NEWS
 Cassius Sinclair The Kraken  It had been a long time since Cassius had been back home, Fishman Island seemed as foreign as Baltigo was when he first stepped foot on that cesspool. Galloon Town was unfamiliar, much had changed since he had been gone, most noticeably the shops that lined the streets. People seemed less friendly, more skittish, and hasty with their shopping. They wanted to be in and out, off the streets with their wares and not be acknowledged by anyone on the streets. Cassius remembered a time when he could watch from the Butcher’s window, staring at all the happy families and couples strolling through the markets of Galloon Town. Now people hardly even looked up as they made beelines from shop to shop, in, paid, out without a word or pleasantry. Huff, they weren’t kidding, this place has gone to shit. Cassius murmured as he walked the streets, careful to avoid bumping into anyone. Times like these even the cutest child could be a world-class pickpocket. He looked down at the list of names the Ryugu Family had given him when he arrived in Fishman Island. Three names, five targets, a whole great big island to explore. Apparently these five individuals had become some of the main faces of the criminal activity bubbling up on Fishman Island. The Watashi Triplets, Cassius’s first and current target, were three sisters who had started out as nothing more than a minor pest in Galloon Town. However, over the years they had managed to buy out the vast majorities of the stores and markets all around Fishman Island through various shady business dealings. Many former shop keeps complained of harassment, theft, breaking and entering and all manner of tactics to drive them out of business, forcing them to sell to the Watashi Triplets. The Royal Family had ignored the small time shop owners’ pleas for intervention and help in such a hostile takeover, believing it wasn’t their place to step in among common folk quarrels. Now however, the Watashis’ business empire had grown beyond control of the Ryugu Family. The Triplets regularly dealt in illegal goods, supplying the masses of criminals with everything from drugs to weapons to even slaves and workers. When Cassius arrived on Fishman Island and met with a representative of the Ryugu Family, he was told that if he manages to take out the Watashi Triplets, the other two targets on the list should come out of the woodwork. Overthrowing the Triplets’ business would send a ripple through the criminal underworld that would be felt all over the island. It was a place to start and give Cassius the edge against the remaining two targets on the list. According to intel the Ryugu Kingdom had provided Cassius, the Watashi Triplets were supposed to be in one of their warehouses within Galloon Town doing inventory and business overview. It was a rare occasion for the three to be in the same building at once, usually spread about their various businesses to oversee their empire. Arriving at the warehouse, Cassius stepped inside. The door had been unlocked and unguarded, evidently the Watashi Triplets carried enough weight in this town to not have to worry about anyone being dumb enough to steal from them. Inside were rows and rows of shelves holding various wooden crates of different sizes and shapes. Some were labeled for various types of drugs, others weapons, ammo, explosives. Cassius’s most surprising find as he moved through the rows of merchandise were pieces of rare animals and creatures from around the world. Apparently these three fishwomen had access to just about anything and everything under the sun. They hadn’t just cornered the market; they had cornered ALL of the markets on Fishman Island. As he moved through the rows of merchandise, Cassius passed various workers and employees of the Triplets. They moved like lifeless zombies, completely unbothered by Cassius’s presence. He frowned as he passed them, noticing their complete lack of will to live. It was as if they were on autopilot, going through the motions simply to pass the time so they could eventually leave. The most troubling feature about them however was their backs, stained with dried blood. They seemed to wince with each movement, opening the cuts and scars that wracked their bodies from years of regular abuse. As if on cue, the sound of a cracking whip echoed through the warehouse as Cassius turned the corner around a large stack of merchandise. The sound of a grown fishman grunting in pain followed as a shrill female voice said, You utter fool, I told you to bring me the third bag from the left, this is the second! You want to act like a stupid animal, then be treated like a stupid animal. With that, another crack of the whip, followed by a louder whimper. Cassius leaned against the stacked boxes, peering around the corner to see three identical fishwomen, in face, body and clothing seated around a large table. A chalkboard with scrolling