The sun scorched desert cities like Alubarna during the day, but during nights like this, Lu Dahn could see his own breath when he exhaled. While it wasn't freezing, it certainly wasn't cool, but chilly did begin to describe the briskness of the night. Still, majority of his person was protected by his navy blue trench coat. The tag-less rifle he was issued as an Ensign that had got him this far in the military was slung over his shoulder and rested against his back. It could be retrieved at a moments notice and with Lu Dahn's experience as a marksman he'd be able to train the sights on targets both far and near just as quickly. He also had his pistol hidden by his coat in a holster on his hip ready as well.

For now our hero pushed through the streets of Alabasta's capital that were beginning to fill with patrons of closing bars. He grumbled irritably as he dug in his coat's pocket and retrieved a regal looking pocket watch. Opening the charm that bore his family's crest, he saw it had just turned 2:00 a.m.. Civilians were mixed amongst criminals that were composed of local gangsters and pirates alike. The district Lu Dahn was roaming was known for bringing in some big shots and high rollers, so he hoped he could find Matziyah Faults amongst the degenerates. It wouldn't make sense for the pirate to have the Fool's Gold on his person in such a high profile environment however, so Lu Dahn was just looking to to locate the man. From there he'd tail him until the time to act came upon him.

Naturally with this outfit, he'd wear an officer's cap as well, but if his fit screamed "Marine", he wouldn't have much luck with coming into contact with the Fool's Gold. So with his navy blue trench coat, a white v-neck t-shirt, black jeans, and black combat boots as clothing, he walked the ever filling streets as a vagabond. It was worth noting he had a few trinkets, like rings on his fingers, the charm his late grandfather had given him around his neck, and his pocket watch.

Alcohol tinged breath plagued the air and drunks stumbled all over the streets. Lu Dahn wasn't much a fan of the party life, so it was needless to say he wasn't enjoying the festive vibe that suddenly swelled in the streets. People were laughing, people were puking, men linked arms with one another drunkenly singing songs and women did their best to stave off the thirsty beast that were these men. Slaps here and there, nothing was too serious, save for when a certain woman cried out for help. Some of the more sober minds in the crowd froze right away, but it took awhile for those who were in a deeper stupor to notice what was transpiring. There was no shame in the acts of the offender even while he committed such an atrocious act in front of so many souls.

In the center of the spectacle the crowd gathered around was a woman pinned against a wall with both her hands grasped helplessly above her head. She struggled to escape her captors grip, but she hadn't the strength to overpower the brute. Greedily he licked his lips as he looked at the women with a slobbish drunk gaze, those in his entourage made up the closest ring of bystanders, in a way boxing out those who weren't affiliated with the sex offender. With his free hand he wiggled his fingers in a teasing manner, that made Lu Dahn's stomach turn in disgust. Not only was this man foolish enough to do such a thing in the public eye, but to do such a vile and distasteful thing in the eyes of someone as righteous of Lu Dahn. Of course he knew not who watched him, so Lu Dahn couldn't help but have some mercy of the fiend, but still.

His view of the man was semi-blocked with civilians who looked on knowing better than to act against the man. The peons the guy commanded weren't even watching their supposed ring-leader, instead they watched the crowd, as if daring someone to act against what was happening. Lu Dahn didn't know if this man was more than a small time pirate who got a bit too big for his britches, but quite frankly, those worth their salt didn't resort to such dastardly offenses. With a big enough name, even if you were a sinner, women would throw themselves at you just because of the lifestyle you lived. With that reasoning, Lu Dahn decided to enter the fray and play hero to the damsel in distress.

Stepping forward, with one hand he reached forward to brush a bystander out of his path. With the other hand, his right, he reached at the pistol that was concealed by his trench coat on his hip. Before his hand could reach his gun however, a hand had cupped itself around his shoulder. It harbored no ill intent, but it still caused him to react swiftly and grasp this hand with his left. Turning only his head to see the owner of this hand, he saw it was none other than Matziyah Faults himself. "Let me handle this guy. I'm sure you'll have another chance to shine."

Lu Dahn was still getting used to coming face to face with others who had natural charm and charisma, or just character in general. Until now, a lot of his Marine life had been bleak when it came to encountering other beings who undoubtedly had drive and a flame burning in their body. Captain Uchis was one of these people, as was Ensign Rainrex, though the nature of his fire was yet to be determined. Nonetheless, Lu Dahn didn't respond to the man, as a response wasn't looked for with this one. He simply spoke and continued about his planned train of actions. As carelessly as he spoke to Lu Dahn he pressed forward through the crowd with that same energy. Confidence oozed off of him, perhaps a bit too much, but it suited his aesthetic and it led the fifteen or so pirates that followed him by the nose in his footsteps.

