Raptor D. Baron

Raptor D. Baron is the captain of the Titan Pirates and one of the Yonko —four pirate emperors who rule over the second half of the Grand Line, the New World. A poised veteran of war, the many treacherous events over the course of his career have garnered him a colossal bounty currently worth 1,000,000,000, making him one of the most wanted men within the entire world. Raptor is well reputed for his mastery in close quarters combat, particularly in regards to the Six Powers, which he learned under the guidance of the Navy during his childhood years. He is feared throughout the seas for his seemingly limitless constraints of power and is the current holder of the title, "Strongest Man in the World".

Having sailed the ocean blue for the better part of the past two decades, it seems as though Raptor is a front runner for the title of "Pirate King", most nearly because of the large pool of warriors he has gathered under his arsenal. There are very few pirates in the world today who could claim to have as much knowledge as he, as he has traveled across the very depths of the Grand Line to the point where the amount of islands he has not yet visited can be counted on his fingertips.

Poverty Stricken
Birthed into a state of virtual penury, the preliminary stages of the childhood of the one known as Raptor were filled with hardship and unprecedented bloodshed, for his arrival into the world could not have come at a more catastrophic period of time. The blessed entities known and feared throughout the seas as the celestial dragons had placed their claims upon Deguchi, a distant island just along the coast of the calm belts of the Grand Line simply because of the lavish dandelions the island had been known to produce all year round. Without consent, Deguchi was infiltrated by the Navy and taken over; even despite the fact that the world nobles had never placed any interest beyond placing claims upon the territory, urban life was prohibited for its inhabitants by none other than the navy, and they were all pushed towards the outskirts of the islands, forced to live in the surrounding jungles. Food was scarce, and the presence of the various carnivorous animals only made life that much more difficult. In time, the population of the once prominent Deguchi forces plummeted significantly, until the existence of the people in the woods became a mere myth. The island as a whole was later turned into an additional base for the marines, granting beneficial access to some of the more premier locations across the first half of the Grand Line.

During the period of time in which the navy took over Deguchi, Raptor was exposed to many horrific projections of warlike material. Even at a young age, the boy had experienced death at first hand and had taken to living in the surrounding jungles of Deguchi where he battled day in and day out against monstrous animals of the sorts. Each day in itself presented a new challenge, and each day was made a contest amongst the finest of survivors. In this time, Raptor became wary of his ever increasing powers; during his very first battles, he caught a glimpse of his true potential. Fending off the many tyrants that came to disturb the slumber of his family, Raptor grew in strength and unleashed the beast that had been living inside of him ever since the Navy had arrived on Deguchi. He was slowly becoming a devil himself, and with all do respect, it would not have been farfetched for one to believe that with the mysterious intellect he acquired during such a time that he had become determined to extract his revenge upon the marines who had taken away his beloved home. However, the exact opposite ended up happening when the fate of his family's life fell into his own hands.

Life in the jungle was not at all what it was made out to be; while the common belief remains that all forgoers accustomed to such a lifestyle would have replicated the actions of the native folk —abandoning their clothing, donning face paint, carrying spears—those surviving upon Deguchi tried their very best to maintain their urban upbringing, aside from the fact that they lived in caves, and that their living conditions could never truly ever be the same. For people that had grown so reliant on all the festivities of modern living, a sudden switch into the jungles was beyond disastrous; many had no idea what they were doing, and with the many tales of those who were lost to the very same woods lingering about, the citizens were placed forth head first into turmoil. Much to their benefit, however, the island of Deguchi was known to harvest many different kinds of fruits and vegetables, all of which were quite unlike the ones that grew naturally on any other island. However, as much as it may have been a benefit, the fact that every other fruit had the chance of being poisonous negated any cheers from uprising, for a single mistake could have costed a man his life. So then it became a game of chance, where single parents left their lives in the hands of the higher ups in order to fulfill the aching stomachs of their children. This was far from the most suitable strategy, and with such incoherent planning came a plethora of diseases. Of the many who grew ill were Raptor's mother and younger brother, the latter of which had grown blind after devouring a mysterious vegetable that had grown warts all about his eyelashes, forcing him to bear a pair of shades to conceal them from the public.