numbers of shipment orders, locations and what Cassius assumed to be customers, sat behind the table. Across the table were boxes of various pieces of merchandise, scattered order forms and accountant books. One of the sisters was going through the books, tallying the numbers and then walking over to the board to chalk up the final count. Another was sifting through the boxes, attempting to organize everything matched with receipts while the third held the whip. She was the one Cassius had heard berating her employee who now cowered in fear on his hands and knees, fresh blood oozing from the rips in his shirt and the lashes across his back. Get out of my sight and don’t you dare come back unless you have the right bag! The Triplet ordered before snapping the whip over the fishman’s head once more. This caused the fishman to yelp in fear before scrambling to his hands and knees and running back into the maze of merchandise. Cassius’s blood ran hot, this was no better than slavery and that was something he couldn’t stand for. At first he thought cleaning up the streets of Fishman Island would be a chore, but he was going to enjoy this one. Oi, the hell do you think you’re doing? Cassius said as he stepped out from behind the stacked boxes and walked towards the Triplets. The three looked up from what they were doing to stare at him, clearly trying to decide how to respond to what they assumed to be a belligerent worker. The accountant Triplet by the board simply stared at Cassius, crumbling the chalk to dust in her webbed hand. Her anger was palpable, but Cassius doubted it was greater than his. The one with the whip spoke first, You hideous ingrate, do you have any idea who you’re talking to? She snapped the whip in her hand to add emphasis to her question, but Cassius simply stared at her. I know exactly who I’m talking to. Three cowards who use fear and manipulation to get what they want, hiding behind others and reaping all of the profits. Pitiful. Cassius said, spitting onto the floor towards the three sisters. The third hadn’t said a word or reacted in anyway. She simply stared at Cassius with an almost board look on her face, as if this was somehow amusing. What Cassius did next though certainly got her attention and the attention of all three of them as he punched forward, sending a shockwave through the water in the air which caused the table stacked with papers, boxes and various books flying towards the chalk board behind it. The seated sister was struck in the face by the table, causing her to fly backwards in her chair. The table struck the accountant triplet as it crashed into the board, sandwiching her between the two objects and causing all three to crash to the floor. The third sister had been standing far enough away from the table to simply watch in horror, My sisters! She then turned towards Cassius, her eyes flashing with murderous intent, You bastard, you’re going to pay for that! She screamed as she sprinted towards Cassius, pulling the whip back before striking forward. Cassius raised his arms to protect his face, feeling the white-hot sting as the whip bit through his flesh. He grunted with discomfort but said nothing as she pulled back to unleash another whipping. He moved forward now, striking out with his 100 Tile Punch straight into the Triplet’s gut. The whip brandishing Triplet went flying backwards into the stacked boxes of one of the warehouse shelves, a hissing noise escaping her lips as the air was knocked from her lungs. Striking the boxes the tower wavered before toppling on her and burying her in an assortment of illegal merchandise. By now the other two had begun to compose themselves and Cassius turned towards the sound of shifting table as it was shoved off of the accountant fishwoman. The third Triplet also rose from her place on the floor, blood pouring down her nose where the edge of the table had struck her. This bleeding Triplet reached into the cleavage of her blouse and pulled out a pistol. As she did however, Cassius flicked a droplet of water towards the hand holding the gun. As she leveled the pistol to fire, the gun was knocked from her hand by the high speed water droplet and the fishwoman swore in anger, cradling her hand, Bastard! She then ran at Cassius, as did the accountant sister. The whip sister had moved the boxes pinning her down by this point and also begun to move towards Cassius. However, as they drew near, instead of diving at him to attack at once, they all began circling him at impressive speeds. Sisters we are three. How will you fights us? If you cannot see? The three spoke one after another and although Cassius was growing a bit nervous, unsure about his decision to take on three opponents at once, he was more so disturbed by the way they spoke one after another. As they circled him, Cassius realized it was becoming more and more difficult to track them, as each looked nearly identical. As he