Black Box Rising [Mission]

[Jacob C. Vinland]

6pm, "Abyss" island at REDACTED coordinates

This was the week from hell for Jacob. For many reasons.

One might think it was because of where he was: a god forsakenly hot, tropical island in the summer island belts that "didn't exist" according to official records. An island with a marine base that, although had enough firepower to down a small pirate fleet had the shittiest food for a thousand miles in every direction. An island that had the most mysterious and considered most horrific execution/exile ground in the known world on it, secretly housing the bodies (many dead, some alive) of individuals considered "too dangerous for impel down or to be left alive, even if they didn't officially exist".

In reality, it had nothing to do with where he was. No, it was something worse then that, as it was far more personal. No, Jacob's bad week had begun with a letter informing him that someone he thought was dead was actually alive, and had been for the past sixty years. Worse still, this "person" had bargained for his life over those sixty years, and his many escape attempts had cost many good men and women their lives trying to contain him. A man who had been designated the code-name of "Judecca". Jacob, however, knew him by a much more personal name:

"Father" Adrian Corvus. The mastermind behind "Eden" and "Paradise Lost".

The good news from the letter? Jacob had been informed that father Corvus had been deemed "too hazardous to contain" by his superiors and the world government, and thus was going to be sent on a one-way ticket to the deepest and darkest known hole in the world. The bad news? Jacob had been ordered to come to this hell-hole to personally oversee it, since he was currently the only man alive who had experience dealing with Corvus in person. Yes, there were hundreds, if not thousands, of inquires and reports regarding corvus and his horrific abilities that killed a dozen cipher-pol agents, countless marines and unleashed a hellish war machine known as "eden" upon the world, but Jacob was one of the few people who had seriously fought Corvus and lived to tell the tale.

Jacob's late wife (who had been corvus own daughter) had been the second person to do this before her passing, and in the vice-admirals opinion the only one. Jacob had no business surviving his encounters with Corvus without her, bless her soul, and Corvus would not have been able to have been stopped without her.

That was the past, however, and this was the present. Things were different now. Even though Beatrice was gone, Jacob endured. Now, as long as Corvus was alive, the vice-admiral had to set things right. Fortunately, the way things were going that would not take long. Soon, it would be over, and Jacob could finally feel a little more at ease. Until then, however, life would continue to be hell for the vice-admiral.

As he stood upon the northern docks of the large, circular and forested marine-controlled island, Jacob felt a gentle warm mist blow across his face. It was a slightly stormy and quickly darkening warm night, as the orange, setting sun hovered in the sky. Soon night would fall. Hopefully by then this whole mess would be over with and Jacob could get out of here, for as tropical as this island was it was no paradise. It was a special kind of hell. A hell reserved only for the most destructive and sinister forces. Forces that even death seemed scared to take.

Spotting some dark storm clouds in the distance, Jacob hoped his "Comrades" would arrive at the gigantic dock soon. Time was precious, and the transport ship containing the condemned prisoner would soon arrive. Yes, the vice-admiral would likely have to deal with some rowdy pirate leaders thanks to the grand-line treaty's clear guidelines upon executions such as this, but that was far better then the alternative in the vice-admiral's head. Vinland honestly did not like the idea of having to personally deal with Corvus by himself, but the way it was shaping up it might be a reality he would have to contend with. The vice-admiral, for the first time in many years, was just considering shooting the bastard right in the head as he stepped off the boat. Yes, it was breaking orders, but with a good reason. A reason that Jacob quickly remembered would not work, as that Corvus bastard had a nasty habit of surviving things that no normal person could survive. No, Jacob would drag that sorry ass straight to the abyss, tie weights around Corvus and toss him in himself if he had to.

Fortunately, he would not be alone on this day, even if not all the company he would have was not ideal, it would sure as hell be better then nothing.

[Valkyrie]

On the vast sea surrounding summer islands, a huge marine battleship was slowly making its way towards a secret destination. This trip was proving to be a challenge even to the experienced marines. Something, or more precisely someone, massive was taking up most of the space and making moving around difficult. A giant woman wearing a white and violet clothes from Wano sat on the deck with her legs crossed, fingers laced and eyes closed. It would’ve seemed like meditating if she hadn’t been constantly snoring. This odd and intimidating woman was Whirlwind Valkyrie, one of the Royal Shichibukai. While she admittedly didn’t have the most trustworthy reputation, the big figures of the world knew they could count on her.

And today she would once again prove why.

