[94] Storming the Base (I)
[2640 words]
---------------------------------------------
[Three Weeks Later]
[G-2, Paradise Sea]
G-2 was the third-most fortified base under the Marines, right behind Marineford and G-1.
The base was in the first half of the Grand Line with thick steel walls, mounted cannons, tens of warships and nearly ten thousand troops on standby.
With such an economy, the presence of a Vice Admiral was certain; however, this was a special occasion, warranting the leadership of someone even higher.
Another gargantuan force was also present, enough to divert the attention from the wide mass of soldiers. There were only three, yet their massive frames dwarfed everyone else—Giants!
They each towered over 65 feet tall (~20 meters)!
*Rumble*
Rain doused the base, gracing it with a humid due while thunder echoed in the distance. A light fog blanketed the island, hiding the indomitable spirit of the marines.
[G-2 Image (in Discord)]
…
[Research Facility, Marine Science Unit]
A grand room in the shape of a bunker with thick walls and a ceiling that touched nearly fifty meters in height.
A vast array of devices and items were laid onto solid-steel tables. Smaller rooms were built within, each holding live subjects in rather precarious means.
At the far back was an extremely tough chamber, layered with multiple levels of security. But that was a given as it housed the greatest terror of G-2.
"WORORORO!" a laugh boomed the dark halls. "You little monkeys are still trying to poke me with your little toys."
The prisoner was strapped down to the ground, all his limbs were bound by metal straps heavy enough to hold up mountains.
Many fluids in the form of IVs were connected to his forearms, constantly supplying liquids to keep the beast weakened and tranquilised. Enough to put down the largest of Sea Kings for weeks on end.
.
"Incredibly, you're awake even with all these suppressants," a scientist murmured with shock evident on his face. "I suppose we should attribute it to your Oni heritage."
Kaido, who was sleepy-eyed, did not seem to want to go fully out.
"Just wait till I burst out from these chains," he said in a low voice, "the first thing I'll do is pop your head like a grape."
The scientist paused and took a deep breath. "That day will never come, don't you know who's guarding this base?"
Kaido responded with a dull laugh, one that echoed throughout the entire marine base.
---------------------------------------------
[Exterior Outpost]
G-2 had many smaller watchtowers built around it with marines keeping eyes in every direction.
"Hey, Shinrai, just sit and play some cards," a marine exhaustively said.
Another man chuckled, "Yeah, sit down, relax. You think any pirate is ballsy enough to come here?"
"We have a powerhouse on our side; newer recruits like you are always so uptight!"
Shinrai was a very young man who recently rose through the ranks and had become a captain after graduating from the Elite Training Course at Marineford.
He was a by-the-books kind of person.
His meek personality was telling him to sit but the instincts he had trained at the course were telling him something else entirely.
'Hundred-Beast Kaido, The temporary Seventh Division Commander of the Rocks Pirates... there's no way we can hold him so peacefully,' he thought.
Shinrai's bright turquoise eyes scanned out the window of the tower, running across the sea and through the hazy fog.
He thought he saw something prompting him to pick up a monocular to check.
A glance revealed the obvious vessel: 'A ship?' he thought.
It was a small galleon on the distant horizon, racing towards the base. Shinrai was unsure of what to think, after all, it was just one ship.
.
The Rear Admiral was on the edge of his seat from approaching victory, excitement budding on his weathered face. Yet his joy was interrupted by his young subordinate, "Umm, sir, we have a stray boat headed our way."
The older man stood up with an annoyed expression and swiped the scope from the recruit's hands, murmuring under his breath, "You're seeing things, kid, there's no one out–"
A body suddenly fell to the ground with a resounding thud.
"..."
"Kolololo, Rear Admiral, don't play around, you'll scare the greenie."
Another marine ran over, kneeling by his downed superior. "H-His eyes… they're completely melted! It even went through the skull!"
The man failed to speak anymore as he saw a bright flash of red shoot into the outpost.
*Kzzzz*
There were two beams of volatile energy, bending and bouncing across the air. One by one, they pierced the soldiers.
Bodies fell with loud thuds, bringing silence to their post.
*Thump* Shinrai could not help but slam his back toward the wall. The world around him collapsed as all of his colleagues were dead within seconds.
His eyes were lost, completely overwhelmed by the turn of events. He fell to his knees, his breathing erratic.
"..."
Moments went on as Shinrai finally found some courage to get up.
His breathing got a little better as he began to look for the emergency button. "There it is!" He saw the red button encased with a glass cover, rushing toward it.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."
The young marine froze in his steps.
*Gulp* He felt the voice as if it was right behind him. 'I didn't feel anyone enter the room!' the recruit thought, slowly turning around.
What met his eyes was a towering shadow of a pirate, one nearly twice his size. His presence alone placed the shadow of death upon the marine.
"I-I-I'm not afraid of you!" he managed to utter, channelling every ounce of courage he had left.
