Chapter 22
20th of February 1522
Whiskey Peak
Selena arrived, the bodies of a woman and a corpse slung over her shoulders. She strode to the center of the gathering and, with a casual shrug, let them drop to the ground before Moria. The festive atmosphere of the party died instantly. Every Baroque Works agent present froze, their eyes widening in shock and fear. They recognized the woman and the corpseinstantly. Officer Agents. People they were supposed to fear and respect. And yet, here they laid, captured or dead. The sight of the once formidable agent reduced to this state sent a shiver down the spines of the onlookers. If the Pirates found out they were also Baroque Works agents, they were dead. Deader than dead.
Moria's eyes narrowed as he surveyed the scene. Mikita, was a mess of bruises and cuts. Her usually vibrant blond hair was matted with blood, her eyes glazed with pain and fear. Her limbs were twisted at awkward angles, suggesting multiple fractures. The corpse beside her would have been almost unrecognizable if not for the clothes, a mass of flesh and bone.
Selena's voice cut through the silence. "Caught them spying," she said, her tone devoid of any emotion. "Thought you might want to deal with them yourself, Boss."
Moira let escape a small laugh. "You were angry, huh?"
He crouched down, lifting Mikita's chin with a gloved hand, examining her battered face with cruel interest.
["Courier" Mikita - Miss Valentine]
Class: Combatant
Job: Officer Agent of Baroque Works
Fruit : Kiro Kiro no Mi
Dourikis: 254
Potential: B
Fate: D
"Miss Valentine," he drawled, his voice dripping with mockery. "You look worse for wear. What were you thinking, sneaking around like that?"
Mikita's eyes fluttered, barely able to focus. The fear in her gaze was palpable, a stark contrast to her usual bravado. She tried to speak, but only a weak, garbled sound escaped her lips. She was weak, but her potential - like most devil fruit user - was not bad. Maybe she could be one of the lesser member of his crew?
"Mmh…I know, I know…Selena, take her, break her, train her…Do whatever the hell you want with her. She's your minion, now. Make her faithful and useful."
He saw the look in Selena's eyes, and winced. He would not like to be Miss Valentine.
Then, Moria stood up. He looked around at the assembled Baroque Works agents, his lips curling into a sinister smile.
"I really appreciate your little gig here, hidden bounty hunters," Moria began, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "In fact, I almost feel like taking this island for myself. Ho? I could! And I do need to commit acts of piracy after all."
The agents exchanged nervous glances, the tension in the air palpable. Before anyone could react, a blood-curdling scream pierced the night. One man fell to the ground, his throat clutched in the iron grip of Isabella, who had already sunk her fangs into his flesh, drinking his blood with savage intensity. His eyes bulged, blood spraying from his throat as Isabella tore it open, the crimson fluid staining her lips and chin.
Panic erupted among the agents, and chaos ensued. Moria's Shadows emerged from the ground and sprang into action, cutting down anyone who dared to resist. The massacre was swift and brutal. Limbs were severed, bodies torn apart. Blood splattered across the ground, pooling around the fallen.
Your Hidden Quest is complete!
[Hidden Quest - Infamous!]
To upgrade your Class from [Baron of Eventide] to [Marquis of Dusk]
Commit three ignoble acts : 3/3
Igaram, in the midst of the carnage, sat calmly, drinking his beer. He seemed oblivious to the slaughter around him, lost in his own hallucinations, muttering incoherently to himself.
Selena glanced down at Mikita, who lay motionless at her feet, and a cruel smile played on her lips.
"Time to start your training," Selena murmured, dragging Mikita away from the bloody scene. The girl would learn to be useful, or she wouldn't survive. Either way, Selena was ready for the challenge.
He turned his attention to the surviving agents, their faces pale with horror, and his smile widened. He made a gesture, and called back his shadows. "Remember this night," he said. "You are mine, now. Remember what happens when you cross me. Now, clean this mess up. And if I hear of any more treachery, I'll make sure your fate is far worse than theirs."
[Class Upgrade Quest]
To upgrade your Class from [Baron of Eventide] to [Marquis of Dusk]
Subquests:
1. Have a Fate of at least A: 1/1
2. Have a Potential of at least A: 1/1
3. Main Quest: A Crew for the New World! : 4/5
4. Hidden Quest: ? - 3/3
The agents scrambled to obey, as he smiled in satisfaction. A constant stream of income…And Crocodile could not even say he went against the pact of non-agression that bound Warlord. After all, Moria could not have known he was the one behind Baroque Works. Now, he needed to find a last subordinate with a A-ranked or higher Potential…
"Bege! Grab Igaram, we're leaving!", Moria ordered as he sent two Shadow Warriors hide on the island, in case Crocodile wanted to send stronger agents to retake the isle - or if stronger pirates came. With about six hundred dourikis each, they would be enough to take care of any threats.
22th of February 1522
Little Garden
Basil Hawkins moved silently through the thick underbrush, his crew trailing behind him with a mixture of curiosity and unease. They had been on the Grand Line for two weeks, enduring the unpredictable weather and treacherous seas, before arriving at this strange island. The trees towered above them, their trunks so wide it would take several men holding hands to encircle just one. The leaves were unnaturally large, creating a dense canopy that filtered the sunlight into a greenish glow. Even the animals, which should have been a vibrant and bustling part of the island's ecosystem, were unnaturally large. But they laid dead, their massive bodies strewn across the forest floor like fallen titans.
