King Cosmos

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

“Feelings?” Oberon looked at Torrent curiously, wondering at the wording she had used. When the Lesser Wurm had seemed to explode with fire earlier, while inside the Giant Slime, that was her using the fire inside of her, her ‘feelings’, and pushing it out? “Yeah, I guess you could put it that way.”

Torrent walked away so she could practise her skills further away from him, leaving the Sprite to ponder on what she had just said. Was the idea of creating fire by pushing out your feelings just evocative wording or was it something more than that? Unlike the other spells he had seen so far, like Stone Shot or the Aqua Sphere he was working on, Fireball didn’t use any existing material to become fire; it just snapped into being, seemingly from nowhere. It was something he had wondered about before since it didn’t fit into his theory like everything else did.

Perhaps fire spells fed off the caster’s own energy, like their body heat, or perhaps it was formed from some less concrete but more romantic notion like the caster’s ‘inner fire’ or something. Maybe it didn’t need anything, and it was possible to cast elemental spells without any kind of medium to make it work. Using actual water to form an Aqua Sphere could be kind of like training wheels to help new magic users learn the spell, while more experienced individuals could cast it from thin air. Fire could be an exception because there was nothing physical to it; it was just heat and light after all.

Through all of this he couldn’t help but feel like he was scrabbling around trying to understand the most basic concepts of magic in this world, concepts that proper students of magic probably learnt during the first day of their studies. At some point he wanted to get his hands on a real book of magic or talk to a real magic user and figure things out. As fun as experimentation was it was equally frustrating not to know these things.

Still, it was interesting that Torrent thought of her fire spells in that way; feelings being expressed, or the fire inside you being brought forth. He was already fairly certain that intent was a strong component of spell casting, one that helped guide the Mana to do what you wanted it to, so it was probably equally true for your general approach to magic as a whole and the terms by which you made sense of it. Oberon thought of magic as a natural force; Mana was everywhere it seemed, in living things, in the air, even in the water and the ground and sunlight it seemed. Magic to him was manipulating this naturally occurring substance. Torrent thought about it her way, Crispy thought about it his way and Digbie and Ash likely had their own understanding of how they did what they did with Mana.

He should ask them about it sometime.

Meanwhile, his attempts to finalise the Aqua Sphere spell by absorbing water into his Mana Orb was progressing well, if the system announcement was any clue, but the fact that the streams current was destabilising the Mana Orb was a problem he would have to deal with. He flew into the air, looking around for some part of the stream where the current wasn’t as strong that he could move to, or else looking for something he could use to dam the current and provide some shelter for his experiments. After a little while he found what he was looking for in a small part of the stream was blocked off by a rock jutting out from the shore, the obstruction forming a kind of eddying pool where the water swirled around in a circle rather than flow onwards.

Creating another Mana Orb, Oberon sank it into this new part of the stream and began his experiment anew. He closed his eyes and tried to draw the water into the Orb, this time paying more attention to the stability of the Orb in case the miniature whirlpool was still enough to break the Mana apart even if it no longer washed it away.

The Sprite continued this until he was interrupted by Torrent’s shout. Releasing his latest attempt, the Mana Orb being washed away in moments by the stream, Oberon turned towards the Lesser Wurm as she fired a stream of intense fire into the water. Before the spell was finished Oberon use his Magic Analysis on it. “Wurm Breath?”

Action Report

Magical nerdery
Further attempts at turning "Mana Orb" into "Aqua Sphere", this time without the current washing it away
Used "Magic Analysis IV" on "Wurm Breath"

@Zeroth@Old Amsterdam

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

Together with the others Oberon helped move the supplies Ash and Torrent had gathered back to their hideout, the points he had put into Lesser Flight and Faster helping to speed things along somewhat. Even so, the multiple trips back and forth wore him out and by the time they were done the Sprite was beginning to regret his choice of starting creature; what he gained in magical ability came at the cost of having a body that was small and physically frail. In the future he may need to look into ways to increase his size or strength, or maybe he should take the time to finally learn the telekinesis ability the Wisp had shown him back in the cave.

Once they were settled in again Ash left almost immediately, asking them not to bother her unless it was important. Oberon was curious what the standoffish Pygmy Drake was working on, but asking her didn’t seem like a wise idea at the moment; he’d ask her later, if he got the chance.

Instead he turned towards the others, Digbie and Torrent, eager to share with them the discoveries he had made while he had been alone in the camp. “While you were gone I think I found a way to make spells of each element in a fast and simple way. It looks like plain Mana has an easy time absorbing the qualities of whatever’s around it, so if you hold a Mana Orb near to something like the stream and try to draw it into the Mana Orb, it’ll change the Orb to that element. I’ve started work on spells for water and air and I’ve already made a spell out of light.” He had no idea if this was something that the other two would be interested in, especially Torrent, but he was excited to have made a breakthrough that helped clarify his understanding of magic in this world and if it helped them to understand it as well then they should know.

