, and prepared to strike. The attack prompted the second man, who still had his hands free, to block the blow. Steel clashed on steel, forcing both swordsmen into a dance- a dance in which Noah tried to take the lead, did the best he could do to overpower the obstacle in his way, while the foe focused on blocking as many of the attacks as he could to waste time. Only when Noah calmed down, switching his attacks to a Feint Attack did he manage to overpower the distraction.

"Bring him under deck and treat his wounds. We’re going to interrogate him later- I want to know what the hell is going on here later!" With enough time wasted already, Noah switched back to running. At this point, he just hoped the third man had not vanished within the crowd yet.

When Noah moved into the crowd in front of him, he soon realized what he had feared had happened. The last remaining hooded man managed to get away, putting Sabian who knows where. The redhead turned around, tried to find any lead, but just managed to look into the puzzled eyes of the citizen. Noah still carried his sword in hand- something usually not done in the nightlife. "Damnit!" His shouting made him just more suspicious.

Unable to think straight, Kathy shortly after managed to calm him down. "Get a hold of yourself, Captain! The last thing we need is more attention. Put your damn sword away before someone calls the guards and start to use the bloody head on your shoulders already!" With wide-open eyes, he looked at Kathy in surprise. She was right.

Noah shook his head, freeing his mind, and put his blade away. "Thanks, just what I needed." With a quick gesture, he signalled Kathy to follow him back on board. They needed a plan, and they needed it fast. According to his information, NRA operatives should be relatively safe in this port, so he doubted any marine would arrive any time soon, specifically targeting him or his crew. Whoever had attacked would probably belong to one of the organizations operating in the slums of the island, if the teen had to guess.

"Status report." Noah talked matter-of-factly to the first of his men who passed by. [npc=revo]”Yes, sir! No other casualties, only the abduction of Sabian to report. The assailant is still being treated as best as we can here!”[/npc] The teen nodded, returning under deck to look into his documents and pack some belongings. Before he left, though, he ordered to increase the number of lookouts.

The following moments were calm and the operatives did not have to fear another ambush. For a moment Noah thought about hastily relocating to one of the NRA’s bases, but thinking that this might be what the enemy wanted to achieve, he instead did his best to calm down. He would consider relocating whenever the captive was stable enough.

A few hours later

Noah was now sitting in one of the bases his allies were maintaining. Since their arrival, Noah had ordered to redeploy their vessel out of precaution, while he accompanied most of the operatives, as well as the captive, to where they are now. Attempts to question him were fruitless: either he could not talk more about what was going on for lack of knowledge or he was loyal enough not to tell on his employer. Or he was too scared to.

With no other lead for now, Noah decided to rest and clear his mind. Right now, there are too many uncertainties. Was Sabian in a slum? A marine base? A drug lord’s base? Or was some important figure involved Noah was not thinking about? For now, he would be waiting until operatives would return with new rumours or newspapers would spread the newest gossip. Even if Noah might have no idea right now where he should look, he was sure that he could crack this case sooner or later.

Time went by in which Noah passed away for intervals of only a few minutes each, giving him just a bare minimum of rest. When the newspaper arrived, though, any traces of tiredness in his body were soon repressed. Now, he had something to occupy his mind with. Skimming the different articles first quickly made him aware of one story in particular which caught his interest.

The ‘Crimson Burglar’ strikes yet again! According to various reports, many citizens fell victim to this mysterious figure last night. As has happened in the past, no property was damaged and no signs of breaking in were found. Authorities ensure us that the case continues to be of utmost importance, but upon further inquiry, they refuse to give us any status update. This begs the question if they really can solve this mystery or do they wish to bury the truth instead? As the number of break-ins increases, so does the support the figure has within the population. Our ongoing investigation into this persona will continue, so stay tuned for our future reports! If the authorities are unable to solve this mystery, professionals will have to take over!

