♩Solar ♩ Gravitas & Vitas♩Strong Bird♩Blitz Sticks♩Oto Oto♩Oto Tier 3 ♩Nitufia♩Santufia♩Nitufia - Tier 2♩
"We're all caged song birds, waiting for someone to hear our sound"

As the Twenty-Two foot Night Tiger, emerged from the building, the luminous hue of the treasure filled the room, spewing into the intimately lit ruins. The Tiger’s Coat was patterned in black and white in nature, it’s large green eyes focused on Junbei’s party. Letting out a mighty roar, the isle begun to shake from the ferocity of the mother’s voice. “I need to get serious. The way I’ve been fighting so far won’t be enough to get me out this mess…” Junbei exclaimed, scratching his head.

A mass amount of sound waves began to pulsate from Junbei’s body over a small five by five diameter range. His auburn hair begun to glow, giving him a raspberry colour to his hair, the sound waves dancing against the ground stood up, wrapping around the man’s body, cementing into his skin, giving the defined lines the look of Aztec markings, scattered across his body in symmetrical, horizontal and vertical stretches. A giant dome expanding outwards, spanning twenty-five in diameter, encompassed everything within it’s scope in every direction.

The dome was shaped much like a pot cover, a sphere cut along its radius through the centre, floating above the lake’s contents. Four thick red rings, streamed from the sound waves that were plastered through the ground of the isle, attaching onto the man’s wrists and ankles. The red rings, which are as thick as bangles, around 1.5 inches in width, orbit around Junbei's ankles and wrists rotating much like the rotation of planets. Junbei’s eyes didn’t change colour, maintaining a bright Royal Purple glow, snapping his fingers, his eyes stood firm as he stared the monstrous Tiger in his eyes.

The sound trumpets sounded throughout the ruins, as the sound pulsated from Junbei’s body, it’s loud offbeat decibel loudness, didn’t strain the ears of the listeners, as their mouths move, and the sound became more apparent, the personages within the dome lost their sound. However, it wasn’t as if they were mute like the musician once was, in this case, every vibration of sound was automatically suction into Junbei’s body. “Apollus.” Junbei whispered to himself. “I think that’s what I’ll call this form. I got a hint from absorbing Kipp’s sound back on Jaya. It was like I had more power… With this I can steal sound from even slightly gush in the air.” Junbei stated grinning.

The Tiger’s roar was now fueling Junbei’s Oto Oto No Mi abilities, the sudden lost of sound caused the Tiger to roar even louder, in hopes of hearing himself but after examining the field, the Tiger’s sense of smell directed his fury towards the party by the shore. The men scattered, Caprice frozen on the floor in fear and Juju trying to follow the Tiger’s quick motion towards the shore. Everything from the sound of the soldier’s screams, to the loud stomps of the Tiger’s paws against the concrete platform it pushed off against, to the rapid palpitations of the guardian’s heart fueled the male’s vessel.

Drawing his cursed tonfa, Gravitas and one half of his Blitz Stick pair, Junbei pushed off the ground, dashing towards the advancing Tiger. Sharpening his senses, the man zeroed in on it’s movements using his Kenbunshoku Haki, keeping a physical track of it’s every motion. As it’s shadow casted on the floor of the shore, the Tiger literally sank into it’s own shadow. Stopping his advance, the two deities now met in the centre of the island. Juju dropped his lance, his vigour to fight the Tiger faded, as he watched it’s colossal body disappear like magic.

Closing his eyes, Junbei tried to sense the beasts location and almost sudden, on the roof of the ruins ceiling, the Tiger peered out, launching off the ceiling towards the isle with alarming speed and force. Grabbing onto Caprice, Juju took flight, flying towards the open lake to get at a safe distance for what he’d perceived would happen next. Entering into his intangible state, Junbei merged with the lining of his dome, taking an omnipresent positioning momentarily.

As the force of the Tiger crashed onto the isle, the island split into two, causing a massive tidal wave, about fourteen meters in height to push away the docked vessel, leaving a clean split between the island’s building and the shoreline. Reappearing several moments after the Tiger’s impact, Junbei’s electrically coated tonfa’s surged. Resting on the Tiger’s back, Junbei released a red veil, spamming it’s contents quickly with compact high frequency sound waves.

