Emanuel D. Angelov
"All losses in this world are due to a lack of ability."

It was a harsh and overbearing day in Nanohana. Even as days went on Sandy Island, the weather was particularly un-temperate and bordering on extreme. The small mausoleum-like interior was particularly unforgiving. For this burial, the people on the inside mostly bore the traditional keffiyeh-style headwear.

Emanuel himself was stationed at the door, periodically waving a paper fan that brought only marginal relief. He was sweating and miserable to be honest, but out of his sense of duty and respect, he remained silent as the people gathered and sat solemnly for the last refrain of the ceremony. He wasn't yet rid of the stigma of his mission from the family of the deceased, though he had steeled his backbone and said not a word. As it happened, his thoughts and mood were still rather solemn.

Did he question his decision; have a moment where he contemplated and pondered the philosophical and intrinsic value of life? Not really. He had apologized and felt the burden of his decision's weight, but he wasn't one to question himself like that. Going down that road was the last thing he would want for himself.

Once the body was lifted and carried away to its final resting place, the family were the last to say their peace before the inevitable adjourning. Emanuel stood guard at the gate, watching in case anyone tried anything funny. This was to be a short, private gathering right on the eve as the nobles were going to be setting off. Departing from Alabasta before they faced retribution. Even this was a gambit and Emanuel had the 5 Ensigns he'd been assigned guarding the perimeter outside. Despite it all, they had luckily managed to keep a relatively low profile and the time passed without incident.

His farewells were kept curt and short as well, with mostly just the general 'goodbye' and 'thank you' being his most uttered replies. With everything ready to go, Emanuel waited until after the nobles had already set off and were heading towards the horizon to go and grab his assignees and depart. They too were not ship-ready. All of them were still tired from the trip and supplies were too light to even think of being prepared for the trip by nightfall.

The Enforcer, the ship that had been lent to him by Lu Dahn, was in the docks after having taken some damage escorting the nobles. Nothing too severe, but it reinforced his hesitance to raise anchor and set off right away. They would sail, first thing in the morning, but he decided the lot of them could afford a rest before making the trip to Water 7 to meet up with Lu Dahn.

With the Ensigns off to do their own thing, Emanuel decided he would use what daylight there was left to train himself. Almost every marine on the island usually went to the same spot to practice drills and hone combat skills: a small space used by the instructors behind the Marine base. When he arrived there, he had half-heartedly been expecting it to be full at this time of day, but it seemed he had just missed the final regiment as there was only one occupant there.  

Emanuel walked up and started practicing from a distance, starting the ritual with his warm-ups and stretches before fetching a dummy to practice with. As he began his kicking practice, he took several glances at his company. He was an elderly, grayed man with a head of balding, though salt-licked silver hair, a curled graying mustache, and a rather portly body shape with thick arms and legs.

Rocking back and forth on the small stone pavilion aside the training ground, his eyes focused on the book in his hand to the exclusion of all else. Emanuel may as well have been invisible for what it was worth. Judging from the accommodations on the coat beside him, he was Captain in rank. The hat sitting on the large stool alongside him looked like it had been severely scorched in a great battle.

There was a sense of captivation, awe, and the feeling that he recognized the man. Emanuel had to rack his brain, searching hard in his memories before it came to him in a sudden flash and his eyes lit up. He could recall his name and image with perfect clarity then: Captain Ivan V. Breaker. A centenarian of the Marines, but still holding an advisory role and very well-respected by younger marines. Despite his age, rumor had it that he was still sharp as a tack.

The young half-fishman stared for a moment, not really even sure if he could recall the source of that information. Without thinking, he turned back to training and excitedly began to redouble his efforts like a madman on drugs. The poor sandbagged dummy was nearly beaten to death for the next 20 minutes. Emanuel would have kept going until it was a pile of dust, but a raspy, swollen voice suddenly interrupted him and pulled his attention back over.

"You are not doing it well. Step back.. and distribute your weight... evenly. Not all in your right foot. Your stance... is wrong." Emanuel pulled his foot back and turned around to face the origin. While he hadn't been paying attention, Ivan had laid his book down across his lap. Emanuel met his steely gaze by instinct and felt immediately like comparing it to those of a shark or a very hungry eel. After realizing he had just been instructed, Emanuel put both feet together and stood to attention.

"Thank... you sir." he replied breathlessly. His embarrassment flowered for a moment, suddenly moved by a lot of anxious energy he hadn't had earlier. He got back to beating on the doll after making the necessary adjustment to his balance. After that, Ivan didn't seem to utter another peep, only spectating while picking up his book again and continuing from the page he had left off. Emanuel continued on training with his patterns, occasionally mixing up the form and getting a increasingly more creative with the exercise. With Ivan's eyes upon him, his motivation skyrocketed and before he knew it, an hour had passed.

The 'thump-thump-thump' of the sandbag continued on until Emanuel was too tired to continue on and walked on over to the pavilion and sat down. When he went to sit down at the table beside Ivan, the elderly man raised a hand and pointed him over to a separate place a farther distance away. Not wanting to appear disrespectful, Emanuel assented and just silently walked on over.

After fetching some water, he returned to his spot in comfortable silence. Neither said a word, even though Emanuel would have liked to. The drink was refreshing and soothed him. His thighs and legs sore from exertion, but once he had finished his water, he picked himself up and stood once more.

---

Emanuel D. Angelov
"All losses in this world are due to a lack of ability."

Eventually, the sun would retreat and the world would go on as always. The businesses began to close up and Emanuel would depart from the training grounds in silence. Ivan had already gotten out of his chair and left before Emanuel was ready to call it quits. They had barely said a word to one another and yet Emanuel had felt rather giddy for a while after the encounter.

Ordinarily, he didn't look well upon many of his superiors, but he had heard the name Ivan often enough to know the power and the weight that name held. Just getting simple recognition was enough to give him a thrill and he was certain he had gotten quite a bit more out of the session than if he had been doing it without company. He had been watching and seemingly approved enough to give him a pointer. It might not have been a stunning endorsement, but it was enough for him.

While trying not to gleam too hard, he made his way down the road, striding with quickening paces towards the favorite town bar. Not that he was ever one to drink at bars, but since the night felt good, he decided it would be okay to indulge this once.

The decor wasn't any different from what you'd find in any other Alabasta establishment. It was alight though with a bit more color than the rest with a few more hues and shades from a few expensive velvet silks and rather posh rugs with arabesque  designs all around. Once inside, he took a seat and decided to order one of the specials from the menu along with one of the lightweight drinks (after deciding retroactively that getting drunk right now wasn't one of the things he wanted.)

There was an interesting crowd in attendance that night; a corner of the bar was lit up with a stage and a small crowd had already gathered around. While he waited for his food to arrive, Emanuel decided to get up and see what all the fuss was about up close. On the stage under bright lights was a young human boy, looking like he was just around his age or maybe a bit older, wearing a white turban and a short scarf that enveloped his neck and mouth.

