Serious: The Tormented Isles (Open to Me and Captain Sequel)

Vice Admiral Cortez steered his ship to the coast of the first isle. The mini-islands where mostly large spires, but giant geysers kept several floating masses above, as well as an array of other islands with sporadic meteorogical conditions. This bizarre island was known as the new-world trading post. These islands produce all kinds of natural resources which allow for all to be the best market currently in the world. But bandits, ruthelessly powerful monsters, pirates, marines, revolutionaries, and evil bankers stain the beautiful landscape with blood, silver, and defilement. Cortez loved the place, as he could kill pretty much anyone for some reason or another. But here he was only in the top 20%. Not nearly the strongest. He had been led here by a series of clues left in a letter he had been left months before.

He basically just had nothing better to do. A wave of calm plagues the higher-level pirates which kept Cortez with vast amounts of free time. He was interested in the two men he had seen in weeks before. Much like before, poor luck could easily result in being on the wrong side of a dragon, as when they couldn't get what the wanted at home they would get it here. The isles were commonly known as the Tormented Isles, but Pirates and those of the underworld such as himself knew it to be the home of the Black Market. Cortez had not decipherd the heavily encrypted letter he was left with, and the clues lead him to find a translator in the isles. The only message he found told him.

He looked upon the setting sun and smiled. He could smell the sent of the two men. They had come to this spire some time during 1 to 3 days ago. He was getting warmer.

A place of crime, of malevolence, riffled with atrocities and brutality, this area of the New World was actually a fairly busy and active one. One of the central, pivotal points where underworld business were conducted, there was nothing less to be expected from such a place. Ironically, around the middle of this complex of small and bigger masses of land, was a large, pillar-like stone tower, a grim natural symbol of this place's reputation and infamy. So, in such a place, which was so troublesome and hard to check that even the Marines seemed to be leaving it mostly unchecked, what did these two wanted there anyway? Intel. Intel was everything in this world, more important than the most valuable of metals and gems.

The world was rapidly changing. The situation, the climate, the mood, it all felt raging. It was as if impending doom was casting it's heavy, chilly shadow across the entirety of this plane. Rumors had begun spreading about war being on the verge of sparkling. Which, for such dark areas of the world, was almost the same as a festival being announced. Business is business. And war adds these cryptic paths, the paths of black market, of brokery, all of it.

"So, our target is this man. Keep it in mind, and don't fuck up." A hooded man points his finger over the bounty poster of a figure; the figure mostly obscured by the male's hand, but long, straight red hair were visible. The poster held an enormous number, "550.000.000 Beli", to be precise. In the part of the Grand Line known as Paradise, such a number would be absolutely horrifying. But here, this deep into the New World, even that number could be seen as more of a "standard strong guy".

Cortez eyed the obsidian-tinted spires for a long time. He was usually pestered about this fact whenever he had accompanying marines, as he had this time. No vice admiral, nor even admiral dare enter such a place without at least one battle ship. But today they seemed exhausted, groggy, even sickly. As if they were worried to death with foreboding, matching the climate around him. After several more seconds, a glimmer caught his eye. He say what he was looking for. The signal. A CP-0 agent had flashed him a beam-code following startard marine procedures. But it was deeply encrypted so that only those of the admiral ranks or most specialized government agencies to could interpret it with any accuracy. Cortez was better with codes than any other marine solder. The agent needed only a tenth of a second to flash the pattern. And with the code deciphered, Cortez knew exactly where he was going for the rendezvous. He needed information and only CP-0 has full-time criminal/undercover operatives. Only through reliable sources could anyone hope to survive here.

"2 clicks starboard Jeeves"

The navigator, whose name was actually Roberto Jacque Ferndidanse, didn't hesitate to begin moving the ship, despite the insult. Cortez scared him too much for me to care. Cortez looked around. The weather matches the people, and the political climate. The lower pirates were raging rampant with the dwindling influence of greater pirates, which had no reason to stop enforcing their reign. It was a most unsettling concept to him and the majority of government officers. It was like they were preparing for something much more than anticipated. Politicians were finding themselves in harsh elections with public chaos, without considering the influence of revolutionaries and bandits. Government officials were being pressured by all sides and even by thenselves and do the impossible: fix everything without sacrificing anything equally important. This mission seemed to Cortez to be part of it.