Six swords rested at his hips out for the world to see in their sheathes. With three on each side, Matziyah only reached for two, one with each hand. Once he cleared the crowd of bystanders and entered a space that could be regarded as no mans land (in between the onlookers and the offender's grunts), he spoke again, his peons funneling into a line behind him as he came to a halt. "If you had half a brain cell, you'd know that you're as good as dead! Buuuut, if you let the girl go now, I'll consider waiving your death notice for now until some shitty marine ends up doing you in." This was officially about to turn into a scene. Faults had fifteen men with him, but this other man had roughly twenty in his own. Perhaps it was the alcohol, the fact he had more men present than Faults, or the fact that he was just overly confident, but the offender didn't seem to take Faults as a serious threat. "Let the girl go?!" The drunk gave an ugly cackle as his finger wiggle stopped and he looked at Matziyah daringly. "I've been meaning to tuck you into bed for some time now. You're ego has outgrown you . . . shit, your bounty has even outgrown you! Those numbers don't scare me! Regardless, you'll have to wait. With that his hand to move towards the woman's breast much to Matziyah's disapproval.

Most wouldn't be able to have seen him, but Lu Dahn's eyes were sharp enough to see the swordsman take off in the villains direction. Before the man's hand could clear the gap and fondle the helpless woman's breast, Matziyah had diminished the space between them that was at least 5m to practically nothing. He had even maneuvered beyond the ring of peons the man had encircled himself in. The only reason the guy probably noticed Matziyah was because of the fact the pirate had cleaved the man's hand off with a swing from his sword. The crowd gasped once they registered what happened and the pervert's monkeys turned to see why their boss was yelling in agony. They'd turn to see the man on the ground clutching at a wrist that lacked a hand. When they turned though, Matziyah's pirates gave them hell. Not to the degree that their captain had to the pervert, but they had put every single one of the hooligans out of commission. "I may be a pirate, but I still have a sense of dignity." He put the flat of one of his blades underneath the pervert's chin and pushed the point to his throat just enough to draw a bit of blood. The woman had long since fled the scene in tears and a large sum of the bystanders had left too in fear of getting tangled up in the quick scuffle.

Applying upwards pressure with the weapon, he forced the man to lift his head and look Matziyah in his eye. "So, would you rather have me stab you in the neck or use this other sword here to just kill you in one slice?" Lu Dahn watched on shameless even though he was concealed by no more bystanders, it was just him, Matziyah and his crew and the pervert left. "H-huh?" Fault's smacked his lips and rolled his eyes then replied with a bit of a laugh. "Come on now. I said do you want me to stab you in the neck or just kill you in one swing?" So this is the type of person he is . . . He had a since of honor and a moral compass, but it wasn't aligned too well in certain areas. He obviously loved to be in a position of power over others and definitely was at least a bit sadistic.

The pervert continued to hesitate, but Faults wasn't having it and began to press the end of his sword a bit deeper into the man's throat causing him to gag much to Fault's amusement. "Hurry up!" He quickly got very serious as his laugh evaporated and he shouted at the man to make a choice. "Uh . . . um . . ." The pig was drenched in sweat, he was still clutching his dismembered wrist, and he was now bleeding a fair amount from his neck. Lu Dahn was surprised the man didn't faint from all the trauma, physical and mental, if he were smarter he'd at least fake faint and just get it over with. "Hey you! What do you think? You were about to do him in yourself, so do you think I should just cut his greasy little head off or stab him in the neck and leave him to bleed out or drown in his own blood?" He was awfully specific and descriptive, but it was the reality of the situation. Lu Dahn didn't wish to be that involved however. Just as he began to open his mouth to answer, Faults spoke again though. "Actually . . . why don't you kill him!" The pirate captain expressed his epiphany with exclamation and it didn't really seem like much of a question, more of a command. He had already sheathed his sword that wasn't keeping the pervert's head up and began beckoning Lu Dahn over.

While it was true the Commodore didn't want to get involved in a street execution, this was an opportunity to form a connection with his target. He had to take it. "You beat me to it." Lu Dahn spoke a bit more energetically than he usually did in attempt to match Matziyah's own wave he was on. Walking over to the pervert that was on his knees with his chin held up, Lu Dahn reached for his pistol that was holstered on his hip, cocked it then put it to the man's forehead. He could feel Faults was watching every move he was making with upmost interest and he wasn't going to disappoint. Not as his executioner, but as a human, Lu Dahn locked eyes with the man he was about to kill respectfully. There was no sympathy conveyed or even felt for the pig, for he was just that, a pig. Pulling the trigger, his pistol ejected the bullet into the man's head and the "confetti" inside his cranium decorated the dirt road of the street.

