| Sea Star Grave End | ||
| Date Started: July 2nd, 2024 Date Finished: Complete Previous Role-Play: Next Role-Play: Timeline: June, 1620 Setting: Characters Involved: | ||
| Participants | ||
| User:JTXP •User:AbysmalShadows | ||
Lost Contact[]
If there’s one thing Graves hates about being a Marine? It's the lost contact reports. Usually there’s a marine presence on World Government affiliate islands, and with that comes scheduled check-ins. Depending on the potential threat an island may face, those could be daily, others a week or more.
The island of Andregail missed their check in, which is supposed to happen every three days, and they’ve missed it twice. Once can be explained, but after two no contacts? Its usually means that they are gone.
Some kind of tragedy happened.
So it was up to Marines like him to investigate and find out what kind. But Graves wasn’t exactly a rookie, he had a gut feeling that it wasn’t what, but whom that visited that island. He didn’t have any evidence yet, but his gut instinct told him that someone with very malevolent intentions paid that poor island a visit and left it a scorching mess after getting whatever it was they wanted from there.
These new generations of Pirates were ruthless, ambitious and even worse, powerful. They are just as likely to kill you as they are to crack open a fresh keg with you, before sinking the whole place for shits and giggles.
He shook his head, letting out a deep sigh as he stared out towards the horizon from the deck of the ship. As a Major he was given a small task force to investigate, a platoon of hard working men and women under his command.
Like him they all had their own reasons for joining the Marines and he respected that. Lost in his thoughts he was brought out of his reverie by a shout.
“Lieutenant Commander!” A young female marine yelled from the crows nest pointing towards the starboard side.
“You need to see this sir!” He narrowed his eyes as he moved, holding his hand up as a spyglass suddenly appeared in his hand. Using the instrument he peered through to see what the commotion was about.
Through the spyglass, the Commander saw something that no Marine wished to see. The small island of Andregail was caught in flames and ruin. The many people on the island screamed and whaled in terror, voices and shouting that could be heard from the far sea. Men, women, and children were all under attack from a pirate.
Docked at the shores Graves could see a ship bearing a black flag with a symbol of a star, House Northstar. They were said to be a royal knight family of prestige and influence in the world.
What were they doing here?
It had only been a few days since this pirate had come to the island in search of a treasure surrounded by myth and legend. Shadreen an infamous blade said to slay a Titan. This famed blade perked this pirate's interest which caused him to seek out this treasure, of course, the blade was already in the position of the town folk.
A staple of their small island, a symbol of honor and strength, but power comes at a cost. This cost their lives. Of course, they put up a fight like any small nation would, and a fight it was. It ragged on for 2 days before the island was overwhelmed by him, the man with a scar across his emerald green eye.
"Please s-spar us!" The leader of the island said being held by the scruff of his shirt.
"Spare you? Why should I do that..." The pirate smiled. To the leader, he looked like a devil bathed in flames of anger and malice. "...If you wanted to be spared you should've just given me the treasure when I asked for it. I told you what would happen yet you ignored my warning. Now you will die a dog's death."
"W-wait, please, I-I will do anything..."
CRACK!
The pirate's fist hit the man's jaw twisting his neck 180 degrees killing within a second. The pirate threw his body onto the ground and laughed.
"HUHAHAHA! You poor folk are all the same. Big and bad until a real threat comes and you beg for your life...Pathetic." The pirate reached from the scabbard around the man's corpse. Lifting it, he revealed the blade as it glimmered in the fiery atmosphere, he could see his reflection in it. It drew a smile from him.
Attaching his newly acquired blade to his hip the pirate made his way toward the docks, leaving the island in ruin after his conquest.
---
Gasps and shouts echoed across the bridge of Graves ship, as the Marines onboard all expressed varying degrees of outrage and horror at the devastation wrought upon the people of Andregail.
"H-how he could be so ruthless? I-is this who pirates really are?" The woman from before said, as he bore witness to the carnage. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes, and it was evident that she was trying to stifle them.
"That rotten pirate bastard! How... how DARE he!" Another Marine shouted. He was a burly man, but young and full of promise. His body trembled with the rage felt by the others, a sentiment that was shared as they all voiced their own indignation.
"Major, permission to open fire and kill the bastard?" A cold voice said. He glanced to his side, and saw the visage of his second in command. Dragunov Petra; a rising star on her own, she was a crack shot with a rifle, a consummate professional, and possessed of a ruthless pragmatism that made the Absolute Justice espoused by our dear Fleet Admiral look like a kind mercy. Suffice to say, if it were up to her, she would have called for a Buster Call simply out of spite.
Shaking his head, he shifted away from Petra casting a sidelong glance towards the chaos. "Denied. Our top priority is to find and rescue any survivors, then reestablish contact with headquarters." His vice commander nodded stiffly, obviously displeased by the lack of wanton destruction against an avowed enemy.
Pleased that he wasn't going to get any trouble from Petra he continued. "Get a team together and prep for emergency triage... just... do the best you can do." He hesitated, not because he shied away from the gore, but because a lot of his team were fairly new. This was something like a shakedown cruise, barely even worthy of a test, and here they are risking their lives and witnessing death on a scale they probably hadn't imagined.
Graves let out another breath. "Have any others not providing medical care, at ready status, we need to be able to leave as soon as possible. I'll provide you cover, and engage the pirate. The rest I'll leave to your judgement."
Petra's expression was unreadable, she was a cold bitch, but otherwise dependable. After a moment of seemingly searching his own eyes behind his shades, she saluted him and began barking orders to the other Marines, who swiftly moved to carry them out. Satisfied that his team would be able to handle the situation with the island, Graves prepared for the upcoming battle. He didn't know what to expect, so he settled on his combat ready gear.
The power of his Devil Fruit wasn't flashy, nor was it something that granted him dominion over an aspect of reality itself. Truthfully it was more like a glorified inventory, or as his subordinates would affectionately say, a "hammer space". But there was one thing it had that made it truly powerful; the ability to combine, and hybridize any items in said inventory. All he needed was the base item, and any others added would grant their characteristics or properties, though sometimes not in the manner one would think.
For instance, installing a Milky Dial in his shoes for instance to grant him something similar to flight! Leaping into the air, Graves felt the stream of clouds burst from his shoes as he sped towards the docks. Summoning a Bazooka from his inventory, he hefted the massive weapon with his finger ready on the trigger.
"Now look, I gotta job to do, so we can do this the easy or the hard way, choice is yours." Graves said towards the pirate.
