One Piece: Treasure Cruise is an Alternate Universe (AU) site where the straw hats and all the other famous pirates of the animanga do not exist.
The Time frame for the site is around the same time frame of the Animanga so the technology and such are on par with what is seen in the show though some advances can be made within reason of course.
There should be no mention of cannon characters as none of them exist and although there may be certain things that are similar to the animanga as this site is based off of it, the animanga is not considered cannon on this site.
Plot
Seventy years ago the three way war going on within the sky was still happening with high casualties on all sides. Because of this a truce was initiated. Each island would have its own independence away from rule of the other islands. The truce would hold so long as they stayed on their respective island and did not venture off into the territory of the other islands. Although there have been news about multiple Birkans, Shandians, or Skypieans dying while on one of the other islands the open, all-out fighting has stopped and a lot of the killing has been toned down. However, this has not stopped many sky islanders from leaving their home in search of a peaceful life down in the Blue Oceans not knowing that they were going from one multiple century long war to another.
Around sixty years ago the revolutionaries had a secret base within East Blue on Colors Island. The secret base there was becoming so successful due to the fact that none would suspect any trouble out of the weakest ocean in the world, so much so that they would be surprised to run into high ranking officials of the revolution there. This went on for about ten years until the World Government finally got wind of the location of the hideout. The fight was brought to the base and the leader of the revolution at the time stayed behind to fight off the attack giving his people time to escape. Due to the public execution of the leader of the revolution having hurt the recruiting process for a few years it was then that the revolution decided to work through a system of council so that there would never again be just one leader of the revolution but five one for each blue and one for the Grand Line as a whole. Forty years ago people began to move back to colors island and multiple towns and villages have sprang up there each named after a specific color.
In the present time the fighting has become less open warfare and more vying for islands and power. However fighting between the revolution and the World Government still persist because of this the World Government has increased taxes. This has caused unrest in many of the civilians and has bolstered the ranks of the revolution. However in a move that no one saw coming there have been several individuals who feel as if the revolution is just as bad as the World Government and have gone to sea on their own to live by their own code and to enjoy their freedom. These pirates have sparked the Golden Pirate Era which has also sparked an increase in bounty hunters which is a fine way to earn a living and pay those raised taxes without joining the marines revolutionaries or the pirates.
Combat Based RPG
One Piece: Treasure Cruise The Problem
Blueprint is a premade Proboards v5 theme designed and built by punki of Adoxography and Pixel Perfect. Treasure Cruise is the work of the mind of The Problem. All characters and content are copyright their creators, and may not be replicated without their creators' permission. All images belong to their original owners.
Over the months, Drake had grown comfortable on the island of Ohara, and in turn the scholars and citizens began to feel the same. While many still viewed him as a strange outsider, either for his lack of scholarly insight, his thuggish attitude towards things he didn't understand, or even just because of his Devil Fruit... even the biggest doubters at least accepted that Drake's purpose was noble and he was certainly useful.
All except one. Elder Dellin Niles, the head Librarian, the man who much of Ohara call "the man in charge" on the rare occasions such an event happens. Elder Niles himself, however, is a hundred-year-old man who has spent the past eighty of it never leaving the Library Tree, after supposedly adventuring across the entire world in his youth and bringing back a copy of every book ever written. A mad genius beyond all other geniuses, a man who probably could be the smartest man in the world if he wasn't completely senile and had forgotten nearly as much as he'd ever learned.
Always claiming to be a man of Peace, believing that the only Power needed in this world is Knowledge, he saw Drake from the get-go as a thug and a brute who had no place on an island of Geniuses. And on this day, is when it finally became clear which of the two of them was right - Tara Zaraka, the innkeeper who had "adopted" Drake, ordered him to take a day off of his vanguard at the beach to help out in the library.
The motive was, of course, to annoy Drake enough that he'd have a reason to leave, as Roan had made it quite clear to her that Drake's honor was the only thing keeping him here, as dreams and a lack of memories called him to travel the seas. And as an adventurer herself, she knew that keeping him here, preventing him from finding who he was, was as bad as torture. At the same time... to simply tell him his honor was meaningless would be just as bad.
"GOL-DURNIT YA SCRAPPY RAGAMUFFIN! DON'T CARRY BOOKS STACKED THAT HIGH!!" The crazed Elder shouted in the voice of an aging Prospector, as Drake carries a stack of fifty dusty books from one section of the library to another. The day had been much like this, with Elder Niles sitting in the middle of the room on his homemade wheelchair, a chair that could be hooked up to all sorts of pulley systems to let him get around the library. First it was alphebatizing the entire Fiction section, then it was dusting every book in the library, now it was moving an entire section from near the top all the way down to the bottom - by which point Drake had decided to stop being nice and proper, and start abusing his strength. It was clear the man didn't want him here, and was giving him busy work to piss him off.