Valkyrie was nudged out of her nap by a shaking marine standing on her knee. "Ma’am, we have arrived." The giant yawned and peeked towards the waiting dock. "Right, let the Vice-Admiral know it’s me." The marine carefully spoke up again. "How? This is a secret location so Den Den Mushi use is very limited." Valkyrie didn’t even seem to care. Her mind was already set. "You are going to tell him of course." This left the poor soldier utterly baffled. It wasn’t like he could just fly there and deliver a message. "Uh... Not to question your authority, Lord Shichibukai, but how am I supposed to do that?" Valkyrie simply glanced at him and grinned.

Approximately two seconds later, a screaming and flailing figure got launched from the distant ship onto the huge dock. After crashing against the stone, it was revealed to be the average marine, miraculously still alive though only barely. He stayed conscious just long enough to lift his head towards the Vice-Admiral and mutter a message. "Shichibukai Valkyrie has arrived, sir..." The wind carried the loud, amused laughter of a giant to the dock as well. "Riaahaahaahaahaa!" Back on the ship, Valkyrie wiped a tear from her eye and grabbed her sword. "Aah... That never gets old..." Other trembling marines only scampered away. Needless to say, all of them were going to write complaints about this.

Soon enough, the ship docked and the giant woman stepped onto the dock. Despite her size, her movements were graceful enough to not even shake the ship or the ground. Many men on the battleship visibly sighed in relief before returning to their posts. Valkyrie’s piercing gaze swept the ground searching for familiar faces. Upon finding the first one, she smirked and knelt down to better reach his level. "Well, if it isn’t the legendary little man himself, Vice-Admiral Jacob C. Vinland." She glanced at the fainted soldier and snickered. "Looks like you received my message. Haki turns even weaklings into useful projectiles. Risisisisi..." Anyone who knew her reputiation wouldn’t have been even surprised at such cruelty.

Turning towards the Vice-Admiral again, Valkyrie lifted her massive finger to poke him surprisingly gently in the gut. "Hey, have you gotten chubbier since I last saw you, Jacob? You better not have gotten any weaker or I just might have to kill you~" While her tone was just teasing at worst, her eyes twinkled mischievously, hinting that she wasn’t completely joking.

[Cross Messor Sanguine]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,10,true][atrb=style, width:500px;,bTable][STYLE=width:200px; height:400px; float:left; background-image:url(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m193/Foxman94/Ragna-3.jpg)][classy=lyrics][STYLE=font-size: 12px; letter-spacing:7px]i am an exile[/style][STYLE=font-family:georgia; font-size:25px; letter-spacing:-2]a sojourner[/style] [STYLE=font-family:georgia; font-size:25px; letter-spacing:-2]words[/style]473 [STYLE=font-family:georgia; font-size:25px; letter-spacing:-2]tags[/style]jacob and valk [STYLE=font-family:georgia; font-size:25px; letter-spacing:-2]notes[/style]skipping carrot[/classy][/style][classy=posttextbox][classy=sc][classy=posttext] The horizon was beautiful. A real picture to take in. The water rippled and rocked the small boat that was cruising along, headed towards a small wooded island in the distance. Really, other than the heat, it was a nice day. Sadly, however, Cross didn’t get to partake of this beautiful scenery. He was standing on the deck of said small boat and was blindfolded. Why he was on said boat was because the World Government gave him a ring, as they oft do when they get bored or have something “gravely important that he must attend to”. This such situation was the second half of their reasoning. Cross was called in to aid a Vice Admiral and some other “companions”, one of which was Valkyrie (or so he heard), with escorting someone across some island in the middle of nowhere. Now why Cross was blindfolded was rather funny, to the Marine who ordered it at least. The whole ship, short of Cross himself, was convinced that the location of the island was to be kept secret from the Shichibukai, so he was blindfolded. All he really did for the whole journey was stand on the deck and stare off into the distance, occasionally being asked a stupid question from a Marine. Not that he could see anything. Mister Sanguine! We’re about to make dock, you may remove your mask. A marine called to the Shichibukai before he ran off to go make preparations for docking. The Reaper quickly removed his blindfold only to see his worst nightmare. One of the few people he’d ever met that he didn’t work well with at all Valkyrie. And judging from the Marine laying on the dock, she decided to have some “fun” before arriving. Cross’s eyes were still adjusting to the light as he stepped off the ship and onto the dock, hearing slight banter coming from his fellow Shichibukai, aimed at Vice Admiral Vinland. Hey, Jake. Long time no see. Cross said, rather tiredly as he approached the rest of his group, kneeling to check on the injured Marine before forming up with the rest of the group. Before he went to move again, he signaled for a medic to come and take away Valkyrie’s “play thing” before he died. No need for senseless murder. So, I was kept in the dark for most of this… Literally. What exactly are we doing, Jake? He went on to ask as he crossed his arms in front of his chest and leaned slightly to the left, putting all of his weight on his left leg and foot. He didn’t really have much going through his mind at that moment. He wasn’t happy about working with Valkyrie. Other than that, he just kind of wanted to get out of the open sky before it rained on them. [/classy][/classy]

