Abandoning Paradise: Seastone Hearts

To think that Sayyid met someone who already stood against the World Nobles and survived. The young commander wished nothing more for the chance to behead them. To split them in half and nourish the new world with their blood. It excited him so much, he could feel his blood boil. Sayyid was never like that man. He didn't preach diplomacy or love. Didn't believe in peacefulness solved everything. Maybe in the beginning stages. But these people have had control for ages. Their influence stretches so far and deep that words would do nothing. The only thing that could benefit this world would be their complete eradication.

He turned in his bed, watching his prisoner sleep peacefully on her half. This woman was a marine capable of causing him quite a bit of trouble. Now she laid calmly in her own world. Why is she here? Sayyid thought." They were so different. She blindly followed the marines without questioning their hypocracsy. Meanwhile Sayyid was a freedom fighter! Unchained and able to do as he pleased. But now that he thought about it, he felt the shackles of his ideals. He needed to prove that he was free. And maybe if he could change her...show her his truth..

Sayyid clutched his pillow. He thought back to a meeting he had before departing from the last Revolutionary Base. An older man with an eyepatch and a raspy voice. He'd come from the New World and surely his eye was still there.

''There's a shipment of weapons coming in from the New World. Seastone it's called. Listen kid, this world is more than just devil fruits and punching shit.'' He puffed his cigar. ''There's people who can cut entire ships in half in the blink of an eye. I recommend you get your crew some of these weapons if you wanna survive. Plus, Seastone weapons this early in Paradise would only cause trouble for us. It's a win win. But be careful kid, the Network skips the next island for a reason.''

Ominous answers and threats sucked! But unfortunately that's how old geezers operated these days. Still, this man was respected in the Revolutionary Network, so his words had some weight. The ship would arrive tomorrow.

''Raise the Marine sails and get into uniform. Make this look like a stop for some resources. Stock up on what we can and hold identity. Me and Zarqa will handle the raid.'' He ordered.

Sayyid placed his hand on his heart and grabbed onto his blanket. Tomorrow morning would be one hell of a day.

The island of Lemaria could be seen from the mast if the WGS Worgle. She was a freighter from G-1, heading towards the front of the grand line with a shipment of seastone. The weapons were supposed to give an advantage over the pirates that plagued the region.

Zheng Sih had been assigned to watch over this shipment, to make sure that nothing happened to it. This had worked out well so far, as she had mercilessly crushed every threat there had been to the ship with the power of her flames. But now they had finally reached their destination.

Zheng stretched from her spot on top of the mast as they approached, glad that she wouldn't be be cooped up on the ship for much longer.

As the ship finally came into dock, Zheng jumped off the mast before the boat had even fully stopped. Her body seemed to collapse into crimson flames as it hit the stone ground, before the wielder of the reconstructed her body from the flames. She drew several dirty looks from the Marines of G-31 for this, particularly the janitors who saw the scorch marks on the ground. Though she brushed this off.

All she wanted to do was to take a shower and catch some rest before she was inevitably sent somewhere else. So she introduced herself to the base commander before she headed to the barracks.

Several docks down from the freighter was a smaller, simpler marine ship manned by several tens of sailers. They stocked up on resources, fixing up the old girl and attending to their guns. The captain of this new crew, a young girl sat in her cabin hidden behind purple curtains. Even in a world submerged in darkness, the young revolutionary could feel the breathing of the captive marine behind her. Her commander seemed to take a special interest in this prisoner...To Zarqa, he should've killed her and accepted an every higher bounty and level of infamy. Plus it would have sent an even greater message to the world! But she felt the compassion in his heart. Besides, he must have a plan to keep her around.

"Do not do anything to draw attention, prisoner." Zarqa commanded. "I'm not my commander. I will murder you."

The Raid
They have three hours to complete the raid. Sayyid thought. I'll hold the main forces off and meet them off the coast of the island. He maneuvered through the busy town towards the military barracks. Sticking to alleyways and buildings, avoiding the same mistakes from his previous stealth mission. The log that came with their new ship stated that this freighter was manned by the insanely powerful Zheng Shih, owner of the mysterious Mera Mera no Mi. A logia. He recalled. Sayyid only heard of logia users...so the chance to fight against one was an even bigger prize than the actual shipment they're stealing.

A slight screeching sound could be heard as the shower was turned off, its occupant having washed the smell of three weeks at sea off of herself.

