The 
Goldmonger
[tracker=/t1979-dax-morgan#10865]
Name : Dax Morgan
Epithet : Goldmonger
Age : 25
Height : 6'5"
Weight : 250
Species/Tribe : Human
Faction : Pirate
World Position : Shichibukai (Future)
Crew : Gold | Works
Ship : Cleopatra
Devil Fruit : Goru Goru no Mi
Bounty : [ber=r] 27,900,000
Quality Score : S
Income Bonus : +0.20 (to all allies); +0.11 (from turf)
Shop Discount : -25%
Crew Pool : [bel=u] 251,075,000
Balance : [bel] 0
[[hardboiled]][[berryprinter]]
[[ancientzoan]]x2[[logia]][[firstaidkit]]
Turf : [turf=/t353-turf-details-rubeck-island#1168]Rubeck Island[/turf]
Posts : 235
![[Arc] [Rubeck Island Conquest][Part 3] Viva Las Costas Empty](https://2img.net/i/empty.gif)
[Arc] [Rubeck Island Conquest][Part 3] Viva Las Costas
Mon Aug 26, 2024 12:50 pmPart 2
The beginnings of something ..
A percussion of felled timber echoed amongst the chorus of gulls as the hustle and bustle of construction led the choir. Men and women worked hard as they soaked in the rare rays of warm sunlight that broke through the dense clouds above.
It seemed like not a second went by that a hammer didn't meet a nail, the clanging of metal, or some long-strung obscenity about how they were behind schedule was shouted out.
"Oi!! Let's go! We are supposed to be meeting the foreman twenty minutes ago!"
"Y-Yes sir!" A man shouted out with tears in his eyes as he struggled to drag a large sack of bricks.
"C'mon son!" Another man shouted, "Put some god damn pep in your step!" He had two large bundles of iron rods that sat upon what looked like cannonballs for shoulders.
"I-Im trying!" Another much smaller laborer pleaded as he hauled a ton of loose timber.
Elsewhere the horns of incoming ships sounded out in the harbor, its wide docks spanning much of the interior coastline while jetties of rocks protected them from the unforgiving waters.
They were filled with traders and workers, running from one spot to the next like clockwork. A fine-tuned machine as they unloaded and reloaded all the ships as they came and went.
And at the center of all this hustle and bustle, the brain that made it all work, what it all came together for.
"Oi! Cuzco! Where the fuck did you?!" Kazu barked out as he whipped his head back and forth. "Oi! Yo, have any of you fuckers seen that good for nothin mink?"
"Nah boss, haven't seen em for a good while now that ya mention it." An elderly gentleman mumbled as he pondered over a set of plans. "Gotta hope he didn't get into those 'shrooms 'gain.. Put us back a week, maybe more.."
"Shit, fuck, shit man.." Kazu barked as he tussled his pomp, "The boss is gonna lose his shit if we fall behind again, opening day is supposed to be next week."
Mayor's Office
With perfect posture, Hina's poured over the documents strewn across the large wooden stump of a desk in front of her. Its edges were wild and unrefined like it had been cut from the wood this morning. Its imperfect roots grew in all directions as it held up a beautiful glass pane with golden edges and a great mural of a bear etched into it. Its grooves were filled with the finest bit of gold to accent every groove and detail.
"Beautiful..." A dark-skinned man with seafoam eyes mumbled as he was lost in the craftsmanship.
"Hm.." Hina snapped back to reality, "What did you say?"
"T-The table." He blurted out, "It's stunning."
"Ah.." Dismissing him as she went back to her readings before taking a pause. "It is quite lovely." Her mind drifted off for a moment as her eyes hung on the image of the bear.
"Never mind that, how is it coming? I assume you came with news."
"You'll be happy to know we just finished it this morning!" He snickered proudly, "If you want we can head over there now and check it!"
With a soft smile she nodded, "I'd love that."
WC 547/24,364/13,500
- Spoiler:
The beginnings of something ..
A percussion of felled timber echoed amongst the chorus of gulls as the hustle and bustle of construction led the choir. Men and women worked hard as they soaked in the rare rays of warm sunlight that broke through the dense clouds above.
It seemed like not a second went by that a hammer didn't meet a nail, the clanging of metal, or some long-strung obscenity about how they were behind schedule was shouted out.
"Oi!! Let's go! We are supposed to be meeting the foreman twenty minutes ago!"
"Y-Yes sir!" A man shouted out with tears in his eyes as he struggled to drag a large sack of bricks.
"C'mon son!" Another man shouted, "Put some god damn pep in your step!" He had two large bundles of iron rods that sat upon what looked like cannonballs for shoulders.
"I-Im trying!" Another much smaller laborer pleaded as he hauled a ton of loose timber.
Elsewhere the horns of incoming ships sounded out in the harbor, its wide docks spanning much of the interior coastline while jetties of rocks protected them from the unforgiving waters.
They were filled with traders and workers, running from one spot to the next like clockwork. A fine-tuned machine as they unloaded and reloaded all the ships as they came and went.
And at the center of all this hustle and bustle, the brain that made it all work, what it all came together for.
"Oi! Cuzco! Where the fuck did you?!" Kazu barked out as he whipped his head back and forth. "Oi! Yo, have any of you fuckers seen that good for nothin mink?"
"Nah boss, haven't seen em for a good while now that ya mention it." An elderly gentleman mumbled as he pondered over a set of plans. "Gotta hope he didn't get into those 'shrooms 'gain.. Put us back a week, maybe more.."
"Shit, fuck, shit man.." Kazu barked as he tussled his pomp, "The boss is gonna lose his shit if we fall behind again, opening day is supposed to be next week."
Mayor's Office
With perfect posture, Hina's poured over the documents strewn across the large wooden stump of a desk in front of her. Its edges were wild and unrefined like it had been cut from the wood this morning. Its imperfect roots grew in all directions as it held up a beautiful glass pane with golden edges and a great mural of a bear etched into it. Its grooves were filled with the finest bit of gold to accent every groove and detail.
"Beautiful..." A dark-skinned man with seafoam eyes mumbled as he was lost in the craftsmanship.
"Hm.." Hina snapped back to reality, "What did you say?"
"T-The table." He blurted out, "It's stunning."
"Ah.." Dismissing him as she went back to her readings before taking a pause. "It is quite lovely." Her mind drifted off for a moment as her eyes hung on the image of the bear.
"Never mind that, how is it coming? I assume you came with news."
"You'll be happy to know we just finished it this morning!" He snickered proudly, "If you want we can head over there now and check it!"
With a soft smile she nodded, "I'd love that."
WC 547/24,364/13,500
Maxwell![[Arc] [Rubeck Island Conquest][Part 3] Viva Las Costas Vk6odI4](https://i.imgur.com/vk6odI4.png)
[tracker=/t139-richard-maxwell#516]
Name : Richard Maxwell
Epithet : Plague Rat
Age : 49
Height : 6'0" / 183 cm
Weight : 160 lbs. / 73 kg
Species/Tribe : Human
Faction : Pirate
World Position : Supernova
Bounty : [bel=r] 243,000,000
Quality Score : S+
Income Bonus : +0.20 (to all allies); +0.11 (from turf)
Shop Discount : -10%
Balance : [bel] 2,204,829,125
[[bookworm]][[firstaidkit]][[berryprinter]]
[[identitytheft]][[identitytheft]][[improviseadaptovercome]][[logia]]
Turf : [turf=/t353-turf-details-rubeck-island#1168]Rubeck Island[/turf]
Posts : 320
Re: [Arc] [Rubeck Island Conquest][Part 3] Viva Las Costas
Tue Aug 27, 2024 10:49 amA sharp-dressed shadow stood at the edge of the sea. Between his teeth burned a cheap cigarette, painting a gray streak in the breeze. His gaze may have been on the waves, but his mind was elsewhere entirely...
It felt like yesterday, see.
If the smoker closed his eyes, he could still hear the creak of the gangplank, as a young doctor, bright-eyed excitedly scampered ashore. He could smell the air, fresh with opportunity. Turning around, he could see the sleepy, little coastal town before him. It was full of humble huts brimming with medical mysteries. So much to see, so many people to help...
Of course, the reality was never so rosy. The young man had learned that the hard way. Even back then, the shantytown was hiding ugly, violent secrets. Worse yet, it had a way of dragging people into said secrets.
Suddenly, a gruff voice requested the gentleman’s attention. He blinked, stirring back to reality. Nearby, a burly dock worker asked him rather politely if he could move a bit, so they could start unloading cargo. It was a nice ship. Clean. Robust. Seemed to be full of quality timber.
The gentleman smiled, apologized and strutted off. Tap, tap, tap, his feet tapped against the solid stone with the faintest limp. Some things took getting used to, you know. ...A lot of things, actually, but none quite so close as this one.
It felt just like yesterday, see...
As the smoker’s gaze strayed beyond the present, he could see the streets the way he remembered. A maze of filth and danger twisted in front of him. Shadows whispered amongst each other. Gleaming eyes glared from the murky windows. Twenty years of decay had gnawed the shantytown into a pile of disease and debauchery. So much to see, so many deals to strike...
Some things never changed... They only got worse. The same applied to people as well. You could leave this place, but it would never leave you. No, the filth got under your skin and seeped into your bones. Before you knew it, you were back in those same old secrets you tried to flee long ago. Funny how that worked.
The rat sidestepped a pair of construction workers carefully carrying a glass pane. Gone were the rotten shacks, torn down from the way of progress. In their place sprouted actual buildings. Warehouses, kitchens, quarters for the sailors staying the night... As he walked, the scenery shifted from memories to reality. From dirty and hopeless to shiny and brand new.
Speaking of shiny and brand new, soon enough the entrepreneur stopped before a building rising like a polished statue in a garden. Three stories higher than the businesses beside it, the place stood proud. Fittingly, nowadays the sign called it Proud Centaurean, a pirate-themed restaurant promising authentic food and live shows. Themed... Heh, right...
Stopping by the entrance, the smoker smothered his vice into a convenient ashtray. Well then, that was enough of the memory lane for now. Back to work.
Words: 505
Total: 25 156 / 13 500
It felt like yesterday, see.