[STYLE=opacity:0.5]LAIKA OF BTN![/style]

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[Jacob C. Vinland]

Jacob was used to many strange things going on in marine bases. Marines launching themselves through the air at high velocities was not one of them. As Jacob was about to pull out an electronic cigarette to calm his nerves, the unfortunate flying marine flew past him and slammed into a small building, transforming it into rubble in very short order. As Jacob rushed over to check on the young man (who was miraculously still alive) he heard the young marine manage to groan a single statement.

"Shichibukai Valkyrie has arrived, sir..."

"Figures."

Jacob turned to face his attention to the direction where the flying marine had come from, he was greeted with a thunderous and familiar female voice.

"Well, if it isn’t the legendary little man himself, Vice-Admiral Jacob C. Vinland." The voice thundered, to which jacob responded by looking up...and wound up staring at half a face and a very large bossom from his angle.

"Looks like you received my message. Haki turns even weaklings into useful projectiles. Risisisisi..."

"Yare Yare Daze...Indeed I did, As good as those so called "weaklings" are for that purpose, that is not why they're here, and I'm sure the buildings agree with me. I'll let this time slide, but no more marine flinging or we're going to have problems." Jacob said flatly, with a hint of stern and mature embedded in his voice.

"Hey, have you gotten chubbier since I last saw you, Jacob? You better not have gotten any weaker or I just might have to kill you~" the female giant teased, poking Jacob in the gut utilizing one large finger with surprisingly little force for someone who just flung a marine several hundred feet with extremely little effort.

"What can I say, I may not be weaker, but you have caught me at a slight disadvantage. had I known the most well-endowed and one of the most skilled swordswoman in the world, Valkyrie, was coming I would have eased up on my caloric intake." Jacob joked, clearly poking fun at a few stories he had heard about the shichikubai swordswoman. "Alas, you do seem concerned about my well being quite a bit, what with wishing for me to be to remain strong...Could I have stolen the heart of a pirate? It would not be the first time I have attracted the attention of a ravishing pirate beauty. However, not is the time for such massive matters of love, for you do have a reputation to keep up, and you would not wish to lose the title of most well-endowed and highly-skilled swordswoman of the sea and thus my affectionate attention, would you?" Jacob continued with his teasing, a sly and joking smile spreading across his face.

Many would consider what Jacob said downright suicidal. Especially considering who he was talking to. Valkyrie was one of the shichikubai and, quite frankly, considered one of the greater threats to the world government aside from her title. That, and it was generally accepted that teasing a woman who could slice a battleship in half was stupid, if not downright insane. However, Jacob was generally considered less than sane by quite a few people, so such commentary was not unusual for him. Jacob had obviously encountered the shichikubai and performed damage control and negotiations with them in the past, so it was expected of him to have some insanity and even more courage to combat the extreme danger of such a task. If Jacob was going to do extremely dangerous things, he wasn't going to half-ass his effort, and he damn well would have fun doing such a job. Fortunately, a likely dodge of either one of Valkyries quips or her fists was at least avoidable for the time being, as another shichikubai had arrived and, rather considerately, taken care of getting some marines on hauling the formerly flying marine to the medics.

"Hey, Jake. Long time no see." A familiar voice greeted Jacob. Already, just from that, the vice-admiral knew who it was without looking. So, turning his head slightly (keeping an eye on the giant swordswoman). Jacob greeted the young man, A Cross Sanguine, with a familiar quip.

"Hey Kid. Long time no see...Thats a good thing, it means that you've been behaving relatively well and keeping out of trouble. Well, at least some trouble." Jacob taunted teasingly. In reality, Jacob knew for a fact that Mr.Sanguine was, although a strong individual and a feared shichikubai, a fair and just individual. Rarely had any incidents requiring Jacob's intervention. "So, I was kept in the dark for most of this… Literally. What exactly are we doing, Jake?"

Jacob paused for a moment, realizing that as fun as it was to tease the shichikubai while he had their attention, they were here for a serious and dangerous matter. One that, In all actuality, was something that required the utmost seriousness. So, Jacob rather nonchalantly pulled out an electronic cigarette and inhaled its hot-water vapor before stating his initial take on the job.

