Operation: Elbaf

Operation: Elbaf
A pleasant breeze riffled through the long, tusked mane of the enormous Kaldor, who, seated as he were, still stuck out plainly in comparison to the other marines aboard the ship due to his massive size. With his back resting against one of the ship's masts, he let out a small sigh, brown eyes focused on the skies above.

There was much joy to be had in the works of a marine, that was without question. But as of late, the Vice-Admiral couldn't help but feel as though something were lacking. He felt incomplete, simply put, but no matter the amount of thought he projected, he simply couldn't bring himself to understand what it was that he was missing oh-so badly. And that was when it hit him on the head. Literally.

Scratching the top of his head, Kaldor looked up at the fleeing who had dropped a newspaper on his head. A look of frustration overtook his face. What was he supposed to do with this? It was far too small for his hands to trifle with; and even more so, he wasn't the most educated of lads about: reading just wasn't one of his strong suits, and that he blamed more times than not on.

But what he saw coming next, as he carefully plucked the paper between two fingers, was a whole swarm of News Coo, perhaps ten, twenty, nay, definitely thirty or more, all carrying a single package. A package in the form of an envelope; one that was so large, that it brought over a large shadow over a good portion of the ship.

The other marines looked about in terror as the News Coo dropped the envelope down on their ship, many even began to shout and curse them as they tiredly flew away, visually exhausted after having carried the envelope all this way, yet it was Kaldor and Kaldor only who had any idea as to what the envelope entailed. There was little doubting its contents: it was a giant envelope meant for a giant man.

With a smile upon his rugged face, he caught the large card and almost immediately cut it open, tossing the smock of paper into the waters of the New World. What he held in his hands moments later was a ridiculously large card, one that was very intricately decorated, and one that bore the name of Kaldor's family. Inscribed within was a language decipherable by even the most slowest of lads; any well educated human would have thought it no better than the essay of a young schoolboy with the amount of grammar mistakes it contained, yet for Kaldor it was the most beautiful poem in the world.

Hardly able to contain his excitement, he yelled out into the open, "Hoy!!" He flailed his arms about and twirled his hips, causing the ship itself to wobble under his sheer weight.

"Hoy!!" he said again, this time louder and with tears rolling down his cheeks. "It's about damn time, ya mug! It's about damn time!" Wiping his face with his arm, he blew his nose into the card and looked around for a single man. A man who he respected the most after his own father in this world. "Terell-kun, Terell-kun, I've somethin' to ask you!"

Admiral Fuyuki stood upon the forecastle deck, his gaze directed at the far horizon. He'd been at sea for many weeks at this point, yet there was a certain serenity to the ocean that calmed him and temporarily relieved him of the many worries that plagued him due to his status as an Admiral.

The death of Admiral Kairo still weighed heavily on his mind, but his many responsibilities as an Admiral had prevented him from going after Veno just yet. Since they'd set out, they'd captured and taken many pirates into custody, Terell considered it his duty to get to them before some of his colleagues did, many of which believed in the concept of Absolute Justice; and would defile the idea of Justice in ways that Terell and his subordinates would not.

Whatever their deeds, whatever their actions, pirates were still people; men and women who'd made mistakes or choices at the expense of others, true, but people all the same. Justice was a unified ideal, it wasn't something reserved solely for those who bowed to the World Government. The Admiral's tranquility was broken by the eager voice of Vice-Admiral Kaldor, a giant who he was proud to consider one of the most stalvart defenders of True Justice he'd had the pleasure of meeting.

He sighed inwardly at the mention of "Terell-kun", like with most of his subordinates he'd attempted to correct his lack of honorfics before but it always went ignored. He turned around and looked at the giant, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Yes, Vice Admiral Kaldor?".

"Terell-kun!" Kaldor shouted again, before rummaging forth a squirm of squeals in his attempt to gather his thoughts. Taking a moment to breathe, he finally found himself able enough to speak. "My cousin is getting married!" Tears the size of boulders crashed down unto the ship's deck. "That damn lard! He'd refused so many suitors up until now... he had so many of us worried!