It occurred to him that he didn’t know much about the people he was currently with or what their lives were like before this world; he was fairly sure Digbie was younger than him, by a lot actually, but nothing more than that. Ash on the other hand felt a lot older and Torrent… well, it would take a while to unpack the implications of what she had said about not knowing how old she was, or how throwing herself at threats was all she knew how to do.

“I’m going to go back to what I was doing before; the more elements we can use the easier time we’ll have during fights in the future. You’re both welcome to join me.” With that Oberon broke away from the pair, heading back towards the stream and kneeling down at its bank. Water had been easier to work with than air had been, so he would focus his efforts here first.

He created a Mana Orb in his hand and quickly submerged it in the flowing waters, closing his eyes and trying to feel rather than see what was happening. Repeating what he had done earlier he tried to draw the water into the Mana Orb, absorbing the element into the unaligned Mana and changing its elemental nature in the process.

Action Report

Shared discovery of plain Mana absorbing elemental natures with Digbie and Torrent
Attempting to create "Aqua Sphere" by submerging "Mana Orb" in the stream

@Zeroth@Old Amsterdam@Gardevoiran

Fate/Glimmering Oasis (F/GO)

Fierabras - Saber

“Agh, I thought I’d have a chance to draw sword, but the enemies are all dead already.” Saber looked past the young man to where the strange soldiers were currently dissolving into piles of what looked like mud, a disappointed look on his face partially hidden by his helmet.

“No matter; a victory is a victory I suppose. Are you hurt boy? I have something here that can cure anything if you need it!” Fierabras reached towards his belt and drew out a flask with a cork stopper, the contents within sloshing around thickly inside. The grin on his face as he proffered it towards the youth seemed friendly, if a little eager.

@Grey@GreenGoat@ItMeGritty

One Piece: The Great Age of Piracy (Sign-up's Always Welcome!)

West Blue

Somewhere out to sea

Ricardo the Iron Bull

“This is your last chance to surrender. Drop your weapons and relinquish control of your ship to us; failure to comply will only delay the inevitable.”

The sound of harsh, mocking laughter was the only reply that came from the pirates above, Ricardo tilting his head back to be able to see the mass of sneering faces peering over the railing of their ship. The galleon they had been pursuing for the last couple of hours was much larger than his own small marine vessel and judging by how many sets of eyes were on him now its crew was at least twice the size of his own. Clearly, they did not take his demands seriously.

Nonetheless he looked confident, standing tall on the deck of his galley with his arms crossed over his broad chest, most of his crew of twenty lined up behind him with rifles held in front of them; the guns weren’t aimed at the pirates just yet, instead resting in the palm of one hand and against shoulders as if they were lined up for inspection, but the implicit threat was there.

“Who does this idiot think he is, giving us orders? Doesn’t he realise how much trouble he’s in?”

“The marines all have big heads now just because they caught Gold Roger; think they own the seas.”

“Well, this one won’t have his head much longer, putting holes in captain’s nice new boat like this.”

More laughter rang out as the pirates joked among themselves. Indeed, Ricardo and his crew had managed to put a few holes in the larger ship before catching up to it, cannons and harpoons flying between them as they chased the pirates across the open waters of West Blue; a few of those harpoons were still stuck in the other vessel, ropes tied to the missiles connecting the galleon to their galley and forcing the pirates to stop and deal with them, hence the current standoff.

Ricardo raised his eyes slightly, looking past the amused faces to the sails above them and the stylised crossbones that decorated them; while the skull was normal the bones had been replaced by a pair of thin wooden clubs covered in iron spikes. “This is the vessel of the Iron Club Pirates, yes? Led by Captain “Iron Bar” Tetsubo?”

“Did you hear that? Our captain’s famous!”

“If he knows who we are he should know not to mess with us!”

“Surrender.” Ricardo cut through the voices of the pirates, interrupting their talk with his simple demand. “Or I will come up there and make you.”

There was no laughing this time, no jokes, no mirth. Maybe it was the new intensity that had entered Ricardo’s voice that let them know his patience had run out, or maybe it was the more direct threat of violence against them. Either way things were deathly silent in the moments following Ricardo’s statement until the sound of heavy footsteps, interspersed with a third, heavier beat, broke the tension.

“So the marine wants to act tough, eh? Stop bullying my crew and come up here, eh? If you want me to drop my weapons you gotta come up here and take ‘em yourself.”

At the invitation Ricardo made his move. As he bent his knees the line of marines behind him braced themselves before he leapt, his galley rocking violently in the water as he pushed off of the deck and launched himself up and over the railing and the heads of the pirates to land on the deck of the galleon.