The dead man laid in the mess of his own blood and brains and as if nothing had just transpired, Matziyah laughed out loud. Putting his sword in its sheathed as Lu Dahn holstered his pistol, the pirate captain again put his hand on Lu Dahn's shoulder, but this time he communicated that a bond had surely been established. "I like you! You remind me of a young boy we had in our crew about two years ago. What's your name?" He took his hand down as Lu Dahn reached his hand out to Matziyah for him to shake. Lu Dahn always hated when people put their hands on him in such a way that implied dominance over him. Whether they realized what it was or not, he didn't like it and would communicate to Faults with this handshake, that they'd communicate as equals. "Adolfo Ricchi." Matziyah's pirates lingered about, some sat down and talked about their night with each other, just idle chat while their captain did his thing.

"Adolfo Ricchi . . . I like that name. Nice to meet you Adolfo, I'm-" "Matziyah Faults, I know. I actually a bit of a fan of yours." Lu Dahn obviously lied to get into good standings with the pirate, but he lied so wonderfully. Even if the lie was done poorly, Matziyah's ego would have made the man take it for face value. "Really! Ha! It's nice when my reputation begins to proceed me as a person and those I've never seen before even know me." Lu Dahn nodded and shared a laugh with the pirate captain. He was undoubtedly in with this man, all he needed to do now was get invited back to his lodgings for a night cap or something, just to know where he was holed up so he could keep watch on him. With how Matziyah was, it didn't seem like Lu Dahn would have to press much for an invitation either, but that's when things turned left.

"Well . . . it was nice to meet you Adolfo. Hopefully we'll run into each other again someday!" With a normal person, killing a man even if he deserved it, would resort in a bound deeper than "hope to see you around". They'd at least offer their newly made acquaint a drink afterwards. The sadistic ones were different though. Having a random bystander blow another brains out like it was nothing didn't mean much to them and Lu Dahn hadn't taken that into consideration.

With Matziyah taking his leave so suddenly while Lu Dahn had felt he had the man under his thumb, the Commodore was now scrambling on what to do next. He resided in his mind while he watched as the captain and his crew began to walk away, surely he could do something to find out where this guy was dwelling. "Hey Matziyah!" He called out to the man and he hated himself for it. Even though he was trying to ensnare the man in a trap and he was his prey, he couldn't bare the thought of him calling out to another or chasing after someone to get in good with them, it was pitiful. "Huh?" Matziyah turned to face Lu Dahn who stood in the road by the dead man by his lonesome. "How about a night cap?" Matziyah put a hand to his chin in thought for a moment then shrugged. "What better way to end a night of drinking, than with more alcohol. Lets do it!" His men let out a cheer and together they headed to a tavern.

Stepping inside the tavern, with the crew of pirates, Lu Dahn saw the place was actually pretty active. Digging into his coat pocket and looking at his clock piece, he saw it was 3:30 a.m.. Confused on why it's so busy here?" Lu Dahn looked over at Faults who stood beside him while all his hooligans got settled in and ordered drinks. "Read me like an open book." Faults laughed and put a friendly hand on Lu Dahn's back. It was much different than the hand on the shoulder, it was warm and welcoming. It also lead Lu Dahn to walk with Matziyah to a table where they and two others sat while the rest of the crew occupied a large portion of the tavern. "Kolbi, Yani, this is Adolfo. Guy's got some meddle." Both the men already at the table smiled and nodded at Lu Dahn welcoming him. "The reason this place is so packed is because we rented out all the rooms. I don't get why pirates reside on their ships when they embark on an island. If the Marines came around and saw your ship, they'd just stake it out and get the jump on you. Gotta stay low-key." A waitress brought some food and drinks to their table and Faults didn't wait to grab at loaf of bread and begin munching.

Lu Dahn would just stick to drinking, but even then not too much, he needed his wits about him. "Beyond that, if I was a pirate, I'd like to be able to experience the culture of the islands I visit. Can't really do that from a ship." The three pirates exchange glances then began laughing at Lu Dahn's remark. "A man of culture, I like it." "This guy's a catch, where'd you find him Cap'n?" Matziyah began to tell the whole story to his two mates and Lu Dahn listened comfortably while pacing himself with his drink. Somewhere down the line, he found himself with a smile on his face and he knew it wasn't because of the alcohol.

Though he was amongst a crew of pirates, he enjoyed the atmosphere and camaraderie they had. He studied the feeling he felt while Faults kept telling the story, exaggerating pieces here and there. Lu Dahn ultimately came tot he conclusion that when he had his Unit up and running, he wanted it to make him feel how he felt now. Still, he had no sympathy for these pirates, nor admiration for their lifestyle. Business was business and Faults was prey at the end of the day.

