| Put Your Life on the Line | ||
| Date Started: March 8th, 2024 Date Finished: Ongoing Next Role-Play: Timeline: March 8th, 1620 Setting: Alabasta, Paradise Characters Involved: | ||
| Participants | ||
| User:Probablynegsurfave • User:Blackdagger01 • User:Yourlocalwreck • User:Shoshiki• User:Duck4War | ||
Operation Alabasta[]
After a long day of Kingly responsibilities, Baji had decided to unwind at his favorite pub in Nanohana port. For him he found the diversity of the town. From Fishmen and Giants to even the occasional long arm tribesmen, some even boasting strange stitch like markings long their bodies that boast odd capabilities to say the least. Baji enjoyed being surrounded by people different from himself, fostering a community that welcomed anyone from anywhere with open arms was important to him and his belief that nobody should be forced to go hungry.
Joining him in the pub was his comrade and subject Hera, who Baji had known since they were children. Due to her fruit power Hera had become Alabasta’s beast tamer once Baji took the throne, subjecting all of Alabasta’s predatory fauna to her and by Proxy Baji’s command. While Baji himself was certainly capable of taming these animals Hera simply had a different sort of relationship with the beasts, likely due to her devil fruit power. In neutralizing the threat of these powerful predatory creatures it made the entire country significantly safer for its people, and for that Baji was extremely grateful to have her support his cause.
Of course, things could never truly go as smooth as Baji would like. A pair of soldiers would rush into the pub, making haste towards Baji’s table as they bowed their heads and began to speak.
“King Baji, marines are co-“
“I know, I’ve been keeping track of them since they hit the horizon. I had Hera ready our defenses earlier, go spread the word to the other soldiers to be in position and on guard to defend the port. I’ll go see what they want, but one thing is for certain, if they wish to fight I’ll crawl through hell before I let them subject this kingdom to the government again.”
And with that Baji rose to his feet and started off towards the exit, the pub erupting into cheers and applause. It was this reason that the Alabasta citizens were so loyal, Baji wasn’t just their king but he was truly one of them, and truly wanted to lead them to a better future, a future where they could truly be free from the government’s tyranny. This was why they were so ready to stand at his side and fight for him, but Baji wouldn’t put them in unnecessary danger. Nodding to Hera who without a word understood what he was asking of her, nodded back in agreement, and with that Baji had headed off to intercept the marines before they could dock at the port.
BOOM!!!
A thunderous sound echoed out over the water as the lead marine ship was suddenly shaken, coming to an instant and abrupt stop. Should the soldiers come to the deck and look around they’d be immediately met with Baji standing on the ship’s bow, munching on an apple as he looked towards the soldiers.
“It’s not very often we get marines in these parts. You lot lost? Or are you just looking for somewhere to have some fun? Truthfully I couldn’t blame you for the latter, I know having orders barked at you all day is quite the dreadful experience, but I’m getting ahead of myself. Name’s Baji, what can I help you with?”
He playfully inquired, tilting his head to side and examining the navy soldiers. Baji exuded a presence that was certainly unique, a flamboyant confidence in his capabilities that an incompetent person would accuse him of being arrogant. In truth, Baji simply knew what lengths he was willing to go to in order to maintain the sovereignty of both himself and his people. His relaxed and playful demeanor shouldn’t be taken to mean that he’s not on guard, but giving the marines an opportunity to come correct, in fact it implies to opposite. Baji was ready and able to strike at the slightest hint of hostility on the marines’ behalf, if they miscalculated their approach by even a millisecond they may as well forfeit their lives on the spot, because Baji would not miss his opportunity. Everything he did, from his positioning on the ship with his back towards the water and even the apple in his hand all served a purpose, and if they were truly observant they’d notice that his calmness was almost eerily genuine. The more his presence began to permeate the atmosphere the more clear it became that what they were facing was nothing to be taken lightly. His life, his kingdom, his comrades, his dream, all of it was being laid on the line at this very moment, and if the marines lacked the resolve to put just as much if not more on the line than him then somebody’s family would be receiving a crisply folded flag while they weep over the loss of their loved one. One wrong move would land the naval soldiers in a world of trouble, one misplaced step could be the end of a life in an instant. Now all that remained was a simple question, who would be the one to take that fatal step?
Shen had been enjoying the sensations of the journey to Alabasta, for the most part, before the arrival of the supposed king. While the Marine could not take in the sights as others could, his other senses were more refined when it came to picking up his environment. He reveled in the taste of salt in the air, the sound of waves lapping against the hull and even the slightly unpleasant scent of fresh ocean that came with a life out at sea. He'd always thought that the people of this world were meant for sea-faring, and felt that in his bones whenever he felt at home on the ocean.
That was, of course, ruined by the arrival of Baji. The marine turned from his place at the rail towards the darker skinned man, schooling his features into a bright smile as he did so. Shen measured his breaths and the man's aura came into stark contrast, the edge he held being starkly obvious to the blind man even if it wasn't to others. Though he could not see, Shen himself is definitely quite perceptive.
The man was projecting calm, but he was prepared for a fight, looking for one even. Not entirely the best place to start these talks from, but it's where they were "Ho there! Just the man we were looking to see!" Shen took a few steps forward, waving both hands with his palms outward, radiating as much of a non-threatening aura as he could "I'm not the highest ranking officer here, but I am an officer so we'll have to chat while my superiors gather themselves. My name is Baihu Turshen, of Kano Country, but you may call me Shen."
He swept into a respectful bow, knowing that as nobility proper respects should be shown to kings. Even if they are considered paupers by all civilized standards. When he straightened, he slipped his hands into his voluminous sleeves, tilting his head to the side a bit. His eyes were concealed by a silken blindfold, but he made sure to tilt his head towards Baji in a way that made it obvious the man had his full attention "We're not exactly looking for a vacation, nor confrontation. We would just ask that the new ruler of Alabasta agree to recognize the rightful laws of the World, as many other islands and countries do."
The click of heels could be heart on the wooden deck of the ship, Marines parting as a woman taller than all those around her appeared. She wore a white marine's coat with a turtle-neck sweater underneath, a cigarette hanging from her mouth with an expression that bordered on boredom.
Smoke rose from her cigarette into the quickly cooling night air. The sunset on the horizon seemed to set the sky ablaze with reds and yellows as if the very skies above Alabasta had already become a battlefield.
Ehuang took a long drag from the cigarette before pulling it from her mouth, dropping it on the ground, and stomping it out with her foot. Exhaling a deep bellow of smoke her eyes looked down at the smaller Alabasta man who claimed rulership of the island.