The pirate crew no longer looked so amused now that he stood on level ground with them, most of them seemed to be bracing themselves for a fight while more than a few were backing away or outright cowering in fear. The only one who didn’t look worried was the man Ricardo presumed was the captain; taller than the rest of his crew, though shorter than Ricardo, and broad, he had a bald head covered in scars and in his mouth was a lit cigar. One hand rested on the handle of a large wooden club as the head covered with iron spikes sat on the ground; it was identical to the ones on his sail.

Tetsubo pulled the cigar from his mouth, blowing out a puff of smoke as he looked Ricardo up and down. “Aren’t you a big one? The hell do they feed you guys?” He flicked his cigar to shake loose some of the ash gathering at the end before putting it back in his mouth. “No matter; what’s my bounty at these days?”

“4 million Beli; for the crimes of piracy, theft, assault… and murder.” Crossing his arms again, Ricardo settled in as he waited to see what would happen. It looked like Captain Tetsubo wanted to talk for a while, probably so he could put on a show of not being intimidated for his crew before he tried to attack; hopefully he wouldn’t be so predictable and he would just come along quietly.

The pirate captain looked a little shocked at the number, eyes widening before his face scrunched up in an affronted expression “Wha’? Only 4? I feel like I’m not being taken seriously.” He lifted his club, swinging the weapon up to rest on his shoulder. “Especially not if I have marines thinking they can just jump onto my ship like this.”

They never wanted to come along quietly. “I take it you’re not going to surrender then?”

“Heh, I don’t know. Do you boys think I should surrender!?” The answering roar from the on looking pirates, who Ricardo now noticed had moved to surround him and cut off any retreat, clearly expressed their wish, even if the accompanying shouts of get ‘im captain and show ‘im who’s boss weren’t also included.

“Well then, I think you have your answer.” Tetsubo lifted the club from his shoulder and began to grip it with both hands. He began to pace forward, closing the distance between them as he held the club behind him and wound up for a big swing. “If you want me to hand over my weapon so bad, I’ll give you a taste of it.”

The heavy, lethal weapon rushed towards Ricardo as its wielder swung it with all of his might, only to stop dead as it met the marine lieutenant’s palm. Ricardo had uncrossed one arm, holding it out before him as he caught Tetsubo’s swing before it could reach him. The crowd, who had not ceased their shouting or cheering since their captain had called out to them, now fell silent once more as everyone aboard the vessel stared in shock.

A trickle of blood ran down Ricardo’s hand and onto his wrist, the spikes of the iron club digging into his palm, before dripping down to form a small puddle on the deck of the galleon. If the marine felt any discomfort however it didn’t show on his face, his expression not having changed since he had first asked for the surrender of this ship and their crew. “This club… has hurt a lot of people.” The muscles in Ricardo’s arm rippled, the vein’s in his wrist and only the back of his hand popping as he suddenly twisted the club in his grip, snapping the weapon in half.

Before anyone could react he unfolded his other arm and struck Tetsubo with the back of his other hand, sending the captain rolling across the deck to crash into the wall of his cabin behind him. As the pirate slumped to the ground the marine dropped the half of the club he still held to the deck, the dull sound it made seeming to snap the remaining pirates out of their daze as they began to either back away from him or draw their weapons to attack.

Turning towards the side of the ship, Ricardo tilted his head back and let out a shout. “Boarding action!” A few of the pirates froze, letting those words sink in and giving the marines from Ricardo’s crew time to climb up the side of the ship and over the railing to attack them from behind even as others prepared to fight back. Despite their lower numbers, the marines were better prepared and hadn’t just seen their captain be defeated in one hit and were able to quickly subdue a number of the pirate crew before they could mount a proper defence. Walking towards the largest group, where the fighting was thickest, Ricardo began to assist his crew by attacking the defending pirates from behind.

Hearing heavier footsteps approaching from the side, Ricardo turned and raised his arms just in time to block a powerful attack from some kind of weapon. Sliding back from the blow, the marine lieutenant paused as he felt the pain radiating out from where he had been hit; whatever he had been hit with had been strong enough that he would likely have severe bruising after this, maybe even a fracture or two as well.

Turning to face his attacker, Ricardo was unsurprised to see Captain Tetsubo back on his feet. In his hands he held a club much like the one that had just been broken, however closer inspection showed that this weapon was purely made of iron instead of just wood with iron spikes. Tetsubo grinned around the cigar in his mouth, unaware or uncaring of the fact that it had been bent when he had been struck.

“You didn’t think that was enough to stop me did you? You’re not the first marine to try and stop me and you won’t be the last.” The pirate captain rushed towards Ricardo, swinging his metal club in a downward stroke that the marine dodged. A follow up swing was also dodged, as was a third. “My name and my flag are known and feared all across the West Blue, and I’m going to show you why!”