As the Tiger shook violently to ricochet the pirate from his body, the usual loud sonic boom was completely silent. The shockwave spread over twenty-five meter radius however, it’s usual deafening sound was completely consumed by the ominous overseeing dome. Fading out of consciousness momentarily, the shockwave fractured several bones in the Tiger’s body, sinking back into the shadows, the Tiger disappeared once again, the reappearing this time from the building’s shadow, violently swiping claws against the man’s body.

Unable to escape this time, the tigers giant claws ripped open the man’s chest cage, as if Junbei’s naturally durable body was that of an ordinary human, launching the man several meters into the adrift shoreline’s vicinity. Coughing frantically, after losing his breath from the shock, Junbei wiped his hand along the marks of his wounds, as blood gushed, dampening his skin. “If I take another one of those, he might cut me right open.” Junbei thought grinning. Returning to his feet, both the Tiger and the man’s footing was shaky. Pressing his knees downwards in a squatting position, Junbei launched himself towards the Tiger at the speed of sound. Unable to perceive the sound of the man’s movement, the Tiger began to frantically look around for the pirate, changing it’s gaze ever so slightly, missing the speeding blur that approached with malice. Stopping by the Tiger’s feet, slamming his Gravitas and Blitz stick in swift succession against the Tiger’s right leg, the force of Junbei’s strike, cracked the bones in the Tiger’s foot, ever so lightly.

Swatting away the pirate with a simple flicker of his foot, the weight of the Lion, moved the man against the concrete, his back scraping against the stone platform, reaching the edge of the now split isle. In the movement backwards, Junbei discarded his tonfa four inches before he fell off the split isle’s ridge, grabbing onto the peak with all his might.

Breathing heavily, the man began to pant like he’d never before. His heart was beating quickly and his body was becoming heavy, thoroughly exhausted. “I need to end this now… Appolus is taking too much of my energy… to maintain.” Junbei thought, as his body swung from side to side, clutching onto the ridge for dear life. Managing to pull himself up, regaining balance, Junbei reached for his tonfa, placing them back into his holster. Limping on the slightly broken limb, the Tiger’s speed didn’t cut even a bit. “Are you fucking kidding me, how can it still move like that!?” Junbei exclaimed, grinning. Launching himself towards the Tiger once again, running against the shaking earth with no vibrations to be heard from it’s colossal stomps.

Clasping his hands and expanding the girth of his shoulders, the Red Head ceased his motion momentarily the distance between himself and the Tiger was around eight meters. Junbei created a ball of compressed sound waves and without hesitation tossed it towards the Tiger’s injured leg once more. The Sound Wave ball collided with the Tiger’s injured leg, decompressing and delivering a shock wave which flattened the Tiger’s motion. Dashing towards the Tiger at maximum speed, Junbei jolted towards the Tiger’s left hind leg, his body now heavier from Gravitas Curse, so the speed he moved at was now only a blur to the Tiger’s eyes.

However, the beast leg winced in pain, as it’s movement was temporarily frozen. Attempting to sink into the shadows once again, the beast’s body was unable to, senses rattled from the unique sound cancelling abilities of the dome. Spinning Gravitas with immense motion, charged in electricity, Junbei lashed the tonfa into the Tiger’s leg, breaking the leg of the Tiger under the weight of the tonfa’s force. Collapsing, the half of isle the two combatants stood on began to shake with immense the vigour was enough to cause ripples against the water, pushing the split shoreline, further away from the segment Junbei and Tiger inhabited.

From the other fragment, the guardian’s simply watched in awe, their bodies frozen in fear from the site before there eyes, Juju fought his hardest to maintain height, with Caprice in hand because he knew that being anywhere near the collision would mean immediate end for his life and Caprice’s. Entering into his intangibility state, the man reformed by the neck of the Night Tiger, his eyes glowing with immense ferocity. The dome the ruins was now plagued by began to slowly shrink, the effects of Apollus were wearing off.

