[V] An Opportune Moment

Cassius · 1 [V] An Opportune Moment Mon Nov 05, 2018 5:31 pm

Cassius

Pirate

Posts : 491
Location : Water 7
Join date : 2017-12-09

Cassius Sinclair
The Kraken
[V] An Opportune Moment D5da255ae42b2fbe08f85ac5f848e11c

Cassius had wandered back to town after leaving the execution. Behind him he could still hear the dull roar of the crowds and grunted in annoyance. That place was a powder keg waiting to blow and he had no doubt he'd be reading about some idiot trying to make a name for himself and blowing the whole place to hell in the morning papers. Hell, maybe it'd make it to the evening papers if they moved fast enough. What was more annoying than the execution itself however, was the fact that it completely went against Cassius's plan to enjoy a quiet drink alone in one of the many empty bars in town. However, what he hadn't anticipated was the entire town being empty, including bars of their staff. Not a single bar, cafe or restaurant were open, all of their owners and staff having made their way to the large coliseum on the hill for the special event.

Cassius groaned aloud as he shuffled his way through the streets, having just read his fifth and final "Sorry, We're Closed!" sign for the day. He continued walking the streets, now headed for the docks. With nothing else to do he had resigned himself to simply returning to the ship and taking a mid-morning nap. He hated naps, found them to be a complete waste of time but with literally nothing needing doing, Cassius found no other reason to stay awake. His men would still be aboard the ship, perhaps he would join them for a round of cards and some drinking once he woke up. How truly dull it all seemed.

As he stepped foot onto the docks however, Cassius passed rows of ships ranging in all shapes and sizes, heading down to the final slip where his own ship was docked. He paused however, picking his head up as he passed one of the ships on his right and took a few steps back to view it. The ship was pained with the symbols of the World Government, garnered with the trademark colors of the Marines and Cassius scratched at his tentacled beard in thought. He could see no patrolman walking the decks. With such a large event going on, Cassius had little doubt that the vast majority of Marines wouldn't be there rather than guarding their ships. Turning around, he found an identical ship in the slip to his left and directly across the dock from the initial one. Walking farther down the dock, he peered through the gap between ships and could see a third and final Marine vessel lazily bobbing in the harbor docks on the other side of his first Marine ship.

Three little ships lined up perfectly and, from the looks of it, completely unguarded. The fishman pirate continued scratching his beard in thought, contemplating, weighing his options and the potential cost vs benefits. On the one hand, sinking several Marine ships would be rather entertaining and Cassius was dreadfully board. On the other hand...well, he couldn't think of anything so that meant it must have been a wonderful idea, right? Without a second thought, Cassius dove into the harbor, slipping between the ship and the dock.

The water was warm here, so close to the sun and the salt scratched at his skin pleasantly as he returned to the world he favored beneath the surface of the sea. He looked up, his eyes adjusting to his new surroundings as the sun's rays danced through the shifting tides, flickering and sparkling in the shadow of the large Marine vessel. Cassius pushed off from the harbor floor, shooting upwards towards the bottom of the middle Marine ship. He pushed his fist forward, delivering a hard, Thousand Tile True Punch to the hull of the vessel. The wood splintered and fractured beneath his fist, but did not give way as he had expected. Annoyed, Cassius leaned back before delivering another solid blow. This time his fist struck through the wood, allowing water to begin seeping in, however the hole was still far too small for his large frame.

Again he bashed against the wooden hull, the wood weaker in the area he had already punctured. It splintered against his blows, before it was finally weak enough for him to begin simply reaching into the edge of the hole and ripping off large chunks of wood. All the while, water slipped passed him and rushed upwards and into the slowly sinking vessel. Eventually the hole was large enough to enter and Cassius pulled himself up and through the hole into the ship.

Standing now, he found himself in about calf high water. Not too shabby for a few minutes of work, but it wasn't enough. At this rate, working on three separate ships they'd be maybe half sunk and fully salvageable by the time the execution let out. Cassius made his way towards the stairs for the next deck, sloshing through the water as he went. Up above now, he found what he was looking for and smiled wider than he had in a long time. No matter who you were, something about the idea of blowing things up could make you giddier than a school girl.