For the spectacle, he danced on stage along with two black-dressed women he guessed were his assistants. A drummer and small choir set a steady and deliberate pace as the trio moved and danced like cobras, seeming to have the act down perfectly as they synchronized well. Then the man pulled out what appeared to be delicate gold-and-silver pendant hanging from from a long black string. After some more slow dance moves with their arms moving in constant sync, the lead seemed to glance at someone in the audience and said something he couldn't hear to have them shushed closer. She was a young woman, likely no older than 30 years of age if he had to guess.

The two assistants grabbed a long black tarp from the side and once the man and the volunteer were between them, they unfolded it to shield the lead the volunteer from view. It wiggled and shifted dramatically for what seemed like 30-40 seconds. The drumbeat slowed to only one a second. The whole audience watched with rapt attention, wondering what was about to happen.

After a bit, the shifting and fits stopped and then suddenly the twins dropped the tarp shielding the person that had seemingly been picked out at random. When the curtain was dropped, it appeared as if nothing significant had happened. The drums and choir seemed to appear at a loss and all watching as well seemed perplexed. Than the rhythm re-started and the woman that had just been dropped into this scenario, started to dance. And the three of them all danced with her in a much more elaborate and flowing movements.

Emanuel watched as it seemed to have happened without any preparation beforehand. Suddenly, they were all engaged in a complex performance. The whole crowd had their mouths drop with amazement, even Emanuel was wondering just what had occurred in the span of those 40 seconds? The pitch then began to pick up in the last few minutes, each of them moving as if they were pulling each other's strings. They moved harmoniously, even with the addition of a 4th individual.

After it was all over and they had taken their final bows, many those watching moved quickly to crowd around and cheer loudly to much applause. Emanuel had already by this point started to retreat back to his table as his food had been set down by the time the whole thing ended and he had already started thinking the whole thing must have been a setup from the beginning.

---

Emanuel D. Angelov
"All losses in this world are due to a lack of ability."

After the entertainment, his food was hot and ready and Emanuel sat down to eat and enjoy. Some of the patrons went and started up a round of games and soon got a pretty interesting gambling ring going on. The fog of cigar smoke became heavier and there was a smell of overpowering body odor and burning incense. After sniffing closer, even he partially recoiled at getting a stronger whiff of the scent.

Though playing cards was something he rarely did and had never gotten really good at, he couldn't help but feel tempted and soon decided to give into it. "Can't hurt to test my luck a little." He said to himself with a grin after pushing aside his empty plate and glass.

"Mind if I join you?" He picked an open table and checked himself. Most of the people sitting at the table looked simple, but it was one man he was certain of. He was brown-skinned and rather muscular, but even if Emanuel was no professional card player, the man looked like this was his first time ever being here and he was arrogant enough to believe he was the smartest man in the room. Either that or he had taken a few sips too much. Once no one gave him any protest, the dealer dealt the cards and the game began.

The night was fun-filled and only got louder and louder as everyone drank more and more. In the end, left into the wee hours of the morning. In a happy stupor, Emanuel walked down an open backstreet, down to the port where the Enforcer was docked. He was hardly in a mood to speak and drained of all energy even if he knew he would need it. Mica, Forde, Hyde, Lawson, and Orson had already returned to their beds, leaving him to be the last one to arrive.

Curling up in a small bed below deck on-board the ship, Emanuel slowly receded with a yawn as his eyelids grew heavy. "Let's hope... tomorrow goes as planned and..."

Before he knew it, his eyes shuddered and Emanuel dozed off into a deep, dreamless sleep. When he next awoke, it was from a large  jolt from underneath him. The ship rolled, causing Emanuel to fall right out of his own cot. Rocketing up from the shock and almost falling backwards, his eyes started to adjust, grabbing onto Mica that happened to be nearby in order to regain his balance. Once the rocking ceased, each of them seemed to relax and calm themselves down. Even though he was now wide awake, the half-fishman felt even more like crawling back into the cot, but resisted the temptation.

Their morning meal was little more than toast and the rations they had prepped beforehand. After breakfast, they each began hauling cargo and a few supplies leftover back onto the ship to prepare for the journey ahead. The morning wouldn't afford them much time so they tried to handle the chores quickly, including a quick patching of the damage the ship had sustained. Luckily, it was a sunny and tranquil day with a fair breeze that would make for a good tailwind.

The work consumed up all of their focus, even Emanuel's as he tried to spend some time to get a look at what route they'll be taking. He stood above deck, casually coordinating their efforts as they readied themselves, but then something else appeared out of the corner of his eye. A small troop suddenly came marching down the road in lock-step towards them. A rather large white-skinned man was at the helm in a typical marine coat with silver shoulder pads. His hair was a crisp and spiky crewcut with a small amount of gray along the edges.

"I am Special Inspector, Arman C. Bellerose III and I have been charged with the quarterly inspection of this marine base. Per my authority and mandate, I am grounding all marine ships to and from this island until further notice. Also, you are all to report back to base." The man spoke with an accent, leading his eyes over all of the present Ensigns and walking with a wide gait across the Enforcer's deck before coming face-to-face with Emanuel. Both of them had pursed their lips and Emanuel's posture was straight and firm as was proper, though he curled his bottom lip and raised an eyebrow as a way of indicating his unspoken displeasure. His eyes were red as rubies, reminding Emanuel of a vampire.

"Ensign Emanuel D. Angelov. I have already heard that you have been entrusted with this ship by your commanding officer and he is waiting for you as well as his other menagerie.... elsewhere. Unfortunately though, until my mandate is completed, I'm afraid I'm going to have to delay your departure. I've also been told that you should report back immediately. An assignment has come down from above that demands your utmost attention."

---

Emanuel D. Angelov
"All losses in this world are due to a lack of ability."

The man stood before Emanuel, sizing him up as the young Ensign put both feet together and gave a proper salute. "Yes sir." Not budging, the man's vampiric eyes seemed to make the attempt at gazing holes right through him. In Emanuel's hope, he gave away little of his enmity that would invite further scrutiny.

Once the man departed, Emanuel left as well, hooking up the Enforcer, quickly cleaning up their supplies, and then heading back to the Nanohana Marine base with slumped shoulders. They marched in a single-file line right back, hoping not to give the Inspector any further opportunity to hit them with a violation of any kind.

The base personnel were all aligned outside in ranks of 10. All captains had gathered and were preparing to start the briefing when they arrived. There was a mixed aura about everyone; part of it seemed to originate from being given the news of a Special Inspector coming in to make every moment of their lives twice as stressful as normal and the other part seemed to be a sense of pride and expectation. Everybody seemed in on it as Emanuel and his five assignees lined up shoulder-to-shoulder behind the third row and were keen to listen.