As the pirate walked the dock he noticed the Marine approach, "Don't you guys have anything better to do?" He rolled his eyes and continued to walk down the dock unbothered by the Bazooka pointing right at him.
"I was just passing by, it wasn't me that did this," he said.
Graves blinked. “Oh? You’re not the one that did this?” He lowered his bazooka and looked pensive as he hovered midair. After a few contemplative moments he shrugged. “Alright, I guess I got the wrong person.” Turning around he started making his way back towards the ship.
He smiled, "Dumbass..."
Lysander had always hated the Marines, not because they did anything wrong to him per se, but because of what they stood for. They were all dogs to him, a bunch of suckers coming from poverty or bad circumstances promised a fulfilling life in the name of this so-called "Justice".
It made him sick thinking about it, they were no different than the underworld gangs or mafia crews he'd encountered. A bunch of people in suits and ties playing a false game of the greater good.
He continued toward his ship, while a resident of the island called out the roaming officer, "Please help! You can't let him get aw-"
Bang!
The sound of a flintlock pistol firing true striking the woman in the head killing her within an instant, Lysander being the one at the end of the gun.
"How many of these rats are going to keep popping up! Ugh!" He thought as the resident clearly blew his cover.
Several things happened at once. The woman was knocked to the ground, a wisp of smoke flowing from her. But where there should have been an oozing pool of blood, Lysander heard the woman groan in pain. His keen eyes would see a misshapen lead round by her side and as his intended kill shot was turned into a shoulder wound.
He then heard what sounded like several thumps before the path towards his ship suddenly detonated throwing and debris all around him. Just as quickly the smoke cleared, revealing Graves with a furious expression on his face. A rifle held in one hand, the muzzle still hot from the fired round, and his bazooka propped over his shoulder.
"Is that what you'd thought I'd say?" Graves thundered out. He leveled his rifle at Lysander. "Now lets run this again. Surrender, or I see how many bazooka's I can stuff down your throat."
Lysander smirked as withdrawing his pistol back into his holster and put his hands up in the air, "Alright, alright you caught me. I did kill a lot of people in this town..." As he spoke his arms began to hiss steam as his light brown skin turned a tinted red, "...You caught me red handed. Fuck off!"
From his hands, a sudden flash burst of flames shot from his palms towards the marine. He knew what a marine was capable of so he used this as a distraction, seemingly running the other way.
"Piss off rat!"
Graves rolled his eyes, and within his internal pocket dimension, combined some ice cubes, a flask, and some a pinch of gunpowder to create a Freeze Bomb. Summoning the ordinance in his hand he contemptuously hurled it at the oncoming wave of flame. Which promptly detonated releasing a blast of freezing cold snuffing the flames. At the same time he leveled his Bazooka as he burst forward using the streams of clouds pouring out from his boots as he sailed over Lysander readying by instantly loading munitions into the rocket to fire from his inventory.
"Only when you're good and dead bastard. Now-" He squeezed the trigger releasing the payload, before instantly summoning another, and reloading with smooth precision. "-here's how you unleash a real hell." He fired a barrage of rockets as he arced over Lysander. The explosive ordinance blasted out of Grave's bazooka before crashing into the ground detonating with thunderous force rocking the landscape in a brief but brutal aerial bombardment that sought to trap Lysander in its fiery embrace.
"BAKA!" The pirate darted from side to side, the dock being blown apart by the rocket blasts. He kept on his toes being sure to avoid any sort of damage from the explosives, it would ruin his freshly dry-cleaned pirate coat.
Boom Boom Boom
An opening formed as the pirate leaped through the smoke and back onto the fiery island escape, "Damn this guy! It must be some sort of fruit power. I hate fruit users."
He continued to evade the Marine hoping to draw him closer into the island.
Graves hefted his Bazooka as he observed the agile pirate dart around the explosions. He's heading inward to the island. But why? Graves narrowed his eyes as he stared at the retreating pirate. Bastard probably knows that my crew is scouring the area inland looking for survivors. Does he plan on using them as hostages? He let out a sound of disgust. I really hate dealing with this kind of pirate. Graves thought grimly.
"I guess I'll give him a reason to fight me seriously then." Within his inventory he had a number of crowd control options, some non-lethal, which were ideal in this situation. He loaded out his Bazooka with a breath dial containing a poisonous gas; though non-lethal, this one only caused severe irritation in the eyes and nose and intense scratching of the skin. Great a disabling non-combatants and keeping them occupied. In his free hand he summoned several more Freeze Bombs, before darting through the air and tossing them ahead of the retreating pirate.
The intent was to block off his escape, as the Freeze Bombs detonated on impact releasing waves of chilling cold that instantly froze anything nearby. So tightly packed, they would create cut-off his path or he could risk being caught in the explosion. As soon as the Freeze Bombs left his hand, he reloaded his Bazooka and fired the Spicy Bomb Blast which released a stream of gas filling the area beneath him. Summoning his Quad-Barreled Shot-Gun containing hellfire shells, essentially a modified flame-dial that would unleash a scorching blast of fire. This one he aimed squarely at the pirate, finger on the trigger and ready to fire when an opportunity arose.
He moved through the island full of survivors despite the damage he caused. The marine was still hot on his trail but he wasn't going to make things easy for him. Multiple freeze bombs went off nearby by the blast impacting an icy barrage that enclosed anything in their path.
"Getting trapped by one of those could be bad, I got to be careful unless..." His eyes scanned the area as he evaded the attacker, running toward a nearby building the pirate grabbed ahold of the structure, his fingers sinking into the brick showcasing his physical strength. With his might, the pirate proceeded to rip the building from its foundation.
Rotating his body Lysander heaved the broken chunk of the structure toward the marine, "Catch!"
WOOSH!
The building soared through the air hurdling toward Graves.
Although the fight had begun, the Marines under Graves command were not idle either. A special unit was going around the perimeter of the island picking up survivors and bring them aboard and were quickly making their way inland, as Graves antics in the air proved to be a clear sign that whatever trouble was brewing on the island he was the vanguard that would protect them whilst they went about their mission as they came up from behind a ways away.
Graves gave an appreciative whistle as he witnessed Lysander rip a building from its foundations and hurl it towards him. Spinning his shot-gun with a flourish, he leveled it at the building as it neared and pulled the trigger.
CRACK BOOM!
His quad-barreled shot-gun fired off with a deafening roar as it unleashed its payload, appearing less as a stream of fire, and more like a controlled explosion, the sheer power of the attack and the heat alone vaporized a massive hole in the building. Graves didn't even need to dodge as he simply floated through the hole as it sailed harmlessly by and crashed on the ground.