Raptor's younger brother utilized a pair of dark tinted sunglasses to hide his eyes from plain view, to prevent any such beliefs as to whether or not the disease was contagious from surfacing. Treatment was essentially impossible, as with the amount of survivors left, none of them had any medical knowledge, not to mention that the illness the poor lad had attracted was quite rare in nature, and even had a doctor been apparent, there was little chance that he would have been able to accomplish much. With Raptor at his bedside, the young boy passed away, and Raptor inherited his sunglasses as his signature article of equipment. By wearing them at all times, Raptor believed that he would have been allowing his younger brother to see the future through his own eyes and carrying his will into the next era. However, the series of unfortunate events did not cease with the demise of his sibling, for the next in line to succumb to another horrific disease was none other than the very same person who had breathed life into Raptor's body —his mother. By the name of Shiela, Raptor's mother had become bedridden and thereafter, unable to move on her own accord. With the fear of losing yet another family member, Raptor ventured deep into the jungle for food after a shortage in number had been discovered. For whatever reason, the supply of fruits especially had dwindled significantly, and even despite having had nothing to eat through the duration of several days, Raptor remained poised to find so much as a single apple to bring home for his mother.

Days went by and Raptor had long since proclaimed himself a failure after failing to find any edible substances. The various animals that had plagued him in the past had vanished themselves, and just about the only time he prayed they would reappear, the exact opposite happened. The jungles were abandoned, both by humans and animals alike. The only ones left in such a state were Raptor and Shiela, though the thought of consuming the many fallen corpses of Deguchi's lost citizens was most certainly out of question, as Shiela had always preached particular morals, and the act of cannibalism would have gone against them entirely. Left with no other option, Raptor ventured through the prohibited barriers placed forth by the marines and foresaw a forbidden exchange between a group of navy officers and a band of pirates. Though unbeknownst to Raptor, the pirates were in the process of selling a Devil Fruit to the navy for a grand total of 1,000,000,000; the fact that the navy had agreed to meet on fair terms in itself suggested that the fruit possessed quite formidable power, as more often than not, they would have instead captured the pirates instead. The sight of the fruit made Raptor's mouth water from behind his hiding place in some nearby bushes; the ripe red color was but all too intriguing, and his mother needed some sort of nutrient to stave off her illness, or so he had come to believe.

Staving off all measures of intellect, Raptor reacted solely upon desperate instinct and exposed himself out into the open in a foolish attempt to collect the fruit for himself. He was met immediately by the collaborative gunfire of both the marines and pirates, who showed no mercy, despite his in part being nothing more than a mere child. Bombarded with such an intensifying assault, Raptor displayed hints of his sheer will by overcoming the many wounds he had acquired during the event and even with numerous bullet holes in his body, remained standing long enough to place a hand on the Ryu Ryu no Mi, Model: Ryujin, before he was ultimately pinned to the ground from behind by a navy marine. With blood fountaining out of every inch of his body, Raptor looked at his own pitiful state and thought back at how it had felt to lose his younger brother; garnering the same emotions for his mother who was practically on her own deathbed at home, Raptor cried out into the star filled sky and utilized for the very first time, knocking down the enemies that had restrained him by using his own will to overpower them. Without hesitation or a second to collect his thoughts as to how he had managed to accomplish such a feat, Raptor fled the scene with the Ryu Ryu no Mi in his hands and made haste towards his home.

By the time he had managed to return home, Raptor's entire body had been reduced to nothing short of a bucket containing oozing red paint, or so it seemed, courtesy of the many wounds he had reopened on his way back that were now quite literally gushing ounces of blood by the second. Entering the door, a tattered Raptor crawled toward his mother's bedside, offering her the fruit before collapsing on top of her from exhaustion. Sheila was worried beyond belief ever since he had disappeared into the woods without trace, and was not at all relieved to have found him in such a near death state. Shedding tears, instead of complying to the last wish of her son, Sheila tended to his wounds with the last ounce of strength she could muster, feeding him the devil fruit obliviously in the process, before finally succumbing to her illness and passing on with Raptor in her arms. The boy awoke several hours later after his untimely slumber had been interrupted by gunfire; Raptor experienced a mental breakdown upon uncovering his mother's corpse, and was taken away by the marines who had pinpointed the exact location of his home.

After uncovering the remains of the missing devil fruit within the vicinity of the Raptor household, the marines concluded that its powers had been granted to Raptor, and instead of taking the boy's life and risking having to search for it all over again, they instead took him in and treated his grievous injuries. Consumption of the fruit had actually caused additional harm to Raptor, placing him in a coma for nearly a week before he regained consciousness. Through the duration of his many medical procedures, the boy was fed through various tubes and high ranking officers had been issued to his room to act as bodyguards in the off chance that he was unable to gain control over his devil fruit abilities and went off into a berserk rampage. Raptor's health was closely monitored, though even despite all the medical treatment by the professional medical staff of the branch navy headquarters, his survival in itself was considered a miracle, though a survival nonetheless. Under the tutelage of the navy, Raptor would see to grueling hours of mental therapy to recover from the trauma of his mother's death. He agreed to serve them in return for funeral arrangements for Sheila.