Ricardo continued to dodge each swing as Tetsubo continued his assault, wary of trying to block or catch the weapon after he felt what it would do to even his body. Just as troublesome as the power of each attack was the speed at which they came, as the Captain showed he was more than just a dumb brute; he controlled the weight of his weapon well, carrying the momentum of each swing into the next attack and losing little time between swings. Ricardo could do nothing but dodge until he saw an opening to attack.

The moment came as Tetsubo began to tire; his attacks slowing slightly as swinging around that heavy weapon began to wear away at his stamina. A slight paused after one swing to catch a single breath was the only opening Ricardo needed as he charged forward and drove his shoulder into Tetsubo’s chest. He pushed the pirate captain back, the man staggering as he sought to stay standing, giving Ricardo even more time to prepare his next attack. Holding his arms crossed in front of him with his hands flat to form an X shape, Ricardo lowered his head and ran at his opponent.

“Charging Bull.”

The attack name was not shouted aloud for his opponent or any onlookers to hear, instead being said at a normal speaking volume as if for Ricardo’s own benefit. As his charge brought him in front of Tetsubo he flung his crossed arms outward, chopping the pirate captain with both arms and sending him flying again, this time crashing through the wall of his cabin and coming to a stop atop a pile of shattered furniture and broken timbers.

The fighting around him came to a sudden halt as both pirates and marines stopped to check on the captain; through the hole in the way it was clear to see that Tetsubo would not be getting up this time, as his open eyes showed nothing but white.

It didn’t take long for the remaining pirates to surrender upon seeing their captain fall and Ricardo’s crew were able to round them up without issue; a few had been injured in the fighting but their coordinated assault had worked well and they were experienced. Even outnumbered they had fought well. The pirate crew, including the still unconscious Tetsubo, were gathered in the centre of the deck and surrounded by armed marines. “You are now in our custody and will be transported to the nearest marine base so you may be arrested and charges officially brought against you. Any attempt to escape will be duly prevented and result in extra charges brought against you.

“Marines!” Every marine on deck snapped to attention. “Take any injured pirates and secure them in the brigs of either ship; they are to be provided treatment and to be made comfortable. These men are our responsibility now. The remainder will stay on the deck and be kept under armed guard. Sergeant, you have the helm of the galley; lead us home. I’ll stay here and help keep guard.”

“YES SIR!”

----

East Blue

A seedy bar on Starter Island

Shigeuchi the Trickster

The amber liquid swished around the inside of the glass as the holder swirled it around, his single eye getting lost in the motion as he seemed to almost put himself into a trance. An unlit cigarette hung from between his lips, more as a fashion statement than anything else; the man hadn’t smoked a single one since walking into the bar several hours ago.

Letting out a sigh which concentrated years of weariness into a single exhale Shigeuchi threw back the glass, downing the whiskey in one before lowering it back to the bar with a tap that seemed loud for how quiet the establishment was. The bartender made to refill it, uncorking the bottle and stepping forward, but the pirate placed his hand over the top of the glass to block him.

“No more for me.”

With a nod the bartender moved away to attend to his other patrons, the elderly man placing the bottle of whiskey back on the shelf as he went. Shigeuchi moved the glass aside and placed his elbows on the bar to lean forward, chin resting atop joined hands and one eye closed as he sank into deep thought.

Or fell asleep.

Definitely one of the two.

It had been weeks since his captain’s idiotic first born had left home, sailing off with nothing but a dinghy and a ton of paper, weeks since the captain’s first mate had told him to go keep an eye on him. Admittedly Shigeuchi wasn’t doing a very good job of that.

Since leaving the fleet he had seen neither hide, nor hair, not steering wheel of the kid. He had heard no word of the so called ‘Red Lion’ or even a rumour of a red-haired kid wandering around; and the kid was nothing if not memorable with that thing in his hair.

No bounties, no news, nothing at all. No clues to help Shigeuchi find Shiki’s wayward son.

So Shigeuchi had come to Starter Island, the world renowned floating boat yard of East Blue where many an aspiring pirate or merchant found their way; some of the finest ships in the world could trace their not-so-humble origins back to this place. It was also famous for being the place Gold Roger earned his first ever bounty and if there was one thing anyone knew about Nikko it was that he was crazy about Gold Roger.

Where better for Nikko to begin his journey than the place his idol started his?

Yet even here, no one had seen or heard tell of a red-haired youth fitting the kid’s description. It was starting to look more and more like Shigeuchi was going to have to return to the fleet empty-handed and try to explain how he had somehow lost the eldest son of their captain.

Maybe he would just stay here and drink instead.