"...yes... sir..." Drake grumbled, as he put the books down and began splitting them into slightly smaller stacks. If it were any other man on the island treating him like this, Drake wouldn't have had a second thought before socking him in the jaw. Honor aside, Drake felt an innate hatred of being bossed around, but as this man was technically the leader of the island, that honor kept him from reacting how he'd wanted to.
"Yer a worthless assistant, ya hear me?! Yer a no-good thug! When'a hell has a sword ever stopped something that SMARTS wouldn't'a seen comin' a mile away?!" The Elder cackled, throwing a nearby wooden stool at Drake just as he lifts up the two half-stacks of books. It smacks Drake right in the face, showering him in splinters... but he keeps standing and holding the books still, gritting his teeth in annoyance.
But this time... this was different. The way the old man was glaring at him, it was a challenge, especially considering the demonstration of surprising strength by hefting a wooden chair so hard it broke. A clear undertone of "go ahead and prove it, if you think I'm wrong", one that made Drake pause. His expression shifts to a calm, tough guy look, then a smile. "Alright, old man. You think just because I'm a swordsman, and I have no memories, that I'm an idiot, huh?"
"Damn right ye' are, rapscallion." Elder Niles growls, the fire in his old eyes matching Drake's fierce blue. "You could beat me in a battle, but not a battle o' wits!" He shouts, cackling like the crazy old man he is. He has a book in his hand, having thought about throwing it next most likely, which gives Drake an idea.
"Fine then." Drake points upwards. "Name a single book in this library. Even though this is your domain, I can find it faster than you, using nothing other than my wits. You even have the advantage... you've been here eighty years, I've only been here eight months, and only in this library eight hours today. No amount of lightning-power is going to give me an advantage with books." His tone isn't bragging, it's a promise. It's the tone of a warrior simply stating that he has the advantage...
...a tone that infuriates the Elder to no end. "FINE THEN, SPARKY! Find... the completed collection of... uh... The Complete Guide to Electricity, Volume Two!" He cackles, before dropping the book and hooking his chair up to the lift and pulley system and giving a holler as he races higher into the tree.
Of course... Drake simply walks over and picks up the book that he had been holding. Sure enough... there it was, volume two of Ohm's Complete Guide to Electricity. He flips it open and begins reading, actually curious what he could learn from it. He's halfway through skimming the book in the half-hour it takes for the Elder to return back down, out of breath and with his wheelchair-wheels steaming from the amount of speed he's forced them to do.
And of course, the first thing he sees is Drake standing there, reading the book. "How'd ye... that'n was near... the top..." "Because I outsmarted you. You figured I was gonna be trying to brute force it and just race you... but I beat you at your game." Drake points dramatically. "Your memory's shit, old man. You can't even remember my name. I figured the only book you'd remember in here was the last one you'd seen, the one you were holding when you decided."
The Elder is about to object, but he then just suddenly falls asleep mid-angry-gesture - he is a ludicrously old man, after all. Drake just smirks, opens the book once more, and reads. He had to agree, however... being smarter than your opponent DID win more battles than pure power, giving Drake a new idea of what Training could mean.
It had been just over one week since a bolt of lightning had fallen from the skies above, and turned out to be the bloodied swordsman known only as "Drake the Bancho". It had only been just over a couple hours since he'd finally awoken after recovering from his injuries, though they weren't fully healed. However, the lookouts from the tree spotted a crew of pirates inbound, and the small militia of Ohara leapt to the ready... though they were little more than civilians armed with a smattering of pistols and rifles, with barely enough ammo to go around and barely a sword amongst the lot of them.
"A scar on the back is a dishonor for a swordsman. Until I've repaid my debt to you all, I won't just lie in bed..." Drake had told him, his chest and arms still heavily bandaged, more of them around his face. Though Tara Zaraka, the innkeeper who would later all but adopt the young swordsman as her second son, considered stopping him, she somehow felt that no words would be enough and allowed him to pass.