Strength in Numbers
Under the navy, Raptor was always on the move, being transported from place to place in order to progress with his training. Initially, Raptor had declared his interest in specializing in swordsmanship; however, he soon realized that it was not meant for him and instead altered into majoring in hand to hand combat, in particular, the martial arts style known as "". Additionally, it was under the influence of the marines that Raptor learned to better control his devil fruit abilities. While he was never able to swim ever again, he was given a specific mentor who had complete mastery over his Zoan type devil fruit by the name of Milan, who explained the benefits of the fruit classification to Raptor, along with any necessary information he would have needed for his fruit especially. If it had not been for the navy, Raptor would not have been aware of his own abilities, for he had lost consciousness when he had been fed the Ryu Ryu no Mi. In the wake of all this training, Raptor never once allowed himself to forget the sheer pain he had felt of losing not only his most dearest of companions, but his homeland as well, and secretly vowed to return to Deguchi when he had enough strength to fend for himself. Among the other trainees, Raptor seemed to be the most promising, with majority of the credit going towards the fact that he had been bestowed with a mythical zoan type devil fruit at such a young age.

Early on, controlling his devil fruit powers proved to be an immense struggle. Raptor was prone to unprecedented transformations, where parts of his body turned into that of the dark dragon king without his consent; this often led to him being subdued by the various marine officers that were patrolling the area at the time. As he progressed more and more up the ladder, Raptor's training was eventually overseen by two vice admirals; one of which possessed the powers of a logia class devil fruit, and the other who was well versed with his own zoan type. As Raptor himself was a mythical zoan type, and thus possessed properties similar of both classifications, this training was incredibly meaningful, and allowed him to trespass into the levels of mastery under such tutelage. Eventually, Raptor became inducted as a marine, and in the process, pledged his allegiance to the navy, becoming an official officer. It was a fate he could not yet escape, though resented nonetheless. Raptor himself, however, could not argue against the fact that he would have not been able to receive such formal training if it had not been for his decision; the greatest training facilities resided within the eye of the navy; if he wanted to truly grow stronger, then he would have had to muster his pride aside and continue to flourish under them.

His career as a marine was highly profiled and well reputed. Raptor gained fame for his successful completion of assignments and climbed the ladder in ranking as swiftly as any other, with his progress being compared to that of the late Coby. It wasn't long before Raptor had gained the trust of the navy as a whole and found himself adorned in the various golden lined coats saved for those select few members with the utmost authority; Raptor became a high authoritated figure, and his name was spread across the seas, until it was known to all. Stories of how he defeated various pirate captains and locked them away into Impel Down were not uncommon, and only worked to increase his popularity within the ranks of the marines. His past had been long forgotten, and he had finally gained the complete trust of those he served; however, he was unsure of whether or not it was a lifestyle he wanted to go about living, even if it did provide him with a temporary reason to continue existing. In time, Raptor became well versed in haki, and thus, ascended past the boundaries of any normal being by becoming a Vice Admiral.

Venturing beyond his middle ages, Raptor was eventually elected as an admiral of the navy, taking up a spot amongst the three most powerful positions in the navy. With great power would have normally come great responsibility, however, it oddly appeared as though the man had become more laid back and more naturally calm. He had taken to smoking cigars and calibrated into the devilish festivities of drinking liquor; all such came with age, though most of all, Raptor was at last able to see the true terrors of the navy from up close. As a child, he had caught but a glimpse of their true nature; their behavior was unprecedented. They who claimed to be the saviors of the world were nothing short of robots working for the betterment of the celestial dragons. They cared little for the well being of the world, much less of those inhabiting it. The marines were all being programmed, almost hypnotized to live their lives a certain way. Raptor was no longer going to play apart in such corruption, and he addressed his intent to the front office of the world government and resigned from his position altogether, electing instead, to become what they despised most --a pirate.

