Hostage Rescue [Mission]

[Taro Yamada]

They weren't far offshore. Just ahead were the lights of the buildings and laboratories that comprised the 79th island of the Alchemist Archipelago. The so-called 'Island of Gold'. It was this entire Archipelago that alchemists came to try and uncover the secret to the so-called 'Philosopher's Stone', the answer to which the Alchemists of this island believed was to be found in Gold. Naturally, that meant that a lot of Gold was brought or even dug up on the island. Which, of course, meant it was a target for Pirates. Having read the mission brief, the Cipher Pol agent knew exactly what he was getting into - a rescue mission to recover the Hostages and drive out the Pirates who had laid claim to the island. Allowing pirates to set up territories wherever they pleased was not going to go unnoticed by the World Government, after all.

The Cipher Pol agent stared over the edge of the ship, standing upright with good posture and his arms positioned behind his back. Much like many other Cipher Pol agents, he wore a dark suit and tie with polished, black shoes. As a result, his stark, white hair stood out greatly against it - the wavy locks serving to make him appear almost ghostly, if his pale white skin didn't already. Yet beneath his blue eyes were dark rings that stood out against the paleness of his skin, making one wonder if he ever slept. Along with the scar that crossed his face diagonally, he certainly stood out. It was almost a wonder a man with such a distinct face could function as a Cipher Pol agent, but apparently he was good enough that he had risen to the position of Second-In-Command of CP8.

It probably helped that the organizations he infiltrated usually ended up completely dismantled.

But this time he wasn't alone. No, a Cipher Pol agent wouldn't be enough to drive out a pack of Pirates - an elite fighting force was also required. Which was why the young man was accompanied not only by a Rear Admiral, but an actual Admiral of the Marines. If anything, 'Elite' was almost an understatement. This was going to be a show of force to let pirates know that they could not just do as they pleased. Turning on the spot, the agent looked over to the other two aboard the ship, his eyes scanning them for a moment as he scrutinized them both.

"We shall arrive shortly," he remarked to the both of them, his tone neutral. "Before we begin, we should establish a plan of action. Any thoughts?".

[Leopard Lily]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,10,true][atrb=style, width:500px;,bTable] because i am a stranger words 332 tags taro and miguel notes first post. as a girl. in a long time. A dark skinned woman was leaning over the starboard side of the ship, her short silver hair being rustled by the wind. She was wearing what some might consider “barely clothing”, but it made her comfortable. Her clothing was meant to show off her power, which to Kuja meant beauty, as well as not restrict her in combat. She was taking in all the scents that the ocean had to offer, enjoying being to a place she’d never really been to. She could vaguely remember being to the Alchemist Archipelago once before, but she was asleep for the voyage so she missed being able to see all the sights. She only got a chance to return because of a mission Rico asked her to go on. Rear Admiral Lily, ma’am, are you not feeling well? A passing Marine asked the woman, expressing some amount of concern for her wellbeing. He was probably just trying to take a look at her and needed an excuse. Yeah, kid. I’m fine. Just enjoying the ocean. Return to your post. Leopard answered as she turned around, leaning against the railing and crossing her arms. With that, the Marine saluted her and then ran off. Just in time too. The CP agent started to speak. He questioned if either Leopard or their other companion, one of the Admirals, had any thoughts on a plan of action. Nothing much, to be honest. I don’t know why they didn’t ask Cipher Pol to do this if they just wanted a simple hostage extraction. Leopard spoke to the other two members of the party as she went over the mission details in her head. I, personally, think the higher ups want to send a message. Why else send three heavy hitters? Lily continued with a small laugh. I’m open to differing opinions, though. The woman finished as she looked her companions, making small notes about them. An apparent human and a Skyfolk paired with a Kuja. This could be… interesting.

LAIKA OF BTN!

[newclass=.posttext]float:right; width:200px; height:350px; margin-top: 15px; margin-right: 15px; background-color:1d1d1d; color: e6e8e9; padding:10px; font-family:arial; font-size: 11px; text-align:justify; letter-spacing:1px; line-height:10px; overflow: auto[/newclass][newclass=.sc ::-webkit-scrollbar]height: 5px; width: 5px; background-color: #151515;[/newclass][newclass=.sc ::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb]background-color: #e5e5e5; border-left: 1px solid #e5e5e5; border-top: 1px solid #e5e5e5;[/newclass][newclass=.posttextbox]float:right; width:250px; height:400px; float:left; background-color:151515[/newclass][newclass=.lyrics]width: 190px; height: 40px; margin-top:350px; background-color: 000000; color: ffffff; padding: 5px; font-family:arial; font-size: 12px; text-align:right; letter-spacing:7px; line-height:15px; overflow:hidden; -webkit-transition:all 0.7s ease; -moz-transition:all 0.7s ease; -o-transition:all 0.7s ease[/newclass][newclass=.lyrics:hover]width: 190px; height: 390px; margin-top:-0px; background-color: 000000; color: ffffff; padding: 5px; font-family:arial; text-align:right; font-size: 10px; letter-spacing:2px; line-height:15px; overflow:hidden; -webkit-transition:all 0.7s ease; -moz-transition:all 0.7s ease; -o-transition:all 0.7s ease[/newclass]