"Thank you all for joining us on such short notice. Without further ado, I will be starting off this briefing and to save time, I will be getting straight to the point." The Captain, Julius Andriessen began with a deep 'harumph' before picking up his pointer. He was a man with dark, wrinkled skin showing its age and dark scraggly hair. His face was long and his lips thick, speaking with the same thick accent as Ivan the Breaker.

"As you may have heard, for the past several months now, we have been discreetly investigating a smuggling ring operating in Nanohana that has been bringing in increasing amounts of illicit goods. They've been using Nanohana's port to traffic in illicit goods after the Pirates sell their plunder. It has taken us a lot of work and effort over these past few months, but we've identified the main den set just outside the city to the northeast. Under the cover of night, we will be raiding it and putting a final end to their presence in the city once and for all."

All the attendees listened closely as Julius took up his pointer and began to go over the teams etched out on a side chart he held up in his hand. "This is how it will be organized: Teams 1 and 2 will be the shock team and our main fighting force. They will be heading in first while teams 3 and 4 will be the back-up and cover any exit points while mopping up any stragglers they find as we make our way inward. From what we've been led to believe, the place is relatively light on personnel, but they are being led by a man called Hashim the Grizzly Bear. Should you run into him, exercise extreme caution and don't be reckless. We don't know anything about his current capabilities and assume he has escape paths already planned."

Placing down the piece of paper in front on the wooden table, he drew in his voice once more before continuing. "Teams 1 and 2 will be our usual and they will be joined by Emanuel who we've added to help reinforce the fighting power." At hearing the mention of his name, Emanuel frowned. Why were they adding him to the team? He was a navigator and an ensign at that and would probably be better off tactically placed with his... Lu Dahn's team. He wouldn't say he had a high level of fighting power to offer in this scenario. As he was inside his thoughts, a hand movement in his peripheral vision drew his eyes off to the side where he saw Ivan sitting in the same rocking chair from last night, silently nodding his head like a wise sage.  

It passed between them unspoken and yet Emanuel seemed to get the hint. While he wasn't certain being at the front would be best, he could certainly welcome the opportunity to pad his resume a bit more and he smiled gleefully thinking of being in the throngs of battle.

Everyone was divided up into their respective squads before being shipped out. When a raid like this was about to take place, the Marines had their teams each go in the most low-profile and clandestine manner available. Once each team had arrived at their designated position, the operation would begin. The "regulars" appeared to be trained well and prepared, though Emanuel was unfamiliar with all of them and felt isolated. He'd been expecting to stay with the team he'd been given and felt nervous since he'd grown some level of attachment to them.

Lu Dahn was expecting him to return with all of them alive and handling things this way put him in a position whereby he could potentially end up having to explain this to Lu Dahn. Before they departed, Emanuel had to give one last talk to the each of them as they sat inside the base, awaiting their deployment. He walked up to them in the briefing room, stood afore Mica and Hyde, and tried his darnest to raise their spirits a little. "I know this has been a bit of a setback guys, but we'll get through it and depart soon as this whole inspection is over. Whatever you five do, just stay alive out there. We will get through this all in one piece."

---

Emanuel D. Angelov
"All losses in this world are due to a lack of ability."

Once the order came to move out, they moved swiftly and decisively. The desert at night was cold and harsh underneath a barely-lit hazy moon. Overhead clouds occasionally made visibility poor. Most of them wore lighter boots that muffled the sound of their charges. Teams 1 and 2, the main fighting force, took positions up front and center as they neared the base while the support 3rd and 4th teams broke off and spread to the perimeter.

Overall, they had brought a good number of fighting men to this engagement. Emanuel, electing to position himself near the center of the front line, managed to get a pretty good look at the place from a place knelt behind a sand dune. For such a small bandit crew living in a rather remote location, it still looked impressive and rather imposing.

It was a medium-sized fortified camp that had been built inside an immense cavern carved into the base of the mountainside. It was surrounded by a field of rather large rocky spires jutting out of the sand, creating a sort of natural hindrance to entry. The lowest level had been laden with tents and other fortifications. A patrol of lookouts steadily prowled the outer edges, keeping fires lit as they strode about. The ground level than rose rapidly and further in, they could see that a great deal more had been set up, but couldn't make it out.

Emblazoned on most of the tents however was an emblem of a golden grizzly bear. Watching from the side as the others strategized and prepared for the attack once the others were in position, he couldn't help but wonder what sort of traps they had inside. The spires would make entering in force a pain, leaving plenty of chokepoints for them to get bottle-necked if things went south.

The man-made fortifications looked meager however. There were a litany of pikes and weapons that had been dug into the sand and wooden walls had been erected in several different spots, but those could rather easily destroyed. They had fire ready and could easily burn down the fortifications and the smoke would create enough chaos that they would have little trouble making their way in. Something else had to be waiting for them, but he wouldn't gain any answers while sitting around thinking about it.

Whatever they had in store, he would just have to find out for himself. Keeping his thoughts to himself, he let the others plan out the attack, eyes open and ready for the signal. One of them got off the Den Den Mushi, and then gripped his gun. Several tense moments followed as they waited in silence, holding their positions with breath staunched in their throats. They waited, until they saw a large ball of flame suddenly get thrown up in the air by one of the other teams. It went up high in the sky, spun around, and then dropped right down in the middle of the camp. The whole thing went up with a great big 'poof'

And they charged, shots firing and ringing out through the night.

---

Emanuel D. Angelov
"All losses in this world are due to a lack of ability."

Emanuel was hyped and his body was flowing with adrenaline as he charged alongside the main force. They came flying down the sand dunes, brandishing blades and guns in hand. As they came down upon the burning encampment and the barricade of spires, they were met with an entourage emerging to challenge their advance.

The Marines organized rapidly and began shooting. Guns went blazing and there was the sound of axes clashing against blades as the two forces vied for superiority on the main battlefield not far from the axis of spires in front of the cavern. Emanuel kicked away an axe-wielding man where he was sent reeling backwards into the sand. Another and another approached and he was forced to dispatch them quickly before  retreating behind the position where a small squad had begun laying down covering fire atop a sand dune.

Surveying the various points of battle that were within view, his optimism and adrenaline was quickly quenched and smothered. The team on the two flanks had been assigned to bomb the inside of the cavern, both had been thought to be on ideal angles. Though he hadn't been privy to every bit of the strategy, he figured that would be the best thought if they were going to land a quick victory. Both sides had come under heavy and immediate attack and even though it had only been a few minutes into the battle, the bombs had stopped falling.

The first push of the Marines had been stopped dead in their tracks as their foes seemingly used the spires to their advantage to hack and shoot away at anyone that came within distance. It didn't help that the Marines were on open field while the Bandits were operating from behind cover. Whatever thought had been put into this plan, they had seriously underestimated Hashim in some fashion.

Seeing these developments occur, Emanuel had to know that the edge they were hoping for had already been lost if it ever even existed and his previous thoughts had been correct. To his dismay, he knew that this wasn't going to be easy.

