| Date Started: March 15th, 2024 Date Completed: June 17th, 2024 Users Involved: User:KontonMan, User:Blackdagger01 |
Ad Victoriam[]
"Ad Victoriam", the sign above the door to the casino read in bright, flashing lights. "To Victory", the Motto of the Victoriam itself, it brought a smirk to Baal's face. The lights and sounds permeated through the halls, men and women of status and wealth drank, and ate, and chatted, and gambled. But all Baal could see was the sweet signs of Berri that emanated from every action they took. The place had only opened some few weeks ago and yet it only a few well placed ads and offers the place became bustling within short or its grand opening.
To the winged woman it was beautiful enough to nearly bring a tear to her eye but more than that it brought her relief. She'd always been business-minded but fact of the matter is every decision she made was a gamble. To see it on the road to giving her back what had been invested into it helped to ease the weight of placing her bets on such a massive gamble on her heart.
A woman dressed as an Angel approached her with a tray in hand, a tray of flutes filled with sparkling liquid. Silently offering one to Baal she accepted, taking one and sending the woman on her way. Time was money, and she didn't have time to talk to the help at the moment, there were bigger fish swimming toward at the moment. Soon he would arrive.
"The grand opening went swimmingly, yes. The decks are filled to the brim with guests all eager to drain their coffers into ours. Security is tight, I made sure of that, no worries mind you, I'm not allocating any of the pirates you assigned to me for that. No, I've hired my own help to watch over this 'little' investment. Guests won't come if they don't think they'll be safe. That was the first issue to overcome when trying to advertise a cruise ship run by pirates, it's a hard sell." Baal explained with a smile of self-satisfaction on her face.
Baal shrugged her shoulders, "I'd never ask you to take my word for it though. In fact, I'd like for you to come see it for yourself. In all I've done I'd honestly call it my proudest achievement. I think it would do you some good too, when was the last time you've stepped off the island? For something other than fighting that is. What do you say?" Baal's grin turned cheeky, hoping the man would accept her invitation if for no other reason than to have him see what her work has amounted to.
“It has been some time,” Gladius Caesar nodded to himself. He rested upon his throne, swirling motes of light around his forehead in arced shapes to make his crown. Baal was one of his most trusted officers in spite of her employment as what was effectively a long-term mercenary. The trust found between them came down to nothing more than transactional goods. Caesar paid her beyond what many could ever afford. And it helped that Baal could call upon him whenever she needed.
He rose from his throne, the motes breaking off from their path and compiling onto each other until a spear of light was formed. Caesar grabbed onto it and slammed the bottom into the ground. A walking stick. “I will be there, little angel.”
Baal bowed her head with a small smile upon her lips, "That is all I ask, my liege."
There was no mistaking it. Employing Baal had been a phenomenal move on Caesar’s end. Only she and her accumulated wealth could create all of this. He watched as people cried in dismay as they lost their bets, and other cheer as they won. Caesar knew the house was winning more times than not. The profits for Baal, for his nation, were going to rapidly grow. And he had her to thank. Caesar sauntered forwards, walking in tandem with his walking stick made of a golden light. He paused next to Baal and provided her a curt nod.
“As expected,” he said. “You’ve done well.”
The woman nearly blushed at the compliment though, whether it were Caeser's words or the distinct smell of money in the air was anyone's guess and perhaps even both answers could be equally right.
"You flatter me, Caeser. This was a gamble, no pun intended, as is all things I dabble in. Anything can go wrong in business, even if all manner of luck and skill are on your side the whims of fate play their role as coldly here as in any other place in the world." She explained, surprisingly humble for someone who'd garnered the name "Divine Bitch".
"But I am pleased all the same to know that you approve and now that you approve, how about we see if you can bring yourself to enjoy as well. Never fear, I'd never ask you to spend money here. That would be quite counter productive in the end wouldn't it? I've had a case of chips set aside for you to spend and bet at your leisure, they're good anywhere in the hotel and casino." Baal continued, her feathers ruffling before she raised a finger, snapping toward a nearby woman.
The woman, a blonde dressed as an angle much like the other men and women employeed at the casino were, a white dress and fake wings, a plastic halo atop her head. She came running the moment Baal's fingers snapped. Holding a silver case in her hand she offered it up to Caeser. The woman lowered her head, clearly not wanting to make eye contact with Caesar though out of respect and reverence or fear was anyone's guess.
"Much thanks, Darling." She spoke to the false Angel, looking back to Ceaser she asked of him: "Is there anything else you'd like right off the bat? A drink perhaps? I'd assume you have a favorite? I've never paid attention in truth."
Caesar nodded. The Legion were not a typical crew. High-ranking members were under no obligation to have the same sort of bond with their Captain as many other did. Baal didn't even know her Captain of several years' favourite drink. But neither of them would be bothered by it.
"I enjoy drinking the blood of a strong warrior," Caesar began. "An old habit from my youth I've not had the pleasure of enjoying in years. Who to me, is truly strong enough for that honour?"