"To be honest, I didn't expect you to come to us. But it is better this way, it saves time."
Reaching into her pocket she pulled out a scroll, using both hands to open in she cleared her throat before speaking. "In accordance with the laws of Governance set by the World Government your hostile take over of Alabasta has been deemed illegal in the eyes of the law. I, Vice-Admiral Zhuque Ehuang, have been sent as a representive of the World Government's arm of the Law: The Marines. By the power given to me I have come to demand your surrender without conditions and should you resist or refuse I have been given the authority to act as judge, jury, and executioner in carrying out the reclimation of Alabasta under the flag of the World Government." Ehuang read the paper before closing it and handing it off to a nearby marine.
"What say you? There is only one correct answer, your chance of getting it right are fifty-fifty."
Baji observed the two soldiers as they spoke. The first was quite polite and formal, Baji liked this marine, he seemed like quite the gentleman to say the least. Then, the second marine came along, and unsurprisingly Baji didn’t much like this one. Expecting him to surrender himself to the world government was on the verge of lunacy, however Baji was fully prepared for this statement, after all they were only doing their job and as a result he couldn’t necessarily blame them for following orders.
“I’m quite certain you know the answer to that question. I’m not one of the government’s dogs that can be told to heel and follow along blindly. I bow before no one, and neither does my Kingdom, simple as that. What a shame, I actually liked you lot.”
The King spoke as he dropped the half eaten apple to the floor of the marine vessel. Within moments the rear half of the vessel had been decimated in an instant as a massive crocodilian like creature erupted out of the water and bit half of the ship off with ease. Baji’s dropping of the apple sent a subtle vibration through the ship that continued to ripple through to the water below, it was his signal for the horde of Bananawani dwelling below the surface to strike. Should the soldiers look around they’d notice countless pairs of eyes gleaming from the water’s surface; they’d been completely surrounded from the jump, and if they wanted to bring Alabasta under their control it became apparent in this one single moment that Baji wouldn’t have been their only hurdle to overcome. Baji wasn’t just the King in name, but acknowledged as such by every part of Alabasta, even its most fearsome predators.
As the remaining half of the vessel began to sink into the river Baji effortlessly managed to maintain his balance on the ship’s railing, the intensity of his presence seeming to amplify tenfold in an instant and his hands reaching up to pull his two meito from their scabbards on his back, pointing one of the blades directly at Euhang.
“I had no intention of picking a fight with the government, but I’m willing to put everything I have on the line to maintain the sovereignty of my people. If you insist on threatening that, then you’d better be ready to die about it.”
Baji spoke once more, prepared for any potential attack that the soldiers would throw at him as he had been the entire time. The marines had made their stance clear, from here onward Baji would treat them as enemies, and as such their only options at the moment were to fight and defeat Baji, surrender, or die. In a sudden, powerful burst of speed the King was all of a sudden on the shores of Alabasta, and the marines would notice a massive bronze X shaped flying slash out across the river, carving its way through the water at rapid speeds and would completely cleave through what remained of the ship, as well as whatever else may have been onboard by the time it reached its mark. The marines were strong though, and considering the casualness of the attack Baji was almost certain the soldiers would have a means of dealing with it, which was the true purpose behind the move to begin with. If they wanted a fight, they’d get that and then some.
Just as the Bananawi went back underwater from their attack on the boat, a deep yellow fog started to leak out of the seams and cracks of the splintered wood. It smelled of spoiled eggs and bad mushrooms. It slowly crept out and entered the water, polluting the area the alligators had retreated into with its pungent smell. On top of the deck a new figure had appeared. Her hair blew in the wind as she stood there proudly. From her nose came the pungent fog, making her resemble some sort of twisted smoke machine. "My name is Rear Admiral Kirimoto Aphrodite! And if you refuse to succumb to Vice Admiral Edhuang's orders I will be forced to use this paralytic fog on you as we-" Before she could finish her speech, she watched Baji retreat to shore and send a slash at the ship. "Well, at least I got a hold of your dragons." She said grumpily clearly upset her grand entrance had been interrupted by the man's attacks.
Shen's nose wrinkled at the acrid smell that accompanied the Rear Admiral's poison. One of the few times he bemoaned his sensitive senses, to tell the complete truth, but he wouldn't voice it out loud so as to not make the woman feel bad for her powers. They were impressive, and more than useful in handling the crocodiles that Baji had set upon the ship. When she appeared, Shen turned to give a respectful bow to both women "Madam Ehuang, Miss Aphrodite. If you'll excuse me, it would appear the first move has been made."
Shen took a breath and launched into the air. His body seemed to become completely weightless, floating up above the deck as though gravity itself lost its grip on him. He turned as he ascended, facing the direction of Baji's assault. Even without eyes and from such a great distance, Shen could sense the incoming attack. The intent to harm, the force of the slash, the speed at which it move, all left impressions in the world around it that Shen could pick up on with ease after years of training. He quickly ascertained just how much damage the attack would do, and began to move.
His arms swept through the air in quick motions, his sleeves making wide flowing arcs as they followed his movements. The women below would feel a slight pull upwards, as though the air were being sucked towards Shen himself, before the man lashed out with a single hand, flicking his wrist ever so slightly as though swatting at a fly. As he did so, a wave of force echoed from him and expanded into a shockwave that traveled across the water to meet the slash head on.
The two clashed on the open water a good distance from the boat, but rather than an explosion or burst of force to accompany the collision, a wave of calm swept over the water. For a moment, the ocean stopped roiling and the wind stopped moving, everything was in a pure state of serenity as the force between the Baji's attack and Shen's defense perfectly equalized, and thus equalized all forces in the surrounding area. Shen nodded to himself before calling down to his superiors "I'll meet you two at shore."
With that, Shen rapidly accelerated in the direction of Baji. His movement was like nothing seen by their opponent, or even other marines. It was as though the man were suspended by the wind itself, carried on the currents and given the divine gift of flight in order to see him to his destination: a personal confrontation with the self-proclaimed King of Alabasta.
Ehuang watched as Baji made his move and her marines responded in kind. The ship was slowly sinking and as this happened she reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. Bumping the bottom of the package with her finger one popped up from the bunch, pulling it out and placing it between her lips she lit it. Taking a long drag she held in the smoke before allowing it to exhale through her nose.
"I was hoping we could avoid a fight, but I guess that wasn't an option from the start." She spoke to no one in particular before holding up a finger to the sky she shot off a burning ball of ash that shot high into the sky before exploding out in a bright ball, signaling the start of Operation: Alabasta.
