Serious: Lord of the Skies, chapter 1 - Shipwrecked

The telescope zoomed in on a small, one manned vessel. An anxious marine's hand was shaking as he tried to keep it still. You could tell it was his first attempt to catch a pirate.

"T-There!" his hand jolted forward. "Up ahead!"

A surly Marine captain lugged his peg leg behind the young cadet.

"are you SURE!?" the flux in his voice startled everyone on board the battleship. The captain was a crazy eyed old man with a jungle of white, wild hair. He wore a blue tattered Marine coat that looked like it had been through it's fair share of battles.

"Y-y-yes s-sir." the young marine barley managed a reply. "The name on the boat is clear. 'The Buried Treasure', sailing with Marine flags..."
"Pirate scum." the old captain spit into the sea. "when I GET my hands ON him, I'll make him WISH he was never born!" again, the uncontrollable volume in his voice made the crewmates shutter. He was clearly a man of great power. "Get in range and fire ALL cannons!"

On board 'the Buried Treasure', Avery rested his eyes on a strung out hammock hanging between the main mast and the bow. Snoring loudly, his was completely unaware of the danger that was about to befall him. The looming battle ship drew ever nearer, and it's shadow soon completely blotted out the sun. The rumbling of the cannon doors was enough to stir him from his sleep. He turned over with a loud "Yawwwnnn…" and poked one eye open staring right down a cannon.

"FIRE!!"

"YIKES!!" Avery launched to his feet, just barely hopping over the perfectly aimed shot. "Not again." he said calmly. Avery jumped up to the main flag and pointed with a grin. "Same team! See?" another shot zoomed past his face as he ducked down quickly. "Alright," he rolled up his sleeves. "I tried to be reasonable about this, but you guys just won't let it die." Three cannons honed in on Avery and pointed straight down on him.

The captain grinned a sinister grin. "FIRE!!"

Avery squinted his eyes angrily. "I won't let you touch this ship!" Avery jumped up in the air and spun around and unleashed a flurry of kicks. "TAILSPIN!!!" the cannonballs ricocheted back to the battle ship.

KABOOOM!!!

The young Marine aboard the battleship hit the floor in the fetal position. The captain stepped over him with a furious stare down. "Get UP!!" he pulled the cadet to his feet. The battleship was heavily damaged, and the life boats were already being prepared. "Cowards..." the captain grabbed a hold of weeping cabin boy and jumped down onto Avery's ship. "You…." the captain's head was red with rage.

"Me." Avery took a bow.

"I've LOST three ships CHASING after you!" the captain clenched a fist.

"Funny," Avery scratched his head. "I don't remember firing a single shot."

"ENOUGH!!" the smoke from the drowning battleship now filled the sky. "This ends now!"

Avery cracked his knuckles. "Fine, I'm getting tired of this anyways…" Avery ran forward and leapt into the air "TAILSPIN!" The Marine captain was kicked completely off the boat. The young cadet looked on in shock. Avery's eyes scanned the waters below.

"YAA!" the captain splashed out of the water and uppercutted Avery. "I've taken down bigger FISH than you punk." Avery flew back off his feet. The captain peered down at Avery, and was about to send his peg leg right threw his skull.

BERRROOOWWWW!!!!


A bellowing noise came from underneath the waves. "Huh?!" the captain nearly fell over. Avery and the captain both looked across the waters to see the gigantic face of a scaly sea king peering right back at them.

"Very bad day..." Avery said shaking his head.

"Wha-wha-what is that!?!" the young cadet yelled out in complete fear.

"Monarch of the Blue. I've seen it before." the captain seemed to be hypnotized by the sea king's stare.

Avery poked his head up off the ground. "Hey, what happened to your voice?"

"SHUT up!"

Avery looked over to the petrified military student. "Do you want to live through this?"

The Monarch drew closer. "W-what?"

"If you want to live to see tomorrow, we're all gonna have to work together on this one."

