Disclaimer: Neither Fate/Zero, Nor OP, nor the verses from any sea-shanties used. They belong to their respective creators. Mutual Funds are subject to market risks. Please read your offer documents carefully before investing.
A/N at the end. Gives the background on some stuff, so read it.
'That's a juicy steak': mental thought
"That steak is juicy!": spoken words
'Weigh, hey and up she rises! Early in the morning!": Sea shanty or an invocation, chapter quote, footnote
-=Folio Gamma: Hoist the Colors=-
"You should reach the limits of virtue, before you cross the border of death.
Learn to love death's ink-black shadow as much as you love the light of dawn."
Tyrtaeus of Laconia
"No, and for the last time Iskandar, we have no technology similar to your flying stealth bomber!" Silvers groaned out, rubbing his head tiredly while swinging idly on a hammock.
Yes, it was certainly disheartening to hear just how far behind this world was in technology as compared to the world I had left behind. It seemed as if the level of technology was still stuck somewhere in the Age of Sail. For pity's sake, there weren't even any steam engines in here and we had those even in Ancient Greece!
To be fair, this world was simply far too erratic and uncontrolled for man to lay any sort of form and order on it. It resisted all attempts to tame it, and every action was met with a far exceeding reaction, which discouraged all who would try. According to Silvers, the part of the world that we were in, East Blue; was the tamest and most manageable of all the seas. The Grand Line, a current which ran through the planet's equator, was dangerous to even the best of sailors. Freak weather and dangerous currents, not to mention the sudden whirlpools, gigantic sea-creatures and hostile islands made the Grand Line a challenge, one that needed to be met head-on and surpassed.
Funnily enough, the part of Grand Line in East and South Blue was referred to as 'Paradise', meaning that it is a veritable heaven, compared to the horrors present in the North and West Blue part.
Keeping that in mind, the developments in science were geared towards combat and survivability. According to Silvers, the top scientists of the era mostly worked on either medical discovery like better cures for ailments, creating vaccines and resistances against such ills, developing new drugs and chemicals from the exotic plant and animal life found in the Grand Line, or even studying the anatomy of the varied creatures that inhabited the world. There were rumors that some scientists were even creating methods to manipulate the living body so as to make it artificial and thus improve its physical limitations.
The other thrust of scientific discovery was of weapon development. Unlike my previous world, navigation was very difficult because of the interspersed and changing magnetic lines, which could confuse even the most accurate compass. To that end, accurate flying vessels and precision long range artillery were nearly impossible to create and execute, which was a death knell to my wish of owning a fleet of those Stealth Bombers.
Nevertheless, human ingenuity always yearns to find new ways to kill other humans. This world was no different in that regard. There were a multitude of rifles, pistols, cannons, swords, flamethrowers, rockets, bombs and many more such wonderful implements. However, the most unique weapon in this world wasn't a gigantic machine, but a simple fruit.
These mystical objects, called as the Devil Fruits, conferred the ability they carried to those who eat it. No one knew the origins of this fruit, nor did they know the exact method by which it worked, but by observing and researching for years, it was established that there were three broad kinds of Devil Fruits. The first and most common type was called as Paramecia Fruit, which bestowed strange and unusual abilities to a user which could affect their body, manipulate the environment and even produce substances. However, they didn't allow the user to transform into their element, which was the power of the Logia fruit.
Logia fruits allowed a person to become an element, like Fire, Ice, Water, Smoke and so on. In the hands of a creative and skilled warrior, the power of these fruits was limitless, and as such Logia users were highly regarded and renowned as dangerous on the field of battle.
Last of all were the Zoan fruits, which allowed a Hybrid transformation to the user. The animals that one could transform into ranged from common animals like Dog, Lion, Snake et cetera, to even beasts out of myths and legends like the Phoenix or the Basilisk. One of Silvers' strongest enemies, a Marine named Sengoku even had the ability to turn himself into a semi-divine being.