@Reflection

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

As the Slime deflated Oberon let out a sigh of relief; although he hadn't felt in much danger himself during the fight, the near miss from the tendril at the start being an exception, he was still glad to see the end of combat. He was all too aware of how easily things could go wrong; this was not the predictable, safe environment of a video game, no matter what anyone else thought. Beetle's exploded, enemies levelled-up and caught you off guard with their new strength and maybe a Giant Slime could surprise you by being smarter or stronger than you thought.

This was a living breathing world with real and intelligent life forms. He had to remind himself of that sometimes, but every new combat just reinforced the concept in his mind.

Ash was currently admonishing the Lesser Wurm about her reckless tactics against the Giant Slime, which was something the Sprite could agree with. "Is anyone hurt? Torrent? Digbie?" The Goblin should have known better than to just stand in front of the Slime as it barrelled towards them and Torrent should have known better than to jump head-first into a creature that was accustomed to swallowing its prey whole. Maybe it was something he should bring up once they made it back to camp.

After gently scolding Torrent, Ash wanted them to help her carry her spoils back to the camp. Oberon would gladly help, but before that he had something to deal with; he had levelled-up after defeating the Slime and he needed to distribute some of his skill points before anything else.

He had no idea why the number of skill points they got with each level seemed to have jumped up so much, or why it seemed to be so inconsistent, but right now it meant he had 12 points to work with. Once again the Sprite decided to allocate them to skills that he would not easily be able to level up otherwise and since he had come so close to being caught by the Slime's first attack against him a few moments ago he put the points into Lesser Flight and Faster. "4 points into Lesser Flight II, 5 points into Faster."

With that done he flew over to where Ash was waiting, landing next to the Pygmy Drake so that they could start figuring out how best to transport the dissected frog back to their camp.

Action Report

Spent skill points - 4 points into "Lesser Flight II", 5 points into "Faster".

@Zeroth

One Piece: The Great Age of Piracy (Sign-up's Always Welcome!)

@King Cosmos If you wouldn't mind, Han could join either your marine or pirate. Working in the reason on how and why he joined would be easy. Both seem authoritative enough for my taste.

@RC3

My pirate isn't going to be a captain, so you can't join his crew; you'd have to ask Reflection about that.

As for Ricardo, are you looking for someone to reign Han in a bit? Seems like Han would be the troublesome new recruit that Ricardo would take under his wing in some misguided attempt to straighten him out. Maybe we could work something out like that?

One Piece: The Great Age of Piracy (Sign-up's Always Welcome!)

@Infichi this took longer to complete than I expected, but here's my marine. I already have a pirate in East Blue, so this guy will be starting in West Blue.

If anyone wants to be part of his crew, particularly the Sergeant, let me know.

Ricardo "Iron Bull" Borja

Name: Ricardo “The Iron Bull” Borja

Age: 28

Starting Location/Current Location: West Blue

Personality: Ricardo is a person who can truly be described as larger than life in a lot of respects and his personality is no different; loud, exuberant and with a cheerfulness that could fill a room, the eldest son of the Borja family often find himself the centre of attention. His noble upbringing grants him a certain bearing and poise, a refinement and awareness of social etiquette that many others in the marines lack, leading to Ricardo having something of a gentlemanly disposition.

As far as Ricardo is concerned there are few things in life as important, or which bear as much weight, as duty; duty to one’s family first and foremost, but also to oneself and to society as a whole. “Those who have the ability to do good have the responsibility to do so”; these are the words Ricardo’s father taught him as a child, the same words that have been passed down his family for generations, the words by with he lives. He owes it to his family to live up to their legacy, he owes it to himself to reach his fullest potential and he owes it to society to make use of the gifts he has been given, whether they be physical, intellectual or socially, to make the world a better place.

Pride is Ricardo’s biggest failing, though rarely is it personal pride. Pride in his family, pride in the marines, pride in those things bigger than himself that he serves; this pride blinds him to the failings of others at times, covering his eyes with a rosy tint that prevents him from seeing what is so blindingly obvious to others. He can be, at times, a bit dense.

Dream/Goal: Ricardo is not much of a dreamer; he has no real hatred for pirates in principle, so he doesn’t wish for a word without them, not does he have any grand ambitions like becoming Fleet Admiral or even a hero. No one individual has earned enough of his ire for him to want to see them fall or seek revenge against them, nor has he met anyone special enough for him to dedicate his life to.

His goals are to perform his duty admirably and honourably, to protect the people of the world from those who would do them harm, to make his family proud of the son they have raised and to keep his crew safe in his pursuit of all of that. In the future, maybe finding a wife and settling down would be nice, but anything beyond his current duties is something not worth wondering over at the moment.