~ ~ ~
Not yet armed with the chunk of gold that had been with him when he fell, Drake strode out onto the beach armed with a simple katana, a cheap iron sword he'd taken from one of the militia. The crew of pirates had already spilled out onto the beach, a ragtag band of louts who looked the part of... dogs, of all things. Most of them wore black and white polka dotted shirts and pants, and the head of the crew wore both... with a black pirate coat and tricorne hat over them, and a stupid-looking dog collar around his neck. He's a squat figure with a flat face, somewhat resembling a pudgy bulldog in human form.
"Avast! Ye be the best this island has to offer to defend against the mighty Sea Dog?!" The dalmatian-spotted captain cackles, his laugh sounding like a dog barking. His crew equally cackle in retort, all... dozen of them. Their boat is little more than a tiny schooner, this crew clearly has not made a name for themself. "Stand aside, our business be to pillage this village of nerds for not livin' to the MANLY ideals of we strong Sea Dogs!"
Drake simply watches them, and rubs the bridge of his nose. These foes seem laughable, something in his mind, in his skilled eyes, tells him so. And yet, he doesn't know what. Images flash through his head, a jumble of thoughts, sounds, words... but soon he passes it off, and looks to the captain, his words striking a note with those memories as Drake responds with the first thing that comes to mind. "A man who can only fight opponents he deems weaker than himself is not even worth my time. Get off this island, the people here are under my protection."
The captain growls. "Is that supposed to scare me, string bean?! Get 'im, boys!" He shouts, and his dozen men all charge at Drake. He looks between them, watching their wild swords aim towards him, not a single bit of style to any of it. He parries the first blade that reaches him, going right into a slash at its wielder and the two men beside him, cutting all three across the waist and slitting their belts in half. Their pants all flop to the ground, and they panic at their sudden exposure.
"Real men don't wear clothes that make them look more interesting than they actually are." Drake looks from one man to the next, sizing up each of them in turn. All of the mooks on the Sea Dog crew back off, as if what little canine sense they had at least could smell their own fear. Drake looks to the captain, and points across the beach. "You... you're the leader of these idiots. I challenge you... taiman. If you think you're a big dog, fight me one-on-one."
The mooks all look to their captain, who rips off his own hat and throws it to the ground, drawing a rusty, cheap cutlass and growls. "No blonde pup makes a fool 'o the SEA DOG! UNLEASH!" The captain grabs his collar and rips it off in a display of strength, then rushes at Drake, practically frothing at the mouth with rage like a deranged animal.
Drake keeps his finger pointed out as the man charges him... then sees it spark, faintly. An image comes to mind, of a blurred figure charging at him, and with it comes a phrase, and an action, as if magically called to mind. "...Menchi Beam." A single bolt of blue and gold lightning sparks from Drake's finger, and fires like a laser beam at the charging captain, hitting him in the chest and sending him flailing in place as he's lit up like a Brooksgiving Tree. His eyes white out and flops back onto the sand, still frothing at the mouth, but now for an entirely different reason.
"Huh." Drake remarks, seeing the effect of his attack. "...all of you shabazos, shoo. Get off this beach before you piss me off any further." Drake says, making a dismissing wave of his hand at them. Despite it, they don't even think to remark about it, and quickly grab their captain before retreating to their boat, flailing the paddles in a hurry to escape.
Drake turns and walks back off the beach, only to see the boy who'd found him standing there, holding the long gold "sword" he'd fallen to the island with. "...can... can you be my big brother? Aniki?" He exclaims, his eyes filled with stars at seeing Drake shoot lightning from his hand before. He holds up the sword, as though he was holding up a pad for an autograph.
The word he says, however... "Aniki". Something about it makes Drake feel a sense of happiness, though he looks down at the boy with a serious face at first. He doesn't understand the feeling, as he knows nothing about the boy besides that he was the first person he saw in the few moments of consciousness when he landed. Still... between that feeling, and the knowledge that this boy was the one who dragged his unconscious body to safety, makes that serious stare soften briefly to a smile. "...sure thing... little brother." Drake says in as badass a tone as he can manage, taking his golden sword with one hand while ruffling the top of the boy's big blue hat with his other.
Sure enough, Drake was right back where she had first met him, there on the beach. His sword was drawn, the oversized bokken of what looked like solid gold, and he was practicing... remarkably plain and straightforward Kendo strikes, of all things. He steps in, and strikes, each time looking like he's trying to do some sort of hop with it. His legs crackle with sparks of electricity with each hop, but it looks like whatever he's trying to do, it isn't working.
Still, his back is to her, and that means she can see one other thing she probably hadn't before - the scars. Running near Drake's shoulderblades are two long, jagged scars that run nearly the entire height of his back, and have a vague "V" shape to them, though they never actually meet. They're clearly not sword scars, or even scars inflicted by something like claws... whatever did them, it must have been a terrifying weapon.