All the fruit users gained a lot after eating their fruits. Their strength, endurance, durability and regeneration, were all increased to beyond normal human levels, but along with it, they also are inflicted with an increased vulnerability to sea-water, the slightest contact with which was crippling to those with Devil Fruit abilities, which also meant that on open seas, they couldn't swim and were practically dead-weights in water.
It was all very interesting, and the more I heard, the more my mind buzzed with strategies and techniques to combat these type of warriors. In my opinion, Devil Fruits sounded like more trouble than what they were worth. Sure, they bestowed limitless power on the user, but to one sailing the endless oceans, a vulnerability to water was a devastating trade-off. I wasn't complaining though, I didn't need that kind of power and it made my enemies weak, all good points considering what I was planning to do.
After the execution, I had eventually found my way back to the small cove where Rayleigh was hiding out in. Buggy and Shanks had already reached there before me and were all agog with the revelation of the existence of the One Piece treasure. The two were already planning on setting sail on the seas and trying their luck on finding the treasure, at least Buggy was. Shanks was smart enough to understand that the way he stood now, he would be consumed by the sea long before he reached his destination, though he was planning to set sail as an experienced seaman's crew member before cutting out on his own.
Rayleigh was silent as he heard the account of the execution, though I could catch the barest hint of satisfaction and understanding cross his face when the declaration of One Piece was mentioned. While we were gone, he had managed to catch and kill a few wild animals which he then roasted on an open fire for dinner. That night, we ate, drank and made merry till the early hours. Silvers was determined to celebrate Roger's life rather than his death, more for his own sake than anything else, and it showed in his very bearing. However it was not my place to tell him how he should grieve, he knew himself best after all.
The next day, after everyone had recovered from the heavy drinking of the night before, Silvers had asked me the fateful question: what was I planning to do next?
I had not really thought about it. The previous few days had been turning out to be a tumultuous ride, and I could barely regain my bearings long enough to make a decision. I only had vague ideas of setting sail on a ship, traveling with Rayleigh to his chosen destination and generally just going with the flow. Now however, with the tempting lure of treasure-hunting and braving the high seas looming on the horizon, I was completely hooked.
Upon hearing my intentions, Silvers took it upon himself to brief me on the new world that I found myself in. From the currency and economy, to the governance and the major military powers existing in the world, to even common legends and prevalent myths, Silvers gave me his valuable insight into everything that he could think of, and I soaked it all up, assimilating it within my mind.
It was all going so well, till the day I saw her.
She was elegant, beautiful and sleek. Everything about her seemed to emphasize grace and sophistication with the subtle undercurrent of restrained power. Looking at her was like looking upon a slumbering goddess, you could admire the form from afar, but you always had to be wary of the power within. The moment I saw her, I knew that I had to have her, possess her and make her mine in all but name. Oh! How I longed to run my fingers over her, exploring her gentle curves with all the affection of the newlywed. The moment I saw her, I knew that she was made for me, no matter who had her at the moment. As a conqueror, I recognized no ownership. She would be mine and I was going to take her.
Though, I had to agree with Silvers. One couldn't just make off with the Marine Leader's ship easily without proper planning.
The beautiful ship that I had fallen in love with was a majestic Man-O-War called the Adamant, and was newly built, replete with the latest in technologies and armaments. She had three masts and square rigged sails and possessed three gun decks, as she carried 125 cannons, making for a devastating broadside. Built to show off the power of the Marines, the magnificent vessel was on its maiden voyage, and carried a large amount of supplies and stores within it. Requiring a crew of over a hundred men, the ship had sailed from the Marine Headquarters to Loguetown, bearing the official delegation of the Marines on it.
To me, it was poetic justice. By all accounts, Roger's execution was a dog and pony show and even in his last moments they didn't afford him dignity and respect. The man had enough pride to not let their pettiness affect him, but still, they had tried to trample on his pride. I thought it fitting to capture their prized ship and return the favor.
