An Audience With The Emperor [Sakana]

[long1]

Upon the calm seas of East Blue a large vessel tore its way through the water. It dominated the seas, speaking power and wearing pride. There was little else for miles, though upon the horizon islands could be seen in various directions. But it wasn't just the ship that was responsible for the tremendous aura of power - indeed, the ship itself may have been impressive, but nothing no other ship could imitate. The feeling of power, the aura of strength - that came not from the ship itself, but what was on it. Hoisted high on the ship's main mast was a black flag. A skull and crossbones surrounded by the image of a shining sun - the Jolly Roger of none other than the Rising Sun Pirates. And of course, everyone knew that the leader of the Rising Sun Pirates was the Yonkou "Sharktooth" Lao Hu Long.

Upon the main deck, everything was eerily calm. No deck hands wandered about, for the ship had chosen to drop anchor at this very spot in the middle of the sea. The only reason he would ever do so, of course, was because the only man upon the deck wanted his ship to be seen. He wanted to make it clear he was waiting. The blond Fishman stood alone on the deck, standing by the helm as he awaited a messenger. Someone from his old home of Fishman Island had been sent to speak to him on behalf of Ryugu Palace. He hadn't been informed of who, but he was more than willing to speak with Ryugu Palace. After all, he too had once been a member of the army of Ryugu Palace. They deserved to be heard, at the very least.

"It's almost time..." he remarked lowly to himself, watching the seas. A smaller vessel was approaching his and a white flag informed him it was non-hostile. He was certain, then - this was the messenger sent to speak with him. Folding his arms in front of his chest, his Captain's coat fluttered around him in the breeze. Striding towards the edge, he unfolded his arms and grabbed a rope ladder, holding it firmly before casting it over the side of the ship, where it fell down far before stopping just as it hit the water. The other end of the rope ladder clung tightly to the railing. He walked back from the edge, standing beside the helm again as he awaited the messenger. He wanted to let them make their own entrance, rather than simply look over the side to see them as they climbed. He couldn't help but wonder as he looked at the railing - would the messenger be a soldier he recognized?

[Sakana Iryoku]

The ship she had purchased for this task was small and it only required a single person to sail it. It was fortunate that the weather wasn't bad otherwise her ship might of been able to handle it. As she had approached she had been thinking about Lao. She hadn't seen him for many years, not since they were both members of the fishman karate dojo on fishman island.

When her ship got close enough she anchored it next to the larger ship, but rather than climbing the ladder she grabbed hold of the bottom and leapt up onto the ship taking the ladder with her.

"Long time no see Lao. Remember me?" she said with a slight smile as she handed him the rope ladder.

[long1]

He had to admit, he hadn't quite been expecting the entrance the messenger decided to make. Rather than climb the rope ladder, she had chosen instead to grab it and leap up from her own vessel, shooting through the air before landing down on the deck of his ship with the rope ladder in hand. Her body was a pale yellow and red, with 'hair' that was not really so much hair as it was a part of her body that resembled hair. She possessed a tall, slender figure that was not quite his height, but close. Her form was clad in a white tunic and reddish-pink trousers, but what drew his attention was a pendant hanging from her neck. She seemed familiar, but it wasn't until she flashed him a smirk and spoke that he realized who she was.

"S-Sakana!" he exclaimed, unable to contain his surprise. The normally serious and gruff disposition of the Yonkou had slipped away at the sight of an old friend, but he quickly donned it like a coat once more as he composed himself, standing upright and proper. His arms folded as he looked into her eyes, his expression like stone. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised... You were the one who convinced me to become a member of the Ryugu Palace Guard, after all. It only stands to reason you would join as well," he remarked, his tone a little less warm than she might have been expecting but not out of any kind of malice. Lao Hu's social skills had declined since his youth, and he wasn't entirely sure how to react to an old friend.

"It's good to see you're doing well. They must trust you well to have sent you to speak with me..." he commented, musing about his old home. His old allies. His old King and Queen. The blond Tiger Shark Fishman closed his eyes for a moment as he pictured Fishman Island as he remembered it. What had changed? Had the crown passed from father to son? Was anything the same as he remembered it? He slowly opened his eyes, looking back to his old friend. "You can drop the rope ladder on the deck anywhere you wish. It's not going anywhere," he told her, a little more impolitely than he intended. A lot had changed over the years since he'd seen her - eighteen years in total. For one, he no longer seemed to smile.

