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The Devil Has Eyes Vice Captain
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 Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2011 11:49 am
A very hot, volcanic island in the Calm Belt. It has many small active volcanoes in the center of the island, and many surrounding hotsprings. While uninhabited, there are many vast cave systems with varying types of gems and geodes.
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Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2011 11:58 am
"-so let's make up, I'll make you a double order of sushi and you get me out okay? You can't try and eat me again or I'll have to beat you up even worse."
"Gero, gero, gero!"
Lingering in the water while Ilsa cut fish and seaweed coarsely with the knife edge of her knucklers, a giant frog with a bright red and green skin color croaked sulkily as he sported many large, painful bumps on his head. Ilsa in comparison, only had a small bruise and a scratch on the side of her lip, which she often licked as blood dribbled out. She sat crosslegged on the black, sandy beach, before serving up a large platter to the big frog. "There. Now we're square." The frog croaked loudly in frustration, and Ilsa threw a rock irritably at his head. "Oh quit your bellyaching, I made you sushi right? And I learned sushi making from the best kind of guy you can learn this sort of thing from, just enjoy it!"
Reluctantly, the frog enjoyed the serving of fish while Ilsa ate her own, sighing to herself as she laid on the pebbly beach. She ran a hand under her bandana, letting out a heavy breath. "Man! My first dip in the Calm Belt and it's full of annoying rough guys. You'd think you'd guys take it easy, I'm not even half the tasty morsel you think I am," she said to the frog, who was snatching up the sushi. "Ahh whatever. I'll be in the Grand Line, sure enough."
However, on the edge of the horizon, a ship that cast a long shadow sailed on the edges of the still waters.
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The Devil Has Eyes Vice Captain
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Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2011 1:15 pm
The flagship of Bright King Anji sailed across the boundary of the Calm Belt, its propulsion provided by the fishmen therein. Anji sat on deck as usual, gazing across the ocean with his inscrutable expression. They were, at the moment, sailing past an island. If memory served, the nearest neighboring island had inhabitants that referred to it by the tongue-torturing name of Atsuisui. Two of the best fighters on his ship were dueling at the moment, a sight that was not uncommon on the ships of the Fallen Ones. Many duels, like this one, were nothing more than friendly sparring matches. Others were true deathmatches, for all Fallen Ones had descended from station in some way. Some had lost fortunes, others families, most were fallen priests, and a significant portion from Buddhist temples.
Each ship had a hierarchy, and strength in combat was the only criteria for advancement. By right, any crewman could attack any other at any time as an informal and immediate challenge for his rank, though custom usually preferred it to be announced first. Other than that, there were no official rules.
But no-one ever challenged the Bright King.
There were men who had defeated the Commanders among the crew of Anji's flagship, but he alone was never challenged. Well, almost never. But those pitiful few that did attempt to challenge him found out quickly and terminally what happened when a blow that could shatter steel when hurled by an average man was targeted at their head by a man who was both half again as tall as they and capable of moving at the speed of light. Senior crew members warned of Anji's capabilities, and to those that persisted there remained the large dark brown stain on the white decking behind Anji's customary seat.
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Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2011 1:23 pm
"Mm?" Ilsa hummed with a mouthful of fish, seeing a large ship on the horizon. The sea frog, temporarily christened Sushimi, was licking up another serving of sushi as Ilsa squinted. "Oh hey, it's a ship!" she pointed.
"Gero?"
"Mmhmm, it's a ship alright...ugh..." Ilsa shivered. "It's so big I can already feel myself getting seasick." She rubbed her stomach, which rolled nauseuously with fish and seaweed. Sushimi saw the ship, and jumped with panic as he sensed something on board, waving his slimy arms and panicked. "Gero-gero-gero-gero-gero!"
"Eh? What's your deal? Are you gonna be seasick too?"