Grand Ascension
Raptor defected his position as an admiral and took to the seas once more, however this time, traveling of his own accord. He gathered companions of his own and formed a pirate crew, taking up his new position as their captain. With his notorious past still but lingering about the very oceans he now wished to claim, he became known as "Titan", and defeated various opposing pirate captains and forced them to join his side instead. With each passing day, his fleet multiplied, until it stormed through the Grand Line and into the New World as a force to be reckoned with. As a former admiral, the navy was swift in issuing a hefty bounty in return for his head, with a price set at 500,000,000 from the beginning. Raptor enjoyed his time away from the marines and indulged himself within the life of a pirate. The seas were but all too familiar to him, as he had long since ventured them during his years under the world government. Harnessing their powers and lessons, it was the ultimate betrayal.

Behind every man is a weakness, and for Raptor, it happened to be his comrades, the companions comprising his pirate crew. An instance befell the man in which certain figures of his group had been confiscated; abducted and filed for treason, it seemed as though their lives had come to an end. However, having raised the man through their devilish efforts, the navy cornered Raptor, by offering him a bit of hope. In return for his comrades, they instead desired him in their place, and without hesitation, the man agreed, going as far as to even cuffing himself in sea stone to prove his worth. Abiding to the man's wish, they freed the rest of his crew and allowed them a running start, before locking Raptor away into the lowest pits of Impel Down --the sixth level. Said to be hell itself, it offered Raptor remorse, and even he could not sustain such trauma for eternity. He spent years locked away within the depths of such darkness before he was given another offer by his past allies; seeing him such a pitiful state, they offered him but one final chance. Though he would never be able to regain his posture amongst the admirals, the navy instead offered him a position as a member of the shichibukai after the ranks had become clear; he would once again be under their watchful eye and be able to serve them like he had in the past, albeit with the exception of living his life as a pirate. Raptor agreed, and he was released from the prison which allowed him to reunite with his crew.

There was a common belief that even despite their affiliation with the world government, the shichibukai were still pirates before anything else, and thus, their behavior would remain the same. Pirates were never to be trusted in the first place, though in Raptor's case, he had been offered the benefit of the doubt most nearly due to his rich history with the navy; for a man of his caliber to have been released from prison was but a fantasy for them and a nightmare for all else. With his quote on quote "return", the navy's strength was believed to have been doubled if not increased dramatically, though he took advantage of his reign as a member of the shichibukai and instead utilized it to gain supremacy amidst the endless seas. Without the marines on his tail, Raptor was no longer a wanted man; this allowed him to embark freely on a journey of his own, in which he conquered many islands on his way across the Grand Line. Covering distance they had already tackled before, it was a new era for the Titan Pirates, though others dared not to challenge them based off of their decade long experiences during their initial run. The Titan Pirates were back in full bloom, better than they ever had been. Living under the radar, their bounties were frozen, and they were able to sneak about wrecking havoc without consequence for some period of time.

Without troubling himself with the affairs of the navy allowed both Raptor and the Titan Pirates to work much more efficiently. They took this time to conquer a portion of the New World, and it wasn't until much later that Raptor was stripped of his title as a member of the shichibukai. This had been done after the Titan Pirates had already long since placed their claims upon various territories, angering the navy to no end. When met by such matters, Raptor threw in the towel himself and resigned from the shichibukai voluntarily, his way of spitting in the face of the world government after the grueling second chance they had offered him. In a highly publicized event of which was broadcasted to the navy headquarters by members of the Titan Pirates, Raptor informed the fleet admiral of his resignation through the process of burning the navy flag, thereby declaring war against the entire world. Raptor's actions would face heavy consequences, and his bounty that had been frozen for some years was doubled, making him one of the most wanted men within the entire world, and the most wanted man by the highest authorized figures within the world government personally.

Raptor was thereafter recognized as a member of the Yonko, four pirate emperors who placed their claims on the most treacherous seas in the world. This was not only a testament to his might, but also went on to display his devotion to the seas itself, as it was through his navigational skills and mastery over the waters that had allowed for him to place his claims. Sometime into his reign as a Yonko, Raptor visited the Fishman Island and conquered the island; leaving his Jolly Roger in a noticeable area, it would not be trampled with by visting pirates and such due to its sheer presence. Anyone who caused trouble to his island would have to deal with the consequences of facing the Titan Pirates. Additionally, Raptor played an instrumental role towards ending segregation between the world and the Merfolk; he even went as far as to taking several Mermen and Fishmen back to the surface with him, many of which joined his crew while others left for their own worldy ambitions. In the world around, Fishmen have since settled in various parts of the world, and though racial prejudice still exists, it has now become tolerable, allowing Merfolk and humans to live in unity and coexist with one another.