"Ya missed." He reloaded his shotgun with the deft flair of a seasoned gunslinger, the clink of his shell casings ejecting as he smoothly inserted the rounds in. Manually this time before cocking the gun and leveling it Lysander.
"Given your performance so far, I'd rate you as one of those cowardly pirates. You're all arrogant and full of yourself against those weaker than you. But the moment... the moment you even get a whiff of a bigger, badder, meaner, sonvabitch like yours truly," Graves bows mockingly. "-you run with with your tail between your legs. Is it... because you don't have a weapon? Don't worry I got ya covered." His bazooka disappeared and a moment later he summoned forth a nameless cutlass in his hand, and then tossed it to Lysander.
"Go on. Pick it up." He said challengingly.
Lysander stopped in his tracks, holding in his laughter before bursting out in a frenzy, "HAHAHAHA!" He held his face and mouth from laughing even more, "I'm not sure if your eyes work or not but I don't use butter knives." He pointed to his hip revealing two blades.
"Why should I use my blades? Since when does wolf bear fangs to a pup?" He continued running away, "LAHAHA!"
Graves inclined his head thoughtfully. "Oh, I thought those were decorative." He chuckled as he gestured with his gun in the direction Lysander was heading.
"You seem more interested in running away, one might wonder if the wolf even has the fangs to bear."
Graves floated down to the ground, summoning a large greatsword in hand, one with a strange design featuring a flat head at its tip. He sauntered up to Lysander casually and stopped within striking distance.
"Cmon wolf," he said sarcastically. "-if you're not going to bear your fangs then just keep barking. I got all day."
Lysander, "I guess you make a good point, my family told me to stay off the Marine radar for a bit but I guess there's no point of that anymore right?"
The pirate decided to entertain the Marine, "As a knight, I still carry some sort of honor, what's your name, I'd like to remember it when I put it on your gravestone." He said taunting him.
Graves bit back a laugh. "Major Graves Van Orden. At your service!" He gave a slight bow before circling the pirate.6
"And what name shall I be penning in my report after sending you off to Impel Down?"
"The names Lystar...Northstar Lysander First Son of House Northstar." Lysander withdrew his cutlass from his belt, a beautifully crafted blade of Camelot Steel. He licked its edge and smiled, "Let's dance gadget man!"
Lysander shot towards Orden, performing a diagonal slash towards his midsection.
Grinning in response, Graves slid forward bringing his blade up to cross swords with Lysander. His greatsword began glowing a dull red as it heated up, coming in with a wide arc, the resulting clash caused a burst of sparks to erupt from the clashing of their swords.
With a grin that turned feral Graves crouched low and pivoted with a spin bringing his blade back before slamming it through the ground angled back burying the blade a foot deep. Steam rapidly began to rise from his sword and the cracked earth turned molten red.
"Gun Blade Ignition Style - Blast Wave!" From that intonation the ground detonated point-blank towards Lysander with a burst of fire, alongside earthen shrapnel with the shockwave of the explosion.
The shockwave of fire broke beneath Lysanders feet which launched him backward being engulfed in a flame, however with the use of his fruit powers flames proved to be a useless form of power against him. He flipped through the air absorbing the impact of his landing and explosion, before dispelling that same force to launch himself right back at Orden, another horizontal slash to his mid section.
A brief look of confused crossed over Graves face. The explosion did nothing? What was that? I'll need to make sure. With a roar he charged forward, greatsword trailing across the ground leaving a molten line in the earth before whipping his sword at an upward angle. Crossing swords once more, he tried to puzzle out what exactly had happened for Lysander to remain unfazed by his attack. With a grunt he noted that despite the man's simple attacks, he was.... unusually strong. Clicking his tongue, he brought out his shotgun, this time equipped with a flame dial, leveling it at Lysanders body at point-blank range.
"This time, I won't miss." Pulling the trigger he discharged releasing a great gout of flame, its searing heat capable of vaporizing solid stone in an instant!
The blast of concentrated fire was powerful, and the use of dials was unique and useful. Not many had them in these seas or used them to their fullest capabilities Orden had seemed to be one of the few that indulged in such technology.
But still, despite his resistance to fire, the heat was something he still could experience, although the fire didn't react in the normal fashion in scolding his body treated it more like a sauna, in this case, a point-blank one. Again the conclusive force of the blast sent him backward his heels digging into the earth as he was sent back.
"Huff...Huff..." The pirate's body steamed as his clothes had been scorched, "You little Rat! My clothes!" He gritted his teeth in anger, "Do you know how much this costed me? These are expensive fabrics!" He pointed his hand back toward Orden his arm steaming that tint of red, "How about you take some of that back."
From his palm, that same concussive force shot toward Orden laced with that intense heat from before.
Graves paid close attention to the aftermath of his attack noting that it did very little if any damage.
Fired at point blank and I didn't even get a drop of blood. He let out a breath before straightening up. He definitely has kind of special ability. Or a Devil Fruit. He thought.
Readying himself for what he assumed would be another reckless charge he was taken aback by the strange steam on Lysanders palm.
Which then transformed into surprise when a blast of concussive force blasted straight into him. He was hurled back flipping head over feet before he slammed his sword into the ground to arrest his momentum as he slid back.
He stood steady for a moment before doubling over as the pain finally registered. It felt like he got hit by a cannon!
"Alright, Ill bite, what the hell was that!?" He said through gritted teeth.
He took the time to adjust his loadout. Swapping out the explosive shells for Freeze Bombs, and switching the Heat Dial for a Jet Dial on his great sword. If his opponent was keen to use kinetic force then... well he had an answer for that too.
He then equipped an Impact Dial in his overcoat. The power of his Devil Fruit the Sobi Sobi no Mi meant that these changes happened as soon as he had the thought and made the decision. Well whatever happened next he would be ready.
"You know what? Don't tell me, let's fuckin go!" He crouched low as crossed his sword arm over his body with the blade pointed behind. With his duster, it left his gun hand hidden from view.
His sword seemed have to changed, the handle becoming a throttle. Twisting it he revved the sword which began to emit short gusts of air. Then the sword released a massive gust of wind that propelled Graves forward at incredible speeds!
While he closed the distance he mounted his shotgun over his crossed arm and began rapidly firing a barrage of shells that detonated releasing waves of flash freezing chilling winds at Lysander. Angling his blade he entered a curved arc as he circled around Lysander bombarding him with a suppressive fire of his freeze bombs!
