Mashyuu stepped out onto the ramparts of the walls of Quaid's former home, the place that Mashyuu once called home in his early days as a slave. The rest of the Phantom Raiders rested inside the mansion, sleeping till sunrise, still eight hours away. With the recent events of Quinn's men coming for the group, and Mashyuu and the others launching a counter attack on Quaid and his forces, the crew decided it would be best to stay on guard until the ordeals each member of the Phantom Raiders had come to take care of were over. Mashyuu rubbed the sleep from his eyes and spread his wings with a stretch, the massive span of both wings cast a dark shadow over the ground below him thanks to the moonlight. The foot of chain wrapped around his arms rattled with each movement of his arms, breaking the silence of the solemn night.

His blue eyes glanced back behind him, many slaves were in the area, all now free and given this land by Mashyuu as a way to offer them something to start their lives with. Some wanted to join the Phantom Raiders but Mashyuu had refused them, not wanting to be responsible for their well being. With the recent addition of Gideon and Koneko to the crew, the Phantom Raiders were six strong and only growing in power every day. Mashyuu had what he thought to be a devil fruit on the ship, Yuurei the same, Mashyuu had grown durable and Yuurei had started to learn haki, along with Dai's sword skills and the sheer strength that Gideon brought to the table things were starting to look up for the group. But still, Mashyuu couldn't shake the feeling of impending danger looming in the shadows, like the crew were slowly creeping towards their deaths.

After all they had been through, they still knew very little about Quinn at this point aside from the fact that he was the most renown slaver on Skypiea and most of the inhabitants of the sky world seemed to fear him in some way or another. Be it due to his martial power or his ability to take anyone he wanted as a slave with the snap of his fingers. Even his own daughter had grown insane with fear and respect for the older man.

Lazily, Mashyuu ran his red gloved hand through his dark locks and looked up at the full reddish moon. "It seems more blood will be spilled..." He mused to himself and drew a deep breath of air, held it for a moment and released it slowly.

"Oh Mashy-Chan, you have no idea how right you are. A ton of blood is going to be spilled. Mostly yours." A voice called out from behind Mashyuu. The sweet voice of Angelica rang in a sing song tone. Mashyuu quickly spun around and narrowed his eyes at the woman who was in a strange seated posture while her wings beat softly to keep her in the air. Her arms were folded over her chest, the left arm up so her palm could support her head at the chin. Her long blonde hair draped over her right shoulder, masking part of her face from the Pirate Captain she had snuck up behind. Mashyuu raised a sharp brow and clenched his jaw. "For someone who lost her crew and ship, you got back fast. Recovered well too I see." Angelica chuckled, the silver armor she wore on her slender body jingled while she moved her arms to rest at her side. "Oh Mashy... You're so cute. Why don't you stop being a pirate and come back home with me. Let me clip those wings and come be my boy toy again." "We were friends when I was five. I wasn't your boy toy." Mashyuu responded. "Of course you were. You belonged to my dad, and hence you were my toy since everything he owns is mine to play with... You left me to be beaten and used by him. Why did you leave me to die? Wasn't I good enough for you!?" Angelica asked, nearly screaming at him as she moved from her mid air seated stance and took one of a fighter. Slowly she drew her long rapier and pointed it in Mashyuu's direction.

Slowly Mashyuu lifted his hands in an open manner and lifted his brow as if he were unsure of what she was about to do. "...Now Angelica, you know that's not how it went. That I was tossed from Skypiea and barley survived with no real way of getting back here. I never intended to let anything bad happen to you and I'm very sorry for what happened. If you want to kill me I understand. I won't simply let you kill me but lets not do this here. I'd hate for the rest of my crew to come out of that house and attack you. This is something we should deal with ourselves." Mashyuu reasoned with a half smile on his face and nodded his head to the left, over the wall. "There is a clearing fifty meters that way, we can fight there and not be disturbed." Angelica glanced in the direction that Mashyuu nodded in and sighed. "Fine babe, I'll consider this to be your last request." She grumbled and started to fly off towards the clearing in the grass while Mashyuu followed along.