Caesar's eye became wistful. Memories danced through his eyes. "In my younger days, when I was a mere gladiator...I'd fight again and again. Once I had slain my opponent, I'd stake their heart from their chest. I'd wring it dry and let the blood fall into my mouth. Then I'd eat the heart, the eyes, the tongue, the nose, their hands, and their ears. I'd eat their senses and their being. It made me stronger. And now...I want nothing more than to do the same to Heidrun Thrymr. What a meal that would be."
"Never mind the ramblings of an old man, Baal." Caesar waved his hand. "A whiskey neat will be just fine."
Baal waved off the waitress to get the man his drink. She had heard stories of Caesar and his youth but to hear it from the man himself was a different experience altoghter. Like hearing the story of a shipwreck survivor, it added context that could only come from one who had lived and experienced said event. "No, no, I'm happy to hear of the old days, you alone can confirm what I've heard from the mouths of others. I'm sure the good ole days must have been quite glorious." She nodded toward the man, assuring him that the ramblings were not simply that but did hold her interest.
"As for the blood of Thrymr, I'll see what I can do in anticipation of your next visit should you enjoy this one so." She half jested, her mind already wondering if such a task would be possible for her to complete. Not through violence that was for sure, but Baal did have other means and measures. The woman shook away the thoughts for now.
Leading him toward a roulette table, a keen eye would make an observation between those who ran the tables and the waitresses who served the guests. Those employees who ran the table wore all white suits, a halo hang above their head in a very similar manner to the wait staff but the keen difference would be that the croupiers wore bright red gloves, very distinct from the rest of their outfits. The primarily white outfits gave off a sense of innocence, fitting Baal's own motif of Angelhood and the Victoriam's entire theme of Heaven.
But as the games were rigged in favor of the house, the hands of the croupiers were not innocent and thus they were not granted the same bright, stainless white. It would seem that Baal had a fun sense of irony.
Taking two of the empty spots at the table, the croupier turned to address them when he suddenly seemed taken aback, first to see Baal and then his legs nearly gave out when next he saw Ceasar. The other guests quickly took notice of the man as well, Baal could slip by the guests unnoticed more often than not but Caesar would find no such luxury, such is the fate of one so powerful as he.
"W-would you like to play? Minimum bet is 
50,000,000, uh, sir." The croupier struggled to find the right way to address a Yonko of all figures.
"That is a good question, are you interested in testing your luck, my liege?"
"I'll bet 500,000,000. If I don't have enough chips, I shall acquire some more funds." Caesar said. His light construct faded as he turned to face Baal. "Tell me, Baal. What else is it you plan for this venture of yours?"
Seeing the suitcase full of chips he nodded his head, "Y-You've more than enough, Sir." the croupier responded, taking Caesar's bet for the wheel before collecting those of other guests.
"Expansion of course," Baal responded just as a different woman from before arrived with their drinks, Baal taking her from the silver tray and raising the glass to her lips.
Sipping at her drink she lowered it from her lips and seemed to get lost in thought for a moment. "The ship is massive, there is still work to be done. Construction is still underway in several sections. At the moment I would go so far as to say the ship is still but a skeleton of the Heaven I wish to create. The casino and the base of the hotel are done. That along with the crew quarters and other important utilities were of course the bare minimum that needed to be done for this place to be opened. But as I'm sure you know, I've never been one to settle for the bare minimum."
Baal turned away from the table, waving her hand at everything around them, "Pools, bars, night clubs, shops, cafes, music halls, theaters both movie and analog, spas, arcades and daycares for the kiddies so that their parents can spend their days mindlessly spending without a worry in the world as to what their brats are up to. And once thats done I might do even more, a thirty minute wedding hall, a library, oh hell, maybe even a museum? One dedicated to Dressrosa and your dynasty, my liege? I can picture it all in my head so clearly that if I had a creation fruit I could mold with my own two hands as we speak. But alas, I've only the power of the Hie to my name." She let out a loud sigh, excited by the prospect of everything that she'd just described, her heart beating like a drum in her chest, and red burning at her ears.
"I mean, what other places are there? Gran Tesoro? Rain Dinners? Sure, sure. But this place will be something different, something special... I'm sure of it." The woman nodded her head vigorously, "The defenses are also something that are being worked on. I have security staff but cannons and other weapons are being built as we speak. It cannot be like Gran Tesoro since it's affiliated with the Legion. No doubt this place will see a fight eventually, I have to make sure it's ready."
A smirk formed on her face, "Tell me, is this what running a country feels like?" She asked the man.
Caesar nodded. He was sure that Baal was turning red not from embarrassment, but instead an almost lust from the prospects of the money she'd make. "It has its similarities. Watching from the throne. Your guards and the civilians. Your people of interest. Planning for expansion, growing into something beyond anything else that exists. You miss the political alliances, though. The worst part of being a King."
"The idea of allying with another nation, to allow something else so weak be associated with my kingdom..." Caesar clenched his jaw. Actively resisting the urge to release his Haoshoku. "It disgusts me. I hope you will not follow the pattern by the sheep that sit in thrones. You are in the Legion. You are to dominate all that oppose you, and seize what you want. Such is the fate assigned while you sail with us. You can do as you wish, should you choose to leave my employ."