Lysander smiled yet again his eyes intense and focused, he watched as Orden stumbled backward, "Are you sure you don't wanna know hehe." He at the same time as his adversary moved in the same direction looking to clash head on.
The first few rounds fired Lysander seemingly gliding across the surface using his kinetic build-up to shift his body's momentum side to side avoiding the ice traps until the final fourth shot hit him coating him in a layer of ice freezing him in place.
"Dammit Ice, I can't move," he thought as he struggled to move soon enough more shots were fired as Orden Van Graves looped around to his side trapping him in a deeper layer of an icy prison.
"..."
The pirate seemed frozen in place for the time being allowing a chance for Graves to gain the upper hand.
Graves momentum carried hin around Lysander as the jetstream from his greatsword died down. He spun landing in a low crouch before standing upright. He cocked his head as a whistled a haunting tune while approaching the vulnerable Lysander.
Lifting up his sword he switched the Jet Dial for the Thunder Dial, causing the blade to cackle with electricity and then ran his hand over the blade. In its wake a series of grenades were fitted to the blade, explosives that would no doubt detonate with devastating destruction should they blow up.
"I don't particularly like this attack but, against bastards like you? Heh, well lets just say it gives the saying, I'll meet you in hell a whole new meaning. You're gonna love it!"
Lifting his sword high in both hands, he leapt up into the air before slamming the blade with as much force as he could onto the icy prison, while unleashing the electricity on the blade with a twist of the blade throttle.
"Big Bang Thunder Crash!"
Several things happened at once, the electricity detonated unleashing its entire payload in one strike, appearing almost like a bolt of lightning striking them down. This simultaneously caused the grenades to detonate with tremendous force, the sheer force and pressure released caving the ground in as the sheer scale of the explosion dwarfed the two fighters from the shockwave and blastwaves.
Such an attack would ordinarily be something like a suicidal attack but Graves had equipped an Impact Dial to absorb the brunt of the explosion. And to add insult to injury, the impact dial released a secondary blast just moments after the initial explosion aimed directly at Lysander, though the recoil sent Graves hurtling back and crashing into a building, leaving him momentarily dazed and concussed from his own attack.
Graves attack was indeed, Grave. It shattered the icy prison that contained the pirate vibrating through its thick icy layer reaching the pirate himself, the lightning would be absorbed within the properties of the ice dispersing it evenly throughout the block and shattering it in even layers. But the shockwaves of the grenades strapped to the blade sent the concussive force directly into the body of Lysander.
Of course, this all happened so fast not allowing for the pirate to escape his doomed fate. The blast crushed him into the ground, the floor cracking two layers deep creating a small crater, leaving Lysander on his back, eyes rolled in the back of his head showing the whites of his iris. His clothes were seemingly destroyed except his pants. He laid at the center of the attack body steaming.
The noise of the massive explosion deafened the entire island, for the first time it was silent until slowly the sounds of crackling fire and citizens returned to their ears. Most people at the end of this attack would be considered dead, or at least defeated in most cases, besides the small percentage of those who were strong enough.
The Marine clearly saw victory glancing at his defeated pirate, perhaps Orden Van Graves was right, Lysander was no more than a big fish in a small pond, feasting on those who were weaker prey.
"Get up and fight, this is no sign of strength boy, we didn't give you our family treasure for nothing. Now get up and face me..."
A memory of the past in Lysanders unconscious mind.
Crack Crack The pirate's fingers twitched and folded inwards as the wind blew past them. As his eyes rolled forward his vision became clear and he was looking up at the sky.
"...Grrrrrr...." Grunting and a sign of life came from the crater, his fist clenched and his jaw tightened, brows narrowing in anger. "GRAAHHHHHH!" The pirate jolted himself onto his feet causing himself to stumble before regaining his balance.
"Huff...Huff...Huff..." Lysander hair hung across his face covering his expression.
"Is that it? Huh?! IS THAT ALL YOU GOT!" From his body steam emitted before a detonating force struck the ground once more leveling it once again. Lysander picked up his sword that was next to him and with this, he drew that second blade. Unsheathing it Graves could hear the steel rubbing against the scabbard ringing an echo.
He began to walk toward Graves his appearance silhouetted by large flames in the background he could see his green and golden eyes glimmering like a demon. With each step, he took the ground broke as if he formed his own craters.
"Get up," he said coldly making his way toward Graves.
The people and Marines who witnessed the events from afar were drawn back, "He's come back from the dead! He's a monster!" A citizen cried out, and even a few marines began to feel fear and aggression of Lysander.
Graves lay in the middle of some rumble in an undignified heap. He let out a pained groan as he struggled to sit up.
"Arrggh... damn that hurts. Next time, I'll use fewer grenades, don't need any backlash." He rolled over and managed to tumble to the ground with another pained grunt.
He lifted his head and a look of shock flashed across his face at the approaching form of Lysander who had unsheathed his second blade, clearly intending to give his all for a round two. Resignation settled onto his features as he struggled to his feet.
"You're a tough bastard huh? Took my finishing move to the face and you just get back up." He laughed painfully. "FUCK!" Graves spat the curse with as much venom as he could as he hefted his greatsword and readied his shotgun. This time, no fancy shells, just pure sweet lead. On the sword he equipped an axe dial, going purely for cutting power this round. And oddly enough removed the impact dial from his duster.
"No more fancy tricks. Just Gun and Blade this time!" Pointing his shotgun at Lysander, he begin a slow walk which then turned into a sprint as he charged at the pirate. Pointing behind him with his shotgun and fired.
The blast aimed at his rear possessed considerable recoil which he used as a momentary speed boost to instantly close the distance as he barrelled through the air. Spinning his body he finished his rotation with his blade held high which began to shimmer.
"Tempest Blade!" He yelled as he slammed his greatsword down in an overhead slash. The axe dial activated releasing a high pressure cross blade, multiplying the power and scope of the attack.
Lysander flowed the gathered energy from his previous blow flowing the power into both his arms, crossing his blades above his head he met the slash, the impact boomed as a shockwave was met, but this time things were different. The power from Lysander seemingly doubled as he shoved the Marine off his blades to launch him backward, he kicked off the ground and threw a slash from his right toward Graves midsection.
Another slash was brought from below in a horizontal cut toward Grave's left leg looking to cleave it from his body, but his attacks didn't stop there as his flowed the concussive energy into his head as he went to bash him in the skull.
Graves noticed the flowing power, though it did little to reveal what the hell Lysander's ability was. As it were, it didn't matter as his attack was deflected and he was thrown into the air.