Beyond that, she also sees the symbol from Roan's comic book - the black sash Drake was wearing as a belt, in fact seems to be the remains of a black robe of some kind. And the part that's hanging down in back shows the Jolly Roger from the book, a skull and two different crossed swords, with a red bandana over the top of the skull and around its mouth like a bandit' mask. Of course, the crew whose emblem it actually is, hasn't sailed the seas in Drake's lifetime - the Bancho Pirates, a group of ruthless bandits known for stealing the swords of every foe they defeated.
Despite what his brother and adoptive mother said about his skill, however... right now, he kinda just looks like a normal guy, aside from using a weird sword and occasional lightning sparks. After a few more attempts at whatever he's trying to do, though, he just sighs and slams his sword down to the side, where it thunks into the sand and stands straight up. He drops down into that Yanki squat he frequently crouches in, and takes a book out from his belt, one with an image of a sword on the cover. And there he stands, flipping through the little book, looking just generally annoyed.
~ Meanwhile ~
Far out, at the very very VERY edge of what could be seen from Ohara, a ship peeks into view. Of course, with its spotted black and white colors and matching sails, it's hard to see against the dusky clouds coming into view from that direction. Its flag resembles a Panda skull, with a green stick of bamboo clenched in its teeth.
And towards the front of that ship is a man who truly fits the part of a panda, at least in girth. A wide, portly figure, wearing only a remarkably well made panda mask and panda-colored fur cape from the waist up, like he was some overweight masked wrestler. The pants complete the look, black tight pants with bright green kneepads, elbow-pads, and boots, his legs not nearly as big as they should be considering the size of his upper body. He wields a long bamboo pole that's sharpened at one end, holding it one hand like a walking staff. "MEN! Today we conquer an island with a giant tree... containing every treasure map known ever mapped!"
A crew of assorted pirates cheers on the deck beside him, all brandishing bamboo weapons... spears, shortspears, and most also have bamboo blowguns. Some even have chunks of bamboo worn as crude armor on their arms or legs. But more importantly... every single one of them is wearing black pants and a variety of masks that all resemble pandas. Many are cheap masks that just cover the eyes and give them ears, others are simply white paper bags with panda features drawn and glued on, though a handful have similarly good-quality masks.
"Ready your weapons, my Pirate Posse of Pandamaniacs! After today, we'll be rich and have it easy, and nobody will dare call the great pirate Panda Manuel SO FAT HE COULDN'T POSSIBLY PUT HIS PANTS ON WITHOUT HELP!" The panda-masked captain seems to have a sudden burst of rage as he says it, making his entire crew lean back and away from him.
"Uhh... captain, nobody said that." Pipes up one of the pirates near him.
"Huh? Oh, my bad." The panda captain laughs heartily. "Papapapah!"
Will be setting up a Special Thread shortly, for use to upgrade Drake's Goro Goro no Mi to Intermediate, granting the following upgrade:
INTERMEDIATE At this level, Drake has developed literal lightning reflexes, and can turn his body into living lightning to defend against attacks even as they're swung at him. He now also can fire himself as a bolt of lightning across short distances, and can convert his body into lightning to travel through and along conductive surfaces, such as passing through a metal wall. Finally, maintaining his living lightning form no longer tires him from standard use, however using electrical attacks still does.
Roan gives a little victory fist-pump in the air. Tara, however, simply leans on the counter and smiles. "Just because I'm the barkeep, doesn't mean this isn't the island of geniuses. Your arm is slightly burnt, which means you tried to punch our "protector", before realizing he's un-punchable. For two... you let an eight year old child lead you into a building, and close the door behind you. You're either an idiot, or incredibly confident."
She winks. "But really, the main reason is that if Drake actually thought you were a threat to the island, he wouldn't let you near my son. Luckily, both of them are good judges of character, which means whatever you've done before now, you had a good reason for it."
She leans back, stepping away to further down the counter, towards a door to the backroom. "Regardless, my offer stands. I can get you maps, as well, there's certainly no shortage on the island of those. The catch, however... is that Drake won't leave of his own choice, otherwise he would have left long ago. When I said you might need to kidnap him, I meant it."
"Ooh! Ooooh! Can I tell the story?" Roan bounces excitedly in his seat.
"Roan! Use your inside voice. But yes, you may." Tara replies, before walking into the backroom and leaving her son with Karine.