The invading pirate's deep-red eyes reflected amusement as he saw the defiance emanate from the striking rookie. "Then you will die braver than most."
Shinrai did not know what hit him as his body was flung into the far room, resembling a rag doll.
*Crack!* The momentum alone left the recruit broken, his screams void due to being knocked out instantly.
.
Damien, who had turned his attention away from the outpost, reached for a snail in his pocket.
"The outposts are clear, go ahead and take down their comms," he ordered.
The Sin Incarnate then casually walked over and took a seat at the Rear Admiral's position, enjoying the coming carnage.
----------------------------------------------
[Communication Headquarters, G-2]
Boom!
An explosion rang through the rusty walls, followed by the wails and tears of fallen marines. Panic ensued as deep tremors echoed through the concrete floors.
A man brought out a snail with great difficulty, "T-This is the Communications Unit, we've been breached! I repeat, we've bee–"
*Splatter* A mushy substance remained where his head should have been, drippy with blood and brain matter.
"Majajaja! They can't even put up a fight!"
A few downed marines could only look up, unable to talk; fear reflected in their shaky pupils.
Majin, the massive pirate, made his way to the core of the room.
"What a giant snail," he muttered.
It was a good fifteen feet tall with an equally giant shell. The device was responsible for relaying and holding up the connection for any snails within the premises, acting like a beacon.
Majin clenched his reddish fist and threw it forward.
Bam!
The snail uttered a pathetic cry as its shell shattered to bits, letting its gooey inside flood the floor.
"What a messy man," came a dry voice from behind him.
Pablo, who was around a third of Majin's size, did not seem all that scary. Though his dual-pistol loadout was enough to leave behind a trail of bodies.
.
Then came a slight tremor, catching the attention of both pirates.
Majin turned his attention to the man who had waltzed into the room. He donned a white cape with golden epaulets.
Pablo sucked on his cigar, greeting the marine, "Good day to you, Señor Vice Admiral Bollox."
The bald officer could only growl in anger, eying the two enemies, "Damn pirates, I knew something was afoot. I'll be sure to personally execute you two for the blood you've shed!"
The man did not speak further, instead choosing to rush ahead with a fist ready to punch.
"Iron Body: Slam!"
His burly fist smashed forward, aiming at the gargantuan Majin.
BAM!
Though his grin turned to a frown as he felt a dull ache.
He flinched as a ginormous piece of flesh suddenly shot forth, nailing him in the stomach—it was a tail.
"Auugh!"
The Vice Admiral was sent flying, soaring through the air and across the room. He bounced a few times off the metal floor before digging his feet into the ground to a stop.
"Damn..." he grunted from the stabbing pain. Not only was he struck by a massive appendage but it was spiky, nailing him right in the liver.
Bollox spat out a healthy dose of blood, cursing under his broken breath, "Ancient Zoan…"
The one attacking was a giant dinosaur nearly 6 meters tall (~20 feet) and four times as long.
It had a wide, heavily armoured skull and a large tail club. Thick bony spikes decorated the prehistoric beast, giving off quite a menacing appearance—the Ancient Model of the Ankylosaurus!
[Ankylosaurus Image (in Discord)]
.
Bollox inhaled a voluminous breath and recovered from the pain, straightening his posture.
*Fwwm* A thick coat of Haki was soon wrapped around his arms as he took upon a hand-to-hand stance.
"Shave."
The marine appeared a meter above the armoured beast, launching a Haki-clad fist.
Alongside the resounding crash was a wave of pain, not from the victim but rather from the attacker—Bollox's strike failed!
"Moonwalk."
He retreated to the air, reaching for high ground, only for a thick and spiky tail to arc toward him at rapid speeds.
In a moment of thought, the marine engaged in a defensive posture, "Iron Body!"
Boom!
The bald man was knocked back once more, bouncing off the very concrete until finally reaching a stop by being engraved into the wall.
*Clatter*
Bollox got up without any wounds beyond some bruises, ripping the walls apart and rushed ahead once more.
The marine's footsteps were loud and resounding, creating a drumming beat from the metal floor.
"Hehe, this is fun," Majin grinned through his Dinosaur form, whipping his thick tail once more.
As it was mere inches from Bollox's face, inches from turning it to mush.
With a woosh, the veteran marine weaved under the tail and wrapped his burly arms around it, flexing his muscles.
.
"Iron Body: Atlas Shoulder Flip!"
.
His body locked up its muscles, pulling at the tail with great power. As intended, Majin was slowly flipping over with a thud, rocking the dinosaur out of consciousness for a brief moment while unveiling the weaker underside.
"Die, pirate!"
Bollox shot his finger near the heart, aiming to kill.
Bang!
A bloody future echoed in the Vice Admiral's mind, prompting him to flicker away.
*Szzz*
The concrete slab hit by the bullet began to sizzle, melting from the inside out.