"But nay! Elbaf will be in good hands, I'm sure of it! You can leave it to Barbarossa-san to find himself a proper wife! Dordordordor!" More tears ensued. With the way the giant was explaining things, the world itself hoped that Admiral Fuyuki would have been able to recall Kaldor's stress over the last few years; his cousin, the Emperor of Elbaf, had refused to marry countless times. Now according to the card, which was an invitation to the royal wedding, he had found his love at long last.

"You'll come with me, won't you, Terell-kun? Oh please! My cousin writes that he'd be more than willing to accommodate me and my closest associates; Elbaf's royal castle is a sight to behold, I swear of it. It's so very large that a man like you will easily be lost within it, dordordor!" Kaldor sniffed hard. Lost in thought, his eyes trailed to the skies. "Yes, I'd hope Dario-san would be willing to join us too! And the rest of you lot as well!" He looked to the other marines and scooped them up in his arms, hugging them tightly out of sheer happiness alone. "Yes, yes, yes! You all must come! You all must come to my cousin's wedding!"

The Giants were among the strongest people in the world, and though this was a joyous occasion for those involved it was also a good opportunity to approach the rulers of Elbaf for cooperation with the Marines. Terell had suspicions that he wasn't the only one who thought along these lines, and he expected to run into the Yonko while there, whether the pirates themselves or their envoys. Terell looked up at Vice-Admiral Kaldor, the giant towered far above him and to some it would've been a strange sight to see a man that large as the subordinate of Admiral Fuyuki, who barely reached his ancles.

"I gratefully accept the invitation, Kaldor. We'll set sail for Elbaf immediately." He respond with a smile before he turned towards the rest of the marines on his ship. "I hope you've got good manners for it seems like we'll be attending a wedding. However, while this is a great chance to improve relations with the giants and pay our respects to the future rulers of Elbaf, be aware of this.Hostile forces will almost certainly be present, and I would be surprised to find members of the Yonko absent. An Alliance with the giants could upset the balance of power, and it is imperative that we do our best to represent the best the marines have to offer."

Admiral Fuyuki put his arms behind his back as he continued to speak to his subordinates, informing them of their destination and laying a few ground rules for their visit to Elbaf. "We are not savages, brave men and women of the marines, and as such we will not engage combat with any pirates while in Elbaf. We do this because our greatest duty is to represent the best aspects of Justice, respect, understanding and compassion. It would reflect exceedingly poorly on the Marines as a force if we disrupted the wedding with cannonfire and battles, so do not engage whatever enemies might be present for the duration of our stay in Elbaf except in self-defense."

The Yonko? A look of distaste overtook Kaldor's face. The thought of having such infamous pirates parading on his home island while his cousin was to be wed was not a good one. But it wasn't exactly something he could control. Famed as the "Pirate Smasher" for the brute manner in which he utilized his behemoth limbs to smash pirate skulls into the ground, it wasn't exactly a secret that Kaldor despised them. Even so, at the request of not only the Admiral, but the greater good, he too would have to suppress his call for duty in the likelihood he came upon a pirate whilst on Elbaf.

"Hoy, of course, Terell-kun. I won't lay a single finger on any stinkin' pirate while we're there. You have my word!" Kaldor smiled wide. They were really going; they were really going back home to Elbaf! Oh how long it'd been since he'd last seen them. Mother, father, all of his brothers and sisters, and of course, the groom himself! He was really going to be able to see them again after all these years. The thought itself was invigorating.

"Elbaf, everyone, I'm comin' home!!"

---

The night prevailed over the town of Tashoya, indicting an omen of utter chaos. For the pirates of Nassau, there was no better time and place to party. Chants and moans filled the skies. The smell of liquor, tobacco, and semen lingered all about. Between a crowd of pirates, one such man raised a bottle of Brandy high above his head and hollered out to them, "to a free world!" as he popped the cork and allowed its contents to ooze down the length of his arm.

The popping of the bottle was followed by a series of gun shots aimed harmlessly toward the moon. Chants broke out yet again and the pirate who had popped the bottle was lifted up by the crowd and carried about like a hero. Dressed and tailored into a long, red coat with a pointed dark cap resting above the top of his head, he rode the crowd around the town, his lips fastened around the bottle's opening.