Damn! He's still this strong? Where the hell is this power coming from anyway? He barely got his bearings as he swung his greatsword meet with Lysander's initial strike, the sound of metal against metal screeching in his ears as he blocked the attack. His arm practically vibrated from the force generated by Lysander's monstrous strength.
Graves grunted in effort as the pressure against his blade suddenly disappeared and his eyes widened as he saw Lysander flow seamlessly into another attack as his sword darted towards Graves leg. He didn't even think, just pulling the trigger and allowing the recoil to blast him in another direction as he managed to evade the blow that would quite possibly severed his leg.
Not that it mattered because Lysander disappeared and reappeared head raised high before slamming it against Graves. In a moment his world went black. When he came to he was already falling, having momentarily blacked out from the blow before he used the milky dial in his shoes to expel a stream of clouds arresting his momentum. Righting himself in the air he focused on Lysander.
"No more shit talking huh? Guess you're finally baring those fangs for real now."
With another grunt Graves fired off with his shotgun providing a speed boost as he equipped small grenades to the back of his greatsword.
Rushing towards Lysander he brought his sword low and detonated the small grenade. The explosive force greatly boosted the arc of his upward swing as he tried to bifurcate Lysander from naval to shoulder. Then another explosion rocked the back of the greatsword and Graves changed the trajectory for downwards chop, and then another explosion and so forth as he began to weave a barrage of explosive powered sword slashes.
"Gunblade Rush!" He roared through the cacophony of explosions.
"..." Lysander continued on his advance toward Graves the first strike coming for his shoulder.
BOOM
His cutlass met his attack, the explosion detonated in his face, the concussive force seeping into his skin, then a second he countered then a third and a fourth.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM
From a distance, the two exchanged a series of strikes looking like a blur and cluster bomb parade. Lysander seemingly with every concussive force taken he increased his own strikes each one becoming more weighted with each strike. Finding an opening Lysander performed a front kick aimed at the stomach of the Marine.
He knew Graves gun skill was unique and impressive using it beforehand to evade strikes so he adapted releasing force from his back he launched himself forward hopping to drive his kick forward despite an attempt to dodge.
He's... absorbing the force and bouncing it back! Graves mind was racing through their high speed exchange. His arms were a blur as he unleashed a flurry of strikes, but to his frustration Lysander was not only deflecting them all but his blows were growing heavier with every strike. That must be his power! Dammit!
It was becoming clear to Graves that in this exchange he was quickly losing ground, it was only a matter of time until Lysander exploited an opening. Which meant he had to give him one. I hate using this, but I don't have a choice. From within his inventory he equipped one of his most powerful dials, the infamous Reject Dial, and installed it within his person. The benefit of his hybridization was that he could designate a base item, and then add the characteristic of another. All of sudden it felt like he could breath again. He hadn't realized that just exchanging blows with Lysander, the shockwaves and vibrations alone powerful enough to slowly damage him. This meant that his Reject Dial was absorbing all of that force.
His strength is absurd! Where the hell did he come from? Still, I got you now bastard! And he didn't have to wait long, after gaining even more power, a particular parry caused him to overreach, and Lysander took advantage of that opening with sadistic glee as what felt like a spear slammed into his gut throwing him back. Dammit, not enough. Just a little bit more!
His silent prayers were answered when Lysander, decided to push his advantage and using his strange power to drive his attack even further. Graves then felt it. Unsummoning his both his greatsword and shotgun he wrapped on arm around the leg, and then leveled an open palm point-blank at Lysander as he gave the man a savage grin.
"No fancy technique name for this. I just got one word for ya. Boom!" With that declaration, Graves unleashed the full power of his Reject Dial, unleashing all of the stored power within in a shockwave with the force multiplied ten times over, directly into Lysander.
KABOOM
Whatever reaction his opponent had to his gambit, he didn't get a chance to see because the backlash of using a Reject Dial slammed into his entire body, and most notably the arm he released it from. His body was instantly blasted backwards crashing through one, two, then three buildings before he crashed deep into the wall of another.
"Gaaggh!" He cried out as he slumped from the wall and onto the ground. He tumbled helplessly onto hot concrete and breathed heavily. His entire body felt like it was on fire, and he was pretty sure that his left arm was probably broken. He wouldn't get anymore use out of this fight.
"Take... that... you pirate bastard." He said through his agonizing pain. Somehow, he managed to get a knee under him and he propped himself on it as haggard breaths took him. He cast a weary glance at his left and noted, that it looked... not great. Swollen, purple, and beaten. At best he could twitch a finger or two. Bracing himself, he summoned a sling for his arm, eliciting a gasp of pain. But it did the job. He then summoned a shield and combined it with his clothing so that it was affixed, offering at least some modicum of protection.
Now it was time to see what had happened to Lysander from his attack, as he scanned the area and summoned his greatsword in his sole functioning arm.
Lysander didn't foresee the counter-attack to hit him, his palm striking his chest plate. A beautiful armor known as the "Dragon Breast" armor crafted centuries ago by the people of Camelot forged from Camelot Steel, a mix between seastone and many molded metals. For most fruit powers this armor allowed him to negate fruit powers to an extent but this simply wasn't the case.
The power of the reject dial was a tool, not a fruit power itself. The brute force packed with tremendous power struck his plate vibrations from the strike rippled through the pirate's body, a strange feeling he hadn't felt in a long time since consuming his fruit. However the pirate fought back against the force absorbing and expelling the force out his backside to hold him into place.
This resistant force started to crack and warp his armor until...
CRACK!
His chest plate armor erupted from the inside out shattering the formidable armor into four pieces, the marine's palm continued to touch his chest launching the pirate off balance and causing him to slide back. While he did not fall being sure to keep his balance a ravening scar across his chest from the impact was strong enough to leave him with a reminder of that strength.
The scar was large and spread across his chest, "Guhhh," blood spilled from his mouth dripping down his chin. "N-no." He glanced at his armor something he'd held close and dear to him as a child. Like any knight from his kingdom, their armor and sword were treated as extensions of the soul, seeing it shattered broke his heart.
Tears flowed from his green eyes, but they weren't tears of sadness but tears of anger and rage. "W-what have you DONE!" Overwhelming sensations of uncontrollable rage seemed to manifest from his fruit power causing his own body to release the built-up energies within his body combusting into a fiery explosion that seemed to be a bomb in of itself.
The radius impacted upward of 20 feet from his position and leveled the ground again. The nearby building toppled and fell, those Marines and citizens who were close to this range were engulfed and brought to a crisp.