Caesar pushed some more chips towards the pool. "But for you, who has invested so much into this, I shall invest in return. My youngest daughter; Caligula. As part of her duties once she becomes a Legionnaire I will assign her to your ship here. A personal guard practised with my ideology that seems as if she is just some princess spending her father's money."
"Oh, you'd leave your own flesh and blood in my care? How generous of you, my liege. Let me assure you that you've nothing to fear, nothing will ever be enough. Not until every island, New World, Paradise, and the Blues themselves wave your flag through their choice or not. I've buried and frozen island after island in the name of the Legion, to cast all that hard work aside now of all times would be foolish of me. You may have your doubts but I do assure you that I am loyal to the end." Baal made her stance on the matter of leaving the Legion known, pressing a hand firmly against her chest as though swearing by her own words.
"S-s-seven red, my King... Sir, I'm sorry but that's a loss." The young man spoke, a bead of sweat upon his face as though worried he'd be gutted for the crime of delivering the bad news.
"Oh my, that's a shame. The whims of fate have spoken, my liege." She feigned apology for the outcome, not to tease the man but simply because she knew that throwing this sort of money around for either of them was of so little consequence that they may as well have tossed it overboard just to watch the fish feed upon it.
"But your words intrigue me all the same. Tell me, Caesar, is it that you do not like being a King?"
Caesar nodded as he watched his chips be pulled away. That was to be expected. But when Baal spoke, he almost froze.
"Baal. There is nothing in this world more important to me than being King." Caesar's eyes burned the flames of a steady hearth. "I fought my way for that throne. Everything I do is for my nation. Before this Yonko nonsense, this piracy claim, I am the King of Dressrosa. My children are born for the betterment of the nation. So that my rule will extend beyond my death, should it ever come."
Baal crossed her arms over her chest, pondering Caesar's words. She nodded her head, her icy halo moving back and forth slightly out of sync. "All things are simply a means to an end then? Your Yonko title, the crew, and even your children? Is that what it means to be a king?" She asked curiously, it wasn't often one got the chance to peer into the mind of someone so powerful, to speak so casually. Though, she was still careful with her words, upsetting him would be unwise after all.
"The crew is nothing more than the military of this nation, disregarding the foot soldiers. My children are raised to protect and serve Dressrosa with a zeal that could one day match my own. And this title was thrust upon me. The only thing I have desired is Dressrosa. I am its King." Caesar finished his drink and slammed it into the table. Motes of light danced from the impact. "Everything this world has to offer is means to serve my country."
The slamming of his drink upon the table made everyone around them jump, though none had been so foolish as to gawk or stare they were never far from the minds of the patrons nearest them.
The sight almost made Baal chuckle, the corners of her mouth curved upwards into a smile but she held it back, not wanting to make the man think she might be laughing at anything he had said.
"The title was thrust upon him? Then he never wanted to be a Yonko? I can't say I blame him persey..." Baal though, sipping at her own drink calmly even as others shivered in their dress shoes.
Lowering the drink from her lips she looked up to Caesar with a small smile upon her face, "Then might I ask what plans you may have for Dressrosa? To amass so much, to conquer so many, there must be a long term goal in mind for all of it. You've never seemed like a little picture sort of man, and I've always been a good judge of character." Baal shot the man a playful wink as she spoke. "We can keep it just between us if you feel so inclined."
"Such details are kept for my Praetors, Baal." Caesar reminded her. "But. The long term goal is simple. This whole world will become Dressrosa."
Caesar sighed. "However. There is another reason you have asked me here. Let's not be like sheep and continue this small talk. Tell me. What is the true reason you've called me here? Hm, King of the Victoriam?"
Baal's lips curled, almost cartoonishly as he called her out for having ulterior motives. "You wound me, My liege. I merely wished to grant you a short while of rest and relaxation. You've worked so hard and will no doubt work harder still. What is the saying? Yes, 'heavy his the head that wears the crown.' That's it." Baal playfully feigned ignorance, she knew few if anything could get by the man but that didn't mean there was reason to stop trying.
Baal placed a finger on the rim of her glass, gently moving it around the edge in a circular motion creating a soft ring that was suddenly silenced as what little remained in the glass froze. "But if you mean to ask what has been on my mind besides what we have already discussed, I admit something has interested me for some time but it was of little concern to me until recently. As you know, in all your knowledge and wisdom, I've recently awoken to the spirit of the conqueror, the 'qualities of a king' as some might say. While for some that might be enough, they might be satisfied with that alone, I've heard stories of those who have gone beyond that, taken it to the next level. I've heard that some of great might and power have awakened more than just the will of a conqueror and have found themselves with the power to imbue thinks with it in a similar manner to Busoshoku..." Baal spoke as the glass was suddenly laced with her will, the ice, the glass, all of it coated in her haki.
"I've no doubt you wield such power, and as a member of the Legion I cannot simply be content with having the base, the old model, the weaker version, you of all people should understand. What does it mean... or rather, what does it take to infuse your Haoshoku?" Baal asked, her curiosity carried an innocence to it, like a child asking why it rained or why the waves beat against the sands, but her goal was clear: To learn this technique and use it herself.
