AN: I do not own One Piece.
Blamenco is the 6th division commander. In the Marine Ford Arc, we see him with what looks like pockets on either side of his chin. During the battle, he pulls extremely large weapons from these pockets.
Chapter 3: Water Water Everywhere
Sadie remained tucked into a remote corner of the deck as she watched the shipwrights in their traditional battle for command. Her eyes narrowed as she spied the shirtless 2nd division commander watching the spectacle in awe. She sighed internally, 'It was only a matter of time before I was assigned a mission he participated in.' It was almost impossible not to work for each commander at some point or another as the division commanders were more active than your average crew member.
The woman slipped farther into the shadow as she watched, taking full advantage of her work attire. Her typical tank top and blue jeans had been abandoned for flexible, dark clothing that covered her skin from below her eyes to her hands and feet. Her hair was secured in a long braid that gently swayed with her movements.
Sadie smiled in amusement under her mask when Ace crashed to the deck. She couldn't tell from her vantage point what had shocked him, but it was entertaining all the same. 'So, the cool composed commander can become flustered too.'
Soon, they were underway. The ship rocked as it cut through the waters. Sadie settled down to the deck as she waited for them to reach their destination. If Tsubaki had been assigned as well, then her friend would have insisted that she go socialize, but sitting here alone suited the book worm just fine.
They had long since left the other Whitebeard ships over the horizon when her commander broke off from the crowd and headed toward her. Speed Jiru was a tall man. He wore Whitebeard's mark on a handkerchief that he tied around his head. As they were on a mission, he wore his full armor including his shield and lance.
The fourteenth division commander sat down next to her, resting his shield to his knees and his lance to his shoulder. Several eyes darted toward her as they spied the commander walking off on his own. Not everyone was as good as she was at remaining unnoticed.
For several minutes, her commander said nothing. The longer the silence continued, the more uneasy Sadie became. Commander Jiru didn't do things like this without a reason. It felt like she was on the edge of a cliff waiting for the ground beneath her feet to crumble.
"Was there something you needed?" Sadie mumbled unwilling to wait any longer.
Jiru looked down at her and smiled, "Just thought I would keep you company."
Sadie laughed, "Ha, we both know that isn't it." She slid her gaze over to meet the eyes of the tall man.
The commander scratched his nose as he seemed to think, "I suppose that's true." He frowned and continued without looking down from the sky. "I wanted to make sure you are ok for the mission. You have been off ever since we reached the Kujira. I can't have you distracted." Now he did look down into her face silently demanding an explanation.
Sadie sighed and leaned her head back against the ship. There was no running away from it now. "It's nothing really. I just don't get along with some of the people on this mission. Once we separate from everyone else, I'll be fine."
The disapproval on Jiru's face was a punch to the gut. It was clear he was not happy with her response. Whatever he thought might be wrong it wasn't this. Their crew was famously close. It isn't that they all got along all the time, but to not be able to set it aside during a mission was shameful.
Sadie felt the need to defend herself, "It isn't that I can't do my job ya know. I just don't want to…" she waved a hand at the jovial crew entertaining themselves on the journey.
Jiru heaved a heavy sigh, "Sadie," he started and then stopped. The man rotated his lance so that it spun in place on his shoulder. With a firm grip on the metal of his weapon Speed Jiru stood. "It's fine." he stated.
This was the very reason that Sadie appreciated having Jiru as a commander. Unlike her Uncle, he wasn't nosey and was capable of leaving things alone that didn't need fixing.
"Land-Ho!" called the lookout from up above. Both Sadie and Jiru turned their heads first to the crow's nest and then to the horizon trying to spot the distant island.
"We will be leaving soon. Make sure you are ready." said the commander with the touch of a growl to his voice.
Sadie smirked, "Come on now," she teased, "I already am." The woman got to her feet and stepped out of the shadows to follow her commander toward the others on the deck.
….
The island was growing and it wouldn't be long before they could make landfall.
"Ace-yoi." called someone.