If the smoker closed his eyes, he could still hear the creak of the gangplank, as a young doctor, bright-eyed excitedly scampered ashore. He could smell the air, fresh with opportunity. Turning around, he could see the sleepy, little coastal town before him. It was full of humble huts brimming with medical mysteries. So much to see, so many people to help...
Of course, the reality was never so rosy. The young man had learned that the hard way. Even back then, the shantytown was hiding ugly, violent secrets. Worse yet, it had a way of dragging people into said secrets.
Suddenly, a gruff voice requested the gentleman’s attention. He blinked, stirring back to reality. Nearby, a burly dock worker asked him rather politely if he could move a bit, so they could start unloading cargo. It was a nice ship. Clean. Robust. Seemed to be full of quality timber.
The gentleman smiled, apologized and strutted off. Tap, tap, tap, his feet tapped against the solid stone with the faintest limp. Some things took getting used to, you know. ...A lot of things, actually, but none quite so close as this one.
It felt just like yesterday, see...
As the smoker’s gaze strayed beyond the present, he could see the streets the way he remembered. A maze of filth and danger twisted in front of him. Shadows whispered amongst each other. Gleaming eyes glared from the murky windows. Twenty years of decay had gnawed the shantytown into a pile of disease and debauchery. So much to see, so many deals to strike...
Some things never changed... They only got worse. The same applied to people as well. You could leave this place, but it would never leave you. No, the filth got under your skin and seeped into your bones. Before you knew it, you were back in those same old secrets you tried to flee long ago. Funny how that worked.
The rat sidestepped a pair of construction workers carefully carrying a glass pane. Gone were the rotten shacks, torn down from the way of progress. In their place sprouted actual buildings. Warehouses, kitchens, quarters for the sailors staying the night... As he walked, the scenery shifted from memories to reality. From dirty and hopeless to shiny and brand new.
Speaking of shiny and brand new, soon enough the entrepreneur stopped before a building rising like a polished statue in a garden. Three stories higher than the businesses beside it, the place stood proud. Fittingly, nowadays the sign called it Proud Centaurean, a pirate-themed restaurant promising authentic food and live shows. Themed... Heh, right...
Stopping by the entrance, the smoker smothered his vice into a convenient ashtray. Well then, that was enough of the memory lane for now. Back to work.
Words: 505
Total: 25 156 / 13 500
________________________________________________________
Wanted Dead or Alive: Richard 'Plague Rat' Maxwell
- Goldmonger
[tracker=/t1979-dax-morgan#10865]
Name : Dax Morgan
Epithet : Goldmonger
Age : 25
Height : 6'5"
Weight : 250
Species/Tribe : Human
Faction : Pirate
World Position : Shichibukai (Future)
Crew : Gold | Works
Ship : Cleopatra
Devil Fruit : Goru Goru no Mi
Bounty : [ber=r] 27,900,000
Quality Score : S
Income Bonus : +0.20 (to all allies); +0.11 (from turf)
Shop Discount : -25%
Crew Pool : [bel=u] 251,075,000
Balance : [bel] 0
[[hardboiled]][[berryprinter]]
[[ancientzoan]]x2[[logia]][[firstaidkit]]
Turf : [turf=/t353-turf-details-rubeck-island#1168]Rubeck Island[/turf]
Posts : 235
Re: [Arc] [Rubeck Island Conquest][Part 3] Viva Las Costas
Tue Aug 27, 2024 5:46 pmRubeck Lighthouse Cliff
The sun bobbed in and out of the thick clouds and fog overhead. The gentle rays that broke through bathed the lighthouse in a warm golden glow as the gulls danced around its imposing tower and its ever-burning light spun round and round.
"Wow..." Hina muttered as her watery eyes settled on a chiseled stone statue, well over twice her size. "It's... it's perfect.. I just.. wow guys.."
She was breathless and even if she could find the words they wouldn't make it past the lump in her throat. Keeping back the tears was about all she could manage. Drifting closer, she felt herself drawn in, entranced by the craftmanship. By the beauty.
Every line, every wrinkle, each one all had a purpose. It felt real, so life-like. At any second his chest would raise with a breath of fresh air and he would glance down at her smiling. It would all be a bad dream and everything would go back to the way it was before.
But she was smarter than that. She knew he was gone and that this statue no matter how detailed or realistic. He was gone. Wiping her tears, she turned to thank the craftsman with all her heart.
"O-o-o-ooiii!! Well, well, I'll fuckin be!!" Kazu roared as he swaggered up from behind, slouching his arm over Hina's shoulder and shouting in her ear. "They did a fuckin bang-up job, didn't they?!" Inspecting the details of the statue as he leaned in closer, "They got his ugly mug down to a t-...?!"
"WILL YOU SHUT IT?!" The woman shouted as she slugged the pompadoured scoundrel with a right hook. " CAN'T YOU SEE I WAS HAVING A MOMENT?!"
"A FUCKIN MOMENT WITH WHAT?!? THE STATUE?!"
"Uuugghhh! Forget it!" She snarled, "I'll be in my office." Shooting the hooligan a sour look before heading back towards town.
Kazu rubbed his cheek sullenly as he glanced at the workers, "Jeez, the fuck is her problem....?" Shaking their heads in a disappointed manner in response.
Puru Puru Puru
A snail rang from Kazu's coat pocket.
Puru Puru Puru
"Yo yo yo, you've reached Kazu the Great, what can I do for you today?" He said with a wink to the workers and an arrogant smile, doing his best to show off his new station.
"B-Boss! It's Cuzco!! We found em!!! He's heading towards the Foggy Boggy!!"
"O-Oh shit.." He snapped back to his normal persona. "I'm on my fuckin way, hold on!! Don't lose sight of that fucker!!"
WC 423/24,787/13,500
The sun bobbed in and out of the thick clouds and fog overhead. The gentle rays that broke through bathed the lighthouse in a warm golden glow as the gulls danced around its imposing tower and its ever-burning light spun round and round.
"Wow..." Hina muttered as her watery eyes settled on a chiseled stone statue, well over twice her size. "It's... it's perfect.. I just.. wow guys.."
She was breathless and even if she could find the words they wouldn't make it past the lump in her throat. Keeping back the tears was about all she could manage. Drifting closer, she felt herself drawn in, entranced by the craftmanship. By the beauty.
Every line, every wrinkle, each one all had a purpose. It felt real, so life-like. At any second his chest would raise with a breath of fresh air and he would glance down at her smiling. It would all be a bad dream and everything would go back to the way it was before.
But she was smarter than that. She knew he was gone and that this statue no matter how detailed or realistic. He was gone. Wiping her tears, she turned to thank the craftsman with all her heart.
"O-o-o-ooiii!! Well, well, I'll fuckin be!!" Kazu roared as he swaggered up from behind, slouching his arm over Hina's shoulder and shouting in her ear. "They did a fuckin bang-up job, didn't they?!" Inspecting the details of the statue as he leaned in closer, "They got his ugly mug down to a t-...?!"
"WILL YOU SHUT IT?!" The woman shouted as she slugged the pompadoured scoundrel with a right hook. " CAN'T YOU SEE I WAS HAVING A MOMENT?!"
"A FUCKIN MOMENT WITH WHAT?!? THE STATUE?!"
"Uuugghhh! Forget it!" She snarled, "I'll be in my office." Shooting the hooligan a sour look before heading back towards town.
Kazu rubbed his cheek sullenly as he glanced at the workers, "Jeez, the fuck is her problem....?" Shaking their heads in a disappointed manner in response.
Puru Puru Puru
A snail rang from Kazu's coat pocket.
Puru Puru Puru
"Yo yo yo, you've reached Kazu the Great, what can I do for you today?" He said with a wink to the workers and an arrogant smile, doing his best to show off his new station.
"B-Boss! It's Cuzco!! We found em!!! He's heading towards the Foggy Boggy!!"
"O-Oh shit.." He snapped back to his normal persona. "I'm on my fuckin way, hold on!! Don't lose sight of that fucker!!"
WC 423/24,787/13,500
- Maxwell
[tracker=/t139-richard-maxwell#516]
Name : Richard Maxwell
Epithet : Plague Rat
Age : 49
Height : 6'0" / 183 cm
Weight : 160 lbs. / 73 kg
Species/Tribe : Human
Faction : Pirate
World Position : Supernova
Bounty : [bel=r] 243,000,000
Quality Score : S+
Income Bonus : +0.20 (to all allies); +0.11 (from turf)
Shop Discount : -10%
Balance : [bel] 2,204,829,125
[[bookworm]][[firstaidkit]][[berryprinter]]
[[identitytheft]][[identitytheft]][[improviseadaptovercome]][[logia]]
Turf : [turf=/t353-turf-details-rubeck-island#1168]Rubeck Island[/turf]
Posts : 320
Re: [Arc] [Rubeck Island Conquest][Part 3] Viva Las Costas
Wed Aug 28, 2024 11:34 amStepping through the door, the doctor found himself staring down a bunch of rats. Some scurried across the floor. Others lapped foul swill from cracked pints. Rum barrels pretended to be tables. Fruit crates were carved into chairs. The air was thick with smoke and suspicion. He blinked and the memory was gone.
Hm, couldn’t seem to escape the reminiscing today.
Maybe he was feeling... Nostalgic.
Now, the restaurant looked like a naive tourist’s idea of a ship’s interior. Wooden paneling was accompanied by decorative ropes and chains. Tables pretended to be rudders turned sideways. Comfortable chairs were shaped like carved barrels. Delicious scents drifted in the air.
Richard strutted past the waitresses dressed in aprons and bandannas setting the tables. A lanky fellow in a cabin boy’s getup was mopping the floor. They all greeted him as he passed. ‘Welcome back, Mr. Maxwell’, they cooed. He smiled and returned a friendly hello. Felt strange to say it honestly.
Stepping into the backrooms, the dishonest doctor briefly saw a corpse. Rotund and rotten to the core, the dead man dominated the middle of the floor with his sickeningly sweet stench. Walking past, he showed that image back into the bin of repressed ones. Could never quite forget that one.
