https://strawhats.rpg-board.net/t2574-fantabulous-duo-phase-3


Kouse adjusted his glasses and nodded as the captain divided the entire crew and it's allies into teams of two.

The Phantom raiders had all sailed from Jaya to Jordsand with the aim of acquiring the new metal that was making the news all over the world. The sea stone.
It was sought after, primally because of its unique ability to weaken the previously seemed supreme devil fruit users on contact. Just like the sea did.
Mashyuu, their captain was a blacksmith and Kouse knew he couldn't wait to see make weapons using this rare and newly discovered metal.
Failure on this mission was not an option.

Kouse turned to look at his partner for this mission, Madori.

"I guess we'll be working together yet again today." He would say as he jumped off the ship and landed softly onto the beach.

Kouse and Madori had been paired together on several previous occasions, they really worked well together and were pretty close, friends even before they joined the crew.

"I think we should go check the mountain side, one of the grunts spotted a mining site hidden around there." Kouse said as he and Madori walked calmly. "It'll most likely be the marines we'll have to take down to get some ore for ourselves, seeing as those greedy animals came here long before us to mine the ore and are defending it as best as they can so we pirates don't also acquire some to make us stronger."

Kouse had some history with the marines, and with his bounty of 60 million, he had done his fair share of illegal things, including killing a marine captain.
Madori was not new to the killing of marines himself, once helping Kouse get rid of some of the marine spies on Jaya.

"I only hope that its a small camp, I'm not up for some drawn out fight." Kouse said.
He would then remember the beating heart in the small bag he carried over his shoulders, and remember the bounty he had nearly got captured over by the cursed marines.
He had cut off both a leg and his heart from King NEP, preserving them indefinitely with his devil fruit ability.

"Hey, I have something to show you?" Kouse said as he took out the heart from his bag. "This is the still beating heart of the bounty I went after in Lulusia kingdom. Sadly its about all I got from it, damn marines ambushed me."

He was just making small talk as they walked towards the mountain.


+6 doriki to speed
+6 doriki to perception

The deadly duo was back in action. Kouse and Madori were the chosen ones for an important recovery mission. Upon sending out scouts in the area, the Phantom Raiders were able to luck up on a hidden mine somewhere near a mountainside. This was of great importance to the group, all except one. Madori's intentions were hidden from the rest of the group. Their enthusiasm with the worth of the Seastone was understandable. Madori was also apart of the hype until he went on a raid with Kouse. Their they encountered sheltering Marines and their supply of seastone. After touching it the effects were almost immediate.

There was a way to defeat Devil Fruit users without the need of superpowers. This would change the game, and when he became bigger in the world. He did not need more people to be able to harm him or his crew. His plan...was nothing short of evil. But there was no moving him, he would have to help the crew get what they wanted from Jordsand. Before he dealt with the island personally, and permanently.

So their first business was to deal with the hidden mining camp. So Kouse and Madori were on route following the path laid out to them by the grunt with a makeshift map. There was no map that existed of the island yet, but their grunts were scouting the island giving the crew more information every time they set foot outside.

While they were walking they were discussing the raid in question. In the middle of that, Dr. K pulled out a small bag and showed the contents too Madori, it was a heart. He said it belonged to a dangerous bounty named King Nep. "That's a pretty weird habit you got there Kouse. I like it."

They came upon a the mountain. Their destination according to the horrid map drawn out for them by the grunt. Implied that they were near.

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Doriki +5 Endurance (Pug)
Doriki +5 Strength
Doriki +4 Speed

Kouse nodded at Madori's compliment as he studied the heart he was holding.

It still beat periodically in his arm, most likely still working like nothing ever happened. His devil fruit ability made him able to cut off any body part without causing any damage to said body.
So although Kouse held King Neps heart firmly in another island, King NEP himself was most likely still alive somewhere on Lulusia island.

Kouse used his other free hand to adjust his glasses as a thought came into his mind.

'Why not just squish the heart now and kill him once and for all.'

Kouse shook his head lightly as he and Madori arrived at the mountain, and tossed the heart back into his bag.

He would then fish out two pairs of binoculars from his bag and after handing one to madori would begin studying the marine protected base.
After a few minutes of both of them studying the place, Kouse would speak up.

"It seems there are about three dozen marine guards and about a 100 workers, most likely citizens actually doing the dirty work on site right now." Kouse turned the binoculars a little to the east, spotting some tents, which were clearly occupied. "It seems they have two shifts, most likely working the mine day and night...damn these marines are crazy." 