Bollox appeared a good ten meters away, annoyingly looking at the disruptor and saw the rather tiny Pablo holding up a pistol.
"The overgrown hippo is not your only opponent, Señor."
---------------------------------------------
[The Other side of G-2]
"What the hell happened to our comms?" came an annoyed yell from another top marine.
"Bollox went to check it out, I'm sure it's nothing."
The duo conversing with one another were two esteemed Vice Admirals, Velvet and LaGuardia.
"Such things shouldn't happen at G-2, what will I say to the boss!?" Velvet roared out his frustration.
LaGuardia, who was a rather overweight man, waved his hands, "Calm down, Velvet-kun, things like this happen all the time; it must be the storm."
Velvet, the lanky marine, had rose-coloured hair with a thick beard. His eyes were soon drawn to a spectacle taking place outside his window.
"And is that fire also supposed to happen?" he angrily questioned.
LaGuardia blinked, peering to the outer window.
What he saw was a huge blaze that suddenly erupted. It was bright enough and hot enough to melt the very metal that the base was built on!
.
"Maybe it's part of our commander's welcoming ceremony," LaGuardia murmured.
"You idiot, let's go!"
The two of them rushed beyond their posts, jumping out from the window and landing with a dull boom.
Blistering heat assaulted the pores on their faces, forcing them to squint their eyes while spanning their Haki.
"Just two pirates?"
"No, Bollox is also fighting two, so a grand total of at least four daredevils."
Velvet did not speak, rather he reached for the rocket launcher on his back.
Bang!
A giant pellet thundered out, rushing at the invaders near the inner regions of G-2.
*Fwoo*
It streaked through the sky, meeting the pirate's skull. Like a grape, the head exploded.
Though against Velvet's thoughts, it was not an explosion of blood but rather that of some liquid which rained down in all directions.
"Logia?" the Vice Admiral muttered with a solemn voice.
LaGuardia shook his head, tasting a sole droplet that happened to land on his mouth. "It's saké, the good kind," he critiqued. "A special Paramecia."
*Vrurop*
The pirate whose head had exploded, began to reform as the golden-brown liquid swam back in, "Hehe, it'll take a little more than that to kill me off~"
He then looked at his partner, "Let's do that."
The Super Rookie Voyd Nomu reeled back his liquidy arms and unleashed a spectacle of his own.
.
"Saké Golden Shower!"
.
The marines narrowed their eyes as the golden liquid filled the ashy skies, resembling rain.
Ignio Kaen, his companion, suddenly made a move—he snapped his finger.
.
"Rain of Fire!"
.
The raining golden liquid suddenly burst into flames with the snap of Kaen's finger.
The inferno lit up the gloomy sky of G-2, raining hell on earth! The orange dawn brought upon its own glory, pouring onto the nearby marines.
The heat was no simple flame, rather it was enough to burn through skin and flesh within mere seconds.
Hundreds upon hundreds of soldiers were met with the fiery showers, raising their arms in protection.
*Sizzle* In a quarter-second, the hair of their arms burnt, then the flame charred their skin and exposed the pink layer below.
Next was the seeping of igniting saké, entering into their bloodstream and burning them inside out.
"Auugh!"
"My arms!"
"I-It's hurts, put it out! IT HURTS!"
Hundreds of soldiers were scorched alive, their blazing bodies running across the field hoping to find some kind of relief.
*Woosh!*
LaGuardia and Velvet flickered through the air, dodging the hellfire and appearing a safe distance away.
"They made a mess in the inside of G-2, but did they forget we have nearly 10,000 marines stationed just beyond the wall!?" Velvet roared in fury.
"We have to put out the fir-"
Shing!
It was alongside a sharp hissing sound followed by the rumbling of rock.
The air was sliced, the ground was cut and a deep chasm opened up, splitting and opening up the earth much like a ravine.
Both Vice Admirals were brought to a halt with grim faces.
The veterans felt all their senses firing.
The noses were assaulted by the stench of charred humans while their ears were filled with the wails of burning men. The air tasted metallic and it was humid to the touch.
Yet their eyes, ignoring the blazing sky and dusty air, were locked onto the dark figure standing atop a towering boulder.
Velvet recognized the man's identity with ease—dark skin, dark hair, tribal marks and grasping a dark blade with a purple electric pattern.
"The Evil Omen of the Fourth Division." The Vice Admiral's face scrunched up with seriousness, "It's safe to say that we should be expecting the Sin Incarnate as well."
To Be Continued…
----------------------------------------------
Author's Corner.
Majin: Ankylosaurus.
Kaen: Ignite-Ignite Fruit.
Pablo: Narco-Narco Fruit.
Nomu: Saké-Saké Fruit.
Who's your favourite of the four fodder thus far?
Images are available on Discord alongside other niche details: https://discord.gg/aJHHHPvb6q