Cannons began to fire at the water where the gators could be seen below its clear surface, spotlights turning on as the sunset gave way to the night, illuminating the waters and the entire coastline.
"Aphrodite! Shen! I'll leave this to you for now. Don't disappoint!" She yelled to the two marines before she ordered those who remained to evacuate the sinking ship.
Just like that, chaos had ensued. Canon fire roared across the desert as projectiles rained into the river, but not only were the Bananawani extremely durable thanks to their tough scales but they were also quite fast and nimble in the water in spite of their size. On top of their impressive physical prowess there was also one last thing that set these beasts apart from your typical crocodiles. One of the reptiles would suddenly leap out of the water, just as big if not even bigger than the marine war vessels with its jaws gaping open as it prepared to crash down on to the ship and that’s when those aware took notice… it’s entire mouth was a shiny, metallic black color. That’s right, these Bananawani possessed the color of arms. Paired with an incredible lung capacity to avoid inhaling the paralyzing gas until it sank below the surface enough to be of no consequence, and a plethora of river to work with that allowed them to avoid the poison and cannonballs as a whole it became clear that typical canon fire would do little to dissuade the crocodilian creatures from decimating the vessels that floated atop their waters like sitting ducks one by one.
Rabbits Hunt Birds[]
Back on the shore Baji was faced against Shen for now, the marine who he liked the most of the trio. Twirling one of his blades and resting it on his shoulder, Baji grinned at his opponent.
”You’ve got pretty impressive haki, moreso than most fighters I’ve encountered on the seas, that’s not something you see everyday. It’s almost sad this bout didn’t happen under different circumstances, I would’ve enjoyed exchanging techniques with you.”
With that, Baji unleashed a flurry of flying slashes in an instant towards Shen, each one boasting the power to sever limbs should any one of them connect cleanly. The marine would be able to feel the very intent of each slash on an even more clear scale than before when it came to the clarity of this perception, which may have seemed a bit odd in the beginning should Shen himself notice such a thing. Despite this newfound clarity of perception though these slashes vastly outperformed the previous pair in terms of speed, ripping through the air in a manner that was much.. different. Shen’s acute perceptive ability allowed him to feel it in greater detail, but just what exactly it was didn’t seem obvious, it was almost as though the atmosphere was yielding way to each one of King Baji’s slashes in some way, disrupting the flow of the scattered surfaces that existed all throughout the atmosphere, “pockets” of air with slightly varying temperatures and densities that allowed movement and the like to be tracked even without the usage of the eyes, just what the hell was this man up to? Was he able to see and feel the world to the same degree as Shen himself? Was this a devil fruit power or some other trick up his sleeve? No matter what it was, it certainly felt like it was done on purpose just to give Shen an additional thing to think about if nothing else, and no matter what the reason behind it, it was certainly a point that shouldn’t be overlooked, at least not this early on in the battle.
Shen landed as weightlessly as he had moved, barely disturbing the sand on the shore with his entrance. The island was almost a different beast entirely from the open waves, the spray of the sea being replaced by the sweltering embrace of the desert sands "Under different circumstances, I would have loved to visit this place as a tourist. It is a truly beautiful home you have, Baji."
But, they were here for conflict, not conversation, and the king had made yet another move Shen took note of the way the slashes moved, the shifts in temperature around them, the way some of the slashes were denser than others and repeated what he had done before at the ship. Instead of a single motion, however, he performed several, looking as though he were pushing aside curtains more so than matching the attacks from Baji. As each slash came into contact with Shen's curious defense, they were equalized and dispersed, causing small pockets of calm in the desert sands.
"I don't think it would be polite of me to stall this ad nauseam, so I will ask one final time: is there no way to resolve this without further unpleasantness?" Shen now held his hands to the side, revealing them in full. The marine boasted a modified uniform, the usual crisp pressed dress of the organization being replaced by flowing robes. He wore armored greaves on his feet, and bracers with connecting nail guards on his fingers "The World Government isn't as unforgiving as many might think, we can come to an agreement that benefits you and your people, without anyone coming to harm."
Baji respected Shen’s willingness to resolve the matter as peacefully as possible, a trait that he wished the world’s leaders shared, but at this point things had already been pushed beyond the point of no return.
“The government should strive to be more like you, but I’m afraid things are far beyond reason. Under the government I watched my country starve, innocent people, good people die from a lack of food and medicine due to the government appointed king before myself. They did nothing while children and parents alike starved to death despite having the power to change it. When I became their King I made a vow to create a world where they could fill their bellies as much as they please, or die in the process of creating that, and right now you three stand in the way of that vision for my people.”
Clearly, Baji was done talking, and with blistering speed the distance between himself and Shen was closed. The King’s weapons all of a sudden beginning to radiate with heat as the same bronze tinted aura began to loosely flow around them. With no prior telegraphing the bronze aura from Baji’s blades suddenly erupted outward in a violent explosion of heat, searing flesh and generating an immensely powerful shockwave that spread across both the sands and out on to the river, decimating anything that found itself in the way; ships were blown apart, and even the Banawani ensured to give this shockwave a wide berth, a testament to its power. By the time the explosion had settled Baji would have seemingly disappeared from the battlefield, and that’s when a bright bronze and amber light illuminated the desert as if a star had suddenly formed in the immediate atmosphere, visible even from the horizon as the King’s twin blades radiated in his hands. Swinging his blades a mass of pure energy was launched down into the Sandora River at speeds that could outpace even a lightning strike, resulting in an impact that was nothing short of spectacular. The Bananawani were familiar with Baji’s devastating power, and had learned to give him his space whenever he started swinging due to the pure volume of destruction he was capable of producing in an instant. His body had been honed and crafted over the years into a weapon itself, casually capable of massively superhuman feats such as the one he’d just performed. Water from the river burst into the sky like as if a bomb had gone off, the explosion completely dwarfing the marine vessels as well as the individuals present, gators included. The wave that this attack generated engulfed everything in its path with the force that could at worst be described as a man made natural disaster. Baji was a vessel of destruction in the name of his people’s sovereignty.
While in the air, Baji felt himself suspended as Jane held him under his arms. "You know there are easier ways to get up in the world," she said in a joking manner from under her mask. "What do you need me to do while I'm here to help?" she asked as she circled the area to get back on the ground quickly. Once there, she quickly pulled out both of her swords and looked in the direction of the Marines. "We can discuss how you are going to pay me for helping after we win, by the way."