The cellar door cried a familiar creak. Richard made a mental note to have someone oil it. The storage room was buzzing with life. Healthy hands were hoisting crates around. Most of it was food, legal and honest. Someone had to feed all the sailors, workers and soon... The tourists.
An underling stopped by, asking the gentleman his opinion on the inventory. They were running a little low on rice. He scratched his chin. Could always substitute it with millet or even beans. Call it the chef’s special. The answer got a laugh and a nod from the worker. Millet it was, then.
Leaning against the railing overlooking the underground warehouse, the criminal let his eyes wander to a moment that felt all too recent. It was right there, in the middle of that hustle and bustle. He could still feel the cold metal in his grasp. The words rang fresh in his mind.
‘...We still have a loose end...’
Words: 369
Total: 25 525 / 13 500
Hm, couldn’t seem to escape the reminiscing today.
Maybe he was feeling... Nostalgic.
Now, the restaurant looked like a naive tourist’s idea of a ship’s interior. Wooden paneling was accompanied by decorative ropes and chains. Tables pretended to be rudders turned sideways. Comfortable chairs were shaped like carved barrels. Delicious scents drifted in the air.
Richard strutted past the waitresses dressed in aprons and bandannas setting the tables. A lanky fellow in a cabin boy’s getup was mopping the floor. They all greeted him as he passed. ‘Welcome back, Mr. Maxwell’, they cooed. He smiled and returned a friendly hello. Felt strange to say it honestly.
Stepping into the backrooms, the dishonest doctor briefly saw a corpse. Rotund and rotten to the core, the dead man dominated the middle of the floor with his sickeningly sweet stench. Walking past, he showed that image back into the bin of repressed ones. Could never quite forget that one.
The cellar door cried a familiar creak. Richard made a mental note to have someone oil it. The storage room was buzzing with life. Healthy hands were hoisting crates around. Most of it was food, legal and honest. Someone had to feed all the sailors, workers and soon... The tourists.
An underling stopped by, asking the gentleman his opinion on the inventory. They were running a little low on rice. He scratched his chin. Could always substitute it with millet or even beans. Call it the chef’s special. The answer got a laugh and a nod from the worker. Millet it was, then.
Leaning against the railing overlooking the underground warehouse, the criminal let his eyes wander to a moment that felt all too recent. It was right there, in the middle of that hustle and bustle. He could still feel the cold metal in his grasp. The words rang fresh in his mind.
‘...We still have a loose end...’
Words: 369
Total: 25 525 / 13 500
________________________________________________________
Wanted Dead or Alive: Richard 'Plague Rat' Maxwell
- Goldmonger
[tracker=/t1979-dax-morgan#10865]
Name : Dax Morgan
Epithet : Goldmonger
Age : 25
Height : 6'5"
Weight : 250
Species/Tribe : Human
Faction : Pirate
World Position : Shichibukai (Future)
Crew : Gold | Works
Ship : Cleopatra
Devil Fruit : Goru Goru no Mi
Bounty : [ber=r] 27,900,000
Quality Score : S
Income Bonus : +0.20 (to all allies); +0.11 (from turf)
Shop Discount : -25%
Crew Pool : [bel=u] 251,075,000
Balance : [bel] 0
[[hardboiled]][[berryprinter]]
[[ancientzoan]]x2[[logia]][[firstaidkit]]
Turf : [turf=/t353-turf-details-rubeck-island#1168]Rubeck Island[/turf]
Posts : 235
Re: [Arc] [Rubeck Island Conquest][Part 3] Viva Las Costas
Wed Aug 28, 2024 6:58 pmThere Okuma stood, six in the ring and dead as dead could be. The massive beast of a bear was brought down by a tiny rat.
"Well shit.." Dax mumbled, for all his worry and shaking, the doc's hand never wavered as he grouped all six shots like an expert marksman. The goldmonger leaned over the body and noted the rat's instinctive target area. Never a bad idea to keep track of what someone's fight or fight does.
His stump looked like it was dipped in a golden wax as streams of metal ran up what was left of his arm. "Hey, doc, any chance this is...." Picking up his mangled right hand he grimaced.
"..Never mind.." Mumbling, he retrieved the gold that adorned it, each ring and bangle melted away into slithering serpents that collected onto the golden cap of his right forearm. The golden polish that decorated the nails flakes off and collected with the dust that constantly encircled his body.
"Ayoo..Doc..-..?!"
"...We still have a loose end..."
The rat was coiled in the slithering mass, cornered, trapped, and smothered in all the best and worst ways possible. A position more envious men would sell their souls for. But he had the aura of a man of war, steel resolve to finish what he started no matter the cost.
His mind was not on a venomously sweet bosom or the soft toxic lips that prayed for his well-being. It couldn't be, not for what he had to do. His grip tightened on the revolver as the bullets slid into the cylinder with blinding speed.
Frozen, the queen was paralyzed at Richie's words, her brain unable to understand the events about to unfold. "R-Richie..?"
BANG
Present Day | Somewhere in the Mole Hill Tunnels
The black void of caverns stretched farther than any had ever explored, a labyrinth spanning the entire island and beyond. The deeper you went the smoother it got, lacking the stalactites and stalagmites of more traditional caves. Rounded out from centuries of Digger Moles coming and going, the tunnel took on the round shape of their bodies.
The Maw of Mole town was only one of many entrances to the expansive cave tunnel network, though it was one of the few that occurred naturally on the island. Over the years, the inhabitants had dug out the first few miles and established small communities, becoming an extension of Moletown.
"Sheeeew....sheeew....sheeeew..." A voice echoed in the tunnels as a golden glow flickered in the depths of the darkness.
"Yeeeoooo..!...yeeoo....!..yeoo.." It called out once again as the golden light grew.
A pause lingered before the voice spoke up once again, "Castor's gay!... castor's gay...!...castor's gay...." A snicker trailed the echo as Dax wandered through the darkness in all his glowing glory.
"Ha..." He let out another chuckle at the thought, "Sometimes I miss that little shit.."
WC 478/25,265/13,500
"Well shit.." Dax mumbled, for all his worry and shaking, the doc's hand never wavered as he grouped all six shots like an expert marksman. The goldmonger leaned over the body and noted the rat's instinctive target area. Never a bad idea to keep track of what someone's fight or fight does.
His stump looked like it was dipped in a golden wax as streams of metal ran up what was left of his arm. "Hey, doc, any chance this is...." Picking up his mangled right hand he grimaced.
"..Never mind.." Mumbling, he retrieved the gold that adorned it, each ring and bangle melted away into slithering serpents that collected onto the golden cap of his right forearm. The golden polish that decorated the nails flakes off and collected with the dust that constantly encircled his body.
"Ayoo..Doc..-..?!"
"...We still have a loose end..."
The rat was coiled in the slithering mass, cornered, trapped, and smothered in all the best and worst ways possible. A position more envious men would sell their souls for. But he had the aura of a man of war, steel resolve to finish what he started no matter the cost.
His mind was not on a venomously sweet bosom or the soft toxic lips that prayed for his well-being. It couldn't be, not for what he had to do. His grip tightened on the revolver as the bullets slid into the cylinder with blinding speed.
Frozen, the queen was paralyzed at Richie's words, her brain unable to understand the events about to unfold. "R-Richie..?"
BANG
Present Day | Somewhere in the Mole Hill Tunnels
The black void of caverns stretched farther than any had ever explored, a labyrinth spanning the entire island and beyond. The deeper you went the smoother it got, lacking the stalactites and stalagmites of more traditional caves. Rounded out from centuries of Digger Moles coming and going, the tunnel took on the round shape of their bodies.
The Maw of Mole town was only one of many entrances to the expansive cave tunnel network, though it was one of the few that occurred naturally on the island. Over the years, the inhabitants had dug out the first few miles and established small communities, becoming an extension of Moletown.
"Sheeeew....sheeew....sheeeew..." A voice echoed in the tunnels as a golden glow flickered in the depths of the darkness.
"Yeeeoooo..!...yeeoo....!..yeoo.." It called out once again as the golden light grew.
A pause lingered before the voice spoke up once again, "Castor's gay!... castor's gay...!...castor's gay...." A snicker trailed the echo as Dax wandered through the darkness in all his glowing glory.
"Ha..." He let out another chuckle at the thought, "Sometimes I miss that little shit.."
WC 478/25,265/13,500
- Maxwell
[tracker=/t139-richard-maxwell#516]
Name : Richard Maxwell
Epithet : Plague Rat
Age : 49
Height : 6'0" / 183 cm
Weight : 160 lbs. / 73 kg
Species/Tribe : Human
Faction : Pirate
World Position : Supernova
Bounty : [bel=r] 243,000,000
Quality Score : S+
Income Bonus : +0.20 (to all allies); +0.11 (from turf)
Shop Discount : -10%
Balance : [bel] 2,204,829,125
[[bookworm]][[firstaidkit]][[berryprinter]]
[[identitytheft]][[identitytheft]][[improviseadaptovercome]][[logia]]
Turf : [turf=/t353-turf-details-rubeck-island#1168]Rubeck Island[/turf]
Posts : 320
Re: [Arc] [Rubeck Island Conquest][Part 3] Viva Las Costas
Thu Aug 29, 2024 5:24 amThe Cellar of -Unken Centaurean | Three Months Ago
BANG
The shot rang through the ruined cellar, leaving a grim echo in its wake. Deafening silence descended in its wake. Eventually, a voice wavering with disbelief crept through the air.
“You... shot me...”
The Queen clutched her side. A spreading stain of crimson ruined her favorite jacket further. Yet, she was still very much alive.
...Much to the rat’s visible dismay. “In my defense that was meant to kill you.” He knew he should’ve aimed for the head. While octopi had three hearts, he was more inclined to believe she had no heart at all. That was his excuse for missing, anyway. ...Well, that and the tentacles trying to wring his arms out of their sockets.
Fueled by adrenaline and righteous indignation, the mermaid pushed the crook down against the floor. “You shot me, asshole!” Disbelief made way for genuine upset. She was hurt that her darling would dare to try and murder her in cold blood.
Richard struggled back, trying to aim again. “And you poisoned me at ‘hello’. Pot, kettle and all that.” He grumbled bitterly.