Ace looked over to see Marco beckoning him toward a small gathering of mostly other commanders. He pushed off the pole he had been leaning against and walked across the deck. Looking over those present he recognized almost every face. Commanders Vista, Marco and Jiru were there along with Shun from the first division. This left only one person he didn't recognize. There was a girl next to Commander Jiru. Her hair was pulled back and she wore a dark mask. He quirked an eyebrow at her outfit but shrugged it off.
"What's up?" Ace asked turning to Marco.
The answer came from Commander Jiru, "Sadie and I are preparing to set out."
'That is Sadie!? The fun-sucking furry killer?' Thought Ace as he looked harder at the dark-clad woman trying to see beneath her mask.
Jiru continued, unaware of Ace's surprise. "However, we wanted to make sure everyone understood what to expect before we left." The tall man nodded at Sadie.
Sadie picked-up the explanation, "The commander and I will slip into the back of the fortress. We will be breaking the dam they built to redirect the river. This will flood the entire fortress and flush out the pests."
Ace nodded, this wasn't new information to him.
"While this is happening, I will be focusing the flow of the water so that it is guaranteed to work to our advantage. However, controlling that much water will leave me vulnerable." Her voice started to fade in volume.
Ace saw the slight tremor to her shoulders as he confirmed his earlier theory of her being a devil fruit user. 'Is she scared?'
Jiru placed a steadying hand on her shoulder, "Right so I will be watching her back, but if something should happen, make sure to defend appropriately."
"I really think I should come too." Boomed Vista. "There is no reason to risk something happening."
"Uncle Vista!" Sadie admonished a blush rose into the visible part of her face. "I'm not some maiden in distress that needs your protection." The tremor in her shoulders spread so that she was now shaking from head to toe.
'Not fear, but anger.' Ace smirked. It seemed to him that she didn't like relying on others.
"But Waterlily!" Whined the fifth division commander.
"No!" Sadie returned sternly. She looked the part of a strict school teacher with her hands on her hips and her brows lowered in aggression.
The swordsmen wilted under her stubborn resolve.
Jiru laughed and then moved to pat the other commander on the back. "Don't worry old friend." Vista lifted his head to look over his shoulder at the knight. Jiru smiled and confirmed, "I will take care of Sadie."
Ace was encouraged by her fiery reaction and added fuel to the fire. "Yea, Commander Vista. We will watch over the furry killer." Ace smirked at the masked woman, waiting for the backlash.
Sadie however, tensed momentarily and simply turned away. After a few silent seconds, she coldly replied, "I do not require your help." She said 'your' as if his help was the last thing she would ever accept. She said nothing else leaving everyone to stare at her back in slight shock.
Jiru straightened his spine as he watched his subordinate and then looked back to Ace with an unreadable mask.
Ace felt his gut twist uncomfortably. There was an unnerving presence to the Speed Commander's gaze, but he would not back down. "We've got your back too Commander Jiru!" Said Ace with a cocky crooked smile. If this was some sort of challenge, then he fully accepted.
The loud booming voice of Blamenco sounded behind him, "What's this?" They all turned to face the shipwright. Having gotten their attention, he smiled as he reached into his right chin pocket and removed a massive hammer as large as himself. Everyone, yes including the commanders, took a step back. Blamenco kissed his hammer as he cooed, "Do you need Jezibell to break this tension?" The wicked smile he flashed the group sufficed.
"Jezibell will not be needed-yoi." sighed Marco. He lifted a hand to his forehead like he had a migraine coming on.
Blamenco pouted and sadly put his Jezibell away. Ace chuckled a little to himself at the sad puppy dog eyes of the shipwright. The man's disappointment was etched into every part of his posture. Ace idly wondered, 'Has he ever gotten to use Jezibell?' Ace had seen him swing it out like this lots of times in the last year, but never once had he seen the man use it.
"It's time." stated Jiru as he moved to stand next Sadie.
The two from the fourteenth division moved off to the railing. Then, with two quick hops they both leapt over the side. Ace froze, 'She's a devil fruit user right?!' There was no resulting splash. Instead a moment later, a buzz filled the air and Speed Jiru used his powerful arms to turn a propeller in the water. A single boat carrying the two of them, cut through the waves as it sped toward the island.