Roan does another little victory fist-pump, and then pulls the worlds most adorable crayon-drawn comic book from under his hat. It's remarkably well-drawn, for being made by a child. "The story of Drake The Bancho, the Guardian of Ohara and the One Billion Beli Swordsman!" He shows off the cover, which looks like Drake, but wearing a cape made of a pirate Jolly Roger flag, and with a bunch of flashy electricity lines coming off him to make him look more impressive.
"Many years ago... for me at least... it was a bright and sunny day!" He turns the page, to a drawing of a chibi version of Roan sitting on a picnic blanket on a grassy field, surrounded by piles of books. "The amazing Blue Hatted Pirate Sidekick was trapped like he always was, imprisoned by homework on what should have been a day for fun! But then, out of nowhere..."
He turns the page, to a picture of a big giant lightning bolt striking down from the sky, without it looking stormy at all. "...lightning struck! A bolt of golden lightning flashed down from the sky, and hit the ground right near where the Blue Hatted First Mate was trapped, knocking over all of his books and freeing him from homework! Hooray!"
He turns the page, to a drawing of Roan running across the field, with a picture on the opposite page of a person lying in the middle of a blackened crater. "The Blue Hatted Heroic Helper went to see where the lightning struck, but instead, he found a man lying there. The man was injured, so he dragged him all the way home, where the Super Awesome Best Mom Ever healed him with her amazing Mom powers!"
Roan leans the book to the side, and whispers to Karine. "Mom doesn't actually have powers. That part of the story is for dramatic effect." He flips to the next page, which shows Drake sitting up in a bed, with a blanket over him that looks like a Jolly Roger. The insignia itself is pretty detailed, one of the older styles of Jolly Roger, looking like a skull and two different crossed swords, with a red bandana around the top and the mouth of the skull. "The man didn't remember who he was, only his name - "Drake The Bancho." But since he was wearing a Jolly Roger when the Blue Hatted Genius Boy found him, it was clear that he was a pirate from the sky!"
Roan turns to the next page, which shows a drawing of... another book, one with different swords drawn the cover. "The man had a book on him as well, which told of all of the Meitos, the most Super Awesome Grade Swords in the world, and where a skilled Sword Hunting Pirate might find them! Drake The Bancho realized that this was the perfect quest for a swordsman, and that it was his calling in life to become a Sword Hunter Pirate, in order to find who he was."
Roan turns to the last page, which shows Drake sitting on... oddly enough, that hill Karine had first seen him sitting on when she pulled in, in the exact same way of crouch-sitting that he had been in. The background is a bright sunset too. "However... as a swordsman, Drake The Bancho was bound by his code of honor to protect the people who had saved his life when he fell from the sky. And so, despite that he REALLY REALLY wants to go out and seek his Swords and Dreams, he remains trapped here until..."
Roan closes the book, and sighs. "...until idunno." He looks upset. "He's my big brother now, so I feel bad that nobody on the island has found a reason for him to leave. Mom's told me that Ohara has plenty of ways to take care of itself without him, but nobody wants to actually tell Drake he isn't really needed here. Cause even IF we can't protect the island without him... it's not fair that he's just stuck here because of us. He doesn't even know who he is, and there's no way he can find out since he's been stuck here for three years."
Roan jumps up on his stool, and makes a determined face and two clenched fists towards Karine. "So... if you're really a super cool Fishlady pirate like I think you are, you gotta make him believe it! You gotta give him a reason to swear his honor to you instead."
The ale, in fact, did seem specifically formulated for the sole purpose of dealing with headaches. Figures the geniuses of Ohara would have come up with such a genius booze. Of course, it doesn't entirely stop all of the headaches... "NUH-UH! Devil Fruits give you cool superpowers! And having to survive without being able to swim makes you have to be super badass! Its the coolest stuff EVERS!" Roan has hopped up on his stool, shouting and grandstanding with his foot up on the bar counter like it was a barrel. "And besides, Drake is a super awesome Rumble-Man who fell from the sky like lightning! He's gonna sail the seas and claim ALL OF THE SWORDS, and--"
"Roan! No feet on the counter. And use your inside voice." The young woman says in that motherly tone, and Roan sits right down and clams up, returning to drinking his glass of milk in silence. "Sorry, he's... enthusiastic about pirates." The woman chuckles, taking Karine's hand and shaking it. "Tara Zaraka, proprietor of this little bar, and the sanest person on this island of ner-- errr, bookworms." Roan giggles a bit, at that.