"How strong is your will?" Caesar asked. "Are you willing to give up everything? Anything? Anyone, for the sake of your goal? That is what it takes. A desire clearer than the ice you can form. But of course, you must be pushed to it. It does not come through meager meditation, or by doing nothing. On your deathbed, you must still push forwards to make your dreams real."
Light solidified into a spear, floating by Baal's jugular. "Tell me. Have you ever been close to death, Baal?"
Baal's eyes followed the spear, the rest of the world in that moment might as well have not existed. The panic of her guests, the hesitation of her security staff, all of it might as well have never existed at all. After all, what might they do anyhow? If the man wanted her dead they would not even register to him, but Baal herself had a pokerface like no other, remaining calm, not out a trust she felt toward the man but rather believing she provided enough to him and his cause to not be cut down like a dog just to prove a point. His questions, however, intrigued her.
Her mind flashed to several instances in her childhood in the instances she'd been caught during her thieving days, beaten to a bloody pulp over just a few stray beri's, and then again to the day she first encountered haki, beaten by a member of the Legion Pirates whose head she'd attempted to collect. She had been close to death on a few occasions, more than she'd care to admit frankly, her pride made such things difficult to reveal.
Raising her frozen glass to the spear she pressed it against it as though trying to move it away but as it came into contact with the spearhead it simply cut through the glass as though it were a hot knife gliding through butter. She let out an amused exhale from her nose at that before her eyes became fixed on Caesar again.
"I have, more than I care to admit, my Liege." She responded, "As for my will I think you'd know that better than anyone besides myself. No matter the islands I must crush, the men and women I must kill, the boring politics I must endure, my goals will be met, however petty they might seem to someone with goals as lofty as your own."
"But you say that to wield this power I must be at the brink of death while holding a will strong enough to conquer the world? Is that the trial you faced as well, my liege?"
“Whatever that dream may be, it is your duty to see it never falters. Even if you hold an impossibility as your dream. Should it waver for a moment, you will never awaken this power. And the brink of death must be earned through your desire to stay alive. This brink means you should be dead, if not for your dream commanding you to live.” Caesar waved an attendant over, watching as through shaky hands they refilled his glass.
He finished it in one swig, and watched it be filled again. “The Sunbreaker, during her reign, met me when soon after I had first become Dressrosa’s King, after I overtook the last in my twenties. She brought me to the verge of death. My Haki blossomed in that bout. But it wasn’t until its end that I awakened my Infusion.”
“Do you wish to awaken it today, Baal?”
For the first time her confident face faltered, a bead of sweat on her brow and a twitch of her lip. Baal let out a nervous laugh before motioning around them, "I hardly believe this is an appropriate venue for such a bout. With so much work and effort put into it I'd not like to see it destoryed any time soon." She made her case, and yet, her mind wandered.
"Who else could give me the push I would need to awaken such an ability? But would he even be able to do? No, would I be able to do it, my will is strong and I've never backed down from a challenge before. Even so, I doubt that he would kill me, if I can't believe he'd do so would that even make awakening it possible? I'm thinking too much... or maybe not." Baal's mind raced, a lust for power and a inate sense of self preservation battled it out in her own mind.
"W-would you perhaps, have another place in mind for such a battle?" She asked, feeling her own hand begin to shake, unable to tell if she were conquoring her fears or simply making a foolish decision. The difference would be the results, surely.
"Doubt is a sin. A disbelief in one's self. Fear. Questioning." Caesar rose from his seat. His eyes were dark now. A nauseating sensation began to ebb out from the man, a sickening feeling made better the less one stood. Caesar's Haoshoku was controlled. It sought only to gently impose his will on those at their table. Only when severals began to fall to the ground did they sigh in relief before fainting. The more they kneeled before the King, the closer to normalcy one felt.
Caesar placed a hand over Baal's shoulder, it coated black with willpower beyond the realms of mere Busoshoku. It was the very power Baal sought. Haoshoku Infusion. "Here you are. Doubting yourself. I have never once doubted myself. Never once feared for my life. How could I perish before my desire is made true? I did not run from battle. If battle finds you, if opportunity finds you, it must be seized. Why delay it? Of all in this world, I thought you would understand."
"So, I ask again." Caesar said. "Do you wish to awaken it today?"
Caesar's words brought as much trouble as they did conflict, but steadied her breath. It had been a long time since she felt like this, the feeling sickened her, the feeling of weakness. Looking at the black hand that touched her shoulder, a power beyond the mere qualities of a king, but the ability to harness that power. It was right there and yet it was not something she could simply reach out and grab. It was not a wad of cash or a life so easily snuffed out, it was something beyond the realm of material and yet there it was all the same.
She let out an chilled breath and met Caesar's gaze with renewed resolve. "I would."
Caesar dispelled his Haki and pointed out a window. Light itself began to coalesce and solidify, taking the shape of a massive coliseum that dwarfed even the Victoriam. With the sun shining, Caesar's power was at its peak. Light was endless and near infinite. A spear of light manifested in his hands. It was nothing absurd, nothing that made it stand out. It was a spear in design. As simple as one could get.