The lady, however, saw things a little differently. “Oh come on, that was just a love bite.”
While the gentleman was free to disagree. “And this is just business.”
The crook tried to wiggle his way free, in many ways. “People will be asking questions. Dangerous questions.” He nodded towards the standing corpse of everyone’s favorite legendary hero. This story had never been about that man. “I need a scapegoat, see. Considering the monster’s body is stained with your poison, you effectively volunteered.”
However, the Queen had fair points of her own to make. “Moletown needs a ruler. The rest of the pawns are just waiting for their chance to scramble for the crown.” She punctuated her words with sharp jabs against the rat’s nose. “Who is going to keep them in check? You? The hero who ran away twenty years ago?” It sounded a little personal, when she said it like that.
Still, Richard wasn’t about to make this his problem. “Not my clinic, not my patients. I have no interest in this monkey-infested madhouse of an island.” His top concern was getting away before said monkeys and the gorilla girl showed up...
Swelling with fury, the mermaid rose to loom over the cowardly man. “Well, I do! This is my island and my plan.” Twenty years of planning in danger... “I will not let you throw it all away!” With that defiant roar, she lunged!
Or...
She would have, if she hadn’t been utterly exhausted.
What ensued could’ve been mistaken for something else entirely. Two bodies writhed on the ground, each grappling for dominance. Squeezing, choking, biting... Only the grunted insults and demands- ‘Stop it, you fat...’ ‘Gimme that, you stupid...’ -reminded any onlookers that this was still a fight. Not a show banned from public broadcasts. Neither of the wounded wrestlers was making any progress. A stalemate was inevitable.
How (un)lucky that they had a negotiator present...
A man with a plan.
Words: 505
Total: 26 030 / 13 500
BANG
The shot rang through the ruined cellar, leaving a grim echo in its wake. Deafening silence descended in its wake. Eventually, a voice wavering with disbelief crept through the air.
“You... shot me...”
The Queen clutched her side. A spreading stain of crimson ruined her favorite jacket further. Yet, she was still very much alive.
...Much to the rat’s visible dismay. “In my defense that was meant to kill you.” He knew he should’ve aimed for the head. While octopi had three hearts, he was more inclined to believe she had no heart at all. That was his excuse for missing, anyway. ...Well, that and the tentacles trying to wring his arms out of their sockets.
Fueled by adrenaline and righteous indignation, the mermaid pushed the crook down against the floor. “You shot me, asshole!” Disbelief made way for genuine upset. She was hurt that her darling would dare to try and murder her in cold blood.
Richard struggled back, trying to aim again. “And you poisoned me at ‘hello’. Pot, kettle and all that.” He grumbled bitterly.
The lady, however, saw things a little differently. “Oh come on, that was just a love bite.”
While the gentleman was free to disagree. “And this is just business.”
The crook tried to wiggle his way free, in many ways. “People will be asking questions. Dangerous questions.” He nodded towards the standing corpse of everyone’s favorite legendary hero. This story had never been about that man. “I need a scapegoat, see. Considering the monster’s body is stained with your poison, you effectively volunteered.”
However, the Queen had fair points of her own to make. “Moletown needs a ruler. The rest of the pawns are just waiting for their chance to scramble for the crown.” She punctuated her words with sharp jabs against the rat’s nose. “Who is going to keep them in check? You? The hero who ran away twenty years ago?” It sounded a little personal, when she said it like that.
Still, Richard wasn’t about to make this his problem. “Not my clinic, not my patients. I have no interest in this monkey-infested madhouse of an island.” His top concern was getting away before said monkeys and the gorilla girl showed up...
Swelling with fury, the mermaid rose to loom over the cowardly man. “Well, I do! This is my island and my plan.” Twenty years of planning in danger... “I will not let you throw it all away!” With that defiant roar, she lunged!
Or...
She would have, if she hadn’t been utterly exhausted.
What ensued could’ve been mistaken for something else entirely. Two bodies writhed on the ground, each grappling for dominance. Squeezing, choking, biting... Only the grunted insults and demands- ‘Stop it, you fat...’ ‘Gimme that, you stupid...’ -reminded any onlookers that this was still a fight. Not a show banned from public broadcasts. Neither of the wounded wrestlers was making any progress. A stalemate was inevitable.
How (un)lucky that they had a negotiator present...
A man with a plan.
Words: 505
Total: 26 030 / 13 500
________________________________________________________
Wanted Dead or Alive: Richard 'Plague Rat' Maxwell
- Goldmonger
[tracker=/t1979-dax-morgan#10865]
Name : Dax Morgan
Epithet : Goldmonger
Age : 25
Height : 6'5"
Weight : 250
Species/Tribe : Human
Faction : Pirate
World Position : Shichibukai (Future)
Crew : Gold | Works
Ship : Cleopatra
Devil Fruit : Goru Goru no Mi
Bounty : [ber=r] 27,900,000
Quality Score : S
Income Bonus : +0.20 (to all allies); +0.11 (from turf)
Shop Discount : -25%
Crew Pool : [bel=u] 251,075,000
Balance : [bel] 0
[[hardboiled]][[berryprinter]]
[[ancientzoan]]x2[[logia]][[firstaidkit]]
Turf : [turf=/t353-turf-details-rubeck-island#1168]Rubeck Island[/turf]
Posts : 235
Re: [Arc] [Rubeck Island Conquest][Part 3] Viva Las Costas
Thu Aug 29, 2024 6:47 pm"Alright, alright..." Dax interjected, "As much as I love to sit and watch.." He paused to give his pants a quick tug to clear up some room. "I think we might be on a bit of a fuckin schedule if you catch my drift."
He nodded to the gaping hole in the ceiling, "Can't imagine we are gonna be alone for very long, eh?"
The silver tongue, golden-clad bastard spoke true. Soon, the winners of Pebble Beach would swarm the town. Whether it be for conquest or congratulations had yet to be soon.
"He leaned down and picked up his sword from the ground before giving it a twirl. "So unless you two really love an audience, it may be best to settle for a quickie..~"
The words made the queen's stomach turn, not because of her dear Richie, no, she had more than willingly rode that horse on many occasions. It was the mouth out of which they came that turned it sour.
She turned her nose in disgust as she forcefully separated the rat with her tentacles. Quickly fixing her hair and clothing, she snarled. "You expect me just to forget he shot me?!"
"Yea, it can't be the first time it's happened, won't be the fuckin last. We got bigger shit than a little bullet. I'm sure Doc'll love to fix ya right up."
"Like what's our fuckin play here? huh? You are supposed to be a fuckin criminal mastermind, and you.." He paused to glare at the rat, "Ain't you some kind of genius con-artist, get your fuckin head out of your ass."
"You think putting a bullet in her and callin it a fuckin day like that is gonna solve all our shit?"
He snarled and spit as he barked, "Now, both of you sit the fuck down, shut the fuck up." Devilish and laced with gold, a smile erupted as his mind drifted back to his old captain, a sly little imp who always said the devil was in the details.
"I've got a fuckin plan...~"
Somewhere on the edge of the Foggy Boggy | Present Day
Limbs cracked and leaves fluttered, puddles splashed and animals scattered. A rush of shadow flickering hear and there as the sound of heavy panting accompanied it all.
"Shit..Shit....Shit...." Cuzco huffed, "Like, I can't do it Man..." Tears fled from his eyes as his hooves carried him as fast as they could. "I can't... fucking do it...man..."
"I... I just can't do it.... I'm sorry!! I just can't keep eating anymore man, it's just too much for me man!! Waaaahhhh...!!!"
" He's going into the bog, don't lose him...!" A man shouted, "The boss will be here soon...!"
The mink dashed into the bog without a second thought, unfamiliar with the stories and what awaited him inside.
"I... I think.. I think I like, lost em man..." He took a moment to catch his breath as he pulled a joint from his pocket. "Fuck man, I can't fucking breath man." He said as he lit up the jay and took a deep puff.
"Go-arghhhcoughcoughcough-d Damn.." His eyes watered as he hacked up a lung, "That was fuckin-coughcoughcoughcough- huge man...."
Once the hacking and coughing had subsided, the mink let out a relieved, smoke laced sigh. "Sheew.. thankfully I had this bad boy on me man..."
WC 557/25,822/13,500
He nodded to the gaping hole in the ceiling, "Can't imagine we are gonna be alone for very long, eh?"
The silver tongue, golden-clad bastard spoke true. Soon, the winners of Pebble Beach would swarm the town. Whether it be for conquest or congratulations had yet to be soon.
"He leaned down and picked up his sword from the ground before giving it a twirl. "So unless you two really love an audience, it may be best to settle for a quickie..~"
The words made the queen's stomach turn, not because of her dear Richie, no, she had more than willingly rode that horse on many occasions. It was the mouth out of which they came that turned it sour.
She turned her nose in disgust as she forcefully separated the rat with her tentacles. Quickly fixing her hair and clothing, she snarled. "You expect me just to forget he shot me?!"
"Yea, it can't be the first time it's happened, won't be the fuckin last. We got bigger shit than a little bullet. I'm sure Doc'll love to fix ya right up."
"Like what's our fuckin play here? huh? You are supposed to be a fuckin criminal mastermind, and you.." He paused to glare at the rat, "Ain't you some kind of genius con-artist, get your fuckin head out of your ass."
"You think putting a bullet in her and callin it a fuckin day like that is gonna solve all our shit?"
He snarled and spit as he barked, "Now, both of you sit the fuck down, shut the fuck up." Devilish and laced with gold, a smile erupted as his mind drifted back to his old captain, a sly little imp who always said the devil was in the details.
"I've got a fuckin plan...~"
Somewhere on the edge of the Foggy Boggy | Present Day
Limbs cracked and leaves fluttered, puddles splashed and animals scattered. A rush of shadow flickering hear and there as the sound of heavy panting accompanied it all.
"Shit..Shit....Shit...." Cuzco huffed, "Like, I can't do it Man..." Tears fled from his eyes as his hooves carried him as fast as they could. "I can't... fucking do it...man..."
"I... I just can't do it.... I'm sorry!! I just can't keep eating anymore man, it's just too much for me man!! Waaaahhhh...!!!"
