Breakout! The Sparrows Fly the Coop
Night had finally settled on the Grand Line. Its waters covered in darkness that left only the stars and a half moon for illumination; the exception being a bright halo of light on the horizon.
Strings of lights hung across the entire bow of the ship, encircling rows of seats as hundreds of Marines sat in anticipation. Even this wasn't enough as many had to stand in order to get a good view, but they didn't mind as they knew they were in for an experience of a lifetime.
Cassidy stood front-center of the stage as she looked over the crowd with a smile. This is one of her favorite moments, the calm before the storm. A storm of cheering fans… but she had to keep her eye on the prize i.e. have all eyes on her. In order to do this, she needed to get the energy up as she grabbed the mic stand.
"GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE! ARE YOU READY FOR A SHOW?!" She shouted and was answered by a unanimous roar. "ALRIGHT! I will be you're entertainment this evening as my way of thanks for taking care of me." She waited for the applause and cheers to quell. "And I owe a special thanks to those who helped make this happen. Give it up for Commadore Ralley and Lieutenant Margaret!" She pointed towards the front row as a spotlight shined on the two as the crowd cheered.
Ralley stood up and waved his arms to his people as the Lt. gave a slight wave, visibly less enthused about the attention.
"Now let me introduce the Band. Petty Officer Torres playing the Piano, Seaman First Class Fujii your resident Drummer, Ensign Ishida on Guitar, and Master Chief Jonson strumming the Bass." The crowd clapped and cheered to see their peers playing alongside such an idol.
Cassidy's smile drifted slightly as a somber tone entered her voice. "Now as it is tradition, we shall play the Marine song "Ocean Guide" in memory to those who fell in the pursuit of Peace and Justice."
The rows of Marines stood at attention as Torres began playing the piano and the band followed suit.
The sea watches us quietly,
guiding us through our death and our birth.
From humble hometown waters,
to the waves at the end of the earth.
The sea carries us carefully,
through the dark of night and light of day,
to the world that's just and peaceful,
so that we never lose our way.
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Deep down into the brig, the force of the Marine's singing traveled down to those held within its confines.
"Sounds like quite a show they've got going on up there." Kain stated, lying down on his bed, staring at the ceiling. "Do you think Cassidy has cut her losses?" He asked his neighbor. "I wouldn't blame her. This would be the best time to not get dragged into the pirate life."
Jesse was already standing at attention. Paying respects to his former profession, "I wouldn't call it just yet. We don't reach Enies Lobby for a couple of more days." He replied.
"Aren't you surprisingly hopeful? Considering that we're under the watch of the Legendary "Star Crusher". Kain pointed out. "Even if we did get out of our cells and shackles, I doubt we'd get away without every single Marine bearing down on us."
"You're not wrong in that possibility, but for the moment… let's have a little faith in our crew." Jesse suggested.
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and walk side by side with my old friends,
resting in its foamy waters.
As the last verse and note faded, the audience applauded. Many even had tears in their eyes.
"Thank you." Cassidy bowed before shifting gears. "Now let's start the show. Hit it!" She shouted as the beat rose to a more energetic tempo and the crowd roared with excitement.
XXXXX
The music's volume on the bow had become so loud that the ship even shook from the intensity.
The two Marines at Victor's cell were visibly upset, knowing that they had to stand guard and miss such an incredible concert.
"Man, its torture that we have to stay down here." Ensign Holt complained.
"You said it. The concert must be crazy if we can hear it all the way down here." Warrant Officer Byern agreed.
"Yeah, if only we were there to see it." A sentiment they agreed on.
The two went silent as the faint music once again filled the air.
"You know what I'm thinking?" Holt inquired.
"No, what is it?" Byern asked.
"That we could check it out." The Ensign suggested.
"Won't we get in trouble?" The WO asked.
"Not if they don't find out. Plus, those chains can hold an elephant so there's no way he's breaking them." Holt said with reasonable certainty. "We'll stay for one song and come right back. Nobody will even know."
This idea brought the Warrant Officer around. "Ok, one song couldn't hurt."
"Ok, lets go." The two vanished in a blur of movement down the corridor.