[Sakana Iryoku]

Judging by his reaction it seemed he had not recognised her straight away until she spoke. Her voice hadn't changed much, but her figure had developed a lot since then. It had been nearly two decades since they had last seen eachother and she'd only been in her childhood back then whilst he had been a teenager. His body seemed older and tougher, but it was still instantly recognisable to her. She was quite glad she'd managed to catch him off guard. He seemed more like his old self for that brief moment then the yonkou he had become.

"It wasn't so much a choice. The eldest female of my family always joins the Ryugu Guard." she replied with a shrug as she dropped the rope ladder. "As for trust, I should hope so. I'm a member of the royal family's personal guard now." Whilst the neptune army guarded the palace and fishman island, which she too did, the royal guard protected the royal family directly. They were the most trusted guards and generally the best. "I'm one of the few who is sent on missions to the surface. It was probably that and the fact we know eachother that I was sent rather than a proper ambassador. They obviously felt I'd be the most effective."

The fishwoman looked about the ship and nodded. It was an impressive ship, befitting one of the Four Emperors. Funny to think that a fishman could become one of the four emperors. Normally pirates weren't fond of fishmen and merfolk except as trophies or things to sell.

"You have done well for yourself. Is your brother doing well? You left the army to save him right?" she said not realizing what had happened. She'd heard Zambezi had been captured and that Lao had gone off to rescue him, but that was the last she heard. Then rumours came in he'd become a yonkou and once those were confirmed she was sent to speak with him. That was why she was here today. There were important matters to discuss, but this was a chance for her to catch up with an old friend and she wasn't going to pass it up. There was plenty of time for buisness.

[long1]

"A member of the Royal Guard?" he remarked with interest. But to a certain extent, he wasn't too surprised. She had always been talented in the use of Fishman Karate, even as a child. It made sense that if anyone could rise up to the ranks of the Royal Guard, it would be someone dedicated and hardworking like her. Looking at her, it seemed as if she hadn't changed much - her appearance had certainly changed a lot since the last time they spoke, but she was still just like he remembered her. It was somewhat comforting, at the very least, to know that not everything had changed. "I suppose you must have stuck with your training for the past eighteen years. Congratulations".

He listened as she spoke, explaining the possible reason for why she had been chosen. The Royal Family was probably aware they had both been trained in the Fishman Karate dojo together. It made sense that they would send her. Not to mention, of course, that sending an ambassador might have caught the World Government's attention. He began to feel a little more relaxed as she spoke, remembering old times, but then she asked him about Zambezi. His body froze for a moment, his eyes looking away as he felt his throat turn dry. He shouldn't have been surprised she would mention his older brother, but it made him hesitate to speak.

"I guess you haven't heard then... I suppose I'm not surprised Ryugu Palace would never have heard about it..." he muttered lowly under his breath, his voice a raspy whisper. His body tensed a little again, but his eyes turned back to look at her, pinning his gaze onto hers as he spoke again. "Zambezi is dead, Sakana. He died six years ago protecting my life," he told her, his voice morose and grave. His brother's face flashed in front of his eyes for a brief moment. All the times the three of them had trained together in the dojo, under the supervision of their sensei... It was terrible to think that now, there was only two of them. His eyes began to look down towards his feet, towards the deck. Bitter memories welled up inside him. He'd failed his brother.

[Sakana Iryoku]

Her training had indeed been kept up. She never stopped training. There was always something new to learn, something new to master. And if there wasn't....well she'd invent things to learn. A few of the fishman karate techniques now being taught were ones she had created or to be more accurate, ones she had advanced to a new level. The shark tile true punch was one she had advanced particularly well. She was about to tell him about this when he mentioned about Zambezi being dead and for six years? How had the ryugu kingdom not heard about this? Surely a yonkou having a dead brother would be big news, if only in the new world. Her face dropped completely. She couldn't believe it. But his face showed it to be true.