Ace released the breath he had kept prison in his lungs. The fun-sucking fluffy killer wasn't really his concern, but she was a member of the crew. At least, that is what he told himself.
….
The salty spray from the sea hit Sadie's face and caught in her loose bangs. She looked over her shoulder at her commander. Jiru was skillfully rotating the bar, hand over hand, that spun the propeller. It was something that only the fourteenth commander could pull off. His speed was second to none.
Sadie inhaled the salty air deeply. There was an excitement in her veins with the anticipation of a challenge. Commander Jiru had insisted that they make the others aware of the situation just to be on the safe side. However, no matter what the commanders said, she did not need their help. She was strong enough to deal with something like this one her own.
She respected Jiru and knew that he returned that respect. Unlike her uncle and many of the other commanders, Jiru did not treat her like the little girl she was when she first joined the crew. It galled her that she had asked for their help in defending her even a little. In the end, it didn't really matter because she would just ensure that their assistance wasn't needed.
Her grip tightened on the edge of their little boat as it veered sharply to the side. Commander Jiru was looking for a place where they could make landfall discreetly.
"There!" Sadie pointed out a small river mouth concealed mostly by trees and local vegetation.
"Nice!" Jiru agreed and steered them into the little river.
Sadie hopped out quickly. Her feet sunk into the loose sand at the river's edge. The two pirates worked quickly to pull the boat ashore and hide it among the foliage.
With the boat sufficiently concealed, Jiru and Sadie shared a significant look that silently communicated they were ready to move on to the next task.
Sadie moved forward a step ahead of her commander and let her water flow through her. Her element ran through her left hand as the limb shifted into water. She rotated her hand around a central point causing her water to coalesce above her hand. Taking a deep breath, she lifted the orb up over the trees.
She could see through the water like a third eye. Her physical eyes were closed, but she could clearly see the tree tops that covered the island. She turned the water and finally spied their target. Sadie's eyes snapped open as she dispersed her water bubble.
"The fortress is this way." She started to walk away from the shoreline and Jiru noisily followed her.
The commander's armor clanged loudly in the quiet jungle. To Sadie, he seemed to be screaming out their location for anyone to hear. She on the other hand, moved through the branches and leaves of the environment like a wildcat stalking its prey. With each clunk of his armor and snap of wood underfoot, Sadie twitched in mild irritation.
Without warning, Speed Jiru zipped off, leaving behind a small whoosh of air. Sadie smiled, her commander had found a mouse. A second later, a man came crashing down to the ground from the trees. Instantly, Commander Jiru was by her side again and the two left the unconscious man behind.
"It seems we have entered the ant's nest." Sadie calmly observed as she continued to move silently across the terrain.
"Yup! Looks like my plan worked." The commander winked at his subordinate and adjusted his armor. "Although," he continued while toeing the twitching man on the ground with his boot, "I'm not sure this even counted as an ant. A glancing blow was enough to take him out." Jiru chuckled lowly.
Sadie paused to look back at Jiru from her place among the trees. "However, it does seem that we need to be more cautious now. You know, like - quieter." Sadie looked pointedly at her commander as he clanged again.
"What?" he gaped at her innocently.
"Your armor is loud." Sadie deadpanned.
"Nah, it's just musical." shrugged Jiru.
Sadie sweat dropped. She puffed up ready to demand that he put some more effort into being quieter, when he beat her into speech.
"Isn't stealth your job?" Jiru shook his head in mock disappointment.
"You're teasing me aren't you." accused Sadie.
"May-be" grinned Jiru.
Sadie sighed and a puff of steam escaped her mouth. "Come-on, let's keep moving." She finally declared defeatedly.
Despite his antics, the commander was significantly quieter after that. He had been loud on purpose earlier, seeking to draw the enemy out. There was some pride in getting to draw first blood and he would boast about the pitiful encounter later to their crewmates.