Seconds later, a vent from the ceiling popped open as Jaime dropped down. "I've got to admit, she sure can sing. It's like she's a friggin' goddess of music or something." She said to herself as she recalled her conversation with Cassidy.
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(earlier)
Jaime stood with an annoyed expression inside Cassidy's quarters.
"It's so good to see you, Jaime. I'm so glad that you decided to come back." The Amazon said warmly. "And how are you not seasick?"
"First, I suspect this ship is big enough to not sway too much. So for the most part I feel fine. Second, I'm only here because I'd be worried if you're the only girl with a bunch of dudes. The Captain being questionable in that description." Jamie stated defensively, crossing her arms.
"Come now, they're not that bad." Cassidy replied.
"Whatever, so what's the plan? Rescue them or start a new life? I'm partial towards the second option myself."
Cassidy couldn't help but chuckle at the youth trying to hide her soft spot with a gruff exterior. "How about we rescue them AND start a new life? Maybe even achieve a lifelong dream?"
Jaime groaned, but didn't fight the answer. "So what do we do? I'm familiar enough with Marine ships to get around unseen, but breaking them out is impossible with hundreds of Marines on board."
"Don't worry, I've got that covered." Cassidy answered confidently with a wink.
"How?" The girl asked, surprised.
"I am quite the celebrity if you weren't aware already."
"Tell me about it. That's all I've been hearing since I got onboard. Who are you anyway?"
Cassidy simply giggled. "You'll find out."
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"To think this crazy plan would even get this far." Jaime snapped out of her thoughts as she ran over to the nearest cell.
"Hey, who's in here?" She reached for the bars and pulled herself up before getting a sour look on her face. "Just my luck the first one I break out is you." She groaned.
"Maybe it's more my luck than yours." Jesse replied as he approached the door. "Now let's get moving. We don't have much time."
"Fine, just give me a sec." Jaime disappeared from the bars as the door was unlocked seconds later.
"Man you are lucky. The first key I tried and it was the right one." Jaime annoyed at the situation.
"I figured you'd just pick it."
"I could, but keys are better. Don't you think?" She retorted as if the answer was obvious, holding a large ring of keys as they clinked in his face. "Found these on my way down here. You're welcome."
"Fair enough." The Ex-Marine replied as she tried out a few more before finding the right key to unlock his shackles.
"I'll get Kain if you get Victor. That one you'll have to pick because the guards would most likely have his cell key.
"Sure, whatever. Anyways, I found these in the armory. Thought you might want them back." She said, handing over his belt with his twin revolvers. "Couldn't find any bullets that fit, sorry."
"Thanks, I appreciate it." Jesse said, taking them along with the key ring. "I'll just have to make some back on Maggie."
Jaime paused for a second, probably not expecting the response before they parted to their respective jobs.
"Well I'll be damned. I thought that she would have taken the opportunity to get away." Kain said as the door opened.
"Surprising, isn't it? I think my little talk with her may have given her a bit of perspective." The sharpshooter agreed.
"Must have been some talk. Normally you two are more 'yelly' than 'talky'." Kain said as his shackles fell to the ground.
"Well now our crew has grown from one immature person to two."
"Funny." Kain narrowed his eyes. "Now what?"
As soon as he said this, one of the other cell doors swung open as a figure stepped out.
"Ahh, what a fortuitous moment for the guards to abandon their posts." Basus chuckled as he turned his attention towards the two. "And it appears that you had the same idea in mind."
Both men ran into the corridor and reflexively got into fighting stances, but Basus raised his hands to show his non-aggression.
"Now now, we all know that fighting would be a poor choice. Considering where we are." The tall, thin man pointed out.
"Considering what you and your crew did on Cockatoo Island. I'd find it hard to believe." Jesse spat.
This caused the Supernova to grin sinisterly. "Although I am a heartless man, I am no fool and besides, do you really think the two can take me? I commend your capabilities that you were able to take down my best killers, but don't mistake that accomplishment to mean that you could beat me." His words laced with killing intent that made the two feel s chills run down their spines before he changed his tone. "Also, as you are aware, the group I used to work for doesn't take kindly to their members getting captured. Risks of our plans getting found out and all that."