"See you in 2 days then, keep me posted." The hooded man, the marine, walks away from the meeting with the other, also hooded but with a large axe strapped on his back, who then proceeds to vanish into thin air. The first of them now walked into a bar, the kind of bar filled with the greatest of scum. Sitting on a dirty, oily and tarnished table on the far end of the building, he orders a liquid, and takes a sip while observing a snap shot. A snap shot of Cortez. Just what was going on, and why did that man had such a photo in his possession?

Meanwhile, Nemoushi makes his appearance, atop one of the numerous pillars scattered around the more destroyed and vile sections -yes, even in this stench, there were parts that were too dark and creepy compared to the rest of the area-, and is seeing reading some important documentation. "Sigh ... that's a tricky situation right here ... Todd better pulls this off or our mission and co-operation with that man may well be jeopardized right away ..."

An issue before the meeting even takes place?!

Cortez banished from the ship just as the dock was in view. Everyone on this ship knew Cortez and his policies well, unlike many lower ranking marines; as a result, they could handle all of their responsibilities without his interaction or observation. This reliability was the closest thing Cortez had to trust in the world anymore. As Cortez appeared on the harbor, he immediately identified the translator's mark. Much like Cortez, the translator had also been left an encrypted dead drop to meet here while sporting the symbol of the Blackblood Marauders, a three century old pirate organization that had collapsed at the turn of this century. It wasn't popularly recognized by non-government entities, as the organization was obscure and only discussed frequently at the Navy Training and Recovery Facility where new recruits were given a 100% government regulated education. Cortez sat down behind a man in a hood, seemingly hiding his face specifically from his view. Cortez could not confirm this suspicion at all so he settled for using his unique talents.

"The message.... is beneath your thigh..."

This echo of a whisper slipped into the ears of the masked man before him who seemed to be the translator. He had used his rokushiki skills to manipulate the nature of the sounds he makes, and disguise it as an indiscernible muttering hum to those except the listener.

"When will it be done?"

He asked in his normal voice, clearly audible to eveyone despite not being loud. The unique tones of his deep, multiharmonic voice carried through even the most chaotic "background noise". This was to be clear.
It was obvious they had business. No sense hiding it. Best make it seem like the bulk of the deal is done to prevent substantial interference from possible third parties. Being naturally vague will make the deal seem like a personal, pre-planned transaction as opposed to such a complicated and unknown reality. The price was on his mind. Would he ask for payment? If so in what?

"Oh, quite the professional. I was told correctly, it seems." The words come out in a soft hissing manner, but only after a second-long pause, which followed Cortez's sentences. Almost sounded like the hooded man tried to act mysterious and imposing, but was nervous deep down to his core. Well, in such a shady place, at a shady establishment, equally cryptic, him as well as that man. No, that man was beyond that, too.

"Two days, exactly from now. Fret not, am always spot-on precise when I deliver." He comments, his normal voice now, surprisingly deep and stern, considering the previous "diversion". Maybe he wanted to sound creepy, or was just trying to break the ice? Didn't mattered.

Several seconds pass, before he sips from his glass; some silver liquid, unknown beverage. But Cortez probably knew what it was, too. "About the price ... are you informed of the way I work? You have to keep in mind, this is a special case so maximum tariff will be implemented .. you see, meddling into the deepest roots of the HQ isn't cheap, nor danger-free..!"

Cortez grinned slightly. He was one of the few candidates who could pull off this mission. He made it very clear that his respect for law was the only reason for any of his restraint and if not for it he'd be no better than the pirates. In fact, he was so malicious and maniacal that most pirates actually had better moral standards than he. His only moral standings fell under law and family. His personality was well known, and it was very believable he would betray the government, especially with his criminal identity. He looked at the man.

"I don't give a damn, just do your job right so I can do mine. Tell me what I need to do. Quickly now, I want to kill someone today you know."

Cortez grabbed his drink and ate it whole, chewing the glass and all. He had to maintain character or else he could draw suspicion.. the exact opposite of the goal.

