Serious: Desired Treasures ((Open to me and Cryptic))

[[ New World= Isla DeOro Sangre island]]

As the sun beats down on the bustling port town of De Oro Sangre , the day seems to go on as normal. People walking along the market districts, some partaking in evening tea, children running around chasing one another through the settlement districts. De Oro Sangre was an island that came into providence with the emergence of pirates in the new world. A island bound to no one but themselves they accept patrons from all walks of life. Yet today, things were going to be much more different than usual with the arrival of several various parties to this secluded island.

[[De Oro Sangre- Settlement District]]

"Anubis sama..... i question the safety of you being here..... surely we can handle such a matter....." a cloaked man spoke to his companion as a group of cloaked men moved in unison through the busy settlement streets of De Oro Sangre. The other cloaked figure, hunched slightly replied to the taller man "Nonsense, i will not let precious information like this be handled by anyone other than me. This is a treasure i have recently been seeking and for all our efforts and networks, we have been unable to gain a solid lead on it, but finally with this......" The group stopped at a house near to the outskirts of the district, the tall man knocks on the door as they wait for it to open. The door creaks open revealing a old woman holding a walking stick, signalling the group to enter. As they enter the house they take off their cloaks. The tall man revealed to be a black haired man wearing a suit with a katana at his hip, looking sharply at the lady " This better not be a waste of time, Anubis sama himself has come here for this info , if this is some trap i will slice your head off , old woman or no......"

(Ryan "The Flame blade" Crew)
(220,000,000 Beri)
(Second Division Commander of the Anubis Pirates)

"Hold your horses mister, im not the giver of this news, our friends will be willing to share with you, we have tunnels running through the underpass of this city. Thats where you will meet my mutual friends who are willing to sell you this information......." the old lady replied before another man stood before her. She instinctively stepped back away from this man, recognizing his overall demeanor and aura. His sharp stare searching deep into her soul. Anyone would recognize who this was, the man who stood at the top echelon of the world, one of the worlds most wanted "If this proves to be fruitful, you shall have more than the rewards of mere mortal men... however , if you lead us astray...... then you will find that even death would be a preferable outcome......" his black pony tail floating behind as his regal frame stood steady, wearing a golden coat with a scarlet cape flowing on his back. History has called this man "The Desert King" , the scourge of the grandline and rightful ruler of Alabasta.

[[Yonkou Anubis "The Desert King" Nefertiti]]
[[Bounty Unknown]]
[[Yonkou and Captain of the Anubis Pirates]]

Anubis grins as the under loft latch opens, revealing a path heading down. He snaps his fingers as his men gather "Lets go ...... move forward and claim EVERYTHING!!!"

The seas had been calmer than they had been in many years and what usually took many weeks to cross had only taken days. The yonkou's vessels were sleek and efficient, cutting through the seas like warm butter until they reached the remote harbor. This small ship held no banners and was mostly filled with supplies, ignored as it slipped in with the rest.

Despite their years of alliance, it had been several years since Kiya had actually seen Anubis - they had never really gotten along with each face to face meeting threatening to blow their alliance apart, no matter how much it benefited them both. Her insolence and his pride and station were a powder keg when mixed and they decided to operate through letters and underlings, agreeing to never see one another to maintain their partnership in procuring stone and weapons manufacturing. It had worked out well for all these years - she was no longer the young, insecure thing she had been - the empire had expanded it's volume, production and territory under a ruthless iron fist.

This latest venture was too important to miss - even if it meant she had to meet the yonkou face to face again. This pursuit held the world in the balance and she could not risk having those interests secured by underlings or simply leaving everything to Anubis. Despite her personal dislike of him, he was the most trustworthy creature she knew - and she could always count on his word and honesty - but this was too big to leave too chance.

The breeze shifted, bringing a chill on the back in of approaching darker clouds, the soft pulsating of light indicating a distant storm. A figure clad in black emerges from the ship, hood obscuring most features and attire. The hooded figure turned to nod in the direction it had come from before decks before stepping aside and a flickering fire seems to rise from the decks. The fire draped over a tall silhouette, flames sliding ever-downwards from an endless fountain of fire with the behavior of running water-turned flame. There was no mistaking this figure and the theatrical nature of the fire mantle only fed into the lore of the dangerous seastone imperial presence and ruthless consumption. Now a black-cloaked figure walked in front of the flame-clad figure like an executioner. The buzzing market seemed to stop - the merchants who seemed to pressed every newcomer for business, bringing their wares to wave about never approached the pair who silently moved through the slowly quieting city center. It was never a good sign to see the flame cloak arrive personally in your city... and worse in the presence of a powerful yonkou ...

[[ De Oro Sangre UnderCity]]

A huge network of tunnels connecting to each other runs under the island of De Oro Sangre. To call it a place for black market traders to set up over the years it became more than that. Pirates would often visit this place to barter their loot or trade in high profile ransoms to interested parties. Bounty hunters came here for information and various weapon upgrades. However what was substantial about this island was also its booming mineral and commodities trade that escaped the eyes of the world government who often took it upon themselves to heavily tax many things.

One of the biggest Shipping magnates in the world has a office in De Oro Sangre. The city above the underneath may be a wealthy bustling metropolis, but the real business was often done below. Anubis however today was not here for the mineral trade. His goal was searching for information for something far rarer and more valuable. It had been eluding him for years and just for then for this rumour to surface, Anubis could not help but feel the stars aligning in his favour this time around. Rather than sending his men to get it, he decided he needed to move on this information himself before anything else. As Anubis walked past one of the dingy looking undercut bars he gets signalled by Ryan , as he turns he sees a familiar face sitting chugging away at ale.

"Good day to you Doctor, it seems your enjoying yourself in Undercity." Anubis chuckled slightly as the man wearing a white robe and a old musty brown hat looked up "Ahhh, Captain, good to see you finally came down here. Ive been scouting this place for a while, got to stock up on poisons and medicines alike you know.... lelele"

[["The Doctor" Best Rylans]]
[[Bounty Unknown]]
[[Anubis Pirates division commander]]

"Personally Best, today is not the day for frivolities, i need the information i came here to acquire...." Anubis spoke, focus and determination in his demeanour. Best sat up and wiped his face "Ok... ok..... the guild that has the info, its real.... its called "The Protectors of the Red Library"..... they have a small membership and a whole bunch of interested parties. Their hierarchy is often hidden but apparently they have interest in meeting with you according to the source....." Anubis listened with great intent, the people around them seem to have isolated Anubis and his group realising that perhaps its not best to mess with the Anubis pirates. Suddenly there was a scuttle as a young handsome teenager rolled into Anubis path. He stood up slightly dusting himself off "Captain, finally your here, I've been working with Best, but he keeps drinking all the time!!" Anubis laughed "Well it would seem you have been busy with the ladies Lucas, ahahaha, where is Tanith?"

[[Lucas "Babyface" Patterson]]
[[Bounty unknown]]
[[Anubis Pirates Division Commander]]

Lucas sighed "Ive been here digging for info for like 2 weeks, and yeah Tanith is busy with some other thing further up the new world..... anyway, i managed to set up the meet for today Captain, in the afternoon....... also your going to want to hear this, a friend of yours just made port in the city, there is a huge buzz about it!!" Anubis raised his eyebrow before grinning "Go on Lucas ... tell me more......."