He stepped over to a large stack of cannonballs, picking one up in his large webbed hand and turning it over to inspect it. He slid another hand along the cool, dark metal of the cannon before moving around it to place the ball in the front. He listened to it roll solidly down the track to the back of the cannon as he dropped the door to allow the metal nose of the cannon to poke out. Reaching into his coat pocket, he pulled out the matchbook he used for his pipe and struck one, placing it to the fuse of the cannon. Stepping back a bit, he waited a moment, watching the fuse burn, the smell of gunpowder filling his nostrils, anticipation building in the pit of his stomach.

What in the hell do you think you're doing?! Someone shouted and Cassius looked down the length of the deck to see a single Marine standing at the bottom of the stairs, a lantern in one hand, his sword in the other.
Aw shit. Cassius grumbled just as the cannon unleashed hell only a mere few feet in front of him.

WORDS: 1063
NOTES: ###
DORIKI: +5 S&P & +5 S&A (In water);+5 E&D (Pugilist); +14 S&P
GEAR: ###
SKILLS: ###

Cassius · 2 Re: [V] An Opportune Moment Tue Nov 06, 2018 4:59 am

Cassius

Pirate

Posts : 491
Location : Water 7
Join date : 2017-12-09

Cassius Sinclair
The Kraken
[V] An Opportune Moment D5da255ae42b2fbe08f85ac5f848e11c

The surprised Marine reached for the alarm bell by the stairs and began ringing it furiously, something Cassius realized was probably a bit unnecessary considering he had just fired a cannon and blown a massive hole in the side of another vessel. Surely that would alert an Marines more than it would some flimsy bell. Regardless, the Marine began shouting over the bell and the madness of this inner deck,
Intruder alert! Intruder alert! We have an intruder aboard, back up needed!

As he shouted, Cassius reached for another cannonball and, like a shotput, chucked the large metal orb at the Marine. He was quicker than Cassius had expected however, just ducking out of the way in time. The cannonball ripped through the stairs behind the man, splintering and cracking the bottom few steps before exiting out the wall near the front of the ship. The Marine looked at Cassius startled before drawing his sword and making his way towards him. Cassius frowned before reaching for the cannon near him and, with a massive yank, pulled it out from the window and aimed it towards the approaching Marine. The walkway was narrow, separated by several beams in the middle and large storage crates. Cassius didn't have time to load and fire the cannon before the Marine would be on him, so he simply began pushing it, hard. He pushed it, the wheels groaning but giving way as he pushed it harder and faster towards the Marine.

For a moment, the Marine continued his advance before realizing what was coming his way and freezing in place. Like a deer in headlights he had nowhere to go and no idea what to do as the front of the cannon slammed into his chest. Cassius heard ribs snap beneath the weight and pressure of the charging cannon. The Marine gasped as Cassius continued to push him back, farther and farther he was off his feet now. Cassius shoved the cannon and the Marine all the way into the back wall, where the cannon ball had exited and weakened the wall. With the force of the cannon and Cassius's strength, the fishman pushed the Marine through the already broken wall and into the sea below, the massive cannon following behind.

Cassius stared down at the harbor sea for a moment, waiting to see if the Marine would resurface before the ship suddenly rocked and buckled. He held onto the edge of the splintered wood to steady himself, swearing beneath his breath. Apparently the hole he had punched through the hull of the ship was widening. The water was becoming too much for the weakened wood to handle and the entire bottom was beginning to crack and splinter beneath the pressure.
Figure I don't have much longer on this ole girl. Cassius said, mostly to himself.

He stepped back into the ship and away from the large hole as water began rising from the lowest level. He grabbed a cannon and faced it inwards towards large barrels of gunpowder used to refill guns and cannons alike. Grabbing a cannonball, the fishman stuffed it in before lighting the cannon. The fuse began to burn as Cassius jumped backwards out of the hole he had created and into the water below. As he sunk beneath the surface, the middle deck of the ship exploded, sending shrapnel and wood flying across various other ships. From beneath the safety of the sea he could see the large main mast of the middle ship sail into the air and come crashing down on the Marine ship he had fired upon. The mast shot through the top deck of the other Marine vessel, like a spear it hammered through each deck, ripping apart the insides and causing it to begin taking on massive amounts of water.