Silvers had slapped his palm to his forehead in exasperation, but said little else to oppose me. All things considered, he was doing that a lot around me these days, just like now.
"Fine, fine." I waved my hand reassuringly, "Those flying ships would have made our job a lot easier, but I suppose we can decide on a viable strategy without them."
"I suppose we could." Silvers remarked dryly. "The ship is well-stocked and is sea-worthy, but we still need a crew to man her and a large enough distraction to escape the port without being pursued."
"I can handle that. Any leads about where can we get so much manpower at short notice? An open audition for a crew will bring down the marines on top of our heads."
"Hmm, I believe that Buggy has some ideas for that, if I am not mistaken." Silvers remarked as we both looked expectantly towards the boy who looked very skittish and nervous to be put on the spot like that.
"Well, I was in town yesterday, when I heard some flashy rumors." He began, hesitantly. "Those flashy marine bastards are garrisoning most of their troops here and are going to transport the prisoners to Impel Down Prison in their new ship. Most of them, at least. Some will be sold to the slavers."
This was another unsavory aspect of this world that I had little patience with. Slaves.
I was no stranger to slavery, considering that it was very common in my time. But we mostly treated the slaves with respect. They were the ones who grew the crops, tilled the fields and kept the infrastructure running while the soldiers fought in distant lands. They had civil rights and liberties to a certain extent, and some were even allowed to open shops and own lands, many could also buy their own freedom if they earned enough money. Infact, there were rumors that in Attica, slaves were given unprecedented freedom and enjoyed a happy lot.
Slavery here though, was wasteful, for lack of a better word. Most of the slaves were owned by the nobles as status symbols or as a measure of wealth and were ill-treated and demeaned as if they were common animals. It was also said that some wealthy owners force-fed their slaves Devil Fruits and then made them fight each other for their amusement. Such a willful waste of life and complete lack of human empathy was simply beyond my ken.
"And when is this transfer going to take place?" I interjected.
"Uh, in about one week or so."
"That gives us enough time to come up with a suitable plan. Timing will be very important, we will need to rescue those prisoners and bring them aboard the ship. At the same time we have draw away the marines' ire and distract them long enough for the ship to be ready."
"I think that might work." Silvers agreed as he nodded slowly, "The distraction has to be one of us. There are several high ranked marines on the island right now and neither Shanks nor Buggy are strong enough to deal with all of them together."
"Oh, don't worry about it. I'll give them a target big enough that all eyes will be on me."
"Alright, so I guess that we are really doing this. What about you? Are you alright with being a pirate? They are going to outlaw your name to high heavens if we pull this off, you know?" Silvers pointed out thoughtfully, as he crossed his arms behind his head and leaned back against the wall of the shack.
"Don't try to talk him out of this!" Shanks butted in, looking mortally offended. "With this big guy's plan, I am going to get a ridiculously high bounty! My dream is finally going to come true and I won't let anyone come in between that!"
Silvers groaned in exasperation and bonked the younger boy on his head, pushing down on the conspicuous straw-hat he had taken to wearing. Buggy just laughed at his fellow rival's misfortune as the red-haired boy tried to dislodge his head from the headwear.
"Ignore him. He has been harping on about that forever, especially after all the crew earned significant bounties after our war against another pirate except these two."
"They didn't fight?"
"They did, though Buggy's contribution was rather, reluctant, shall we say? But apparently they were overlooked by the Marines, which is rather unfortunate. They are the only two from Roger's last crew who didn't amass a name or a bounty for themselves."
Buggy and the freshly un-stuck Shanks glowered and looked indignant, finally resembling the kids that they were rather than veteran seamen that they pretended to be, but at that moment they reminded me so much of Waver that I couldn't help but add a few words of encouragement.
"Ignore the fossil here boys. Let me tell you something, great men aren't born great…they grow great. I wasn't the oldest son of my father, and as such, I had no hope of succeeding him as king. Yet, my ambitions and wishes were too great for fate to hold down, and I never let circumstances get the better of me. You want something? Then you keep working towards it. Let nothing stand in your way."