"I'm so sorry." she said sadly placing a hand on his shoulder. A tear actually formed in her eye which she wiped out with her other hand. Whilst she had been a lot younger then them she had liked the pair greatly and they had inspired her. The three had spent a lot of time together at the dojo. It was common to see the three practicing together. Their trio being reduced to two hit her hard. Though she couldn't imagine how hard it had hit him.

"Is his death the reason you are so against the world government?" she asked curiously. It would explain it. Most pirates were against the world government, it was part of being a pirate. However, she'd heard that he was a revolutionary who would not hesitate to destroy the entire world government if he could.

[long1]

His body had tensed for a moment as she reached out and laid a hand on his shoulder. But after a few moments his body relaxed a little under her touch. At the very least, there was still someone he remembered left in his life. his body leaned back against the helm, his eyes continuing to look downward for a moment. He heard her apologize, but he couldn't understand why. It wasn't her fault. No, the only ones who should apologize were the World Government. But he'd long since given up on forgiving them. There would be no forgiveness in his eyes. He heard her ask if the death of Zambezi was the reason for his revolution against the World Government, but he shook his head in response before looking back into her eyes.

"I won't deny that it's a part of the reason... But Zambezi isn't the only reason I'm fighting the World Government. Sakana, I'm sure you remember that the reason I abandoned my post in the first place was because Zambezi had been caught by slave traders..." he told her. Standing upright away from the helm again he strode across the deck, looking out towards the ocean as he unfolded his arms. He didn't look at her as he continued to speak. "Even though I abandoned my post and vowed to take back my brother with my own hands... I failed miserably. The both of us were sold as slaves to the highest bidder".

At that point, he turned back to the young woman he had even considered a little sister in the past. But now, in his eyes, there was no longer sadness, but venom. They weren't the eyes she would remember. The anger inside him made his eyes look less like those of a Fishman's and more like those of a Sea King's. An untamed beast. "As it turns out, the World Government is the highest bidder there is. For ten years, I've had to crawl under the heel of that scum that calls itself a peacemaker!" his voice was like thunder. His fists tightened as he slowly subsided, letting his anger cool like the metal of a newly forged sword. "Sakana, I'm trusting you with my greatest shame; that I was too weak to protect even my brother! But as the leader of the Revolutionaries, I refuse to let that happen again!".

[Sakana Iryoku]

Sakana listened to his words. He had been a slave? Both of them had been slaves? And not of some pirate or something like that, but the world government? And the world government were responsible for his brother's death? That was enough reason to want them destroyed. Then again, the world government were often responsible for selling fishmen and merfolk as slaves. The tenryuubito anyway. That was one of the reason's she was here.

"Your secret will remain with me." she said and probably to his surprise she wrapped her arms around him and embraced him in a hug. This was only for a few seconds before she stepped back and looked at him. "Coincidentally it is about the world government, in a way, that I have been sent to speak with you." She took a deep breath and decided to become more official. Now it was time for business, or at least the beginning of it. There would be more later she felt.

"Fishman island's citizens, merfolk and fishmen alike, are still being taken and sold by members of the world government as well as pirates." she said calmly and seriously. "We are strong, but our numbers are not great enough to protect all the citizens, especially when they go to visit other areas." Now that the explanation was over it was time to do what she came here to do.

"In the past we have been protected by powerful pirates and it kept us safe." she stated and then decided to ask the question. The big question. The whole reason she was here. "We want you to be our new protector. As a yonkou you should put enough fear into some to keep them away and well....the ryugu guard will deal with the rest."

[long1]

When he felt her embrace him in a hug, he tensed again. But this time it was only for a moment, for a moment later his arm wrapped around her, hugging her back. Making it clear he appreciated the gesture, even if his face showed little change. His features began to relax a little, however, becoming less tense. But all the same, they took a more serious look as he let go of her, watching her stand back and take a more professional look. They were meeting about business, after all. It was time for him to hear what message she had been sent to deliver. Standing upright, he folded his arms and opened his ears to her words. He listened as she told him of the Fishmen and Merfolk abducted from the island and taken as slaves by the World Government. A fire burned in his heart, but he tempered it with nerves of steel.