"....We're sending a man through the gates of hell. A man that should have been sent there a long. long time ago." Jacob began to explain, sounding much like a father telling a story.

"You were told his name was Judecca most likely. A codename a couple of bumbling bureaucrats came up with to try and hide the magnitude of their sins. In reality, the man who we're sending down what is known as "the abyss" today is a bit of a legend in the worst sense. Sixty years ago, he brought pirates and marines alike to their knees using ancient technology even beyond that of which we understand today in an attempt to become something more then a king: a "god". He attempted to take the fate of mankind and condemn billions of innocent lives to death so that he could shape the course of human evolution. Hes the most insane genius you've never met, and a name that some of the oldest pirates and marines speak of in fear and hushed tones. You may have only heard of him in story and lore to scare you as a child, but he is very much real....His name is Adrian Corvus, known to others as "Father Corvus". You've probably heard him just called "The Father of Eden", or "The Father" in short."

Jacob stopped his story for a moment as he saw a massive, black, box-like iron ship approach from the horizon: A prison ship. A ship so feared that most pirates dare not attack it, as the ships considerable weapons were not what was most feared, but the horrific contents it was created to contain.

"Listen up, ladies and gentleman. The man we're escorting to execution today is unlike any you have ever met. Hes killed more people then you could probably count, including more cipher pol agents then I can count on my fingers and toes. He uses a level of Haki that we did not understand sixty years ago and we still do not understand today. I've seen this man kill highly-trained warriors in extremely brutal ways with just simple touches and hand motions as well as shrug off injuries that would qualify most people as an instant corpse. If he is not blindfolded, Do not make eye contact with him, as that seems to be one way his mind-attacking haki works. Do not let him touch you for an extended period of time. When escorting him, Tell him to move, and if he doesn't comply, make him hurt until he does. Most importantly, however...Do not underestimate him. Take a moment to prepare yourselves. This will not be easy. Jacob explained.

And thus, as the massive black ship approached Jacob knew the time had come once again where he would have to face his worst nightmares....

[Valkyrie]

The giant Shichibukai wasn’t surprised in the slightest that the Vice-Admiral didn’t approve her behavior. She only smirked at the threat of problems. "Don’t tempt me like that. Risisisi..." However, the answer to her teasing question actually got her silent and made her smile change into a skeptical stare. Was this ballsy marine implying what she thought? Sure, she had her reasons to care about certain people’s condition, but... Could someone actually steal her heart? Now that would make an interesting story. It had been a long time since anyone had actually bothered to flatter her like that. When Jacob ended his teasing, Valkyrie’s mouth twitched. She could no longer hold back.

"Riaahaahaahaahaahaa!"

It didn’t take long for Valkyrie to laugh herself into tears. Wiping her eyes, she took deep breaths and tried desperately get a grip. "Riha... haha... You are such a funny, little guy, Jacob. Marine or not, I really like you." After calming down, she was left with a kind, warm smile on her face, but her words didn’t quite match it. "When I one day get bored with being a government dog and start slaughtering all of you, I’ll be sure to save you for last and savor the fight." Even as a Shichibukai, she was still a violent pirate by nature, but at the very least she was always perfectly honest about her intentions.

Hearing a new voice, Valkyrie glanced to her side and noticed a familiar man. She flashed a haughty grin at her fellow Shichibukai, who seemed to be trying to ignore her. Hah, no chance. "Hello to you too, Cross. So you still have that stick lodged firmly up your ass." They had crossed paths on few occasions and never got along too well. The giant lifted her finger again, this time to jokingly prod the red-clad man. "Hey, are you still mad about that time I threatened to cut your ship in half?" Understandably, even though they were technically on the same side, their meetings were rarely peaceful. Pirates were pirates.

When Jacob mentioned Cross keeping out of trouble, Valkyrie suddenly perked up, visibly interested. That little piece of information gave her an idea. Smiling, she started innocently. "You know, I happened to hear the funniest rumor the other day." Her grin quickly got a mean edge as she focused her gaze on the white-haired man. "People say that Cross Sanguine only stays out of trouble because he is so busy blundering a certain booty with ground-shaking passion. I wonder... Who could’ve made the feared 'Blood God' go soft, hmm?" If there was one thing Valkyrie couldn’t understand, it was powerful people abandoning their fearsome reputation. Perhaps that was why she enjoyed pushing Cross so much.