Kain thought about it for a moment. "So they plan to kill you?"
"In short, yes, but I don't plan on letting them do that. So we'll go on the run. Maybe take our chances in the New World if we have to. So for the moment, let's call a cease-fire. I'm sure we can increase our chances of escaping if we help one another. Or at least not get in each other's way."
The two considered his offer and relaxed their stances. "Agreed, but how did you get out of your cell?" Jesse demanded. "And your restraints? I can tell that you're a Devil Fruit user so how did you get out of Seastone cuffs?"
"A magician never reveals his secrets." He snickered, pulling on his mustache with both hands. "Of course, I would appreciate it if you would hand over those keys so I can break out my comrades." He asked, holding out his hand, expectantly.
Jesse wasn't pleased with the option, but begrudgingly tossed them to the pirate.
"Many thanks."
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The cell door swung wide with a clang as Jaime peered inside. She was shocked when she saw Victor's condition. Jesse may have been bound, but Victor was chained like some kind of wild beast. Even she felt like this treatment was inhumane as she ran over and began working on the large shackles.
"Hey Victor, are you ok? How could they do this to you?" She questioned with a hint of concern and worry.
No response.
"Look, I'm really sorry about earlier." She apologized, taking this private moment to open up as she was blaming herself for the group getting captured. "I never meant for any of this to happen."
Victor remained silent as one by one, the thick chains crashed to the ground with a heavy thud, splintering the thick wood from their weight.
"That's the last one. Now let's get out of here." She turned to make her way towards the door before she felt a sudden grip of fear as if the eyes of a predator were upon her, freezing her in place.
She squeaked as she felt a hand grab her shoulder. "Victor?" She forced out as beads of cold sweat ran down her face.
The grip released and the scary atmosphere vanished. "Thanks Jaime. I'm glad you came back." Victor replied, although a little fatigued.
"Yeah…sure" She said as the residual chill began to fade. "Are you alright?"
"As well as can be expected." He said jokingly.
She nodded and lopped his arm over her shoulders and exited to find themselves involved with a very tense situation. The Ringling Pirates had escaped too.
"Well well well, so the great hero who put an end to my show appears." Basus announced, now flanked by Neru, Ph'line, and Cameron. "Well…hero may be a bit of a stretch."
"Basus!" Victor growled before a flash of pain struck him, forcing him to a knee as he clutched his head in agony. This outburst caused the Zoans to shift into a defensive posture at the creature before them, having now laid eyes on the one that their survival instincts were screaming in the back of their mind.
"Captain!" The group exclaimed as they checked on him.
"Hmmm, that looks painful. You must still be recovering from our battle." The pirate mused thoughtfully. "But from the looks of it. I'd say it has more to do with your mind than your body. Trying to keep the monster in its cage?"
Victor glared at the man, but said nothing.
"It's ok, Victor. We're not fighting here. At the very least not get in eachother's way." Jesse assured.
"So you're saying to let them go?" Victor spoke questioningly.
"Given our current circumstance, yes." Jesse rebutted. "Otherwise we will not get another chance like this. Cassidy and Jaime are risking turning against the World Government to get us out."
Victor relented to his second's words and his pain began to subside. "Fine."
Basus's grin shifted to a frown as he continued. "On a more serious note, Commadore Ralley is not someone we wish to deal with if we can help it. Once he catches on that we've escaped, he will come for us. And I doubt he will be as kind as before." He paused to let his words sink in. "Now this is where we part ways. Best of luck out there." Basus turned and began to exit the brig.
Ph'line winked at Kain. "Keep in touch."
"Yeah, maybe we can pick up where we left off." He laughed nervously as he scratched the back of his neck.
Jesse and Neru merely nodded in acknowledgement. No words needed to be said.
Cameron looked around before shrugging. "Guess I'm just invisible." Commenting since his counterpart wasn't with them.
"Hey Basus." Victor said, causing the man to stop. "No more killing... or the agreement is off."