The two Skypiean's found themselves standing roughly thirty feet apart in an empty field, only grass and a stray rock stood under the pair. A cool air kept their bodies chill despite the tension between the pair. Slowly Mashyuu slipped his black jacket off and wrapped a half foot of chain around each of his arms and gripped the handles of Silverwind tightly. Angelica kept her blade pointed at a downward angle while she eyed Mashyuu carefully. A brisk wind blew the pairs hair to the left side of Angelica's face. Fifty feet away rested the walls of Quaid's former home, the symbol of the Slave Master Quinn no longer hanging over the walls. "That's our childhood home over there. I thought we would grow old together in that place. Prayed that you would come back every night for years, until I realized that I was a Goddess and you were a fallen God, someone no longer worthy of me.. But that just made me want you more. Now that I know I can't have you, nobody will." Angelica growled while slowly lifting her blade and taking on a fencers stance, with her left arm bent behind the small of her back.

Mashyuu sighed with sorrow, this was the last thing he wanted but trying to get Angelica to back down now wasn't going to happen. She seemed to far gone. Mashyuu started to spin the blades around by the chains, the weapons cutting air rapidly while Angelica studied her opponent carefully. She made no mention of the flaws in her former friends form and why it was so wasteful. In truth she hated her father and wanted Mashyuu and the Phantom Raiders to prevail over Quinn but knew that as they were they stood no chance. Each of them needed to operate at a level they had never dreamed of before. Yuurei was already well on his way but Mashyuu, the Captain was still steps behind. Angelica planned on getting him on par but Mashyuu first needed to see his own flaws, be broken down as a person so that he understood that he didn't stand a chance.

Normally Mashyuu was the one to wait out and play the defensive game but during their last fight, that had nearly gotten him killed and he barely managed to defeat Angelica. (Something she had let happen.) Mashyuu rushed the woman, whipping his blades around rapidly in one fluid motion. Angelica stood silently and lifted her chin with a grin crossing her full pink lips. Mashyuu gave the weapon in his hand a flourish and spun, following up with a hurl of the left half of his weapon straight at Angelica. The beauty took a side step left, spun her wrist in a circle and struck up with the blade, catching the weapon in one motion and knocked the blade aside effortlessly. Mashyuu yanked back on the chain, pulling it towards him but Angelica stomped on the chain and prevented the weapon from moving. "And you've already lost." She mused then moved her slender, booted leg off the chain and let Mashyuu have his weapon back.

The blade was pulled into his hand and Mashyuu snarled with annoyance at Angelica's actions. He couldn't get a read on her, or her mental stability at any given moment. Lazily her eyes fell shut and she motioned Mashyuu towards her. "Come now lover, I'll give you a chance and won't open my eyes until the battle is over. That should give you a fair shot at besting me." As she spoke, an invisible wave of power erupted from Angelica that couldn't be felt but offered her the foresight to react before Mashyuu could even think of his movements.

What the hell? Was she holding out on me the last time we fought? This isn't the same person I fought last time. Mashyuu thought as sweat started to pour down his neck and jawline from the tension and nervousness he was starting to feel towards the situation. He had been close to death more than once but it always came while he was having a close fight with someone, to his memory it wasn't even like he didn't put up a fight. But here this woman who was clearly a bit insane was, completely reading his movements and now she had her eyes closed as if he wasn't good enough to fight her.

Anger welled up inside Mashyuu's stomach and heart. Eyes narrowed jaw set firmly. I. Will. Beat. Her! Mashyuu thought to himself and charged forward in fluid motion like a train gliding across its tracks. Mashyuu sprang up and flew at Angelica, closed the distance until the pair were only a foot apart and placed both his weapons next to one another while the blades faced opposite directions. His wings folded in and he spun straight for Angelica's center of mass while he was in mid air. "Falcons Talons!" He shouted. His attack was one he had been working on since he battled with Ragnar in the golden temple and while it wasn't something he considered a perfect move, it was something that Angelica hadn't seen Mashyuu use before and would hopefully catch her off guard.

Instead, Angelica lifted her blade, a wave of black washed over the hilt and blade of the rapier and her sword arm pulled back for a moment. Thrusting forward she called out. "Black Hawk!" air shot from her weapon, slowing Mashyuu's attack while throwing him off target, then the blade connected with something. Mashyuu's left half jerked right hard, he shot past Angelica and bounced on the ground repeatedly as he slid fifteen feet to a slow stop. blood dripped out of his right shoulder at the top of it, the wound was only deep enough to cause a shudder of pain but the cut was wide enough to leave the man with a crimson shoulder. Angelica twisted around to face Mashyuu, her eyes still closed and that damned smile played on her lips.

Mashyuu slowly pushed himself up and made sure his grip on his weapons was fine. As he glanced at his blades shock set in his face. The right half of Sliverwind had been snapped two inches below the blade, removing it completely from the handle of the weapon. Mashyuu took a half step back, clearly shaken from the sheer strength of the blast that Angelica had delivered all while keeping her eyes shut. Leaving himself open, Angelica took the time chance to attack.