Noah put the newspaper away and sighed. As fun as this story sounded, it was nothing which really helped the redhead right now. Well, other than temporarily distracting him. [npc=revo]”The ‘Crimson Burglar’, huh?”[/npc] One of the operatives nearby saw the newspaper lying in front of Noah. When he saw how the redhead frowned, an explanation soon followed. [npc=revo]”I forgot you’re not from here, sorry. This ‘Crimson Burglar’ is a mysterious figure who appeared a few months ago. Basically, they break into peoples’ homes, robbing them. This might sound bad, until you learn how they only break into the homes of the richest people the island has to offer, stealing whatever they can easily turn into money, and leaving no traces behind. For whatever reason, they only strike during waning moons, and whenever they do strike, they leave a single crimson feather behind.”[/npc]

The operative paused for a moment, moving next to a map. There, he pointed to where a slum was. [npc=revo]”While nobody can say for certain who this burglar is, the feather they leave behind makes some belief that they have ties to the ‘Crimson Crows’- an organization stationed in these slums who actively work to improve the livelihood of the people there. Incidentally, what started as an insignificant organization at first, seemed to have gotten better funding as soon as the burglar struck, thus quickly spreading in influence. Legend has it they cooperate, but nobody has found any proof as of yet.”[/npc] This story, meanwhile, managed to catch the teen's interest.

"And I don’t suppose these Crows are willing to cooperate?" What little he had heard made him see those as potential allies, as some of their organization’s ideals seemed to align. When Noah saw the sighing, he could already guess what the answer would be. [npc=revo]”Alas, so far they denied any talks with us. As they put it, they ‘don’t want any help from some know-it-all who has yet to prove itself’”.[/npc] While this would make their terms clear, Noah still saw at least some potential for cooperation in the future, if there ever would be a need for it. He would keep this rumour in the back of his head for the time being.

Noah thanked the operative and just thought of taking another look into the newspaper when yet another event caught his attention. A group of men, one in a lavender suit, the rest with purple masks, stood in front of Noah’s desk. As they entered through the main entrance and Noah had heard no signs of a sudden attack, he decided this was no sudden raid. The redhead was cautious but soon reassured when his allies did not bat an eye at this sudden change in scenery. For now, he just listened to what the spokesperson had to say. "Noah Lacroix, but I guess that’s a detail you already know?" He stood up to respond to the handshake.

"Yes, you could say that." The man smiled and Noah tried to remember what he had read in the documents he was given. An Ultear was indeed listed among the allies, though Noah would like to re-read that section later. When he heard the request, the boy agreed. "Sure, go ahead. Whatever helps the course. Any rumours I should know about?" Shortly after Noah listened to what his vis-à-vis had to say, but was yet waiting for the breakthrough where he should be looking. There had to be some lead somewhere- he just had to find it.

Lost in his thoughts again, Noah tried to narrow down who the mastermind behind the abduction might be. The easy answer would be the marines, but Noah doubted they were responsible in this case. He simply found it highly unlikely that they would be content with capturing just one sole revolutionary when they had the chance to imprison a complete crew instead. Capturing just Sabian might be easier, but it felt too atypical for Noah.

"Ultear, I’d like to clarify one thing. You know the officials, as in the World Government, stationed on the island better than I do, of course. I have yet to hear of any marine capturing somebody so discretely while focusing on just one individual. So, I’d assume they would act similarly here too?" The man moved over to Noah’s desk, seating himself opposite the redhead. "Well, corruption isn’t uncommon here amongst officials. Let’s just say if an influential figure manages to bribe some guards, they would do it." He paused for a moment, looking as if he thought about something. "But yes, I’d have to agree with your intuition. They wouldn’t just capture one of you, they’d attempt to haul in all of you. Even if they would have only use for Sabian, they’d deal with the rest of you in some other way."

The teen did not feel like thinking about what this ‘dealing’ would entail, but ultimately, he could imagine everything ranging from execution to prison to slavery. But the more he thought about this, the more he had to imagine that Jacq was somehow involved. Well, technically not Jacq himself, but the network which had been backing him so far. However, while this thought started to feel like the elephant in the room, Noah disliked saying it aloud, at least for now. Somebody within the organization must have leaked information, either willingly or somehow unwillingly, about his crew’s arrival and in case it happened willingly, Noah did not feel like announcing his suspicion already. If a double agent would be around, the teen wished to keep those in the dark for now- especially if he could end up using those for his purposes later.