"Don't LISTEN to him! Pirates are nothing BUT liars and thieves!" the captain ordered.

"That's what you say," Avery stood up and dusted himself off. "but you've had a good run. Me and my friend here have a lot of sunrises ahead of us. We're not ready for it to set."

The young marine was astonished by Avery's hint of compassion. He was taught that pirates only look after themselves. "Why you NO good punk! Could an OLD man DO this?!" the captain charged at Avery.

"Captain!" the cabin boy shouted. "Please! There's no time for this now! You can't arrest him if your dead. He's right, we have to work together."

"GRRR…" the captain lowered his fist a walked back to his subordinate. The battle ship was all but sunk in the ocean, and the rest of the crew had long been gone. "WELL, what OUR plan of attack?"

"Can you jump with that thing?" Avery pointed to the captain's wooden leg.

The captain had to restrain himself from loosing his temper. "Grrr…to the moon…"

Avery let out a soft laugh. "Good, we got to get this guy out of his element. We got to get him on unfamiliar ground." The Monarch was now within 20 feet of the small boat. The three stood there ground. The huge serpent pulled it's neck back, and Avery's eyes widened. With a blink of an eye it sprung forward towards the boat. Avery ran forward and held his fist back. "TAKE OFF!" a huge upper cut slammed the serpent's jaw shut and sent it flying into the air. "Now!"

The captain leapt up into the air and sent out a flurry of kicks along the serpents body. "Take this!" a massive axe kick threw the giant beast down into the water. The captain landed back on the deck, and the three began circling the edge of the boat, looking for any signs of motion.

"Did we do it? Is it dead?" the cadet said wishfully.

"Don't bet on it kid. We just pissed it off." the boat began to rumble as Avery spoke. All of the sudden, the entire boat was thrust into the air by the powerful beast below. The boat was suspended in air for a brief second before being hurled into the water by the Monarch's tail. The boat was nearly destroyed.

The boat landed on it's side, so the hull still remained in tact, though badly beat up. The captain and the soldier's head bobbed up from the water. They huddled together on a piece of floating ship. They captain rung out his hat as he looked at the soldier with a solemn face. The mood was quiet. A calm movement of water was approaching them, and they looked up to be greeted by the sharp teeth of the Monarch.

"Hey!" a voice rang out from behind it. "You son of a b#tch…You've got some nerve..." the beast turned its head to see Avery, still dry, standing on what remained of his ship. "I would kill you now if I didn't think the scent of your blood in the water would attract more of you little friends. So, what to do?" the Monarch seemed to get a worried expression on it's face. "I guess I'll have to risk it. Your life, that will make us even…" the serpent gulped. "Even enough… for taking the only thing I have left in this world!"

Avery charged at the gigantic beast, as it turned tail and fled into the sea. "Your not getting away!" Avery said while hopping from piece to piece of his broken vessel. "Aileron…" Avery jumped up high and extended his right arm. "Dive!!!" he flew towards the beast, but it made a sharp turn to try to loose him. Avery followed suit and lifted his right arm slightly to make his body turn.

"SOO COOOL!!" the soldier's eyes where glistening as he spoke.

"Don't CHEER him!" the captain pounded him on the head.

The beast looked back in tears as Avery was almost on top of him. "Take this!" Avery crashed into the beasts neck and forced him down into the depths of the oceans. The cadet stood on the sidelines cheering him on as the captain continued to pummel him over his head. It took a little bit for Avery to resurface, but soon he shot out of the water and up into the air. The rookie cadet went over to congratulate Avery on his victory, but Avery hung his head and slumped to his knees. "Father…" tears were forming. "I'm sorry…"

(anyone can join if the want. It's just Avery, a marine captain and a cadet floating on whats left of Avery's ship.)

(okay)

The count sailed along on his ship the eerie whistling of the wood coming in to earshot, he stood on deck a well dressed charming but out of place man on the sea a beautiful girl sat beside him as they came in to view from the fog they spotted the wreckage of a ship and a man drifting aimlessly at sea, an image that invoked memories he did not wish to relive "you there" he called "still alive?"