The villain smirked at this. "That's surprising, I wouldn't have gotten that impression from you before. Even now I feel like you want to finish what you started." He looked back to see a determined look in the fishman's eyes before sighing. "Have it your way. It would make escaping a bit harder if we left a trail of bodies anyway." And with that, they left down the corridor.
"Well at least we don't have to deal with them, for now at least." Kain said with a sigh of relief.
"They also have problems of their own to deal with so I suggest we get moving before we get caught in it as well." Jesse stated.
"Then let's go." Victor motioned forward before Jesse barred his way. "Captain, you're in no condition to fight. Whatever it is you're experiencing. I can tell that fighting right now will only worsen your condition. So let us handle the escape. Jamie can you help him?" He asked.
"Uh, sure. Yeah, I can do that." She said, helping Victor to his feet.
"So how do we get out of here? On a dingy?" Kain asked.
"As a matter of fact, they actually brought our ships with them." Jesse stated. "Spoils of war I guess."
Kain nodded at the good fortune. "Well we'll have to thank our hosts for the kindness later."
XXXXX
Cassidy finished her song and took a bow as the crowd cheered and whistled. She could sense her friends moving below and had to ensure that all eyes were on her.
"Thank you, but the night's still young so let's fire it up!" Fireworks shot into the air, filling the sky with brilliant colors, causing the crowd to cheer more.
"Where did the fireworks come from? We don't have any on the ship?" The Lt. asked, but she looked to see her superior completely enraptured by the event as her face frowned in annoyance.
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Ensign Holt and Warrant Officer Byern could be seen walking back to their posts with some wide smiles on their faces as they were already making their way to the lower decks.
"Cassidy is more amazing in person." The ensign said. "I've got to head to the Shimmering Clam when I get some time off."
"I hear ya. If this is what she did with just a couple of days; a full concert must be mind-blowing." Byern agreed. "I'm sure the Commadore will give us a pass since we had to stand guard."
"As long as he doesn't find out what we did."
"Oh yeah, we'd be scrubbing the entire ship for a month."
"More like a whole year."
The two laughed at the possible punishments they just avoided. When a sudden crash caught their attention?
"Dammit Jesse. Did you lose your glasses again?" Kain growled in a hushed tone.
"It wasn't me." Jesse yelled back, also trying to minimize his voice.
"Sorry, it was me." Victor apologized, having fallen and Jaime was trying to help him up.
"Man, you're heavier than you look." Jaime groaned, trying to keep him standing with her smaller frame.
Jesse's haki picked up approaching lifesigns. "Get ready. We got company." He said as the two Marines turned the corner.
"So... you thought you could seize the opportunity to escape. With a bit of help it seems." Ensign Holt said, slamming his fist into his hand.
"Well we had better take care of this quickly." WO Byern stated as his eyes fell on Victor, who was relying on the young girl for support. "Considering that he's barely eaten. He shouldn't put up much of a fight."
Jesse and Kain stepped in front of Victor and Jaime to defend them. "Don't worry, Captain. We'll take care of this." The two stated with certainty.
The Marines snickered at their bravado. "You think you can beat us? We're trained in the Rokushiki Arts under Commadore Ralley, the legendary "Star Crusher". Both of our dourikis are over 600. You don't stand a chance." The Ensign proclaimed with a grin.
"Do you know what they're talking about?" Kain asked, confused.
"Only that it's a secret martial art that Cipher Pol and some high ranking officers use. Don't know if 600 is high, but they seem confident in their skills. Get ready." Jesse said.
"SORU!" Both vanished before Holt was smashed head-first into the ceiling by Jesse's heel and Byern was lying in a crater of splinters by several ax-handle smashes.
"Hmmm? Guess it's not that high." Kain said, in which his other clones nodded.
Ensign Holt groaned as he pulled himself from the ceiling, his face showing his pained surprise.
"What the hell was that? You were just a Sergeant when you were discharged. How can you be this strong?" The Ensign demanded, rubbing his chin in disbelief.
"A lot can happen when you've stared death in the face as many times as I have." Jesse replied.
The Marine spit in distaste. "Don't think that means that you're going to escape! Twin Shigan!" The man proclaimed as he unleashed a barrage of finger jabs.