When Faults finished the story, Yani and Kolbi definitely had some respect and fondness for Lu Dahn. "So if you aren't a pirate, what do you do Adolfo?" The moment he saw Yani was directing a question towards him, Lu Dahn began to sip from his drink. This way he had a moment of time to devise an acceptable answer to the question being thrown his way. "To be honest with you, I'm just a guy traveling the Grandline. I'm a bit interested in investigating legends and stuff too. All the mysteries surrounding the Red King and things like that." "Are you a fan of the Red King too?!" Lu Dahn laughed lightly at how Faults seemed to always have childlike enthusiasm for things. Playing along with the character he was at the moment, he nodded yes to the question while in reality he wasn't a fan at all.

"He's the sole reason I mustered up the courage to become a pirate captain. I've been investigating his legacy and even death a bit myself." Lu Dahn's curiosity was peeked. Was this the reason the pirate was getting involved in Fool's Gold? Just as a collectors item or a form of inspiration? It was pretty anticlimactic, but he wasn't on this mission for a dramatic plot, just to secure the brick and take this guy down. "Oh really?" Lu Dahn grabbed a small loaf of bread and took a bite while he plotted what he'd say next as he chewed. Washing the bread down with a sip of beer, he let out a small burp then spoke again. All three of them could tell he was about to say something else and they ate and drink slowly while waiting to hear gossip from a "cultured traveler". "I'm actually in Alabasta investigating something related to the Three-Eyed Tribesmen." He could tell when he said that, he had positioned the pirates under his thumb like he wanted them to be.

They exchanged a glance with one another and Matziyah was even leaning forward on the table with his elbows. "And what would that be?" Faults seemed like he had a bit to share himself, it certainly had to be in regards to the Fool's Gold, but Lu Dahn needed to confirm he had it already. "I don't talk about my travels much, so you're lucky I have a lot to unload haha." He took another sip from his cup, then spoke once more. "There's a rumor I heard from a peddler on Baltigo. Someone on Alabasta is selling these things called Fool's Gold. They're bricks of melted down jewelry stolen from imprisoned Three-Eyed Tribesmen. The thing is, since the metals that make up the bricks range from gold, silver, bronze, even steel, and iron, the product is impure so the quality is just trash. Still, there is so much value in the bricks and I'm looking to discover why." Matziyah smiled fiendishly at Lu Dahn just like the Commodore hoped he would. Playing dumb in regards to the Fool's Gold was apparently going to do him well. "The value is in the history and the act of the product's creation. Hundreds of these people had their lives and artifacts they held close to them taken away. Wedding rings, false teeth, family charms, the list goes on. It's an atrocity that's never been committed on this world and that's what makes the bricks so valuable." Lu Dahn nodded as if he wasn't already fully aware of this things to get Matziyah to keep telling him more.

"You're researching Fool's Gold as well?" The pirate captain laughed out loud and shook his head. "I'm not into research, but I do like collecting things. Would you be interested in seeing a brick of Fool's Gold?" Lu Dahn's heart skipped a beat and he had to stop himself from breaking out into a full grin that was as sinister as Matziyah's was before. This was checkmate. "I- I'd love to, you actually have a brick!?" Matziyah nodded and stood from his seat and beckoned for Lu Dahn to do the same. "I've been eager to show them off. This dealer that you heard about. The guy originally had ten bricks-" They began to walk to the stairs of the tavern, Lu Dahn now needed to quickly think of how he'd handle the situation while Matziyah spoke and led him to it. Would he confirm the brick's presence then leave and come back later? Or should he make his move on it now? After all, it'd just be Matziyah and him in the room, a one on one confrontation. He liked that plan, but he'd have to take Matziyah out immediately, for he had a whole crew of pirates just one floor away. By the time they scrambled up the stairs Lu Dahn could have already fled the scene.

"-but he already had sold seven of them. I was planning to buy one, but when I saw one of them, I couldn't just buy one." "You bought more than one!?" This was the jackpot, two bricks would be in his possession in a single raid. It was a bit troubling that seven had already been sold though. Since Briggs had at least one already in his possession, that meant there were only six more in circulation. "I'm an up and coming rookie, but I don't have funds to blow like that. Me and my crew killed the guy and his posse and took all three he had left." Once Matziyah reached the top of the stairs, he turned and faced Lu Dahn who was four steps away from him. The Commodore couldn't possibly hide the look of astonishment when he heard such a thing. "What do you plan to do with them? If you could find someone willing, you could convert that into fortune." Matziyah's brow raised curiously for a moment before he turned back forward and began to walk towards his room.

