To go with your crew...

[highseasmods]

Who: Everyone who is fighting in the battle to kill the witch.
Where: The Black Fortress in the East
When: Jan 24th-25th
What: The grand battle to get back what you have lost, get revenge for what was taken, and avert disaster.
Warnings: Language. Death. Victory. Defeat. True love. Miracles.
Style: Text or prose
Status: Open to all



The black fortress ripples with shimmering iridescent energy, the piles of black coral heaped on roped together barges around it, bobbing in the waves. On the largest barge stands a slender man with a copper belt, wearing a face mask, orange red hair flecked with black from ash or dust. As the dawn slowly folds over the ocean, he'll look up, as if hearing some hidden voice.

At the top of the fortress, a figure climbs into vision, a woman, dressed in gray, features obscured by a hood with impenetrable darkness behind it. She staggers a moment as if she is weary, then straightens to her full height. As she speaks, her voice comes out of the journals, echoing over the water, low but clear.

"This is no small task ye do. She that rots within'll do anythin' ta stop ye. Don't hesitate to kill what ye find. If they were human once, they hain't no more. Watch out for her golems, too, or they'll drain ye dry quicker'n a wink. But if ye can get rid of 'em, it'll weaken her." She hesitates, cants her head to the side. "And if ye lot aren't as much of a bunch'a idiots as usual, ye might come out alive through this."

That said, she raises her hands. After a moment so does the man on the barge. For a moment, nothing seems to happen and then iridescent light shimmers over the coral, seeming to match that which surrounds the fortress. It crackles and dances like a fire, and then without warning bursts into a furious life, slamming against the energy of the fortress. There is the sound like thunder and light snaps and crackles, zipping with energy. Then with a woosh the light flies upward, taking the figure with it. The man on the barge lets out a cry like a seagull and dives into the water as if intending to swim after her.

For the boats that remain, a part of the fortress will crumble away into the sea, revealing a small harbor and an open doorway. Enter all ye who dare.


[If things become too crowded, feel free to make another thread outside of these. Just put where you are in the header.]

Comments

[elementofcupcakes]

[Pinkie shakes her head sadly.] Besides disappearing? Not a clue. [Before she could make a sad face, Pinkie remembers something.]

But something SUPER HUGE is coming! I mean like COLOSSAL! Bigger than my mane!

[So it HAS to be big!!]

[yourotherleft]

[hold the phone. Whipping his head around to look straight at her]

You can sense it, too?

[elementofcupcakes]

[EMPHATIC NODDING!]

But if we leave...but even if we stay...we can't save everypony...whatever's coming is...powerful.

[Probably more than any enemy they've faced back in Equestria...]

[yourotherleft]

[Dammit! Even if he knows Luffy can tame sea kings - well, probably tame sea kings - he doesn't even know where the idiot captain is right now.]

Go, get on the ship. We have to trust that our crew will follow. We can't save everybody else's crews, there's no time. Focus on our people.

[raising his voice, probably loud enough for other crews to hear]

SOMETHING IS COMING! GET ON YOUR SHIPS AND GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!

[elementofcupcakes]

But but but but but--!! [Pinkie feels pretty helpless, and worried, and panicky. All the awful feelings meshing together.]

You have to come, too!

[yourotherleft]

I'll be right behind you. Give me just a second.

[it takes more focus and concentration to actually use his haki properly, meaning he needs to just stand there for a minute and really do it. Maybe he can sense them, where they are, whether they're still in there or not...]

[elementofcupcakes]

[Sorry, Zoro, she's staying right there so she can leave with you. She hopes he hurries up, though. She's running out of marbles to throw on the ground so the undead could slip on them.]

[yourotherleft]

[daww, such a sweetie. Instant crewmate love. He snaps alert after a moment, shaking his head]

It's no good, that big thing down there is blocking any sense of anyone around it. I don't think there's anyone alive in there, though.

Come on. Let's make sure everyone else is on the ship.

[elementofcupcakes]

[Pinkie wasn't sure what he was doing, but they really had to get away. She didn't like it, but she doubts her friends would like to see everyone hurt. With a nod she starts to dash off.]

This way! [It's straight towards some enemies, but she must know what she's doing, right? Right!]

[yourotherleft]

[Zoro is right behind her, easily following the pink beacon so he won't end up circling around and running right back into the fortress. His swords are out, and anything in their way won't be for long]

[elementofcupcakes]

[The undead make a grab for Pinkie, but she already anticipated it, and slides between one of their legs. They seem surprised to have missed their target, but they'll have another to deal with in a second!]

WEEEEEEE!

[yourotherleft]

[nice move! Zoro finishes with a quick slash, sending heads rolling. That's right, that's how a team works. He can't help but grin a little as he follows in her wake, taking out every last zombie who tries to make a grab or her and misses]

[elementofcupcakes]

[Pinkie isn't even bothering with looking back. She knows Zoro's there. Somehow. Or maybe she's like ninety-four percent sure!

She manages to hop over a sword aimed at her, but lands on the blade. Blowing a raspberry, Pinkie somehow manages to stay on despite the enemy shaking the sword all around trying to get her off it. How does she do that?!]

[yourotherleft]

[Zoro is gaining a new respect for their odd crewmates - at the very least, he can see why they fit in with the Straw Hats. He crouches, poising his blades over his shoulder]

Oi! Jump or duck or something!

[that's all the warning she gets before he unleashes an O-Tatsumaki, a veritable tornado of cutting air that sweeps across the dock to take out...preeeeetty much everything that doesn't jump out of the way

[elementofcupcakes]

Oh! Okay! [As Pinkie jumps off the sword, the attack comes. She actually gets out of the way in time! Once she lands, she looks at Zoro with wide eyes.]

THAT'S SO COOL!! DO IT AGAIN!!

[yourotherleft]

[shrug. Not like it's not effective. It's very effective! For clearing large swaths of nameless, faceless zombies. Zoro looks along the shore's edge to see where the ships are currently positioned, and shifts to send another whirlwind of death along the shoreline to clear paths for the others escaping the fortress]

There. That should do for now.

[elementofcupcakes]

Zoro! You're so cool! [Pinkie stomps on the ground in applause before literally bouncing towards their ship.]

C'mon!