" He's going into the bog, don't lose him...!" A man shouted, "The boss will be here soon...!"
The mink dashed into the bog without a second thought, unfamiliar with the stories and what awaited him inside.
"I... I think.. I think I like, lost em man..." He took a moment to catch his breath as he pulled a joint from his pocket. "Fuck man, I can't fucking breath man." He said as he lit up the jay and took a deep puff.
"Go-arghhhcoughcoughcough-d Damn.." His eyes watered as he hacked up a lung, "That was fuckin-coughcoughcoughcough- huge man...."
Once the hacking and coughing had subsided, the mink let out a relieved, smoke laced sigh. "Sheew.. thankfully I had this bad boy on me man..."
WC 557/25,822/13,500
- Maxwell
[tracker=/t139-richard-maxwell#516]
Name : Richard Maxwell
Epithet : Plague Rat
Age : 49
Height : 6'0" / 183 cm
Weight : 160 lbs. / 73 kg
Species/Tribe : Human
Faction : Pirate
World Position : Supernova
Bounty : [bel=r] 243,000,000
Quality Score : S+
Income Bonus : +0.20 (to all allies); +0.11 (from turf)
Shop Discount : -10%
Balance : [bel] 2,204,829,125
[[bookworm]][[firstaidkit]][[berryprinter]]
[[identitytheft]][[identitytheft]][[improviseadaptovercome]][[logia]]
Turf : [turf=/t353-turf-details-rubeck-island#1168]Rubeck Island[/turf]
Posts : 320
Re: [Arc] [Rubeck Island Conquest][Part 3] Viva Las Costas
Fri Aug 30, 2024 1:13 pmWhere reasoning and kind words failed, you needed someone to be direct and really crass. The Goldmonger certainly knew how to get people’s attention, even ones who were currently at each other’s throats. Aside from grumbled accusations, he held their undivided attention.
The Queen was conflicted. On one hand, she was smug that her eye for valuable pieces had proven to be accurate once again. Clearly this golden boy was a lot sharper than the thuggish behavior suggested. ...Yet, on the other hand, she couldn’t stand feeling like she wasn’t the one in control.
Meanwhile, the doctor hated to find himself agreeing with the maniac. Against all odds, the dangerous man was making excellent points. There was no doubt someone would show up soon... With his luck, it would be someone who liked the former legend and disliked him. A lethal combination.
Richard recoiled at the all too accurate assessment. “I resent the implication. I am an honest entrepreneur.” It was a reflex at this point. He knew that they knew. And they knew that he knew that... Look, it doesn’t matter. All of them knew he had appearances to uphold... Which was just a nice way of saying that he was full of shit.
Fortunately for everyone involved, the rat and the octopus did shut their mouths and open their ears. As they listened, they found something they had lost a while back... Their smiles. The devilish grin proved contagious, spreading between the villains.
Hushed words were traded in the little triangle of wicked ideas. One by one, the puzzle pieces came together. The ‘fuckin’ plan’ started taking shape. And it all started with someone dying...
By the end of it, the two beaten and bloodied shadows were standing over a fresh corpse. A sudden shout demanded their attention. As predicted, they had gotten company... Company who brought reinforcements in spades.
Words: 312
Total: 26 342 / 13 500
The Queen was conflicted. On one hand, she was smug that her eye for valuable pieces had proven to be accurate once again. Clearly this golden boy was a lot sharper than the thuggish behavior suggested. ...Yet, on the other hand, she couldn’t stand feeling like she wasn’t the one in control.
Meanwhile, the doctor hated to find himself agreeing with the maniac. Against all odds, the dangerous man was making excellent points. There was no doubt someone would show up soon... With his luck, it would be someone who liked the former legend and disliked him. A lethal combination.
Richard recoiled at the all too accurate assessment. “I resent the implication. I am an honest entrepreneur.” It was a reflex at this point. He knew that they knew. And they knew that he knew that... Look, it doesn’t matter. All of them knew he had appearances to uphold... Which was just a nice way of saying that he was full of shit.
Fortunately for everyone involved, the rat and the octopus did shut their mouths and open their ears. As they listened, they found something they had lost a while back... Their smiles. The devilish grin proved contagious, spreading between the villains.
Hushed words were traded in the little triangle of wicked ideas. One by one, the puzzle pieces came together. The ‘fuckin’ plan’ started taking shape. And it all started with someone dying...
By the end of it, the two beaten and bloodied shadows were standing over a fresh corpse. A sudden shout demanded their attention. As predicted, they had gotten company... Company who brought reinforcements in spades.
Words: 312
Total: 26 342 / 13 500
________________________________________________________
Wanted Dead or Alive: Richard 'Plague Rat' Maxwell
- Goldmonger
[tracker=/t1979-dax-morgan#10865]
Name : Dax Morgan
Epithet : Goldmonger
Age : 25
Height : 6'5"
Weight : 250
Species/Tribe : Human
Faction : Pirate
World Position : Shichibukai (Future)
Crew : Gold | Works
Ship : Cleopatra
Devil Fruit : Goru Goru no Mi
Bounty : [ber=r] 27,900,000
Quality Score : S
Income Bonus : +0.20 (to all allies); +0.11 (from turf)
Shop Discount : -25%
Crew Pool : [bel=u] 251,075,000
Balance : [bel] 0
[[hardboiled]][[berryprinter]]
[[ancientzoan]]x2[[logia]][[firstaidkit]]
Turf : [turf=/t353-turf-details-rubeck-island#1168]Rubeck Island[/turf]
Posts : 235
Re: [Arc] [Rubeck Island Conquest][Part 3] Viva Las Costas
Sun Sep 01, 2024 9:42 amDax nudged Maxwell to get into place as the group was heard above, the pair now sporting fresh gunshot wounds and their bodies littered across the ground with the rest of the carnage. Maxwell's trusty revolver had been left in the Queen's cold dead hands as her corpse accompanied them.
The stairs creaked and rubbled tumbled down as the Wharf Rats cautiously made their way onto the scene.
"What the fuck..." Chino mumbled as the picture came into view, Okuma's bloodied body surrounded by the queen and a dozen of her men, along with a broken rat and a beaten snake.
"Holy shit..." Koji muttered, not a trace of sarcasm could be found while poor Ichiro was at a loss for words for the first time in his life.
"We... We gotta tell Kazu and Hina..." His voice was heavy and cold as he looked up at the bear's lifeless face.
A wheezing cough from one of the bodies caught the poor boys off guard, almost sending Chino flying out of the open roof.
"H-Hee..ll...pp...." Dax muttered as he faded in and out of consciousness.
"Oh shit!! Boss! These two are still alive!!" Sho shouted as he rushed to their aid, providing a water canteen he retrieved from his bag.
After a big gulp of water, the goldmonger looked up at them weakly, his big golden puppy dog eyes were in full effect. "Any of you guys got a...argghh.." He winced in pain as he moved, clutching the gunshot wounds in his shoulder, revealing his missing right arm as well, doing his best to sell the carnage.
"Oh fuck..." Chino muttered, "You-....Your arm, dude...fuck.."
"Huh..? Oh..argghh..." He winced once more, laying it on as thick as possible. "Yeah, this.... Heh.. Honestly, if it weren't for this I might be pushin fuckin daisies right now..."
"What...?"
"Heh.. Tell ya what, one of you fucks give me a cigarette and I'll tell ya all about it... I'm sure he wouldn't mind one after all this either, eh Doc..?"
Chino fished a dented carton from his pocket and handed them each a cigarette and a lighter. The Goldmonger used his remaining hand to place the cancer stick between his lips and fumbled around for a moment with the flint.
"Heh... Not used to this..." Jokes were the best medicine as his fingers did their best to do what they were told. The sparks continued to flicker as they refused to hold a flame.
"We came in through the cellar door...." Dramatic pause, "We had no idea what we were in for.." Mumbling as his shaking hand struggled to light the cigarette between his lips, the flame finally cooperating he took a deep, satisfying inhale.
Cue dramatic exhale.
"Six, Seven, maybe two dozen fuckin guys, I don't know, I...I couldn't say for sure...All I know is there were locked and fuckin loaded, man.."
"It was a fuckin ambush..." He mumbled again as he took a deep drag to set up the scene. Sell it to the crowd. The imp always stressed there was a method to the madness when it came to acting.
"It was fuckin hell on earth down here...."
He paused for another deep breath in, and then deep smoke laced breath out. Holding the cigarette between his lips, he ran his hand through his golden dreads before retrieving the cigarette once more.
"It was a fuckin firefight...!"
Gunshots rang out as bullets whizzed by, the queen and her men showed no mercy. The pair did their best to take cover, but the wooden barriers did little to shield them for long.
"Oi! Doc!" Dax shouted from behind a wall of barrels, "We gotta think of a fuckin plan here or we are dead...!"
But just then, the heavens opened up and sent us a guardian angel. He arrived basked in a warm glow and armed with god's fury. The demon bear was deadly and efficient, scattering the roaches with his presence alone.
But the queen...
Dax paused his story to take another deep drag, doing his best to push back the tears welling up in his eyes. "That fuckin bitch..." Burying his face in his hands, the goldmonger couldn't help but cry as he looked to Okuma's standing monument of glory for the strength to continue.
"That fuckin bitch.. she.. she..."
WC 720/26,542/13,500
The stairs creaked and rubbled tumbled down as the Wharf Rats cautiously made their way onto the scene.
"What the fuck..." Chino mumbled as the picture came into view, Okuma's bloodied body surrounded by the queen and a dozen of her men, along with a broken rat and a beaten snake.
"Holy shit..." Koji muttered, not a trace of sarcasm could be found while poor Ichiro was at a loss for words for the first time in his life.
"We... We gotta tell Kazu and Hina..." His voice was heavy and cold as he looked up at the bear's lifeless face.
A wheezing cough from one of the bodies caught the poor boys off guard, almost sending Chino flying out of the open roof.
"H-Hee..ll...pp...." Dax muttered as he faded in and out of consciousness.
"Oh shit!! Boss! These two are still alive!!" Sho shouted as he rushed to their aid, providing a water canteen he retrieved from his bag.
