Digizel

The Dragon and the Tiger (One Piece RP)

Hm.... I do like the idea of D being in their heritages. Especially if Ryu doesn't really remember much about his origins. It would be even more interesting for him to turn out to be a D, considering his Tenryubito background. Though that means he was somehow secretly adopted into a World Noble family.

Hm...yeah, that's a good point. Do we want to have a similar male:female crew ratio as the Straw Hats or something more like 50/50?

And yeah, that makes sense. I just think it'd be good for Ryu to start putting things together over time...and learning that most Marines aren't as bad as the few he's had to interact with would be a good place to start.

The Dragon and the Tiger (One Piece RP)

I only vaguely remembered some of it. But yeah, luckily we never really made it very far, so it's pretty easy to re-read atm. XD

As for where to go next, that's a good question. I suppose our next step is to start thinking up their first actual arc. I'm thinking it could be one about taking down a pirate crew of some sort.

I'm also wondering if we should introduce Ryu to the idea that not all Marines are like that. Like...maybe they come to be on good terms with a local Marine base, to the point where they don't report Ryu's appearance or something? It could be a good way for them to start edging toward Ryu finding out exactly who Mitsuki is.

The Dragon and the Tiger (One Piece RP)

Ryu stopped and listened to what Mitsuki had to say as an explanation. He supposed the swordsman was right, he had mentioned that before. Still, though, he couldn't quite shake the feeling that there was something more to this than he was letting on. He glanced back down toward the Captain that lay unconscious at their feet for a moment as Mitsuki continued, thinking about what he had to say. Apparently, this Marine was one of the weaker Captains? There was no way he would have been able to handle this guy on his own, that's for sure. He had come close, but he was definitely not strong enough to win. Not yet, anyway. And if there were stronger Captains than this, he couldn't even begin to imagine the monsters that would make up higher ranks.

...Well, he supposed that that wasn't entirely true. After all, he had witnessed exactly what a high-ranked Navy monster could do. It was forever burned into his memory, after all. And he even had reason to believe that it wasn't the extent of his ability.

When Mitsuki gestured toward the harbour, he nodded. But then he paused, looking at Mitsuki again, realizing just what the swordsman was saying. Was he really changing his mind about training him after all...? Well, he supposed the answer was obvious enough.

"Right. Thanks. Lead the way then," he replied. "Do you have a ship yourself or are do we have to commandeer one?"

The Dragon and the Tiger (One Piece RP)

Ryu landed on the ground after he crashed into the top of the Captain's head. He looked down, taking in the sight of the fallen Marine before turning to look back at the swordsman who had helped him. He still wasn't sure why this guy had come back to save him, but he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth here. But one thing he was certain of, however, was that he needed to thank him. But just as he opened his mouth to do just that, the other man had started to speak, having just sheathed his blade.

"Ah...y-yeah, I guess you're right," Ryu replied. "No doubt they already called before they came out to find me. For some reason, I wouldn't be surprised if that Admiral were to show up once he got word...." However, it was at that point that he paused, quickly realizing an implication in Mitsuki's words. "Wait, but...how did you know that?" He realized that this might not be the best time to be asking questions, but this stuck out to him. "That I was important enough for them to have called for someone of greater skill...?"

The Dragon and the Tiger (One Piece RP)

Yeah, I think that makes sense. Ryu is also very inexperienced when it comes to battle. XD So it makes a lot of sense that Mitsuki is a lot more competent than he is when it comes to this kind of thing. Ryu's main advantage in battle is his ability to understand human anatomy, so he'll be able to figure out weak spots more easily a la Chopper

The Dragon and the Tiger (One Piece RP)

Ryu felt his claw slam hard into the captain's body, and he couldn't help but smirk slightly. He felt a strong sense of satisfaction come over him as his blow landed directly where he wanted it to. And from here, finishing the battle would be a simple matter of-

Before he could even finish his thoughts, he felt Baku's large hand grasp hold of his own arm. Ryu's eyes widened as he felt the cannon's mouth get slammed up against his stomach, causing him to grunt in discomfort...only to realize what this actually meant. He looked up fearfully at the Captain, paling slightly at his words. He pulled desperately at his arm, trying to pry it away, but the grip was far too strong. He was helpless.