"Right, right ... straight and strict to the fun. There you go." The awkward, eerie ruffian passes a large, filthy envelope towards his direction. Filthy would be an understatement, as there were imprints of various colorization all over the surface of the object. And several pigmentation shades of red indicated that there was a plethora of different people's blood left on it.

"Another thing not easy to dig out, but, you are quite a reliable costumer on the market, so this one's on the house. Inside you will find some pretty juicy things that will certainly please you and satisfy your ... hunger." the man finishes his sentence, with a really creepy and irritating chuckle, probably assuming that he was being funny. He wasn't.

After all that, the man gets up, preparing to leave. No sigh that he was intending to pay for his drink -outside of his own flask, there was a large cup that half an hour ago would probably be filled with beer- but, this was something he didn't seemed to account for. Maybe Cortez was supposed to treat him, after being given a "treat"?

He stops in his tracks for a moment, mumbles something, shakes around awkwardly for a few seconds, then turns to the marine, a somewhat bizarre and puzzled expression. "I just remembered ... there was some marine fellow that seemed to be looking for someone fitting your description. He seemed quite imposing at first, but the way he talked around made me think he's a newbie. But why would a newbie anchor here of all places? Ha!" He makes an even more annoying laughing sound; he still wasn't funny.

Cortez lit up at the sight of the envelope. He could tell it had been fought over by many assassins. There was no other explanation. He could smell mixtures of blood he both recognized and wrre foreign of distinctly 88 types he could detect. It made him thirsty, think of his last meal. To most he would appear menacing and almost diabolical at this moment, when in fact he was simply just excited. The file vanished from sight, as if turned invisble. Cortez had snatched and concealed the file withon his coat so quicky, that only the most effeciently trained eyes or the extra perception of an external ability could detect the movements, let alone track them. He snatched two sacks from his coat in the same instant. He tossed one at roughly 4m/s to his partner. And appeared just out of the peripheral vision of the bartender, at the side of the bar.

"A tip for good business, and celebration for success! Free drinks for everyone!"

Cortez cut the sack revealing not bills, notes, silver, or gold. The bag was filled with hundreds of large flawless diamonds of various colors and refractions; the prize of the Vulcana Ocieania, by proving ones prowess in capacity of skill, combat, and problem solving. The most expensive diamonds in the world, and the primary commodity of both the Dragons' and World Government's Treasuries. He had placed 5kg of the most precious gems in the world on the bar. The bartender scrambled to collet the gems as the entire populace if the bar swarmed for drinks and chances to see and steal the gems. The chaos was likely to cause death. Many greedy people were around, and he had just dropped three fortunes of gems in a bar. Cortez exited, slowly and thoroughly covering his tracks. There would be no trace of him ever having been here. Even the gems were a plant by the government; all of them would be hunted down for grand theft and killed for having stolen from the dragons. Two dummy corpses had been placed underneath the bar to support a false report. He lit a match just as he left the door. He began smoking his favorite smoke stick and leaned against the wall, disguised by his hat and robes as being a normal officer. Just as his ally stepped out of the bar, cortez jammed the cigar into a decoration and disappearwd in the same instant, running with his kin soru technique as the bar lit fire.

"My my ... I hardly had time to walk out in time." The hooded man, barely walking out before loud screams and banging sounds begun to echo from within the establisment, now casually wipes his cloak and then follows up with a routine-like walk away from the soon to be broken down to cinders place. Humming to himself -that term used very grateously, as his "humming" was a barely tolerable screech at best- he smiles up, and opens up a small ornament clock in his palm, which apparently was more of a decoy to hide the fact that it was keeping a small note in it. Smiling at it, he makes a sharp turn and he too vanishes into the shadows of these rotten, forsaken alleys. Little did he knew that, someone outside of that man, but apparently a close call in terms of stealth capabilities, somebody else was tracking him.

In an island far far away
"Jaaaahahahaha! That should do it!" a all too familiar an infamous figure is seen casually tormenting a bunch of soldiers, while the background area surrounding them was being burnt down. Some other figures were moving around, seemingly dispatching hordes of soldiers with unerving ease.

"Enough already. You need not to continue that. We are ordered to burn the place but not to fuck around." A large man with a pyramid-shaped mask barks at the vulgar beast.

"Zip it, newbie! Hahahaha!!"