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The Devil Has Eyes Vice Captain
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Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2011 6:14 pm
One of the lieutenants aboard looked askance at the Bright King when it was clear that the giant Emperor had spotted the two figures on the beach. Anji gave no signal, his meditations taking up full concentration, and so the ship continued sailing unabated. If the two wished to be rescued or to join them, reaching a ship a quarter league away from shore should be no large problem.
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Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2011 6:52 pm
ILsa had finished her lunch, and despite Sushimi's frantic panic over the giant ship on the horizon, she was ready to move on out of the Calm Belt. Seeing the stormy waters outside of the flat surface of the peaceful sea with range, Ilsa showed the frog her log pose on her wrist.
"See here Sushimi?" she pointed out as the frog's bugling eyes looked at the arrow quivering in the direction of Fishman Island. "I'm gonna need you to swim me out of the belt in that direction. Once we hit the water in the Grand Line, I'm outta your hair. Or....whatever..." She corrected after an indignant croak pointed out that he had no hair.
Jumping on his back, the frog then propelled itself out to sea. The other Sea Kings paid them no mind as the bribed beast paddled swiftly across the fair water, Ilsa hanging on his slippery back. She noted with irritation that he was not going in the direction of the arrow...going out of his way to stay away from the giant ship. "Oi! You're going the wrong way dummy! That way, that way!" she pointed, giving him a whack on the head. Croaking with defeat, he changed course until the ship was now entirely in view.
Ilsa had never seen the symbol on the flag before, nor seen a ship of that magnitude in any port she'd ever been in. Then again, she didn't read the news and was new to travel, so perhaps it was common enough. "A pirate vessel?" she pondered, squinting as Sushimi edged around it nervously. "Huh...well if they don't bug me it's not my problem."
However she tugged on the edge of her bandanna with discretion. In Las Camp, there were some strange things going on. First off...the pirates seemed to know her name right off the bat, without introductions or anything. Secondly, seeing the symbol of the Sun Pirates only intensified their ferocity. She knew the symbol was an old one...what significance could it bear now after the Sun Pirates had long since disbanded?
Finally, the waters grew choppy and rough. Sushimi stopped and ribbited at his passenger. Ilsa patted his head. "Alright pal, deal's a deal! I'm on my own!" And she jumped off into the water, quickly adjusting to the chill as she began to stroke in the direction of the Fishman Island.
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The Devil Has Eyes Vice Captain
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Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2011 7:06 pm
The lieutenants aboard looked at each other as Anji continued to gaze into the distance. They were at a loss for what had just happened, seeing a human swim with the speed of a Mer. No matter, though. Soppoii was visiting Fishman Island at the moment, and would deal with the human if she decided to make trouble. Having taken over the former territory of Red-Haired Shanks when the man died fifteen years ago, Anji was currently the only one of the Emperors who took a direct interest in the submerged capital. Perhaps because he was the only one of the four that had ever visited it for any length of time or, for that matter, was even capable of entering the city without being targeted by every living being in the bubble.
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Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2011 7:23 pm
"Riibbitt! Gero Gero!"
Ilsa's swimming was interrupted as Sushimi quickly started swimming up next to her, croaking. Ilsa spared him a glance, continuing her pace. "Hey, what's up frog? You can't want sashimi now!"
"Gero!" he croaked irritably.
"What?"
"Gero Gero!"
"What? Them?" Ilsa looked over at the ship. "Whatever, they're just pirates probably! What's your deal!"
"Gero gero gero!"
"Ahhh, so you're actually a really big baby?"
"GERO!"
"Ahaha! Fine, but if you want my help you'd better be ready to keep up!" Sushimi jumped back at the wide smirk on her face. A storm began to rumble into the waters, and rain began to pour thickly as Ilsa battled against the ocean, swimming like a dolphin. The Log Pose remained constant, and her morale undaunted.
"Because where I'm going, there's only room for the future of the New World!"
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The Devil Has Eyes Vice Captain
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