[[Above undercity at the port of the town]]

The figures that were moving in the market district indeed commanded respect as passerby nervously angled to evade this person. What was he doing in their town. The cloak was a symbol of fear and dominance. Two well dressed men wearing blue uniforms stood forward and bowed at Flame Cloak "It is an honour to host you in our fine city, Mayor Miguel Sentosa was wondering if there is anything he can help you with during your visit?"

In recent years the Kiya has become more reclusive in public appearances, reserving her now legendary presence for special situations when an overt statement of the sea stone empire's reach needed to be loudly and publicly established. Her physical presence under that burning mantle was nothing more than propaganda to send a clear message. In addition to her presence, her words also had grown fewer over the years - even the cloaked creature that usually announced her presence and managed her interactions with the public, referred to by her underlings as "Sekhmet", was relatively silent.  Mostly communicating with ominous hand gestures, like some hell-born specter indebted to the service of Flame Cloak, adding to the cryptic lore.

Upon observing the approach of the Mayor's minions, a vague nod came from Sekmhet, who carefully watched them.  This, too, was a message that they were all being watched but were powerless to take on a Yonkou and the empire. The mayor did not come himself - either this was an intentional slight or he was off receiving Anubis, likely probing for the fastest way to get this entire expedition out of their territory.  They were hiding something and the last thing they wanted was for whatever it is to fall into such powerful hands.  

Sekmhet gave them a vague nod before waving a heavy-sleeved arm to dismiss them.  Now it was time for the unpleasant task of finding that damn yonkou and organizing an exclusive meeting.  They had much to discuss and the mayor's spies were already busy spinning their webs. They needed to find a place far from open ears. They began to move beyond the dismissed pair. Sekhmet dropped a black coin inside of a planter containing a palm tree. A child soon approached the tree with a watering cam, discreetly collecting the the coin, depositing it into the watering can, which was left outside of a doorway before it was collected by a man who walked outside briefly before disappearing again. Kiya had her own Flame Cloak communication network in place that had been scouting the place for months before their arrival.

[[Market District]]

The man in the blue uniform watched as the flame cloaks followers communicate with each other, not exactly clear on what it meant. Still he was told not to disrespect Flame Cloak who was considered a a major player in the New World. He was dismissed by Flame Cloaks protector. The two uniformed men bowed and walked away, realising that pushing the issue could lead to conflict which would be bad for the overall image of the city. The overall demeanour of the crowd was silent respect, people bowed their head and avoided eye contact at all costs, however if one looked deeply, they could see the moving of Flame Cloaks coordinated fabled information network, to interfere, would be foolhardy.



[[ Undercity]]

Anubis paced steadily through the caverns and tight pathways as his group began moving to its targeted rendezvous point. Anubis was concerned about the news Lucas had told him, but decided to deal with one issue at a time. As they reached the area Anubis started to notice the walls and earth around him begin to switch colour. It was now noticeably more red, and more crimson earth and rock. Anubis used his power to gather the sand in his hand, the sand was red as well.

"Welcome King of Alabasta, Emperor of the seas, the bringer of Death........ it would seem no land is beyond your reproach, hehehehehe" An hunched man, missing an eye and leaning on his staff greeted Anubis and his party. Anubis then nodded at the old man "Are you the one? The one who has information regarding that which i seek??" The old man waved his finger "Not i great king.... but the one who summons you here would call me their Sentinel?" A hooded figure wearing a scarlet robe with a insignia of a glowing book on his chest, he lowered the hood revealing a young boy in glasses flipping through a bunch of papers he was holding. "We... we mean you no harm Anubis sama..... our intentions here are just and noble, we simply wish to be protected, we have precious information, information only the Red Library would hold!!!!"

Anubis steadied himself here, and cleared his voice "You mistake me young man, i do not respond to commands, you demanded fair trade for your information and i simply will not put the life of my underlings in jeopardy till i know fully that you can be trusted" The young man fidgeted and thought to himself before nodding "OK look then if you give me 30 minutes of your time, ill tell you everything including whats expected of you.... Please I'm begging you here......" Anubis grunted as he sat down , camp was set.

With the formal arrival out of the way, Flame Cloaks network of underling, who had been occupying the place as merchants, traders, fishers, and even tourists perfectly under cover and blending with society had already arranged eyes on the Yonkou's whereabouts. Now the time had come to meet with him again after all these years.

The last time they had spoken was in a cave deep under ground in an old place full of riches and possibilities. They established a partnership to fully capitalize on their joint occupation of the territory but agreed to stay away from each other and their joint venture subsequently thrived. Now, it was necessary to meet the yonkou once more - the surface riches of these place were more than they seemed and there would be great danger for everyone involved.

Sekmet walked ahead of the imposing figure of the flame cloak. Her black cloak shadowed her face, the the fiery back-light behind her turning her into little more than a black silhouette , like a walking abyss. Slowly approaching a small camp where the bringer of death was settling for the evening. Sekmet approached - a slight bow was given followed by hand gestures moving off to the side, minimal words spoken, dusky, distorted and licked by the nearby flames. "Apologies. If it pleases the Prince of the Sands and Death, a private audience is requested by the Eternal Flames."

[[Anubis camp]]
[[undercity]]

Anubis sat upon his podium as he watched the arrival of two figures. As if heralding death to his doorstep they walked forward splitting Anubis horde of guards In two. Anubis chuckled as Ryan took it. Upon himself to stand between sekhmet and Anubis. "Not a step further. What business do you have here??"

Anubis waved his hand as Ryan then stopped talking. "it's alright Ryan, I must say that is a impressive looking guard you have there old friend.... U wish to speak to me?" Anubis contemplated as he snapped his fingers "lucas create a meeting space for me and my guests...." Lucas grunted before he slammed his hands together, wax coming out of his arms and orifices, he slowly created a small wax fully covered hut with thick walls. "done captain, extra thick wall just how u like it."

Anubis patted lucas on the head as the special roo. Door opened. "come then, let's talk my old friend....."

Silently Sekhmet proceeded ahead of the flame cloak into the enclosure with fortified, soundproof walls. The entrance snapped closed as the two entered. Sekhmet stepped forward, pushing back the hood, a nest of red curls like the colour of pure fire cascading over her shoulders, she no longer kept this natural colour hidden under dye for the sake of hiding. Her eyes flickering up to the sand prince. "Old friend, indeed."

She held a pendent at her chest which seemed to be bathed in pure flame. She snapped her fingers - the cloak collapsed inward and draped over her arm. She bit her lower lip, approaching Anubis - "Apologies for the deception. Research has been done with object-fruit consumption and a base level of sentient humanity can be imprinted at the most basic level onto an object fruit."