Of course, that was the strongest weapon for Caesar to hold.
"I shall meet you there." he said. He was slowly turning into light from the soles up. "Steady yourself. The fear of death you will face will be beyond your senses. And your desire must surpass even that."
And with that, Caesar vanished.
Seeing the coliseum appear and then watching Ceasar vanish, Baal felt a weight rise from her shoulder only for a new one to be placed upon it.
After taking a moment to collect herself she noticed the uneasy silence in the room. Looking around all eyes were upon her but despite her own ego she did not like this one bit. She raised a frosty hand as though she intended to freeze the whole room but she stopped herself. She knew taking out her frustration on the people here would do nothing for her but harm her business. And so she lowered it and instead barked at them, "Quit your gawking and return to your tables and slots, if you don't I'll have the whole lot of you kicked out. If money is flowing them there's no need for you to be wasting space on my ship!" And with Baal's threats did life return to the room, people began to speak, cards were dealt, slots were pulled.
But the return of sound was of little comfort to Baal, going to her room to change into more fitting attire for a fight.
A Test of Will[]
Reaching the coliseum took but a few short seconds of flight, the Sky tribe were known for their speed in the air and Baal was a master of the art. Even so, and in spite of her own arrogance she still felt that she might be making a poor decision. But the prospect of power and what she might use that power for drew her in all the same. She'd done terrible things to achieve her dreams, if hell exists she knew it was more than likely where she would end up. But if that was the case then there was no point in not making her current life a paradise in and of itself and for that to be a possibility wealth and power were the only things that could bring those dreams into reality.
Flying into the coliseum she did not let herself touch the light floor, not for fear of attack from it but rather the simple fact that she hated touching the group, of walking like a human, she preferred to hover above the ground walkers.
Though she hated humans with a passion she would be a liar to claim that despite that hate there were some that she held respect for. She respected Caesar, not for his ideals or goals but for his power. She envied it, coveted it, she wanted to gain it and surpass it. With the strength of a Yonko her goals would be all the easier to achieve. But this new power would require her to toss aside pride and place herself on the edge of death.
She was sure she was worthy, there was never a doubt about that, she never thought she was unworthy of anything. Her ego prevented such thoughts, but just as she respected power she also feared it in the hands of others than herself. The thought of weakness sickened her, the idea she could be beat made her stomach turn.
"My liege, do you believe that power is destined or do you think it is earned through hard work? Should a man or woman rise from nothing to own the world do you believe it would have been through great effort or would it be through sheer destiny that they might have found themselves on such a path? Some believe that Haoshoku is something one is born with the capacity for and it is simply awakened later in life. Would that not mean that the will of a man is determined from the moment of his birth?" Baal asked one question before their duel, curious to Ceasars thoughts on the matter. It was something Baal had thought long and hard about herself. But she'd never come up with a clear answer.
"In this world, very little is definitive. Power is not an exception. Power can be grasped by any individual should they push themselves. One's drive however, is determined. If you do not have the will to obtain power you will not acquire it. It is a simple law of our world." Caesar held his spear with one hand. It twirled about as he held it in a throwing stance above his head.
With barely even half a step, the spear was gone. Nothing bent or howled in pain. The world remained as it was. Light was too fast for the world to realize anything had happened. Too fast for sound to keep up. No eyes could keep light in its gaze. The only thing that could keep up with light was Gladius Caesar.
Even without his fruit, Caesar's body could nearly move alongside light.
The spear went to pierce through Baal's shoulder and into her wing, to carry her and pin her to the coliseum wall.
Baal had seen him move, his muscles contract and release, she'd seen it all as easy as reading words on a page and yet the speed of the spear still caught her off guard, twisting her body to move out of the way of the flying death stick it grazed against her shoulder, cutting through the fabric of her oversized sweater and cut at her pristine pale flesh. Even so, she'd considered her manevur a success. After all, she had not cared much for her shoulder persay, not in comparison to that of her wings, her most precious possession second only to money. The fact the spear had not harm them was much to her relief.
Paying no mind the flesh wound upon her shoulder now she raised that same arm, swinging it down and them back into an upward motion creating a fast moving glacier of ice that spread out toward Ceasar as though intending to trap him within the cold, clear, confines of its icy shell.
She wouldn't make this easy on him, even if the ultimate goal was to face death, she couldn't simply let herself be beaten to pulp. She needed to prove to herself and whatever powers that be that she was worthy of the power beyond that of the Conqueror's.
"You've been cut. Don't let me catch its scent for too long, Baal. I may be a King, but I was once a man. I hunger for the blood of the strong." Caesar spoke calmly as the glacier roared towards him. His tone almost masking the thinly-veiled threat. The spear behind her returned into its natural state as another appeared in Caesar's grip. Kingly will surrounded the fingers in his free hand, his stoic expression remaining.
"Let me show you an example of the power this can provide." Caesar snapped his fingers.