No...no! He couldn't get caught here! He wouldn't lose here! He had so much he needed to do; he needed to keep his promise...!

"Let...!" he started...but before he could even get the word out, a blade sank into the Captain's wrist. He had no idea what to think. He barely even had enough time to process what was going on. He watched small splashes of red fly through the air in front of him. It was the swordsman's cry that snapped him out of it. He looked down, realizing that his arm was free again. That was all he needed. Now he had to move before it was too late...!

Ryu quickly utilized the same move he used earlier; he kicked off of the ground using the much-stronger transformed leg and leaped upward as high as he could go, several feet above Baku's head. Once he reached the peak of his jump, he cancelled his transformation, returning his concentration to the base of his spine and causing his tail to emerge from his lower back just like before. And then, he began to fall.

As Ryu descended, he began to spin himself forward in the air, doing somersault after somersault. He might not be strong, but he was well aware that momentum could make any given impact even more devastating. And that's what he was going to capitalize on here.

Ryu continued to somersault in the air, steadily gaining momentum. Finally, he reached Baku again and gave himself one last spin...before aiming to slam the thick part of his tail as hard as he could into the back of Baku's skull.

If he had managed to knock his target down successfully, he would finish his final spin and land heavily on the ground in a three-point stance, using his right arm in a desperate attempt to keep his balance beside the fallen Baku. But if Baku didn't fall so easily, he would find himself rolling toward the Captain's back and ending up hitting the ground himself. Regardless...he kept his eyes on his foe to make absolutely certain that his blow had been enough this time....

The Dragon and the Tiger (One Piece RP)

Yeah, sorry. This one was just kind of out of the blue. My computer already had a battery problem to begin with (as in, it couldn't keep a charge for longer than a few minutes) so being unable to charge was pretty terrible for me at the time.

Hm...yeah, it seems like it's time to wrap it up. I was debating on whether he should need Mitsuki's help or not, honestly. XD He's clearly struggled a bit by himself. I don't really mind either way, to be honest.

The Dragon and the Tiger (One Piece RP)

Hibiki fervently nodded, clearly not wanting to risk this man's blade being raised toward him again. He knew very well that there was nothing he could do without his own weapon. "Y-yeah, o-of course. Y-you got it!" he managed to stammer out, still frozen on the ground at Mitsuki's feet.

---

Ryu's eyes widened as he realized that Baku's cannon was already aimed directly at him. And then there was the loud sound of cannonfire and a large cannonball headed straight for him. "Armor-!" he managed to cough out, crossing his arms before the collision. A loud explosion erupted from the area as the cannonball made contact, kicking dirt and dust into the air. There was silence for a few moments as the wind started to blow the debris away and make the area more visible....

At that point, a figure emerged from the smoke, rushing straight for the Marine Captain. He had managed to survive the blow by activating his Red Dragon Armor like how he'd survived the direct blow from the cannon itself earlier. Once the explosion had passed, he was able to revert to his normal form and kick off of the ground, hoping to take advantage of the momentary smokescreen and catch the Marine off-guard.

Ryu's target was in sight; his knowledge of the human body was going to come in handy here. He pulled his right hand back, palm stretched, as his arm transformed from the tips of his fingers to the elbow, resulting in a dragon claw being formed. He then leaped forward as quickly as he could once he draw close enough.

"Red Dragon...Claw!" he shouted, thrusting his arm forward and aiming to slam his claw as powerfully as he could into center of Baku's torso. His goal was not to strike at his stomach nor his chest. But rather, strike directly at the area in-between. His hope was that apply enough pressure to cause the celiac plexus some damage. He was well-versed in human anatomy and knew that enough force to this area would cause this collection of nerves to feel it, causing the owner greater pain than normal as well as shortness of breath. If he could just strike with enough force, he could probably stun the Captain long enough for him to deliver his finishing blow...or so he hoped at least.

The Dragon and the Tiger (One Piece RP)

Hibiki was stunned from his own missed shot. By the time he realized that Mitsuki was throwing his sword, it was far too late to get a proper reaction. He cried out in shock as the sword flew through the air. The trajectory of the blade caused him to mistakenly believe it to be heading straight for his body, which caused him to recoil. He gasped and stumbled back a couple of steps before quickly and desperately trying to raise his gun again.