[Miguel Van Helsing]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,width: 450px; padding: 10px;][bg=121212] THIS IS A GAME. DO NOT TRUST YOUR EARS. WHAT YOU HEAR ARE LIES. Blue gray eyes gazed at the Island of Gold, watching the people flitter to and fro from different points on its shores. Some of them were chatting with each other, some were walking around in fixed patterns, presumably patrolling the shores, and some were eating and drinking around the remains of a campfire, while others were staring at the sea while sharpening their weapons. Off to the side of the beach, there was a huge and menacing ship docked there. It had four masts with black sails, the largest of which proudly displayed a jolly roger- a golden skull with two gold axes crossed underneath it. There were also people milling about on the deck, watching the seas or conversing with each other. There was a person on the crow’s nest as well, also looking out at the sea with a telescope, probably looking for ships that might be going towards the island. Of course, the pirates hadn’t sighted them because they were still too far away to be perceived by any telescopes. Otherwise, they would already be preparing for battle instead of just patrolling. Those same limitations didn’t apply to his eyes, which were now sharp enough to easily see the pirates even at this distance after he adjusted the amount of light that entered his retinas. With what he had just seen, Miguel wasn’t sure why this hostage situation warranted a Rear Admiral and an actual Admiral alongside one of the Cipher Pol agents. Either the pirates were hiding some sort of member or weapon that had the potential to threaten the World Government’s rule or there were backdoor politics afoot that influenced his presence here. He was betting on the latter, especially since part of their orders specifically asked for a display of force to send a message to pirates everywhere. Despite his doubts, orders were still orders. Even as an Admiral, he still didn’t have enough power to question these orders given that they came from much higher up than he had. It was too dangerous to try and do so right now with a potential tattle-tale on this mission. And speaking of potential tattle-tales, said man asked for their thoughts for making a plan of action just moments after he finished his trail of thought. The Admiral held his silence and let Rear Admiral Lily speak first; opting to use the time she spoke to readjust his vision to normal instead. Once she was done, he finally spoke. ”Perhaps.” Miguel turned around to face them as he answered the Kuja’s question first. ”Hostage extraction is the priority.” Miguel looked down and stared at the Cipher Pol agent. ”This is your area of expertise, agent, so I will leave the actual extraction details to you.” He paused for a moment, this time glancing at the both of them, before continuing. ”After the hostages have been extracted, all of the pirates on the island will be executed. Make it as flashy and violent as possible. I assume neither of you will have any problems with that.” ”The ship must also be destroyed.” Miguel added. ”Leave that to me.” ”That would be all. Anything else you two wish to add?” He finished, still looking at the both of them. TAGGING: TARO, LILY | WORDS: 541 | NOTES: PLAN OF ACTION

TEMPLATE BY SAMARECARM OF OTE

[Taro Yamada]

The Cipher Pol Agent remained silent as he glanced over to the Rear Admiral as she spoke up. She was certainly not unworthy of her rank, managing to analyze the intentions of the Marines - or rather, the World Government. But then, it was nothing to worry about. The World Government had the best of intentions, after all, and these criminals had brought Justice upon their own heads. The Cipher Pol Agent wasn't about to lose any sleep knowing that they would soon be wiped off the map. But of course, what came first was the Hostages. The Admiral voiced his own opinion, remarking that it was Cipher Pol's expertise. In response, the Agent nodded. It certainly was.

"Then our plan is decided," he remarked in a matter-of-fact manner, his attention turning towards the island once more. If he wanted to rescue the Hostages, he couldn't allow the alarm to be raised. Taking the whole ship to the island would put them at risk. Rather than take chances, it seemed the better option was to sneak in himself and signal the other two when the hostages had been extracted. It was a risky strategy, but hostages were tense and risky situations. Striding along the deck, the Cipher Pol Agent stopped just by a wooden rowboat hanging over the side of the ship from a rope and pulley mechanism. "When the hostages have been extracted, I will give a signal. If the pirates raise the alarm, I trust you both will know what to do".