Fire and heat sang around Shen and he thought it...interesting for the man to be exerting such effort in the name of destruction. Though a pacifist at heart, the marine understood the core of most rebellion-driven violence was abuse and mistreatment, and he begrudged no one the desire to make a better world for themselves, but this was wanton. The "king" was out for blood, and Shen wouldn't let him have it.
Shen's movements were similar to before, but sharper this time, and as the air pulled in towards his body it cooled rapidly. He swiped out with his hands and send forward a rippling wave to match Baji's own, a shock of cold meeting a burst of heat in a spectacular clash. The resultant heat explosion was far more violent than Shen liked to be, but the destruction was minimized from what Baji had intended. Rather than decimation, the explosion merely kicked up sand from the desert and sprayed water from the river.
"This, however" Shen thought to himself as the fireball descended "Will be harder to stop in its entirety." The Baihu son crouched low before speaking out in a loud, clear voice that seemed to carry across the desert "Tian Tu Zuo" His stance shifted, arms loose at his sides as power was shifted to his legs, and then he stomped once and the ground around him erupted upwards. A wave of sand took to the air and he spun on his heel, kicking out rapidly as he did so, sending the wave further skyward towards the ball of flame.
The sand formed a shield as the two impacted, the fire exploding prematurely as it was matched with a dense wave of earthen material. The blowback from the cash sent a wave of heat, sand and glass particles raining down on the desert, prompting Shen to brush sand from his hair and clothes "I do apologize for the unpleasantness about to unfold but I hope you know, even now, this is the World Government being reasonable."
"Tu Bu" With a smooth and practiced motion, Shen performs what almost appears as a hop on one foot and launches himself into the air, aimed directly at Baji like a speeding bullet. Though this wasn't all: as he traveled he kept performing these hops, moving in a manner similar to that of a rabbit, increasing his speed as he moved until he was moving with the force of a locomotive. As he neared Baji he spun and aimed a flying kick at the man's torso, putting all the force and momentum from his movement into the singular blow.
“I’m going to charge you extra for leaving me here to take a hit, “ she shouted and the king with a pout before seeing Shen fly at her, Jane quickly spun, picking up speed to build power before going for a spinning kick aimed at Shen. “Nanasenmaigawara Mawashigeri,” she shouted before clashing with Shen’s kick, the impact echoing through the air as Jane smiled a big, beautiful grin. “You’re between me and a payday, so you gotta go,” she jokingly said.
Shen tilted his head slightly as she matched his kick with her own, an eyebrow arching high "Well then...get me out of the way if you can." He kicked off her foot into a backflip, putting all of his force into it so that he'd not only send himself in the air, but also send her rocketing down into the earth.
Shen tucked his legs into his chest as he flipped backwards, tensing the muscles and building up tension before kicking both feet out "Yue Tu" Shen launched of the air back in the direction of the blonde haired woman, a shockwave stirring the air and sand behind him as he did so. He used his momentum to spin and launch a flurry of kicks at Jane when he got close, each sending out a powerful shockwave of force in the woman's direction, enough to disrupt and shift the dunes behind them.
Rocketing to the ground from Shen’s initial attack, Jane tucked her wings in quickly. She then kicked her legs, sending a slashing gale wind at Shen to counter his rapid kicks before rolling backward on the ground. “ Tempest kick and safe. You know, for a blind man, you have a pretty good look about you. Why not stop being a marine and join my crew?” she said with a bright, toothy smile as she flapped her wings to kick up as much sand as she could.
Shen shifted the motion of his legs ever so slightly so that his kicks tore through Dove's own Rankyaku as though they were nothing more than air "Oh. This is...awkward. You're not my type." Shen gave an awkward smile before quickly stomping down on the ground, sending out a wave through the dunes. It cleared the sand the woman was trying to kick up. Shen crossed his arms over his chest "You learned Rokushiki but your form is...sloppy. A good Rankyaku shouldn't be so easily countered."
"Let me show you what true mastery of the forms look like. Xiao Ma Zuo." Shen shifted his stance, raising his lead leg in front of himself while holding his hands out in offensive positions. Then he simply vanished from the spot, there in one instant and gone in the next, as though he had never been there in the first place.
When Shen reappeared, it was behind Jane, aiming a knife-hand strike at the point where one of her wings connected to her shoulder blades, aiming to dislocate it "This stance perfects Soru, making me faster than the eye can track" He didn't stop at one strike, continuing a barrage of strikes at various joints on her body, constantly shifting and correcting in order to follow her movements when she moved.
“My fragile little heart, gotta let a girl down easy; I’m a great catch,” she said with a pout while shielding her face from the sand before pulling out her twin revolvers. “I had to split my time between martial arts and archaeology,” she said, sounding slightly offended by his remark. Once she felt Shen stab her, she quickly leaned back into his strike, tensing her body to keep him from getting away as she aim his pistol under her right arm and targeting Shen’s leg, firing four shots at his legs. “Most Soru users I’ve met will go for the easy attack and strike from the back,” she said, jumping forward to get away, her wing hanging limp and bleeding.
Freedom At Any Cost[]
Suspended in the air Baji glanced back to the winged woman who “caught” him, snorting at her remark about him owing her something in return, but before answering her Baji’s haki alerted him to Shen’s oncoming assault. This one was troublesome, but Baji was a man that opted to cut the head off of the snake in situations like this, as his gaze keened in on the Vice Admiral down below.
“Deal with this one while I take out the boss, I get rid of her I get rid of them all.”
Baji instructed the new arrival as he suddenly burst free from her arms, twisting his body mid air with violent force that subsequently created powerful winds in an instant. With Shen’s forward momentum it was unlikely his trajectory would be affected much if at all, however this was moreso to aid the King’s intent as opposed to clashing with Shen. Unlike what the navy captain may have perceived, Baji’s was in reality almost nonexistent. At the moment, boasting no intention of taking the lives of his adversaries and more or less hoping they eventually give up before unnecessary death is required and only using the amount of force necessary as opposed to going all out.
Baji’s sudden shift in direction meant that Shen’s kick would now be directed towards Dove, entrusting her to be capable of dealing with the situation long enough for him to ideally force a retreat on behalf of the navy. With his own strength paired with the synergy and power of kingdom’s environment he was confident in his ability to achieve such a goal. Still in the air now, Baji took note of Shen’s usage of Rokushiki as he seemingly stepped off of the air itself. Boasting immense physical strength on his own behalf, Baji opted to give it a try; tensing the muscles in his lower body and crunching his chest chest down to his knees Baji suddenly extended his body with immense force and speed so great that the air itself didn’t have time to disperse and behaved like a solid counterforce to propel him forward like a like a missile through the air.