Kouse would put down the binoculars to face Madori. "So if we attack them, we'll be expecting to take them all down ourselves, both the day and night shifts. It won't be easy, and I expect at least a high ranking official organising and supervising all these." Kouse would say as he quietly took out his sword. "Although I always enjoy killing me some marines, I think the best course of action right now is to go stealth mode and -."

Kouse would be interrupted by the presence of two completely identical individuals that were clearly fellow pirates...and brothers with a set of black hair, swords and dark skinned.
But being fellow pirates didn't mean they were allies, and it would only take a simple wrong move or gesture from either of them to cause a nasty 'fight to the death' battle.

Thankfully they were interrupted during their planning. On Kouse's mention of stealth wasn't usually Madori forte. Wherever Madori walked, there was destruction. His power could not be used without endangering everyone around him, even his comrades. He mentioned the size and scope of personnel associated with the mines. There were hundred workers and almost three dozen guards. This was a tall order, but if you factor out the workers they were in the game.

"I doubt the workers will try and stop us, they are basically prisoners here. But those that do stand against us will meet the same fate as the Marines." Madori said gesturing aside the notion that he would spare anyone's life. It didn't matter who he killed or let live today. They would die soon enough.

But all of sudden they were interrupted by two figures. As Kouse and Madori turned their attention to them they could see that they were armed to the teeth and that they were...twins. Pirates from the looks, unfortunate time to meet someone else. If there was any trouble they would definitely give up there surprise attack on the Marines.

Madori folded his arms and took a menacing stance saying deeply, "Is there something we can do for you boys? Or all yall lost?" Clearly giving them threat of his words with malice. They seemed unperturbed by it. Sojima wasn't well known throughout the world yet, so none knew to fear him. But they would, starting with these two if they didn't act accordingly.

Sammy and Tammy had just broken off from the rest of their crew. They were both tasked by their captain to survey the area and report any potential source of seastone ore.
They were not meant to engage, simply check out the area and report back to the rest of the crew, then the captain would decide on the simplest route and plan at which to complete their mission of acquiring the precious seastone ore.
They were relatively new but talented additions to the crew, hungry to impress their new captain and prove to the rest of the crew just how ambitious they both were.
Those were the reasons why they both didn’t simply map the marine protected mine out like they were supposed to do and leave, once they spotted the mine.

“Yo Tammy bro, we just gotta get sum’ metal dust for the boss, we ain’t goin’ back empty handed.” Sammy said once they spotted the mine.

Tammy had the same idea as his twin brother, they did think alike after all.
“Yep, coulda’ sworn that prick first mate wassa lookin’ down on us last night. We gonna’ be tha first group to haul back the metal dust and show em.”

“Well then, let’s go take a closer lookie’ bro.” Sammy spoke up and began creeping closer once his brother agreed to the plan, stumbling on two pirates. One who had a weathered face with lots of battle scars and the other who wore a pair of glasses and held an ancient looking sword.

It was the more battle experienced individual that spoke up first.

Tammy took a cautious step back, unknown pirates were most times trouble.
“Y’all aiming on takin’ down tha’ marine camp?” Tammy asked, waiting a response before proceeding. “One thin’ we pirates hav’ in common is hatred for the marines, how about we team up and take them down?”

Sammy would fold his arms and add in. “Yep, I recon they’ll be more than enough ore for tha’ both of us there.”
Both brothers would stand and await the reply from both pirates, hoping they agreed to their suggestion.





To say that he was surprised by Madori’s killing intent would be ridiculous.

Kouse was a pirate, but not one who enjoyed mass killings. For sure he would brutally kill those he saw as a threat to him and his crew, but if he could do away without killing prisoners or civilians, he would; unless said individuals decided to cause some trouble, then Kouse wouldn’t hesitate to take them all down.

“Yeah, I agree with you, if they are foolish enough to fight for the marines, then we’ll take them down, quick.” Kouse said.


Kouse nodded at the pirate brother’s question if they would be attacking the marines, then listened quietly as both brothers asked for them all to team up in taking down the marines.

“Alright, I guess we can work together.” Kouse would say as he turned to look at Madori, only actually working with the twins if he also agreed to it.

The twins had offered their strength in helping takeover of the Marine camp. Which was a good idea for Madori's plan. If they were weak, they would serve as fodder for the Marines, the perfect distraction. Even if they were useful, Madori highly doubted they would survive the encounter with Marines. For everyone else's information, they would have died fighting the Marines. But in reality, Madori would have murdered them.