Several of the axe-wielding men broke through the line after a bit of fighting, charging the phalanx of marines that had stayed behind to provide cover fire. They screamed with bloody killing intent and screaming profanities as they closed in before holding high their weapons and aiming to bring them down. From his position, Emanuel jumped first and kicked two of them as hard as he could. That at least set them back a few paces and gave the phalanx some more breathing room, but they could get overrun if the fighting was this lopsided.

On the other hand though, standing orders were to charge them and he was in no position to disobey. The problems elsewhere on the flanks concerned him more, even if he would be playing loose with his orders a little. "I'm gonna go backup the other team on the flanks. The defenders aren't working and we need those bombs falling to flush them out if we're to get anywhere."

Emanuel had to move quickly, rushing ahead as he dashed in-between soldiers and pirates in pitched combat. He moved around until he came to the flank that was under attack. Just as he expected, they had been permitted to get too close with swords being forced to block against spears. Reinforcements had jumped in to help out, but they were still struggling to keep them off just from the sheer numbers. Mixed together with the bandits were men wearing pirate gear.

He had no other choice and jumped into the fray, taking a leap of fate from a sand dune and landing on the lower ground. The bandits kicking them away enough to disorient them for a few moments. "It seems the bandits got more help then we anticipated. Get up and keep firing! Those bombs need to keep going off! We need those gates to burn down before we can attempt a break through!"

Despite his urging them on, the Marines had somehow become disheartened. They may not have expected to have their ranks broken in so early, but that didn't seem to be the case. Something else was wrong here. The defenders were still doing their best to hold their own.

The cavern was alight with the orange of flames, but they had begun to die down a little bit as the bandits inside had taken to putting some of them out. He saw some of the lights inside the cavern being taken down and seemingly smothered in the darkness behind the barricade. It was an ideal area for them to be in, just outside the cavern and probably the best area to stay within striking distance. As Emanuel prepared to hold his ground, one of the defenders got up and approached him from the side.

"The pirates broke free faster than expected and we didn't react quickly enough. They managed to break our weapons and destroyed the launchers. We only have one left on this end and its out of fuel. We can't hit the gate either, they have it well-positioned behind the spires." A clenched fist followed, eyeing the spot where they had been caught with their guard down. Emanuel caught the look and his mood started to dampen. "Then we'll just have to keep holding here as long as we can."

---

Emanuel D. Angelov
"All losses in this world are due to a lack of ability."

On the left flank, he continued to try and contribute as much as he could. His thoughts drifting as he delivered stomp and kick after kick. No matter how he looked at it, this wasn't the ideal position they had been hoping for. Their attack had been stopped right at the gate with his relocation not relieving even a bit of the pressure they were under. The spires had held back any advance of the main front and he was now on the flank, simply trying to keep the pirates from completely breaking through.

"Can't even get a break here and we're barely holding together as is." Sweat dropped over his brow and he was forced to wipe it from his eyelashes. His legs were on fire and the muscles in his upper body had also started to feel heavy and he was forced to fight just to keep on his feet.

Time seemed to be almost passing in slow motion. He kicked and kicked and kicked and kicked, but it seemed like he made little to no dent in their resolve. Many simply got back up from it and he was forced to repulse them back again. One man got up and tried to bifurcate him from shoulder to hip with a wide axe swing, but he had seen the movement beforehand and telegraphed it enough to launch a swift kick to the man's jaw just in time. He smiled and let out a slight chuckle.

"Come on, is this all there is to you? I've seen mice put up a bigger fight." In the heat of battle, he baited them and they came running at him, their eyes filled with rage and wildly swinging their weapons. The Marines either shot them down with their muskets or they ran into their defenders. Even as the battle continued, he felt his training had somewhat paid off. It was a situation of life and death, but he was almost beginning to have a little fun.

Laying into his opponents with as much zeal as he could muster, he began to get more aggressive with his enemies and fought even harder. He grabbed one of the persistent bandits and decided to drive their head into the sand with his foot and then quickly withdraw his spear from the holster at his hip and stabbed them straight in the back. Fighting back his own fatigue, he tried again to push them back.

Trying to make a calculated strike, Emanuel rushed in with his spear in hand. The attempt was stopped when one of the bandits saw him go ahead with it and made a quick switch-up in his strategy. The larger man made a quick retreat and then held his great sword in an underhand position. Emanuel took the bait and tried to launch a kick from the side, lunging outwards and then closing in. The tactic worked and the man started to cut upwards before feinting and instead going for a parallel slash at the hip.

Emanuel saw the sudden shift in body posture, but he had over-committed to his attack and his legs were far too fatigued to make a sudden change in direction. His eyes opened wide, knowing what was about to happen and his mind too stunted in the moment to even utter a thought. His body closed in and he readied himself for what came next.

A flash of red suddenly appeared in front of his vision and he expected shooting pain followed by a tugging sensation pulling him into the void beyond. He didn't breath and his fingers grew numb. It was only when the pain didn't occur that he looked up and realized something had happened. In front of him, the man with the sword had suddenly been felled and was lying dead on the ground with a long katana sticking out of his chest and a woman in red wearing a white jacket  standing over him.

Captain Eileen has arrived! As her name escaped him entirely, the others he had left behind began to shout so that even the heavens might take notice. They closed in and tightened around them, striking down bandits and pirates with additional fervor. The tides of battle around him suddenly turned and now it was the outlaws that were  on the defensive and the marines seizing on newfound momentum. Even Emanuel felt like their fighting spirit had been renewed and a second wind had arrived. She didn't turn around to face them, instead walking steadily forward.

"Get up and fight! Do not give them pause! Show these wretches they are just nameless cockroaches cowering in the desert before our might and glory! Strike them down, carve our might into their very souls and let them know our holy wrath! The back-up squads are now closing in! We move now to phase 2: Complete and total annihilation!" In the face of that declaration, all of them began to push back with even more vigor, reclaiming any ground they had lost.

All throughout the battlefield, the flanks had gotten their reinforcements and the front line had been reinforced with several extra men with the arrival of the captain Eileen reinvigorating their left flank.

---

Emanuel D. Angelov
"All losses in this world are due to a lack of ability."

Elsewhere on the battlefield, the scenario was unfolding in similar fashion. The backup teams had reconvened and were now shoring up the front line. With their morale sky rocketing, Shots rang out with ever increasing frequency as the bandits and pirates renewed their resolved to not to give an inch without a fight and fiercely amped up the pressure.

Though they weren't as numerous as the marines, they fought their opponents like wild beasts vying for that last scrap of fresh meat. On the left flank, Eileen's appearance had a rallying effect and many of the Marines could see it and rejoice. Emanuel had to pick himself up off the sand after having been saved from almost assured death. Though cooed momentarily, the bandits continued to appear defiant in the face of the woman before them. They had the numbers and were still drunk on vain and heedless power.