Pulling himself from the water and back onto the docks, Cassius looked over at the final Marine ship that had escaped any real harm so far. He cracked his neck and fingers before making his way towards it along the docks.
Halt! Put your hands in the air and drop to your knees or I'll shoot. A new Marine voice came from behind Cassius.
Cassius turned his head slightly to look over his shoulder, finding a solitary Marine with a rifle raised and trained on Cassius. He frowned but complied and put his hands in the air, lowering himself to the docks on his knees.
Good, now don't move. If you so much as twitch the wrong way I'll blow your head off. The man ordered as he began slowly approaching.

Near Cassius, he kept the rifle trained on him but began reaching at his belt for a pair of handcuffs.
A lesson in life, Cassius began.
Shut up! Did I tell you to speak? The Marine asked, as he fumbled with unhinging the cuffs at his belt and looked down momentarily.
you should always shoot first. Cassius concluded as he turned suddenly and grabbed the barrel of the rifle, forcing it harmlessly away from him. With his other hand he delivered a devastating strike to the Marine's midsection, causing the air to rush out of his lungs as he caved in around Cassius's fist.

Rising to his full height, Cassius grabbed the stunned Marine's head in two powerful hands and brought his knee up suddenly, jerking the Marine's head up and backwards. The poor fool fell to the docks completely unconscious, the sense quite literally knocked out of him. Cassius reached down and picked up the rifle, tossing it into the sea where it could be of no use to anyone skilled enough to use it.

My, my, if I had known you were going to be this much of a hassle, I would have been more serious when we first met and put you in the grave rather than trying to put you in chains. Commodore Grash said from behind Cassius. He had disembarked the final, remaining vessel and while Cassius had dealt with the rifle toting Marine, Grash had decided to come around the corner.

[V] An Opportune Moment A91d3a4e86f5040d089675e5e1300668

Ah it's you, from the weapons depot that night. Demote you to babysitting the ships now, eh? Cassius taunted as he recognized the Marine officer.

Grash clearly didn't like this little taunt, but composed himself as three more Marines came running around the corner of the docks, armed and ready for a fight. However, Grash put his hand up to halt them before they could continue towards Cassius. He began sliding out of his Marine issued officer's jacket as he said,
Don't waste your time men, this is no ordinary opponent and I don't need to fill out any more medical requests than already necessary. This one is mine and mine alone.

WORDS: 1125
NOTES: ###
DORIKI: +5 S&P & +5 S&A (In water);+5 E&D (Pugilist)
GEAR: ###
SKILLS: ###

Last edited by Cassius on Wed Nov 07, 2018 4:45 pm; edited 1 time in total

Cassius · 3 Re: [V] An Opportune Moment Tue Nov 06, 2018 10:03 am

Cassius

Pirate

Posts : 491
Location : Water 7
Join date : 2017-12-09

Cassius Sinclair
The Kraken
[V] An Opportune Moment D5da255ae42b2fbe08f85ac5f848e11c

Yours, eh? Cassius asked with a small smile as he watched Grash's confused men look from him to their Commodore, back to Cassius and then take a few steps back.
Remember what happened last time you took me on alone? You think anything has changed in the week or so since then? Bah. Cassius chuckled, taunting Grash, but to the fishman's surprise the Marine only smiled back, confidence exuding from his very being. Something about him unnerved Cassius this time around, but he shook the feeling.

I have to admit I made a mistake last time we met. I underestimated you Cassius Sinclair and that was entirely my fault. This time around however, I know your tricks and I will not toy with you. With that, Grash simply disappeared from the spot he was standing.
What the- Cassius blurted out loud before feeling a heavy impact across his face as Grash reappeared beside him, delivering a crushing kick to the fishman's tentacled face. Cassius stumbled backwards, spit blood and stared at Grash, his eyes narrowed in pure anger. The warm, metallic taste of fresh blood painted his tongue but he said nothing.