History: The eldest son of the Borja family, a minor noble family that has lived in West Blue for generations and whose family crest is a shining sun, Ricardo was taught from a young age that their privilege came with a responsibility; because they were more fortunate than others and in a better position to make positive change in the world, it was their duty not to misuse that power for their own gain, but instead to use it for the betterment of society.

These lessons might sound like a romantic fantasy to some, and in reality the Borja family probably didn’t live up to their own lofty ideals most of the time, but young Ricardo took those teaching to heart. As a boy he thought a lot about what he could do that would make a difference, but as a child there wasn’t much he could think of due to his limited knowledge of the world; all he knew was that he wanted to do something big. Although his family probably only meant to teach him to live his life considerately and without falling into corruption or vice, perhaps donate to charity or organise events, young Ricardo set his sights higher than that.

As Ricardo grew older it became increasingly obvious that he was going to be blessed with abnormal size and strength, being taller and broader than his peers and already as strong as a grown man by the age of 13. As he came to this realisation it became clearer that whatever path Ricardo eventually took would involve using his strength to help people; this idea was further cemented in his mind the first time he saw the marines in action, witnessing a fight between a small pirate crew and a detachment of marines at the port of his home town. From that day he made it his mission to join the marines and protect people.

At the age of 18 Ricardo enlisted at the 80th Branch Marine Base in West Blue, signing up as a simple cadet despite his background. Since then he has patrolled the waters of West Blue, working his way up the ranks until he became a lieutenant and was given command of his own boat and crew; for his brute strength and straight forward approach to combat he has earned the moniker “Iron Bull”.

Crew: As an officer in the marines Ricardo has a small crew of 20 capable men and women, including a Sergeant, under his command.

Ship: A small galley, large enough for a crew of his size and fit for purpose. It is well maintained and in kept in near pristine condition; aside from a figurehead in the shape of a bull’s head it is indistinguishable from any other unadorned marine vessel.

Specialty/Profession: A lieutenant in the marines, Ricardo’s main role is to lead and inspire his crew while also acting as the vanguard in any combat they may enter.

Rank: Lieutenant

Fighting Style: An all-out offensive assault is the only way Ricardo knows how to fight and it has served him well so far. Utilising his large and powerful body he rushes towards his opponents and crushes them, using a fighting style that is more brute strength than technique. When attacking he strikes with either his fists, arms or shoulders for the most part but there is not a single part of his body that he won’t use to defeat his opponent.

His bulky form is able to withstand a large amount of punishment and he has a high pain tolerance and a stubborn disposition, allowing him to power through his opponent’s attacks to deliver his own.

Weapons: His body

Devil Fruit: None

Items: His uniform and a few personal effects from home are all that Ricardo possesses at the moment, photos of his family and such. The marines provide anything else he might need.

Color: My lineage shines as brightly as the sun. Did you expect anything else?

One Piece: The Great Age of Piracy (Sign-up's Always Welcome!)

Shigeuchi the Trickster

Name: Shigeuchi the Trickster

Age: 34

Starting Location/Current Location: East Blue

Personality: “Work smarter, not harder”; that’s the motto by which Shigeuchi lives his life. He’s a man who dislikes making things complicated, one who’s always looking for the easiest option without compromising on the end result; the mark of a job well done is not exceeding expectations but by meeting expectations with time and resources to spare. That said, he also believes that a job worth doing is one worth doing well; his approach to life should not be mistaken for laziness or sloppiness.

This makes him very good at organising and leading people towards completing a task, while at the same time making him something of a nightmare to work under. He is very particular about the way things are done, can be strict and demanding of his underlings. He is quick to anger when mistakes are made but also quick to forgive and forget in the name of keeping things moving. Furthermore, Shigeuchi is also very frugal; a perennial penny-pincher who approaches purchases with a mentality of only buying what’s ‘good enough’ and nothing more. He is not one to indulge in frivolous needs.

Lastly, Shigeuchi is absurdly unambitious for a pirate. He never seeks out responsibility or power, instead finding it placed in his lap without ever looking for it and grumbling about how troublesome it makes his life the whole time. He is someone who cannot fathom how he ended up where he has, with people under his command and a heap of responsibility weighing on his shoulders; he’ll complain and lament his existence constantly, even as he works hard at his given task.

Dream/Goal: Dreams? Shigeuchi doesn’t have many right now. A life without complications would probably be his answer; money would help with that, so would power, while fame would be a detriment. Unfortunately as a pirate those things tend to go hand in hand.

For now his goal would be keeping his old captain’s son alive. Maybe work at helping him become stronger than his father someday, if the boy’s willing.

History: Where to start? Shigeuchi first became a pirate as a teenager, being recruited as a lowly deck hand in the fleet of Shiki the Golden Lion the one time the large pirate fleet docked at his home town for supplies; they were looking for new blood and Shigeuchi was looking for a way out of his current situation, seeking a life of freedom with the pirate crew. This was not a well thought out decision.