Though the pirate captain was indeed a hot head, he wasn't an idiot. The whole time he had his suspicions as to who Lu Dahn actually was and why he had taken such an interest in Matziyah. Sure they had a common interest in the Fool's Gold, but when Lu Dahn requested a night cap back in the streets, Matziyah could tell the man was pushing a certain agenda he had. He was in the company of no one when they first encountered each other, yet once he encountered Matziyah he was looking to tag along with the man and his crew. Surely it could have just been the power of his charm and reputation, but he felt in his guts that Lu Dahn was a fellow shrouded in more mystery than just being a traveler with a strong sense of curiosity.

Now, just when Lu Dahn said he could convert the Fool's Gold into a fortune, Matziyah's senses made him feel like he was right about Lu Dahn having a hidden agenda. The man expressed that he had no clue why the bricks were valued so greatly, yet he just said Matziyah could turn them over for a great fortune. It was true Matziyah explained why, but even then he didn't explicitly state they had monetary value, for he could have meant sentimental. WHile normally it could be either or and he'd usually give the person the benefit of the doubt, since he already had his hunches about Lu Dahn, that was gone. After all, as a pirate he had to be looking out for his own neck whether he was wrong or right in the end didn't always matter.

So, he'd continue to lead Lu Dahn down the hall towards his room and when he'd get to the door, he'd pause and look ever so slightly over his shoulder back at Lu Dahn with his good eye. "I would turn them over for a fortune, but I don't think I could." He gave a sinister smile to Lu Dahn then turned the knob and opened the door. Lu Dahn raised his brow curiously in response, but followed Matziyah silently into the room after closing the door behind him.

Little did either of these strong spirits know, both thought they were preparing to get the jump on the other. The scene to unfold would be a clash for each of them to remember.

Walking into the room, he opened a drawer that had a lone case in it. He took the case out the drawer and turned to Lu Dahn with the case in his hands. [color:4dbe=ff0000]"Before I even open the case, I gotta tell you. . . The sight alone gets my blood heated up. It's like the souls of those who died for the sake of their creation haunt the things and make me just want to kill something. I gotta attribute my ballsy move of killing the dealer to the bricks. It may just be the power of art if we take away the superstition, but regardless, the power they fill me with is something I want to use to fuel my journey." Looking at Matziyah's face while he spoke was admittedly a bit spooky. These things clearly had a hold on this man and not in a healthy way. He already seemed like an unstable personality, but the Fool's Gold made his bloodlust burn even stronger than it already did.

Though he'd naturally be on high alert in a situation like this, even if he didn't want to be, he had no choice. He could feel there was certainly an energy about Matziyah that was swelling and creating tension in the air. The two had their eyes locked on one another and much to Lu Dahn's disadvantage for what was about to unfold, no more than a meter of space was between them. As Matziyah held the case in one hand, his other began to move naturally for the locks of the case to flip them open and ultimately reveal the Fool's Gold inside the case. As his hand made it to the side of the case where the latches resided, Lu Dahn's eyes were naturally drawn down to see what he was expecting to be revealed. However, the pirate captain instead gripped the case by the handle that was facing towards Lu Dahn and away from himself and attempted an uppercut like move with the briefcase. Quick to notice when the man grabbed the handle of the case rather than the latches, Lu Dahn had already begun to step back in preparation for an attack that narrowly missed his chin.

Just as quick as his opponent however, Matziyah had already moved his free hand that wasn't holding the case down to the handle of one of his katanas. This happened as Lu Dahn executed his back step and as he himself swung the suitcase. Stepping forward to recluse the space Lu Dahn had attempted to create and then some, Matziyah also pulled his katana partially out of the scabbard with the intentions of hitting Lu Dahn in the gut with the blunt of the handle. He was successful, for it was a move that was executed extremely fast while he already had a lump some of pressure on his foe. The result of the blow was the Commodore stumbling back a few steps and reflexively clutching his stomach. "Gah!"

Already after his successful blow, Matziyah prepared another piece of his volley at the Commodore. "Thought you could play me huh you shit stain!?" As Lu Dahn looked up he'd see the wooden briefcase was sailing through the air at his face and following behind it was a dashing Matziyah Faults in a quick draw stance. "Shit!" Dive rolling to his right side, he skillfully stripped himself of his rifle that was on his back during the roll. Once out of the speedy evasive maneuver he would be in a kneeling stance with his pistol drawn and trained on Faults. The swordsman would adjust his path of travel to still be heading for Lu Dahn after his roll, but the sight of the drawn pistol noticeably made him even more aggressive.

Wasting no time to fight back, Lu Dahn fired his pistol at the man as he approached. Only three shots were fired off, for he had a total of six in each magazine, but each bullet was skillfully weaved around, albeit in place. If the shots did anything, they stopped Matziyah's advancement onto Commodore Ricchi and gave the Marine a chance to gather himself. Despite that, he hadn't the time to do so, he needed this scuffle to end quickly, for the pirate had a militia of reinforcements just downstairs, that undoubtedly heard the gunshots.