After a big gulp of water, the goldmonger looked up at them weakly, his big golden puppy dog eyes were in full effect. "Any of you guys got a...argghh.." He winced in pain as he moved, clutching the gunshot wounds in his shoulder, revealing his missing right arm as well, doing his best to sell the carnage.
"Oh fuck..." Chino muttered, "You-....Your arm, dude...fuck.."
"Huh..? Oh..argghh..." He winced once more, laying it on as thick as possible. "Yeah, this.... Heh.. Honestly, if it weren't for this I might be pushin fuckin daisies right now..."
"What...?"
"Heh.. Tell ya what, one of you fucks give me a cigarette and I'll tell ya all about it... I'm sure he wouldn't mind one after all this either, eh Doc..?"
Chino fished a dented carton from his pocket and handed them each a cigarette and a lighter. The Goldmonger used his remaining hand to place the cancer stick between his lips and fumbled around for a moment with the flint.
"Heh... Not used to this..." Jokes were the best medicine as his fingers did their best to do what they were told. The sparks continued to flicker as they refused to hold a flame.
"We came in through the cellar door...." Dramatic pause, "We had no idea what we were in for.." Mumbling as his shaking hand struggled to light the cigarette between his lips, the flame finally cooperating he took a deep, satisfying inhale.
Cue dramatic exhale.
"Six, Seven, maybe two dozen fuckin guys, I don't know, I...I couldn't say for sure...All I know is there were locked and fuckin loaded, man.."
"It was a fuckin ambush..." He mumbled again as he took a deep drag to set up the scene. Sell it to the crowd. The imp always stressed there was a method to the madness when it came to acting.
"It was fuckin hell on earth down here...."
He paused for another deep breath in, and then deep smoke laced breath out. Holding the cigarette between his lips, he ran his hand through his golden dreads before retrieving the cigarette once more.
"It was a fuckin firefight...!"
Gunshots rang out as bullets whizzed by, the queen and her men showed no mercy. The pair did their best to take cover, but the wooden barriers did little to shield them for long.
"Oi! Doc!" Dax shouted from behind a wall of barrels, "We gotta think of a fuckin plan here or we are dead...!"
But just then, the heavens opened up and sent us a guardian angel. He arrived basked in a warm glow and armed with god's fury. The demon bear was deadly and efficient, scattering the roaches with his presence alone.
But the queen...
Dax paused his story to take another deep drag, doing his best to push back the tears welling up in his eyes. "That fuckin bitch..." Burying his face in his hands, the goldmonger couldn't help but cry as he looked to Okuma's standing monument of glory for the strength to continue.
"That fuckin bitch.. she.. she..."
WC 720/26,542/13,500
- Maxwell
[tracker=/t139-richard-maxwell#516]
Name : Richard Maxwell
Epithet : Plague Rat
Age : 49
Height : 6'0" / 183 cm
Weight : 160 lbs. / 73 kg
Species/Tribe : Human
Faction : Pirate
World Position : Supernova
Bounty : [bel=r] 243,000,000
Quality Score : S+
Income Bonus : +0.20 (to all allies); +0.11 (from turf)
Shop Discount : -10%
Balance : [bel] 2,204,829,125
[[bookworm]][[firstaidkit]][[berryprinter]]
[[identitytheft]][[identitytheft]][[improviseadaptovercome]][[logia]]
Turf : [turf=/t353-turf-details-rubeck-island#1168]Rubeck Island[/turf]
Posts : 320
Re: [Arc] [Rubeck Island Conquest][Part 3] Viva Las Costas
Mon Sep 02, 2024 7:21 amCostumes... Some make up... And splatters of blood. This scene was as authentic as it got in this business. The production value was through the roof. As the audience drew closer, the shadows settled behind the imaginary curtains. Places, everyone! The show’s about to start...
Richard clung to life by the bloodied tips of his fingers. A guttural groan crawled from the depths of his throat. “Heeellp... Pleaaasseee...” The rasp proved too much for his dry throat, devolving into weak coughing.
It was a horrific sight... Horribly striking and efficient in its message. Every detail was carefully crafted to support the Goldmonger’s story. A firefight indeed, complete with bullet wounds on each of them... Six shots divided equally.
See, the suspension of disbelief was a wonderful thing. You told a story well enough and folk didn’t stop to ask questions... Didn’t even cross their minds.
Nobody stopped to wonder why none of the wounds had messy shrapnel in them. Average folk didn’t even notice how every spot had been picked with surgical precision, just a hair’s breadth away from being life-threatening. A single errant twitch would’ve been catastrophic. Highly risky, but important for the illusion.
Placing a comforting hand on the broken man’s shoulder, the wounded doctor stepped into the spotlight. “She poisoned him... The coward...” He spat with bitter contempt. A sip of water had soothed his throat barely enough.
Painting a moment frozen in time, the storyteller slowly swept his hand across the scene of carnage. “It was a final, spiteful moment of madness... She charged right at us with murder in her eyes.” He visibly shivered at the recollection, eyes wide and staring somewhere beyond the walls.
Richard tore himself away from the memory and glanced at his ally. “I... froze... Nearly got caught, b-but...” His voice wavered. “My friend leapt in the way, pushed me aside... Took the poison meant for me...” He paused for a moment to gather himself.
With a deep breath, the shaky man found his voice again. “Only Mister Okuma was strong enough to still act.” He sniffled weakly, gesturing at the fallen hero’s blade. “As his last heroic deed, he carved off my friend’s ruined arm, to stop the poison from spreading... Alongside several toxic tentacles threatening me...” The sweeping hand directed attention onto the severed forearm that was utterly drenched in vile toxins.
The doctor held a trembling hand over his heart. “Without him, we would’ve both surely perished.” Tears welled up in his eyes. His lip quivered. “Mister Okuma saved us... But I... I...” And the dam broke with a pitiful squeak.
“...couldn’t save him... ‘msosorry...”
Of course, the select few knew that’s not how the story went. Like with all adaptations, the directors had taken some creative liberties. However, this was the version Moletown would remember.
The only version that mattered.
Words: 475
Total: 26 817 / 13 500
Richard clung to life by the bloodied tips of his fingers. A guttural groan crawled from the depths of his throat. “Heeellp... Pleaaasseee...” The rasp proved too much for his dry throat, devolving into weak coughing.
It was a horrific sight... Horribly striking and efficient in its message. Every detail was carefully crafted to support the Goldmonger’s story. A firefight indeed, complete with bullet wounds on each of them... Six shots divided equally.
See, the suspension of disbelief was a wonderful thing. You told a story well enough and folk didn’t stop to ask questions... Didn’t even cross their minds.
Nobody stopped to wonder why none of the wounds had messy shrapnel in them. Average folk didn’t even notice how every spot had been picked with surgical precision, just a hair’s breadth away from being life-threatening. A single errant twitch would’ve been catastrophic. Highly risky, but important for the illusion.
Placing a comforting hand on the broken man’s shoulder, the wounded doctor stepped into the spotlight. “She poisoned him... The coward...” He spat with bitter contempt. A sip of water had soothed his throat barely enough.
Painting a moment frozen in time, the storyteller slowly swept his hand across the scene of carnage. “It was a final, spiteful moment of madness... She charged right at us with murder in her eyes.” He visibly shivered at the recollection, eyes wide and staring somewhere beyond the walls.
Richard tore himself away from the memory and glanced at his ally. “I... froze... Nearly got caught, b-but...” His voice wavered. “My friend leapt in the way, pushed me aside... Took the poison meant for me...” He paused for a moment to gather himself.
With a deep breath, the shaky man found his voice again. “Only Mister Okuma was strong enough to still act.” He sniffled weakly, gesturing at the fallen hero’s blade. “As his last heroic deed, he carved off my friend’s ruined arm, to stop the poison from spreading... Alongside several toxic tentacles threatening me...” The sweeping hand directed attention onto the severed forearm that was utterly drenched in vile toxins.
The doctor held a trembling hand over his heart. “Without him, we would’ve both surely perished.” Tears welled up in his eyes. His lip quivered. “Mister Okuma saved us... But I... I...” And the dam broke with a pitiful squeak.
“...couldn’t save him... ‘msosorry...”
Of course, the select few knew that’s not how the story went. Like with all adaptations, the directors had taken some creative liberties. However, this was the version Moletown would remember.
The only version that mattered.
Words: 475
Total: 26 817 / 13 500
- Goldmonger
[tracker=/t1979-dax-morgan#10865]
Name : Dax Morgan
Epithet : Goldmonger
Age : 25
Height : 6'5"
Weight : 250
Species/Tribe : Human
Faction : Pirate
World Position : Shichibukai (Future)
Crew : Gold | Works
Ship : Cleopatra
Devil Fruit : Goru Goru no Mi
Bounty : [ber=r] 27,900,000
Quality Score : S
Income Bonus : +0.20 (to all allies); +0.11 (from turf)
Shop Discount : -25%
Crew Pool : [bel=u] 251,075,000
Balance : [bel] 0
[[hardboiled]][[berryprinter]]
[[ancientzoan]]x2[[logia]][[firstaidkit]]
Turf : [turf=/t353-turf-details-rubeck-island#1168]Rubeck Island[/turf]
Posts : 235
Re: [Arc] [Rubeck Island Conquest][Part 3] Viva Las Costas
Mon Sep 02, 2024 9:20 pmDeep Within the Mole Hill | Present Day
"Well it must be my lucky day...~"
"Look who's come to grace me with their presence..~" A smoke-laced voice whispered from the darkness. "The big boss man himself coming all the way down here..." The octopus queen grinned as she leaned into the light.
"Good to see you too, queenie.~" Dax Snickered as he pulled up a chair, "Been abit, eh?"
"A bit since you left me to rot in this dank, dreary prison you mean...~?" she snarled as smoke exhaled from her nose.
Dax looked puzzled as he glanced around the spacious cave if one could even call it that by this point. The walls were lined with marble and gold, decorated with the finest antiques and trinkets from all across the land.
There were strings of lights crossing the ceiling as a massive glass chandelier centered the room and only the finest furniture graced the rugged floors. It had been the Queen's former safehouse, constructed deep within a labyrinth. Impossible to find and even more impossible to penetrate, much like the queen herself with that writhing mass of tentacles.