Stepping into the wooden rowboat he began to tug the rope and slowly lower himself and the rowboat down into the waters below. After a few moments there was a small splash, and soon the little rowboat could be seen cutting a path through the water as the well-dressed Cipher Pol Agent rowed across the water. He possessed good arm strength, being able to row with the oars so easily as he sailed his small boat towards land. Not directly towards the coast, but a little to the east. He needed to take an indirect route if he wanted to infiltrate. But then, the Cipher Pol agent was more than prepared. He had a plan, after all. In just a few minutes the boat finally closed in on the shore, where the Agent climbed out and stood upon the beach, looking towards the laboratory. Now he just needed to get in.

[Leopard Lily]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,10,true][atrb=style, width:500px;,bTable][STYLE=width:200px; height:400px; float:left; background-image:url(http://imageshack.us/a/img96/9294/0tdv.jpg)][classy=lyrics][STYLE=font-size: 12px; letter-spacing:7px]because i am a[/style][STYLE=font-family:georgia; font-size:25px; letter-spacing:-2]stranger[/style] [STYLE=font-family:georgia; font-size:25px; letter-spacing:-2]words[/style]312 [STYLE=font-family:georgia; font-size:25px; letter-spacing:-2]tags[/style]taro and miguel [STYLE=font-family:georgia; font-size:25px; letter-spacing:-2]notes[/style]kinda boring, sorry[/classy][/style][classy=posttextbox][classy=sc][classy=posttext] With the Admiral stepping in to speak, the plan of action was sealed. The Cipher Pol agent would deal with extracting the hostages and then the group would commit small scale genocide of every pirate on the island. And, as the Admiral put it, they were to make it violent and flashy. They’d even destroy their ship. So long as Jaja wasn’t on the island, and she was 100% sure that he wasn’t, she didn’t mind wiping them all out. Leopard simply nodded until everything was absolute and the Cipher Pol agent headed off to deal with the hostage situation. No telling how long that could take. As she entertained ideas of what to do to pass time, her stomach started to growl a bit. Food. She wanted food. Private! Leopard called to the back of the ship, signaling a few Marines to dash to her order. Myself and the Admiral could be here a while. Bring us some food and drink. I hunger. Leopard commanded the small group before the group left to fulfill her command. I hope you’re hungry as well, Admiral. Figured fighting on an empty stomach would be a bad idea. The Kuja said to the Skyfolk before some of the marines returned with a small table and two chairs. That was quick. Lily found her way to one of the chairs, taking a seat, though her eyes were always looking for that “sign” that the Cipher Pol agent spoke of. Moments later, out came a couple more Marines with an assortment of food that the chef was already preparing. Namely, smoked sausage and roasted leg of lamb. They had prepared for the Admiral, it seemed. Lily began eating little bits, her eyes really never leaving the coast. She just hoped this Cipher Pol agent was as good as his rank or they could be waiting a while. [/classy][/classy]

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

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[Miguel Van Helsing]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,width: 450px; padding: 10px;][bg=121212] THIS IS A GAME. DO NOT TRUST YOUR EARS. WHAT YOU HEAR ARE LIES. Blue eyes widened a bit when the Cipher Pol agent decided their little impromptu meeting was over and that he was going to take care of the entire hostage extraction part of the operation himself. He was tempted to stop him for a moment, but he realized that it was probably for the best that the agent did this alone. He wasn’t suited for stealth anyway and he had a feeling that the Rear Admiral wasn’t a stealth specialist either. Instead of saying anything, Miguel just watched as the agent stepped into the row boat on the side of the ship and then lowered the boat down until he was out of their sight. He kept his gaze to the sea until he could see the agent rowing out to the island. Once the agent was out of his unenhanced sight, Miguel was about to walk away and find another spot to watch for the signal when he heard the Rear Admiral suddenly call for a private. He thought nothing of it until she mentioned him as well, causing him to pause and stare at her for a few moments. Well, food was food he supposed. And there was no harm in fighting with fuel in their tanks, as these Blue Sea natives would say. ”Good idea, Rear Admiral.” Miguel nodded to the Rear Admiral even as he watched several of the other Marines start bringing out a table and chairs. They must have been expecting the order given the time of day, which was understandable. His eyes widened a bit again when he saw even more Marines come out with smoked sausages and roasted leg of lamb just moments after the table and chairs were set up. If nothing else, this sight validated his theory of them already anticipating a food request. He wasn’t sure if they chose roasted leg of lamb for him by coincidence or by research, but he was starting to get a little impressed nonetheless. Miguel took the other chair and sat down with an acknowledging nod towards the Marines who had set up the table and brought out their food. Once he did that, he picked up his utensils and began eating with poise and manners beaten into him by the Gorosei. It wasn’t like he had anything to do while waiting, after all. Let the waiting game begin. TAGGING: TARO, LILY | WORDS: 395 | NOTES: IN THE BOAT

TEMPLATE BY SAMARECARM OF OTE

[Taro Yamada]

Sneaking into the place was not quite as difficult as the Agent had imagined. Sticking to cover he was able to steadily move towards the large laboratory where the Alchemists worked. Remaining still within the bushes he was able to see just how the Pirates had set things up - a pair of men stood by the doors on guard, but it seemed all the others had chosen to remain inside. The windows didn't appear to be guarded. They probably didn't expect anyone to be able to sneak in by the windows. But if he was going to sneak in through the windows, he needed to distract the guards. Fortunately, he'd been in these situations before. Grasping a stone, the white-haired Agent threw the stone from the bushes, aiming for another bush further down the compound's garden. As expected the bush rustled as the rock passed through the leaves and at once the Pirates' attention was caught.