Given it was his first time ever utilizing this movement it was a bit odd to get used to, but with not only a a keen observation haki that he could use to maintain his balance as well as boasting an innate athleticism and understanding of movement Baji stabilized himself as he rocketed towards the river where the two remaining marines alongside their fleet remained. Hitting the water’s surface Baji yet again put his physical prowess on display as he began to sprint over the river at blinding speeds, dashing around the river and unleashing slash after slash, each one cleaving one of the fleet ships apart with ease to lower the marine forces in mass, casting an occasional glance towards Ehuang before perching himself on one of the vessels.
“There’s no need for you to forfeit the lives of your men. The gators will only attack them at my command, and I know the navy has already suffered heavy losses due to the recently ending war. This is your last opportunity to take your men and leave my kingdom before any lives get lost,”
Baji warned, very evidently wanting to avoid making an enemy of the government if it can be helped, but also not budging in regards to the sovereignty of his kingdom. Underneath the surface the Banawani began to enter the battlefield once more, silently moving into position to massacre the men that floated in the water above at Baji’s command and the nearby shoreline of the river oddly seemed to feel.. alive. The circumstances were indeed growing dire.
Ehuang let out a sigh, "He attacks my ships and then asks for peace? No wonder they sent me here, the man is mad..." The dark haired woman thought as she finished off her cigarette and tossed it over into the water.
"Aphrodite! Prepare to handle the gators! I'll leave that to you." She responded to her trusted Marine, figuring that she could handle the task.
Turning her attention toward Baji she spoke to him, "You act first and ask later. That makes you dangerous for all the wrong reasons. I've given you the options that are open to me and you've made your choice. To be a marine is to be willing to die for the cause, these men knew what they were signing up for. But what about you? Mad King of Alabasta, surely you know that being willing to kill for something should also mean you're willing to die for it, right?"
Ehuang spawned four feathers in her hand, plucking them from her skin she held them by the soft feathers before throwing the glowing, ash covered feathers toward the man as she seemed to aim for Baji's Qi points to paralyze his body. However, what would be unknown to him was that as the feathers were covered with ash, upon reaching the man she would have the feathers explode.
Aphrodite watched as the fight carried on, not caring to partake too much. She had faith in her comrades and their ability to combat the opponent. He seemed quite confident in himself, which was all the more beneficial in her eyes. The bravest opponents fell the hardest after all.
She looked back at Ehguang, acknowledging the command to get rid of the banana lizards. She didn’t like taking orders, but she had no choice in the grand scheme of things. Noticing the size of the lizards, and that they had not been affected by the gas disheartened her. But that’s on her for not testing it out first. She brought her hands in front of her, and starting generating a massive amount of venom. But as she created it, she condensed it into a medium sized ball. Finishing it by attaching a string constructed of venom before lowering it into the water below her. As the ball sunk as deep as it could into the ocean, it suddenly exploded, sending a massive amount of highly acidic venom throughout the water.
Baji met Ehuang’s statement with a grin, it seemed these marines had been completely and fully indoctrinated and there was no point in speaking further. While he was rather disappointed by the navy’s stubbornness he wouldn’t turn down the opportunity of a good fight.
“Huh…’Mad King’ is a pretty flashy sounding name. For one so bland I didn’t think you had it in you, well done!”
Baji praised, genuinely enjoying what would likely become his new epithet in the event he succeeds here. However just as quickly as Ehuang impressed him, she immediately disappointed him once more with such a bland attack, something the Mad King took offense to as a warrior. In a casual eruption of speed Baji had outpaced the speed of the explosion before it could so much as warm his skin, simultaneously launching a slash via his sword’s aura to intercept the Rear Admiral’s ball of venom before it reached into the water. While Baji was unaware of this, the heat generated from his blades would go on to neutralize the poisons of the doku doku no mi and prevent the river’s contamination, this time at least. The slash he sent out immediately exploded upon contact with the ball of venom, creating a violent reaction that blew a hole into the side of the marine vessel they stood upon.
With his immense speed Baji seemed to almost teleport, “reappearing” on board yet another marine vessel. The low ranking soldiers that made up the bulk of the fleet didn’t have a prayer against an opponent such as him, which was the reason behind his supreme confidence when it came to using the ships as he pleased.
“Come now, surely you didn’t think an attack of that caliber would scratch me even if it were to hit? I thought Vice Admirals were accustomed to the New World?”
The King’s tone was one of genuine disappointment, having expected so much more from the commander of this fleet when one of the subordinates in Shen seemed to be such a competent opponent. Dashing across the waters surface once again, more and more marine vessels were being diced apart left and right, Baji’s speed made his physical body appear like a blur across the water as massive streams and waves were kicked up in the wake of his immense speed and physical strength, destabilizing the water in the area and making his movements even harder to keep track of.
The Bananawani would go on to only contribute to the chaos as they too moved out across the river to wreak havoc, painting the once crystal blue waters a shade of crimson as the beasts enacted their animalistic rage upon anything and everything in the water that wasn’t Baji himself.
Though it seemed the man was unware, Ehuang followed his every move with ease, she specialized in Kenbunshoku haki after all. She'd seen and faced faster in the New World, ones she couldn't keep up with. In comparison the man was rather slow and predictable, with a wave of her hand she emitted a great deal of ashes, intercepting his slash before it could reach Aphrodite's own attack. The Ash condensed and swallowed the slash before the ashes exploded dispersing the force letting hot ash rain down into the water creating steam as they fell, boiling the water around them much to the dismay of many of the gators who were burned in the process.
Looking back toward Baji, she let out a sigh, knowing that talking the man down wasn't an option. The mad king would fight to the end, so she may as well race to it.
Feathers began to bloom across her body, a beak forming on her face, long and pointed like a sword, ashes fell from her feathers like rain, their burning glow made her look like she was wearing a dress of flame, the dark black ring of flames rested upon her neck, proof that her Devil fruit was awakened.
Taking in a deep breath she exhaled a wave of ash to cover herself, hiding her momentarily within the cloud. But as it dissipated the woman was nowhere to be found. At least, not within his eyesight. The first sign that something was wrong would be the glowing ashes that began to fall like snow around him, the second would be too late to notice as Ehuang in her hybrid form had appeared above Baji, with a front flip did her clawed talons swing down aimming to rake across the front of his body.
It seemed Ehuang had Baji confused for the average Paradise pirate, something he was far from when it came down to physical prowess. In fact, Baji boasted more than enough strength to be considered for Warlord, however he’d turn such a title down at any opportunity. If she struggled at all with such a casual level of speed from him the marines had no hope of claiming Alabasta for the world government.