Much to his surprise, his attack struck air as Jesse subtly shifted from their intended targets.
"What's going on!? How can he be dodging me? It's like he knows my moves before I make them."
"From one Marine to another, your skill is deserving of your rank, but I can't waste time on you." Jesse stated as he ducked under a strike to return his own.
Ensign Holt saw it coming and went on the defensive as he braced himself. "Tekkai!" His body hardened at his command before it was crushed, folding the man over Jesse's foot as he collapsed to the ground in a heap, motionless.
"That takes care of him." He said as he turned to see the other Marine being relentlessly beaten by a mob as a bead of sweat rolled down his face.
"Kain, he's down. You can stop hitting him." The man said, causing the pirate to stop.
"Sorry, old habits." Kain replied sheepishly, his clones vanishing. "At least we shouldn't be followed now."
"Let's hope so." Jesse said as he turned back. "How's Victor?" He asked, seeing the teen giving him a worried look.
"I'm not sure." She said as Victor was clutching his head again, his eyes turning into slits.
Jesse knelt down and placed a comforting hand on his Captain's shoulder. "Victor, are you alright?"
The red-head fought with ragged breaths to control himself as his irises returned to normal. "Yeah… I'm still…here."
Jesse let out a sigh of relief. "Then let's go, but let's avoid anymore fighting from now on." To which the others agreed as they headed towards the aft of the ship.
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The bellowing mass was deafening as the climactic song ended. "Wow, and I thought I had a rowdy crowd back home!" She exclaimed to the Marines. "Maybe I should set up a tour in the future." Her suggestion really got the crowd to frenzy. She even got multiple proposals from within the crowd.
"So who's ready for the next song?" As soon as the crowd cheered, a blaring klaxon filled the air. The sudden noise immediately set everyone on alert as they were trying to think about what had caused the alarm.
"Marines, to arms!" Ralley ordered, his fanboy attitude suddenly shifting into a commanding persona in which everyone obeyed and scattered as he turned to his Lt. "Look after Cassidy. If the Sparrow Pirates escaped, they may try and recapture her."
"Sir." She saluted as he disappeared.
"Cassidy, come with me…" She turned to find the Superstar missing. It also seemed that her band was also at a loss.
"Something funny is going on here?" A suspicious tone crossed her lips as her eyes searched for the woman.
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"Get to the armory!" Several Marines shouted as one fumbled with the keys. Upon unlocking it he tried to pull, but felt resistance which kept it from opening.
"It's stuck." He groaned as he strained repeatedly against the handle.
Inside, the door was attached to a rope that had been woven into every weapon that circled back to the door. Which was connected to a barrel of gunpowder underneath a lit candle.
"Out of the way." A much bigger marine shoved him aside as he pulled back his leg and kicked it into shrapnel. That's when they all noticed the tethered weapons and the barrel falling from the door frame.
"Sonova-BOOM!" The nearby Marines were engulfed in fire, causing the ship to rumble from the explosion.
"Jamie!?" Jesse growled.
"What? It was the obvious place they'd go if we got spotted."
"Fair enough, but what if you killed someone?"
"Relax, you met my uncle so I have some skills with explosives. They'll live."
The man just groaned as they continued.
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Captain Basus and the trio had just reached the stern of the Marine vessel. Their ship, the galleon-sized "The Sideshow", was tethered by a large chain.
"Alright, time to pull up stakes and move to greener pastures." He declared, the sounds of the emergency sirens having recently gone off.
"Say Captain, while we're here. We could sink the other ship as a farewell gesture since our trap didn't work the last time." Cameron suggested, his tongue flicking at the thought.
This got the villain to grin as he pulled on his mustache. "That's not a bad idea. Since that was never a part of the agreement."
"That's assuming that you can even escape." The four turned to see Commadore Ralley standing on the upper deck, looking down at them.
Basus groaned with irritation. "You weren't supposed to be here. Given your obsession with the boy, I was expecting you to be otherwise engaged."
"To be fair, I anticipated this would be where the "Crimson Demon" would head to, but it looks like you beat him here. So I guess I'll have to take care of you first." The Marine answered.