She pushed her hand through her flame like hair as she approached Anubis. "The flame cloak can be the flame cloak while I run things and observe in the disguise of ... myself, with a natural hair colour, disguised after my birth ... by a man that feared losing everything. I followed that line of caution until I refused to be afraid. None of us leave this world alive." Her eyes studied him carefully. "We shoudn't be here .... this place... this place more dangerous than it appears and you are one of the pillars that hold the world together and you appear in the flesh ... I cannot let you get your soft, royal self killed,"

[[Wax Dome, Anubis camp]]
[[Undercity]]

Anubis chuckled slightly as he sat against the wax wall, a chair of sand formed where he sat , his head rested onto his hand as he looked at Kiya. "Well, the last person i expected here was you.... then again maybe i shouldn't be shocked you would be where some of the most valuable commodities are located. ....." Anubis then shifted "Indeed i am aware of the dangers of this place.... it is not lost on me, however the there is a prize here... a prize that has eluded me for a few years now.... but now i am so close to it, and nothing is going to stop me from reaching it......" Anubis had a look of almost glittering madness in his eye. Anubis then composed himself slightly "I am also almost touched by your concern...... but i will not jeopardise your identity or our alliance , you have nothing to worry about......" Anubis sat up on the edge of the sand chair " So why else are you here ? I can't imagine my safety is the sole reason for your presence....."

Kiya removed the black cloak that she wore as Sekhmet, for the moment. She was clad in all black, making it easier to disappear into the cloak. The dark fabric hugged her muscular well-trained frame, setting off the brightness of her hair. She smirked a bit at the Yonkou who seemed to still posses the casual elegance and arrogance she remembered, just more aged and and wiser like a well-crafted whisky. She had also mellowed a bit, so perhaps they had grown out of nearly killing each other -but then again, they have only had five minutes of contact so far. In a way she envied him because he didn't have to cultivate or protect a projected image, he was the image and all he had to do be the person he was born to be and had all of the entitled confidence that came with it.

"Did you really think this could be hidden from me? It will take a great many resources to secure this venture - and it isn't really clear how deep the rabbit hole goes but I do know we are not the only people who know about it. We can't afford to be distracted by our difference this time."

She saw on the ground crossing her legs and resting her elbows on her knees, her chin in her hands while enjoying the solitude and the the freedom of not being under a damn cloak for once, be it one made of flame or one made of darkness. Her feral curls framed her face, still reflecting a cloak of flames. This was who she was born the be... her destiny and her curse to forever be shrouded in fire. The nature of her legendary cloak status was so well-guarded that she was not able to directly interact with anyone. She was the puppet master of a fire marionette that preformed for the world. She could not afford friends. Despite her prior dislike of Anubis, she was genuinely happy to see him. He was the only person who knew her secret and had never betrayed her notr attempted to coerce her with the information - though he was too elegant for such a cheap display of power. The yonkou had never been insecure enough to need to prove anything, which made him such a reliable, albeit dangerous, ally. She would never attempt this fool's errand with any one else.

"We can't let this fall into the hands of those savages - it's too important and it will destroy the balance of the world, ending the great age of pirates, who are the only thing keeping the that damn government from ripping the world to pieces. Knowledge is the only thing that can't be taken away - they can take everything and put you in chains but they can never take away your knowledge. Knowledge is freedom and they know it. This will not end without blood. I won't let you get yourself killed by chasing this alone and I won't let you fail. Everything is on the line - but that's what makes this life worth living and worth protecting. It really is so good to see you again, Sand Prince."

Anubis chuckled as he sat back on his makeshift throne. He considered what she was saying , but part of him, the part that was selfish and greedy wondered if he should share this information. This wasn't just any treasure trove, it was the ultimate treasure, knowledge, rare and untapped knowledge the likes the world has not seen before. And inside this chest of unlimited potential lied the greatest treasure, something Anubis had desired for the last few years. Anubis pursed his lips together in thought.

It was not like Anubis to doubt what was in front of him or the dangers he faced, but to share this valuable information could change the landscape of the grandline as they knew it and as a yonkou he knew what that meant. Anubis then spoke "It is good to see you again as well i suppose, and because of our alliance and trust, there is a reason why i need to be here..... you see, i want to claim the red library, but more so than the fabled red library, there is a specific treasure, one that defines kings...... this treasure will be mine to be claimed at all costs..... tell me my friend, do you know what Poneglyph is?"

[[Off the coast line of De Oro Sangre]]

A black sihoullete stood atop a mast of big brig ship, no colours no logos, the man looked through his looking glass as his den den mushi spoke " Morbius, getting this island in the name of the world government won't be easy, but you need execute these key targets and find the guild , we cannot allow the powers on this island to get it before us!!" The grizzled faced man yawned before looking at his watch "Got it....little bird on the ground said Flame Cloak appeared at the market district..... sounds promising.... hahahahah"

Kiya watched him carefully - he seemed to be holding back which was somewhat surprising. He had always been overt about what he wanted because few would bother to challenge him. She was never very interested in wealth. She enjoyed the chase but wasn't the treasure fiend Anubis was. He was always out to "claim" something. She acquired territory that contained the mineral deposits she needed to manufacture the weaponry used by the entire world. She had the influence to create balance or even tipping the balance in favor of a side - but such an action would destroy everything. This library also had the ability to tip the balance - not just for the information it contained but for the most guarded piece of information - the keys to the world. The king-maker. She wasn't sure how much he knew until he directly mentioned the poneglyph. She smirked a bit unsurprised that he would be after the ultimate prize. "You always did shoot for the stars, didn't you? Are the legends really true?"

She relaxed a bit leaning back and stretching out her legs in front of her as she processed the absurdity of it all. If anything happened to either of them, the balance of the world would change and if the library fell into the wrong hands, the same danger lurked. Her fingertips ran across a cut over the front of her shoulder, a wound from a recent battle over new territory. It had almost healed by now - how simple her life had been a few short weeks ago she she received the wound. Now she was sitting in a wax ball chasing legendary treasure with a yonkou who seemed to want everything in the world even and especially things no one should posses.

"You suppose its good to see me?" She laughed shaking her head. "There's the Anubis I remember. Did you just make a throne? I didn't forget who you are, Sand Prince. One of these days I will learn to not get tied up in your pursuits. Every time I see you the world is about to break and I nearly die. Forbid you ever pursue anything reasonable. Must you claim everything? If I get there first, you can be my subject and we can ... claim some legendary takoyaki and even that won't be the most absurd quest. I'm sure we will somehow almost die doing that too."

Her tone was relaxed, even teasing and it wasn't though she didn't appreciate the seriousness of the situation, she was just beyond being stressed about it. She had accepted that this was her life now - getting nearly dead that that damn yonkou. Again. Who was trying to "claim" something ridiculous. Again. It was amusing that he never went after anything small. Only someone born and raised into royalty would have that kind of appetite for the unobtainable and the kind of confidence to believe it will happen.

She wasn't nearly as high strung as she was when they first met - somehow not having to physically wear that cloak to a great weight off of her shoulders, despite spending every moment maintaining her empire. She also wasn't without motives - there were scrolls contained in the library that contained the knowledge of how to fully unlock the potential of seastone. She was the Flamecloak and was certainly not there to be a sidekick of a pirate princeling pretending to be king of the seas.