"Hey, I heard somethin'!" one of them spoke. At once the two of them began to run over to the source of the noise. Now was the Cipher Pol Agent's chance.

In a mere instant he kicked against the ground a total of ten times. The act propelled him forwards at alarming speed, crossing the compound in the blink of an eye. He was at best a blur to anyone who might have been watching had he not already distracted the guards. By the time the guards had reached the bushes he was already at the door, clasping the door handle tightly and twisting it. He pushed and slipped inside the narrow opening before shutting the door behind him gently so as not to create noise. Now he was inside the facility and ready to do his work.

He strode down the corridor carefully, making sure to look around corridors and sneak past any wandering Pirates. In short time he managed to find what he was looking for - a sort of small locker room where the scientists had left some of their equipment and their coats. Without breaking stride he moved towards the lockers and started opening them one by one. From the lockers he grabbed a variety of things - a white lab coat he used to replace his black suit jacket, a pair of gloves and some make-up from a female employee's locker. In a matter of minutes he had changed - the once-visible scar was now hidden away. His body was slightly hunched and his knees shook. His expression had changed from a stoic one to one plagued with fear. Like so many times before, he had transformed into a new person.

Which meant it was time to release the hostages.

He heard footsteps echoing down the corridor. Quickly moving to the lockers he slammed them one by one, making noise. All of a sudden the footsteps became quicker. With the job done the disguised Agent ducked into another locker and tried to close it, knowing that his body was just that little bit too big for the locker to fully close. The footsteps came closer. Everything was going perfectly.

---

The Pirate was a strong, rugged man with tattered, unclean clothes. His jaw was lined with stubble and his hair was tangled into knots. He wasn't a man who lived in wealth, although he had certainly hoped to find some when he became a Pirate. Now they had access to a supply of gold, courtesy of the Alchemists. Or so he'd been told by the Captain. He didn't care too much. He was simply eager to get his hands on some money. But right now his job was to patrol the corridors. He'd been told Marines might come, so it was his job to make sure that none of them sneaked in. So understandably, when he heard a slamming sound coming from the lockers, he knew he had to run and check.

The Captain would likely skewer him if he didn't.

Racing down the hall the pirate turned into the locker room, only to watch as a locker attempted to shut itself close. He smirked. This was too easy, he realized. Grasping hold of a sabre in his sash he strode towards the locker, reaching out with one hand and grasping the door of the locker tightly. Forcefully he pulled the door open, nearly tearing it off his hinges as he raised his sabre. Only, what he found inside was definitely not a Marine but a cowering, shivering alchemist. He smirked, bemused by the man's wide eyes and quivering lip. His shaking knees and his hands raised up in front as if to ask him not to hurt him. The Pirate chuckled to himself.

"Looks like someone tried to give us the slip," the Pirate mused, grasping the man forcefully and pulling him out. The man nearly stumbled over had the Pirate not still been clutching his shoulder tightly. Holding a blade to the man's neck, the Pirate spoke. "Don't worry, ya little rat. We've got good plans for yer lot. Heheheh...".

Pushing the man in the lab coat in front of him, the Pirate continued to hold a blade against him, leading him no doubt to the other hostages. All the while completely unaware that he was aiding the very Agent sent to take down his crew.