Mashyuu doubled over, a metal clad knee drove into his abdomen but he couldn't even take a step back. He started to reach his left arm up to attack when a thin gash ran across his fingers, causing him to drop the weapon so it dangled by the chain on his wrist. Suddenly Angelica's head collided with Mashyuu's to daze him. His blue eyes clenched shut and his head shook side to side then Angelica twisted around and batted him with her wings, batting Mashyuu aside like a rag doll.

As Mashyuu was beaten by wings, he stumbled aside but didn't fall. His eyes remained closed and blood seeped from his shoulder and busted lip. His left wrist yanked at the chain on his arm and pulled the weapon back to his hand. The moment he felt the handle back in his grasp his eyes opened and a burst of wind caught his weapon before Angelica's blade collided with his again, snapping it like a twig. Mashyuu quickly brought his right arm up while Angelica was still recovering from her sundering strike. Mashyuu caught her in the chin with his weapon and spun around to drive the handle his left handed scythe into Angelica's armored ribs. Using the momentum of the strike Angelica flipped through the air and landed on her high heeled booted feet.

Finally Mashyuu opened his eyes and gave himself some space. His body was trembling with fear and pain. "I didn't think you were going to even land a blow on me. Good, I'm glad I'm not wasting my time. But lookie. Your toys are broken. Huro Huro Huro!" She laughed and tilted her head. Mashyuu unwrapped the chain on his left arm and started to swing it around rapidly, he needed to disarm Angelica before it was too late. His arm launched the chain and pole at Angelica and she countered by flapping her wings so hard that it created a gust of wind that launched Mashyuu's pole back at him and drove the handle into his face. Mashyuu stumbled back from the shock of the pain when suddenly Angelica was in striking distance and ran her weapon over Mashyuu's chest with the tip of the rapier. Three quick slashed left a bleeding A over Mashyuu's heart. His face twisted in agony and his right handed pole became washed in a black force that strengthened the weapon. He started to fall back but lashed out with the weapon and smashed the broken iron into Angelica's throat. She clutched at her neck, opened her eyes and growled like a wild animal at Mashyuu.

Mashyuu landed on his back hard and shook his face side to side only to feel Angelica straddle him. Her tongue dragged over the bloody A on his chest and she whispered into his ear. "That's what I wanted to see from you. The will to live. I'm going to give you the chance to grow as a Pirate, a Captain, Fighter, and most importantly... A man." As quickly as she was atop him, Angelica was off him and planting her boot on his chest to keep the Pirate down. "You are driven but you lack the ambition to beat my father. But the Prophecy in the city of Gold states that someone like you is the one to save everyone on Skypiea. Truly I think that you can do it. But you need someone to mold you into a real man. or at least set you on the right path. That is me. You need a woman's touch and none of the women in your crew are capable of that. So... I'm going to leave. Head to the temple of Gold you visited a few days ago. You are going to travel back to the city of Gold, craft new weapons... Ones that aren't so useless and we will begin teaching you. Don't keep me waiting lover." Angelica stated with a wink and flew off, over the near by jungle and landed at the heart of it...

Mashyuu laid on the ground, taking deep breaths and looking up into the star covered sky. Mashyuu felt the blood from his busted lip roll into his mouth and all he could do was spit it out to the side while he tried to think about what had just happened to him. A wry smile spread on his bloody mouth and his red blood stained teeth shone through. "She was right... My blood was spilled. But look. The moon isn't red anymore." His blue eyes fixed on the moon and he slowly pushed himself up. Everything hurt but not to the point that he wouldn't recover with a few bandages.

With a little effort Mashyuu lifted his prone body to his feet and he limped back to the house. Silently he rummaged through Harley's medical bag and grabbed her roll of bandages and a bottle of spray to keep cuts from becoming infected. He applied a little too much of the spray and wrapped the bandages tightly over his shoulder and chest then dressed in his black dress pants, a blood red shirt, black button up vest along with red gloves black boots and a black trench coat. He placed his mask over his face and left a note for the crew.


The Captain flew back to the ship and grabbed his first weapon, the morning star that he had brought with him when he arrived at Jaya, the backpack with the two ingots of Skypiean steel and his small box sized forge. With his gear collected Mashyuu left the ship and headed back for the cave he had gotten the Skypiean steel from to collect more of it and make himself a new set of weapons...