With the pressure momentarily taken off, one of the bazookamen grabbed his weapon and aimed towards the gate one more time. The bomb went flying wide, falling several meters to the right of its target and striking one of the arches in the field of spires.

A lump formed in Emanuel's throat as he pulled himself up. There wasn't a moment to think or contemplate, he had a job to do and now wasn't a time to be blundering. With a deep breath, he re-centered himself and focused. The battle was still raging and the Marines were at a disadvantage in this situation. Even after being rallied, he couldn't see a clear strategy materializing for them yet.

The bazookas lobbing bombs had probably done some damage to their camp, but hitting the gate itself wouldn't be easy due to the awkward angle and it would be doubtful that they could easily get closer. On top of that, there was only so much space for them to get through. Invading that camp would require more than that and it seemed that they had been taken by surprise with how prepared they were.

The woman didn't bat an eye, confidently drawing a short katana from the side of her belt. In length, it was comparable to a wakizashi, not more than 20 inches long. It wasn't extremely ornate or decorated, but the blade gleamed like a gem under the moonlight. Her moves were rigid and vicious, yet flowed like water as she cut down and repulsed 5 bandits in a moment. In the young man's eyes, she made it appeared as though the enemy's weapons and guns had been wielded by children.

As the rest of them regained their breath, she flew into battle like a pitiless hurricane sheering through rubble. When it was all over, she had left bodies splattered haphazardly over the ground and many of them, including Emanuel, had watched on with jaws dropping.

Eileen pulled out a Den Den Mushi, "All marines, we're switching tactics. Pull back to the center and regroup. We're not going to be able to break through their ranks en masse as we hoped. They were better prepared, but we still have the upper hand. Stage 2-B will commence immediately. We are deploying the Halbert."

Eileen led the charge as the left flank retreated back, all of them uncertain of what exactly they had brought to bear for this assault. Emanuel followed in sync as they moved back to the center of the field. The Marines had retreated from the flanks and now battle-readied themselves. The bandits too regrouped and now shielded themselves behind the field of spires.

All the tension mounting in the middle was palpable. "You will never reach Hashim-sama! Bring whatever you got, we'll kill everyone who sets foot in this cave. Not one of you is gonna leave alive." Though they had been held at bay by a force far smaller than them, each of the Marines still clasped their swords firmly and dutifully, readying for orders to be given. Eileen stood at the precipice, keeping her cool and even chuckling at such petty insults.

"I commend you for resilience, but this is the end of the line. You didn't think that we'd consider it. Well, too bad for you, we have the perfect counter." Picking up her Den Den Mushi one more time, she uttered only two words: "Deploy it."

Far behind the main line, unable to be heard, many engines flared to life. They began moving in single file, rapidly approaching the Marines turning to face the origin. Initial expressions of resolution turned and instantly filled with glee, including the dutiful navigator's own gaze brightened up. Bringing up the rear were several small steam-powered vehicles built and crafted from large pieces of metal. The design was made to look like the Marine's boats, propelled using steam and steering using a rudder attached to the stern.

They pulled up beside Eileen, all in a single line, and Emanuel couldn't help but gaze at them back and forth. As he looked though, he noticed that each had been outfitted with a lot of dynamite. Each stick wrapped around the hull and over. At that moment, both the pirates and bandits likely shit their pants when they saw it, much to Eileen's delight and she rose one hand over her head. "Thought we were done with explosions huh? Well, think again. Each of these babies packs enough wallop to even make the Red King himself blush. And trust me, I may mess around a little, but these don't."

There was little time to panic and run back for the misbegotten bandits as Eileen lowered her hand in a forward chopping motion and away the bomb-sailers went. They charged forward at full speed, whirring wildly from the steam-powered engines. The guns went off from the bandits trying to shoot them down, perhaps with the intent of getting enough of them to prevent their imminent demise, but the bullets bounced off the pieces of metal that had been placed in front.

As they neared the spires, all the bandits and pirates together started to scramble back, looking in vain just to put a few inches of space between them and the blast.  

'BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!! BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!! BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!'

Multiple explosions went off at the sight of the spires, decimating many of them and causing them to cave in and fall away. They devastation continued as the second and third waves came, sending shockwaves through the area large enough to rattle the spectators. Emanuel was knocked back on his hindquarters as he watched the fireworks send much of the cavern up in smoke. The spires collapsed partway through the third wave, leaving a clear path open for the last few to push it into third gear and ram the last ones straight into the large gate protecting the bandit's hideaway.

No sooner had the smoke cleared, most of the outside forces had been left on the ground and the gate to the interior had been turned to dust. The Marines at first had paused in the field from vibration-shock, but they soon re-collected themselves. And then all hell broke loose. The ranks broke free with a rabid outcry, setting upon the remnants of the broken outlaws with renewed bloodthirst and abandon.

---

Emanuel D. Angelov
"All losses in this world are due to a lack of ability."

After all the explosions, the place was filled to the brim with the rancid odor of gunpowder and scorched metal. The gate had collapsed and now both barriers barring the Marine's entry were gone. The soldiers charged, bearing their guns and swords and were thoroughly prepared to stab and cut a bloody swath for their way forward. Emanuel rushed in at the forefront, grabbing Rotten Skull and using it to stab a few enemies in his path after downing them with a well-placed kick or two.

Eileen led the charge, admiring her handiwork as they passed by. Desert combat wasn't a Marine specialty, but coming up with a way of bypassing the spires was an extra challenge they had considered if the Bandits had exceeded expectations. Besides, she liked big explosions. Emanuel followed closely, picking up the rear of small group of able soldiers to go and apprehend their main target.

His exhaustion took a backseat to fighting as they made their way into the bandit's cavern where numerous tents had been placed. The flankmen had each grabbed a bazooka and were shooting their leftover firebombs into the encampment, setting off more small-radius flames that eagerly licked at the fabrics. Not a soul was spared from being put to the sword as the animalistic fighting style of the bandits had now become one with the Marines.  

Emanuel didn't stop to survey the wreckage, instead following Eileen's lead as she ran straight through, dodging and slashing few adversaries as they made their way past. The cavern stretched back into the mountain like a maw gobbling up any who dared to go too far in. At the farthest reaches of the cavern where the moon's faded glow barely reached, they came to the large stone hexagon-shaped stone platform that showed faintly from the lack of light, but appeared to have been built and chiseled out of marble. The platform was elevated so that it was set to be about 4  feet off the ground and there was a wide amount of space where the throne sat at the top.

Everything was burning all around them; with their base all in tatters, the pirates were disorganized and no voice rang out to be their saving grace. There was still the clangs and clatter of resistance ringing out as the last remnants went into survival mode, but any worthy bystander would conclude that this would be over quite soon. The Marines had their perimeter set up and any stragglers that managed to flounder outside would face a firing squad and be surrounded.