"Would you mind telling me something about the slums? Do they have some figure who’s influential enough to conduct such an abduction?" Ultear barely wasted any time before responding. "You’re better off focusing on other people. While those poor souls who attacked you may very well stem from the slums, being employed by some outside force, they normally act differently. Vast portions of the slums are ruled by gangs and those would rather wage war amongst each other for predominance than try to deal with the outside world. If some of these groups would’ve kidnapped your friend, they would’ve already sent you their ransom demand."

After a short pause, he continued. "Though I wouldn’t fully rule it out that whoever captured him would hide him there. Law enforcement does its best not to have to step into the slums, as its gangs don’t fear them and mostly have its citizens’ backing. So, if somebody would have the slums’ support, accidentally running into your friend would be highly unlikely, as is information gathering there for us."

What Ultear said sounded plausible. Noah might not have had any contact with the slums yet, but what little he had followed more or less a similar narrative. Slums and towns tended to mind their own business, only interacting when absolutely necessary. Or when one side could exploit the other. As much as he would love to learn more about those parts of the island, he still had another responsibility to fulfil.

"So, what about the-" just when Noah wanted to end his question with ‘other Clergymen’, Kathy hurried in front of Noah, a new piece of paper in hand. Noah could think of two other possible players having their hands in the abduction: some influential criminal or criminal organization, one of the Clergymen, or finally an overlap of both possibilities. Noah could see either of those as powerful enough to fit into the puzzle, especially if they would have ties to Jacq.

"Noah, look at this! This special edition has the lead we need!" Kathy carried a new newspaper in hand, quickly placing it in front of her captain. When Noah looked at the headline, he could not quite believe his eyes. 'Dinosaur Destroys Popular Pastime in the Red Light District! Honey Bee Pleasure House Left in Ruin!' A sigh of relief left Noah’s lips, superseded by some cheering soon after. Unless dinosaurs were not extinct on this island or another suitable devil fruit user was on the island, the redhead was pretty sure that said dinosaur was Sabian. While the article might not give away the exact whereabouts of the blonde, it gave Noah at least enough hints to know where he had to look.

"That’s the creative measures I’m talking about!" Without wasting much more time, Noah articulated a few more orders and gathered a few volunteers. With a few search troupes formed, they could start looking for the blonde whenever the signal was given. Just when Noah let the first volunteers leave, Ultear stopped him and Kathy. "You two aren’t from here, so you might not know it. The ‘Honey Bee’ belongs to Vespa Da Silva, another of the Clergymen. Be careful, it might be best if you wait here-"

Before his ally could finish the sentence, Noah cut him off. "Thanks for your concern, Ultear. I really appreciate it. But if somebody threatens my friends and allies, I’m not holding back. If she thinks it’s okay to capture the people put under my watch, I don’t hesitate to cut her head off if need be." Noah’s gaze wandered over to Kathy, who signalled that she had the quickest route in mind to their destination. Ultear wished them good luck once more and the duo was soon on their way. Dressed in cloaks in an attempt to hide their identities, Kathy and Noah hurried through the streets, doing their best to move through less populated areas. If possible, they wished to move incognito as long as possible, especially as their way would lead them through the slums. If the slums’ citizens really were so unfriendly to outsiders would be something Noah could soon learn for himself.

Still rather early in the morning, Kathy and Noah could move through the streets without much disturbance. Many of Black Drum’s citizens were just about starting their days, which made them pass barely anybody. And if they did walk past somebody, this person more often than not hurried along their way, looking as if they had places they needed to be. Luckily, they did not run into any guards as far as the redhead could tell. As such, the duo could reach the slum they had to pass without any interference. However, their passing should not be as peaceful here as it had been beforehand.