It was a natural thing to hate Marines. But there was certain aspects he would expect from a Marine, and some he would expect from a Pirate. Pirates were liars, criminals, and quite possibly the worst of the worst. Madori was one of those 'worst' ones. He would not give them the chance to betray them, he would of course do it before they could. So he gave a look to Kouse and then back to the twins.

"Deal. Lead the way." Madori gestured towards the mining camp. Madori also had no goal to share whatever spoils they came upon.

They turned around and began to head towards the camp to encounter the Marines. Madori turned to Kouse and said under his breath, "You're to trusting Doctor. I've got my eyes open." This seastone deposit was bound to attract the wrong kind of people but that was what they had anticipated. There was the real reason they were there, and then the reason why Madori was there. If he played his cards right, everything would be according to plan.

@misitque139

It wasn't that Kouse was naive, he had experienced first hand how terrible humans could be irrespective of the faction they were involved with. He had his best friend and uncle/mentor killed by Marines. He had been sold into slavery to a pirate who both tortured and worked him to the point of him fainting several times due to fatigue.

Kouse didn't trust easily, but he didn't show his mistrust easily either. He could be friendly and accommodating to the worst of the worst, making them take him for granted, at their own peril.
Killing unnecessarily was something Kouse shunned and avoided, but he could kill, and kill well.
Attack him, and Kouse wouldn't hesitant for a moment to take him/her down.

"Don't let my outward actions deceive you, my eyes are never not alert." Kouse would whisper back to Madori in response.

****

"Ol' good bro!." Sammy nodded at his brother and immediately stormed marine mine together with his brother to Kouse's surprise, the moment Madori agreed on the twins joining them.

Kouse adjusted his glasses as he watched the two twins storm the camp, cutting down the marines guarding it and the prisoners mining it alike.

"Well, those two aren't the type for complicated plans.." Kouse said to Madori in slight disgust. "They'll serve as a good distraction anyhow." 

Kouse would then turn round to walk away from where the twins were currently causing havoc and head straight towards the mine, which was now largely empty, with all the marines rushing to meet the twins.

"Let's just go directly for what we came for and get the hell out of here. Those twins surprising foolishness might just make things much easier for us." Kouse would say to Madori as he rushed towards the mine.

He arrived to see a few prisoners in the mine, all chained to the ground covered with several whip scars. 
Flashes of his time working under the brutal Mr Cantilever passed through his mind.
With a quick swing of his sword, Kouse would cut their chains, setting them free.

"Go give them hell." Kouse said nodding at them.

Once they were out Kouse would quickly take note of their surroundings.
There were several boxes lined by the wall to his right, no doubt all filled with sea stone ore.

"Let's just get them and leave Madori." Kouse said as he approached the boxes. 

No sooner had he touched the first box that he heard a loud voice at the entrance to the mine.

"Hehehe, I just knew those two rather skilled idiots outside were simply a distraction." A large 8 foot marine stood tall with a wicked smile on his face. His scraggly black beard and hair were of the same colour.

Kouse couldn't help but chuckle to himself, things working out so easily would have been extremely unrealistic after all.
Seeing a powerful marine again sent the adrenaline coursing throughout his body. Kouse's long history with marines were not good.

Without so much as a word, Kouse unsheathed his sword and took his battle stance.

Indeed things were to easy. Madori had thought the brunt of their problem would be the Pirates. But no, before them a problem belonged to the Marines. There were another pair of footsteps before they were met with another figure near the entrance. Both wearing the long white jackets of Marine leadership. The Commanders were present in the direct defense of the seastone ores it seemed. They really wanted this shipment to go through.

Kouse was already ready for anything. He had unsheathed his sword and awaited their fate. Two Commanders was a dangerous matter, they didn't expect this type of force to be waiting for them. But it would be unfortunate for most people. But the Marines had encountered their worst luck by running into the combined might of the Magu Magu no mi and the Ope Ope no mi.

They were in a for a nasty treat. The arriving other Commander had blonde hair and he was just as big as his comrade standing almost eight feet tall (4-3-3-4-4). He was sporting a large rifle on his shoulder. Within the belts of the officers were seastone swords. Madori was unsure if they knew Buso but he had run into seastone weapons before and would not be caught off guard again.