Charging his tonfa was a large surge of electricity, Junbei jumped about two meters, spinning downwards towards the Tiger’s neck, slamming Gravitas into against the Tiger’s sturdy body. Junbei’s heavy weight combined with the speed of the attack, cracked the Tiger’s neck, transferring Junbei’s weight body weight into the beast’s body, the force and momentum focused around the area of impact. The Tiger began to sink against the concrete flooring, shattering it to pieces, as the Tiger’s body was literally being wedged into the isle’s surface.

The dome completely vanished, the Gigantic Night Tiger was now dead, motionless on the isle shattered isle. Junbei’s body was frozen on the Tiger’s body, weighed down not only by Gravitas but the incredible exhaustion he’d built up due to the grandiose movements he’d been making during the entire conflict. Resting in the Tiger’s fur, his eyes half open, the damage he’d taken internally had become even more apparent. Taking flight Juju and the other approached the sentinel that was the beast, the Tiger’s height was cut drastically now that it laid flat on the broken concrete earth.

---

Scaling it’s surface for several meters, they stumbled upon Junbei who was now passed out on the Tiger’s neck, blood seeping from his mouth. Hopping from Juju’s arms, Caprice dashed over to his Captain, the child started to cry loudly. “Captain! Captain! Stay with me! Captain!” Caprice shouted, balling for his Captain to pull through. However, Junbei’s mind was completely far away from this physical space entering into a recap of every person he’d fought so far in memories.

Flashing back to his days in the South Blue, Junbei recollected the incident in the Briss Kingdom that made him garner the name Auburn Songbird. “I was so lost.” Junbei recollected, his body covered in the blood of his victims, the Captain and several generals within the Briss Army. “I’d snapped on them for no apparent reason, just because they’d made fun of the incident on Base #45, they weren’t there, how could they’ve known the News Report in the Coo was fabricated.” Junbei recollected and his katana was soaked in clumps of pure darkened blood from heart’s he’d impaled with his blade’s steel body. Swinging his blade partially clean, the pirate walked away from the bar, stumbling towards his rowboat in the dock. On the street corner, a little girl stood frozen, running out of her house once she heard the commotion. Junbei whistled Isabella’s song, a melodically sounded lullaby that had no complete body of music at the time. The girl was conflicted, she was terrified at the blood covered male but at the same time, she couldn’t run, not because of fear or abandonment for her own life but a part of her wanted to here how the lullaby ended, and as Junbei passed her current position not even batting an eye in her direction, she was saddened to hear the melody looping, an incomplete song, for an incomplete man. “I was so lost.” Junbei thought.

Flashing forward, Junbei examined his fight with Kipp, with his new resolved hardened from his time spent with his master, he wondered about Mavis, where she was, why she disappeared and what she was doing but Kipp’s mentality towards human life, it sickened him. His anger caused him to make foolish mistakes, take foolish injuries and most of all, his fear for being striked subconsciously was apparent. “He was a tough guy… I wondered what broke a man with such potential so far that he’d have to aspire to enslave others… However, ultimately, I hated him because I saw a lot of myself in Kipp. A rookie mucking around in a Titan’s turf, he was much braver than I was.” Junbei recollected. As Kipp’s body hit the floor, Junbei remembered his final words that only he’d heard, ‘This sea is filled with monsters. But the biggest monster is the fear of not achieving your dreams, that’s the beast pirates across Paradise face the most.’ At the time, Junbei couldn’t understand what the man meant, then he flashed to scenes of his conflicted against the Shandians recently on the Milky Road. “I got full of myself. I got power drunk off my abilities, even though I knew that being a Logia didn’t make me invincible, I lost focus. Now I see it, I don’t have to everything myself.” Junbei concluded, remembering Caprice’s plead in the ruins earlier.