"Hello, Master Morgan, may I be of service to you..?" A well-dressed man in his forties mused as he adjusted a monocle over his left eye.
"Nah, I'm good, Chives, 'ppreciate you though." Dax gave a nod as the queen's servant took his leave.
"You were saying?" The pirate chuckled before the queen snapped back.
"I was saying you left me down here to die, while you usurp everything I've ever built as some kind of bullshit folk hero and worst of all with my fucking plans!"
"Mad ya didn't think of it first eh, yeah, I get that." Dax leaned back, inspecting his nails for dirt. "It can be tough bein in such a presence as myself. On account of my greatness and all."
"But you are lookin at this all the wrong way, baby..~" The goldmonger brandished his signature golden-fanged smile. "You're right, they are your fuckin plans.."
"Your fuckin work.." He leaned forward, taking on a tone rarely seen. "I came in and took advantage of the chaos you caused. That's how I came out number fuckin one this time..."
"This time..." He focused on the phrase with a certain intensity. "What about next time..?"
The queen looked puzzled but intrigued, she had been in the game long enough to know when someone was flirting with her. "..What do you propose..?"
"Let me be the face, the folk hero, the man who always looks like he has a fuckin plan. I take all the heat, good and bad."
"And what do I get..~?" Nursing the tobacco for all its worth.
"Everything." Motioning his hands outward, "You got one fuckin rule, I'm the boss. Everything else, that's you."
"You just gotta stay dead..~"
The Foggy Boggy | Present Day
The disgraced rockstar did his best to navigate the quagmire and all its dangers. However, his best amounted to very little. Cuzco now found himself chest-deep and sinking fast.
"Heeeelllppp....!!" Tears flowed from his eyes as he struggled like a fish on a hook. "P-Puhhhleaasssseee...!! I dun waanna die man....!!"
With every thrash he sunk further into the muck, "No-...Nooooo... plleassee...!" Even with his long neck, there was nothing within range to bite and devour, nothing but soft, black mud and murky water.
"Ooo.." A Hoot.
"Ahh Ahh.." A holler.
Like angels in his dying moment, there appeared a band of three sent by god himself. They were dressed in royal purple and flaming red, with another in a blue so faint it seemed white. Each suit was tailored to its wearer down to the finest detail, made from the finest imported silks one could buy and stitched by a master.
From pompadour to foot they were clad in golden jewelry and their sharp unforgiving eyes hid behind black sunglasses.
"Oo." Red grunted, "Ooo Aaah, aah."
"Like, I know...! I'm sorry, man...!" The llama mink was almost lost to the darkness, "Just...Just p-please...Like.. H-help me...!"
The troupe of three each seemed more frustrated than the other the longer the interaction went with the mink. It was not the first time they had dealt with him, having essentially bulled bodyguard duty for the scoundrel.
It was also certainly not the first time that in a fit of delusion and paranoia, the self-proclaimed musician took off.
"Oo.... Ahh.." Blue rolled his eyes sarcastically.
"Heeelll...-p... What....?" Cuzco muttered as he paused his dying pleas to figuratively, and unfortunately literally, test the waters around him. With a shove and tug, he was up and out of the mud. The water was now barely halfway up his thigh but his once poofy fur was now thick with mud and clung to his scrawny frame.
Amongst a chorus of laughter, the mink could be heard grumbling as he desperately tried to dry himself out.
Mayors Office | Las Costas | Rubeck
"Looks like we are just about set.." Mountains of paperwork covered every elevated inch of her office. The massive glass, gold, and oak, table barely visible amongst such a range. She had poured her heart and soul into this.
It was the one thing that had kept her going after all that had happened. Lost, alone, and broken. She was offered a hand and a chance, a chance to turn this island into something great. Something that she took and ran with.
"Let the investors know we are on schedule to open up the island to the public next week." She paused to take note of a few members of the labor crew moving odds and ends. "Assuming the inspections continue smoothly."
"Right. Got it." A young man in his early twenties furiously scribed down every word. He was clean cut and his clothes were well put together. Tight and buttoned up, everything about him said on time is late.
"And make sure you get with Mr. Morgan about his casino... The last inspector that went over there came back terrified."
"B-but ma'am.. Mr. Morgan, he's.. he's the one who brought in the investors..."
"I don't care who he knows! He's gotta follow the rules just like everyone else!" Hina shouted, he may have provided the opportunity and the means. But she'll be damned if she lets anyone ruin her father's legacy.
Gone is the once poor but quaint fishing town of Pebble Beach. A forgotten speck on a backwater island most people in the world had never heard of.
Now, in its place comes something new, shiny, golden.
Las Costas, a city of sin where all vices can be indulged. Where every manner of vile debauchery can be found somewhere, hidden away, obscured by the thick fog that stalks the island's brightly lit coast.
Backed by investors and entrepreneurs eager to get rich, the southern bay has been transformed into a massive commercial port. Its rocky beach with fishing shacks and a small town now replaced by casinos, restaurants, and a redlight district, headlined by an ornate golden lighthouse and a great bear that stands in its shadow.
Gone was Pebble Beach and its dull gray stoney shores, what little beach that remained the rocks were chunks of solid gold that reflected the shining lights of the casino town.
This was a new day for Rubeck and a new dawn for those who found themselves on the winning side of lady luck.
Viva Las Costas..
WC 1,057/27,783/13,500
"Well it must be my lucky day...~"
"Look who's come to grace me with their presence..~" A smoke-laced voice whispered from the darkness. "The big boss man himself coming all the way down here..." The octopus queen grinned as she leaned into the light.
"Good to see you too, queenie.~" Dax Snickered as he pulled up a chair, "Been abit, eh?"
"A bit since you left me to rot in this dank, dreary prison you mean...~?" she snarled as smoke exhaled from her nose.
Dax looked puzzled as he glanced around the spacious cave if one could even call it that by this point. The walls were lined with marble and gold, decorated with the finest antiques and trinkets from all across the land.
There were strings of lights crossing the ceiling as a massive glass chandelier centered the room and only the finest furniture graced the rugged floors. It had been the Queen's former safehouse, constructed deep within a labyrinth. Impossible to find and even more impossible to penetrate, much like the queen herself with that writhing mass of tentacles.
"Hello, Master Morgan, may I be of service to you..?" A well-dressed man in his forties mused as he adjusted a monocle over his left eye.
"Nah, I'm good, Chives, 'ppreciate you though." Dax gave a nod as the queen's servant took his leave.
"You were saying?" The pirate chuckled before the queen snapped back.
"I was saying you left me down here to die, while you usurp everything I've ever built as some kind of bullshit folk hero and worst of all with my fucking plans!"
"Mad ya didn't think of it first eh, yeah, I get that." Dax leaned back, inspecting his nails for dirt. "It can be tough bein in such a presence as myself. On account of my greatness and all."
"But you are lookin at this all the wrong way, baby..~" The goldmonger brandished his signature golden-fanged smile. "You're right, they are your fuckin plans.."
"Your fuckin work.." He leaned forward, taking on a tone rarely seen. "I came in and took advantage of the chaos you caused. That's how I came out number fuckin one this time..."
"This time..." He focused on the phrase with a certain intensity. "What about next time..?"
The queen looked puzzled but intrigued, she had been in the game long enough to know when someone was flirting with her. "..What do you propose..?"
"Let me be the face, the folk hero, the man who always looks like he has a fuckin plan. I take all the heat, good and bad."
"And what do I get..~?" Nursing the tobacco for all its worth.
"Everything." Motioning his hands outward, "You got one fuckin rule, I'm the boss. Everything else, that's you."
"You just gotta stay dead..~"
The Foggy Boggy | Present Day
The disgraced rockstar did his best to navigate the quagmire and all its dangers. However, his best amounted to very little. Cuzco now found himself chest-deep and sinking fast.
"Heeeelllppp....!!" Tears flowed from his eyes as he struggled like a fish on a hook. "P-Puhhhleaasssseee...!! I dun waanna die man....!!"
With every thrash he sunk further into the muck, "No-...Nooooo... plleassee...!" Even with his long neck, there was nothing within range to bite and devour, nothing but soft, black mud and murky water.
"Ooo.." A Hoot.
"Ahh Ahh.." A holler.
Like angels in his dying moment, there appeared a band of three sent by god himself. They were dressed in royal purple and flaming red, with another in a blue so faint it seemed white. Each suit was tailored to its wearer down to the finest detail, made from the finest imported silks one could buy and stitched by a master.
From pompadour to foot they were clad in golden jewelry and their sharp unforgiving eyes hid behind black sunglasses.
"Oo." Red grunted, "Ooo Aaah, aah."
"Like, I know...! I'm sorry, man...!" The llama mink was almost lost to the darkness, "Just...Just p-please...Like.. H-help me...!"
The troupe of three each seemed more frustrated than the other the longer the interaction went with the mink. It was not the first time they had dealt with him, having essentially bulled bodyguard duty for the scoundrel.
It was also certainly not the first time that in a fit of delusion and paranoia, the self-proclaimed musician took off.
"Oo.... Ahh.." Blue rolled his eyes sarcastically.
"Heeelll...-p... What....?" Cuzco muttered as he paused his dying pleas to figuratively, and unfortunately literally, test the waters around him. With a shove and tug, he was up and out of the mud. The water was now barely halfway up his thigh but his once poofy fur was now thick with mud and clung to his scrawny frame.
Amongst a chorus of laughter, the mink could be heard grumbling as he desperately tried to dry himself out.
Mayors Office | Las Costas | Rubeck
"Looks like we are just about set.." Mountains of paperwork covered every elevated inch of her office. The massive glass, gold, and oak, table barely visible amongst such a range. She had poured her heart and soul into this.
It was the one thing that had kept her going after all that had happened. Lost, alone, and broken. She was offered a hand and a chance, a chance to turn this island into something great. Something that she took and ran with.
"Let the investors know we are on schedule to open up the island to the public next week." She paused to take note of a few members of the labor crew moving odds and ends. "Assuming the inspections continue smoothly."