Introduction Box:
One of the Black Cross' Pirates commanders, Damiel Sabres
Bounty: 500.000.000 Beli

"What a maniac ..."

Introduction Box:
Another of the commanders, also know as "Pyramid Envoy"
Bounty: 370.000.000 Beli

While messing around with the soldiers, who were long past the point of wanting to even fight, Sabres continues to laugh at his own remarks. "This is really fun, one island after the other! It sure is a shame that Suigo's not here! I wonder why he had to go to that place .. the Tormented Islands. What a bunch of crap!! Hahahaa!"

That man, on the same island as Cortez?! ... This could only mean trouble ... for the island itself!!

Cortez pondered the file's contents. And his ally's warning. An impersonator was looking for him. This was bad. Very bad. Cortez's instincts told him he should run but the hardened marine loved battle to much and longed too much for blood to follow them. He had to complete the mission, no matter how many or how powerful the foe he had to kill. The burned building would mark that Cortez was here but not even that much could be determined for certain without having witnessed it. Nothing could trace him. He had abandoned his crew, after sending several hidden messages to them. Now he was cloaked and solo in the wildnerness. He eyed across to the next spire. He hesitated. He couldn't believe it. He had been given the most dangeeous mission he had ever been given. Two targets. One a master criminal, the other a dragon who has beem too anti government. He had to kill two of the most guarded men, one of which being a formidable opponent in his own right, and the other having the downside of adding a bounty to his own head. Cortez had never been given a mission so impossible. Assasinating men guarded by exceptionally powerful assassin's, agents, and criminals. And the plan was so inconceivable it was exciting. Cortez had to do it no matter what.

But what is the plan had been deciphered? What if someone had slipped and made an unnoticed mistake. Maybe Cortez would be the one to hang for the error. Who was this imposter. Corten groaned. He had been so lost in thought, he accidentally let his subconscious control his moves. Suddenly, he had propelled himself and crashed into the next spire. It had no apparent consequences. But now he had a perfect view of the rendezvous and was hidden. Now he need simply wait for the target. The big man himself:

Introduction Box
New World Mob Boss, Behemoth Ve Risa
Bounty: 720.000.000

At some unknown, secluded location on this island;
The place appears to be underground, yet carved into the rocky terrain with excellent skills and efford; it was basically a daedalus maze of routes complete with pillars to sustain the earth above, as well as a system to provide light. And, at the end of one of these routes appeared to be an important room, one guarded heavily. From within the sound of talking, arguments, could be heard.

"Thus, this concludes the bare essentials ..." an elder man, coated with a black tuxedo and a red rose on his chest, speaks out, apparently the last words of a monologue he had presended to the 11 other shadowy figures sitting across a large table, filled with all sorts of gourmet delicaties and the most exotic of alcohol. From one side of the table, a large man appears to emerge from his seat, then slaps his hand onto the table, while resulted in flipping over his glass, a fact that didn't seemed to concern him.

"You lot think you are controlling this, but you are not ... the Shichibukai, your elite forces, your "vast, immerse Intel powers" ... yet you cannot even grasp a single man. Why do you think that I give a damn to comply to your offer?! I bet you cannot even apprehend my forces, World Government!" the man's face is revealed, sporting long, straight and spikey red hair, large lips, shadows over his eyes, and broad facial features in general.

Introduction Box
New World Mob Boss, Behemoth Ve Risa
Bounty: 720.000.000

"We are not here to start a fight with you lot ... and you'd be wise not to underestimate our power, Sir Risa ... after all, the whetheabouts of your beloved brother ... shall we go over that one again?" the old man responds, which results in Risa hissing angrily, yet not giving him any response or showcase defiance. The elder man then pushes a photo and carries on "This man ... see, we are searching for him. It appears that he possesses a specific trait .. a trait that we could use to enforce ourselves towards those that deny the power of the World Government. Now, will you lend us your hand, or allow your brother to be killed, either by us, or ... The Black Cross?" the photo revealed is actually the same one seemingly given to Nemoushi earlier on the same day. Could this mean, everyone was after the same man? But what for? And who was that Government officer?

Betrayal, everywhere ..!