The two youngsters were just about to enter the road leading into the slum ahead, when a bald man, towering over Noah, suddenly blocked his way. [npc=misc]”Hey, buddy, if you want to pass, you’ll have to pay a road toll.”[/npc] The man smiled, presenting some gaps between his teeth. [npc=misc]”Though, fair warning, pretty boys like you have to pay extra. But that’s self-explanatory, right?”[/npc] Intuitively, Noah’s hand rested on Kanshou’s handle, ready to strike at a moment's notice.

Before Noah had time to answer, another man approached from the shadows, grappling Kathy’s arm. [npc=misc]”Oh, boss, she looks like a fine lass. She should easily cover the extra toll, don’t you think? She looks like she’s in need of some real men, not such a milksop.”[/npc] The second man was smaller and thinner than his boss, but the way he salivated over Kathy made a shiver run over Noah’s back. He now got a could idea why people avoided these parts of the island as best as they could.

As one could imagine, Kathy disliked being treated in such a manner. While she screamed at first out of surprise, she soon did her best to break free, which just seemed to encourage her offender more, who proceeded to grab her second arm and push her against the next wall. "Hey you creep, let me go!" Kathy struggled as best as she could but quickly reached her limits when the man was all over her, ignoring everything she said. Noah had seen enough and leapt forward.

Just when Noah was about to draw his sword, though, the man who acted as their boss punched him. Lying on the ground after the impact, Noah fiercely glanced at the man, grinding his teeth. [npc=misc]”Hey, milksop, resistance costs extra.”[/npc] Presenting the gaps in his teeth anew, Noah now started to snap. With a quick roll to the side, which allowed Noah to dodge the next kick, he managed to stand up and draw Kanshou in a swift motion. Before the man could properly process what had happened, Noah cut him down already. Wounded, though not too gravely, the man crawled on the ground, whimpering from pain. Ignoring him as best as he could, Noah leapt forward full of rage, hitting the second man, who paid Noah no mind, with the hilt of his sword as hard as he could. After the man slumped down, the teen stabilized Kathy so that she could catch her breath. "Are you okay?" Only shortly after those words left his lips did he realize how stupid they were. After she managed to compose herself again, she replied. "Y-Yes, I’m fine. Th-Thanks."

After Kathy somewhat caught her cool again, Noah turned back to his first victim. Looking him up and down, he seemed to wear something akin to a uniform. "Which gang do you belong to?" Noah mostly asked out of curiosity. He did not feel like learning everything he could about the local gangs. Right now, he mostly wished to know which grunts he could cut down upon first sight without it gnawing at his conscience. As the response took the man too long, Noah started to lose some of his patience and stepped on the man’s wound, slowly putting more weight behind it. Between some screams, he ultimately managed to express a [npc=misc]”Si-Silver S-Swords”[/npc], satisfying Noah’s curiosity.

Upon further inspection of both men’s uniforms, he could find an emblem resembling a silver sword, so the teen was inclined to believe this response. Just when Noah was worrying about Kathy and if he should send her home to properly rest, another uniformed gentleman arrived after all the commotion. The man shouted for backup to arrive and decided to attack Noah, but Kathy furiously intervened, knocking him out and letting off some steam as a result. "Oh, no you won’t!" Backup slowly arrived, giving Noah the answer to the question he had yet to ask. "I guess that settles if you’re fit enough to continue. I’ll take the lead, you’ll have my back, okay?" Kathy simply nodded and soon both moved forward.

Slowly but steadily, more of the Silver Swords arrived, though they only had limited success. Noah did not cut those down as precisely as he had done with the first two, focussing more on quickly getting past them, but it nonetheless created a bigger commotion. Soon, the citizens started to throw hateful gazes towards the revolutionaries and not long after they stood in front of a larger group of grunts. Passing those would be hard.

Just when Noah thought about turning into a falcon and flying away with Kathy, a man wearing a crimson crow-shaped mask appeared near an alleyway Noah hardly realized was there. “If you want to get out of here unharmed, follow me!” From the getup alone, Noah just thought that he run into one of the Crimson Crows responsible for some of the commotion happening in the news. With nothing to lose, Noah decided to follow the figure's lead. Moving past who knows how many turns, the redhead would be sure of one thing: he would be totally lost here alone. A few moments later, the footsteps of their pursuers slowly died down, though the trio hardly lost any momentum.