Like nails against a chalkboard. Black bolts of lightning crackled out from the motion and tore everything surrounding them into bits. The waters around them were shoved away, rising to dwarf the Coliseum, the ship they came from, almost blotting out the sky itself. The wails of those Caesar had slain seemed to cry out from the force of a mere snap; the power of a King that had killed time and time again to attain his glory.
The glacier shattered into bits. Haki around his fingers faded while the black lightning was shaped, turning the light from Kingly Infusion into a spear. A spear that represented the Blacklight.
"A wave of this, and it is simply death." Caesar let the spear of black dissipate. Light began to reflect off him. He was turning invisible. "I won't use it to teach you death."
He came from nowhere this time, his spear coming from above into her other shoulder, piercing into it and out into the ground below her.
Though Baal was not as advanced in Kenbunshoku as many others she'd encountered, she was still capable of using the haki. Though Ceasar was out of sight, he still moved with intent even if he did move quickly.
His hunger for battle, his own bloodlust, it would betray him.
"From above" His presence registered in her mind, only to falter as she felt the rush of wind passing by her face. She did not have time to move, and so she shattered.
Before his spear could meet flesh Baal shattered her entire body into thousands of tiny chunks of ice that fell to the floor to the coliseum and sliding in different directions. It was from several of these pieces that Baal reformed. She'd panicked and lost her concenration for a second, making her Kenbunshoku useless in a critical moment.
"Damn..." She thought, though she wasted no time, she would not be the victim of an onslaught, she would become the onslaught. Spreading her arms and wings she released a cloud of small ice crystals in the air around her, floating as though suspended, helped as her wings flapped, creating currents that kept them afloat. They would be her lifeline, an early warning system as well as an offensive measure. Breathing in the icy crystals would freeze anyones lungs, she'd won many a battle with this, everyone needed to breath after all. But she doubted this would be enough to bring Caesar down.
Knowing that, she coated her wings in concentrated Busoshoku Haki, a flame-like pattern appearing on them that glew with a blue aura. As a member of the sky tribe not only were her wings her most valued possession but they were also her greatest weapon.
Caesar shook his head. "Girl. Come at me with the intent to kill. You shall not land a blow without that urge."
The man took half a step forward. Half. The spear left his hand, chosen to move slower than normal. Under light-speed, but above sound. Soundwaves burst out as they shattered the airborne ice and cast them far outside the barrier that the coliseum set. Then he limited his movement entirely, throwing tens of spears in the time it took to blink. Each moved at light-speed, in straight lines. Some purposefully set off course while others were meant to skewer Baal in the air.
"Baal. Do not let this fight end in your demotion."
"Tch!" The sound escaped Baal's lips as she flapped her wings, creating a spiral gust of wind the threw the spears off course. Though only by a hair did they miss her, she had managed to avoid the attack. Ceasar's threat of demotion struct a cord with her more than the threat of death that came with this very challenge. She'd worked too hard to be set back. "Damn you, Ceasar..." She thought, knowing he wanted her to take the offensive rather than remaining defensive.
Baal did as she'd done before though releasing the small shards of ice around her, using her wings to keep not just to keep them afloat but to push them around like a gust of wind blowing snow in a blizzard. The man was invisible but he was still a physical form there in the arena, as the icy flew around like paper in a hurricane the moment it began to gather on the man Baal took notice and dashed toward him.
Raising a wing it began to glow red as she readied to slap Ceasar with a fine taste of internal destruction.
Her wing shot through the air without resistance, yearning to ram against Caesar. What was the Yonko's answer? It was not to avoid or to counter. Baal was putting her pride onto the line with this attack. Why would Caesar not take this opportunity by the horns? He thrust his spear out, infused with the power of his Haoshoku Haki. A kingly will that sought to turn the entirety of this world into tools to benefit his country.
Spear met wing, and the sky began to wail. Clouds trembled and released what rainwater they had collected. Those that watched from afar had their visions become murky. Haoshoku fought against Busoshoku in an intense battle. Silence collected around them in spite of the noise the world made in their wake.
The warm rain filled the arena, collecting in it up to Baal's ankles as she slid across the floor on her feet. Her breathing was shaky, she'd never encountered Haoshoku infusion before now. Looking to her wing, she was glad that it was still there but several of her feathers had been destoryed, others bent and broken. Flying like this would not be easy, and were she not so skilled it would simply have been impossible.
That was the power she aspired to, Caesar had shown it to her before their battle and now he'd forced her to feel its effects. It was the power that could split the skies, the power had could break through any defense. Though they'd clashed for but a moment ultimately his had won out, her wounded wing was proof enough that her buso could not stand up to his immense power.
That said, whether on accident or on purpose, he'd given her an advantage. The water that collected in the arena, though it was not enough to drain them of their powers it was enough to enhance her own.
Leaning down she placed her hands upon the surface of the water and with it did she attack.
"Hands of God!" Baal let out, the water turning into ice and expanding outward toward Ceasar in the shape of two jagged icy hands that sought to grab hold of the Yonko. She knew that even if they reached him they would not hold him for long, just as he'd shattered her iceberg he'd too shatter these.