"N-no, back-!" he cried out, but it was far too late. Before he could do anything more, and before he even really saw the movements his target had been making, the swordsman's foot was slammed directly into his face, which caused him to cry out in pain and fall backward. In that same motion, he helplessly witnessed the gun he had been clinging to get sliced in two. Now the weapon was effectively useless! And even worse, his opponent wasn't finished yet. The blade came down, resting just above his neck, threatening to end him in one swift motion.

"A-alright, alright, I-I get it!" he cried out. "Don't kill me...!" His eyes were panic-stricken and his voice shook...clearly, he was not used to being so close to a blade.

---

Ryu's eyes widened slightly as he watched Baku raise his arm, the cannon coming with him. He knew that he had to get away or else he'd get crushed beneath the huge barrel! Luckily, escape was rather simple. He reverted his transformation, causing his tail to shrink and disappear completely, thus causing the Captain to lose his grip entirely. At that point, it was a simple matter of rolling to the side, narrowly avoiding the crash of the cannon slamming into the ground.

"Gah...!" he cried out, however, as he got caught up in the shock wave, which tossed him to the side. He rolled slightly, ending up on his stomach a couple of feet to the side. "Th-that was close...." He looked up to check on the damage...as well as Captain Baku's position. He had to be careful and think about his movements carefully. His opponent was definitely far stronger than himself. If he was to get out of this mess, he would need to think more tactically....

The Dragon and the Tiger (One Piece RP)

The Marine's eyes widened as his attention was grabbed by the man in front of him once again. His blade was easily batted to the side, demonstrating a clear difference in power that even he would have a difficult time denying. He hadn't felt somebody knock his blade away this casually since Captain Baku himself. But before he could even concentrate on that thought for even the briefest of moments, he felt a powerful grip grasp his wrist and he quickly realized that Mitsuki had closed the distance even further in that brief moment of distraction. He was incapable of even uttering an exclamation of confusion before Mitsuki pulled his arm behind his back, causing his eyes to go wide with shock.

His target was right where he wanted him. Hibiki was quickly reloading his gun as fast as humanly possible. 'Damn these rifles for taking so long...' he growled to himself in his mind. He had the perfect shot lined up, but he couldn't do anything about it. He had to take all this time to reload, despite his clear shot. But he soon had his rifle reloaded and it was raised back up to his shoulder and he lowered his eye once more, readying to take aim with his now-loaded weapon.

"You're dead!" he shouted before the explosion sounded that symbolized his gunshot going off, aimed down toward Mitsuki's back.

"How dare a criminal like you say that I have no honor!?" Will growled back, wincing slightly in pain from the arm pulled behind his back. You're the one who-" However, he was cut off by Hibiki's sudden exclamation. His eyes widened slightly, realizing just what was about to happen. "Hibi-!" but he was cut off once again. This time by the bullet his comrade had launched. As Mitsuki rolled away to safety, Will's arm had been released, but it was too late. The shot that rang out pierced through his back, causing his eyes to widen and his weapon to be involuntarily dropped from his hand. "You...idiot...." he growled lowly as his body fell forward, collapsing to the ground as his blood began to drip from the new wound in his back.

Hibiki, meanwhile, stood frozen in place, his gun in the same spot it had been when his shot was fired. He didn't need to be told his mistake. And he was clearly somewhat shaken by just who he had ended up shooting instead.

---

Ryu was actually rather surprised his blow managed to land as easily as it had. He smiled a bit to himself, pleased with the results. He had acted quickly and without much thought, but it had turned out for the best. And now, he could press the advantage and continue his attack!

...Or so he thought. Before he could do anything more, he felt something grasp his tail with a firm grip. And before he could even utter a cry of surprise, he felt himself getting pulled through the air. His back crashed down heavily onto the ground, causing him to let out a gasp of pain while he laid sprawled on the ground at the Marine Captain's feet. He stared up toward the Captain, his eyes widening when he saw the condition of his face.

'He just took a strike like that and powered through it to do this...? Th-that's crazy...! What is this guy made of...!?' he thought to himself. This was going to be even more difficult than he thought, it seemed....