Only when they arrived at something resembling a base they stopped. “Tch, you city dwellers always have to create a ruckus down here, huh?” Noah could easily hear the man’s annoyance. “But I have to give you credit for standing up to those bastards, I guess. Anyways, welcome at the Crimson Crow’s base. Better keep what you see here a secret if you know what’s good for you.” Trying to catch his breath, Noah did his best to ignore the passive-aggressive tone his saviour presented, while expressing his thanks. It looks like he got the appointment with the Crows earlier than he would have imagined mere hours ago.

As Noah now had a chance to properly process the scenery he was in, he started to realize how run-down a large portion of the slums were. What seemed to be the Crimson Crows base, if the masked man’s words could be trusted, was the only part Noah saw which was decently in shape. Whatever the redhead otherwise gazed upon seemed to be in dire need of repair and work. Damaged walls, holes in the rooftops, or broken doors appeared to be the norm otherwise. Yet, the civilians he saw were surprisingly cheerful.

Shortly after Noah started to smell how somebody was cooking a soup, but needed some time to properly pay attention to it. He still tried to take in more details of the slums, furthering his dislike of how the authorities could let people live in such misery. Only when he noticed how Kathy suddenly moved away from him did he return to the here and now. Just when he wished to shout after her he saw how she embraced Sabian. It looked like fate favoured them today.

Noah gave the two a chance to properly reunite and as a result, moved somewhat slowly over to them. After Kathy eventually let go of Sabian, it was Noah’s turn to express his welcome back. "Well, if you plan to get kidnapped again, please do us the favour to send us a hint earlier next time, okay? That’s better for the stress levels of us all." He smiled from ear to ear for a moment, before turning serious again when he heard what Sabian had to say.

Noah had had the feeling that something was off on the island and hearing a similar thought from Sabian was reassuring. As the blonde started to report what he witnessed, the picture he had of Vespa was not getting any better. When it was Noah’s turn to express what he lived through, Viola stopped being silent and chimed in. What he now heard created a whole new picture. "I knew it. Something is off here!" Just to make sure they were talking about the same man Noah proceeded to describe the man who had visited him, just to learn that Ultear did indeed mix a few crucial details up. The documents he was given had been lying to him, which just further fed his suspicion that they had a mole or leak among their rows or superiors up the hierarchy. It was just too convenient to surprise them just when they arrived on the island.

"Could you do me a favour?" Noah now turned to the two men talking for the Crimson Crows. "I wouldn’t be surprised if you doing already are doing this, but please check the area for me. If somebody of our operatives followed Kathy and me here, we might very easily learn who was leaking and manipulating the intel we are operating with currently." Simon nodded and Noah could hear some sudden movements behind him. For now, he continued to listen again. If the Crows would succeed in capturing an operative before he found out who was double-crossing them, Noah would not be complaining.

When he heard how two of the Clergymen Noah had heard stories about so far were friends, Noah started to get a hunch about how the whole situation could end. "So, to make sure I get that right: Vespa is in charge of the north, Ultear of the East, whereas Bibbons, our actual ally, governs the South, but given how he did not manage to greet us, is probably missing? Not to mention all of the other Clergymen disappearing over the past few weeks looks awfully suspicious."

Out of nowhere, Jacq appeared. Noah should be surprised, but after everything he had learnt since stepping on Black Drum, seeing his former enemy, if he could qualify as such for Noah had not really run into him as opposed to Sabian, standing here, hardly managed to faze him. Though it probably helped that Noah was not alone now. During the quarrel between Sabian and Jacq, the redhead kept quiet, thinking about all the pieces he learnt so far. "Wait, there are four cardinal points, we’ve talked only about three so far! The west is missing, who is in charge there?"