Cortez waited and waited. After hours of waiting, finally he saw what he was waiting for. There was a battleship bearing the government flag, but the ship was in fact a pirate's battleship. He recognized it as the cruiser of Behemoth Ve Risa. He had only caught a glimpse of the man once, and it was on that cruiser. Cortez did not know the details, but he knew his second in command would be on the ship preparing to meet government agents for a top secret illegal trade. Cortez had no leads. This was his only lead. Capture, interrogate, and negotiate using the second in command. Once he found out where his targets were meeting it would take a lot of work to get them both killed.

Cortez leaped onto a mast. No one had spotted him. He crouched in the lookout station, listening closely for any hints so he could forge his plan. He couldn't waste an opportunity to gain advantage, especially for such a high risk job. He could die. He had never fought anyone with over 500 million before, even if the man got his bounty mostly from the danger he poses, not his actual strength, he would still prove formidable for sure. And who knows. That's when he heard someone.

"3billion beli for a quarter ton of kairoseki... What will you be using it for?" Cortez recognized the voice but he didn't know from where. It was as if the person had been in part of his life without his knowledge. Who is this man, and why is the mob boss dropping 3 billion for kairoseki?

"None of your business ... do we have a deal?" the broad, clearly not accostumed to be questioned ever, man, responds with a menacing tone and glare, before he lits up a gigantic cigar. Apparently, regardless of this suspicious meeting, the mob boss was not intenting to cancel out whatever trade or business he was already going to be making.

How strong could he be? Such a number was clearly enormous, but there existed larger numbers, without necessarily making them more powerful than your "typical New World adventurer" type; after all, that number was calculating more than just raw strength, but also influence, military power, or how dangerous a person was towards civilians and Govermental officers. Still, he couldn't possibly be weak.

"Where the fuck could this dipshit be hiding now?" he mumbles to himself while sucking the cigar like it was a straw-kind of beverage. "He's always trouble!"

----------

"Still haven't located him? ... I see. We need to hurry. It is quite likely that they intent to frame him. And that's no good; we need this man on our roster, for my plan to take down them involves Mr. Cortez ... the plan to eliminate the Black Cross .. !!" Nemushi speaks to someone via Den Den Mushi.

Cortez did not want to reveal himself but he would not allow this trade to commence. He covered himself in a robe with holes cut for wings. Cortez folded his marine jack behind his belt and let his wings loose. Just as the kairoseki was being loaded onto the ship, he jumped. He glided down like a demon in the mist. Dusk was upon them, and this island was not the place for the weak after dark. After dark, even government officers were too scared to patrol the waters; only their government-regulated spires. If someone here had see. His wings before, they may recognize him. However, he typically kept his wings hidden, especially from coworkers. The mobster pirates saw him just too late. They had barely had time to raise rifles before he had landed.

Brown Twist

Cortez plunged his hand through the loading ramp and twisted his arm in 3 odd angles at the same time. The few of his foes that had drawn their weapons hesitated in disgust at the disfigured shape of cortez's arm. Or so cortez though. But in the next second the metal was ripped from his arm he was gone. He had finished his technique, created a solid level 6 shockwave to rupture the ramp. The end of the loading dock collapsed under the weight of the kairoseki, and the ship was propelled by the force of his attack... Which was good, as if it hadn't, the kairoseki-tipped bullet fired from Risa's pistol would have ran straight through his heart. Cortez ripped the robe from the point of the wound, and swam away. It was not a rare occurrence for Cortez to have bullet wounds. In the new world, many sharp shooters had such bullets. Bullets that can pierce even Cortez's skin, and the defenses of devil fruit users. Since it missed his vital organs, there was no real issue. In fact by the time cortez swam ashore, just obscured by the darkness, the wound had already healed to his dismay.

"Damn it, not again"

Cortez grumbled to himself quietly. He drew his knife, ruby, and stuck it through his chest to peel out the bullet. He smiled. He had won. In the 6 seconds he used to attack, he had seen the entire main crew's faces, and identified which ones were Risa's guard. And better yet, he knew where they were meeting. He saw a man's shoes behind a barrel. Nice wealthy shoes. The shoes of a vassal. But not just any vassal. The shoe has a branding on its heel... The dragon claw. The shoe had very unique tracks, and the mud on it had hazed clay, which can only be found in one place in the whole island. The fissure... Otherwise known as The Labyrinth.