His bearish features were cascaded by shadow, seemingly not even paying attention to them. As if frozen and unwilling to move, he stayed seated. Contrast to that, the ruby-dressed woman standing before him wore on a very wicked smirk. "The jig is up Hashim. Time to surrender, your reaper is here. He has come to collect his toll and your carcass rotting in a jail cell will be his price."

Emanuel righted himself beside several others around her. Most of them held guns and swords while he kept his spear readied at his side. At that time, many of them were certain this fight had come to an end.

---

Emanuel D. Angelov
"All losses in this world are due to a lack of ability."

Hashim was rather tall for a Mink and burly to boot, standing around 6 and a half feet in height. His fur was actually quite beautifully colored; golden brown like autumn leaves with streaks of black that also ran well around his hazel irises. His snout was large and bore many and various scars. For his arms, legs, and torso, he was a very beefed up creature. To himself, Emanuel noted that if they were going to fight here, he would need to stay far away from a direct hit. One swipe and there was doubt he would be getting up any time soon.

The claws snapped suddenly and radiated with electric sparks as the outlaw lifted himself from the throne before walking down the long steps. Eileen looked prepared and ready for a fight as well as did the others. Hashim's face slowly donned and Emanuel got his first dose of the beast's gnarled smile and graveled voice. "Genius tactic that was, bringing a bunch of explosives as back-up and using those to blow apart the spires and open the gate. I see the Marines have at least one person with a good head on their shoulders."

He breathed deeply once but then every breath he took after that grew more and more rapid. "However, in your haste to claim victory, you've grown a bit too overconfident. You've all placed yourself in front of me... like fresh little snacks waiting to be gobbled down." His claws and fists clenched and Emanuel could see a vain popping out of the forehead. It was frightening to watch. His body physiology seemed to suddenly shift and alter, emitting a light-colored steam. Whatever was happening with that body, it was completely unknown to them.

Eileen was first to react and then the young marine chased right after her into the fray. She crossed the distance between them in a flash and leaped high overhead with her sword held in reverse grip before twisting her body and landing right on Hashim's heavily muscled arm. She left a long gash on the upper right shoulder that then spread to the torso; a long slash going from shoulder to hip. With her instincts, she turned the sword back around and then started to bring the weapon back down on the creatures throat.

The angered Grizzly Bear thrashed about, enraged from being injured and Eileen's incoming blade flew wide off the mark as the creature whipped its head about. In retaliation, Hashim grabbed Eileen with its massive paws and then craned its neck before sinking its teeth deeply into her shoulder. Eileen's eyes grew wide and her she struggled to push him off. A puddle of blood formed from her wound where the teeth had wedged in. It all happened before Emanuel had a chance to get closer, but seeing the indomitable captain injured gave him the most immediate cause to jump into combat unhesitatingly as gunshots rang out around them, almost all missing Hashim.

His spear dropped from his hand as the bear thrashed and knocked the spear away. In rage he twisted underneath to drive his foot directly into the underside of the bear's jaw. The impact freed Eileen who breathed for a moment and then grasped for her sword and then stabbed the short blade  directly into Hashim's bloodied torso. A wild, feral howl split the air around them and then the creature lashed out with a wide right paw from overhead. Emanuel moved just quickly enough to drop back down to the sand and avoid injury, but the ruby captain was suddenly held up again in Hashim's grasp and too close a range to dodge.

Static electricity gathered in its over-arched paw and coalesced into a ball, giving off a faint shivering light to match the dull blue moon. Eileen felt her body rivet and cave from the shock as the blow knocked her far away and off the the platform, landing with a 'thump' and skidding through the sand until coming to a halt.

---

Emanuel D. Angelov
"All losses in this world are due to a lack of ability."

A blank look filled Eileen's eyes, her muscles twitching a little as she tried to move. Sparks still surrounded her body, paralyzing her and leaving her out of the fight for the time being. Her allies glimpsed her limp body and in shock, they began to fire with impunity. Emanuel moved by reflex to attempt to intercept the attack, but there was little he could do. The beastly creature began to frenzy, howling aloud before quieting and gazing down Emanuel and the 5 marines with open malice.

Without the captain, Emanuel gritted his teeth and by habit started to survey around him. They still had a good force outside and many able-bodied marines surrounding the stronghold, but that wouldn't guarantee he didn't have a back-up plan in case. His mind started to whir as he considered his options. Would it be more favorable to fight the large bear outside instead? One hand went up and grasped his chin while the other started to turn and writhe as his brain was methodically circling through his bag of tricks.

Like the others, he also shared a worried glance toward Eileen, but all his mental power was kept pinned on the approaching threat. His posture loosened to a defensive stance as he readied himself and continued thinking. His face was caked with sweat and his stamina had been mostly exhausted from fighting in the main battle. He had enough physical and mental resources left to put up a decent fight and was going to put it to good use.

"She left a pretty big scar on his chest. Should I try to aim for that or should I go for his other weak points? He'll beat us if I try a frontal attack..." The inside of the cave was wide and large, giving both of them plenty of room to move about. He was smaller though and if that was a good thing, it would allow him to move faster than him if he was lucky. What else did they have on hand? They had brought plenty of handcuffs for the bandits. Each of the marines had at least one or two on their person and that could be of use. The cogs of his brain continued to churn relentlessly, but the enemy was approaching.

There was no more time left to think as the bear started to charge them down. Emanuel had to quickly jump away from a wide hook and a follow-up swipe with the bear's large arms. In its paws, the rabid Hashim was still gathering sparks and he could see the static surrounding his limbs against the darkness shading the cavern. He dodged another heavy blow by bare inches, throwing himself quickly between the bear's legs. No offensive chance was given to him for the next few moments as Hashim had earmarked him singly it seems. His allies held their fire wisely, only shooting a few bullets when viable to reduce the risk of hitting the half-breed.

Emanuel continued to think and plan even as he was forced to stay on the defensive, noting the static electricity that surrounded Hashim as well as the bandit king's rabid strikes that preferred to go overhead and try to smash him into the ground. Splitting his attention between plotting and dodging wasn't for the best either. When Hashim went for an uppercut, Emanuel almost didn't have time to dodge. The fist passed by his ankle and the electric sparks jumped through the little space between them. The result was a sudden numbing shock sent up his right leg that robbed it of all feeling.

With no sensation of feeling in his affected limb, Emanuel went into a roll off the dodge and skidded through the sand until he ended up crumpled up in a ball several meters away. Bloodthirstily grinning, the bearish bandit lord smirked after seeing him all crumpled up and seeing that the boy at least would be feeling that shock. Smelling weakness and the chance to finish off a troublesome foe, he started to advance again while the Marines stood by and opened fire on him.

The bullets didn't even faze him, but the ones that rushed through the air around him were enough suasion for him to abandon his target for the moment and turn towards the few marines firing guns behind him. The Marines faces turned crestfallen as the beast opened its claws, gathering more static in his paw before swiping widely and sending the Marines farther back into where the battle was still raging in the main camp.