Appearance
In the presence of Raptor, the aroma of a distinct cologne is apparent at all times --that of a devoted sailor. As a pirate, Raptor has long since taken to a very fraudulent lifestyle; living on nothing but a ship day after day within a cramped space beside his crew mates would certainly take its toll on his body, most of the traits being rather unpleasant. For one, there is but always a grueling stench emitting from the large man, made of the mos vile recipe known to all of mankind --death. It is almost as though someone had mixed the most intolerable scents in all of the world together --blood, sweat, grease, oil-- into a pool and had Raptor bathed in it for years; the smell of his being is always fresh, though any such pirate of the New World would have come to form some sort of immunity against it. It is the smell of the whole wide world that lingers upon Raptor's body, symbolizing his legacy in a peculiar way. Even so, keeping fresh clothes on a ship is thought to be a waste of storage room, leaving Raptor adorned in the same set on a daily basis. The dirt and filth that has accumulated onto his body may be life threatening by now, though just as any other devoted pirate, he has come to accept it, as in it is a trait that has made him, him. In simple terms, it is not Raptor who is filthy, but the world in which he resides within. He is a result of many adventures and the embodiment of a good time, as evident by the several stains on his trousers.

Raptor's hairstyle is quite peculiar in truth, and was shaped intentionally, representing his rebellion from the navy. In more ways than one, it conveys his freedom as a pirate; though he is a wanted man across the entirety of the world, his acceptance of such an atrocious fashion goes to show that the man has casted aside any and all judgements about his physical well being; it is a devotion of the highest caliber despite being such a trivial subject, and it would be against his own moral code to go about altering it now, so well in to his career. Raptor's guise is filled with hints of his objectives, almost as if each inch of his being conveys a hidden message of his own. His signature spectacles, filled with mystery and wonder alike, are worn at all times with the intention of keeping alive the will of his deceased brother; this in part is his greatest pride, and nothing would anger him more than to see them be trampled with. His nose is large, and exists solely for the purpose of guarding his personal domain, also regarded as his mustache. Thick in context, the ends of his hairy upper lip protrude to the sides and curve up towards the sky, paying homage to the late Edward Newgate. The stache can be interpretd as a symbol of power and respect or simply even another one of Raptor's peculiar fashion interests.

The man is one of grueling stature; his sheer size and mass alone have established him as a force within the world. His moniker as the "Titan" can be attributed to his mountainous size, where it even exceeded that of his fellow marine admirals, during his years in the navy. Though he is still beneath the size of a giant --as by race, he is still considered human-- Raptor's size should never be underestimated, as the sheer step of his foot is capable of crushing the ground beneath him without any enhancements. When serious, it seems as though the earth begins to quake under such pressure. This is especially ironic, considering that upon birth, Raptor was premature, and considered one of the shortest in his graduating class as a student within the navy. However, the nutrition he was exposed to during his time there can not be compared to, and the results have become evident on his physical being. Raptor's body is as durable as his will is resilient; upon contact, one may feel just how compact the texture of his skin is, credit to his exceptionally well toned physique. Built to impress, muscles gorge every inch of his body --this is especially apparent within his thick bulging neck. Another testament to the man's size is the fact that he has his pants especially made for none other than himself. His height is often subject to several jokes from his crew mates.

The pride of a man comes in the form of his "romance", his passion for his lifestyle. For a pirate captain such as Raptor, this is translated towards his large frock jacket, complete with large shoulder pads and cuffs around his wrists. This coat is the embodiment as his success as a captain and shows his authority over the rest of his fleet. It is through the sight of this dark coat waving like a flag alone that strikes fear within the minds of his imposers and hope in the hearts of his companions. In actuality, this is the very same coat Raptor bore during his days as an admiral; however, back in the day, it had a vanilla color instead, which has since been dyed black to symbolize his defection from their headquarters and his rebellion against the world government. Worn around Raptor's left hand, a platinum golden hook can be seen, sometimes concealed by his own sleeve. This hook is not the typical hook any ordinary pirate would carry around; instead, there are many secrets that lie within it; however, one thing is for certain: Raptor's left hand is still very much intact, and was not torn off in any ways or sorts. Simply, he has now decided to add a bit of decoration to it.