[[Anubis camp, Undercity]]

Anubis chuckled again " So far all i have heard are whispers and stories, till now..... apparently there may be some truth to the poneglyph actually being in the Red Library...... Ive been scouring various islands among the new world looking for even a mention and this had turned up after a year or two of searching....."
Anubis then stood up, the sand cracking onto the palm of his hand. He then stood in the middle of the room looking at Kiya as he spoke "For me, such rare and exquisite things must be claimed.... everything under the stars is mine, its not a matter of something as simple as me simply saying its mine. This was already preordained before time.... he who collects the poneglyphs will be the rightful king of the pirates!!!!" Anubis shadow was overwhelming "IT will signal the beginning, all this stagnation and inactivity will end.... THE RACE FOR THE NEW WORLD WILL BEGIN AND THE SPIRITS OF THE CHOSEN WILL CLASH!!!!"



[[Western Caverns of Oro De Sangre]]

Blood, gunpowder and the stench of death covered the outlay. Bodies slathered together on the floor followed by the stream of blood poured trickling off the stair case of what seems to be a temple. Screaming followed by the sounds of swords echoed around the cavern. A huge figure dragged his machete across the ground, the weapon engraved with some tribal scriptures along with a beautiful ebony handle, all covered in blood. A man wearing crimson robes crawled as he gasps for breath, blood smearing along the floor as he struggled. The big figure wearing a brown overcoat turned over the man, looking him in the eye as he leans down "You know.... i asked you nicely...... but you all had to get all secretive about it...." The man on the floor grit his teeth "Don't worry about it you heathen, none of our brothers will give up the location, we are sworn to death!!! Not only that , there are other people on this island who will stop you!!! urghhh" The man began gasping as the bigger man stood up , he slashed one stroke killing the man on the floor instantly. One of his companions laughed as they piled the other bodies "OI CAPTAIN, If you keep killin them all we won't be able to get more info!!!" The other members of the crew laughed as well. The man turned , pulling out his pistol, shooting another robed man dead. The other pirates laughed at the mindless violence, all revelling in it.

The man raised both his hands up looking to the sky his machete in one hand and his pistol in the other , he had no scars on his face but across his neck there was a clear one, he had brown hair, discoloured and almost ashened. He then looked up into the sky "The age of pirates will be reborn.... and i will lead it to the right pasture...... GEHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH"

[[Emanuel Cortez "Muerte Negra"]]
[[760,000,000 beli]]
[[Captain of the Smoking Diablos Pirates]]

[Undercity]

Kiya rolled onto her side, holding her chin in her hand, ever irreverent as she watched the spectacle that was Anubis. If there was one thing he had, it was a dramatic presence.  She quietly watched as he got himself all worked up.  The amount presumptuous entitlement was truly a thing of legend.  This was something she once found annoying but now it was just an entertaining show. Not everyone can be their own biggest fan. She stood up near the end of his excitement as sand was going absolutely everywhere.  "Are you quite finished?  If I knew I was going to get a sand-bath I would have kept my damn cloak on. I'm not a chinchilla."

She began brushing herself off, fingers sliding through her flame like ringlets, to shake the sand from her hair.  She gave him a dissatisfied look.  "Do you always hemorrhage sand when you get excited? I'll be picking sand out of my hair for the next 6 years. Please keep your sand to yourself, Prince. "

Satisfied with the amount of sand removed, for the moment she moved closer to him, eyes blazing with excitement.  "Tell me ... among these whispers you have heard, did you get wind of any scrolls? You have your idea of treasure and I've got mine."

She pulled a small leather booklet from her shirt, the stiff parchment pages aged, yellowed, and delicate.  Through the middle was a thin gash, evidence of a knife penetrating the book, cover to cover.  This old book had taken a blade meant for her own heart in her younger days. She had received it from her father who had mostly dismissed it as ancient nonsense to keep idiots busy. The book was hundreds of years old, a first hand account written by a scribe who had worked in the library, copying tome from any ship that came to harbor.  It told of the various secret passes and chambers when were hidden within the stone structure - from false walls to hidden vaults buried deep beneath the building, complete with a few drawings. They may not contain anything of note anymore but it was good to know they existed. The book also mentioned scrolls detailing the technology of seastones full potential, various artifacts procured from the known world, and while the poneglyph wasn't directly mentioned, the passage about "the destroyer of world surrounds us all as we oversee its slumber" was a likely reference, though cryptic.

"Whispers that transcend time; an old gift for an old friend. May it guard your heart as it has mine." She squeezed it gently as if saying goodbye. It read like a journal and she always felt the scribe was speaking directly to her - as though he knew she would find it hundreds of years later. It meant a great deal to her but if they had any hope of success, she couldn't withhold any information.  This was their only opportunity to be the first to find the library. "Your eyes will be only the third set to see this since the time of its last entry."  The last page was a grim reminder of the great fall ... a sentence hastily written, unfinished before the book was tucked into its hiding place, silent for all these years, waiting to be uncovered.


[In the market square]

A fairly average sized man moved though the city, dark skin and braids neatly bundled behind his head to fall several inches down his back. He wore an oddly cheerful jacket with thin lilac stripes and matching pants, a dark purple tie was tucked into the matching vest of the suit. he walked along with a handsome wooden walking stick with an exquisitely carved stallion head at its top.  He wore a cream coloured fedora jauntily tipped to the side with a black band and grey feather tucked into it along with his pick for the race he was currently betting on.  He had a confident stride, whistling as he moved through the town, ignoring the people who scurried away, shutting doors and windows and he passed by.  Of all the dangerous miscreant he dragged on behalf of the government, not once did his distinctive clothing ever encounter a speck of dirt. Today he was only here for a mere map but would cut down anyone who stood in the way of obtaining it.

[Assassin Adonis "Salto Mortale"]
[Cipher Poll Assassin for World Government]

[[undercity, Anubis camp]]

Anubis raised his eyebrows at the mention of scrolls. Slowly pacing along the wall of the wax house , his hands running on the wall. "Scrolls? Thats quite a specific request.... the red library contains tomes and scrolls of most of known civilisation, at least thats what the legends and whispers say. What scroll is it that your searching for?" Anubis moved along side as he watched Kiya speaking to her book, which looked like it had been through a lot . " Interesting Tome i sense....... a lot of personal and deep feelings have been etched into the papers....." There was a knock on the dome as Lucas Patterson spoke through one of his self created holes "Anubis same, there is a bit of an emergency right now....... we need your presence here...." Anubis then cleared his voice "Stand Steady we will be out shortly.....there seems to have been a ruckus outside....."

Outside the dome, the boy wearing the red robes and glasses was on the floor crying in agony, the visions of his dead comrades flooding in to him. His old protector standing over him gritting his teeth "Shit..... shit, most of the order just got massacred like that?!!!"



[[Market square]]

Agent Adonis cp9 den den mushi ringed, on the other side was Morbius walking through the sky, but then landing on abandoned building at the market. Morris spoke "Oi Adonis, come in, we just got a target list..... can you hear me?"