It turned out that being the lowest rung of the ladder on a fleet of cutthroats and brigands was not the easy life he had imagined it to be however and did not remotely live up to the romantic image most young idiots have of a life at sea. Shigeuchi was put hard to work by the crew, was given little freedom or pay in return and for the most part spent the next couple of years bored and tired. It was a simple life however, one that didn’t require much thought on his part and he always knew more or less what the next day would bring.

He was a hard worker however and seemed to have a talent for directing his fellow workers so as to make them more efficient and effective, something which didn’t go unnoticed. Bit by bit he was promoted up the ranks of the crew, at one point or another in his twenty years of being a pirate holding almost every position that didn’t require specialist knowledge or skills, almost always in a position to order or organise other crew members. Shigeuchi complained every step of the way, always grumbling about the complications and extra responsibilities his new role brought, but generally accepted because it was always easier to be the one giving the order than the one trying to correct the orders of others.

At some point Shigeuchi even found himself in charge of an entire division, only one of over fifty in Shiki’s fleet but a division nonetheless. As part of his new position he was even given a Devil Fruit, the Kōkan-Kōkan No Mi, both as a reward for his promotion and to make him a stronger member of Shiki’s fleet. The Devil Fruit and its associated curse was another complication he never wanted, but at least the power to move himself and his crew around the ship near instantaneously was useful for keeping things moving.

Shigeuchi worked as a division commander for a little over a year when Roger went and got himself executed and the Admiral’s eldest son got it into his head to run off and start his own crew. As a result, Shigeuchi was ordered to go after the brat and become a member of his crew, to assist him in whatever he wanted to do and to keep him alive while trying to convince him to join his father’s fleet.

His life has never felt more complicated than right now.

Crew: Freelance, for the moment

Ship: None. He is not a member of any crew currently and has no ambitions of starting his own, so for now he’s just paying his way on other ships as he chases down the brat he’s supposed to look after.

Specialty/Profession: A swordsman of some skill, he’s decent in a fight, but his specialty would probably be as a foreman or a first mate. He’s good at keeping people organised and on track; he’s got a track record of keeping things running smooth and efficient.

Fighting Style: As a swordsman, the way Shigeuchi fights should be obvious; to put it simply it involved getting as close to the enemy as possible and sticking his sword in them before they do the same to him. That said he’s only a semi-decent duellist, nothing special as far as swordsman go, so he needs to rely on more than just his skills to win. He uses a longer sword than most and wields it two-handed, relying on strength and technique more than speed to beat his opponents.

Shigeuchi’s epithet of ‘Trickster’ comes from the way in which he uses his Devil Fruit power as he fights. His Devil Fruit allows him to swap places with another object of similar size, including his opponent; he uses this power to instantly chance his or his opponent’s position on the battlefield, confusing them and using that to his advantage.

Weapons: A tachi; like a katana but with a longer blade and a deeper curve, for those of you who don’t know. He also carries a tanto as a backup weapon.

Devil Fruit: Kōkan-Kōkan No Mi – A Paramecia type fruit known as the Exchange-Exchange Fruit. It allows the user to exchange two objects of roughly equal size, having them trade places instantaneously with each other. At the moment Shigeuchi is only able to use his Devil Fruit power on himself, trading places with another object within his range so long as that object is about the same size as himself, but eventually he’ll be able to exchange an object he is holding or touching with another and maybe even swapping any two objects or people he can see.

Items: Aside from his weapons, the clothes on his back and a bag with a few basic supplies, Shigeuchi doesn’t have much in the way of possessions.

Bounty: 0 Beli

Color: It’s gray. Hope it’s not too hard to read.

Ricardo "Iron Bull" Borja

Name: Ricardo “The Iron Bull” Borja

Age: 28

Starting Location/Current Location: West Blue

Personality: Ricardo is a person who can truly be described as larger than life in a lot of respects and his personality is no different; loud, exuberant and with a cheerfulness that could fill a room, the eldest son of the Borja family often find himself the centre of attention. His noble upbringing grants him a certain bearing and poise, a refinement and awareness of social etiquette that many others in the marines lack, leading to Ricardo having something of a gentlemanly disposition.

As far as Ricardo is concerned there are few things in life as important, or which bear as much weight, as duty; duty to one’s family first and foremost, but also to oneself and to society as a whole. “Those who have the ability to do good have the responsibility to do so”; these are the words Ricardo’s father taught him as a child, the same words that have been passed down his family for generations, the words by with he lives. He owes it to his family to live up to their legacy, he owes it to himself to reach his fullest potential and he owes it to society to make use of the gifts he has been given, whether they be physical, intellectual or socially, to make the world a better place.