So time had passed since the beast defeat, but Avery was still shaken up about his father's heirloom. "Yeah...Barely" Avery shouted to the well groomed man. "Hey you wouldn't mind giving us a lift would y-" Avery perked up. "Whose the Girl?!"

"Shut UP scum!" the grumpy captain screamed in Avery's ear. "Excuse me fine SIR, this man IS my prisoner and I hereby ORDER you to surrender your VEHICLE in the name OF the Marines!"

"I'm whose prisoner?" Avery questioned with a smile.

"WHY you NO good ROTTEN!..."

The count shifted his head slightly "I find it so very far from cathartic that you order me in our present status, your ship has been destroyed your men dispatched of and you sit drifting on the vast unforgiving sea" he made a wide sweeping gesture "if I were to leave you to the mercy of the waves no one knows what would come of you, believe you me to be adrift at sea is a punishment like no other... however I will permit you to board my ship as a guest for the time being as you speak with the backing of our bold marines" he gestured to a man to lower some ropes to them, he looked over at Avery and chuckled slightly "youth is such a wonderful thing to have" he began simply addressing him indirectly as the captain was visibly older than Avery "to answer your question sir pirate this is my loving daughter Clarisse and you may refer to me as Count"

Clarisse sat and looked over the three men, and there misfortune. She had no opinion of the youngest one because he had yet say anything, but the oldest seemed to be rather rude. The other man seemed to have only one thing on his mind, that same thing that most men think when they first met her. "How vexatious" she muttered under her breath.

"Wow.."Avery said as he boarded the ship. He look around the Count's ship. "Nice place you've got here." His eyes hit Clarisse again, and he zoomed beside her. "Daughter, huh?" he said to the Count while looking down at Clarisse. "It must get pretty boring sailing with your dad all the time, wouldn't you have more fun with me?"

"Sea DOG!!" the captain's fist slammed onto of Avery's head. "My apologies MADAM! These filthy PIRATES don't know HOW to handle themselves AROUND a lady."

"Hey bud!" Avery interrupted. "I've handled more ladies then you'd know what to do with." he looked over to Clarisse again and winked. "Trust me sweetheart."

"Both of you, calm down!" said the young cadet. It was the loudest he had been since he convinced the captain to work with Avery. "These people let us on their boat, with sea kings in the water, and this is how you repay them? By fighting on their deck?"

"BY George YOUR right!" exclaimed the captain. He had a very old fashioned since of manners. "My FINE sir, is THERE any work that NEEDS to be DONE?" He grabbed Avery by his jacket, but he tried to squirm his way back to Clarisse. "'Cuz THIS one will DO it for ya'!"

The Count wasn't exactly pleased by Avery's advances but his manners kept him from showing to much of that "to be honest this ship is overstaffed at the moment many of our sailors find themselves unable to do much most of the time, caring for guests will occupy their excess of time, idol hands as they say" he looked at the three of them "you should know that we are headed to Sabaody Archipelago, we will be arriving just in time for the final night of their grand carnival... to attend a more sobering event" why on earth would they want to go to Sabaody Archipelago? That was where the slave trade was still alive and well, where other races were treated as property in fact being rich and going their implied quite a few bad things about the Count all of which were both rectified and called in to question by what he said next "to attend a public execution" this struck fear in to the pirate but gained the trust of the navy just as what he had said to Avery earlier had done the opposite "where we will be meeting important people to establish connections in the Archipelago, so make your selves at home, know that the noise you hear will be louder at high hinds and can not be heard below deck, we will do our best to fish supplies from the sea for you" he was oddly obliging and charming for a man so very strange as he was begging to seem

Clarisse was bored by the mans advances and wanted no part of him. She was happy that the older man kept him in check, somewhat. she stood up with out a word and and walked over to the edge of the boat. She began to wonder about Sano, her brother who she was close to, it had been so long...