While she may have managed to intercept his slash the result of the two fiery attacks colliding yielded the same result and neutralized the poison. While the water may have been a bit hot the Bananawani and himself were both accustomed to extreme heat given their desert environment, meaning that the hot water wouldn’t do much to prevent them from acting as they pleased.
When Ehuang attempted to slash him with her talons it would be fair to assume that his ability to react would catch her off guard due to her underestimation of him. Baji was well aware of the Vice Admiral when she attempted her vertical assault. Before the transformed beast’s claws met flesh Baji quickly flipped one of his blades into a reverse or backhanded grip, using the recurved hook at the tip of his blade to hook block the claw strike. Close quarters such as this was where Baji loved to fight, his aggressive and fast paced fighting style making him perfect for such circumstances. The hook of his blade entrapped the foot of of Ehuang, granting the Mad King a position of leverage despite the unstable surface he stood upon. Even if Ehuang attempted to back out of the encounter now she would at best have to bring the King with her for as long as she remained caught within his blade.
With the hook snagging around the clawed toes of the zoan user Baji wasted no time as he began to rapidly spin his body in a much more violent manner than he’d done beforehand, releasing the entrapped foot and letting loose a devastating double slash with his blades horizontally across her abdomen, each of his blades producing a subsequent flaming slash to ensure that even if she were to back out the pressure remained. Regardless of whether this counterattack connected or not, Baji continued to spin rapidly as he accelerated faster and faster with each rotation. In fractions of a second Baji was spinning at such a speed that an amber twister formed over the water, the winds of the phenomenon razor sharp and burning extremely hot with Baji at the center of it all as they dispersed the ash over the water. In the event that he was left alone during this Baji would up the ante a bit and suddenly disperse the entire twister in the next instant, sending out a sharp, extremely hot shockwave over the water that further went on to decimate even more marine ships and damage anyone caught in the way.
Ehuang wasted no time with her response, she had not underestimated the man as he may have assumed, the moment he'd hooked her foot her wings began to beat rapidly kicking up not just wind but ashes as she created twin twisters of her own that swallowed up his attempt to slash her across her body and only increased the intensity of her twisters as they began to clash with his own. The two twisters spun counter to his own, the three funnels of wind and heat grinded against one another bringing them all to a stand still and with a closing of her taloned foot did she break take control of the ashes within her twin twisters, both immediately forming walls that in turn absorbed the shockwave of his tornado's blast cutting the walls in half but leaving them still suspended in air.
The Vice-admiral then closed her other claw, the damaged two walls flying toward the Mad King who stood between them, as he was in the air Ehuang did assume there was little in the way for him to move out of the way. But she would leave nothing to chance with this, flying toward Baji with her sharp black beak, having been enhanced with her own busoshoku Haki, pointed at him she began to spin, forming a coating of hot ash around herself looking like a flaming arrow as she carved a path through the air directly toward the man.
Baji was impressed, this woman’s strength was certainly commendable. Her fruit power in particular captivated him, only having experienced a devil fruit in person one other time. From his understanding though this seemed to be a zoan devil fruit, given the animalistic qualities the Vice Admiral was capable of manifesting. Meeting his opponent’s beak attack with an excited smile Baji readied himself in midair as she sped forth. She was correct in her assumption of the King’s limited options in the air, especially compared to herself. He had no fruit power of his own that allowed him to fly, and while he could have used the technique he used earlier to bounce off of the air he didn’t feel confident enough with it to use it in actual combat yet without a clean opening. An average man in this situation would see these circumstances and relinquish his thoughts to hopelessness, however Baji was far from the average man. As the walls of ash came towards him Baji sent out a flying slash for each of the halves as he began falling back to land on a ship below, his back facing the river in order to keep an eye on Ehuang as she attacked.
As the flaming woman ripped through the air faster than any bullet could dream Baji made a split second decision to brace himself and meet her head on as best he could, the man either had guts or an unmatched level of stupidity to challenge a bird zoan of sorts to aerial combat. The distance between the two disappeared rapidly, and in an instant Ehuang was right upon her opponent, seemingly about to impale him with her haki coated beak when suddenly a harsh metallic screeching sound echoed out over the river, the sharpened beak grazing against the king’s own haki as it slid off the side of his body. Immediately Ehuang would feel Baji’s arm wrap around the back of her neck, using the hooks on his swords to latch on to one another and fasten the headlock he had on his larger opponent.
With Ehuang’s incredible forward momentum paired with the lack of resistance from Baji in the air he all but guaranteed himself an advantageous position. Using armament haki to not only protect his body from the hot ashes but also reinforce his strength even further, the two were now rapidly descending from the skies and Baji would all of a sudden violently torque his body to the side. Performing a 180 in the air he used Ehuang’s momentum paired with his own physical might to violently fling the Vice Admiral into the water below. Not even someone of her caliber could completely halt their momentum on a dime, and even if she could the added force of Baji’s own monstrous strength was proven to be enough to contend with her on its own. Both of these factors together would make her descent into the river almost guaranteed without outside interference, something that he had prepared for the entire battle.
Assuming Baji’s plan succeeded, Ehuang would quickly notice that she was surrounded by Bananawani, their eyes glowing dimly in the darkness of the depths. That’s when the Vice Admiral would feel an incredibly potent force SLAM into her back, propelling her back up and through the water’s surface once again in a torrent of water, steam, heat and the aura from Baji’s blades.
“You didn’t think I’d let the river kill you hm? That’s not a very flashy way to win.”
The King commented with a smile, and that’s when Ehuang would feel another sudden impact crash into the side of her body and send her flying back down towards the marine ships. Baji was proving to be a truly formidable force, especially now that he’d proven capable of capitalizing on one of the few weaknesses that devil fruit users all shared. Landing on the same vessel he aimed Ehuang at, he awaited the Vice Amdiral to recover herself before continuing the battle.
The aura that his presence emitted was steadily growing in intensity the longer that the fight dragged on, and now the King seemed to grab something from the sash around his waist, a small container made of alabaster. Popping the cork from the small bottle Baji downed the liquid in an instant, wiping his mouth as he breathed a satisfied sigh. The look in the King’s eye almost immediately growing in intensity as if he were a shark in a feeding frenzy, the aura around his blades surging like a wildfire at this point.
”Now it’s gonna be a PARTY!! LETS TURN UP THE HEAT, VICE ADMIRAL!!!”