Though time was pressed, Lu Dahn curiously looked over to where the wooden briefcase had crashed against the wall to surely see three golden bricks, that had to be the Fool's Gold. "They're captivating to look at aren't they? The first time I saw them I couldn't look away . . ." The sound of rushed footsteps from below could be heard thumping to Lu Dahn's location. "Yikes hahaha. This sucks for you, but before you die, why don't you tell me who you really are?" Lu Dahn remained silent as he holstered his pistol, but grabbed his rifle that was nearby on the floor. Faults had no issue with this apparently. He simply laughed, in his head he saw it as Lu Dahn prolonging the inevitable. In the Commodore's head he was gathering his belongings for he was planning to make his exit with this next move.

The Marine had been thinking how he would deal with this battle since the duo had hit the stairs. But even before then, when he first entered the tavern he noticed the element he'd be basing his whole escape off of. Hanging lanterns. They lit the establishment and he assumed that they'd be the source of light in the rooms as well. Before he was even sold on the idea of fighting Matziyah here and now, he knew he'd make use of the lanterns regardless.

When they first entered Matziyah's room his eyes flickered up quickly to find where the lantern was hanging. Center stage. He had thought to himself as the rest of the scene played out as explained. All the while, he already knew he'd be setting the building ablaze and leaving in the chaos in the near future.

When combat ensued, though Faults had the upper hand in the short term of the battle, Lu Dahn was working behind the scenes and for the sake of a triumphant victory. His hand of cards came all together when Matziyah made his dash after tossing the briefcase. With his dive roll he altered the man's path to get him to eventually dash to a position underneath the lantern. With the pistol fire, he successfully halted his advance and stopped him directly underneath the hanging flame.

Back to real time.

Quickly training his rifle on Matziyah, the man assumed a defensive stance. But, just as fast as he aimed the barrel of his rifle on Faults, he swiveled it higher above the man at the lantern and fired. Not by luck, but by talent Lu Dahn shot the thin rope perfectly. Matziyah naturally looked up, for he was unaware he was directly under the lantern. His eye opened wide in shock for what was coming. As he attempted to back step and avoid the lantern Lu Dahn had advanced the position and switched his grip on his rifle. "Raaaaaaah!" He yelled as he played his final gambit. Now he held the gun by its barrel and swung it like a bat, not at Matziyah, but at the falling lantern the swordsman narrowly avoided. What Lu Dahn achieved with hitting the lantern was sending a blast of glass, that was lathered in the oils the lantern used as fuel. Naturally the flame clung to these oils and used them for fuel to stay lit, so a shower of flaming glass was sent at the pirate captain.

Since Faults had just hopped backwards to avoid the falling lantern, he found himself with no footing to avoid the onslaught of flames and glass. Reaching to his hips, he attempted to counter strike with a sword technique apparently. "Fuck you!" He gripped the swords that were still sheathed at his waist between his knuckles after switching his grip on his already wielded katana to a similar grip. This let him effectively have a hold on six swords, one handle wedged between each of his fingers/knuckles. Akin to a quick draw, he pulled each blade out in an offensive manner that created an impressive blast of air. It was definitely a superhuman feat, but Lu Dahn expected nothing less from a blossoming pirate captain. After all he already saw Faults perform a feat of speed to close in on the sex offender earlier that night.

In regards to the counter tactic Faults employed, it caused Lu Dahn's attack to backfire and sent the flaming glass shards back in the direction they came from. Additionally, six blades of cutting air resided within this blast of air and easily threatened Lu Dahn's life. Quickly the blue haired hero utilized the Rokushiki technique, Soru. Matziyah's attack would ultimately miss Lu Dahn, but it would succeed in blasting the wall of the room wide open while leaving the pathway of the attack lit ablaze. "Dammit, he doesn't give up." Lu Dahn would have relocated to where the Fool's Gold bricks were laying with his rifle slung back on his back.

Through the hole in the wall Faults had created, his crew mates looked into the room and saw what was unfolding. "Shit, Raska just got decimated by that blast." A burning body laid on the floor in the pathway of the attack Faults had launched, but outside the room in the hallway the pirates were storming to get to Matziyah's room. "Captain used his special technique. This guy must mean business." The eyes of the lowly grunts were on the scene that had yet to show that either of the combatants had the upper hand. "That movement technique . . . you're Marine?" Lu Dahn smuggled each of the Fool's Gold bricks into his coat pockets and zipped them closed. Faults did nothing to stop this, it was too soon to act since he now knew Lu Dahn had the talent to perform what Faults assumed were one of the Six Powers.