In attendance, Benjamin raised his bottle of liquor in agreement. "To a free world, haha!" He cheered, pulling the woman glued to his arm into a full embrace. "The drinks boys, everything is on me!!" He drunkenly spoke, gulping down another bit of his liquor. Benjamin had been fortunate enough to purchase just a little bit of the from a merchant on the square; a wooden spoon of treasure tree adam's wood. Most pirates would have never spent their fortune on such a dumb item, which is why the merchant had provided a slight discount to its purchase. Though, Benjamin was no average pirate. His devil fruit, the Mosa Mosa No Mi, would allow him to churn a fortune from it. He would learn about it, use it to grow some more, and sell that off. In no time, he would be the richest merchant on the island, and perhaps he would garner the attention of Public Enemy Veno himself.

Benjamin volunteering to pay for all their liquor was either the stupidest decision of his life --under the regard that he had no idea just how much these pirates were truly capable of drinking-- or a cheeky way of declaring his wealth. Either way, the pirate from earlier found himself taking a liking to the other lad. Dismounting himself up and off the crowd, he chugged more Brandy down his throat on his way toward Benjamin.

"Ahoy," he chimed, emitting a drunken burp, "what be yer name, rich boy?"

"B-Benjamin," he responded, turning to face the man who approached him, "Benjamin Tabbart it be. But excuse me a moment." He gulped down the remnants of his drink and handed it to the woman next to him. "Um...get me another drink. Something strong," he asked, sending her own his way. He turned back to Barney.

"Anway, who are," a hiccupped interrupted his sentence, "y-you?"

With widened eyes, the pirate introduced himself. "Barney Kettle, pleased to make yer aqua-tinshhhh." There was a noticeable wobble to his walk; how he managed to keep himself from falling was a wonder. "And what might it be that yer drinkin' to tonight, my dear Benjamin?"

Widened eyes carefully studied Benjamin's figure, watching most especially along his hips, looking for any indication of coins bouncing around in those trouser pockets.

“I just finished some of this…er, um,” he looked around for the bottle, forgetting that he had handed it off to his company, “dammit, it was some er, um rum! Rum! That’s what it was, yeah.” His legs shook, and his body swayed side to side. His eyes were droopy, his vision blurred, his senses dull. Though, Benjamin was no idiot. He didn’t carry his treasure with him. Well, the gold in his pocket that he would use to pay for the drinks were present, but not his spoon. He made sure to keep that away,

“What, um…what the you sippin on?”

They were then interrupted by a bit of commotion going on near by with a man talking to a by stander. "Looks man i told ya already i don't know where the nearest bar if im just as lost as you are." The bystander said getting angry over the mans persistence.

The man stood there in silence for a moment. "UGH! your no help to me." the man complained and smashed the bystanders head at the nearest wall, busting a hole through it. "Damn it for a 'Pirates Paradise' you'd think a nice bar wouldn't be so hard to find." He said stomping around with his hands in his pockets. Behind him were two people, a much taller, and muscular man and a young Beautiful Women, who many of the men became infatuated with whenever she walks by.

"We don't have time for drinking anyways Jones, we're on a scheduled." The taller man said.

"Shut the hell up Cazzar! We did what the old man asked, we burnt that down that whatchamacalled marine island down to the ground already. Its time for some r-n-r." Jones said resting his arms behind his head.

The women walked quietly, almost seemed annoyed by the two boys bickering.

Looking away from Benjamin for a moment, Kettle couldn't help but be mesmerized by the beauty of the young woman. Kettle's eyes saw only her, completely ignoring the other two that accompanied her. And as she walked ahead of the two, visually upset, it was Kettle who greeted her next.

Removing his hat and planting a single knee to the ground, Kettle bowed with a gleeful smile playing along his lips. "Yer guilty of being a hot wench," he chimed to the woman, "I sentence ye to walking me plank!"

The women looked down at the kneeling Kettle with a grin on her face. "My, what a gentlemen." She said softly, amused by his actions.