---

Awakening, everything around him was blurry, his vision had yet to focus. Finally coming into vision, Juju and Caprice sat by the man panicked. “Jeez… Am I that broken up that you guys have such a grim look on your face.” Junbei’s said as his body winced in pain from internal bleeding and claw marks caused by the Tiger. “You’d swear I died or something. Rishi Rishi” Junbei said chuckling. Their eyes welling up with tears, the duo pressed against Junbei’s body in pure joy that he was alive. A couple feet downwards, at the mother’s feet, the cubs licked at their mother’s fur, in attempts for her to curdle them like she once would but it was futile. The roars of the remaining pride echoed, saddened. The ancestral Night Tiger, who’d slept in the crips of this ruins for over thousands of years, their mother was now killed. “They’re crying… Their mother’s death means this would be the second time, they’ve lost a parent. There father was killed by one of the current Pillars, Prometheus. He’s used the tiger’s thick fur as a coat which he carries with him into combat.” Juju stated. “I think I’ll do the same. This ruins has made me open my eyes… Out of respect for this beast, I’ll carry it’s mantle into war with me.” Junbei said, laying on the colossal's Tiger’s back, unable to move.

---

After regaining a portion of his strength, Junbei used Vitas, to heal his internal wounds, the bright light shining brightly across the tavern. Sliding down to the floor where the Tiger’s huddled, the children began to snarl at Junbei. Opening his mouth widely, the man began to sing, walking through the pack of Tiger’s, once the melody had reached its chorus, as the man advanced, the furious Tigers, one by one, fell to the floor, dropping into a deep sleep. Isabella’s Lullaby soothed the beast's anger, quelling their frustrations, as Junbei walked gingerly towards the building filled with treasure. Following behind him in awe and almost falling asleep themselves were the Guardians, who fought passing out but the drowsiness combined with the exhaustion, caused them to stay behind by the sleep Tigers.

Opening the room filled with treasure, Junbei exclaimed a gleeful smile. Flying the male back over towards the vessel’s on the other end, Junbei analysed the ones which contained the Spiders, picking three vessel that were indeed empty, swimming them across the lake towards the spilt island, for hours, the duo loaded the gold onto the vessel, filled with various gold, chests, extol, beli and various rare trinkets that Juju knew could be sold for a hefty penny down below on the surface. Caprice was thoroughly impressed by the gain but he pondered if it was really worth all of the heart ache.

“This lake merges into the Milky Road, it’ll take you back to the shoreline, I expect you two to pay me for my Wavers… Hoho…” Juju stated sternly. As the sun could’ve been seen setting in the cavern, “If we stay here for any longer, it’ll be quite dangerous. Night Tigers are nocturnal beings, with the state you're in, we wouldn’t last a second against their pride.” Juju stated. “We don’t need anymore Captain, three vessel’s full, that’s more than enough. We could always get the Dutchman and circle back later, to get the rest.” Caprice said with dollar signs in his eyes. Pressing on the mast of one of the ship’s, “I’ll pass.” Junbei said grinning with immense exhaustion. Ripping off the leg of the Tiger, Junbei would have enough for a thick coat, as the skin hang off the bone from it’s main joint. Juju rested the leg with encompassed the whole deck, “I figured you’d want to take your prize with you but transporting a Twenty Foot Tiger ain’t exactly ideal, Hoho.” Juju stated. Setting the boats afloat, Junbei and the gang abandoned the guardians on the isle, due to the fact that, they were indeed working for Upper Yard and he wouldn’t risk any conflicts with Shandia’s on his way out. Using some chains aboard the ship, the three vessel were docked together, allowing Juju to operate while Junbei laid on the deck recovering, exhausted and unable to move well.

As the ship’s sailed away, nature took it’s course, the swarm of Aquarius Snakes docked onto the split isle, beginning to swallow alive many of the cubs and feast on the Gigantic Tiger’s body. The story of the man who had slain the Giant Tiger, would be reported several days later, on a recon mission lead by one of the Pillar’s Prometheus to retrieve his stranded men.

WC: 3005

♩Solar ♩ Gravitas & Vitas♩Strong Bird♩Blitz Sticks♩Oto Oto♩Oto Tier 3 ♩Nitufia♩Santufia♩Nitufia - Tier 2♩
"We're all caged song birds, waiting for someone to hear our sound"

As the ship’s inched out of the Snake’s Point entrance, the vessels travelled into the underground caverns of the lower canals of Upper Yard. The light that escaped into the cavern, seeped through a ceiling of thick vine roots, which stemmed along the path of the lake the vessel’s were now sailing on.