They came through the entrance was had a slight incline downwards to them. The area was about fifty meters wide and was about three stories tall so they had room for a fight. However Madori would not be able to go as crazy as he could, less he cause the whole place to collapse. He could survive it but he would not put his comrade at risk as well. Guess they were in for a up close and personal fight. They both broke off and charged at them separately. Divide and conquer. Together Kouse and Madori's powers were formidable. Dividing them gave the enemy a chance for a fight. The eight foot black haired Commander went for Kouse (3-4-4-3-4) and the blonde one jumped upwards and pulled his seastone sword from its sheath and went to attack Madori and the other one attacked Kouse in the same manner. Unsheathed a terribly long seastone Katana poised in the air to a downward slash that would threatened to slice Kouse in two.

Kouse's only outward reaction to the arrival of yet another 8 foot tall commander was simply the adjusting of his glasses.
He knew immediately that he and Madori would have to separate and take on each commander one on one. Their impeccable teamwork would only work best against one strong opponent at a time, not two.
Kouse also immediately realized that the difficulty of the situation had doubled, no tripled. Fighting a commander would end up being a fight that would push Kouse to his utmost limit, but his body was not listening to his mind. The adrenaline pumping through his body, pushed Kouse to discard the risks and charge the black haired commander, in full speed. Putting down marines was something Kouse never hesitated to do.

Things didn't go as planned.

Kouse had charged the marine in his full speed, aiming to hit him with a single quick attack that would also effectively end the fight.
One could say it was overconfidence in his abilities or that Kouse underestimated his opponent, but he didn't expect the commander to suddenly react with blinding speed to slash down at him, aiming to cut him in half.

Although it all happened in a split second, to Kouse, the image of the 8foot tall marine with his sword raised high up froze, as memories flooded into his mind of his previous fight with a marine captain on Jaya island.
It had been a close and bloody fight, which had ended with a captain dead and Kouse passing out from exhaustion and blood loss.
As Kouse saw the commander raise his sword to attack, easily reacting to his speed, he knew that this fight was one which would be as difficult as his previous battle on Jaya.


Kouse reacted fast enough to barely dodge the downward slash by the commander by instantly jumping to the right, he wasn't fast enough however to stop it from grazing his black top, cutting open the sleeves on his right arm.

Kouse quickly jumped back to assess the situation better.

"Alright, let's start this from the beginning...again." Kouse would say as he took back his battle stance, more alert than ever. He mentally prepared himself for a fierce battle, any little mistake and he could be left fighting for his life.

The Marine Commander took the fight straight to Kouse. Using his momentum from the incline it added to his speed. Madori quickly jumped up slightly before kicking off hard a on a pocket of air that pushed him into a space of above the Commander. He was faster than him, it wasn't much by much but he would have to be on his feet. The Commander veered away from his partner and headed towards Madori. Unsheathing his seastone Meito he stopped his charge in temporary shock, seeing Madori fly was certainly something that caused some pauses. Sojima had to use this to his advantage to avoid the Marines Seastone weapon.

Madori pulled his fist back and turned it into Magma. It grew in size becoming double firepower. He did the same with his other hand as well. Then he began to shoot Magma meteor fists at the Marine Commander. He reacted quickly diving backwards and avoiding the initial four magma fists exploded on the ground where he was just standing at.

He scowled and covered himself from the molten rock shrapnel. Madori kicked off his pocket of air and dashed through the air covering the five meter distance between them almost instantly. His right fist became brighter as a more concentrated source of heat was centered there.

Madori shot through the air and the Marine was to occupied to react to him changing trajectory and aiming for him. He struck out at the Marine and struck him with his more dangerous technique. "Meigo!" His punch connected on the side of the Marine Commander. A blast of burning magma burned a side of his stomach off and he went reeling backwards into the walls.

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Spoiler:

The Commander went flying into the wall causing a large explosion of dust. This prompted a slight diversion in the fight with Kouse and other Marine Commander. The other Marine was surprised to see his comrade flying backwards into the mine shaft walls. Kouse was suddenly frozen from the initial attack of the Marine. Perhaps he got cut with the Seastone. Whatever it was that had him frozen so, Madori had to act.

The Pirate held a hand outstretched to both Marine Commanders the one closest to him and the other struggling to get out of the crater he was stuck in. He was injured majorly with that punch he was given by Madori. However before either one had time to react to anything else, Madori fired ten shots each at them. The one closest to him was skilled with a blade. But he had never tried to stop an element such as magma before nor had they ever encountered the likes of it.

He swung his meito with a strong since of urgency, the Commander fighting Kouse was able to get the first three molten fists firing towards him. But as he went to stop the fourth he saw his blade was no longer there. Though seastone, able to negate the powers of a devil fruit user, it could not stop the powers once they manifested. He looked in shock as the rest of the molten magam fists showered his body and burned it. He screamed and was thrown with such force backwards into the cave wall.