Luckily, they were not her main attack but simply her distraction as she continued to freeze the water around her, ice forming quickly along the water toward Ceasar in an attempt to begin to freeze him from the feet up.
Yet, that would be the mistake. Caesar was not simply the master of all light. He was light given physical form. Even as ice collected around his feet and ice sought to crush him, he was gone. He became light that refracted through the ice away from it. He reconstituted himself next to her. His spear swirled through the air as the sky itself dimmed.
He shook his head. "Ten seconds remain."
Baal knew this attack well, she thought to question what he was thinking by using it but she knew that would not only be a waste of time but it would only shame herself to not face this head on. This was a test, one she had to pass even if she didn't awaken the ability to use Haoshoku infusion she had to show Ceasar that she was more than a bank account.
And so, thinking quickly, she remembered back to his previous action. Ceasar had used her own ice to refract himself through it. Gritting her teeth, she decided that was an ability that she could use against him. After all, it was her ice that had that quality, he'd simply made use of it. Now it was her turn.
Ice formed around herself in odd angles, trapping herself within a crystal of ice. She knew the intensity of his attack would break through a barrier she didn't put her all into, but if he somehow infused his attack with haki, there was no guarantee that even her best would hold up.
Even so, she couldn't worry, she didn't have time, she had to make it happen. Wish for it and make it so. That was what it meant to be a conqueror, and so she molded her ice with the intention of refracting his light through it and sending it directly toward the man himself.
"Did you get comfortable, Baal?" Caesar asked. He took one step forward and his clenched fingers moved forwards even as light yearned to pierce him. For all the speed he had, the further out his arm moved, the slower it got. The pressure change that was created was to make a "ranged" melee strike to slam into Baal, a concussive force that could shake landmass itself.
Fragor.
The spear of light that sought to piece him was instead caught by Caesar and dispelled as he shook his head. There wasn't disappointment. Only a growing sense of apathy. "Nine."
For a moment Baal thought her ice would hold, she was confident in her abilities even though deep down she knew very well she feared Caesar's strength greatly. That was the whole reason they were here now after all. She wanted a taste of that power for herself, but at the moment all she got was pain. The ice cracked and shattered, the wave of pressure hit her like a train.
The winged woman was sent flying backward, letting out a cough accompanied by specks of blood as she was sent back so far that she slammed into the wall of the arena the man had created.
Baal slumped to the ground, trying to fill her lungs with air while simultaniously trying to spit up the blood that had invaded them. She hadn't felt so weak since the first time she'd encountered Haki. She'd thought herself untouchable before then, hell, she may very well have been. But at the time all it had taken was the power of someones 'will' to humble her.
She'd grown much stronger since then, that much was true, years had gone by. But facing Caesar showed her that she wasn't as close to the top as she'd like to be. She could not match him in any way that mattered.
Getting back to her feet she wiped away the blood that clung to the corner of her lip. The attack he was counting down to may very well kill her. But he wouldn't do that, would he? She had value, purpose, keeping her alive was a benefit to him, right?
Seeing the cold apathy of the man sent a shiver down her spine. It made her want to laugh, "Me? The very embodiment of cold feeling a shiver down my spine?" She thought to herself. She felt like she was being mocked at this point.
Baal placed a hand upon the ground, instantly unfreezing the water that lined the bottom of their battle ground in the hope that suddenly feeling the ground disappear from under him might surprise him for even a moment. And in that moment, the water froze again and Baal was nowhere to be seen. Not her physical form at least.
She'd used the speed in which her powers froze the water to quickly reach Caesar, having melded with the ice to travel along as it froze the water.
Popping up from under the man she tried to grab hold of him, she would try to freeze him, imbuing her buso into the ice in hopes it might keep him from using his refraction trick again.
She was quick. Quicker than most. The Fastest Man in the World would grant her the honour of this praise. He opened his mouth. Haki was coated on his teeth. The will of a King. He would show her the power it could provide. Physical motions from Caesar were already deadly. But this?
He slammed his teeth against each other and grinded them together.
Shockwaves of unregulated force rolled out. An area of effect attack to destroy the ice around him and damage the world they stood in further. Baal had to see the unadulterated power that Kingly will could provide. Learn that it was a power that could only be sought at death's door.
"EIGHT SECONDS REMAIN, BAAL!" Caesar roared. His voice seldom rose to such a tone. The visage of the always calm and collected dropped. "YOU ARE LEGION!! PROVE YOUR WORTH!"
The ice shattered, the part of Baal's body that was still ice shattered as well, forcing her to take the time to reform as his sonic attack left her head spinning. Not for long however, his tone was as sobering as a cold shower.
His words cut deeper than any blade that had ever pierced her skin, she feared death as much as anyone but more than that her pride was held high and most protected, Caesar was sure to know that and there was little doubt in her mind that was the reason he chose to belittle her as supposed to outright attack her more often than not.
She grit her teeth, pulling herself from the shattered ice back to her feet. "Damn you, Caesar..." She thought to herself, holding her tongue, a shame in and of itself.