[Leopard Lily]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,10,true][atrb=style, width:500px;,bTable][STYLE=width:200px; height:400px; float:left; background-image:url(http://imageshack.us/a/img96/9294/0tdv.jpg)][classy=lyrics][STYLE=font-size: 12px; letter-spacing:7px]because i am a[/style][STYLE=font-family:georgia; font-size:25px; letter-spacing:-2]stranger[/style] [STYLE=font-family:georgia; font-size:25px; letter-spacing:-2]words[/style]297 [STYLE=font-family:georgia; font-size:25px; letter-spacing:-2]tags[/style]taro and miguel [STYLE=font-family:georgia; font-size:25px; letter-spacing:-2]notes[/style]sorry its shitty[/classy][/style][classy=posttextbox][classy=sc][classy=posttext] A short while passed; just long enough for the Agent to finish his journey to the shore, Leopard assumed. It seemed like an adequate amount of time for a decently strong human being to paddle themselves to an island. This gave Leopard some time to, basically, herself. She had a chance to think about some personal matters before taking out her anger on enemies. She ate little bits, almost without thinking about it. Her mind was on other matters. More important things than sitting around and waiting. Sure, what she was waiting for was important, but not the waiting itself. Though she quickly reached a point where she no longer wanted to eat anymore. If she did, she wouldn’t be able to fight at her maximum capabilities. She’d be too full and would just want a nap. Reaching that perfect point, Leopard stopped eating and snapped out of her mild daze. Only then did she realize that there was a slightly awkward silence between her and the Admiral. She had never really experienced silence with another person before. Her home was fairly loud and the crew was pretty loud as well. Plus Rico, as oblivious as he was, was fairly noisy alone, and Leopard was always around him. So, Admiral… What made you join the Marines? Leopard asked, trying to break the silence. That, and she was just bored. I suppose I should tell you my part first. I joined to be with a man. Your turn. The Kuja stated with a slight chuckle. Her reason for joining was absolutely terrible. Though she was now conversing, her eyes didn’t leave the shore. It’d be terrible for the Agent to light a signal and them not to get it because they were telling each other their life stories. [/classy][/classy]

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

[newclass=posttext]float:right; width:200px; height:350px; margin-top: 15px; margin-right: 15px; background-color:1d1d1d; color: e6e8e9; padding:10px; font-family:arial; font-size: 11px; text-align:justify; letter-spacing:1px; line-height:10px; overflow: auto[/newclass][newclass=sc ::-webkit-scrollbar]height: 5px; width: 5px; background-color: #151515;[/newclass][newclass=sc ::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb]background-color: #e5e5e5; border-left: 1px solid #e5e5e5; border-top: 1px solid #e5e5e5;[/newclass][newclass=posttextbox]float:right; width:250px; height:400px; float:left; background-color:151515[/newclass][newclass=lyrics]width: 190px; height: 40px; margin-top:350px; background-color: 000000; color: ffffff; padding: 5px; font-family:arial; font-size: 12px; text-align:right; letter-spacing:7px; line-height:15px; overflow:hidden; -webkit-transition:all 0.7s ease; -moz-transition:all 0.7s ease; -o-transition:all 0.7s ease[/newclass][newclass=lyrics:hover]width: 190px; height: 390px; margin-top:-0px; background-color: 000000; color: ffffff; padding: 5px; font-family:arial; text-align:right; font-size: 10px; letter-spacing:2px; line-height:15px; overflow:hidden; -webkit-transition:all 0.7s ease; -moz-transition:all 0.7s ease; -o-transition:all 0.7s ease[/newclass]

[Miguel Van Helsing]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,width: 450px; padding: 10px;][bg=121212] THIS IS A GAME. DO NOT TRUST YOUR EARS. WHAT YOU HEAR ARE LIES. For Miguel, the silence was both comforting and tense. Comforting because he had become accustomed to the silence, which he had always preferred anyway because of certain issues he had with company. At the same time, it was also tense because he had no way to know if the agent was doing his mission well or not. Still, his tension didn’t stop him from consuming the leg of lamb at a slow but steady pace. He was feeling a bit hungry after all and he had to prepare himself for battle, especially since his role in it would have him burn a lot of energy. He had a lot of people to kill and equipment to wreck, and there was so little time in the day to do it. “So Admiral… What made you join the Marines?” His knife paused as it was cutting through the lamb’s tender flesh. And there goes that silence. Miguel looked up, his eyes boring into the Rear Admiral’s gold ones, trying to look for why she had asked him that particular question without prying into her mind with Mantra. He stayed quiet for a few moments and simply watched her with a scrutinizing eye as she confessed her own reasons for joining the Marines. Honestly this wasn’t the first time he was asked that question, and it certainly won’t be the last. Each and every time he had been asked, he had only ever given one answer, and this situation wasn’t going to change things. ”I was needed.” And that was all that was needed to be said on the subject. Case closed. Maybe now the silence will reassert itself, but he had a bad feeling that the Rear Admiral was going to unsatisfied with his answer or even curious at the very least, considering how little most people knew about him. His earlier encounter with her superior officer Faust was proof of that. Well, a guy could hope can’t he? TAGGING: TARO, LILY | WORDS: 327 | NOTES: INQUISITION

TEMPLATE BY SAMARECARM OF OTE

[Taro Yamada]

He could see it now - at the end of a large corridor was a door with a lock. The pirate holding a blade against his back continued to walk him down towards it, already fishing for a set of keys in his pocket.The undercover Cipher Pol Agent made no sudden moves - instead, he walked with tensed muscles and took deep breaths, creating the illusion of fear. Fear was a difficult emotion to fake because so many people assumed it was screaming in fright and running. In reality, people who were afraid tried to hide they were afraid. Letting someone else know you were afraid, after all, made you vulnerable. But letting someone think you were afraid made them vulnerable.