He had never explored the cave system. At one point a super volcano was active in the fissure, and a few centuries ago a particularly powerful wotan collapsed it to avoid an eruption. The result had been the island rippling into the form it has today. The point of the collapse had a cave network believed to work its way beneath the bottom of the ocean. But as far as anyone knew, no one had gone more than 5 levels down and lived.

"Just what the fuck, dammit all, don't I have enough crap to deal with already?" Risa groans, left to merely observe the pitch-black waters, oddly not sounding as upset as he should be; still, he was clearly irritated. Not that this was odd; he did just experienced a shift catastrophe. Then again, he was an underground veteran, and this was amongst the most vile of this cosmos; mishaps like that were probably far more of a routine over here than one would want to admit.

"See what we can salvage, and sent a party to investigate. Tho whatever the heck this thing was, it's probably gone already. Who decided to "treat" me this time? Damn rivals." he complains. Additionally, his comment implied that he was suspecting some form of retribution from rivaling crime organizations; Cortez couldn't have been luckier.

But, luck didn't seem to be on everyone's side today. For, somewhere else in this vulgar place, a shot had just been fired, and a hooded man collapsed on the ground, holding his neck. The same hooded man Cortez took the files from. The person that fired, also cloathed, disappeared within a second, but his cruel, rough and stern shadow of a face was briefly seen from within the shadows. A sword, a large one, was also visible in the vanishing sillouete.

Cortez heard an echo off the mountain, almost as if someone had said damned rivals. Crotez could only hope that it had been his target, but the acoustics across the island network was very harmonic. As a result, people like Cortez could hear almost everything in the entire network at the same time. Frankly, even Cortez with his massive IQ could barely distinguish the distorted sounds echoed across the island. At his best, he could hear one thing far away and anything close, and he was not at his best. Cortez cursed under his breathe, and put on his marine jacket. The moon had risen. Between the full moon and the white of his uniform, his ring would almost completely dissolve him into the shadows. Only those with infrared or otherwise non-light vision would be able to see him if he was in the shadows or in an open area, and only the most trained eyes would see him until he was 10m away moving. If still, Cortez was completely hidden from normal sight at night.

"I suppose I should get some recon first. I'll have to track down my... 'friend'. Maybe he'll have information to help guide me through that infernal... 'activity'."

Cortez pounced onto his feet, lunged up the spire and balanced himself at the top. He closed his eyes. He opened his other senses up and focused. He only heard an echo of an echo, as if the man was gone or hiding. But he smelled him strongly. Extremely strongly. His scent was everywhere in the winds. Any smell tracker of basic skill could tell he was here and might even think he wants to be found. So he couldn't be gone or hiding. Cortez felt a wave of dread for an instant. He had a lot of experience. He had a gut feeling any one of his position could understand. When something that odd happened, in his experience, death was involved. He had a gut feeling that the man he spoke to earlier was either in danger or dead. But Cortez was a soldier not some wimp. If his ally was dead he'd loot his corpse and send him on his way to a proper burial. The scent was coming from the west. He jumped and took flight.

The attack was sudden, shift, and without the slightest warning. Some hooded, shady figure merely emerges from the alleys, and with pin-point accuracy and the ability to distinguish him from the, at that time, quite crowded section of this street, and delivered a fatal blow in an instant, before dwelling back into the darkness.

The striken man rolled down and held his neck, howling in pain, as the people around him had a mixed response of either surprise and fear, or complete disregard; this is a place where to be shot out of the blue was not entirely uncommon, after all. He tried to say something, apparently, his lips were moving but no sound could come; as if the sniper wanted to ensure his target would be unable to say something if he wanted to. Which implied something the dying man's scared eyes were already making it obvious. He knew who that assailant was.

"S ... S ... gi .. go .. H .. H-Ha ... si .." he barely mumbled, while weeping, his final moments left in a cold street, with no one even coming close to aid him, or prevent him from dying alone.