"Right. Got it." A young man in his early twenties furiously scribed down every word. He was clean cut and his clothes were well put together. Tight and buttoned up, everything about him said on time is late.
"And make sure you get with Mr. Morgan about his casino... The last inspector that went over there came back terrified."
"B-but ma'am.. Mr. Morgan, he's.. he's the one who brought in the investors..."
"I don't care who he knows! He's gotta follow the rules just like everyone else!" Hina shouted, he may have provided the opportunity and the means. But she'll be damned if she lets anyone ruin her father's legacy.
Gone is the once poor but quaint fishing town of Pebble Beach. A forgotten speck on a backwater island most people in the world had never heard of.
Now, in its place comes something new, shiny, golden.
Las Costas, a city of sin where all vices can be indulged. Where every manner of vile debauchery can be found somewhere, hidden away, obscured by the thick fog that stalks the island's brightly lit coast.
Backed by investors and entrepreneurs eager to get rich, the southern bay has been transformed into a massive commercial port. Its rocky beach with fishing shacks and a small town now replaced by casinos, restaurants, and a redlight district, headlined by an ornate golden lighthouse and a great bear that stands in its shadow.
Gone was Pebble Beach and its dull gray stoney shores, what little beach that remained the rocks were chunks of solid gold that reflected the shining lights of the casino town.
This was a new day for Rubeck and a new dawn for those who found themselves on the winning side of lady luck.
Viva Las Costas..
WC 1,057/27,783/13,500
- Maxwell
[tracker=/t139-richard-maxwell#516]
Name : Richard Maxwell
Epithet : Plague Rat
Age : 49
Height : 6'0" / 183 cm
Weight : 160 lbs. / 73 kg
Species/Tribe : Human
Faction : Pirate
World Position : Supernova
Bounty : [bel=r] 243,000,000
Quality Score : S+
Income Bonus : +0.20 (to all allies); +0.11 (from turf)
Shop Discount : -10%
Balance : [bel] 2,204,829,125
[[bookworm]][[firstaidkit]][[berryprinter]]
[[identitytheft]][[identitytheft]][[improviseadaptovercome]][[logia]]
Turf : [turf=/t353-turf-details-rubeck-island#1168]Rubeck Island[/turf]
Posts : 320
Re: [Arc] [Rubeck Island Conquest][Part 3] Viva Las Costas
Tue Sep 03, 2024 3:13 amCurtains...
Lights...
Applause.
The audience went wild for the performance. Only once before had the murky island of misfits been so gripped by theater. The long-awaited sequel surpassed even the original. Rave reviews spread like wildfire. Overnight, Dax ‘The Goldmonger’ Morgan became a folk hero who took down the tyrannical Contraband Queen.
Luckily, there were no nosy detectives among these bilge rats. People were too busy grieving the loss of a legend to peek behind the curtain, to take a closer look at the sets. While the Demon Bear got a burial with the highest honors, the Queen’s corpse just went mysteriously missing. No one noticed nor cared. They were just happy the villain was vanquished.
And the rest, as they said, was history.
Richard returned to reality, as another responsibility tugged at his attention. A clipboard was offered to him and he accepted with a well-rehearsed smile. Lists to check, purchases to approve, decisions to make... A middle manager’s job was never done, see.
Leaving the gears of progress turning, the rat retreated back to the restaurant. His restaurant. Up the stairs to the top floor, to the end of the hallway, past a door with his name on it... There he had made his little nest.
In stark contrast to the previous tenant’s preferences, the office was brightly lit and meticulously tidy. A large desk holding two stacks of paper commanded the center stage. Mahogany. Very expensive. Tall bookshelves lined the walls, full of carefully organized medical tomes and journals. Old habits... Well, they were comforting.
The entrepreneur took a seat and leaned back in his comfortable leather chair. A flame flickered and wisps of smoke started dancing in the air. He savored his unhealthy vice, staring at the hazy shapes it painted against the ceiling. It was a nice place to be, he had to admit...
See, Richard had no qualms with ‘Mister Morgan’ being the boss. People did love a folk hero, after all. Not to mention that the young man had made... an intriguing proposition. A plan for the near future. One that upon success would’ve meant that he could finally stop running from the long hand of the law.
However, that didn’t mean the greedy rat would just sit there and stagnate. Sure, this time the golden boy had come out on top... But what about next time? And there would always be next time. The moment the big boss slipped up... Well, it would be nothing personal. Just business.
Words: 416
Total: 27 233 / 13 500
Lights...
Applause.
The audience went wild for the performance. Only once before had the murky island of misfits been so gripped by theater. The long-awaited sequel surpassed even the original. Rave reviews spread like wildfire. Overnight, Dax ‘The Goldmonger’ Morgan became a folk hero who took down the tyrannical Contraband Queen.
Luckily, there were no nosy detectives among these bilge rats. People were too busy grieving the loss of a legend to peek behind the curtain, to take a closer look at the sets. While the Demon Bear got a burial with the highest honors, the Queen’s corpse just went mysteriously missing. No one noticed nor cared. They were just happy the villain was vanquished.
And the rest, as they said, was history.
Richard returned to reality, as another responsibility tugged at his attention. A clipboard was offered to him and he accepted with a well-rehearsed smile. Lists to check, purchases to approve, decisions to make... A middle manager’s job was never done, see.
Leaving the gears of progress turning, the rat retreated back to the restaurant. His restaurant. Up the stairs to the top floor, to the end of the hallway, past a door with his name on it... There he had made his little nest.
In stark contrast to the previous tenant’s preferences, the office was brightly lit and meticulously tidy. A large desk holding two stacks of paper commanded the center stage. Mahogany. Very expensive. Tall bookshelves lined the walls, full of carefully organized medical tomes and journals. Old habits... Well, they were comforting.
The entrepreneur took a seat and leaned back in his comfortable leather chair. A flame flickered and wisps of smoke started dancing in the air. He savored his unhealthy vice, staring at the hazy shapes it painted against the ceiling. It was a nice place to be, he had to admit...
See, Richard had no qualms with ‘Mister Morgan’ being the boss. People did love a folk hero, after all. Not to mention that the young man had made... an intriguing proposition. A plan for the near future. One that upon success would’ve meant that he could finally stop running from the long hand of the law.
However, that didn’t mean the greedy rat would just sit there and stagnate. Sure, this time the golden boy had come out on top... But what about next time? And there would always be next time. The moment the big boss slipped up... Well, it would be nothing personal. Just business.
Words: 416
Total: 27 233 / 13 500
________________________________________________________
Wanted Dead or Alive: Richard 'Plague Rat' Maxwell
Gray
[tracker=/t131-tracker-gray-starks#504]
Name : Gray
Epithet : "The Conqueror"; "Black Fist"
Age : 49
Height : 10'2" (310 cm)
Weight : 1043 lbs (473 kg)
Species/Tribe : Cyborg Human
Faction : Pirate
World Position : Lurking Legend (Former Yonkou)
Crew : Black Fist Pirates (Destroyed)
Ship : Sangria's Vane (Destroyed)
Crew Role : Captain (Former)
Devil Fruit : Pressure-Pressure Fruit
Bounty : [ber=r] 5,000,000,000
EXP Bonus : +0.20 (to all allies)
Income Bonus : +0.20
Shop Discount : -30%
Balance : [bel] 25,000,000,000
[[strollingdeath]][[baneoftheweak]][[riseandshine]][[childofdestiny]][[freakofnature]]
[[punchoutguru]][[dulcetvirtuoso]]
[[improviseadaptovercome]]
Posts : 3990
Grading
Thu Sep 05, 2024 12:56 pmGRADING
Quality Score (Re)assessment: No
REWARDS
- Dax Morgan:
Length Multiplier: 1.00x (27,783 words)
Difficulty Bonus: -0.25 (-4)
Quality Bonus: +2.00 (S)
Income Bonus: +0.40 (From Dax's and Maxwell's [[bellyprinter]])
All base EXP redirected to @Volo Rosso
Old EXP: 2302
EXP earned: +1425
Updated EXP: 3727
@Goldmonger
Old balance: [bel] 117,500,000
Belly earned: +804,825,000 [bel]
Updated balance: [bel] 922,325,000
Old bounty: [bel=r] 27,900,000
Bounty earned: +0 [bel=r] (No actions in this arc were noted by the World Government as deserving a bounty increase.)
Updated bounty: [bel=r] 27,900,000
- Richard Maxwell:
Length Multiplier: 1.00x (27,233 words)
Difficulty Bonus: -0.25 (-4)
Quality Bonus: +2.25 (S+)
Income Bonus: +0.40 (From Dax's and Maxwell's [[bellyprinter]])
28 base EXP redirected to @Volo Rosso
Old EXP: 3727
EXP earned: +273
Updated EXP: 4000
[[improviseadaptovercome]] granted for tiering up. Going up from x0 to x1.
53 base EXP redirected to @Karl Friedrich
Old EXP: 3476
EXP earned: +524
Updated EXP: 4000
[[improviseadaptovercome]] granted for tiering up. Going up from x1 to x2.
69 base EXP redirected to @Pikasso
Old EXP: 2864
EXP earned: +690
Updated EXP: 3554
@Maxwell
Old balance: [bel] 1,217,129,125
Belly earned: +987,700,000 [bel]
Updated balance: [bel] 2,204,829,125
Old bounty: [bel=r] 243,000,000
Bounty earned: +0 [bel=r] (No actions in this arc were noted by the World Government as deserving a bounty increase.)
Updated bounty: [bel=r] 243,000,000
- Turf Changes:
[turf=/t353-turf-details-rubeck-island#1168]Rubeck Island[/turf] is now owned by [Crew] Gold | Works.
Please feel free to request an Island Description update for the Turf Details at any time.
For the record, this was the previous state of the turf upgrades:- Previous Turf Improvements:
Officers: III
Navy: I
Leader Training: I
Officer Training: I
Naval Training: I
Trade Routes: II
Taxes: -
Markets: I
Tariff Collection: I
Medical Services: -
Secret Passages: IV
Weaponry Production: -
Shipyard Services: I
Most of the above upgrades will be downgraded by one level as per the turf conquest mechanics.
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