It was a bit much and idealistic, but true nevertheless. A dogged pursuit and relentless efforts towards realizing one's ambitions can sometimes yield greater successes than mere chance.
"And as for your question Silvers, yes, I am alright with being a pirate. I don't trust society to protect me and mine, and I have no intention of putting my fate in the hands of men whose only qualification is that they conned a bunch of fools into believing that they were righteous. If the price of living free is being labeled an outlaw, then so be it. It's not too high a price."
"Spoken like a true pirate of the seas!" Silvers remarked, a wide grin on his face "now all we need is a Jolly Roger to go along with that ship of yours, and then you can officially be one!"
The Jolly Roger was yet another idiosyncrasy of this world, though one that I could identify readily with. It was the mark of a pirate, a flag that represented him and his crew and was flown proudly on the masts. Raising this black flag cemented a man's existence as a pirate forever, and he was always treated as such. A noble concept, yet I knew that I had no talent in things like this. So I chose to defer to the experts for this.
"Yeah, about that…is any one of you a decent painter? I have a few ideas that I'd like to run through."
Silvers held the two boys up by the scruff of their collars, even as they kicked and snarled futilely. Looks like I had my newest volunteers.
~-=oOoOo=-~
"Virginal Sun." Shanks snickered alongside Buggy, the two boys in agreement for once.
"For the last time, it's not the Virginal Sun, it's the Vergina Sun! Vergina! How immature can you two boys get?" I growled in annoyance. It was a simple design, a skull surrounded by sixteen lances of light arranged in a sunburst. I wanted my Jolly Roger based on the same flag that my father and I had once flown proudly. This was supposed to be a solemn, serious moment, yet these two buffoons could do nothing better than giggle like a pair of pubescent girls.
"Gyahaha, I'm sure that this time he said Vagi-"Buggy began to crack another tasteless joke before I knocked him out in sheer irritation, thankfully cowing the red-haired boy who began work on the flag without further comment.
Gods, I hoped I was never this immature when I was their age.
It was always a futile hope.
~-=oOoOo=-~
"So this is a pistol, eh?" I asked, amusement coloring my voice as I inspected the poor excuse of a weapon in my hands.
"Yeah, and it's one of the best too. In the hands of an expert, this beauty can destroy cannons in one shot!" Silvers claimed proudly, as he outfitted himself with a brace of similar pistols.
"Is that so? Let's see…" I commented before swiftly bringing up the weapon and taking aim towards the back of Silvers' head and pulled on the trigger.
The gun discharged with a loud bang and a puff of smoke as the weighted ball of lead hurtled towards the tall pirate. Without deigning to look back, Silvers drew his sword in a smooth motion and neatly sliced the bullet in two.
"It didn't even dent your sword, how will this little thing destroy cannons?" I asked logically. I didn't mention that I had prior knowledge of guns, and I knew for a fact that a flintlock-and-lead pistol didn't have enough power to pierce through the thick metal cast of cannons. Even in the world of the Grail War, only the most powerful of pistols had enough penetrating power. Secure in my knowledge, I grinned challengingly at Silvers.
The Dark King grinned lazily back and with expert movements discharged all four pistols within seconds towards the hull of an old boat, propped against the cliffside.
With a loud boom, the cliff disintegrated in a shower of rock and sand.
Twirling the deceptively small pistol in his hands, Silvers looked down smugly at me. "Like this. All it takes is a little practice."
~-=oOoOo=-~
"So the portside is the left, and the starboard is the right, right?" I mused, waving my arms expansively to clarify things.
"Yeah, that's what I said! For such a powerful man, you are surprisingly slow." Shanks commented, cheekily smiling up at me, the brim of his hat pulled down low.
"Oi, brat! Watch your mouth." I warned, raising my fist in threat.