Personality
The world is still but yet apprehended in a coursing void of perplexity, where those inhabiting it have been made oblivions of the highest caliber, hoaxed by none other than the one "reliable" source they deem justified --the world government. Their eyes have been closed; the sight of a pirate ship to them would signal the end of the world, though this in itself is not entirely their own fault, for their many past experiences in dealing with these creatures have since left them with no reason to think otherwise. Still yet, there are those people around the world, even referring to themselves as pirates, who bare morals of honor, among the feeble crowd are the pirates led by the notorious Yonko, Raptor D. Baron. While he most certainly would never refer to himself as a hero, or anything of the sort because of how misleading of a title it can be made out to be, Baron has a sympathetic side beneath that colossal figure of his, which has since prevented him from taking the life of even a single innocent person through the six decades of his lifetime. It is with this merciful swagger that he goes about traveling the New World, never taking more than he should and never expecting anything in return, even after saving the lives of many and ensuring a better future for them by casting them beneath his protective shadow. The man known as Titan is but a soft teddybear with a durable outer rim, who will not hide his tears of sympathy for those who are ignorant to the truth. He aims to purify the world; this is the reason he has taken to the seas.

This same mercy, however, does not extend to everyone. A man so well assorted with Haki that it has become like second nature to him, his ability to conjoin these separate abilities into one has allowed him to examine the behaviors of mankind in greater detail, and thus, he is often able to differentiate an innocent bystander from a more corrupt being. This is done through the process of "comparing wills", where Baron will release a light fragment of his power to get a better sense of awareness of those around him. When met by his enemies --most namely the navy-- the titan will show little to no mercy, though he will very rarely ever take upon the life of another. Baron stems from a life of bloodshed, where witnessing the death of even his own family members was not uncommon. These experiences have left him torn mentally, and he could never get himself to go the extra mile. However, he sees no problem in leaving his opponent in a very distorted state or even to the point where they are quite literally knocking on the door to death. Many of his techniques have such capabilities, though for him to take things to that extent would not take a worthy opponent, but rather, a good reason. Still yet, as a man of pride and honor, Baron is not without taking lives in the name of justice, whereby he will avenge his fallen comrades, chasing his prey to the ends of the world.

There is a passion instilled in the man for the ways of the pirate. Though he tried his very best to distance himself from such criteria during his years as a marine, he slowly found himself succumbing to the very same festivities the more time he spent out at sea. With time investment came power, and with power came stress. Eventually, Baron needed a way out of all of it; he needed to find some sort of activity he could defer to in moments where he needed a break from such an action filled life. Thus, he took to some grueling habits. Habits that he is not very proud of, but has come to accept as being apart of him nonetheless. Like the many pirates who sail the seas, Baron has exceptional interest in alcoholic beverages, especially the kind that challenge him to keep his eyes open. He is a renown drinker who drinks on instinct, though even despite this, he has yet to grow any sort of tolerance against liquor; a few shots are more than enough to take down the man known as Titan, however ironic it may be. Akin to this borderline addiction of his, there is always a bottle of rum kept ready at his side, hidden beneath his coat.

During his lifetime, Baron has contracted three well known addictions, the first of which was an alcohol addiction. While it is controllable to an extent, the fact that it is so apparent in his life has him drinking more often than he should. However, the next addiction is the one that he can be seen applying much more frequently. As if without a care in the world for the own well being of his lungs, Baron is a chain smoker, with a new package of freshly rolled cigars at the ready on his being at all times. He smokes on every occasion, such as to and from the restroom, and can be seen smoking in everyone of his daughter's marriage albums, all nine to be exact. Baron does not smoke thin cut cigarettes, referring to it as "weak stuff". Instead, he smokes thick cigars, with an abundance of tobacco in them. This has since come to be a bit of a trademark for Baron, as he can be seen puffing on smoke more often than not; theory has it that the ashes he produces are his closest ally. Just as a house can be easily located through the smoke emitting from its chimney, Baron can be easily located by the cloud of smoke that appears over his head.

The final and perhaps the most enforced addiction of the three is Baron's devout love for pretty women, especially those of which have large sensual features. While he can still muster enough courage to face a female in battle, his heart still sings for their compassion, which can be perceived as being quite frightening to most, considering how old and terrifying he is portrayed to be. During his glory days, however, Baron was the subject of much appreciation from the opposing gender, with many alluring women looking forward to taking a ride on his wild side. There was something unique about being a pirate, perhaps the outrageous lifestyle in itself, that attracted them towards him, or possibly even his status as an admiral, which he took advantage of wholeheartedly, bearing no ill will afterwards. This fascination lives on to this very day, stronger now, than it ever has been due to his ever increasing age. As it becomes more and more uncommon --falling away from his grasp-- Baron can be seen growing more and more lecherous, savoring each moment he receives with the young, beautiful maidens venturing the seas within the current era.