They stopped just in front of the door as the pirate pulled out his keys, beginning to push them into the lock. He twisted, but that was about as far as he got. In a swift movement Taro turned, pushing his palm against the flat of the pirate's blade. His other hand shot up, brandishing a switchblade knife that plunged right into the pirate's throat. The pirate tried to gasp, but no sound passed his lips beyond the dripping of blood from his mouth. Taro's face turned cold, his whole body relaxing as he withdrew the blade from the pirate's throat. The pirate attempted to latch onto him, but as the Cipher Pol Agent stepped aside the man crumpled to the ground. The Cipher Pol Agent was free to do whatever he wanted. Grasping the key in the door, he turned it.

The door opened to reveal a group of alchemists all huddled together and bound. At the sight of the Cipher Pol Agent they all shifted uncomfortably, but the Cipher Pol Agent was quick to place a finger to his lips in an attempt to quiet them. The most important thing he could do right now was send a signal to the others. Now that he knew where the hostages were, he had to either find a way to bring them out of the building or find a way to alert the others and then protect the hostages himself. But before he could do that, he glanced across the group. They were certainly numerous, but he had suspicions.

"Is this everyone?" he questioned, his eyes narrowing.

"Y-Yes. It is," one of the alchemists spoke. With that established, now he could begin the next move.

"I need to send a signal outside..."

---

The Pirate Captain was a tough man. Built of muscle and fairly tall, he certainly commanded attention amongst his men. Scars covered his body - some impressive to look at, others off-putting and disturbing. Stubble lined his jaw and his hair was a tangled, unkempt mess of black that was held back from his face by a red bandana. He wore his Captain's Coat almost like a cape, draped over his shoulders. At all times he carried a blade and a flintlock. He looked very much like what many considered a Pirate to be. Unfortunately, he also acted very much like one too.

He grinned as he sat back and downed a bottle of rum, his fellow pirates all sitting patiently. So far, everything had gone smoothly. No sign of any Marines so far. But then, even if they had shown up, they had plenty of hostages. The Captain was certain the Marines would never dare try something.

So certain, in fact, that the loud banging he was hearing caught him off guard and made him spit out his rum.

They were faint, but at the same time they didn't sound like gunfire. Stepping up the Pirate Captain growled, racing to the nearest window. Staring out, he could only gape in awe at the sight of fireworks shooting out into the sky. What the hell was going on?!

---

"Fortunate..." Taro remarked to himself, watching the fireworks display.

"We have all kinds of materials... Gold isn't the only ingredient for the philosopher's stone we need, after all..." the scientist beside him murmured. He was rambling about alchemy, but the Cipher Pol Agent didn't care much. The signal was up. Now it was time to take down the Pirates.

[Leopard Lily]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,10,true][atrb=style, width:500px;,bTable][STYLE=width:200px; height:400px; float:left; background-image:url(http://imageshack.us/a/img96/9294/0tdv.jpg)][classy=lyrics][STYLE=font-size: 12px; letter-spacing:7px]because i am a[/style][STYLE=font-family:georgia; font-size:25px; letter-spacing:-2]stranger[/style] [STYLE=font-family:georgia; font-size:25px; letter-spacing:-2]words[/style]277 [STYLE=font-family:georgia; font-size:25px; letter-spacing:-2]tags[/style]taro and miguel [STYLE=font-family:georgia; font-size:25px; letter-spacing:-2]notes[/style]sorry its short, my head is pounding[/classy][/style][classy=posttextbox][classy=sc][classy=posttext] The Admiral didn’t respond in… the best way possible. A simple “I was needed” left so much to the imagination. Though, his demeanor made Leopard care less and less about why he became a Marine. Whatever his reason might have been, he was pretty touchy about it. Or so it seemed. Shortly after The conversation returned to awkward silence, fireworks shot out in the distance. So the signal was off. Not the most subtle signal, but it’d work. With the signal up, the marine ship approached as quickly as it could. Leopard hopped up from her seat and approached the bow of the ship, cracking her knuckles as she walked. Let’s get this started… The Kuja spoke with a small laugh. The Marine vessel approached the island as much as it could, allowing the shore assault party to depart onto the beaches and storm. Lily bolted up to the hideout where the same two pirates stood guard, though this time, they were panicked. Before they could run off, Lily activated the jet dial in her right gauntlet to deck the right guard, and shot the one on the left in the same motion. She had no time to waste on pathetic pirates like these. They weren’t Hellspawn, so she didn’t care about them at all. Rico said to kill, so she would. A wave of pirates stormed the front, where Leopard was. If only they realized that they were running to their deaths. The first few were greeted with shotgun blasts to the chest and face. She had to be careful, though. Getting caught on the reload was dangerous, even though she could punch her way out. [/classy][/classy]

