Ψυχή
Beyond my wingbeats lie the fate of all worlds...
- Location
- Void between SB and SV
Loguetown
East Blue
Gold Crown Flagship
East Blue
Gold Crown Flagship
Seeing two of the five struck and sinking on his way the Mink shifted over towards the dock's edge and let his blade dip into the turbulent Blue with crackling lightning — nowhere near enough to kill considering how far it would extend, but enough to make them think twice about swimming to the dock if they still held consciousness.
"That ought to keep the rabble from overrunning our forces..."
Seeing the Fishman commander on deck with no weapons in hand Hakuyū-Taii leapt on board, landing smoothly with the clack of his geta-sandals as the crackling faded. "You must be Callow, then; I see why Alward wasn't uncomfortable with my appearance — no offense intended."
"None taken," came Checkworth's reply. The grey-skinned pirate stood at equal height with his challenger, wearing a flowery combo of t-shirt and shorts with webbed toes as bare as his hands. He smiled sardonically at the Marine, revealing his row of bladed teeth that glinted fragments of light from the dangling lure into his short brown hair. "That the lump actually managed to not flip his shit would be improvement if it didn't give him away."
He chuckled whilst returning the zweihänder to its sheath. "Fair enough. I must thank you and your men for the information: I'd had my concerns about Commodore Arnold's activities here as Captain for some time; shame you're already altering his conditions further so I don't have direct culpability, but with all this I'll see his transgressions laid bare yet."
"Why do you sheathe your blade, Lieutenant?" the angler-fishman interjected, cracking his knuckles as he stared down the Marine with narrowing black-dot pupils.
"Is not respect a fair reason?" Shrugging at his opponent's non-response the Lieutenant went on with his own toothy smirk. "Seems a fair trade off for keeping you out of the water — or are you in need of some electroshock therapy? Besides, don't tell me you wouldn't just shatter my sword apart given half the chance."
"And what makes you think you'll fare better than your weapon?"
Hakuyū shrugs again, tail starting to shift about with a patient sway. "I might not, but it's not like I can just let you go about your business unabated. To Pirates and Marines around the world, this city is sacred ground to this "Golden Age". No single crew of rapscallions is going to claim it — just as no Commanding Officer of the Marines is stationed here forever. That I've come to be known as 'Loguetown's Lieutenant' in such a short time is an honor, but such a thing is not meant to be."
The Gold Crown Commander gave the Mink a puzzled look. "You speak rather highly of piracy for a Marine."
"I don't see you spitting in my face, either," the Lieutenant replied before settling into a wider stance with his claws out up against the fishman, "No one said we can't have courtesy, even if we're in opposition. Unlike your Captain, you have some character to you."
"Fair enough." Matching his opposition the angler fishman settled into a stance of their own and let the relative silence stretch out as the sounds of combat echoed out from the docks and ships abound. The crimson Marine let his eyes flutter closed as he extended his senses once more, the energy from before an instant away as he concentrated on his form with patient breathing.
*BOOM*
The spray of an artillery shell in the water spread across the deck, and Callow made his move with a burst of light from the lure upon his head. Even with eyes closed the flash still forced a flinch from Hakuyū, but that only furthered his focus on his other senses to distract from it. Even with the deluge of water he could feel the disturbances in the air as his opponent spun around and threw something at him with surprising speed.
Without opening his eyes the Mink leapt forward unto his hands as the projectiles bristled by his fur and leaving a slice in his shorts as they impacted into the wood behind him. With a twist into a handstand his tail-fur grew and was launched with the charge of his energy, colliding expertly with other projectiles only for them to persist — his hairs shooting straight through and striking Callow harmlessly while theirs splattered across the deck with the loss in momentum. At the same time the pirate moved to knock him over with a low sweep, prompting him to push off into a cartwheel as his tail shot for his head as he allowed the current to course his fur again.
Narrowly leaning out of the way the Commander continued the motion of the sweep and made to elbow-strike the Lieutenant in the spine, but avoiding the tail left his target enough time to twist and deflect it with a slap of his paw-hand. To each of their displeasure, the electricity from the point of contact shot up Checkworth's arm while Hakuyū could feel the force of the blow crackling in his bones with ripples of pain.
Pushing off each other he landed a short distance from the fishman, each of them shaking out their respective arm as they analyzed one another. The projectiles must've been water from the splash — and that blow was no joke. "You're pretty good," he spoke up as he pointed his hands like pistols towards his opponent, his tone clashing with his neutral face, "This should be fun!"
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