Kiyas eyes seemed to blaze with excitement at the mention of the word scroll. "Are you going to lay claim to these and make me fight you for them, Yonkou?" She almost glared at him before continuing "The Amethyset scrolls - distinctive by their edges - which are deep purple. The pages, however, are blank and can only be revealed with the correct combination of mineral and seastone - a chemical combination lock to prove worthiness of their content. Speaking of which ... " She bit her lower lip as she stepped closer, pulling a dagger from her side with deliberate slowness before taking a rapid swipe at the side of his neck, but never touching his skin, taking off a small lock of his hair. She tucked her dagger back at her side, examining it for a moment, not really pausing to consider how threatening the action may have looked. She had the worst social skills when focusing on something exciting. "I need a 'true born lock of a conqueror' - whatever the hell that means, to melt into molten stone to make a key for the library's under-chamber. So if you're not a true born one of those - we will probably all die. Excellent."

She sensed the approaching footsteps, the flame cloak which was snaked around her like a scarf, dripping to the ground like liquid flame to form the silhouette of a tall frame as she slipped into her plain black cloak, green eyes flickering almost mischievous against the shadows as she pulled up her hood. "No pressure, 'rightful king of Pirates.'"


[Market]

Adonis strode through the market, his walking stick tapping with every other step as the wind slipped through his hair. Though everyone slipped back indoors well before his ominous approach, some of the young things, aroused by a dangerous man, peered out doors and windows before his approach. His light grey eyes against his dark skin were striking but filled with an overt cruelty that could be felt behind the handsomeness, causing even the boldest ones to snap their windows shut when he got close. He slipped a hand into the pocket of his well-filling jacket to produce a pocket-watch shaped shell which sprang to life and spoke. The list had been procured. "Understood."

His light eyes lifted to observe the position of the sun - the races would begin soon enough and then he could get to business.

[[c vf Anubis camp]]
cdc
Anubis was a little shocked that Kiya wanted his hair, even more so that she had needed it for the library. "You really did come prepared....... if it will help me get access to the library ...... even then the keeper said you need one of the Orders keeper to access the tomes and doors before it?" Anubis then heard Lucas call him out as he signalled to flame cloak and the door opened. Anubis walked out of the dome as the door opened.The young boy in glasses from earlier lying in a heap sobbing continously. His old guardian looked at Anubis and Flame Cloak "The order of the red library...... many of our members died just now..... the kids haki confirmed it......" One of the men asked "Haki? a kid this young?" The old guardian scoffed "The Orders members all have a special haki that allows them to communicate and keep tract of one another......."                                

Anubis then spoke "We have methods to enter the door, but we still don't have the way...... whats your name boy?" The young boy looked up struck by grief and sadness "Campbe...ll......." Anubis then clapped his hands together "Campbell, listen, it seems many people want this treasure, but i did not butcher your brethen , in fact if you help me, ill make sure they will pay for what they have done, you have my word on that."


[[Market District]]


Morbius stood on the rooftop of particularly large house. He looked through his spyglass, before putting it away, he then clicked his den den sushi "Listen Adonis, your first target is a reporter who has wrote one too many poor worded articles on the big bosses upstairs, you take that one ill take down target 2-4 they just happen to be in this brothel, you got the visual on the reporter right?" Morbius had been whispering through his den den mushi, he didn't like going from the roof, but this job had to be done quietly, if Adonis got his job done too then things would be right on time.

Morbius had earlier received intel that this was the brothel these 3 men liked to hang out at, he didn't know too much about the target other than the fact there was a piece of something they had stolen from someone important. Morbius dripped in through the grate on the roof, moving slowly as he flickered his feet, landing inside the top floor of the brothel. He could feel the heat and intensity , the noise of the women, the smell of booze and smoke in the air. Ahh he could go for a drink right now, but if the job doesn't get done, you don't eat. Morbius reminded himself today was going to be a hugely busy day. He heard laughter as a man walked out from a room half dressed, Morbius sliding quickly into a corner, recognizing the guy as one of his targets, Morbius flips running on the ceiling before landing squarely behind the man, as h,e landed , he jumped onto his palms, as his legs hooked into the mans neck. Morbius then whispered "guillotine" ! He had felt the mans head cleaved off shave from his neck. Morbius looked through. and sighed.



[[

Kiya tucked the lock into her book before putting away while standing next to her embodied cloak, under a veil of darkness. She could feel her body shake with rage. Someone else was after the library - but that is not what angered her. Someone had seen fit to take out absolute carnage upon its guardians who had sworn to conceal and protect it. It was their fulfilled duty. She would personally see that they all received a proper burial and any families would be looked after, along with this boy.

She had expected to encounter resistance from the order but also intended to use diplomacy to prevent it from falling into the hands of monsters ... the sort of monsters who would slaughter anything for the sake of their own greed with out once questioning what they were doing or what it ultimately cost.

It infuriated her that someone was both so stupid and so unpersuasive that their solution was to slaughter everyone as compensation for their own failures. What a weak, pathetic, and insecure fool. Her instinct craved the blood of the architect of the carnage but she had to keep her head - the best way to destroy them would be to get to the library first.

From the depths of her cloak, her voice was distorted, imposing and unworldly. "This butchery was the work of cowards and fools - this savagery will no go un-avenged. You are now under the protection of the sandstone empire."

[MARKET PLACE]

Adonis, known for his mouthiness and intolerance of having his time wasted, looked at his pocket watch raising a brow. "Let's dial it back. You want me to go after a 3rd rate journalist because some thin-skinned overseer accidentally filed his balls away with the lost histories while you go to a damn brothel?!" Adonis put his head in his hands. He knew exactly who had given this order - the incompetent new half-blooded relative of a dragon who had been needlessly promoted at the behest of his full blooded cousin. He always made resource-wasting requests to go after anyone who insulted his incompetence and putting CP9 on such an absurd mission was a huge waste of their talents. He must be unsupervised again. "Is there no one there to tell him that silencing one voice will only breed to more? You can't fight incompetence by silencing your critic, you fight it by doing your goddamn job well. Or in this case - at all." Adonis only had the liberty to say such things because no one could afford to lose his skill set - he knew it and they knew it ... and because this mission was too important and calling it like it was was the only way to keep things on track. "Unless you can give me something that isn't bullshit, you can catch me at this brothel - I won't be interfering in your targets, however."

Adonis was not the kind of man one sent on a vapid rookie fetch-quest. He also had no interest in silencing a person he agreed with. If he killed the journalist, it would be the same thing as agreeing that that clown was not stunningly incompetent. Adonis had his standards. This was also a power play - that imbecile didn't see Adonis as the asset he was, he just saw a bit of a wildcard to bring to heel, in an elite organization he knew nothing about. CP9 was not a child's toy. He tucked the watch back into his vest pocket. This conversation was over.

[[Anubis camp]]

Anubis was preparing to move as he remained calm and collective after what he had heard. The goal now was to reach the library before whoever was looking for it did. Anubis then offered the hand for the  sobbing boy who was on the floor. "Listen , did any of your brothers give away the position of the library" The boys guardian scoffed at this statement " Our Order is sacred and ancient and resilient, they would rather die than give that information."

Anubis raised his hand " I know of this and i dont wish to argue but we need to know what we are looking for and so that we dont lose anything to these people." Campbell was still sobbing but gripped Anubis's hand. "Well Actually , we dont know the exact location of the library... its written on a map which our forefathers split into 3 p[ieces scattering it all over the island....... also we will need a lock of conqueror of something like that hair, this will help make the key it seems......    " Anubis grinned as he remembered what Flame Cloack had said to him about this exact thing. Lucas ran up to Anubis " CAptain we are ready to go."  Anubis then lifted Campbell to his feet. Anubis glanced at Flame Cloak "Looks like a map needs to be found."