"Yes..." A strange whisper hit only the ears of Lysander who clutched tightly to the straight sword.
"...Feel that anger boy, feel that wrath...Embrace it. In anger you find strength."
The blade then began to gleam and glimmer a potent aura that took the form and a hellish ruby flame completely different from regular fire. That's when they eyes of Lysander changed his once yellow and green eyes turned red with a double black ring around them.
"You all will die here on this island..." Lysander said, dragging his blade across the broken gravel floor, leaving behind a trail of crimson flame.
"...YOU HEAR ME YOU ALL..."
BOOM
The pirate burst toward Graves with with speeds untraceable to the naked eye, appearing above him his straight sword already in motion to bring down toward Graves's head.
"...WILL DIE!"
The swing's force could be felt in the air as his strength caused the wind itself to comply under his command. Even if Graves managed to dodge once the sword penetrated the ground several craters exploded beneath its power causing the floor to kick up into a flame.
---
During the ongoing battle with the pirate, Petra had as Graves instructed coordinated a rapid response team, and a trauma team deploying them to Andregail to find survivors, provide first aid and proceed with emergency evacuations. The process was difficult to say the least, what with the island having been devasted by the pirate, and with significant portions having been set ablaze. Her team however persevered and managed to rescue a significant amount of survivors. Reconstruction was possible and with the World Government, things could be rebuilt in weeks. That is if they survived long enough.
Explosions, the clashing of steel, fanatical laughter and gunfire was the background noise to her operation. She worried about Graves and his penchant for throwing himself recklessly into danger seemingly without a plan or backup, but reasoned that he did so precisely because she was there to lead in his absence. Still, not being able to blow that bastard up elicited a snarl from her, which turned into shock was another explosion, this one bigger than last time rocked the entire area, she didn't even have time to contemplate the howl of rage tat followed as she was thrown off her feet, as well as several Marines as burning buildings exploded, and the infrastructure collapsed all around them.
Heavy breathes and a wide expression were her response as she witnessed the aftermath. Gritting her teeth she reached into her coat and retrieved her Den Den Mushi, angrily shouting, "Damage report!" No one answered and the silence began to dredge up her worst fears before a voice cracked on the transmitter.
"Ma'am%-we go%t mu-ltip%le inju#(red wit$h sev^er&al casualties, we can't-- fi%nd any more$! survi^&vors we need-d-d-d to re$tre%at!" It was difficult to make out but she understood the message. Some of the Den Den Mushi must have been damaged in the blast. Releasing a sigh, Petra knew what Graves would have wanted.
"This is Lieutenant Petra, I am commanding all forces to immediately cease all operations in the area and retreat to the main ship. I repeat, retreat to the main ship!" She scowled, angry that even one Marine in their operation fell, but most of all she cursed her own lack of ability. When everyone was safely returned they could fire the signal and Graves could retreat himself. It was clear whoever... whatever he was fighting was less of a man and more of a monster.
---
Graves could only laugh humorously as he saw Lysander stand back up and then detonate the area around him with his unique power. He had certainly hurt the man, that was for sure, especially given that his armor was nothing better than scrap metal. But damn, all he seemed to have done is piss the guy off even more, and worse he was down to one arm! And many of his Dials were spent. Lysander was superior to him in strength, swordsmanship and durability, only thing he could rely on right now was his devil fruit. As much as he was using it, he still had to use it to its full potential.
Dammit, Lysander and that thrice damned ability to absorb force to fuel his powers! What the hell kind of power was that!? What.... what kind of... wait... Graves mind raced as he considered what he just thought. So lost in thought he didn't hear the ravings of Lysander as he stalked towards him. Lysander... can absorb force to fuel his abilities... I've only ever combined my gear with a dial, but what if I combine multiple dial's together? Like the impact dial... or the reject dial? Couldn't I absorb kinetic force to refuel them as well!?
His eyes widened as Lysander's form had vanished from sight. Did his speed increase too!? He felt the rush of displaced air as Lysander appeared before him, wreathed in indignant fury wielding his sword with such strength and force he could feel the pressure the man was exuding. He didn't even think, he immediately combined his greatsword with an impact dial, and a flash dial. He felt something slide into place in his head, like some missing puzzle piece as he interposed his sword above him.
The resulting clash cratered the ground beneath Graves who felt like the breath had been knocked out of his lungs by the sheer force Lysander was putting into the attack. The only reason he managed to stop it was due to the impact dial, which immediately filled up, but instead of releasing a burst of kinetic force, the flash dial combined within released its effect instead. A brilliant blinding flash of light illuminated the entire area a white glow, with Graves and Lysander at its epicenter. However, Graves was wearing sunglasses and was prepared for the attack, which would have most likely blinded Lysander momentarily.
Angling his blade, the pirates sword's trajectory slide to the side penetrating the ground. Graves in that time had managed to get a foot out, and at the same time the ground detonated, he blasted himself back using the milky dial in his shoes to gain some ground. Still the shockwave from the detonated hit him causing him to spiral uncontrollably, before tumbling in the air and crashing down to the ground. He was ready this time, and managed something like a graceful land. Swapping out his sword for a rifle, he combined that impact dial with a thunder dial and then hybridized them into his gun. Even better thanks to the shockwave his impact dial had already begun to refill!
Graves laughed between gritted teeth as he felt pain wrack his body, while leveling his rifle at Lysander. "Hehehe, because of you I've somehow managed to get stronger. So... here's my thank you!" Pulling the trigger the rifle began to emit a low thrum, as lightning cackled and gathered around the barrel.
"Lightning Brigade! FIRE!" With that declaration, his rifle let loose a devastating current of electricity that more closely resembled the discharge of a bolt of lightning! It sped forward with such incredible speed and heat, that the ground beneath it instantly turned red and smelted into carbonized ash.
Watching Graves shoot up into the air, he watched as he molded his newest gun. Trouble was coming and he knew it, Lysander stomping into the ground kicked up a large boulder into the air which would take the brunt of the impact, once the lightning fired turning the rock into molten and ash Lysander had already leaped high into the air buying him enough time.
Now within the same height as graves the pirate didn't seem to fall back to the ground instead he was hovering. Having a good mastery of his fruit powers allowed Lysander a mimicked ability geppo expelling energy from his feet to sustain flight. He shot towards Graves again at supersonic speeds, with each thrust a boom effect followed.
Closing the gap Lysander appeared behind Graves already in motion performing an overhead axe kick flowing the energy into his leg, bringing it down with such force toward his shoulder of his broken arm.
