Name:Joe "Slow Hand" Church
Height/Weight:6'0" (1.88m) / 195 lbs (88.4kg)
Age:35
Personality:A man of both pride and humility that prefers to be addressed by his surname, Church. Ever calm in even the most dire of situations, Church is a tough man to crack. He can always think clearly and is never blinded by his emotions, though he is a man of compassion and is known to respect the emotions and problems of those around him. While he is certainly direct and to-the-point he is hardly rude or mean, just straightforward. While Church won't go out of his way to help people he doesn't know, under most circumstances, he has been known to break that pattern for children in distress. He wouldn't call himself a savior or a hero of any kind, considering he isn't above killing his opponents in combat and is particularly geared to do so. Those that cross "Slow Hand" Church won't be met with a devastating fury, but they will be met with a precise and practical demise. For a man that has walked among both sinners and saints he has embodied a mixture of the two ideals. He saves what he can and kills what he has to. And he's always vigilant, at the ready to decide which it will be.
Home Island/Sea:Copper Island, South Blue
History:Born on the unassuming Copper Island, host to a large port town that made its money on exports from mining bronze in the mountains, Joe Church wasn't raised with very many expectations. His father was a miner and it was assumed he would become one too. It wasn't until he was already a teenager when a large pirate crew on its way to the Grand Line paid the island a visit. The port town was almost burned to the ground and many innocent people were slaughtered as the city was ransacked. Young Joe Church fought valiantly alongside his father but it was largely in vain. The pirates eventually retreated after looting most of the city, leaving devastation and misery behind them.
Angry with the turnout, Joe vowed to protect his home from any future raids. It seemed the Marines weren't nearly competent enough to keep Copper Island safe, as their small base was among the ruins after the battle, so Joe took it in his own hands. He took the remaining guns from the base and started a militia with his father. After establishing a rudimentary defense force he sailed away to train at the infamous Karate Island. He spent two years training there, becoming more disciplined and focused as well as stronger. By the time he returned to his hometown it had already been rebuilt and was mostly back to its former glory.
Two months later the same pirate crew from before returned, having had their fill at the Grand Line and decided to go back to the South Blue. But this time they were prepared. The new Marine base was once again useless, but Joe Church and his ragtag militia didn't just push back the pirates but also soundly defeated them and completely prevented civilian casualties. This angered the pirates, who called themselves the Firefly Pirates, and they struck again even harder the next day. This time they took lives, including Joe's father.
Once the battle was done and the pirates fled to the safety of the sea once again, Joe was a changed man. He had hoped he could protect his family and his home but it seemed that simply protecting them wasn't good enough. With the awakening of his Haki and a new fuel for vengeance, Joe sailed after the crew on a small boat in an attempt to finish them off for good. When they discovered he followed them they sunk his boat with cannonfire, though that did little to stop him as he caught up by swimming and climbed aboard anyways.
The next morning he sailed their ship back into port, having killed each and every one of the pirates on board. He felt ashamed for what he did but knew it was a necessity. To prevent the further destruction they would've caused. While he was greatly appreciated by his people for what he had done for them over the years, he felt as if he no longer belonged on Copper Island anymore. That something within him had changed and that he had to leave. The day he sailed away from Copper Island was the day he decided he was no longer Joe Church, but instead just Church. An homage to his father, who he believed the family name was greatly owed to.
It's been fifteen years since he started his journey. Church has come a long way, gaining himself a reputation in the South Blue as a force to be reckoned with. For the longest time he operated solo, using minimal navigational skills to get around. His wanderlust led him to many places of danger and hostility but he always came out unscathed and for the better. Many who met him had come to consider him a great man by the time he departed, but many would also beg to differ for the bodies he would leave behind on a bad day. Church only considered himself "a man", believing that morality wasn't his forte but he didn't want to abandon it completely. In time he eventually became a part of a pirate crew, something he had initial difficulty coming to terms with considering his history with pirates. But it didn't take long for Church to enforce his ways onto the crew, largely avoiding the more atrocious aspects of piracy in favor of honor and respect. Slow Hand is a famous name in the South Blue, but Church himself still is yet to find whatever it is he's been searching for. It wasn't fame or fortune, but one thing has led to another and here he is on the path to both.
Abilities/Race Traits:Kenbonshoku Haki - Observation Haki, also known as Mantra, that Church is very skilled in using. This assists him greatly in his marksmanship, allowing his already supernatural capability to skyrocket into something almost mythical. He can shoot targets without even looking or pick them off from extreme ranges. By predicting where they are going to be and tracking their movements Church can dominate an enemy without them ever knowing what hit them. He is always vigilant and he always hits his mark.
Incredible Marksmanship - Church's primary method of attack revolves around using revolvers. While his precision aiming, insane reflexes, and supernatural understanding of the battlefield mean he doesn't need very many bullets to deal with many enemies, Church still plays it safe and keeps five loaded guns on him. Two on the left side of his waist, one on his right, and one under each arm. All of them six-shooters, meaning he can fire 30 bullets before being forced to reload anything. His ammunition consists primarily of Seastone bullets.
Respectable Strength - Coming from the South Blue, it isn't a surprise that Church can handle himself without any guns. His quickdraw reflexes are phenomenal but he lacks pure speed and agility. Of course he also makes up for that by being much stronger than the average Marine, being just as capable of punching his way out of a situation as he is shooting his way out. A blow to the noggin and you'd almost wish he shot you instead, though realistically you'd probably be unconscious.
Fighting style:First and foremost, Church is a gunslinger. His speed and precision make him a force to be reckoned with, being capable of clearing a room of enemies in split-seconds on the dollar. Combined with his Haki he makes a good argument to perhaps be one of the best shooters around. It is his greatest asset, but it isn't his only asset. More often than not, Church prefers to save his bullets for a rainy day and use his fists and feet to solve his problems non-lethally. He isn't the fastest man but he is far from the weakest, being able to take on multiple opponents at once using a style reminiscent of kickboxing that focuses on hard, heavy hits to defeat foes in one or two powerful blows. If push comes to shove and the situation escalates to one of life or death he won't hesitate to draw his weapons. The beauty of his guns is that they are effective in close-quarters situations as well as at a distance, making him a versatile fighter that isn't afraid to engage with most enemies.
Ship Positions:Golden Fleece Pirates First Mate
Bounty:100 Beli, for littering (no wanted poster yet)
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