He exclaimed wildly before erupting forward, generating such force under his feet that the entire bow of the vessel they were on completely collapsed, unable to withstand the strength of Baji’s sudden advance as he launched himself at the marine and unleashed a flurry of rapid sword swings. With every strike of his blades a subsequent burst of flame was launched forth, absolutely devastating his environment as his attacks seemed to grow more unhinged by the second.
The Mad King's delusions were at an all time high, to think that by pure human strength alone he would be capable of man handling an awakened mythical zoan user. Despite his spinning Ehuang maintained control of her flight, and as he let go she had no issue swooping into the air she climbed higher and higher until she could nearly see all of Alabasta from her altitude. She watched as the man yelled about turning up the heat, sending rapid flaming attacks at a place she was nowhere near.
A vein popped up from her forehead, feeling a great deal of anger and annoyance at having to deal with someone so unhinged. She had intended to leave things up to Shen and Aphrodite but the man was obssessed with her.
Using the time she had from being so high up and Baji seeming to think she was elsewhere, Ehuang transformed into her full zoan form and began to concentrate. Ashes poured from her body like heavy rain, collecting in a black ash cloud just below her. When she felt she'd gatherd enough she let out a sigh of relief before she fuffled her feathers and began to dive down.
As she flew toward Baji, the ash cloud behind her began to take shape, twisting a whirling soon it all clumped together into a solid mass that took the shape of nonother than the Seiryu. Not as large, maybe half the size at best, the massive ash beast glew like the night sky as Ehuang took control of the newly formed ash dragon, the beast dove down with her, joining her in her descent.
The view was majestic, watching the bird and dragon dance in the sky as they flew toward the Mad King. As they closed in, the Ash Seiryu took the lead, opening its massive maw to reveal but all the more glowing hot embers within itself as it tried to swallow Baji whole.
So she didn’t wish to engage in close quarters with him, a smart move to make, and one Baji didn’t fault her for. As for the ash beast that was descending upon him, Baji met the construct with a smile. A single, powerful swing from one of his swords caused a metallic ring to echo out into the atmosphere, unleashing a massive slash that worked to cleave the draconic beast in half right down the middle, creating a fiery explosion in the process as a wave of hot air burst forth across the area, the clash of the attacks so powerful that the ships in the river were being pushed back by the force.
The King would land on the river bank, his intense gaze piercing through the still airborne Vice Admiral from the sands below as he rested one of his blades on his shoulder, though the borderline feral aura that he briefly displayed a moment ago had faded quickly, he was a
“You’re wise to play safe. It takes a matured leader to not feed into the fire, I suppose I can give you that. As a mature leader I assume you realize that neither of us are making any ground, and more than that you know even if you defeat me the casualties will be too great for the Navy to sustain after the war.”
Baji began. Just like most of the world, Baji was well aware of the war that had recently ended between the navy and two emperor crews. While technically they won, the marines suffered heavy losses and were certainly hurting despite being the victors of the war, Baji often heard the previous king discussing the state of affairs as far as the war was involved.
“With that said, the same applies for me. Even if I defeat you here nothing would stop the navy from sending more soldiers here and putting my people in danger. Now that that’s established, it seems we’re left with two choices. We either fight it out and see who suffers less in the end, or you prove that you’re indeed a mature leader and withdraw with your remaining men and ships.”
Baji spoke, sliding one of his blades into the sheath on his back and watching Ehuang to hear her rebuttle. While it was certainly too late to maintain the relatively neutral relationship with the world government, Baji could at least buy himself time to find a solution to their problem at hand. If and when the navy decided to strike again, they’d certainly come more prepared for a hostile takeover now that they had information about Alabasta’s defenses. The odds of him being able to defend against an all out invasion was slim to none, something that Baji would rather avoid for as long as possible.
Ehuang listened to the man as she circled overhead, skeptical of his words after he'd been so adamant for a fight from the start. She was no stranger to false surrender, and she had seen the loss that showing mercy could bring during the war. But reclaiming Alabasta was her primary goal, were that to come through combat or diplomacy did not matter at the end of the day so long as the World Government flag flew in Alabasta once more.
Ehuang dove toward the beach, transfroming back into her human form several meters away from Baji should the man intend to try anything. She had declared him a Mad King after all, she had no idea what he might do on a whim.
She pulled a cigarette from her coat pocket she placed it between her lips and pressed a finger to the tip to light it. Taking in a long drag she pulled it from her lips and let the smoke exhale from her nose. "A moment of lucidity? Color me surprised." The woman spoke, her voice cold and smokey.
"I've nothing to prove to you, Mad King. But I will give credit where credit is due, what you say is true. Even should I fall here what would come in the wake of my failure would be ten fold if not more. The Fleet Admiral would see Alabasta reduced to a smoldering pile of glass before he would let it be retained by one unwilling to ally itself with the World Government. The same would go for any of the Twenty Kingdoms. So I extend my previous offer to you now, leave Alabasta, take what you can carry with you and whoever would follow you may go as well, but the Kingdom of Alabasta will belong to the World Government." She gave the only olive branch she had any right to give.
Ehuang could understand having a love for ones country, it was my she had done all she has done and will continue to do. But one also needed to known when to cut their losses, standing against the World Government was a fool's errand. It was better to work with the devil than be consumed by it. This man too would have to learn that.
”Loyal as dogs to that flag of yours ay? Commendable. Tell your Fleet Admiral if he wishes to claim Alabasta under the government’s flag again, send you back in a week’s time. You’ll have your answer then.”
The King responded plainly. Baji would die for this land, and the people would die along side him if he was to ask for their aid, however the title of King meant little to him in the grand scheme of things. He wouldn’t have his people needlessly die over a piece of land, Alabasta wasn’t merely a kingdom or an island but a people. So long as they lived Alabasta would live on just as it has in the past whenever the government attempted to snuff out its light.
“From here onward the gators won’t bother you, gather your injured and salvage what you can from the river.”
With that, Baji slid his second blade back into its sheath before turning around and walking off back towards Nanohana, though he’d keep an eye on the soldiers just in case they didn’t like his final message. As a man of his word, the Bananawani all retreated back up river alongside their king allowing Ehuang to collect the injured survivors in peace.
Though Ehuang and Baji had come to their agreement, Shen still battled a face that Ehuang was unfamiliar with. However she might be she was no ally of theirs and though the ceasefire had been given she did not seem to be part of the agreement, an unknown.
As Baji left, eyes never leaving the marines, she did not bother to do the same, turning toward Shen and his battle she took flight in her hybrid form. Covering the distance between one shore and the other in a flash and landing with enough force that sand kicked up in a cloud.