To this, Basus sighed. "Guess we're left with only one choice." He said, snapping into a stace.
Ralley hmphed. "You never had one to begin with." He said before he charged like a rocket.
Basus' diamond armor started to form, but not fast enough as a punch that sent him flying into the deck of his ship with explosive force.
"Get him!" The three instantly transformed in towering behemoths. Their shadows covering the man as he looked up at them, unmoved by their size.
"Just because you're Zoan types doesn't change the outcome of this fight." Ralley stated coolly. "But it might buy you a few minutes."
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Far in the distance, crosshairs were tracking the fight as Basus crawled out of the rubble as Ralley engaged the pirate group.
"Oooh, it's not looking good for Little Basus and his pets..." Sieg chuckled as he casually watched the fight aboard the large metal chair of his sloop. His long-barreled PTRS-41 leveled in his hands as he seamlessly countered the waves that rocked his vessel, making it appear to be motionless. "It's a real shame that they have to die."
"Yes, that is a shame." Said a voice from above. "He was very useful to the Zodiac's cause."
"Well, to what do I owe the pleasure, Virgo." Sieg asked, not looking away from the fight as the man landed next to him.
"I was just in the neighborhood and figured I'd stay and watch the show." Riey replied. "It seems like Basus is having some trouble out there."
"Indeed. It's too bad that he ran into THAT Marine. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here to silence him." Sieg agreed. "Poor thing, he was so proud of the amount of people that his crew had killed. Now he's just another loose end to take care of."
"Commadore Ralley is certainly making a name for himself. Even getting noticed by the Upper Brass from what I gather." Riey commented. "But he's far from being a threat to us." Riey stated.
"Maybe, but it would be prudent to get rid of him and that little Sparrow that got caught as well." The sniper suggested as his finger rested on the trigger. "They wouldn't even see it coming."
His wicked grin was cut off as Riey grabbed the rifle, his grip firm enough to take Sagittarius's eye off the scope to look at the man who dared touch his weapon.
"Your mission is to prevent our existence from getting leaked in the event of our capture. Not kill everyone that suits your fancy." Riey warned.
"Relax, as long as there are no witnesses. Then we're in the clear. Plus it would get rid of future thorns in our side." Sagittarius reasoned.
"That is not for you to decide." Riey's voice becoming stern as his grip tightened.
"And what makes you think that you can stop me?" Sieg's eyes flashed with electricity as the clouds high above them began to form as thunder roared and lightning danced around them, illuminating the night in a horrific light show.
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Cassidy ran down several hallways in pursuit of her friends. Her haki and familiarity of the ship was greatly helping her navigate towards the back of the ship and avoid patrolling Marines. Her haki also picked up a presence fast approaching her.
"Miss Sundance!" The Lt. shouted, quickly gaining on the Amazon. "Where do you think you are going?"
"I could tell you, but I think you already know the answer." Cassidy replied, trying to keep her distance.
"Then why?" She demanded as she disappeared in a blur, overtaking Cassidy and blocking her path. "I demand an explanation. Depending on what you say; it could be argued that you are being coerced or suffering from Hostage Syndrome."
The blonde sighed as she brought out her spear, ready to fight if needed. "It's because they're my friends. Is that so hard to believe?"
The Lt. was visibly surprised and angered at this, balling her hands into fists. "Are you saying that you are fraternizing with pirates? And used the concert to distract us to help them escape?"
"You could say that. However, I don't think that they are as bad as you make them out to believe." Cassidy answered. "I wish you could see that we are on the same side."
The red-head snapped into a fighting stance. "Enough of your lies! You betrayed the trust of the Commadore and the crew! I am placing you under arrest and bringing you in for questioning!"
The Marine charged and swung and fast barrage of kicks as Cassidy intercepted the blows with the shaft of a spear that appeared from out of thin air. Much to her surprise.
"How is she keeping up with my speed? I didn't take her for a combatant."
"Wow, you're strong. Under any other circumstance, we could have a good match, but I can't have my friends waiting for me." Cassidy smirked as she broke off and ran down to the nearest corner.