The boy shut up for once and went back to practice with his sword. He was surprisingly skilled with the weapon, and was very agile too, flitting and jumping between the stuffed dummies. I watched entranced as he pulled of a very complex maneuver, throwing his sword through the gut of a dummy and spinning around to pull out the sword and slice the top off another dummy with a backhanded strike.
Baring my teeth in anticipation, I summoned my Kopis and with a shouted challenge, started to duel the red-head, enjoying the spar immensely.
Within minutes, the boy was panting and sweating heavily, though a matching smirk adorned his face too. With a loud yell he squinted and charged straight at me, slashing and hacking his sword in frenzy, giving his all in his last-ditch attack.
I enjoyed the stupefied expression on his face when his adrenaline rush wore off and he realized that his feet were not touching the ground. The silly idiot hadn't even noticed that right after his charge I had picked him up by his collar and held him at arm's length till his frenzy died down.
I shook the fool till he dropped the sword and grinned sheepishly up at me as I brought him at eye level, a neutral expression on my face.
After making him sweat for a few moments, I smirked slightly and tossed him over my shoulder, noting the distant splash with satisfaction.
"That will teach you who is slow." I muttered under my breath, surprised at my own pettiness.
~-=oOoOo=-~
I resisted the urge to cry as I noticed the ludicrous excuses for clothes piled around me. It was a simple thing really, just go to the town, go to a clothing store and buy some expensive, fashionable clothes. Yet, Buggy had managed to mess this up too.
"Where in the world did you get the idea that I would ever wear a neon green shirt, or a bright purple coat or top hat with a built-in pink wig?" I asked, fighting to keep my voice level as I held up each offending piece of fabric one by one.
"This will make you flashy and awe-inspiring! It is the most perfect outfit I could find, though the colors can be a bit brighter." He said off-handedly, gazing thoughtfully at the miserable hat.
"This will make me look like a damn clown."
"So? Clowns are fierce and terrifying. When I set sail with my own crew, I will make everyone dress as clowns, and then entire ports will surrender at the mere sight of us!"
"Yeah yeah, you do that. But what will you do if a port fires at your ship and you start to sink. You will be dead-weight anchor since you can't swim."
At this logically-correct remark, Buggy fell to pieces…literally, his Devil Fruit power manifesting itself absurdly, as always. Sifting through the pile of limbs and assorted body parts, I picked out Buggy's head and pulled it out.
"Now listen here, you are going to go back, you are going to return these travesties from whichever hole-in-the-ground you got them from, then you are going to buy a proper set of noble looking clothing, and then and only then are you going to show your face around me. Am I clear on that?"
"Y-Yes Sir!" He stammered in fear as he slowly reassembled himself.
"Good. Now scatter."
Buggy fell to pieces once again. Literally.
~-=oOoOo=-~
Silvers and I walked down the quay at night, taking in the beauteous sight of the full moon reflected on the choppy waters. The cool breeze and the faint rustling of the palm trees added to the serenity of the scene before us, yet we were anything but relaxed. We knew that the transfer of the slaves was due to begin in two days, effectively beginning the countdown for our little game. Over the past few days, our motley band had laid down the preparations for our plan; this was the last aspect which needed to be taken care of.
Silvers knew an expert forger who used to produce exceedingly accurate Letters of Passage and Port and even duplicated Permits and other such documents in Loguetown. After Roger and his hometown had gained considerable infamy, he had gone to ground, offering his services only through recommendations. Luckily, Silvers knew another contact that could do so.
So, the meeting had been fixed and now we were just waiting for the forger's arrival. The massive bulk of the Adamant loomed ahead, making me sigh in longing. Silvers elbowed me in the side, gesturing me to keep quiet. Not really wanting to argue, I complied, searching for a good vantage point.
Running silently, I jumped up high and landed smoothly atop a tall tree, overlooking the entire quay, moments later, Silvers followed suit, landing on the branches just below me. From our position the menacing prison loomed black in the night.