[[Brothel Market District]]

Morbius sat on the couch, in the middle of the room. Bodies and head looked to be cleanly severed, two horrified women huddled and shivering at the corner for the room. Morbius cursed under his breath , his frustration directed at Adonis. Once again he had questioned instruction and somehow some way Morbius knew it was going to mean more work for him. Morbius started rummaging through the pirates bodies looking for something.


((Enies Lobby- some time ago))

" Your kidding me , AGAIN?? Why do you have to assign me Adonis? You know that guy thinks he is better than CP9, isnt he more suited for CP0 or something?" Morbius was protesting against his director, Melvin Faust who was laughing to this as he usually does. "HAHAHAHA Adonis at it again hm, well maybe you can teach him to be better  eh?" Morbius hated it when Faust played his little games, he knew all too well what CP0 was all about, information limitation and manipulating the news and the masses, along with brainwashing. Morbius was not good enough at with words to get Adonis to follow him . Morbius was an instrument of death, he followed orders to the letter. Morbius then spoke "Director, tell me why i have to take lead on these missions?" Melvin Faust looked at Morbius before he pressed his hands together " You see the truth is , Adonis as smart and skilled as he is, he has still to learn a few more things before he can reach that stage just yet. The question is why dont you see yourself progressing as well? Your belief in absolute justice is top notch.You should think of the same thing for yourself!." Morbius sighed "I am a CP9 agent, an assassin of the world government , you give me a target i kill thats all."

Faust laughed again as he passed a  list to Morbius. Morbius lifted his eyebrow at some of the items listed on the list but still decided not to question the list. Faust then said "Its a mission on an island called De Oro Sangre. Regarding the items to collect. Make sure only you know about it, find all 3 of it. got it? Take Adonis and one other agent and get moving in a few days."Morbius nodded  so would take Adonis and maybe ..... that other person?"  Morbius nodded already having someone in mind.

[[Present Day-Brothel - Market District]]

Morbius grunted as he rummaged through the bodies of the dead pirates, finally he found it. It was a rolled up  paper inside a bottle. Morbius opened the bottle and straightened the paper, revealing a partial outline of the map, Morbius grinned as his den den mushi rang "Yeah hello"

[[Off the coast of De Oro Sangre]]

At the edge of there was a string of smoke coming from a ship. As the bodies of pirates littered around the ship, there was one person who looked like they clearly did not belong. She wore a perfect catcholic christian nunnery outfit, carrying a huge scythe which had carvings of scriptures on the blade and handle, a coating of seastone embeded into the blade. This woman was lifting a man with one hand , her scythe in her other "I ask ye again, heathen.... where is it?" The man was choking and almost begging "pls... plss..... we dont have it, we were leaving this place , we SOLD IT!!!!" Maria grit her teeth with fury " You scum pirates and your sinful ways. Demons who torment the innocents of the world.It is you who have turned this world close to ruin, but no more, we are here now to do Gods work. We will cleanse ye filthy sinners like the plague ye are" The woman crushes the mans windpipe, snapping his neck and then throwing his body off the ship. She then pulls out her den den mushi, calling the team lead Morbius. She hears Morbius voice "Good evening Morbius, just wanted to update, looks like this was a bust, but i some more info from these heathens that its still somewhere on the island. Morbius responded "Good, i have 1 piece of it.... Adonis has gone rogue , but ill try and get things back on track. Lets regroup" Maria blushed at Adonis's name "Adonis went rogue again, oh dear, maybe i should go lecture him" Morbius sighed "I dont think that will have the effect u think it will but ok...... focus on the mission will you..." Maria grinned as he started sky walking to the island "Yes , will do, ill say a small prayer when i land."

[[Sister Maria]]
[[Cp9 agent]]

Kiya sighed heavily. That had not even begun and things were already out of hand. Blood of ancient oaths now soaked the ground. They went from treasure hunting, to vendetta, to being tasked with holding the world balance together on a tight schedule all within minutes. She really did need to stay the hell away from that damn Yonkou - he was a chaos magnet. She was accustomed to running a tight ship with a flurry of current espionage keeping her abreast of any brewing crisis.

She pressed her head against a nearby wall, exhaling as she took a moment to enjoy its coolness before something caught her attention. The lock of hair - she had dismissed it as nonsense really. There were a few other stipulations she had read about but assumed they were there to make this legendary library seem more mysterious and imposing. "You mean the lock of hair part was real? Huh - I was just trying to win a bet with --- I - I mean .. Of course I already took care of that part. Now there is something about 'blood of the ancients', and 'tears of the ... dead?' Whatever that means. So now we have to go on a scavenger hunt for puzzle pieces while a lunatic is out slaughtering everything in its path."

She walked over to Anubis, mystified and exasperated. "Do you not have normal days? Where you wake up and are not immediately involved with the end of the world somehow? You will be the death of me, Sand Prince." The place where she had cut a lock of his hair caught her eyes - amusing her slightly but also sparking a curiosity as her green eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Say, you don't have any of that ancient blood do you?

---

Adonis walked through the now empty streets, holding an ice cream cone he had procured from the recently abandoned cart of a vendor in the market. It was a hot day but he never let the frozen treat leave its edible container - almost as if the ice cream itself was afraid to melt and sully his tidiness. He picked up a newspaper at a nearby table and sate to casually finish his snack as he hear with relative disinterest. He raised a brow. Apparently that reporter had been very busy recently. There's no way he could have obtained all of this information alone. The reported wasn't the problem ... there was a leak from the inside. He didn't particularly care so much about what was being leaked so much as he now had a bit of interesting prey to sniff out. There was a double agent high up in the world government and he intended to find it.

He yawned standing up as he spotted Morbius a short distance away. He tucked the paper under his arm as he moved in that direction. Morbius was such a stickler. He probably couldn't even die without reading a government issued protocol handbook about it first. Adonis always found his blind, unquestioning obedience to be disturbing. CP9 was known for its resourcefulness - if he wanted to be ordered around, he should have been a damn admiral.

He tossed the paper at Morbius as he approached. "We can't muzzle this whistle blowing meddler just yet. Did you see today's article? He isn't getting all this information from "research" ... we've got a data leak at headquarters. I may be inclined to pay this loudmouth a visit after all. I need him to talk ... and by the end of it he will wish I had followed your original request of a swift and tidy demise."

[[Undercity]]

Anubis camp began moving out, he then turned back at Kiyas question. "I see so those are the ingredients for the key and the 3 map pieces will lead us there....... I do not know.... i doubt my blood is ancient, though it is extensively valuable and treasured..... but the next question would be what to do with the blood, perhaps when the time comes i will try my blood , but before any of that we need a map piece....."