"I-I don't know, Kettle." Benjamin stepped forward towards the woman, obviously analyzing her physique. "She's like, er, maybe a two or something. I've seen hotter in those brothels over there you know."

Aroused by what seemed to him a compliment, Kettle rose up to his feet and offered his arm to the woman. "Yoho! Then how's about it? Wanna come back to my home port and see my dock?"

A loud smack was heard from Benjamin and Catrina was seen glaring at him with her fist steaming for her hit. "Well isnt that nice!" She said happily. "You see boys this is how a lady should be treated." She called out to her comrades.

"Oh please why would a girl need to be treated like that?" Cazzar mumbled loud enough for everyone to hear. A loud smack was heard from Cazzar as well as he was then seen squating down carrying for a large bruis on his head with an acking face from the pain. The women had an wicked face with more stream coming from her fist again.

Benjamin felt the sting of Catrina's slap, pulling him from his drunken calm to into a sea of drunken rage. "What the fuck," he started, sending his backhand soaring towards Catrina's face while she was distracted by her own teammate. "Bitches need to remember their fucking place!"

"This dude has a death wish." Jones says with sweat drops leaking down his face.

Catrina was smacked in the face unexpectedly causing her to tremble with anger and turned towards Benjamin with a vicious glare. She is then seen walking away angrily with Benjamin's upper body smashed into the ground with only his legs being shown. "Men are animal!" She shouted frustrated.

"Eh?" Kettle's normally widened eyes narrowed peculiarly. What had he just witnessed? Another woman with an attitude? His blood began to boil. She had reminded him of his wife... back when she was still alive. Back before he had "accidentally" taken her life. Through his anger of seeing the strange predicament that had unfolded before him, Kettle curled his hand into a fist.

He wasn't so much angry at the fact that Benjamin had been ridiculed as much as he was at the thought that a woman had shown herself to be superior to a member of the male species. Like what in the actual fuck? Just what did this bitch think she was playing at? As Catrina continued to walk away, she would find that her movements had become slower than usual; it was as if the world itself had begun to cave in around her being!

Alas, befitting the gravitational powers bestowed upon him by his Devil Fruit, Kettle orchestrated a large sum of pressure down toward Catrina from where he currently stood, with nothing more than the motions of his single hand. She would feel her body be crushed beneath the magnitude of such vigorous might that it would have made what she had just done to Benjamin look like nothing special in comparison.

"Ye good for nothin' whore! How dare ye speak against another man!"

Having been crushed by the sudden intense pressure pushing down on her, she collapsed to the ground immediately and she fell she instantly spat out blood from her mouth. "AGHHHHH!" She tried to pull herself from the intense force but found herself struggling to even move herself up an inch. "Gr-Gravitational power?" She thought to herself.

This sudden transaction got the attention of her two comrades, causing Cazzar to quickly stand up and face Kettle and prepare himself to face him, while Jones just looks towards the fallen Catrina and doesn't move from his current spot.

"It seems everyone's being rather... troublesome here..." A voice suddenly spoke, seemingly coming from above. Should anyone look up, they would both see a man clad in white and black, as he seemingly lied down on air itself. A white parachute was visibly connected to his person and above both, there was a large dirigible flying off in the air.

At the sound of a most intriguing voice, Kettle looked up and what he saw surprised him. What exactly it was and how it managed to do what it was doing was beyond him, but he had grown accustomed to seeing all sorts of bizarre things ever since he had stepped foot into the Grand Line. Still, there was an especially potent aura radiating around this guy; just who in the hell was he?

"Eh? Why don't ye come on down from there and join the fun, pisspot?" Kettle spat, his eyes and grin widening further. It was then that one of his underlings came running from behind him, alerting him of the dangers of the levitating man.

"Nay, captain! That's Qasarhog Yanbaal up there, a member of the Shichibukai! His former bounty is even higher than your current bounty of 200,000,000!" he cried, warning his captain against challenging the man above to a battle. Kettle looked back upon his subordinate in disbelief.

"Ehhh?" Kettle glanced toward the flying Shichibukai once more, as if he hadn't seen him clearly the first time. "Shichibukai?!"