"So, that's it eh? The Marine Base. I wonder how these knights of valor and justice can bear to sleep while the prisoners and slaves cry out in anguish beneath them." I muttered with a hint of malice, reminded suddenly of the self-righteous Saber of the Grail War. I could just about imagine her doing the exact same thing while spouting empty words about duty or chivalry or some other nonsense like that.
"They are cold-hearted bastards for the most part. While the rest believe that they are doing the right thing, after all, a criminal forfeits his rights when he turns to a life of crime, doesn't he?" Silvers answered back, his tone conveying his disgust for the hypocritical nature of the supposedly lawful marines.
"I am going to burn that eyesore of a building down when I make my escape, I'm telling you right now."
"I was not going to stop you. It's a pity that I won't be alongside to help. But for now, lower your voice, can you hear that too?"
I strained my ears and picked up the faint music of violins approaching the quay. "The violin? Yeah. It's very far though, can't hear it very clearly."
As we listened, the sounds began to grow louder in volume, and slowly the accompanying words began to drift down the breeze.
'Away from the city that hurts and mocks, I'm standing alone by the desolate dock.
In the still and the chill of the night, I see the horizon the great unknown'
"That's your man right? Your contact mentioned his unusual entrance, maybe this is it."
"He also mentioned an unhealthy obsession with unusual animals, so be careful for any critter sneaking up on us." Even as I complied with Silvers' instructions, the unearthly music continued.
Soon, we saw the musician walking up the quay in measured steps. He was a tall man with a girth as wide as he was tall. His face seemed pinched and cruel, with several scars marring his face. His reddish-violet hair was cut in the sides, leaving a strip sticking out. he was garbed in fine quality clothing, though his tastes were just as bad as Buggy's, an eccentric mash of red and bright yellow. His music stopped when he noticed us, and stowing away his violin he smiled unconvincingly up at us.
"So you two are the ones I was told about, the high-priority cases, eh? Can't really see what the fuss was about, you two look like regular meatheads to me." Even his voice was reedy and annoying. The more time I spent in the man's presence, the less pleased I grew, but despite his abrasive personality the man was necessary, so I endured valiantly.
Silvers apparently was tired of the man too, as he let loose a small sliver of his commanding presence, flooding the surroundings with his will and with the colour of his dreams and ambitions. Under that onslaught, the man swiftly buckled.
"Appearances can be deceptive, hm? Now listen well, you will be paid handsomely in cash for this little forgery, provided it is done by tomorrow."
"Y-Yeah, I'll d-do it. It's what I do of course, yeah."
"Good man. That's what I thought. Now we need this little document forged..." Silvers trailed off, pulling out a frilly piece of paper from his pocket and handed it over carefully to the forger, who seemed ready to wet himself.
"Are you serious!" He half-yelled, "Is this even real? Where did you manage to get one?"
"It's a long story and one that I am in no mood to relieve, but let's just say that the previous owner won't be needing this anymore. Now, for the Kingdom, hmm, let's go with Goa...and for the name...Iskandar II"
"Okay, got it. Goa Kingdom Noble, Iskandar the Second. Damn it, I'll do it, but the money you pay better be good...I'll have to lay low again, and maybe even change islands if I'm going to forge you an identity as well as add to the lists of nobles in the city. The marines will have my head if they ever find out." The man was obviously blabbering again, probably scared out of his mind. He needed a firm reminder of who exactly he was in more danger from.
"So you just have to make sure that they never will, right? The marines may or may not have your head, but if you double cross us, I promise you that you will not live out that day." I threatened, staring intimidatingly in the weak-willed man's eyes, noting with relish his frantic nods of agreement.
Our business concluded, the man sprinted away from us, wanting to put in as much distance as he could. After a few moments Silvers sighed and looked towards the climbing moon, his glasses flashing in the faint light.
"He might have been a worm, but damn, couldn't he have had the courtesy to finish his song before leaving?" he lamented.