Graves could only let out a laugh as he saw how Lysander handled his latest attack. He really should have done more but he was riding high on the euphoria of discovering that his imagination was the only limitation to his Devil Fruit. There was still more for him to learn. He drew in a deep breath and while the air was a welcome the waves of agony it brought him reminded him of how badly injured he was in this fight.
He had thought Lysander to be a run of the mill pirate, but damn was he wrong. The bastard was absurdly powerful, no wonder he was able to torch Andregail, even with the Marines stationed here single-handedly. He was stronger, faster, and his swordsmanship was a technical marvel, it was obvious that the man he was definitely a former knight. Still despite the odds against him, he smiled. He was having the time of his life, this world was truly an amazing place if fighters like him existed.
Grunting he laboriously hefted his rifle and swapped it out to his shotgun. Knowing Lysander the bastard was probably going to attack his flank, take advantage of his weakness and press the advantage. Which meant he could lay another trap. Lysander speed blitzed through the air, the thumping of compressed air being released from his movements a faint echo as he maneuvered behind him in what felt like an instant. Yet the entire time his eyes had been tracking his movement.
He had a difficult time at the start of the fight but as the battle progressed he was getting used the pirates ridiculous speed. Which meant he too was improving, and closing the gap. Drawing forth his inventory which presented him a sort of mental mapping of every item stored. He needed a way to stifle the man's movements, like last time, that way he could unleash another finishing move, and put the bastard down for good. It didn't take long for a plan to formulate, not that he had much time to begin with, a second or two perhaps. But thats all he needed. Using his newfound discovery of his fruits potential, he combined a shell with a net, an eisen dial, and an impact dial. The result?
As Lysander flickered behind him, leg poised high before he brought it down with tremendous force to pulverize his injured arm, he titled his head to the right, and crossing his arm over his shoulder with the barrel angled up at Lysander. He had to wait until the last moment, watching with keen eyes as Lysanders own lit up in knowing his opponent wasn't going to be able to effectively dodge his assault. That is when he pulled the trigger, and deactivated the cloud burst from the milky dial equipped on his left boot. Several things happened at once.
The shell fired from his shotgun before expanding rapidly to form a flexible iron net imbued with the properties of an impact dial. What that meant was any attempt at using strong kinetic force to break the net would be absorbed and when full would send out a shockwave against the captured target. It was simple, and brilliant. But it also meant that if one simply relaxed and calmly detangled themselves, they could do it in short order. But not in the midst of a fight. He was counting on Lysander's initial reaction being using his brute strength to break free.
The iron net's purpose was to entangle Lysander and cripple his movement. Unfortunately that did little to stop his attack as he had waited until the last moment to hinder any attempt by the pirate to weasel his way out of it. Which was why he also cut off the propulsion to his left boot. Bracing himself he felt the incredible pressure of Lysander's attack smash into his shoulder. His vision momentarily went white with pain as he felt the impact ripple across his entire body, and he couldn't help the scream of pain that escaped his lips. Thankfully the propulsion coming from his right foot meant that his body didn't resist as he flowed with the downward force sending him into spin.
Stars clouded his vision as he attempted to arrest his sudden moment, throwing his hand out he summoned a grappling hook which fired and somehow managed to hit a nearby building pulling him towards it. He managed to right himself as he landed feet first on the building. Unequipping the grappling hook, he then leapt from the building using a burst of propulsion from his boots as he soared towards Lysander.
Equipping his greatsword once more, this time equipped with a breath dial and an axe dial he swung down while activating the breath dial to cause the sword to emit a stream of air causing him to enter into a deadly spin. This spin increased in speed until Graves resembled something like a buzzsaw as he launched himself towards Lysander.
"GUN! BLADE! AZURE! EDGE!" He screamed through his rotations. The sheer cutting force of his attack was immense, multiplied by the power of the axe dial as each rotation or impact would release cross-shaped slashes.
Lysander was entrapped in the iron net, although he was able to get off his attack the pirate hurdled toward the ground. “Dammit!”
He yelled as he tried to free himself from the restraints, but they heavily restricted his movements. Whatever Graves had done worked, as he was distracted he didn’t notice the Marine honing in on him. That was before it was too late.
“!!” Before he knew it Lysander was falling from the sky blood spilling out of his body and visions going black.
“W-wait…”
Graves landed on the ground with an undignified crumble as he slammed onto it, and bouncing across the surface several times past where Lysander fell presumably unconscious from his last attack. Rolling onto his back he breathed heavily, and then those breathes quickly gave way to uproarious laughter. Which was abruptly cut off as he groaned in pain, clutching his stomach with his remaining hand. Reaching into his coat he retrieved his Den Den Mushi.
PURU PURU PURU
"Major! Are you there? We lost communications, please respond! Major!" The voice of Petra sounding out. He took in a few more deep breathes, glancing at the unmoving but still breathing form of Lysander. "Affirm Lieutenant. Threat neutralized. Did everyone... did everyone get evacuated?" He asked with a hint of trepidation.
There was silence for a moment, and he began to fear for the worst, but then Petra responded, "Affirm, Major. We did suffer a few casualties but we managed to get a majority of the survivors and injured onboard. Orders sir?" Graves smiled. Petra didn't even bother asking if he'd won, she just assumed as much, it was... touching. Her own special way of showing him support.
"Prepare the brig, DF-class, we got incoming for capture, then set a course for G-1. Everyone, you did well. I'm proud of you." With that he ended his communication and began the labor of getting this pirate bastard back to his ship. He struggled to his feet and managed to make his way towards the unconscious pirate.
"Your a conniving sonvabitch, but you're a strong one. I'll give ya that. Well, lets get this going. If my injuries don't kill me the paperwork for this right fuckin mess will." Summoning a portable stretcher, he managed to drag Lysander onto it, before equipping the thing with a breath dial to let it hover as he dragged himself and the pirate back to his ship. A victory like this would have been cause for celebration for any pirate, but to a Marine? It was just another day in the tireless grind of being a Marine out in these Blues.
But Graves wouldn't have it any other way.
New Found Purpose[]
It had been a few days since the events on Andregail Island, and several Marine ships had finally arrived at Marine Base G-11. Luckily for them, the Marines were successful in the capture of the pirate Northstar Lysander. The quick thinking and resourcefulness of Graves Van Orden ultimately defeated him landing him in Marine custody.
He sat on the decks below the ship behind bars, sea stone cuffs wrapped around his wrists. He didn't say a word the entire trip, he didn't eat or drink either. He was no stranger to loss but in the fashion of being tied within a net left a terrible taste in his mouth, something he'd have to get over.