Noah should probably wait for an answer before continuing his train of thought, but he felt like the words had to leave his lips. "Whatever is going on, we need to look west, right? Based on what I heard, Vespa and Ultear might be powerful and influential, but do they have enough resources to take on the whole island? Not to mention that if they wanted the island for themselves, they would need to take on the World Government. Well, I haven’t heard about another organization ambitious enough besides us to do that in these seas. At the same time, they dealt with Bibbons, as well as other Clergymen who were opposed to their ideals. If I had to guess, they would try to support us- a faction which could back them. So, let me guess: whoever is in charge of the west has some ties to the World Government and tries their best to strengthen the ties they have to it? Probably allowing the other two to profit in some form or shape?"

Noah was quiet for now, mostly taking in whatever the natives of the island had to share. He felt reassured that his guess seemed to be correct, though he was not happy with the way everything appeared to turn out. Their superiors were right in their assumption that something was wrong on the island. The disappearance of the Clergymen finally made sense: somebody wanted to see them gone, capturing or outright assassinating them if need be.

The redhead was just thinking of joining the conversation when some more assassins decided to try their luck. Another trio arrived, though as far as the teen could see now all women, which both Jacq and Sabian immediately faced. Noah would follow shortly after. "On my way!" Before leaving his place, Noah transformed into his hybrid form and soon spread his wings. The redhead jumped as high as he could without moving, using the momentum he could create in this way to take flight. Showing his powers so openly might not be the wisest option- if he had to guess their enemies would have some watchful eyes around. Additionally, it might prompt their opponents to take the revolutionaries seriously for a change.

From up in the air, he had no problems pinpointing the assailant carrying Viola, as the smoke bomb could not reach him there. Without wasting more time, he charged forward, using the falling to create some extra momentum. "Too slow." When Noah closed the distance to the assailant, he pinned her down and grabbed her by the neck, while simultaneously trying his best so that Viola would not be hurt anymore. Before his target could muster a counterattack, Noah already returned to camp.

As soon as he stepped foot there, he threw the perpetrator in front of some Crimson Crows’ feet. "If you don’t mind? You’re better equipped for housing prisoners, I assume." Afterwards, he carefully put Viola down and changed back into his human form. "Are you alright?" After the bumpy ride, Viola just managed to say a short [npc=misc]”Th-Thank you.”[/npc]

Before the redhead got back to business, he looked around, making sure that nobody else would suddenly decide to try another kidnapping attempt. "Where were we? Right, the ‘Miracle Worker’. Sounds to me like he shouldn’t gain too much influence. Or, well, not grow any stronger than he already is." He paused for a moment, thinking about the next step. The fact that pirates in particular were bolstering his forces left a bitter taste. He doubted that they were as loyal as a regiment of marines would be, but if Noah was wrong, they could easily be bad news.

"I assume the Silver Swords are the other major players in the slums here?" The Crow’s leader barely wasted any time to answer this question. “Yes, they are. The two of us are the most influential groups with the biggest standing and funding. With them gaining increasing support from Leonardo, they might eventually gain the upper hand.” To undermine his words, he was spitting on the ground in front of him. This summed up what Noah had thought and maybe hoped for. Remembering his experience with them, he was not yet done with them.

"Very well, this should work. I still have a score to settle with them, so I can do this now rather than later, right? Like this, Leonardo might start to panic when he loses hold of some of his precious pieces. While I do my best to subdue them, some of you can start looking for Mr. Bibbons. I’m sure you already have some rumours regarding him?"

Noah caught the Den Den Mushi and quickly stored it away. With that out of the way, everybody could soon focus on their respective tasks. "Just don’t hesitate to contact us if things turn dire on your end, okay?" Noah turned to face Kathy, making her the main recipient of this message. However, Kathy and the Crimson Burglar were not the only ones Noah wished to include.

"The same is true for you as well, Jacq. We may not have had the best start, but I guess there is a bit of truth in the old saying ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend’. Well, at the very least I guess I should thank you for taking care of everybody while we’re gone!" Before the newfound ally could respond, Kathy was the first to speak.

"Well, enough with the sentimentalities now, okay? Don’t be too reckless yourselves, got it? Just remember that whatever you said is true for you as well: Whenever you two need an extra pair of hands, call us!" With these words out of the way, Kathy, now in her new outfit, and the Crimson Burglar were already on their way.