~-=oOoOo=-~
It was a bright morning, with clear skies and a bright sun, no trace of a storm on the horizon. Little did the people of Loguetown know that a storm was soon coming, one that would shake their foundations and tear apart the edifices that had been held up for so long. Silvers was already up, tallying up his arsenal of weapons. He had once again worn the silk shirt and shorts that we wore for battle, claiming that they made him more aerodynamic. I had my doubts, but they weren't hampering him either, so I said nothing.
Seeing that I had woken up too, Silvers nodded in acknowledgement and tossed me a bar of soap and a swath of cloth. Yawning widely, I washed my face meticulously with the soap, taking care to rub out any idle dirt spots. Knowing the fussy nature of the nobles that I was pretending to be, I even remembered to clean under my finger-nails, wiping away another layer of accumulated grime. Drying myself with the rag, I pulled on the finery that Buggy had thankfully obtained on his second trip. I buttoned up the light blue colored shirt, then pulled on a darker blue colored overcoat. With some grumbling I pulled on the uncomfortable trousers and finally wore the complex cape-like thing over the entire ensemble. I felt foolish, I knew I looked foolish, but then again, this was supposedly the latest fashion or some such. There was nothing to do for it.
At last, I wore a pair of soft leather boots, that I actually rather liked and ran my fingers through my hair, trying to pat down the wild mane into something respectable.
By the time I had finished making myself presentable, the two boys were up and dressed for combat.
At the prearranged hour, Silvers ambled away towards the harbor, while the two boys made their way towards the town center. As for myself, I took to the roads, walking confidently down the cobbled paths till I reached the Marine Base.
Outside, a burly man stood guard at the entrance, though he tensed on seeing me and my obvious display of wealth. I sneered down at him, not even requiring to act to do so.
"Er, my lord sir...how may I help you today?" he wheezed, voice dripping with faked politeness.
"Silence, fool! I came here to attend the slave auction, or am I too late for that too?"
"N-No sir, the auction and transfer is today itself. May I please know who is it that I have the pleasure of announcing?"
"Tell them...Tell them that Iskandar is here."
To be continued
~-=oOoOo=-~
A/N : Thanks again everyone for the wonderful support. Sorry for the two week delay. No excuses, I was off playing Far Cry 4...and I couldn't write till I was done with it.
Good news, part two of this chapter is mostly written and will be released this coming friday. Rejoice.
The next chapter features an all out battle against the marine heroes and Iskandar even as the rest of the crew storm the prison and make away with the Marine's flagship. So stay tuned. :)
Background on Characters/Objects:
1. B2 Stealth Bomber: Iskandar has shown a desire to own several of these magnificent planes. Seeing that the new world doesn't have anything remotely like it, his heartbreak is real.
2. Man-O-War: Also called as ship of the line. It was usually a massive ship, lumbering and slow, yet fully armored and with a intimidating gun-deck to boot. The Adamant featuring here is the same as a Buster Call ship, the difference being that it was still new back during Roger's execution. In my timeline, their grand unleashing was against Ohara. Fun fact: This is the ship that will be Iskandar's Invictus.
3. Iskandar's views on Slavery: True to history, or at least as much as I can remember. It was common for even a peasant to own a slave, but the definition of slave and his conditions varied. The mining slaves had the worst of it, though the artisans and craftsmen slaves were very well treated. Iskandar is revolted by the waste of resources rather than the concept of slavery itself.
4. Attica: an ancient greek kingdom, encompassing modern Athens and a bit.
5. Vergina Sun: a design featuring a 16 headed sunburst. said to be the emblem of Phillip and Alexander. As a Jolly Roger, imagine a skull overlaid on 8 bones, each pointing towards a direction.
6. the lines used is from the song 'I cover the waterfront'...I've personally only heard the Jazz version.
7. The forger is based on Butler, a villain in a OP movie. Not the same, but similar.
Read and Review. Cheers.