Lu Dahn would stand up, all his belongings he'd be taking with him now on his person. He'd nod yes to the question he was asked with a smile on his face. "Since you took notice of my usage of one of the Six Powers, I'm assuming you know I can possibly know a few other techniques." Matziyah laughed at Lu Dahn and nodded, after his laugh the grimace on his face showed he wasn't dissuaded in the least bit. "Looks like I underestimated you, but now that I know what I'm up against that won't happen again." Lu Dahn knew why the man wasn't worried at all, it was because he had confidence in his own abilities and that's where his strength came from. With most people when their ego grew bigger than their actual abilities it made them weaker, because they went against challenges too big for them. With Faults however, he genuinely believed his ego and in a sort of placebo effect type of way it made him as strong as he perceived himself to be.

Lu Dahn was similar, but he was never one to show how big his ego actually was . . . at least not in a blatant manner. With both of the strong souls standing off having revealed some of their true abilities, they now took the time to size each other up. The fire in the building was beginning to slowly spread, but neither of them paid it any real mind. As long as they weren't at risk of getting burned, their focus was on the other.

"Captain, I have a clear shot on him right now. Give me the word." Lu Dahn quickly looked over to see Yani with the sights of a rifle trained on him. It was a minor threat, but still a threat that could lead him into making a dire mistake. Eyes back on Faults, Lu Dahn waited for his call. He half expected the man to be too prideful to rely on help, but he also seemed like a by any means type of person, so Lu Dahn was on his toes and ready to react. The way the pirate captain smiled showed his teeth and communicated his yearning for victory well. Before he even spoke, Lu Dahn knew the order to fire was coming. "Take it."

Just as he called out, Yani had shot, and Lu Dahn had made another usage of Soru, not in response to the shot, but to Fault's sinister smile that came right before the order. He'd have traveled to an aerial position closer to Faults, but not quite right on top of him with his pistol drawn. The pirate captain only had one eye, but it was an eye sharp enough to track Lu Dahn's Soru and know exactly where it was he'd stop at. "Idiot!" With his opponent in an aerial position, he had him right where he wanted him. Helpless and unable to evade. Pistol drawn or not, Lu Dahn was seen as a sitting duck. He saw Faults prepare to attack to finish him off, so he fired off one shot to halt him. Faults evaded and prepared again. Lu Dahn gave the same response and still Faults jumped to the side and avoided the bullet. The cycle repeated itself, but this time when Lu Dahn squeezed the trigger to release his sixth shot since the fight began, nothing happened.

Lu Dahn's expression went cold as he instantly knew the bullet wasn't in the chamber and his line of defense before landing was gone. The bullet had been expended earlier that night when Lu Dahn had executed the perverted man to get in good with Faults. The look on Lu Dahn's face was the opposite on Matziyah's own face. Upon the realization the Marine was out of shots, he readied his swords then jumped straight towards Lu Dahn with his six blades extended to run him through. "Checkmate!" With time assumably being the only thing between him and victory, Faults' would be gravely disappointed when his blades pierced through nothing. He was looking at Lu Dahn as he was closing the vertical gap between them, but again the man would vanish even though he was in mid-air.

"Good bait huh!" Lu Dahn had used Geppo to travel while in midair and avoid the pathway of Matziyah's ever so linear attack. Lu Dahn was now descending down to the floor and behind the ascending Matziyah's back. It was also worth noting Lu Dahn was headed towards the window of the building that was now in front of him. He wouldn't stop there however, no. He wouldn't be able to escape with the Fool's Gold until Faults was neutralized. Not because he needed to take down an evil pirate or anything like that, just because Faults wouldn't rest until either he had one or he had lost. So when Lu Dahn landed, he'd have executed a swift rotating roundhouse kick. The way it was performed allowed Lu Dahn to pivot on his standing leg so he could face Matziyah's person at the peak and release of the kick. The result was a 3m Rankyaku wave fired off with an almost vertical, but diagonal angle at the pirate captain's back. Just as he tried to turn to face Lu Dahn, the Rankyaku would collide with his body, so instead of hitting his back it impacted his side. From his waist, along his ribs, up to the armpit, then crossing a bit through his pectoral to his collar bone, the cutting wave chopped into him, but not through him.

"Gaaaaaah!" It didn't sound like a shout of pain, but one of rage and anger towards Lu Dahn. "Captain! Ah, fuck this fire!" The room was starting to get too smoky to tolerate being in, but it kept the grunt pirates from entering the room because it separated them from the door and the pathway created by their captain was engulfed in flames. "We have to get to him somehow, he's going to get eaten by the flames!" Matziyah had flopped onto the floor after taking the Rankyaku wave dead on. He was still conscious, but soaking up the pain from the damage he was just dealt. "I'm *cough* fine . . ." Lu Dahn was just about to kick the glass out the window and depart. He had his arm to his nose hoping to filter some of the smoke that was clouding the area. "Get outside and sur- *cough* surround the building. Don't let him get away with the gold." Matziyah was trying to get back up on his feet, but was struggling. The Rankyaku wave cut the connecting area near the armpit that lead the arm to the torso. The whole arm was useless.