The wind hit the face of the young adventures and the old man, as the vessels soared along the Lake’s body. As the wind pressed against the sail, Caprice tended to his Captain’s wounds, noticing the change in his eye-color as he breathed heavily. “Stop being a baby…” Caprice said, as he wrapped the wounds tightly. “Ouch!” the Captain exclaimed. “Look… Can’t you be more gentle like Charlotte…” Junbei stated, missing his crewmate who was somewhere within the contents of Upper Yard. “I ain’t your ‘lover’ kay’ Keep quiet and lemme do whatta gotta do!” Caprice exclaimed grinning, tightening the bandages around his Captain’s body much more than he needed. As the Auburn Songbird laid on the surface of the ship’s, the sound of a waterfall crashing downward could’ve been heard approaching in the distance. “Hoho… We’re here.” Juju exclaimed, as the vessel’s speed begun to pick up pace.

As the vessel’s shot out of the cavern, they surfaced near the rim of Upper Yard, riding against the waterfall’s currents, the vessel’s sailed downwards, surfacing onto the Milky Clouds, sent afloat towards the shoreline of Angel Island. Changing course towards Juju’s Shack, which was located near the edge of the beach, the three vessels pulled inward towards the shore. As the sunlight poured onto the deck of the ship, Caprice and Juju laid next to the Captain, staring at the sky. “Was it worth it lads? Do you understand why mortals aren’t suppose to step foot on Holy Land… Their ruins much like the ones you’ve entered scattered across Upper Yard… Hoho.” the old man inquired, reaching into his kimono for a pipe.

Stretching his arms outward, “I’m not sure at this current point, ask me when I’ve gotten something proper to eat. I’m starving!” Junbei shouted. “How long was it since we’ve been down there anyway?” Caprice inquired. “At least a week.” Juju responded. “Eh!” Junbei exclaimed. “Really… Damn… How you figure that?” Junbei inquired. “To make it from Snake Point from your start point is at least three days. Then you passed out for quite awhile on on the shoreline and the time you took to finish off those Night Tigers in the cavern, it’d say it’s about a week, maybe more.” Juju concluded, sitting up, lighting the pipe.

“Oh! Before I forgot… This is what I’d come to tell you days ago when we first met. Breaking into Upper Yard is a crime. You’ll now be viewed as criminals of the State. Secondly, entering Upper Yard the second time around won’t be as easy as before. After the little shenanigans, they’ll increase the guards greatly. If God calls the shot, the Ruler of Angel Island could even pursue you… The situation against human’s isn’t a laughing matter, with the Human Consensus Act evoked, you’ll have a very tough time getting around Skypiea.” Juju stated. “But when we were in town the merchants in Lovely Street we’re nice to us!” Caprice exclaimed puzzled. “Not everyone on Skypiea hates humans… We are just frightful for them. Lovely Street is a tourist attraction, you paid for your entry and as such, you weren’t labelled criminals. However, if you were to return their now, it’s guarantee the vendor’s would act like you don’t exist, worse yet, call The White Berets. The only thing that’ll give you certain leverage is the Great Divide. Upper Yard and Angel island are governed by different sets of rules. For now, you need to lay low.” Juju stated.

“It doesn’t matter to me. I didn’t come here to make friends in the first place.” Junbei stated, clutching his fist. “I came to deliver that letter to Lao Fall. I won’t leave here until I meet with him. I don’t care about God, his so called Pillars, or this country's racist views… It has nothing to with me. You’re born here Juju so I’ll say this with the utmost respect. Once I’ve accomplished my goals, I’ll leave Skypiea… but I have no intentions of bowing to any noble or authority. I’ve seen how corrupt marines are, if your Government is making ties with them, for better or for worst, they better be careful. Not all of them have the same righteousness in mind as you’d think.” Junbei said, sitting up on the deck of the vessel.