The other blasts hit the commander he was fighting. All ten magma fists connected to him. There was a similar scream as he was engulfed in flames. There was a deep fire in Magmadori's eyes as he defeated that Commanders. Or so he thought.

Spoiler:

Madori calming himself down. He walked over to Kouse to see that he had been nicked ever so slightly by the seastone sword. "Kouse are you ok? You've gone silent. Did they poison you or what man talk to me!" Madori was about to shake Kouse's face when a punch came colliding with his own face. It was a sucker punch that he didn't see coming, nearly knocked him senseless. It had been a long time since someone dealt him actual pain. Another punch came from somewhere and that was the one that was able to some lasting damage.

Madori flipped sideways from the force of the punch and he went rolling on the rocky ground till he came to a stop. Understandably scratched up and a few cuts on his face. He looked up to see the Marine Commander who had been fighting Kouse. He was enraged, and also burnt really badly. He looked like he was moving on willpower alone with the amount damage that was done to him. But he still he moved on, just as determined to get revenge.

The Magma man had been caught off guard, assuming that this would not happen again. He started to get back on his feet just as the Marine Commander started to speak. "You won't get out of this alive. Even if you escape here. The whole island will be your final stop." Which was much as he could muster.

Madori didn't say anything on the fact that the man had kind of busted his jaw. It kind of hurt to open it as he was figuring out. There was a pause before the man ran forward with a speed he was not able to match. However he held his own within his intangibility. He wouldn't be caught off guard, which prompted his cockiness to show. "You won't touch me again." Mad said as he even waited for the Commander to attack.

What he didn't see was the small edge of a sword he had been using before. The Commander pulled it ot at the last second. Madori now alarmed tried to move out of the way by dodging to his right. But the Commander was faster than he was and was able to stab the half sword outwards and it was able to cut the side of Madori. Even in his Logia form it actually turned him back into solid form. He pulled back the sword to stab the stumbling Madori.

The cut though effective was only momentary in its effect as Madori was able to turn Intangible after a stumbled. It needed to be constantly applied in order to dull the effects of his powers completely. As the Commander dove forward with his sword again. Madori could only hope to this gamble would work. At the last moment, he made his body completely liquid lava, made a space for the meito seastone weapon to pass through.

Surprised the Commander put to much strength in that thrust and his body was pulled in further. After seastone sword passed through him, he closed his body back so that it retained his natural form. Covering the arm of the commander he began to scream as Madori literally melted half of his arm off. A daring move but it seemed pan out as the Commander yelled in a hysterical tone and fell to the ground clutching his cauterized stump. Madori walked over with his side now bleeding. "You cut me. I haven't been cut in forever so I have to give you credit. But then again...fuck you."

Clenching his fist it turned into the bright glowing fist much brighter and hotter than the other attacks. Then he brought his fist down on the Commanders head. It exploded upon impact killing the man instantly and causing a fiery explosion. Madori fell to the ground and began panting and squinting in pain. He was injured badly but it was nothing his doctor wouldn't be able to patch up. That is if he was still with them. Transfixed on the spot and was still still. Madori limped over to Kouse looking depleted in the state of his friend.

Just then the Twins came to the entrance. "We beat most of those guys, and they went running after the workers joined forces with us. It seems they weren't treated all that well." They began laughing as they saw the loot before them. They walked all the way down while whistling at the burnt and crisped bodies.

"Seems you did a real number on the guys down here. How the hell did you guys kill them?

They turned an eye to Kouse, still transfixed on the spot. "Whats with him?"

"He's been poisoned. But now that hes out of the picture, I can deal with you guys directly. Thank you." Madori held out a hand to both of the twins. They were pleasantly shocked but they took his hand and shook it.

"You are-" One of them started to say before his attention was diverted to the smoking coming from both of their hands. "Hey man what the fuck!"

It was all he managed to say before a large mass of magma shot from Madori's body and began to swallow both of the twins whole. Their screams were muffled and they were cut quickly as they were melted alive. Leaving nothing left but their ashes within the molten mound of magma. "We're not sharing shit. No worries Kouse. I'll figure out a way to help you. But if you don't get better." He patted down Kouse taking all his money off of him. He knew that he carried his beli on him when they took off the Pirate ship. Then Madori called everyone back on the den den letting them know what happen.

[Exit]