"Captain," one of his crew whispered, pointing ahead. Hawkins nodded, his eyes fixed on the path that led deeper into the heart of the island. They finally emerged into a clearing at the foot of a towering volcano. The ground was hot, steam rising from cracks in the earth. But it was not the heat that drew their attention. In the center of the clearing lay two enormous corpses, the bodies of giants.
The giants were covered in black and blue marks, their skin mottled with the signs of a violent and painful death. Hawkins approached cautiously, his sharp eyes taking in every detail. One giant's skull was shattered, a gruesome wound that spoke of immense force. The other giant had a sword embedded deep in his heart, the hilt protruding at an awkward angle.
"It seems they fought to the death," Hawkins murmured, more to himself than to his crew. "But why?"
His crew remained silent, awed by the sheer scale of the fallen giants. Hawkins knelt beside the giant with the shattered skull, his fingers tracing the edge of the wound. The flesh was still warm, the blood fresh. These giants had died recently, their final battle a desperate bid for honor in the face of some unseen sickness.
"They were sick," Hawkins continued, standing and looking up at the volcano. "Their bodies show signs of disease. They sought a warrior's death rather than succumb to their illness."
Hawkins felt a chill despite the heat, and he had learnt to never ignore his instinct. He turned to his crew, his expression as inscrutable as ever.
"Search the area," he ordered. "There must be something here, something that explains this island's fate."
As his crew dispersed, Hawkins remained by the giants' bodies, his mind racing with possibilities. The island was dying, and its giants had chosen to die with it. But why? What force could bring such powerful beings to their knees? He drew a tarot card from his deck, the familiar weight of it comforting in his hand.
The card he pulled was the Death.
Hawkins stared at the skeletal figure. Instinctively, he jumped back just as the ground where he had been standing exploded in a shower of earth and stone.
Out of the smoke and debris lurched a monstrous figure. It was about three meters tall, with wiry, grotesque musculature and sharp claws that gleamed in the dim light. Its face twisted into a terrifying visage filled with fangs, and from its back unfurled enormous, fibrous wings. The creature's eyes locked onto Hawkins.
His eyes narrowed, his calm demeanor unshaken. He reached into his coat and drew a tarot card. As the creature lunged at him, he activated his Devil Fruit power. "Straw-Straw Fruit: Straw Man's Card."
Thick tendrils of straw erupted from his body, forming a towering straw man avatar that interposed itself between him and the beast. The creature's claws slashed through the straw, but Hawkins had anticipated this. He directed the straw man to counterattack, swinging its massive arms in a brutal arc. The force of the blow sent the creature staggering back, but it quickly regained its footing and launched into the air with a powerful beat of its wings. The creature maneuvered deftly, swooping down with talons outstretched. Hawkins dodged, rolling to the side and drawing another card. "Straw-Straw Fruit: Straw Blade." A long, sharp blade formed from the straw, and he swung it with precision, aiming for the creature's wings.
The blade sliced through the membranous wing, eliciting a screech of pain from the beast. It faltered in the air, crashing to the ground in a tangle of limbs. Hawkins pressed his advantage, directing the straw man to pin the creature down. The straw tendrils wrapped around its limbs, tightening like a vice. With a final, desperate lunge, the creature broke free, its claws raking across Hawkins' chest. He staggered back, blood seeping through his coat, but his eyes were resolute. "Straw-Straw Fruit: Straw Doll."
A straw doll materialized, absorbing the damage from the creature's attack and transferring it back to the beast. The creature roared in agony, convulsing as the wounds it had inflicted were mirrored on its own body.
As Hawkins watched, the creature's form began to shift and change. Its monstrous visage softened, the claws retracted, and the wings folded back into its body. Before his eyes, the beast transformed into an elegant woman with sharp, predatory features and a slender, athletic build.
"Hah! You're so weak! You lost to a fucking rookie!" a mocking voice called out from behind the fallen woman.
Hawkins didn't have time to turn. A forceful blow struck him from behind, propelling him through the air. He collided with a massive tree, the impact shattering the trunk and sending splinters flying in all directions. Pain lanced through his body as he struggled to his feet, his vision swimming. This blow was far stronger than anything the monstrous woman had been capable of. His eyes darted around, trying to locate the source of the attack. He readied himself, his mind racing through the possibilities. He began to activate his Devil Fruit power.
"Straw-Straw Fr…!" he started to say, but his words were cut short.
Before he could finish, a muscular hand pierced his chest. Blood gushed from the wound, his voice reduced to a wet gurgle. The pain was excruciating, his vision darkening as his body struggled to comprehend the fatal injury. The mocking voice belonged to another woman, tall and muscular, her eyes filled with contempt and amusement. She twisted her hand, ensuring the fatality of the wound.
The tarot cards slipped from his hand, scattering on the ground, their faces upturned, showing the Fool, as if mocking his inability to foresee this outcome.
Last edited: Monday at 7:50 AM