When we met that night, as I said I was merely playing with you. It was my mistake really, not using the full repetoir of my skills. I had planned to utilize Rokushiki to end that fight, but unfortunately your little trick with the poison took effect before I had a chance. So, as repayment, allow me to show you the full power of a Marine Officer who has been trained in the art of Rokushiki. Grash said with a smug smile before disappearing again. Cassius raised his arms in anticipation, protecting his head from another blow. Grash appeared once more, his Soru technique too fast for Cassius to properly track as his leg connected with Cassius's midsection. However, the fishman had been anticipating this is where the Marine would aim with his head covered and dropped his arms, wrapping his powerful hands around the Marine's leg he spun and knocked Grash against one of the wooden pylons of the docks. He struck Grash against the pylon with enough force to cause the wood to splinter and break as he let the man go, tossing him across the docks.

A blow like that would have surely been enough to at least knock the wind out of Grash, no matter how well he had trained and Cassius took his time to catch his breath before stalking towards the downed Marine.
Fancy tricks won't make a difference, not when it counts. Cassius said through a few heavy breaths. He was over Grash now, who only stared up at him as Cassius brought his fist back and down into the Marine's stomach. However, rather than feeling the usual give and crushing caving in of the man's internal organs, Cassius's fist was met with firm, hardened skin that did not cave beneath his punch but held firm. Surprise overtook Cassius as he looked down at his fist and then up at the smiling face of Grash.

These are no tricks fishman, but the product of years of training. This is Tekkai, this is the reason I am still conscious after striking through that wooden pylon. This will be your undoing. Grash said, suddenly sitting up and driving a singular finger into Cassius's shoulder. Pain rippled through the fishman's arm, exploding in his joints from a simple finger puncture. Grash removed his finger from Cassius's flesh, blood trickling out of the nearly perfectly circular wound as Cassius stumbled back and away from the Marine. In turn, Grash calmly stood up, brushing off his shirt and pants as he did so before looking up at Cassius with the confidence of a man who knew he had already won.

You see my friend, this is the true strength of a man with battle expertise. You fight hard but with no real skill. Your brute strength has carried you far through all your life up until this point, but brute strength alone won't save you now. This is the end of the road for you today. Grash said as he slowly moved towards Cassius. Cassius took a step back, clutching the hole in his shoulder as he did and simply staring at Grash. The man was too fast, too prepared and too well disciplined. Perhaps he had a point, Cassius had forgotten much of Doc's teachings in Fishman Karate. He knew the same moves and techniques today that he did several years ago when he left Doc. He hadn't trained or practiced, only relied on his strength to get him through. The surface world was a completely different beast and Grash was thoroughly proving that to Cassius now.

The fishman took another step back as Grash continued his approach. He looked back, behind him at the destroyed and burning remnants of one Marine vessel and the sinking, splintered remnants of another. Two out of three wasn't bad and being arrested here for such a dumb, easy to avoid reason didn't exactly sound ideal.
Come then, face this as a man and accept your defeat. There's no need for further harm to come to you Cassius. Grash said, reaching down to a pair of handcuffs at his belt.
Alright you little runt, we're tied now, one and one. The next time we meet will be the deciding round. Winner take all. Cassius said and with that he dove over the side of the dock and into the harbor below. Even with his bum arm he was far faster in the water and nimbly swam between ships, bobbing and weaving to make it impossible for any human to follow him. However, before he left completely, he caught a glimpse of Grash's smug smile, that same confidence still painfully clear as day. Cassius made a promise to wipe that smile from his face the next time they met.

WORDS: 989
NOTES: ###
DORIKI: +5 S&P & +5 S&A (In water);+5 E&D (Pugilist)
GEAR: ###
SKILLS: ###

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1 [V] An Opportune Moment Mon Nov 05, 2018 5:31 pm

Cassius

2 Re: [V] An Opportune Moment Tue Nov 06, 2018 4:59 am

Cassius

3 Re: [V] An Opportune Moment Tue Nov 06, 2018 10:03 am

Cassius

4 Re: [V] An Opportune Moment

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