However, that thought was pushed aside when Jacob started telling about the situation. It was a story Valkyrie had heard before, but it always got her excited. She lapped up each and every detail, actually licking her lips at one point. Bloodlust started burning in her veins. Fighting against such monster must’ve been glorious... Once the story was over, Valkyrie looked at the approaching ship and frowned. She was ready now, but the prisoner was not. "I’m getting bored..." Suddenly, an idea popped into her head and her lips twisted into a cat-like smile. "Hey, let’s play a little waiting game." Anyone who knew the rumors about her could also guess where this suggestion was going.

Valkyrie dug out a huge, golden coin from her personal pocket. Showing the sides, a crown and skull, to the Vice-Admiral, she explained the simple rules. "Heads and I’ll leave your men be, tails and I’ll make them fly one by one." Without giving anyone a chance to protest, she sent the coin soaring. As it came down, she caught it with a quick swipe and slapped it onto the back of her hand. Checking the result, she suddenly snickered. "Risisisi... You are a lucky man, Jacob. Your precious, little marines are safe... for now." She glanced at the marines walking around and playfully flicked her fingers, smiling devilishly. It got them running back to their posts.

[Cross Messor Sanguine]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,10,true][atrb=style, width:500px;,bTable][STYLE=width:200px; height:400px; float:left; background-image:url(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m193/Foxman94/Ragna-3.jpg)][classy=lyrics][STYLE=font-size: 12px; letter-spacing:7px]i am an exile[/style][STYLE=font-family:georgia; font-size:25px; letter-spacing:-2]a sojourner[/style] [STYLE=font-family:georgia; font-size:25px; letter-spacing:-2]words[/style]543 [STYLE=font-family:georgia; font-size:25px; letter-spacing:-2]tags[/style]people [STYLE=font-family:georgia; font-size:25px; letter-spacing:-2]notes[/style]yup yup yup[/classy][/style][classy=posttextbox][classy=sc][classy=posttext] Valkyrie spoke out to the White haired male, greeting him and asking about the “stick he had up his ass”. Cross purposefully ignored his fellow Shichibukai. To be honest, he saw most of the other Shichibukai the same way most Marines saw him. An untouchable murderer. Cross only killed to protect, never for the sake of killing. Ah, Valkyrie. You blended into the backdrop. Yes, the stick is still there. It’s nice to see your “womanly cycle” is still every day of the year. Keeps you being you. Cross said in reply with a slight smirk. He knew that messing with someone so large was probably a bad idea, but he couldn’t care less. Given a second, Cross could become larger than she was thanks to his Devil Fruit. However, sword to sword, now that fight would be interesting. Cross felt Valkyrie’s large finger poke and prod him as she asked if he was still mad about when she threatened to cut his ship in half. He’d actually forgotten about that. Actually, I’m not mad at all. Sanguine said with a small laugh as he heard Jacob’s reply to his greeting. Kid. A nickname Cross had all but forgotten Jacob called him. The origin of which, Cross had forgotten as well. It was, more than likely, the age difference, which was great despite how similar in age they looked. Jacob said how Cross had stayed out of trouble (at least with the Marines). Of course Valkyrie took that time upon herself to comment on rumors that circulated about Cross and why he stays out of trouble. She spoke of Verity, but not directly. Val asked what could have made Cross go soft, insinuating that he had, in fact, gone soft. That, while true, pre-supposes that I have a one-facet personality. Meaning I can be soft and kind to those I like, then merciless to those I don’t. Not everyone is a one tracked mind. Cross finished after a slight chuckle, just in time for Jacob to speak about the mission. The person they were to transport seemed… interesting to say the least. A person with unknown haki who is that powerful, yet no one has learned a thing on him. He was honestly surprised no one tried to use the convict as a weapon or something of that nature. Seemed like a logical thing to do, though, from what Jacob said, this guy was uncontrollable. He slaughtered so many that Cross was more than happy to stick him in a pit to rot. He’d rather just kill him outright, though. He had to guess that death was even too good for this scum. Then the waiting game started. The three had to wait for the prison ship to arrive before they could set off. Cross was happy to wait, it gave him time to think and check over all of his stuff before they set out. Jacob didn’t seem to mind either. Valkyrie, well… she minded. Then the literal waiting game started. A game that Cross had heard about. Before he could stop it, though, Valkyrie had already flipped her coin and caught it. Luckily, though, it was safe. All they could do now was wait though. The ship wasn’t that far off. [/classy][/classy]

[STYLE=opacity:0.5]LAIKA OF BTN![/style]

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