tried to defend himself and figure out a strategy to take the three down, the searing pain of a whip lash spread across his left calf and he dropped to one knee, grunting in pain. Around him the sisters laughed in echoed unison as he tried to track them. Expecting another attack from behind he turned to intercept a kick, grabbing the foot only to be struck across the face from the side by a fist and releasing the foot. Cassius spit blood, his world spinning as he attempted to focus, trying to figure out their pattern of attack. He listened carefully over the chorus of chatter and laughing to hear the sound of the whip swish back. As it struck forward he reached out and caught the whip as it came down, wrapping itself around the flesh of his forearm, but he held it firm. He then yanked the whip forward, dragging the Triplet with it as he delivered a devastating 100 Tile Punch to the Triplet’s face, causing her to crumple to the floor at his feet, unconscious. Sister! Sister! The other two Watashi girls hissed in anger and fright. With only two now it was easier to follow their movements and Cassius was able to send a shockwave in front of the accountant sister, leading her straight into the attack and knocking her away from her remaining sister. He sprang on her, sending four water droplets, one towards each of her limbs coated in his personal venom. The droplets pierced her skin, causing her to cry out in pain. She began to stand, ready to jump back into the fray only to wobble and fall as the neurotoxin took its affect on her body. Ah, what’s happening?! She cried in terror but Cassius ignored her, focusing his attention on the last remaining sister who had clearly become unnerved by this sudden display of power and her sisters being rendered useless. He stalked towards her as she backed away, No, no no, please, enough. Stop this, take what you want and leave! We have plenty of beli, you can have that. Take whatever you want! The fishwoman screamed as she backed up against a fully stacked shelf of boxes and merchandise. Oh I plan to. Cassius said, before doing the same to her first sister, enough force backed in this 100 Tile Punch to send the fishwoman through the shelving of boxes and knocking her unconscious as well. Cassius looked up to see the fishman worker who had been whipped earlier wander into the scene with a bag of what looked like white powder. He stared at Cassius, eyes wide and mouth agape as Cassius looked over the chaos he had caused. Boxes and merchandise lay scattered and broken everywhere. The table from before was snapped in half, the chalkboard had spiderwebbed and years of filed business transactions now blew through the hallways of the warehouse. The three owners of the entire business empire lay broken and bleeding, still breathing but very much down for the count and in the center of it all was a fishman, bleeding from cuts on his forearms and leg, simply surveying it all. Cassius looked at the young fishman and said, If you could grab me something to tie these three up, that’d be a big help. The scared fishman simply nodded vigorously before disappearing back into the maze of boxes. Minutes later he was back with a bundle of thick steel chain and Cassius smiled, Perfect, well done. Thanks kid, you’re free to go. He took the steel chain and dropped it in the center before grabbing each of the sisters and dragging their bodies towards the bundle. The one still conscious but paralyzed he left for last and when he approached her she demanded, What the hell do you think you’re doing? Let us go this instant. Do you know who you’re dealing w- Cassius gave her a swift kick to the temple to shut her up and it worked perfectly. From there he wrapped the chain around the three sisters, bending it to knot it and gave himself a little leash to drag them with. Placing it over his shoulder he dragged them along the floor of the warehouse and out to the streets of Galloon Town for the entire town to see. Word would travel fast of what happened here today, both through the people to inspire hope and through the underworld to inspire fear and anger. No one cheered or clapped as if Cassius were some promised hero who had slain the dragon, this wasn’t a hero’s story of a fairy tail. Still, in the faces of many he passed he could see not only surprise, but joy and hope. Making it to the gates of the palace where Cassius had been instructed to bring his bounties, he said to the guard, Delivery for the Ryugu Family, I’ll expect my payment sometime this afternoon. They’ll know where to find me. With that, he handed the end of the chain to the befuddled guard just as the three sisters began to stir and complain. Cassius smiled as he pulled his pipe from his coat, his arms stinging but the blood had dried. They were the Ryugu Family’s problem now he had done his job. Three down, two to go. WORDS: 2610 NOTES: ### DORIKI: +4 to S&A GEAR: ### SKILLS: ### |
Strawhat