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

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[Miguel Van Helsing]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,width: 450px; padding: 10px;][bg=121212] THIS IS A GAME. DO NOT TRUST YOUR EARS. WHAT YOU HEAR ARE LIES. Miguel could practically see her interest in the topic wane when he gave her his vague answer. It brought the awkward silence back. Mission accomplished. However, now he was left with nothing to do now that he had basically eaten just enough to fill him and not be hindered if he tried to do anything strenuous. Still, the awkward silence was better than having to answer more questions about his past and increasing the possibility of giving away parts of the truth. He couldn’t risk the truth getting into the hands of a stranger –even if it was a comrade- because he knew what would happen if he let it all out, and frankly he didn’t want to deal with that mess. Miguel didn’t have to settle for the awkward silence for long though, because fireworks suddenly shot off from the direction of the island. Flashy and attention-grabbing, but it worked for the purpose it most likely served. He just wished that the agent smuggled all of the hostages to the ship first before shooting off those fireworks though. Oh well, can’t change the past. The Marines wasted no time in sailing towards the island as fast as possible upon receiving the signal. Miguel used that time to leisurely stand up from his seat and follow the Kuja to the bow of the ship, contrasting the rushed and frenzied energy the others on the ship had. He stayed quiet as he entered his battle trance. He probably wouldn’t need his Haki for this little tussle, but it couldn’t hurt to stay alert nonetheless. Once they were as close to the shore as possible, Miguel turned his attention to the ship. With a completely dispassionate expression on his face, he unleashed an enormous laser with a sharp horizontal slicing motion from his hands, cutting the ship in half right where the cannons were and setting it on fire due to the extreme heat from his laser. A few moments later, the ship was rocked with explosions as the heat and flames reached the gunpowder for the cannons. Faint, distant screams of people on the ship could be heard as they were being thrown around or being burned alive. When that was done, Miguel turned icy blue gray eyes towards the island, where the shore assault party was already engaged with the enemy. Now that the ship was destroyed, their main escape route went along with it. There was nothing that could hold his interest enough to actually step on the island himself and destroy all within sight, so he settled for lobbing concentrated orbs of light at the pirates who were trying to back up the ones who had met the assault party near the hideout while making sure not to hit any of his own comrades. He contented himself to watching as scorched body parts, bodies and debris flew in all directions from each one of his shots. While he did so, kept an eye out for any possible creatures or weapons that actually warranted his attention. After all, there had to be another reason why he of all people was sent here when in normal circumstances just the Cipher Pol agent and a Marine squad would have been enough. If there weren’t though… he’d have words with the brass for wasting his time. TAGGING: TARO, LILY | WORDS: 554 | NOTES: LET THE BODIES HIT THE FLOOR!

TEMPLATE BY SAMARECARM OF OTE

[Taro Yamada]

Ordinarily, keeping all of the alchemists on the roof after shooting off a firework that would no doubt alert the Pirates might seem like a bad idea. In any other situation it definitely might have been, at least. But right now, Taro was thinking carefully about his tactics. It would have been difficult sneaking all of the alchemists out of the building, especially when there were so many of them. They'd no doubt be spotted by Pirates eventually, if the Pirates didn't already notice their missing comrade. Letting out a signal to let the Marines know they could fight was also difficult. The Cipher Pol Agent simply chose to quicken the process by making the rooftop their base.

Holding out the roof from attack was actually incredibly simple. None of the Pirates seemed capable of climbing up the house and unless they were somehow capable of Geppo, that meant that the only way onto the roof was through a single door. A door which The Cipher Pol Agent was sure to guard. The alchemists were all crouched down, hiding in case some of the Pirates decided to shoot up at the rooftop. However, it seemed that most of the attention had been dragged to the ship that was shot down in the harbour - the Pirate's escape ship. No doubt it was the work of the Admiral, the Agent mused to himself. The Pirates were now caught between defending themselves and taking back the rooftop. This would certainly prove interesting.

---

"I'll take care of those Marine bastards! You find those Alchemists and the bastard who broke them out! They should be on the roof!" the Pirate captain yelled at some of his men as he rushed, drawing his own blade as he approached the foyer. He wasn't about to let the Marines ruin his plan. A group of Pirates all followed alongside him. They could hear the fire of a shotgun. Some of their men were already outside, fighting whoever was out there. Stopping by the door, taking cover, the Pirate Captain watched and saw a young woman fighting her way through some of the other Pirates. He gripped his blade firmly. The moment she needed to reload, he'd rush her and begin swinging. He'd take her head and anyone else's head while he was at it.