The boy gulped from behind as his guardian patted his back slowly "Hey we can go easy if you like lad," The boy shook his head "Its ok, we dont have time.... i dont know exactly, but someone has already broken the bottle and discovered the first part of the map on this island........, the other piece.... is at the ancient pantheon ruins, located at the edge of the island, we can make it if go through undercity......" Anubis snapped his fingers as his subordinates started setting a path to that location. Anubis then let out a a slight sigh "Well it cannot be helped if there are forces already moving to get this map now.... how about the other piece? the third piece? where is its location?"

The boy looked terrified and then shook his head, as his power was trying to located the third piece of the map, the boy then jerked back "The third piece.... there is something ...... already coming.... we are too late....."

[[Market District]]

Morbius grunted in annoyance as he saw Adonis with a ice cream cone and newspaper standing in the middle of the street. Nightfall was already fast approaching and Morbius had no time to play games. As he approached, Adonis threw the paper him, Morbius caught it opening it up. Morbius sighed as Adonis relayed his suspicions. "you do like to make life difficult dont you? look we have orders, kill the guy and stop the news......." Morbius stopped there and then looked down on this article. IF it was true that there was a whistle blower in the government , then maybe the right thing to do would be find the source and cut off its head. Still the orders were in black and white and they would be risking insubordination for not carrying out the mission as instructed. Morbius pursed his lips and rubbed the temple of his head. "Arghhh, your a pain in the ass, but whatever, you interrogate him , find your info, and all that, then we kill him as per orders, agreed?"

Morbius den den mushi rang as he picked it up mid conversation. IT was Sister Maria " Morbius, there is a situation going on, not good, im seeing it right now, a pirate force stormed in , killing the local guard with ease......" Morbius again got annoyed "Who the hell is it this time?" Maria responded, she was perched on top of the roof of a church "The logo is the same, its that rookie crew that everyone has labeled "The Terrible Ones" its Smokin Diablos Morbius....." Maria began saying a slight prayer. Morbius took a moment to think , he turned to Adonis, "Lets go find this reporter and finish that first , Maria your on watch duty, observe and follow, dont interfere yet understand?" Maria replied "As you say" Morbius was not particulary afraid of pirates, but he looked around and realised that if Smoking Diablos are here and with their captains reputation akin to him being the Black Death. Then lots of people were going to die fast. Morbius then looked to Adonis "We dont have much time, lets go to the provided address "


[[Mayors Villa]]

Blood and smoke yet again as the mayor stood firm on his balcony. They made it so quickly up to this place. Mayor Miguel Sentosa was a wizened old man. He was known for the unification of this island, bringing the guilds and the business magnates together to create a island that was free from rule of the world government. Miguel was never known as a military leader, but rather a leader of industry and trade. He even knowingly allowed pirate ships to port and trade on the island. He had hired trainers to train his small island guard force, even for its size it wasnt weak by any means. Miguel felt sad for the men who had died, but he had to be resilient here, this day was always going to come one way or another.

A man stepped forward , trudging and dragging his machete across the walls. Miguel chuckled slightly, as pirates started gathering along the patio of the huge villa. The man who stood out Miguel recognized " Ahh... so you come...... Black Death..." Emanuel took a seat on the patio sofa, his machete dripping blood on the floor as he adjusts his coat. "El Jefe, please , please sit down" Miguel turned around and looked at Emanuel Cortez, refusing to sit. "What do you want on my island Cortez?" Cortez placed his machete on the table "El Jefe, Senor Miguel.... you know..... i admire you, what you have achieved here, is nothing short of interesting.... the government refuses to disturb you cause of the backing you have from these industry magnates......" Miguel stood firm "And so? you have come here to seek riches have you? the era of the blood gold died long ago , this island is now a place of trade and industry" Cortez laughed loudly " Senor, please, please do not insult my intelligence..... i am not here for money, or your gold...... im here for the library......" Miguel eyes widened slightly before he recomposed himself "Library? Thats some myth attached to this island, it bears no truth....." Cortez laughed again "Well, ive just been busy killing a lot of people associated as keepers of that library.... one in particular helped me...." From behind the men dragged a beaten and bloody man , he was one of the keepers who had been tortured and extracted "See, he lead us here.... seems you have been a busy man, you saw a piece and you bought it from some pirates who found it...."

Miguel started sweating " Listen.... that place is sacred.... it holds knowledge beyond this age.... its not some tavern where you and your kind can come in and sully it with the blood you have spilt!!!" Cortez stood up, leaning into Miguel "Mayor... you see they call me black death, do you know why?" Cortez walked past Miguel to the edge of the balcony "Since i was born, since i was a mere child, everywhere i walked people died. Mama, Papa, my siblings, all died from a incurable disease. The disease took hold of me as well and i was supposed to die long ago, instead i became the first human being to ever withstand it..... blood is all i know......" Cortez again walked along side waving as his comrades grabbed a two people which made the mayors face turn to despair. It was the mayors wife and daughter both bound and in tears. Miguel was at a loss for words. "You see Senor Miguel, i had men traversing your villa before this and we knew about this secret escape route you had , noble of you to send your wife and daughter along with the maids to run first.... sadly the maids did not make it..... tell me where the map is....." Miguel reached out for his family, nearly in tears. He finally spoke "Please, promise me you will spare them, please, i will tell you if you swear that you will let them go...." Cortez nodded "I will not harm them once you tell me where the map is" Miguel reluctantly and finally gave in, his body buckling as he fell to his knees , he pointed the pirates to the right direction, where they found it under the kitchen tiles in a compartment. Cortez grinned as he opened the bottle revealing the map piece inside. "You know, for years, i wondered will this generation ever be able to compete with the legends of the last one. While the old feasted and gauged on their arrogance, we saw a near end to piracy and the beginning of trade and some excuse for business making by pirates. Anubis , Maximillion, Rodoku , Wally. These pirates swayed from fighting to become king to accepting the status quo... no longer, the new generation will begin a proper revolt and there will be no standing in our way, the status quo is broken , ill start with Flame Cloak who i know is on this island somewhere...." AS Cortez leaves, he turns around "Oh.... one more thing" Cortez face form changes to some groteaque monster as he sinks his fangs into Miguels shoulder, something embedding itself into Miguel turning him grey and green all over. "I promised not to hurt your family, but you on the other hand..... well, you will probably need to feed , so go ahead and kill your own family then....." Cortez left as his crew following behind, Miguel now no longer human but something unholy, monstrous, his wife and daughter screaming as they try to run from him, the descent of a once great man, into a monster.

Kiya eyed the frightened boy carefully. Her cloak followed her silently, still mimicking the shape of a body. As Sekmet she could easily pretend to be her own guard as Flamecloak was still expected to be her father. She was still wearing a plain black cloak, her body still hidden in shadows, so not even her secondary identity was something anyone could identify. She shook her head as Anubis was both a fan and appraiser of his own vital fluids. "So what is fair market price for treasured Anubis bloody these days? Asking for a friend ..."