Both Jones and Cazzar look up as well, following after kettle. "A warlord hu? Should make things interesting." Jones said with sinister grin.

"So thats him hu?" Cazzar said hardly surprised to see him but more interested that he got to see him at all.

Catrina who was fighting the intense gravity could also hear what was going on as her eyes widened in surprise. "Q-Qasarhog Yanbaal? W-What in the world is he, ugh, doing here?"She thought to herself trying to fight through the pain of the gravity.

"Forget it." The gravitational pressure above Catrina returned to normal. "Ya couldn't pay me enough to mess around with one of them." Kettle turned around and gestured toward the rest of his crewmates to follow in his lead. Yanbaal had a truly infamous reputation of collecting pirates and turning them over to the World Government as apart of his duty. Kettle wasn't interested in potentially being the next guy to make that list.

With his men behind him, Kettle retreated into a nearby bar, exactly what the Fire Rocker Pirates had been searching for upon their arrival into Tashoya.

With his force of gravity lifted Catrina managed to get up to her knees, coughing from this experience. "Grr one day i'll kill that bastard, but for now..." She stopped herself looking up at the levitating warlord.

"Hmmmmmmmm?" Yan looks as the little group of pirates sets off to a nearby residence. Still with a poker face, he scratches the side of his head lightly, as if to wonder what had just happened. Yan sighs and shrugs, landing on the ground soon as the parachute seemingly disappeared into thin air, he looked at those who were still there.

"Could this be the infamous "Pirate Island"...known as Nassau?" He smiled, showing off his pretty white teeth, all the while crossing his arms and walking towards them. Yan stopped abruptly "I do hope I came to the right place!"

With his men in tow, Kettle stormed into the tavern, making a large ruckus per usual. He marched up to the bar counter and eyed the barkeep with an aloof expression, the wooden floorboards creaking under his filthy boot. "Gimmie a bottle of yer good stuff!"

With all the commotion happening around the bar, a sheet layed on top of one of the table booths in the bar begins to suddenly move as a child then took the blanket off and lifted himself up to look at what was going on. The child had black, messy hair with ragged clothes. Many would think he's a homeless child who's living in the streets for years. He looks over at kettle with his eyes half open as if he's barely able to keep himself away. "uh. hu? Whats all the noise out there?" He said in a dull, mumbling tone as he rubbed his eyes to try to see straight and looked back at kettle but that appeared to have done nothing at all.

Meanwhile outside the bar Cazzar stood there glaring at Yanbaal with a ready position, preparing himself for anything he might do. "What are you doing here." He said with a harsh tone. Jones didn't say or do anything just yet and just stood there with a sinister grin on his face.

Yan looks down at the similarly large man "Ooh, I recognize your face...Cazzar, the Titan, right? Hmhmhmhm" He then looks around the place, seeing the many buildings and pirates around "As for why I'm here...it's none of your business. Though, do me a favor and don't assume things from the get-go, okay?" He looks fiercely at the man, yet, while having a smile on his face.

Inside the tavern, Kettle kissed the cork of a brand new liquor bottle. It was clear to everyone there by now that he planned to drink himself into a coma. Resting with his back against the bar counter, he rose the bottle above his head, continuing his chants from earlier before. "To a free world! Bahahahaha!"

With all the commotion going on the child manages to get off the table booth, hoping to find a quieter place to sleep while carrying his blanket with him and wears it like a robe with a hood over his head and walks over to the middle of the bar. He looks over at Kettle with his eyes still blurry from his sleep and tries to focus on him due to the blurry spot he see manages to catch his interest for some reason. "uhh hu? Who is that? He sorta looks.......familiar." He thinks in his head as he walked closer to him with his tired looking face remaining. His vision starts to get clear enough that he can make out what he's looking at "Uh." Recognizing what he sees his eyes widened with a surprising shock to his face. "HU? AHHHHHHH ITS KETTLE!" He shouted loudly as he tried to back away but then stumbled over his feet and collapsed onto a bar table his crew mates were sitting at and managed to knock it over, causing their mugs to fall to the ground spilling their booze.