A hand on her shoulder made her freeze. She turned to look at the serious Speed Jiru. He jerked his head up and she let her gaze follow the line up into the trees. Down the way, in their direct path was a pair of lookouts. They could of course take them out easily, but they were getting nearer to the fortress and did not want to arise suspicion.
Sadie nodded silently to her commander. She turned her attention to the men in the treetops and waved a hand in front of her. As her hand moved, her fingertips misted into vapor. She produced more and more mist until there was a sizable cloud surrounding them. The moisture hung in the air heavy around them.
"Mist's mirage." she intoned quietly.
To the two on the ground nothing changed. However, to anyone looking from outside the mist, they would have disappeared. Sadie and Jiru moved slowly and silently through the woods hidden within her mist past the lookouts. Her concealing abilities was just another reason she was chosen for this task.
One of the lookouts yawned as they passed. Sadie's smirk was hidden behind mist and fabric. 'If only he knew how much he is failing at his job right now.' The thought was entertaining as she considered what expression he would wear as he was soundly beaten by the Whitebeard pirates.
When they were clear, Sadie whirled the mist around them in a small spiral and condensed the liquid into a few drops of rain that pelted the trees briefly. The fortress was now within sight. Laughter and a general boisterous ruckus could be heard from within the wooden structure.
The two pirates skirted the edges of the building keeping to the cover the trees provided. Then, came the climb. The river ran down a mountainside and was damed further up the slope. The ground here was softer and was littered with ferns.
Speed Jiru dashed ahead and Sadie rolled her eyes. Patience wasn't his strongest suit. She had just spotted the top of the dam in the distance. Her commander no doubt had rushed ahead to the giant wall that tamed the river. She picked up her own pace knowing that he wouldn't want to wait too long for her to get started. The extra effort didn't put a strain on her body, it was more an irritation to the woman.
'Are the other's even ready yet?' she wondered. Creating another observation orb, she set the sphere of liquid up to gaze at the shoreline. She leaned her shoulders up against a tree and closed her eyes as she viewed the scene from above. The Kujira was anchored and the landing boats were all pulled ashore. Sadie moved her hand sightlessly as she navigated her water toward the fortress. Their people were getting into position, hiding amongst the trees at higher elevations to avoid the coming flood. Finally, she shifted the water toward the village further down the mountain. Division six was well on their way to being finished. There was a sturdy flood wall coming to life around the cluster of houses and buildings. With a flick of her wrist the orb scattered droplets out into the air. 'Not quite ready, but soon.' she concluded. 'Jiru will not be happy.'
Sadie continued up the mountain toward the dam and caught up with her commander. He was sitting on top of the towering wall and dangled his legs carelessly as he waved to her in greeting.
"The others aren't ready yet." she called up to him.
His boyish smile fell into a pout. He popped up onto his feet and started twirling his lance around him like some sort of acrobat.
Sadie sighed, "What are you doing?" She looked up at the man in exasperation. 'Why did people have to act so irrationally?'
He paused as he did a one-armed handstand with his lance spinning between his feet. "Passing the time of course." He grinned.
"Right passing the time." Sadie responded sarcastically. "Because doing flips on a giant wall holding back a torrent of water is the perfect form of entertainment." she muttered to herself.
"It is!" he called back as he did exactly as she had suggested and threw his lance into the air while doing backhand round offs and then expertly catching his lance after sticking the landing.
Sadie shifted her body into water vapor and misted up to the top of the dam. "Look, if you are going to do flips, then at least do something interesting." Jiru backed away and bowed offering the opportunity to best him.
She inclined her head to her commander before taking a deep breath. The dark clothed woman dashed across the wall and then bounded into a double full layout. Her body sored through the air as she flipped head over toes and rotated around in a spin. She landed and lowered her mask to taunt her commander with a confident smirk.
Jiru clapped and whistled. "You got me Sadie, I can't hold a candle to you in acrobatics. However," The man vanished and reappeared in front of her holding a hair tie. "The day has not yet come, where you can beat my speed."
