Just Gotta Keep Sailin The Quartz

[allendsmeat]

Who: Straw Hat Pirates, possible Bloody Roses Pirates
Where: Sailing log from 7/7- 7/10, Isla de Quarzo Rosa 7/10-7/12
What: The first leg of the race
Warnings: The usual
Status: Semi-open to the Bloody Roses.



Pls date your threads.

Bloody Roses, how close we're sailing is up to you guys though probably not enough to just casually swing over without some ability. However, feel free to come encounter us at any time on the island!

Straw Hats, enjoy the veggie rain! Also remember our NPC pirates are Mama's Bone Boys who will attack us intermittently throughout the journey and send spies on board. Let's save the major boss battles til the finale, though, shall we? But otherwise, have fun!

Comments

[yourotherleft]

Behind. By a couple hours at most.

[rests his forehead against the rail so he can look down into the water, not that he can see much]

[allendsmeat]

[he wonders if Zoro's worried. It's hard to tell. He makes a noise to say that he heard and reels up the fish. It's a little brown and yellow spotted thing with a longish snout. He watches it flap around for a moment before he carefully takes the hook from its mouth and tosses it back in]

He'll be okay. I'll catch up with you guys soon.

[he doesn't know how but he's gonna. He breathes a laugh]

Even Smokey's mad that I'm behind. Prey's gotta be ahead, he says.

[yourotherleft]

[not as much as he was when Usopp arrived beaten to hell, but he does still wonder what's going on. What he should be doing, when Doflamingo's people attack.]

It's not like you can help it. You didn't ask Davy Jones to reach back and yank you from Impel Down instead.

[allendsmeat]

He was just saying it so he could teach me. It's pride. [he takes off the hook and ties a potato to the string before casting out again]

He's never going to not be a Marine. [which is fine and fun, but he guesses Smokey has to remind himself sometimes]

I wonder if I'll see him again back home...

[it's just idle talking...he doesn't really want to know. But guesses he does or he might since Smoker thinks he should be stronger]

[yourotherleft]

Yeah, I know. Smoker's pride is enough for all of us put together.

[he knows full well Luffy will see him again, and save his ass again for that matter. Sort of. But he wasn't asked, so he doesn't say so.]

[allendsmeat]

hahaha Zoro's pride is pretty big, too! But mine is the biggest. Not even Smokey can beat me. I'll kick his ass if he tries.

[yourotherleft]

[snorts. Yeah, you go, Luffy.]

They're sittin' this race out, aren't they? At least that was the impression I got from seeing them around Port Chance.

[allendsmeat]

[shrug. He doesn't really know but it's not a problem]

Maybe-- [but then he stops... something pings him in the back of his mind but he can't figure it out. Someone is coming from behind. Maybe they wanna fight. He tilts his head back a bit and can just hear the oars over the falling food.

He closes his eyes and tries to let himself know how many. Five, maybe? Is it real? Is it haki?]

[yourotherleft]

[Zoro senses it a moment later, and looks over his shoulder]

I think we've got company.

[allendsmeat]

[he grins and reels in the fishing pole, setting it aside before standing up, pushing the shelters aside. Something is coming. He can feel it down to his heels. The line of a grappling hook shoots up and he stretches out a hand to grab it, hauling it closer.

Three startled people are yanked on board, huge butcher knives on their backs and pistols at their sides. He grins]

Yo!

[one of them scowls and stands up, while another bellows that they need help. The first takes out a pistol and Luffy can see it just a second before it's shot but the bullet still hits him. Damn. Not fast enough]

[yourotherleft]

[Zoro's hand is on his swords instantly, but the shot cracks before can draw. At least he has no worries about it hitting its target, and boy, does he never get tired of watching the look of shock and horror creep over the faces of those who've just seen Luffy's rubber ability for the first time.

Before they can stop gaping at the bullet stretching him, Zoro has two swords out and is coming at them from the side. One, at least, is competent enough to shake himself out of his surprise and pull his butcher knife to block the blades coming at him]

Don't recognize 'em. You boys must be from that other ship that's coming up on the side.

[allendsmeat]

[Luffy just grins. One of them starts to say:

"You'll regret the day you went up against Mama's--" but cuts off with a yelp as he sees Zoro heading for them.

More grappling hooks shoot out of the water. A lot more than five. Luffy dodges one, than the other, three of the guys are on Zoro with more coming on board but two have focused on Luffy, asking what the hell he is and then deciding they didn't care and coming at him with the butcher knives.

They scream together and come after him. Everything is edged and he laughs. He can see where they're coming from even clearer than before. They cut almost too close but they don't hit him so he plays around, letting them try to hit and then bouncing up.

He yelps as he slips on a fruit and grabs a daikon as they both try a downslash, blocking it]

Shishishi [before turning, twisting the daikon with him and thinking of pushing it over the side but...

Sanji said they shouldn't waste food so--

He smashes them against the railing.]

These guys are pretty dumb, huh?

['What did you say?' he turns and sees three more coming up on the railing. Luffy pulls back, grabbing the giddy feeling inside him and pushing it out, watching as they stagger back a step or two]

Heh. You guys better get out before we send you all flying.