"I see. The Royal Family are probably grateful that of all people to become a Yonkou, it would be a Fishman," he remarked. It didn't take him very long to make his decision, of course. In a way, it may as well have gone without saying. "You can tell the King himself that I give my word not as a pirate, a revolutionary or even as a former soldier, but as a Fishman, I will protect Fishman Island. If the World Government picks a fight with Fishman Island, send for me. I'll wage war if I have to," he told her, his eyes sharp and focused. One of his arms began to rise as he pointed upwards, not towards the sky, but towards the Jolly Roger that flew above his ship's mast. The skull and crossbones within the shining sun.

"Fly my flag in Fishman Island and no one should bother you. It should be more than enough," he told her. His eyes glanced up at his own flag for a moment. The Rising Sun Pirates, the revolutionaries - This was their purpose. To protect the innocent from the tyranny of the World Government. "This should be better than leaving Fishman Island in the hands of the other Yonkou... They would probably demand something in return for their protection. You don't need to worry about offering me anything in return," he told her. Of course he wouldn't ask for anything in return. Why would he ask anything of his homeland? He'd defend it even if they didn't ask.

"Before you go, Sakana, I have something to ask," he spoke once more, folding his arms. "Fishman Island... Has it changed much since I left?".

[Sakana Iryoku]

He had accepted so quickly and so easily. Also with such conviction. Yet he asked for nothing in return. She smiled slightly. That was more like the Lao she remembered. He was always loyal to fishman island. She had been very surprised to hear him quite the neptune army. It wasn't until she found out the reason that she believed it. His question surprised her a bit. Was he that nostalgic for fishman island?

"Well, not much really. Why don't you come back soon and see for yourself." she replied with a shrug. It wasn't that she didn't want to tell him anything, but describing things like that was a pain. Plus she wanted him to come home, at least once. "Maybe then you can learn some of the new fishman karate techniques we've developed, even better than the old ones. Our master would be very glad to see you" She looked up at the sky and then nodded. She had an idea.

"How about I test your skills Lao? Make sure you haven't got rusty."

[long1]

"Return to Fishman Island, huh?" he repeated her words, looking skyward for a moment as he watched the seagulls flying in the wind. This whole meeting had been nostalgic - a return to a time long gone by. His expression changed little, but his features seemed to soften for the first time throughout the entire conversation. "Yeah... I suppose if Fishman Island is under my protection, it's only right I return to make it official. It's been almost twenty years..." he commented. But his tone was less serious or rough. For a moment, it sounded a lot like the person he'd once been before he'd left Fishman Island. He listened closely as she began to talk about Fishman Karate and the improvements that had been made. In spite of himself, for the first time in a long while he smiled.

"You always said you wanted to even be better than your seniors... Well, it's been a while. You've got yourself an opponent," he told her, looking back to her with that familiar smirk that had almost been forgotten to his face. Stepping away from the railing he walked around her, keeping a small distance between them before he raised his arms. His hands remained open, but with an anticipation to move. His sharpened teeth were bared just a little as he showed a confident look in his eyes. His water gourd hung by his hip as it always did, but he wouldn't need it. The water in the atmosphere here was more than enough, unless she wanted to take it into the ocean. It wouldn't be unlike her, he reasoned.

"Sakana... Even if you've grown, it's naive to think I've gotten rusty. I didn't become so infamous by sitting on my backside," he snarked, bluntly rude but in a way that was reminiscent of his younger self. Having a sparring match with Sakana right now was more than just a test of strength or ability - it was a return, however brief, to a time long gone by. A time when his worries weren't so great. It was almost soothing. As he kept his arms raised, one hand gestured for her to come. He wanted to see just how much she'd improved.

[Sakana Iryoku]

Without a moment's hesitation the woman took a single step backwards and then backflipped diving into the sea and quickly swimming deep, deeper than a human could withstand. A fishman was strongest in the ocean and some of her best techniques required a large amount of water. In terms of combat she had never lost a battle of fishman karate since becoming a master in her own right. Heck, she'd rarely ever lost any kind of battle. She was strong. She was a member of the royal family's personal guard. Still, her opponent was a yonkou and a fishman with a more vicious version of shark dna. She was a nurse shark, he was a tiger shark. His teeth were also similar to that of a shark giving him one edge she didn't.