Pride is Ricardo’s biggest failing, though rarely is it personal pride. Pride in his family, pride in the marines, pride in those things bigger than himself that he serves; this pride blinds him to the failings of others at times, covering his eyes with a rosy tint that prevents him from seeing what is so blindingly obvious to others. He can be, at times, a bit dense.

Dream/Goal: Ricardo is not much of a dreamer; he has no real hatred for pirates in principle, so he doesn’t wish for a word without them, not does he have any grand ambitions like becoming Fleet Admiral or even a hero. No one individual has earned enough of his ire for him to want to see them fall or seek revenge against them, nor has he met anyone special enough for him to dedicate his life to.

His goals are to perform his duty admirably and honourably, to protect the people of the world from those who would do them harm, to make his family proud of the son they have raised and to keep his crew safe in his pursuit of all of that. In the future, maybe finding a wife and settling down would be nice, but anything beyond his current duties is something not worth wondering over at the moment.

History: The eldest son of the Borja family, a minor noble family that has lived in West Blue for generations and whose family crest is a shining sun, Ricardo was taught from a young age that their privilege came with a responsibility; because they were more fortunate than others and in a better position to make positive change in the world, it was their duty not to misuse that power for their own gain, but instead to use it for the betterment of society.

These lessons might sound like a romantic fantasy to some, and in reality the Borja family probably didn’t live up to their own lofty ideals most of the time, but young Ricardo took those teaching to heart. As a boy he thought a lot about what he could do that would make a difference, but as a child there wasn’t much he could think of due to his limited knowledge of the world; all he knew was that he wanted to do something big. Although his family probably only meant to teach him to live his life considerately and without falling into corruption or vice, perhaps donate to charity or organise events, young Ricardo set his sights higher than that.

As Ricardo grew older it became increasingly obvious that he was going to be blessed with abnormal size and strength, being taller and broader than his peers and already as strong as a grown man by the age of 13. As he came to this realisation it became clearer that whatever path Ricardo eventually took would involve using his strength to help people; this idea was further cemented in his mind the first time he saw the marines in action, witnessing a fight between a small pirate crew and a detachment of marines at the port of his home town. From that day he made it his mission to join the marines and protect people.

At the age of 18 Ricardo enlisted at the 80th Branch Marine Base in West Blue, signing up as a simple cadet despite his background. Since then he has patrolled the waters of West Blue, working his way up the ranks until he became a lieutenant and was given command of his own boat and crew; for his brute strength and straight forward approach to combat he has earned the moniker “Iron Bull”.

Crew: As an officer in the marines Ricardo has a small crew of 20 capable men and women, including a Sergeant, under his command.

Ship: A small galley, large enough for a crew of his size and fit for purpose. It is well maintained and in kept in near pristine condition; aside from a figurehead in the shape of a bull’s head it is indistinguishable from any other unadorned marine vessel.

Specialty/Profession: A lieutenant in the marines, Ricardo’s main role is to lead and inspire his crew while also acting as the vanguard in any combat they may enter.

Rank: Lieutenant

Fighting Style: An all-out offensive assault is the only way Ricardo knows how to fight and it has served him well so far. Utilising his large and powerful body he rushes towards his opponents and crushes them, using a fighting style that is more brute strength than technique. When attacking he strikes with either his fists, arms or shoulders for the most part but there is not a single part of his body that he won’t use to defeat his opponent.

His bulky form is able to withstand a large amount of punishment and he has a high pain tolerance and a stubborn disposition, allowing him to power through his opponent’s attacks to deliver his own.

Weapons: His body

Devil Fruit: None

Items: His uniform and a few personal effects from home are all that Ricardo possesses at the moment, photos of his family and such. The marines provide anything else he might need.

Color: My lineage shines as brightly as the sun. Did you expect anything else?

One Piece: The Great Age of Piracy (Sign-up's Always Welcome!)

I like it, you should join your old boss's son. Go to him... Cause Jason and him will not get along... "What do you mean I can't spend my money? then what's the point of money!"

@Infichi

Does this mean he's accepted? I wanted to ask about bounties actually; since he's not exactly a rookie at this pirate thing, though he did kind of fly under the radar being a part of such a large fleet, he probably would have some kind of bounty on his head already.

I'm going to be starting my Marine in either east or west blue, Since i plan on going Lt. He'll be a leader... sort of... I'm going to begin working on him soon.

@Infichi

I'm going for a Lieutenant as well. The profile is already mostly written up, I just need to finish the personality and history which I'll do tomorrow.

One Piece: The Great Age of Piracy (Sign-up's Always Welcome!)

Sounds like we have a few marines in the works then, as well as two pirate crews. It also sounds like we are going to be mostly split between East and West Blue for the most part, one pirate crew in each which works out nicely.

Does anyone want to crew up as marines? I'll be starting in West Blue with that character.