A trait within the entirety of the Raptor household is their passion for battle. While this is not to be confused with the makeups of war, Baron himself possesses a degree of passion within him that cannot be satisfied through any means beyond the application of the exchange of fists. The very element that keeps his heart pumping, and therefore, keeps his entire being intact, is fighting; this was how the man was able to acquire such astounding power in his later years, because of the sheer interest he displays in such delicate craftsmanship. Much of the world fights because they are ordered to, without bearing the true intent of heart for such an activity. However, even as an admiral within the navy, while his position asked of him to fight for justice, there were many times in which Baron fought simply to fulfill his own manly desires. It is a man's romance to partake in battle, and the Titan is of no clear exception under this circumstance.

Even so, there is an inconceivable pride that was born along with the man the day he came into existence, which has since multiplied in dexterity. He will not harm a being who can no longer fight; he will never go beyond the sins of human nature. Baron is a chivalrous man who possesses a great deal of pride for his own legacy, and the well being of his own pirate crew. For one to trample with such affairs would do nothing else but accomplish the wrath of the Titan. While he has his own restrictions, it seems as though he forgives even his own morals to track down his prey; for those of whom who have plagued his nakama, they can no know greater fear. As much as he enjoys fighting, every battle score must be settled on fair terms, with no advantage dealt to either side, even in the faces of war. Baron will never cheat or attempt to ridicule his opponent in any such way because of the respect that he bears within his heart.

Devil Fruit
The power of the almighty was bestowed within Raptor while he was nothing more than a mere child, when surviving the rest of the day was in itself a challenge. Being of the Mythical Zoan lineage, the Ryu Ryu no Mi is one of the rarest fruits in all of the world, surpassing even the scarcity of a Logia. Raptor has since come to tame his powers with a level of mastery that very few can claim to have in regards to their fruits; this has enabled him to access a level even beyond the norm, heralded as an "awakening". Even in itself, however, the power of the fruit is easily one of the most unique to date, leaving Raptor's many opponents through the years puzzled, and seriously baffled as to what sort of power it has granted him. Many have never seen such a fruit in all their life, one which --in a peculiar perspective-- seems to possess traits of all three devil fruit classifications. This in itself factors into their confusions, making Raptor very incredibly difficult to analyze in the heat of battle. With the power of a fruit, Raptor sacrifices his ability to swim in exchange for greater power. However, this in itself is quite possibly the greatest weakness a pirate could ever possess, seeing as though their life on the seas would present issues regarding the ocean quite frequently. Through the power of his devil fruit, Raptor gains the ability to transform into a black dragon and a giant dragon-human hybrid at will. Additionally, as a mythical zoan type, the dragon is produced of black lighting, granting Raptor a secondary power of the sorts which allows him to manipulate the element at will, much like how Marco the Phoenix was able to do the same with his blue phoenix flames. This trait is incredibly beneficial, seeing as though it almost acts as an entirely different property of the fruit; Raptor is able to switch back and forth between an intangible form where physical attacks will slip through his being composed of black lightning, not unlike the properties of a Logia. However, he must once again materialize in order to inflict physical damage upon his opponent, suggesting that he would be vulnerable to attacks himself in such a state. Between the ability to transform into a dragon, manipulate the element of black lightning, and allow physical attacks to slip through him, Raptor's fruit carries key traits from each of the three fruit classifications, rendering it very difficult for the average person to determine what kind it truly is, especially given how rare the mythical Zoan is. Being of Zoan class in reality, Raptor is able to transform his body into that of a dragon. However, with the Ryu Ryu no Mi being a Mythical type within the subsection of the Zoan, he has access to a more efficient means of morphing, in the form of partial transformations. Unlike those who bear the ordinary breed of Zoan type fruits, Raptor can choose to convert only a single portion of his body into that of the dragon king. This is more often the case with the Titan, who transforms his hands into claws to deal more damage to his enemies or sprouts wings from his back to take to the skies. With his level of mastery, Raptor can also simply utilize the element of black lightning within his base form without taking the form of a dragon, doing so mostly to confuse his opponent into believing it is the power of a Logia that he wields. Even from the norm, there is but another unique property within Raptor's Zoan transformation. Granted both a hybrid form and a full transformation, Raptor's full transformation is reminiscent of a Chinese dragon, seemingly serpent like in appearance. This presents an advantage of its own as well, as Raptor sacrifices width for length. In his full dragon form, Raptor's height exceeds one hundred feet.