It took Emanuel the few moments they had bought to right himself, but even then his right leg could barely take any of his weight. His knees wobbled and shook whenever he tried to stand and gave out, forcing him to stand with a limp as the beast turned his attentions back. The beast eyed him with a grim smirk, wordlessly knowing that it was about to win this fight. Emanuel tried to read whatever he was thinking behind that frighteningly grizzled visage, but it was to no avail. Each second, he tried more and more to put some of his weight back into it. Slowly, he  massaged it and that seemed to make the numbness recede a little and allow him to at least stand upright.

The mink advanced steadily and then switched to running, one straight punch held above his head that would surely end the fight if it connected. Emanuel managed to keep his ground, but he knew that dodging the attack was out of the question. It was already gathering static while he remained stationary. In close range, Hashim sent a lunging punch straight for his gut. In his last few moments though, Emanuel acted on one of his ideas, digging his left heel into the ground beneath. When Hashim closed in, Emanuel kicked up a large wad of sand that was sent straight into Hashim's face and coated the mink's arm.

Every grain of it wretched into his eyes and coated his arm, burning out his vision and the smoldering out the static. The result was tremendous. Hashim howled from burning eyes and having swallowed a mouthful of sand. He tried to carry through with a strike that went wide and ended up buried in the sand as he coughed and spit. Emanuel, without being able to put enough weight to stand, fell onto his rear end. This time though was easier for him to manage though as he started to steadily get his strength back.

Hashim was on the ground, coughing and trying to spit up sand as his eyes turned red. It bought him a few moments reprieve, but he wasn't about to waste it lying down. Forcing himself to half-limp over to Hashim on all fours, Emanuel spared no sympthy and promptly wound up the best kick he could manage that landed square on the Mink's temple. The boy didn't stop there. Emanuel quickly drove a vindictive knee into his forehead and then kicked up more sand and absolutely covered his body with it.

Emanuel kept going and got even more aggressive as the strength in his muscle returned, doing as much as he could just to make sure Hashim stayed down. He drove his foot into his gut. He pulverized Hashim's by stomping on it. Through it all, the Mink still gave out grunts and still seemed to be recovering. In frustration, Emanuel went for another kick to the temple, but the mink suddenly opened one eye and gave Emanuel a sudden palm thrust that sent him backwards.

Skidding to a halt, he was able to remain on his feet, though choked a little bit. Luckily it seemed he hadn't been able to put all his might into the strike. Angrier than ever and now steaming, the Bear Mink pulled himself to stand, eyes streaming with tears while puffing up and burning red. Emanuel fell to his rear, tired and feeling his leg still unable to bear all of his weight. With Hashim bearing over him now, bringing a large fist down on him, Emanuel's features transformed. What was there left he could do? He had so little strength in him right now. Even seeing that this could be the end, his expression remained embattled, continuing to look for anything. Any last resort.

All he could see were some remaining handcuffs that had flung off the Marines when Hashim had unloaded on them. They were too far away for him to grasp and he doubted he would get to them. He backed himself up to where he was against the stone platform as Hashim was now only a few feet away and exuding killing murderous intent. He rose for another wide sweep, aiming to send Emanuel's head rolling off his shoulders.

The young Marine felt resigned and by instinct tightened his grip on what he thought would be the platform. Seconds before it hit, Emanuel heard a chink rattle in his hand. Without even looking, knowing from the feeling of familiarity, Emanuel grasped the spear  he had dropped earlier at the beginning of the fight. Rotten Skull slipped between Hashim's attack and the tip slashed vertically through his left eye. Great cries of pain erupted, he screamed and his hands went up to cradle the whole left side of his face, staunching the blood flow.

Tired, exhausted, and down to his last straw, the young ensign Marine willed himself up. His leg was still rigid, but had regained just enough strength to make one final attack. He lunged and dashed to and fro, each time launching a wide-angled kick at the Mink's head. Each time making him groggier and groggier. Once. Twice. For the final shot, he made one last jump and shot out with the heel of his foot. It hit Hashim right in the jaw and sent him backwards where he skidded to a halt and the light passed out of his eyes finally.

Between pants and gasps for air out of exhaustion, Emanuel, on his hindquarters, raised a fist. "How do you like them apples... YOU BITCH!" Lying down on the sand, the rest of the Marines would soon arrive, having fully taken and occupied the rest of the base.

A Report that was filed later following the battle:

---

Emanuel D. Angelov
"All losses in this world are due to a lack of ability."

In the aftermath of the battle, the Marines occupied and raided the camp, tearing apart every nook and cranny. They restrained the half-blind Hashim with several pairs of handcuffs along with his Lieutenants they had captured during the battle. Though he moved with a limp, Emanuel went about turning the mountain upside down. In the midst of the search, he scoured the back of the cavern and all likely places in sight where the bandit could have stashed his most precious belongings.

If Hashim had convinced himself he was so clever as to organize an entire smuggling operation, than he would most certainly have kept things buried away from the main contraband where only he could find them and marked them somehow. The sun had come up, shining its opening rays upon the desert light and driving away the crisp chill of the night. That made it far more easier for him to keep his eyes open through the fog of his tiredness. He got down on his knees and started tossing sand out from the corners near the wall. He even brought in a shovel after a while and was soon throwing out tall piles of sand.

The whole effort took him several hours of digging, but eventually, he came upon a spot near the wall where he began digging and the shovel went down a little bit before making a clear and metallic 'clink'. A rugged smile curved the edges of his cheeks. "Well well. Payday, but can't say I'm surprised." After a bit more effort, he had unearthed a small chest. It wasn't large enough that he would need more than himself to move it, but it still was a bit of a chore to throw the sand off and the lug it to the surface.

As expected, there was a hardy lock placed on the box that he first tried breaking open, but to no avail and so he had to fetch the others who were eventually able to locate the key after some searching through the wreckage. Once opened, Emanuel didn't see  all that much that was too special at first. He had plenty of jewelry that were adorned with all kinds of gems and diamonds that would certainly fetch a steep price. He had to push some of them out of the way as he sorted and listed each down methodically, until he came upon an item that drew a breath from his lungs.

His eyes were drawn to the large melon-like fruit of shaded brown and covered with swirls. His hand reached for it and picked it up, his eyes glossing over as he admired it vividly as his curiosity burned brighter. He recalled conversations he had had with his father as a child and after learning of the Devil Fruits himself, he couldn't help but take a few moments to turn it over in his hand before replacing it in the box and locking it up after noting it on the inventory sheet. Though he felt further pangs of curiosity, regret, and reminiscence, he pushed them to the back of his mind as they loaded up everything they had found.