"And who might you be, from the Sky Tribe I presume?" Ehuang asked, the dust of the sand did nothing to veil her vision, her eyes fixated upon the Winged woman. "The battle is over if you didn't notice. If you're not with the Mad King then I've no reason to believe the ceasefire applies to you, do I?"
And So the Dust Settles[]
The Marine ships approached Alabasta with caution, ready for a full on assualt should the Mad King choose not to keep his word.
Ehuang stood a the bow of her ship, a cigarette burning brightly in the early morning light of the 15th of March. Her eyes scanned the banks, searching for any would be ambush that there might be. The ships, however, were allowed to dock without incident and Ehuang stepped off the ship onto the dock where workers went about their daily labors.
She looked about, part of her did not expect the Mad King to keep his word, there was no code of honor among criminals after all. As far as she was concerned, a man was only as good as his word.
But not seeing any direct sign of danger she transformed into her hybrid form and flew up into the air, only once she was high enough to not cause any damage to the ship or the docks did she transform into her full Zoan form.
"Marines, begin heading from town to town, raise the World Government flag in each of them, check on the populace, see if any of them are in need of help!" She gave her order and with that she took off toward the capital city of Alabasta: Alubarna.
Approaching the city she felt that something was off, her eagle vision scanned the streets only to find them empty, looking toward the Palace the building was heavily damaged. It was then that she began to understand what Baji's game was.
"You threw a hissy fit before you left, huh?" Ehuang thought as she landed in front of the palace and transformed into her human form. Looking up the the once mightly castle to see it left in such a state made her sigh in frustration. But she could not worry about that right now, her biggest concern was the citizens. Cupping her ears she strained to hear anything at all, even the breathing of those who might be hiding. But there was none.
"Did they go willingly or by force? Hm, I can't imagine anyone following someone like that, but Alabasta is no stranger to the eccentric. Even so, an entire city?" She spoke to none but herself.
Pulling the Den Den Mushi from her breast pocket she held it up to her lips. "Rear Admiral Kirimoto come in, this is Vice Admiral Ehuang, have you reached any of the other towns yet? Status report."
Pereperepere
"Who is it this time..." Aphrodite said irritably as she reached into her coat pocket to retrieve the vibrating Den Den Mushi. “Ah, hello Vice Admiral. Regarding the status report…” Aphrodite paused as she looked around slowly before continuing to speak again. “Yes, we managed to get to some of the other towns. However, they appear to have been entirely ransacked and destroyed in some sort of mad rush to leave. We’ve found a handful of survivors hiding out in the rubble, but they keep insisting on us not touching them.” She stopped talking and took a slow look at the people they had found. These people were born and raised on Alabasta, just like herself, and their so-called king had left them scared and frightened. “I’m on my way back, I’ve left behind some sailors to help get everyone situated again.”
Ehuang was silent on the other line for a bit. "Alright, I'll meet you where you are after I finish up here. It shouldn't take long. I'll fill you in once I get there. Until then, just keep up the good work." The woman spoke before replacing the snail back into her pocket.
Pulling a white World Government flage from another pocket she placed it in her mouth and flew up to one of the spires of the palace, using her talons to tear away the bastardized Alabasta flag and replaced it with the pristine white and blue flag of order and stability. It was a symbolic action, but with it she claimed Alabasta for the World Government once more.
And with that she began to head back toward Kirimoto.
Flying over the sands she spotted the women heading back toward the town, diving down until she was within reasonable earshot she spoke. "Alubarna is a ghost town. Whether they left willingly or were taken I don't know yet but the palace was left in ruins. I'm sorry, Kirimoto." Ehuang expressed her sympathy for the woman, if nothing else she knew what it meant to have pride in her nation. To see it destroyed at the hands of a Mad man, Ehuang could only imagine the anger she was feeling.
”Yes. It truly is sad seeing the destruction left by this man. However, what am I do to apart from provide my best effort in providing support for these unfortunate people?” Aphrodite solemnly said as she looked up at Ehguang. Despite her usually fiery and angry demeanor, she felt no rage in this moment. All she felt was an immense sadness towards the people living in this island, being forced to be afraid of the world government and left behind like dead weight.
“With the World Government in charge of the island once again, what do you think happens now?” She queried at her superior. Ehguang was truly one of the only people in this world she looked up to, much less respected. But she felt every inch of that was earned.
Ehuang transformed back into her human form, falling the rest of the way to the ground and landing gracefully on her feet. Looking around, the endless expanse of desert that surrounded them, the woman let out a sigh. "What has been destoryed can be rebuilt, but the majority of the royal family is dead with its only known survivor exiled somewhere out there. We're already on the search for them, and once they're found they'll be placed on the throne. Marine presence will be heavily increased in Alabasta for some time helping to rebuild and maintain order under the Princess'- Ah, Queen now I suppose, the Queen's rule."
Ehuang pulled out a cigarette from her pack but hesitated before placing it into her mouth, lowering it she looked to Kirimoto again. "If you would prefer to stay and help your people rebuild I'll allow it. I know well what ones home can mean to a person but Baji is still out there and while I wish the man had more tact and principle I shouldn't be shocked that he would do something like this. He'll need to be tracked down, and should he have taken the citizens of Alubarna hostage, they need to be rescued. I would like to leave the task of that to you but I will not force it upon you. So should you choose to accept it, I'll leave the capture of Baji and the rescue or elimination of those who have gone with him to you."
"I trust you to see it through. I imagine he's made the matter personal, no?"
"Of course the royalty was killed..." Aphrodite murmured to herself as she listened to Ehguang. Her emotions were jumbled and confusing, but she knew one thing, and that was that Baji must pay for the deep sins he has committed, and that she needed to save her former neighbors. "I'm glad that we have a plan set up to get the island back up and functioning again, but may I ask something?" Her face, which was priorly distraught with sadness, was now steeled with determination. "Allow me to go chase down Baji and bring him to justice, and to save the citizens he kidnapped."
Ehuang reached up and scratched the back of her head, she was a bit confused but she chalked it up to the rear admiral still reeling from the news she'd just recieved.
With a nod she spoke, "You have my blessing. Bring him to justice, kill him, whatever you like. Just see to it that he is dealt with and the citizens are safe. I'll stay here for a bit longer. I want to see if there is anything else he's destroyed."
"Understood Admiral." Aphrodite said confidently. After replying, she kneeled towards the ground in a bow and spoke again. "Thank you for allowing me to chase down this criminal, Ehguang." After displaying her symbol of loyalty she stood up and addressed the woman again. "And please, make sure you keep the residents of this island safe, ok?" After her soft request, she took off to begin the hunt.