[yourotherleft]

[Zoro has his hands full with three on one, but they're not even enough to make him break a sweat. He holds the block long enough just to gauge the strength level of their opponents, and then pushes back, not even using special moves against them but swinging both swords skillfully.]

They've got guts, I'll give 'em that. But they don't know what they're up against.

[They don't seem impressed by two swords. Zoro isn't sure he needs a third, at least not until he's knocked at least two of his guys over the railing and into the water. The wash of Luffy's haki catches his attention for a moment - he has been practicing, that's more than usual. Nice. He doesn't want to take more opportunities to practice away from him, but really, there's no sense even calling the others over to join the fight. With the moment he's bought himself, Zoro pulls Wadou Ichimonji and clenches it in his teeth, just to give these invaders something to think about.]

You small fries are annoying. Get off our ship.

1/3

[allendsmeat]

[it just leaves him wanting to fight more. It's been a while since he's gotten in a really good fight. They back up and disappear over the side of the ship which is kind of disappointing. He sighs and scratches the back of his head]

Why'd you come if that was all you were gonna do?

[allendsmeat]

[but then he feels a twitch. Something behind him. He turns to see two guys come up on the railing, one holding a small cannon. He grins, punching a hand into a fist]

That's not going to work on-

[one puts a light to it while the other shouts Butcher Shrapnel Cannon!]

/4

[allendsmeat]

Ah crap!

[he dances back from the sudden explosion of small sharp metal bits that are suddenly flying everywhere. Too fast for him to keep track of or dodge. One slides across his cheek, the other his leg

[allendsmeat]

and and one slips across the shirt he's wearing, cutting it nearly in half]

OI! BASTARDS! GUM GUM NO PI

[one from the bow now. Butcher Shrapnel Canon!

And the left, and behind.]

KNOCK IT OFF! GUM GUM NO PISTOL!

[and he sends the two guys who first fired into the water but more metal embeds in his shoulder. Damnit]

[yourotherleft]

[This is where a first mate needs to step in. Zoro slides in with his back against Luffy's, facing the cannons to the rear and the side. With short flicks of his wrists he spirals his swords to deflect as many of the tiny pieces of shrapnel as they can, some of them no bigger than bullets. The shooters weren't expecting to have their cannon-shot bounced back at them, and more than one goes down on the deck writhing in pain.

Zoro isn't done yet, though.]

You take that side, I've got this one. Ready?

[In case anyone else scales the railing in that side with more unique weapons. Zoro's got the ones over here, and while they hastily attempt to reload, he charges off with his head low, showing absolutely no mercy to the crewmen who've boarded their ship.]

[allendsmeat]

[nods!

Back to back with Zoro for a second, he takes off the shirt and jams it in his pocket so it won't get hurt more before hurling himself into an attack.]

GUM GUM NO PISTOL! [that knocks a few out] and WHIP!

[that takes out a few more but he charges the ones that had tried to set up on the mast head, his special seat]

GET OFF!

[and he punches one hard in the gut, sending him flying into his companion and them both crashing into the waves]

[yourotherleft]

[there's only angry, eager grunts from Zoro as he charges this way and that, blocking with Wadou Ichimonji while he uses the other two to great effect, until he can clear enough space and aim properly to slam into a few more with a Tora Gari. A few more grappling hooks have wound around the deck railing, so he sweeps through and cuts them all, ignoring the screams of men who miss their landing boats and end up in the ocean instead.

He circles around to find Luffy and see how he's doing.]

[allendsmeat]

[he sends a few more flying before Zoro gets there, putting his foot up on the railing as people are calling out to the subcommander, asking for orders. Luffy looks down at the man on the little boat, fists clenched, glaring at him, letting the anger radiate off him. He wasn't going to let anyone back on the Merrily.

After a moment, the man calls a retreat. He watches them for a moment pull the guys back on their boats and start to row off before turning away and sitting on the railing. There's a bit of shrapnel in his leg and he takes it out, throwing it over his shoulder into the sea. Then takes the shirt out of his pocket and looks at it. It's pretty torn up and there's blood on it.

It's not the hat... and it's just something Usopp brought here a while ago but...]

[yourotherleft]

[Satisfied that they've repelled the attack, Zoro sheathes his swords one by one and stands there watching the boat retreat. Out of the corner of his eye he catches Luffy's movements, breathing a quiet sigh.]

You all right?

[allendsmeat]

[he looks at the shirt a bit longer. Keimi can fix it. The blood will probably wash out. Maybe Usopp will want it back when he comes back and maybe not. He tries to fold it right for now but he's not very good with folding and it keeps coming out weird]

Mm. [he is. Even with this. He really wants to catch up with Usopp but he can't right now so--]

He would've had fun with this rain. We should save a vegetable for him.

[yourotherleft]

[aww, Luffy. He smiles faintly]

Pretty sure vegetables go bad if you try to save 'em too long.

[he gets it, though. After a moment he leans over to check Luffy's cuts, but they don't look bad at all.]

He'd be pissed if we got rid of his workshop, though.

[allendsmeat]

Yeah I guess so. [it's too bad it wasn't a rain of something more interesting and long lasting]

Yeah. I was going through it. He left some interesting stuff. Some weird beans, too. [he was tempted to see what it tasted like but...]