She snatched her hair-tie out of his outstretched fingers and quickly resecured the end of her braid. A resounding boom echoed throughout the mountainside and the ground shook violently. The water behind them was disturbed in choppy waves that lived short lives before colliding with another wave. When the ground stilled, Jiru leaped from the wall to stand in front of the dam.
Sadie turned to the lake created by the dam. She held out both hands to the disturbed water. Her body heated as the lake began to steam. "Sauna" she whispered. She controlled the steam as it rose in a billowing white cloud. The shipwrights were ready and it was time to flush out the scum that had moved in during their absence.
Having sent up their responding signal, Sadie misted back down to the ground. "Ready?" She questioned her commander.
The sinister grin on his face hinted at his attitude. "Very," he growled. The commander spun his lance around him out of habit as he prepared to launch himself at the wall. The long metal pole rang as it came to a stop against the man's palm. He stood very still as he gazed at the manmade foe before him. Then, he was gone and a blast rang out over the mountain.
Sadie smiled as her commander flashed again to her side. "It never gets old." She hummed appreciatively as she observed the cracked dam that now buckled under the weight behind it.
"That thing won't hold long; we best hurry." and with that, the commander flashed out of sight again.
Sadie lifted her mask over her nose and dissolved into mist. She rushed after him bobbing and weaving around the vegetation. Even flying through the air as mist, she could not match the commander's speed. He paused periodically to let her catch up to him so that he appeared to flash in and out of existence in front of her as they rushed back down the mountain.
As the battered wood gave way to the massive amount of water it guarded, Jiru and Sadie came to a stop in front of their friends. It was time to show the Redbeard pirates, why no one messed with Oyaji.
….
Ace was impatient for the action to begin. Sitting within the trees and waiting was not his favorite thing to do. They had witnessed the sloppy way these men behaved. There was no honor among them. They did not seem to respect anything, even each other. What was the point of belonging to a crew if there was no trust between the members?
The Redbeards had kidnapped several of the young women from the village. This had caused a lot of tension among the ranks when it was discovered. The flood would wipe people out non-discriminately.
Marco had made the executive order to rescue the girls as soon as the flood walls broke. Each girl had been assigned to one of the Whitebeard assailants. Ace watched his own target from his place in the branches.
The slender woman-child had long dark green hair and was obviously terrified. She often jumped or trembled as the men talked to her. She served them food and alcohol in the open camp in front of their base. Ace bit back a growl as one of the burly men grabbed her around the waist causing her to drop the empty tray in her hands. The bastard pulled in her small body and forced her to sit on his lap. Fire-Fist was too far away to hear what the man said, but the look on the poor girl's face painted a clear enough picture. She leaned as far away from the brute's face as possible within the man's iron grip.
Flames started to lick Aces arms as his rage and frustration ignited his fire. This girl, although a stranger to him, reminded him thoroughly of Makino. Just the thought of someone treating the kindly woman this way enraged him.
The ground shook and the trees trembled beneath him. Ace lifted his eyes to the sky and saw the responding signal from Commander Jiru and Sadie. The time for waiting was almost past.
Ace grit his teeth as the cruel man continued to try to engage the girl. He laughed and grabbed the girl's chin, physically forcing her to look at him. Ace had to tame his flames in that moment or else he would have set fire to the tree. 'Almost time,' he tried to tell himself, barely controlling his desire to burn the offensive man right now.
A second boom could be heard in the distance and a large flock of birds flew overhead. Ace tensed his muscles ready to spring. His eyes entirely focused on the girl as she spit into the man's face. Fire-Fist smiled briefly at her defiance, but then it turned into a scowl. The creep had responded by backhanding the girl with enough force to throw her to the floor.
The green-haired maiden cradled her cheek on the floor and looked up with round eyes as the man towered over her.
"NOW!" commanded Marco.
Ace didn't wait another second. His flames roared into life as he rushed forward to block the strike falling onto the girl. He manifested just in time to catch the brute's fist with a fiery hand. His enemy recoiled, shaking his burnt fist and growled at Ace.