"...Bullshit," he uttered under his breath. He glanced upwards from the commotion on the upper decks, "Hopefully this ain't Impel Down, I have a right to a phone call don't I? Maybe I can call my uncle, he can probably get me outta this mess..." He sighed and hung his head, "...All for a fucking sword."
"Pirates don't have rights exactly, outlaws for a reason. As in 'outside the law' you understand? So no calling anyone for you I'm afraid." A voice would suddenly appear followed by the smell of cigarette smoke as though the woman had simply materialized from the void without a sound. Standing before him would be none other than Admiral Haitori, her eyes shark-like, reflecting no light as she stared down at him. A lit cigarette hung from the corner of her red lips, the nigh pure white and gold of her coat stained with ashes on its chest from the fallen butts of her burn.
She turned her nose up at him before her gaze found somewhere further down the hall, the opening of a door. "I found him myself, thank you. Tell me, Major Graves, what reason have you brought him all the way to the Grandline? Was he that much trouble?"
Graves had just stepped down the stairs and began his approach to Lysander. No doubt to gloat or perhaps impart some last minute words to the pirate. But the question poised to him by the Haitrori took him completely by surprise. His look of shock at seeing the Admiral was one Lysander might have found hilarious were it any other situation. As it were Graves nearly tripped before squaring himself up and saluting.
How the hell did she even get here? He thought. Wincing slightly as his body still aching from his injuries he managed a quick response.
"Admiral! Yes, the pirate Lysander was far more powerful than I originally thought. You have my report, you know the devastation he caused." Graves paused as he turned to look at the pirate in question.
"However, as much as it galls me to say this, he's got enormous potential. It'd be a waste to have him rot in a cell when he could be put to use. Of course that all depends on him."
“You flatter me gadget man. But you got lucky, he is right though Admiral, I’m way too good to be rotting in some shitty cell.” Lysander replied wiping his face and standing to his feet.
Ehuang let out a huff of amusement, looking the man over before back to Graves. "What are you implying, Major Graves? Warlord? A nobody from the blues? I've seen this effect before, a neat fruit is all it really takes to become someone in the blues you know? They don't typically stand up once they reach the Grandline."
Graves shook his head. "We've been playing that game far too long. No, I have something else in mind." He glared at Lysander.
"I know his kind, a thrill seeker looking for challenge, and loot. But you don't need to be a pirate to do that. Make him a Marine with probationary status. A minder to keep him line. If he proves his worth, his probation gets lifted. If he doesn't he gets executed. Simple enough. And yes I know it sounds crazy but! I did earn my last promotion by exposing the crimes and corruption my superior officer after taking him down. We've had far worse in our ranks before."
Ehuang nodded her head, "Yes, and I commend you for that. All too many would have stayed in line, it's the easier thing to do after all." She complimented the major before lifting a finger to her chin in thought, turning to look over Lysander, a tilt of her head as she studied him. "A marine? After what he did? We've hanged men for less. What sort of place does a man who gets his thrills from murdering the innocent have in the marines?"
"You, pirate. What do you have to say on the matter? Did you hit my major too hard in the head? Or have you a silver tongue that charmed him into such silly recommendations?" She crossed her arms as she stared at the man from the other side of the bars.
Lysander smiled and winked, "In my defense, I did ask first. They attacked me and I simply, for lack of better words defended myself. But my uncle can vouch for me, you know Hector Hobbs right?" Lysander indeed was a man of many words but his family ties to the marines seemed to fit this scenario just enough.
"Look, I am a thrill seeker and man of adventure, I care not for piracy, I can for freedom to do as I please. I promise to fall in line with you, knights honor. I am many things but never been much of an oath breaker." He said.
"Tch!" A look of disgust crossed Ehuang's face as he brought up the name of Vice Admiral Hobbs. "You could be my own flesh and blood for all the difference it makes, Pirate. I care little for you attempting to invoke the name of an officer as though it might save you. Or did you perhaps not hear the Major just talking about taking down a corrupt superior? The likes of you have no shame." She rebuked with a huff, clearly angered by his words.
"The last thing people like you need is the freedom to do as you please, you need a leash, luckily for you I do have someone in mind I think is capable of doing that." She sharply turned toward Major Graves. "You are vouching for him, no? Would you stake your life on it? That if he should step out of line that you might join him on the execution platform? I'll need it in writing of course. I've learned my lesson about taking people at their word."
Graves was surprised by the Admiral's question. He didn't let it show of course, but he was still taken aback. He let out a breath as he considered how to respond. He thought only for a moment, and right then and there he knew what he wanted, what he needed to do.
"Yeah I'm vouching for his skill, not his character." He cast a sideway glance towards Lysander. He agreed with the Admiral, and similarly shared her disgust with his flippant attitude. People had died because of him. For no reason at all. All because he had the power, and he could. He handed out death, and probably expected him to do the same. Graves though, he had a far different idea. He dealt in life. Because death... was too easy.
He looked at Ehuang, straight in her eyes and told her, "What we've done with the Warlord system, it isn't working. All we do is turn a blind eye to a pirate in the hope," he emphasized. "-that they obey an order later on and remain useful . I want to do something different. You asked if I'm willing to stake my life on this?" He paused, as he seriously considered what he was about to say, and when the moment passed, he just thought to hell with it.
"Yes. I am. I say we put them to work, real work. And not as a pirate, but as a Marine. With a leash."
He stalked to Lysander menacingly as he crept up close. There was fury in his eyes, and his voice dropped low. "For every life you snuffed out for some petty bullshit, you're going to pay each and every one of them back. Not through death, or rotting in a cell. But service. And serve you will. Even if I have to drag you kicking and screaming."
Ehuang pulled a pack of cigarette's from her coat pocket, tapping on the bottom to pop one up from the pack before taking it into her mouth. "You're lucky, if I abided solely by my own moral code I'd have simply had you executed. However, the Major, Mad as he is, has suggested something interesting. I'll call up Rear Admiral Kirimoto. She'll act as your leash handler, and should it come to it, yours and Graves' executioner as well. I have absolute faith in Aphrodite, if she can't turn you into something worth saving no one can." She spoke with the unlit cigaratte hanging from between her teeth.
"Unless there's anything else you might need from me I'll be taking my leave. I'll contact Kirimoto, show her some respect if you would kindly. For you own sakes." She continued, using her devil fruit powers to light up her cigarette as she moved to walk past Graves towards the exit.