"Pleasure to meet you, Karine. And thank you, I do try to make this place homey." She smiles, returning to cleaning out mugs behind the counter, everything about her tone and smile aimed to make Karine feel like a guest here. "I hope you didn't just come here for the library, the scholars are... fussy, about it. They don't usually let anyone in besides themselves, when they're not forgetting where doors are in their mad genius."
About that point, Drake returns, carrying a ridiculously huge stack of wood, an amount a normal man should not be able to carry. "Wood chopped, ma'am!" He sets the giant pile of wood down off to one side, quickly moving this way and that to stack it perfectly. He then turns and stands at attention. "Ready for your next job, ma'am."
Tara rubs the bridge of her nose, but chuckles with amusement. "You can go back on watch, Drake."
"Yes ma'am." Drake responds, giving another brief glare at Karine, before heading out the door and back towards the beach.
Tara waits for Drake to be out of earshot, then motions for Roan to close the door. The little boy does, hopping off the stool and closing the door, then flipping around the CLOSED sign. He hops up on the counter and looks positively giddy. "So... I can tell, you're definitely a pirate, you have that seafaring look about you. And not just because you're a fishman and all. The coat says you're a captain, but you didn't come here with a proper ship, which means you're starting out."
The young woman's tone is suddenly that of a merchant, as though bargaining with Karine. "Now, I can't give you a boat, but I can give you supplies for your trip, and all for no cost. You'd only have to do a favor for us." She smiles. "Take Drake away from this island. He's a Devil Fruit eater, he's eaten the Logia fruit of Lightning, and the best swordsman this island has ever seen. He'd be an asset to any pirate crew. Talk him into it, kidnap him, I don't care how you do it, just get him to stop thinking he needs to protect us so he leaves."
Roan and Tara lean in towards Karine, both of them all smiles, as they're clearly trying to sell Karine on this. "So what do you say?" Roan is crossing his fingers and hoping for her to say yes. Secretly, behind the bar, so is Tara.
"Oh! You're like a Mermaid! But not." Roan thinks a moment as he tugs Karine along, oblivious to everything, including hangovers. "Cool! That makes sense. You'd be pretty stupid to travel around in a crappy little boat if you had eaten a Devil Fruit. A Fishman is way cooler than a Devil Fruit anyway."
Drake frowns after the both of them, glaring back at Karine as she made the face. "Oi, oi, I'm standing right here, you know." Roan, of course, continues to ignore him as he tugs Karine into the village around the base of the giant Library Tree, though Drake continues to follow. "...just ignore me then."
"So what kinda Fishy-woman are you? Shark? Whale? Dolphin? Electric Eel? Ooh, would an electric eel fishman be able to shoot lightning like big brother can? That'd be so cool!" Roan leads Karine into a tiny bar built underneath a large green tree root, called the "Wooden Tap". He's practically skipping. "Mama~! I made a friend!" He smiles as he hops up onto a bar stool, a woman in her thirties behind the counter, with long, curly blonde hair beneath a red floral-print bandana over the top of her head. She wears a matching floral-patterned apron over a blue dress with white polka-dots, and looks confused.
"Uhm..." The woman looks a little baffled by the Fishwoman her son has just dragged in, as well as worried, but as she sees Drake walk up behind the group she breathes a sigh of relief. She looks between Karine, Roan, and Drake, then back to Karine, then back to Drake. "Drake, honey? Can you go chop some more firewood? It's gonna be cold again tonight and we're running low!"
Drake politely nods, even giving a half-bow. "Yes ma'am." He says, before turning and heading out. If Karine is looking, as Drake leaves she gets a look of the long scars across his back, right around his shoulderblades. A wide number of other smaller scars crisscross his back, the sort that, as a former Marine, Karine could probably recognize as the sort caused by whips.
"Looks like you ran into our town's guardian. I apologize for any bad treatment, he really means well, he's just... dedicated." The woman behind the counter says, as she slides a tall glass of ale in front of Karine. "But for now... I know a hangover when I see one. Have a drink, on the house, should be a better welcome to our home. Ohara's local ale is known for fixing headaches pretty well. This is an island of braniacs, after all."
More Techniques! This should be all the ones needed for getting to Intermediate rank, I will either be buying them with thread xp or be doing training threads for them soon enough. I'm still a little unsure about the training system works, on that note - do you post that you'll be doing the thread beforehand, or do you just do the thread and post which tech you're going for?
TECHNIQUE NAME Rumble Street
Range Short Classification Offense Rank Rookie Personal DESCRIPTION Drake walks towards a group of opponents, then converts into electricity and dashes forwards and past them, leaving a high-voltage trail of electricity in his wake. Any enemy caught in his path is heavily electrified.