The roar of the oncoming flood grew. Ace didn't give the man time to regroup and immediately thrust a flaming fist up into his jaw, making sure to engulf the ogre in his fire. He wished that he had the time to savor burning him to a crisp but the tides, or in this case the floods, wait for no man.
"Pardon me Miss." Ace said genteelly as he threw her over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. The fire-wielder used his powerful legs to leap out of the open camp and up into the trees. He leapt from branch to branch with his tiny cargo securely held to his shoulder. He hurried through the trees with haste to bring her to the agreed destination.
Seeing the two men charged with the girls' protection during the fight he came to a sudden stop pulling an "Oof" from the girl.
Ace smiled a little abashed and put her down. He bowed formally to her and apologized. "Sorry to surprise you. Don't worry, these guys are nothing to be afraid of." As he said this, Fisher, a burly blonde under his command, came up beside him with his own rescued maiden. Ace stood and shot the girls a wide grin, "Your friends will be joining you soon, just wait here while we take out the trash."
Ash flashed into fire as he rushed back toward the enemy, back to the fun. As he approached the fighting, the roar of a torrent of water gushing though grew louder and louder. When he broke through the tree line and could witness the spectacle he could only barely hear the cries of battle above the scream of water.
His brothers and sisters were taking down the Redbeard pirates everywhere he looked. The defeated bodies were washed away by the unnaturally controlled flood. The water was focused in a powerful river that didn't encroach on the forest very far in either direction. Looking around he spied the only two members from the fourteenth division. Sadie's posture was tense as she moved, assumedly to control the mounting waters. Jiru was at her side and would occasionally deflect an incoming attack, but mostly stood at the ready to defend.
Ace paid them no more attention as he spotted an ant that needed crushing. He flew over the water to the large rock his enemy had taken refuge on. The man's face lost all color when Ace stood before him.
"Where are you going? The fun has just begun." said Ace through his smirk as he tipped his hat with a flaming finger.
His enemy took a step back and looked at the rushing water most likely considering his options.
"This is your resolve?" sighed Ace in disappointment. "It was foolish to challenge us with so little…" Ace paused to find the correct word, "well everything." he shrugged.
The puny man passed out from fright and was carried away by the rapid currents. Ace sighed. This flood was taking the fun right out of this fight. 'Thank you fun-sucking fluffy killer.' he thought despondently. 'Honestly, why couldn't I have just burnt the fort. The ants would still flee and we could still crush them.' Ace knew that the truth was that they needed to restore the river anyway, but in his frustration, chose to ignore that fact.
It seemed that the captain had caught onto their plan and was making an attempt on said fluffy killer. Jiru was having a surprisingly difficult time bringing the man down. Ace watched as Jiru landed a blow only to see the enemy captain waft away and reappear behind the fourteenth commander.
Ace rolled his arms to release some of the tension in his muscles and scanned the area for more enemies. This level of combat was nowhere near enough to satisfy him. That was when he saw a small cluster of men evading the water as they retreated through the trees on the far side of the flood. Ace readjusted his hat before flying over the water to materialize in front of the cowards.
"Afternoon gents." Ace ginned wickedly with a small inclination of his head. "Going somewhere?" He surveyed the group quickly counting 7 pathetic excuses for pirates.
"Come-on man! Let us go!" Begged one of the cowards trying to control his trembling.
"We are n-n-no threat-t-t to you, just l-let us leave." another reasoned a tremor in his voice.
"Here," offered a third, pulling some jewels out of his pack. "You can take all of them."
Ace whistled is amazement. "That's a pretty tempting offer." he mocked pacing back and forth pretending to consider their bribe. The men watched him in extreme anxiety.
"Sorry, but that's just too boring. I prefer my entertainment to be a little," He lit a fist menacingly, "hotter." The fire cast ominous shadows over his face and the men scattered in panic.
"So, it's to be a game of hide and seek?" Ace grinned as his eyes zeroed in on one of the cowards' backs. "Or maybe a little target practice?" Ace lined up his shot and whispered to himself. "Game On!"
AN: If you have a moment, please let me know your thoughts on the latest chapter. Thanks for stopping by! :)