"But Capta-" "That's a fucking order! I can handle myself." His peons were hesitant, but eventually they took their captain's words and began running downstairs to evacuate and surround the building. Lu Dahn had to move fast now, but part of him wanted to take full advantage of the situation and apprehend Faults. He looked at the window then back to the pirate captain who was trying to gather himself up. Was he being greedy? He already had three bars of Fool's Gold on his person and that's what he had came for. "Fuck . . ." He took the victory he had and kicked the window out. The flames roared from the draft that was created and in doing so they began to eat at Faults' body. "Ahhh, fuucking Marines!" He was a lost cause now, it was now time to depart before he was surrounded by the Matziyah's avengers.

Jumping out the window, Lu Dahn would employ his Geppo technique once more to repeatedly jump off the air and escape in the night. That was what the plan was at least, but things didn't always go as planned. About a block away from the burning building he just left, he saw a squad of Marines rushing to the scene. There were only about ten of them, they'd surely be eradicated by the crew of pirates that would be lingering around the scene since their captain was inside.
"Shit." He safely descended to the ground in front of the small troop of Ensigns. They were taken aback by Lu Dahn coming down from the sky in front of them. Stopping and stumbling backwards in shock, they scrambled to grab their firearms and aim at Lu Dahn who lifted his hand. "At ease, I'm Commodore Ricchi." All of them except for one kept their guns up. "Ricchi? As in from Rear Admiral Brigg's old unit when he was a Commodore?" Lu Dahn examined the Ensign who was speaking to him for a second until he realized who he was. "Kamacho?" "It is you!" The rest of the Ensigns put their weapons down with this confirmation.

It was an odd place to be reuniting, but the fact that Briggs had a unit patrolling the area, meant he was also somewhere in Alubarna. "I'm guessing you're headed to the fire, a pirate crew lead by Matziyah Faults is there." Kamacho's mouth opened. "We're currently hunting down Faults, did you take him down?" Lu Dahn made a mental note of the fact that Briggs was really active on his search for the Fool's Gold and had one of the same leads he did. Lu Dahn was lucky he got the Faults first, since he had three bricks in his possession. "Something like that . . . anyways, I wouldn't go there without some backup." Knowing that Briggs was potentially hunting the same people he was made Lu Dahn a bit weary. This was a race after all, but Briggs had way more men he could dispatch, so he could actively be working towards more than one at a time.

Having warned the Marines, Lu Dahn began to take his leave, but Kamacho asked him a question. "You're not searching for the Fool's Gold are you?" His fellow Ensigns looked at him like he was crazy. "Kamac-" Kamacho put his hand up and shook his hand. "I know it's private mission details, but it doesn't matter if he already knows." Lu Dahn stopped and turned to face Kamacho. Reading his expression for a moment, he came clean. "I am." "Why don't you assist Briggs' unit then. We could use the help." Lu Dahn put a hand to his head and shook it side to side in a disappointed manner. "I head my own Unit now. Why would I work just to help promote another man while I stay where I am?" He said those words knowing they'd pluck a string within Kamacho, he hadn't any intentions in trying to get information out of the Ensign, but if he had some to offer, Lu Dahn might as well try. After all, the two started as Ensigns together in Brigg's Unit and now here they were two years later, Lu Dahn a Commodore and Kamacho still an Ensign.

Lu Dahn sighed at Kamacho who was obviously effected by Lu Dahn's words. "How many b-" "Commodore Ricchi. Can't say I expected to run into you in Alubarna. What's your business here?" Coming from behind Lu Dahn was the man of the hour, Briggs and a small group of Ensigns in his company. "Investigating somethings . . ." He turned to Kamacho one final time. The man wasn't looking at Lu Dahn, but he surely could feel the Commodores sharp gaze upon him. Saying nothing more he began to leave again, but once more he was halted. "The proper thing to do when you see a superior officer is to salute, Commodore." Lu Dahn stopped in his tracks and turned to Briggs as he saluted with a pleasant smile that was masking venom and spite for the man. Anyone who didn't know the history between them would have noticed something was odd, but not know how much Lu Dahn truly loathed Briggs.

"That's more like it. I'll be seeing you Commodore. For your sake, I hope you don't have your nose in my business." Lu Dahn was already turned away walking in the other direction. The only thing that kept him acting right was the fact he literally had three bricks of Fool's Gold hidden on his person right now. Lifting a hand up to bid the man a farewell, he tossed out his cheeky rebuttal to Briggs' own nuisance. "If I had any dealings in your business, you'd probably be out of business Rear Admiral."

[Exit]