"Alright, we better get going ourselves, right? We still got a feud to settle!" Just when Noah finally wished to depart as well, Simon stopped the boy by throwing a map in his way. “You probably won’t have the time to memorize all routes through the slums, so here. I marked how you two have to walk so that you don’t get lost around here.” Another round of thanks later, the redhead could finally depart.

As Sabian and Noah were walking, the captain quickly uttered a final round of warnings. "Just as a heads up: As soon as we reach Silver Sword territory, be careful. The last time Kathy and I ran into them, they loved to ambush us. Let’s just say I wouldn’t be surprised if they would attempt the same strategy again." With that said, Noah kept looking around as best as he could while traversing the streets but so far, he did not manage to find anything suspicious. But then again, they had yet to reach enemy territory.

A few moments later, they ultimately reached their destination. Or, rather, the first few grunts were soon blocking their way. "Great, just who I’m looking for. I’ll let you decide how we’ll proceed: Will you let us voluntarily pass and lead us to your superiors or should we cut you down and search for ourselves?" While he would not mind setting the score with this gang, finding a peaceful situation would at the very least save time and spare energy. Thus, Noah awaited their response, but as one of his hands was already resting on Kanshou’s hilt, the redhead was nonetheless ready to strike.

Before the grunts had a real chance to answer, Sabian moved and sent the first one flying. Naturally, Noah should have anticipated his partner’s action, so he should probably be upset. Surprisingly, though, for a change it did not bother him too much. The redhead came here with the resolve to fight and as such, the plan only partly changed.

With Sabian’s entry, all eyes were clued to the blonde, which allowed the redhead to slowly move forward. His hand was still resting on Kanshou, Noah’s eyes moving through the increasing eyes of grunts who wished to see what all the fuss was about. Noah was searching for somebody in particular, somebody he might have to address directly if he wished to resolve this dispute without escalating it too much. Just when he started to give up on his little idea, he finally found who he was looking for: one of the grunts who crossed Kathy’s and his path not too long ago. With this man’s location kept in mind, it was his time to enter the stage.

"I could start by telling you how the NRA wishes to put the citizens of an island into a position to fend for themselves, aided by the revolutionaries, but I’ll spare us all this tale, okay? I’m sure that’s nothing you want to hear." As Noah raised his voice, more and more eyes were upon him. Simultaneously, he let go of his sword’s hilt so that he could gesture more freely while talking. "Instead, let me ask you a question: What makes you believe that Leonardo will be the better choice? He hired you to do his bidding. I wouldn’t be surprised if he regards the lot of you as nothing more than a disposable force."

“How do you know of him?!” Given that question, Noah seemed to have struck a nerve. "We are on an island under the World Government’s influence, which means both the revolutionary army and its allies operate here. Naturally, information gathering is just day-to-day business under those circumstances." Noah walked around a bit and just shrugged. Now, it was time to increase the pressure.

"As you can imagine, we don’t want Leonardo to gain any more influence. So, we are here to do exactly this: Make sure that Leonardo doesn’t gain new allies. Really, take it as a gesture of our goodwill that we’re not already bashing your heads in." As Noah felt how the Silver Swords slowly turned hostile, he acted swiftly and pointed at the man whose position he had memorized.

"And in case you think numbers are enough to deal with us, ask your friend over there." As Noah had hoped, more and more eyes were now staring the grunt down. At the same time, the man looked increasingly distraught. "He already ran into me and did not manage to subdue me. Not even when he had backup. And if you think that was all I am capable of, think again." Noah heard mumbling but did not feel like letting go of the momentum and continued talking before anybody else could cut him off.

”Don’t forget my friend over there. Would you think we’d be foolish enough to enter your home turf if we weren’t ready to take you on?" In a swift motion, Noah drew his sword, raising it towards Kenpachi’s position. "So, let me ask you my friend’s question again: Do you want a duel or an all-out brawl? We just want you out of the equation. Ideally, we win you as our allies, but if you decline our offer, so be it." He had said what he wished to say. As far as he could tell Kenpachi looked enraged, but this was to be expected. Now, the leader of the Silver Swords had to pick the side he wished to be on.