Hartley soon got bored trying to win the attention of Clarisse. Hiss ego was shot, but he had plenty more to go around. He soon became more interested in the words of the count. "...Public execution, huh?" he laughed and turned to the captain. "And here I thought pirates were supposed to be the cruel ones."

"Hehehe..." the captain chuckled. "guess what's gonna happen to you when we get there..." the captain's eyes grew dark. "Your gonna hang... So you better enjoy this fancy cruise and fine dinning while you can. Consider it a last meal...hehe."

"Loud then quiet...what is it with you?...Wait hang?!" the captains words sunk in. "You can't hang me! You don't even have handcuffs on me!" Avery started to grin. "As soon as we hit shore, I'm a free man as far as I'm considered. So maybe YOU should just sit back and enjoy the ride." Avery looked over to the Count. "Besides, you wouldn't want to see your old buddy Avery hang would you, Mr. Count?"

The Count looked bemused "personally I am a believer in a fair trial, a right that very few people in this day and age seem to have. I dont see how an execution with out trial is any different than a murder, and on my own accord I would not willingly aid such a sentence which could just as easly be placed on my own head, simple logic wouldn't you agree captain?" The captain scoffed "Ill agree that you posses some rather bold opinions" he said in a disheveled voice. The count motioned to a door "if you wish to furthure this discussion you will be able to find me below deck" he spoke in such a refined manner

"So...your on my side?" The Count's eloquence bewildered Avery. He was not used to hearing such polished speaking coming from a family of Marines and sea dogs. The captain, the recruit and Avery followed the count below the deck, which was even more tastefully decorated than the top.

"Can I ask sir," the recruit chimed. "what is it you actually do that you can afford these things?"

The count responded to Avery first "hardly, if I am on a side it would be an unbiased one..." he said turning to the second speaker "and to put it simply my wealth stems from good connections and quick decision making" it was hard to tell if he was being deliberately vague or not, he sat calmly at a table not touching any of the food there

(Should we wait for Hawk?)

(not really he probubly had nothing to add)

(sorry the thing never turned red for this RP, my computer is that good)
Clarisse turned around when they started to speak about the execution, she had been dreading it. She turned back to the sea, it would be a disturbing event, not because of the hanging it self but because of all the people were going to be watching... for entertainment. She took the harp from the sling on her back and began ton play a eerie and beautiful song.

"Make NO mistake, pirate. I'll do everything WITHIN my RANK to make sure you hang." the captian stared coldly.

"I told you, once I hit land I'm a free man." Avery said as the captain grinded his teeth. "Your not hungery Mr. Count? The food looks awesome."

The count smiled politely "just as operas viewed alone are less entertaining meals eaten alone have no flavor, the greatest feast I can have is being surrounded by such unique company as I am now, if you are hungry, and I imagine you would be please do not hesitate to eat, I find that I have fallen in to the habit of eating very rarely and sleeping very little"

((Pass. can we move this along?))

((yes lets, shall we?))

(Hey can I join? Although how should Halsen join? His boat was in the way of The Count's ship? Or at the island during the festival? He has no idea where to go at the moment so Halsen is going around aimlessly...

((geeze, ANOTHER pirate? you realize hes headed to shabony right? and that hes not an outlaw, and that the navy is on board.... your call man, Im not gonna stop you but Heartly might want a word))

(Halsen is cray like that. And he dosen't care where he is. Does Avery have a crew yet? If he doesn't then I will recruit him! Wait are there any devil fruit users? Does Avery have a devil fruit? Does Count? *Goes check* Wait who is not an outlaw? Halsen? He is since he destroyed an entire village. But that is because he mimic a logia type devil fruit and then unleashed it to its full potiental. Well full potiental with him... he has to control his anger. Also I read this entire thread and I know where you are going. Sort of. I only have guesses on what the island is about.)