Beginning of the Buster Call!
"A Buster Call?" asked Mikoto turning over to Ridley. Ridley grimaced as he nodded his head. It was at least a twenty minute hike up to the top of the island and then who knew how long it would be until the rest of the crew got there. Zesiro was the main problem, a large wave of scared pirates and other miscellaneous idiots would pour out of those small doors and Zesiro would be amongst them. It would take him forever to break out. He supposes they could leave him and he could just swim out and catch up to him…but he doubted the rest of the crew would agree with such a cold-hearted plan.
The next problem would be the design of the island. The island was designed like a giant pot and they were at the bottom as it currently stood the Marines could only blindly fire cannon balls down into the pot and let them crash into the buildings below. He could consider themselves lucky that they weren't being directly fired at, but with the destroyed buildings and the like it wouldn't be easy to escape the pot. Then there were also a limited number of staircases leading to the top of the pot, the Marines only needed to destroy the staircases or block them off while the random cannon fire killed everyone.
Another loud explosion of cannonfire smashed into the island, sending a strong shuddering throughout it. Ridley and the rest of the gang stumbled forward and fell to the ground. A few seconds later a Marine voice boomed through the arena. "This is Vice Admiral, Docket R. Jr. I am here to tell all pirates that you have no options. We have taken control of both stairwells and have five Marine Battleships placed outside the island, circling as we speak. We are here to destroy this island and any and everyone associated with it or on it. If you want to live…well, then this is rather awkward…um, good-bye!"
Ridley wanted to say something insulting about the man who just came on, but in the end he didn't really have the privilege to. It was check and mate as far as every pirate on this island was concerned. Docket R. Jr. was one of the few men who would probably manage to live through this whole predicament. Ridley looked over at his crew and noticed that the rest of the gang was already rushing out of the room as quickly as they could. He realized that this moment probably called for more immediate action rather than careful planning.
"Which way to Trevor?" asked Mikoto as the group continued to rush out of the hallways. They managed to remain together despite the numerous staff members of the URA and pirates that rushed into the halls tackling anybody around them without care or concern.
"Are you kidding me?" asked Melanie raising an eyebrow at Mikoto's goal. "I'm with you about taking him down, but now is not the time. I've heard plenty of rumors about these Buster Calls. I don't think we have the time to take him down or anything of that sort. The longer we wait, the more the odds become stacked against us surviving. We need to leave! NOW!"
"I think you are forgetting about one small factor that separates me from regular pirates," laughed Mikoto as he slammed on the brakes and turned around, he began to fight through the crowd of pirates. "I'm going to be the king of pirates! And RIDDLES!"
"Wai-" started Melanie twisting around to go back and grab ahold of Mikoto to drag him out of the arena, but Ridley's firm grip and tug on her shoulder forced her to leave him behind, "your captain is going to-"
"Be just fine," finished Ridley, "I've been with Mikoto for awhile and while I'll always question his leadership skills and his intelligence level…there's two things about him that'll always help him pull through in the end. He's good in a fight and he's a lucky bastard. He'll be okay until the world comes to the end and even then he may live, idiots always seem to live longer than smart people."
"Guess that means you'll live forever," shouted Simon apparently he still hadn't forgiven Ridley for lying to him about his son.
"Nah, my liver is going to give out long before then," said Ridley as he tried to keep in front of the newest wave of panicking pirates, "I'll die soon enough." As if to help support Ridley's belief in his life another cannon ball crashed into the hallway, striking into the floor behind them and smashing several pirates into little bits and pieces. "But I don't want to!" shouted Ridley as he poured on the gas and doubled his speed along with the rest of the pirates in the hall as they began to increase their speed.
Ridley still didn't have anything planned out for what they would do when they got to the top of the stairs. Even if they did manage to break past the guards the Marines were bound to have posted there, then what? In the bottom of the pot the Marine Battleships could only fire cannon balls out on the flat land they had lasers, spears, and god knows what else! They would be skewered the instant the Marines saw them. Right now the plan was just to keep running and hope they missed.
"Wait!" shouted Ridley as another thought hit him, "Mikoto could become the Shichibukai! They told us straight-up that if we chose to comply with their demands and Mikoto joins them they'd let us walk!"
"Selling your respect for another day," scoffed Simon, "if you were a dwarf you wouldn't do that. Dwarfs have pride! You can see our pride in the beards we grow!" Simon pounded his chest for emphasis. Melanie nodded in agreement, she couldn't believe that someone would do something so cheap. She became a Shichibukai and suffered through it in order to save her family, Ridley's plan was to sell out his captain for another day under the sun.
Ridley shrugged. He didn't care. What good did respect do him in Davy Jones' locker? The other pirates certainly would love to hear him standing up foolishly to the Marines and being a man to the last minute, but he highly doubted the pirates there cared, they'd just skin him and use his bones to pick their teeth.