“It’s all a cycle of retaliation. The Wingless that have come here have preyed on the natives and with the Princess being the cornerstone of this conflict, it’s nearly impossible to get through to anyone. The only person from the Winged Faction who support Wingless are warriors from my Brother’s old faction and the God’s oldest daughter, Chance Fall.” Juju reported. As the air gently blew across the deck of the vessel, “How about I eliminate Wingless from Upper Yard?” Junbei grinning. “What?” Juju inquired shocked at the man’s suggestion.

“You said, it’s there fault for the tension. If you go before the current God and relay to him the information I’ve given to you in Isabella’s letter, they’ll be sure to believe. Meanwhile, I’ll track down the leaders of the Wingless Faction and I can always take them back to the surface with me.” Junbei said grinning. “You’d attack your own kind? Did the princess mean that much to you?” Juju asked, launching himself up to a seated position. “Well yeah, she’s the first woman I’ve ever loved.” Junbei exclaimed boldly.

“For her, I destroy any army. She was the first person I called Captain. If I carry her will and it leads me to destroying the Wingless Faction, then so be it.” Junbei stated. “You do understand that God won’t have you mucking around, Lao is a vindictive man. His Pillars are some of the finest warriors, even if you manage to side with us, it won’t be both ways. They’ll just wait to you finish and get rid of you to.” Juju shouted in a mixture of astonishment and anger. “Then bring it on. Lao and his men, whomever I have to eliminate to bring peace to her birth land, I’ll do it. Maybe a new God will appear who’ll see it my way?” Junbei said chuckling to himself.

“Does he think we just grow God’s on trees?” Juju thought, shocked at the man’s declaration. Meanwhile in the Upper Yard Ruins, Prometheus arrived to his fallen guardian’s response call. As the man docked on to the split isle, his soldiers were covered in blood, taking shelter atop the dead decaying Night Tiger’s body. In one swift motion, Prometheus danced through the pack of Night Tiger’s mid-fight, ripping their bodies apart with his lightning charged strikes, transforming into his wolf form, the man began to feast on the carcass of the Night Tigers.

After finishing his meal, the man transformed into his human form, wiping his mouth of the Wolf’s Blood. “Is this what you called me away from Upper Yard to handle? I’m busy dealing with rumours of us Pillar’s being ‘defeated’ and a God whose lost his marbles over his bitch daughter whose been dead for over a decade. I don’t have time for stunts like this! Your lucky you are some of my finest men! Now clean this mess up! We leave in five!” Prometheus shouted. “Idiots… All of them. Pirates… Nobles… As if I’d tie hands with the World Government, inferior Blue Ocean land monkeys can’t tell me how to rule this Kingdom.” Prometheus stated.  

As the snakes emerged from the lake, almost instantly their bodies were set ablaze from the archer aboard Prometheus’s Sky Ship, “Your in my turf, Prommey Baby… Make it quick and bounce.” Lena, another Pillar announced boldly. “I’ll do whatever I please-” the man’s words were stopped to dodge the woman’s advancing arrow to his unfavourable response. “Hurry Back to God’s Shrine and kiss more nobles asses, you scum.” the woman’s eyes glowed violently. Transforming into his half wolf form, the man lunged over ten meters onto the vessel, dashing towards the woman, the two pillar’s clashed, pressing his blade against her bow which she used as a shield.

“Sharp as always, Lena Rivers.” Prometheus commented. “Instead of fighting each other, we need to track the humans who’ve defiled God’s Turf. I know your hands are tied with the politics but the fact still stands that Blue Dweller, killed a piece of history. Though, I remember a certain wolf breath pillar who killed the Male Night Tiger, oh too long ago as well.” Lena said grinning. “Your right, my hands are tied. Track them down for me Lena, I’m sure they’ll return. I have word that they’re crew mates are trapped with the Shandia Brutes… Have fun.” Prometheus said, flying towards his ship as his men rung the bell for departure. “Using my Mantra, I’ll know exactly when this Auburn Songbird enters again… I think it’s time to clip his wings.” Lena said grinning.