The trek back to Nanohana was short, but hampered. They had prisoners they dragged along through the sand and the cargo was hauled by rope through the desert sands. Back at Marine base, there was a time of 'hurrah' as the victorious marines celebrated with an award ceremony held out in the courtyard. Not being stationed out on Sandy Island, Emanuel received commendations for his work as well as offerings that would be relayed to his commanding officer. Later on, he watched as the Marines shut away the contraband they had acquired in the raid, the pangs of his curiosity still burning.

Through it all, he couldn't help but begin pondering to himself about his experiences the past few days. He'd met up with his new superior, had quite an adventure escorting nobles, and now had quite the notch on his belt. In all the fuss, there was also his doubts. As he stood straight in the lobby, watching the marines store away the contraband into the armory, he eyed the Special Investigator that had appeared and was standing alongside them.

One caveat that had been bothering him ever since was the order that he couldn't leave Sandy until this 'Investigator' had finished his mandate. Aside from holding him up, what other secrets was he supposedly investigating and what other things might he be hiding? "There's gotta be some kind of catch to this man. I can't trust him either... he smells like trouble... and Lu Dahn too." Despite how it seemed like he tried to put up a positive facade during their meeting, he kept telling himself that something was off with the man. Both of them reeked of something foul.

Once he had a moment of peace, Emanuel chose to sneak away to the bureau where the Marines kept and archived documents. Was he hiding fraud? Did he bribe someone in the upper brass? Whenever he needed questions like that answered, Emanuel went to the records and buried himself in thought. Luckily, it wasn't guarded at the moment as everyone had stayed away and the usual people were out to lunch.

Picking out some records, he looked about the room suspiciously before walking over to a secluded corner in the room and setting down to read. He started with the personal profiles and then went to records and bills of lading from prior expeditions. If he found something, it was usually through cross-examining. His intuition would guide him the rest of the way. Seeing as how it drove him their, he began trying to find whatever he could on his superior he would be reporting to in the G-6.

Seeing as how this was a small base, he wasn't certain that there would be anything to be found, but at the very least maybe he could get a head-start. His mind focused on figures and the facts deep within the records, going over them meticulously until a shadow stepped over him and his heart sank as he looked up.

"Quite interested in reading that, I see." Having not heard him enter, the Special Inspector stood over him looking down.

---

Emanuel D. Angelov
"All losses in this world are due to a lack of ability."

Roughly, he was hauled out of the room by the scruff of his vest and shepherded to another room amid a flurry of activity. They confiscated all of his belongings and there were whispers of orders to bring him all of his things. After the initial drop in his reaction, he tried gently to smooth-talk his way out of it, but the Inspector didn't have any of it and shut him out before he even said more than a word. It gave way to confusion and u

When had he missed the inspector enter? Was he trailed as he was leaving? Shifting his gaze over, his fingers twitched over his chin as his mind worked. At the very least, he was fully capable of staying calm. Whatever was in store for him, no good would come from letting himself fall apart right now.

"Sir, I'm sure this is just a big misunderstanding. I was just curious and thought I'd... you know, take a moment and go over some things. A lot has been happening to me recently and..." In his best placative voice, he sat in front of the man who's eyes were about as deathly grim and serious as one could get. Combined with grizzled and graying of his hair, even Emanuel was put little at ease by the overall demeanor.

"Stow it. I'm not interested in your excuses. I've had my eye on you since I first set foot on the docks. You may think you're sly Mister Angelov, but I could tell that you had something to hide. It was all written on your face and as it turns out, I'm quite good at reading faces." His voice was harsh and impatient, tapping the desk with one finger as they sat there in silence, seemingly waiting there for something.

Soon enough, a marine entered in through the door, carrying a small bag that Emanuel recognized immediately. Those were his notes that he had kept onboard the Enforcer. His mouth opened immediately to protest, but he clamped it shut as the Inspector grabbed the first thing from the bag and flipped through it. "This is all classified material outside of our normal record-keeping system. How did you, a mere ensign, get a hold of this at all? How long have you been snooping in the bureau? I recognize some of these documents; did you steal them from somewhere else? Tell me now, Ensign Angelov."

Emanuel's face remained silent and stoic, making no attempt to even contemplate an answer. Consciously, he placed his hands on his lap and decided to stare the man straight in the eye. "I see. Your eyes speak what your mouth does not. Very well than." He got up out of his chair and stepped on over to the book case where he pulled a small white paperback out and went back to place it on his desk.

"This here is the rulebook and I follow it to the letter. By my mandate, I was called here to inspect the branch and submit my findings. However, there is one other thing that is a part of my orders. While I don't have the authority to immediately discharge you, I CAN call a hearing for any cases of wrongdoing that I find. And it appears to me that I've discovered a pirate mole stealing privileged documents and precious information he shouldn't have access to." His gaze suddenly turned even more sour than before.

"So therefore, I am scheduling for you to appear at a marine tribunal review in three days. It will take me a bit of time to sort through everything, but until then, I have ordered that the ship you had on loan be impounded and yourself relieved of all duties until I have completed my investigation. The 5 Ensigns that reported to you have also been placed on standby until further notice."

He gave a dismissive wave of his hand. "Oh trust me, you should be ecstatic that I've decided not to confine you in a cell. I would very much like to, but I am not unreasonable like that. You are a Marine with nowhere to go, no way to get off this island, and I will be the one deciding your quarters until trial. I think that should serve my purposes amply without needing to throw you in with the rest of the maggots. Although, once this trial is over, there should be nothing stopping me." His tone of voice became far darker and condescending.

Throughout, Emanuel felt like his joints and muscles had turned to stone. He wouldn't have dared to twitch until after being dismissed and even then it felt like walking inside a dream with silhouettes substituted for the two figures escorting him from the building. The man had waved his hand and from there, the figures passing by were all but ignored.

His face was calm and he tried to keep a steady gait in his step as he stepped out into the sun, but inside something was steadily building. He kept his thoughts empty and at bay, but they were rapidly coming underwater in his struggle to wrangle in the swirling torrent of emotions to try and make sense out of them. He felt humiliated; his upper lip trembling shakily while grinding his teeth. The look on his face remained sullen and emotionless until he came to a small, isolated spot in a back alley with nobody around. His brain barely registered where and how far he had walked, only desperately looking for a safe spot to be alone where he crashed down to his hands and knees.

"Idiot. IdiotIdiotIdiotIdiotIdiotIdiotIdiotIdiotIdiot." His fingers clenched tighter and tighter until it hurt to breathe. Minutes passed with him pounding his fist against the wall and thrashing his foot against an empty wooden box. Anger flashed in his eyes, kicking everything in sight. Curse words flared and he pictured every object as if it was the Inspector's severed head. Anger at his own carelessness and viciousness directed at the Inspector. Just when things had been going perfectly in his direction, now he was stuck here and facing the very real possibility of being expelled from the job he had poured his ambition and heart into.

In the span of a few minutes, the world felt like it had suddenly shifted upside down.

---