Cortez almost fell out of the sky. He had just gotten onto the spire where his ally's scent was strongest when he heard a commotion from what seemed a few football field away. And he could have sworn the man was trying to say Suigo Hanashi. But why would the black katana be here? If the Black Cross was in the island network, Cortez would have known. And he simply couldn't fathom why Suigo would be out here by himself. Even if it did, it had nothing to do with himself, did it? Not as far as he could reason. But of course, the man could have been saying "sue gogihan hashene". Why he'd want to sue the inventor of assault-polymer armament? Cortez sighed. He thought way too much way too quickly. But it made him good at his job. He followed the scent

"Ah, people..."

Cortez shifted his way around crowds, invisible to the majority and deliberately ignored by the few who could detect him. It wasn't their concern why cortez was incognito. Why should they care? Seemingly, they didn't. That's when he saw the blood. He jumped, hidden from view by the gathering crowd as he landed above his ally. He had been silenced. Who could have done this? Was he compromised? No, he wasn't compromised. But the agent was gone. Cortez drew his blade once more, and swiftly ignited a marine flare. The government would come collect his corpse. Cortez grabbed his ally's bag and faded into the shadows. He had been seen by few if any, thanks to the moonlight. But he was not the only one hidden. He couldn't track anyone in the middle of the market. As long as they kept quiet and were careful where they hid, he had no way of tracking them in the chaos. What to do? Cortez knew the killer couldn't be far. And he needed to discover the motive, afterall. Cortez pondered as he silently strolled, invisible in the moonlight.

"Finding that man sure is hard ... whatever shall I do now?" Nemoushi ponders, while showered by artificial light. As well as several barrels aiming at him. Another interesting factor was the fact that he was sitting atop a rather large, knocked out male. He seemed oblivious to the danger of having that many guns pointing at him, as well as plethora of yells and threads also directed towards him. Apparently, while trying to find Cortez, he stumbled upon some particularly nosy band of criminals and was forced to throw a kick or two.

"I could use my "observation", but that's like cheating! I can't do that!" he laments; he was clearly wasted, or at the very least, tipsy. Quite tipsy. Quite a peculiar man he was, even in times of urgency, he was just taking his pace, appreciating the sensation of a hunt, even if it was to find an ally. Or a sort-of ally. One to become maybe?

"Final warning, put your hands up!" one of the gunmen's voice seems to finally cause him to acknowledge them, and with a chuckle, he raises his arm, his only one, up. "Got only one, officer!" he laughs it to himself, but no one else seems to find it as hilarious. But the next second, Nemoushi's expression changed. And, with yet another second passed, everyone was blown away in various directions, save the gunman that talked to him last. "W-what?!"

Cortez began to grow angry. This place was safe to no one, not even the strongest and most resourceful. A good man, a powerful soldier, a genius inventor, any kind of man of worth you could imagine could die in this place, alone, helpless, and in agony. Death had always seemed undignified to Cortez, but in this place there was nothing but death. If you died in these isles, you lost. Simple as that. Take everyone down with you? No point. The men weren't the enemies. The isles themselves were the enemy. His ally had died not 3 minutes before Cortez's arrival. Anywhere else in the world, he would have been able to ensure his safety... but this place made it impossible to protect, and a risk to even attempt vengeance. But Cortez did not like risk, so he fought against it time and again.

The smell of the killer was strong, but scattered. Almost like a fume rather than a scent. The knife in his throat was generic, but it gave cortez a base. An initial smell. The bag had confidential contents only to be viewed by CP-O and high-government entities. Cortez had to retrieve it. Surprisingly, the killer wasn't after the bag. This troubled Cortez, as no one with any sense would attack an agent like him without a lot of power behind them—

Cortez stopped just short of slamming into a wall. Apparantly his enemy had fled into a government compound; it appeared the fool jumped straight over the wall trying to get to the harbor without the detour. And the entire area was silent. Either it was one of the few in tact abandoned bases, or the entire compound had been compromised in the short time it took Cortez to find it.

"Oh shit, someone's really there ..!" A man speaks to himself, while lurking into a really small, about 20x20 meters in fact, patch of corn. The man's characteristics were impossible to explain due to the darkness surrounding the area, but he was dangerously -most likely to him- close to where Cortez had just arrived to. While he tries to carefully, silently, crawl his way as far away as he could, he fidgets around, patting various parts of his body, before the idiot actually screams. "DAMMIT, I FORGOT IT!" before he gasped at his own stupidity, the kind of which would make you swear that the individual probably produced quite a goofy face.