(-With Enma-)
The ship shook viciously, nearly throwing Enma off of his feet. He looked over at Hiro-Shu who still laid there on the bed unconscious. "Great, all men…" shouted Enma, but he stopped when he realized the only men on their ship right now were him and the unconscious Hiro-Shu, it didn't matter, "All men to the top of the ship to fight back!" Enma was about to rush out, but he stopped, he looked over at his experiment and quickly grabbed it swooping it off of the stands. It wasn't finished yet, but it should give him a little bit more of an edge in the upcoming battle with the Marines. He filled a syringe up with the dark red and almost purplish liquid and stuffed the syringe into his pocket. It was supposed to be a pill, but he hadn't had the time to create the right mixture. An injection would have to do.
Enma was on the deck in a few seconds. He stopped and looked around at the meager offering. It was him and Rosa, who was still injured, but she had managed to load one cannon ball into the cannon and fire it off, blasting a small hole in the deck. Lily, still hiding in her tiger form, was pawing another cannon ball over to Rosa's side. Rosa loaded it and fired. The cannon ball shot forward, it hit the ground forcing some of the Marine back again, but Rosa wasn't the best shot and she didn't quite hit them like she was planning.
"Crap," muttered Enma running up to them and looking over the railing and at the Marines who were still scrambling around. They were probably planning the best way to move forward and take them out. They didn't want to turn the battleships off of the main island. They wanted to squash the majority of the pirates who were still in the arena. They had other back-up ships that were more focused on taking out any ships that decided to leave prematurely. Besides if they could leave some of the ships undamaged, they could steal them and use them as materials or for back-up ships. It would basically become an emergency ration. The Marines would take complete control of the ships and sail out with the excess materials.
The Marines stayed back. They were still debating about approaching the ship. It seems to be one of the few ships that actually had pirates on it…the other problem was it was the ship of the Infinity Pirates. The new Shichibukai. It was true that the idea of the Buster Call was to completely eliminate everything, to leave not even a tree left standing, but who wanted to try to kill a Shichibukai? That was a death wish and then some. They heard horrors of the Shichibukai and as it currently stood none of them felt safe as they stood here. They were attacking two Shichibukais along with a bunch of battle-crazed pirates…somewhere along the lines they feared the higher-ups have lost all deductive reasoning skills.
"Just keep firing," shouted Enma as he loaded another cannon and lit the fuse. There was a deafening boom as the cannon fired a single shot through the sky and buried the small, yet heavy ball into the floorboards. The Marines exchanged another worried look and left, they'd save that ship for later. Or maybe they'd just sink it at the very last second.
Enma slumped down behind the ship's railing and let out the breath he had been subconsciously holding. It was worrisome when you were on a psychopath's island with a bunch of angry law enforcers after you, they needed to prepare to leave the island as soon as possible.
(-With Zesiro-)
Zesiro brought his sword forward and mowed through another group of anxious Marines that had rushed down the stairs to engage the evil pirates and become a hero of legend. Zesiro was immediately pushed aside as the pirates that just mere moments ago were cowering at the sight of the Marine found themselves with enough energy to run and screw over their savior. Zesiro paused and looked around. The Zesiro grumbled something as he recognized his opponent for the day slink away out the back way. He couldn't believe he was scheduled to fight such a coward and part of him wanted to turn around and pick a fight with him, but he knew the smart thing to do was to keep running.
Zesiro was rushing up the stairs, ignoring the chaotic cannon fire that rained down upon the island and smashed into walls and floors alike. The pirates in front of him kept charging, every so often one would fall and be trampled to death by the rushing and panicking pirates. At first Zesiro entertained the thought that he would bend down and help him to his feet, but he soon found out that he got there too late. Just in time to see the mangled mess expire.
If the sights and sounds of this crowded hall weren't bad enough, the smell tortured him. Like all sharks, Zesiro had certain…inhuman response to blood. And these hallways were drenched in it. Ordinarily he could suppress, it was something he had worked hard on. He wanted to eliminate the ignorant thoughts that all Fishman were bloody savages, but it was hard to hold back in this environment. His predator instincts were slowly overriding all common sense and all of his morality.
The thrill of the hunt was starting to creep up his skin and work its slimy magic. He couldn't hold it back anymore. He stopped in his tracks, causing the pirates behind him to bump into him. In an instant, not only did Zesiro unsheathe his sword, but he brought it swinging around as quickly as possible. Beheading the pirate behind him.
Destruction of the Things We Hold Near!
I was planning on posting last week as well, but more crap rained down from the sky! I swear get a week off of school and spend most of it working in order to pay for school. I plan to post again next week to return to a good schedule. Anyways, things heat up! The Buster Call has begun! The cannon fire is smashing into the URA, no one is safe! Not to mention Mikoto is rushing to meet a murderer and Zesiro is becoming one! What is this world coming to?
Also, I have decided as a New Year's resolution, I am going to try doing a manga…at least a one-shot. I will continue to update these stories in that time, so no worries. If you want details ask and I'll send you a PM.