Baal clenched her black hands, tightly and though she hadn't noticed it herself for but a moment her buso infused hands sparked with black lightning. A small but simple display of exactly the power Caesar hoped to pull out of her.
"Fine then, I'll show you the extent of my devil fruit abilities. You'll be shocked, hah!" Baal laughed before coughing, still injured from the hit she'd taken earlier.
Her arms began to freeze, blocks of ice covered her hands and arms before the ice began to spin rapidly in opposite directions. Faster and faster until the friction began to melt some of the ice. And then it happened, sparks, not the sparks of infusion she'd shown before but rather it was regular electricity. Baal was building up energy in a similar way that clouds did, by using the friction the spinning ice created to collide ice crystals and water particles together which in turn caused the separation of positive and negative charges generating energy that could be released in the form of...
"Smite!" Baal thrusted both of her arms toward Caesar, the ice that surrounded her arms shattered and with it the energy that had been building was released as a powerful bolt of lightning directed toward her captain.
"EXCELLENT! INNOVATE! BECOME STRONGER! THAT IS THE LAW OF MY LAND! OF THE WORLD I WILL GROW!" Caesar cackled. His eyes zealous and filled with a hunger not unlike that of a shark. He had smelt blood. His stomach growled almost as loud as his sonic attack from earlier. He extended his palm out as light collected. Caesar slammed his foot against the ground. His own bones rattled from the sudden impact.
A powerful beam of light burst from his hand, meeting the bolt of lightning head-on. Caesar's beam seemed to grow larger and larger. He had begun to siphon off the visible light from the bolt itself. An invisible electrostatic discharge fought against an ever growing well of light.
He refused to see the outcome as he suddenly shot forwards with speed befitting his title. His awakening. The light his body was made of turned to something greater. Gladius Caesar moved faster than light.
It let him abandon the beam of light he had conjured, as it could not keep up with his speed. Caesar reduced his speed to just under light speed before he went to strike Baal in the throat with his fingers.
As the light beam seemed to die out and her bolt continued down it's path she'd thought for just a moment her attack had won out but the moment the thought crossed her mind a blast of wind as though she'd been cast into one of the grandline's most violent storms. Having to firmly plant her feet to avoid being blown away by the sudden gust the appearance of Caesar alongside it had nearly gone unnoticed, before she could react, throughly regretting not taking more time to deleve into the powers of Kenbunshoku's more advanced techniques she felt the stinging pain of the man's fingers striking her throat.
Blood shot from her mouth in response, splattering across Caesar's hand and arm as Baal was knocked back, quickly grasping her throat. Now an open wound she quickly froze the blood vessels in case he'd hit something vital.
And as she went to speak she found no voice could be projected, breathing was difficult as well. He'd crushed her trachea, the first possibly deadly blow he'd landed upon her and she knew that if he'd wanted to he very likely could have torn her throat out then and there.
The gap between them was too great, especially with his awakened devil fruit. Though the number of people who could claim otherwise were likely in the single digits and thus she'd rarely if ever encounter such titanic power beyond battling Caesar himself.
Flapping her wings she created a cold gust of wind that flew toward Caesar attempting to freeze the blood on his hand and damage the skin while she readied another round of Internal destruction. Time was running out and she still didn't understand how to infuse her haoshoku into her attacks, at this rate she might even run out of haki before the time ran down and if that was the case she decided she may as well put everything she had into this one single attack. Her hand began to glow a bright burning red that spread up her forearm. She was pouring the entirety of her will into this final attack, everything she had to give and if it wasn't enough then she didn't know what would be.
Live or die she wanted to land at least one solid blow on the mighty Gladius Caesar.
This was the moment. Death's door had laid its claim on the Angel. Her willpower had coated her arm. Perhaps it was her last show of such. However, Caesar knew what this would be. If he denied her this chance, he would nip her progress in the bud. And it was because of this he would take this attack head-on. This was far more than mere Internal Destruction.
Baal's fist slammed into Caesar's chest, as it became infused with her Haoshoku.
Lightning crackled out, darker than the artificial night sky Caesar had birthed. There was a sheer undeniable weight behind her fist. When she should've been her weakest, she displayed strength far beyond what she had ever before. This was absurd. A power that no one was guaranteed.
Tears fell from the clouds. Pain rattled through nature. Caesar was sent flying back, digging his spear into the ground to prevent being sent too far away. The devastation faded.
Caesar stood tall. He pulled his cloak from his body and revealed scarred flesh. A new wound formed at his sternum. A dark bruise that had splintered into scars. Red dripped down towards the ground.
"Stand proud," Caesar nodded. "You are strong."
Caesar's words stroked her ego, though her body had been broken her pride was intact. It was clear that she'd tried to say something but nothing but droplets of blood and frost escaped her lips. No one could say Baal wasn't a woman of her word, she'd put everything into that last attack. Even were she not struggling with every breath the fact of the matter was that she'd been completely drained of haki. The black sparks of infusion were hers, but any celebration of that fact would have to wait.
Meeting Caesar's gaze, a fire burning hot in her icy glare, she fell forward and passed out. Not even her firey spirit could stave off the weariness of using up all of her haki.