Frantic, the male gets up and makes a run for it, passing close to a single, dim, pole of light at the end of that "crop". He was actually really fast but, from that momentary pass ahead of that weak source of light, a very quick glimpse of red hair became visible.

At an unknown, but apparently close enough direction, the killer seems to be on someone's track. Apparently communicating with someone, he merely states "Target locked ..." before he lowers the speaker and disappears into the dark, cold streets and alleys.

Cortez was just about to jump when he heard whispering behind him. Faint whispers, almost indiscernible but it seemed to cortez someone had noticed him. He closed his eyes and smelled the air. He was trying to take advantage of his keen senses to locate and identify that someone. Suddenly, the was a rustle, then a loud scream. "DAMMIT, I FORGOT IT!" Cortez had determined his exact position. He used kin soru to appear 30 meters adjacant to his previous position, on the opposite side of the man. When he began to flee, cortez saw the glimpse of his hair anf his direction. He used kin soru once more, predicted where the man would arrive appeared just in time for him to crash. Like any rokushiki master, he sinply used his tekkai, stopping the man dead in his tracks. He wasn't the killer. He didn't have a recognizable scent. He had never smelled him before.

"Who are you? Tell me what you know or so help me I'll carve out your heart and feast on your corpse."

Cortez drew his Zaw, a rapier that glowed the palest, brightest silver almost as if a specter's white-cold blade. He pointed it at the mans hearts, angled so the saw-tooth back of the rapier was clearly visible. Anyone who knew about his criminal identity knew of this blade, the blade he used to slaughter and torture. He had a reputation, and while undercover his job was to behave under the pretense of his criminal identity... He was obligated to play the part. He hoped the man had information. As much as he liked to torture, he didn't want to waste his time when he could be finding the killer instead.

"Whoah, that's some amazing blade you got there!" the peculiar male comments, while actually gazing at the rapier, literally oblivious to both the danger he was clearly facing to begin with, as well as the vagabond's convincing claim. A fact he seemingly only forgot briefly, as he froze for a moment, then let out a scream, raising arms into the air. He was being too loud; if someone was there he'd notice the commotion for sure.

"Wait wait wait wait ... did my brother sent you? Dammit, he said that if I'd continue being irresponsible he'd have to teach me manners but hey, that's way too much!" he then adds, while pointing his finger at the man, almost in a annoyed, bothered manner. What a weirdo, in short.

"Well go tell my brother that I will use my ability whenever the heck I want!! Risa's not always right!" he then yells, while shaking said finger around, actually upset. How could someone caught & threatened actually act like that? And was that man, Risa's brother that everyone was, for some unknown reason, trying to retrieve? Why would anyone want that idiot? Assuming that he was indeed that man.

Cortez was taken aback. Risa's brother was here? But was risa's brother the one who had killed the agent? He smiled curtly at the man laughing internally. He used his kin roar ability in an attempt manipulate his foe. He made his voice sound similar to Risa's own voice, but deeper and more upbeat.

"Yes, of course you can use your ability whenever you want. But that isn't going to help anyone now is it?."

Cortez inched the blade a fraction closer to the man, in order to stress that point.

"You will come with me to Baron Isla or you will be executed. And if you have any more sudden out bursts, I'll carve out your voice box. Once on Baron Isla, everything will become clear."

Cortez reared his head back and and used his kin roar again. He shaped the sound waves so they would avoid anyone on the island, but carry to the floating islands. This roar was code for CP agents. Once he arrived on Baron Isla, government agents would swarm and secure the new prisoner and be subject to interrogation by cortez. Cortez eyed his foe, wary of deceit.

"Now, let's get moving shall we? Unless you want me to.... Carry you..."

Cortez stifled a laugh. It was clear to anyone, even the mobster in front of him that his laughter had to do with the sword in his hands. While normally giving him way, while pretending to be allied with Risa it only made him fit the part better. In fact, if he hadn't had this mission it may have happened one day, risa hiring Cortez. He had been hired by many in the underworld afterall.