Coincidentally, Raptor would become proficient in martial arts, utilizing his Zoan type devil fruit to terrorize his opponents within close quarters. His hard body frame as a dragon makes him very durable, which coupled with his resilience makes him a tough cover to go up against. Additionally, Raptor's dragon form provides him with an additional layer of natural refined defense, in the form of scales. These scales are quite sturdy in their own right, allowing him to absorb several physical hits, in the off chance they would otherwise not have been able to slip through him. Raptor also has another technique within his arsenal that allows him to more efficiently alter the shape of his body, known as "", which can be very convenient depending on the size of his enemy. His frame minimizes considerably when he chooses to do so, unfortunately trading defense and power for the sake of speed. In his awakened state, however, Raptor grows even larger in size and his eyes roll back --albeit this cannot be seen, as he is always wearing a pair of shades to conceal them-- seemingly making his pupils disappear with a white tint overtaking his eye sockets. While some go as far as to giving up their consciousness entirely in such a state, Raptor has displayed the ability to speak at the very least, though never in complete sentences.

Rokushiki
For a man who initially expressed interest in wielding a blade, training within the arts of the Six Powers was certainly at the bottom of the list, if present at all. However, it soon became apparent to everyone within the Marine Base centered in Deguchi that Raptor possessed absolutely no potential as a swordsmen, and thereafter, his specialization drifted towards martial arts, in which he displayed prodigal talent in almost immediately. Whatever it was about the sport, it seemed as though the mere thought of utilizing his fists to harm the oppressor seemed all too natural to him, and as he progressed through the rankings of the Marine Headquarters, Raptor found a new sense of passion for close quarters combat, taking up the challenge of refining his bodily functions in order to prepare for the superhuman fighting style feared as Rokushiki. He soon found that his body needed to be in a superhuman state --quite obviously-- in order to both keep track of and utilize superhuman movements; under such guidance from those of which had mastered the art, Raptor flourished. Many comparisons were drawn between Raptor and former CP9 agent "Rob Lucci", who had been dismissed from his services following the demise of Enies Lobby; for this reason, many hoped to regain such an ally and cover up for the loss of power they had experienced in the coming years.

Raptor is a master of the six powers and arguably one of the greatest martial artists within the entire sea, which even before his devil fruit prowess claimed him the rank of admiral among the navy. With nearly six decades of life comprising the Titan of inhumane stature, Raptor is credited to have fully mastered each individual aspect of the six powers, to the point where he can switch between each individual technique as if it were second nature; naturally, there is no one particular power that he is fond of --as he appreciates each of their benefits individually-- and no one power that appears to be weaker than all the others. This most nearly means that unlike the CP9 agents who once functioned under the world government, Raptor does not specialize in one power, but rather is so well rounded that he possesses equal strength in the usage of all six. Likewise, this means that he is able to even use the powers in quick succession --one after the other-- or even simultaneously, quite literally more than one at the same given instance. Raptor is an especially fearsome opponent when he is relying upon the usage of his fists; he is known to erupt devastation upon the unfortunate souls who prove to be threatening to him or his comrades. Because of his close quarters prowess, Raptor is essentially a match for anyone, and a truly difficult being to bring down.

Early One Piece
Raptor's original design differed quite greatly from his final draft. This is most nearly because of the change in art styles Oda encompassed during the canon series; the earlier concept of Raptor was drawn when the author himself was only half way through the series.

Behind the Scenes
Conceptually, Raptor came into the idea of the author during his time spent studying the One Piece series. Over the course of seven months, User:DazzlingEmerald went from the beginning of the series to the very end, reading both the manga and the anime, implementing the ideas that came along on the side.

Raptor was made with the purpose of being an "end goal" for members of the community; from the very beginning, he was designed to be defeated. Though he possesses a ridiculous bounty and a few absurd titles, this was all done intentionally, and the author does not truly believe Raptor to be the "strongest" character out there, as that would be very arrogant, and quite apparently, very childish.

While it remains yet to be seen, Raptor is apparently to play an influential role in a plot-line that User:DazzlingEmerald hopes will "stir" up the community in the near future.

Trivia

 * Raptor D. Baron is referred to by his surname in all but his personality section. This was done with the intention of invoking a sense of mysteriousness within the reader, while getting to know the character on a personal level during the personality section.
 * Raptor was the very first character to be created on the website, and was originally used to test out several templates and other means of coding. This means that the article on Raptor was published on April 14th of 2015.
 * Many of One Piece's characters are given a distinct laugh. Raptor follows this tradition by starting his laughs with "Gree" (i.e. Greehahahahahaha!)