~ ~ ~
TECHNIQUE NAME Dasai Hand
Range Short Classification Offense Rank Rookie Personal DESCRIPTION Drake uses electromagnetism to pull a metal item from an opponent's hand, such as a sword or gun. If he has a free hand he can bring it to himself, otherwise he just flings it somewhere. Opponents with notable super-strength can hold onto their weapons, however. Loosely translates to "unfashionable hand" - for a swordsman, an empty one.
~ ~ ~
TECHNIQUE NAME Dasai Gakuran
Range Short Classification Offense Rank Intermediate Personal DESCRIPTION An upgraded version of Dasai Hand, Drake either disarms one opponent of their weapons even if they have super-strength, or disarms a small group of opponents in the same manner as Dasai Hand (so targets with super-strength will keep their weapons). As with Dasai Hand, this only affects metal or otherwise conductive items. Loosely translates to "unfashionable uniform".
~ ~ ~
TECHNIQUE NAME T-Bird
Range Short Classification Offense Rank Rookie Personal DESCRIPTION Drake performs his own variant of the traditional air-pressure slash or "sword wave" used by many swordsmen, but with added electrical damage due to his Devil Fruit. Drake's version at Rookie level creates a wave that has no cutting power and only flies about 15 feet, but hits with electrical shocks and the same impact as a blunt sword strike, plus the attack can be performed with either a blunt or bladed sword. The name comes from the appearance of the attack, which vaguely resembles a bird in flight, with curved wings like a sparrow.
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TECHNIQUE NAME T-Bird V4
Range Medium Classification Offense Rank Intermediate Personal DESCRIPTION The Intermediate upgrade of T-Bird, V4 is named for being (to Drake) four times as strong. This version can go about 30 feet, and unlike the base version actually retains some cutting power if performed with a bladed sword, but is still mostly impact and electrical damage. This version looks even more like a bird, with a pointed tip like a beak, and a jagged appearance to the back of the "wings" to make it look like feathers.
Drake continued that look of smug superiority as Karine's attack failed, but as she pulls back and drops down, he returns to the calm, tough guy act. He drops down himself into his Yanki squat a foot in front of her, down to her current height, perhaps out of sportsmanship despite his tough, smug attitude. "So, shabazo... wanna try that again from the top? Tell me why you're here, pirate, or you can just hop back in your boat and leave. We don't allow pirates who come to this island to start trouble."
"Brotheerrrrrrrrrrr~!" Says a younger voice, the younger boy who had been on the hill with Drake before, with the big blue hat. He looks about 8 or 9, at most, as he runs up behind Drake and pounce-hugs him from behind. Seems Drake's lightning body has turned off now, considering the little boy is piggybacked on his shoulders. "Hiya pirate lady! You've got cool teeth! Did you eat the Kitty-Kitty Fruit?"
Drake's expression drops, as though his tough act was abruptly ruined by a giddy, excitable kid on his shoulders. He doesn't seem to resist the kid messing with him either, despite how gruff he's acted so far, merely facepalming and letting the younger boy leapfrog over him. "Relaaaaax, big brother, she doesn't got a crew, just a lone pirate lady, which means she's a good pirate. She's probably hungry! My name's Roan! I'm the other protector of this island! And I think you're O-KAY!" Roan grabs for Karine's non-electrically-singed hand to help her up.
Drake glares at the both of them as he stands back up. "Roan... pirates are dangerous."
Roan giggles. "So are you, dummy. Come on, lady, you can come home with us!" He says, trying to pull Karine to her feet but not even remotely being strong enough to do so. He's trying though.
Awwww... I was hoping they'd be nice for once. I'm kinda getting tired of beating up chumps these days, and this one looks really cool! Is what Drake thought, but on the outside his expression remained cold and unchanged, staring back at Karine without so much as even seeming to react to her words. He simply takes his sword off his shoulders, and thunks it down into the sand, where it stands straight up. He crosses his arms, and lifts his head slightly as he looks at her, everything about him the part of a disapproving tough guy.
"Another disrespectful pirate, huh? So shabai..." He smirks down at Karine. "You think you can just walk everywhere you want, eh? Take your best shot, then. I won't even need my sword for a pipsqueak like you. If you can land even one punch on me without hurting yourself, I'll let you come ashore." He holds his arms open, giving her a clear shot at his exposed chest, smiling slightly as he watches her. "Bring it, shabazo."