---

Another Pirate burst through the door, but the moment he stepped out onto the rooftop an elbow struck him in the chest, knocking the breath out of his lungs. A blade sliced through his throat, spraying blood along the ground as he begun to fall back. A kick helped his fall, knocking him into his comrades below like a bowling ball as the Agent flicked the blood off of his knife, maintaining a defensive stance at the top of the stairs. He couldn't afford to let them through. Not a single one. If he needed to, he'd make use of Rokushiki to ensure it.

[OOC: You guys can feel free to take control of the Pirate Captain/Pirates if it makes things easier.]

[Miguel Van Helsing]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,width: 450px; padding: 10px;][bg=121212] THIS IS A GAME. DO NOT TRUST YOUR EARS. WHAT YOU HEAR ARE LIES. Boom! Thud! Boom! Thud thud! Boom! Thud! Blue gray eyes looked almost bored as bodies and parts of them continued to fly from his explosive spheres of light. He had actually slowed down his rate of fire in order for the Marines below to actually get more action and not just stand there and gape while he did most of the work. The grunts should have actual experience in doing grunt work like this anyway. “John! Jack! Go make yourselves useful and stomp these interlopers’ asses to Davy Jones’ Locker!” One of them hollered over the din of battle, causing the admiral to raise an eyebrow. Them, the interlopers? As the Blue Sea people would say, this insolent pirate was a pot calling the kettle black. The fighting suddenly halted when the ground below them began to shake violently, making most of the pirates and marines scramble to brace themselves or try and regain their balance. Since they were much more used to this, the pirates were able to regain their bearings faster than the Marines. “Fee fi fo fum!” The larger, bulkier one boomed as he waved his axe and stomped around menacingly, causing some of the Marines to reflexively flinch and step back. The shorter, slimmer giant laughed as he slammed his spear on the ground several times. “When can we get our lump sum?” “You’ll get ‘em once them Marines are all dead, ya hear me!” The same man from earlier bellowed to the giants. “I want them all to be smears on the ground! Try to get their ship intact too, but if ya can’t then feel free ta turn it ta toothpicks!” “Oh, that’s great, wouldn’t you say?” The one with the axe laughed, stomping around with his feet in joy and making the ground shake even more. The other giant grinned and smacked the shaft of his spear into his palm. “Certainly, this made our day~! Nothing can slow us down! Me an’ John are gonna make them all drown!” Suddenly their merry mood was interrupted when a good part of Jake’s spear was suddenly cut-off by a bright yellow beam, causing the both of them to gape. “Who did that?!” The giant bellowed a moment later, gripping the remains of his smouldering spear shaft until his knuckles went white. “He’s gonna pay for that!” ”Why don’t we talk this over like gentlemen?” Miguel spoke up, somehow managing to project his voice without looking like he was shouting as he stared up at the two giants with a cool expression. “Hell no!” Jack seethed as he raised his damaged but still usable weapon. “You’re going to have to go!” ”Very well.” Miguel’s eyes started to glow an ominous neon blue as he stared the two giants down. Looks like there was something worth some of his attention after all…. TAGGING: TARO, LILY | WORDS: 475 | NOTES: A SKIP BECAUSE IT'S BEEN TOO LONG.

TEMPLATE BY SAMARECARM OF OTE

[Taro Yamada]

The blade sunk into another man's throat before it was withdrawn, with a kick to the chest knocking him back down. Yet for every man that fell, it seemed as if even more were ready to replace him. Still, standing at the top of a narrow staircase offered a definite tactical advantage. None of the Pirates were bypassing the white-haired Agent any time soon. Now they stood warily at the bottom of the staircase, staring up. They were hesitant to rush up, knowing how bloodstained the staircase had become. They had come to understand just as well how much of an advantage he held. He flicked the knife in his hand, ridding it of much of the blood it had accumulated from it's last kill. His eyes stared down in the manner of a predator.

"There was a rumbling earlier... Not like thunder. More like... The footsteps of giants..." he thought to himself as he gazed across the Pirates at the bottom of the staircase. No doubt the Admiral himself would have to get involved in fighting the giants. It gave him some help, knowing that more attention would likely be focused upon the Admiral now that he would become involved. It meant that Taro had less to deal with here. Still, the grunts were ready to attack again. Taking out their flintlock pistols they all took aim. Quickly Taro threw an arm up in front of his face as if to block right before he bellowed out: "Tekkai!".

The bullets made loud bangs as they left the barrels of their guns, but each one pinged as they struck against the Agent's body. It was as if they had hit a mass of iron, ricocheting off of his body and into the walls around him. The bullets continued for a few moments before the shooting stopped as the Pirates realized their bullets had done nothing. At last lowering his arm, the Agent took a half-step forwards, intimidating the Pirates. He just needed to buy time. The Admiral would no doubt not keep him waiting.