She didn't know what Ancient blood meant - but if anyone had it, it seems likely that it would be Anubis or perhaps one of the keepers? Hopefully no one else knows about the old riddle - or perhaps that would explain all the slaughter and bloodletting. Blood ... Her eyes widened slightly as she realized something. She lightly touched Anubis' elbow, tugging him aside briefly. "This ... may be worse than anticipated. Whoever these people are, they know we are here and if they succeed, we will be the first ones they come after. Between the two of use, we hold influence over nearly 40% of the known world, if not more. The map has three keys - but we, in addition to the library are keys to the world. I can't believe I'm about to say this but please don't get yourself killed. If you die here ... I'll ... kill you myself. We can't let these assholes break our world before we can create it. I'll have my cloak hide you if I must - you're ... more valuable a target. We must be vigilant and must not falter - it will cost everything."

She has received reports earlier the people were trying to find their whereabouts but she assumed it was just the locals wanting to see a spectacle. Now she was certain it was the same creatures after the library. The would not be leaving this island with out a fight - with or without a map. Her green eyes searched his face from under the dark hood as if she was looking for something - if only assurance he would keep his sandy hide intact.

---

Adonis was not amused by Morbious going on about following orders in a rigid format. He was always one to follow directions and ask questions later - but if you kill someone instantly, you can't ask them questions later when it's discovered you didn't have the full picture. He knew that he had been assigned to work with the wet blanket of espionage as punishment for his insolence but it was also for Morbius' sake. The were bother extreme and their constant questioning of each other lead to uncovered information and a better job. They hated working together but they were very efficient when they tempered each other's extreme methodologies.

Adonis could accept this but it didn't make Morbius any less annoying. "I'm the pain the the ass? The pain is probably the protocol manual you've got shoved so far up in your ass you can taste the pages every time you swallow. Lets get this over wi-" He was cut off as Morbius received a call. He was annoyed by the prospect of a complication that would have them on this island longer than usual. He had a race to watch. Almost in slow motion the last part of his ice cream slipped from his fingers and onto the ground. His eyes darkened as his hands tightly gripped the shaft of his walking stick. His pale eyes flickered to Morphius, his jaw was clenched and angry. His laid back demeanor changed completely into cold, brooding rage. "I think you've found someone I will kill without question nor hesitation."

[[Undercity]]

As Anubis and the group moved, Anubis replied to Kiya "You might need to que on a very long line, there are plenty of people who want my blood for various reasons, there is nothing to worry about, i will not die in a simple place like this.... bedside we need to think about other things, right now the library is the cause, we must seize it before anyone else........" The boy suddenly griped in pain as he sat up "arghhhhh, the painnnnn" His guardian sat next to him held the boy and tried D]
lax him. The boy stopped "They have one of my brethren.... he is being tortured , thats how they knew where the map pieces are... there is only one piece of the map unclaimed, and thats the one ...... located at the Pantheon of the Old kings....." Anubis interest peaked at this "Pantheon of the old kings? Intriguing..." The old guardian spoke "Long ago, before the blood gold conflicts and the formation of this current regime... this land was ruled by an ancient civilisation..... a line of ancient powerful people who were miles ahead in terms of innovation and culture. Their king was a ruthless tyrant who craved all the worlds knowledge for himself and began collecting everything..... texts and books and various tomes, anything he could hold in his hand, he then created a library which is now known as the red library, holding the extents of his conquest. However, such greed lead to his eventual destruction and death by his own people, and the civilization disappeared...." Anubis 's ears was tingling, the sound of treasure and riches was far too good a prize, but most of all, the poneglyph surely would be in sight now as well.



[[Mayors villa]]

Sister Maria had been praying. In fact since she was a little girl  she had often questioned the order of the world. Maria had gritted her teeth and watched a lot of things, but this one thing annoyed her to no ends. In the end those pirates get to kill the mayor and his entire family? Marias selfish side told her to let it go, but her hatred of pirates drove her to jump into action. It was too late for the wife who had been gashed and killed by Miguel, or what was left of Miguel, instead Maria focused on the little girl, pulling her onto her back. Zombie Miguel rushed maria as Sister Maria flipped over her enemy, extending her scythe, ccleaving Miguel into two, his rotting flesh moving no more. Maria then sighed as she carried the sobbing girl away from the Villa.

[[Market District]]

Morbius was about to go mental on Adonis, he stopped short however when seeing how Adonis had reacted. Morbius was more curious than ever. "So.... thats a sudden plot twist.... now your all about killing and death are we? Well, if it means you will do the task then great, but can we focus on one thing at a time?"

Kiya eyed Anubis carefully. It was indeed a dangerous situation but he had also seen many battles. While she was trained and had some experience posing as her own body guard in skirmishes for territory, she had not seen the action that Anubis had no doubt seen in the years he spent both acquiring and retaining his position. She had expanded her father's territory substantially and even optimized the efficiency of extraction, processing, and production - but the lack of resistance she saw was doubtlessly part of her father's legacy as well as being partnered with the Yonkou. She resented her own lack of struggle, the same struggles that hardened her father and the Yonkou. In a way, this dangerous situation was what she always wanted - a test of worthiness.

She turned her head to pay attention to the issue at hand. The story of the library wasn't entirely unknown to her but she didn't not have many details - only books and half stories her father told her as a child, during his rare visits. Her eyes flickered to the Anubis once more - the glimmer in his eyes was distinctive and seemed almost ironic, given the cautionary tale about greed he had just been told. "Did you not just hear ... -sigh- never mind." She was certain his level of entitlement made him exempt from such mortal karmic judgements that befell the old king. The audacity of the Yonkou was as fascinating as it was irritating ... though it was becoming more entertaining than bothersome of late. It was like working with a hot air balloon.

She turned her attention back to the boy, kneeling as her green eyes flickered in the shadows of her cloak. "Can you quickly show us the way quickly? ... we will save your captured brethren if we can. This bloodshed and disrespect will be avenged. Libraries have a curious way of not tolerating abuse of their guardians."

---

Adonis felt a sharp pain and looked down to realize he had partially crushed the pocket watch in his hand. A few drops of blood dripped unknowingly onto the shifting sand under his feet. "I have a score to settle with los Diablos ... a promise to keep." His eyes had grown distant - he almost forgot Morbius was there. This was not an opportunity he intended to pas up. To hell with that damn journalist.

[[Undercity tunnel pathways]]

Campbell nodded at flame cloak as he began pointing the path through the inner tunnels of the undercity. They moved quickly, traversing though the ancient pathways that once held this place together.

Anubis looked outside and then looked to Kiya "So, now we need to discuss what has to happen now...." One of Anubis's crew members ran up to get to his knees in front of Anubis. Anubis simply lowers himself as the frightened messenger whispers to Anubis. Anubis then grimaces in annoyance. He looks to Flame Cloak and then signals that they converse in private. Anubis then says "The island has fallen to some pirate crew , probably the ones who slaughtered the guardians...." Anubis griped "We must secure the next piece of the map; no matter what , my men can't all see the value, but you can, and we cannot allow this heritage end like this....."


[[Market District]]


Morbius sighed, more personal vendettas, well at least he was motivated to kill and torture unlike before. "So..... i get you have promises, and they will be a targets given how they have no crossed us here. But first lets go get this reporter business out of the way!!!" Morris was pacing as he then received another call, it was Sister maria, "Morbius , they, mostly left the villa in a mess, Miguel and his wife are dead.... i only managed to save the little girl!" Morbius almost screamed as he heard that piece of news "YOU DID WHAT?!!!!!!"