"Hey, get back here!" The Lt. gave chase and turned the corner to see the Amazon smile as she disappeared.
"What? How'd she do that?" She growled as she continued on as Cassidy watched her.
"That should buy some time. She's definitely not one to take lightly" The warrior shook a hand to get rid of the numbness. "I might need to increase my own training regimen as well."
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The Sparrow Corp. had been more careful to keep from getting spotted. Thankfully, their cautiousness paid off as they could see the exit.
"We made it!" Jaime shouted gleefully as the smell of crisp ocean air hit the faces.
"Quick, we need to get to Maggie and cut her loose. I'll get the paddles ready and we can move as soon as Cassidy gets here!" Jesse grabbed Victor and made their way down the large chains tethered to the Marine warship.
Kain hoisted Jaime onto his shoulder, much to her protest as he followed his comrades.
"Hurry! We don't have much…" Jesse froze as he looked up to see a horrible sight.
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Basus' body hung over the edge of his ship, blood dripping from his face into the waters below. The one who did this held him down with a foot on his back.
"I'll give it to him that he lasted longer than I expected." Ralley said, his uniform ripped and torn from the ensuing battler. Although he appeared to have not sustained any significant damage.
The remaining Ringling Pirates were beaten and bloody on the bow of the ship, having fared no better than their captain. "Now that's one pirate crew down…"
"YOU BASTARD!" Neru rose up and charged like a bull, "GET AWAY FROM THE CAPTAIN!" He raised his massive badge paw and swung violently across the Marine.
The Zoan's proud weapons shattered on impact, leaving him in disbelief as he looked at his broken blades.
"You're a tough one. Aren't ya?" Ralley said before he instantly drove Zeru's head into the floor with a punch from above. "Now stay down." He commanded as he landed next to the over-sized mammal.
Jesse was at a loss for words at the Commadore's strength; seeing the man put down a man that nearly killed him with such ease. Unless a miracle happened, they stood no chance at escape. And considering Victor's condition, fighting was out of the question.
"Hey guys! I made it!" Cassidy shouted from the edge of the ship, momentarily breaking Ralley's focus.
"Cassidy! What are you doing here! It's too dangerous!" He shouted to get her attention.
Basus' eyes snapped open as he took the opportunity to get some distance between them as he collapsed against the rubble of what remained of his ship.
"It appears that I have my back against the wall. Both figuratively and literally." The Captain heaved, pulling on his mustache, although it was broken and bent from the battle.
"That is one way of putting it." Ralley replied as he walked up to the man. "Now surrender so I can deal with another problem." He tossed a pair of Seastone cuffs at the pirate's feet. "But by all means… give me a reason."
Basus couldn't help but laugh at his situation. "I hate to say it, but it looks like it's our curtain call, eh?" Basus asked his crewmates. Who, despite their broken states, showed agreement at their situation.
He chuckled again as he fought to stand, coming face-to-face with the Commadore.
"Did you know that the Human body consists of ample quantities of Nitrogen, Oxygen, Potassium, Sulfur, and Carbon?"
"What does school-grade chemistry have to do with this?" Ralley asked, expressing both irritation and confusion.
Basus snickered. "Well you see when these elements are put together in the right composition, such as ammonium nitrate, potassium nitrate, charcoal, saltpeter. Well…they can really make an interesting reaction. A reaction like say… a bomb."
The man laughed maniacally as he threw up his hands in triumphant finality. "Now you can never say I wasn't one for the dramatics! I'll see you guys in hell!" Basus' body flashed with white light.
"SHOWSTOPPER!"
His final words were followed by the entire ship erupting in a pillar of fire, engulfed by flames as the explosion filled the night sky
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The massive explosion drew the attention of the two Zodiac members as it briefly gave off the impression of a rising sun against the dark horizon.
"Awwww, I was really hoping to take him out too." Sieg groaned as he looked through his scope. "He even took out his crew and ship. That greedy bastard." The lightning storm began to subside at the resulting outcome.
Riey released the gun as Sieg wiped the barrel. "You should know how to treat a lady. Rai-hime doesn't like being touched without her permission." The sniper huffed.