Zheng looked at herself in a mirror, seeing the young woman staring back at her. It had been a long five years since she had left her home in order to pursue her quarry, and the scars she had accumulated since then were obvious. One in particular still throbbed on occasion as she drew her finger down along the scar between her breasts, where her armour had punched into her chest from her brother's blow. The jagged scar still remained, but she could not tarry on it forever.

Zheng dressed in a short tunic and pants before she sat on the floor, meditating with her spear to calm herself. Centring herself before going back out for the day.

The idea was to cause enough panic and mayhem that the marines would have to focus on Sayyid. A dangerous mission, for the Revolutionary was essentially challenging the entirety of a marine base. But the Drawn Sword's other members were better suited for the secretive stuff. Besides, he hadn't the time to truly practice utilizing his Devil Fruit powers. Most of the previous battles, Sayyid had to restrain from causing collateral damage. Finally, the young revolutionary could let himself go against people who deserved it!

He approached the Marine base with a smile. His hands digging deep into his pocket before pulling out a small black ball. He struck a match with his teeth and lit the fuse before tossing it within the nearest open window. An explosion of glass. The screams of terror from the marines were music to his ears. They filled out with their guns aimed, ready to fire. Among the chaos, hundreds of voices screaming as they realized who was behind the attack.

The kidnapper of Captain Cecilia Lambert. The terrorist of Checroft who blew upon the famous Brie Factory several islands before.

"Freeze!"

"Hands up!"

"Quick, apprehend him!"

The usual orders and commands by superiors too afraid to fight their battles. Sayyid breathed out as 2x appeared on his ankles and wrist. It was a rapid dance. He appeared and disappeared with each step, gradually speeding up and infiltrating their inner ranks. Gunfire became dangerous to use as they risked firing among each other. The Revolutionary swiftly maneuvered through their ranks, resetting at 16x, before exploding forward once more.

One particularly lucky, or unlucky depending on how you looked at it, Marine got to watch as Sayyid tore through the assembled men with little issue before heading to him.

The man began to raise his weapon to defend himself, but was interrupted before he even got a chance." A wide-bladed spear fell from the heavens, wreathed in flames billowing behind it. It sliced into the ground with a burst of fire, separating the Assailant and the Marine, who went tumbling away in a pile of limbs.

The green handled spear rested there, four feet of steel handle set atop of a foot of blade. Streams if fire licked up it's length, breaking upon the foot of the one astride it. The ground below was melting as the sky above was scorched.

Atop this spear crouched a young woman, patches of flame bursting through her bronzed skin. Her once wet hair rapidly dried as Zheng observed the person who had dared attack this Marine base. A young man, more muscles than sense. Skilled enough to handle the Marines, and fast enough to back it up. The revolutionaries had come to town.

This should be fun. she mused to herself.

Zheng cracked a slight smirk as a wisp of flames crawled up her cheek from the corner of her mouth. Several more cracks of flame emitting from her body as she sized up her opponent, though the cause wasn't apparent. Zheng had just been cooped up far too long, and to her a better way to let loose could not be found.

Her smirk remained as she addressed the man, "Hello There."

Sayyid appreciated the fire show, but was more so impressed in the beauty and craftsmanship of the spear. "Good evening," Sayyid offered back. "I'm guessing by the spear you're the head of this base." A slight nod to the fact this was the second spear wielding female marine he faced in the past two weeks alone. He watched as the flames danced, noticing that her body seemed to catch ablaze itself.

Fire? He noted. I'll have to play with her to see her abilities first.

"Do you think you could give me an actual challenge? I'm looking for a meaningful fight. The Drawn Sword vs The Green Spear!"

"The head? No. I was in charge of guarding the last ship that docked here. I'm even technically off duty, but what Marine could ignore the ruckus you've made here." Zheng stated matter of factly. She stood up on the spear as she spoke, balancing on the end. "This spear is a family heirloom if you're curious, Hurra Al Sayyid."

Flames began to pour down the spear. "I think you are going to find me a bit more than you have reckoned for."

The flames pooled on the ground as they shot out in all directions, leaving Zheng standing upon her perch in the center of a lake of flames. A particular violent flow of flames erupted from the lake, aiming to wash over Sayyid as Zheng watched him closely, gauging his reactions and movements for as long as she could before the fight began in proper.