Fishman karate, the art of using moisture and one's body to create powerful techniques. Something both were trained in. This would be a true battle of skill. She wouldn't use her weapons because they were not part of fishman karate. As she waited for him to follow she formed her hands into a bowl shape and began to manipulate the water. This was Mizugokoro. A pre-requisite for using some of the techniques of fishman karate.

Not for many of the ones she knew, but for one in particular she hoped to use it was essential. Now all she had to do was wait.

[long1]

He watched as, rather than face him on the deck, she chose instead to leap over the edge and into the water below. He probably shouldn't have been surprised - there was no reason they couldn't fight in the water, being both Fishmen after all. As soon as she'd jumped, he'd quickly ran to the edge of the ship and leapt over the railing, diving downwards into the water after her. His blonde hair flapped behind as he descended, before he crashed with force through the water's surface. Now he descended further down, his body correcting itself into an upright position as his form floated in space. Before him, Sakana had already arrived in the water and now she pulled on it with a technique both of them had learned long ago.

"This takes me back..." he muttered, his face still calm and focused. Approaching too quickly would just lead him into her attack. It was likely she would make use of Kairyuu Ipponzeoi, he told himself, but he was more wary than that. He'd been gone for a long, long time. He'd even made his own techniques. As Sakana pointed out earlier, so had she. In all likelihood she could possess any number of techniques that would go hand in hand with Gyojin Jujutsu: Mizugokoro. Attacking recklessly would invite disaster. So instead, he began to think. What if the first move was a distraction for another attack? He didn't want to use his own moves recklessly. Raising one arm in front defensively, he pulled his other arm back in anticipation.

"You said you've developed your own techniques, haven't you? Then let me see how much you've improved!" he goaded her. And yet as he did so, he couldn't help but smirk. It was friendly, but competitive. Deep down, there was still that pride of his. He wanted to win.

[Sakana Iryoku]

The techniques she had developed and improved weren't really gyojin jujutsu based. They were just karate techniques. The mizugokoro's main use was the sea current lifter which allowed the user to manipulate currents so they were above the surface. However, that did not have much use here, but two technique sshe had learned since their days training did. One in particular though suited her as a shark quite a bit and was one of her more powerful techniques. That was what she would use.

"Murasame." she said and then threw the ball of water at him. As it flew towards him it split and seperated forming five large sharks which charged at him aiming to bite him. This was an advanced version of the yabusame.

It would be interesting to see how he responded to the technique as for a brief moment it just seemed to be a larger uchimizu. Yet now, now it was something much more deadly. Something which would rend flesh like a true school of sharks.

[long1]

Lao Hu kept a sharp watch as Sakana began her attack, pulling on the water and throwing it. For a second he wasn't expecting it - the attack resembled an Uchimizu more than anything else, which begged the question of why she needed to use Mizugokoro. But then he saw - the drops of water were forming into bigger structures. He needed to react quickly - he'd known she'd pull some kind of ability he hadn't seen before. Now he was seeing it up close and personal. Sharks made of water swimming towards him, numbering five in total. But he reminded himself - they weren't sentient. They were just water. He had a chance to escape. Although they covered a wide range with their numbers, he had a plan to react.

Holding his own hands out he grabbed the water with Gyojin Jujutsu: Mizugokoro. He smirked as he suddenly pulled on the water itself, lifting it up before swinging his arms back down powerfully with force. All of a sudden, the water began to flap outwards, sweeping out and growing bigger as it travelled. Like a big wall of water, it stood strong as the sharks battered against it. One by one they crashed into the wall of water, but although the wall would have normally continued moving forwards to crash into Sakana, her Murasame's numbers wore down its attacking force. But Lao Hu's Tsunami Kenjou had done everything it needed, because once the water wall was gone, Lao Hu was closing in with ferocious speed, darting towards Sakana. He was ready to strike.

His hand snapped forwards as if to reach for her and grab her, but suddenly it pulled back as now he was close enough to launch and upwards kick for her stomach, his leg moving through the water with supreme force. She'd recognize this technique, of course - it was Kaisoku: Harukudashigeri. One of the techniques they'd both learned at the Fishman Karate Dojo. If it hit... Well, it wouldn't be very nice for Sakana. The grin plastered on his face said it all - he was having fun.