"My apologies, but take this as a friendly warning. Mr. X's leniency only goes so far. " Riey said as he began to levitate. "Anyways, I've got places to be so I suggest you do the same."
A blast of air followed Riey as Sieg watched him shrink into the distance. He calmly raised his rifle, tracking the flying man. "Oh I can't wait until it's your time to be in my crosshairs." His words accented by the random trails of electricity around him to portray his excitement.
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The Magna Carta rocked violently from the force of Basus' suicide blast. "We need to cut the chain or Maggie might break from the strain!" Jess shouted, struggling to hold on to his hat and Victor.
Cassidy understood as she leaped at the chain and with one swift stroke, sliced through the thick links, severing the ship from the Marine warship and freed the ship as he landed. "Ok, now what!"
"Kain, grab the Captain and the Helm!" Jesse shouted as he ran to the bow and pulled the lever as the seat and pedals popped up from the floor.
"Ok, but where do we go?" The pirate asked.
"Anywhere!" The gunman shouted as he pedaled like his life depended on it. Which it did.
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The Lieutenant reached the exit and looked in horror to see almost the entire aft of the ship blown away. Nothing but charred and blackened wood remained.
"Oh my God, Commadore!" She screamed in pain and fear. A moment later, she heard something stir as she turned to see her commander embedded into the thick wall, smoldering.
"Commodore, speak to me!" She ran to the man and checked for a pulse. In that moment, his eyes snapped open, causing her to back away as he ripped himself from the wall, leaving what remained of his burned uniform in the wall.
"That was a surprise." Although his tone was not one of amusement. "To think he would rather die than be captured. And his crazy action even managed to hurt me…" He said before turning his attention back to his Lt. "Where are the Sparrow Pirates?"
"I don't know, sir, but I can see that their ship is gone as well. If it wasn't destroyed by that explosion, then they might have escaped.
Ralley growled. "Get the ship moving and we'll perform a sweep. We can't let them escape."
The Lt. reached into her uniform and pulled out a small denden mushi. "All hands! The Sparrow Pirates have escaped! Turn on the search lights, man the helm, and begin a search!" She commanded.
"Lt! Sorry, but it appears that the helm was been sabotaged and we're unable to turn. We're trying to fix it as we speak." A Marine replied from the snail's mouth.
"What? How? How long until it's fixed? We almost lost half our ship back here." She demanded.
"We don't know. Our best estimate is at least an hour. Whoever did this knew what they were doing."
(Jaime's face pops in with a snicker before she got a sour look on her face and popped out)
As he listened, a thought crossed his mind. "What of Cassidy? Is she alright? I saw her just before the explosion.
"Sir…" She paused as if to find the best way to explain. "She was the one responsible for their escape. She used the concert to distract us. I believe that she is with them now."
This explanation appeared to cause the angered man to enter a state of unnerving calm. "By the time the ship is ready to sail, I expect a full debrief. Is that understood?"
"Yes sir!" The Lt. saluted smartly as she vanished in a blur.
Ralley stared out into the seemingly endless miasma of darkness, knowing that he has been made a fool of and let a beast get free. This will not look good to his superiors.
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The Maggie pushed rapidly through the darkness, aimlessly as the Marine's lights activated.
"Crap, I hope we can get enough distance before they find us." Kain stated, peering from the aft of the ship.
"Not if I…I have anything to *hrk* say about it." Jaime grumbled as she hung over the edge of the ship, trying to hold in her lunch.
"Hang in there kid. You did good." Another Kain complimented, patting her on the back as she groaned from the pain in her stomach.
"How's Victor holding up?" Jesse asked.
"Hey, Captain?" Kain knelt down by the ship's mast, where Victor was sitting against. "Doin' ok?"
Victor's appeared to be more controlled as he looked up at the man. He let out a smile as his eyes had returned to normal. "Better, thanks."
Kain let out a sigh of relief. "That's good to hear. I thought we had lost you back there."
Victor's smile shrank a bit as he nodded. "Yeah…you almost did."
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A/N
Phew, this took some doing. Coming up with a plausible way for this prison break to work was a challenge.