Of course, Drake was a man of living lightning, and knew that anyone trying to punch him might as well be punching a live wire. He'd used this gimmick on countless pirates before, and usually the result was them being knocked unconscious and punted back into the sea. He made sure to keep his internal voltage to just painful, and not lethal, so when Karine inevitably punched him, it would just hurt like hell when her fist went through his lightning body. If she was as tough, though... she could take it as long as the surprise didn't make her jump back.
Drake spotted the dinghy a bit out into the sea, but figured it was just a floating, lost boat. Until its occupant sat up and rowed the boat ashore. He frowns as the craft makes it ashore, and nudges the boy in the blue hat sitting next to him, who sits up. "Hey. That look like a pirate to you, little brother?"
Roan takes a homemade spyglass out of his hat and looks through it, one made of tin cans and old glasses lenses. He's looking close at Karine from the hill they're up on, a couple hundred feet up the beach from where Karine's boat pulls up. Well within view for her, as well. "Well, she's got a pirate coat. And... stripes? And fangs? Ooooh, I bet she ate a Devil Fruit too! But..." Roan pans his spyglass out to see. "Buuuuuut I don't see a bigger ship. Pirates travel in big pirate ships, not rowboats. So iunno."
Drake stands up to his full six-and-a-half-foot height, grabbing his golden sword as he does, resting it on his shoulder in typical street-punk fashion for wielding a bokken... even if the sword is damn near five feet long. "Go take a look around on your way back to town. Let them know that pirates may have shown up, but nothing too big. I'll see what's up."
With that, Roan scurries off, and Drake gets a running start before leaping out onto the beach - though he's currently completely human in looks, he's already got his lightning-body going beneath the surfaces, as he's not willing to take any chances with a pirate his brother thinks might also be a Devil Fruit user. To Karine's eyes, the tall human clears a hundred-foot jump with seemingly no effort, and looks right at her... though he's not really in any sort of fighting stance right now, just resting the long golden bokken on his shoulders.
"Oi, Pirate. What business do you have on Ohara? Pirates aren't welcome here." He says, in a calm tone, staring down Karine with a look she can clearly tell is suspicion. Of course, beneath the surface of that tough guy exterior, he's secretly curious as all hell. Man, I've never met another Devil Fruit eater! I wonder what kind?
It was another bright sunny day on Ohara Island, the great Library Tree shielding much of the island from the sun beneath its wide leaves. The coast remained bright and sunny, which is where a pair of blond hooligans were currently relaxing in the breezy calm of the morning. One, a young kid wearing a white t-shirt and blue shorts, as well as a ridiculously overlarge blue schoolboy cap, smiles and points to one of the clouds. "Oooh! That one! That one's... a pirate ship!"
The other, a tall teenager with similarly blonde hair and blue eyes, relaxes beside his younger brother in the same outfit he usually sports - a pair of long, baggy tan pants with a variety of vibrant red designs up and down the legs, and a sarashi of bandages about his middle. A long length of apparent gold rests beside him on the grass of the ledge looking down onto the beach, and a large red bandana keeps his hair back out of his eyes while also shading them a bit from the bright sun. "That's what you said about the last three, little brother."
The younger boy giggles. "That's cuz pirates are cool! Pirate ships come in all shapes and sizes! One day, I'll leave and become the greatest pirate to ever sail the seas, with a ship so big it could be its own island!" He throws his hands upwards in a victory pose. "But fine. What do you think it looks like, big brother?"
The teenager eyes the cloud suspiciously, wondering about it for a second. "Looks like a cloud to me." He says with a nonchalant tone, as though he was too cool to play along with this kid game. Despite it, though, he smiles, finding the day nice and relaxing. He sits up, grabbing an apple from the little picnic basket between them, and munches on it as he looks out towards the main beach, the only real place on the island where the sea came ashore rather than against a cliffside, where a small harbor sat largely unattended besides a pair of small fishing boats currently docked - the fishermen didn't go out on weekends after all.
Like every other day for the past few years, Drake has sat on this cliff and watched over the port-beach from sun-up to sun-down, taking breaks only when the Ohara villagers bring him food and drink, or when his seemingly adoptive younger brother Roan shows up to hang out with him. Since the day he fell from the sky, and his life was saved by the people of the village, he has sworn an oath to watch over the village of archaeologists and scholars, to repay his debt to them for saving his life.
I was looking at it as a mode switch because it doesnt actually give any mechanical bonus, it's just switching from slashing to blunt damage. I guess I can go with the blade only staying sharp for five posts I guess.
